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Rumblings in Plateau over move to recall Lalong, Dafaan, Venman

Published

2 years ago

July 10, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Rumblings in Plateau over move to recall Lalong, Dafaan, Venman

By Mark Longyen

Plateau State has been thrown into political panic mode following a subterranean move by Plateau South senatorial zone’s constituents to recall former Gov Simon Lalong (APC-Plateau South) from the Senate.

Also penciled for recall by the aggrieved constituents are Lalong’s former Chief of Staff, John Dafaan (APC-Shendam, Quaan-Pan, Mikang) and Vincent Venman (APC-Langtang North/South) federal constituencies.

Impeccable sources disclosed that within the past week, over 500,000 constituents had already appended their signatures to initiate the recall of the trio from the National Assembly.

It was learned that about a fortnight ago, the forms for the recall of the three lawmakers were distributed across the six local governments that constitute the senatorial zone, which have now been signed by the constituents.

People familiar with the prevailing political intrigues said that any time this week, the signed forms by constituents from all the polling units will be collated and forwarded by the petitioners’ lawyers alongside their petitions to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Thereafter, INEC is expected to send a team of its officials to the senatorial zone and the two federal constituencies for verification of the signatures.

Once the signatures are verified and confirmed in the various polling units that 50 per cent, plus one, of the total registered voters actually signed the recall forms, then INEC will within a statutory time frame, arrange for a referendum to be conducted to recall the lawmakers.

The referendum simply entails a “yes or no” voting by the constituents on whether to recall the lawmakers or not, which outcome is to be determined by a simple majority to declare a lawmaker automatically recalled or to retain his seat.

The sacking of Sen. Napoleon Bali (PDP-Plateau South, June 2023 to October 2023) by the Court of Appeal had paved the way for Lalong, whom he defeated in the 2023 senatorial election with an unprecedented landslide, to subsequently resign as minister of labour and productivity, to occupy the seat.

A source, who preferred not to be named, said that Bali is championing the recall move, although Bali himself could not independently confirm the latest development.

However, it would be recalled that shortly after his sack late last year, Bali had told newsmen that although as of then, he had not gone back to the senatorial zone after the judgement, he had it on good authority that his aggrieved constituents were already collecting signatures to initiate the recall process.

He had also disclosed that his legal team was weighing various options, including going back to the court to explore any window to review or remedy the injustice done to him and other fellow lawmakers.

According to him, being the victim of the brazen judicial gymnastics, he had the constitutional option of initiating a recall process against those who were brought to office by the Appeal Court judgment, or to live with it for the next three years.

The latest move seems to align with the earlier vow of Bali to unseat Lalong and co, as impeccable sources say plans have reached advanced stage by constituents to recall the embattled lawmakers.

“What the people of Plateau South senatorial district are saying is that they will not allow them.

“I don’t know what they want to do, but I was told reliably that people are already gathering signatures that they must recall them.

“This time around we are going to test INEC and the judiciary that installed them because that is the option we are sure of.

“Like I said, our lawyers are making all efforts to see whether there is a window. I’m not a lawyer; I don’t know how they are going to do it.

“But the one I’m very sure of is that all those who the Appeal Court collected our mandates and gave to them wrongfully, as concluded by the learned justices of the Supreme Court in Gov Mutfang’s case, we are definitely going to recall them.

“When? I will not tell you because it will just come to them as a rude shock.

“For the specifics, I can tell you that in Plateau South, I know that they have gathered over 300,000 signatures to recall Lalong already.

“That is already in the public domain. He is aware, his party, the APC is aware.

“By the time we get the required number of signatures, which is 50 per cent of the total registered voters, it’ll be a done deal, we’ll do it.

“We have the INEC current register; I will not tell you more than this because we keep that one close to our chest.

“As soon as we get the 50 per cent, we are going to write a petition, and our lawyers will follow it up from there to tell INEC to verify.

“Once that is done, INEC will have no option but to conduct a referendum and we take it up from there,” Bali, a retired Air Vice Marshal and fighter pilot, had assured.

