Politics
Don Charges Politicians To Imbibe June 12 Lessons
A university don and legal practitioner, Edwin Jonathan has called on political leaders in the country to build on the lessons of the June 12,1993 general elections.
Barr. Jonathan who teaches law at the Rivers State University (RSU) stated this while fielding questions from newsmen in Port Harcourt, the state capital ahead of Nigeria’s new democracy day now slated for June 12 yearly.
He expressed regrets that the country has not benefitted from the June 12 poll because she was yet to come to terms with the lessons needed to have been learned therefrom; but noted that it was laudable for an incumbent President to have realised that the date is of great importance.
According to him, We have not benefitted in any way from June 12. We have thrown away all the lessons we needed to learn from June 12. Whether we have gotten anything from the deliverables is no.
“However, I am glad that at least we have been able to take the first step which is recognizsing that June 12 really matters to Nigerians. The next thing is built on it. How? Those who are already in governance should realise the legacy that Chief Moshood Abiola left. Abiola left the legacy of unity of one nation
“Though it was Lord Fedrick Lugard that put us together. Now that we are together, let us stay together as a nation irrespective of our background,” the university teacher said.
Jonathan expressed the need for the country to reflect on what Abiola lived and died for, describing him as a detribalised Nigerian and phenomenon whose huge acceptance across the nation shows that a free, fair and credible poll is possible.
“We must look at what Abiola lived for and died for. He lived for one Nigeria. Secondly Abiola is a phenomenon to the fact we can have a free, fair, violent free and credible elections. Nobody died during the ‘Abiola election’. At least not to my knowledge. The North, the West, the South East and the South-South all voted for Abiola. Nobody died. Which means that phenomenon called free, fair and credible election is possible.
“The third point here is that it is possible to have a detribalised Nigerian in a fully tribalised nation where everybody talks about where he comes from, what type of God he worships and that determines his political philosophy. “And that determines his political followership. Politics must be taken away from religion,” he stated.
While commenting on the issue of derivation and resource control and all of that he said the solution to even the issue of resource control and resource agitation is proper resource governance, saying: “If the resources are being properly governed you will not care who governed it. If what is important to you gets to you, if what you deserve gets to you, will you worry whether it is a Yoruba man or Hausa man or a Niger Delta man that govern the resources?
“You will not bother! The reason we bother is when somebody gets there he governed it according to his family lineage and the rest of the nation go begging. The only time we are really united is when Nigeria, Super Eagles plays a foreign nation. Beyond football when the games are over we get back to our cocoons. But Abiola set it aside. He (Abiola) did not take advantage of it,” he said.
Dennis Naku
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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