Category: Lead

Three witnesses called by Atiku Abubakar and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said on Friday that the exercise went well in the States where they served as election officials.

Grace Ajagbonna, Abidemi Joseph and Obosa Edosa, who testified before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) as petitioners’ subpoenaed witnesses, said they were ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and served as Presiding Officers in Kogi, Niger and Edo states.

Ajagbonna, Joseph and Edosa said the whole election process went well where they served and that they complied with all the rules and regulations.

Led in evidence by petitiners’ lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), Ajagbonna, who featured as the 14th witness of the petitioners (PW14), adopted her written statement, which was  admitted by the court after the respondents registered their objection to its admissibility and promised to give reasons at the final address stage.

Under cross-examination by lawyer to INEC, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), Ajagbonna said she accredited voters, using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) device and complied with all the instructions as was handed to them during training.

Read Also: Late service of witnesses’ statements stalls hearing in Atiku, PDP petition

“The accreditation process went well. The voting process also went well. I collated the results and recorded them in Form EC8A by myself. I signed and the party agents also signed. 

“At the end of the whole exercise, I took the Form EC8A to the Ward Collation Centre and submitted it to the Ward Collation Officer,” she said.

Ajagbonna said all other aspects of the election process went smoothly except the transmission of the presidential election result.

“My Lord, to be sincere, I was not happy. I was not happy that I was not able to rltrasnmit the result of the presidential election. Everything else went peacefully. The election went well,” the witness added.

When asked if she wrote her statement herself, the witness said yes. She was however unable to explain what she meant by the word: “simultaneously.”

She had claimed in the statement, that she tried uploading the Form EC8A and election results simultaneously l, but was unsuccessful.

Upon being asked by Mahmoud what she meant by trying to upload Form EC8A and result result simultaneously, since both refered to the same item, the witness said she meant “continuously or one after the other.”

Under cross examination by lawyer to President Bola Tinubu, Yusuf Ali (SAN), Ajagbonna said all the party agents signed the Form EC8A before she took the picture with the BVAS device and later submitted it at the Ward Collation Centre.

While being cross-examined by lawyer to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Ajagbonna said, by their training, no election official or party agent was expected to leave his/her duty post during the election.

“By our training, no body else is allowed at the polling unit l, except the presiding officer, collation office, party agents, security officials and the voters. 

“A collation officer or agent and others who were assigned roles are expected to stay at their duty posts during the election, not moving about,” the witness said.

Joseph gave similar evidence, but added, under cross examination by Ali, that they were taught, during training, not to compel any party agent to sign result sheets, adding that the choice to sign or decline was that of the party agents to make.

Edosa said the election process went well but for her inability to upload the result at her polling unit.

“I did the accreditation using the BVAS machine. The process of accreditation went very well.  Voting went very well too. We sorted and counted the votes and recorded the scores in the Form EC8A.

“I entered the figures manually. After that, the party agents and I signed the Form EC8A. I tried to upload the result using the BVAS machine, but it failed. 

“What I was to upload was the image of the Form EC8A, which I had filled manually. Form EC8A is the result sheet.

“At the end of everything, I took the Form EC8A to the Ward Collation Centre and submitted it to the Ward Collation Officer. Beside the transmission, the other processes went very well,” Edosa said.

Under cross examination by Olujinmi, Edosa, like the other previous witnesses, said it was their first time using the BVAS device, having only encountered during their pre-assignment training by INEC.

At the conclusion of Edosa’s testimony, Uche applied for adjournment, which lawyers to the respondents supported, following which the court adjourned further hearing till 10 am on Saturday.

President Bola Tinubu is having his first meeting with representatives of traditional rulers from across the country at the State House Conference Centre, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting, which is said to be part of President Tinubu’s consultations with various stakeholders across the country, is expected to be discussing sundary issues, including how to achieve national healing and unity.

In his opening remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar, who led his colleagues to the meeting, said the traditional rulers visited the President to congratulate and  assure him they would be supporting him in the huge task of running the nation.