Lalong, Dafaan and Venman were roundly defeated by Bali, Rep Isaac Kwallu and Beni Lar, who won the Plateau South, Shendam, Quaan-Pan, Mikang and Langtang North/South House of Reps seats, respectively, during the 2023 National Assembly polls.

Despite being the sitting governor of Plateau State from 2015 to 2023, and Director General of the 2023 Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation, Lalong was humiliated at the polls by Bali, who trounced him with an unprecedented vote margin of about 60,000.

The former governor was comprehensively defeated by Bali in all the 6 local governments that constitute his senatorial zone, including his own Shendam Local Government Area, except in Wase Local Government.

Dafaan was similarly floored by Kwallu in all the three local governments that constitute Shendam, Quaan-Pan, Mikang federal constituency, and in 31 out of the 32 federal wards in the area, including Dafaan’s Kwalla-Moeda federal ward, with an unprecedented vote margin.

Also, perennial winner and political Amazon, Rep Beni Lar (PDP-Langtang North/South was re-elected in the 2023 polls by her constituents following her landslide victory with a very wide margin against APC’s Venman, who was her closest opponent.

However, all the PDP lawmakers’ victories were controversially annulled by the Court of Appeal, on the technical ground that PDP did not have a legitimate political structure that produced them as candidates, thereby, truncating their tenures.

This was notwithstanding the fact that the case was a pre-election matter, which the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain in the first place.

Not a few observers had described the court’s curious decision as being a predetermined judicial compromise, while the Supreme Court later frowned at it and chided the Appeal Court, describing the decision as an act of judicial rascality.

Apparently miffed by the court’s decision to impose on them those who they rejected at the polls like being compelled to swallow unwanted bitter pills, the lawmakers’ constituents have now turned to the constitutionally sanctioned recall option as a last resort.

Reacting to the bid by constituents to recall Lalong and co, the Plateau State chapter of the APC described the action as a wasted effort that was informed by PDP’s “desperation and frustration to remove the lawmakers from their legitimate seats.”

Confirming the recall initiative, the state chapter of the APC in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by its acting Publicity Secretary, Shittu Bamaiyi, described the recall effort as merely a “PDP orchestrated recall campaign, a wild goose chase, and mission impossible.”

“For quite some time now the PDP in the southern part of Plateau State, has embarked on a wild goose chase, in the name of recall campaign against these members of the National Assembly.

“The party has unrelentingly and agonizingly, been cajoling unsuspecting eligible voters to append their signatures on worthless sheet of papers, as a means of recalling Senator Simon Lalong and Chief John Dafaan from the Red and Green Chambers, respectively.

“The desperation and frustration of the PDP seem to know no bounds, to the extent that the party is so blinded to the constitutional requirements of initiating, as well as embarking on such a herculean exercise,” the APC stated.

According to the party, the PDP has thrown caution and decorum to the winds by embarking on the recall process against the lawmakers.

“By using all sorts of shenanigans and deceits to cow people into appending their names on papers, under the pretext of making them enjoy some palliatives and loans from the federal government as well as the state governments.

“Though the unsuspecting electorate have been suspicious of the promises, and taking them with the pinch of salt, the hirelings assigned the responsibility of the misadventure, have unblushingly continued to move round all the nooks and cranny of the Southern zone to collect signatures for the futile exercise.

“It is unfortunate that the PDP could condescend to that level of desperation, when viewed from the prism of civility and propriety, as well as considering the fact that, the legislators in question have hardly spent one year in their respective chambers,” the APC further said.

“Unarguably, a recall exercise is an electoral and constitutional process which can be initiated against wanting or incompetent legislators as the case may be, there must always be overwhelming justification for such a cause.

“Undoubtedly, the narcissistic attitude of the PDP will certainly come to naught, sooner than later, because from all indications, the legislators are at the moment, enjoying the support of their constituents not withstanding their short stay in the National Assembly.

“In addition, the APC as a party, and other interest groups, are closely monitoring events as they unfold, with a view to checkmating the misadventure.

