Gov El-Rufai Suspends Village Head, Threatens Zazzau Emirate Traditional Titleholders, Others For Missing APC Campaign Meeting

The Kaduna State government is threatening traditional titleholders of Zazzau Emirate with suspension for not attending a campaign meeting.

SaharaReporters learnt that Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s government has already suspended a village head, identified as Sarkin Kwangila, under Sabon Gari Local GA, for not attending the meeting the governor organised on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at Kongo Conference Hotel in Zaria.

A letter from the Zazzau Emirate Council inviting District Heads to Wednesday’s meeting was obtained by Saharareporters.com.

The letter is titled, ‘Invitation to a meeting with the Governor of Kaduna State, His Excellency, Nasil Ahmed El-Rufai at Congo Conference Hotel, Zaria’.

The letter signed by Ahmed D. Abdullahi, Shugaban Ma’aikata, reads, “Greetings and well wishes to you all. I’m directed to inform all District Heads under the Zazzau emirate that the governor of Kaduna state, His Excellency Malam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai will have a meeting with them at Congo Conference Hotel as follows:

“Wednesday, March 8, 2023; by 11:am; Venue: A. B.U Hotel (Congo Conference Hotel) Gyallesu, Zaria.

It was learnt that El-Rufai and the APC governorship candidate in the state, Uba Sani had compelled the titleholders to campaign for the party in the upcoming elections.

Uba Sani is contesting under a Muslim-Muslim ticket against Isa Ashiru Kudan, a traditional titleholder (Sarkin Bai Zazzau) under the Zazzau Emirate.

One of the titleholders who refused to attend is Madakin Zazzau, Alhaji Munir Jafaru.

SaharaReporters learnt that he has been resolute that he would not sell the APC to the people as they blame the party and the government for their poor living standards.

The protesting titleholders are against the Muslim-Muslim ticket because they feel Isa Ashiru is also a Muslim and a traditional titleholder under the Zazzau Emirate.

It was learnt that they supported the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, who had a pastor as his running mate, Yemi Osinbajo.

The APC government has sacked over 313 district heads and 4,453 village heads in Kaduna since El-Rufai became Governor in 2015, it was further learnt.

Saharareporters

Breaking: INEC postpones governorship election by one week

The Independent National Electoral Commission has postponed the governorship and state assembly elections scheduled to hold on March 11 by one week.

The elections will now hold on March 18, 2023.

A Residential Electoral Commissioner who spoke to punch correspondent on the condition of anonymity confirmed the decision.

Developing story……..

Punch

Resign Now for Failing Nigerians – Middle Belt Forum Tells INEC Chairman

The Middle Belt Forum (MBF), has called on the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, to honourably resign his position before the next election for frittering away billions of Naira on a technology that he did not intend to use in the 2023 general elections.

The MBF National President, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, in a statement, advised Judges to remain on the side of justice and ensure the wheel of justice is not compromised as political parties and candidates head to the Election Petition Tribunal.

He said, “We call on the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu to toe the honourable path by resigning his position before the next election. His frittering away of tens of billions of Naira on a technology that he did not intend to use makes him unfit to continue to maintain his position.”

In the event, Professor Yakubu fails to tender his resignation, the group asked President Muhammadu Buhari to summarily dismiss him, saying that the inaction by Mr President and the Presidency will be seen as complicity in the subversion of the will of Nigerians in the electoral heist of 25th February 2023.

Dr Pogu reiterated, “On the basis of fairness and inclusivity, it was imperative for the South East to produce the next president of Nigeria from Southern Nigeria. This conviction was why the Middle Belt was the first to hold a rally in support of Mr. Obi in Jos, Plateau State, in 2022.”

He added that the Middle Belt was in the trenches, shoulder to shoulder, with all lovers of justice, and equity on the 25th February 2023, saying that the Middle Belters, irrespective of their ethnic, religious and political persuasions, spoke with one loud voice in support of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate and, despite the open brigandage under the watch of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in cahoots with the All Progressives Congress (APC). Plateau State, Nasarawa State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were impregnable fortresses against these anti-democratic forces, evil merchants of divisiveness who did all in their powers to undermine the will of the people.

Despite the commitment of Nigerians, particularly youths, to register and vote for a president of their choice, INEC, in collaboration with anti-democratic forces, brazenly subverted the will of the people, the action was orchestrated by the Electoral Commission in 2022, the statement alleged.

The forum lamented that the refusal by INEC to transmit results electronically is unconstitutional and illegal.

The forum also called on all Nigerians, particularly the peoples of the Middle Belt region, to once again come out en masse to vote in candidates who are pro-Middle Belt Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections this Saturday 11th March 2023.

