General
Edo 2020: CNPP Blasts FG over ‘Vote Buying by Proxy’
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has accused the federal government of being involved in what it described as ‘vote buying by proxy’ ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State.
The group, in a statement on Wednesday, strongly kicked against it, calling on the federal government to refrain from acts capable of killing Nigeria’s democracy.
“Acts of benevolence by the federal government in states during campaign periods have gone beyond coincidences to becoming a suspicious vote buying by proxy as is being witnessed in Edo State today,” a part of the statement signed by the Secretary-General of CNPP, Mr Willy Ezugwu, warned.
The group called on the international community “to seriously take note of the strategic death blows the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to give Nigerian democracy since the historic election that brought the party into office in 2015.”
The CNPP further said, “The APC and PDP must be made to realise that they are not the only registered political parties in Nigeria and that every act of election rigging perpetrated by these two political parties that have continued to alternate their members and candidates is a death blow on democracy in Nigeria.”
“At least, the PDP could be forgiven for coming to a realisation that election rigging will kill the country’s democracy and gave Nigeria the most transparent election in the history of Africa in 2015, leading to the defeat of a sitting President who was also a candidate in the election.
“The ordinary Nigerian electorate who believed in the change mantra of the APC voted the then opposition party into office, reasoning that the party, with the anti-corruption disposition of President Muhammadu Buhari, will leave up to its promise to do things differently.
“Alas, five years down the line, Nigerians are now counting their losses rather than gains. APC is gradually killing all other political parties in the country,” the group said.
Continuing, it said, “We must recall that even with the level of election rigging under the PDP led federal government before the globally celebrated 2015 general election that brought the APC to power, smaller political parties were able to win governorship elections in states like Abia, Ondo, Edo, Anambra, to mention a few states.
“However, since the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government have been conducting elections, opposition parties have been at the receiving end as the PDP and APC member can no longer be distinguished with their level of cross carpeting at the slightest convenience, and the result is the stunted democracy and a dying opposition parties that cannot win elections, not because they don’t have strong candidates but for the singular reason that they cannot afford to buy votes.
“Under the Buhari administration, with anti-corruption war as its selling point, electoral corruption, through all manners of federal government-induced vote buying, has been invented in the last five years.
“Such vote buying by proxy schemes like Tradamoni and school feeding programme, nicknamed social investment programme, were fully deployed ahead of 2019 general election, which was superintended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who went from market to market to distribute cash to would-be voters before the elections, with allegations of the APC government collating the permanent voter’s card numbers of the beneficiaries.
“In Kogi State recently, billions of naira were released to the state few days to the state governorship election, an act seen by many stakeholders in the Nigerian pro-democracy family as monies intended for vote buying.
“Today, in Edo State, barely three days to the state governorship election, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) under the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo, and an APC member, found the wife of the APC governorship candidate, Idia Ize-Iyamu, as a partner in empowering women in the state.
“How would the wife of a candidate in an election be partnering with the federal government a few days before the election to empower Edo people? How do you defend it? That is a clear vote buying by proxy.
“Right now, desperate APC and PDP chieftains are engaging in a war of words over allegations and counter allegations of vote buying, which was never heard of in all the days of PDP’s electoral impunity.
“The CNPP, therefore, calls on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all security agencies to save Nigerian democracy by preventing all acts of vote buying before they occur.
“If Nigeria must survive in 2023, it’s about time President Muhammadu Buhari prevailed on INEC to do what is right to save Nigerian democracy from desperate politicians who see elections as do or die.
“No lover of Nigeria will stand while the APC and PDP continue to rape democracy in broad daylight.
“The judiciary has not lived up to the general expectations of Nigerians in deciding post-election disputes. However, most pre-elections matters have been dealt with fairly by the judicial arm of the government but more needs to be done in post-election matters to discourage electoral violence and vote buying,” the CNPP stated.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Queen Naomi Silekunola, has been granted bail by an Oyo State High Court.
