Politics

Ekiti Poll: Aspirant Vows To Challenge APC Primaries

Published

4 years ago

February 2, 2022

A governorship aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has vowed to challenge the results declared by the party in the January 27 primary in the court of law.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary,Human Rights and Legal Matters, said that the alleged abrasion of democracy and brazen abridgement of the Electoral Act in the election would be subjected to legal scrutiny via the party’s constitution and the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Though, Bamidele and six others had withdrawn from the race, but going by the results declared by Governor Abubakar Mohammed Badaru -led APC Primary Election Committee, he garnered a total of 706 to emerge third, while the former Secretary to the State Government , Biodun Oyebanji got 101, 703, to become the party’s flagbearer.In a statement in Ado Ekiti, on Sunday, Bamidele said he would take all the necessary actions to correct the alleged electoral perfidy perpetrated during the primary to deepen democracy and entrench the rule of law in the system .The Chairman, Southern Senators’ Forum, insisted that no election was held on January 27, saying figures reeled out by the Committee were allegedly fabricated to suit a certain sinister purpose.”We are of course taking immediate steps within the confines of our party constitution and the law to seek redress for this blatant abuse of trust and due process by the State actors.”
So whilst on this quest to seek an amicable resolution to this impasse, I urge all to remain calm and prayerful that justice and truth will prevail for the benefit of the people of Ekiti”.Bamidele added that it was unfortunate and regrettable that the process of conducting the primary was “hijacked, truncated, compromised and bastardised by those at the helm of affairs in Ekiti”, which he said was tantamount to a complete abuse of trust and leadership.”It is public knowledge that no primary election took place on Thursday, 27th January, 2022 but yet, rather disappointedly, results were announced based on concocted and fictitious vote counts.”
The underlining level of impunity, desperation and perfidy which characterized the entire rigging process was so much and thought beclouding that I was alloted 700 plus votes in a State-wide gubernatorial primary election in a State where I had scored over 90,000 votes in just one out of three Senatorial Districts to emerge as a Senator.
”More specifically, the breakdown of the votes alloted to me indicated that I got 150 votes in Ado Ekiti, my beloved second home where I had recorded Twenty Eight Thousand votes out of the 42,000 votes that gave me the House of Representatives mandate way back in year 2011 to represent Ado / Irepodun-Ifelodun Federal Constituency.
”But we will remain resolute, strong, focused and faithful in the face of this impunity, total lack of regard for the electoral due process and executive rascality by a chosen few who were elected to represent the interests of Ekiti people”.Bamidele applauded the party at the National, State, Local Government and Ward structures for their continued support and in ensuring the tenets of democracy were continuously entrenched in the political entities and governance of Ekiti State .
”I have fought quite a number of battles in my life based on my sense of indignation to injustice; but I had never been this resolved to stand up and challenge principalities and powers in utmost determination to defeat darkness and make the lights of Ekiti and her people shine again.”A’Ibom Gov Names Preferred Successor (3rd lead, page 12, Wednesday, February 2, 20Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has named the Commissioner for Lands, Pastor Umo Eno, as his preferred successor in 2023.Pastor Eno was presented Sunday evening at a well-attended PDP Stakeholders’ Meeting which took place at the Governor’s Lodge, in Uyo.
Former Governor, Obong Victor Attah, made the formal presentation of the governor’s preferred successor to the stakeholders, which comprised major and leading political chieftains from the three senatorial districts, who all applauded the choice and pledged to work towards his emergence as the governor of the state come 2023.
Speaking after his presentation, Eno narrated how he grew up in the police barracks and how challenging those days were, but he summoned hope to overcome those difficulties.He said he was grateful to God and Emmanuel for finding him worthy of the onerous task to lead the people of the state and continue the people-focused and developmental strides.Bishop Uma Ukpai and the Prelate Emeritus of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Mbang, prayed for his success, a prayer that was re-echoed by the Oku Ibom Ibibio and Chairman of State Council of Chiefs, Ntenyin Solomon Etuk.
Among those who attended the event, were the Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey; Senators Akon Eyakenyi, Effiong Bob, Ibok Essien, Aloysius Etok, former Deputy Governor, Etim Okpoyo; member representing Etinan Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Onofiok Luke; PDP chairman, Elder Aniekan Akpan; Barr Emmanuel Enoidem; the National Coordinator of the Maintain Peace Movement, Pat Ifon; member representing Eket Federal Constituency at the National Assembly and Member, PDP BOT, Chief Nduese Essien; a former Minister of Housing, Ambassador Assam Assam; Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Russia, Fathers of Faith, and other leading members of the state’s political class.APC Is Not Sellable – Senator (5th lead, page 12, Wednesday, February 2, 2022).
The Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Nicholas Tofowomo, has declared that the ruling All Progressive Congress is not sellable ahead of the 2023 election.Tofowomo said this at Ile Oluji area of the state during the training, empowerment of youths on ICT and distribution of laptops in his senatorial district.
He said that pressures were being mounted on him to defect, stressing that he would rather quit politics permanently instead of decamping to APC.According to him, “Since the coming on board of APC in 2015, it has been sordid and sad tales of events for Nigerians.”Armed robbery and banditry are now an integral part of Nigeria. Nobody is safe, it is as bad as that. So, APC has failed the nation. APC doesn’t have an agenda.
”Than to go to APC, I’ll leave politics because APC is a dead party in Nigeria. They have wrecked the economy of this country. So, it is over my dead body, I can never decamp.”For me, it’s PDP in the morning, afternoon and at night. And if I leave PDP, I’m going back home. If you look at APC, it has ruined Nigeria’s economy, they have scored zero in that aspect.”Look at the Nigeria Police, they have continued to allow them to work in terrible workplaces. The police stations ought to have been refurbished. When you talk about Nigeria Army, the Boko Haram crisis is there.
”When they took power, a bag of rice was N6000, now it is about N35,000. So it is a party that is not sellable. People are decamping from APC to PDP daily. So everybody knows that APC has failed the nation.
”Tofowomo, while rating the APC administration in Ondo State with 25 per cent performance said it deserved commendation in the area of road construction but failed woefully in the aspect of unemployment among youths in the state.”As regards APC in Ondo State, there some areas they have done well and some areas they have failed. In terms of employment, they have failed because they are no jobs.”In terms of road construction, they are trying their best but in total submission, they have failed the state because I will only give them 25 per cent.”He said he decided to distribute laptops to youths and train them on ICT, because ICT was the way to go on the global stage.
”Laptop is an equipment that can refine your life. When I got to England in 1984 laptop was not very meaningful then but in the early 90s, the laptop was everywhere and it was not very common in Nigeria.”In England, when you are inside the train you will see people with their laptops and they will be putting up their programs”.

