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2023: APC Zones Chairmanship To North

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has zoned its chairmanship to the north ahead of the 2023 elections.

Governors Nasiru El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), announced this at a media briefing, which held after President Muhammadu Buhari’s meeting with governors of the ruling party.

El-Rufai said the party has agreed to swap the current vacant positions in the National Working Committee (NWC) between the Northern and Southern parts of the country ahead of March 26 national convention.

By implication, the chairmanship position, which has been held by former Governors John Odigie-Oyegun and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State from the South will now go to the North.

El-Rufai said, “We have agreed a zoning formula for all the six geopolitical zones and essentially, we swapped. Northern zones will take positions that Southern zones had in the last eight years and vice versa.

“So, it’s a very simple, equitable and fair formula. We will now go back and consult at the zonal level, and look at the positions that are available and the process of the convention preparation will start in earnest. So by the grace of God on the 26th of March, we will have done a national convention.”

The brief meeting that took place at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja were attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and 19 governors, including those of Yobe, Kano, Kogi, Ekiti, Nasarawa, Kwara, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Lagos, Imo, Ogun, Borno, Niger, Gombe, Osun, Kebbi, Plateau, as well as Deputy Governor of Anambra State who left the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the APC last year.

February 22, 2022
2023 Elections Will Come And Go, Nigeria Will Remain – Jonathan

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, former President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday allayed fears of Nigeria’s disintegration, saying the country will still remain.

He stated this during the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)’s Council of the WISE strategic retreat and planning workshop which held in Lagos.

“When elections are coming, there is always this fear that the country will implode. But you see that the country has remained stable,” he said.

“When I was in office, (during) the 2015 elections, some people were sending words out of the country, but nothing happened at the end of the day. So 2023 will come and go and this country will remain.”

The former Nigerian President also expressed confidence in ECOWAS ability to solve the numerous challenges confronting the sub-region.

There has been series of coups in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso and some other West African countries leading to sanctions from the regional bloc as well as the African Union.

But Jonathan, who chairs the forum, reiterated the commission’s determination to restore peace in the troubled countries.

“The tasks ahead of us may seem dauting given the current challenges in our sub-region but it is not insurmountable. I implore all of us to give the assignment her best shot.

“We will be seen to have done justice to this assignment if we succeed in catalysing processes towards institutionalizing systems that will deepen democracy, people-oriented governance and sustainable growths in our sub-region.”

This is the first-ever non-state structure that forms part of the council’s peace and security architecture with Jonathan expressing confidence that the region can surmount its challenges.

February 22, 2022
2023 Elections: Nigeria Is Living On Extra Time – Sanusi

Ahead of the general elections, former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said that Nigeria is living on extra time with deeper challenges to be confronted from 2023.

Sanusi, who spoke on Monday during a reception organised in his honour by Egba Muslim in Abeokuta, asked presidential aspirants to be prepared for the numerous challenges confronting the country.

“To be honest, we are living on extra time. In 2015, we were in a deep hole. In 2023, we will be in an even much deeper hole than in 2015,” he said.

“Those struggling to be president, I hope they understand that the problems that they are going to face are multiples of the problems that were faced in 2015. All of us have to be ready for difficult decisions and if they are taken, we are all going to pay for them.

“But the solution is not for all of us to jump into politics. This country needs good politicians. It needs imams, pastors, and bishops who are going to stand up and remind them (politicians) of the fear of God.

“It needs technocrats who are going to critique their policies. It needs traditional rulers who are going to speak as the conscience of the people. Everyone has a role to play and we should try to play that role to the best of our ability.”

The former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor also called on Nigerians to pray for good leaders at all levels. He asked Nigerians to elect leaders who are competent to deliver the dividends of democracy to the benefit of the people.

While warning the people against voting for people who woo them with money and other greek gifts, Sanusi advised that the electorates should choose leaders based on merits

“I think the most important thing is that we should continue to pray for our country that whoever emerges as president, governors, senators, leadership at all levels, that we get good leaders,” he said. “We should also remind ourselves as citizens that we owe it to ourselves because we know that this country deserves better than we have been given.”

February 7, 2022
2023 Elections: Senate Confirms Seven Nominated INEC National Commissioners

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed the appointments of seven persons nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari as national commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

They include Mohammed Haruna (Niger State), May Agbamuche-Mbu (Delta State), Ukeagu Nnamdi (Abia State), Retired Major General A. B. Alkali (Adamawa State), Professor Rhoda Gunus (Bayelsa State), Sam Olumekun (Ondo State), and Olaniyi Ijalaye (Ondo State).

