Politics

Nigeria’s ruling party splits but will that cost Buhari the Presidency?

Nigeria’s political landscape was shaken Wednesday when a splinter group emerged from the cold to claim that the country’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), no longer served its interest, alleging a reign of impunity by the party leadership

Published

6 years ago

July 5, 2018

Africa News Watch

The splinter group is peopled mostly by the aggrieved members of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) bloc of the party and have since branded themselves as Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC).

Buba Galadima, a former ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, announced the formation of the new group at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

Leader of the nPDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje was present at the press conference where the announcement was made.

Accusing the party leadership of impunity, Galadima said that the local and state congresses as well as the national convention of the APC were a sham and largely undemocratic.

“The nPDP, a group that has made a major contribution to the emergence of the APC administration, has made strenuous efforts to invite attention to inequities, injustice and poor management in our party without any success.

“The nPDP had shown good faith and commitment to the party, but it has been rewarded with indifference and even contempt. It is obvious that the leadership of the APC has decided to shut out members of the APC, as well as other members who have raised genuine grievances and a desire to improve the responsiveness of the APC to the desire of members for a party founded on democratic principles.

“Under the circumstances, patriotic elements and most of the original founders of the APC have found themselves in the opposing side of this charade.

“Most of the delegates who bought and paid for forms for the congresses and convention and were elected as delegates have come together to take control and give legitimacy to APC to be now known as and called Reformed – APC (R – APC),” Galadima said.

Influential members of the ruling APC who have, directly or indirectly, been associated with R-APC include Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, former governors of Kano and Adamawa states, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Murtala Nyako.

In his initial reaction, the newly elected National Chairman of the ruling party, Adams Oshiomhole, pleaded for patience in dealing with the insurrection in the party.

Opposition has continued to mount against the second term bid of President Muhammadu Buhari who has been severally accused of nepotism, and mal-administration. Prominent voices against his reign include former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, and Ibrahim Babangida.

How much damage the fresh upheaval will wreak on Buhari’s 2019 aspirations remains a subject of permutations. In spite of seeming waning influence, largely a result of insecurity issues, Buhari continues to maintain a stronghold in the northern half of the country, a political asset that could be deployed to full advantage in 2019.

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Politics

Digital Rights: Policy enthusiast, Jere, advocates self-regulation as alternative to govt regulations

Published

1 day ago

April 24, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Copperbelt businessman and mining policy advocate, George Jere, has highlighted the importance of self-regulation in the expanding digital media landscape, countering arguments against freedom of speech.

In an exclusive discussion with Zambia Monitor, Jere challenged notions surrounding media freedom and digital rights, emphasizing the indispensable role of effective media instruments in national progress.

“Digital media’s unrestricted nature facilitates publishing, although tracking those behind it poses challenges for government intervention,” Jere remarked, advocating for self-regulation as a preferable alternative to government restrictions.

He stressed the need for a balanced approach between private and public media operations, criticizing the high level of censorship in public media channels.

“While cyber security laws fall short, self-regulation offers a more effective solution for managing digital platforms,” Jere asserted, expressing disappointment in the government’s failure to enact comprehensive media reforms.

Jere cautioned against subjective regulations aimed at suppressing dissenting voices, urging authorities to reconsider laws through inclusive consultations.

“Media freedom should extend to all, including rural communities, chiefs, and church leaders, across traditional, social, and digital platforms,” he emphasized.

Reflecting on public media governance, Jere noted its tendency to align with ruling interests, calling for fairer recruitment processes for media executives to ensure unbiased coverage.

Regarding proposed taxes on online livestream programmes, Jere questioned the necessity of double taxation, suggesting negotiation of percentage-based levies to support domestic resource mobilization without unfairly targeting individuals.

As debates on freedom of speech and media regulation continue, Jere remained steadfast in advocating for inclusive, balanced media practices to foster national development.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Politics

African leaders seek change in fight against terrorism at Nigerian summit

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

At a security summit in Nigeria, African leaders have called for a revamp of institutions that fight violent extremism on the continent.

The leaders also began to push to set up a standing military force and give the government more power over efforts to keep the peace.

Attacks on citizens and the military have been happening all the time in Africa, including in the Sahel, Somalia, and Mozambique, by groups with ties to Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo said that coastal states like Togo were facing more threats, even though people were being attacked the most in the Sahel.

“I say this with prudence and regret, but I think the institutions that have been in place for several decades are no longer able to respond to the security situation that we face,” said Gnassingbe.

Moussa Faki, chairman of the African Union Commission, reported that between 2017 and 2021, there were four attacks and 18 deaths a day in Africa. Last year, there were eight attacks and 44 deaths a day.

The AU chief added that last year 7,000 citizens and 4,000 military members were killed stressing that the situation was being used in some countries as a reason for military coups. The Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Amina Mohammed, said that half of all terrorist deaths happened in the Sahel.

Until a military coup in July that called for France to leave, Niger was the West’s last major ally in the central Sahel area south of the Sahara Desert. In July, France pulled out 1,500 troops from Niger.

Faki said that Africa needed more money to help stop the spread of terrorism. Bola Tinubu, the president of Nigeria, said that more needed to be done to stop the spread of small guns and weapons. He also called for the creation of a regional standby force whose job it would be to fight terrorism.

“I am mindful of the funding, legal and logistical complexities that face the proper establishment of such a force. Such a force can stand as a strong deterrent to large scale and protracted terrorist operations and the capture, occupation or disruption of strategic land and resources,” Tinubu said.