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Plateau: PDP’s Musa Agah wins Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency election
The Labour Party, LP, candidate for Calabar South State Constituency II in Cross River State, Comrade Affiong Joseph, has criticised the growing influence of money in Nigerian politics, saying it undermines candidates’ achievements, credibility and good intentions.
Joseph, who spoke in an interview on Tuesday, said the dominance of money in electoral contests often puts candidates without strong financial backing at a disadvantage.
She identified sponsorship as her major challenge in the race for the state House of Assembly seat, insisting that her gender was not a barrier to her acceptability among voters.
The former treasurer of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria said the growing tendency to favour wealthy politicians over candidates with proven records and ideas was affecting her campaign.
“The only challenge I have right now is that of sponsorship and not of acceptability because of my gender,” she said.
“In Nigeria today, money talks in politics more than achievements and good intentions of a candidate, not really because one is a woman.”
Joseph disclosed that two other women were contesting the same legislative seat on the platforms of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, while she is seeking election on the LP platform.
A video has shown some members of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (the Izala sect) chanting and demanding AK-47 rifles to shoot Christian infidels in Enugu and Jos, the capital of Plateau.
In the video, a young man dressed in Izala Volunteer Corps uniform, a beige and blue beret colour, chanted, “Give us AK. Give AK. Let’s go to Enugu among infidels on Sunday while they are worshipping. Let’s open fire on them.” Several others chanted along with him in the video.
The chorus leader called for AK-47 rifles to invade churches in Jos.
Sheikh Bala Lau, the national chairman of JIBWIS, on Monday condemned the call for violence by its sect members, urging the State Security Service, the police and other relevant security agencies to immediately investigate the incident, identify those responsible and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice in accordance with the law.
A netizen, @Arojinle, said, “That’s Izala’s uniform. I hope the @PoliceNG and @OfficialDSSNG take action before we have another terrorist faction within us. One major problem is that Izala adherents are not in the North alone. They exist in Hausa-dominated microenvironments. I’ve seen their branded bus at Sabo, Ìbàdàn, several times.”
“Just watched a disturbing video of this Izala (JIBWIS) Agaji member singing a gyration song while leading his team, saying, “Give me AK-47 so that I will go to Enugu and kill infidels (arna) on Sunday while they are praying and happy. Give me guns to go to Jos and kill more infidels—that is the Sunnah, that is the training,” @Timmosion said. “You may think this is just music or a joke, but deep down, that is their true mindset. The only thing standing between them and carrying out such thoughts is the secular state and its laws.”
@Abdul_Ahmad said, “With all due respect, this is completely wrong and not part of the teaching of Islam. I’m calling the attention of the Izala 2 leadership under Sheikh Bala Lau and Kabiru Gombe to look into this matter with immediate effect so as not to produce more extremists.”
Police spokesperson Ani Iniedu did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the video.
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