The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi met with Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike behind closed-doors on Wednesday in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
Wike who is widely rumoured to be plotting an exit from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP following his loss at the Party primaries and not emerging the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the party’s 2023 presidential flag-bearer.
This meeting is coming amidst reports that Obi and his party are in talks with NNPP Presidential Candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso over a possible merger. Political Analysts reveal that if the merger succeeds, it will create big problems for the Ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
It’s currently unclear the outcome of the meeting but it’s largely connected to the 2023 Presidential Elections.
2023: A New Nigeria Beckons With Tinubu As President, Says Lagos Assembly
– Lawmakers to write Buhari, Northern APC governors, others
– Commend Obasa for championing the cause for Tinubu’s victory
– Describe Tinubu as a political warlord whose time has come
Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly resumed plenary on Monday with a resolution to write commendation letters to Northern governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for their collective decision that resulted in the victory of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu during the party’s recent convention.
President Muhammadu Buhari, Southern governors on the platform of the APC, the Conference of Speakers and the National Assembly are to also receive letters of appreciation from the Assembly.
The House, which also resolved to send a congratulatory message to Tinubu, who the lawmakers called a ‘golden fish’, thanked the presidential aspirants who stepped down from the race and supported the former governor of Lagos state to victory.
This is as the members of the House further took turns to eulogise the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, who is known to have commenced the mobilisation for Tinubu long before the latter officially declared his intention.
Recall that Speaker Obasa, since 2020, had visited many states of Nigeria canvassing for support for the emergence of Tinubu as APC flag bearer.
In his contribution, Obasa said the outcome of the primary election was worth celebrating, especially in relation to the number of people who supported and played various roles to ensure Tinubu’s victory.
According to him, the action of the Northern governors has further deepened democracy and unity.
Ahead of the convention, the APC governors in the North had resolved to support a Southern aspirant. They also made their decision public.
“That singular action of the Northern governors is proof and testimony that Nigeria’s democracy has come to stay and that Nigeria will continue to exist as one. It goes beyond giving Asiwaju support and shows that in togetherness, we can take this country forward.
“The emergence of Asiwaju gives hope that there are better days ahead where we would have an egalitarian society.
“We have absolute confidence that just like he did it before, he can do it again,” the Speaker said as he recalled the various achievements recorded by Tinubu as governor of Lagos state.
He tasked stakeholders and party leaders to intensify their support for Tinubu ahead of the general election.
On his part, a lawmaker, Abdulsubur Olayiwola, described Tinubu as a political warlord just as he argued that the presidential candidate’s Abeokuta declaration helped his victory.
He also noted that Speaker Obasa started reaching out to Nigerians from other parts of the country even before it became public knowledge that Tinubu would run for the position.
While another lawmaker, Hon. Tobun Abiodun, confirmed that Obasa started the move even “things were still sketchy”, his colleague, Hon. Adedamola Richard Kasunmu, said: “Nigeria as a nation just got lucky because by 2023, we are going to have a President who has the grace to move this country to greater heights.
“With a true democrat in the person of Asiwaju, a new Nigeria beckons.”
He described Obasa as a man with foresight for championing Tinubu’s cause.
Also contributing, the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, described Tinubu as a man whose time to lead the country has come.
While commending Obasa, Agunbiade added: “We must go back to our constituencies and ensure that those who would vote for Asiwaju get their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).
For Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu, Tinubu reaped what he had sowed for many years with his victory at the convention.
Eromosele Ebhomele
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Osun State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola and the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ademola Adeleke, have engaged in accusations and counter accusations over the forthcoming governorship election holding in the state on July 16.
The Chairman, Legal Committee, Senator Ademola Adeleke Campaign, Niyi Owolade, and Chairman, Media And Strategy Committee, Diran Odeyemi, accused the APC of having three evil agenda whose implementation it said had started, going by recent sad developments in the state.
They alleged that the evil agendas include direct violence on PDP leaders and supporters, appointment of a compromised State Returning Officer in person of the Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, and deployment of ill-gotten wealth to buy votes and compromise the electoral process.
