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2023 general election

APC chieftain, Morphy recommends Sani-Bello as Tinubu’s running mate

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***Says Niger gov deserves commendation

A chieftain of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and socio-political analyst, Chief Ray Morphy, has recommended governor Abubakar Sani-Bello as running mate to the presidential candidate of the party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The APC chieftain from Cross Rivers state said the Niger state governor Abubakar Sani-Bello, has demonstrated capacity and leadership beyond expectations, adding that Sani-Bello has the character, the mien and the disposition that is ideal of a vice president.

Chief Morphy said the governor should be commended and celebrated for what he is doing despite paucity of funds, the size of the state and security challenges posed by bandits.
Speaking with newsmen Tuesday in Abuja, after a visit to Niger state to see the situation of things and the style of governance of Alhaji Sani-Bello, the APC chieftain said the governor has performed admirably well since he became the governor of the state in 2015.

Chief Morphy added that Governor Sani-Bello may not have shown interest but it behoves APC to come up with configurations with which it can win the public mind, this, he said can do by field Bello alongside Tinubu.

“Added advantage is that he is a performing governor from the North-central, a zone that is due for the job. More so, he has the experience, the pedigree and the buy in of both the youths and the elite.”

According to Morphy, Niger state might even be larger than the whole of the South-east zone of the country, and some of its 25 local government areas are larger than Lagos state. Thus, to govern Niger state is a huge task.

“There is no doubt that Governor Sani Bello has demonstrated capacity as a leader in Niger state and Nigeria and deserved to be commended and celebrated for what he is doing in state despite paucity of funds, the size of the state and security challenges posed by bandits.

“Realizing that Niger state is blessed with vast agricultural land,
Governor Sani Bello had since inception of his administration
prioritized the development of the agricultural sector and has
developed the sector to serve as a catalyst for economic development and job creation. His administration has been a partner in progress with the farmers, providing regular farm inputs, purchasing and distributing tractors to farming households and initiating partnership with foreign investors in the areas of sugar and rice production.

“He has attracted South Korean Government to invest in the state. The South Korean Government through the Korean International Cooperation has established a modern Rice Processing Complex in Bida, Niger State to improve the competitiveness of rice produced in Nigeria in the international market.

“The governor has also leveraged on the Anchor Borrowers Scheme of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure full participation of Niger farmers and had also supported beneficiaries with extension services and added services to ensure better yields.

“He has equally accorded priority attention to livestock and animal husbandry sector in general as the state has comparative advantage in the sector. Under his leadership the Niger State government gazette 33, 731 hectares of land to establish a model grazing reserve in Bobi, Mariga and Mashegu local government areas, thus, the farmers and the agric-business in Bobi and its adjoining communities now have vast livestock resources to boost meat and diary production while minimizing farmer/herder confrontations.

“The governor is also collaborating with countries with big pedigree in livestock and diary production such as Brazil, Hungary, Netherlands, India and Pakistan among others.”

While describing the governor as a media shy, Morphy said Sani-Bello “is not one to blow his own trumpets. But as they say, a golden fish has no hiding place. His achievements in Niger state needs to be highlighted if for nothing but for record purposes as one of the performing governors of his era.

“The economist and businessman who comes from a glorious military background sees himself as a change agent whose mission is to transform Niger State from the parlous state that it was under the sixteen years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to a state that would fulfill its destiny in lines with the hopes and aspirations of the founding fathers. Though a member of the upper class by birth and who has gone on to become a successful businessman by his own right, Sani Bello had always identified and championed the cause of the common man. It is as a result of his love for humanity that he had devoted the past seven years and counting to the development of Niger
State to make it better than he met it in 2015.

“He has brought fiscal discipline to Niger State through the
introduction of Treasury Single Account (TSA), staff verification
exercise, reduction of bureaucratic bottlenecks as well as prudent
management of resources as critical drivers of his reform agenda.

“He was able to reduce cost of governance, block wastages, minimize corruption and enhanced the state collection and utilization of its internally generated revenue.”

On the insecurity in the state, the APC chieftain said: “The state government reinvigorated its support to the standing joint operations with logistics and welfare to enable them clear the crisis prone communities of Rafi, Shiroro and Munya local government areas of the state under siege by bandits.

“The state government has gone further to use multiple approaches in tackling the menace. For instance, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello had in a bid to enhance the efficiency of the vigilantes in the affected local governments, presented more than 300 motorcycles, and over 20 Hilux vehicles to them due to poor accessibility of the roads.

“The essence of empowering the vigilantes is to back up the security agencies and work in accordance with the law for maximum results. The governor also made it a point of duty to compensate families of any officer who lost his or her life or sustain injury in the line of duty.”

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2023 general election

2023 polls: Abdulsalami Peace Committee opens up on pressure to ask for cancellation

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Abdulsalami Abubakar

The National Peace Committee (NPC) has opened up on pressure it faced to intervene in the 2023 Presidential Election results. During a report presentation in Abuja, led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the committee disclosed that it received numerous requests to push the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to halt results collation or cancel the election due to alleged violations of the electoral act.

Key issues included concerns about the 25% vote threshold requirement for the Federal Capital Territory, with some advocates calling for a runoff.

The NPC emphasized its role as a moral authority rather than a regulatory body, highlighting its mandate to promote peace and compliance with the law, without the power to arrest or punish violators.
The committee acknowledged a gap in public understanding of its functions and the importance of moral persuasion in fostering electoral integrity and peace.

Before presenting the report to the public, the committee had earlier met with the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and other management staff of the commission where it was briefed on the electoral umpire’s preparation for the forthcoming Governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.

