Major Political Events That Shaped 2022

For a year that precedes the much anticipated 2023 general election, 2022 was replete with political drama.

Expectedly, it has the trappings of the good, bad and ugly. 

The Year of Executive-Legislature Face-off 

Unlike the year 2021, activities of lawmakers in the House of Representatives was less dramatic in the year 2022 as the House was relatively calm with less rancor among members. 

Nevertheless, the Green Chamber was eventful and was particularly busy addressing issues relating to security and for the most part, executive-parliamentary relations. 

The year recorded its first controversy when the president signed the N17.13 trillion 2022 budget into law, different from the proposed budget of N16.3 trillion.

The President while signing the budget raised concerns about the changes to the original budget proposal in the form of new insertions, outright removals, reductions and/or increases in the amounts allocated to projects, reduction of the provisions made for as many as 10,733 projects and the introduction of 6,576 new projects into the budget.

One of his major grouse was that the 469 lawmakers that make up Nigeria’s Senate and House of Representatives inserted over 6,000 ‘new projects into the budget he submitted in October.

“Provisions made for as many as 10,733 projects were reduced while 6,576 new projects were introduced into the budget by the National Assembly,” Mr Buhari said in his speech at the ceremony.

The President would later in February asked  the National Assembly to remove N887.99 billion worth of projects inserted into the 2022 budget and the revised budget was passed in April. 

The executive-parliament rivalry would soon resurface with the passing of the Electoral Act Amendment bill 2022. 

While signing the 2022 Electoral Amendment Bill on February 25, President Buhari complained that the provision constituted a fundamental defect, saying it was in conflict with extant constitutional provisions.

He said Section 84 (12) constitutes a disenfranchisement of serving political office holders from voting or being voted for at conventions or congresses of any political party.

The section reads: “No political appointee at any level shall be voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”

The president in his observation stated that the provision introduced qualification and disqualification criteria that ultra vires the Constitution by way of importing blanket restriction and disqualification.

But the House would take none of these and they would soon reject the amendment proposed by the President.  Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon Benjamin Kalu in one of numerous reactions on the matter said,  “We wanted to give a level playing  ground and it had nothing to do with public servants. Section 318 of the Constitution define who a public servant is, it doesn’t include political appointees, so we need to know what the Electoral Act is trying to do as against what it has been roped in to do. Electoral Act address political appointees, the constitution addresses public servant.”

He also explained that the House intended to ensure a fair, and credible electoral system, noting that political appointees are often used as stooges during political party congresses and conversations. 

“It is important also to let Nigerians know the mindset of the legislature and the intentions while drafting 84(12). It has to be a transparent, inclusive and credible election, if any of these points are missing, it affects the whole picture, that was why we wanted to address the conduct of appointees of political office holders who are used as tools during conventions and congresses that give up the bodies that determine who will be a candidate. It is important that the process is considered to be above the board,” he said. 

There would soon be a twist of fate as the pendulum also swung  the way of the President when the lawmakers discovered an  in Section 84 (8) of the 2022 Electoral Act which precludes statutory delegates from voting the in the party primaries.  

Section 84(8) reads, “A political party that adopts the system of indirect primaries for the choice of its candidate shall clearly outline in its constitution and rule the procedure for the democratic election of delegates to vote at the convention, congress or meeting.”

When the error was realised the lawmakers summoned and emergency plenary to pass an amendment Which when through  the first, second and third reading the same day. 

Yahaya Danzaria, clerk of the house, who issued a notice of the emergency plenary, had said the legislators will amend “a fundamental error” in the 2022 Electoral Act.

Eventually, President Buhari withheld assent to the hurriedly passed amendment and all the noise about overriding the president’s veto was like a storm in a cup of tea.

 

INEC Electoral Law

President Muhammadu Buhari signed the reworked Electoral Amendment bill into law.

The president signed the bill about at the Presidential Villa on Thursday February 25th – in the presence of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and other officers.

Before he signed it, the president sought an amendment to the bill by asking the National Assembly to delete Clause 84(12) of the bill.

 

Ekiti Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Biodun Oyebanji, the winner of the Ekiti State governorship election.

The Returning Officer for the election, Prof Kayode Adebowale, who is the Vice Chancellor, the University of Ibadan, announced the results.

Adebowale said, “Oyebanji, having scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and returned elected as the governor-elect of Ekiti State”

The APC scored 187,057 votes to defeat its closest rival, the SDP, which garnered 82,211 votes, the PDP, which got 67,457 votes and 13 other parties which participated in Saturday’s governorship election.

 

Osun Election

The electoral commission, INEC, has formally declared Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the governorship election held in Osun State.

