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Tag: Lawmakers

  • 2019: APC lawmakers recount loses, lampoon Oshiomhole, INEC over controversial primaries

    Lawmakers elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC in the lower chamber of National Assembly have cried out about the irregularities and maltreatment meted out to them over the just concluded primary election of the party.

    In a motion of urgent public importance Hon. Abubakar Chika Adamu (Niger, APC) lambasted the ruling party for what he called lack of internal democracy in the conduct of the party primary.

    Adamu in his debate on the motion lamented the lack of internal democracy in the conduct of the APC primary election in Rafinya/Shiroro/Munya Federal Constituency of Niger State which he represents at the green chamber of the National Assembly.

    The lawmaker said that the the party primary was full of irregularities and manipulations and accused the party leadership of bias.

    He further accused the party of orchestrating a scam and lamented that party nomination forms were too exorbitant and outrageous.

    According to the lawmaker, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC abdicated its responsibility during the primary election as the supervisor of political parties in as provided for in Sec 7 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

    He further expressed displeasure over the conduct of some state governors who were hell bent on installation of their stooges as governor inspite of clear provisions of the party’s constitution.

    He also hinted that there were cases of violent attack on innocent citizens by thugs and party agents during the primary election in his state.

    The APC lawmaker therefore asked the House to set up an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the matter and have a report on the party primary.

    Speaking in support, Hon.Adekunle Akinlade (Ogun, APC) who contested the governorship ticket of the party in his state and lost said that the party shortchanged so many of its members during the exercise.

    He stated that he clearly won the Ogun State APC governorship primary but the APC party leadership decided to share the position to other contenders for the ticket.

    Also in his contributions, Hon. Muhammad Soba (Kaduna, APC) said that he felt shortchanged during the party primary in APC his former party and added that the forms were too exorbitant.

    Even PDP lawmakers as Hon. Nnenna Ukeje (Abia, PDP), Hon. Sergius Ogun (Edo, PDP) and some other lawmakers expressed displeasure over the conduct of the primary elections of their own party. However they hailed the embittered APC lawmaker as he spoke on his own case shouting: “fire on, fire on”.

    The final heat came from Prof.Mojeed Alabi (Osun,APC) a professor of Political Science who stated that the the conduct of the APC primary is faulty and added that political parties by their formation and orientation are oligarchic in nature.

    Consequently, the Speaker Hon. Yakubu Dogara who presided the session threw the matter to vote and it was overwhelmingly voted for.

    Dogara thereafter constituted the Ad-hoc Committee and named Hon.Edward Pwajork (Plateau, APC) as Chairman. Other members include Hon Olayounu Tope (Kwara, APC) and Hon. Baballe Bashir (Kano, APC) among others.

  • JUST IN: Court voids suspension of five Imo lawmakers, slams N8m fine on Okorocha

    JUST IN: Court voids suspension of five Imo lawmakers, slams N8m fine on Okorocha

    A High Court in Imo State on Monday declared as null and void the suspension of five members of the state House of Assembly.

    The presiding judge, Justice Goddy Anunihu, who declared the processes that led to the indefinite suspension of the five lawmakers as “putting the horse before the cart,” also awarded N8m as cost against the three defendants.

    The defendants in the suit instituted by the embattled lawmakers were: the Imo State House of Assembly, the Speaker, Acho Ihim and the governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha.

    The affected lawmakers are: Chiiji Collins, Israel Nnataraoye, Nkenna Nzerue, Uche Oguwuike and Donatus Onuigwe.

    They represent Isiala Mbano, Mbaitoli, Ikeduru, Oru East and Oru West state constituencies respectively.

    The lawmakers were, in July, suspended by their colleagues in what the Speaker described as “un-parliamentary conduct.”

    They were suspended during the crisis surrounding the impeachment of the state deputy governor, Eze Madumere.

    The court had since reinstated Madumere.

    The presiding judge who tongue-lashed the legislature for acting against the law, faulted the setting-up of an investigation team to look into the allegations against the now reinstated lawmakers.

    Anunihu said that based on the evidence before him, the panel was set up even before the “purported indefinite suspension.”

    One of the reinstated lawmakers, Nnataraonye, who spoke to our correspondent on the phone shortly after the judgment was delivered, said, “I am in my office now. I have moved in and resumed duties immediately.

