APC

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the failure of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government to pay federal workers’ salaries in December. 

The party claims that this further proves that the administration is intent on frustrating and harming Nigerians. 

Hon. Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, issued a statement on the matter in Abuja on Saturday. 

The Party describes the failure to “discharge such sensitive obligation to workers, especially at this yuletide period as unacceptable and further shows the level of insensitivity of the Tinubu-led APC administration towards the welfare of Nigerians.” 

Ologunagba said, “By this action, the Tinubu administration has practically turned our nation into a huge Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp with millions of Nigerians becoming beggars and observing the period in hunger, anguish and misery. 

“It is obvious that the non-payment of the December salary critically needed by the workers including our gallant security operatives at this period is consistent with the atrocious character of APC administration to weaponize poverty and further suppress Nigerians to surrender to totalitarianism. 

“Is it not provocative that while President Tinubu is busy partying and luxuriating with APC leaders, workers who are putting in their time and energy in the service of the nation are left with nothing to feed and celebrate with their families and loved ones? 

“Sadly, President Tinubu would rather approve the frittering of our nation’s scarce resources to sponsor cronies, political minions, hangers-on and their mistresses to expensive foreign trips while making no provision for the salary of genuine government workers. 

“Such heartless act by the anti-people APC administration never happened in the 16 years of the PDP in government as workers then promptly received their December salary before Christmas day (25th) to enable them to celebrate yuletide and end of year festivities with their loved ones. 

“More distressing is that the Tinubu Presidency can afford to withhold salaries even after approving the unbearable increase in the pump price of fuel to over N700 per litre, with the attendant high cost of food, transportation, medication and other necessities of life. 

“It is instructive to remind Nigerians that the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) had earlier this month announced that it shared a total of N1.783 trillion to Federal, State and Local Governments for December 2023, yet workers have not been paid because no cash backing was effected by the Tinubu administration despite huge resources accruable to it. We ask, where is the money? 

“Our Party is appalled by the level of profligacy apparent in the APC administration whose actions and policies are skewed towards the promotion and institutionalization of corruption, deprivation and suppression of Nigerians. 

“Nigerians will recall that earlier in August, the PDP alerted that our nation’s economy was asphyxiating and grinding to a halt under the increasingly corrupt APC and President Tinubu’s crippling economic policies with a consequential negative toll on productivity.” 

He further stated, “The failure to pay December salary of workers further confirms that the Tinubu-led APC administration has practically run our nation’s economy aground with its corruption, recklessness and ill-informed counter-productive policies. 

“The PDP demands that President Tinubu immediately account for the trillions of naira accruable from the removal of subsidy on petroleum products in the last seven months. 

“Furthermore, the President is requested to come clean on the December 2023 distributable Statutory Revenue of N376.306 billion, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) Revenue of N335.656 billion, Electronic Money Transfer Levy Revenue of N11.952 billion and Exchange Difference Revenue of N364.869 billion as contained in the communique issued by FAAC at its December 2023 meeting. 

“The PDP demands the immediate payment of the December salary of workers and additional compensatory payment of at least 50% of the salary of workers to cushion the effect of the economic hardship foisted on them by the APC administration. 

“President Tinubu must understand that Nigeria is a Federation that must only be governed by the Constitution and the Rule of Law and not by the whims and caprices of an individual or group.”

By Rabi’u Gama

I almost spent a sleepless night reading the Court of Appeal’s judgement on the Kano State Governorship Election Petition. The 72-page document has raised many questions and generated mixed and confusing reactions among millions of people, particularly in Kano, immediately after its release to the public.

After a calm reading of the judgement, it is evident that there is a significant error in the conclusion of the lead judgement. The conclusion of the lead judgement, which “…resolve all the issues in favour of the Appellant (AKY) against the 1st Respondent” and “…set aside the judgement of the Tribunal” and finally “awarded the sum of one million Naira in favour of the Appellant against the 1st Respondent” is just a mistake; a grave mistake, though, in my opinion, not fatal or unpardonable.

