El-Rufai: We Don’t Negotiate with Terrorists in Kaduna, We Kill Them Says the only repentant bandit is the dead one House urges IG, service chiefs to end banditry in state Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, has declared that his government has no other considerations for captured
bandits, except to send them back to God to answer for their activities against humanity. El-Rufai also expressed concern about the inability of the security agencies to access the locations of the bandits troubling
his state. He said these issues informed his visit to the State House, Abuja, yesterday to meet President Muhammadu Buhari and avail him details of the security situation in his state, where terrorists killed some 40
persons a few days ago. In a similar vein, the House of Representatives urged the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, and the service chiefs to intensify operations to eradicate the activities of bandits
and restore normalcy, especially, in Giwa/Birnin-Gwari Federal Constituency of Kaduna State. Briefing newsmen after his meeting with Buhari, el-Rufai said people who engaged in terrorism or banditry never
ever repented, but could only be stopped by death. He added that his government was convinced it was its duty to end the reign of terror by dispatching terrorists Continued on page 49
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Electoral Bill: Senate Mobilises to Override President's Veto, House Defers Battle Till Jan Over 75 Senators sign proposal, more expected Deji Elumoye and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Nigerians have not heard the last of President Muhammadu Buhari's refusal to assent to the 2021 Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, as the senate, yesterday, showed readiness for a showdown with the executive over the matter and immediately moved to override the president. Although the situation in the House of Representatives, was not as heated as the Senate, the House leadership said, while the bill might not have received presidential assent, it was within the responsibility
of the parliament to decide the best way forward, adding that it would resume efforts to reform the electoral system next year. THISDAY, however, learnt that over 75 senators had already signed a proposal, as at yesterday evening, indicating a commitment to override Buhari's veto of the electoral bill, which would be introduced as a motion. Buhari’s letter was read at the start of plenary by the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmed Lawan, after the upper chamber came out from a closed session, which lasted some 40 minutes. Continued on page 10
…Fayemi, Ortom Praise Buhari for Withholding Assent to Bill CSOs sad, want parliament to overrule Buhari Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha, Adedayo Akinwale and Juliet Akoje in Abuja Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom, have reacted to President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal of assent to the 2021 Electoral Act Amendment Bill, saying the decision was in the interest of the people. Fayemi, however, denied insinuations that they were behind the president’s rejection
of the bill, saying they were not afraid of direct primaries. Fayemi, who spoke with newsmen yesterday after a meeting with Buhari at the State House, Abuja, dismissed insinuations that the president had danced to the governors’ tune by declining assent to the bill. He said the governors did not care whether the mode of primaries was direct or indirect. The NGF chairman said as someone, who had gone through both systems during his first and Continued on page 10
TAKING THE BOOSTER DOSE...
President Muhammadu Buhari (left) being administered with the COVID-19 booster dose at the Presidential Villa, Abuja...yesterday
PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI
WHO Warns of Imminent Spike in COVID-19 Omicron Cases During Yuletide... Page 6