Kogi guber primary: APC group calls for Sen Smart Adeyemi’s expulsion

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Ijumu All Progressives Congress (APC)

Progressive Mind has called for the immediate suspension of Senator Smart Adeyemi, a lawmaker representing Kogi West from the party.

Addressing a press conference in Lokoja on Tuesday, the President, Ijumu APC Progressive Minds, Comrade Kamaldeen Toyin, said the February 14 APC Governorship Primary provided an opportunity for the people to show the scorecard of Sen. Smart Adeyemi, reason why he failed woefully.

He lampooned the Kogi lawmaker for attacking Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, stating that, it is his (Adeyemi) character to repay good with evil.

Continuing, Toyin said, “After his ill-fated failure in the 2015 election where he was washed away by the Buhari hurricane: it was the Governor that rehabilitated the political destitute called Smart Adeyemi and brought his political career back to life.

“We warned the Governor then about our son that he is a snake, that no matter how good you are to him, he will bite you.

That is exactly what Senator Smart Adeyemi is doing now.

“The reason the Governor gave for supporting Sen. Smart Adeyemi in 2019 was to push him for the Senate Presidency. It was a selfless Agenda to position Kogi State strategically for development. Today, Senator Smart Adeyemi has forgotten the past and living true to his character of ingratitude, he is known for whenever he loses a political contest

“Friday APC Governorship Primary was the fairest and the freest ever.

Adeyemi’s desperate attempt to fault the process was borne out of his desperation to work with certain elements whose satanic agenda is to ensure our dear party is unable to present a candidate for the November 11 Governorship Poll in the state. With the successful conduct of the Governorship primary, their aim has been declared offside and defeated.

“As witnessed in all the parts of the state, financial members came out massively in Ijumu to vote according to the dictates of their conscience. Smart Adeyemi, despite being from Ijumu Local Government Area, lost woefully to Ahmed Usman Ododo. It was a referendum on his woeful third term performance. It is therefore not expected that the fairly beaten child is crying.

“We wish to call on the leadership of our party to investigate how non-members of the APC were hurriedly given membership cards strongly suspected to be fake. They could give fake cards, but they couldn’t fabricate payment of dues for them. It is therefore ludicrous to display wanton desperation and falsehood that the process was faulty

“Before the primary, Sen. Smart Adeyemi’s only joker was ethnicity. He claimed to be fighting for “justice and fairness”. He didn’t remember justice and fairness when in 2015, after spending two terms in the Senate, he refused to allow the seat rotate to Yagba.

“He fraudulently and violently seized the ticket of the PDP, only for Sen. Dino Melaye to fly on the Wings of the Buhari Tsunami to defeat him. In 2019, he was able to win the support of the Governor who rallied support for him to win the ticket of the party

“In 2023, he wanted to go for his 4th Term, when Yagba Federal Constituency had not produced Senator. To him, such was just and fair. To Smart Adeyemi, it can only be considered fair when he wins.

Loss means injustice to him. As members of the party in Ijumu Local Government Area, we commend the Governor for allowing a level playground for all the contestants. That process has produced the best candidate and we are confident of victory in November.”

10th Reps Speaker: Coalition of Northern Christians endorses Hon. Jaji

By Christiana Ekpa

As the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly draws nearer, a Christian group, the Christian Northern Nigeria Political Forum (CNNPF) has thrown its weight behind the aspiration of Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji.

Jaji, a member-elect to represent Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji federal constituency of Zamfara state was chairman of the House of Representatives committee on National Security, Intelligence and Public Safety in the 8th Assembly.

National coordinator of CNNPP Comrade Garuba Mohammed disclosed this at a press conference on Tuesday in Kaduna.

The group also advised the-presidentelect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to form a government of national unity to heal wounds and reunite Nigerians.

He said “The entire members of the Christian Northern Nigeria Political Forum (CNNPF) have resolved to support the candidacy of Rt. Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji as the next speaker of the House of Representatives in the 10th legislative assembly, because he has demonstrated trust, honesty, kindness, love, humility and character.

“Hon. Jaji is coming into the race for the Speakership of the House of Representatives with the overriding interest to run an inclusive House, where national unity, peace and development will take the front stage.

His vision is to ensure an abiding cooperation among honourable members and chart the course for a mutually respectable relationship with the Executive, without compromising the independence of the Legislature”

Speaking further, the National coordinator stated that “Hon. Jaji has promised to bring in the best practice in doing legislative business. He has also promised to be fair to all legislators under his leadership irrespective of political parties, gender, religion or tribes and most importantly, he has promised to work for Nigeria with the fear of God.

“The Christian Northern Nigeria Political Forum is also using this medium to appeal to members of the House of Representatives in the forthcoming 10th assembly to support Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Aminu Sani Jaji for the speakership because of his past and current contributions to humanity and his personal attributes.

“He is a man who has strong tolerance for people of other tribes and religion. It could be recalled that he singlehandedly sponsored the programme of the Christian Northern Nigeria Political Forum in December, 2022 in Kaduna to bring about religious harmony in Nigeria.

The group, which congratulated the president-elect, Tinubu and his vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima appealed to Tinubu to form a government of national unity.

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) yesterday condemned the illegal, unconstitutional and unwarranted declaration of Adamawa State governorship supplementary election result by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa Ari on Sunday 16th April 2023, while collation of results was in progress.

In a statement issued yesterday by the National chairman of IPAC, Yusuf Sani Yabagi, IPAC said it is outrageous and a mockery of the nation’s emerging democracy which has caused undue tension in the polity.

The statement said “IPAC demands the immediate sack and prosecution of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ari and his accomplices in this deliberate assault on our hard earned democracy to serve as a deterrent to others who would contemplate such heinous crime against the fatherland. The need for Electoral Offences Commission to try electoral offenders cannot be overemphasized.

“It is inconceivable that a Resident Electoral Commissioner would usurp the powers of the Returning Officer and announce the result of a governorship supplementary election, more so, when the collation of results was ongoing. It is a sad commentary in the nation’s electoral process and a dent on INEC as an umpire.

“However, the swift response of the national leadership of the commission in reversing this theatre of the absurd and suspending the errant Resident Electoral Commissioner is commendable in the quest for free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive elections in Nigeria. INEC should justify the confidence the populace reposed in it and do the right thing as we collectively consolidate our democracy.

“IPAC reiterates its call for a review of the process in appointing Resident Electoral Commissioners as some of them are partisan and ignorant of their statutory duties and will go out of