I am always scared how my last day on Earth would look like.

I wonder the nature of my exit.

I always cry for my last day, the day that I can’t help myself.

The day that Allah will delete me out of this world.

The day that my loved ones will be scared to approach me.

The day that I will be left alone with all my deeds.

The day that I will be referred to as the deceased.

Ya Allah, we know we can’t escape our return to you.

Make our deeds acceptable and our sins forgivable.

Let our last day be the best day of our lives and admit us.

Our parents, our children, our family, our friends into Jannatul Firdaus

And make our last word be the Khalimah- Shahada

LA ILAHA ILLALLAHU MUHAMMADUR RASULULLAH

AMEEN.

In Nigerian politics, politicians often lean on the shoulders of politically experienced, influential and financially loaded people to ride to power. These people are known as political godfathers while the politicians who rely on them are their political godsons. Political godfatherism has remained an indelible aspect of Nigerian politics for decades. Political godfathers call the shots and dictate who comes to power. They are more of political gatekeepers. Thus, the necessity to seek their backing and support to have a fighting chance when standing for elective positions of all categories.

Political godfathers strive to maintain their political relevance by winning elections for themselves and their political godsons. The just concluded 2019 general elections saw political godfathers muscling to see themselves and their political godsons, even in-laws, in power.

Here is a look at how political godfathers, their godsons and in-laws– whom they supported to come to power– fared during the 2019 elections.

Though, strictly speaking, the relationship between Former president Olusegun Obasanjo and his former vice Atiku Abubakar is not one between a godfather and a godson, Obasanjo is something of a national political godfather. Historically, he has earned the reputation of a kingmaker of some sorts, because it is believed that whomsoever he anoints for the highest office wins, and for good reason.

He backed the late Shehu Shagari to succeed him in 1979 and he won against the likes of the late sage Obafemi Awolowo and statesman Nnamdi Azikiwe. He anointed the late Musa Yar’Adua to succeed him as President in 2007 and he won. He endorsed former President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential ambition in 2011 and he emerged victorious. In 2015, he endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari and he won the then incumbent President Jonathan.

However, in the recently concluded presidential election, his anointed, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost to President Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC). This is the first time a presidential candidate endorsed by Obasanjo will lose. It appears Obasanjo’s endorsement does not automatically translate to victory after all! The myth is ended.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, of the PDP, is a political heavyweight in Kwara State. His family has been a strong force to reckon with in Kwara politics. His father, late Olusola Saraki, was a Senator in the Second Republic (1979-1983). His sister, Gbemisola Saraki, was elected to represent the Kwara Central senatorial district while his brother, Bukola Saraki, was elected the governor of Kwara State – all in 2003. This shows how politically powerful the Saraki’s are.

Bukola Saraki, as a political godfather in Kwara State supported his political godson, the governorship candidate of the PDP in his state, Hon. Razak Atunwa, but he lost to the incumbent Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, of the APC. He also lost his bid to return to the Senate. Ibrahim Oloriegbe, of the APC, defeated him – a defeat which sent cold chill down the spine of many. The political misfortune of Saraki was largely attributed to the O To Ge (Enough is enough) movement which swept the state like wildfire. The slogan was meant to extricate Kwarans from the hold of the Saraki political dynasty and it worked.

The former governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, is the political godfather of Lagos State. He has a strong influence and wields much power in dictating who becomes a governor in the state. After his two terms as governor in the state (1999-2007), he ensured Babatunde Fashola – now Minister of Power, Works and Housing – succeeded him.

He was also instrumental to the coming of Akinwunmi Ambode as the governor of the state in 2015. It could be recalled that Tinubu, stood against the second term bid of Governor Ambode. He eventually lost the party ticket to Babajide Sanwo-Olu – Tinubu’s favoured candidate – at the APC party primaries. Sanwo-Olu went on to win Jimi Agbaje, of the PDP, in the March 9 governorship election. This tells how powerful Tinubu is in Lagos State politics. It could be recalled that Tinubu played an integral role in bringing President Buhari to power in 2015.

This is not the best of times politically for the outgoing governor of Imo State, Chief Rochas Okorocha, of the APC. The governor has been roped in a lot of political mess, lately. As a political heavyweight in the state and a sitting governor, he supported Uche Nwosu, who married his daughter, Uloma, in 2013, in the Imo State governorship race. Nwosu, who is also the Chief of Staff to Okorocha, lost the APC primaries to Senator Hope Uzodinma. Thus, he defected to the Action Alliance (AA) to pursue the Imo governorship seat.

Okorocha fell out with the National Chairman of his party – APC – because of this outcome. He later did what was considered a betrayal to the party when he went ahead to support his in-law, Nwosu, who was a standard bearer of another party in the governorship race. Okorocha’s in-law lost to the former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, of the PDP.

As Okorocha’s dream of having his in-law, Nwosu, as his successor fell like a pack of cards, his mission to clinch the senatorial seat of Imo West senatorial district suffered a bit of a setback. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer for his senatorial district, Prof. Innocent Ibeawuchi, alleged that he was forced to declare Okorocha the winner of the senatorial poll by supporters of the APC. Ibeawuchi said, “I was compelled to announce the result which was inconclusive. I am a man of integrity and it is not true that the governor slapped me but I was held hostage by agents working for him (Okorocha). I was manhandled and I thank God I came back alive.” Based on this premise, the INEC did not issue a Certificate of Return (CoR) to Okorocha.

Okorocha’s senatorial ambition, at the moment, is hanging while his aim to install his in-law as the governor – of Imo State – did not work out for him. Moreover, he has since being suspended from his party – the APC – by the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, for alleged inter-party affairs.

In Benue State, former two-term governor (1999-2007), Senator George Akume, of the APC, is a political godfather who exerts tremendous influence in the political terrain of the state. He is believed to have enabled the emergence of the two successive governors after him, Gabriel Suswam and Samuel Ortom. But in 2019, he crashed on all fronts.

Akume, who is currently representing Benue North West senatorial district in the 8th Senate, lost his bid to return to the senate to incumbent House of Representatives member, Emmanuel Orkev Jev, of the PDP.

His anointed candidate for governor, Emmanuel Jime of the APC, also lost to incumbent governor Ortom of the PDP. The political godfather, who was the Minority Leader of the Senate from June 2011 to June 2015, is almost headed for political irrelevance in the next four years, except a national intervention from his party at the centre alters his fate.

Ortom, a former godson of Akume, has, it appears, successfully ended his reign as godfather of Benue politics.

The former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, though his reputation was badly damaged after he was charged with 14 counts alongside a businessman, Ellias Preko, relating to money stolen from the treasury of the Delta State Government and laundered in the UK, he still plays the role of a political godfather in Delta State politics. Re-elected governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, was quick to show appreciation to Ibori after he won the governorship election.

Such was Ibori’s influence that he was said to have determined Okowa’s emergence as governor in 2015, while in detention in the UK. In 2019, now fully at home, Ibori pulled out all the stops to ensure Okowa defeated his perennial foe, Great Ogboru of the APC.

In a Tweet, Okowa, on March 11, 2019, said, “I want to appreciate my leader, former Governor James Ibori for his encouragement, support and all through these years.”

Former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, of the PDP, is a big political godfather in Kano. His Kwankwasiyya political fan club has a large following in Kano and other northern states. He did defect to PDP when he fell out with his former ally and successor governor Umar Ganduje, of the APC. Kwankwaso did not seek re-election into the Senate.