Politics

FG’s Economic Policies Not Working – APC Chieftain

Published

3 days ago

February 16, 2026

The Tide

A senator who represented Taraba Central, Mr Abubakar Yusuf, has declared that the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu are not yielding the expected results.
His comment is one of the strongest internal critiques yet from within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The comment underscores the growing dissatisfaction within sections of the ruling party over the direction and impact of the administration’s economic reforms amid rising living costs and fiscal pressures across the country.
Mr Yusuf, who served in the Senate between 2015 and 2023 under the platform of the APC, made the remarks during an appearance on national television.
Responding to a question on whether the administration’s economic direction, often referred to as Tinubunomics, was working, Mr Yusuf answered in the contrary.
“For me, it is not working. I am a member of the APC. I would be the last person to hide the facts”, he said.
He said while the government might be operating diligently within its policy structure, the framework itself is ill-suited to Nigeria’s current realities
“Within the policy framework, yes, they are doing their best, but it is not the framework that is suitable for Nigeria at the point in time that President Asiwaju came into power,” he said.
Mr Yusuf criticised the immediate removal of fuel subsidy on the day the president was sworn in, arguing that the decision lacked sufficient consultation and planning.
“I am one of those who say President Asiwaju ought to have waited. Not on the day he was sworn in to say subsidy is gone. On what basis?”, he asked.
He urged broader engagement before major fiscal decisions are taken.
“Sit down with your cabinet, sit down with your ministers, sit down with your advisers,” he said, dismissing the argument that subsidy removal was justified solely on grounds of corruption.
The former lawmaker identified “structural flaws” in the country’s budgeting system, particularly the envelope budgeting model.
“One of the basic problems is that before you budget, you should have a plan. The envelope system we have been operating has been you budget before you plan. That has been a major issue”, he said.
He argued that allocating spending ceilings without aligning them to concrete development strategies inevitably weakens implementation and delivery.
“If you give me an envelope which is contrary to my plan, whether it is plus or minus, there is no way I am going to implement my plan. It is bound to fail,” he said.
Mr Yusuf called for the scrapping of the envelope budgeting system, noting that he had consistently opposed it even during his years in the National Assembly.
“It is not good for us. It is not going to work well for us,” he said.
He further blamed poor capital releases and persistent deficit financing for undermining budget performance over the years.
“We could not meet 60 percent of our capital budget in all these years. No releases. If you make a budget and the release is very poor, there is no way the budget will be executed”, he stated.
According to him, weak fund disbursement mechanisms and reliance on deficit financing have entrenched a cycle of underperformance.
“Our budget ought to have been a surplus budget, but all our budgets have always been deficit financing budgets,” Mr Yusuf added.

