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Tag: General elections

We’re overwhelmed by rush to collect PVCs- INEC

The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is overwhelmed by the current rush by eligible voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) few days to the election.

Mrs Ndidi Okafor, Head, Voter Education, Publicity, Gender and Civil Society at the INEC office in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Friday.

Okafor, therefore, appealed to prospective voters who were yet to collect their PVCs in the FCT to be patient with the commission as it is doing everything possible to distribute them before the deadline.

NAN reports that INEC had set Feb. 8, as deadline for eligible voters to collect their PVCs.

“We have been distributing PVCs in the six Area Councils and in all the 62 wards of the FCT for the past 20 months.

“We had earlier appealed to residents to come and collect theirs to discourage the 11th-hour rush syndrome, but they did not come, now they are putting pressure on everybody.

“One of our staff was injured and most of them cannot even take break to eat due to the pressure from the people, so we are working on seeking assistance of the police in all the collection centres to maintain order.

“The Feb. 8, deadline is sacrosanct and there won’t be an extension that is why we have extended the collection time from between 9 a.m. and 3p.m. to between 9.am. and 4p.m. daily,’’ she said.

Okafor appealed to residents to be orderly on the queues so they can collect their cards on time.

Read Also: INEC seeks media’s support on voter education

She said the commission would distribute PVCs on Saturday, Jan. 19 and Sunday, Jan. 20 to enable workers collect theirs.

She said that complaints of those whose names were omitted had been noted and had been sent to the headquarters for redress.

She said their PVCs would be produced for collection before the deadline.

Okafor said the commission has two PVC hotlines- 08153162663 and 08188241666 that people can call for complain or enquiry.

January 18, 2019
INEC to recruit 24,000 ad hoc staff for general elections

The Plateau office of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ), is to recruit 24,000 ad hoc workers to handle the forthcoming general elections, according to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Malam Halilu Pai.

Pai told the News Agency of Nigeria, on Wednesday in Jos that a bulk of the workers would be serving NYSC members, while others would come from federal tertiary schools, ministries and departments.

Those to be recruited, he said, would serve as Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers, Supervisory Presiding Officers, Collation Officers and Returning Officers.

He said that the ad hoc staff would undergo rigorous training after which oaths would be administered on them to guide against compromise.

Pai said that INEC had also engaged security personnel to check the background of applicants to ensure that people with links to politics and politicians were not engaged.

He said that non-sensitive materials were already being received, with 232 cartons of ballot boxes brought to Jos on Tuesday.

“We expect 464 cartons of ballot boxes; we have so far received half. The rest will arrive in Jos very soon,’’ he said.

The official said that 17 7.5 KVA power generators had also been received and would be deployed to each of the 17 local governments in Plateau, while 207 5.5 KVA power generators had also been received for the Registration Area Centres.

He said that contracts had been awarded for the repair of the “heavily dilapidated’’ INEC offices in Kanke and Mangu, while another contract had been awarded for the construction of a central collation centre at the INEC state headquarters in Jos.

Pai said that trainings were already being organised for security personnel that would be involved in the election exercise, adding that emphasis was on effective crowd handling, integrity and impartiality.

He said that INEC had met with stakeholders, including religious, traditional, community and youth leaders, to seek their cooperation toward free and credible polls, adding that their response had been “very impressive’’.

“All the stakeholders appear ready to support us and offer maximum cooperation. Everyone appears keen and ready to play his or her own role to ensure a free and fair election,’’ he said.

Read Also: NSCDC recovers N31.5m debts in Jigawa in 2018

According to him, meetings with INEC permanent workers have also become more regular because of their crucial role toward the success of the elections scheduled to hold Feb. 16 and March 2.

“We try to admonish the INEC staff against compromise. We have tried to motivate them and also let them know that those found to have compromised standards will face severe sanctions.

“We have also tried to ensure that the workers are well cared for so that they will not be tempted by politicians,’’ he said.

Pai, however, regretted that many Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs), had not been collected, saying that the distribution, which was hitherto limited to the 17 local government headquarters, would commence at the 207 wards from Jan. 16.

“From our findings, 355,000 PVCs have not been collected. This is not good. We feel that such non-collection will lead to a very low turnout. That is why we are taking the cards to the wards,’’ he said.

On the fate of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS), currently in various camps in Riyom and Barkin-Ladi, Pai said that a special arrangement had been designed to ensure that they were not left out.

“We are moving to the IDPs camps to ensure that they all receive their PVCs. We have also established IDPs voting points. When they vote, we shall merge such votes with their mother polling units,’’ he explained.

Pai said that INEC would soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Plateau chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), to ease the transportation of men and materials during the exercise.

The INEC commissioner appealed to politicians to play the game by the rules of the electoral process to ensure a smooth, simple and credible exercise, and promised that INEC would be fair to all.

He expressed gratitude to the political parties in Plateau for eschewing violence in the campaigns, noting that no “evil development’’ had been reported in the ongoing electioneering so far.

January 9, 2019
2019: Election budget ready in 7 days – INEC Chairman

Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday said that the 2019 General Elections budget would be ready in seven days.

