Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker, House of Representatives, says members of the National Assembly are not as rich as being talked about.

Speaking Wednesday in Abuja through Kingsley Chinda, minority leader of the House, the speaker pleaded with the media to help correct the impression that lawmakers were very rich.

According to him, the parliament was the unsung arm of the government.

“You are aware that the parliament is the unsung arm of the government. A lot of the things that people are fed with, you are the cooks. We are partners in Nigeria’s project, that’s why you were invited. Having remembered you

“This arm of government is not as rich as being projected. You have heard that members go home with N30 million every week. You will also hear that Nigerian parliamentarians earn much more than American parliamentarians. It is only you that can help the write this wrong. Whilst, we are not prepared to hoodwink the media, but our plea is to ask you to give out the correct information. Pls, make use of the adhoc committee. Relate with them and publish what is true. It will be better for us. We have no other country.

“We need the media. We will need to work with you. The intention is not to destroy the country but the make the country a better place. Let your information be the information that will not destroy us but information that will right the wrong in the society”, he said.

Also speaking, the majority leader of the House, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere remarked that the media was the most unpopular arm of government.

He also appealed with the media to help report the activities of the parliament in the right manner.

“How many people know the number of institutions the House is responsible for? We are not telling our stories. How many motions in the 9th House? It is not out there. We are going to do all that we can to strengthen those that work for the media and media related issues.

“They still believe that constituency money are given to us. We are not scared of those that are adversarial. We are coming out with a lot of proposals.

“It is the most unpopular arm of government. We are not worried about that but we want people to hear the story. We want you to get the fact and put the story out there. We will work with this adhoc committee so that what comes out of it will help us to deliver. We are ready to work with you and listen to your suggestions”, he said.

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The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Enugu State, Chukwuemeka Chukwu, has continued to defy an order of court mandating him to allow the Labour Party and its candidate for the 2023 elections in Enugu State, Barr. Chijioke Edeoga, to inspect the Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems used for the March 18 elections in the state.

The Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal had issued an order compelling INEC to allow the Labour Party inspect the BVAS machines used in voter accreditation in some parts of the state.

But a few days ago, the Labour Party governorship candidate, had written a petition to the National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, accusing the Enugu REC of refusal to comply with the order of the tribunal, an allegation that was denied, prompting the scheduling of the inspection for Wednesday, July 12, 2023.

Contrary to the order of the court, the Head of Department, Voter Education at INEC, Mr. Chuka Rex Achumie, invited members of the Peoples Democratic Party, insisting that Labour Party will not conduct the inspection without the agreement of the PDP.

This situation led to a shouting match at the INEC premises in Enugu, leading to the disruption of the exercise by thugs.

As early as 9.00am on Wednesday, the Labour Party inspection team led by the Deputy Governorship candidate of the party, Dr. John Nwaokeabia, had arrived at the INEC office in the state to carry out the Court order, but was reportedly prevented by the HOD, Voter Education, who told them that they deliberately invited PDP members and other party members to come and be part of the exercise.

It was alleged that those thugs who invaded the INEC office also threatened the forensic expert who was invited for the analyses of the BVAS machines.

All entreaties by the LP team and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Independence Layout Police Station, to allow LP to carry out the order granted them by the Court, Mr. Achumie insisted that no inspection was going to take place without the agreement of the PDP.

Addressing the Press at the INEC premises, the Spokesman of the Edeoga Campaign organisation, Engr. George Ugwu lamented the situation where INEC would become partisan in an exercise it was supposed to be the umpire and called on well-meaning Nigerians to advise the electoral body to toe the path of honour by respecting a court order.

Addressing the Press 

“We do not understand what these people are doing. As you can see, we arrived here expecting to inspect the BVAS machines, How the INEC invited the PDP and insisted they will have to agree before we carry out the inspection is what we do not understand.”

“This is the height of impunity and we want Nigerians to bear witness that Enugu REC and INEC are not only showing unhindered partisanship but also disobeying an order of the tribunal in an attempt to frustrate our search for justice,” Engr Ugwu said.

He said as law abiding citizens, the Labour Party will continue to explore lawful means to reclaim the mandate that he said was given to it by the people of Enugu State.

The gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party for the 2023 election in Enugu State, Barr Chijioke Edeoga, has petitioned the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmoud Yakubu, alleging that the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Chukwuemeka Chukwu, denied his team access to inspect electoral materials, especially the Voter Accreditation Systems, BVAS.

Edeoga, in a petition he personally issued to the INEC boss, lamented that the REC refused to allow his legal team and experts access to vital electoral materials despite being directed to do so.

The LP candidate had, through his counsels, written to the INEC Chairman, demanding access to the BVAS machines used in the March governorship election.

The letter, which was dated June 26, 2023, and received by INEC on July 3, 2023, reminded the INEC boss that the tribunal had fixed the hearing of the petition for July 7, 20223, urging the electoral umpire to allow them access to the machines.

