Politics

FG, Atiku, Obi Trade Words Over Tinubu’s Victory

Published

12 months ago

May 1, 2023

The Federal Government and the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; and Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi, were once again at one another’s jugular over the outcome of the 2023 presidential poll, yesterday.

The Federal Government through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, fired the first salvo when it urged Atiku, Obi and other candidates to drop their petitions at the tribunal because they deserved to lose the election won the All Progressives Congress, APC’s, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Countering, the LP declared that the APC-led Federal Government “murdered sleep” by allegedly rigging the 2023 general elections.

Also, the PDP insisted that Atiku won the presidential balloting and alleged that the Federal Government was plotting to blackmail the President Election Petition Tribunal to rule in favour of Tinubu.

You deserve to lose 2023 elections, FG tells opposition

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, advised the opposition to stop their endless complaints over the 2023 presidential election which they lost woefully, saying they know very well that they deserve to lose the election because of their overconfidence and complacency.

In a statement issued in Abuja, the Minister said Mr. President’s analysis on the reasons for the opposition’s loss in the 2023 elections was incontrovertible.

He said the President deserves nothing but accolades for delivering undoubtedly the best election in Nigeria’s history, adding that the tempestuous but predictable reaction to the President’s comments by the opposition had shown them for what they are: shameless sore losers.

“President Muhammadu Buhari lived up to his billing by delivering a free, fair and credible election, and his legacy is assured.

“The President would rather lose his state and many of his party’s strongholds than tamper with the fidelity of the election, and that is why he provided a level playing field for all parties,’’ Mohammed said.

He said the opposition’s overconfidence going into the election stemmed in part from the blitzkrieg of social media propaganda as well as faulty and procured opinion polls, which were apparently meant to hoodwink their foreign backers and a section of the international media into uncritically reporting that they were coasting home to victory, when they were indeed heading into the ravine of defeat.

The Minister said the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, won the presidential election fair and square, clinching the majority of the votes cast and surpassing the constitutionally-stipulated 25% of votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the states in the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

“Going by the results, none of the opposition parties met any of the conditions stipulated for winning the presidential election. They didn’t even come close, in spite of their pre-election grandstanding.

‘’They (opposition) keep leaning on some international observers to justify their fraudulent claim that the election was rigged. They conveniently forgot what Ambassador Johnnie Carson, the revered US diplomat who co-led the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI) International Election Observation Mission to Nigeria said: that the APC candidate undoubtedly won the polls.

‘’They also forgot that the African Union Election Observation Mission to Nigeria said the atmosphere was generally calm and peaceful in 95% of the polling units visited,’’ he said, adding that it is on the strength of these reports that many nations, including the US and the UK, wasted no time in congratulating the victorious APC Presidential Candidate.”

Alhaji Mohammed slammed the opposition for continuously seeking to mislead the world by clutching at the weak straw that results were not immediately uploaded onto the IReV Portal, as if the portal has any role to play in the collation of results.

‘’The opposition’s insinuation that the failure to immediately upload the result of the presidential election onto IReV affected the credibility of the election is a fraud. It is an act of blackmail and deceit by desperate individuals.

‘’The opposition Labour Party, in particular, will go down in the history books as the first-ever distant third-place finisher in a presidential election anywhere to have bold-facedly claimed victory,’’ he said.

FG, APC murdered sleep by rigging 2023 polls — LP

Countering, Acting National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, came down hard on Alhaji Lai Mohammed over his attempt to echo President Buhari’s thoughts on the outcome of the 2023 general elections.

It equally accused the Minister of “wasting scarce public funds junketing around the United States and the United Kingdom ‘’ in futile attempt to whitewash the disasterous 8 year rule of the outgoing Buhari administration.

Ifoh said: “We just want the Minister to know that by rigging the 2023 general election, himself, his party, All Progressives Congress and the leader of the party, President Buhari have murdered sleep and they do not deserve peace.”

The LP Spokesman explained that it was appalling that the Minister chose to progress in the error laden prognosis of his employer, President Buhari about the outcome of the 2023 general elections.