Mahmood disclosed this in his in an address of welcome at a Two-Day 2019 Election Project Plan (EPP) Implementation for the senior management staff of the commission in Lagos.

“It is exactly a year today to the 2019 General Elections scheduled for Feb. 16, 2019, the commission has developed a strategic plan and programme of actions (2017-2021), in full consultation with stakeholders.

“In order to implement the plan, the commission then developed detailed activities and assigned specific responsibilities and time lines for the 2019 general elections under the Election Project Plan (EPP).

“There is no time to waste; the 2019 General Elections are already around the corner. These are the last activities before the conduct of the general elections.’’

He said “we have finalized and validated the election project plan, thereafter, finalize work on the election’s budget for 2019, this will be ready next week.

“Part of the successful implementation of the election plan is funding and the commission is not unaware that Nigerians are anxious to know the cost of the 2019 General Elections.

“The commission believes in optimal utilization of resources which is dependent on proper planning.

“With the validation of EPP workshop, having concluded and validated the strategic plan and plan of actions, work on 2019 elections budget will be concluded next week

“Immediately after the validation, the budget will be presented to the appropriate authority for consideration and funding,’’ the chairman said.
He said that the commission would continue to take all necessary steps to ensure that Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) were given necessary support to implement EPP.

Mahmood urged RECs to mobilise all members of staff of the commission to enable them prepare to play their respective roles to ensure the hitch-free general elections.

According to him, activities ranging from the assessment of the current election infrastructure, acquisition and deployment of sensitive and non-sensitive materials would take place as specified.

Mahmood stated that the objectives of the 197 activities of EPP include: “harmonizing the activities and needs of all departments and directorates of the commission into an implementable plan for the 2019 elections.

Read Also: INEC takes voter education to public schools in Bayelsa

Others he said include “Organising the 2019 general elections in line with the highest global professional standards to deliver cost effective but high quality general elections in 2019.

“Ensure that all stakeholders are carried along and create a level playing field for all candidates and political parties in administering the 2019 general elections

“Also to ensure accountability and responsibility of all INEC staff in the conduct of 2019 general elections”.

Mahmood said that each of the 197 activities of EPP responded to specific actions and tasks to be carried out within a specified time line.

He called for diligent and meticulous monitoring, close supervision and sustained of the EPP for understanding and adherence to time line.

On the concern in certain quarters about the possible prevalence of ineligible registrants on voter register, Mahmood said the commission was equally concerned and worried.

The INEC boss also said that the recent reports of violation by underage person, following the Kano Local Government Election were deeply disturbing.

“We wish to assure Nigerians that the matter will be fully investigated and we will share the findings of the investigation with the public.

“I wish to assure Nigerians that voter register, nationwide, will be purged of any possible ineligible registrants,” he said.

According to him, the investigation becomes necessary because the credibility of an election is drawn from the credibility of voter register.

He noted that eligibility for registrations include citizenship, residence and mandatory attainment of age of 18 years.
Mathmood said between July and December, 2017, 3, 978,682 were registered afresh nationwide.

He also disclosed that 135, 127 unclaimed Permanent Voter Cards were collected and 166,073 requests made for transfer of PVCs while the commission received 334,086 requests for replacement of PVCs.

In terms of distribution by state, the INEC boss said that Rivers recorded the highest number of voters, followed by Delta and Lagos while Kwara, Gombe and Ondo recorded the lowest.

On the ongoing voter registration, Mahmood assured that only legally eligible citizens would be screen and registered, saying INEC has 1446 registration centres nationwide.

He said that the commission had deployed additionally Direct Data Capturing machines, staff and resources nationwide to address the challenges people faced in exercise.

Presenting the 2019 EPP report, Prof. Bolade Eyinla said that the reports harmonised the activities and needs of all departments, units and directorate of INEC into implementing the plan for the general elections.

Eyinla is the Technical Adviser to INEC Chairman.

He further said his committee was inaugurated in May 2017 and was informed by success of the EPP in 2015, which centralised planning for the election.
“It is important that all hands are on deck to deliver more credible elections in 2019.
“The plan is to ensure that the 2019 elections will be conducted in line with the highest global standard and to deliver cost efficient but high quality elections.

Eyinla said that all state offices, led by RECs, designed and established their Election Monitoring Support Centres, structured to monitor and support the implementations of EPP.

Mr Shalva Kipshidze, Country Director, IFES said the EPP was developed by INEC with the support of IFES to enhance electoral integrity and good governance.

National Electoral Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners, Administrative Secretaries, directors, Heads of Departments among other senior staff of the commission attended the workshop.

The workshop was facilitated by INEC’s international partners (the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN), European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) and International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).

NAN

February 16, 2018
Survival of democracy in Nigeria: A critical review of the 2015 general elections

Introduction

•From left: Law Editor Vanguard Newspapers, Dayo Benson, Chairman NBA Ikorodu branch, Dotun Adetunji and former Chairman NBA Ikorodu branch, Nurudeen Ogbara at the lecture.

