A former Director-General of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, Doyin Okupe, last week dismissed claims that the 2023 presidential election was rigged by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The same week, a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), South, Bode George, decried the rot in Nigeria’s biggest opposition party.
These and three other stories we tracked dominated public discourse in the country last week.
1. Okupe’s stand on 2023 election
On November 21, Okupe, a former presidential aide dismissed claims that the 2023 presidential election was rigged in favour of the APC.
In a statement issued in Lagos, the medical doctor-turned-politician insisted that the allegations of rigging lacked credibility, pointing to electoral outcomes that defied expectations in key strongholds.
He said: “If Peter Obi (the LP presidential candidate) or the Labour Party says APC rigged elections, how come Obi was able to win in the home base of President Bola Tinubu?
“How come APC lost elections in the home base of the sitting President (Muhammadu Buhari)? How come the APC lost elections in the home base of the secretary to that government? So, the accusations about rigging do not hold water; they do not hold water at all.”
Why it matters
The continued discussions on the 2023 general elections several months after the poll show that the resentments that trailed the exercise have refused to go away.
This, therefore, highlights Nigerians’ craving for a credible electoral process where their votes will truly determine the people to preside over the country’s affairs.
The lessons learnt from the last election will come in handy if the opposition works on their mistakes and forge a common front for 2027 instead of a disjointed challenge that played into the hands of the ruling party last year.
2. Bode George decries rot in PDP
A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), South, Bode George, on November 21 called for unity in the party ahead of the 2027 election.
The former military governor of Ondo State spoke at a press conference organised to mark his 79th birthday in Lagos.
He said Nigerians are looking up the PDP to rescue the country from the vicious grip of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
George, however, lamented that all was not well within the party because of selfish interests.
He said: “As a loyal party man who lives, thinks, talks, breathes and defends the PDP, I have never left this party since it was formed, so today gives me a great opportunity to deliberate on the future of our party.
“Even as elders of the party are preparing to meet on November 28 in Abuja to chart the way forward, I owe it a duty to declare openly that all is not well with our party. In fact, our party is derailing.”
Why it matters
The elder statesman may have hit the nail on the head about the current state of Nigeria’s former ruling party.
The frequent conflicts in the PDP suggest that the party is yet to come to terms with life as an opposition party after ruling the country for 16 years.
All these lend credence to the fact that there would always be various tendencies in a political grouping, with each pulling at narrow interests.
All said, how PDP leaders handle the challenges will determine if the party will successfully wrest power from APC in 2027 or slip into the dustbin of history.
3. Simon Ekpa’s arrest in Finland
The Federal Government on November 22 confirmed the arrest of the confessed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa, by Finnish authorities.
The acting spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.
He said Ekpa was arrested on charges of inciting terrorism and promoting violence.
The statement read: “The ministry wishes to confirm the arrest of Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen and prominent leader of the proscribed IPOB, by Finnish authorities on Thursday, November 21.
“He was charged with inciting terrorism and promoting violence. The Finnish District Court of Päijät-Häme ruled to detain him on probable cause for publicly inciting crimes with terrorist intent.”
Why it matters
Ekpa’s arrest will restore normalcy in the South-East, as he has been at the centre of separatist propaganda and other illegal actions, which have caused significant disruptions in the region.
With Ekpa now behind bars, the government will do well to explore a political solution to issues that concern the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the group’s agitation for a sovereign state of Biafra and other misgivings to give a new lease of life to the zone.
4. EFCC vows to probe governors
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, said on November 21 the Supreme Court’s judgment has put the commission in a stronger position to tackle all forms of corruption in the country.
Olukoyede, according to a statement issued by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, stated this when a delegation of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance led by its Regional Director for Africa and West Asia, Dr. Roba Sharamo visited him at the commission’s office in Abuja.
He said: “So, I have told my men that the ball is in our court, now. You can investigate even a serving governor. So, go ahead and investigate their finances and their activities. The only thing you can’t do is prosecute.”
Why it matters
The Supreme Court ruling on the EFCC’s validity will now ensure a more holistic approach in the commission’s efforts to tackle corruption and restore public trust in the ability of the government to meet their needs and deliver quality governance at all levels.
With the legal hurdle out of the way, the commission has been empowered by the law to ensure the management of resources by public officials, especially the governors, many of whom live in opulence while their subjects groan under harsh conditions induced by their greed.
5. Senate demands action against Lakurawa terror group
The Senate on November 21 raised the alarm over the infiltration of terrorists from Mali and Burkina Faso, operating under the name Lakurawa into states in the North-West.
Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, who sponsored the motion, lamented Lakurawa’s infiltration of Nigeria through the country’s border with Niger, specifically in Illela, Tangaza, and Silame local government areas of Sokoto State.
The former Kebbi State governor, Adamu Aliero, warned about the group’s presence in the North-West.
He said: “The time to act is now. We have to take action on how to tame terrorism.”
Why it matters
The Senate’s call underscores the need to quickly tame the Lakurawa group before it becomes another hydra-headed monster like Boko Haram.