Category: Nigerian Tribune

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has said one of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s most consequential contributions to Nigeria was his determination to keep the country’s political space open.

Sani recalled that the late pro-democracy activist spearheaded the legal battle against stringent conditions introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for political associations seeking registration as political parties.

The governor stated this on Saturday in Kaduna at the public presentation of a book titled, Gani Fawehinmi And Uba Sani, A Tale Of Mentor And Mentee.

He recalled that many human rights and pro-democracy activists became deeply disillusioned with the democratic process at the time, but Fawehinmi refused to allow frustration to turn into despair.

”At a serious meeting, we told Chief Fawehinmi, our leader, that we were beginning to lose faith in democracy. But he would not permit frustration to become despair.

” He told us to have faith in the judiciary, faith in the rule of law and faith in democracy itself. Rather than abandon the democratic process, we would use the democratic process to defend democracy,” he argued.

According to Sani, Fawehinmi and Alhaji Balarabe Musa subsequently approached the court, with the legal battle lasting more than two years before the Court of Appeal delivered judgment.

”I recall that the ruling was delivered by Justice Dahiru Mustapha in 2002. INEC appealed to the Supreme Court, but in January 2003, the Supreme Court again ruled in our favour,” he added.

The governor said the court victory had far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s political development.

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State pointed out that the verdict ”opened the political space in Nigeria and paved the way for the emergence of more political parties.”

He urged Nigerians to remember the contributions of those who fought for political plurality and citizens’ right to organise politically.

”Therefore, whenever we celebrate political plurality in Nigeria, whenever new parties emerge and whenever citizens exercise their rights to organise politically, we should remember those who fought to make that space possible.

”Many of those proudly identifying with all sorts of political platforms today, may not know that the freedom they exercise was secured through difficult struggles by people like Chief Gani Fawehinmi. Democracy has a history, and every freedom has a cost,” he said.

Sani advised activists, politicians across different parties and academics to periodically come together to honour those who fought and made sacrifices for democracy in Nigeria.

He described Fawehinmi as more than a fighter for political freedom, saying the late activist was ”a profoundly committed pan-Nigerian who believed that the greatness of Nigeria depended on the development of every part of the country.”

According to him, Fawehinmi also believed in ”the empowerment of every citizen, regardless of region, ethnicity, religion or social standing.”

The governor said education was another of Fawehinmi’s deepest convictions, which informed the establishment of the Gani Fawehinmi Scholarship Foundation, where he was entrusted with the responsibility of serving as Northern Coordinator.

”I persuaded him to institute a major scholarship programme for brilliant but indigent university students in Northern Nigeria because educational deprivation was particularly severe in our region at the time,” he added.

Sani disclosed that the scholarship programme awarded assistance to more than 1,000 indigent students across Northern Nigeria.

He recalled that officials travelled across universities in the region to identify deserving beneficiaries.

”Many of those beneficiaries have since become medical doctors, lawyers, academics, engineers and professionals who are contributing meaningfully to national development,” he said.

The victory of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, in the August 15, 2026 governorship election has remained unchallenged at the tribunal after the constitutional 21-day period for filing petitions expired without any petition being lodged.

The deadline for challenging the election result elapsed on Saturday, with none of the 14 political parties defeated in the poll approaching the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to contest the outcome.

Adeleke, who contested the election on the platform of the Accord, was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole.

He secured 511,067 votes, defeating his closest rival, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who recorded 444,815 votes.

A total of 15 political parties participated in the governorship election.

The tribunal office was opened at the premises of the State High Court in Oke Fia, Osogbo, shortly after INEC announced the election results to receive petitions arising from the poll.

However, with the constitutionally prescribed 21-day period now over, no petition has been received by the tribunal.

The development comes days after Oyebamiji publicly congratulated Adeleke on his victory and said the election outcome would not mark the end of the APC’s activities in the state.

Oyebamiji, while addressing APC leaders, members and supporters in Osogbo last Saturday, urged the party to shift its attention towards preparations for the 2027 general elections.

