National

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Muslim Lawyers’ Association of Nigeria (MULAN) has lambasted the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for treating the Muslim members of the association with ignominy and reckless abandon.

MULAN also blamed NBA for treating members with regional and religious bias, adding that the association is working against the interest of her Muslim members and Islam in Nigeria as a whole.

A statement jointly signed Thursday by Prof. Abdulqadir Ibrahim Abikan, the MULAN President and Adam Olori-Aje Esq, the Secretary-General, disclosed.

The statement decried that over the years, Muslim lawyers have had to bear the pains of participating in NBA programmes without due regard for their collective sensibility.

MULAN also condemned, in an intensely vitriolic tenor, the blasphemy of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) by Deborah Yakubu, as her act offends not only her Creator but also the sensibility of the Muslims world over.

The statement reads in part: “In December 2021, the Olumide Akpata-led Administration of the NBA announced the establishment of NBA Stabilisation Fund and Access to finance for Lawyers. The laudable and much celebrated multibillion-naira project was financed from our collective patrimony.

“However, it was structured on interest orientation that puts-off Muslim members that would not want to have anything to do with interest financing. The fact that the NBA did not think about the exclusion of those members, who are in thousands, alone, shows her high level of insensitivity.

“Without minding the insensitivity, the leadership of MULAN called the attention of the NBA to the implications of the exclusion vide a letter received at the NBA House on 23rd December 2021, addressed to the President and offered to assist her in the architecture of an inclusive alternative. Despite the fact that the letter was received, the President arrogantly ignored it till date.

“The purpose of the exclusion cannot be excused from premeditated impoverishment of a target group. NBA is a multi-billion-naira association in terms of her annual income from Practicing Fees, donations and local and multi-national partners’ funding. The quantum of Muslim Lawyers’ contributions to the fund is not mean.

“The funds are expended vide execution of projects and organization of programmes and events through her various statutory and ad-hoc committees. Along with the services rendered by members of the committees, they, in turn, become more exposed and developed in personal skills and human capacity. It is however curious that appointment into these committees has always been awkwardly lopsided that at no time would Muslim members of the NBA form more than ten to twenty per cent (10-20%) of any of her committees.

“For instance, a survey conducted by MULAN in November 2021 revealed the following percentage of Muslims in various committees set up by the current NBA administration: Judiciary Committee – 13%, Welfare Committee – 13%, Remuneration Committee – 7%, Legal Education Committee – 13%, Human Right Committee – 20%, Disciplinary Committee – 7%, Technical Committee on Conference Planning (2022) – 6% etc. the total number and percentage in the whole committees published by the NBA are graphically represented hereunder,” the statement added.

The leadership of MULAN also decried that NBA reverts to her default Sealed Lips Mode on the killing of Harira and her Children in Anambra State.

“It is not surprising that after insulting the sensibility of the Muslims on Deborah killing, NBA reverted to her default sealed lips mode when the news broke out of the barbaric killing of the pregnant Harira and her four children in Anambra State. Was it because it was Muslim lives that were involved or because it happened in Anambra, not Sokoto State or because the dastardly act was allegedly carried out by IPOB, not the Muslim mob that NBA kept sealed lip? While we await what event of the NBA would be cancelled

“in memory of Harira and her Children or staged in celebration of their killing, as the case may be, we at MULAN condemn in strongest terms, extra-judicial killing of any soul be it Muslim’s or non-Muslim.”

By Ahmed Musa Husaini

Two things are now becoming clearer: Bola Tinubu will not clinch the APC presidential ticket if it is to be decided through consensus. The second thing is, he’s determined to be on the presidential ballot in 2023 (even if it means contesting on the platform of a different party).

Asiwaju Tinubu’s political career is one that is steeped in irony and drama. When he was a regional (southwest) leader, he was able to control his boys and consolidate his influence. He became the kingmaker feted by all who want to be president in post-Obasanjo’s Nigeria. Jonathan struck a deal with him in 2011 and Buhari sealed one 2015.

Tinubu’s mistake is his inability to adjust to the new political dynamics post-2015. His usefulness as kingmaker was only because he holds influence over the Southwest. As soon as that influence begins to diminish (as was seen in the 2019 elections), and as soon as he made open his intention to succeed Buhari, he’s no longer a kingmaker but simply a king-wannabe at the mercy of other kingmakers.

