NEWS
Northern group brandishes voting strength, says it holds the ace
…Says it has a determinant vote to produce the next president
By John Danjuma
A group under the aegis of Arewa New Agenda (ANA) has brandished its voting strength boasting that it has determinant vote to produce Nigeria’s next president.
They therefore want whoever emerges as the President to take into cognizance the voting strength of their geographical zone which they said made it possible for the ruling party to win in 2015 and 2019.
They said in 2023 they are still holding the ace as the region that will determine who wins as president, hence they want the interest of the region to be protected.
They brandished figures from the last two election cycles which according to them accounted for votes from the 3 northern regions adding up to 75% of the votes received by the winning party; while the South West by virtue of “the merger” added 13% to this; to bring the total haul to 88%.
They spoke in Abuja on Wednesday, at a press conference at the International Conference Center.
The coordinator/convener of the Forum Senator Ahmad Abubakar MoAllahyidi who addressed the press said the critical inference from the foregoing analysis is that, “Without the votes from the south west, the winning party will still have won the election, but will lack the 25% spread amongst 2/3rd of the 36 State requirement for outright victory”
What they are projecting they said,
“As it stands today the Arewa Agenda 2023 is meant to set an agenda for the protection of the interest of the north in relation to the determinant role it will play in the emergence of the eventual winner of the presidential election in 2023.
“While in 2015 and 2019 the North was needing only a marginal support to coast home to victory. This time around, the South will be needing the full strength of the North to lead the “bulk of the charge” by doing the heavy lifting.
“We are supporting the growth of the Nation as we “Envision a Nigeria where the north is capable, vibrant and takes ownership of its future”
“A time has come for us to streamline the continuing participation of the north and its people as usual in the process of governance and socio-political development of our great country Nigeria.
“The Arewa New Agenda 2023 seeks to promote the continuing prominence, relevance, involvement and participation of “the north” that will enable the rapid growth and development of the region in the Governance and service delivery structure of Nigeria post 2023 general elections.
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“This is due to the strategic position the north occupies when it comes to determining leadership at all levels of Governance in the political processes of the democratic environment.
“As we approach the 2023 National elections it has become not only pertinent but expedient that we raise up to engage the occasion from the perspectives of the numerical strength the north wields in the political equation in the country.
“Current contextual analysis (Nigeria)
Nigeria remains the most populous country in Africa. The country has 36 States divided into 6 geo-political zones; and a Federal Capital Territory. “These zones are North West, North East, North Central, South West, South-South and South East. The population of the North-West Region alone is more than the population of South-East and South-South zones combined.
“We are going to be having a conference on the 6th and 7th september and in that conference we are inviting all the ethnic Nationalities in the 19 northern States to bring up issues, like the issue of insecurity, so many issues we want to hear from them.
“It is those issues the rappattoires will put together to form a compendium and this compendium will now serve as an Arewa agenda for whoever that becomes President to look into the pages of the Compendium and see what he can do for us.
“That document will not be cast in stone, it means that as we progress when there are more issues we put them there that is what we want to do but it must be an all encompassing and all embracing approach where everybody will have to say something. “It is not like if such a document does not exist by scholars but at every given time there are more challenges so we want to examine those challenges and bring them forward towards 2023 so that whoever that becomes the president this will become the Northern Agenda or position.”We are a group that seek to engage the issues, the real serious issues of the day and in that regard we are partizan with quality, who is the most qualitative person that can better lots of the north, given track record, give antecedents of all the contestants. “They are all known to us, they have a record of performance in public service, we are engaging with them as we are engaging with the Nigerian community
“We are looking at the issue based on the prosperity of the country as we are looking for the prosperity of the North.”
The House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy has summoned several key Ministers to appear on Wednesday to account for over $2 billion in investments and grants allocated for renewable energy development in Nigeria since 2015.
Despite this significant funding, power supply across the country remains poor, prompting the committee to question the effectiveness of these investments.
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The ministers expected to attend include Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security; Uche Nnaji, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation; and Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning.
This investigative hearing, chaired by Afam Ogene, representative of the Ogbaru Federal Constituency in Anambra State, aims to uncover how these funds were utilized and why they have not led to measurable improvements in energy access.
The hearings, scheduled for November 5 and 6, stem from a June 6 mandate directing the Committee to investigate the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) involved in managing renewable energy investments, procurement, and grants.
However, on the first day of the hearing, the ministers opted to send representatives, a move that disappointed Ogene and the committee.
