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Electoral Bill: CSOs Demand Buhari’s Assent In Two Days, To Stage Protest Tuesday

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Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s delay in signing the revised Electoral Act Amendment Bill, no fewer than 26 civil society organizations have decided to stage a demonstration on Tuesday if the bill is not signed by the President within two days.

The group invited its supporters to gather at Abuja’s Unity Fountain for the protest.

Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Yiaga Africa, Partners for Electoral Reform, International Press Centre, Institute for Media and Society, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, The Albino Foundation, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, Labour Civil Society Coalition, Transition Monitoring Group, CLEEN Foundation, and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre are among the organizations that make up the coalition.

Others are Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Nigeria Network of Non-Governmental Organisations, Inclusive Friends Association, Enough is Enough, The Electoral Hub, Centre for Liberty, Take Back Nigeria Movement, International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre, 100 Women Lobby Group, Women in Politics Forum, Raising New Voices, Millennials Active Citizenship Advocacy Africa and Ready To Lead Africa.

On January 31 2022, the National Assembly transmitted the reworked bill to the President for assent.

Buhari consequently forwarded it to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), for legal advice.

Malami had hinted that he might advise the President to withhold assent if he (Malami) found the reworked bill to contain proposals hinged on personal interests.

The CSOs in a statement on Saturday by the Media Officer of Yiaga Africa, Moshood Isah, after an emergency meeting, urged citizens across the nation to “call on President Muhammadu Buhari to act on this matter of urgent national importance.”

The coalition said the bill allowed electronic transmission of results, strengthened the financial independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission and empowered the commission to reject falsified election results.

The statement read in part, “Further aware, the bill, when signed, requires INEC to issue Notice of Election not later than 360 days before the day appointed for an election. Therefore, the President has to give assent to the bill on or before February 22, 2022, if the dates announced for the 2023 elections are to be maintained.

“We are concerned that the delay in granting presidential assent to the Electoral Bill, 2022 will create legal uncertainties that threaten the integrity of the off-cycle elections in Ekiti, Osun, and the 2023 general election, which is 366 days away.

“The civil society community resolves to declare Tuesday, February 22, 2022, as the national day of protest to demand immediate assent to the bill. Civil society networks will organise peaceful public direct-action activities to further the demand to assent to the bill. We urge citizens across the nation to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to act on this matter of urgent national importance.”

The President has not shown any significant sign of signing the reworked bill 20 days after it was transmitted to him by the National Assembly.

By law, the President is expected to respond to the National Assembly’s proposal not more than 30 days after receiving it.

The bill was transmitted to him on January 31, 2022, meaning he has barely 10 days left to act on it. The President has in the last five years rejected electoral amendment bills five times.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had said last month that the commission would quickly release the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections based on the new law once the bill is signed by the President.

However, there are indications that INEC will go ahead with its preparations rather than allow Buhari’s failure to sign the bill to delay its activities.

The National Commissioner for Voter Education and Publicity, Festus Okoye, said on Channels Television that the commission could conduct the 2023 general elections with the current Electoral Act 2010.

Okoye added that Buhari not signing the Electoral Act amendment bill did not affect the FCT council election that took place on Saturday as the poll went smoothly.

He explained that INEC is an agency of the government that works with existing laws and it would continue to do so.

When asked if the President’s refusal to sign the electoral bill affected the conduct of the FCT poll, Okoye said, “Not in any way.”

When asked if the commission would be able to deliver a credible election in 2023 if the President doesn’t sign the electoral bill, Okoye said, “As an electoral management body, our responsibility is to utilise the existing law and conduct our elections very well.”

Also speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said although the commission would be happy if Buhari signs the bill, the commission which is a product of the law would go ahead with its core mandate of organising elections.

On whether INEC would be forced to shift February 18, 2023, due to the controversy surrounding the electoral bill, Oyekanmi said it would be speculative to provide a response.

