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2023 Elections

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Muslim-Muslim Ticket A Deceit: Sheikh Gumi

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a renowned Islamic cleric has described the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressive Congress as deceit.

The cleric said that Nigeria needs an experienced leader who will guide the nation in the 2023 elections and beyond.

He advised Nigerians not to employ the politics of religion or ethnicity in choosing leaders in the 2023 general elections.

Speaking in an interview on the forthcoming general election and the state of the nation, Gumi said there was nothing wrong with politicians contesting elections several times, seeking victory.

On Atiku Abubakar, he said “Nigeria needs an experienced politician.

We don’t need a novice to be President. The situation in Nigeria today needs an experienced politician to solve it,” he said.

On Tinubu who said it is his turn to be President, Sheikh Gumi said,  “it is not proper for him to say it is his turn. There is no question to saying it is my turn.

 Don’t say it is my turn because if people like you they will vote for you. He is a good administrator, he can do it. The Muslim-Muslim ticket is unnecessary.”

“We all know, all these politicians are looking for votes. The Muslim-Muslim ticket is, let me use Hausa language, is wayo (deceit).

It is not religion. Whether it will work or not, I don’t want to prophesize, but there are a lot of hurdles. In fact, all political parties have hurdles.

Muslim-Muslim ticket is going to be a laboratory test for others to emulate or not”.

On Peter Obi, he said  “youths following him are divided like the adults. He needs to reach out to other segments of Nigerians.

Relying on youths is not enough. He has to be all over the place, and not leaving politics to one region”.

Sheikh Gumi warned that if an inexperienced politician is voted into power, he will find it difficult to assemble the best brains within a possible time framework to set the nation working progressively.

Sheikh Gumi noted that it took President Muhammadu Buhari over six months to appoint Ministers and government officials because he (Buhari) was an inexperienced politician.

“Nigeria is now in the 21st century, people are more educated now. What Nigeria needs now are people with competency.

We should not be talking about the North because the North is no longer monolithic, we should not be talking about the Southwest because no particular person is in control, and we should not be talking about South East, look at how Senator Ifeanyi Uba was attacked by his own people.

“So let’s talk about Nigeria as one united people.

Nobody controls anybody in the country. So let’s move forward. Look at America, nobody is talking about power rotation. 

Let’s develop a democracy that we can sustain”. He added.

He said social injustice and poverty were responsible for insecurity in the country, adding that seven years into President Buhari’s government, almost every Nigerian is feeling the pains of socio-economic hardship in the country.

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Nigeria’s Election Disputes: Better Handling Overdue

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Nigeria’s election process would be incomplete without the establishment of an electoral offences commission. This was the cogent statement made by The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Mahmood Yakubu, last week.

This is because one unending malaise in the nation’s election system from colonial times, is the ease with which elections are rigged in the country without consequences. It is a subject that is overdue for action. An election offences commission, if well-handled, can drastically reduce the high degree of electoral malpractices in the country.

Even those of us who have always cautioned against an increase in the number of public bodies in the country are persuaded that the commission can best be seen as an unavoidable structure for now, notwithstanding the position of the Economic and Financial Crimes commission EFCC that the proposed commission on election offences is perhaps one more law enforcement body too many.

Whereas it makes plenty of sense to call for the establishment of an electoral offences commission, it must be remembered that the work of the commission would also end up in the judiciary.  

Therefore, it is crucial to place high premium on how the framework for the settlement of election disputes is managed in the country. As the nullification of some election results by the judiciary has clearly shown, the announcement of election results and declaration of winners do not conclude an election process until the judiciary settles disputes arising from the process.

In other words, a candidate declared as winner of an election is only certain that he or she will hold the relevant office where there are no disputes or where whatever disputes that were disclosed are pronounced upon by the judiciary. Unfortunately, how the segment is currently managed is quite tardy with each party to a dispute taking whatever steps to outwit the opponent. Sometimes, because there is a constitutional time limit for dealing with election disputes, some candidates are able to manipulate the judiciary to introduce delays that would then overtake the dispute.

The handling of cases in the recently conducted governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states aptly confirms the point that several hurdles are unduly placed on the way of petitioners. Since the declaration of a winner in the governorship election held in Ekiti state on June 18, 2022, the first runner-up, Engineer Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party SDP has not been given a fair chance to follow the approved process of an election dispute. According to the SDP, INEC has been preventing the party’s legal team from having access to inspect the election materials as ordered by the election tribunal.

