Category: Politics

Stakeholders have listed conditions for a free and fair governorship election in Ekiti State at a sensitisation programme in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. It was organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Correspondent MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE, who witnessed the meeting, examines the challenges the commission must tackle to avoid a repeat of the flawed Anambra State poll.

The next governorship election will hold in Ekiti State on June 21. Ahead of the poll, there is anxiety among the stakeholder. Since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) bungled the governorship poll in Anambra State, many people have lost confidence in the agency.

How to ensure a free and fair election has been on the front burner in Ekiti State, since the commission released the timetable for the poll. At a recent stakeholders’ meeting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, party stalwarts, traditional rulers, women and youths expressed the same concern. The meeting, which held at the Great Eagle Hall, Ajilosun, was presided over by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

The leaders of the major political parties, including the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) witnessed the session. Also, the mushroom parties were represented.

The chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers, the Onitaji of Itaji, Oba Adamo Babalola, spoke on behalf of monarchs. He urged the commission to live up to expectation by conducting a peaceful poll.He commended the commission for working to overcome its shortcomings in previous elections. He said the improvement of the voter’s register is an indication that the commission is serious.

The Chairman of the Accord Party, Dr. Days Onatayo, lamented that mercenaries are imported from other states to vote during elections. He urged the INEC to forestall the fraud. “We want to see what the INEC can do to prevent political parties from bringing people from neighbouring states to participate in the registration exercise and the election proper. The commission must also prove that it can be depended upon in the discharge of its duties,” he said.

The APC Chairman, Chief Jide Awe, thanks INEC sincerely for their efforts and urged the commission to look into how it will address the issue of some polling booths with more than 500 or 1000 voters effectively manned and viable for the edition.

Awe called on INEC to produce the permanent cards for those who have lost their cards and ensure that the 177 wards in Ekiti State receive electoral material promptly.

Some of the stakeholders in their remark called on the commission to guide against allowing partisan observers fielding the commission with negative information. They observe that such information which are not articulated in public interest but on selfish ground had in the past marred the electoral process.

Ekiti State Labour Party Secreatry, Hon Abiola Olowookere called on INEC to guide against election observers who disguised as observers but were out to work for people in government, stressing that it should set standard criteria to be used in selection of election observers.

“Some observers who monitored the last election in the state later became local government caretaker chairmen in the state,” he said.

It is believed that since the commission would be testing running the PVC system in Ekiti it must prove that the exercise is dependable since this is going to be the first experiment in the country.

The electoral commissioner supervising the Ekiti election, Prof. Lai Olurode said the commission will not disappoint in the task of living up to the expectation of the people.

He stated that the commission is completely detached from politic and was not interest in who occupies any office but ensuring that the electorate have the ample opportunity of making their choice during the exercise.

“We are here for the purpose of a addressing the Ekiti election successful conduct. We are not here for politicking. INEC has no interest in whoever emerge as the governor or any office as the case maybe.

“We use this occasion to call on every stakeholder to join hand to provide maximum security for the election process because the police, army and INEC alone cannot provide the security everybody must be involved by obeying the rule and report any case of misdemeanor,” he said.

The commission further used the occasion to call on politicians to adhere to the INEC time table. According to Prof. Jega those were seeking political support through the flagrant display of their posters and the use of bill board were not complying with the commission’s rule.

He said: “As I was driving through the streets of Ekiti this morning, I saw the posters of politicians and bill broad seeking electoral vote, this is illegal and contravention of the law. I will advise them to go and remove them because the commission frown at this and will not take it.”

He added that anybody caught registering twice will disqualified from participating in the election. According to him, INEC has succeeded in eliminating multiple voting and that result sheets were now customized making it difficult to perpetuate fraud in the electoral process.

Jega was not indifferent to the public opinion on the capability of INEC to conduct a peaceful poll. He described election as a joint enterprise involving the cooperation of stakeholders. The INEC boss said: “This is the largest gathering of stakeholders. I think it shows the interest the stakeholders have about how we can truly improve the electoral and ensure that voters are enlightened, that they can vote the right kind of people to hold public office.

“Our responsibilities as the INEC is to manage election and to also do our best enlightening people, act responsibly and avoid shortcomings. So, this meeting is to brief you adequately about our preparation, both for the 2015 general election and, in particular, the governorship election in Ekiti State, which has been schedule for June 21.”

The INEC Chairman spoke on efforts being made by the commission to ensure a hitch-free exercise. He recalled that, ahead of the 2011 polls, the agency had registered 73.5 million voters. Jega lamented that there were multiple registration, technical hitches and other shortcomings on the part of the commission. He added: “But, for the first in the history of registration in Nigeria, we were able to produce a biometric register.”

