Ahead of the 2023 general elections, leaders of the South East geopolitical zone have begun moves to win the support of the North for an Igbo president.
Accordingly, Ohanaeze Ndigbo presidency delegation has sent a message of appeal for support to the North.
This is coming three days after leaders of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) reiterated that they were the Kingmakers.
Speaking in Kaduna on Saturday during a meeting of Northern Leaders of Thought at Arewa House, the northern leaders, including Prof Ango Abdullahi and Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed, said the overwhelming majority of politicians warning up to takeover power in 2023 and continue the business, as usual, should be rejected.
They said democracy is essentially the freedom to choose a good leader and everybody should be allowed to choose the person he wanted.
Apparently conceding to the northern leaders, the South East leaders yesterday said for the Igbos to achieve their quest to produce the next president of Nigeria come 2023 the support of the northern region was very paramount.
Speaking at a meeting with the national president of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo presidential quest team said the Igbos believe in dialogue, lobbying and negotiation to actualise their ambition to produce the President of south eastern extraction is to be achieved.
“We are here to beg northerners to support Igbo to get the 2023 presidency,” leader of the delegation and secretary-general of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, stated.
He also hinted that Igbos in diaspora have set aside N10 billion to support any candidate of Igbo extraction that would emerge for the presidential race from any of the major political parties.
Mazi Isiguzoro disclosed that the delegation had earlier met with some religious and traditional leaders in the north over the presidential project.
He said the Igbo delegation for the 2023 presidency would continue to lobby all parts of the country for power shift to the South Eastern region.
He noted that Igbo nation, including their kinsmen in Rivers and Delta States, have abundant human resources and brains that can produce an outstanding president if given the opportunity.
The Ohanaeze scribe listed politicians like Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, Governor David Omahi, among others, as presidential materials.
“So, we are begging the North to look at individual competence and not the region,” he appealed.
He continued: “We are begging the North to give us the opportunity. You should help us because we know that the North plays the role of kingmaker in politics of this country. We are here to ask you to support an Igbo man for the presidency. There should be no more abusive words between North and South East as we used to read on pages of newspapers.
“What happened to the cordial relationship between Zik and Tafawa Balewa? What happened to the good relationship between North and South East? We must bring back the good memories of the old days for the unity and development of Nigeria.
“Igbo have over 1 trillion investments in the North. We are for one Nigeria; we are not for Biafra. We need somebody that is of age that can unite Nigeria. We believe in one Nigeria. We have abundant human resources that can take over from Buhari.
“We have people who are committed to serving Nigeria. We have seven states, including Rivers and Delta States where we have Igbo-speaking brothers. We have politicians like Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, Rochas Okorocha, among others that can run for the presidency”.
Responding, Shettima told the delegation that it was good to negotiate and lobby when seeking for power, adding that nobody has ever achieved political results through threat or blackmail.
He said, “I have always believed in Pan Nigeria. I believe in the unity of one Nigeria. I have been part of many struggles. I am not happy that Nigeria is not where it is. People who don’t have an idea of the history of Nigeria resorted to abusive words and threats. They resorted to championing the cause of Biafra. Gone are those days you use threats to look for power.
“It is a welcome development that you are here to discuss the 2023 general election. Politics is about negotiation and lobbying. You need to rise above board. Nobody will trust power to you if you resort to threat and blackmail.
“However, democratically, I don’t understand what zoning means. I believe that you should bring out your candidate and we will bring out our own, and by the time we meet at the contest, whoever wins, should carry the day. Nonetheless, we will go back to our elders and report to them about your visit and mission,” Shettima added.
PDP Governors Silent On Zoning, Consensus Candidate
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has called on the National Assembly to conclude deliberations on the Electoral Act Amendment by either overriding President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto or delete areas of complaints in the amended Act.
The PDP governors insisted that the option of overriding the president’s veto on the amended Act would lead to a quicker resolution of the impasse and deny him the opportunity of truncating a reformed electoral jurisprudence for Nigeria.
In a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting that lasted for over five hours at Government House, Port Harcourt, the forum insisted that an early concluded Electoral Act amendment is vital for credible elections in the country.
In the nine-point communiqué, which was read by chairman of the forum and Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the governors congratulated the PDP family for conducting a successful convention that led to the emergence of the Dr Iyorchia Ayu-led national working committee.
It reads in part: “The PDP governors requested the National Assembly to quickly conclude deliberations on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill either by overriding Mr President’s veto or deleting areas of complaints.
“The meeting advised that the option of sustaining Mr President’s veto would lead to a quicker resolution and would deny Mr President the opportunity to once again truncate a reformed Electoral jurisprudence for Nigeria. An early concluded Electoral Act is vital for credible elections.
“The PDP governors congratulated the entire PDP family for conducting a smooth and credible National Convention that led to the emergence of the highly acclaimed Senator Dr. Iyorchia Ayu-led National Executive Committee.
“The meeting commended the new PDP NWC for hitting the ground running with respect to repositioning the PDP into a credible vehicle for rescuing and rebuilding Nigeria which has been battered by bad economy, insecurity, unemployment and other social ills by the incompetent and inept APC administration.”