During Wednesday’s plenary, Senator Kabiru Gaya asked the Senate to consider the report of its Committee on INEC on the confirmation of the appointees.

After the report was laid and presented on the floor of the chamber, some lawmakers who attended the plenary took turns to give their opinions on the development.

Giving his support to the report, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege said Mrs Agbamuche-Mbu did not disappoint the people of Delta.

“Mr President, I stand here again this time with bigger pride to support this nomination,” he stated while his colleague from Delta, Senator James Manager, posited that all that Omo-Agege had said about the nominations were correct.

“I want to thank the President for nominating these people of integrity and capacity,” Manager added. “Mr President (Buhari) has done well for the nominations of these prominent Nigerians.”

Senator Gabriel Suswam also aligned himself with the position of his counterparts who spoke earlier and urged the Senate to approve the committee’s report, saying there was no need for much argument.

The lawmakers later resolved into Committee of the Whole to consider the report after which they reverted to plenary.

Thereafter, Haruna was confirmed as the national commissioner for North Central, Agbamuche-Mbu and national commissioner for South South, and Nnamdi as national commissioner for South East.

Other national commissioners whose appointments were confirmed included Alkali – North East, Gunus – South South, and Olumekun – South West.

Ijalaye, on his part, was the only appointee confirmed as a Resident Electoral Commissioner.

February 2, 2022
2023 : Wike Debunks Rumours Of Being Atiku’s Running Mate

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has dispelled insinuations about him being the running mate to presidential hopeful, Atiku Abubakar, in the Peoples Democratic Party.

According to the governor, no such agreement has been reached between him and any politician.

Governor Wike said this on Tuesday during a stakeholders meeting of the Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party at the Government House in Port Harcourt.

He said at the appropriate time, members of the party in the southern region will speak in one voice about their decision on the 2023 presidential election.

The governor also spoke about the party’s chances to retain the Rivers State Governorship seat and the recent efforts by his administration to recover some critical assets of the state.

In attendance were party executives, national and state assembly members, LG chairmen, cabinet members, and other high-ranking members of the party.

February 1, 2022
2023: APC Stakeholders Awaiting Buhari’s Guidance on Zoning – Gov Abiodun

Ahead of the APC National convention in February and General Elections in 2023, the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun is confident that the President Muhammadu Buhari will give necessary guidance to ensure that equity and justice is reflected within the party’s zoning formula.

The Governor expressed this view after a visit to the President at the State House in Abuja on Friday.

He was accompanied by a broad delegation including former governor of the state, Olusegun Osoba; Chairman of the Council of Obas, Oba Babatunde Ajayi; former deputy governor, Alhaja Salimot Badru and a foremost industrialist, Chief Sulaiman Adegunwa.

In a chat with state house correspondents, Governor Abiodun who thanked the president for his recent visit to the state (where a number of projects were commissioned), equally spoke on the issue of zoning.

He noted that the party is working on a formula, which according to him will be made known after an approval by the National Executive Council.

According to him, it is after the NEC approval that “we’ll know where the president will come from.”

“I will be hesitant to delve into the details of this question because, one, I’m not in any position or capacity to advise the party. I am a governor, I am a member of the party and I will continue to be guided by the party leadership and in line with party discipline.

“We have a President in place, we are the party that’s in government, our President is the leader of the party. I believe that His Excellency, Mr. President, will continue to offer us the guidance that’s required and will do that which we need to do under his leadership.

“I am not sure that I am capable, or have the capacity to begin to advise the party when I am just a member of the party and a governor, and the party has a leader who is the President.

“We are aware that the party is working on zoning and when that is formalized and ratified by NEC, then it will be made public so we’ll know where the chairman of the party will come from, we’ll know where the President will come from and things will evolve in their own time,” the Governor stated.

January 28, 2022
Obasanjo Turns Down PDP’s request, Say He Would Never Return To Politics

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo told leaders of opposition Peoples Democratic Party on Saturday that he won’t return to the party.

Obasanjo, made this known when a PDP delegation led by the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, four former governors, and members of the party’s National Working Committee visited him at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

In the team include the PDP Vice-Presidential candidate in the 2019 election, Peter Obi; former Governors, Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Liyel Imoke (Cross River) and Donald Duke (Cross River).

The Deputy National Chairman of PDP (South), Taofeek Arapaja, and other party officials were part of the entourage.

