Hope dashed in Rivers… More support for Buhari, Atiku

The Supreme Court finally dashed the hope of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to field candidates for the elections in Rivers State. This comes at a time more group pledged support for President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar. Eric Ikhilae, Gbenga Omokhunu, Bolaji Ogundele, Abdulgafar Alabelewe, sunny nwankwo and Jane Chijioke report.

Supreme Court: APC can’t

field candidates in Rivers

The Supreme Court has ended the quest by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State to reverse the October 10, 2018 judgment of the High Court of Rivers State, which barred it from holding primaries for the production of candidates for the next general elections.

A five-man panel of the court, headed by Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour struck out, yesterday, four appeals, left in the five appeals filed by the APC and some of its members against October 10, 2018 judgment of the High Court of Rivers State, voiding the primaries held by the APC in the state.

The Court of Appeal in Port-Harcourt  refused to hear the appeals filed against the judgment by the APC and some of the candidates that emerged from the affected primaries, on the grounds that they were statute barred.

The appeals decided on Tuesday by the Supreme Court are SC/1332/2018 (Ojukaye Flag-Amchree v. Ibrahim Umah and others); SC/1333/2018 (APC v. Ibrahim Umah and others); SC/1334/2018 (Tonye Patrick Cole v. Ibrahim Umah and others) and SC/81/2019 (APC v. Ibrahim Umah and others).

At the commencement of proceedings on Tuesday, the five-man panel delivered rendered its decision on the arguments it took on Monday on the preliminary objection filed by Ibrahim Umah and others against the appeal marked: SC/1333/2018.

The appeal – SC/1333/2018 – was the main one filed peal filed by the APC against the October 10 judgment and the subsequent decision of the Court of Appeal on APC’s appeal against the judgment.

Justice Amiru Sanusi, who read the lead decision, said the appeal being pre-election related, was filed outside the time allowed under Section 285(9) and (12) of the Constitution as amended by the 4th Alteration Act 2017.

Justice Sanusi upheld the argument by lawyer to respondent, Henry Bello and held that the appeal was statute barred.

The judge rejected the argument by appellant’s lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) that the case was not pre-election, but about party leadership.

Justice Sanusi upheld the objection and struck out the appeal on the ground that it has become academic exercise, as argued by Bello.

Shortly after its decision in SC/1333/2018, the court consolidated the remaining three appeals, upon the agreement by lawyers to parties and took arguments on the objection against one of the consolidated appeals -SC/1332/2018, filed by Amachree.)

The court said its decision in the appeal by Amachree was to be applied to the other two.

In his argument, Bello, who filed the objection, repeated his position in the earlier objection which the court upheld, to the effect that the appeal was statute barred.

He said the appeal has become academic having been filed outside the days allowed under Section 285(9) and (12) of the Constitution.

Lawyer to Amachree and Cole, Wisdom Jerome and M. S. Ibrahim, argued that the suit at the trial court was not pre-election.

Justice Augie said, since the Court of Appeal rejected Amachree and Cole’s appeals, because they were caught by Section 285(9) and (12), their appeals must suffer the same fate at the Supreme Court because, being pre-election appeals, they were statute barred.

ACF endorses Buhari

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has endorsed the candidature of Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in next Saturday’s poll.

The ACF said it carefully studied the antecedents of major presidential candidates, the manifestoes and policy documents of their parties, alongside the need for social, political and economic stability in the country, and discovered that Buhari deserves a second term to consolidate on his achievements.

The forum, which declared its stand in statement signed by its Acting Chairman, Alhaji Musa Liman Kwande, said:”In continuation of role of ACF as the political compass of the North, the leadership under the Chairmanship of  Mallam Adamu M. Fika Wazirin Fika GCON, Chairman Board of Trustees of the Forum at a meeting today 12th February 2019, has evaluated critical national issues, especially the political situation in the country and its attendant consequences for the continued peace, unity and progress of our dear country Nigeria.

“The ACF takes note of the state of the political situation as the nation goes into another round of elections, where tensions are heightened as a result of intense campaigns, lobbying and horse-trading among political actors.

“The ACF takes special note that major political parties have nominated prominent northerners, for the February 16th 2019 Presidential Elections. The Forum has carefully studied the antecedents of major presidential candidates, the manifestoes and policy documents of their parties, alongside the need for social, political and economic stability in the country.

“The ACF is therefore, of the view that certain attributes such as clarity of thought, unity of purpose, content of character and morality of the candidates, their leadership qualities, performance and general acceptability of the candidates contesting for not only the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but also for other elective offices should guide voters in making their choices.

