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By Iranloye Sofiu Taiye

Gone are the days when most people in our society were contented with little they had and a time when we slept with our two eyes closed; it was a communal state characterised by collectivism. Then we were our brother’s keepers when travellers were safe to journey at night without any security threats, a time when meritocracy prevailed over mediocrity when criminals were not sympathised with, and an epoch when elderly people were highly respected and venerated. 

The situation is quite catastrophic currently with the substitution of collectivism with individualism. We are now dwelling in a society where everyone minds his business with no form of a collective check on the excesses of our people, especially when it comes to criminal actions. I can vividly recall when we were juveniles. Generally, few people had cars, televisions, fridges, and generators.

Children had fewer clothes bought during the festival period and ate the best dishes (rice and chicken) during the festive season or special events. Yet, we are not frustrated. On the contrary, both day and night, the entrance and doors to the house of the rich are wildly often open to play and eat together with their children, and the rich also tolerate their children eating together in the less privileged homes and vice-versa. 

Children always troop into the room of anyone who has a television whenever there’s light to watch movies and listen to the news with no intimidation from anyone. In our community, we are always proud and happy if someone has a car in our area because, during any festival, all children in that community will go to the praying ground with that car. No one is under a burden to amass what they couldn’t afford just to oppress others.

Society has a culture of contentment though people strive to improve their living conditions within their means. Owing to contentment and collectivism, the crime rate was meagre because the notion of ‘i-must-make-it-anyhow’, which has ravaged our societies today, isn’t the order of the day then.   

Pathetically, our society of today has been polarised and characterised by social class disparity anchored on economic buoyancy, where those who are wealthy don’t tolerate the less privileged. Thus, the relationship only exists if the poor are ready to kowtow to the dictate of the rich to advance their oppression. 

Youths commit crimes including; kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, rape, internet fraud, money ritual, and alcoholism because they want to wear designer, drive the latest cars, use the latest iPhones, and party with open Street girls. Sadly, many members of our society today are abetting this aberration and terror, demonising our communities of which the parents, guidance, religious clerics, and even the bad eggs within our security personnel and government officials are not left out.  

The rise in the rate of internet fraud, known as Yahoo-Yahoo! and kidnapping is one of the major causes of carnage across our communities today, but all our hands are at akimbo as if what’s happening is normal in our communities today even though we are all aware the perpetrators of this evils engage in human parts harvesting for money rituals.

Many young men on our streets today are into drug abuse, cultism, and alcoholism, which have continued to pose a severe threat to the peace and security of our communities, thus, increasing the crime rate. Our parents, known to be a model before, had soiled their integrity and never cared to know the source of the wealth of their children today. Alas, we now have the ‘yahoo-yahoo mother association’ organised to support their children who are into cybercrime and internet fraud spiritually. Let alone ladies freely engage in advanced prostitution (hook-ups) to compete and oppress others. 

The schools and institutions known to be an avenue for character modelling before are nothing to write about today. People only attend school for academic accomplishment, devoid of character. Stealing and misappropriating the public commonwealth by those occupying public offices, including politicians and civil servants, is now a culture.

Regrettably, the court system and the judiciary are now blemished with conspiracies and marred with corruption. The supposed last hope of the masses has become the fortress for the rich, where the highest bidder gets the desired judgment.

How did our esteem values and norms get substituted, and why is criminality on the rise despite our religion and high level of education? I believe it’s already too late to continue to point fingers at colonialism, globalisation, or westernisation as our problem currently. But the main issue is that our values and norms have been neglected. Hence this dilemma and nightmares befall us.

As a Yoruba aphorism says, “if you know not where you’re heading to, you should know where you are coming from” Revival of our culture; norms and values are pertinent now to arrest and stem this risen criminality in our society.

Iranloye Sofiu Taiye (Optimism Mirror) is reachable via iranloye100@gmail.com.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Yakubu Dogara, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, alleges that there was widespread vote-buying yesterday during the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in some local councils in Bauchi State.

Dogara made this claim after casting his ballot in Gwarangah 007 Polling Unit in Bogoro Local Council.

He said, “There is massive vote-buying going on across polling units; security agencies have been briefed. From the information I have received, we saw what is going on in Darazo local council, the same thing in some local councils in Bauchi North.

“I’m also aware from the security team that lots of vote-buying is going on in Alkaleri local council. I hope the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and security agencies will be on their toes to deal with this so that we can have free, fair elections,” Dogara said.

He added that it took him five hours before he could vote during the last election, but there was an improvement this time around.

By Muhammad Suleiman Yobe

Speaker Yobe State House of Assembly, Hon. Ahmed Lawan Mirwa of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, has lost his seat in the just concluded governorship and state house of assembly elections held yesterday, Saturday, March 18, 2023.

