Politics
THE Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum has described as haphazard, the way and manner in which the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise is being conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The group called for proper management of the process and the distribution of the Voter Enrolment Devices across the country, to ensure that all eligible Nigerians, in all locations, are registered to vote.
The call, which was made at an extraordinary meeting in Abuja recently, noted the current upsurge in youth voter registration and implored all young Nigerians, who have attained the age of voting to go out in their numbers to exercise their constitutional right.
The communiqué released at the end of the meeting, and signed by Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, Leader SMBLF/PANDEF, Ayo Adebanjo, Leader, Afenifere, Pogu Bitrus, President-General, Middle Belt Forum, and Ambassador Okey Emuchay, Secretary-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide for the President-General, also included resolutions on other national issues bordering on insecurity, and zoning.
The meeting also urged INEC to desist from unwholesome practices that could distort the credibility of the 2023 general elections, particularly, in its application of technology through the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System, BVAS and transmission of election results.
The meeting, which was chaired by the National Leader of SMBLF & Elder Statesman, Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, had in attendance Elders and Leaders from the Southern and Middle Belt regions of Nigeria, representing the respective apex socio-cultural organisations, also extensively discussed critical issues of national concern, including the State of the Nation and worsening insecurity, the outcome of the Presidential Primaries of the Political Parties, the prolonged ASUU strike, continuous Voters Registration and INEC’s preparation for the 2023 general elections.
The group, which also condemned in strongest terms, the daring attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State on June 5, noted that the state of insecurity in the country is worsening by the day, with devastating impacts on the welfare and livelihood of ordinary Nigerians, and called on the federal government to take urgent steps to stem the tide and assuage the suffering of Nigerians.
They described as worrisome the hasty and doubtful conclusion by the federal government that the dastardly act was carried out by the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, and warned that the ambiguity of the federal government and the failure of the security agencies to decisively deal with these situations, buttress concerns that officials of the federal government and security agents are complicit in the security anomalies in the country
They reiterated the imperative of State Police in the internal Security Architecture of the Federation and urged the federal government and the National Assembly to ensure the requisite legislative instrument in this regard rather than indulging in meaningless lamentations.
Similarly, SMBLF firmly reiterates its stance on the principle of zoning and power rotation between the North and the South, as the fulcrum on which the Nigerian Federation has, since independence, been premised.
The group therefore commended the political parties, which in line with the need for national cohesion, equity, fairness and justice, have nominated their presidential candidates from the South, particularly, the All Progressives Congress, APC, African Action Congress, AAC, African Democratic Congress, ADC, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Labour Party LP, People’s Redemption Party, PRP, Social Democratic Party, SDP, among others.
It deplored the insensitivity of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and other political parties, including Action Alliance, AA, Action Democratic Party ADP, Allied People’s Movement, APM, New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP and Young Progressive Party YPP, in nominating presidential candidates from the North for the 2023 election, in total disregard of the time-honoured principle of rotation.
It noted that in due course, it would engage with the appropriate presidential candidates and afterwards decide on which of the candidates to recommend to the peoples of Southern Nigeria, the Middle Belt region and indeed, all Nigerians of goodwill, for consideration at the polls in 2023.
The meeting was attended by former governors, former ministers, and former members of the National Assembly, Traditional Rulers, notable Political and Business leaders, former ambassadors and retired top civil servants, academics, civil activists, etcetera, from the Southern and Middle Belt regions.
They included General Lekwot Zamani rtd., Obong Victor Attah, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Oba Oladipo Olaitan – Deputy Leader Afenifere, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Chairman Ohanaeze Council of Elders, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, John Nnia Nwodo, former Minister of Information & former PG Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Gary Igwariwey, former PG Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw, Godknows Igali, Solomon Arase, Former IGP, Sola Ebiseni, Secretary-General Afenifere, Potter L. Dabup, D.I.G (Rtd.), Ibe Nwosu, Ferdinand Agu, Professor G. G. Darah, Senator Inatimi Rufus-Spiff, and Ambassador Eddy Onuoha.
Others were Edward Pwajok, SAN, Nze Ozichukwu Chukwu, Professor Charles Nwekeaku, Dame Betty Igbeyi, mni, Obonganwan Grace Ekong, Edozie Ezeugwa, Ebun Sonaiya, Emmanuel Onucheyo, Emmanuel Akpanobong, Esther Mangzha, Beatrice Eze, National Treasurer Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Elizabeth A. Jibrin, Debrah M. Ogazuma, Chika Ibeneme, Elder Mac Emakpore, Douyi Douglas-Naingba, Ifedi Okwenna, Ominimini Obiuwevbi, Vivien Ere, Chika Okafor, Bishop Jonathan Dike, Jonathan Asake, Audu Samuel Riko, Henry Ihennelo, Gboyega Adejumo, Katch Ononuju, Joshua Bawa, Caleb Osiobe, Jonathan Tsaku and Ken Robinson, among others.
AI.
Tags: Ayo Adebanjo Edwin Kiagbodo Clark INEC Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Okey Emuchay Pogu Bitrus
