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  • Free, fair, credible and peaceful – for every dream, there is its reality

    It is Friday, February 22, 2019 and I am writing my column for the week. By the time that it appears two days from now on Sunday, February 24, 2019, the first round of the 2019 general elections would have taken place. That is then; I am writing this piece in the time of now. And I am wondering how it will be then. Specifically, I am thinking about – peace. Concretely, I am thinking, asking: will the elections, on the whole, be peaceful? Iwalesin secularist that I am, nonetheless, I am “praying” silently but fervently for the elections to be peaceful. I am hoping, with a desperation that surprises even me, that by the time that this piece is published, the news outlet will not be awash with gruesome stories of homicidal violence and mayhem in many parts of our country. In this thought, I see and acknowledge my oneness, my solidarity with virtually all my countrymen and women: with nary an exception, we are all yearning for peaceful elections; we are all hoping that by this time next week, we would not be inundated with tales and pictures of deaths and destruction in many parts of the land – as usually happens at the end of many of our elections in this country and on our country. This is why the title of this essay contains the four words, free, fair, credible and peaceful.

    Human beings are defined, are constituted by both the reality of their lives and the dreams that arise in response to the reality. Quite simply, very few things are free, fair, credible and peaceful in the reality of the collective, associated lives of most Nigerians. Nowhere is this truer than in the time of elections. That is precisely why we dream of free, fair, credible and peaceful elections. In general, from the simplest to the most complicated aspects of our lives, human beings everywhere hope that their dreams do not repeat or reenact the worst aspects of the reality of their lives. I do not know about you, compatriots, but I know that in the last four to six months, I have not seen or heard of any other grouping of words in the print, broadcast and social media to the same degree that I have encountered those four words – free, fair, credible and peaceful. At home and abroad in the wider world, you encounter the same words when you come across reporting or commentary on our 2019 elections. Indeed, it was the regularity, the constancy with which I encountered those words in recent months that finally drew my attention to their dream or otherworldly vintage, that is in relation to the lived realities of collective existence in our country.

    Of the four words in the exemplary or symbolic concatenation that I am discussing in this piece, the one that seems not to be immediately apparent as a dream motif inversely related to social reality in Nigeria is “free”. By this, I mean that while it should be immediately apparent that the words “fair”, “credible” and “peaceful” do not remotely seem to have anything to do with public, collective life in Nigeria – the Nigeria of the PDP and the APC – the word “free” seems to be far less distant from our ideas and feelings about life in our country. Precisely, I am suggesting that for the most part, Nigerians do not feel that they are unfree, that they live under a dictatorship or even a repressive political order. Of course, sometimes, Buhari has been rather lax in his dealings with the rule of law; he has been very flexible in deciding which orders of the law courts to obey and which to ignore. But so far at least, he has generally kept his innate anti-democratic and autocratic instincts in check. At any rate, being unfree is not something most Nigerians complain about, no be so?

    But how many tens of millions of Nigerians have the freedom not to starve, the freedom not to be the recipients of some of the most inferior and worst services, products and treatment from both public utilities and private enterprises? The freedom not to die useless, senseless deaths on badly constructed and maintained roads and highways and ill-equipped hospitals and clinics? The freedom to live dignified, anxiety-free lives with neighbours in communities across the length and the breadth of the country that are not plagued by bandits, kidnappers, cultists and official and unofficial extortionists, do we have this freedom in Nigeria? With all these freedoms drastically curtailed or outrightly denied, what true and real freedoms remain? The ill-usage that Nigerians routinely receive at home from their government is second only to the same contemptuous treatment that Nigerians receive in many other parts of the world – without the intervention of their government. As this is not the subject of this essay, I will not deal exhaustively with it. But my point, my intent in bringing it up for notice should be fairly evident to the reader by now: being free in an expansive, enriching and humanistic conception of the word, is not a notable part of being a Nigerian in our age – the age of the PDP and the APC. And that is why I include the word with the other three words – fair, credible and peaceful.