If you read the judgement carefully, you will see that the reasoning of the court on the merit of the case was decisively against the Appellant (AKY) in favor of the 1st Respondent (Gawuna). The only error – a very grievous error – is with regard to the conclusion of the lead judgment. This becomes more obvious when you look at the fact that all the two concurring judgements found the appeal to be “bereft of merit” and also (just like the lead judgement) “…dismissed it and upheld the judgement of the Trial Tribunal”.

From the reasoning of the Court, that conclusion is just what it is: a slip of the pencil or a clerical error – so to speak – which can be, in fact, should be, waived aside with a single nod of the head. That mistake alone cannot reasonably change the preceding reasonings and findings of the court. The error is grave. Or was it a Freudian Slip? By the way, a Freudian Slip is an unintentional mistake that reveals a person’s subconscious thoughts, wishes, or desires.

Therefore, in my humble opinion, AKY lost this appeal. The mistake in the lead judgement’s conclusion (a slip of the pencil) will not change a thing. AKY should head to the Supreme Court, as he has already expressed his intention to do so. A clerical error like this should not deter a further appeal to the Apex Court of the land. Otherwise, there will be stories that will surely break and destroy many hearts.

However, there are many questions: how could such a serious mistake go unnoticed? Didn’t my Lord re-read the judgement after drafting it for grammatical corrections and possible typographical errors? In their concurring judgements, the two other Justices on the panel said: “They have read the lead judgement in draft (as it is customary for fellow judges to do) and adopted all the reasonings and the conclusion therein as theirs?”. Does that mean they, too, did not see that serious mistake while “reading the judgement in [the] draft”? What about the Registrar of the Court? Didn’t he also see the mistake before releasing the Certified Copy of the judgment to the world? So many questions to ask.

Rabiu Gama is a student from the Faculty of Law at Bayero University, Kano. He can be reached via rabiuminuwa327@gmail.com.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

The Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s decision, declaring Nasiru Gawuna of the APC as the rightful winner.

The appeal by NNPP candidate and current Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf, was dismissed.

The initial tribunal ruling on September 20 ousted Yusuf and declared Gawuna winner.

Despite Yusuf’s appeal through counsel Wole Olanipekun, the Court of Appeal affirmed Gawuna’s victory, concluding the legal battle over the March 18 governorship poll.

By Zayyad Muhammad

In my piece, “What Next for Aishatu Binani?” Published months ago, I postulated that the Adamawa APC Gubernatorial Candidate in the 2023 election, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani, had three options to choose from, which would make or mar her political future. First, Binani can continue to insist that she is the ‘Governor-Elect’, as declared by the suspended Adamawa INEC, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Barristers Hudu Yunusa Ari. In this case, Binani will approach the tribunal with that sole demand.

The second option for Binani was to pursue her case through the tribunal while ignoring Hudu’s bizarre actions. The third option for her was to retreat and congratulate Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri. That’s to discard the option of any litigation and move forward for the future. Binani and her team chose the former; they opted for litigation. Now, the Adamawa Governorship Election Tribunal has dismissed her case, thus putting her in a catch-22 situation. If Binani has to pursue the case to the Appeal and the Supreme Court—she will overstretch her luck—in politics, when you overstretch your luck, you may hit the wall with your head.

Everything being equal, Binani will battle three issues: she has lost a good rapport with most Adamawa APC-critical stakeholders. Second, the party itself seems not to be on the same page with her. Thirdly, continuing the legal battle means pressure on her pockets while knowing she has no chance. All the politicians that will hang on Binani’s side will only continue to do so if it will oil their courses.

Prof. Jibrin Amin has a famous saying: Ba’a adawa, babu dawa (opposition only survives with resources at hand). Fourthly, her philanthropic activities will diminish because she is not in a government position that allows her easy access to the materials used for the philosophical activities. Fifthly, discontinuing the case will portray her as weak in the eyes of her supporters. All Binani diehard supporters heavily rely on ‘the court case’ to have temporary relief and hope.

