₦airaland Forum

Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State have thrown their weight behind former Lagos state Governor, Bola Tinubu, as the party’s consensus presidential candidate.

The group expressed their support for Tinubu today at a massive rally in Jos, the state’s capital.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Hon. Solomon Ndam described Tinubu as a good omen for the country owing to his numerous contributions to the sustenance of our nascent democracy over decades.

Addressing party faithful, Ndam noted that the aspirations of the party’s national leader “presents us with a great opportunity to turn the fortunes of the country around for good, owing to his leadership style that speaks volumes of an unalloyed commitment to sustainable growth and development”.

He, therefore, said it will be an error of judgment if the APC in Plateau state does not rally support for his presidential aspiration.

Although conceding that the former Governor has shown love for the people of the state, Ndam added that he is a detribalized Nigeria that knows no tribe or religion but one Nigeria.

According to him, Tinubu flaunts a towering credential and experience, comparable to none, that suits the purpose of addressing the myriads of challenges in the country.

Ndam, however, urged other state chapters to adopt their national leader as consensus candidate, noting that with him victory is certain in 2023.

Read full statement below:

We welcome you all to this one in a lifetime rally in Jos, the capital of Plateau state. We are glad that such an event is held on the soil of our great state in support of an enigma who has indicated an interest in the top leadership position in the country.

That we have all come out in our numbers indicates that the APC in Plateau state is in tune with the country's mood about the presidential aspiration of the indefatigable Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

As critical stakeholders in the state, we are duty-bound to lend our voices to the great movement about to take the whole country by storm. We are excited and elated because something good is about to happen in our polity.

We have seen the good, bad and ugly. We dare say that the coming on board of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a good omen for our great country because of his numerous contributions to the sustenance of our nascent democracy over decades.

It must be stated that the presidential aspiration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu indeed presents us with a great opportunity to turn the fortunes of the country around for good, owing to his leadership style that speaks volumes of an unalloyed commitment to sustainable growth and development.

It will therefore be an error of judgment if the APC in Plateau state does not rally support for the presidential aspiration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This gathering today that saw people from all the local government areas of Plateau state demonstrates the love the Plateau people have for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The name Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a household one in Plateau state because of the tremendous love and respect he has demonstrated for the Plateau people over the years. It is instructive to note that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has consistently displayed love and affection to the Plateau people in ways too numerous to mention.
He has identified with us in good and trying times. He has made the issues affecting Plateau state a top priority for him, and for him, we are eternally grateful. Some might wonder why Plateau state and some might also wonder why the incredible display of love by the Plateau people for him.

The answer is simple; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a detribalized Nigeria that knows no tribe or religion but one Nigeria. His progressive leadership style is such that it is guaranteed to translate the hopes and aspirations of the people into tangible reality.

For us at the Plateau APC Support Group, this is the time to reciprocate our love and appreciation for a man who has served as a pillar of support for the entrenchment of democracy in the country.
Let us make no mistakes; this mammoth crowd seen here today is not a fluke. It reflects the true Plateau spirit that values friendship and rewards loyalty. And that is the atmosphere experienced here in this rally today.

We are not just gathered for the sake of it. We are gathered here to press home the valuable point of why the people of Plateau state must rally support for the presidential bid of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

We have looked everywhere and come to the desirable conclusion that the APC in Plateau State must be uniform in adopting Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the party's consensus candidate for the 2023 Presidential elections.

This is indeed a child of necessity. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu presents a towering credential and experience that suits the purpose of addressing the myriads of challenges in the country.

The Plateau APC support Group wishes to use this occasion to sound the trumpet of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to all the nook and cranny of Plateau state as the consensus candidate of the APC in the 2023 presidential elections.

As the consensus candidate of the APC, the party is indeed guaranteed a resounding electoral victory in the presidential elections. This is the ultimate aim of our gathering here today. It behoves the APC in Plateau state to queue behind Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

We wish to reiterate that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a Plateau Man. Therefore our support for him remains unflinching. We can feel your excitement, and we are convinced that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu shall emerge as the consensus candidate of the APC in the 2023 presidential elections.

We lack the appropriate words to express our appreciation for all that came out in their numbers today. We are grateful and pledge to campaign vigorously and with your support to actualize the presidential aspiration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Thank you, and God bless.

Hours after declaring his presidential ambition, the Northern Christians Movement (NCM) has warned certain spiritual and political leaders to be wary of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, whom it predicted would betray anyone that has been instrumental to his achievements.

The Movement gave the warning in a statement issued by its President, Rev. Jonah Omera in Abuja on Thursday, noting that Professor Osinbajo’s Monday morning online declaration rather unveiled him as a serial betrayal.

The statement said Professor Osinbajo’s eventual declaration is an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians and a slap on their faces especially when he initially denied having such ambition, pointing out that such devious behaviour points to a government that would thrive on being dubious if the electorates ever made the mistake of making him president.

