Home Blog Page 2014

Umahi: I Deeply Appreciate Obi’s Courage, But Will Work For My Party

By
Adesina Soyooye
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By Adesina Soyooye

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State says he appreciates and admires the courage of Mr Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in his quest to become Nigeria’s President in 2023.

This appreciation will not, however, translate to support and/or votes. Umahi said he would work for his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, against 2023.

Umahi was reacting to a viral statement which quoted him as saying that Obi is going nowhere, and that he no longer believes in the quest for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction.

A statement signed on his behalf by the Commissioner  for Information, Ebonyi State, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji,  said the viral claim on the social media is fake, as it is a fabrication.

The full text of the  statement reads:

“The attention of Ebonyi State government has been drawn to a social media post being recently in circulation and purported to have been authored by the hard-working Governor of Ebonyi State by miserable and frustrated political jobbers.

“For the records, the Governor of Ebonyi State is not against His Excellency, Peter Obi for Presidency but, in fact, deeply appreciates his courage in his campaign.

“His Excellency, Engr Umahi never said that Peter Obi is going nowhere and that he does not believe in Igbo Presidency.

“However, His Excellency David Nweze Umahi is a member of APC and shall support the party in all their state and national elections as a good party man.

“The Governor believes that most party members will defend their parties during elections and people will freely vote for candidates of their choice.”

Umahi was a Presidential aspirant in the APC Primary which was won by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Tinubu Attacks Atiku, Says He Can’t Be Trusted

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Bola Tinubu And Atiku Abubakar

Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has hit back at his counterpart in the People’s Democratic Party, PDP Atiku Abubakar after the latter said the former Lagos state government has always wanted a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.

Atiku, a former vice president said on Friday during an interview with Arise TV that he once turned Tinubu down when he offered to be his vice-presidential candidate.

The duo has a long history together dating back to when Atiku fell out with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who refused to support the Adamawa born politician as his successor.

Atiku would later emerge the presidential candidate of the Action Congress, AC the party he former with Tinubu in 2011.

Speaking during his interview with Arise, Atiku alleged that Tinubu wanted to be his running mate, saying he rejected the move on the basis that Nigerians will reject a muslim-Muslim ticket. The two politicians are Muslims.

Reacting to Atiku’s claim in a statement, Tinubu said the former vice president lied.

The APC candidate said in a statement signed by Tunde Rahman, his media aide, said Atiku wanted him to be his running mate by offering him the ticket, adding that the former vice president is a shady character that cannot be trusted.

Tinubu said, “We are saddened to see such a man become unhinged from the truth. So obsessed is he with his quest for office, Atiku is willing to render any form of untruth if he thinks it might gain him a single vote. Atiku may want to be president. However, all he has shown is that he is pathological,” Tinubu was quoted as saying.

Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has hit back at his counterpart  of  the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  Atiku Abubakar after the latter said the former Lagos State Governor always wanted a Muslim-Muslim Presidential ticket.

Atiku, a former Vice President, said on Friday during an interview with Arise TV that he  turned Tinubu down when he demanded  to be his Vice Presidential candidate in 2007.

The duo has had a long history of working together dating back to when Atiku fell out with former President Olusegun Obasanjo when he was the Vice President.

Atiku would later emerge the Presidential candidate of the Action Congress, AC, the party he co-founded with Tinubu in 2011.

Speaking during his interview with Arise, Atiku alleged that Tinubu demanded to be his running mate, but that  he rejected the move on the basis that Nigerians will reject a Muslim-Muslim ticket. The two politicians are Muslims.

But reacting to Atiku’s claim in a statement, Tinubu said the former Vice President lied.

The APC candidate said in a statement signed by Tunde Rahman, his media aide, that it was Atiku who wanted him to be his running mate by offering him the ticket, adding that the former Vice President is a shady character who cannot be trusted.

Tinubu said, “We are saddened to see such a man become unhinged from the truth. So obsessed is he with his quest for office, Atiku is willing to render any form of untruth if he thinks it might gain him a single vote. Atiku may want to be President. However, all he has shown is that he is a pathological liar.

