₦airaland Forum

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Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday read a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari informing the National Assembly of his decision to withhold assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The Speaker and the Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, however, blocked the move to debate the rejection.

Shortly after Dogara read the letter in plenary, a member, Mr Aliyu Madaki (PDP, Kano), raised a point of order to criticise the President for not assenting to the bill.

Madaki said, “This has a lot to do with the well-being of this country. What we want is a free, fair and credible election. Mr President refusing to assent to the Electoral Act (amendment bill) shows clearly what he wants to do. The whole world is watching. Everybody is watching…”

Gbajabiamila, who raised another point of order to counter Madaki, asked that the assent withdrawal should not be debated.

He said, “I have been a member of this House for 16 years. We have never, by precedence, custom and tradition, debated a letter which is by way of information. If there is the need to debate the President’s letter, we will table it on the Order Paper for debate.

“Several letters have been written by several presidents to this House. Whether we like it or not, it is a communication to the House. If we want to debate it, we will place it on the Order Paper tomorrow (today), and we are fully ready, willing and able to debate the issues. But it has to be according to our rules and the laws of this House.”

In his ruling, Dogara said, “I agree that this matter should be laid to rest today. There is a provision in our rules that guides this kind of communication and I will advise that we follow the provisions of the rules.”

Shortly after, Gbajabiamila could he heard telling Madaki from his seat, “The constitution allows that we override the veto. We can override him.”

Meanwhile, several members of the House, who spoke to one of our correspondents earlier on Monday, stated that the National Assembly had the option of overriding Buhari’s veto.

The lawmakers, who are members of both the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, expressed their disagreement with the President for rejecting the bill.

Mr Johnson Agbonayinma (APC, Edo State) stated that while Buhari had exercised his constitutional right by not assenting to the bill, the National Assembly also had the powers to take a decision in that circumstance.

Agbonayinma added, “The President made three amendments. We will look at them holistically. He has the right to assent to it or not, and we as the National Assembly also have the right to use a two-third to override him. He has performed his constitutional duty and we in the National Assembly will also perform our constitutional duty.”

Another member, Mr Sunday Karimi (PDP, Kogi State) said it was necessary to override the President on the bill. He, however, expressed doubts about getting the required two-thirds of lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly to veto the bill.

Asked if the National Assembly should override Buhari, the lawmaker said, “Yes. But do we have the figure to override him? I will say no. I am a member of the National Assembly and I know the politics involved. You can see the Senate Leader who is supposed to talk in favour of the President assenting to the bill, he is not saying so.

“If we want to veto him, they will call all the APC lawmakers and tell them not to work with us. This is an election year; if we want to override the President, we will not get the number required. The problem is that with the attitude of the President, are they ready to conduct free and fair elections? No. If they want to conduct free and fair elections, why is he afraid of signing what the entire National Assembly agreed upon?”

[b]https://all-gists..com/2018/12/electoral-act-dogara-gbajabiamila-stop-debate-on-buharis-letter.html

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A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association and a member of the Coalition of United Political Parties, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has written the National Assembly, urging the lawmakers to overrule President Muhammadu Buhari by enacting the 2018 Electoral Act.

Agbakoba, in his letter to the legislators, said Buhari’s decision to withhold assent to the bill “makes no sense,” as the amendment proposed by the bill were targeted at making the 2019 general elections more credible with the use of card readers and electronic transmission of election results from the polling units.

The lawyer said the President’s claim that the Independent National Electoral Commission was not prepared for the technological innovations proposed by the bill could not hold water, as INEC had, in the previous elections, partly used the card reader.

He said, “The 2015 elections were partly conducted by INEC using smart cards (card readers), but the Supreme Court held that smart cards are not allowed, not being included in the Electoral Act 2010.

“The 2015 elections were also partly conducted by INEC using Incident Forms. In effect, smart cards and Incident Forms were both used to conduct 2015 elections.

“Distinguished and honourable members of NASS will recall that there was a lot of controversy about the use of Incident Forms, as it enabled non-accredited persons to vote, questioning the credibility of the elections.

