The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • 2019: PDP, others in possession of enormous resources – Buhari

    It’s not easy to defend my administration, Buhari declares

     

    Ahead of the 2019 general elections, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday maintained that there are enormous resource in the hand of the opposition parties in the country.

    According to him, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), may not be able to match it.

    He also expressed sympathy for those defending him and his administration describing it as a hucullian task in the midst of opposition.

    President Buhari made the remark while receiving members of the Buhari Media Organisation who paid him a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He thanked the group for their sacrifices as he sympathised with them for losing their friends in a bid to support him without any financial benefit.

    The Buhari Media Organisation was the media outfit of the APC campaign team in 2015 which was named Buhari Media Support Organisation.

    He said “I don’t think I can thank you enough for your steadfastness under very difficult circumstances. It is not easy to defend this administration and more in particular to defend me. But your consistency has given me a lot of confidence.

    “And I know you are doing it as a sacrifice both physical, mental and material. Because as I keep on saying the opposition now are sitting on incredible resources which I am afraid we might not match it at all.

    Read Also: PDP, others in possession of huge resources – Buhari

    “For that reason the opposition is sponsoring mischief from different angles which in spite of the incumbency of government we cannot absolutely stop.

    “It is you that are fighting it and I cannot thank you enough for that. Most of the people I jailed have given back all what they have taken before I was jailed. Most of those people that were being judged by various tribunals have given back what they have taken.

    “I spent 18 months in detention and luckily they did not find anything against me and I was released. But my problem was that there was a journalist from Edo State he wrote an article against me. He wrote that my mother had to die to save me. Because I was only released when my mother died to go and burry her of course you know as a Muslim tradition you are buried where you die.

    “So I can remember what most of you here sitting the sacrifices you have made in terms of materialism even losing friends to continue to support me I have been here for three years. You have proven to people that you are not here for material things, your opinion is out of sacrifice and the strength of the moral courage you have is the the strength of the physical, it is the strength of losing the friends you have.

    “I am sure you are being asked this support you are busy giving Buhari what the hell do you get out of it. And that is why I commend your steadfastness and I am very grateful for it. And in this country whether people like it or not, they will remain grateful for your courage because you have the courage to do the research, take your time to reply mischivious representation and we a very grateful.” he stated

    In his remark, Chairman of the Buhari Media Support Organisation, Mr Austin Braimoh said the main objective of the organization is to promote and defend the programmes of the Buhari led administration.

    Braimoh, who said the group has been making credible interventions in the media to further project President Buhari, said a second term of office for President Buhari is well deserved.

  • 2019: PDP counters Buhari, says youth free to contest Presidency

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s call on youths not to contest the 2019 presidential election with him, but to wait till 2023.

    In response to the President’s admonition, the PDP said on the contrary, nothing stops the youths from taking a shot at the Presidency in 2019.

    The party, in a statement on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said President Buhari’s position was in line with the policy of the All Progressives Congress(APC), not to allow young people aspire to top positions in the country.

    It accused President Buhari and the ruling APC of frustrating the active participation of youths and women in active politics and governance.

    The opposition party said, “It is unimaginable that a President can sign a law and immediately seek to suspend it. President Buhari’s attempt to talk down on and intimidate the youths from contesting against him in 2019 shows that he is not in support of the Not Too Young To Run law and only assented to it because he had no other option under the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    Read Also: Buhari to youths: Wait till 2023 for Presidency

    “We therefore urge Nigerians to be alert and wary of booby traps as well as land mines that the APC and the Presidency will set on the way to scuttle the quest for our youths to fully participate and aspire in our democratic process”.

    The PDP called on youths in the country to rally the opposition in the task to rescue the country from the grip of the APC in the next general election.

    The party noted that President Buhari and the ruling party have shown that they have nothing to offer the youths, and as such should be rejected in the 2019 elections.

    Also reacting to the President’s message, the National Youth Leader of the PDP, Mr. Sunday Ude-Okoye, said the would continue to champion the cause of young persons in the country.

    Ude-Okoye, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja on Friday observed that the PDP appointed many young persons into sensitive positions during its 16 years reign.

    According to him, the party would continue to run a youth friendly government if voted back to power in 2019.

