The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: PDP

  • FG dish out threats of tough action on perpetrators of insecurity

     

    The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.),  on Tuesday, warned people behind security problems in the country,  saying he would soon be hard on them.

     

    Buhari also said secessionists were too young to know loss of lives and other tragedies that attended the Nigerian civil war of 1967 to 1970.

     

    Buhari said these at the Presidential Villa, Abuja after being briefed by the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, on series of attacks on facilities of the electoral body across the country.

     

    These were contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, titled, ‘Those who want to destroy this country have shock coming their way, says President Buhari.’

     

    But the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, in its reaction, advised the President to stop issuing threat and act decisively to end insecurity in the country.

     

    Since the President’s reelection in 2019, the insecurity in the country has worsened with many parts of the North-East under attack by the Boko Haram insurgents.

     

    Others zones, which were hitherto peaceful, have been witnessing kidnapping and killings by armed herdsmen and bandits.

     

     

     

    Also, there have been increased agitations by separatist groups in the South-West and South-East.  Many INEC offices in the South-East have been burnt by hoodlums.

     

    After his meeting with the INEC chairman and commissioners on Tuesday, Buhari issued a stern warning to  those who were eager to decimate the country by promoting insurrection and burning down critical national assets.

     

    He said, “I receive daily security reports on the attacks, and it is very clear that those behind them want this administration to fail.

     

    “Insecurity in Nigeria is now mentioned all over the world. All the people who want power, whoever they are, you wonder what they really want.

     

    “Whoever wants the destruction of the system will soon have the shock of their lives. We have given them enough time.”

     

    Speaking on the dangers that the burning of INEC facilities would pose to the 2023 general elections, Buhari said he would give the electoral commission all it needed to operate.

     

    “We will fully support INEC so that no one would say we don’t want to go, or that we want a third term. There will be no excuse for failure. We’ll meet all INEC’s demands,” he said.

    The President told the chairman that the service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police had been changed, “and we will demand security from them.”

     

    Buhari also said people misbehaving in certain parts of the country were too young to understand the travails and loss of lives during the Nigerian Civil War.

     

    The statement read, “He (the President) said those misbehaving in certain parts of the country were obviously too young to know the travails and loss of lives that attended the Nigerian Civil War.”

     

    It further quoted the President as saying “Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand. We are going to be very hard sooner than later.”

     

    He promised to continue leading Nigeria by the constitutional provisions.

     

    In his remarks, Yakubu said that so far, there had been 42 cases of attacks on INEC offices nationwide, since the 2019 general elections.

     

    He said, “The 42 incidents so far occurred in 14 states of the Federation for a variety of reasons…Most of the attacks happened in the last seven months, and they are unrelated to protest against previous elections.

     

     

     

    “From the pattern and frequency of the most recent attacks, they appear to be targeted at future elections. The intention is to incapacitate the commission, undermine the nation’s democracy and precipitate a national crisis.”

     

    You should lead fight from the front, PDP advises Buhari

     

    The PDP in its reaction to the  President’s statement asked him to match his words with actions and lead the fight against insecurity from the front.

     

    National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, stated this in an interview with one of our correspondents.

     

    He said, “On the issue of security, the expectation of Nigerians is that Mr. President should lead the battle against insecurity from the front like he promised during his electioneering.

     

    “But the inactions of Mr President today are responsible for the deluge of insecurity that has affected our nation. The expectation of Nigerians furthermore, is that these challenges should not be limited to the issues of lip talk; rather, they should be confronted so that Nigerians can sleep with their two eyes closed.”

     

    On the 2023 elections, the PDP spokesperson said, “The least Nigerians expect from the President for INEC to function optimally, is for him to revisit the Electoral Act amendment which he refused to assent to.

     

     

    “He should dust it up and return it to the National Assembly if there are further amendments they should be included. Let them work on it and return it to him to sign into law so that our elections will be better.

     

    “Mr President should also encourage INEC to institutionalise the electronic transfer of results in order to forestall problems that arise in the process of collation. This is not too much to ask.

     

    “As a political party interested in the corporate existence of this great country, we are prepared like we have always done, to offer advice and assist in every legitimate way to help Nigeria overcome its challenges.”

     

    On its part, the All Progressives Congress said it had no interest in trading words with the PDP over what the President said.

     

    When contacted, the Acting National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, said, “Our President has spoken, there is nothing more to add.”

     

    2023 constitutional crisis looms over attacks, INEC alerts Buhari

     

    Giving further insight into INEC’s meeting with Buhari,  a National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, in an interview with The PUNCH, said the commission told the President that there would be a constitutional crisis in 2023 if the attacks on the agency’s facilities were not checked.