He noted that the council of traditional rulers is replete with professionals from various fields of human endeavour, making the council a useful pool for the President to draw expertise from, adding that they will be ready to always answer his calls whenever he needs their services.

Read Also: The kind of security chiefs Tinubu needs, by Olugbon

The Sultan also expressed the traditional rulers’ confidence in the ability of Tinubu to bring the country to the path of progress, saying that they would support him in his task of concretising the renewed hope agenda.

Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Adewusi, urged President Tinubu to make more use of the traditional rulers especially in tackling insecurity, saying: “Mr. President, use us. Use us. Use us.”

Those in the meeting are Vice President Kashim Shettima; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator George Akume; Sultan of Sokoto, the Ooni of Ife, Emir of Kano, Obi of Onitsha, Tor Tiv, Etsu Nupe, Deji of Akure,  SGF, Shehu of Borno, Permanent Secretary, Elegushi of Ikate, Jaja of Opobo, Lamido of Adamawa, Emir of Zauzzau, Gbong Gwom Jos, Attah Igala, Alake of Egbaland, Shehu of Borno, a representative of the Oba of Benin.

Details shortly….

• Lawmakers intensify lobbying ahead presiding officers elections
• Yari, Kalu adamant

The support base of Senator Godswill Akpabio, who has been endorsed for Senate President by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), widened yesterday.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s parley with National Assembly members-elect has boosted his chance and the aspiration of Tajudeen Abbas for the House of Representatives Speaker.

Akpabio (Akwa Ibom Northwest), and Abbas (Zaria Federal Constituency, Kaduna State) were endorsed by the ruling party, following the zoning of the Senate President to the Southsouth and Speaker to the Northwest.

APC has also endorsed Barau Jibrin (Kano, North) for Deputy Senate President and Benjamin Kalu (Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State) for Deputy Speaker.

Read Also : Tinubu right to remove fuel subsidy- APC Professionals

Yesterday, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun re-echoed the earlier statement by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma that all APC governors are backing the party’s candidates for presiding offices.

APC has 59 senators-elect, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 36, LP has eight, NNPP has two, SDP two, APGA one, and YPP one.

In the House of Representatives, APC has 178 members, PDP has 117 and other parties have 65.

The president has met with the senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect twice in the last 48 hours to drum support for the candidates endorsed by the party ahead of the June 13 inauguration of the National Assembly and election of presiding officers.

He met with APC Federal lawmakers on Wednesday and with all of them, that is, the ruling party and opposition members, yesterday.

At yesterday’s meeting were Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Ahmed Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila. 

Last night, leaders of the opposition caucuses in the proposed 10th National Assembly met to further deliberate on the outcome of the president’s meeting with them.

At the meeting, Vice President Shettima emphasised the importance of cohesion and national unity.

He said the zoning proposed by the party for the election of the presiding offices is in line with the current reality of a same-faith presidency, which necessitates a Christian Senate President.

A source said the vice president urged the APC senators-elect to make sacrifices and embrace party supremacy at this critical time.

Two of the contenders – Abdulaziz Yari and Orji Uzor Kalu – were absent at the meeting, an indication that they are pressing ahead with their mission.

Two other senators supporting Yari, one from the Southwest and another from the Northeast, also did not show up.

At Wednesday’s meeting with APC senators-elect, President Tinubu emphasised the imperative of national understanding and harmonious working relationship between APC and opposition senators in the national interest.

The president reiterated his support for the zoning endorsed by the ruling party, urging APC senators to embrace it as a collective decision.

President Tinubu said: “At this point in our history and with challenges facing us as a new administration, all hands must be on deck to salvage the unpalatable situation facing the nation. 

“We must see the situation as a pan-Nigerian project for the executive and the legislature to work out solutions to the challenges of the nation.

“Finding solutions to the myriads of national problems cannot come from the executive arm of government alone but by the working together of the Executive and the Legislature”.

Also yesterday at the meeting with all National Assembly members-elect, the President urged them to work for the country’s good and to eschew partisanship.

