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2023: Why I will Not Support Tinubu – Presidential Aide, Ojudu; Osinbajo, Best Option

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

A Presidential Aide, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has said he would never support the Presidential aspiration of former Governor of Lagos State and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC,  Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Ojudu, a co- founder of the Newsmagazine is a Political Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari in the office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The former Senator who was thought to be very close to Tinubu, and alleged to have been made by him, said he will not support Tinubu out of principles. He declared that he would go and work in his farm if Buhari chooses Tinubu as his successor.

In an earlier interview a couple of months back, Ojudu clarified his relationship with Tinubu. He said it is erroneous to say he was made by Tinubu, emphasising that he was already a made-man before he and Tinubu met. He said their relationship has been of mutual benefit to each other.

“I would rather go and farm”, he told Chude Jideonwo, in an interview on Saturday, March 19. 2022.

Ojudu argued that Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo remains a better option than Tinubu, stressing that right from the time he started nursing the idea of throwing his hat in the 2023 Presidential race, he had planned to support Osinbajo ahead of anyone, no matter whose ox is gored.

The anchor of the Programme, Jideonwo probed further if he (Ojudu) would change his position if Buhari throws his weight behind Tinubu. But Ojudu responded:  “Never. Take that from me, write it down today, I will go back to the farm. If I don’t believe in you I will not work for/with you.”

However, Ojudu said he’s still waiting for the Vice President to declare his intention to run, adding that he’s supporting him because of his commitment to work,  and the Nigerian people.

“We are still waiting for Osinbajo to come and tell us if he is running. I, personally, will want him to do so, but he has not come out, so we will wait, and there is still time.

“If I support Osinbajo, he deserves to be supported. I see the way he works, day and night, committed, not asking for things for himself, committed to the people, committed to Nigeria and, well educated.

“He can stand his own anywhere in the world, comfortable with the young and the old, comfortable with new technology and always coming out with solutions to problems. I mean, it doesn’t cost me anything to align with such a person. What am I looking for in life? I’m looking for a better society, a society where everybody can realise themselves. I’m looking for a society where some people will not pile all of a country’s resources into their accounts.

“So, if I see somebody who has all of those attributes, I have the right to support that kind of person. So, if Osinbajo declares tomorrow that he is running, I will have no apology I will support him, and I will work for him.”

Months back when Ojudu also declared he wouldn’t back Tinubu’s Presidential Ambition, it led to a barrage of criticisms from different quarters, especially from loyalists and supporters of Tinubu who alleged that Ojudu was a betrayer.

Many also said he was against his political benefactor, pointing out that Tinubu was instrumental for his emergence as a Senator in Ekiti State.

2023: Atiku Officially Declares Presidential Aspiration Wednesday

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

Perennial Presidential aspirant, and the 2019 Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, will formally declare his Presidential ambition on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. He will, again, run under the banner of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

According to a statement signed by the Chairman of the Technical Committee of his campaign group, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, the event is scheduled to hold at the International Conference Centre, Abuja at 11 am.

Atiku had picked the PDP nomination form on Thursday at the cost of N40 million. It is, however, alleged that the form was paid for by a group of businesses men of Northern origin

For months, has been travelling for consultations  to garner support for his aspiration.

In the course of his consultations, he had met with the PDP caucus in the National Assembly, the PDP Board of Trustees among other stakeholders.

His declaration is coming ahead of the setting up of a 37-member committee that is expected to make recommendations to guide the party on the zoning of the various elective positions.

The PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) had, last week, announced the setting up of the Committee which was given a two-week deadline to turn in its recommendations.

However, the National Leadership of the Party had yet to set up the Committee as at the time of filing this report.

According to the Party’s ’s NEC, membership of the Committee will be drawn from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

There are, already, opposition to Atiku’s aspiration, especially, from the South, where the Southern Governors Forum insist that the Presidential seat must rotate to the South in 2023. A few days ago, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and Prince Kassim Afegbua, a former spokesman for Atiku’s Presidential campaign in 2019, had berated Atiku for boasting that he had never failed to pick the PDP’s ticket, and would, therefore, still pick it against 2023.

Imo: Politicians Bombed Obiozor’s Home – Gov. Uzodinma

By
The Source
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Hope Uzodinma

Imo State Government yesterday condemned the early morning razing of the home of the President General of Ohanaeze  Ndigbo, Prof George Obiozor by those it described as political bandits.

