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Tag: 2019 general elections.

  • Rivers APC: Sen. Abe faction adopts direct primaries

    Members of factional State Executive Committee (SEC), of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Rivers state being chaired by Prince Peter Odike Monday adopted direct Primaries for the selection of governorship candidate for the party in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    The group who is loyal to the Senator representing Rivers South-East at the National Assembly strongly rejected the indirect primaries prescribed by Ojukaiye Flag-Amachree-led faction last week.

    Read Also:Yobe APC divided over Gaidam’s choice of successor

    Odike announces the position of his group in a five-point communique in Port Harcourt, the state capital, after a SEC meeting of the faction in Port Harcourt, the state capital yesterday.

    He said the decision for direct party Primaries followed the determination by the faction to entrench participatory process that would afford all members level playing ground at the election.

    He said the SEC meeting was held by the faction in pursuant to articles 12.1 and 12.8 of the APC constitution, and thanked President Muhammad Buhari and the National Party chairman, Adams Oshiomhole for their leadership styles in the country and the party respectively.

    It commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for repositioning the country for continued progress, and his style of leadership that has rekindled belief and hope in democracy.

    He said, “The SEC recognized the leadership of the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and National Executive Committee (NEC), for entrenching internal and participatory democracy in the party through the approval of the use of direct primaries, as the mode of selecting candidates for election in the party.

    “The SEC commends the President of the Federal Republic of Namibia geriatric and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, for repositioning Nigeria for continued greatness.

    The Rivers State chapter of All Progressives Congress is grateful to Mr. President, for his style of leadership which has rekindled the belief and hope in democracy.

    “The State Executive Committee unanimously adopts and affirms the use of direct primaries for choosing all our candidates in the forthcoming 2019 elections, as it affords party members the opportunity to participate in the process.

    “We restate our confidence and our unflinching support for the leadership of His Excellency Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of our great party and President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR,” they stated.

  • 2019: Senator Bukar Ibrahim denies conceding ambition

    Former Yobe state governor, Senator Bukar Ibrahim has said he has not jettison his ambition for Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam, just as he insists on direct primaries for the 2019 general elections in Yobe State.

    Sen Ibrahim was reacting to an online publication credited to Daily Posts that he has conceded the Yobe East senatorial seat to Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam but Bukar maintained that he is still in the race, adding that, “we will slug it out at the primary elections.”

    Read Also:2019: Oyo APC aspirants adopt indirect primaries

    He described the publication as false and misleading.

    His words: “Free, fair and transparent direct primaries is the only way to deepen internal democracy in our great party the APC. It’s a democracy.

    “Direct primaries are an inclusive way of deciding who flies the party flag with all bona fide members of the party having a chance to make their choice. It gives meaning to membership of the party as followers are included in taking vital decision like who represent their party in the general elections”.

    “Making contests open and transparent, everybody having a say, as in direct primaries, is a true expression of democratic values which the APC strives to uphold, ” he said.

    According to him “it’s amusing that some people think my tenure in the National Assembly is not eventful.

    “I have scored 90 percent attendance plenary and immensely contributed to bills, motions, committee works, oversight functions and other matters of urgent national importance in the Senate.

    “My constituency projects are well documented for posterity. Since 2007, I devoted my entire constituency development funds allocation for the three most critical areas impacting on rural dwellers; water, education and health. Over the years, I have constructed boreholes, skill acquisition centers, classrooms blocks, health centers, and even solar powered lightings, according to what the communities tell me they want.

    “I have developed empowerment programmes across the 7LGAs in Yobe East. The people are intimately aware of and benefiting from them. It is only those who are afraid of the people that tell lies that I have done nothing, but the people know the truth”.

    “As the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change I have intervened in the provision of over 1.2billion for the ongoing Accelerated Damaturu Drainages and Flood Controls Project to tackle the notorious and perennial cases of flooding in and around Damaturu, the State Capital to mention just a few”.

    “It is for this reason the people of Yobe East reposed great confidence on me, will continue to vote for me again and again to represent them in the Senate, I have not disappointed them, so I am still in the race no more no less”, he explained.

    In another development, the member House of Reps for Fika /Fune Federal Constituency Hon. Samaila Gadaka has dismiss as false the reports that he did not support the indirect primary election option adopted by the APC in Yobe State.

