The need for credible polls, peace and others are dominating political discourse as Nigerians get set for Saturday’s rescheduled presidential and National Assembly elections, report Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Nwanosike Onu, Augustine Ehikioya, Joseph Jibueze and Adesoji Adeniyi.
APC: our commitment to credible elections unshaken
The All Progressive Congress (APC) has said its commitment to credible polls remains unshaken despite the postponement of polls.
National Chairman Adams Oshiomole spoke at the party’s caucus meeting yesterday in Abuja.
“We called this meeting to give our people hope and renew our commitment to democratic, free, fair and credible elections.
“And the way forward to that is that we must now go back with the additional cost that it entails to renew the campaign.
“And again, INEC’s wrong decision to attempt to amend the law through mere administrative pronouncement to the effect that campaigns are frozen, INEC is not in a position to make laws.
“The laws made by our parliament are superior to the opinion of the INEC chairman with all due respect to his office.
“The extant provision of law is clear.
‘When you postpone election it has happened before, the law says you are entitled to renew campaign up to 24 hours before the new date of the election.’’
Oshiomole therefore, expressed the APC’s determination to continue with its campaigns, saying that the party expected a credible election devoid of malpractices on Saturday.
“As a law abiding party we will proceed to re-energise our members to renew the campaign and encourage them to come out in huge numbers to vote APC,’’ he said.
Islamic cleric canvasses peace during polls
A respected Islamic cleric, Sheikh A.A. Usman, has appealed to Nigerians to embrace peace during the rescheduled general elections.
Usman made the appeal when groups of his followers across the nation as well as traditional and religious leaders visited him at his Lagos mansion in Oniru Private Beach.
The visit coincided with the annual prayer congregation where the Sheikh told his adherents Allah has revealed winner of the presidential contest to him.
He said: “Let us embrace peace as Nigerians. It is when there is peace that God can work with us.
“We have to realise that whoever wins has been ordained by Allah. So, there is no need to disrupt the nation with our selfish interests.”
The congregation praised Usman for his good work and trademark predictions, which they said have always come out true.
They extolled him for not inciting Nigerians against themselves based on religious and tribal affinities.
Jonathan warns against extra-judicial killings
Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has charged security agencies in the country to demonstrate their goodwill towards peaceful elections by desisting from extra-judicial killings.
He made the call on Monday when youth groups in the Niger Delta led by the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Barr. Pereotubo Oweilaemi paid him a courtesy visit at the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) Office in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
In a statement by his spokesman, Ilechukwu Eze, Jonathan said “Anytime someone dies extra-judicially it reduces the integrity of the country. So, if our security personnel are interested in peace, especially during this electioneering, then they must do everything to suppress extra-judicial killings; because when one person is killed unlawfully, it affects everyone.”
He also called on Nigerian youths to be peaceful and eschew violence all through the period of the scheduled general elections.
He said: “Without peace there cannot be development in the society. If we want to develop Nigeria as leaders and citizens, then collectively we must work hard and make sacrifices that will bring peace to our country.
“When we have conflicts, it creates a very negative impression in the society and investors are very mindful of these impressions.”
Speaking earlier on the purpose of the visit, the President of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Comrade Peretubo Oweilaemi said that their visit was to align themselves with the peace philosophy of the Dr. Jonathan that “nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian.
Comrade Oweilaemi, in his speech said “during your time as President, you emphasized that nobody’s blood is worth your ambition. You didn’t just say it, but you live by it everywhere you go. You have always placed national interest above personal interest.
“The Niger Delta is very peaceful today because of you and the role you have been playing in peacebuilding. We watch and follow every of your footstep and we can say we have become peace ambassadors because of your conduct and mentorship on us.
“We are also aware that in a state, it is very difficult to have a former President, without him and the incumbent governor not having issues. But in Bayelsa, we haven’t heard about you and the Governor, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson having issues. This is a further testament of your peaceful disposition.
“Our visit today Your Excellency, is to commend you on the role you and the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation have been playing in the society, in terms of peacebuilding and democratic stability in the country and we consequently urged our youths to imbibe your philosophy of politics without blood.” he said
Group deploys technology to forestall rigging
A group, Third Eye, has said it would deploy cutting edge technology to monitor the February 23 postponed general elections.
It listed the technology as special rings and watches with the capacity of recording fraudulent practices.
