Dons EzeHOW TINUBU, BUHARI ORDERED ME TO JOIN APC – NDUME
HOW TINUBU, BUHARI ORDERED ME TO JOIN APC – NDUME Borno South Senator Ali Ndume has recounted how former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu ordered him to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) some years ago. Mr Ndume, a member of the APC, disclosed this in a viral video posted by Channels Television on Friday. He was removed as Senate Chief Whip on Wednesday following a letter from Abdullahi Ganduje, the APC national chairman and Basiru Ajibola, the party’s national secretary. In the letter, the APC leaders referenced an interview Mr Ndume granted in which he criticised the Bola Tinubu administration and subsequently recommended that the Senate should relieve him of his position. The APC leaders also advised Mr Ndume to quit the party and join the opposition. Responding to the advice, Mr Ndume said he was a founding member of the ruling party and had been a member before Mr Ganduje joined. He explained that he and 21 other senators allied to establish the APC. The senator, a member of the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said Messrs Buhari and Tinubu ordered him to sign a document inside the Imo State Lodge that he would be a member of the APC. “I am a founding member of APC. In fact, I can say I was in APC before the national chairman because I am a member of the PDP that formed the APC, and I did not do just like that; it is in consultation with my people that I joined APC. “We were the 22 senators that joined to form the APC. We were called nPDP then and if you check history and look at the list of the senators, my name is number 21 out of 22. That was because I initially did not want to join APC because of some people that are in the coalition, but I was ordered by Buhari and current president Tinubu to sign to join the APC in the Imo government lodge. “And it was Rochas Okorocha who was hosting us that was sent to summon me to Imo government lodge where Buhari came with the list and asked me to sign. Tinubu was sitting there; I was sitting there; only the three of us were called aside to sign,” he explained. Mr Ndume, however, said he would consult with his people about quitting the party before taking the final decision. “So I am not a new member. I did not join the APC just like that; it was in consultations with my people that I joined APC. I take his advice and I will get across to my people. I am here in Maiduguri as you know, because I am bereaved, and I did not issue an immediate statement because I did not want to show or overreact to what has happened” he said. I was begged to accept chief whip position In the video, Mr Ndume also said some people begged him to accept the position of the Senate Chief Whip because he successfully led the campaign that brought Godswill Akpabio as the senate president. He added that he was also allowed to choose whichever committee he preferred to be vice chairman of, and he chose the appropriation committee. “Still, the appropriation committee was given to me not because I was desperate about it; no, it was because I was begged to accept the position of Chief Whip, knowing fully that I led the campaign for the emergence of Akpabio as the senate president and I was begged to choose whichever committee I want to be the vice chairman and I choose appropriation in order to stand for my people and make sure that there is justice in whatever they…
PHILIP SHAIBU DUMPS PDP FOR APC, KNEELS FOR OSHIOMOHOLE
PHILIP SHAIBU DUMPS PDP FOR APC, KNEELS FOR OSHIOMHOLE The reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Phillip Shaibu, has officially dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The embattled Deputy Governor dumped the main opposition party at a campaign rally held on Saturday in the state. Shaibu, at the rally, declared his official return to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He was received into the party by the APC’s governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa. The reinstated Deputy Governor also used the defection rally to reunite with his political godfather, a former Edo State Governor and APC National Chairman, Senator Adams Oshiomhole. Speaking on his defection in a post on Facebook, Shaibu said: “It is a triumphant homecoming for me, as I officially return to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party where I am accepted, valued, and welcomed with open arms. “The party holds a special place in my heart, and where I have shared countless memories. “I am grateful to be back among the people and community that have always supported me, and to reunite with my political family.” Recall that a Federal High Court in Abuja had nullified Shaibu’s impeachment on charges of gross misconduct by the Edo State House of Assembly. In a recent interview on Arise TV’s Morning Show, Shaibu asserted that he is an unofficial member of the APC. Shaibu said his spirit had left the PDP, stressing that the only thing still keeping him in the party was because he was yet to dump the party officially. Giving reasons for supporting the APC governorship candidate in Edo state, he said, “In PDP now, everybody can support whoever they like. On the issue of supporting a candidate, the constitution guarantees that you can support who you like and you can belong to any political party.”Speaking further, Shaibu stated that since the political crisis in the state started, he had called his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki, 101 times without the governor picking up his calls or returning them.
