The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • Group refutes claims by Fayose aides

    Group refutes claims by Fayose aides

    The National Coordinator of Democracy Vanguard (DV) Mr. Adeola Soetan, has refuted the claim by the Director of Information, Ayo Fayose Campaign Organisation, Mr. Gboyega Aribisogun, that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is training fake electoral observers.

    In a statement, he said the false alarm that the party was training  fake observers on the group’s was misleading.

    He said: “Ordinarily, we would not have dignified such balderdash and tissue of lies with a response, but, for the sake of some gullible people, who might be infectious consumers of this mendacious allegation.”

    Soetan explained that DV, a nonpartisan, nonpolitical organ-isation, has no political relationship with political parties, and candidates.

    He added that the aim of DV is to mobilise the electorate for the full participation in elections, defend the sanctity of elections and entrench the inalienable rights of Nigerians to freely choose their leaders.

    Soetan said: “Contrary to the shameless fabrication that DV members were being clandestinely trained as fake election monitors by APC as alleged by Gboyega Aribisogun, the Director of Information, Ayo Fayose Campaign Organisa-tion, we hasten to say that election monitoring is least considered and not on our priority list.

    “The sanctity of electoral processes leading to election is of more significant to us for now. Our members and volunteers in Ekiti State are daily campaigning in nooks and crannies of the state on voters’ education and interfacing with election managers to guarantee free and fair election in the state.”

    He challenged the Ayo Fayose Campaign Organisa-tion to report any act that is capable of endangering free and fair election to law enforcement agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), if it was sure of the spurious allegation.

     

  • Political leaders have failed Okun people, by Oloworaran

    Political leaders have failed Okun people, by Oloworaran

    Comrade Kunle Oloworaran is a community leader in Okunland, Kogi West Senatorial District. In this interview with Assistant Editor GBADE OGUNWALE, he speaks about the marginalisation of the Yoruba in the Northcentral state and how their sense of belonging can be restored by government.

    There is muffled disenchantment among the Yoruba speaking people of Okunland, in the Kogi West Senatorial District. Having voted massively for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2011 elections, the electorate are beginning to feel short-changed. According to them, most of their elected leaders at various levels have not kept their electoral promises, three years after they were elected. One of the leaders of the community and grassroots mobiliser, Comrade Kunle Oloworaran, has vowed that the Okun people may, be forced to rethink their loyalty ahead of the  next year’s general elections.

    According to him, the people are have discovered a credible alternative in the All Progressives Congress (APC). “We believe that there should be legitimacy and morality in government and that our leaders ought to be judged by their words. Posterity will not forgive us if we allow our leaders to lead us by the whims or in manners that could cause disunity among our people. The vehicle that will usher in the wind of change is always the people and as such Okun people should be considering the need for change and for a system that will allow our land have a sense of belonging on well-structured democracy,” Oloworaran said.

    Stressiing that the integration of Okun people is basic to their development, he said henceforth, local politicians would be identified and endorsed based on their antecedents and past records. He said: “It is important to elect the right people at the helm of affairs in Okunland for us to enjoy the benefit of democracy in 2015 and beyond. So we have decided to vote for people that will be sensitive to our plight and who will be willing to improve the lot of the masses. This time around, we are going to vote for credible individuals, regardless of the political party or the platform on which they may be seeking election. The political leaders that will represent Okunland come 2015 should be individuals with the a tradition of proven honesty and strong moral principles.

    “They should be those who have the ability to learn, understand and think logically. They should be development-oriented and commitment to using their position to improve the welfare of the people.” Deploring what he described as the winner-takes-all mentality among the local politicians, Oloworaran said many of the political leaders in Okunland are arrogant, unaccountable and repressive in outlook. According to him, they tend to believe that power is derived from their financial prowess, rather than the people, who are their source of authority. Oloworaran admonished the politicians to exercise caution in their dealings with the electorate and  place the interests of the larger community above their personal interests. “Our people in Okunland are being ignored and the fortunes of the common people are fast dwindling.

    “The quest for wealth among our politicians has been allowed to snowball into a monster that is almost squeezing the breathe out of our various communities,” he lamented. Oloworaran decried the situation where cars were allegedly distributed to selected traditional rulers and some local politicians in Okunland as patronage, saying that over N40 million was committed to the project. “It is sad to note that the political leaders in Kogi West Senatorial District don’t believe that our people deserve befitting development. They have made it impossible for credible people to emerge as leaders at various levels of political representation. Come 2015, we are going to mobilise our people to vote wisely and avoid falling prey to the dictates of the money bags in our midst,” he said.