A House of Representatives member-elect, Adamu Ranga, told reporters after the meeting: “Mr President emphasised that he will run an open-door policy. 

“He said we should put our constituencies first since we are here to represent them. 

“He mentioned that he wants the Senate and the House to cooperate to elect good leaders.”

A source at the meeting said: “The opposition senators-elect gave a positive assurance. They were happy about the way the president approached them and explained critical matters to them.

“The issue is religion. It cannot be ignored. Even, in the international community, there is the understanding that religious domination is not an agenda that is worthy of pursuit

“So, on the Akpabio project, we are making steady progress.”

Expect surprises, says PDP

The PDP said the APC may be in for a surprise.

National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, told reporters that all the opposition parties constitute a majority.

He said this numerical strength will be deployed to frustrate the APC’s plans to dominate the National Assembly leadership.

Ologunagba said: “The PDP leadership is working together with our members-elect and opposition parties.

“Irrespective of the ongoing claims in the media, I want to inform you that the PDP has a clear direction which we hold close to our chest.

“Our members are united in that direction and it will show on the floor of both Houses of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

“In all, we do not discountenance the fact that put together, the opposition parties have the majority in the National Assembly which we are ready to deploy maximally.”

An LP House of Representatives-elect, Victor Ogene, said his party had not decided on how to vote.

He said once a decision is made, they would go in the same direction.

“I can assure you that we are going to vote en bloc. Consultation is on. 

“I do not know those we will vote for yet, but I know those we will not vote for.

“We will not be railroaded in choosing anybody. It will be a conscious decision,” he said.

Two ad-hoc  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials for the February 25  presidential election said yesterday that the exercise went without hitches where they served.    

The duo – Friday Omachonu Egwumah and Grace Timothy- said they served as polling unit Presiding Officers (POs)  in two states. 

They were subpoenaed witnesses by the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who are seeking the nullification of the election of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as president.

Egwumah, a former National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) member, who served at Unit 017, Ward 03, Aba North Local Government Area in  Abia State, testified as the petitioners’ 12th witness (PW12). Timothy, also an ex-NYSC member served in Bauchi. He was PW13. 

They gave similar evidence, insisting that the conduct of the presidential election complied with the relevant rules, guidelines and laws in their activities, including delivering the original signed copies of the collated polling unit results (Forms EC8A) to their various Ward Registration Area Collation Centres.

Read Also: Late service of witnesses’ statements stalls hearing in Atiku, PDP petition

While being cross-examined by INEC Lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), Egwumah said he could not immediately upload the results of the presidential election but that he succeeded in transmitting those of the National Assembly elections.

Egwumah said it was also possible to transmit results through offline mode, where pictures were taken of the results sheet with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) automatically transmitted by itself anywhere one encounters network challenges.

The witness said he took the copy of the presidential election result sheet along with the other results to the ward collation centre as required. 

“I was very happy with the conduct of the election. I was happy the exercise went well where I served,” he said.

 Egwumah, who was also, cross-examined by Tinubu’s Lawyer, Wole Olanipekun (SAN),  said: “I did a very good job on that day. I did not breach any law or regulations while performing my duties.

 ”Part of my activities, as a PO, was to announce the results of the polling unit. Labour Party won in the polling unit where I served.”   

 Under cross-examination by the lawyer to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Egwumah said he acted all through the election, according to the training he got from INEC.

 He stated that when he got to the ward collation centre to submit the results from his polling unit, he met the ward collation officer, agents of the various political parties and security operatives.

 Timothy, while being cross-examined by Mahmoud said: “I conducted my affairs at the polling unit as I was trained. I carried out the accreditation of voters with the BVAS device which went smoothly. 

 ”Voting went well in my polling unit. I completed Form EC8A   myself and signed it before delivering it to the ward collation centre. It was the results recorded at the polling unit that I submitted at the ward collation centre.”

 Earlier, Mahmoud, Olanipekun and Fagbemi objected to the adoption of the written statements made by the subpoenaed witnesses, which were filed on June 6.

