Politics
PDP minority caucus asks Buhari to sign electoral act without delay
***Mocks APC over lack of BOT, trying to win FCT council polls by all means
*decries excessive loans, says APC has sold Nigeria to China
The minority caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the National Assembly has demanded that President Muhammadu signed the reworked electoral bill into law without further delay
The Caucus also berated the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) for setting up 133- member campaign committee inclusive of 16 serving governors for the forthcoming Area Councils Election in FCT.
The leader of the caucus who is also the senate minority leader senator Enyinaya Abaribe and his counterpart in the House of representatives Honorable Ndidi Elumelu gave the indication on Tuesday during the caucus meeting with the PDP Board of Trustees.
According to Abaribe, “We are asking President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the electoral act which we have passed. We made sure that everything he complained about we have given it to him.”
“The President in rejecting the earlier one transmitted to him in November last year, said indirect and consensus mode of primary elections were added to the new one as requested by President Buhari .
“Now that we have bent backwards, no any excuse or reason should be given again. Provisions of the bill are very critical for expected credibility of the 2023 general elections ” , he said.
Honorable Elumelu during a vote of thanks alleged that some APC Governors are again plotting to stop President Muhammadu Buhari from assenting to the reworked electoral act.
“They said they wanted direct primaries, we said if it would mean giving Nigeriand a very sound electoral reform we accept, they came back again they said oh we have rejected it. They are the ones rejecting.
“They say okay, they want Indirect we say we agree but give Nigerians electoral reform. They came back again and said they want consensus, we have given them consensus, we have given them consensus again I am hearing that among them, those APC Governors are still plotting for the President not to sign the act
The Clerk to the National Assembly Mr. Olatunde Amos Ojo had on Monday, transmitted the authenticated copies of the Electoral Bill 2022 to President Muhammadu Buhari .
This was done in accordance with the provisions of Section 58 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Acts Authentication Act Cap. A2 LFN 2004.
Mr. President had withheld assent to the Electoral Bill 2021 transmitted to him on 19th November 2021. The Electoral Bill was thereafter reworked by the National Assembly and both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed same on 25th January 2022.
For constituting 133- member campaign committee inclusive of 16 serving governors for the forthcoming Area Councils Election in FCT Elumelu berated the ruling APC.
“Let me say that, It is disheartening that APC, for just a small council election they have turned it to a battle ground
“Even those who could not win their polling units are finding themselves in FCT instead of administering their States, they have abandoned their states for just FCT council election.”
He reminded the ruling APC that in the last election the president lost his unit in the villa. “So I wonder why all of them are battling to come and take what they know they can never get, the FCT area Council election.”
“Let me also state that we are not like APC. Let me thank the BOT for finding it worthy to come and interact with us. We can never be like them. “They have promised
Nigerians so many things: N1 to $1 today it is N596 to a Dollar. They have Promised Nigeria that farmers would be able to go to farm and produce good food for us.
“Today no farmer to go to the various farms because of insecurity. They have promised Nigerians that they will give us good roads but today go to the Airport you see crowds because we don’t have good roads.
“The legacy left by PDP government is still what we are enjoying today because of failed promises by APC. “They are trying to mugage the future of our children by trying to get China to colonise us. Loan, Loan, Loan. APC is known for loan taking and that is very bad.
“The PDP BOT coming here to interact with us is something that a focused party can do. APC can’t do it, they set out to elect State officers they succeeded in electing 92 chairmen.
“They have not reconciled them in 36 States plus FCT and they said they are going to do convention. Let me take Kano for example, Ganduje is leading some, Shelarau is
leading some so I wonder which people are coming for the convention.
“It is going to be another promise like N$ to N1 and we can go on and on, we are not like them who will go to United Nation and lie that they have built specialists hospitals in 36 States, you know that it is a lie. “But for the President of Nigeria to get there and say such a thing, it is a big shame. We can also go on and on and we will not leave here.
“Let me tell the BOT that the two chambers PDP caucuses are doing very well
“Nigerians are tired of APC, so for coming here we are proud of you people. Your coming has further energized us to know that we are doing the right thing and we will never let you people down
He however sent a strong message to the PDP not to impose candidates
“Please tell our party, that this is the time that we should imbibe true democracy and there must be transparency in all the primaries that we are going to organise, let the popular people be chosen.
“The issue of imposition should be shunned by our party. This is what my colleagues asked me to tell you.”
As the PDP caucus were holding a meeting with it’s BOT, the APC caucus also met but in closed door.
When their meeting ended they failed to address the media
Politics
Nigeria’s Debt Service Ratio Falls To 65% As Tinubu Tackles Economic Woes
In an effort to reduce Nigeria’s debt burden and stabilize the economy, President Bola Tinubu announced on Monday that the country’s debt service-to-revenue ratio has fallen from 97 to 65 percent over the 17 months since he took office.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for seven new ministers at the State House, Abuja, Tinubu emphasized the government’s progress in stabilizing the economy despite challenging conditions.
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“For us, it was a challenge when the nation was servicing its debt with 97 percent of its revenue. It was nothing but the edge of the cliff,” Tinubu said.
“But today, I can report to you that we have brought that down to 65 percent, and we have never defaulted in meeting all obligations, both foreign and domestic.”
His remarks follow Afreximbank’s recent projection that Nigeria’s debt service-to-revenue ratio could reach 110.4 percent by 2024.
Afreximbank’s 2024 Nigeria Country Brief warned of a troubling upward trend in debt servicing, which could see the ratio surge from 33.8 percent in 2017 to a projected 110.4 percent next year.
However, with continued reforms, the report suggested the ratio might decline to 62.6 percent by 2025.