Considering that the settlement of election disputes is an integral part of the election process, is it really necessary for a party to first seek the assistance of a court before the umpire would make relevant materials available to her for inspection? It appears in bad taste for INEC to continue to hold-on to the materials after the relevant tribunal had ordered her “to give unhindered access to the petitioner to inspect the electoral materials which include, Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) all ballot papers and voters registers.”

It is worse that the reason reportedly given for its action was that such materials had been moved from the state – Ekiti, to its headquarters. Why would INEC transfer materials for conducting an election in a state immediately after the declaration of a winner when the contest has been subjected to a dispute? It is more annoying that the INEC spokesperson in the state, Mrs. Rolake Odebunmi was quoted to have said that only half of the materials being requested by the SDP are in the custody of the Ekiti state office of INEC.

Again, the SDP had to formally apply to the tribunal to enable her use substituted service to serve the petition on all relevant bodies who had virtually vanished after the polls. In truth, after a winner is declared in a Nigerian election, it is customary for most of those required to defend the case to evade service so as to make a petition difficult to prosecute.

Evidence that election disputes are treated same way everywhere is established by the experience in Osun state where a governorship election was held on July 16, 2022. Governor Gboyega Oyetola who never provided a level playing field for the election until he lost it, is now at the receiving end. First, he has had to go to the tribunal to get an order for INEC to grant him access to inspect the materials used for the polls.

Second, it is now the turn of the winner of the election, Senator Ademola Adeleke to become elusive while the time allowed the tribunal is gradually running out. The report now is that security guards at his Ede residence have refused to let the bailiff serve Adeleke the notice of summons. In the interest of justice therefore, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Tertsea Kume has appropriately directed that the notice be served through the substituted service of pasting the summons on the notice board of the tribunal

References to Ekiti and Osun states should not be taken to mean that the trend is restricted to both states, they are only the latest culprits.  In 2019, the election petition tribunal hearing cases concerning the governorship election in Nasarawa state had to order INEC to allow Musa Nagogo of the Peoples Democratic Movement PDM to inspect election materials over his original complaint that his name and party logo were omitted from the list.

At the federal level, the PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar spent precious time pleading to be allowed access to the presidential election materials for inspection. In 2015, the APC governorship candidate in Rivers state Dakuku Peterside was reported to have virtually abandoned his petition out of frustration from among other things, the refusal to grant him access to inspect election materials.

There have been other occasions where it was the judiciary itself that was used to frustrate an election petition. Here, let’s recall the classical case of the handling of the petition arising from the Adamawa state governorship election held on February 4, 2012. INEC had declared governor Murtala Nyako as winner which was upheld by the election tribunal. On appeal which the constitution says must be concluded in 60 days, the judiciary did nothing for as many as 58 days.

Some 48 hours before deadline, the then Chief Justice had to read the riot act following the protest of the opposition party. Alas, it was too late for meaningful justice to be served. Should anyone who deliberately slows down the process not be penalized for it? Well, even courts have been getting engaged in the collation of results while working to the answer only to credit the “winner” with more votes than the number of voters accredited to vote at the relevant election.

It can therefore be concluded that it is not enough to establish an electoral offences commission or an election tribunal if undemocratic practices would be used to desecrate the legal processes for ventilating grievances. As reforms are being made by INEC to improve upon the procedures and processes for voting, other bodies such as election tribunals must make copious plans to guarantee the continuation of a level playing field after voting till the end. To use technicalities to frustrate the grounds of protests put forward by some candidates can encourage the use of extra-legal means that can lead to general breakdown of law and order.

Whether it is accreditation, voting, counting of votes, declaration of winners or settlement of election disputes, Nigeria is overdue for a process that can add her to those nations whose elections are accepted as credible. The real prayer today is for all those concerned to bring an end to the unjust handling of election petitions which often sustains ample bitterness in the polity.

by: Tonnie iredia

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Afenifere Group Endorses Peter Obi For 2023 Presidency

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Yoruba Socio-Political group, Afenifere Renewal Group, have expressed their support for Peter Obi in the upcoming 2023 general election.

The Afenifere group has been in existence before the independence of Nigeria as it was founded together with the Action Group (AG) political party in 1951 by late Yoruba leader, Pa  Obafemi Awolowo. It was responsible for much of the fight for Nigeria’s independence and constitution.