Jega however, clarified that, through the advanced finger identification process, multiple registration was eliminated.

He stressed: “Since we moved toward Ekiti State, after all the hullabaloo in what happened in Anambra State, we have further taken adequate measures to improve the integrity of the register for Osun, Ekiti and for the rest of the states.”

The INEC chairman thumb his chest that the political parties could go and do their investigation and interrogation on the viability of the exercise the commission had embarked on, stressing that if they notice any anomaly they should not hesitate to contact the commission.

He maintained that only REC officer asked to step aside was the one indicted by the Court of Appeal, and challenged those who have any misgivings against the commission to come with evidence.

“Do not distract us with any spurious and unsubstantiated allegation because we want the system to keep on going. We will do our best to remain focussed. We welcome constructive criticism. We will take abuses until our stomachs are filled and we can no longer stomach them.

“We will do our best to remain impartial and non partisan, anyone working against what we stand for shall be dealt with, we are doing our best to make the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State the best.

He called on stakeholders to pay special attention to the process which INEC will use in ensuring that its transparency was not in doubt, adding that all the parties would assess the register which for the first time is going to use the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) in the conduct of election in Ekiti State.

“All that we have said we are giving the register to the political parties, we are going to distribute and Ekiti State is the first place are going to use the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) which we have produced.

“This PVC has a limited has a limited purpose for now, in Ekiti State it only those who are in the register that we are going to show you that will have the PVC, so if you are not on this register you will not get your PVC. So, we are going to do continuous voters registration so that anybody who has become 18 years since the last registration in 2011 will be captured.”

He further said political parties must show concern in those the use as agents during election, noting that some of the were susceptible and easily bought over by parties other than the ones they represent.

The INEC boss explained that the commission would be partnering with political parties to train their agents will further train agents for the parties in order to improve the conduct of election in the country.

Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Hussaini Pai urged the people to make use of their educational awareness by ensuring that the election is conducted with decorum.

He added that the commission in the state had always been in touch with critical stakeholders, adding that this had largely advanced the process of electioneering in the state.

“Preparatory to the governorship election in Ekiti State, the commission has embarked on lot of laudable programmes to create awareness and educate the general public which include the voter education on electronic voting, an attempt to catch them young for democratic governance and prompt briefings on election procedures.”

Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo may not be a consummate public relations practitioner, but his understanding cum effective use of different communication techniques – for example body language and dress – is as fascinating as his interpersonal communication skills. At any given day you are more likely to spot Dankwambo at an event or meeting in his immaculate sky-blue guinea brocade shaddaBabbar-riga. Indeed, his admirers call him The ‘Man in Blue’. The colour always stands him out of the crowd. He reminds you of the late American President John F. Kennedy, who was not fond of overcoats for outdoor events, which made him come across as more virile and stronger than his overcoat–wearing colleagues.

Gombe State, where Dankwambo is today in charge, is strategically located in the North-Eastern zone of Nigeria. It shares borders with all the other five states in the zone: Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Taraba. Most of the vast land (20,265 sq. Km) of Gombe is cultivable, which unarguably makes it one of the major food baskets of the nation. About 80 percent of its 2.4 million people are engaged in agriculture. A number of basic food and cash crops are produced in the state. They include a wide variety of cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Mineral resources such as limestone, kaolin and gypsum are found in commercial quantity in the state.

The economic potential of the state is obviously enormous. With Ashaka Cement factory located in the state and three cotton ginneries spread across it, Gombe has taken the path of industrialization. There are also abundant water resources for irrigation farming and other agro-allied activities. The DadinKowa Dam, for example, is the second largest dam in the country after Kainji Dam. It is a multi-purpose dam with a capacity of 1.77 billion cubic metres of water and over 44,000 hectres of contiguous arable land as well as a generating capacity of 34-40 megawatts of electricity. The people of the state are known for their commercial enterprise. This is being complemented by the state government’s efforts in creating an enabling environment for investment and other commercial activities. This situation is attested to by a recent World Bank report in which the state was rated the second state in Nigeria in terms of ease of doing business.

There is a general perception that, for a variety of reasons that have become well known, the pace of economic activities in the much of the northern part of Nigeria has considerably slowed down over the past six years. However, Gombe, is challenging that perception as careful study of what is happening in the state in the last two years will show.

Given its huge potential, it is pertinent to ask: what is the administration of Dankwambo doing differently to harness them to advance the state socio-economic development and challenge the negative perception of the Northeast zone? The initiatives of the government of Gombe State are numerous. It’s enough to mention a few here.