He called on members to strengthen the party’s structures, unite across its various tendencies and begin grassroots mobilisation ahead of the next electoral cycle.

The APC governorship candidate also urged party members to mobilise support for the re-election bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other APC candidates seeking elective positions in Osun State in 2027.

While congratulating Adeleke on the victory declared by INEC, Oyebamiji encouraged APC members not to lose confidence in the party or abandon democratic principles because of the election result.

He said the party’s priority should now be to consolidate its existing structures, expand its grassroots reach and improve unity among its members.

Oyebamiji also reflected on the period after his emergence as the APC governorship candidate in December 2025, saying different factions within the party had set aside their differences to pursue a common objective.

He said the party’s campaign reached various communities and engaged groups including civil servants, retirees, artisans, students, youths, entrepreneurs, women, professionals, sporting groups, persons living with disabilities and religious organisations.

The APC candidate commended members and supporters for their loyalty, resilience and commitment during the campaign and election, saying their efforts had contributed to strengthening the party despite its defeat.

He further appealed to Adeleke, as the Chief Security Officer of the state, to ensure the safety of residents and protection of their property regardless of political affiliation.

Oyebamiji also condemned alleged harassment, intimidation and attacks against APC members, supporters and their businesses, describing such actions as threats to peace, development and investment in Osun State.

The First Baptist Church, Idiikan, Ibadan, Oyo State, has called for collective efforts by citizens, religious institutions and government to tackle the growing insecurity in Nigeria, saying the responsibility should not be left entirely in the hands of government.

The church’s Senior Pastor, Reverend Dr Solomon Oyelami made this call at a press conference held to commemorate the church’s 120th anniversary.

According to him, insecurity had developed gradually and had now become a challenge requiring the involvement of everyone.

He said while government had the primary responsibility of protecting lives and property, citizens must also assist security agencies by providing timely and useful information whenever they noticed suspicious activities.

The cleric said the church’s responsibility included educating its members, particularly youths, on moral values and working with security agencies to promote a safer society.

He added that government must also be decisive in dealing with insecurity, noting that security agencies and government could not see everything happening in every community.

Speaking on measures to prevent youths from becoming involved in cultism, kidnapping and other criminal activities, the cleric said the church was committed to preaching the word of God and inculcating sound moral values in young people.

He said the objective was to raise youths who would be guided by Christian principles and would resist immoral and criminal influences in society.

The church, which was established on August 27, 1906, is marking its 120th anniversary with the theme, ‘Joyous Celebration,’ drawn from Psalm 35:27A.

The anniversary provides an opportunity for the church to reflect on its 120 years of evangelism, education, spiritual development and service to humanity.

The church said it had also contributed to the spread of Christianity through church planting, having directly established, adopted or nurtured more than 30 Baptist churches within and outside Ibadan.

Education, healthcare projects

The church said education remained an important part of its mission, recalling that its first school was established on the day of its dedication in 1906.

It currently has First Baptist Church Private Nursery and Primary School, Idiikan, and Idiikan Baptist Comprehensive College, Fele Rab, Off Idi-Odo, Challenge, Ibadan, with an annex at Idiikan.

Looking ahead, the church said it planned to establish additional private schools to complement government efforts in education and job creation.

It also announced plans to construct the First Baptist Church, Ibadan Hospital, as part of its contribution to accessible healthcare and community development.

According to the church, the proposed hospital would not only address healthcare needs but also create employment opportunities.

The anniversary celebration, which runs from August 15 to September 6, includes seven days of fasting and prayer, the Ibadan Baptist Conference-in-Session, press conference and documentary presentation, Founders’ Day and Reunion Service, evangelism rally, Teenagers’ and Youth Night, a health programme, social visits, financial empowerment lecture, African Praise Night and the 120th Anniversary Grand Finale.

The grand finale on September 5 will feature a special fundraising for the church’s projects under the chairmanship of Chief Niyi Akintola, SAN, while the anniversary programme will conclude with a White Sunday Thanksgiving Service on September 6.