It is indeed a matter of immense pride and honour for me to be invited to be the guest lecturer at the 10th edition of the annual Chief B O Benson SAN lecture. If I am permitted to disclose, Chief Benson SAN is not only a shining star of the legal profession, he is an elder in and out of the legal profession that commands the awe and respect of all and sundry. A great Nigerian of high integrity, his quintessential values is best understood by way of example from an interview he granted to The Vanguard Newspaper sometime in July 2012 on the occassion of his 80th birthday when he said and I quote; ‘’Contentment prevents me from chasing dollars at 80’’. This was upon being asked why he retired from active legal service 10 years earlier. The values exemplified by the honouree throughout his career and till date of honesty, truthfulness, decency and industry are values that have as a matter of fact and common knowledge receded into history in present day Nigeria or are at best only possessed by a few Nigerians today. I recall that the honouree was President of the Nigerian Bar Association when I was in the law school in 1979/1980 and it was his comportment and leadership attributes that drew me into Bar activities. Indeed I coveted the office of the President of the NBA since then.

Those values exhibited by our honouree are values associated with a Nigeria of a not too distant past. Today, the love and lust for money and a get rich at all cost syndrome has penetrated our society and threatens to tip us i.e. what is known as Nigeria over the praecipe. How we got to this point of moral decadence and moral bankruptcy which has seen us degenerate from a country full of hope and promise to this abysmal level of socio-political and economic poverty despite our immense wealth and resources is not a matter for this discourse. However our negative and indeed degenerative status described above is a product of our political history. The journey we undertook in the past 100 years saw us metamorphose from colonialism (1914-1960) to independence when we embraced Parliamentary Democracy of the West Minster Export Model and practised politics of bitterness, deceit, avarice and disunity for six years i.e. 1960-1966. The novelty of the excesses of the political class during this period referred to caused the awakening or emergence of an unknown political monster i.e. the Nigerian military (Armed Forces) and they seized power in the year 1966, suspended the constitution and ruled by military fiat and decree from 1966-1979. During this period, the military defragmented the entity known as Nigeria from four regions to 12 states then 19 states by the time they handed over power to a civilian administration in 1979.

They also prosecuted an expensive and divisive civil war (1967-1970) at the end of which ‘a no victor no vanquished status’ was declared. The civilian democracy was terminated in 1983 by the military relying as justification on the corrupt excesses of the then NPN Government. At that time our political evolution and maturity had not reached the point where the electorate could override the corruption machinery of the political party in power as they did in the 2015 elections when all the stakeholders i.e. political overlords, the electorate, business moguls, civil society groups etc (excluding however traditional rulers, religious leaders, militant groups etc) were in agreement that it was time for the governing political party, the PDP to be sent out of the political arena. Thus in 1983, the military led by, guess who? GMB seized power and attempted to cure the ills of then Nigeria which was largely one of moral decadence through a cocktail of ethical re-orientation and anti-corruption measures albeit orchestrated and directed through the barrel of the gun.

Their efforts, sadly in my view, were cut short by another military coup d’état in August 1985 championed this time by the triumvirate of Generals’ Mohammed Babangida, Sani Abacha and Abdulsalami Abubakar who ruled in succession from that date to 1999 when power was then handed over to a retired military Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo who rode into power on the wings of the Peoples Democratic Party. Now, this political party the PDP held sway from 1999 to 2015 when their rule was unceremoniously cut short by the combined efforts of Nigerians as described above.

The performance of the PDP in the economic growth of Nigeria, indeed in all spheres of development i.e. infrastructure, power, transportation, political culture, probity and accountability, the legislature and to a large extent, the justice delivery system, which encompasses the judiciary, the provision of security, the creation of a level playing field for Nigerians etc was abysmally low and in these and other unspecified but strategic areas the PDP failed to deliver.

The absence of political philosophy or party ideology in Nigerian politics

Indeed, it came to light in the past 16 years that all the political parties that bestrode the political landscape like the proverbial Colossus had no political or social philosophy. No one could say what their fundamental beliefs were although it seemed their members were agreed on one point, which is that political power was an avenue to the acquisition of personal wealth and stature in the society. In established democracies the position of government on all issues is based on the historical philosophy of the political party in power or in opposition. It is not based on the principle of who stands to benefit the most financially before a policy is passed or agreed upon. The absence of principles and philosophy upon which governmental policy or actions are anchored remains the bane or albatross of our present political system. Our leaders do not possess that moral high ground from which to launch their intent and policies. Before proceeding further, who are those that must take substantial blame for this lacuna? For me, I have always been worried that the South-West of Nigeria, with its immense human resources, early exposure to western education, unparalleled economic advantage and initiative abandoned its leadership position after the departure of the generation of the great sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo SAN and his contemporaries from the political stage. It seems from all available evidence that the political first 11 in Western Nigeria has abandoned in the majority, the political stage to their mosquito team. It is clear that majority of Yoruba intelligentsia now populate areas such as banking, finance, insurance, cyber-science, law and justice, entertainment, oil and gas etc as opposed to politics. The effect of the abandonment of the political arena as described is now visible for all to see. I will return to this phenomenon when the role of violence as employed by the political gladiators is considered in this presentation.

