3 weeks ago
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the Nigerian Senate against hastily confirming President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for the presumption of president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging lawmakers to uphold the sanctity of Nigeria’s ideology by conducting a thorough and transparent screening process.
Speaking astatine a property league astatine the PDP National Secretariat successful Abuja connected Friday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the Senate indispensable not enactment arsenic a “rubber stamp” successful the confirmation of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), who was nominated by the President to regenerate outgoing INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure expires this month.
“The credibility of our electoral strategy rests heavy connected the independency and impartiality of INEC,” Ologunagba said. “What we expect is that the Senate volition bash its job. If the nominee is recovered worthy of confirmation, past helium indispensable beryllium guided by the urgent request to fortify democracy, rebuild nationalist assurance successful the electoral system, and destruct wide doubts surrounding the commission’s credibility.”
Recall that President Tinubu had connected Thursday forwarded Amupitan’s sanction to the National Council of State, which gave unanimous approval, paving the mode for Senate screening successful the coming days.
But, the PDP spokesperson warned that the precocious legislative enclosure indispensable “discharge its law work with diligence and integrity,” adding that “Nigerians are watching closely.”
“We recognise that our Constitution empowers the President to nominate, successful consultation with the Council of State. That process has been followed,” helium said. “But the Constitution besides entrusts the Senate with the captious relation of confirming specified a nominee connected behalf of the Nigerian people. That work indispensable not beryllium trivialised.”
Ologunagba maintained that the PDP’s presumption was rooted successful the content that beardown antiauthoritarian institutions, not beardown individuals, should specify governance successful Nigeria.
“When institutions are allowed to relation independently, the personalities occupying them go secondary,” helium stated. “We established that contented during our clip successful office, and we expect thing little from those successful powerfulness today.”
He further noted that the planetary assemblage would beryllium watching intimately arsenic Nigeria enters different important electoral cycle, stressing that INEC indispensable show competence, neutrality, and transparency.
“INEC has received tremendous planetary support,” Ologunagba said. “The satellite is watching. Nigerians are nary longer consenting to tolerate excuses oregon inefficiencies from the commission. The days of non-inclusive elections are over.”
Turning to caller reports of defections from the PDP, Ologunagba dismissed them arsenic portion of a “coordinated propaganda effort” by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to make an illusion of disunity wrong the opposition.
He alleged that fiscal inducement and intimidation were being utilized to lure lawmakers from the PDP.
“These defections are not borne retired of ideology oregon principle; they are induced, axenic and simple,” helium claimed. “It has been the modus operandi of the APC , coercion, intimidation, and harassment.”
The PDP spokesman, however, insisted that specified defections would not power the result of the 2027 wide elections, arguing that Nigerians’ dissatisfaction with governance nether the APC would beryllium the eventual deciding factor.
“What volition signifier 2027 is not however galore radical decamp. It is the insecurity that has gripped each country of our country. It is the economical hardship that has made beingness unbearable for the mean Nigerian. It is the nonaccomplishment of a authorities that is not responsive to the cries of the people.”
He added that the ruling party’s anxiousness was increasing arsenic the PDP consolidated up of its forthcoming nationalist conventi
“The APC is jittery due to the fact that the PDP is moving steadily towards its convention. That unity frightens them. But they volition beryllium disappointed. We are together, and we are focused.”
Ologunagba took a swipe astatine the APC’s governance record, accusing it of neglecting the payment of Nigerians portion fixating connected governmental maneuvering.
“Nigerians person not decamped from hunger, but they surely privation to,” helium quipped. “And erstwhile they do, they volition travel to the PDP, a enactment of prosperity, of hope, and of the people. That’s not conscionable a slogan; it’s backed by our way record.”
He concluded by drafting a symbolic opposition betwixt some parties, “The PDP is astir people. The APC is astir a legislature that takes attraction of...
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