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Tag: 2023 general election

  • Presidential Ticket : APC divided over Goodluck Jonathan

    Presidential Ticket : APC divided over Goodluck Jonathan

    Plans to get immediate past President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to run for the presidency on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, are facing attacks across the divides.

    Sources said that the Otuoke, Bayelsa State-born politician, who is still a member of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is weighing his options on whether or not to contest the 2023 elections on the platform of the APC.

    The APC has zoned its presidential ticket to the South, while the PDP has left its ticket open, with a plan to take a decision a few days to the presidential primaries, which must be concluded between April 4 and June 3, 2022, according to the 2023 election timetable unveiled by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, last weekend.

    Party leaders and politicians, yesterday kicked against plans to draft Jonathan into the 2023 race, just as Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State said that moves by the APC to zone the Presidency to the South in 2023 is not a threat to the PDP.

    North deceiving Jonathan—PDP source

    A close ally of the former President noted in confidence that the North is deceiving Jonathan to contest.

    The PDP leader, from the South said: “He would be under pressure to run but the truth of the matter is that it is to the advantage of the North.

    “They (North) are deceiving him to run for only four years. The minimum term any Nigerian can run is eight years. He has done six years and they (North) are asking him to do one term; the moment he is two years in office, he will be dragged to the Supreme Court and they (North) own the Supreme Court.

    “By the time the Supreme Court rules, he would be ousted and his Vice will be asked to be the substantive president. So, he should not allow himself to be deceived. He has to be careful.”

    He’ll be a spoiler to South — Osuntokun

    Contacted, Mr Akin Osuntokun, former Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, said the former President would be a spoiler and a traitor to the South if he accepted the offer.

    “If he likes himself, I don’t think he should run. What they want him to do is to cheat the South. I doubt if Jonathan will offer himself as a traitor to the South by accepting the proposal. To me, he will be a spoiler for the South. Jonathan should be smarter than that. Let’s look at the logic of it. I am sure he will be tempted by the offer but if you look at the logic of it, he is being offered the back seat. Some people are putting up the proposition to him but I am almost certain that he may not accept it because it will damage him.”

    I’m not aware he’s running—Bode George

    Speaking on the issue, former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George, said the former president had not informed him of his decision to run for presidency in 2023.

    George said: “I am not aware that he (Jonathan) wants to run and I am not aware that the APC has reached out to him. But, he promised coming to see me, I will ask and confirm from him when he comes.”

    We can’t replace failure with failure—Shettima

    President of Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, urged the former President not to throw his hat in the ring because Nigerians want something new.

    Shettima said: “Nobody can stop him from contesting; it is his constitutional right to contest. If I have my way, I will advise him not to contest because Nigerians cannot wait to see something different from what we have now. Nigerians cannot go back to him because things went bad under him. Nobody can stop him from contesting but we cannot replace failure with failure.”

    It’s his decision—Oladunjoye, Ogun APC spokesperson

    Spokesperson of the APC in Ogun State, Mr. Tunde Oladunjoye said Jonathan is free to contest because “it is his personal decision.”

    On him joining the APC, Oladunjoye said: “I cannot speak on behalf of the party at the national level because with the calibre of the former president, he will be admitted first at the national level before going to his ward to register.

    “Article Nine of the APC Constitution states that ‘membership of the party shall be open to any citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who has attained the age of 18 years and who accepts the aims and objectives of the party, provided that such a person is not a member of any other political party or any organisation whose policies and programmes

    are inconsistent with those of the party.’”

    He has to cross the bridge—Ondo APC spokesperson

    Also speaking, Publicity Secretary of the APC in Ondo State, Alex Kalejaiye said: “The decision would be taken by the national leadership of the party. However, the APC does not discriminate against any Nigerian, who finds it appealing, on account of performance and disposition to the physical and economic development of Nigeria. We do appreciate and welcome men of honour like the former president, who can add more value to what we are doing, in the overall interest of Nigerians.

