Politics

Tinubu, Atiku, Obi, Others Face Nigerians In Debate

Published

3 years ago

September 30, 2022

The United Nations Development Programme, human rights organisation, Yiaga Africa and Channels Television have launched a televised programme series designed to provide a public platform for citizens to conduct political debates and focused dialogues to promote electoral awareness for the 2023 general election.

Among those to feature in the series included the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party; Peter Obi of the Labour Party; Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress.

The television series would comprise citizen dialogues with youth, election experts, development experts, and other influential voices.

A statement issued on Thursday by the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said the series were aimed at increasing electoral awareness and kindling engagement on social, economic, and development-related topics for Nigeria to consider in the 2023 polls and beyond.

According to him, there would be debates and town halls with aspiring presidential candidates and political party leaders to highlight and discuss their strategies and party manifestos.

According to data from the Independent National Electoral Commission, 71 per cent of the 11 million new voters registered in the last registration exercise were youths between the ages of 18 and 35

Itodo said that would make the youth a critical target demographic to engage with ahead of the election to reduce political apathy, improve voter turnout and rebuild trust in the electoral process.

He said key focus would be youth empowerment and women’s empowerment as they relate to other critical development issues in Nigeria, such as inclusive economic growth, peace and security, and climate change.

Yiaga Africa said the debates would be informed by current challenges and opportunities while being guided by questions and topics raised by the Nigerian youth.

“Providing citizens with the information required to make informed choices and giving them a platform to market their ideas, will alternatively have inspire them to turn out and vote”, Itodo said.

The television series would create opportunities for engaging in a two-way dialogue between citizens and relevant stakeholders to increase citizens’ participation in the electoral process, rather than the traditional one-way communication of information delivery on election processes. This will be critical in reversing the decline in voter turnout which is mainly attributed to voter apathy and a dearth of information on the political and electoral processes in the country.

The UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Mohamed Yahya, said, “This series is about highlighting the key issues confronting Nigerians with the upcoming general elections. The electorate needs to be fully informed on the process and be able to voice their concerns. By being active participants in the electoral process, they can hold their intended representatives accountable to deliver on their promises.”

The chairman/CEO of the Channels Media Group, John Momoh, said, “We are pleased as always to be the medium through which citizens of the country would engage with political office seekers and by so doing play a role in deepening the electoral process in Nigeria.”

Related Topics:#Tinubu Atiku Channels TV Peter Obi Yiega Africa

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Politics

Dino Melaye Reacts To Malami’s Arraignment For Money Laundering

Published

3 days ago

December 30, 2025

Editor

Ex-Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, has reacted to the arraignment of a former Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Abubakar Malami, before an Abuja Federal High Court.

Melaye wished Malami well as he began his trial for corruption.

Posting on X, the former lawmaker recalled how he was prosecuted by Malami over what he described as frivolous cases while he was the AGF.

He wrote: “Reminded me of how I was appearing in different courts when Malami as AGF was prosecuting me over frivolous cases including taking over one of the police cases against me. Wish him.well.”

Malami, his son Abdulaziz, and another individual are facing a 16-count charge of money laundering.

They were arraigned on allegations of unlawful acquisition and concealment of funds.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Politics

What PDP Said About Wike’s Media Parley

Published

4 days ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, of being a constant agent of provocation in the political space, alleging that he creates trouble to mask selfish intentions.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, stated this in a statement issued on Monday in response to Wike’s media parley with selected journalists in Port Harcourt, also held on Monday.

According to the PDP, remarks made by the minister on several occasions are proof that he falls short of being a locus classicus of anti-democratic adventurism.

The party said Wike’s conduct was not new, stressing that he has consistently acted as an agent provocateur in the political arena, stirring controversy to advance personal interests.

The PDP further stated that since Wike assumed office as Governor of Rivers State in 2015, he has remained a recurrent source of trouble within the party’s leadership.

“From the Sheriff era, where he was a forerunner in the Sheriff-for-National Chairman movement and later turned to fight and remove Sheriff; later he championed the Uche Secondus-for-National Chairman movement (in fact, he granted a very combustible interview that polarized the party just before the convention) and then was the same person fighting to remove Secondus.

“The same Wike led the movement to produce Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman against the advice of many party leaders, and so soon thereafter, it was Wike again who led the Ayu-must-go struggle.

“By his end-of-year media chat, Minister Nyesom Wike has reiterated his support for, and in fact declared that he is the ‘number one supporter’ of the presumptive candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 Presidential election, while remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, confirming the basis of his expulsion from the PDP, for anti-party activities,” the statement said.

Politics

JUST IN: INEC Excludes PDP From Ekiti Governorship Election

Published

4 days ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the 2026 Ekiti governorship election, Dr Wole Oluyede, and his deputy were conspicuously absent as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, released the provisional list of party candidates ahead of the election.

INEC on Monday posted the list of candidates from 12 political parties vying for the state’s top job at its office on New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The list shows that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is fielding the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, with Monisade Afuye as his running mate.

Other candidates include Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party, with Omoyemi Olaleye as deputy; Akande Oluwasegun of the African Action Congress, paired with Oluwasanmi Fajuyigbe; and Ayodeji Ojo of the Action Democratic Party, with Itunu Ibitoye as running mate.

Similarly, the African Democratic Congress is presenting Oluwadare Bejide and Paul Olowoyeye, while the Action Peoples Party has Bidemi Awogbemi and Akinyemi Adewumi on its ticket.

The PDP’s absence may not be unconnected with the leadership crisis currently rocking the party at the national level.