Political parties in Nigeria have told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to go ahead and investigate their sale of interest and nomination forms.
The political parties have insisted that they have not broken any law, and that the EFCC should rather tackle the federal government over the high level of inflation in the country.
The umbrella body of all political parties in the country, the Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC), said the money the parties spent for printing materials in 2019 is not the same money they are spending today, pointing out that the prices of goods and services had gone up significantly.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP last night, IPAC chairman, Yabagi Sani, said the political parties had not broken any law with the cost of nomination forms and that the EFCC was free to initiate investigation into their sale of forms.
"Have they violated any law? That's speculation. Be that as it may, why can't you look at the situation we have found ourselves in today?
"Today, with N10,000, what are you using it to buy today? The parties are not operating in a different environment than the environment we've found ourselves in," Sani said, justifying the high cost of forms sold by political parties.
"We now have high inflation. We have to be realistic. If the parties have not broken any law, why should they be investigated?
"With the situation we are faced with, I feel the EFCC should rather ask the government why they put us into this situation and not political parties.
"The political parties need to print posters, they have to organise rallies, going from one place to another; can't you see that the exchange rate we had in 2019 is not what we have today? We have to be realistic. We don't need to play to the gallery," Sani said.
According to him, the anti-graft agencies should monitor those violating the electoral law rather than focus on the sale of forms.
"You have to look at what they have to do with the money. Look at the situation under which they are operating. They have not violated any law for selling forms and raising money for the party.
"We are not saying if anyone has a case, that it should not be investigated. The EFCC can go ahead with its investigation but not because of what parties are charging for forms," Sani said.
S/Court To Hear Section 84 (12) Suit Against NASS May 19
The Supreme Court has fixed May 19 for hearing in a suit filed by President Muhammadu Buhari and the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice against the National Assembly, challenging Section 84 (12) of the 2022 Electoral Act.
Also to appear in court on the same day are the National Assembly and its leadership to defend various constitutional breaches raised against them by the Presidency.
The hearing notice issued by the apex court was served through the president's private lawyer, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
President Buhari and the AGF had dragged the lawmakers before the court to seek judicial interpretation of the section.
Last week, the Appeal Court set aside the decision of the Federal High Court, Umuahia, which ordered the AGF to delete the section.
2023: Amaechi Resigns, Sylva, Tallen Withdraw From Race
A presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has officially resigned his appointment as the minister of transportation in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
A statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt yesterday by the Amaechi Presidential Media Committee (APMC) said the former minister's decision was to enable him focus on his aspiration to contest the 2023 presidency.
The statement stated that Amaechi, in his resignation letter, expressed profound gratitude to the president for considering him fit to serve in his administration.
The presidential hopeful also thanked Buhari for the enormous support given to him which, he said, was responsible for the tremendous record of achievements he made in the Ministry of Transportation over the last seven years.
The statement quoted Amaechi as saying in his resignation letter: "It is with mixed feelings that I tender my resignation as the minister of transportation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to contest for the Presidential ticket of our great party, the All Progressives Congress.
"As I embark on the next phase of our mission to work towards a better Nigeria for all Nigerians, I humbly seek Your Excellency's prayers, blessings and look towards your continuous support and guidance."
Amaechi, 56, is widely reckoned as one of the best performing ministers in Buhari's cabinet.
Meanwhile, minister of state for petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, has withdrawn from the presidential race in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and has returned to work.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who monitored development at the ministry in Abuja yesterday said that Sylva withdrew due to the enormous work at hand at the ministry.
A group, the Northern Solidarity Group, had on May 9 presented the APC's Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to the minister to enable him to contest the party's 2023 presidential primaries.
An official at the ministry who chose to remain anonymous said Sylva withdrew from the race to support President Muhammadu Buhari in his quest to achieve a robust oil sector.
"He promised to consult the leader of the country and his political leaders the day he was presented with the form.
"He believes that concentrating on his work will attract more investments for the oil and gas sector.
"He has consulted and he believes that the challenges at the ministry and oil and gas sector are enough issues for him to begin to deal with now than going to pursue presidential ambition at the expense of the nation.