NO GOING BACK ON PLANNED PROTEST ON #ENDBADGOVERNANCEINNIGERIA – AREWA YOUTHS
NO GOING BACK ON PLANNED PROTEST ON #ENDBADGOVERNANCEINNIGERIA – AREWA YOUTHS The Arewa Youth Ambassadors, a northern group, has vowed to continue with the planned protest scheduled to commence on August 1, aimed at expressing its dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s anti-people policies. The group also debunked the rumours making the rounds that it had shelved the mass action saying the information was false and misleading just as it called on Nigerians to ignore it. This was disclosed in a statement signed by the National Coordinator, Yahaya M. Abdullahi in Abuja on Saturday. The statement read “The narrative making the rounds that the Arewa Youth Ambassadors had shelved its planned protest aimed at expressing its dissatisfaction with President Tinubu’s anti-people policies is at best false and at worst misleading. “Let’s be categorical, there is no going back on our words, as the protest is scheduled for 1st August, 2024. Everywhere in the world, people make government, not the other way round. But why should the government brought about by the people in Nigeria be only for those in the corridors of its power? “If the President Tinubu-led government is for Nigerians as a whole, why on earth the false pretences? It’s so sad and pathetic that sufferings have become unspeakable and pervasive, while the power that is keeps on looking the other way. “We wish to make it clear that the protest becomes necessary considering the insecurity that spirals upward coupled with incessant food and fuel crisis, unemployment and high cost of living bedevilling our region in particular and the country in general. “Arewa Youth Ambassadors state beyond any doubt that the protest will happen on the slated date unless the government reverses its policies that have given rise to gruesome hunger and multidimensional poverty in the land. “Is Nigeria not even on the brink of revolution? Perhaps if anything has failed to strike a cord for its outbreak, President Tinubu’s starvation scheme surely will. Because Nigerians would rather be killed on the streets by the security forces being paid through their taxes than be laid to death by hunger in their homes, and maybe on or in their beds. And, you know, hunger knows no bounds.”Therefore, as a group of peaceful citizens, we are left with no option than to protest the anti-masses tendencies that President Tinubu-led government continues to introduce on daily basis.”
LABOUR PARTY DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN PLANNED PROTEST, KNOCKS PRESIDENCY
LABOUR PARTY DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN PLANNED PROTEST, KNOCKS PRESIDENCY The Labour Party (LP) has denied allegations that its national leader, Mr. Peter Obi, or any of its leaders, are behind the planned nationwide protest against bad governance in the country. The party described the claims as “delusional” and “the author’s figment of his imagination.” The party made the reaction in a statement released on Saturday by Obiora Ifoh, the party’s publicity secretary. The party said, “We are not known as a lawless group as was evident in the aftermath of the last general election. “It is therefore delusional for anyone to link our supporters to the planned protest. Labour Party, Peter Obi and our supporters are not planning any protests.” It however noted that peaceful protests all over the world were initiated and executed by the people and not by the opposition, adding, “No opposition has any control over protests.” The LP also pointed out that peaceful protests are initiated and executed by the people, not by the opposition. Citing examples from Kenya, Egypt, and other countries, the party noted that popular protests are a direct registration of the people’s frustration against the government. “The opposition have the right to protest, and it is within their constitutional right,” the Labour Party said, stating that “It is therefore puerile for the government or anyone for that matter to begin to look for who to blame for the bad governance that is being witnessed in Nigeria today. “Nigeria can still get it right if the right policies are initiated.“We also advise that some aides of the presidency must be cautioned to avoid incendiary pronouncements capable of combusting the nation, all in the name of playing politics,” the statement added.
