Politics
Success of 2023 general elections depends on INEC – Nwosu
By John Danjuma
The President of Ugwumba Centre for Leadership Development in Africa (UCLDA), Mr. Uche Nwosu, has suggested that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), should be made to sign a peace accord along with political parties and candidates.
This, he noted, because the success or otherwise of the 2023 general elections depends on the electoral umpire.
Nwosu, who was a governorship candidate in Imo State in the 2019 elections said things would augur well if INEC conducts free and fair elections.
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He insisted that INEC must also sign the peace accord along with the candidates of various political parties as step towards peaceful elections in 2023.
Nwosu said the role of INEC in peaceful, free, fair and credible election is crucial.
According to him, “the only thing that can mar the 2023 election is INEC. If INEC does the right thing, believe me, people will be happy.
He said problems come when people’s votes are not counted; and when people vote and at the end of the day, their votes become useless.
“The problem is the electoral umpire, the people that will conduct the election. For us the masses, the voters, we are ready; it’s left for them to guide us. Our security agencies too should wake up.
“The last time I spoke at Radio Nigeria and they were asking about the peace accord, I told them that the peace accord was between the candidates: PDP, APC, Labour Party, SDP and other presidential candidates. INEC must be made to come and join and become part of the peace accord.
“Where the APC, APGA, Labour, ADC, etc candidates sign; what of INEC? What if someone from INEC office declares fake results? Are you going to hold one of the presidential candidates responsible if there is problem, meanwhile the person who caused the problem is going free. So, they should be made to sign so that if anyone from INEC does anything wrong, he should be made to bear the consequences.
Mr. Nwosu commended the electoral umpire for the assurances it has consistently given on the 2023 elections saying people have to take them by their words
‘Looking at the various elections after the 2019 general elections, if it were before, like in Osun state they will say ruling party, but you have seen that INEC is neither working for the Federal Government nor for President Muhammadu Buhari.
“If INEC was working for President Buhari and APC, the result might be the other way round in Osun state. If INEC did not look at the ruling party to declare the results in Osun state, we believe that INEC can do better in 2023”, he said.
He advised Nigerian voters to look at the candidates of the various political parties on their antecedents to equip the voters with the relevant information that will make them take the right decision on election day.
However, the former gubernatorial candidate of Action Alliance (AA) Party said what is uppermost in his mind now the work of Ugwum Leadership Centre, which has trained and empowered more than 5,000 youth.
He said the training has impacted in people’s lives from 2013 to date, adding that they do this with their partners. “Most of the funding comes from our partners. Last two years, one of our partners distributed $150,000 to train 111 youths in Masters degree courses in USA. The same thing with one of our partners in the UK who donated pounds to do training and they all got their certificates”.
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has explained that the persistent crisis and legal disputes within the Peoples Democratic Party compelled him to defect to the All Progressives Congress.
The governor’s defection was formally announced on Monday by his deputy, Mani Mummuni, after a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Gusau.
In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the move was described as a necessary step taken in the interest of the state and supported by political stakeholders across Zamfara.
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According to the statement, Governor Lawal had remained committed to the PDP despite the ongoing leadership crisis and had made several efforts to reconcile factions within the party.
However, attempts to achieve peace and unity reportedly failed, leading to prolonged legal battles.
The development followed a judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which dismissed an appeal filed by the PDP challenging an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court.
The earlier judgment had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the outcome of the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The governor was said to have informed political stakeholders during a series of meetings that he would make a final decision about his political future after the appellate court delivered its ruling.
Following the judgment, Lawal concluded that joining the APC would better position him to continue what he described as the “Zamfara Rescue and Rebuild Mission.”
His defection marks a significant shift in the political landscape of Zamfara State and could influence political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has handed a significant setback to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, dismissing his appeal challenging a Federal High Court ruling that questioned his eligibility to contest the upcoming governorship election.
A three-member panel delivered a unanimous judgment on Monday, affirming that the trial court acted correctly when it allowed Dr Akindele Egbuwalo, the plaintiff, to amend his originating summons.
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Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, who read the lead judgment, said the governor failed to show that the High Court’s decision caused any miscarriage of justice or denied him a fair hearing.
The appeal was therefore dismissed for lacking merit, and the court awarded ₦2 million in costs against Aiyedatiwa.
The ruling reinforces the November 24, 2025, Federal High Court decision in Akure, which granted Egbuwalo permission to challenge Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility for re-election.
Earlier, the Court of Appeal also rejected an application by Aiyedatiwa to set aside a January 27, 2026, order staying proceedings in the case before the Federal High Court.
The appellate court clarified that the stay was a lawful exercise of its jurisdiction aimed at protecting the integrity of the proceedings.
The panel further emphasized that attempting to overturn its own order would be akin to sitting on appeal over its own decision.
The governor’s remaining option, the court noted, is to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court. Another ₦2 million in costs was awarded against Aiyedatiwa.
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party has deepened following a ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja which upheld a ban on the party’s proposed national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
A three-man panel of the appellate court on Monday dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the party led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear a suit concerning the controversial convention.
The Turaki-led faction had approached the Court of Appeal after a Federal High Court barred the party from holding its planned national convention scheduled for November 14 and 15, 2025.
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The lower court also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising or validating the proposed convention.
However, delivering judgment, the appellate court ruled that the Federal High Court had the authority to entertain the case, rejecting the argument that the matter was purely an internal affair of the party.
According to the court, the appellants could not present what it described as a clear violation of the party’s constitution and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as merely an internal party issue.
The panel subsequently dismissed the appeal and awarded a cost of N2 million against the appellants.
The ruling is part of judgments delivered in nine harmonised appeals filed by the Turaki-led faction over the dispute surrounding the convention.
The latest court decision is expected to further intensify the internal wrangling within the opposition party as it continues to grapple with leadership disputes and preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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