    On the poor infrastructure in Okunland, Oloworaran said  politicians have done very little for the people that elected them. He lamented that  the local healthcare system has continued to deteriorate, while the roads have become death traps. The education sector, he said, leaves much to be desired at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

    Leaders representing Okunland in the Senate and House of Representatives are not spared. According to him, they have failed to fulfill their electoral promises to the people three years into their four-year tenure, saying that the people are surprised to hear these politicians seeking re-election ahead of the 2015 general elections. Oloworaran stated that the electorate in the various communities in Okunland would not be led by the whims into voting for a particular party in the 2015 elections. “They will vote for people who are patriotic enough to use their finest minds for the good of the land.  We should not allow certain moneybags who are determined to use packaged funds to deceive us. We must not allow desperate politicians to further under-develop Okunland. We must avoid old pitfalls by not voting in wrong candidates,” he added.

    To drive home his point, Oloworaran quoted the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, while declaring open the first congress of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) on October 2, 1978: “We are about to tread a new path.”

  • What Lagosians expect from Fashola

    What Lagosians expect from Fashola

    As Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola moves into the last lap of his administration, Lagos residents list the areas he should focus on to sustain the tempo of development. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN reports.

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola is on the last lap of his eight-year tenure. Analysts believe his administration, like that of his predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu , has changed the face of Lagos through their of people-oriented policies and landmark projects.

    Fashola, according to them, has proved wrong his critics who seven years ago wrote him off because he was not a professional politician. Their assumption then was that the emergence of a dark horse as governor would draw back the hand of the clock in the Centre of Excellence.

    Political observers are of the view that Governor Fashola has raised the bar of governance and that his regime has become a role model for other state governors. He has excelled in service delivery, transparency, accountability, and policy execution, no matter whose ox is gored. They argued that his administration has impacted positively on Lagos residents through massive road rehabilitation, clean environment, construction of new classrooms in public schools, ensuring security of lives and property and traffic law enforcement.

    Commendable as the performance of his administration is in the last seven years may be, the people of Lagos are expecting more from him even now that he is in the last year of his tenure. The message is that Governor Fashola should sustain the tempo of his performance till his last day in office.

    A resident of Okokomaiko along Badagry Expressway, Mr. Justus Okereafor commended the governor for his effort in expanding the highway from six to 10 lanes to ease traffic flow on the international route that links Nigeria with other West African countries. Okereafor noted that even though the highway leads to Seme, the point of entry where the Federal Government generates huge revenue, the Lagos State government has taken it upon itself to rebuild the road. He said before the state government intervened, the road was a death trap, dotted with giant man-holes that caused traffic gridlock. Okereafor, who commutes between Okokomaiko and Victoria Island daily for work, said he used to spend five hours when going back home from the island. But, according to him, since the reconstruction started there has been a little improvement. His plea to Governor Fashola is that he should give completion of Badagry highway priority.  He should make it a parting gift not only for those who live within the axis, but all Nigerians and foreigners that ply the road.

    Okereafor said of Fashola’s administration: “He has tried for Lagos State just like former Governor Bola Tinubu. My appeal to Fashola is that he should not rest on his oars. He should continue to perform until he hands over to his successor.  He also advised the leadership of All Progressive Congress (APC) to put the interest of the people of the state into consideration when searching for Fashola’s successor. I think  they should lay emphasis on ability to perform and transparency, so that the good work started by Tinubu and consolidated by Fashola would continue.

    A banker and resident of Ikorodu, who works on Lagos island, Mr. Hakeem Oladimeji, also commended Fashola for his commitment towards improving the welfare of Lagosians. He spoke of the traffic problems he encounters on daily basis along Lagos-Ikorodu highway, saying the on-going expansion of the road is a bitter pill the people have to swallow. Ironically, the highway also belongs to the Federal Government, but the Lagos State government in its bid to ease the traffic jam along the road is undertaking a giant step of increasing it from four to six lanes.

    Oladimeji said he must leave home by 4.30 a.m., if he must get to his office by 7.30 a.m. According to him, “under normal circumstance, the journey from Ikorodu to CMS in Lagos Island should not take more than 45 minutes. I still face the same problem on my way back home. Sometimes, I return home by 12 midnight or by 1.00am.” He said when the road construction is over, it would bring joy to those who make use of it and boost the economic activities of the state. “It is on this basis that I find it imperative to appeal to our amiable Governor Fashola to tell the contractors to accelerate the completion of the road project. This call has become absolute necessary in view of the fact that Governor Fashola has just only one year to spend in office.  This project must not wait for another regime to complete. Fashola should take full credit for the project,” he added.

    On her part, Mrs. Janet Awobusayo, a trader, wants Governor Fashola to construct more markets before leaving office. Awobusayo, who was a shop owner at Tejuosho market, Yaba, said many of the shop owners at the market before it was reconstructed had been displaced because they cannot afford to pay what the developers are demanding.