In a statement he personally signed, the State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, regretted that desperate politicians who believe in violence were yet to sheath their swords inspite of repeated appeal to that effect.

Uzodinma described the attack on the country home of Prof Obiozor as cowardly and height of desperation.

He vowed that the Government was already working in concert with security agencies to identify and punish the perpetrators.

He bemoaned the incessant resort to violence in settling political differences by some politicians in the state, and warned that the government would no longer condone such banditry.

According to him, The time of those who unleash this kind of mayhem in the state is over. We shall hunt them down to face the full weight of the law”.

Uzodinma wondered why the bandits should attack the home of a man who is not a politician but a statesman working for the good of the entire Igbo race.

He said it was shameful that both the sponsors and perpetrators of the violence deployed their malicious attack on an innocent man.

While commiserating with Prof Obiozor on the burning of his home,he assured imo people that Government will continue to do all within its Constitutional power to protect lives and property in the State.

Imo: Gunmen On Rampage; Razes Obiozor’s Home; Bombs Police Division; Kills Officers

By
The Source
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Unknown Gunmen

By Charles Igbo

“No any Nigerian Force will bear arms for any reasons. If any force found bearing any arm will face our battle.”(sic).

The relative peace in Imo State, a result of the Government’s dogged and consistent fight against insecurity has been shattered.

Gunmen are on rampage again. It gradually started recently. A few days ago, they ambushed two Hilux Vans carrying operatives of the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Owerri, at Umulolo, Okigwe.  The officers were on their way to Okigwe from Owerri. By the time the booming guns and explosives subsided, two of the officers lay dead, and one of Hilux vans, completely destroyed.

This attack was seen as a warning sign, coming barely 24 hours after the expiration of the deadline given by Simon Ekpa, the Finland-based self- proclaimed disciple of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, to begin a guerilla warfare in the South-east if Federal Security Agents do not, completely, leave the Zone.

Flowing from that, in the  uncivilized hours of Saturday, March 19, 2022, Gunmen, again, hit Imo State, simultaneously attacking and razing down the country home of Ohanaeze Ndigbo President, Professor George Obiozor and the Divisional Police Command, Umuguma Owerri-West.

The Gunmen who stormed Professor Obiozor’s country home, Awo-Omanma, went in a convoy of vehicles. On arrival, they threw explosives into the compound, followed by a   statacco of gunshots to scare away people. Mercifully, Obiozor is reportedly in the US on medical vacation.

A high profile diplomat, Obiozor was Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States of America. Before then, he had been the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA.

The attack on the Umuguma Police Division was fatal, as two Police  Constables, both Igbo sons, were killed. One was macheted to death as he made to scale the wall and escape, while the other was shot dead.

Parts of the Division were set ablaze, and so were a number of vehicles parked within the premises.

The news of the brazen attack on both places came same day as a notice by “unknown gunmen” appeared in the South-east.

Titled, *NOTICE! NOTICE!! NOTICE!! LAST WARNING,  and signed by “ONE MAN SQUARED (sic) COMMANDER”, it warned all schools in “Biafra land” to stop singing the National Anthem. Only the  “Biafran Anthem” is allowed.

The notice also insisted on the sit-at-home order every Monday, and on any day Kanu would appear in Court.

“Every Monday or any other Court case, must be respected accordingly. Any group of persons violating the seat at home order will be severely dealt with, whoever he/she may be.

“Any company or organization found working on Monday or any Court case day will be short (sic) down forever and the owner of the company will be fish (sic) out and face our wrath.”

More important, it warned that no Nigerian security personnel will be allowed to bear arms in the South-east.

“No any Nigerian Force will bear arms for any reasons. If any force found bearing any arm will face our battle.”(sic).

Once more, the people of the South-east have gone back to “square one” – living on edge.

Southern Governors Forum Welcomes Soludo

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

Southern Governors Forum,(SGF) has congratulated Prof Charles Soludo for his successful inauguration as  executive Governor of Anambra state.

This was contained in a statement by the Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum  (SGF) and Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, on Saturday.

Governor Akeredolu also congratulated Ndi Anambra for the peaceful transition to another administration.

The SGF chairman charged Prof. Soludo to brace up for the herculean job ahead.

According to him, the security and economic challenges in the Southern part of the country and the nation at large require joint efforts and unalloyed commitment.