Addressing the PDP delegation, Obasanjo said, “I’m no longer in partisan politics and there is nothing that can bring back. Anybody who wants my advice, I will always be there in the best interest of Nigeria.

“Whatever I do in my own life…because I became president on the platform of PDP, PDP will continue to be part of my life. Since the day I tore my PDP card, that was the day I ceased to be a member of PDP. That day I vowed not to be a member of any political party.

Obasanjo told Ayu that he has the problems of PDP and Nigeria on his shoulders, and prayed God to give him the wisdom to carry it.

Responding, Ayu told Obasanjo that “if you leave PDP, the blood of PDP will never leave you.”

He said the party would always require his fatherly advice towards governance in Nigeria.

Obasanjo was first Head of State from 1976 to 1979. After his prison ordeal, Obasanjo was later elected Nigeria’s President from 1999 to 2007 on the platform of the PDP.

He, however, publicly tore his PDP membership card in February 2015 after a feud with ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

January 22, 2022
2023 Elections: All Candidates Must Declare Bank Asset For Monitoring -INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Friday said it would beam its searchlight on politicians and political parties to track the sources of funds for their campaigns in the 2023 general election.

The commission, therefore, promised to set up committee to monitor election expenditure ahead of the elections.

The Chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, represented by a National Commissioner, Kunle Ajayi, stated this in Abuja during a policy roundtable conference on political campaign finance organised by The Electoral Forum, an organ of the Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development with support from MacArthur Foundation.

He said, “As long as we have not notified anybody that the race to the 2023 general election has started, we are not unaware of what anybody is doing. We follow the law strictly.

“We have not officially declared notice for the 2023 general election, but when we so declare, we will put our monitoring committees to motion like the Central Bank of Nigeria, DSS, EFCC, the ICPC, (commercial) banks and other law enforcement agencies. We have that plan already.

“Every candidate must be made to declare his bank asset. That is where they draw out their money, so we will make them present their statement of account right from the onset.

“We will make it mandatory for them to turn in their bank statement so that if they say they are doing billboard and the account remains the same, then there is a problem.”

The INEC chairman also said that INEC would also monitor the movement of money on election days to help tackle vote-buying at polling units.

Mahmood said that through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, commercial banks would be mandated to report all suspicious transactions ahead of the election.

The INEC chairman also threatened to prosecute any bank that failed to cooperate.

Speaking on the issue of vote-buying, Mahmood said, “We are going to establish finance monitoring teams and they will be among the electorate but they (politicians and political parties) won’t know.

“We are going to do it in a way that the influence of money will be reduced because we want to make the electoral field a level playing ground for both rich and poor candidates and electorates. Everybody will go on an equal economic level so that you won’t influence the voting pattern.”

January 21, 2022
Kwara Gamji seeks united and peaceful country ahead of 2023 elections

By Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Gamji Association of Nigeria (GAMA), Kwara State Chapter, has enjoined the politicians to play by the rules and consolidate on the laudable footprints of the Founding Fathers of Nigeria at ensuring a united and indivisible country .
The association also urged Nigerians to be wary of separatist movements and agitators and support government’s efforts at restoring peace, security and stability in all parts of the Country.

The President General of Kwara Gamji ,Professor Abubakar Laaro, who gave the admonition in Ilorin, the state capital, enjoined the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and other organisations responsible for the conduct of elections to create a level playing ground for all political parties and ensure a hitch free, credible and acceptable exercise.

The President General extolled the virtues and achievements of the late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, describing him as a selfless, patriotic, exemplary Nigerian and a Pan Africanist who was killed in a coup de’tat on 15th January, 1966.

He said: “I urge Nigerian politicians to emulate the unbiased nature, incorruptible leadership qualities of the late Sarduana, which the people lauded irrespective of religious, tribal or regional differences as a result of which he dealt with Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and other tribes justly, fairly and equitably.”

The Gamji members expressed great concern over the security challenges facing the nation, particularly Northern Nigeria, which, they said, was most hit by these acts of criminality and therefore stressed the need for Nigerians to bury their political, ethnic and religious differences and work together to bring the activities of the bandits, kidnappers and other criminals to an end.

Members of the association commended the nation’s security apparatus for fighting tooth assiduously to overcome the bandits, enjoining them to device new strategies to finally silence the criminals more so that a reputable court of law and the Federal Government have declared the bandits as terrorists.