 Olanipekun, who was the first to raise an objection, argued that the petitioners acted in violation of the provision of paragraph 4(5) of the first schedule to the Electoral Act 2022 by not filing the witness statements along with their petition as required.

 He cited three earlier decisions of the Court of Appeal, arguing that it was wrong for the petitioners to file witness statements outside the period allowed by law.

 Olanipekun added that the provision made no distinction between a willing witness and a subpoenaed one. He stated that it was only the court that could invite a witness on its own outside the time provided by law for parties to do so.

 He urged the court to reject the statements, numbering five.

 Mahmoud, who also cited additional decisions of the Court of Appeal on the issue, said the correct position of the law is as stated by Olanipekun, adding: “The provision of the Electoral Act requires that all depositions be front-loaded.”

 But Atiku’s Lawyer, Chris Uche(SAN), offered a counter-argument and urged the court to allow the statement. He contended that it would violate the petitioners’ right to a fair hearing if the witnesses, who could easily be cross-examined by the respondent’s lawyers, were denied the opportunity to testify.

 Citing some previous decisions of the Court of Appeal, Uche argued that the requirement of front-loading applies only to willing witnesses and not subpoenaed ones.

 He consequently urged the court to discountenance the objection raised by Mahmoud, Olanipekun and Fagbemi.

 The court rose briefly to consider the arguments. When the court returned, it announced that it has elected to reserve its ruling until the day of judgment. 

Further hearing in the case resumes today. 

However, lawyers to  LP  and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, continued the presentation of their case by calling a witness, Anthony Chinwo,  who described himself as a software engineer and architect.

Led in evidence by one of the lawyers, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN), Chinwo said he did not vote during the election. In his written statement,   he stated among others in paragraph 16 that the results of the election and other relevant data were uploaded.

 Under cross-examination by Lawyer Tinubu, Yusuf Ali (SAN), Chinwo said he stood by his assertion that the results were uploaded but not in real-time.

 The witness also confirmed his assertion in his statement that it was only INEC that can determine the mode of transmission of results of any election it conducted.

 Chinwo said he was not in a position to say the number of software deployed by INEC in the conduct of the general elections.

 Under cross-examination by Mahmoud, Chinwo said he did not okay any role during the last election and that he has not developed any software that has been used to conduct any election either in Nigeria or abroad.

 He said that the Amazon Web Services (AWS) used by INEC during the election was the safest provider of cloud computer services globally.

While being cross-examined by Fagbemi, the witness admitted that he omitted to describe himself as an Architect in his written statement and that he also failed to provide his profile, including his qualification and the schools he attended.

 At the conclusion of Chinwo’s testimony,   Ikwueto argued two motions, in which clients are seeking the court’s permission to serve some questionnaires (interrogatories) on INEC outside the pre-hearing session.

 Ikwueto said the questionnaires, which contain about 12 questions, deal substantially with the cardinal issues in their petition, which is mainly on non-compliance.

  INEC lawyer,  Pinheiro, Akin Olujinmi for Tinubu and Vice- President, Kashim Shettma, and Olanrewaju Akinsola for the APC, opposed the motions by the petitioners and prayed the court to dismiss them.

 Trouble, however, crept in when at the point of tendering more documents the court discovered that the Forms EC40G (summary of registered voters in polling units where elections were cancelled or did not hold) which the petitioners’s lawyer, Paul Ananaba (SAN), tendered were not properly arranged.

 Angered by the development, the Presiding Justice,   Justice Haruna Tsammani, wondered why the petitioners’ legal team could not do a tidy job despite their number.

 ”You have the names of over 100 lawyers in your team. Yet, every time, you keep making mistakes,”   Tsammani noted.

 Another member of the court’s five-member panel, Justice Stephen Adah, noted that the manner the petitioners arranged their documents was confusing.

 The Justices made efforts to salvage the situation by suggesting how the documents could be better arranged. 

