Politics
Onochie: A Litmus Test For The Senate
In recent times, not many issues in the public domain have raised more opprobrium, vehemence, and even angst and disgust, amongst diverse and varied competent, well-meaning and very critical stakeholder groups, individuals and organisations in the electoral process than President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination of Ms Lauretta Onochie as federal commissioner in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the Senate for confirmation.
On Wednesday, June 9, the senate president, Ahmad Lawan, at plenary, referred President Buhari’s request to confirm Prof. Muhammad Sani Kallah (Katsina Laureetta Onochie (Delta); Prof. Kunle Cornelius Ajayi (Ekiti); Saidu Babura Ahmad (Jigawa); Prof. Sani Muhammad Adam (North-Central) and Dr Baba Bila (North-East) as national commissioners of INEC to its committee on INEC for screening. The committee was given two weeks to conclude its assignment and report back to plenary on the request that was first sent to the senate in October, last year.
While it is not clear whether the committee delayed work on the assignment, it is manifestly evident that the committee has taken more time than was allotted and lay its report before the upper legislative chamber in plenary for final debate and confirmation.
However, there has been a floodgate of reactions from a wide range of the Nigerian public over the appearance of the name of Ms Onochie on the list of those to be considered at all. The opposition and rejection of Ms Onochie began from the floor of the senate itself when the Minority Leader, Senator Enyinaya Abaribe, whose statutory function it was to second the motion moved by the Majority Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, declared his reluctance in seconding the motion on account of the presence of the name of Ms Onochie.
Those who see the appointment of the Delta State born Ms Onochie as inappropriate and therefore unfit for the office cite the fact that the person in question is already a political office holder as the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media. To this, they add that she is also strongly believed to be a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), in its reaction to the issue, registered its objection to the nomination and implored the senate to reject Ms Onochie as an officer of INEC. Idayat Hassan, Director of CDD, said in a statement that Ms Onochie’s appointment to serve in such a non partisan portfolio could jeopardise Nigeria’s democratic principles if allowed by the senate.
“First, Ms Onochie is from Delta State, the same state from which Barrister May Agbamuche-Mbu, a current national commissioner, hails. Barrister Agbamuche-Mbu’s tenure is not ending until December 2021″, the statement said, adding that “Also, Mr Mike Igini, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State, hails from the same state and his tenure will end in August 2022. Neither Mrs Agbamuche-Mbu nor Mike Igini has been removed from office”.
Consequently, the CDD argued that Ms. Onochie’s consideration for confirmation would not only contravene the Federal Character principle of the 1999 constitution, but as well constitute inequity and an unfair treatment of the other South-South states who are also qualified to be appointed into INEC.
According to the CDD, “ Secondly, Ms Onochie does not hide her partisan support for the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and she is likely a card-carrying member of the party.
“It is also important to realise that her partisanship is the reason she was appointed to her current role as an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Media.
“This, therefore, precludes her from being appointed into INEC. Section 156 (1)_ and item F, Paragraph 14 of the Third Schedule of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, forbid an appointee to INEC to be a political party member or a partisan individual.
“There is no doubt that Ms Onochie will continue to protect the interest of the APC if confirmed by the Senate. Moreover, CDD believes strongly that she will represent political baggage that could damage the commission’s legitimacy. Any election she oversees will likely be subjected to multiple litigations, even in a genuine win by the APC and other parties”, the organization said among others.
On Tuesday this week, a coalition of nine civil society organisations took their opposition to Ms Onochie’s appointment a notch further by instituting a legal action against President Buhari, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the Senate and Kabiru Gaya, chairman of theSsenate committee on INEC.
The CSOs which include the International Press Centre, Centre for Citizens with Disability, Nigerian women Trust fund, Incorporated Trustees of Albino Foundation, Incorporated Trustees of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Incorporated Trustees of Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa, Incorporated Trustees of Centre for Media and Society and Incorporated Trustees of YIAGA Africa Initiative are praying the court to declare the nomination of Ms Onochie as “wrongful, illegal, null and void and same nullified”.
In the suit filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/604/2021, the CSOs are asking the court to determine whether the president “can nominate a card-carrying member or members of his political party or any other political party in Nigeria, as a national electoral commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission” contrary to Sections 14 (29), 14 (3), 14 (36), 14 (4) and Section 154 (1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended ).
Among other reliefs, the applicants are asking the court for an order of perpetual injunction “restraining the 3rd and 4th defendants (the Senate and Kabiru Gaya) from referring, considering, screening, deliberating or confirming the nomination of Ms Lauretta Onochie”.
In the affidavits deposed to by the applicants in support of the originating summons, the CSOs insisted that “Onochie cannot be a fair and unbiased umpire to serve in the Independent National Electoral Commission” owing to her close working relationship with President Buhari and his administration.
However, in a move that appeared to be intended to undercut the progress of the case, and in brazen indifference to the massive and overwhelming outpouring of stiff, strident and unrelenting rejection of the appointment of Ms Onochie, the senate, yesterday, began the screening of the six nominations into INEC national commissionership position including the embattled presidential aide.
If, at the end of the day, Ms Onochie gets the nod of the APC dominated red chamber, there are many Nigerians who will not only feel disappointed but also register the 9th Senate as being there to serve the interest of President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC as against the more sacred interest of the Nigerian people and that of the constitution.
Yet, even if the senate rejects the nomination, Nigerians will not stop to question the rationale, the wisdom and what the president intended to achieve by his preference for such a defective, obnoxious offensive, provocative and embarrassing choice. The only way to pacify Nigerians and assure them that the entire Onochie saga was not plotted to take them for granted is for the president to render an unreserved apology to his compatriots.
