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Tag: votes

  • Aregbesola to win 80 percent votes, says independent survey

    Aregbesola to win 80 percent votes, says independent survey

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, is expected to win more than 80 per cent of votes in the August 9 governorship election.

    This is the result of a pre-election assessment and opinion poll conducted by a coalition of civil society organisations.

    The coalition’s coordinator, Dr. Gabriel Nwambu, said at the weekend in Osogbo, the state capital, that the survey was carried out in the state’s 30 councils areas and one area office.

    Nwambu noted that Aregbesola’s steady popularity and his outstanding performance, which he said was acceptable to the people, were among the parameters that determined the outcome of the “independent survey.”

    He said based on the coalition’s findings, “the INEC had put all the necessary logistics in place to ensure a hitch-free, free, fair and credible elections across the state constituency, including the training of ad hoc staff who will serve as Returning Officers, Presiding officers and Poll Clerks, etc.

    “The opinion poll shows that the electorate and masses have indicated a corresponding love for Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola for his leadership quality, demonstrated in his quality service delivery to the people in the areas of improving their living standard as it affects heath care delivery, education, housing, road construction, agriculture, youths and women empowerment among others.

    “This has remained monumental in the history of the people of Osun State and as such, is ready to return an 85 per cent vote across all the 30 local government areas and one Area office in this governorship election, an indication that the APC would have a landslide victory in the governorship election in a free, fair and transparent election.”

    Saying that the coalition is set to observe the distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive materials of INEC in all the councils and wards, he added that it was observed that “the security situation in the state was calm and stable, therefore suitable for a hitch-free election.”

    However, he urged all candidates, politicians and their supporters to play politics by the fundamental electoral laws, saying politics should not be seen as a do-or-die affair.

    He also reminded the youths not to allow themselves to be used as instruments of perpetrating electoral related violence and should be law-abiding.

    Nwambu praised the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, Federal Commissioners, Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), directors and members of staff for a focused preparation.

  • Mixed reactions trail release of N200b capital votes

    Mixed reactions trail release of N200b capital votes

    The Federal Government’s re lease of N200 billion capital votes has attracted mixed reactions.

    Port Consultative Council (PCC) Chairman Chief Kunle Folarin said the delay in the release of capital votes would adversely affect capital projects.

    “We all know the challenges of building funds in Nigeria today, our release from oil and gas, Customs and other areas of fund generation have been affected,” he said.

    The immediate past President, Association of Stock Broking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Alhaji Rasheed Yusuf, agrees with Folarin, noting that the release of the capital votes, coming towards the end of the first half of the year, was unhealthy for the economy. He said that the delay in the release of the funds would adversely affect the execution of projects earmarked for completion in the second quarter.

    He also said the delayed release could cause inflationary pressures if used for the payment of salaries of workers in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

    Similarly, the Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Lagos Chapter, Mr. Asimiyu Bashir, lauded the Federal Government for the release of the fund. He said it would increase liquidity in the economy and engender confidence in the nation’s polity. Same for the former Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Chris Nemedia, who said the release of the capital votes in June was still in good time. He urged the Federal Government to allocate the funds solely for the implementation of government projects earmarked for the year.

    However, for the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Association of Small Scale Enterprises (NASME), Mr. Eke Ubiji, the time the fund was released was not as important as how it would be utilised. He urged the Federal Government to pay attention to the implementation of the projects outlined for the second quarter.

    He also urged the government

    to build durable infrastructure, including electricity, which had notbeen in favour of business ventures in the country.

  • Osun community votes 30 per cent income for education

    Iragbiji community in Osun State at the weekend urged the government to set a minimum standard for education in the country.

    It called for gender parity in schools and voted 30 per cent of its annual income to develop education in the town.

    The community made the call during its annual conference, tagged: Iragbiji Community Development Summit and Day.

    Provost of the College of Agriculture, Ejigbo Campus, Prof. Olorede Bayonle called for improved monitoring to ensure quality education in public and private schools.

    He said the school environment should be made more child-friendly, urging the government to change the existing educational pattern to an all-inclusive one that would benefit rural areas.

    Advocating capacity building in educational management, Bayonle said: “True education is the harmonious development of the physical, mental, moral (spiritual) and social faculties of human being. There is an urgent need to set a national minimum standard for education, especially for primary education, which must be followed by all providers, whether public or private. Efforts should be made to promote gender balance in schools through gender sensitive curriculum, teachers and teaching materials.”