    “ Where will I get N10 million to pay for a shop?  For almost six years now, many of us are out of business. The state government promised that the former shop owners would be given priority in shop allocation after reconstruction, but the terms and conditions being put in place by the developers are beyond our reach. The best that the state government can do to placate us is to build new markets that will be within the reach of the ”real” market women. If Governor Fashola can do that for us before he leaves office, we will never forget him.”

    The security challenge in the country is the concern of Ahaji Mustapha Ibrahim. He said Governor Fashola should not to relent in his efforts to make Lagos a no-go area for criminals. Ibrahim lauded him for setting up Trust Fund for security to which the private sector has been making huge contribution. The fund, according to him, has made it possible for the state government to procure equipment for federal police operating in the state. The state also motivates those serving in Rapid Response Squad through payment of monthly allowance.

    He wants Governor Fashola to mobilise other governors in the country to ensure that the National Assembly adopts the recommendation on the establishment of State Police.  He said the existence of local police side by side with the federal police would enhance crime detection. Local police are in a better position to tackle crimes in their area of jurisdiction because they are familiar with the terrain, he said, and added that the creation of state police will create jobs for the unemployed youths.

    Mustapha urged the Fashola regime to intensify its fight against street urchins, touts and undesirable elements whose stock in trade is to foment trouble and unleash terror on law abiding citizens. He said the Task Force on environment has gone to sleep as “area boys” have taken over the bus stops again.

  • Avoiding electoral violence in Ekiti

    Avoiding electoral violence in Ekiti

    As Ekiti State prepares for the governorship election, stakeholders are worried that the poll may be characterised by violence, unless frantic efforts are made to halt the thuggery and arson that have characterised the campaigns. EMMANUEL OLADESU reports.

    NEXT month, the people of Ekiti State will troop out to cast their votes at the governorship election. However, ahead of the poll, the campaigns have been characterized by thuggery, violence and arson.

    The three main candidates-Governor Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Governor Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele of the Labour Party (LP)-are campaigning in the rustic communities.

    There are accusations and counter-accusations among the parties. The party leaders are trading blames. While the APC has accused the PDP chieftains of heating up the state by the violent activities of suspected thugs, the PDP has also accussed the ruling party of intolerance.  In many towns and villages, posters of candidates have been torn by thugs. Billboards have been pulled down.

    Also, rallies have been disrupted. In some instances, it took the intervention of the police before the private residence of notable politicians were not burnt attack. But, there have been vandalisation of campaign vehicles and physical assault on crowds  on campaign grounds. Although the state has been peaceful in the last three and half years, the electioneering has altered its transquility. Three days ago, the Director-General of the Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Hon. Bimbo Daramola cried out that some desperate politicians wanted to take Ekiti back to the dark days.

    On daily basis, the police is inundated with complaints by party officials against unruly behaviour  among party followers.

    Two weeks ago, Vice President Namadi Sambo described Ekiti as a war front. It was reminiscent of the do-or-die slogan of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. When the number two citizen said that Ekiti as a war zone, the statement elicited wild condemnation. Fayemi was taken aback. He observed that the stament has connotative interpretation. Other eminent Nigerians also chided the Vice President for the inflammatory statement. But, Sambo has not come out to deny it.

    A chieftain of the APC, Hon. Smart Akinyemi, who frowned at the statement, said: “The first interpretation of the statement is that they want to use the federal might in Ekiti. When they used it in 1983, the old Ondo State was in flames. When they used it in 2003 and 2007, people went to the court. The court process is slow. If they try it this time around, they know the consequence. Federal might, to me, means, that they are planning to rig. Federal might also means that they want to induce the INEC and ask those in charge of police to misuse the security agents for the election. It will not work”.

    Daramola blamed the PDP for the return of violence. He said that the atmosphere of gangsterism, insecurity, immaturity and crudity, which ended with the PDP’s misrule in 2010, has returned.

    “The spectre of an Ekiti governor going under a wire barricade at the airport, with its attendance negative connotation and bad publicity for the state and her people, has receded to distant memory, thanks to  Fayemi. Those who gave Ekiti a bad name by exhibiting traits that are the very anti-thesis of the concept of Ile Eye, those who showed glaring disregard for traditional authorities and those who turned a well-respected state into a theatre of the absurd are back, asking the same people they traumatised in their time to vote them into office again. They claim they are now better human beings, forgetting that a leopard does not change its spots,” Daramola said.

    The legislator urged the people to be vigilant. He allged that unpopular candidates were pepetrating violence so that people would not come out to vote. Ekiti, he said, would not dance to their drums of war. “Therefore, we feel compelled to remind the good people of Ekiti State, both within and outside, that eternal vigilance is the price of freedom, and that the Ekiti people must not and will not return to Egypt,” he said.

    Other organisations have also warned against rigging to prevent violence in post-election period.  Democracy Vanguard, a which has started an anti-rigging campaign in Ekiti, has vowed to resist the “do-or-die politicians who still see elections as warfare with violence and thuggery as weapon of political victory “ Its leader, Adeola Soetan, said that “if there is free and fair election, there will be peace.”