     

     

     

    He said INEC chairman told the President that burning of INEC offices would have negative effects on future elections as ad hoc staff including transporters would be scared of working for the commission.

     

    Okoye said the commission told the President that persons behind burning of the offices were bent on undermining the nation’s democracy and precipitate a national crisis.

     

    According to him, the INEC  chairman told the President that since the majority of election duty workers were ad hoc staff, the cost of insuring them would increase on account of the crisis.

     

    Okoye stated that Yakubu informed Buhari that since the commission relied heavily on private vehicles and boats owners for the movement of materials, the crisis would discourage such people from participating in elections.

     

    He said, “The Chairman of the commission, Professor  Mahmood Yakubu and other national commissioners met with the President, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari today June 1, 2021 and briefed him on the spate of attacks on the commission’s offices and facilities nationwide and their implications for elections and electoral activities in Nigeria.

     

    “The chairman pointed out that there have been 42 cases of attacks on INEC offices across the country since the 2019 general elections.

     

    “He further informed the President that from the frequency of the most recent attacks, they appear to be systematic, coordinated and targeted at future elections. The intention, he pointed out, is to incapacitate the commission, undermine the nation’s democracy and precipitate a national crisis.

     

     

    “The chairman painted a clear picture of the implications of the challenges inherent in targeting the offices of the commission and bringing down its facilities including the huge investment in building the national electoral infrastructure and the difficulty in replacing them in the immediate and in the future.

     

    “The chairman further pointed out that the commission relies heavily on private vehicles and boats for the movement of materials and that the crisis will discourage the partnership with them. He stated that the majority of election duty staff are ad hoc staff and the cost of insuring them will increase on account of the crisis.

     

    “Furthermore, the cost of conducting elections will increase astronomically if staff and facilities are targeted. Fundamentally, if the commission is unable to conduct elections, there is a likelihood of a constitutional crisis.

     

    “The chairman also briefed the President on remedial actions already taken by the commission and sought the President’s intervention in view of the urgency of the situation.”

     

    The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere  advised Buhari to solve various challenges facing the country, rather than threatening agitators

     

    A chieftain of the organisation and outgoing Secretary General, Bashorun Sehinde Arogbofa, who spoke with one of our correspondents, said the country was in a state of failure and there was a need for the President to do the needful.

     

    He said there were agitations from different parts of the country because youths were not happy with the situation of things.

     

     

     

    Buhari regime’ll be judged based on security, not infrastructure – Mimiko

     

    Meanwhile, a former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, on Tuesday said the President would not be judge based on provision of infrastructure but his ability to secure lives and property.

     

    Mimiko stated this in Abuja on Tuesday at the 71st birthday celebration of a former member of the House of Representatives, Joseph Akinlaja, and the launching of a book titled, ‘Labour, Politics and Grace.’

     

    The former governor stated,  “Mr President will not be judged by the number of kilometres of standard gauge railway; history will not judge his accomplishment through the Second Niger Bridge, but to what extent he rises up and addresses insecurity in our nation. This is the time to face our challenges as a nation and we shall conquer.”

     

    The former governor also said that the National Assembly was incapacitated to repeal the 1999 Constitution, calling for additional powers that will enable the parliament to initiate a new Constitution.

     

    A former Secretary-General of National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers, Frank Kokori, recalled how the oil workers frustrated the military junta out of the office and his experience in a  cell in Bama for four years.

     

    Kokori said, “The country today enjoys democracy, no matter how benevolent the military regime is, the worst democracy is better than the military regime. That is why we sacrificed so much with deprivation to bring the military to an end. And if you imagine how ruthless Abacha was; how ruthless (the then military dictator, Gen Ibrahim) Babangida was, and we gave the military a seven-day ultimatum, even when the NADECO had given them two weeks and they refused to do anything; but NUPENG gave them a seven-day ultimatum and  who are these NUPENG people? Look at them, the tanker drivers that are treated like orphans.”

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

     

     

  • AWKA SOUTH PDP DELEGATES RECEIVE LADY CHIDI ONYEMELUKWE, HER CAMPAIGN TEAM, AND THEIR MESSAGE OF #BETTERLIFE

     

    Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe and her LCO #TeamTrinity Campaign Organisation were received by Awka South PDP Delegates on Thursday, May 6, 2021. The team has been on a tour of the 21 local government areas of the state to exchange ideas with PDP delegates on how to restore Anambra to the right path to progress.

    Onyemelukwe told Awka South PDP delegates that the #BetterLife Ndi Anambra collectively yearn for will remain elusive if they nominate a candidate and eventually elect a governor that is neither accountable to God nor humanity.

