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Gov’ship Polls: APC, NNPP In Fight To Finish In Kano

Published

1 week ago

March 17, 2023

In Kano State, the battle for the governorship seat is between the ruling party, All Progressive Congress, APC, and the fast-growing opposition party, New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP. No doubt, it will be a fight to finish as it is going to be a replay of the 2019 election between Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s of APC, and Sen. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso’s of NNPP formerly of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Similarly, at that time, the PDP Guber candidate and now flag bearer of the NNPP, Abba Kabir Yusuf, contested against the sitting Governor, Ganduje, who was seeking his second term bid, but this time around against Ganduje’s anointed candidate and incumbent Deputy Governor, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna.

What will work for NNPP?

I want successive govts to sustain my anti-corruption war – Buhari
1) Presidential/NASS polls outcome factor:

The 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections results may affect the governorship and state assembly polls because Kano State was the only state won by the NNPP’s Kwankwaso in the Presidential election and the NNPP’s tsunami also swept 2 of 3 Senate seats and 18 out of 24 House of Representatives seats in the state.

Although, that may not be the case going by the 2019 experience where the APC’s Muhammadu Buhari won the Presidential election in the state with a wide margin against the PDP’s Atiku Abubakar but the governorship ran into an inconclusive election where the incumbent was giving fight for his money before he was returned for his second term.

2) Empowerment and Scholarship

The Scholarship scheme by Kwankwaso is a plus that will work for the NNPP.
Youth and Women empowerment is also a plus to NNPP.

3) Revoke of alleged misused, carve out lands by serving Governor

This will work for the NNPP as it is believed by many (traders and residents) that it is the party that can revoke all alleged misused, and carve out of lands (schools, markets, and Eid praying ground) allocated by the serving governor.

What will work against NNPP?

1) Rumour of alleged plan to reverse newly created emirate

It is rumoured that if the NNPP clinch power they will return the state to one emirate and reverse the newly created additional five Emirates, although, the NNPP has often at any given time denied this.

What will work against APC?

1) Anointment / Preferred candidates

The fact that Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje anointed his Deputy, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna as his successor almost tore apart the party before peace was later attained. The current running mate of Gawuna, Murtala Sule Garo (Ganduje’s former Commissioner of Local Government) wanted the party’s flag bearer but after a lot of pacifying let go of the ambition.

The former speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Alhassan Rurum couldn’t withstand the decision and so defected from the party while the House of Representatives member representing Kano Municipal Federal Constituency, Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada, challenged the decision by contesting against the governor’s anointed candidate in the party primaries. He later defected from the party and picked the Action Democratic Party, ADP Gubernatorial ticket for the election.

It was also the same scenario for other positions, which made some party to defect to other parties to pursue their political ambition.

2) Clamour for power to move to Kano South

There was clamour by some quarters in Kano South Senatorial district for power to shift to the zone on the ground that the zone has not produced a governor nor deputy governor since the return to democracy and that it couldn’t see the light of the day with the Governor’s anointment of his Deputy and forced some of the party Chieftain, particularly from the zone to switch their loyalty to Kwankwaso’s NNPP.

3) Gale of Defection

Some bigwigs in the party who defected due to the aforementioned or other grievances include, Sen. Ibrahim Shekarau, Ganduje’s Chief of Staff, Ali Makoda, Abdulmumini Jibrin Kofa, Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, Alhassan Rurum, Abdulkadir Tijjani Jobe, Muhyi Rimingado, Nura Dankadai, Nazifi Suleiman Sani Mainagge among others.

4) Pensioners and gratuity

The deduction of Pensioners’ pensions and non-payment of gratuity is something that will work against the APC.

What will work for APC?

1) Power of incumbency

The fact that APC is the incumbent, make them enjoy the power of incumbency and the state resources at their disposal.

2) LG structure factor

With Gawuna as a former Chairman of Nassarawa LGA in the state and his running mate, Murtala Sule Garo as former ALGON Chairman and Commissioner of Local Government, makes them stand a better chance in terms of owning and controlling the existing Local Government structure to a large extent, although they couldn’t play any role in the Presidential election.

3) Gawuna’s maturity appeal to Kano elites

The maturity displayed by Gawuna made him humble and appealing to the elites in the state. Similarly, his words during campaigns that he believes in predestination are another factor that proved to the elites an element of maturity in him.

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INEC Clears Air On Attack On Mahmood Yakubu’s Purported Home

Published

32 mins ago

March 25, 2023

Editor

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has denied that a property that was attacked in Bauchi State belongs to its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

The commission made this known in a statement signed by Yakubu’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, on Saturday.

Oyekanmi insisted that his principal does not own any property and the rumours are part of a desperate smear campaign.

