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Anti-Party: Wike, others to face PDP disciplinary panel

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike and other chieftains of the party accused of various acts of anti-party activities, are to appear before the Chief Tom Ikimi-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) disciplinary committee.

Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ibrahim Abdullahi, confirmed this development in a Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily, on Monday.

Specifically, Abdullahi explained that Wike had been summoned via a letter to appear before the Tom Ikimi-led PDP disciplinary committee set up by the party’s National Working Committee.

The PDP Spokesman said, “Three weeks ago, we put up two committees in place, that of reconciliation and disciplinary, and Nyesom Wike is one of the persons to face the disciplinary committee, which is headed by elder statesman Chief Tom Ikimi.

“The disciplinary committee will look into issues of anti-party activities. We’ve been receiving petitions regarding anti-party activities or sabotaging the party throughout the primary, leading to where we are now. These petitions against Wike and other party members have been aggregated and sent to the committee.

“Some party members even felt that Wike shouldn’t have gotten to this level still as a member of the PDP and they have been writing to the leadership.”

Speaking further, Abdullahi said the former Rivers state governor’s statement about “putting fire in their (PDP Governors’ states” is wrong and unacceptable.

Speaking further he said, “Wike should be able to manage his words carefully; that was a very disappointing remark. We weren’t expecting him to say that, and to be honest with you, we are not with him on that.”

Abdullahi stated this barely two days after Wike expressed his gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for allowing him to serve in his administration.

This is despite his relentless criticisms and his threat against PDP governors for supporting Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.

Recall that Wike while addressing party members during a factional PDP Congress in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Wike threatened to cause a political crisis in the states of any PDP governor who tried to interfere in the party’s affairs in the South-South state.

The FCT minister also stated that anyone angry with his position in Tinubu’s government should go and hug a transformer.

Other party chieftains such as former Kogi State Governorship candidate, Senator Dino Melaye is also said to have been summoned to appear before the panel.

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Headlines

Benue sliding into anarchy under Alia – PDP

by Nelson Ugwuagbo
written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Benue, says the state is sliding into anarchy under the current dispensation of Governor Hyacinth Alia.

The party in a statement by its spokesperson, Bemgba Iortyom condemned the indefinite suspension of Kwande LGA Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Terdoo Kenti, and other members of his Executive Committee.

He described the act as an aberration which exposes the disdain for democratic norms and leadership incompetence of Governor Hyacinth Alia under whose watch such absurdity is unraveling.

Mr Iortyom said the obnoxious act which has been appropriately dismissed by the state chapter of the APC is of no consequence.

He said the suspension of Mr Kenti is part of the dictatorial tendency of Alia to subvert constitutional order in the state.

Mr Iortyom said, “PDP observes that while the bizarre suspension order by Revd. Fr. Hule in Kwande is shocking, it apes precisely the lawless style of his master, the governor, in Makurdi, and the party regrets that this serves to fuel the growing impression that Catholic priests by their command and authoritarian orientation are unsuitable to political leadership under our liberal democratic setting”.

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Leading Reporters Nigeria doesn’t need government of national unity Image
HeadlinesOpinion

Nigeria doesn’t need government of national unity

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

By Tonnie Iredia

Between Saturday, February 25, 2023 when the presidential and national assembly elections were held in Nigeria and today, the mass media have been replete with calls for the next president to compose a government of national unity (GNU).

The argument is that such a strategy could calm frayed nerves and create some measure of unity between winners and losers of elections.  However, an overview of elections in Nigeria does not reveal the commitment of our politicians to national unity.

What history seems to attribute to them is the propensity to always get into one office or the other only to perpetrate their hobby of primitive appropriation and accumulation of public funds. In which case, the call for unity government which is usually instigated by the political class is essentially to keep on course opportunities for their personal gains.

 
For example, in 2003, when General Muhammadu Buhari the then presidential candidate of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party ANPP was at the middle of an election petition to claim his mandate, officials of his party were scrambling to share the few positions allocated to their party in the government of national unity instituted by the victorious PDP.

The greedy officials neither put their presidential candidate into confidence nor did they follow the guidelines of the party for aligning with another party. The decision to be part of the so-called unity government was made by the party officials whose basic motivation was the material benefit they looked forward to from the arrangement.

In 2007, many of those who accused President Olusegun Obasanjo of a third term ambition were leading politicians from outside the PDP who had hoped that the third term government would be that of national unity that would include them.  In 2011, opposition parties didn’t show much interest in Goodluck Jonathan’s proposed unity government but ample background work was done concerning the idea.   
 
One of the pillars of democracy is majority rule. Consequently, good democrats have no business in a government formed by a political party to which they do not belong. Except a political system provides for proportional representation in which seats in the legislature are awarded to political parties in proportion to their strength in an election, government of national unity is unnecessary.