The INEC Chief Returning Officer for Osun, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, who announced the result Sunday Morning said the PDP candidate scored 403,371 votes to emerge victorious.

The runner-up was the incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 375,027 votes.

 

Concerns Over BVAS

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) acknowledged the challenges with the optimal functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and has assured that such challenges are being worked on.

Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu gave the assurance at the opening of a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), held in Abuja, on Tuesday.

The INEC Chairman who noted that outcome of elections since the introduction of the  BVAS, have been positively adjudged by observers as credible, said “the challenges to the optimal functionality of the device are acknowledged and we are working on them”.

 

INEC Implements Observer Recommendations From 2019 Polls  

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said it implemented most of the recommendations made by observers after the 2019 general election.

Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the disclosure, when he received a delegation from the European Union (EU) Election Observation Follow-up Mission, led by the Head of the EU Follow up Mission and Chief  Observer, Maria Arena, at the INEC Headquarters in Abuja, on Wednesday.’

He said after the 2019 general election, the Commission carried out  a comprehensive review of the election observation reports by accredited domestic and international observers from the review, and also internally reviewed its processes and procedures and identified 178 recommendations, most of which have been implemented.

 

Preliminary Voters Register Now 93,522,272

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has disclosed that as at today, Wednesday, 26th October, 2022, the total number of registered voters in the country stands at 93,522,272. He noted that the figure is at its preliminary state, pending the conclusion of the claims and objections exercise scheduled for next month.

Prof. Yakubu made the disclosure during the Commission’s fourth quarterly consultative meeting with leaders of political parties held at the INEC Headquarters in Abuja. 

 

INEC Releases Names Of  Candidate 

In line with its schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, released the names of presidential, governorship, senatorial and House of Representatives candidate in the country.

The general elections will be held in Nigeria on 25 February 2023 to elect the President and Vice President and members of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Also, the 2023 Nigerian gubernatorial elections will be held for state governors in 31 out of 36 Nigerian states. All but three elections will be held on 11 March—concurrent with elections to every state house of assembly, two weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections—while the Imo State, Kogi State, and Bayelsa State elections will be held on 11 November. 

 

50 INEC offices Attacked between  2019-2022

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been attacked 50 times between 2019 to 2022, LEADERSHIP can authoritatively report.

The chief press secretary to INEC chairman Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi disclosed this in a report made available to LEADERSHIP Weekend yesterday in Abuja titled: “Timeline of Attacks on INEC Offices Between 2019 and 12th December 2022”

“These are attacks as a result of election-related violence, protests unrelated to elections, and activities of thugs and unknown gunmen. 

“The list does not include damages to facilities as a result of fire accidents, natural disasters such as flooding or rain/wind storms, the snatching/destruction of electoral materials during election, burglary and attack on election duty officials,” Rotimi said.

 

PDP

In the leading opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the intrigues that defined its politics for 2022 are yet to abate.

Zoning brouhaha 

The tussle for which geo-political zone the PDP should give its presidential ticket for the 2023 election significantly shaped Nigeria’s political landscape this year.

The zoning debate had become so intense following agitation by Southern governors, including those of PDP extraction, that power must return to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years in power, being a northerner. 

But other party stakeholders, especially from the north, insisted that the north was yet to serve out its term of producing the president (after Late President Umaru Musa YarAdua) as provided by the party’s power rotation arrangement.  

Eventually, a 36-member committee, setup by the party and led by Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom recommended that the presidential ticket be thrown open. The recommendation was adopted by the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC), the most ranking organ of the party after the national convention. 

The NEC resolution in May, set in motion a series of events leading to defections and agitations. 

 

Northern candidate crash 

With the zoning arrangement sorted out, aspirants began to emerge. By the close of date for forms’ purchase for ticket in April, 17 aspirants had picked the forms. The aspirants include; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; former president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim.

Others are Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed; Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel; former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose; a United States-based medical practitioner, Nwachukwu Anakwenze and media mogul, Dele Momodu.

Also eyeing the ticket are former banker and economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen; a pharmacist, Sam Ohuabunwa, former Speaker of Abia House of Assembly, Cosmos Ndukwe, Charles Ugwu, Rt Hon Chikwendu Kalu as well as the only female aspirant in the race, Oliver Tareila Diana. Two aspirants were eventually disqualified.

However, an attempt to produce a northern candidate failed as the northern aspirants refused to reach a compromise. 

While Atiku from the outset rejected the idea, which was spearheaded by Saraki, Tambuwal and Hayatudeen rejected the recommendation of a group of northern leaders led by Prof Ango Abdullahi, which shortlisted Saraki and Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, as two leading presidential aspirants to represent the zone in the PDP presidential primary.