    The Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms (CODER), has also listed the conditions for credible polls. Its coordinator, Ayo Opadokun, said: “The INEC must conduct a hitch-free poll. This can be guaranteed, if the commission does not repeat what it did in Anambra State. The police must not become a tool in the  hand of the PDP. Credible election observers from home and abroad should be accredited to monitor the polls. If there is one man one vote and opportunities for voters to defend their votes, all wil be well.

  • Race for Oyo parliamentary seat hots up

    Race for Oyo parliamentary seat hots up

    Oyo crown Prince Hakeem Adeyemi and Hon. Kamil Akinlabi are the House of Representatives aspirants in Oyo Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Correspondent BODE DUROJAIYE writes on the scramble for power in the Alafin’s domain.

    Seven months to the National Assembly elections, the battle for the Oyo Constituency seat is gathering momentum. The contest is between two aspirants under the banner of the All Peoples Congress (APC): Hon. Kamil Akinlabi, who is serving his second term in the House, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi’s son, Prince  Hakeem Adeniyi Adeyemi, who is the Atiba Local Government Caretaker Chairman.

    In the view of many observers, Prince Adeyemi is a formidable force in the race, not only because of his father’s influence, but also because of his popularity at the grassroots, especially in Afijio, Atiba, Oyo-East and Oyo-West local governments that make up the constituency.

    Besides, there is no ward in the constituency that has not benefitted from the gestures of the prince. Adeyemi has rendered assistance to indigent pupils, provided funds to farmers, potable water for the town and villages, and given empowerment to over 7,000 who are beneficiaries of his skill acquisition programme.

    Indications that the monarch’s son has a good chance of making a reasonable impact in the race for the seat in the lower chamber emerged during the recently concluded party congresses at the ward and local government levels.

    At the congresses witnessed by APC National Monitoring Team Leader, Honourable Lanre Balogun and the Independent National Electoral Commission as observers, candidates loyal to Prince Adeyemi’s faction of the party cleared majority of the seats.

    For instance, at both Wards 8 and 9 in the Atiba council area, where the contest was chaotic, the monarch’s son floored his closest rival, Kamil, who is from Ward 8. Prince Adeyemi is from Ward 3.

    There were allegations of rigging levied against Prince Adeyemi’s faction, but these were rebuffed by both the national and state monitoring teams of the party, security agencies, as well as INEC officials who unanimously affirmed that the conduct of the elections was successful in eight of the 10 wards in Atiba.

    In Oyo-East, where the opposing factions agreed to settle for consensus, it was an easy ride for the faction sympathetic to Prince Adeyemi, led by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Alhaja Monsurat Sunmonu. The faction garnered the support of over 70 per cent wards and local government party executives.

    Commenting on the outcome of the congresses, Balogun expressed satisfaction over the impressive turn-out of party members and the orderly conduct of the congresses.

  • ‘Orji will hand over to competent successor’

    ‘Orji will hand over to competent successor’

    Former Special Adviser on Public Communication  Abia State governor, Ben Onyechere, in this interview with Musa Odoshimokhe speaks on the 2015 succession battle in the state. 

    What are the issues that will shape the 2015 election in Abia State?

    There will not be issues because everything is in line and there is unity of purpose in all that takes place in the state. During the period of Orji Uzor Kalu, there was indiscipline in the political arena.

    In this dispensation  however, Abia State Governor Theodore Orji as the leader of PDP in the state has promoted discipline as far as the political atmosphere is concerned. As a result, anybody can now aspire to any position in Abia State. This was not the case in the past.

    But, he is yet to announce his successor…

    The governor will not allow just anybody to come in as the next governor. He wants somebody who he can trust to build on the foundation he has laid. He wants someone who will add value to what is currently on ground. Theodore Orji will not want anybody to jeopardize the architectural legacy he has built in the state. Anybody who is coming to take over from him will be thoroughly screened, he must be a performer, he must be disciplined and possibly come from among the ranks. He must not be somebody who will come from the top. Definitely, it will not be a case from top to bottom; he can’t afford to beat about the bush in this matter. The governor will certainly support anybody who will live up the expectation of the people.

    Are you saying there was no foundation on the ground when Governor Theodore Orji came on board?

    There was no foundation when he took over governance; there was no foundation in the state at all. The former governor came as a dictator; he was playing politics of propaganda. He siphoned most of the fund coming to Abia State and used it in his private capacity. The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has already mentioned this. He did much more than you could meet the eyes in Abia State. He did not build anything nor lay a foundation that could be built upon. He merely did some political whitewash on some roads which crumbled as soon as he left. That is why the current government has the credit. His successor Theodore has succeeded where Kalu failed. Kalu never wanted anybody to succeed where he failed.

