Natasha vs Akpabio: INEC dismisses petition seeking recall of Senator Uduaghan - ITREALMS

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed a petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, reports ITREALMS.

The petition, which was accompanied by six bags of documents allegedly containing signatures from over half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district, was deemed incomplete due to the lack of contact information for the petitioners.

Senator John Azuta-Mbata emerges new Ohaneze President-General - ITREALMS

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Prominent Igbo socio-cultural organisation the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has elected Senator John Azuta-Mbata as uts 13th President-General, reports ITREALMS.

Information reaching ITREALMS news desk today, Friday, reliably informed that Azuta-Mbata emerged during the election of new executives in the coal city capital, Enugu, Enugu State, as the new leader, succeeding Fidelis Chukwu, whose tenure was interim.

Gavi names Senator Nishtar next Chief Executive Officer - ITREALMS

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The board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has approved the appointment of Dr Sania Nishtar as its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO), reports ITREALMS.

Dr Nishtar, ITREALMS gathered, is currently a member of the Pakistan Senate, will assume the role on 18 March 2024.

Senator Shehu Sani: Why North is afraid of state Police – ITREALMS

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Senator Shehu Sani has expressed reservations about the suitability of state police in the North, reports ITREALMS.

The Senator who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th Assembly said this when he appeared on the online interview programme, 90MinutesAfrica, hosted by Rudolf Okonkwo and Chido Onumah.

The amorphous hate speech bill - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS: 

The issue of the hate speech bill which was sponsored by a former Senate Spokesperson, who now is the Deputy Senate Whip, Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger State) has been trailed with a lot of comments. The bill passed first reading at the floor of the red chamber on Tuesday, titled: "National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speech Bill 2019".

Before now, Abdullahi had sponsored a similar bill in the 8th Senate, but couldn't survive second reading as a result of criticisms from different corners.

Taking a look at the bill, offenders are either liable to 10 years jail term, payment of #10 million fine or death by hanging. This kind of bill must not see the light of the day, a bill fashioned to deprive Nigerians of their right, suppresses freedom of speech.

At a time like this, emphasis should be on the democratic growth of the nation, than a bill to pull it down. Can this bill be justified? What constitutes hate speech in a democratic setting?

Section 39 (3) of the Constitution had made it clear that no law could abrogate the rights of Nigerians to exercise their right to freedom of speech. I am waiting to see if the 9th Senate will pass a bill detrimental to the people. A friend once told me that the Senate does not fully understand its role as one of the three arms of government. We don't want an unresistant Senate, as it is a danger to the growth of the nation.

The bill according to the sponsor, is aimed at ensuring the elimination of all forms of hate speeches; promoting the elimination of all forms of hate speeches against persons or ethnic group; as well as advising the Federal Government on the matter.

I can see dictatorship coming. A look at the multifaceted issues confronting the nation, is it the hate speech bill that should be on the front-burner? This is an ill-formed, shapeless and formless bill.

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Nigeria is a signatory to this international instrument.

They said hate speech is a specie of terrorism. This bill has brought stimulated discourse in many quarters. For me, the bill is already taken care of under slander, libel, treasonable felony and other crimes. The proposed bill is in conflict with the Constitution, existing laws like Criminal Act and Penal Codes and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Act.

What the nation needs at this period are laws that will bring about peace, justice and good governance; laws that will holistically address the three monsters of insecurity, corruption and impunity currently holding the nation down. Nigerians for once should show their displeasure by resisting blatant oppression.

Anytime I remember this bill that is uncalled for, I remember Pakistan and Somalia. Nigeria as a nation should do things rightly, or is this a flawed democracy?

Each passing day, I see those called leaders full of disruptive tendencies at the detriment of the citizens. We can't achieve greatness, if the rights of the people are muzzled because when you subdue freedom of speech, then sycophants are seen all over the place which is not what the nation wants. A sycophant is myopic and insular in the appreciation of his actions. It is important to mention here that saying things the way they are is a sign for openness towards the growth of the nation and such helps in building a just society.

Hate speech has worn a fabric (Ankara), but is this the Nigeria of our dream?

