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Headlines

Less than a Year to go, Buhari Nominates 7 New Ministers

by Folarin Kehinde June 21, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated seven new ministers to replace the ones who resigned from his cabinet.

This was revealed in a letter written by the president to the Senate seeking confirmation of the nominated ministers.

The seven names on the letter include Umar Yakub (Kano state), Henry Ikechukwu (Abia State), Umana Umana (Akwa Ibom State), Ekuma Joseph (Ebonyi State) and Goodluck Obia (Imo State), Ademola Adegorioye (Ondo State) and Odo Udi Rivers State.

The senate president read the letter to the lawmakers on Tuesday during plenary.

Recall that Nairametrics reported earlier that some ministers officially resigned from Mr Buhari’s cabinet.

Some of them include Rotimi Amaechi, Godswill Akpabio, Ogbonnaya Onu and Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba.

More details soon…

June 21, 2022 0 comments

Headlines

Senate Named Philip Aduda New Minority Leader, Whip

by Folarin Kehinde June 21, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

The Senate on Tuesday named Senator Philip Tenimu Aduda (FCT) as the new Minority Leader.

Senator Chukwuka Utazi was also named the Senate Minority Whip.

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, announced the appointments while reading two separate letters signed by the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Samuel Anyanwu.

The seat of the Minority Leader became vacant following the defection of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) from the PDP.

June 21, 2022 0 comments

Headlines

2023: Voters Registration Must Continue, Court Tells INEC

by Folarin Kehinde June 20, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission from ending voter registration on June 30, 2022.

Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon (Court 10) on Monday granted an order of interim injunction following the hearing of an argument on motion exparte by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project.

SERAP and 185 concerned Nigerians had early this month filed the lawsuit against INEC asking the court to “declare unconstitutional, illegal, and incompatible with international standards the failure of the electoral body to extend the deadline for voter registration to allow eligible Nigerians to exercise their rights.”

In the suit, SERAP had asked the court for “an order restraining INEC, its agents, privies, assigns, or any other person(s) claiming through it from discontinuing the continuous voters’ registration exercise from the 30th June 2022 or any other date pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

The suit is adjourned to 29th June, 2022 for the hearing of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.

The suit followed the decision by INEC to extend the deadline for the conduct of primaries by political parties by six days, from June 3 to June 9. But the commission failed to also extend the online pre-registration which ended May 30 2022 and the Continuous Voter Registration ending June 30, 2022.

In the suit number FHC/L/CS/1034/2022 filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos, and transferred to Abuja, SERAP is asking the court to determine “whether the failure of INEC to extend the deadline for voter registration is not a violation of Nigerian Constitution, 1999 [as amended], the Electoral Act, and international standards.”

SERAP is asking the court for “a declaration that the failure of INEC to extend the deadline for voter registration is a violation of eligible Nigerians’ rights to participate freely in their own government, equality and equal protection.”

SERAP also asked the court for “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to extend voter registration by a minimum of three months and take effective measures to ensure that eligible Nigerians are able to register to exercise their right to vote in the 2023 general elections.”

The suit read in part, “Enforcing unrealistic voter registration deadline while extending the deadline for party primaries would deny and abridge the constitutional and international human rights of eligible voters.

“INEC mandates ought to be exercised in a fair, just and non-discriminatory manner. The extension of voter registration would ensure that Nigerian voters are treated equally and fairly. The future of Nigeria’s democracy depends on it.

“Voters are also critical stakeholders in the electoral process. Treating all eligible Nigerian voters fairly would advance the people’s right to vote and to participate in their own government.

“INEC must not only be independent and impartial in the exercise of its constitutional and statutory responsibilities, but must also be seen to be independent and impartial.

“Extending the voter registration exercise would also bolster voter confidence in the electoral process.

“One of the people’s most sacred rights is the right to vote. The commission has a constitutional and statutory responsibility to ensure the effective exercise of the right of all eligible voters to participate in their own government.

“Extending the deadline for party primaries without providing adequate time and opportunity for eligible voters to register and participate in the 2023 general elections would amount to an unfair and discriminatory treatment of Nigerian voters, and violate other human rights.

“Extending the voter registration deadline would provide more time for eligible voters, including young people, the elderly, people living with disability, as well as those resident in states facing security challenges and living in IDP camps to participate in the 2023 elections.

“Extending the deadline for voter registration would be entirely consistent with constitutional and international standards, and the Electoral Act. Any such extension would also not impact negatively on INEC’s election calendar and activities.

