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Tunji Abayomi Insists Tinubu Is APC Joker

By
Ayodele Oni
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0

By Ayodele Oni

Human Rights Activist and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu campaigner, Tunji Abayomi has written a letter to delegates of the All Progressive Congress, (APC) ahead of the national convention of the party.

APC is due to hold its national convention later this week to elect a presidential flag bearer during next year’s election for the party.

Abayomi, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, maintained that with the fallout from the convention of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) last week, APC must ensure a credible and acceptable candidate to face Atiku Abubakar.

Abayomi, wrote in the letter that “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is one candidate that presents an intimidating credentials that can guarantee electoral success for the APC in the presidential election.

“Dear APC Delagates, in a few days you will record a major history in the life of our beloved Nigeria. As one of the precursors in the struggle for democracy, please allow me to advise you.

“The time is delicate, indeed very delicate. So look for a man who can unite and renew us as a people and as a Nation.

“For years now, our wealthy nation has been perpetually designated as the poverty capital of the world.  Look for a man who can work hard to urgently increase national wealth NOT personal wealth, a man with experience in wealth creation and enhancement through deep, innovative and inspirational choices.

“Look for an exposed and educated man, a university graduate  the type who can stand and speak with commanding eloquence for us in the comity of nations.

“Look for a man demonstrably capable, able, a visionary  leader who can, has and knows how to build and raise people into a strong working team.

“No President can work alone. A President must know how how to choose a good working  team with shared vision.

“Don’t look for a perfect man, they are few in our imperfect world. Instead look for a good and kind man that worries and will worry about the present and future of the Nigerian children.

“Now during the difficult years of democratic struggle some among the Aspirants stood by, with and for you. They demonstrated courage.

“Choose among these men and women for they know how valuable freedom is and the need to reduce and rescue freedom from poverty if we are to sustain and enhance liberty.

“Look for a man or woman who has vast knowledge about the wealth of the nation, a professional mind with relevant experience and expertise in money making field. Nigeria cannot be better without increasing her wealth.

“Look for a man who knows the path to progress and posperity not only in our nation but in the larger world. Look for a high minded achiever and leader.

“Now many of you have wondered why I opt for Bola Ahmed Tinubu among the Aspirants . My answer which I have restated again and again is that I believe that judging by these standards he, Bola Ahmed Tinubu,  is certainly the very best among the Aspirants on the list.

“I present him to you on my honour for your approbation and election. May our Nation Nigeria  be great again.”

Governor Emmanuel Hits Wike, Calls Him Talkative, Says Nobody Betrayed Him

By
The Source
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0

By Charles Igbo

“Nobody betrayed anyone. If we wanted a Southern President, it won’t be a talkative”

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, has hit hard on Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

Both Udom and Wike are Governors from the South-south. And both of them were Presidential aspirants in the just concluded Presidential Primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar won with 371 votes. He beat Wike who scored 237 votes to the second place. Emmanuel scored 38 votes.

Since Wike lost, his anger has risen to high heavens. He holds Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, who stood down for Atiku partly responsible for his fate. But he holds his colleague- Governors in the South, and especially, the South-south, most responsible for his failure.

Speaking to Rivers State Political stakeholders on Monday, Wike said they betrayed him and the Zone. He said he was sabotaged by them. He said he decided to run based on an agreement reached by all of them that the Presidential seat should shift to the South. At the end, Wike said they betrayed the agreement. He said he has left them to history to judge them.

But Emmanuel, who was at all the meetings where the Southern Governors insisted on the rotation of the Presidential seat to the South, has taken  a swipe on Wike over his allegations.

Answering questions from reporters during which he addressed Wike’s strong allegations, Emmanuel dismissed the allegations as false.

He said nobody betrayed anybody. And he also said that if they wanted a Southern candidate, it will not be “a talkative” – obviously  referring to Wike.

Emmanuel: “Nobody betrayed anyone. If we wanted a Southern President, it won’t be a talkative.”

