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Tag: 2019 polls

  • 2019 polls: Don’t return thieves to power, APC warns

    THOSE ganging up to unseat the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government ruined the nation’s economy, the ruling party has said.

    It alerted Nigerians to be wary of those deploying what it called stolen commonwealth to fund their political activities to stage a comeback to power.

    In a statement yesterday by the party’s spokesman, Yekini Nabena, the party warned that such persons were regrouping to use the stolen funds to subvert the will of the people through vote buying.

    Nabena, who is APC’s Acting National Publicity Secretary, urged relevant agencies to proactively get involved in tracking election financing, pointing out that those with illegally-acquired money were using it to canvass votes for elective positions.

    Nabena said that Nigerians have not forgotten the yoke they bore under the “inept” Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regimes and therefore deserve no more of it.

    He pointed out that public funds that could have improved education, healthcare sectors and provided infrastructure to develop the economic and social life of Nigerians were in the pockets of individuals.

    Nabena said in the statement: “While we alert Nigerians to the plot of some politicians to buy votes and deploy other illegal means to subvert the people’s will during the coming elections, we urge relevant agencies to be proactively involved in the tracking of election financing.

    “The same people who criminally-diverted public monies to fund their political activities as brazenly displayed during past administrations must be prevented from doing same in coming elections.

    ”Under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, the scale of recoveries from corrupt elements in the past three years by the country’s anti-graft agencies is testament that the administration’s extensive anti-corruption drive is yielding results.

    “Compared to the past, successful prosecution of many corrupt persons, the hugely-successful whistle-blowing policy and voluntary return of corruptly-acquired funds and assets have shown that it is no longer business as usual and corruption is increasingly becoming unacceptable.

    “Corruption can no longer define how we do things as a country. There is a new realisation among well-meaning Nigerians that if we don’t kill corruption it will kill us.

    “Recently, the media space has been awash with a campaign of calumny against the anti-corruption efforts by the same opposition partisans and their proxies that ruined the country with their institutionalised corruption. This is expected as corruption will naturally fight back.

    “Sadly, these thieves have resurfaced to canvass votes of Nigerians for various elective positions, ostensibly to resume their stealing. Nigerians are neither gullible nor stupid. They have not forgotten the yoke they bore under the corrupt Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regimes and deserve no more of it.

    “Public funds that could have improved the education, healthcare sectors and provided infrastructure to develop the economic and social life of Nigerians are sadly in the pockets of these thieves.

    “To conclude, we share the submission of a former United States (U.S.) Vice President, Joe Biden: ‘Corruption is a cancer; a cancer that eats away at a citizen’s faith in democracy, diminishes the instinct for innovation and creativity… it wastes the talent of entire generations. It scares away investments and jobs’.

    “We must continue to challenge corruption and its related vices. This is line with the Change Agenda the APC promised Nigerians. This is a promise we are committed to keep.”

    But the PDP spokesman Kola Ologbodiyan accused the ruling party of shielding members of questionable characters.

    He said: “We urge the APC to begin its fight against corruption from Buhari Presidency where the most iniquitous felons enjoy presidential cover.

    “President Muhammodu Buhari can demonstrate this anti-corruption fight by mandating the EFCC to immediately commence the arraignment of Babachir Lawal.”

  • 2019 polls: 259 declare interests in 35 seats in Ekiti

    Two hundred and fifty-nine aspirants have declared interests in senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly seats in next year’s general elections in Ekiti State.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prospective candidates would contest for the three senatorial seats, six House of Representatives’ seats and 26 seats in the House of Assembly in 2019.

    No fewer than 40 persons are currently seeking the nod of their political parties for the national and state assemblies’ seats from the five most visible parties in the state.

    The number of aspirants is expected to increase as the build-up to the 2019 polls continues to gather momentum.

    The prominent parties in the state are: the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the incoming All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), MEGA Party, Accord Party (AP) and the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN).

    Many of the aspirants have flooded Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, and other major towns, like Ikole-Ekiti, Ikere-Ekiti, Ijero-Ekiti, Emure-Ekiti and Ifaki-Ekiti, with their campaign billboards, handbills and posters.

