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Jos killings: Atiku blames Tinubu *President rates politics over Nigerian lives
For the umpteenth time, Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, again, put the blame for the wanton killings across the country on the doorstep of President Bola Tinubu, blaming him for giving attention to politics than the lives of Nigerians.
The former Vice President, demanded that the President must accord the same seriousness to the security of Nigeria the same way he dealt with political opponents, adding that if this had been the case, the current parlous situation would have been resolved.
Atiku, spoke against the backdrop of another report of a fresh attack, which claimed more than 54 lives on Sunday in Zike community in Kimakpa area of Kwali district of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, a week after a similar attack in Bokkos Local Government Area in which scores of people were also killed and properties destroyed.
The Waziri Adamawa, also bemoaned the upsurge in terrorist attacks in Borno State, which has led to the loss of lives and territories to the Boko Haram insurgents, which recently elicited alarms from both Babagana Zulum Governor of the state and Shehu of Borno Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, as saddening.
Stressing that the attacks were indicative of the woeful failure of both the security policy and infrastructure of the Tinubu-led administration, he called on the Federal Government to take tougher proactive measures to deal with “these disgraceful incidents that challenge our national security.”
He added: “Every sincere Nigerian should be worried about the frequency and impunity with which terrorists and bandits attack innocent people in the country, especially in Northern Nigeria, which has become the epicenter of terrorist violence in the country.
“The delay in the prosecution of captured terrorists and bandits in custody since 2016 has emboldened the mass murderers to kill with impunity.
“If the government had applied the same energy in the prosecution of terrorists and bandits as it did in the trial of political critics, it would have gone a long way to send a powerful message to the outlaws that there are consequences for mass murder.
“The prosecution of terrorists and bandits should be accorded the highest priority by the Attorney General of the Federation. There should be special courts to fast-track the trial and conviction of terrorists in the country. Hundreds of terrorists and bandits have been in custody since 2016 without trial, and the delay in bringing them to justice is demoralising to our security forces. If terrorists and bandits are captured and then are left in custody longer than necessary without trial, it will undermine the efforts and sacrifices of our security forces.
“Our criminal justice system is notoriously slow and as a result, terrorists and bandits are thus encouraged to feel that crime pays. It is an embarrassment at that armed criminal groups cross through our borders to carry our terrorist activities in Nigeria. Condemnation of terrorist attacks by the government is not enough. What is needed are prompt and proactive measures to forestall further attacks and loss of innocent lives.
“As long as the terrorists and bandits are operating successfully without consequences, they will continue to attack innocent people again and again, I call on the National Assembly to urgently introduce a legislation to allow state governments to adequately arm their security outfits with modern weapons to complement the efforts of our security forces who appear to be overstretched in terms of men and resources.”
Also blaming community members who serve as informants to armed groups, he stated that community members have a role to play in their own security by providing intelligence to our security forces about the presence and activities of bandits and terrorists in their midst.
While applauding the rare sacrifices of the security forces in counter-terrorism operations, he added that without public support, the criminals could hardly succeed.
Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has given assignment to Nigerians to put all those aspiring to take up political positions in the country through the grill to ascertain their level of integrity, saying it was required as a sine qua non for the job they seek.
Obi, who has been a subject of discussion in the polity since the allegation of corruption was levied against him by Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesman of his campaign in 2023, over the conduct of the party’s primaries to choose candidates for the 2027 general elections, said the grilling must start with his own person.
A guest in an interview on a podcast with Rufai Oseni, a popular television anchor, the former Governor of Anambra State, stated that it was actually for this reason that he had now sworn to see the litigation he instituted against Okonkwo through.
His take is that the Nollywood actor should use the courtrooms to give all the details of bad behaviour, following his threat to expose him fully, after alleging that he was collecting money from aspirants in the said election for electoral favours.
Hear him: “The issue of taking Kenneth Okonkwo to court wouldn’t have arisen if he had stopped at those allegations. But he claimed he still has more he would expose about me in the future. So, I am very happy to take him to court so that he can expose me publicly, alongside other Nigerians. If any of them has any criminal allegations against me, they should bring them to court.
