Politics
Presidency unveils committee to trickle down federal policies to community dwellers
The Presidency on Thursday, took steps to close the gaps in bringing federal policies closer to grassroots communities across Nigeria, with the inauguration of a National Community Engagement Framework Drafting Committee.
After the ceremony held at the State House, Abuja, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North‑West), Abdullahi Yakasai, said the framework will embody the spirit of partnership and collective action.
Yakasai said, “The framework drafting committee we are launching today embodies the spirit of partnership and collective action, ensuring that progress is shared responsibility.
“Our nation is at an important juncture where every decision must prioritise the wellbeing of our citizens.
“First, you will dialogue and have a meaningful conversation and action. It will present a new chapter in our nation’s history that is built on the principles of inclusivity and equity.”
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement North‑Central, Mrs Abiodun Essiet, said the framework would serve as a blueprint for action to ensure that no citizen feels excluded from national decision‑making.
“Today is not just a ceremony; it is a call to serve, to innovate, and to rise to the occasion,” she told committee members and invited dignitaries.
“This framework reflects our collective commitment to make sure no voice is left unheard, no community left behind, and every citizen feels seen, valued, and empowered.”
Essiet urged members drawn from government, civil society, and the private sector to act as “bridges between policy and people,” stressing that their task goes beyond representation to inspiring trust and driving impact.
Under the directive of President Bola Tinubu, the committee will draft guidelines for collaborative governance, inclusive decision‑making, and citizen empowerment, she explained.
Once completed, the framework is expected to formalise channels for regular dialogue between federal agencies and local communities, with the aim of improving service delivery and boosting public confidence in government programmes.
Its first assignments include mapping existing community engagement efforts, identifying gaps, and proposing clear metrics for measuring impact.
Essiet further said the committee would work “with courage, commitment, and clarity of purpose” to deliver results swiftly.
“Nigeria is counting on us. Let us rise to the call,” she concluded.
The State House Permanent Secretary, Temitope Fashedemi, emphasised the importance of the committee’s successful assignment and its impact on communities nationwide.
Represented by the Director, Information and Communication Technology, Lukman Kilani, Fashedemi assured the committee of support to ensure a successful assignment that will positively impact the communities across the country.
A consultant on the project, the CEO at Environmental Harmony Limited, Mrs Kitan Oluwagbuyi, apprised committee members of the task ahead.
Oluwagbuyi said the committee has six weeks to draft the framework.
She explained that the framework is meant to “Provide a structured approach to stakeholder identification, mapping, and engagement.
“Create tools and templates for participatory governance at all levels. Strengthen feedback mechanisms to improve policy implementation and service delivery.
“Enhance government accountability and transparency in community-driven development programmes.”
According to Oluwagbuyi, the opening fortnight will be devoted to stock‑taking.
During this period the framework drafting committee is expected to present a detailed status report, distilling lessons from earlier outreach programmes, while other committee members will lay out their engagement strategies, successes and persistent bottlenecks.
By the third and fourth weeks, external consultants will have drafted the first version of the National Stakeholders’ Engagement Framework and circulated it for line‑by‑line scrutiny by all members.
The final stretch, covering weeks five and six, will see the committee fold comments into a clean text, vote to adopt the document and forward it to the Federal Government for approval and nationwide implementation.
The stakeholders received goodwill messages from the President of the Community Development Practitioners of Nigeria, Prof. Bello Shittu; Professor of Public Policy, Governance and Core Government Functionality at the University of Abuja, Prof. Abdulhamid Ozohu-Suleiman and the Sarkin Bwari, Auwal Musa Ijakolo II.
Former lawmaker, Dino Melaye Esq, has raised concerns over the Senate’s reported rejection of the electronic transmission of election results.
The move, according to Melaye, is a clear endorsement of election rigging and an indication of a sinister plan to rig the 2027 elections.
In a statement on Friday, the former lawmaker criticized the Senate’s decision, stating that it undermines the credibility of the electoral process.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC chieftain, also stated that the move opens the door for electoral manipulation and fraud.
He further warned that the rejection of electronic transmission of results is a step backwards for democracy in Nigeria.
Melaye called on lawmakers and citizens to stand up against “this blatant attempt to undermine the will of the people and ensure that future elections are free, fair, and transparent”.