 But, on realising that the development was unduly delaying proceedings,   Tsammani ordered the petitioners to go home and put their house in order. 

He said: “Go and arrange yourselves and come back tomorrow. We cannot afford to continue to waste time.”

 The Presiding Justice then adjourned further proceedings till today.

President Bola Tinubu has signed into law the bill on uniform retirement age for judicial officers.

Tinubu signed the bill into law on Thursday.

Read Also: Enugu Governor meets Tinubu, seeks Kanu’s release

The bill was passed by the outgoing Ninth National Assembly.

Details Shortly…

President Bola Tinubu is in a meeting with members of the defunct ‘G5 Governors’ at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The group made up of Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde; former Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia); Ifeanyi Ugwuwanyi (Enugu) and Samuel Ortom (Benue) are all members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The group is considered to have been friendly with President Tinubu and contributed to his electoral victory in February.

Read Also: PHOTOS: President Tinubu meets with EXXON mobil executives

Although the reason for the visit is yet to be known, it is believed Makinde and the former Governors would be seeking to take advantage of their cordial relationship with the President to gain political capital. 

Makinde and Wike have frequented the Villa a couple of times in the last few days

Details Shortly…

The Federal Government has declared Monday, June 12 as public holiday in commemoration of 2023 Democracy Day celebration.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government.

She congratulated all Nigerians on the occasion.

Akinlade, in a statement, said Nigeria’s democratic journey has, like in many other climes, encountered stormy and smooth sails.

Read Also: Tinubu’s biopic, “Last Man Standing”, to premiere June 12 in Lagos

 “But the ship of State, it’s institutions and most importantly, the Nigerian people have remained steadfast on the tenets of democratic governance,”she asserted. 

“On this memorable occasion therefore, Nigerians and friends of Nigeria are invited to appreciate the progress that has been made, celebrate the milestones covered and look forward to a better future for the country’s democracy.

“The Permanent Secretary wishes all Nigerians a Happy Democracy Day celebration, ” Dr Akinlade said. 

President Bola Tinubu is meeting with Govenrors Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau) and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting, which started minutes after 11am, is coming hours after the President held his maiden parley with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) where he called on the Governors to work with the Federal Government.

Read Also: ASUU to Tinubu, IGP: Arrest killers of Prof. Ajewole

Eno was however not at the Wednesday meeting.

It is not clear, as at the time of filing this report whether Tinubu is meeting both Governors together or in separate sessions. 

The agenda of the meeting is also not known.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday gave marching orders to the National Economic Council (NEC) to immediately work out palliatives to mitigate the effects of petrol subsidy removal.

He met for the first time with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) members.

The governors, who President Tinubu mandated to end poverty in their states, restated their backing for subsidy removal. 

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun told reporters that the President hinted at the instruction to NEC during the meeting with the governors.

A statement by the Director of Information at the State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye, quoted the President as saying: “We can see the effects of poverty on the faces of our people. 

“Poverty is not hereditary, it is from the society. Our position is to eliminate poverty. 

“Set aside partisan politics. We are here to deliberate about Nigeria and nation-building. We are a family occupying one house, and sleeping in different rooms. 

“If we see it that way and push forward, we will get our people out of poverty. A determined mind is a fertile ground for delivering results.”

The President said good governance would safeguard the future of democracy.

“Present in this room is our diversity in culture and politics, but we are one nation. The unity and stability of the country rest upon us.

“We are in a democracy and we have to nurture the democracy. It is a hard-earned system and not easy to manage. 

“If anyone thinks it is easy, look at other nations who are over a hundred years in democracy.

“We have managed ourselves very well to have a democracy. We have campaigned and arrived at our present destination. We must work for our people,” President Tinubu told the governors while assuring them that he would maintain an open-door policy.

The President said he was prepared to share ideas, strengthen institutions, and create bottom-up frameworks that will improve the livelihood of Nigerians.

Read Also: Mitigating the effects of subsidy removal

“What do we do in the face of crushing poverty? What do we do with our development goals? We took the bull by the horns by removing the elephant in the room before the nation sinks. 