    “This is victory for democracy and it shows that our judicial system is a place of justice.”

     

  • BREAKING: Ekiti lawmakers impeach speaker, deputy, others

    The Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Kola Oluwawole, has been impeached.
    The Deputy Speaker, Sina Animasaun was also impeached.
    Both Oluwawole and Animasaun are members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
    Oluwawole, a staunch loyalist of Governor Ayo Fayose, was removed at about 11.00 am behind closed doors.
    The lawmakers elected the former Deputy Leader, Adeniran Alagbada while the Minority Leader, Gboyega Aribisogan, was elected as new House Leader of Business.
    Alagbada defected from PDP to APC in June alongside his political mentor, Prince Dayo Adeyeye.
    The change in leadership was believed to have been effected in anticipation of the change of government.
    Outgoing Governor Ayo Fayose will make way for the incoming Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who will be inaugurated on Tuesday.
     

  • 2019: INEC defends N189.2b election budget as lawmakers commence approval process

    Work has begun on the budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2019 elections.

    INEC Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu on Wednesday defended the commission’s N189.2 billion budget at separate sessions with the Senate’s and House of Representatives’ committees on INEC.

    Yakubu, who gave a breakdown of the various components of the budget, told the lawmakers that preparations for the poll ought to have started by August 15 (yesterday).

    Documents submitted to the lawmakers by INEC indicated that election operational cost will cost N134.4bn; technology -N27.5bn; administrative cost -N22.6bn; and miscellaneous -N4.6bn.

    The INEC chair spoke of significant increase in the variables and logistics for the 2019 elections as against the 2015 polls that cost N120 billion.

    According to him, the commission will be conducting elections with about 91 political parties on the ballot. There are over 82 million registered voters.

    The voter population in 2015 was about 70 million, with about 40 political parties on the ballot.

    Yakubu said the figures could rise in the months ahead, as the commission still had 140 applications for party registration still pending; the voter registration has been extended by two weeks to end August 30.

    INEC will conduct the presidential and National Assembly elections in February. They will be followed by governorship elections in 29 states, alongside state assembly election in the 36 states.

    Also included in the budget is the cost of conducting elections into the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as the expiration of the tenure of the elected officials coincides with the general elections.

    Also captured in the INEC budget is the Osun State governorship election coming up on September 22. The INEC chair said 48 political parties will participate in the Osun election.

    The Total cost for 2019 polls is N242, 445b, made up as follows: INEC to receive N189.207b, ONSA to get N4.2b, DSS to receive N12.213 b, NSCDC to get N3.573 b, NIS to get N2.628 b, Police to get N30.541 b.

    A breakdown of the police budget is: Police dogs N166,315m, Dogs’ medical/ general expenses N143,782m and 50 Polie horses’ feeding N7,719.4m.

    The chairman of the Senate committee, Suleiman Nazif, assured INEC of the legislature’s desire to expedite action on the budget, considering the time constraint.

    Nazif said the committee members will meet again today through Friday to fast track the process and refer the documents to the Appropriation Committee of the Senate.

    The chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on INEC, Mrs. Aisha Dukku, stressed the need for the parliament to approach the budget proposal from both process and content perspectives.

    Dukku told Yakubu: “It is only by so doing that one can begin to unravel the intricacies of the entire range of issues involved and their interconnectedness.

    “You will agree with me that for a government that promised change for its people, the foundation of this change ought to be evident in the way we plan our elections and electoral processes.

    “The estimates should represent a true picture of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA).”

    She expressed concern over INEC’s previous budgets, saying they were neither productive nor effective because of poor planning.”

    “It is my prayer and hope that the present administration would address the issues with budgeting, especially as regards funding; unlike the previous budgets that were not productive in the entire planning of elections,” Dukku added.

  • UK condemns DSS siege at National Assembly, demands respect for lawmakers

    The British High Commission on Tuesday condemned the invasion of the National Assembly siege by masked officials of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    The United Kingdom Government reiterated its commitment to the actualisation of a democratic process that recognises the rights of Nigerians to participate in election process.

    “We are aware of media reports of a situation at the National Assembly this morning. We are closely monitoring the situation and other political developments in Nigeria.

