Seek legal redress in Courts for perceived electoral malpractice, not interim govt -ANA

By Musa Baba Adamu

Arewa New Agenda (ANA) yesterday called on politicians to seek redress in court if they have any misgiving against the 2023 general election, rather than seeking to thwart the outcome of the electoral process through military coup or interim government.

The Convener of ANA, Senator Ahmad Abubakar MoAllahyidi, who said this while addressing journalists on Wednesday, therefore warned against the alleged plot to install an interim government in the country.

He said that the last Presidential election was peaceful and a candidate was declared winner, hence there is no need for the call to install an interim national government.

According to him, “ANA is concerned that at this critical period the nation needs healing, more social cohesion, social reengineering and reconciliation to get back to normality, some elements are allegedly setting up roadblocks to unity and peaceful coexistence.

“We may recall that on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, the Directorate of State Security Service (DSS) issued a statement that it had identified “some key players” involved in an alleged plot for an interim government in Nigeria.

“According to the security agency, the alleged plotters plan to sponsor series of “violent” protests and obtain “frivolous court injunctions” to truncate the swearing in of new governments at federal and state levels.

“We may recall that Nigeria in 1993 was subjected to an interim national government that lasted for a couple of months of high tension and uncertainty. Thirty years on, talks of interim government are raring their head again for no good reasons.

“For no good reasons because happenings and the situation of 1993 that led to the interim government then are completely different from the nation’s situation and happenings in 2023″, he said.

He further stated that the election in 1993 was declared inconclusive by the electoral body that conducted the election.

While the 2023 presidential election has produced a winner of the election and INEC the electoral body that conducted the election has declared and even issued a certificate of return to the declared winner, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Where then is the place for an interim government? The only option left for anyone aggrieved by the result of the election is to go to court – a remedy aggrieved parties are already resorting to. Where then does interim government comes in?

“The 2023 presidential election was not characterized by violence and malpractices that would warrant calling for coup or interim government”, he added.

“Any flaw of the election is one capable of legal redress in our courts and this is where aggrieved parties should channel their grievances instead of raising national tensions with talks of coup and interim government.

“This is one election since 2011, in which there was least violence, killing and arson. The outcome of the election is largely a reflection of the popular will of Nigerian electorates”, MoAllahyidi said.

He said that ANA is constrained to say that some people are bad losers. He said for such people, wherever they lost, the election was rigged, but wherever they won, it was free and fair.

The National Chaplain Roman Catholic of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Rev. Fr. Victor Nyoroh (middle) with members of the Compassionate family presenting items to the inmates of the Dukpa Custodian farm center, during the Chaplaincy in collaboration with the Compassionate family Feeding the Prisoners visit to the Dukpa correctional service center as part of Easter celebration reach out, held yesterday in Gwagwala Abuja.

APC State Assembly Forum backs Northwest Senate President, Southeast Speaker

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

As aspirants intensify lobbying for leadership positions in the upcoming 10th Assembly, the APC State Assembly Forum (ASAF) has advised President Mohammadu Buhari, the president - elect, Bola Tinibu and the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) t to maintain equity justice and inclusiveness as the guide while zoning the offices in the heart interest of the party.

ASAF in a letter addressed to the national chairman of APC, senator Abdulahi Adamu, urged the party’s leadership to balance the lopsidedness in the senate leadership by zoning the presidency to the North West, arguing that the zone still remains one of the few zones that have not produced the senate president of the country since the return to democracy in 1999.

Hr added that the North West should also be appreciated and encouraged to strengthen its sure political base for the APC and continue booster votes from the zone as well as a parting shot to our outgoing amiable President Muhammadu Buhari in appreciation of his immense service to the party since inception.

The Forum in it’s letter which was signed by the Director General, Fubara Dagogo, also advocated that the Speaker of the House of Representatives be zoned to the South east, while the South South should retain the office of Deputy Senate President.

Dagogo also urged the APC leadership to consider to consider the South east for senate Majority Leader, while the North Central zone should be given the House majority Leader.

ASAF noted that the Forum comprises of all elected and serving state assembly members under the platform of the All Progressives Congress in all the states of the Nigerian federation, adding that it provides a common platform for all APC Lawmakers at the state assembly level to pool resources together, share knowledge and experience in a peer review approach towards the promotion of the progressive ideology of APC, for the purpose of bringing visible good governance to every nook and cranny of our dear nation.

The letter read in parts, “this noble undertaken put in motion by some key party stakeholders across the country over five years ago has resulted in a quiet but robust effective rapprochement and solidarity among elected APC members of State Houses of Assembly with APC representation.

“This resultant bond was productively deployed in all 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria in the largely concluded 2023 general elections; the outcome of which is already widely known.

“In a special consultative session in Abuja on Tuesday 11th April 2023; a session convened to among other things, to plan for the upcoming induction of the newly elected APC State Assembly members into the forum in a ceremony to be unveiled soon, we took leave to delve into the topical issue of the leadership of the 10th National Assembly under the majority party APC.

“We noted the feverish interest it has generated in the party and the polity. And our deep concern draws from past experiences especially witnessed in the choosing of the leadership of the 8th National Assembly in 2015.To this end, we resolved to communicate our considered position openly to the National Leadership of our great party through the National Leader of the party and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; President Muhammadu Buhari, the President - elect; Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the National Chairman; Sen. Abdullahi Adamu as well as the teeming membership and stakeholders of the party at home and in the diaspora.

“In the light of the above considerations and after due consultations with the entire membership of the forum, we have hereby projected a zoning formula for further consideration and adoption as an official template for the party in this instance towards ensuring strict adherence to party cohesion, equity, fairness, justice and national unity.

“Having occupied the position of the Senate President severally in this fourth republic, a Speaker from the South East will provide a soothing balm to our distressed members from the zone and will serve to encourage them in their efforts to grow the party with renewed vigour in the zone for future victory at the polls.”