PRESIDENCY JITTERY OVER MASSIVE PROTEST ON #ENDBADGOVERNANCEINNIGERIA, CALLS IT CIVILIAN COUP AGAINST TINUBU
PRESIDENCY JITTERY OVER MASSIVE PROTEST ON #ENDBADGOVERNANCEINNIGERIA, CALLS IT CIVILIAN COUP AGAINST TINUBU The Bola Tinubu Presidency has said the planned massive nationwide protests by the citizens is a “civilian coup” against the government in power. The Tinubu government accused the supporters of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi as the brain behind upcoming “Days of Rage” nationwide protest against exacerbating hunger, economic hardship and misgovernance under the current administration. The protest, tagged #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, which aims to address the country’s governance challenges, has been scheduled from August 1 2024. However, the presidency said that Peter Obi’s supporters were the people planning mayhem in Nigeria, insisting that Obi should be held responsible for any anarchy that might rise from the protest. In a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, stated “Don’t be fooled: the malcontents planning to stage nationwide protests are supporters of Peter Obi, the failed presidential candidate of the Labour Party. And he should be held responsible for whatever crisis emanates from the action.” Onanuga who was also trying to play sentiments as a way of blackmailing Nigerian youths against the protest, alleged that the protest planners are also the same people who were instigated by leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu to launch the destructive #ENDSARS protest in Nigeria in October 2020. He said that ENDSARS began as a genuine protest by youths against the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, notorious for its high-handedness. Unfortunately, as he claimed IPOB members planning to extricate the South East region from Nigeria infiltrated the protest and hijacked it for their own agenda. “Lagos still bears the scar of the malicious destruction by IPOB elements until today.” The statement Onanuga shared on his X account partly read: “Two years after ENDSARS, the IPOB and the gullible innocents joined the Labour Party in 2022 to support Peter Obi, a sympathiser of their cause. “They are the people spreading the hashtags ‘EndBadGovernance’, ‘Tinubu Must Go,’ and ‘Revolution2024’. They are not democrats but anarchists. They are attempting to call out our people via propaganda because their Messiah, Peter Obi, failed to win the Presidency in the 2023 election. As bad losers, they don’t have the patience to wait for another election in 2027; they would rather destabilise Nigeria by staging a civilian coup against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “If they understand the meaning of their hashtags, they will realise they are clarion calls for treason. Wanting to end an elected government is high treason. Wanting revolution is a call for a coup d’etat, which is also high treason. “I have been on the trail of one of the protest planners, who is nameless but claims to have an internet radio station, PTM100.88 Abuja. The anonymous person joined X in August 2022 and has 520 followers today, among whom are FS Yusuf, another rabid Obi supporter, and Professor Pat Utomi, a Labour Party chief and a guy on X who goes by the pseudonym Peter Obi’s First Son. PTM’s profile image has someone holding the inscription` Certificate Forger Not My President, ‘ with a photo of Peter Obi as an inset. Only Obi’s supporters will be talking about certificate forgery long after the Supreme Court dismissed the allegation. “In the past 24 hours, this faceless X user has been whipping up the gullible to join the protest being planned and also posting the activities of his Messiah, Peter Obi. He retweets Peter Obi often. “In one of the posts, a video shows a teenager, who is said to be in the North, printing T-shirts emblazoned with “EndBadGovernance in Nigeria 2024′. “There is also a retweeted post by Babatunde Gbadamosi, a…
EDO GOVT WANTS FG TO PROBE KILLING OF POLICEMAN, DEMANDS SHAIBU’S ARREST
EDO GOVT WANTS FG TO PROBE KILLING OF POLICEMAN, DEMANDS SHAIBU’S ARREST The Edo State Government has called on the Federal government to set up an investigative panel to unravel the cause of the shooting that claimed the life of a police officer at the Benin Airport gate on Thursday. A Police Inspector attached to the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Monday Okpebholo, was on Thursday shot dead during an attack by suspected political thugs. The State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, made the call at a press briefing on Friday in Benin City. Nehikhare said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Funsho Adegboye, was a witness to what happened at the Benin Airport. According to him, Shaibu got judgment and flew into Benin with his friends and before entering Benin, he mobilised armed thugs to wait for him at the airport. “And on arrival they unleashed mayhem on the innocent people of Edo State and in the process a Police officer was killed and many others were injured. “The state Commissioner of Police had intelligence report and went to the airport to caution him not to allow his boys to assemble at the airport or anywhere in the state. He defied the advice. “We had appealed the judgement reinstating him as the deputy governor and filled stay of execution immediately we got Certified True Copy (CTC) and he was shown the restraining order from the court.” Nehikhare called on the commissioner of police to arrest Philip Shaibu, noting that as it stands today, he is no longer the deputy governor and has no immunity. “We are now calling on the Federal Government and the Inspector General of Police to look into the crisis. “The whole thing happened in the presence of the commissioner of police and he is one of the witnesses,” he added. Nehikhare vowed that the state government would no longer fold its arms and watch as thugs cause mayhem state. He stated that efforts are being made to ensure that the violence does not degenerate further, adding that government was resolute that election would be free and fair in the state. The commissioner, however, alleged that the opposition party wants to draw the attention of the Federal Government and create the impression of anarchy and call for state of emergency.He urged the public to remain calm..