    “I was at the meeting of the stakeholders and was part of the decision that made the resolutions. I have no contrary opinion about what transpired at the meeting. That was what we all agreed. For anybody to come out and use my name for his selfish reason is malicious and misleading,” Hon. Gadaka said.

    He also informed that he is hundred percent in support of the choice of Alhaji Mai Mala Buni by Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam, while pledging his unflinching support for the aspirant.

  • ADP to offer free ticket to disabled persons

    The Action Democratic Party (ADP) said on Thursday that persons living with disabilities interested in contesting any elective position on the platform of the party will be given free nomination form and encouraged to contest the election.

    Speaking when one of the governorship aspirants of the party collected his nomination form, National Organising Secretary of the party, Dr. Lynn Olisa, said her party is determined to turn around the fortune of the country; therefore it will be fair to all and sundry.

    Read Also:Nine Osun APC state officers defect to ADP

    The party said the step is to demonstrate its commitment to the provision of an all-inclusive government and democratic empowerment of women and the youth as enshrined in its cardinal principles.

    She disclosed that the party had since commenced its membership registration drive in all the wards and polling units across the country that the ADP would feature candidates for elections at all levels in the 2019 general elections.

    ADP’s National Secretary, Dr. James Okoroma, said the party was formed to bring about emergence of new crop of leaders who will actualise the dreams of Nigeria’s founding fathers, saying “even in our country Nigeria, all of you will agree with me that this is not the country Zik, Balewa and Obafemi Awolowo founded.

    “You will agree with me that ideals of these founding fathers have been betrayed and I believe that what we need now is a platform like ADP that will give room for emergence of new crop of leaders, who will give Nigeria a better direction, that is why we are here, ADP is a platform that will allow Nigerians irrespective of their race and religion to build our country.”

    While commenting on Barrister Success interest to be the next governor in Imo state, Okoroma said: “Imo state was created in 1976. The first civilian governor was Chief Sam Mbakwe but since he left as governor, leadership has collapsed in Imo state. All the governors we have had none has been able to offer effective leadership. So the ground is rift in Imo for a good change and believes Barr. Success will be an agent in that direction.”

    In his remarks, the governorship aspirant said promised to reconcile the Imo people with God if given opportunity as the next governor.

    “I have always told whoever cares to listen that I’m coming from a direction God himself is leading. I want to take my answer from the word of God. My mission is to rebuild the Imo state, my mission is to restore the presence of God to the Imo state and reconcile the people of the state to the presence of God.

    When asked what the incumbent governor Rochas Okorocha has not done well that he want to correct, Barrister Success simply said: “the governor in power now has a lot of good ideas but most ideas I will transform it to reality.”

  • Anxiety as IPOB resumes call for election boycott

    …naked female members protest in Owerri

     

     

    The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Friday resumed the call for election boycott in the Southeast ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    The proscribed group insisted on a referendum and sovereign state of Biafra as part of conditions to end the renewed agitation.

    It also demanded for the immediate disclosure of the whereabouts of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu and his unconditional release.

    Read Also:IPOB’s terrorists are regrouping ahead of 2019 elections – Group

    During a protest in Owerri, the Imo state capital, Friday, by hundreds of half-naked female IPOB members’ cladded in black attire, the group derided Nigeria as “a failed country that does not hold any prospect for the Igbo”.

    The early morning protest grounded vehicular and human movement along major streets in Owerri, while stern looking soldiers and mobile policemen were drafted to strategic locations to forestall breakdown of law and order.

    The separatist group vowed to disrupt the 2019 elections across the Southeast, warning that severe punishments will be meted out on those who will betray the renewed struggle for the actualization of the state of Biafra by conniving with “Nigerian agents to conduct election in Igbo land”.

    They accused the Southeast governors and Ohaneze Ndigbo, Igbo apex socio-cultural organization of complicity in the unprovoked killing of unarmed Biafra agitators by supporting military operations in the Southeast.

    Some of the various placards displayed by the protesting women, had inscriptions such as, ‘no more election in Igbo land, we want Biafra’, ‘Nigeria is a fraud, we need Biafra’, ‘no more elections, we need a referendum’, ‘release Nnamdi Kanu now or face the wrath of God’, ‘we are tired of Nigeria’, among others.

    It would be recalled that leader of the group, Kanu, had called for the boycott of the Anambra governorship election in 2017 in defiance to pleas from Ohaneze Ndigbo, religious groups and other influential bodies in the Southeast.

