APC

2023 presidency: Resign and stop embarrassing Nigeria since you want to contest, Ezekwesili tells CBN governor

By Muhammad Sabiu

Oby Ezekwesili, Nigeria’s former Minister of Education, has called on the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, to resign and stop embarrassing the country.

Mrs Ezekwesili’s remark came after reports that Mr Emefiele had acquired the All Progressives Congress presidential nomination and expression of interest form for N100 million on Friday in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

“I just read your waffling neither-here-nor-there tweet reacting to news of your payment of N100M for the APC Nomination form for 2023 Presidential election,” Mrs Ezekwesili tweeted.

“Seems you did not read what the APC Spokesperson said to @Bloomberg. Resign. Stop embarrassing the country. Stop.”

Mr Emefiele, according to the former minister, has turned over the leadership of the apex bank to the president since assuming office.

She went on to say that the bank’s “ill-advised monetary actions” during the last seven years were “political.”

She added that Mr Emefiele’s CBN’s bad monetary policies after Buhari took office in 2015 were proof that the bank had turned over its independence to the president.

Reps to hold emergency session on Monday

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Nigeria’s Green Chamber, the House of Representatives, has called for an emergency session scheduled to hold on Monday. 

The clerk of the House, Yahaya Danzaria, in a statement on Saturday, April 6, 2022, announced that the emergency session would hold on Monday. However, the clerk did not state any specific reason for the emergency but said in the terse notice that critical issues of national importance would be discussed. 

“This is to inform all Hon. Members, staff, media and the general public that the House hereby recalls all Hon. Members for an emergency plenary session against Monday, 9th May, 2022, at 2:00 pm. It is particularly intended to discuss critical issues of national importance. The House regrets any inconvenience this short notice would have caused,” The notice reads.

It is unusual for the House to sit for plenary on Mondays. Usually, they sit on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

However, the House members have been reportedly neglecting plenary sessions. It is believed that the incoming political parties’ primaries are the reason.

Mass defection rocks Kano State House of Assembly

Ibrahim Nasidi Saal

Nine members of the Kano State House of Assembly elected on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform have defected to the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP).

The spokesperson of the Assembly, Uba Abdullahi, announced this in a statement he issued on Friday. He said the members had sent a letter to the Speaker of the House notifying the House of their defection.

He said some of the members cited a leadership tussle in the PDP at state and national levels for their action.

The affected members include:

 Isyaku Ali Danja (Gezawa Constituency), 

Umar Musa Gama (Nassarawa Constituency),

Aminu Sa’adu Ungogo (Ungogo Constituency),

Lawan Hussain Chediyar ‘Yan Gurasa (Dala Constituency)

Tukur Muhammad (Fagge Constituency).

Mu’azzam El-Yakub (Dawakin Kudu Constituency)

Garba Shehu Fammar (Kibiya Constituency)

Abubakar Uba Galadima (Bebeji Constituency)

Mudassir Ibrahim Zawaciki (Kumbotso Constituency).

Earlier on April 29, the House announced the defection of a member representing Kano Municipal, Salisu Gwangwazo, from the PDP to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), also citing an internal crisis in the main opposition party

However, the latest defections are widely seen to be connected to the movement of a former governor of the state, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from the PDP to the NNPP.

Mr Kwankwaso moved to the NNPP earlier this year and is expected to run for president on the party’s ticket.

Kwankwaso’s defection has triggered the mass defection of his followers from the PDP to the NNPP. Some of them have taken party positions ahead of the party’s primaries.

Kaduna 2023: El-Rufa’i endorses Uba Sani as successor

By Sumayyah Auwal Ishaq

Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufa’i of Kaduna State has finally ended months of speculations and permutations with the endorsement of one of his long time allies, the incumbent senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Uba Sani, to succeed him as Governor in 2023 under the All Progressive Congress (APC).

This comes barely two months after Governor El-Rufai announced that his successor would be selected from the core team of his administration since 2015.

It was learnt that the former Commissioner of Budget and Planning, and a strong contender for the gubernatorial seat, Muhammad Sani Dattijo, had been asked to pick up the senatorial expression and nomination form for Kaduna Central.

Senator Uba Sani’s endorsement is bound to encounter some stiff resistance within APC in Kaduna State as other aspirants have already purchased the nomination forms.