Lawan Mirwa, representing Nguru outside constituency in the Yobe State House of Assembly since 2003, has lost his seat to People’s Democratic Party, PDP, candidate Musa Lawan Majakura.

Majakura got 6,648 votes, Mirwa got 6,466 votes, Bukar Jatau of New Nigeria People’s Party got 23 votes, while Mai Zare Idriss Idriss of APM Party got 14 votes followed by Isah Sa’idu Shehu of the ADC party who got 30 votes.

While declaring the election results, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC’s returning officer, Nguru Outside state Constituency, Alhaji Mahdi Damaturu, announced Lawan Musa Majakura of the PDP as the winner.

“Musa Lawan Majakura of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and return elected”, he added.

Musa Lawan Majakura, who is 29 years old, obtained a diploma from Atiku Abubakar College of Legal and Islamic Studies Nguru, Yobe state. Before winning this election, the ruling party APC did its best to force him to withdraw his candidacy, but he refused.

Recalled that the Speaker, Ahmed Lawan Mirwa, first came to the Yobe State House of Assembly in 2003 and became the Speaker of the House in 2019.

By By Abdullahi Khairalla

In the early hours of today, the people of Maiduguri, Borno State, woke up with the sad event of an unfortunate mishap of fire incident at Maiduguri Gamboru market, which led to the destruction of properties worth millions of Naira.

This has thrown the people of the metropolis into a frenzy as they are yet to come to terms with the losses incurred by the Monday Market inferno a few weeks before.

Similarly, another fire accident occurred in Biu local government area. The town’s central market was also engulfed by fire, bringing chaos to the people in the area and surrounding.

This is happening days before Ramadan, a period associated with hikes in the prices of goods and services, which may lead to untold hardship.

Authorities have yet to speak about the incidents as during this report. However, this might be due to ongoing gubernatorial and state assembly elections today.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Reports from Katsina in northwest Nigeria indicate that bandits had attempted to sabotage elections in the state, in which one person was allegedly burned to death.

According to a report by Channels TV, the person who was set on fire was a member of the bandits who arrived to sow chaos.

The incident happened at a polling unit along the General Hospital Road in the Batsari Local Government District of Katsina State.

According to witnesses, a squad of security forces intercepted the suspected bandit and a member of his gang.

There was no more information about the incident when this report was filed.

By Abdussamad Ahmad Yusuf

While political support entirely is a choice, governed by emotion and often guided by personal aggrandisement, it is surprising if putting it written dismisses intellectual-based assessments and analyses coming from a scholar, even though a public relations consultant. So let me be clear here. I expect, yes, from a political PR consultant to sweet mouth his principal.

However, an assignment of this colour requires an honest appraisal of factors and challenges that might impede the principal’s success and how to mitigate them. Anyway, I rise to the task of unravelling the concoction of emotion and politics wrapped in the last article of Mallam Adnan Mukhtar Tudunwada titled Why Gawuna will win Kano Governorship.

The people of Kano are, at the moment, out at the polling unit to choose the next state governor between the quartet: Ibrahim Khalil; the charismatic Kano Malam, Abba Kabir Yusuf; Kwankwaso-backed candidates, the ‘born-again’ Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, and the carrier of the old school PRP; Salihu Tanko Yakasai!

Unlike Adnan, I do not have a personal relationship with any of the four. Therefore, my response is purely based on the analysis of his candidate, Hon. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna. Readers will believe me that an analysis of Gawuna should never be unconnected with the un-ceremonial Ganduje administration, especially since he is the number two.

The bane that will eventually cost Gawuna the Kano gubernatorial seat is, to list very few of the significant;

First. The Gawuna’s involvement in the Kano black history of ‘inconclusive’. It was exactly one year when the citizens of Kano, tired of the reckless and unthoughtful administration of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, after parting way with his old political ally Rabiu Kwankwaso, came out en masse to vote out the administration.

However, Gawuna disrupted the final collation of Nasarawa LG results and eventual cancellations effected by INEC, leading to the declaration of the election as inconclusive. Then, as though this is not enough, Gawuna and cohort mobilised for the re-run, thugs that banned legitimate voters from exercising their enfranchise. One!

Two. After assuming office, Gawuna was party to the crimes committed by the Administration of his principal, Ganduje. The vendetta set out by their reign cost the revered emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, his throne. It didn’t stop at the elite; the vendetta did not spare even the proletariats. The story of ‘Yan Adaidaita Sahu is permanently fresh with traps to whittle their business network. It became a gist that ‘yau baba wa kuma zai sosa’ people expressed their fear.