Over the years, they have pioneered political parties like the Action Group (AG), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and Alliance for Democracy (AD)Even after Awolowo’s death, the group still thrived till this day

A spokesperson of the Afenifere group who is also a member of their 9 man National Caucus Committee stated their groups decision regarding Peter Obi and the 2023 elections in an interview with PlusTv.

He stated that the Afenifere group has always been relevant in the political discourse of Nigeria with an ability to see trouble from afar. When Buhari was campaigning in 2015, they warned that he was not going now to do anything for Nigerians since he had nothing to offer. People did not listen, now look where we find ourselves.

He said that for equity, justice and fairness, the presidency has to be given to a candidate from the south east. According to him, Obasanjo from the South West has had 8 years of presidency, Buhari and Yaradua from the north have enjoyed 11 years (8 and 3 respectively) while Good Luck Jonathan from the South-South has enjoyed 5 years of presidency.

If power is to return to the South, then it is imperative that it is given to an Igbo person.

He expressed his disappointment on how the people who divided the country, brought it to its knees and made it ungovernable through Boko-Haram and other mercenaries are now the preferred candidates for the 2023 elections

According to him, after their groups interrogation and examining of Peter Obi, and looking at the issues at stake for the country namely our Structure, wasteful and woeful governance amongst others, the only person capable of putting this country back on track is HE Peter Obi.  

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2023 ELECTIONS: How INEC Secretly Destroyed 15.4 Million New Voters Card

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The International College of Democracy and Human Rights Scholars, a recently formed coalition of democracy and social justice experts operating in Nigeria and abroad, says it has made “a fresh shocking revelation that the Independent National Electoral Commission had in 12 months or July 2021 to July 2022 hatefully, mindlessly and discriminatorily destroyed whopping 15.4m of the 27.6m new voters’ registrations in Nigeria.”

It said in a letter to INEC dated 10 August, 2022 that the discovery was made during a “critical examination by the College of the INEC released official statistics relating to the 31st July 2022 abrupt termination of the CVR ahead of the country’s 2023 General Elections especial the Presidential segment. The 15.4m new voters registrations destroyed by INEC is more than the total winning votes (15,191,847 votes) of the country’s Presidential Election of February 2019 declared by the Commission and credited to the Presidency of Buhari/Osibanjo.”

The letter was addressed to Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, through the National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye Esquire. “The letter was duly communicated yesterday, 10th August 2022 through their official emails and WhatsApp. A physical copy has also been delivered at the Office of the INEC Chairman in Abuja,” the coalition said in a statement issued earlier today.

It explained: “The letter was a follow-up to the first letter by the College written to the Commission on 14th June 2022, a period of 27 days today. It must be recalled that the College had in its letter of 14th July 2022 investigated and identified 30 disenfranchisement and election rigging plots ahead of the 2023 General Elections particularly the President segment and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to publicly speak in admission to or against the 30 rigging plots with outlined plan of action to tackle them headlong. Regrettably, the Commission neither reached out nor publicly spoke or responded till date. The Commission also chose not to respond to any of the issues raised including our 16-point demands; thereby taking responsibility for hatching the 30 poll rigging plots. By the above, therefore, no explanations by the Commission concerning the letter will be entertained or accepted by the College.”

On “How INEC hatefully destroyed 15.4m of the 27.6m new voters’ registrations”, the coalition said:

“The College carefully studied INEC’s officially released statistics including its updates on CVR, starting from 28th June or end of June 2021 when the CRV commenced and 31st July 2022 when it was abruptly terminated and found that INEC deliberately, mindlessly, hatefully and discriminatorily engaged in massive disenfranchisement of tens of millions of enthusiastic Nigerians that trouped to INEC registration centers so as to be registered ahead of the 2023 Presidential Election. The destruction was also found to have been perpetrated on the grounds of ethnicity and religion. It was further discovered that the destroyed figure (15.4m new voters’ registrations) did not include those that logged unto INEC’s online voters’ registration portal but could not continue or conclude their registrations. To buttress the above, it was observed, for instance, that between January 2022 and 2nd June 2022, a total of 19.1m applicants were received by the Commission, out of which only 6.8m were validated as ‘successfully registered voters’. INEC had, for no just reason, shut down its online voters’ registration portal on 31st May 2022 and never opened it till 31st July 2022 when it abruptly terminated the CVR Exercise. Apart from several INEC top-shots descending so low to hatefully and discriminatorily mock the affected citizens, saying they: “suddenly wake up at their beck and call to be registered”, the Commission was maliciously found to have hidden under the cloak of “incomplete registration”, “multiple registrations” and “timed-out biometric capturing” as reasons for the massive disenfranchisement.

