AA: Again Court orders INEC to recognize candidates presented by Omo-Aje

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday affirmed its earlier judgment compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to paste the names of all the candidates submitted to it by the national chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), Dr Adekunle Rufai Omoaje.

The court had on November 4, 2023 in a ruling delivered by Justice Z B Abubakar ordered INEC to recognize the candidates submitted to it for the presidency, National Assembly, governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections by Omoaje.

The court again reaffirmed the judgment on Monday directing INEC to recognize the candidates submitted to it by Omoaje and paste their names at its headquarters and all its state offices.

Besides, the court directed INEC to upload the names of the candidates on its website with immediate effect.

The lists include those who contested for the last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections and those contesting the governorship and House of Assembly elections in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Reacting to the judgement, the national chairman of the party, Dr Adekunle Rufai Omoaje said INEC had failed to respect court judgment in the past despite several judgments of the court that favoured him.

He said the INEC chairman, Prof Mamood Yakubu was hellbent at truncating the nation’s democracy through his flagrant disobedience to court orders, stressing that the actions of Yakubu are capable of undermining the confidence reposed in the electoral body.

He urged well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on INEC chairman to respect court orders and restrain from efforts aimed at undermining the nation’s democracy.

Stakeholders seek universal access to water, sanitation in Africa

Leaders, development partners and government ministries have called for a universal guaranteed access to water and sanitation services in Africa.

The stakeholders resolved this in a communique issued at the end of the 21st African Water Association International Congress and Exhibition.

The event was held at the 7th Faecal Sludge Management Conference in Abidjan.

The communique, issued on the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) website, acknowledged the burden of inadequate water and sanitation in Africa.

It also took cognisance of the need for closer coordination among the government, development partners and industry to mobilise financing to strengthen the water sector.

The News Agency of Nigeria

(NAN) reports that 1,600 delegates and representatives from 146 international companies participated in the joint conference, co-sponsored by the African Development Bank.

Dr Silver Mugisha, president of the African Water and Sanitation Association, said sanitation would be a big part of the Association’s focus.

“Let’s not just say that we have added sanitation, but build it in from the ground up. Let’s go with action-oriented takehomes to cause a difference.

“Whatever we do, we must do it in the best interest of people, and hopefully, this conference has provided a few things we can use,” Mugisha said.

AfDB’s Director of Water Development and Sanitation, Osward Chanda, stressed the importance of innovation, partnerships and new approaches in strengthening water service delivery.

Chanda expressed optimism about the potential partnerships formed during the congress to implement innovations and help the water sector.

He also advocated for knowledge strengthening and promotion of business models to increase efficiency and scale up access to water and sanitation.

The director further called for including beneficiary voices in the sector’s conversations.

“We need more voices of beneficiaries in these conversations so that they can provide that much-needed experience and knowledge from the ground,” Chanda said.

More so, he reiterated the Bank’s commitment to supporting actions, initiatives and innovations that would improve livelihoods and make a difference for Africans.

Meanwhile, Drissa Diomande, Chief of Staff to the Ivorian Minister for Hydraulics, Sanitation and Hygiene, unveiled the Abidjan 2023 Declaration on access to water and sanitation.

Diomande said the communique recognised the need for an integrated approach to managing water resources to achieve Sustainable Development Goal six by 2030. The chief of staff recommended that the Declaration be presented during the United Nations Water Conference in March 2023 in New York.

The next African Water and Sanitation Association congress will take place in February 2024 in Guinea Conakry.(NAN)

2023 guber polls: Labour party debunks collapsing structure in to PDP in Kaduna

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Umar Farouk has debunked rumours making the rounds that the party has collapsed its structure to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Kaduna State.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Kaduna, the LP scribe said the governorship candidate of the party, Jonathan Asake was fully ready for the election, adding that he will not step down for any governorship candidate.

Farouk decried the level of the campaign of calumny by the said opposition party that the LP had collapsed structure into the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the March 11 governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

Guber Polls: Foundation urges Kaduna journalists to calm tension

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Global Peace Foundation

Nigeria (GPFN) has urged Kaduna Journalists to calm down the tension in their reportage ahead of the March 11 gubernatorial election.

The Country Director of the Foundation, Rev John Joseph Hayab made the call yesterday in Kaduna State during a programme by Global Peace Foundation in collaboration with Big Minds Communications Consult (BMCC) and Correspondents’ of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kaduna chapter.

According to him, to conduct credible, free and fair elections that would usher in the kind of leaders that the Nigerian public desires, the role of the media is essential.