“In order to remove constraints that will impact the credibility of future elections, such as 2019, the Electoral Act 2010 was amended by the 2018 Bill, to formalise the legal basis of the smart cards which was already in use for elections by INEC anyway.”

“It will be recalled that the Supreme Court declared the use of smart cards as contrary to the Electoral Act 2010, so the 2018 amendment is intended to give INEC a legal basis to use smart cards and electronic technology.

“The 2018 bill also introduced the extremely important procedure of transmitting results of votes from polling units by electronic means. Electronic transmission will remove rigging and enhance the credibility of the vote count.

“INEC says it is familiar with the amendments contained in the 2018 Electoral bill. INEC has used smart cards at all elections from 2015. INEC has submitted an election budget which provides for smart cards and transmission equipment.

“The President claims that part of the reason for withholding assent was that INEC will not have enough time to become familiar with the 2018 bill and that a new Act will generate confusion. This is simply incorrect and flies in the face of INEC’s announcement that it will not use Incident Forms or manual voting in 2019 elections.

In other words, INEC is ready to deploy electronic technology for 2019 elections, and only requires that the Electoral Act provides a legal framework.

“The 2018 amendments will help to improve the credibility of our elections and also give legal basis for INEC to deploy electronic technology in 2019 elections, following doubts cast by the Supreme Court about the legality of the use of card readers because it was not provided in the old Electoral Act of 2010.

“Distinguished and honourable members of NASS, are please please urged to override Mr President and enact 2018 Electoral Act.”

https://all-gists..com/2018/12/overrule-buhari-on-electoral-bill-agbakoba-urges-national-assembly.html

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Dele Momodu, a Nigerian journalist and author, says he wishes President Muhammadu Buhari could liberate himself.

Momodu said this in reaction to the critical comments Aisha Buhari, the president’s wife, made about him recently.

She had asked Nigerians to stand up to the two people who are allegedly hindering the progress of her husband’s administration.

“If 15.4 million people can bring in a government and only for the government to be dominated by two people or three people, where are the men of Nigeria? Where are the Nigerian men? What are you doing? Instead of them to come together and fight them, they keep visiting them one after the other licking their shoes (I’m sorry to use those words),” she had said.

Aisha has repeatedly alleged that the government of her husband had been hijacked.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Momodu described Buhari as a man in “gilded cage”.

He said while he likes Buhari’s “humorous personality”, he does not like his leadership style.

“I like BUHARI as a simple, humorous personality but his leadership style leaves much to be desired and his cabal won’t let the competent people around him function,” Momodu Wrote.

“His wife has cried out endlessly… I weep for the man in the gilded cage. I wished he could liberate himself!”

https://all-gists..com/2018/12/dele-momodu-i-weep-for-buhari-his-wife-has-cried-out-endlessly.html

Good Afternoon... [Nairalander]

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Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr Mahmood Yakubu, has stated that the umpire does not buy or sell votes during elections.

Yakubu said he was at the ongoing public hearing organised by the National Assembly to hear from those who buy votes, how they do it.

Those in attendance were President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; other leaders and members of the National Assembly, political parties, security agencies, among others.

According to the INEC boss, one of the way‎s through which politicians beat security to buy votes during elections is to insert currency notes in sandwiches in the guise that voters were being fed.

“We talk too much as a nation. We should stop talking and do more for our country,” he said.

https://all-gists..com/2018/12/politicians-insert-money-in-sandwich-to-buy-votes-inec.html

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THE national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC has set machinery in place to whip Governors Ibikunle Amosun and Rochas Okorocha in line towards advancing the interests of the party in the governorship elections in Ogun and Imo States respectively.

Besides, the two governors who have sworn not to support the APC governorship candidates in their two states, the party, Saturday Vanguard gathered, is also putting focus on at least two ministers, Adebayo Shittu and Solomon Dalung, and also on the director general of the Voice of Nigeria, VON, Mr. Osita Okechukwu.

Amsoun and Okorocha were peeved by the decision of the national leadership to enthrone persons opposed by them as the APC governorship candidates in their two states. Both men have sworn to support their favoured candidates in alternative platforms but at the same time also support President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid on the basis of what they claimed as the performance of the president.

