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2019 Elections: Think Twice Before Taking Decisions || By Olamiposi Ishola

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FEW days to the much anticipated February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections in the country, Nigerians are anxiously waiting to exercise their franchise ahead of the Saturday’s poll.

Since the commencement of Nigeria’s nascent democracy in 1999, the 2019 general elections will be the most keenly contested one due to the high political awareness, especially with personalities involved in the presidential race.

Virtually all political parties in the country facing different challenges which include financial, leadership tussle, inter party crisis and among others, while some cases are before the court over issues of candidacy.

The 2019 general elections which coincided with 20 years of Nigeria civil rule is a test on the part of the electorates, political stakeholders and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as Security agencies on their readiness to strengthen the nation’s internal democracy.

The decision taken by all election stakeholders Including, Inec officials, security operatives, political leaders, candidates and voters will surely determines the fate of the country in another four years.

Although, Nigerians are found of saying it is just 4 years, but the fact is that it is indeed, a long journey if there is no drastic decision and deep thinking on who to vote for as well as why I want to vote for such person.

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No doubt, the 2019 Presidential Election in Nigeria is between the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who is standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The electorate, who is the king and determinant factor of any free and fair elections now has destiny on their haned as far as Saturday’s elections is concerned.

Although, the presidential election will be held simultaneously with the National Assembly elections which is the second arm of government.

What this indicates is that if wrong people were elected into the legislative chambers of the country, under the influence of inducement or vote buying, no meaningful development can be recorded in Nigeria for another four years because legislators are the strong bone of any administration.

It is imperative for all election stakeholders to note that the task of safeguarding the country’s nascent democracy can not be left in the hands of INEC alone, hence the need to contribute meaningfully towards ensuring good governance and the nation’s internal democracy.

As INEC and security agencies had guaranteed the safety of Corp members who will serve as Presiding Officers (PO) in various polling units across the country, they must be remembered that any atrocity committed during the exercise may affect their future negatively.

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The Apex electoral body in Nigeria must also be vigilant especially in the respect of recent fire disaster that affected both sensitive and non sensitive materials in some INEC state headquarters and the postponement of the election.

What will be the best Valentine’s gift for the country is for the peaceful conduct of Saturday’s election and Nigerians will actually decide who will be the number one citizen of the most populous country in Africa.

Saturday, February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections is knocking, please think twice before taking any decision.

 

 

By Olamiposi Ishola

Mega Icon Magazine Political Desk

 

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Politics

Economic Hardship: Rep Oseni Lauds FG’s N100m Palliative for Each Constituency

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Hon. Aderemi Oseni, the lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in Oyo State, has commended the proactive stance of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration towards addressing the welfare needs of Nigerians.

The lawmaker applauded the government’s commitment to ameliorating the prevailing hardships faced by citizens, particularly through the significant intervention of One Hundred Million Naira (N100,000,000) allocated to each federal constituency via the Ministry of Agriculture.

Oseni, in a statement on Thursday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, in Ibadan, emphasised the importance of such interventions in providing essential support to communities and constituents grappling with economic challenges, notably in the distribution of grains to cushion the impacts of the hardship in Nigeria.

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said the allocation, aimed at cushioning the adverse effects of hardship, signifies a crucial step towards fostering sustainable development and resilience across the nation.

He informed that the palliative has no bias for partisan politics as it is meant for all vulnerable members of the public in the Ibarapa East/Ido Federal constituency, irrespective of political affiliations, adding that the contractor had supplied the rice in the amount of the money approved.

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“I want to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the several initiatives and interventions of the federal government to bring ease to the people. I also want to reassure all the constituents in Ibarapa East/Ido federal constituency of my commitment to their welfare at this time and always,” the lawmaker assured.

The APC chieftain appealed to members of the public to remain patient and calm as lawmakers are making frantic efforts to ensure the effective implementation and equitable distribution of democratic dividends for the benefit of constituents in their various constituencies.

Renewing his commitment and promising more dividends of democracy for his constituency, Oseni also hinted that in line with his campaign promises, he would be commissioning road construction equipment for the rehabilitation of rural roads this Saturday.

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APC criticises Makinde for alleged education decline in Oyo

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APC criticises Makinde for alleged education decline in Oyo

 

Oyo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of education in the region, accusing Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration of negligence and insincerity in addressing the challenges faced by the sector.