“Whatever moral compass he had has been lost. During a 22 July television interview, Atiku assaulted historic truth by lying that he did not name Tinubu as his running mate in 2007 on the Action Congress ticket because Atiku did not want a Muslim as his running mate.

“It was the actual founders of the AC who offered the party’s flag to Atiku because of the need to fight the authoritarian designs then President Obasanjo and the PDP had on Nigeria’s democracy.

“At that moment, Atiku had been unceremoniously pushed aside, if not out of the PDP by Obasanjo. We needed to rally all forces to confront the one-party state Obasanjo had in mind. Atiku was simply a beneficiary of this collective duty to fight the attack on multi-party democracy the PDP had launched.

“I feel sorry for dear old Atiku. Love of his own ambition has eclipsed his relationship with the truth and an honest account of the past. We formed the AC without his knowledge. When President Obasanjo virtually exiled him from the PDP, we lent him our support by giving him the AC platform for the 2007 election.

“Let me say openly that Atiku offered me the Vice Presidential ticket in 2007. Let me also say that my religion has not changed. When he offered the position to me, I was a Muslim and I believe he was aware of my religious faith at the time.

“Atiku’s calculations and deceit had nothing to do with religion or his sensitivity to it. His conduct has everything to do with what we discovered about his paucity of character and love of intrigue.”

2023: Catholic Priest Urges INEC To Add Candidates’ Pictures On Ballot Papers

By
Ayodele Oni
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INEC Ballot Paper

By Ayodele Oni

A Nigerian Catholic priest in Malawi, Fr Kelvin Ugwu has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to include the names of political party candidates running for next year’s election on the ballot papers.

In a letter posted on his verified Facebook page, Fr Kelvin noted that Nigerians are no longer voting based on political parties, but rather, the personality of the various candidates, stressing that the ballot papers should not be limited to only the party logo.

Sharing an image of a Malawian ballot paper, the priest said almost all the countries in Africa have both the face, and the names of the candidates running for elections on the ballot paper.

He wrote, “Dear INEC Nigeria, our ballot paper should be like this because in the true sense of it, it is actually the individual with his vice that we are voting for.

“All the elections conducted in Nigeria in the past, the ballot papers just carried only party logos. But it is not the party we vote for that leads us after the elections but the individual.

“Almost all the countries in Africa have both the face, the name of the candidate, his/her running mate, and the party logo on their ballot papers. Please do this for Nigerians.”

2023: Controversy Trails INEC’s Replacement Of Candidates

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

Controversy has surrounded the last-minute replacement of candidates for next year’s general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Investigations revealed that some candidates being dropped had emerged victorious during the primary elections conducted by their respective political parties.

Some of them have now been dropped by the electoral empire due to court orders to that effect or on compliance with their party’s instructions.

For instance, in Kano state, where INEC has released names of governorship candidates for 2023 elections, name of Mohammed Abacha, the son of former Military Head of State was excluded.

Abacha is the governorship candidate of the court-backed faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano.

The electoral umpire approved Sadiq Wali and Yusuf Bello Danbatta as gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial candidates of the PDP in the state. Wali is a son of former Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Intra-party conflicts and litigations had trailed the primary election, following parallel leadership structure which led to factional primary elections in Kano.

However, a Federal High Court gave a favourable judgement for the Shehu Wada Sagagi-led faction that produced Mohammed Abacha as the governorship candidate of the party.

The other faction of the party led by Senator Bello Hayatu Gawarzo, who is the North-West vice chairman of the party, produced Sadiq Wali as the governorship candidate of its faction in a parallel primary election.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Kano State, Prof. Riskuwa Shehu, had earlier told journalists that INEC recognised Mohammed Abacha as the rightful candidate having been produced by the faction that was recognised by the court.

Reacting to the development, INEC Public Relations Officer in Kano, Ahmad Adam Maulud, said the commission at the Kano office submitted the results of the primaries it had monitored to the headquarters of the electoral umpire in Abuja but the list which was pasted on Friday, which excluded Abacha’s name was from Abuja.