The church said the anniversary was not only a celebration of its past but also a renewed commitment to evangelism, education, healthcare, youth development and service to humanity.

It reaffirmed its determination to expand its missionary activities, establish more institutions and positively impact future generations.

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) said on Saturday that it had disengaged some street sweepers, supervisors and a service provider over alleged indiscriminate waste dumping along the Oworonshoki-Berger axis of the state.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the authority, Dr MuyiwaGbadegesin, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

Gbadegesin said the action followed sustained investigations and surveillance of the median, which had been identified as a recurring waste hotspot.

He said investigations established the involvement of the affected sweepers in indiscriminate dumping, with the workers also confessing to the act.

He said the disengagement was aimed at reinforcing the authority’s commitment to maintaining high standards among personnel and service providers.

He warned that anyone involved in waste management must not contribute to the environmental challenges they were engaged to address.

‘Our responsibility is to keep Lagos clean, and everyone involved in that responsibility must play their part.

‘Where our investigations establish that anyone is contributing to the problem, appropriate action will be taken. There will be no exceptions,’ he said.

The LAWMA boss said the authority would continue to investigate recurring waste hotspots and sanction anyone found contributing to indiscriminate waste disposal.

He said the enforcement would be carried out irrespective of the status or role of those involved in the waste management system.

Gbadegesin urged residents, businesses and waste collectors to dispose of waste through approved channels.

He also advised residents to patronise only assigned Private Sector Participants authorised to collect waste.

The LAWMA chief stressed that waste management personnel and service providers must uphold the same standards expected of other stakeholders.

He said surveillance would be sustained along the Berger-Oworonshoki axis and other identified waste hotspots.

Gbadegesin added that further enforcement action would be taken whenever investigations established violations.

In a related development, LAWMA enforcement officials arrested two suspected illegal waste dumpers around the Berger-Oworonshoki axis.

‘One of the suspects, identified as TimileyinOjo, a load carrier, allegedly used a wheelbarrow to dump waste on the road median.

‘The second suspect, identified as a suspected cart pusher, was allegedly involved in unauthorised waste collection within the area.

‘The suspects were taken to the Oshodi Task Force Office (Mobile Court) for further investigation and prosecution under relevant environmental laws,’ he said.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has promised to tackle the housing deficit confronting police personnel, particularly officers in the rank and file.

Disu made the commitment during an inspection tour of police barracks and housing projects in Lagos State over the weekend, where he said the Nigeria Police Force would maximise funds available through the Police Mortgage Bank and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria to address the accommodation needs of its personnel.

The IGP said the Force was already engaging strategic partners to unlock mortgage financing and other funding opportunities for the construction of affordable and decent homes for police officers.

‘We have a lot of money in the Police Mortgage, in the Federal Mortgage Bank, and we should take full advantage of it,’ he told journalists.

Disu said priority would be given to junior officers because they constitute the bulk of personnel deployed daily for policing duties across the country.

He explained that access to decent accommodation was not merely a welfare issue but also an important component of police effectiveness, noting that officers needed a stable environment where they could rest and prepare for the demanding task of protecting lives and property.

The IGP said the Force would work with private developers and other partners to convert available financing opportunities into actual housing projects rather than allow funds earmarked for police accommodation to remain underutilised.

During the inspection tour, Disu expressed concern over the condition of some police barracks visited, noting that several structures had become severely dilapidated after decades of use and would need to be demolished to pave the way for modern developments.

The inspection covered parts of Ikeja and Lagos Island, with the IGP saying the condition and pace of some projects required urgent attention.

He said the visit was aimed at personally assessing the projects, engaging development partners and identifying the challenges responsible for delays in their completion.

Disu acknowledged the support of the Lagos State Government, describing the partnership as critical to ongoing efforts to improve police accommodation in the state.

He also disclosed plans to redevelop the Falomo Police Hospital by upgrading its facilities and equipment as part of a broader effort to improve welfare infrastructure for police personnel.