    The Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdur-Rasheed Ayotunde Olabomi, said: “Education is key to development, so the education of our children is at the top of our agenda. Not less than 30 per cent of our community’s annual income would be dedicated to education. We would focus on primary, secondary and tertiary education while adopting the functionalist strategy.”

  • ’Make your votes count’

    FROM the Campaign for Democracy (CD) Anambra State Chapter, has come a clarion call to the electorate: “For your votes to count, you have to actively participate in the voter’s revalidation exercise as well as your polling units which is already in progress by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”

    The Chairman of CD in the state, Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme gave this charge at a lecture delivered in Onitsha.

    Tagged: ‘Godfatherism: The Bane of Nigerian Politics’, the lecture drew participants from the civil society, academia and others.

    Ezekwueme who recalled that Anambra State was once under the vice grip of godfathers who led the state astray, warned that “godfatherism makes the electorate irrelevant as puppets are imposed on the people as their leader. This time our people should vote the candidate of their choice and also be close to the poll booths and collation centres to protect and defend their votes. The people’s mandate had been restored in most states in the South-West. The same feat had been achieved in Anambra and Edo states previously, and recently in Imo State.”

    Anambra electorate, he warned, should follow their conscience in the November 16th governorship election and not be deceived by moneybag politicians out to jeopardise their future.

  • 2015: Tambuwal says votes must count

    In the 2015 general elections, Nigerians must ensure that their votes count, House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said yesterday.

    He said Nigerians should not be taken for a ride in the coming poll, adding that all must ensure that the principle of one man one vote was used.

    The Speaker in his speech on the second anniversary of the Seventh Assembly, entitled: ‘Long walk to good governance’, said despite that Nigeria has experienced 14 years of uninterrupted democracy, it still suffers acute poverty of democratic culture and practices.

    He said political leaders should take a decisive step in strengthening the nation’s democracy, adding that there must be transparency in the electoral process, especially in intra-party processes and that parochial interests must be put aside.

    Tambuwal said unwholesome democratic processes “is a challenge to Nigerians, but more so for those of us deeply concerned in the democratic process and operation. We must place national interest above selfish interest. We must place objective principles above parochialism and whims.”

    He went on: “We must deliberately promote a viable and transparent electoral process. The right to opinion and dissent must be given space in our political discuss. Internal party democracy is a sine qua non to the genuine development of democratic culture. Therefore as we work and walk towards 2015, we ought to take the vow that all votes must count whether in intra party democratic processes or at the level of inter party contests.

    “True democracy does not happen by accident, it is therefore our duty as intimate practitioners and beneficiaries of political patronage to be in the vanguard of the deepening of democracy.”

    Tambuwal said conscious efforts must be made to create jobs and other activities must be embarked upon to keep the youth productive.

    According to him, unless unemployment, insecurity and poverty are addressed, the fight against insecurity would have little impact and end up as mere window dressing, “because only the consequences are being attacked rather than the cause.”

    The Speaker gave the House a pass mark in his assessment of its last two years.

    “The House has witnessed unprecedented stability in the last two years. During these two long years, members have exhibited uncommon diligence, support, inspiration, selflessness, passion, maturity and willingness to sacrifice towards the promotion and preservation of the national interest. On behalf of the leadership, I most sincerely commend this spirit,” he said.

    In his goodwill message, Senate President David Mark, who was represented by the Deputy Senate Leader Abdul Ningi, lauded the House for being on the side of the masses. He hailed the courage of Tambuwal, whom he said had done well in the past two years.

    While making presentation on behalf of the past presiding officers of the House, former Speaker Ghali Umar Na’abba lamented the lack of internal democracy in the democratic process polity and urged members of the National Assembly to remain steadfast in their efforts.

    Among those who attended the event were Second Republic Speaker, Benjamin Chaha, Speakers Na’abba and Aminu Bello Masari.

    Former Deputy Speakers Chibudon Nwuche, Austin Opara, Babangida Nguroje and Usman Bayero Nafada were also present.

    Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Sahad, was represented. However, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Umar Waheed was present.