It is only in Nigeria where politicians seek to function as permanent state actors that those who lost elections always agitate for a government of national unity. After 24 years of continuous democratic rule, it is time for Nigerian politicians to grow up and allow the majority party to form a government which should be placed on its toes by a viable opposition. Otherwise, we shall continue to have a pseudo-democracy in which everyone bows to a ruling party so as to be appointed into some government position. It is for the same reason that the 9th national assembly under the guise of collaborative federalism functioned all through from the pocket of the executive.   
 
Luckily for our commercial politicians, the so-called victorious parties are always favourably disposed to the institution of a government of national unity because the acclaimed winners feel the way out is to placate owners of stolen mandate. Indeed, in many constituencies in the past, votes were swapped to make losers become winners while in some other locations, election results were simply procured for polling booths where voting did not happen.

Following the failure to put a halt to election rigging, it will certainly be difficult to stop the agitation for government of national unity. It is true that smooth talkers who can fluently defend our bogus elections abound in the nation but such partisan orators often look at election rigging from a narrow perspective.

Those who give pass marks to INEC and the election process often focus on the pictorial display of election materials arriving in different states in the country; orderly queuing and ballot casting in voting centres and the beautifully adorned conference centre where results are cosmetically finalized.
 
If the truth must be told, Nigerian elections have not been good. Our people should not allow themselves to be misled by the diplomatically coated reports of international election monitors and observers. What should always be noted is the unending caution which the same observers always put in an idiom that “the devil of Nigeria’s elections is in the details.”

What this idiom means is that Nigerian elections look simple on the surface but the details are usually convoluted and problematic. Our elections are likely to remain knotty if we continue to overlook the fraudulent details of the collation of results that are hurriedly declared with fanfare. Of course if the right process is followed, we could easily move one step away from incessant and selfish calls for government of national unity after every election. Such a trend would ensure good elections which are more likely to produce visionary leaders that would initiate and implement good public policies capable of improving the living standards of the people
 
The point that is being made is that what can best unite a given society is good governance and not the struggle for power by politicians. This presupposes that those declared winners of elections must be prepared to bring on board only persons who can add value to governance. Whereas a new president is free to appoint some of his supporters into his government, such appointees must first and foremost be visibly capable of doing the job.

Critical offices ought not to be used just for rewarding party supporters. A new president or governor must remember that many people who voted for them are not necessarily members of their party. In other words, being a member of the victorious party should essentially serve as an added advantage for appointing people. Governance is a tough task that requires the best hands, otherwise success may be hard to achieve.
 
In the case of heterogeneous societies such as Nigeria, the old order of emphasis on state of origin should change to a clear understanding of the expedience of good management of diverse cultures. One reason Nigeria wins more awards in sports than governance is because only the very best find their way into our sports teams while everyone no matter their visible deficiencies get into our governance teams. Today, Nigeria does not have a state which lacks strong hands, why not bring into government the best hands of every state as a double advantage that reduces the cry of marginalization and enhances the quality performance of officials? Nothing else can engender unity more than such an inclusive approach to governance which was in the first instance the framework which the federal principle in our constitution was designed to achieve. 
 
Nigeria had in the 1970s worked assiduously towards national unity by formulating strategic policies such as the National Youth Service Corps programme. Until quite recently, the NYSC served as tool for national unity and integration. But like many Nigerian policies, most of the lofty ideas of its founders have been greatly diluted.

The federal character principle on its part has been politicised and poorly managed. In fact, the commission which was set up to ensure the smooth implementation of the principle by other societal institutions has itself been found wanting in upholding the same principle. This is where elected leaders should pay greater attention to because what the nation desires is unity among its disparate groups and not the class unity which the politicians harp upon.  
 
In summary, Nigeria is in dire need of national development which can only be attained through the instrumentality of visionary leaders that are freely elected by voters. For this to happen, ruling parties must stop appointing partisan officials into INEC that is supposed to be an impartial umpire.

The electoral process must be credible and not the charade we watched on national television during yesterday’s governorship and houses of assembly elections in well-known volatile areas like Lagos. Painfully, the credibility of our security agencies who had earlier read riot acts while claiming to be battle ready to stop all disruptions was rubbished.  If this culture of electoral malpractices continues, government of national unity as a damage control strategy cannot help Nigeria to grow.
 
March 19, 2023

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Leading Reporters Okowa sets to borrow N12b to curry Delta state
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Okowa sets to borrow N12b to curry Delta state pensioners’ votes

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Despite public outcry over incessant loans by the outgoing Governor of Delta State, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta state is going to be plunged further with another N12billion loan, according to an insider information.