It expressed bewilderment that “Osinbajo, who identifies as a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, did not see anything wrong in disregarding the kind of mentor/mentee relationship that existed between Apostle Paul and Timothy, because he failed to replicate this kind of relationship between himself as his benefactor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, whom Osinbajo betrayed and dishonoured as a mentor through his declaration for the same office that his former boss is aspiring to.

“It is well known that Professor Osinbajo is banking on votes from the 12 million members strong Redeemed Church, but we found it pertinent to warn its General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye that Osinbajo like Peter will betray him three times before the end of 2023 if elected President of Nigeria.

“As sure as this is the symbolic Holy Week that Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ, the Vice President will betray Pastor Adeboye the same way he did to Asiwaju Tinubu, for this is his true nature. He will not stop at the General Overseer as we predict that Professor Osinbajo will soon deny Jesus Christ when he gets to the campaign trail because his desperation for power is legendary and him there is no Jesus Christ but only inordinate ambition.

“We, therefore, call on Pastor Adeboye and all those led by the spirit to intervene because Professor Osinabjo is setting a bad precedent that will later haunt other Christians, especially the clergymen that are interested in politics. He is creating a bad image for Christians as people that cannot be trusted to be honourable while teaching our youth that it is okay to be a betrayer.

“The sense of shame he feels about betraying his benefactors was the real reason he did not dare formally declare at a properly conducted event but rather hid in his bedroom to declare online. Making the virtual declaration seem like compliance with COVID-19 control protocols is another confirmation of his duplicitous tendency, as the same man had in multiple instances mingled with the crowd without a thought for the virus when it suited his purpose.

“Because God is a merciful God, we urge Vice President Osinbajo to retrace his steps as it is not too late for him to thread the path of repentance, apologise to those he has betrayed and seek their forgiveness. Then there is still hope of redemption for his soul,” the statement admonished.

WHY PROF OSINBAJO IS MOST EXPERIENCED AND BEST PREPARED FOR PRESIDENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES


In this piece, Kayode Ajulo emphatically asserts that having contributed significantly to the success of four great Nigerian Moslem personalities, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is the best candidate for the position of President & Commander-In-Chief of the Armed of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.


As Nigerians at home and abroad - as well as the entire world - eagerly await Prof Yemi Osinbajo’s acceptance speech to run for the office of the President & C-in-C Armed Forces of the Federal Republic, in exercise of his right of first refusal as the Vice President of Nigeria; a little bit of reflection on the person and personality of Prof. Yemi Osinbaja is in order given our present circumstance.

After a careful analysis of the leading potential presidential candidates in the coming 2023 Presidential Election election, It is most imperative to be made known that in the present political calculation, there is no other Nigerian, old or young, who comes fully prepared like Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

It is an undeniable fact that Prof Yemi Osinbajo has no doubt established a strong base upon which we can consolidate for the future and his political ideology has stood the test of time. Prof Yemi Osinbajo has more intellectual endowment, superior pedigree and moral heft than other potential contestants, however, these attributes are not the focal point of this discussion, but his experience that stands him out as a man for this moment and a man of greatness far above other contestants.

William Shakespeare, the wordsmith, tells us not to be weary of greatness, saying:
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em”

Prof. Yemi Osinbajo ticks the three above boxes of Williams Shakespeare - he was born into greatness, he has a good pedigree, he's the late sage’s son, and a scion of a world-acclaimed family. The Prof also achieved greatness: as an academic, I know what it is to be a Professor of Law of an Ivy League institution and as a lawyer, I know what it takes to rise within the ranks and be elevated to the enviable and prestigious rank of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

While most of the aspirants have been peddling what they did in the 90’s, Professor Osinbajo has had greatness tossed upon him from the 80’s when he was appointed as an SA to Dr. Teslim Olawale Elias, one of Nigeria’s most exceptional, intellectually-gifted judges ever and who also became President of the International Court of Justice. For those who may not know, Taslim Olawale Elias, was born on the 11th day of November 1914, the year of our amalgamation and died on the 14th day of August 1991 the year the Federal Capital Territory was moved from Lagos to Abuja. Dr. Elias, as he was fondly called, was a super jurist. He was Attorney-General and Chief Justice of Nigeria before rising to higher responsibilities at the World Court in the Hague.
He was a scholar who modernised and extensively revised the laws of Nigeria and above all, he was a devout Moslem. And to this great world-renowned legal luminary, Prof Yemi Osinbajo was his Assistant at the World Court in the Hague in Netherlands.

Another very distinguished legal luminary with whom Osinbajo’s name waa associated in the 80s was Prince Bolasodun Adesumbo "Bola" Ajibola. A Knight of the British Empire, he was born on the 22nd day of March 1934. This great jurist was the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, he was the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice of Nigeria from 1985 to 1991 and a Judge of the International Court of Justice from 1991 to 1994. He was also one of five commissioners on the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission. A devout Moslem, he established an Islamic and co-educational institution, Crescent University, in Nigeria in 2005, and also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN).
He was also the High Commissioner of Nigeria to the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2002. And to this great legal juggernaut, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo was his Special Assistant.

Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu, the Jagaban of Borgu, and Asiwaju of Lagos needs no introduction: he was an accountant, elected as Senator in 1992 for less than a year. In 1999, Asiwaju Tinubu served as the Governor of Lagos State till 2007 and he's known as the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress since the party’s formation in 2013.
Again to the Asiwaju of Lagos and Jagarban Borgu, Prof Yemi Osinbajo was his Chief Law Officer and Attorney General of Lagos State Government with unprecedented ground-breaking achievements in the governance of Lagos State.

Fourth is President Muhamadu Buhari, retired General and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He had served as military Head of State in Nigeria in the early 80s and he doggedly ran for the office of President of Nigeria in 2003, 2007, and 2011. In December 2014, he emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress party for the 2015 general election and won.
To assist Buhari, the lot fell on Prof Yemi Osinbajo who ran on a joint ticket with President Buhari and they won the election with a very comfortable margin, defeating incumbent President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. It was the first time in the history of Nigeria that an incumbent President lost a general election. Muhammadu Buhari is also a Moslem like Taslim Elias, Prince Bola Ajibola and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Prof Yemi Osinbajo’s contributions to the successes and elevations of the above named colossus are better imagined. Yet he and those four eminent men that he served diligently ultimately achieved much without any of those inter-religious frictions that bother little minds and holds back the unity and progress of Nigeria.

Of more significance is the fact that since the beginning of Nigeria's existence – since the amalgamation of North and South in 1914 - Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has been acclaimed as the most engaged, experienced and utterly loyal Vice President.

For the benefit of hindsight and by most accounts, no other Vice President seemed to have had such a crisis-free, corruption-free, more genial working relationship, with his principal than Prof. Osinbajo.

One must also add that since he started, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo waa not just born or destined for leadership and greatness. He has been groomed, cultured and nurtured for greatness. Of greater significance is the fact that he never lobbied to be chosen as the Vice President to President Muhammadu Buhari but a recognition of his innate capacities made the leading men of his day to recognize and accept him, for meritorious ascendancy into national leadership.

Today, when you talk of loyalty, trust, competence, capability faithfulness and capacity, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo comes to mind as one most capable of taking Nigeria to the next level. Truly, the heights reached and kept by great men are not attained by sudden flight; Osinbajo has long been primed for the leadership role of President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Kinsmen of former President Jonathan have warned politicians to refrain from unhealthy propaganda and distortion of historical facts in their quest for power ahead of the 2023 general elections, especially as it pertains to presidential timelines and the duration of the tenure of the Jonathan presidency. 


Paramount Ruler of Otuoke community, King Ariwareni Paul, in a statement issued in Yenagoa frowned at what he called obsession with continuing lies and misinformation against their son, Jonathan, by politicians and public commentators in their bid to win cheap sympathy ahead of the 2023 elections. 


The community leader said they have observed a narrative of misinformation on the five year tenure of President Jonathan which “some political hirelings and propagandist have wrongly and treacherously claimed to have lasted six years, ostensibly to agree with their predetermined selfish narrative”, describing it as a distortion of historical facts ahead of the 2023 election.


 He said: “We have read in the news and watched on TV the deliberate misinformation of the public on the political timeline of former Presidents, especially concerning the number of years spent by President Jonathan in office. 


"The narrative that Jonathan spent six instead of five years as President is a distortion of historical fact and it is expedient that we correct this misinformation for the sake of posterity.


King Paul explained that he was reacting to a misleading short documentary on Nigeria’s leadership tenures by Don Pedro Obaseki titled ‘PDP 2023: The Arithmetic of Zoning.’ The traditional ruler wondered why such a man “who is supposed to have a reasonable knowledge of historical events in Nigeria would willingly opt to distort and misrepresent recent significant occurrence in the political evolution of our dear nation. 


"We believe this was not an error on the side of Obaseki but a deliberate mangling of Nigeria’s political history in pursuit of the political desires of his paymasters. 


“It is on record that Jonathan took his oath of office and was sworn in as President on May 6, 2010, following the death of his boss, President Yar’Adua. He later contested in 2011 polls and was subsequently sworn into office on May 29, 2011, and he handed over to his successor on May 29, 2015. So how does May 2010 to May 2015 amounts to 6 years. 


“Assuming but not conceding that one wants to add the three months Jonathan served as acting President, from when the doctrine of necessity was passed by the National Assembly specifically on February 9, 2010, it will amount to five years and four months and definitely not six years.


He said individuals and groups are free to promote any candidate of their choice but Nigerians should not be misinformed for their personal reasons. 


“We have observed that an otherwise credible television station has been promoting this falsehood in the form of advert and documentaries and we are advising them to retract this error. We also admonish sponsors of the advert to get their facts right and stop misinforming Nigerians.”

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps( NYSC), Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim has warned Corps Members not to partake in partisan politics as the 2023 general elections draw near. He however advised them be unbiased electoral umpires anytime they are called upon to serve as electoral officers.

He stated this today while debriefing the 2022 Batch 'A' Stream Two Corps Members in a nationwide virtual address.

