Politics
Deployment of Security Forces for Elections in West Africa Childish – Ghana IGP
Deployment of Security Forces for Elections in West Africa Childish – Ghana IGP
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Ghana, George Dampare has flayed West African governments’ heavy dependence on security forces as a condition for peace during elections saying deployment of security forces suggests democracy is not entrenched in the region.
Dampare stated this on Friday during the panel of discussion on “Security Forces and Inclusive, Peaceful Democratic Elections in the ECOWAS Region Consolidation” at the ongoing ECOWAS Parliament High-level Seminar in Winneba, Ghana.
He urged political office contestants in West Africa to accept results at the end of elections to prevent violence that leads to political instability, which also informed such deployment.
The Police Chief warned politicians against holding on to power against all odds, noting that the phenomenon is the major reason for post-election violence which has led to political instability in some countries of the sub-region.
He said: “I will urge politicians in the ECOWAS Sub-region, and you Parliamentarians to always accept results to avoid any form of crisis or violence.
“Holding on to power as if it is do or die, has created a big challenge. Losing elections is not the end of the world.
“It is better to let go of power that will destroy your country because there will always be another opportunity.”
Dampare insisted that all actors involved in the election process have a role to play in ensuring the peaceful and credible conducts of elections, advising them to live up to their responsibilities.
He said: “Electoral Commissions of Member States must conduct credible elections to avoid contestants doubting outcomes and results.”
He added that once all actors carry out their responsibilities and effectively, the deployment of security during elections will not be so necessary.
“All the actors have a role to play for a peaceful election, and they are all aware of their responsibilities.
“If Political parties, candidates, the electoral commissioner and his officers carry it to the later, then we will get to the point that deployment for security during elections becomes irrelevant.
“That will be the point where we will say we have matured as democratic countries and a democratic sub-region.
“But if we keep depending on the security agencies to give you hope for the purpose of ensuring a successful election, then our democracy is still at its infancy.
“We need to get to the point where elections will be held without thinking of security and we will get there,” He said.
The Ghana’s Police Chief also warned against the misuse of social media during elections which he said has become a major trigger to the post-election crisis.
He charged Electoral Commissions to announce results within the shortest time possible to avoid inconsistencies in fake results announcements on social media.
Dampare said that announcements of results on social media makes citizens doubt the integrity of the electoral process when it does not favor them.
“There has always been a challenge especially when it comes to the period of counting, and therefore after the period of counting.
“Then the collation of results at the various constitutional levels and thereafter, the escalation of those constituencies’ results in the national results being aggregated and announced.
“With social media, people start dishing out results that compromise the integrity of the whole election process in the form of fake news if I may use that word.
“That period becomes so critical, and therefore, if there is no clear timeline for the official announcement of results, then the space is given for anybody to fill in anything then apprehension.
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“Then tension develops to a level that affects the very survival of the country in terms of what is going to happen next.
“So in that context, we also do our best to provide security at that political party’s office, commission and any other place we consider to be vulnerable at that time.
“And ensure that the Electoral Commission does the needful as soon as possible,” Dampare said.
Dampare noted the police continue on policing the state, a month, two months or more, until it is satisfied with the situation, depending on the dynamics of the election.
On his part, the Inspector General of Police in Sierra Leone, Ambrose Sovula suggested that ECOWAS should find a way to regulate the misuse of social media platforms, especially as it relates to the announcement of election results.
Soluva said that social media was designed to bring development but unfortunately, it is being used by some others to destroy.
“This social media thing is being misused; it is being created for us to be developed but today we are using it to destroy the gains we have made.
“We should look at the ECOWAS level to see how this can be addressed. Social media is used as a platform for incitements, ill motivated individuals for political gains.
“Election will be on and social media has announced the result and both parties will be celebrating, and when one result differs from the other, in the end they will dispute the results,” Soluva said.
He urged political office holders to serve their electorates very well to avoid using fraudulent means to hold on to power at all cost.
Sovula said politicians who serve their electorates will always have an express win at the polls without fear.
He also called on the ECOWAS Parliament to make provisions for policing at intra-party politics level, adding that the process of picking candidates at party level comes with some level of crisis.
The IGP also recommended that political rallies should be held as town hall meetings and not on the street with marmot crowds which make policing more difficult.
“You should serve your electorate well so that when it comes time for elections it should not be a do or die issue.
“When you have served your electorate, you do not have to take it by force and at all means.
“Intra-party politics, this can be addressed by this parliament because those in this parliament are responsible to pick their Presidential candidates.
“They will be able to talk to themselves on how such processes will not amount to violence.
