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Saraki Faults INEC’s Verdict on Osun Polls

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President of the Senate and Chairman, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Council on Osun State Gubernatorial Election, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has faulted the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the election results were inconclusive.

Saraki, in a statement signed by him, expressed dismay over the decision by INEC to declare as “inconclusive” an election in which a candidate won the highest number of votes and fulfilled the condition for geographical spread.

“In my lay man’s opinion, the INEC was wrong in declaring the election as inconclusive because the votes in certain polling units were cancelled. The decision of INEC to cancel the election in those areas after voting had taken place means INEC had already excluded the votes in these areas from the election process and therefore those units should have no place in the overall results. My opinion would have been different if the election in the affected units did not take place at all, may be as a result of malfunctioning of the card reader machine or unavailability of the electoral materials. Since the voting took place and was cancelled, only the courts could reverse the initial decision by INEC to cancel the votes in these areas.

“That is why I call on our party and its candidate to seek further legal interpretation on this decision by the electoral body. One cannot but wonder whether if the places were reversed and the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is the one leading in the election, the INEC will take the same decision it has taken now.

“At this point, it is necessary to also call on INEC to display courage, boldness, independence, neutrality and patriotism so as to send signals to the world at large that Nigerian electoral system has come of age and that our democracy has matured. The electoral body needs to re-assure all and sundry that the 2019 election and other elections will be free of manipulations and undue interference.

“The INEC should note that the Osun gubernatorial election is not only about that South-western state. It is about our country and the entire world is watching. Our national interest is at stake. The integrity of our electoral system is at stake. The reputation of the electoral body is at stake. The future of our democracy is on the line. The way INEC conclusively handles the Osun election will determine global expectations from our political process. It should therefore ensure that the wish of the Osun State electorate eventually prevail.

“I praise the dedication and hard work of PDP supporters and the candidate of the party, Senator Ademola Adeleke. They have remained steadfast, resilient, focused and determined.

“Let me also commend all the other contestants in yesterday’s election for their gallant efforts because it is clear they are all working for the same objective from different perspectives and platforms to ensure that the era of mis-governance, pain, injustice and insensitivity to the plight of the common people comes to an end. It is our hope that they will all co-operate with Senator Adeleke to ensure that Osun State witnesses a development-oriented era.

“Let me remind our party supporters and the good people of Osun State that this INEC decision constitute only a delay of the victory of Senator Ademola Adeleke and the PDP in Osun Gubernatorial election, as our triumph will come either through the judiciary or a further balloting.

“I thank PDP supporters and the general public in Osun State and note that we got to this point after many months of hard work, determination and focus. We should not despair and not lose our focus and determination to ensure that the final results reflect the will of the Osun people.

“Our party is ahead, despite the irregularities. Our people must remain resilient to see this through to the finish. Now is the time to re-strategize, reach out to all the other candidates and their supporters, build on our lead, and bring this election home.

“Our supporters and the entire people of Osun State should remain calm and maintain peace as we move forward to see the successful completion of the electoral process. “Once again, I thank all supporters of the PDP and the people of Osun State who stayed up all night, both physically and on social media to monitor the numbers and protect our votes. We remain undeterred, and we all remain determined to ensure that Senator Ademola Adeleke becomes the next Governor of Osun State”, Saraki stated.

Signed

Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, CON
President of the Senate and Chairman, PDP Presidential Council on Osun Gubernatorial Election

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Presidency Raises Alarm over Alleged Plot to Overthrow Tinubu’s Govt

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The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, has alleged that a group of political actors is plotting to remove the president from office ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Onanuga made the claim in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. Without naming specific individuals or parties, he said the alleged efforts are being coordinated by those he described as “haters of Nigeria’s progress”.

According to the presidential aide, “haters of Nigeria’s progress are banding together to overthrow an administration that has been the most focused, most transformative in our history.”

His remarks followed recent developments around a political alliance taking shape under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which aims to challenge Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Onanuga referenced a 2022 comment by the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, in which the monarch warned voters against believing promises of quick solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.

“Emir Sanusi warned Nigerians what to expect from President Tinubu’s reforms. ‘It’s not going to be easy.’ If anybody tells you it would be easy, don’t vote for him,” he wrote.

He maintained that the Tinubu administration is pursuing reforms designed to reshape the country’s future, suggesting that opposition to these changes is at the root of current political maneuverings.

The post did not offer further details or evidence to substantiate the allegation of an overthrow attempt.

No official response has been issued by the groups involved in the emerging political coalition.

