Politics

2023: US Vows To Impose Visa Restriction On Promoters Of Violence

Published

3 years ago

May 17, 2022

Editor

The United States of America said it would impose visa restrictions on anyone who promotes violence as Nigeria holds its general election in 2023.

America’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Mr Michael Gonzales, handed out the warning at an international conference with the theme: “United States Policy and Nigeria’s National Decisions in the 2023 Elections”, held at John Hopkins University, United States.

The conference, which was held at the School of Advanced International Studies in Washington DC, virtually, brought together Nigerian and American policy communities to discuss issues around the 2023 general election.

It was organised by policy research centre, Nextier Nigeria, in partnership with SAIS at John Hopkins University; the School of International Service at the American University; and the Centre for Peace, Democracy and Development at the University of Massachusetts.

Gonzales said the United States government “will continue to use our messaging, as well as other diplomatic channels at our disposal, including visa restrictions, where warranted, to dissuade those who may be tempted to use violence to undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.”

According to him, the US government remains committed to working with Nigeria to uphold its conventions toward ensuring a peaceful power transition in 2023.

The conference, moderated by Dr Ndubuisi Nwokolo, a Partner at Nextier and Honorary Research Fellow, School of Government and Society, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, among other global scholars, therefore, stated that Nigeria should maintain existing political conventions that guaranteed peace.

Other event moderators at the conference were Dr Carl LeVan, Professor, School of International Service, American University and Chair, Comparative and Regional Studies; and Dr. Darren Kew, Professor of Conflict Resolution, University of Massachusetts, Boston and Executive Director of Centre for Peace, Democracy and Development.

Nextier’s Founding Partner, Patrick Okigbo, clarified that the reason for hosting the conference in the United States was to elevate the election issues and conversations to the international stage.

He reiterated the need for Nigeria’s international partners to assist in upholding her democratic process, even as he pointed out that “democracy is not an end state but a project that requires continuous nurturing.’’

Okigbo said, “Insecurity in Nigeria and recent occurrences in West Africa and Sahel regions should cause Nigeria’s elite to use the 2023 elections to douse the tensions and set the country on a growth path.’’

He further cautioned that failure to address the issues raised at the conference could have devastating consequences, whilst attention to the recommendations could yield a bountiful harvest.

Other panellists highlighted the insecurity risks and the need to manage the 2023 elections properly, in addition to other points raised at the conference.

Among these points were the issue of faltering political developments as they concerned elitism and Nigeria’s progress, as it was observed that since 1999, the Nigerian elite had found a way to maintain a modicum of stability for elections and “eventually share the dividends of the election outcomes.”

In his contribution, Brigadier General Saleh Bala (retd.), observed that “security challenges in Nigeria are true, present and tangible but what is consistent is the lurking shadow of elite interests and how they serve their interests.”

On insecurity threats to Nigeria’s democracy, the conference found that poor management of the elections, especially the rotational presidency convention, could threaten Nigeria’s democracy against the backdrop of pervasive insecurity, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, rise of self-help groups, and increased secessionist agitations in southern Nigeria.

Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development, Ms. Idayat Hassan, noted that “political parties during the Anambra governorship election cycle could not campaign due to insecurity,” and that worse scenarios could happen in 2023.

Hassan asserted that “the zoning of the presidency to the south, particularly the South-East, will give the region a sense of belonging in Nigeria.”

NAN.

Politics

By-Election: APC Correcting PDP 8 Years Of Underdevelopment In Edo, Days Idahosa

Published

9 hours ago

August 12, 2025

Editor

The deputy governor of Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa says the Monday Okpebholo-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the state is correcting the eight years wrong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Idahosa, however, urged more support for the administration and the APC to attract more developmental projects across the nook and cranny of the state.

Idahosa made this statement when the campaign train stormed Usen and Ugbogui wards of Ovia South West Local Government Area.

He urged the people to come out enmass to exercise their civic duty on Saturday in support of the APC candidate, Hon. Omosede Igbinedion.

Idahosa said support for the party would mean more developmental projects for the area that had lacked same from the immediate past administration of the PDP.

“The present APC government led by Sen. Monday Okpebholo is the one that has started transforming your area within nine months in the office.

“He can only do more with your support, especially by voting for his party’s candidate on Saturday,” he pleaded.

On her part, the APC candidate, Omosede Igbinedion, promised to synergise with the governor his deputy to attract more developmental projects to the constituency.

