Democracy
Mali coup: Ghana to host Extraordinary ECOWAS Summit in Accra
Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has stated that the country will on Sunday, May 30, host an Extraordinary ECOWAS Summit in Accra. Addressing the press, Saturday, Mrs. Ayorkor Botchwey noted that the purpose of the meeting is to enable several heads of state, led by Chairman President Akufo-Addo to address the current political tensions in Mali. “In line with the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance, the President of the Republic, Nana-Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo in his capacity as chair of the ECOWAS authority of heads of state and government, following due consultations with his peers decided to convene this extraordinary summit. “The purpose of the Summit is to enable the authority to deliberate and take consequential decisions on the evolving polit...
PDP governors asks President Buhari to summon Police Council meeting
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has unanimously has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately summon the meeting of the Nigerian Police Council to implement strategies to combat the security challenges facing the nation. The governors, who met in Ibadan, Oyo State capital on Monday to further review the State of the nation, particularly, as it concerns the worsening security situation and the country’s collapsing economy said the meeting of the Police Council which comprises Mr President and all State Governors and other critical stakeholders should be called to evolve strategies to present threats to Nigeria as a country, especially with respect to policing Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who read...
Kwara governor: I will continue to embark on people-oriented investment
Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara says his administration will continue to embark on people-oriented investments that will be of benefit and reward to the people of the state. AbdulRazaq made the remarks when the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, visited the Government House on the Annual Bareke, on Friday in Ilorin. Newsmen report that Bareke is a royal practice, where the traditional institution reciprocates an earlier sallah homage by the head of the government institution. The governor said his administration would continue to commit more of the state’s resources to developmental projects that would have direct impact on the lives of the poor and vulnerable persons in the society. He said in the past two years of his administration, there had been deliberate activities to...
Myanmar junta imposes martial law in town
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup on February 1, with protests almost daily against military rule across the country and ethnic militias stepping up attacks, overrunning military posts. Myanmar’s junta has declared martial law in a town in Chin State after blaming “armed terrorists” for attacks on a police station and a bank, state media reported, amid an upsurge in fighting between the military and ethnic rebels in border areas. In the face of widespread opposition, the junta has struggled to retain order amid daily protests in cities and fighting in border states since overthrowing elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi to end tentative steps towards democracy. The unrest in the town of Mindat on Wednesday and Thursday involved about 100 people using homemade guns to attack a police st...
Senator Buhari: Nigeria needs restructuring, not secession
National Insight Sen. Abdulfatai Buhari (APC – Oyo North) says Nigeria needs restructuring to resolve its myriads of problems, not secession. Buhari who disclose this to newsmen in Ibadan on Wednesday said that secession would only lead to “war within war.” Newsmen report that Buhari is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport. “I don’t believe in secession; restructuring, I believe in it so much. “Yoruba Presidency I am 100 percent, I believe in what is called rotational, it’s just fairness. “If you say democracy is a game of number, I agree, but there is what is called a situation for the right place and where you find yourself. “Secession does not bring peace, but war within war,’’ he said. The lawmaker, who expressed strong support for restructuring, added that a better Nigeria...
De-registration: Supreme Court judgement binding only on NUP – CUPP
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has insisted that the recent Supreme Court judgement affirming the de-registration of 74 political parties is only binding on the National Unity Party (NUP). CUPP maintained that the judgment does not, in any way, bind on the 22 political parties which got victory at the Court of Appeal as they are not parties before the Supreme Court in NUP’s case and their prayers before the courts are also different. On August 10, 2020, the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/507/2020, between Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) & 21 others, and Attorney General of the Federation & INEC ruled that the de-registration of the 22 political parties was unconstitutional and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to relist the...
INEC approves creation of 4,861 additional polling units in Lagos
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Lagos State, has concluded plans to create additional 4,861 polling units in the state. The Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos State, Sam Olumekun, who announced this at the Election Stakeholders’ forum on Monday, held in Ikeja, explained that the move became necessary to tackle the usual voter apathy and boost voter access to polling units in exercising their fundamental rights to vote. The forum was part of sensitization and public enlightenment of Stakeholders by the commission towards engendering active participation in future election exercises. He stated: “Polling Units are central to the electoral process and therefore democracy at large. Voter access to Polling Units is at the very heart of representative democracy...
PDP hails suspension of three council chairmen by Lagos Assembly
File Photo The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended Lagos House of Assembly (LAHA) over the suspension of three council chairmen in the state. The PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Taofik Gani, gave the commendation in a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos. The suspended chairmen are: Ogidan Mukandasi of Lekki LCDA, Suleiman Jelili (Alimosho) and Tajudeen Ajide (Surulere). He said that the assembly’s resolution to suspend the three council chairmen over alleged mismanagement and under-performance was commendable. According to him, many local government areas and local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state have remained underdeveloped since the assumption of office by the chairmen in 2017. Newsmen recall that the assembly had, on Tuesday, suspended the council chairmen ...
NCP: North-Central doesn’t need chairmanship, but Presidency
The North Central Patriot (NCP) on Monday said that the region doesn’t need the position of chairmanship but presidency. The group said that the zone has occupied that position severally in the time past, adding that their agitation is for the position of presidency, which has eluded them since the nation transmuted in democracy. NCP specifically said that the former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki is not looking for the position of chairmanship, adding that he’s eminently qualified to be President of this country. The group, in a statement by its President, Bitrus Paul, commended the governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, for taking the initiative to tell the world that he’s interested in the position of presidency. NCP reinstated that North Central doesn’t lack quality leaders, who...
DSS: We’ll no longer tolerate those seeking to throw Nigeria into anarchy
The Department of State Services, DSS, has warned those it described as misguided elements threatening Nigeria’s unity and peaceful co-existence to desist from doing so. Peter Afunanya, DSS spokesman, said that henceforth, the agency would no longer tolerate those whose aim was to “throw the country into anarchy.” In a statement, the DSS said: “While the Service reaffirms its unambiguous support to an indivisible, indissoluble and united Nigerian State in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, it will no longer tolerate deliberate machinations by subversive and hostile groups whose agenda is to throw the country into anarchy so as to serve the interests of their sponsors. “Consequently, the Service is assiduously working with other security and law enforcement agencies to ensu...
US Senators urge Joe Biden to impose more sanctions on Myanmar junta
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Tuesday urged the Biden administration to slap more sanctions on the military junta in Myanmar, including choking revenues to a state energy company, in response to its coup and violent crackdown on protesters. Senators Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, and Marco Rubio, a Republican, and four others urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a letter to “explore new avenues to support the people of Burma in their ongoing struggle for democracy in the face of escalating crimes against humanity.” They want the Biden administration to stop royalties flowing from businesses including U.S. energy major Chevron to Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, or MOGE, an agency within the energy ministry, that provides financial support to mil...
South East leaders decry injustice against Igbo
Pool Photo A leading Igbo social-political group, Nzuko Umuna, says that Nigeria, particularly the South East, is witnessing insecurity because of injustice, inequalities and lack of governance. Addressing reporters in Abuja on Monday, Sam Amadi, chairman of the legal committee of the think tank, said the unfair and unequal treatment of citizens have compounded the insecurity crisis. Amadi said the South East used to be the ‘safest region in Nigeria, but has become a site of organised criminality.’ ‘Nzuko Umuna recognises that Nigeria has descended into a depth of insecurity partly because of the failure of governance across the country and particularly because of inequities and injustices of political leadership in Nigeria,’ the former chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commi...