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Obi Extols Obasanjo’s Uncommon Statesmanship At 86, Celebrates Pastor Adeboye at 81

By
The Source
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Olusegun Obasanjo and Peter Obi

The Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, has described the former Nigeria President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as a model statesman whose love for service to humanity is legendary and outstanding.

He also applauded the immense contributions of Pastor Enoch Adejare  Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God who clocked 81 years last week.

Obi in a birthday wish to the international elder statesman who turned 86 last Sunday said that Obasanjo has over the years demonstrated his zeal for a united strong country where humanity is accorded its due.

He said that over the years Obasanjo has by his conduct and utterances put himself above the destructive variables of tribe and religion that have kept our nation down.

The LP Standard bear wished for many more fruitful years ahead for the former President whose impact in all spheres of our national life remains remarkable and exceptional.

In congratulating Obasanjo on his birthday anniversary, Obi prayed to God to continue to grant the octogenarian, good health of mind and body to enable him to continue his fatherly role to the county.

“I joined millions of people all over the world to celebrate the birthday of this great man of God, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

“Daddy you have continued to give so much of yourself in the service that we celebrate you every day. Thank you for touching our lives and for your great work and evangelization ministry.

“I wish you many happy returns on your special day and every blessed day.  God bless you.

The LP flag bearer prayed to the almighty to continue to bless and grant Pastor Adebayo many more fruitful years of good health and sound minds for the service of the lord and humanity.

Lagos Guber: Jandor Acknowledges Igbo Contribution To Lagos Prosperity

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governorship Candidate in Lagos, Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has showered encomiums on the Igbo for their immense contribution to the development of Lagos State.

He added that for those inestimable contributions, the Igbo people in the State deserve respect and protection.

The PDP Candidate alongside his running mate, Funke Akindele, and other PDP leaders, made the remark at a town hall meeting with an Igbo group, Ndigbo Na Lagos Bu Otu, in Surulere on Sunday.

“Everytime I have the opportunity to speak with our brothers and sisters of Igbo extraction in Lagos, I always remember to express our appreciation.

“Appreciation of Lagosians of the first order who understand that all Igbo people in Lagos are one of those who have contributed immensely to our prosperity in Lagos State.

“Your investments in our major markets in Aspanda, Ladipo, Trade Fair, Alaba International Market and every Igbo dominated market contributes immensely to the status of Lagos being the richest State in Nigeria today.

“It behoves every sensible owner of the Lagos to protect and respect those who have come to add to the prosperity but unfortunately what we have in Lagos today is not like that,” he said.

According to Adediran, if elected, he would not treat the Igbo and other ethnic nationalities disrespectfully but protect them and create an enabling environment for their businesses to thrive.

He said that he would end all harassments, intimidation and exploitations in the State.

Adediran, who expressed confidence in winning the Governorship election on March 11, urged the people to troop out en mass,e without fear of intimidation to vote for him.

“You don’t have problem in me. I will continue to fight for you,” he said.

In the same vein, the actress turn politician, Akindele, commended the Igbo for identifying and standing behind the PDP candidate.

Expressing confidence that PDP would win the election, Akindele urged the group to work harder and influence others around them to vote Adediran.

“Jandor is a man of action, with him on the seat as governor and you will see a change in the state.

“Lagos is for you – be it Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa and whatever the tribe. We are ready to bring in that change. We will not disappoint you,” Akindele said.

She urged the NdIgbo to come out to vote, prevent all forms of rigging and protect their votes.

In his remarks, the President of the group, Chief Ernest Chukwujekwu (Nkenke enyi) described Adediran as their own brother because he had been identifying with the cause of NdIgbo in the state.

“Some of us worked for Peter Obi in the February 25 Presidential election because we knew his capabilities, and that has gone.

“For now, we need another capable hand in Lagos. We need a hand that can support our businesses.

“Many of us are suffering today because of the problems we have at our business places. We have made up our mind to support our brother, Jandor,” Chukwujekwu said.