    She said the volume of work that needs to be done, especially in the area of tackling insecurity, addressing unemployment and providing better economic opportunities, education, healthcare and infrastructure require leaders that will serve with the fear of God, and will be accountable to the people they serve.

    Onyemelukwe was the deputy governorship candidate of the PDP in the Anambra 2017 governorship election. Before that, she served as a Special Assistant (SA) to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).

    As President Olusegun Obasanjo’s SA, Onyemelukwe spearheaded the initiation, planning and implementation of some of the major SME programs and projects of the Government of Nigeria, which later culminated in the formation of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

    Onyemelukwe also served as the Chairman, Board of Directors, Federal Housing Authority where she commissioned over two thousand housing units built by the authority, including initiating the over 104 units of Site and Services at Amansea, Anambra State.

    As a private citizen, her focus has been in real estate law practice and international business.

    Onyemelukwe, the first daughter of Late Alex Ekwueme, first Vice President of Nigeria and one of the founding fathers of PDP, is happily married to Dr. Okey Onyemelukwe. She has the requisite street and administrative experience to drive her broad vision of restoring Anambra on the right path to greatness.

    #LCO4Governor
    #RestoreAnambra
    #BetterLife4NdiAnambra

    PDP… Power to the People!
    PDP… Ekwue Emee!!
    PDP… All Power Belongs to God!!!

  • Breaking News: 2023-The Stand of Enugu PDP Students on the issue of Zoning

    Breaking News: 2023-The Stand of Enugu PDP Students on the issue of Zoning

     

    The Student Members of PDP in Enugu state Spanning across fourteen(14) tertiary campuses and seventeen(17) Local Government Areas, have issued their stand on zoning.

     

    In a statement made available to The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine on Monday 12th of April 2021, following the media warfare raging the polity of Enugu as a result of her Pioneer Patron’s statement on Saturday 10th of April 2021 at Ezeagu PDP LGA meeting, where the Member Representing Ezeagu Constituency stated that he will not support anyone that is against Zoning, the Leader of PDP Students Wing Enugu, Comr. Prince-will Ugwu on behalf of the over 30,000 members of the Structure, expressed their stand concerning 2023 elections.

     

    Thus;

    1. “We, have enjoyed relative political peace and serenity in Enugu as a result of the fair political coexistence which have been a product of Zoning and Power Brokerage amongst the three(3) senatorial districts in Enugu state. This is why PDP have remained in power till date.

     

    2. “That the Southeast Leader of our Great Party, H.E. Rt. Hon. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi have continued to implement the ‘Youth O’clock Policy’. Therefore, we stand firmly with his leadership, through thick and thin.

     

    3. “It is the turn of Enugu East Senatorial District to produce a Gubernatorial Candidate for Ndi-Enugu. Anyone against our stand is against us and shall be vehemently resisted.

     

    4. “We are ready and will work tirelessly to deliver whoever PDP Delegates issue the Gubernatorial Ticket for 2023 Elections, without fear to a logical and productive end.

     

    5. “Anybody that does not share PDP’s ideology of Equity and fairness in power brokerage should quietly join any other party and pursue their selfish interests.

     

    Announcer;

    Comr. Steve Nnaemeka Agbo

    State Public Relations Officer,

    PDP Students Wing, Enugu state.

  • It is the turn of Anambra South to produce the next Governor of the state-Oseloka Obaze

    Oseloka Obaze

     

     

    In Nigerian politics, oftentimes expediency trumps morality. Honour is also a scarce commodity. Sadly, this norm has gained toehold. As the 6 November 2021 Anambra State Governorship election approach, the issue of zoning is now front and centre and fraught with controversy for most parties. This is more so for my party, PDP. It should not be, for anyone who expects a modicum of morality in politics.

    At issue, is whether it is the turn of Anambra South senatorial zone to produce the next Governor; that is after Anambra North senatorial zone would have governed for eight years – 2014 to 2022 and Anambra Central senatorial zone for eight years,before that. Without any ambiguity, my position is that we should let Anambra South be and enjoy their turn in 2022.I am from Anambra North. In 2013 and again in 2017, I campaigned for the governorship of Anambra State to go North. I did so while in APGA and later, in PDP. To avoid any ambiguity, in 2013, I wrote an op-ed piece, titled, “Understating Why Anambra Has to Go North.” In 2017, as the PDP candidate, I campaigned on the premise that I will only serve one four-year term, if elected and allow the position to revert to the South. That position was implicit in the understanding/agreement that power will shift to the South in 2022. Those who now conveniently repudiate that understandingare being clever by half.

    Yet, the fact remains that while as the PDP 2017 candidate, I got some support from the Anambra South, a majority of the Anambra South power brokers and moneybags did not support my candidacy. Their rationale; simply, they could not contemplate honour in politics and therefore, did not believe that I would honour my four-year service commitment once elected. They were totally wrong and Anambra State is worse off for it.

