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Buhari Has Lost Popularity In Strongholds …Wants President Quit As Petroleum Minister – PDP …Says Nigerians Tired Of Fuel Scarcity
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the popularity of President Muhammadu Buhari is waning, saying the deployment of heavily armed security forces in last Saturday’s House of Representatives bye- election in Katsina State was intended to muscle votes for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party also described the last Saturday’s Kano State local council election, as shameful even as it alleged that the exercise was characterised by outright cheating, open under-aged voting and ballot stuffing amongst sundry malpractices. National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan in a statement yesterday said the use of brute force and allocation of ballots to gain votes in the bye-election in Mashi/Dutsi Federal Constituency, which ordinarily a walk in the park, being President Buhari’s constituency, shows that the party (APC) has pathetically lost it all.
The PDP said the fact that it was able to garner a total of 22,690 votes against the 30,719 fraudulently allocated to the APC, despite the use of force and other brazen infractions by the APC, shows that PDP is the natural winner of the election. “The APC is corrupting security officials to use maximum force as a desperate measure to save President Buhari, whose popularity had dipped across our nation.
“We invite Nigerians and the international community to mark how the APC and its controlled Federal Government are corrupting our electoral system, by using force to intimidate the people and steal their votes.
“In their desperation to help the President, the APC in cahoots with the inept Presidency, declared war on the people by ensuring the deployment of over 1000 heavily armed and hostile security operatives for an election that held in only 15 polling units within two local governments of Katsina State,” the statement read in part.
The further expressed its determination to expose electoral infractions allegedly committed by the ruling party, noting that the process has commenced.
“The PDP is compiling a comprehensive documentary evidence of infractions and irregularities including barring of legitimate voters from accessing polling centers, assigning of polling units to APC government functionaries, indiscriminate arrests of opposition members and supporters, underaged voting and allocation of votes for APC as well as conflict between results from the polling units and collation centers among others. “Also being compiled is the identity of the security and electoral officials used by the APC to subvert the will of the people, which will be made public while ensuring that they are prosecuted.
“The clear message to the APC is that the will of the people will prevail in 2019 as Nigerians will never allow the shameful impunity and suppression witnessed in Katsina and Kano during last Saturday’s election as they will be fully rallied to resist such across board”, the party added.
Meanwhile,the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to save Nigerians the trauma of sleeping in fuel stations by quitting as minister of petroleum resources, and allow competent hands to manage its affairs.
The party described as unpardonable, the failure of the Buhari Presidency to resolve its self-inflicted unabated fuel crisis, which had brought untold hardship to Nigerians.
In a statement in Abuja, yesterday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said it was disheartening that instead of being remorseful for its failures, the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled Federal Government was busy dishing out lies and fabricated indices in an attempt to give Nigerians false hope on issues related to the fuel crisis and the collapsing national economy.
It said President Buhari, as minister of petroleum, must directly accept responsibility for the manifest failure in the oil sector, even as his government should be held responsible for the exacerbated economic and security situation in the country under its watch.
The PDP said if Buhari had accepted wise counsel from well-meaning Nigerians, since last year, to quit office as the minister of petroleum and allow a more competent and knowledgeable person to run the ministry, the situation would not have degenerated to excruciating pains Nigerians suffer today.
The party said the fact that the Presidency has unapologetically failed to fix a national problem, which it last December promised to resolve within one week, shows it has no solution but intends to continue to hold the nation to ransom.
According to the PDP, the fact that there were inherent poor coordination, inefficiency and reported heavy sleazes in a sector that was under the direct supervision of the President, raises a lot of issues and speaks volumes of the evident mismanagement of the system for which the economy was now in complete shambles.
“It is an appalling height of insensitivity that the President, as the minister of petroleum resources, has failed to take any decisive steps to arrest the situation, which has remained unabated since the last Yuletide.
“Rather, the sector has been delivered to an APC cabal, whose mission, particularly, the desperate re-election bid, largely account for the biting fuel situation and the economic misery Nigerians suffer today.
“It is instructive to state that the Presidency has refused to offer any explanation on the allegations linking the fuel crisis to the exposed siphoning of billions of naira through shady oil subsidy deals and the illegal lifting of crude oil worth trillions of naira, ostensibly to service APC interests ahead of the 2019 general elections.
“The point is that owing to the ineptitude of the Buhari Presidency and the desperation to remain in power, millions of Nigerians are languishing.
“As we speak, the economy has further dipped in the last two months of this harrowing fuel situation; more businesses have folded up, prices of essential goods are skyrocketing and families are, more than ever before, under intense pressure of meeting economic demands.
“Currently, marauders have chased farmers away from farmlands while Buhari Presidency continues to wax lip sermons on serious issues of insecurity.
“We call on President Buhari to quit this all important ministry of petroleum resources and allow competent hands to save our people from the anguish and pains they have been subjected to in the last few months,” the party said.
Similiarly, ahead of 2019 general elections, the Catholic Bishop of Osogbo Diocese, Most Reverend Akin Oyejola yesterday cautioned Nigerians against selling their voters’ cards to desperate politicians, saying that is the only weapon they possess to elect leaders of their choice in the polls.
He said the electorate should resist the temptations from some desperate politicians, who may entice them with money to buy over their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) to perpetrate electoral fraud in the 2019 general elections.