     

     

  • 2019: PDP will field only popular candidate, says Dickson 

    Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson on Thursday said the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would field only popular candidates in 2019 general elections.

    The governor called members of the party to work together in building a cohesive and united PDP ahead of the elections.

    He warned party faithful against engaging in anti-party activities that could undermine PDP’s fortunes at the poll.

    Read Also:PDP Reps ‘to prevent’ Saraki’s removal

    Dickson according to a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS) spoke at a consultative meeting with stakeholders of the PDP in Government House, Yenagoa.

    Dickson warned that anti-party activities were capable of affecting the chances of the PDP adversely.

    He said if the PDP must win all elective positions from the state to the national levels, members must learn to build consensus with the party’s leadership in the state.

    Describing the meeting as a family affair, Dickson maintained that the party remained supreme and called on all to place the PDP’s interest above personal ambitions to enable them succeed in the forthcoming elections.

    The governor also pointed out that the party should take great care in selecting candidates that could win elections at all levels.

    He said the way of politicking by members of the PDP should change to reflect the opposition status of the party.

    He insisted that the party’s success or failure depended largely on their actions and comments about their government back home.

    He said: “In the last two and half years, things have not been the way we have known them to be. In 2015, your party and your state have been in opposition, with the kind of government that you all know is at the centre.

    “Yet, we have all managed to do what we have done in very trying circumstances and in an uncharted territory.

    “There is no other governor of this state that has that experience of leading a party to a battle when you are in opposition. And managing stability in the party, state and the government.

    “I thank you all for the support and the prayers of all of you that have enabled me to lead the government of our party and also thank the state PDP chairman and Executive members for the stability in the party coordinated by experienced party leaders that have kept our party alive.

    “For the first time since inception, our party is in opposition and that means that within the party, our way of politicking has to change to reflect the fact that you are in the opposition.

    “And we need to know that our party’s chances of success or failure depend on your actions and comments publicly about your government back home.

    “In the end, it is not you that is bigger than a system or government so you should proudly own the achievements of your government. In the end, it is not you that is bigger than a system or government so you should proudly own the achievements of your government.

    “You want to spoil your own government even more than the opposition. That kind of evil politics has to stop. What they don’t know, is that, whatever they want to be and when we meet at the primary level, it is the strength of the party and government here led by me that you are going to battle with. That’s the reality.

    “So it is amateurish for you to start politicking by attacking your own government and a government that everyone is celebrating. In what area have we not tried our best? You can’t solve all the problems of a people and of a state or a nation in 8 years though.

    ” In the last two and half years, we have been concentrating on working even when they bring issues, we brush it aside and concentrate on the work and that’s why you have these showings in all sectors.

    “At the end of the day, people will judge us not by what other people didn’t do but what we have done. We are now getting to the stage of politicking where from the other side, they will see that there is a government and a party that is ready for them.

    “From now on,  I will be interacting on how to build consensus in the local government areas for the various elective offices. I want you to take charge of the processes.

    “I prefer the situation where the people themselves take ownership of our candidates. I frown against personal sentiments that will rob us of good candidates; we will overrule and override that. We want to support people that can win elections freely and fairly and such candidates should be able to understand and respond to challenges”.

    Earlier, the State Chairman of the Party, Mr Moses Cleopas expressed optimism about PDP’s victory in the 2019 general elections and urged political appointees, who are prospective aspirants to resign on or before 15th August, 2018.

    According to Mr Cleopas, 4th to 24th August is slated for the sale of forms for state and national assembly elections, while screening of aspirants would hold on the 27th of this month.

    The PDP Chairman, who called on would be aspirants to exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship before, during and after the elections, announced the 15th and 19thof September this year, as dates for the primaries for the state and national assembly elections.

     

  • No extension of voter registration beyond Aug. 17 – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the Aug. 17 deadline for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will not be extended.

    The commission said the exercise would resume after the 2019 General Elections scheduled from Feb. 26 and March 2.

    Mr. Mohorret Bigun, Public Affairs Officer of INEC in Gombe told our reporter on Wednesday that the exercise would henceforth include weekends and public holidays to allow for more people to register beginning from Aug.1.