To be fair to Binani, she is among the few politicians with cult-like followers. She has fought a good battle in her own rights, but now she has found herself between two dicey options: one: reformat her politics by discarding all the unnecessary legal tussles; two: mend fences with her party at the state and LG levels, including lowering her head to some APC stakeholders who, hitherto, she assumed were not important, but they have shown her their capacity and understanding of how Adamawa politics works.

Two: go with her cult-like followers, whose only hope and temporary relief is to continue with the extraneous legal battle. And, whichever way she follows—Binani will now battle with being absent from the scene—no federal presence and local presence were cut short by the tribunal dismissal of the case and loss of influence in the local APC chapter.

Another salient fact is that one cannot discuss Binani’s political future without looking at Barr—Hudu’s faith in the court. A federal high court has ruled that Hudu’s trial can go ahead. Hudu’s conviction will have an impact on Binani’s political future.

Furthermore, the Adamawa APC will continue to have two sides: the Binani side, who have suffered massive losses of positions and steam due to court judgements against them, and the other side, who are in absolute control of the party machinery, federal might, and also sitting akimbo, laughing at the former’s predicament.

Nevertheless, one big picture is that Binani, as a person, will have to sit down and look at things from one important angle—the feasibility of being the sole financier of an opposition facing a battle from two fronts—its party and the government in power. Will Binani resort to what she did after the 2015 elections? When she suffered a ‘not surprising’ defeat in the 2015 Adamawa central senatorial election, she imposed upon herself a premature retirement from politics. The 2015 senatorial outing was a product of a miscalculated political move—contesting for the senate on a very weak platform—the PDM.

Here is the big dilemma: if Binani decides to temporarily ‘abscond’ from the scene, events and ‘new’ people will take over her spot before the 2027 election cycle, and if she decides to pursue her case to the Appeal and Supreme Courts, it will be an extraneous and costly adventure.

Here are three suggestions for Binani: First, she has lost goodwill within the APC family but has strong goodwill within her supporters’ base, so it’s time for sober reflection and amendment. Two: Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri appears to be more calculative and bold. The Fintiri team—the Deputy Governor, SSG, Chief of Staff, and the rest—appear to work with the ‘books’ and off-the-shelf as well. In contrast, Binani’s team heavily relies on weak pivotal emotion hearsay and is confined to just a minute unit, which their eyes see, forgetting the wider picture.

The best bet for Binani is to congratulate Governor Fintiri and move on, as Mallam Nuhu Ribadu did to her after the APC Gubernatorial primary election tussle. The last suggestion for Binani is to make a deep soul search for where she wants to be in 2027 and the tough road ahead.

Congratulations, Governor Ardo Ahmadu Fintiri!

Zayyad Muhammad writes from Abuja. He can be contacted via zaymohd@yahoo.com.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

President Bola Tinubu has appointed nine new Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). 

The appointees and their respective states are: 

1. Mr. Isah Shaka Ehimeakne — Edo State
2. Mr. Bamidele Agbede — Ekiti State
3. Mr. Jani Adamu Bello — Gombe State
4. Dr. Taiye Ilayasu — Kwara State
5. Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi — Lagos State
6. Alhaji Yahaya Bello — Nasarawa State
7. Prof. Mohammed Yalwa — Niger State
8. Dr. Anugbum Onuoha — Rivers State
9. Mr. Abubakar Fawa Dambo — Zamfara State

These appointments, pending Senate confirmation, signify President Tinubu’s commitment to fostering a transparent and fair electoral process in Nigeria.

The nation eagerly awaits the Senate’s decision, anticipating a future marked by credible and unbiased electoral practices. 

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Court of Appeal in Abuja voided the election of Ishaku Abbo, the current representative of Adamawa North Senatorial District in the National Assembly.

The court ruled in favour of Amos Yohanna from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Abbo, affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC), confirmed the decision to journalists on Monday.

The implications of this ruling on the district’s political landscape are profound, sparking anticipation about the region’s future representation in the National Assembly.

Abbo was a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) before later switching to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

The Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Lafia, the state capital, has ordered the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return issued to Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the March 18 election. 