In the first nine months of 2023, debt servicing consumed 66.9 percent (₦5.79 trillion) of Nigeria’s total revenue, a slight improvement from 99.3 percent (₦4.23 trillion) during the same period in 2022.
Tinubu, while optimistic about economic recovery, acknowledged the ongoing struggles faced by Nigerians due to a sharp increase in the cost of living triggered by recent economic reforms.
“We have taken the bull by the horns,” the President asserted. “We have stopped the scavengers. We will fully put an end to the profiteers and smugglers of our resources across the country. We are not shirking our responsibility; we are confronting it head-on.”
He further expressed confidence that Nigeria was on a “good path” toward recovery, emphasizing that the government remains committed to re-engineering the economy.
He cited the introduction of a new minimum wage as one measure aimed at mitigating rising living costs.
Monday’s ceremony also saw the swearing-in of seven new ministers, part of a recent cabinet reshuffle.
In two batches, ministers including Idi Maiha (Livestock Development) and Dr Jumoke Oduwole (Industry, Trade, and Investment) took their oaths.
The reshuffle, which saw 10 ministers reassigned, five discharged, and seven new appointments confirmed by the Senate, reflects Tinubu’s stated commitment to reshaping his cabinet to meet Nigeria’s evolving challenges.
As the administration continues to implement reforms, President Tinubu emphasized a long-term vision for economic sustainability, not only for the current generation but also for future ones.
“Despite the challenges, we must undertake the job of re-engineering and retooling this country’s economic path,” he said.
Politics
Edo Deputy Gov, Omobayo Ordered To Court Over Refusal To Vacate Office
A Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated that Godwins Omobayo, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, appear in person on November 26, 2024, following allegations of contempt of court stemming from his failure to comply with a previous ruling.
Justice James Omotosho issued the order on Monday, asserting that Omobayo, described as the alleged contemnor, must be afforded a fair hearing in accordance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
READ MORE: Bobrisky Flees Nigeria Amid Legal Turmoil
The court action was initiated by Philip Shaibu, who was reinstated as Deputy Governor after the court invalidated his impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly on July 17.
Justice Omotosho ruled that the impeachment proceedings lacked due process and that the grounds for Shaibu’s removal did not constitute gross misconduct.
Shaibu’s suit targets several parties, including the Inspector-General of Police and the Edo State House of Assembly, seeking enforcement of the court’s judgment and demanding that Omobayo vacate the deputy governorship position.
Omobayo assumed office on April 8, following Shaibu’s impeachment.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Omobayo was served legal documents but failed to appear.
In response, Shaibu’s attorney, Ayotunde Ogunleye, SAN, urged the court to compel Omobayo’s attendance, citing the need to uphold judicial authority.
In delivering his ruling, Justice Omotosho adjourned the case until November 26 for further proceedings.
He directed that hearing notices be served to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th defendants involved in the charge.
“In the interest of justice and to provide the alleged contemnor with an opportunity to defend himself and receive a fair hearing, in accordance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I hereby order that the alleged contemnor appear in court in person on November 26, 2024,” the judge stated.
It is noteworthy that the current tenure of the state government is set to conclude on November 12.
Politics
Presidency Fires Back At Atiku
On the heels of the salvo fired by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria’s 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, signalling what might be a long-drawn hot exchange of words, the Presidency has made what it called ‘our initial response to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’.
This was contained in a statement put out on micro-blogging site, X, Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), Bayo Onanuga.
The former vice president had detailed the shortcomings of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, making efforts to detail what he would have done differently, that would have better results for Nigeria.
In a swift response, the Presidency countered that Atiku and his ideas “were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll”, based on his antecedents.
The statement reads, “OUR INITIAL RESPONSE TO ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR
“We have just read a statement credited to former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in which he tried to discredit President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform programmes while pushing his untested agenda as a better alternative.
“First, Alhaji Atiku’s ideas, which lacked details, were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll.
“If he had won the election, we believe he would have plunged Nigeria into a worse situation or run a regime of cronyism.
“Abubakar lost the election partly because he vowed to sell the NNPC and other assets to his friends. Nigerians have not forgotten this, nor would they be comforted by Atiku’s antecedents when he ran the economy in the first term of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government between 1999 and 2003.
“As vice president, Atiku supervised a questionable privatisation programme. He and his boss demonstrated a lack of faith in our educational system, and both went to establish their universities while they allowed ours to flounder.
“Talk is cheap. It is easy to pontificate and deride a rival’s programmes even when there are irrefutable indices that the economic reforms yield positives despite the temporary difficulties.
“Despite the futile attempt to hoodwink Nigerians again in his statement, it is gratifying that the former Vice President could not repudiate the economic reforms pursued by the Tinubu administration because they are the right things to do.
“His advocacy for a gradualist approach only showed that he was not in tune with the enormity of problems inherited by President Tinubu.
“It is so easy to paint a flowery to-do list. It is expected of an election loser.
“President Tinubu met a country facing several grave challenges. Fuel subsidies were siphoning away enormous resources we could ill afford, and there was criminal arbitrage in the forex market.
“No leader worth his name will allow these two economic disorders to persist without moving to end them surgically.
“While advocating for gradual reforms may sound appealing, Tinubu took measures that should have been taken decades ago by Alhaji Abubakar and his boss when they had the opportunity.
“Alhaji Abubakar calls for empathy and a human face to reforms. We have no problem with this as it resonates well with our administration’s focus. President Tinubu has consistently emphasised the need for compassion and protection of the most vulnerable.
“The administration has prioritised social safety nets and targeted support for those affected by recent economic transitions.”