“N100m Was Paid By The Church For My Release”- Uche, Kidnapped Prelate, Methodist Church

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Samuel Kanu - The Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria

By Adesina Soyooye

The abductors of the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence Samuel Uche Kanu are N100m richer.

Speaking in Lagos on Tuesday after his release on  Monday, May 30,  by his abductors, the Prelate said the sum of N100m was paid on his head in ransom money before he and two others abducted with him were released.

Prelate Uche said the ransom, packed in five bags of N20 million each, was paid by the Methodist Church of Nigeria.

In,  unarguably, the most high profile abduction in Nigeria, His Eminence was kidnapped Sunday afternoon in Umunneochi, Abia State, while he was on his way back from a Church program. Kidnapped with him were the Bishop of Owerri Diocese, Methodist Church, His Lordship Dennis Mark and the Chaplain of the Prelate.

The abductors had contacted the Church and demanded the sum of N100m for their release.

On Monday morning, the Methodist Church,  Nigeria, issued a release soliciting for that sum of money in order to secure the freedom of the Prelate, the Bishop, and the Chaplain.

They were released Monday evening. According to Prelate Uche, no State Government in the South-east, or the Federal Government raised a finger.

APC Governors, Please, Allow Me Pick My Successor – Buhari

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The Source
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Buhari with APC Governors

By Muhammadu Buhari

“In keeping with the established internal policies of the Party, and as we approach the Convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the Governors  and other Stakeholders in picking my successor who will fly the flag of our Party for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023”

I am delighted to address this gathering of the Progressive  Governors’ Forum  as part of the consultative processes that have always strengthened the internal dynamics of our Party, the All Progressives Congress, (APC).

  1. You will all recall that APC came to power at the center in 2015 through a cohesive machinery, notwithstanding its status as the opposition party. Similarly, in 2019, it was returned to power under my leadership, because of the dividends of democracy delivered to Nigerians irrespective of their political leanings.

 

  1. The Party has since grown in strength and capacity to govern. The key to both electoral successes is the ability of the party to hold consultations and for its members to put the nation above other interests.

 

  1. The transition processes for the 2023 General Elections have commenced in earnest and I note that the most successful Political Parties globally have always relied on their internal cohesion and a strong leadership brand to achieve bigger electoral fortunes. Our party, the APC, shall not be any different, more so as we are still implementing the blueprint for a more prosperous nation.

 

  1. As I begin the final year of my second term as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of the Party, I recognize the compelling need for me to provide stronger leadership to the Party under this transition process and to ensure that it happens in an orderly manner.

 

  1. Such leadership is required so that the Party remains strong and united. It is also needed to improve our electoral fortunes by ensuring that it retains power at the center, hold the great majority in various legislative chambers and also gain additional number of states at state levels.

 

  1. In pursuit of the foregoing objectives, the Party has successfully established internal policies that promote continuity and smooth succession plans even at the state and local government levels. For example, first term Governors who have served credibly well have been encouraged to stand for re-election. Similarly, second term Governors have been accorded the privilege of promoting successors that are capable of driving their visions as well as the ideals of the party.

 

  1. In a few days, the Party will be holding its Convention during which primaries would take place to pick the Presidential Flag Bearer for the 2023 General Elections. This is a very significant process and its outcome should prove to the world, the positive quality of the APC regarding democratic principles, culture as well as leadership.

 

  1. As we approach the Convention, I appeal to all of you to allow our interests to converge, our focus to remain on the changing dynamics of our environment, the expectations of our citizens and the global community. Our objective must be the victory of our party and our choice of the candidate must be someone who would give the Nigerian masses a sense of victory and confidence even before the elections.

 

  1. In keeping with the established internal policies of the Party and as we approach the Convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the Governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023.

 

  1. I wish to assure you that the consultation process shall continue to ensure that all aspirants and stakeholders would be brought on board right through to the convention. This would also ensure that any anxiety occasioned by different factors are effectively brought under control and that our party emerges stronger.