    “The speculation that he would like to contest on arrival remains what it is. Every bona fide member has the inalienable right to participate in an electoral process. However, the former president has to cross the bridge before debating the issue of eligibility for whatever position. It has to be a step at a time, and party constitution will guide appropriately.”
    source: vanguard newspapers

  • 2023: We’re not opposed to southern presidency – Northern elders spokesman

    2023: We’re not opposed to southern presidency – Northern elders spokesman

    …but we don’t want these crop of leaders again

    …insist present leaders ran Nig aground

    …we’re worst hit security and economic wise

    …all we want is that the Electoral process should be followed

    …we are supporting the South this time and wait for our turn – Middlebelt Forum

    The Northern Elders Forum has said it has no opposition to the emergence of a southern president in 2023, insisting that this kind of leadership that has ran Nigeria aground is what it’s against.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the position of the Forum based on a monitored television program featuring The Director, Publicly and Advocacy, Hakeem Baba Ahmed, alongside Yakubu Pam Gam of the Middlebelt Forum on Friday.

    Hakeem Baba Ahmed in the chat insisted that the Forum has nothing against the South but working against the possibility of a situation that will encourage the emergence of the present crop of leaders that ran Nigeria into political oblivion.

    “We in the north are worst hit because the security situation and the state of the economy is affecting the north more because of this crop of leadership.

    “But if they are using the word must then we do have the vote to decide who should emerge, the forum wants the proper electoral process followed allowing the parties to pick their leaders across board.
    But the Middlebelt Forum Chairman, Abuja Chapter, Yakubu Pam Gam simply reiterated the position of his Forum declaring that”we will support the South and patiently wait for our turn because we want the progress of Nigeria.

    Read below part of the chat:

    Hakeem Baba Ahmed:”Fairness, equity and justice must apply in whatever democracy. They are the pillars of democratic system. In the interest of equity, justice and fairness Nigerian citizens must be allowed the freedom to choose who should govern them.
    When the seventeen governors elected, they know the value of allowing the democratic process to work. There are ways in which candidates emerge on party platforms, there are rules within the party platforms, party decides who to field for a particular office and then Nigerian citizens choose who to vote.

    Words like we must, words like should or giving ultimatums or threats completely negates the fundamentals of a democratic process.

    The Northern Elders Forum never said it is against rotation or power shifting, what we always insisted on is the respect for the fact that we are operating a constitutional system.

    Our constitutional system states that irrespective of what the party decides, the Nigerian citizens eventually has to go, line up and cast their vote and choose their leaders.

    And it is wrong and counterproductive for southern governors to take the position that suggests that presidency must move to the south, this is dangerous, it is heavy politics and it is not going to persuade northern governors or northern voters to vote for a southern candidate simply because somebody sits in Lagos says bring the presidency here.

    Politicians has to do the responsible thing that politicians must do, canvass, negotiate, work hard to convince every Nigerian, not just the northern governors to vote for a southern candidate.

    Northerners are not opposed to voting for a southern candidate; what we are opposed to is being compelled or threatened to vote for a southern candidate simply because a few politicians are too lazy to do the hard work, which is to work to other politicians within their parties on the basis of fairness, equity and justice to allow citizens to vote, that is the position of the northern elders forum.

    Pam Gam: “You will recall that in the history of Nigeria, the middle belt has been a region that has kept Nigeria together over time, various examples abound both during the military and in the democratic setting.

    The middle belt people believe in equity, fairness and justice and that is why because of the Nigerian setting where there are two major divides in the structure, the north and the south, the middle belt is at the centre trying to balance the two sides.

    On the issue of 2023, the middle belt with all honesty is in tandem with the position of the southern governors that 2023 presidency should go to the south. There is an informal understanding that power should rotate between the two major parts of this country.

    And based on that, the north is going to have it for 8years now, naturally the south should have it in 2023.

    Now looking at the way the southern governors presented it, that could be another thing but the true position of the middle belt is that power should shift to the south and after 8years it will also come to the north.

    And the middle belt believes that every segment of the country should test this power so that everybody will feel belong, so that everybody will now be rest assured that he is now a part and parcel of this system. That is the position of the middle belt.

