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DPC tasks INEC on credible elections
By Zulei Mohammed
With just few days to the scheduled gubernatorial election in Kogi and Bayelsa states, the Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC) has called on the new INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, to formulate and implement policies that will strengthen the nation’s multiparty democracy.
This was contained in a release by the party’s national chairman, Rev. Olusegun Peters, where he stated that the integrity, credibility and neutrality of the electoral umpire are essential in boosting Nigerians’ confidence in the political process.
“We charge the new INEC boss, Professor Yakubu to be upright in repositioning the commission as Nigerians expect INEC to be proactive and give political parties directions in the quest at safeguarding our participatory democracy,” he said.
He also urged the federal government to always make funds available to the commission as at when due, and charged INEC to conduct regular training of its officials in order to meet the challenges of elections.
Our gov neglected us after victory – Bauchi APC chieftain
From Balarabe Alkassim, Bauchi
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi has accused Governor Mohammed Abubakar and the leadership of the party of allegedly dumping those who worked for their success in the last general elections.
The party chieftain, Alhaji Bappah Mohammed Tafida Hardawa, made the accusation while speaking to journalists in Bauchi yesterday.
He said that party loyalists were dumped and ignored after the victory that saw the APC sweeping all the electoral positions in the state, stressing that they have not benefitted from appointments or jobs from the government.
“From my understanding, party is the mother of all members despite your position. But, the fact is that all those that submitted themselves and worked for the victory of the party in the last general elections have not been carried along.
“Right from the inception of the merger, we have been part of the movement and we remained loyal to the party. Yet, the party and the government ignored us. They only go with those that are not party members,” he said.
While noting that the essence of politics is to provide dividends of democracy, he however, said that the people who agitated and worked for change should not be seen wallowing in object poverty.
Hardawa therefore called on Governor Abubakar and the leadership of the party to look back and carry along the loyalists of the party, warning that neglecting them will result in the party losing its integrity and relevance in the state.
PDP senators stop Remi Tinubu from using Ekweremadu’s mic
By Ismail Mudashir
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators yesterday stopped the wife of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, (APC, Lagos central) from using the microphone on the seat of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
Senator Ekweremadu (PDP, Enugu West) who claimed to have escaped assassination attempt on Tuesday, was absent and Mrs. Tinubu sat on his seat for over an hour.
It was while she was sitting on the seat that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki asked her to second the 200 m dollars loan request of Lagos State.
When she stood up and switched on the microphone on Ekweremadu’s seat, the PDP senators chanted ‘no, no’.
Our correspondent reports that when Tinubu explained to the PDP senators that the microphone on her seat was faulty, they persisted with their ‘no, no’ chant.
She ran back to her seat, saying “my microphone is bad” and thereafter went to a seat close to hers and said “can I use this?
It was at this moment that Saraki told her that she had his protection.
“You are protected, it is because of the passion you have for this loan that I thought it will be good for you to second it,” Saraki said and she seconded it.
Ohaneze youth rejects call for state of emergency in South-east
From Linus Effiong, Umuahia
The national president of the youth wing of Ohaneze Youth Council, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to pay no attention to those urging him to declare a state of emergency in the South-east over the wave of protests by Biafra agitators.
Mazi Isiguzoro stated this in a press statement issued yesterday in Umuahia, Abia State.
He averred that anybody recommending declaration of state of emergency or military engagement as the best solution to the escalating protests for self-rule by Biafran groups is deceptive and economical with the truth.
The release further alleged that some northern leaders were inciting President Buhari against Ndigbo in the South-east and their South-south neighbours.
I didn’t say Audu can’t contest – Fayose
From Doyin Adebusuyi, Ado-Ekiti
Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has said that the governorship candidate of the APC in Kogi State, Alhaji Abubakar Audu, has the right to contest the governorship election.
He said the statement credited to him that Audu was not qualified to contest based on the corruption cases he has in court was not made by him.
Fayose, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, said his statement at Lokoja during the grand finale of PDP governorship campaign rally centred strictly on advocating for a free and fair election like that of Ekiti State.