Returning back to the thrust of this discourse, firstly, having acknowledged the fact that Nigeria has returned to civilian democracy and apparently now resolved not to allow the military to truncate our political march, it is necessary to consider whether our the foundation laid for the transition of power from one administration to the other can stand the test of time and sustain our political march as conceptualised by the 1999 Constitution.

Secondly, it is necessary to consider how the electoral umpire INEC has fared in its effort to conduct fee and fair elections in Nigeria and particular how it conducted the 2015 general elections and the flaws, if any, associated with the latter.

In concluding this part i.e. introduction it is necessary to draw attention to the fact that the topic in issue i.e. the survival of democracy in Nigeria cannot be viewed solely from the prism of the conduct of the 2015 elections by INEC. The principal bane to the survival of the democratic process or put in another way the survival of modern Nigeria is the effect of the activities of the political class on the institutions and infrastructure that sustain our national life. Consequently, it is intended in this discourse to suggest to the new Administration-elect the steps and agenda it should take having regard not only to the electorally induced problems, which in itself is substantial but also as it relates to institutional problems of leadership and governance that have afflicted Nigeria from time immemorial.

Violence and the 2015 general elections

The violence that characterised the 2015 had been predictable. Leading to E-Day, there had been violent expressions of political rivalry among stakeholders and agents of political parties leading to the use of thugs, arson, terrorism and other extreme criminal measures. It is so sad that in the year 2015, our politicians are still resorting to the same vicious tactics employed by our founding fathers in politics. The result is that the polity even post – election is still super-charged. Economic activity has been severely affected due to politics. The magnitude of insecurity arsing from political activities reached the point that government introduced elements from the armed forces such as the Army and Air Force in order to keep the peace during elections. The result showed a slight reduction in the criminal activities during elections when compared to the data from the 2007 and 2011 elections. According to the National Human Right Commission, no fewer than 58 people have been killed in election-related violence from December 3, 2014 to February 2015. In Lagos, 11 incidences were tracked with two dead people for each incident, an average of 22 people killed over a span of just 52 days. In Kaduna State, there was within that period, three incidents and nine killings; Rivers has six incidents, including the detonation of explosives and attacks on courts.1

Election day and post- election violence

In Akwa-Ibom State, three persons were killed during the governorship and House of Assembly elections. In Rivers State, four persons including a soldier were feared dead during the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state. During the governorship and House of Assembly, five persons were feared killed in Benue State; four in Kebbi; two, each, in Rivers and Lagos; and one, each, in Plateau, Bauchi and Ebonyi.3 According to a post-election assessment by the Centre for Democracy and Development, it was authoritatively revealed that over 100 people were killed during the just concluded general elections. Please note that the electoral violence witnessed was predominant in the South – South, South – West and the South East Zones of the country. These statistics do not include those deaths that were unreported or those that were premeditated politically motivated assassinations, arson and other mayhem unleashed on the populace by politicians and their thugs. These deaths do not also include the Boko Haram attacks in Bauchi, Gombe and Yobe States during the elections which claimed several lives.

May 26, 2015
Beyond 2015 General elections: Delivering election promises

Although provisions were made for the costs of production and distribution of the Permanent Voters Cards and card readers in the Appropriation Bill of 2014 approved by the PDP dominated National Assembly and signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan the ruling party has challenged INEC for insist on using them. Since the INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega has decided to follow the law on the use of the PVCs and the card readers the campaign for his removal has been intensified. A few days ago, the campaign was taken to a ridiculous extent when some ethnic groups which had won some juicy pipeline monitoring contracts from the Federal Government, caused their members to stage violent protests in some cities. Accompanied by the anti-robbery squads of military and police personnel the protesters brandished guns and machetes and threatened to make the country ungovernable if Jega is allowed to conduct the elections.

Convinced that the removal of the INEC boss is not likely to be endorsed by the Senate as required by section 157 of the Constitution there are speculations that he may be sent on terminal leave, any moment from now. As I had argued elsewhere, “By the provisions of the Universities Miscellaneous Act the retirement age of university professors is 70 years. Since Professor Jega is 58 he would not retire from the public service until he attains the age of 70 in 2027. In the conditions of service of university staff there is no provision for pre-retirement leave but sabbatical leave, leave of absence, annual leave, casual leave, vacation leave and maternity leave (for female lecturers). As a public officer cannot go on pre-retirement leave twice it will be absurd to ask Jega go on terminal leave as INEC chairman in 2015 and then as a retiring professor in 2027”.

Unknown to the majority of the Nigerians including registered voters, not less than 14 political parties are participating in the forthcoming general election. But attention has been concentrated on the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC) in spite of the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act which require the public media to give equal prominence to all political parties and candidates. The media have thrown caution to the winds by colluding with certain politicians to divert attention from the crises of youth unemployment, infrastructural decay, insecurity, corruption, currency devaluation etc. Thus, by giving undue prominence to the campaign of calumny and character assassination embarked upon by some politicians the media have denied the Nigerian people the opportunity to make informed decisions on the candidates of their choice. All the same, the campaign has centred essentially on corruption, insecurity and unemployment.