    Hakeem Baba Ahmed: Reaction on Ango Abdullahi’s comment in 1998: “The law maker should operate at a higher level. You quoted Prof. Ango Abdulahi coming to 1998. Prof. Ango Abdulahi leads a social cultural group which offers an opinion that differs substantially from that of the governors. Governors cannot afford the luxury of making statements that is dangerous for the democracy of the country.

    If he says the northern governors forum supports northern presidency, compare that with 17 governors members of APC and PDP who knows that they have to work this process through their parties and they know how they were elected, they know the values and the sanctity of the democratic process, they know the value of justice, equity and fairness means.

    It is a completely different selling. So I will advise you not to go there, people have used this argument Prof. Ango Abdulahi said this in 1998 and they are now comparing it to the governors.

    No one is asking southern governors to go cap in hand to beg the northern voters and we are not opposed to a southern candidate.

    Now there are two zones that have not produced a democratically elected president, out of the six zones and one of them incidentally is the north central zone.

    They have as much right as anybody to demand that president should come from the north central zone.

    Now when the 17 governors got together and said bring it to the south, they forgot the middle belt. Governor Ortom for instance said they are with them or the governor of Plateau state or the representative of the middle belt forum; when it is convenient they divide the country into two, north and south, when it is convenient they say there are three Nigerians, there is the north, there is the middle belt and the south. This kind of divisive politics is not helping this country.

    The president that will emerge in 2023 must be a Nigerian president that is our position. It is very dangerous to ethnicize and regionalize this. If we can have a president from the southern part of the country that will be truly a Nigerian president, that will represent the south, the middle belt or the north, every citizen of this country equally and faithfully and do the opposite of what President appear to have done, that is to cause the problem for our diversity, alienate few groups of people from the many parts of the country, divide the country.

    What we need is a unifying president, a president that will treat this country as one constituency, treat everybody alike, run an inclusive government, that is what we are looking for.

    The kind of politics going on now is going to polarize the country even more when we begin to draw lines that he must come from here or there, it is our time, this kind of thing is very dangerous.

    The final president is what happens if there is a northern president in 2023, democratically elected because in an election that is credible, free and fair, what happens?

    Will other sections of Nigeria particularly the south going to say no? Will reject this election result it is not from the south? Is that very dangerous?

    The solution is simple, go through the electoral and political process, work your way through and convince every Nigeria who wants to vote that the candidate who comes from the south should be voted for not because he comes from the south but because he is the best, we are looking for the best.

    In 2023 Nigeria must produce leaders, president, governors, legislators that are very different from the current crops that we have. These current crops of leaders have run this county aground.

    What we are looking for are leaders who will rebuild this country, rebuild the faith of young people in the future of this country. Begin the process of political engineering that brings the southwest and the southeast and the south-south together, that is what we are looking for; not regional leaders, not an ethnic leader.

  • Bitter-sweet week – Francis Ewherido

    Bitter-sweet week – Francis Ewherido

    By Francis Ewherido

    I have been disoriented for much of the week. I have done very little this week. I had even planned not to write this week because contradictory emotions have left me completely disoriented. When the EndSars protests started, I was completely fine with the way the protesters conducted themselves. That’s the standard of protest you see in very advanced climes. I would gladly have let my children join the protest, if they were of age and wanted to. Even when it got mixed up with mee-tooism (people who saw the protest as a fashion trend and joined the bandwagon, or seem to be using it to enhance their brands), I did not also have any issues. “All join,” I said to myself! I started getting worried, when stories, photos and videos of hooliganism started surfacing online.

    Then came my first major worry: I saw the videos of the razing of the police station at Orile in Lagos. I saw young men carting away arms. What do they want to do with the arms? This really got me worried. At that point, I felt bad eggs have infiltrated and hijacked the protest. I thought it was time for the protesters to retreat and restrategise. Then the curfew was announced in Lagos. We had to hurriedly close the office. I learnt it was later extended to 9pm. The Lagos State Government erred in the first place by making the curfew too abrupt. It was an unnecessary panic decision. Also, shooting at peaceful protesters at the Lekki tollgate is something I have struggled to understand. It still has not made sense to me because the protest was still orderly at that time. Events took a twist in Lagos, especially on the Lekki corridor, after the shootings.

