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Tag: 2023 elections

  • 2023: Hoodlums Raze PDP Campaign Office in Gombe

    2023: Hoodlums Raze PDP Campaign Office in Gombe

    The Campaign Office of Mohammed Barde, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2023 governorship election in Gombe State, has been set ablaze by suspected political thugs.

    The office close to the Presidential Lodge of Gombe Government House was reportedly set ablaze in the early hours of Monday, December 12, 2022.

    Details of the attack are sketchy as of the time of filing this report, but the PDP has blamed it on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Barde confirmed the attack in a statement issued on his behalf by Junaidu Usman Abubakar, Deputy Director-General of Media, Atiku/Dan Barde Campaign Management Council.

    “There was an attack on the building housing the Barde Campaign Organisation in the early hours of today by political thugs, suspected to be that of the sinking APC, setting ablaze the building and destroying properties,” he said.

    “The cowardly attack on this edifice, one of many in the last months further affirmed the present governments stand on violence and destruction, a threat to the fragile peace of the state, which must vehemently be rejected by all and sundry.

    “The PDP Governorship candidate, Alh Muhammad Jibrin Barde has on different occasions rejected violence and political thuggery, stressing the need to engage the resourceful Gombe youth in a meaningful pursuit.

    “The Good people of Gombe State are hereby prompted to reject this act of oppression on the ballot comes 2023. The Barde Agenda rests on securing the lives and properties of the people, equal opportunities for the youth and women, rapid infrastructural development and providing a level playing ground for the opposition devoid of any undue oppression,” he said.

    Reacting, Director General, Press Affairs to Governor Inuwa Yahaya, Ismaila Uba Misilli, said the PDP was just looking for cheap publicity.

    Misilli said the opposition was in no way a threat to APC, wondering how the governor could have given such order as alleged by Barde.

    “There’s no any reason that the governor or any critical stakeholder in APC would instruct someone to attack the PDP campaign office. PDP is not in any way a threat to the APC because the party has consolidated its hold in the state.”

    “The governor is a law-abiding citizen, and he can not instruct or allow someone to break law and order in the state. The PDP is just looking for a way to get cheap publicity and sympathy by torching its campaign office and blaming it on the government. APC has no reason to do that when we are 100% sure of a landslide victory in the forthcoming election.”

    Police Public Relations Officer in Gombe, ASP Mahid Mu’azu Abubakar, said investigation had been launched and moves were being made to arrest the perpetrators.

  • 2023: No Critical Election Materials Destroyed During Imo Attack – INEC

    2023: No Critical Election Materials Destroyed During Imo Attack – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that none of the critical election materials was destroyed in the attack on its State Headquarters office in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Monday.

    The Commission in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Card Education Committee Chairman, Festus Okoye also confirmed that there were no casualties involving staff of the Commission in the incident which he said occurred at about 3.00 am on Monday.

    However, the statement said the attack affected the part of the building occupied by the Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) Department and one official utility vehicle (a Toyota Hilux pickup van) was burnt.

    INEC confirmed that this is the third attack on the Commission’s facilities in Imo State in less than two weeks following the earlier attacks on our Orlu LGA office on Thursday 1st December 2022 and Oru West LGA office on Sunday 4th December 2022.

    The Commission described the incident as yet another systematic attack targeted at its assets across the country, more so on the day that the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) commences nationwide ahead of the 2023 General Election.

    Earlier, Channels Television reported that four persons including one policeman had been killed in an attack that was repelled by the police on the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) along Port Harcourt Road in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

    According to the Spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, Mike Abattam, the gunmen numbering over 10 came around 3:00 am with petrol bombs and dynamite.

    He, however, said the hoodlums were confronted by security operatives who repelled the attack and killed three of the attackers.

    Abattam also said one of the attackers was arrested by the police and three vehicles used by hoodlums were recovered.

