{"id":19800,"date":"2018-07-26T07:09:59","date_gmt":"2018-07-26T07:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=19800"},"modified":"2018-07-26T07:09:59","modified_gmt":"2018-07-26T07:09:59","slug":"south-middle-belt-elders-reject-inecs-voter-register-demand-restructuring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=19800","title":{"rendered":"SOUTH\/MIDDLE BELT ELDERS REJECT INEC&#8217;S VOTER REGISTER, DEMAND RESTRUCTURING"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- www.newsroom247.com.ng --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2163942495525027\" data-ad-slot=\"1411897411\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Sheriff-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-19311\" src=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Sheriff-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"681\" height=\"194\" srcset=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Sheriff-1.jpg 1080w, http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Sheriff-1-300x86.jpg 300w, http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Sheriff-1-768x219.jpg 768w, http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Sheriff-1-1024x292.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 681px) 100vw, 681px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Southern and Middle Belt Elders Forum on Wednesday reiterated its call for the cancellation of the Independent National Electoral Commission\u2019s voter register.<\/p>\n<p>The group took its campaign to the National Assembly in Abuja where the members sought the support of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara.<\/p>\n<p>The forum also demanded the practice of true federalism in the country through restructuring.<\/p>\n<p>The forum has other sub-groups such as the Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Pan-Niger Delta Elders Forum, and the Middle Belt Forum.<\/p>\n<p>Chief Ayo Adebanjo of the Afenifere led the elders to a meeting with Dogara.<\/p>\n<p>Adebanjo clarified that the forum was apolitical,\u00a0 but noted that Nigeria could not afford to continue running away from restructuring.<\/p>\n<p>On voter register, he said, \u201cThe current voter registration exercise has been compromised and marred by irregularities by the registration of underage and foreigners being recorded in some parts of the North.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccordingly, we call for the total cancellation of the INEC voter register, support and insist on restructuring and true federalism and call on the National Assembly to immediately commence a legislative agenda in that regard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Giving the group\u2019s stance on restructuring, he added, \u201cAnything beyond restructuring, we are not for it and we believe in championing this cause, we need the support of the House.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy canvassing the idea of restructuring to you does not mean to break up Nigeria. It is the only thing that can keep Nigeria together in peace.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe do not think that after being together for so long, we should break up but we don\u2019t want to be in a Nigeria that is dominated by one section of the country, that is anti a section of the country and extremely pro another section of the country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyone one who is opposed to the restructuring of the country is the enemy number one. We want a constitution that is agreeable to all of us.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRestructuring does not mean the breake-up of Nigeria, it has no religious or ethnic colouration but uniting us in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeadvert.com\/show.php?z=30&amp;pl=16698&amp;ad_type=62&amp;rl=180\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>On the wave of killings by herdsmen in the country, the forum asked the Federal Government to be decisive in tacking the security problem.<\/p>\n<p>It opposed the resort to cattle colonies as a solution and called for the immediate retirement of service chiefs.<\/p>\n<p>Dogara had told the group that he believed in a better Nigeria, adding that the National Assembly made efforts during the last constitution amendments to introduce some aspects of power devolution but later failed.<\/p>\n<p>He said, \u201cRestructuring means we should make the country work but we generate consensus for everyone to agree on a formula that is agreeable to all.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCrisis is normal, else there won\u2019t be any reason for the government. It is when we agree and disagree that we find solutions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe should tend to even look again at what is even working for us to make it sustainable and that is an innovation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople should make the system work, if the system fails; it\u2019s down to the people. Nations fail where the family unit fails.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/delta-is-working-new-200618-banner-ad-online-234-x-60px-f-4.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19511\" src=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/delta-is-working-new-200618-banner-ad-online-234-x-60px-f-4.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"3033\" height=\"376\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><code><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- www.newsroom247.com.ng --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2163942495525027\" data-ad-slot=\"1411897411\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/code><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; The Southern and Middle Belt Elders Forum on Wednesday reiterated its call for the cancellation of the Independent National Electoral Commission\u2019s voter register. The group took its campaign to the National Assembly in Abuja where the members sought the support of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara. The forum [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":19801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[867,4923,2061,1745,1400,4922,244],"class_list":["post-19800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","tag-afenifere","tag-and-the-middle-belt-forum","tag-ayo-adebanjo","tag-independent-national-electoral-commission-inec","tag-ohanaeze-ndigbo","tag-the-pan-niger-delta-elders-forum","tag-yakubu-dogara"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/RESTRUCTURE.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4oswh-59m","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19800"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19802,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19800\/revisions\/19802"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}