APC

By Uzair Adam 

A Federal High Court in Kano has disqualified Prof. Sani Lawan Malumfashi as Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) due to his affiliation with a political party. 

Justice Simon Amobeda delivered the ruling following a suit filed by Aminu Aliyu Tiga and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The court also disqualified five other members of KANSIEC—Anas Muhammad Mustapha, Mukhtar Garba Dandago, Isyaku Ibrahim Kunya, Kabir Jibril Zakirai, and Amina Inuwa Fagge—on similar grounds. 

According to the court, they are active members of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), making them unqualified for their roles under the Nigerian Constitution and the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission Law.

Justice Amobeda further ordered that KANSIEC must cease all activities related to the upcoming 2024 Local Government Election in Kano State until a properly constituted commission is appointed in accordance with the law. 

This includes halting the issuance of election guidelines, candidate screenings, and the sale of nomination forms, all of which were declared null and void.

Additionally, the court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withhold all electoral materials, including the voter register, from KANSIEC until the commission is legally restructured.

The ruling emphasizes that any actions taken by KANSIEC in preparation for the 2024 Local Government Election are invalid unless qualified individuals are appointed to the commission.

By Sumayyah Auwal Usman

The late arrival of materials marred Saturday’s local government election in Kaduna State. Voters were seen stranded at various polling units across the metropolis and its environs.

The Daily Reality correspondent, who visited some polling units at Kawo, Unguwar Kanawa, Badarawa, Hayin Bakin, Kabala, Barnawa, Tudun Wada, and Badikko, among others, noted that the election materials had not been received as of 3:00 p.m.

However, a few voters were still seen at the collection centers awaiting the distribution of election materials. A voter at the Kawo polling unit, known as Dauda, told The Daily Reality that several people who came out to cast their votes left when the materials did not arrive on time.

At the time our correspondent left the metropolis around 3:38 p.m., only a few voters were still awaiting the arrival of election materials.

By Uzair Adam

A coalition of APC groups in North Central has said it ha suspended its agitation for Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the National chairman of the All Progrssives congress (APC).

The Daily Reality reports that the chairman of the coalition, Hon Abdullahi Sale Zazzaga, disclosed this during an interview with DCL Hausa on Wednesday.

He said their superiors in the region cautioned then against the agitation, especially as the the party’s NEC meeting approaches. Zazzaga said that their agitation is purposely is for political and economic well-being of the region.

He said, “We have agitated steadfastly and we have bene heard loud and clear. This will not be the end of our agitation. We are doing it for our people.

“We suspended this agitation because webhad a talk with our supuriors. We sat at a table with them. They cited the upcoming NEC meeting of the party. They asked us to give the NEC a chance to make a final decision on the matter.

“We will wait to see what the NEC will do about it. Everybody in this country knows that we have agitation for the good of our people and our region. But we can’t go ahead with the agitation since we had a talk with our superiors.”

By Ishaq M. Sani

 To surmount all challenges, the good people of Zaria deserve the best leadership at the local government executive council. Therefore, it’s imperative to bring in competent, young, and vibrant representation to the good people of Zaria local government. 

The good people of Zaria equally need a leader who can foster a harmonious synergy between the local, state, and federal governments, paving the way for remarkable achievements, transformative development, and a brighter future—a leader with a proven track record of driving impactful changes and advancing grassroots priorities. With Engr Jamil piloting the affairs of the cosmopolitan Zaria, an era for Pressing forward in the direction of progressive outcomes and solid attainments for the good people of Zaria is possible. 

However, Jaga’s socio-political background and mentorship from both the executive governor, Mal Uba Sani, and the speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas, as Deputy chief of staff, have instilled in him the values of honesty, inclusivity, and open-mindedness to diverse views, contributing to effective governance. 

Ahead of the October Kaduna LGA elections 2024, a vote for Engr Jamil is a victory for addressing critical issues relating to Human Capital Development, Infrastructure Development, Security, Agriculture, Environmental management, Climate change, greenfield initiatives, Trade and Investment, and Robust Citizen engagements.

His focus on human capital development emphasised this: Engr Jamil is set to ensure education/scholarship, health, and social investment. He has tagged “Education: Knowledge and Skills Acquisition for the Future.” He is also Ensuring that scholarship opportunities are expanded to less privileged students to support lifelong learning. 