  • 2023: Returning APC To Power Suicidal, Says Northern Group

    2023: Returning APC To Power Suicidal, Says Northern Group

    A group of northerners, led by Prof Usman Yusuf, former chairman of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Mahdi Shehu and Ladan Salihu of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) have said it is suicidal and destructive allowing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to return to power in 2023.

    The declaration was made by the group, Northern Awareness Initiative, on Sunday in Kano at a press conference, saying the same will take place all over the north in subsequent days to educate the grassroots on the need to vote out the ruling APC.

    The group also condemned the APC-led Federal Government for leading over 130 million Nigerians into poverty in the last eight years, sighting the records by Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

    They further mentioned neglect of 20 million out-of-school children.

    “The present administration told us eight years ago that they want to fight corruptiom, they want to secure this nation and they want to improve the economy, all they have done so far is the opposite.

    “I am from Katsina; one third of my state is under seige by bandits. We have never seen IDPs in Katsina until this government came in. My state capital is filled up with IDPs.

    “We gave President Buhari 1.2 million votes in the last elections, what have we to show for it? Death and destruction.

    “Kano gave him 1.8 million votes, what do you have to show for it? The whole of the north has nothing to show for the eight years of the APC rule.

    “In recent years we have not seen as much poverty as we have seen today.

    “The National Bureau of Statistics said 133 million Nigerians are now in multidimensional poverty.

    “We have never seen that, we have come to a time when the President himself is blaming the governors for poverty.

    “Ladies and gentlemen, we did not give him this presidency to blame anybody else. Now that the game is over, you are blamie somebody else?

    “They have failed, the APC government has failed.

    “Fighting corruption; we have seen a lot more corruption cases under this government.

    “He has not fought corruption, he has not improved the economy, the economy is worse and where we are today, insecurity is the worst ever in our life time.

    “We are, therefore, educating our people that it is going to be suicidal for people to vote APC to power again,” Prof Yusuf declared.

  • 2023: Gombe PDP Chieftain, Jamil Gwamna, Dumps Party For APC

    2023: Gombe PDP Chieftain, Jamil Gwamna, Dumps Party For APC

    Dr. Jamil Isyaku Gwamna, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with thousands of his supporters.

    Gwamna announced his defection along with thousand of his supporters on Friday in Gombe while chatting with newsmen.

    He cited internal crisis, poor leadership, disregard for rule of law within the party and disunity as reasons for his decision to dump the PDP.

    According to him, the leadership of the PDP in the state had poorly managed affairs of the party which led to different factions within the party.

    Gwamna was quoted by his Media Aide, Mallam Ibrahim Sani, that his political ideology was anchored on unity, inclusiveness, fairness and justice and “if those are not found in the party then there is no reason to be in that camp.”

    Gwamna who is also the Sardauna of Gombe said the PDP cannot manage Gombe State with the crop of leadership it has that prioritises personal interest against collective interest.

    “In politics, internal democracy is very key and if you cannot find that playing out, then practicing democracy on a larger platform such as governing the state becomes a big issue.”

    Gwamna said that the APC is more organised in Gombe State than any political party and has managed its affairs in a more family-like manner.

    He called on his supporters to mobilise grassroots supports across the state to ensure that APC retains the state with better voting margin than that of 201

  • 2023 Elections: We Are Under Pressure To Compromise — CDS, Gen. Lucky Irabor

    2023 Elections: We Are Under Pressure To Compromise — CDS, Gen. Lucky Irabor

    The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor has disclosed that the security agencies and the military constantly come under pressure to compromise during elections through various financial inducements, but has called on Nigerians to anchor their trust in the military as they strive to maintain neutrality in accordance with the president’s directive.

    Speaking during the Ministerial weekly briefing today, the Chief of defense Staff who provided updates of strides made by the Military in the fight against insurgency, terrorism and banditry, he stated that personnel are being trained to follow the codified rules of engagement before, during and after the elections.

    The CDS further reveals that over 300,000 persons have been freed from the hands of abductors since 2016 while refugees who fled the northeast owing to insurgency have started to return.