Justice K. B Olawoyin, presiding over Court 8 sitting at Ring Road on Monday, granted the bail worth N10 million, with two sureties who must submit landed documents within the jurisdiction of the court.
Also granted the bail were an ace broadcaster, Mr Oriyomi Hazmat, and the Principal of Bashorun District’s Islamic High School, Ibadan, Mr Abdulahi Fasasi.
Recall that on December 18, 2024, over 30 children died in a stampede at the school during a Christmas funfair event organised by Ms Naomi.
She reportedly organised the event to give out about N5,000 each to 5,000 children to alleviate the hardship in the ancient city.
However, before the event started, the stampede occurred as parents reportedly stormed the venue with their kids for the money.
The police arrested eight persons, including the ex-wife of Mr Ogunwusi. They were taken to court, which ordered their remand.
This morning, they appeared before Justice Olawoyin for their bail application, which was granted.
The judge said the sureties must submit their international passport with the court, while the defendant must not grant any form of interview during the pendency of the case.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, has expressed concerns over the slow pace of critical road projects in the South-East and South-South regions, despite the release of N21 billion in funding for the Aba-Port Harcourt axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.
He lamented this over the weekend during an inspection of various ongoing projects, warning contractors that failing to utilise these funds effectively would lead to severe consequences, including contract termination.
The Minister highlighted that China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) responsible for Section IV of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, had only accessed N7 billion out of the N21 billion allocated for the project in 2024.
“You’ve been given N21 billion, but the progress is disappointing. Only N7 billion has been accessed, and work is moving too slowly. If this does not improve, we will terminate the contract,” Mr Umahi declared, instructing the Federal Controller of Works in Rivers State to issue a formal warning to the contractor.
The Minister’s inspection, which also covered the East-West Road and Bodo-Bonny Road projects, focused on the need for contractors to optimize the use of available funds to ensure timely project completion.
Mr Umahi directed Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) handling the East-West Road Section III (Eleme axis), to ramp up work, stressing that the funding should be utilized without delay to meet the April 2025 deadline.
He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to infrastructure development but underscored the need for contractors to be more accountable in deploying the funds provided.
“The money has been allocated, and it is critical that contractors use it effectively to avoid delays and ensure timely completion of these vital projects,” he said.
Regarding the Bodo-Bonny Road project, essential for improving infrastructure in the South-South zone, Mr Umahi urged Julius Berger Nigeria to deploy additional resources despite having worked through the holiday period.
“The funds are there, and the expectation is that contractors make full use of them to accelerate progress,” Mr Umahi emphasized.
To ensure accountability, the Minister set a clear target for Federal Controllers of Works to deliver at least four completed projects between February and May 2025.
He also warned contractors that failure to meet deadlines would result in a 14-day notice of termination.
“We will not tolerate delays. Contractors must be held accountable for the funds they receive,” Mr Umahi said, reaffirming that the Ministry will closely monitor project funding and progress to ensure the completion of the Federal Government’s infrastructure agenda.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Tinubu-led administration and the 36 state governors at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja.
In a statement issued by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, it stated that the provisions of the amended Cybercrimes Act remain vague, arbitrary, and repressive, enabling authorities to criminalize legitimate expression and restrict media freedom.
The suit challenged the alleged misuse of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 to suppress freedom of expression, saying it violates human rights, particularly those of activists, journalists, bloggers, and social media users.
The organisation seeks several reliefs, including a declaration that Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 is unlawful and inconsistent with Nigeria’s human rights obligations; and an order directing the government to repeal or amend the legislation in compliance with international standards.
“The provisions of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 have opened the door to criminalising legitimate expression and punishing activists, journalists, bloggers, and social media users.
“This is a harshly punitive approach that fails to provide safeguards against misuse, particularly for the peaceful and legitimate exercise of human rights,” the SERAP statement read.
However, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
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