Elucidating impacting measures, combined with a continuous programme to improve teachers’ quality and teaching standards to ensure that basic education investments produce the desired learning outcomes in line with the sustainedmanifesto of his excellency Mal Uba Sani. Moving further, Zaria needs a well-equipped leader to support entrepreneurship in ICT, which is necessary for stimulating innovation and economic growth. 

Focus on Health ensures access to quality care in the health sector to consolidate the remarkable achievements recorded by Sen Mal Uba Sani, the state government leader, and Speaker Abbas’s critical interventions. Zaria looks forward to robust social investment through social welfare and liberating empowerment through dedicated funds for women and youth. 

The Zaria infrastructural development is also expected to focus on investment in sustainable environmental infrastructure such as water supply, sewage and solid waste management, and adequate infrastructure such as culverts, drainage and connecting roads/bridges for job creation, taking centre stage. 

The mission is to collaborate with the neighbouring LGAs and state and federal governments to continually improve the quality of connecting roads and ensure the expansion of the local electricity infrastructure, especially across Dembo, Wucicciri, and Dutsen Abba, among others. 

Furthermore, it promotes environmental conservation and sustainability, protecting Zaria’s natural resources and ensuring the sustenance of the conditions for economic dynamism through investments, vibrant commercial activities, skills development, and job opportunities.

However, like many other local governments, Zaria has been one of the hotbeds of security threats in Zone 1 of Kaduna state in the last eight years, with attacks happening on a regular basis. I commend the Governor and the honourable speaker for their robust efforts in maintaining the peace and stability of the state within their first year in office. 

Moreover, Engr. Jamil is expected to ensure a secure, peaceful, and united Zaria LGA. Effective collaboration between the state and federal government will ensure the deployment of security personnel and equipment for adequate security in the local government. Deep intelligence gathering through collaboration with traditional, religious, and community leaders will support security agencies. 

In light of the preceding, the competitive advantage of Zaria’s growth potential in the agricultural sector is viable through effective utilisation of agro-ecological zones, rising youthful population, irrigated farming opportunities while transitioning from subsistence to commercial agriculture and leveraging linkages with local manufacturing in the promotion of agri-business.   

Finally, Zaria envisions a leader who is committed to providing all-inclusive and diverse representation, Feedback mechanisms, and accountability processes, ensuring effective engagement with all communities for equity, responsiveness, collaboration, and accountability; this is possible when Engr Jamil is given the mandate. 

 Join Engr Jamil Ahmad Muhammad on this great journey…

Ishaq M. Sani writes from the office of the APC chairmanship Candidate, Zaria local government. Strategic communication directorate

By Sumayyah M. Auwal

In Kaduna State, over 10,000 supporters of Senator Shehu Sani have decamped to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)and pledged their support to Governor Uba Sani.

The party’s State Chairman, Emmanuel Jekada, applauded the decampees for returning to the APC. He promised to work with everyone to move the party forward for peace and the development of Kaduna State. He noted that the APC in Kaduna State is open to all, irrespective of any differences. 

It would be recalled that Shehu Sani’s withdrawal from the APC in 2019 resulted from the acrimonious relationship between him and the then-governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. Their disagreements eventually led to Sani and his supporters leaving the APC.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Tinubu congratulates Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Saturday’s Edo State governorship election, on his victory at the polls. 

On Sunday, Senator Okpebholo was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), having defeated other contenders for the position.

President Tinubu commends APC national leaders, Edo State leaders, and party governors for working hard to achieve victory. He says the victory testified to the people’s support for the ruling party, its progressive ideals, its economic reengineering programme and its commitment to improving the lives of Nigerians. 

He urges Senator Okpebholo not to gloat over his victory but to see it as a challenging call to service. He encourages him to demonstrate magnanimity by reaching out to his political rivals and uniting the people of Edo State to ensure its development. 

President Tinubu also praises other candidates who participated in the election for their contributions to advancing Nigeria’s democracy, saying peaceful political contests, such as the one on Saturday, portray Nigeria as a stable democracy. 

The President urges all those aggrieved by the election outcome to seek redress through the legal channels.  

In addition, the president commends the people of Edo State for their orderly and peaceful conduct during the election, underscoring the maturing of Nigeria’s democracy after 25 years. 

