Author: The Nation

Bayelsa and Imo State Governors Douye Diri and Hope Uzodimma have made the final list of candidates for the off-cycle elections in the two states.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the list yesterday in Abuja.

Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva; the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, as well as erstwhile senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, also made the final list in their states.

Silva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is contesting the governorship election in Bayelsa State while Anyanwu and Melaye are contesting under the PDP in Imo and Kogi states.

A statement by the National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said the list, which has been uploaded on the commission’s website, would be published in the three state capitals as from tomorrow.

The statement said: “At its regular meeting held today, Tuesday, June 6, 2023, the commission approved the final list of candidates for the three off-cycle governorship elections scheduled to hold in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states on Saturday, November 11, 2023.

“The decision is in line with the provision of Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires the publication of the list not later than 150 days to Election Day, that is, Friday, June 9, 2023, following the period for voluntary withdrawal and substitution of candidates by political parties under Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2022.

“The final list has been uploaded to the commission’s website and social media platforms. Same will be published in our state and local government offices in the affected states on Thursday, June 8, 2023, ahead of the statutory deadline of June 9, 2023.

“The list shows that all 18 political parties are fielding candidates in Kogi State, 17 in Imo State and 16 in Bayelsa State. The list also shows that two political parties are fielding female candidates in Bayelsa State, one in Kogi State and none in Imo State.

“The commission wishes to remind political parties and candidates that in line with Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the three elections, campaign in public officially commences on Wednesday 14th June 2023 in line with Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 and ends on November 9, 2023, that is, 24 hours prior to Election day…”

“Regrettably, the ugly incident last week involving the convoys of two political actors in Kogi State resulting in the destruction of vehicles and other properties ahead of the commencement of campaign is worrisome.

“We urge parties and candidates to conduct their political activities with civility and decorum as peaceful electioneering heralds a peaceful election. Political parties and candidates have a responsibility to de-escalate tension ahead of the elections.”

• Aircraft for unveiling was chartered flight, says NAMA

The House of Representatives yesterday said the Nigeria Air project was a fraud and demanded its immediate suspension.

The lawmakers expressed displeasure at the way the former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika handled the project.

They spoke while the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Aviation, Emmanuel Meribole, who appeared before the House Committee on Aviation, chaired by Nnolim Nnaji, told the lawmakers that the project was not launched but only unveiled.

In its resolution, the committee urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to constitute a high-level presidential committee to undertake a holistic review of the processes of the Nigeria Air project and advise the government on the way forward.

It also suggested that all individuals, groups, or organisations involved in the “controversial shenanigan named Nigeria Air’s take-off” be brought to book, prosecuted and sanctioned.

Read Also : JUST IN: House directs Aviation Ministry to suspend Nigeria Air

The House advised the Federal Ministry of Aviation with its agency, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), to designate some Nigerian indigenous airlines as flag carriers to take advantage of Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA) that Nigeria entered into, pending when a viable national carrier will come on board.

The committee said looking at the total amount required to fully start the airline, which was put at $250,000,000, the Nigerian government and its citizenry could raise the funds without necessarily subjecting the nation to the ridicule they have been exposed to by the recent episode.

A major stakeholder in the airline with a 15 per cent stake, Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc, attended the investigative hearing.

It said the unveiling was politically motivated to “white-wash” the previous administration.

A representative of SAHCO, Boye Oyemumi, said despite being major shareholders, the company was not even aware of the unveiling, which he described as a child naming ceremony without a baby.

Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mohammed Oduwowo, told the lawmakers at the hearing that the plane that was used for the unveiling was a chartered flight, which returned to base 48 hours later.

He said the plane had Ethiopian registration and was chartered by Ethiopian Airlines to NAMA.

“We had an approval. We granted the aircraft a flight permit. It was meant to be a chartered flight from Ethiopia to Nigeria. It was a chartered flight. It went back the following day,” he said.

The Interim Managing Director of Nigeria Air said they had only concluded only one out of five steps required to secure the Air Operator Certificates.

He explained that one could paint a plane to any colour one wishes, if it is chartered.

Speaking for the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Capt. Roland Iyayi said they had secured three court orders.

He said all actions regarding Nigeria Air should be stopped and status quo ante maintained, including unveiling or launching.

The Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Michael Ohiani, told the hearing that the Ministry of Justice advised the agency to stay away from the matter until it is resolved by the court.

Also speaking for the AON, the Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, was angry that Nigerians were colluding with the Ethiopian to break the country’s (Nigeria’s) laws for personal benefits.

Such a malpractice, he said, could not happen in Ethiopia.

At the end of the meeting, the committee resolved that the airline be suspended.

Nnaji said: “The committee, after careful evaluation of the issues on deliberation, is totally dissatisfied with the actions of the former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, in going ahead to flag off the operations of Nigeria Air, despite a standing court injunction against such and without any provision for sustaining the operations of the airline.

“We are equally irked by the role played by Ethiopian Airline in this whole process. It does not speak well of the excellent brotherly relationship existing between our two nations…”

The remains of foremost journalist, author and national icon, Mr. Peter Pan Enahoro, will be buried in London today.

Enahoro died in the United Kingdom (UK) on April 24 this year at 88.

He became editor of Nigeria’s oldest newspaper, Daily Times, at the age of 23 and carved a niche for himself as a satirist, standing on the side of the people.

Widespread eulogies have trailed his demise.

Read Also : Peter Enahoro: Exit of legendary wordsmith

President Bola Tinubu, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, are among prominent Nigerians who eulogised Enahoro, describing him as a nationalist, astute journalist, trainer of young journalists and a nice man.

Publisher of Daily Times of Nigeria (DTN), Mr. Fidelis Anosike, said today’s interment will not end the life and times of Enahoro but elevate his legend globally.

DTN, he said, has embarked on activities to honour the late icon. The newspaper, which Enahoro led, will be 100 in three years’ time.

• Lagos, Osun, Ekiti, Benue, Kogi, Bayelsa Houses of Assembly inaugurated
• Obasa returned as Lagos Speaker, Egbedun elected in Osun •Aribasoye leads Seventh Ekiti Assembly

The Nasarawa State government has postponed indefinitely the inauguration of the seventh House of Assembly earlier billed for yesterday.

The acting Clerk of the House, Ibrahim Musa, announced this in a statement in Lafia, the state capital.

He said the postponement was based on security advice to Governor Abdullahi Sule.

The Nation learnt that the postponement of the inauguration followed a crisis which led to the election of two speakers for the incoming seventh Assembly.

Read Also : Crisis rocks Nasarawa Assembly as two Speakers emerge

They speakers are: Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, representing Umaisha-Ugya State Constituency, and Daniel Ogazi, representing Kokona East State Constituency.

Our correspondent gathered that as early as 1 a.m, 13 members-elect led by Daniel Ogazi, out of the 24 members in the Assembly, gathered at the gate of the Assembly complex in order to enter the chamber but were stopped by the police.

It was also gathered that by 4 a.m, the 11 members-elect, led by Abdullahi, arrived at the assembly complex with the intent to conduct the inauguration, but met the 13 members-elect already at the gate.

Around 7:30 a.m, Musa, who had sent messages to members-elect about the inauguration of the seventh Assembly on June 6, issued another statement postponing the inauguration indefinitely.

Also, some governors yesterday made the proclamations for the inauguration of their states’ Houses of Assembly.

Lagos, Osun, Ekiti, Benue, Kogi, and Bayelsa elected their Speakers after peaceful elections by members of the legislature.

In Lagos State, Mudashiru Obasa, representing Agege I, was re-elected Speaker of the 10th House of Assembly. 

He was nominated by Temitope Adewale and seconded by Sylvester Ogunkelu, while other lawmakers unanimously endorsed him for the position.

Obasa is serving his third term, having been elected into the Assembly in 2003.

The Assembly also elected Mojisola Lasbat Meranda (Apapa I) as Deputy Speaker. She was the Chief Whip of the Ninth Assembly.

Other principal officers are: Noheem Adams (Eti-Osa I), who was Deputy Majority Leader in the Ninth Assembly, was elected Majority Leader, while Adedamola Kasunmu (Ikeja II) was elected Deputy Majority Leader.

Mojeed Fatai (Ibeju Lekki I) was elected Chief Whip, while David Setonji (Badagry II) was elected Deputy Chief Whip.

The elections followed the proclamation of the 10th Assembly by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The governor described the proclamation as symbolising “the continuity of our democratic journey, but also the vital role of legislative power in our system of governance”.

