Politics

SDP Knocks Buhari Over Comment On Ekiti Poll

Published

4 years ago

May 30, 2022

The Social Democratic Party, on Monday knocked the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for failing in his promise of ensuring a free and fair election in Nigeria.

The party said that the President must ensure a level-playing ground for parties during the Ekiti State governorship election.

The SDP also came hard on Buhari over his boast that the All Progressive Congress will win the forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti State, warning that it might affect the overall credibility of the entire electoral process.

The party’s National Chairman, Shehu Gaban, stated these in Abuja during the inauguration of the party’s National Convention Organising Committee ahead of its presidential primary election scheduled for June 8.

Other members of the committee included Dr. Olu Agunloye (Secretary); Ibrahim Modibo (Deputy Chairman); Dr. Umar Ardo, Nseobong Akpabio, Emmanuel Ojukwu, Saadatu Abdullahi, Maggie Batubo, Alkali Mohammed and Gift Wada.

Gaban said the committee headed by a former governor of Ekiti state and its governorship candidate, Chief Segun Oni, would organise a convention where delegates would elect its presidential candidate.

While responding to questions from journalists, he said the President has failed in his promise of leaving Nigerians with a legacy of free and fair elections.

He said, “I’m confident that what the President said is a distraction to the APC and not the SDP; the SDP will win Ekiti State. Buhari has no right to intervene in other states and who becomes the governor. The citizens of that state will determine who becomes the governor of the state.

“This same Buhari has said more than ten times that he wants to leave a legacy of free and fair elections; so far that legacy has not been displayed anywhere even within the APC. The crisis in the APC is because there’s a lack of transparency.

“For the President to make that remark, maybe it’s simply because we will not allow his party to rig in Ekiti State. So far, they are not close to where we are in Ekiti State.”

Gaban added that they have written to relevant authorities including Buhari to ensure a free and fair election in Ekiti State.

“We have written letters to Embassies in Nigeria, INEC, and the President and Commander in Chief that anything short of a transparent process will not be acceptable. And Ekiti will be a litmus test for this same President who talked about a legacy of free and fair elections.

“We have written a letter to him that he must ensure that there’s a free and fair election in Ekiti state. Because it is not about him; he doesn’t own Nigeria.”

Gabam said the SDP was guided by integrity, sagacity, and acumen in the choice of members of the committee, adding that the forthcoming convention would out-perform previous ones

Oni, in his acceptance remarks, said for Nigerians to have confidence in the democratic process, the political parties must practice internal democracy

He said the people of Ekiti are aware that the two major political parties are one and the same, adding that the SDP had been chosen as an alternative to them.

Oni said, “I am very confident that we will justify the expectation of the national working committee putting us together. We want to say that this country is ripe for things like this. We have seen democracy still tottering after so many years because the internal part of it, the core of it, we have not gotten it right yet.

“Yes, we can all shout democracy! democracy but in the real sense of it, how many parties practice democracy internally and this is where we are starting.

“We believe that the democracy that is taking to the marketplace must be groomed and consumed by us first before we take it out there and this is why this exercise is very important.

“It must be transparent and it must be flawless and we must give confidence to everybody, both members and non-members that this is indeed a new Nigeria,” Oni said.

Politics

Obasanjo, Atiku, Obi Meet In Abuja

Published

15 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Editor

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi met in Abuja on Saturday.

The trio were among prominent political figures who attended the Tambuwal Colloquium, titled “Leadership, Service and Statesmanship at 60,” held at the New Event Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, in honour of the 60th birthday of former Sokoto State Governor and Senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Atiku confirmed his presence at the event in a post on his X handle, stating that he had arrived at the venue for the colloquium organised to mark Tambuwal’s milestone birthday.

The former vice president also shared images of himself, Obasanjo and Obi at the event.

The event attracted political leaders, statesmen and stakeholders from across the country.

Politics

PANDEF Wades Into Rivers Crisis, Sets Up Seven-member Mediation Team

Published

20 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Editor

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has intervened in the political crisis in Rivers State, calling on all actors to sheathe their swords and embrace peace in the interest of the development of the state and the region in general.

Expressing concern that the political disagreement involving the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly might degenerate to total lawlessness, the Board and National Executive Committee of PANDEF set up a seven-member reconciliation team to resolve the issues.

The team, which is headed by a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, has six other members.

They are Senator Obende Domingo (Vice Chairman); Chief Essien Nduese; Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agari; Chief Mike Ejiofor; Mrs Nella Rabana-Andem, SAN; and Prince Godwin Okotie, the Deputy National Secretary of PANDEF, who will serve as the secretary of the team.

Politics

Wike: Why Removing Fubara Will Be Difficult – Ex-Commissioner

Published

2 days ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

A former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Austin Tam-George, has said that attempts to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara would be difficult to sustain, citing what he described as the governor’s performance record and the lack of concrete allegations against him.

Tam-George made the remarks on Thursday while speaking on Prime Time on Arise Television, arguing that the impeachment process being initiated against Fubara was to scuttle his chance for a second term.

According to him, Governor Fubara has continued to place the needs of the people at the centre of his administration, with visible interventions in rural development, housing, education and healthcare.

He said this, in his view, has made it difficult for opponents to justify moves to remove the governor from office.

Tam-George also called on the All Progressives Congress, APC, to intervene, arguing that the party should not allow what he described as the humiliation of a sitting governor.

He said: “Well, all I think he needs to do is to do exactly what he’s been doing from the beginning, which is to place the people at the center of gravity of his administration, prioritize the needs of the people, so that the people can see the direct impact of government action in their lives.

“And that’s exactly what he’s doing in terms of rural development, in terms of housing sector transformation, which I mentioned that he is doing the same in education sector and in health.

“So if he continues, if he persists in placing the people’s need at the center of focus of his administration, there is no way they are going to be able to justify this kind of shenanigans.

“Because, if you look very carefully at the so called articles of impeachment, you will see that there is no specificity in terms of any infraction by the governor or his deputy.

“What they are trying to do is to make sure they scuttle the administration so that the governor doesn’t then get to the point where he will be seeking a second term.

“Let me be clear, just two days ago, Nyesom Wike was at one of the local governments, and he made it clear in a moment of epiphany, he made it clear that, look, if Governor Fubara were to get a second term in office, it will amount to his own political burial.

“So all of these things that we are seeing the so called impeachment proceedings they’ve initiated, it’s actually an effort to try to scuttle the prospects of the governor coming for a second term, and I don’t see how they will succeed.

“If you look at the so called articles of impeachment, as I said, they lack specificity in terms of the kind of infraction that they allege that the governor has committed. He has done nothing wrong, and they will see how the process will play out.

“My sense, and in fact, if I were to advise the governor, my sense is that he should just maintain the people, retain the people at the center of gravity of his administration, meet their needs, run a transparent administration as he always done, and then the truth will come out, and he will be able to defend the administration.

“I think the the governing APC should also step in because they can’t possibly allow the governor of the office with probably one of the best performance records in the country to be humiliated by some of these members of the assembly.”