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ASUU: More Crisis, FG Moves To Pay CONUA 8-Month Salary

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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The federal government is set to pay the Congress of Nigerian University Academics, CONUA, the breakaway union from the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU eight-month backlog of salary.

CONUA was registered last month by the federal government as a parallel union to ASUU. The government has since appealed to ASUU to ensure that the two unions work amicably on the university campuses.

“We are talking with the ministers of Education and Labour on how to clear our salary. We don’t belong to ASUU. This is the position we have made known to the federal government since the strike began in February that the universities should be open,” a source in CONUA said on Monday.

The decision to pay the rival union, many say is divisive and likely to cause problems in the nation’s ivory towers.

The decision to pay CONUA comes on the back of last week’s rejection of half salary paid to ASUU members by the government, a month after they returned to work.

The university lecturers returned to work in October after a deal brokered between ASUU and the federal government by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiaila.

But the government insists it will not pay the returnee lecturers for the period they stayed away from work. The university lecturers have rejected the government’s position on the issue.

Their lawyer, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, on Friday appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to pay the lecturers the backlog of salary for peace to reign.

In a statement on Sunday, Falana asked Buhari to ignore the advice of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, not to pay ASUU members the complete salaries from February to October 2022.

The statement said, “Since the industrial action was called off, the public universities have adjusted their calendars to ensure that the 2021/2022 academic session is not cancelled. Consequently, students are currently taking lectures or writing examinations that were disrupted during the strike of the ASUU.

“Therefore, having regard to the facts and circumstances of the ASUU strike the doctrine of ‘no work, no pay’ is totally inapplicable as students who were not taught during the strike are currently attending lectures and writing examinations.

“Furthermore, it is public knowledge that the members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors embarked on a strike that lasted two months last year.

“The federal government dragged the striking doctors to the national industrial court which ordered the NARD to call off the strike. As soon as the strike was called off, President Muhammadu Buhari jettisoned the ‘no work, no pay’ principle and ordered the payment of the salaries for the two months that the strike lasted.

“On that occasion, the President overruled Dr. Ngige in the interest of industrial harmony in the health sector.

In the same vein, the ASUU recently called off its 8-month old strike in compliance with the order of the national industrial court and the court of appeal.

“We are, therefore, compelled to call on President Buhari should ignore the advice of Dr. Ngige and direct the public universities to pay the full salary of each lecturer from February to October 2022.”

Meanwhile, the magazine learned that the National Executive Council of ASUU will meet today to decide on what to do next even as university students have called on the federal government to ensure that the lecturers to go back to strike.

Why Tinubu Shunned Presidential Town Hall Debate – APC Presidential Campaign Council; Angry Nigerians Dismiss Reasons

By
The Source
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Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The Tinubu/ Shettima Presidential Campaign Council has explained why its Presidential Candidate, Bola Tinubu, Shunned the well promoted ARISE TV Debate.

The APC candidate, as has been the case with all public appearances where he and other Presidential candidates were invited and expected to be present, was conspicuously absent. He sent no representative either.

Before now, Tinubu had come under fire which bordered, atimes, on mockery  for his absence at such events. Some have attributed it to his alleged ill-health, while others allege he is suffering from early stages of dementia and had no grasp of facts. All these, of course, without any medical confirmation. Tinubu insists he is 100 per cent alert and healthy with capacity to occupy the office of the President.

A statement put out Sunday evening, and signed by Festus Keyamo, SAN,  Director, Public Affairs of the

APC Presidential Candidate, in the forthcoming 2023 Presidential Election, gave reasons why Tinubu was absent at the Presidential Debate organised by ARISE TV on Sunday, November 6, 2022.

Following are the reasons adduced by Keyamo.

“Firstly, many Radio and TV Networks in Nigeria have indicated interests to host such debates, and out of deference to other TV and Radio Stations, our candidate will not be making selective appearances in some networks, whilst ignoring others.

“As President of Nigeria, by the Special Grace of God, he intends to treat all persons and businesses fairly and equally.

“Secondly, the busy and hectic campaign schedules of Asiwaju Tinubu will not permit him to honour all such invitations by different Radio and TV networks, hence our decision for him not to start with one TV Station and later ignore others.

“Thirdly, our candidate had, long before now, realised the importance of speaking directly to Nigerians and shortly after unfolding his Action Plan as President, embarked on Town Hall meetings beginning with his interaction with the Business Community and other stakeholders in Kano followed by the Town Hall meeting and presentation by experts last week in Lagos.

“Tomorrow, he will be interacting with Agro and Commodity Groups in Minna, Niger State.

