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Tag: 2019 general elections.

  • N242bn INEC budget: We acted in agreement with Executive – Senate

    The Senate Friday said that its decision to rescind and revise the method of funding of the supplementary budget of the  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for the conduct of the 2019 general elections, was done in good faith,  after due consultation with the Executive arm of government.

    Read Also:Senate in rowdy session over move to probe NSIP, Sure-P

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, gave the explanation in a statement released by the Office of the Senate President.

    The statement may have been informed by the insinuation that the Senate unilaterally reduced the budget of Ministries, Departments and Agencies with recourse to the affected MDAs.

    Senator Ibrahim, in a statement, said that on Tuesday, October 16th, the Senate had already passed the N242, 245, 050,100 virement request with the stipulation that it should be funded from the Service Wide Vote.

    He noted that the Senate had to rescind, reconsider and revise its position on the source of funding of the virement following pressure on members of the Appropriations Committee by the Executive.

    He said: “The insinuations being peddled that the Senate single-handedly and unilaterally cut the budgets of critical MDAs is false. Such actions are uncharacteristic of this 8th Senate.

    “The facts remain that on Tuesday, October 16th, the Senate approved a report that stipulated that the supplementary funding for INEC and security agencies to conduct the 2019 election should be sourced from the Service Wide Vote of the Executive through virement. This information is out everywhere.

    “However, the Executive came up with a counter-proposal that asked that the election be funded through both the Service Wide Vote and the budgets of 30 MDAs —on a pro rata basis.

    “This is why, the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Danjuma Goje, had to come up with a motion to rescind, reconsider and revise the source of funding contained in the original approval granted by the Senate.

    “So, if you take a close look at the Senate’s Order paper of Wednesday, November 7, 2018, you will see that N121, 122,525,050, which represents half of the entire supplementary budget, was sourced from 30 MDAs chosen by the Executive, while the other N121, 122,525,050 was taken from the Service Wide Vote.

    “As always, all Senators remain committed to ensuring that Nigeria has free, fair and credible general elections next year, and they will continue to collaborate with the Executive, members of the public and all other stakeholders to ensure that this happens,” Ibrahim stated.

  • 2019 election may not hold, says Pat Utomi

    A professor of Political Economy and public analyst, Prof. Pat Utomi Tuesday in Ibadan said there was strong possibility that the forthcoming general elections in 2019 may not hold.

    He said leaders in Nigeria have obsession to themselves, forgetting about services to the masses.

    The Don who stated this at the 70th anniversary of Students Christian Movement (SCM) of University of Ibadan maintained that primaries across parties are the pointers that the general election might not hold.

    Utomi said: “Can you take seriously any of the primaries that have taken place? We are going to have all kinds of troubles. People within parties will try to sabotage one another. This will spill over. The development might lead to postponement of the elections. The signs are not the best for our democracy.”, he pointed out.

    The professor who spoke on the theme: “Treating the Ailing Nation,” said Nigeria is ailing for lack of love and compassion, decrying that people cannot find their voice.

    The former presidential adviser said the nation’s public sphere is captured by criminals and real armed robbers and ‘entrepreneurs’ of power.

    He maintained that those who enter the arena of leadership are not people who have capacity to lead, adding that Nigeria would soon be considered as a dangerous state in the international community.

    He lamented that public sphere is paralysed and the public culture is deeply anti-intellectual.

    In her remark, the president of the Movement, Miss Jesufifunmi Emiola, said there are lots the youth can do to change the situation of the country.

    She charged the youths to change the way they think and make impacts in order to make the nation greater.

    On her part, the Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria PLC, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika who spoke on the theme:” Repositioning Nigerian Youths to Advance the National Economy “,urged the youth to walk into the economy not to fit in, but to stand out.

  • 2019: INEC will conduct credible general elections – INEC Commissioner

    The Chairman, Planning, Monitoring and Strategic committee of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Dr. Mohammad Lecky, on Monday in Kano said the commission is poised to conduct credible, transparent and rancour free 2019 general elections, which will be far better and more effective than the previous elections in the country.