“The decision on who to elect should not be based on any form of inducements, mob hysteria, intimidation or false promises, but by calm and deliberate consideration of the candidates’ qualities of leadership, performance and moral standing in their public and private lives.

“Furthermore, other considerations such as capacity to tackle security challenges, fight corruption, and boost the economy by way of diversification away from over dependence on oil, by infrastructural development in order to promote growth. The integrity of the candidate to raise the image of Nigeria in the comity of nations is equally important in the election.”

Group faults Atiku’s endorsement 

A pro-Eastern Nigeria group, Awake and Defend Action Movement (ADAM), has faulted the endorsement of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, by the leadership of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

ADAM is an umbrella body of pressure groups in the old Eastern region.

ADAM, in a communiqué signed by its acting chairman, Ndubuisi Igwekani-Agu Biafra and the South-South leader of the group (Chief James Ekpo), said: “ADAM will ensure that our people demand transparency and accountability from every elected public officer in Eastern Nigeria. We will mobilise the entire youth in Eastern to deal with any elected officer who fails in his/her duties to account to the people.

“Henceforth, we are monitoring some Igbo political contractors who rush to their pay master in the North and other parts of Nigeria to collect evil money to destabilize our people. Henceforth, we will monitor and expose them to bring sanity and peace to our land.

“Now, concerning the youths in Eastern Nigeria, we have noticed the exponential increase in kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, yahoo yahoo, gambling, prostitution, child-trafficking, and all manner of violent extremism just to get rich overnight. We hereby warn that it will not be business as usual. We have set up a security watch to coordinate with security agents to expose all manner of evil activities perpetuated by youths in whatever disguise.”

NHRC endorses Buhari

for second term

The Nigerian Human Right Community (NHRC) yesterday endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term in office.

NHRC, a coalition of 135 civil society and community-based organisations, spoke in Lagos.

Its Secretary, Taiwo Adeleye,  said: “This is coming about 11 days to the presidential election in Africa’s most populous country of 170million people. There is no way you will go and vote without having made up your mind on who you want to vote for especially concerning a presidential election. We are now telling the electorates that before you go out there to vote, apart from seeking to know your conscience, what exactly is your conscience telling you? You need to look back, compare the two administrations; the past and the present, which is better off, which one would advance your course, your children and probably your generation.

“We consider one major factor: the personal credibility of the two leading contenders.  It will be worst to have a man that has no iota of credibility at home and abroad to sit as the number one citizen of the country. It will be disastrous to have a proven corrupt man as the most important figure in Nigeria. We believe with the credibility of Buhari and Osibanjo, their errors of recent past can be corrected in the most honest manner.”

The Directo- General of the Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu Ambassadors (BOSA), Wale Arogundade,  said Buhari’s administration has recorded immense achievements.

Middle Belt Forum backs Atiku 

The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) yesterday urged the people to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday.

Its President, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, said Atiku’s adoption was based on a dispassionate assessment of the candidature of President Buhari of the All Progressives Congress and Atiku.

Speaking to reporters in Abuja, Bitrus stated that the major consideration for the middle belt region was the security of lives and property of the people, in which, he said, the Buhari Administration had failed.

He said: “One major consideration for us in this election is the security of lives and property of the peoples of the middle belt region.  It is no secret that in the close to four years of the Buhari – led administration, the entire middle belt was turned into a vast killing field.”

‘Founding fathers behind Atiku’

Voting massively for presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar on Saturday will fulfil the desire of the founding fathers of Nigeria, a PDP chieftain in Kogi State, Yabuku Kampala has declared.

He spoke with reporters yesterday in Kogi State.

The chairman of the Nigeria Integrity Forum claimed the founding fathers have unanimously endorsed Atiku to lead the nation.

Kampala, who is also the President of Reliable Food for All Foundation, said: “Sometime ago, I saw fathers of our nation and some past leaders in my dream. Sir Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe Aguiyi Ironsi, Odumegwu Ojukwu, Murihtala Muhammed, Shehu Shagari  and several others in a meeting.

“At the end of the meeting they all expressed their support for Atiku Abubakar to rule Nigeria next.

“When I woke up, my initially response was to take the dream as one of those dreams that people normally have that reflect the experiences they are going through.

“But later on, I started feeling uncomfortable as the dream repeatedly came to my mind with unsuppressed urge to let the nation know.

“I strongly believe this is the divine confirmation Nigerians need concerning this year’s presidential election. So, we must all rise to the challenge of voting for Atiku.”