The truth is, no Nigerian politician comes into contact with power at the center and remain the same again. If Tinubu had remained a regional leader, he would still be in control of the Southwest, and presidential candidates would be trooping to Bourdillon seeking his alliance. Asiwaju is merely a victim of his own successes.

By choosing to go national, Tinubu not only risked diluting his own influence, but also exposing his boys to the federal side of political power and patronage never experienced before. His former commissioners and proteges are now vice presidents, ministers and presidential advisers. They have now experienced the enormous patronage of federal power in a way that enable them to outgrow his influence.

One after the other, his boys whom he had nurtured out of political obscurity started having problem with (and even plotting against) him. The only ones that stayed loyal are the ones who still need him. Osinbajo, Fayemi, Fashola, Ojudu, Aregbesola, the list is endless. His political capital begins to depreciate and people begin to perceive the Tinubu brand less favorably, gradually becoming a liability with the masses but still a force to reckon with due to his formidable political structure.

Success has its own price. The list of his adversaries keeps growing: his estranged political boys, his natural enemies in the PDP and Afenifere, and even those Buhari haters who must bring Tinubu into their hatred of the president. It didn’t help that the president was underwhelming, and it didn’t also help that after over 20 years of ruling Lagos via proxies and unprecedented growth in internal revenue, the city still remains a pastiche of everything that’s wrong with Nigeria.

Tinubu’s candidacy in the APC is insurmountable because he has problems with 3 groups of stakeholders: his own southwest group who see him as a dying political brand that is running out of steam. To them, Tinubu must choose between dignified political retirement or humiliation. One thing that cannot be disputed is that Tinubu made them or contributed greatly to their making. And their decision to abandon him exposes him to political attacks elsewhere. Little wonder that he’s now more promoted by northern politicians than his kinsmen from the southwest.

In the Buhari camp, there are two school of thoughts: one camp believes by virtue of his contribution to the Buhari project, the president should support Tinubu in reciprocity. The other camp argues that having given Tinubu the privileges of appointing the vice president, senate president, speaker of the HoR, ministers and other senior officials, Tinubu is more than compensated for his support and the president should not be beholden to any promise real or imagined.

Then there’s a third group of APC governors who are the real powerbrokers in APC. This group has mixed feelings about Tinubu from favorable to unfavorable. Governors want a president that will listen to and even consult them. Tinubu’s treatment of Ambode (despite interventions from his governor-colleagues) and his recent public lashing of Governor Dapo Abiodun are good indicators of the group’s opinion about Asiwaju. If they cannot count on his respect and consideration now as a candidate, what if he becomes president?

In all this mix, you have Bola Tinubu the politician on one hand, lamenting in the language of political betrayal, tired of being a kingmaker and ready to rock the boat if his boys and allies will not reciprocate his past support. And on the other hand, you have President Buhari who – true to character – has failed to groom a successor and does not even have a succession plan in place because he basically has no legacy to protect and no ‘personal’ scandals to cover up.

It is easy to understand Asiwaju’s pain if all that he built was predicated on personal ambition alone. Purpose determines reward. We cannot blame people for their ambitions, we can only discuss them based on our understanding of history and interpretation of current events. As Tinubu gets ready to gyrate full circle in his last political dance, one single misstep will condemn him to the wrong side of the stage, and of history.

Ahmed Musa Husaini is an APC enthusiast, he writes from Abuja

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The All Progressives Congress, APC, screening committee has disqualified ten aspirants vying for the presidency on the party’s platform. 

The Chairman of the Committee, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, disclosed this on Friday, June 3, 2022, while submitting the committee reports to the ruling party’s Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, in Abuja. 

The names of the affected candidates are yet to be disclosed, but 23 aspirants participated in the screening, and only 13 were reportedly successful. 

The successful candidates are expected to participate in the primary election scheduled to hold between 6 to June 8.

By Muhammad Sabi’u

Gunmen have carried out another horrific attack in four Zamfara State towns, killing dozens of residents. According to an eyewitness, the number of villagers slain could not be determined yet, but the bandits took several of them, leaving four individuals with varying degree of injuries.

