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The Chief Whip of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rasak
Balogun, has urged Nigerians to vote out the ruling party if President Goodluck
Jonathan fails to attend the lined up debates for presidential candidates ahead
of the April polls.

Mr Balogun stated this while receiving, on behalf of the
Speaker of the House Adeyemi Ikuforiji, a group of professionals, Governance
500, who were on a peaceful walk protest to the Assembly premises. He demanded
all political parties to ensure that their candidates are subjected to open
debates to reel out their plans in details ahead of the forthcoming general
elections.

Reacting to recent media reports that Mr Jonathan had initially
refused to attend a televised debate, he said: “A sitting president that came
into office by destiny should be the one championing the debate but
unfortunately I hear the gentleman is running from the debate.”

According to him, such an attitude from the president portrays
that: “the message is to easy out the government and this I believe indicates
for us in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) that we have a role to play in
the central government.”

‘Walk the talk’

The walk, which commenced from First Bank, Kudirat Abiola Way,
terminated at the House of Assembly, Ikeja. Members of the group carried
banners and chanted that all candidates should “walk the talk” and that
“Nigerians demand a presidential debate.” “We have had enough of campaigns,”
said Femi George, a member of the group. “They told us housing and education
for all by 2010 before and now they talking about 2020. We want them to tell us
how and when they will achieve the plans. We are tired of the same old stories,
give us the blueprints.”

The leader of the group, Obiageli Obi, while addressing
lawmakers at the House, said that “we are tired of voting for people who do not
have impacts on our lives.” “There are issues that are recurrent and nothing
has been done about it,” she said. “We want a debate, we want to know what the
candidates have for us, we want to see the party’s manifestoes and know how it
will affect our lives.” She also urged the public to get involved in the
debate. “We need everyone to tune in, this is a selection time,” she said, and
advised people to send in questions for the candidates so that they know what
to expect from them.

Sustaining the tempo

Mrs Obi said the group is a training programme for professionals
to participate in politics and re brand Nigeria. “This advocacy will continue
even after the elections,” she said. “When they get into office, we will be on
their neck to monitor they deliver their promises as at the time pledged. We
are an advocacy group and we will keep advocating.”

Mr Balogun commended the group on its initiative, noting that what they
embarked on is “very good for our democracy.” He said that the debate must not
only end with the presidential candidates. “Their vice presidents too should
have a debate because they are presidents in waiting and we need to know what
they [are] worth,” he said. He pledged the support of the House to the call and
urged them to make sure they take it out of Lagos. “Lagos alone does not make Nigeria,”
he said.

The Labour Party in Plateau State on Wednesday took its campaign
to Quan’Pan Local Government Area, some 250 kilometres South of Jos. Labour
Party members told newsmen later that they were overwhelmed by the turnout in
the area, being the home of the running mate of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) gubernatorial candidate in the April election.

“We never expected this,” Jimmy Chetto, director general of the
Labour Party gubernatorial campaign in the state said, “yes, we knew we were
going to have a good impact and have a good crowd here today. But we certainly
did not expect this overwhelming support and turn out. It is great.”

Addressing the crowd of supporters after party flags were
presented to the candidates for State House of Representatives, and the three
senatorial seats in the state, Labour Party’s gubernatorial flag bearer,
Pauline Tallen, recalled that she was on the same ground four years ago to
plead with the people to vote the present government of Jonah Jang to power.

“I was here with you in this same venue this time in 2007. I
pleaded with you then to vote for PDP, and vote for Jang, hoping that he would
take the state to a new level.”

Explaining the change of fortune, Mrs Tallen regretted that the
present government in the state has disappointed the people, fracturing a lot
of social values, and “is leaving the state worse than any other administration
before it.”

Agenda in the state

Emphasising that her administration, if voted into power, will
put emphasis on women, youth development, and agriculture, Mrs Tallen said
“this time around, I am canvassing for your support and votes for myself
because I am convinced that I can do it.”

She urged the people to vote for change in the next election by
voting for the Labour Party in all the elections, reminding the audience at the
rally that “this is the opportunity you have to salvage yourselves and the
future of our children.”

Mrs Tallen preached the values and virtues of justice, equal
opportunities, job creation, reconciliation, and unity as the rally moved from
Ba’ap to Kwal, to Kurgwi, to Kwande, and Namua, all in Quan’Pan Local
Government Area, before proceeding to Tunkus and Uarkawa in Mikang Local
Government Area.

Continuing the campaign tour of Plateau South which took her and
the entire campaign trail to her home town in Shendam Local Government Area on
Thursday, Mrs Tallen and her entourage paid a courtesy call on the Long Goemai
in his palace where the team solicited the blessings of the Royal father in the
April elections.

“We have arrived Shendam today, on our campaign tour. As my
father and the father of all of us, we have come to pay you our respect and get
your blessings in this struggle to bring about positive change, peace and unity
to Plateau,” Mrs Tallen told the traditional ruler.

Effort by some
supporters of the governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel to contest the
April elections on the platform of the People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN)
suffered another blow yesterday, with the team accusing the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) of being shoddy in its operations.