The new loans which will soon be presented to the State House of Assembly for approval, according to a source, is targeted to be used to pay pensioners, a move many believe is to curry the votes of Delta State pensioners.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is the running mate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who is currently vying to be elected Nigeria President under the People’s Democratic Party.

Since the emergence of Governor Okowa as Atiku’s running mate, the state government under him has resorted to untamed borrowing.

Okowa’s critics believe that the hundreds of billions of Naira incessantly borrowed may have been for campaign purposes.

Delta State is one if the richest oil producing states. Despite these fortunes, and the massive inflow of funds from the Federal Government and other sources, the state is emerging as one of the most indebted states in Nigeria.

The borrowing has recently peaked, and many Deltans are calling on banks and other borrowing institutions to refrain extending further loans to the state.

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Leading Reporters APC’s dilemma on election eve
HeadlinesOpinion

APC’s dilemma on election eve

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

By Tonnie Iredia

Too many things have since shown that in truth, there is not much difference between our ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its biggest rival, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). Both parties have a few decent members but majority are political traders. When in power, the two parties behave exactly the same way. To start with, whereas both parties pretend that the welfare of the people matters to them, they do little or nothing to cover the pretence. Whenever an election is approaching, they create scenarios that automatically frustrate a credible contest thereby retaining office while claiming to have come in through the popular will of the people. But events have shown that the strategy has its limits. On its part, the PDP managed to hold-on for 16 years (1999-2007); but whether the APC will last beyond 8 years is becoming doubtful.

In 2015, everyone saw through the gimmicks of the ruling PDP as it struggled to postpone elections to make room for vote buying and other electoral manipulations when it became evident that it no longer enjoyed the confidence of voters. The change propaganda which thereafter brought the then opposition APC to power virtually waned even before its first term ended. First, the party showed its nervousness over the use of the Card Reader – a technological device which made rigging tedious. Hiding under the judicial ruling that the device was unknown to law, the APC made everyone to discountenance the amendment to the Electoral Act in 2015 which had recognised devices like Card Reader. From then on, the party ensured that a fresh amendment to regularize the situation was not signed into law for the 2019 elections. Although the party was declared winner of that year’s elections, some people had doubts that the victory was real following the server controversy that preceded the declaration of results.

Four years later, it has become quite clear that the APC is in trouble especially in its current atomistic state in which it is now at war with itself on a daily basis. Indeed, the party has become the greatest opposition to its own policies and leadership. Evidence that the APC was visibly scared about its chances of reelection in 2023 was mostly seen in its desperation to frustrate efforts at instituting the electronic transmission of election results – which had become a global reality. The attempt to procure officials of the National Communication Commission (NCC) to virtually commit perjury in their testimony before the legislature on the subject of electoral technology was ridiculed by the public. The electorate similarly rejected the legislature’s kangaroo voting against the innovation making it easy for the new Electoral Act 2022 to be passed along with a number of anti-rigging clauses. Apart from a few party members who remained popular in their constituencies, the ruling party has since been on edge moving from one error to another.

The new Electoral Act did well in the steps it took to sanitize party primaries, even though the ruling party turned out to be the leading culprit in electoral chicanery and the imposition of candidates. Luckily for them, for some inexplicable reasons such as the need to reduce cases in courts, the judiciary was arm twisted to allow for party supremacy in which a party’s nomination needn’t be controverted. Nigerians are however aware of the established canon that as administrative bodies, activities of political parties ought to be subjected to judicial review. This is more so as the Electoral Act had stipulated what must be done or not done to attain credible primaries. In the end, the APC subverted such guidelines only to return to the inglorious past in which a party can elect flag bearers from among party members who did not take part in the primaries and as such could not be described as aspirants. Based on the trend, can we pretend that we are on the way to free and fair elections?

In a democracy, it is the victorious party in an election that forms government; which makes the ruling party to be powerful. In Nigeria, they are not only powerful, they act quite often with impunity. The Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP government had attempted in its days in office to appoint politically tainted persons into the Electoral Commission that is world-wide known as non-partisan. Such nominees were however dropped as a result of public outcry, but the APC did not take cognizance of public outcry. So, with the recent appointment of suspected party loyalists into INEC that is supposed to be an impartial umpire, the public could not have been unaware that the objective was to use such officials to rig the 2023 general elections. This became yet another evidence that the ruling party had lost self confidence that it could win a free and fair contest. Put differently, the APC has inadvertently exposed its fear that it is at the verge of losing public support having failed to perform to public expectation. This has made the ruling party to be a suspect in every policy it enunciates towards the polls – a good example being the new naira programme.