    The question has been asked: should a curfew have been declared in the first place? Why was the curfew declared? Was it to truncate the legitimate EndSars protests or to stop hoodlums from hijacking the protest to loot, maim or cause mayhem? Only the Lagos State Government can adequately tell us why it declared the curfew. For me legitimate protests should have been left to continue, while acts of criminality are dealt with in line with the laws of the land. But I also know that is easier said than done.

    Unfortunately, bad elements took over a legitimate protest and left, in its wake, arson, lootings and destructions. Many families have been left in grief because of loss of loved ones and loss of sources of livelihood. The protests have ended abruptly, but the demands of the protesters should not end here. It goes beyond the disbanding of special anti-robbery squad (SARS), as many observers have pointed out. It also includes a comprehensive reform of the police force.

    When you travel from Lagos to Benin, especially between Ondo and Edo States, there are over 30 police checkpoints and about four army checkpoints. SARS only mounts about two of these checkpoints. The others are mounted by other policemen. These checkpoints are meant to check frequent cases of armed robberies and kidnappings on that route. I must confess that the police and the army personnel have succeeded substantially in making that route safe. But they have created another problem. You can spend one hour at some of these checkpoints. A journey of four hours can take 10 hours because of these checkpoints.

    There are also a few of these checkpoints that are very notorious. Those who use their personal vehicles on that route say your vehicle papers can never be complete at those checkpoints. One inspector general after the other has reiterated that policemen on the road should only ask for three vehicle documents: Vehicle license, driver’s license and insurance certificate. Proof of ownership, vehicle registration papers, E-CMR, etc., are not part of what policemen on the road should ask for, according to all the inspectors general of police. But how dare you “teach” policemen at those checkpoints their job? You will spend the whole day with them. Some even ask for C-caution, jack, spare tyre and others items that the Federal Road Safety Commission usually demand from motorists. This campaign includes cessation of brutalisation of Nigerians by policemen on the road.

    For me, the EndSars Campaign is about the desire for a better Nigeria and I am very happy it is being spearheaded by the youths. The youths, who have a greater stake in the future of Nigeria, are not happy with the status quo and they are ready to do something about it. The youths have raised my hopes about a better, free and fair 2023 general election, where the will of the majority will prevail. But there is a problem. Unscrupulous politicians have always used some youths as thugs to frustrate the will of the majority. Now the youths started a legitimate protest and again some unscrupulous youths derailed it with violence and looting. Yes, the people, who went about looting and burning of buildings are youths. Many people in my generation no longer have the strength to carry out the level of looting and mayhem I saw; they also do not have the legs to run. Age and debilitating ailments have restricted our level of physical activity.

    Between now and 2023, the youths must now reorganise themselves. They have the numbers to determine who governs us in free and fair elections. In doing that, they must fish out the bad eggs among them. The same youths, who derailed the EndSars protest by turning it into a burning and looting spree, can also truncate the will of the majority in 2023. Perhaps what happened might just be an eye opener for youths to know all the areas to focus on in 2023 to ensure they determine who governs us.

    At times like this, we should not focus entirely on the shortcomings of governments. These arsonists and looters, where did they come from? Homes, of course. Parents must rise up to their parenting responsibilities and bring up their children properly. Shops of ordinary Nigerians were looted and burnt. Where do these families start from? How do they pay their bills and feed their children. Once you start inflicting pains on ordinary people, your actions become indefensible. The grievances were legitimate, so were the protests, but the killings, looting and destructions are indefensible and reprehensible.

    We have heard the cliché so many times that “the youths are the leaders of tomorrow.” Youths, you have proven with the initial EndSars protest that your tomorrow is here. The elections of 2023 is also nearby. You have the numbers, organise yourselves, fish out the bad elements amongst you, who can derail your plans, and take over Nigeria. If your will power continues to endure, no moneybag can stop you. I just want a better Nigeria and I will be very happy if the youths can bring this to reality.