Connect with us

Politics

Nothing Like Northern Voter Superiority – Afenifere Tells Northern Elders

Published

on

Why Afenifere Insists On Supporting Obi For Presidency - Adebanjo

The National Secretary, Afenifere Egbe Ilosiwaju Yoruba, Mr Bayo Aina, has  faulted a notion of a northern voter superiority that guarantees electoral victory for a section of the country.

Afenifere urged the Director of Publicity and Advocacy of the Northern Elders Forum Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed and others with a similar mindset to embrace a new orientation and turn away from the “ancient world view that has been used to fuel tribal politics and which has sought to permanently bifurcate Nigeria into groups of first and second fiddle players.”

READ ALSO: Why We’ll Continue To Lead Nigeria – Northern Elders

Reacting to a recent interview on Arise TV in which Dr Hakeem Baba-Hammed issued a threat to the effect that the north may deny the south the opportunity to produce a president for Nigeria in 2023 based on the “Numercial Superiority of the North,” Mr Aina observed that there is no  “Monolithic North,with voter population in such vast numbers as can be activated and deployed at the switch of a button for electoral victory at will.The truth is that there was never such a north.Not in 1959 when the north voted as Northern Region, and certainly not in 2021 when the north is now made up of 19 states and divided into 3 geopolitical zones.”

Going into the country’s electoral archives, Mr. Aina said:” The 1959 elections that ushered in the Government of Independence, here listed below is the performance of the political parties:

Party                                       Votes Scored      Percentage            Seats won

NGNC                                  2,594,577.               34%.                         81

AG                                       1,992,364                 26%                          78

NPC                                    1,922,179                25%.                         134

Others                                                                                                   24

Total Seats.                                                                                          312

Source Northern st. Al (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook p 707 ISBN

“With 157 seats needed for a simple majority, it is clear that none of the parties could have formed the government without  an alliance or an agreement.

“Similarly in 1979, Alhaji Sheu Shagari was able to emerge as president due to the support that voters in Rivers and Cross Rivers States of Southern Nigeria gave the NPN, the party on whose platform President Shagari contested.

“In 1993, the SDP was able to win its undeclared victory because of its massive support base that transversed the entire nation. This has also been the trend since 1999 and Nigeria has consistently proved itself larger than any of its componens.

“We appeal to people with a  similar mindset as Dr Hakeem Bab-Hameed to please desist from littering our polity with statements that smack of baseless intimidation, rather they should communicate in ways that promote good neighbourliness and mutual respect devoid of an illusion of superiority and a right to intimidate.”

Read more authentic news on our social media platforms

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Politics

BREAKING: Tinubu, Shettima Know Fate On Disqualification From Presidency On Friday

Published

on

Tinubu and Shettima

Whether the Supreme Court will nullify the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate in the February 25 election, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, over alleged double nomination or not will be decided on Friday May 26, 2023.

The apex court on Monday, adjourned to the above date to deliver its judgment in the appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shortly after taking submissions from the counsel representing parties in the suit.

Specifically, the PDP is seeking the disqualification of the President-elect, Tinubu and the Vice-President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, over alleged double nomination; an act which they say violates the electoral laws.

The appellant anchored its appeal on the claims that the appellate court erred in law when it dismissed its appeal and affirmed the judgment of a trial court which held that the suit was incompetent and lacking in merit.

PDP is claiming that the APC breached the law when it nominated Shettima as the senatorial candidate for Borno Central and as vice-presidential candidate.

At Monday’s proceedings, while APC’s lawyer, Mr Babatunde Ogala (SAN), asked the court to strike out the case on the grounds that it has become statute barred, because the 180 days stipulated by law to hear the suit has elapsed, PDP’s lawyer, Mr Joe Agi (SAN), disagreed.

It is Agi’s position that the issue of 180 days does not apply in respect of double nomination, adding that since the act is purely an illegality, the court has the right to entertain the appeal.

“They have done that before, they did it in the case of Nwosu and APC and they will do it again,” Agim added.