However, he anointed and supported the governorship candidate of the PDP, in the state, Abba Kabir-Yusuf – who is his son-in-law and former Commissioner of Works when he was governor of the state. In the just concluded governorship supplementary election – marred by wanton killings, violence, intimidation, vote-buying and the like – that held in the state, March 23, after the INEC declared the March 9 election inconclusive, Ganduje won Kwankwaso’s candidate, Yusuf. Kwankwaso’s endorsed National Assembly candidates also lost out. With this political misfortune hanging on Kwankwaso’s neck, he must be headed to a political obscurity.

The outgoing governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, of the APC, just like Okorocha supported the governorship ambition of his political godson, Adekunle Akinlade, of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) even when he is not contesting under the platform of his party – APC. Amosun, who won the senatorial seat of Ogun Central senatorial district, saw his godson lose the governorship election to Dapo Abiodun, of the APC.

While Amosun failed in installing his godson as the governor of Ogun State, he was also suspended, like Okorocha, from the APC for engaging in inter-party affairs.

Former governor and political godfather of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, of the APC, who has been in a political tussle with his former political godson, Udom Emmanuel, whom he helped to ascend the governorship seat in 2015, lost his senatorial seat of Akwa Ibom North West to Engineer Chris Ekpenyong, of the PDP. Akpabio, who was once a Minority Leader in the Senate, also lost out in his bid to install Nsima Ekere, of the APC, as governor of the state. Akpabio’s political might in Akwa Ibom has dwindled drastically following these loses.

The governorship election in Sokoto State saw the display of power between estranged political godfather and godson, Aliyu Wamakko, of the APC, a former governor of the state and now a Senator, and incumbent governor, Aminu Tambuwal, of the PDP. Wamakko has an overwhelming following in the state. When Tambuwal defected from the APC to the PDP, his deputy, Ahmed Aliyu remained with the APC. It was alleged that he was acting under the influence of Wamakko. He, however, resigned from his position when he got the wind that he will be impeached by the PDP dominated state House of Assembly members. He was later replaced by Dan’iya.

During the governorship election in the state, Aliyu, contested under the APC. He had the backing of Wamakko, who won re-election into the senate, while incumbent governor, Tambuwal had the endorsement of former governor of the state, Attahiru Bafarawa. As the March 9 governorship election in the state was declared inconclusive by the INEC, a supplementary election which was conducted in the state on March 23 saw Tambuwal emerge as the winner of the election but only by 342 votes. Will his victory be upturned? Time will tell.

Godfatherism in Nigeria Should Stop

The issue of godfatherism dominates Nigerian politics. It is rare to find a politician vying for an elective position without having a godfather whom he/she answers to. This trend appears to be unhelpful to the populace as a godson who comes to power is naturally programmed to put the welfare of his/her godfather first and leave the people behind. When a godson can no longer fulfill the demands of his godfather, a disagreement between them always heats up the polity and puts the vehicle of good governance to halt. There is need to jettison the practice of godfatherism in Nigerian politics. It has never helped us.

2019 General Elections: How the Godfathers, their Godsons and Sons-in-Law fared

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday inaugurated Micro Pension Plan with a pledge to restore the dignity of public servants, who worked tirelessly and sacrificed for the greatness of Nigeria.

Speaking at the launch of Micro Pension Plan, organized by National Pension Commission at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, the president assured that the Federal Government would rev up the process of sanitizing the pensions system.

According to him, retired public servants deserve better treatment and effective service that meets their needs to carry on after retirement, promising to remove the “rot within the pension system’’.

“I want to assure all Nigerians that this Government remains committed to resolving all pending issues on pension payment in the federal public sector despite the lean resources of Government.

“The dignity of retired public servants who sacrificed their lives for this country will be restored.

“We will ensure all hard working Nigerians in the private sector, both formal and informal, can retire without fear.

“We have already started on this journey. We must all come together to ensure these reforms are fully implemented and their positive impact is felt by the rightful beneficiaries,’’ he said.

The President noted that the Federal Government will continue to support the National Pension Commission to ensure a successful roll-out of the Micro Pension Plan, which will capture citizens that were not fully captured in the formal corporate sector.

He said trade associations, unions, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders in the informal sector should join hands with the government and pensions industry to enlighten their members and general public on the benefits of Micro Pension Plan.

“Today, millions of traders, farmers and other entrepreneurs in various cottage industries are completely excluded from the different pension programs in existence.

“The Micro Pension Plan is the natural next step. The program guarantees that when these hard working citizens retire, they can still live in dignity and comfort,’’ he said.

President Buhari said the government had provided grants, concessionary loans and technical support through Small and Medium Enterprises clinics to farmers, traders and SMEs as part of efforts to diversify the economy and create a more inclusive and enabling environment for all Nigerians

At the event, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said the new scheme would provide more security for Nigerians in the informal sector, and expand the country’s pension coverage as well as boost the economy.

“This scheme also benefits the government because it has the potential to generate a pool for investible long term funds that can drive economic development,’’ he said.

In her remarks, the Acting Director General of National Pensions Commission, Hajiya Aisha Dahir–Umar, said the Contributory Pension Scheme had recorded huge success since it was launched in 2004, with the formation of long term domestic capital, represented by N8.7 trillion worth of pension assets as at Jan. 2019.

“The Micro Pension Plan is remarkable because it unveils a unique financial product, which democratizes the saving culture in Nigeria in a systematic and efficient manner,’’ she added.

Dahir–Umar said the plan was designed after wide consultations with stakeholders, noting that “the product is flexible with contribution amount and channel of remittance of contributions to respective pension accounts.’’

She further explained that the new pension scheme would afford people in the informal sector an opportunity to contribute daily, weekly or monthly.

She said: “A prospective Micro Pension contributor is required to open a Retirement Savings Account (RSA) by completing a physical or electronic registration form with a Pension Funds Administrator (PFA) of his/her choice.

“The contributors may make contributions daily, weekly, monthly or as may be convenient to them. Every contribution shall be split into two, comprising 40% for contingent withdrawal and 60% .for retirement benefits.

“The contributor may, based on his/her needs, periodically withdraw the total or part of the balance of the contingent portion of his/her RSA, including all accrued investment income thereto.

“The contributor may also choose to convert the contingent portion of the contributions to the retirement benefits portion.’’

According to her, a new department has been created specifically to monitor activities of the Micro Pension Plan, and to ensure compliance with the guidelines of the scheme and manage customer complains.

http://thenationonlineng.net/buhari-pledges-to-restore-dignity-of-retired-public-servants/

It was reality after the much talk of infrastructural performance in GAMA Nassarawa LG by H.E Abdullahi Umar Ganduje which was said to have been influenced by rerun election.

When confronted, the Kano State Governor deny this allegation and insisted that it was just a mare routine development projects withing the State.

Wednesday, May 27 Governor Abdullahi Umar presented a check worth 12 Million Naira to Jumma’a Mas’jid in GAMA.

Anonymous

Is there any more danger other than the condition under which our children have been exposed to thuggery, vandalism, carelessness, irresponsible manners and behavior by the political sect you call Kwankwasiyya. We don’t have that name anywhere in the judicial and constitutional provisions. Someone sat and thought about how to destroy the thinking faculties of our youths to use and build his own ego-centric ideology. Had the election was between PDP and APC, It would have been okay. This is someone who wants to indoctrinate our society especially our youths with an alienated norms. Do you think people are that lax to accept such nonsense without challenge? No!

