₦airaland Forum

MeanChris:
When was the last time Tinubu visited the US?

thunderfirebuha:
Why are you easily deceived? Igbos are not known for that...

You should know that Yorubas are doing everything to paint ATUKU-OBI ticket as terrible so to keep marketing that failed pair of disaster they forced on Nigerians sinc 2015.

MY ADVICE TO ALL IGBOS:

STAY AWAY FROM ANY DIVISIVE THREAD OR PUBLICATION BY YORUBAS AGAINST ATIKU-OBI.

FIGHT THEM WITH FACTS ON GROUND.

Dare Odufowokan On: October 28, 2018

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, does not seem to be interested in committing himself to a single term in office if he wins next year’s election, The Nation can now report.

Prominent Igbo leaders are said to have been putting pressure on Atiku to agree to do only one term in office as a condition for the geo-political zone to support him.

The idea is to pave the way for a Southeasterner to succeed him in 2023.

But Atiku, who believes his choice of Mr. Peter Obi from the zone, is enough as an expression of his respect for the people, is not keen on doing one term.

Southeast stakeholders, including prominent political leaders, are worried that the zone may have to wait till 2026 to have a shot at the Presidency should Atiku stick to his gun, and goes on to win the 2019 election.

The Nation learnt that the issue was the main subject of discussion as a meeting in Enugu last week when a committee earlier mandated to discuss the request with Atiku and his handlers reported back to the house.

The committee, sources said, informed the meeting that the PDP presidential candidate gave no definite answer on their proposal.

Those at the meeting were said to have expressed disappointment at the situation, coming so soon after Atiku was accused of not consulting them in picking Obi as his running mate.

Although Atiku had, in a previous interview pledged to do only one term, sources said he has refused so far to give any such undertaking since he was nominated at the Port Harcourt convention of the PDP.

Atiku was quoted in that interview as saying: “I have said it before on my own initiative… if I am elected as the president in 2019; I give an undertaking that I would only do one term… I am prepared to sign an undertaking to do only one term.”

Sources said he has not come forward to give effect to that vow, since he got the PDP ticket.

A source close to him confirmed the development to The Nation but denied that Atiku is now dodging the issue.

He recalled that Atiku had publicly said he might do one term if elected.

He, however, frowned at what he described as an attempt to ‘box’ the PDP presidential hopeful to a corner even before he is elected president.

The source said:”I can tell you categorically that Atiku, as a person, is committed to keeping his promises.

“But in politics, every little detail matters. While they may say he will win the confidence of the Igbo by signing an undertaking like that are they thinking of how his people from the North will feel about such move?

“We were all living witnesses to how such a commitment became the albatross of former President Jonathan.

“There is no crisis over this matter and it is not true that Atiku doesn’t want to discuss the issue. I suspect that those who claim to be acting on behalf of those making the demands are not being truthful about the real situation of things.

“If a man has given his words publicly and you still want more, then you will have to do more to get more.”

A serving PDP Senator from the Southeast who also spoke to The Nation on the matter said the leaders of the region have taken it upon themselves to get Atiku to address the issue as it is of great importance to the political future of the people.

He, however, said some politicians from the region are also helping the PDP candidate to dodge the question.

He said:”It is true we are worried about the single term request.

“It is very correct that we are yet to get a definite answer from Atiku and we are not pleased with that.

“Just like he handled the manner in which he nominated his running mate, Atiku is allowing this issue to generate too much bad blood from our midst towards him. It is a very germane matter that is being handled with levity by him and his handlers.

“We had a committee made up of prominent people including people very close to Atiku himself. And they have not been able to tell us something definite. We find that quite funny.

“The people of the Southeast are very sophisticated people who will not allow anybody or group of people to take them for a ride. We know Buhari cannot seek another term after 2023. We need Atiku to tell us his plans beyond 2023.

“Our people are only keeping quiet now because we agreed to save the PDP in the Southeast by managing our differences better. Following the bad publicity generated by the bad handling of the Peter Obi choice, we agreed to keep issues away from the press.

“That is why I am speaking with you on anonymity. But if care is not taken, another round of uproar will soon break out because the Igbo race will not allow anybody to disrespect us for long.”

The Nation also gathered that as part of last minute efforts to get Atiku to address the single term question, a delegation of Southeast leaders has been raised to meet him and present the matter to him.

“This new delegation is likely to have headed to Dubai to converse with the PDP candidate. The group is made up of largely PDP chieftains. Some of them had been at loggerheads with Atiku before now. But they all agreed to carry out the task to save the situation. We await the outcome of this last effort,” our source added.

ON OCTOBER 27, 2018

By Adeola Badru

IBADAN - VICE President Yemi Osinbajo has exposed former Nigeria’s Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, over his plot to turn Nigerians against the present government on restructuring of the country.