He said: “A few days after President Buhari made that heavily flawed and erroneous remarks on the outcome of the 2023 presidential election claiming that opposition parties lost the presidential election due to their “overconfidence, complacency and bad tactical moves”, it is heart-wrenching to hear the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, still progressing with that warped, illogical and incongruous concept.

“We would rather not join issues with a man who is famous for constantly prescribing doses of expired and ineffectual propaganda to Nigerians.

“ His ill-fated and hugely failed trip to United Kingdom and United States where he attempted to redeem the grossly battered democratic credentials of this present administration; spending millions of tax payers money to defend an indefensible action is yet another tragedy of President Buhari’s 8 years leadership.

“It is only the blind that will continue to insist that the 2023 presidential election which was massively rigged was free, fair and credible.

“As we have said earlier, the opposition political parties allegedly lost the election because the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC jettisoned the electoral act, having not uploaded the result from the polling unit in real time as promised and in so doing, created room for riggers to have a field day.

“The election witnessed unprecedented magnitude of violence, ballot snuffing, snatching and manipulations of result from the collation centres using thugs, security agencies, which included police, army amongst others.

“All these issues and a lot more were captured, well documented and have been taken to the appeal tribunal and the matters are ongoing. Mr. Lai Mohammed need not preempt the tribunal as his actions are contemptuous and could be used against him.”

On its part, the PDP has insisted that its Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, won the February 25, 2023 Presidential election based on the actual votes cast at the Polling Units across the country.

The party described claims by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, that the opposition lost the election, as subjudice and part of a series of attempts by the APC-led Federal Executive to bully and blackmail the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

This was contained in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, in Abuja, yesterday.

Ologunagba said: “Nigerians are invited to note that Lai Mohammed’s comment is coming after President Buhari made a similar subjudice comment in his widely condemned attempt to justify the rigging of the Presidential election, which case is pending before the Tribunal.

“It is indeed appalling that Lai Mohammed could attempt to defend the outcome of a fraudulently conducted election which has been adjudged as the worst in the history of elections in Nigeria and which has attracted nationwide and international outrage against the Buhari administration.

“By stating that President Buhari deserved “accolades” for conducting a globally condemned Presidential election and describing well-meaning Nigerians as “shameless sore losers”, Lai Mohammed has further confirmed the complicity of the Buhari administration, in which he serves as mouthpiece, in one of the most reprehensible election swindles in the history of democracy. “

The party however said it was not surprised that Lai Mohammed will continue in the trajectory of the Buhari-led APC administration which is notorious for lying, deceit and falsehood.

This, the PDP said, was because Nigerians are aware that by the authentic results obtained from the Polling Units, Atiku Abubakar and not the APC candidate met all the conditions stipulated for the winning of the Presidential election.

According to the party, this situation explained why “the compromised Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) refused to transmit directly and announce results as obtained from the Polling Units as required by law.”

The opposition party stated further that ot was for the umpteenth time cautioning the APC and the Buhari-led Federal Executive against its furtive attempts to bully the judiciary in the handling of the Presidential election petitions pending before the Tribunal.

“The facts of the rigging of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election are well known to Nigerians and the PDP will not relent until it reclaims its mandate at the Tribunal.” Ologunagba added.
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Politics

Edo Guber: Why I Want To Become Governor – APGA Candidate, Osifo

Published

1 day ago

April 23, 2024

Editor

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

The Edo State All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, governorship candidate in the forthcoming election, Dr. Isaiah Osifo, has said the yearning by Edo people for good leadership propelled him to join the race.

The former Chief of Staff to Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, who lamented that Edo State has been lacking good leaders for long, promised to deliver good governance if elected into office.

Dr. Osifo stated this during a chat with journalists in Benin City, the Edo State capital, over the weekend.

Rolling out some qualities expected of a good leader, the APGA governorship candidate said: “Many people have asked me why am I contesting? I have several reasons for contesting this election.”

He continued: “What is lacking in Edo State and in African democracy is good leadership. And that is what we’ve been battling with in Africa and Edo State.