  • PDP to Buhari: Not too young to run is our initiative

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has lampooned President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for attempting to parade themselves as the architects of the ‘Not Too Young to Run Act’.

    A statement on Thursday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan said the bill that culminated in the passage of the Act, was sponsored and pursued by the PDP members in the National Assembly and State houses of assembly.

    The statement said, “It is instructive to note that President Buhari had no input whatsoever in the bill; never showed any support or enthusiasm towards the initiative and had no option than to perform a mandatory constitutional duty of assenting to the bill, as a clear reflection of the mood of the nation, given that the bill had already found an easy passage to the crucibles of the required approval of two-third of states in the federation.

    “This development is indeed a democratic victory for the Nigerian youths over forces, particularly, the APC, that had hitherto disdained and disregarded them as lazy and inconsequential, but had to succumb to the dictates of the law and pressure by the youths and the PDP.

    “The party commends the sponsor of the bill, Hon. Tony Nwulu (PDP, Lagos), other legislators who supported the process and the resilience of the Nigerian youths in getting the initiative through, in line with the vision of the PDP to allow younger Nigerians to actively participate in elective positions in governance at all levels.

    Read Also: Buhari has become unpopular – PDP

    “In preparation for the passage of the bill, the PDP had since launched our ‘Generation Next Movement’, which has already put younger Nigerians at vantage positions to participate in elective positions ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    “In line with the ‘Generation Next Movement’, the rebranded PDP among other pro-youth incentives, has since approved certain critical clauses and waivers so that the young people will actively vie for positions in the 2019 general elections.

    “In line with our dream of providing enabling environment for youths participation in elections and governance, the PDP, after winning in 2019, will further lower the age qualification to entrench our vision that ‘whoever can vote can be voted for’, which is a global standard.

    “The PDP therefore urged the Nigerian youths to immediately take advantage of the Generation Next platform and incentives already established by the repositioned PDP and actively participate in the collective quest to rescue our nation from the misrule of the APC”.

  • Nigeria has no viable option except restructuring, says Ubani

    Vice President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Mr Monday Ubani on Thursday said that for the country to move forward, it has to be restructured.

    Ubani who said that ” the country is no longer working” also  emphasized, “there is no viable option left except we restructure the country”.

    He stated this on Thursday at a press conference he addressed on the state of the nation in Ikeja titled: “Restructure the country, Nigeria or Nigeria may die an unnatural death”.

    He noted that the country has not been able to make progress because of the unitary system introduced into the body politics by the military.

    He said the starting point will be to revisit the 2014 report of the National Conference to move the country forward.

    “Whether anyone likes it or not or wants to hear it or not, the truth of the matter is that Nigeria has a fundamental foundational issue which we need to deal with. But unfortunately we have failed, refused and or neglected to deal with it to our great detriment.

    “Previous and past governments have paid lip service to it even when they found out the truth that the country cannot make much progress with the present structure in place. The present structure is bogus, over bureaucratic, over centralized, oppressive, devoid of Justice and equity. The structure encourages laziness, lack of competitive spirit that was prevalent in our polity in the early sixties due to the apparent adherence to the tenets of operational federalism.

    “Today what we operate is highly distorted economy, the federal taking everything that belongs to the federating units and gathering the states in Abuja for handouts monthly whereas the proper system would have been the various federating units paying certain percentage of what they have gathered in the federating units for the maintenance of a leaner, more efficient and adequately compensated public service”, he stated.

    Read Also: ‘Don’t dismiss allegations of Danjuma, investigate it’ – Ubani

    Ubani commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the law makers on the ‘not too young to rule bill’ signed into law yesterday, noting “it is what is in operation in developing countries which take time to develop their leaders”.

    He lamented that nothing seems to have been done to develop future leaders for the country.

    He noted: “we have a lot of young people who have the zeal, wisdom, brains to lead instead of recycling the old people whose ideas have become archaic”.

    He however emphasized: “if we get the issue of leadership right but refused to restructure, we are getting nowhere”.

    Ubani urged the electorates to demand any aspiring politician to swear to a written affidavit on oath to restructure Nigerian upon winning and assumption of office in 2019.

