The Speaker of the House of Representatives has expressed dismay with the losses suffered by lawmakers at the just concluded primaries. Gbajabimaila, in his welcome remarks on Tuesday, blamed the indirect primaries system for the woeful performance of the lawmakers during the primaries. He noted that the lawmakers had fought against the indirect primaries because they saw it coming. It would be recalled that the National Assembly had passed the Electoral Act with direct primary as the only option for election. But President Muhammadu Buhari rejected the bill until other means of primaries were included. “Many of our members lost…
Author: Ifeanyi Nwagboso
Ex-Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekwerwmadu has given his personal assessment of the just concluded primary elections by political parties into various political offices and said, “narrow political interests” has affected the 2022 Electoral Act as amended. He said the direct mode of primary election is the only viable alternative in the nomination of candidates in order to consolidate Nigeria’s democracy. The lawmaker decried the overwhelming negative interests of desperate politicians that made nonsense of the 2022 Electoral Act. On security challenges, he feared that Nigeria was gradually turning into another Somalia, if nothing was urgently done to tackle…
As the deadline by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for presidential candidates to produce their running mate almost elapses, President Muhammadu Buhari has held a closed-door meeting with the All Progressives Governors Forum at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The APC governors were led to the meeting by the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, before they left for Ekiti State to participate in the final campaigns preceding the gubernatorial election. Recall that while the APC has produced former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as its presidential flagbearer in the 2023 general elections,…
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday (local time) discussed the current economic and political challenges with Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Blinken spoke with Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and affirmed the US commitment to the Sri Lankan people during this challenging time and the importance of supporting reforms that address the concerns of all Sri Lankans, including on democratic governance and human rights, read US Department of State press release. The Sri Lankan economy has been facing a crisis owing to a serious Balance of Payments (BoP) problem. Its foreign exchange reserves are depleting rapidly and…
Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Labour and Employment, has called on former African Democratic Party (ADC) presidential aspirant, Kingsley Moghalu to join the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Keyamo made the call after Moghalu resigned from the ADC, having failed to clinch the presidential ticket of the party. Moghalu lost in the primaries to owner of Roots Television Nigeria, Dumebi Kachikwu, on June 8. In a letter written to the National Chairman of ADC, Chief Okey Nwosu, on Monday, Moghalu claimed that the conduct of the election revealed a fundamental clash of values between him and the leadership…
African Democratic Party (ADC) presidential aspirant, Kingsley Moghalu, has resigned from the party after he failed to clinch the presidential ticket. Moghalu lost in the primaries to Roots Television Nigeria, Dumebi Kachikwu, on June 8. Kachikwu garnered 977 votes in the primary election of the party that was held in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Moghalu, who was the presidential candidate of Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the 2019 elections, could only poll 589 votes. In a letter written to the National Chairman of ADC, Chief Okey Nwosu, Moghalu claimed the conduct of the election “revealed a fundamental clash of values between…
Nigerians have been urged to always look out for the ideologies of political parties and their candidates before voting for them in any election. A cleric, Prophet Ade Ologbonyo who gave the advice said the progress and development the people yearn for will continue to elude the country if politicians without ideology are in positions of authority. Ologbonyo, a pastor with the Planter of Christ Apostolic Church, CAC (BOANERGES), said the Owo attack would have been averted if those at the helm of affairs had acted on the revelation God gave to him before the incident occurred. He spoke in…
Over 550 supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and Social Democratic Party, SDP have shifted their loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress APC in Gamsarka ward, Auyo local government area of Jigawa State. Chairman of the party, Sale Muhammad Ganuwa disclosed this while addressing party loyalists at the ward headquarters in Gamsarka. The chairman welcomed the new entrants into the party and also promised to walk hand in hand with the new members for the party’s victory. He assured the new members of justice and fairness. Muhammad Umar who led the decampees said they decided to join the…
China on Thursday termed the critical remarks by a top US General on its infrastructure build-up at the Sino-India border as a “despicable act” and criticised the attempts of some American officials to “add fuel to fire”, emphasising that Beijing and New Delhi have the “will and capability” to properly resolve their differences through talks. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the remarks during a media briefing here while replying to a question on the comments by US Army’s Pacific Commanding General Charles A Flynn, who termed the situation in eastern Ladakh as “alarming.” “This border issue is between…
Prof Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the closure of all political party primaries effective Thursday, June 9, 2022. The Commission has also disclosed plans to start uploading names of nominated candidates of parties to the INEC portal. INEC made the disclosure during a meeting of State Resident Electoral Commissioners at the Commission’s headquarters on Thursday. The INEC Chairman, Yakubu informed that beginning from Friday, the 10th, to the 17th of June, the 18 political parties in the country are required to upload names and other details of their candidates, including those of presidents…