DailyPost

Group Wants Yahaya Bello’s Successor To Be Produced From Kogi West

Kogi Justice Forum, a socio-political organization, has joined forces with other organizations and notable locals to demand equity, justice, and fairness by allowing Kogi West produce the future governor of Kogi State.

Speaking to reporters over the weekend in Lokoja, the forum, which is made up of notable figures from the state’s three senatorial districts, claimed that the Kogi West senatorial district has never had a taste of the governorship position since the state’s formation more than 32 years ago.

Igala, Ebira, and Yoruba-Okun people make up the state’s three main tribal groups, according to the group’s spokesperson, Alhaji Hassan Ojochene, an Igala man. The central senatorial district also produced the current governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, whose second term will conclude in January 2024. The Igala in the eastern senatorial district has produced three governors at various times, including Prince Abubaker Audu, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, and Capt. Idris Wada.

The group’s representative claimed that since the state’s founding, the Eastern and Central senators’ respective roles in managing and overseeing its resources have been fairly balanced.

According to the political arrangement, Kogi West must now produce the next governor, and he claimed it would be more just if Kabba, the senatorial capital of Kogi West, were given the chance to experience the lofty position first.

The organization said that the selection of Kabba was made due to the town’s population and the fact that it has a long history, dating back to the Kabba Province, which the group claimed served as the backbone of Northern Nigeria’s civil service.

In addition, the group claimed that Kabba, a cosmopolitan town, should receive compensation by allowing residents to be considered for the coveted position regardless of political affiliation because the town narrowly missed being designated as the state capital in August 1991 when General Ibrahim Babangida established the state.

Labour Party adopts Seyi Makinde as governorship candidate in Oyo

Gov. Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been chosen as the Labour Party (LP) in Oyo State’s nominee for the March 11 governorship election on Sunday in Ibadan.

At a press conference, LP Chairman Sadiq Atayese stated that the party’s state working committee supported Makinde’s candidacy as a person of character, ability, and capacity who would represent the interests of the people.

He then advised the electorate to support LP candidates in the state assembly elections.

According to the outcomes of the presidential election on February 25 and the political landscape in our state, it is evident that no one party can win the upcoming governor election by themselves.

Making sure that citizens win by electing a candidate who best represents their shared interests should be the top concern.

In light of this, the time has come for political parties and their candidates to team up with other candidates who share their ideologies, he said.

Mr. Atayese claims that the LP had therefore chosen to support the candidate whose ideologies align with its own in terms of safety of lives and property, development of infrastructure, food security, education, and the development of human capital.

It is noteworthy that the current PDP administration, led by Governor Makinde, has provided security and others with a scorecard from the health sector that includes the establishment of Primary Healthcare Centers in every ward.

He became a leader with exceptional innovation because to his governance ideas in the creation of the Park Management System, which other governments now imitate.

“From our assessment as a party, Makinde has done well, and we know that stability in government is a function of continual development of a state,” he said.

Mr. Atayese emphasized that Oyo State has undergone significant change over the previous four years, thus it only made sense that the good work should continue.

“As citizens, we must uphold the dignity of our heritage in order to fulfill our obligation to do so.

“We thoroughly analyzed the character, competency, capacity, and compassion for the people of the numerous governorship candidates for the March 11 election.

“Gov. Makinde outperformed the competition, thus the LP in Oyo state has resolved to use its structure throughout the 33 local government areas to back his re-election for another four years of enormous progress,” Mr. Atayese emphasized.

Why Obi Won Nasarawa State

The candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, was declared the winner of the 2023 presidential election in Nasarawa State where Mr Obi polled 191,361 votes to defeat Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 172,922 votes.

Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party came third in the state with 147,093 votes which has left a few analysts puzzled. But our analyst Sunday Gyado writes why this was not surprising and was expected.

For the longest time in Nigerian history, Nigerians only perceived the North as a monolith.

There was a presumption that everyone in the aforementioned “North” was Hausa, Fulani and Muslim, and there was no desire to learn about other ethnicities.

Peter Gregory Obi’s candidacy would somewhat alter that as most Nigerian youth, who primarily spearheaded the endsars marches, and Peter Obi’s Labour party campaigns, started to become more curious about the demographic of their target areas in the  various states of the Federation and in this case Nasarawa.

Based on this, they began to understand that the Eggons were Nasarawa’s largest ethnic group, followed by the Alagos and Mada. The Obi’s team specifically targeted them as they were the biggest groups in the state.

Other ethnic groups in the state that were targeted were Gbagyi, Tiv, Hausa, Fulani, Koro, Miligi, Chala, etc., with grassroots campaigns planned in markets, streets, and even most importantly, one-on-one interactions.