    I did not win the hard fought 2017 gubernatorial elections despite picking Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe, a female from the South as my running mate: and despite her political pedigree. Still, that fact does not negate my principled position and my commitment to honour that implicit –and to some explicit -rotational understanding, which explains why I am not running for Anambra State Governor in 2021. My decision not to run, mirrors that of Senator Ben Bruce in 2018, not to run for another senate term in order to respect extant rotation and “as a man of honour interested in the well being of my people,” or in my case, my State.

    That I’m not running in 2021 does not mean that some qualified aspirants from Anambra Central and North will not run. It’s their call. It’s a matter of personal choices and values. We cannot chastise them for running, since they will point correctly to several aspirants from the Anambra South running when it was the turn of Central and South.

    Those who argue that the three Anambra Senatorial zones have respectively had their turn of governorship and that the process should be thrown open, also have a valid argument. That point of view is further buttressed, by the fact that when it was the turn of the North, some aspirants from the South and Central zones also ran. These views are in tandem with my broad position that political zoning in any form is meant to ensure equity. Once equity is achieved, the premise ought to shift to purposeful leadership and the capacity to lead and deliver good governance. The forgoing point has been eloquently buttressed by someone; “Zoning is a desirable tool that when followed carefully can successfully address political imbalances, until a country (or State) matures democratically to the point that such things are no longer needed.”

    Nonetheless, the present debate is made possible, especially within the PDP; because the Party did not take a firm position on zoning in Anambra State. Yet for those of us from the SouthEast geopolitical zone, it would be near dubious to be fighting for zoning of the Nigerian Presidency to the South East zone, while repudiating intra-state zoning, when it comes to the governorship.

    I don’t argue glibly against superior logic. And on this zoning issue, superior logic exists on both sides. Consider this observation: “Coming from Anambra State, I cared very little if all our successive governors came from one town. I am more interested that we receive good governance, and that should be the standard in most states, especially tribally homogeneous states. Once this last cycle is completed, it would be in the interest of all political parties to open up their nomination process to the whole state and allow the best candidate to emerge. Or these parties risk putting themselves at a disadvantage, especially in states that share the same tribe, culture, religion, and so forth as is the case in most Igboland.”

    While morality in politics, most times, seems more of an aberration, it ought not to be so. My position is ably guided by a sense of honour and by the fact that I should not repudiate a position I took voluntarily and publicly, just for the sake of convenience. My children, their peers and the many young people I mentor would never understand nor accept such volte-face. And what they think of me and my generation is important to me.

    Concluding this piece for me is easy. I will use the exact words, which I used in 2013, when canvassing for Anambra North to be given a chance, to wit: What indeed we look for in a leader for Anambra, is someone who will take the state from good to great. Their zonal origin, pedigree and political sophistication ought not to be an issue. Anambra South can boast of a few of such good men and women. Anambra South and their choice must be given the opportunity to tender their provenance.

     

    Obaze was the Anambra State PDP governorship candidate in 2017.

     

  • PDP requests the sack of the defence minister

     

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, demanded the sack of the Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, for asking Nigerians to defend themselves against armed aggression by bandits and terrorists.

    The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, described the minister’s statement as reckless and confirmation that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has allegedly surrendered to outlaws and lacks determination to fight them.

    The opposition party said: “It is unthinkable that a government would describe unarmed victims of armed aggression of terrorists and bandits as ‘cowards’, while those who were elected and given the necessary resources to defend them recede in the comfort and safety of their offices in Abuja.”

    The PDP added that ‘such disposition to security, a statutory responsibility of government, goes to validate apprehensions that our nation is, indeed, descending to a failed state under the Buhari presidency, where government can no longer perform its duties, while unarmed citizens are left to confront bandits and warlords.

    “Given the silence by the Buhari presidency, our party holds that the defeatist comment by the minister represents the disposition of President Muhammadu Buhari and his security architecture, and explains why the administration has remained complacent in the fight against terrorism and banditry in our country.

    “Such statement by the Buhari administration, at the time it ought to be scaling up its security strategies to guarantee the safety of Nigerians, have been emboldening bandits, terrorists and kidnappers to escalate their atrocities against our compatriots.

    “Moreover, with such disposition, the Buhari administration is creating a lucrative job for bandits, terrorists and kidnappers, who are settled with huge ransom, instead of being faced with firepower.”

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • 2023 Presidency: Borno State governor reveals why power should shift to the South

     

    The Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Zulum, said on Friday that for the sake of fairness, power should return to the south in 2023. He faulted the suspicion that any part of the country could not be trusted with power, perhaps for the fear of secession.