According to him, some abandoned portions of former barracks had become occupied by unauthorised persons following the demolition of old structures and delays in commencing redevelopment.

The IGP said the Force would immediately take steps to reclaim its properties and prevent further encroachment, invoking the Broken Windows Theory to explain how neglected public facilities could become vulnerable to further deterioration and illegal occupation.

On the relocation of officers and their families during reconstruction, Disu said the Force would conduct a comprehensive headcount and provide appropriate relocation allowances to affected occupants.

He explained that the strategy would also involve phased construction in large barracks, allowing new buildings to be developed in available spaces while existing occupants remain nearby before eventually moving into completed units.

According to him, the approach would help build confidence among personnel and reassure them that the barracks were being redeveloped for their benefit rather than being sold or converted to other uses.

The IGP expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of some projects but said he was optimistic that portions of the Ikeja development could become habitable by December or January, subject to the completion schedule agreed with the developers.

He promised to make regular visits to Lagos to monitor progress and ensure that contractors and development partners remained focused on delivering the projects.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, said the state’s partnership with the police was designed to combine government support with private sector equity to deliver modern accommodation for police personnel.

Benson-Awoyinka, who said the initiative began while she was Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Housing, explained that the state decided to extend its housing intervention to police officers because of their critical role in maintaining security.

She said the project had experienced delays arising from headcounts, relocation, demolition, illegal shops and other challenges associated with securing vacant possession.

However, she disclosed that full possession had now been secured at Ijeh Barracks.

The commissioner said the Lagos State Government was working with private developers to accelerate the redevelopment, adding that the swampy nature of some project sites had also required land reclamation and careful engineering to prevent structural failures.

Benson-Awoyinka expressed optimism that about 1,000 housing units could be ready for police officers at Ijeh Barracks by February 2027.

She assured that the state government would continue to work closely with the police and private developers to deliver the housing project.

Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned that some politicians may resort to human sacrifice in a bid to influence the outcome of the 2027 general elections.

Ayodele, in a statement issued by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, said such acts would attract God’s judgment, warning politicians involved in them that their plans would ultimately fail.

According to the cleric, the 2027 elections would be different from previous polls, insisting that politicians who engage in practices capable of causing harms to innocent Nigerians would face divine consequences.

‘Several politicians are already planning to carry out human sacrifices towards the upcoming election, but they will fail woefully, and God will be angry towards them; they will not succeed,’ he said.

Ayodele further predicted that the 2027 election period would bring significant changes to Nigeria’s political system, describing the period as a time of ‘pruning’ during which some political actors could lose their positions and influence.

‘2027 will be a year of pruning for Nigeria’s political system. Politicians must be careful of what they are doing because the hand of God is ready to sweep across the nation. Anyone found wanting will be made to pay heavily for it,’ he stated.

The cleric also said the hardship and suffering experienced by ordinary Nigerians had reached the attention of God, particularly the loss of lives allegedly associated with political activities and elections.

‘God has heard the cry of ordinary Nigerians who have been made to suffer by politicians. He has seen the blood of innocent souls wasted all in the name of election, and He is ready to act.

‘2027 will be a time for judgment, and anyone found guilty will experience the mighty wrath of God. It’s better politicians change their ways now before it is too late,’ Ayodele added.

Meanwhile, the cleric warned President Bola Tinubu to be cautious in his dealings with the United States government, alleging that Washington could eventually turn against his administration.

Ayodele advised the President not to assume that the American government was a dependable ally, warning that its relationship with Nigeria could be driven by interests that may not favour his administration.

‘Tinubu must be careful about his involvement with the American government. They are not his friends; they are only pretending to be his ally. He must be careful so they won’t embarrass and disgrace him,’ he said.

Jigawa Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, has approved the appointment of Dr Lawan Ahmed Muhammad Sani as the 17th Emir of Gumel.

Lawan succeeds his father, the late Emir of Gumel, Alhaji (Dr) Ahmed Muhammad Sani II, who died in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday, September 3, 2026, after 46 years on the throne.

