The year 2022 has been quite an interesting one in the political arena with the signing of the important election bill as amended by President Buhari, the beginning of political activities, and the emergence of candidates for various positions of political parties, among others.
It has become quite common for the months leading up to a generational election in Nigeria to be characterized by serious politicking, often at the expense of good governance at all levels of government.
As the general election approaches, the Nigerian political space continues to be characterized by some dramatic and controversial events that could shape the outcome of the 2023 general election.
Meanwhile, Naijaonpoint, as a continuation of the series, presents a roundup of some of the major political events across the country during the week.
December 12th
INEC began on Monday the distribution of Permanent Voter Credentials (PVC) at its local government offices across the country.
According to the reports monitoring the exercise in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the exercise began simultaneously at the headquarters of the INEC FCT and its 6 area councils.
Reports suggest that some of the registered voters in their hundreds were seen queuing outside the INEC FCT state office to collect their cards.
The collection was made in rooms in the FCT, depending on the registration modality, including those who made fresh registration, transfers, replacement requests and others.
December 12th
Meanwhile, INEC also confirmed an attack on its state headquarters office in Owerri, Imo state on Monday, though it says no critical election material was destroyed and no casualties were reported.
This disclosure is contained in a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the INEC Voter Information and Education Committee, Festus Okoye, where he regretted that the attack occurred on the day PVC collection began throughout the country.
Okoye stated that the attack, which is the third on the commission’s premises in Imo state in less than 2 weeks, is a continuation of violence targeting INEC assets across the country.
December 12th
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma condemned the incessant attacks on INEC offices in the state, describing them as “politically contrived.”
The governor made the comment at the Imo Police Command Headquarters in Owerri on Monday after an attack on the INEC headquarters in the south-eastern state killed 5 people.
Addressing the press after the visit, Governor Uzodimma said: “If we relate this to the events of the past, we have continuously said that what is happening in Imo State is politically contrived.
- He said: “Some people think they can win the election but they don’t want the election. How would they win now?
December 12th
Ahead of the 2023 general election, INEC on Monday accused some politicians of buying PVC and financially inducing voters to collect their voter ID numbers.
The commission also said that 2 people have recently been convicted of illegal possession of PVC in Sokoto and Kano states.
The alarm was sounded by the acting president of INEC and national commissioner overseeing the FCT, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Plateau states, Mohammed Haruna, during the launch of the #YourVoteMatters project by an election observer group, NESSACTION, in Abuja. .
December 12th
The African Action Congress (AAC) and a faction of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) announced that they were forming an alliance to liberate millions of Nigerians from “Shackles of corrupt and greedy politicians who have held the country hostage for several years.”
The national president and presidential candidate of the AAC, Omoyele Sowore, made it known on Monday at a press conference to formalize the union between his party and the PRP faction, in Abuja.
Sowore said the essence of the alliance was to overthrow and end the evil system of oppression and injustice in Nigeria and end the reign of deceit that had enslaved Nigerians since independence.
December 12th
A former federation government secretary, Babachir Lawal, insisted on Monday that he would not support PDP presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 elections.
According to him, Atiku’s ambition would not fly as it would amount to the transition of government from one Muslim Fulani president to another Muslim Fulani president.
Lawal was reacting to a report that he had abandoned Labor Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to work for Atiku.
He warned that Atiku, if he had his way, would represent the ethnic domination of one ethnic group over others, saying “I’m still a staunch Peter Obi.”
December 13
A leader of the Peoples’ Democratic Party and former national vice-president of the party, Chief Bode George, has insisted that All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu is not indigenous to Lagos state.
Bode George, who is a strong critic of Bola Tinubu’s presidential bid, had this to say on Tuesday morning’s Arise TV morning show, where he discussed Tinubu’s candidacy as well as the internal crisis within the PDP.
He said the APC candidate has yet to prove his roots in Lagos beyond a reasonable doubt, as he has not produced any evidence to back up his claim.
- He said, “Tinubu is not from Lagos state. you can quote me If he says that he grew up in Isale-Eko, what school did you attend? I grew up on Evans Street in Lagos. 35 Evans Street was my grandfather’s house. I went to community school. I played soccer at the local Isale-Eko stadium. That’s how people knew me.”
December 14th
The Labor Party announced the unveiling of the presidential campaign rally it planned to hold in Ekiti and Ondo states.
This comes just a day after his presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Baba Ahmed-Datti, held their campaign rally in Kogi state, which some opponents claimed was poorly attended.
The party in a statement blamed it on unavoidable and unusual circumstances beyond its control. However, he promised to announce new dates for his rally in the states.
- The statement says, “Due to some unavoidable and unusual circumstances out of control, our previously scheduled presidential campaign rally in Ekiti and Ondo for December 15-16, 2023 is postponed. A new date will be announced. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused by this.”
December 14th
APC Presidential Campaign Council Director of Media and Publicity Bayo Onanuga has denied suggestions that the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, was pulled from the stage due to health problems at his rally in Minna, the capital of the Niger state.
Onanuga said in a statement that the crowd that turned out to welcome Tinubu to the rally was so massive and unprecedented that the former Lagos state governor had to address them briefly.
- The statement reads in part, “A massive crowd of APC supporters welcomed presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Minna on Wednesday when he arrived for the mega rally.
- “The cheering crowd was unprecedented, according to reporters at the Trade Fair Complex, site of the rally.
- “The crowd was so large that Tinubu spoke briefly to thank supporters and identified party candidates seeking elective office.
- “Contrary to rumors that he was pulled from the stage due to health issues, Tinubu cut it short to attend other shows of the day.
December 15
Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has described Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as one of the two main candidates for next year’s presidential election.
He made the remarks at the Governor’s Lodge in Awka, Anambra state, on Thursday when Atiku visited him before attending a campaign rally ahead of the election.
This appears to be a hint at the Labor Party presidential candidate, who, in a lengthy article, ruled out his presidential bid, saying there was no way he could win the election.
Soludo said a few weeks ago that there are only 2 candidates for the presidency and described others as “exciting drama!”.
December 16
The Northern Elderly Forum (NEF) raised the alarm about some politicians allegedly taking advantage of vulnerable people in the North, especially women, to buy their permanent voter cards (PVCs).
NEF Director of Publicity and Advocacy Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed made a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, where he provided further insight into the Forum’s recent findings on the alleged proliferation of voter suppression in the region.
December 17
President Muhammadu Buhari, in his preview of the upcoming 2023 general election, once again maintained that his administration would conduct a credible poll that would be acceptable to all candidates taking part in the exercise.
The president made this commitment Friday in Washington DC, the capital of the United States, in an interactive session.
Buhari, according to a statement issued by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, stated that INEC has no reason not to be prepared for next year’s elections, further insisting that no local government area in Nigeria is under Boko Haram control. .
December 17
Meanwhile, despite Buhari’s assurances that holding the 2023 election would be acceptable to all candidates, Labor Party National Chairman Abure has sounded the alarm that the series of attacks and assassinations of Labor Party leaders and candidates party has shown that there may never be a smooth election in 2023.
He was speaking in the context of the assassination of the party’s candidate for the Onuimo constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly, Christopher Elehu, by gunmen suspected of being hit men on Friday.
He also recounted the recent murder of a female party leader in Kaduna state, noting that no one has been charged in court.
… General Election 2023: Summary of some of the main political events of the week Read more in … Naijaonpoint.