Saturday’s Poll: South West APC Drums Support For Candidates

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

The South West zone of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), has said that Saturday’s governorship and house of assembly election should be another yardstick to prove that Bola Tinubu, the president elect, has home support.

National vice chairman of the party in the zone, Isaacs Kekemeke has therefore appealed to the people of Southwest geo-political zone not to relent until the emergence of governors and State House of Assembly members on the party’s ticket during the March 11, 2023 elections.

The ruling party specifically urged the people of Ogun, Lagos and Oyo states where governorship election will take place, to vote massively for the APC during the polls, while electorate in Ondo, Ekiti and Osun States should support APC assembly candidates.

Kekemeke, in a Press Statement issued on Monday in Akure, the Ondo State Capital, was of the view that the feat is achievable going by the outcome of last election.

The APC Chieftain, who expressed appreciation to Nigerians from across all zones for supporting the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to clinch the presidential seat, charged the Southwest people to extend the love they have been showing the President-elect, to the party’s candidates in the March 11 governorship and Assembly polls.

Kekemeke noted that the Southwest people would fully benefit from Asiwaju Tinubu’s presidency when they use their votes to install APC governors and state lawmakers in their respective states.

He expressed confidence in the ability and willingness of the President-elect to change the narration and reduce current hardship in the country as a result of naira scarcity.

The APC chieftain also called on the Independent Electoral Commission, (INEC), to create level playing field for candidates in the election as it was done during the February 25 presidential election.

He expressed optimism that the APC would also come out top during this Saturday’s polls, and challenged members of the party to sustain the momentum and canvass for votes from eligible voters to ensure victory of party’s candidates.

CBN Anchor Borrowers Loan Stands At N1.079 Trillion, With Over Four Million Beneficiaries

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)  has released N1.079 trillion under the Anchor Borrowers Programme, (ABP) since the programme commenced eight years ago.

The ABP is one of the steps being taken by the present administration to boost food production and assist small scale farmers.

Acting director, corporate communications of the CBN, Abdulmumin Isa, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Monday also revealed that out of amount, N960 biillion is due for repayment.

He explained that repayment of loans under the ABP stood at N503 billion, representing 52.39 per cent, till date.

Isa stated that the apex bank remained committed to its developmental mandate of stimulating access to finance for the real sector.

He said that the ABP had supported about 4.57 million smallholder farmers who cultivated over 6.02 million hectares of 21 commodities across the country.

Isa listed the commodities as rice, wheat, cowpea, millet, maize, cotton, fish, soya bean, poultry, cassava, groundnut, ginger, sorghum, oil palm, cocoa, sesame, tomato, castor seed, yellow pepper, onions, and cattle/dairy.

He explained that the ABP had contributed significantly to the increased national output of focal commodities, with maize and rice peaking at 12.2 and 9.0 million metric tonnes in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

According to him, the programme has also helped to improve the national average yield per hectare of the commodities, with productivity per hectare almost doubling within the eight years of the programme’s implementation.

The acting director, disclosed that repayments under the ABP have been made through cash or produce by the beneficiaries.

“The outstanding due balance on loans was still under moratorium due to the COVID-19 forbearance granted to beneficiaries of the apex bank’s interventions in March 2020 and extended to Feb. 28, 2022.

“It is pertinent to note that the tenor of loans under the ABP is based on the commodity gestation period.”

Oyo Guber: Makinde Faces Battle Of His Life; Aides Angry With Him

By
James Orji
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Governor Seyi Makinde’s inner caucus is not happy with him just a few days before the critical governorship election.

For instance, one of the aides of the billionare governor was only short of cursing him last week while speaking on the chances of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the governorship election coming up this weekend.

The aide said the governor has put the party in a very precarious situation, and should be blamed if the PDP did not return to power.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has fixed the governorship election across the country for this weekend, bearing any last change in its plan.

But the March 11, 2023 election in the Pacesetters state, as the state is widely known appears to have become a nightmare for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who has ruled the state for four years ad is now at the verge of losing it.

According to those watching the state, the outcome of the February 25 presidential and National Assembly election in which the party performed woefully, has presented a very dicey situation in the quest for the PDP to continue to rule the state.

