Politics

Why Senate Wants Maina To Go

Published

13 years ago

February 18, 2013

The Senate President, Senator David Mark, last week called on the Federal Government to dismiss and punish, Mr Abdulrasheed Maina, in the interest of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.

Maina is the Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team.

Mark said that the executive now had to choose between Maina and the Senate, adding: “if they chose to go along with Maina, we will react accordingly.

“It is a test case. If Maina remains, then the Senate will react appropriately,’’ he said.

The call followed resolution on Maina’s continued refusal to appear before the Senate Joint Committee investigating the alleged pension scam in the country.

The resolution was signed by 108 of the 109 senators, who resolved that Maina should be dismissed from the public service and be disengaged from all acts relating to public duty in the country.

Mark pledged that the Senate would not allow anybody involved in the whole pension scam to go unpunished.

He said that Maina refused to appear before the committee, adding that his refusal culminated in the warrant of arrest which was not exercised by the Inspector General of Police.

“Nobody in this country will be left to go scot-free if he is associated with Maina. It doesn’t matter who is behind Maina.

“It is not for me to know whether somebody is behind Maina or not but no matter who is behind Maina, we are not going to accept it.

“We have given him a fair chance, giving him ample time to defend himself, it is not a wrong thing and it is not a sign of weakness in any way.

“When I signed the warrant, Maina of course didn’t show up.

“I called the Chairman of Police Affairs and said he should go and warn the Inspector General of Police that he would be on the firing line if he does nothing about Maina.

“There are a lot of characters in this country who are just pathological liars and they are professional blackmailers.

“ The Senate has given him ample time. Maina is just an individual who perhaps said much than he can manage and he has crucified himself,’’ he said.

. “No one person in this country is bigger than our democracy. I have been extremely patient with Maina, very patient, very understanding so that when we react, Nigerians will appreciate the steps that we have taken.

“He is wanted by the police, now, whether the police are serious or not in looking for Maina is the next step we are going to take.

“Because Maina cannot be briefing the press somewhere and the police will say they cannot find him.

“Let me assure you that the Senate has the teeth to bite and it will bite when it is time to bite. Nobody can stop it,’’ Mark stressed.

Maina invited for alleged N195 billion pension funds while administering pension funds at the Customs, Immigration, and Prisons Pension Office (CIPPO).

It would be recalled that the Senate on November 2, 2011, mandated its Committees on Establishment, Public Service, States and Local Governments, to investigate pension administration in Nigeria.

The Chairman of the Joint Senate Committee, Sen. Aloysius Etok, said while Maina ignored invitations from the committee, he went on the media to disparage the integrity of the senate.

He said Maina had brought untold suffering to the pensioners in the country, adding that he should not be allowed to stay a day longer in the public service.

“Maina lied that we did not give him fair hearing, but refused to honour all our invitations in spite of pleas from the senate president that he should do so.

“We went round the country and we saw the suffering pensioners were going through over their rightful dues.

The Co-chairman of the committee, Sen. Kabiru Gaya, said the committee adjourned five times to give Maina the opportunity to come and answer to the plethora of petitions against him.

He said, “7800 petitions were received at the zonal and national public hearing in Abuja and we’re still receiving petitions.

“If pension is not paid, then those in office today may have to take their pension before they retire.

“It would then amount to corruption for serving officers to start drawing person out of fear that they will not be paid after retirement,’’ he said.

The senate further resolved that the I-G should appear before the Senate Committee on Police Affairs to state why he did not act on the warrant of arrest issued by the president of the senate.

Politics

LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A former National Organising Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Clement Ojukwu, has expressed regret that the several legal cases brought against the party since the 2023 general elections have impacted the party’s performance.

Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.

“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”

The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.

“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.

“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.

“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”

Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.

He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”

He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.

“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”

Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.

“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.

Politics

2027: NIGERIANS FAULT INEC ON DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP REGISTER DIRECTIVE

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A number of Nigerians have strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its directive to all political parties in the country to submit digitalized membership register within 32 days.

It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following it’s reversed timetable, directed all political parties in the country to submit their digitalized membership registers within 32 days.

