OPPOSITION PARTIES IN ENUGU SQUARE UP AS ENSIEC RELEASES TIME TABLE FOR LG ELECTION
OPPOSITION PARTIES IN ENUGU SQUARE UP AS ENSIEC RELEASES TIMETABLE FOR LG ELECTION Political anxiety and fireworks now envelope Enugu State following the release of the schedule for local government Election by the Enugu State Independent National Electoral Commission (ENSIEC). The State Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) announced guidelines for the forthcoming Local Government Council elections scheduled to take place on October 5, 2024. In a public notice signed by the ENSIEC Chairman, Prof. Christian Chimdubem Ngwu, the commission outlined the guidelines for political parties and candidates participating in the elections. According to the guidelines, “political parties are to obtain nomination forms (ENSIEC 7 and ENSIEC 7A) for Chairmanship and Councillorship elections respectively from August 16 to 23, 2024. Completed forms must be returned on or before August 30, 2024.” ENSIEC further stated that to qualify for the elections, candidates must meet certain qualifications, including;Being a citizen of Nigeria. The candidate must also be at least 30 years old for Chairmanship and 25 years old for Councillorship ENSIEC further stated that candidate must also have a minimum educational qualification of School Certificate (WASC) or its equivalent. On the disqualification of candidates, ENSIEC further said that such candidates may be disqualified if they have voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another country or have been adjudged to be of unsound mind. Again candidates will be disqualified if they are under a sentence of death or imprisonment or have been convicted of an offence involving dishonesty. Finally, if they are undischarged bankrupts or are members of secret societies, they will be disqualified. ENSIEC went further to announce that “the election will be conducted by open secret ballot system. Voting will take place on October 5, 2024, between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm.” The election umpire however, said that “political parties and candidates are advised to conduct their campaigns in a peaceful and lawful manner. Campaigns shall start on September 14, 2024, and end by 6:00 pm on October 4, 2024,” while adding that political parties must submit the list of nominated candidates to ENSIEC by August 30, 2024. “Candidates must be sponsored by a registered political party. Candidates must be ordinarily resident in the ward or Local Government Area they seek to represent.” Finally ENSIEC stated that”Candidates must produce evidence of tax clearance for a period of three years immediately preceding the year of the election even as it warned that “any political party or candidate that fails to comply with these guidelines may be disqualified from participating in the election.” However, since the release of the local council election timetable in the state, political atmosphere has once again been charged with many candidates from different political trying to convince voters on why they should vote for them. From time immemorial, local council elections especially in the South East zone have become a mere formality. Governors are usually accused of literally handpicking candidates whom they think will be under their whims and caprices. These council chairmen so selected are always at the beck and call of these governors, with no meaningful infrastructural development in their respective local government, after two or four years of their tenures as the case may be. Opposition parties that field candidates for the election usually have themselves defeated or rather alloted some compensatory votes, thereby looking like a political novice in an election they might probably have won. Nevertheless, some opposition political parties have also rekindled their desire and readiness to muscle political power with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the coming election in the state. In a chat, the Labour Party in the state stated that the party had been following the trend of events with regards the election timetable. The state Publicity Secretary Barr. Onuora Odo further explained that…
SULTAN: YOU GOOFED – SOKOTO GOVT BERATES VP SHETTIMA, TELLS HIM TO VERIFY HIS FACTS BEFORE REACTING
SULTAN: YOU GOOFED – SOKOTO GOVT BERATES VP SHETTIMA, TELLS HIM TO ALWAYS VERIFY HIS FACTS BEFORE REACTING The Sokoto State Government has urged Vice President Kashim Shettima to always verify facts before reacting or commenting on sensitive national matters. The state government made the call in response to the public warning Shettima made at the Northwest Security Summit in Katsina on Monday, It said the Vice President should have contacted Governor Ahmed Aliyu to verify the news which made rounds on the purported plan to depose Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar before going public. According to the statement by Governor Aliyu’s spokesman, Abubakar Bawa, the Vice President should always have full knowledge of issues of national concern before commenting on them. The statement read in part, “We sincerely expected the Vice President to have consulted the Governor before going public. “As an elder statesman and a father to all he should have facts and figures before judging on issues raised by mischief makers and the mushroom social media handlers known for negative propaganda. “The fact of the matter is that there was never any attempt to sack the Sultan nor have we sent him any threat regarding that. “Sultan enjoys all the powers he is entitled to. We never denied him any of his freedom or rights.“We therefore do not need to be told to guard, protect, and promote the Sultan. It is our sole responsibility.”