    But, there are records to show that Orji Kalu succeeded…

    If I may describe the person of Governor Theodore Orji in clear terms, I have never seen such a man before. You could take him for granted, but he knows how to handle the situation rightly. He is somebody who is exposed because of the type of education he had. Orji Kalu thought he could take him for granted because of his subordination and patriotism. He thought he could use him as a soft landing even though he was more popular than him. Theodore Orji brought credibility to Kalu’s government even though the buck stops on Kalu’s table. For someone to have worked as chief of staff for eight years with him, he knew his worth and wanted to use the man as soft landing because that was the only way out.

    Was that the reason why they quarrelled?

    Yes, but the quarrel did not start suddenly; it was premeditated. Orji Kalu had this subtle plan to stop Governor Orji, so that he will be denied a second term. The issue began to arise when Orji refused to succumb to the dictates of Kalu. He wanted to remain in a position where he will continue to dictate the political pace in Abia. But, unfortunately for him, those of us who are in the national office of the PPA thought he could not do this to him. The issue is not about Kalu and Theodore, but Kalu and the whole of Abia State. We saw him as a virus because Abia is made of intellectuals. The state can boast of many political big names, so it was not easy for Kalu to achieve that. You can fool the people some time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. So, it was not just Kalu versus Theodore, but Kalu against the people who said no to his antics. The people said Theodore should be allowed to maximize the political gain the state started enjoying under his government. Abia people said he would do much better if was given eight years, otherwise they would not allow him to control the state afterwards.

    Kalu wants to come to the PDP. Why is Abia PDP not allowing him to return?

    The same question has been recurring over and over again. He knows that there is leadership in place, and that  he cannot be leader anymore. His main objective is to play the spoiler’s game once again. He is not coming back to help rebuild the party, because he has his own party. His party, the PPA, is still a living party, so how can he be in two parties? Nobody will allow such a thing. He has to resolve the PPA matter before talking of the PDP.

    What is the assurance that what happenned between Kalu and Orji will not happen between Orji and his successor?            

    Kalu’s case is peculiar in all circumstance. Everything to him is a game in the name of commercialization. He wants to achieve commercial gain from any venture. He wants to maximize gains. In any case, like I am telling you, Governor Orji will sit down with the elite and the people of Abia to screen somebody who has passed through the ranks. He must be somebody who has a name to protect.

     What will be the preoccupation of Governor Orji between now and the next election?

    He will be occupied with the completion of the developmental programmes started under his watch. He is so much concerned about rewriting the history of Abia State. He is a disciplined person; he is somebody who value his name. Hope you are aware that he has reinstated those Abia indigenes who were temporary put out of job in the Abia civil service? Remember he did the biometric staff audit to ascertain those in the civil service. He started so many things and wants to make sure they are completed before he leaves. He wants to rebuild and rebrand the state. The political development he has brought to Abia state is still evolving under him.

  • INEC wants to bungle Ekiti, Osun polls, says CODER

    INEC wants to bungle Ekiti, Osun polls, says CODER

    The Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER) yesterday flayed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its decision not to use the card reader for the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.

    The group said the decision is clearly ominous, adding that it has implications for free and fair elections.

    The group’s coordinator, Mr. Ayo Opadokun, said that the decision on the card reader has affected the confidence of the voters, ahead of the polls. He warned against bungling the elections, saying that malpractices would be resisted.

    He said: “The card reader is expected to make double or multiple voting and impersonation impossible because on the presentation of your voters card, your fingerprint will be tested with the card reader.

    “The card reader will either validate or invalidate your claim of being a genuine voter. This certainly is supposed to be a significant step forward towards achieving credible elections and where every vote must count as demanded by Nigerians and the international community”

    Opadokun said that INEC’s position on the voting arrangement is suspicious, stressing that  the non-usage of the card readers would allow room for impersonation.

    He told reporters in Lagos that the non-usage of the card reader may pave the way for the usage of “clown voter’s  card”, warning that the scenario may lead to  confusion, accusations and  violence.

    Opadokun added: “If the INEC’s turnaround position of not using the card reader is allowed to be, it means that the necessary trial runs  of the card reader in the immediate elections holding in June and August to test the genuiness or the lack of it, the credibility or otherwise, of the machine has again been dubiously frustrated.

    “If the prospect for testing the card reader to establish the accuracy of the technology, the knowledge and expertise of INEC ad hoc staff (the human users) are postponed, until 2015 general elections, it could be imagined that there is an alterior reasons for such a negative policy. The size of Ekiti and Osun states as a small size compared with the entire country are golden opportunity for INEC and the general public to be acquainted with the use of the technology.