    For every dream, there is its reality: this is the other part of the title of this piece. Free, fair, credible and peaceful elections are desired by every nation on the planet. I do not forget that fact. But there is another fact of historic, global significance that I also do not forget: in many parts of the world, free, fair, credible and peaceful elections are no longer mere aspirations or dreams; they are achieved and regularly repeated experiences. Significantly, a few of such nations are on the African continent. I think we can all agree that our country, Nigeria, is not one of such African nations. From this, I think, I hope that we can all agree that elections are not (yet) free, fair, credible and peaceful in Nigeria because so many other things that affect the quality of life in our country are also not free, fair, credible and peaceful. In other words, the dream of fair and credible elections in Nigeria goes far beyond elections themselves to just about every other aspect of our lives, including, incidentally, the lives of our social and political elites. This is what that phrase, “for every dream, there is its reality”, implies in this piece.

    If a dream is not a nightmare, if it is euphoric and comforting, we embrace it. This is common to all human beings, as individuals and as entire communities. This is what dream interpreters and social psychologists mean when they say that dreaming is a very important aspect of human lives, in particular the psychic and imaginative aspects of our lives. From this, I wish to say, simply, that we must never give up on the dream of free, fair, credible and peaceful elections – whatever happens or does not happen in the ongoing 2019 general elections in our country. Throughout the sixteen years of the reign of the PDP, the dream of elections that are free, fair, credible remained just that, a dream, a fantasy as illusory as the dream of a deluge of rain and water in an unforgivingly dry and parched desert. [Especially under the duo of Maurice Iwu, the amoral and cynical INEC Chairman in the period and President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria experienced its worst and most violent election malpractices to date] The 2019 elections are the very first to be organized and conducted under the reign of the APC. Whatever happens in the elections, whoever wins or loses, this is one question we must all face: what are elections going to be like under the reign of the APC?

    There are many dimensions of this question to keep in mind. One: if the APC loses, the question becomes automatically redundant. However, remember, compatriots, that APC and PDP are two sides of the same coin since, quite literally, a large chunk of the PDP leadership have been APC chieftains, just as many in the leadership of the APC were once doyens and kingpins of the PDP. Thus, like a customer seated in a barber’s swivel chair while having his head shaved, Nigeria may be caught between a rock and a hard place in the gap between the dream of free, fair and credible elections and the overwhelming reality of the unfreedom, incredibility and unfairness of life for most Nigerians.

    Another dimension of the question to keep in mind is how long the reign of the APC itself will be, that is, if the party wins in these 2019 elections. Everything on the horizon of the present indicates that APC will remain unevolved and non-evolving. Like the PDP, indeed like all the ruling class political parties, its main driving force is the combination of dedication to the idea of a rotational presidency and deep ethno-regional primordialism, thinly overlaid by confused progressivist and populist ideological pretensions. And there are no thinkers, no visionary intelligentsia among the party’s leadership. If there are, they are yet to emerge as a clearly distinct and influential formation within the party. Above all else, the APC, leadership and rank-and-file membership, is as dedicated to the primitive accumulation project of diversion of our national wealth and public assets to private ownership and control as is the PDP and, indeed, all the ruling class parties. I beg, may I talk this one in true wazobian Nigerian Pidgin: looters and would-be looters borku inside APC as dem borku inside PDP and all the other big men and women parties and na so ‘e go be until…

    I will not end this piece on a negative, despairing note. We must keep our dreams of free, fair, credible and peaceful elections in Nigeria alive, knowing fully well that it is a dream appertaining to all aspects of the quality of life for all in our country. Let us look out for and take note of every aspect of the dream that stands out clearly during and after the elections. Euphoric, comforting and inspiring dreams often come to us, not as entire wholes but as fragments, as bits and pieces of broken porcelain being laboriously glued together again. Thus, I would ask, compatriots, that we keep in mind any of the following things that might strike us as unusual during and after the elections.

    The army and how obtrusive or decisive or, conversely, unobtrusive and minimal its participation was/is in the elections. In all the countries of the world where elections are routinely free, fair, credible and peaceful, there are never any army tanks and trunks and any soldiers, in uniform or mufti, in sight. Shoot at sight, Buhari more or less said to the police and the other security forces, if you see any ballot box snatchers. This clearly implied that the president expected the use of force to disrupt the smooth and peaceful conduct of the elections and is more than ready to meet force with force. Pay attention, compatriots, to the scope of the militarization that we see in the course of the elections.

