Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has said that he would not accept the chairmanship of the PDP Governors Forum because he is fighting for issues that are fundamental to the peace and unity of Nigeria.

Makinde, who stated this in Aba, Abia State while commissioning the Nwaobasi ring and the Osaa Okea – Umuakatawom roads, explained that the PDP can’t restructure Nigeria if it is not ready to restructure itself.

Niger-Delta militant leader, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo -Asari has strangely falling – out with the leader of defunct Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, saying he (Tompolo) had never been involved in Ijaw nor Niger- Delta struggle.

Stakeholders suspect that Dokubo-Asari was angry with Tompolo over the pipeline surveillance contract the Federal Government awarded him, which extended to parts of Rivers state.

In a trending video, Dokubo-Asari, said: “I cannot even compare myself to Tompolo, it is unimaginable that I will condescend to the level of Tompolo. Who is Tompolo, what is his antecedents, what is his name?

“Who is he, do not allow me open a can of worms, who is Tompolo, which Ijaw struggle is he fighting? He is fighting Itsekiri people calling it Ijaw struggle and Niger Delta struggle. Is he even involved in Ijaw struggle?

“Fighting war with Itsekiri, do not allow me to talk, he has never been involved in Ijaw struggle. Never. Gbaramatu versus Itsekiri – that is the war he is fighting. He is not even defending other Ijaw people who are fighting, Ogbe-Ijoh has been fighting with Aladja has Tompolo gone there before,” he said.

Some weeks ago, Tompolo, reportedly reached out to Dokubo-Asari and another former ex-militant leader, Ateke Tom, now a king, in Rivers state, but it appears Dokubo-Asari and Tompolo have not sorted out the bone of contention.

A master’s student in the United States and an indigene of Orlu Local Government Area, Imo State, Chimee Adioha tells GODFREY GEORGE how his father was whisked away by gunmen and later released after a huge ransom was paid

It was reported that your father was kidnapped by some gunmen in Orlu, Imo State. How true is it?

I don’t like the term ‘gunmen’, but I need to start telling myself the truth. The reality is hitting now. So, yes, it could be gunmen, because they had guns, and they were all men. They kidnapped my father in our hometown, Orlu, Imo State, where I had lived most of my life as a child. He is a retired teacher.

How did this happen?

It was on July 20, 2022. The gunmen came to our house, looked for my father and found him. Actually, they said it was the second or third time they were looking for him and never found him until that day. They had said if they didn’t see him the third time, they would take my mother instead. But they saw my father, blindfolded him, then they wanted to drive him away in his Toyota, but suddenly, the car did not start, so they held him and put him into their own jeep and drove away.

My father said the drive lasted for about 30 minutes. That was his rough calculation. I don’t know how someone would be blindfolded, in a place that has had records of insecurity, driving for all that long and there were no checkpoints, no police, nothing; just free driving and getting to their destination so safely.

How did you learn of the kidnap?

It was afternoon in Nigeria, but morning in the US. I had just woken up and then went back to sleep before working on the computer. I felt a little tired. Then a cousin called me, asking about a message he had seen in our extended family’s WhatsApp group, that my father was kidnapped. I had not seen any WhatsApp messages and I was both confused and frustrated at that moment. I opened WhatsApp and then saw the messages and then it dawned on me that it was real. This was happening so close, although I was too far away from home. I mean, I had always heard about kidnapping, but I hadn’t really had it so close, and then this was happening in my hometown, a place that was supposed to be so peaceful. It’s so heartbreaking how Orlu has been in the news for insecurity since 2021. I was trembling and I had to leave my door open for days to be sure I was not the only one in my apartment. My housemate was very helpful. I had panic attacks and my anxiety disorder rose.

Why do you think your father was targeted?

