In the history of time, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, often referred to as M. K. O. Abiola, ran for the presidency in 1993, and is widely regarded as the presumed winner of the inconclusive election since no official final results were announced till date.

During the election reports stated that there was a serious argument between the National Republican Convention and Abiola, over his outfit worn to the Election polls.

Abiola went to the polling unit to vote, wearing an attire that had the symbol of a unicorn or a donkey (pictured).

The NRC accused Abiola of breaking the law by “campaigning” saying he had worn an “agbada” that had SDP’s horse logo to his polling unit, they wanted him disqualified for campaigning on the day of the election ─ in violation of the electoral laws as they considered his dressing as a form of political campaign.

This however led to a serious debate about unicorn and donkey before and the election,  SDP said the logo on Abiola’s dress was that of a donkey, while the logo of the party was a unicorn. The debate went on, gaining significant airtime until the announcements of results was halted and the election itself annulled.

June 12 is a prominent and renowned day in the history of Nigeria, celebrated in honour of an annulled presidential election in June 12, 1993.

It is officially 25 years today (1993-2018), since the landmark June 12 presidential election was held. It is still regarded as the most credible election Nigeria has ever held or will ever have, ─ given the  fairness of the election.

Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, often referred to as M. K. O. Abiola, ran for the presidency in 1993, and is widely regarded as the presumed winner of the inconclusive election since no official final results were announced till date.

1.The date is celebrated in honour of an annulled presidential election in June 12, 1993. Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, often referred to as M. K. O. Abiola, ran forthe presidency in 1993, and is widely regarded as the presumed winner of the inconclusive election since no official final results were announced till date.

2. The election was annulled by Ibrahim Babangida, because of alleged evidence that theywere corrupt and unfair, a development that ushered in a political crisis that led to General Sani Abacha seizing power later that year.

3. The chairman of SDP was Chief Tony Anenih. He is today the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The NRC was led by Dr. Ahmed Kusamotu. Anenih, despite his party winning the election, led other executives to negotiate for an interim national government with the military government after the annulment.

4. Religion played a major role in the election. For fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket, the SDP came under attack from the NRC which portrayed their opponents as being insensitive to the religious balance in the country. Ironically, on the day of the TV debate, SDP national secretary, Alhaji Sule Lamido (now governor of Jigawa State), read an article previously written by NRC’s presidential candidate, Tofa, in Kano-based The Pen newspaper in which he incited violence against Christians. An embarrassed and outed Tofa replied that he had become a changed man.

5. Several key actors in the election are now dead. Abiola died in detention in 1998. Justice Bassey Ikpeme, who gave the controversial order stopping the election, died in 1997. Mr. Clement Akpamgbo, the attorney general and minister of justice who was involved in the legal tussles, died in 2006. Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, then second-in-command to General Ibrahim Babangida, famously said Abiola could not be sworn in as president because government was owing him a lot of money. He died in 2011. Kusamotu, then NRC chairman, died in 2005.

6. Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu left SDP in anger before the election. With the SDP picking a Muslim-Muslim ticket which effectively left the Igbo out of the picture, Ojukwu defected to NRC which picked an Igbo, Dr. Sylvester Ugoh, as the vice-presidential candidate. Ojukwu said the Igbo had been marginalised in the SDP. Reminded that the position of secretary to the government of the federation had been zoned to the Igbo, he quipped: “SGF is a glorified tea boy!”.

7. By a twist of fate, no Hausa or Fulani featured on the tickets. Politically in Nigeria, the Hausa/Fulani are considered to be the prime forces, often accused of harbouring a “born to rule” mentality. But no person of Hausa or Fulani blood was picked as presidential or vice-presidential candidate. Alhaji Bashir Tofa is a Kanuri from Kano. Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, a Kanuri from Borno State, was Abiola’s running mate. However, after the annulment, the Hausa/Fulani bore the brunt.

8. Abiola scored 58.36% of the 14 million votes cast. His rival, Tofa, polled 5,952,087 votes, representing 41.64%. Only three states each returned more than 1 million votes, all southern: Lagos, Rivers (now Rivers and Bayelsa) and Ondo.

9. Abiola received his highest votes from Lagos State. He smiled home with 883,965. Ondo State (now Ondo and Ekiti) delivered a total of 883,024 votes, which gave Lagos a good run for its money. He could only score 70,219 votes in Kebbi, his worst in absolute figures.

10. Abiola scored more than 80% in each of the five south-western states: Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Osun and Ogun State. Osun’s 87% was his highest percentage nationwide. His 78% in Kwara was his highest outside of the south-west.

11. Tofa scored his highest tally in River States, polling 640,973 votes. Abiola got less than half of that in the state. Tofa’s worst vote tally was in Jigawa, next door to his home state Kano, where he got only 89,636 votes. His lowest percentage was in Osun (12%).

12. Tofa did not score up to 80% in any state. He came close to that in Sokoto where he got 79%. Incidentally, Abiola scored his worst percentage in Sokoto (20%). Tofa, however, did not score up to 70% in any other state after Rivers.

13. Tofa lost his home state, Kano, albeit marginally. He got 154,809, a few thousands less than Abiola’s 169,519. However, Tofa’s score would have been 154,810 if he had voted ─ assuming he voted for himself. A registration mix-up meant he was unable to cast his vote.