Why Gawuna is the man for the job in APC

By Dr Ibrahim Siraj

Apparently, no governorship election ever in Kano has drawn a larger number of aspirants than the forthcoming 2023 elections. From the two major parties to other newer and smaller parties, no fewer than a dozen people are vying to lead our great Kano State.

There is however a great deal of interest in what happens in APC owing to the obvious reason that it is the ruling party in the State and the fact of its factionalization and the intrigues that surround it even as parties in the party’s leadership legal tussle await the verdict of the Supreme Court expected to be delivered any moment from now.

This notwithstanding, the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) appears to have the largest number of aspirants many of whom have started mobilization through their support groups and the recalibration of their political structures throughout the State. Each of them though would hope to be Governor Ganduje’s ‘anointed’ candidate knowing full well the value and power of such ‘anointment’ in influencing the outcome of the primary election in Nigeria’s democracy. Other aspirants may not have the privilege of asking for more than just a level playing field.

While the search for Ganduje’s successor continues, some people are inclined to believe that The Kano State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo is the one going by some public utterances made by the Governor’s wife to that effect although the government was quick to issue a disclaimer to douse the tension generated by such outburst. There are others who feel the Governor would anoint his Deputy the same way he was anointed by Kwankwaso but in the hope that all will end well. And this brings me to my main topic.

For me, the farthest Murtala Sule Garo can go on a governorship ticket is the position of Deputy Governor due to reasons that are so obvious enough to be called common knowledge. Murtala Garo may be a tenacious, fearless, dependable and reliable political mobilizer in his own right but he appears to be lacking in so many qualities needed to govern a complex state like Kano: education (western and Islamic), administrative experience, exposure, charisma, urbaneness, etc. This is not to add the huge baggage of antagonists (I don’t want to call them enemies) that he has cultivated for himself either through his role as the most powerful Commissioner in Ganduje’s government or his role as “Commander” of the ruling party’s “militant wing”.

APC’s surest bet under the circumstances, therefore, is no other person than Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna. The Deputy Governor has all it takes to lead Kano in 2023. All that is lacking in Garo is present in Gawuna in sufficiently varying proportions. Gawuna is well educated and vastly experienced. He has the exposure, experience, sagacity, shrewdness, administrative acumen and humble mien to make a good governor. His cosmopolitan nature makes it easier for him to connect and relate well with the different strata of Kano society. His politeness coupled with his approach to politics makes him earn the respect of political gladiators across party divides. He abhors politics of bitterness and adversity. He, as a result, has the smallest number of antagonists possible for a politician of his calibre. Ultimately, he will be relatively an easy sell by a party suffering from a serious popularity crisis.

His over seven years as Local Government Chairman, his decade-old experience as Commissioner (and member of the State Executive Council) as well as his five years as Deputy Governor have more than prepared him for the job. None of the aspirants can boast of leadership skills and training acquired through years of on-the-job experience like Gawuna.

As a beneficiary of financially autonomous Local Government administration, Gawuna understands what it means to have a functional local government system that is able to cater for the immediate needs of our masses in the realization of the noble objective of bringing government closer to the people. He will be expected therefore to end the obnoxious joint state-local government account that has paralyzed governance at the local level and is further pauperizing our local populations.

Should APC field Gawuna and other parties equally field their own best, the task of choosing a good leader for Kano will be made much easier for the people. It will be a matter of choosing the best among the best for our State. We must therefore encourage all political parties to present their best materials so that whoever wins our dear State will be better off for it. The opportunity to vote for good leaders is often missed at the level of the primary election.

May Allah make the best of choices for us, Ameen!

Dr Ibrahim Siraj writes from Kano and is a lecturer with the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano.

Adamu Garba ll and the audacity of fundraising

By Ali Tijjani Hassan

Lately, in the previous weeks, Adamu Garba, from Adamawa state, declared his interest in vying for the office of the President of Nigeria under the platform of the ruling party, the APC, in 2023. Adamu, a young entrepreneurial pedagogy with fervent learning ability, nestled the slogan of the Youth-4-Youth movement. He’s a source of motivation, inspiration, and encouragement to the young generation.

After watching his declaration of interest speech and reading his visionary parable, “This is my Nigerian vision for the Presidency”, I learnt that; bundles of courage and braveness are kept in this young man. He meant business-like to his ambition. If elected, Adamu vows to tackle national threats like corruption, unemployment and insecurity.

