Politics

2023 Presidency And Rumbles In APC

Published

2 years ago

March 19, 2021

Yahaya Bello, the Governor of Kogi State is perhaps, the highest ranking stalwart of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the North that has so far indicated a presidential ambition come 2023. While some members of the party have expressed their desire for the presidential ticket of the party to be conceded to the Southern part of the country, the two term Kogi State Chief executive insists that he would not be breaching any rule of the party if he contests for the ticket, even though he comes from the same Northern region of the country as the present occupant of the number one office of the land, Muhammadu Buhari.

The APC is yet to make any official statement with regard to the zoning of the presidential seat in view of the forthcoming 2023 presidential election. However, equally high-ranking and powerful figures in the party as Governor Bello and from the same regional extraction as himself have also been openly canversing their preference for a presidential candidate from the South to fly the flag of the party.

One of such notable figures is Ali Ndume, the chairman, senate committee on Army.

Speaking with newsmen last Saturday in Abuja, the senator representing Borno South Senatorial District categorically spoke against any chance of zoning the presidency to the North ahead of the 2023 election by the party.

The federal lawmaker said any move in the direction of the North retaining the office of the president would offend the spirit of fairness, equity and justice, insisting that any part of the South should produce the next presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress.

According to him, it would amount to remaining in office for a third term if another candidate from the North emerges after President Buhari completes his second term.

“I am against APC producing its presidential candidate from the North. The APC presidential candidate should come from the South. I have said it before and will still say it again that if we have a Northerner as APC presidential candidate, to me, it is tantamount to third term, and it is not constitutional.

“The (APC) constitution says the president shall serve two terms, and we said then that the North should serve two terms. If you say the North should produce the presidential candidate again, it means you are going for third term which is not fair and I believe in fairness, justice and equality. Let candidate from the South, and that means South-South, South-East and South-West clinch the ticket”, he said.

On this part, governor of Kano State, North-West Nigeria, appearing on a television network last month described zoning as a strategy for winning election in the country and advised his party to strongly consider the unwritten code in its planning towards the 2023 election.

He said though contestants from all parts of the country jostled for the prized ticket with Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, he believes the current president clinched the ticket because of the understanding that the position had been conceded to the North. He added that the situation became clearer in 2019, coupled with the fact that the party, was already in power and Buhari in office.

“The zoning system, even though it is not in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but it is a strategy for winning election. I think APC as a party should do a lot of research and planning to see what is the best option to win election. But from my understanding, zoning is a strategy for winning election and zoning has been adopted in the party”, he affirmed.

Governor Ganduje said, “when Buhari contested in 2015, he did not contest alone, he contested with people from the North, he contested with people from the South-East. So, if zoning was adopted, one hundred per cent, then only Northerners would have been allowed to contest. But there was still the understanding of zoning even though the party did not prevent others from contesting as it happened in 2015”.

He expressed the hope that though the party may not restrict or sanction anyone for indicating interest and taking part in the contest for the ticket, it would reach a consensus as regards the part of the country it would prefer its presidential candidate to come from.

“In this 2023, I believe there will be a consensus, even if people are allowed to contest from all parts of the country, but I know there will be a consensus on who should be allowed to contest. I think the zoning should be respected as strategy for winning election”, he said, adding that he would personally prefer that the ticket is zoned to “the southern part of the country but that should be a consensus of the members”.

Recently, the Arewa Youth Forum (AYF) paid Governor Bello a courtesy visit at Government House in Lokoja with the singular purpose of asking him to consider presenting himself for election as president in 2023 under the platform of the APC.

Led by Comrade Gambo Gunjungu , president of the AYF, the youth body, said “after thorough research and evidence of the numerous antecedents” of Bello, they decided to call on him to run for president, adding that they were tired of “recycled leaders” and that they needed a youth to take over the country’s leadership “like many other young Nigerians wanting to change the narrative of political bandwagon and recycled politicians, we are looking up to him as the hope of the Nigerian youth. We are discussing with our patrons and we already have the network it would take to propagate their message all over the nation”, Gunjungu was quoted to have said.

