Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Kayode Fayemi, will declare his aspiration in respect of the 2023 presidential election at the end of the ongoing Ramadan.
Fayemi, the Governor of Ekiti State, feels that the season of Ramadan and the lent period were sacred for political games.
Fayemi had been making moves to secure the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari. The 57-year-old followed President Buhari to his office on Thursday after the Council of State meeting in Abuja.
Fayemi previously served in office as Ekiti Governor between 2010 and 2014 before losing re-election to Ayodele Fayose. He was also the Minister of Solid Minerals Development in President Buhari’s cabinet from 11 November 2015 to 30 May 2018, when he resigned to contest for a second time as Governor of Ekiti State.
So far, no fewer than eight aspirants in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have declared their interests in taking over from Buhari when his tenure expires on May 29, 2023.
The aspirants are Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi; Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello; a businessman, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim; a former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha; and Ihechukwu Dallas Chima.
Late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola’s son, Kola, has joined the Peoples Redemption Party ahead of the 2023 general election.
Late Abiola popularly known as MKO Abiola was the winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election believed to be the fairest election in Nigeria’s history.
Kola Abiola was on Thursday received into the party by the National Chairman of the PRP, Falalu Bello, who described him as an asset to the party.
The new entrant said the PRP is a party that was started by the people and which is truly for the people. He hailed the party for it’s commitment to internal democracy.
Kola Abiola said, “Today makes my formal inroad after 27 years, back into politics.
“I particularly picked to come back into politics through the PRP for some good reasons.
“I have gone back to the history of Nigeria to look at the party that truly represents Nigeria.
“I have gone back and I have found out that the oldest living party is the PRP; it still holds those ideals of what Nigeria and democratic practice should be like.”
He said he believes in equal opportunities for all Nigerians in every aspect and stressed that the PRP believes in that as well.
He said the youths would be given opportunities to take their rightful places in the party and the country to reposition it for development.
“I have come back to PRP to show Nigerians that not too long ago, we did things in the right way and the new entities that have come together nowadays forget that there was Nigeria that did things right.
“I am one that believes in an equal opportunity be it employment, be it business, equally in politics and I believe this party represents all of these.
“Everybody should have equal opportunity, irrespective of age, religion and ethnicity and that is represented here,” Mr kola Abiola said.
“We have a youth population that has been caught out of the system, the political process.
“The first thing I want to do is to disrupt the political process, to disabuse the minds of the youth about godfatherism.
“The way to do this is to give the true owners of Nigeria, that is, the 18 to 36 years age group that makes up over 75 per cent of the population, an opportunity for their voices to be heard and their numbers to count.”
2023 presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, has promised to hand over power to a youth if he fulfills his aspiration of becoming Nigeria’s leader.
Atiku, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said this at a recent meeting with leaders of over 200 support groups and the leadership of TeeCom across Nigeria in Abuja.
“I will mentor you and hand over power to you,” the former Vice-President said.
“I would like to work more with young people because young people are more agile, creative, and conversant with contemporary opportunities and challenges.
“Our administration is going to be a transition of power from the senior generation to a younger generation.”
Abubakar, an indigene of Adamawa State, got the ticket of the opposition party in 2019 but was defeated by incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
To clinch the PDP ticket in 2019, he defeated other aspirants such as a former senate president, Bukola Saraki, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, former Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, amongst others.
The 75-year-old is expected to compete for the 2023 ticket with Tambuwal, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi and other PDP presidential aspirants.
2023: Tinubu Rallies APC Speakers, Ex-Legislators Ahead of Primary Election
– Says Nigeria Is In Need Of Drastic Solutions To Challenges
+ Mentions Qualities Needed By Nigeria’s Next President
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has declared that Nigeria needs a courageous leader to urgently meet the desire of citizens for drastic solutions to the challenges facing the country.
Tinubu also described himself as the most qualified for the position of President in 2023 adding that his aspiration is for a nation that would not be an index of poverty.
The presidential aspirant said this at a one-day parley held for serving Speakers and former Speakers and deputies held in Lagos with the theme: The Legislature, Changing Times and Nigeria’s Democratic Journey.
“We have the brilliance, the resources, the focus. We don’t just know how to run the race and take care of the gear of progress,” Tinubu said at the event hosted by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa.
Tinubu further described himself as brilliant, courageous and sound enough to know the solutions to Nigeria’s problems adding: “Just as I need Nigeria, Nigeria needs me.”