    Lecky who spoke at the opening of a three day capacity building for 95 state training officers (STO) drew from 36 states including the Federal capital territory, on implementers of election master trainers, said that the Election Monitoring and Support Center is, thus a strategy of the commission for effective support monitory and evalution system for the delivery of the 2019 general elections which will involve the deployment of tools and systems as participants at this workshop, to interrogate and internalise by ensuring that, the process know how is effectively cascaded at the states level.

    Lecky who was represented by the acting director general, INEC electoral institute, Dr. Sa’ad Umar Idris said, the workshop was in collaboration with European Centre for Electoral Supports (ECES) muted at the Election Project Plan (EPP), to unveil the structure and process for implementation and formation for an operational support frame work to be used for tracking the implementation of election project plan of (INEC).

    According to him, the primary objectives of the EMSC implementers are basically to familiarize the state trainers with the structure and operations of the EMSC at both national and state levels, checklist and date requirement, adapt the EPP state specific plans in line with the broad frame work as well as its communication flow.

    Lecky noted that the workshop most importantly seeks to critique the training materials expected to be used for the cascade training and also to sensitize participants on their expected roles and improve their capacities to deliver credible and fair elections in the state.

    He hailed the ECES for their supports and efforts to improve the electoral process adding that without their tremendious support and contribution, the commission would not be able to have achieved the modest successes recorded in the recent circled elections, described as free, fair, credible and peaceful.

    The representative of the intervention agency, ECES, Mr. Fabien Marie said the support on INEC electoral processes were part of ECES to ensure credible and peaceful elections in Nigeria. He said ECES is confidence that INEC will conduct credible elections come 2019 in the country.

  • IYC to FG: Identify, deal with politicians importing arms 

    The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide has urged the Federal Government and Service Chiefs to quickly adopt all necessary measures to stop importation of arms and ammunition for electoral purposes.

    The umbrella body of Ijaw youths said the first step should be to monitor the borders, close all the porous areas to stop the merchants from brining illegal weapons into the country ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    Read Also:2019 is a referendum for Niger Deltans, says IYC

    Reacting to the fears of influx of arms raised by the security chiefs in their recent meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, the Secretary-General, IYC, Alfred Kemepado, said all politicians involve in the dastardly act should be arrested and dealt with no matter their political leanings.

    Kemepado asked the service chiefs to use all the intelligence available to them to find out those sponsoring the importation and deal with them in accordance with the law.

    He said their were possibilities that some security heads knew the importers but chose to collude with them against the state.

    He blamed the culture of deploying illegal weapons in elections on the body language of most governments in power adding that politicians are always in the habit of training and arming thugs without facing the required repercussion.

    He said: “We blame the stockpiling of arms for election culture largely on the body language and policies of most administrations. The thugs in an election don’t fund themselves. They are always funded and armed by the so called political elite.

    “The thugs used for elections are like the proverbial smoke; the real smoke is the elite. Security agencies should expand their intelligence to deal with these so-called political elite no matter how highly placed or which political party they belong, even if they belong to the ruling APC.

    “This cleansing can only be effective if it is done without bias. However, it is also good to involve the civil society organisations to increase advocacy condemning the acts and pointing the dangers and this should be done at communal levels.

    “But let me make bold to say that the chances are very high that security agencies know the importers of these arms, but some are colluding to prosper these crimes against the Nigeria people”.

  • PDP stakeholders accuse Jonathan, Turnah, others of anti-party activities 

    Stakeholders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) under the auspices of the Ogbia PDP Renaissance (OPR) have accused some leaders of Ogbia Local Government Area including former President Goodluck Jonathan of working against the interest of the party ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    The stakeholders specifically accused a prominent traditional ruler, King A.J Turner and the lawmaker representing Ogbia Constituency 1 in the state House of Assembly, Mietama Obodor of anti-party activities.

    The Chairman of the group, Obhioru Mitanoni, in a statement on Friday said that Turner and Obodor were sponsoring candidates in other political parties to challenge PDP candidates.

    Mitanoni said following failures of their preferred aspirants to emerge victorious in the just-concluded PDP primaries, Turner and Obordor allegedly purchased nomination forms in other political parties for them.