“The public perception of the independence and impartiality of INEC is essential for building public confidence in the electoral process, and ensuring the credibility and legitimacy of the 2023 elections.

“Where Nigerians have doubts about the independence and impartiality of INEC, they are more likely to have less confidence in the electoral process thereby undermining democracy.

“Extending the deadline for voter registration would also be justified, given reports of challenges in the voter registration exercise, especially for young people, the elderly, persons living with disabilities, and those resident in states facing security challenges and living in internally displaced persons camps”.

June 20, 2022 0 comments

Headlines

Global Rights Fumes Over Subjective Sections of Amended CAMA Act 2020

by Folarin Kehinde June 19, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

Kenny Folarin, Abuja

The Executive Director, Global Rights, Abiodun Baiyewu has expressed concern over the subjective section (Part F) of the Amended Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, of Section 8(1)(C)which gives the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the powers to investigate the affairs of incorporated trustees and allows the government through the CAC to threaten the affairs and activities of civil society organisations.

Abiodun while speaking in Abuja on Thursday at a strategic meeting on the provision of “Part F” of the Amended Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020 noted that there are so many subjective sections to the CAMA and this means that the CAC can at anytime step in as long as politically exposed people are not happy with the activities of civil society organizations.

Abiodun noted that civil society are duty bound to collectively think about these issues and challenge them headlong.

According to the Act, Section 839, which vests the CAC with the powers to suspend the trustees of an association and appoint interim managers to run its affairs under the Commission’s supervision, “This is a flagrant attempt by the government to stifle the voices of civil society organisations”. Abiodun posited.

Meanwhile, she advised that as the 2023 elections approaches, civil society must begin to ask political aspirants questions on what will become of the shrinking civic space and who will build a society where the voices of the society can be heard rather than surpressd.

Meanwhile, Professor of Practice in International Human Rights, Chidi Odinkalu stated that there has been a concerted, consistent and deliberate effort by the government to incapacitate civil society, render it so incapable that they do not become a force and alternative to political voices.

Explaining, Chidi said “So if we are in a situation where the political opposition is weak, the citizens are mostly popularized and improvised and therefore there concern is more about what they eat and the civil space of an active organized civic sector is itself endangered, organized labour is discredited and bereft of money, what we have is an authoritarian state”.

He opined that civil society needs to be more conscious, more up-to-date and articulate a national agenda that is neither partisan nor parochial.

“The first thing that we need to do is to create a Nigerian Civil Society identity that transcends all these polarities and make us to confront the dangers that civil society faces because for me, we have got to recognize the issue that matters to our people.

“We have got to retrace our steps and do the job of advocating for a better society, involves personal credibility, institution credibility, connected to ideal if we want a Nigeria that can be trusted”. He added.

June 19, 2022 0 comments

Headlines Opinion

The beauty of Nigeria’s recent delegate elections

by Leading Reporters June 19, 2022

written by Leading Reporters

Tonnie Iredia

The pain of Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives that many of his colleagues would be unable to return to the National Assembly is with due respect misplaced. While Femi as an individual is free to miss some of his close friends who could not secure their party tickets to run in next year’s general election, their loss was not against the run of play.

Indeed, failure of many lawmakers to return to the legislature has been the trend since 1999 when democracy was restored in Nigeria. At each election season, the competition to get into office grows more intense progressively. To start with, Nigerians who thought politics was a dirty game have since changed their minds by discarding the fear of political violence because of the transparent evidence that nothing in the country is as lucrative as politics. Thus, with increased interest in politics, electioneering has assumed a fiercer dimension capable of unseating several incumbents.

The Speaker’s conclusion that loopholes in the delegate system caused the loss of his colleagues at the party primaries is also not entirely accurate. The system may have played a role; but if the truth must be told, many legislators are undeserving of reelection. They really have no business in the legislature because they are only there to pick-up ‘basic’ salaries and humongous allowances.

Their incapacity is aggravated by their omission to appoint competent legislative aides to assist them perform their duties satisfactorily. For inexplicable reasons, they also have no viable constituency offices as demanded by law which would have positioned them to get acquainted with the real preferences of the people they represent. Many are in fact unknown to their constituents. The contributory negligence of passing a poorly worded Electoral Act 2022 was essentially the last self-inflicted injury. Just before that, there were bills with unpardonable typographical errors and sheer contradictions of the provisions in different sections that no one detected.