“We rejoice with our brother Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo and we welcome him to the Southern Governors’ Forum.

“We are confident of his track records and his ability to provide the right leadership for the people of Anambra State.

“We look forward to his viable and rich contributions to the development of Southern Nigeria because his vast experience, spanning the economy and human capital management is a great assset to behold.

“We have no doubt, therefore, that, he will deploy his wealth of experience for the good of our people.

“We are particularly enamoured by Governor Soludo’s palpable passion for home-grown economic growth through effective mobilisation of resources for development.

“For us in the SGF, a fresh and resourceful addition has berthed for the upholding of our ideals and common course.

“We are confident that owing to his background, Prof. Soludo will expend time and resources to justify the trust of the people of the state who freely gave him the mandate to lead them at this critical time.

“For us at the Southern Governors’ Forum, we see Prof. Soludo as a great asset that will further help drive our forum’s agenda, most especially on the economic well-being of our dear people.

“As a consummate economist, we look forward to drawing from his vast experience in finding a way out of the lingering socio-economic challenges that have pervaded the national space.”

Reopening Lekki Toll Gate: You Are Callous and Wicked, Group Tells Sanwolu

By
Uche Mbah
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By Uche Mbah

Omo Eko Pataki, a pan-Yoruba group that are indigenous to Lagos, has lashed the State Government over their plan to reopen Lekki Tollgate, describing it as “callous, wicked, vicious and downright evil in the most darkling visage.”

The Lagos State Government succumbed to pressures from Lekki Concession Commission , and fixed April 1 for the reopening of Lekki Toll Gate, which was shut following the fallout of #EndSARS protest in October 20, 2020, after LCC claims they are reeling under N24. 52 billion.

The Government says they will begin with Ikoyi toll axis first.

The Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, during an interview on a National Television, had confirmed the Lagos State position, saying LCC is owing both local and international creditors.

But the Omo Eko Pataki, represented by the General Secretary, Prince Uthman Shodipe-Dosunmu, said in a statement: “At a time of great economic crisis when many Lagosians are crushed by various circadian burdens of survival, when many households are diminished by the harsh, bruising realities of an indifferent power, when access to the most basic illustrations of existence is increasingly hard and unreachable, when homes have become penurious hovels, when hunger parades the Lagosian landscapes like stubborn, immovable sentry- Governor Sanwo-Olu in his illogic has decided to add to the Lagosian hellish burden.

“Sanwo-Olu’s attempt to bring back the the Toll gates almost two years after innocent young men and women were mowed down by the agents of the power is callous, wicked, vicious, downright evil in the most darkling visage.

“Pray, are this people ever halted in any conscionable contemplative soberness ? Are they ever restrained by the logic of natural humaneness? Do they feel ? Do they care ? Are they ever contemplative of the finitude of power and the transient essence of the human core ?

“Lagosians are already with a thousand crucibles. The unemployment roll is swelling everyday. The pangs of hunger are visible in the ceaseless parade of the homeless, the urchins, the beggars and the thousands on the wrong side of fate.

“Every day, thousands are stranded at various locations stripped of transportation fares. They wait in the sun . They wait in the rain. They trek endlessly to the roads that lead no where in search of refuge as transporters and food sellers equally triple their costs.

“And yet , with all these challenges, with all these swamping miseries, with the bodies of the young protesters of the Endsars still crying for justice, Sanwo-Olu still wants to reintroduce the very combustible material that almost brought Lagos to its ruins ? I ask, is this man governing at all or being led to an irredeemable bouleversement?”

Ondo Records Highest Cases Of Lassa Fever, 34 Deaths In Ten Weeks

By
Ayodele Oni
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Banji Ajaka

By Ayodele Oni

Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, has explained that the State has the highest figures of lassa fever victims in the country because it was doing more testing than other States.

The Commissioner, while reacting to the figure from Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control (NSCDC), pointed out that “If you follow it now, you will see that this epic week that we are now, the whole thing has started going down.

“Ondo State was leading the chat because we were testing and we had capacity to test, unlike other states.

“If you don’t test, there is no other way you will know. For example if there are states that are not testing now, and even if they have Lassa fever all over the place, there is no way they will know that somebody has it or died of Lassa fever.”

Dr Ajaka said the figures peaked in February, but had been a decline since the beginning of March, 2022.

