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I Have A Moral Duty To Contest For The Office Of The President

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The Source
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Rotimi Amaechi

By Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi

I stand before you today to declare my intention and submit my application to serve as your next President.

I did not come to this decision lightly. I have served our nation for the last seven years as Minister of Transportation. For eight years before that, I served as Governor of Rivers State. In the preceding eight years before that, I was Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

These 23 years of service have equipped me not only with great experience in governance and public service, but also compassion for the ordinary citizens of our dear country.

After more than two decades in the public arena, I had wanted to go on holiday and spend more time with my family before charting a new course outside politics. But at 58, and a member of the generation born after independence who has seen the good, the bad and the ugly of Nigeria, I am compelled by the urgency of our present challenges to place my experience and proven capacity at the service of the nation at the highest level.

Those who know me can testify that I have always been a straight talker. This trait has not always made me popular, but I speak truth with conviction. So, allow me to speak the truth here today.

We are facing some very serious challenges as a country. These are problems of insecurity, challenges of greater accountability in governance, youth unemployment and the scourge of spiraling poverty.

These problems are, however, not the exclusive preserve of Nigeria.

We live in a troubled world. The reality we used to know has altered in nearly every nation. Climate change has brought about food scarcity in some places. Population explosion has produced unusual pressure on resources and supplies. Poverty has become a challenge all over the world especially in the developing world. The Covid crisis has placed unanticipated

burdens on the budgets of nations and put pressure on available resources. Trans border crises have erupted in unusual places and placed the internal security of many nations under pressure.

We are part of the Sahel, an area of the world that is subject to frequent terrorist attacks. Let us look at our current challenges as part and consequences of these global trends.

I admit that Nigeria’s problems did not begin today. And they will not be solved overnight. But they are not beyond the capacity of our people to solve. Fortunately, that process has already started.

There is an ancient proverb that “a society grows great when old men plant trees under whose shade they know they’ll never sit.”

The current administration, under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari,  has planted many such trees in Nigeria’s future.

We have invested billions in infrastructure, human capital development and made reforms that will pay off over time in terms of socio-economic growth and stability. We have invested heavily in projects and initiatives that will secure a brighter, better future for Nigeria.

I am proud to have been part of this success story. It has been an honour overseeing the Ministry of Transportation in reviving the moribund railways, and working tirelessly to create an integrated national transportation system that will positively impact our economy, trade, employment, business, and national cohesion.

Have we achieved everything we set out to do? Of course not. Could we have done more? Undoubtedly, there is always room for improvement.

On reflection, the notion of running for President would have been far beyond the imagination of the young lad running around the streets of Diobu, or our small compound in Ubima. Not to talk of the young indigent student leader mobilizing peers at the University of Port Harcourt. But my aspiration is not about fulfilling any personal ambition.

I am contesting for office because I believe that it is my moral duty to give what I can in the service of my country.

To sustain and intensify present efforts at solving our national problems, our democracy must ensure the emergence of a leadership that is equipped with broad experience in governance to ensure stability and continuity. To sustain our democracy and preserve our unity, we need a steady hand and a passion for success in a nation that remains united to pursue prosperity for all Nigerians.

It is this combination of experience and patriotic passion that I bring to the table. I have been in the political arena for 23 years. I have served at every level of government – local, state, and federal. I have served both as a political appointee and an elected official. I have served both as an executive – as Governor of Rivers State and as a legislator – as Speaker of the State House of Assembly.

In these capacities, I did not just fill vacant posts. As a Speaker, I managed the legislative process in a difficult transition from military rule. As Governor, I defeated mercantile militancy and restored security. As a minister, I can modestly claim to have justified the trust of Nigerians.

I do not come from a privileged background. I grew up poor. I understand how it feels to go without some meals in a day. I know the pain of lack and the agony of want. I know what it means to see your parents toil just to keep a roof over your family’s head. I know what it is to feel the weight of expectation when you are  the only one in your family who enjoys the opportunity to attend university.

Subsequently, I funded the education of my siblings to be university graduates as well. I know what it is to scrimp and save and struggle.

