Politics
2023:God’ll Shock Nigerians -Dagogo-Jack
Recently, the Rivers State chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PEN) addressed a press conference in Port Harcourt to inform the public of some of the activities of the group in Rivers State, especially.
Among others, one of the key disclosures made by the state Chairman of the PFN, Rev (Dr) Minaibi Dagogo-Jack was the organisation’s preparation towards playing active roles in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
At that occasion, Rev. Dagogo-Jack declared that the Christian organisation had started the process of sensitising and mobilising its members to be actively involved in the political activities that will culrninate in the general polls next year. To this end, he said the PFN had, in fact, set up a Directorate of Poliltics and Good Governance to organise and coordinate activities that would educate and encourage members to engage in partisan politics at all levels and in all ramifications.
Discussing this development and other trending issues in the polity in an exclusive chat with The Tide in his office in Port Harcourt earlier in the week, the leader of the Pentecostal group in Rivers State said the move by his organisation was informed by the need to enthrone righteousness in the society, emphasising that the political class in the country had largely failed the citizenry.
He said the situation where the church remained detached from the process through which political parties selected candidates for elective positions could no longer be allowed to subsist, arguing that several times, the quality of candidates emanating from the party primaries were not good enough.
“Before now, the church had been so far from real politics and the church would wait until the political parties had selected their flabearers and then we start praying to God,’’ he said, adding that praying when the decision had been made was defective in that sometimes it would mean asking God to make a choice among all bad alternatives.
Dagogo-Jack said, ‘’ I think if parties A,B,C had chosen their flagbearers and you start praying, if for instance, they all chose monkeys, it means one of the monkeys will emerge. So, what we are saying is that we should be involved in the process of selecting flagbearers of the parties. We must also be genuinely involved in the entire electioneering process.’’
According to the state PFN boss, who was one time governorship candidate of Fresh Democratic Party in the state, Christian politicians have no choice but to take up membership of any of the existing political parties in the country since the Constitution empowers only political parties to present candidates for an election in Nigeria.
The clergyman said he was convinced that the social political and economic woes of the country could not be resolved until righteous people ascended the throne of leadership at all levels in the country. He called on true Christians to take on the challenge of rescuing the nation from lurking disaster by getting registered in political parties and also putting themselves up for election into positions of power and authority.
“I’ still called on the Christian body, particularly those under my superintendentship to go get themselves registered, get their Permanent Voter Cards and also be involved in partisan politics. The constitution requires that you must belong to a political party before you can be elected,’’ he admonished , reiterating that the present generally bleak and gloomy atmosphere in the country presents a golden opportunity for Christians to demons trate their identity as light and salt of the world.
“After prayer, prayer and prayer, we must partake in politics,’’ he insisted, submitting that it was erroneous for Christians to continue to think of politics as a dirty game and therefore should be left for less decent and dignified persons.
According to the Christian leader, from the conceptual stage, politics was meant for decent characters and people of honour, pointing out that even the Nigerian constitution envisions only clean people will be involved in politics when it bars convicts and such others of questionable character from contesting or occupying sensitive public offices.
“ So if you think that because we are church leaders and therefore we should not be involved in politics, you are making a big mistake.
‘’ Thank God that one of our prayers has been answered, that is the deployment of electronic devices in the electoral process. We believe that if we mobilize our people and tell them to vote party A or candidate B and they move, it will show the politicians that the church is out for something. 85per cent of Nigerian politicians don’t have the fear of God in them and therefore treat the people with so much disdain. There must be change and we are ready for that,’’ he said.
When reminded that the country had not fared significantly better even when Christians had been in power, the clergyman retorted that a Christian may not necessarily be a righteous person and that only righteous people could effect the desired turn around in the fortunes of the nation.
“ A man may be a Christian but not a righteous man. It is only by righteoness that the nation can be exalted. We will look for the righteous people and the church will point hands at them. At the end of the day, the church will look at those who emerged and point hands at the righteous ones.