“Whoever wishes to seek any clarification should contact national body of his or her party for any information,” Maulud said.

In Ebonyi state, the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki has disqualified Governor David Umahi, of Ebonyi State from contesting the election for Ebonyi South senatorial district seat on the platform of his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Similarly, the court disqualified Austin Umahi, who is the governor’s younger brother from also participating in the election on the party’s platform.

The younger Umahi had clinched the party’s ticket to contest the election in the senatorial district after he emerged the winner of the APC primary in the zone.

He later resigned to pave the way for Governor Umahi to contest the Ebonyi South senatorial district election after the governor lost out in the APC Presidential Primary to former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu.

During a court proceeding on Friday, Justice Fatun Riman, declared that with the withdrawal of Austin Umahi, after winning the primary, the authentic candidate of the party for Ebonyi South senatorial district was Ms Ann Agom-Eze, who came second in the primary.

According to the judge, Section 115 of the Electoral Act forbids a person from contesting two different primary elections in the same year.

In a swift reaction to the court’s decision, the Special Assistant to Governor Umahi on Strategy, Chris Oko, said the judge was misled by Agom-Eze.

He alleged that Agom-Eze lied on oath that she never withdrew from the contest, stressing that there would be a re-run.

INEC had in June published the names and particulars of candidates vying for various positions at the federal level in the 2023 general elections.

But Governor Umahi’s name and particulars were missing from the list published by the electoral body which said it never monitored any rerun primary where Umahi was elected as candidate.

Displeased with the development, Governor Umahi approached the Federal High Court seeking an order for INEC to publish his name as the candidate of the ruling party for the election in the senatorial district. Ms Ann Agom-eze had also applied to be joined in the suit.

Report from Edo state indicates that INEC has written to the (PDP) insisting that it only recognized the list of candidates produced at the primary election held by Dan Orbih’s faction in May.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court 5, Abuja, had in earlier judgment in the Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/808/2022 issued an order directing INEC to only accept and recognize the candidates that emerged from the Dan Orbih faction on May 18.

Recall that Ihama, Ogieva, Omagbon, Giwa and others had approached the Federal High Court 5, Abuja, seeking an order for INEC to only recognize the Dan Orbih-led faction of the party’s primary.

Following Justice Ekwo’s judgment, INEC in a letter dated June 27, 2022 and signed by its Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony and addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, asking the party to forward the list recognized by court to the commission.

INEC in the letter titled, “Notification of pending orders in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/807/2022 between Dr. Michael Onolememen & 2 Ors. V. INEC; Suit No. FHC/ABJ/808/ between Barr. Nosa Adams & 8 Prs. V. INEC and Suit No. FHC/ABJ/809/2022 between Christabel O. Ekwu & 23 Ors. V. INEC and the need to Comply with them” asked PDP to comply with the order.

“The Commission hereby draws the attention of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the order of the Court arising from the three (3) suits listed above.

“In line with the order of Court, the Commission is restrained from accepting and recognizing any list of candidates other than the list containing the names of the plaintiffs as the PDP’s duly nominated candidates for the election of the seats of senators representing the senatorial zones of Edo North, Edo South and Edo Central of Edo State; the twenty-four House of Assembly constituencies across Edo State.

“Accordingly, the Commission expects the PDP to forward the nomination forms of the respective candidates as ordered by the Federal High Court, Abuja,” the umpire said.

The PDP had conducted parallel primaries by the factions loyal to the party’s National Vice Chairman, South South,  Orbih and the faction loyal to Governor Godwin Obaseki at different locations across the state. But the court rejected Governor Obaseki’s faction

UN Commends Sterling One Foundation On Africa Social Impact Summit 

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Nigeria  Matthias Schmale, has commended the Sterling One Foundation for creating a platform to accelerate growth towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals across Africa. This was shared during the 2-day hybrid event held penultimate week in Abuja with about 4,000 registered delegates from 55 countries in attendance.

