• He is a rabble-rouser, said Yunusa
• PDP suspended Fayose, Shema, Anyim
• My Suspension, Ayu’s last kick from a dead horse – Fayose
• Ortom will not appear before the PDP disciplinary committee, said Wike
• The protesters are seeking an interim government, demanding the removal of INEC seats
• Adamawa APC reverses Mustapha’s suspension
The Minister of State, Labor and Employment and the spokesperson of the Presidential Campaign Council of the Progressive Congress (APC), Festus Keyamo (SAN) has petitioned the State Security Service (SSS), demanding the arrest and prosecution of the presidential candidate of the Labor Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi and his partner, Datti Baba-Ahmed, for allegedly harassing Nigerians over the results of the recently held presidential election.
In a petition addressed to the Director General of the SSS, dated March 23, Keyamo said that in the post-election period, there is a need to ease the damaged nerves, lower the temperature and start the healing process.
“The President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, issued a statement to this effect a few days ago. However, it appears that the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates of the Labor Party, Mr. Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed, are not ready to adopt this path of conciliation for peace and national cohesion , when using their rights to achieve it correctly. determine the constitutional way to solve their complaints. he stated.
Keyamo claimed that since the declaration of the presidential election result, the duo has jumped from one media house to another making incendiary comments and statements about the declaration of the president chosen by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, these comments and statements were made, not only within the limits of using the rights of freedom of speech and the freedom to express their grievances in public, but they crossed the line to ask for the cutting of democracy by insisting. the adoption of other processes outside the contemplation of the Constitution.
“In some cases, these men even called for the establishment of an Interim Government.
“The latest is the comment made by Datti Baba-Ahmed for himself and Mr. Peter Obi on Channels TV on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, where he threatened that if the president-elect is sworn in on May 29, 2023, it will ‘signal the end democracy’.
“Claiming to be the accuser, the judge and the jury himself, he unilaterally declared the duly elected president as ‘unconstitutional’ and, in a subliminal way, threatened chaos if the elected president was sworn in on May 29, 2023. .
“It should be noted that Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed have submitted an election petition to the court for adjudication, but their actions and utterances are a subversion of the process carried out in the court and a subversion of our Constitution and the established rules. process to resolve disputes and grievances .These actions and utterances are more serious and important things that you are doing right now!
“Under these circumstances, I submit this petition in my personal capacity as a patriotic Nigerian to summon/arrest, interrogate and after investigation, if necessary, charge the two individuals to court for their actions, which amount to conspiracy and treasonable crimes.”
But the chief spokesperson of the Obi/Datti Campaign Organization, Dr. Tanko Yunusa in a quick response described Keyamo as a rabble-rouser and known chatterbox, who does not want to lose political relevance before his paymasters.
Yunusa said that Baba-Ahmed is a free Nigerian citizen with the fundamental right to freedom of expression, and that he never called for rebellion or actions that amounted to treason.
He said: “Keyamo talks about healing, he means that Nigeria is sick, he means that he admits that the February 25 election, which announced the principal as the president-elect and the March 18 state election, were marred by violence, high-level violence. voter suppression and intimidation, organized by party.
“It is strange that Keyamo who claims to be a ‘patriotic citizen’ has turned a blind eye to the ethnic and tribal apostasy by his party and supporters against non-Yoruba in Lagos. The so-called ‘patriotic citizen’ did not report MC Oluomo, who told the Igbos to avoid voting in Lagos.
“After Keyamo’s embarrassing appearance at Chatham House, he was recorded telling his key supporters to fight, seize, hold and run with the ballot box, which is exactly what happened in the election. Why didn’t Keyamo ‘patriotic citizen’ report to DSS?”
IN another development, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended the former governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose, his Katsina State counterpart, Ibrahim Shema, as well as the former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, as well as two other party leaders.
The suspension, according to a statement by the national publicity secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, started yesterday.
It also stated that after a thorough review of the affairs of the party in the state and in accordance with the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), they referred the governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom to the National Disciplinary Committee. (NDC) on their reported involvement in anti-party activities.
Other party leaders, who were suspended, are Prof. Dennis Ityavyar (Benue State) and Dr. Aslam Aliyu (Zamfara State).
The PDP called on all leaders, critical stakeholders and members across the country to remain united and focused “at this critical time.”
Sources at the party headquarters indicated that its leadership took the decision as part of measures to prevent the G-5 group from carrying out threats to change the leadership after the election.
The leader of the G-5 group and the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has spoken of the urgent need to restructure the PDP.