 

  1. I thank you all for listening. God bless you all. God bless our Party, the APC and God bless our nation, Nigeria.

Text of the speech delivered by President Muhammadu Buhari to APC Governors on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at a consultative meeting with them before he left for Spain

2023: Amaechi Loses Key Supporter

By
The Source
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0

By Gideon Njoku

Presidential Aspirant under the All Progressives Congress, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, has lost a key supporter.

The immediate past Minister for Transportation has lost his Campaign Coordinator in the North East – Senator Jibrilla Bindo.

Recall the day Amaechi declared interest at the Adokiye Stadium in Porthacourt to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in office.

On that day, Amaechi had started with “100 metres” dash around the stadium.  It was dramatic. His aim was to show strength. To show how healthy he is. To show he has stamina and energy.

At the end of the race, one man, amongst many, stood out. It was the Adamawa State- born Senator Bindow.

He stepped out and hugged Amaechi hard.

He didn’t end there. He told everybody who cared to hear and know that Amaechi has been anointed by the famed Presidential cabal as the next President of Nigeria.

Now, Senator Bindow has abandoned Amaechi who, he said,  has been anointed by ‘the Cabal’ as the next President.

The Senator has just quit the APC and turned his back  on  its “annonted” aspirant, Amaechi. Bindow has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the main opposition Party which Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is from Adamawa.

The question not a few people are asking is: Was Senator Bindow just talking and bragging when he talked about the Cabal’s decision on Amaechi’s Presidency? Apparently.

Benue: Ortom Calls For International Pressure On FG To End Insurgency; Says FG Unwilling To Tackle It

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Samuel Ortom and Foreigner

By Ayodele Oni

Benue State Government is contending with over 1.5 million people that have been displaced by insurgency, occasioned by activities of terrorists in the state.

Governor, Samuel Ortom, who disclosed the figure in Abuja on Tuesday stated that property worth several billions of naira have also been lost to Banditry in the state.

The Governor has therefore appealed to the international community to put pressure on the Federal Government to address the unabating acts of terrorism by armed  herdsmen in the country without religious or ethnic bias.

He said at the moment, it appears that the current administration in Nigeria is unwilling to wield the big stick against murderous terrorist groups.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nathaniel Ikyur, said in a statement that Governor Ortom made the appeal when he interacted with a delegation from the United Kingdom Parliaments, All Party Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion and Beliefs at the Benue State Governor’s Lodge Asokoro, Abuja.

The Governor maintained that the federal government has not been doing enough to curtail Banditry in the country.

He pointed out that Nigeria, being a multi religious and ethnic country, the Federal Government, which is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that the rights of the people, as enshrined in the constitution are protected, ought to take the task more seriously than it is currently doing.

According to Governor Ortom, the inability of the federal government to act swiftly to tame the rise of terror attacks on communities in the country for many years now by Islamic extremists with the sole aim of taking over the country must be put to an end.

He alleged that the current appointment of suspected Boko Haram supporters into key federal offices, integration of repentant members of the sect into the military and failure of Government to arrest and prosecute terrorist herdsmen have also proven the complicity of Government.

He noted that for the sake of national unity, cohesion, peaceful coexistence and promotion of development, the rights of the people to freedom of religion must also be respected by the Nigerian state, hence the need for the international community to intervene by putting pressure on the Government to do the right thing.

Governor Ortom also told the visiting Parliamentarians that those displaced by activities of these terrorist groups, have lost their ancestral lands and properties.

He recommended that, there was need for rehabilitation and return of IDPs to their ancestral homes as well as payment of full compensation to victims.

Leader of the delegation and member of Parliament from Ireland, Mr. Jim Shannon thanked Governor Ortom for availing the delegation with a comprehensive insight into the issues and assured that they would present his case at the right department back home to get positive results.

In their separate comments, Brendan O’Hara, of House of Commons and Rachel Miner, who acknowledged that the religious crisis in Nigeria was getting worse, said they would continue to talk to Government, religious and civil society leaders to effect the desired change.