“Political party rallies, especially major political parties that attract large crowds, is a challenge, I will recommend town hall meetings rather than taking to the street,” Soluva said.
The ECOWAS Parliament’s High-level meeting is with the theme “Two Decades of Democratic Elections in ECOWAS Member States: Achievements, Challenges and the Way Forward.
The Seminar seeks to make recommendations for new frameworks and mechanisms to improve existing legal, institutional and material frameworks for conducting elections in Member States.
Deployment of Security Forces for Elections in West Africa Childish – Ghana IGP
Mass defection hits Gombe State NNPP, SDP, LP as over 1, 000 leaders join APC
Ahead of the 2027 general election, the camp of the ruling APC in Gombe State received a boost as over 1, 000 opposition political leaders and members from Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of the state, on Monday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The opposition leaders and members are from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Labour Party (LP).
They were received by Mr Inuwa Garba, member representing Yamaltu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in company of Mr Adamu Lambam, APC chairman, Yamaltu Deba LG.
Speaking during the ceremony in Lubo community in Yamaltu Deba LG, Malam Tasiu Isa, the Chairman of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the council said joining APC was to strengthen the good governance being delivered by the party.
Isa said that Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and President Bola Tinubu have done well for the people through the execution of live-changing projects.
“We, the executives of the SDP from this LG and all the ward executives are joining the APC today and we are more than 500 officials.
“If we join our supporters and members, then we will be talking of thousands of SDP members; we are convinced that APC is the party to be because the party has good governance as evidence,” he said.
Isa commended Rep member Garba for his people-centric approach to representation, saying that Garba’s leadership style was complementing that of Gov. Yahaya.
For Mohammed Hinna, Labour Party chairman, Yamaltu Deba LG, joining APC remained the best option for any patriotic Nigeria who wants to see a better future for the country.
Hinna said with the efforts of President Tinubu and Gov. Yahaya, it would be difficult to remain in opposition, “if you truly a political leader that has the love of the people at heart.”
Mr Adamu Lambam, the APC chairman for Yamaltu Deba said more opposition leaders and members have been joining the APC at the council because of the good governance being delivered by Yahaya in their LG.
Lambam said that the party would continue to welcome anyone who wants to join the APC, adding that “APC is the people’s party because of the developmental strides of Tinubu, Inuwa and Garba.”
Reps member Garba said with the defection, the structure of opposition parties in the council has been weakened and “this is good for APC ahead of 2027.”
Garba said that the performance of Tinubu and Yahaya would make campaigning for APC ahead of 2027 election easier for them when the ban on campaign is lifted in August.
He appealed to members of the APC to remain united while mobilising more members at the grassroots by informing them of the many good things that Mr President and Yahaya have done.
Mass defection hits Gombe State NNPP, SDP, LP as over 1, 000 leaders join APC
Politics
Bayelsa: APC Chieftain Condemns Marginalized Congresses, Alleges Diri’s Plan To Use Isowo As State Party Chairman
Bayelsa: APC Chieftain Condemns Marginalized Congresses, Alleges Diri’s Plan To Use Isowo As State Party Chairman
Faults Akpe’s Nomination, Says Governance Now A Family Enterprise
A chieftain and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Barr. David Perebo has expressed deep dissatisfaction over Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri segregational, sidelining mode of conduct of the party ward and local government congresses.
Condemning in strong terms of the segregational mode of conduct of the APC ward and local government congresses across the state, the chieftain described the congresses as witch-hunt of a selected group of stakeholders, leaders in the party.
The APC member condemned the governor deliberate segregation of key stakeholders in various wards and local government areas are geared towards generating division.
Pursuant to the marginalized mode of conduct of the congresses, ward and local government executives of APC in Sagbama addressing the press, expressed dissatisfaction over non-inclusion of critical stakeholders who stood firmly as an opposition in building the party in Bayelsa state.
The party executives said Senator Diri inability to conduct all inclusive congresses in various wards, local governments across the state, has proven beyond shadow of doubt of the governor incapability to manage affairs of the party in Bayelsa state.
Governor Diri who couldn’t manage insignificant affairs of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP leading to Mr George Turnah factional leadership in Bayelsa, has transferred the same attitude from the PDP to the APC barely four months of defection.
The statesmen said the governor has deceptively taken total control of the APC leadership structure in various wards and local government areas across the state, by installing his followers who defected to the APC from the PDP, while excluding old APC members who built the party.
Diri who preach all-inclusiveness in leadership, has deceptively taken over the leadership structures of Brass, Nembe, Yenagoa, Sagbama, Kolokuma-Opokuma, while allowing Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku and David Lyon to nominate the Chairmen of Ekeremor, Ogbia and Southern-Ijaw as compensation.