Expressing his frustration, Ogene reminded officials that the Constitution grants the National Assembly power to summon public officers for investigative hearings.
He cited Section 81(1) of the Constitution, which states, “Each House of the National Assembly shall have power by resolution published in its journal or in the official Gazette of the Government of the Federation to direct an investigation into any matter or thing with respect to which it has the power to make laws.”
The Chairman emphasized that this authority also includes oversight of “the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, Ministry or government department charged, or intended to be charged, with the duty of or responsibility for executing or administering monies appropriated or to be appropriated by the National Assembly.”
During Tuesday’s hearing, Ogene invited the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning to deliver a presentation, only for Felix Okonkwo, a director in the ministry, to stand in on his behalf.
When questioned, Okonkwo admitted he was authorized to “take some responsibilities but not all,” prompting Ogene to insist that the minister appear in person on Wednesday.
“Tell your minister to appear before this committee on Wednesday. It is not meant to witch-hunt anybody. A situation where invitations are sent about three times to heads of MDAs and they would still not appear to make their presentations is not acceptable,” Ogene warned.
Similarly, when Suleiman Abubakar, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Science and Technology, tried to speak on behalf of his minister, Ogene instructed him to notify his principal to attend personally.
“You have no locus to stand in for the Minister. He should appear in person on Wednesday. We wrote to the Minister, not a directorate,” Ogene asserted.
Also summoned to the hearing on Wednesday are officials from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, and the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo.
In a final push on Election Day, Republican presidential contender, Donald Trump expressed confidence about reclaiming the White House, while reiterating his concerns about the security of electronic voting machines.
After casting his ballot in Florida, Trump told reporters, “I feel very confident.”
He added, “I believe we ran a great campaign,” referring to his race against Democratic rival Kamala Harris.
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While Trump voiced his confidence, he also underscored his willingness to accept defeat if the election was conducted fairly.
“If I lose an election, if it’s a fair election, I would be the first one to acknowledge it. So far, I think it’s been fair,” Trump said, though he added that his acceptance would hinge on perceived election integrity.
In particular, Trump has voiced concerns about electronic voting machines, suggesting they are less secure than paper ballots.
Wearing a red “Make America Great Again” cap, he remarked, “They spend all this money on machines… If they would use paper ballots, voter ID, proof of citizenship, and one-day voting, it would all be over by 10 o’clock in the evening. It’s crazy.”
Trump further commented on the potential for election unrest. When asked whether he would urge supporters to remain peaceful, he dismissed the question, asserting that his supporters are “not violent people.”
As voting concludes, Trump’s statements add to the polarized atmosphere of one of the most contentious U.S. elections in recent history, with the nation watching closely as results unfold.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday undertook visits to two states-Borno and Jigawa to commiserate with the governments and their people, following the devastating floods that ravaged Borno and the deadly petroleum tanker explosion in Jigawa that claimed nearly 200 lives, all of which happened while he was away from the country.
The former president lamented the damage, destruction, and losses of life that attended the worst floods in many decades in Borno State, ascribing the catastrophic incident to destructive weather due to climate change.
He recalled his days as the Military Governor of the North-Eastern state-now split into six states – when, as said, “ we engaged in prayers for rain. Now, we are having the irony of the state being overwhelmed by rain.”
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He commended the efforts of the state and federal governments in the joint efforts to restore normalcy in the lives of the people, saying that having sent a delegation to condole the situation while he was away, he still felt unsatisfied with the gesture, necessitating the urge to make the trip to see things and personally commiserate with the state.
The state governor, Pro Umara Babagana Zulum and the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garba Al Amin El-Kanemi thanked the former president for the “historic visit,” saying that the state would never forget the president who had visited more than any other, and one “who has done so much and so well for Nigeria and Borno state in particular.
“Without the 85 megawatts captive power plant you built here, Maiduguri would have continued in darkness. You gave us the North East Development Commission, a military university, a federal polytechnic, and a college of education and ensured the gradual return of peace after years of Boko Haram terrorism,” stated the Governor.
In Dutse, the Jigawa state, the acting governor, Engineer Aminu Usman led the former president to the Rasheed Shekoni University Teaching Hospital where he saw the victims of the fire explosion still on admission.
Muhammadu Buhari joined in prayers for the repose of the 180 plus so far dead, from the fire, and the quick recovery of those who are still on admission in hospitals.
The acting governor thanked the former president for the visit and for the cash donation to the victims of the disaster.
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