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Electoral Act: Senators Melaye, Kadiri ask NASS to disregard, ignore Buhari

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Two former senators from Kogi State, Dino Melaye and senator Alex Kadiri have asked the National Assembly to ignore President Muhammadu Buhari over his new battle cry on the already signed electoral act.


Melaye represented Kogi West in the 8th senate and briefly in the 9th Senate while Kadiri represented Kogi East from 1999 to 2003.

Senator melaye asked the national Assembly to disregard the president on his suggedtions

“My take is that the National assembly should disregard the suggestion of the president. If after they have amended the act to sooth the Presideny and they do it the second time again that means the national Aseembly has confirmed itself as a department of the presidency. 
Senator Kadiri on his part said the lawmakers should ignore President Buhari and continue their work.

“I think he has signed what they wanted, they should just ignore him and continue with what they are doing.,”

Section 84(12) which spoke to the non eligibility of a political Appointee as a Voting Delegate or Aspirant may not have gone down well with the president 

The section of the legislation directly affect some members of his cabinet, especially those that could play crucial roles during the APC national convention

Section 84(12) of the act states that No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.

While raising the red flag on the section the President said, “This provision has introduced qualification and disqualification criteria that ultra vires the Constitution by way of importing blanket restriction and disqualification to serving political office holders of which they are constitutionally accorded protection.”

The President noted that it would amount to “stretching things beyond the constitutional limit to import extraneous restriction into the constitution on account of practical application of section 84(12) of the bill, where political parties’ conventions and congresses were to hold earlier than 30 days to the election.”

However, senator Melaye said, “There is nothing wrong with the section and the President is not supposed to raise any red flag because ministers and political appointees are not elected. 

“All the delegates to convention and congresses are elected, local government delegates are elected, chairmen of local Government are elected, party officials are elected, National Assembly members who go to the convention and congresses are elected.

On the other hand he said, “Ministers and political appointees are not elected and this is a democratic space so the national assembly did the right thing by excusing ministers and political appointees from participating in primaries and conventions and so there is nothing wrong with it and it will not be democratic to bring people who are not democratic to come and participate in a democratic process. 

“If these ministers and political appointees want to be delegates to either convention or congresses or primaries then they should go and participate in the democratic process that will throw up the delegates at their various grassroots. 

“Some of them cannot win election to be counsellors and they want to be delegates to primaries, conventions and congresses. If they want to participate they should ho back and become local Government delegates to all elections and not just expecting manners to fall from heaven. 

“The days of mannas falling from heaven is the old testament but the new testament said he that refused to labour should not eat”

“If the national Assembly carry out this second amendment recommended by the president after doing the first one to sooth him, then the National Assembly must have have confirmed that it is an appendage of the Presidential Villa and not an independent arm of Government.

He expressed the confidence that the electoral act will definitely enhance the electoral process as it will increase transparency, give credibility to the process.

On whether the 2023 election will go with out hitches based on the electoral act in terms of the faulty BVAS machines as experienced during the FCT LG election he said having conducted the election in Anambra State and the FCT council polls it is enough ground for.them to correct the anomalies and then bridge the gap before the 2023 election. 

“They now know where the technical hitches are, where the problems are and I expect that it should be perfected before the 2023 election. But definitely BVAS is giving credibility to entire process.

On whether he believes that the electoral act will go a long way to making 2023 to be free and fair without hitches he said it will minimize the process if we have the commitment if (INEC ) will sharpen the process definitely it will enhance the process especially the electronic transmission of results

Continuing senator Kadiri said the electoral act is an improvement on what the country had before. 

“I will only urge the security agencies and the thugs to allow Nigerians decide who to be their governors, chairmen, their president and chairman. 

“Because I am an active participant in the electoral process and I know what I am talking about. Beautiful law, signed act, very good but will those in power allow the context of this law signed to be put into effect for the good of the people?

“An appointee can not be a delegate, it is absurd that I will Governor of a State, I appoint 20 commissioners, 30 advisers, 30 special assistants and during an election they will come and vote, they have no mandate except the mandate of the man who appointed them. 

“He can not be allowed or be permitted to multiply himself. If the president for example allows all his political appointees, the president has over 500 political appointees any election they participate in they are likely to determine who wins. That is not democracy.”

On what, he wants National assembly to do he said he thinks he has signed what they wanted, they should just ignore him and continue with what they are doing.

On whether he thinks that the National Assembly will have the courage to ignore him he said, “We should wait and see, there are some of us who are not in the national Assembly but we talk to them on regular basis. The institution of the national assembly is being tested. 

“Those of us who have been there before and those who are there now, we are of equal stakes in the integrity of the national assembly. It is my prayer that after our individual intervention they will just allow sleeping dogs to lie. 

“The president’s or the Governor’s or the chairman’s appointees can not be delegates to any elective office, it is wrong.”

According to him, any bill or any law can be effective for any election provided those in authority allow the context of the law to supersede their individual interests.

“This act that has been signed in to law will improve our electoral fortunes in this country provided those in power allow the election to be free and fair but when the police and thugs and military are used to circumvent the process, whereby making the will of the people useless, is a tragedy, that is what has been happening. 

“I have watched elections in this country, I have watch my party snatched ballot boxes in election we did not win. 

“Nigerians dont care about positive legacies but I hope Buhari at his advanced age like me would want a positive legacy to be attached to his name. 

“That positive legacy should be one that would make people to pray and wish that Buhari were around. He should not dabble into anything orchestrated by his inner circles they are not elected human beings, they are just friends and appointees, he should listen to those of us who conducted elections to bring him to power. 