Other members of the committee are Okoh Ebitu Ukiwe (Vice Chairman); Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah (Convener); Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III; John Cardinal Onaiyekan; business icons, Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola; Vanguard Newspapers Publisher, Sam Amuka Pemu; Ameze Guobadia; Idayat Hassan; Dame Priscilla Kuye; Gen. Martin Luther Agwai; Mahmud Yayale Ahmed; Channels TV owner, John Momoh; Roseline Ukeje; and, Fr. Atta Barkindo, its Head of Secretariat.

Part of the report reads; “As the election day progressed, criticisms and counter criticisms became abundant. The NPC was already being faced with a flurry of phone calls and the need to call INEC to order.

“The Peace Committee was flooded with requests for intervention. Both the Chairman of the Committee, General Abdulsalami A. Abubakar, the Convener, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and the Head of NPC Secretariat, Fr. Atta Barkindo, were inundated with calls, requests, and petitions demanding the intervention of the NPC.

“Some of the requests wanted the NPC to prevail on INEC to stop collating election results because there were gross violations and lack of compliance with the electoral act. Others demanded that the tenets of the Peace Accord signed were not adhered to and therefore the Committee should call for cancellation of the election entirely.

“The most significant call was related to the 25% threshold for Abuja as the Federal Capital Territory. Some of the analysts who reached out to the committee asked that the final election result should not be announced because the resumptive president-elect did not score the required 25% as stated in the electoral act. If anything, there should be a runoff.

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2023 general election

EU reports: LP says FG is feebly adopting face saving measures

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***EU only hit the nail on the head

The leadership of the Labour Party has countered the Federal Government of Nigeria for discrediting the European Union’s conclusion on the 2023 General Election wherein it faulted the modalities by which the conclusion was reached.
It reiterated what it believed as the accurate testament of the European Union’s conclusion on the 2023 general elections which merely hit the nail on the head.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh said,
“Eropean Union’s Conclusion on the 2023 general elections are nit Jaundiced but accurate Testament of the outcome of the FG and INEC alliance to change the will of the electorate.”
“We see this face-saving measure by the Federal Government which is coming days after the submission of the report as feeble and medicine after death.

“It will interest the government to note that the European Union’s report is only one out of numerous submissions by other international Observers who have described the outcome of the election as a sham and an exercise that did not reflect the will of the majority of Nigerians.

“Labour Party stands by the position of the EU observation mission. We have always said that this election was massively rigged in favour of the APC and their candidate.
“What the FG is saying is just an afterthought and a shameless effort to mask the obvious. Even the blind can see, the deaf can hear and they know this election was manipulated.
“Huge pieces of evidence abound for even the deaf and the blind to hear and feel. We are only hoping that the judiciary will dispense justice without fear or favour in the interest of the nation and posterity.
“Nigerians already know the true winner of the 2023 presidential election and no amount of slandering, denial, or rebuttal can change the fact that the party in power has no mandate of the electorate.

“We must also note that whatever position the INEC has taken is with active connivance with the Federal Government to deny the electorate and it clearly shows that INEC is not in any way independent.
“The Commission’s action is at the whims and caprices of the government and we know it. But Nigerians looking to the Judiciary for justice. That’s where we stand.”

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2023 general election

FG tackles EU over report on 2023 general elections

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The Federal Government has countered the European Union’s report on the 2023 general elections, describing the conclusions therein as “jaundiced”.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy gave the indication in a statement on Sunday.

“We urge the EU and other foreign interests to be objective in all their assessments of the internal affairs of our country and allow Nigeria to breathe,”
According to him, the February 25, 2023 presidential election was “clearly and fairly” won by Tinubu, the then candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC).

He also advised that the EU allow Nigeria to breathe and not meddle in the affairs of the country.

“We find it preposterous and unconscionable that in this day and age, any foreign organisation of whatever hue can continue to insist on its own yardstick and assessment as the only way to determine the credibility and transparency of our elections,” he said.

He said the presidency was not unaware of the “machinations of the European Union to sustain its, largely, unfounded bias and claims on the election outcomes”.

Alake further stated that there is no substantial evidence provided by the EU or any foreign and local organisation that is viable enough to impeach the integrity of the 2023 election outcomes.

“We would like to know and even ask EU, how it reached the conclusions in the submitted final report with the very limited coverage of the elections by their observers who, without doubt, relied more on rumours, hearsay, cocktails of prejudiced and uninformed social media commentaries and opposition talking heads,” he stated.

“We have many reasons to believe the jaundiced report, based on the views of fewer than 50 observers, was to merely sustain the same premature denunciatory stance contained in EU’s preliminary report released in March.

“We strongly reject, in its entirety, any notion and idea from any organisation, group and individual remotely suggesting that the 2023 election was fraudulent.”

The media aide said Nigeria has put the elections behind, and Tinubu is facing the task of nation-building.

“As a country, we have put the elections behind us. President Tinubu is facing the arduous task of nation-building, while those who have reasons to challenge the process continue to do so through the courts.”

On June 27, 2023, the EU presented its report on the 2023 elections in Nigeria to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The EU said the election exposed enduring systemic weaknesses and therefore signaled a need for further legal and operational reforms to enhance transparency, inclusiveness and accountability.

The EU also identified six areas for improvement in Nigeria’s electoral process moving forward.

Some of the key areas listed by the Mission are ambiguities in the law, the establishment of a publicly accountable process for the selection of the INEC members, ensuring real-time publication of results as well as access to election results.

It also highlighted the need for protection for media practitioners while decrying the discrimination against women in elective and appointed positions as well as impunity regarding electoral offences.

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