North has four year deficit against South - Ango Abdullahi APC calls for cautions over FaniKayode’s police invitation

On his part the Director-General of the Forum, Prof. Doknan Sheni, in his address said “the north will continue to accept any candidate that wins the elections fairly, on the terms of one man one vote. We do not intend to be intimidated by improper or uncivil utterances or threats of violence. Nor will we be coerced to supporting a candidate based on non-democratic principles”.

Also in attendance at the event are the Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir ElRufai, the Vice-Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, and a representative of the Vice-Presidential Candidate of the All-Progressives Congress, Senator Kashim Shettima.

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for caution over police invitation of Femi Fani-Kayode, Director of Special Projects and New Media of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, after his coup tweet.

The ex-Minister of Aviation had alleged that Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) met some Army Generals over the general elections, alleging an attempt to overthrow the government.

The APC recalled Fani-Kayode was invited and vigorously interrogated by the Department of State Services, DSS, over the same matter.

The former presidential aide was admitted to administrative bail and ordered to report daily to the DSS as they continue their investigation.

In a statement on Wednesday, Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary suggested the invitation over the same matter was unnecessary.

The spokesperson said it gives cause for concern not only on account of duplication of effort by coordinate law enforcement agencies but possible implications for its member’s fundamental rights.

Morka described Fani-Kayode as an upstanding and law-abiding citizen of Nigeria who honoured the invitation by the DSS and submitted himself fully to their investigative authority.

“While we recognize the constitutional authority of the Nigeria Police Force to initiate and conduct criminal investigations, we urge extreme caution,” he noted.

The APC, however, accused the PDP of “relentlessly exploiting and politicising the matter” that is the active subject of law enforcement investigation.

Enugu: Youth, women present charter of demand to gubernatorial candidate

By Abubakar Yunusa

Ahead of the 2023 gubernatorial election in Enugu State, young women and youths in the State have presented their charter of demands to candidates for them to work with and place functional security infrastructure and job creation as their priority.

The Charter of demand was titled, “Good Governance banners ‘and contained all pressing demands of young women and youth including; water, steady salary payments, security, quality education, access to opportunities and jobs, and protection of women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence as priority areas for the incoming government.

While presenting the charter of Demand during a press conference in Enugu, Yesterday, Project Lead, Achenyo Ochijenu, emphasized the critical role women and youth play in shaping the future of communities and the nation.

This is as she described the project as specifically listening to women to understand their voting patterns, the challenges they have with exercising their franchise as citizens, and their expectations of the next governor of the state.”

According to her, the Signpost

Project, launched with support from the MacArthur Foundation through the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), began in Enugu in 2022 by engaging young women and youth at different fora, documenting their challenges, and creating the good governance banner.

Speaking further, “We went to the markets, we went to universities, we listened to civil society, we listened to youth speak about the Enugu of their dreams. We did all these to build and invest in the elections, for our young women and youth to get involved in elections but beyond that, continue to demand accountability and excellence from their leaders,” Ms. Ochijenu said.

They lamented the ASUU strike, disruptions caused by insecurity and the sit-at-home order, inflation, and the absence of pipe-borne water in the state. Several respondents said they recognized the importance of participating in civic processes via engagement with the Signpost Project and pledged the continued exercise of their franchise.

Meanwhile, TechHerNG is a community of learning, support, and collaboration for women; keen to reduce imbalances in access to technology and amplify the voices of women in society.