Speaking on the reversed timetable in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, respondents said the directive amounted to disqualifying opposition political parties from fielding candidates in all the elections next year.

They said if the directives by the commission is implemented, only the All Progressives Congress (APC) would participate in the elections since it started it’s digital membership registration since February, last year.

Responding, an elder statesman in Rivers State, Chief Sunnie Chukumele, said the revised timetable was okay, but the timeframe for submission of digital membership register was being made at the wrong time.

Chief Chukumele said, for the past two years, all opposition political parties have been battling various issues in court, adding that they did not have the time to embark on membership drive, talk less of digitalizing their membership registers.

“My reaction is that the only issue with this revised timetable is the timeframe given by INEC for parties to submit digitalize memberships register in all the states of the federation, while giving notice of Congresses and convention. That is not possible”, he said.

He said only the ruling APC is likely to meet up with the directive, since it began its registration since last year.

Chief Chukumele, who is also the National Coordinator of Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought (CORSLOT), alleged that the directive of the electoral body may have been targeted to prevent other parties from fielding candidates for the elections next year.

“When you say all the parties should submit digitalized registers of membership in 32 days, how will that be possible to conclude it in 32 days”, he queried.

He noted that “APC used one year ago to do, so APC has one year in the kitty plus 30 days. This is highly regrettable”.

The CORSLOT national leader urged the election umpire to do away with stringent conditions that will make it hard for opposition political parties to field candidates in the elections.

Also speaking, Mr Jacob Enware from Edo State queried the rationale behind the directive, especially when some opposition political parties are still having cases in court.

In his words, ”What opposition political parties are you talking about, is Labour Party not in court or PDP that is yet to resolve their issues?

”For me, INEC should provide a level playing field for all, because aside the APC, no party can meet up this criteria.”

In his own response, Mr Nathaniel Ebere said he was not prepared to vote for anybody whether INEC provides a level playing field or not.

He alleged that his vote would not count, “so I will not waste my time”.

By: John Bibor

Politics

IT’S A LIE, G-5 GOVS DIDN’T WIN ELECTION FOR TINUBU – SOWUNMI

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Convener of The Alternative, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has expressed reservations about the political stance of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, while calling for reconciliation among key party figures.

Otunba Sowunmi made the remarks during a television interview on Saturday, when asked about the relationship between Gov. Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

He said, “I don’t believe Seyi Makinde. Because I know them all. I’ve been in this party since it was registered. And I’ve been loyal, faithful, diligent with this party from the get-go, and I’ve never left.”

He underscored his longstanding commitment to the PDP, referencing prominent figures who had exited the party at different times: “I’ve had the grace, and the honor, and the dignity of watching even my father, Obasanjo, shed his card. As much as I love him, I didn’t leave the party”.

He added, “I’ve had the privilege of watching my beloved senior brother, Governor Gbenga Daniel, leave the party a few times. As much as I respect his vision and his ideas, I’ve never left. I’ve watched my former principal, Atiku Abubakar, leave a few times. I’ve never left.”

Otunba Sowunmi stressed that his comments were rooted in deep involvement with the party: “So when I talk about PDP, I’m not talking as an outsider, I’m talking as one of their totems, who was actually carrying them.”

He disclosed that he wrote to Makinde during the governor’s last birthday, urging reconciliation among a bloc of five governors who had formed a movement during the 2023 elections.

“At Governor Seyi Makinde’s last birthday, I wrote him a letter where I tried to say, look, you guys, the five of you, succeeded to the extent of creating a movement of your own”, he said.

He added, “And you fought very hard to make a point in the 2023 election. Although I don’t believe you won the election for the president, that’s a lie. They contributed, but I hate when people take the glory of other people’s work.”

Otunba Sowunmi warned that unresolved differences among the group could weaken the party: “You guys, you must go back to your four friends, your five friends, and you guys go and sort it out. Because not sorting it out with your five friends is going to leave the party worse off.”

He added, “But now that you’re fighting, or you’re not agreeing with yourselves, why don’t you go back to that same energy that allowed you to agree, so that you can use that energy inside to agree, and then we can lead the party.”