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Breaking: Obi Challenges Tinubu To Name His Classmates, Says Odili Was His Football Captain

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Peter Obi has taken a swipe at Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, saying the former Lagos Governor has failed to name his school mates.

The comment is the latest in the efforts of the 2023 presidential candidates to outwith themselves ahead the critical election.

Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, disclosed this in Port Harcourt on Thursday while commsioning a flyover in the state.


The LP candidate is said to be among the front runners in the 2023 presidential election.
The former Anambra state governor spoke few days after an Abuja based lawyer Mike Enahoro-Ebah, sued Tinubu, for perjuring in the documents he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.


The lawyer had filed a suit at a magistrate court in Abuja, claiming that there are discrepancies in the documents the APC presidential hopeful submitted to the Electoral umpire, that he attended Government College, Lagos and Chicago University, the United States of America, USA.
The former Lagos governor had once said that he attended Government College, Ibadan but the alumni of the school has denied knowing him.


In what was intended to attack Tinubu on Thursday, Obi said he attended the same school with a former govrnor of Rivers state, Sir Peter Odili. Going back in time, the LP candidate said Odili was his football team captain while they were in secondary school.


Unfortunately he said, “some people cannot name their secondary school mates” and they want to lead the country.


Obi said whoever wants to be president and Commander-in-Chief must have integrity.

Recall that Tinubu had promised to send Obi back to his state by wining the election next year during a campaign rally in Plateau state. He said the LP candidate does not know his way back home.

2023: Why I Rejected A Christian Running Mate – Tinubu

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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The Presidential Candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC,  has disclosed that the selection of Senator Kashim Shettima as his tuning mate was the most difficult decision he had to make.

The APC Presidential hopeful has come under fire for picking the former Governor of Borno State as his running mate. Both politicians are Muslims, and Shettima’s pick has drawn the anger of Christians in the Country under the aegis of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN. The Association directed its members not to vote APC in the 2023 election due to its same faith ticket.

The major fear among not a few Nigerians is that APC’s same faith ticket will furher polarise the country along religious lines. The country has never been ruled by people of same religion since it returned to  democracy in 1999.

But during his meeting with CAN leaders on Wednesday, Tinubu said picking a Christian to run with him would have been the easiest thing for him to do, but added  that his decision to choose Shettima was based on his capacity to help him govern the county if he wins the Presidency next year.

The APC Presidential Candidate said he also chose the former Governor because of his antecedents in Borno State, revealing that Shettima did not,as a Governor, take sides when dealing in, or  with religious issues.

The former Lagos Governor, also, dispelled the rumour that his party plans to Islamise the country if they win the Presidency in 2023.

His wife, Remi, and his children are all Christians and they go to Church on Sundays,he said, living him behind at home. If he cannot convert his family to his faith, the APC Presidential hopeful said, he has no plans to Islamise the country.

Tinubu said: “I seek to become Nigerian President not on religious grounds but on the Constitution. Thanks to the body for the invitation to candidates to speak of their plans for the nation,” he said.

“I believe in the need for a secular Government and for us to work in the interest of the country just as I did in Lagos State by returning the Missionary Schools to the rightful owners.

“I never chased people out of Lagos. My choice of Shettima is borne out of the urgent need to address the challenges facing the country as Shettima possesses strong leadership abilities which he exhibited when he was the Governor of Borno State. I wanted a progressive Government that was why I selected Shettima.

“Choosing a Christian running mate would have been easy but that is not the case. We have urgent challenges that do not depend on religious leanings but on the best of hands that can address it.”

Tinubu In Imo, Speaks To Private Sector, Other Stakeholders, Thursday – Uzodinma 

By
The Source
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Bola Tinubu
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will, Thursday, be in Owerri  the Imo State capital, to speak to an audience  of private sector drivers, comprising investors,  manufacturers, traders among others, preparatory to his main campaign in the State in the coming days.

Governor Hope Uzodimma made the disclosure, Wednesday, while speaking with the media on arrival at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, from the APC Presidential Campaign flag-off in Jos Plateau State, Tuesday.

The Governor who is also the APC Coordinator for South East Presidential Campaign Council had reiterated his call on the Igbo in Jos to be part of the government of Nigeria at the centre by keying into the agenda of the APC which he said is already a success story in Imo.

“The only way to be part of Nigeria is being part of the government at the centre and the government at the centre is controlled by APC,” he maintained.

Governor Uzodimma said that he has not seen any calculation in the population of over 200 million people in Nigeria that will “whisk-off APC,” noting that “in Imo State there are things to show why all and sundry should encourage APC.”

“And you don’t change the winning team as APC is wining in Imo State and other States of the Federation so it should continue,” he insists.