    “We have no time, 2019 is around the corner and election of new public officers will soon commence. Let Nigerians demand any aspiring politician to swear to ‘a written affidavit on oath to restructure Nigerian upon winning and assumption of office at Aso Villa.That  should be the minimum requirement.

    ” Let us stop beating about the bush,  Nigeria is not working and may not work unless we address our defective and unhealthy structure that is clearly defective. There is no viable alternative to a comprehensive restructuring of this polity if Nigeria would be united, peaceful and prosperous. Irrespective of whatever any one at any level thinks, if Nigeria is to actualise its manifest destiny as the leading Black nation, there is no viable alternative to its comprehensive restructuring. ”

    He declared that the starting point should be with the implementation of some of the recommendations of the  2014 National Conference.

    On the legal side, Ubani described as “media trial” and  “unhealthy for the country”,  the parade of suspects by the police without having been pronounced guilty by a law court.

    “It is important we begin to emphasis that the issue of parading suspect is wrong. An accused person alleged to have committed a crime should be taking to court. Nigeria should follow international law practice.”

  • 2019: Buhari’s popularity will ensure victory of APC – Rep.

    Rep. Umar Bago (APC-Niger) on Thursday expressed optimism that President Muhammadu Buhari’s popularity would win the 2019 presidential elections for the All Progressives Party (APC).

    Bago told our reporters in Minna that Buhari still enjoyed the love of eligible Nigerians.

    He said Buhari remained the greatest political force in Nigeria as far as followership and massive support were concerned.

    ” Mr President has amassed a cult-like followership, especially among youths and women,  irrespective of religious, ethnic, tribal and political differences,” he said.

    The lawmaker advised the president to remain focused on the ongoing fight against corruption, insurgency, cattle rustling, militancy and restoration of economic growth.

    Read Also: APC sweeps Nasarawa Local government poll

    He said Nigerians expected much from the the present administration to re-position the country for optimal growth.

    ” I urge Nigerians to be patient with President Muhammadu Buhari, saying his strong political will would revive our nation’s economy for optimal growth “he said.

    He said that the currnt socio-economic and insecurity  challenges faced by Nigerians was a direct consequence of the mismanagement of the economy by the past administration.

    He said that the massive looting of public funds under the watch of the past administration was purely responsible for the prevailing predicaments.

    The lawmaker, who is representing Chanchaga federal constituency, explained that the diversification of the country’s economy was showing good results.

    ” Mr President  is aggressively formulating and implementing policies aimed at diversifying Nigeria’s economy from oil to mining and agriculture.”

    He called on Nigerians to continue to support and cooperate with the administration with prayers for God’s intervention in the nation’s affairs.

    NAN

  • Buhari seeks sustained sub-regional security operations to tackle threats

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja called for intensified and sustained security operation across the West African sub-region to tackle the rising threats of insurgents and bandits.

    According to him, only a collective fight will halt the threats to lives and property.

    He made the remark while receiving the Letter of Credence of the Ambassador of the Republic of Mali to Nigeria, Mr Moustapha Traore, at the Presidential Villa.

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, President Buhari said the sub-region would continue struggling with the basics of development so long as people live in fear and uncertainty.

    He said “The problems of terrorism and banditry have persisted in our countries, and we are doing our best to secure lives and property, but we tend to underestimate cross-border influences.

    Read Also: Buhari to youths: Wait till 2023 for Presidency

    “Take for instance, the external influences on Boko Haram, and the impact of what happened in Libya. These are very critical issues that must be looked into because they are all at the expense of development,’’ he said.

    In his remarks, the Ambassador of Mali said that he would work hard to strengthen bilateral relations in areas of intelligence sharing between the security agents of both countries, and issues related to trade and economic development.

    “My President holds you in very high regard Your Excellency, and he praises your achievements in security and the economy since 2015,’’ he added.

    President Buhari, who also received a Letter of Credence from the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia, Mr Dura Likar, assured him of Nigeria’s full commitment to improving bilateral relations, especially in the areas of trade and security.

    Mr Likar told the President that Serbia remains interested in building relations with Nigeria in security, education, sports and trade.

    “Let me say Serbia is ready to help and support the Nigerian armed forces and we have had a long standing relationship,’’ the Serbian Ambassador said.

