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Tag: PDP

  • PDP replies Oshiomhole on APC’s cover for ‘sinners’

     

    The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) has replied the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Adams Oshiomhole over his “once you join the APC your sins are forgiven” comment.

    Speaking at APC presidential rally in Benin on Thursday, Oshiomhole had told the gathering that once you join the APC, your sins are forgiven.

    But in a reaction on Friday, spokesman for the PDP Presidential Campaign, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Oshiomhole has finally exposed President Muhammadu Buhari as “patron of corruption”, dismissing the administration’s anti-corruption fight as a ruse.

    Ologbondiyan, in a statement, said Oshiomhole, by his comments at the rally, has directly confirmed that the APC is a sanctuary for treasury looters and that President Buhari’s fight against corruption is mere racketeering.

    He explained: “With this revelation by Oshiomhole, who is also overburdened by huge corruption allegations for which he had to flee the country last year, it is now established that the APC is a party of thieves and thrives only on deception, lies and propaganda while swimming in an ocean of corruption.

    “The fact that President Buhari, who parades as Mr. Integrity, has not reprimanded Oshiomhole but openly relished the assertion, confirms his moral entanglement, accommodation and valid endorsement of corrupt practices by APC members and Presidency cabal.

    READ ALSO: Oshiomhole receives 18 PDP defectors in Bauchi

    “Nigerians are all witnesses to how President Buhari became an advocate for Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje over the leaked tape, showing him allegedly collecting bribe from contractors.

    “They have also seen how Mr. President, even as supposed Mr. Integrity, surrounds himself with corrupt persons and how most members of his Campaign Organization, as individuals, have been indicted for corruption.

    “This is even more worrisome given allegations that the Buhari Presidency and the APC are directly benefiting from the funds being looted under their watch, including the N9 trillion detailed in the leaked NNPC memo; the N33 billion North East intervention fund, the repatriated $322 million stolen under the guise of sharing to the poor, the over N25 billion stolen from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the over N1.4 trillion stolen through sleazy subsidy regimes among others”.

    The PPCO said that with that revelation by Oshiomhole, President Buhari no longer has the moral rectitude to seek re-election after he has betrayed Nigerians by failing to uphold the sanctity of the war against corruption as one of the major planks of his re-election campaign.

    “Moreover, Oshiomhole and his co-travellers in his corruption roller coaster are reminded that they will soon lose their cover and definitely face trial for their atrocities as Nigerians have resolved to vote out their grand patron, President Buhari from office on February 16, 2019.

    “Finally, the PPCO urges the EFCC to commence the investigation and prosecution of members of the APC campaign council as well as new entrants into their party as their factional National Chairman had already confessed that the party is a club of looters,” Ologbondiyan added.

     

     

  • Election: Umahi directs supporters to be at polling units by 6am

    Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has directed the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters to move to their polling units on election days by 6 a.m., to prevent possible electoral malpractices.

    Umahi gave the directive on Friday at Ikwo Local Government Area during the flag-off of his election campaign, urging the supporters to remain at the polling units after casting their votes.

    “Nobody should attempt any form of malpractice because we will resist such with everything we have.

    “When I was asked to sign the peace accord by the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), I signed but said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies should actually sign the accord.

    “There will be peace if they say let there be peace and if they refuse, there will not be,” he said.

    The governor noted that anybody collecting gratifications to perpetuate malpractices during the elections was risking his life because Ebonyi people would not agree to such.

    “Anyone coming for elections in the state should do the right thing because we are not asking for favours, having been blessed by God.

    “Henceforth, appointments into governmental positions will not be based on local government area considerations but on support to the PDP and its candidates.

    Read Also: Umahi donates operational vehicles to security agencies

    “Do not allow people to deceive you with all sorts of insinuations as everybody supporting the PDP must vote for the party’s candidates.

    “We are commencing our house-to-house campaign from Sunday, Jan. 20, and party faithful should post their findings on our social media platform,” he said.

    Umahi said that the campaign was flagged-off in Ikwo Local Government due to the electoral success recorded when such flag-off commenced in the area in 2015.