The vice president spoke against the backdrop of statements attributed to Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s general elections that he would restructure Nigeria if Nigerians elected him as president in 2019, saying when Atiku was the vice president and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was the president between 1999 and 2007, on PDP platform, they opposed restructuring.

Osinbajo disclosed this when he answered questions on the state of the nation from the audience after he delivered the ninth public lecture, entitled: Developing the Nation through Youth Empowerment, as part of activities marking the 68th anniversary of the Sigma Club, University of Ibadan.

The lecture, chaired by a legal luminary, Dr. Wale Babalakin(SAN), and held at the International Conference Centre, UI, was attended by Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, UI, Prof Idowu Adebowale, on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Prof Idowu Olayinka; deputy governor of Oyo State, Otunba Moses Adeyemo, who represented Governor Abiola Ajimobi; and leader of the Sigma Club, Valentine Igbonekwu.

Osinbajo said the ruling All Progressives Congress started advocates for restructuring since the 2000 when Atiku was the vice president and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was the president of Nigeria.

They both administered the country on PDP platform from 1999 to 2007. He accused them of opposing restructuring when they were he in power, asking why Atiku should be talking about restructuring he fought against then.

“If you ask those people now talking about restructuring, none of them has done anything compared to what we have done. So, I am not a latter day convert to restructuring. I am an active practitioner of restructuring, and I have gone to the Supreme Court 12 times to test restructuring.

“If today, somebody is talking about restructuring, ask him what does he mean? And where was he when we were going to court? Were they not opposing restructuring when we were going to court? We were in the opposition then. They were at the Federal Government, and they opposed every step that we took on restructuring,” he said.

Osinbajo continued: “Let me explain my position clearly. I am not just an advocate of restructuring, there is no other government in Nigeria that has actively pursued restructuring such as we did when I was Attorney General in Lagos State.

“People talking about restructuring, if you ask them ‘What do you mean by restructuring?’ They won’t even know what it means, and that is the problem we have and that we have to face.

“Let me tell you what it is. When I was the Attorney General in Lagos State, we pursued in the Supreme Court, all of the issues of restructuring. We started with fiscal restructuring, which is more of resource control. Should states control their own resources? We went to the Supreme Court. They argued that each state should control its own resources.”

Osinbajo stated that the states that argued in favour of autonomy of states to control their resources were the oil producing states in the country and Lagos State, and they argued on one side, adding that other states of the federation argued on the other side because every state wants share the oil money.

“So, our own argument was that each state should control its own resources. We lost at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court said no, that you cannot control your resources. If you are an oil producing state, take 13 per cent extra, which is derivation,” he stated.

Osinbajo said the Lagos State further argued that it has ports and the ports serve the entire nation, so the state should also take 13 per cent derivation. The Supreme Court, he said, said no, adding that the argument was pursued further, which has led to the introduction of onshore and offshore law, “which is fast enabling our state to share from onshore resources…

“All this time, this was 2000, some of those people, including the presidential candidate of PDP, who is talking about restructuring, was the vice president then; they opposed every step that we took. Of course, we were taking the Federal Government to court then. They opposed every step.

“The next thing we did was that the states should be able to create their own local governments, which is autonomy of states. So, we created 47 new local governments in Lagos. The president then, Chief Obasanjo, seized our local government funds and said we could not create new local governments. So, they seized the funds they were supposed to allocate for our local governments.

“We challenged the seizure by going to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court held that the president had no right to seize the funds meant for local governments of the state, and that we have a right to create local governments. But after hey have created the local governments, the process is not complete. They must still bring the list of new local governments to the National Assembly and the National Assembly will then amend the whole list of the local governments in the country.

“So, our local governments remain. But we could not get the National Assembly’s endorsement. So, we passed the LCDA Law. We created 47 and made them local council development areas.

Chairman of the occasion, Babalakin stated: “I know that the most significant thing we must address is how to give our youths qualitative education. The time has gone to continue to play the blame game but do the needful to salvage the youths.

“The influx and foray of our youths to foreign universities must be checked to help provide more fund for Nigerian universities. There is no shortcut to it that the government must provide affordable education at all levels.

“We must find a way of funding education robustly and sustainably to salvage the future of the youth and the nation. We cannot but educate Nigerians and we must find a way of doing it in a robust and sustainable fashion.”

October 27, 2018 Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

THERE are indications that some aides of the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, have been registered as National Assembly candidates of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) for the 2019 general elections.

The development, no doubt, has confirmed the growing speculation that Amosun has alternative plan having been unhappy with the outcome of the governorship and legislative primaries in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Those whose names were found on the DPP list as pasted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were until Friday members of the ruling APC.

On the list as candidates for three senatorial seats in the state were the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye (East); a Senior Special Assistant to Amosun, Alhaji Bola Adeyemi (Central) and another Senior Special Assistant on Energy, Chief Taiwo Fagbemi, as the senatorial candidate for Ogun West.

