Politics
Afe Babalola to FG: Suspend 2023 Elections, Set Up Interim Govt
•Says no good leader can emerge under current constitution
•Claims Nigeria now bankrupt, naira on free fall
•Suggests president, govs shouldn’t be above 60 years
Legal Icon and founder, Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola(SAN), yesterday, advised the federal government to suspend the 2023 elections and allow a 6-month interim goverment after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure that would give a new constitution that would tackle insecurity, economic, political and other ills bedeviling the nation.
Periscoping the country’s high poverty and currency devaluation in the international market, Babalola, who declared that Nigeria now faced imminent bankruptcy due to alleged gross mismanagement by corrupt leaders, leading to free fall in naira’s value, maintained that no good leader could emerge under the current constitution.
He has also recommended a new constitution that would peg the age limit of those seeking to be president, governors and members of the National Assembly at 60.
Babalola said this in ABUAD at a press conference he addressed and entitled: ‘Postpone 2023 Elections: Six Months Interim Government After Buhari’s Government’.
The Senior Lawyer lamented that Nigeria had shed enough tears and blood due to increasing cases of killings, kidnapping and banditry, without responses from those at the helms of affairs, saying the 2023 remained the best opportunity to chart a new course for the nation.
Babalola said: “I decided to talk, because this country is now different from the one I used to know. That is why we need a new constitution after President Muhammadu Buhari that will spell out rules and regulations on the qualifications of those who are qualified to contest elections.
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“I believe that whoever is seeking elections as a president, governors and National Assembly members should not be more than 60 years, with good and sound health, sound education, experience, good human relations, friendliness and firmness, vision and mission, among others.
“The new constitution shall provide for part time legislators and not full time and the attendant wasting of resources, who will be collecting allowances and not salaries. Proposes federal system of government rather than presidential system and a parliamentary system with a unicameral legislature”.
On the fast nosediving economy, Babalola bemoaned that the country was gradually collapsing, arising from poor management of the economy, saying the naira, which was N199 to $1 in 2015, has marked up to over N570 to a dollar.
“The external debt, which was $10.7bn in 2015 is now over $38 billion. The government is borrowing more, spending more, but earning less revenues. The worse thing is that the debt servicing level is also rising.
“In 2020, Nigeria was ranked as the poorest country in the world with over 50 per cent of Nigerians living in extreme poverty while over 70 million Nigerians are in urgent need of life saving assistance.
“I am of the firm conviction that moneybags now control the lever of powers. If we allow the present constitution beyond 2023, what we will be getting is recycling leadership, who will continue the old ways.
“We need a constitution that will throw up young, brilliant, dedicated people to save this country. We can’t get all these under the present constitution.
“We need a new set of leaders in our nation. Leaders, who will not see themselves as Mr Know-All and who will not see themselves as above anyone,” he said.
Babalola, therefore, added that no good leader could emerge under the present deformed and weak constitution, adding that, the leadership couldn’t afford to toy with the destiny of the nation by conducting elections that would not yield positive results.
THISDAY
Politics
Damagum to continue as PDP national chairman until August – NEC
Damagum to continue as PDP national chairman until August – NEC
National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it will revisit the leadership crisis in the party by August this year.
This therefore means the acting national chairman of the party, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, will remain in the office until the next NEC meeting in August, according to the party.
Bauchi State Governor and the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum hinted on Thursday that the party would look into the demand of the North Central for the national championship position then.
He spoke after the NEC meeting at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja.
The governor said, “You can see there was no dissension and rancour. It was planned that the party will have an implosion. PDP is more than that, we have given beyond all these. This party is a united party that is guided by experience and constitutionality.
“In the next two months, you will see a lot of activities, leadership is a responsibility, when we will have come out of our congresses, we will look at the issues of leadership. We will look at the constitution and we will do it with no rancor.”
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, also said because of the need for reconciliation the issue of the National Chairman would be revisited in August when another NEC will be expected to take place.
He said, “Our party emphasizes the need for reconciliation and stability within the party at this time. Therefore, the issue of the National Chairman, Amb Iliya Damagum, has been deferred to the next NEC meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for August 15, 2024.”