Earlier, the Governor had described the APC outing in Jos as “a welcome development that recorded a very huge success where the national leadership of APC, starting with President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, all the progressives Governors and all national leaders were present.”

He said “the flag-off is a symbolic event because it now encourages other States to replicate what happened in Jos in their States.”

Furthermore, Governor Uzodimma explained that Imo State will tomorrow, Thursday, November 17, 2022 hold a town hall meeting where Tinubu will be present to “speak to the private sector, listen to them, hear some of the challenges they have been confronted with in the course of doing their businesses and see whether they are provided in his manifesto and if not, make the final amendment to the manifesto.”

The Governor also said tentatively on Monday,  November 21, 2022, APC will be holding a State campaign rally similar to what happened in Jos on Tuesday where all members of the Party in Imo State will come out to receive the presidential candidate of APC who will also speak to the larger audience at the venue.

He therefore encouraged all APC members to be part of the above programmes.

Sad: General Ogbole James Crushed To Death In Lagos By A Drunk Corporal

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Brigadier-General Audu Ogbole James

By Adesina Soyooye

Death couldn’t have been so cheap. So unwarranted. So unexpected.

Brigadier-General Audu Ogbole James had closed from work for the day. He was the Director of Finance at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, NAFRS, Oshodi, Lagos.

He was walking back to his house within the NAFRS,  when an Army Corporal, driving an SUV, crushed him to death. The SUV’s number plate is EKY 177 FX. It is not known yet who owns the SUV.

The soldier, Cpl Abayomi Edun, was allegedly driving under the influence. He was, said reports, drunk at the time of the accident.

A Medical Doctor at the NAFRS, confirmed the General dead when he was rushed to the clinic.

His colleagues are inconsolable. They describe him as a fine officer.

His classmates at the National Institute fir Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, say they are devastated.

In a statement, signed by ACM Kayode Olagunji, they said: “Our indefatigable, humble, friendly, bridge builder, the Monitor-General, SEC 40 of the National Institute of Policy and  Strategic Studies, Kuru, Brigadier Gen AO James, mni, just departed. He died from injuries sustained in a knock-down on the road yesterday (Tuesday, 15/11/22) evening in Lagos.

“May his soul rest in peace. Our condolences to the family, AANI, especially, the SEC 40. May the Lord console all and grant the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.

General James had  first and second degrees in Accounting and Finance. He was a  Fellow of the Association of National  Accountants, ANAN. He, also, held memberships of the Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM, Nigerian Institute of Directors, MIoD, Chattered Institute of Taxation, ACTI, and the National Institute, mni.

Being a drive and drunk accident, it is not known if Cpl Edun will be charged of manslaughter, only. What is obvious, for now, lawyers say, is that he faces dismissal from the Army and a jail term. Worse, his conscience will hunt him forever over this avoidable tragedy.

Igbo Must Embrace Party At The Centre, Says Uzodimma

By
The Source
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Hope Uzodimma

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has reiterated that the Igbo have a lot to gain by belonging to the party that controls the government at the centre, urging his South East brethren not to miss the opportunity.

Speaking in Jos, the Plateau State capital on Tuesday during the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential campaign, Governor Uzodimma said that “the centre is key to development, peace and unity,” urged the Igbo to embrace the APC.

He said that the Party has so much in stock for the South East zone from the in coming APC-led federal government.

“What is ahead is enormous and golden than what is being got currently,” the Governor told the sea of heads that attended the APC Presidential flag-off that included large numbers of Igbo community resident in Jos and adjoining states that turned up for the event.

Governor Uzodimma spoke in his capacity as the Chairman, APC Presidential Campaign Council for the South East.

Obi: Okupe Lashes Governor Soludo, Says He Is Not Politically Sound

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has come under strong criticisms for talking down on Labour Party, LP, Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi. Soludo said Obi will not win the 2023 Presidential Election.

He went further to shred the former Anambra State Governor that his investments in the State when he was Governor is worthless.

In an article written on Monday titled ‘History Beckons and I Will Not Be Silent (Part 1)’, Soludo said Obi could not win the 2023 presidential election.

Reacting to this, Doyin Okupe, Director-General of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Council, lashed Governor Soludo over his analysis on the chances of  his Principal in the 2023 elections, saying that it made no sense.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television, Okupe said Soludo’s comment on Obi was a joke.

Okupe said it was “ludicrous” for Soludo to say Obi would get 25 per cent of the total votes cast in four states of the federation.

“I’m happy that he (Soludo) conceded that Peter Obi will win Anambra State. That is good news. Where he messed it up completely, and it makes the whole thing looks ludicrous, was when he said Peter Obi will get 25 per cent in maybe four states of the federation. That is a joke.