  • 2019 election: Group cautions APC on nPDP

    The Vanguards for the Protection of Democracy in Nigeria (VPDN) said the continued stay of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) in the All Progressives Congress (APC) portends danger to the party ahead of the 2019 general election.

    Mrs Sharon Cham, National Coordinator of the VPDN, gave the warning on Thursday in Abuja, when she led some of its members to protest the continued stay of the nPDP in the APC.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the nPDP, which fused into the APC in 2014, recently alleged that its members were being neglected, adding that they were going through harassment and intimidation.

    The group had also given the APC leadership and President Muhammadu Buhari a seven-day ultimatum to address issues affecting its members ahead of the 2019 general election.

    Read Also: nPDP did denies demanding for Saraki’s trial stoppage

    “We wish to remind the APC leadership that keeping these people in the party portends a lot of danger not only to the party, but to our hard earned nascent democracy.

    “Political parties and government are formed by different people with different ideas, but with the same vision and mission to move the country forward.

    “However, the way the members of the nPDP have been mounting unnecessary pressure on the government, causing disaffection in the party; shows that they are out to bring mischief and bad blood among teeming loyal party members,´´ Cham said.

    This, she said, could clearly be seen from the series of threats the group had been dishing out to the APC leadership and by extension President Muhammadu Buhari.

    She, therefore called on the APC leadership to sanction the group, adding that its alleged grievances could not be established or justified.

    She said this was especially so, because some members of the nPDP were holding strategic positions in the APC-led Federal Government, including that of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives among others.

    According to Cham, the motive of the nPDP is not to find a lasting solution to the internal crisis of the APC, but to cause more problems in the party and the smooth running of government.

    ´´Please sanction and sack them now from the party, because the enemy within is always difficult to fight than the one outside; we say no to pardoning crimes committed,´´ she said.

    NAN

  • Opposition unserious, very disdainful of the truth – Mohammed

    For not acknowledging the achievement of the Muhammadu Buhari Administration, the opposition in Nigeria is unserious and very disdainful of the truth, information minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said.

    Besides, Mohammed also accused the opposition of deliberately perpetually blind to the monumental achievements of this Administration.

    He spoke yesterday in Abuja at the inauguration of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) governing council.

    The minister noted that opposition has made the practice of government perception managers very difficult with the speed at which it spew out fake news.

    He said: “It is a tough time to be a public relations practitioner. I should know. At the Annual Conference and General Meeting of the NIPR in Ilorin in April 2017, I did say that for the Government Perception Manager, whether he or she is the Minister of Information, Commissioner for Information, Spokespersons for the President or Governor or for any government agency, it is an almost impossible task these days.

    “Today, that observation is more valid than when I first made it in 2017 – especially for the Government Perception Managers. This is because we have an opposition that is unserious, very disdainful of the truth, lacks ideas and believes that being in opposition means crying wolf where there is one and spewing out fake information at the speed of light! Where is the seriousness in an opposition party throwing out a spurious figure of 10 trillion as the amount of money that has been looted under the present administration? What is Nigeria’s annual national budget?

    “How do you react to an opposition that is deliberately perpetually blind to the monumental achievements of this Administration?

    Read Also: Buhari has delivered, says Lai Mohammed

    He however noted that the current administration has recorded a number of unprecedented achievements, seen and acknowledged by Nigerians who have benefitted from them, even when opposition said they have not seen them.

    “While naysayers say they have not seen all these achievements, Nigerians who are benefitting directly from them have testified to the reality of the successes. ” he said.

    While also identifying the social media as another wedge to professionalism in the practice of public relations in the country, the minister however urged practitioners not to be tied of project ting the image of their establishment.

    He said, “I said the challenges faced daily by the perception managers have been made tougher by the Social Media, that the challenges have defied everything the practitioner may have been taught about perception management, public relations and all, and that the government spokesperson, in order to succeed, must be a Cicero, a Socrates, an Albert Einstein and a Machiavelli all rolled into one.

    “Public relations practitioners, whether working for government or not, must never be tired of projecting the image of their establishments, even when some people decide to play the blind or the spoiler. They must never be discouraged or allow themselves to be disenchanted. Yes, it is a tough job, but if they don’t do it, no one else will.”

