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Tribunal: World Leaders Expect Atiku Declared -PDP …Raises Cost Of Governorship Forms To N20m
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday, said leaders of the international community were expecting the declaration of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as president of Nigeria.
The party insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari did not win the 2019 general election.
Secondus spoke at the 86th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party in Abuja, yesterday.
He said: “The European Union election observation group, the American-based National Democratic Institute (NDI), and International Republican Institute (IRI) have confirmed the feeling of Nigerians that the election that produced President Muhammadu Buhari was marred by rampant irregularities and therefore fell below credibility standard.
“The report also lampooned the roles of security agencies during the election, and noted that the performance of security operatives during the election fell far below the acceptable international best practice.
“From these reports, therefore, it’s now obvious even globally that the will of Nigerian voters freely expressed on 23 February, 2019, when they came out in their numbers and voted for our candidate Atiku Abubakar was massively rigged and thwarted. This clearly is the verdict of the world leaders, who are also watching us as we proceed at the election tribunal.
“This government in all sincerity cannot take this country to their so-called next level. Maybe, as witnessed in the last four years, they will take us to the next level of insecurity, hunger and hopelessness.
“The situation is precarious and it entails that all hands must be on deck to retrieve our stolen mandate and save this country. To do that, we must return to God to ask that the will of Nigerian people freely expressed on February 23, 2019, prevails.”
Secondus also revealed how Ahmad Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila emerged as Senate President and House of Representatives Speaker, respectively.
He alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) bribed lawmakers to ensure its candidates won.
The national chairman said while the executive arm was having their wish in the 9th National Assembly, PDP as the main opposition party was “very uncomfortable that the level of alleged corruption that preceded the emergence of the leadership is capable of undermining the desired robust legislative activities”.
Secondus said: “Having ‘purchased’ the leadership of the parliament, we expect the cabals to now fully take over and dictate the show at the legislature. We have even seen the first sign of what is to come when the APC group in the Senate killed a motion to debate the June 12 speech of the imperial President.
“Only a conquered parliament with credibility challenge can shy away from discussing a major address of a President just sworn into office, but that is a sign of what is to come when choosing legislative leadership is heavily monetized by a regime that claims to be fighting corruption.
“The bazaar that took place during the election of National Assembly leaders clearly gives a picture of the anti-corruption status and how the APC has become home for looters. Just last week Nigerians witnessed how some corruption charges involving APC chieftains were withdrawn from the EFCC and handed over to the Attorney General for final dropping.
“Permit me at this juncture, dear leaders, to express the disappointment of our party on the embarrassing roles of some of our party members at the National Assembly during the election of their leaders.
“Party loyalty demands that you stick to your party at any given situation. When personal interest clash with party interest, personal should drown into that of the party, that’s what real democrats are expected to do.”
Meanwhile, ahead of the November 16 governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states, the PDP has pegged the cost of its nomination forms at N20 million.
The form, which sold for N5million during the 2019 general election would now cost more given what the party described as the rising cost of printing and logistics.
The decision was taken at the 86th emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the PDP which held at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja, yesterday.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.