Politics
Saturday’s Polls And Nigerians’ Date With Destiny
Tomorrow is yet another date with our collective destiny as a country. Millions of voters will once more troop out to the various voting units to exercise their franchise. The voters this time are to elect those who will be our governors and state Houses of Assembly men that will preside over the affairs of the various states including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory for the next four years.
Two Saturdays ago, the nation went on a similar journey to elect a President and members of the National Assembly. However those elections to those who monitored the process leave much to be desired as it was characterised by large scale arrests, intimidation, vote buying, violence, ballot box, snatching and killings.
In Rivers State alone, about 30 persons were allegedly killed by security personnel in Akuku-Toru, Bonny and Degema Local Government Areas.
And in Imo State, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof Francise Ezeonu said in the last election, there were deliberate efforts to frustrate the use of Registration Area Centres (RACs) as even wires used in reticulation of the centres were removed and taken away. In some places, community members disrupted elections at the RAC centres.
According to him, they also battled with thugs for electoral materials, with corps members kidnapped returning officers harassed and intimidated to write false results.
“The maxim was either to play along or be maimed for life”.
Also in Bayelsa State, we heard of reports that INEC was begging politicians and their thugs to return about 61 card readers that they forcibly took away from presiding officers during the elections.
Some independent observers of the last elections including civil society groups described the elections as not something to be proud of and said that to guard against a repeat of the violence and rigging in the last elections all stakeholders must comply with the electoral guidelines. They condemned the killings especially in Rivers State and the conduct of politicians and the military for their role in bringing shame to the country.
No election in Nigeria has taken place without controversy but the recent elections somehow took another dimension as some personalities of the major opposition party-PDP were it on the eve of the election. Some are yet to be released as at yesterday.
Do these people really pose a threat to democracy across the country? Why is it that during the administrations of Olusegun Obasanjo, Musa Yar’ Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, mass arrests of opposition figures were not carried out? But under the Presidency of Muhammadu Buhari, to even whisper is an anathema and will get you detained in a military barracks.
Nobody should think that we are under a real democratic government. To think so, the person must be naïve and not a critical political thinker. What we are under is a full blown dictatorship where even the judiciary is not respected and court orders disobeyed. The government chooses what order to obey and what to ignore.
For there to be a free, fair and credible election, the Presidency must not interfere with the conduct of the elections by deploying the military to do a repeat dance that negates all civilised norms of how an election should be conducted especially with the heating up of the polity in States like Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers Akwu Ibom and Benue.
From all indications, the factors hampering the smooth conduct of elections in Nigeria especially the last election are not the use of smartcard readers or the role of INEC officials but the shameful conduct of the political class.
According to, Prof Francis Ezeonu, “there is the need for Nigerians to create rules, a conducive environment for the ad-hoc staff to do their work and urged those who claimed to be honourable, distinguished and excellent to exhibit honourable conduct.
The experiences of the last election have some shock waves so much so that some ad-hoc staff have given notices that they would not wish to participate in the next election.
The way things are going, we may come to a stage where no person will be willing to participate during election.
These fears expressed by a resident electoral commissioner is not just an isolated one. All INEC officials are human just as the youth corps members recruited to assist the electoral body to conduct elections in 2015 in Rivers State, a serving youth corps member was killed. In 2011 about eight corps members were murdered in cold blood in Bauchi State. So are we sure that in the conduct of tomorrow’s elections, security agencies will play a neutral role and be as professional as possible?
Will the violence that occurred in Akuku-Toru, Bonny, Emohua, Ikwerre, Okrika and Abua/Odual Local Government Areas be replicated? Won’t the military assist politicians to disrupt the voting and collation processes and cart away electoral materials? These are just some of the questions that need to be addressed before people cast their votes tomorrow.
However, hope is not lost as traditional rulers and other political leaders of thought have pleaded for sanity and for politicians to play by the rules.
Meanwhile, the Independent, Electoral Commission has assured Nigerians that it will do a better job tomorrow, Accorders to its spokesman Festus Okoye, the commission is ready to conduct a credible election and as part of its strategy has fine-tuned all the loose ends encountered during the February polls. He said each polling unit will start at 8am and the use of smart card reader, is compulsory adding that any unit where smartcard readers are not used, all votes in such places will be voided.
