The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Segun Adeniyi

  • ISGPP to INEC: Remove dead people from voters register

    The Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy ( ISGPP ) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove names of dead registered voters from its voters register.

    The ISGPP said the Voters Register was strategic and fundamentally important in any election and needed to be thoroughly screened to ensure that all dead registered voters are removed from the register.

    The think tank policy group made the appeal in a communiqué issued at the end of a book reading of ‘Against The Run of Play: How an Incumbent was Defeated in Nigeria’ authored by Editorial Board chairman of Thisday Newspapers, Segun Adeniyi.

    The communique was made available to reporters in Abuja by ISGPP Programme Manager, Tobechukwu Nneil.

    The communique reads: “The voters register must remain credible and striped of all wrongs. To this end, it must be thoroughly screened and sieved to ensure that all dead registered voters are removed from the register.

    “This calls for very active inter-agency collaborations between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Population Commission (NPC).

    “There is a strong need for all citizens of Nigeria to be actively vigilant in safeguarding and defending our democracy. This is a challenge, especially for the elites who must shake off their apathy and become more involved in the preservation of our democratic processes and ideals.”

    It blamed the leadership failure of the country on the unprepared nature of those who aspired to public offices.

    The communique said purposeful and pragmatic leadership, as well as good governance, may continue to elude the country as long as leaders only aspired to get into offices on the wild cards of chance and opportunities without preparation.

    “The core values that should support our systems as respectable members of the human race are almost irreversibly totally eroded. There is therefore an urgent need to address this challenge.

    “Impunities, in different forms and shades must be eliminated and not promoted as a settled way of life with us. There is a need for a thorough revaluation of our models for producing leadership and good governance.

    “It is important to take another look at our structure as a nation by marrying the traditional framework for leadership with the different   institutions with a view to producing a virile and pragmatic structure that would turn out leaders who are accountable and in consonance with the aspirations of the people,” the communique added.

    Those present at the book reading include: Former National Commissioner, Independent Electoral Commission, Prof. Lai Olurode, Editorial Board Member, Nigerian Tribune Dr. Festus Adedayo, Emeritus Prof. Akin Mabogunje Femi Osofisan and Bolanle Awe.

    Others include: ISGPPS book readers club Chairman Prof. Olubode Lucas, and Executive Vice chairman, ISGPP Dr. Tunji Olaopa, book reviewer, Oba Sikiru Adetona Professorial chair in Governance, Olabisi Onabanjo University ( OOU ), Prof Ayo Olukotun, the author, Mr. Adeniyi, Dr. Irene Pogoson of University of Ibadan and Public affairs analyst, Mrs. Yemi Alabi.

  • Only formidable opposition will defeat Buhari in 2019 – Adeniyi

    The former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, said on Friday that only a formidable opposition would defeat President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 election.

    Adeniyi stated this at the review of his book titled: “Against the Run of Play” at the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP).

    Addressing the gathering of academics and other professionals who attended the book reading, Adeniyi identified fragmented opposition as the most important factor that makes incumbent candidates win elections all over the world.

    He recalled that ex- President Goodluck Jonathan lost in 2015 because the opposition parties came together to form a strong force against him and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Adeniyi said that kind of development is rare in other countries of the world but is required to defeat any incumbent.

    The ex-presidential spokesman said he was yet to see a formidable opposition strong enough to defeat Buhari, pointing out that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was already solidly on ground more than one year before the last election.

    He said: “I don’t expect anything different in the 2019 elections. I expect that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will perform better than it did in 2015. I also expect that whoever wants to be president, either the incumbent or challenger, should challenge the process and at the end of the day, we’ll see what happens.

    “The challenge for the opposition is that they have to get their acts together. I keep saying, by the end of 2012 for instance, we already knew who was going to challenge Jonathan in 2015. You can’t say the same thing today. And you need a cohesive opposition to defeat an incumbent. Right now, if you are asked who would be the next candidate, you can tout many names but you are not sure. And for me, there are only two political parties right now; there may be others in future, but now it’s either APC or PDP. All these Red Card, Third Force, and all those things… all that they help is the incumbent because the incumbent has the support base. It is the opposition that is being divided along all these lines.”

    On if the massive campaign for Nigerians to get their Permanent Voter Card (PVC)  will help the opposition in 2019, Adeniyi added:

    “Yes, it can play a part, but what I think basically is that Buhari’s biggest challenger today, is ‘go and get your PVC.’ That is not a candidate. Yes. People will get their PVC but who are they voting for? It is also important. I like the awareness, I like the consciousness, people are really ready to go out and vote, but it also matters who they are voting for and the platform and what those people are bringing to the table. I know that in 2015, there are people who voted, not for Buhari but just against Jonathan. We may end up with the same situation.”

