PDP Feasting on Fake News, Afraid of 2023 Elections, Alleges NDF

 

The National Democratic Front (NDF) is surprised at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s brazenness that made it weaponize fake news, launch it at the Nigerian public and went on to believe that there are no right-thinking people in the populace to find out its lies and manipulative ways.

 

 

NDF is particularly amused at PDP’s latest tirade directed at Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin Republic and former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and, Ambassador Tukur Buratai on the false allegation that the N1.85 billion recovered by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in a property in Abuja belonged to the accomplished retired Army boss.

It is common knowledge that Ambassador Buratai, through his lawyers and aides has unequivocally distanced himself from the recovered money and cars while the ICPC had also made it clear that the Ambassador was not a person of interest in its investigation that has already apprehended the Managing Director of K Salam Construction Company Nigeria Limited, Mr. Kabiru Salau, whose company is a military contractor.

 

The anti-graft agency had further clarified the cash and assets it recovered from the said property amounted to N267.43 million and not N1.85 billion, which leaves one wondering if the PDP is in touch with reality or rather absorbed in believing the fake news it is attempting to feed Nigerians.

 

The statement by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, PDP, Debo Ologunagba that attempted to rehash the fake news that linked Ambassador Buratai to the phantom N1.85 recovered funds is so incoherent and disjointed that it was apparent the so-called opposition party has lost essence and sense of direction and only now feeds on fake news to justify its existence.

While it attempted to paint the outstanding former COAS as a corrupt person, PDP’s tenuous attempt to string together unrelated variables and create a nexus to the 2023 General Elections showed that the party fears the trouncing awaiting it at the polls hence the unreasonable fear that has left it grasping at straws in a bid to assemble the excuses it would give for being rejected by Nigerians yet again. Rather than maligning the personality of persons that have sacrificed for the country, the PDP should direct its efforts at discussing issues since this is the only way political parties can pitch themselves to Nigerians.

 

NDF finds it necessary to advise the PDP to stop projecting its warped values on other political parties and public office holders since the fake crime it is accusing Ambassador Buratai of fits into the pattern of the looting that the party used to destroy Nigeria and precipitate the security crisis that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has grappled with. Insecurity resulting from bad governance does not occur overnight but takes time to manifest and the fact that the security fallout resulting from PDP’s years of misrule manifested under the present government does not in any way absolve the party of responsibility for what it did to Nigeria.

 

We further urged the PDP to seek forgiveness from Nigerians and atone for its sins against the country in the hope that its members would one day be found worthy of being rehabilitated and reintegrated into mainstream politics and governance, which Nigerians presently think the party is unfit for. However, dishing out fake news about Ambassador Buratai and the incumbent government would only deepen the odiousness in which citizens hold the party owing to the magnitude of perversions its members committed in the office while the party held sway.

Voting Pattern in Nigeria Hasn't Changed, 2023 Elections Won't Be Any Different -Aduwo

Mr Olufemi Aduwo is the Permanent Representative of the Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity (CCDI) to the United Nations and he doubles as president, Rights Monitoring Group, which is a coalition of about 45 civil society organisations. In this interview, he speaks on the dangers posed to democracy by vote buying, Osun guber election and what INEC and others must do to enhance credible elections in the country. Excerpts... 

Although it is generally appraised as well conducted, the Ekiti guber election leaves a sour taste with the high level of vote buying that marred it. How do you think the problem can be solved?

It is unfortunate that the election was marred by massive vote buying. As an observer myself, I provided technical assistance to a foreign mission during the election. It was a sad experience and a dangerous trend. If PDP had gone to the extent the APC has been going lately in terms of heavy monetisation of voting, then no opposition party would have been able to upstage them from power. I am not saying there was no monetisation when PDP was at the central government, but I am concerned it has now become the order of the day at elections. Nobody is ready to canvass for votes again. They just believe that on the day of election, the bigger your purse, the bigger your chance to win the election. This has eroded the beauty of democracy. What happened in Ekiti was a charade and not an election.

