Group Berates INEC Over Extension Of Party Primaries’ Deadline

Abiola Olawale
Writer
Thankfully, 2023 Presidential Hopefuls Are Economically Literate

Ad

An Unusual View Of Banditry, By Azu Ishiekwene

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, is hardly in the news. Lawal has enough on his plate in a region struggling with banditry and insurgency, and in a state whose political heavyweights oppose him over political differences. He has learned to mind the state’s business, hardly ever throwing stones except when attacked by Abuja politicians who…

FBI Release Information About Suspects Linked to Murder of Charlie Kirk

FBI receives more than 130 tips Officials have received more than 130 tips, as of this morning. "I assure you that all leads and tips are being fully investigated," said Robert Bohls, special agent in charge of the FBI's Salt Lake City field office. He asked that anyone with video or images from the shooting…

Jubilation as Abuja court jails Ansaru leader Mahmud Usman 15 years for terrorism

By Obinna Uballa A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Mahmud Usman, a top commander of the proscribed Ansaru sect, to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges. Usman, widely known by his aliases Abu Bara’a, Abbas, and Mukhtar, admitted to engaging in illegal mining and funnelling the proceeds into…

Ad

The Transition Monitoring Group, (TMG) has berated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for extending the deadline for the conduct of primary elections and submission of the list of nominated candidates for the 2023 general elections, from 4th to 9th of June 2022.

Chairman of the foremost election monitoring group, Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, in a statement on Friday, lamented the extension noting that the group received the news with great worries and concerns.

He said that at a time when Nigerians are beginning to have confidence in the electoral umpire some powerful forces are trying to undermine and pressurise it to doing their biddings.

Comrade Rafsanjani stated that: “A lot of political parties have made efforts in conducting their primaries and if the ruling party is still uncertain about the day to conduct its presidential primary elections that shouldn’t be the basis for the extension.”

The Group also condemned the vote-buying incidents in the ongoing political party primaries across the country, stating that “any financial inducements on delegates were tantamount to the mortgaging of the country’s future.”

Mr Rafsanjani said: “We are appalled by the incidents of vote-buying and sundry financial inducements on the delegates in the ongoing political party primaries across the country.

“Delegates should note that they don’t have to go to the extent of mortgaging Nigeria’s future on the altar of ephemeral financial gratifications. They should think of Nigeria first before any other considerations.

“Our observers reported that aspirants’ agents were largely involved in coordinating vote-buying for various persons seeking political offices, which is unfortunate.

“It should be noted that the influence of money in an election has far-reaching implications in Nigerian politics because any politician that spends to be voted for will surely work towards recouping the money at the end of the day, and it is still the voters that will be at the receiving end.”

Mr Rafsanjani, lamented the incident that has led to an alarming increase in the rate of foreign exchange, saying that the Nigerian Naira has now reached an all-time high of N610 to a dollar.

“As the country is witnessing various economic challenges it is worrisome to see that the amount of money that is exchanging hands in this period has led to the sky-rocketing of the Naira, it is at its all-time high of N610 to a dollar in the country,” he stressed.

The TMG Chairman, therefore, noted that the group will continue to monitor the electoral processes with a view to ascertaining the level of transparency and fairness in the process and report the same to Nigerians in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.

The group, however, commended INEC and security agencies for ensuring the smooth conduct of the party primaries across the country.

Ad

Unlocking Opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea during UNGA80
X whatsapp