In fairness, national legislators are by far better than their colleagues in the Houses of Assembly in the states – a good example being the 24-member Kwara state legislature in which virtually every bill passed since 2019 was sponsored by the state governor. Accordingly, Nigerians should not bemoan the inability of certain legislators to return to base in 2023. The argument about continuity is essentially feeble. What should bother us now, is how to raise the level of political awareness among our people to vote for persons of substance that are passionate about making laws for good governance of society. Of course, some legislators have endeavoured to acquit themselves creditably. Gbajabiamila is in fairness one of such dutiful lawmakers, hence he got back his party ticket unopposed to contest the seat of his Surulere, Lagos constituency notwithstanding the contentious electoral bill which targeted members of the executive branch of government.

From the events of the last few months, the new electoral law has inadvertently helped to get many incumbents out of the legislature. In a country like Nigeria with stunted growth, it is unfair for certain persons to be in power for too long to the detriment of other citizens. It was therefore almost like a divine intervention that made the lawmakers by their own volition to pass a bill to their own disadvantage, just as it blinded them from some rather unintended errors until it was too late to act. The ‘wisdom-after-event’ thought of overriding the president was probably for self-consolation as the present legislature had no capacity during its potent days to contemplate such no-go area, let alone now that many members are nursing heart-broken injuries while vibrancy has been adjourned till after the 2023 election.

One of the gains of the new Electoral Act is that it has emboldened hitherto timid people to rise up to challenge the self-made emperors in our democracy. It was quite interesting to learn that our senate president among a few others who lost out in the recent political intrigues had attempted but failed to coerce winners to step down for them. That was obviously a tall order within the context of the new circumlocutory electoral law. According to media reports, Bashir Sheriff Machina, the winner of the All Progressives Congress APC Yobe North Senatorial District primaries has said that rather than step down for Ahmed Lawan, he himself intends to become the senate president having served as a law maker earlier in 1990. Machina confirmed that it was because he never intended to step down for anyone that he declined to complete the withdrawal form attached by the party to the nomination package. Now, with the new Electoral Act, the Machinas of this world appear invigorated.

As proof of the growing awareness of the muscle of the new law, aggrieved supporters of certain flagbearers in Kogi state who were being cajoled to step down stormed the APC national secretariat last Thursday, to protest attempts to substitute winners with favoured aspirants. Protesters from Abia and Ondo states had earlier demonstrated against same allegations. In the case of Enugu state, some aspirants claimed the party denied them the necessary forms to fill for the submission of candidates. They also alleged that the party instead offered them ‘withdrawal concession forms’ which they reportedly rejected. In the past, party executives implemented such anti-democratic behaviour with ease. There is doubt now if the party would not end up losing as the oppressed have provisions of the new electoral law to proceed with.

The situation in Akwa Ibom North-west Senatorial District does not appear different from that of Yobe state where a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Udom Ekpoudom who won the party primaries has rejected pleas for him to step down for Senator Godswill Akpabio. There are few high points in the Akwa Ibom situation. First, the party having failed to get the cooperation of Udom claimed to have organized fresh primaries which Akpabio allegedly won. Second INEC monitored the first and not the second primaries. Third, the Akwa Ibom office of INEC disowned the second primaries thereby strengthening the resolve of the former police boss to hold-on to the ticket. The old attitude of putting blames on electoral officials didn’t succeed because INEC headquarters aptly discountenanced attempts to blackmail its Resident Electoral Commissioner in Uyo who testified that the only primaries monitored by his office was the one which produced the former police boss.

However, the development was not restricted to the ruling party. The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP has had its share of the trend. Last week, the party’s candidate for the Kebbi Central Senatorial District, Haruna Dandio Saidu denied stepping down for the former Kebbi governor, Adamu Aliero who recently defected from the APC to the PDP. In a petition to INEC, Haruna warned that he was prepared to institute legal proceedings against any person who forges any document which purports that he accepted to withdraw his candidature. But for the new law, the underdogs in the two political parties would probably have been sacrificed to suit the wishes of party caucuses. This development therefore underscores the beauty of the recently conducted party primaries across the country.

Nigerians can now hope that elections in the country would depart, even if slightly, from the old order where we hosted failed elections. For example, the opportunity for the voices of the underprivileged people to be heard will at least stop the fake landslide victories of ruling parties whose members value party interests more than the wishes of those they are supposed to represent. In addition, our youths are now persuaded to pick up their permanent voters’ cards and vote out non-performing office holders. With this development, many contending national issues will be appropriately determined. One such issue is whether the nation is comfortable with a Northern candidate taking over from the outgoing President from the same region. This burning issue in addition to another one concerning whether a Muslim-Muslim ticket does not matter will all be determined not by political gladiators who are currently debating the issues but by eligible voters.