“Consequently, INEC’s hurried termination of the CVR on 31st July 2022 which is seven months before the Feb and March 2023 General Elections, contrary to the statutorily provided 90 days or Nov 25, 2022, is utterly suspicious  and strongly condemned. It is also a confirmation that the Commission is partisan and holding brief for a particular political party and its candidate and bent on massively disenfranchising tens of millions of citizens of voting age including 7m-11m that successfully did their online pre-registration and voters’ registration by 90% completion, remaining only physical biometric capturing. Therefore, what the sum total of the above means is that while tens of millions of Nigerian citizens of voting age worked hard under the rain and the sun and got registered by INEC, the Commission unscrupulously engaged in destruction of their registrations, to the tune of 15.4m and as if that was not enough, the Commission has further threatened to disenfranchise millions more between August and November 2022 repetitively using “elimination of multiple registrants” as a deceitful cover.”

On statistical proofs, the coalition had this to say: “According to Guardian Newspaper of 14th April 2022, quoting INEC Chairman (Prof Mahmood Yakubu),”1.39m or 45% of the newly registered voters were invalidated (disenfranchised) between 28th June and 31st Dec 2021 out of over new 3m citizens that registered”. The invalidated figure of 1.39m were accused by INEC of “incomplete and multiple registrations” and in January 2022 alone, according to same media report, “1.1m were invalidated” on same “grounds”. Between 1st Feb and 28th June 2022, according to This Day Newspaper of 28th June 2022, quoting official statistics of INEC, “only 8,631,696 of the 10,487,972 newly registered voters were successfully registered and 1,856, 276 invalidated or disenfranchised”. According to INEC statement of 1st August 2022, “7,043,594 newly registered voters who successfully completed their online pre-registration were invalidated on account of their failure to have their physical biometrics captured by INEC before CVR deadline of 31st July 2022” and that “out of 10,487, 972 successful online CVR registrants, only 3,444,378 were successfully captured in physical biometrics capturing”. Further findings made by the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, a network of 80 CSOs, as reported by Punch Newspaper of 3rd August 2022, indicated that “11million citizens who completed their INEC online registration forms were shut out from being captured biometrically and massively disenfranchised by the Commission”. The Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room had spoken through Ene Obi and appeals made to the Commission to capture and enfranchise them fell on deaf ears till date.”

The letter was signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi (Criminologist-Researcher), Intersociety Board Chair; Prof Jerry Chukwuokolo (Academia); High Chief Prof Justice Chidi (Academia); Comrade Aloysius Emeka Attah (Chair, Southeast CLO); Barr Justus Uche Ijeoma (CSO); Dr Patrick Mbum (Academia); Barr Chinwe Umeche (Lawyers Forum); Rev Dr Ahaz Yaye (Religious Leaders Forum); and Barr Chidinma Udegbunam (Intersociety).

The coalition comprises 41 Professors, 20 Doctorate Degree Holders, 30 Lawyers, 19 Indigenous Northern Religious Leaders, 14 Eastern Nigerian Democracy and Human Rights CSO Leaders, Swiss and American Rights Campaigners, as well as other respected democracy and social justice advocates or campaigners.

Source: newsexpressngr

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Kwara State Governor Disgraced By APC Youths As They Chant OLE, THIEF

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

There was pandemonium in a meeting between the Kwara state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and aggrieved Kwara state youth as the governor was booed by the youths amidst chants of ‘ole’ and ‘Thief’.

Disgruntled APC youths in Kwara state threatened mass exodus from the party to opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), due to the woes brought upon Kwara state and the entire country by the APC administration.

Governor Abdulrahman then convened a meeting between him and the APC youths in a effort to appease them. This move however proved to be a disaster as the governor was greatly embarrassed by the youths.

Agitated youths chanted ‘OLE’, ‘THIEF’ towards the governor showing him no regard whatsoever. The governor had to walk out in shame as all his efforts to calm the youths proved abortive. He even had to be escorted by security officials to avoid harm.

Youths and Nigerians in general seem to have woken up to the harsh realities facing the country. They are expressing their dissatisfaction and anger through every possible medium.