Governor Amosun in furtherance of his bid to sell his favoured successor, Rep. Adekunle Akinlade was as at press time yesterday locked in a meeting with the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC chapter in Ogun State ostensibly to woo support for Akinlade. Governor Okorocha has on his part vowed to enthrone his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu as his successor and vowed to stop the official APC candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma succeed him.

The APC national leadership is, however, nonplussed over the issue affirming yesterday that the party was watching them for observance of anti-party behavior prior to applying strict sanctions.

“We have put machinery to monitor them and if you are not supporting the candidate of the party the only word to describe that is anti-party,” a very prominent party official told Saturday Vanguard yesterday on the condition of anonymity.

“They claim to be supporting Mr. President but working against the interest of the president’s party, how is that possible? The president needs a comfortable National Assembly majority and APC governors to help him to deliver,” the party official said.

One of the sanctions the official let slip was the possible dissolution of the state executives of the party, a development that would remove the control of the party from the hands of the governors and put them out of the loop in party affairs.

Remarkably, both Okorocha and Amosun are APC candidates in senatorial elections in their two states.

“If you are not supporting every candidate of the party then you are playing anti-party,” the official said as he vowed that the plans of the two governors against the APC governorship candidates in Ogun and Imo States would come to nought.

“All those plots will not work, they will fail, because the party will strongly support their candidates and we will make sure that we deliver our candidates despite the plots of these people.

“Fayose (former governor of Ekiti State) as a sitting governor was not able to deliver, so why are they elevating their powers,” the party official said.

“The party already knows what to do, but we are just waiting for the nod of the president because what they are doing is totally anti-party. Some ministers who didn’t get ticket are also saying the same thing.”

He cited the minister of youth and sports, Solomon Dalung who has been in a long rivalry with Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State and reportedly opposed his re-nomination as party candidate. He also cited the case of Shittu, the minister of communications who made a boisterous campaign first for the president’s re-election and then made an abortive bid for the APC governorship ticket.

The party official was also displeased with Mr. Okechukwu, the director-general of VON who has been in the trenches against national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who he accused of manipulating the primaries for selfish desires.

https://all-gists..com/2018/12/apc-to-sanction-amosun-okorocha-waits-for-go-ahead-from-buhari.html

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There were strong indications on Saturday evening that the Senate would, this week, begin the process to override President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to withhold his assent to the 2018 Electoral Act amendment bill.

Senate spokesperson, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, said that the red chamber had rejected Buhari’s reasons for declining assent to the legislation and would do everything possible to override his action.

A cross-section of the senators, said on the issue on Saturday, vowed to make Buhari’s position a major issue on resumption of plenary on Tuesday.

They vowed to ensure that to ensure that all the amendments made to the new electoral act formed part of what the Independent National Electoral Commission would comply with in the conduct of the 2019 polls.

But there are other indications that as Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, prepare to read the letter to members in plenary at their respective chambers on Tuesday, the lawmakers are set for a stormy debate on the matter.

Accordingly to SUNDAY PUNCH can authoritatively report that Buhari’s decision has polarised members of the National Assembly across political lines.

While members of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, have expressed their support for the President, those of the opposition PDP alleged an ulterior motive behind the withholding of the assent by the President.

Already, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan and Senator Biodun Olujimi, said on Saturday that the matter would be discussed when the lawmakers reconvene, after which a decision would be taken on the bill.

Olujimi said that the federal parliament approved the huge budget proposed by the INEC for the election because of the anticipated electronic voting being planned by the electoral umpire.

Olujimi said, “This is because 70 per cent of the INEC budget has to do with the funding of card readers and other equipment needed for the election.

“We are going back to the chamber on Tuesday to look at the reasons for the President’s rejection and we will do our best to override his assent because the Electoral Act (amendments) bill is the best thing that can happen to our election in Nigeria.

“It is not only the opposition senators who would override the President. We would work on our colleagues in the ruling APC, most of whom are disgruntled that their party denied them tickets to return to the Senate.”

