Politics
Periscoping 2020 (3)
The United States Government indicted the Federal Government of Nigeria and security agencies of abuse of human rights, disregard for rule of law and exhibition of absolute impunity in a report tittle: “2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices on Nigeria”.
The report which clearly indicated that there was glaring evidence that the security agencies intimidated voters, election observers, and INEC officials, particularly in the Southern part of the country during the 2019 elections, was signed by the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo and released on Wednesday, March 11 but made public on Friday, March 13.
The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, on Monday, March 16, ordered a stay of execution of the Abuja High Court ruling that suspended Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The appellate court, in a ruling by a three-man panel of judges led by Justice Yahaoya Dattijo, also issued an interlocutory injunction restraining the respondents from taking steps to give effect to the high court ruling, pending the determination of appeals Oshiomhole filed before it.
On Thursday, March 29, the Senate announced the suspension of all public hearings with effect from March 24, over the COVID-19 pandemic.
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who made the announcement shortly after a closed door session that lasted for over one hour, also said the senate suspended admission of visitors into the gallery.
Former Nigerian Ambassador to South Korea, Engr. Desmond Akawor was elected the new chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State on Saturday, March 21.
Akawor was elected by party delegates during the PDP State Elective Congress held at the Obi Wali International Conference Centre, Port Harcourt.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) announced a total shut down of all activities for two weeks in their desperation to check the spread of Coronavirus pandemic on Monday, March 23.
In a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, the commission warned that apart from shutting down, it “will no longer monitor the conventions, congresses, conferences and meetings of political parties until further notice”.
As the battle to contain the deadly coronavirus raged, the Federal Government suspended its weekly Federal Executive Council meetings as well as the proposed Council of State meeting earlier slated for March 26.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha made the announcement at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, March 23.
President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a two-week shutdown of all activities and movements in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun States on Sunday, March 29.
In a presidential broadcast, Buhari also ordered the payment of two-month conditional cash transfer to those considered the most vulnerable in the society.
Nigerian Senators, on Monday, March 30, agreed to contribute 50 per cent of their salaries to support the efforts to contain the spread and treatment of COVID-19 victims in the country.
Acting spokesman of the Senate, Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who confirmed this in a statement he released in Abuja, said the monthly donation would be “sustained” until the disease is wiped out of Nigeria.
The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, on Thursday, April 16, dismissed the appeal brought by the Action Peoples Party (APP) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the exclusion of its candidates from participating in the 2019 governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States.
Former Chief of Staff to president Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Abba Kyari, died on Friday, April 17, after testing positive for COVID-19 in Lagos.
The late CoS was prayed for at the Defence Guest House in Maitama and interred at the Gudu Cemetery in Abuja on Saturday, April 18.
In a statement by Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, on Tuesday, April 21, President Buhari commiserated with the government and people of Oyo State over the passing on of former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Richard Akinjide.
Chief Akinjide, (SAN), who died in his Ibadan home at the age of 89 on Tuesday, April 21, was Minister of Education in the First Republic, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation in the Second Republic and member of Judicial Systems sub-committee of the Constitution Drafting Committee of 1975-1977.
On Saturday, July 25, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flagged-off its governorship campaign for the September 19, 2020 Edo State governorship election at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City with the chaiman of the National Campaign Council and Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike declaring that the South-South geo-political zone completely belongs to the party.
The chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Walid Jibrin said, in a statement in Abuja on Monday, July 27, that former House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara left the PDP because of his (Dogara) political ambition in 2023.
A former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Charles Ugwu emerged the Imo State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Saturday, August 1 state congress of the party held at the Kanu Nwankwo Soccer Centre, Oweri.
Northern Youths under the aegis of Arewa Youths for Peace and Security (AYPS), on Sunday, August 2, said the Southern part of the country should be allowed to produce the next president of the country because it will further unite Nigeria.
President of the group, Alhaji Salisu Magaji made the declaration in a statement rejecting arguments by influential nephew of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Mamman Daura, that competence, and not zoning, should determine the next president come 2023.
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Thursday, August 6, directed that used and unused materials for the 2019 general elections be disposed of the commission’s stores nationwide.
Prof Yakubu who spoke with journalists in Nasarawa when he inspected election materials for the Nasarawa Central State Constituency by-election, told the National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, to find a way in ensuring that the materials were properly disposed of.
