POLITICS
Why ‘Progressives Governors’ Kick Against ‘RevolutionNow’ Protest
*Tell Aggrieved Persons to Meet Their Elected Representatives
By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
Governors on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria have frowned at the call for revolution by a group describing the action as condemnable.
Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum and governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, in an interview with State House correspondents on Tuesday, in Abuja said “it’s wrong to protest in a democratic setting.
”An organization called the “Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria” had planned a “revolution” march on Monday with the aim of bringing “regime change” in the country.
The initiator and lead of the protests, Omoyele Sowore – a publisher of Sahara Reporters – a popular online news platform was arrested last weekend by the DSS and may be charged to court.
Governor Bagudu said that the protesters should have waited for the opportunity to express their grievances through the ballot boxes in the next general elections.
In the alternative, he said that the protesters would have done better by following due process by making their grievances known to their representatives either in the state or National Assemblies who will in turn channel same to the appropriate authorities.
He said: “Any call for disorder in a democratic setting is condemnable because the democracy, as the saying goes, is not the best form of government but it is the best that we have, because it gives opportunity periodically for the electorates to exercise their mandate in affirming or rejecting leaders.
“We have just come through a general election in march this year where Nigerians embraced the leadership of president Muhammadu Buhari and he has been elected for a second term with a little more votes than they have in 2015. “Also state governors were elected in different states; a lot of them second termer and a number of them first termers and interestingly enough we have seen all kinds of democratic outcomes which hitherto what we have thought differently, particularly in a democratic setting.
“We have first termers defeating second termers and in the case of one state, the supreme court exercising their rights as the highest court in the land to determine what should be and it is respected by the government.”
The Kebbi governor said that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has done well having been able to manage the nation’s economy through the global recession even when the price of crude was at its lowest in the niter national market.
According to him, the shortfall in the nation’s revenues compelled the government to do more with little resource available especially when oil prices took a plunge from $140 per barrel to $27 when Buhari took over in 2015.
He noted that in spite the dwindled revenue and the attendant recession that hit the economy, the Buhari’s administration has been able to put together progressive policies with infrastructural projects being executed across the country.
“Rail-lines are being constructed, second Niger bridge is being constructed, infrastructural work across the entire six geopolitical zones are taking place, power is improving steadily,” he stressed.
The Kebbi governor noted what gets critics angry most remains the size of the nation’s economy which is very small when compared to her peers particularly Brazil an South Africa.
He said even though the population of Nigeria and Brazil are relatively close, Brazil 2018 budget is $657 billion, South Africa, with less population, is about $100 billion while Nigeria with her population of 200 million is having less than $30 billion as her budget for 2019.
Speaking further, he said that the nation could not attract support from the other parts of the world like her counterparts in Europe and America because it is located in the sub sahara.
“We are a bigger population, bigger economy but we don’t receive such money. Ireland, another European nation get support from the European Union to get them out of economic crisis in excess of Euro200billion. Nigeria is not so lucky, we have not received support of Euros10billion but ofcourse we have borrowed more, we have issued Eurobond,” he said.
Bagudu noted that even though the challenge of Boko Haram had been curtailed, there are still pockets of other crimes in the country occasioned by the the limitation of the nation’s economy.
Asked whether he sensed foreign conspiracy I the call for revolution, Bagudu said such has always been the worry of developing countries world over. Citing Amilcar Cabral and Walter Rodney, the governor said people have always worry about effect of foreign actors.
Asked to comment on the controversies that surrounded the suspended Ruga policy, Bagudu said “The federal government did not request any state to provide land for Ruga, I am not aware of it. The federal government requested states that have Fulani settlements, like Kebbi, to indicate how much support they want so that we can have more hospital, water, veterinary services, school in those places.”
Governor Bagudu revealed that Kebbi State has over 3000 Ruga settlements in the state.
On agriculture, the governor said that the prices of food in markets have dropped significantly adding that farmers anticipate a bumper harvest this year.
A coalition of groups within the Peoples Democratic Party in Nasarawa State have expressed displeasure over the processes and outcome of the March 18 governorship election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state,
During a protest in the state, one of the groups under the aegis of the Coalition of Aggrieved Support Groups for Mbugadu berated INEC for not reviewing the polls and the processes that led to the announcement of governor-elect, Abdullahi Sule.