This decision came after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) initially declared Governor Sule the winner of the election. 

The tribunal’s ruling was a result of a petition filed by David Ubugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who contested the election against Governor Sule.

Ubugadu, dissatisfied with INEC’s declaration, approached the tribunal seeking justice. 

This ruling effectively nullified Governor Sule’s victory and led to the withdrawal of his Certificate of Return. 

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Former APC National Chairman and ex-governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, staunchly defended his preference for a northern presidential candidate, stating, “I am a northerner, and I would go for a northerner; and no apologies for that. I have never hidden this.” 

When asked about his role in the party’s decision-making, Adamu emphasised the necessity of a comprehensive party process and dismissed claims of unilateral decision-making. 

He expressed his pride in his northern roots and criticised the lack of similar pride in some other regions of the country. Reflecting on his tenure as the APC National Chairman, Adamu acknowledged his significant contributions to the party’s success.

He highlighted his role in supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his admiration for Tinubu’s leadership. Despite his positive relationship with Tinubu, Adamu decided to step down from his position as APC National Chairman, citing the dynamic nature of politics and the need to adapt to changing circumstances. 

Adamu’s remarks shed light on the complexities of party politics and regional affiliations within the APC. 

As the political landscape continues to evolve, Adamu’s insights provide a glimpse into the challenges and convictions that shape the decisions of prominent political figures in Nigeria.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Northern Youths Assembly (Majalisar Matasan Arewa) has cautioned President Bola Tinubu against allowing his political allies to interfere with the electoral dispute in Kano State. 

The group also issued a warning of possible dire consequences if Tinubu allowed anybody to meddle in the court decision. 

The Kano State Governorship Election Tribunal recently nullified the election of Gov. Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Alhaji Yusuf Gawuna. 

However, The Daily Reality reports that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has since indicated his intention to go on appeal. 

In an open letter to the president on Thursday, the acting president of the group, Dr. Ali Idris, and the national publicity secretary, Comrade Adikwu Omale, said if the Nigerian democratic system should continue to operate on the basis of electoral injustice, undermining the best practices of democratic governance in fairness to all parties, the repercussions would surely be devastating. 

Part of the statement reads, “We have received with dismay, information which alleged the involvement of some elements in your Government, to have interfered and manipulated the Kano State Governorship Elections Tribunal judgment, an information which if it turns out to be true, could certainly be described as unfortunate, unprecedented, condemnable and uncalled for. 

“Kano State, as temperamental as it is, such desperate actions could trigger political crisis in the State, and could possibly lead to anarchy. 

“Kano is considered as the commercial nerve center not only for the North, but to the entire sub Saharan African countries, who have one relationship or the other with Kano State. Kano State could be described as a role model, and as the most politically strategic territory with vast knowledge and political civilization. In view of this, Kano is fragile and when broken into pieces, the national security would surely be threatened. 

“Sir, let us draw you to the memory lane, starting from 1999 to 2007, when you served as the Executive Governor of Lagos State, under AD. Your party was entirely different from the party at the centre, and despite some misunderstandings, His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo led Federal Government did not make any attempt to snatch the mandate which the good people of Lagos State gave you, to manage the affairs of the State, from 1999 to 2007. 

“Therefore allowing, some alleged members of your Government, to mastermind the conspiracy of snatching the mandate of the Kano people, is as good as inviting hatred against your own personality, doubting your commitment to upholding democratic principles, institutionalizing electoral injustice, dashing the hope of the Nigerian electorates to lose complete confidence in the system, and subscribing to the school of thought which emphasizes on the unsuitability of the democratic system for African countries. 

“In addition, if this electoral injustice is allowed to thrive, it would further reaffirm the failure of your Government to uphold the rule of law, and treat all citizens equally and fairly regardless of ethnicity, region, religion, party affiliation and others, and the perceived situation wouldn’t only amount to creating unrest, but would surely be a set back on the Nigerian democratisation and Africa as a whole. 

“The perceived conspiracy by some alleged elements in the Government, deploying Government machineries and influence, to destroy Kano State, the consequences would not end and stop in Kano, as the repercussions would certainly create a multiplier negative effects on other states of the federation.  

