Politics
2023 Presidential Election: Southern, Northern Leaders unanimous on Atiku’s candidacy – YEU
…Say It Is Democratic And Demonstrates National Solidarity
Southern leaders under the aegis of Yoruba Elders’ Union (YEU) have aligned with their northern counterparts in their proclamation that “Until Nigerians come to realize that the country’s leader can come from any part of the country, Nigeria will never experience the practice of true democracy.” This was the view expressed by the President of the Yoruba Elders’ Union and former presidential aspirant in the ongoing electioneering process, Prof. Muhammad Omolaja when addressing the journalist in Abuja on Saturday, February 11, 2023.
Late in the year 2022, the amalgamated Union of northern leaders comprising cattle dealers, transporters, vegetable marketers, pepper and tomatoes sellers, farmers, artisans and so on categorically made it clear during a National Conference that apart from the fact that the north still has a balance of four years to lead the country to meet with the south after the President Muhammad Buhari’s tenure of office, “they would rather support a situation where a competent leader for Nigeria would be elected from any part of the country as from the year 2023”
Prof. Omolaja said that two of the ingredients of true democracy are patriotism and nationalism. Hence, the assertion that “unless a particular candidate from a particular region emerges as the next President of Nigeria, the country will no longer exist”, as expressed during the recent presidential rally of the Labour Party in Lagos, is not tenable in a democratic process. Such a statement especially from an elderly person is tantamount to intimidation and capable of creating chaos and instability at this time when the society is already charged! The Yoruba Elder’s Union, according to Prof. Omolaja, considers this kind of inflammatory statements irrational, unconstitutional and totally objectionable in the parlance of democracy. He said candidates from other political parties and geopolitical regions should also be given a level playing ground.
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For instance, the joint presidential candidacy of His Excellency Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is perfectly in order and democratic in the spirit of national consciousness, national integration and national solidarity which Nigerians should celebrate! It settles the questions of north and south dichotomy, religious ambiguity and above all nationalism among others. It is politically wrong to say that the president of a nation should emerge from a particular part of the country or else the country will cease to exist thereby depriving other candidates running for the same office of their rights to be elected simply because of their places or regions of birth unless there has been a memorandum of understanding to that effect.
Presently, from all indications, the PDP Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa (The Unifying Team) are already been favoured by at least 65% of the Nigerian eligible voters across the country to take over from the President Muhammadu Buhai-led administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the end of their tenure on May 29, 2023, according to a popular opinion poll.
H. E. Abubakar Atiku is very competent, energetic, experienced as a two terms Vice President of the federal Republic of Nigeria under the General Olusegun Obasanjo’s civilian administration from 1999 to 1987, and his network of politics and business in Nigeria is nothing but excellent apart from his fantastic network of human and public relations across the six geopolitical zones of the country!
The southern leaders, in line with the body language and popular expressions of their counterparts in the north, therefore call on all well meaning Nigerians to forget about all kinds of sentiment and subjectivity; and vote massively for the candidacy of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa of the PDP during the forthcoming February 25, 2023 presidential election as a symbol of unity and national integration.
Politics
Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats
Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats
Few days after governors on the platform of the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) handed down an ultimatum for things to change in the party, the Acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagun has moved against the FCT Minister and his loyal lawmakers, the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Damagun in a letter addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dated 13th November 2024 and released on Sunday by the spokesperson of the Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, Ikenga Ugochinyere urged the electoral umpire to conduct a bye-election to fill up the 27 seats, they vacated to join the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Wike has been accused of being behind the crisis in the PDP over his disagreement with the Rivers State governor, Sim Fubara, his successor.
The crisis which started over control of resources divided the party in the state with 27 lawmakers in the state assembly siding Wike and defected to the APC following Wike’s acceptance to serve in the government of the APC.
He has also been accused of working in cahoots with Damagun to damage the PDP by not organising the National Executive Committee which would lead to the acting Chairman’s ouster.
After a series of agitation, the latest being from the PDP Governors’ Forum over the weekend, Damagun has demanded that INEC conduct elections as soon as possible, apparently moving against the FCT minister.
He argued in letter titled, ‘DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE CONDUCT OF FRESH ELECTION IN 27 STATE CONSTITUENCIES OF RIVERS STATE WHICH HAVE BECOME VACANT PURSUANT TO SECTION 109(1)(g) OF THE CONSTITUTION’ that it’s “unlawful” for the 27 members to defect.
