The Civil Society Network for Citizens Engagement, Credible Elections and Good Governance (CSNCE2GG) has held a post Primary elections Press Conference in Asaba.

At the Press Conference the Civil Society Network led by Activist Rex Anighoro declared that the People Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Primary Election was Free, Fair and Credible and that the outcomes clearly reflected the wishes of the delegates and entire members of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State.

Activist Rex Anighoro on behalf of the Civil Society Network congratulated Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborewori for emerging as the flag bearer of the keenly contested primary election.

The Civil Society Network hailed the quality and the maturity of the other aspirants who stayed through the process and for ensuring that their supporters were peaceful and violent free. He urged the aspirants to show greater maturity and sportsmanship by congratulating the winner.

It will be recalled that the Civil Society Network for Citizens Engagement, Credible Elections and Good Governance (CSNCE2GG) had gone round Delta State engaging with Aspirants Chief amongst the Aspirants engaged were Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborewori, Distinguished Senator James Manager, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, Hon. Ben Igbakpa, Hon. Smart Asekutu, Hon. Samuel Mariere, Hon. Itiako Ikpokpo, Hon. Matthew Opuoru, Hon. Taleb Tebite, Hon. Rueben Izeze, Hon. Onos Agofure amongst others. The Civil Society leaders interrogated their Citizens Agenda and Manifesto sharing with them strategic developmental Programs. They were also involved in the advocacy for a Peaceful and Nonviolent Elections as well as monitoring the Primary Elections at all levels as much as possible from the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senatorial to the Governorship Elections.

Activist Rex Anighoro at the Press Conference decried the news making rounds in the social media of delegates been induced by aspirants across the country stating while it remains unconfirmed and largely unsubstantiated it remains a great worry that should be paid serious attention to and that there is a great urgency on the part of the Civil Society to condemn this negative narrative, carryout not just only voters enlightenment but a vigorous campaign against money induced elections. He called on the Civil Society not to be docile but to lead from the front lines in the fight of entrenching enduring democracy where the will of the people will not be mortgaged through monetisation.

Activist Rex Anighoro on behalf of the network hailed His Excellency Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for ensuring that the Primary Elections across Delta State was very peaceful and violence free.

He called on all the candidates whom have emerged to reach out to the other aspirants who contested with them and do needful consensus building by adopting parts of their fellow contestants manifesto that they find to be outstanding for the good of the citizens. He also called in the aspirants who did not win to show maturity, congratulate the winners and be ready to work with them for the good of the citizens and society. He also stated that as a matter of priority the Civil Society should be given a place of prominence in their campaign organisations as there is so much the Civil Society can help do to strengthen global best practices, crafting realistic developmental agenda through increased citizens needs assessment, evaluating and filling gaps where necessary.

Activist Rex Anighoro also called on all Political Parties to emulate the People Democratic Party (PDP) that has ensured that the Civil Society continue to open the civic space, engaging State Actors and Aspirants in ensuring that the quality of their Citizens Agenda is interrogated and improved upon for the greater good of the citizens and of the State.

Speaking at the Press Conference, Amb. Augusta Impact Keneboh Executive Director of Afro Centre for Development Peace and Justice saluted Activist Rex Anighoro and the Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa administration for giving the Civil Society the space to engage with the People Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants nothing that it was first of its kind and that the engagement has greatly enriched the process on his part Deacon Okezi Odugala Executive Director of Eziodu Initiative for Sustainable Environmental Development stated that other political parties should open the space to allow the Civil Society engage with their Aspirants and Candidates as the People Democratic Party (PDP) has done, he made it known that Governance must always been about the Citizens and as such scrutiny and collaborations between the Civil Society and Political players remains very important.

Civil Society Leaders who were at the Press Conference included Deacon Okezi Odugala Executive Director Eziodu Initiative for Sustainable Environmental Development (EISED), Amb. Augusta Impact Keneboh Executive Director Afro Centre for Development Peace and Justice (ACDPJ), Dr. Martins Kediehon, Executive Director Safe Aid Foundation (SAF), Activist John Izobo Acting Coordinator Delta State Chapter Niger Delta People Salvation Front (NDPSF) Comrade Churchill Ayovuata Director Initiative for Human Rights and Good Governance (IHRGG) and Comrade Joe Okor representing Delta State Civil Society Volunteers (DCSV).

Concerned Deltans For Transparent Leadership (CONDTRAL), has congratulated the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Delta South Senatorial District, Hon. Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, on his emergence as the flag bearer of the party for the district, urging him to ensure that he focuses issue based campaign.

CONDTRAL in a congratulatory message made available to newsmen in Warri, Delta State, signed by its Chairman, Comrade Choice Dumbiri and Secretary, Comrade Ovie Simon, said their interest in Hon. Joel-Onowakpo, was as a result of his impeccable track record of successes both in private and public lives.

The group, describing the Harvard-trained financial expert as a detribalised Deltan whose vision and mission is to deliver quality representation to the people of Delta South Senatorial District in the red Chambers, said time has come for the electorates to begin to question the character, quality, capacity and capability of those we are giving opportunity to hold public offices across the country.