The appointment followed the recommendations of the Gumel Emirate Council kingmakers and the Jigawa State Council of Chiefs.

Announcing the appointment, the Secretary to the Jigawa State Government (SSG), Malam Bala Ibrahim, said the governor approved the appointment after carefully considering the recommendations of the traditional institutions.

Bala said, ‘Upon the recommendation of both the Gumel Emirate Council Kingmakers and the Jigawa State Council of Chiefs, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Jigawa, Malam (Dr.) Umar A. Namadi, FCA, has approved the appointment of Dr. Lawan Ahmed Muhammad Sani as the 17th Emir of Gumel.’

Until his appointment, the new emir served as the Chiroman Gumel and was the Director of Cyber Security at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

Governor Namadi commended the Gumel Emirate Council kingmakers, led by the Wazirin Gumel, Alhaji Adamu Muhammad Nasoro, for their role in the selection process.

He also appreciated the Emirs of Hadejia, Kazaure, Ringim and Dutse, who make up the Jigawa State Council of Chiefs, for their counsel and contribution to the selection.

The governor congratulated the new Emir and wished him a successful reign, as well as many years of service to the Gumel Emirate, Jigawa State and Nigeria.

Sokoto State Government has completed and commissioned several rural road projects as part of efforts to connect farming communities and ease the transportation of agricultural produce across the state.

The Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu on Rural Roads Development, Hon. Malami Muhammad Galandachi, disclosed this while highlighting the administration’s achievements in the sector.

Galandachi said the government had identified, designed and awarded contracts for about 1,365 kilometres of rural roads, with projects currently at different stages of completion.

He said while some of the roads had been completed and commissioned, others were awaiting commissioning, with construction work continuing on several others.

‘We have identified, discovered, designed and awarded contracts for about 1,365 kilometres, which are all at various levels of completion,’ he said.

‘Some are completed and commissioned, some are completed and waiting for commissioning, and some are at various levels of completion.’

According to him, the completed projects are located in different parts of the state and include feeder roads, surface-dressed roads and asphalt roads.

Galandachi cited the 23-kilometre road linking communities around Tambuwal, stretching from Dogondaji through Napa Guda and Yagawal to Tambuwal, as one of the completed projects.

He also listed the 21.18-kilometre road from Afag Alasan to Optimal Liman in Tambuwal, as well as a 14.7-kilometre asphalt road linking Nizawiya, Ngongoriyaya, Ngoromedaji and Ngongonduko communities.

The special adviser said the improved road network had begun to ease transportation challenges faced by rural residents, particularly farmers who previously found it difficult and expensive to move their produce to markets.

He cited onion-producing communities as an example, saying transportation costs had dropped significantly following the improvement of access roads.

‘Before we started this road, a bag of onions from Sete to Gada was N10,000. Now, trailers can go there and load directly,’ he said.

Galandachi disclosed that the government had also identified an additional 530 kilometres of rural roads for development, bringing the total network covered under the programme to approximately 1,895 kilometres.

He said the investment was aimed at providing easier access to farms, markets, schools and healthcare facilities across rural communities.

‘The importance of roads cannot be overemphasised. Without roads, you cannot go to school; without roads, you cannot go to hospital; and without roads, you cannot carry your food from the farm to the market,’ he said.

The adviser also revealed that construction was ongoing on three markets in Illela, Gada and Bodinga.

He said the markets, which were at different stages of completion, would feature grain markets, abattoirs and other facilities designed to support commercial activities and improve the local economy.

Galandachi, however, appealed to residents to protect the completed roads and other public infrastructure, warning against vandalism, digging up roads and the construction of unauthorised speed bumps.

‘This is public money. If it is yours or mine, nobody will allow that to happen,’ he said.

‘We are not going to take it lightly if anybody is caught trying to misuse the road.’

He assured residents that the administration would sustain its investment in rural infrastructure, stressing that improved road connectivity was essential to unlocking economic opportunities and improving the livelihoods of communities that had waited for decades for government intervention.

