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Tinubu: From Bishops To Masquerades

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

On July 20th the APC presidential flagbearer, Bola Ahmed Tinubu unveiled Kashim Shettima as his running mate. It was supposed to be a regular occasion where a vice presidential candidate is revealed but something uncanny happened.

A bunch of charlatans were brought in to portray as bishops, in a bid to show that even Christians endorse their controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Pictures of ridicule flooded the internet as said bishops were identified to be yam sellers, okada riders and mechanics. One could tell that the theatrics was not orchestrated properly as the cassock worn by the bishops was not authentic or their demeanour authentic. Many of them looked unkept.

The catholic church even put out a formal statement saying that no member of the church was represented at that occasion and those bishops are not affiliated with the catholic church.

Going from Bishops, the Tinubu campaign has now engaged the services of traditional worshippers and masquerade dancers in his campaign efforts.

A trending video showed masked masquerade dancers, putting on the APC Tinubu-Shettima regalia and chanting spiritual words.

The question Nigerians should ask themselves is if this move is necessary. Is the Tinubu campaign that desperate for religious support and approval or are these moves aimed at cutting the backlash of their Muslim-Muslim ticket?

The truth is that Nigerians are no more ready for these public displays. People now demand issue-based campaigns where the candidate tells Nigerians how we can escape this pitiable state the Buhari administration has led us to.

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Mushroom parties, You’ll labour till death, Tinubu attacks PDP, LP

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Ahead of the governorship election in Osun State, the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday lashed out at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Labour Party LP, in the state.

Tinubu said the PDP and Labour Party will labour till death.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had scheduled the Osun State governorship election to hold on July 16.

Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola is seeking to return to power for his second term, while Ademola Adeleke of the PDP is the front runner for the gubernatorial race.

LP has Lasun Yusuf as its governorship candidate.

However, Tinubu dismissed the possibility of PDP and LP giving the APC a stiff contest.

Speaking at the party’s mega rally, he described PDP and LP as “mushroom parties”.

He urged residents of Osun State to consider their future and vote for APC.

According to Tinubu: “I ask you to please do the same thing you did in Ekiti. Come out with your PVCs and vote massively for APC.

“The voting is now in your hand. Be very vigilant. Be watchful. You will not do it in vain.

“Think about your children and vote accordingly so you can see the future. Come out en masse. Don’t mind PDP and other mushroom parties — parties like Labour; they will labour till they die. God will not make you labourers.”

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

by Folarin Kehinde
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.”

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Politics: INEC Extends Deadline For Party Primaries By Six Days

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to conduct their primaries for the 2023 general elections.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, announced this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

This comes hours after leaders of various political parties met with the leadership of the electoral umpire led by the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, at the commission’s headquarters in the nation’s capital.

At the meeting, the politicians under the auspices of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) again appealed to INEC to adjust the timetable for the forthcoming polls.

Chairman of IPAC, Sani Yabagi of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), explained that adjusting the timetable of the election became necessary because of the current timetable which he said was too tight for the political parties.

In response to the appeal, INEC, according to Okoye, was emphatic that the request for a 37 – 60 days extension of the timeline for primaries and the nomination of candidates could not be granted because it would disrupt other scheduled activities on the timetable.

He stated that the parties later pleaded with the commission to use the six-day period between June 4 and 9 to conclude outstanding primaries and prepare to upload the list of candidates and their affidavits on the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal.

The INEC official stated that the commission did not schedule any specific activity during this period in order to give parties time to compile the list and personal particulars of their nominated candidates before uploading same to its portal.

“The commission has decided to allow the request of the political parties since the six-day period does not conflict with the next scheduled activity which is the submission of the list of nominated candidates or any of the subsequent timelines which remain sacrosanct,” he said.

“However, this request is granted in respect of outstanding primaries only without prejudice to those already concluded by political parties. The commission will not monitor already concluded primaries.”

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Which why forward for Gov Ganduje

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

APC auditor, Reps member, Ganduje’s chief of staff dump APC for NNPP

Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has directed the State’s Head of Civil Service, Usman Bala to oversee the Office of the Chief of Staff to the Governor with immediate effect.

The State Chief of Staff, Ali Bukar Makoda, had resigned his position after decamping from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, late Friday.

However, Ganduje in a statement issued by the commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, indicated that the supervision would be pending the appointment of a substantive Chief of Staff.

The Governor, the statement added, expressed the hope that there would be effective supervision and coordination by the Head of Service, having served in the office before.