    In his remark, Mukhtar Sirajo, President and Chairman of the governing council want public and private sectors against appointing non-professionals as spokespersons.

    “Therefore, only trained and certified public relations professionals are invited to deliver the needed quality service in this regard. Accordingly, the NIPR enabling law, which is an Act of the National Assembly, criminalizes the current practice where non-public relations professionals are appointed to discharge public relations duties in government offices and Organizations as spokespersons or communication managers,” he said.

    This Sirajo said will help check the dissemination of fake news and hate speeches.

    He also decried the idea of engaging foreign public relations firms by political parties and candidates, a practice he said could jeopardize the security and stability of the country.

    The newly elected president also hinted of NIPR’s idea of constituting the tribunal to check unwholesome activities of people practicing public relations.

  • Fayemi bows out as Minister

    …Lists achievements in Mines and Steel

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari has officially accepted the resignation of Dr. Kayode Fayemi who until on Wednesday was the Minister of Mines and Steel Development.

    Fayemi who stated this on Wednesday at a validetary press conference revealed that the President accepted his resignation to enable pursue other political interests.

    He added that it is with a deep sense of pride about his contributions to the landmark achievements which he and his team have achieve in the sector and thus he is transitioning out with head held high.

    Fayemi also said that his overall goal was to ensure the sector contributes optimally to the building of a strong and virile economy that supports human development goals.

    Listing his score card to members of the media, Fayemi revealed that he began with developing a Roadmap for the ministry which was approved by the Federal Executive Council on August 31, 2016.

    He added, “The ministry sought for and obtained approveal for N30bn (approx. $100m) intervention fund from the Federal Government, partly to help provide cheap loans and grants to industry participants as well as for directly investing in foundation infrastructure.

    “We also secured support from the World Bank for the funding of the Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification (MSSED or MinDiver) program, a critical component of which is to provide technical assistance for the restructuring and operationalization of the Solid Minerals Development Fund, which would make finance available to ASM operators through micro-finance and leasing institutions.

    “Similarly, we have reached an advanced stage in assembling a $600M investment fund for the sector, working with the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, the Nigerian Stock Exchange and other financial institutions.

    Read Also: Fayemi refute report on running mate

    “We have facilitated payment and the release of the results of the aeromagnetic survey of the whole country carried out since 2006, but which had not been released due to non-payment.

    ” Our Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has undertaken additional ground investigations nation-wide to upgrade our National Minerals Database and to further ascertain the assays of our mineral assets to the level that can easily attract financial investments and assure operators of the scope of operations required for further exploration and/or mining.

    “The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has also signed and operationalised MoUs and Technical Cooperation Agreements with the China Geological Surveys, Shandong Mineral Exploration Agency and the National Office Hydrocarbons and Mines ‘ONHYM’ of Morocco. The collaborations are intended to leverage on the expertise and state-of-the-art technologies of these organizations in assisting Nigeria generate investor friendly geoscience data.

    “The Ministry has initiated engagements with SGS, a world-renowned material testing company, to strengthen the capacity NGSA Laboratory Facilities in Kaduna towards achieving ISO 17025 accreditation within the shortest possible period.

    “As part of the support we received from the Natural Resources Fund, the Ministry has finalized exploration initiatives totaling N15 billion allowing successful entities help with the exploration of priority minerals like Gold, Lead, Zinc, Rare earth metals to mention a few.

    ” Launched a N5 billion fund (made up of N2.5 billion by SMDF & a counterpart fund of N2.5 billion by Bank of Industry) to provide single digit interest loans to Artisanal and Small & Medium scale miners.

    “Secured, through the Federal Government, a $150million loan from the World Bank to commence the Mineral Diversification (MinDiver) Project aimed at funding strategic interventions in the Sector.

    “We have made progress in resolving the legal issues around our legacy projects, particularly Ajaokuta. We have signed a Modified Concession Agreement (MCA) that has allowed for the commencement of the return of the entity to the Federal Government of Nigeria. We have in place a timeline of action which would see the legacy plant become operational in the near future. We are at this time concluding an audit process, further to which we would fully take over the plant. We are taking the most appropriate steps in our national interest to ensure Ajaokuta is finally put to work after several false starts in the past.