But perhaps the best example of the dilemma of a ruling party on the eve election manifests in the unusual hostility of APC’s leading members towards President Muhammadu Buhari who was himself elected into office through the party’s banner. The severity of the attacks on Buhari’s new naira programme notwithstanding, Nigerians know that the president is the only APC member on ground today who believes in a free, fair and credible contest next Saturday. All others are locked up in schemes to gain political leverage and foreclose a level playing ground for the coming elections. Many Nigerians are persuaded that those engaged in court cases to stop the president’s plan are not doing so to alleviate public suffering as they claim, rather the goal is to buy votes – a popular method by which many elections were ‘won’ in Nigeria. Painfully, the Nigerian elites are grandstanding and eloquently displaying knowledge every evening on national television on the subject of the rule of law. Those media ‘shows’ are redundant because they have not changed the suffering of the people. If only the poor among us can get the N200 Buhari canvassed, the situation would drastically improve.

The on-going debate on the rule of law appears to have successfully diverted attention from the growing political violence in Lagos and some other cities in Nigeria. A few days ago, Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) did what his predecessors used to do close to elections. He rolled out law enforcement arrangements designed to curtail violence. He even listed all the newly procured modern arms and other facilities to upgrade the police. We must tell him and quickly too that the reading of such riot acts is not new and that we remain scared by daily reports of political attacks about which the police are usually silent. In Lagos, there was the report of a local leader in a community aided by another person described as SSG who allegedly summoned and threatened citizens with eviction if they failed to vote for a particular party. The promise by the police to organize what was described as a forensic analysis of the report is yet to see the light of day.

The week before, members of a political party that held a well-advertised rally at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos were crudely attacked. Where was the police? If half of the people are attacked and scared away from voting which voters would the police guard on voting day with its advertised modern facilities and what evidence is there that the police are not unwittingly supporting one set of politicians against another? If so, what is all the fuss about some jaundiced rule of law principles? Somebody should help us tell our elites that as fundamental as the rule of law is, they are able to partake in the television see debates on it because it is Banks and not the Supreme Court that frustrated citizens attacked. Another well-meaning speaker should tell them that continued suffering of Nigerians cannot stop illegal contraptions such as the Interim National Government and Military rule that we all seem to deprecate

February 19, 2023

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Opinion

Arase as PSC Chairman and Babawale’s unfounded fear

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

At this time and season of our national development, to pay particular interest to a recent letter purportedly written by the Convener, The Think-Tinubu Initiative, 3TI and member of the Policy, Research and Strategy Committee of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, Omogbolahan L.A. Babawale cannot be a priority to genuine lovers of our beloved country and democracy.

In a manner suggesting that he must have written out of panic and unfounded fear, may be for partisan reasons, Babawale must have been so confused as to be lost to the difference between a call to national service as distinctly far from a call to serve overly partisan interest.

In the letter addressed to his Party’s National Chairman and titled: THERE MAY BE FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN, LET EVERY LEG RUN, the writer insinuated that the appointment of former Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase whom he alleged is a card carrying member of “the opposition PDP,” as Chairman of the Police Service Commission, PSC would undermine the stakes of the ruling APC in the forthcoming polls.

As laughable as it is too, Babawale, perhaps out of ignorance or deliberate mischief warned of a “possible plot of internal sabotage against the Party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima Mustapha” as the appointment of the new Chairman of the PSC will open the floodgate of posting and reposting of Police Commissioners to sooth his whims and caprices for some political gains.

Let’s put the matter straight to the rather diabolical position of Babawale and many of his cohorts.

Contrary to what Babawale will make his fellow ignoramuses believe, IGP Arase‘s father hails from Benin and his beloved mum is from Eme-Ora, both from Edo State and not Agenebode as told by Babawale.

Should the Babawales of this clime care to know, the mandate of the PSC is to ensure fairness, equity and justice in the appointment, promotion and discipline of officers in line with Federal Character principle.

Furthermore, Babawale must be told that the IGP is in charge of the operational arm of Nigeria Police Force and deployment of Commissioners of Police to various State Commands. 

Simply put, Babawale’s fear is misplaced as all relevant and extant laws of the land carefully  highlight the separation of powers between PSC, NPF and the Ministry of Police Affairs in line with the new Police Act 2020 for effective policing of the populace.

A very short recourse to the country’s political cum public service history would have informed the Babawales of this world that Nigeria’s former Director General of the Directorate of State Security, Lawal Daura was Director of Security, APCPCC in 2014. He was later appointed DGSS. Also, Mrs Lauretta Onochie is a renowned card carrying member of APC who was nominated as National Commissioner, INEC and Chairman, NDDC Board at various times, even though she was turned down by the Senate. There are many of such instances.