Usman Bala was the State Chief of Staff during the first tenure of Governor Ganduje, but was sacked and appointed a Permanent Secretary.

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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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Is N100m for presidential nomination not prohibitive?

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

By Tonnie Iredia

It is futile to argue with some Nigerians on any matter in which they have an interest or which they have cause to suspect might favour them even if tangentially. All that those in doubt of this conclusion need to do is to watch people on television marshaling points in support of any subject. They forcefully leave no stone unturned.

Those who do this are usually talented in public speaking or are senior lawyers especially those who have firm knowledge not only of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution but the exact sections, subsections and schedules of relevant provisions. For instance, when the issue of defector-governors arose, they argued in support of the defectors eloquently sermonizing on the difference between law and morality adding that what matters is law. Those of us who often drew attention to the spirit of the law in querying unwholesome political behaviours were shocked a few days ago to see the pro-technicality analysts taking sides with us to condemn the decision of government to pardon convicted former governors Dariye and Nyame. It was as if no one remembered that our Constitution provides for state pardon. So, is it all about winning an argument or publicity consciousness?

Against this backdrop, my immediate reaction to the decision of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC to sell its nomination forms to presidential aspirants at the cost of One hundred million naira (N100m), was that it would not be difficult at all to find Nigerians who would instantly generate reasons to justify the apparent prohibitive cost. No surprises as the defences have since begun. To start with, there is already the argument that politics is capital intensive and that anyone who cannot raise the amount would not be strong enough to be President of the largest country in Africa. In fact, the argument that the funds can be raised with ease has already been proven. For example, two Abia state businessmen – Ukaegbu James and Nnanna Kalu have signified their intention to provide N200m to buy forms for two federal legislators, namely, Senate President Ahmad Lawan and the Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu. However, the public perception is that the two beneficiaries can afford to buy their own forms because as senators they are among the richest public office holders in the country

One candidate who is not likely to have any problem whatsoever in getting the form is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu whose supporters are now competing for who will be the first to raise the amount. As soon as the figure was announced, the Asiwaju Project Beyond 2023 reportedly raised the amount and announced that “we will be storming the secretariat soon to get the form for him.” On his part, the Director General of the Tinubu Support Organization (TSO) Aminu Suleiman said he had already signed a cheque for the amount rendering unnecessary, the previous pledge of N10m made by some youths under the aegis of the Tinubulate Nigeria Agenda (TINA). Senator Kabiru Gaya, Chairman of the Progressive Project (TPP), the umbrella organization of Osinbajo support groups had similarly vowed to purchase the nomination form for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. A pro-youth group, the North Central Coalition for Leadership (NCCL) had also planned to buy a form for another APC presidential aspirant, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state. It is therefore obvious that the strategy which all the aspirants used in getting different groups to earnestly beg them to show interest in next year’s presidential contest, would be deployed again to make the same support groups to announce their readiness to buy forms for their preferred aspirants. Such donors or perceived fronts are aiming to be the next set of cabals in the corridors of power come 2023.

A second argument put forward in support of the rather high figure of N100m is that the calculation took into account the current realities in which everything has increased. Petroleum products especially kerosene and diesel, foodstuffs, government loans, bandits’ attacks, ASUU strikes, petroleum subsidy, poverty etc. have all gone up astronomically. The fear in some quarters however is that the exorbitant cost of nomination forms for elections can be counter-productive. If nothing else, it will shut out some aspirants with good ideas which are greatly needed for national development. Politicians are probably the only ones comfortable with heavy expenses on politics and elections. Indeed, those of them in the legislature had earlier ensured that they legalized huge election expenses. In the new Electoral Act, they jacked up spending ceilings from between 150 to 400 per cent. Yet, nothing was done to halt the old order where political parties always breached the rule requiring them to disclose their electoral expenditures to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This brands the advocacy for high cost of nomination forms as self-serving.

Party leaders in particular are quite comfortable with the high cost of nomination forms because it gives them opportunity to generate ample funds for running their political parties. Putting it aptly, the new publicity secretary of the ruling party, Felix Morka had argued that Nigeria was yet to get to the level where party members would faithfully pay membership dues for running the party. It would therefore mean that the costs of nomination forms across board are that high because this is the ideal time for collecting revenues from elusive members. The truth therefore is that party leaders are anxious to secure huge party finances to put an end to the practice of going cap in hand to beg elected office holders to come to their rescue on a monthly basis. The situation could be worse where a party loses an election and would therefore have no elected office holders in their party to look up to for assistance.

