AHEAD of the 2023 presidential election,some North East elders have endorsed the candidacy of Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party, describing his choice as the best for modern Nigeria. The elders denounced the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Muslim Muslim presidential ticket, saying the action of the party would not enjoy their blessings as açcording to them,it did not promote equity and fairness in a diverse Nigeria. In a statement on Saturday,the elders who described APC’s action as highest level of madness and an evil agenda in Nigeria,reminded the promoters of the same faith ticket to go memory lane to see if their action was in line with what founders of Nigeria’s democracy preached and practiced. Noting that Nigeria was a secular country that no religion should be elevated against others,the elders tasked APC to reflect on its action given that Nigeria of today had shifted from 1993 where such was promoted without any opposition. The North East elders, operating under the aegis of Coalition of North East Elders for Peace and Development (CNEEPD),told APC not to be comfortable with their action, saying the rigging which it was relying upon as party in government will fail them woefully as açcording to them,Nigerians would vote and safeguard their votes without fear or intimidations from APC’s hired agents. In the statement by its National Coordinator,Engr. Zana Goni,the group insisted that contrary to APC’s expectation,it would lose the presidential poll before 12 noon, adding that “indications across the country were not in favour of the party that had put Nigeria in its present bad situation.” The North East elders,also flayed the attacks being carried out on the facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the South East, attributing the developments to some sponsored terrorists outside the zone with the aim to deplete the South East voting strength. The statement read in part:”As the 2023 general elections draws near,we the Coalition of North East Elders for Peace and Development have noted with concerns some actions and statements by some political parties and actors in our democratic process. The latest being the impunity orchestrated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in settling for a same faith ticket in a multi-religious,multi-ethnic and above all,multi-cultural country like Nigeria and the party’s defence of the absurd action in the face of widespread opposition to the abnormalities. “As leaders who have not only monitored but also actively contributed to political developments in Nigeria for decades,we wish to categorically denounce the APC’s action which we view as inimical to the progress and growth of Nigeria. Without mincing words,we describe the party’s decision in fielding Muslim Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election as the highest level of madness, insensitivity, and an evil agenda against our dear country which we have laboured for years to build. This decision which threatens the unity of the country does not have our blessings and must be resisted by all Nigerians of good conscience. Anything contrary will threaten the fragile unity and peace of Nigeria.” The elders added:” We wonder why a sane man and sane political party will contemplate and even go ahead to pick a Muslim as running mate to a Muslim candidate in a presidential election in secular country as Nigeria at this modern age.” Açcording to the group,”To make the matter worse, they picked Alhajji Kashim Shetima, a man whose alleged link with terrorism is still a subject of debate in public domain.” Noting that,”This is a costly mistake that must be resisted at poll by all Nigerians, irrespective of religion,tribe or ethnic backgrounds in the interest of peace”, the group said:” If this madness is allowed to see the light of the day, the unity and peace of Nigeria will be threatened forever.” “How can someone tries this in Nigeria? As it stands together Christians and Muslims have started supporting candidates based on religious lines, in mosques and churches across the country. This is not what we need now. “The peace in Nigeria is too fragile to contemplate this kind of madness as exhibited by the ruling APC. The party has actually made more Nigerians to believe that they have an Islamization agenda as widely speculated,”it said. The group alleged that attacks on INEC facilitaties in the South East are orchestrated by some political interest groups to reduce the voting strength of the region. ” Given the carefully coordinated attacks launched in recent times on both INEC personnel and facilitaties,we will not be wrong to believe that the actions are carefully calculated, planned, and executed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists with aim to disenfranchised the people of South East and also put them in the bad light. “Security agencies must clamp down on these evil people and bring them to book immediately,”it said. “We also urge all the South East communities to constitute a special task force to protect INEC facilities and officials across the zone,”it tasked the region. “We call on all Nigeria’s to resist this evil and selfish agenda of Muslim Muslim ticket with every legal means. The current level of hunger and terrorism in the North today does not respect the Muslim or any religion hence Muslims must look beyond the lies APC is selling to us. We must vote credible leaders with capacity and programme for our dear country,”the elder advised.

  Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have stormed some polling units in Ede in Saturday’s Osun governorship election to observe the election. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that personnel were seen moving around the polling units and observing proceedings as voters took turn to get accreditation and cast their votes. In ward 2 unit 9, Ede North, the EFCC personnel, dressed in their red jackets took strategic positions apparently trying to to see if there was vote-buying by insatiable politicians. A visit to ward 4 unit 1, also revealed that the personnel had taken strategic positions in the polling unit. The situation was not different in ward 5 unit 1, as some of them were also sited moving round and observing the proceedings. NAN reports that the anti-graft agency is waging war against vote buying and inducement, in order to ensure that the electorate vote for their choices in the election. (NAN )

  THE All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, alleged weekend that Mr. Edozie Njoku who claimed to be leading a faction of the party is circulating a forged judgment claiming same to be from the Supreme Court. National publicity secretary of APGA, Mr. Tex Okechukwu, in a statement called on relevant authorities to arrest and punish Njoku for bringing the name of the nation’s apex court into disrepute. According to Okechukwu, there is no faction in APGA, adding that preliminary report by the police showed that Njoku allegedly doctored the judgment of the Supreme Court by deleting the name of the national chairman, Chief Victor Oye and inserting his own name Okechukwu’s statement read: “The attention of our great party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has been drawn to a mischievous and diversionary news making the rounds that the Supreme Court of Nigeria and INEC have finally recognised Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA. “We wish to state unequivocally that the news in question is fake, false and the figment of imagination of the authors of the news item.There was never a time the Supreme Court or INEC made such a pronouncement. “The undisputable truth remains that the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered a judgment in Appeal No.CA/KN/146/2021 SC/CV/687/2021 on October 14, 2021 in which it affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Kano which affirmed Dr. Victor Oye as the National Chairman of APGA. The Court of Appeal, Kano also dismissed Edozie Njoku’s Appeal for lack of merit. “In its ruling the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, including all motions. It also struck out all applications for joinder, including that of Edozie Njoku. It also awarded a cost of N1m in favour of APGA and Victor Oye who were the first and second Respondents in the suit. The appellant in this suit was Jude Okeke. There was nowhere Edozie Njoku’s name was mentioned in the suit. “We challenge Edozie Njoku and his goons to show where the Supreme Court reviewed its judgment on the Court of Appeal: No.CA/KN/146/2021 SC/CV/687/2021. We challenge him to publish the judgment of the Supreme Court in the suit above. It is important to let the public know that on May 26, 2022 we applied for the enrolled order of the Supreme Court in the above listed suit, which is yet to be disputed up till date. “What Edozie Njoku and his cohorts have done by doctoring the judgment of the apex court in the country was sacrilegious, deceitful, wicked and desperate. This act of sheer bravado and subterfuge on the part of Edozie Njoku and his gang should be condemned by all Nigerians and stiff penalties applied immediately to put a stop to an act capable of bringing the nation’s judiciary into disrepute. “We are glad to inform our teeming supporters, especially our candidates for the 2023 General election, that their particulars had been successfully uploaded to the INEC portal. We beat the INEC deadline on each occasion. As things stand, there is no faction in APGA as some persons insinuate. The fact remains that the only National Convention monitored by INEC was the one conducted by Dr. Victor Oye-led APGA on May 31, 2019 in Awka. And that is what is fully-reflected on the INEC portal. “We wish also to place on record that all the frivolous suits filed in various courts across Nigeria by Edozie Njoku from 2019 till date were duly dismissed for either abuse of court process or lack of territorial jurisdiction. The most notorious of such suits was the one he surreptitiously filed at the Federal High, Bauchi where he chose a lawyer for APGA and INEC without their knowledge. But the judge in his wisdom smelt a rat and ordered that the suit be sent back to the Chief Judge of Federal High Courts from where Victor Oye joined. The suit was assigned to Justice AR Mohammed who in his judgment on April 6, 2022 struck it out. “It was after this judgment that Edozie Njoku plotted his Supreme Court heist. We wish to inform our members that we have lodged a formal complaint with the police and investigation is nearing completion.Preliminary report by the police show that Edozie Njoku doctored the judgment of the Supreme Court by deleting Victor Oye’s name and inserting his own name. This is a flagrant case of perjury, forgery and impersonation, which we will fight to its logical end. “As a responsible party we will continue to subject our actions to due process of law and constitutionality in the hope that in the end justice will be served against a gang of persons whose desperation and crookedness are out of this world.”