In his response, Governor Bello is reported to have only told his guests that the discussions and events ahead of 2023 presidential election were in the hands of God to decide.

In spite of initial denials by his Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, last year when his campaign poster first surfaced in some Northern states, the 45-year-old governor’s political associates had gone ahead to further canvass the presidential agenda.

Shortly after the governor presented his 2021 budget proposal to the Kogi State House of Assembly, the lawmakers passed a resolution, urging him to run for president and early this year, they took the message to their counter parts in Plateau State for support. They have since also visited Kawara State lawmakers and also interfaced with Governor AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman on the need to support Bello to become Nigeria’s president come 2023.

Although the Kwara State governor did not give an outright endorsement, he is said to have nevertheless offered a clue that Bello can always count on him. As the rumbles continue and conflicting signals emanate from the ranks of the APC, the leadership of the party has maintained a studied silence on the issue of the zoning of the 2023 presidential election. The feeling in certain quarters is that the APC is waiting for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to make its move in this regard in order for it to take its own bearing.

However, there is another school of thought that strongly believes that the ruling party is simply confused and does not have the ideological strength to boldly make decisions based on its own convictions.

They say the party is so afraid and uncertain about its probable disastrous outcome of the forthcoming 2023 presidential election, especially without a rallying figure like Muhammadu Buhari that achieving the consensus talked about by governor Ganduja will be an order too tall for it to attain.

By: Opaka Dokubo

Politics

Rivers Gov’ship: Obuah Congratulates Fubara, Hails Rivers People

Published

2 days ago

March 22, 2023

The Tide

The Director-General of the 2023 Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Bro Felix Obuah, has congratulated the Governor-elect, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, on his resounding victory at the March 18, Governorship election in the State.
Bro. Obuah in his congratulatory statement commended the calm disposition and the steady mobilizing spirit of the Governor-elect throughout the electioneering campaign which endeared him the more to the electorate as demonstrated by their massive votes.
Rivers people, Bro. Obuah noted, cannot but thank God for the successful polls in the face of daunting tasks.
Bro Obuah who is also the immediate past State PDP Chairman expressed greater joy that the winning streak of his regime has continued to bear fruit in the State.
According to him, Sir Sim Fubara is another choice rightly made by the people to continue to enjoy good governance and dividends of democracy at its best which is the result of the choice of His Excellency, Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike in 2015 and 2019, respectively.
“I give kudos to our Rivers people for their appreciation of all the good works of our indefatigable ‘Mr. Quality Projects’ which they expressed through their massive votes for our Governor-elect and all the PDP candidates in the just concluded elections,” Bro Obuah expressed.
He said the PDP-led government in the state is spurred by the people’s gratitude and poised to do more for the people as a new political dispensation gets underway.
He thanked Governor Wike for his foresight, courage and unwavering spirit to raise the bar of political leadership in the State which is gradually taking roots in the land as a tradition.
Bro Obuah also commended the community heads, traditional rulers, women groups, religious groups, and the youths for listening to the voice of reason which contributed to making the 2023 election in the state a good one.
The Director-General of the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council also congratulated the 32 candidates of the PDP that won the 32 seats in the State House of Assembly and all National Assembly members elected on the platform of the PDP.
He said now that the elections were over, it was time for all hands to be on deck for the much desired peaceful atmosphere necessary for good governance.
He dedicated the PDP victory to all Rivers people and pledged his usual fatherly support to the leadership for a more united and better Rivers State.