“Not just Kenneth, everybody should now say those things they know that is bad about me or I did that is wrong because it’s good for the system, it’s good for the society,” Obi said.
“So, if you know that when we were in primary school, this man was cheating or didn’t go to the primary school, didn’t go to secondary school, didn’t do, if you know this man has done something criminal somewhere, this is time to bring it up.”
For the umpteenth time, Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned about the dangerous implication of using state institutions, particularly the judiciary to destroy Nigeria’s democracy, saying it is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good.
Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), speaking on the heels of Tuesday’s verdict of the Court of Appeal, halting the de-registration order by the Federal High Court, insisted that judicial officers must not lend themselves to any act capable of undermining the nation’s democratic process.
The appellate court had ordered a stay of execution on the order made on Monday by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court Abuja, for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC alongside four other political parties).
A totally scandalised Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, had taken umbrage, sparing no hard words in upbraiding the lower court judge, stating that his likes were unfit to sit on the bench.
In a unanimous ruling by a three-man panel, the court held that Lifu’s action was “the highest form of judicial impertinence”, stressing that the Supreme Court previously held that a judge who acted in such a manner.
Describing his conduct as the height of judicial rascality, the upper court, stated: “Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This Court has supervisory authority over the trial court.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution.
This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for a stay of execution is here yet granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed.”
Atiku, who hailed the position of the higher court, which restored his hope to be on the ballot as presidential candidate in the 2027 election, also noted the role of INEC as “significant.”
He said: “I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to stay the execution of the Federal High Court judgement seeking the deregistration of our great party, the ADC, and four other political parties. It is particularly significant that INEC itself initiated the application for the stay.
“The development reflects growing public concern over judicial contradictions and politically charged rulings within the judiciary. “Any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s hard-won democracy through judicial manipulation is a grave danger to the Republic. If our democracy suffers further injury, history will demand accountability from those entrusted with dispensing justice.
Outside ADC, Lifu’s order, also included: Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), similarly slammed for allegedly failing to meet the constitutional requirements for continued registration and participation in elections.
“He is running in contempt of the court. Justice Lifu should be arrested because he is acting in contempt of the court which is a criminal act,” were the exact words with which the African Democratic Congress (ADC), demonstrated its angst over the court ruling on Monday, ordering its de-registration as a political party in Nigeria.
A furious Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the party, told his host while appearing as a guest on Monday’s edition of Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television that the judge of the Abuja Federal High Court who gave the order was actually playing with fire because of the consequences.
Directly accusing him of playing the script of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to ensure that President Bola Tinubu emerged the sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election, the party spokesman, was emphatic that the plan would not work, as head or tail, ADC must be on the ballot in all the elections.
Hear him: “There is a Court of Appeal order saying don’t hear this case until October 27. So, on what basis? You can’t place something on nothing. The Court of Appeal said don’t act on this until I hear it on October 27. So, on what basis did he deliver the judgement
“So, for us in the African Democratic Congress, what we’re convinced and they know is what they have done has no leg to stand on legally. What they want to do is to create doubts in the minds of the people that this ADC has too many legal cases, can we actually run on this? And to distract us. But we’re not distracted.
“We’re very clear. It was in spite of all they have done since ADC came on board that we ran one of the best and one of the most comprehensive direct primaries in the history of democracy in Nigeria. So, we are strong enough to withstand this. And that’s why I’m saying that we are going to contest in 2027. We’re ADC. We don’t buckle before dictatorship.”
Stressing on the implication of the judgement, which also affected Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for allegedly failing to meet constitutional and electoral performance requirements, following a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators, he said it portended grave danger.
He added: “We are not surprised. We know that the Nigerian people believe that there is a problem with the judiciary, but what we did not expect is the level of judicial rascality that was demonstrated today.
“What we are saying is that we reject it in its totality, and we are saying that the people behind this are playing with fire. Hundreds, if not thousands, have obtained nomination forms and contested elections and emerged as candidates on the platform of the ADC.”
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