The young Adamu, in his 40s, held no public office before his declaration. He’s likely to be a corruption-free citizen, and he could make a good President if elected and be the ‘Mr. Integrity’ we were craving earlier. As he said, “we failed many experiments with individuals that know nothing but public service”. Adamu’s mind is not obsessed and dominated by lively greed.

Adamu dreams of lifting the country close to heaven by transforming it into 21st century Nigeria. So, we can compete globally in diplomacy, development and economic productivity.

The audacity of fundraising:

President Muhammadu Buhari bamboozled Nigerians to send their accumulative income to his ‘fes benk’ account when contesting in 2015. Numerous Nigerians see it as fraudulent and daylight robbery that the aspirants use to avoid bankruptcy. If they do, so they lose to make it in the primaries. Buhari used this beguiling technique twice during his democratic terms, becoming a modus-operandi among shining politicians. It’s one of Nigeria’s political cultures that many Nigerians hate.

If this fraud has to be put into practice amidst this life plight and economic hardship, no politician fits the kind of supportive gestures from his followers than two political idols; Sen. Shehu Sani of Kaduna state and Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano state. But to all my pleasure, these humble men surreptitiously take their form of interest without coward ploy.

Adamu Garba ll has adapted this weapon and paved his way to national legendary. The matter arose and transmuted to night thunder not only to Adamu Garba ll but also to many deceitful cartoon-sketch candidates. But alas, he received the shocking response of his life, as most of the responders took his notion as a joke and responded with a kind of joke we’ve never witnessed.

The saddened part is that some people are busy promoting this delusional love to the spendthrift governor like one of Yobe state. In a saner clime, people to used their hard-earned money to sponsor any candidate is not a good idea. Still, with the kind of deception we witnessed from the previous candidate that went through the same system, the culture has to be stopped and allow people to deal with the incompetency of these politicians.

Ali Tijjani Hassan wrote from Potiskum, Yobe state via alitijjanihhassan@gmail.com.

2023: Will Emefiele Declare?

By Zayyad I. Muhammad

Godwin Emefiele, 60-year-old Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, is one of the presidential hopefuls whose ‘aspiration’ has become a surprise to some people, and admiration to some other people.

Some people were surprised when Emefiele’s name popped up among the presidential hopefuls. This class of people thought that as an experienced economist heading Nigeria’s apex bank, Emefiele should concentrate on his job of formulating monetary policies, controlling inflation, and managing other economic fluctuations, while championing innovation to ensure the nation’s economic and financial stability.

On the other hand, the people who see Emefiele as a strong candidate believe that with the remarkable successes of the programs and schemes initiated or being implemented by Emefiele; if as president of Nigeria he will not only expand them but will also apply his wealth of experience as a development finance expert to stimulate the economy via other economic programs that will reflect on local needs in line with global trends. This group of people always cite schemes like the anchor borrower program- which has successfully created economic linkages between smallholder farmers and reputable companies involved in the production and processing of key agricultural commodities and the COVID-19 intervention that has cushioned the adverse effects of COVID-19 on households and MSMEs.

In the last five years, the CBN under Emefiele has disbursed over N114.09 billion to support the fertilizer industry- Nigeria had seven Fertilizer blending plants in 2016, and only four were operational. As of today, there were 62 functioning blending plants. These and many economic policies and progress are the ladders these people stand on to cheer Emefiele on, as a strong aspirant. There are reports that many farmers in the north, especially rice farmers have termed their successes as ‘Emefiele’.

Furthermore, political pundits are of the view that Emefiele’s candidature can be a very important political balancer for the APC ahead of the 2023 presidency game. Firstly, no camp in the Southwest will feel cheated with the Emefiele candidature since he directly doesn’t belong to any of them; but can be incorporated into any camp seamlessly.

Secondly, Emefiele from Ika South, Agbor region of Delta State, SouthSouth Nigeria, can also be linked to the cousins of the Igbos in the Southeast. This will to some extent calm the nerves of the advocates of the Igbo presidency and achieve geopolitical equity. For example. Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency was a stabilizing force in the southeast’s politics and social order.  Some political pundits believe that Emefiele, as president can also play that role, now that the Southeast is in agitation for the presidential seat. 