He added, “When the commission decides on whether or not to postpone the elections, we will come up with a statement but it is not wise to speculate. As a commission, we would like to see the electoral amendment bill signed but let us not forget that there is existing law.

“What that means is that if perchance the bill is not signed by Mr President, INEC will have no option but to fall back on the existing law to conduct the elections because the constitution does not say that you must wait for the amendment of one law or the other before you conduct general elections. General elections must hold every four years.”

Meanwhile, a top government official told Sunday PUNCH that it was unlikely that the President would sign the electoral bill.

The official, who wished to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to speak with the press, said the National Assembly did not comply with the President’s letter which he issued while explaining his reason for rejecting the previous bill last December.

He said, “The National Assembly was only expected to remove the mandatory direct primary and add all options which include: direct, indirect and consensus. However, they have now inserted a clause that says that in the event that consensus is adopted, all aspirants who choose to step down must put it into writing.

“This last clause is a recipe for disaster. The President has been advised against signing this bill. I will be surprised if he appends his signature to it. But nothing is impossible in politics.”

BIG STORY

COALITION: Peter Obi Will Be Expelled From Labour Party — Arabambi

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The Labour Party has announced its intention to expel former presidential candidate Peter Obi over his participation in an opposition coalition seeking to remove President Bola Tinubu.

During a live appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, a party chieftain, Abayomi Arabambi, said Obi’s involvement with the coalition while remaining a Labour Party member was “unconstitutional” and “unacceptable.”

“Let me make it very clear: we are convening a NEC [National Executive Council] meeting where he [Obi] will be expelled. It is unconstitutional for you to belong to two political parties at a time. They have deceived him to their side, and there he shall remain,” Arabambi said.

He explained that the NEC would recommend Obi’s expulsion, which would then be formally approved at the party’s convention in line with its constitution.

“Obi will be expelled from our party. He is no longer a member. It is not within his right to claim, ‘I am still a member of the Labour Party,’ and at the same time be hobnobbing with what we call the ‘yahoo yahoo’ coalition. We are not going to accept that,” he said.

In a critical statement, Arabambi rejected claims that Obi was responsible for the Labour Party’s rise, saying, “I want to correct a very wrong notion—Obi did not make the Labour Party; the Labour Party made Peter Obi. It was just a chance of circumstance because of the #EndSARS protests and the failings of past administrations. Nigerians were simply tired.”

He insisted that it was the party’s credibility that gave Obi the platform that elevated his political image in 2023.

“It’s because of our own integrity. That was what gave Obi what he is today. He should be banking on our goodwill, not the other way around. He started the crisis in the Labour Party,” he said.

Arabambi also accused Obi of having an authoritarian approach, saying, “If he can fight party members to do his will, then he is not fit to run the party.”

He emphasized that the Labour Party had only one recognized leadership, stating, “Let me also make it clear: we do not have groups in the Labour Party. We have only one leadership under Julius Abure, our national chairman.”

Arabambi’s comments came after the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party gave Obi a 48-hour deadline to formally resign from the party over his alleged “bromance” with the coalition.

In a statement dated 3 July, LP’s Obiora Ifoh said, “Labour Party is not part of the coalition. Therefore, any of our members who are part of the coalition are given within 48 hours to formally resign his membership of the party.

Labour Party is not available for people with dual agendas or deceptive personas. We will not allow individuals to have one leg in our party and the other elsewhere.”

Ifoh accused coalition members of being opportunistic politicians “interested in relaunching themselves into the circle of power.”

This situation arose after the opposition coalition met on Wednesday, 2 July, in Abuja, where the ADC was adopted as its platform for the 2027 elections.

The coalition appointed former Senate President David Mark as interim national chairman and former Osun governor Rauf Aregbesola as secretary.

The meeting was attended by many prominent politicians, including Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, Dino Melaye, Dele Momodu, Gabriel Suswam, Ireti Kingibe, Emeka Ihedioha, and Sadique Abubakar—along with Obi.

 

Credit: Channels TV

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BIG STORY

JUST IN: JAMB Sets 150 As Cut-Off Mark For Universities

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has approved 150 as the cut-off score for university admissions in the country.