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The members defected to the APC on December 11, 2023.
Damagun said, going by provisions of the Constitution, the lawmakers are no longer members of the Assembly.
The PDP acting chairman therefore urged the Commission to perform its constitutional duties and begin the process of conducting fresh elections to fill the vacancies created in the 27 state constituencies by the unlawful act of the former Assembly members.
Parts of the letter read, “The Leadership of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wishes to draw the attention of the Commission to the gross violation of Section 109 (1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) by 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly following their unlawful defection from our Party, the PDP who sponsored their elections to the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Monday, December 11, 2023.
“The Commission may recall that our Party, the PDP nominated all our 32 State House of Assembly candidates in Rivers State for the 2023 General Election on the 7th of July 2022 via your electronic candidate election nomination portal (See attached acknowledgement).
“The Commission may also recall that following the nomination, the Commission conducted election into the Rivers State House of Assembly on the 18th of March, 2023 and our Party won 32 seats in the state Assembly. The elected State House of Assembly members were inaugurated and sworn-in on June, 2023.
“However, on Monday, 11 December, 2023 a period of just six (6) months after inauguration, 27 out of the 32 members publicly announced their defection from our Party to the All Progressive Congress (APC). This defection is a gross violation of Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended).
“The only two grounds of division and merger provided for in the Constitution that permit such defection are completely non-existent in our political Party. It therefore means that the defections of the 27 members are without lawful excuse and these members have vacated their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly by the operations of Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.
“In view of the foregoing, we hereby demand that the Commission performs its constitutional duties and begin the process of conducting a Fresh Election to fill the vacancies created in the 27 State Constituencies by the unlawful act of the Assembly members. Find attached the list of the 27 State Assembly Members and their Constituencies.
“While thanking the Commission for its commitment to deepening democracy in our country, please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats
Politics
Nigeria would have been better under Peter Obi, too much nepotism under Tinubu – Senator Abaribe
Nigeria would have been better under Peter Obi, too much nepotism under Tinubu – Senator Abaribe
Nigeria would have been better than what it is currently if Peter Obi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), had won the 2023 elections, the senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has said.
Abaribe, who spoke on ‘Politics Today,’ a Channels Television programme, on Monday, said Obi would not have been as nepotistic as the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“Number one, he would not be as nepotistic as this government; he won’t; it’s not in him. That is just who we are; we feel for the other people.”
The lawmaker called attention to Tinubu’s appointment of four ministers from Ogun alone, noting that many other states have just one.
“I say it, and I don’t think so. We are seeing it everyday. I just gave you one example. How can Ogun state have four ministers? Why does he favour Ogun state? Oyo state has only one minister,” Abaribe said.
”The nepotism of Buhari, which nobody followed, has now deepened under President Tinubu because Buhari did it, and nobody said much. I was the only person shouting.”
He said that rather than waiting for presidents to be fair to the people of the south-east, it is high time people of the zone went back to revamp it, make it more livable, better, and more cohesive.
“It’s obvious that if we continue to look at whoever becomes president, they will look at us and do us right. Apart from Obasanjo and maybe Jonathan, I do not think that we have seen that same type of fairness,” he said.
Politics
Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary
Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary
Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, has been tipped for the seat of Lagos governor in the 2027 governorship election.
This was according to a video making the rounds on various social media platforms, which Peoples Gazette saw on Sunday.
The video highlights the president’s son’s biography, focusing on his education, career, and humanitarian activities as a Nigerian. It also documents his involvement in youth development in the country.
This biopic comes on the heels of some groups’ endorsements of Mr Tinubu’s son as a potential successor to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2027.
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On Tuesday, the Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders issued an endorsement in Owerri, Imo, suggesting that the younger Tinubu would be welcomed to contest the governorship seat in Osun or Imo.
He was also endorsed by Friends of Seyi, a group emphasising his vision and intellectual wherewithal to govern the country’s commercial nerve.
APC chieftain Joe Igbokwe, however, described the gale of endorsements as a ploy to undermine the president in a Facebook post.
“Who are these faceless people pushing Seyi Tinubu for Lagos governor? This is a needless distraction,” said Mr Igbokwe. “To pull PBAT down is their target. Ruling Lagos is not the job of boys.”
Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary
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