The time has come for Emefiele to officially declare whether he will contest or not. This is very important to clear the air- politics or CBN Governor.  If Emefiele will not contest- let him continue with his task as the driver of Nigeria’s monetary policies and other important roles of the CBN. However, if he decides to contest – this will be a big one in the field of the 2023 presidency game in the APC- already groups like the Emefiele Support Group and Arewa Alliance for the Presidency of Godwin Emefiele (AAPGE) have reached out to many quarters in the country campaigning for Emefiele.

So, what remains for Emefiele is political alliances, negotiation, and courting- this will be easy for him because of his privileged position. However, he also needs to understand that politics is not Development Finance. It is a game where a primary school dropout can teach or even ‘scold’ a Central Bank Governor!

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Abuja via zaymohd@yahoo.com.

2023: Bichi Constituents raise N28m for Hon. Abubakar Kabir 

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Bichi constituents have raised N28 million to purchase the APC House of Representatives Form for the member representing the constituency, Hon. Abubakar Kabir Bichi.

The gesture is meant to appreciate the dividends of democracy the lawmaker has brought to the constituency, especially in his resolve to make education accessible for all the local government indigenes. 

Individuals donated hugely at the fundraising ceremony organized by Hon. Abubakar Kabir Students Association (HAKASA) led by one Abubakar Mukhtar Ibrahim. The event took place Sunday at Haggagawa Primary School, Bichi Local Government Area.

Among the donors were a former SSG to the government of Kano State, Engr. Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, Sen. Barau I Jibril, the Chairman Bichi LGA, Prof. Yusuf Muhammad Sabo, Hon. Lawan Shehu Bichi, a lawmaker at Kano State House of Assembly.

Others were APC, chairman Kano North, Alh. Sani Mukaddas, Kano APC treasurer, Haj. Yardada Maikano, the 106 volunteer teachers he employed to teach science and mathematics at various secondary schools in the local government since 2020, and hundreds of streets sweepers he employed to keep Bichi streets clean, among others.  

According to some of the constituents who spoke at the event, the decision became necessary considering how the rep improved the living condition of the people of Bichi.

They said that from 2019 to date, Abubakar Kabir sponsored more than 5000 students of the local government to study at various universities and other high institutions of learning within and outside Kano State.

They added that the rep sponsored more than 500 indigenes of the local government to study in various science and technical schools in Kano State.

So far, more than N28 million was realized at the fundraising ceremony.

A few months back, the Federal College of Education Bichi conferred Fellow of Education on Hon. Abubakar Bichi in recognition of his scholarship programme.

Osinbajo: The face of national unity

By Ahmad Abdullahi

About eight years ago, the All Progressives Congress (APC) appeared to be in a huge dilemma over the selection of a Presidential Running Mate who will fly the flag of the party alongside its candidate General Muhammadu Buhari who just won the party’s primary election. APC’s dilemma was justifiable as they were trying to bring on someone credible that will balance the ticket and make it acceptable enough to stand a strong chance against the mighty PDP.

After so much intrigue within some intense and eventful 48 hours, Professor Yemi Osinbajo got the Vice-presidential ticket to the surprise of many Nigerians. Many expressed fears about whether he carries the political capital strong enough to help the ticket deliver. Little did many know of the Professors’ charming simplicity and intelligent technicality alongside his mass appeal that saw the ticket going all the way. The rest is now history.

Like in 2015, today, we are again witnessing a period when Presidential candidates are being profiled based on their ethnic affiliations instead of their pedigrees. We are having candidates getting attacked desperately on sentiments and arguments that bring nothing to the table except confusion and division. Being a front-runner for Nigeria’s number one job, the Vice President is one of the most prominent victims of these ethnoreligious motivated attacks

As expected, the build-up to Osinbajo’s presidential declaration has been greeted by so many criticisms, many of whom are targeted towards tarnishing his image and rubbishing his candidacy through lies, character assassination and carefully tailored misinformation. Osinbajo’s attackers are hell-bent on bringing down his candidacy even before it gets started. This goes to tell how significant he is in the political equation of 2023 despite many trying hard to dismiss his impacts over the last seven years.