The anti-corruption crusade

As far as President Jonathan is concerned, corruption should be fought with technology as he does not believe in jailing corrupt people. On his own part the candidate of the APC, General Muhammadu Buhari has undertaken to declare his assets, grant autonomy to anti-graft agencies and set up an anti-corruption court. Although these palliative measures cannot seriously addressed the menace of corruption in a poverty stricken environment it is necessary to examine them. In demonstrating his commitment to the fight against corruption with technology President Jonathan should collaborate with the INEC in ensuring that ghost voters are eliminated through the use of PVCs and card readers in the 2015 general election.

On the creation of a new court being advocated by General Buhari to fight corruption it should be pointed out that the Code of Conduct Tribunal is actually an anti-corruption court. But it has been underutilised in the fight against corruption. Unlike the regular courts, the Tribunal has the power to order a vacation of office or seat in any legislative house, forfeiture of ill-gotten wealth and impose a ban on public officers from participating in politics for a period not exceeding 10years.

Any person convicted by the Tribunal is not entitled to any pardon under the prerogative of mercy provisions in the Constitution. However, to function effectively, the National Assembly ought to amend the establishing the Tribunal to clothe it with criminal jurisdiction in the area of economic and financial crimes including official corruption.

However, the government cannot wage a meaningful battle against corruption without addressing the root cause of the menace. The capitalist system is based on ruthless exploitation, corrupt practices and fraudulent enrichment of the ruling class at the expense of the actual producers of the wealth of a nation. Through the imperialist domination of the economy and gross mismanagement by the local ruling elite, billions of dollars are taken out of Nigeria through capital flight. Thus, imperialism and its local lackeys have cornered the common wealth contrary to section 16(3)(c) of the Constitution which stipulates that the economic system shall not be operated in such a manner “as to permit the concentration of wealth or the means of production and exchange in the hands of a few individuals or a group”. To curb corruption therefore the government has to muster the political will to control the economy in the interest of the people and then proceed to arrest and prosecute individuals and corporate bodies that engage in corruption and allied criminal offences.

The war on terror

With the support of the multinational force drawn from neighboring countries the Nigerian armed forces have carried out successful operations against the satanic Boko Haram sect in the last few weeks. In the process, the terrorists have been dislodged from many of the towns and villages in the north east region illegally seized and occupied by them since last year. Although

the war on terror has not been fully won the armed forces and the federal government deserve commendation for the success recorded so far in the task of restoring the territorial integrity of the country. With the recent acquisition of vital weapons for the armed forces by the Federal Government it is undoubtedly clear that the troops have been mobilised and motivated to discharge the constitutional duty of defending Nigeria from the forces of internal insurrection and external aggression.

In view of the disclosure by the Federal Government that it has just acquired adequate equipment for the armed forces and invited foreign instructors to train the soldiers on the use of such equipment the officers and soldiers who had consistently demanded for weapons to fight the war have been vindicated. Therefore, the military authorities ought to discontinue the ongoing trial of officers and soldiers by the General Court-Martial sitting in Lagos and set free the 70 soldiers who were convicted and sentenced to death for mutiny by two courts-martial which sat in Abuja last year. Since the alleged offence of mutiny arose from the legitimate demand of the convicted

soldiers for adequate weapons to fight the rag tag army of the Boko Haram sect their conviction and sentence can no longer be justified.

As the area annexed from Nigeria is being liberated by the armed forces the terrorists have resorted to bombing of markets in the other parts of the North. While the onslaught against the terrorists continues the Federal Government should be prepared to implement the recommendations of the Ambassador Usman Gilmatiri presidential panel on insurgency in the Northeast region. In addition to the joint military operations with the armed forces of the neighbouring countries the Federal Government should embark on special programme to address the problems of child education and youth unemployment in the north east region. Since the police and the armed forces are constitutionally charged with the responsibilities of maintaining law and order and defending the territorial integrity of the nation the award of contracts to militias for monitoring pipelines and policing the country’s territorial waters is illegal and unconstitutional.

Provision of Social Welfare

No doubt, there is no ideological difference between the two leading political parties in the country. As unapologetic defenders of the capitalist system they cannot see any basis for confronting imperialism for the destruction of the economy of the country. Although both parties are committed to the status quo they are prepared to grant some concessions in the area of social welfare. At one of the PDP rallies the Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the economy, Dr. Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala claimed that the Federal Government had employed two million people in the last three years. Since that figure translates to about 54,000 employees per state, including the FCT, the Minister should be made to provide details of the newly recruited staff. Although the number of job losses within the period have not been collated the Minister should ensure that fund saved from the removal of not less than 100,000 ghost workers from the payroll of the Federal Government is invested in job creation.

The APC has undertaken to fund an effective social welfare for the vulnerable segment of the society. In particular, it has promised to pay N5,000 to the 25 million poorest citizens per month. The PDP has countered by saying that there is no fund for such ambitious programme. Although the APC has not joined issues with the PDP on the matter it is pertinent to state that there are sufficient funds to provide social security for the Nigerian people beyond the tokenistic offer of N5,000. In the management of the economy the system has continued to provide ‘intervention funds’ for members of the comprador class.