The Gamji members, who lauded the efforts of President Buhari in the governance of the nation, also commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for the remarkable achievements his administration has recorded so far in the state and appealed to the people of the state to give him unhindered support for him and his government to actualise the dream of making Kwara investors’ destination rather than engaging on diversionary politics and politics of bitterness and hatred.

The members congratulated the Emir of Lafiagi, Ahaji Kawu Mohammed-Kudu, as the new Emir of Lafiagi, and the Etsu Patigi Umar Ibrahim Bologi on their appointments to the throne of their forefathers and prayed for them for a successful reign.

Prof. Abubakar announced various programmes to commemorate the 56 years demise of Late Ahmadu Bello, while special prayers were held for the departed members of the association, particularly the immediate past President General, late Surveyor Muritala Orire.

A founding member of the Association who is also the Danmasani of Ilorin, Engineer Yahaya Alapasanpa expressed the support and joy of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari to the activities of Gamji.

The Danmasani, however, implored them to be more proactive in their activities of promoting the legacies of Late Sir Ahmadu Bello and what he stood for during his life time.

January 18, 2022
Justice Odili Invasion: Wike Accuses FG Of Intimidating Judiciary Ahead Of 2023 Elections

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has accused the Federal Government of intimidating the judiciary ahead of the 2023 general elections in the country.

Wike’s criticism followed a recent invasion of the residence of Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court in her Abuja residence by men believed to be security operatives.

Speaking on Thursday during a special court session to mark the opening of the 2021/2022 Legal Year of the Rivers State Judiciary in Port Harcourt, the governor said the Federal Government wants to continue to ride roughshod unchecked over the rule of law and the sanctity of the country’s electoral system, hence, the renewed attack on judicial officers.

“Although it is still early morning in our democratic match towards 2023, the attack on Justice Mary Odili is a prelude to many more and even worse political maneuverings we should be prepared to experience from the APC-led Federal Government, which having lost relevance and popular support is becoming more and more desperate over its dwindling political fortunes by the day,” Wike said.

“While cases with political undertones, including the constitutional validity of certain sections of the recent amendments to the 2010 Electoral Act, if assented to by Mr President, would necessarily come before our courts; what is important is the duty and capacity of our judiciary to save our democracy and the country.”

According to him, it is the responsibility of the government at all levels to protect the judiciary and accord the courts such assistance as they may require enabling them to safeguard their independence, advance the rule of law, and dispense justice equally and fairly to all citizens.

While the present Federal Government has been very weak in resourcing and strengthening the judiciary, Wike said it has been very strong and readily predisposed to ridiculing the entire institution and subjecting individual judges to both physical and psychological trauma for its own self-interest.

“We all witnessed the infamous midnight raids on judicial residences and the subjection of some judges, to illegal raids, arrests and detentions by agents of the Federal Government purportedly carrying out a baseless sting operation back in 2016

“Since then the intimidation of judges whose judgments, intellectual or moral disposition they are not comfortable with has continued unrelenting with the latest attack on a peaceful mother, wife of a former Governor and Justice of the Supreme Court, our own highly revered Hon. Justice Mary Odili

“It is important to emphasize that we allow these intimidations to become acceptable standards of behaviour and even become complicit in their unholy design to undermine the administration of justice when we all opt to keep quite in the face of these assaults,” Governor Wike added.

Governor Wike, who commended the leaders of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and members of the public for promptly condemning the idiotic siege on judiciary, said they must quickly move beyond the verbal protestations to unveil those behind the raid on Justice Odili’s residence and ensure that they all are held to account for their actions, otherwise this impunity would never cease to rear its ugly head in the country.

He challenged the Federal Government to come clean on this infamy with the names, identities and affiliations of those allegedly arrested for their roles or found to have been involved in the attack on the residence of Justice Odili, if it is not to be perceived as the primary mastermind.

Speaking on the proposed setting up of law school campuses, the governor urged the management of the Nigerian Law School, the Council of Legal Education and the Federal Government to see the folly in the plan, and nib the idea from the bud before it causes more damage to a foremost institution that is already severely challenged for lack of adequate funding.

He explained that the Port Harcourt Campus of the Nigerian Law School being built by the Rivers State Government was consciously demanded for and approval secured from the Council of Legal Education and ultimately from President Muhammadu Buhari, through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and named after late Nabo Graham-Douglas, SAN.

Wike added, “Here again, some lazy and uninformed characters have criticised our Law School development project with the unfounded and lousy allegation that it lacks budgetary provisions in our 2021 budget, even when they conceded to the propriety of the project and the optimal benefits it would attract to the State and the business community.”

November 12, 2021