The first thing is that voters have unfortunately not changed. Since 2003, I have not voted because I serve as an observer of elections. With all the glamour and the noise from the campaign grounds, the voter turnout was very poor. I was shocked to read in the newspapers that voter turnout was huge. About 920,000 voters got their PVCs to vote in Ekiti, but those who came out to vote were not up to 400,000. What is huge in that? We were thinking that, by now, the average Nigerian will be thinking about their future and we projected based on this that about 800,000 people would come out to vote. It means in the 2023 elections, the story will be similar if nothing happens in the area of awareness for Nigerians. Vote buying is an issue, no doubt and the best way to go about it is to make it criminal for money to exchange hands and give Election Petition Tribunals powers to cancel an election where cases of vote buying are established. But in this country, they will bring up arguments founded on technical grounds and so on. It is more than two weeks since the election held, the EFCC has not paraded the people they said they caught buying votes in Ekiti. We don’t even know the identities of those arrested and when they will be arraigned. We may have heard the last of the story. If the offenders are prosecuted, people with similar plans will adjust and be cautious. To organise a free and fair election in Nigeria, three stakeholders must cooperate. They are the voters, INEC and the security personnel. For Ekiti election, INEC and security personnel did very well. But the voters, despite all the warnings against selling of votes still went ahead to do so. In a country where the level of poverty is so high, the opportunity for democracy to develop will be zero. Democracy thrives in a society that experiences economic development. In a society with high poverty and illiteracy rate like Nigeria, the tendency for democracy not to grow is very high. If we continue like this, politicians will no longer waste money on campaign. They will stockpile enough money to buy votes on election day.

 

Would you suggest the re-organisation of INEC facilities at polling units in such a way that it will be difficult for voters to show who they have voted for?

What INEC should do is to curb rowdiness in and around polling units. We can’t continue to pretend, armed policemen should be allowed at polling units. Those who hijack ballot boxes and carry out violence are armed, so why shouldn’t we have armed policemen at the polling units? INEC must ensure there is orderliness at the polling units so as to ensure that nobody else can see persons casting their votes. It may be difficult, but it is achievable. INEC and other stakeholders need to continue voter education for the voters know the reason they are voting and the advantages of voting. This will go a long way in reducing the rate at which voters eat their future through the money they get from politicians at elections. In Ghana where I have also observed elections, the madness we call vote buying here is not in vogue there. Maybe those involved in this madness will begin to rethink by the two or three people are jailed for vote merchandising and electoral victories are cancelled.

 

As an observer what is your assessment of INEC’s conduct of the election?

In a city of the blind, a one-eyed man is a king. There is nothing special in what INEC has done because so much money was spent and we expected that the outcome would be what it was. In some areas in Ekiti, the B-VAS technology failed, though there was quick response from the technical team. But that was in a one-off election and not a general one. Are we going to have the same level of effectiveness when the election is general? Overall, I would say INEC was fantastic in its conduct of the Ekiti election. Since we are currently running with e-transmission, I believe Nigeria is really ripe for full-scale electronic voting, regardless of the level of illiteracy. There are technologies that can be deployed to make sure e-voting is successful.

 

Do you see INEC replicating the Ekiti success in Osun where a guber election is due on July 18?

Osun election will not be violence-free, given our preliminary findings from the field there. There will be high violence in Osun because the stakes are high. The opposition parties have seen that voters go for the highest bidders. APC could have been defeated in Ekiti if PDP and SDP were together. It was a big shame on former Governor Ayo Fayose who unilaterally appropriated the structure for himself. For Osun, it is going to be money-for-money. But this madness has to stop. The office of the National Security Adviser has to ensure movement of large sums of money days before election should be discouraged. APC is most guilty of this and the office should summon the courage to end this. It is a big shame. We know how they moved money to Ekiti. Did a presidential aircraft carrying the money not land in Akure Airport two days to the election? The answer is Yes. We alerted the right people, but no action was taken. The opposition, particularly the PDP, should be vigilant in Osun. It is the same thing the ruling party will attempt to do, but it may boomerang this time. The enemies of democracy are still lurking in the dark. We, therefore, should not play into their hands. Let the people decide who will govern them. The way politicians are going about next year’s elections is even more dangerous. It is not INEC now. It is the politicians that we should caution, particularly the way APC is going about it. What the politicians are doing to our elections is worse than what Boko Haram is doing to the country. We have written to the American government on the areas they should get involved in the elections. It is said that politicians now believe once they are able to get enough money, the voters have a price and they can always buy them.

