The Nation Newspaper

Tag: 2015

  • 2015: Judge’s absence stalls ruling in suit against Jonathan

    2015: Judge’s absence stalls ruling in suit against Jonathan

    Judgment in a suit filed by a Peoples Democratic Party member, Mr. Cyracus Njoku, asking an Abuja High Court to stop President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2015 election was on Thursday stalled.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the judgment was not delivered, due to the absence of the Presiding Judge, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi.

    No reason was however, given for the judge’s absence.

    Oniyangi had fixed October 18 to deliver judgment on whether Jonathan will have a place in the 2015 presidential elections after entertaining arguments from parties to the suit.

    Njoku, from Zuba Ward in the Abuja Municipal Area Council with PDP registration number 1622735, had urged the court to declare that Jonathan could not swear to an oath thrice in view of section 137(1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution.

    In the suit, Njoku also wants the court to declare that the President’s tenure began on May 6, 2010 and that his two terms shall end on May 29, 2015, having taken his second oath of office on May 29, 2011.

    He also wants the court to declare that by virtue of section 136 (1) (b) of the Constitution, no person (including Jonathan) shall take the oath of allegiance and the oath of office prescribed in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution more than twice.

    Njoku is also praying for an order, restraining Jonathan from further contesting or attempting to vie for the office of president after May 29, 2015 when his tenure shall by the Nigerian Constitution, end.

    He is also seeking an order, restraining the PDP from further sponsoring or attempting to sponsor Jonathan as candidate for election to the office of the President in 2015.

    He also wants an order of court directing the Independent National Electoral Commission not to accept the name of Jonathan, where sponsored by his party again to run for the Office of President in 2015.

    But Counsel to Jonathan, Mr. Kelechi Normeh, in a preliminary objection, asked the court to discountenance the suit.

    Normeh, who is holding brief for Ade Okeaya-Inneh (SAN), described the suit as “frivolous and vexatious” and meant to make the court to labour in futility because the suit was purely an academic exercise.

    He also urged the court to hold that the suit instituted by Njoku, failed to disclose reasonable cause of action.

     

  • INEC jittery over security in 2015

    INEC jittery over security in 2015

    Security during the 2015 general elections has become a source of concern to the Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC), following the prevailing security challenges in the country.

    The Commission is working towards improving and consolidating on measures adopted in the build-up to last year’s general elections.

    A committee on election security was formed with the INEC National Chairman and National Security Adviser heading the committee.

    INEC National Commissioner Nura Yakubu said this at an interactive session with the Commission’s senior staff from Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba states on the electoral body’s strategic plans for 2012-2016.

    “We also want to consolidate on this and expand on it so that the security arrangements we had in Edo recently would be replicated all over the country.

    “We also want to fine tune and improve on the existing structure by institutionalising the interagency security committee on election security,” Yakubu said.

    The INEC National Commissioner further said the commission wants to have a well defined plan on conducting free and fair elections:: operational process that are needed to ensure free and fair elections; legal framework; constitutional and electoral act as well as the bye-laws that the commission is empowered to have.

    Other objectives of the strategic plan according to the National Commissioner, include the process of restructuring and monitoring of political parties, campaigns and finances and restructuring and repositioning the INEC itself.

    “It has been a political culture which we have to change gradually. There is need for a sustained campaign, re-orientation by INEC itself until Nigeria stops being sceptical and accept that Nigeria can still hold free and credible elections”.

    “Election outcomes are issues of perception and I think it’s a difficult perception to be corrected globally but I believe most Nigerians after the 2011 election commended that the 2011 elections were better than 2007.

    “So, if we continue to improve, over time, Nigerians will have full confidence in INEC. We may even go further by introducing the electronic voting system like developed countries.”

  • 2015: Count me out, says Yakowa

    2015: Count me out, says Yakowa

    GOVERNOR Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State wants to be counted out of the 2015 presidential race and warns those linking his name to the election to let him be.

    According to the governor, he is currently pre-occupied with delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of the state who elected him into office last year.

    In a statement by Mr. Reuben Buhari, his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Governor Yakowa said moves to drag his name into the 2015 presidential race are nothing but a deliberate and calculated mischief aimed at pitching him against President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo.

    A group which called itself Northern Democratic Alliance had, in an advertorial, claimed that the governor had been endorsed to contest the 2015 Presidential election with former Oyo State governor, Rasheed Ladoja, as running mate.

    The statement said that the real intention of the promoters of what it called ‘tales by moonlight’ is to portray the governor in bad light and a disloyal party member.

    Mr. Buhari said: “The governor has made it very clear that everybody has the constitutional right to contest for any political office they are interested in, but such ambition should not be built on the destruction of His Excellency‘s hard earned reputation as trust-worthy and loyal party member.

