Politics

Summary Of The National Confab 2014 Recommendations

Published

1 year ago

June 2, 2024

Ekwutos Blog

– 1. Qualification to Contest For President

Anybody aspiring to become the country’s President must be a degree holder.

– 2. Rotation of Presidency

Rotation of Presidency between the North and South and governorship among the three senatorial districts of each state.

– 3. Decamping (Cross-Carpeting)

Any elected official, executive or legislative, who carpet-cross, regardless of the reasons for such, shall automatically forfeit his seat.

– 4. Mineral Exploration

Excess revenue should be used for exploration of mineral resources in every part of the country.

– 5. Acting President

Where the President dies in office or incapacitated, impeached or where he resigns, the Vice President shall operate in acting capacity for a period of 90 days during which an election to the same office would be conducted.

– 6. Rotation of the Presidency

When a president leaves under any of the circumstances stated above, another president would be elected from the same zone where the previous one came from.

– 7. Open Grazing

Cattle routes and grazing reserves be phased out to lay emphasis on ranching.

– 8. New State For South East

There shall be created an additional state for the South-East Zone to make the zone have equal number of states with the other zones except the North West which has seven.

– 9. The States For The Regions

Creation of another 18 new states (three per geo-political zone, this means SE will now have 4).

– 10. Fiscal Sharing Formula

The sharing of the funds to the Federation Account among the three tiers of government should be done in the following manner: Federal Government – 42.5%, State Governments – 35% and Local Governments 22.5% as opposed to the prevailing 52.68 %, 26.72% and 20.60% respectively.

– 11. Form of Government

Modified Presidential System, a home-made model of government that effectively combines the presidential and parliamentary systems of government. The president shall pick the vice president from the Legislature.

– 12. Appointment of Ministers

The President should select not more than 18 ministers from the six geo -political zones and not more than 30% of his ministers from outside the Legislature. Reduce Cost of governance by pruning the number of political appointees and using staff of ministries where necessary.

– 13. Legislature

The legislature should remain Bi-cameral but all elected members of the legislative arms of all the tiers of government should serve on part-time basis.

– 14. Local Government Autonomy

Local Government will no longer be the third tier of government. The federal and states are now to be the only tiers of government. States can now create as many local governments as they want.

The Joint State/Local Government Account be scrapped and in its place the establishment of a State RMAFC with representatives of LG and a Chairman nominated by the Governor.

The Constitution should fix the tenure for Local Government Councils at three years. Conference recommends the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commission, SIECs.

– 15. Immunity

The immunity clause should be removed if the offences attract criminal charges to encourage accountability by those managing the economy.

– 16. Independent Candidacy

Every Nigerian who meets the specified condition in the Electoral Act should be free to contest elections as an independent candidate.

– 17. Anti-corruption

Anybody arraigned before the court by EFCC, ICPC and by any law enforcement agencies, the accused person will be regarded as guilty, unlike the present situation where he is innocent until proven guilty.

Plus, complete abolition of the concept of plea bargain by the Federal government

– 18. State Police

States who want it should have it.

– 19. National Anthem

The old National Anthem should be re-introduced

– 20. Religion Taxes and Pilgrimages

Religious institutions to pay tax, abolition of pilgrimage sponsorship

– 21. Mission Schools

Public schools taken over by various state governments across the country forty two years ago would henceforth be returned to the religious missions which were the original owners

Politics

Atiku’s exit end of PDP era – Support group

Published

2 hours ago

July 17, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

A support group, Nigerian Youths for Atiku (NYFA), says the exit of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, marks the end of an era in the country.

NYFA’s Director General, Mr Dare Dada, who made this remark in a statement on Thursday in Lagos, said that Atiku’s decision to quit PDP had battered the political and electoral fortunes of the former ruling party.

Atiku, the PDP presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023, announced his resignation from the party on Wednesday, citing irreconcilable differences within the erstwhile ruling party.

Though the former vice-president has not formally announced his defection to African Democratic Congress (ADC), the coalition of opposition leaders, led by him, had recently announced the adoption of the party as its platform for the 2027 general elections.

His resignation from PDP might have signaled readiness to solidify ties with ADC, as the NYFA leadership had also recently directed its members nationwide to collapse structures and register with ADC in various states.

Reacting to the development, Dada said that the resignation of Abubakar and other PDP national leaders and members from the party, and their alliance with ADC marked the end of an era for the former ruling party.

According to him, Abubakar has large core followers in the northern and southern political circle, including the youth, women and professional groups.

The director-general, who noted that the former vice-president had, for a long time, remained the backbone of support in PDP, said that his exit had decimated and crippled the party.

In view of the developing political events in the country, Dada said that the group had instructed its more than 1.5 million members across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT to resign from PDP immediately.

“Membership of Nigerian Youth For Atiku cuts across all parties, including PDP, NNPP and LP.

“We also have within our ranks non-partisan members whose professions spread across all sectors of the economy. They have all been enjoined to register as members of ADC.

“As a movement with revolutionary yoga, we have always stood for good governance, accountability and support for sound democratic values.

“These attributes cannot be underestimated in any democratic society that tends prioritise transparency and economic prosperity,” he said.

According to him, the resignation of the group’s President and Founder, Prof. Gold Emmanuel, and others from PDP was a decision taken in the overall interest of the country.

“Preventing Nigeria from sliding into one-party state and civilian dictatorship requires the efforts and commitment of all Nigerians who have undiluted belief in a better Nigeria,” he stated.

Dada urged Nigerians to remain united in the fight against hunger, poverty and insecurity.

“We remain resolute in our decision to galvanise over three million votes in support of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential elections,” he said.

Politics

“ADC Not for Sale”: Imo ADC’s Chilos Godsent Calls for Unity and People’s Interest Over Self-Serving Groups

Published

3 hours ago

July 17, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Imo State has issued a clarifying statement regarding its structure and leadership, emphasizing that the party’s recognized executives and ward structures are legitimate and acknowledged by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The IMO ADC asserts that its executives and structures are recognized by INEC, and merger groups or coalitions cannot assume ownership of the party.

The party urges its members to focus on addressing the challenges that have plagued the nation, rather than pursuing self-interest or group superiority.
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The ADC calls on its members to work together to bring about positive change, emphasizing the need for policies that promote production and development, rather than consumption.
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The party’s leadership encourages members to “shake hands” and work towards a common goal, as symbolized by the party’s logo.

This statement is a call to action for its members to prioritize the interests of the people and work towards creating a better future for all Nigerians.

Emphasizing the importance of unity and people’s interests, the party aims to promote a more inclusive and effective approach to governance.

Politics

2027: Tinubu’s second-term ambition misplaced priority – Ex-Lagos Dep Gov

Published

3 hours ago

July 17, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

A former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Kofo Bucknor-Akerele, has described as a misplaced priority President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Bucknor-Akerele deputised ex-Lagos governor Tinubu from May 1999 to December 2002, though Tinubu was in office till May 2007.

The octogenarian was on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Thursday.

Bucknor-Akerele, a member of The Patriots, led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku, said the Tinubu presidency must rejig the nation’s socio-economic apparatus as a matter of urgency.

She said seeking a second term in office should not be Tinubu’s focus at the moment, but getting the country to work.

Bucknor-Akerele said, “Unfortunately, right now, what I see is that the president is looking for a second term, and that seems to be his focus. But I think he should try and look at what people like Emeka Anyaoku and so many others of that calibre sat down and they are trying to fashion something that is going to change Nigeria for the future generations.

“I hope that his advisers would be able to tell him that 2027 is not our priority right now; our priority right now is fashioning something that will be able to make Nigeria great again.”