    He further alleged that the Chairman of the State Environmental Sanitation Authority, Chief Robert Enogha and former Special Adviser to the Managing Director of the NDDC, George Turnah, were also involved in anti-party.

    He claimed that Turnah, who lost in his bid to clinch the PDP ticket for Ogbia Federal Constituency was backing one Cleric Awudum for the Ogbia Constituency 2 seat in the State Assembly.

    The statement said: “We are raising this alarm because of the emerging political development in Ogbia kingdom which is very disturbing. We want everyone to know that some people who call themselves leaders are working against our collective interest as a party.

    “We want our people to know that the likes of King A.J Turner, Hon. Mieteme Obodo, Chief Robert Enogha Ayalla and Barr. George Turnah are all guilty of anti-party activities. These men bought forms for those who lost the PDP primaries to go to other parties to contest against our candidates.

    “We are aware that for George Turnah the man he is sponsoring Cleric Awudum in Accord Party has not even resigned his appointment in the Niger Delta University. Everything is being done to ensure he wins the Ogbia constituency two seats. But we are ready for them”.

    Mitanoni lambasted Jonathan for failing to call some of the leaders, who are his known allies, to order, adding that the ex-president was promoting political divisions in Ogbia.

    He said Jonathan was the one who encouraged Chief Nimi Barigha-Amange to contest the Bayelsa East senatorial seat on the platform of the ADC, having lost the PDP ticket to Blessing Ipigansin.

    He wondered why the former President would conspire against a party that brought him to the limelight.

    He said the group decided to make a public statement and put the leadership of the party on notice to prevail on leaders to retrace their steps.

    He described the leaders as disgruntled and blamed them for the gross underdevelopment of Ogbia.

    In a swift reaction, Enogha said he was shocked at the extent some desperate and disgruntled element would go just to score cheap political points.

    Enogha described the statement signed by Mitanoni as the height of sycophancy and lies.

    He wondered why a founding member of the PDP and loyal supporters of the Restoration team of Governor Seriake Dickson would be dragged into such an unthinkable act adding that he was totally committed to the party and its leadership.

    Also, George Turnah described the claims as false and cheap allegations.

    He further referred to the group behind the allegations as faceless but said he remained committed and loyal to the PDP despite contesting and losing the party’s ticket for the House of Representatives.

    Turnah said he was the most persecuted member of the PDP by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari adding that he should have been the one complaining against the process that led to the PDP primary.

    He, however, assured persons behind the allegations that he and his team would support them to win the forthcoming poll.

     

  • Monarchs promise to work for Nigeria’s unity

    As the 2019 general elections fast approaches, many are concerned about the unity of the Nation.

    For traditional rulers across the country, securing the Peace and Security of Nigeria is a task that must be the focus of everyone.

    This was part of the deliberations by the custodians of customs and tradition of the people and members of the National Council of the Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), South-South and South East Chapter.

    These opinion leaders converged recently, to deliberate on matters of national interest with the agenda on Peace and Security of the nation.

    After the deliberations of what they tagged the Peace and Security Consultation Meeting of South-South and South East Chapter of the National Council of the Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), their verdict was to work together as dependable allies to secure the peace and security of the nation.

    According to the Chairman, South East Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Eberechi Dick, “Some time ago, we seem to be weak but today we have revived ourselves. We have consulted the people that matter from South-South and South East”, while noting that the deliberation was all about each and every one traditional ruler from different parts of country seeing one another as one.

    “At this meeting, we have strengthened our ourselves. Any moment from now, there would be a larger meeting of traditional rulers from the South-South and South-East to deliberate more on the need for Nigerians, irrespective of their tribes, to see one another as one,” Dick added.

    Chairman, South-South Council of Traditional Rulers, King Edmund Daukoru said, the meeting was an attempt to resuscitate the Council as one that is in a position to deal with issues affecting the zonal bodies of the National Council.

    The event Convener, the king of Okori-Eleme community in Rivers State, HRH Appolus Chu said networking among traditional leaders is paramount to peaceful and harmonious nation.

