Politics
Momodu Advises Nigerians Against Money-Bag Aspirants
Veteran journalist and publisher, Dele Momodu, has advised Nigerians, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to reject money-bag aspirants vying for President in the 2023 general elections.
Momodu stated this at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja, shortly after obtaining the expression of interest and nomination forms for the Office of the President in the 2023 elections.
Accompanied by friends and associates, to the party’s headquarters, Momodu thanked Nigerians of all walks of life, particularly those who in his words contributed various sums of money to raise a total of N40 million to purchase the nomination forms.
He said: “I want to thank all the kind-hearted Nigerians who contributed every kobo raised so far for this laudable project. I am particularly grateful to the young Nigerians who donated from N500 to N20,000 after my appeal on social media. I am deeply touched by their act of uncommon generosity, especially because I know of their tough financial situations. It is gratifying and humbling for me that from the very little that they possess, Nigeria comes first. God will bless them.
“I am proud to stand resolutely to challenge those who feel Nigeria and Nigerians can be bought or bribed by the highest bidder. The time for the rejection of such a notion is now. Nigerians will no longer sell their soul for 20 pieces of silver, and I make bold to say that they are prepared to make this statement and are relying on the political parties for the opportunity to demonstrate that this is the case, by giving to them worthy candidates rather than a recycling of the failed so-called political juggernauts.
“I wish to appeal to all men and women of good conscience to join me in this movement to put a stop to the rascality of those who feel Nigerians are permanently helpless and hopeless and that we can be lorded upon simply because we have chosen to be silent. We will no longer acquiesce in this state of affairs. I modestly say that through our collective efforts, the silent and voiceless majority now have a voice and representative in me.
Momodu stressed the importance of settling for a President who will see the entire country as his constituency, saying, “like many Nigerians, I am vehemently opposed to ethnic jingoists who see where they come from as the only prerequisite qualification for aspiring to lead Nigeria, no matter how ugly and inglorious their past had been.
“I humbly come into this political contest with a pedigree of integrity, reputation, solid education, tolerance, business acumen, sharp vision, and competence. I possess everything it takes to win the 2023 Presidential election on behalf of my party, PDP, and I will be greatly honoured to get the ticket and support of my esteemed party for this purpose.”
He continued: “The time has come for my party, PDP to take advantage of this unique opportunity to present an uncommon candidate who is tailor-made for this moment and purpose. I am fresh and free from the usual encumbrances associated with most of our career politicians.
“Despite not being in government or power, my business and I have been one of the biggest brands out of Africa in the last three decades. I have the capacity to reunite Nigeria instantly. I am instantly recognized and warmly welcomed and received wherever I go by the generality of our people whether elites, middle class or the common man.
“Without being immodest or boastful, I am glad to profess that I have verifiably touched lives in every part of Nigeria. The youths of Nigeria and Africa see me as their role model. I have created enduring opportunities for them and used my talents and material resources to reproduce multiple millionaires in farming, fashion, music, comedy, media, events, hospitality, and entrepreneurship.
“I have personally given succour and palliatives to thousands of Nigerians in all parts of Nigeria without any discrimination whatsoever. Without access to government money or constituency allowances, I have touched more Nigerians globally than our career politicians. I have given scholarships to hundreds of indigent students at home and abroad.”
Not unaware of the role money plays in partisan politics in this part, the Momodu said a strategy that would see him coast home to victory was at hand, provided a level playing field was provided for all aspirants.
“You may be wondering how I intend to defeat the billionaire and powerful politicians in the two mainstream political parties with the reckless naira and dollar rain with which they are already flooding everywhere. I place my faith in God Almighty and in the long-suffering people of Nigeria as well as in my unblemished record of excellence, integrity, youthfulness, mental capacity, tolerance, courage, wisdom and global experience and exposure.
“It would be difficult to find anyone with more intimidating credentials amongst the members of the current political class.
“I expect our party, PDP, to hearken to the cries of Nigerians for a new type of leadership and not a rehash and regurgitation of the same monied class or cabals who have nothing but calamitous corruption, monumental misery and unprecedented disaster to offer our unfortunate citizens.
“The world has already left us way behind as a result of our addiction to narcoleptic leadership and the inability to exorcise the demons of democracy. We can rid ourselves of the manacles and shackles of the depressive state and oppressive nature created by much vaunted purported political demigods and warlords.
“By so doing, we will free ourselves from our current dire predicament and make brisk progress in nation building which is what all well-meaning Nigerians desire and deserve, desperately,” he stressed.
Momodu called on PDP leadership to throw the Presidential race open, given that aspirants from both the North and South had indicated interest in the office.