“We need synergy to fight other vices like corruption. We are trying to get smugglers out of the way. 

“How do we work together to galvanise the economy, and put resources in place? We must think and perform.

“After removing subsidy, there must be savings accruing to the Federation Account,” he said.

President Tinubu said the education sector must be improved as part of efforts to reduce poverty and penury.

He added: “How do we address the unacceptable level of poverty? How much are we investing in education, which is the only tool against poverty? I am ready to collaborate with you.”

The governors, led by its chairman, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, expressed happiness with the President’s subsidy-removal decision, all-inclusive leadership and statesmanship.

“The NGF will follow the tradition of working constitutionally and harmoniously with you,’’ he said.

At the meeting were governors Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Abba Yusuf (Kano), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos).

Others are Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Rev. Ft. Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Nasiru Idris (Kebbi), Alex Otti (Abia), Hope Uzodinma (Imo), and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi).

The deputy governors of Edo, Philip Shaibu and of Niger, Yakubu Garba, represented their states.

Abiodun yesterday led members of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) to the President.

The Ogun governor said President Tinubu asked for a coordinated approach between the government, through the NEC and the economic team, and petroleum marketers, to structure out a wholesome intervention.

For the long term, he said Nigeria should consider an energy transition to compressed natural gas (CNG).

Abiodun said: “Mr President has announced today that NEC should immediately begin to sit, led by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

“He directed that the committee of NEC, alongside the economic team and the marketers should sit down and come up with a wholesome approach that will be beneficial to the common man and the generality of Nigerians.

“Whatever it is, be it minimum wage increase, be it transport allowance, be it the provision of any form of intervention, are only stopgaps.

“What we need to begin to look at is energy transition for the whole country. 

“We need to begin to look at what obtains in other countries like Egypt, where they have converted all their mass transit to run on CNG. 

“In some other countries, their vehicles are running on either CNG or running on electricity.

“That will be sustainable and will allow us to transport people, goods and services at reasonable prices. 

“That is the kind of thing that we are looking at, the kind of discussions that we’re having with Mr President and the kind of approach that this administration is looking at in terms of sustainability.”

Abiodun also met with Labour leaders in Ogun.

He said his administration was looking into ways of cushioning the post-subsidy removal hardship.

The governor said: “We are not, as a responsible administration unmindful of the consequences that the regulation would cause in terms of its effect on the disposable income of the workers.

“We have noted that the price of Petrol is now N500 from slightly above N200. 

“There is a relationship between the cost of PMS and transportation and cost of transportation and cost of goods and services.

“Since the announcement, as the governor and a player in the industry, I have been concerned about the multiplier effects as it would affect workers going to and from work and how it would affect their responsibilities and wellbeing.”

DAPPMAN hails ‘bold step’ 

DAPPMAN hailed President Tinubu for taking the bold step to end the subsidy.

It promised to donate Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) compliant buses, worth N10 billion, to boost Nigeria’s mass transportation network.

The Chairperson of the association, Mrs Winifred Akpani, spoke while briefing reporters after the meeting with President Tinubu.

Read Also: Senate shifts valedictory session as Tinubu meets Senators-Elect tomorrow

She said: “We have prayed for this day to come and we’re happy that the day is finally here.

“We did pledge that we are going to work at providing real mass transit buses that work; the ones that will work on CNG and diesel interchangeably and hopefully we are going to start with about 50-100 and that is in a very short time.

“These are locally produced vehicles, so we are also providing jobs because we are using local assembly plants; we are not importing the buses and that is less pressure on our foreign exchange and more jobs for Nigerians.”

The Independent Petroleum Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) endorsed the use of CNG as an alternative energy source to cushion the effect of subsidy removal.

IPMAN National President, Chinedu Okorokwo, said CNG is cheaper.

“An alternative that is cheaper than even firewood, which is CNG, will not only create relief for the government and its citizens but it is environmentally friendly.