    The Egbere-Emere Okori Eleme, said, “Crimes are committed in communities which are being headed by traditional rulers.  So if we don’t come together and try to look at how we can be of help to government, we would continue to have situations that are nearly out of control.  So in order not for things to get out of control, we as traditional rulers can police what is going wrong in the communities, and then handle it quickly before they get out of hand. That is the essence of today’s meeting.”

    He noted further that the meeting has rekindled the traditional institution’s hope of building bridges to link every part of d country and promote national cohesion

    It is worth noting that HRH Appolus Chu has been on the forefront of a peace crusade, his message remains the same – networking among traditional rulers, peaceful coexistence, religious tolerance and national cohesion, driving this home at every opportunity that comes his way.

  • Fresh crisis may hit Presidency, Senate over INEC budget

    …Senate approves N189.2bn for INEC

     

     

    The Senate Thursday approved the sum of N189.2 billion for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    This is coming as sharp disagreement appeared to have broken between the Presidency and the upper chamber over the source of funding of the INEC budget.

    In its approval, the Senate refused to give nod that the N189.2 billion for INEC should be sourced from Constituency Intervention Fund to fund the 2019 general elections.

    The upper chamber resolved that the fund should be sourced from the Special Intervention Programme, as provided in the Service Wide Votes of the 2018 Appropriation Act.

    President Muhammadu Buhari, in a letter addressed to the Senate President in July, requested the Senate to vire over N242 billion from the N500 billion the National Assembly inserted into the 2018 budget as its Constituency Intervention Funds.

    The fund, Buhari said, said was to enable the INEC and security agencies to conduct the 2019 general elections.

    The Senate failed to approve the request due to its annual break in July.

    The joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on INEC and Electoral Matters, held a series of meetings with INEC officials to address some grey areas in the INEC request.

    Chairman of the committee, Senator Suleiman Nazif, said that members resolved to ask the Presidency to find other sources of funding for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    The lawmakers refused to approve the reduction of funds meant for their constituency projects to fund the 2019 general elections.

    In another letter addressed to the Senate President which was read on Wednesday, President Buhari was silent on the source of funding for INEC election budget for 2018 elections.

    It was however believed that President Buhari still wanted the fund to be sourced from the Constituency Intervention Funds.

    The Senate Committee on Appropriations, which met on Wednesday to conclude work on the Presidential request, submitted its report Thursday.

    The appropriation committee adopted the position of the INEC and Electoral Matters committee that the fund should be sourced from the Service Wide Vote.

    The report of Appropriations Committee adopted by the Senate, said that N144.746 billion should be vired from the Special Intervention Programme (Recurrent).

    It vired another N44.260 billion from Special Intervention Programme (Capital), a total of N189.2 billion as requested by INEC.

    Chairman of the committee, Mohammed Danjuma Goje, while presenting the report, said: “The sum of N189.2 billion requested for the funding of the 2019 general elections should be vired from both recurrent and capital components of Special Intervention Programme captured in the Service Wide Votes of the 2018 Appropriation Act and be added to the sum of N45.5 billion provided for INEC in the statutory transfers.

    “This will bring the total budget of INEC in the 2018 budget to N234, 507 billion.”

    “It is pertinent to mention that the recommendations on this interim report cover provisions for INEC’s 2019 general elections operations.

    “In making this recommendation, the committee took into account the report of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on INEC, which met several times with INEC during the recess to justify the need for their component of the request.

    “The final report which will cover the affected security agencies will be presented in the next legislative day.”

    The Senate is likely to approve the fund for security agencies next week following a meeting of the Appropriation committee with security chiefs Thursday.

     

  • Bafarawa pays homage to Afenifere leaders

    …vows to transform Nigeria

     

     

    A Presidential aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general elections, Attahiru Bafarawa Monday visited the leaders of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere in Akure, Ondo state capital.

    The former Sokoto State Governor vowed to overhaul the ailing Nigeria’s economy, if voted into power.

    Read Also:Bafarawa: I left N13bn in Sokoto State Government’s treasury

    According to him, Nigeria economic policies would be diversified in such a way that alternative sources of driving the economy shall be explored.

    The former governor said the Nigeria’s economy had been traumatised, stressing that it was only PDP that could correct the mistakes made by the ruling APC’s administration.

