2023 elections: Why we won’t respond to EU reports, Atiku, Obi, others — INEC Chairman
Photo credit: Nigerian Tribune
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has explained his Commission’s silence amidst criticisms trailing its conduct of the 2023 general elections.
Yakubu offered his reasons on Tuesday at a session with Resident Electoral Commissioners, aimed at appraising the electoral umpire conduct and performance of its statutory roles in the last general elections.
Tribune Online checks revealed that the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and his counterpart in the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi are already in court, challenging the outcome of the last February election won by the incumbent president and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
INEC closes defence in petition by Obi/LP, tenders documents
Photo credit: The Nation papers
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has opened and closed its defence in the petition by Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP) before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).
INEC’s lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), announced the closure of the first respondent’s case after the conclusion of the testimony of its sole witness, Dr. Lawrence Bayode, a Deputy Director in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department of INEC.
Mahmoud also tendered some documents in evidence .
The witness, under cross examination, said even if blurred documents were downloaded from IREV, that will not affect the physical results as recorded in Forms EC8As which are not blurred.
Tinubu won most maligned presidential election in Nigeria — Plateau lawmaker
Photo credit: Nigerian Tribune
The Speakership Aspirant for the 10th House of Representatives, Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi on Monday averred that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu won the most maligned and vilified presidential election ever conducted in Nigeria.
Hon. Gagdi who stated this a statement titled: ‘Re: Dati’s Dirty Lies and Lalong’s longing for a job’, showered encomium on the Director General of Tinubu Campaign Organisation for winning the presidential election amidst stiff opposition faced at homefront ahead of the general elections.
Hon. Gagdi who represents Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency of Plateau State, however, frowned at the moves by former Commissioner of Lands in Plateau State, Hon. Yakubu Nakande’s interference in the affairs of All Progressives Congress (APC) after dumping the party for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
7 Buhari Mistakes Tinubu Must Avoid
Photo Credit: The Cable
I started writing this piece on May 17, 2023 — two weeks before President Bola Tinubu was sworn into office. At the time, the title of the piece was “7 Buhari mistakes that Tinubu must avoid”, but other events overtook the writing. At the time, I had listed four mistakes former president Muhammadu Buhari made, that Tinubu must avoid. I have contemplated changing the title to “7 Buhari mistakes Tinubu may already be making,” but it is too early to make those conclusions. So here is my advisory:
Not Remove fuel subsidy: The first mistake Buhari made as a president in my books was not removing fuel subsidies months after he took office. At the time, many Nigerians with a clear understanding of economics and corruption asked the president to let the subsidies go. The president refused; he kicked against the advice of his petroleum minister Ibe Kachikwu and held on to the bill haemorrhaging Nigeria’s public purse.
Buhari supervised the explosion of the annual subsidy bill from N971 billion in 2014 to N4.5 trillion in 2023. This meant Nigeria could not embark on many other cash-consuming projects, and had to borrow from all over the world to fund its consumption. Thankfully, Tinubu departed from Buhari’s path and removed subsidy on the very first day he took office.
I, for one, will applaud that, but there is still a Buhari mistake: not following up with cushioning policies. In 2016 the Buhari government also removed petrol subsidies, allowing the price to rise from N86 to N145 but did not follow up with policies that made life easier for Nigerians in the midst of that hardship.
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