“The CNG is abundantly available in Nigeria than anywhere in Africa,” he said.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Professional Forum said President Tinubu did no wrong in implementing the policy.

It appealed to Nigerians and Labour leaders to give the President the benefit of the doubt as he works to fulfil his campaign promises.

At a briefing in Abuja, its Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairman, former Minister of Aviation Mallam Isa Yuguda, said: “It was uncharitable to blame the President for the attendant hardship.

“We commend the two Labour centres for heeding the voice of reason by first returning to the negotiation table after an initial reluctance, and later by agreeing to suspend the planned nationwide strike that was not necessary in the first place…

“Our message to Organised Labour is for them to trust the man Bola Ahmed Tinubu and to trust the process.

“President Tinubu is a promise keeper. He will keep his vow to review workers’ salaries which he first hinted at even before his team went into talks with Labour over fuel subsidy removal.

“We have an administration in place led by a pro-people President that will keep to the terms of his Renewed Hope agenda so NLC and TUC as well as the good people of Nigeria have no reason to doubt that the agreements will be kept.”

Chairman, Imo State College of Education Governing Council, Ihitte Uboma, Eze Oliver Ohanweh, said subsidy removal was a good move.

According to him, successive administrations used the oil subsidy, mounting debt profile and servicing of over $10 billion in debt as excuses for abandoning projects that would have impacted positively on the well-being of the masses. 

“Now that they have removed the subsidy, let things change for good. 

“So, the best thing that has happened to us is the removal of the petrol subsidy. 

“I think President Tinubu should be commended for that,” he said.

Labour: No agreement yet with Fed Govt 

Also yesterday, Labour said it has not reached an agreement with the Federal Government on its demands following the end of petrol subsidy.

It said all its demands have been harmonised and presented to the government for deliberation.

Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Festus Osifo said this when he appeared on Sunrise Daily on Channels.

He was joined on the show by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president Joe Ajaero.

Osifo said the items would be addressed at the June 19 meeting between the labour and government team.

The TUC President said: “We have not reached any agreement with the government. 

“We have presented our demands to them and we expect that by our next meeting, we will harmonise.

“The government will tell us what they can do and we will also bring our own data to the table during the meeting.”

Ajaero called for an investigation of the subsidy regime.

He said: “Let this government not wave aside the payment of subsidies. It must be investigated. 

“Can we find out what has happened and those that have received this money?”

• Lawan rates ninth N/Assembly best
• Valedictory session to hold Sat

No fewer than 75 senators-elect are backing Senator Godswill Akpabio for Senate President ahead of next week’s inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume said last night.

Ndume, who was re-elected from Borno South, said Akpabio, who enjoys the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will succeed Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

Ahead of the election of the National Assembly presiding officers on June 13, aspirants for Senate President are intensifying their consultations and mobilization.

The valedictory session in the Senate has been shifted to Saturday.

Ndume, the Director-General of Akpabio-Barau Campaign (ABC), who spoke on a Channels Television programme chided the leadership of the ninth Senate for being rubber stamp lawmakers.

Akpabio may even turn out as the consensus candidate because as talks are ongoing to convince other senators, who are still showing strong interest to contest against him.

Explaining why Akpabio was endorsed by the APC, Ndume said: “It is about justice; it is about equity; it is about the constitution. It is about doing what is right and standing for what is just for this country.

“This country belongs to all of us.  We all know what has played out in this country that led to the emergence of the president being a Muslim, the vice president being a Muslim. There is a need to balance the equation.

“Section 14 of the constitution is clear on this.  That section says that the country should be run in such a way that no tribe, religion, section of the country will feel marginalised. So, the natural thing to do is to get somebody from the South and particularly from the South-South. And that person happens to be Akpabio. 

“This is because he is the most ranking Senator from that area. 

“He has the experience and he is from the South-South.  That is why I am supporting him.

“Many Nigerians and the Senators-elect, I mean my colleagues, are on our side and by God’s grace, Senator Godswill Akpabio on June 13, will emerge as the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.”