    “You gave 90 per cent of your votes when an incumbent governor from the area was not supporting us and you hadn’t a present deputy governor, three commissioners and other appointments.

    “I am optimistic that you will give us 100 percent presently with our infrastructural strides in roads and plans to make the Oferekpe water scheme functional, among others,” the governor said.

    Dr Kelechi Igwe, the Deputy Governor, who hails from the area, thanked the governor for replicating the flag-off of the campaign in the area and assured of the peoples’ total support.

    “The women of the area and decampees from the All Progressive Congress (APC) have donated Sienna buses respectively in appreciation of your numerous developmental strides and to support your re-election,” he said.

    Chief Uche Secondus, the PDP National Chairman, urged the electorate to vote for all PDP candidates from the presidential to the House of Assembly level.

    Secondus, represented by Chief Austin Umahi, the party’s National Vice-Chairman-South East Zone, said that the journey to the party’s electoral victory in 2015 started in Ikwo Local Government Area and expressed optimism of a repeat performance.

    Mr Onyekachi Nwebonyi, the state Party Chairman, noted that the governor had justified his campaign with his numerous infrastructural strides across the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the occasion witnessed the defection of APC supporters to PDP, presentation of PDP candidates from the area and goodwill messages from party faithful among others.

  • ‘Buhari’ll win 95 percent of Southwest votes’

    A group of grassroots farmers, artisans, politicians, non-politicians, traders, religious leaders, community leaders, youths, market men and women from the Southwest have assured not less than 90 or 95 percent of total votes in the region will be for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The group christened ‘Southwest Frontiers For Buhari 2019’ said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has no moral ground to condemn the Buhari’s administration for correcting years of PDP’s misrule.

    Speaking after an executive meeting of the group at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, it noted the less than four years of the APC has proved to the whole world the “misgovernance, misrule and plundering of the nation’s treasury, perpetrated by the PDP in their 16 years of being in power.”

    The group, however, added said another four years for Buhari was required to nail corruption and set the nation on the right path.

    Read Also: Buhari’s visit: Police deploy 1,711 officers in Niger

    Southwest Coordinator of the group Mr. Ayodele Joseph told reporters the Frontier will battle the PDP in the forthcoming elections because of confidence in the efforts of President Buhari.

    He said the group whose membership traverse all political parties and age group are not necessarily politicians or members of any particular political party but those who believe in the integrity and good intentions of Buhari to restore the nation to the path of honour.

    Ayodele appealed to leadership of the ruling APC in the Southwest to cooperate with the group because of the makeup of its members, which he said also included non-card-carrying members of the APC.

    Explaining the strategy to achieve the massive vote for Buhari’s victory, the National Public Relations Officer, Prince Omowunmi Samuel said the group is structured to have coordinators at the state, local government, wards and voting unit levels.

    He said the group with at least 50 members at the unit level has embarked on aggressive door-to-door campaign to enlighten the people on the various efforts of Buhari to ensure its reelection.

  • Atiku confirms arrival in U.S.

    FORMER vice president and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku arrived in the United States (U.S.) yesterday.

    In a post on Twitter, he said: “Just arrived Washington D.C for meeting with U.S. government officials, Nigerians living in D.C metropolis and the business community. -AA”, with a photograph, showing him clutching a bouquet of flowers, along with Senate President Bukola Saraki and a woman.

    But the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, said it was not sure if the former Vice President would be visiting the U.S. any moment soon.

    A source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the embassy was yet to get official information about the former vice president.

    The source said: “Actually, we have not received any information for the embassy but we are just trying to find out whether really he is coming. That is what we are doing right now.

    “They told us he’s coming tonight, today, so, we are trying to find out whether he’s really coming.

    “Mr (Peter) Obi, (Atiku’s running mate), he was to come last week but the event was cancelled.

    “So, we are still trying to see but if you get anything, please just let us know also because they said he’s coming here so that if you’re able to get any updated information, just inform us so that we can prepare vehicles to go to the airport and meet him and all that.