SOUTHERN GOVERNORS CALL FOR DEVOLUTION OF POWERS
SOUTHERN GOVERNORS CALL FOR DEVOLUTION OF POWERS The newly elected chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Governor Dapo Abiodun, has unveiled a five-point agenda of the forum under his leadership. While the governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Soludo, became the vice chairman, Abiodun emerged as chairman to succeed Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who died last December after s protracted illness. Issues on the agenda, according to Abiodun, include Security, Infrastructure, Food Security and Agriculture, Transportation and Devolution of Powers. Speaking on a Channels Television programme, Politics Today Monday evening, Abiodun said the focus of the governors is socio-economic development of the Southern zone, which he said would be pushed under the ‘Southern States Development Agenda.’ Mentioning security as first priority, Abiodun said the governors were in support of state policing such that governors are indeed chief security officers of their states, adding that the zone is resolute about establishment of a regional security outfit. He said that the governors remained keen on state police and community policing, having discovered that the federal police lacked the manpower, resources and understanding of the terrains so as to quickly detect and arrest acts of criminality. The forum’s chairman said that southern governors were also keen on regional integration through infrastructure. He said the zone was intent on having a multi-modal transport infrastructure to connect road, air, rail, water transportation to aid the movement of foods and services and investment. He particularly lauded the administration of President Bola Tinubu for initiating the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project, which he said epitomized the intended infrastructure drive of the forum. While acknowledging the current high cost of food items in the country, Abiodun said that the governors resolved to be more deliberate about promoting agriculture and food security in their various states. He noted that the Southern region had millions of hectares of arable land, adding that the zone had no reason not to grow what it eats as well as export its cash crops. He said the states resolved to really key into their competitive and comparative advantages in the overall interest of the zone. Abiodun also identified the push for devolution of powers as top on the priority of the Southern Governors, which he said would ensure that the states no longer rely on federal allocation. Specifically, he said the Southern governors demanded that the Federal Government transfers to states some Trunk A roads, as well as grant the states more powers for exploitation and exploration of resources in their domains including Value Added Tax (VAT). To achieve their goals, Abiodun said that the Southern governors would meet quarterly, while the meetings would rotate among the states of the zone..
THEY’RE PLANNING TO SEND ME TO PRISON FOR INSISTING ON MY MANDATE, ENUGU ASSEMBLY MEMBER CRIES OUT
THEY’RE PLANNING TO SEND ME TO PRISON FOR INSISTING ON MY MANDATE, ENUGU ASSEMBLY MEMBER CRIES OUT The member representing Enugu South rural constituency at the Enugu State House of Assembly, Honourable Bright Ngene, has alleged plans to commit him to prison for insisting on his mandate. Ngene who won the constituency seat during the state assembly election on March 18, 2023 under the platform of the Labour Party (LP) alleged that there was conspiracy by the executive and judiciary arms of the state to commit him to prison unless he gave up his mandate for his PDP opponent, Sam Ngene. In a save my soul alarm he raised in Enugu, on Monday, Ngene disclosed that both the Chief Judge of Enugu state, Justice A. R Ozoemena; the Deputy Chief Registrar of the state High Court, Chijioke Agbo and a Magistrate, E. D Onwu had colluded to terminate his political and legal careers by allegedly defying the National Judicial Council (NJC) interventions to stay action on a charge against him (Ngene) and two others until the matter is determined by the NJC. The Labour Party lawmaker was declared winner of last year’s Enugu South Rural constituency election and was sworn into the House of Assembly but was aborted by the court in a petition by his rival, Hon Sam Ngene, of the PDP. Re-run elections for the disputed eight polling units in the constituency have held twice but inconclusive, while the scheduled third time re-run of June 8 was cancelled without notice to the LP candidate. In his petition to the NJC, Ngene alleged that, “there is corruptive agreement between the Honourable Chief Judge of Enugu state, His Lordship A. R Ozoemena, the Deputy Chief Registrar N.L Chijioke Agbo, His Lorship E. D Onwu, Esq and the Enugu state government to at all cost or willynilly put me behind bars before a re-run is conducted over my seat in the Enugu State House of Assembly. “Otherwise, why are these parties applying impunity in continuing with the trial when the NJC has accepted custody of the matter. The ideal thing is that parties in this matter should relax for NJC to make a determination but they are rushing the matter to put me behind the bars and go ahead to conduct the re-run election. “I seek the NJC to save me from oppression, persecution and impeding wrongful conviction bathed by corruption and obvious abuse of judicial office and power .“Unless the National Judicial Council intervenes, the Honourable Chief Judge of Enugu state, the Deputy Chief Registrar and His Worship E. D Onwu will wrongfully and corruptly destroy my ambition to to continue to be in the House of Assembly of Enugu state and dent my political and legal career with conviction,” Ngene sued the NJC.