The first is the vision of the administration in developing the human resource capacity to meet the challenges of its socio-economic development needs. Since its inception the administration has invested handsomely in education, based on a vision premised on developing skills for the future industrialisation of the state. The state has its gaze fixed on developing the mining industry in the state in the very near future. Today, the human resource to drive that industry is being prepared. For example, 25 students have been sent to China to study various courses in Mining and Mineral Engineering. Another 25 headed to Ghana to study agricultural extension. In the same drive, 20 students have been sponsored to Scotland and India to undertake degree programs in Marine Engineering – so that the state can contribute its quota towards the development of the nation’s marine industry.Not a bad idea for a patriotic people and their government. This initiative, amongst others, is said to be the first of its kind in the history of the state.

In line with the same vision, the government has established more tertiary institutions in various parts of the state. Such new institutions include: School of Basic and Remedial Studies, Kumo; College of Education, Billiri; Gombe State Polytechnic, Bajoga and College of Legal and Islamic Studies, Nafada.

While these developments at the tertiary level are taking place, a foundation is being laid for a robust primary education. With much of the infrastructure for primary education dilapidated, who can think of hospitals in the schools? But the government of Dankwambo has built more than 45 model primary and secondary schools spread across the state. Most of these schools are equipped with a doctor’s office, staff quarters and laboratories which foster basic skills development and sound educational foundation for next generation of Gombawa.

Infrastructure is another area that Dankwambo is making the difference. A tour of the state will convince one that the incumbent administration knew the prime place of infrastructure for any sound economic development. Building roads may not be the news but the standard to which it is being build is the news. The township roads in Gombe are being build with crash stone, the road building materials used to build the roads in the FCT. This material gives road longer life span of several years. Examples of such formidable roads include Bajoga-AshakaGari; Akko-Bula-Abuja; Kona-Tukulma-Tumu covering a total of 66 kilometres.

With a growing population coupled with ever increasing number of business and industries, the administration of Dankwambo knew very soon there will be demand for housing accommodation. To address this need, government knew it cannot provide the housing requirement (there is a 5000 housing unit deficit in the state), so it is encouraging private investors into the lucrative market through the state’s property and investment company (GSIPDC). Today a GSIPDC is building 50 housing units at Shango Housing Estate with a loan facility secured from a Tanzania based Housing development Company Shelter-Afrique. GSIPD has also secured another loan facility and is building another 240 units at Tumfure Housing Estate. All these houses and many others under construction across the state will eventually be sold to private individuals and interest corporations.

It’s intriguing how, within such a short period, the former employee of the Central Bank of Nigeria has leveraged his experience and contacts in the banking industry to the benefit of his people. The Bank of Industry is working closely with the state government in advancing loans to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the state. After testing the waters with initial N500 million facilities from the bank, there is now talk of N10 billion facilities after a fantastic result of loan repayment by the beneficiaries.

The economies of Dankwambo, the former accountant general of federation is so all-encompassing. There are simply too many sweet stories to tell about these strides that the limited space for this piece will not allow for a more detailed report.

Interestingly, the ‘Man in Blue’, Dankwambo, is not only redesigning the economy of Gombe but is also redefining its politics. He may be called names by those who are beguiled by trappings of lost political power into believing they are still living in their heydays practicing their same old political gimmickry. But the man has sworn to a politics of serving the people predicated on sound morality. And the results are there for everyone to see all around Gombe State.

Hassan contributed this piece from Abuja

Former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, who was formally welcomed to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by President Goodluck Jonathan last week Saturday in Sokoto, shared his expectations with few journalists in this interview. Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, presents excerpts

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing a lot of challenges. How do you think the party can be reformed?

The manifesto of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was written 16 years ago. Since then, so many things have happened. I think for the reformation of PDP, they will need to find out what the Nigerian people need today. They will need to find out what the Nigerian people are looking for. Now, we have security problems, poverty problems and so on. In fact, so many things are happening today which need to be taken care of. Manifesto is just a guideline for Mr. President, the executive governors and so on. So, I think for these needs to be taken care of, the party’s manifesto needs to be reviewed.

You have inclination towards the opposition, but now, you have joined the PDP, what informed your decision?

Joining PDP is not my decision. It is the decision of my people. Sometimes somebody finds himself in the opposition, not because he wants to be in opposition but because of the circumstances he finds himself. May be in an election, your political party didn’t win, so you find yourself in opposition. That will not stop me from bringing my own ideas, my own contributions towards building the party for the better. If I could not implement it when I was in the opposition, now that I am in the ruling party, it will be easier for me.

So, you think people like you can do anything to bring about changes in PDP, things that will make the party to be more people oriented?