They said, “It is regrettable that the Amotekun security outfit established for the purpose of strengthening regional security of boundaries to curb the activities of bandits, kidnappers, terrorists, etc. has now become a tool of oppression and attack in the hands of some desperate politicians of the ruling Party in Osun State, the APC.
“They are launching offensive weapons and dangerous ammunition to intimidate, oppress and harass members of the PDP in Osun State so as to desperately have their way in the coming Osun Governorship election in less than 30 days from now,” the PDP said in the press conference.
“As much as we have confidence that adherence to the spirit and letters of the Electoral Act will guarantee free and fair election, we reject the appointment of Prof Adebowale as State Returning Officer for the July 16th election on account of partisanship and affiliation with the All Progressive Congress as a party, through the party’s former national Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun (the chairman of the governing council and pro chancellor of University of Ibadan), the Governor-elect of Ekiti state, Mr Biodun Oyebanji and his membership of alumni association of Ayedaade Grammar School, Ikire, of which Osun State deputy governor is a member.
The Osun PDP further accused the APC of collating Permanent Voter Card details of public servants, teachers and pensioners in the state for the purpose of vote-buying.
However, reacting to the allegation, Governor Oyetola through his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Sunday Akere, refuted the allegations, saying PDP is accusing others of what it is presently doing.
Akere said, “They are been hunted by their shadow. We are aware of their evil plans to sabotage the electoral process but we keep quiet. Keeping quiet doesn’t mean that we don’t know what they are plotting. We just don’t want to be dragged to their mess.
“Governor Oyetola has done so well in the state since he was sworn into office, so we don’t need to buy anybody’s conscience before they would vote for him for the second term.
“It is the PDP that is involved in vote-buying, they are engaging in fire-for-fire politics. We urge the security operatives in the state to watch them closely to prevent their evil plots in the state.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Abiodun Oyebanji as the winner of the governorship election in Ekiti State.
Oyebanji who won 15 out of the 16 Local Government Areas of the state gathered 187,057 votes.
The Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Segun Oni came second with 82,211, while the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bisi Kolawole gathered 67,457 votes.
The returning officer for the election, Professor Kayode Oyebode at 3:04 am on Sunday declared Oyebanji winner of the governorship election.
A total of 16 candidates partook in the election. The total valid votes in the election were 351,865, void votes, 8,888 and total votes cast, 360,753.
NNPP presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, says he is in talks with his Labor Party counterpart Peter Obi over the possibility of co-operation in the 2023 elections.
He made the remarks in an interview with BBC Hausa.
He said: “We are really talking to Peter Obi, or at least saying that the committee is working to look into the matter (and cooperate with him), and friends and family are coming to talk to us about it. ”
The former governor of Kano State said their collaboration was especially important as the APC and PDP had not fielded an Igbo vice-presidential candidate.
Obi and Kwankwaso’s collaboration is widely seen as a strong ‘third force’ against Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The Labour Party has submitted the name of Nigerian physcian cum politician, Doyin Okupe as Peter Obi’s running mate.
To beat the Friday, June 17 deadline given to political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Labour Party submitted Doyin Okupe name as a placeholder running mate and would later be changed after the party stakeholders must have agreed on the suitable vice presidential candidate for the 2023 elections.
The Deputy Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Mohammed has been impeached.
It was gathered that Mohammed who represents Akpa 1 State Constituency was impeached during an emergency sitting held at the State Assembly complex in Lokoja.
Hon. Enema Paul, the member representing Dekina/Okura Constituency made this known in a motion of urgent importance reason the floor of the assembly.
The assembly accused Muhammed alongside 3 other principal officers of gross misconduct and arbitrary use of their offices. The three principal leaders are; Bello Hassan Balogun (Majority Leader), Idris Ndako (Deputy Majority Leader), and Hon. Edoko Moses Ododo (Chief Whip).
The camp of the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has condemned the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar for picking the Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate.
