Politics
Periscoping 2020 (5)
The Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB 2020 (SB.510) was read for the first time on the floor of the Ninth Senate on Wednesday, September 30, 2020. As part of the business of the day, presentation of the bill was number two on the day’s Order Paper.
The leader of the Senate, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, presented the proposed legislation and the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, read the bill for the first time.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Festus Okoye, disclosed in a release issued in Abuja on Wednesday, September 30, that over 40 companies had indicated interest and had been invited for a live presentation for a virtual or practical demonstration of electronic voting machines that may be used for the Ondo governorship election on October 10.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ forum insisted that a national dialogue was needed as a way forward for the country.
The Forum stated that a national dialogue had become imperative for the various interest groups and leaders in Nigeria to brainstorm and chart a new course for the benefit of all.
The PDP Governors; in an Independence Day Message to Nigerians by its chairman, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, on Thursday, October 1, said the country cannot continue to remain helpless in the face of the challenges confronting citizens.
Members of the # RevolutionNow Group, on Thursday, October 1, protested at the United States Embassy in Abuja, over the security and socio-economic situation in the country. They demanded the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari over insecurity, hunger and corruption in the country.
An NGO, Yiaga Africa, on Sunday, October 4, said it would deploy the Paralle2 Vote Tabulation (PVT) methodology to verify results during the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State.
The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Mr Sampson Itodo, said in a statement in Abuja that the group would also deploy 646 observers under its “Watching the Vote (WTV)” project to monitor the election.
Candidates of political parties participating in the Ondo State governorship election signed a peace accord in Akure, the Ondo State Captial on Tuesday, October 6.
Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Saa’d; Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Hasan Kukah; former Bishop of Abuja Diocese, John Onaiyekan and traditional rulers were among others that witnessed the signing.
On Thursday, October 8, President Muhammadu Buhari presented an Appropriation Bill of N13.08 trillion to the joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja, predicting further hardship for Nigerians as he said the nation may face another recession before the end of the year, if serious and effective measures were not taken to ensure the nation’s financial security.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday, October 11, declared Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of Saturday, October 10, governorship election.
Declaring the result, the Returning Officer, Prof. Idowu Olayinka said Akeredolu polled 292,914 votes to defeat his closest rival, Eyitayo jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 195,791 votes.
In a memorandum to the National Assembly Committee on the Review of the 1999 constitution, northern elders who described themselves as Friends of Democracy, on Tuesday, October 13, advocated the return of the country to the 12-state structure of 1967 to be known as regions with full devolution of powers and 100 percent resource control.
Describing the proposal as “the most viable option for Nigeria at the moment and in the foreseeable future”, the memorandum was signed by Alhaji Othman Tofa, Amb. Fatimah Balla, Alhaji Sule Yahaya Hamma, Dr Abubakar Saddique Mohammed, Mr Sarn Nda-Isaiah, Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, Mai Bilya Bala, Mr Hubert Shaiyen, Dr Kabir Az-Zubair, Prof. Jibrin Ibahim, and Dr Usman Bugaje.
On Tuesday, October 13, the Senate received a request from President Muhammadu Buhari for the confirmation of four nominees as commissioners for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The request which was contained in a letter dated October 12, 2020, was read at plenary by president of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan.
The nominees listed by the president were: Prof. Muhammad Sani Kallah (National Electoral Commissioner), Katsina; Lauretta Onochie (National Electoral Commissioner), Delta; Prof. Kunle Cornelius Ajayi (National Electoral Commissioner), Ekiti and Saidu Babura Ahmad (National Electoral Commissioner), Jigawa.
The Senate, on Tuesday, October 13, ordered the police to arrest officers who fatally shot #EndSARS protesters. Senate President, Ahmad Lawan declared that the conduct of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was not acceptable.
Senator Buhari Abdulfatai, presented a motion on the death of a member of his constituency, Jimoh Isiaka and attack on the palace of Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oladunni Oyewumi. The lawmakers observed a minute silence in honour of Isiaka and other Nigerians that lost their lives to police brutality.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Tuesday, October 13, at plenary, disclosed that the lower legislative chamber will be compensating families of Nigerians who died while protesting against police brutality.
Gbajabiamila, while addressing the House stated that the House was committed to reform of the police, adding that as part of the process, the leadership of the House would meet with the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and other Civil Society Organisations.
The 2023 presidential election would hold on February 18,2023, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu disclosed on Thursday, October 15.
In a goodwill message at the inauguration of the Special adhoc committee on the review of the 1999 constitution, the INEC chairman told members of the House of Representatives that there were about 855 days left for the next general election.
On Thursday, October 15, the House of Representatives inaugurated a special committee to be chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Ahmed Wase, to review the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, said that the 9th House of Representatives had continued to prove to be a catalyst for positive change and development in the country.
President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly met behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja over the #EndSARS protests on Sunday, October 18.
