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PCP Writes Buhari, Demands INEC Obeys Court Order
The People’s Coalition Party (PCP) has written to President Muhammadu Buhari, asking him to intervene and restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from deregistering the party and 33 others.
In the letter, signed by the party’s chairman, Chief Don Anthony Harmattan, the party reminded the president of the court judgment, which exempted the party and others from the deregistration process.
Below is the letter in details:
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI
MY ESTEEMED PRESIDENT SIR,
A CALL FOR INEC TO RESPECT COURT ORDER
After several attempts to reach you without success, I am compelled to write you this open letter, hoping no one will sweep it under the carpet without bringing it to your knowledge as was the case in the past.
During my school days when you became the Head of State of Nigeria, you were known as a man who respects rule of law to the extent you swiftly implement the law irrespective of who is involved.
Your excellency Sir, I remember vividly that you went through various political platforms and formations such as the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) a newly formed political party, and now the All Progressives Congress (APC) before your election as President. On one occasion, you even had to wept when you felt that you were robbed of your mandate.
Today, my esteemed president, I can strongly assert that a man of your stature, whose integrity and honour, prompted your overwhelming acceptance by Nigerians, might not be aware that so much has gone wrong in a country you cried for and desired so much to be its president.
Mr President Sir, as the party National Chairman of the Peoples Coalition Party (PCP) which placed third in the 2019 Presidential election, I still don’t understand how the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Mr. Yakubu Mahmoud, woke on the morning of February 6, 2020 to de-register our party and 74 others even while the case was still in court and with INEC consistently served.
That despite a court decision of February 17 2020, granting the Prayers of 33 Parties in an interlocutory injunction against INEC, that INEC has continued to behave like a cowboy on a killing spree that is above the law, saying it cannot undo that which it has already done. INEC is just one among many institutions of government under your watch that has considered itself a parallel government and above the law.
I wish to remind you, my esteemed President Muhammadu Buhari that it was these acts of lawlessness that prompted your public weeping when you lost the 2011, and I still can’t fathom why you have allowed heads of these parastatals or institutions to continue to act with impunity. I want to believe that all these misconducts are not brought to your knowledge hence this open letter.
Your Excellency Sir, there’s no gainsaying the fact that 100 political parties in Nigeria is even so little. It is on record that Nigeria has not been funding any of these political parties in comparison to efforts made by previous government so what’s the rationale for the deregistration.
That in my lifetime, I have not seen any mother who gave birth to 10 children and decided to kill five of them because she believes they are too much for her upkeep or she loves some and hate the others, even when she does not feed and support them without getting a reprimand from the law.
Multi-party democracy is one that have been enshrined in our constitution. It does not limit the political landscape to a particular number. The enemies of multi-party democracy have contested this fact before and failed. Democracy is a continuous political education, training and enlightenment and not just winning elections alone. Limiting the political landscape is like limiting the spread of schools and colleges. It’s a fact that it is not every school that enters a football competition that wins it. And does that mean the Ministry of Education will just wake up one day and close the schools that did not win in a sports competition?
INEC, under Yakubu Mahmoud has become not just the greatest enemy of our democracy, but also to multi party democracy in Nigeria. How come our country has degenerated so much to the extent that the INEC Chairman has decided to play to the gallery by refusing to obey a Federal court order on the grounds that he cannot undo that which has already been done!
The question remains that If CPC and APC had been de-registered by the Attahiru Jega-led INEC prior to 2015 elections, how could you have been elected president. The child you kill today may become the president of Nigeria tomorrow. Little did anyone know that PCP, a newly born party that was issued registration certificate in August 2018, contested election in February 2019 could come third in the presidential election. Now, the party is de-registered just one year and half later by Yakubu Mahmoud.
My Esteemed President Buhari, our party the Peoples Coalition Party and 33 other political parties have been exempted by a Federal High Court from being de-registered through an order. We need the full protect of your government. It is my hope that your Excellency will call on INEC to respect without further delay the decision of the court. INEC did not create the law but the law created INEC and that law that created INEC must be respected by INEC.
Chief Don Anthony Chukwuma Harmattan
PCP National Chairman
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
There’s no doubt that human beings by nature are insatiable. When we get one opportunity, we always look for another. When we attain one height, we always look for another accomplishment. Isn’t it true that the end of one mountain is the beginning of another.
However, I don’t think it’s selfish for anyone to dare to succeed.
Being ambitious doesn’t make one an opportunist or disloyal. It all depends on one’s perception or outlook to life. It’s just natural for one to dream big. It’s only ugly when the process one chooses to achieve his desires becomes dirty and nasty.
According to a former Nigerian presidential candidate and seasoned Economist, Mr. Peter Obi, “if you must be referred to as “Your Excellency”, then the process through which you arrived in office must be excellent”.