Fayose described the suspension of the PDP, by Senator Iyorchia Ayu led NWC “the last kick from the dead horse.”
Reacting to the suspension, Fayose, through his Spokesman, Lere Olayinka, said: “Ayu and his friends are only entertaining themselves with the suspension which they consider to be the latest comedy skit.”
Wike said that there is someone who deserves to be suspended from the party, Ayu, who is accused of violating the PDP constitution regarding the zoning of elective positions and appointments.
Meanwhile, the last has not been heard of the controversy that followed the general election, as many protesters called on President Muhammadu Buhari to install an interim government before he leaves office on May 29.
The protesters under the auspices of the National Youth League for the Defense of Democracy (NYLDD) also demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, by the SSS.
Led by Dr. Moses Paul, the protesters, who gathered in Abuja united sources to express their grievances, they also called for an investigation into the finances of the electoral body.
Inscriptions on some of the placards drawn by the protesters read: “Voter suppression is a crime”, “Nigeria is not for sale”, “INEC keeps its promises”, “Fake elections cannot produce credible leaders”, “Nigeria is not a zoo”, “Why can’t we have credible elections?”
The group said the interim government was meant to ensure the appointment of a new INEC chairman who would conduct free and fair elections in the state.
He noted: “We are Nigerians, lovers of Nigeria, we stand by our Constitution and the rights of citizens, we are here mainly to solve the biggest crime that has happened in the history of the world and in Nigeria. People were burned in Kano, people were shot in Kali, and we have seen the most inhumanity happened in Lagos State in the course of this election.
“We are making two demands: we are asking the President of this country to immediately arrest and prosecute the chairman of INEC, who has committed the biggest fraud in human history.
“The second demand is that we call for an interim government to be put in place. We are saying that because we don’t want President Buhari to continue, his tenure is over, so, as a father, he should form an interim government that will appoint another INEC chairman, that will hold a free election and trustworthy, and productive. The right president for our country.”
When asked to give other options if the two demands are not met, one of the co-conveners, Anngu Orngu, said he is a harmless Nigerian, “but we will use all other civil and legal means to ensure that our demands are met.
“We are here as Nigerians who are frustrated and the basic rights of Nigerians have been trampled on by the Yakubu-led INEC and we are here calling for his immediate resignation. We are also calling for the DSS to arrest him, and he should be prosecuted by the EFCC.”
“We have gone to the American Embassy, we have gone to the British Council in Nigeria, and we have also sent a letter to the French Embassy, asking them to advise the Nigerian government that people are not happy. We are not happy with what is happening,” said the protesters .
Also, the PDP in Adamawa State has asked the INEC chairman to remove the Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Mr. Hudu Yunusa, before conducting another gubernatorial election.
Speaking to journalists, yesterday, in Yola, one of the leaders of the party, Mr. Felix Tagwami, said Yunusa has enough proof that he is a card-carrying APC member.
He said that for the credibility of INEC’s image, Yunusa cannot lead the governorship again without causing chaos in the country.
He said: “Yunusa’s phone communication with Fufore Local Government Returning Officer is a clear indication that he is in Adamawa State to execute his criminal and illegal agenda.”
Tagwami pointed out that for the sake of peace and harmony in Adamawa State, the Commission must deploy a God-fearing REC to take over from Yunusa and conduct another governorship poll.
“Prof. Mahmoud should have asked Yunusa to mention the ‘person from above’ as she said in a phone conversation with the Furfore Returning Officer, who guided her to ensure that the woman won the governorship poll,” he said.
He said the statement incriminating the chairman of INEC, as the head of the Commission and Mahmoud should speak to clear his name.
He warned that his party would not tolerate any attempt to change the rights of Adamawa people to vote for the candidate of their choice.
Also, members of the Adamawa state executive of the APC have described the suspension of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, by the wards, as an exercise in futility.
The party’s state chairman, Mr. Samaila Tadawus, said the suspension of the SGF by his ward “is a joke.”
He said: “APC Adamawa State Chapter has reversed the recent alleged suspension of Boss Mustapha by the exco of the party in Gwadabawa District, Yola North Local Government Area.”
A visibly angry Tadawus accused the opposition party of sponsoring the suspension before it would be repeated in the country.
Tadawus, who described the suspension as unconstitutional, null and void based on the party’s Constitution, directed all opposition parties to stay away from APC activities.
The APC state chairman ordered the executive committee of Yola-North local government to constitute a disciplinary committee to recommend appropriate action against those involved in what he described as “disgraceful acts.”