Politicians Collected Our Account Numbers Without Paying, Niger Voters Cry Out

 Voters in Niger State have accused politicians of deception by collecting their account numbers before the presidential and National Assembly elections without paying them.

Mrs Felicia Sunday told City & Crime that their account numbers were collected by various political parties but that two weeks after the polls they were yet to receive the money they were promised.

She said, “Our account numbers were collected during the presidential and National Assembly elections and up till now we’ve not heard anything. Some parties promised us N5,000,” adding that, “These politicians are deceitful people. I can’t just trust them again.”

She, however, noted that some parties shared food items like rice, spaghetti, Maggi and salt.

Mallam Danjuma Mohammed shared a similar experience with our reporter, saying that account numbers were submitted during voting.

Mr. Philip Nma, another voter, said he submitted his account to an agent of one of the political parties, who promised to send him N5,000 after the poll but have not done so up till now.

He said many of the voters had decided not to listen to any of them during the forthcoming gubernatorial polls.

A Point of Sale (POS) operator told our reporter that some voters brought dollars to him to buy a day after the presidential and National Assembly elections.

But speaking on the conduct of the voters, a retired police officer, Mr Sunday Ajeromi, told City & Crime on phone that it was a criminal offence for them to collect money in exchange of votes, saying that is what the law refers to as vote selling or buying, which is criminal.

He said instead of them complaining, the law enforcement agents should have arrested and prosecuted them accordingly.

The retired police officer noted that it was a serious offence in the Electoral Act to either buy or sell votes and urged the populace to desist from such in the interest of the nation’s democratic development.

Nigeria’s Misery Index Rises By 12 Points

 Nigeria’s misery index has soared by 11.9 percentage points to 73.05, The PUNCH’s findings have shown.

The misery index is a measure of economic distress felt by everyday people, due to the risk of (or actual) joblessness combined with an increasing cost of living. The misery index is calculated by adding the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to the inflation rate.

The misery index of a nation is a yardstick of economic distress. It was created by the economist, Arthur Okun.

Professor Steve Hanke of Johns Hopkins University further improved the model for measuring the misery index by defining it as a total summation of the inflation rate, unemployment rate, and interest rate and subtracting percentage change in real GDP per capita (year-on-year).

Since unemployment and inflation are both considered detrimental to one’s economic well-being, their combined value is useful as an indicator of overall economic health. The higher the index, the greater the misery felt by average citizens.

With an inflation rate of 15.92 per cent, an 11.5 per cent interest rate, an employment rate of 33.3 per cent, and a 3.6 per cent GDP growth (2021), Nigeria began 2022 with a misery index of 61.15 per cent.

However, multiple increases in the Monetary Policy Rate, (the latest of which took it up to 17.5 per cent in January 2023), have played a contributory role in causing a significant spike in Nigeria’s misery index.

Another factor that has been responsible for this spike is increased inflationary pressure. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s inflation soared to 21.82 per cent in January 2023 as the country struggled to grapple with persistent fuel and naira crises.

January’s inflation rate was 0.48 percentage points higher than the 21.34 per cent that was recorded in December 2022, after inflation slowed down for the first time in eleven months.

The last factor that influenced the current misery index was the change in real GDP. According to data culled from Macrotrends, Nigeria’s GDP per capita currently stands at $2,066, with an annual growth rate of -0.43 per cent.

Based on Hanke’s model, Nigeria’s misery index now stands at 73.05, indicating an increase of 11.9 points.

Last year, Hanke who publishes a yearly misery index comprising 156 countries said Nigerians were more miserable in 2021 than they were in 2020.

According to the John Hopkins University economist, who analysed 156 countries by calculating their unemployment rates, inflation, prevailing lending rates and GDP growths, Nigeria went from 15th among the most miserable countries in the world’s ranking in 2020 to 11th in 2021.

The figures showed that Nigeria was the fourth most miserable country in Africa, only behind Sudan, Zimbabwe and Angola.

According to the report, the five least miserable countries were Brunei, Switzerland, China, Taiwan, and Japan. The United States ranked 95th, making it the 14th least miserable nation of the 108 countries on the table.

Speaking with The PUNCH, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Muda Yusuf cited rising inflation as a key component of the misery index that has eroded the quality of life of the average Nigerian.

He urged the government to identify the key drivers of inflation and also find viable solutions to the unemployment crisis that has pushed millions of Nigerians below the poverty line.

Yusuf said, “One major variable in the misery index is inflation. If we can tackle inflation, that will help to reduce the misery index. Inflation usually leads to a decline in purchasing power, which makes people poorer, generally. Some of us have always argued that the worst enemy of the poor is inflation. So, we need to identify the key drivers of inflation, starting from the ways and means the financing of the Central Bank, which is high-powered money.”