“We have an abundance of young men and women, patriotic and talented young men and women that are ready to work. But what is lacking now is good leadership.

“It is that good leadership that’s motivating me to contest the election so that I can feel that gap; that vacuum of lack of good leadership. I said this repeatedly, and God has been so wonderful to me.”

“So, good leadership is needed for Edo State to develop. Good leadership is needed for Edo State to have democracy, because we already have the grace of God upon our life.”

Speaking on how some Edo South Elders are making moves to get the best candidate on board, Osifo noted: “When I met with them I told them there are three things that can make a state to be great: The grace of God; hardworking men and women, patriotism, and of course good leadership.”

He said in Edo people’s bid to elect a good leader in the September 21st governorship election, they must look out for three qualifications, viz: legal, political and moral qualifications, boasting that he is the only candidate that possessed all these qualifications.

He added: “Legal question: Now, you must meet some requirements as a law for you to contest as governor. You cannot go to the Oko prison to go and bring an ex-convict to contest for an election. The law does not allow it. A child that is 30 or 35 years below cannot contest for governor because the law says he must be above 35 years as a necessary requirement. That is a legal qualification.

“Session 182 of the constitution is so clear that if you have sworn to an oath of allegiance to a foreign country or to a foreign power, you are not qualified to contest for any public office.

“Ethically, a politician or a public servant who has sworn to an oath of allegiance is a traitor. Because patriotism is what defines citizenship. So, if you go and swear to an oath of allegiance to a foreign power, it shows you are a traitor. The Nigerian constitution forbids it. And that if you have sworn to an oath of office to a foreign power or country, you are not qualified to hold any public office.

“If you have sworn to an oath of office to foreign power and are still going about telling Edo people to vote for you, you are not going to be a good leader, because you have already lied, liars are not good leaders.”

He continued: “Political qualification: Franchise is defined as a right to vote and to be voted for. For you to be a candidate, you must be a voter here in Edo State. Now, if you have never voted in Edo state, and you are now trying to struggle to get a fresh voter card or to do a transfer, politically you are not qualified to run in this election.

“Moral qualification: I come from a cultural background, whereby a popular adage says you don’t use a stranger to make a head of a community. If you are an Edo man but you have not lived here before as an adult, your family is not here, your children don’t attend any school here, your wife does not go to any market here in Edo State, and you want to be governor, governor over who? “

Politics

Edo Guber Final List : Group Knocks LP, Commends, INEC, Yakubu

Published

1 day ago

April 23, 2024

Editor

A youth group within the Edo State Labour Party (LP), on Monday, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and Professor Mahmood Yakubu for adhering strictly to the rule of law in deepening democracy particularly in the party’s candidates list ahead of the September governorship election.

in Edo State (SYEG), Tuesday has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and Professor Mahmood Yakubu for adhering strictly to the rule of law in deepening democracy in Edo State Labour Party’s candidates list ahead of the September governorship election.

The statement by SYEG came in reaction to an earlier statement by the Edo State chairman of LP, Kelly Ogbaloi who faulted INEC’s listing Oluyinka Faith Alufohai as the running mate to Olumide Akpata.

A statement signed by chairman of the group, Comrade Jonah Ifada and Secretary, Osagie Omoregie also knocked the Edo State chairman of the party over his rejection of INEC final list and reminded the party that what the electoral body has done was in accordance with the law, hence deserves commendation.

The body under the umbrella ‘Shine Your Eyes Group’, also noted that what has become the lot and tragedy for the Labour Party in Edo State was a clear reflection of the shambles primary it conducted in the state where the “wishes of party’s faithful were subverted by those entrusted to run the affairs of the party.”

Ifada in a widely circulated statement in Benin noted, “Our attention has been drawn to the ranting by the Edo State chairman of the Labour Party, Kelly Ogbaloi, rejecting the nomination of Oluyinka Faith Alufohai in INEC announced final list of candidates as ludicrous.

“We want to state equivocally and remind Ogbaloi that INEC is not like the Labour party and that what INEC has done was in line with the rule of law and deserves commendation for being vigilance and thorough.