The debate on whether the huge cost of nomination forms is prohibitive or not is fruitless because for quite some time nothing has shown that an increase in finances affects our people positively. Even the revenue from nomination forms could be squandered because some party members believe that the struggle for party offices is usually influenced by the desire of party leaders to help themselves to such funds. The same is true of government finances. Only last week, the House of Representatives’ Adhoc Committee investigating the state of the nation’s refineries had to raise an alarm over suspected sharp practices on the subject. The Committee is bothered that after allegedly spending $3.7 billion on repairs, none of the refineries has been restored to any level of functionality. Yet, neither the Minister of State for Petroleum Resource, Timipre Sylva nor the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari responded to calls by the Committee to throw light on the situation What the above narrative suggests is that instead of bickering over the cost of nomination forms, our civil society groups should rise up now to vote against non-performers. I

t is time to stop playing the victim and behaving as if citizens are hopeless and helpless the way Ekiti state pensioners projected themselves the other day. With an unpaid N37.8billion gratuities and pensions, Ekiti pensioners last Thursday began a prayer session seeking God’s face for swift intervention for the payment of their entitlements. If the pensioners come together to vote against the political party that placed them in their present predicament in the next governorship elections holding two months away, no state government would toy with them in the future. In other words, this is not a time to bother about the cost of nomination forms; it is also not the time for protests concerning poor governance, rather it is time to use the ballot to tell political leaders that they are elected to represent the people and not to turn them into objects instead of the subject of democracy. It is certainly not a time to beg leaders who previously failed to institute good governance to once more join the next race. Nigerians must take their nation’s destiny in their own hands.
April 24, 2022.

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Does anyone deserve immunity in Nigeria?

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

By Tonnie Iredia

In 2007, the Nigerian Judiciary turned down a request by the Federal Government to declare the office of Vice President Atiku Abubakar vacant on account of his defection from the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the Action Congress (AC).

The decision was premised on Section 308 of the Nigerian Constitution which protects a sitting President and his Vice as well as State Governors and their deputies from being prosecuted in court while in office. Atiku’s case therefore helped to underscore the inviolability of the immunity clause.

However, conscious of some likely negative effects, such as abuses by political office-holders, Umaru Yar’adua who became President a few months later, sought to expunge it from the Constitution. Yar’adua pointedly argued during the launch of his anti-corruption campaign that nobody in Nigeria deserved “the right to be protected by law when looting public funds.”

The suggestion was well received in many quarters, especially by those who wondered which party manifesto a Defector-Vice President would execute while in a ‘limbo-office.’ Interestingly, the Action Congress reputed to consist of progressives opposed the proposal on political grounds thereby making it more difficult for possible negative fall-outs from Section 308 to be resolved.

According to the then Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, it was not the immunity clause that was protecting looters but the lack of political will by government to tackle corruption. The immunity clause survived, not because many were persuaded by the reasoning in Atiku’s case, but more because the attempt to sack Atiku was seen as political and not on account of corruption. In addition, Nigerians had assumed that any ill-gotten wealth garnered by corrupt leaders would be legally retrieved later while those found guilty of corrupt practices would be severely penalized.

This assumption has since been disproved especially after a former party chieftain declared that those who defect to the ruling party would have their sins forgiven. Perhaps, no one imagined that the immunity clause which was genuinely inserted in the Constitution to dissuade anyone from distracting the executive arm would be exploited by the same beneficiaries to commit mischief.

The logical reasoning was that as a developing society challenged by infrastructural deficiencies, leaders in the executive arm would have so much to do about development to have spare time to be engrossed in politics. In truth however, many Nigerian politicians are prepared to hide under constitutional protection and technicalities to engage in unwholesome political and electoral mal-practices. It is now obvious in retrospect that office holders who enjoy immunity are able to use the privilege negatively for personal gains which was not the purpose of the provision.

This over-pampering of executives who are not required to reciprocate the goodwill accorded them ought to be reviewed. For example, whereas the constitution stops anyone from instituting legal cases against leaders in the executive arm, the same constitution failed to also bar such leaders, while in office, from initiating same against members of the public. So, they can sue but cannot be sued! They are also free to engage in political immorality which they quickly defend using the instrumentality of the immunity clause.

Even the legal injunction that executives should not be engaged in other assignments except governance has not materialized. The first problem came from a new arrangement in which candidates elected at elections suddenly became designated by their parties as national leaders in the case of President or state leader in the case of governors. The main result of this designation and consequent preoccupation with party matters is that the executives have been diverted from spending ample time on governance issues as if they were elected by the entire electorate to run one political party or the other.