Giving a keynote address at the event on the theme, ‘Rethink, Rebuild, Recover, Accelerating Growth for the SDGs’,  Schmale noted that the theme was apt, timely, relevant, and required given the economic regression across Africa occasioned by the pandemic, the volatilities caused by the Ukraine war and the fact there was just 8 years to go before 2030. He commended the leadership of the Sterling One Foundation stressing that there was need for intensive collaborations and partnerships among African leaders across the public and private sectors including the civil society groups to aid the achievement of not just the 2030 goals but also, the African Union’s 2063 goals.

Also speaking at the event, Mrs. Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO, Sterling One Foundation, noted that the summit had in-depth and insightful panel sessions on climate action, education access and funding, primary healthcare, youth and gender empowerment, impact investment and governance which all give a good appreciation of the 17 interlinked global goals.

She added that a recurring resolution that came through in all the panel sessions was the need for the elimination of silo executions and the embracing of collaborations by all sector players. Financing strategies, impact measurement and evaluation of such impact were also discussed as

it was clear that the SDGs require financing to become a reality with an estimated amount of $1.3 trillion annually in Africa as shared by the UN and over $300 billion to block the gap in Nigeria.

“Various deals from 4 African countries were brought to the summit’s Deal Room with innovative solutions that cut across the education, health, construction, renewable energy, and food security sectors. Most of these businesses already have conditional commitments from our investors at the event and we expect to seal these deals in the coming weeks by working with the investees. We will continue facilitating financing for purpose and profit-driven business solutions that will help promote access to health and education for all while guaranteeing returns for impact investors locally and globally’’, she added.

She noted that the Foundation was already working with various partners and will continue in this light as the event was organized in partnership with the United Nations Global Compact Network Nigeria, Sterling Bank, the Coca-Cola Company, VFD Group, the Impact Investors Foundation, Giving.ng, the Nigeria Climate Innovation Center (NCIC), the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Ventures Africa, Proshare and Tech Cabal.

Governor Umahi: The  All-round Loser In APC

By
The Source
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0
Comfort Obi

By Comfort Obi

“Denied of the Presidential ticket for which he defected from PDP to APC, zoned out of the Vice Presidential ticket  he later desired, now thrown out of the Senatorial contest, for Umahi, political misfortunes  have been his companion since that defection”

It is not likely that Engr. Dave Umahi, the Governor of Ebonyi State would admit it, but he must be full of regrets now. His sojourn to the All Progressives Congress, APC, has not paid off. Instead, it has brought him anxiety. And disappointments. And finally left him empty-handed.

Trouble began for the Governor who claimed he became a billionaire at age 25, when he,  inexplicably, dumped the PDP under which he was elected a two- time Governor of Ebonyi State for the APC. He did so mid-way into his second term as a Governor.

Umahi, even when he was in PDP, had one leg in the APC. His attraction: He wanted to become the President of Nigeria. He said the PDP was not likely to zone its Presidential ticket to the South-east. So, he went to the APC. Perhaps, some political jobbers had sold the idea to him. And made him promises. But the promises were empty.

On of President Muhammadu Buhari’s visits to Ebonyi State, Chief Arthur Eze had recommended Umahi to Buhari as Buhari’s successor in office.

More than that, Umahi is a Presidential friend. He adores, he proclaims, President Buhari. Once, while a PDD Governor, he had threatened to fire any of his aides who as much as said one negative word against the President.

Dave Umahi says Ebonyi will not be part of Biafra
Dave Umahi

According to the main Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina, in a column where he heaped  praises on Umahi, the feeling is reciprocal. The President loves Umahi too, Adesina wrote in the write-up which was celebrated no end in Abakaliki.

True to his desires, he was one of the  aspirants who purchased the APC Presidential Expression of Interest form and the Nomination form for a whopping N100m. It didn’t bother him that he had no support from the stakeholders in the South-east, outside Ebonyi State – not even from Majority Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, or the only other APC Governor in the South-East, Senator Hope Uzodinma. Umahi had hope.