When did electoral malpractice reached its height in Kano state? It’s with the man you think is a hero, hell bent on achieving his own personal success through the Darwinian style or a new style of Lobstang Rompa and Karl max.

Whenever he scored a point using the formula, he boasts like a semi-deity. I have been watching this guy for decades. I know who he is. I know much about him which you know not.

So, please don’t let the cat out of the cart. Continue with your beliefs in him and allow those who have their reasons for not being along with him.

Go to google Playstore and download a book called 48 Laws of Power.

Look at Kwankwaso activities and see if your thoughts will ever remain the same

The presidential election petition tribunal has granted a request by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, to serve President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress with copies of the petition challenging the February 23 elections through substituted means.

A three-member panel of the tribunal, led by Appeal Court justice, Abdul Aboki, granted the request on Wednesday, following an application by the PDP through its lead counsel, Chris Uche.

Mr Uche and his team of lawyers had approached the tribunal with their petition after analysing the items used by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to reach the conclusions announced following the February 23 election.

Mr Abubakar had rejected the results and asked the tribunal for permission to access the items used for collation of the same by INEC.

After the request to analyse the election materials was granted, Mr Abubakar said his team of lawyers found that he had defeated Mr Buhari with over 1.6 million votes.

In the fresh ex-parte application on Wednesday, Mr Uche said they had written in a petition filed at the tribunal on March 25, a request to allow the PDP serve Mr Buhari and his party through substituted means.

Mr Uche said the reason for their application was because the petitioner has not been able to serve the respondents with their petition.

According to the application, the PDP also asked for permission to serve the APC through any of its senior officers at the secretariat of the party, located off Ademola Adetokumbo crescent, Abuja.

Mr Aboki ruled that it was in the interest of justice for the application to be granted.

The governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has thanked the people of the state for re-electing him for a second term.

NAN reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Sunday declared Ganduje, winner of the Kano State governorship supplementary election held Saturday.

In the supplementary election held in 28 out of the 44 local government areas in the state, Ganduje won by scoring 45,876 votes to the PDP Abba Yusuf’s 10,239.

The State Returning Officer Prof. Bello Shehu, announced that Ganduje scored a total vote of 1,033,695 while Mr Yusuf polled 1,024,713.
‎
Mr Ganduje, who made the promise in his re-election speech on Sunday night in Kano, called on all to join hands with him to build the state.‎

He also said that ‎he would run an all inclusive government that will carry everyone along in the administration of the state.

‎‎The governor thanked the people for their believing in his capacity to lead them and for the peaceful conduct of the March 23 re-run election.

The governor also promised not to fail the electorate.

He also pledged to consolidate on his achievement and also embark on people oriented project.

”We going to complete all projects and initiate new ones and we are also open to new ideas and new vision,” he said.

‎The governor who thank God for the resounding victory urged the people of the state irrespective of their political inclination to join hands to move Kano forward.

“I thank all who voted me, those that did not vote me and and those who did not vote at all.

“Girl child education, agriculture, women and youth empowerment, healthcare delivery, peace and security will be my focus in the next four years.

“I thank you for the fresh mandate and I promise to serve you better because the victory is not for me or my deputy, the victory is for the good people of Kano.‎

“As we get ready to start our second term, I urge you to continue to maintain the peace we have so far enjoyed,” he said.

‎He commended INEC for their professionalism and also thanked the electorate in the state for re-electing President Muhammadu Buhari.

NAN

A member of the National Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume (APC Borno South), has described as unconstitutional the adoption of the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, by the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Senate President of the ninth National Assembly.

Ndume told newsmen on Tuesday morning that the APC leadership had on Monday night at a dinner with President Muhammadu Buhari at Aso Rock informed senators-elect that Lawan is the next Senate President.

Expressing shock over the party’s decision without recourse to the senators-elect, Ndume, a ranking senator and former Senate Leader, said the party leadership’s move to impose Lawan is contrary to Section 50 (1) (A) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) which gave the senators-elect the right to elect their leaders on the day of inauguration.

Details later…

Ninth N’Assembly: Ndume Decries APC’s Adoption of Lawan as Senate President

President Muhammadu Buhari has frowned at some actions and decisions of the 8th National Assembly, saying such activities remain regrettable.

The president, who made his feeling known when he hosted state governors and senators-elect of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to a dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday night. President Buhari particularly cited the deliberate and persistent delay in passing the nation’s annual budget by the national assembly. He, therefore, challenged the in-coming 9th national assembly to do things differently from the outgoing 8th senate so as to enable his administration achieve its target of transforming the nation. “This is my fifth and last time of standing for an election – for that reason I’ll like to leave something behind. “And what I want to leave cannot be successfully done without your support. “So, that is why I’m appealing for your support. What happened in the last senate and so on is regrettable because I still feel it shouldn’t take seven months to pass a budget. You have a very, very serious job ahead of you. “So, what I’m appealing is that any major decision you are going to take please reflect more on the country than yourself as a person – what effect will it have on the country,’’ he said. While promising to work and partner with the 9th national assembly in promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in the country, the president thanked the governors and senators-elect for their support and understanding.

The National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who spoke to State House correspondents after the dinner, said the whole purpose of the event was to bond the new and old senators, to establish a new of relationship between the executive and the legislature. He said: “The system talks about the separation of powers between the executive and legislature and the two must handshake for things to happen. “And when you have a president that is determined to drive changes, fundamental changes that will affect our habits, our life style, review the economy, deal with the security situation, fight corruption as fiercely as he is trying to do, he will need a very supportive legislative arm of government. “And happily, the Nigerian people have given us the number in the legislative arm of government. “All we have agreed today is that we will use these numbers as a functioning whole to determine the leadership of the senate in a way that we are not going to go to the floor of the senate and allow the opposition dictate who becomes the senate president. “Because, we have comfortable majority to drive that, what we have to do is to manage that majority.’’ Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau, who also spoke on outcome of the meeting said: “What the president has done today, I think is the right step in the right direction. “The last time we did not have the opportunity of this politics but today, Mr. President invited us. Because, we are governors and we also dialogue with our senators. “Mr President said in order to avoid rancour, let me lay the way forward and we are very happy he has laid the way forward and because of that we are all going to work towards achieving the desire of Mr President for the good of this country.’’

Revised national policy on ST&I: Stakeholders call for action plans

The Technical Advisory Committee on Implementation of the National Minimum Wage has presented its report to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The President received the report, which was presented by Bismarck Rewane, Chairman of the committee and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, on Monday at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

After receiving the document, he promised to “work expeditiously” on it.

“On 9th January, 2019, I inaugurated the Presidential Technical Advisory Committee on the Implementation of the National Minimum Wage (PTAC). The PTAC was mandated to advise Government on how best to fund, in a sustained manner, the additional costs of implementing the imminent increase in the National Minimum Wage,” he said.

“You were also asked to advise on the consequential increases in salaries and allowances for other employees, without worsening our already difficult fiscal condition, and without adversely impacting the nation’s development goals as set out in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP). The Committee was also required to propose a work plan and modalities for implementation of the salary increase…

I am very pleased that the Committee took on this important national assignment with all seriousness. Let me thank the chairman, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, and all the Committee members most sincerely for your patriotism, hard work, commitment and sacrifices. I understand that you have worked tirelessly to ensure that you deliver the report before we receive the Minimum Wage Bill from the National Assembly.