President Muhammadu Buhari as the national leader of the ruling APC has had to take charge of the party at different times. At a point he, had to arrange for a caretaker management when the party’s chairman was removed while he stepped in again recently to stop the party’s national convention from derailing. Governors Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, Abubakar Bello of Niger and Gboyega Oyetola of Osun had to virtually run the national working committee of their party for almost two years thereby relegating the tedious but substantive task of state executives.

While many state governors are now more seen in Abuja than their state capitals dealing with one party issue or another, many have in the last one year traversed the length and breadth of the country on party assignments well ahead of the official time for electioneering. As a result, the original time for governance has been heavily appropriated while expanding the time for electioneering. Yet, the constitution, in anticipation of the numerous projects of development that have to be executed for the benefit of the masses barred everyone from distracting executives.

In the midst of these self/party imposed distractions, some governors are counselled that to be reelected or elevated to higher positions, they have to defect to another party. They hurriedly implement such arrangements ignoring the fact that their current positions were attained through the sponsorship of another political party. If legally challenged, they are able to plead Section 308 of the Constitution. What bothers many about this trend is that it is only the arguments of senior lawyers copiously quoting the Supreme Court that the people hear.

No one considers that some die-hard actors would soon design extra-judicial arrangements to protect their votes from being transferred to another party. In other words, the injustice of defection which converts winners to losers by transferring the votes obtained at elections may soon generate political violence leading to another inexplicable insecurity. To confirm that there is no remorse about the approach, even legislators that the Constitution says should lose their seats upon defection are left untouched. What then is the purpose of voting, if the wishes of the people can be recklessly reversed?

The expectation that somewhere along the line, judicial activism would decisively put a halt to the vicious attack on the spirit of the Constitution is daily fading. At the same time, the justification for defection is becoming more bizarre by the day. The other day, one governor who was defending his defection from one party to another said on national television that he moved to avoid a fellow governor whom he described as a bully. He neither explained the venue of the alleged bullying nor how a governor in another state can stop him from working in his own state.

What he inadvertently confirmed was that he loathes how the so-called unnamed bully operates during party meetings. But why should a governor, an otherwise statesman, be occupied with party matters? When the court declined to remove him from office, he publicly celebrated “victory” whereas what happened was that the court couldn’t find an approved punishment for his unwholesome conduct.

Except the country finds a way of reversing the trend, defectors would increase shortly thereby retarding national growth and development. So far, the way the cases in court challenging the politicization of governance are being handled suggests that the reprehensible conduct will not be addressed soon as all eyes are turned towards only the letters of the law. With the fast approaching primary election for which everyone is already in the mood for campaigns not much can be done in the area of pushing for an amendment to Section 308 of the Constitution.

The direction to look towards in the circumstance is for our Supreme Court to help shape our public policy by using its powers of interpretation to positively expand the provisions of the section in such a way that the genuine intention of the drafters of our Constitution is attained. For example, considering that the judiciary has said that votes scored at an election belong to political parties, the executives wishing to defect should be allowed to do so but without taking away votes which still belong to their erstwhile parties.
April 10, 2022

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Plateau Speaker Decamps from PDP to APC

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Plateau State House of Assembly’s former speaker, Honourable Abok Nuhu Ayuba has decamped from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). 

A statement signed by his Media Assistant, Itse Samuel Kaze, disclosed that Abok on Friday, officially tendered his letter of membership withdrawal to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), while presenting a letter of intent, seeking to return to his earlier party, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at the party’s Local Government Secretariat in Angware, Jos East.

He added that his action became necessary in other to save the Local Government and the State from failed leadership that will lead to a state of total collapse if allowed.

Appreciating the party for considering and accepting his intention in a warm welcome, Abok said, “Chairman and your EXCO, elders and party faithful, ladies and gentlemen,

“I stand before you, deeply touched and inspired by your generous words of acceptance and encouragement. With boundless gratitude for the confidence you placed in me — I here, wish to extend my deepest respect and appreciation to all the leaders, faithful, and the people all together for your strong support.”

“Thank you, Chairman, for graciously preparing and guiding the meeting today. I greatly look forward to supporting you and working with you, as you have wisely steered the party in Jos East towards a progressive state and on a part of a  very successful mission.”

“Distinguish comrades, weldone! For you did astutely guide this great party into the 21st. century standard as expected.”

You have defined an ambitious agenda that has formed the PDP truly indispensable to winning elections, and to attaining the set level of peace, prosperity and human dignity within our Local Government, State, and the nation, of which the common Plateau man daily yearns for. My debt to your courage and mission is immeasurable. I hereby resolve to work along in line with your pure refined vision.”