There is no price for guessing that his N100m went down the drain. At the Presidential Primary, he performed woefully. Just before the Primary, he saw the handwriting, boldly, on the wall.

So, he and another aspirant, Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan had a pact. A day to the event, Lawan paid him a visit at his Abuja lodge, and both men agreed to partner with each other, whoever won.

Umahi had his eye on the Vice Presidential seat because speculations had been high that Lawan was the anointed candidate. Lawan had the support of both Uzodinma and Kalu.

Umahi always wanted the Vice Presidential seat. In 2019 when Peter Obi, now the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, emerged then Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar’s running mate, Umahi hit the roof. He threw tantrums. He said he was not consulted. But everybody knew the bottomline was that he wanted to be in Obi’s shoes. And, he did not do much to support that ticket.

On the day of the APC Presidential Primary, the rug was pulled from under the feet of both Umahi and Lawan. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the old war horse, picked the ticket in a landslide. Being from the South-west, Umahi was shut out of  his Vice Presidential ambition.

When he recovered from the shock, he resorted to what only Nigerian politicians do. He had woven the basket before his Presidential and Vice Presidential losses.

He planted his younger brother, Austin Umahi,  to run for the Senatorial seat of his Ebonyi South Senatorial zone. The brother was a stand-in. Expectedly, his brother won. But the plan was for the brother to withdraw from the race for Governor Umahi.

He did.

And in a Senatorial Primary declared illegal by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, after the first one which his brother won, Governor Umahi easily picked the ticket. He was happy. Afterall, half bread is better than none. Becoming a Senator is a big deal.. But not so fast.

On Friday, Umahi’s joy was cut short. The half bread was taken away from him.

Based on the new Electoral Act, INEC, had refused to publish Umahi’s name. INEC said the Senatorial ticket he is flaunting is fake. That he is an illegal candidate.

Angry, Umahi took his case to the Federal High Court, Abakaliki. His desire: to compel INEC to publish his name as a candidate.

But enters Mrs Ann Agom-Eze, the Lady who came second during the first Primary. She applied to be joined in the suit. The argument: since Umahi’s younger brother has withdrawn from the race, the ticket should be hers because the second Primary is illegal.

Delivering judgment on Friday, the Honourable Justice Liman sealed Governor Umahi’s fate. The Honourable Judge cited section 115 of the Electoral Act. This Act forbids one from participating in two different Primaries same year. He said anybody who does that risks a two- year jail term. Liman then went ahead to declare Mrs Agom-Eze  the duly nominated APC Senatorial candidate for  Ebonyi South.

For Umahi, it is an empty basket from the APC market. Just for the records, he, almost, lost his Governorship seat when a Federal High Court sacked him a few months ago for defecting from the PDP to the APC. He was saved by the Court of Appeal.

When he lost his Presidential bid at the Primary, an angry and foul-mouthed Umahi descended on the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and its President, Professor George Obiozor, for not giving him support. He said he had stopped recognizing Obiozor as the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide President. Not a few people wondered about the misplaced anger. What business had Ohanaeze in the APC Presidential Primary and Umahi’s failure.

It is difficult to know who he would descend on now.

For now, only two things can still keep Umahi politically relevant: If a higher Court over-rules the Federal High Court or, if the APC wins the Presidential election in 2023. Perhaps, he could be considered for a Ministerial appointment. An absolute bad market.

Obi is the Editor-in-Chief/CEO of The Source (Magazine), https://thesourceng.com.  Email: [email protected], [email protected]

President Buhari Appoints Imo Woman, Stella Lemchi,  New AIFCE Provost

By
The Source
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0
Stella Lemch and Adamu Adamu

By Charles Igbo

The high profile Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, has a new Provost.

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a well-grounded academic, Dr (Mrs) Stella Lemchi as the new Provost. The Minister for Education, Adamu Adamu, has handed Dr Lemchi her letter of appointment which, at the first instance, is for four years.