April 7, 2015
Beyond 2015 General Elections: Delivering Election Promises

INTRODUCTION

The topic of our discourse is anchored on three related assumptions. Firstly, that the rescheduled elections will not be further shifted for security reasons. Secondly, that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be allowed to conduct the general election without

interference. Thirdly, that the successful conclusion of the election will lead to a peaceful transition. In addressing the three assumptions I am not unaware that Nigerians have been assured by the federal government that the handover date of May 29, 2015 remains sacrosanct. Notwithstanding such assurance there are genuine fears that the imminent post election violence will lead to a disruption of the fragile democratic process.

It is against this atmosphere of uncertainty that we shall x-ray the programmes of the political parties vis-à-vis the fundamental objectives and directive principles of State Policy which all elected public officers are obligated to implement in the national interest.

The Subversion of the Political Transition

It is indisputable that the on-going campaign has polluted the democratic space. Tension has gripped the land as armed thugs are killing and maiming innocent people. Last month, the National Human Rights Commission confirmed that 58 people had been killed in political violence within a period of three months. Since then, scores of others have been hacked to death.

Instead of arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators of such mindless violence the heads of the police and other security agencies are celebrating the signing of peace pacts by political leaders. Last week, a security chief merely expressed concern over the growing wave of politically motivated killings in the Rivers state.

From the information at my disposal both the SSS and the Police had personnel at the venues of the political rallies where the killings took place. Yet no one has been arrested and prosecuted. By the way, the prosecution of all criminal suspects has been put on hold in Rivers State, like many other states in the federation, where the doors of the courts have been locked up by judicial staff who have been on strike since last year. On account of official impunity the police have refused to arrest and ensure the prosecution of political parties and candidates that have continued to contravene the provisions of the Electoral Act. For instance, some highly place politicians have been allowed to induce voters with dollars, rice, salt etc contrary to section

124 of the Electoral Act.

The owners of some electronic and print media have joined reactionary politicians in spreading the gospel of hate in contravention of section 90 of the Electoral Act. Religious leaders who should speak out against the country’s inexorable descent to anarchy are alleged to have collected billions of Naira from corrupt politicians. At the end of a meeting recently hosted by a governor in one of the south/south region, a group of ex-militants threatened to resume hostilities and stop the production of oil if President Jonathan is not re-elected by the Nigerian people.

Contrary to the provisions of the Constitution which have conferred the exclusive powers on the INEC to fix dates for all national elections the National Security Adviser and service chiefs instigated a postponement of the general elections by six weeks on account of the planned onslaught against the terrorists in the north east region. With assistance from the multinational force drawn from Benin, Chad, Cameroon and Niger Republics the armed forces have retaken the several towns and villages which had been illegally seized and occupied in the north

east region by the forces of insurgency. Since the prosecution of the war on terror has not been concluded there are fears that the rescheduled election may be further shifted. The ruling party

has taken advantage of the inefficient distribution of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to call for the use of temporary voters cards.

•To be continued nextweek

March 31, 2015
PDP: Wobbling on to general elections

…Continued from Friday

Lagos

There is no end in sight to the personality crisis between the party leader, Chief Olabode George, a retired Naval Commodore and Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, the former Minister of State for Defence. Obanikoro has not forgiven George and former Works Minister, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, for his defeat by Mr. Jimi Agbaje at the primaries. It was a rancorous contest. The number of votes cast was more than the number of accredited delegates. The former minister cried foul, saying that it was daylight robbery. He threatened to go to court to register his displeasure. But, he was prevailed upon to jettison litigation. The shadow poll created division in the fold. After the primaries, Obanikoro started to mobilise for the President’s re-election under an independent campaign group. Agbaje has dissipated more energy on reconciling the two warring gladiators.

Ekiti

Shortly after the inauguration of the PDP governor, Ayodele Fayose, crisis broke out between the governor and some party leaders over the preparations for parliamentary primaries. Senator Ayo Arise complained that Fayose was trying to impose candidates. Eventually, the governor had his way. The aggrieved PDP chieftains still have grudges against the governor. Feelers from Ekiti suggest that the state is indifferent to the presidential elections. A source said: “Support for Fayose, which is now in doubt, is not the same thing as support for the PDP. When Buhari came to Ado, people trooped out. What has Jonathan done for Ekiti? The people are asking. The solace may be the promise by Buhari of the APC to fight the infrastructure battle in the state.”

Benue

Benue is another theatre of battle in March and April. Since quarrel broke out between Governor Gabriel Suswan and Senator Barnabas Gemade, the party has not known peace in Benue North Zone. The defection of Gemade, a former PDP National Chairman, to the APC is a blow to the chapter. The governor and the party elder have fanatical loyalists. In Benue, the APC now has two senators. Both parties are mobilising for the general elections. To observers, the PDP can only sleep with two eyes closed.

Ebonyi

There is tension in Ebonyi PDP. Since Governor Martin Elechi lost out in his bid to anoint a successor at the primaries, the party has been polarised. His supporters have defected to the Labour Party (LP), although the governor still claims to be the state PDP leader. Two groups – Abuja forces and Elechi camp – are locked in a battle of supremacy. Now, the House of Assembly is being instigated by the Abuja forces, led by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator Ayim Pius Ayim, to impeach the governor. The PDP leaders accused Elechi of anti-party activities. Put succinctly, they said he has encouraged his supporters to defect from the PDP to the LP.

