Category: Politics

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President Buhari Extends IGP’s Tenure Beyond 2023 Elections

President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has prolonged the tenure of the country’s Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, beyond his retirement age.

The IGP was born on March 1, 1963, in the Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State and enlisted in the Nigeria Police on March 15, 1988, at 25.

IGP Baba has been in the police force for about 35 years, the limit set for all civil servants to function before retirement. The law also said that a civil servant who attains the age of 60 should equally proceed on retirement.

The IGP’s date of birth and the date of enlistment coincides with the two requirements for retirement. Either way, his retirement is, by dual default, scheduled for March 2023.

The new Police Act has pegged the tenure of an IGP to four years. And IGP Baba is just in his second year.

However, the president has the power to keep his service chiefs or any other officer in whose services he finds pleasure beyond these constitutional barriers.

It was on that note that the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, disclosed today that IGP Baba would tarry till the end of Buhari’s tenure or even slightly beyond that until a new President decides otherwise.

The minister confirmed that the IGP was supposed to retire “midway into the general elections”, but has already “gotten a letter of extension.”

The minister explained the Police Act 2020 has changed the rules for an IGP’s retirement, adding that the new law makes the tenure of the Police boss a four-year period.

By the provision of the Police Act 2020, the IG is now supposed to have a kind of four-year period and Mr. President has already given him a letter of appointment in that regard. So the issue of IG going out during this election period does not arise.”

Dingyadi said the FEC approved the draft bill for an Act to establish Nigeria Police Institutions, which he said is to provide legal backing to the existing training institutions across the country and not to build new ones

The minister said despite the public out about conduct of the police, “the level of corruption within the Nigeria Police has drastically reduced.”

IGP Baba was appointed to head the Nigeria police on April 6, 2021. The Police Council confirmed him as the substantive Inspector General of Police June of the same year.

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News Politics

2023: Nigerian Judge Discards Lawyer’s Suite Challenging Muslim-Muslim Ticket

A Nigerian Judge, Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed, of the Federal High Court in Abuja, the nation’s capital, had on Wednesday, Jan.18, 2023, thrown out a suit by a rights lawyer seeking disqualification of the presidential candidate of the country’s ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his choice of selecting a fellow Muslim as his running mate.

An Abuja-based legal practitioner, Osigwe Momoh, had his suit thrown out by the Judge on the grounds that it lacked locus standi.

Justice Mohammed maintained that the lawyer who is not a member of APC “and having not participated in the process that produced Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shetima, cannot query them on the nominations.”

The legal practitioner had in the suit wanted the court to issue an order “nullifying” the candidature of APC and Tinubu from participating in the presidential election on the ground that “the nomination of Muslim-Muslim candidacy is unconstitutional and against the spirit and letters of sections 14, 15 and 224 of the 1999 Constitution.”

Barrister Momoh had argued that “the Muslim-Muslim candidacy runs counter to the spirit of national cohesion, integration and unity.”

He requested the court for “an order of perpetual injunction to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from publishing the name of APC and its presidential candidate for the 2023 election.”

However, Justice Mohammed differed from the plaintiff on the legal right to initiate the case in the first place and subsequently threw it out in totality.

Justice Mohammed upheld the preliminary objection of APC and Tinubu and did not award any cost against the plaintiff.

This story is relevant to Bay-6 News because Kashim Shettima, the chosen running mate of Mr Tinubu and the Presidential candidate of the opposition People Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, are both from the northeast states of Borno and Adamawa. Bay-6 News covers the six states of the Northeast as the first catchment area before other parts of Nigeria and beyond.

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Politics Press Release

Tinubu Lauds Bisi Akande’s Courage, Outstanding Leadership Qualities @ 84 

All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has sent out a hearty birth day wish to his party’s former Interim National Chairman , Chief Bisi Akande, who clocked 84 years today.

A statement from Tinubu Media Office said the leading 2023 contender for Nigeria’s Presidential seat hailed the elder statesman “for his courage and extraordinary leadership.”

The statement released by head of the APC Candidate media office, Tunde Rahman, the APC flag bearer “commended Chief Akande for his helpful contributions to Nigeria and dedication and commitment to progressive politics and good governance.”

Mr Rahman said Tinubu “noted the unblemished public service record of Chief Akande from the start of the Second Republic when he was a member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the 1979 constitution, Secretary to the Government of old Oyo State and Deputy Governor of the state in the administration of late Chief Bola Ige, and later governor of Osun State.”

