Senior Lawyer Backs Tinubu’s Second Term, INEC Chairman

A senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof. Sabatian Hon, has thrown his wealth behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term agenda, just as he commended the President over the choice of the current chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN).

The legal luminary, however, took a swipe at the Benue State governor, Hyacinth Alia, for his inability to forge strong relationships with the neighbouring states and proper collaboration with the federal government to address incessant killings in the state.

Hon, as an aspirant for the office of Governor of Benue State, also blamed the state Governor for frustrating and disregarding President Tinubu’s request that he engage all interest groups in the state to end internal squabbles and move the state forward.

Addressing journalists, the Senior lawyer expressed his commitment to ensuring that the president secures a second term of office, stressing that Tinubu inherited a weak economy on the brink of collapse and should be given enough time to fix the defects.

His words:” I believe that the President has done well so far. If you look at the way he has brought down the prices of food items, ended fuel queues, and the fact that petrol prices keep dropping, you will realise that, if that feat had not been achieved, there would have been no Nigeria by now with the way things were going.

“Tinubu inherited a terrible economy, and I know exactly where this country was placed at the time he took over. He has managed insecurity in states with very high levels, such as Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, and Borno, effectively through collaboration among state Governors and the Federal Government. Today, businesses are more predictable; you can predict what will happen tomorrow.

“Some people are just interested in using politics to cause disunity, and I think they are not being honest. I believe he is on the right track, and if he gets a second term, he will place Nigeria where only God knows.”

On the appointment of the INEC chairman and calls for his resignation over genocide comments, Professor Hon said,” He is somebody I know so well, we are colleagues, both graduated from the University of Jos, and both Professors and Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

“When he was appointed and cleared by both the Council of State and the Senate, I knew he would discharge his duties, and there would be a new dawn at INEC. He is a man of integrity, and I do not know why some people want to judge him based on his comments on genocide for him to be removed.

“When we begin to take past opinions to judge what is not connected directly or indirectly to those opinions, we are not being fair, so I believe we should allow him to work. He has rolled out an election timetable, and we should allow him to concentrate. Unless he changes tomorrow, I trust him not less than 98 per cent, and sincerely, the president made the right choice “.

In Benue state, he said, “The Governor of Benue state is not serious about insecurity in the state; he is more serious about his political survival. In the wake of the Yellewatta attacks, the President asked him to sit down with all interest groups and personalities and deal with whatever internal problems they have, but up till now, he has been frustrated that meetings have been held till today, look at his response to the killings. When the people protested, he ordered their arrests and detention. What manner of Man of God is that?

“People are being killed, and he does nothing. People are killed in Apa, Otukpo, Kwande, Sankara, Otobi, Gwer-West, and he says nothing. This Governor loves life but does not believe others do, and that is not fair.

“He has closed Government accounts, nobody knows the truth about state wage bill, pensioners are owned, teachers are being owned, we don’t know why the accounts are closed down, we don’t know how much is there we don’t know whether he is operating them alone without concurrence of other authorities concerned and nobody knows what is happening at a time President Tinubu is giving so much money to the states and local Governments. When you come to Benue State, there is nothing to show for it. He will do half a kilometre of road and say he did 16 kilometres. This Governor has taken us back to the 18th century. He is doing an underpass, but I heard the money was not captured in the budget, allegedly.

“He criticised Governor Ortom for not bringing out the exact workforce of the state, but he is doing the same thing; pensioners are crying, teachers’ arrears have not been paid.”

He said his priorities will be security, infrastructure, agriculture, and education if elected as Governor and tasked with addressing the yearnings and aspirations of the people, as other state Governors have done.

He accused the Governor of incompetence, insensitivity and opaque administration as well as intolerance even in places of worship where he drums war songs and instigates violence.