70% of voters are undecided,

says Olawepo-Hashim

The Presidential candidate of People’s Trust (PT), Mr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has urged Nigerians to support his candidacy for rapid economic development that will lift the masses out of abject poverty, saying 70% of Nigerians voters are yet to decide who to vote for among the presidential candidates less than 11 days to the 2019 election.

Similarly, Olawepo-Hashim said he had no plan to step down for either the APC’s Muhammadu Buhari or Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, expressing the confidence that the two candidates are beatable with their parties’ woeful performances since 1999.

The Presidential hopeful who spoke  during campaign in Akure, the Ondo state capital to solicit votes of the people of the state, advised electorates to reject the two political parties that had failed them and the country in the last twenty years.

Mr Olawepo-Hashim who was accompanied by his Campaign Director-General and former transport minister, Mr Habu Fari, said the country was too endowed with natural resources for the citizenry to be wallowing in poverty and vowed to introduce policies that would end insecurity and economic hardship if elected the president of the nation on the sixteenth of this month.

He advised eligible voters to secure their future by voting for his people’s trust party in 2019 election.

Olawepo-Hashim assured Nigerians, especially youths and graduates that he would create jobs and make the environment conducive for businesses to flourish.

The presidential candidate of PT said his party was fine-tuning its strategy in all states of the federation on how to wrestle power from the ruling APC, adding that PT had the highest number of representation in constituency nominations.

Olawepo-Hashim said “some few days to election more than 70 percent of the electorates are still wondering who they are going to vote for. They have been examine the candidates they are going to vote for and what these candidates promised to offer and among all the alternative parties, the PT is the biggest. But i can tell you that this election is still very open even though its ten days to the election”.

“This is one of the reasons i said if elected we will form a government of National unity which will include the good people in the APC and PDP,” he opined.

The Director General of PT Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Habu Fari, expressed delight that the people of Ondo State trooped out enmass to receive Olawepo-Hashim, indicating that the people were ready to elect the third force which the PT candidate represented.

‘We condemn the show

of shame in Ogun’

The South West, Youth Zonal Coordinator of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has condemned disruption of the APC presidential rally in Ogun State.

Speaking at a news conference yesterday in Abuja, the group’s coordinator, Comrade Wole Badmus, said the act of brigandage was capable of putting the party in bad light.

He said: “‘No doubt, this intra party rancour has portrayed the party as lacking in mechanism of addressing internal differences, thereby washing our dirty linen in the public’. The press text stated.

“We cannot conclusively blame the host government of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, yet the whole world and teeming party members wish to know how hoodlums of the other party he is supporting for governorship election in the state gained access into the venue and embarrassed Mr. President, the National Party chairman, the national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other dignitaries at the occasion.

“The fact need be reiterated that in any electoral contest, a winner must emerge. Any aggrieved participants in such contest have the opportunity of exhausting internal machineries of addressing infractions before resorting to self-help.

“We are particularly concern about the youth who were used as canon folders in this nefarious activity. Our view is that youth should be preparing themselves for leadership role rather than being engaged in these dirty inglorious roles.

“While apologising to the President and Commander-in – Chief, the group promised to embark on thorough investigation into the remote and direct causes of the show of shame.”

The group appealed to party members not to allow the Abeokuta hiccup to distract them from the onerous task of mobilising votes for President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday.

“We should not be distracted at this material point. Members of our party especially the youths should come out and assiduously mobilised for the party’s victory at all elections most especially at February 16 Presidential Election,” Badmus said.

NVDD hails Buhari over

PVC collection’s extension

The National Vanguard for Democracy and Development (NVDD) has commended the President Muhammadu Buhari government for asking the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the date for collection of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) to February 11 to make it possible for eligible Nigerians to participate during the upcoming elections.

In a statement in Lagos, NVDD Public Secretary, Emeka Obinagwu said:  “We are not at all disappointed in the decision of the federal government because we had always believed that the current administration is committed to ensuring Nigerians who are desirous of exercising their franchise during the forthcoming elections to do so unhindered.

INEC had on Friday February 8 announced the extension of the window of collection of the PVC on its twitter handle, stating that it will do everything to ensure no registered voter is disenfranchised.

Obinagwu said: “Contrary to the lies peddled by detractors that this government wants to derail the elctions, this action shows our president to be a leader concerned with the deepening of the democratic culture. He is a leader and must be applauded for this outstanding quality.”

“This move will not only increase in the number of people who will vote, Nigerians are reassured that for once we have a government that is not ready to meddle in INEC affairs. This government deserves to be rewarded with another four years in office.”