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Rallying Round Non-Violent Political Rallies Ahead of 2023 General Elections in Nigeria
By Olumuyiwa A. Kehinde
Political rallies are essential parts of any electioneering, and 2022 will witness the commencement of numerous political rallies from different political parties.
However, the need to avoid violence, arson, and killings cannot be overemphasized. Political rallies could be described as the most funfair part of all electioneering activities as both old and young party stalwarts usually put their strength, agility, and creativity into it. Political rallies are also sure time for political parties to tell the electorates their manifestoes based on their political ideology.
As part of the ongoing writing series to appeal to all politicians in Nigeria to exercise caution about the 2023 general elections; I was fortunate to meet another young Nigerian who believes in doing everything timely and rightly against violence-free elections in 2023. Teju (his real name and he is in early thirties) studied political science but has shelved venturing into politics soon.
He was beclouded with fear of violence and killings that have consumed many souls, even at political rallies. After a few minutes that we had commenced conversing, I understood another reason that might have made him embrace political apathy.
I got more insight about this political phenomenon (i.e. Political rally) as Teju referred me to the preparation for the 2015 general elections, and it seemed some ugly incidents then justified his position to approve political apathy for now.
“For remembrance, I love politics right from higher institution”, Teju started. “I have participated in my political rallies before and am not interested in it anymore. We were from one political rally to another before the 2015 general elections. Everyone was in high spirits each time we went to a political rally until that fateful day- April 9, 2015, a rally was held in Oshodi, Lagos state in preparation for the governorship and House of Assembly elections of April 11. It was like a movie scene when many hoodlums started shooting into the air, and everyone scampered.
I took a refuge not so far from the venue just like many others. It seemed they had their target before coming because they shot at a man named Ebenezer Olakunle Oke on his left chest region, and another man, Olayemi Eniola, popularly called Esi Oluwo were accosted. I later heard that Oluwo was eventually murdered”. I could read his sad grimace, countenance and perplexity as regards such an incident but in addition to that, another friend who served as one of the party agents in Oshodi-Isholo constituency then mentioned that the said Oluwo and Ebenezer were targeted. He said that on October 30, 2021 (after 5 years Ebenezer was shot), his immediate brother, Emmanuel Oladimeji Oke was also shot and killed by the same suspected political hoodlums while returning home from a ceremony.
The main crime Ebenezer committed in 2015 might be linked to his agility and persuasiveness to lure other opposition party members to his own party.
The above narrations are not doubtful as I have also written and read about related issues that ushered in the 2019 general elections.
Notably, intelligence gathering and general policing against violence and killing during political rallies have not been taken very serious like those conducted for voting days. The recent Anambra governorship election has shown that hoodlums have targeted political rallies to even intimidate and scare the opposition party members and eliminate anyone who may stand on their way just as people have witnessed in the case of Olayemi Eniola, Ebenezer Olakunle Oke, Emmanuel Oladimeji Oke and many others.
Must killing and violence at political rallies continue without being checked? Should we fold arms and allow such events to happen at numerous rallies to be conducted for the 2023 general elections in Nigeria? While many may finger ineffective policing system in the country as the main cause, there are other factors that are essential for consideration.
Politicians for instance are number one solution-finders to this ugly incident. They should by now understand and admonish their party loyalists not to bother disrupting, maiming, or killing anyone in the name of vying for political positions as the electorates have power to choose their preferred candidates.
In addition to that, it is imperative to take political rallies seriously to avoid violence, killings and disruptions by informing the security agent ahead in order to ensure provision of adequate security at venue of each political rally. As the place of intelligence gathering ahead of each rally cannot be neglected in this case, the populace with credible information about issues relating to disruptions of political rallies, and violence in any form should also wade in and help the security agents.
All stakeholders in Nigerian politics, including the mass media, public and private organizations should begin to sensitize the public about the need to conduct violent-free political rallies as well as the general elections comes 2023.
He can be reached on writingsplendour247@gmail.com.
Featured
Alake Inaugurates Nigeria-US Solid Minerals Committee, Dismisses $700bn Claim, Says No Assets Sold
Joel Ajayi
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Tuesday inaugurated the Nigeria-United States Committee on Strategic Cooperation in the Solid Minerals Sector in Abuja, dismissing reports that Nigeria sold $700 billion worth of solid minerals to the US.
The inauguration followed the strategic cooperation framework established between Nigeria and the United States during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head PRESS and Public Relations Department Mrs. Kania Maliki Andeyaba stated that, Alake in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the US is a government-to-government platform to facilitate business-to-business engagements between American investors and Nigerian local operators, not a sale of assets.
Harping on the importance of the solid minerals sector to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda, he noted that the administration was committed to reducing dependence on a mono-product economy through the sustainable development of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources.
According to him, the Nigeria–US partnership as a strategic initiative to attract investment, promote technology transfer, strengthen local mineral processing and create employment opportunities.
“There is no sale of any Nigerian asset. There’s nothing exchanging hands,” Alake declared.
“We created a platform to facilitate mingling of US investment ventures with Nigeria’s local operators. It is in the public domain. We signed it in public and published it in four or five national newspapers.”
The Minister said reports claiming the US was coming to take over Nigeria’s minerals and security architecture were untrue at best and products of riotous imagination at worst.
Explaining the policy thrust, Alake said Africa has historically held the short end of the stick in global economic transactions, and Nigeria is determined to change that model.
“We have the resources, the critical elements the world needs to transit to clean energy. So we are creating a new paradigm — you bring your capital, expertise and technology, to match with our natural resources and create a win-win situation . The investor gains, Nigeria gains.’’he said.
Nigeria, he stressed, had operated a mono-cultural economy dependent on oil, while solid minerals were exploited informally — with ores taken “from pit to port” without value addition.
Alake said government has now made local processing mandatory, refusing to grant mineral titles to investors without a clear pathway to processing in Nigeria.
He said the policy led to the springing up of processing factories, including the largest lithium processing plant in West Africa commissioned recently in Nasarawa by the Vice President, and informed the formation of the African Minerals Strategy Group.
Alake noted that investor confidence has returned due to macro-economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu that guarantee security of tenure and repatriation of profits.
He charged the committee to discharge its assignment responsibly, saying its work is strategic to achieving the President’s $1 trillion economy target.
To this end, he told the Committee to ensure effective coordination, identify investment opportunities and translate the framework into measurable outcomes capable of positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global solid minerals industry.
In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, said the inauguration translates growing bilateral engagements into a structured framework for practical cooperation and investment mobilization
Economic Officer at the US Embassy, Jonathan Baas, said President Donald Trump has prioritized three areas for US embassies — energy, artificial intelligence/super intelligence, and critical minerals.
Baas said Washington’s direction is to work with partners to secure critical supply chains while ensuring partners capture value.
“We just signed a contract today on looking into building AI data centres in Nigeria at the Nigerian Economic Summit. That’s the direction Washington wants us to go,” he said.
In his vote of thanks, CEO/Managing Director of Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, NSMC said that the committee
is expected to coordinate implementation, facilitate investment and monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of the Nigeria–US cooperation framework.
The inauguration reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, industrial development and national prosperity under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
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