During the governorship primaries, Elechi and his men backed the former Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu. But, Ayim’s men supported Elechi’s deputy, Dave Umahi, an engineer. Umahi won. Since then, Elechi has been campaigning vigorously for President Jonathan’s re-election without extending similar support to other PDP candidates.

Already, the anti-Elechi forces have secured the approval of the National PDP Caucus to sanction the governor for the decimation of the Ebonyi chapter. Ayim, said a party source, had complained to President Jonathan that the governor will be an obstacle to PDP’s victory at the general elections. The Abuja politicians have been having sleepless nights, following the exodus of PDP members to the LP. To them, the move may jeopardise the party’s chance at the polls.

On January 16, the governor was booed and jeered at the Abakaliki Township Stadium during the presidential campaign, to the embarrassment of the President and other dignitaries. The disgrace was orchestrated to give the impression that the governor is not popular in the state.

The source said: “PDP leaders, who are against Governor Elechi, are pushing for his impeachment because they see it as the ultimate guarantor of the PDP victory in the general elections. The Abuja-based anti-Elechi forces are working on the members of the House of Assembly to ensure the non-passage of the 2015 Appropriation Bill. Other actions against the governor are in the pipeline. They want to cut the governor’s influence, especially the incumbency power.”

The governor was not present at the Abuja Caucus meeting where Ayim pressed for sanctions against him.

However, mixed reactions trailed the SGF’s proposals. The impeachment slot was opposed by the President, who noted that the time was not auspicious. A source said that, despite the President’s objection, Ayim has intensified his lobby to remove Elechi in the belief that, by the time the plan is executed close to the elections, the President would be too engrossed in his re-election battle.

The source added: “The SGF’s confidence may have been buoyed by what happened on 27th November last year during which the President took a decision with some high-ranking officials of the government and the party to postpone primary elections in Ebonyi, Taraba, Adamawa and Ondo states, pending the resolution of the problems in those states. Some vested interests flouted the order and conducted the primaries in Ebonyi State and the outcome was accepted and the President did nothing. Ayim is apprehensive that it would be difficult for PDP to win the election in Ebonyi while Elechi remains the Governor.”

Party sources said the declaration of the seats of four members of the Assembly loyal to Elechi vacant on the same day the caucus meeting was holding in Abuja was to set the stage for the impeachment.

Another chieftain, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “The whole essence of the action is to whittle the number of pro- Elechi and to get the constitutionally stipulated number of anti-Elechi members to successfully initiate impeachment proceedings”

Last week, the Speaker, Mr. Chukwuma Nwazunku, declared the seats of the four members vacant, following their defection to the LP.

Nwazunku said in a statement that he has the constitutional right to declare their seats vacant. The affectded legislators are: Eni Uduma Chima, (Afikpo Southwest); Helen Nwaobashi (Abakaliki South); Sam Nwali (Ikwo North) and Mabel Aleke (Ohaukwu South).

However, many stakeholders have risen in defence of the governor They believe he was being blackmailed and being witch-hunted by the SGF. A group, the Ebonyi Patriotic Coalition, (EPC), alleged that Ayim was instigating the Economic and Financial crimes Commission (EFCC) against Ebonyi State government.

At a press conference in Abuja last week, Ebonyi government officials complained about the freezing of the accounts of Ebonyi State Local Government by the anti-graft body on the grounds its funds are used to fund the LP.

The Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Dr. Ben Igwenyi, and the Commissioner for Commerce, Dr. Ifeanyi Ikeh, said: “There is a spate of frivolous petitions against state government officials in charge of finance. In the last three weeks, the Accountant-General, Mr. Edwin Igbele; the Commissioner for Finance, Timothy Odaah and the Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Celestine Nwali; have been guests to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“The allegations against them being that some local government funds which were legitimately spent in 2012 and 2013 were unlawfully spent. These are all lies because the documents are there to speak for themselves. Even without hearing from the above three officers, the Joint Account of the 13 Local Governments was frozen by EFCC contrary to section 34(1) of EFCC Act 2004.

The move to remove Elechi has polarised the state along ethnic lines. Those from Abakaliki bloc where Elechi hails from and, who are in the majority, are spoiling for war against party chieftains from a section of Afikpo zone, the birthplace of Umahi. Many are of the view that the governor deserves respect because of his age and popularity among the people.

Plateau:

Plateau PDP is in turmoil. As the PDP presidential campaigns rolled into Jos, the state capital, on January 26, many aggrieved members announced the birth of a parallel State Executive Committee.

Since the chapter broke into two factions, ahead of the polls, reconciliation has proved abortive. The faction, known as the Reformed PDP, is now rooting for opposition candidates. Members of the faction are aggrieved PDP chieftains protesting the alleged high-handedness of Governor Jonah Jang. Prominent among them are governorship aspirants protesting the outcome of the primaries. Their spokesman is former Governor Fidelis Tapgun, who complained against injustice in the party. Tapgun is from Shendam Local Government Area.