The protest which entered day-7 in Karu yesterday saw women and youths dressed in black attire, join the group to demand a review of the polls.
The protesters, consisting majorly women, who took to the streets to observe the seventh-day protest, also faulted the outcome of the gubernatorial election.
They demonstrated with placards reading, “INEC has compromised the electoral process; restore our democracy”, “Save our democracy in Nasarawa State”, among others.
Addressing journalists during the protest, chairman of the PDP CASGM, Ofem Akpan Ibiang while bemoaning the outcome of the guber election, urged INEC to hearken to the cries of women and youths in the state.
He stressed that INEC’s move to issue a certificate of return to Sule while there was an outcry by the people was wrong and does not reflect the people’s choice.
“We have started this protest for the past six days. Today we are ending it. We sought approval from the Commissioner of Police and the director of DSS from Lafia and all the security agencies in Karu Local government were notified about our protests.
“That is why you will see that protests were stopped in places like Lafia, the one we are doing here has not been stopped.
“Our initial prayer before yesterday was that the INEC chairman should recall the results from Lafia and Awe local government and look at it critically with a view to correcting the mistakes and anomalies done by the returning officer and it was surprising to us yesterday that even though the lawyers that represent our principal has gone to INEC with a petition buttressing this fact, they still went ahead to give the APC candidate the certificate of return.
“So, that is why we are not happy. Today, what we are demanding is that we know this is not the end of the road. The next step we are going to take is to go to the tribunal. But, our prayer is that whoever is going to be given the responsibility to take charge of this tribunal for Nasarawa State should know that there are so many things that people have complained about.
“That is why we are cursing everybody; God in his infinite mercy is going to judge them. By the grace of God, our fight is for young people. We are fighting for the youths. Nasarawa State especially Karu Local Government is a gateway for FCT. It is a metropolitan city. This place constitutes people from different tribes and different religions. So, we are saying that there are people who have done this thing, God is going to judge them,” he said.
The spokesperson for the coalition, Isaach Owoicho also alleged that INEC made the wrong move by issuing the certificate of return to Sule, adding that the people of Nasarawa State must get justice.
“INEC has failed us by giving a certificate of return to the wrong person. They promised us that on the ground of egalitarianism, on the ground of justice, there will be proper scrutiny and verification before the delivery of certificates but to our greatest surprise INEC gave certificates without proper verification, INEC gave a mandate that was not meant to be given to a wrong person, to a wrong person, depriving the entire citizenry and the indigenes their privileges and the only true candidate in the person of Ombugadu. We are disappointed.
“Today, we stand as a collective mind: youths, mothers, and fathers are fighting for a common goal and that goal is a goal of justice, a goal of truth, a goal of true vote counts but INEC has deprived us of our fundamental rights. Let it be known that INEC cannot be trusted. The leadership of INEC has failed and cannot be trusted.”
From Dan Amasingha, Minna
Despite the outcry that greeted the hitches recorded with the use of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machines during the 2023 General elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is planning for a fully digitized election in 2027.
National Electoral Commissioner in charge of Niger, kwara and kogi states, Prof.
Muhammed Sani Adams, SAN dropped the hint at the presentation of Certificates of Return to elected officials at the Justice Legbo kutugi Internationally Conference Centre Minna on Thursday.“There is no harm in introducing technology in the 2023 General election, it was a game changer for us.
“We conducted one of the finest elections, it will go down in history as one of the fairest, free and most credible in the history of Nigeria”.
He pointed out that, Democracy ii taking structure in Nigeria and from the progress made so far, it clearly shows that Democracy has come to stay.
“Governors should serve the people, not themselves, from what we witness during the last election it was obvious that, people voted whom they wanted not because they were forced to”.
Professor Adams urged elected officials to stick to their campaign manifestos, by ensuring that they not only improve on infrastructure, but build human capacity.
Responding on behalf of other recipients of Certificate of Return, Niger Governor- elect. Hon Muhammed Umar Bago assured people of the State that he would run an open door administration and call adding that, he will prioritize security, infrastructure development, expand revenue base as part of his five point agenda.