Oyejola, who spoke while addressing a multitude of Nigerians, who converged on Oke Maria Mountain, Otan Ayegbaju in Boluwaduro local government area of Osun State for the annual pilgrimage said: “don’t sell your voter’s card, it is your power to vote a right candidate during the election.”
Describing sales of voters card as a mortal sin against God and humanity, the clergy maintained that electoral malpractice would bring hardship and poverty to the society, stressing that politicians would soon be lurking around to buy voter’s cards as a tool to elect ungodly candidates, who will squander the socio-economic resources of the country.
According to Oyejola, “we encourage you to go and register in order to enable you to perform your civic responsibilities, cast your votes for candidates of your choice, but don’t sell your voter’s cards, if you do that, it is a mortal sin that could send the owners to hell”.
While welcoming former deputy governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, senator, representing Osun East Senatorial District, Senator Babajide Omoworare and other politicians, who thronged the prayer mountain, the clergy tasked them to be good ambassadors of the church in their political activities and desist from compromising their Catholic faith in the pursuit of political ambitions.
Oyejola averred that “I want to welcome Senator Iyiola Omisore, Senator Babajide Omoworare and other Catholics who are politicians on this mountain. I pray that God grant your heart desires, but please represent us well in politics, don’t compromise your faith. I know that politics is a risk, but Christianity itself is a risk and you must discipline yourself to succeed in your political careers. Don’t embarrass the church, let your Catholic faith guide you in your political careers, as we shall also continue to pray for you”.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
The governor announced the cabinet dissolution yesterday in a statement titled ‘Government Special Announcement’, signed by his new Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi.
Governor Fubara directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
He thanked the outgoing members of the State Executive Council for their service and wished them the best in their future endeavours.
The three-paragraph special announcement read, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
“His Excellency, the Governor, has therefore directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
“His Excellency further expresses his deepest appreciation to the outgoing members of the Executive Council wishing them the best in their future endeavours.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections, even as it seeks N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of national polls in 2027.
An additional N171bn is needed to support INEC’s routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections, the commission stated.
The INEC boss said the proposed election budget does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps seeking increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.
He explained that, although the details of specific line items were not exhaustively presented, the almost N1tn election budget is structured across five major components.
“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chief noted that the budget was prepared “in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general election.”
On the 2026 fiscal year, Amupitan disclosed that the Ministry of Finance provided an envelope of N140bn, stressing, however, that “INEC is proposing a total expenditure of N171bn.”
The breakdown includes N109bn for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities and N1.4bn for capital expenditure.
He argued that the envelope budgeting system is not suitable for the Commission’s operations, noting that INEC’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding.
Amupitan also identified the lack of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge, adding that if the commission develops its own network infrastructure, Nigerians would be in a better position to hold it accountable for any technical glitches.
Speaking at the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate the budgeting framework for INEC, given the unique and sensitive nature of its mandate.
He advocated that the envelope budgeting model should be set aside.
He urged the National Assembly to work with INEC’s financial proposal to avoid future instances of possible underfunding.
In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released in full and on time to enable the Commission to plan early enough for the 2027 general election.
The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual budget.
The committee also said it would consider the NYSC’s request for about N32bn to increase allowances for corps members to N125,000 each when engaged for election duties.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Along, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure it receives the necessary support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative support, warning INEC to be careful about promises it might be unable to keep.
He recalled that during the 2023 general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.
“iREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
The N873.78bn proposed by INEC for next year’s general election is a significant increase from the N313.4bn released to the Commission by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday expressed grief over the death of a former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities and one of Africa’s foremost literary scholars, Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo.
Jeyifo passed away on Wednesday, drawing tributes from across Nigeria and the global academic community.
In a condolence message to the family, friends, and associates of the late scholar, Tinubu in a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, described Jeyifo as a towering intellectual whose contributions to African literature, postcolonial studies, and cultural theory left an enduring legacy.
He noted that the late professor would be sorely missed for his incisive criticism and masterful interpretations of the works of Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
The President also recalled Jeyifo’s leadership of ASUU, praising the temperance, foresight, and wisdom he brought to the union over the years.
Tinubu said Jeyifo played a key role in shaping negotiation frameworks with the government aimed at improving working conditions for university staff and enhancing the learning environment in Nigerian universities.
According to the President, Professor Jeyifo’s longstanding advocacy for academic freedom and social justice will continue to inspire generations.
He added that the late scholar’s influence extended beyond academia into political and cultural journalism, where he served as a mentor to numerous scholars, writers, and activists.
Tinubu condoled with ASUU, the Nigerian Academy of Letters, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Oberlin University, Cornell University, and Harvard University—institutions where Jeyifo studied, taught, or made significant scholarly contributions.
“Nigeria and the global academic community have lost a towering figure and outstanding global citizen,” the President said.
“Professor Biodun Jeyifo was an intellectual giant who dedicated his entire life to knowledge production and the promotion of human dignity. I share a strong personal relationship with him. His contributions to literary and cultural advancement and to society at large will be missed.”
Jeyifo was widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential literary critics and public intellectuals. Among several honours, he received the prestigious W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2019.