For those putting on the apron of hate speech (crusaders), they should know how to differentiate between hate speech and a robust expression of one's views.

If I describe the Nigerian Police as inefficient, is that hate speech?

The time to act is now. May God save us from us!

*Chris Uruakpa writes from Lagos

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Senator Adeyeye’s ouster pain, laments Fayemi - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has described Wednesday’s ruling of the Court of Appeal that nullified the election of Senator, representing Ekiti South, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, as painful, reports ITREALMS.

Dr Fayemi said more painful was the fact that the ruling of the Appellate Court that sat in Kaduna, remained final in the matter.

He therefore urged Senator Adeyeye to remain calm despite the judicial pronouncement, saying that the ruling, though shocking and unexpected, is not the end of his political career nor his public service.

The Governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Yinka Oyebode, in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, described Senator Adeyeye as a dogged fighter and a politician of repute who is loved by his people. He said he was convinced that the former Senate Spokesman would bounce back and play more significant roles in the nation’s politics.

He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Senator campaigned vigorously during the last election and got the endorsement of the people of the district, adding that that made the Court of Appel’s ruling quite disturbing.

“As we continue to deepen our democratic culture, we cannot but witness occasional setbacks of this nature. It is part of the sacrifice for our nation building.

“We must accept the decision of the appellate court- which is the final arbiter in this particular election petition, with equanimity, though painfully.

“The court’s ruling notwithstanding, Senator Adeyeye remains a credible politician with huge democratic credentials. While many may see this as a temporary setback, I urge him to brace up and see it as part of the sacrifice for the growth of democracy in the country.

“I am convinced that Senator Adeyeye will bounce back, in view of the pride of place he occupies in the hearts of his people.” The Governor said.

While congratulating Senator Abiodun Olujimi for the victory, Governor Fayemi also urged her to be magnanimous in victory and ensure that Ekiti interest is paramount in her agenda at the Senate.

Ayo Midele/Editor

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Pix: Prince Dayo Adeyeye

Yayi 2019: Senator explains why NASS is probing sale of Etisalat – ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Senator representing the Lagos State West Senatorial district, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, aka Yayi has explained why he sponsored the motion to investigate the near-collapse of former Etisalat, a mobile network operator (MNO), now trading as 9mobile, following the operators inability to repay multi-million dollar loan, reports ITREALMS.

Disclosing this to ITREALMS at the weekend during when 2019 campaign train stopped over at the Lagos State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at a forum tagged Meet the Press Forum, Senator Adeola, said the motion became imperative because Nigerians have vested interest in the telecommunications companies existence and have invested heavily since it began operation in the country over eight years ago.

This, ITREALMS gathered is coming as the bills for upgrading of Yaba College of Technology, Yaba-Lagos and Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State to degree-awarding universities of technologies, have passed first readings respectively.

He told ITREALMS led to the ongoing investigations by a Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions.

Adeola, who also is the pioneer chairman of Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Local Content, told ITREALMS that he sponsored the motion to “investigate Revenue Generating Agencies over alleged leakages non-remittances and misuse of generated revenue by MDAs.”

Additionally, he sponsored motion for legislative investigation of “Local Content Elements and Cost Variation of the Egina Oil Field Project and other Related Matters.”

“It’s noteworthy that all these motions led to Senate resolutions for investigations to expose corruption or inefficiency which indeed is the hallmark of the role of a legislator in oversight duties,” he declared.

According to the Senator, he had sponsored some 15 bills in the last three years including the two seeking to upgrade Yaba Tech and Federal Polytechnic Ilaro to universities of technologies among others.

“So far, I have single handedly introduced 15 bills to the 8th Senate while co-sponsoring many others including the passed, ‘Sexual Harassment Bill and Special Status for Lagos Bill,’” he said.

Remmy Nweke/ED, Ops

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Why Senator Abaribe was arrested by DSS - ITREALMS Online

ITRealms:

The last Friday’s arrest by the Federal Department of State Services (DSS) of the Senator representing Abia South in the Senate, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, may not after all be unconnected to the alarm he raised on about N30bn inserted in the budget of Power in the country signed last week by President Muhammadu Buhari without requisite Senate approval, reports ITRealms.

