From Kenechukwu Ugwoke (Enunu)

The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has declared that the era of having a godfather before securing a job is gone with the present commission

The Commissioner representing Enugu State, Peter Eze, who gave the assurance on Thursday ,urged youths in the state to stop believing that federal government jobs are reserved for those with political connections, saying qualified applicants can secure opportunities by following due process.

The Commissioner, who launched his Peter Eze Youth Connect workshop at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, with the theme, “Beyond Quotas: Unlocking Opportunities for Enugu Youths Through the Federal Character Commission,” said widespread misinformation that federal jobs had already been shared before they were advertised had discouraged many qualified youths from applying.

“One of the major reasons for this unfortunate situation is the existence of generational fallacies, erroneous impressions and misleading assumptions that advertised or publicised Federal Public Service and other public service jobs have already been shared or given out even before they are publicly advertised.

“No player has ever won a football match outside the pitch. Let me, therefore, use this opportunity to emphasise that you can barely get an opportunity you do not apply for,” he said.

Eze said the FCC had a constitutional responsibility to promote equitable representation in federal institutions, noting that more than 700 federal ministries, departments, agencies, commissions and other establishments offer employment and related opportunities.

“You do not need to buy a job; you need to prepare yourself,” he said, warning youths against middlemen and anyone demanding payment for legitimate government employment.

The commissioner said the workshop was also designed to expose participants to grants, scholarships, fellowships, training programmes and other opportunities, adding that five participants would be selected for full scholarships to study abroad.

He said the initiative would be sustained beyond the workshop to create a network through which youths could access and share information on legitimate opportunities.

“Let nobody make you believe that you need a godfather before you can succeed. Get the information. Follow the process. Prepare yourself. Apply. Compete. And pursue your opportunity,” Eze said.

By Eze Nnadi 

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has obeyed a federal high court ruling that ordered it to accept the latest logo of the opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)

A federal high court, presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, had in a judgment delivered on Tuesday in Abuja in a case involving the NDC and INEC, directed the election umpire to accept and upload NDC’ new logo

The commission on Thursday, uploaded the party’s new logo on its official website.

The commission also updated the party’s  leadership on its website, placing Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe as the National Chairman of the NDC, while Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu is listed as National Secretary.

In the new update, Mr John Odey is also listed as National Treasurer, while Mainasara Abubakar Sani is the National Financial Secretary. Similarly, Reuben Egwuaba is listed as the party’s National Legal Adviser.

The commission however  emphasised that the five leadership positions were uploaded  based on a court order’, indicating that the NDC’s party logo on its platform is recognised in compliance with a court order.

The case, filed under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1814/2026, centred on the party’s demand for recognition of its modified logo and colour design.

The NDC had challenged INEC’s refusal to recognise and upload the logo adopted by the party after its first National Executive Committee meeting.

According to the court, the refusal of INEC to recognise the modified logo was unconstitutional, illegal and amounted to an infringement of the rights of the political party.

By Nkem Okereh 

Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi has stayed that talks on a possible alliance of opposition parties should not be focused on the individual candidates, but the political parties

It would be recalled that a group, the G100, had initiated a bold move to bring the various opposition political parties into a coalition that would bring in a single presidential candidate to challenge the incumbent, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

The G100 had argued that only a united opposition with an alliance that would produce a single candidate can defeat president Tinubu in 2027

But while the NDC presidential candidate could not either rule out the possibility of the coalition or affirm it, he noted that it is the leaders of the various political parties that could deliberate on the move, noting that the individual candidates should not be the focus

Obi, who made the declaration during a TV interview on Thursday, further denied rejecting an offer to serve as running mate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, ahead of the 2027 elections.

The NDC candidate, who was Atiku’s running mate during the 2019 presidential election, under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), resigned from the party, in 2024, following the denial of it’s presidential ticket, and joined the Labour Party (LP), where he contested the election

Asked whether he would step down for Atiku or accept the vice-presidential slot if an alliance was reached, Obi said the issue had gone beyond individual candidates.

“I’m a candidate, yes. So, my leader, Atiku, is a candidate of another party. I am a candidate for another party. So, you are talking about two parties coming together; it is no longer him or me

“All those parties have candidates. So, it is a discussion. It is no longer me, as Peter is talking. It is like a situation where two corporations are trying to come together. It is no longer something the two CEOs go to a drink and say we are going to work together. They need to look at how to bring these two corporations together,” he said.

When told that he had previously said he would not accept a vice-presidential position from any candidate, Obi denied rejecting any such offer.

“I don’t know where that was said. I wasn’t even in a position where that was being offered, and I refused,” he said.

The former Anambra state governor, who said he would support any alliance committed to national unity, the rule of law, order, accountable leadership, education, healthcare and job creation, however , emphasised that any potential alliance must be negotiated by the political parties rather than reduced to discussions between individual candidates.

“I want to be part of any coalition that will make Nigeria work. That will make Nigeria productive. That will create jobs for the young ones. That will pull people out of poverty. That will make education work,” Obi added.