Ndume, who acknowledged that some APC senators were opposing Akpabio’s ambition, said the party was still talking with them and the tension was dwindling by the day.

He maintained that Akpabio is the candidate to beat.

Ndume said: “When we started, we hit the ground running and in one week, we were able to get endorsement from 60 senators.

“As I am speaking to you, I have 75 senators that have signed the candidature of Senator Akpabio as the next Senate President. Those few former governors of the party who are now senators-elect opposing the candidature of Akpabio does not in any way encroach on the fact that Akpabio already has 75 senators-elect on our side. All advantages are on our side. One, we have the support of the party. Two, we have the support of the president, and three, we have the support of most of the senators, which is most important in this case.

“This campaign is not about Akpabio, it is about a fair Nigeria where equity and justice reign.”

On whether Tinubu can change his mind on Akpabio, Ndume said: “If Tinubu gives you his word, go and put it in your bag. He will not change it.

“In 2019 when I wanted to contest for the office of the Senate President, I went to Tinubu.

“He told me that he had already committed himself to Ahmad Lawan.  And he didn’t change that. Tinubu is a man of his word and if you have been following his kind of politics, you’ll know that once he makes his intentions known, he does not change it.”

On the consensus option, Ndume said: “We are looking at a situation where we will have a consensus that will eventually favour Akpabio.

Ndume said Tinubu does not need a rubber stamped – National Assembly.

He said: “He is an experienced legislator, who needs a very vibrant and agile National Assembly this time around.

Read Also: Those opposing Akpabio laying stumbling block for Tinubu, says Wike

“This was lacking in the ninth Assembly where the executive will bring a request and they will just endorse without intense interrogation.”

Senate holds valedictory session Saturday

The outgoing Ninth Senate shifted its valedictory session earlier fixed for today (Thursday) till Saturday.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan told reporters in Abuja the shift became necessary to allow senators-elect meet with President Tinubu.

Tinubu meets APC leadership, National Assembly members-elect  

Also yesterday, President Tinubu held an enlarged meeting with the Senators and House of Representatives members-elect.

They were led to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

The meeting, which held at the State House Conference Center, was called ahead the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.

Although the meeting was held behind closed doors, as the media was not permitted coverage, it was learnt that the lawmakers-elect were told to work together to ensure victory for the party’s choices in the National Assembly’s leadership race.

A source who spoke under conditions of anonymity said President Tinubu admonished the lawmakers to rise above self-interest, saying the APC has a golden opportunity to work through the government to better the lots of Nigerians.

He said the President told members going into the Senate and House of Representatives to harmonise and do so in the interest of the party and Nigerians.

“The President said there’s no need for squabbles, that if members of the same party find it difficult to agree, what impression would they be giving those in the opposition,” he said.

Lawan said the 9th Senate would find consolation in its numerous achievements.

He said: “Our partnership and collaboration with the executive helped us to achieve so much. We broke so many jinxes, we reverted the nation’s budget cycle to January to December.

“This is a kind of thing that makes us happy because we have been able to make a change.”

The Senate President noted that every achievement has a price, saying: “If you achieve what you are required to achieved, you will be given a name. If on the other hand you failed to achieve you will also be given a name.”

He added that President Muhammadu Buhari assented to over 112 bills passed by the Ninth National Assembly, thus making the outgoing parliament one of the best in terms of performance in the 4th Republic and current political dispensation.

He listed the major bills passed and assented to by Buhari to include the Bank and Other Financial Institutions Act, Security and Exchange Commission Act, Electoral Act.

Lawan said some of the Acts have reformed the economy, industry, social environment and the electoral system.

The Senate President said the claim that the National Assembly is gulping substantial national resources is false.

He said because the nation’s legislature is still developing, the country must pay a price to develop its institutional capacity.

He said: “Out of the N19trillion 2023 budget, National Assembly with about eight institutions tied to it got N128billion representing 0.8 per cent of the budget.

“I believe we have to work to support our parliament to grow. Members of National Assembly are as patriotic as any Nigerian out there.”