Investigations by ITRealms also revealed that Senator Abaribe’s arrest by DSS may not be far from his unrepentant criticism of the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led government’s ineptitude.

Senator Abaribe who was arrested Friday in Abuja at a popular hotel in Maitama District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), ITRealms gathered was later taken to his house for search which lasted over three hours.

ITRealms reports that Abaribe, who is the chairman of Senate Committee on Power, had raised alarm over the insertions contained in the version of the appropriation bill signed last Wednesday by Mr. President.

He had insisted that his committee knows nothing about it (N30b) as it did not pass through them.

Further pointer was the inability to produce Nnamdi Kalu whom he gauranted his earlier bail but owing to military invasion of Kalu's country home with 'operation python dance," got missing, as well as associated alleged gun-running due to his support for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Already, some Igbo political intelligentsia has commenced an online advocacy for his release with banners and hashtag #FreeSenatorEnyiAbaribeNow, which is currently trending.

Meanwhile the President General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief John Nnia Nwodo in adding his voice in condemnding the arrest requested the Senator's release, noting that only the military can produce Kalu in assumption that was the reason for the arrest, insisting "we are all equal before the law."

The circumstances prevailing at the time of the disappearance of Nnamdi Kanu, he said are beyond the contemplation of the law that a surety can guarantee the production of an accused person.

Stressing that the army in the name of "Operation Python Dance" invaded Nnamdi's home and destabilized normalcy there, hence, "It is only the security agency that can disclose Nnamdi's whereabout."

Maintaining that Senator  Abaribe has no capacity,  nor has any surety in the circumstances to know the whereabouts of Nnamdi Kanu.  

"What happened in Umahia was an invasion, a war of a kind. Nnamdi may have been killed or captured in the imbroglio or even escaped into hiding. The onus lies on the  security forces to disclose  his whereabout," Nnia Nwodo declared.

He warned the judiciary of beginning to tow the line of the executive by throwing the law overboard in matters that affect the South East.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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Police re-arrest Sen. Dino Melaye

ITREALMS:

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has said that Senator Dino Melaye who was reported to have jumped from the Police van on his way to Lokoja, has been re-arrested, reports ITRealms.

According to the Police, “At about 1200Hrs of today Sen. Dino Melaye while in lawful custody of the Nigeria Police Force and being taken for arraignment in Federal High Court Lokoja, from Abuja, escaped.”

Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Jimoh Moshood, confirmed this, saying “the Police attributed to when hoodlums and miscreants in Two (2) Toyota Hilux Vehicles blocked the Police vehicle conveying Senator Dino Melaye around Area 1 Round About, Abuja and in the process the Senator jumped out of the Police vehicle through the window and was rescued from the Police men by hoodlums and miscreants to an unknown destination.”

The Police team, he also said, re-enforced and trailed Senator Dino Melaye to Zankli Hospital, Abuja where he was re-arrested. The Senator would be arraigned in court without further delay.

Meanwhile, one of the Toyota Hilux vehicles used by the hoodlums and miscreants in aiding the escape of the Senator has been recovered by the Police investigation team.

The Inspector General of Police has therefore directed a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the rescue and escape of Senator Dino Melaye from lawful custody. 

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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Pix: Senator Dino Melaye on the ground after allegedly jumping off the police vehicle in Abuja. courtesy: ChannelsTV

Senator Victor Umeh sworn-in @Senate

ITREALMS:

Finally the Senate on Thursday, January 18, 2017 made another history by swearing-in Senator Victor Umeh if All Progressive  Grand Alliance (APGA) as a member of the Senate, reports ITRealms.

This followed his election last Saturday after a rerun as the representative of Anambra Central Senatorial District in Anambra State.

Umeh currently is the only member of APGA in the Nigeria Senate.

His emergence followed defeat of 13 other contenders to clinch the seat, for a total of 64,879 votes out of estimated 67,000 votes cast in the seven local government areas that made up the zone.