He added that efforts had been heightened with regards to campaigns in order to get people adopt the highest levels of hygiene.

He also said that two centres were now available for the handling of Lassa fever cases in the state.

According to NCDC, no fewer than 34 persons have died as a result of Lassa Fever in Ondo State since January 2022.

The situation is the same in Edo State where about 20 persons have so far lost their lives within the period.

Despite recording 34 deaths in the last 10 weeks as a result of Lassa fever, the Ondo State Government said the rate of infection and fatalities have started tumbling.

Ondo State has the highest number of cases in the country ahead of Edo State.

NCDC situation report for week eight (February 21-27) showed that of the 90 confirmed cases nationwide, Ondo had a total of 26, and recording three deaths. followed by Edo with 24 cases confirmed with three deaths as well.

According to NCDC, the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 91 in week seven, 2022 to 90cases.

These were reported from Ondo, Edo, Bauchi, Gombe, Kogi, Ebonyi, Taraba, Enugu, Oyo, Benue, Plateau States and the FCT.

NCDC also puts the cumulative figures as of week one to week eight, 2022, at 98 deaths with a case fatality rate(CFR) of 18.1% which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2021(22.8%).

Despite the lower case fatality rate this year, the actual figure for fatalities is higher than that of last year. While 31 persons died as of week eight last year, 98 deaths were recorded this year.

CNPP Congratulates Soludo, Tasks New Governor on Good Governance

By
The Source
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Chief Willy Ezugwu

Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has congratulated the new Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo on his successful swearing-in ceremony, urging his administration “to focus on delivering good governance to the people of the state.”

In a statement signed by it Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, the CNPP noted that “the mandate given to the governor by Anambra State residents should be seen as a call to duty”, advising Governor Soludo “to kill sycophancy to be able to deliver on your campaign promises.”

“It’s gladdening to see the administration hit the ground from the first day in office. If sustained, this is the only way to ensure that the new administration outperforms the previous administrations in the state.

“The CNPP urges the Governor Soludo administration to focus on its Anambra State transformation agenda and remain in touch with ordinary citizens to continually get the true rating of the government from the masses, not through sycophants.

“While we congratulate the new governor of Anambra State, we urge Governor Soludo to give good governance a new definition”, the CNPP stated.

Anambra: More Trouble For Ex- Gov Obiano

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Governor Willy Obiano of Anambra State
By Tosin Olatokunbo
Former governor of Anambra State Willy Obiano is likely to remain the custody of the Economic and Financial  Crimes Commission,  EFCC as crack operatives in the agency are now quizzing him on how he spent the N42 billion that acrued to his state while he was governor.
The former governor the magazine recalled was arrested by EFCC officials on his way to the United States on Thursday after personally witnessing his successor, Professor Charles Soludo took over the reigns of government.
Some of his supporters had chided him for not travelling out of the country before his immunity as governor expired, which would have prevented his arrest by EFCC, but others insist that what gave the ex-govenor confidence what a suit he instituted at a high court to stop the commission from arresting him.
“He must have been surprised that he was arrested by the EFCC when he should have jetted out of the country 48 hours before his tenure expired. He was specifically warned not to wait for his immunity to lapse but he didn’t  listen. He is now facing the music,” a former aide told the source on Friday, even as his wife, Ebelechukwu has continued to receive knocks for assaulting Bianca Ojukwu, wife of demised Biafran strongman, Odumegwu Ojukwu  on Thursday at the inauguration of Prof. Soludo.
Prominent leaders from the South east including Senator Stella Oduah  have condemned the former first lady’s describing her action as a disgrace to Igbo and disrespect to the Igbo leader.
The Obiano family as further put on the spot on Friday when Bianca  accused Ebelechukwu  of being drunk with whisky when she came attacking her.
But the problem seems to have gotten worse for the former governor as feelers indicate that he’s not likely to be off the hook of EFCC anytime soon, as the commission has started interrogating him on what he did with the security vote.
“The former governor has already made useful information to EFCC since he was taken into custody on Thursday but he’s still consulting with his lawyers on what to do next. We will ensue that his fundamental human rights are not abused while he’s  with us,” a source in the agency said on Saturday.

Obiano was arrested by EFCC on Thursday night, hours after handing over to the new Anambra Governor, Prof. Soludo.