Dignitaries have begun to arrive the  Presidential Villa, Abuja as President Buhari will today June 12, confer Nigeria’s highest honour to the acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993 election, late Moshood Abiola, Babagana Kingibe and Gani Fawehinmi.

Already at Banqueth hall. Tinubu, Akande, governors of Kogi, Kano, Kebbi, Kwara, Benue, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Wole Soynka and several Ministers, SGF.

Late MKO Abiola will be given a posthumous award of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), his then running mate, Babagana Kingibe, will be awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), while late human rights activist and senior lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, will be awarded the GCON.

Recall that Buhari had last week announced that henceforth, Democracy Day in Nigeria will be celebrated on June 12 and not May 29 each year.

Already, several individuals and groups who played prominent roles pushing for the actualisation of June 12 and its proclamation as Nigeria’s Democracy Day have been invited to witness the event, which will hold inside the conference centre of State House Villa, Abuja.

Nigerian Pilot promises to bring you live updates of the event.

Babagana Kingibe arrives for the program

Late Chief Moshood Abiola, son Kola has formally received the national honour of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic on behalf of his late father.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday June 12 presented the insignia to him after the citation of the late politician was read at the venue of the well-attended event holding inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Details later…

*Buhari formally recognizes June 12, confers GCFR on Abiola

*More Nigerians to be honoured as ‘heroes of democracy’ – SGF

*My husband will turn in the grave for June 12 honour – Gani’s wife

*Buhari, ‘least’ expected president to honour Abiola – Kokori

 *Abiola begged IBB to allow him be president even for one day – Anenih

After 25 year, President Muhammadu Buhari made history as he formally recognizes the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, late MKO Abiola and confers him with the highest honour in Nigeria, Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).

This is a feat the then head of state, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’adua and Goodluck Jonathan could not achieve during their time.

The posthumous award which was conferred on Abiola by President Buhari himself at a ceremony which took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja that attracted most of the prominent actors in the June 12 saga was received at the Presidential Villa, Abuja by his son, Kola.

MKO Abiola’s running mate in the election, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe and late human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi were also honoured at the ceremony with the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger, GCON award.

It would be recalled that the result of the June 12, 1993 presidential election was annulled by the military government of Ibrahim Babangida before they were announced.

President Buhari had while announcing the investiture said the fact that the outcome of that election was not upheld by the then military government “does not distract from the democratic credentials of that process” just as he declared June 12 as new date for Democracy Day, in place of May 29, the usual date.

“June 12th, 1993 was the day when Nigerians in millions expressed their democratic will in what was undisputedly the freest, fairest and most peaceful election since our Independence,” he had said.

However, Abiola’s honour had generated missed reactions among Nigerians, especially at the National Assembly. While some lawmakers said both the investiture and the June 12 public holiday is unconstitutional, others said it is well deserved.

But human rights activist and senior lawyer, Femi Falana faulted those kicking against the investiture, saying Buhari could honour any Nigerian “dead or alive”.

In his opening remarks at the investiture, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha declared that more names will be announced later for national honours for their role in the struggle for democracy.

During the presentation of the awards by President Muhammadu Buhari, Kola, the eldest son of MKO Abiola, received the award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCFR on behalf of his father.

Also, Ganiat Fawehinmi, wife of human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi received the award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) for her late husband, while Ambassador Babagana Kingibe received the award of GCON in person.

Speaking shortly after receiving the award, Ganiyat declared that her husband would be happy to receive the Grand Commander of the Order of the Nigeria (GCON) honour if he was still alive.

Addressing State House correspondents, Ganiyat expressed excitement at the honour which she said is coming years after the late activist was harassed by security agencies.

“Every time the security will come, turn our house upside down, even his office was broken into, they took away many files during Ibrahim Babangida regime and they were not returned till date.

“So I just thank God that I am alive to witness today and I know that my husband will turn in the grave for this June 12 that is being actualised because he really fought and died for it.

“I believe God has a purpose for it, I believe that is how God wants it because you can’t run a race ahead of God”, she added.

For Frank Kokori, leader of June 12 movement, President Muhammadu Buhari is the “least” person expected to honour MKO Abiola the presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election.

“If this is coming 25 years later, it means one day your country will remember you because some of us felt when we came out of Abacha’s gulag and we were not recognized, I just felt what sort of country is this,” he said.

In his book, ‘My Life and Nigerian Politics’, Tony Anenih, who was the national chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP when the June 12, 1993 election was held, made a number of claims on the crisis including that Abiola repeatedly told him that Babangida was trying to embarrass him.

“On the issue of June 12, Chief MKO Abiola had called me on the phone to come for an urgent meeting in Ikeja. I flew to Ikeja and met Alhaji Baba Gana Kingibe, Dr Dele Cole, and Kola, MKO’s son,” he wrote.

“At the meeting, Chief MKO told us that his friend, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, planned to embarrass him. He kept repeating this without stating the type of embarrassment.

“We could hear Chief Abiola telling Akilu to tell his friend (IBB) that they were still friends, and that he should allow him to be president even for one day, and he would resign thereafter; that all the photographs they took together were still all over his house, and that he should not forget the past, and that God would bless him.