Speaking to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan said the meeting specifically deliberated on how best to address the #EndSARS demonstrations in some parts of the country.
The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) 2020, on Tuesday, October 20, scaled second reading at the Senate after exhaustive debate by senators across party divides and was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstrean, Petroleum Upstream and Gas for further legislative action.
The committee was mandated to report back to the senate after eight weeks as the upper legislative chamber also adjourned plenary for five weeks to give its committees time for consideration of the N13.08 trillion 2021 budget.
The Rivers State House Assembly, during its plenary on Tuesday, October 20, passed a total of 18 bills into law. The bills included those to Amend the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital Bill 2017 and other related matters, and the renaming of Liberation Stadium to Gen. Yakubu Gowon Stadium; Bill seeking to rename Old Aba Road to Yakubu Gowon Road; and the renaming of the newly built judges quarters to Emmanuel Aguma Judges Quarters.
Senate, at plenary, on Tuesday, October 20, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to as soon as possible, address the nation on issues of the EndSARS protest in the country while asking the protesting youths to stop the protest to enable the Federal Government address their demands.
The resolutions were sequel to a point of order motion on “Matters of Urgent National Importance” brought by Sen. Biodum Olujimi (Ekiti PDP).
On Thursday, October 22, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced the postponement of 15 by-elections earlier slated for October 31 in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests which had seen hoodlums hijacking the agitations to wreak havoc across the nation.
The National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr Festus Okoye disclosed this in a statement.
The United States Government, on Thursday, October 22, condemned the excessive use of force by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government in quelling peaceful #EndSARs protests in parts of the country.
A statement by the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, in Washington D.C. said that the action by the government security agencies failed to meet global best practices of respect for peaceful assembly and the fundamental rights of citizens to freely express their discontent over any anti-people policies of the government.
In a nationwide broadcast, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, October 22, vowed not to allow anybody to disrupt the peace of the nation amidst violent protests in the country.
He said that his government respected and would continue to respect all the democratic rights and civil liberties of the people, but that it would not allow anybody or groups to disrupt the peace of the nation. “I must warn those who have hijacked and misdirected the initial genuine and well-intended protest of some of our youths in parts of the country, against the excesses of some members of the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)”, he stressed.
Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, told the BBC on Saturday, October 24, that, at least, 69 people were killed in the protests against police brutality that rocked the country Adesina said President Muhammadu Buhari announced the toll in an emergency meeting with former Nigerian leaders aimed at finding ways to end the unrest, adding that the deaths were mainly civilians but included police-officers and soldiers.
The Rivers State Government, in line with the proscription order of the Federal Government announced a reinforcement of the ban on activities of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in the state.
The State governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, in a statewide broadcast reinforcing the proscription of IPOB in the state on Friday, October 23, said no form of procession or agitation by the group or any of its affiliates was allowed to take place in the state henceforth.
He explained that the state government reached the firm conclusion, having observed that the activities of the banned IPOB were not just dangerous to lives and property, but also constitute clear and present threat to the existential interest and aspirations of Rivers State and her people.
By: Opaka Dokubo
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President Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, launched the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign in Kaduna State, beginning the ruling party’s mobilisation for the 2027 general elections.
The campaign rally, held at the Kaduna Township Stadium, attracted Vice-President Kashim Shettima, APC governors, party leaders, federal and state lawmakers, political stakeholders and supporters from across the country.
The flag-off marks the beginning of the APC’s drive to secure a second presidential term for President Tinubu, with the party expected to promote its achievements, defend its economic reforms and outline its policy priorities under the proposed Renewed Hope 2.0 agenda.
Kaduna’s selection for the campaign launch underscores the strategic importance of the North-West, a region with a substantial voting population and considerable influence on presidential election outcomes.
The APC faces a significant challenge in Kaduna, where the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, defeated President Tinubu in the 2023 election. The rally therefore provides the ruling party an opportunity to strengthen its grassroots structures and regain electoral support in the state.
Addressing supporters, Vice-President Shettima appealed to Northern voters, highlighting President Tinubu’s political relationships with prominent Northern leaders, including Alhaji Abubakar, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Vice-President’s appeal reflects the APC’s determination to consolidate its support in the North as the party intensifies preparations for the presidential contest.
The Renewed Hope 2.0 agenda is expected to feature prominently in the campaign, providing a platform for President Tinubu to explain his administration’s economic policies and outline plans for another term.
However, the President’s record on economic reforms, rising living costs, petrol prices, employment, infrastructure and insecurity is expected to attract considerable scrutiny during the electioneering period.
The Labour Party (LP) standard-bearer for Ikwerre State Constituency in Rivers State, Hon. Stasi Amadi, has described the ongoing political reconciliation in Ikwerre Local Government Area as a welcome development capable of promoting unity, understanding and peaceful coexistence among political stakeholders.
Hon. Amadi stated this while speaking with newsmen in the area at the weekend, noting that genuine reconciliation remained necessary for strengthening relationships among political leaders and creating an atmosphere conducive for democratic participation.