Most importantly, Babawale shot himself in the foot when he exposed the real real behind his panic letter when he stated inter alia: “The Presidency did not see any non-partisan retired police officer, if not anyone with soft spot for the APC to appoint except a known PDP bigwig. I thought President Muhammadu Buhari said he wanted to leave a lasting legacy on electoral process. Is it by appointing a PDP diehard this can be achieved? Fingers crossed!”

It is tragic that at a time progressive-minded Nigerians are exploring ways and means to jettison the politicisation of every aspect of our national life, Babawale chose to raise an alarm over nothing untoward. If anything at all, his panic letter to the APC Chairman which was copied to all APC PCC members is and remains a figment of his partisan political mindset and self-indicting. It underscores an obvious plot of his Party to employ some underhand tactics to rig their way at the polls. Unfortunately, our electoral process has been so improved upon that the BVAS will not allow for any such plot to succeed.

May be Babawale can reflect on the following worthy commendations by fellow Nigerians following the announcement and further clearance of Arase for the PSC job. The Civil Society Organisation in a statement saying why they must endorse Arase for the job said: “as IGP, he set up the Complaints Response Unit (CRU) which is an improvement on existing public complaints mechanisms by  introducing the use of technology and expanding the platforms through which members of the public could send complaints of police misconduct and receive timely feedback.

“Succeeding IGPs have not given the CRU the support it received under Arase which made it work effectively and efficiently then. The CRU has a committed and professional minded leadership but lacks police management support.

“Arase, upon assuming office as IGP, espoused the vision of modern and democratic policing that is transparent, responsible, accountable and respectful of human rights.

“He initiated the very first set of measures to check police brutality, especially the excesses of SARS. He split SARS into 2 units with one to handle arrest and the other to handle investigation.

“But most of his initiatives and efforts to entrench a culture of discipline and accountability were not sustained by his successors

“We are aware of how his efforts to rein in some notorious SARS commanders against whom were frequent and high numbers of complaints were frustrated by political interference.

Continuing, they said, “We will support Arase to succeed hoping that under him, the urgently needed reforms of the PSC which started last year with a bill to review the establishment Act will be pushed through under his leadership.

“These reforms revolve around leadership qualification and appointment procedure, strengthening the investigative powers and competences of the PSC and streamlining the mandate of the PSC with regards to police recruitment and appointment, discipline and promotion.”

In congratulating President Buhari for Arase’s appointment and consequent clearance by the Senate, the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF said: “given the sterling career profile, and wealth of experience, of the former Inspector General of Police, and his commitment to National stability and peace, it is certain that his appointment will be immensely beneficial to the Nigeria Police Force, in particular, and the Country, in general.

“PANDEF notes that Arase has, over the years, established himself as a diligent, dedicated, and patriotic Nigerian.

“While in the Police Service, Dr. Solomon Arase served in various capacities, including Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State and was head of the topmost intelligence gathering unit of the Nigeria Police – the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, as Assistant Inspector-General, and, later, DIG, before he was appointed Inspector-General of Police, in April 2015. 

“And, even after he retired from the Police Service, in 2016, Dr. Solomon Arase continued to bestow his knowledge and experience to the Force, and the Nation, in various capacities.

A final word to Babawale and his gang: let the partisan politicians face their politics and leave the new PSC Chairman alone. After all, President Muhammadu Buhari in all his wisdom and patriotic disposition nominated Arase, the Senate confirmed him as the PSC Chairman; and he is ready, able and willing to work for the greater glory of Nigeria.

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Tinubu & Obi: Reconsider your campaign posture
HeadlinesOpinion

Tinubu & Obi: Reconsider your campaign posture

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on September 28, 2022, formally gave an approval signal to all political parties and their candidates to embark on electioneering campaign for the 2023 general elections.

We are now in the seventh week of campaigns, but most political parties are yet to make any impact in explaining their manifestos to the public. The mundane scheme of renting a crowd for rallies is what appears to be occupying the attention of our politicians. Painfully, messages delivered at rallies and processions are characterized by merrymaking, acrobatic displays and political violence making it difficult for people to easily assimilate whatever is said at such venues.

While the abolition of rallies may not be directly advocated because they too produce unique results, rallies should not be used to discard other strategies particularly debates and public enlightenment. All candidates must spend ample time to explain their manifestos for voters to easily identify who can best represent them.

Although there have been interactive sessions with some interest groups, political broadcasts through radio and television that are designed to breakdown the promises of the candidates to the understanding of all and sundry using mass media organs ought to be prioritized in line with current global realities.

The preference for rallies is not surprising though because as history tells us, many  candidates seeking to be elected into political offices are either personally unfit or have no viable programmes to present to the public. Understandably therefore, it is getting clearer that debates which are the most potent of all political broadcasts may not hold in Nigeria this year.