“MKO would repeat Akilu’s words: ‘You mean I should call back in 30 minutes? Okay, I will call back in 30 minutes’. This went on till 7pm when the national anthem was sung on the television and MKO hysterically was saying, ‘Do you see my friend? You see him? You see my friend? He wants to embarrass me. Pointing to the television and there was IBB with a piece of paper in his hand. It was the annulment speech of June 23, 1993, by which President Babangida annulled the election and repealed Decree NO 13 of 1993 and 52 of 1992 on which basis the election had been conducted.”

Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, said yesterday that the party has flushed out those that betrayed its chance of winning the last governorship election in the state.
He said this is to pave way for a purpose driven leadership ahead of the 2019 election.
Sylva, who is a former governor of the state, disclosed this during the formal inauguration of the state and local government chapter executives of the party in Yenagoa, the state capital.
He accused the former leadership of the party in the state for running after money and not the victory of the APC.
While referring to the factional group led by a former acting Governor, Chief Nestor Ibinabo, Sylva jokingly said, “We have fumigated all the rats out of the house, and we now have a brand new APC, people we don’t have to manage, people that will understand the mission of the APC, people that will not take money and sell their conscience, people that will not come here and work with us in the day time and run to the other side in the night to collect money.”
He described the newly inaugurated executive members as purpose driven who will work assiduously for the victory of the APC in 2019, saying the inauguration marks a new dawn in Bayelsa APC.

Enugu-based prophet, Prophet Anthony Nwoko, said it was not the then Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, that annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election adjudged to have been won by the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, but divine intervention.
Nwoko, who addressed a press conference at the Press Centre, Enugu, yesterday, said it was God that stopped Abiola because he was not the messiah, the light that would have ruled Nigeria.
The prophet, who said that he, Nwoko, is the ordained president that would bring peace and progress to Nigeria, added that he warned Babangida not to conduct the presidential election but to recognise him as president, but he did not listen.
He said this time around, he is no longer interested in becoming Nigeria’s president, but president of the new Biafra that would soon come. He declared that nobody, not even President Muhammadu Buhari would stop him this time from taking over the government of Biafra.
“One million Buhari cannot stop Prophet Nwoko. I have what it takes to stop politicians. I have told Buhari several times that he should let my people, Biafra, go.
“Whether the world likes it or not, Biafra will be installed. There is a light from the east. I am that light and I made sure that Babangida left Aso Rock. Nobody can change the will of God. Buhari is wasting his time. If they don’t allow the will of God, I will stop Nigeria and Biafra,” he said.
The prophet said Nigeria is an accursed country because it refused the glory of God, which is that he should be made to rule it.
Speaking with emotion, Nwoko said he has never been married and that for 47 years, he has not gone to his country home, Umuahia, Abia State until he achieves his divine government.
He advised Biafra agitators to sheath their sword, saying they have wasted a lot of Biafran blood over the struggle to no avail, pointing out that they cannot get Biafra through such agitation.
He also said politicians should not waste their time because 2019 is already annulled.
“Buhari should go and rest; he is destroying this country. 2019 has been annulled,” he declared.
Nwoko noted that this might be the last warning he would be giving to Nigerians, saying he is too big to go to Abuja to Buhari.
“Any message I pass through the press, I have given it to Buhari. He is too small for me to bow down to.
“I am sending this message for the last warning. They should allow Prophet Nwoko to liberate Biafra or Nigeria will be doomed,” he declared.

Acting Chairman, Social Democratic Party, SDP, Abia State chapter, Chidi Nwosu, has challenged the state government to reveal the budgetary allocation for the provision of pipe borne water and health projects in Umuahia in the last ten years.
The acting state chairman made the call while briefing newsmen on the amendment of SDP’s constitution yesterday in his office.
Nwosu noted with concern that commercial borehole businesses is booming because of the inability of the state government to provide Abians with pipe borne water as it is obtainable in other states of the federation.
He pointed out that it is only in Abia that a child born ten years ago is yet to see pipe borne water and street lights in Umuahia due to the insensitive nature of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led government.
To this end, he called on the Economic and Financial CrimesCommission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, to probe the Ministry of Public Utilities over how funds allocated for the provision of pipe borne water and light were utilised.
“I call on the EFCC and ICPC to immediately arrest officials of the ministry for the mismanagement of public funds for water projects.”
Nwosu regretted that the presence of commercial boreholes in major cities in the state have taken over public taps provided by government.
“These boreholes are sunk very close to cesspits in spite of the health hazards associated with such closeness,” he said.
He called for a probe in the Ministry of Health to explain how it utilised funds appropriated by the House of Assembly for the State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS.
He said, “Abia is still in bondage and it cannot continue to remain like that.”
Two time former member of the House of Assembly expressed optimism that when SDP takes over the seat of power in 2019,it will salvage the ugly situation.

Opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, dismissed the image rescue effort by President Muhammadu Buhari before the Moroccan Prime Minister, Saadeddine Othman, as a poorly packaged deception to sugarcoat his deep-seated disdain for Nigerian youths.
The party said President Buhari’s sudden praise-singing for Nigerian youths in faraway Morocco is only a desperate afterthought aimed to reverse the public opprobrium he earned himself for his “lazy youths and lovers of freebies” comment and not borne out of genuine regard for them.
According to itsNational Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, “unfortunately for Mr. President, our youths now know better and can no longer fall for his tricks.
“Every Nigerian is aware of President Buhari’s disdain for our citizens and sees his reported comments in Morocco as inconsistent with his known beliefs and dispositions.
“Nigerians recall that in a most recent gaffe, Mr. President described members of our National Assembly as idle and unproductive, just as he dismissed our youths as unfit to run for presidency in 2019 even while signing the “Not Too Young To Run” bill into an Act.
“Perhaps, this explains why his handlers resorted to heavily edited press statement on the Morocco visit.
“President Buhari should know that a visit to the Moroccan prime minister cannot wash away the disgraceful invectives he openly poured on energetic and vivacious youths at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, CHOGM, where most world leaders were present.
“He would need another CHOGM in London to remove his lazy and lover of freebies stamp on our youths.
“The PDP is aware of the desperate bid by the president to stop at nothing to beguile citizens once again that election is around the corner.
“However, it is important to inform him that Nigerians now know his true colours and will reject any design to take them on a second ride to nowhere.
“President Buhari should therefore end his gimmicks and let go of straws. He should amply come to terms with the fact that the only expectation that Nigerians require of him is to tender a direct apology for his abysmal performance and get prepared to leave the stage for a more innovative and people-oriented president who Nigerians will elect on the platform of the PDP come 2019.”

A clergyman, Elder Dimly Oladimeji has eulogized a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s governorship aspirant in Osun State, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, for donating a whooping 100 million naira to Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji Arakeji in Osun State.
He recalled that Ogunbiyi made the donation last year when he was appointed as the Chairman of the University endowment fund raising programme while speaking at Ekonde town in Ikirun, Ifelodun local government area of the state.
The clergy was surprised to see that the aspirant was the same Ogunbiyi that doled out millions of naira for the advancement of learning and research in the university and showered encomiums on him.
Attesting to the leadership and philanthropic attributes of Ogunbiyi, he appraised the PDP leading aspirant’s drive for educational expansion and expressed conviction that Ogunbiyi was fit to move the state forward.
Stakeholders, delegates and teeming supporters of the PDP in attendance marveled at the aspirant’s spirit of generosity and series of unannounced supports for people of the state.
Ogunbiyi who was on a consultation tour to the local government sought for support of delegates and stakeholders of the party, further got a pat on his back as Hon. Olawale Oladimeji and Hon. Tiamiyu Adeyemi Bello, PDP leaders in the local government, passed a vote of confidence on him.
Ogunbiyi called on delegates of the party to stand in defence of fairness and use their votes to assert their rights to quality education, equitable jobs, improved health care system, full salary, women empowerment and integrated rural development across the state, saying he would not let them down, if elected.

SECRETARY of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Bayelsa State council, Mr. Imgbi Stanley, yesterday, disclosed his intention to contest for the Southern Ijaw Constituency 3 seat in the 2019 general elections.
The NUJ scribe declared his intention through the Chairman of Boma People’s Assembly, Mr. Ayibatare Easterday, during a visit to the leadership of the NUJ in the state.
Speaking during the visit attended by scores of journalists, Easterday said after due consultation with political stakeholders from the area, Imgbi was adjudged the most preferred candidate for the position.

He said “according to our findings, Imgbi is highly respected and accepted by our people. If it is integrity, he has it. If it is in terms of all embracing representation, Imgbi has been tested and found competent.
“According to the political stakeholders we spoke to, Imgbi is the best candidate to take that seat when the tenure of the incumbent, Daniel Igali, ends in 2019.
“So it is pertinent that we present him to you, his primary constituency and also seek your support for our mandate in any form.”
In his reaction to the news, Chairman of the NUJ, John Angese, thanked the poeple of Bomo Kingdom for finding a member of the pen profession worthy to represent them at the state assembly.
“We feel proud each time journalists are given the opportunity to take up leadership positions in the society. That is because, as watchdogs of the society, we play a major role in reshaping it for good.
“Be rest assured of our unflinching support and contribution to this course because it is like our own project as a union. We pray that God makes this dream to come to fusion.”
Also speaking, the immediate past chairman of the union, Mr. Tarinyo Akono, said he is confident that the NUJ scribe would make it to the state assembly, but urged him not to forget the NUJ which is his primary constituency when he eventually wins in 2019.

By Eunice Nnachi, Yenagoa
SECRETARY of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Bayelsa State council, Mr. Imgbi Stanley, yesterday, disclosed his intention to contest for the Southern Ijaw Constituency 3 seat in the 2019 general elections.
The NUJ scribe declared his intention through the Chairman of Boma People’s Assembly, Mr. Ayibatare Easterday, during a visit to the leadership of the NUJ in the state.
Speaking during the visit attended by scores of journalists, Easterday said after due consultation with political stakeholders from the area, Imgbi was adjudged the most preferred candidate for the position.