    The aspirants include Senators Fatimat Raji-Rasaki, Biodun Olujimi, Ayo Arise and Olubunmi Adetumbi.

    Also, the former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Obafemi Adewale and a former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele have indicated interests in the seats.

    Others are: a former chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state, Mr Tai Oguntayo; a former Chief of Staff, Chief Yemi Adaramodu and the former Special Adviser on Documentation, Hakeem Jamiu.

    The list also include: Dr Segun Osinkolu, Mr. Demola Oladaiye and Mr Abayomi Lostay, among others.

    Bamidele, who was Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos State, told NAN that he is in the senatorial race.

    He said the people of Ekiti Central Senatorial District considered him worthy of the office.

    Also, Senator Arise said he is the best to represent the people of Ekiti North Senatorial District, considering his previous experience in the Senate, business background and track record.

    Oguntayo, who is the chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), pledged to bring his vast experience in unionism and public service into the legislative chamber in the state assembly.

    He is also a former Secretary to Ekiti West Local Government Area.

    The chairman of PPN in the state, Chief Dare Adekolu, told NAN that many of his party members were interested in one elective post or the other.

    According to him, the party has no problems with the number of aspirants as it shows how democratic a party can be in accommodating all shades of opinions and aspirations.

    Adekolu said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had directed that the political parties must conduct their primaries between September and October.

    The PPN chairman said the outcome of such primaries would determine who would become the flag bearers of the various parties in next year’s general elections.

    NAN reports that the parties in the state have kept the names of their presidential aspirants close to their chests.

    But the governorship election was concluded on July 14 with Dr Kayode Fayemi becoming the governor-elect.

  • 2019 polls: I’m waiting to see my challenger –  Ishaku

    Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, has picked his nomination form in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), saying he is waiting to see the candidate other political parties  will throw up to challenge him in next year’s guber poll.

    Special Adviser on Political Matters, Abubakar Bawa, the San Turaki Gashaka, who spoke in a press conference in Jalingo for the governor, after picking the nomination form on his behalf, said “there is nothing to worry about.”

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

    He said: “The governor is ready for whoever the oppositions will nominate to challenge him at the election. In 2015, the election was a two-horse race between the PDP and the APC. In the end, PDP won with a landslide.

    “PDP won because it presented the right candidate (Darius Ishaku). The same scenario seems to be playing out. We are only waiting to see who that candidate would be this time around.”

    Bawa said, although, PDP is very democratic enough to welcome governorship aspirants who may want to contest on the PDP platform, members however, have unanimously agreed that Ishaku should fly the party’s banner.

    Taraba and Gombe states are the only PDP states in the north. Sources said, the APC is strategising to capture the two “stubborn states” in next year’s election.

    But the governor’s political adviser said: “I can advance many reasons why I am optimistic Ishaku will be reelected. None of the opposition parties, including APC which is the main opposition party in Taraba State, has a candidate that is better than Ishaku.

    “Who are they nominating in APC, Sen. Aisha Alhassan whom we defeated in 2015, or David Sabo Kente, Garba Umar, Kaigama Bobboi, or that professor?

    “These people cannot stand DDI. He will beat them flat. There is no party that can withstand the PDP in Taraba State. The PDP is an opposition in the country, but in Taraba it is the ruling party. And it has been the ruling party since 1999. So, we believe there is no other political party here apart from the PDP. Even if there are other parties, we don’t take them serious.

    “Besides political parties, Taraba people want someone who naturally cares for them. And Darius Ishaku is the answer; he is one leader who has deep love and rare passion for Taraba people; how they eat, dwell and make progress bother him. For now, he is just the right person.

    “Therefore, in sha Allah (with God on our side), I think we will triumph at the poll, because of the governor’s performance and goodwill. I have been in politics in Taraba State for long so I know what I am talking about.

    “Recently, I went round the State to do a silent opinion poll, and the goodwill has been overwhelming for the governor. Nevertheless, the PDP is working hard. The party chairman, Victor Bala, and all his party executives, are leaving no stone unturned; the governor is doing his part –by providing developments; and we are working very hard and still soliciting support from the electorate to make sure we return the governor for a second term.

