News
Ohanaeze to Gov Bello: You were a student when zoning agreement was reached
Apex Igbo sociocultural group Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Monday slammed Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello for saying that rotational presidency is unconstitutional.
The Governor, who spoke at the maiden edition of the Governor Yahaya Bello seminar for political and crime correspondents in Abuja on Friday, argued: “Nigerians should be allowed to make their choices for the best candidate to emerge for the top post”.
But reacting to Bello’s remarks, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in a statement by its spokesman, Alex Ogbonnia, accused the Governor of embarking on a political adventure that lacks both conscience and principle.
The body said Bello was still a student at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria when an agreement was reached between the North and the South with respect to rotational presidency.
It however advised Bello to support the resolution by his Southern colleagues since age is still on his side.
The statement reads: “Governor Bello, no doubt, has demonstrated a remarkable obsession with ambition shortly after providence paved way for him to be sworn in as the governor of Kogi State in 2015 at an impressionable age of 40.
“There is no doubt that Bello has a date with destiny going by a smooth political ascendancy that life has presented to him. However, we have our fears that he is embarking on a political adventure that lacks both conscience and principle.
“Governor Bello was still a student, studying accountancy at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria when an agreement was reached between the North and the South with respect to Rotational Presidency.
“The meeting was held at the National University Commission (NUC) Conference Centre, Abuja in 1998. Dr.Chuba Okadigbo spoke on behalf of the South while Alh. Abubakar Rimi spoke for the North. The likes of Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Solomon Lar, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, etc were at the meeting.
“The Nigerian statesmen examined the merits and demerits of zoning and rotation of power between the composite zones in Nigeria.
“At the end, it was resolved that the presidency be conceded to the South and that it would rotate between the South and the North in the interest of equity, unity and corporate existence of Nigeria.“The foregoing was the basis for the emergence of presidential candidates of the mainstream political parties from the Southwest in1999.
“Since then, the patriotic and peace loving Nigerians have adhered to the rotation principle such that at the end of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s second tenure, President Musa Yar’Adua was elected; Goodluck Jonathan and then President Muhammadu Buhari”.
The statement adds: “The above exposé informs the resolution by the Southern Governors that the South should produce the next President of Nigeria after President Buhari.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by Ambassador Professor George Obiozor advises Bello that it will serve his interest better if he supports the resolution by his southern colleagues; since age is still in his favour.
“Bello is beckoned to the ethical functional relationship between the morality of an agreement and the legality of the constitution”.
News
Ondo: Tinubu calls for peaceful polls as over 1.7m voters choose new gov today
Tinubu calls for peaceful polls as over 1.7m voters choose new gov today
Today, 1,757,205 registered voters in Ondo State will head to polling stations across its 18 local government areas to elect a new governor who will steer the affairs of the state for the next four years.
This marks an increase in the number of registered voters compared to the 2020 election, which had 1,647,973 registered voters, of which only 580,887 votes were recorded.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its readiness for the exercise, deploying 4,002 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices across 3,933 polling units, with 812 units on standby in case of technical hitches.
Speaking on the commission’s preparations, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, assured the public that sensitive materials were distributed on Thursday to the Registration Area Centres (RACs) for timely deployment.
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Tinubu calls for peaceful polls
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on stakeholders and voters to uphold peace during and after the election. Through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu emphasised the importance of the election reflecting the people’s will.
“The president reminds all political stakeholders, especially the candidates, that governance is a privilege bestowed by the people. This privilege must be respected, and Nigerians deserve a free and fair election to consolidate our democracy,” the statement read.
Tinubu also commended the security agencies’ preparedness, with the Inspector-General of Police and the Chief of Defence Staff, assuring professionalism during the exercise.
Ondo: Tinubu calls for peaceful polls as over 1.7m voters choose new gov today
News
Late COAS Lagbaja gets CFR honour, buried amid tributes
Late COAS Lagbaja gets CFR honour, buried amid tributes
The late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, was on Friday laid to rest in Abuja, amid tears and tributes.
President Bola Tinubu conferred a posthumous award of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the late Chief of Army Staff.
The burial took place at the National Cemetery in Abuja to end two days of funeral rites that began in Lagos earlier in the week.
His body was lowered into the grave at exactly 4:41pm after the ceremony that lasted over two hours.
Lagbaja’s casket, draped in Nigeria’s green and white colours, arrived at the cemetery around 3pm in a white funeral wagon after a funeral service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
Dignitaries were led to the event by President Bola Tinubu. Others are Vice President Kashim Shettima; the Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa; Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, and other top government officials and military brass.
President Tinubu announced the conferment of the CFR on the late COAS during the interment at the National Cemetery in Abuja.
The President extolled the virtues of the late warrior, especially his contributions to national security.
According to him, the appointment of Lagbaja as the COAS was one of his finest made so far.
“As an eternal symbol of our appreciation, I have granted the late Chief of Army Staff, the posthumous national honour of the Commander of the Federal Republic of the Niger (CFR),” Tinubu declared.
He thereafter invited the wife of the late COAS, Mariya, to collect the award on behalf of the Lagbaja family amid applause from the congregation.
News
Supreme Court dismisses 16 govs suit challenging EFCC legality
Supreme Court dismisses 16 govs suit challenging EFCC legality
The Supreme Court has dismissed the suit by 16 states challenging the constitutionality of the acts establishing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and two others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the other agencies are the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
In the lead judgment by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji delivered on Friday, the Supreme Court resolved the six issues raised for determination in the suit against the plaintiffs.
The court held that the laws establishing the anti-corruption agencies were validly enacted by the National Assembly within its legislative competence.
It faulted the claim by the plaintiffs that the EFCC Act, being a product of the United Nations convention on corruption, ought to be ratified by majority of the state houses of assembly.
Delivering judgement on Friday, Justice Abba-Aji ruled that “the EFCC Act, which was not established from a treaty but a convention, does not need the ratification of the houses of assembly.”
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