Another senator from the North-West geopolitical zone, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also corroborated the position of Olujimi, describing Buhari’s reasons as untenable.

He said, “It is possible that we start the process to override the President’s assent when we resume on Tuesday. I can assure you that it will be on the front burner of our proceedings. It will be a major issue and I am very sure that it is going to generate a lot of debate.

“If you look at the equation these days, many of our colleagues don’t come to the National Assembly again because of campaigns. So, it is really not impossible to get two-thirds majority to override the President’s assent.

“If the decision to override the President did not take place on Tuesday, it will certainly be done on Wednesday when we would enjoy the privilege of the NTA live coverage of our proceedings.”

Also, a senator from the South-East geopolitical zone, who also spoke off record, alleged that Buhari withheld assent to the bill because he did not want the usage of card readers in the North where a lot of Permanent Voter Card had allegedly been procured for underage voters.

The senator stated, “If INEC should make use of the card reader in northern Nigeria, we would demystify their bogus claims that they have the majority of voters in that part of the country.

“They can write any figure and declare it if there is no electronic accreditation of voters. The moment the ‘already-biased’ INEC officials signed the fraudulent election result sheets, we would not be able to do anything on them.”

https://all-gists..com/2018/12/electoral-act-nassembly-plans-to-override-buhari-this-week-apc-senators-kick.html

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DIGNITARIES including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa-Ibom and the host governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, were among guests that graced the funeral service of Madam Goldcoast Dickson, mother of Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson.

The event was held at Toru-Agiama community, Patani Local Government Area of Delta State after a commendation service at Enimieyi Compound, Esinekrizi Quarters in Patani.

The road to her final interment, which began on Thursday with service of song, culminated in a commendation service at Enimieyi Compound before she was finally laid to rest in her father home.

The officiating minister at the internment, Apostle Zilly Aggrey,Founder, Royal House of Grace, Bayelsa, described death as inevitable.

In his remark, Bayelsa Governor, Dickson said his mother was like a sister and friend to him and expressed gratitude to people’s support to make the burial successful.

“I thank everyone, who came from far and near to sympathize with our family, may the Almighty God bless you,” Governor Dickson said.

https://all-gists..com/2018/12/osinbajo-atiku-others-storm-patani-for-dicksons-mother-funeral.html

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The Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Buruji Kashamu, on Saturday said the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, should be held responsible “for breach of public peace and safety should there be a breakdown of the law and order in Ogun State” before the 2019 general elections.

The senator, who is the Ogun State governorship candidate of the Adebayo Dayo-led PDP faction raised the alarm in a statement in his response to Secondus’ presentation of the Ogun State PDP governorship flag to a member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Oladipupo Adebutu, in Abuja, on Friday.

The senator insisted that he remained the candidate of the party for the election, and that the courts and the Independent National Electoral Commission had recognised him.

Kashamu said, “The desperation showed by Secondus is only typical of a mercenary who is hell-bent on delivering on the job he has been paid to do.

“His latest action was done in utter disregard to the party’s constitution and subsisting judgment of the courts – from the High Court to the Supreme Court – which the Independent National Electoral Commission has since complied with.

“It is a sad commentary on our democratic institutions that the National Chairman of our party, Uche Secondus, could preside over such a disgraceful exercise because he could not do it at the South-West zonal rally held on Thursday seeing the trouble such an illegal act could have caused.

“The shame is on Secondus and his co-travellers because they had to run to Abuja where they purportedly presented the Party’s flag to the impostor in an office whereas such an event is usually done openly and with fanfare.

https://all-gists..com/2018/12/ogun-pdp-gov-ticket-kashamu-attacks-secondus-says-i-remain-partys-candidate.html

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Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali N’abba, has dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC).

N’Abba announced his decision in a resignation letter released Thursday night.

The former Speaker hinged his reason on what he termed ‘”the cavalier manner in which both the Federal Government, States controlled by the APC and the APC itself are being run.”

His resignation letter reads.

“This is to notify you of my resolve to resign from the All Progressives Congress (APC), effective today 5th December 2018,” he wrote.