INEC CHAIRMAN EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER GOVERNORS’INFLUENCE ON LG ELECTIONS
INEC CHAIRMAN EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER GOVERNORS’ INFLUENCE ON LG ELECTIONS The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has expressed concern over the growing trend of governors influencing local government elections, turning them into “mere coronation” exercises. Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Abuja, Yakubu decried the situation where governors impose their preferred candidates on the people, undermining the democratic process. Yakubu noted that this phenomenon has become a norm in many states, where governors use their powers to manipulate the election process, ensuring that only their anointed candidates emerge victorious. He argued that this not only undermines the principles of democracy but also denies citizens the opportunity to choose their leaders freely. The INEC chairman cited instances where governors have gone to the extent of dissolving elected local government councils, only to replace them with caretaker committees loyal to them. He emphasized that this development has far-reaching implications for the country’s democratic growth and development. Yakubu called on stakeholders to join forces in addressing this issue, advocating for reforms that would ensure the independence and autonomy of local government administration. He suggested that measures such as granting financial autonomy to local governments and ensuring the security of electoral materials could help curb the interference of governors in LG elections. The INEC chairman’s concerns are echoed by many Nigerians who have expressed frustration over the lack of transparency and accountability in local government elections.With the next round of LG elections approaching, the call for reform has become more urgent than ever. As the country continues to grapple with the challenges of democratic consolidation, the need for free, fair, and credible elections at all levels cannot be overstated.
IPAC DISAGREES WITH SENATE OVER CREATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION
IPAC DISAGREES WITH SENATE OVER CREATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION The Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, has strongly condemned the proposed bill by the Senate to create the Local Government Independent Electoral Commission. The bill was sponsored by Senator Sani Musa and IPAC says the move is unacceptable and unnecessary, adding that it will lead to duplication of functions and waste of public funds. “Creating another commission will not address the challenges faced in conducting local government elections,” the council said in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chinyere Ogekalu. “Instead, it will lead to unnecessary duplication of efforts and resources. The proposed commission will still rely on INEC’s voter register, IREV, BVAS, ballot boxes, and other resources to conduct a successful election. “Rather than creating another commission, we should focus on building the capacity of INEC to conduct free, fair, and transparent elections at the local level. This is especially crucial at a time when the government is grappling with limited resources to cater to the welfare of citizens.“We urge the Senate to reconsider this proposed bill and prioritize the strengthening of INEC to deliver credible elections at all levels.”
COURT STOPS INEC FROM RELEASING VOTERS REGISTER FOR RIVERS LG POLLS
COURT STOPS INEC FROM RELEASING VOTERS REGISTER FOR RIVERS LG POLLS A Federal High court in Abuja on Friday stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing voters register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the purpose of conducting the forthcoming local government elections in the state. Justice Peter Lifu issued an order of interim injunction against INEC, while delivering ruling in a motion ex-parte brought before him by the All Progressives Congress (APC). The motion ex-parte was filed on behalf of the APC by a team of senior lawyers comprising Joseph Daudu, Sebastine Hon and Ogwu James Onoja, all SANs. It was brought pursuant to Section 13 of the Federal High Court Act, Order 26 Rules 1 and 3, order 28 rules 1 and 2, and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court as enshrined in Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution. The judges also ordered the Rivers Electoral Commission and Rivers Attorney-General from receiving from INEC or using part of the National Voter’s Register relating to Rivers State to conduct local government elections in the state. Similarly, Justice Lifu restrained the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Department of State Service (DSS) from participating or providing security protection for Rivers State Electoral Commission to conduct local government elections in the state. Also, the judge issued another order directing INEC, Rivers State Electoral Commission, AG Rivers State, IGP and DSS to maintain status quo ante bellum and not to do any act or take any further steps in furtherance of the conduct of local government elections in Rivers State. The interim orders are to remain in force pending the determination of the substantive suit in which the APC is challenging the propriety of the conduct of elections in Rivers local governments. In granting the interim restraining orders, Justice Lifu directed the APC to undertake to pay damages to the five defendants in case its suit was found to be frivolous and that the restraining orders ought not to have been