Politics

Reps To Meet,’Morrow Over INEC’s 2027 Election Timetable

Published

3 days ago

February 16, 2026

The Tide

The Nigerian House of Representatives has resolved to reconvene for an emergency session tomorrow February 17, 2026, to deliberate on issues arising from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) release of the timetable for the 2027 general elections.
The decision was disclosed in a statement issued by the House Spokesman, Rep. Akin Rotimi, who described the electoral body’s announcement as one of “constitutional and national significance.”
INEC had fixed February 20, 2027, for the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
According to the statement, members of the Green Chamber were notified of the emergency sitting through an internal memorandum from the Speaker’s office.
The session is expected to focus on legislative matters connected to the newly released timetable, reflecting the House’s resolve to act promptly on issues affecting the nation’s democratic process.
Rep. Rotimi noted that all related businesses would be treated with urgency and urged lawmakers to prioritise attendance in view of the importance of the deliberations.
INEC had on Friday formally unveiled the comprehensive schedule for the 2027 polls, including timelines for party primaries slated for July to September 2026, as well as the commencement of Continuous Voter Registration in April 2026.
The development comes amid ongoing consultations and proposed amendments to the Electoral Act ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Politics

Group Continues Push For Real Time Election Results Transmission

Published

3 days ago

February 16, 2026

The Tide

As the controversy over the transmission of election results continues across the country, the Defence For Human Rights And Democracy (DHRD), a pro democracy organisation in the country, has criticised the National Assembly for not giving express approval to real time transmission of elections results.
To this end, the group is calling on all civil society organisations in the country to mobilise and push for a better Electoral Reform in the country.
This was contained in a press statement titled, “Defence For Human Rights and Democracy Demands Real Time Election Transmission of Result”, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt.
The group described the refusal of compulsory real time transmission of result results by the Senate as undemocratic, adding that the situation will give room for election manipulation, rigging and voters apathy.
It said that the provision of mandatory real time transmission of election results would have significant improvement on the nation’s democracy.
According to the statement, “Since the return of democracy in 1999 to date, it is 27 years, so our Democracy has metamorphosed from being nascent and as such significant improvement should have been recorded.
“Defence For Human Rights And Democracy (DHRD), is really disappointed at the National Assembly, especially the upper chamber (Senate) for not approving ‘Real Time Electronic Transmission of Election Result’.
“This undemocratic act of theirs, if not tamed, will give room for election manipulation and rigging’”.
Signed by Comrade Clifford Christopher Solomon on behalf of the organisation, the statement further said, “The Defence For Human Rights and Democracy unequivocally supports real time transmission of election result”, stressing that his group will resist any act by the National Assembly to undermine the nation’s democracy.
“DHRD,unequivocally supports ‘True Democracy’, which is Government of the people, by the people and for the people.
“Therefore, anything that will crash the hope of Nigerians to Freely, Fairly and Transparently elect candidates of their choice in any given election should and will be vehemently resisted because good governance begins with leaders elected through credible process. By so doing, leaders have entered a social contract with the citizens to equitably manage their affairs and abundant resources”, the statement added.
It urged the National Assembly to revisit the issue in order to avoid civil unrest.
According to the DHRD, “To avoid civil unrest,voters apathy, election rigging and manipulation, rather to promote citizens participation, advancing our Democracy and entrenching free, fair, credible and acceptable electoral outcome, the National Assembly should amend the electoral act in a manner that will deepen our democracy and boost citizens confidence.
“On this note, The Defence For Human Rights And Democracy (DHRD), is calling on all other civil society organisations (CSOs) to mobilise, organise and push for a better electoral act amendment by the National Assembly”.

By: John Bibor