“Soludo is a professor of economics, not a soothsayer nor prophet. Definitely, he is not too grounded politically. (In) the five states in the South-East, come rain and sunshine, nobody will beat Peter Obi,” the campaign DG said.

Doyin Okupe
Doyin Okupe

Okupe further stressed that Soludo’s comments show that he is speaking from a position of “political delusion”.

“Ordinarily, I won’t join issue with Soludo, but so that people will not get disinformed by his very unsound judgment of the political status of the Labour Party in the Nigerian context, that is the only reason why I will say one or two words.

“He must be living in another planet. I don’t know what is blinding him for him to say that there are only two people in this race — APC and PDP. Even a blind person and a young child of nine years old know that this is absolute fallacy.

“Professor Soludo must be indulging in self-political delusion. Today, 90 per cent of polls done say Peter Obi is well ahead of the other contestants. It is no longer news that it is a three-cornered race.

“Even in the three-cornered race, we are no longer the third force. We have now taken over and bypassed the two establishments and these two are now contesting for second and third positions. Professor Soludo’s pronouncement has nothing to do with reality or common sense,” Okupe added.

2023: INEC Vows To Use Technology For 2023 Election, Says No Going Back

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

Electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has disclosed that its allegiance and loyalty to Nigerians to conduct a free and fair election is sacrosanct as they are not going back on its decision to use technology for the 2023 Elections.

INEC said it is determined to conduct a verifiable election, supported by technology which guarantees transparent accreditation and upload of polling unit results for citizens to view in real-time on election day.

Chairman of the Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, in a statement reiterated that there was no going back on the Commission’s readiness to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal in the 2023 general election.

In the statement titled, ‘A message from the INEC Chairman: 100 days to the 2023 general election’, the INEC Boss stressed that the Commission has made a steady progress in electoral reform and election administration, adding that Nigerians’ confidence in the electoral process was increasing.

The statement reads:  “It is exactly 100 days today before polling units open at 8.30am on Saturday 25th February 2023 for national elections (Presidential and National Assembly) and two weeks later on Saturday 11th March 2023 for State elections (Governorship and State Houses of Assembly).

“Once again, another General Election is upon us, the 7th since the restoration of democracy in Nigeria in 1999. Over the last 23 years, we have made a steady progress in the twin areas of electoral reform and election administration. Although a lot of work still lies ahead, it is generally acknowledged that our elections are getting better and citizens’ confidence in the process is increasing.

“As I have said repeatedly, the Commission’s allegiance is to Nigeria. Our loyalty is to Nigerians who want free, fair, credible and verifiable elections supported by technology, which guarantees transparent accreditation and upload of polling unit results for citizens to view in real-time on Election Day. It is for these reasons that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) were introduced. There is no going back on the deployment of BVAS and IReV for the 2023 General Election.

“Similarly, we will continue with our regular engagement with political parties, civil society organisations, the media and other critical stakeholders. Above all, Nigerians deserve the right to know about the progress we are making and the challenges (if any) we confront in our preparations for the General Election. Accordingly, in a couple of weeks, the Commission will start bi-weekly media briefings followed by weekly briefings as we get closer to the election. In the week leading to the election, there will be daily briefings.

“I seize this opportunity to call on all citizens to participate fully in all electoral activities, particularly the ongoing display of the Register of Voters for claims and objections, as well as collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs). I also call on political parties and political leaders to conduct their campaigns peacefully, eschewing divisiveness, rancour and violence.

“As Nigerians are aware, election is a multi-stakeholder activity. We will continue to play our part diligently and conscientiously. We appeal to all stakeholders and, above all, citizens to play their own part so that working together, we can have the elections that Nigerians yearn for, and which the world expects from us.”

He appealed to political parties and other stakeholders to eschew violence and rancour and conduct their campaigns peacefully, while pledging that INEC would play its part diligently and conscientiously in the elections, and further urged Nigerians to fully participate in all electoral activities, including the ongoing display of the register of voters for claims and objections, as well as collection of permanent voter cards.

Naira Redesign: Senate Backs CBN, Promises Legislative Support

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

There was a botched attempt by the Senate to extend the deadline for the redesign of the Nigerian currency, the Naira, by the Central Bank, (CBN)

Some lawmakers had called for the extension for the use of the present currency till April, 2023, to enable Nigerians make adequate preparations to receive the redesigned notes.

While the lawmakers supported the move to redesign the naira, they however said the deadline of January 31st, 2023 to pay all cash in circulation into banks was too short.

During a debate on a motion sponsored Senator Uba Sani (APC, Kaduna), some lawmakers, including Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, had called for the extension of the deadline to April 30, 2023, saying the deadline was too short.

