Again, Vote Buying, Apathy, Card Reader Failure Mar Rerun Polls [LEADERSHIP]
Card readers’ failure, alleged cases of vote buying, apathy have marred the rerun elections held in 11 states yesterday.
In Bauchi, some wards during the Bauchi rerun elections for Gamawa and Zaki federal constituencies vote buying and card reader malfunction.
Residents who spoke to Leadership Sunday in Gamawa said instances of vote buying were recorded at Unguwan Baba unit and Gareji polling units.
A resident, who pledges anonymity told this medium that “about seven persons were arrested by the police because of vote buying.”
Northern Groups To Float Shege Ka Fasa Security Outfit [LEADERSHIP]
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) yesterday said it would float a security outfit named ‘Shege Ka Fasa’ to compliment other security agencies’ activities in the region.
The group said it was now left with no other option than to resort to forming an Arewa Security Initiative to secure their people’s lives.
This is coming just as the apex northern socio-cultural group, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has said that no region has the power to establish its own security outfit.
But the northern group insisted that with the proposed “Shege Ka Fasa,” they were convinced that there was indeed a justifiable reason for Nigerians to seek to take extra measures for self protection and preservation in the prevailing circumstances such as the coming on board of ‘Operation Amotekun’ by the south-west state.
“This need is necessitated by the apparent failure of the government to discharge its primary duty of protecting the lives and property of all citizens,”the group said.
Dynamics Of Political Realignments In States After Supreme Court Rulings [LEADERSHIP]
There is ongoing political realignment in states following the supreme court judgments.
In some states, underground lobbying is on going while others are calculating who to follow ahead of the 2023 general elections.
After the supreme court Judgment, tension hitherto within the polity in Niger is dousing while indications are pointing to more defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State.
The governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has already extended olive branch to members of opposition People Democratic Party (PDP) when he said after the supreme court Judgement that saw him victorious over PDP candidate, Umar Nasko , that his government was all inclusive devoid of party differences.
Already speculations are that the government was not ready to press further on corruption cases against the key members of PDP even as some key players in the past PDP government are likely to vie for governorship under APC.
Notable among those being mentioned for the governorship ticket is Prof Mohammed Yahaya Kuta,who was the secretary to the government of the immediate past governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu.
In Oyo, barely one year after the last general election and the supreme court judgment which affirmed the election of Engineer Seyi Makinde as Oyo State governor, members of the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), are working assiduously to make the state a one party state based on the achievements of the governor.
FG Orders Recruitment Of Constables For Community Policing [PUNCH]
- IG asks police commissioners, traditional rulers, others to form screening committees
- South-West governors to meet again over law backing Amotekun
- Our members can’t take up constable jobs –Akintoye
- Attempt to stop regional security outfit’ll tear Nigeria apart -Ex-Gov Ezeife
The Federal Government has directed the police hierarchy to commence the recruitment of special constables nationwide preparatory to the implementation of its community policing policy.
The directive on community policing is coming as the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Operation Amotekun, an initiative of the six South-West governors, is gaining momentum.
The governors had set up Amotekun to complement the efforts of the police in tackling insecurity in the region. The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who reportedly described it as “illegal” has since said he was misquoted.
The opposition to the takeoff of the security outfit appears to have been cleared after the South-West governors met with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and Malami in Abuja on Thursday.
To begin the recruitment of constables, Adamu has directed state police commands to set up screening committees.
Fresh Pressure Mounts On PDP To Change Name [PUNCH]
Fresh pressure is being mounted on the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party on the need to change the name of the party in order to win the 2023 presidential election, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.
The pressure is said to be spearheaded by some members of the former ruling party who believe that the party must change its name in order to drop what they referred to as its moral burden.
A similar pressure was mounted on the party before 2015, but was resisted by the party’s caucuses, which argued then that the period for the agitation was too short for it to be considered.
Succumbing to the pressure then was also seen as agreeing with those accusing the party of endorsing corruption which some of its members were being accused of by the All Progressives Congress.
A former Presidential spokesman, Dr Doyin Okupe, who is spearheading the name change campaign, told one of our correspondents that the PDP should consider the option if it plans to win the 2023 presidential election.
Oshiomhole Kicks As Thugs Attack Rally Venue, Burn Vehicles [PUNCH]
Thugs on Friday night attacked the venue for the Edo State All Progressives Congress faction loyal to the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, in Iyekhe, Auchi, setting ablaze the podium, chairs and two vehicles.
Oshiomhole, who decried the attack, said during the rally that eventually took place on Saturday that the APC would continue to embrace peace.
Oshiomhole received some defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party at the rally.
We Want Our Daughter Alive, With Or Without Baby –Leah Sharibu’s Family [PUNCH]
The family of Christian teenage schoolgirl abducted by Boko Haram terrorists in 2018, Leah Sharibu, has described reports that she had a baby boy in captivity as a rumour.
A senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science, University of Jos, Dr. Gloria Puldu, who speaks for the family, also told Sunday Punch on Saturday that all they wanted was to have Leah home alive, with or without a baby.
Some media reports had earlier reported that Leah had a baby for a Boko Haram commander in Niger Republic and that she would have been released some months ago but for her pregnancy.
Lassa Fever: 195 Confirmed Cases, 29 Deaths In 11 States – NCDC [SUN]
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed that 195 confirmed cases of Lassa Fever have been reported in 11 states, with 9 deaths so far recorded.
It also disclosed that 89 per cent of the confirmed cases are from Ondo, Edo and Ebonyi states, and the increase in the number of cases at this time of the year was not unusual due to ecological factors.
