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2023: Address voter apathy, YIAGA Africa pleads with NASS
Mr Samson Itodo, Executive Director of the Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) Africa, has pleaded with the Constitution and Electoral Reform Committee of the National Assembly to address voter apathy in the 2023 general elections.
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Itodo said in roundtable –“Tackling Voter Suppression in Nigerian Elections’’ — organised by YIAGA Africa in Abuja that the roundtable was organised to beam search light on the issues of voter suppression and apathy.
He said that the ongoing electoral reform provided Nigerians an opportunity to strengthen the legal framework to prevent apathy.
“We have got a huge opportunity presented by the electoral reforms; obviously our electoral amendment needs some review.
“Our electoral amendment does not really provide safeguards for sufficient rights of voters so we are going to advance recommendations on how to improve those safeguards.
“We hope that the National Assembly, having told the public that the lawmakers are committed to electoral reforms they will do so.
“In the event they did not do so, it simply means that it has been just talk and there is no commitment to electoral reforms.
“We will give them benefit of doubt that they will adopt some of the recommendations coming from election observers and because the 2023 elections is a transitional one,’’ he said.
Itodo said that the recommendations proposed, if mainstreamed in the electoral reforms, would deepen the quality of elections in Nigeria.
He said that it was a concern that the nation recorded only 36 per cent turnout for elections in the last general elections and 32 per cent turnout for the governorship elections.
“You can see the level of violence in the Bayelsa and Kogi elections; based on our data, it was obvious that 26 per cent of polling units in Bayelsa did not have elections.
“If we continue to let development of this nature pervade our electoral process, what we stand to do is to further deepen the voter apathy within our elections,’’ he said.
Prof. Anthonia Simbine, the National Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said that violence over voting and non-usage of card readers were among other things were responsible for election cancellations.
Simbine said that the claim of voters being suppressed because of their religion or ethnic affiliation was new to the commission.
She, however, said that INEC would look into it since it was currently engaging stakeholders in the electoral bill process.
She said that the commission would look for ways to ensure votes were not suppressed, adding that the issue would be raised at the national dialogue.
Prof. Charles Ukeje of Obafemi Awolowo University said that the issue of voter suppression needed to be addressed if the nation would get it right in the electoral process.
Ukeje said that there was need to deal with voter suppression from the political party level.
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London Property Dispute Exposes Alleged Corruption, Forgery by Nigerian Politician and Lawyer
By Hassan Taiye
A recent judgment by the UK’s First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) has shed light on a complex web of alleged corruption and forgery involving a Nigerian politician and a senior lawyer. The case revolves around a disputed property in North London, valued at 79 Randall Avenue.
The property was purchased in 1993 under the name “Tali Shani,” which is allegedly an alias for late General Jeremiah Useni, a powerful member of the Abacha regime. Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, claimed the property was gifted to him by “Mr. Tali Shani” in 2021 as payment for legal services. However, the tribunal dismissed this claim, describing it as “fabricated” and “fraudulent.”
The tribunal’s ruling highlights the alleged involvement of Ozekhome and his associates in fabricating documents, including a Nigerian passport, National Identification Number (NIN), and Tax Identification Number (TIN). The NIN was reportedly created remotely from Monaco using a non-compliant photograph and bypassing biometric requirements ¹.
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate Ozekhome and others over alleged fraud, forgery, and unlawful attempt to acquire the London property. The ICPC has launched an investigation, and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) has also taken notice of the case ²
Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN Senior lawyer accused of forgery and attempting to acquire the property through fraudulent means.
General Jeremiah Useni Late Nigerian General allegedly behind the purchase of the property under the alias “Tali Shani.”
Osilama Ozekhome*: Ozekhome’s son, implicated in the alleged forgery and fraud.
L-r Senate Committee Chairman on Appropriation, Solomon Adeola; Senate Deputy Whip, Onyekachi Nweboyin; Former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio; Senator Sharafadeen Ali; Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau; Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Senate Whip Tahir Monguno and Senate Committee Chairman on Financial Institutions, Tokunbo Abiru, after resumption of plenary yesterday. Photo: Senate President’s Office
By: Fabian Apechihin
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has resigned from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet amid a growing controversy surrounding his academic credentials.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed Nnaji’s resignation in a statement issued late Tuesday.
Nnaji’s exit follows mounting allegations that his academic certificates were forged. Investigations revealed that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), disowned the Bachelor of Science degree he claimed to possess, stating that he never completed his studies at the institution and was therefore not issued any certificate.
According to UNN Vice-Chancellor Prof. Simon U. Ortuanya, Nnaji was admitted in 1981 but failed to meet the requirements for graduation.
In a related development, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) reportedly disowned the certificate of national service presented by Nnaji, describing it as fake.
His resignation marks the latest in a series of controversies to hit the Tinubu administration over questions of integrity and accountability among public officials.
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