 

How do you see INEC’s preparations towards the 2023 general election?

INEC is doing well towards ensuring the elections are held without a hitch. But I think the commission should collaborate with other stakeholders to evolve a strict measure of punishments for those who engage in see and buy at elections. This is coming up as the biggest threat to credible elections in the country. I have been monitoring elections since 2003; there is no election in the northern part of the country where money is not deployed to induce voters. It is a serious. INEC can use the religious organisations to educate the populace about the evil of vote buying. I am not saying only APC bought votes in Ekiti. All the major parties did, but APC gave the highest amount to the voters. If the Federal Government sees this as a dangerous trend, the president can address the country about it.

Under the constitution, there is nothing that says INEC should appoint either a lecturer or a herbalist as returning officer. The practice came during the chairmanship of Attahiru Jega who is a former president of ASUU. He wanted to court the friendship of ASUU by introducing the practice. Are lecturers the only credible people in Nigeria today? Lecturers who are being accused from time to time of engaging in sex-for-mark scandals? Why can’t INEC use retired justices, credible civil activist and others? In 2015, a professor of Mathematics, on a national TV, could not calculate figures at the collation centre in Abuja. It was shameful because he did not know how the figures were arrived at. What I know about election is that once an objection has been raised by a candidate about the credibility of an appointed returning officer, such a person must not be forced to oversee the election. In fact, INEC should unveil state returning officers three months before election for people to scrutinise him.  The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) is by law the chief returning officer for state elections.  All these people they are bringing is to waste money. I, for instance, have monitored election in the UK, US, Ghana and in Nigeria since 2003, how will a professor know more than me about election conduct? There are thousands of judges, activists that INEC can use. Bringing university lecturers for elections does not add anything to the elections. One of them, you will remember, is now serving jail term in Akwa Ibom for election result matter. This should serve as a lesson to INEC and the lecturers themselves.

 

-nigeriantribune

Why Apple is Best Food to Eat on An Empty Stomach

Apples are very nutritious and are known as the "King of Fruits". After getting up in the morning, eating an apple on an empty stomach is very good for health.



Apples are rich in carbohydrates. A medium-sized apple is about 3 inches and contains 20 grams of sugar. Apple's sugar is mainly fructose and glucose.

A new WHO guideline recommends that adults and children should limit their daily sugar intake to around 25 grams.

After a night of sleep, the glycogen stored in the liver is basically exhausted. Eat an apple at this time, the sugar in the apple can be quickly absorbed, which can quickly replenish energy for the body.

Fresh apples are rich in water and dietary fiber. After water and dietary fiber enter the gastrointestinal tract, they can accelerate gastrointestinal motility, enhance metabolism, and eliminate toxins and garbage.

In addition, apples are rich in various vitamins and minerals. Eating an apple in the morning can supplement part of the vitamins and minerals that the body needs daily.

As the saying goes: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

-quora

Pastor in Whose Church's Underground 77 Children Were Found Speaks: "God Directed Me to Camp Them till Jesus' Second Coming"

At least 77 children have been rescued by police officers from the basement of a church in Valentino area of Ondo town, Ondo State.

It was gathered that the victims include 25 children and 52 adults making a total of 77 people.

Speaking while being paraded at the police headquarters, along Igbatoro Akure, the Ondo State capital on Saturday, the Pastor in charge of the church, David Anifowose, said he received the instruction from God that they should camp in the church until his second coming.

“I was the one that received the instruction from God that the people can stay in the church and wait for his second coming. And my members were waiting for the second coming of Jesus when the policemen invaded the church and arrested us.”

VAT Row: Court of Appeal Rules In Favour of FIRS

 

 

The Court of Appeal, sitting in Lagos on Friday has upheld the appeal filed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), against the Lagos Hotel Owners Association of Nigeria.
The Court of Appeal set aside the Federal High Court judgment in favor of the Association.