Election cycles are when politicians and spin doctors go down memory lane to exhume ghosts of the past. Anything to get at the opponent. Anything to gain the advantage. Suddenly, we are being told again how the leader of the Yoruba, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, ‘betrayed’ his Igbo counterpart, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, and how the so-called 1951 carpet-crossing in the Western Regional House of Assembly resulted in the loss of trust and confidence between the Yoruba and Igbo that have refused to go away. The much talked-about ‘handshake across the Niger’ is said to have become elusive since that time. Will the political gulf between two of the country’s biggest ethnic groups ever be bridged?

The starting point, according to some analysts, is to first unearth the truth. Was there really anything remotely resembling carpet-crossing in the Western Regional House of Assembly in 1951? And was Zik coasting home to victory – to become premier of the Western Region on the ticket of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) – but for the carpet-crossing? Did Chief Awolowo orchestrate the carpet-crossing to upstage Zik and become premier of the Western Region instead? Did Zik and, by extension, the Igbo, in retaliation, prefer afterwards to ally with the North instead of Awo or the Yoruba?

The 2023 presidential election rested on the tripod of North (Fulani), East (Igbo), and West (Yoruba). The Yoruba man, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, carried the day. Atiku Abubakar (Fulani) and Peter Obi (Igbo) lost the election. The election proved that in the absence of a handshake across the Niger, either of the East (Igbo) and the West (Yoruba) can still achieve the goal of cornering the presidency if they succeed in building an alliance with the North. Tinubu’s success hinged on that realisation; conversely, Atiku and Obi’s failure was explained by their inability to work together. True, then, is the saying that the failure of the children of the serpent to move in groups is what makes them easy prey for adversaries. Once bitten, twice shy, but have Atiku and Obi learnt any lessons? Has morbid ambition not blindfolded them to the stark reality of another failure if they choose, again, to hunt separately?

Failure is not only an orphan, it comes as well with lorry-loads of excuses, many of which are manufactured ahead of time. One such excuse – if Obi fails again in 2027 – is 1951! But what actually happened in 1951? Below is an account for readers to peruse. Titled ‘NCNC DID NOT WIN THE 1951 WESTERN REGION ELECTIONS’, it runs thus: ‘UNLIKE the Fulanis and the Ibos whose everlasting desire is to dominate Nigeria from Sokoto to Lagos, Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, the Yorùbá have never been comfortable with the Nigerian Union. Their noble desire is for a peaceful separation. This was the reason for Awolowo’s proposal for a SECESSION CLAUSE in the constitution. While it was supported by Ahmadu Bello, it was strongly opposed by Azikiwe because it didn’t conform to the domineering ambition of the Ibos. The colonial masters supported Azikiwe’s position because it fitted into their own agenda to keep us perpetually chained to them.

‘In pursuit of his conquest, Azikiwe made immense effort through the NCNC to be the Premier of the Western Region when it was time for the elections in 1951. However, when the NCNC lost out, instead of Azikiwe nobly accepting defeat, he went to town through the propaganda machinery of his newspaper, The West African Pilot, to claim that NCNC won but the results were manipulated to favour the Action Group (AG).

‘Anyway, the following are the accurate records, as against beer parlour and Ochanja market concoction. The stubborn fact of history that propagandists will not talk about is that the continuous false claim of NCNC’s victory in the 1951 Western Region election was challenged in court in 1959 by Awól?´w?`, Akintola and Rotimi Williams in suits No. 1/58/59, 1/50/59, 1/60/59. Judgement was passed against Azikiwe and The West African Pilot for their false claims that NCNC won the elections but were denied victory by the illegal activities of the litigants. The court ruled that the claim was false and libellous. Each of the litigants was awarded £3,500 as damages with £250 as cost in 1961. This made a total of £11,250 against the accused.

‘Yet, 10 years later in 1971, Azikiwe still wrote in his book ‘MY ODYSSEY’: ‘The NCNC was under the impression that it had won 43 seats out of 80’ but 20 of the legislators whom they ‘regarded as members, supporters or sympathisers’ aligned themselves with the Action Group!’ (Witness the way the allegations were cleverly, deceptively, and maliciously couched!).

‘For goodness’ sake, what has your illusory impression got to do with the reality on ground? Unfortunately, this lie from the pit of hell was also echoed by the likes of M. T. Mbu and Ozumba Mbadiwe and it has become the sing-song of the Ibos (till) today.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE FACTS OF HISTORY

‘The first political party in Nigeria was the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) formed by Herbert Olayinka Macaulay (a Yoruba man) on June 24, 1923. It was formed to demand for self-government from the colonialists. It existed till it transformed to the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) in 1944 after Ahmadu Bello formed the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) in August 1943.

‘All southern politicians and political leaders of all tribes (including Awolowo) were in NCNC until 1946 when Macaulay died and Zik took over. Within three years of Zik’s takeover, all key political positions in the NCNC had been thoroughly Ibolised (to the extent that, today, NCNC is only remembered as an Ibo party).

‘When Awo realised that his progressive vision for Nigeria could not be realised under an Ibo-controlled NCNC and the parochial leadership of Azikiwe, he decided to transform his ?gb?` ?m? Odùduwà to the Action Group (AG) registered on 21st March, 1951. Very many Yorùbá and some Mid-Westerners joined the AG while many Yorùbá still remained in the NCNC.

‘However, many Ìbàdàn indigenes who also left the NCNC with Awo grouped together as Máb?láj?´ Grand Alliance and decided to register on June 21, 1951 as Ibadan Peoples Party (IPP) with Augustus Meredith Adisa Akinloye as their leader. It was under this banner that they contested the September 1951 elections. They never contested as NCNC candidates.

THE ELECTIONS

‘Mr Harold Cooper was the colonial government’s Public Relations Officer. In early August 1951, he requested all the political parties wishing to field candidates for the September elections to submit the names of (their) candidates… In the West Regional Assembly, 80 seats were to be contested for, but elections in 5 seats for Lagos and 3 seats for Mid-West were postponed due to security reasons. Therefore, 72 seats were contested on 24th September, 1951.

‘AG won 38 of the seats. The 5 Lagos seats which were contested for on November 20, 1951 were all won by NCNC candidates. The 3 seats of Mid-West that were conducted on December 6, 1951 were all won by Otu Edo candidates. This completed the 80 seats. The rule was that the party with at least 41 seats shall form the government… Three AG Secretaries and another candidate under AG who contested as independent candidates won. Total = 4. Thus, the total number of AG candidates for the assembly was already 42…

‘Therefore, without a coalition, AG had crossed the winning line and were already qualified to form the government of the Western Region. Candidates of other parties that joined AG did so with common sense and the desire to partake in the government of the ruling party rather than aligning with the opposition. Even if they all joined with NCNC, their maximum number of 38 wouldn’t nullify AG’s position as the winner.

‘Note that the (non-AG) candidates were not NCNC members as at the time of the elections and did not contest under NCNC. They won their elections as candidates of their own independent parties. Their joining (forces) with the AG was not an overnight decision. The elections were concluded on December 6, 1951 and the assembly was inaugurated on January 7, 1952. Negotiation took place long before the inauguration…

‘Yet, Zik went public, without any proof whatsoever, to claim that many of the candidates that were declared winners under the AG were NCNC candidates! He said all 6 IPP members were really NCNC candidates. He also claimed that the other party candidates that declared for AG were NCNC members who ‘cross carpet’. When? How? No explanations! No evidence!

‘This made Mr Cooper call a post-election news conference in Lagos where he said: ‘Of the winning candidates, the names of 38 were on the list sent to me by the Action Group. The six successful candidates at Ibadan were all among those who had been identified to me as representing the Ibadan People’s Party. No claim of any kind had reached us about the party affiliation of the remaining successful candidates.”

‘These are not invented tales. The records of all elections conducted by the colonial administration are available at the National Archives in Nigeria and in the archives of the Colonial Administration office in London. They are accessible to any diligent enquirer.’