    Look also, compatriots, to what I would describe as the NECO yardstick of pass and failure in the conduct of the elections. At one time in this country, NECO passes used to be as low as 10%. In one particular year, 2003, the success rate was 1.8%. Yes, 1.8%, leaving a failure rate of 98.2%. In more recent years, an improvement of sorts has happened and passing percentiles of 45% to 55% have been recorded. If you can detect a NECO pattern in the election results, know, compatriot, that it is not yet Uhuru in free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria.

    Finally, dear reader, look to how confirmed or, conversely, confounded are expectations of voting allegiances along primordial and ethno-regional lines in the results of the elections. In all the nations of the world, demographic trends are often very marked in how people vote. For instance, in the United States, the two huge coastal areas, the Atlantic and the Pacific, together with the large urban centers, have electoral allegiances quite distinct from those of communities in the hinterland and the rural areas of the country. But not demographics but primordialism dominates our elections. Will this pattern repeat itself in this electoral cycle? The APC and the PDP are betting on this while some of the newer, “upstart” parties like African Action Congress (AAC) and the Young Progressive Party (YPP) are hoping to buck that pattern. For every dream, there is its reality? No, or not entirely so. Rather, for every reality, the dream is there to reshape and transform it when conditions become auspicious.

    • Biodun Jeyifo bjeyifo@fas.harvard.edu

  • Ajimobi hails election as credible, peaceful

    Oyo South Senatorial District candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Abiola Ajimobi, has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of yesterday’s election, describing it as credible, peaceful and relatively hitch-free.

    He said this during an interview with journalists shortly after casting his vote in the company of his wife, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, children and sons-in-law, at Ward 11, Unit 20, Oluyole Community Grammar School, Oluyole Extension, Ibadan.

    With the benefit of hindsight, the governor said the election was the best he had witnessed since he joined politics.

    In his general assessment of the election, the governor said that the conduct of the election was a marked improvement from the past exercises, apart from reported cases of late arrival of polling materials in a few polling units across the state.

    The governor said he was particularly impressed by the large turnout of voters, especially youths whom, he said, had, by their actions yesterday, demonstrated their resolve to assume leadership positions.

    He said: “I’m impressed with the conduct of today’s election which I can confidently say passes the litmus test of freeness, fairness and credibility. I congratulate the people of Oyo State for turning out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.

    “The atmosphere in this polling unit is that of conviviality. We are all laughing and smiling at one another. The faces I see here are the faces of people who are happy and satisfied with this election.

    “From what I have seen here and the reports I have received so far, the election is hugely successful and credible. The few cases of late arrival of electoral materials were later resolved.

    “Not minding whether they are voting for our party or not, the voters here received me and my family warmly and you can see all of us throwing banters. I must tell you, this is another achievement of our administration. I did not hear any case of brigandage or violence so far.

  • Why elections will be free, fair, credible, by Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has restated his promise to ensure a level playing ground for all contestants into the various political offices in next year’s general elections.

    The President said he was not unaware of the agony of being cheated during elections.

    He spoke while receiving  a delegation from the International Republican and National Democratic Institute, United States (U.S.) at the State House, Abuja.

    According to him, before the 2015 elections, what was done during elections were merely allocations of votes.

    In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari said: “I am glad you are here to assess our pre-election preparations. It reminds me of the visit by the then Secretary of State, John Kerry, before the 2015 polls. We appreciate the concern of America for stability in developing countries.

    “Having run for president three times, ending up at the Supreme Court all three times, before God and technology made a way for me the fourth time, I know what it is to be cheated at the polls.

    “What they used to do was just to award votes and tell anyone who was dissatisfied to go to court. But we won’t do that. I am prepared to give the opposition the opportunities I was not given in the past.”

    He informed his guests that the heads of the security agencies had been warned not to be partisan, but to do their work professionally, and allow the will of the people to prevail.

    Saying that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would keep faith with its priorities of securing the country, reviving the economy, and fighting corruption, he said he was happy that the opposition has not been able to successfully fault the focal areas of the government.

    He said: “We have done fairly well in the areas we focused on. We know how many local government areas in the Northeast were under Boko Haram occupation before we came.