This followed
speculations that their governorship candidate, Gboyega Isiaka has not
been recognised by INEC as the governorship candidate of the PPN. Mr
Isiaka and his group had left the PDP after failing to get tickets to
contest for the April polls under the ruling party. But their attempt
to represent the PPN suffered a setback when INEC said it was sticking
to the original list sent to it by the PPN as the list containing the
names of Mr Isiaka and his group came after the deadline for submission
of party candidate. At a loss

The Publicity
Secretary of the party, Raheem Ajayi, however said yesterday that the
PPN could not understand why Mr Isiaka’s name was not accepted.

“We are at a loss
why INEC that is supposed to be an organisation manned by people of
integrity, knowledge and credibility should be so shoddy in going about
its duties and responsibilities,” Mr Ajayi said. “It was the same INEC
that issued acknowledgement letters to Isiaka and other candidates of
the party when PPN substituted their names with those of the existing
ones earlier submitted before the January 31st deadline.” He said the
new list of candidates was submitted in time to beat the February 14
deadline for the National Assembly candidates and the February 28
deadline for both gubernatorial and State Assembly candidates.

“The general public and INEC are hereby put on notice of the antics
and evil machinations of the fat cats and godfathers within PDP who
hounded our current candidates out of PDP,” he said. “These are the
same elements who are raising unnecessary alarm and are guiding INEC to
embark on the dangerous path of illegality and injustice.”

The vice presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), Namadi Sambo will today engage three other candidates in a public
debate.

The other vice presidential candidates are John Odigie-Oyegun of
the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Fola Adeola of the Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN) and Tunde Bakare of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

Anthony Dara, chief executive of NN24, sponsors of the debate,
announced this at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday. He also said the
presidential candidates of four parties will take their turn on March 18. The
candidates are President Goodluck Jonathan, Muhammadu Buhari of CPC, Ibrahim
Shekarau of ANPP and Nuhu Ribadu of ACN.

Mr Dara said that the four parties have agreed in principle to
participate in both the presidential and vice presidential debates, which will
hold at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hotel, Abuja.

Mr Dara said all arrangements for the two debates have been
concluded, adding that Jonathan Mann of the CNN and Kadaria Ahmed of NEXT
Newspapers will be moderators.

“All arrangements for the live broadcast and simulcast of the
event have been put in place and any station in Nigeria is permitted by the
NN24 and its associates to relay the signals to its audience without any
permission or recourse to the organisers,” Mr Dara said.

“The NN24 Presidential Debate is one of its kind in Nigeria as
the station is going to beam its signal to Nigerians, Africans and other parts
of the globe using its satellite transmission platform and other latest
technologies like Internet protocol TV (IPTV) and Globecast, among others.”

Limited to four

The NN24 official said only the presidential and vice
presidential candidate of four out of 19 parties presenting candidates for the
election were chosen to participate in the debates because of the spread of the
parties as well as the limited time available for the programme. He, however,
added that the programme may continue after the elections to enable other
parties participate.

He explained that the debate is part of the satellite television
station’s contribution to nation building which, according to him, should
involve everybody. He also said the company desired to contribute to the
electoral process.

Asked what NN24 would benefit from organising the debates, Mr
Dara said it is for the benefits of the voters whom he said will use their
votes to bring the candidates to power.

“The voters can hold the candidates to account for what they will promise if
they are eventually elected,” he said.

The House of
Representatives yesterday directed the Aviation Minister, Fidelia
Njeze, to hasten the perimeter fencing of the Bauchi airstrip after
Tuesday’s crash-landing of the plane conveying leaders of the Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

The lawmakers accused the ministry of delaying the project despite years of funding approvals.

Short of
describing the incident which involved the presidential team of the
Action Congress of Nigeria as politically-motivated, some lawmakers led
by Sani Abdul, a Representative from Bauchi State, asked the National
Security Adviser, Patrick Azazi, to “ascertain the security lapses and
political implications surrounding the incident.”

The suggestion
came a day after the federal government denied allegations of sabotage
in the incident. It was, however, rejected as part of the final prayers
by the House.

On Wednesday, the
Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Njeze, disputed claims by the ACN that the
plane which carried its presidential running mate, Fola Adeola, had
crash-landed colliding with animals, saying the aircraft had “already
landed and was taxing before the incident happened.”

“There was no crash-landing, no sabotage”, she said. She, however, said the fencing will now be completed in two weeks.

Mr. Abdul, a
member of the Congress for Progressive Change in the House of
Representatives, who sponsored the motion said the incident occurred as
a result of the failure of the aviation ministry to complete the
fencing of the airstrip even when funds had been made available in 2009
and 2010 budgets.

“Most embarrassing
is the remarks from the Bauchi State governor’s aide to the effect that
the state was not aware of the coming of the ACN candidate.

“And the Federal
Executive Council (FEC) has said there is no act of sabotage in the
incident. There is a counter claim by the ACN of sabotage. This needs
to be investigated. The Police must be asked some questions. The
National Security Adviser (NSA) must also answer some questions.”

House Minority
Leader, Femi Gabjabiamila, a member of the ACN, also called for an
independent investigation of the incident, dismissing the federal
government’s claims.

“FEC has reacted even though it is not known to law. We cannot ask
the Ministry of Aviation to probe. This is because it is an interested
party. Let us go for an independent body to probe this,” he said,
adding “Yearly, we budget monies for perimeter fencing and nothing is
done. This is not an act of God as claimed by FEC, it is an act of
negligence.”