2023 general election
Kogi East Senator debunks fake news, misinformation about successful campaign tour
The senator representing Kogi East in the national Assembly has described his recent campaign tour of the three Local Government Areas in Ankpa Federal Constituency ahead of the February 25th Senatorial election as a huge success.
The electorate in the Federal Constituency, he said were so elated that they have pledged to vote overwhelmingly for him and the other APC candidates at the upcoming general elections.”Echocho’s achievements are all over in the public domain, and the people of Kogi East are prepared to say ‘thank you, Echocho’ on the 25th of February 2023.”He however, described as a distration some of the social media fake news and misinformation being peddled by his opponents who are having an uphill task trying to convince the people who have seen, felt and enjoyed real dividends of democracy.While making reference to a social media fake news titled “Senator Jibrin Isah A. K. A. Echocho Disgraced in Ankpa Local Government’ he said, he is too busy to be distracted now that his achievements are being appreciated by the people of Kogi East. A statement from his campaign council, which was signed by the Deputy Director of Protocol, APC campaign Council Ojoachele Christian, indicated that, “While we consider the subject article laughable, we are compelled to respond to ensure that the reading public is not misled.”Senator Jibrin Isah undertook a tour of the 3 Local Government Areas in Ankpa Federal Constituency in the company of the Deptuty Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Chief Edward Onoja, the Deputy Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, who is also the Director general of the Campaign council for Kogi East, the respective Local Government Executive Chairmen and Party Chairmen, as well as various other stakeholders.”Omala was the first port of call on Tuesday, followed by Olamaboro on Wednesday, and Ankpa on Thursday.The people in the three Local Government Areas were full of commendations for Echocho, for his milestone achievements, ranging from sponsoring of Bills, Motions, to infrastructural developments, and various empowerment programs.”With specific reference to Ankpa Local Government Area, when the program ended, Echocho headed to his vehicle after exchanging pleasantries with the very excited audience. When he sat down in his vehicle, he noticed that a young man was trying to reach out to him but was blocked and had no choice but to hit Echocho’s vehicle for attention. Echocho decided to come out of the vehicle to address the young man, but he was equally being blocked. Echocho asked for the identity of the young man, who was obviously looking for favor. The senator has since promised to assist the young man.The incident had no bearing with the misinformation being peddled by the author, who can be best described as an artful fiction writer. “We have traced the said article to Victor Alewo Adoji and his co-dreamers. Adoji is drowning and looking for whatever he can hold on to whip public sentiments. We try as much as possible to ignore him, but silence may not be golden all the time.
“On the issue of Parliatives for flood victims in Ibaji, Idah, Bassa, Igalamela Odolu, Omala, and Ofu Local Government Areas, Echocho provided thousands of food items worth hundreds of thousands of Naira to the affected Local Government Areas, with cash backing of N1m each. “Thereafter, he facilitated provision of various relief materials worth over N100m through NEMA to the affected Local Government Areas. All these are verifiable at the respective Local Government Areas .
On the issue of use and dump , “Echocho has built many people in Kogi East, right back in his days in the banking industry, to his various interventions in Kogi East as the Senator representing the district.
“With regards to who succeeds His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, it is equally misleading to say Echocho has adopted His Excellency, the Deputy Governor of Kogi State. Echocho is prepared to work for whoever emerges as the Party’s flag bearer in the upcoming Primary election.
“We strongly advise Victor Adoji to stop ridiculing himself in the public space by manufacturing stories to suit his purpose , and mislead the reading public.
“Adoji should go and market himself to the electorate. But since he seem to have nothing to offer, and has been openly rejected by his party, while trying unsuccessfully to penetrate the APC through his Woman friend
“While Victor is busy entertaining himself on the social media, Echocho is busy visiting the electorate, informing them on his plans for them in his second tenure, God willing.”
2023 general election
2023 polls: Abdulsalami Peace Committee opens up on pressure to ask for cancellation
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.
2023 general election
EU reports: LP says FG is feebly adopting face saving measures
***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.”
2023 general election
FG tackles EU over report on 2023 general elections
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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