    “For now, we have no information. If I am able to confirm anything, I will get back to you and please, if you too get any confirmation or any update, just get back to me, just call me.

    “As a former vice president, the Embassy is supposed to organise to receive him at the airport and all that, but then we have not received anything in that regards,” the source said.

    According to the report, Obi was billed to be in the U.S. last week and was scheduled to have a New Jersey/New York Townhall meeting but the event was postponed.

    The PDP vice-presidential candidate is now rescheduled for the New/Jersey/New York USA Town Hall Meeting at Robert Treat Best Western Hotel, New Jersey on Monday, January 21.

    The clarification from the embassy came as online reports said Atiku had either landed in the U.S. or had taken off from Nigeria to address the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today, from 2:30pm to 4pm local time.

    He was scheduled to be in Ogun State yesterday but the event was cancelled, it said.

    Atiku was said to have been issued last December a U.S. visa for the first time in 13 years. The visa was reportedly facilitated by his former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo, a former foe turned endorser.

    Read also: INEC clears Buhari, Atiku, Ezekwesili, Okotie, others

    But reports said Atiku sensed the visa could be a trap by the Americans and thus asked for a guarantee from the US government that he would not be arrested over a case of money laundering for which there were reports of a sealed indictment by the U.S. Justice Department.

    In another case, former Congressman William Jefferson was jailed for 13 years for accepting a bribe from an investor, Lori Mody, who was wearing a wire. Jefferson told the investor that he would need to give then Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar $500,000 “as a motivating factor” to make sure the company obtained contracts for iGate and Mody’s company in Nigeria.

     

  • Atiku, PDP planning to infiltrate INEC to rig 2019 polls, says Buhari’s group

    THE Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) said yesterday that it has unearthed plans by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to infiltrate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by sponsoring its supporters to work within the commission as electoral officers.

    BMO also said the opposition was deploying massive resources to rig next month’s presidential election.

    The organisation said in a statement issued by its chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and secretary, Cassidy Madueke, that the plans of the opposition “to subvert the will of the people”, is the recent recruitment of a former INEC Chairman known to have presided over the worse election in Nigeria’s recent political history.

    The group said the rigging plot also involves spending huge sums of money on police personnel and election officials in many parts of the country. It added that the opposition was also plotting to infiltrate the electoral body with their supporters.

    The group asked INEC to be vigilant and ensure that PDP supporters were not recruited as electoral officers.

    “With their campaign daily losing steam, PDP has also resorted to accusing everyone directly or remotely connected to President Muhammadu Buhari of corruption; after realising that Nigerians are not buying any of their Dubai strategy of lies.

    “Their leaders had been working on this plan for a while and had consciously been raising all sorts of allegations and attacking national institutions involved in the electoral process to divert attention from their devious agenda.

    Read also: Dogara warns over non-assent to Electoral Act Amendment Bill

    “Part of the plot is to discredit INEC’s new election guidelines, which included simultaneous accreditation and voting, and which also barred collation officers from making or receiving calls on election day.

    “This same style was successfully test-run in all bye-elections in recent months, including those won by PDP candidates, but the party did not see anything wrong with it until the commission insisted that it would be used during the next elections,” the BMO said.

    BMO noted that PDP is also working on infiltrating INEC by embedding its supporters among ad-hoc electoral officials as part of its rigging plan.

    It consequently advised the Commission to be cautious in its recruitment plan for the general election.

    “We want to place Nigerians on notice that they should be at alert and not allow PDP elements at all levels to subvert the will of the electorate.

    “There is also a need for the election management body to properly scrutinise ad-hoc staff to be recruited for Election Day duty as well as pay more than a passing attention to its officials in the run up to the February 16 election.

    “This is because PDP, a party that is known for electoral manipulation, and which has a lot of dirty schemes in its kitty to rig the process in favour of its Presidential candidate, needs to be put under close surveillance,” they said.