Salaries were slashed. Pension became uncertain. KAROTA unleashed to markets where they apprehend business allies as they set out to leave Kano in vehicles after transactions at Kwari, Singa, Wambai, Galadima, etc. Of all these shams, Gawuna has proven himself to be with the Talakawa. Neither him expressing disappointment on how Ganduje massacres the future of the state. We have known of the ‘Yan tebura mall and the corruption there. The butchery of Kwari and Kofar Wambai markets, the persecution of Farm Centre phone marketers, and the Kano Cancer Centre corruption charges led to the lay-off of Engr Muaz Magaji.

Third. It is even wiser not to talk of education, health and the civil service. The statistics and data by both Governmental and Non-governmental tracking bodies are something to give you tears.

Fourth. Respect and dignification for elder statesmen Gawuna pretend to have. Where was he when his principal, in his front, called the Kano elders ‘Dattawan wukari’? Where was he when he shunned the Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, et al., mediation to dethrone Emir Muhammadu Sanusi? Where was he when Adaidita Sahu riders were called Yan Iska, rascals by the MD KAROTA – Baffa Babba?

Where was he when a grand allegation of corruption was being unearthed left, right and centre in the government? He’s a second. Where was he when pensioners and civil servants were denied their full salaries, wages and pension? Where was he when businesses and traders in the state are being pauperised deliberately? These are some of what will cost Gawuna the seat of Governor and why he will fail.

Fifth. The ‘youth constituency’ became the major ‘enemy’ of Gawuna politically, not by coincidence, because their administration has shown indifference to the plight of the youth. They first fizzled out the foreign scholarship program they inherited neither continue to age-long domestic scholarships to tertiary institution students. There was no ‘Youth empowerment’ program such as the Tukwui’s Fish and Poultry, nor Gabasawa’s school for security studies or Kura’s Sport.

No ‘Gawuna or Gandujiyya’ taxis or the Garman Shanu rural-farming boost programs exist—zero youth-centred human capital development. So what was/is the future of youth under the Ganduje-Gawuna and Gawuna-Garo administrations? This is a one-billion-dollar question! Answer with reference to his past antecedence.

The Kano citizens under Ganduje were subjected to hardship and stern corruption. They no longer trusted the government and its officials. This prompted them to have launched a search for alternatives in 2019. Shaaban Sharada emerged, who soon garnered reception, Mallam Khalil made a deep inroad, and Dawisu in the race, among others.

If these third forces could become something to reckon with in the Kano polity at the moment, how about the Kwankwasiyya ‘bloc’ that had given Ganduje-Gawuna a hard knock in 2019 and 2023 they re-strategizes and already won two senators out of three, and more than 18 seats for REPs out 24 in the state? These are factors that won’t allow Gawuna to emerge victorious today.

Abdussamad wrote via abdussamadahmad69@gmail.com from Abuja, monitoring the election.

By Muhammad Suleiman Yobe

The governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Malam Aminu Ibrahim, has accused the All Progressive Congress APC of using money to buy the people’s votes.

Malam Aminu Ringim stated this shortly after casting his vote at the Marakawa 008 polling unit in Katutu Primary School in Ringim Local Government in Jigawa State.

Ringim alleges that APC representatives give people cards and money when voting for their party.

This came shortly after the police arrested a party representative, distributing cards and money to those who voted for the party.

“We witnessed how votes are buying in Jigawa state, and we are taken pictures of how things are going”, Ringim.

He also alleged that there was a polling unit where the presiding officer was taken away in a car.

“Now we are collecting information, and once we have completed it, we will take the appropriate action,” Ringim said.

He, therefore, called on the public to avoid selling their votes during this election.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 
 
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as false online reports that the party had zoned some important positions in the upcoming 10th National Assembly.
 
The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Barr. Felix Morka, debunked the report in a statement released on Friday.
 
He said: “The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to a report circulating on social media on the purported zoning of key positions in the incoming 10th National Assembly.
 
“The report is false and misleading, and should be disregarded in its entirety. The party has not made any decision on zoning of positions or offices of the 10th Assembly.
 
“As soon as a decision is made on zoning, it will be made public through the party’s official communications channel.”
 
Recall that the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, disclosed that he has no favourite candidates for the leadership of both chambers who would make up the 10th National Assembly during the meeting with incoming National Assembly members-elect.
 
Senator Abdulahi Adamu, the party’s national chairman, also stated during the meeting that Tinubu and the party leadership would have the necessary consultations to come up with a plan for sharing the National Assembly’s offices.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

A group of persons from different states in Nigeria, under the auspices of Concerned Citizens for Human Rights and Democracy, have expressed their thoughts on the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Kano State.

In a now viral WhatsApp message, the group said they would vote for Abba Kabir Yusuf, the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, over Nasir Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress.

The group predicated their concerns on the failure of the administration of the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

According to them, poverty, non-payment of gratuity and the illegal sales of government properties characterise Ganduje’s administration.