According to reports, the villages are Gidan Dan-Inna, Gwaji, Karoka in Kwai-Kwai District, and Faru, in Bungudu and Maradun local government districts.

Some eyewitnesses reveal that, majority of those killed were members of a local vigilante group who were protecting the communities, and some of the community members were attacked on their farms.

Terrorists with powerful weapons were claimed to have assaulted the villages, killing and rustling animals. The communities were reportedly attacked on Sunday evening and early Monday morning, destroying properties worth millions of naira.

When contacted, the State Police Command Spokesman, SP Mohammed Shehu, confirmed the tragedy, adding that twenty people were slained in three villages in Bungudu Local Government and five more in Maradun Local Government Areas of the State.

Armed operatives have been dispatched to the affected and surrounding areas to protect people and their properties in the axis, he said.

By Muhammad Aminu

Abdulsalam Abdulkarim Zaura popularly known as A.A. Zaura has emerged as the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Kano Central senatorial district primary election.

A. A. Zaura polled highest number of votes, 758, to defeat his main challenger Senator Bashir Garba Lado who scored 77 votes to become a distant second.

Announcing the result Saturday evening, Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura who was the Chairman Electoral committee said A. A. Zaura returned elected after securing the highest number of votes.

The Star earlier reported that Sen. Lado accused Gov. Ganduje of manipulation the election for the benefit of A. A. Zaura, which he called on President Buhari and National leadership of the APC to correct the wrongs.

The other aspirants who would have participated in the process, stepped down from the contest following pressure from Gov. Ganduje.

The other two senatorial districts of Kano North and South are have single APC aspirants each.

By Muhammad Aminu

Former National Youths Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Barr Ismail Ahmed has withdrawn his aspiration to contest for Kano Central senatorial district.

Barr Ahmed announced his withdrawal on Saturday at the Sani Abacha Indoor Stadium, where the primary election is taking place.

A one-time presidential adviser to Buhari on Youths, Barr Ahmed, said Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje prevailed on him to withdraw from the contest earlier today, to which he obliged in the interest of the APC in the state.

Meanwhile, another aspirant and former senator representing Kano Central, Bashir Garba Lado, has accused Gov. Ganduje of manipulating the process to favour one of the aspirants.

Senator Lado alleged that Gov. Ganduje instructed party delegates and other stakeholders in the primary election to vote for his anointed aspirant, Abdulsalam Abdulkarim Zaura.

He said the conversations and instructions conveyed to delegates and other stakeholders can be retrieved from Gov. Ganduje’s and Kano State APC Chairman’s phone calls made from 11:am Saturday.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu, Inspector General of Police and other heads of security agencies to intervene to ensure a free and fair primary election is conducted to avert any possible breakdown of law and order as a result of governor’s interfere.

Like other states across Nigeria, APC in Kano is conducting primary elections for the three senatorial districts in the state, but the contest is heated in Kano Central between Gov Ganduje’s ally A. A. Zaura and Senator Lado while Aspirants for Kano South and North senatorial districts are unopposed.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has trained 18 covid-19 vaccine champions on identifying, tracking and countering Covid-19 related fake news on social media platforms.

The program tittled “Public Education on COVID-19 Vaccine Project” was aimed at sensitizing the public on the importance of covid19 vaccine and the need to take it with a view to promoting uptake of the vaccine.

Supported by MacArthur Foundation, the centre is reportedly working with 18 partner organizations and social influencers to enlighten the public about the vaccine through various activities and programmes.

However, COVID-19 is a communicable respiratory disease that terrorises the entire wold, leading to the death of number of people and set the nationwide economic back.

The details on the event was in a statement signed Saturday, May 28, 2022, by the coordinator of the campaign, Mal. Hamza Ibrahim.

The statement reads in part: “CITAD received 93 applications from young people who want to be champions and 18 of them were selected from six northern states – Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Borno, Plateau and Kogi State and trained for two days.”

“After their training they embarked on daily campaigns on the vaccine on social media. They submit reports of their campaigns at the end of every month and the reports are shared with panel of judges who review and assess and subsequently select the best three.”

