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Jega, Utomi Unveil Forum For Electoral Integrity

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Jega, Utomi Unveil Forum For Electoral Integrity

A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and a foremost political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, on Friday unveiled a non-partisan coalition for electoral integrity.

The coalition under the aegis of the National Consultative Front (NCF) is designed to galvanise support for legislation for the electronic transfer of election results.

The unveiling took place at the 61st Independence National Political Summit organised by the NCF in Abuja.

During the event, Jega said a legal framework was an irrevocable part of any credible election to take place.

According to him, the integrity or otherwise of any electoral process begins with the laws guiding it.

He said : “To ensure that the preference of Nigerians is brought to bear on the process, apart from the issue of electronic transmission, there are other issues.

“Some of which include candidate selection, improvements in the electoral process, accountability on the part of election managers and accountability on the part of the people to vote and protect their votes.

“An election that must have integrity must have a framework that has integrity, that is why we are calling on members of the National Assembly to pass this legislation.

“If you have a weak electoral framework then you have weakened INEC. INEC should also be made accountable.”

Also, Utomi urged Nigerians to go beyond holding talk shops and put their money where their mouth is.

He explained that every Nigerian can start by contributing as little as N5 to provide funding for the new initiative in order to take back their politics from the clutches of money bags.

Earlier, a former member of the National Assembly, Senator Shehu Sani, expressed reservations about the current National Assembly and opposition to the electronic transfer of election results.

He explained that the argument by some legislators that the National Communications Commission lacks the capacity to make the electronic transfer of results was suspect.

READ ALSO: Utomi, Jega , Others Form Third Force Ahead Of 2023 Elections

Sani said: “As at last count, there are 112 million active bank accounts in Nigeria. We have more bank accounts in Nigeria than registered voters. If this is not a problem for our banking system, it shouldn’t be a problem for our elections.”

Making his contribution via zoom, a United States of America-based Nigerian, Precious Ehikimi, said, “We are in a very precarious situation. The Supreme Court says electronic transmission is a mere guideline but INEC says we can do it.

“It rests with the National Assembly which will not do it. We need to occupy the streets, occupy the National Assembly (to make them do it).

“The school fees of our children will be determined by the people we elect. INEC is saying they will do it because they know the position of the court. The only thing that can free Nigeria is when Nigerians can freely elect their leaders, we need to take action now.”

 

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BREAKING: Fresh Tension In Rivers As Fubara Is Locked Out Of Assembly Complex

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Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara

Signalling worsening relations between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the state lawmakers, the former was locked out on Wednesday as he arrived at the State House of Assembly Complex .

Security personnel at the complex locked the gates when the governor’s convoy arrived at the complex.

The action of the security personnel was hinged on the position that there was no official communication between the governor and the Assembly.

However, Fubara said he communicated his coming to Speaker Martins Amaewhule through a letter and tried to call him on the phone since Tuesday.

Fubara had said he would fully implement the February 28, 2025 judgment of the apex court and directed the Rivers State Independent Electoral Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to come up with modalities for the fresh election.

The electoral commission fixed August 9, 2025, to conduct a fresh local government poll in the state.

Also, the Secretary to the State Government, Tammy Danagogo, in a letter dated March 7, 2025, sought a meeting with the lawmakers for March 10, 2025, to discuss the re-presentation of the 2025 budget and a peace talk.

However, the Assembly had asked the governor to channel his invitation properly.

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BREAKING: PDP Wins, Clears All 30 Councils In Osun Poll

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday emerged the winner for  the election for all the chairmanship and councillorship seats in all the 30 local government areas of Osun State.

The election was held on Saturday.

The Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, Hashim Abioye, announced the results at a press conference in Osogbo, the state capital on Saturday evening.

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Bisi Akande Drags Obasanjo Into Bola Ige’s Murder

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By John Michael Ojo

Bisi Akande, a former governor of Osun State, has alleged that the administration of  former President Olusegun Obasanjo was responsible for the brutal killing of erstwhile Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige.

Akande stated this while appearing  on Edmund Obilo’s podcast, State Affairs, where he also claimed that a friend Oluwole Rotimi, had given a hint on the impending danger if the deceased resigned from President Obasanjo’s government.

When asked to speak on the incident, the former interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said: “One evening, he (Ige) called me and said he was going to resign from this government tomorrow. It was sudden, and I said, ‘Please sir, I will come back to you.’ I called Oluwole Rotimi, and said this is what your friend told me: that he was going to resign from Obasanjo’s government tomorrow.

READ ALSO: South-West Governors, Tinubu, Akande, Akinrinade, Others To Meet Over State Of The Nation

“He asked me to advise him not to resign because if he does, he is likely going to die—he said that to me on the phone. I called Uncle (Ige) and begged him not to resign.

“He said he had talked to Wole Soyinka and Bola Tinubu, and both of them said he should resign. But I said, ‘Don’t. You can go to Obasanjo, tell him what you are angry about, and if he doesn’t want you anymore, here is your letter.’”

Akande who also claimed that Ige,  a Second Republic Governor of  Oyo State had issues bordering on trust with the then President said “Since he was resigning from his government, I think he stopped trusting him.”

However, Akande who was the governor of a neighbouring state when Ige was assassinated in Oyo State on the 23rd of December 2001, failed to provide names of those he felt were directly involved in the murder case.

“I don’t know. He was killed in Oyo State while I was ruling in Osun State. The government killed him (Bola Ige). It was a state murder.

“Lam Adesina, who was the Chief Security Officer of Oyo State then, went to court, and Ladoja withdrew the case from court. He might know more and be able to tell you.

READ ALSO: Adebanjo Wants EFCC To Probe  Sources Of Wealth Of Tinubu, Akande

“It was the government that killed him, and the government can kill anybody.

“Obasanjo wasn’t keen about Ige’s death; he was more interested in the stability of himself,” Akande maintained.

 

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