The DG admonished them to allow the lessons learnt during the Orientation Course to guide them during and after the service year.

He warned them to be security conscious and avoid anything that would endanger their safety.

"You must be security conscious. Never put yourself in harm's way. Don't get yourself involved in any risky behaviour.

For those of you going on relocation, please follow your State Coordinators' guidelines, directives and instructions", he said.

General Ibrahim urged the Corps Members to register with their skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development trainers to continue with the Post-Camp training afterwards, adding that most of their predecessors that embraced SAED programme are now business owners in different vocations and creators of wealth.

He warned against using the social media to spread fake news and urged them to use it to promote national unity and integration, which the NYSC was established for.

Speaking further, the Director-General advised the Corps Members to obey the rules and regulations in their places of primary assignment, disclosing that anyone that runs foul of the law would be appropriately sanctioned in line with NYSC bye-laws.

Ibrahim urged them to be honest and diligent, advising them to always cherish their integrity, as well as drive their vision with passion.

He warned againt night journeys, stating that any journey that extends beyond 6pm should be broken. He enjoined them to pass the night in NYSC formations, military barracks, Corps Lodges and other safe locations.

"Don't embark on any unauthorized journey. Don't board vehicles by the roadsides; and don't accept free ride from anyone, be wise and be smart", Ibrahim said.

The Director-General thanked the Federal Government, Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, and the NCDC for their support in ensuring a successful resumption of Orientation camping, after the lockdown occasined by the COVID-19 pandemic.

General Ibrahim, who said the NYSC Radio and Television would be commissioned on April 14 added that the mediums would be used to promote the programmes and activities of the Scheme.

He urged the Corps Members to add value to themselves and the Scheme, advising that they should also beware of Online fraudsters.

In his vote of thanks on behalf of his colleagues nationwide, the Corps Camp Director in NYSC Bayelsa State Orientation camp, Abass Aliyu BY/22A/2677, an indigene of Niger State commended the Director-General for providing an enabling environment for their Orientation Course.

He said the lessons learnt in the camp would help them contribute their quota to peaceful co-existence, national unity and development.

He commended the DG for prioritising their welfare and security; and for advocating the establishment of NYSC Trust Fund.

"We promise to remain law-abiding citizens and contribute immensely to the development of the nation", he said.
The 2022 Batch "A" Stream II Orientation Course for Corps members, which commenced on 18th March,2022, was concluded today, 7th April,2022.

2023 Election: 20 REASONS WHY I WANT TO BE PRESIDENT - DUMEBI KACHIKWU

Media Mogul and Chairman of Roots Television Nigeria, Dumebi Kachikwu, on Wednesday, officially declared his interest to contest for the office of President during the 2023 presidential election.

Apart from revealing that he will be running for office of President on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kachikwu, during a virtual broadcast, titled: “My Opening Argument” on Wednesday, vowed to initiate public service reforms, eliminate corruption and win war against terrorism.

He also promised to ensure that men and women enjoy equal opportunities, welfare for teachers, support technology-driven education and healthcare system to stop medical and education tourism abroad.

He also pledged to eliminate corruption by ensuring that Nigerian workers are paid better salaries, build modern cities and ensure that all nook and cranny of the country have better amenities, world class health facilities and accessible and affordable internet services.

He promised to redirect the vast energies of youths to productive venture like trading with their technological skills rather than engaging in online scams popularly called ‘yahoo yahoo.’

He said if elected President, he will collaborate with state governments to invest in power generation, build broadband internet infrastructure and limit states and private sector to distribution activities only.

Kachikwu outlined 20 reasons why he should be elected the next President of Nigeria, as follows:

1. A New Deal For Nigerians

“Together we can design a new menu for our people. We will rebuild Nigeria from the ground up and do away with the faulty and archaic colonial foundation that now characterises our current existence. We must define our common charter as Nigerians and constitute a new nation that is not only inclusive for all but guarantees equal rights and expressions to all irrespective of tribe, tongue and religion.
This new Nigeria must come first before any other identification. It will be our common bond as we do away with all colonial relics of division, mistrust and hatred.

“No longer will we engage based on Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba or North and South but on the basis of Nigeria, our only fatherland. We will resist all those who make religion and tribe their mantra. It will no longer be business as usual. We will zone out all proponents of zoning and usher in a Nigeria that promotes merit, character and knowhow above primordial sentiments.”

2. Make Merit A National Policy

“Every component part of Nigeria is blessed with those who have the talents and abilities to pilot the affairs of Nigeria and we must create the enabling environment for these people to emerge in government and governance. Nigeria will no longer be associated with mediocrity as we will invest in our citizens, our greatest asset. The toga of lazy youths won’t stand as we build the greatest workforce on earth. We must build a workforce that knows today and understands the demands and dictates of tomorrow. We can no longer be in conflict with what we don’t know as we make policy somersaults over modern age financial instruments like bitcoins.”