Noting his can-do attitude, he recalled how he changed the fortunes of Lagos when he became governor of the State at a time of its challenge.
“In the face of tyranny, I have survived, struggled for democracy, I have endured the bush path, lived without a family, spent resources.
“To make Nigeria one is a task and who could do it? I am one. I am the first governor to grant autonomy to the House of Assembly. I survived non-allocation of local government funds. We didn’t suffer, we didn’t retrench. We made progress out of adversity.
“I inherited N600m as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) with zero allocation from Federal Accounte Allocation Committee (FAAC). But we survived and today, Lagos is number one economy.
“That is why I am begging you to do me a favour so that I can do Nigeria a favour.
“It is a very challenging time for us in the country and we have to get it right. We need to intellectually interogate ourselves.
“I am the first governor to bring Independent Power Project (IPP) to Nigeria. It was 300 megawatts. If they had followed my advice then, Nigeria will not be facing epileptic power supplies,” he said recalling how he brought major investors to Nigeria and promising that he is ready to do it again.
Tinubu also said he believed in religious tolerance and women’s participation in politics.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was a guest of honour at the parley, described Tinubu as his mentor and benefactor.
He also urged the legislators to key into the desire to make Nigeria a better country with Tinubu as President.
Speaking with his colleagues, Dr. Obasa described Tinubu as a true democrat.
“I am standing here before you because Asiwaju is a talent hunter. He is someone that would support you, raise you to a point of leadership and give you room to excel.
“I can confirm that he is the brain behind the legislative autonomy that we enjoy today at the Lagos State House of Assembly and he did this far before the clamour for it by other states.
“So we can see that he is a person that will support the legislative arm of government to remain strong. Dear colleagues, let us all stand with him and support him,” he said.
Vice President and 2023 presidential aspirant Yemi Osinbanjo hosted All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators of the 9th Assembly to Iftar Dinner at his residence.
Two out of the three from Lagos State, Senator Solomon Adeola Olamilekan and Tokunbo Abiru honored the VP’s invitation while Lagos Central Senator and wife of APC national leader, Oluremi Tinubu was conspicuously absent.
The dinner which took place on Tuesday, April 12, was hosted with the intention of wooing the senators to support his presidential ambition.
Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, led the senators to the meeting.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Lawan said: “We had Iftar dinner with His Excellency, the Vice President and thereafter we had brief interaction on our Government and of course on the Vice President’s declaration to run for the presidency of our great country, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Maturally, the Vice President told us that he has expressed his interest and that he wanted to consult with the Senate APC caucus.
“He wanted us to hear from his mouth and we did and he was seeking our support in whatever way we can at the appropriate time and we wish the Vice President goodluck in this endeavour.
“But let me assure everyone that the Senate APC caucus and indeed the National Assembly caucus of the APC will continue to work very hard for our great party, the APC, to continue to provide services to Nigerians and also work hard to ensure that by 2023, the next administration is an APC administration at the center and majority of the States in our country, by the Grace of God will be APC.”
The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has asked Nigerians to ignore one Olugbenga Olaoye, Co-Convener, ‘Osinbajo Think Thank’ over his comments during an interview.
Olugbenga while reacting to the presidential ambition of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu in an interview with Arise TV said Nigerians do not want another sick president who would be embarking on foreign medical trips.
He said Nigeria needs a capable person like the Vice President who formally declared on Monday to run for the top political office in the 2023 elections.
Osinbajo while reacting to the comment through his spokesman, Laolu Akande, said Olugbenga does not represent the office of the VP and should be ignored.
In a tweet on his official Twitter page, Akande claimed that he is not aware of the Osinbajo Think Tank group
The tweet reads, “Indeed this gentleman does not represent the VP nor the Office. His views are completely & totally his own. This particular opinion he has expressed on TV is deplorable and in bad taste. I am not even aware of the so-called Osinbajo Think Tank he purports to represent. Pls IGNORE”
2023: Community Leaders, APC Chieftains Endorse Speaker Obasa
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa, on Sunday evening got the endorsements of respected leaders of the State from Agege and Orile-Agege for a return to the House.
The leaders all agreed that the Speaker has an unbeatable chance of winning if he vied for a seat in the Senate ahead of the 2023 election, but said their appeal for his return to the House of Assembly was in the interest of the entire Agege people and Lagos state, which he has made better through effective legislations and related activities.