In spite of all odds, I have journeyed to this point. I could not have come this far without my parents, Fidelis, and Mary, who sacrificed so much for me. I could not have come this far without the support of my siblings. I could not have come this far without the mentors, friends and sponsors who have believed in me. I could not have come this far without the precious wife of my youth and my best friend, Judith, and my children who mean everything to me. I could not have come this far without the support of Dr. Peter Odili and his wife. I could not have come this far without the support of Chief Rufus Ada-George. Neither could I have come this far without the support of President Muhammadu Buhari. Above all, I could not have come this far without the Grace of God.

The next leg of my political journey will be tough. But I am excited to go out and engage with Nigerians from every walk of life. I am ready to go from Maiduguri to Makurdi, from Sokoto  to Sagbama, from Yola to Oyo, from Badagry to Birnin Kebbi.

To each town and village, I will have one message: Hope is around the corner.

I look forward to meeting you in your towns, villages, cities, campuses, and creeks. I want to hear your desires, needs and pains. I want to know what matters most to you. I want to listen and learn. I will be coming with one assurance: I will be welcome everywhere because the blood of every Nigerian flows in my veins. I shall be the President of all and every Nigerian.

I believe that despite our cultural differences, we remain one people under God. We may speak different languages or worship in different ways, but we all want the same things – a better life for our children, the ability to support our families, the freedom to live in peace without fear for our lives or properties.

I have never been the type who folds his arms and complains about inadequacies I see around me. I have always jumped in with both feet to do whatever I can to help, to try and bring relief to those suffering, to work to make things right where I see wrong. If you elect me as your President, I promise to play my part to the best of my ability.

Every day I will rise and go to work for you. I will never forget the fact that I am there to serve you.

Today, I stand as an aspirant to the position of President because of that same passion for people; that same drive for results. More than ever before, I am burning with the zeal to make a decisive difference in the lives of all Nigerians.

No matter the darts and arrows that come my way, I will remain steadfast because the stakes are too high. We cannot afford to fail. We cannot afford to veer off-course.

I pledge my heart, mind and soul to the task of building a Nigeria in which every child can go to school, every young person can find work or support to start a business, every citizen can travel safely around the country and sleep at night knowing that law and order prevail and every Nigerian feels included, heard, and respected.

The road ahead will be long and arduous. But we go forward with faith.

Forward with courage.

Forward with compassion.

Forward with hope.

Forward with pride for who we are as a people and who we are yet to become.

The future is bright because of YOU.

God bless you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Full text of the speech delivered by the Minister for Transportation, CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to declare his ambition to run for the office of the President of Nigeria in 2023

Enugu: Former Information Minister, Frank Nweke Jnr. Joins Guber Race

By
Uche Mbah
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Frank Nweke Jnr

By Uche Mbah

Frank Nweke Jnr., a former Information Minister, Saturday, April 9, said he is throwing his hat in the ring to contest the Governorship seat of Enugu State on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA in 2023.  “I am joining the race to serve my  people”, he said.

Nweke declared that  if given the chance, he  would transform Enugu State into a foreign industrial hub, stressing that industrialisation and employment will be his priority.

“The purpose is to formally declare my intention and seek your support to run for the office of Governor of Enugu State in the forthcoming 2023 elections.”, he said.

“In the best of times, the position of Governor of a State comes with enormous responsibility for the security, welfare and wellbeing of citizens.

“This burden of responsibility and service has been heightened by the current state of the polity characterized by severe threats – collapse of basic social services, especially in health and education, unprecedented levels of insecurity, youth restiveness, hunger, endemic poverty, high inflation, high unemployment, injustice, shrinking civic space, weakened institutions, and an overall pervasive sense of hopelessness across the entire country.

“Our dear Enugu State is unfortunately not spared or immune from these multi-dimensional crises. With its high youth population, Enugu is rather at risk of becoming an epicenter of the gathering storm. We see fast diminishing opportunities for good education in public schools – the quality of education we received from public schools, which made people of my generation what we are today.

“We face urban fragility in our towns and cities, as systems are overwhelmed by the demand for jobs, social goods and services as well as living fundamentals such as affordable housing, transportation, an intractable water crisis, poor electricity supply, and low Internet broadband access.

