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Supplementary Polls: Opposition Parties Rally To Seize Control Of NASS

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Five days before the April 15 supplementary polls, opposition parties and candidates, weekend, intensified moves to get the upper hand in the elections and whittle down the strength of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 10th National Assembly.

There will be supplementary balloting for two governorship, five senatorial, 31 House of Representatives and 57 state constituencies’ seats.

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The APC had the upper hand in the results of the February 25 Presidential/National Assembly and March 18 governorship/state assembly polls, winning the presidency, 15 governorship, 57 Senate, 162 House of Representatives and over 440 state assembly seats.

The PDP has nine governorship seats while the Labour Party, LP, and New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, have one each.

The scores for the other parties in the Senate are PDP-33, LP-8, NNPP-2, Social Democratic Party (SDP)- 2; All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)-1 and Young Progressives Party (YPP)-1.

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In the House of Representatives, it is PDP-105, LP-34, NNPP-18, APGA-4, SDP-2, African Democratic Congress (ADC)-2 and YPP-1.

READ ALSO: 10th NASS Leadership: Why Akpabio May Drop Senate Presidency Ambition

As it is, the ruling party has the clear majority to produce the President and Deputy President of the Senate. With 162 House of Representatives members-elect, APC also has the majority in the Lower Chamber of the National Assembly but may face the difficult task of producing the speaker and deputy speaker of its choice without the backing of the opposition parties. This is one of the reasons there is an intense battle for the 31 outstanding slots.

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With APC yet to zone positions, there is a rat race of sorts among various aspirants from the six geo-political zones, fueling speculations that the ruling party may have a re-hash of the 2015 scenario on its hands.

Most of the 31 Reps slots are in opposition parties-dominated constituencies.

The supplementary elections for the House of Representatives will be held for 31 constituencies in 15 states. They are Akwa Ibom (2), Anambra (1), Bayelsa (1), Edo (1), Imo (1), Kano (2), Kebbi (2), Kogi (1), Oyo (2), Rivers (2), Sokoto (11), Taraba (1), Zamfara (2), Jigawa (1) and Ebonyi state (1).

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READ ALSO: Delta Man Arrested After Teenage Friend Dies Of Tramadol Overdose In Apartment

Senatorial supplementary polls

The Senatorial elections will be held in the North-western states of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara.

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In Sokoto, supplementary elections are to hold for all three senatorial seats –Sokoto North, Sokoto East and Sokoto South– where elections were earlier declared inconclusive. Elections will be held in 389 polling units across all the 23 LGAs of the state. Altogether, there are 227,743 eligible voters to participate in the election.

In Kebbi and Zamfara, the election will hold in one senatorial district each –Kebbi North and Zamfara Central. While the election will be holding in 23 PUs in the Kebbi North senatorial elections, voters in 83 PUs will be voting for the Zamfara Central senatorial election. They have 13,243 and 47,277 eligible voters, respectively.

Looming 2015 scenario

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As gathered, the APC does not want a repeat of the 2015 scenario when its favoured candidates did not win the Senate Presidency and speakership.

In 2015, outgoing Senate President, Ahmad Lawan was the favoured candidate of the APC for the position of Senate President, and with a majority in the Senate; he was expected to carry the day.

READ ALSO: Avoid Social-class Pressures That Encourages Negative Behaviour, Varsity Don Advises

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However, that was not to be. On June 8, 2015, the day the formal election for Senate President was to be held, while the majority of APC senators, about 50, were waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari, who had invited them to a meeting with him at the International Conference Centre, Senator Bukola Saraki and other senators of the APC moved into the National Assembly Complex for the election of principal officers. 57 Senators loyal to Saraki, most of them PDP members, unanimously elected him after he was nominated by Senators Dino Melaye and Sani Ahmad Yerima and that was how Lawan lost out but he would later serve in the leadership of the Senate.

In the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara emerged as a speaker ahead of the anointed Femi Gbajabiamila.

Last week, APC governors said they would back the party’s choice for the positions. It will be seen if the governors’ move would yield dividends.

