Politics Archives - Page 47 of 88

2023: Kwankwaso Is APC, PDP Biggest Problem – Orji Uzor Kalu

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has described Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as the biggest problem of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Naija News reports that since Kwankwaso joined the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) from the PDP, the party has gained popularity.

Speaking to Channels Television on Monday night, Orji Uzor Kalu stated that the too major political parties must be aware of the threat posed by the NNPP.

He stated that if any of the major parties zone its presidential ticket to the South, they should forget about producing Muhammadu Buhari’s successor.

Kalu said, “Let me tell you that whether in APC or PDP, the problem we have now is Kwankwaso. Our problem is not APC or PDP. Because Kwankwaso is already a presidential candidate we are in problem.

“We are forcing every party – that is what I saw – to pull out. Because of Kwankwaso if you give me the ticket from the South East, I will lose and it would not be good for us.

“Kwankwaso left PDP and went to NNPP and if PDP or APC zone its presidential ticket to a candidate in the southern Nigeria, then Kwankwaso is a president in waiting. I can assure you that knowing the mentality on the ground, unless we are telling ourselves lies.

“I cannot lie to myself; I’m a student of realism. So Kwankwaso is the problem because if PDP goes to North and the APC goes to south it’s as well telling myself to pack my luggage and go. I’ll not have a job in the National Assembly or the federal government of Nigeria. That’s the truth. Whether you want to believe it or not, Kwankwaso has changed the dynamics.”

APC Party Chairman Found Dead In Bauchi Hotel Room

The death has been reported by an All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman in Bauchi State.

The deceased who was the chairman of Bauchi Local Government Area, Husseini Musa Gwabba, was found lifeless in a hotel room in the state capital, Naija News learnt.

The cause of his death is yet to be determined but the state police command has ordered an autopsy.

Gwabba according to SaharaReporters, was found lifeless in a hotel room Saturday morning in Bauchi, the state capital.

The politician was said to have received a series of death threats from some persons suspected to be high-ranking members of the party who saw his emergence to the position as a threat to their survival in the party

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the police in the state, SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, said a thorough autopsy will be conducted on the remains of the politician to ascertain the cause of his death.

“The result of the autopsy as being awaited will be made public, please.

“Three suspects have been arrested in connection to the death of Gwabba and are being interrogated by the police,” Wakil said.

Meanwhile, Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has lost his Senior Special Assistant on Political Matters, Hon Tony Otokhine, in a fatal motor accident.

The sad development was confirmed in a Facebook post on Sunday evening by Governor Okowa’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Ossai Ovie Success, Naija News understands.

The government official disclosed with regret that Otokhine died in a ghastly crash while returning to Asaba after attending the traditional wedding of Nigeria Bar Association President, Olumide Akpata, on Saturday, May 14, in Benin City.

Success recalled their last conversation at the wedding event. He described the deceased as a humble and nice person to be with.

2023: Amosun Speaks on Stepping Down For Tinubu, Others

Former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has declared that he is not in the presidential race to align with Chief Bola Tinubu or any other aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The former governor also said he did not obtain the APC senatorial form, neither did he attend the screening exercise organised for APC senatorial aspirants, as being peddled by some individuals.

TRIXX NG recalls that some media houses over the weekend reported that there were rumours that Amosun had agreed to step down for Tinubu, having been screened and cleared for the Ogun Central senatorial race.

But, in a swift reaction, Amosun debunked the rumour spreading on social media, saying the “two news stories are false.”

According to a statement signed by his media aide, Bola Adeyemi, he said that the Ogun Central Senator “procured only the forms for the presidential ticket of the APC and did not attend the screening exercise for Senatorial aspirants because he is not one.”

While urging Nigerians to dismiss the “false news”, Adeyemi maintained that “Amosun is in the race for the presidential ticket of the APC and has no plans to align with any politician in the race.”