Throughout Nasarawa’s history, despite being the majority, these groups were uninterested in politics and how it influenced society because politics was viewed as a dishonest game according to a resident who chose to be kept anonymous.

He further added that Nasarawa’s attitude of politics is beginning to shift due to the majority groups’ growing involvement in politics.

Even the churches, he claimed, who in the 1970s discouraged their members from running for office, had since changed their minds.

“Because we rarely cast ballots, many people believed all sorts of things about the state, for instance that Nasarawa is a Muslim state.”

“Now that we are visible, people are learning about the state’s religious variety as well as the ethnic identity of the major populations like mine, Alago, which are primarily Christian.”

He also differentiated between the Obi movement and those of the other political parties where he said he stated that, the Obi movement appears more interested in getting to know us.
They mix with locals, enquire about things, and offer help when required. Such is the operation of grass-roots politics.

He urged other political parties to follow the labor party’s example.

Another interviewer, Martin Adagyo, an Alago resident in Lafia, discussed how voter apathy in Nasarawa was shifting from among both the youth to the elderly.

He attributed the killings that have primarily hit Nasarawa state and the shifting political landscape, which includes elements like the Muslim muslin ticket, etc. as contributory factors

Analysts anticipate a wider exploration into the cultural and religious diversity in other Middle Belt states including Gombe, Niger, Taraba, and Adamawa States as the political climate in Nigeria keeps evolving.

Gov Yahaya apologises to Christians in Gombe

The governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Yahaya, apologized to the Christian faithful’s in the state on Saturday.

According to our correspondent, there have been audiovisuals and letters distributed in public spaces stating that the governor despises the religion and imploring believers to stop supporting him on March 11, 2023.

However, among the complaints leveled at the administration are the choice of the Mai Tangle stool and the appointment of Beatrice Iliya as Chief Judge.

The governor emphasized that elections “should be achievement oriented and infrastructural development that has direct impact to the people as a guiding consideration” rather than being based on feelings.

If elected into office, he also expressed regret to the Christian community for any wrongdoing committed against them and vowed not to repeat it during his second term in office.

According to him, “As in every human endeavour me and this administration might have committed errors. I request the gathering to forgive and chart a new course for continued development of the state.”

While thanking the people for giving him their support in 2019, he listed some of his administration’s accomplishments, such as the provision of high-quality healthcare facilities, educational advancement, improved road infrastructure, and, most importantly, the state’s pervasive peace and security.

The governor added that when he took office in 2019, he inherited a massive amount of debt and crumbling infrastructure in all sectors, which forced his administration to act quickly to fix them during its first term.

He also urged the Christian community to vote for him once more in order to preserve the state’s progress.

In order to link the state with the central government and take use of its inherent advantages, he utilized the occasion to urge the population to turn out in droves to vote for the APC’s candidates in the upcoming elections.

Zubair Umar, the Director-General of the APC Campaign Organization, had stated that the interactive meeting was necessary to clarify some misunderstandings and impressions regarding the State Governor and the administration. He urged those present to be sincere in their remarks.

Professor Ibrahim Njodi, secretary to the state government, thanked the Christian community for attending the conference in large numbers and warned them to ignore any bad audiovisual messages that are influenced by media views.

Additionally speaking, Rev. Abare Kalla, the chairman of the North East CAN, praised the governor’s foresight in calling the meeting, his candor in clearing up any misperceptions, and his request for pardon from the Christian community for any wrongdoing on his part or by the policies and programs of his administration.

At the conclusion of the interactive meeting, the Christian community unanimously decided to pardon the governor and vowed to work tirelessly on his behalf to win re-election for a second term.

Benue PDP accuses INEC of violating electoral law, rejects election results 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been accused of violating the Electoral Act by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, which they claim has a negative impact on the credibility of the recently held presidential and National Assembly elections.

As a political party and a significant participant in Nigeria’s democratic process, it is our opinion that provisions of the Electoral Act (2022 As Amended) in Sections 60 (5) and 148, which give INEC the authority to establish guidelines for the conduct of the elections, were grossly violated. This accusation was made by the party’s chairman, Isaac Mffo, during a press conference on the results of the elections.

“The PDP in Benue State rejects the outcome of both the presidential and National Assembly elections held in certain local government areas of the state on 25th February, 2023, for the reason of the breaches of law cited above.

“The party had shortly after the said elections issued a statement to the effect that it had mandated its legal department to study reports received from its agents who had been deployed to the over 5000 polling units across the state.

“After due consideration of the findings by the legal department, it is the position of our great party, the PDP, that the process of conducting both the presidential and National Assembly elections in Benue State did not conform with the standards stipulated in the enabling laws.