  • Furore over 36 votes

    The ballot box is in trouble. At the weekend, the Nigerian Governors Forum(NGF) election could not be an exception. The chairmanship election momentarily underscored the failure of the association to act as a model of internal democracy. The rancorous poll mirrored the past electoral terrorism on a micro scale. Observers contend that it may be the sign of things to come in 2015.

    In Abuja, one of the governors, declined to vote, thereby refusing to take sides in the divisive issue. But the 35 votes became the bone of contention. Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who scored 19 votes, was declared winner. But the supporters of his emergency opponent, Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang, kicked against the result and pronounced the retired soldier winner.

    Today, there is the NGF chair. But there is also a parallel chairman. The authentic vice chairman, according to the poll results, is Zamfara State Governor Aziz Yari. The factional vice chairman is Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko. Instructively, the two antagonistic structures reflect the North/South dichotomy. Between now and the next general elections, NGF may remain a disunited group. If there is no truce, the divided huge may ultimately fall. Both factions have tested their strength and popularity by calling for meetings. The battle has also shifted to the pages of newspapers, with governors adorning the garb of spin doctors.

    Many attribute the turn of events to the ruptured political relations between President Goodluck Jonathan and his Southsouth kinsman, Amaechi, although the President’s spokesman washed his hands off the controversy. The poll analysis showed that the President may have lost grip on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors. It is also evident that the Northern governor’s vote may have been influenced by the 2015 calculations. Jang claimed that he had their backing. Does that mean that they sold out?

    According to analysts, four options are before the warring governors-fresh election, litigation, interim management and reconciliation. It was the first time the NGF election was marred with controversy. That controversy preceded the election. The inability of the governors to collectively endorse the poll is outcome confirmed the split along the Jonathan/Amaechi divide. Ultimately, there is no way either Amaechi or Jang, the reluctant aspirant, can foster unity, harmony and understanding in the fold.

    The option of a fresh election may be stressful. The two antagonistic camps loyal to the President and Rivers State governor would just return temporarily to their shells, only to re-emerge as combative warriors. If this occurs, the forum will definitely need strict police protection during the rerun.

    In consonance with the rule of law, the two governors can approach the temple of justice for adjudication. Amaechi and Jang’s lawyers will then clash in the course of the legal fireworks before the judge. If there is no accelerated hearing, the case may not be decided before 2015.

    Now that the NGF is enveloped in crisis, an interim management may be plausible, depending on the constitution of the body. But, how to constitute an interim management committee is also a challenge, since all the governors are stakeholders in the crisis. This approach, according to observers, is defeatist. It may dent the forum’s image as an organisation that cannot put its house in order.

    The best option is reconciliation. Who will moot it? The lone governor who abstained from voting? The governors who are blindly at war? Leaders outside the forum? Past governors who have records of integrity and credibility? Deputy governors who have no forum as spare tyres?

    It is a costly disagreement that may take its toll on the polity. The NGF has an outstanding battle against the Federal Government. This battle revolves around the agitation for true federalism, decentralisation and devolution of powers, Land Use Act, and revenue allocation. Now that the leadership tussle is a distraction, the NGF may inadvertently abandon this popular battle for repositioning the federal polity.

    The of discord may also blur the vision of the NGF and its agenda, especially the peer review mechanism. The polarisation may mitigate against the cross-fertilisation of ideas and exchange of knowledge among the governors. It can even worsen the existing border feud between contiguous states. Indeed, a dangerous precedence has been laid. Can the NGF survive the alleged presidential arrow and self-inflicted wound?

     

     

  • Mimiko to Jega: INEC must make our votes count in Ondo

    Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko yesterday appealed to the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, to ensure that votes count in Saturday’s election.

    He said the people would not allow the manipulation of the poll, to avert the scenario of the 1983 election when attempts were made to subvert the will of people.

    Mimiko, who spoke at a rally in Akure, hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for assuring that there would be free and fair election.

    He said: “We want to thank Mr. President for giving Nigeria a free and fair election in Edo State. He promised and delivered. We believe he is a man of his words. He has promised that there will be a free and fair poll in Ondo State and we also believe him.

    “We appeal to INEC to, for the sake of our nation, for the sake of peace in our land, ensure that election on Saturday is not manipulated. I appeal to Prof. Jega that it is not enough for you to be a man of integrity; you must also ensure that all officers under you are not unduly influenced.”