Mr. Jude Ezenwafor, the factional presidential candidate of the Labour Party has reportedly withdrawn from the contest. Ezenwafor had received ultimatum from the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide led by Mazi Okwu Nnabuike to withdraw from the contest. InfoStride News learnt that he took the decision via a letter he conveyed to the national leadership of his faction of the party. He said in the letter being circulated online that his decision to withdraw was personal and appealed to his supporters to understand him. The letter reads, “I hereby withdraw from the forthcoming Presidential Election in 2023. After consulting my…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that there are heaps of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) dating back to 2017, yet to be collected by their owners in Cross River State. Head of Voter Education and Publicity for INEC in the state, Mrs Anthonia Nwobi made the disclosure during an appearance on a radio programme in Calabar. She said INEC is still conducting sensitisation campaigns to encourage people to collect their cards, stressing that people do not need to go to any other INEC registration centres to register again. “Double registration is an offence, and we guard against it…
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday said it only recognises the Labour Party faction that produced the former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi as its presidential candidate. InfoStride News recalls that Jude Ezenwafor, a former chairman of LP in Anambra State, was declared the winner of the presidential primary organised by a faction of the party on Wednesday. But a statement issued by the National President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba said that faction is not recognized. The statement reads in part, “The leadership of the NLC and TUC recognize the leadership of the Labour Party led by Barr.…
Since Moscow launched its ongoing invasion of Kiev on February 24, the Ukrainian Air Force has carried out more than 1,100 strikes against Russian targets. In a statement on Wednesday, the Air Force Command said: “As of today, more than 1,100 group air strikes on columns of equipment, positions, manpower and logistics centres belonging to the Russian occupiers have been carried out by attackers and bombers of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.” Earlier on Wednesday, the attack aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force conducted missile and bomb…
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu has declared that it would be the end of the political careers of the flagbearers of the leading political parties, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar respectively, come 2023. Moghalu said he would send the two heavyweight politicians on permanent retirement by defeating them in next year’s election. Moghalu said this in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Wednesday, during the ADC’s presidential primary. Moghalu said, “I am here to offer myself to you not because I am better than…
Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has mocked Vice President Yemi Osinbajo after former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Sani claimed that Osinbajo would now be called a ‘gulder boy’ after losing the APC presidential ticket to Tinubu. According to him, prior to the APC presidential primary, Osinbajo was called a star boy, adding that failure is an orphan. He disclosed this in a tweet via his Twitter handle on Wednesday. Sani tweeted, “Before the elections, Osinbajo was called a StarBoy. Now he may be called a Guinness…
Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has reacted to the emergence of Bola Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Aregbesola was a political godson of the national leader of APC before a political feud tore them apart. Aregbesola congratulated Tinubu in a statement on Wednesday after what he called “hard fought victory at the just concluded Presidential Primary election of our great party”. The minister said Tinubu has “demonstrated once again that you are a dogged fighter and in your quest for the establishment of a democratic society, you are willing to go the whole hog.”…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, has written to Bola Tinubu. The former Lagos State Governor won the presidential ticket at the primary in Abuja. Adamu had announced Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the preferred candidate of the party. In a letter Wednesday night, the former Senator extended the compliments of members of the National Working Committee (NWC). Adamu said his letter on behalf of all APC members was to congratulate Tinubu on “the sterling victory recorded”. The chairman said his emergence has vindicated the party’s nationalistic outlook and patriotic posture as the choice for every Nigerian.…
Sri Lanka’s former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa has decided to step down from his parliamentary seat, as the 21st Amendment to the Constitution that seeks to bar dual citizens from holding any top public office is ready to be tabled in Parliament, according to media reports on Wednesday. Basil Rajapaksa, the younger brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, is a dual American and Sri Lankan citizen and the 21st Amendment (21A) seeks to bar dual citizens from holding parliamentary seats or contest future elections. Ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party (SLPP) MP Basil Rajapaksa has…
Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, on Wednesday, made obvious her displeasure over the emergence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC. The First Lady refused to join her husband at the podium for the handing of the party’s flag to Tinubu despite several pleas. Aisha rejected every effort to make her move from her seat in the VIP section of the Eagles Square even when officials of the Presidency came to inform her she was called to the podium. Tinubu was, however, handed the flag by President Muhammadu Buhari as Aisha’s space…