The PDP plans to return Makinde to the Agodi Government House in a few days, but the reality on the ground poses a big challenge to the incumbent re-election bid.

For instance, the PDP lost the three senatorial seats to the rival All Progressives Congress, APC, two weeks ago apart from the House of Representatives seats that have now been largely won by the opposition.

Since the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led announced the results which obviously did not favour the party, not a few members of the PDP in the state, essentially some government officials have blamed the governor for his party’s woeful performance.

Citing the governor’s alliance with the PDP G5 governors who declined to support Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate in the just concluded presidential election, those close to the state’s helmsman said the governor refused to listen to his advisers who warned him against working against the party in the presidential election.

Recall that Makinde is one of the PDP governors led by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, who rebelled against the party over the emergence of Atiku as the party flagbearer, and went ahead to work against him in the election that produced Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC as president-elect.

The outcome of the presidential election, not a few in the state said has now put the party in a serious dilemma of how to win the governorship election in a few days.

It has also divided Governor Makinde’s cabinet, many of whom believe that PDP has been will struggle to win the governorship election. If it manages to win.

“Seyi has boxed the party into a corner by towing an unpopular path. The opposition has now capitalized on that to relaunch themselves into reckoning due to what I can describe as the governor’s indiscretion,” a source close to the governor said on Monday.

The incumbent is contesting with Senator Teslim Folarin of the APC and Adebayo Adelabu of the Social Democratic Party, PDP, who are considered strong opponents in their own right.

Folarin, a former Senate Leader is a serial governorship contender who has vowed this time to win, citing the groundswell of support the APC received in the last presidential and National Assembly election.

Adelabu, who last week debunked the suggestion that he has stepped down from the race, and is in it to win, is a former Central Bank Deputy Governor who lost narrowly to Makinde in 2019.

A visibly angry source in the party said the leaders of the party were already having a problem with the governor over his choice of appointments and financial provisions for the party, saying the G5 Governors only made the problem in the state PDP worse.

“Many state contracts were awarded to outsiders who did not work for the party’s victory in 2019 under the guise of ‘concession or outsourcing’, while sensitive and lucrative appointments were awarded to individuals considered as ‘technocrats’ by the governor,’ the source said.

The source cited the appointment of Olubamiwo Adeosun as Secretary to the State Government, SSG, even though she was not a member of the party.

Makinde, after winning the election four years ago named her the state’s government scribe, poaching her from an oil company, SPDC where she previously worked.

The larger-than-life influence of some non-indigenes in the governor’s kitchen cabinet’ has also not failed to rile some of his close advisers who insist that they are not benefitting much from the government they helped to bring into power.

“The tide in the Saturday election can only turn in his favour if he corrects these mistakes. We need to be empowered as foot soldiers at the grassroots,” another source said.

In spite of the seeming threat posed to Governor Makinde’s second-term ambition, not a few insist that he has performed beyond expectations in terms of project delivery to the people of the state.

Close watchers of the politics of the state insist that it remains to be seen whether this will work in his favour in the make or mar election.

Tinubu: Kalu Eyes Senate Presidency

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Following the declaration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the February 25 Presidential Election, focus has shifted to how the ruling party will share powers among contending interests in the country.

The former Lagos State Governor was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, after beating close runners-up Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP.

Baring any Court orders, Tinubu will be Commander-in-Chief after  President Muhammadu Buhari whose tenure will end. Kashim Shetima will be the Vice President.

The next focus will now be on who the party chooses as the Senate President. As expected, not a few Senators from the APC, including Orji Uzor Kalu, the Magazine learned, are lobbying the powers-that-be in the party to occupy the position.

Instructively, Femi Gbajabiamila, the current Speaker of the House of Representatives, it has been learned, is favoured to return to his position , by those close to Tinubu and members of the party largely from the South West, and the North who cited his performance and popularity among Nigerians. This, however is not possible as the Speaker of the House and the President cannot come from same State, same Zone.

According to the results announced by INEC last week, Kalu, a returning senator won the seat for Abia North, and is expected to be among the 109 senators in the 10th Assembly.