“Without any fear of the unknown, the campaign is surely going to be a mission impossible and a disgrace at the end of it all,” Bamaiyi added.

When contacted for comments on the development, Rep. Kwallu, one of the lawmakers sacked by the Court of Appeal and Dafaan’s predecessor, confirmed that the recall move by the constituents was true.

He explained that the recall process is provided for in the Nigerian constitution, which empowers constituents to recall their elected representative at any time, stressing that there is no cause for alarm.

Jimmy Lar, a political gladiator from the senatorial zone, while commenting on the APC’s statement describing the recall process as a desperate move by PDP, justified the ground for the initiative.

He asked rhetorically: “Who is the desperate one between someone who stole what doesn’t belong to him or her and the one who is making all lawful efforts to recover his or her stolen item?

“It’s the right of an owner to go to any length to recover his stolen property.

“When you are robbed, you tell people, approach the lawful authorities and take all necessary measures to recover your stolen items from the robber(s).

“Whether or not you are able to bring the thief to justice is not for the thief to decide, it’s for time to decide,” he said.

Simon Shindai, a lawyer, constituent, and APC member, while confirming that he was fully aware of the recall bid, alleged that some stakeholders, mostly from the state’s ruling PDP, were behind the recall move.

According to him, some PDP chieftains are strategizing, working round the clock, and leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the recall agenda is carried out seamlessly to achieve the desired result within the next six to twelve months, and warned the APC not to treat the issue with kid gloves.

“It is not a joke because it is a serious constitutional matter that is outlined in the 1999 Constitution, so once these processes are met, then INEC will definitely go ahead and conduct a referendum, which outcome could be a big shocker for the lawmakers in question,” he said.

Also commenting on the issue, Alhassan Barde, an APC supporter, said that APC as a political party that knows and has tasted power, and is still in power at the centre and elsewhere, should do more than just mere press statements.

“The party should be strategic in handling critical matters that are pending and have been left unadressed, matters that have emerged (like the one at hand), and those at the horizon with the potential to affect its present structure, and the chances that lie ahead for greater fortunes.

“Remember, your opponent in whatever contest, would employ and deploy all manner of tactics to rattle and weaken your immune system and then launch attacks on your defence mechanisms.

“All that we are doing is a clarion call to APC to wake up now, and do something about it,” he said.

Lalong, while reacting to the recall move by his constituents, through his Legislative aide, Hon. Exodus Pyennap, acknowledged being aware of it but described the initiative as an effort in futility that is baseless and dead on arrival.

He said that the first requirement for a recall process to be considered by INEC is for the constituent petitioners to have a solid ground for the recall, such as failure, misconduct, corruption, non-performance or some sort of official misdemeanor against their representative, which are all unfounded in the instant case.

“So, the entire hullabaloo is an effort that is baseless and futile, INEC will not even bother to act on it,” Lalong said.

Lar and Dafaan could not immediately be reached for comments on the issue as of the time of filing this report. Dafaan did not answer or return the several phone calls made to him.

Rumblings in Plateau over move to recall Lalong, Dafaan, Venman

Related Topics:Dafaan Rumblings in Plateau over move to recall Lalong Venman

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Troops uncover, neutralise IED along Wawa–Babans axis in Niger state

Published

6 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Troops uncover, neutralise IED along Wawa–Babans axis in Niger state

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD have uncovered and safely neutralised an improvised explosive device (IED) along the Wawa–Babana road in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State during an ongoing offensive operation.

Security sources said the operation was conducted at about 10:00 a.m. on March 25 by troops of 22 Brigade Sector 1, Operation Safe Secure Support (OPSS), in conjunction with 221 Battalion.

The sources said the troops were on patrol along the axis to assess a bridge previously damaged by an IED explosion when they encountered the security threat.

According to the sources, the troops quickly created an alternative route to bypass the damaged bridge and continued their movement along the operational axis.

During further advance towards Luma, the troops reportedly discovered another IED planted along the route.

The explosive device was subsequently recovered and safely disposed of by an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, preventing what could have been a major threat to troops and civilians.