“We had warned the Labour Party to play by the rules of the game but they choose to bow to the weight of naira and dollars to subvert democracy and the wishes of our people.

“As stakeholders, we are however confident that the abnormality by the party would be corrected by the court as we have it on good authority that one of the aspirants, Barrister Kenneth Imansuangbon has gone to court to seek interpretation of the constitution as regards issues in the party’s primary.”

Recall that Imansuangbon in his petition stated that Barrister Olumide Akpata committed a horde of offences ranging from giving false information to the acquisition of citizenship of another country, which is a grand departure from the Nigerian Constitution’s accepted norms.

On the allegation of false information, Barrister Imansuangbon alleged that Barrister Akpata, while filling INEC form EC 9 “stated his name to be Akpata Olumide Anthony which is different from and not the same as Akpata Olumide Osaigbovo” which he earlier stated on oath to be his name and under which he contested and reportedly won the primary election of the LP.

Imansuangbon wanted the court to determine whether Akpata “has not supplied or otherwise given false information to the INEC within the meaning or contemplation of the provisions of section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022 read together with section 182(1) (a) and (j) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).”

On Akpata taking an oath of allegiance of Vanuatu, an independent and sovereign nation, Imansuangbon wanted clear interpretation of the Nigerian constitution to know if Akpata’s “claim on oath, in the said INEC form EC 9 that he has not voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another country is not or does not amount to false information, within the meaning of the provisions of section 29(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022, read together with section 182(1) (a) and (j) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria(as amended).”

On Oluyinka Faith Alufokhai, “who is parading herself” as the running mate of Barrister Akpata, the petitioner cited some information that she supplied in INEC form EC 9 which do not add up. The information includes that “she was born in 1981 and that she obtained her First School Leaving Certificate in the same year of her birth.

“Her name is Alufokhai Oluyinka Faith while her former name was Ikheafe and she obtained three certificates namely OND, HND and PGD the same year, 2005.”

Politics

Ondo APC Primary; A Disgrace To Democracy – Cleric

Published

2 days ago

April 22, 2024

Editor

…It’s a shame APC is taking Nigeria back to dark days

The Senior pastor of Awaiting The Second Coming Of Christ Ministry, Adewale Giwa, has faulted the conduct of the governorship primary election conducted by the All Progressives Congress, APC in Ondo state.

Giwa, described the exercise as a disgrace to democracy and called on President Bola Tinubu to quickly intervene.

Recall that the exercise was characterized with violence, protest in Okitipupa, ldanre, Akure, the state capital, Supare, Akoko South-West, and other areas, by governorship aspirants, party members across the state.

Political thugs who stormed voting centers, disrupted the exercise and prevent supporters of some governorship aspirants from voting.

The governorship aspirants complained that election materials were reportedly not taken to many wards across the state.

Giwa, while speaking in Akure, called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to invite the State Commissioner of Police for questioning.

“We all witnessed what happened in our state.The exercise in Ondo state was a season of great disappointment and embarrassment. We thought the era of thuggery was gone, not until it resurfaced.

“You deliberately bought sophisticated weapons for political thugs to wreck havoc on the people you intend to govern. It’s a shame that the APC is taking Nigeria back to the dark days.

“Thugs were freely moving around the state with AK-47 riffles in the presence of security agents, and nothing happened.

“What are they turning this Nigeria into? Why do politicians want to be in power at all costs?

” If people say they don’t want you, thank God and leave the position honorably.

“A journalist was beaten, harassed and attacked like a party member. What a shameful act!

“A good name is more desirable than great riches. I don’t know why people don’t think that nothing is permanent in life.

“As one of the stakeholders in Ondo state, it will be unfair for me to encourage or support rascality. The exercise is a disgrace to the nation’s democracy.

“If the APC could fail to conduct a primary election within themselves, how can they transform Nigeria?

“Let me call on President Bola Tinubu to quickly intervene for the interest of the nation’s democracy.

“Also, I urge the Inspector General of Police to invite the State Commissioner of Police for questioning why his officers failed to arrest the political thugs who were moving freely with guns and other dangerous weapons,” he said.