Similarly, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Paddy Iyamu, said the government has put measures in place to ensure no students is sent home for want of school fee.

According to him, the state government has concluded plans to pay bursaries for students while market women would enjoy soft loans.

Meanwhile, Elawure of Usen, Ovia south west local government ,have advised Politicians to be united in their pursuit of common goal of delivery dividends of democracy to the people.

Oluogbe II gave this advise when he received the campaign team of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the state deputy governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa.

The traditional ruler expressed joy in the unity between Idahosa and the APC candidate for the Ovia federal constituency bye-election scheduled Saturday, Hon. Omosede Igbinedion.

He noted that the present unity and synergy between the former political foe would bring nothing but victory for their party, as well as development to the people of the federal constituency.

Politics

Jonathan, Obi Can’t Match APC’s Strength For 2027 – Mustapha Salihu

Published

1 day ago

August 11, 2025

Editor

The National Vice Chairman (North-East) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Mustapha Salihu, has dismissed the chances of former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi emerging as strong contenders for the 2027 elections under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking in an interview on Arise News on Sunday, Salihu described the PDP as technically non-existent and argued that neither Jonathan nor Obi possessed the political capacity to challenge the APC’s structure and readiness.

“Jonathan is a gentleman and a patriotic Nigerian, but when it comes to performance, the difference between his six years and President Tinubu’s two years is clear,” Salihu said.

“We inherited what seemed like insurmountable security and economic challenges, yet we have stabilised critical sectors, taken courageous decisions, and achieved visible results. Jonathan does not have the political acumen to take the tough decisions required at this time.”

Salihu claimed that those urging Jonathan to return to the PDP were driven by personal interests rather than concern for Nigeria.

“Some of them were part of his government and want to rule the country by proxy. Nigerians will not subscribe to that,” he said, adding that the deep divisions within the PDP make a Jonathan candidacy unrealistic.

On Obi, Salihu criticised his post-2023 political strategy, saying the former governor lost the momentum he had after the last election.

“Obi had a near revolution in 2023 with massive youth support, but after losing, he abandoned his governorship candidates. If he had supported them, he could have had at least seven governors today as a launchpad for the future. Instead, he made alliances that did not benefit him, and now he lacks the structure to contest and win a presidential election in Nigeria,” he stated.

The APC chieftain insisted the ruling party was fully prepared for 2027.

“We are not panicking or shaking. We have the structure, leadership ability, achievements, and organisational capacity to prosecute an election any day, any time. No party in Nigeria today can match the APC,” he added.

Politics

Alleged ₦3.51bn Travel Expenditure: Ignore PDP’s Claim On Okpebholo, Edo APC Tells Residents

Published

1 day ago

August 11, 2025

Editor

Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged residents of the state to ignore PDP’s allegation that governor of the state, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has spent a whopping ₦3.51bn on travels in the last eight months.

In a statement signed by
Emperor Jarrett Tenebe,
State Chairman of the party, and made available to INFO DAILY in Benin on Monday, the APC said such claims were imagination of the PDP, adding that it “exposed their poor and lack of understanding of broader key economic indicators—which reflected in their negative impact on Edo State people throughout their disastrous eight years administration.”

Tenebe, who said the state governor has not embarked on any foreign trip since he assumed office on November 12, 2024, stressed that Okpebholo has demonstrated prudence since taking over from the opposition party.

He said: “For the records, the APC administration led by His Excellency Senator Monday Okpebholo has demonstrated financial prudence since taking over from the PDP abstracted-MOU ‘419’ government on November 12, 2024.

“Accusing the present administration of wasting ₦3.51bn on imaginable ‘travels’ when the governor has not embarked on any foreign trip since November 12, 2024, shows that the half a dozen PDP renegades are obviously suffering from an acute form of hallucination which is associated with neurological disorders, due to the effects of overdose of substances and post election defeat syndrome.

“Our party, the APC wishes to place on record that Senator Okpebholo is a grassroots leader who is interested in finding home grown solutions to reposition the various sectors for measurable growth in the shortest possible time.”

The APC State Chairman, who noted that the current admission is interested in development across the state and nothing else, Okpebholo will never siphon resources meant for the development of the state.

He added: “The APC government in Edo State is only interested in all round development of the 18 local government areas in line with global best practices.

“Governor Okpebholo will not continue in the habit of siphoning the state’s resources through fictitious globe trotting as witnessed in the last PDP administration.”