    Read Also:EFCC arraigns PDP chief, INEC officials for alleged N179.8m fraud

    He said INEC was not planning to extend the exercise beyond Aug. 17 as being anticipated in some quarters.

    “There will be no extension of ongoing registration beyond the Aug. 17 deadline. Those who are anticipating extension should go and
    register.

    “From Aug. 1, we are going to operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Sunday. This is to give room for those who are yet to turn up
    for the exercise.

    “We have been directed to suspend the registration of voters until the 2019 general elections are concluded,’’ Bigun said.

    He said the commission decided to suspend the exercise till next year to enable it to produce the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs)
    for distribution.

    “The commission would not want to deny anyone the right to vote; hence the need to suspend the exercise temporarily to prepare
    for the general elections in 2019.’’

    According to him, 141,345 persons, comprising 55,407 (39 per cent) females and 85,947 (61 per cent) males have so far registered as at July 30.

    He appealed to those who were yet to register to take advantage of the adjustment in the timetable.

  • APC support groups allege blackmail against Buhari

    A coalition of All Peoples Congress (APC) support group has said that a few individuals were capitalizing on some avoidable situations in the country to sow seeds of discord among the people and blackmail the President to lose the 2019 general elections.

    Addressing a news conference in Abuja at the weekend, Chairman of the group, Ambassador Lawal Mohammad Manir said some religious leaders and groups were spreading fake information about the President and the APC with the sole purpose of provoking a system crisis within the polity that would lead to the factionalisation and eventual defeat of the party like they did to the defunct CPC.

    The coalition expressed surprise that Buba Galadima could be talking about internal party democracy which he failed to exhibit when he held sway as the National Secretary of the Congress for Progressives Change, leading to the woeful performance of the party.

    Manir said “it has become pertinent for us to state that we are now witnessing misguided efforts by some religious groups, leaders and persons of vested interest taking advantage of avoidable situation in our nation to sow  discord between people.

    “These groups and individuals using different communication platforms continue to spread fake information about Mr. President and our party. The sole purpose of these detractors is to provoke a systematic crisis within the polity and our party that would lead to factionalisation and its eventual defeat like they did the previous CPC.

    Read Also: Oyetola emerges Osun APC governorship candidate

    “Our members are concerned that the coming campaign season is coming up with all manners of malicious campaign of calumny especially against Mr President and shamelessly and irresponsibly even against the new national leadership of the party.

    “The country’s kleptomaniacs, the supposed owners of the country and manipulators (anti common man), the shameless hypocrites and political misfits are gradually coming to unfold themselves as one big re-energized axis of evil aiming as usual to cause more damage than good to our party and by extension the collective interest of majority of the Nigerian people.”

    Ambassador Munir said “During his leadership as practically self-imposed National secretary of the CPC, within the confines, of most northern States, it was very easy for him to play small-ball politics.

    “That time, between the partisan dead-lock and the entire news circle, his contrive talking points was basically on the sensational over the substantive; issues of corruption and poverty, hopelessness and lawlessness were problems to be managed, not crises to be solved.

    “They became fodder for newspapers and television shows, not issues to find genuine consensus and compromise. He single handedly forced everyone at some point in CPC to stop reaching for the possible and resigned to that which was most probable.

    “Some of our members coming from the previous CPC saw these as a perfectly conceived plan in the process of execution and wrote several letters of protest, which were not acted upon, because Buba was then, the National Chairman, National secretary, Organising secretary as well as the unofficial publicity secretary of the CPC.

    “Buba Galadima would rather force his candidates down the throat of members than allow internal democracy take its cause; as was the case in Bauchi, Bomo, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna and several other states. He almost succeeded in tarnishing the image of Buhari and of course he contributed 98 percent to the failure of CPC in the governorship election of all the northern States.

    “Buba Galadima was simply the manifestation of evil, anarchy and impunity in the Democratic process of the previous CPC one that succeeded in doing more evil and damage on an unimaginably larger scale than theAentire corrupt INEC officials put together.

    “He controlled the soul of CPC with an impunity that promotes only that which is suffocating to public good and decency. The result of which led to what happened in Bauchi, Borne, Gombe, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, and several other CPC hopeful States.

    “Even after several appeals from genuine well-wishers, Buba refused to listen. The only unique thing to his administration was inability or deliberate refusal to arrange an order of priorities that promised solutions that were decent and just. Solutions to those problems urgent as they were would have been constructive and rational.