Okorocha Thanks Judge For Bail, Prays For EFCC, Denies Suing Malami For One Billion Naira

By
Adesina Soyooye
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0
Rochas Okorocha in Court

By Adesina Soyooye

A former Governor of Imo State, Senator representing Imo State, and a Presidential Aspirant under the All Progressives Congress, APC, Rochas Okorocha, has thanked a Federal High Court Judge, Honourable Justice Inyang Ekwo, for granting him bail.

Okorocha has been under the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, since May 24 when he was arrested in his Maitama, Abuja residence, in an unconventional manner for refusing to open the door for the operatives when they came calling. They went in to arrest after climbing in through the ceiling.

The former Governor was arraigned in Court on Monday May 30, but the Judge adjourned hearing for bail to Tuesday, May 31.

After the arguments for, and against the bail, Inyang said he was persuaded to grant him bail. He proceeded to do so to the tune of N500m, and a surety who owns a property in Abuja worth N500m.

In a statement announcing the good news of the bail granted Okorocha, his Media Adviser, Sam Onwuemeodo, thanked Justice Ekwo for his magnanimity in granting Okorocha bail.

In another Statement, Okorocha denied the story making the rounds on a number of platforms, that he has sued the EFCC and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, for illegally breaking into his house to effect his arrest.

Thanking Justice Ekwo, Okorocha said:

“…Justice Ekwo, magnanimously granted bail to the former governor of lmo state and Senator Representing lmo West senatorial District.

…”Our gratitude goes to Justice Ekwo, who had seen the efficacy of granting bail to the Ogboko born enigma.”

Okorocha also prayed for the EFCC. “We ask God to show love to the leadership and officers of the EFCC and grant them their heart desires”

 

Following, the full text of the statement.

SUBJECT: SENATOR ROCHAS OKOROCHA HAS BEEN GRANTED BAIL.

…..WE ARE DELIGHTED.

“We want to inform the general public that , Justice lnyang Ekwo,  of the Federal High Court Abuja, has graciously  granted bail to His Excellency, Senator Rochas Okorocha.

“His Lordship, in his wisdom, granted Okorocha bail on Tuesday, May 31, 2022,( today).

“Okorocha had remained in the custody of the Economic And Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, since the invasion of his private residence and subsequent arrest.

“He was taken to court on Monday, May 30, 2022 with five others ,  over alleged N2.9 fraud.  He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

“Today, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, Justice Ekwo , magnanimously ,  granted bail to the former governor of lmo state and Senator Representing lmo West senatorial District.

“We thank God for this juicy and lofty development.

“We thank Nigerians , within and outside , who had continued to send correspondences to  show concern,  over the fate of the foremost African philanthropist . We remain grateful for thier genuine concern.

“We also thank those who had devoted their precious  time to prayers, for GOD’S intervention.

“Most importantly, our gratitude goes to justice Ekwo,  who had seen the efficacy of granting bail to the Ogboko born enigma.

“Equally, we Pray that the Almighty God would bless the astute lawyers handling the case, immensely. They have remained wonderful.

“We ask God to show  love to the leadership and officers of the  EFCC and grant them their heart desires.

“May the good LORD,  bless all and sundry.”

Malami Not My Problem

Denying suing the EFCC and Malami for one billion Naira, Okorocha said he had no reason to do that, especially, as Malami was not behind his ordeal.

He said he “knows” those behind his problems, and would sue at the appropriate time, if necessary.

The story alleged that he has assembled a team of five Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and filed a suit against the EFCC and Malami, asking for one billion Naira in damages and a full apology in three National newspapers.

The statement reads:

“Our attention was drawn to online stories, with the referenced caption,  late last night.

“1. Senator Rochas Okorocha,  has been in EFCC custody since the agents of the commission stormed his house and arrested him.

“2. The Commission took him to court on Monday, May 30, 2022, with other accused persons in the matter.

