Politics

By Muhammadu Sabiu

After conducting a survey in which the decision was barely supported by users, Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk announced that Donald Trump’s account had had the ban placed on it lifted.

Elon Musk set up a poll on the site on Saturday, asking users if they thought the former president should be permitted back onto the app.

A sizable majority of 52% of the more than 15 million users who took part in the poll voted to reinstall the former US president.

“The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated,” Musk tweeted of the former US president’s account, which was banned last year after a mob of his supporters attacked the US Capitol.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Things appear to be continuously falling apart in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the party has been unable to resolve its internal crisis.

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State had on Thursday subtly endorsed the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi. This has inarguably caused more division in the party.

Governor Wike while playing host to the Labour Party presidential candidate and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed in Porthacourt on Thursday, pledged logistics supports for Peter Obi’s campaign.

“Each time you want to campaign in the state, let me know, all the logistics support, we will give to you,” Wike told Obi to the cheers of Obi’s supporters.

Wike who is strong stalwart of the PDP, had fallen out with the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, after he lost the party’s primary election to the latter in May this year.

Three months to the 2023 general election, Wike and four other PDP governors are requesting for the resignation of the party’s national hairman, Iyorchia Ayu. They were reported to have said they will not support Atiku Abubakar if their request is not granted. Unfortunately, neither the party chairman nor the presidential candidate is ready to accede to their demands.

Wike and his allies had argued that it is against equity to have the presidential candidate of the party and the national chairman of the party from northern part of the country.

By Yakubu Nasiru Khalid

If Atiku Abubakar can be trusted, why did he contest the presidential election five times and not win?

Atiku is the most frequent presidential candidate in Nigeria. He started contesting for a presidential position in 1991 under several parties, including the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). However, he has consistently failed all the time. 

Also, General Muhammad Buhari, the current president, contested for the presidential position from 2003-2015 and failed three times.

Eng. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso is the second presidential wannabe who contested the presidential primaries election. He has never stood for an election at the national level. Standing election at the national level is a lot.

Note: Whoever blindly and persistently needs to take a particular post in politics should not be voted because he only needs the immunity, favour, or title needs to prefix on their name, not the country’s property. Nigeria will only remain poor and unstable If Atiku wins.

Eyes measurement is enough for a wise; all those presidential contestants are on the same boat as Buhari. They are only dying to prefix the title of president to their names, not to lead Nigeria to the ever brighter state.

There are two major popular political parties in the South All Progress Congress APC and People’s Democratic Party PDP. However, the New Nigerian People’s Party NNPP is rare because it has few supporters.

This means the South’s votes are shared among two parties, PDP and APC, and Asuwaju Bola Ahmad Tinubu dominates almost all southern States. Therefore, Atiku will get fewer votes from southern Nigeria. This means Asuwaju Bola Ahmad has 63% of the votes, Atiku has 37% votes, and 10% will be shared amongst the rest parties. 

In the North, three political parties are populous, each with a large number of supporters. Atiku and Kwankwaso are northerners, and Bola Ahmad is from the South and the ruling party, APC. Kano is the largest state in the North that produces high votes, and each party will eat into the other. This means none has the majority. So they will be vulnerable to each other. Lagos’s votes are automatic belong to Asuwaju Bola Ahmad Tinubu.

Casting votes for PDP or NNPP is a waste. So, vote wisely for the solution for humanity. Nigeria needs a fresh, diligent and experienced leader. Age or educational status doesn’t matter a lot. Vote for someone who optimistically thinks Nigeria will be economically strong with a political cloud. 

Yakubu Nasiru Khalid wrote via yakubunasirukhalid@gmail.com.

By Aisar Fagge

Kano State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate, Dr Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna said no serious government will succeed without the contributions of Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) and Non-Governmental organizations (NGO’s).

Gawuna made this statement on Monday, 14th November, 2022 during a continuation of interactive session series organised by a coalition of 21 Kano CSO’s and NGO’s aiming to promote peace and development of Kano State.

Gawuna said, “We are not enemies of NGO’s. That’s why we are here. We’ll work together with NGO’s and CSO’S especially on the issues concerning education, youth and women.