The PDP governors expressed regret that the nation’s economy has continued to deteriorate.
The said the party handed over a $550 billion economy to APC in 2015, but the governing APC government has turned the country into the poverty capital of the world.
Tambuwal stated: “The Nigerian Economy has continued to deteriorate and Nigerians have become numb and accustomed to bad economic news as exemplified by the inconsistent and differential exchange rate regime, high interest rates, unsustainable unemployment figures and borrowing spree some of which have not been applied to important projects, and other bad economic indicators.
“In particular, it is clear that the APC Government is a massive failure when compared with the records of PDP in government. The PDP handed over a $550 billion economy (the largest in Africa), but under APC, Nigeria is the Poverty Capital of the world.
“In 2015, under PDP, the exchange rate was N198 per Dollar, it is now under APC almost N500 to a dollar; In 2015, unemployment rate was 7.3% under PDP, it is now 33%, one of the highest in the world under APC; In 2015, the Pump price of Petroleum was N87 per litre, it is now N165 per litre and climbing under APC. Debt Servicing now under APC takes over 98% of the Federal budget. The tales of woe are endless.
“The meeting lamented the continued state of insecurity in the country, the persistent and ceaseless flow of Nigerians’ blood on a daily basis in many parts of Nigeria, the near collapse of the security situation in Nigeria. The strategies to confront terrorists, kidnappers, bandits and other criminals is still a major problem of the APC administration.
“The meeting expressed regrets that Mr President is unwilling, from his recent comments discountenancing the proposals for state policing, to participate in reviewing the structural problems of tackling insecurity in Nigeria and urges Mr President to reconsider his position and consider decentralisation and restructuring of the security architecture as the most viable solution, together with proper arming, funding and training requirements for Security Agencies.
“The PDP Governors noted that the management of our Oil and Gas resources, the administration of Federation Account remittances have remained opaque, confusing and non – transparent. In addition, the transition to NNPC Ltd under the Petroleum Industry Act has not been properly streamlined to ensure that the interests of all the tiers of Government are protected, consistent with the 1999 Constitution.
“The meeting urged eligible Nigerians of all walks of life, particularly the youths, to register en masse with INEC to exercise their franchise in the 2023 general elections.
“It further noted that the next election is a very consequential election that should be used to end the dominance of youth unfriendly APC Government; a government that had the arrogance to deny Nigerian youths the use of Twitter, a business friendly tool for the young, for over a year. The youths should empower themselves to determine who leads them.”
APC Governors Pass Confidence Vote On Buni As PGF DG Resigns
Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Kebbi State Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, has reaffirmed the members’ confidence in the party leadership under his Yobe State counterpart Mai Mala Buni.
He said as the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Buni has piloted the affairs of the party to the admiration of the governors, other party leaders and supporters. Bagudu, who addressed journalists the APC governors’ meeting which lasted for over two hours, said the PGF was happy with the way the caretaker committee had worked since its inception
The governor stated: “We passed a vote of confidence on the party leadership led by Governor Mai Mala Buni and two other governors among others, Governor Sani Bello of Niger State and Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State, who have done an incredible job of running our party successfully. They have been mobilising people into the party and we are very happy with their conduct.”
And a few hours after the vote of confidence was passed on the committee, the director-general of the PGF, Salihu Lukman, resigned his office.
It was learnt that most of the governors were against forcing Lukman out of office, but a few of the governors were bent on making sure his stint with the governors was brought to an abrupt end.
Right from the days of the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC), Lukman was at the forefront of the battle, calling for the resignation of the former chairman.
Since the crisis in the party began, Lukman had been very vocal, issuing press statements that were against the interest of the ruling party leadership.
After the Oshiomhole National Working Committee (NWC) was dissolved in June 2020, the Caretaker Committee chaired by Buni came on board.
Lukman, who did not issue a public statement on his resignation, also declined to respond to calls and text messages sent to his mobile phone.
A source within the APC Secretariat who doesn’t want his name mentioned, said the accusation against the Buni-led committee were “false and politically motivated,” adding that the “Yobe State governor since he came on board has stabilised the APC and made it attractive to other political parties.
“Governor Buni and his committee have sacrificed so much for APC and should be commended not vilified by those who are working with the opposition to destroy our party. The entire party hierarchy from the councils to the states including Mr. President have so much confidence in the Buni-led committee,” the source said.
It’s Time To Reward Tinubu, Shettima, Babachir Tell PMB, Stakeholders
Meanwhile, former Borno State governor, Senator Kashim Shettima, and former secretary to the government of the Federation, David Babachir yesterday asked President Muhamadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to consider the presidential bid of national leader of the party and former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as payback time for his efforts in ensuring that the party took power in 2015.
They spoke yesterday in Abuja at a conference organised by the Support Groups Management Council (SGMC) for Tinubu.
The conference was a gathering of delegates from the over 2500 support groups for Tinubu who are mandated to embark on aggressive mobilisation from the national to the ward level and polling units.