If you desire to be reckoned with on the journey of existence, you must be legitimately hungry for success. One’s hunger for success will facilitate the drive to accomplish great tasks despite daunting obstacles posing as challenges.
When one has this mindset, one will not be bothered by the noise which serves as obstacles and challenges along the way. Negative and weak minds are always concerned on why something won’t work. They tend to focus their energy and reasons on the obstacles facing them. But great and productive minds always focus their energy on the reasons why it will work. This is the spirit of an insatiable mind who is a goal- getter.
It’s instructive to note that we can’t please everyone. According to Bill Cosby, a famous actor, “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone.” Isn’t it true that when you talk, people will still talk about you, when you don’t talk, people will talk about you, so whether you talk or not, people will still judge you, so, do what’s best for you. There’s nothing you can do to please human beings. Your best option is to live your best life.
To understand how the insatiable nature of man works, one must be oneself. You don’t have to “please” anyone. Be yourself, and don’t try to be like anyone just to curry favour. It’s important to note that when you are yourself, the people that matter will come through for you, and the people that don’t matter will gradually find the bearing in another space because those that truly care don’t bother and those that bother don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.
Life has truly taught me to focus on the important things of life as opposed to the mundane things. It’s truly sad to see people spending more time on the little things of life, and spending little time on the important things of life. That’s just a misplaced priority.
When you are yourself, the best people can do is to copy or imitate your style. They can never imitate your creativity nor can take your originality from you.
We live in a world or society where people don’t generally care or show empathy. Most people tend to live around themselves, their family, and close associates. They generally find it hard to lift a finger to assist others for reasons best known to them. Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka once said, “we live in a wicked generation”, re-echoing the voices of a lot of people of the world. Some people in authority just have criminal expertise in amassing wealth of opportunities meant for the citizens without thinking of the citizens they are meant to serve.
It’s worthy of note that not everyone will like you nor support your work, but when you find people who truly care about you; please hold them tight. This is because despite having family members you have shown love and compassion, they might not still appreciate you even if you lay your life for them, they will still find something to say. Again, this is the insatiable nature of man.
It’s okay for everyone not to like you, normalize living your life for God, yourself, family and those that care about you. If everyone likes you, you have a problem.
Did you know that you can get a new family from friends, strangers, and acquaintances? These sets of people might appreciate you more than your own family members. They might not demand or under appreciate you like your family members and close friends or associates. Any little support you give them will be highly appreciated. Their focus is to see you do better.
In conclusion, as you desire to succeed in life, never give in to failure until you have made your last attempt, and never make your last attempt until you succeed. This literally means whatever you desire, dream it, think it, say it, and believe you can achieve it. This principle is generally applicable to relationships, businesses, family, personal and professional development.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
A federal judge in the United States, on Thursday, put a temporary block on President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship.
The ruling imposes a 14-day halt on the enforcement of one of the most controversial executive orders Trump signed hours after being sworn into office for a second term.
It comes after lawsuits were filed by a total of 22 states, two cities and numerous civil rights groups.
“This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” senior US District Judge John Coughenour was reported as saying during the hearing in Washington State.
“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,” said Coughenour, who was appointed to the bench by a Republican president, Ronald Reagan.
Birthright citizenship is fundamental to America’s national identity, with the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution decreeing that anyone born on US soil is a citizen.
It says, in part: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Trump’s order was premised on the idea that anyone in the US illegally, or on a visa, was not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the country, and therefore excluded from this category.
AFP
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital has upheld the death sentence of Ramon Adedoyin, a prominent businessman and hotelier, for his involvement in the murder of one Timothy Adegoke, a former postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Delivering the judgment on Thursday, the court affirmed the earlier verdict of the Osun State High Court, which had sentenced Adedoyin to death.
“The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part,” the court declared in part.
The Court of Appeal, however, set aside some aspects of the lower court’s orders, including the forfeiture of the Hilton Hotel and the order for Adedoyin to pay for the education of Adegoke’s children.
Furthermore, the court ruled that it had no jurisdiction to impose penalties outside the statutory provisions
Adegoke’s death was reported in November 2021 after his corpse was found at the Hilton Honours Hotel in Ile-Ife, Osun State, where he had lodged.
The hotelier had travelled from Abuja for an examination at a distance learning centre in Moro, Osun State on November 5 of that year.
He had checked into the hotel but was reported missing after two days. However, Adegoke’s body was found days later, leading to a probe that linked his death to Adedoyin and others.
In May 2023, Adedoyin and others were sentenced to death after they were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder.
But dissatisfied with the judgement, Adedoyin approached the Appeal court to dismiss the sentence and conviction.
The court of appeal, on Thursday, however, upheld the conviction and death sentence of the hotelier.