“An attendant surge in crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, rape and domestic violence, substance abuse, cults and gang-related violence are direct consequences of the high levels of unemployment, hopelessness and general break down of law and order.

“In its 2021 Fiscal Performance Ranking, BudgiTNG placed Enugu State at 14th among states that rank lower on Index B and have comparatively less revenue left to invest in capital infrastructure for citizens and thus face a greater risk of resorting to more borrowing or risk of under-investing in capital infrastructure for citizens.

“Our dear state is dependent on FAAC allocations to provide almost 70 per cent of its revenue and spends almost 60 per cent of its revenue on recurrent costs. In addition, it has the debt ceiling (caused by poor internal revenue generating capacity), which restricts further borrowing from the capital market with its total debt at more than 50 per cent of the previous year’s revenue.

“In 2020, approximately 52.91 per cent of our labour force could not contribute adequately to the state’s internal revenue pool through payment of income taxes as they were either unemployed or underemployed. This is no surprise since the National Bureau of Statistics data also shows a poverty rate of 58.13 per cent, meaning more than half of our people are living below the threshold of income of $1 (N480) a day.

“These statistics not only show that our dear state has not been able to attract growth and employment generating investments, it also means that our state in its present condition is not positioned to attract such investments.

“Regrettably, Government has not been able to sustain the many industries – Ada Rice; Cashew Processing Industry, Oghe; Sunrise Flour Mills; Aluminium Industry, Ohebedim; Niger Steel, Emene; Vegetable Oil Processing Industry, Nachi; Presidential Hotel, Enugu; Piggery Farm, Okutu; all of which were established by successive administrations from the Michael Okpara era to date.

“As daunting as these challenges are, I believe that they are surmountable. I have the firm conviction that with a clear vision, disciplined and transparent leadership, a solid and competent team, in partnership with the hard-working citizens of Enugu, our dear Enugu State will be returned to the path of progress, and even surpass its previous achievements consistent with its pre-eminent position as the capital of the former eastern region of Nigeria, and home to all Ndigbo and Nigerians.

“I am determined to wean Enugu state of the current toga of being a lethargic civil service state, characterised by inertia in its administrative workings, low wages and lack of enabling environment for workers, students and entrepreneurs.”

Nweke Jnr. was Chief of Staff to former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani. It was from there that he was appointed the Minister for Information under President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He only, recently, dumped  the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  for APGA.

Federal High Court Permits Obiano To Travel Abroad Over Health Issues; EFCC Protests, Accuses Judge

By
Uche Mbah
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Governor Willy Obiano of Anambra State

By Uche Mbah

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has protested an interim ex parte order by the Awka Division of the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa which permitted former Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, to travel out of the country.

Nganjiwa had granted the former governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, permission to travel to  Houston, Texts, United States of America  for medicals.  Obiano’s Lawyer had said the former Governor is suffering from a near life-threatening ailment.

But the Commission insisted the Judge ought to have recused himself due to a subsisting case involving him that makes him an interested party.

Obiano was arrested by the EFCC  on his way out of the country on March 17, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, hours after he handed over to his successor, Chukwuma Soludo.

The EFCC accused him of corruption and money laundering during his eight- year tenure as Anambra State Governor from 2014 to 2022.

A statement released by the EFCC Saturday, by their spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, cited court documents indicating the Judge never followed due process in his ruling that permitted Obiano to travel.

“Available court documents indicate that Obiano had on March 11, 2022, ahead of his handover on March 17 filed a motion ex parte dated March 10, 2022, before Justice Nganjiwa praying among others, for an interim injunction stopping the EFCC from arresting or preventing him from travelling out of the country for his medical treatment.

‘’While the court in one breath ordered the applicant to put the commission on notice on why interim preservatory order should not be granted, it went ahead to make an order that the commission should not obstruct, impede or prevent the applicant from travelling abroad to keep his medical appointment and adjourned till March 23.

‘’On March 31, the commission was served an originating motion on notice for the enforcement of the applicant’s fundamental rights. Curiously, the motion was filed on March 11, 2022, the same date as the motion for ex parte order.

‘’This was followed by another motion on notice on April 4, putting the commission on notice to release Obiano’s passport to enable him to travel abroad for his medicals with hearing fixed for April 6, and instructions that proceedings shall be conducted virtually via Zoom.’’