Instead, our political parties are more comfortable with simple straight party talks which are never interrogated. This is because Nigerian politicians detest debates which clearly bring out visionary and knowledge-driven candidates. It has been so since 1999, as one candidate or the other gives some flimsy excuses for declining to participate.

For example, the nation waited in vain for the candidate of the then ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 to participate in organized Presidential debates. The 2011 edition, took the format of drama as 3 of the candidates appeared in one debate at one platform while the then President Goodluck Jonathan undertook a one-man debate in his preferred platform. In 2019, the candidates of the two major parties including the incumbent president did not show up.

Already, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, organizers of this year’s debates have cancelled the event. The group in an official statement said it took the decision after “a critical assessment of events surrounding recent engagements with the presidential candidates as well as subsequent statements from political parties.”

The APC had indicated during the week that its flagbearer, Bola Ahmed Tinubu might not honour invitations for debates with other candidates. In reaction, the Labour Party said its candidate, Peter Obi will no longer show up for debates if his counterparts in the other parties are not forthcoming. Certainly, Nigeria should frown at the continuation of such a retrogressive disposition.

We cannot claim to be running the presidential system of government fashioned after the American type and be avoiding political debates which the same American system have shown to be the best way to compare contestants.

In fact, the United States of America has a long history of political broadcasts; the presidential debate serving as the most popular. The practice is that three days are set aside before any presidential election for the candidates contesting the election to engage one another in a series of debates.

The debates are usually broadcast LIVE to the nation on Radio and Television. As far back as 1960, when Nigeria was only just becoming an independent country, America could boast of exciting presidential debates.  Candidate John F. Kennedy who won the American election of that year, achieved the feat because of what was generally believed to be his superior performance over his rival, Richard Nixon during the debates. Some 62 years later, Nigeria is still unable to guarantee a presidential debate because some of the candidates are anxious to cover-up some deficiencies.

Of all the parties, the APC appears to be the greatest culprit in this game of dodging debates. This is surprising because from what I knew of Tinubu when I had cause to relate with him while I ran the NTA, he was quite proactive. Why is APC shielding him from the debates? One can only hope that some ‘eye-service’ officials are not as usual doing a disservice to the man.

I recall during the Jonathan years when I ran into a forum where his officials, aides etc. spent ample time convincing him to not attend the 2015 debate simply because they believed it would give an opportunity to all other contestants to rudely relate to the then president during a debate. From my experience as an election observer across jurisdictions, I can testify that each time a candidate is absent from a debate, the conclusion of the audience is that such candidate has something to hide. This is why I call on Tinubu today to listen to the voice of a few of his admirers who support debates and use the opportunity to engage with voters. The story out there that Tinubu intends to ignore his opponents who are said to be wasting their time discussing rumours about him is a puerile route.

I recommend to the APC candidate and indeed all his fellow presidential contestants that information is power and communication is empowerment. I also call on the PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar to take advantage of the presidential debates to dwell more on his lofty promises such as his plan to strengthen ECOMOG to effectively patrol Nigerian borders and promptly halt invaders who are the alleged champions of insurgency in Nigeria.

One successful political debate is better than 5 rallies and 5 chats with some interest groups combined. As a result, candidates should displace other engagements for the debate. After all, organizers are expected to find a convenient date for all before fixing it. PDP should desist from sending a representative to whatever is called a presidential media forum as it did to the Arise Town hall meeting. And because there would also be a vice presidential forum, the running mate cannot be at all events. In any case, Arise and partners should not have allowed the representation.

In the case of the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, many people appear to easily reason with his new stand of not attending debates where some of his colleagues are absent. But that protocol is only good for an office-holder and not for a candidate. Having used all the events, he attends to underscore his visible competence, it would be self-stabbing for him to shoot down his strength. It is for this reason that he too needs to revisit his decision to shun any debate.

Again, it is expedient to say to all candidates that some of us and our few friends and families will not in this modern age vote for anyone who does not see the importance of persuading and convincing us about his capacity to change Nigeria’s stunted growth. We dare say that lovers of issue-based campaigns and persuasive manifestos are not as few as is usually imagined in Nigeria. Of course, candidates who will not engage in issue-based campaigns will be the very first suspects wherever there are reports of political violence at rallies or cases of vote buying and rigging of elections.

In all that has been said above in favour of political debates, Nigeria still needs to depart from the obsolete order where party attack-dogs in the name of spokespersons attack their party’s opponents. Debates should no longer be venues for abuses and every form of intemperate language. Rather, everyone must be allowed to explain what he wants to do for the country. It is the failure of Nigerians to insist on decent political debates that has made it impossible over the years for the nation to pick visionary leaders who can implement viable programmes and remove Nigeria from underdevelopment.