granted in the first instance. Justice Lifu also granted substituted service of the orders and other court processes on the five defendants through publications in two major national dailies before the adjourned date to attract the attention of the defendants. Meanwhile the judge fixed August 2 for all the defendants to appear before him for hearing of the substantive matter. In a 13-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Tony Okocha, the acting chairman of Rivers APC, he averred that originating summons were taken out against the defendants due to failure of INEC to comply strictly with the provisions of the Electoral Act in respect of the management of the register of voters which it intends to release to Rivers electoral body for local government elections in breach and violation of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act. The deponent averred that it is only the voter register compiled, maintained, updated and kept in the custody of INEC that Rivers Electoral Commission can obtain and use to conduct local government polls as Rivers SIEC is not entitled to compile, maintain, update and keep in its custody any separate voters register. The APC acting chairman further stated that its originating summons and motion on notice are pending before the court for hearing and that it has become necessary to take proactive steps to preserve the substance of the case by restraining the defendants from tampering with or dissipating the main case pending the hearing and determination of the motion. He also averred that APC in Rivers State brought the instant application in the interest of justice for the maintenance of status quo ante bellum and preservation of the main matter. Besides, the deponent undertook to pay…
NEPOTISM PRO-MAX: SIX OF TINUBU’S TEN LAST APPOINTMENTS ARE FROM SOUTH-WEST
NEPOTISM PRO-MAX: SIX OF TINUBU’S LAST TEN APPOINTEES ARE FROM SOUTH-WEST Nigerians have come down hard on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the lopsidedness in his political appointments. He is being accused of continuing from the nepotism of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari after making 10 new appointments, six of which favoured his South West region. The trend of his lopsided appointments to favour the Yoruba ethnic nationality has been obvious since he became President on 29th May, 2023, but it has become more pronounced. Those who spoke to People&Politics on the issue describe it as act of ‘extreme nepotism’. According to Mr. Silas Ezebuenyi, the act not only favours the President’s region, it is specially targeted against the South-East region of the country which has received the least number of appointments under Tinubu. Rukevwe Joyce, a banker who spoke on the recent appointments, calls it ‘nepotism pro-max’ considering that the nation has six geopolitical zones. She added that the President’s attitude is unacceptable as it is in breach of the federal character principle. “And you know what?”, she enthused, “the South-West has systematically taken all the juicy appointments in the country and the appointees are likely driving that same nepotism down the ladder in the various offices they are sent to head”. Among the new appointees are; Mr Silas Agara (Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment), Umar Ibrahim Mohammed, (Director-General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency), Mr Baffa Dan Agundi, (Director-General of the National Productivity Centre), Cornelius Oluwasegun Adebayo, (Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority), Mr Saleh Abubakar, (Director-General National Agency for the Great Green Wall), Dr. Olufemi Adekanmbi, (Project Coordinator, Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project), Mr. Tosin Adeyanju, (Executive Secretary, National Lottery Trust Fund), Oluwaseun Faleye, (Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund), Mrs. Mojisolaoluwa Kehinde Alli-Macaulay, (Executive Director (Operations), Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund), Ms Omolola Bridget Oloworaran, (Director-General, National Pension Commission) and Mr Jobson Ewalefoh, (Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission). Some of the appointments have also been criticized because of the characters involved. The appointment of the former representative of Amuwo Odofin 1 Constituency at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mojisola Kehinde Alli-Macaulay, as the Executive Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), is one of such. She was accused of repackaging COVID-19 palliatives as birthday souvenirs in 2020. Mrs. Alli-MacaulayOn social media, Nigerians have queried the lopsidedness of the appointments. @HAHayatu said: “70% of appointments are now Yoruba and even in that 70% are Lagosians. Nepotism pro max. Buhari sef dey learn now.” @EmmyPromise71 said: “What did President Tinubu want to achieve with nepotism in his government, for crying out loud? How can you make about 10 appointments in your government as the President of Nigeria and No Igbo men or women made the list? What kind of nepotism is this?” @nonsook96346206: “10 appointments – 3 from the North and 7 from Yoruba. No single person from SS and SE that has over 95% of oil reserves and gas reserves. Tinubu should continue his yorubanization nepotism – history will remind him of it.” @captainsterling said: “Na wa ooo for this administration’s defenders and supporters. I rise.”@adeyanjudeji said: “Tinubu just appointing Yoruba people all over the place. I miss Buhari. Tinubu is the worst president ever.”