    “In 2010, in consequence of the nationwide and international agitations for a computerized voters register, INEC requested and was allocated over N80billion for the entire process of purchase and production of credible bio-metric voters register. Unfortunately, inspite of the patriotic warning and appeal from both local and international publics that the acquired Direct Data Capturing (DDC) machines that were customised for Nigerian should be technically tested for seemless functionality was ignored, the ad hoc staff (enumerators) of INEC (mostly Youth Corpers) were never trained in the usage of the machines. The INEC wrongly estimated that most Youth Corpers were computer literate which was not to be”.

    Opadokun emphasised that, due to the avoidance of trial runs,  the computerised voters’ registeration was in vain, pointing out that the errors have not been corrected, despite the claim made by the commission to save its face.

    He also alleged that “the DDM malfunctioned and there were significant issues with the batteries leading to many delays, nationwide”.

    Opadokun said that the most important facility, the “Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS)”, which was expected to clear up multiple registrations and detect under-age registrations, was equally neglected nationally, except in Cross Rivers State.

    “The consequence of the lack of the usage of AFIS has led to the production of bogus and inflated register where INEC would tell the public that they have registered 60-70 million voters but the analysis always indicate that not up to 25 per cent  eventually voted and the many cases of voters whose names were missing from the register on voting day’s inspite of some feeble efforts being made in the last two years or so.

    “As a result of our platform’s commitment to ensuring that every vote must count, we are calling on well meaning Nigerians to mount credible campaigns to ensure that the already purchased Card Readers are deployed and test run in Ekiti and Osun states respectively. This is important so that Electoral Management, body, local and international publics are equipped for the prior usage and experience of the Card Reader performance before the nationwide general elections. Insisting on medicine after death policy as INEC has done repeatedly should be resisted.

    “INEC should be happy to test run the card reader as to how it can be used, operated and deployed for maximum benefit to the entire election exercise in order to prevent multiple voting and impersonation.

    Opadokun urge vigilance, recalling that the electoral commission has never lived up to expectation in the conduct of isolated elections, including the senatorial election in Delta Central, governorship elections in Anambra and Edo states and the recent federal parliamentary election in Ondo State. He said the elections exposed INEC’s ineptitude and inability to to ensure timely distribution of sensitive electoral materials.

    He said Nigerians should mount pressure on the commission to test the card reader in Ekiti and Osun so that the  rumour going round in the two states that certain candidates are already cloning Voters Cards for multiple voting and impersonation nipped in the bud.

    Opadokun added: “CODER has it on good authority that one or two particular candidates and their party topmost leadership have recently embarked upon CLONING of Voters Identification Numbers (VIN) for the purposes of helping them to be able to do multiple voting and impersonate genuine registered voters. This stated uncovered ingenious agenda can only be possible if there is no usage of card reader which is a near perfect machine that can detect clown cards as it’s correlated with the voter’s finger print.

    “Lets for once act our talk. Exporting what Nigeria does not have (credible) election to Sierra Leone, Liberia etc is disgraceful. Every vote must count”.

     

  • Ohanaeze backs Fayemi for second term

    Ohanaeze backs Fayemi for second term

    The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ekiti State Chapter, has said that Igbos  would support Governor John Kayode Fayemi’s  for a second term because the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag bearer in the June 21 governorship election is transforming the state.

    According to the group’s leader, Prince Nathaniel Uzoma, Igbos in Ekiti State are partners in progress with their host community adding that they will vote for the candidate that would bring peace, stability and progress to the state.

    He said:  “There have been pressures from different quarters on the stand of Ndigbo living in Ekiti State on the forthcoming governorship election. Let me state categorically that Ndigbo has enjoyed and maintained rosy relationship with successive governments in Ekiti State, including the incumbent Governor Fayemi. Remember that Ohanaeze Ndigbo is a socio-cultural organisation and not a political party, but even at that we still have the right to exercise our fundamental human rights, which include the right to vote for who we want to govern the state.

    “If a father has six children, he does not cast some away and embrace others. That is not the characteristics of a good father. A good father accommodates all his children, but when it becomes necessary settles with the one that has shown him love and care. That is our position. We want peace, stability and progress in Ekiti State. We want our interest to be upheld and protected and we will vote for the candidate that would make that possible.”

     

     

  • ‘PDP has no future in Kwara’

    ‘PDP has no future in Kwara’

    Kwara State All Progressives Congress (APC) Secretary Prince Yemi Afolayan spoke on the Ahmed Administration, the activities of the party and the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP)’s struggle for relevance in the state. ADEKUNLE JIMOH met him.

    There were allegations that can-didates were imposed during the recent APC ward, local government and state congress. What is your reaction?

    I feel sorry for those who made that allegation. If they follow the political history of Kwara State, they would know that those of us who moved with our leaders from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) have moved with the election winning machinery that we inherited from the late Dr Olusola Saraki.

    And when we moved to the APC, we moved with 193 councillors, elected 16 local government council chairmen, 22 members of the House of Assembly, all state, local government and ward executives. By the time we left the PDP there, was none left. For anybody to get up and say party executives were imposed in APC, the person has just woken up from the wrong side of the bed. In any case, who has complained? People at the venue of the congress saw genuine joy on the faces of the delegates that came and there was a loud ovation. So, there is nothing like imposition.