    “CPC would have been the party of an open, honest system that doesn’t peddle the agenda of whichever loyalist or special interest can write the biggest cheque. So the exit of such a boastful loudmouth, with no clout to winning an election even in his native home of Gashua is indeed a good riddance to pest infested rubbish.”

    The group appealed to members of Reformed APC to give the new national leadership of the party a chance to try and right the wrongs, saying “after all, disagreements were not unexpected, they have become a part of the universally accepted Democratic process as such.”

    “It is not only in our party but, anywhere two or more group of people with a diametrically opposed ideologies co-exist in a community.

    “However, it is not the disagreements that should worry us for now but, the measure with which to resolve them. In our considered opinion it is too early to pre-empt the capability or otherwise of the new leadership of the party to resolve issues.”

  • Buhari, Parliamentary Support Group meet over 2019, constituency projects

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday night met behind closed doors with members of the Parliamentary Support Group at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The group had met with the President over the various issues confronting the nation as it moves towards the 2019 general elections.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the Chairman of the group, Musa Sarkin Adar said “We looked at the concerns within the country and the various political parties because election is approaching and we members of APC in the National Assembly felt that it is necessary to come and interface with Mr. president and the national chairman of the party to address issues and concerns raised by members across the federation.

    Read Also:Buhari support group promises to empower Bayelsa residents

    “In each state of the federation, there are certain concerns and misgivings when the congresses were held from wards, to local government to state level, there were so many discrepancies and issues that came up and people made a lot of complaints and they were not listened to as a result of that some people thought that they will move out of the party and join another party.

    “Others, even before that have made up their minds they are going somewhere and we feel it is necessary to come and inform the president that we are committed to remain party members, but issues should be looked into and addressed properly, so that all aggrieved members can be persuaded to remain together so that we can ensure victory for our party in the 2019 general elections.

    “It is also to encourage the relationship between the executive and the national Assembly to be cordial. We know who causes all those frictions and we are trying as much as possible to make sure that such things does not happen again for the betterment of this country. We should not be partisan in everything we do, especially on our conduct on the floor of the House.

    “From the previous experiences of the previous Assembly which we were opportune to be members then, we know what happened and we know what it caused the country. So it is now a clarion call for us to rally behind the president and the need for us to also be listened to so that the issues of development of this country can be addressed,” he said.

    On the President’s response at the meeting, he said “Very well and very fantastic. We explained to him the idea of zonal intervention or what is called constituency projects; that it is not money given to us, but projects worth millions of naira that we should only site where it should be sited in our various constituencies and it is one of the most unifying factor of this country.

    “Because it’s one of the ways in which you can have a reflective performance of the government in certain areas. For example if you go to rural areas and you don’t have provision of water borehole, primary school or primary health care, before you take certain projects to them, it will be difficult.

    “But these constituency projects that are allocated to us on the basis of where you come from and you select 1 2 3 4 or whatever the money allocated to the project is given then that is what your people will benefit from and as such, there is equitable distribution of infrastructure across the nation,” he said.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha said that the meeting was a very encouraging interface between the legislature and the executive.

    He said “Don’t forget that the national Assembly had an Open Week, throughout the course of this week, this is a continuation of that engagement and I belief that after this kind of interaction with different arms of government, we will be able to build synergy, build consensus on issues and find resolutions to it.

    “Politics is a game of negotiations, it’s a game of dialogue, and understanding and it is for the betterment of our country. We are the party in government; the legislature is part of government; if the executive does not succeed, it will also rub off on the legislature. So it is just a continuation of this dialogue that can afford us the chance to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people.” he said

    Speaking further on the meeting, the Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly matters (Senate), Ita Enang said “Let me very sincerely appreciate these honorable members of the parliamentary support group and they have come as persons who have come together to support the president’s vision on the floor of the House of Representatives and the national Assembly as a whole.

    “And I use this opportunity to express to them the concerns of all the members and Mr. President has responded in a manner that is very satisfactory to them. This is one of the back channels that is being arranged and is granted by Mr. President and officers of the executive from time to time to enable the legislators interact personally, with personal questions and personal concerns on the state, the party, projects and programmes of government and that has been fully addressed.

    “And of course, his Excellency Mr. President invited the National Chairman of the party and addressed all their concerns assuring them that matters of the party will be properly addressed and that none of them should have fear because the party is for every person.