“I commend the INEC and our security agencies for working round the clock to conduct a successful, peaceful and largely hitch-free exercise. 

“INEC has once again demonstrated that it is committed to organising a free and fair election in our country”, President Tinubu says.

By Uzair Adam

Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has criticized the Federal Government for assigning the distribution of rice palliatives in Kano to the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, rather than the state government.

Speaking in Kano, Kwankwaso expressed his disappointment, describing the move as a breach of constitutional democracy and an act of excessive partisanship.

“For the past week, I have been in Kano, and I observed with great disappointment the Federal Government’s distribution of rice palliatives to 35 states through their governors, except in Kano.

“Here, the responsibility was handed over to APC members. This is a gross insult to our constitutional democracy and a step too far in partisanship,” Kwankwaso stated.

He urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately address what he called a “derailment of democracy.”

Kwankwaso also raised concerns about the frequent changes in the leadership of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Kano, noting that three State Directors had been posted and reposted in just two weeks.

He warned that the instability was having a negative impact on the state’s security.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

The chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajiboye Omodewu, has died. Omodewu, who hailed from Otu in Itesiwaju local government, passed away about a year after undergoing treatment for an undisclosed ailment. 

The late APC chairman, who held dual citizenship of Nigeria and the United States, was a former Commissioner under the administration of the late former Governor Abiola Ajimobi. He had recently completed his law degree and law school. 

APC Publicity Secretary in Oyo State, Olawale Sadare, confirmed the death of the party’s chairman.

Omodewu’s demise has left a void in the state’s political landscape, as the party will now begin the run to get another chairman.

Senator Ali Ndume, former Senate Chief Whip, has apologised to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for failing to consult the party before publicly criticizing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. 

Ndume, representing Borno South in the National Assembly’s upper chamber, reaffirmed his statements, saying, “Whatever I said or whatever I did was out of patriotism.” 

He explained that he was invited by the party to discuss his actions and accepted the mistake of not consulting the party first.

“I promised the party that all my observations as a senior member of the family should have terminated or ended with the party,” Ndume said. However, he maintained that his criticisms were truthful, even if strong.

“Those issues may be said strong, but they are true… I should have talked to the party as the last bus stop.” 

Ndume’s apology comes after he was invited by the party to discuss his public statements, which were seen as critical of the APC leadership.

Despite apologising for not consulting the party, Ndume remains firm in his convictions and commitments to speaking out for the good of the country.

By Uzair Adam

Nigeria’s main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has urged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government to immediately review its policies, which they claim are “asphyxiating life in the country.”

The Daily Reality reports that the PDP made this call in response to a nationwide protest against the government’s handling of the economy.

The PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, stated that the government’s policies have led to a severe economic downturn, characterized by high inflation, unemployment, and poverty rates.

He criticized the government’s decision to increase fuel prices and float the currency without implementing measures to cushion the effects on citizens.

Ologunagba alleged that the APC government has been arrogant and insensitive to the plight of Nigerians, who are struggling to afford basic necessities like food and cooking oil.

He claimed that over 120 million Nigerians have become destitute and can no longer afford their daily meals and other basic necessities of life, with poverty rates soaring to over 40%.

The PDP accused the APC government of being responsible for the crippling of the productive sector, with the crashing of the Naira to over N1,500 to a Dollar, fuel soaring to over N1,000 per liter, and a high cost of goods and services with over 34% inflation rate and over 40% unemployment rate.

Ologunagba also alleged that APC officials are looting the national treasury to fund their luxurious lifestyles, including acquiring luxury jets, expensive holidays abroad, renovating official residential mansions, and other profligacies, without regard to the feelings and pains of the majority of Nigerians.

Furthermore, the PDP claimed that the APC administration is secretly paying a whopping N5.4 trillion as fuel subsidy for 2024, even after President Tinubu announced an end to fuel subsidy.

The PDP called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to personally address the nation, announce major policy reviews, and order an investigation into the alleged looting of subsidy and palliative funds.

They also urged the President to review all luxury items and purchases in the APC government and channel the resources for immediate intervention in the provision of food and other essential commodities to Nigerians.

The PDP called on Nigerians to remain peaceful and law-abiding in their pursuit of good governance in the country.