 

 

In 2019, the Association had gotten a judgment from the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, whereby the court had invalidated the powers of the FIRS to collect VAT from the members of the Association.

 

 

The FIRS thereafter appealed the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal also struck out the Counter claim of the Lagos State Government against FIRS. Yesterday’s judgment has therefore affirmed the authority of FIRS to collect VAT from all taxpayers.

Details later …

Lagos Lawmakers Who Lost Return Tickets Accuse Executive of Interference

Some members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, who lost out in the recently conducted All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries have accused Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of playing a key role in making them lose their return tickets.

The accusation was levelled against the governor during plenary on Monday evening when the Majority Leader of the House, Sanai Agunbiade analysed the report from the legislative training the members attended last week in Ogere, Ogun State.

The lawmakers lamented that the delegates’ lists were doctored in many constituencies in favour of aspirants whom they believed were backed by the governor during the primaries, saying that the process was not credible and devoid of democratic practices.

Victor Akande (Ojo 1), who was first to comment, narrated his ordeal and how the delegate system was used to schemed him out for an aspirant allegedly backed by the governor.

Akande said that Sanwo-Olu had successfully made an in-road into the House with the emergence of those who won the primaries, even as he expressed the need for the House to quickly curtail the governor’s influence.

According to him, the Governor, instead of supporting their return to the House supported his own candidates against them.

The lawmaker said that there was need to speak out on their experiences during the primaries, saying that the House would never be a rubber stamp.

He added that it would be a waste of tax payers money if after being trained, they have suddenly been schemed out by not clinching return tickets.

“After spending huge amount of money on training lawmakers and acquiring legislative knowledge and experience, and at the end of the day one is suddenly removed by way of not given the party’s ticket.

“Like you (Speaker) who have been in this House for years and have been able to garner experience, it is because of your experience that made me to join APC. And I cannot stand to be shortchanged for a system that does not work.

“I think the primaries need to be looked into because most of the delegates were not even elected. In some constituencies, the delegates’ lists were written. This is not a good system,” Akande said.

Rotimi Olowo (Somolu 1), said their failure to clinch the party’s tickets was not because they were not popular among their people but was due to the incursion by the powers-that-be.

Olowo said that the incursion might be dangerous to the independence of the House, saying that the electorate were angry with how the party conducted its primaries.

He said: “I am not speaking for myself alone. One of our colleagues was rigged between the election location and Acme. The election result was manipulated. In some areas, nothing like election. This does not apply to Lagos alone but across Nigeria.

“ In Ondo State, it was only six members that returned. In the House of Representatives, it was less than one-third that returned. Some Senators have defected from our party to another party because of the failed process.

“But more importantly is ours here, where another arm of government fingered in all constituencies because the House is irrepressible, independent, proactive, and pro-masses and will not submit to any other arm of government . And that if our sin is because we treat issues how it should be treated without sentiment, we want to commit more sins”.

While reacting to their comments, the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, said the issues raised were of party affairs and that it can only be handled at the party level.

“You have the right to raise your observations but we must understand that whichever way, its all about democracy.

“We refer to people in other parts of the world who serve many years.

“These people you are talking about still go back to their people who make decision as to who their representatives would be, so I still want to believe if there is an issue with the process of the election, it is still more of a party affair that can be discussed,” Obasa said.

Prophet Okafor's July 2022 Prophecies: Expectations Will Turn into Manifestation

Renowned clergy and senior pastor of Grace Nation International, Dr Chris Okafor, has given his prophecy for the month of July, 2022.

While praying for all Christians across the globe through his online platforms, the generational prophet of God said the month of July is a month of rest and supernatural turnaround, remarking that God is God and the Number 7 has a strong spiritual undertone He said, according to The book of 2 King 7:1 and book of Genesis, God rested on the 7th day,  therefore for all who are serving God in truth and spirit, God will give them rest on all sides in the month of July.

The popular global televangelist also prayed for people across the world that this second half of the year will bring peace and unity across the world. He said children of God will experience rest from the strong hands that have been keeping them because all their expectations will turn into manifestation in the month the oracle of God, Dr Okafor concluded