3. Make Government Accessible to all Citizens

“We cannot be seen to be banning and unbanning platforms like twitter that define the expression of the modern man. No longer will our citizenry be driven to the dark web and unconventional means of communications as they seek to hide from a repressive Government.
Government is and should be a big brother and not a big bully. Millions of our citizenry still live without light and potable water in the year 2022. This is unconscionable.”

4. Prioritise Generation and Distribution of Electric Power

“There is no rocket science to generating power, neither is there magic in distributing power. Our debilitating challenges are man-made and we must use an iron fist in crushing those whose decades of evil practice in our public service space have led us to the brink. We will treat those who sabotage our nation and way of life as saboteurs.”

5. Bar Public Servants from Foreign Medical Treatment, Education for Wards

“We can’t have different rules for different criminals. If you do the crime, you do the time. If given the privilege to lead you my first executive interface with the National Assembly will include a bill, I have dubbed the Nigerian Patriot Act. It is a bill of equality and fairness. It is a bill that says we are all in this together. It is a bill that ensures that public servants cannot use the privileges they cannot provide to the common man.

“If you desire to be in the public service, you must use the same services the masses use. No private or foreign schools for our families, no private or foreign hospitals for us or our families, no generators or boreholes in our homes. If we desire efficient and effective education, healthcare, utilities, etc we must make it available to all so that we may all equally benefit from it.”

6. Stop Incessant And unprofitable Borrowings by States, Federal Governments

“We must resist the wicked urge to take on sovereign debts that benefit a few but repaid by all. We can no longer borrow to build bridges and highways that lead nowhere when the internet is the highway of the future. Borrowings must satisfy the criteria of commercial viability while providing much needed basic amenities.”

7. Make Internet Broadband Available and Affordable

“We need governors who understand that the internet is the highway of the future. As you build roads you must build critical broadband infrastructure. We will make broadband available and affordable for all because this is the only leverage our kids have to compete in the new world.

8. Investment in Power and Telecoms Infrastructure

“I will work with the State Governors on a plan that sees the Federal Government investing in national trunks for power and telecoms while the state governments and private sector participants focus on in state distribution. We will harness all sources of energy to provide power to our people while giving preference to clean energies.”

9. Modernise Nigerian Cities With State of the Art Amenities

“We must replan our cities and build-out modern infrastructure so as to reverse the rural urban migration that threatens most of our communities. It makes no sense to allow the brain drain occasioned by the migration of the middle class when all they seek is security, jobs, good and affordable homes, healthcare, constant power, etc. I will make these a standard in all our cities.”

10. Transform Farming into Agribusiness

“Visionless leadership cannot continue to lead our people astray. We must elevate our millions of farmer to
agripreneurs and and transition farming to agribusiness. We will secure our farmlands and protect our men and women from those who seek to do them harm. Our farms will no longer be known as killing fields but the food factory of Africa, providing millions of good paying jobs for the middle class.”

11. Win War Against Terrorism, Banditry and Kidnapping

“For too long our people have cried. Men and women are being butchered, orphans and widows created by the minute by a war sustained by the greedy who profit from defence contracts and the blood thirsty, who seek to destroy our way of life. We will confront them headlong and destroy them. This war will be fought on our terms. We will arm all the willing and able to rid our nation of foreign invaders. We will take the fight to their camps as we arrest and prosecute their sponsors.

“We will no longer close one flank and leave another flank open for further incursions. The full might of the Nigerian army and the united will of the Nigerian people will confront our enemies. Our army will have clear instructions on what to do to the enemy. Our borders will be closed to all those who seek to harm us because we now know the enemy is the enemy irrespective of religion, tribe and tongue. War is war and Nigeria will win this war.”

12. Promote Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life

“My administration will revenge the lives of all soldiers and civilians killed. They will pay a huge price for their folly and be told in no uncertain terms that Nigeria is not a no man’s land. This is my promise. The sanctity and dignity of life will be restored under my watch. Ritual killings, trade in body parts and kidnappings have no place in civilised society. We will rid our forests of scam artists masquerading as native doctors who promise riches to the weak and lazy. We will protect our young men and women from these predators.”

13. Teach Youths How To Trade With the Internet Instead of ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ Scams

“I do understand that the APC government has succeeded in weaponizing poverty and hunger, but we mustn’t let our basic decency as human beings be eroded. If you can use the internet for Yahoo, you can use the internet to trade. We will guide you and teach you the rudiments of digital commerce. We will build technology parks in every senatorial district in Nigeria that will serve as incubation centres for digital jobs, research and development. We are an English-speaking nation and we will use this to our advantage to provide services to people all over the world from the comfort of our homes.”

14. Stop Brain Drain of Skilled Manpower

“We are the technology generation; technology will be used to leapfrog Nigeria from third world to developed nation. Nigerians are the brains and engine rooms of most nations why can’t they do the same here? No sensible nation allows their best and brightest to leave. We will reverse this ugly trend. Nigeria will work again for everyone.

15. Make Nigeria Waterfronts International Tourist Destination

“We will turn our hundreds of kilometres of beach front land to international tourist destinations providing jobs to our people and bringing much needed foreign exchange.