“In many places, government alone cannot do all it’s work. They need the intervention of NGO’s. I have seen one person in Kenya teaching the whole school. We too here are going to involve NGO’s in improvising classrooms to cater the needs of our school pupils,” he stressed.

“I urge you journalists, NGO’s and CSO’s to to enlighten people about the activities of government and its programmes,” Gawuna appealed.

Other issues the APC candidate discussed were his development agenda on employment, health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, climate change, etc.

Convened by Dr Aminu Magashi Garba, the sessions allowed the gubernatorial candidates to interact with members of NGO’s, CSO’s, media practitioners and community leaders and share their blueprints on critical areas such health, education, youths, women, environment, commerce, agriculture, technology among others.

The event that commences on 9th November was graced by gubernatorial candidates of People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Salihu Tanko Yakasai; Bala Muhammad Gwagwarwa of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mal. Ibrahim Khalil of African Democratic Congress (ADC); Engr. Bashir I. Bashir of Labour Party (LP) and Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada of Action Democratic Party (ADP). Participants were hoping to see Abba Kabir Yusuf of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Sadiq Wali of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the subsequent meetings.

By
Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has imposed N2 million sanction on Arise TV for broadcasting fake news.

NBC Director-General, Balarabe Shehu Helah, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

The Director-General described the action of Arise TV as an unfortunate breach of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code, grossly unprofessional and insensitive.

“This is the most unfortunate breach of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code and gross display of unprofessionalism and insensitivity by your organization at this time of electioneering,” he said.

The Director-General argued that Nigeria’s extant laws on broadcasting clearly prohibited fake news. He added that the NBC has taken its time to enlighten broadcasters on the provisions of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code and the Electoral Act as the 2023 General election approaches.

Consequent of the breach, the NBC sanctioned Arise TV and requested they pay the sum of N2 million naira with two weeks.

“Consequently, pursuant to Section 5.1. 3 of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code, Arise TV is hereby sanctioned and shall pay a penalty of 2, 000, 000.00 ( Two Million Naira only) Note that the penalty shall be paid within two weeks of the receipt of this letter or sanction shall be graduated,” the statement reads.

Arise TV maliciously reported that the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Ahmad Tinubu is under investigation by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of alleged forfeiture in a US Court. Arise TV had admitted their guilt and apologized to the party and person involved.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

The governor of Jigawa State, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, has pledged to cast all of his state’s votes for Asiwaju Bola Ahmad Tinubu, the APC’s presidential candidate, in the general election of 2023.

This was said by the Governor on Sunday at the Hadejia kickoff of the Jigawa North East APC gubernatorial campaign.

He noted that the event was intended to introduce to the populace the gubernatorial, senatorial, and other zonal candidates.

Bola Tinubu, according to Governor Badaru, is the only presidential candidate who can protect the nation from economic suffering and endeavour to advance national development.

He was quoted saying, “Looking at his track record and experience, I am sure he has plans and policies that will help in the development of the country.”

According to him, the huge crowd that gathered at the event is a clear indication that Jigawa State is a stronghold of the APC.

By Mukhtar Jarmajo

Indubitably, Bauchi State is one of the hottest political spots in Nigeria. With a very volatile electorate, the state has remained one to watch whenever Nigerians are to go to the polls. More so, especially in recent times, the opposition in Bauchi state is hardly passive. In most cases, the government in power is challenged by a strong opposition which, from recent experience, the latter defeats the former at the polls. 

For instance, in 2015, the then-opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated the ruling Peoples` Democratic Party (PDP), culminating in the emergence of M. A. Abubakar as the governor of Bauchi state. And in 2019, the now-ruling PDP succeeded in ousting the APC from power. Such is the case of Bauchi State, where the electorate is apparently democratically well exposed, so much so that the political landscape is as undulating as it is sophisticated.  

And as Nigerians walk to the polls next year, the political temperature in Bauchi state is already rising, with the two main governorship contenders working hard to outdo each other. However, instead of issues to characterize the electioneering campaigns where the government in power will try to convince the electorate that it has performed well, just as the opposition APC will try to show the electorate how the former has not done well, it beats even the wildest imaginations that politicians in the state have resorted to destroying the billboards of their opponents. There is obviously no need for that.