“We believe that if an environment is dirty, it will take a righteous man to clean it up. In a great house, there are vessels of honour and vessels of dishonor. The vessels of honour are the carriers of righteousness and those are the ones we will direct our members to,’’ he maintained.
Asked if the PFN was going to form a political party or already has a particular political party it would support and therefore direct its members to go and register in, Dagog-Jack said ‘’ There are existing political parties right now and we have asked our members to join any one of their choice. We’re asking them to join in the process leading up to selection of candidates and at the end of the day, we will see who and who have emerged and we will look out for the spirit of righteousness in them and then make our choice. However, the formation and registration of a political party is a good thinking but we have not started anything in that direction.’’
On his outlook towards the 2023 general elections, the religious leader expressed optimism that 2023 holds better and brighter prospects in the country’s electoral history and urged Nigerians, especially the political class to brace up for a rude shock.
“What I see is that God will shock the people. God will shock Nigerians in 2023,’’ he said, explaining that just as God surprised the world in the way the COVID-19 pandemic affected the developed countries more severely than the less privileged countries with weaker and more vulnerable health systems, He will greatly disappoint the powerful and entrenched politicians in the country.
“Some people think that they have the political power, the political where withal, the political strength and money, they will be disappointed,’’ he said while expressing the view that the 2022 Electoral Act will make a lot of difference in our electoral system.
“ Number two, a lot of things are not going to be the same in 2023 with the deployment of technology in the election process. Rigging is going to be minimised, if not eliminated. Issues of over bloated results, ghost names in the voters register and sundry irregularities like thuggery, ballot box snatching and ballot box stuffing will be eliminated.
“ Under the new law, political parties have as much as six months instead of the previous three months to canvass for votes. This is ample time for parties to take their campaigns to all the nooks and crannies of the country. We therefore expect that the result that will come can be said to be a result that truly reflects the wishes of the people, especially with the electronic transmission of results from the polling units. So, I think there will be a great difference in our electoral system in 2023,’ he said.
“Our national leaders have decided and I speak only their decision here, that the next president of Nigeria must come from the South. That is the position of PFN all over the world, the state Christian leader said emphatically.
He said members of his body will also not be kindly disposed to a Muslim/Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election while they are whole heartedly out for a Christian as president.
“Our brothers, the Muslims,through Muhammadu Buhari, have produced the President covering eight years. For justice and fairness sake, we the christians are asking for a Christian President this time around. That is what we stand for and we have not moved from that stand,’’ the Charistian clergy man said.
On whether he himself was interested in any elective office come 2023, the one time gubernatorial flagbearer said he had no such plans but that his organization would encourage, support and assist its members who cared to contest for office at any level.
“ PFN can’t sponsor any candidate. That is for only political parties to do . However, PFN can assist in their prayers and also assist in directing our people to vote a candidate. You say endorse, I say we will point our hands at particular candidates for our people to vote. This is what we will do,’’he said, claiming that a research indicates that the Pentecostals are as much as 65million and they are prepared to delploy that strength to good advantage in the 2023 general elections.
By: Opaka Dokubo
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.
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.
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.
-
City Crime5 days ago
NCSU Hails Fubara Over 2025 New Telegraph Man Of The Year Award
-
Nation5 days ago
Nigeria Risks Drifting Without Strong Education Policies-Don
-
Nation5 days ago
Ex-UNIPORT SUG Leaders Organise Symposium In Honour Of VC
-
Nation5 days ago
Council Chairman Reconstitutes Revenue, Anti-Illegal Trading Committees To Boost IGR
-
Education4 days agoElga boss tasks law students on academics strides
-
News1 day agoAmend Constitution To Accommodate State Police, Tinubu Tells Senators
-
Politics1 day agoSenate Urges Tinubu To Sack CAC Boss
-
Business1 day ago
President Tinubu Extends Raw Shea Nuts Export Ban To 2027