At an Iftar programme that inadvertently provided an opportunity for the leaders to speak about Obasa’s achievements so far, the leaders said the Speaker had become a pride, not only to Agege, but to Lagos State.
At least 80 leaders, political appointees and chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including Dr. Babatunde Adejare of the House of Representatives; Wale Ahmed, Lagos Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Afolabi Ayantayo, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Parastatals Monitoring Office; and Oba Ambaliu Hakeem Agbedeyi, the Alaige of Orile Agege supported that the Speaker return to the House.
Some of the others who gave their support included Chief Safari Adaranijo, APC Apex Leader in Agege; Gani Owolabi Dada, leader; Elder Rotimi Adesina; Olaniyi Salau Ojo APC chairman in Orile-Agege, Alhaji Tunde Azeez; APC chairman in Agege; former and current local government council chairmen; vice chairmen; councillors; supervisory councillors and Special Advisers of the two council chairmen.
While urging that the Speaker be asked to return to the House, Adejare said Agege is now noted for good road networks with the help of Obasa.
“Days ago, during the 80th birthday of Ebenezer Obey, a visiting Senator was marvelled that Agege now has very good roads. I told him not to forget that we have the Speaker of Lagos here,” he said while praying for more wisdom for Obasa in his leadership position.
Wale Ahmed who said he expects Obasa to be unopposed, added: “My prayer is that after the elections next year, we would all gather here to celebrate again.”
Oba Agbedeyi, while thanking Obasa for positively making Agege a place to reckon with, urged the Speaker to return so as to bring more developments to the area.
Mr. Johnson Sunday Babatunde, chairman of Orile-Agege LCDA, who led the conversation, warned that Agege must not lose all that it had gained through Speaker Obasa. Rather, he said, the area should experience more dividends of democracy.
“A lot of people from Agege have been employed because of Obasa. A lot of infrastructure have come to us because of Obasa. There should be no vacancy in Agege Constituency 1,” he said.
He noted that one way Agege can appreciate Obasa’s love for the area is to ask him to return and work for him to occupy the position again.
Supporting the collective decision by the leaders, Ganiyu Egunjobi, chairman of Agege local government council, said the Speaker had brought glory to Agege and that he should be encouraged to return to the House unopposed.
Earlier, the Islamic clergy at the Iftar, Chief Imam Quadri Abdul Ganiu Ayorinde, harped on love and the importance of Ramadan.
He prayed for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the APC, and Obasa and described those who invite Muslim faithful to break fast with them as blessed.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has pledged to tackle festering insecurity and poverty bedeviling the country if elected as president of Nigeria in 2023.
He made the pledge while addressing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) delegates on Monday in Maiduguri.
Wike, who expressed confidence that the PDP would win the presidency in the next election, said that the APC has failed in tackling insecurity and economic security.
He lamented that people can no longer go to their farmlands or go about their legitimate businesses due to the insecurity.
“I came here today because there is a problem. And the problem is that Nigeria is dying and we must not allow Nigeria to die. We must rescue this country.
“So I came as a Nigerian, as a Member of People’s Democratic Party. As a party, I have never left from 1998 till now. As a party I have worked for and I will continue to work for, and I believe that Nigeria has hope. So I want to run for the presidency of this country under the PDP.
“As a country, we do not have any other country to run to. So I am here to offer myself to solve most of the problems that this APC administration could not solve.
“Before we were only hearing of insecurity in Borno state, but now it is all over the country. Hunger doesn’t know Muslims or Christians; insecurity does not know North or South.
“We need somebody who has the courage to fight insecurity in this country and I want to tell you that I have that courage. Every day is one excuse or the other. People can no longer go to their farms and you are talking about investing in agriculture.
“I want you to give me the ticket so that I can fly the flag of PDP to take over the power from APC,” said Wike.
Responding, the state PDP Chairman, Alhaji Zanna Gaddama, noted that Wike’s consultative visit to Borno was to actualise his presidential aspiration.
According to him, Wike challenges the ruling APC on every national issue that affects the people across the country.
“You should support him to get the PDP presidential ticket,” he urged, adding that Rivers is the most secured state.
Former Presidential Media aide, Reno Omokri has reacted to Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo’s declaration to run for President in 2023.
Omokri, in a tweet on Monday, shortly after Osinbajo’s live declaration broadcast on Channels TV, expressed surprise at the VP’s move adding that he has ‘backstabbed’ his benefactor and now fellow 2023 Presidential aspirant, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It’s common knowledge that Osinbajo was brought into power by the former Lagos Governor and APC national leader. Omokri tweeted that if Osinbajo could do that to Tinubu, who is his former boss, he would do same to President Buhari.