But according to Edeoga, following the alleged refusal of REC to grant the access, a fresh letter was issued on Monday, July 6, 2023, reminding the INEC Chairman of the need to have access to the materials.

The letter reads in part: “I want to inform you that in Enugu, the LP is being frustrated from inspecting the BVAS machines, notwithstanding the numerous court orders issued in that regard”.

The LP candidate begged the INEC chairman to prevail on the REC to allow his team “access to the BVAS machines in obedience of the properly issued order of the tribunal.”

Barr. Chijioke Edeoga 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has fixed a meeting to discuss the state of the nation.

The meeting, which will hold on Tuesday in Abuja, is the first of the forum after the 2023 general elections.

The governors, are expected to discuss the state of the nation, the policies of the new All Progressives Congress (APC) administration and the unending crisis ravaging the party since the presidential primary of last year.

The governors, sources said might also set up a committee to try and resolve the crisis in the party and reconcile party bigwigs that have been working against the interest of the party.

Meanwhile, the notice of meeting signed by Hon. CID Maduabum, Director General, PDP Governors Forum, said the Governors under the leadership of Governor Bala Mohammed, is scheduled to hold its inaugural meeting on Tuesday at Abuja.

The DG said the meeting is the first of the Forum since Governors Bala Mohammed and Seminalayi Fubara were elected Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Forum in June.

He said the Forum is expected to discuss the state of the nation, especially recent developments in the country, politically, socially, and economically.

“The meeting will also discuss the State of the Forum, the Party and the role of the PDP Governors in stabilising the PDP and the nation.

“In addition, the new leadership of the Forum may likely unfold their unity and progressive agenda during the meeting,” he said.

The National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Barrister Julius Abure, has charged members of the party to be prepared for a presidential rerun.

He said he had been informed that President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) led government was also getting set for a rerun.

Abure also urged millions of party members to be on the alert and get ready to “further humiliate” APC and its government at the polls.

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He said this during a virtual meeting held with Nigerian-American Coalition for Justice and Democracy led by Prof. Eddie Oparaoji, who is the Lap Diaspora Chairman in the United States, on Monday.

“Those in government are already planning for rerun and this is one of the support we will be canvasing from you. We should also be getting prepared because since all those in government are already preparing for rerun we too should not be taken unawares.”

“So we will be needing your engagement and support on this aspect if par adventure it happens today, that the election is nullified which is not what we are asking for, because we are asking for outright declaration of Peter Obi as the President of Nigeria.

“We believe strongly that we won that election given the statistics we have, given the result we have, we are not expecting anything less than the declaration of Peter Obi as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But supposing that didn’t happen as the government is believed to be planning for a rerun, it will not also be out of place for we to be preparing for a rerun election,” Abure said.

The LP boss said the party is hopeful that if the matter gets to the Supreme Court, the apex court will also act in their favour.

Also, the Director of Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign, Ambassador Oseloka Obaze, urged ObiDatti members in diaspora to see the struggle “for recovering of our mandate” as a collective responsibility and one that no one can actually abandon for any other reason.

In his speech, the chairman of the Nigerian-American Coalition for Justice and Democracy, said that the group in partnership with all Obidients in diaspora has the potential to contribute significantly to Nigerian’s development.

“Through advocacy, human rights promotion, capacity building, investment, education and healthcare support, diaspora engagement, and policy advocacy, we can play a crucial role in fostering democratic governance, justice, and socio-ecobomic progress in Nigeria,” he said.

A former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has urged President Bola Tinubu to appoint a former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike into his cabinet.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain gave the advice while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, saying “Wike is an asset to Nigeria, Asiwaju [Tinubu] needs a man like Wike.”

There have been romours of Wike, a PDP chieftain, making the President’s ministerial list but Fayose said nothing is wrong with it, adding that Wike is a courageous man who is not afraid to speak the truth.

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Wike led a group of five governors in PDP who worked against the candidature of a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, during the 2023 presidential election, insisting that it was the turn of the South to produce the president of the country.

Fayose, who was one of the first PDP members to call for a southern president, disclosed that he also worked against the candidature of Atiku in the 2023 presidential election.

“I never worked for PDP during the last election. I cannot work for two people at the same time,” he said.

“The reality is that I worked for Asiwaju (Tinubu). He is a respectable person from the South-West. It is the time of the South.”

Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, defeated Atiku in Fayose’s Ekiti State. Tinubu won in all 16 local government areas of the state.

Fayose

Still speaking on the ministerial list, Fayose vowed not to accept a ministerial position from Tinubu.

He insisted that it was time for the old to give the younger generation space in government.

According to him, Tinubu’s cabinet should be 40 per cent for the old, 30 per cent for women, and 30 per cent for youths.