Ahead of the hearing, the EFCC said it had already petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court asking Nganjiwa to recuse himself from the fundamental rights action because he is joined in the appeal filed by the Commission at the Supreme Court in the corruption case, H. A. Nganjiwa vs FRN.

‘’But when the case was called, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba held the brief of his brother judge, who is bereaved. The case was subsequently adjourned, with instruction that counsel will be notified of the adjourned date,’’ the commission said.

Soludo Under Fire For Saying 85% Of Gunmen From “One South-east State”; Ekpa Fumes Over ESN

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The Source
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By Charles Igbo

The honeymoon between Professor Chukwuma Soludo, Governor, Anambra State, and some of his admirers across the South-east is waning.

Since his decisive victory at the Anambra Governorship election of November 6, 2021, and his swearing-in on March 17, 2022, he had enjoyed a robust relationship with most Igbo people, even with the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB.

But the relationship is suddenly going sour. He is coming under attack. And they blame it on what they call “mis-speaking”. They say he has mispoken a couple of times. They say he was threatening fire and brimstone often.

However, what has brought him into the recent collusion with some people and Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB leader, is his reaction on Friday, April 8, 2022, of the fatal attack by gunmen of the Ekwulobia Headquarters of Aguata Local Government Area. Soludo is from the LGA.

Gunmen had attacked the LGA Headquarters on Thursday, April 7. They set it on fire, wreaked havoc, and allegedly killed two people.

On a visit to the scene of the incident on Friday, Soludo said that the hoodlums were smoked out by security operatives from their camps where they had been operating in the past two years. While running away, he said, they paused to set the LGA Headquarters on fire.

He then went on to say that none of the hoodlums was from Anambra State. He said 85% of them came from one of the South-east States, while the remaining 15% came from other places.

Offering amnesty to the hoodlums in the bush, he said that those who refuse to accept the amnesty would be dealt with. He called them criminals, who would face the full wrath of the law. And declared all those in the bush criminals.

But his allegations and threats have struck a wrong chord with some people. By saying that 85% of the gunmen were from another Suth-east State, they accuse him of trying to divide the Igbo. He is creating artificial boundaries in Igboland, they alleged,

“Soludo should never statelise crimes in Ala Igbo. He goofed herevand should walk back on this submission”, one of them noted.

Another asked him to walk back on his faux pas. “I still love and admire Prof C.C. Soludo Charlie Nwa Mgboafor. But he needs to walk back on his faux pas.”

And yet, another; “Yes, he did not mention any State, but he goofed. He must remain the rallying point for the Igbo renaissance and never deviate.”

Following are some of the reactions as seen on the Social Media, and posted by Dr Nnaemeka Onyeka Obiaraeri

💢IGBO BU OFU (Igbo are one) I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE ARTIFICIAL BOUNDARIES CREATED BY YAKUBU GOWON, BABANGIDA, ABACHA AND THE FULA( Fulani) FEUDALISTS..

💢MY BELOVED Charles Chukwuma Soludo should never statelise crimes in Ala Igbo. He goofed here and should walk back on this submission..Ndi Igbo bu ofu. One for all , all for one

💢I STILL LOVE AND ADMIRE PROF C C SOLUDO, CHARLIE NWA MGBAFOR. BUT HE NEEDS TO WALK BACK ON HIS FAUX PAS

✍️Okenyi Kenechi, I totally align with your submission on the faux pas by our beloved Prof Soludo .

✍️Much as I admire and love Prof Soludo, he goofed on this one

✍️Igbo bu ofu.( Igbo are one). We cannot and must never adjust our Igboness to the artifical boundaries created by the military field slaves of the fula hegemonists and feudalist .

✍️We cannot statelise crimes in Igbo land . Whether the criminals migrated from one clan or dialectic base to create mayhem in any part of Igbo land , it does not matter . They are criminals and arsonists and must be flushed out of Igbo land . Ndi Igbo are not terrorists and we must never allow low budget Osisikankwus to dwell and wreck Havoc in Igboland no matter their clan or dialectic base .