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I Go with Atiku Just As Obidients Are Free to Support Peter Obi – Dele Momodu

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Accomplished media executive and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aare Dele Momodu, has reaffirmed his unwavering support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to emerge as the presidential candidate of the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 elections.

“My best choice is Atiku, and that is what I expect Obi-dients to say, which I expect those who support Amaechi to say — there’s nothing wrong with that,” Momodu stated.

“I have never asked anyone not to support Obi. Obi is my very good friend. If you asked me about one of the people who should lead the coalition, I would say it should be Obi. But as a democrat, I’m appealing to them, hoping they will be able to do it democratically so that they will not say it was forced upon them.”

He stressed that all aspirants, including Obi and former Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, should face the test of popularity through a democratic process.

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APC vs Coalition: Gladiators Draw Battle Line

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By Eric Elezuo

Following the last week’s unveiling of a coalition movement under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to challenge the President Bola Tinubu-led national government in 2027, the two contending parties are leaving no stone unturned in the battle of wits to outdo each other and gain the confidence of the electorate.

No doubt, the final merger of coalition advocates with the already existing ADC has been described as the biggest shake-ups in Nigerian politics since the end of military rule in 1999, relegating the alliance that led to the ouster of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 to the background. In retrospect, this is not the first time the ADC has presented itself as a platform for adoption. In 2018, the party was adopted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s political movement, the Coalition for Nigeria Movement, but its operations were shortlived, and could not match the APC and PDP dominance in 2019.

But today, the situation is different as most of the apparachiks that constitute the then PDP, and a few of those in the APC are now morphed in the ADC.

But with these development, the mouthpieces and major stakeholders of both political parties are on each other’s throats with figures, facts and most of the time, propaganda tailored towards discrediting one another in the race to secure, or wrest the seat of power, currently occupied by President Tinubu.

The coalition’s unveiling, which took place in Abuja, witnessed the presence of various politicians across different political divides in the country. The party claim its major mandate is to boot out the administration of Tinubu, and rescue democracy, which according to them, is suffering and in near comatose status, in addition to restoring the dignity of the Nigerian citizen, restore parity in class differentiation and re-birth a life of ease for Nigerian citizens.

Among the politicians present at the event are Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party Presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, Former Kaduna State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amechi, former Governor of Rivers State.

Others are, Gabriel Suswan, Benue State former Governor, Datti Baba Ahmed, Senator David Mark, former Nigerian Senate President, Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto State former Governor, among others. The group has labelled the ruling APC as a disaster to the nation.

“The APC government, which came into being on the false and evil propaganda to save Nigeria from PDP is now a disaster to our nation and therefore must be voted out of power,’’ the coalition noted in a communiqué issued after their meeting.

Former Senate President David Mark was nominated as the Interim National Chairman of the party, while Rauf Aregbesola, former Governor of Osun State, was nominated as the National Secretary.

In his remark, the National Chairman stated that the essence of a coalition is not a power struggle, but rather the repositioning of the country’s democracy that would enhance good governance.

According to Senator Mark, the party invites Nigerian politicians willing to join and commit to ADC in preparation for the 2027 general elections, urging members to be dedicated and steadfast in advancing the party’s progress.

“On the operational focus and structure of the New Political Coalition, which unites Nigeria’s opposition groups, political parties, youth organizations, civil society, and various patrons from all regions of our country.

Over time, this coalition of national political groups transcended gaming and political power. Today marks the beginning of what will be your long, difficult, and tedious journey.

“However, it is a journey that we are prepared to undertake to unite our collective belief and make our country, Nigeria, great again, regardless of our tribe, religion, and ethnicity,” he said.

However, the APC speaking through its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, dismissed Mark’s statement as “nothing but stitches of untruths, diatribe, and regurgitated and baseless allegations against the APC-led administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.

He said, “From beginning to end, Senator Mark said nothing about the purpose of the so-called coalition other than a loud declaration of desperation for power. What value does the coalition bring to Nigerians? Why should any Nigerian be concerned about a coalition of a bunch of egotistical maniacs for whom power and patronage are the oxygen on which their lives depend?

“One would have expected that, after months of vacillating between the devil and the deep blue sea, in search of a host platform, Senator Mark and his co-travellers would take Nigerians seriously enough by telling them what their coalition would do differently regarding the administration’s bold economic and sectoral policy reforms. What key alternative policy approaches would the coalition implement, and with what prospects of success compared to the high value and transformative impact of the administration’s reform policies? What exactly is the philosophical or ideological leaning of the coalition or its new party, aside from desperation for power at all cost, by all means necessary and unnecessary?”, APC queried.