     

     

    He stressed that there was a need for fairness in the country, adding that marginalisation had become the loudest concern from the citizenry.

     

    He spoke in Lagos on Friday at the 17th Chief Gani Fawehinmi annual lecture, themed ‘The constitutional history of Nigeria’s dysfunction: Any pathway to indivisibility and common progress?’ which was an event organised by the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, to celebrate the life and times of the late Fawehinmi. The governor stated that one of the pathways to common progress was for fairness to reign in the country.

     

    Zulum, who was accompanied by some commissioners and special advisers, explained that power should shift to other sections of the country.

     

    The incumbent President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) is from the North-Western state of Katsina and is serving his second and final term in office.

     

    The governor said, “I’m persuaded that other sections of the country should be given the opportunity to lead in 2023, why not? It is constitutional.”

     

    Zulum, who reeled out the criteria set by the constitution for anyone to contest the Presidency, as contained in Section 131 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), asked all the persons from the South-East and South-South at the event to rise. He then told them that once they met the four conditions stated in the Section, they were also qualified to contest the presidency.

     

    The section reads, “A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President if (a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth; (b) he has attained the age of forty years; (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and (d) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”

     

    Speaking further on the issue of fairness as regard 2023, he stated, “Consequently, my response to the question posed by the theme of this programme is that yes, there are pathways to indivisibility and common progress; we must collectively agree that we need to do more to demonstrate fairness to every constituent part that made up this country. That is the constitution.

     

    “We need to understand that pedestrian suspicion is not an empirical or legal reason to deny any section of the country from participation in the leadership of this country. We are fast moving towards a point of inevitable tension.

     

    “One of the loudest concerns from the public is marginalisation. Therefore, we must as a matter of necessity create an environment that is conducive for everyone. People must feel the impact of the government and that government is responding.”

     

     

    The governor also said south-easterners should negotiate for power rather than expect others to leave it for them.

     

    He said, “To our friends and brothers in the South-South and South-East particularly, only God gives power but you have to negotiate for power. Negotiation becomes easier when you make friends across the divide. If we negotiate for power, we don’t always get everything we want, but we will normally mention every clause th at covers everything we need.

    “I said this because I have heard many people say ‘they don’t want to give us power’ but assumptions and projections will never actualise your aspirations. We must all remember that God gives power but human beings negotiate for it. Every interested party must be prepared to negotiate for it.”

     

    The governor also expressed reservation over the age limit of 40 as the minimum to contest the presidency, noting that in many countries around the world, people below 40 had become world leaders.

     

    He said, “Let me state here that I have a problem with the age limit set at 40, because whatever is the logic behind it, it is difficult to consider it valid in contemporary times.”

     

    He cited several examples of presidents or prime ministers who got to power under the age of 40, including President Emmanuel Macron, who became the President of France at the age of 39; Sanna Marin, who became the Prime Minister of Finland at 34; and Joseph Muscat who became the Prime Minister of Malta at the age of 39, among many others.

     

    “We must review our constitution to reflect this current reality in our country and provide greater access to the greatest number of our citizens,” he added.

     

    He admonished Nigerians to familiarise themselves with the 1999 Constitution, saying even though there are issues with the document, he believed strongly that it could still produce good results when faithfully discharged.

     

    He added, “If governance were to be a religion, the constitution would be its holy book. You know your Bible, you know your Quran, know your constitution. Gani Fawehinmi fought for a people’s constitution. We cannot let him down. Let us work to build bridges and drive a people-oriented constitution that would make Nigeria better for everyone.

    “We must make the constitution of Nigeria work for all Nigerians and not just some Nigerians. Our system of government must give people a voice while delivering services to them, including security of lives and property.”

     

    The Chairman, NBA, Ikeja Branch, Mr Bartholomew Aguegbodo, said the event was to celebrate the life of late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), whom he described as a great and courageous fighter who stood for what he believed to be right. He lamented that public interest litigation, which Gani did passionately, seemed to have become a thing of the past.

     

    He added, “This is a challenge to all of us in practice. Also, this occasion reminds us all that the man we honour today had an idea he lived for; that legal practice is not only for money-making but also standing for the oppressed.”

     

    Also, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Kazeem Alogba, said the judiciary was always ready to associate with the good programmes of the NBA, as he commended the Ikeja branch of the association for immortalising Fawehinmi.

    Represented by Justice Lateefat Folami, the CJ said, “The Chief Judge commends the activities of the NBA for immortalising a great lawyer like Chief Gani Fawehinmi. He played a big role in developing the legal jurisprudence of this great nation, like the production of the Nigerian Weekly Law Reports, which is a very great resource and legacy Chief Fawehinmi left for us. There is no good lawyer that doesn’t have NWLR in their library.”