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has said Nigerians have every reason to be mad at the Senate over the ongoing debate on e-transmission of election results.
Ezekwesili made this known on Friday when she featured in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’ monitored by DAILY POST.
DAILY POST reports that the Senate on Wednesday turned down a proposed change to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill that aimed to compel the electronic transmission of election results.
Reacting to the matter, Ezekwesili said, “The fundamental issue with the review of the Electoral Act is that the Senate retained the INEC 2022 Act, Section 60 Sub 5.
“This section became infamous for the loophole it provided INEC, causing Nigerians to lose trust. Since the law established that it wasn’t mandatory for INEC to transmit electoral results in real-time, there wasn’t much anyone could say.
“Citizens embraced the opportunity to reform the INEC Act, aiming to address ambiguity and discretionary opportunities for INEC. Yet, the Senate handled it with a “let sleeping dogs lie” approach. The citizens have every reason to be as outraged as they currently are.”
Politics
Electoral act: Senate’s action confirms Nigeria ‘fantastically corrupt’, ‘disgraced’ – Peter Obi
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the Senate’s refusal to make electronic transmission of election results mandatory, saying the move further exposes Nigeria as a fantastically corrupt and disgraced country.
Obi expressed his views in a statement shared on X on Friday, where he accused lawmakers of deliberately weakening Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He explained that his reaction came after a brief pause to mourn victims of a deadly tragedy in Kwara State, where over 150 people reportedly lost their lives.
“Let us first pray for the souls of the innocent Nigerians lost in Kwara. That painful incident is why I delayed responding to the shameful development surrounding our electoral system,” he wrote.
Describing the Senate’s decision as intentional and dangerous, Obi said rejecting mandatory electronic transmission was not a simple oversight but a calculated attempt to block transparency.
“The Senate’s open rejection of electronic transmission of results is an unforgivable act of electoral manipulation ahead of 2027,” he said.
According to him, the action strikes at the heart of democracy and raises serious questions about the true purpose of governance in Nigeria.
“This failure to pass a clear safeguard is a direct attack on our democracy. By refusing these transparency measures, the foundation of credible elections is being destroyed. One must ask whether government exists to ensure justice and order or to deliberately create chaos for the benefit of a few.”
The former Anambra State governor linked the post-election controversies of the 2023 general elections to the failure to fully deploy electronic transmission of results, insisting that Nigerians were misled with claims of technical failures.
“
The confusion, disputes and manipulation that followed the 2023 elections were largely due to the refusal to fully implement electronic transmission,” he said.
He added that the so-called system glitch never truly existed.
Obi compared Nigeria’s electoral process with those of other African countries that have embraced technology to improve credibility, lamenting that Nigeria continues to fall behind.
“Many African nations now use electronic transmission to strengthen their democracy. Yet Nigeria, which calls itself the giant of Africa, is moving backwards and dragging the continent along.”
He criticised Nigeria’s leadership class, saying the country’s problems persist not because of a lack of ideas but because of deliberate resistance to meaningful reform.
“We keep organising conferences and writing policy papers about Nigeria’s challenges. But the truth is that the leaders and elite are the real problem. Our refusal to change is pushing the nation backwards into a primitive system of governance.”
Warning of the dangers ahead, Obi said rejecting electronic transmission creates room for confusion and disorder that only serves the interests of a small group.
He also recalled past remarks by foreign leaders who described Nigeria as corrupt, arguing that actions like this continue to justify those statements.
“When a former UK Prime Minister described Nigeria as ‘fantastically corrupt,’ we were offended. When former US President Donald Trump called us a ‘disgraced nation,’ we were angry. But our continued resistance to transparency keeps proving them right.”
Obi warned that Nigerians should not accept a repeat of the electoral irregularities witnessed in 2023.
“Let there be no mistake. The criminality seen in 2023 must not be tolerated in 2027.”
He urged citizens to be ready to defend democracy through lawful and decisive means, while also calling on the international community to closely monitor developments in Nigeria’s electoral process.
“The international community must pay attention to the groundwork being laid for future electoral manipulation, which threatens our democracy and development,” Obi stated.
He concluded by expressing hope that change is still possible if Nigerians take collective responsibility.
“A new Nigeria is possible but only if we all rise and fight for it.”
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