RIVERS PROTEST TURNS BLOODY AS EXPLOSION KILLS ONE IN PORT HARCOURT
RIVERS PROTESTS TURN BLOODY AS EXPLOSION KILLS ONE IN PORT HARCOURT The protests in Rivers State have taken a new turn as a middle-aged protester carrying dynamite was killed in an explosion in the State Capital, Port Harcourt. The incident occurred at 9:45 a.m. in front of Hotel Presidential, on Tuesday. It is understood that he got killed while trying to discharge an explosive. Eyewitnesses report that the victim’s body was quickly removed from the scene as security forces rushed to the area. The protesters, who were en route to their destination, caused significant traffic congestion. The protesters, comprising political leaders from various wards in Obio/Akpor, were demonstrating in support of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike. They had gathered at the Rumueme Civic Centre, urging the Inspector General of Police to maintain a strong presence in the councils and resist intimidation.The protests follow the removal of Wike loyalists from local councils by Governor Sim Fubara, who had replaced them despite the secretariats remaining locked.
MURIC RAISES ALARM OVER ALLEGED PLAN TO DEPOSE SULTAN OF SOKOTO
MURIC RAISES ALARM OVER ALLEGED PLAN TO DEPOSED SULTAN OF SOKOTO The Muslim Rights Concern group (MURIC), has raised alarm over an alleged plan by Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, to depose the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III. The Executive Director of MURIC, Prof. Isiaq Akintola, made the announcement in a statement on Monday. The development comes amidst controversy and tension over the deposition of monarchs in Kano State. Governor Aliyu had previously deposed 15 traditional rulers for various offences. Akintola warned that Nigerian Muslims reject any thought of deposing the Sultan, who he said is not only a traditional leader but also a religious figure with jurisdiction across Nigeria. He urged the governor to reconsider, stating that tampering with the Sultan’s stool would have far-reaching consequences. MURIC called on the Sokoto State House of Assembly to repeal or review the state’s chieftaincy laws, adding immunity for the office of the Sultan. He said, “A military governor, Col. Yakubu Muazu, exposed this soft underbelly when he deposed Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki on 20th April 1996. Nigerian Muslims will be forced to make a hard decision if Sokoto governors continue to diminish the authority of the Sultan. “For the avoidance of any doubts, Sultan Muhammad Sa’d Abubakar is not only the Sultan of Sokoto but the Sultan of the Nigerian people. His performance and style of leadership have warmed him into the hearts of Nigerians. “Nigerian Muslims North and South of the country may be constrained to pick Islamic scholars only as President General of the NSCIA and overall leader of Nigerian Muslims. “It will be farewell to the leadership of traditional rulers over the NSCIA and an irreversible departure from Sokoto’s priviledged leadership position. But history will not be kind to Col. Yakubu Muazu and Ahmed Aliyu for ruining the chances of Sokoto. “Once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence, the third time is enemy action. If the deposition of a Sultan and NSCIA leader happens a second time, Nigerian Muslims will not allow the embarrassment to happen a third time. “MURIC reiterates its call on the Sokoto State House of Assembly to either repeal or review the state’s chieftaincy laws by adding the phrase ‘except the Sultan of Sokoto’ to Section 6, Cap 26 of the Laws of Northern Nigeria which empowers the state governor to depose the emirs including the Sultan.“We urge Northern elites and Islamic scholars based in the North to intervene before it is too late. This is the time to lobby the Sokoto State House of Assembly and the governor himself. If the chieftaincy laws of Kano State can be repealed within 24 hours, nothing stops that of Sokoto State from being reviewed in favour of immunity for the office of the Sultan in a single day to save Nigerian Muslims from humongous embarrassment.”