Last year, the World Bank in its poverty assessment report said that sluggish growth, low human capital, labour market weaknesses, and exposure to shocks are holding Nigeria’s poverty reduction back.

According to the report, which brings together the latest evidence on the profile and drivers of poverty in Nigeria, as many as 4 in 10 Nigerians live below the national poverty line.

“It is clear that much needs to be done to help lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty, including boosting health and education, bolstering productive jobs, and expanding social protection,” said World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri.

INEC Rejects LP’s Request To Witness BVAS Reconfiguration

 The Labour Party, on Thursday, knocked the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying the electoral umpire deliberately came up with its idea of reconfiguring the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines after its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, sought to examine the election materials.

This was as the party faulted the commission’s claim of backing up the data retrieved from the BVAS without the presence of independent witnesses and representatives of political parties.

The protest is coming barely 24 hours after INEC rescheduled the planned governorship and states House of Assembly elections earlier slated for March 11 in order to reconfigure the BVAS machines.

The move was made possible after the Presidential Election Petition Court sitting at the Court of Appeal in Abuja granted the commission’s request to reconfigure the BVAS that were used for the presidential poll.

The court had, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, dismissed objection by the LP and held that preventing the electoral umpire from reconfiguring the BVAS would adversely affect the forthcoming governorship and state Assembly elections.

But the Chief Spokesman for the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, reiterated that it was wrong of INEC to claim that it had backed up the data from the BVAS without any witness.

Tanko further accused the electoral umpire of constantly changing its rule of engagement to cover up some of the anomalies they earlier observed. 

He said, “Are we privy or invited to see what was being backed up? If there is going to be transparency, what INEC needs to do is to invite everybody with their technological experts to see what the commission intends to back up from the original source. Was this done?

“We didn’t want to use that as evidence in the court of law. INEC should not forget that we also have our own results. Anything contradictory to that particular result and what they backed up will be totally unacceptable to us.

“It is clear right from the beginning that INEC deliberately went to court for reconfiguration of the BVAS machines after Obi requested to inspect election materials. Of course, nobody, not even you and I, know the commission can come up with anything like reconfiguration at this time. This was done after we demanded to inspect those machines.

“When you are going into an arrangement, it is always important to tell people about the rule of engagement and ensure you don’t change it. But INEC keeps on changing the rule of engagement in order to cover their shady deals. It is unfortunate that we have to bring INEC down to this particular level.”

While stating that they had lost confidence in the capacity of the commission to hold a free and fair election, the LP campaign spokesman noted that Obi was consulting with his lawyers to determine whether or not to appeal the court ruling on BVAS reconfiguration.

Tanko also warned the electoral body to endeavour to raise its standard and seek to do the right thing to avoid incurring the wrath of the masses.
Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party expressed strong reservations about INEC’s capacity to conduct the unpcoming governorship and Houses of Assembly polls in a free, fair, and transparent manner.

Speaking with The PUNCH, the National Publicity of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said the commission’s conduct in the past two weeks had made most Nigerians to doubt its sincerity.

He said, “The governorship and Assembly polls were to hold on March 11, according to INEC, knowing full well that they could not do it. Now, they have moved it to March 18. Why can’t they allow the parties who had got a court order to get that information from BVAS so that they can be sure of their integrity? Given the behaviour of INEC in recent weeks, how can we be sure that they can even conduct acceptable polls this time?

“This is about the integrity and believability of INEC. What is the average Nigerian saying about INEC today? From the behaviour and activities of INEC, during and after the election, it was clear they were not ready to walk their own talk.”

On assurances by the commission that data from BVAS would be secured in a back-end and cloud, and made accessible to the PDP at any time, Ologunagba said, “This election is technologically driven but today, INEC is on its own, deliberately sabotaging a process it promised the whole world it would sanitise.

“On Google, you would realise that there is possibility of losing data when saved in the cloud. There is the risk of losing data. So, if there is a risk of losing data, why is INEC not worried like the rest of us? How are we sure that this data will be preserved? This is the question we want INEC to answer.”

But reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the data back-up of the BVAS was an internal affair of the commission and not open to inspection by parties.

“The reconfiguration or data back-processes of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines is strictly an internal affair of the Independent National Electoral Commission, that no external eyes are allowed to witness.

Of course, political parties are free to witness a test-run of the BVAS, and they did during the mock accreditation exercise that we carried out before the general elections.

“However, it is really, really curious that the Labour Party would express any desire to witness such an activity. What exactly do they want to see? Would the party also want to witness when ballot papers and result sheets are designed and printed?

“It is like students demanding to be present when their teachers are determining examination questions. While the commission appreciates and maintains a very cordial relationship with the Inter-Party Advisory Council, the boundaries are well defined and known to both parties,” Oyekanmi said.

Asked when INEC will complete the BVAS reset and storage of data in the back-up, Oyekanmi said “about three days.”