    “That does not happen again, save for cowardly attacks, using young girls as suicide bombers. Other areas of security challenge like farmers/herdsmen clashes are receiving attention, and would be sorted out as much as possible.”

    On the controversy trailing his veto of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018, the President said: “Time is against us. We are extremely vulnerable, and need to be careful that messages are not hijacked and figures tampered with, while being transmitted electronically.

    “Even the Russians were accused of tampering with American election. So, we will remain conventional, and use electronic transmission in subsequent elections.”

    Leader of the American delegation Ambassador Linda-Thomas Greenfield said they had met with the media, civil society and political parties.

    She also spoke on the fears being expressed on security agencies being partisan in the forthcoming elections, suspected non-commitment to free and fair elections by key stakeholders, delayed budget for the electoral umpire Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the non-signing of the new Electoral Bill into law.

  • INEC witness to tribunal: Ekiti poll free, fair

    A Deputy Director General of the John Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Mr Aduwon Rufus Sunday, yesterday told the Ekiti Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Apo, Abuja, the nation’s capital, that the July 14 poll was free, fair and credible by all standards.

    Sunday averred that contrary to the allegations of bias, violence, vote-buying and general malpractices by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Prof Olusola Kolapo, who are the petitioners, the election was devoid of rancour and violence.

    Led in evidence by Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), counsel to Governor John Kayode Fayemi, the witness informed the tribunal, headed by Justice Suleiman Belgore, that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were not biased against any party.

    The witness maintained that it would be a daydream for anybody or group to say that the election was not free, fair, credible and acceptable.

    Sunday, who claimed to be in the situation room established by the campaign organisation to monitor the election, told the tribunal that he never got any report of violence, vote-buying and malpractice.

    The witness said all agents of political parties who participated in the election signed the result sheets.

    He said: “It is not true that INEC favoured John Kayode Fayemi in the election. The allegation of vote-buying is also not true. In fact, the election was among the best conducted by INEC.”

    Under cross-examination by Chief Roland Otaru (SAN), counsel to the petitioners, the witness, who tendered the judgment of FCT High Court delivered by Justice Othman Musa, said he was not a member of the Action People’s Party (APP), which instituted the case that sought to disqualify Governor Fayemi from contesting the July 14 election but was dismissed by the court.

    The witness admitted that his disposition on oath was based on the reports he obtained from other All Progressives Congress (APC) agents during the election.

    The PDP and Prof Kolapo filed the petition, praying the tribunal to declare them as winners of the election on the ground that they scored majority of the lawful votes.

    They alleged that the victory of Governor Fayemi was as the result of vote-buying, widespread rigging, malpractices.

    According to them, INEC officials favoured the governor during the election.

    Also, Fayemi, who was present at yesterday’s proceeding, told reporters that he was confident the tribunal will do justice to all issues raised by the petitioners.

    His lawyer, Fagbemi, expressed optimism that the tribunal would complete hearing of the petition within the time allowed by law due to the steady progress being made by the tribunal and cooperation of counsel to parties.

     

  • 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).”

  • Adeyeye: On credible primary I stand

    Adeyeye: On credible primary I stand

    Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant Prince Dayo Adeyeye told Correspondent ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, that only a free and fair primary can avert doom for the party during the poll.

    A faction has emerged in your party that calls itself “Fresh PDP.” What is your reaction?

    I am now home.I am no longer in the executive of the PDP. We have finished our tenure and you know that we have just handed over after serving the party. It will be a big disappointment if we start another factional crisis; as far as the National Caretaker Committee in which I served is concerned, we have handed over a very united PDP. We have conducted a credible convention, the first real elective convention in the history of the party and it was very successful. We had anticipated that there would be problems after this convention and that was why we set up a Reconciliation Committee headed by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State. He has swung into action already. He is already working. I believe that, if we all give support to that committee, it will be able to solve these problems. I believe that within the next weeks, we will get over these problems. It is not unexpected, that was why we set up the National Reconciliation Committee, but I believe we will get over our problems.

    What gives you the confidence that you will be the candidate?

