Fintiri’s guber victory exonerates INEC of alleged rigging in 2023 elections – Group

By Musa Baba Adamu

Acivil group, Nigerian Forum for Democracy, has said that the final declaration of Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri as the winner of Saturday’s supplementary election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has shown that the commission has no skeleton in its cupboard over the conduct of polls in the country.

Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in the state, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, had on Sunday stoked controversy when he announced Senator Aisha Dahiru Ahmed, popularly called Binani, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the election, thus elicited protests from members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, present at the state collation centre in Yola, the state capital.

Yunusa-Ari was later asked by the INEC to stay away from its office in Adamawa while the

Administrative Secretary takes charge until further notice.

The group, in a statement jointly signed by its National Coordinator, Bala Garba James; National Secretary, Mr. James Adebayo Olu and the Public Relations Officer, Chief Edem Moses, and made available to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, said it was aware of how some politicians it described as anti-democratic elements tried to arm-twist the electoral process in the country.

“Of note is the development in Adamawa State governorship election which was marred with controversies, but which the electoral umpire insisted on doing the right thing no matter which ox is gored,” it stated.

The group maintained that INEC’s swift response to the illegal declaration of Adamawa State governorship election results was proof that the commission’s boss has no skeleton in his cupboard. It went further: “The INEC national chairman read a riot act in his pre-election briefing to all the Resident Electoral Commissioners, REC after they went through orientation and handed with guidelines of how elections should be conducted across states. This shows the frantic effort of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s conduct of free and fair election, irrespective of pitfalls as a result of some unforeseen circumstances.”

The group was emphatic that INEC’s fair disposition led to the emergence of a sizeable number of opposition lawmakers, as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have 35 seats, Labour Party, LP 8, the New Nigeria Political Party, NNPP, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA and the Young Progressives Congress, YPP, have one senators-elect each, awaiting inauguration in the first week of June.

“The opposition political parties also did well in the lower legislative chamber as well as State Houses of Assembly across states.

“With the general elections concluded with runoffs on Saturday, the Forum expressed optimism that the proposed ‘Electoral Offences Commission’ would complement INEC’s effort, if passed into law,” it stated, calling on the Nigerian parliament to pass the bill into law in the interest of free and fair election in future.

It commended the INEC for conducting one of the best elections since the return of democracy to the country in 1999, believing that the electoral umpire organized this year’s general elections in such a way that they were generally peaceful and recorded less casualties compared with other previous ones.

The Forum, however, noted that the peaceful conduct of the elections was not without enormous challenges faced by the commission despite the amended Electoral Act, 2022, which was meant to aid the electoral processes.

Jewish community hosts Ramadan breakfast for Muslims, Christian leaders in Abuja

By Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

The Jewish Community of Nigeria, on Monday hosted some notable leaders of the Muslim and Christian communities to an Iftar (Ramadan breakfast) in Abuja, as Muslims rounded off Ramadan. Muslims worldwide observe Iftar during Ramadan by breaking their fast after sunset.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Rabbi of Nigeria, Rabbi Israel Uzan, expressed delight over the peaceful coexistence of all Nigerians despite their religious differences.

According to him, Nigerians live together and I have seen the mixing of different religions and different people living together and this is the reality of this country.

“For the last 10 years that I have been here, maybe am too naive or I have to change my glasses, I don’t see so much problem that we talked always in the newspaper. Yes, there are many problems but there are so many good aspects of Nigeria.

“In Nigeria as a country, they are always together because you cannot identify it as Christian, Muslim or Jews country. Nigeria is a beautifully mixed country, mixing families, politics, and businesses and tonight this is what we can see.”

Earlier, the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, said “what unites us is so much more than anything that divides us and the differences that we have are so minor in comparison to the fact that we are Abraham’s children.

“We all come from Abraham, we all come from the same place and we all are going to end up in the same place ultimately, and this is something special.

“Today is that opportunity for us to say, never again, not only say never again but to demonstrate it under this roof. Christians, Muslims, Jews, celebrating what unites us; Celebrating the festivals, we have just finished Easter, we’ve just been in Passover and We’re about to finish Ramadan.”

Also, an Imam of the Abuja National Mosque, Dr Kabir Adam, reaffirmed the commitment of the Muslim community to peace building and peaceful coexistence in the country.

“Let us reaffirm our commitment to peace building, our commitment to peaceful coexistence, our commitment to always receive each other, live with each other and everybody is free to practice his own belief. Islam is very clear.

“Well, I think the last few days we celebrated the Passover. We had Good Friday, as well as Easter Monday. The three things used to happen only three times in 100 years, So this year is very historic.

“Qur’an said there is no compulsion in religion, so you can practice your religion, I can practice my religion, or we can talk to people, sell to them the ideas of our religion.

“And whoever is interested, is free to take it or leave it, but the most important thing is for us to always live in peace and understand each other,” Kabir said.

Similarly, the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), FCT Chapter, Rev. Timothy Amakon, said religion should not be something that would divide human beings or something that would make human beings see one another as enemies.