“Let me also thank the Honourable Minister of Budget and National Planning, for coordinating the work of the Committee. I also commend the Budget Office of the Federation; the National Incomes, Salaries and Wages Commission; the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation; the Federal Inland Revenue Service; the National Bureau of Statistics and the Central Bank of Nigeria, all of which I understand provided strong support to the Committee in the course of this assignment.

“May I also appreciate the support we received from private sectors, particularly, Access Bank Plc; PricewaterhouseCoopers; KPMG Advisory Services; Financial Derivatives Company and Economic Associates. I thank them all for their contributions to the successful conclusion of the Committee’s work.

“We will review this report expeditiously. In the process, we may need to engage with some members of your Committee, I therefore implore you to make your services available whenever we may call on you. Thank you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Buhari inaugurated the committee on January 9, 2019.

Among those present at the presentation were Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; Boss Mustapha, Secretary of the Government of the Federation; Zalman Ahmed, Minister of Finance; Senator Udo Udoma, Minister of Budget and National Planning; Senator Udo Udoma and Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Last week, the Senate approved the review of the national minimum wage and pegged the new figure at N30,000.

http://saharareporters.com/2019/03/25/buhari-receives-minimum-wage-report-bismarck-rewane-vows-review-it-expeditiously

Contrary to the speculations, propaganda, hatred speeches going from around and far East of the country.

Peaceful atmosphere mood activated, which of the favours of Allah are you denying?

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje has been declared winner of the governorship election in Kano State by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

With the development, Ganduje has won re-election for another four years in office.

INEC’s Returning Officer, Bello Shehu declared that Ganduje, having polled the majority of votes had been declared re-elected.

In the announced by Shehu, Ganduje polled 1,033,695 votes to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Abba Yusuf, who polled 1,024,713 votes.

INEC had declared the governorship election held on March 9 inconclusive and a supplementary election fixed for March 23.

In the March 9 election, Yusuf had polled 1,014,474 votes to beat Ganduje who got 987,819 votes, leaving a difference of 26,655, but a rerun was scheduled.

In the supplementary election announced by Shehu earlier, Ganduje polled 45,876 votes to beat Yusuf, who scored 10,239 votes.

DIG Micheal Ogbizi

“In Gama Ward in (Nassarawa LG) there was mass turn out of voters and the Election went on peacefully.”

“In a pockets of places where there were minor attempts to disrupt process were seen, we intervened swiftly. And peace had since returned.”

“THERE WAS NO RECORD OF THUGS IN KANO RERUN ELECTIONS.”

“We have enough police presence in all the polling units.”

“THE RUMORED ARREST OF A COMMISSIONER IN KANO AND THE DEATH OF TWO PEOPLE ARE ALL BLATANT LIES!

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Michael Ogbizi, in an interview with the Channels TV’s Supplementary Elections, between 03:27 to 3:36pm, 23rd March, 2019

Sanata Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso da dan koransa Jaafar Jaafar da Jaridarsu ta Daily Nigeria sun ruwaito cewa ba’ayi zabe a Kano ba, sannan kuma DIG Anthony ya gurbata harkar tsaro.

Menene ra’ayinku akan wannan maganar?

It is evidently to everyone in Nigeria and Kano to be precise that voters are voting peacefully.

Mazugal, is also a voting point in Dala LGA where rerun is taking place and women are all out to vote calmly.

It will be conclusive today for the inconclusive to disappear here in Kano.

Belli in Rogo LGA is another voting unit where mass turnout of voters is obviously peaceful.

It seems all is well and peaceful in GAMA, as voters continue to exercise their right.

Next Level Stated Here

The Police Command in Kano State on Thursday apologised to the state branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over the alleged attack and maltreatment of some lawyers in the state.

The state police Commissioner, Mr Wakili Muhammad, made the apology when he visited the state headquarters of the NBA located at Farm Centre area in Kano metropolis.

Muhammad said that lawyers were partners in progress hence his decision to apologise to the union in order to forge ahead.

“Lawyers are part of me and part of my job so I hope we will continue to work together and do what is expected of us in accordance with the law,” he said.

Muhammad said he was ready to apologise to the union in whatever way the members of the union wanted it either in a written letter or through the print media.

Responding, the State chairman of the association, Musa Abdullahi-Lawal thanked the Commissioner of Police for the visit.

He expressed the readiness of the union to work with the Police in the state to ensure quick dispensation of Justice.

The State branch of NBA on Wednesday gave the state police command 48 hours within which to tender public apology to the association for allegedly molesting its members while on their lawful duties. (NAN)

he All Progressives Congress (APC) has mocked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the claims by Atiku Abubakar, its presidential candidate, that he defeated President Muhammadu Buhari by 1.6 million votes. 

Sympathising with PDP on its defeat at the presidential poll, APC commended Nigerians for their support. 

A statement by Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, issued on Wednesday, noted that PDP’s plans to discredit the electoral process as reported before the elections, had been confirmed.

He also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to be on the alert against alleged plans by PDP to “jeopardize” the commission’s database.

The statement read: “Following the outcome of the presidential election, during which a vast majority of Nigerians reaffirmed their unshaken belief in President Muhammadu Buhari to continue to steer the affairs of the country for another four years, we have watched in disbelief and utter amusement how the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have engaged in series of circus shows to cheer up their crestfallen and disillusioned members.

“While the APC is not oblivious of the PDP’s antics to discredit the credible presidential electoral process, acknowledged by local and international observers, we sympathise with Atiku for the crushing defeat handed him by President Buhari through the votes of Nigerians.

“Judging by Atiku and PDP’s recent utterances and actions, it is now clear that they have slipped into severe depression and post-defeat hallucination that have left many Nigerians questioning their current state of mind.

“After weeks of dilly-dallying, the PDP has woken up to the stark reality of its electoral defeat and decided to follow the constitutional path of filing a petition at the Election Tribunal. However, of all the prayers of Atiku before the Election Tribunal, which are at best hollow, the most ridiculous is his claim that the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) indicated he ‘won’ the Presidential Election by 1.6million votes.

“A few questions would suffice: Is this phantom figure of 1.6million votes Dubai-invented? Was the result sold to Atiku by his numerous marabouts, who we understand, had assured him that the last election was a done deal for him?

“Most importantly, we note Atiku’s consistent reference to the ‘INEC server’ as if he is the custodian of that platform. Indeed, Atiku’s constant reference to the INEC server should raise concerns as it is becoming apparent that he and the PDP are up for some dastard activities that are targeted at jeopardizing the INEC database and internal storage system.

“We recall the widespread reported cases of several programmed card readers that were retrieved from some PDP agents and their failed attempt to hack the INEC database in the lead up to the then postponed presidential election. We remind the Atiku and PDP that Nigerians saw through the devious schemes aimed at thwarting their will. Consequently, majority of the voters handed them a harsh verdict — that verdict remains sacrosanct.

“We call on the INEC and the security agencies to be on red alert to ensure that Atiku and the other desperate characters in the PDP are not able to execute their evil plans.”

http://saharareporters.com/2019/03/21/pdp-has-slipped-severe-depression-and-post-defeat-hallucination-says-apc

Kano State APC has submitted an official request to INEC for the list of accredited domestic & foreign observers, as well as the card reader data of LGs in the metropolitan areas of the state were PDP carried out massive rigging and over voting. This is highly crucial as the supplementary election approaches at the end of the week.

Salihu Tanko Yakasai
Special Adviser Media
Government House Kano
Narch 20, 2019.