    “The United Kingdom supports a process whereby the people of Nigeria can exercise their democratic right to vote and be voted for. We favour a free, fair, credible and peaceful process and the independence of institutions, which allow for that,” Joe Abuku, a spokesperson for the UK Embassy in Abuja, said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

    The statement comes hours after Ben Murray-Bruce, a senator from Bayelsa State, asked that foreign sanctions be meted on those involved in the siege at the parliament.

    Murray-Bruce accused senior officials of the Buhari administration of being involved in the blockading of the National Assembly by masked officials of the State Security Service, saying he would help ensure that their visas and those of their families are revoked by Western countries.

    The National Assembly was taken over by SSS operatives, supported by the police, earlier Tuesday, amidst claims that there was an attempt to forcibly remove Senate President Bukola Saraki from office.

    Scores of senators and members of the House of Representatives were initially blocked from entering into the National Assembly premises, but all of them were later allowed to move in after threatening to force their way in.

    The security operatives also blocked all other staff members of the National Assembly, including the clerk of the parliament, as well as journalists and other independent observers of legislative process.

    There was a protest by civil society groups to force the security agencies to back down, but they declined. All the lawmakers who entered the premises were unable to conduct much legislative process since the clerk and other staff members were unavailable.

    The development has been widely condemned by opposition politicians, including Atiku Abubakar and several state governors, who warned against the use of security agents as repressive tools against an independent arm of government.

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who has been called on to act to check the excesses of security agencies, responded by summoning Lawal Daura, the head of SSS, and Inspector-General Ibrahim Idris.

    Daura was summarily dismissed and asked to hand over to the most-senior official behind him, a move that has sent ripples through the country’s political and security circles.

  • [Video] PDP reps caucus raise alarm over alleged plot to impeach Saraki

    The caucus of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the House of Representatives, has raised an alarm over an alleged plot by some senators loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari to impeach him Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who recently defected from the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, APC to PDP.

    The PDP caucus said the pro-Buhari lawmakers have perfected plans to force their ways into the chamber with the connivance of security agencies despite the fact that National Assembly is currently on a two-month annual recess.

    The Deputy Minority Leader of the House Chukwuka Onyema briefed reporters at the National Assembly yesterday evening where he said PDP lawmakers in the House would scuttle the plot by watching over the National Assembly.

    Onyema, who was flanked by about 10 members alleged senators, Abdullahi Adamu, Ovie Omo-Agege and Ali Ndume as being the arrowheads of the forceful takeover of the Senate chamber and the impeachment plot while the federal lawmakers are on their annual vacation.

    He said: “The aim of their invasion we are on recess is to come and sit illegally when everybody is on recess to impeach the Senate president.

    “We also have it on good authority that they are planning to come back this night and tomorrow morning aided by security forces; our own security forces whose job is to protect the lives of Nigerians.

    “They are the ones leading these dissident senators to come and truncate our democracy. We might think they want to take over the senate; that’s not what they want to do.

    “They want to truncate this democracy of ours. But we the PDP caucus has decided to stay here to keep vigil and wait to s what’s going to happen tonight and tomorrow night”.

    He , however, said it was time for Nigerians to rise up and defend the nation’s democracy, “This is not a rape on the National Assembly, it’s a rape on democracy which concerns all of us.

    “If we allow this to happen, then we can as well go back to when we use to have a military junta.

    “We also have some information that some policemen have arrived. We want to find out what they are doing here,” he added

  • Lawmakers order indefinite closure of Ekiti Assembly

    The Ekiti State House of Assembly has been shut indefinitely over alleged invasion by strange policemen.

    The Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, announced this at a press conference in Ado Ekiti on Thursday.

    He said the shutting down of the Assembly became necessary because two units of heavily armed riot-policemen stormed the premises on Wednesday without an official request.

    When our correspondent visited the Assembly on Thursday, there was no policeman in sight.

    Oluwawole, who addressed journalists in company with 17 other lawmakers, said members of the All Progressives Congress in the Assembly were the brains behind the alleged strange Police deployment.

    He said the Police were acting on a letter forged by the three APC members using the name of the Clerk, Mr. Tola Esan, and addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bello Ahmed, calling for deployment.

    He said the letter and the request were “unwarranted.”