Troops uncover, neutralise IED along Wawa–Babans axis in Niger state

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Troops repel terrorist attack in Kwara, two injured in Oro-Ago incident

Published

6 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Troops repel terrorist attack in Kwara, two injured in Oro-Ago incident

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD have repelled a terrorist attack on Oro-Ago town in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, in a swift response that restored calm to the area.

Security sources said the incident occurred at about 6:55 p.m. on March 25 when troops deployed at the Oro-Ago patrol base, in collaboration with local vigilantes, responded to credible intelligence on the attack.

According to the sources, the combined team engaged the assailants and successfully forced them to withdraw, preventing further destruction in the community.

During the encounter, one vigilante and one civilian sustained gunshot injuries.

The sources said the injured victims were immediately evacuated by troops to the General Hospital, Omu-Aran, for medical attention.

They added that troops have since maintained a strong presence in the area, conducting sustained patrols to prevent any possible regrouping of the attackers and to reassure residents of their safety.

Troops repel terrorist attack in Kwara, two injured in Oro-Ago incident

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A Bulwark for Borno’s Resilience: A Few Of Zulum’s Security Feats

Published

6 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

A Bulwark for Borno’s Resilience: A Few Of Zulum’s Security Feats

By Dauda Iliya

Weighed on the scale of the insecurity ravaging the entity he was entrusted with the responsibility of governing since May 29, 2019, the feats accomplished by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State on the restoration of security as sine qua non for the recovery of the state from an appalling terror-orchestrated retrogression, and positioning it on the trajectory of prosperity have been exceptionally weighty.

With countless encomiums showered on the Professor of Agricultural Engineering-turned-governor from all nooks and crannies of the country and the globe over the last seven years of his governorship, even the most unapologetic critics of his administration would attest to this incontrovertible fact.

Prof. Zulum assumed the governorship of the state, smouldering with resilience, the passion to pilot the ship of the state to the shores of recovery and prosperity, and the unshakeable resolve to sustain the tempo of the search for lasting security for his dear, beleaguered state.

As the bulwark of Borno’s Resilience, Zulum has, for the past seven years, been unyielding in his strong commitment to the restoration of security and the recovery of the state. On countless instances, he mortgaged his safety and security as he trotted around the state, ministering to the numerous needs of the terror-traumatized population.

He was personally attacked several times when he was the Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement.

In 2020 alone, Governor Zulum was attacked four times in what seemed a coordinated scheme to frustrate his efforts at relocating over hundred of thousands of internally Displaced Persons (IDP) to their ancestral homes across the local government areas of the state,
most-notably during his visit to the fishing community of Baga in Kukawa LGA, where his convoy was ambushed in the year 2020. He survived the attack that could have frustrated the entire relocation and resettlement programme of the IDPs across the state.

On September 25 2020, the governor’s convoy was again attacked by suspected insurgents on its way to Baga, leaving several persons dead. Less than 48 hours later, on Sunday, September 27, another attack was launched on the governor’s motorcade in Monguno, on its way back to Maiduguri, the State capital, but no casualty was reported.

Governor Zulum was not only unruffled by such attacks but also unrelenting in his travels around the state to deliver services. The more the attacks on his convoy, the more he smouldered with the gusto and commitment to rebuild Borno from the rubble of insurgency and position it on the trajectory of prosperity in the class of its sister states of the federation.

In the face of such attacks, he stood face-to-face with the stark reality that daring all such frustrating challenges was the only way open to him to do his work. There was just no other way. He, therefore, resolved to dare all such challenges. He has, incontrovertibly, been daring the challenges most uncommonly.

Daredevil, absolutely incredibly, and prepared most particularly for sustainable recovery projects and programmes, he was fully aware that his administration had to contribute whatever was necessary, however many resources it could, to restore security.

Security is the duty and responsibility of the federal government, but its state and its people are the ones suffering and dying because of its lack. Therefore, while pleading passionately with the federal government and the military to please not allow the terrorists to retake his state from him, he promptly swung into action, contributing a huge quantum of resources that the security agencies need to fight terror.