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We’ll check APC —Opposition members-elect

The members-elect of the House of Representatives from opposition political parties under the umbrella of a minority caucus has vowed to forge a common front to protect their interests.

Describing themselves as the “greater majority” in the incoming House, the caucus also assured it would checkmate the ruling party and deepen democracy.

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Speaking at an inaugural meeting in Abuja, a co-convener, Mr Agbedi Yeitiemone Frederick from Bayelsa State, said that the meeting was to enable them to familiarize themselves with one another and form a united front to deepen opposition politics in the 10th House.

READ ALSO: FEC Approves N392.786bn For Ministry Of Works, Customs Others

He said: “It is with great honour that I welcome you all on behalf of the co-conveners and other leaders on this auspicious occasion of the inaugural meeting of the minority caucuses that I refer to as the “Greater Majority” of the expected 10th Assembly of the House of Representatives.

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“This session is to enable us to network, interact and familiarize ourselves as people that the results of the 2023 General Election have thrown up as a new phase, having numbers that give us greater strength to deepen opposition politics and democracy. Therefore, we need to realize such and bond for the interest of our parties and the people we are here to represent.”

Also speaking, a former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations and a member of NNPP, Mr Abdulmumin Jibrin, said the opposition parties must checkmate the activities of the ruling party.

He said: “We understand that for us to be able to put through our collective interest, for us to be able to protect our ideals as minority parties that fundamentally serve as a check to the ruling party and to be able to contribute to nation-building, we must come together. If we do not put ourselves together, we will not be able to marshal through our interests.”

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In like manner, Mrs Beni Lar from Plateau State (PDP) said with their number, they can achieve a common goal.

“All of us put together are now the majority and a greater majority. This is something that many parliaments around the world seek to achieve but cannot achieve. I believe that with our numbers, strength and with our doggedness, we can achieve our common goal and purpose,” she said.
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El-Rufai Hits Back At ONSA, Kaduna, Insists Agencies Paying Bandits

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Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Monday rebutted the statements from the Office of the National Security Adviser and Kaduna State Government that accused him of politicising national security.

He maintained his previous accusation that the agencies turn security into a political tool and are complicit in payments to bandits.

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In a lengthy response posted on his social media accounts, El-Rufai said the ONSA and Kaduna government were deflecting from the “core issues” he raised in a Channels Television interview.

He levelled fresh allegations that state actors have been involved in “greasing the palms” of non-state armed groups in Kaduna and neighbouring states.

The statement read, “As usual, the combined voices of the Government of Kaduna State (KDSG) and ONSA, instead of responding to the core issues I raised, seek to deflect responsibility by alleging that exposing them amounts to politicising security.

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READ ALSO:Father, Son, 72-year-old Arrested For Defiling Minors

As a person whose three siblings served in the Nigerian Army and the Air Force, with one of them rising to the rank of general, I will also continue to appreciate the immense work that continues to be done by gallant officers of the military and security agencies.

“It is a well-known fact to discerning Nigerians that the face of the politicisation of national security for politically intended purposes resides, for the first time in our recent history, in the ONSA under its present leadership.

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“If the ONSA thinks Nigerians are not following its unclear and incompetent management of terrorism and banditry in Northern Nigeria and beyond, in collaboration with a certain senator, also from the North, then it is high time it carried out an in-depth evaluation and review of its actions.”

El-Rufai asked a string of pointed questions, urging authorities to explain what he described as the mechanics of alleged payments to bandits: who delivers the money, how much is handed over, and whether middlemen skim funds before delivery.

He also challenged officials to account for recent purchases of prime real estate in Abuja, which he suggested could be linked to illicit flows.

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READ ALSO:How Atiku, El-Rufai, Amaechi Can Learn From Tinubu’s School Of Politics

This charade by ONSA is being done gleefully at a steep cost to the finances of the country and the ethical fabric of our society.

“The constitutional, legal and patriotic duty the government owes to security is to better support our military and security agencies with more resources like personnel, equipment and technology, rather than further endangering the country by mollycoddling bandits.