“3. The Presiding judge, in his wisdom,  adjourned the matter to Tuesday, May 31, 2022, for Okorocha’s bail application to be taken or heard.

“4. We were concerned with the expected hearing of the bail application today when our attention was drawn to the online stories of the N1b suit and engagement of 5 SANS.

“5. Okorocha has no reason to take either the Attorney General of the Federation or the office of the Attorney General of the Federation,  to court and claim N1b damages, over the invasion of his house, since the incident had nothing to do with AGF or his office.

“6. if Okorocha comes out of detention and along the line, decides to take legal action to press for damages,  over the invasion of his residence, he knows those who carried out the action.  We do not think he would include the AGF or his office.

“7. We know that some patriotic Human Rights Lawyers in the Country and some of them, highly respected SANs, have been of immense help in dealing with human rights violations in the country, most of the time, on their own to help the society.

“8. We are therefore having the feeling that the renowned  Senior Advocates mentioned in the online stories,  might have been challenged by the invasion of Okorocha’s private residence by agents of the EFCC and might have also decided to take the bull by the horns.

“9. We thank them. If Okorocha comes out of detention and decides to walk in that direction,  fine. But one fact would be made clear and that is, that the AGF and the office of AGF would not be parts of the action, because they had nothing to do with the invasion of Okorocha’s private residence.

“10. We have done this, to keep the record straight.  We are looking forward to seeing Okorocha out of detention by the GRACE OF GOD and the magnanimity of His LORDSHIP, handling the case.”

Okorocha is being prosecuted by the EFCC, along with an APC chieftain, Chief Ohanenye, and five Companies for alleged stealing and money laundering of Imo State funds to the tune of N2.9 billion. Okorocha was the Governor of Imo State from 2011 to 2019.

PDP: Wike Tackles Tambuwal; Say He Won Governorship Election With 300 Votes; “I wanted To Flatten Him In Abuja”

By
James Orji
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0
Nyesom Wike And Aminu Tambuwal

By James Orji

The just concluded PDP presidential primary has left anger and bitterness in the mind of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state. He was the major loser in the shadow election which held last Saturday. He campaigned hard, and spent hard in both locai and foreign currencies.

Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President emerged as the PDP Presidential candidate in the keenly contested election with 371 votes to beat Governor Wike who polled 237 votes.

Governor Wike is still reeling from the pains that those he trusted such as Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state, to deliver the PDP Presidential ticket to him, betrayed him.

The Rivers’ helmsman has a reason to be angry with Tambuwal, a former close ally he had supported in the past.

In 2019, Wike stood by Tambuwal against some vested interest in the PDP who preferred Atiku to be the party’s presidential candidate. Even though the Sokoto helmsman lost the ticket, Tambuwal put up a good fight with the full support of Wike.

But last Saturday when Wike expected the gesture to be returned, Tambuwal pulled the rug from under his feet by supporting Atiku to clinch the party’s presidential ticket.

He withdrew from the race in the last minute to the surprise of many delegates and leaders of the party, and directed his supporters to cast their votes for Atiku.

Tambuwal: “Having consulted so many people across the country, the time has come to make the sacrifice for the good of the country and the party and also to minimise rancour and justle for power among aspirants I have come to conclusion to step down the race. I urge my supporters to vote for Atiku Abubakar,” Tambuwal said to the chagrin of many Nigerians who have watched his antecedents with the Rivers’ Governor.”

In his reaction on Monday, Governor Wike said Tambuwal violated the rule of engagement and does not deserve to be governor.

Wike said: “I’ve never seen how people can violate procedure, guideline. Somebody has spoken, it’s at that point he was speaking that he can say I’m withdrawing. You don’t call him back.

“I just said, look, this our party must not be destroyed. I would have left where I was sitting down and say no, this convention can’t go on except you allow me to talk and I would have flattened that man they say is a human being (Tambuwal), I would have flattened him.

“When you see people, a sitting governor won election with 300 votes, which votes will he give? So it’s God’s will, let’s not bother ourselves so much”.