    “The general consensus is that Ishaku should do a second term. Rev. Jolly Nyame did 10 years from northern zone, from 1992-1993 and 1999-2007. Late Pharm. Danbaba Suntai, from central zone, did eight years (2007-2015). So the fairest thing to do, as it has become our zoning formula, is to allow Ishaku, who is from the southern zone, to also do eight years, to complete the rotation.

    “And to the best of my knowledge, the PDP stakeholders from his area (southern Taraba) have no other candidate. They have all agreed that Ishaku has done well.  Bringing another person, even from the same southern zone, will affect our political arrangement.

    “The northern and central zones are also in full support of the arrangement to give Ishaku the party’s ticket and subsequently re-elect him for a second term.

    “In terms of performance, he has scored a distinction everyone can attest to. Ishaku has done well in education, agriculture, health, infrastructure and so many other areas. So, we are yet to see his challenger.”

  • Buhari to May: 2019 polls will be free, fair, credible

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday assured British Prime Minister Theresa May of his commitment to conducting free, fair and credible elections in 2019.

    The President spoke during a bilateral meeting with the visiting Prime Minister at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Buhari, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, welcomed Britain’s support at strengthening democratic institutions in the country.

    He said: “I assure you that I’m all out for free, fair and credible elections. I’m very pleased that my party is doing very well. The High Commissioner will brief you more. The recent successes in polls in Katsina, Bauchi, and Kogi have boosted our morale greatly.

    ‘‘Nigeria has accepted multiparty democracy and that is putting politicians on their toes, forcing them to work harder,’’ he said.

    On the anti-corruption campaign, the President applauded Britain’s support to Nigeria, noting that the success of the fight is very important to ordinary Nigerians.

    He said: “We had great opportunities and resources between 1999 and 2014, due to high oil prices. But when we came in 2015, oil prices plunged to as low as 37 dollars per barrel.

    ‘‘What we have been doing since 2015 is to focus on infrastructure development, despite low earnings. Work is ongoing in roads, rail, power, and many others.”

    On Brexit, Buhari noted that it provides an opportunity to strengthen the historic ties between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

    ‘‘We are nervously watching the development about Brexit because we know that the relationship had been on for a long time.  I assure you that I am prepared to strengthen the relationship between our two countries.’’

    The President also thanked the UK government for its support on security and the fight against insurgency in the North Eastern part of Nigeria, and the improved trade relations between both countries.

    ‘‘I am very grateful to the British government under you leadership for the help in security, particularly your training team that is in our institution in Kaduna,’’ he said.

    Speaking earlier before the bilateral meeting, Buhari underscored the need for UK support on reviving of Lake Chad, which is a means of livelihood for millions of people.  The water is said to be dying up, putting at risk fishing, which is the major means of livelihood for many.

    The President told the visiting Prime Minister that Europe and China were already conducting an in-depth study on recharging the Lake through inter-basin transfer from the Central African Republic.

    May, who welcomed the assurance by the federal government on credible elections in 2019, said she was pleased to be in Abuja to continue the ‘‘excellent discussions’’ she started with President Buhari in London last April, particularly on security, trade, asset recovery and the fight against corruption.

    ‘‘Security and defence cooperation are very important steps to address Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa,’’ May said.

    On asset recovery, the Prime Minister told President Buhari: ‘‘We do not want to hold anything that belongs to Nigerian people, but we follow the judicial process, which can be slow.’’

    The Prime Minister urged Buhari to use his position as ECOWAS Chair to keep human trafficking on the front burner in the sub-region.

    President Buhari and Prime Minister May witnessed the signing of two agreements: Security and Defence Partnership and Economic Development Forum Agreement.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said: “There were two agreements that were signed today. The first one was Defence and Security Partnership between the two countries. It was signed by the respective national security advisers and the second one was on Economic Development Forum that has been set up.

    “This clearly highlights the two priority areas in our relationship at the moment.

    “Under the Defence and Security Pact, it is a comprehensive agreement that covers all aspects of security challenges. So, apart from the military training, there is also the support for policing, civil policing, human rights aspect of security and the close cooperation that the two countries will have, the training that will be provided by the UK to our security forces.