The decision was reached on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.

It also announced that the cut-off score for colleges of nursing is 140, while both colleges of agriculture and colleges of education have a cut-off score of 100.

“The minimum admissible scores for admissions for the next academic session have been fixed at 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics, 100 for colleges of education, and 140 for colleges of nursing sciences by the stakeholders (Heads of Tertiary Institutions),” JAMB wrote on its X handle.

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BIG STORY

Over 100 Killed In Texas Flood, Bodies Recovered As Search And Rescue Operations Continue

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The number of deaths from severe flooding in Texas climbed to more than 100 on Monday, as rescue teams continued their difficult search for individuals swept away by the rushing waters.

Among those who died were at least 27 girls and counsellors who were at a youth summer camp located by a river when the disaster struck during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Weather experts have cautioned about further flooding risks as rain continues to fall on already saturated ground, making recovery operations harder for the roughly 1,750 personnel involved, using helicopters, boats, and dogs.

“There is still a threat of heavy rain with the potential to cause flooding,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated on Monday, warning that the death toll could still increase.

President Donald Trump confirmed plans to visit Texas on Friday, as the White House pushed back against accusations that his administration’s cuts to weather agencies weakened the flood warnings.

“Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning,” said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday.

She noted that the National Weather Service, which The New York Times reported had several vacancies in Texas prior to the floods, issued “timely and precise forecasts and warnings.”

Trump described the floods that hit early Friday as a “100-year catastrophe” that “nobody expected.”

Although the president has previously argued that disaster relief should be handled by state governments, he signed a major disaster declaration to release federal funds and provide additional resources.

At least 104 deaths linked to the flooding have been reported throughout central Texas.

Kerr County, where the Guadalupe River flows, suffered the greatest losses, with at least 84 deaths reported, including 28 children, according to the local sheriff’s office.

Among the dead were 27 people who had been staying at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp hosting around 750 individuals when the floodwaters struck.

Camps are a cherished part of summer in the United States, with children often spending time in rural areas such as parks and woods.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz described the camps as opportunities to make “lifetime friends — and then suddenly it turns to tragedy.”

However, some locals have raised concerns about the lack of stronger flood-warning systems in this region of south and central Texas, often referred to as “Flash Flood Alley” due to its frequent and severe flooding.

Experts have emphasized that the NWS provided timely forecasts, while climate scientist Daniel Swain pointed to failures in “warning dissemination.”

San Antonio resident Nicole Wilson, who almost sent her daughters to Camp Mystic, launched a petition on Change.org urging Governor Greg Abbott to approve a modern warning system.

“Five minutes of that siren going off could have saved every single one of those children,” she told AFP.

During a candlelight vigil in San Antonio on Monday night, people gathered to pray for the victims and express ongoing concerns.

“I was pretty shocked on the gravity of the situation and how big it was, and I wouldn’t necessarily expect that our rivers would rise so quickly,” said Rebeca Gutierrez, 29.

“Hopefully there’s preventative efforts happening in similar areas to make sure nothing to this degree happens.”

In a devastating demonstration of nature’s force, the swollen Guadalupe River rose to the level of treetops and cabin roofs while girls were sleeping inside the camp.

Blankets, teddy bears, and other personal items were left coated in mud.

Cabin windows were smashed, likely from the powerful water currents.

Volunteers assisted in sifting through debris along the river, with some being driven by personal connections to the victims.

“We’re helping the parents of two of the missing children.

The last message they got was ‘We’re being washed away,’ and the phone went dead,” said Louis Deppe, 62, to AFP.

Several months’ worth of rainfall poured down in just a few hours from Thursday night into Friday, with additional rainfall since then.

The Guadalupe River surged by about 26 feet, roughly equivalent to a two-story building, within just 45 minutes.

Flash floods happen when the ground cannot absorb sudden heavy rainfall.

Human-induced climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves in recent years.

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