June 19, 2022 0 comments

Headlines

Biodun Oyebanji Wins Ekiti Governorship Election

by Folarin Kehinde June 19, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Biodun Oyebanji, the winner of the Ekiti State governorship election.

The Returning Officer for the election, Prof Kayode Adebowale, who is the Vice Chancellor, the University of Ibadan, announced the results.

Adebowale said, “Oyebanji, having scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and returned elected as the governor-elect of Ekiti State”

The APC scored 187,057 votes to defeat its closest rival, the SDP, which garnered 82,211 votes, the PDP, which got 67,457 votes and 13 other parties which participated in Saturday’s governorship election.

Out of the 360,753 votes cast, the total valid votes in the election were 351,865.

While the agent of SDP, Owoseeni Ajayi, did not sign the forms for the votes cast, the agent of the ADP, said, “Instead of having polling centres, what we have in Ekiti are vote-buying centres”.

Meanwhile, our correspondents who monitored the exercise across the state reported that in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, residents trooped to the streets to celebrate the victory in the dead of the night. At the Government House in the Oke Ayoba area of the town, other APC governors, led by the state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, monitored the exercise.

Similarly, in Ikogosi-Ekiti, Ekiti West Local Government Area, where Oyebanji hails from, residents also began celebrating the victory of their kinsman at the poll.

Also in Ikere-Ekiti, where Oyebanji’s running mate, Mrs Monitade Afuye, hails from, residents also began celebration as the results were announced by the respective local government Returning Officers.

In different parts of the state also, some members of the ruling party celebrated the victory, describing it as well-deserved.

Observers revealed that prior to the announcement of the results at the collation centre, all the results from the 16 local government areas had been uploaded on the Result Viewing Portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission, known as IReV.

June 19, 2022 0 comments

Headlines

2023: Don’t set Nigeria on fire, DHQ warns Politicians, Supporters

by Folarin Kehinde June 17, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has warned politicians, especially those seeking political offices and their supporters not to set the country on fire with their utterances and actions.

It also warned political thugs and miscreants planning to cause havoc during the 2023 general elections to have a rethink or have themselves to blame.

This is as it has disclosed that several personnel of the armed forces apprehended for conspiring with kidnappers, bandits, terrorists and other criminals elements to jeopardise military operations, were facing court martial in different military formations across the country.

Chief of Defence Staff(CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, stated this at the Defence Headquarters bi-weekly media briefing, saying the military would not fold its hands and watch miscreants, political thugs and unpatriotic politicians set the country on fire during the 2023 polls.

Irabor, who joined the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major Gen Benard Onyeuko at the briefing on updates of military operations conducted across the country in Abuja, advised those contesting for positions and appointments to conduct themselves peacefully as men and women of honour.

He said there would be no position to aspire for if the country was set on fire. He said any political thug caught before,during and after the electioneering processes would be severely dealt with.

The CDS appealed for peace to reign as the nation goes into another major election.

On conspiracy by some military personnel with kidnappers, bandits, terrorists and other criminals elements to jeopardise military operations, the CDS said the accused personnel would be made to face the full wrath of law for being internal saboteurs within the military.

He, however, refused to disclose the number of officers undergoing court martial.

June 17, 2022 0 comments

Headlines

Just In: Atiku picks Okowa as running mate

by Folarin Kehinde June 16, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has emerged as the running mate to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

Mr. Okowa’s nomination was announced and confirmed by Atiku himself on Thursday at an unveiling event of his running mate held in Abuja.

Atiku while speaking on his choice said his Vice President must fulfill the qualities to be president and one that could complement him as a President.

He added that he should symbolize the quality to unite Nigeria, who is not afraid to speak and give advice on governance in the country.

He also added that his running mate must understand what he described as the depth of rots in the Nigerian system, with understanding of critical needs of economic growth.

Following the announcement, Okowa will thereafter be screened by a committee already setup for that purpose.

Recall that Wike, who has been the foreman in the radar of the PDP heavyweights was speculated to be selected as the vice presidential candidate of the main opposition party, was rumoured to have been selected as Atiku’s running mate.

But the party, yesterday (Wednesday), dismissed reports that its Selection Committee has settled for the Rivers State governor as the party’s vice-presidential candidate.

June 16, 2022 0 comments

Opinion Headlines

Mbaka: The Pulpit Buccaneer and a religious Ponzi Master

by Leading Reporters June 16, 2022

written by Leading Reporters

It was in 2002 that Reverend Fr. Ejike Camillus Anthony Mbaka first unraveled. That year, he would gather his congregation at the Adoration Ministry and ask everyone to start pointing at the Lion building (Enugu govt house) while commanding Holy Ghost fire against the then governor Chimaroke Nnamani whom he said was a wicked Governor who God already told him would not live beyond that year not to talk of winning the 2003 re-election.