    “On the economic development forum, this is a forum that really aims at co-prosperity. The prosperity of our two countries is sloping to leverage in areas where we have as countries comparative advantages, the financial centre that London is and the investment opportunities in our country and ready to build that up with the private sector as well as the government level. So everything will be comprehensive and involve different stakeholders and this is in the context of UK’s BREXIT. Coming out of the European union, they feel freer now to engage with countries on bilateral level and build up trade relations with those countries.

    “For us, this also fits into our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan where Mr. President has put forward a roadmap that is really transforming this country. So this partnership is a framework that is very key to our Economic Growth and Development Plan.”

    “On human rights, we have taken a number of steps. Mr. President has set up a committee that looks into the various allegations made against our military and the process is ongoing and we are very keen to have as a government a mechanism within the security apparatus of this country that ensures that the correct procedures and methods are employed by the military and so of course, in a cooperation with us in the area of security, the United Kingdom and other countries also expect that we will maintain the highest human rights standard,” Onyeama said

     

    UK offers Lagos access to 750m pounds finance

    British Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday told the Lagos State Government of the availability of 750 million Pounds export credit finance to benefit from.

    Speaking during a whistle-stop visit to Lagos, Mrs May pointed out the important role a stable government in Lagos had played in giving confidence to investors.

    The prime minister arrived at the Presidential Wing of the International Airport at about 4:30pm. She was received by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Deputy Governor Oluranti Adebule, Secretary to the State Government Tunji Bello and Special Adviser Overseas Affairs and Investment Ademola Abass.

    She hinted of her interest in the development of the technology industry in Lagos, adding that an expert in Fintech was on her delegation.

    .She also noted the special strength of the London City as a financial hub that could be of considerable importance to Lagos State. She urged the sustainability and growth in the UK/Lagos relationship.

    Ambode said Nigerian education, cultural and political systems were largely influenced by Britain and that there are more Nigerians living in the UK than elsewhere outside Nigeria.

    He told the prime minister that Lagos remained a place of choice for British investors especially given that stability in the government, the size of the Lagos economy and population, the particular focus of his administration on the rule of law and justice sector reform.

    He said it would be of particular importance to Lagos State if British investors could explore the various opportunities in the areas of energy, technology, export finance, infrastructure and the creative industry.

    Ambode said “the important part of this visit to us about how investment in Lagos can be improved upon by British investors and you would realize that Lagos is the commercial capital of Nigeria and a whole lot of British investments are domiciled in Lagos.  We spoke about how we can improve the investment climate in Lagos and then the other parts of what Lagos has been doing to attract investors. You know we have been doing a lot in judicial sector reforms and security sector reforms.”

    Giving her impression of the visit, Mrs May told reporters: “I have had a fantastic visit to Nigeria and we have outstanding relationship between UK and Nigeria but there is much more that we can do in the future. I enjoyed being able to come to Abuja and also to Lagos to see the thriving business community here.

    “We want to see increased trade between Nigeria and UK; increased investment; bringing jobs here to Nigeria, jobs in the UK being good for both countries and I have had an excellent time here and I am very pleased to being able to be here and thank you Governor (Ambode).”

  • 2019 polls: Young aspirants, political parties, agree to work together

    Young Aspirants Forum and some political parties have agreed to work together to enthrone youths in some leadership positions in 2019.

    The aspirants stressed the importance of youth participation in the political process in 2019 general elections and reaffirmed their beliefs in inclusive governance.

    They spoke in a communique issued after the Young Aspirant Leadership Fellowship forum in Abuja organised by Youngstars Foundation with support from Ford Foundation.

    They underscored the strategic importance of enhancing and increasing the emergence of youths in 2019 general elections.

    The communique reads: “We, the political parties and young aspirants, present at the forum have stressed the importance of youth political participation in Nigeria and reaffirmed our belief in inclusive governance. We underscored the strategic importance of enhancing and increasing the emergence of youth in 2019 general elections and look forward to the support of the entire country.

    “We are committed in supporting young aspirants and have  agreed to reduce the cost of purchasing party interest and nomination forms, and will leverage on other source of raising funds and put in place measures to control, to increase youth aspirants and candidates participation in general elections.