Probably this assurance is coming on the heels of accusations by opposition parties that there was a deliberate and well orchestrated plan to use smartcard readers only in the strongholds of the PDP especially in the South-South, South-East and North Central zones while leaving out the South West, North East and North West zones and the non deployment of the electronic collation system (E-collation for election results contrary to the provisions of paragraph 10 (a) and (b) of the regulations and guidelines governing the 2019 general election.
Nigerians in general believe in a free and fair election but the major actors have always been the problem. People who are outside the corridors of power and make the most noise about the conduct of the election are even worse than those they accuse of election manipulations. It is quite sad that the APC which claims to parade “holy men” in its rank and file has not shown any form of decency coupled with the utterances and conduct of some of its members which are not encouraging peace in the polity.
We pray the security agencies will not allow themselves to be used to unleash violence tomorrow and allow the will of the people to be thrown to the dogs.
We also hope that the fear of violence or being killed will not deter millions of Nigerians from casting their votes.
The power of the electorate lies in the positive use of their PVCs. There is no way that a government is bad or a person is not living up to expectation without a voter doing his or her duty by voting for his preferred candidate or rejecting such a person on election day.
Our destiny is in our hands, so let us go out tomorrow and make our choice of who will preside over our political and economic fortunes in the next four years.
Tonye Ikiroma-Owiye
Senate has again approved a three-month extension implementation period for capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act from June 30 to Sept 30.
This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno (APC- Borno) at plenary yesterday.
Monguno, moving the motion, said the extension became necessary given the unutilsed substantial funds released to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for implementation of projects under the 2025 budget.
According to him, delays caused by procurement processes, project implementation challenges and administrative procedures had slowed the execution of several critical government projects.
Monguno said many strategic projects across key sectors of the economy were already at advanced stages of completion and required additional time for execution, certification and payment.
“Failure to extend the implementation period of the 2025 Appropriation Act may result in the abandonment of critical projects, the wastage of already committed public resources and the disruption of ongoing government interventions,” he said.
He argued that some allocations contained in the budget might not be accommodated in subsequent appropriation cycles if the implementation window expired.
This, he said would create funding gaps and ultimately undermine development objectives.
He said that extending the validity period of the budget would improve budget performance, facilitate the efficient utilisation of released funds and support economic growth.
“Granting a further extension of the implementation period is in the national interest and will ensure value for money in public expenditure,” he said.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Sen. Solomon Adeola (APC-Ogun), supporting the motion, explained that the extension was specifically targeted at the capital component of the budget.
According to him, when President Bola Tinubu presented the 2025 budget to the National Assembly, there is an understanding that 30 per cent of the budget implementation will be completed by March 31, while the remaining 70 per cent will be rolled into the 2026 budget.
Adeola said that the implementation timeline was not fully achieved, prompting the National Assembly to earlier extend the budget’s lifespan to June 30.
“While we were passing the 2026 budget, due to the non-implementation of that promise, we were forced to extend the budget to June 30,” he said.
He said although payments had commenced, significant obligations remained outstanding.
“There is a need to extend this budget beyond June 30 to September 30, by then, we are hopeful that the outstanding 30 per cent will have been paid in full, while implementation of the components transferred to the 2026 budget can commence.”
Adeola urged senators to support the extension to ensure proper implementation of projects and prevent disruptions to government programmes.
Sen.Victor Umeh (NDC-Anambra), who seconded the motion cited the need to sustain the execution of projects captured under the 2025 Appropriation Act.
“In view of the need to sustain the continued execution of the projects covered in the 2025 Appropriation Act, as amended, I hereby second the motion,” Umeh said.
Following deliberations, Senate President Akpabio put the proposal to a voice vote and it was overwhelmingly adopted by the lawmakers..
Akpabio in his remarks said the decision was necessary to prevent interruptions in payments and project execution.
“The payment would have stopped halfway if this was not done,” he said.
The Senate President commended the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and other lawmakers involved in handling the matter.
He directed that the Senate’s resolution be transmitted to the executive for implementation.
“Accordingly, the resolution of the Senate is being communicated to the Executive that the 2025 Appropriation Act has been extended to Sept 30.
The National Assembly had earlier extended the implementation period of the 2025 budget to June 30, following delays in the release and utilisation of capital funds.
Senate, thereafter, adjourned plenary to July 7.
The member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State, Frederick Agbedi, yesterday emerged as the new Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
Agbedi’s emergence follows the resignation of former Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda of Rivers State, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress, creating a vacuum in the leadership structure of the opposition caucus in the Green Chamber.
His nomination was contained in a letter transmitted to the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, by the minority caucus during plenary, yesterday.