2023 and the Contentious Issue APC Must Confront

For the APC, the 2023 presidential elections present a real test of its ability to survive and forge a unified front as a political organisation. The Buhari era is about to end, and the hitherto unifying figure of a Buhari that appears to have glued the disparate tendencies in the party together will no longer be there. Already, the commencement of the process of picking the party’s candidate for the 2023 contest has shown glaringly that the contest will be brutal and acidic, unless a miracle happens. Since the party’s initial objective of booting out PDP and gaining power has been achieved in the Buhari two-term presidency, 2023 will signal for the party the real wheeling and dealing of ruthless ambition driven by self-aggrandizement among its contending power blocs.

Even now, allegations of betrayal, vociferous proclamation of personal ambitions and dirty innuendoes about imposition of candidates have started reaching an uncomfortable level in the party.

Regardless of the drama and subplots that have started unfolding, it is for the party and Nigerians generally to zero in on a candidate that has the right mix of persona, charisma, vision, discipline, awareness and courage to keep the party and the country in good shape post 2023.

The task may be daunting but what the party needs to do is clear cut. This is because the problems a post Buhari president will confront are already here with us now.

One, with continuous fall in oil prices and a general lull in business activity since the outbreak of COVID-19, the economic realities have been worsened by the growing poverty and unemployment which has made upward social mobility unachievable for the wider population. The Nigeria Bureau of Statistics has continued to record staggering inflation rates, with food inflation and general cost of living growing out of hand and, according to the World Poverty Clock, nearly half of the Nigerian population currently subsist in extreme poverty. In fact, the Brookings Institute has predicted the figure to rise to 110 million by 2030.

Atiku deletes Facebook, Twitter posts on Deborah’s killing after receiving threats on his 2023 ambition

Most of the comments were from fundamentalists who warned the politician to stay away from condemning the murder of the Christian student.

Atiku Abubakar has deleted a post he made syndicated on his Facebook and Twitter pages about slain Deboral Samuel after coming under a barrage of threats from fanatics of northern origin who asked him to forget his presidential ambition.

Mr Atiku’s posts around 10:20 p.m. Thursday were deleted less than an hour later. Both had garnered thousands of reactions within minutes, according to a screenshot taken by Peoples Gazette.

Most of the comments were from fundamentalists who warned the politician to stay away from condemning the murder of the Christian student.

“There can not be a justification for such gruesome murder. Deborah Yakubu was murdered, and all those behind her death must be brought to justice,” Mr Atiku said. “My condolences to her family and friends.”

A spokesman for Mr Abubkar did not return a request seeking comments about why he took down the post on Facebook.

The former vice-president didn’t delete a similar message that he posted on Twitter until much later, indicating that he might have seen a difference between Facebook and Twitter users on the sensitive development.

Ms Samuel was murdered at Shehu Shagari College of Education on Thursday morning for allegedly posting comments that blasphemed Prophet Mohammed. The violence has elicited widespread uproar and condemnation, with Catholic priest Matthew Kukah and Sultan of Sokoto calling on authorities to immediately bring the killers to book.

Mr Abubakar is from northern Adamawa state, but continues to receive support across the country, especially amongst southern Christians who see him as a moderate statesman.

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El-Rufai Declares Support For Bola Tinubu’s Presidential Ambition

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has openly endorsed the Presidential ambition of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.

The Kaduna governor openly backed Tinubu’s ambition at the Murtala Square in Kaduna on Thursday.

It was gathered that Tinubu alongside the former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, former EFCC boss, Nuhu Ribadu and other dignitaries were in the state to seek the support delegates ahead of the ruling party’s primaries.

Shetimma had earlier assured the delegates that the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai was “solidly by their side,” according to Daily Trust.

However, while speaking, El-Rufai said he would need the support of delegates from Kaduna State before taking a decision.

“I want to correct Kashim Shettima because he said the governor is fully with them,” El-Rufai said.

The governor added that he cannot fully back Tinubu unless the delegates from the state agree.

“Before we confirm what Kashim Shetima said here, I want to confirm from our statutory delegates are you with Asiwaju?” El-Rufai asked, to which the delegates stood in unison, shouting yes.

“Your Excellency, I do what they tell me, they are my bosses. This is how APC in Kaduna works,” he said while addressing Tinubu.

2023: APC Denies Jonathan’s Membership

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State, Dennis Otiotio on Thursday said Goodluck Jonathan is not a member of the party in the state.