In a statement issued by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, and made available to Mega Icon Magazine,  APC highlighted issues such as scarcity of teachers, deplorable infrastructure, lack of teaching aids and equipment, poor monitoring and supervision, erosion of competent administrators, and outdated policy and curriculum implementation as contributing factors to the decline in education standards.

Oyo APC emphasized the need for urgent intervention, stating, “It is time well-meaning citizens and residents of the state began to ask questions on why a key sector like that of education has had to be handled with levity in the last five years.”

The party disputed the state government’s claims of improvement, citing examples of severely understaffed schools and inadequate resources.

The statement pointed out specific cases like St. Joseph Primary School in Ibadan North West LGA, SDA Primary School in Egbeda LGA, Baptist Basic School in Tede, AUD Primary School in Igboora, Muslim Community Primary School in Itesiwaju LGA, and Christ Church School in Ona-Ara LGA, where an alarming shortage of teachers was evident.

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The APC also drew attention to the critical situation in public secondary schools, highlighting the lack of staff to teach core subjects.

“Examples included Baptist Secondary Grammar School in Atisbo LGA and Methodist High School in Ibarapa North LGA, where the Old Student Association and a mere four teachers, respectively, struggled to meet the educational needs of hundreds of students”.

The party urged residents to question the Seyi Makinde-led administration’s commitment to education, stressing the need for immediate action to prevent further deterioration.

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Donald Trump’s Candidacy Secured in Unanimous Supreme Court Ruling

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File photo Ex-Us President, Donald Trump

The US Supreme Court on Monday removed a potential hurdle to Donald Trump’s bid to recapture the White House, unanimously dismissing a state court ruling that could have barred him from the ballot for engaging in insurrection.

The high-stakes ruling in favor of the former president came on the eve of the Super Tuesday primaries that are expected to cement Trump’s march toward the Republican nomination to take on President Joe Biden in November.

It was the most consequential election case heard by the court since it halted the Florida vote recount in 2000 with Republican George W. Bush narrowly leading Democrat Al Gore.

The question before the nine justices was whether Trump was ineligible to appear on the Republican presidential primary ballot in Colorado because he engaged in an insurrection — the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol by his supporters.

In a 9-0 decision, the conservative-dominated court said “the judgment of the Colorado Supreme Court… cannot stand,” meaning 77-year-old Trump, the Republican White House frontrunner, can appear on the state’s primary ballot.

“All nine Members of the Court agree with that result,” they added.

The case stemmed from a ruling in December by the state Supreme Court in Colorado, one of the 15 states and territories voting on Super Tuesday.

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The court, citing the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, ruled that Trump should be kicked off the ballot because of his role in the January 6 attack on Congress, when a mob tried to halt certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory.

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment bars anyone from holding public office if they engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” after once pledging to support and defend the Constitution.

But during two hours of arguments last month, both conservative and liberal justices on the US Supreme Court expressed concern about having individual states decide which candidates can be on the presidential ballot this November.

On Monday, the top court ruled that “responsibility for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates rests with Congress and not the States.”

Multiple additional cases

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868 after the Civil War, was aimed at preventing supporters of the slave-holding breakaway Confederacy from being elected to Congress or from holding federal positions.

The Supreme Court, which includes three justices nominated by Trump, has historically been loath to get involved in political questions, but it is taking center stage in this year’s White House race.

Besides the Colorado case, the Supreme Court has also agreed to hear Trump’s claim that he is immune from criminal prosecution as a former president and cannot be tried on separate charges of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election.

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Trump was impeached by the Democratic-majority House of Representatives for inciting an insurrection but was acquitted thanks to Republican support in the Senate.

He is also scheduled to go on trial in New York on March 25 on charges of covering up hush money payments to a porn star ahead of the 2016 election.

In yet another case, Trump faces federal charges in Florida of refusing to give up top secret documents after leaving the White House.

During oral arguments in the Colorado case, Jonathan Mitchell, a former solicitor general of Texas representing Trump, urged the court to reverse the Colorado court’s decision, saying it would “take away the votes of potentially tens of millions of Americans.”

Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative, warned that upholding the state court ruling could lead to “disqualification proceedings on the other side.”

“I would expect that a goodly number of states will say ‘Whoever the Democratic candidate is, you’re off the ballot,’” Roberts said.

 

 

 

 

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