By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure

The Police in Ondo state on Wednesday said it arrested two persons over illegal registration of All Progressives Congress (APC) members, in their hideout, ahead of the Saturday’s party governorship primary election.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, in a statement made available to journalists in Akure said; “On Wednesday, 17th April, 2024, the Police received an intel that one Mr Ariyo, a transporter in Ondo town was registering APC Party members at his residence ahead of the party primaries slated for 20th of April, 2024.

“Police personnel from Yaba Divisional Headquarters led by an Assistant Superintendent of Police visited the house and recovered the following items from the scene; APC party’s registration booklets, list of names of purported party members of ward 7 Ondo, 53 passport photographs of different individuals, a jotter containing names, 2 exercise books with names and phone numbers of people and 2 slips of a registered form.

“Two suspects have been arrested and are assisting the Police with necessary information to apprehend others involved.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Abayomi P. Oladipo, admonishes all political aspirants to caution their supporters whose acts can stir the hornet’s nest in the state.

“The CP also ordered total clamp down on incendiaries no matter whose ox is gored, as the Command has spread its tentacles to all nooks and crannies of the state to ensure safety of lives and property and peaceful conduct of the party primaries in the state.”

Ahead of this year’s Democracy Day Celebrations; the Federal Government has inaugurated a 17-man Inter-Ministerial Committee.

The committee was inaugurated in Abuja and  is charged with the responsibility of organising a memorable and befitting democracy day anniversary.

Democracy Day is a national public holiday in Nigeria to commemorate the restoration of democracy in 1999 and it is commemorated on 12 June.

This was revealed in a statement by Mr Segun Imohiosen, Director, Information/Public Relations, office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The committee, chaired by Akume, has the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi; Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, as members.

Others are Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike.

“The committee also includes the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman; Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and other sub-committees,” the statement revealed.

According to the statement, the SGF, Sen. George Akume, while inaugurating the committee in his office, emphasised the importance of the commemoration.

Akume said it was an opportunity to reflect on the contributions, sacrifices of national heroes and heroines who fought for entrenchment of democratic rule in Nigeria.

According to him, the annual democracy day celebration also affords the nation the avenue to showcase its achievements in dealing with myriads of challenges in social and economic sectors confronting the nation.

The proposed activities lined up for the 2024 Democracy Day celebration are; World Press Briefing on Thursday, June 6, Juma’at Service on Friday June 7, Church Service on Sunday, June 9.

Other activities to mark the celebration include Symposium/Public Lecture on Monday, June 10, and the Presidential Broadcast alongside Parade on Wednesday, June 12.

By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure

Ahead of the Saturday All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Ondo state, seven leading aspirants of the party have petitioned the National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje over alleged printing of fake membership cards.

The petitioners, Jimoh Ibrahim, Olusola Oke, Wale Akinterinwa, Diran Iyantan, Dayo Faduyile, Gbenga Edema and Jimi Odimayo, in a statement jointly signed and made available to journalists on Wednesday in Akure, the Ondo state capital, claimed that several fake membership cards of the party have been secretly printed and distributed to people who are not members of the party.

The petition reads, “We, the undersigned, are aspirants from the South Senatorial District of Ondo State who have collected forms to participate in the forthcoming Ondo State gubernatorial primary election slated for April 20, 2024.

“We have noticed some issues of concern regarding the said primary election, which, if not resolved quickly, may hinder the smooth running of the primary and may be detrimental to a free, fair, credible, and acceptable election.

“One of the issues is the revalidation of the membership register to be used for the primary election.

“While we commend the party’s position to revalidate the existing membership register, which is the certified true copies, as certified by INEC, and based on this directive of the party, as aspirants, we have paid over N300 million to the coffers of the party to cover the annual dues of all party members whose names appear on the register.

“Unfortunately, the exercise was shrouded in so much secrecy that many of our party members, especially our numerous supporters, could not have their membership cards revalidated before the committee that came from the headquarters left Ondo State for Abuja.

“We have been inundated with reports that a particular aspirant has gone ahead with massive printing of fake party slips, which he has distributed to many people who are not even our party members.

“The intention of this aspirant is to corrupt the integrity of the membership register on the day of the primary by making the accreditation of party members impossible as non-party members have already been recruited to flood the venues of the primary election that day.

“This massive and pervasive production of the membership cards will certainly precipitate a situation where everyone holding membership cards, notwithstanding that their names are not on the register, will be allowed to vote without accreditation. Voting without accreditation remains illegal and unacceptable.

“Mr. Chairman should note that Section 77(2)(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022, makes it mandatory for all political parties to have a credible membership register, which must be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and certified by it, not later than 30 days before the Congress.

“To avoid any legal or constitutional conundrum, we advise that the party make accreditation of party members mandatory at the election venue and that every member of the party whose name appears on the membership register already certified by INEC should be allowed to vote once he or she is able to present his or her membership slip for accreditation.

“It is therefore our prayer that the leadership of the party makes available to us the membership register already validly certified by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the only lawful register to be used by the party for the conduct of the primary election slated for April 20, 2024. No other register can lawfully be used for the said election,” the aspirants warned.