Political leaders, even Governors are no longer accorded God like reverence or respect but are now judged based on their competence and achievements. Individual qualities not party affiliations is now at the forefront of political discourse.

The upcoming 2023 elections will be the climax of everything as Nigerians have promised to vote out incompetent leaders and only vote in those with credibility and proven track record notwithstanding their party affiliations

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PDP Postpones NEC Meeting As WIKE, ATIKU Crisis Deepens

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has postponed its National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Caucus meeting, following the protracted rift between its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.

The meetings of the two critical organs were originally scheduled to hold tomorrow and Thursday.

A statement by the PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, said ponement was due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

He said new dates for the meetings would be announced in due course.

Although the secretary did not disclose the “unforeseen circumstances” that warranted the postponement, party sources said the decision was informed by a hardline position taken by the Rivers State governor in the ongoing effort to reconcile him with Atiku.

Among other demands, the Wike camp has called on the National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, to step aside and allow one of his deputies from the South to take the office.

The demand is being made in view of the fact that the PDP presidential candidate, the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the National Chairman are all from the North.

A source said the invitation extended to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu by Wike to commission projects in Rivers State ruffled some feathers in the top party hierarchy of the PDP.

According to the source, Wike’s decision to invite the Lagos State governor, who is of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to commission projects in a PDP-controlled state, was meant to spite the party leadership.

Wike had on July 8, received three APC governors – Governors Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Sanwo-Olu – a few days after Atiku announced Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate.

PDP stakeholders are said to be uncomfortable with the latter-day hobnobbing of the Rivers governor with APC chieftains, especially close allies of the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Wike was reportedly favoured by some highly placed PDP stakeholders and powerful interest groups for the party’s vice-presidential slot.

But Atiku on June 16, announced Okowa as his running mate, against a recommendation by a selection committee, which tipped Wike for the position.

Atiku had won the May 29 PDP presidential primary with 371 votes while Wike came second with 237 votes.

UNDERATE RIVERS AT YOUR PERIL, WIKE WARNS

Wike yesterday vowed that anybody undervaluing his state’s political capability would be taught a painful lesson in 2023.

He spoke in Port Harcourt during the inauguration of the Orochiri-Worukwo (Waterlines junction) Flyover by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

According to him, the dynamics of contemporary politics had made it unpopular to just gift votes away without the assurance of derivable benefit for the people.

Wike said: “If you say Rivers State does not matter, Rivers State will tell you that you don’t also matter at the appropriate time. If you don’t like us, we will not like you. If you like us, we will like you.

“Nobody will use our votes for nothing. Our votes will matter and Rivers State must benefit from anybody that we are going to support.

“Politics now is no longer just voting for somebody; it is about what you will do for the people of Rivers State.”

He said it would be difficult for any conspirator to upset the voting pattern of Rivers State and support for the PDP.

The governor added that those who looted the treasury of the state would not be supported to become Rivers State governor.

He said: “Those who looted the treasury of the State will not come here to be governor of Rivers State and I have challenged them.

“I am fully in charge. I am not that kind of governor people will go to Abuja and hold meetings against. I am fully in charge here.”

Wike also berated a columnist, Mr. Yemi Adebowale over an article titled, “Wike, a Governor Possessed By Spirit of Flyovers.”

He said the writer goofed on claims the governor was building flyovers at the expense of pension gratuities, salaries and promotion arrears to civil servants.

He further explained that the invitation of the Lagos State Governor was not the first time persons of other political parties were urged to inaugurate projects in Rivers State.

Sanwo-Olu, who inaugurated the flyover, commended Wike for his strong commitment to the delivery of physical infrastructure in Rivers State.

He said: “I would like to specially commend my brother, Governor Wike, for his strong commitment to the delivery of physical infrastructure in Rivers State, a commitment that has been recognized by all and sundry, and which has earned him the appellation of ‘Mr. Projects’ within and outside Rivers State.”

Sanwo-Olu said though he and Wike belonged to different political persuasions, the invitation extended to him sent a very strong message that politicians and political leaders, could come together across political and ideological divides, for the good of the people.

He said: “There is also a strong message being made today about expanding our capacity to play politics without bitterness. This symbolic gesture by my friend and brother is one that should become standard practice across Nigeria.

“There is also a lot that we can learn from one another, and experience that we can translate from one part of the country to the other.

Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dakorinama George-Kelly said the project had been completed on schedule with specified quality.

He said: “The project has an overall length of 840 meters and the overall cross-sectional width of 17.6meters, 7.3 meters on each lane. It has a one-meter walkway on both sides and two meters of media. We have a total asphaltic pavement area of 29000 square meters.”

Source: NigeriaDispatch

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The beauty of Nigeria’s recent delegate elections

by Leading Reporters
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.                                                                                       

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Angry Buhari Orders Malami, Emefiele,Akpabio, Amaechi, Sylva, Others To Resign

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that all members of the Federal Executive Council running for elective offices to submit their letters of resignation on or before Monday the 16th of May, 2022.

He singled out the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba for braving the odds to quit to avoid conflict of interest.

But other Ministers seeking to be Governors, Senators and House of Representatives members were busy trying to seek clarifications if they were affected.

The President gave the quit notice at the tail end of the Federal Executive Council.

A visibly angry President said he had received the resignation of Nwajiuba seeking to be President.

A source in the cabinet said: “We were not clear if this directive will affect other ministers aspiring to be governors, Senators and House of Representatives members.

“We are expecting more clarifications soon.”

Some of the aspirants include Governor of Central Bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipreye Sylva and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio.

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2023 Election: APC forms bought without my consent, says Jonathan

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

It has come to our notice that a group has purportedly purchased Presidential Nomination and Expression of Interest forms, of the All Progressives Congress APC, in the name of former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.


We wish to categorically state that Dr. Jonathan was not aware of this bid and did not authorize it.
We want to state that if the former President wanted to contest an election, he would make his intentions clear to the public and will not enter through the back door.


While we appreciate the overwhelming request by a cross-section of Nigerians, for Dr. Jonathan to make himself available for the 2023 Presidential election, we wish to state, that he has not in anyway, committed himself to this request.

Buying a presidential aspiration form in the name Dr. Jonathan without his consent, knowing the position he had held in this country, is considered an insult to his person. The general public is therefore advised to disregard it.

Malam Ibrahim Abdullahi, leader of the nomadic Fulani pastoralists and Almajiri communities, had earlier told newsmen after picking the forms that Jonathan should be re-elected to enable him to complete what he began.

“My name is Ibrahim Abdullahi, I represent two of the most vulnerable communities in our country, the nomadic pastoralists and the almajiri communities.

“We have decided to purchase this form for our former president, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to come back and rule this country and continue with the good work he started,” he said.

Among other things, he said Jonathan was the first president since the country gained independence in 1960 that found it expedient, through his magnanimity, to remember the Almajiri community.

Ikechukwu Eze
Media Adviser to H.E. Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

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Mystery of APC’s numerous presidential aspirants

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

By Tonnie Iredia

At this year’s anniversary of Press Freedom Day in Abuja where I served as guest speaker, I had asked Nigerian media professionals to endeavour to appreciate the efficacy of the theory of self-esteem. My argument was that no matter one’s situation in life, an eternal positive admonition is that one must strive continuously to position one’s self favourably so as to attract public respect.

The media cannot afford to despair and lament every year on the precarious position it occupies in world affairs in which its members are attacked if not killed for carrying out an approved societal mandate of public enlightenment. Many other institutions which attack the media do so partly because they see many young people in the media who appear to them as irritants while performing their duties. At the end of the lecture, there was the breaking news that more members of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) had joined dozens of others to pick up the party’s presidential nomination form at the cost of just N100million.

It looked like a mystery for the party which many have been blaming for the woes of the nation to present itself as the party to beat at next year’s presidential election by unveiling innumerable aspirants. A compelling posture for understanding the inexplicable strategy is to place it within the context of the theory of self-esteem which hypothesizes that those who aim high score high. Already, some Nigerians are now unconsciously preoccupied with looking out more at the possibility of the APC’s re-election instead of thinking of the deteriorating standard of living during its tenure. Indeed, some are beginning to buy the imagination that today’s woes would probably have been worse if another party was in charge.

Whoever designed the strategy must have also suggested to APC leaders to remain ebullient giving their members hope and asking more of them to declare to contest the 2023 presidential elections. So, while ordinary Nigerians appear hypnotized, APC members are enjoined to scorn lamentation as a basis for staying up there!!

Many more nominations may come because rumour-mongering is only a first step towards a declaration in the party. Goodluck Jonathan who had been nurtured by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP to serve as Deputy Governor and Governor of Bayelsa State before becoming Vice President and later President of Nigeria may still pick-up the APC form notwithstanding that the party had declared him clueless some 8 years ago. After all, Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele who had been rumoured along with Jonathan now has his own form. It is not even difficult to do because there are scores of Nigerians who are positioned to act as agents on the subject. And if care is not taken, some aspirants may surprisingly get more than one form each, depending on the number of support groups any aspirant enjoys. As disclosed on national television some three days ago, Godswill Akpabio the uncommon leader (wherever he serves) had to appeal to his admirers nationwide not to get an additional form for him. Therefore, there does not appear to be anything wrong with many more aspirants turning up because Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, popularly regarded as APC’s national leader and former governor Amosun of Ogun state have already declared that the more the merrier. In other words, the motivation of some Yoruba leaders to bring their aspirants together in a meeting was not to reduce the figure, but to put across some ethical codes on language and general disposition of the aspirants during campaigns.

Such brotherhood has already been shown by two Yoruba aspirants, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state who claim to have manifestoes which present them as ideological political twins. What one is proposing to do is same as the other’s aspiration. In other climes, such two aspirants would compare notes and agree on which of them should be put forward. Here in Nigeria, that is not the way to go. Instead, it is seen as better for both to contest and pray for anyone of them to be victorious. The additional gain of this approach is that it generates more revenue for the party just as it puts in the public domain, the strength of APC as a party with innumerable presidential aspirants.

What no one can take away from the APC is that each and every aspirant of the party is full of ideas. Unfortunately, not enough efforts have been made to get each ‘aspirant of ideas’ to put such ideas at the disposal of the party. The eloquence with which former governor Adams Oshiomhole explained how to deal with the unending strike by University teachers would no doubt have given a high score to the party if its officials and conciliator had the Oshiomhole therapy and power of persuasion. The teachers are still on strike and their students who have always been made to spend more years than makes sense to obtain a degree are now threatening that no matter the numerical strength of presidential aspirants, the 2023 elections may not hold if the strike is not resolved shortly. It seems logical to agree with our students, that it is more fulfilling to have good governance with education as a priority than to organize a smooth census of political aspirants.

Notwithstanding the outcome of the census, citizens and politicians of Southeast extraction have; on the basis of the need to create a sense of belongingness for all Nigerians, continued to call on political parties to consider an Igbo candidate as the next Nigerian president. However, it is noted that the APC has not stopped her census enumerators of aspirants from operating in the Southeast. At least one governor – Dave Umahi, 3 federal ministers – Ogbonnaya Onu, Chris Ngige and Emeka Nwajiuba along with 3 Senators – Oji Kalu, Rochas Okorocha and Ken Nnamani from the zone are already enumerated. But as far as a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Senator Victor Umeh, is concerned, South-West politicians jostling to occupy the presidency in 2023 are not helping the cause of one Nigeria. Umeh’s position is that it is premature for the presidency to return to the Southwest from where it began in 1999 when it is yet to go round the 3 major tripods of the Nigerian nation. This criticism must however recognize that even the leadership of the socio-cultural organization of Yoruba people – Afenifere, has severally made the same point.

The APC will do well to effectively manage its huge figure of presidential aspirants without allowing the process to end in imposition which will no doubt create political tension. Already, there are fears in some quarters that a withdrawal form which is expected to operate as a sworn affidavit may have been designed to meet such end. It would probably be difficult to expect persons who are required to sign sworn affidavits well before the day of primaries to believe that there were no premeditated intentions. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can be of help here if it ensures that the conduct of primaries irrespective of the chosen mode is transparent. She can do this by ensuring that all the rules of the game are adhered to. It is expected for instance that she would insist as promised on retrieving authentic political party membership registers.

In the area of voter education, the caution to voters at all levels is for them to look out for the best candidates. The hope is that on account of all the difficulties the nation has passed through in recent years, voters would prioritize good record of previous performance in determining who to vote for. It would not make sense for example to vote for candidates who as governors could neither pay workers’ salaries nor help to improve the living standards of their people. It is not difficult to identify them. Apart from eyewitness accounts, there are credible reports by reputable organizations such as UNICEF which has just released a list of 22 states in Nigeria which are facing malnutrition and food insecurity. It is obviously a better guide than the numerical strength of aspirants.
May 08, 2022

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