Nigerian Newspapers
NGF election video was manipulated — Mimiko
Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, in this interview with SUNDAY ABORISADE speaks about the recent controversial Nigerian Governors’ Forum election and the roles he played
Some Nigerians are apprehensive that the 2015 elections may not be successful because of the inability of 36 governors to conduct a simple poll among themselves. What is your take on this?
I must say that none of the governors is very proud of what has happened. But some of us believe that it is necessary that we ensure that things are done right in the interest of our country. A few of us have also received a lot of bashing but we believe that we must stand for what is true and just. The fundamental question that will never go away, no matter how you look at the event of that Friday is the fact that the governors’ forum is a voluntary association; its an association of equals, who have voluntarily decided to come together to pursue what their collective interest.
Do you mean it is not compulsory for all governors to be members of the body?
It is important that all members should be able to abide by the rules and regulations of the body; otherwise any member can choose to stay away. Anybody who is there by volition can pull out without consequences to his status as governor.
Number two and this is one point that is very fundamental: No matter the amount of propaganda that goes on in the media, there is one issue that keeps coming up that we cannot run away from. It is a situation, where a chairman of a forum of equals decides to contest again, but the issue of whether that’s in tandem with the spirit and the letters of our constitution is another issue. So, that election to a very large extent must reflect the standard of election in the polity.
Irrespective of whatever anybody says, 2011 elections were much better than the previous ones. No matter what anybody says, the election that brought me and Adams Oshiomhole back was probably the best we have had in this country. Once we can have credible elections, it will throw up real leaders of the people, who will work for the people and that the issues of development are addressed.
But, there are video clips of the election on how voting was conducted and counted, how come you rejected the outcome of the process?
Governor Rotimi Amaechi presided over his election. So, from the perspective of this fundamental, I will analyse what happened on the day in question. Some of us argued: “Mr. Chairman, you are there as chairman by volition, by consensus. If willy-nilly, you say you want to contest election, then you must first dissolve the house.” What was released to the public was a product of manipulation. It was predetermined and disrespectful. I challenge anyone to show to the whole world where I was captured casting my vote in the video.
I specifically said, even in a village meeting, or old boys’ association meeting, once we say a tenure has elapsed and the presiding officer in this case, the chairman, indicated interest, we must first of all dissolve the house. Then we will elect a temporary man who will preside over the affairs until a new chairman emerges. We must also agree on the process of that election, especially in a voluntary organisation, where what we claim as constitution doesn’t spell out clearly how it should be done.
The practice in the governors’ forum is that the chairman always emerges by consensus. Also, the practice has always been that the party with the majority among the governors will produce the chairman.
But the result reflected the number of people present at the election.
We know as a matter of fact that the PDP Governors’ Forum had endorsed Governor Jonah Jang. But be that as it may, immediately Governor Amaechi insisted that he was going to run, we insisted also that he had to vacate the seat as chairman, so that we could bring in somebody who would now conduct the affairs of the house. For me, that was fundamental.
I insist that you must see the full video. Our meetings are quasi, informal meetings; if somebody out of disrespect for his own colleagues, or because of some predetermined notion decides to plant video, you should ask him for the whole video.
We insisted that, Mr. Chairman, if you are insisting on running, the morality of the situation dictates that you vacate that seat. In fact, Governor Peter Obi who was the vice-chairman said he was not running.
The worst case scenario was for Peter Obi to be there to conduct the election. We must first of all agree on the mode of this election: Is it going to be by raise of hands? If it is going to be secret ballot, is it going to be by ticking or thumb printing? But Governor Amaechi didn’t only indicate interest that he was going to run, he also insisted that he wouldn’t vacate that seat and there was a lot of commotion in the house. At a stage, one of the governors said, those of us that ran for second term didn’t vacate our seats before election, but we pointed out the difference.
Yes, I ran for a second term but I wasn’t the Independent National Electoral Commission; I wasn’t the one that printed the ballot papers. You cannot be a candidate and at the same time be your own INEC, and at the same time have the privilege of producing the ballot papers! He knew the number of ballot papers he produced; there were no serial numbers on them, we didn’t know the number of ballot papers and he was also the one who brought the ballot box.
So, for me, that was the point of departure. Quite a number of us kept saying at that juncture that it would be immoral for us to go on.
We were tempted to fight. At a stage, we then said in the interest of this forum, let us give him the opportunity to seat there, but if he was sitting there to preside over this election, we would not use his ballot papers.
We then said it must be by show of hands. We were still arguing when he said Okauru (DG of NGF) should start distributing ballot papers.
There were two options open to us: Either we walked out. But if we had walked out, there is a viral input in that constitution which also says that the quorum is 12.
So, if we had walked out, there was no guarantee that certain people wouldn’t have sat down there and called the press to witness a ‘free and fair election.’ Of course, the other option was the Nigerian way: Take the ballot and smash it; let there be crisis.
But you also know that such behaviour is not expected from a governor. Some governors were almost tempted to do that, but we kept saying we should not do it in the interest of Nigeria. It is better for us to come out and say we participated and keep defending it and we know that time will bear us out.
I remember that I kept saying that the process was immoral and that the outcome would be disputed. I cannot say that some governors didn’t vote, but I am sure that what they counted didn’t represent the opinion of governors there that day.
The information after the election was that Amaechi won with 19 votes as against Jang’s 16. How would you reconcile that with your submission that the result did not reflect the opinion of the governors?
It would have been victory for Amaechi if everybody had endorsed the outcome of that election. This is absolutely important.
The day after the election-forget the fact that Amaechi has succeeded in playing the underdog in the press and you know journalists like victims and underdogs.
At times, if an aggressor is smart he can translate himself to be victim. The following day, Governor Jang called a meeting of governors, 18 were present, reiterating their support for him. Now, 18 the following day, standing to be counted physically as opposed to 19 in some dubious ballot papers which was designed by a contestant.
The question I ask is, why have some people decided to believe in a voodoo ballot process rather than the physical people, who were there to be counted? But we are ready to take whatever bashing that comes, knowing that history will bear us out that you cannot be a judge in your own case.
It was morally wrong, conventionally wrong and legally wrong for Governor Amaechi as a candidate to sit beside the ballot papers, bring the ballot box and be the presiding officer. If we subsume principles under propaganda, we will all pay a price for it in 2015.
What is the way out of the crisis?
Like I said earlier, none of the governors is happy with what is happening at the NGF but we are very optimistic that we will come out stronger. I think the best thing is for all of us to allow reason to prevail by doing the right thing.
My position on this issue is clear. It is the turn of the North to produce the chairman and we should allow the Northern Governors’ Forum to present its candidate by consensus. We should just forget about ego and do the right thing.
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
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Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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