Yes, because the present chairman of our party is very energetic, a listener; he is someone who can take advice. Therefore, we believe that whatever advice we can give, he will make use of. We are advising him, not for our personal interest but to move our party forward. We don’t have any problem with the current leadership of PDP, the National Chairman and the National Working Committee. I believe they are going to make the PDP better.

Put differently, let us say you were not just in the opposition all along, it seems more appropriate to say you have always been on the left of the centre- a progressive. That’s what Bafarawa has always been known as all these years.  Now, you have joined the PDP, which is evidently on the right of the centre. Apart from the emergence of the new National Chairman, are they other signs that have given you the confidence that the party will accommodate the kind of ideas you intend to offer?

I will say yes because PDP is a national party. You can see that for the last 16 years, I have been opposing the PDP but as soon as I decided to join the party, they gave me and my supporters the same treatment as those who have been in the party all these while. Look at the calibre of people that followed the president to Sokoto just to welcome me.

Based on that, if you retrospect, do you have any regret delaying your movement to the party up till now?

Not at all. I don’t have any regret. I am not doing politics for my personal interest. I am in politics for the interest of my people. It is my people’s decision. That is why we find ourselves in PPP. Therefore, I am not regretting anything.

Don’t you think you have just joined strange bed fellows?

Up till now, we are still building democracy in this country. You can therefore see the professional politicians mixing up with professional office seekers, who are only active during elections.

But some people said you left APC, where you are a foundation member for PDP because when the Sokoto State governor joined the APC, you lost the state party structure to him. So, as we asked earlier on, what made you think you stand a chance under PDP platform? Did you take the decision in anger?

We are not quarreling with anybody in APC. All we are saying is let us follow the rules of the game.

But there is the belief that the power of the incumbency plays very crucial role in the politics of this country. That being the case, how do you think PDP will win in Sokoto?

In politics, never say that one plus one must be two. Incumbents have lost elections in many places in Nigeria: In Zamfara, Kano, Sokoto and Imo, it happened. So, if it happens in Sokoto again, it won’t be new in Nigeria. What is important is that people now have the right awareness. If they see that this candidate is better than the other, they will vote for the better candidate.

From the way you relate with the common people, it seems you have some deep affinity with them. What is the secret?

When I was governor of Sokoto State, I treated everybody equally, irrespective of their party affiliation. I used to give every political party their share of everything. That is number one. Number two, even before I became governor, I was part and parcel of Sokoto State politics. For the last 38 years, I have been in politics. While I was in office, I was with my people. Even after leaving office, I am still with my people. I don’t go to Kaduna or Abuja to stay. No, I am always with my people.

Do you have a candidate you want to  annoint for next year’s governorship election in Sokoto?

Yes! The candidate I will support is the candidate my people want for that office. For me, I will never go out to annoint anybody. Whoever my people want, I will support him. I believe in internal democracy. Whoever emerges the party’s flag bearer, I will give him my support.

What is your take on the re-election ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan?

If he wants to contest and if the PDP gives him ticket, that is if he wins the primaries and becomes the party’s presidential candidate, I will definitely work for him. Whoever emerges the party’s candidate, I will give him support.

Are you nursing the ambition of going to the Senate, or if your people ask you to go to the senate, will you go?

There are some things my people will ask me to do and I will not do them. They asked me go to the PDP and I went because it is going to affect everyone of us, but if they ask me to go to the Senate and I accept, then I am selfish. I have governed the state for eight years- the whole state. So, for me to now go to the Senate to represent one-third of my state, I am not being fare to myself and I am not being fare to others, especially the young ones, who I think should be given the chance to rise. You must have somebody you should groom to become somebody. I believe the young ones can also do it. Why should I block the chance of the young ones?

The current National Chairman of PDP inherited a lot of problems in the party.  What advise will you give him to help save the PDP?

Mu’azu is not a difficult person, so by his emergence as the National Chairman of PDP, I think God has answered the people’s prayers. This is because Mu’azu believes he can’t do it alone. He needs people’s support, people’s advice. Any leader that admits he can’t do it alone has already solved the problem. But any leader who thinks he can do it alone will soon have problems. I believe Mu’azu is ready, he is determined to bring PDP to a better position.

The Sultan was not around to receive Mr President at your formal welcome ceremonies to PDP in Sokoto. Didn’t you read some meanings into that?

Not at all. The event was just a party event, an emergency party event and when we fixed the date, Sultan was not in the country. He was in Saudi Arabia and there is no way he could cut his religious duties just to come back to Sokoto to listen to a political matter. He is a leader, a father to all, therefore the only thing he can do for politicians is to give them advice and to pray for them, which he can do from anywhere he is. So, he did not need to be at the event because he is not the National Chairman of PDP. He is the father of all. If he is in, the party chieftains will visit him but if he is not around, the party will go on with its business.