Whereas the names of Amosun, his Chief of Staff, Tolu Odebiyi and his ally, Senator Lekan Mustapha were listed and pasted as senatorial candidates of APC for Ogun Central, West and East seats in the National Assembly respectively.

Sunday Tribune gathered that the names of APC executive members and political appointees “planted” in DPP might be substituted with all the names of the consensus candidates of APC on or before the December 1 deadline for withdrawal and final substitution of candidates.

On the DPP list as candidates for the House of Representatives are former APC chairman for Egbado South Local Government, Odebiyi Safiu Abiodun (Egbado South /Ipokia Federal constituency); a younger brother to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Adekunbi Fatai Aremu; Alhaji Taofeek Olabode, a serving chairman of Abeokuta North Local Council Development Area as candidate for Abeokuta North/ Obafemi-Owode/Odeda Federal Constituency.

Others on the list are the General Manager of the State Housing Corporation, Ms Olajumoke Akinwunmi (Abeokuta South); the current chairman of Odogbolu Local Government, Wale Shittu (Ijebu Central Federal Constituency).

Also on the list are Odumosu Olugbenga (Remo North); a Commissioner in the Civil Service Commission, Mojeed Ekelojumati (Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Ogun Waterside); the current chairman of APC in Ifo LG, Saheed Ariori (Ifo/Ewekoro) and Lamidi Rasheed (Ado-Odo/Ota).

However, it is likely that the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Suraj Adekunbi would be substituted with the name of his younger brother Fatai, as the candidate of DPP for Egbado North/Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency.

Sources said Olabode’s name might be substituted with the name of the current occupier of the seat, Hon. Mikhail Kazeem.

October 27, 2018 Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

SOME elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun West have warned the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, over unguarded comments on the persons of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; the former governors of Ogun and Lagos States, Chief Olusegun Osoba and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, over happenings in the state chapter of the party.

The elders in a communique issued at the end of a stakeholders meeting held on Friday, at Owode-Yewa town hall, which was read by Chief Mufutau Ajibola, the elders declared their unflinching support to the leadership of the party for recognising Prince Dapo Abiodun, as the governorship candidate of the party in the 2019 general elections.

The elders warned Amosun and the former Minister of State for Education, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo to desist from making uncomplimentary comments about the personalities, saying such comments would be met with reactions.

They said their desire to have a credible Yewa-Awori man as governor on the ticket of the party was betrayed, adding that no one can foist any candidate on them.

“Yewa Awori man for governor must be credible,” “full of virtues” and devoid of “blemishes.”

“Yewa Awori for governor of our dream must be credible, have the full virtues of Yewa Awori without any blemishes.

“He must be acceptable to the vast majority of other equally important stakeholders across the state and responsible to the citizenry and not to a selfish cabal under the leadership of tyrant, emperor and self-acclaimed god of Ogun State,” the communique reads.

The elders equally warned against alleged intimidation, harassment and threat of party members loyal to Abiodun.

ON OCTOBER 27, 2018 10:59

Lagos – The South-West Zone of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Abubakar, to give more key positions to the zone if he emerges as president.

The South-West Vice-Chairman of the party, Dr Eddy Olefeso, made the demand in Lagos on Friday night, at a meeting of key members across the six states in the zone.

The meeting, which lasted hours, had in attendance a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George; the current Deputy National Chairman (South),Chief Yemi Akinwonmi; and a former National Vice Chairman of the party, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo.

Also present were former Minister of State for Defence, Mrs Sola Obada; a former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Alhaja Makanjuola Badru; and a member of the National Assembly, Sen. Abiodun Olujimi.

The party’s governorship candidate in Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde; the governorship candidate in Ogun, Mr Ladi Adebutu; and a former governorship aspirant in Osun State, Chief Akin Ogunbiyi, were also at the meeting, among others. Olafeso said though the promise of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) slot by Atiku was a good development, the zone deserved more key political and government positions.

The Vice-Chairman said that the zone had been schemed out in the power arrangement of the party for the past few years.

Olafeso said for Atiku to give the zone a sense of belonging and compensate “for the years of abandonment”, he should zone key positions of the Chief of Staff to the President and Àttorney-General of the Federation to the South-West in addition to the SGF.

He said the South-West had the second highest voting population in the country and would demand its fair share of political positions if PDP wins in 2019.

“We have been denied for too long. In 2011, the country under the control of our party zoned the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the zone and it was taken away.

“And from 2011 to 2015, we were left just like that and the reverberating effect of that abandonment is the reason why we are still having the hangover of neglect till today.

“Now we are here again, the party is working with a zone with 14million votes, the second largest in the country. We refuse and we will not accept where we finish the job in the next election and for one reason or the other, we will not be considered.