     

    Others at the event included the immediate past President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nwodo; Mr Femi Falana (SAN); former NBA Vice-President, Mr Monday Ubani; spokesperson for the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin; Executive Director, Enough is Enough, Ms Yemi Adamolekun; Folarin Fal ana, aka Falz the Bahd Guy, and others.

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

     

  • Armed Forces Day: PDP and APC butt heads over the issue of insecurity in Nigeria

    The All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party on Friday clashed over the worsening insecurity in Nigeria.

    This was as the nation marked the 2021 edition of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

    While the APC urged Nigerians to avoid playing politics with the issue of security, the PDP advised the APC to end propaganda and secure Nigerians lives.

    The APC made its appeal to Nigerians in a statement titled, “#AFRD2021: APC Hails Military Successes, Remembers Fallen Heroes,” signed by the National Secretary of the party, Senator Akpanudoedehe.

    The statement commended officers and men of the military for laying down their lives in the defence of Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

    The statement read in part, “We congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari on many visible and verifiable achievements of the military in the ongoing fight against insurgency and violent crimes in Nigeria as contained in the compendium: “Security Checklist: As Nigeria marks Armed Forces Remembrance Day’’, released to the public on Thursday.

     

    “From the country’s 30-month civil war which ended on January 15, 1970 to the fight against terrorism, banditry and other emerging violent crimes, many servicemen have paid the supreme price for our safety, peace and unity.

    “We pray for the protection of the living and remember the departed heroes and their families left behind.

    “From international peace keeping missions to addressing security incidents within the country and overall discharge of its constitutional responsibilities, the military has undoubtedly made the country proud.

     

    “Several innovations and inventions by the Armed Forces have resulted in the production of military hardware, infrastructural development, restructuring and reorganisation of its operations.

    The party credited the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), for investing in military hardware, intelligence and tactical training for servicemen.

    Akpanudoedehe also said, “We must collectively shun the practice of politicising issues of security and the efforts of our security services particularly the Armed Forces to keep the country safe. We should rather support their efforts to further degrade the capacity of terrorists and other criminal elements.

     

    “We invite all Nigerians to rededicate themselves to the patriotic call contained in our national anthem which reads in part: “The labours of our heroes past, shall never be in vain”.

     

    In response, the PDP which also paid glowing tributes to Nigeria’s fallen heroes said Nigerians deserve better than what the Buhari regime was currently listing as achievements in the area of security.

     

    The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan told Saturday PUNCH, “Our gallant military men and women deserve all the accolades today and always for the sacrifices they made in the past and they are making today under very difficult conditions, they deserve better.”

    Ologbondiyan further said, “How does President Buhari want an unmerited pass mark knowing that under his watch, bandits, terrorists, kidnappers and vandals, who have been pushed to the fringes before he took over in 2015, have now resurged, taking communities hostage, raping our women, beheading our compatriots and foisting a reign of terror to the extent that our nation ranked as the third country with the highest level of terrorism in 2019, after Iran and Afghanistan?”

    Meanwhile, the doves, otherwise known as white pigeons, released by Buhari at the Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony, refused to fly despite multiple attempts by the President thereby sparking a debate on social media on Friday.

     

    The President had opened the bird cage at the National Arcade, picked up one of the doves and thrown it into the air but the bird landed atop the cage and refused to fly.

     

    Buhari, who was eager to let the white pigeons fly, opened the roof of the cage in a bid to send them all out but the birds remained adamant and decided to sit on top of the cage’s roof.

    The President, who appeared tired of trying, soon left the birds and returned to his seat. Moments after the President had left, however, some of the birds flew.

    The ritual of releasing doves is to commemorate the life of a departed loved one and is common at significant events like funerals or memorials. It also signifies peace.

     

    A former Presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, Adamu Garba, said the birds should be eaten if they cannot do what they were trained to do.

    Social media personality, Morris Monye,said the Department of State Services would have arrested the pigeons for embarrassing the President if they could.

    A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, who is a known critique of the President, also tweeted, “Hmmm. Even the pigeons in Nigeria.”

    Governors pledge better welfare for soldiers, families

    State governors have reiterated their commitment to the welfare of soldiers in recognition of their selfless sacrifices to the country.

    The governors paid glowing tributes to the military personnel at the Nigerian Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration on Friday.

    Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who performed the wreath laying ceremony, at the Remembrance Arcade, Tafawa Balewa Square, commended officers in the military, Nigerian Police and the Nigerian Legion for their efforts in protecting the country against external aggression and keeping the peace internally.