✍️Prof Soludo should walk back on this faux pas. Yes he did not mention any state, but he goofed. He must remain the rallying point for the Igbo renaissance and never deviate .

✍️Amongst the elected governors from the Igbo ethnic nationality, he is the only political rallying point in Igbo land . He should never see himself as the Governor of the Fula created Anambra state. He is the Governor of Igbo land because the other 6 Governors of the Igbo stock have gone rogue on us to the satisfaction of their fula overlords .

✍️States were created by the fula overlords and their slave Gowon . We must never allow such to divide Ndi Igbo.

And reacting to Soludo’s submission that anybody who is in the bush is a criminal, Ekpa said Soludo is targeting at the operatives of the Eastern Security Network, ESN. He said ESN operatives are in the bush to protect women and farmers who, he alleged, are targets of rogue herders. For that, Ekpa threatened, they would face Soludo.

The Governor seems to be walking on a tight rope, already.

Osinachi, Late ‘Ekwueme’ Crooner, Allegedly, Died Of Domestic Violence

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Osinachi Nwachukwu

By Akinwale Kasali

What, really, was the cause of the  death, on Friday, April 8, 2022, of popular Gospel Singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu?

Was it cancer of the throat, or was she a victim of domestic violence perpetrated by her husband?

Initial report when the news of her death broke was that she died of throat cancer. But her friends and some people who claim they know allege, seriously that she was in an abusive marriage, and died from domestic violence visited on her by her husband, repeatedly.

A friend of the deceased, simply identified as Gold Martins took to the Social Media, Facebook, to vent her outrage on the inhuman treatment and abuse, allegedly, meted on the deceased by her husband.

Martins alleged that the late Osinachi had been enduring abusive marriage for a very long time and had been hiding it from the public.

She added that due to her religion, she endured the bitter marriage, wearing glowing face outside, and being beaten black and blue by her husband.

Before  her death, it was also alleged that her husband kicked her on the chest which led to her being on life support for five days before giving up the ghost on Friday.

Martins had written on  Facebook; “While praying last night, all I was praying for was for God to touch the heart of people around her. Let them come out and speak. That woman personally told someone I know what she was passing through in the hands of that her husband. According to her ‘if not for the church and what people will say, I would have left this marriage’

“Even in their presence when that man called her, he was calling her names like “steeewpid” and “fuuuuul*ish”

“If minister Osinachi could tell a total stranger her story, how much more her Church? Do you want me to believe that her Church and Pastor didn’t know what this woman was passing through?

“Can they come out and swear that they are ignorant of the fact that she was living with her enemy?

What did they do to help her?

“The Church has failed us. The Church has failed the society. Religion has failed the society. Can we all start practicing humanity? Can we? Listen! If you know you have a calling here on earth, if you know you are here on a mission, please be mindful of who you are ending up with in marriage.”

Another Gospel Singer, Frank Ugochukwu Edwards, an afro-highlife praise and worship singer, took to his verified Facebook Page to react after friends alleged popular “Ekwueme” crooner died from domestic violence, not throat cancer.

He wrote: “So, that unreasonable human being finally put off a shinning light. I won’t say much now, I will let the former NDDC (Managing) Director, (Aunty Joy) who did everything possible to stop this from happening know. But it still happened. We tried to stop this.:

However, Osinachi’s husband, Peter Nwachukwu, has not reacted to the allegations.

Together With My Brothers, We Will Get Nigeria To Work Again

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The Source
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South East PDP Presidential Aspirants

By Anyim  Pius Anyim

Today (Saturday, April 9, 2021), I met with my brothers, Mr. Peter Obi, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa and Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze. All of us have declared intention to run for the office of president of Nigeria and have obtained the nomination form of our great party the PDP.

The main purpose of our meeting was for us to resolve to work together to promote understanding, unity and collaboration among the four of us and any other person from the South East zone who may later join in the race.

We are mindful of the need for us to run our campaigns in a manner that is devoid of rancour and acrimony in the interst of the cohesion and solidarity of our zone; the victory of our great party in the 2023 elections, and the unity, peace and progress of our country.

We had a very fruitful meeting in an atmosphere of friendliness, conviviality and respect for one another.

At the end of our meeting, we addressed the media on our resolutions  as follows:

1) That we have agreed to work together as a Team.