Another group, the Equity and Justice Forum, led by Prof. Dakum Shown and Raymond Dabo, is protesting the emergence of Senator Gyang Pwajok as the governorship candidate. Pwajok is a Berom from Plateau North, where Jang hails from. The forum is pushing for power shift to Plateau South.

Governorship aspirants in the Reformed PDP include: Dr Haruna Dabin (Kanke), John Alkali (Shendam), Senator Victor Lar (Langtang North), Apostle Chris Bature (Langtang North), Jimmy Cheto (Langtang South), Mr Goddy Miri (Langtang North). Other members of the group are Danjuma Maina (Mangu), James Vwi (Riyom), Ambassador Ibrahim Kasai (Jos East), Lekyes Kwarkas (Pankshin), Evangelist Sam Mbok (Pankshin), Daniel Daduwash (Mangu) and Dalyop Bok (Jos South).

The former PDP Chairman, Dabin, has an axe to grind with Jang. He led the party to victory in 2011. But, he later fell out of favour with the governor when he unfolded his governorship ambition. In June last year, he was shoved aside, following a vote of no confidence passed on him by the State Working Committee. After he was suspended from office, the only option for him was to resign in September.

Tapgun and Cheto believed that they were dumped by Jang, following his victory at the poll in 2007. A source said that Tapgun has not been happy that Jang decided to surround himself with people from the academic and his school mates, who did not play any significant role in his emergence as governor. Cheto is more bitter. Predicting failure for the PDP at the poll, he said: “We are out to reform the PDP in the state. PDP will be dead when Jang leaves office because the PDP exists today in his pocket. PDP, as it is today, will go with him. The PDP will not win the election in Plateau State. Without a PDP governor, the party will be gone and that’s when we will come in. We will give a new life to the PDP.”

He added: ”We will vote it out. We shall all campaign against Pwajok in our various villages.”

It is not an empty threat. Last month, Tapgun donated his Jos campaign office to the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Simon Lalong, a lawyer.

Cheto has insisted that the primary election that produced Pwajok at the Rwang Pam Township Stadium, Jos was a ruse. He said: “They will know my political strength by the time the February 28 governorship election is over.”

Shown also predicted tragedy for the party, saying that it has violated the agreement on zoning. He said, despite the complaint to the National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, the national secretariat has kept a sealed lip.

He said: “The PDP constitution supports zoning. Since the incumbent governor is from the North, our stand is that his successor should come from another zone, which is the South. The party must choose between backing Jang and his godson, Pwajok, and losing Plateau during the next election.”

February 23, 2015
General elections: Need for caution
SIR: History being a body of facts of past events is supposed to be guide to the present. History, it is often said, repeats itself. However, one significant repercussion of history repeating itself is the higher cost attendant to that repetition.

The unfolding melodrama of election date shift is very instructive and when such incident is placed side by side with what happened before with similar similarities, one may be able to decipher what may likely be the result.

Therefore, we need to do some excursions into the past.

The rigging of the 1964-65 elections in the former Western Region in Nigeria became the precursor of the 1966 coup and its aftermath led to the avoidable Civil War in Nigeria. The costs in terms of financial and human resources, the massacre of innocent Nigerians as well as the attendant internal emotional disharmony and psychological trauma of that era must never be contemplated or repeated. Some of the people who ignited the unfortunate saga paid for their crimes but the majority of the people who suffered were innocent.

The Gowon era in Nigeria was the most glorious. After the Civil war, General Yakubu Gowon introduced the Reconciliation, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction policy popularly known as 3RS. It was the era of mass reconstruction and development. General Gowon through Professor Adebayo Adedeji brought National Development Plans which were properly supervised. Gowon promised to handover to an elected government in 1976. Sometime in 1974 Gowon reneged on his promise and declared that 1976 was no longer realistic. That marked a turning point and Tai Solarin wrote an article titled “The Beginning of the End” and so it was with Gowon which the end of Gowon came in 1975. Those who spearheaded that saga had their fingers burnt.

Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) ran the affairs of Nigeria for eight years from August 1985 giving himself a coup as a birthday gift. He made use of many Nigerian good brains and evolved a culture of political sagacity. He adopted the two party system and Option A4 for elections. Babangida’s end finally came with the annulment of the June 12, 1993 elections. Adjudged to be the freest, most credible and most peaceful, the MKO/Kingibe ticket beat all centrifugal forces – religious bigotry, tribal animosity, north-south dichotomy and all embers of disunity. It showed that Nigerians could and can live in peace and can make choices of their own when allowed. A group of wicked people who never meant well for this nation scuttled that progress.

From the historical facts above, one comes into unassailable conclusion that those who reneged on their promises have always had an unenviable end: Gowon, Babangida and this may extend to anyone else. Obasanjo was able to survive in 1979 when he handed over as scheduled. Nigerians even had to call him back in 1999 and he only missed the repercussion of backsliding when he quickly retraced his steps when some sycophants were urging him on for a third term.

Our current crop of leaders will do well to learn from the above.
- Olusegun Olatubosun,
February 23, 2015