    He admits that there still exits Internal sabotage within the military, but asserts that they have not succeeded. It is for this reason he debunks a recent allegation by an international news media which accused the military of carrying out over 10,000 illegal abortions on female victims of the war in the North east.

    According to him, it is impossible for the military to have been engaged in a planned abortion program since 2013 and as the military commander in charge of Operation Lafia Dole between 2016 and 2017, he never heard of any such thing.

    He therefore condemns the report in its entirety, noting that the military is not unaware of extra territorial elements who do not peace to fester in the country.

    The CDS also revisted the alleged Lekki toll gate massacre in 2020, insisting that the Nigerian military is not interested in killing its own people, but rather more concerned in protecting the citizens.

    He added that the efforts of the military in the fight against crude oil theft have been yielding positive results with the increase in the crude oil production of 1.6 million barrels per day.

  • 2023: It’ll be difficult to rig election, Buhari assures

    2023: It’ll be difficult to rig election, Buhari assures

    The President stated this at State House, Abuja, while playing host to West African Elders Forum Pre-Election Mediation Mission, led by former Sierra Leonean President, Dr Ernest Bai Koroma.

    He restated that the 2023 general elections would be free, fair and credible, as manipulations would not be allowed in any form.

    “Thank you for accepting to do this service for our sub-region,” the President told his guests, citing off-season elections held in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States, as pointer to the fact that the Federal Government would allow people to choose leaders they want.

    “That right is guaranteed,” President Buhari said in a statement issued by his spokesman, Femi Adesina.

    “We are settling down, and making progress. People should vote whoever they want, in whatever party. We shall not allow anyone to use money and thugs to intimidate the people. Nigerians know better now, they are wiser, and know that it is better to dialogue than to carry weapons. Elections are even more difficult to rig now.”

    Former President Koroma, who led a team made of Fatoumata Tambajang, former Vice President of The Gambia, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, former Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations, and Ann Iyonu, Executive Director of Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, said they had met with stakeholders across the parties, civil society, and Independent National Electoral Commission, among others, “and we commend you for making it clear both locally and internationally that the elections would be free and fair.”

    He commended President Buhari for not listening to voices that might have tried to convince him to seek a third term in office, against the laws of the country, noting that “other countries look up to Nigeria for direction.”

    “When we had issues in Sierra Leone and Liberia, it was Nigeria that came in to stabilise the system,” the former President said.

    He urged President Buhari to look into other areas of concern as raised by the stakeholders, including security, and “issues that may cast doubts on the clarity and credibility of the elections.”

  • 2023: Obi is ‘God’s Chosen’, LP Fires Back at Soludo

    2023: Obi is ‘God’s Chosen’, LP Fires Back at Soludo

    As the ensuing verbal trades between the Anambra state governor, Charles Soludo, and Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi linger on, the spokesman for the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, has accused the former of playing the devil’s advocate.

    Tanko in a chat with reporters accused Soludo of being used by the opposition to scuttle Obi’s presidential ambition.

    “Soludo feels he is larger than life and that if it is not him, it should not be anybody. But God has chosen Obi and there is nothing he can do about it. He should just go and lick his wounds.

    “The fact still remains that it is Obi on the ballot. He does not have the capacity to determine whether Obi will win or not. As we are seeing it, Obi is winning a landslide victory”, he said.

    On whether Soludo has an axe to grind to Obi in the build-up to the 2023 elections, Tanko dismissed the thought, saying the target was to suppress the LP’s growing profile in the region.

    “Soludo is just allowing himself to be used. It is an orchestrated attempt to weaken our own base starting from Anambra to other states in the South East. That was the strategy.

    “I don’t know why he is trying to risk everything he has for this particular negative cause. But we will rely on the love that would be shown by Obi’s people to triumph during our campaign there,” he said.