2) That we will work together to ensure that a South Eastern emerges as PDP flag  bearer;

3) That we intend to consult with other zones on this issue and it is based on fairness and equity;

4) That in doing so it is important to note that we have always supported other zones and we now expect them to reciprocate.

I am proud of my brothers who, by their conduct today, displayed an uncommon maturity, and love for, and commitment to the unity of our dear country.

We ask fellow Nigerians to give us the chance to fix this country.

Together we will get Nigeria to work again. A Greater Nigeria I see.

2023 Presidency: PDP South-east Aspirants Unite, Demand PDP Ticket For Zone

By
The Source
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South East PDP Presidential Aspirants

In a concrete show of solidarity, presidential aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the South East met in Abuja on Saturday and demanded that the Party’s presidential ticket for 2023 should be zoned to their area.

The aspirants who attended the meeting were: Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Mr Peter Obi, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa and Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze.

Anyim who read the decisions of the four said: “we have agreed to work together as a team and that “we will work together to ensure that a South Easterner emerges as PDP flag bearer.”

Other decisions by the presidential aspirants, according to Senator Anyim were: “we intend to consult with other zones on this issue and it is based on fairness and equity.

“In doing so, it is important to note that we have always supported other zones and we now expect them to reciprocate”, the four aspirants demanded.

He went further to say that, “it is to our knowledge that more aspirants may have obtained forms under PDP and we hope they will join us later.”

Responding to questions from reporters on whether they were working towards presenting a consensus candidate from among them, Anyim said, “when we get to the bridge, we will cross it. We will work together in the interest of the Party, in the interest of the nation and in the interest of the South East.”

When asked if the South east PDP Governors are in support of the meeting, the former President of the Senate said the aspirants were not in the position to speak for the Governors.

Amaechi, Minister For Transportation, Goes Into Presidential Race For South-south, South-east

By
The Source
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Rotimi Amaechi

By Charles Igbo

“I stand before you today to declare my intention, and submit my application to serve as your next President.” 

With these words, Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, threw his hat into the ring of the 2023 Presidential race.

The speculation had been strong for a couple of months that Amaechi was eyeing the Presidential seat against 2023. The ante was upped  when the Emir of  Daura, Faruk Umar Faruk, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Emir,  bestowed him with a high profile title.

During the ceremony, President Buhari sent  high profile representatives. Back to Abuja, Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari, paid Amaechi and his wife, Judith, an unprecedented visit at their residence to congratulate the Minister on his title.

However, the Minister had kept denying any such interest until Saturday, April 9, 2022 when he declared his interest in his home State, Rivers State.

Amaechi spoke during a Thanksgiving ceremony organised by the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State. The ceremony was organised to put some life in the party which has remained fictionalized and almost irrelevant in the State.

Amaechi’s estranged  friend and his former Secretary to Government, when he was Governor, Magnus Abe, is leading a faction of the APC, opposed to Amaechi’s leadership of the Party in the State.

Amaechi’s entry into the 2023 Presidential race will not only breathe life into the APC in Rivers State, but it will spice up Rivers State politics, and extend to the whole of the South-east.

Here are why.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, Amaechi’s successor, is also aspiring to the Presidential seat in 2023 under the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

The two former bosom friends parted ways over some deep irreconcilable differences. Before they parted ways, Wike was Amaechi’s Chief of Staff, having led the battle for the unprecedented declaration, by the Supreme Court, of Amaechi as the Governor of Rivers State when he stood for no election. He displaced his cousin, Celestine Omehia.

Not a few people think that Amaechi, in declaring to run in 2023, is cashing in on the clamor by the South-east of a President, in 2023, of Igbo extraction. Even though he is from the South-South, he is of Ikwerre, an Igbo speaking area.

In the past few months, Amaechi has let it be known that he is an Igbo man, and emphasised that nobody should deny him of his Igbo heritage and ancestry. “My birth names are Chibuike Amaechi. I am Igbo”, he recently said.

Some political analysts say President Buhari could back Amaechi and use him to kill three birds with one stone.

*A power shift to the South.

*Allowing the South-south to complete a two-term in office which was denied the Zones when he defeated President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

*Assuage the South-east which has been clamoring for a President from the Zone.