Dons Eze
- Foreign Affairs
- June 24, 2024
- 79 views
SAUDI AUTHORITIES BLAME HEAT, UNAUTHORIZED TRIP AS HAJJ DEATHS REACH 1,300
SAUDI AUTHORITIES BLAME HEAT, UNAUTHORISED TRIPS AS HAJJ DEATHS REACH 1,300 Saudi Arabia’s official death toll from this year’s Hajj exercise has reached 1,301, with extreme heat and unauthorised trips cited as major contributing factors. The Saudi government released a statement acknowledging “numerous cases” of heat stress and highlighting that 83% of the deceased were “unauthorized to perform Hajj.” The affected pilgrims, the statement claimed, “walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort.” Two Kwara Pilgrims Die In Saudi Arabia, Board Mourns The scorching temperatures in Mecca, with highs exceeding 125 degrees Fahrenheit, have been a major concern throughout the pilgrimage. Witnesses reported pilgrims collapsing from heat exhaustion and bodies covered in white cloth lining walkways. Adding to the dangers, Saudi Arabia pointed to a surge in unauthorised pilgrimages. Hajj permits are allocated by country quota and require a license for legal entry to Mecca. These licences, however, can cost several thousand dollars, leading some pilgrims to seek alternative, often dangerous routes. Egyptian authorities recently revoked licences of 16 tourism companies accuced of facilitating illegal trips. Reports suggest hundreds of Egyptians may be among the deceased, far exceeding the official toll of 31. The companies, according to the Egyptian government, failed to provide proper visas, forcing pilgrims onto treacherous desert paths and leaving them exposed to the brutal heat.Beyond the immediate tragedy, the disaster has sparked renewed calls for improved infrastructure and better organisation of the annual Hajj. Critics point out that even with official permits, pilgrims still spend a significant amount of time outdoors under the scorching sun.
RIVERS PROTEST TURNS UGLY AS DOKUBO’S MEN ATTEMPT TO ATTACK DEMONSTRATORS
RIVERS PROTEST TURNS UGLY AS DOKUBO’S MEN ATTEMPT TO ATTACK DEMONSTRATORS The peaceful protest in Rivers State has taken a dangerous turn as a group of men believed to be operatives of Asari Dokubo’s private military company, commonly known as Amama Soldiers, attempted to attack the demonstrators. However, their efforts were thwarted by the quick intervention of the police. The crisis in Rivers State has continued to Monday (today) as former council chairmen of 21 out of 23 local governments have taken to the streets, rejecting the takeover of their offices. The protests, which began early in the morning, have seen the former chairmen and their supporters waving placards with inscriptions such as “Police, continue occupying the councils” and “Sim Fubara can’t continue to act as he likes.”The crisis in Rivers State deepened last week when the Police Command prevented some chairmen from accessing their secretariats, following a directive to take control of all 23 local government council secretariats.