The project coordinator of the group, Mr. Uche Ubajaka, who disclosed this in Nnewi, Anambra state, said the decision to engage such technology was informed by plots by certain political actors to rig the outcome of the poll.
He said the group would partner with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and an election observer group in the monitoring.
According to Ubajaka, the exercise would be restricted to Nnewi federal constituency of Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo local government areas of the State as a pilot programme.
He said, “Among items to be used would be rings and wrist watches that have recording devices and cameras without attracting any attention.
“The 2019 general election has attracted a lot of attention from within and outside the country and there is palpable fear in some quarters that some political actors have concluded plans to rig the outcome of the poll.”
Fasanmi calls for calm
The national leader of Afenifere Egbe Ilosiwaju Yoruba, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, has called all Nigerians to remain calm.
In a statement by his media assistant, Mr. Adebayo Temitope, the Second Republic said in spite of what the postponement might have caused, Nigerians should not see it a s a barrier to forge ahead.
He advised Nigerians to exercise faith more so that the electoral umpire had promised that the election will be free and fair.
He said: “Therefore, I urged the people in the south west and the members of real Afenifere Egbe Ilosiwaju Yoruba to remain firm like an anvil under the stroke, like our indefatigable leader, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, has taught us that it is not life matters but the courage that we bring into it.
“Afenifere has spoken, Yoruba have spoken and our traditional rulers have spoken. The Yoruba will not abandon the legacy of progressivism handed to us by our great immortal Awo. By the grace of God we shall overcome.”
‘Don’t encourage bloodbath’
An Islamic cleric and founder of Mas’had li Asrar Almujaba Worldwide, Sheik Abdul Jelil Owonikoko, has warned the Nigerians not to turn the rescheduled general elections to war and blood bath.
He said the electoral exercise is not worth shedding the blood of any Nigerian, admonishing the stakeholders, especially politicians and their supporters not to set the country on fire.
He gave the warning in his lecture entitled: “Duty of Human Being to His Dear Country,” at the celebrations of birthday of Prophet Muhammed (Maoludinabiy) in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
Owonikoko, who noted that seeking power at all cost by the politicians is dangerous to the polity, said differences in culture and creed should never be a “source of acrimonious relationship but should be a way of appreciation of our rich diversity.”
He said: “Peace is absolutely necessary for the survival of a nation because without peace there will be no nation, without nation there wouldn’t be any election.”
The convener of the programme and President of Mas’had Almujaba in Osun State, Sheik Abdul Qaudri Soliheen Cisse, admonished Nigerians and Muslims to sincerely love one another according to the teaching of Prophet Muhammed that the true love among individuals will help in building a good nation.
The cleric, who Isi also the founder of Zawiyah Ithad Ansaru Faedat Tijaniyat Ibraheemiyah of Nigeria, also advised all contestants in the general elections not to seek power by all means but to know that only Allah install, whoever he wishes.
It’s illegal to restrict movement during polls, says Adegboruwa
Activist-lawyer Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has said there is no legal basis to restrict movement during elections.
He cited a Federal High Court judgment, which nullified the restriction of movement during environmental sanitation, saying the verdict’s principles ought to apply during elections.
Adegboruwa noted that the Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, had announced that there would be restriction of human and vehicular movements for 12 hours from 6am to 6pm due to the election, which was later postponed.
He said it was beyond the IGP’s powers to forcefully keep people at home because of elections.
According to him, there is no law in force in Nigeria authorising such unlawful restriction of movement.
“The Federal High Court had occasion to pronounce on a similar illegal directive in the case of Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, Esq. v. Inspector-General of Police & 5 others.
“In that case, the applicant, a legal practitioner, was on his way to honour an invitation as a guest speaker of Channels Television for an early morning programme on June 29, 2013, being the last Saturday of the month.
“He was accosted by policemen and LASTMA officials at the Ketu end of the Third Mainland Bridge, where the road had been barricaded on account of some compulsory three-hour environmental sanitation programme declared by the Lagos State Government.
“The applicant was denied free movement and was arrested and detained briefly but later released.
“Being dissatisfied with the action of the policemen, the applicant instituted an action at the Federal High Court to challenge his arrest and denial of his right to move around,” the senior lawyer said.
According to him, in striking down “this odious practice”, Justice Mohammed Idris (now of the Court of Appeal), held that restriction of movement on account of environmental sanitation was illegal.