    “I want to congratulate and commend all of our officers in the military and also the Nigerian Police, but, more especially, men of the (Nigerian) Legion and everybody that has participated in this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance (Day) ceremony, the parade, men on guard and everything,” Sanwo-Olu said in a statement titled, Armed Forces Remembrance Day: Sanwo-Olu commends nation’s security officers,’ and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Gboyega Akosile.

    In Kwara State, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, called on Nigerians to continue to offer support to pray for the fallen heroes and support their families.

    “As you know, the government is battling with the resources on all fronts. Like the President said, he would continue to meet the demands of men of service,” he said in Ilorin, the state capital.

    Similarly, his Ondo State counterpart, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, called on the military to collaborate with the South-West Security Network, also known as Amotekun, in tackling insecurity in the state.

    Akeredolu said, “We will continue to give loans without collaterals through the Ondo State micro credit agencies for the widows left behind and other qualified dependants of our fallen heroes who are into small, micro businesses to start up or boost their businesses.”

    Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state urged Nigerian to set aside their differences and form a united nation.

    Speaking at a ceremony held at Heroes Square, Owerri, Uzodinma, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Oguwike Nwachuku, said the country had the capacity to be great.

    On his part, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, said his administration had rehabilitated a total of 168 blocks of flats for military officers living at Ibagwa barracks in the Abak Local Government Area of the state.

    Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia advised Nigerians to show greater commitments towards the task of building a greater and better society.

    The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Sir Ude OKo Chukwu, at the ceremony in Umuahia, promised to continue to support the military and other security agencies in the state.

    Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, commended the fallen heroes for laying their lives for the nation and praised serving military personnel for risking their lives to keep the country safe.

    Similarly, the Katsina State Government paid tribute to the Nigerian military for its efforts in safeguarding the state.

    In Cross River State, Governor Ben Ayade acknowledged the sacrifices of ex-service men whom he

    His Bayelsa State counterpart, Douye Diri, also lauded departed soldiers for their selfless service to the nation.

    But the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, urged Nigerians to be united and pray for peace and always live in peace with one another, irr espective of religion and political differences, for the overall development of the country.

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • 2023 Presidency : Upcoming Political Party by Nigerian activists in a bid to replace PDP, APC

     

     

    The 2023 general elections are only two years away but intrigues by actors in the political space have undoubtedly started.

     

    Prior to the 2014 merger of three opposition political parties, the then ruling People’s Democratic Party had made good use of the divide and rule tactics to run over the opposition especially during presidential elections.

     

    Recall that the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, the All Nigeria Peoples Party and the Congress for Progressive Change, as well as a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance had merged to form the All Progressives Congress to enable them to defeat the then ruling PDP.

     

    The National Secretary, Project Nigeria, Mr Olawale Okunniyi, who was part of the moves to initiate a coming together of opposition political parties back in 2007, said, “It was late Alhaji Balarabe Musa, the leader of the Nigeria Unite for Democracy, and chairman of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties in 2007, who proposed an alliance of opposition political parties against one-party rule in Nigeria. This later gave birth to the Mega Party Movement under the leadership of late Anthony Enahoro, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Chief Olu Falae, respectively.”

     

    He recalled that the realignments gave rise to the Congress for Progressive Change, led by the then Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), the Social Democratic Party and the Action Congress of Nigeria, among others.

     

    Okunniyi, however, expressed sadness that the experiment collapsed a few months to the 2011 elections.

     

    He said, “Faced with the reality that you cannot continue to do the same thing the same way and expect to get a different result, opposition leaders received wise counsel and decided to do what many considered the impossible prior to that time-they dissolved their various platforms to birth Nigeria’s first truly national opposition party, the All Progressives Congress.

     

    “The then new party received a boost from five sitting governors of the then ruling party Peoples Democratic Party who moved in with their party structure in states hitherto considered the PDP strongholds.”

     

    Interestingly, the supremacy battle within the PDP over the issue of zoning back then strengthened the APC. This resulted in the PDP’s first taste of defeat in 2015, a failure the party has been unable to recover from till this day.

     

    But five years into the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, now, some Nigerians have described both the PDP and the APC as two sides of the same coin.

     

    Another group of Nigerians, who tried but failed to come together to form a third force to challenge the dominance of the two political parties in 2019, has renewed their bid to create another broad-based platform which they believe will succeed this time.

     

    Politicians like a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’abba; former National Chairman of the National Conscience Party, Yunusa Tanko; academics including Professors Pat Utomi and Kingsley Moghalu; Mrs Remi Sonaya; Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed, and a host of others, who came together to form the National Consultative Front, have indicated interest in floating an alternative platform ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

     

    Speaking on the new project, Okunniyi, who is one of the prominent promoters of the new group, explained, “We are still consulting and mobilising Nigerians towards this latest move towards rescuing Nigeria from the misgovernance we have been exposed to since 2015.

