And Four Other Things…
STATE OF AFFAIRS
A bill seeking to create three more states in the south-west geo-political zone alone has been introduced into the house of reps by Hon Oluwoke Oke, the member representing Obokun/Oriade constituency in Osun state. The proposed states are: Oke-Ogun, Ijebu and Ife-Ijesa. Meanwhile, to create just one state, you need concurrence of at least 24 houses of assembly, 72 senators, 240 reps, and presidential assent. Of course, we know Oke’s prank will not go anywhere, but I am just amazed that any serious human being would be cracking this joke at this time. The states we have are struggling to pay their bills. Most states are dead without the federation allocation. Ridiculous.
ABURE ABUSE
Mr Julius Abure, national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), was arrested in Benin on Wednesday by the police in what appears to be a very dehumanising manner. The police said Abure (alongside Kelly Ogbaloi, the LP chairman in Edo state) was arrested over a petition accusing him of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit “dangerous harm”. A picture of his arrest posted on social media appeared to show him sitting on the floor after being obviously manhandled. I do not know if he was trying to resist arrest — the police are yet to allege that — but if this can happen to the national chairman of a major political party, imagine the fate of the common Nigerian. Unprofessional.
DIRTY POLITICS
There is hardly any election in Nigeria that does not produce unnecessary and embarrassing drama on the part of politicians. The primaries of the three major parties for the Edo state governorship election will stand out as another example. The All Progressives Congress (APC) initially produced three “candidates”. The eventual candidate was chosen in a questionable manner. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also produced two candidates, although we all know that Comrade Philip Shaibu was joking with his own parallel primary. Mr Olumide Apata, who eventually picked the Labour Party’s ticket, had to write INEC to raise the alarm on shenanigans in his party. Shame.
NO COMMENT
Does anybody still remember Senator Godswill Akpabio eulogising President Muhammadu Buhari at the valedictory FEC meeting in May 2023? He said: “May one of us succeed you in order to continue the good legacies you have laid on the ground. We have seen, and know, your vision. We know where you want the country to be.” He was a presidential aspirant then although he eventually withdrew. Less than a year later, and now senate president, Akpabio had this to say about the same Buhari: “By the time we went in to look at the economic situation of the country, it was terrible… the kind of debt and economic mess that we are in, a lot of people will not understand.” Wonderful.