  The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, did not partake in the ongoing Osun State Governorship election, The PUNCH has reliably gathered. It was learnt that the former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has travelled abroad to attend a conference. According to an aide of the minister, Aregbesola shunned the election to avoid a crisis. The PUNCH had reported that Aregbesola had publicly moved against the second-term ambition of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola. Instead, Aregbesola endorsed the former Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti, who later lost to Oyetola at the APC governorship primary election held on February 19. It was learnt that the minister was in Lagos State on Thursday before travelling to Abuja on Friday. When contacted, Aregbesola’s media adviser, Sola Fasure, confirmed the minister’s absence. “He proceeded on an official assignment on Friday,” Fasure said. The media aide noted that Aregbesola was not invited to work for Oyetola’s second-term bid in Osun. He also said the minister was not named in the Osun State campaign team by the All Progressives Congress. He said, “Aregbesola is not in Oshogbo. He is on an official assignment. He was not invited and not a part of the election council. The governor did not also invite him to be part of the campaign.” The Osun Progressives, a faction of the All Progressives Congress loyal to the Minister of Interior Affairs, Rauf Aregbesola, has broken silence on the Osun State Governorship election holding Saturday. The TOP’s position was contained in a post shared by a former commissioner in the state, Sikiru Ayedun, on Friday. The group reiterated that it remains a part of the APC despite the alleged maltreatment of its members by Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s administration. Earlier, there had been speculation that TOP may work for the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Ademola Adeleke, in the election: The PUNCH had reported that 15 political parties are participating in the election, while 1,955,657 registered voters will decide the fate of the candidates. The Independent National Electoral Commission had also said the election would take place in 332 registration areas across the 30 local government areas of the state. Though 15 political parties would be participating in the election, the top contenders are the candidate of APC, Oyetola and the candidate of the PDP, Adeleke. This would be the second time the two candidates would be meeting. Both Oyetola and Adeleke contested for the Osun governorship seat in 2018, which Oyetola won after a rerun. After the rerun election which took place in seven units, Oyetola won seven, while Adeleke won one. At the end of the rerun, Oyetola polled 255,505 votes while the PDP candidate scored a total of 255,023 votes. Although Adeleke had led Oyetola with 353 votes at the end of the first round of ballots, but after the rerun, Oyetola won with 482 votes. Part of the statement issued by TOP read, “As the Osun Governorship Election comes up tomorrow, we The Osun Progressives have been inundated with calls, questions and demands for our position by the media and our supporters and enthusiasts. “Fundamentally, we are unabashedly democrats of the progressive hue. We live its credo and our entire being is in it. “Our association, a caucus within the State of Osun All Progressives Congress, was founded last year when we alarmingly saw the direction our party was going. It was like the falcon could no longer hear the falconer. We were filled with trepidation on the tempest long foretold. “We were at this junction before, in the run-off to the 2003 General election. We feared that history might tragically repeat itself except we acted selflessly and forthrightly. Like-minded members and leaders of the party, therefore, came together to form the group. “The administration of our leader, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, produced a successor in Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, against all odds, by snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. We worked hard on the mantra of continuity, the continuation of the giant development strides of the Aregbesola administration, which endeared the party to the people of the state, producing the victory that brought Governor Oyetola into office. “As a caucus within the party, we have consistently made strident efforts at peace and reconciliation within our party. For this, we have only asked for one condition, which is inclusiveness. “The State Governor and his henchmen, most regrettably, have turned his office and our party into a zero-sum game. You are either with them or against them. They rejected any idea of inclusiveness. They rebuffed all propositions for peace and reconciliation and not even a Councillorship position was ceded to any other section of the party outside of the Ileri-Oluwa caucus. “Any party member that is not publicly demonstrating obscene loyalty to the governor and attacking Ogbeni Aregbesola or anyone remotely or directly associated with him is branded an enemy and marked for alienation from government and party offices. Worse still, the independent-minded party members not praise singing the Governor are subject to insidious and malevolent attacks. “The policy of exclusion in Osun APC is so deep that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who is the immediate past Governor of the state and the current minister from the state was neither consulted, invited nor included in any party matter, the most recent of which is the APC’s Osun Campaign Council for this election. This posturing has riven the party. “Nevertheless, we remain unflinching members of our party, the All Progressives Congress and stand by its ideals, irrespective of our travails or even the outcome of tomorrow’s election. We are long-distance runners and will not abandon the ship of our party, in calm or stormy waters.”