By the appointment, she becomes the 13th Provost and the second woman to be so appointed.

Dr Lemchi comes into office well-groomed, well-grounded, and fully prepared for the job. She is, therefore, expected to hit the ground running.

A native of Ehime Mbano, Imo State, President Buhari wished Dr Lemchi good tidings during her tenure.

Dr. Lemchi holds a PhD in Home Economics Education from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She also holds an M.Ed, Home Economics (UNN),  Bachelor of Science, Home Science and Nutrition, UNN. She attended the Federal Government College, Okigwe where, because of her brilliance, she studied on a Federal Government scholarship.

At the AIFCE, she was the Deputy Provost of the College before her appointment. Before that, she was the Head of the Department of Home Economics from 2011 to 2015 and the Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship from 2015-2019. As a Home Economist, her main areas of interest include entrepreneurship, promotion of skill acquisition and curriculum development.

She has, also, served on many College Committees including, College Research Committee, Quality Assurance Committee and Academic Board Business Committee. She is a member of the Alvan Volunteer and Community Services.

Dr. Lemchi is married to Professor Jones Lemchi. The couple is blessed with three children.

Fake Bishops: APC & Tinubu Have Committed Blasphemy- PDP; Asks Tinubu To Withdraw From Race

By
The Source
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Tinubu Bishops

By Gideon Njoku

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,  of committing sacrilege. The Party, also, accused them of ridiculing God and brazenly insulting the Christian Faith.

Trouble began when Tinubu, against protestations by Christians, especially, chose Senator Kashim Shettima, a former Governor of Borno State, and fellow Muslim, as his running mate in the 2023 Presidential election. Not a few people were against a Muslim-Muslim ticket in any of the Political Parties.

To douse the tension and give the impression that the choice of Shettima was not objectionable to all Christians, Tinubu and the APC walked into a mess.

A couple of days ago when Tinubu unveiled Shettima as his running mate, a number of queer and awkward looking men and women, adorned in the robes of Christian Priests, appeared at the venue in support of the ticket. It was, however, discovered that they were fakes who were hired for a fee to act the part. They were immediately disowned by the Leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, as unknown to the Christian body.

A number of them were identified by those who know them as artisans dressed in the robes of Priests. The woman among them, who claimed to be a Bishop, is an Igbo woman,  identified as a teacher at Lily International School, Akoka, Lagos. Since the incident, described as scandalous and the height of deceit, Tinubu and the APC have come under fire.

Tinubu’s camp offered a not-too-strong  defence. It said the “Priests” were not fake, but of very low cadre.

Like many shocked Nigerians, the opposition PDP has weighed in. In a strongly-worded address to the Press on Friday, the Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, accused the both Tinubu and APC of unforgivable blasphemy. It listed some of the other controversies dogging Tinubu and asked him to, in the circumstances, take the least honorable step and withdraw from contesting the 2023 Presidential race.

Following is the full text of the Press Conference where the Party, also touched on the Osun State Governorship election where its candidate, Ademola Adeleke beat the incumbent Governor of the State, Gboyega Oyetola, APC, to coast to victory. He won 17 out of the State’s 30 Local Government Areas to Oyetola’s 13.

Osun Election/Fake Bishops PDP to Tinubu: Withdraw from Presidential Race Now

“Gentlemen of the Press,

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is appalled by the nauseating, blasphemous and unpardonable act by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in hiring street artisans, fraudsters and touts and criminally dressing them in bishop’s vestments to orchestrate an endorsement for its collapsing Presidential campaign.

“The PDP, in the strongest term, condemns this profane and highly provocative act of desperation by the sinking APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the face of APC’s collapsing leadership, membership and followership structure across the country.

“Nigerians were sickened by videos and pictorial evidence of known mechanics, bus conductors and fraudsters sacrilegiously being dressed in fake bishop vestments and paid to endorse the unveiling of Asiwaju Tinubu’s widely rejected running mate, Sen. Kashim Shettima.