“Wow! So, Osinbajo is declaring? If Osinbajo can stab Tinubu, who God used to make him what he is, in the back, then Buhari better hope he never becomes President.”
“Backstabbing is a habit. If Osinbajo can backstab Tinubu, he can definitely backstab Buhari after 2023!”
Osinbajo called on Nigerians to support his ambition adding that he will build on President Buhari’s legacy.
President Yemi Osinbajo has declared his intention to run for President in 2023.
“In the past seven years, I have served as Vice President under a true Nigerian patriot, a servant of the nation in war and peace, and a man of integrity, President Muhammadu Buhari. We have, together, worked through some of the most difficult times in the history of our Nation, but we have remained focused on securing the country, providing infrastructure and growing our economy. As stipulated by the Nigerian Constitution, our tenure will end next year.”
“In this period of seven years, I have served the government in several capacities, and have, at the direction of Mr. President, represented our country in sensitive high level international engagements. I have been to practically all local governments in Nigeria. I have been in markets, factories, schools, and farms. I have
been in agricultural, mining and oil producing communities; in the Delta, in Kebbi, Enugu, Borno; Rivers, Plateau and Ondo; & in all other States of the federation, listening to the diverse experiences and yearnings of our people.”
“I have visited our gallant troops in the North East and our brothers and sisters in the IDP camps. I have felt the pain and anguish of victims in violent conflicts, terrorist attacks, flooding, fire and other disasters. I have been in the homes of many ordinary Nigerians in various parts of the country. I have sat with our techprenuers in Lagos Edo, and Kaduna, with our Nollywood and Kannywood actors; with our musicians, from Lagos, Onitsha, and Kano. And I have spoken to small and large businesses.”
“I stood where they stood and sat where they sat. I know their hopes, aspirations and fears; and I believe that in those hopes and aspirations are the seeds for the great Nigeria that we all desire.”
“I believe that the very reason why the Almighty God gave me these experiences, these insights, and these opportunities, is that they must be put to the use of our country and it’s great peoples.”
“Which is why I am today, with utmost humility, formally declaring my intention to run for the office of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, on the platform of our great party, the All Progressives Congress. If by the grace of God and the will of the people, I am given the opportunity, then I believe that first, we must complete what we have started, radically transforming our security and intelligence architecture;
“Completing the reform of our justice system focusing on adequate remuneration and welfare of judicial personnel, ensuring justice for all and the observance of rule of law, rapidly advancing our infrastructure development, especially power, roads, railways and broadband connectivity;
*providing an excellent environment for businesses to thrive;/
*Taking the agriculture revolution to the next level especially mechanization and developing the farm to table value chain
*making sure that the government, its agencies and regulators serve the business community;
*creating a tech economy that will provide jobs for millions;
*enhancing our Social Investment Programme to a full scale social welfare scheme;
*completing the promise of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within this decade;
*completing the task of ensuring that all Nigerians, male and female, attend school;
*reforming our educational system for relevance to the challenges of this century;
*completing the task of universal health coverage for all ; and
*strengthening the capacity of States and Local Governments to deliver on their respective mandates.
Above all, front and Centre of our efforts will be the provision of jobs and opportunities for our young people
I now most solemnly and respectfully seek the support of fellow Nigerians everywhere in this land, and the diaspora, young and old, male and female, in the great and exciting journey that we have ahead of us.
We will, working together, establish by the grace of God, the Nigeria of our dreams in a few short years. We will build on the foundation laid by our predecessors.
“We will need to move, with much speed, intentionality, and perseverance, towards the vision of a prosperous, stable, and secure nation. I am convinced beyond doubt that we have the creativity, the courage, the talent, and the resources to be the foremost black nation on earth. Let us now birth the expectations of greatness conceived generations before us.
“Let us build a Nigeria where the man from Nnewi sees the man in Gusau as his brother, where the woman in Warri sees the woman in Jalingo as her sister, where the love of our nation burns alike in the hearts of boys and girls from Gboko to Yenogoa. Where everywhere in this land is home for everyone , where our diversities, tribes and faiths unite, rather than divide us.”
“Let our tribes become one tribe; the Nigerian tribe, where all are treated fairly, justly and with respect. Where all are given equal access to the abundant opportunities that God has bestowed on this nation.”