16. Build Modern Healthcare, Education Facilities

“We will build first class hospitals not just for our citizens but for foreigners desiring first class medical services. We will defend our future by sufficiently investing in education. If this generation has missed it, the next generation must get it right. We owe this to ourselves. Our schools will have modern teaching aids and learning systems and our kids equipped with smart devices. We will retrain all our teachers and pay them better because they are our first line of defence. Our women will join us on the table of equality. They will be respected and promoted. They will be afforded the same opportunities men have. If they can do it, they will do it.

17. Promote Arts, Music Industry

“The Arts won’t be mere lip service in my administration. It only makes sense that our movie and music industry are supported. They have made us proud and still make us proud. Investing in and promoting that industry is not only patriotic, but it also makes perfect business sense. The technology exists to correct their decades long problem of distribution and piracy. This we will do.”

18. Eliminate Corruption By Removing Predisposing Factors

“In this new Nigeria we won’t keep on shouting corruption when our very foundation is corrupt. We will engineer systems and processes that ensure that our citizens don’t turn to corruption by default. We will pay a fair pay for hard work. We will no longer cheat our citizens with the ridiculous minimum wage we offer knowing that we leave them no other option but to steal.

19. Why I want to be President

“My dear Nigerians, I have no money to share to you but my love I will give you. I will always lead in love and by example. I have told your story today because mine is not as important as yours. I am you and you are me. We mustn’t continue to recount the sorrows of yesterday. We will fight for today and defend tomorrow. This we can do. This we must do. This is why I am running for the office of President of Nigeria. It is the office of the Nigerian people. Under my presidency, this office will serve the Nigerian people. This is my promise to you. I need your support on this journey because without you I can’t do it. This is our collective fight. It is a generational fight for our today and the future of our children.

20. Cry For Help, Support

“The odds are heavily stacked against us. We don’t have instruments of coercion or oppression. We don’t have looted funds to buy votes. We don’t have mainstream media on our side. We don’t have the party structure of the APC or PDP but we have the peoples structure. I stand today on the wings and aspirations of over 215 million Nigerians. I represent your hopes and dreams of a Nigeria that works. It is possible and we will make it happen come 2023.

“Tell every man woman and child that Dumebi has come. Let the echo of Dumebi has come ring from every doorway. Go to the market places and tell them Dumebi has come. Dumebi has come is the cry of freedom. 2023 is our year of freedom. I love you all. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. God bless you all."

CIVIL SOCIETY NETWORK PASSES VOTE OF CONFIDENCE ON THE LEADERSHIP OF THE NIGERIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION

The Civil Society Network for Good Governance has passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Speaking at a Press Conference in Abuja, National President of the network, Barrister Adefila Kamal told journalists that the Network reached the decision “On the strength of his exceptional performance”.


While empathizing with Nigerians on the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, the group noted that Nigerian football has witnessed a lot of transformation and reforms. A case in point is the large number of sponsors attracted by the Amaju Melvin Pinnick led board, which has put the NFF in the path to self funding, less than 10% funding from government coffers.


While noting “that even the greatest footballing nations lose games and competitions, the group called “for Nigeria to rise again in unity and do better” while rallying around the leadership of the NFF to take necessary corrective measures.

While calling on Amaju Pinnick to remain focused on the onerous task ahead, they also urged him to make himself available to seek reelection. The group based the call on the fact that Mr. Pinnick had stabilized, despite being confronted with series of existential crises.

The group noted that Pinnick had used “his significant clout in global football to put Nigeria and Nigerians on the global map, with more than nine Nigerians serving in various high level capacities in CAF and FIFA”.


The group further noted that Pinnick had concluded plans for the “construction of 2 pitches in each of the 36 states of Nigeria, with the first 6 already completed in each of the geopolitical zones of Nigeria”. Barr. Adefila further noted that travel and logistics for the national teams had become easier and more comfortable, while “Grade A”friendly matches have become the norm for the Super Eagles, even for the home based team.

The group concluded by positing that “doubt no other individual in Nigeria has done more to put Nigeria on the map in the beautiful game than Amaju Melvin Pinnick, while assuring that their “members will rally round him in human and material resources”.

A Civil Society Organisation, Conscience Nigeria has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, for sponsoring his Presidential ambition with CBN funds.

The groups stated that it is an open fact that naira was ₦170 against the dollar before Mr Emefiele’s emergence as the Governor of CBN. Due to his weak policies, it is now ₦550 against a dollar and still counting. His ineffectiveness has crashed the Naira to the worst situation ever in our history.

At a press conference in Abuja on sunday, the group's Secretary General, Muhammad Hussein, call for immediate removal of the CBN governor so that he can focus on his Presidential ambition. That his removal will be a major step towards the fight against corruption.

The group explained that the CBN governor has been sponsoring pseudo groups across the country in the name of urging him to run for president. The latest is the branding of thousands of vehicles for his presidential ambition with CBN funds, this is not acceptable and must be condemned by all patriotic Nigerians. Assuring that they would not relent on their call for better Nigeria until they have competent hands managing it.