    Read Also: 2019 poll will be free and fair, says REC

    “We are committed to continual building and mentorship of young people in Nigeria. The young aspirants and political parties have decided to avail themselves to seek direction and capacity building from the elders and participate in continual mentorship and internship programmes to increase the emergence of youths within their political parties.

    “We understood that there is a gap in the sensitization of the public and youth including persons with disability and have agreed to adopt grassroots initiatives and collaborate with Civil Society organizations to reach a wider range of young people. We are determined to create and implement several initiatives and leverage on new media like social media, political jingles. We have also agreed that political messages should be translated into local dialects.

    “We have identified that there is a need to do more in youth inclusion and have all agreed that more quotas should be reserved for youth between the ages of 18-35 which will intensify the inclusion of youth in political party leadership and decision-making.

    “It is recommended that Political Parties should reserve quotas and   have certain age range for positions within parties for youth to contest certain positions, as a party policy to increase youth participation in general elections.”

  • Buhari seeks virement of N228.9b for 2019 polls

    Who gets what

    • INEC N189.207b
    • ONSA N4.2 b
    • DSS N12.213b
    • NSCDC N3.573 b
    • NPF N30.541b
    • NIS N2.628b

    President Muhammadu Buhari has  asked the National Assembly to vire N228,854,008,215 from the N9.12 trillion 2018 budget to fund the 2019 general election and other critical projects.

    Buhari specifically told the National Assembly to vire the N228.9 billion from N578,319, 951.904 billion total projects sum it inserted into the 2018 budget.

    This is contained in a presidential memo dated 11 July, 2018 read yesterday by Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

    If approved, the virement, entitled “Request for virement and supplementary 2018 budget”, will cut deep into the controversial constituency projects funding for 2018.

    The President said that the aggregate cost of the 2019 elections is estimated at N242, 445,322,600.00

    Of the amount, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to receive N189.207 billion. The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) will get N4.2 billion.

    The Department of State Services (DSS) is to receive N12.213 billion. The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) will get N3.573 billion.

    The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is to get N30.541 billion. Immigration Service (NIS) will receive N2.628 billion.

    The letter reads in part: “As you are aware, the 2019 general election is scheduled to be conducted early in 2019. To ensure that adequate arrangements are made for free and fair elections, it has become necessary to appropriate funds to enable the relevant agencies to commence preparations.

    “INEC and security agencies have accordingly recently submitted their requests. These have been subjected to the usual budget evaluation. The aggregate cost of the elections is estimated at N242,445,322,600.”

    “However, in the light of prevailing fiscal constraints, I am proposing that the sum of N164,104,792,065.00 be provided for through virement or supplementation of the 2018 budget.

    “I propose that the balance of N78,340,530.535.00 mostly related to personnel allowances, fueling and other costs not required until the election proper, be provided in their 2019 budget.

    “The proposal for the 2019 General Elections are summarised below:

    “You will also recall that when I signed the 2018 Appropriation Act, I indicated the need to request the reinstatement of certain cuts made to certain critical projects provided in the original Executive Bill.

    “I am therefore submitting for your consideration the reinstatement of the most critical of such cuts totaling N64,749,216,150, which are summarised in page 1.

    “The total amount required to be provided for in the 2018 budget for the 2019 General Elections and to restore the identified critical projects to the amount earlier proposed is therefore N228,854,008,215.

    “Implementing a budget of N9.12 trillion for 2018 will be extremely challenging and, therefore, I do not consider it expedient to propose a further increase to the size of the 2018 “Expenditure Framework to fund these very important and critical expenditure items

    “Accordingly, I invite the Distinguished Senate to consider, in the national interest, reallocating some of the funds appropriated for the new projects which were inserted into the 2018 Budget proposal totaling N578,319,951,904 to cover the sum of N228,854,008,215 required as noted above.

    “A schedule setting out a comprehensive list of these inserted projects is attached to this letter for ease of your consideration.

    “Further to the above kindly find attached the Supplementary Budget and Virement proposal for your consideration

    “While hoping that this request will receive the expeditious consideration of the Distinguished Senate, please accept. Mr. Senate President, the assurances of my highest consideration.”