“My decision to resign from the party follows the cavalier manner in which both the Federal Government, States controlled by the APC and the APC itself are being run, as a result of which anybody who has eyes to see only sees doom and not prosperity for our dear country.”


He also noted that APC administration is characterised by “lack of consultation, crass incompetence, lack of vision, arrogance, and dangerous fixation.”

“It is a measure of the incompetence of the APC government that after all is said and done, it has lost a Senate President and a Speaker of the House Of Representatives and many others for reasons that border on meanness, lack of simple management skills and capacities and a great measure of arrogance.”

“It is also a measure of the incompetence of the party that there is almost no state in the Federation where there is no conflict .”

“While it is generally accepted that no human organisation can be rancour-free, it is disheartening that these conflicts in the party are inflicted by its leaders, some of whom can be said to be poorer in human qualities than the poorest of men.”

He also alleged that some state governors had hijacked the party, doing whatever they liked.

“In their endeavour to perpetuate themselves on the system, they not only snatched away the political rights of the people but also blocked all avenues with which and within which they would be held to account.”

“Because under these conditions no person can be politically mobile except he becomes a sycophant, it becomes necessary for me to speak up.”

“This I did many times, unfortunately only to be met with complicit silence.”

He also attacked President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a “president under whose watch all these negative traits are recurring.”

“He instead prefers to give the country a lethargic and insular leadership informed by grudges, hatred and a general lack of understanding of what democracy and compassion are all about.

“All these masqueraded as war on corruption.”

Although, the former Speaker did not state the party he is defecting to, he is expected to join the main opposition party, PDP.

[url]all-gists..com[/url]

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Political activist, Deji Adeyanju, who was rearraigned before a Wuse magistrate court on Tuesday December 4th, has been granted bail.

Adeyanju, who was arrested on November 28th while leading a protest in Abuja, was released on Monday December 3rd from the federal prison in Keffi after meeting his bail condition but was re-arrested by a police team waiting around the prison.

He was rearraigned in court by the police on Tuesday December 4th for Cyber Stalking, Inciting Disturbance, and Criminal Defamation.

This morning, the court granted him bail.

https://all-gists..com/2018/12/political-activist-deji-adeyanju-granted-bail.html

Mynd44
Lalasticlala

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Presidential candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, believes Nigeria was at its best during the 16-year reign of the PDP unlike during the past three years under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The former vice president said this after his north-central campaign rally in Ilorin, Kwara State on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. The PDP won the presidency during the return of democracy in 1999 and led Nigeria through three presidents before losing the Presidential Villa to President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC in 2015.

Taking to his Twitter account (@atiku) on Wednesday, the candidate noted that the current government has failed its promises to improve the nation and urged Nigerians to hand power back to the PDP.

He said, "Today we have listened to the failures of the APC government since 2015 till today. There is nothing they have not promised us, they promised us security, jobs and better economy, they failed. Whatever they promised, they failed.

"It is time to return Nigeria to PDP, because the best years of this country was when the PDP was governing our country from 1999-2015.

"In terms of corruption, Nigeria is worse of today than we were in 2014. In terms of economy, we are the poorest country in the world today. In terms of insecurity, we are most insecure than at any other time in our history."

The candidate further accused the APC of buying votes in a desperate bid to retain power and urged Nigerians to not sell the country's future.

"This is what the APC are doing. They are buying PVCs, they will come to you and give you N10, N20, N50 to buy your PVC - they are buying your future. Do you want to sell your future? Don't sell your PVCs because they are going to use it against you," he said.

https://all-gists..com/2018/12/it-is-time-to-return-nigeria-to-pdp-atiku-says-nigeria-was-better-during-pdps-16-year-reign.html

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President Buhari today visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, in O?wi?cim, Poland, where he paid tribute to Holocaust victims.

After an hour and 10 minutes guided tour of the Museum devoted to the memory of the victims who died at both camps during World War II, President Buhari penned a hand-written tribute in the visitor’s book, quoting Shakespeare’s ''Julius Caesar".

''The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones''.

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More Photos: https://all-gists..com/2018/12/photos-buhari-pays-tribute-to-holocaust-victims-in-poland.html