Politics

Supplementary Polls: Opposition Parties Rally To Seize Control Of NASS

Published

1 year ago

April 10, 2023

Editor

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Senatorial supplementary polls

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.”

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.
VANGUARD

Politics

Atiku Hints On Supporting Obi For 2027 Presidential Race

Published

12 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has said that if in 2027, the party decides that it is the South-East’s turn and selects Peter Obi as its candidate, he will readily offer his support.

“I have said repeatedly and I even said it before the 2023 general elections that if the PDP decides to zone the presidential ticket to the South or South-East specifically, I won’t contest it. As long as it’s the decision of the party, I will abide by it. But I contested the 2023 presidential ticket because it was thrown open to all members of the party.

“If the party decides that it’s the turn of the South-East and Peter Obi is chosen, I won’t hesitate to support him,” Atiku declared in a recent interview with BBC Hausa Service.

He added that a merger between the PDP and Labour Party is possible.

Atiku added that members of the party would decide his fate in the 2027 general elections.

The former Vice President mentioned that his recent meeting with Obi might indicate a possible alliance leading up to the 2027 general elections.

Responding to questions about the meeting with Obi, Atiku said, “It’s just a normal friendly meeting that we often have, particularly among us in the opposition parties. Such meetings are healthy for Nigeria’s democracy and in the country’s interest.”

On whether this will bring about a merger, he said, “Yes, it’s very much possible. We can merge to achieve a common goal. So, it’s possible, and nothing can stop it if we wish to achieve that.”

The former Vice President, who denied that the choice of presidential candidate might frustrate the merger discussion, said, “That’s not true. That challenge will not arise. I can tell you that the choice of who will fly the flag of the party won’t be an issue.”

On why he’s still in active politics, Atiku said, “Yes, we can’t keep quiet and watch things go wrong. People are suffering and we are committed to making Nigeria a better place.

“It means you are not tired of politics of Nigeria? Not at all. I am still in active politics in Nigeria, at least, as long as God permits.

“My age doesn’t stop the young ones from testing their fate. Everybody, irrespective of age, is allowed to aspire to be anybody in the society, politically or otherwise.”

Regarding his 2027 Presidential ambition, the former Vice President said “That would depend on the decision of my party. I can’t make any categorical statement on that. It’s the duty of the party to decide on the way to go in the next election.

“Until that time comes. Let’s just wait and see how it will turn out.

“It must not be interpreted like that. I must not be eyeing elections to have meetings with political friends and associates. Currently, we are practising democracy in this country which we fought for with our blood.”

Last week, Obi held a private meeting with Atiku and some other PDP leaders in Abuja.

Obi also met separately with former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and former Senate President Bukola Saraki, sparking speculation about a possible coalition for the 2027 general elections.

Obi was a PDP member until 2022, when he left to pursue his presidential ambitions with the Labour Party.

He finished third behind Atiku in the February 23 presidential election, which was won by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

Atiku blamed Obi’s departure from the PDP for his loss to Tinubu.

Analysts argued that Atiku’s 6,984,520 votes combined with Obi’s 6,101,533 votes could have secured a win against Tinubu, who received 8,794,726 votes.

Monday’s meeting marked the first public interaction between Obi and Atiku since the election.

Social media and online platforms were flooded with viral photos of Obi’s meetings with the three PDP figures on Monday.

In 2019, Atiku and Obi ran together on the PDP ticket but were defeated by former President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.

However, due to internal conflicts, Obi, who was Atiku’s running mate in 2019, left the PDP and ran as the Labour Party’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election.

Politics

JUST IN: Ex-PDP Deputy National Chair, Oyedokun Defects To APC

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Editor

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, has resigned his membership of the party and announced defection to the All Progressives Congress.

Oyedokun, a notable personality within the political circle in Osun State and beyond, said he decided to dump the PDP after consultation with his loyalists.

He said he would be joining APC, where his experience, efforts, and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.

His resignation letter addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP through the ward, local government and state chairmen of the party obtained late Thursday further read, “As a functional member and leader of PDP (Ward 13, Jagun/ Osi-Bale Ode, Odo-Otin South Local Government, Osun State,) whose high electoral productivity and value have been credibly and positively acknowledged in my ward, across the local council, state and country-wide for the enhancement of the fortune of the PDP, I have the honour (though with pain) in announcing the renunciation of my membership of the party on principle, having observed that the ideals of we, founding members, had been sorely contaminated.

“In taking this step which is not even without due consultation with my teaming loyalists in the PDP, I have consequently decided to shift my allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC) where I believe my experience, efforts and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.”

Oyedokun’s defection to the APC is coming at the time the aspirant he supported during the 2022 Osun governorship primary of PDP, Mr Dotun Babayemi is also moving to the national ruling party.

Osun APC said on Wednesday that Babayemi and his supporters would be dumping PDP and joining the party at a rally scheduled to be held in Osogbo on Friday.
PUNCH

Politics

Poll: APC Has No Sellable Candidate, Nothing To Campaign On – Edo Govt

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

The Edo State Government claimed on Monday that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has no credible candidate for the September 21 governorship election.

This was an assertion made by the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, at a press conference in Benin City.

Nehikhare also alleged that the party is using lies and propaganda as its campaign strategy.

According to him: “The only APC strategy for the governorship election is to resort to lies and propaganda. When a party takes lies and propaganda as an election strategy, it means it has nothing to offer the people. The party lacks people with character, capacity, and intellect.”

The commissioner who took journalists through a screened shot WhatsApp chat said: “What we have here is the official APC WhatsApp platform, their own people screenshot their discussion. One of them who has a conscience asks, is this the only thing we have?”

Nehikhare, who said APC is ashamed to campaign for its candidate, noted that, as of today, nobody had heard of what the party has for the state.

“All we heard is how they are going to help their paymaster, lies and propaganda that will not help the state,” he added.

He opined that lies and propaganda are not strategies the opposition party, like APC, can use to win the September 21 governorship election.

The commissioner, who warned against misinformation and fake news ahead of the governorship election, urged media practitioners to be neutral in matters concerning lies and propaganda.

He, however, noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration has a lot of achievements to market and sell its candidate for the election.