“We don’t have to wait till after the election before we say what we want. We want to let the party and our candidate know that certain positions are strategic to governance and we want them.

“Yes, the SGF is great, but there is nothing wrong with having the Chief of Staff and Attorney-General on top of it to compensate us for the denials of the past, so that all of us can work as a united front.

“We will continue to fight for it, we will speak with a loud voice. We give so much, so the zone deserves a lot,” he said.

While congratulating Abubakar on his emergence as presidential candidate, Olafeso said the zone was pleased with the choice of Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, as his running mate. He said the country was faced with serious economic challenges, and Obi had the pedigree that could realise the party’s economic vision for Nigeria.

Olafeso said the zone was concerned about the travails of former governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over a case.

He urged members of the party to stand with Fayose at his trying moment, saying the former governor was paying for being truthful and standing against injustice. “I was in the court the last time and I am glad to tell you that he has been granted bail.

“We will do our best to ensure that he perfects his bail conditions and he is released soon,” he said.

Olafeso also said he was confident that the verdicts of the Osun and Ekiti governorship elections, where the All Progressives Congress was declared winner in both polls, would be upturned at the tribunal. Olafeso urged members to be leave behind post-primaries disagreements and work together to ensure the party’s victory in 2019. He said the party had come out of its recent factional crisis to emerge strong, expressing the confidence that it would dislodge APC in 2019.

Akinwonmi, on his part, said the party was working assiduously hard to wrestle power from the APC in 2019. He, however, said the party executive could not do it alone, calling on all members to do their bit to help achieve the electoral goal.(NAN)

yemaldo:
So wetin America wan do us?

Barring any last minute change, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu will dump Nigeria’s major opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Daily Sun gathered that Ekweremadu has been involved in high-level negotiations with the top echelon of the APC, “because he was aggrieved about the way he has been treated since Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki defected to the PDP.

“What is, however, unclear is the position the APC will give him upon defection.

A source said Ekweremadu’s defection “is just in a matter of days.”

This will be another major defection after Saraki and former minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, defected from the APC and PDP, respectively.

It was also gathered that “Ekweremadu was not happy with the way he was used and dumped by the PDP.”

A chieftain of the APC from the South East had earlier said: “Look at the way they treated Ekweremadu. When all of them left, Ekweremadu remained to fight for the survival of this party. How many of them would have resisted the temptation not to defect in the face of the intimidation, harassment, prosecution and persecution meted out on him.

“As a person, he had nothing to lose if he had defected then. In fact, he had everything to gain. He probably would have been the senate president because he was offered the slot. Then, when you people now return, you feel that people who had helped this party to survive, did not matter, again, simply because you got a presidential ticket. Also, even Saraki knows that if the DSP had not been loyal, they would have gotten at him (Saraki) long ago.

“All the trials Ekweremadu was put through were all because of Saraki. But, when it was the turn of Saraki to be there for him, he failed him and as we speak, how many days is this after the primary. Atiku is yet to call DSP. You don’t treat a man who has been taking bullets on you people’s behalf like that. Well, I wish them and PDP well, but, they should know that action begets reaction and they will pay the price for this mistreatment of people, who laboured for the party during the toughest time. And, if Ekweremadu leaves, we will hold these people responsible,” he stated.

ON OCTOBER 22, 2018 2:13 PM

A former governor of Old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, on Monday urged Nigerians not to gamble with the idea of returning the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) to power in 2019.

Musa told newsmen on telephone from Kaduna that the country would be worse off if the main opposition party was allowed to come back.

He said the PDP had ruled the country for 16 years before 2015 and all they brought to Nigerians was misery and underdevelopment.

Musa said that the opposition party almost completely ruined the economy with massive corruption and plunder while in power.

The governor said though all was not well with the country under the present All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government, Nigerians should never risk having any hope in the PDP to make things better.

Musa said that the PDP lacked the moral right to ask for a return to power, and a credible alternative was needed to turn things around in the country.

“I do not understand the hype about PDP returning to power. I just do not understand. Return to do what? The party that created many problems for 16 years while they were in power? No way!

“Things are not too good at the country at the moment, but I think the country would be worse if the PDP is allowed to return. We saw what they did for 16years and they will definitely mess things up further.

“Nigerians should not trust the PDP with power. We will be disappointed.What we need in the country right now is a credible alternative that would deliver good governance and respond to our needs,” he said.

Musa said that money had over the years influenced Nigerian politics, resulting in the emergence of unpopular leaders. The former governor said Nigerians must be prepared to change the narrative by voting according to their conscience in 2019 and beyond.

He said the country was currently faced with a number security and economic challenges, among others, calling for government’s creative intervention to address.

Musa suggested the economic restructuring of the country to bring back privatised public corporations to government control for provision of more efficient services to the people. The former governor said the economy was being controlled by the private sector which was ripping off the people with poor service delivery.

(NAN)