The statement read: “The property being purportedly attacked by some youths in a video clip circulating on the social media does not belong to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

“The INEC Chairman does not own the property in question in either Bauchi or anywhere else around the world.

“This narrative is indeed the latest in the series of desperate smear campaign efforts by mischief makers. The public should disregard it.”

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51,828 Boko Haram Fighters Surrender Within One and Half Years – Gen. Irabor

Published

5 hours ago

March 25, 2023

Editor

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, has disclosed that no fewer than 51,828 Boko Haram fighters and their family members surrendered to the Federal Government between July 2021 and May 2022.

Gen. Irabor disclosed this while delivering a lecture titled “National Defence Policy and Transitional Justice Approach in the War Against Insurgency in Nigerin”, at the 7th Founders’ Day of the Edo state University, Uzairue.

According to him, “between July 2021 to May 2022 alone, no fewer that 51,828 Boko haram and their family members have surrendered, out of which 13,360 are fighters”.

He further disclosed that 1,543 repentant terrorists so far graduated from Mallam Sidi camp, in Gombe State between 2016 and 2022, while 1,935 have been released from the camp in Bulumkutu, Maiduguri.

He said Operation Safe Corridor as a transitional justice approach was created similar to the Niger Delta Amnesty programme launched by the Federal Government in 2009 which involved the setting up of special facilities where repentant terrorists who surrendered their arms can be rehabilitated.

“The programme offers numerous opportunities and participants are scheduled for vocational training to ease their reintegration into the society”, he emphasized.

Gen. Irabor, however, said despite the modest successes recorded by operation safe corridor in the fight against crime, the programme still faces a lot of challenges.

He listed some of challenges ro include the lack of specialised training experts and inadequate physical structure, inadequate collaboration and coordination, absence of appropriate legislation on reintegration, low agency and international participation as well as ineffective monitoring system.

He, however, identified the way forward to include “train-the-trainers programme and establishment of special fund for Deradicalisation, Reintegration and Reorientation (DRR), establishment of a national commission for DRR, enacting of a DRR Act, building of strategic partnerships and adoption of a whole-of-society approach to monitoring,” he said.

He further said in any counter insurgency, transitional justice plays a key role in healing wounds such as Nigerian Civil War and the Niger Delta crisis, adding that Operation Safe Corridor has achieved some degree of successes which could be built upon.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Emmanuel Aluyor, commended the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, RT. Hon. Com. Philip Shaibu for their continuous support for the university and for creating enabling environment for the university to strive.

Prof. Aluyor said that the lectures over the years have gradually shaped the outlook of the founder’s day ceremony where important issues on how Nigeria can be harness into a country of our collective dreams are delivered.

According to him, “Edo State University Uzairue since inception has been committed to pursuit of world class goals in teaching, learning and research which is why we are proud of our products”.

He further stated that some of the lecturers and researchers are listed among the first 500 researchers in Nigeria, while the nursing and medical laboratory students recorded 100% successes in their Council’s exams.

The VC particularly thanked the governor for the upgrade of the general hospital Auch to Edo State University Uzairue teaching hospital which he said contributed to the full acresitation of the MBBS programme of the university by the medical and dental council of Nigeria.

“We are not resting in taking the university to a greater hieght as we planned to open up new programmes such as Pharmacy and post graduate programmes in other areas to compliment what we already have on ground” he concluded.

On his part, Edo State governor and the visitor to the university, Mr Godwin Obaseki represented by Hon. Inusa Imhonopi commended the management of the university for the successful hosting of this year’s founder’s day.

He said that the present administration is consistent in chatting a progressive course for the university as the government is doing its best while the management is also doing its best and urged them to see that the university remain on top.

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How Bishop Oyedepo Treated Me When I Was Attacked By Assassins – Apostle Suleman

Published

8 hours ago

March 25, 2023

Editor

Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries has recounted the love treatment he received from the president and founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, when suspected assassins attacked him.

Recall that on October 21, 2022, gunmen suspected to be assassins attacked Suleman’s motorcade, killing at least seven persons including security officers.

It was reported that the man of God escaped death because of his bulletproof car.

Speaking during a church service on how some ministers of God treated him during the trying moment, Suleman said Oyedepo’s love was exceptional.

According to him, some men of God who were expected to sympathise with him over the incident never called.

He said Bishop Oyedepo called several times and prayed for him against further attacks.

He said: “The love I saw from Bishop Oyedepo when I was attacked, I didn’t see from any minister in Nigeria. He didn’t have my phone number, he sent me his phone number. He said that they should give it to me.

“People were calling me. Bishop Abioye was calling me. I know Bishop Abioye’s number. And he (Oyedepo) began to pray for me.

“The next day, he called me again. Such a man! Who am I? He said, ‘they will not succeed, they can’t quench that light’! Tears came out of my eyes.”