“Therefore using politics to ignite crisis in Kano, through the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, would surely metamorphose into creating crisis which would be difficult to control, based on the brewing tensions, resulting from the Kano State Governorship Elections Tribunal Judgment.  

“Therefore, there is no better time for you to act, than now to save the situation, by prevailing on your party members who have been alleged to be involved in this political recklessness, as the risk is not worth trying,” the statement added.

By  Rabiu Gama

I had the (dis)pleasure of reading the full judgement of the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal last night, which was delivered on Wednesday, October 20, 2023, via Zoom. Here are my humble thoughts on it.

By the way, I am writing this under the safe assumption that anyone who is reading this is quite familiar with the story behind the judgment. Nonetheless, clarity is important. So, for the sake of clarity, let me quickly state that APC is the Petitioner in this case, while INEC, Abba Kabir Yusuf (AKY) and NNPP are the First, Second and Third Respondents, respectively. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, APC’s candidate, was not a party in the suit. The Tribunal, relying on the provision of Section 133 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, and some judicial authorities, held, correctly in my opinion, that Gawuna must not be a party before the Tribunal.

As I see it, NNPP’s and AKY’s lawyers did a bad job. INEC’s lawyers did worse, though: INEC’s legal team failed miserably to prove that the election was conducted in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 (the burden or onus of proof was on them in that regard) as alleged by the Petitioner (the APC). The First Respondent, i.e., INEC, made a terrible and costly mistake of relying lazily on the weaknesses of the Petitioner’s case. The cost of not doing the right thing at the right time is always high!

Since the outcome of an appeal largely, if not completely so, hinges on the proceedings of the lower court (the Tribunal in this case), then it is my humble opinion that NNPP’s (AKY’s) chances of winning at the Court of Appeal might not be as promising as many hope it to be. It shocked me that NNPP’s lawyers could not even establish that AKY was a legitimate member of the party when he contested the 18^th of March Governorship Election. The Tribunal was benevolent enough to point out some ways that they could have followed to establish it, but they couldn’t.

I, however, failed to grasp or discern why the Tribunal refused to apply “the principle of margin of lead” when it went ahead to declare that APC’s candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, was the winner of the election even though it had already found and, in no uncertain terms, admitted that the number of cancellations was in hundreds of thousands while its final finding showed Nasiru Gawuna was leading with tens of thousands only. The Tribunal, in my humble opinion, should have ordered a re-run: based on that finding, the election was supposed to be declared “inconclusive”.

The Tribunal also seems to have disregarded the provision of Section 63(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022 when it invalidated over 165,000 votes that were cast in favour of NNPP/AKY for the reason that the ballot papers were neither signed nor stamped, in other words, the ballot papers did not carry the official mark that was prescribed by the commission (INEC). The said provision of the Electoral Act is to the effect that even if a ballot paper is not signed or stamped, the Presiding Officer of the concerned Polling Unit can go ahead and count the ballot paper as valid.

All in all, I find some of the reasonings and conclusions of the Tribunal, based on what was laid before it, legally sound. But the Tribunal’s failure to apply “the principle of margin of lead”, as well as its apparent disregard for the provision of Section 63(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022, do not sit well with me.

Even though it is trite that nobody knows for sure what a court of law will do, I will still strongly advise that AKY’s supporters (of which I am not ashamed to admit I am one) should manage their hopes regarding the chances of success in the Court of Appeal. This is because the odds seem frighteningly balanced. The scale might tilt in favour of any side.

The right thing to do right now is to pray for a “legal miracle” – whatever that means. Some miracle might happen, hopefully in the Court of Appeal, as the Supreme Court rarely tempers with the concurrent findings of the lower courts (the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal) unless those findings are glaringly perverse or have occasioned a miscarriage of justice.

Rabiu Gama is Law student. He writes from the Faculty of Law at Bayero University, Kano. He can be reached on 09061912994 or at rabiuinuwagama@gmail.com.