In Osun State, Governor Ademola Adeleke inaugurated the eighth House of Assembly comprising 26 members.

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 25 members while Olufemi Popoola of All Progressives Congress (APC) retained his seat for Boripe/Boluwaduro State Constituency.

The lawmaker representing Odo-Otin State Constituency, Adewale Egbedun, was elected Speaker.

In Ekiti State, the former Chief Whip and lawmaker representing Ikole Constituency II, Adeoye Stephen Aribasoye, was elected Speaker of the seventh Assembly.

Aribasoye’s election followed the proclamation of the seventh Assembly through a letter forwarded by Governor Biodun Oyebanji and read on the floor of the House by the Clerk, Mr. Tola Esan.

The new Speaker was nominated by Mr. Femi Akindele, the lawmaker representing Irepodun/Ifelodun Constituency I and seconded by the lawmaker representing Ekiti East Constituency II, Lateef Akanle.

Mrs. Bolaji Egbeyemi-Olagbaju, representing Ado Constituency II, was unanimously elected the Deputy Speaker, while Mr. Michael Ige, representing Ekiti Southwest Constituency II, was elected Majority Leader.

The Kogi State House of Assembly elected Yusuf Aliyu-Umar (Lokoja II) as the Speaker of the eighth Assembly.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new Speaker was nominated by Rin Ebama-Shehu, representing Lokoja I State Constituency, and was seconded by Suleiman Abdulrasaq, representative of Okene I State Constituency.

Paul Enema, representative of Dekina/Okura Constituency, was elected Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.

Umar and Enema accepted their nomination and election.

The Clerk of the Assembly, Alhaji Ahmed Sule-Chogudo, administered the oaths of allegiance and membership on the principal officers.

In Benue State, members of the House of Assembly elected Aondona Dajoh, representing Gboko East Constituency, as Speaker.

Dajoh polled 17 votes to defeat his rival, Mrs. Becky Orpin of Gboko West State Constituency, who polled 15 votes.

Dajoh was nominated by Emmanuel Shimawua Terna, representing Kyan Constituency, and was seconded by Lami Danladi, representing Ado State Constituency.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has 21 of the 32 members of the legislature.

The Assembly also returned opposed Mrs. Danladi as the Deputy Speaker.

In Bayelsa State, the member representing Brass Constituency III and immediate past Speaker of the sixth Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, was reelected unopposed for a second term.

Ingobere, who is serving his fourth term in the Assembly, was nominated by the member representing Southern Ijaw Constituency II, Monday Bubou Obolo, and seconded by the member representing Sagbama Constituency II, Bernard Kenebai.

Also, the member representing Ekeremor Constituency III, Michael Ogbere, was reelected unopposed as Deputy Speaker of the seventh Assembly.

Ogbere, who is serving his third term, was nominated by the member representing Brass Constituency I, Charles Daniel, and was seconded by the member representing Kolokuma/Opokuma Constituency II, Wisdom Fafi.

The Speaker and Deputy Speaker were nominated after the Clerk of the House, Mr. Tenedia Adogu, had read the governor’s letter of proclamation of the seventh Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

Governor Douye Diri, who was absent during the proceedings, had, in a letter read by the Clerk or the House, Mr. A. Adogu, dissolved the sixth Assembly.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has explained why it suspended its planned strike scheduled to hold on Wednesday against the removal of petrol subsidy by the Federal Government.

The Congress said the strike was shelved in obedience to the ruling of the National Industrial Court (NiC) which restrained Labour from proceeding with the strike.

Justice O. Y. Anuwe issued the order while ruling on an ex-parte motion by the Federal Government through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and moved by Director, Civil Litigation, Federal Ministry of Justice Mrs Maimuna Lami Shiru.

Read Also : NLC should rethink proposed strike

The Congress noted that it also took the decision to suspend the planned strike to allow negotiations to flow freely and enable final agreement during or after the June 19 negotiation round with the Federal Government.

The NLC made these known in a communique jointly signed by its President, Joe Ajaero and General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja after an emergency National Executive Council meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

The NLC served a strike notice due to commence tomorrow, the day after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his inauguration address declared that “fuel subsidy is gone.”

The presidential announcement led to a knee-jerk reaction from petrol marketers, who immediately shut down filling stations and hiked product prices.