He said “according to our findings, Imgbi is highly respected and accepted by our people. If it is integrity, he has it. If it is in terms of all embracing representation, Imgbi has been tested and found competent.
“According to the political stakeholders we spoke to, Imgbi is the best candidate to take that seat when the tenure of the incumbent, Daniel Igali, ends in 2019.
“So it is pertinent that we present him to you, his primary constituency and also seek your support for our mandate in any form.”
In his reaction to the news, Chairman of the NUJ, John Angese, thanked the poeple of Bomo Kingdom for finding a member of the pen profession worthy to represent them at the state assembly.
“We feel proud each time journalists are given the opportunity to take up leadership positions in the society. That is because, as watchdogs of the society, we play a major role in reshaping it for good.
“Be rest assured of our unflinching support and contribution to this course because it is like our own project as a union. We pray that God makes this dream to come to fusion.”
Also speaking, the immediate past chairman of the union, Mr. Tarinyo Akono, said he is confident that the NUJ scribe would make it to the state assembly, but urged him not to forget the NUJ which is his primary constituency when he eventually wins in 2019.

A fatal accident involving a white Toyota Hiace bus and a blue Mack truck took place along Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Tuesday June 13, and left about eight persons dead.

According to eye witness, the accident happened along the road opposite Wichtech Roofing and Pipes company.

Speaking Further, Babatunde Akinbiyi, Public Relations Officer, Ogun Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), confirmed the incident the newsmen in Abeokuta,  He stated that the accident was caused by to much speed and wrongful overtaking on the part of the bus.

He said that seven of the passengers in the bus with registration number BEN-313 YX died on the spot while the eighth person died at the hospital.

“10 persons were involved in the accident five male and five female. Five male and two female died on the spot while one female died at the hospital. The suspected cause of the crash was a speeding commercial bus from Lagos to Benin which lost control and rammed into the truck with registration number MUS-730 XN travelling ahead. We also learnt that the passengers in the bus just came in from Spain and had chattered the bus to take them to Benin City,” he said.

The dead had been deposited at the mortuary of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, while the injured were also in the same hospital. Clement Oladele, the Ogun Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), also confirmed the incident.

Even in a socio-political environment where the bizarre and incredible is unfortunately becoming the norm in governance, the absence of an Appropriations Act for 2018 in the sixth month of the year must break all records of a disturbing sloppiness and nonchalance in the economic planning of a country whose economic situation is fragile, to put it mildly.

At a joint sitting of the National Assembly in the first week of November last year, President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2018 Appropriations Bill of N8.612 trillion made up of N3.494tr for recurrent expenditure and N2.652tr for capital projects and Nigerians who were anxious to see a tangible plan which would tackle the dire economic situation were hopeful that the fairly early presentation would accord the National Assembly ample time to work on the fiscal document, pass same with diligent dispatch with the President assenting quickly in the interest of national development.

After an unfathomable delay of six months, the National Assembly finally passed the bill and transmitted same to the President for assent over two weeks ago with nothing further heard about that all-important economic blueprint. It is presumed that the Presidency is going through it ministry-by-ministry before assent though this could be done much faster considering the circumstances.

The reasons for the delay have not been beyond the usual lamentable politics that attend the budgetary process in Nigeria, politics that have little to do with the interests of the common people of the country and everything to do with gratifying the less than altruistic desires of the political elite who wish to turn public service to a commercial venture by positioning themselves at the lucrative decision points of the mechanism. Former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala shed more light on the political dealing involved in certain aspects of budget making when she revealed the damning trade-off the Jonathan administration had to make with the seventh National Assembly to get the 2014 budget passed. Remarkably, that budget was the last before an election year just like the long awaited 2018 budget.

While accusations and counter-accusations have trailed the 2018 budget and have wearied the common Nigerian, observers discern that the refusal/inability of Ministries, Departments and Agencies to appear before the National Assembly to defend their budgets contributed to most of the friction between the executive and legislature and constituted the greatest waste of time between November 2017 when the budget was laid and May 2018 when it was finally passed.

Consequences of late passage and assent of the 2018 budget are not far-fetched. For an economy struggling with GDP growth rates of 1.95% in the first quarter of 2018, down from the 2.11% recorded in the preceding quarter (Q4 2017), experts have posited that an early passage would help reflate the economy while the delay in passage means a near impossibility of achieving 100% implementation of the capital component of the budget. One would have thought that a government with a sworn determination to revamp decaying infrastructure would take the budgeting process as a priority.

Captains of industry and economic experts have warned of other consequences of dilly-dallying with the budget. Lending his voice to the call for a harmonious working relationship between the executive and legislature, the Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Muda Yusuf raised the alarm when he stated that if funds for critical projects are not disbursed on time, the tempo of economic activities will be reduced, dragging the economy into a state of inertia and economic decline and warned that the late passage of the budget is a threat to achieving the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) targets and to Nigeria’s goal of becoming one of the top 20 economies by 2020.

Also, with increased spending in an election year, experts have warned of inflation if production is not ramped up and if the diversification policy is not pursued with greater vigour through fiscal guidance and discipline.

But perhaps the most inexplicable irony of the delay in the entire process of enacting the 2018 budget into law is the fact that the executive and legislative arms of government are both controlled by the All Progressives Congress (APC). It is baffling that a political party which campaigned on the platform of change with self-advertised progressive credentials cannot get its acts together to deliver on what may pass as the most important piece of annual legislation. This lack of synergy not just clearly indicates the simmering undercurrents of a political war between the leadership of both arms (especially the Senate), it also makes a mockery of the party’s claim to have achieved any significant change in the old way of doing things. In fact, the 2018 budget which is yet to be given presidential assent will be the most time-defaulting of all budgets (considering the financial year begins January and runs to December) since the return to democracy in 1999, the earliest passage and assent in that time period being the 2013 budget which was signed into law in February of that year by former President Jonathan. Nigerians expected that a higher sense of responsibility by the ruling party guided by a fidelity to its promise of a break from the ugly past would have produced a behavioural shift in the budgetary process.