“Whilst we thank Arise TV for the invitation, we want to assure Nigerians that we shall continue to hold these debate groups and Nigerians in high esteem. Nigerians will hear from our candidate loud and clear through other forums.

“Lastly, out of profound respect for Nigerians, we urge all our party structures and supporters at the grassroots to continue to organise town hall meetings to educate Nigerians on the Action Plan of our candidate as we believe a grassroots-approach to reach Nigerians will also be more profound.”

However, not a few Nigerians, infuriated with his absence and his reasons, asked him to stop insulting Nigerians, and tell his story to the birds.

Presidential TownHall: Tinubu Absent; Protest Over Okowa’s Representation of Atiku; Obi Shines With Fact-checked Confirmation

By
The Source
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Presidential TownHall Meeting

The first in the series of Presidential Town Hall Meetings organized by the Arise Television, Center for Development and Democracy and other partners, in Abuja, on Sunday, almost ended in fracas. Protests erupted over the representation of the PDP Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar, by his Running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

The Presidential Candidates of Labour Party, Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, of New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Kola Abiola of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, all attended the townhall meeting. The ruling APC flag bearer, Bola Tinubu, was conspicuously absent with no reason, no representation.

Shortly before the meeting started, supporters of other Presidential candidates insisted that Governor Okowa must step down, since the meeting was for Presidential candidates only.

It took several appeals to calm frayed nerves  and bring the angry supporters to agreement, for Governor Okowa to stay on at the meeting.

During the question and answer session, LP Candidate, Obi stole the show with his consistent verifiable figures which were confirmed by a fact-check team led by the Premium Times.

Obi, speaking on security challenges , reiterated his earlier position that pulling people out of poverty is the surest way to reduce criminality.

He said that Nigerians must, in 2023, avoid electing persons who could not  in their past, account for resources entrusted in their official care.

Responding to a question on the  oneness of the Office of the President and the Vice President, Obi said the buck stops on the desk of the President, who is the single Commander-in-Chief, even though he  works as a family with the Vice President,

However, interchangeability is not automatic, hence the President is required to formally hand over, in writing to his Vice if going overseas for an extended period.

Obi was emphatic on the issue of subsidy, saying that he will remove it, but invest the saved revenue properly, even as he insisted that oil theft is an  organized crime which very much involves regulators

On borrowing, Peter Obi said he has never been against borrowing , but said it must be for production, not for consumption, and wastages in government must be blocked to boost revenue and manage the exchange rate.

Speaking about diversification of the economy , Obi said the economy was already diversified but not enough attention has been paid to boost production

Obi said military experience was no prerequisite in tackling security challenges, what is required, he said,  is a good understanding of the problems and the ability to apply the right human and material resources to their urgent eradication.

On devolution of power Obi said women and youths will be the engine of his administration if elected President and his record in Anambra State speaks for itself as women occupied critical positions in his administration as deputy governor, Chief of Staff, Commissioners for Finance, Education, etc.

He noted that Borno State has very low production of Agricuture in relation to its large land mass. He promised to make this a priority.

On Power, Obi said the production capacity is  12000 megawatts ,but this cannot be effectively transmitted , because the transmission capacity is not beyond 6000 megawatts.

He then promised to increase the transmission infrastructure, by declaring war on the Power sector.

On flood control, Obi said it was not impossible to effectively check it, if Egypt  had made so much progress in flood control, with much bigger flood potential,

the solution, he said , lies in the reappraisal of dredging and channeling solutions, many of which had been articulated in the past, but the funds wasted on corruption.

Obi described himself as a wealth creator in his private life, and his public record,  and he promised to apply the same principle, if elected to the Presidency.

The townHall meeting lasted for over four hours from 8pm to 11.50pm

Obi Is Sound, Gentleman, Progressive-Minded – Dino Melaye, PDP Presidential Campaign Spokesman

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Peter Obi

By Adesina Soyooye

Senator Dino Melaye, the Chief Spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Presidential Campaign Council, has acknowledged that the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, is sound, progressive-minded and a gentleman.

Melaye spoke in an interview where he appealed to Obi to “come back home to his elder brother and mentor” so as to defeat the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, in the 2023 General Elections.

In the 2019 Presidential election, Obi was Atiku’s running mate. They were defeated by the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

However, three days to  the PDP Presidential Primary against the 2023 Presidential election, Obi, who was an aspirant in the PDP, just like Atiku, resigned from the Party. He joined the almost moribund Labour Party and revived it. LP is now one of the three main parties in Nigeria, and Obi, a major contender to the Presidential seat in 2023. Both the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the PDP,  admit that Obi is an obstacle to the ambitions of their candidates.