The appellant accordingly urged the apex court to grant the appeal, set aside the concurrent decision of the two lower courts and nullify the election of Tinubu and the vice-president-elect for alleged double nomination.

The PDP had by their appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/108/2023, urged the appellate court to reverse the January 13 judgment by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja which dismissed its suit on the grounds that the PDP lacked locus standi to have instituted the suit.

The three-member panel of justices of the Court of Appeal, in the lead judgment held that the PDP failed to establish its locus standi in the case.

Justice James Abundaga, who delivered the judgment of the appellate court, had agreed with the respondents that the PDP is a busy body, which dabbled in issues that are internal affairs of the APC.

“The appellant, having failed to disclose its locus standi, this appeal fails and it is hereby dismissed,” he said and proceeded to affirm the judgment of the Federal High Court.

Justice Abundaga awarded N5 million cost against the appellant’s lawyer, J. O. Olotu.

The PDP had, in the suit filed on July 28, 2022, challenged the validity of the Tinubu/Shettima ticket for the 2023 presidential election, arguing that Shettima’s nomination as the running mate was in breach of the provisions of Sections 29(1), 33, 35 and 84{1)}(2)} of the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended).

Continue Reading

Politics

BREAKING: Court Disqualifies Alex Otti As Governor-elect,  Others In Abia, Kano

Published

on

Alex Otti

The Abia State Governor-elect, Dr Alex Otti and all the candidates of the Labour Party in Abia and Kano States have been disqualified.

The disqualification came from a Federal High Court sitting in Kano, presided over by Justice M N Yunusa.

The court ruled that their emergence was not in compliance with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.

A copy of the judgement delivered by the court was made available to newsmen on Friday.

The Court in Suit No FHC/KN/CS/107/2023 filed by Mr Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ruled that the failure of the Labour Party to submit its membership register to the INEC within 30 days before their primaries renders the process invalid.

“The party that has not complied with the provisions of the electoral act cannot be said to have a candidate in an election and cannot be declared winner of an election; this being so, the votes credited to the 1st defendant are a wasted vote,” the judge ruled.

Continue Reading

Politics

BREAKING: Adeleke, Oyetola Know Fates As Supreme Court Rules On Osun Governorship Poll Tomorrow

Published

on

Oyetola and Adeleke

By tomorrow Tuesday, Ademola Adeleke will know if he remains the Osun State helmsman as the Supreme Court will rule on the governorship poll dispute.

The ruling is on an appeal filed by former Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola against Governor Adeleke’s victory in the July 2022 governorship election in the state.

Oyetola is asking the apex court to set aside the ruling of the appellate court which nullified the judgement of the election tribunal.

The election tribunal had declared Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the election.

Oyetola was declared the winner by the election tribunal after he went to court to challenge the victory of Adeleke, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Delivering judgment on January 27, two out of the three-member panel held that the former governor was able to prove that there was over-voting in some of the polling units.

Adeleke had rejected the judgment, describing it as “a miscarriage of justice” and “an unfair interpretation against the will of majority of voters”.

In the 31 grounds of appeal, Adeleke begged the court for “an order setting aside the whole decision of the tribunal”.

He also sought “an order striking out the petition for want of competence and jurisdiction or in the alternative, an order dismissing the petition on the merit”.

Adeleke submitted that the tribunal exhibited bias when it said: “The second respondent cannot ‘go lo lo lo lo’ and ‘buga won’ as the duly elected governor of Osun state.”

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices on Friday, held that the appeal the governor lodged to challenge his sacking by the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, was meritorious.

Aside from setting aside the judgement of the tribunal, the court, in its lead judgement that was delivered by Justice Mohammed Lawal, awarded N500,000 cost against APC and its candidate, Oyetola.

However, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court announced on Monday that judgment will be delivered on the matter at 2 pm on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

This comes after the panel took arguments from the legal representatives of Adeleke and Oyetola.

Continue Reading

Top Stories