The PDP-led government in Bauchi state can present its performance sheet to the electorate with a view to convincing the people how it delivered all the promises it made ahead of the 2019 governorship election. It should tell the world how it impacted the lives of the people. On the basis of indices, let the world learn how governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has not failed to transform education, agriculture, healthcare delivery, transportation, roads, security and the civil service in the almost past four years. 

And for the opposition APC, let it convincingly tell the good people of Bauchi state how the PDP-led administration has failed. Also, on the basis of indices, it should prove that it can do better by presenting reasons, amongst which should be the credentials of its standard bearer, Sadique Baba Abubakar. Let the world know how the erstwhile Chief of Air Staff met the Nigerian Air Force in almost the same situation Bauchi state is in today and turned around matters only to leave it a better place. 

In essence, rather than develop primitive tendencies, politicians in Bauchi state can focus on issues so that the electorate can know who is the best and can therefore make informed decisions on election day. After all, democracy is about the people in terms of their well-being and general development. 

Jarmajo wrote from Wuse, Abuja. 

By Habibu Maaruf Abdu

21 Kano-based Non-Governmental Organisations have organised interactive sessions with the aspirants for Kano state gubernatorial position ahead of the forthcoming 2023 elections. The two-day event took place on the 9th and 10th of November 2022 at the Babale Suite conference hall in Kano.

Convened by Dr Aminu Magashi Garba, the interactive sessions allowed the candidates to share their campaign blueprint with the NGO community and have a dialogue with them on critical thematic areas such as; Health, Education, Environment, Commerce and Industry, Agriculture, Technology, Women and Youth Development, among others.

Sessions with PRP candidate Salihu Tanko Yakasai and Bala Muhammad Gwagwarwa of SDP were held on the first day.

The second day saw sessions with ADC’s Mal. Ibrahim Khalil, LP’s Engr. Bashir I. Bashir, and ADP’s Sha’aban Sharada.

It was said that plans are on the ground to organise sessions with other major contenders, such as the NNPP, APC and PDP candidates, in the coming days.

Recall that the Kano Civil Society Organizations and Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) held similar sessions with the candidates a few weeks ago.

By Muhammadu Sabi’u

One of the strongest opposition parties in Kano State, the New Nigerian People Party, has reacted to the alleged involvement in the looting of a huge amount of money by some three Nigerian governors.
 
Recall that the news alleging that three currently serving state governors are being watched for attempts to launder money by paying employees’ salaries under the table resurfaced a few days ago.
 
Reacting to the allegation, a Deputy Public Relations Officer of the NNPP in Kano State, Hon. Musa Nuhu Yankaba, hints that one of the governors in question is Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State.
 
In an interview with Premier Radio Kano, he said, “If he [Governor Ganduje] refuses to come out and clear himself, we, as natives of Kano State and members of an opposition party, will not accept that, and we will expose him, so as to tell the people of Kano all that is going on and for proper action to be taken.”
 
Despite all these, the anti-graft agency, the EFCC, did not reveal the identities of the three governors involved in the scandals.
 
However, the chairman of the EFCC noted in an interview that two of them were from the North, and the third was from the South of the nation.
 
He added that information at the agency’s disposal showed that the three governors had come up with strategies to inject the money into the system by paying their state employees’ wages on a table-payment basis.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

The All Progressives Congress, APC Campaign Council’s Director-General, Governor Simon Lalong, has approved select Kannywood members to join the council ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

Lalong made the comment in a statement published in Jos, the state capital, signed by his spokesperson, Dr Makut Macham.

The inclusion of film practitioners, according to the director general of the APC’s presidential campaign, was done to increase the involvement of artists from the northern region in the campaigns.

According to Lalong, Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, recently visited Kano and spoke with group members, which led to the approval.

He added that the APC presidential candidate had pledged to give Kannywood members a chance to participate in the campaigns, showcasing their skills while also aiding the party in winning the upcoming general elections.

The Kannywood group has Abdul Amart as Director, Ismail Afakallah as Deputy Director and Sani Mu’azu as Secretary, with other leaders heading different divisions.