Politics

This Charade Of An Election

Published

7 years ago

March 1, 2019

The presidential election has come and gone but its effect leaves a very sour taste in the mouth. For the first time in Rivers State, some major local governments were held hostage by the army and other security personnel to prevent people from exercising their franchise.
No political pundit envisaged that there would be that huge number of causalities in Akuku-Toru Local Government area, especially in Abonnema.
Right from the Bridge leading to the town, entry into the community was not allowed even for journalists covering the election, and it took much discussion with a senior military personnel before phone calls were made to higher military authorities before journalists could gain entrance into the town. This was just an eye opener of what to expect on the date of the Presidential and National Assembly elections. Tension was everywhere.
The situation was not that different in Okrika, Ikwerre, Emohua, Bonny and Abua / Odual Local government areas. In Akuku-Toru local government area, the council secretary, Mr Tobins Tobins was alleged to have been whisked away by security personnel, the council chairman, Mr. Roland Sekibo also had to run for his dear life.
In other local government areas, council chairmen and even some commissioners had to go into hiding for fear of being arrested or detained.
In other states like Imo, / Professor Maurice Iwu, a former chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) was picked up on the day of the election. A similar scenario also played out in Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Kaduna and Kano States.
February 23, 2019 to many voters and monitors was like a date with Satan. You live to die or you live to run. The risk was understood clearly that things will go wrong but not as expected and that was the big surprise.
prior to the elections, when INEC offices were going up in flames in Rivers State, Plateau, Akwa Ibom and Anambra States, nobody thought that there would be invasion of collation centres but this happened expecially in Rivers and Bayelsa States with electoral officials accusing the army of colluding with high ranking government officials in the APC to snatch and doctor result sheets. What transpired in Isiokpo, headquarters of Ikwerre Local Government Area was just a tip of the iceberg in the whole election. Despite threats coercion and mouth-watering offers, Mrs Mary Efeture Imayuwa and her Emohua counterpart, Mr Kenneth Etah refused to bulge or be compromised in declaring false results. They even narrated how soldiers of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army invaded the collation centres of Emohua and Ikwerre local government areas to snatch result sheets and in the fracas, had to shoot to scare away people. Same thing played out in Okrika with the soldiers acting as thugs.
Elections are supposed to bring out the best in us but when the system is seriously flawed like what happened last Saturday, then, serious questions need to be asked as to whether in Nigeria, our politicians are really sane. How come people who call themselves fathers and grandfathers still behave as common touts or whose diligence from childhood has grown to that of adulthood.
What type of message are we sending to children who also monitored the situation at home from their television sets or listen to radio that in Nigeria either their fathers or their fathers are serial election riggers?
To some, the outcome of the presidential election in particular was not a surprise as they opined that the stage for the disgraceful outing was planned in stages right from 2016. First, the ruling party had to discredit the PDP, Secondly, the judiciary had to be harassed, disgraced and rubbished. Thirdly, disobey court orders, and compromise the judiciary after replacing those who refuse to play the ball, the armed forces and other security operatives induce electoral officers, soothe, use thugs with backings by the army to disrupt elections, cart away result sheets, chase away the opposition and where they resist, shoot either to scare them away or kill.
But one thing remains paramount. Power is always transient. No matter the malfeasance or method used in gaining power, anybody on the seat or power will leave one day.
From all indications, the February 23 presidential election is the worst since the return of democratic governance in 1993. If the war against corruption is a song, then, electoral malpractice should be a hit theme. Nigeria is indeed a giant in distress. No political analyst will claim that the country is better than Equatorial Guinea in electoral matters. Countries such as Benin Republic, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and even Congo are by far miles ahead of us in anything to do with elections.
For how long will this charade continue even in places where Boko Haram holds sway with people chased away from their communities recording huge number of votes? Nigeria indeed is a funny country. No wonder we don’t have steady power supply or good roads.
The average Nigerian is very religious and if for example a pastor witnessed the last election in Emohua, or Ikwerre and saw a member of his church running away with result sheets and eventually is declared the winner and comes for thanksgiving in the church, will he as a pastor officiate in such a service? Is such victory from God or Satan. These are questions we should start asking ourselves.
Will this charade roll over into the next elections? Can we do anything to checkmate these challenges?
Holding elections every four years is not the problem, INEC is not the problem, the voter is not the problem. The problem in holding a free, fair and credible election has always remained with the elites. Those who hold the instrument of coercion, power at the centre. Rigging of elections or manipulating election results are always planned by top ranking politicians whose backing comes the centre.
Political parties use thugs as foot soldiers to disrupt the voting process especially where such a political party does not have wide spread support so we will continue to have this problem with us. Why is that in places such as Kwara State, Lagos, Borno, Katsina, Bauchi, Gombe to name a few states, soldiers did not snatch result sheets but did so in Niger Delta states?
As we prepare for the governorship and House of Assembly elections, all the major political actors in Rivers State should not allow what happened last week to re-occur. The people killed were Rivers sons and daughters. They were not the children of politicians. Politics is not a do or die affair. But if this advice is not heeded, then, know that Nigeria’s democracy is in big trouble.
Social critics should also as part of their mandate be more involved in monitoring elections so that they can interact with actual voters and see things for themselves to really understand where the country is heading to.

