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TACKLING INSECURITY IN ENUGU: Stakeholders Accuses Mbah Of Illegitimacy

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The Enugu State Stakeholders Forum (ESSF) has ascribed the failure of the state government’s cancellation of the Monday sit-at-home order to the lack of legitimacy by the new Peter Mbah government that came into being last May 29.



In a statement in Enugu today signed by the ESSF’s leader, Professor Joseph Aneke, and the secretary, Dr Ifeanyi Agbo, the stakeholders said that what would have been a good government initiative failed spectacularly because Mbah did not think through it before announcing it.



“Mbah has been desperate to do something popular to get accepted by the Enugu people because he and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government did not win the March 18 gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections”, declared the stakeholders.



“He merely hit upon the idea of ending the illegal sit-at-home declared by nonstate actors; it is a brainwave rather than a sound government policy”.



The ESSF observed that if the government had thought through it, the administration would have first called a meeting of stakeholders to discuss the government’s new step to end insecurity and provide honest suggestions on the way forward which all groups would accept to implement from an agreed day.



The ESSG regretted that with “the government order failing as most Enugu people last Monday observed sit-at-home as usual, out of fear of vicious attacks by nonstate actors, the state government took a panic measure by calling for a meeting of all kinds of stakeholders yesterday (Saturday) at the Old Governor’s Lodge in GRA, Enugu.



“The meeting should have been called before announcing the cancellation as no right-thinking person puts the cart before the horse.



“The central issue in ending the destructive sit-at-home order is deploying security forces everywhere, from markets to government offices to motor parks to major and minor roads, and all other public places.



“The people will defy IPOB and its agents once there is a fair assurance of security”.



The group also faulted the government for implementing the cancellation before the appointment of key government officials.



“It is top government officials like the Commissioner for Security and the Special Adviser on Security who will drive the implementation of this security step and take responsibility for it, not just the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, a fellow Nkanu person who is the only person appointed by Mbah since assumption of office”.



The ESSF criticised the meeting at the Old Governor’s Lodge “for having only one item on the agenda: endorsement of the anti-sit-at-home order, which looks pretty sycophantic.



“It should have discussed in a serious manner modalities for the success of the government’s cancellation of the order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) that has been taking a tremendous toll on the entire people of the Southeast.



“The government’s resounding failure or inability to think correctly before taking action is what normally obtains when the people did not choose a government, and so does all manner of things to gain acceptance.



“Security is not provided through populism and all such acts of playing to the gallery”.

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El-Rufai speaks on Abuja airport arrest attempts by security operatives

El -Rufai wrote.“Our country must outgrow executive overreach particularly involving opposition figures and former public office holders, and deliberate disregard for the rule of law

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A former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has condemned what he described as an illegal attempt by security operatives to arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, following his arrival from Cairo, Egypt.

El-Rufai made this known in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, where he accused authorities of executive overreach and disregard for the rule of law.

“My lawyers have issued a statement that condemns the illegal attempt to arrest me today at the Abuja airport upon my arrival from Cairo,” El-Rufai wrote.“Our country must outgrow executive overreach particularly involving opposition figures and former public office holders, and deliberate disregard for the rule of law,” he added.

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INEC needs N873bn for 2027 elections, says Amupitan

The 2027 election budget is structured into five major components: N379.748 billion for operational expenses, N92.317 billion for administrative costs, N209.206 billion for technology, N154.905 billion for capital expenditure, and N42.608 billion for miscellaneous items.

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INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan has estimated a total of N873.778 billion for the conduct of the 2027 general elections, while requesting N171 billion for its 2026 operational budget.

Amupitan made the projection on Thursday when he presented the Commission’s budget proposals before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters.

He clarified that the nearly N874 billion earmarked for 2027 polls is separate from the 2026 budget, which covers routine operations, by-elections, and off-cycle polls.

The 2027 election budget is structured into five major components: N379.748 billion for operational expenses, N92.317 billion for administrative costs, N209.206 billion for technology, N154.905 billion for capital expenditure, and N42.608 billion for miscellaneous items.

The projection does not include a pending request by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for an upward review of allowances for corps members deployed as ad-hoc election staff.

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El-Rufai resists arrest by security agents at Abuja Airport

Regarding today’s incident, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai’s media aide, confirmed that ” As he arrived at the airport, security agents approached him, but Malam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal invitation. They, however, snatched his international passport from an aide.”

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Security agents today at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, upon his arrival from Cairo, Egypt

Ohibaba.com reported the previous day that El-Rufai, in an interview with BBC Hausa, said he could be arrested in Nigeria at any time.

He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of pressuring politicians to either align with the party or face political consequences.

El-Rufai also claimed that some of his associates had already been detained. “Four people we worked with in Kaduna have been arrested; so it’s only a matter of time before they come for me too,” he said

Regarding today’s incident, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai’s media aide, confirmed that ” As he arrived at the airport, security agents approached him, but Malam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal invitation. They, however, snatched his international passport from an aide.”

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