    How will the APC react to the zoning of the governorship from Kwara Central to another zone in 2015?

    The PDP, as far as we are concerned, is a finished party. When we moved, there was nothing left and, because there was no person of substance that was left, that was why they went and brought one Solomon Edojah to come and steer the ship of what was left in the PDP. Then, if there was anybody left, they could have picked that person. Then, the PDP started groping its way in darkness. That also snowballed when President Goodluck Jonathan came to Kwara. The national headquarters of the PDP did not know they did not have anybody. They even went ahead calling our telephone numbers as if we were still with them. They called several times; the National Women Leader of PDP called the state women leader, who moved to the APC to help organise people to take Ankara for them, not knowing that there was nobody of substance left. They came to Kwara disappointed and that informed their decision to hire people, Jews and Gentiles from neighbouring states, to fill the Metropolitan Park, just to receive President Jonathan. Today, as I tell you, anywhere they pick their candidate from, certainly, they have lost Kwara.

    For instance, our leader, Senator Bukola Saraki, in his normal routine visit not too long ago on a weekend, was received by a huge crowd. He had to trek from the airport to the Emir’s palace. This is somebody that has the control of the party, the people and government. When the PDP says it is picking its governorship candidate from the Central for one particular reason or the other, it shows that it is living in a fool’s paradise.

    In 2011, two governorship candidates came from the Central; Senator Gbemisola Saraki of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) and Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN) of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). At that time, our leaders picked Abdulfatah Ahmed from Kwara South and won with landslide victory. So, I don’t see any reason why anybody should lose sleep on the PDP picking candidates from anywhere, even when the PDP leaders are in disarray.

    Are you saying that Ilorin people will not vote for one of them, if a party decides pick its governorship candidate from there?

    What we are saying is that there is loyalty to Senator Bukola Saraki; there is loyalty to the APC in Kwara Central. Come rain, come sunshine, the people will vote for the party of their choice, which is the APC that is doing wonderfully well in the state. Because the APC is in government now, it is in charge and control and the people love what the government is doing. It is not a question of whether Ilorin people love or hate their own. What goes around comes around.

    But, the PDP claims that Governor Ahmed has underperformed..

     I like that word “claim” because it is very difficult to wake up somebody who is not sleeping. The PDP chieftains claiming that Governor Ahmed is not performing are either blind or they cannot hear. Otherwise, they would have seen that the governor has built on the performance of his predecessor and the unprecedented development going in every senatorial district is unequalled to any they could think about. If they say that he is not performing, it is giving a dog bad name so as to hang it.

    Abdulfatah Ahmed has renovated the General Hospitals in Ilorin, Offa, Omu-Aran, Kaiama and Share. Apart from that, there are several basic health centres across the state that have been massively renovated and equipped.In the education sector, over 450 classrooms have been built and renovated by Governor Ahmed and the opening of rural roads is there. There is the supply of transformers across the state. 70 percent of the communities now enjpoy electricity. The PDP chieftains are talking with their tongues in the cheek.

    Some people in the PDP have said that Dr. Saraki won the previous elections because of the support of the Federal Government and that the situation will change next year…

    When they talk of the federal might, it amuses me because anybody who hasn’t got the people cannot get votes. The Abuja people are not coming to Kwara to vote. They are talking about the Federal Government bringing finances. Look at the Federal Government that is corruption-ridden. Some of its ministers are enmeshed in one corrupt case or the other and the government has lost credibility. You are talking about the federal might, a government that has no shame, a government that is sitting down doing nothing and secondary school girls are being abducted by the Islamist sect, the Boko Haram. A government that has no sense of security. Is it the government that will come to us in Kwara where there is peace and harmony? They can’t disturb the peace of Kwara. Even, when they come with political gangsterism, we will not allow that to happen. The Federal might has nothing to do with the election when people come out to vote for who they want. The PDP that is talking about the federal might is still living in yesteryears.

    Is the APC not threatened by the decision of three former governorship candidates and a billionaire businesswoman, who is very close to the Presidency, to fight it at the poll?

    I like that combination. It is an amalgam of people who are failures. The billionaire you have just mentioned does not even know where Marafa-Pepele is talking about politics of Kwara. This is somebody who is completely out of touch with the state.

    A business person invests his money where it will yield returns. I am made to understand that that business person has invested so much that, even for the presidential rally they did in Kwara, the party is yet to pay her back. So, would she now put her money into bottomless pit? Anybody who spends his money on the PDP in Kwara is putting his money on bottomless pit and will never have a reward. So, we are not threatened. Who are the governorship candidates? Gbemisola Saraki, Mohammed Dele Belgore and Abdulrahaman Abdulrasaq. All of them put together have failed before and they will fail again.