“Such action is unacceptable and unbecoming of any individual aspiring to a leadership position at any level let alone, the office of the President. This is an embarrassment to leadership.

“With this scandalous act, Asiwaju Tinubu, who is still battling with issues of alleged perjury, non-existent certificate and allegations of extortions has become more ethically challenged and lost all moral standing to seek election as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“More sickening is the outcry by the hirelings that they were defrauded by agents of the APC Presidential candidate, who paid them sums ranging from N30,000 to N40,000 as against the N100,000 they were earlier promised.

“It is therefore ludicrous that instead of being remorseful and asking for forgiveness, the APC Presidential Campaign is shamelessly posting lame denials and excuses in the face of hard and verified evidence of its involvement in the shameless venture.

“Our Party is not surprised by the attitude of the APC Presidential Campaign. Such is consistent with the character and DNA of the APC, which was never a political party but a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) hurriedly put together by conflicting bed-fellows and inchoate sailors clobbered together for remote personal gain and whose only interest is to defraud Nigerians through falsehood, lies, deceit, bribery, Temporary Loyalty Purchase, corruption of established institutions and violation of set rules without regards to the feelings, sensibilities and wellbeing of Nigerians.

“With this ugly episode, Nigerians now know the individual who has been the planner and executor of the lies, false promises and corruption of the APC that have brought disunity, excruciating hardship, mass killings and political instability in the country in the last seven years.

“Under the corrupt and deceptive government Asiwaju confessed to have helped to install, our productive sector has been completely wrecked; the over $550 billion economy (largest in Africa and 26th globally) with a naira value of N167 to the Dollar handed over by the PDP has been brought to its knees with the naira now crawling at N665 to a Dollar today.

“Under Asiwaju’s APC government, Nigeria’s debt stock has astronomically risen from N12 trillion under the PDP to N41.6 trillion with our nation going broke as Debt Servicing cost has now surpassed Government revenue with over N300 billion.

“Today, millions on businesses have been shut down due to harsh economic policies and high cost of fuel; unemployment has risen to over 35%, cost of food items, medication and essential services have skyrocketed beyond reach as over 90 million Nigerians are no longer able to afford their daily meals and other basic necessities of life. What a tragedy!

“It is now crystal clear to Nigerians why the people of Asiwaju’s ancestral State of Osun and the South West geo-political zone which ought to be his natural stronghold outrighly rejected him and his APC in the July 16, 2022 Governorship election in Osun the State.

“PDP’s sweeping victory and the spontaneous jubilation across our country are direct statements by Nigerians on their resolve to stand on the platform of the PDP to free themselves from the agonizing stranglehold of the lying, cruel and life-discounting APC and its Presidential Candidate.

“Furthermore, Asiwaju Tibunu’s humiliating rejection in Abuja, where he had reportedly rushed to in a desperate bid to frustrate the smooth conclusion of the Osun State Governorship election is a clear testimonial that the APC Presidential Candidate has been roundly deflated.

“Our Party is privy to reports of how doors were locked against APC leaders in Abuja and how their frantic telephone calls and corrupt offers to truncate the Osun election were turned down.

“The APC Presidential candidate can recall that our Party had in a statement on June 8, 2022, cautioned him that he will soon realize that Nigeria is not one of his acquired estates or fiefdoms and that Nigerians are not his political string-puppets and retinue of lackeys, from whom he bought the APC Presidential ticket.

“Now that the APC Presidential candidate has lost the basic required leadership integrity and having been exposed and roundly rejected in his ancestral home State of Osun, the South West and across the country; our Party counsels him to immediately withdraw from the 2023 Presidential race to avoid further disgrace.

“Nigerians cannot afford to have fraudsters, liars, deceivers, perjurers, swindlers and corrupt individuals at the helm of affairs in our country. Such individuals can only superintend over a deceptive, fraudulent and duplicitous administration and worsen the woes faced by our nation under the current inhumane and rudderless APC administration.

“The APC Presidential candidate and his party should know that it is in his own interest to withdraw from the race as it will be futile to go into an election in which the Will and aspiration of the people are manifestly against him and the APC.