Yekini Nabena, a spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate in the just concluded general election, Atiku Abubakar, of hacking into the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Nabena made the allegation on Wednesday in reaction to the claim by the PDP that Atiku Abubakar actually won the 2019 election from what the INEC server showed.
He wondered how the opposition political party could have gotten the figure without hacking into it.
Nabena wrote on his Twitter handle: “Just tell me how Atiku and the PDP would bring out figures from INEC server without having access to it.
“Atiku recruited RUSSIAN HACKERS for #NigeriaDecides2019. But, GOD pass them.”
Recall that the PDP national legal adviser, Emmanuel Enoidem, had in a petition to the election tribunal requested that Atiku be declared the winner of last month’s presidential poll.
He stated in the party’s 139-page petition that, “From the data in the 1st respondent’s (INEC’s) server the true, actual and correct results from state to state computation, showed that Atiku polled a total of 18,356,732 votes to defeat Buhari whom they said scored 16,741,430 votes.”

https://www.criticaltimesnews.com/2019/03/pdp-atiku-hacked-inec-server-says-apc.html?fbclid=IwAR2KYz_coHZwTGk0pzzW1bV-oSzJYW7wp7MK20MLzamJd3dZhf_QwxgiU0w

Former Governor of Kano State Ibrahim Shekarau is going into the 9th National Assembly as the senator elected with the highest number of votes, Daily Trust reports.

Shekarau, according to the results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was elected to represent Kano Central Senatorial District, with 506, 271 votes.

His closest challenger, Aliyu Madaki (PDP), polled 267, 778 votes, few thousands shy of the 273,404 Emeka Ihedioha got to emerge Imo State governor-elect.

Kano Central District has 15 local governments namely: Dala, Gwale, Dawakin Kudu, Gezawa, Tarauni, Fagge, Garun Malam, Kano Municipal, Kumbotso, Kura, Madobi, Minjibir, Nasarawa, Ungoggo, and Warawa.

The zone also produced the highest scoring senator in the 2015 elections with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, then of the APC recording 758, 383 votes, over 200, 000 more votes than Shekarau scored.

The result may not be a surprise, analysts say, with Kano having a total of 4, 696, 474 PVCs collected, being the second highest in the country behind Lagos.

Findings by Daily Trust showed that 358, 024 fewer voters turned out as opposed to the previous elections in 2015 recorded in the state.

However, the drop in the votes scored may be due to several factors, one is the general drop in voter turnout in the country as a whole for the February 23 elections with data released by INEC showing that only 34. 75 percent of eligible voters turned out.

The second highest grossing senator is Bello Mandiya (APC), with 433,139, to beat his opponent Imam Shehu Inuwa (PDP) who scored 158, 081 to represent Katsina South in the Senate.

While Katsina State also produced the third highest scoring senator with Kabir Barkiya also of the APC winning the Katsina Central senatorial seat with 340,800 votes, while his challenger Mani Nasarawa of PDP got 127,520 votes.

Traditionally, Katsina is one of the states with the highest number of registered voters. With 98 percent of PVC collection in the state amounting to 3, 187, 988 eligible voters, the state is the third highest in the country.

This is carrying on from 2015 when Umar Ibrahim Kurfi of the APC scored 375, 360 votes to clinch the seat for Katsina Central while Abu Ibrahim scored 409, 624 to clinch the seat for Katsina South.

Katsina State recorded an improved voter turnout by 50, 219 voters compared to 2015.

However, analysts have tried to explain Ali Ndume’s score of 301, 312 votes, against his challenger who scored 84, 692 votes, to retain the Borno South Senatorial seat.

This is despite the district being one of the worse hit by Boko Haram insurgency.

However, 409, 813 of the registered voters from eight local governments were cleared to vote in displaced person camps in and around the state, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the state Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim told journalists in Maiduguri just before the elections.

‘Why votes differ’

The executive director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said this development is occasioned by the fact that the northwest and northeast voters were swayed by President Muhammadu Buhari’s popularity.

He said the senators from these regions got higher votes because “voters were looking for Buhari’s party, not any competent candidate. It was a ‘sak’ matter. He said in the northwest and northeast, winning the party’s primaries is more difficult than winning the general elections.”

He said, on the other hand, during the governorship elections (since Buhari was not on the ballot) there was a semblance of stiff competition and balance of power. “The difference between Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of APC and Abba Yusuf of PDP is not staggering. This is because people voted for candidates based on merit, not on bandwagon effect,” the CISLAC chief said.

He said the refusal of President Buhari to sign the amended Electoral Act that changed the elections sequence (separating the day of presidential from National Assembly elections) might have fueled this bandwagon effect in the north.

Rafsanjani said this bandwagon effect has catapulted rogue politicians into the National Assembly. “What we have today is that competent and responsible lawmakers were edged out because they couldn’t afford the huge amount of money needed to buy tickets during the primaries. This is because getting the party’s ticket, with Buhari on the ballot is the surest way to victory. And the voters don’t care who the candidate is provided he is in Buhari’s party,” he said.

He said the larger number of registered voters also factored. “The voting strength of Kano, Katsina and Kebbi is higher than the total number of the southwest.

Low scoring senator

While some senators were turning in huge numbers, Senator Uche Ekwunife of the PDP needed only 18, 412 votes to reclaim her senatorial seat of Anambra central, beating her closest challenger with a margin of 4, 009 votes.

It is the lowest number of votes recorded by any senator-elect in the 2019 elections, according to INEC results anlaysed by this newspaper.

The result is a staggering drop from her score of 101, 548 votes with which she beat notable candidates like then APGA Chairman Victor Umeh and Chris Ngige of the APC.

What happened in the last four years to bring her votes down is baffling analysts.

Speaking to Daily Trust, a former executive director of Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), and head of Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, the lower votes in the southeast is due to the region’s attitude to politics.

“Elections is one issue the southeast people don’t take very seriously,” he said. He said he was in Anambra in 2013 during the governorship elections between Chris Ngige and Peter Obi.

“There was a stalemate and the elections were declared inconclusive. Surprisingly, on the day of the rerun, all shops were opened. People went about their businesses as if nothing was happening. That is their attitude to elections,” Zikirullahi said.

On his part, Rafsanjani said the low votes for senators from the southeast may also be the result of stiff competition by many parties. “In the southeast, there were so many candidates. And they might have eaten away from the shares of the winning senators. This is unlike in the northwest and northeast, where it was one-way traffic. Buhari’s party candidate got everything. Leaving very dismal figures for the opposition candidate, which usually not more than one,” he said.

Ekwunife is only bested by Solomon Olamilekan (APC) who polled 23, 189 votes to beat his PDP rival to the Lagos west senatorial seat.

However, in Lagos West, Senator Solomon Adeola recorded 323, 817 votes to beat PDPs Gbadebo Rhodes who scored 243, 516 votes.

While Senator Remi Tinubu (APC) managed 131, 735 votes to beat PDP’s Onitiri David who polled 89, 107 votes.

The numbers are nowhere near as impressive as the numbers recorded in the likes of Kano and Katsina despite Lagos being the state with the highest number of eligible voters in the country with 5, 531, 389 PVCs collected. However, the state also recorded a decrease of 482, 034 people turning out to vote compared to 2015 figures.

Zikirullahi said voter apathy is a common denominator in southwest politics. “Majority of voters in Lagos stayed at home on the day of elections. We have seen on television stations people holding parties on the streets at the same the voting was taking place,” he said.