    What is the plan of the APC for Kwara in 2015?

    TheAPC government will be a continuation of the foundation of development that was laid by Senator Bukola Saraki. Before 2003, the state used to be a civil service state. But, since the advent of Dr Bukola Saraki’s governorship endeavour, the state has changed.  The state has now become the commercial nerve centre of the North Central geo-political zone. People are coming to Kwara because it is a state of harmony. The commercial life is springing up every day and job opportunities now abound. In 2015, the government of the APC will make life more abundantly meaningful to Kwarans.

    Critics have also said that the Saraki dynasty is fond of fielding candidates who are not popular in their domain…

     The Saraki dynasty does not have penchant for picking politicians who are not popular in their areas. The first qualification, second and third in politics is loyalty.

    What happened to Senator Simeon Ajibola, who is described by some people as a sleeping senator, was because of his loyalty to Oloye, not because he was popular or better. For the insignificant people we left in the PDP, actually, we have not lost anything. Some of them have been coming back and we accept them because, when they go, we don’t feel it. When we left, the national headquarters of the PDP felt it as the house became empty in Ilorin. Then, they went and took an office in Zango area of the town. If you know the history of the building, nobody has ever occupied it and did well. Even, a good restaurant was put there and it failed. They have failed by picking an office that is synonymous with failure. The APC is comfortable. We are on course. Nobody died during our congresses as we don’t believe in political rascality

     

  • Will Wada complete his tenure?

    Will Wada complete his tenure?

    Kogi State Governor Idris Wada is counting days to the end of his tenure, his chance of completing the tenure still hangs in the balance. But the judgment in a suit filed against him will be delivered on May 12.

    Alhaji Mohammed Jamiu Audu, who contested on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) as the deputy governor, is asking a Federal High Court in Abuja to declare the primaries that threw up Wada  as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),  candidate as illegal, null and void. Audu is claiming  that the PDP had no candidate in the election.

    Justice Abdulkadir Abdulkafarati fixed the May 12 ruling date, after listening to arguments from lawyers to parties in the suit instituted by the politician.

    Named as defendants in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Wada, Jibrin Isa Echocho, the PDP, former governor Abubakar Audu and the Attorney General of the Federation.

    It is the plaintiff’s main contention that the process leading to the conduct of the December 3, 2011 Kogi governorship election, from which Wada emerged as a major beneficiary, was allegedly manipulated by INEC in violation of the Electoral Act.

    The plaintiff, who said he participated in the ACNs primaries and emerged it’s deputy governorship candidate, Professor Yusufu Obaje,  prior to May 28, 2011, argued that he remained a legitimate candidate of the party, even when Obaje went to another party.

    Audu, who queried the legitimacy of the INEC’s decision to substitute him and Obaje with Abubakar Audu in the December 3, 2011 election, argued that the process that produced Wada as the PDP candidate  violated the Electoral Act.

    The plaintiff, who raised five questions for the court’s determination, wants the court to, among others, declare that he is the valid and legitimate winner of the election, and therefore, entitled to be sworn in as the governor.

    He also wants the court to order Wada to vacate office, and for the state’s Chief Judge to swear him into office immediately.

    He equally prayed the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining Wada from further parading himself as governor.

    The plaintiff’s lawyer, Mackings Nezianya, after adopting his final written address  argued his counter affidavit to the separate objections filed by INEC, Wada and PDP.

    In relation to the substantive suit, Nezianya urged the court to grant his client’s prayer and discountenance the counter – arguments by the defendants.

    He argued that  his client has the locus standi to institute the suit, adding that the court has the jurisdiction to hear the case, in view of the provision of Section 87(9) of the Electoral Act.

    Nezianya urged the court to engage in a community reading of Sections 31, 33 and 87(9) of the Electoral Act before deciding the case.

    The plaintiff’s lawyer had, while responding to the defendants’ preliminary objections, argued that the case cited by Wada’s lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), were misconceived. He said they do not support the issue at stake in his suit.

    Relying on Order 26 Rule 3 of the Federal High Court’s Civil Procedure Rules, he urged the court to disregard the objections by the INEC and the PDP on the ground that they were incompetent, the defendants having failed to indicate any ground supporting their objection.

    Uche argued that the plaintiff lacked the  locus standi to institute the case on the ground that the plaintiff, not being a member of the PDP, cannot contest the process adopted by the PDP in choosing it’s candidate.

    He observed that Audu failed to sue his party, which allegedly substituted him with another candidate and under whose banner he contested the election.

    Wada’ lawyer also challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the suit. He argued that the suit related to post-election issues that could only be taken before the election tribunal.

    Consel  to INEC and PDP equally argued in similar manner and urged the court to dismiss the suit. Whichever way the pendulum will swing will be finally decided on May 12.