“We are happy with this electoral law that has been signed, we are happy if it should be implemented, we are not happy if the canals surrounding Buhari, whether friends or relations and appointees try to change the will of the people.”

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Obi did received N850m from Abure, Tanko clarifies

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***describes claim as malicious

The Obi – Datti Chief Spokesman, Dr Yunusa Tanko has clarriffied insinuation by one Mr Calistus Okafofor that the National Chairman of Labour Party Barrester Julius Abure, gave the Presidential Candidate of the party, Peter Obi eight hundred and fifty million Naira, (N850million) to prosecute the 2023 election.

Dr Tanko while debunking the clai said Obi did not collect any funds from the party describing the claim as false, adding that the reverse is the case.

He noted that it was Obi who actually gave money to the party severally.
He challenged Okafor to produce evidence, if actually the chairman told him that he gave Obi money for the purpose of campaign during the election.

“His Exellency has been exemplary in his financial conduct in both his private and public life.

“infact he always matain and always demand for Accountability and Transparency from anybody around
him.

He maintaned that anybody around him should not collect any money from anyone that he or she can not account for.

Dr Tanko declared that he was in the forefront of the campaign and privy to most of the expenses during the campaign and to the best of his knowledge, the party never provided any money directly to Obi to support his campaign rallies across the country.

The Campaign spokesman further stressed that Obi and his supporters were quite aware of all the campaign of calumny being orchestrated of recent from various quarters against the LP leader just to paint him in bad faith by those scared of his rising acceptance by the Nigerian people.

“We are aware that people are already scheming for 2027 and it is unfortunate that certain individuals have chosen to divert attention from the high rate of insecurity and poverty that are currently threatening the very existence of our nation by constantly attacking the personality of Peter Obi.

“Those are the enemy of Nigeria and Nigerians but l know that God will disappoint them and rescue our country from their grips whether they believe it or not’.

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Ondo 2024: Over 250 political structures join forces with Omoluabi Coalition Group

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Some political groups and structures of governorship aspirants in Ondo State numbering over 250 have joined forces with the Omoluabi Coalition Group ahead of November Governorship elections in Ondo State.
This took place on Monday 27th of May 2024 at an expanded Exco’ meeting held in Ore, where the President of the Yoruba Council- YCW; the apex umbrella body for all Yoruba socio cultural groups Aare Barr. Oladotun Hassan received the groups executives from all the 18 local governments across the sunshine state.

Aare Hassan in his welcome address admonished them to remain steadfast, and always imbibe Omoluabi ethos in their conducts.
He stressed the need for the remaining political structures in the state to join forces with Omoluabi Coalition to decide who will govern the State for the next four years, as this governorship election “is not about political party but the candidates”.

The DG Omoluabi Coalition Group Tunji Balogun emphasized the importance of voters card, as he urged those yet to collect theirs to go to INEC offices in their respective local governments for collections.

He said the groups’ target across the state is 200,000 votes. whereas the compilation of registered voters cards at the moment is still 124,678 which is far below target.
He therefore mandated the new members to register their voters cards on the group’s portal for proper documentation.

The woman leader, Yeye Atunluse Oodua Alhaja Tawakalitu while welcoming the new affiliated groups explained that Omoluabi Coalition Group is an independent apolitical and sociocultural group in Yoruba land committed to good governance, aimed at strengthening the democratic process.
She also gave her admonition and assurances that come November governorship election in Ondo state, the choice of Omoluabi Coalition would emerged as governor.

Other speakers included the youth leaders, and state commanders who also corroborated the statements earlier made by the group leaders.

In his closing remarks, the DG Omoluabi coalition advised all members to remain focused and loyal, stressing that the leaders are in consultation with leaders of thought and stakeholders in the State with assurances that “we shall come up with the right choice in the interest of our dear state”.

Omoluabi souvenirs were freely distributed to new members, while the inauguration of streets captains in all 203 wards would come up at a later date.

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I withdrew suit against APC, Aiyedatiwa after Tinubu’s intervention, says Jimoh Ibrahim

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The Senator Jimoh Ibrahim representing Ondo South said he has withdrawn his suit against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa after President Bola Tinubu intervened.

Senator Ibrahim had dragged the APC candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in the State Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the party before the Federal High Court Abuja where he challenged the gubernatorial primary election of the APC held recently in Ondo state.

Ibrahim had alleged that there was no voting in his Senatorial district and a larger part of the State.

Following the suit, the executives of the APC in Igbotako Ward II, Okitipupa local government area of Ondo State, suspended Ibrahim from the party over alleged anti-party activities and insubordination.

However, Ibrahim at a briefing at the Senate on Tuesday, said he withdrew the suit in deference to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who waded in the issue.

Ibrahim in his statement in Abuja titled: “Presidential intervention and notice of withdrawal suit No.

FHC /ABJ/ CS/588/2024,”said: “The suit is now withdrawn due to the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.

“The President called me, had a meeting with me, and assured me that he will as the leader of the party improve on internal democracy within our party, and i will need to withdraw the case to enable him to chart a way forward.

“The Governor of Ondo state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, earlier visited my Asokoro residence for several hours after another unsuccessful visit to my hotel room in Akure.

“I cannot disobey the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because the issue am fighting for is not personal.

“It is simply to improve internal democracy to which the President has promised improvement. My respect for the President is absolute!

“Let me use this opportunity to thank Mr. President for the words of wisdom and encouragement during my meeting with him which lasted over one hour and his various interactions with me on the telephone during which he emphasized his commitment to internal democracy over and over again. Thank you, Mr. President.

“The withdrawal of this legendary suit coincides  with the first anniversary of Mr. President’s incredible performance in office, and this is my gift of the ‘cake’ of the first anniversary”

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