Appealing to Obi to jettison his Presidential ambition and join hands with Atiku, Melaye said “Nigerians cannot endure another four years of the APC.”

Melaye described Obi as “sound, a gentleman progressive-minded.”

He said:  “I’m having a clarion call on Peter Obi, gentleman, progressive- minded, sound, that in the interest of this country, for his tomorrow, he should give his today and come back home to support his elder brother and mentor.

“Nigerians cannot afford another four years of an APC administration that will continue with insecurity, kidnapping, banditry, rise in the prices of goods and commodities in the country.”

Obi, Atiku and Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, are the three frontline runners in the Presidential election scheduled for February, 2023.

Peter Obi Poses Danger To Atiku’s Ambition – Melaye, PDP Presidential Campaign Council Spokesman

By
Adesina Soyooye
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By Adesina Soyooye

The main Spokesperson for the Presidential Campaign Council of the Peoples Democrat Party, PDP, Senator Dino Melaye, has admitted that the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, is an obstacle to the ambition of his candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Senator Melaye said that Obi poses great danger to Atiku’s 2023 aspiration. Any Vote for Obi in 2023, Melaye said, depletes Atiku’s votes. Worse, Melaye said, a vote for Obi is a plus for the  candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu.

The Senator who spoke on the chances of Obi’s victory in 2023, said it is a no-no. He noted that the LP does not have the spread, and pointed out that it is fielding only 30 Senatorial candidates out of 109 candidates.

He appealed to Obi to come back to “his elder brother and mentor”, Atiku, so as not to allow the APC to win in 2023. “Nigerians cannot endure another four years of the APC”, Melaye said.

His words: “The euphoria of the Obidients is going down. By January, it will go down  more because people will realize it is going to be a wasted vote. People will realize that he (Obi), cannot become President. People will realize that voting for Peter is voting for Tinubu.

“So, that is why I’m having a clarion call on Peter Obi, gentleman, progressive- minded, sound, that in the interest of this country, for his tomorrow, he should give his today and come back home to support his elder brother and mentor.

“Nigerians cannot afford another four years of an APC administration that will continue with insecurity, kidnapping, banditry, rise in the prices of goods and commodities in the country.”

“Nigerians must know that any vote for Peter Obi is a vote for APC. Because Peter Obi cannot make it. So, anybody that is voting for Labour Party is actually voting for Tinubu. Anybody that is campaigning for Peter Obi is actually praying and working for Tinubu to become the President.

“If you are voting for Peter, you are depleting the votes of PDP.”

The 2023 Presidential election is seen as a three-horse race between Obi, Tinubu and Atiku. In most opinion polls, Obi whose Campaign is being championed by, mostly, youths, haa beaten Tinubu and Atiku to the second and third places respectively. The candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso places a distant fourth, but his candidacy is likely to deal a blow to both Atiku and Tinubu in Kano. A former two-time Governor of Kano State, Kwankwaso, a grassroots politician, is very popular in the State.

Buhari Calls For Ethnic, Religious Tolerance In Tackling Insecurity

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

As the spate of insecurity in the country keeps escalating, President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Nigerians to entrench ethnic and religious tolerance in their domain to foster peace and unity in the country.

The President said for the nation to overcome its insecurity challenges, it needs to embrace peace and unity irrespective of religious and cultural beliefs.

Buhari gave this charge on Sunday in Lafia, Nasarawa State Capital where he had visited on a two-day official visit to the State for an inspection of the ongoing construction works at the Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Development Institute, Lafia, which began on August 1, 2022.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, President Buhari said that the Federal Government decided to build the AMEDI, Lafia because of its commitment to the development of agriculture and to guaranty food security across the nation.

He expressed confidence that the agricultural institute which is being built by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, will in no distant time emerge as a centre of excellence which would enable Nigeria to become a hub for agro-allied technologies.

“I am urging all Nigerians to always tolerate each other, embrace one another and work towards the peace, unity and development of the country. We should entrench ethnic and religious tolerance so as to achieve a common goal of making our country great.

“I want to commend the Executive Vice-Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Professor Mohammed Sani-Haruna, for the work he has been doing across the country. I also want to thank the Nasarawa State Government for all the support they have given us since the project commenced.

“It is a good pleasure for me to be here physically. The groundbreaking ceremony was done in August, now I am here to see the tremendous progress that has been made since that time, and By God’s grace, AMEDI Lafia will be commissioned before the end of this administration.”

Buhari is away to London on medical grounds.