While Section 82 of the 1999 Constitution grants the President the power to make continued withdrawals from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the running of government until the Appropriations Act is passed, it is opined that this privilege is a major contributor to the laissez-faire attitude towards the budgetary process in Nigeria and must be amended to provide a more constricting scope of action which would make the passage of a budget more paramount in the minds of both the executive and legislature. Legal luminary Afe Babalola has advocated the Chilean model where the executive is mandated by law to provide the legislature the budget 60 days to the end of the year and where the legislature fails to approve same within 60 days, it automatically becomes law.

It is sincerely hoped that as the Presidency scrutinizes the bill as passed by the National Assembly, new issues would not arise that would whip up a fresh round of brickbats between the two arms who clearly have not been on the best of working terms given other sources of friction created by extraneous reasons. Given the National Assembly’s addition of N508bn (across several sectors) to the figure presented by the executive, Nigerians hope this will not precipitate fresh crisis and all differences can be smoothened out expeditiously to ensure presidential assent at the earliest possible time for the actual implementation to begin.

A closer working relationship between the National Assembly and the Presidency must be forged in Nigeria’s democratic journey. The Presidency cannot sit in imperial righteous unapproachability and must constantly make overtures to the legislature and hold meaningful dialogue while the National Assembly on its own part must realize that the budgetary process is not a commercial venture where personal interests must be serviced. Both arms must learn to put Nigeria first.
Enough of the prodigal misuse of valuable time.

ON Friday last week, President Muhammadu Buhari took bold steps worthy of adulation: he signed some vital bills passed and sent to him by the National Assembly into laws among which are bills that granted financial autonomy to state legislature and judiciary. What makes this step so remarkable is the fact that there has been a lot of debate on the need for independence of state legislature and judiciary, but power drunk state governors fought it to stand still.

Expectedly, this new laws should signal a definitive end to the exploitation and tyranny of state governors who stifle other arms of government – legislature and judiciary – thereby denying them independence as truly deserving in any constitutional democracy in order to allow effective check and balances in government operations. It is the same way they killed the local government system in Nigeria through dubious illegal joint accounts system – state and local government accounts – wherein they use to milk states dry.

There are a number of other bills signed into law by the president. This revelation was made by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, during his interaction with the State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Senator Enang enthused that “I just want to inform you that His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari today assented to the Constitution Fourth Alteration Bill which grants financial autonomy and independence to the Houses of Assembly of the respective states and to the Judiciary of the respective states.

“Therefore, upon this signature, the amounts standing to the credit of the judiciary are now to be paid directly to the judiciary of those states, no more through the governors and no more from the governors. And then the amounts standing to the credit of the Houses of Assembly of the respective states are now to be paid directly to the Houses of Assembly of that state for the benefit of the legislators and the management of the States Houses of Assembly”, he said.

Other bills signed into law include Constitution Amended 21 that deals with determination of pre election matters which has reduced the date and time of determining pre-election matters; Act number 16 which stops a Vice President who succeeds the president and where a deputy governor succeeds a governor, from recontesting more than once; another amendment empowers Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct bye-elections within a space of 21 days.

According to Enang, “The other amendment is Bill number 9 which gives the Independent National Electoral Commission sufficient time to conduct bye-elections” from the previous 7 days to 21 days.

We acknowledge this important landmark event at this stage of our country and democracy. It can be admitted that this act has expanded our democratic space, strengthened our democratic principles and practices in the country. Indeed, this teaches us a fundamental lesson in governance that when the executive and legislature work harmoniously together, they can achieve a lot to move this country forward rather than sacrificing national interest for selfish interests as often charaterise the present system.

We are also using this opportunity to challenge the two arms of government to yet synergise towards liberating the local governments from the imperial control of state governors, greedy and unpatriotic political godfathers who have destroyed democracy at the local level and keep pilfering local government funds thereby making it impossible for it to function as a third tier of government.

JOINT Union of Nasarawa state tertiary institutions has demanded the immediate
release of white paper on reports of the panels that recently investigated
activities of the state-owned College of Education Akwanga, College of Agriculture
and Nasarawa state polytechnic, all in Lafia.
Chairman of the union, Mr. Ariks Bashayi, who made the demand in an interview
with newsmen in Lafia, yesterday, noted that the release of the reports would
help in addressing issues of lack of accreditation, corruption among other sharp
practices in the institutions.
The chairman, while maintaining that release of the reports would also save the
affected institutions from total collapse, condemned the appointment of persons
outside the system to manage the three institutions.
Bashayi urged the state government to follow due process in any subsequent
appointments to avoid industrial unrest.