Another factor responsible for the apathy, according to Zikirullahi, is the fact that “elections have become mere periodic rituals. People don’t bother again. The people they voted for didn’t leave up to expectation. So why worry themselves to vote for another set of characters again?”

Another low-scoring senator is former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu (APC) who needed only 30, 580 votes to beat his PDP rival who scored 8, 640 fewer votes to clinch the Abia North senatorial seat.

It is not surprising though that the two lowest scoring senators are from the Southeast, which recorded a drop in the voter turnout in all the states in the region and has a total number of eligible voters (with PVCs) at 8,293,093.

This figure is at least 10 million lower than the Northwest region which comprises states like Kano and Katsina.

The voter apathy in the region, coupled with the call by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for a boycott of the election as well as collection of PVCs, might also be another factor as a total of 1,466,710 uncollected PVCs are still in possession of INEC. This is slightly lower than the total number of PVC carrying voters in all of Abia state at 1.7 million.

Ekwunife’s Anambra, on the other hand, has only 2 million PVCs collected.

Despite the disparity in the number of votes recorded and the sizes of the various constituencies, as well the numbers of the electorate each senator is representing, the senators have equal rights on the floors of the red chamber and will receive the same allowances for constituency projects.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/shekarau-mandiya-ndume-top-lawmakers-with-highest-votes.html

Be informed that the Kano Central Senator elect Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau CON Sardaunan Kano will be on air scheduled as follows;

1. Arewa Radio – 10pm.-11
2. Guarantee Radio- 11pm.-12
3. Express Radio – 11pm.
4. Dala Radio – 8pm.-9
5. Rahama Radio – 10pm.-11
6. Freedom Radio – 11pm.-12

Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, has said that the Federal Government was considering increasing Value Added Tax, to enable it fund the new national minimum wage.

Udoma stated this on Tuesday while appearing before the Senate Committee on Finance.

The Minister also told the panel headed by Senator John Owan-Enoh, that the Technical Advisory Committee on the minimum wage, will submit its report to President Muhammadu Buhari this week.

He said, “The current minimum wage of N18,000 is really too low. It is difficult for workers to manage on that amount.

“The President supported a review, but it is important that as we are revising it, we should be able to fund it.

“It is in the light of this that we would be coming to you (Senate) because there may be the need to make some changes, especially the VAT, in order to fund the minimum wage once it is announced.”

The Senate on the same day, approved N30,000 as the new national minimum wage.

This decision was reached after the upper chamber’s ad-hoc committee on new minimum wage headed by Senator Francis Alimikhena, submitted its report.

New Minimum Wage: FG gives condition for payment of N30,000 as Senate approves figure

The Army said on Tuesday that troops of 115 Task Force Battalion and 143 Battalion in two front coordinated attacks have successfully repelled Boko Haram terrorists in Michika, Adamawa State.

According to the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sagir Musa, scores of Boko Haram terrorists were neutralised during the encounter, with some of them fleeing with gunshot wounds.

Colonel Musa said in a statement issued in Abuja that the terrorists attacked Michika late night on Monday, but were dealt with severely by troops who organized blocking positions against them.

He said the terrorists also hurriedly made away with dead bodies of some of their fighters.

Colonel Musa said: “Boko Haram terrorists met their Waterloo and suffered heavy casualties yesterday evening the 18th of March 2019 when they attempted to infiltrate Michika in Adamawa State.

“At about 7.20 pm, gallant troops of 115 Task Force Battalion deployed at Lassa in Borno State received a distress call from vigilantes at Maikadiri village on movement of suspected Boko Haram terrorists along Road Maikadiri – Shuwari enroute Michika.

“The troops immediately organized blocking positions and swooped on the terrorists which led to an exchange of fire. The terrorists attempted to escape but were intercepted and suppressed with heavy volume of fire.

“Consequently, the troops with reinforcement from 143 Battalion Gulak engaged the terrorists on Two Front Coordinated Attacks.

“The BHTs were completely routed by the troops, neutralizing many of them, while others fled in disarray due to superior firepower.

“As a result, they hastily evacuated most of their corpses under the cover of darkness. The entire area has been dominated by own troops and the situation is completely under control. Items captured from the terrorists include One Ford vehicle, two Toyota Starlet vehicles loaded with foodstuffs, one motorcycle and one tyre inflating machine.

“Further exploitation is to be conducted this morning. Calm has since returned to the city and inhabitants of the town are hereby enjoined to report the presence of strange faces in their localities and go about their normal businesses. “

http://thenationonlineng.net/troops-neutralise-boko-haram-terrorists-in-michika-adamawa/

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been stopped from proceeding with the collation, or announcement of the result of the governorship election in Bauchi State.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday gave the order stopping the announcement of result of the governorship election held in the state on March 9 by the electoral body.

The order which was issued on the strength of an ex parte application filed by the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the incumbent governor of Bauchi State, Mohamed Abubakar, shall however last till the determination of the suit brought before the court by the two plaintiffs.

In the ex parte motion, the APC and Abubakar had prayed the court for an order of Interim Injunction restraining INEC from resuming, concluding or announcing the result of the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State in respect of the election to the office of Governor of Bauchi State.

Recall that the governor Mohammed Abubakar, on Monday, briefed President Muhammadu Buhari who paid a working visit to Bauchi about the inconclusive elections in the state.

Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting with Buhari, the governor said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) introduced procedures not known to the laws of the land during the March 9th elections in the state.
INEC was to resume the announcement of the results of the elections from Tafawa Balewa Lg today (Tuesday) and stakeholders, including journalists had gathered before the court order came.

INEC is yet to react to the development.

Court halts announcement of guber results in Bauchi

The Senate approved N30,000 as the new national minimum wage. This decision was reached on Tuesday after the upper chamber’s ad-hoc committee on new minimum wage headed by Senator Francis Alimikhena submitted its report. The Senate then went on to request the Federal Government to submit a supplementary budget to cover the new wage structure for consideration and approval.

Read More at: https://leadership.ng/2019/03/19/just-in-senate-okays-n30000-minimum-wage/?fbclid=IwAR3iGFgPiF9bOniQ9_oRysXDkQaMeSm9OLeUz9i84SxlPaUEN3W-PHZ5Rjg