The judge held: “Consequently, the restriction imposed on the applicant and other peace-loving residents of Lagos State during the environmental sanitation day without a law prescribing such restrictions is unjustifiable and a gross infringement of the right to personal liberty and movement of the applicant and the court so holds.
“Everyone high or low must be prepared to justify his acts by a reference to some statute or common law power which authorises him to act precisely in the way in which he claims he can act.
“Superior orders or state necessity are not defence to an action otherwise illegal.”
Adegboruwa said the IGP did not appeal against the judgment, “yet he proceeded to hold people down at home on February 16, 2019, contrary to the express order of injunction granted by the court in this case against any repeated illegal practice of keeping citizens indoors”.
“We will, therefore not condone or agree with any attempt to restrict people’s movement illegally, on February 23, 2019 or indeed any other day, by reason of elections,” Adegboruwa added.
Anambra PDP mobilises voters for Saturday polls
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the people of Anambra State to come out en masse on Saturday to exercise their franchise.
The Chairman of the Atiku-Obi Campaign Council in Anambra State, Mr. Oseloka Obaze, spoke yesterday in Awka.
Obaze said: “INEC should revisit their directives that political campaigns should not be reopened.
“Our party takes a strong exception to that and if need be, we are willing to approach the court to seek interpretation of the Electoral Act.
“Our party in Anambra State will meet with the state Resident Electoral Commissioner to inspect those materials, just the way we inspected them when they arrived, to ensure that their sanctity has not been violated. And that should apply across board.”
‘Poll shift an indication of INEC under-rating of challenges’
A non-governmental organisation, YIAGA AFRICA, has said the postponement of the last Saturday presidential and National Assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was an indication that the Commission may have overestimated its own capabilities or underrated the challenges associated with the management of election logistics.
In a statement by the chairman, Watching The Vote Working Group, Dr. Hussaini Abdu, and the Executive Director, YIAGA AFRICA, Samson Itodo, the NGO said: “The INEC needs to improve its communication and public engagement to give assurances to Nigerians. The citizenry deserves to be properly informed and reassured that such postponements will not remain a permanent feature of our electoral process.
“We urge all Nigerian citizens and registered voters in particular to remain calm and exercise restraint as INEC works towards the new dates. This development is a test of our patriotism and resilience, we therefore urge citizens to keep faith with the process and remain hopeful that the rescheduled elections will meet all standards of credible elections.
“We also urge all registered voters to come out massively and vote for the candidates of their choice on the new dates. We encourage all stakeholders to take advantage of this window to provide additional voter education and mobilise the electorate to exercise their franchise.”
Group advocates peace during elections
An advocacy group, Boskoh Crack Team yesterday held a press conference/election orientation talk to sensitise the public, especially students around Epe and environs on the need to maintain peace during the general elections.
The news conference/election orientation talk tagged, “SAVE Lagos 2019” held at the Procare Hotel and Suites, Epe, Lagos.
The Initiator of the group, Mrs Yetunde Akinluyi, urged students in attendance not to allow themselves to be used as instruments for violence and chaos. “One thing I stand for and which you can see on my cap is peace. Peace is for everyone. Peace has no family name or tribe; everybody wants peace. Say no to violence during the election. Don’t allow anyone to come to you and incite you for violence. We are not out to fight. If you choose to be an agent of chaos during these 2019 elections, 20 years to come, the stigma will still be on you. Nobody wants that; everyone wants to be remembered for good. Don’t let anyone manipulate you.” She said.
The coordinator of Boskoh Crack Team, Comr. Fagbodun Oluwadamilare, who is also the convener of the event explained that SAVE, which stands for Students Against Violence Everywhere is also a call o save Lagos from violence during elections. He said, “Some people have been saying that Lagos needs to be free, but I say we need to save Lagos from election violence and chaos. It is only someone who is in bondage that needs to be free. We are not in bondage.”
Prince Adesiji Ayantuga, Coordinator, Epe Division Solidarity Support Group, who also spoke at the event, said his group is a socio-political pressure group with the aim and objective to mobilize people for the “support of our great party and most especially the support of our incoming governor.”
Adding that he came to lend his voice to the SAVE Lagos campaign for peaceful elections, Ayantuga said, “We are here to sensitise us on having violence free election. There are rumours that there will be serious fight, but I believe that with this conference being organized today, there won’t be any such thing.”
The CEO of Procare Hotels and Suites, Segun Osifeko, who was also in attendance, urged students in attendance not to allow anybody undermined them by using them as tools for violence.