Apart from occupying the position of Senate Chief Whip in the Senate, Kalu, according to checks is the highest ranking senator from the south east, which sources in the party said is favoured to produce the Senate President, according to the power sharing arrangement that has already been drawn by the ruling party.

The former Governor of Abia State, according to information gathered, is highly being favoured to succeed incumbent Ahmad Lawan, who was declared the rightful candidate of Yobe South seantorial district by the Supreme Court barely a week before the February 25 presidential and National Assembly election. He went ahead to win the election for the 6th time  and not being favoured to return to his position as Senate President because the Vice President-elect is, like him, from the North-east Zone.

The party is thinking towards the South-east for two reasons: to get the support of the people of that region who have been crying over marginalisation, and to restore security by building trusts among the Igbo that they are part of Nigeria.”

According to another close source to the President-elect, who said his name should not be mentioned because he is not authorised to speak for the party, Tinubu “wants to build a broad based government” that carries everybody in the country along.

Another source also confided in the magazine that Kalu “came into the mix because of the unflinching support he gave Tinubu following his emergence as APC Presidential candidate, citing for instance that the former Abia helmsman even “took Tinubu to his mother as a way of building trust that his family is solidly behind his presidential ambition.”

Analysts insist that it will not be impossible for Kalu to have a smooth sail in his quest to become the Senate President, except the power brokers decide to abandon their support for him in a last minute change of mind.

For instance , they cited precedence which favours Kalu. Apart from this, they insist that as a ranking Senator, the former Governor has a good chance to clinch the position of the third most powerful government official in the counnty.

Citing precedence, those that favour Kalu said the position was occupied by Evan Ewerem and Adolphus Wabara, both from the South east during the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo. They expect the power sharing arrangement in the APC to follow the same trajectory when Tinubu, from the South West becomes President.

Those in the school of thought also opined that the ruling party will try to avoid a repeat of what happened in the Eight Senate when crisis in the party lead to the emergence of Bukola Saraki as Senate President despite opposition from his Party.

“The party is trying to ensure that its house is put in order before the inauguration of the new National Assembly to avoid the pitfalls of the past, a source in the party who spoke on Monday said, adding that “the Chief Whip as a ranking Senator from the South-east, I think, should be given the first choice of refusal.”

In his congratulatory message to Tinubu last week, Kalu said Tinubu has the mandate of a wide spectrum of Nigerians to rule.

He said, “I congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari, President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the entire All Progressives Congress (APC) family and Nigerians in general on the outcome of the presidential election.

“Tinubu’s victory in the poll is a testimony to his general acceptability across board.

“The President- elect no doubt will take Nigeria to greater heights in view of his intellectual capacity and political sagacity.

“I am optimistic that the President-elect will run an all inclusive and participatory government for the sake of national cohesion.

“Nigerians will not be disappointed in Tinubu’s leadership”.

The former Abia Governor was among the candidates that initially declared interest in the Presidency but later made a U-turn to support Lawan who later lost the APC presidential ticket to Tinubu.

Not a few insist that Nigerians should expect a serious clash among APC Senators who want to become Senate President by the time the National Assembly is inaugurated in June.

Meanwhile,  the Senate Chief Whip  has yet to openly declare his interest in the position, even though those  close to him informed the magazine that he has his eyes on the top job.

Gov Election: INEC Mulls Postponement Over BIVAS

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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The postponement of the March 11, 2023 governorship election will become inevitable except the Court of Appeal grants the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC permission to reconfigure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BIVAS.

This is the position of the Prof. Mahmood Yakub-led INEC barely five days into the election, the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN said.

The electoral umpire said it is prepared for the governorship and state houses of Assembly elections in at least 30 states across the country

But there is a snag. The court must make a pronouncement for the BIVAS, used in the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections, to be reconfigured so that they can be used for the election this weekend.

INEC, according to sources has gone to the Court of Appeal to vacate a court order secured by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP last week to restrain the commission from tampering with the materials used during the presidential election, for which Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC has now been declared the winner.