Tonye Ikiroma-Owiye

Politics

Senate Urges Tinubu To Sack CAC Boss

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

The Senate yesterday urged President Bola Tinubu to remove the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Hussaini Magaji, over what lawmakers described as a persistent refusal to appear before its Committee on Finance.

The resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu during a session where members of the President’s economic team were present for engagement with the committee.

Tension rose at the commencement of the meeting when agency heads were introduced and senators observed the absence of the CAC Registrar-General, who had been invited to account for the commission’s activities, particularly on revenue matters.

Moving the motion, Kalu expressed anger over what he termed repeated disregard for legislative oversight, accusing the CAC boss of consistently avoiding invitations to appear before the committee.

He said, “Since I came to the Senate, this CAC man has always given excuses that he is in the Villa or going to London. He is not above the law. This man is not coming to the Senate. Look at the ministers of finance and budget. They are both here. We summoned them and they came.

“But this man thinks he’s bigger than the Senate. We’re not going to take that rubbish again. He had refused on so many occasions to honour our invitation to appear before this committee. We have issues with the reconciliation of the revenue of CAC.

“I move a motion that the man should be reported to Mr President and ask for immediate removal because we cannot continue with him. Is that what we’re doing here? He should come and give us an account of what he had done.”

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, corroborated the concerns, pointing to unresolved discrepancies in the reconciliation of the commission’s revenues.

He noted that despite several invitations, the registrar-general had failed to show up to address the issues raised by senators.

“The registrar-general of the Corporate Affairs Commission has refused on so many occasions to honour the calls, invitations or summons of this most important committee.

“There are only about three committees that are in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Committee of Finance is one of those committees. Sections 88, and 89 have given us these powers.

“And as registrar-general, we have issues with the reconciliation of their revenue. Anytime he is invited, he will give us one reason or another, and he will send junior officers to come and talk to the Senate. That cannot be accepted,” he said.

In a further show of frustration, Senator Adams Oshiomhole proposed that the Senate escalate the matter by withholding approval of the CAC’s 2026 budget pending the registrar-general’s personal appearance before the committee.

Oshiomhole also suggested that the commission be restrained from spending its internally generated revenue without prior approval of the national assembly.

“This senate should decline to appropriate anything in the 2026 budget until we are satisfied that he has accounted for previous money and spending properly.

“And should he spend money that is not appropriated, he should be heading to Kuje prison,” Oshiomhole said.

The motion urging the President to remove the CAC Registrar-General was subsequently put to a voice vote and adopted.

The development underscores renewed assertiveness by the Senate in exercising its constitutional oversight functions, particularly over revenue-generating agencies.

The Corporate Affairs Commission, which regulates companies and business registrations in Nigeria, is a key contributor to non-oil revenue, making accountability and transparency central to its operations.

News

Amend Constitution To Accommodate State Police, Tinubu Tells Senators

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu has appealed to the leadership of the 10th Senate to amend the constitution to provide a legal framework for the establishment of State Police to tackle insecurity nationwide.

President Tinubu made the appeal during an interfaith breakfast with senators at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday.

The president said that the creation of State Police has become urgent to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, strengthen grassroots policing, and enhance states’ capacity to respond swiftly to threats within their jurisdictions.

He noted that a decentralised policing structure would complement existing federal security architecture and promote intelligence-led, community-focused law enforcement.