“In this regard, we consider it a matter of grave concern that Clauses 38 and 93 of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Election, 2022, which make mandatory the transmission of election results electronically from the polling units to the INEC Server were serially flouted.”

Don’t vote who will misrule Plateau AGAIN!!!! Jang warns

A former governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang, has urged the populace not to choose a governor who will mismanage the state for a further eight years just one week before the governorship and state House of Assembly elections scheduled for March 11,2023.

He explicitly urged the electorate to abstain from voting for the candidates of the All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party, as they had collaborated during the previous eight years to inflict immeasurable miseries and suffering on the residents of the state.

He also congratulated the election’s winners and thanked voters for supporting PDP candidates in the elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Prior to the gubernatorial and state House Assembly elections, Jang made a statement on Friday in Jos.

Expressing confidence in the ability of the PDP and its candidates to reverse the ugly past and bring about development to Plateau, the former governor urged the people to vote wisely in the interest of the state.

Jang said, “The presidential election of February 25 has come and gone. It may not have been our desire or preference, but only time will reveal what is best for our dear country Nigeria as it pleases God almighty.

“The governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are almost here, and it is hoped that urgent steps will be taken to close the ranks, shelve all differences, and pursue the election as a common front. The manipulated presidential poll should propel us to do what is right to put all our candidates on a winning streak.

“We should not allow our emotions to overtake our sense of purpose at this time; the successes achieved in the past election must be the driving force for more outstanding achievements in the forthcoming polls, which are, indeed, local.

“Having secured five out of eight House of Representatives positions and two Senatorial positions already in the kitty with a third on the horizon, we should be working hard to install a governor and a House of Assembly who will join hands to stand for the interest of our dear state.

“The pains and lessons of the past eight years, where we had the APC in government both in Plateau and at the national level but have had no benefit, is instructive. The outcome of the presidential polls has shown where the leanings of Plateau people are; an APC government in the state is a subscription to further neglect, as experienced in the last eight years.

Let’s not forget that the last eight years brought us untold hardship; we were almost robbed of our identity.

He called on the people to resist those who attempt to coerce our mind into believing that we are second class people.

“Let us, therefore, vote for a governor who will have the backing of the state and National Assembly members in pursuing the interests of the Plateau people.

“The time to act is now! The decision to build a virile Plateau where unending peace reigns is ours to make. We must not sit on the fence; we must defend our heritage, not just for ourselves but for our children and the on-coming generations,” he beckoned.

The former governor called on all including the Obidients not to lose faith but join hands with the PDP to redeem the heritage of the stage.

He added, “We must insulate Plateau by voting for the PDP and must force INEC to make our votes count. No retreat, No surrender.”

Presidential Election: Judges acting like juju priests, no hope for justice, says Odinkalu

As opposition parties announced plans to contest Saturday’s presidential election results in court, rights activist Chidi Odinkalu says he does not expect justice to be dispensed by the judiciary, likening judges’ conduct to that of juju priests and courts to voodoo shrines.

There are allegations of widespread fraud and violence during the presidential poll, with some international observers saying the election was “distorted.”

“I am one of those who have lost hope. So, please don’t speak about some. That is one of the reasons I no longer can claim to be a lawyer,” said Mr Odinkalu in an interview published by THISDAY.

The former National Human Rights Commission boss added, “The kinds of things that come out of our courts these days can only be manufactured by juju priests and voodoo shrines. I did not train for either and lack the qualifications to practice any of those.”

Mr Odinkalu added, “This is not just about technicality; it is also about bare-faced abuse of judicial office. Going to court these days cannot be fulfilling or meaningful for those who do it at any level, from the area courts, magistrates’ court or district courts to the Supreme Court.”

He alleged that “most of the people appointed to the Bench these days are related to powerful judges or powerful politicians – the son of this, the daughter of that, the wife of the other one, or the mistress of that one. It is no longer about competence, character, skill or qualification.”

Mr Odinkalu censured INEC for its role in the contentious presidential poll, leading to PDP and the Labour Party calling for the election’s cancellation.

He faulted INEC for its inadequate preparations in the build-up to the poll and failure to extensively test-run the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, which recorded widespread malfunctions in many parts of the country during the election.

“Anyone who took minimal interest in the matter would have figured that INEC’s assurances of a seamless process or flawless BVAS deployment were both empty and not believable. I wrote about this more than once, but I guess, as Nigerians, we are wired to miracles and magic,” the ex-NHRC chief stated.

Mr Odinkalu mentioned that “BVAS was untried on anything approaching the scale of the claim INEC made on it” regarding the Saturday polls. 

“Prior to this, it had only been tried in three off-cycle governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun, as well as in the FCT local elections. In all of those, the flaws were very evident,” said the rights activist.

Gazette