“Asiwaju has no political fighting chance in the face of the soaring popularity of PDP’s very competent, candid, transparent, people-oriented and much more prepared Presidential Candidate, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar at the poll.

“The PDP is poised for a winning campaign and as always, our Party is open to suggestions and further collaborations with well-meaning Nigerians as we collectively march to liberate our nation in the 2023 general elections.”

The Presidential election comes up in February, 2023.

Ex-Accountant General Of The Federation, Ahmed Idris,  Took N15billion Bribe To Approve Payment Due To Oil Producing States – EFCC

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Accountant General Ahmed Idris

By Akinwale Kasali

Disgraced former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, allegedly, took a whopping sum of over N15 billion as bribe to approve derivable payment due to nine oil producing States, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Idris and three others are being prosecuted by the EFCC for financial crimes amounting to N109 billion.

On Friday, he was  remanded in Prison custody by the Honourable Justice Adeyemi Ajayi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Idris alongside him are his two other alleged accomplices pending the determination of their bail applications.

Justice Adeyemi-Ajayi made the order after Idris, Godfrey Olusegun Akindele and Mohammed Kudu Usman pleaded not guilty to a 14-count charge in which they are accused of diverting about N109billion public funds.

Idris, a native of Kano State, North West Nigeria was intercepted and arrested the EFCC, over alleged money laundering and diversion of public funds.

The said money was diverted through some bogus contracts, with the companies used in laundering the funds allegedly linked to family members and associates of the former Accountant General of the Federation.

Before his interception and arrest by the EFCC, he had been summoned repeatedly for interrogation, the Commission said, but he failed to honour the invitations, prompting the Commission to ambush him and forcefully arrested him.

According to EFCC Spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, “We kept inviting him but he kept dodging us,” one of our sources said. “We were left with no choice than to keep him under watch and arrest him.”

It was gathered through the Commission’s verified intelligence that the former AGF raked off the funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.

The funds were laundered through real estate investments in Kano and Abuja.

After his arrest by the EFCC on May 16, 2022, he was released on bail by the Commission on June 2nd, 2022. While in the EFCC custody, he was suspended by the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed.

The suspension was contained in a letter by the Minister dated May 18, 2022, in which she said the move was necessitated by the need to “allow for proper and unhindered investigation into the serious allegations in line with Public Service Rules 030406”.

According to the Minister, during the suspension period, which is without pay, Mr Idris is not “expected to attend to your place of work or contact any official in your Office except for any disciplinary hearing that may be advised”.

President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Idris as the AGF on June 25, 2015.

The position became vacant at the time after the former Accountant General, Jonah Otunla, left office on June 12, 2015.

President Buhari reappointed Idris for a second four-year term in June 2019, amid criticisms from labour groups which said the Accountant General should retire after turning 60.

He was born on November 25, 1960, and would be 62 years of age in a few months.

Before his appointment as AGF, he was the Director of Finance and Accounts, Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

WAFCON: Zambia Defeat Super Falcons, As Team Ends Championship Empty-handed

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali

The Grace Chanda Captained Zambia National Team ended their Women African Cup of Nations on high note, defeating nine time Champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria in the third place match.

A first half own goal by Goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie was all the Zambians needed to win their first ever medal in the Female Continental showpiece.

After a disappointing outing against the Atlas Lioness of Morocco in the semi final which saw the Coach Randy Waldrum team receiving two red cards and losing on penalty to the host, the Nigerian team had promised to play for pride and redeem its image by winning the bronze medal, but fortunes refused to smile on the defending champions.

As expected, the Super Falcons played brilliantly, but couldn’t beat the Zambian Keeper.

This is the third time the Super Falcons has failed to win any medal at the continental Female Championship, having lost the third place match to Cameroon in 2008 and 2012. Now it lost to Zambia Female national team.

Despite the third place match loss to Zambia, the Super Falcons have qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women World Cup, scheduled for New Zealand and Australia next summer.

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