    “On ALSCON, we have also made significant progress in our efforts to bring the Company back to life with the approval of the National Council on Privatisation that the company be given to UC Rusal with clear conditionalities for resuscitation.

    “The Re-activation of the Mineral Resource and Environmental Management Committees (MIREMCO) in 20 states. Ten (10) States have so far been mobilised with take-off grants and operational vehicles.

    “Establishing and equipping the Mines Environmental Analytical Laboratory in the Ministry to enhance a reliable data collection from mines field for compliance monitoring and maintenance of data bank.

    “Procured 40 Field Vehicles for the Presidential Special Mines Surveillance Task Force to monitor illegal mining activities

    “Operationalised several existing MoUs and a number of new ones between the Federal Government and other countries like the Republic of South Africa , the Peoples Republic of China, e.t.c.

    “We have initiated the optimization of the Gold Value Chain with a view to Instituting a Federal Gold Reserve Scheme, in which the Central Bank of Nigeria shall be involved. This initiative would also include a National Gold Purchase Scheme that would involve cultivating partnerships with state governments towards improving their beneficial participation in the gold value chain especially as it touches on production, technics, trading, health and safety, and environmental protection.”

  • #NotTooYoungToRun: Joyous daybreak for the Nigerian youths

    The assurance of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the “Not Too Young To Run” bill comes as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Nigerian youths who have been seared in the flames of political marginalization.

    It is a healthy weather and a joyous daybreak for our nascent democracy, and a momentous breakthrough for the vibrant youths of our nation as it seems like in few days our constant clamour for inclusion in the elective and political superstructure of our great nation is about to receive a constitutional approbation.

    The political stratosphere is about to become more interesting as we will see young, experienced and brilliant minds share campaign soapboxes and political portfolios with the older generations come 2019.

    The bill, which is part of the process to amend the 1999 Constitution, seeks to reduce the minimum age requirements and entry for elective offices in the country.

    It will ensure that any individual who is a citizen of Nigeria, and has attained at least the ages of twenty-five and thirty years respectively, will have the statutory right to contest elective positions.

    Some of the positions up for grabs are as follows: membership of the National Assembly, membership of the House of Assembly, Governor and President.

    Read also: Youth not fully ready for leadership -Yero

    Below is the full details of the “Not Too Young To Run” Bill:

    Qualifications for Membership of National Assembly

    1. Section 65 (1)(a) and (b) is amended by substituting the provisions with a new

    provision as follows:

    A person shall be qualified for election as a member of –

    (a) the Senate, if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of thirty years;

    and

    (b) the House of Representatives, if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age

    of twenty-five years.

    1. Section 65 (2)(b) is amended by substituting the provision with a provision as

    follows:

    A person shall be qualified for election under subsection (1) of this section if –

    (c) He is member of a political party and is sponsored by that party or he is an independent candidate

    Qualifications for Membership of House of Assembly

    1. Section 106 (b) and (d) is amended by substituting the provisions with new provision as follows:

    A person shall be qualified for election as a member of a House of Assembly if –

    (b) he has attained the age of twenty-five years;

    (d) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that party or he is an independent candidate

    Qualifications for election as President

    1. Section 131 (b) and (c) is amended by substituting the provisions with new provisions as follows:

    A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President if –

    (b) he has attained the age of thirty;

    (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party or he is an independent candidate

    Qualifications for election as Governor

    1. Section 177 (b) and (c) is amended by substituting the provisions with new provisions as follows:

    A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the Governor of a State if –

    (b) he has attained the age of thirty;

    (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party or he is an independent candidate

    1. This Bill may be cited as Constitution (Alteration) Bill, 2016

    EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

    This Bill seeks to alter the Section 65, 106, 131, 177 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) to reduce the age qualification for the office of the President and Governor and membership of the Senate and House of Representatives and the State House of Assembly. The Bill also seeks to allow independent candidacy in Nigeria’s electoral process.

    President Buhari is perceived to be a man of integrity who keeps to his words and promises; the days to come will validate such conjectures. Let’s see if he would transform his promises from thin paper to thick action.

    Great Nigerian Youths….our time has come.

    We are the leaders of NOW.

     

    Moses Emorinken is a reporter with The Nation Newspaper from the business desk.

    Twitter & Instagram : @memorinken