" We will definitely follow up all your corrupt activities that have lead our economy to this regrettable height and you will definitely pay for every damage you've done to our economy.

It added that the clamour for a corrupt free Nigeria is on course and Nigerians are not backing out. We shall follow it to a logical conclusion.

The group further urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the CBN governor to pave way for better hands that will revive the nation's economy immediately.

Muhammad Hussein
Secretary General
Conscience Nigeria
3rd April 2023

*Northern Youths, Women To Hold Rally For ‘Consensus’ APC Candidate Tinubu In Abuja*

Thousand of youths and women in the ruling All Progressives Congress have endorsed former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as the party’s consensus presidential candidate.

To demonstrate their support for the party’s national leader, the group from 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory have announced that it will hold a national rally in the FCT on Thursday.

Speaking to newsmen, on Monday, secretary of the planning committee, Barrister Adamu Abubakar, said the exercise will be the mother of all rallies never seen in the history of the country.

According to him, the youths and women across the northern states and the FCT will converge in the nation’s capital in their numbers.

He said the march will culminate at the Aso Villa where Tinubu will be presented to President Muhammadu Buhari as his successor.

Abubakar said the choice of Tinubu was due to his incredible pedigree, experience and resume.

He noted that the former Lagos Governor is respected and widely accepted, especially in the north where he is only second to President Buhari in terms of cult-followership.

Abubakar added that the APC leader will sustain infrastructural strides, economic reforms and other remarkable legacies of the president.

He, however, enjoined other youths and women from the north to throw their weight behind Tinubu.

Buhari women group hails Tinubu at 70, insists only former Lagos Governor can transform Nigeria


Thousands of women under the auspices of the Buhari Women Organisation today extolled the virtues of former Lagos Governor and All Progressive Congress, APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as he marked his 70th birthday. 


The women said Bola Tinubu is the only person that can transform Nigeria. 


They bore their mind at the unity fountain in Abuja where they described Tinubu as a bridge builder and a unifying factor in Nigeria. 


Led by Honourable Cecilia Ikechukwu, the women descibed Tinubu  as  a shining star who has distinguished himself in service to the country in ways too numerous to mention. 


"He has been tested and trusted, and on this day of his 70th birthday, we have joined millions of Nigerians in rolling out the drums in celebrating a man of many parts, a man with heart gold and a man whose contributions to the socio-economic development of the country cannot be overemphasized.  


"We are glad that God has been faithful to this man who is in love with the country and a man who knows no tribe or religion but one Nigeria. This much he has proven in the various bridges he has built across the country over several decades" 


"That he has attained the ripe age of 70 indicates that Nigerians should expect more from this detribalized Nigerian whose focus from time immemorial has remained for the good of the common man and woman on the streets" she said


She said the women cannot but roll out the drums in celebration of an "enigma of our time and the one that is called the Jagaban of Nigeria. As we can see, today's crowd is not one meant for those who think of themselves alone but for those dedicated to the peace and unity of our dear country."


"We are not just celebrating Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; we are also using this occasion to make a loud statement that we want the whole country to hear. We are making a statement that would reverberate across the length and breadth and the nook and cranny of the country. 


"The Buhari Women Organization is elated to be part of this epoch-making event. We are informing Nigerians that we are using the occasion of the 70th birthday celebration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to endorse him as the Presidential Candidate come 2023. 


"We believe that under the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria shall experience tremendous growth and development. We are also convinced that a Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidency is what the country needs at this critical point of our existence. 


"He has the experience, the intellectual wherewithal and the political sagacity to champion the cause of a new Nigeria where there would be endless opportunities across the country for sustainable growth and development. 


"We have no doubt whatsoever about the mental and physical capacity of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deliver on that mandate to take Nigeria to greater heights. This is also coupled with the fact that he is a talent hunter who can identify and nurture talents into full maturity in service to the country" she said


The women however used the occasion to wish Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu a happy 70th birthday and to assure him of the support of the Buhari Women Organization towards the actualization of his well-intended aspiration to lead Nigeria. 


"Our support for this cause is unflinching as we pledge to begin the process of mobilizing women from across the country in support of the presidential aspiration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 


"We offer our prayers and support as mothers to him on his 70th birthday. Our prayer is that God grants him good health and a sound mind. God would also give him his heart desires and crown his efforts with glory.


"We say a happy Birthday to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we wish him many more years ahead" she said

*2023: Middle Belt canvasses for endorsement of Tinubu as APC consensus presidential candidate*

The Middle Belt Youth Emancipation Vanguard has called on stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress from the zone to adopt party national leader, Bola Tinubu, as its consensus presidential candidate.

The group said it settled for the former Lagos State Governor after a careful assessment of the aspirants, concluding that Tinubu is needed at this critical point in the nation’s existence.

The Middle Belt group made this known at a press conference on Monday in Abuja.