“This mandate is a collective mandate to reshape Niger State “
By Johnson Eyiangho, Gom Mirian (Abuja) & David Torough, Makurdi
Two days after the sack of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as its National Chairman, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday reversed the suspension of five members, former Governors – Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti State), Ibrahim Schema (Katsina State), Senator Ayim Pius Ayim (Ebonyi State), Prof.
Dennis Ityavyar (Benue State) and Dr. Aslam Aliyu (Zamfara State).The PDP NWC also reversed the referral of Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue to the party’s national disciplinary committee.
In a statement issued yesterday, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said the decision was taken after the NWC “extensively discussed recent developments” in the party.
“The NWC recognised the imperativeness of a total reconciliation among party leaders and critical stakeholders for a more cohesive party in the overall interest of our teeming members and Nigerians in general,” the statement reads.
“This decision is without prejudice to the powers of the NWC to take necessary disciplinary action against any member of the party at any time pursuant to the provisions of the constitution of the PDP.”
The PDP asked all members and leaders to be guided by the party’s constitution and the “new spirit and necessity of reconciliation, unity and harmony in our party at this critical time”.
Last week, the PDP NWC suspended Shema, Anyim, Ityavyar, and Aliyu over alleged anti-party activities.
However, the members protested their suspension, saying they were not given a fair hearing.
The decision of the PDP NWC to lift the suspension of the members comes days after Iyorchia Ayu was removed as the party’s national chairman and Iliya Damagum was appointed as the acting leader.
Ayu was suspended by his ward in Gboko LGA, Benue state.
A day after his suspension, a high granted an ex parte order restraining Ayu from parading himself as the party’s national chairman.
Benue PDP Suspends Ward Exco over Ayu’s Ordeal
The Benue State Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended the Kashi Philip-led Igyorov ward exco in the Gboko Local Government Area of the state over the crisis that led to the suspension of the party’s former National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
The acting Chairman of the PDP in Benue, Isaac Mffo at a press briefing in Makurdi on Thursday, said the Igyorov ward executive is suspended for one month to allow for peace to be restored.
He also said the state working committee will henceforth take charge of the political affairs of the party in Igyorov ward where Ayu hails from.
On Tuesday, the national body of the PDP appointed Umar Damagum as the acting National Chairman of the party to replace Ayu.
“The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at an emergency meeting today, Tuesday, March 28, 2023, acknowledge the Order of the Benue State High Court, dated March 27, 2023, with regards to the Chairmanship position of our great Party,” the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, had said in a statement on Tuesday.
After careful consideration of the Court Order and in line with Section 45 (2) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017), the NWC resolved that the Deputy National Chairman (North) His Excellency, Amb. Umar Ililya Damagum assumes the National Chairmanship of our Party in an acting capacity with effect from today, Tuesday, March 28, 2023.”
Ayu was initially suspended by his ward in Benue for anti-party activities. The court thereafter restrained him from parading as the chairman of the party pending the determination of the substantive suit which has been adjourned to April 17, 2023, for a hearing.
CCB Begins Atiku’s Investigation, Invites Keyamo
The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) may have started investigation of the petition filed by the Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council, Festus Keyamo, requesting the probe of Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It was gathered that the Bureau invited the petitioner, Festus Keyamo to its office over the matter.
Keyamo had accused Atiku of diverting public funds through special purpose vehicles while he was Nigeria’s vice-president.
The minister of state for labour and employment had given the CCB a 72-hour ultimatum to “arrest, invite, interrogate and prosecute” Atiku for the alleged offences.
The CCB, in a letter dated March 28, invited Keyamo to the bureau’s office in Abuja to adopt his petition.
“This invitation is to enable you adopt the aforementioned petition and to provide any additional information that may be material to this investigation,” the letter reads.
“You are requested to come along with one Michael Achimugu, to assist with enquiries regarding the attachments to your petition.”
Keyamo has also instituted a suit against the former vice-president before an Abuja federal high court.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/84/2023, Keyamo is seeking to compel law enforcement agencies to prosecute Atiku over the same offences.
Keyamo is praying the court for an order compelling the PDP standard bearer “to submit himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Conduct of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for thorough investigation”.
The minister’s suit is premised on an audio recording released by Achimugu, Atiku’s former aide.
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