    Recently, three PDP House members had defected to the APC. They are Gboyega Aribisogan, Sunday Akinniyi and Ebenezer Alagbada, who left the PDP after a disagreement with Governor Ayodele Fayose.

    Oluwawole said the Assembly would remain shut until security of lives of lawmakers and staff of the hallowed chamber could be guaranteed.

    The Speaker said the Assembly had petitioned the CP to raise allegation of forgery against Aribisogan, Akinniyi and Alagbada.

    He recalled that the Clerk had, on July 25, written a similar letter dissociating himself from the letter purportedly written by him requesting Police cover at the Assembly.

    He urged the Police authority to conduct unfettered investigations into the issue and bring the culprits to justice.

    The Speaker said, “This is strange in democracy, for lawmakers to wake up and see unauthorised Police deployment in the legislative arm of government.

    “On Wednesday at about 9pm, Police authority deployed two detachments of heavily armed policemen to the premises of the Assembly. This came to us as a shock because we are in a recess and such action was unwarranted.

    “Before now, we had it on good authority that Police were planning to provide cover for the three defecting lawmakers to perpetrate violence in the Assembly and cause confusion and also to endanger the lives of our staff.

    “As we speak, the lives of our people are no longer safe, because the Police and APC thugs have laid siege to Ekiti Assembly and under this circumstance, our staff are no longer safe and we declare indefinite closure of the Assembly pending the time security can be guaranteed.

    “We have not recovered from the harassment and abduction of our members by Police during the July 14 election. But let me say expressly that such strange police deployment was unsolicited, unwarranted and ultra vires,” he said.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Caleb Ikechukwu, could not be reached, as his phone was switched off.

  • Defected lawmakers will return soon – Senate leader

    …insists APC still in majority

    Sen. Ahmed Lawan, Senate Majority Leader has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership will work to ensure the return of its Senators that defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He stated this while speaking with newsmen after a closed- door meeting with Mr Adams Oshiomhole, the APC National Chairman on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Lawan added that the APC cacus in the Senate would work with the party’s leadership to ensure that the defected senators return to its fold.

    The President of Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki had earlier, announced the defection of 15 APC Senators to the PDP and other political parties.

    “We came to brief the party’s leadership about what happened today at the Senate,” the Senate Majority Leader said.

    He added that they would try to explain to the party’s senators who defected and give them the comfort they required while assuring them that the APC was the best to work with.

    This, he said, was especially so because the party had a President who had remained focused and had done so much with little resources to improve the lots of Nigerians.

    “He is busy providing infrastructure in this country, infact, Nigeria is today, a construction site and I believe that every Nigerian should support this type of President.

    “At the end of the day, we are hoping that our colleagues who have left us will come back to this party to continue in the nation building process,”the Senator said.

    He further said that the APC reconciliation was a continuous process,adding that it would however, take some time to reconcile all those who were aggrieved within the party.

    Lawan maintained that there was no alternative to reconciliation and consultation,stressing that the party’s leadership would get back its members.

    According to him, the PDP has no future because it mis-ruled Nigeria and embezzled its resources.

    “I will be surprised if anyone wants to associate with this kind of party,our colleagues are clean people and should have nothing to do with PDP at all.

    He added that in spite of the defection of 15 APC to opposition parties, his position as Senate Majority Leader was not in contention.

    “If you look at our senate rules, the party with the majority of seats provides the majority leader, you do not need a mathematician to tell you that we are in the majority,but that is not the issue.

    “It is not about the office of the majority leader, but for our colleagues working together and facing the same direction as progressives to make Nigeria better.

    “It is about giving the president the support he requires and for the party to continue to provide the kind of leadership we need, that is what we are looking for, “he said.

    He added that though the APC had lost some of its colleagues to the PDP and to other political parties,it still retain the position of the number one party.

    “Presently, we have 53 Senators, PDP has 49, African Democratic Congress (ADC) has three, APGA has two and we have two vacancies resulting from the loss of our colleagues in Kastina and Bauchi.

    “Those were APC seats, very safe seats. On August 11 a by-election will be held and by the grace of God APC will claim the seats and the majority of the APC will increase and improve,” he said.