Tambuwal won his 2019 Governorship election with just 300 votes.

The Rivers’ Governor had earlier taken a swipe at State Governors from the Southern part of the country for not supporting him to clinch the party’s ticket.

He said the governors violated the agreement they all reached that power must shift to the South, after the end President Buhari’s tenure in 2023.

Meanwhile, close watchers of the opposition party insists that Governor Wike lost due to his failure to carry his counterparts along in his presidential aspiration.

The reason he lost, they say, is because of his arrogance and his inability to carry on well with other State Governors, who have secretly brandished him proud and rude.

OPINION: Peter Obi Is The Third Force

By
The Source
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0
Peter Obi and Pat Utomi at Labour Party

By Amanze Obi

A mass movement has just begun. It is the type that will test the resolve or lack of it of Nigerians to change the way things are in their country. Mr. Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, who until a few days ago, was a frontline presidential contender on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has switched camp.

He is now carrying the banner of the Labour Party. Obi is in the new party to give full expression to his aspiration to be the President of Nigeria. His former party constrained him in no small measure. But like William Blake, Obi will rather construct his own system than be enslaved by other people’s systems. The mass movement represented by Peter Obi is a clarion call. It aims at a radical displacement. It is an invitation to Nigerians to seize the day and use it to give their country a new and enduring meaning.

If Obi were just a politician in the strict sense of the word as we know it in Nigeria, his movement to a new party would have come without a whimper. It would have been glossed over as a non-event. But because he has a story behind his name, his action has stirred Nigeria’s political waters. It is eliciting excited discourses across the country. It is so because the man represents a new thinking. He is the apostle of a new order. He is making a case for a Nigeria that will work for all, particularly the youth. Obi took his dream to the PDP. But the party failed to convert it to advantage.

Following the mess that the APC administration has made of Nigeria, those who wish the country well had imagined that the PDP, which lost power by default in 2015, would stage a comeback in 2015 through dexterous politics. They had wished for a virile alternative that would halt the misrule of the moment. It was thought that the PDP would rediscover itself and give Nigerians a good reason to yearn for its return. But the turn of events does not bear this expectation out.

The atmosphere in PDP has been fouled by the politics of zoning. In the course of the ding-dong battle for the soul of the party, the watching world has come to discover to its chagrin that the party has not weaned itself of those mistakes that cost it the presidency seven years ago. Nigerians have seen through the wire mesh of devious intrigues going on in the party.

They are disturbed that the elements that decapitated the party in the 2015 presidential election with their tendentious defections have returned in droves to determine the new direction of the party. The impression they have left many with is that the party exists at their pleasure. They kill it when they want and also resurrect when it suits them.

This is a poisonous streak that has not helped the cause of the party. It was in this dog-eat-dog situation that Peter Obi, like some others, found themselves. But Obi has since seen through the elaborate charade being enacted in the PDP and has decided to go in search of a new order.

Those who have bothered to pay attention to the Peter Obi persona will readily acknowledge the fact that what drives him is not the urge to occupy the presidential office. He has said it clearly that he is not desperate to be the President of Nigeria. Rather, he is driven by passion and patriotism. The country has lost bearing and is in dire need of redirection. Obi does not think that we should resign to this ugly situation. He pities the country and its peoples. He is particularly worried about the plight of the Nigerian youth. He knows that crime and criminality have taken over the land because the youth have been abandoned. How can a country find its bearing if the youth are abandoned and disoriented?

The disconnect between the leadership and the youth population can cripple a country. And that is the real malaise that has held the country down. Obi, like other patriotic Nigerians, is worried about this state of affairs. That explains his passion. He wants to enthrone an order that will make it possible for the youth to take back their country. If he succeeds, he would have toppled the apple cart that has been holding the country down.

The Peter Obi magic wand is coming at a time the country needs it most. In Nigeria, there has been so much motion without movement. Leaders have come and gone. But none could be said to have succeeded in pulling the country out of the woods.

