“The Council of Obas has decided that Governor Aiyedatiwa is our candidate,” Oba Adeleye stated, pledging their support for Aiyedatiwa’s election campaign.
Politics
INEC lists conditions for inmates to vote in 2023
The Independent National Electoral Commission has met with officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), giving them the modalities for allowing inmates to vote.
Speaking at the meeting held at the commission’s headquarters on Tuesday in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, said a lot of areas needed to be addressed before allowing inmates to vote.
Also at the meeting, Controller-General of the NCoS, Haliru Nababa, was represented by Daniel Odaro, deputy controller-general in charge of operations.
Yakubu listed issues such location of polling units, format for electoral campaigns, access to correctional facilities for election officials, the media and observers, among others, as concerns that needed to be addressed.
“Section 12(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 lists five qualifications for registering as a voter in Nigeria because you have to register as a voter, before the right to exercise that right as a voter is conferred,” he said.
The INEC chair also said, “That section of the electoral lists five qualifications — the prospective registrant must be a Nigerian citizen; he or she must be at least 18 years of age; he or she must originate, reside, or work in the local government or ward covered by the registration centre; the citizen must present himself/herself to the registration officer for registration as a voter; he/she must not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote.
“This is one area we need to discuss so that we know the categories of inmates that will exercise the right to vote. We, therefore, need to work things out carefully. We want transparency of the process, because everything that we do in the commission, particularly when it comes to the right of citizens to vote, must be done transparently.
“So, will inmates vote outside or inside the prison? Are we going to set up polling units outside or inside the prisons? Since the majority of inmates are awaiting trial, we believe some of them are already registered voters. If they are registered voters, what they will do is to transfer their registration. Will they transfer their registration to the correctional centres for that reason?
“Will political parties be allowed to campaign inside the correctional centres? This is a matter that you need to advise the commission. Will observers and the media be allowed access to the correctional centres on election day, so that the process is really transparent? Will INEC officials be granted access to the correctional centre for voter education? These are matters that we need to discuss.
“Will elections hold in all 218 federal correctional centres currently holding inmates nationwide or there are some correctional centres where this process can start instead of all the 218? We understand that some correctional centres are not holding inmates at present. So, will the process be allowed to cover all the 218 centres?
“So, these are some of the issues that we need to carefully discuss and resolve before a decision is taken. But in principle, the commission is committed to ensuring that all Nigerians are given the right to vote and be voted for — but in this particular case, the right to vote, which is exercisable under the law.
“The sooner we are able to address these issues, the better for the process. But remember, we have only a little over seven months to the next general election. But the next general election is not going to the last conducted by Nigeria. So, even if we don’t meet all these critical thresholds for 2023, we’ll continue with the discussions to see what happens beyond 2023.”
Meanwhile, the development comes amid a 2014 judgment by the federal high court sitting in Benin, Edo state, which affirmed prisoners’ right to vote during elections.”
Politics
Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore
Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore
Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, recently shared his reasons for not forming a coalition with Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate in the same election.
In his appearance on the Honest Bunch podcast, Sowore asserted that, in his view, Obi is similar to other Nigerian politicians, describing him as “better at packaging.”
Sowore explained that his own journey in politics began long before Obi gained national recognition, emphasizing his dedication to advocating for systemic change in Nigeria.
During the podcast, co-hosted by Nedu, Husband Material, Deity Cole, and Ezinne, Sowore highlighted his belief in challenging the status quo, which he feels differs significantly from Obi’s approach.
Sowore said, “Before you discovered Peter Obi, I was already running for president. All these shouts about Peter Obi… He just knows how to package. Anyone can do it.
“If I form a coalition with Peter Obi, I will be going against what I have always stood for, which is that I will never support a Nigerian leader who has held any political office — whether at the federal, state, or local level — if I consider them non-performing.
“It’s the same reason I would never have joined hands with Atiku. And the Peter Obi you’re talking about was a vice-presidential candidate to Atiku when I was a presidential candidate in 2019.
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“So, what are we talking about? There is no lesser evil in my book. If you are evil, you are evil. If you are good, you are good. I have a general disdain for non-performance.”
He added that there is no such thing as “emotional attachment” in his dictionary.
“There was a friend of mine who kept saying, he doesn’t care if Peter Obi is Igbo, but that it is the turn of the Igbos. But it is beyond that; I have a natural disdain for poor performance,” he explained.
Sowore insisted that while many may not know it, he knew Obi before and during his time as governor, and he backed him.
“I had always known and supported him and stood against his removal when (Olusegun) Obasanjo wanted to use Andy Ubah to replace him—the twists and turns then.
“However, when Peter Obi finished his term in Anambra, the question I asked him was whether he could send his child to any university he had built in Anambra—he was mute and could not respond.
“I also asked him if he could enter any hospital he built in Anambra, which he governed for eight years, even if it was for the slightest headache—there was also no response.”
Sowore went on to challenge the four anchors or any other Nigerians, saying, “If they can pack their bags and head to Anambra for a vacation.”
PUNCH Online reports that President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress recorded 8,794,726 votes in the 2023 presidential election, followed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party who secured 6,984,520 votes.
In third place, Labour Party’s Obi garnered 6,101,533 votes, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party secured 1,496,687 votes.
Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore
Politics
Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group
Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group
The Arewa Consensus for Jonathan, a political group in the North, has urged former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to enter the 2027 presidential race.
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, is widely regarded for his role in fostering democratic growth and his relatively peaceful exit from power after losing the 2015 election.
Despite his exit from politics, his name has remained a focal point in discussions about Nigeria’s future leadership.
The group’s leader, Munir Musa, who made the appeal during a press conference in Bauchi over the weekend, emphasised that Jonathan’s return to office was crucial to addressing Nigeria’s pressing economic and security challenges.
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He argued that Nigeria, grappling with severe economic downturns and rising security threats, needs a leader with Jonathan’s experience and competence to restore stability.
“The nation is at a crossroads, and we believe that Goodluck Jonathan is the right man to steer us out of the current malaise,” Musa told reporters.
He expressed confidence that Jonathan’s leadership could heal the country’s deepening wounds and usher in a new era of progress.
Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group
Politics
Afenifere, Council of Obas back Aiyedatiwa for Ondo gov
Afenifere, Council of Obas back Aiyedatiwa for Ondo gov
Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political and cultural organization, has endorsed Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State.
Sehinde Arogbofa, a prominent Afenifere leader, announced the support at the Olubaka of Oka land palace, Oba Yusuf Adebori Adeleye.
Arogbofa expressed confidence in Aiyedatiwa’s leadership and encouraged him to follow the values and legacy of Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Ondo State’s first governor. “Afenifere stands firmly behind your mandate… Strive to make Ondo State great again,” Arogbofa said.
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Oba Adeleye, speaking on behalf of traditional rulers in Akoko South West Local Government Area, also endorsed Aiyedatiwa, citing his masses-focused policies and the governor’s initiative to allocate five percent of local government funds to traditional institutions as a demonstration of his commitment to their welfare.
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