That was the surprising thing to me too. My father is not wealthy. We grew up in a very simple house. My parents have lived in our hometown for many years. My father says he was tired of those lower middle class and upper middle class confused categorisation because Nigeria does not even afford you that economic and social label. “Just say you are comfortable,” he says. My father studied Educational Psychology in Italy in the 70s and worked as a teacher and a principal for many years in Anambra and Imo states before he voluntarily retired. We have a house, and a car, just like a human being should. These are not supposed to define wealth. They are essential human necessities, if you ask me. My father is a Catholic Knight of St. Mulumba, kept a lot of psychological books on his shelf, someone who talked less and spread love, had tea each morning of his life, drink decaffeinated coffee and loves rice.

When and how did the kidnappers reach out to your family to demand ransom?

They reached out on the second day. We were not too surprised because people told us they do not usually reach out on the first day. They used my father’s WhatsApp to send bundles of voice notes, asking that they also speak to my brother. They said they only wanted to be speaking to one person, and that was my brother. I listened to some of the voice notes; I couldn’t listen to everything because the man’s voice scared me. He spoke too fast, with a different Igbo dialect, with weak English, with a commanding tone, both commanding and kind. So, it was a whole voice note festival, my brother sent, they sent, my brother sent again, asking to hear my father’s voice and they sent back the next day with my father’s voice. It seemed the place had steady music. There was always local music in the background, the music you can’t really place who the singer was, but it appeared like it came from a very large speaker. When they said we should not involve the police or any sort of security network, there was music in the background; when they said the amount of money my brother was proposing was “too tiny, as tiny as an ant,” there was also music in the background. Music every time that I wondered how they slept, how my father slept with all that music, someone that always wants everywhere noise-proof to be able to sleep.

Exactly one month to the commencement of campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission has warned political parties and candidates against the use of masqueraders, public facilities and religious centres for campaigns.

The commission asked political parties to align strictly with the provisions of the Electoral Act to avoid sanctions as stipulated by the Act. INEC had fixed September 28 for the commencement of campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly, while the elections would hold on February 25, 2023.

Relying on Section 92 of the Electoral Act, 2022, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Committee on Information and Voter Education, Mr Festus Okoye, in a recent interview with our correspondent explained that the law expected political campaigns to be civil and devoid of abuse.

In previous electioneering, some political parties and their candidates were wont to engage in all kinds of theatrics, including the use of masqueraders, to entertain the crowd and add colour to their rallies. Some also covertly campaigned in public offices and worship centres, especially churches and mosques, to woo civil servants and worshippers, respectively.

But quoting from the provisions of the section, Okoye said, “Section 92 of the Electoral Act makes it mandatory that a political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.

“Therefore, abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language or insinuations or innuendoes designed or likely to provoke violent reaction or emotions shall not be employed or used in political campaigns.

“Subsection 3 states that places designated for religious worship, police stations and public offices shall not be used for political campaigns, rallies and processions; or to promote, propagate or attack political parties, candidates or their programmes or ideologies.

“Masqueraders shall not be employed or used by any political party, aspirant or candidate during political campaigns or for any other political purpose.”

As witnessed in some previous elections where parties hired thugs to repel detractors, Okoye in reference to subsection (5) of Section 92, warned parties and candidates against training or enlisting the help or services of individuals or groups for the purpose of displaying physical force or coercion in a manner that could arouse reasonable apprehension during the campaigns.

Sunday PUNCH reports that in previous campaigns, some political parties engaged thugs to ensure orderliness as well as prevent political enemies from disrupting their rallies.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has called on Nigerians to kick out the All Progressives Congress (APC) from power during the general elections in 2023.

He made the call on Sunday in his Democracy Day message, saying that was the most important tribute the people could pay to the heroes of democracy in the country.

Atiku believes the occasion is an auspicious period to rally around all compatriots to think and work in concert for the unity, security, equity, inclusivity, socio-economic prosperity and equitable development of the country.

He urged Nigerians to seize the opportunity to reinforce their commitment to the sacrifices made by the pioneers of the nation’s independence.

According to the former vice president, it is visible that the present administration has brought upon the people the worst form of government.

He, therefore, asked them to reject the APC government which he described as inept, unpopular, insensitive, and clueless.