Unknown assailants, on Sunday, August 9, stormed the residence of Mr Azubuike Ekwegbalu, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State on Security, leaving him dead after allegedly stabbing him with a kitchen knife.
The incident was said to have occurred in the early hours of the day at his residence at the Commissioners’ Quarters, Awka, a high brow area for government officials.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Saturday, August 8, began the use of its dedicated election results viewing portal known as “The INEC Result Viewing (IRev)” for publication of results from polling units.
Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee of the commission said IReV would enable Nigerians view polling unit results in real time as voting ends on election day, adding that the innovation began from the Nasarawa Central State Constituency by-election in Nasarawa State on August 8.
It was reported that the by-election results for 26 out of 44 Wards, where the by-election took place were published on the portal as at 6:35pm same day.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who was serving a 12-year jail term, was released from prison on June 2.
He was convicted for embezzling N7.65 billion belonging to the Abia State Government, however, the Supreme Court ordered a retrial after it nullified his conviction.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on Monday, August 10, set aside the judgment of a Federal High court in Abuja which had on June 11 held that Section 225 (a) of the constitution gives INEC the powers 70 deregister parties that failed to comply with the provisions of the constitution.
Reacting to the judgment obtained by 23 deregistered political parties, INEC said it would approach the Supreme Court over conflicting judgments by the Court of Appeal on the deregistered political parties.
The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, recalled that on July 29, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division, in an appeal filed by the National Unity Party (NUP) affirmed the power of the commission to deregister political parties that fail to meet the constitutional threshold in section 225 (A).
“After a joint meeting in Abakiliki on Sunday, August 16th, 2020, and after a fruitful deliberation then reached an agreement that, the Chairman of South-East Governors Forum and Ebonyi State Governor, Engr Dave Umahi, Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon. Chibuike Amaechi and Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonaya Onu are the best presidential materials and candidates”, according to the Ohanaeze Ndigbo youth Council.
The press statement issued by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, President General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council and Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, Secretary, explained that the decisions were borne out of due consultations.
The Bayelsa State Governor, Senator, Douye Diri, on Tuesday, August 18 lodged 12 grounds of appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja challenging the Tribunal Judgment that sacked him from office and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct a fresh election in the state within 90 days on Saturday, August 15.
In the Notice of Appeal, he filed through his team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN, Diri urged the appellate court to set aside the majority judgment of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal which nullified his election and uphold the minority verdict.
By: Opaka Dokubo
The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.
President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.
The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.
The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.
Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.
The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.
However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.
During a press conference held in Owerri, the coalition called the campaign a “dangerous and shameful display” designed to distract the public from the governor’s performance in office.
The CSOs directly linked the Greater Imo Initiative (GII) —the group that made the allegations on September 4, 2025—to Governor Uzodimma, describing the group as his “mouthpiece and attack dog.”
“Every word spoken against INEC was spoken on his behalf.
“By falsely alleging that Professor Yakubu has an alliance with Dr. Amadi to compromise the 2027 elections, Uzodimma has not only maligned a man of proven integrity but also assaulted the very foundation of our democracy”, said Dr Agbo Frederick, speaking for the coalition.
The coalition described Professor Yakubu as a “beacon of electoral professionalism” and called the attempt to soil his reputation “defamatory and a national security risk.”
They also defended Dr. Amadi, a “respected development scholar,” stating that the governor’s accusations were “laughable, desperate, and dangerous.”
The CSOs see the motive behind the campaign as an attempt to “silence the dissent, intimidate the opposition, and divert attention from the governor’s abysmal record in office.”
The coalition issued four key demands to Governor Uzodimma: An immediate retraction of the false and defamatory allegations against Professor Mahmood Yakubu and Dr. Chima Amadi.
- A public apology to both men within seven days, to be published in at least three national newspapers and broadcast on major television networks.
- An end to diversionary tactics and proxy propaganda.
- A renewed focus on governance, including addressing insecurity, unemployment, and poverty in Imo State.
The CSOs warned that failure to comply would force them to “review our position with a view to seeking legal redress from Governor Uzodimma for defamation, false accusation, and reckless endangerment of lives.”
“Governor Uzodimma must be reminded that he did not find himself in the seat of power to chase shadows.
“We call on all Nigerians to reject Uzodimma’s diversionary antics as they are nothing short of desperate plots by a government terrified of accountability”, the statement concluded.
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