By Tonnie Iredia

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Human Rights Group Task EFCC To Arrest PDP Chairman

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Civic Rights group has called on the EFCC to arrest Ayoricha Ayu the Chairman of the PDP for corruption.

HURIWA, on Friday, charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest Peoples Democratic Party’s National Working Committee members and the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, over the return of N122.4 million alleged bribe to the party.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, described as despicable the alleged grand larceny and graft ongoing within the PDP under Ayu, especially the allegation that he gave N122.4 million to four NWC members to silence them over an allegation of financial misappropriation to the tune of N15 billion realised from the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms by aspirants that participated in the PDP primary back in May.

The group said that the party has not come out to deny the allegations by at least four members of the PDP showed that there is an unprecedented corruption ongoing within the PDP.

HURIWA said for PDP to maintain that the payments were regular and legal is a slap on the faces of decent citizens, adding that it is inconceivable for elected office party leaders who ought to be accomplished men and women doing their profitable careers and professional vocation to now be said to be paid accommodation allowance is to stand logic on its head.

“Do they want to tell us that these officials sent accommodation allowances or whatever called, were hitherto homeless before they got elected into the NEC of the PDP and if they are homeless, what kind of mansion would cost an average person over 20 million Naira for just two years? These persons defending the indefensible should be arrested immediately,” HURIWA said.

Recall that in separate letters to the PDP, the NWC members had said the monies had been paid into their account without their knowledge. They also claimed they thought the monies were for their “house rent” until after a newspaper publication that exposed them.

The NWC members who returned the money are the National Vice Chairman (South-West) Olasoji Adagunodo, the Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja; National Vice Chairman (South), Chief Dan Orbih and National Women Leader, Prof. Stella Affah-Attoe.

While Adagunodo, Orbih and Effah-Attoe got N28.8 million each, Arapaja was paid N36 million.

PDP had fixed its presidential nomination form and expression of interest forms N40 million, governorship N21 million, Senate N3.5 million, House of Representatives N2.5 million and State House of Assembly N600,000.

“Also, a dollar bazaar had occurred especially during the presidential primary of the party in Abuja back in May where the highest bidder got the ticket after allegedly doling out thousands of dollars to complicitous delegates nationwide,” HURIWA’s Onwubiko said.

HURIWA’s Onwubiko further stated, “The return of N122.4 million by at least four PDP NWC members as alleged bribe to keep quiet over billions of naira collected by the party at the last primary is another evidence that Nigeria’s democracy is challenged.

“The PDP chairman and all the NWC members have cases to answer at the EFCC and the anti-graft commission must immediately arrest them for interrogation into the alleged bogus corruption.

“It is shameful that a party which claims it wants to govern Nigeria is involved in this kind of scandal. What shall Nigerians expect from such a party should it produce the next president? Corruption galore!

“Nigerians must vote correctly in the next election. Parties and candidates with record of corruption like this should never be given a chance to enter Aso Rock as Nigeria’s president in 2023. They are selfish and concerned about their gains at the peril of the common man.”

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Rigging local elections in Nigeria: Where next?

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters
By Tonnie Iredia  

One failed aspect of democracy in Nigeria is the conduct of elections into the country’s 774 local government councils. In most cases, the contests are handled by electoral commissions that are usually made up of cronies of the ruling party who are brought on board to ensure that their party` ‘sweeps’ the polls. Consequently, our local areas have remained undeveloped because persons that can evolve and implement viable socio-economic projects, are usually displaced through election chicanery.

Painfully, there are no visible prospects in the horizon to suggest that the trend might change soon. This completely reverses the goal of establishing a third tier of government which by virtue of its closeness to the grassroots should best meet the immediate needs of the locals. Based on this, whenever an election is fixed to hold in any local government area in the country, the expectation is that it would be rigged in favour of the ruling party.   Many have thus been taken aback by the decision of the outgoing Osun State Government to, in the guise of holding an election, instal its puppets as others do across the nation. Already, the chairman of the state electoral commission, Otunba Olusegun Oladuntan has announced October 15, 2022 for the contest across the state.

Surprisingly, his team seems to be going ahead with arrangements for the exercise not withstanding a case in court against it. As expected, the two leading political parties, the All Progressives Congress APC and the Peoples Democratic Party PDP are for and against the proposed elections respectively. While the latter alleges that the outgoing ruling APC is bent on holding the election at the eve of its departure so as to install those who can cover-up its alleged corrupt activities, the APC says for as long as governor Gboyega Oyetola’s tenure has not ended, his government has a legal right to hold local elections.  