    They dismissed insinuations by the opposition that President Buhari and the APC to rig the election, saying the President has no reason to rig the Presidential election, saying any fear by the opposition was completely misplaced.

  • Oyo APC, PDP in war of words

    THE Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the weekend took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Mr. Seyi Makinde, over his recent comments that cast aspersions on the person of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

    Makinde had accused Governor Ajimobi of using arm-twisting tactics to install his anointed candidate as governor, by forcing the Chairman of the Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency (OYSAA), Pastor Yinka Adepoju, to resign his position.

    The PDP candidate expressed disappointment with the desperate moves of the governor to ensure his candidate wins the election. He also accused Governor Ajimobi of threatening the beneficiaries of the Federal Government N-Power Programme to vote for the APC or the programme would be stopped, saying the threat is a cheap and desperate blackmail.

    But, the APC waved aside what it described as the PDP candidate’s vituperations and urged the people to ignore him as a ranting politician.

    The APC said the recent statements credited to Makinde showed that he is a frustrated man who should not be dignified with response anytime he vents his uncoordinated vituperations.

    The APC Publicity Secretary, Dr AbdulAzeez Olatunde, in a statement, urged Makinde to focus on issues, rather than on personalities, adding that his comments proves that he is very naïve about public governance.

    Dr. Olatunde added that the PDP candidate’s comment on the recent rally organised by the beneficiaries of the N-Power programme was unexpected from a person positioning himself for the exalted seat of a governor. He addedg that an intelligent person will know that the PDP can never initiate, manage or sustain such a laudable and beneficial programme.

    The APC stressed that rather than Makinde condemning the APC for the rally, he should rather urge beneficiaries of the failed Sure-P and YouWin programmes of the PDP to organise a similar rally for the party.

    Olatunde said: “It is a pity the best hand the PDP can put forward for the Oyo governorship election is a novice in public governance. Rather than Makinde to engage on issues based campaign and tell the citizens his plans, he is busy displaying his ignorance with the statements credited to him.

    “Such an individual should always be ignored but in politics, one should always give them a dose of their drug. An intelligent person would have known that an election is not won by billboards. We wonder why we will feel intimidated by Mr. Makinde’s billboard. He had similar billboards in the 2015 election and still came a distant fifth. We do not need any soothsayer to predict that Makinde cannot fair better in the 2019 election.

    “It is understandable that his perennial losses have led to frustration, because if not, it is only a novice that would complain about the N-Power rally which was organised by the beneficiaries themselves. To show their enthusiasm, majority of these N-Power beneficiaries painted their faces before the rally which was also used to launch a programme tagged Build the Future.

     

  • Sokoto APC tackles PDP over allegations of thuggery

    THE Sokoto State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has indicated that it was not ready to join issues with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying the opposition party is fast loosing acceptability in the state.

    Speaking at a press conference in the state capital, the APC Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Sambo Danchadi, said the party has reached the end of the road and is confused about what to do next. He added that the PDP has resorting to whipping up sentiment, by playing the victim and hiding behind an imaginary political thuggery.

    Danchadi expressed shock at what he described an unfounded lies, adding: “it is surprising how a political party like the Sokoto PDP with the chief security officer of the state as its leader would be inundating us with the cries of attacks by political thugs”.

    He urged the opposition party to brace up to the challenges of infrastructure deficit and the lack of conducive atmosphere for trade and small scale businesses.

    The PDP had in a recent press statement alleged that its members were being attacked by thugs allegedly sponsored by the APC.

    But Danchadi urged the PDP to stop crying wolf where there is none. He described the press statement, which was signed by the party’s spokesman, Abdullahi Hausawa, as a charade aimed at scoring two cheap political points.

    He said: “First, it is aimed at attracting underserved public sympathy and to undermine the growing popularity of the APC, which was earned through the political savvy of the godfather of modern Sokoto politics, Aliyu Wamakko.”

    The APC spokesman said the caliphate had come a long way from the era of cheap lies and propaganda as a political tool for intimidating the opposition in silence. He added: “It is an outdated political gimmick that cannot change the narrative about the waning popularity of the ruling party in the state.”’