In the letter, the caucus announced that its members had reached a consensus on the replacement of vacant principal offices allocated to opposition parties in the House.
Abbas, while reading the letter said, “The election of the House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria, the minority members of the 10th Assembly hereby unanimously nominate the following members by consensus to fill the vacant positions of the minority in the parliament.
“Number one is the Minority Leader, Hon Frederick Agbedi.
“Number two is the position of minority whip, and the person they have endorsed is Hon Mansur Soro (APM, Bauchi).
“The last but not the least is my brother from the North-West, Hon Abdussamad Dasuki (ADC, Sokoko) for the position of Deputy Minority Leader.
“Honourable colleagues, today the body of principal officers is complete, and I want to seize this opportunity on behalf of the whole entire House to congratulate the three people and to wish them all the best in their new positions.”
With the development, Agbedi assumes the responsibility of coordinating opposition lawmakers in the House and articulating the position of minority parties on legislative matters before the chamber.
A ranking lawmaker and one of the longest-serving members of the House, Agbedi has represented Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency since 2011.
His appointment is expected to strengthen the voice of the opposition caucus at a time when defections and realignments continue to reshape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Also announced was the emergence of Hon Mansur Soro of the Allied Peoples Movement as Minority Whip and Hon Abdussamad Dasuki of the African Democratic Congress as Deputy Minority Leader, completing the minority leadership structure in the 10th House.
Speaking after the announcement, Abbas congratulated the newly appointed principal officers and pledged the cooperation of the House leadership.
“The leadership of the House will work with them assiduously in ensuring that we achieve our legislative agenda objectives of this very important 10th Assembly,” he added.
The emergence of the new minority leadership comes amid recent changes to the House Rules governing the selection of principal officers. The amendments, which introduced fresh eligibility requirements, have generated debate within opposition ranks and influenced the contest for key leadership positions.
Shortly after the announcement, a lawmaker from Imo State who had been nominated for the position of Minority Leader last week, Ikenga Ugochinyere, formally withdrew from the race.
He cited the amended House Rules and the new eligibility criteria for principal officers as the basis for his decision.
The latest appointments are expected to restore stability within the opposition bloc following weeks of uncertainty triggered by Chinda’s defection and the subsequent scramble for leadership positions.
Political observers believe the new leadership team will face the immediate challenge of forging unity among lawmakers drawn from different opposition parties while providing effective legislative scrutiny of the executive and the ruling APC-dominated parliament.
For the PDP, which remains the largest opposition party in the House despite recent defections, Agbedi’s emergence is seen as a strategic move aimed at maintaining cohesion within the minority caucus and strengthening its influence in parliamentary proceedings.
In a letter titled, “An Open Letter to Former President Goodluck Jonathan,” the observer said Dr Jonathan should be careful not to allow himself to be drawn into partisan calculations driven by ambition rather than national interest.
He cautioned the former president against allowing himself to be used by what he described as desperate political interests.
“I believe this is the time to protect the good name and legacy you have built over the years. You should not allow yourself to be used by desperate political elements who may be more interested in their own ambitions than in the future of Nigeria,” the letter read.
The Social Commentator further warned Dr Jonathan to be wary of those advocating for his comeback, claiming many of them were previously opposed to his administration.
“Many of those calling for your return today were your antagonists, those who frustrated your government back then. You should be careful not to become a pawn in a game designed by others or else they will stain your white with their ‘roforofo’,” he said.
He maintained that Dr Jonathan’s legacy remains defined by his decision to concede defeat in 2015, which he described as a landmark moment in Nigeria’s democratic history.
“Your legacy was built through years of public service and your decision to put the country’s peace above personal ambition at a critical moment in Nigeria’s history. That legacy should not be put at risk because of the desperation of a few politicians,” he added.
Mr Adenuga also alleged that some of the promoters of Dr Jonathan’s return have lost credibility in the public space.
“The truth is that some of the people pushing you to contest have already damaged their own reputations. They should not be allowed to stain your legacy with their soiled hands. What they could not achieve on their own should not be pursued through your name and goodwill,” he stressed.
He concluded by urging the former president to remain above political manoeuvring and protect his place in history.
“History has been kind to you. Preserve that honour and remain above the political games of those who want to use your name for their own purposes,” he wrote.
Recall that former President Goodluck Jonathan recently emerged as the presidential candidate of the Kabiru Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following a special convention held in Abuja, where delegates ratified his nomination ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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