But Senator Gabriel Suswan (PDP, Benue) disagreed with Kalu and others, saying the CBN Governor does not honour Senate invitations.

He urged his colleagues to ignore the CBN policy and let the country damn the consequences.

Senator Bassey Akpan stressed the need to support the CBN Governor. He said there should be no discussion on the matter.

Suswan and Akpan’s submissions did not go down well with the lawmakers seeking the extension of the deadline, causing the Red Chamber to degenerate into a rowdy.

It took the persistent appeals by Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, who presided over the plenary, to restore normalcy.

Following a motion on the policy by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Senator Sani Uba, the red chamber agreed to give backing to the CBN on the new policy.

They called for aggressive enlightenment on the part of the CBN, especially in the rural areas to ensure that all Nigerians are made aware of the new policy.

The senators insisted that such mass awareness would help Nigerians in the rural areas to comply with the policy so as not to lose their hard earned income.

They also urged the CBN to put measures in place in the face of ubiquitous Financial Technology (FinTech) to ensure that the local populace are able to bank their cash with ease within the stipulated time.

They said such a measure would also ensure the security of the local population who might be waylaid and dispossessed of their cash by criminal elements like bandits and insurgents.

The Senate, after the debate, also resolved to provide legislative support for the CBN on the policy.

Fear Of Invasion: Police Take Over Ekiti Assembly Complex

By
Ayodele Oni
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Ekiti State House of Assembly

By Ayodele Oni

Twenty four hours after the emergence of a new Speaker for the Ekiti state House of Assembly, legislative and administrative duties have been put on hold following closure of the assembly complex.

The assembly complex, inside the new secretariat in Ado Ekiti was occupied on Wednesday by armed policemen.

A law maker representing Ikole, Gboyega Aribisogan was on Tuesday elected as a successor to late Funminiyi Afuye, who died last month.

He had defeated another lawmaker, Mrs Olubunmi Adelugba from Emure Ekiti who scored 20 votes as against 15 garnered by her opponent.

There were insinuations that the defeated lawmaker had the firm backing of the immediate former Governor Kayode Fayemi, while the new Speaker, received favour from Governor Biodun Oyebanji.

It was gathered that administrative staff that resumed for duties on Wednesday were asked to vacate the assembly premises for security reason.

This caused tension as the Police claimed that they uncovered alleged plot by some hoodlums to  attack the complex.

There were insinuation that the change of leadership did not go down well with the certain powers as the preferred candidate for the position of Speaker failed.

However, the newly elected Speaker of the Assembly, Gboyega Aribisogan who insisted that there was no crisis in the assembly.

According to him, “the leadership of the police command in Ekiti informed us this morning that it has verifiable intelligence about some hoodlums coming to attack the assembly complex and to avoid breakdown of law and order, hence the need for their presence and they have have promised us to conduct investigation on the matter and report to us before the close of work today

“I want to encourage my colleagues and staff of the assembly to be patient and bear with us, normalcy will soon return to the house.”

African Regional Group Laments Too Many Security Checkpoints At Nigerian Borders

By
Ayodele Oni
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Idrissa Kone

By Ayodele Oni

The Secretary-General, Abidjan- Lagos Corridor Organization, (ALCO), Mr Idrissa Kone has observed that too many security checkpoints in Nigerian borders is hampering activities of the organization.

Mr Kone observed that this is hampering movement of people, goods and services.

ALCO is an initiative of five coastal African countries of Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic and Nigeria established in 2002.

Part of its objectives include prevention, treatment, care and support on HIV/AIDS, as well as facilitation of trade and transport relations in line with the protocols of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Speaking during a visit to the Minister of state for transportation, Ademola Adegoroye in Abuja, the coordinator urged the Nigerian government to work towards reducing the number of checkpoints and harassment of people by security agencies along the Nigerian border roads.

He disclosed that the organization has recorded a lot of achievements along the corridor in the last 20 years of its existence, especially in the promotion of regional integration among the five member states.

In his response, the Minister of state assured that the federal government will continue to play a crucial role in the sustenance of the activities of ALCO in facilitating free movement of goods and people among member countries.

In a statement, the media aide to the Minister, Ebenezer Adeniyan stated that Adegoroye, saluted the vision of the founding fathers of the organization, stressing that its advantages cannot be over-emphasized.

Adegoroye, who lauded the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari in promoting regional integration in Africa, said Nigeria must do everything possible to sustain and improve on the initiative.

The Minister then promised that the federal government will fulfill its outstanding commitments to the organization, urging ALCO to also explore other sources of funding for its activities, especially regular collection of data.

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