Citing security and logistics reasons, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has foreclosed the immediate release of the materials used for the February 23, 2019, presidential election to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for inspection. In an apparent reaction to the PDP’s allegation that INEC was frustrating Atiku from accessing and inspecting the poll materials, the commission explained yesterday that the materials in question were not available for Atiku to inspect because they were still at the local government offices nationwide. The commission further said that it cannot rush to allow Atiku, the PDP and any other political party that requested to inspect the materials because some of them are very sensitive and could be tampered with. Like Atiku and the PDP, President Muhammadu Buhari and his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have secured the nod of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal to access and inspect the election materials. With the dust over the inspection of the poll materials yet to settle, Atiku yesterday went ahead to file his petition challenging Buhari’s victory at the tribunal. Atiku and his PDP are challenging the victory of Buhari and APC on the grounds of alleged massive riggings, irregularities and non-compliance substantially with the electoral laws. Before this development, the tribunal granted Buhari and Atiku the permission to inspect the materials after entertaining the ex-parte applications they filed to that effect. INEC officials told LEADERSHIP yesterday that the commission was not in a position to immediately release the election materials to Atiku and the PDP because the sensitive ones cannot be issued to a political party until certain payments were made to the electoral umpire. It was learnt that most of the sensitive materials which are still at INEC offices at the local government areas across the country may be transported in trucks to its headquarters in Abuja or photocopied, which will take some time. It is after these processes have been completed that the inspection can be done by Atiku or any candidate and party that so wish, INEC said. President Buhari of the APC was on February 27, 2019, declared the winner of the presidential election by INEC haven polled 15,191,847 votes to defeat Atiku who garnered 11,262,978 votes. Before INEC completed the collation of the results, Atiku and the PDP rejected them and later headed to the tribunal to seek the cancellation of the results in some states of the federation over alleged irregularities. The tribunal granted some of Atiku’s prayers, among which, was that INEC should allow him and the PDP to inspect the election materials. And last week, Buhari also stormed the tribunal, sitting at the Appeal Court, Abuja, requesting that he be allowed to inspect the materials, which the court granted. Before INEC clarified its position yesterday, the PDP had accused the commission of frustrating its efforts to inspect the materials. INEC argued yesterday that it has the responsibility to ensure that in all its dealings with aggrieved and other interested parties, the security of the sensitive documents is guaranteed. The commission denied the allegation that it had refused the PDP access to the election materials. INEC national commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr Festus Okoye, declared yesterday that, “I am not aware that the commission has refused to grant any political party access to election materials,” Okoye said that there are procedures every party must follow when it comes to the inspection of sensitive materials, adding that the political party and its candidate must make some payments while INEC must ensure that it follows due process to prevent the materials from being tampered with. He said: “There are procedures for harvesting documents in the commission and there are payments to be made before documents are released. “Moreover, elections are conducted at the polling units and materials are kept in the various local government offices of the commission. “There are a few documents in the headquarters of the commission. Most of the documents must be trucked from the local governments and or photocopied at the local governments. We will check at the state and ensure compliance with the requests,” Okoye said. Finally, Atiku Files Petition At Tribunal About 20 days after INEC declared Buhari the, winner of the presidential election, Atiku and the PDP last night filed their petition before the tribunal,  praying that they be declared the winners of the presidential election instead Buhari and the APC. In the alternative, the two petitioners prayed the tribunal to nullify the poll and ordered for a fresh election that will be conducted in line with provisions of the electoral laws. The respondents in the suit are the APC, President Buhari, and INEC. Under section 134 of the Electoral Act, 2010, any candidate that is not satisfied with the outcome of the presidential contest, is mandated to approach the tribunal with a petition, not later than 21 days after the result was announced. The tribunal is also expected to deliver its judgment in writing within 180 days from the date the petition was filed. At about 8pm last night, Atiku’s team of lawyers led by Mr. Chukwuma Machukwu Ume (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), and Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN) were perfecting the filing process at the Central Registry of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT). The tribunal will conduct its proceedings at the Court of Appeal headquarters in Abuja. Though Atiku was yet to arrive at the tribunal where he was expected to personally depose to an affidavit, some PDP chieftains, including its spokesman, Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan and Alhaji Buba Galadima, accompanied the lawyers to the tribunal. Addressing newsmen, PDP national legal adviser, Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, said that Atiku would seek for two principal reliefs at the tribunal. He said the first relief was for an order declaring him as the bonafide winner of the 2019 presidential election. In the alternative, Atiku and the PDP want the tribunal to nullify the presidential election on the premise that it was marred by irregularities. “We asked that our candidate who won the election massively across the country be declared the winner. In the alternative, we also asked that the election be set aside on the ground of irregularities which were apparent across the country. “We have a pool of 20 SANs who are tested in election petition matters and other senior lawyers who are working with them. We have also lined up more than 400 witnesses that are going to testify in this petition. Nigerians are at home with what happened on February 23, the sham they called an election. We are going to re-present those facts to Nigerians, we are not going to manufacture facts,” he said. Also speaking, Mike Ozekhome told journalists that the petitioners encountered serious challenges in the hands of INEC which was reluctant to grant them access to the electoral materials. “Our petition is quite solid, very strong and unassailable. We believe that by the grace of God, the original winner will regain his mandate”, Ozekhome added. The tribunal had on March 6 ordered INEC to grant Atiku and the PDP access to all the electoral materials that were used for the presidential poll. The tribunal, however, declined to allow Atiku and PDP to conduct forensic analysis on any of the electoral materials on the premise that such request was outside the scope of the Electoral Act, as amended. In a counter-move, President Buhari and the APC, on March 14, also approached the tribunal and secured an order for INEC to grant them access to all the electoral materials. The tribunal, in two separate rulings, ordered the electoral body to forthwith, make available to President Buhari and the APC, both used and unused ballot papers it deployed across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for the purpose of the presidential poll. Among other documents the tribunal granted the applicants leave to inspect included all the voters’ registers. It held that the applicants should also be allowed to obtain Certified True Copies of all the documents that were used at the polling units, wards, local governments, and state levels. PMB Meets Bauchi, Plateau Govs Ahead Of Reruns Meanwhile, President Buhari met yesterday separately with Bauchi State governor, Mohammad Abubakar and his Plateau State counterpart, Simon Lalong at the presidential villa ahead of the supplementary elections holding on Saturday. The visit was the second by Governor Abubakar to the State House in a week since INEC resolved to continue the collation and conclusion of the governorship election which it earlier declared inconclusive. INEC had declared the governorship elections in Adamawa, Bauchi, Plateau, Sokoto, Benue, and Kano States inconclusive and kept mum on Rivers State where the entire exercise was suspended. But after receiving the reports of its fact-finding team to Bauchi and Rivers States, INEC announced that it would complete the collation of the results from the outstanding Tafewa Balewa local government area in Bauchi State today and resume the suspended Rivers exercise. Since INEC took the decision, the ruling APC and Governor Abubakar had kicked against it. Last week, Abubakar and the Adamawa State governor, Jibrilla Bindow, stormed Aso Rock to seek the president’s intervention in the matter. The two governors were unable to meet the president but conferred with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. However, on Sunday, the presidency said that Buhari would not wade into the rerun because it would be an abuse of the constitution.  Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said that Buhari, unlike past presidents, would not interfere in the rerun because he is a different leader. Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting with Buhari yesterday, Governor Abubakar said that he came to brief the president about the situation in his state. Abubakar also dismissed insinuations that he came to ask the president to intervene in the election, stating that he was at the State House to brief the president on “what is happening” and the actions he had taken. The governor expressed the confidence that he would emerge victorious in the supplementary election on Saturday. Abubakar said: “I briefed him on the issues surrounding the inconclusive election, the returning officer for Bauchi State at the end of collation, rejected the result of Tafawa Balewa local government area and then 36 other units spread across 15 local government areas of Bauchi State and ordered a rerun. “Surprisingly, we woke up one morning and INEC came up with a procedure that is not known to law. Because, where a returning officer has declared the result, only an election petition tribunal can reverse the result. But INEC is attempting to reverse itself in the case of Bauchi. “And when one juxtaposes that of Bauchi and other states with inconclusive elections, one wonders why that is happening only in Bauchi State. “So, for that reason, there is a need for me to come and brief Mr. President because it has the potential of touching on the security of the state,” he said. The governor also faulted the decision of the returning officer to reverse himself on the cancelled votes. “Of course it is definitely extra illegal. It is a straight forward matter. The returning officer is the final arbiter even with respect to scores and declaration of result. And once he makes a declaration, no power can reverse that declaration except a duly constituted court of the land,” he stated. On how prepared is he for the rerun election,, he said “If they are going to do it now, we are ready. I don’t know who is afraid of anyone in Tafawa Balewa. On his part, Lalong said that he also came to brief the president on the rerun election and the security situation in Plateau State. Lalong said: “My meeting with the president is the usual briefing; I call it usual because of my passion for peace in the state. It is not about the election, it is about peace, how to ensure we have very peaceful elections. So far so good, we have had very good peaceful elections. “We are going back for a supplementary election, I will like INEC to conduct a peaceful election and we want the security apparatus to be on ground in the state. That was my briefing to Mr. President.” When asked if he was panicky about the supplementary elections, Lalong replied: “How can I when all the votes that were cancelled were my votes? These were areas that I won. There was no need for any cancellation but then as a lawyer, I still want to comply with the rules. I don’t want to be talking about infringing on the rules when the election result is very clear.” According to him, “they (INEC) said that registered voters were 49,000 but the votes were not up to 20,000, but the people were still saying we need 49,000 and I was already on top with 45,000 votes. So we are going to get the 49,000. “How can you imagine that a sitting governor cannot get 3,000 votes out of 49,000 in an area that I have well dominated for a long time? So for me, the election is as good as concluded in Plateau State. I see it as an opportunity for the people whose votes were cancelled for them to vote,” he said. PDP Faults INEC’s Claim On Election Materials Also yesterday, the PDP faulted claims by INEC that it didn’t meet the condition required to inspect materials used for the presidential election materials as ordered by the tribunal. PDP national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, told LEADERSHIP that the electoral commission did everything possible to frustrate them. While accusing the commission of working for the ruling APC, he alleged that INEC was hiding under due process to deny the PDP access to the documents. He said: “We applied for the inspection on Monday. We cannot pay the money until they accept the application. They have not accepted, so who do we pay the money to? And if they are talking about due process, they should define what they mean by it in clear terms. We wrote them the letter on Monday. We didn’t write them the letter on Friday. So they should tell us in definite terms what they mean by due process.” …Soldiers Should Steer Clear of Reruns To ensure hitch-free rerun in the affected states, the PDP said that soldiers should be kept out of the exercise. The party, however, alleged that President Buhari’s posture that he would not interfere in the March 23 governorship supplementary elections amounted to a direct confession that the presidency used its overbearing influence to rig the February 23 presidential election. The opposition party claimed that it was also a fresh subterfuge to divert public attention from the APC’s rigging plots ahead of the supplementary elections. Ologbondiyan said that the presidency’s confession that APC members were mounting pressure on Buhari to help them to rig the supplementary elections had confirmed the Buhari presidency’s manipulative and rigging capacity, including the militarisation of the electoral process, instigating of violence and alteration of results, as were freely used by the APC in the presidential election. In a statement he issued in Abuja, Ologbondiyan said that “Nigerians, especially those in states where the supplementary elections have been scheduled to hold,should  be wary of the antics of the Buhari presidency, as it has never been committed to free, fair and credible elections. “Nigerians can recall that ahead of the presidential and National Assembly elections, President Buhari had promised to allow for a free, fair, transparent and credible process, only for his presidency and party, the APC, to engage in downright manipulations at INEC, deployment of military and thugs to intimidate and suppress voters, as well as outright alteration of results delivered from the polling units. “President Buhari cannot exonerate himself of the harm inflicted on our polity by the deployment of soldiers in the 2019 general elections as nobody deploys the military except the president and commander-in-chief. “Now that President Buhari, in his official capacity, has come out to state that he will not intervene in the March 23 supplementary election; we ask, is Mr. President assuring Nigerians that any ‘soldier’ seen directly involving in the rerun election is fake and should be treated as such? “The PDP charges the military to note the import of the statement by the presidency and steer clear of the supplementary elections. “The PDP also cautions INEC officials to note that Nigerians are very eager about the outcome of the governorship supplementary elections, given that the PDP is already leading in these states. Nigerians are not ready to accept any results that do not reflect the reality of our victory, which is already known to all,” he said.