Much as a large section of the country celebrates pronouncement of June 12, as
democracy day and conferment of national honours on late chief MKO Abiola,
and two others, the law says it is for the living only.
Ex-President of the Nigerian Bar Association NBA chief OCJ Okocha, made the
observation yesterday in Port Harcourt, in an exclusive interview with journalists.
According to the legal luminary, "the law does not specifically state, it can
be conferred posthumously. The National Honours Act states anybody who is a
citizen of Nigeria. The operative word there is 'is'.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also referred to the observation of former Chief
Justice of Nigeria CJN Justice Alfa Belgore, who stated same
"Also the Nobel Peace prize on literature, chemistry, or physics is not awarded
posthumously. For me it makes sense, as the awardee is living, walks up to the
stage, takes it and paraded with it.
He noted he would not take anything away from President Muhammadu Buhari's
statement hoping that the National Council State, NCS, which has the right and
title to approve conferment and awards, would approve the awards
"It is my hope that this conferment of national honours, of GCFR on late chief
MKO Abiola, GCON on late chief Gani and much loved Ambassador Baba Gana
Kingibe respectively, will receive the blessing of the National Council of States,
because they did not make those laws for fun.
Chief Okocha advised that much as the nation hails the actions of the President,
they should be backed up by legal processes to make them real, so that all will
take the President's declaration seriously.

The 2000-2003 NBA National President hoped that NCS should step
up amendment in law, so that it is put beyond question that those honours can be
conferred posthumously.

Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola in a statement released on Monday June 11 has said it would no longer take Falz to court because the court would only look at ‘legalities, judiciability and technicalities’ thus, it has decided to take the case to the video governing bodies.

Last week Falz management told MURIC that they would see them in court and Sunday His Falz dad SAN Femi Falana dared Muric to take the matter to court. Let’s not forget that Falz is a lawyer, his mum is a lawyer, his dad is a lawyer, his manger is a lawyer and is reported that his girlfriend is also a lawyer. May be the lagalities scaring MURIC might just be his entire legal team.

Any way their press statement released reads thus:

“The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) last week resolved to sue Folarin Falana (Falz the Bahd Guy), a Nigerian artist, who produced the video song titled ‘This is Nigeria’ in which a Fulani man was seen beheading somebody. The video also featured hijab-wearing female choreographers dancing the ‘shaku-shaku’ (a dance associated with drug). A seven-day ultimatum was given for the withdrawal of the video and an apology failing which a legal tussle would be launched.

“Our office has since been inundated with solidarity visits, while our telephone lines have been flooded with a deluge of calls from members, friends, well-wishers, journalists and other concerned Nigerians, majority of whom are of the Islamic faith.

“In view of the intervention of these well-meaning Nigerians, counselling from several quarters and commitments given by us to those who interfaced with us on this matter, an emergency meeting of MURIC’s Think-Tank was convened on Sunday, June 10, 2018 to review the situation.

“In deference to pleas made by well-meaning Nigerians, in order to keep faith with our avowed motto (Dialogue, Not Violence) and to further confirm that MURIC is a listening, mature and responsible organization committed to promoting peace in Nigeria, the Think-Tank resolved to drag the artist to government agencies saddled with the responsibility of censoring films and videos. It is not a U-turn but a sudden change in tactics.

“This will have a more enduring impact not only on Falz but the entire entertainment industry. It will also make the agencies sit up to their responsibilities and inject a huge dose of discipline in the music and film industries in general.

“MURIC expresses deep appreciation to its members nation-wide, particularly Muslim lawyers who volunteered to take up the case gratis, leaders of Islamic organizations across the country who offered their solidarity as well as senior civil servants who shared their rich experiences with us.

“Although he stopped short of apologizing, the artist has tried to clear himself in published interviews made available to us. According to him, he did not intend to ridicule Muslims. He said his intention was to call attention to the plight of the Chibok girls although we think he has done that the wrong way.

“A scene in the video in which the ‘Chibok girls’ are in pensive mood would have been more representative of the reality on ground because kidnapped girls cannot be dancing like people under the influence of drug. They are in captivity and so they have no cause under the sun for jubilating.

“Again, the Fulanis (Muslims) were painted as killers while Benue militias (Christians) who rustle Fulani cattles and slaughter their wives and children were not featured. This is grossly unfair. Falz should find a way of balancing his video. The kidnappers of the South East (also Christians) were spared while the oil saboteurs of the Niger Delta (Christians too) were ignored. Falz video is loaded with Islamophobia. That video should be titled ‘This is not Nigeria’. It is Islam-bashing. Nigeria’s video regulatory agency should therefore ban the video or ask the artist to edit it properly.

“With this latest development and even before the seven-day ultimatum expires, MURIC is no longer contemplating court action against Falz, neither are we demanding any apology from him or his management. The likely pecuniary gain in the event of a court validation of our claims does not interest us. We are no longer looking at Falz but at a larger picture.

“The courts will only be interested in legalities, judiciability and technicalities but the video board will look beyond all that. Is it professional? Is it balanced? Is it truly representative of our country? Is it morally justifiable? These are what will interest the board and they are in tandem with our thinking. We appreciate artists and our aim is not to punish Falz. He is not a lazy Nigerian youth.

“The matter will now go to those government agencies who are supposed to do their jobs in the first place. Instead of creating media tension and granting cheap popularity, this matter will now be handled by professionals who know what to do.