But why did Oyetola not organize any local election until the last few weeks of his tenure? Why can’t he focus on proper handing-over notes to his successor instead of starting a fresh event at the 24th hour? Is the outgoing government unaware of the legal position that when a matter is pending in court, a notice of such matter acts as a stay of any action that may prejudice the matter in court? An objective answer to these questions would support the point that the government is anxious to empower its lackeys as alleged. Again, why is the PDP so bothered about an election that an electoral commission described as independent is proposing to conduct? While the PDP is skeptical about the performance of a tainted electoral body, would she herself not have done what the APC is about to do? If the truth must be told, the PDP only wants the election pushed forward to when her own Ademola Adeleke assumes office so that the PDP can magically ‘sweep’ the polls at that point.  

To understand the underlining theory that all ruling political parties are experts in rigging local elections, a review of the situation in Benue state would illuminate the subject. In 2017, when Governor Samuel Ortom was in the APC, his party swept the local elections held in the state. Although John Tsuwa who was chairman of the Benue state electoral commission could not convince people that the results he announced were not cooked-up, he did declare that the APC won ALL the 23 chairmanship seats as well as ALL the councillorship positions contested. However, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties CNPP insisted that no local election took place anywhere in Benue on Saturday, June 03, 2017 for which landslide victories were announced. Some three years later, that is, May 2020 another local election took place.

This time around, the Peoples Democratic Party, to which Governor Ortom had defected won all the 23 chairmanship and 276 councillorship positions.   In seeking to underscore the unwholesome behavior of the political class at elections, it is important to note that the situation in Benue represents what happens in many other locations nationwide. In Ebonyi and Taraba states, the ruling PDP similarly swept the polls. The All Progressives Congress, APC also scored 100 percent in the elections held in states controlled by her. In Kogi state for example, the party reportedly won all the 21 chairmanship and 239 councillorship positions in the local government elections held in December 2020. 

In Jigawa state, the same APC was declared winner of all the 27 chairmanship positions in the State in the election held in 2021. But the PDP was allowed to take hold of just one ward – Kiyako, in Birninkudu local government area which happens to be the Ward of the PDP former governor of the state, Alhaji Sule Lamido. Even at that, voters in the area reportedly held the electoral officials hostage to stop them from changing the outcome of the results. All the other 286 councillorship positions were cleared by the ruling APC. The use of fake elections is not the only strategy political parties employ to emasculate the local government system. Quite often, elections are not held at all; instead, the ruling party merely appoints caretaker committees to manage the system in breach of the constitutional provision for local government councils to be democratically elected.

In Cross River state, it was an endless waiting game. Although the state electoral commission headed by Mike Ushien collected non-refundable deposits of N200,000 and N100,000 from chairmanship and councillorship candidates respectively for the election fixed for June 2017, no contest took place and monies were not refunded to the candidates. So, can anyone blame those who have no faith in local elections? Indeed, the fear of the PDP about the hurried attempt to organize an election in Osun state on the eve of the departure of Gboyega Oyetola who only realized the need for a local government election after he lost his reelection bid is not irrational. If the election holds on October 15, 2022 as proposed, the next rigging will most likely happen in Osun state.  

Another state which needs to be watched is Edo, where the state electoral commission is set to hold local government elections on January 14, 2023. With the tenure of governor Godwin Obaseki still beyond one full year to go, we cannot accuse him of the same hidden agenda that appears to be playing out in Osun. Besides, Obaseki’s consummate appetite for the use of technology can thwart any rigging plans in his state. But considering that many politicians around the governor are products of the “cut-for- me- cut-for-me” political culture in the state ingenious politicians in the ruling party may still use their ingenuity to adversely interfere with the proposed January 15, 2023 contest.

Here, one can recall that some years back when the officially endorsed candidate could not win the Esan North East chairmanship election, the contest had to be put off twice. When it eventually held and all relevant stakeholders were awaiting the collation of votes at Eguare Primary School Uromi – the designated centre, results against the run of play were announced from the seat of power in Benin, over 100 kilometres away.   The point that must be made is that it is time to end fake local elections in Nigeria.

Accordingly, all well-meaning citizens should prevail on governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun state to concentrate on his election petition and discard the hurriedly arranged local elections fixed for October 15, 2022. At the same time, we call on governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state to make it difficult for any of his overzealous aides to push the state electoral commission into any ignoble role during the proposed January 14, 2023 local elections in the state. It is also important to remind all politicians that by virtue of the new Electoral Act 2022 the procedure regulating elections conducted by INEC to Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory now apply with equal force and sanctions as the procedure regulating elections conducted to Local Government Areas by any state electoral commission. August 21, 2022

Prof Tonnie Iredia  

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