“In earnest, I hope that the youth of Jos East, Plateau, and Nigeria will realize that the PDP is working hard to build a better future for us. As a loyal returnee — I pledge to wholly embrace the party’s ideals, hopes, and appeals. I am an optimist — and I am full of hope about the future of our great party. Let’s work together for a PDP that can deliver more, and better, and win all elections.”

Reacting on its part, Honorable Izang Ishaya Adamu, Chairman,  PDP Jos East said, “Rt Honourable Abok is the best person we have expected. His unwavering dedication to justice, principle, and leadership experience are crucial to the party’s organizational unity and progress towards winning elections not only in Jos East but in Plateau and Nigeria. We are delighted he is back to our team.” 

“The PDP family welcomes Abok as a leader in Jos East. He comes with extensive experience and strategic leadership skills. We are delighted he is bringing his expertise and energy to the table for our party’s important mission ahead, he will be a critical part of the party’s leadership team and will bring tremendous experience to our efforts in raising our voices in support of freedom and democracy in Nigeria.”

“Abok has proven his worth in the State House of Assembly as a unified, progressive, all-inclusive and visionary leader who holds his people’s aspirations and conditions dearly. A defender of democratic principle and Plateau heritage, even as it cost him his exalted office. We are happy to receive him today.” He ended.

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Vote Buying Characterised FCT Council Polls

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Another resident of Nyanya, Hajia Usman commended INEC and security agencies for the orderly conduct of the election, saying in the polling unit where she voted, “everything went well and our hope is that our vote should count.”

Executive Director of Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), Faith Nwadishi, who deployed over 150 observers for the FCT elections had at a pre-election news conference warned citizens against involvement in vote buying.

While calling on citizens to turn up en masse on Saturday to cast their votes for candidates of their choice, Nwadishi urged them to shun vote buying and trading as this diminishes their rights to make free choices.

“CTA wishes to remind citizens that vote buying is an offence and attracts jail terms. If there are no sellers, there will be no buyers,” she said.
https://tribuneonlineng.com/vote-buying-characterised-fct-council-polls-as-elections-hold-under-tight-security/

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections were held on Saturday under watertight security with restriction of movement in and out of the capital city by combined operatives of Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and officers of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

The exercise which went on smoothly in most parts of FCT, was however characterised by vote buying, as the two major political parties tried to induce candidates to vote for their candidates.

observed that there was large turnout of voters in most polling units in Nyanya axis of FCT, with a lot of them expressing satisfaction with the smooth conduct of the exercise.

All expressways into the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were barricaded by the security operatives in compliance with the order on restriction of movement during the election period.

At the Mararaba/Nyanya boundary checkpoint, the police literally used their patrol vehicles to block the road even though those on essential duties were allowed after hectic time by the security agencies trying to make way for them.

We observed that representatives of some political parties positioned themselves strategically to canvass votes for their candidates for both the chairmanship and councillors.

The reporter was not wearing an accredited tag issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC), so it was easy for the party touts to approach him and tried to persuade him to vote for candidates of their parties.

At the polling unit in front of Assemblies of God Church, Area C, Nyanya, the reporter was approach by two young men and told him to vote for their party and that after casting vote in the ballot, he was expected to show his finger used for the thumbprint in order to get pay between N1,000 and N2,000.

One of the residents who simply gave his name as Nathaniel said he collected the N2,000 even though this did not influence his vote for candidates of his choice.

“I’m happy with the smooth conduct of the election. It is a good thing that we have another opportunity of voting for people to that will lead us at the third tier of governance and as can see, the turnout here is high.

“On inducement as you said, I was asked to collect N2,000 after voting which I did. You know these people after suffering for them and they win election, you won’t hear from them again. The money did not influence me; I voted for the candidate of my choice,” he said.

Another resident of Nyanya, Hajia Usman commended INEC and security agencies for the orderly conduct of the election, saying in the polling unit where she voted, “everything went well and our hope is that our vote should count.”

Executive Director of Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), Faith Nwadishi, who deployed over 150 observers for the FCT elections had at a pre-election news conference warned citizens against involvement in vote buying.

While calling on citizens to turn up en masse on Saturday to cast their votes for candidates of their choice, Nwadishi urged them to shun vote buying and trading as this diminishes their rights to make free choices.

“CTA wishes to remind citizens that vote buying is an offence and attracts jail terms. If there are no sellers, there will be no buyers,” she said.

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