Rahman’s statements continue that While thanking God on behalf of Chief Akande and his family for the grace to witness another year in good health, Asiwaju Tinubu acknowledged that the former Osun State governor served Nigeria and the people of Oyo and Osun States with integrity, and used public office to improve their lives.

Tinubu’s media aid directly quoted his thus:

“I rejoice with Chief Bisi Akande on his 84th birthday celebration. Baba Awon Omo ke ke ke as he is fondly called is a role model, mentor and extraordinary man of courage who has served the people with dignity and rare honour. 

“His life continues to inspire us who are his younger ones and associates as a shining example to emulate.

“Baba Akande has been at the vanguard of progressive politics and good governance, ideals for which he has not compromised even with attendant inconveniences and challenges including detention and other risks to his life. 

“We remain grateful to God for sparing his life in good health and fecund mind.

“I join family, friends, associates and all lovers of this venerable elderstatesman across Nigeria and beyond to wish him happy birthday and many memorable returns of the day and more years of joy and happiness.”

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News Politics

3RD TERM PRESIDENCY: Boastful Obasanjo Says He Could Have Made It Happen But…

Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said that his botched third-term plans of 2010 could have scaled through if he had insisted on having his way.

It has been on recorded history that the retired army general and former military dictator, as an elected President, in 2006, sought to extend his tenure beyond the constitutionally-allowed two terms of four years each. He was resisted and the plot failed.

Speaking on Thursday, at a virtual engagement organized by Africa Leadership Group, the former President denied claims that he wanted a third term as President of the country.

Mr Obasanjo, however, boasted that he would have had it, if he had wanted a third term.

“I never asked for a third term. If I wanted a third term, I would have got it. Nothing and nobody can stop me. I am audacious enough to know how to get it,” Obasanjo said.

Commenting on his recent alleged endorsement of the Presidential candidate of the Labor Party, Peter Obi, the elder statesman said: “I am not in any campaign train. I’ve used benefit of my experience and I’ve put it plainly.

“I do not belong to any political party. I will not join any campaign train. I’ve said what is best for the country”.

“We must decisively look for men and women who have the character, attributes, skill and attitude that we need for leadership, that will deliver in this country.”

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Politics

INTERVENTION: Fraudulent analogy of ‘Naka Sai Naka’

By Mahmud Jega

The political “analogy” widely circulated on the social media in recent days by the Kaduna State Chapter of Naka Sai Naka [roughly translated as Only Yours] campaign, that the 2023 election in Nigeria is going to be analogous to the 1979 presidential election, deserves closer scrutiny.

The group claims that “Peter Obi/Labour Party is analogous to Azikiwe/NPP [of the Second Republic]. That Tinubu/APC is analogous to Awolowo/UPN. That Atiku/PDP is analogous to Shagari/NPN, and that Kwankwaso/NNPP is analogous to Aminu Kano/PRP.”

It then added:

“1. Aminu Kano was from Kano and won only in Kano State. (Kwankwaso will do the same).

  1. Obafemi Awolowo was from the South West and won the region. (Tinubu will do the same).
  2. Azikiwe won his zone, South East (Peter Obi will do the same).
  3. Shagari won the presidential election because he had North in his bag and also gathered meaningful votes from all other regions of Nigeria. Shagari also had spread all across the regions at that time. Atiku will do the same… North will massively vote for Atiku Abubakar. Naka Sai Naka!”

My observations are:

  1. Kwankwaso/NNPP is not Aminu Kano/PRP. NNPP lacks PRP’s leftist ideology, lacks PRP’s long NEPU history dating back to 1949, lacks PRP’s spread into the old NEPU strongholds and, while Kwankwaso is charismatic and dynamic, he nowhere measures up to Aminu Kano in towering political personality.
  2. Peter Obi/LP is not Azikiwe/NPP. Obi is the biggest political discovery of this election cycle, has made big impact on the social media and might sweep South East states. However, LP is not the South East Establishment that NPP was. Obi has nothing like Zik’s overwhelming national and Africa-wide charisma, Zik’s decades-long political staying power, his unrivalled education, intellect and dazzling eloquence. Besides, NPP went beyond South East and won old Plateau State. Doesn’t look like LP can do the same.
  3. Atiku/PDP of 2023 is not Shagari/NPN of 1979. Sure, at one point PDP had more national spread than NPN, but it is now reduced to control of 14 states, 5 of them in rebellion, one more governor wavering, which NPN never experienced. NPN’s strongholds were North and southern minority states, while PDP’s strongholds since 2015 were South East and Niger Delta states, both of them now shaky. Atiku is more dynamic, more resolute and a more vigorous campaigner than Shagari, but Shagari recorded electoral success as an instantly sellable compromise candidate who had almost no personal enemies in Nigerian politics.
  4. Tinubu/APC is a world different from Awo/UPN. The only historical connection is that Tinubu was probably an Awoist in 1979 and the AD/AC/ACN structure he subsequently built and led was an offshoot of AG/UPN. Yet, Tinubu achieved what Awo/UPN never did, i.e. integrated the West, once synonymous with opposition politics, into a truly national party that captured power at the federal level while retaining hold on the region. Awo could not even find a Northern running mate in 1979 and he settled for an Igbo man. Tinubu on the other hand is now supported by the Northern Political Establishment and most of the region’s governors. Awo never visited Northern Emirs during his helicopter-bound campaigns. But Tinubu receives the warmest receptions in emir’s palaces. [The emirs have no choice because most of the governors are on his side].

So all the Naka Sai Naka analogies are fraudulent.

A hush, pro-PDP Naka Sai Naka campaign is historically fraudulent because it was PDP that brought Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 and convinced Northerners that he was a tried and tested friend of the region.

Two can play the same game. It is now APC’s turn to bring Tinubu and say he is a tested friend of the region.

Naka Sai Naka is not true. It is also dangerous. What happens to Nigeria if every region says Naka Sai Naka?

Mahmud Jega is a respected Nigerian columnist

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News Politics

2023: Kumalia Not A Candidate In Borno Central Election – APC Legal Team 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Borno State has lost out in the central Senatorial election following two court judgments passed this week, the legal team of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said. 

APC head of the legal team, Abdulwasiu Alfa (Esq), who said this in a press statement, referred to two judgments delivered on Monday and Tuesday which sacked Umara Kumalia and Jibrin Tatabe, who were in court over the ticket as candidates of the party. 

The lawyer said specific media reports emanating from a court judgment in Abuja on Tuesday, which threw out a signature forgery allegation against Mr. Kumalia by Tatabe, who alleged that he was wrongly replaced with Kumalia as the candidate for the 2023 Borno Central senatorial district election, claimed Kumalia had been cleared to run as the PDP candidate.

Bay-6 News learned that on Monday, a Judge of the Federal High Court Maiduguri Division, Justice Jude Dagat, had delivered judgment in a suit number: FHC/MG/ CS/ 54/22, between APC and Kaka Shehu Lawan, as plaintiffs versus PDP, Mohammed Umara Kumalia and two others, as defendants, where he orders that  “the 1st Defendant (PDP) cannot sponsor, nominate or forward the name of anybody to the 3rd Defendant (INEC) as its candidate for the election mentioned above except a candidate that emerged from the valid primary election of the 1st Defendant

Justice Dagat also gave an order “setting aside the publication of the 3rd Defendant containing the name of the 2nd Defendant (Kumalia) published on the 20th day of September 2022, the 2nd Defendant having

not emanated from any valid primary election conducted by the 1st Defendant.

The Court, therefore, issued an order of perpetual injunction restraining the 2nd Defendant (Kumalia) forthwith from parading himself as the Senatorial candidate of the 1st

Defendant for Borno Central Senatorial District in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

 “As you are all aware by now, the APC, along with its Candidate for Borno Central Senatorial District, Kaka Shehu Lawan Esq, has approached the Federal High Court Maiduguri Division to determine the propriety or otherwise of the acceptance of nomination of one Muhammad Umara Kumalia as the Candidate of the PDP for Borno Central Senatorial District in the forthcoming 2023 General Election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in gross violation of the combined provisions of Section 285(14) (c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Sections 29(1) and 84(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.”

Barrister Alfa further stated that “the above provisions of the laws allow the APC, in exercising its right as provided by the Constitution, that the APC, as a registered political party, and its Candidate challenged the publication of the name of one Muhammad Umara Kumalia as the Candidate of the PDP for Borno Central Senatorial District on the 20th day of September 2022, because he (Kumalia) did not emerge from any valid primary or rerun election as contemplated by law.”