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“What exactly constitutes ‘negotiations with bandits’? Why is non-kinetic approach to addressing banditry and criminality equal to withdrawals of huge amounts of money from state treasuries and handing them over to bandits and terrorists?

“Which officials and their intermediaries deliver this money, and how much personal withholding tax do they apply before delivery of the funds? Who are the most prolific purchasers of prime real estate in Abuja in the last two years, and what is the source of their newfound wealth?

“These are questions many discerning citizens are demanding answers to, while officials of ONSA and KDSG are focusing on protocol, propaganda and international junkets!”

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El-Rufai further questioned the effectiveness of recent negotiations with bandits, saying attacks resumed after talks.

READ ALSO:Keyamo Warns PDP Against Fielding Jonathan, Obi In 2027

After the much-publicised negotiations with bandits in Birnin Gwari… did the bandits not kill five citizens in the same Birnin Gwari LGA last month?” he asked, also listing other local government areas where kidnappings and killings allegedly continued.

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He criticised what he described as ONSA’s public displays, including the parade of “rescued victims” and the attendance of senior security officers at political events in Kaduna, as examples of politicised security messaging.

The former governor, who led Kaduna for eight years, reiterated his respect for the military and security agencies and recalled working with numerous service chiefs during his tenure.

Our appreciation for the sacrifices made by our military and security officers is deep. That is why we speak out about those saddled with immense responsibility two years ago who seem to view security management as a persistent exercise in propaganda,” he continued.

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El-Rufai also accused the Kaduna State Government of sponsoring or enabling violence against political opponents, pointing to last weekend’s disruption of an African Democratic Congress meeting in Kaduna as evidence.

He concluded by urging ONSA and Kaduna authorities to focus on solving insecurity rather than “muzzling” dissent.

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2027: Jonathan’s Cousin Tackles Keyamo Over Ex-president Not Qualified Comment

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A cousin of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Robert Azibaola, has criticised the Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo and human-rights scholar Prof. Chidi Odinkalu for opposing the speculation that Jonathan may run in the 2027 presidential poll.

Robert said this in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Monday.

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Keyamo had warned the Peoples Democratic Party against handing its ticket to Jonathan, arguing that his return bid would face legal obstacles since he had already been sworn in twice as president.

READ ALSO:APC Mocks Jonathan As ADC Woos Him For 2027 Race

However, Robert said Jonathan did not welcome “unsolicited legal advice” and insisted the former president is “100% constitutionally and legally qualified to contest, if he chooses to.”

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The statement read, “Dear Festus Keyamo (SAN), Chidi Odinkalu (Prof), I greet both of you. For the record, three of us are lawyers. We were all pro-democracy activists in the ’90s, and I was a better activist than both of you combined.

“Rule No. 1: Do not offer legal advice where none is solicited. GEJ (PDP) has numerous, more cerebral, more experienced SANs at his disposal who give him sound, unblemished professional legal advice.

READ ALSO:Keyamo Warns PDP Against Fielding Jonathan, Obi In 2027

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“Please note: GEJ is 100% constitutionally and legally qualified to contest, if he chooses to. If he decides not to yield to the overwhelming calls to run, it will not be because he is unqualified.

“Your unsolicited legal view is not of any concern to him and will never be. Don’t waste your precious time dwelling on this. Or should I schedule a meeting so you can be properly educated on the subsisting court judgments on the matter—one of which your party, APC, was a party to?”

Robert added, “This is not a confirmation that GEJ is running, though.”

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While Jonathan has not formally declared a 2027 presidential run, his rumoured return has already fuelled debate in political circles.

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Wike Meets PDP Secretary, Others In Abuja

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Members of the Peoples Democratic Party loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, are currently meeting with the minister at his official residence in Abuja.

The meeting, which began at 8.40pm, has entered a closed-door session.

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Among the top-ranking members of the party present are the National Secretary of the PDP, Sam Anyanwu; National Vice Chairman (South-South), Dan Orbih; and former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom.

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Others include former Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; former Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and former Senator representing Rivers East, George Sekibo, along with other zonal and state party chairmen.

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More details later…

 

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