Politics
LASG Takes PVC Sensitisation Campaign To LASU, LASUED
As the 2023 general elections draw closer, the Lagos State Government has taken its on- going residents sensitisation programme on Permanent Voters Card (PVC) registration and collection to the Lagos State University, Ojo and Lagos State University of Education, Ijanikin, where the students were urged to join hands with government in building a new Nigeria.
The state government noted that registration and collection of Permanent Voters Card is a guaranteed license for participating in the nation’s electoral process, urging them to go out and register for their PVCs or pick them up from the INEC office if they have registered before.
The Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo –Olu on Education, Tokunbo Wahab who led top government officials to LASU yesterday to sensitise the students , stressed the need for more students’ participation in the electoral process and task of nation building.
According to him, since youths/ students represent about 53.5% of the total population of the country, there is the need to carry them along and give them adequate orientation and enlightenment on leadership role and the need to participate in the electoral process towards choosing a God fearing leader that is committed to infrastructure development and good governance.
The sensitisation programme which was at the instance of the Office of the Special Adviser on Education (OSAE) in conjunction with the Students Union Governments (SUG) of both the Lagos State University (LASU) and Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) Ijanikin Campus have large turn- out of students who turned the sensitization programme into a carnival like across all Faculties and Departments of the Universities.
Wahab who commended the Managements of the two institutions, (LASU and LASUED) for maintaining absolute peace on their campuses, promised that the state government would not relent in implementing policies that would prioritise the welfare of both students and staff of all the State owned institutions, while he commended them for not joining the on- going Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike in appreciation of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s sustainable educational development policies in the state.
The Special Adviser charged the students to take advantage of bringing registration centres to their campuses to register and collect their PVCs, noting that their PVC is the major weapon with which they can fight hunger and poverty while it could be used as well to sustain good governance.
In her remarks, the Ag. Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University of Education, LASUED, Ijanikin Campus, Professor Bidemi Bilikis Lafiaji-Okuneye stated that the sensitization of students for PVC collection is a welcome development as it would give them the opportunity to perform their civic responsibility as citizens of the country.
Professor Lafiaji-Okuneye commended INEC for bringing registration centres to the two campuses, which she noted would help students to have easy access to registration.
In the same way, the Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Students Affairs and Tertiary Education Matters, Mr Omotayo Sanya Olu said the sensitization programme is one of the Governor Sanwo-Olu administration’s efforts at carrying the youths along in crucial matters that have direct effect on their developments.
Sanwo-Olu who urged the students to make effective use of the exercise to register and obtain their PVCs said that with their PVCs, they have been given the power to decide who should be their leaders.
While assuring that the All Progressives Party in Lagos State under Samwo-Olu would continue to place youths at the centre of its development programmes, urged them to continue to support the state government and keep campuses peaceful for improved and better development.
In his response, President of LASU Students’ Union, Adeoye Moses, a 400 Level student of Theatre Arts Department, commended students of LASU for coming out in large number to register for their PVC, adding that LASU students were always on the alert when it comes to progressive development, adding that the SUG under his care would ensure that his colleagues fully participate in all future elections in the country to bring about good government.
He commended the state government for upgrading LASU infrastructure and creating enabling environment for research developments, noting that LASU under Sanwo-Olu has remained one of the best in the country in academic and moral excellences.
The immediate South-West Zonal Coordinator of the National Association of Nigerian students, Comrade Kappo Olawale Samuel, also lauded the initiative of the state government.
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.
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.
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