Ondo Police Command Arrests Man For Setting His Five Step Children Ablaze

By
Ayodele Oni
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Nigeria Police Force

By Ayodele Oni

What could have come over a Head of family in Ondo State to decide to set ablaze five of his step children?

This and other questions are what the Ondo State Police Command is trying to unravel. It arrested the 54year-old father, Mr Ojo Joseph,  for setting ablaze five of his step children at Fagun crescent area of Ondo town in Ondo State.

It was gathered that the man alleged that his wife, who is the mother of the children, was having  little misunderstanding with him.

It was further learnt that the father, who was said to have poured petrol into the room of the children while asleep, set them on fire and in the process, one of them was burnt to death.

Four others who sustained injuries, are currently receiving treatment at Federal Medical Centre, Owo.

Their mother who has another 18month-old twins escaped from the inferno with the two.

Another unconfirmed source disclosed that the man perpetrated the heinous act because the mother of the children allegedly denied him s*x.

Confirming the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mrs Funmi Odunlami said the man has been apprehended by the police for a case of alleged arson and murder.

The suspect is not the biological father of the five children, but is the father of the little twins.

The PPRO said further investigation would be carried out before charging the suspect to court.

SERAP Issues Seven Days Notice To Reverse Half Salary To ASUU Members

By
Ayodele Oni
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ASUU Meeting

By Ayodele Oni

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given the federal government within seven days to reverse payment of half October salary to members of Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) that resumed from eight months strike recently.

SERAP pointed out that President Muhammadu Buhari should “direct the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and the acting Accountant General of the Federation, Sylva Okolieaboh to immediately reverse the apparently illegal deductions from the salaries of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for October 2022.”

‘Mr President should direct Mr Ngige and Mr Okolieaboh to pay ASUU members full salaries for the duration of their strike action.”

The Federal Government recently allegedly paid half-salaries to members of ASUU for the month of October, 2022. Some professors reportedly received salaries ranging from N71,000 to N121,000 for October.

In the open letter dated 5 November, 2022 and signed by SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Paying half salaries to ASUU members solely for exercising their human rights is patently unlawful and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and international standards.”

“The alleged deductions from the salaries of ASUU members also amount to punishing them for exercising their right to strike.

“The deductions are illegal and disproportionate. The deductions may also be construed as a deliberate attempt to take away the right to strike, and to make ASUU a lame duck.

“The right to strike implies the right of workers not to be punished for striking. ASUU members do not therefore forfeit their salaries because they exercise their right to strike.

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter.

“If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our requests in the public interest.

“Illegal deductions from the salaries of ASUU members may also violate the right to work, and to respect of the dignity inherent in a human being.”

“The deductions are also incompatible with the prohibition of all forms of exploitation and degradation of man particularly cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and treatment.

“The deductions also implicitly violate the right of members of ASUU to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families, including to the continuous improvement of living conditions.

“Strikes are an essential means available to workers and their organizations to protect their interests.”

“The right to strike is an intrinsic element of the right of association recognized under the Nigerian Constitution, ILO conventions, and human rights treaties to which the country is a state party.

“Indeed, the right to strike and that of entitlement to full pay for days of strike are essential elements of trade union rights.

“Paying ASUU members or any workers half salaries solely for lawfully and peacefully exercising their right to strike constitutes an impermissible restriction on the right to freedom of association including the right to strike, which is an essential element in the principle of collective bargaining.

“The application of any purported ‘no work, no pay’ rule to deduct from the salaries of ASUU members would be clearly inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution and international standards.

“The right to strike is a keystone of modern industrial society. No society which lacks that right can be democratic. Any society which seeks to become democratic must secure that right.

“The ILO Committee on Freedom of Association has stated that the imposition of sanctions for strike action is not conducive to harmonious labour relations.”

Multi-Billion Naira Contracts: Sekibo Tackles Wike, Demands Apology; Sekibo Asked To Shut-up

By
The Source
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Nyesom Wike

By Charles Igbo

A former Transportation Minister, Dr Abiye Sekibo, has tackled the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, over claims by the Governor that he awarded Sekibo contracts worth over five billion Naira.

Wike has, during the swearing-in ceremony of his newly appointed 319 Ward and 32 Constituency Liason  Officers, a couple of days ago, in Porthacourt, lamented that Sekibo turned against him even after he, Wike, awarded him  contracts to the tune of N5.5 billion.

The two of them were very close political allies but they fail apart over Sekibo’s support for the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, a man Wike has been at loggerheads with since after Atiku beat him to a respectable second place at the PDP Presidential Primary, and went on to choose Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate instead of the very expectant Wike.