     

    “It was not as if the PDP was any better, it is just that the current APC regime is progressively worse, Nigerians have never had it this bad.

     

    “The truth is that both the PDP and the APC are two sides of the same coin, they have both failed Nigerians. We are launching a Mega Political Movement in January and have a full inauguration party in June.”

     

    However, a legal practitioner and a chieftain of the APC in Gombe State, Abdullahi Jalo, expressed the opinion that under the APC, Nigerians had seen what good governance and accountability could deliver to a nation.

     

    He said, “I was a member of the PDP but I am now a full member of the APC because of the type of leadership President Muhammadu Buhari has provided since taking office in 2015.

     

    “Nigerians now understand the true meaning of progressive politics. The policies and programmes of our president are non-discriminatory. All he is interested in when a project is proposed is whether it will be to the benefit of a majority of Nigerians; he doesn’t care whether the benefiting state is a PDP or an APC-controlled state. This attitude explains why unlike previous leaders, he doesn’t care who started a project; as long as Nigerians will benefit, he goes ahead to complete it. Is it his achievement in the railway sector you want to talk about or the repayment of money spent by states to rehabilitate federal roads? Nobody is saying there are no challenges, there are but genuine efforts to surmount these challenges are on.

     

    “Without doubt, the APC will remain the party to beat in the next election.”

     

    The National Publicity Secretary of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Kola Ologbondiyan, disagreed with this position.

     

    He said, “Most Nigerians are today regretting the decision to vote in the APC in 2015. Walk on the streets in any state in Nigeria and speak to the people. Will people in the President’s home state of Katsina, or the people of Borno, Zamfara, Yobe states, or in fact, anywhere in Nigeria today sincerely tell you that their lives have improved for the better since the APC came on board? The answer is definitely no.

     

    “How much was the Naira exchanged for the dollar in 2015? How much is it today? How much was a bag of rice then? How much is it today? Most Nigerians today cannot travel home because roads are no longer safe due to banditry, kidnapping and robbery. Nigerians can’t wait to vote the APC out in 2023.”

     

    A chieftain of the Enugu State chapter of the APC, Osita Okechukwu, on his part, said, “The Nigerian political system has always favoured a strong two-party system. Other smaller parties can exist on the sidelines but we have had a situation where two strong political tendencies exist just like in the United States where our system of democracy was copied from. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

     

    A former Secretary of the Bauchi State chapter of the defunct ACN, Abdullahi Dauda, who has been a long-time opposition figure before the merger which gave rise to the APC, however, expressed doubts about the possibility of Nigerians taking a risk with a new political platform.

     

    He ruled out this possibility as regards to the 2023 presidential race.

     

    He wondered if Nigerians would be willing to once again risk going for a little-known marriage of strange bedfellows in the name of a political party like they did in 2015.

     

    “I think for many of us the maxim ‘the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know’  holds true.  The APC and the PDP may be two sides of the same coin but Nigerians have now tasted the two and are likely to make better informed choices in 2023. I honestly don’t see any serious threat to their dominance of the political scene yet.”

     

    Dauda further explained that the situation in 2015 was remarkably different from what is on the ground today.

     

    According to him, one factor stood out in 2015; there was a general consensus especially in the North, that the then President, Goodluck Jonathan, breached the zoning arrangement which had been in place since 1999.

     

    He noted that the deteriorating security situation as well as what many considered unprecedented corruption among the ruling elite at the time made matters worse for the then ruling PDP.

     

    There are also those within the new political movement who are optimistic that the brains behind the #Endsars movement could spring a surprise by bringing in their energy to join the experience being paraded by some of the promoters of the Mega Political Movement, to drive the process.

     

    Those in this school of thought pointed out that the youth had tasted the power of unity and focus and could deploy the same with likeminded people to wrest political power from the dominant political parties.

     

    However, another school of thought expressed the view that the problem would always come from the clash of interests among those who felt they could do a better job given the chance.

     

    Recall that prior to the 2019 general elections, several youth groups came together in an attempt to throw up a consensus candidate but their efforts failed largely because personal ambitions failed to yield the floor to reason.

     

    The Executive Director,  Civil Societies Legislative and Advocacy Centre, Awual Musa, is of the view that what is currently in high demand is attitudinal change among Nigerians.

     

    “We must change the way we do things; our value systems must change if we are to get things right be it politically or in any other sector.”

     

    Events of coming months will indicate if the fresh attempt to provide an alternative to the dominance of the APC and PDP will gain traction ahead of 2023.

     

    Source : www.punchng.com