    Because I know I have majority of our party members exercising their freewill, they want me to be their flag bearer because they know I am the only one who can win for the party in this state. All these other jokers will fade away with time; if PDP genuinely wants to win this election, they know I have to be the flag bearer. Go to the streets and find out from the masses, who they really want, that is what gives me the confide nce. My confidence is reinforced by numerous telephone messages, numerous telephone calls from party members including those people thought are on the other side of the party.

    They are encouraging me saying ‘look, we know you are the only one who can do it, that if you had been picked as the candidate (in 2014), Ekiti would not have been in this condition.’ Ekiti people are freedom loving people, highly educated, highly exposed people so, that’s what gave me confidence and to do otherwise, is to give a death sentence to this party in the state.

    Will the endorsenent of the deputy governor by the governor not put you at a disadvantage?

    I am not bothered about that; if the governor is saying that he wants a preferred candidate, definitely he is looking for somebody he can continue to manipulate after his exit and he knows that it can’t be possible with me. I don’t see that putting me into any problem or disadvantage, what I worry about is impunity and imposition at the national level. If we allow free and fair primary in the state, I will win it by the grace of God, I will win it, I will win it. The party’s rank and file are with me, they want me to be their flag bearer. We knew what happened in 2014, I was coasting home and I could have won successfully with 75 per cent. You knew what the authorities at that level did then but this time around, we are not going to tolerate that. I cannot be appeased like that time, I know that this time around, I will emerge as the flag bearer of the party unfailingly by the grace of the Almighty God. I have the confidence and I am going to work very hard, people know that I work hard day and night and I am putting all my energy to it. Let the governor put all the state machinery, all the state money, all the state resources but if Ekiti people really want to be liberated, they would really want a paradigm shift in governance, I am available.

    Do you think the governor would allow a free, fair and transparent primary?

    The governor is not the party. He is a member of the party, even though a privileged and important member of the party. Should anybody try to hinder the process or affect this process negatively by way of imposition or any other negative attitude, trying to manipulate things, we are going to resist it.

    What are your prospects at the primary?

    If I am the candidate, our party will get many people to support us and vote for us but if I am not the candidate, I don’t know what will happen. I look at the APC, I have been in the politics of this state from day one. I am one of the most experienced politicians in this state today. I have paid my dues, I have suffered more disappointments more than any of them, I have seen the rough edges, suffered left, right and centre and I am much better as a human being. Now, all of them in the APC from the beginning to the end, I can stand against them. I think Ekiti people are looking for somebody they can trust, who have the greater understanding of what leadership entails, who they know is a selfless person, who is not a selfish person. I don’t have any blemish in my record anywhere, I served at the federal level, I served at the state level , I have served the party even when I was in the AD (Alliance for Democracy), when I was in Afenifere, when I was in NADECO (National Democratic Coalition), there was no blemish against me. I served selflessly in all of these positions and I did very well. People are praying for me, against all comers whether in the PDP or the APC, I am ready and by the grace of God, I am going to triumph.

     

  • Anambra youths urges INEC to conduct credible election

    No fewer than 1,000 Anambra youths under the auspices of the Coalition of Anambra Youth Assembly have protested against any acts of rigging or violence during the governorship in state scheduled to hold this Saturday.

    The youths who carried placards, marched to various places in Awka, the capital city, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to register their aversion to the purported discovery of electoral materials in a certain hotel in Awka.

    Speaking to reporters, the leader of the group, Chief Ogoo Egolum, said Anambra youths want existing peace in the state to remain, with no acts of criminality.

    Egolum called on INEC and security agencies to do the needful to ensure that ‘unscrupulous elements did not hijack the election’ and called on youths to be vigilant during the polls.

    Responding, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Nkwachukwu Orji, re-assured the people of credible, free and fair election on the November 18 that would be acceptable to the generality of the people. He debunked rumours of police interception of two lorry loads of sensitive materials meant for the election, saying the sensitive materials had yet to arrive in Awka and could not have been delivered to a hotel room.

    Orji said there are laid down processes for delivery of sensitive election materials, which involve strict monitoring of the process by party agents, election observers, security agencies and the media.

    The REC who was represented by Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Leo Ikedife, said the materials allegedly found in a hotel room in Awka did not belong to the commission.