Train/Bus Accident: Sanwo-Olu Declares Three Days Mourning Period In Lagos

Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has declared 3 days mourning period in his state following the unfortunate accident that occurred as a moving train rammed into a state bus conveying civil servants to work in the state on Thursday, March 9, IGBERETV reports.

He wrote on his Twitter handle;

"I was at LASUTH to understand the condition of the victims of the bus/train accident.

The team at LASUTH expertly setup an outdoor triage centre which has contributed in saving lives, speeding up injury level profiling and supporting immediate critical action. 

"This was a totally avoidable incident that simply required patience and the need to follow proper transportation protocol. 

There were 85 pax on board the bus with 6 deaths, 42 moderate injuries, 29 serious and 8 mild injuries according to the LASUTH classification scale.

"Lagos is in a state of mourning and for the next 3 days, I am suspending all campaign activities. All flags will be flown at half mast and tomorrow all civil servants will work till 12 noon before returning home to be with their loved ones during this trying time.

"It is still a critical period for some of the patients as we continue to call for blood donations across different state government medical facilities. 

This is a call for our humanity to rise above all. I also thank LASEMA, the security agencies, staff and students of LASUTH."

Why Buhari’s Quiet Over Allegations Of Irregularities Against INEC — Garba Shehu

 The Presidency, on Thursday, gave the reason why President Muhammadu Buhari kept is silent when there were allegations of irregularities and compromise against the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on the conduct of the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.

The Presidency also ruled out the possibility of taking any decision that would lead to the annulment of the presidential elections as was the case of June 12, 1992.

It advised any candidate or political party that is not satisfied with the conduct and outcome of the election to approach the court for redress.

These were contained in a report by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, titled, “At the 5th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs), President Buhari drums up support for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Presidency”.

Before the elections, President Buhari had at different fora, both local and international, assured that he would ensure that the elections that would herald his exit from office would be credible, free, fair and transparent and that the outcome would reflect the wish of the people in choosing who would lead them.

The signing into the law the Electoral Act, 2022 and the use of technology for the elections were indications that President Buhari was ready to bequeath to the Nigeria, a transparent electoral process, devoid of manipulations.

However, controversies have trailed the conduct and outcome of the February 25 presidential election as the INEC has been accused to have failed to follow strictly the Electoral Act as regards the transmission of the results from the BIVAS to the iREV immediately after collation at the Pulling Units.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was the first to raise the alarm that the INEC had compromised the conduct of the election by not keeping to the electoral laws and had, in a statement, called on President Buhari to call the electoral umpire to order so that the country would not be thrown into political crisis.

There has also been plethora of negative reports from a section of international news media, casting aspersions on the conduct of the election, saying that it fell flat from the expectations of majority of the electorate.  

But the presidential spokesman in what could be said to be the takeaways he listed from the President participation at the LDCs Conference, in Doha, Qatar, said that Buhari, while speaking to Nigerians in the Diaspora about the ongoing political transition, called for support for the incoming government of Asiwaju Tinubu, “so that Nigeria will continue to be the beacon of hope and prosperity in our continent and an example for other African countries to emulate.”

He further said, “In addition to other things, this trip, more than any other, speaks to the courage, political stamina and statesmanship with which the President has managed the affairs of the nation. 

“In the buildup to the trip, he was faced with orchestrated attempts to poison public opinion against national institutions, particularly the presidential election and its conduct by the independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as an institution, against which vile and unsubstantiated allegations were hurled.

“The clear intent of this was creating an atmosphere of fear, polarizing the public and demonizing the administration of the President. The wishful thinkers appeared to assume that the June 12, 1993 election crisis, the worst ever since the Civil War could be recreated. Those who sought to do this forgot what the President said at the palace of the Gbong-Gwon Jos, when he went to the city to inaugurate the Tinubu-Shettima campaign: “this election will not be annulled; whoever is the winner will be president.,’’ he said. 

He also said, “President Buhari not only muted himself following the cacophony, he picked up international travel: “Bola Tinubu’s election stands. If you are aggrieved, and you have the locus to do so, go to court.’’ 

Continuing, he said, “President Buhari used the opportunity of the visit to speak to his guests about the recent election in Nigeria and the fact that a new President would be taking over in less than three months. He hoped that the strong relations he had built between those countries will continue to endure in the new administration.

“The highlight of the conference for Nigeria was the national address on the theme of this year’s event “From Potential to Prosperity”, a speech that observers described as strikingly activist. In it, the President criticized the current structure of the global financial system which, he said, “places an unsustainable external debt burden on the most vulnerable countries.”

Sir Friday Nwosu Dies At 63

 RIP SIR F.N. NWOSU 

Words are not enough to describe the monumental loss brought by the passing of the Party's National Welfare Secretary, Sir Friday Nwanozie Nwosu on the APC family. May his soul rest in peace.

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