Politics
2023 Elections: Fears Heighten Over Thuggery, Violence
Unfolding events have shown that the 2023 general elections may be marred by the activities of political thugs who have been causing mayhem and obstructing campaign activities in several parts of the country.
It is reported that despite the Peace Accords signed by presidential candidates of all political parties on September 29 to in a bid commit themselves to a peaceful campa2023ign for the fast approaching election, several political activities have witnessed violent attacks.
Although the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was absent at the event, the two other major contenders, Peter Obi of the Labour Party and The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar signed the peace deal.
The deal seems to have relatively no effect on the campaign activities as thugs suspected to be sponsored by political parties continue to unleash terror on supporters of their rival party.
It is recalled that a social media influencer, Obi Flag Boy, was attacked at Oshodi, Lagos State on October 1, following the one-million-man march for Peter Obi in the State.
Condemning the incident, the former Anambra governor had in a tweet noted that peaceful assembly and unfettered electioneering campaigns are constitutionally guaranteed, alleging that the incident was birthed by effort of some persons to silence opposition.
”Elections are not deemed free and fair when a certain group employs the tool of intimidation to ensure that the opposition is silenced, both at the campaigns and at the polls”, he said.
A few days after the incident, another supporter of Obi, Joshua Alamu was attacked in Nasarawa State when thousands of persons rallied in support of his presidential ambition.
It would be recalled that at least one person was killed while several others were injured when political thugs attacked the Zamfara State governorship candidate of the PDP Dr. Dauda Lawal on October 14.
Lawal in a statement issued by the Dauda Lawal Media Centre in Gusau, accused the APC of sponsoring the attack, saying the thugs were armed to-the-teeth
Recall also that suspected hoodlums on October 17 disrupted the presidential campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ranchers Bees Stadium, Kaduna State.
According to reports, the hoodlums came into the Stadium with sticks and machetes and started attacking the crowd, leaving many supporters of the party injured.
No fewer than 74 persons were hospitalised, while over 100 vehicles were vandalised when hoodlums allegedly sponsored by some political parties attacked supporters of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in Maiduguri, Borno State on November 9 after a campaign rally.
In the same vein, a man identified as Lateef Wasiu was on Wednesday caught with double-faced Jack-knife at the Lekan Salami Stadium Adamasingba, Ibadan Oyo State during the Labour Party presidential campaign.
The suspect, who was arrested by the police and charged to court, was said to have positioned himself at a strategic place where the LP candidate, Peter Obi was expected to pass.
Speaking with journalists on the return of thuggery and violence in Nigerian, a ward chairman of PDP in Bwari Area Council, Abuja, Mr Victor Ademagba fingered the ruling APC for the attacks.
He said, “we all know that APC has questions to answer in all these attacks. How come only PDP and Labour Party members and supporters are always attacked?
“When last did you hear that thugs attacked APC members during either campaign rally or any other function? It has always been the opposition parties.
“Some presidential candidates were deliberately absent from the Peace Accord event and we are seeing the reasons now. Until something is done about this menace, the 2023 elections may end as rubbish because polling units will be their target”.
It is gathered that APC had several times distanced itself from all the attacks, saying they are not known for violence.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom last week said it will use its visa programme to punish whoever is involved in electoral violence either directly or indirectly in the forthcoming elections.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing who gave the assurance in an interview with NAN, said the UK would monitor the elections closely.
Daily Post
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the outcome of the Ondo State governorship election, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of electoral malpractice, including vote-buying and result manipulation.
This was disclosed during a meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum on Saturday in Jos, Plateau State.
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The forum, chaired by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, criticized the conduct of the election, which saw APC’s Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa secure a landslide victory for another four-year term in Alagbaka, Akure.
“We are still reviewing documents from the Ondo election, where the APC openly bought votes and manipulated results,” Mohammed said.
He urged the judiciary to “save Nigerian democracy” and called on the National Assembly to strengthen electoral laws to prevent what he described as “institutional sabotage of the people’s will.”
The PDP governors also condemned the September governorship election in Edo State, describing it as a “rape of democracy.”
The forum accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of colluding with the APC to declare its candidate the winner despite claims that the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, had secured the majority of lawful votes.
“INEC blatantly manipulated the results in favor of the APC candidate. This undermines the credibility of our electoral process,” Mohammed said.
Beyond electoral grievances, the governors urged the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) to convene a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting by February 2025.
They emphasized the need for broader consultations with stakeholders to resolve the party’s internal leadership crisis and strengthen its position as the main opposition party.
The forum reiterated its commitment to democratic values and vowed to push for electoral reforms that would restore public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The Ondo governorship election has sparked a renewed call for transparency in the country’s electoral system, with the PDP vowing to challenge what it views as a subversion of democracy.
Following his observations that ‘the momentum was strong’ Matt Gaetz whom 47th POTUS elect, Donald Trump nominated for Attorney General has withdrawn.
Biztellers reports that this follows his meeting with Senate and the feedback, which included two women, represented by their attorneys, who accused him of having paid for sex.
Consequently, Gaetz placed on record his full commitment to seeing “that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history.”
His withdrawal according his statement on micro-blogging site, X, was based on his conviction that “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle”.
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In is view, “Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1”.
Gaetz wrote, “I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition. There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.
“I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.”
His backers have promptly encouraged to take his seat in the House of Representatives, having been elected to the house under the flag of the Republicans to represent Florida.
The Executive Governors from Nigeria’s South West have unanimously nominated Senator Ademola Adeleke as the chairman of the zone on the National Economic Council (NEC).
Adeleke is the Executive Governor of Osun State, southwest, Nigeria.
This, according to the Spokesperson to Governor Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed, transpired on Thursday, at a meeting of the NEC.
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He noted that the meeting reviewed the state of Nigeria’s electricity sector and resolved to engage subnational structures to address current challenges in the sector.
“The meeting particularly sought to build on the devolution of the electricity sector and its movement into the concurrent legislative list which empowers state governments to regulate the sector in their respective areas,” he stated.
Consequently, the NEC, therefore set up an ad hoc committee to review actions in the sector by state governments and explore ways to ramp up activities through coordination, Rasheed highlighted.
The full list of members of NEC’s Ad-hoc Committee on National Electrification:
- Governor of Cross Rivers State, Bassey Out – Chairman, South-South
- Governor of Katsina State, Mallam Dikko Umaru Radda – Chairman, North-West
- Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya – Chairman, North-East
- Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke – Chairman, South-West
- Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma – Chairman, South-East
- Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang – Chairman, North-Central
- Hon. Minister of Finance, Wale Edun
- Hon. Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu
- Special Adviser, NEC and Climate Change, Rukaiya El-Rufai
- Special Adviser, Power Minister, Hon. Bolaji Tunji
- MD/CEO Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu
- MD/CEO Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Jennifer Adighije
- Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazak
- NEC Secretariat
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