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INEC, stakeholders strategise for Jigawa by-election
The Independent National Electoral Commission held a crucial stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday at its office in Babura, Jigawa State, as part of preparations for the upcoming by-election in the Babura/Garki Federal Constituency.
PUNCH Online reports that the by-election was necessitated by the death of the constituency’s representative, Isa Yaro, who passed away on May 10, 2024, at the age of 46.
To fill the vacant seat, the by-election has been scheduled by INEC for August 16, 2025.
Interest in the election is high, with the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party nominating Rabiu Mukhtar and Auwalu Manzo, respectively, as their candidates.
The meeting brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including security agencies, political party representatives, community leaders, and members of transport workers’ unions.
Speaking during the meeting, the Electoral Officer of Babura Local Government, Hafiz Khalid, outlined the schedule of election activities and emphasised the importance of cooperation and transparency at every stage.
According to him, the by-election is a collective responsibility that requires the active participation and support of all stakeholders.
Khalid described the meeting as a platform for stakeholders to contribute meaningfully to the success of the electoral process and urged everyone present to work together to ensure a peaceful, free, fair, and credible election.
Stakeholders at the meeting made valuable contributions and raised critical questions aimed at enhancing the credibility and smooth conduct of the electoral process.
Logistics, security, voter sensitisation, and the conduct of political parties were among the key issues discussed during the two-hour meeting.
In his remarks, the District Head of Babura, Alhaji Muhd Mustapha, who was present at the meeting, expressed his commitment to supporting INEC and ensuring a peaceful election.
“We will work with INEC to ensure that the by-election is successful,” he said.
Also speaking after the meeting, Nura Abubakar, a representative of a community-based organisation, expressed confidence in INEC’s capacity to deliver a credible process.
“We are optimistic that INEC will do the needful and ensure that the by-election is free and fair,” he said.
Another stakeholder, Haruna Aminu of the National Association of Road Transport Owners, said:
“We are educated on the task ahead of us and the contribution expected from us in the electoral process,” he said.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from all stakeholders to work in synergy to ensure the by-election’s success. Participants pledged to support INEC’s efforts in delivering a peaceful and credible exercise.
Representatives of security agencies also assured of their readiness to provide adequate security.
“We will ensure that the election is peaceful and secure,” said one security officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
He added, “The meeting was successful as INEC showed its level of commitment to transparency and accountability in the forthcoming electoral process. INEC officials assured us in front of all stakeholders that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure a credible election.”
The Babura/Garki by-election is shaping up to be a closely contested race, with multiple political parties vying to fill the vacant seat.
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A popular Ghanaian on-air personality and media strategist with Starr, SOG Precious, has said the recent Nigeria Must Go protest in Ghana was a retaliation for the Ghana Must Go protest in 1983.
Precious made this known in an interview on Channels TV’s Morning Brief on Friday.
His statement comes as a viral video on Tuesday showed a large number of Ghanaians protesting with placards suggesting the deportation of Nigerians.
Reacting to the protest, Precious said, “It is a form of retaliation for what happened in 1988.”
He further claimed data in Ghana suggests that some Nigerians, especially young girls, are prominent in prostitution and other outlawed activities in the country.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has appealed for calm over the matter, noting that there is “no cause for alarm.”
Earlier, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador Demola, said the protest is not against all Nigerians but against some persons with undesirable activities in Ghana.
“I think the focus is on the tertiary traders and people whom I would describe as probably undesirable to their system, to their economy,” he said in an interview on Arise News.
Recall that in 1983, there was a mass deportation of Ghanaians from Nigeria under former President Shehu Shagari.
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The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has released prophecies regarding the elections in some countries, including Cameroon, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, and Tanzania.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, he revealed some events that will unfold before, during, and after the election.
In Cote D’ivoire, the prophet stated that the president will do everything within his power to return as the president.
He stated that the opposition will eventually shy away from contesting.
Primate Ayodele said: “The President of Côte d’Ivoire, Ouattara, will do everything legally and constitutionally possible to be elected. Those who can defeat him will be delisted, and in the end, some will get angry and fail to contest.
“This is where the opposition will fail and not get it right. This is where the opposition will be misinformed and give the man another chance. The opposition will only protest; the president is ready for anything. He is a stooge for France, and they will back him up. A lot of things will go wrong in the election; there will be violence, and people will be praying for a coup.”
In Uganda, Primate Ayodele stated that it is only God who can remove Museveni and his family from power because he has positioned himself to be in power for life.
“Uganda: Museveni will hold Bobi Wine to ransom. He will contest again but won’t win. Museveni will still win no matter what; he will do all that is needed to win the election. Uganda wants to run a one-party system, and only God can remove the family of Museveni from power because he has positioned himself to be a life president,” he said.
In Cameroon, Primate Ayodele stated that the opposition will shun the election and give Paul Biya a landslide victory. However, he made it known that the president would not complete his tenure.
“Cameroon: What is happening in Côte d’Ivoire will happen in Cameroon. The opposition will want to shun the election and give Paul Biya power to win a landslide victory. Biya will go all out to win, but he will not finish his tenure.
“He will be another president to die on the throne. Notwithstanding, these old presidents—if they continue to rule—some of them will start dying. Biya has mortgaged Cameroon, and the Anglophone areas will continue to suffer until they pull out.”
In Malawi, Primate Ayodele foresees massive protest against the government, while stating that the current vice president will pull out at some point to contest for the position of a president. He also foresees a new vice president coming up.
“Malawi: There is going to be a protest against the Malawian government. There will be a lot of crises and problems in the country. The country will be unstable and fluctuating. They will rise against the president; he needs a lot of prayers for good health.
“There is a need for the country to be stable economically and politically. They need a lot of prayers to succeed and actualize their vision. The current vice president will pull out from the government to contest for the position of president, as I see another vice president coming up. However, the incoming vice president will have issues with the president.”
Likewise, in Tanzania, Primate Ayodele foresees clashes between the opposition and the current president. He also warned against the Ebola crisis in the country.
“Tanzania: The opposition will do a lot to fight the Tanzanian president. The woman will go all out to fight the opposition, and I see her frustrating the opposition. She is desperate to win the election and believes she’s being cheated because of her gender.
“She will deal with the opposition regardless of who they may be or what they want to achieve. I see disaster and Ebola recurring in the country. There will be mass protests against the president.”
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The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Federal Medical Centre, Owo chapter, has declared that it will not attend to any patient during its ongoing seven-day warning strike, regardless of the severity of cases.
Mr. Coker Oluwasegun, secretary of the association, made this known on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, accusing the Federal Government of neglecting the welfare of nurses.
“It is total compliance—no leeway whatsoever,” he said. “The Federal Government has unfairly treated nurses over the years, and this is the time for us to take the bull by the horns.
“This action is not against the management of FMC Owo, as we have already informed the Medical Director and his team.”
Oluwasegun lamented poor remuneration and working conditions, noting that the uniform allowance has remained N20,000 per year for over two decades.
“In all other allowances, nurses receive the least, despite being the backbone of the health sector. There’s a lack of equipment in most hospitals, making patients wrongly assume we are responsible for poor outcomes. The working conditions are deplorable,” he added.
He cited a string of unfulfilled promises by the Federal Government and reiterated that the warning strike would last seven days.
“If our 12-point demands are not met, we will resume after the warning strike and issue a 21-day ultimatum, after which an indefinite strike will commence,” Oluwasegun stated
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