Now, shouldn’t an information as detailed as the one provided above be enough to lay to rest, once and for all, the tales by the moonlight of how so-called carpet-crossing allegedly engineered by Awo robbed Zik of the coveted prize of the premiership of the Western Region in 1951? And should such wild but unsubstantiated claims still continue to influence Yoruba/Igbo relations?

Former Cross River State governor and presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, Donald Duke, has declared that Nigerians were better off under military rule, arguing that 27 years of civilian government have imposed enormous costs without delivering corresponding improvements in their lives.

‘The people today, Sunny, I would tell you that they were better off under the military,’ Duke said during an interview. ‘At least governance was not that expensive.’

He said the assessment should be measured against the welfare of citizens and the ‘democracy dividends’ delivered since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999.

‘I’m speaking broadly now,’ he said. ‘If we focus on the well-being of the people, what we term democracy dividends, how much has been delivered?

‘We’re still having the same problems we had 27 years ago. It’s getting worse. The number of children out of school has not improved; it’s deteriorating. The healthcare system is not improving; it’s deteriorating.

‘Infrastructure deficiency over the last 27 years-are we better off? The question is: are we better off today than we were in 1999? Hardly so. Hardly so.’

Duke said Nigeria had failed to resolve the fundamental problems that existed before the return of democratic government.

‘The problems that existed before 1999-electrification, unemployment-those things are still there,’ he said. ‘And I don’t see a structured approach towards dealing with these issues.

‘This is my frustration, because there’s no problem we cannot resolve. We’re not a unique country.

‘There are peer reviews you can do. How did you solve this? How did you do that? Are we thinking through our problems?’

The former governor said Nigeria’s governance crisis was worsened by an ineffective opposition and a political system in which election results often failed to reflect the wishes of voters.

‘The opposition is terribly weakened and self-centred. Democracy is also in danger,’ Duke said. ‘The results you get from the polls often don’t reflect the views of the people.

‘So there’s a disenchantment with the system, both by the contestants and the public. Most people don’t vote because they believe their votes don’t count.’

He argued that disputed elections had weakened accountability because political officeholders who did not feel answerable to voters could easily disregard their needs.

‘Because your vote doesn’t matter, there’s a tendency to take people for a ride and disregard what is required by the people,’ he said.

Duke described Nigeria’s democratic system as a pretence, alleging that neither the legislature nor the judiciary provided effective checks on executive power.

‘We don’t have a democracy. We are pretending democracy,’ he said. ‘We’re not a democracy. You and I know that.

‘And the checks and balances from the National Assembly-you know there’s no check; there’s no balance.’

He cited the speed with which the National Assembly approved the return to Nigeria’s former national anthem as evidence of lawmakers’ failure to interrogate executive proposals.

‘We changed the national anthem in a week. Nobody was asking questions,’ he said. ‘They shouted, ‘On your mandate, we shall stand,’ abdicating their responsibilities.

‘We had a Chief Justice of this country singing, ‘On your mandate, we shall stand.’ There’s no judiciary. We all know it. But are we prepared to deal with it?’

Duke blamed the country’s elite for abandoning the political space to people who treated public office as a permanent occupation.

‘It’s a failure of the elite more than anything else,’ he said. ‘We’re elites; we’re enlightened people. But we abdicated our leadership to those whom we should be leading.

‘Politics is no longer a vocation. It’s an occupation for those people. And you can’t get them out.’

He warned that the widening divide between the rich and poor posed an increasing threat to social stability.

‘There was a time when I used to be in the National Economic Intelligence Committee and Professor Aluko used to say, proverbially, that a time is coming in this country when the rich won’t sleep because the poor have not eaten.

‘I think the time is coming.’

Duke said Nigeria’s failure was particularly painful because the country possessed the human and material resources required to transform the lives of its citizens.

‘Nigeria is exceedingly blessed,’ he said. ‘It’s sad. It’s painful that we are where we are.’