The Vice President has been accused of being a religious and ethnic bigot. Some have gone as far back as his pre-political life to try to convince people of what many facts have proven him not to be. If we are to be fair to Osinbajo, the man is solely building his presidential campaign on the strength of his adventures of the last seven years in which opportunity has entrusted him with a national assignment that requires him to be fair to all Nigerians. As such you cannot use any other criteria to judge him.

In his first five years in office, he has supervised and presided over the initiation and implementation of the largest Social Investment Programme in the history of Contemporary Africa. A program that has been transparent, just and detribalized. Nobody can prove that he has used his position to skew the benefits of the social investment programme towards favouring any religion or region. It is one of the rarest programmes that tricked down to the doorsteps of the poor and downtrodden across all states of the federation.

In mid-2017, Nigeria almost plunged into a national ethno-religious crisis when the Biafran agitators were at the peak of their renewed call for separation. The Federal Government under the wisdom and initiative of the then Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo conducted a series of consultative meetings with various groups of leaders and people of societal influence across the country to make sure that the situation is tamed and controlled. Osinbajo tirelessly interacted separately with leaders of thought from the North and the South East, traditional and religious leaders from the same regions as well as all 36 state governors. This was no doubt a big positive step that even the opposition Peoples Democratic Party commended.

In their first tenure, Osinbajo’s same Christian constituency which some believe he is favouring accused him of working with President Buhari to Islamize Nigeria. The outcries became so worrisome that Osinbajo made a public clarification. He said that one day, he woke up around 6:00 am in the morning and saw a text message on his phone sent by a renowned Christian leader who said to him that one day he will account for his actions of allowing Muslims to dominate and take over the government of Nigeria. The Vice President has passed through all this only now to be labelled a Christian bigot.

He further said that he wondered what informed that sort of message while statistics show that there are two more Christians than Muslims in Buhari’s cabinet as of then. He cited an example of a time when a Northern Senator visited President Buhari in his presence and complained bitterly about the marginalization of his people. He however left with the embarrassing information that North West, his zone was leading in the number of heads of government parastatals with 47, followed by South West, South-South, South East, North East and then North Central. Why didn’t this senator do his homework before complaining? Misinformation.

I remember in one of our interactions with him in the last two years, he said if Nigeria disintegrates into smaller countries that can be run over at will by powerful ones, every region will be disadvantaged in different proportions. He, therefore, said our strengths lie in our diversities, number and size. He gave the example of Lagos State’s economy being six times bigger than that of Rwanda despite all the so-called giant strides recorded by Paul Kagame over the years. He emphasized that the country needs not to disintegrate into smaller parts for people to have the opportunity of holding public office and if it is his face or that of President Buhari you dislike that you want secession, then know that, their days in office are numbered but Nigeria can live forever.

As Acting President, he made one of the most diplomatic and yet authoritative efforts to save Nigeria from untimely disintegration in 2017. He brought together all political, traditional and professional stakeholders in Aso Rock to further boost their confidence in the Nigerian Project. Therefore, no one can question his resolve for national unity and integration.

I think the Vice President can be accused of anything but not religious, regional or ethnic bigotry. If anything, he is perhaps the most qualified Nigerian among those seeking the Presidency. He is the first and only Professor to become President or Vice President in Nigeria and has so far adequately demonstrated why the most educated among us need to be allowed to serve at the highest level. He is the most adequately educated and professionally inclined Presidential hopeful among the very top living Nigerians today.

The Vice President has delivered within the limit of authority, opportunity and responsibility at his disposal. He has spent seven solid years serving Nigerians and the President with uncommon patience, dedication and humility. He has never been disappointed in any task assigned to him. Unlike many Presidential hopefuls who are planning to run from regional, religious, political and selfish motivations, the VP plans to become a true Nigerian candidate and a president for all Nigerians.

That he has been to almost every Local Government in Nigeria is not and cannot be an exaggeration. His long-life push for justice reform in Nigeria has taken him to so many nooks and crannies in the country, The trader and market Moni social investment programmes have seen him monitor and visit rural and remote areas that even ward councillors may not fancy going. The same people who accused him of show-off and pretence when he was making such visits are now the ones denying he ever embarked on such visits.

That he has declared to continue from where the President Buhari has stopped is a diplomatic way of saying that he is the man who understands all the successes of this administration and is in a better position to build on them, and also the man who understands all its shortcomings and is in a better position to make up for them. However, some are hell-bent on twisting the narrative.