“On the issue of zoning or no zoning, I believe that allowing all aspirants to buy their forms at N40 million suggests that the race is open to all, regardless of what part of Nigeria they come from.
“It is practically and legally impossible for a political party to disqualify an aspirant on account of zoning after collecting a whopping N40 million for services not rendered. I am therefore happy to join this race and I am expecting a level playing ground for all aspirants as repeatedly promised by our respectable and cerebral national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu,” he added.
He further dismissed insinuations in some quarters that a Southern Presidential candidate cannot win the election for the PDP, describing such as “absolute distortion of facts of history and mathematics.”
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed, through a second reading, a bill seeking to retain immunity for the Office of the President and remove immunity from the Vice President, the Governors and the Deputy Governors.
The bill was one of the 42 considered and passed through the second reading stage during plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Benjamin Kalu, in Abuja.
Sponsored by Hon. Solomon Bob (Rivers PDP), the bill is seeking the amendment of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution to guard against abuse of office and to ensure transparency in governance.
The long title of the proposed legislation read: “A Bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to qualify the immunity conferred on the President, remove the immunity conferred on the Vice President, the Governors and their deputies, in order to curb corruption, eradicate impunity and enhance accountability in public office and for related matters.”
Key amendments include changes to Section 308 of the Constitution, which currently grants immunity to the president, vice president, governors, and deputy governors while in office.
The proposed bill will amend subsection 3 to ensure that immunity only applies to the President and the vice president when acting as President under Section 145 of the Constitution.
Additionally, a new subsection 4 will be introduced to make the immunity clause inapplicable if the office holder is acting in an unofficial capacity, engaging in actions beyond the powers of the office, or involved in criminal conduct.
“The bill seeks to foster transparency and strengthen the fight against corruption by making public officials more accountable for their actions, both in and out of office.”
“Section 308 of the principal Act is amended by:(a) substituting a new subsection (3) as follows: “(3) This section applies to a person holding the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Vice President only when acting as President, in line with Section 145 of this Constitution.
Creating sub section (4) thereto as follows:”(4) The foregoing provisions of this section shall be inapplicable where the person to whom this section applies is acting in an unofficial capacity or where the conduct of the person is beyond the powers of his office or the conduct is criminal in nature.
“This Bill may be cited as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Act 2024.
The bill is currently awaiting further debate and consideration by the National Assembly.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to notify Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central, about the petition by constituents seeking her recall from the national assembly.
INEC said it has also received the contact details of the petitioners.
“Pursuant to section 69 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, I write to notify you of the receipt of a petition from representatives of registered voters in your constituency seeking your recall from the senate.
“The notification is in line with the provisions of clause 2 (a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
“This letter is also copied to the presiding officer of the senate and simultaneously published on the commission’s website. Thank you”, the letter read.
The letter was signed by Ruth Oriaran Anthony, secretary to the commission.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Wednesday, INEC said it has now received the updated contact details from representatives of petitioners seeking to recall the senator.
In the statement, Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, said a letter notifying the senator of the petition has been delivered to her official address, copied to the senate presiding officer, and published on the commission’s website.
“The next step is to scrutinise the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to ascertain that the petition is signed by more than one half (over 50%) of the registered voters in the constituency. This will be done in the coming days.
“The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission. We once again reassure Nigerians that the process will be open and transparent”, Mr Olumekun said.
Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan had recently accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her.
The allegation came in the wake of seating arrangement related altercation between Senator. Akpabio and the Kogi Central senator at the red chamber
She was subsequently suspended from the senate for six months for “gross misconduct” over the incident.
The constituents behind the recall move also accused her of “gross misconduct, abuse of office, and deceitful behaviour”.
The senator has denied wrongdoing and called the recall effort a “coordinated suppression” of her voice.
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the second reading of a bill to upgrade the Lagos State 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to full-fledged Local Government Areas (LGAs ).
The bill, was sponsored by James Faleke, Babajimi Benson, Enitan Badru, and 19 other lawmakers.
The bill is titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to Accommodate the Thirty-Seven (37) Development Area Councils of Lagos State as Full-Fledged Local Government Areas, Increasing the Total Number of Local Government Areas in the Federation to Eight Hundred and Eleven (811), and for Related Matters (HB. 1498),”
Once fully enacted, Nigeria’s total number of LGAs will rise from 774 to 811, with Lagos overtaking Kano and Katsina, which currently have 44 and 34 LGAs, respectively.
Proponents of the bill argue that granting full LGA status to the LCDAs would bring governance closer to the people. The 37 LCDAs were created by President Bola Tinubu in 2003 when he was governor of Lagos State.
However, it’s worth noting that the Lagos State House of Assembly has been working on a bill to replace the 37 LCDAs with newly designated administrative areas.