    In the NPF proposal, feeding of police dogs is to N166,315 million during the 2019 elections;

    N143,782 is to be spent on medical and general expenses for the dogs.

    There is N7,719.4 for feeding of 50 horses belonging to the police.

    Senators are gearing up to oppose any virement that would affect their constituency projects.

    One of the lawmakers insisted that the proposal would be “hard to approve because it seems that the whole thing is targeted at ensuring that we count for nothing”.

    The senator, who spoke anonymously “because we are yet to debate the presidential letter”, said President Buahri should “come clear if actually he is talking about supplementary budget”.

    He noted that “there is a world of difference between virement of funds and supplementary budget”.

    It was not yet clear yesterday when the Senate will discuss the presidential request.

    Members of the National Assembly are to go on their long vacation next week.

  • 2019 polls: Akure women’s group back Adesanya

    Women’s group in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Women Arise for Good Governance (WAGG), has backed the House of Representatives ambition of a woman lawmaker, Kemisola Adesanya, in next year’s general elections.

    Adesanya, who is a second-term lawmaker representing Akure South Constituency I in the House of Assembly, is seeking to represent Akure South/North Federal Constituency in the National Assembly.

    In a statement by its Coordinator, Adebisi Oladimeji, the group said they had decided to support the candidature of Kemisola Adesanya to represent Akure South/North Federal constituency at the House of Representatives.

    She said the group took the decision due to its conviction that Adesanya has all it takes to bring development and dividends of democracy to Akure.

    Oladimeji said the group chose Adesanya not only for its preference for a woman candidate, but also because the lawmaker, in the last seven years, had performed well and provided humanitarian service to the people through the various life-impacting constituency projects and programmes to her constituents.

    The statement said: “Kemisola is no doubt an upright politician with the interest of the people at heart. Based on her antecedents and contribution to youth and women empowerment, employment generation and skills development as well as other landmark contributions to the development of Akure, we strongly believe that her election as a federal lawmaker in 2019 will bring better representation that will attract development and more dividends of democracy to Akure.”

  • 2019 polls: Obasanjo unfit to lead movement for reform —Soyinka

    A Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, yesterday said ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo is not the right Nigerian to lead any movement for reform on change of leadership in the country in 2019.

    He said Obasanjo has crossed the red line and his Coalition for Nigerian Movement (CNM) should not be glorified.

    He said the ex-President and other geriatric leaders of his generation should step aside and allow a new generation to lead the nation.

    Soyinka made his views known at a Conversation Night which was part of the 67th World Congress of the International Press Institute (IPI) in Abuja.

    He said he would unveil a pamphlet on his position on Obasanjo and his movement on July 3 at the Freedom Park in Lagos.

    He said: “ As for Obasanjo, I have news for him. And it has been a progressive thing.  You see me and Obasanjo fist to cuffs today and the following morning, you might see us embracing each other.  Circumstances are always important and even when he was in power,  if you could remember,  there were numerous times when I had to criticize him.

    “I believe Obasanjo has really crossed the red line because he is trying to put himself as the head of a recovery process. He is trying to hijack the recovery process in this nation and I say that he is one of the least worthy of one of the former heads of state to lead that kind of movement.

    “ I  have brought out a publication about that, the title is in Latin but it means; who watches the watchmen.

    “That publication is coming out simply because I will like to see new blood in governance in this nation and I think these corrupt and hypocritical geriatrics should stop recycling themselves and they should stop trying to co-opt their former cronies to take over the reigns of governance in this nation.

    “I invite you on July 3 to Freedom Park in Lagos when a little pamphlet would be published in which finally, we confront Obasanjo with events of the past which incidentally are not being newly articulated.

    “This nation forgets very very fast … Obasanjo is one the greatest hypocritical leader this nation has ever produced.”

    On his persistent criticisms of the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, Soyinka said: “I have nothing personal against Abacha. We had only met a couple of times.”

    But he said he could not be praising Abacha who allegedly misruled the nation and ran a corrupt government.

    He said he could not be walking on the street and see monuments in Abacha honour when the looted funds traced to him were still being traced and recovered all over the world

    He said: “If I walk into a street and I see a structure raised in honour of a torturer, a murderer so recognised by the  entire world that we are still chasing after his loot, I have a responsibility to  tell this President that you cannot be serious fighting corruption if you leave monuments in honour of that leader of misrule. So, I have nothing personal against Abacha.  We met a couple of times.”