CONDTRAL reiterated the need for Deltans across the three senatorial districts to constructively engage aspirants vying for the various offices in the state, with a view to extracting commitment from them, understanding their knowledge of the offices they are aspiring to occupy, assessing their past lives and offices they have occupied before now and their ability to effectively represent the people.

While saying that the process of leadership selection in the country was the reason underdevelopment has remain the dividend of democracy Nigerian leaders are handing over to the citizenry, it stressed that there was urgent need for deliberate paradigm shift from poor representation to effective and quality representation built on sound selection process.

“We wish to use this medium to congratulate the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Delta South Senatorial District of Delta State, Hon.Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, on his emergence as the candidate of the APC in the district.”

“Let it be known that our support for you is not based on primordial sentiments but as a result of your impeccable achievements when you held sway as the Chairman of the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue (DBIR), where you brought your wealth of experience to bear. From rented building housing DBIR offices across the state, you took them to their permanent buildings. You touched lives and initiated some programmes that boosted the revenue profile of the state.”

“You ran a transparent and open door policy where you made Deltans to know what the state was generating on monthly basis. You were briefing the press on happenings and developments within the agency. This you did to keep Deltans abreast with the operations of you agency. Since you left, nobody knows what is happening as far as Revenue generation in Delta State is concerned.”

“You may not know us. But in moving forward, we wish to charge you not to go the way of others who may engage thugs to threaten their opponents. Let the people know what you have to offer and ensure that you base you campaign on issues. Deltans, nay Nigerians are wiser now and will vote for credible candidates who have the intellectual capacity to think and come up with policies laws and programmes that will be beneficial to our people. Once again, congratulations. “

A Niger Delta Ex Militant Group, Amagbein Freedom Justice Movement Force has called on Nigerians from the six geopolitical zones and all social cultural organisations such as Arewa,Ndigbo and Afenifere to shun tribalism, regional,ethnic and political biases and support former President Good luck Jonathan presidential ambition in 2023.

The Group in a statement signed by its Spokesman, Alhaji Awo Harmony in Abuja said only Former President Goodluck Jonathan can douse the political, religious and ethnic tension currently pervading the country,so the need for massive support from all political stakeholders.

He noted that at the moment,the nation needed a man with integrity,transparency competence and humility to lead the country which is at the precipice due to political and self determination groups.

“Former President Goodluck Jonathan is the only Nigerian with wide acceptability in the North and South who has been tested and trusted to deliver, more so he has age and health on his side to preside over the affairs of the country “.

“The question of national unity and inter religious crisis will be answered by Jonathan,a man who willingly handed over power even when he had the arsenal to scuttle the electoral process can still be trusted to take us out of the woods”.

“Goodluck Jonathan is the only Nigerian fit to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari based on the fact that till now after leaving office,he does not have any corruption case unlike many serving and past political leaders, Jonathan is a unifier who strongly believes that no blood is worth his political ambition “.

“At this point of our national life,we cannot afford to be looking at only political platforms but the individual capacity must also be considered”.

By ABEL JOHNGOLD ORHERUATA

The Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), have taken a critical note of political activities in the country, and stresses the need for massive mobilization of support for female politicians who have shown interest in various state and federal elective positions as part of the drive towards achieving the 35 percent Affirmative Action as well as enhance the inclusion of women in elective positions at the state and national levels.

The NAWOJ CWC noted this in a Communique signed by its Secretary, Comrade Helen Udofa, and issued at the end of its meeting held on Saturday, May 28, 2022 at the Osborn La Palm Hotel, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

The meeting encouraged Nigerian women to be actively involved in the political process by taking part in the ongoing voter registration exercise as well as mobilize support particularly for female aspirants and candidates.

The meeting which was presided over by the National President of NAWOJ, Comrade Ladi Bala, discussed and X-rayed issues concerning the Association and the state of the nation, commended the Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi, for the massive infrastructural and people-oriented development that are so visible in the state and urges other state governors to emulate him.

NAWOJ, in the Communique urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of national concern and interest, expedite action and do everything possible for the immediate release of the remaining abducted passengers of the Abuja-Kaduna bound train, still in the captivity of the terrorists.

While noting that with the security challenges being experienced in various parts of the country, there was the need for all citizens to pay serious attention to issues of security and consider it as everyone’s business with a view to winning the war against all forms of insecurity, NAWOJ specifically called on Nigerians to learn to understand, tolerate and appreciate each other more and most importantly, to live in peace and harmony with one another as well as avoid all forms of provocation and intolerance, irrespective of religion, tribe and ethnic background as panacea for a sustainable development of the country.

Similarly, the NAWOJ Communique urged Journalists to be more conscious of their personal safety in the cause of carrying out their onerous and difficult task of news reporting, particularly as the nation approaches the 2023 General Elections, stressing that only the living can break the news and report it effectively.

The Communique added that the NAWOJ CWC in session commended Governor David Umahi for the wonderful and successful hosting of its meeting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital.