2023: Vote Against Party Without Religious Indifference, Makarfi Tells Nigerians
Political stakeholders have been warned to stop interfering in the appointment of the National Assembly Clerk in the overall interest of the country.
The Conference of Civil Society of Nigeria gave this warning during a press conference in Abuja, yesterday.
The chairperson of the Conference of Civil Society of Nigeria, Adams Otakwu, while
A group of election observers in Nigeria known as Polling Unit Ambassadors of Nigeria (PUAN) has taken a sensitisation and awareness campaign against election rigging and inducement of voters through vote buying to the National Assembly.
PUAN also took the campaign to the Independent National Electoral Commission
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has assured the people of Ondo state and the entire South-West region that his administration, if he is voted into office, will give priority to the issue of restructuring the country.
This is as the national chairman of the PDP, Iyoraddressing newsmen, said that the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), which is statutorily empowered should be allowed to do its job.
He noted that rather than allow bureaucratic institutions to operate within the ambits of their statutory functions and powers, added that the critical organs of governance have been subjugated and tied to the apron strings of the high and mighty, whose
(INEC) at its headquarters in Abuja and said the idea was to present redflags against voters’ inducement to president of the Senate, Dr Ahmed Lawan, and chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu.
Lawan who received the electoral ambassadors waved the flag against voter inducement and called on all Nigerians, especially the Youths to shun vote buying or selling their votes during chia Ayu strongly demanded for the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the electronic transmission of results during the forthcoming general elections in 2023.
Recall that on 23 November 2022, the All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu had declared whims and caprices they are compelled to fulfill at the expense of overriding national guard interest.
Otakwu said: “We have keenly watched recent developments in the National Assembly, and have observed this obnoxious, capricious and pernicious powerplay rear its ugly head in an ordinary dayto-day affair, with the ongoing success of the Clerk to the National Assembly.
“It is no longer secret that elections and vote according to their conscience.
Lawan also said both vote buying and vote selling are criminal acts according to the Electoral Act 2022.
In his remarks, the Ambassador General of PUAN, Suleiman Dabas, charged politicians to shun voters’ inducement by paying them to sell their votes against their conscience.
Dabas also called on voters not to sell their votes that Nigeria is not ready to deploy BVAS and independent result viewing portal (IReV) for the 2023 elections.
Ayu and Atiku were speaking during the PDP presidential campaign train visit to Akure, Ondo state yesterday.
“My government, God willing, will push for the restructuring the strategic position of the Clerk to the National Assembly is about to lapse, necessitating the need for a new sheriff in town. In saner climes, the pecking order is sacrosanct and the succession is affected, devoid of hullabaloos and shenanigans.
“Unfortunately, this is currently not the case for the selfacclaimed giant of Africa, the most populous black nation and indeed, the biggest economy on the continent.” but vote for the candidate of their choice during elections.
Earlier at INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu affirmed the commission’s commitment towards collaborating with security agencies in the country to arrest and prosecute both givers and receivers of cash inducement in the 2023 general election.
Yakubu received a red flag notice against vote buying and vote selling from PUAN. of the polity to achieve the following objectives: promote good governance, develop strategies that will enhance even development across the nation, which would ultimately benefit the people; maximise the potentials for job creation as well as expand opportunities and national harmony.”
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, former Governor of Kaduna State and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi has called on Nigerians to vote against any political party that does not respect religious differences.
Makarfi also urged the opposition to unite and chase out bad governance by voting massively for Atiku Abubakar for the presidency and Isa Ashiru for the governorship.
According to Makarfi, Kaduna people must work against bad leadership and hardship brought by the All Progressive Congress (APC).
This is even as he said
BY ISAIAH BENJAMIN,
The coalition of ethnic nationalities has asked the Police to arrest a former 2023 PDP governorship candidate in Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal over contempt of court.
The call was contained in a 10-point communique signed by Yerima shettima for Arewa Youths Consultative Forum; Comrade Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youths Council; Comrade Eric Oluwole, Yoruba Youths council; Barr Abubakar Kurawa,Arewa lawyers progressive forum and Comrade Israel Uwejeyan for the Niger Delta Youth Congress on behalf of the nationalities issued any party that does not respect the diversities, particularly religious differences must not be allowed to rule the country or state.
Makarfi stated this when he accompanied the Kaduna State Governorship candidate, Hon Isa Ashiru to a meeting with the Christians clergy under the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Muslim Ummah and the Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU).
Makarfi, who was one time the National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the PDP said: “You will never find Ashiru lacking in terms of equity and fairness, hence he deserves our support to reposition the state from its present polarized state. and made available to newsmen in Kaduna after their meeting that held in Lagos on the 29th of November, 2022.
According to the communique, “the leaders of this coalition of ethnic nationalities call for the immediate arrest of former PDP governorship flag bearer, Dauda Lawal for organizing a rally after a court of competent jurisdiction disqualified him along with all candidates in the last primary elections.
“We cannot fathom why a former PDP governorship candidate that has been disqualified from the party primaries should ignore the decision of the honorable court and carry on as if nothing has happened.