Opinion: Atiku On The March Again

By
James Orji
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By Onyekachi Ekeh
Barring any last minute change of plans, former Vice President of Nigeria and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in 2019 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, will on Wednesday, March 23, officially declare his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election.
Although the former Vice President and some of his key support groups have been criss-crossing the nation in a bid to consult critical interests, socio-political blocks, opinion leaders and influencers within and outside the PDP, he is yet to make his 2023 ambition public officially.
Indications are that Atiku remains a formidable consensus choice of an overwhelming number of party faithful across board, especially from the South, irrespective of a pocket of opposition to his possible candidacy, within the party.
This critical support base insists that the former Vice President possesses the attributes of a unifier. They also said he is a remarkable wealth creator and broad-minded leader that is at home with the ever changing socio-economic dynamics, which they reasoned, would be an asset, should he become a president.
It is either a coincidence or strategic that the coming declaration coincides with the timeline set by the PDP for the commencement of sales of 2023 elections nomination and expression of interest forms.
While not many would be surprised by Atiku’s decision to join the 2023 political fray, his declaration elicit a lot of interest and conversations around zoning and the delicate South/North political dichotomy ahead of the general election.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), had earlier zoned its presidential position to the South and chairmanship of the party to the North.
The opposition PDP has remained seemingly in a dilemma as regards zoning. Some of its faithful from the northern part of the country, in demanding that the North produces the next president argued that, “it’s a fact that the Southern part of the nation had held sway for over 14 of the 16 years that the PDP had been in office since 1999, through former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo 8 years (1999-2007) and Goodluck Jonathan, 6 years (2010-2015), while the North had only ruled for a little over two years under the late former President Umaru Yar’Adua,” who unfortunately died in office.
Also in recent months, there have been impassioned agitations within the PDP, in the South for the party to decisively zone the position of the president to the South, essentially the South East, as PDP had already produced a national chairman from the North Central.
But from all indications, the party appears to favour leaving the position open to all PDP members irrespective of geopolitical zones.
This approach,  according to those in the know in the PDP leadership, is not only expedient, giving the current political dynamics of challenging a ruling party in an election taunted to be very consequential, but will also provide a level playing ground for all PDP faithful, which the sources said is hinged on true principles of democracy.
For Atiku, there have also been noticeable sentiments against his presidential ambition, by mostly from opposition within PDP from both southern and northern interests, in the past months, on account of his age and the fact that he had represented the party in the past without success.
The argument of these set of people is that he should give chance to others in the party to also take a shot at the top job.
But Atiku’s camp has always posited that none of his critics had curiously ever questioned his capacity to lead a 21st century Nigeria out of its current multi-faceted challenges, neither have they doubted his reach, human/material resource management skills, nor his ability to unify the nation.
Atiku’s main interest in the 2023 presidential race, according to a Senator from the South, who is an insider in his camp, “Is to join hands with other well-meaning Nigerians, who have watched in bewilderment, how the current government have turned the nation into a gravely disunited and horribly unsafe entity, which is a negation of our dream nation of a happy, united and prosperous people.”
His message, as he goes about his consultation, according to the source, is simple: According to him, “It is disheartening for me to see the horrendous depth of disunity and mutual distrust, along ethnic and religious lines, our nation has been sadly thrown into, through insensitive leadership of the past seven years of Buhari administration. Under its watch, the current insecurity in the North has degenerated into a disturbing monster that is dangerously intertwined with religion, which makes it increasingly more complicated. If I may be honest with you, leaving such complex security challenges in the hands of any of my brothers from the South to solve, would amount to inviting such a person into a field littered with landmines, on account of the delicate, complex religion intersection, I referenced earlier.”
Restructuring of the country, which would be one of the focal points of an Atiku presidency, according to the ranking lawmaker, would  most likely witness similar ethnic/religious misgivings, should a southerner tries to carry out such an agenda at this point of time that the nation is so polarized. So, what Atiku is asking for, in earnest, the source continued, is “not to wilfully take the turn of any of his brothers, among the PDP faithful from the South or North, but for an opportunity to take on those challenges headlong, on behalf of the good people of Nigeria; and save the nation from further descent into the abyss of disunity, economic collapse and insecurity.”
Meanwhile, expectations are high, as Atiku is set to go on the march again.
• Dr Onyekachi Eke, is a financial consultant and writes from Enugu
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