    “The sponsors of such write-up should feel free to market themselves to the people, with whom the final decision rests but should leave the governor out of it as he has never shown interest in the 2015 presidential race.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the focus of Governor Patrick Yakowa is the continued delivery of democracy dividends to the good people of Kaduna State through his three widely acclaimed agenda of Security, Unity and Development.”

     

  • 2015: Let Igbo produce President, say Southeast leaders

    Leaders of various Igbo communities in the Diaspora have urged Nigerians to support the agitation of the Southeast to produce the President in 2015.

    The Igbo leaders, acting under the umbrella of the Association of Ndiezendigbo in the Diaspora, in a communique at the end of their meeting in Ibadan, lamented that the Southeast is the only region yet to produce a President.

    The communique , signed by Eze Hycinth Omeroha Ohazuruke; the Ezendigbo of Lagos State and National President of the association, raised fresh issues on the purported support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid by some Southeast groups.

    The Igbo leaders maintained that in the interest of justice and equity, an Igbo should be voted President in 2015.

    “The association is still hopeful that Nigerians will put their conscience in use in 2015 by supporting and electing an Igbo man to become the next President of the country, taking into consideration the fact that with all the contributions of Ndigbo to the development of Nigeria, no Igbo has been opportune to lead,” the communique reads.

    The Igbo leaders, however, praised the efforts of President Jonathan towards fixing bad federal roads in the Southeast and other parts of the country like the Lagos-Sagamu road, Ore-Benin road and Lagos-Ibadan road.

    They commended President Jonathan for listening to the voices of the Nigerian masses by reversing the plan to introduce the controversial N5,000 note.

    The association hailed Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi for the warm reception accorded its members, who visited the governor in the company of the General Secretary and Administrative Secretary of the Ohaneze Ndigbo, High Chief Nduka Eya and Mr. Ibeabuchi.

    “The association noticed the tremendous changes in the state in the area of development and cleanliness of Ibadan. The association admired the construction of a flyover bridge in the ever busy Mokola area,” the Igbo leaders said.

     

  • ‘Igbo have no outstanding candidate for 2015’

    A Non-Government Organisation (NGO), the Transform Nigeria Movement (TNM), yesterday said Igbo have no outstanding candidate for the 2015 presidential election.

    The group was reacting to the Southeast’s clamour for Igbo presidency in 2015.

    The group said yesterday in Awka that it has not seen any credible candidate in the Southeast.

    Speaking with The Nation yesterday in Awka, the Anambra State capital, TNM leader Comrade Obi Ochije said Igbo have no candidate that can defeat aspirants from other geo-political zones and urged the Southeast to look beyond 2015.

    Ochije said: “There are three questions Ndigbo need to answer on this issue. The first is who zoned presidency to Igbo? The second is on what platform can they realise their dream in 2015? Thirdly, does the zone have a credible candidate for the position?

    “It is not going to be a zonal affair; all the six geo-political zones would be involved. For now, I cannot see anybody in Igboland, who can win enough votes from other political zones in 2015.

    “From what is playing out, it is obvious that Ndigbo have no person to stand for such election. What they should do is look beyond 2015.

    “We should stop quarreling over who becomes the next president. Rather, we should pray fervently for the country’s unity.”

    TNM said Ndigbo must liaise with the Southwest to realise its ambition.

     

     

  • 2015: No room for discredited candidates, says Tukur

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will present credible candidates for the 2015 general elections, its National Chairman Alhaji Bamanga Tukur said yesterday. He said people with credibility problems will not get the party’s tickets, no matter their contributions to its growth.

    Tukur, who spoke at a function in his Abuja home, added that the rule is part of the consolidation agenda and reform package of the new PDP leadership.

    Receiving a delegation of Southwest PDP, led by Otunba Oyewole Fasawe, the chairman said the party would work hard to retain the states under its control and regain the ones it lost in 2015 election.

    “We are at the moment making consultations with PDP elders, youths, women and every relevant group on how best to take off so that we begin to regain the lost grounds.

    “I am saying that we have started reconstructing our beautiful umbrella and in the process, we will plug all loopholes. We will extend the shelter; we will strengthen the structure and make it more attractive to everybody.

    “At the end of it all, PDP will rise up powerfully and prove its strength as the only national party in Nigeria through subsequent elections that will be devoid of rigging

    “I hereby call on our members in all the states of the federation to join us in the process of making the PDP the only attractive party with inputs from the youths and women, most especially since we are now inclined to giving more space to the youths and women in our new ideology and agenda.”

    Other members of the delegation were Chief Ademola Adepegba, Chief Remilekun Iyiola and Prof Ishola Odelola.