    On the alleged printing of the Register of Voters, Section 20 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) provides: “INEC shall publish the Register of Voters not later than 30 days before an election. It is customary for the commission to provide the register to political parties fielding candidates for an election.

    “This was done in a widely-publicised event in Awka on October 18, 2017 during which all the parties present collected the electronic register. However, it is pertinent to note that the register given to political parties by INEC does not have the same details as the one used for elections.

    “Indeed, several fields and security features are not included in the register given to political parties.”

  • ‘We have delivered credible performance’

    Guinness Nigeria Plc Managing Director, Mr. Peter Ndegwa, said he is satisfied with the first quarter result posted by the company in the period ended 30 September 2017.

    Ndegwa said   notwithstanding the difficult trading conditions which have persisted, the company was still able to deliver a credible performance, especially with a net sales growth of 30 per cent for the quarter.

    A look into the books revealed that Guinness delivered revenue of N29.9 billion and gross profit of N10.4 billion, representing a 30 and 24 per cent increase respectively over the same period last year. The results reflected continued growth within the spirits business as well as benefit of an expanding portfolio; however, this was against the backdrop of lapping the inventory reduction last year.

    The results, released to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), also saw the company’s marketing expenses increase by 12 per cent, indicating continued investment behind its brands, while administrative expenses were reduced by 17 per cent, a feat that is said to be driven by the organisation’s productivity agenda.

  • Coalition calls for credible poll in Plateau

    As Plateau State prepares for local government elections, a coalition of civil society organisations has called for free and fair polls.

    The coalition said the sensitization was aimed at ensuring free, fair and credible elections.

    Council elections in the state is often marred with violence, especially in Jos North local government. The last council election held in 2008 led to bloodshed, resulting in destruction of lives and property.

    The Community Action for Popular Participation (CAPP), Actionaid, UKaid and Media Action said they have the objective of ensuring peace during the polls.

    The Program Manager of CAPP, Nelson Amanze said: “The coalition has began to engage various segments of stakeholders in the state in a town hall meeting to sensitize them on how to make the proposed election peaceful and credible.

    According to Amanze, “We have held town hall meetings of stakeholders in all the local government headquarters across the state. And we have commenced another awareness seminar for various stakeholders like security agencies, electoral officials, religious leaders, youths, community leaders, journalists, politicians and political parties and other relevant stakeholders.

    “All we are trying to achieve as a coalition is to make sure everyone that has a role to play in the election should do so in the most descent and professional manner to guarantee a credible electoral processes in the state”

    A representative of the Commissioner of Police, Akomolede Babayemi Daniel, applauded the coalition for taking up the responsibility to sensitise stakeholders. The police commissioner said: In the hierarchy of stakeholders in any election, the police is counted first because of the need to safeguard lives and properties of citisens during election.

  • Gaidam: I will leave Yobe for a credible successor

    Gaidam: I will leave Yobe for a credible successor

    Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam has re-echoed his resolve to produce a credible successor.

    The governor, who spoke in Damaturu, at the defection party of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), vowed to ensure that he is succeeded by a responsible person.

    “God gives power to whoever he wishes, but I assure you we will handover to credible successors who would continue with the good work we have started, not drunkards and smokers who would lead our party and people astray,” Gaidam said.

    Some chieftains of the PDP, including a former Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Jibril Maigeri, former commissioners Mohammed Saleh and Sani Choromari, last week defected to the APC, citing Governor Gaidam’s openness and commitment to moving the state forward as reasons for joining the party.

    Governor Gaidam, who described their return to APC as “home coming and a journey to where they rightly belong”, urged them to work hard to achieve the party’s ideals.

    His words: “Based on the achievements which our administration has recorded since its inception in 2009, it is clear that the APC is the only party that could emancipate the common man from the clutches of deprivation, poverty, insecurity, marginalisation and injustice.

    “The country has witnessed nothing but misrule, deterioration of living condition, diminishing power supply, crises in supply of petroleum products, corruption, unemployment, insecurity, insurgency and militancy.

    “I am glad to state, without fear of contradiction, that all these are now being effectively and efficiently addressed.”

    Gaidam promised to keep to his campaign promises till his last day in office, and even called on political officer holders to justify the people’s confidence in them.