By: Opaka Dokubo
Politics
Senegal: Faye Set To Become Youngest Elected African President As Rival Concedes Defeat
Senegalese politician, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, (44), is set to become the youngest elected leader on the African continent.
While Faye’s main rival, Amadou Ba, from the ruling coalition had said a run-off might happen to determine the winner, at least five of the 19 candidates in the race had issued statements to congratulate Faye as of early Monday.
“For our part, and considering the feedback of the results from our team of experts, we are certain that, in the worst case scenario, we will go to a run-off,” Ba, a former Senegalese Prime Minister, had said.
But as Faye’s lead got wider, Ba called to concede victory in Sunday’s presidential elections, BBC quoted a government official to have said.
Faye’s lead had spurred his followers to troop out in celebration on the streets of the capital, Dakar, on Sunday.
Reports revealed that millions took part in a peaceful day of voting to elect Senegal’s fifth president after three years of unprecedented political turbulence that triggered violent anti-government protests and bolstered support for the opposition.
Faye is a Senegalese politician and a former tax inspector, who also served as the General Secretary of dissolved PASTEF.
He contested the highest political position in the West African country in place of disqualified candidate Ousmane Sonko.
Senegalese voters had a choice among 19 contenders to replace Sall, who is stepping down after a second term marred by unrest over the prosecution of opposition leader Sonko.
The incumbent was not on the ballot for the first time in Senegal’s history. His ruling coalition picked Ba, 62, as its candidate.
In a country of over 18 million people, 7.3 million people were registered to vote, and about 71 percent voter turnout was recorded, Senegal’s State TV reported.
Politics
Writing Judgment For Presidential Election Tribunal Allegation, FG Arraigns One
The Federal Government has arraigned one Chike Ibezim for allegedly defaming Babatunde Fashola, former Minister of Works and Housing.
Ibezim is one of three individuals who alleged that Fashola had written the judgments of the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) that dismissed the petitions by the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ibezim was arraigned on Monday before a federal high court in Abuja on a six-count charge.
The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/434/2023, borders on criminal conspiracy, cyberstalking, and defamation, among others.
The matter is before Bolaji Olajuwon and has been adjourned till April 15 for continuation of trial.
Count one of the charges reads: “That you Ibezim Chike Victor, male with Jackson Udeh, Nnamdi Emmanuel Ibezim and Reportera.ng (body corporate) now at large on or about 05/08/2023 at Abuja, did commit an illegal Act to wit: criminal conspiracy; when you jointly agreed to publish a defamatory statement of false allegations in your online social media, the reportera.ng news, against His Excellency Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, CON, without justification, you thereby commit offence punishable under Section 27(1)(b) of the Cyber-crime Prohibition, Prevention Act 2015.”
However, Fashola said the allegation was “baseless and defamatory”.
The former minister described those behind the allegations as “agents of destabilisation”.
Politics
Soludo’s Performance Assessment, APGA Tackles LP Chieftain
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has faulted a chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), Valentine Ozigbo, over his comments that the performance of Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, after two years in office, was “not impressive.”
Mr Ozigbo, who was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2021 Anambra State governorship election, now a chieftain of the LP, stated during an interactive session with journalists last weekend that he was not impressed about Governor Soludo’s performance and has therefore decided to contest the 2025 governorship election in the state.
He said, “We have seen the leadership of Soludo in two years, and some of you may be impressed, but I am not. After the last election in 2021, I called and wished him well and moved on, and we have never spoken again. My decision was to assess him after two years, and having seen it, I am not impressed, and I want to start holding him accountable.
“I am here to share my thoughts with you, what I think, and no matter how you see what he (Soludo) is doing, you will be more proud when I mount the saddle.
“We need to change the narrative and look for a way to survive. We must fight to rescue Anambra. I am a non-transactional politician. I have several things I can do, but my worry is how we can recover the state and put her on the path of development.
“Zoning is a good thing. But it must be combined with competence to make sense. Don’t pick a renegade just because he is from a certain zone, and don’t pick the best, when you know you can pick one that is better.”
Mr Ozigbo said further, “I respect zoning, and I will be making a case for a single term of four years. Anyone who sees what Alex Otti is doing in Abia State will know that four years is enough time to do a lot of work.
“I will honour that principle of zoning, and I will not need anyone’s push or prompting to do otherwise. I will be ready to do an agreement and do an undertaking that I will do just one term. I also wish to tell you that Peter Obi has been consistent that a southerner who emerges will only do one term.
“It is a settled matter that I intend to run for just one term. I intend to keep faith with the agreement.”
But reacting to the development in a telephone interview with The Tide’s source on Monday, APGA spokesman, Tony Olisa-Mbeki, dismissed Mr Ozigbo’s utterances, insisting he has nothing to offer the people of the state.
Mr Olisa-Mbeki said, “He is a political stooge. What could he possibly bring in? Last I checked, he only managed Transcorp Hotel. Is that a qualification to be a governor in Anambra State? Soludo runs an inclusive government in Anambra; that is why he holds town hall meetings with different sectors. What other approach to governance is Ozigbo talking about?
“Anambra State governance is not for learners like Ozigbo. Ozigbo can’t even give a good lecture; he would be better suited working as a PA to any governor. Ozigbo’s aspirations in the previous gubernatorial contest in Anambra found him trailing in third place under the banner of the PDP, despite the staunch endorsement from former APGA governor, Peter Obi.
“That alone should tell him that APGA is like an apostle’s creed to Ndi Anambra. However, what reforms could Ozigbo propose? Anambra State, under Governor Soludo’s leadership, is a testament to political and socio-economic ingenuity.”
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