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‘Constitution Has Given Govs All They Need To Better Citizens Lives’

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2 years ago

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Former Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Tax Fund (TETFUND), Professor Suleman Bogoro, has stated that the Nigerian Constitution has given governors all that they need to emancipate Nigerians and make a difference.
He stated this in his remarks at a reception organised for Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State in Abuja on Saturday.
He said the governor had performed far beyond the expectations of the people of Bauchi State in the last five years, citing the massive roads and other infrastructure he provided across the state.
Prof. Bogoro added, “I listened to Mr President about two weeks ago speaking to Arewa Consultative Forum and he focused on the role of governors in emancipating the people of the North. It was in the Newspapers. It couldn’t have been otherwise.
“The governors are supported by the Constitution of this country to make a difference. And when a governor does not stop at the state Capital and go to all local government headquarters beyond that, some of the remotest part of the state with his transformation. What else do we say?
“Today, he is being honoured among 36, just about seven. Am I right? And this is being put up by the federal government of Nigeria that belongs to another party. I think it is an exceptional feat. It is for this reason that we are very proud to be associated with our governor. In fact, it is being said that, the standard that he is setting, other governors are envious, perhaps”.
In a goodwill message, the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umar Damagum, said their governors have always made them proud by giving their best to make the lives of Nigerians in their states better.
He said, “Today, it is another milestone for us in the PDP family. I am very proud to say anywhere I go as a leader of this party, Nigeria has never had it best like when we were in charge. And this is another milestone, despite this government is not a PDP government, it finds him worthy to recognize one of us and the others, that means we have not relented, we’ve always given the best services wherever we are.To the people of Bauchi, today I will say congratulations!”.
In his address earlier, Governor Bala Mohammed stated that, the state was put on development pedestal by its first civilian governor, Late Abubakar Ali, and some of his predecessors like Ahmed Adamu Mu’azu.
“i sleep and wake up with work in my mind, because I know all the nooks and crannies of Bauchi and every part of it, I have an intricate connection with. I have brothers and friends far away from my ancestral home of Duguri where people feel passionately for me.
“So, I don’t have the luxury of excluding any section of the state. And I borrow from my late elder brother and father, Alhaji Tatari Ali, who really put us on this path of growth and development.
“Remember, of all the secondary schools that were great and viable in Bauchi before we came were done by him. All the roads in Bauchi, Misau, Azare and even in Gombe were done by him with small resources. All the general hospitals. And he had very little money.
“And he had a Deputy that is working very well, late Ajiyan Bauchi. And of course I remember what Ahmed Adamu Mu’azu did too in his own way, developing roads in all the rural areas, local government headquarters, he built five Kilometers in each local government headquarters. That was the beginning of transforming our rural areas to urban centers.
“Yes, we don’t have water in our local government headquarters. Very few have and this is a big challenge. Even Katagum has no water. And I believe it is a big challenge that I will conquer by the grace of Allah.
“Other projects and programs are being unfolded by the Special Duties ministry, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Education and so on and so forth. And we have the support of the world Bank and the federal government. We must acknowledge one thing that the present administration said, this is time for governance.
“On behalf of Bauchi State people and the opposition, we thank the federal government for doing that and they should do more, because that will really put poverty away, put food on the table. We are not to politicize when we are doing governance and that is what we are always learning.”

 

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LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

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2 weeks ago

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March 2, 2026

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A former National Organising Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Clement Ojukwu, has expressed regret that the several legal cases brought against the party since the 2023 general elections have impacted the party’s performance.

Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.

“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”

The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.

“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.

“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.

“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”

Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.

He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”

He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.

“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”

Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.

“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.