"The oil and gas sector is the mainstay of the economy and it is not like any other ministry somebody can just come in and take over. It requires some measures of time for the person to understand what is happening in the system."
According to the source, the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 is very critical and Sylva wants to continue to make his contribution in support of the president.
When contacted, the senior adviser on media and communications to the minister, Horatius Egua, confirmed that the minister was back to work. (NAN)
Also, the minister of women affairs, Pauline Tallen, has announced her withdrawal from the senatorial race ahead of the general elections in 2023.
She made the announcement in a statement yesterday.
Tallen, who initially announced her bid to contest the Plateau South senatorial seat in the National Assembly, had picked the expression of interest and nomination forms of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
She was one of the 10 ministers President Muhammadu Buhari had directed to resign if they must contest for any political office in the 2023 elections.
"With profound gratitude and great humility, I have decided to voluntarily step down from the senatorial race sequel to the yearnings of women and other well-meaning Nigerians who see the need for a strong voice for women at the Senate, having consulted widely with my family, well-wishers and supporters, conscious of the role I play for women in Nigeria today," the minister said.
On Wednesday last week, President Buhari had directed all appointed members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) running for elective offices to resign on or before yesterday (May 16) - a directive which affected Tallen.
Two days later, the president held a valedictory session for the affected persons to appreciate them for their service. Since the President's directive, some of the ministers have reconsidered their decision to vie for elective offices.
Apart from Tallen, the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, and the minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, had also pulled out of the Kebbi State governorship election and presidential race respectively.
Why I Stand With Yahaya Bello - Hafsat Abiola
The director-general of Yahaya Bello Campaign Organisation, Hafsat Abiola-Costello, has said she is not perturbed by criticisms of her taking up the job, saying she is prepared to sacrifice her reputation to make Nigeria better.
The daughter of the acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election said she believes much in the ability of Bello to make the country better.
Speaking with journalists yesterday in Lagos, she said part of the reasons she was supporting Bello, who is a presidential aspirant on the platform of the APC, was his impressive performance in Kogi State, and also because he is a youth.
She said the youths of Nigeria are being relegated to the background and not given the opportunity to be in the forefront of the struggle for leadership positions.
Abiola-Castelo said, "The youth were told (there is) no space for them in the political system; they were urged to wait for their time; we want people who are young and dynamic.
"Yahaya Bello is not a difficult candidate to sell to the public; he is young - he is 46 years old. Young people are associated with greatness; those are the people we look forward to, to be in government."
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Too Late To Change 2023 Elections Timelines - INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it is too late to tinker with the schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections.
INEC national Commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, stated this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja.
Okoye spoke against the backdrop of the request for two months extension of deadline for the conduct of parties' primary recently sought by Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
According to him, any change in the June 3 deadline will affect other activities for elections.
"The timetable and schedule of activities released by the commission are derived from the constitution, the Electoral Act and the Regulations and Guidelines of the commission.
"The chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made it clear that our timetable and schedule of activities and the terminal date for the conduct of party primaries are firm and fixed.
"The political parties are proceeding with their congresses and primaries. The commission will not tamper with its fixtures, as doing so will affect other activities and constitutionally-circumscribed timelines.
"Certainty is key to planning, and the commission is committed to its timelines. Political parties must brace up to the challenges posed by the Electoral Act 2022," he said.
Okoye, who said that the commission was already engaged with lots of activities, said it would amount to arbitrariness to adjust the election timetable.
"INEC is preparing for Ekiti and Osun governorship elections as well as 18 by-elections, while party primaries are a small subset of work of the commission.
"The commission is engaged in procurement of sensitive and non-sensitive materials, and we will assess and renovate our state and local government offices.
"INEC will also receive, print and display thousands of nomination forms. Moreover, we have trained and deployed hundreds of monitors for the congresses and primaries," he said.
Okoye, therefore, stated that it was too late to interfere with the timelines, stressing that the commission had released the timetable and schedule on February 26.