Politics
Breaking: Saraki loyalist, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, dies at 57
Breaking: Saraki loyalist, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, dies at 57
A top politician, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, has died at the a prime age of 57.
Ibrahim, an ally of former Senate President Senator Bukola Saraki, reportedly died early Wednesday morning in a hospital in Abuja.
Newstrends learnt from a family source that Ibrahim died after a brief illness.
Rafiu Ibrahim from Ojoku, Kwara State, was a member of Kwara State House of Assembly in 2009.
He was later elected in April 2011 to represent Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives of Nigeria in the 7th National Assembly.
Ibrahim became a senator in 2015 when he was elected to represent Kwara South Senatorial District.
He however lost his re-election bid into the 9th National Assembly to Lola Ashiru of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the 2019 general elections.
Politics
PDP: 60 Reps stop Wike group from endorsing Damagun
PDP: 60 Reps stop Wike group from endorsing Damagun
The lingering leadership crisis of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new dimension on Tuesday as members of the G60 in the House of Representatives led by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere truncated plans by lawmakers loyal to the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, to endorse Mr Umar Damagun as substantive National Chairman of the party.
Trouble started during the closed meeting convened by the Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda when Hon. Ugochinyere challenged the Caucus Leader’s presentation.
Hon. Ugochinyere, who flared up during the meeting was seen being persuaded by some PDP lawmakers.
However, before the end of the meeting, members of the G60 group left the hall, thereby leaving about 40 lawmakers in the hall where the press briefing took place.
While speaking on the outcome of the closed-door meeting which lasted for over 3 hours, Hon. Chinda said: “We have just concluded the third meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party Caucus of the 10th Assembly and we have resolved firstly to tell all of us and the world that the PDP Caucus in the House of Representatives remain united, indivisible committed and out to perform our duty as the watchdog on behalf of Nigerian people.
“In the same vein, we x-rayed the security situation in our country and we resolved that we can no longer take this situation where Nigerian is almost tagged as ‘one life, one minute silence’.
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“The government is therefore called upon to immediately take steps to ensure that the security situation in the country is normalized.
“And the Caucus has also given a three-month ultimatum for government to normalize the security situation in our country. After three months, the Caucus will take further steps to sensitize and mobilize Nigerians to perhaps take their security into their hands.
“The House of Representatives Caucus also agreed to call on all Party Caucuses, the Board of Trustees, National Executive Committee and the National Working Committee of the party to embark on reconciliatory measures with a view to resolving all litigations that are pending and have hindered the party in any way whatsoever from having a substantive National Chairman.
“We call on our leaders, leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party to continue to demonstrate unconditional loyalty to the party and ensure that the party is moved to her pride of place where she enjoyed the position of the largest party in Africa and to take back the Aso Villa which is actually supposed to be our birthright.
“And so for us, we are going back as we resume the session to commence a strong, virile and purpose-driven opposition to give the people a voice in the Parliament,” he said.
While reacting to the recent suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi, the Minority Leader urged the Senate leadership “to recall our colleague, our senior brother, a veteran politician, a Parliamentarian per excellence, Abdul Ningi.”
Meanwhile, one of the G60 members who gave insight into the discussions during the closed-door meeting confirmed that the hard stance of the group frustrates the grand plan to pass a vote of confidence on the embattled acting PDP National Chairman.
“Our position remains that Damagun must go for someone from North-central to take over and complete Ayu’s tenure.
“Our Party needs total overhaul and reformation. We currently have in the PDP a national leadership that is in bed with the APC and is working extremely hard to hand over the party to the APC.
“This is quite shameful and disheartening. But we won’t fold our hands and let that happen.
“We are aside other demands insisting on 100 percent formation of Caretaker PDP executive list at all levels without any tampering or inclusion of new names outside the earlier resolution that members of the expiring excos should act as Caretaker for 3 months pending the conduct of substantive election.
“Our party will not be overtaken by APC, we are here to serve the Nigerian people not to the whims and caprices of some selfish politicians,” he noted.
PDP: 60 Reps stop Wike group from endorsing Damagun
(Nigerian Tribune)
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