    He noted that having lost its acceptability and time was fast running out for making amends, “the opposition party presumes that the only option left is to create a false alarm as a form of psychological warfare against the people of Sokoto State in order to justify the use harsh tactics of political intimidation and harassment”.

    The APC spokesman described the PDP’s latest attempt to play the victim as ridiculous. He added: “So strange it is that a government in power in a state like Sokoto would report a matter to the police and no action would be taken. This is surely in the imagination of the politicians who have bandied this funny claim in the first place.”

  • Why I joined APC – Former Kwara deputy speaker

    Malam Mohammed Suka-Baba, a former Deputy Speaker of the Kwara House of Assembly says his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in the interest of his community.

    Suka-Baba said this on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ilorin.

    He explained that President Muhammadu Buhari, had done much for the community.

    Suka-Baba, who hailed from Venra, in Kaiama Local Government Area (LGA) of the state was the deputy speaker in the house from 2003 to 2007.

    According to him, APC remains the only platform through which the aspiration of his people can be met.

    Read Also: Former Kwara deputy speaker, others defect to APC

    “Buhari is doing much for us, the Kishi-Kaiama road is under construction, just last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the construction of Kaiama-Wawa road.

    “These have been the agitation of our people for a long time,” he said.

    He said the community had resolved to work for the re-election of Buhari and other APC candidates in the forthcoming election.

    The former lawmaker stated that his return to the APC was home-coming as he was a founding member of the party.

    Suka-Baba reportedly led hundreds of his supporters to decamp from the PDP to APC in January.

  • Understanding Nigerian Army’s role in defending Nigeria’s sovereignty 

    I recall that a section of the polity has decided to drag the Nigerian Army into the murky water of politics for their selfish reasons. This arose from the charge given by the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces President Muhammadu Buhari for the Nigeria Army to deal ruthlessly with those who intend to snatch ballot boxes during the elections or engage in acts of thuggery aimed at disrupting the polls.
    I must confess that I am amazed as to how the PDP bigwigs and sympathizers have blown the issue out of proportion. They forgot that for the credibility of the polls to be achieved, there ought to be a level of security in place to guard against vices such as ballot box snatching, vote buying and other evil acts associated with elections in this country.
    While I am not against these folks airing their opinion on issues they have reservations, I am however taken aback with the way and manner they have so politicized the issue with the aim of misleading the unsuspecting members of the public to believe that there is indeed something sinister in the directive.
    Yes, the Chief of Army Staff addressed his principal officers that included the General Officers Commanding the various divisions in the country to remind them of the task at hand which is necessary to safeguard the territorial integrity of the country and the need for the troops to respect the constituted authorities. I see nothing wrong with this. And I wonder how the PDP interpreted or is interpreting issues, especially in the build-up to the elections.
    It even gets confusing when it is common knowledge that over time, the Nigerian  Army in discharging its constitutionally recognized and authorized mandate, focuses on two cardinal objectives, and they are subservience to constituted authority and the respect for human rights.
    This is also sufficing to add that the Nigeria Army has overtime provided that needed support to the Nigerian police in the effective discharge of its duties in times of elections and other emergencies. And if this is and has been the case, why cry wolf where none exist? I think that the members of the general public should resist the antics of some unscrupulous elements hell-bent on causing disaffection in the polity to win the sympathy of the electorates with some days left to the general elections.
    There are abound instances where the Nigerian  Army had ensured that voters carry out their civic responsibility without fear or favour. The Ekiti and Osun states elections are glaring examples of the invaluable role the Nigerian  Army plays in entrenching and sustaining democracy in Nigeria.  Ordinarily, Nigerians should not have any cause for worry or concern if they do not have ulterior motives during the elections.
    But those that want to incite and cause mayhem should have every reason to be afraid because I think that any action that negates peace and tranquility would and should be resisted by the Nigerian  Army. And this should give every true lover of democracy a cause for concern.
    The desperation to rig the election at all cost is what has driven the PDP to begin to act towards every other citizen even worse than what Boko Haram have done in North East Nigeria.
    This desperation led by Obasanjo and some Governors to return an Atiku Abubakar who has become desperate as to drag the Nigerian  Army despite its apolitical nature into politics is what many today have become afraid of.
    The fear of ballot box snatcher is real, and every Nigerian looks up to the Army to be able to provide the needed security for them to be able to exercise their franchise. One would, therefore, plead with the PDP to allow the Nigerian Army to focus on its role and responsibilities as those who have nothing to hide should have nothing to fear.
    The Nigeria Army under Lt GenTukur Buratai is a responsive organization and one that has tremendously shown respect for the constitution of the Federal  Republic  of Nigeria. Worthy of mention also is the fact that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai is a professional officer and one whose loyalty can never be doubted.
    He is also a refined promoter of human rights as evident in his numerous interactions with the civilian populace through the Directorate of Civil-Military relations.  This much has been said about him in multiple forums and how he has done so much in three years to reflect on the average soldier in the country.
    It is also on record that the Nigerian  Army has not unlawfully engaged any citizen in any arms’ struggle and this very much we are aware the Army has continued to imbibe. An example of the professionalism of the Nigeria Army under Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai was in 2016 in Rivers state when militants opened fire on troops during a rerun election. Guess what?  The Army didn’t retaliate but instead fished out the criminals and handed to the police.
    Now, that is just an example of the professionalism of the Nigerian Army under Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai in recent times. The public outcry by the PDP and its agents are in poor taste and meant to mislead. Needless I add that there is no rest for the wicked. And make no mistakes, the Nigerian  Army would rise to the occasion during and after the elections in Nigeria. For those who may not want a python dance with the Army, it is simply thumb print on your ballot paper and AVOID the box itself.