According to Otiotio, Jonathan can only join the ruling party if granted a waiver by the national chairman of the party, Adamu Abdullahi.

Otiotio disclosed this in a chat with Punch on Thursday morning.

The Bayelsa APC Chairman spoke amidst the claims that Jonathan had joined APC in his Ogbia ward in Bayelsa.

Otiotio said, “I think the person you people should be asking the question is the national chairman of the party. He should be the one to grant him (Jonathan) a waiver.

“As of now, he has not officially joined our party. Ask the national chairman if he has granted him a waiver.”

The APC Chairman, however, described the former president as a big fish and an elder statesman.

He further stated that it would be great if Jonathan decides to join the ruling party ahead of the 2023 general election.

[Breaking] 2023: Buhari Orders CBN Governor, Emefiele, Others To Resign

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed all heads of agencies, departments, parastatals and ambassadors with political ambitions to turn in their resignations.

The President in a circular on Thursday also directed the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele to resign.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha signed the circular which directed all heads of agencies with political ambition to resign.

The circular with reference number SGF/OP/ I/S.3/XII/ 173 was titled, ‘Ministers, heads of government agencies, ambassadors and other appointees with political ambitions to resign.

Meanwhile, some ministers in the cabinet of President Buhari have turned in their resignation letters following the directive of the President during the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

The President directed them to submit their resignation letters on or before Monday the 16th of May, 2022.

The likes of Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajuiba, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio and Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi have tendered their resignation letter to focus on their presidential ambition.

Gov Abiodun, Amosun Clash Over Alleged US Criminal Records

Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun and his predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, have clashed over the governor’s alleged criminal records in the United States.

Abiodun and Amosun have been battling for the control of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

A petition submitted to the national secretariat of the APC had sought Abiodun’s disqualification from the party’s governorship primaries over fraud allegations.

A member of the party in the state, Ayodele Oludiran, had in the April 12 petition alleged that the governor had been accused of ‘concealing criminal offenses he allegedly committed in the USA in the 1980s’.

Oludiran insisted that Abiodun’s candidacy would portend danger for the APC with the damning allegations against him.

However, documents allegedly featuring the mugshot of Abiodun and his purported court conviction for criminal offences which bordered on credit card fraud, petty theft, and forgery surfaced online on Monday.

Reacting to the allegations, DailyTrust reports that Dapo Abiodun Campaign Organisation (DACA) accused Amosun of sponsoring a smear campaign to malign the governor.

The group in the statement, in Abeokuta on Tuesday by the spokesman of APC, Tunde Oladunjoye, accused Senator Amosun and his loyalists of fabricating ‘malicious, unfounded and totally false allegations to incriminate the governor and present him as one who is ineligible to contest the high office he’s occupying’.

But, Amosun in a statement by his media aide, Bola Adeyemi, described the allegations as ‘wild and callous’.

He implored Abiodun to employ every legal means to bring whoever is involved in any ‘smear campaign’ against him to book.

2023: 5 things I will do if elected as President of Nigeria – Tinubu tells Nigerians

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Former Lagos state Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has disclosed 5 things he will focus on if he becomes President in 2023.

Speaking to party delegates on Monday in Katsina, Tinubu stated that he has all it takes to be the President of the Country.

He explained that he possessed all the requisite qualities to be seen as a potential president of Nigeria due to his wide knowledge and experiences as well as his track record of achievement in governance.

He added that as president, he would;

Unite Nigerians and give them more hope irrespective of tribe or religion.
2. Develop a new strategy and commit enough resources to fight banditry and other related crimes if voted as president.

3. Focus on Economic Development

4. Focus on Education

5. Infrastructural development to get Nigeria working again.

In his words; “I come to unite Nigeria and not to divide it; I come to bring you hope, prosperity, happiness, job and stability. Though tongues may differ, the brotherhood will stand; you are my brother and together we will defeat poverty.”

“Anybody that wants it can run, but not everybody can become the president,’’ he said.

Responding, Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State said Nigeria needed a leader like Tinubu with wide experience in governance. He expressed the belief and confidence that Nigeria would certainly overcome the challenges confronting it soon.