He does this, while frontally tackling the massive humanitarian crisis ignited by the terror, simultaneously joining forces with the military to check or, at least, minimize the sudden terror resurgences before they reach an appalling state and rage that might take decades to subdue.

For Zulum and every stakeholder in the security of Nigeria, it would be most scary to witness any mass exodus of displaced communities, sacked once again by the resurgence, back to the already closed Maiduguri metropolis IDP camps, which were the most nauseating features of the 2014-2024 insurgency-precipitated humanitarian crisis.

In response to the series of resurging attacks, most scarily between the end of April and the middle of May 2025, most especially around Marte, Damboa, Gajiram, Chibok and the Mandara Hills of Gwoza, Zulum, therefore, hastened to Marte Local Government Area to assess the situation and provide support to the affected communities while deepening his pleas to the federal government and the military to hasten to his rescue before the terrorists retake Marte.

Between 2024 and 2025, Boko Haram/ISWAP tried several pranks to clip Zulum’s wings as he soared higher in his search for security for his state. The terrorists have been marauding into the Borno terrain from their border enclaves, tormenting resettled communities, killing scores, to, apparently, scare Zulum from going ahead with his UN-praised Borno Model of societal recovery.

Zulum, leveraging the fascinating successes of the security agencies – The North-East Operation Hadin Kai Theater Command in Maiduguri and the Multi-National Joint Task Force headquartered in Ndjamena, Chad Republic, seems solidly determined to ensure that Borno recovers from the terror-inflicted humanitarian crisis and, as a competent representative of the Nigerian authorities, squeezes terror out of the shores of Nigeria.

Excitingly, undeterred by the persistent resurgence of terror across the Northern, Central, and parts of the Southern zones of the state, Governor Zulum, smouldering with an uncommon determination and daredevil stance on recovery, still trotted around, resettling communities and instilling resilience to withstand the resurgence of terror.

Support to Military/Security Agencies and Volunteers

Governor Zulum has demonstrated exemplary leadership in addressing the state’s pressing security concerns through deploying both kinetic and non-kinetic measures.

In the last one year, Zulum has procured and distributed 481 operational vehicles to the military, Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, other law enforcement agencies, the Civilian JTF, hunters, and vigilantes.

Additionally, in November 2025, Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum distributed 63 operational vehicles to security agencies in Maiduguri to enhance surveillance and combat emerging threats.

The beneficiaries include 30 vehicles for 10 sectors of the Civilian JTF, 16 for Rapid Response and Anti-Social Vices units, 10 for paramilitary organisations, six for local hunters, and one for the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

Zulum said the initiative aligns with his administration’s sustained efforts to strengthen security logistics across the state. “We will continue to support the security apparatus to ensure Borno is completely free from insurgency,” he stated.

Earlier in 2025, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum distributed 110 brand-new operational vehicles, 500 motorcycles, and 280 houses to the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies.

According to the distribution formula, 60 vehicles will be allocated to the Nigerian Police and 50 vehicles and 500 motorcycles to the Nigerian military.

Zulum also approved an upward review of the monthly allowances to volunteers under the Borno Youth Empowerment Scheme, popularly known as the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), Vigilantes Hunters, and Neighbourhood Watch.

Zulum approved an upward review of the monthly allowance for each volunteer from ₦30,000.00 to ₦50,000.00, while leaders of the volunteer groups will now receive ₦150,000.00 each.

The reviewed allowance has already started hitting their accounts, resulting in a revised monthly expenditure of ₦232.4 million.

“The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), Vigilantes, Hunters, and Neighbourhood Watch have consistently demonstrated gallantry, resilience, and unwavering commitment in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents,” Zulum stated.

In recognition of these sacrifices and in appreciation of their steadfast dedication to peace and security, Zulum also approved an upward review of allowances for the
leaders of the volunteer groups to ₦150,000.00 each.