Furthermore, the governor whose intentions failed woefully to use his relative, Mr Gesiye Isowo as at then Bayelsa PDP Secretary, as Bayelsa APC Caretaker Chairman before any official defection to the APC, has perfected preparations to use him as Chairman of APC in Bayelsa State.
Senator Douye Diri has perfected preparations to produce the Bayelsa APC Chairman, Secretary, including other relevant positions to take total control of the party structure in the state, as deliberate steps towards producing a governorship candidate in the next gubernatorial election.
Unknown to Lokpobiri, Ogbuku who are rumoured to have governorship ambitions in 2027, Governor Douye Diri will never support any of them as successor, rather he is nurturing a relative from Nembe extraction whose father is from Sampou to succeed him as Bayelsa Governor.
In the same vein, the APC chieftain has condemned the decision of the Bayelsa Governor, Senator Douye Diri over nomination of his maternal relative from Ayamasa town, Pastor Peter Pereotubo Akpe as Deputy Governor with motives to revolve the government as a family enterprise.
The chieftain who that stands for justice, fairness, and transparency in governance, has expressed intense dissatisfaction over Governor Douye Diri’s nomination of his relative as deputy governor against Bayelsans.
The sudden passing of the Bayelsa Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo whose cause of sudden death still uncertain, created room for timely replacement of the office of the deputy governor according to Section 191 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said the governor has privatized governance of Bayelsa as a family enterprise with Akpe nomination as deputy when expected to choose from other competent Bayelsans.
Senator Diri has virtually privatized governance of Bayelsa by appointing only relatives in sensitive positions: Chief of Staff now Deputy Governor, Deputy Chief of Staff, Director of Domestic, Director of Transport, and other government house appointees.
The aggrieved party stakeholder said successive administrations since 1999 has credibly and transparently distributed political appointments across the three senatorial district, but the reverse has been the record in Senator Douye Diri administration.
The governor take decisions without putting into consideration of those who consciously built his political reputation. He defected to the APC without considering the feelings of leaders working closely with him.
Bayelsans has witnessed that the governor has no conscience and empathy, enveloped with greed and ingratitude against those who helped in building his political career and reputation; such as former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Dr. Timi Alaibe, Senator Seriake Dickson.
Senator Diri political trajectory has been driven by pettiness, rumours, propaganda, capitalizing on illiteracy, poverty and stomach infrastructure syndrome of some Bayelsans, while privatizing and managing resources of the state as a family enterprise.
In self-delusional, deceptive pretense of building peace, unity, he brought in opposition members to replace those who fought (some lost their lives) for his emergence, instead of acknowledging, and compensating them for their support and sacrifices.
Douye was very selfish to abandon Jonathan, Alaibe in PDP, especially Dickson who believed and trusted him as successor. Yet, he embraced the people who fought against those who worked for him in the election.
The way and manner the governor had shown ingratitude to Jonathan, Dickson, Alaibe, and others, same thing he will do to Lokpobiri, Ogbuku, Lyon, and other leaders in the APC.
Douye doesn’t understand that those who are praising him, are doing so for political patronage (monetary terms), and desert him after office.
Signed:
Barr. David Perebo
APC Chieftain Writes From Yenagoa
Bayelsa: APC Chieftain Condemns Marginalized Congresses, Alleges Diri’s Plan To Use Isowo As State Party Chairman
National Progressive Hub (NPH) Urges Support for President Tinubu’s Second Tenure
By Comrade Philip Ikodor
The National Progressive Hub (NPH), a leading support group for the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on all Nigerians to rally behind President Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR for a successful second term in office come 2027.
In a statement, National Coordinator/Convener, Honorable Bukie Okangbe, praised the APC administration for its efforts towards nation-building and economic stability. Okangbe highlighted the NPH’s previous support for President Tinubu, including a National Security and Endorsement event in 2022 that contributed to the party’s successful general election outcome.
The NPH is gearing up for a Grand Endorsement event for President Tinubu’s second term, scheduled to hold on February 26th at the Musa Yaradua Center, CBD, Abuja. The event will also feature the inauguration of 36 state coordinators, including the FCT, and address critical national issues.
“We invite everyone to join us at this significant event,” Okangbe said. “Your presence will be a testament to our collective commitment to Nigeria’s progress and the APC’s vision for a better future.”
The event promises to be a landmark occasion, showcasing the NPH’s dedication to the APC and President Tinubu’s leadership.
National Progressive Hub (NPH) Urges Support for President Tinubu’s Second Tenure
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