Sekibo is the Rivers State Coordinator for the Atiku Presidential Council.

Wike, who had earlier written Sekibo off as a man without political consequence, who, as Transportation Minister, attracted nothing to Rivers State or even to his Okrika hometown, listed the  contracts he awarded Sekibo as follows:  *N2.1bn Okrika Sand filling contract, *N2bn Okochiri internal road contract, *N1.4bn contract for the Okujaku Street, Danjuma Drive, Trans-Amadi, Porthacourt.

But Sekibo has denied any such contract awards by Wike to him, and has demanded a public apology in a national newspaper.

He said all he did, at the Governor’s request, especially since two of those contracts are located in his hometown, was to recommend contractors to the Governor.

A statement by Sekibo’s lawyer, Christian Elenwo, explained thus: “Ordinarily, our Client would not deem it necessary to respond to these deliberately orchestrated falsehoods primarily targeted to tarnish and destroy the hard-earned reputation of our client.

“However, our client, since the release of the false statement by Governor Wike has been inundated with phone calls from different people all over the country to find out the truth or otherwise of these allegations. We have our client’s instruction to state the truth and correct facts as follows.

“Our client is not a contractor, and has never been awarded any of the above contracts by the Rivers State Government. The contracts were awarded to Gascon Ltd, and our client is neither a Director nor a Shareholder in Gascon Ltd.

“Due to the cordial relationship our client had with the Governor, coupled with the fact that two of these contracts were to be executed in our client’s hometown of Okrika, the Governor asked our client to recommend a competent company that could execute these projects. This led to our client’s recommendation of Gascon Limited to the Rivers State Government.

“Gascon Limited upon the award of these contracts immediately mobilized to the sites, and had successfully achieved 100%, 80% and 65% completion of these projects respectively to the knowledge of the Rivers State Government.

“We have our client’s further instruction to demand the immediate retraction of these false allegations and the publication of unreserved apology to our client in a national newspaper by the Governor of Rivers State.”

But many are of the view that Sekibo should have kept quiet. They say they see no difference between Wike’s claims and Sekibo’s explanation. “It is like saying there is a difference between 12 and a dozen”, a watcher of Rivers State politics said.

Another argued: “When you are not a contractor and you recommend contractors for jobs, the jobs are for you. You have a huge share or commission. I fail to understand the point Abiye Sekibo is making.”

How Nasarawa Government Sabotaged Peter Obi’s Presidential Campaign Launch

By
The Source
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Peter Obi Campaign in Lafia

By Gideon Njoku

More facts have emerged on the sabotage visited on the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi and Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed respectively during the launch of the Party’s Presidential Campaign on October 28, 2022.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, Government in the State, apparently, in  connivance with the powers-that-be, threw in every obstacle available to them to make sure the launch flopped.

Considering the scores of thousands of Obidients who received Obi the first time he visited Lafia, capital of the State, not a few people were shocked at the not too appreciable crowd at the Campaign flag-off. In deed, APC even mocked the LP over it.

But facts have emerged that the Governor of the State, Abdullahi Sule, pulled all stops to abort the success.

This was revealed by Dr. Doyin Okupe, the Director General of the LP Presidential Campaign Council during an interview on Channels Television.

Okupe reeled out the obstacles thrown their way.

For instance, began Okupe, the permission for the landing of the helicopter used by Obi to fly to Lafia for the launch, was delayed till the last minute. Meaning that even on the eve of the launch,  Obi was not sure he would make it to Lafia.

Secondly, Okupe lamented, 48 hours to the D-day, the LP  had not secured a venue for the launch. He said the party had chosen any of three venues. And had sent a 22-man advance team for final preparations. But shockingly, when they called the team to confirm the venue, they were told that no venue had been approved for the event, yet, by the State Government.

But more was to come.

On the eve of the launch, Governor Sule, inexplicably imposed a curfew on the State. That was clearly to stop LP supporters from travelling to Lafia for the launch.

But there was worse.

Okupe revealed that Nasarawa had never observed sanitation day in the past seven years. But on the day of the Campaign launch, it did.

Governor Sule suddenly imposed Sanitation exercise on that Saturday, and banned movement till 10am.

A combination of all these, especially, the curfew and the sanitation exercise, had a devastating blow on the launch.

“Our supporters from parts of the State could not travel to Lafia,” Okupe lamented.

Noted one top Government official in Lafia: “This is politics at its most bitter. My Governor didn’t need to descend this low. It is executive recklessness. How these people pray to Allah and sleep at night beats me.”

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