The upset caused by the recommendation forced the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) to dissociate itself from the entire process because of the role of Prof Abdullahi who is its chairman.

 

Atiku emerges PDP candidate  

At the end of the primary election which was held on May 28, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerged the winner. Atiku polled 371 votes to defeat Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who scored 237 votes.

Other aspirants with the number of votes polled include Bukola Saraki – 70; Sam Ohuanbunwa – 1; Anyim Pius Anyim – 14; Udom Emmanuel – 38 votes; Bala Mohammed – 20.

However, while the withdrawal of Sokoto State governor, Tambuwal, in support of Atiku, had caused some grumblings within the party, an online video which had the PDP national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, congratulating Tamuwal as hero of the convention barely hours the primaries upset some party leaders.

 

Running mate crisis 

Although Atiku sought to mend fences with the all aspirants by visiting most of them after the convention, his choice of a running mate led to a fresh crisis.

Three south south PDP governors were listed as possible running mates: Nyesom Wike of Rivers; Senator Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta; and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom. A committee of party leaders which was raised to help pick a running mate out of the three members, settled for Wike.

Atiku however disregarded the committee’s choice and settled for Okowa, a move which infuriated some party leaders. 

 

G5 governors and Atiku and Ayu

Not long after the running mate crisis broke out, Wike and some party leaders decided to distance themselves from the party on grounds that the national chairman, Ayu, must step aside for a chairman of southern extraction. They argued that the party’s presidential candidate and its national chairman cannot be from the same geo-political zone. 

Wike, who began the Ayu must go campaign, had also accused Ayu of corruption, especially with party funds. Ayu had also denied any acts of corruption. 

The claims and counterclaims got  to a head when six members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP alleged Ayu bribed members for their support over allegations of misappropriation against him.

The six members, from the South, were said to have returned to the coffers of the party, the “bribe” ranging from N28m to N36m. The NWC members, in a letter sighted, alleged that the money was given to them as two-year house rent. 

But other members of NWC countered their colleagues’ claim, saying the said money was statutory and legal.

While Atiku has since said Ayu’s removal must follow the party’s constitution, the PDP NEC passed a vote of confidence on Ayu.

Atiku and the governors have however held meetings on how to resolve the impasse ahead of the election.

 

ADC Crisis

Within the 2022, African Democratic Congress (ADC) engulfed into crisis following the emergence of Dumebi Kachukwu as the presidential candidate of the party.  

A faction of the party suspended Kachukwu but the National Chairman of the ADC was also expelled and Sen Patricia Akwashiki became the national chairman of the party. Things are never the same in ADC.

 

Kwankwanso Takeover NNPP

Within the year, while political parties were planning for the congresses and conventions, a former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwanso who had earlier left PDP for the APC, had to jump again to the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to actualize his presidential ambition. 

LEADERSHIP Weekend reports that Kwankwanso had approached different political platforms for adoption, including Accord Party but was denied such privilege by the National Chairman who believed power should move to the South. 

Kwankwaso moved to the South East and was able to get control of the NNPP. He later picked up the presidential ticket of the party after serving as its national leader for a few weeks. 

While people were joining him in NNPP after loosing out in their various political party primaries, his political rival and former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau also joined Kwankwanso but the strange relationship couldn’t find a foundation and Kwankwanso left for the PDP even after securing the NNPP Senatorial ticket for Kano Central. 

Kwankwanso’s much talked about alliance with Peter Obi of the Labour Party ended in a deadlock because both Kwankwanso and Obi never accepted to be the running mate to each other. 

 

Obidient Movement

A political movement, moving like a wildfire, called the Obidient Movement seem to have defiled logic. 

Ever since Mr Peter Obi left the PDP to pick the ticket of the Labour Party in Uyo, the political movement in Nigeria never remained the same. 

No one envisages this. Not even Atiku Abubakar who had a joint ticket with Obi in the PDP in 2019. 

We have seen the Obidient movement shaping the politics of Nigeria where politicians are now devising means of selling themselves. 

Peter Obi who other politicians were saying has no structure, has become an enviable man to other contestants with his regular show in the media. 

 

SDP Revived 

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) which went underground since the Moshood Abiola’s days, came back alive as third force after Prince Adewole Adebayo joined their folk. 

Adebayo, a lawyer and owner of Kaftan TV, later became the presidential candidate of the SDP and the platform has been causing political upset in 2022. 

It was dramatic to see Shehu Gabam changing office from National Secretary of the SDP to National Chairman. 

Also, Dr Olu Ogunleye accepted to drop from being the National Chairman to Secretary. All were done to allow the party to have a presidential candidate from the South.