“Our emphasis is going to be mainly on the portrayal of Fulanis as killers in the video with the concomitant ugly perception it is likely to create among Nigerians as well as its bandwagon effect on the image of Muslims in general. This is one area Falz has not been able to explain away, yet he refused to apologise. That aspect of the video would have been edited had the censorship agencies done what was expected of them or if Falz had followed due process.

“In the interest of peace, law and order, we are calling on the National Film And Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to take up the matter from this moment. Although MURIC will still do a followup with an official petition, we expect the board to have begun its independent investigations on the matter particularly with the furore generated by the issue.

“In a nutshell, we insist that Falz video “This is Nigeria” is offensive and provocative. It portrays Fulanis (and Nigerian Muslims) as killers. It is capable of igniting crisis and precipitating a general breakdown of law and order. The video board must therefore do the needful”.

*Describes him as a ‘desperate’ politician
*Says party won’t tolerate his constant assault on leaders
*It’s laughable, Okorocha’s aide
*Insists there was no party congress in Imo

The rift between the Imo state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and the
leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, following the outcome of the
party’s state congress in the state took a new dimension yesterday as the warring
parties engaged themselves in war of words.
While the party through its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi described Okorocha as a
‘desperate’ politician warning that it would no longer tolerate his constant
assaults on its leaders, Okorocha said he is only demanding for justice following
the poor handling of the party congress in Imo state.
In a telephone interview with Nigerian Pilot, Okorocha’s Chief Press Secretary,
Sam Onwuemeodo insists that there was no state congress of the party in Imo
because according to him, there was a court order stopping the congress but the
party leadership ignored it.
“They said there was no court order and that if there was one, they were not
served, but we proved that they were properly served by publishing the court
order, what is an insult there”, he stressed.
But in the statement, Bolaji Abdullahi noted with regret that on different
occasions, the governor has made uncomplimentary remarks about the National
Chairman of party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun over the internal crisis in the state
chapter of APC.

It would be recalled that shortly after Oyegun inaugurated Hillary Eke who is in
the faction of the party in Imo state that is not loyal to Okorocha as chairman of
the APC in the state, Okorocha said the national chairman ought to be in prison.
Abdullahi’s statement read in part: “In recent weeks, the Imo state governor,
Rochas Okorocha, has made libellous attacks on our party and its leaders a daily
occurrence.”
“Hardly a day passes by without Governor Okorocha verbally assaulting our
national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and other party leaders over the
recently concluded congresses in Imo state.
“In an advertorial published in the Daily Trust Newspaper of June 11, and titled in
part: ‘Let the Truth Speak for Itself’ which was signed by a known associate of
governor Okorocha, one Hon. Ireagwu Obioma, who styles himself as ‘acting
secretary, Imo APC’, a number of false claims were made against the party.
“The import of the allegations was that the Party was aware of a court order
preventing it from conducting the Imo state Congress following receipt of a copy
of the so-called court injunction which directed it to maintain status quo. But
nothing can be further from the truth. Even the published documents in the
advertorial do not support this position and in fact gave a lie to the governor’s
version of events, that the party was duly served and prevented from going ahead
with the congress in Imo state.
“A cursory look at the published court papers revealed that the party was served
the so-called court rulings on May 18, 2018, while the ward and local government
congresses which produced the recently inaugurated party executives from the
state was held on May 5th and 14th, 2018 respectively, four days before the court
ruling was issued.
“In fact, we strongly believe that the court ruling being paraded as injunction does
not serve governor Okorocha’s interest. At the time of the ruling a new set of
party executives had been validly elected, consequently the court ruling directing
that the status quo is maintained, actually means that no one should interfere
with the newly elected APC party executives in the state.
“Also in the advertorial, a so-called internal party memo was published, which
purportedly showed that we were aware of the pendency of the legal issues

involving the congresses in Imo and Abia states. The published ‘memo’ by the
agents of the Imo state governor is fake. No such memo was generated by our
party. A casual look will reveal the inconsistency of the published document.
“The memo, according to the published advertorial, was generated by the chief of
staff to the APC national chairman, Edwin Ikhinmwin but was signed by the
party’s legal adviser, Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN). It is impossible for such an incoherent
document to have emerged from our party, or any sane organisation – for one
person to generate a memo and another person to sign it!
“Indeed Banire, our party’s legal adviser and the chief of staff, have denounced
the document as fake, stating clearly that they neither originated nor signed such
memo. This is therefore, a clear case of forgery borne out of desperation.
“The sensible thing to do when you find yourself in a ditch is to stop digging. We
therefore, once again urge governor Okorocha to tread the path of caution and
reconciliation and to work with the duly elected party executives in the state for
the good of the party. We shall however not tolerate his constant assault on the
party, either directly or through proxies.”
The APC spokesman said the party is seeking legal advice on how to respond to
the matter.

Former big brother naija housemate Uriel has revealed that Mavin artist Di’ja helped her in her time of need.

In an instagram post the ex-house mate explained that Di’ja bought weaves from her, the money which she got from her was what she used in boosting her business.

In her words “people like Di’ja helped me, she probably doesn’t know. But I feel God used her when I was so broke. God would use her then to DM me and she would order hair, pay upfront. I would use her money to order hair in. Di’ja Mavins will forever love you sis. Whatever you are going through God will make a way where there is no way”.