  • Olanipekun, Ubani, others back electronic voting in 2019

    A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), on Wednesday urged the National Assembly to revisit the adoption of electronic voting for the 2019 general elections.

    He said the combination of card readers and electronic voting would result in credible electoral process.

    A former General Secretary of NBA, Pastor Dele Adesina, Mr. Lawal Pedro and NBA Vice President, Monday Ubani, adopted Olanipekun’s views.

    They spoke at the 2018 Annual Lecture of the Ikeja branch of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents (NAJUC).

    The theme of the lecture was: “The Role of Judiciary, Media in the 2019 Election.”

    The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kazeem Adeniji and the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr. Sam Olumekun, were also at the forum.

    The House of Representatives had on May 31 rejected electronic voting for the 2019 polls while considering the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2018, the long title of which is, “A bill for an Act to amend the provisions of the Electoral Act, No. 6, 2010 to further improve the electoral process and for related matters.”

    But Olanipekun, keynote speaker at the event, suggested that electronic voting would be an improvement on the card reader system introduced by the Prof. Attahiru Jega led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2015.

    He said: “Even with the deployment of the card reader in 2015, a lot of electoral malpractices were still identified. The least that Nigerians expect from INEC for the 2019 general elections is the deployment and use of electronic device, which would ensure substantial rig-proof elections.

    “The combination of the use and activation of the card reader and electronic device will assure and reassure Nigerians that INEC is indeed and in fact, prepared for a free and fair election. INEC should not enter any caveat or give any alibi for not being able to deploy the electronic device, which is now in use almost worldwide.”

    Justice Oke, who was represented by Justice Josephine Oyefeso, charged journalists to ensure fair and unbiased coverage of the polls as well as judicial events in order not to heat up the polity.

    She said: “The media acts as a watchdog with a duty to provide unbiased, fair and informative coverage of the 2019 elections.

    “In the last election, it played a vital role as a watchdog in the process of electioneering.”

     

  • INEC to make card reader mandatory for 2019 polls

    •‘No new polling units’

    Card Reader will be mandatory in the conduct of the 2019 election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said yesterday.

    A top official of the commission said yesterday tha card readers helps the Commission in three ways that is, helping to confirm that the Permanent Voter Card (PVC)  was issued by INEC, that the biometrics of the holder are correct and that the identity of the holder is authenticated though the fingerprints.

    The official said the Commission would soon begin a process of upgrading the Card Readers such that whatever was experienced in the past would not occur in the 2019 election.

    The official stated that part of the challenges the Commission had in 2015 was the violence that led to the stesling or loss of card raders. He said in Rivers state alone, the Commission lost 1,321 Card Readers during the 2015 elections.

    The official reiterated that the Commission never had any plan to create 30,000 new polling units before the 2019 elections as being speculated in some quarters.

    He said although the commission was able to uncover through its checks that a lot of communities and settlements had outgrown the current number of polling units in the country, the controversy generated around the plan made any Nigerians to misconstrue the intention.

    The official cited the example of Gwarinpa Estate I Abuja which is regarded as the largest estate in Africa but which he said has only nine polling units adding that such examples abound across the country.

    “One thing the commission has ruled out is the possibility of creating new polling units before the 2019 elections. No polling units will be created before the 2919 elections. If you create polling units, you have to populate them, then it will create confusion and you will have to replace the voter cards,” the source said adding that what the commission had resolved to do is to decongest the existing polling units by creating voting points where voters exceed 500 in a particular point.

    According to the official, the Commission prior to the administration of  Prof Attahiru Jega had no record of the number of the Polling Units in the country but that the audit conducted under the previous INEC Chairman yielded 119,793 polling units. He also stated that the commission would not add any unit to that existing units before the 2019 elections.

    “Under Jega, the commission conducted an audit of all polling units. Before then, some polling units were located in shrines and different places. But with the audit, we now have 119,973 polling units across the country and there is no more obscure polling units nationwide,” the official stated.