They further opine that Gawuna’s intention to continue with the policies of the incumbent governor is shameless and disastrous.

A paragraph in the article reads:

“Upon all the offences and atrocities committed to the people of Kano State by Mr. Ganduje and his cabinet, still the All Progressive Congress’ candidate in the next coming Saturday Governorship elections in Kano State, Dr. Nasiru Gawuna had without slightest feeling of shame pledges to continue with the unpopular policies and oppressive programmes of the present administration of the state if elected. But no wonder! since, the duo are accomplice in the destruction of the economy and society of Kano.”

The signatories to the article include:

1. Dr. Bolaji Raheem, Sociologist (Lagos)
2. Mr. Oluka Jekky, Medical Doctor (Port Harcourt)
3. Mrs. Nneka Obi, Activist (Anambra)
   Hebert Kingsley, Historian (Akwaibom State)
4. Ali Yabo, Trade Unionist ( Sokoto State)
5. Mallam Babawo Ibrahim, Writer ( Katsina State)
6. Dr. Mvandiga Tor Political Scientist, Benue State
7. Ibrahim Zunkur, Pastor ( Plateau State)
8. Muhammad Wunti, Teacher ( Bauchi State)
9. Babagana Musa, Aid Worker ( Borno)
   Saleh Garba , Islamic Cleric/Imam ( Jigawa)

By Muhammad Suleiman Yobe

Yobe has been called a one-party state since the return of the fourth republic. Firstly, in 1999, after the return of democracy, the All People’s Party, APP, won the governorship election, where former Governor Bukar Abba Ibrahim won the election and was re-elected in 2003.

After ruling the state for eight years, the late Mamman B. Ali won the state governorship election held in 2007 also in the same party APP, after the party’s name was changed to All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP).

After spending two years in power, God took over the life of Mamman B Ali and later, his deputy Ibrahim Geidam at that time, became the governor of Yobe state.

Ibrahim Geidam continued to lead the state for ten years in power. The ANNP continued ruling the state until 2014, when the coalition of opposition parties united and created a new party, the All Progressive Party (APC).

This means that since the return of democracy in 1999, only one party has been ruling the state up to 2019 when Mai Mala Buni emerged as the governor of the state under the banner of the APC party.

The most surprising thing in Yobe state is that there has never been a victory over the ruling party in the presidential election until this year’s elections. Even in 2011, when the ANPP nominated Malam Ibrahim Shekarau as a presidential candidate, the ANPP party won the state in the presidential election by a wide margin.

The question here is, what caused the ruling party’s failure in this year’s presidential election?

 How will the presidential election affect the success of Governor Mai Mala Buni?

Of course, the election held on February 25 scared the leaders of the APC in Yobe state, especially the way the opposition party PDP won by a considerable margin.

In the election held, Professor Umaru Pate, the returning officer of the state in the just concluded presidential and national assembly elections, declared the PDP party as the winner of the election as follows; APC 151,459, LP 2,406, NNPP 18,270 and PDP with 198,567.

This means that the PDP won by a margin of 47,108 votes, even though elections were cancelled in some polling units with large crowds in Fika, Bade, Fune and Jakusko local governments, which are expected to be won by the PDP.

What is more surprising and interesting is how the ruling party failed to win in the major local governments with the most registered voters as follows:

(1) Potiskum 181,091 registration voters

(2)Damatura 122,197 registered voters

(3) Fune 121,900 registered voters

(4) Bade. 113,716 registered voters

(5) Nguru. 101,044 registered voters

Total = 639,948 registered voters.

Surely! If the people of the towns mentioned above will vote massively for the PDP again, there is no doubt that governor Mai Mala Buni will fail because the total number of registered voters in the state is 1,485,146. As we saw in the presidential election, only less than 400,000 cast their votes.

The presidential election may not signify Mai Mala’s future, but there is a threat to the ruling party. Because many years ago in Yobe state, it was not possible to oppose the state government because of the threat of firing a person from a job or confiscating a person’s farm if he did not support the ruling party, but now because of the emergence of social media, there has been a change in society’s awareness and opposition.

Further, the change in the presidential election happened because Mai Mala Buni failed to meet the situation of the top politicians helping the state’s poor people.

Similarly, the emergence of Bola Tinubu in the APC presidential elections contributed to the downfall of the APC because the people of the state did not accept him. And the governor failed to help the rural residents, so the government lost the presidential election in his local government of origin (Gujba).

With this, I think if the state residents will be allowed to vote for their prepared candidates without buying votes, without compulsion on the people, both APC and PDP will all be able to win the gubernatorial election on March 18, 2023.

Muhammad Suleiman Yobe wrote via muhammadsuleiman190@gmail.com.