“So, there is competition among the vaccine champions every month and the best three winners are selected and rewarded with gifts. This month, Hadiza Aliyu from Kano emerged in the 1st position and got Hisense refrigerator. Ashafa Abdulkadir from Kaduna and Hauwa Shettima from Bauchi State were the 2nd and 3rd position. They received plasma television and mini laptop.”

It is not known whether there will be another new competition for Covid-19 vaccine champions after this campaign has ended.

By MMuhammad Sabiu

Rochas Okorocha, who is now in the custody of the anti-corruption agency, the EFCC, was denied bail by a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday.

Mr Okorocha’s counsel, Ola Olanipekun, was instead directed to notify the anti-graft agency by Justice Inyang Ekwo.

According to the Nigerian News Agency (NAN), Mr Olanipekun requested the court to give Mr Okorocha bail on liberal terms awaiting the hearing and resolution of an application on notice filed on May 25.

The ex-parte motion was filed on May 26 and was dated.

However, Justice Ekwo ruled that, because the case would be heard on Monday, it would be pointless to issue a bail order for the member.

The senior lawyer reportedly intimated that he had filed a motion on notice to have his client released on bail.

The judge, who set a hearing date of May 30 for the motions, told the counsel to notify the EFCC.

Following the EFCC’s allegation that it had been unable to serve Mr Okorocha despite multiple attempts, Mr Ekwo gave the anti-corruption commission May 30 as the last time the matter would be deferred, according to NAN.

After two adjournments for his arraignment, the court threatened to dismiss the case if the EFCC failed to present the senator on the next postponed date.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Ulama Forum in Nigeria has condemned the wild killing of Harira and her four kids, demanding the Anambra state government pay full life compensation to the relatives of the deceased.

Reacting with dismay, the forum also called on the Anambra state governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, to take measures to mitigate all forms of barbaric and terrorist acts and to also apologize to the Muslim community the world over.

The clarion call was in a statement jointly signed Thursday by Aminu Inuwa Muhammad and Dr Sa’id Ahmad Dukawa, the Convener, on behalf of the secretary to the forum.

The forum also voiced objection to the release of the IPOB’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, blaming him for being responsible for the latest crime by the group he leads in killing innocent souls.

They added that what happened just recently must be added to the list of his unrepentant crimes until the full wrath of the law is brought down on him.

The statement partly read: “While we call upon Muslims in Northern Nigeria and other places to resist the temptation of any unlawful reaction, we at the same time call on the Federal Government of Nigeria and the security agencies to demonstrate that they are capable of protecting the lives and properties of Nigerian citizens irrespective of where they decide to reside in Nigeria, just as sanctioned by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments.

“We are in such a state of grief and mental hardship inflicted upon us by IPOB that we need to say no more!!! We are watching to see whether there are responsive and responsible governments in Anambra state in particular and other states in the east where such unprovoked acts of barbarism and terrorism are being perpetrated over the years. May justice and peace prevail in Nigeria. Ameen,” the statement added.

The Daily Reality reported how the outlawed terrorist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has mercilessly murdered a heavily pregnant woman and her four innocent kids in Anambra.

The woman identified as Harira Jibril was killed alongside her four kids and six other persons of northern extraction on Sunday, May 23, 2022.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to the barbaric killing of Harira Jibril and her four kids, threatening that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) should expect a tough response. 

The president criticized the killing of innocent people in the South East and other parts of the country. 

Recall that the Daily Reality reported how the outlawed terrorist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has mercilessly murdered a pregnant woman and her four innocent kids in Anambra.

The woman identified as Harira Jibril was killed alongside her four kids and six other persons of northern extraction on Sunday, May 23, 2022. 

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the president, Malam Garba Shehu,  disclosed this in a statement signed Wednesday, May 25, 2022.

However, the president described the incident as “wild, barbarous and wanton killings of innocent people.”

Buhari further urged citizens to avoid hasty steps or conclusions that could exacerbate the situation.

He cautioned that the general public should allow the law to take its proper course.

He added that “the public is against the indiscriminate sharing of posts on social media so as to deny vested interests who seek to divide us and create disturbance the chance to do so.”