Atiku stressed that a party that could not offer the people honesty on its pledged manifestos with regards to security, economic growth, and anti-corruption should not be honoured with another ‘wasteful’ tenure.

For him, it is time to prove to APC politicians that power truly belongs to the people via the use of ballots.

Read the full text of the PDP presidential candidate’s message below:

This year’s Democracy Day provides us with no room to stomach rhyme and rhetoric. But salient facts, sobriety, and the promise of a better tomorrow.

In fact, this historic June 12 as Democracy Day in Nigeria, is indeed one of the most epochal political events in our nation, just before the February 2023 general elections.

Hence, it is an auspicious period to rally around all compatriots; to think and work in concert for the unity, security, equity, inclusivity, socio-economic prosperity and equitable development of our dear country.

Let’s seize this unique opportunity of Democracy Day to reinforce our firm commitment to the sacrifices made by the pioneers of our country’s independence and salute the courage and selflessness of the pathfinders of our current freedom and liberty; by pursuing with vim and vigour the fundamentals of our Constitution, the pillars and principles of rule of law, of electoral transparency and equity and unity in diversity.

Let’s not despair by folding our arms in hapless helplessness. “The last thing that should die in a person is hope”.

Meanwhile, let’s continue to do our civic duty and responsibility to salvage our dear country together; saving her from falling off precariously from current socio-economic cliff into an abysmal catastrophic end of a failed state, as predicted by some naysayers!

Thus, the time is ripe for all adult Nigerians to register to vote; vote and defend their votes. For people’s participation is the beauty of democracy.

Let’s gather the numbers and commitment to kick out APC – the borrowing and sorrowing party. Let’s remember that Nigeria’s current debt burden stands at over N41 trillion with less than $40billion in reserve.

It is visible that the Buhari administration has brought upon our commonality the worst form of government, where insecurity, disunity, inequity, lack of job opportunity, dwindling economic prosperity and hyper inflation stare us all in the face.

Hence, we should by next year reject an inept, unpopular and insensitive and clueless APC government.

A ruling party that offers crass opportunism and cronyism can never elevate nor uplift a diverse and secular country as ours.

The APC that couldn’t offer Nigerians honesty on their pledged manifestos with regards to security, economic growth and anti-corruption; shouldn’t be honoured with another wasteful tenure of pillage, brigandage and carnage!

Here’s the season to prove to dishonest APC politicians that power truly belongs to the people via the use of the ballots.

A government that impoverishes us divides us along our fault lines, make us insecure, make us hungry, starve us of public amenities like electricity and fuel and perpetually shut down gates of universities against our undergraduates, due to no fault of the students and causing untold sorrow to their parents and sponsors; such a party should never be allowed to occupy esteemed offices in government at any level in our country.

At this juncture, the most pertinent tribute that we can effectively pay to our heroes past, those who struggled to enthrone and sustain Democracy in Nigeria, is to kick out the APC; a tainted government that was given a valuable mandate, but came unprepared about what to do. They squandered a precious political opportunity, by dashing the hopes of a trusting majority of the electorate. Not again, we should all clamour. Say no to the doom of bad governance; say yes to the prospect of a better Nigeria in 2023.

Let’s work together to fix our country and return the boom of days of yore. Let’s kick out the APC.

I stand with you all on the drive to reposition our country for greatness.

I will unify all and sundry, enforce solid security nationwide, create jobs through private sector unhindered participation and inclusivity, break government monopoly to give wings for business to thrive, provide enabling infrastructural environment to reduce the cost of production, cut governance costs through devolution of powers to other tiers of government, and provide incentives to hardworking and entrepreneurial Nigerians.

Please trust yours truly, to deliver on these promises. We did it in the past under President Olusegun Obasanjo/Atiku Abubakar administration. We paid off Nigeria’s global debt, and liberalised the banking and telecommunications sectors, among others.

But dreams don’t come true if positive action is not activated and implemented. Let’s not rest on our oars, let’s be like the dynamic eagle and soar! Let’s rekindle hope by not giving up on the dream of a better Nigeria.

Long live Democracy in Nigeria. -AA