     

     

  • Poor leadership caused Nigeria’s problems – Segun Adeniyi

    Poor leadership caused Nigeria’s problems – Segun Adeniyi

    Mr. Segun Adeniyi, the former spokesman to late President Umaru Yara’dua, on Monday urged Nigerians to see themselves as allies and strive for a better country.

    Adeniyi made the call in a paper he delivered at “The Platform,” an annual programme organised by Covenant Christian Centre to awaken national consciousness.

    He said the challenges facing the country would be surmounted if all Nigerians approached them with unity of purpose.

    Adeniyi declared that the country’s problems were not rooted in ethnicity or religion, adding that Nigerians playing ethnic and religious cards were part of the problem.

    He said: “The problems of the country are not caused by ethnicity or religion, but by poor leadership.

    “So those who are directing their anger at people from other ethnic groups or faiths are missing the point.

    “Once the leadership lives up to its responsibilities to the people, most of these challenges will be solved.”

    He condemned the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), saying the agitations of the group lacked focus.

    He said the approach adopted by IPOB to pursue its agenda, not only threatened unity but also smacked of ethnicity.

    He said it was wrong for IPOB to create the impression that the rest of the country was against the Igbos.

    Adeniyi said the group squandered an opportunity to raise genuine concerns about the South-East zone by resorting to hate messages.

    He also described as unfortunate the quit notice issued to Igbos in the North by some Arewa youths.

    He said the action of the youths was condemnable as the activities of IPOB.

    NAN

     

  • Adeniyi’s book contains distorted claims, says Jonathan

    Adeniyi’s book contains distorted claims, says Jonathan

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said the recent book written by Segun Adeniyi, ‘Against the Run of Play’ contains distorted claims.

    Content of the book has generated a lot of reactions from those who played different roles in the 2015 election.

    He said at the appropriate time, the true account of what happened will be written by him and other characters in the election.

    Reacting to the book, Jonathan said: “I have just read Segun Adeniyi’s new book, ‘Against the Run of Play’ which has so far enjoyed tremendous reviews in the media.”

    “My take on it is that the book as presented contains many distorted claims on the 2015 Presidential election by many of the respondents.
    “There will obviously be more books like that on this subject by concerned Nigerians.

    “However, I believe that at the right time, the main characters in the elections including myself will come out with a true account of what transpired either in major interviews or books,” Jonathan said.

  • Re: What does the North want?

    SIR: I refer to the article in The Nation of Friday, August 15, titled “What does the North want?” written by Segun Gbadegesin.

    He writes brilliantly but need to be more subtle and more diplomatic with his writing. I have learnt very early in my life never to address a group in an insulting manner because technically, it amounts stereotyping and collective insult, thus, injustice.

    The Nation is much too important for the kind of words used by the writer to address the North. Some of the words are arrogant, some reflect superiority complex and yet some are ignorant and dangerous. It was Segun Adeniyi of Thisday newspaper who once wrote that one of the wrong assumptions about northerners is that they are still backward and illiterate. The North remains the most politically sophisticated group in Nigeria. You need to study what went on at the National Conference more carefully. Below are some of the unfortunate words used in the article.

    “The northern delegates came up with this cock and bull story…” “These are just too far-fetched and fuelled by unruly imagination.” “Where did this false reading of the “draft constitution” come from? It’s pure hallucination; and a very unfortunate one as such.”

    “… why throw away the bath water of a confused reading of the provisions…”

    “What the conference leadership did was to not simply compile resolutions, but also to put them in rational form worthy of intelligent people.”

    “It was simply a proactive approach from the intellectual vanguards of the conference with no ulterior motive of hidden agenda.”

    “If what the North seeks is a country at its beck and call, it should know that we passed that stage and that it is fast losing its old allies and not gaining new one.”

    “Given its record so far, the presidency knows that it is the mercy of the girls’ kidnappers. Hitting back at the NEF is all it can do”

    It seems there is no shortage venom against the North. I wonder if the North has not been hit enough. I advice the writer to make more friends with northerners to enable him understand their mindset. You cannot appreciate issues from only one small view point of a corner of the world. Most northerners are like the Arabs. They say what they do. It is when they are presented with too much deceit that they sometimes react. Nobody is perfect. What we all need is education, education, education, patience, patience, patience!

     

    • Hassan Abdulrahman Esq;