    “And he has told them how the nominations will go and has given them confidence and this confidence will be transmitted to all other members of the house and Senate who are not here and next time, we are going to arrange for Senators in the next few days as part of confidence building and bridging the gap between the executive and legislature.” he said

    Abdulmumini Jibrin said that they were at the Villa to show solidarity to Mr. President and to encourage him to continue with the good work he is doing for the country and also to discuss some issues concerning the APC.

    With the success of the meeting, he said that Mr. President has requested for such meeting to hold quarterly.

    Speaking on decamping, he said “Well every party in the world, not only in Nigeria has its challenges and the APC is not an exception but I am sure that the leadership of the party is doing all that it can do to ensure that they continue to unite the party and everyone is protected within the party.

    Mohammed Gololo said “We are hopeful that with the interaction we are having with the national chairman of the party, with the synergy that is ongoing, most likely, the defection may not take place as it used to be amplified.”

  • 2019: Don wants INEC address vote buying

    A don, Dr Ehiyamen Osezua, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to put in place mechanisms to stop vote buying and other electoral malpractices ahead the 2019 General Elections.

    Osezua, an Associate Professor of Public Administration, University of Ilorin, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that unduly influencing voters’ choices contradicted ethics of democracy and good governance.

    He added that vote buying was contrary to the tenets of participatory governance.

    Read Also:INEC set to fill Senate, other vacancies, says Yakubu

    “He who buys your vote is likely to replenish the source of the funds expended to sway these votes in his favour before thinking of the needs of the electorate and that of society.

    “Vote buying is a crime that should be eradicated from our political system, else our democracy will never be able to guarantee delivery of good governance.

    “By now, almost 20 years of democratic rule in this republic, politicians ought not to have the temerity to buy votes, and voters, the impudence to collect for votes,’’ he said.

    Okezua told NAN that governance failure had roots in the tendency of political parties to sway voters through monetary inducements and empty promises.

    He said that the psychology of members of the electorate had also been to believe in selling their votes, in the thought that good governance might not be a priority for election candidates.

    “The Electoral Tribunal needs to make an example of a party that indulges in vote buying if the person challenging its victory establishes that.

    “It will serve to make others avoid giving money to get votes which is wrong by every standard,’’ he said.

    NAN reports that many political commentators and election observers alleged that vote buying characterised Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Ekiti.

  • 2019: El-Rufai’s aide tasks media on peaceful election  

    Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the Chancellor to Governor Nasir el-Rufai on Media and Communication, Alhaji Saidu Adamu has urged Nigerian media to play key roles in ensuring peaceful polls.

    The former information commissioner admitted that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government have made some mistakes but sought to be given chance to make positive amends.

    He said journalists played key roles in ensuring peaceful polls in 2015, while calling for ethical, balanced and well researched news reports.

    Read Also:Ekiti 2018: INEC is ready to conduct credible election – REC

    Speaking during an interactive session with journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kaduna state council secretariat, Adamu said, “you have roles to play to ensure we have peaceful elections in 2019. You played vital roles in 2015 for us to have this government of change. People are eager to have change but change has to come in phases. People are so worried and agitated forgetting the fact that it is gradual.”

    Adamu, who was former member of Kaduna State House of Assembly, appealed to journalists in the state to forgive them of mistakes which they may have made in the past and work with them, noting that the el-Rufai government needs the media in projecting it’s activities to the masses.

    “We need you as journalists more than you need us. Mistakes are part and parcel of us, I want us to forget the mistakes and move forward. We should forget the past and be focused on how to move forward. We are human beings we make mistakes,” he said.

    Responding to insinuations that Governor Nasir el-Rufai has failed to fulfill promises made in 2015, he disagreed, saying that promises serve as guide to the government.

    “The Chancellor said that the el-Rufai government has touched all 23 local governments of the state with development programmes, but projects are prioritized for execution based on available funds.

    “Promises are ongoing. Promises are made based on anticipation. Don’t say Governor el-Rufai made promises and failed. Promises are made as guides and when the funds are available, they are executed.

    “We prioritize projects.  There is no local government area where we didn’t do anything. We cannot do everything for everyone all the time,” he said.

     

    He admonished journalists to avoid hate speech reports, and filing news without balancing, stressing that such attitude makes them unprofessional.