Zulum’s Tour to Pulka/Ngoshe

Over the last seven years, Zulum has maintained his routine of visiting communities affected by attacks to commiserate with them, build their resilience, and console them with humanitarian aid. Most recently, he paid a confidence- and resilience-building visit to the displaced persons in Ngoshe, who are currently taking refuge in Pulka.

Ngoshe, a community in Gwoza local government, was attacked on 4th March, forcing residents to flee their homes.

This was the second time Governor Babagana Zulum has visited victims of Ngoshe, in expression of grave concern about the security situation not only in Gwoza, but also in the entire State.

Addressing the displaced persons at the Pulka Central Primary School, Zulum said the visit was aimed at reinforcing government support, boosting public confidence, and engaging stakeholders on improved security strategies.

“The major reason why we are here is first and foremost to once again sympathize with them and to convey our deepest sympathy, and to assure them that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Borno State Government will do everything possible to strengthen the security of the entire Gwoza community,” Zulum said.

He reassured residents of Gwoza and surrounding communities of strengthened security measures and sustained humanitarian support following recent attacks, stressing that all those in captivity will be rescued.

Governor Zulum spent the entire Saturday night coordinating security activities in Pulka following the recent attacks in Ngoshe, Pulka, and other communities in Gwoza. That was the first time a sitting Governor has slept in Pulka, a community 22 kilometers from Gwoza.

He noted to them that leadership is all about commitment and sacrifice, a hallmark of his administration since he assumed office.

“Leadership is not about living in your comfort zone and then addressing people and addressing their concerns, but coming directly to the doorsteps of the less privileged. This has been my tradition, this has been my culture since I assumed duty as the governor of the state,” Zulum said.

“I cannot remember when I lived consecutively for 10 days in my office or even one week since I assumed duty. I’m always in the remote areas attending to people, and I believe this is what we should do from now on to the end of my own administration,” he noted.

Governor Zulum, on Sunday, visited Ngoshe to see for himself the level of damage, which is about 40 kilometers away from Gwoza. He disbursed cash and relief items to over 30,000 people affected by the recent incident.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after inspecting the affected community, the Governor described the level of destruction as shocking and heartbreaking.

He assured residents of Ngoshe in Gwoza Local Government Area that the government will rebuild homes and public infrastructure destroyed by recent attacks, while intensifying security efforts to restore lasting peace in the area.

…Vows Ngoshe Will Not Fall Again

Governor Zulum reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal and the Borno State governments to decisively address the lingering security challenges in the state, assuring residents of Ngoshe that the town would not be allowed to fall back into the control of insurgents insha Allah.

Addressing troops of the 82 Division Task Force Battalion Ngoshe, Zulum said efforts are ongoing to strengthen the military’s capacity.

“I want to assure you that the Federal Government of Nigeria, and indeed the Government of Borno State, under the leadership of the Armed Forces, will do everything possible to contain the lingering security situation,” he said.

The governor emphasized the strategic importance of Ngoshe, warning that its fall could have wider security implications for surrounding communities.” Ngoshe is very important. The fall of Ngoshe would send a very bad signal to Pulka, Kirawa, Gwoza, and even Bama. We shall not allow this town to be taken over again by insurgents,” he assured.

These efforts at restoring security to Borno, exceptionally commendable as they may seem, constitute just a modicum of the vast array of accomplishments Governor Zulum has registered in this most critical requirement for the very existence and prosperity of every entity.

As the Agricultural Engineering-turned-governor winds up his two-tenure governorship stint, it is most-crucially imperative for Borno, its stakeholders and entire people to comb, with a fine tooth comb, the state’s political cum public servants class to sieve out a personality possessing the character, credibility and capacity of Zulum to sustain the tempo of search for lasting security and consolidate on Zulum’s accomplishments, but add value to those accomplishments.

Zulum’s successor should be a genius or, at least, exceptionally talented and committed to doing something strikingly new.

“Towering genius distains a beaten path; it seeks regions hitherto unexplored,” Abraham Lincoln would say.

Dauda Iliya is the Special Adviser on Media/Spokesperson to the Borno State Governor

A Bulwark for Borno’s Resilience: A Few Of Zulum’s Security Feats