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 Tide source reports that Prof. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members of the party at the congress held on Saturday.
Other executive members are Dr Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as Secretary, Alhaja Latifah Latifu, Women Leader and Mr A. Adeleke, elected as Youth Leader.
It was learnt that the congress, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan, was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, other security agencies and prominent members of the party.
The election was supervised by electoral committee members, among whom were Prince Diran Odeyemi, who served as Chairman, Hon. Awoniyi Tolulope, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, Queen Stepheine Oyechere, Alhaji Yusuf Abidakun, Mr Olumide Aguda and Dr Phillips Adeniyi, who served as Secretary.
Prof. Akinoso, in his inaugural address, urged members of the party to set aside intra-party differences.
He advised them to concentrate their resources on the promotion of the party, saying, “The primary responsibilities of party executive members are to coordinate party activities, ensure harmony among members, and ensure party victory during general elections.
“Our immediate assignments are to key into INEC released 2027 general election time-tables. As directed by the National Caretaker Committee of PDP, our party e-membership registration starts next week. We must be fully involved and do a membership drive.
“A political party is only relevant and benefits its members if it wins the election. This is our goal. We should set aside intra-party differences; concentrate our resources towards the promotion of the party. We will make necessary consultations and dialogue to actualise this”.
President Tinubu disclosed this during an interfaith breaking of fast with senior journalists and media executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Saturday.
He also disclosed that his administration had opened up on the principles of true federalism to the extent that local governments now get direct allocation from the Federal Government.
“There’s no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction. I read all of you.
“It might not be in full detail, but headline, the one that would hit me and the ones that won’t.
“At the beginning of this administration, I was just a little bit stubborn, looking at opportunities to correct things and make life more easier for the downtrodden.
“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money, but how they use it is in your hands. So, don’t bombard me alone,” President Tinubu said.
The ruling party said the ADC had turned criticism of the APC-led administration into its operating manifesto instead of presenting concrete solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, the party dismissed the ADC’s interpretation of a report presented at a policy dialogue organised by Agora Policy which suggested that the country’s poverty rate had risen from 49 per cent to 63 per cent.
Mr Morka said the opposition party’s reaction to the report as a “damning verdict” on the government’s economic policies reflected either ignorance of economic realities or deliberate political mischief.
“The African Democratic Congress’ attempt to spin a recent report presented at the Agora Policy dialogue indicating a rise of poverty rate of 63 per cent from 49 per cent as a damning verdict on this administration’s economic policies speaks either to its shocking ignorance of economic policy or its wilful blindness to the justification for, and transformative impacts of, ongoing economic reforms,” he said.
The APC spokesman noted that the report itself recognised the necessity of reforms aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions in the economy.
According to him, the ADC had failed to present any credible alternative policy direction for Nigerians.
“Clearly, the ADC does not recognise itself as a political party. The ADC has not articulated a single alternative policy position or prescription of benefit to Nigerians. Condemning the APC and its policies has become its operating manifesto,” Mr Morka said.
He explained that major economic decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of multiple foreign exchange windows, were necessary steps to rescue the country’s economy from collapse.
Mr Morka said the subsidy regime had for years placed a heavy burden on public finances, consuming trillions of naira annually while encouraging corruption, fuel smuggling and inefficiencies in the system.
He added that the reforms had helped redirect national resources to key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education and social development.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that economic reforms often come with short-term hardship but stressed that the measures were essential to build a stronger and more resilient economy.
“Economic reform is never cost-free anywhere in the world. The transient hardship experienced by Nigerians was an inevitable cost of reforms meant to build and guarantee a better future for all Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Morka maintained that the country’s economic outlook was already improving, citing recent growth figures and stronger external reserves.
“Our economy has rebounded and is expanding steadily. The country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.4 per cent last year and is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent this fiscal year, with foreign reserves now exceeding $50 billion,” he stated.
He also pointed to government initiatives designed to cushion the effects of economic adjustments on citizens, including cash transfer programmes, student loan schemes and the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives to reduce transportation costs.
Mr Morka reaffirmed that the APC-led administration would remain focused on rebuilding the economy and expanding social investments to support vulnerable Nigerians.
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