  The Oluwo of lwo, in Osun state, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has said that vote buying during election would end when Nigerians begin to enjoy dividend of democracy. Oba Akanbi said this after voting at polling Unit 1 Ward 2 in lwo. osun election “Vote buying is a challenge to democracy. The populace do not have hope. They are getting what they can get. It is a bad situation . We do not know when to get out of it. “The new breeds of politicians will help us to get out of it but people are hungry. They need food. Vote buying cannot stop now until we see real dividends of democracy He maintained that he would deliver90,000 votes he promised the ruling All Progressives Congress in the State. Oba Akanbi, said he canvassed votes for Governor Oyetola because of prompt payment of salaries and other dividend of democracy provided by his administration. “I am confident of delivering 90,000 votes. It is not easy for the Governor to move from the status quo and do what is right. He has been paying full salary. Osun is a civil servant State and the people depend on salaries. “He has been paying debt inherited and didnt use the money for frivolitties. I have told my people to vote for the APC and they will vote for the APC. The Governor is doing a great job. “I believe the person doing a great job should continue. I want all persons to vote peacefully. “My domain is peaceful. I have told them nobody should stay home. They should show their voting strength. We want to see our strength. Nobody should stay home and watch television.”

  A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom State and former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Nduese Essien, has said the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 presidential election, Bola Tinubu, has nothing new to offer after his party could not fulfill its promises to the country. He said Tinubu’s promise that his administration will make the Naira at par with the US Dollar is a mere campaign gimmick which cannot fly, adding that APC flag bearer has no such magic wand to turn the Naira around to equate in value with the Dollar. Essien said, “Tinubu made this kind of promise in 2015 when he was campaigning for Muhammadu Buhari, and seven years down the line, he couldn’t show the president how to appreciate the Naira. “Why then should anybody with knowledge of how the global economy works, believe him? “That’s how it started in 2014, leading to the opposition against President Goodluck Jonathan on how the Naira will be at par with the USA Dollar if Buhari is voted to power”, Chief Essien said, adding that Tinubu’s claim is unrealistic, given the fact that he may likely follow the economic path of Buhari, if voted into power. The term house of Representatives member, who chaired the South South caucus of the National Assembly from 1999 to 2003 castigated the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, in which Tinubu is co-traveller, for the abysmal depreciation of the Naira from where they met it at 150 to present day value of 610 to a dollar. “Why has Tinubu failed to assist President Buhari in arresting the steady fall of the Naira against other international currencies but waiting until he becomes President in 2023 before he miraculously intervened?” Essien queried. He added, “International currencies are not manipulated the way Bola Tinubu surreptitiously took the Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited Headquarters to Lagos away from its area of operations to the detriment of the Oil Producing Areas and has continued to sustain its maintenance there despite all the protests from the rest of the country and in keeping with international best practice. “Tinubu cannot be trusted because as the leader of the All Progressive Congress, the party has failed the country in all its campaign promises, he has nothing new to offer the nation.” Chief Essien called on Nigerians of voting age to make use of the extension given by INEC on registration for PVC, to be part of the leadership recruitment process.

  Gboyega Oyetola, governor of Osun, says he will be reelected. Speaking with journalists after voting on Saturday, Oyetola said the people are “conscious” and see the need to participate in the process. The governor said once the process is transparent, there would not be a need to ask people to vote. “The election is going smoothly. It is important to deplore the machine so as to ensure that the voting process can be completed within the time frame,” he said.   “I have seen the presence of the security. I think they are doing well. I see the enthusiasm the voters are displaying and I am particularly grateful to them. “I believe people are conscious of the need to participate in the process. Once the process is transparent enough, people will not be persuaded to vote. There won’t be voter apathy. It is indeed very impressive. “By the grace of the Almighty God, I am confident I will be reelected.” Earlier, on his social media pages, Oyetola asked the people to be resolute in voting. “Let me in particular, appeal to members and supporters of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, to exercise their civic rights peacefully,” he said. “Be resolute to cast your vote. However, portray yourselves and the party in the best possible form of comportment and orderliness. I equally urge other political gladiators to promote peace and tranquillity. Our peaceful coexistence supersedes any political ambition.”   Oyetola is up against Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Yusuff Lasun, candidate of the Labour Party (LP).