This means that Amaechi will be running to represent both the South-south and the South-east. Already, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has  embraced him as a beloved  Igbo son.

Other core Igbo sons seriously in the race are former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim and former Anambra State Governor, who was the PDP Vice Presidential candidate in 2019, Peter Obi.

Even though both Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa and Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, had declared interest under the PDP and the APC respectively, nothing much is being heard of their ambition.

Amaechi was a two- term Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, a two-term Governor of Rivers State, a two-term Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, and presently, a two-term Minister of Transportation.

How the APC will manage its heavy weights in the race – Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Amaechi, and expectedly, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will be interesting.

The party has already zoned  the office to the South.

Imo East, Poorly Represented By Successive Representatives – Betty Anyanwu -Akeredolu

By
The Source
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Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu

By Charles Igbo

A Senatorial aspirant in 2023, Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, says that her decision to run for the Senatorial seat,  Imo East, (Owerri Zone), stems from the poor representation of the people by their successive representatives, and the lack of leadership in the Zone.

She is, therefore, running in 2023, she said,  to lead the leadership conversation on behalf of the people. Successive administrations and Legislators, she observed, grossly neglected the Zone.

Anyanwu-Akeredolu, who is the Wife of the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, and so, the First Lady of the State, spoke during an interactive session with members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Imo Council, on Friday, March 8, 2022, in Owerri.

According to her: “The level of neglect of the Zone is remote and hopeless, despite the rapid urbanisation of other parts of the State.”

She also lamented what she described as “the poor refuse disposal system in the area and the high number of preventable deaths, especially among women, occasioned by lack of standard medical facilities in the Senatorial District”

A native of Emeabiam in the Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, Anyanwu-Akeredolu, though married to a Yoruba man, said she has never lost touch with her roots.

“I have been married for 40 years, but I have never lost touch with my  biological birthplace. I am conversant with developments at home.

“I have deep interest in human capital development and a deep-seated desire to improve the lives of my people from Imo. Leadership is not gender-specific.”

She says she has an edge to attract projects to  Owerri Zone  over any other aspirant to the Senatorial seat because:

“As an Igbo daughter, with Yoruba in-laws, I stand a good chance to lobby for projects that would impact on the lives of my people.”

Giving an insight into what she has used her marital position to achieve for her people she said:

“I have demonstrated this ability to handle the position with the many development projects I attracted to my community in the past.

“I have ensured that my development projects, as the wife of a sitting Governor, are extended to my State of origin.

“I attracted the construction of a 10.5km road, worth N1.6 billion from Niger Delta Development Commission and it is currently under construction.

“I have also sponsored no fewer than 200 girls, with technological knowledge and special focus on Information Communication Technology, among others.”

Taking a look at the Zone, Anyanwu-Akeredolu  said: “There is lack of direction, compassion and understanding presently to improve the lives of the people in the constituency.”

She, therefore, asked for support to represent the people at the Senate.

Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, unarguably, the most active Governor’s wife in Nigeria, holds the prestigious Chieftaincy title of “Ada Owere”, bestowed on her by all the Traditional Rulers in Owerri. In her native Emeabiam Community, she holds the title of “Ada Emeabiam 11.”

2023: Amaechi Declares For President 2 Weeks After Denying Interest

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James Orji
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By James Orji

Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation has declared his intention to run for Nigerian president next year. The former Rivers state governor had earlier denied running for the highest office in the country.

On March 26, Amaechi, a close ally of incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari said he did not want to become president, that all he needed is money to live a good life.

“The people that want me to run for the presidency in 2023 should just give me the money. I need money to survive,” the minister said, two weeks ago while responding to suggestion that he’s among those planning to succeed President Buhari under the banner of ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

The minister who once said he had never told a lie, said on Saturday that pressure has been mounted on him to run for the office of commander-in-chief.

Amaechi said, “I stand before you today to declare my intention and submit my application to serve as your next President,” as he joined other APC stalwarts who have indicated their interest to become president in 2023.

Apart from him, APC chieftains who have thrown their hats in the ring for next year’s presidential election include, Senator Orji Kal, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who has yet to declare his interest publicly, amongst others.

 

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