African Democratic Congress ADC was originally named “Alliance for Democratic Change”. It was later renamed and registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission.

 

While accepting the National Secretary position of the party, Aregbesola noted that he is in “A party that listens and works for the people, not only during elections, but every single day,” adding that, “We must become an institution where internal democracy is not just preached but practised; intra-party competition is transparent, fair and just; all party structures from the ward to the national level function effectively and efficiently; young people, women, and the marginalised have a real voice, not symbolic inclusion.”

The former Osun governor stressed that, “All special and critical interests – security, educators, farmers, workers, women, youth, professionals, people with special needs, etc – must be recognised and allowed to have autonomous structures within the party.”

According to Aregbesola,  who once served as Commissioner for Works in Lagos State, “We will model international best practices in party organisation, administration and ethics. We will study what works, from South Africa to Sweden, from Chile to Kenya, and adapt what fits our local reality. Discipline, order, clarity of purpose and service to the people must define us.”

But in a swift reaction, the APC, through its  spokesman, Bala Ibrahim, described the coalition as “dead on arrival.”

He stated, “The fact that they are meeting in hotels or places at night without any fear means the APC government has improved the security situation of the country. It means the power system of the country has improved. It has improved so well that they don’t have any fear of insecurity, nor do they have any fear of power failure.

“The atmosphere provided by the APC administration for the freedom of association peacefully in itself is a pointer to the improvement.

“The government will continue to provide a favourable atmosphere for them to meet and discuss freely without any harassment, but they are not likely to give any fear or scare to the APC because they are dead on arrival.

“But the coalition is a waste of time. Is it dead on arrival? Yes. It’s dead on arrival. All of them are doing it for selfish reasons and not in the interest of Nigerians.

“I said the coalition is dead on arrival because it’s composed of people who were defeated politically, defeated ideologically, and they will be defeated again collectively in 2027 by our party’s candidate.”

As a follow-up, gladiators from the camps of the now two major parties have been raising their voices speaking for and against their camps and theur rivals respectively, with the intent of gaining popularity for self, and rubbishing the other.

According to the senator representing Benue South, Abba Moro, the coalition is a gathering aimed at achieving a national purpose, describing the conveners as elder statesmen.

He said, “These are senior and elder statesmen and political leaders in the country. I want to believe that they know what they are doing. I think this is part of the general trend in the country now, a season of alignment and realignment to achieve a political purpose.”

A former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, who is also a key member of the coalition condemned the Tinubu as burying Nigeria’s economy.

“The current government has completely buried the economy. Any economy that does not put money in the pockets of individuals in Nigeria is not an economic policy,” Amaechi said.

But in his response, the FCT Minister, who is a member of the PDP, but working for Tinubu and the APC dismissed the coalition and its originators, saying they are only interested in rescuing their stomachs, and not Nigerians. He went personal attacking the individual members of the coalition, outlining where he assumed they failed while in public office.

He said, “I heard David Mark say, to rescue Nigeria; Nigerians are angry. David Mark was Senate President for how many terms? Two terms, is it not? Nigerians were happy. Nigerians were happy when he was Senate President for eight years. And there was no single project to Otukpo; not one. He was flying with helicopter to go to Otukpo. Nigerians were not angry then, Nigerians are only angry now.

“When Rotimi Amaechi was Minister for eight years, Nigerians were not angry. When Nigeria became indebted, Chinese loan, Nigerians were happy. It’s now Nigerians are angry. I saw Seriake (Dickson). They are saying Nigerians are angry. They want to rescue Nigeria. So I’m asking this simple question. What happened to Air Nigeria? Nigerians were happy then.

“When they went to APC in 2015 and took over the reins of power in 2023, Nigerians were happy. Was it under Tinubu’s government that banditry came? Tambuwal, you were Speaker for four years. What did you do to make Nigerians not to be angry? You were a governor in Sokoto State,” he said.

Wike further stated that he would accept the position that Nigerians were angry, if it came from persons who had never been in power, adding that Tinubu was working to change the situation in the country.

Nigerians have had to battle uncertainty in their standard of living in the last 25 months of Tinubu’s administration, and this has necessitated the formation of a viable opposition front ahead of the next general elections. This is as the main opposition party, PDP, as hitherto known, seems to have imploded.

The political space has spiced up with the new ADC to halt the inordinate decamping of politicians to the APC, and as 2027 approaches, it is the side that convinces Nigerians better with human faced policies that may eventually carry the day, and so the gladiators on both divide have drawn the battle line to achieve this feat.

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