“We are facing terrorism, banditry, and insurgency. But we will never fail to make a right response to this cause. What I will ask for tonight is for you (Senators) to start thinking how best to amend the constitution to incorporate the State Police for us to secure our country, take over our forests from marauders, and free our children from fear,” he said.

The president commended the cordial relationship between the Executive and the Senate, saying that unity is needed to defeat terrorism and banditry in the country.

“It is a good thing that we are working in harmony, we are looking forward to a country that evolves, a country that takes care of its citizens and protects all.

Tinubu thanked the Senate for its unflinching support towards achieving various economic reforms of his administration, especially the fuel subsidy removal and tax reform policy.

“I have a lot of credit for bold reforms. Without your collaboration and inspiration, those reforms would not be possible. We are reformists together. What we gave up and what we stopped is monumental corruption in the subsidy system. We don’t want to participate in monumental corruption and arbitrage foreign exchange.

You don’t have to chase me for dollars; you could see what Nigeria is today. You should be proud, and I am glad you are. What we are enjoying is a stable economy, and prosperity is beckoning us. We need to work hard, and this attendance means a lot to me,” the president said.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, commended the president for hosting the leadership of the Senate to the Interfaith breaking of fast.

He commended President Tinubu for providing the visionary leadership the nation needs at this critical time, stating that the administration’s bold reforms have now brought more revenue to governors at the sub-national level for the development of critical infrastructure.

The Senate President prayed for the administration, and for the nation’s peace and prosperity.

Politics

FCT COUNCILS’ ELECTIONS: PDP WINS GWAGWALADA CHAIRMANSHIP AS APC SECURES AMAC, BWARI

Published

5 days ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

Alhaji Mohammed Kasim, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has won the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Philip Akpeni, the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced the results on Sunday morning.

Alhaji Kasim polled 22,165 votes to defeat Alhaji Yahaya Shehu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 17,788 votes.

Alhaji Biko Umar of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) scored 1, 687 to come in third place.

“I am the returning officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Gwagwalada chairmanship held on Feb. 21, 2026,” Akpeni said.

“That Mohammed Kasim of PDP, having certified the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”

In the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Maikalangu, the APC candidate, was declared the winner of the chairmanship poll with 40,295 votes.

Andrew Abue, the Collation Officer for AMAC, said Hon. Maikalangu, who is the incumbent AMAC chairman, was returned elected having scored the highest number of votes cast.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) came second with 12,109 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 3,398 votes.

According to Abue, the total number of valid votes in the chairmanship poll was 62,861, while the total votes cast stood at 65,197.

He added that the number of registered voters in AMAC was 837,338, while the total number of accredited voters was 65,676.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr. Joshua Ishaku of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Bwari Area Council Chairmanship election.

Announcing the result on Sunday in Bwari, the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Mohammed Nurudeen, stated that Ishaku polled a total of 18,466 votes to emerge victorious in the February 21, 2026 poll.

“I am the Returning Officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Bwari chairmanship held on Feb. 21, 2026. That Joshua Ishaku, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Nurudeen said.

According to the results declared, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) secured 4,254 votes, while the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) polled 3,515 votes to place second and third respectively.

The declaration adds to the series of results emerging from the 2026 FCT Area Council elections, as political parties assess their performance ahead of future contests.

INEC UPLOADS 2,602 OF 2,822 FCT CHAIRMANSHIP RESULTS ON IReV

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had uploaded 2,602 out of the 2,822 expected polling unit results from Saturday’s chairmanship elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as at 5:55am on Sunday, data retrieved from its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) showed.

According to The Tide source, the figure represents an overall upload rate of about 92.2 per cent across the six area councils of the territory.

A council-by-council breakdown indicates that Municipal Area Council recorded the highest number of submissions in absolute terms, with 1,309 of 1,401 polling unit results uploaded, representing 93.43 per cent.

In Gwagwalada Area Council, 330 of the expected 338 polling unit results had been uploaded, representing 97.63 per cent — the highest upload rate among the six councils.

In Bwari Area Council, INEC uploaded 463 of 485 polling unit results, translating to 95.46 per cent.

In Abaji Area Council, 129 of 135 polling unit results had been uploaded as at 5:55am, representing 95.56 per cent.

In Kwali Area Council, 164 of the expected 201 polling unit results were available on the portal, representing 81.59 per cent.

In Kuje Area Council, 207 of 262 polling unit results had been uploaded, representing 79.01 per cent — the lowest rate among the six councils as at the time of review.