The APC had told the court that the acceptance of Kumalia’s name by INEC and subsequent publication of his name as Candidate of the PDP by INEC was “illegal, null, void and of no legal effect based on the provision of the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.”

However, Barrister Alfa said, “In a reserved judgment delivered by the Federal High Court Maiduguri Division on the 9th day of January 2023 in upholding the argument of APC and its Candidate granted the reliefs as contained in the attached enrolled order of the Honourable Court which effectively laid to rest the candidacy of Muhammad Umara Kumalia.

“Meanwhile, one Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe has also instituted a case against PDP and Muhammad Umara Kumalia before the Federal High Court Abuja Division challenging the unlawful withdrawal of his nomination and seeking to be declared the authentic Candidate of the PDP had won the primary election of the party for Borno Central Senatorial District in the forthcoming 2023 election. 

“In a considered judgment delivered by the Federal High Court Abuja Division on the 10th day of January 2023, the case filed by Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe was dismissed on the grounds of incompetence. 

“In other words, the Federal High Court in Abuja had, while delivering judgment on the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1240/22, as filed by Tatabe, refused to recognize Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe as the Candidate of the PDP for Borno Central Senatorial District while the Federal High Court Maiduguri Division had already set-aside the nomination of Muhammad Umara Kumalia as the Candidate of the PDP for Borno Central Senatorial District.

“The cumulative effect of the two judgments is that neither Muhammad Umara Kumalia nor Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe is a Candidate in Borno Central Senatorial District Election. 

“Thus, the PDP does not have a candidate to contest the Borno Central Senatorial District election in 2023 as both candidates have lost out in both courts.

“It is instructive to sound a note of warning here that any claim, presentation, or parading of Muhammad Umara Kumalia as the Candidate of the PDP for Borno Central Senatorial District amounts to contempt of court. 

“So as it stands today, the 11th day of January 2023, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has no Candidate to contest in the Borno Central Senatorial District in the 2023 General Election,” said the APC Legal team leader.

The Lawyer challenged the media to compel Kumalia to tender the legal order he claimed emanated from the Federal High Court Abuja, affirming him as a candidate. 

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News Politics

Bello Kirfi In Court To Challenge His Sack As Bauchi Traditional Title Holder

One time Nigerian minister of Special Duties, Bello Kirfi, has gone to court to reclaim his traditional title as top Bauchi chief after he was last week derobbed by the Government of Bauchi state.

Kirfi, a Senior Councillor in the Bauchi Emirate Council has a history of conflict with the government of Bauchi.

Punch has reported that the retired federal civil servant, minister in the government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari in the 1980s and Minister of Special Duties during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo was stripped of his traditional title as “Wazirin Bauchi” and removed from being a council member for the second time in five years, by the Bauchi Emirate Council for alleged “disloyalty and disrespect” to the State Governor, Bala Mohammed.

The former minister, in his 90s got sacked via a letter addressed to him by the Secretary of the Bauchi Emirate Council, Shehu Mudi Muhammad on January 3rd, 2023 with reference No: BEC/ADM/20/VOL.XV and titled: “Removal from office as a Council Member and Traditional Title of Wazirin Bauchi.”

The sack letter reads: “I am directed to refer to a letter received from the Ministry of Local Government Affairs of reference No: MLG/LG/S/72/T dated 30th December, 2022. The content of the said letter indicated your disloyalty and disrespect to the Executive Governor of the State and the government. It therefore directed for your removal with immediate effect.

“In view of the above, you are hereby removed from office as Wazirin Bauchi and also as a Council Member of Bauchi Emirate.”

In Court

The former minister said that he had gone to court to challenge his removal.

“The Issue of Removal As Wazirin Bauchi And Council Member on the 3rd January 2023 orchestrated by the State Government via Emirate Council, have Undoubtedly generated controversies in and around the state, a statement Kirfi issued thriugh his son and official spokesperson, Yakubu Kirfi, said.

“People from all walks of life trooped to the house of Alhaji Muhammad Bello Kirfi on a sympathy and solidarity visit, it’s much appreciated.

“Unambiguously, the matter is currently before the competent court of jurisdiction, which will determine the legality of the purported action by the State Government. So far, there is no Official Press Statement/Release from Alh. Muhammad Bello Kirfi CON,” he wrote.

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