Information embedded in the BVAS machines must not be tampered with until the due inspection was conducted and certified true copies of them issued the court said.

Sources in the Commission disclosed on Sunday that the order will prevent it from conducting the election except it is vacated by a higher court.

The source, who requested anonymity, said INEC would require sufficient time to reconfigure the BVAS needed to conduct the elections that would take place on Saturday.

“The commission’s legal department is actually preparing an application to be filled in the court on Monday to seek an order for it to reconfigure its BVAS for Saturday governorship and state houses of assembly elections,” the source said.

The source further stated that considering the number of BVAS required to conduct the election across states, INEC needed to reconfigure the BVAS used for the March 25 elections and deploy them to polling units for the upcoming election.

Another source in the Commission added that INEC technical team have to be deployed on time to commence the re-configuration of the device, which has to be done one by one.

Therefore, the order was important if the Saturday governorship and state parliamentary elections must hold as scheduled, otherwise the postponement of the election became inevitable.

On Friday, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal granted leave to the presidential candidates of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and his Peoples Democratic Party counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, to have access to all the sensitive materials used by INEC for the conduct of the February 25 presidential election.

A panel of the appellate court led by Justice Joseph Ikyegh made the order after it heard two separate ex parte applications the two aggrieved presidential candidates filed alongside their political parties.

The presidential election has been widely disputed by the PDP and Labour Party, LP candidates who claimed that it was flawed, citing for instance, the refusal of the Commission to upload the results on its platform as required by the Electoral Act.

Meanwhile, the PDP said it is going ahead with its planned protest on Monday against the announcement of Tinubu as the winner of the now contested election.

Orji Kalu Could Be Next Senate President – APC Sources; Izunaso On Standby

By
Adesina Soyooye
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By Adesina Soyooye

If fillers from the National Leadership of the  ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is anything to by, the current Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, could become the next Senate President.

As the APC’s Presidential Candidate, Bola Tinubu, has been declared the President-elect, the Party is trying to balance high-profile offices among the six geopolitical Zones of the Country

Tinubu is from the South-west, while his Deputy, Kashim Shettima is from the North-east.

Sources from the Party told this magazine that the Party would Zone the office of the Senate President to the South-east. If it is zoned to the Zone, it means the highest ranking Senator from there would get it. Currently, Kalu the Senate Chief Whip, is the highest ranking Senator from the Zone.

As the Chief Whip, he is number four in the Senate hierarchy behind  the Senate President, Deputy Senate President and the Majority Leader.

With the APC winning the most seats in the Senate, it is taken for granted that it would produce the Senate President which is currently occupied by Senator Ahmed Lawan, PhD. Ahmed is from the same Zone as Vice President-elect, Senator Shettima.

Since first timers hardly occupy the office of the Senate President, and other APC Senators from the South-east are first-timers, the other Senator-elect who could compete with Orji for the office, if indeed it is zoned to the South-east, is Senator Osita Izunaso.

Izunaso was first elected to the Senate in 2007 to represent Imo West, under the Peoples Democratic Party’s Government. But he was defeated after serving one term, and had been trying since that loss to get back to the Senate. Now, in the APC, after decamping from the PDP, and serving as APC’s Organising Secretary, he got lucky on February 25, 2023, when he won back the Senate seat.

Being his second time in the Senate, Izunaso cannot quite be regarded as a green horn in the National Assembly.

In 2022, Orji Kalu had declared interest in running for the office of the President of the Federal Republic, but later withdrew, long before the Primary, and picked the Senatorial election form. Thereafter, he gave his full support to the Presidential ambition of Lawan, and transferred same to Tinubu when he won the Primaries.

In 1999, the Senate President was zoned to the South-east. But it became a shame when one after the other they were impeached. The office went round the five States of the South-east  States – Dr Chuba Okadigbo, Evan Enwerem, Adolphus Wabara, Anyim Pius Anyim, Ken Nnamani.

Crisis In Labour Party Over Endorsement Of Governor Makinde For Re-Election

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

The Labour Party, LP, in Oyo State is presently polarized following the endorsement of Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, by a faction in the Party.