The order by Justice O. Y. Anuwe will remain in force pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice dated June 5.

The judge said her action was informed by the argument by the Federal Government’s lawyer that the strike if allowed, will cause incalculable damage to the nation.

The NLC, however, frowned at the ruling of the NIC for its “continuous weaponisation of the instrument of exparte injunction in favour of the government against the interests of Nigerian workers in defiance of the position of the Supreme Court on the use of this instrument.”

It directed all affiliates and state councils to suspend further action and mobilisation until the outcome of the final negotiations with the federal government.

The communique reads: “An emergency National Executive Council (NEC) of the Congress which was called to discuss the outcome of the Dialogue between the NLC and the Federal Government on the Petroleum Products Price hike after extensive deliberation observed that:

“Whereas the previous NEC-in-Session had ordered a nationwide withdrawal of Service and mass protest over the Petroleum Price hike by the federal government;

“Whereas the federal government was in breach of the 2023 Appropriation Act, the NLC will not encourage lawlessness on its part;

“Taking into account that the federal government has procured a Court injunction restraining Congress from proceeding with the proposed nationwide strike as the NEC-in-session had ordered to begin, Wednesday, the 7th of June, 2023;

“Recognising the willingness of government for continuous engagement through dialogue and to offer reasonable palliatives in due course to cushion the effect of its policies and some levels of understanding reached

“Considering the mood of the Socio-polity last elections and the need to pursue national stability and;

“Consequently, the NEC-in-session resolved as follows; to commend and applaud the diligence of the Congress’ leadership in carrying out the assignment given to it by NEC.

“To demonstrate to the federal government the need to comply with the Laws of the land especially as it concerns obedience to the rulings of the Courts and their brazen disregard to the 2023 Appropriation Act

“To therefore support and accept the decision of the leadership of Congress to suspend the proposed strike action in compliance with the flawed rulings of the NIC and also allow negotiations to flow freely and enable final agreement during or after the 19th June, 2023 negotiation round with the federal government

“To however register in strongest terms its disgust and disapproval with the ruling of the National Industrial Court (NIC) for its continuous weaponization of the instrument of Exparte injunction in favour of Government against the interests of Nigerian workers in defiance of the position of the Supreme Court on the use of this instrument.

“All Affiliates and State Councils of Congress are hereby directed to suspend further action and mobilisation until the outcome of the final negotiations.

“To commend all Affiliates and State Councils on their robust mobilisation towards a successful nation-wide strike action and to also remain vigilant in case there is a need to continue.”

Immediate past Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has accused persons opposed to the zoning of the Senate presidency to the Southsouth of deliberately laying a stumbling block for President Ahmed Bola Tinubu in the National Assembly.

Wike insisted that anybody, who wants the Tinubu-led government to succeed would work to ensure the emergence of the next Senate President from the Southsouth as determined by the President and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership.

A statement signed by Wike’s Media Aide, Kelvin Ebiri, said the former Governor spoke in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

He said: “There is something going in the country now about the Senate presidency and the House leadership, and everybody knows my position. My position is that the (Senate) presidency should come to the South-South. We are not talking about the presidency of the country now, we are done with that.

“If you agree that (Senate) presidency should go to the south, tell me the truth, where should it go? It can’t be in the Southwest. It can’t be in the Southeast. Southsouth has only produced one Senate president, far back in 1979, Joseph Wayas. Southeast has produced over seven.”

Read Also : Wike: What I will do if Tinubu offers me appointment

He said that those, who earlier fought against Tinubu’s presidential ambition were still hellbent on laying stumbling blocks for him at the National Assembly through their opposition to his preferred choice of Senator Godswill Akpabio as the next Senate President.

He said: “The party (All Progressives Congress) and the President appear to have a soft spot for Akpabio. I would have thought that people will say, look allow this administration to start on a very good foundation, so nobody gives us excuses that why this administration could not start on good footing is because of the rancour between the executive and the legislature.”

The former Governor maintained that if there is no cordial relationship between the leadership of the National Assembly and the presidency, the country will be distracted by the unnecessary power conflict between the executive and the legislative branches of government.

“If Mr. President doesn’t have a smooth administration, at the end of the day, who suffers? Is it not Nigerians? Let us believe that we are all one, let us give everyone a sense of belonging”, he said