  • PDP sets agenda for new IGP

    The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) has charged the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to immediately commence the re-engineering of the Nigeria Police to restore professionalism and adherence to rules of engagement in the Force.

    On the other hand, the party berated the outgoing Inspector General, Ibrahim Idris, for a “shameful and partisan” tenure.

    In a statement by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said Idris destroyed professionalism in the police and compromised the lives and security of Nigerians, adding that he must be held accountable for all the atrocities he allegedly committed while in office.

    The statement said, “Ibrahim Idris will be remembered as the only IGP in our political history, who surrendered the responsibilities of his exalted office to the whims and caprices of politicians who share courtesies with the Buhari Presidency.

    “He defied the need to secure troubled areas and watched carelessly while an integral part of our nation was engulfed in bloody clashes.

    “Idris will also be remembered as that Police Officer, who had a penchant for framing innocent Nigerians with ridiculous allegations. Throughout his inglorious tenure, he functioned as the commander of the militant wing of the APC, just to retain his office and remain in power”.

    The main opposition party urged the new Police boss to learn a lesson from the “shameful end” of Idris as IGP by immediately setting up the process of re-orientating and insulating the Force from partisan politics while subjecting it to the tenets of democracy and the rule of law.

    It also urged the police chief to avoid the pitfalls of the last IGP, who has gone down in history as the “most corrupt, devious and reckless” police officer to hold the post of the IGP in Nigeria.

    Read Also: 8 things you should know about new IGP Adamu

    The party further advised the new police boss to remove all templates of election rigging contained in the handover note to be presented to him by Idris Ibrahim.

    It continued, “The new IGP must also urgently take steps to address the bastardization of promotion in the Police under the last IGP, where officers due for promotion were denied and only those endorsed by a cabal or who have enough money to buy their way through were promoted. This is, in addition, to immediately setting up a process that guarantees proper welfare of officers and men of the Nigeria police.

    “He must note that the whole world is watching him and we urge him not to fail the nation, which he owes his allegiance.

    “Now that Idris Ibrahim has gone the way of leaders disgraced out of office, the PDP counsels all enemies of democracy, including President Buhari’s compromised relation in INEC, Mrs. Amina Zakari, to take heed of the disgrace and infamy that await them at the end of their tenures”.