 

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2027: NIGERIANS FAULT INEC ON DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP REGISTER DIRECTIVE 

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2 weeks ago

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March 2, 2026

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A number of Nigerians have strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its directive to all political parties in the country to submit digitalized membership register within 32 days.
It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following it’s reversed timetable, directed all political parties in the country to submit their digitalized membership registers within 32 days.
Speaking on the reversed timetable in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, respondents said the directive amounted to disqualifying opposition political parties from fielding candidates in all the elections next year.
They said if the directives by the commission is implemented, only the All Progressives Congress (APC) would participate in the elections since it started it’s digital membership registration since February, last year.
Responding, an elder statesman in Rivers State, Chief Sunnie Chukumele, said the revised timetable was okay, but the timeframe for submission of digital membership register was being made at the wrong time.
Chief Chukumele said, for the past two years, all opposition political parties have been battling various issues in court, adding that they did not have the time to embark on membership drive, talk less of digitalizing their membership registers.
“My reaction is that the only issue with this revised timetable is the timeframe given by INEC for parties to submit digitalize memberships register in all the states of the federation, while giving notice of Congresses and convention. That is not possible”, he said.
He said only the ruling APC is likely to meet up with the directive, since it began its registration since last year.
Chief Chukumele, who is also the National Coordinator of Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought (CORSLOT), alleged that the directive of the electoral body may have been targeted to prevent other parties from fielding candidates for the elections next year.
“When you say all the parties should submit digitalized registers of membership in 32 days, how will that be possible to conclude it in 32 days”, he queried.
He noted that “APC used one year ago to do, so APC has one year in the kitty plus 30 days. This is highly regrettable”.
The CORSLOT national leader urged the election umpire to do away with stringent conditions that will make it hard for opposition political parties to field candidates in the elections.
Also speaking, Mr Jacob Enware from Edo State queried the rationale behind the directive, especially when some opposition political parties are still having cases in court.
In his words, ”What opposition political parties are you talking about, is Labour Party not  in court or PDP that is yet to resolve their issues?
”For me, INEC should provide a level playing field for all, because aside the APC, no party can meet up this criteria.”
In his own response, Mr Nathaniel Ebere said he was not prepared to vote for anybody whether INEC provides a level playing field or not.
He alleged that his vote would not count, “so I will not waste my time”.
By: John Bibor
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IT’S A LIE, G-5 GOVS DIDN’T WIN ELECTION FOR TINUBU – SOWUNMI

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2 weeks ago

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March 2, 2026

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A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Convener of The Alternative, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has expressed reservations about the political stance of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, while calling for reconciliation among key party figures.
Otunba Sowunmi made the remarks during a television interview on Saturday, when asked about the relationship between Gov. Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.
He said, “I don’t believe Seyi Makinde. Because I know them all. I’ve been in this party since it was registered. And I’ve been loyal, faithful, diligent with this party from the get-go, and I’ve never left.”
He underscored his longstanding commitment to the PDP, referencing prominent figures who had exited the party at different times: “I’ve had the grace, and the honor, and the dignity of watching even my father, Obasanjo, shed his card. As much as I love him, I didn’t leave the party”.
He added, “I’ve had the privilege of watching my beloved senior brother, Governor Gbenga Daniel, leave the party a few times. As much as I respect his vision and his ideas, I’ve never left. I’ve watched my former principal, Atiku Abubakar, leave a few times. I’ve never left.”
Otunba Sowunmi stressed that his comments were rooted in deep involvement with the party: “So when I talk about PDP, I’m not talking as an outsider, I’m talking as one of their totems, who was actually carrying them.”
He disclosed that he wrote to Makinde during the governor’s last birthday, urging reconciliation among a bloc of five governors who had formed a movement during the 2023 elections.
“At Governor Seyi Makinde’s last birthday, I wrote him a letter where I tried to say, look, you guys, the five of you, succeeded to the extent of creating a movement of your own”, he said.
He added, “And you fought very hard to make a point in the 2023 election. Although I don’t believe you won the election for the president, that’s a lie. They contributed, but I hate when people take the glory of other people’s work.”
Otunba Sowunmi warned that unresolved differences among the group could weaken the party: “You guys, you must go back to your four friends, your five friends, and you guys go and sort it out. Because not sorting it out with your five friends is going to leave the party worse off.”
He added, “But now that you’re fighting, or you’re not agreeing with yourselves, why don’t you go back to that same energy that allowed you to agree, so that you can use that energy inside to agree, and then we can lead the party.”
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