News / politics

Ohanaeze lambasts Dokpesi over 2023 presidency

Apex Igbo socio-political group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has berated the Chairman of Daar Communications Limited, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, for saying the South East cannot win the 2023 presidential election for the Peoples Democratic Party.

The position of Ohanaeze Ndigbo was contained in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonnia.

It said it was disheartening that Dokpesi, one of the leaders of the South South Peoples Assembly, would profile the entire South as electoral liability to the PDP and back the North for the presidency.

It said: “One can easily understand the psychological ambivalence in the Dokpesi persona. On the other hand, there is no reason for the condescension and disdain he handed over to the entire south. According to him, ‘even I dare say there is no candidate from the south that you put in the north today that will be able to win.’ In another development,  Dokpesi recalls his friendship with Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his support for Tinubu’s presidential ambition. For the avoidance of doubt, several educated refined patriotic northerners are allergic to the supremacist born to rule entrepreneurs which has created the current Nigerian dilemma. “All the 17 southern governors in their meetings have resolved on the need for a power shift to the south. The Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi committee on zoning has declared that the national chairmanship of the  PDP should go to the north, while the Presidency should go to the south.

“It is therefore curious, the kind of appraisal parameters or kind of epitaph that the business mogul, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, wishes to be remembered. In one sentence, Dokpesi proclaimed that “If we are the Nigerians, I want us to be, if we believe in the unity of Nigeria and we also believe in equity, justice, and fairness, there is no reason we should not give it to the South East if the slot is given to the south. In another breath, Dokpesi averred that ‘whoever emerges as the president of Nigeria would have to compensate the people of the South East …

News / politics

2023: Why PDP chairmanship won’t determine zoning of presidency – Obi

The Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2019 elections, Peter Obi, has adduced reasons whey the zone from which the party’s National Chairman comes may not determine the zone that will produce its presidential candidate.

The Eagle Online recalls that the party has scheduled its National Convention to elect a National Chairman for October 30, 2021.

Obi, who spoke on Arise TV on Monday over speculations that if the chairmanship of the party goes to the South, the zone would not be given the opportunity to produce the presidential candidate in 2023, said things would be different.

He said: “I cannot speak on what the zoning committee is going to do, but let me assure you that even in the discussions that we have had in various meetings, I do not see the zoning of the chairmanship as a determinant that the other zone would produce the presidential candidate.

“Everybody today knows that things are not what they should be in Nigeria and we have to get it right in 2023.

“If we get it wrong in 2023, it would be very bad for the country.

“So, we have to get it right.

“We must look for competence and someone who has capacity in the knowledge of what it means to serve or lead this country.

“We are on the wrong road and we cannot continue this journey on this road.

“So, if the chairman comes from one zone, it would not stop people from the other zone from contesting.

“We are dealing with something that can be moved from one zone to the other.

“I can tell you that 2023 would be totally different because everybody is struggling to make sure that we do not get it wrong.

“I cannot determine where the zoning would go but we would wait and see, then we would look into it.

“In the event that the PDP zones to the North, I cannot speak for any state in the South East on how they would vote, but I …

News / politics

Electronic voting possible in Nigeria, says El Rufai

Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State says electronic voting is possible in Nigeria, with the right determination.

According to him, the success recorded in the last Local Government election conducted via electronic voting in the state was a demonstration that it was possible across the country.

The governor made the statement in a statewide broadcast on Wednesday to thank the people of the state state for giving the All Progressive Congress victory at the poll.

He welcomed the election as a unifying moment, describing the results from Kaduna South Senatorial District in particular as significant in advancing political consensus in the state and overcoming divisions.

According to him, his administration had placed the credibility and integrity of the electoral process above the discredited practice of previous governments of winner takes all.

He commended the electorates for showing, for the second time, that there was no obstacle to the successful adoption of electronic voting technology in Nigeria.

El-Rufai recalled that voters in the state first made history on May 12, 2018 when they cast their ballots on electronic voting machines to elect chairmen and councilors for the 23 local government councils in the state.

He also explained that the election had placed Kaduna State as the first in Nigeria to use electronic voting and first subnational in Africa to do so.

According to him, it also positioned Nigeria as the second country in Africa after Namibia to use the technology.

El-Rufai said: “The local government elections of 4th September 2021 further validated the Kaduna State Government’s decision to invest in Electronic Voting Machines to promote electoral integrity and transparency.

“Kaduna State is proudly upholding a new chapter in elections in Nigeria, using electronic voting technology, championed by a government that is determined to respect the outcome, win or lose.

“As governor of Kaduna State, I have always taken the view that we all win when democracy triumphs.”

El-Rufai congratulated all the winners in the local government elections and challenged them to use their period in office to serve the people, …

News

Breaking news: Inec Postpones Elections By A Week

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has postponed Nigeria’s Presidential Election a few hours before polling is due to open on Saturday morning.

The electoral body is facing difficulty distributing sensitive electoral materials to some states of the federation, an official said.

Members of the commission had an emergency meeting for about 6 hours and emerged to announce the postponement of the Presidential election for one week.

The meeting, which began Friday evening, was still in progress up till 1.30 a.m.

As journalists keep vigil at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the chief press secretary to INEC’s chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has informed the newsmen that the commission has taken a decision after a crucial meeting attended by the chairman and 12 national commissioners.

The new date is February 23rd.

Presidential and National Assembly elections was scheduled to take place throughout the country today, while governorship and state assembly elections will take place on 2 March.

The national elections are expected to hold at 119,973 polling units across the country while collation of results will take place in 8,809 Registration Areas or Wards, 774 Local Government Areas and 36 States and the FCT.

It will not be the first time that the commission would postpone a scheduled general election.

In 2015, the presidential election was shifted from February 14 to March 28th, 2015; while the governorship and assembly elections scheduled for 28 February were shifted to 11 April.

Live update: Press briefing by the Hon. Chairman INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu on #NigeriaDecides2019⁠ ⁠election below;

INEC Nigeria✔@inecnigeria

Live update: Press briefing by the Hon. Chairman INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu on #NigeriaDecides2019⁠ ⁠ elections https://www.pscp.tv/w/bzdh0DFNV0V3TUdwTWVyS2J8MVlwS2tWVlF2ZEJ4ahlfia5QynMPtFNQK8JnBAcaE90P8I9MKVAfZD9YvyHC …1,5942:41 AM – Feb 16, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacyINEC Nigeria @inecnigeria‪Live update: Press briefing by the Hon. Chairman INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu on #NigeriaDecides2019⁠ ⁠ elections‬pscp.tv2,995 people are talking about this
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Nigerians without PVC have no right to complain, Fela Durotoye

Popular motivational speaker and Aspirant for the 2019 presidential election, Fela Durotoye, has warned Nigerians that they have no right to complain about inadequate governance if they don’t get their permanent voter’s card (PVC).

In an interview with Nigeria Info 99.3 FM in Port Harcourt, Fela Durotoye said the PVC empowers eligible citizens to have a say about who leads them in government and that they should not complain about the government if they don’t take advantage of the power they wield to make a change.

He further stressed that every Nigerian of voting age should understand the responsibility of their voting power.

He also said, “It is an option to decide who to vote for, but it is not an option to not register.”

INEC recently expressed concerns at the number of PVCs yet to be collected. In Lagos alone a total of 1.4 million PVCs are yet to be collected. A lot of people have however, complained about the stress and long queues they have to go through, to get the voter’s card.…