The same is true of political parties. Bereft of any ideological leaning, political parties in Nigeria merely amble along. Their only strength lies in the seasonal battle for political offices. Nothing else matters once power is grabbed or missed. The real problem here is that of vision and passion. Most of those who have ascended the presidential throne so far did not plan to go there. Even those who made spirited and desperate efforts to get there got overwhelmed at the point of entry. The result is that Nigeria has been a joke all along.

But at no time in the country’s political history have things got so bad than now. The present leadership has been run over by contrary forces. The government has become a lame duck. It does not know what to do with the powers entrusted to it.

This has brought about the despondency that pervades the political landscape. But the saving grace is that the people are resilient. They have not given up on their fatherland. That is why there is clamour for a new order. Before now, Nigerians anchored their hopes on what the two dominant political parties could offer. They had imagined that either of them could make the desired difference. But that has not been the case.

This is where a third force has become imperative. Nigerians have seen through the old order and they are convinced that hope does not lie in their actions and inactions. They now desire an intermediate force between the two opposing forces that have run the country down. Peter Obi and his politics, to all intents and purposes, represent this third force.

He wants to bring about a new Nigeria. He wants to enthrone a paradigm shift. He wants Nigeria to be run efficiently. The real attraction to the Peter Obi quest is that he does not just have the ideas, he has the passion and the discipline to bring about the desired change. He is presenting Nigerians with an opportunity to reclaim their country. What they do with it is the choice before them.

*Dr Obi is a former Commissioner for Information, Imo State.

President Buhari Talks To APC Governors On Choice Of Successor, Mode Of Convention

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Buhari with APC Governors

By Ayodele Oni

President Muhammadu Buhari seems to be dissatisfied with the way the special National Convention of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) to pick its presidential flagbearer went.

There have been reports of alleged use of money by the PDP aspirants, and this probably facilitated the victory for one of them.

To ensure a more decent and rancour-free process by the ruling All Progressive Congress, (APC), especially coming up with a consensus candidate, President Buhari met with Governors of the party on Tuesday in Abuja, charging them to ensure that the forthcoming convention to pick a presidential candidate reflects all the values and virtues of the party.

A statement by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, disclosed that at the meeting, held at State House, Abuja, the President told the 22 Governors and the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu that:

“The processes for the 2023 General Elections have commenced in earnest and I note that the most successful political parties globally have always relied on their internal cohesion and a strong leadership brand to achieve bigger electoral fortunes.

“Our party, the APC, shall not be any different, more so as we are still implementing the blueprint for a more prosperous nation.

“As I begin the final year of my second term as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of the party, I recognize the compelling need for me to provide stronger leadership to the party under this transition process and to ensure that it happens in an orderly manner.

“Such leadership is required so that the party remains strong and united. It is also needed to improve our electoral fortunes by ensuring that it retains power at the center, hold the great majority  in various legislative chambers and also gain additional number of states.

“In a few days, the party will be holding its Convention during which primaries would take place to pick the Presidential Flag Bearer for the 2023 General Elections.

“This is a very significant process and its outcome should prove to the world, the positive quality of the APC regarding democratic principles, culture as well as leadership.”

The President appealed to the  Governors “to allow our interests to converge, our focus to remain on the changing dynamics of our environment, the expectations of our citizens  and the global community.

“Our objective must be the victory of our party and our choice of candidate must be someone who would give the Nigerian masses a sense of victory and confidence even before the elections.”

President Buhari assured that the consultation process will continue, to ensure that all aspirants and stakeholders would be brought on board right through to the convention, stressing that it would also ensure that any anxiety occasioned by different factors are effectively brought under control, “and that our party emerges stronger.”

Speaking on behalf of the States’ helmsmen, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, and Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum, said the party must build on successes of its recent elective convention, and the primaries conducted so far, “and come up with a candidate who will walk in the footsteps of patriotism and love for the country, which Mr President has shown.

“We will support Mr President to have a very successful convention.”

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