Naija News had earlier reported that the former Vice President on Thursday announced Okowa as his running mate at the National Secretariat of the party.
The loyalists of Governor Wike who stated that it was the right of Atiku to pick his running, condemned him for not following the decision of a committee set up to pick the party’s Vice Presidential candidate.
The Chairman of the Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, Samuel Nwanosike in an interview with Punch said, “There is a local proverb in my village that says nobody will tell a man that eats yam to go and drink water.
“If you are eating yam, you must look for water to drink because if you eat yam without drinking water, it will choke you.”
“If he kept to his words like he said to go with the party’s overwhelming choice, then he would have respected the decision of the panel, the party’s national chairman and his team set up.”
According to Nwanosike, the Rivers State Governor was nominated by all stakeholders of the party as Atiku’s running mate.
Nwanosike when asked if the decision of Atiku would not affect his presidential ambition, he said, “He has made his calculations. And since he has made his calculations, he (Atiku) will live with the result. He will see out of his calculations. It is not the first time he has been the candidate of the party.
“He was the candidate of the party in 2019. He knows what the result was. Now he has made a decision. So let’s keep our fingers crossed and wait for the decision of the electorate. Right now, it is no longer in the hands of Dr Iyorcha Ayu and his team. It is now in the hands of the electorate.”
A former member of the House of Representatives representing Etche-Omuma Constituency, Ogbonna Nwuke on his part said Governor Wike would speak at the appropriate time.
Nwuke further stated that Atiku did not reject Wike, but he rejected Rivers State.
Nwuke said, “I believe that our leader will speak at the appropriate time. We are members and whatever decision he makes will be okay by us because he is the one wearing the shoe now. I think it is not Governor Wike that Atiku rejected; it is Rivers State he rejected.”
A bill seeking the establishment of a Federal University of Education (Technical) in Bichi, Kano State was read the second time yesterday on the floor of the Senate.
Naija News understands that the bill was instituted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator representing Kano North, Jibrin Barau.
At the plenary yesterday, the lawmaker maintained that there was a need to have a strong system in the educational sector with the establishment of more institutions for the training of teachers.
Narrating the objectives of the proposed Federal University of Education in Bichi, Barau said it was to encourage the advancement of learning to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex or political conviction.
He added: “To develop and offer academic, technical, and professional programmes leading to the award of certificates, first degrees, post-graduate research, diploma, and higher degrees with emphasis on planning, developmental and adaptive skills in Education.
“To produce socially mature educational men and women with capabilities not to only understand the educational and technological needs of Nigeria as a nation, but also to exploit existing Educational infrastructure and improve on them to develop new ones, and;
“To bring quality change in Technical Education by focusing on teacher education, through teaching and learning innovations.”
Barau again charged the Red Chamber members to consider the bill, noting that its enactment will go a long way in transforming the decayed educational infrastructure in Nigeria and change the educational fortunes of the country for the better.
“It will also provide a balanced educational development in Kano State and indeed, the entire country,” he said.
Naija News understands that lawmakers responded positively to the bill and gave it overwhelming passage for the second reading when put to voice votes by the Senate Ahmad Lawan.
It was sent to Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND for more legislative input.
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has reportedly been chosen as the running mate of the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Naija News reports that this was made known in a statement to newsmen issued by the Director-General of Ganduje’s Support Group, Suleiman Magaji.
According to the statement, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC picked Ganduje to run alongside Tinubu in the 2023 general election based on his loyalty to the ruling party, commitment and infrastructural development of his state.
The group admitted that the issue of religion was extensively discussed during the selection.
However, they stated that Nigerians are more interested in developmental stride rather than religious affairs.
Ganduje’s support group praised the APC NWC for picking the Kano State Governor for the vice-presidential ticket.
They urged APC members both in Nigeria and in diaspora to support the Tinubu/Ganduje ticket to emerge victorious in 2023.
“It is time we close ranks to ensure victory for all our candidates from the ward levels to the presidency,” Daily Post quoted group as saying.