     

  • 2019: Buhari speaks on massive defection of lawmakers from APC

    2019: Buhari speaks on massive defection of lawmakers from APC

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his total commitment to the values of democracy, freedom of choice and total willingness to work with all members of the National Assembly, irrespective of their political party.

    Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, said Buhari was reacting to purported defection of some members of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

    Buhari noted that none of the defecting federal lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had any specific grievances against him or the APC-led government; neither did he harbour anything against any of them.

    “As the saying goes, all politics is local. We understand that some of the distinguished and honourable lawmakers have issues with their home states, especially on zoning which bars some of them from seeking another term in their constituencies,” he said.

    While noting that the APC had done its utmost to stop the defections, the president commended the leadership of the party for relentlessly working for its unity and ensuring success in the upcoming elections.

    Buhari assured members of the APC of his total support and urged party faithful not to despair but to see the defections as a seasonal occurrence that happens on election eves.

    He expressed confidence that no harm or injury would be done to the party and its aspirations by the movements.

    The president, therefore, wished all the decamped members the best in their future undertakings.

    It would be recalled that 15 senators on July 25 announced their defection from the APC to the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

    In a letter to the President of the Senate, signed by 14 senators, they indicated their intention to leave the ruling APC for the opposition PDP.

    Also 37 members of the House of Representatives formerly in the fold of the APC dumped the party same date and moved to the PDP and African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    The legislators in a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, officially announced their defection during plenary on Tuesday.

    We respect rights of members to change parties – APC

    Nigeria’s ruling party, APC, said on Tuesday that it respects the rights of anyone to change parties.

    The APC was reacting to the defection of 15 senators and 36 members of the House of Representatives from it on Tuesday. Majority of the defectors joined the opposition PDP.

    “APC notes the development in the National Assembly with the defection of some of our members from the party,” Bolaji Abdullahi, the APC spokesperson, said in a statement.

    “APC remains in firm control of 25 states of the 36 states of the federation and maintains a clear majority in the federal House of Representatives and state assemblies.”

    “it would appear however that the individuals involved have different considerations beyond the grievances that they were willing to discuss and which our leaders were willing to address,” Mr Abdullahi said.

    The party, therefore, urged its members to remain calm, saying it would continue to prepare the party towards 2019.

    “As a truly democratic party, we respect the right of every citizen to political association. Therefore, we urge our members to remain calm as we continue to work hard to position our party strongly for the next general elections.

    Defectors have no electoral value – Oshiomhole

    The National Chairman of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has said that losing majority of the lawmakers to opposition parties on Tuesday will not in any way affect the party’s victory in the 2019 elections.

    Recall that 15 senators and 37 members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday defected from the ruling APC on Tuesday with majority joining the PDP.

    Oshiomhole, who spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, said those who left are “mercenaries” who were in APC just to win election.

    He said the governing party is “not disturbed at all” and that he is not losing sleep over the defections.

    Oshiomhole also said it is good that those who never believed in the APC are leaving ahead the electioneering activities because that would enable the party concentrate on its campaigns.

    He said those who defected cannot affect the electoral fortunes of APC because President Muhammadu Buhari got more votes than them in their own constituencies in the last election.

     

  • APC officially reacts to lawmakers’ defection to PDP, other parties

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has assured its members and supporters that it will continue to consolidate on its majority status ahead of the 2019 general elections in spite of the defection of some members.

    The party gave the assurance in a statement by Malam Bolaji Abudullahi, its National Publicity Secretary on Tuesday in Abuja.

    It stated that the APC-led Federal Government would continue to work hard to deliver on its campaign promises to Nigerians.

    It added that “the APC notes the development in the National Assembly, with the defection of some members to other parties.

    “In the last couple of weeks, our party leaders worked to stave off this situation as responsible party leaders would do, but the individuals involved have different considerations beyond the grievances that they were willing to discuss, and which our leaders were willing to address.

    “As a truly democratic party, however, APC respects the rights of every citizen to political association.”

    It, therefore, urged its members to remain calm as it continued to work to position the party for the next general elections.

    It stated that APC remained in firm control of 25 states of the 36 states of the federation and maintained clear majority in Federal House of Representatives and state assemblies.

    Recall that the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday, announced the defection of 15 APC senators from the party.

    Members of the House of Representatives followed suit with 37 of them defecting to the PDP and ADP.