This man didn’t just stop at this weekly harvest of Holy Ghost fire against the governor, he actually went a step further to release a special audio tape titled “This Wicked Generation” in which he swore that if Chimaroke won his 2003 reelection bid, he (Mbaka) would know he was not serving a living God and would therefore resign as a Priest.

2003 election came and governor Chimaroke won his re-election, finished his second term and even contested and won another election as a Senator. As I type, Chimaroke is currently in the senate TWENTY YEARS after. And he just secured another ticket to go to the Senate again in 2023 and is set to be the Enugu state governor come 2023 BY PROXY.

Mbaka neither resigned as he swore he would nor did he even apologize for telling lies in God’s name.

This is Mbaka for you. A religious Ponzi Master who praises anyone who gives him money even if that person kilked a million innocent people to make that money. And once you refuse to give him money, you become an enemy. Recall how he lamented that the presidency no longer picks his call which was exactly why he started attacking the same Buhari whom he was praising in 2019 at a time it was obvious that his govt has been a disaster.

If you know Mbaka so well, you won’t wonder why he said a man who throws money around, even if it is stolen public fund, is better for Nigeria of today than another man who refuses to PUBLICLY announce his donation to the church even when doing so would have earned him some political capital but instead, requested to be taken to the project site, that he could even singlehandedly execute the project for the church. And this same man went and donated N100,000,000 to Bishop Shanaham Specialist Hospital Nsukka (BSSHN) to upgrade its School of Nursing and Midwifery to a College. BSSHN is a missionary hospital owned and managed by Nsukka Catholic Diocese.

Between PUBLICLY giving money to Mbaka, without seeing any project for which he intends to use the money, And donating a whopping N100,000000 to upgrade an academic HEALTH institution owned by the church, WHICH ONE SERVES HUMANITY AND GOD BETTER????

I’m happy that Nigerians are waking up. Integrrity-challenged, morally bankrupt crooks can no longer continue to hold us hostage simply because they are wearing a white cassock.

My only disappointment is with the mother church for refusing to wield the big stick on this chalatan. How can one emotionally truncated man hold the mother church hostage in this manner? I grew up as an Alter Boy at Sacred Heart Parish Akpugo and I know one or two things about the level of Organisational Discipline in the Catholic church. Mbaka is successfully making nonsense of all that while my Lord Bishop watches on. A shame, isn’t it?

By Charles Ogbu (Twitter @RealCharlesOgbu)

June 16, 2022 0 comments

Headlines

2023: Pick SGF Mustapha As Running Mate, Coalition Urges Buhari, APC

by Folarin Kehinde June 16, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

A coalition of pro-democracy and civil society groups, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to settle for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr. Boss Mustapha, as the party’s vice presidential candidate for the 2023 elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given political parties up to Friday, June 17, 2022 to submit names of their presidential and vice presidential candidates to the commission.

In a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, the coalition made up of the Peoples Alliance for Indigenous Rights (PAIR); Civil Society Action for National Inclusion (CSANI), and Society for Equity and Gender Advocacy (SEGA), said Mr. Mustapha stands out among all others under consideration.

“Mr. Boss Mustapha is near-impeccable, reliable, trustworthy and without controversy or any baggage to underwhelmed the APC project to retain power in 2023. As a Northern Christian, the SGF will be bringing to bear the required balance, assuage the fears of the Christian population and an assurance that the interest of the North will be protected,” the coalition said.

In the statement jointly signed by Isa Pai, Chukwudi Emmanuel and Fola Akin, they noted that “over the years, Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has demonstrated dexterity in his duties, commitment and loyalty to the ideals of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“As the chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha demonstrated that in times of national (global) emergency what is required is one individual who can lead, organize, direct, be focused, calm and reassuring. It is no small measure that he brilliantly coordinated the Covid-19 task team that performed creditably.”

The coalition, therefore, appealed to “President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC leadership to demonstrate, as they have always done, that in the march to greatness and Next Level, no section will be left behind more so for those who have kept faith with the administration.

“As the clock ticks to the final minutes for the choice of a Vice Presidential candidate, Mr. Boss Mustapha stands taller than any being considered at the moment in terms of his unblemished record, exemplary service to the administration and country, direction of purpose, geo-political and religious balance and inclusion.”

June 16, 2022 0 comments

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