Politics

Abia Gov’ship Election Result: Social Media Report Fake, Says INEC

Published

2 days ago

March 22, 2023

The Tide

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has denounced an online report accusing its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu of attempts to violate its guidelines and consequently distort the Governorship election result in Abia State.
Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi said the only communication sent to the State Returning Officer was the commission’s directive suspending further collation of results.
He said; “The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu never called the Returning Officer to give her a directive. Rather, the Returning Officer wanted the official communication on the Commission’s decision to suspend the collation of results in Abia State. The Chairman then directed that pending the delivery of the hard copies, the soft copies of the Commission’s letter be forwarded immediately to the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Enugu State and the Administrative Secretary of Abia State.
“The Returning Officer for Abia State then directed that the contents of the letter be read aloud by the Administrative Secretary in the presence of agents of political parties, observers, the media and security personnel at the Collation Centre.
“This is what is now being mischievously interpreted as a directive to the Returning Officer on some phantom criteria at variance with the approved guidelines. There is nothing like that.
“In fact, the content of the letter is basically the same as the Commission’s Press Release dated Monday 20th March 2023 which has since been uploaded to the Commission’s social media platforms and is already in the public domain.
“The public should disregard the story as fake news”, said Oyekanmi.
A portal, Strenuous Blog, had quoted the Returning Officer as alleging that she was being forced to do the wrong thing.
According to the portal; “The INEC Presiding Officer In Abia State Nnenna Oti had this to say…’I’m Professor Nnenna Oti from Afikpo. I am the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri, The people’s mandate shall stand. I have spent all my adult life in pursuit of the ideals of good governance. We shall stand by the these principles. The pastor in me (she is a Pastor with the RCCG) and the mother in me will not permit me to do anything that will adversely affect the future of our children. I shall do right by God and by man!’
“Then to the shock and surprise of everyone in the hall, she said that the INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, personally called her and gave her directives on guidelines to follow in ensuring that Abia governorship election results were collated based on some criteria but that on her own she has decided that the will of Abia voters would not be subverted under her watch.
“At that point, she asked the Administrative Secretary to read the message she said that came from the INEC headquarters Abuja”.
Checks by The Tide source revealed that the commission has no such nomenclature as “State INEC Presiding Officer”.

Politics

Declare Binani Adamawa Governor-Elect, WPF Urges INEC

Published

2 days ago

March 22, 2023

The Tide

The Women in Politics Forum, WPF, said Nigerian women will not allow history to repeat itself in the ongoing gubernatorial election in Adamawa State.
The WPF, a non partisan organization for women with membership across the 36 states and FCT, stated this in a statement, yesterday.
The group said Nigerian women are aware that results from 20 local government areas had been collated, giving the APC gubernatorial candidate, Senator Aishatu Binani an early and consistent lead.
The WPF advised the Independent National Electoral Commision, INEC, to ensure the results are not manipulated and that Senator Binani is given her mandate and declared as the winner of the election.
In a press release signed by the National President of the women forum, Ebere Ifendu, the forum noted that there was great misconduct in the election results collation center which she said followed the refusal by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa, to collate governorship results from Fufore local government area.
Ifendu said, “We will not accept a repeat of history. In 2011, Her Excellency, Dame Pauline Tallen contested for the Plateau State Governorship election and was cruising to Victory when announcing of results suddenly stopped, and when it was finally announced, they had stolen her mandate. This was exactly the fate of Senator Aisha Al Hassan ( mama Taraba). Her victory was also stolen. We can no longer watch our collective mandate stolen from us.
“Nigerian Women have worked hard and waited patiently for this victory and woe betide that person that will be used against the wishes and aspirations of Adamawa people and Nigerian women.
“We can confirm from our agents in Adamawa State that Senator Aishatu Binani is having overwhelming lead in Fufore Local Government.
“We are aware of the manipulation going on in the state and the role of Governor fintiri who had earlier used his state powers to frustrate Senator Binani’s campaign and has further gone ahead to tamper with the figures coming from Fufore LGA;
“…which undoubtedly is Senator Binani’s strong hold ,and originally in favour of the APC candidate, and using the state INEC officials and media to fabricate stories and raising false allegations against her .
“This is a grossly condemnable act and we are raising our voices as Nigerian women to seek immediate intervention to prohibit and abort the manipulation against Senator Binani as we see this as a daylight robbery of her mandate and an affront to Nigerian Women.
“Nigerian women are calling on INEC to ensure that the results are not manipulated and that Senator Aishatu Binani is given her mandate and declared the winner of the election.
“We are also using this medium to call on security agencies to be more effective in protecting the public against attacks by political thugs.
“We have received reports of violent attacks on innocent citizens of the state. We demand that the perpetrators of violence should be arrested and prosecuted while the police is more vigilant and proactive to prevent violence.”