Chairman of the Labour Party in the state, Sadiq Atayese, had endorsed Makinde during a news conference at the party office, Molete, Ibadan on Sunday.

Atayese had said that Governor Makinde was endorsed due to the similarity of ideology, competence, compassion for the masses and numerous achievements of the Governor in many sectors.

But this did not augur well with the governorship candidate of the LP in the State, Tawfiq Akinwale, who  said he remained the candidate of party.

He stated that he was not in the know of the endorsement of Makinde.

“I remain the candidate of the Labour Party for March 11, 2023 (elections) and my party has never changed that status quo. I do not know anything about the purported adoption. Is he an orphan? By the grace of Almighty God, I am a winner already!” Akinwale said in response to a text message sent by our correspondent.

Also, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in the State, Akin Akinwale, in reaction on Twitter said it was the “hungry faction” of the LP that endorsed Makinde.

“After all my Uncle did for your party in Oyo State. Anyway, it is the hungry faction of Oyo LP that endorsed Seyi Makinde,” he tweeted.

During the endorsement of Makinde by the Atayese led LP in the State, he said,  “The last Presidential election was keenly contested by the three major parties in the country and the result of the election as announced by INEC shows that Labour Party is a force to reckon with.

“The result of the Presidential election in Oyo State is similar to that. While the result of the election in its entirety is still a subject of contention, the take-home of the election is that a third force party that emerged barely a year ago has grown to become a strong force because of the quality of its candidate.

“Having considered this, in the upcoming election in our dear state, we have decided to support a candidate with the character, competence, and capacity to lead and who is also concerned about the wellbeing of the citizens as it is obvious that no party can win the governorship election alone.

“However, the main priority should be that the citizens win through the emergence of a candidate that best serves their interest.

“Based on this, we have decided to work with the Party whose candidate aligns with ours in terms of security, agricultural development, and financial well-being. And it is obvious that the current administration of Seyi Makinde has done this.

“And we hereby call on all citizens of Oyo State to vote for him. This decision was taken with serious consideration for the party’s future in the state.”

He added that the Party structure in the State remained intact as its Assembly candidates across the State were still in the race.

Uzodimma To Imo People: Don’t Be Discouraged, Come Out Saturday And Vote

By
The Source
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0
Hope Uzodimma

The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma has told Imo people not to be discouraged by the outcome of the recently held presidential and national assembly elections, urging them to come out on Saturday, March 11, 2023 to vote in the governorship and state assembly elections.

Uzodimma made the appeal on Sunday, March 5, 2023 after Mass at the Government House Chapel, Owerri while addressing the congregation.

The Governor enjoined Imo people to be more realistic in their decisions, noting that “Nigeria is a National project and there is every need to be part of the Federation.”

He reminded Imo people once more  that “government is about the people” hence they should not be discouraged because their preferred Presidential candidate or any other candidate for that matter did not win the last election.

” You should see reasons to come out and vote on Saturday.”

Turning to his Party, Governor Uzodimma promised to do his best to ensure that the APC wins the election on Saturday, even as he advised Party members to devote time to organize the LGAs for the the task ahead.

The Governor used the opportunity to thank all those who participated in the February 25, 2023 election as well as those who did not participate, and proceeded to congratulate all those who won.

On the inconclusive polls, he sought for God’s intervention.

Uzodimma however bemoaned a situation where some Party faithful who were given responsibilities sat on the fence and described the act as sabotage

“There is nothing to gain by sabotaging the system already put in place for success of a programme.”

He said that those who withheld resources mapped out for elections or went to a corner to hide showed the highest level of sabotage and appealed to all not to sabotage themselves, because “both God and government see such bad behaviour.”

He thanked the Clergy for their fervent prayers that made it possible for people to come out and vote and urged them not to relent “because it is not over until it is over.”

Present at the Mass were the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prof Placid Njoku, the Speaker Imo State House of Assembly, Barr Emeka Nduka and his wife, some members of the State Executive Council, some traditional rulers, business man and APC chieftain, Chief Tony Chukwu among others.

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