That is a margin of over 95 per cent over his opponents.

The Anambra Central Senatorial District, ITRealms recalled had been without a senator since 2015 when the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu sacked Uche Ekwunife and asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct rerun election within 90 days.

The court also disqualified the People's Democratic Party and Mrs. Ekwunife from participating in the rerun.

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Nigeria @57: Let’s remain united says Senator Tinubu

ITRealms:

The Senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu has urged Nigerians to continue on the path of unity and eschew all tendencies to break up the country, saying the country has set its hands on the plough and cannot give up now, reports ITRealms.

Tinubu in a commemorate statement made available to ITRealms on Nigeria’s 57^th independence, she said in spite of the conflicts and rifts including a 30-month civil war that have plagued Nigeria, the country elected to remain as one.

“We must continue on the path of oneness, putting national interests above ethnicity and self.  We have set our hands on the plough; we cannot at this moment, give up. Thus, we must shun all attempts to cause disunity amongst us,” Tinubu said, stressing that never again should Nigeria as a nation go through conflict like was during the civil war, insisting that the odds are too huge.

The statement entitled “Nigeria @57: One People”, Senator Tinubu said: “I celebrate with Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora on the occasion of our Great Nation's fifty seventh (57th) independence anniversary. This day fifty seven (57) years ago, we received liberation from colonial rule, deciding like other Nations that self-governance is the way forward.

“In the years since then, we have dabbled in military rule, unitary system and now, democratic governance. We have had seasons of plenty as marked by the oil boom, and we have experienced lean years. We have also been besieged with a civil war, ethnic conflicts, and rifts; and we have enjoyed relative peace as a nation.

“Through it all and in spite of these, we have remained united and indivisible, pressing on to the Nigeria of our dreams. And for this, I must commend every Nigerian.

"We must however continue on the path of oneness, putting national interests above ethnicity and self. We have set our hands on the plough; we cannot at this moment, give up. 

"Thus, we must shun all attempts to cause disunity amongst us. Never again should we as a nation go through conflict like we did with the civil war. For us, the odds are too huge," she said.

Further, she wished all the good people of Lagos Central Senatorial District, Lagos State and all Nigerians a happy celebration at 57.

Ayo Midele/GEE.

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Don't issue certificate of return to Andy Ubah, he stole my mandate, Ndukwe cautions INEC

ITRealms:
 

The former Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Senatorial candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the Anambra South in Saturday’s election, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), not to recognize or issue certificate of return to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Andy Ubah, reports ITRealms.

Ndukwe who was speaking to newsmen at Oraifite in Ekwusigo local government area of Anambra State, said that from the results recorded on Form EC8A1 in all the polling units within the Senatorial zone he contested, evidently showed that he won strikingly, advising Mr. Andy Uba who has been parading himself as winner to surrender.

“The people of Anambra South senatorial zone voted massively for me in all the seven local government areas, but it is so disheartening that some people decided that the wish of the people should be thwarted,” he lamented.

Ndukwe said that it’s a known fact that the result of every election comes from the polling unit, decrying that the card reader could not work optimally coupled with the resumption of voting late.

“Unfortunately, because the card readers did not work, voting started late end stretched into the night. And because there was no light, there was no collation at the ward level and everything had to be taken to the local government collation center,

He alleged that it was at this point the security agents joined some members of PDP in manipulating the election in addition to intimidating the INEC ad hoc staff.

“Form EC8A is there to prove it because you cannot get a different thing in the field and then announce a different thing as   the result. It is not done. I think in the course of time, my people will have the leader they voted for.

“No proper collation was done anywhere in Anambra South Senatorial zone. There was wide spread of falsification of results and inducement. Corpers were influenced and even when the Returning Officer refused to announce the doctored results, the PDP stalwarts had to force another INEC officer to announce the falsified results,” he claimed.

Ndukwe also said his mandate must be return to him, while he commended voters in the zone for the support given to him.

“I, therefore, call on INEC not to allow this charade to stand by not issuing certificate of return to PDP because there were irregularities of the highest order,” Ndukwe insisted..

 

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