  • 2023: INEC Express Worries Over Election Violence

    2023: INEC Express Worries Over Election Violence

    Nigeria’s election authority on Friday warned of the threat of intensifying campaign violence just over three months before presidential and parliamentary elections.

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman Mahmood Yakubu said the agency had tracked 50 attacks across the country since campaigning began just over a month ago.

    “The commission is worried that if no urgent and decisive steps are taken, the attacks will intensify as we approach the election date,” the INEC chief said in a statement.

    “We need to take decisive steps to stem the ugly trend.”

    Nigeria’s February 2023 ballot is expected to be a tight race to replace President Muhammadu Buhari.

    INEC held an emergency meeting on Friday, a day after two of its electoral offices were attacked and set on fire in the southwest.

    “The political class plays perhaps the most critical role in ensuring peaceful elections. We must all rise to the occasion. Nigerians are watching us,” Yakuba said.

    Security will be a major election issue with Nigeria’s armed forces fighting jihadists in the northeast, armed bandit militias in northwest and central states and separatist agitators in the southeast.

    The election approaches as Africa’s largest economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, fallout from the war in Ukraine, and its worst flooding in a decade that has impacted food production.

  • Peter Obi: I’ll Fulfill all my Campaign Promises if Elected in 2023

    Peter Obi: I’ll Fulfill all my Campaign Promises if Elected in 2023

    The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi, has promised to account for all his electioneering campaign promises to Nigeria if elected in 2023.

    Obi who disclosed this yesterday in Makurdi the Benue State capital in continuation of his campaign rally said as a wealth creator he would change the fortunes of Benue and Nigeria if voted into power.

    According to him, with Obi/Datti a new Nigeria is possible because Benue farmers will be supported to start exporting their farm produce.

    “We are not wealth sharers but wealth creators, the FG under Obi and Datti would ensure that youths become productive. We will build a new Nigeria that will keep people out of poverty so as to reduce criminalities.

    “Obi/Datti will invest in education, so that there will be no out of school children, citizens will be taught skills acquisitions so as to become self reliant for improved livelihood,” he said.

  • 2023: What Peter Obi Promised Nigerians During Campaign In Lafia

    2023: What Peter Obi Promised Nigerians During Campaign In Lafia

    The Presidential Campaign Council of the Labour Party, LP has officially flaged-off its campaign today in Lafia, the state capital of Nasarawa state.

    Recall that Obi suspended his presidential campaign to visit flood victims some states affected by the ravaging flood.

    Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Saturday promised to solve Nigeria’s flood challenge and ensure the country attains sufficiency in food production if elected in 2023.

    The former Anambra State governor said his government will move Nigeria from consumption to production and job creation.

    He promised to fix Nigeria’s power conundrum, amongst others, and wondered why the Super Eagles couldn’t qualify for Qatar 2022 World Cup starting next month.

    After he observed a one-minute silence in honour of all flood victims across the country, Obi said, “I assure you if we come into power, we will solve this flooding problem.”

    “We are not going to do it overnight but we will start solving it. It will not take 30 years. The Federal Government said it will take 30 years, it will not take 30 years for us to solve it.

    “Let me assure you, the government Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed will change Nigeria for good,” he said.

    Obi also promised to support farmers and youths in the country, added that Nigeria can feed itself if the right measures are taken.

    “If we come into government, I assure you, farmers will go back to farms because we are going to deal with insecurity, we will support youths; the more youths are pulled out of poverty, the more we reduce criminality.

    “We will support youths because today Nigerian youths don’t have a home. When we come into government, the youths will have homes because we will solve their problems.”

    “Today in Nigeria, people spend all their money to feed themselves. So many people can’t even feed themselves. We will make sure that we start the journey of Nigeria being sufficient in food production. If Israel can feed itself, Nigeria can feed itself. If India can feed itself, Nigeria can feed itself,” he said.

    Also at the rally include Obi’s running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed; Labour Party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure; the party’s Director General of the National Campaign Council, Doyin Okupe, amongst others.