She said the reconciliation initiative was borne out of goodwill and should not be interpreted as a setback for the Labour Party’s determination to win the Ikwerre State Constituency seat and bring positive changes to the people of the area.
According to her, the party remained committed to its political aspirations and would continue to mobilise support among the electorate through constructive engagement, people-oriented programmes and a determination to provide effective representation.
Hon. Amadi observed that the Rainbow Coalition was a broad political platform capable of accommodating different interests and tendencies, expressing optimism that the arrangement could provide opportunities for participating political parties to secure elective positions.
The LP candidate said the coming together of political brethren should be celebrated rather than criticised, adding that reconciliation would be more beneficial if it encouraged mutual respect, cooperation and a shared commitment to the development of Ikwerre Local Government Area.
She maintained that the leadership of the Rainbow Coalition was focused on achieving positive changes for the people, stressing that the LP would not abandon its political principles or aspirations because of the ongoing reconciliation process.
According to her, political unity should not prevent individual parties from pursuing their legitimate electoral ambitions, but should, instead, encourage healthy competition, issue-based campaigns and a collective commitment to the welfare of the electorate.
Hon. Amadi said the people of Ikwerre deserved a political environment where leaders prioritised development, improved living conditions, employment opportunities and effective representation rather than allowing political differences to undermine the common interest.
She also called on the police and other relevant security agencies to deploy adequate tactical intelligence before, during and after the 2027 general elections to prevent security breaches and ensure that the electoral process was peaceful and credible.
The LP standard-bearer urged security agencies to remain professional, impartial and vigilant in the discharge of their responsibilities, particularly in identifying potential threats, preventing political violence and protecting voters, electoral officials and other stakeholders.
Hon. Amadi expressed hope that the reconciliation among political stakeholders would strengthen democratic participation in Ikwerre Local Government Area, while assuring the electorate that the LP remained determined to contest the forthcoming election and pursue a positive political future for the people.
By: King Onunwor
A former ally of Senator Seriake Dickson, the National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. Godpower Keku, has vowed to work against the interest of his erstwhile political leader and kinsman in the 2027 general elections.
Hon. Keku also faulted the duo of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), over their consistent presidential ambitions.
Hon. Keku, who is the Commissioner for Culture in Bayelsa State, served as Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State during Senator Dickson’s tenure as governor of the state.
The Tide further gathered that Hon. Keku hails from the same State Constituency, local government area, and Senatorial District as Senator Dickson.
He described Mr Obi as a destroyer of political parties and alleged that the NDC’s presidential candidate does not build parties, but instigates problems and backs out of them when internal wranglings become aggravated to the detriment of any party he belongs to.
According to him, politicians should be grateful to their political parties and remain consistent to avoid being stereotyped as untrustworthy and disloyal members in order to grow politically.
He also alleged that the National Leader of the NDC once affirmed that he would not field a presidential candidate for the party in the 2027 polls, saying Senator Dickson had been reported to have said, during the initial stages of formalizing the registration of his party, that he was only interested in producing Assembly and governorship candidates prior to the entrance of Mr Obi and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso into the NDC.
The ex-PDP scribe, who described himself a “party man”, restated his loyalty to the Governor Douye Diri-led leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state and vowed to deliver all candidates of the party in his constituencies.
“I wonder why Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar still want to contest this election. In fact, Obi is the easiest to win in this election. And I’m begining to suspect that it’s either he is a friend of President Tinubu or he is an enemy. One of these two things must be factual, if not why is he still contesting in the 2027 polls?
“What surprises me most in Obi’s behaviour is the way and manner he destroys political parties with his over- ambitious political interest. After destroying one party he quickly moves to another without helping to rebuild the party he helped destroy.
“My brother and friend, Senator Dickson said he wasn’t interested in fielding presidential candidate for the NDC prior to the registration of Obi and Kwankwaso as members of the NDC.
“Dickson had also said he was only going to field States, National Assembly and governorship candidates in the NDC and work with President Tinubu before the entrance of Obi and Kwankwaso into the NDC”, he said.
“For Atiku, he should remember that it’s the turn of the South to complete their eight years of two terms. Buhari, a Northerner just completed eight years of two terms before handing over to President Tinubu, a Southerner.
Speaking on the performance of the Bayelsa State governor, the Commissioner boasted about the achievements of Governor Diri’s administration, stating that the infrastructural and human capital development projects of the governor would campaign for the APC and ensure victory for the party in the forthcoming elections.
“I’m a party man, and even my brother and friend, Senator Dickson would attest to that fact. I don’t betray and don’t relent in my support for any party I belong to. The APC is my party and Dickson is an NDC member. I can’t work for him or any candidate of his party. I have my integrity and interest to protect as a party man.
“We’ll deliver all APC candidates in my political enclave, because, like I said earlier, Dickson himself knows me as a party man”, he stressed.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells
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