NCDC Director-General Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, in a statement released in Abuja on Saturday, disclosed that the NCDC has activated a National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in response to the rising number of Lassa Fever cases across states in the country.
The National EOC, he explained, include representatives from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Environment, World Health Organization, UNICEF, US Centre for Disease Control, and other partners.
Amotekun: When Newly Born Leopard Caused A Stir [SUN]
…Lawyers, security experts dissect controversy surrounding WNSN, offer way out of logjam
Since the declaration of the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) code-named Operation Amotekun as an illegal security outfit by the Federal Government in the penultimate week, the threats and counter-threats by proponents and antagonists of the initiative seem to have further cast more clouds of doubts over the fate of the new security initiative, which many have described as welcome development following the rising security challenges in the zone.
But top security experts and legal practitioners in the country believe that all hope is not lost as they identified the booby trap responsible for the suspension of the newly launched security outfit, and the possible way out of the debacle.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, had declared Operation Amotekun illegal, maintaining that his office was not consulted by its promoters before it was launched in penultimate Thursday.
Governors from the Southwest had launched the security outfit on January 9, in an effort to provide additional security in the zone following rising cases of criminal activities in the region and the country at large.
A statement issued by the spokesperson of the AGF, Umar Gwandu, had read: “The setting up of a paramilitary organization,Operation Amotekun, is illegal, and runs contrary to the provisions of the Nigerian law.
Despite Arson Attack, Oshiomhole Receives 30,000 PDP Defectors Into APC In Edo [SUN]
Violence, which has become part of crisis-ridden Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC), continued yesterday, as a podium for a rally, two vehicles, hundreds of chairs were destroyed and burnt overnight by unknown persons at the rally venue at Iyekhe, off Poly Road in Auchi, headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area.
In spite of the arson attack suspected to have been carried out by rival factional members of the party, the rally held yesterday with a heavy turn-out of party bigwigs and faithful.
Addressing a large crowd of party members, yesterday, National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, said the APC is a party of peace and would continue to preach same, assuring that the party would win the governorship election in the state.
The rally was organised to receive over 30,000 members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by a two-time member of the House of Representatives and the Edo North Senatorial candidate of the PDP in the last election, Hon Abubakar Momoh.
Governor, 7 Others In Trouble Over Alleged N6.5bn Fraud [NATION]
EFCC probes Wada, Ayeni, AVM Atawodi over arms deal
Funds traced to foreign car dealership, offshore accounts
A serving governor is topping the list of suspects being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an alleged N6,549,942, 637.14 fraud in an arms deal. Also under scrutiny are the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Captain Idris Wada, a former Chairman of Skye Bank, Mr. Tunde Ayeni, retired Air Vice Marshal Salihu Atawodi and four others.
The alleged fraud was perpetrated by the defunct Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Security (PICOMSS), which was headed by Atawodi. About N4.9billion cash was said to have from PICOMMS accounts without any specific project in mind.
The serving governor was alleged to have received N1, 475, 144,199.15 of the withdrawn cash for the purpose of lobbying members of the House of Representatives to convert PICOMS into an agency. The name proposed was Maritime Security Agency. The governor was chairman of the House Committee on National Security, Intelligence and Public Safety at the time and he was said to have convinced Atawodi’s PICOMS to part with the cash. The sum received was such a top secret that a former Speaker was given a “ridiculous N1million” as his share.
Some former members of the House of Representatives who benefitted from the bribe-for-bill cash from the governor might be invited for questioning,the Nation gathered last night. Sources said the governor was initially cooperating with the EFCC on the investigation, only to stop honouring the invitation of the anti-graft agency two days before he was declared elected by the Supreme Court. He currently enjoys immunity from prosecution by virtue of his office, but he may still face trial after his tenure. The remaining seven key suspects are expected to be arraigned in court soon.
They include Mrs. Winifred Atawodi; Aeroconsult Limited, Xanatos Limited and a daughter of the ex-PICOMMS chairman, Eleojo who is under investigation. The EFCC has already blocked the following amounts in Mrs. Winifred Atawodi’s accounts: N141, 611, 736.8 and $228, 428.16. Another N200million has been placed on Post No Debit (PND) in First Mutual Micro-Finance Bank traced to Purple Pepper Farms Limited allegedly owned by Atawodi’s daughter (Eleojo). About five hectares of land worth N245million have been seized from the Atawodis. The EFCC has also uncovered how $6.12million was invested by the Atawodis in Midland Corporate Investment Limited account with Sun Trust Savings and Loans Real Estate Limited.
Northern Groups Back Amotekun, Demand ‘Operation Shege Ka Fasa’[NATION]
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) is canvassing the establishment of Operation Shege ka Fasa in the North in response to the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Operation Amotekun. ‘Shege ka Fasa’ means I dare you.
The coalition, which was the brain behind the 2018 quit notice to the Igbo living in the North,said yesterday that the North is even more genuinely entitled to be angry in view of the current high level of security challenge in that part of the country. It cited the incessant attacks on and killings of innocent citizens by gunmen,abductions, destruction of communities and terrorism.
Spokesman for the group, Abdulazeez Suleiman,said in a statement in Kaduna that the North has persevered in a dangerous security environment fuelled by outside interests that thrive on the supply of deadly merchandise including hard drugs and other harmful substances and the proliferation of arms in the region. The group wondered why the SouthWest had to wait until after the conclusion of the 2019 elections before coming up with Operation Amotekun. But it said the security outfit should function within the ambit of the law.