Speaking at the international Conference Centre (ICC), venue of the conference, Shettima recalled that Tinubu was instrumental in ensuring the emergence of Buhari as presidential candidate of the APC in 2015.
The former governor turned federal lawmaker said, “In 2015, some aspirants with a very huge war chest were itching to cling to the ticket of the APC, like the rock of Gibraltar, Asiwaju and his progressive team stood solidly behind the candidate of President Muhamadu Buhari.”
He maintained that power must shift to the South in 2023 for equity, justice as well as fairness, adding that Tinubu should be given the choice of first refusal because more than any other person he has sacrificed more for the APC.
He condemned what he described as mischievous fixation on Tinubu’s age and the wild conclusions that he is physically unsuitable for the office of the president.
“We are not here to prepare for the Olympics, but an institution that relies on the superiority of ideas to thrive”, Shettima added.
He noted that Tinubu is a tested, accomplished and large-hearted leader who has invested his resources in building an extensive network of political mentees, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi; minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbeshola, and minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
Also speaking at the event, former secretary to the government of the Federation, David Babachir, said Tinubu has no equal in terms of suitability of the person fit to take over the governance of the country from President Buhari and bring APC back on the track where it derailed.
Babachir expressed firm belief that Tinubu will cling the party’s presidential ticket with whatever mode of primary election, saying as democrats, the team would have a direct method that involves all the card-carrying members of the party in the choosing process.
He stated, “Since forming government at the centre and in many states across the federation for the past seven and a half years, the objective of building a cohesive and virile political party has eluded the leadership of the APC. This has not only limited the capacity of the government to deliver on the promises made to Nigerians but has also created legitimate doubt on the sustainability of the party.
“The incapacity of the Party to even harmonise and synergise policy direction of the federal government with that of States it controls especially in key critical areas around which the campaigns were ran, speaks volumes about its incompetence”.
On his part, director general of the Support Groups Management Council, Abdulmumin Jibrin, said, “Whether it is the direct primaries or the indirect primaries that is adopted, support groups are key. If it is the direct primaries, you are the voters.
“I don’t see how anybody can defeat us in an election. If it is indirect primaries where delegates are going to vote, these delegates are not going to drop from heaven. These delegates are your neighbors. They are your relatives.
“2023 is about our future, we can’t toil with it. We can’t take chances. We wanted the best hand. Yes, within the APC we have said repeatedly, we have very good hands,” he said.
No Don’t, Just Correct The Errors, CSOs Tell Lawmakers
But Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country urged the two chambers not to override President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto of the 2021 Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
According to the CSOs, the National Assembly should consider the misgivings of Buhari on the bill and also work on the errors it discovered in 11 sections of the bill.
Nigerians had expected President Buhari to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law or communicate to the National Assembly before or on November 19, 2021, which is the stipulated time by law for the president to act.
But there was no communication until December 21, 2021 when the Senate officially received and read the president’s communication rejecting the electoral bill.
The CSOs said they identified errors in 11 sections of the bill, similar to what happened in 2018.
Speaking at a press conference on behalf of the CSOs, the Executive Director, International Press Centre, Lanre Arongundade, said the National Assembly should not override Buhari, adding that they should work on the bill and send it back to him within 10 days.
“Overriding the president would have been the fastest route, but it would have delayed the process.
“The National Assembly should correct that, including fixing the errors identified in 11 clauses. We want to take the president by his words. The National Assembly should correct it and send it back to him on time,” Arongundade said, adding that if the National Assembly and the president refuse to do what is right, they will mobilise Nigerians to ensure the right thing is done.
“If the National Assembly members claim to be representatives of the people, they must do what Nigerians want,” he added.
The CSOs however, asked both the Senate and the House of Representatives to, upon resumption today, take legislative action at its first sitting to conclude the process and re-transmit the bill to President Buhari by Friday January 21, 2022.
The executive director, The Albino Foundation, Jake Ekpelle, said the opinion of 31 million Nigerians with disabilities is that the current bill is the most inclusive electoral bill ever.
“They should carry out the corrections. The president should sign it when what he demanded for has been removed. If the president signs it, 31 million people with disabilities will be happy and it will give credence to the disability bill,” Ekpelle added.
Also, the executive director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, David Anyaele, said Nigerians must engage their legislators and call them on the need to pass the bill on time and ensure the president signs it.
Anyele said the legal department of the National Assembly must ensure they clean up the bill and ensure it is error-free before sending it to President Buhari.
But the National Assembly has said that all discussions, contributions towards the electoral act amendment bill have been received, adding that it will form part of their decisions as they resume today.
Speaking, the leader of the Senate, Yahaya Abdullahi, said they could not proceed further on the president’s veto because the House of Representatives were already in recess.
“Now that all of us are resuming, discussions and contributions concerning the bill will form part of our action. Decisions are taken in the chambers and we’ve gotten the message. During the recess, we read newspapers and also interacted with our constituents. The contribution from the CSO is well received,” Abdullahi said.