    He said, “When we come in power we are going to take our time to do the damage control, all our ideas is to correct where mistake had been done, we are not going to winch out anybody.

    “We shall de-emphasize over dependence on oil and look towards, agriculture, tourism, mining and manufacturing as potential drivers of our economy”.

    On restructuring, Bafarawa promised to implement the 2014 national conference report saying “when we are talking on restructuring we are talking about development”.

    “We are going to laisse with the National Assembly and the judiciary to work on the outcome of past national conference and discourse, with a view to restructuring our nation to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the citizenry.

    “We shall strength the principles of separation of power and ensuring strict adherence to the rule of law,” he said.

    The former Sokoto state governor also promised to create enabling environment for efficient and sustained security within the shortest time if voted into power.

    Bafarawa however called on Nigerians to join in his vision towards rescuing Nigeria and placing her on a robust path of development.

  • PDP cautions INEC over alleged plot to shift 2019 elections

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against alleged plots to shift the dates for the 2019 general elections.

    The opposition party also advised the chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu not to allow the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Buhari Presidency to use him to execute their plots to frustrate the conduct of credible elections in 2019.

    Read Also:2019 elections: PDP already conceding defeat, says APC

    Saying that the plot was meant to push for illegal tenure elongation for President Buhari and the APC, the PDP told the President and his party to perish the thoughts of staying in power a day beyond May 29, 2019.

    A statement Wednesday by the spokesman of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan said, the opposition party was already aware of suggestions by the INEC chairman to have the elections postponed.

    The PDP further stated that the alleged plot was a product of series of clandestine meetings between the INEC and the APC on ways to frustrate the 2019 elections. It added that the APC and the INEC have realised that there is no hope for President Buhari in the 2019 polls.

    The statement said, “Nigerians and the international community have also noted the various ploys by INEC to frustrate a credible elections, including its stiff opposition to the amendment of the Electoral Act by the National Assembly to check APC rigging plans in addition to its exposed collaborations with INEC to manipulate the voters register, enroll underage voters and secretly creating 30,000 illegal polling centers in certain remote areas from where it plans to allocate fictitious votes to the APC.

    “Nigerians may recall that the PDP had earlier alerted of the plot by the Buhari Presidency to enmesh the 2019 elections into a needless controversy by deliberately delaying the presentation of the election budget to the National Assembly until the time the parliament was proceeding on annual recess.

    “Ostensibly to ensure that the election does not escape controversy, President Buhari demanded that the fund be taken from already approved budget for lawmakers’ constituency votes, despite entreaties by well-meaning Nigerians for a fresh budget for the elections.

    “Seeing that Nigerians are standing shoulder to shoulder with the PDP to resist and dismantle their rigging machinery, the APC and Buhari Presidency are now trying to use INEC to frustrate the elections and cause crisis in our country.

    “The PDP therefore rejects this plot by APC and INEC. The 2019 election must hold as scheduled. Nigerians are ready for elections and cannot wait to vote out President Buhari and his dysfunctional APC.

    “In that wise, our party cautions the INEC Chairman to open up, expose the Buhari Presidency and immediately commence the application of its constitutional First Line Charge funding instruments instead entangling itself with the plot to destroy our nation”.

  • 2019: Okorocha sacks appointees contesting election

    …SSG, Chief of Staff, Info Commissioner affected

     

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, Wednesday relieved 13 of his appointees contesting the 2019 general elections of their respective positions.

    Those affected include the Chief of Staff to the governor, Uche Nwosu, who is contesting the governorship seat, Secretary to the Government of Imo State, Sir George Eche, who is also in the governorship race and the Commissioner of Information, Prof. Nnamdi Obiareri, who is contesting the Imo North Senatorial seat.

    Read Also:Imo guber: I’m not aware my SSG is running – Okorocha

    Others are the Principal Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Paschal Obi, Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), Engr. Kingsley Uju, Commissioner for Trade,     Investment and Commerce, Chief Emma Ojinero, Commissioner for Gender and Social Development, Barr. Ngozi Njoku, among others.

    In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, the Governor wished the affected appointees luck, while thanking them for their services.