- Foreign Affairs
- June 24, 2024
- 95 views
CHINA TO INCREASE AGRIC IMPORTS FROM VOTING
CHINA TO INCREASE AGRIC IMPORT FROM NIGERIA The Chinese government has promised to increase agricultural product imports from Nigeria going forward. This was disclosed in a joint statement between Wang Yi, China’s foreign affairs Minister and his Nigerian counterpart, Yusuf Tuggar, at the first plenary meeting of the China-Nigeria Intergovernmental Committee held in Beijing. This is after Nigeria exported N572.58 billion worth of agricultural products to the Asian market including China, according to data from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The two sides seized the moment to review the positive achievements in the development of China-Nigeria relations over the past 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Strengthening Cooperation According to the joint statement published on China’s foreign affairs website on Saturday, the two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in infrastructure, electricity, telecommunications, finance, agriculture, industry, mining, free trade zones and other fields. The Chinese side assured of improving agriculture imports from Nigeria among other things. “China is willing to further increase imports of high-quality agricultural products from Nigeria. Nigeria is willing to strengthen its partnership with China in mining and solid mineral development and is willing to cooperate with Chinese companies to build factories locally to meet local consumption and export needs. “The two sides are willing to create an open, transparent, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for cooperation between enterprises of the two countries, support the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, oppose trade protectionism, and promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment.” the joint statement partly reads. Furthermore, China said supported Nigeria in improving its capacity building in military security technology, equipment and intelligence to more effectively respond to traditional and non-traditional security challenges at home and abroad, in the region and internationally, and in maintaining national peace and stability. What the Nigerian government is saying In his X page on Saturday, Tuggar confirmed the deliberations in the meeting with the Chinese government. He stated that their discussions reviewed over 50 years of robust Nigeria-China relations, emphasizing mutual support in international fora like the UN, and exploring new avenues of cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, and digital economies. “Both sides agreed to enhance partnership across various sectors and create a business-friendly environment. They also reaffirmed commitments to good governance, regional stability, and economic development, including a currency swap agreement to facilitate trade,” Tuggar tweeted. What you should know China is well grounded in commercial relations with Nigeria over the years. In the first quarter of 2024, China ranked highest among the top trading partners on the import side, followed by India, the United States of America, Belgium, and The Netherlands. Analysis by trading partners reveals that imports originated mainly from China and were valued at N2,930.10 billion, representing 23.18% of total imports “The data showed that most of the agricultural products were exported to Asia, valued at N572.58 billion, this was followed by exports to Europe with N366.11 billion,” the NBS for Q1, 2024 showed. The NBS added that further analysis showed that ‘Sesamum seeds’ worth N83.29 billion and N58.04 billion were exported to China and Japan in the period under review.
LP INSISTS ON PETER OBI AS 2027 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
LP INSISTS ON PETER OBI AS 2027 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Labour Party (LP) Directorate on Mobilisation and Integration has denied any plan to dump Peter Obi as the party’s candidate ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The directorate was reacting to a report, which hinted that they had reconciled with the Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the party and agreed to field another candidate in 2027. According to the report, camps of the incumbent National Chairman, Julius Abure, and Apapa faction laying claim to the mantle of leadership have agreed to sheathe their swords and work together. Spokesman of the Apapa faction, Abayomi Arabambi, also hinted that there was nothing like Obi-Datti presidential campaign at the party anymore, saying it had been dissolved and everybody “reverted to former governorship and presidential candidate”. But in a statement signed by the Director General of the Directorate, Marcel Ngogbehei; Deputy Director of Media and Communications, Aju Elumelu and the Deputy Director, Strategic Engagement, Rufai Al-Saddiq, yesterday, the directorate acknowledged efforts to reconcile aggrieved groups in the party, but no agreement ahead of the 2027 election with the groups. LP, through a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, announced the creation of a directorate to see to the affairs of the Obidient Movement and encourage their participation in the party and the governance in Nigeria. The statement reads, “The leadership and members of our great party recognises the importance of this great admonition based on our African culture of ensuring peaceful coexistent among brothers and acknowledging a bigger target – liberating Nigeria from the shackles of greedy politicians and building a nation that protects the interest of its citizens. “The party has decided to follow a peaceful approach to resolving the internal misunderstanding. This effort within LP and its successes has elicited different reactions. Also, we have seen an attempt by the opposition to make a false spin for their selfish interest, misinforming the general public to cause more crises in our party.” It added that the party leadership recognised the need for unity and cohesion within the party as a requirement for internal party stability and for improving Obi’s winning chances in 2027.“But to set the records straight, Peter Obi remains our presidential candidate for 2027 as ratified and all the party leadership is behind him and committed to his message of a new Nigeria.”