Read More at: https://leadership.ng/2019/03/19/why-atiku-cannot-inspect-election-materials-now-inec/

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There is tension in Bauchi State, as residents are jittery over the killing of Colonel Mohammed Barack, the Garrison Commander, 33 Artillery Brigade of Nigerian Army in Shadawanka Barracks.

He was shot dead by yet-to-be-identified gunmen in Bauchi on Sunday.

The incident, which happened along the Bauchi-Jos road when the deceased was riding a power bike from Kaduna, was confirmed by Major Yahaya Nasir Kabara, the spokesperson of 33 Artillery Brigade.

Kabara said it is, however, unclear if the incident was a robbery or an assassination but noted that “investigations are ongoing at the Brigade”.

SaharaReporters can confirm that preparations are ongoing to convey the corpse of the Colonel to Kano, his state of origin, for burial according to Islamic rights.

http://saharareporters.com/2019/03/18/just-tension-bauchi-garrison-commander-shot-dead

A leading human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana has said the Independent National Electoral Commission has the power to de-register political parties that failed to scale some minimum electoral tests.

Speaking in relation to the 2019 presidential elections where there were over 70 political parties contesting, Falana stated that following the 2017 constitutional amendment, INEC had the power to cut down number of parties drastically.

In a statement on Sunday, Falana said the application of the rules will see the number of political parties cut from 91 to fewer than 10.

He recalled how some political parties successfully challenged INEC’s power after the amendment of the Electoral Act in 2010. He said the National Assembly bolstered the commission via the constitutional amendment.

“Disturbed by the mockery of multi-party democracy in the country through the unprincipled proliferation of political parties the National Assembly amended the Electoral Act 2010 to empower INEC to de-register political parties that failed to win any election.

“Since political parties were registered pursuant to section 222 of the Constitution the suits filed by the affected political parties succeeded as the Federal High Court declared the amendment unconstitutional and set it aside.

“However, the National Assembly took advantage of the 2017 constitutional review to reduce the number of registered political parties in the country. Thus, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fourth Alteration, No 9) Act, 2017 enacted on May 4, 2017 has amended section 225 of the 1999 Constitution to empower the Independent National Electoral Commission to de-register political parties,” Falana wrote.

“Among the grounds are that a party can be de-registered if it breaches any of the requirements for registration and fails to win at least twenty-five percent of votes cast in one State of the Federation in a Presidential election; or one Local Government of the State in a Governorship election.

“A party can also be de-registered if it fails to win at least one ward in the Chairmanship election; one seat in the National or State House of Assembly election; or one seat in the Councillorship election.

“From the foregoing, it is indubitably clear that INEC has been conferred with enormous powers to de-register political parties that fail to meet the fresh constitutional prerequisites.

“Going by the results of the 2019 general elections the 91 registered political parties may have been reduced to less than 10 that may have scaled the constitutional hurdle.

Falana, who deplored the opportunism of some political parties, as demonstrated in the last general election, urged INEC to sanitise the democratic space by applying the rules and enforcing relevant provisions of the constitution and the electoral act.

“INEC is called upon to formulate new guidelines for the registration political parties within the ambit of the Constitution.

“This should be done in view of the fact that not less than 100 political associations are said to have submitted applications for the registration of new political parties. With respect to registered political parties INEC must fully comply with section 225(2) of the Constitution by sanctioning them if they fail to submit a detailed annual statement and analysis of their sources of funds and assets.

INEC is empowered by law to reduce number of political parties- Falana