Those accusing him of political betrayal are tactically telling Nigerians that the Presidency is the birthright of some mighty individuals and it is, therefore, a crime for ordinary people like Osinbajo to make an attempt on it. What some people are having very difficulty swallowing is why will an ordinary teacher and lawyer who is not even a former governor or ex-minister and has become Vice president just become President? Who is he? But they forget, that power belongs to God.

The 2023 presidential election would have been won and lost by this time next year. It may be Osinbajo or anyone else. However, it is clear even to his worst enemies that the Vice President has all the required credentials to make a good President. Deploying arsenals of calumny campaigns to stop him will not work, only divine destiny can do that.

The writer is the Team Lead of the Osinbajo-Face of Hope Project. He can be contacted via info@ofaceofhope.com.

2023 Elections: Only the living vote

By Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua

As the 2023 general elections fast approach, so also the worsening of insecurity in the country. In preparation for the next year’s polls, aspirants from various political parties are emerging in numbers. This is what we call democracy in action.

However, the incessant killing in the country has raised a serious question. Have our desperate politicians ever pondered and assessed the threat posed by the insecurity for their 2023 ambition? It seems the country has been divided into two. One is being controlled by the terrorists and the other by the Nigerian government.

The sultan of Sokoto and other religious leaders have expressed fear of the likely conduct of the 2023  general elections. They based their arguments on the country’s deteriorating insecurity, with the government looking helpless. The recent attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train by suspected members of the Ansa-Ruddeen terror group has furthered indicated Boko haram expansionism. The terror group, which suffered a massive onslaught by our gallant soldiers and is presently in disarray, must have moved to northwestern states.   

The movement of Boko Haram to some northwestern states and part of Niger state did not come to many Nigerians as a surprise. Sometimes last year, the governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, raised the alarm over the presence of Boko Haram in his state. The governor warned the deadly terror group is a few kilometres away from Abuja. The shocking statement from the governor, who happens to be the chief security officer of his state, must have forced the government to deploy security officers to scoop necessary intelligence gathering. But, I don’t think the government has acted on the governor’s claims or taken the urgent action required to arrest the situation. Now, Niger State is at the mercy of rapacious bandits cum Boko Haram who have continued to sack communities.

In the south-east, the security situation is not different from the north. The region has been battling with IPOB. Through its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the secessionist group has held some states to ransom. The group that assumed the state role has since declared Monday a work-free day and directed law-abiding citizens to remain indoors. Public places, banks and markets have to obey the draconic order for their own safety. Besides free day declaration, the arsonists have been attacking security formations and innocent people on a daily basis.  

There is no doubt that Nigeria is waging a survival war against the violent activities of non-state actors. While the country is gradually moving into a failed state with corpses littered its length and breadth, our politicians are busy scheming on how to be or remain in power. They don’t give a damn about the escalation of tension or how Innocent lives are being soaked into the ocean of blood. 

The above reminds me of the recent sermon by Sheikh Nuru Khalid, former Imam of Apo legislative quarters, Abuja. In his Friday sermon, the Islamic cleric advises Nigerians not to come out and vote in the 2023 elections unless the government agrees to protect them. There is nothing wrong with his sermon. However, he has just called the government’s attention to live up to its essential responsibilities. The primary function of government is to protect lives and properties. However, the government is no longer performing this constitutional duty.

It has become imperative to say nowhere is safe in the country. Our road, airport and rail station have been targeted and attacked by terrorists. Our rural communities that serve as the country’s food basket have become a ghost of their former selves.

Elections can only be conducted in a peaceful and secure environment. Evidence suggests that unless security improves, the country will go to poll with more corpses. There is no gainsaying the facts; dead people don’t vote. Elections are meant for the living. It is quite disturbing that most of the aspirants do not have the blueprint for tackling the insecurity that bedevilled the country.

When the Buhari administration came on board in 2015, it promised to secure the country. One year for the administration to go, it seems, security has worsened under its watch. For the 2023 elections to hold and the living to vote, the government should quickly stem the tide of growing insecurity in the country. This can be achieved through intelligence gathering, negotiation, massive bombardment, and unravelling the sponsors of these terrorists.

Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua wrote from Kaduna state via chambasimeh@gmail.com.