In his address, the convener, Patriot Dauda Yakubu, said Tinubu is perfect for the job having displayed consistency, capacity and sagacity over the years.

Describing Tinubu as a bridge-builder, talent hunter and icon of democracy, Yakubu said the APC national leader has contributed immensely to the democratic ideals in the country right from the era of military rule.

He also said that the ex-governor is a detribalised Nigerian that knows no religion or ethnicity and believes in the country’s unity, peace and progress.

With Tinubu at the helms of affairs, the group added that Nigeria would be guaranteed socio-economic growth and development that would in “no small measures aid the translation of our hopes and aspirations into tangible realities”.

The Middle Belt youths, therefore, called on all well-meaning Nigerians to show solidarity with Tinubu.

Yakubu noted that the former governor “ presents a credible credential laced with experience, commitment, patriotism, and an unalloyed sincerity of heart and purpose, which would come in handy in setting Nigeria on the path of sustainable growth and development”.

Read full statement below:

The leadership of the Middle Belt Youth Emancipation Vanguard welcomes you all to this press conference organized to advance the position of the Middle Belt region with regards to the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the country is once again on the curve where the country's leadership would be elected through the ballot across the country. As concerned stakeholders in the scheme of things in the country, it is our emphasis now and always that as a people and a nation, we must get the leadership question right if we are desirous of sustainable growth and development.

The Middle Belt Youth Emancipation Vanguard, after a careful assessment of the various aspirants that have indicated an interest in the highest political office in the country, we wish to state in unequivocal terms that Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu indeed is what the country needs in this critical point of our existence.

We have also carefully studied his numerous contributions to democratic ideals in the country right from the era of military rule in Nigeria and indeed found it worthy as that presidential material with the proper focus, capacity, and sagacity to lead this country come 2023.

Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not new to us as his trademarks are replete in various sectors of our national life and paramount in the sustenance of our nascent democracy. He is a bridge-builder and a talent hunter, as evident during his tenure as the Executive Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007.

It is sufficient to mention that Lagos state experienced phenomenal growth and development under his astute leadership. It is also on record that he also identified and brought into reckoning some individuals who went ahead to become resourceful in their contributions to the country's socio-economic development at large.

The Middle Belt region owes Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu a great deal of gratitude. It is on record that he was instrumental to many gains recorded in the region through his network of friends of like minds that consequently embraced his progressive leadership style of governance.

Our firm conviction that the history of progressive leadership in Nigeria would be incomplete without the mention of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. His emphasis on putting the people first is indeed noteworthy and a necessity moving forward in the country's leadership.

Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a detribalized Nigeria that knows no religion or ethnicity; for him, it is neither east, west, south, nor north, but One Nigeria. And this much has resonated in the leadership template that has seen him building bridges across the country.

The Middle Belt Youth Emancipation Vanguard wishes to emphasize that as the country prepares for the 2023 general elections, the presidential aspiration of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the right tonic needed to consolidate on our democratic journey towards the country of our dreams. Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains the icon of our democracy. As such, he fits the bill to govern this country come 2023.

As a result of this, we endorse Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the consensus presidential choice of the middle belt region come 2023. This endorsement is hinged on his impeccable track record and his unalloyed commitment towards sustainable growth and development in the country.

We are convinced that a Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidency in Nigeria would guarantee socio-economic growth and development that would result in no small measures aid the translation of our hopes and aspirations into tangible realities.

We are using this medium to call on all well-meaning Nigerians to toe the line of the path of the Middle Belt Youth Emancipation Vanguard in endorsing Senator Ahmed Bola Ahmed Tinubu as presidential candidate come 2023.

We consider that Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu indeed presents a credible credential laced with experience, commitment, patriotism, and an unalloyed sincerity of heart and purpose, which would come in handy in setting Nigeria on the path of sustainable growth and development.
As members of the Middle Belt Youth Emancipation Vanguard, we believe that Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has all it takes to lead Nigeria, hence our unflinching support. We pledge to deploy all our members in the Middle Belt region in a sensitization drive towards the actualization of an aspiration for the common good of all Nigerians from all walks of life.

Nigerians must come alive to this unique opportunity presented through Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu's presidential aspiration. We must come to the reality that the issues at hand require that we get it right in leadership come 2023.

Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the man for the job. As such, it behoves us all to lend our support to a man that is committed and passionate about the development of our great country.

We thank you all for your time and attention.

God bless Nigeria

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has felicitated the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

Lawan describes Asiwaju Tinubu as an astute administrator who laid a solid foundation for the modernisation of Lagos State, and a visionary political leader with a track record of building people and organizations.

"I heartily felicitate the National Leader of our great Party, Asiwaju Tinubu on this occasion of his birthday.

"I join members of his family, friends, political associates and numerous well-wishers across and outside of Nigeria in rejoicing with Asiwaju for reaching this milestone in sound health of body and mind.

"Asiwaju Tinubu has lived a life of service, impacting many lives in several decades of active political participation and public service.

"This has made him a political pathfinder, leader of leaders and a legend in his own lifetime.

"Today, he is not just a principal actor in Nigerian politics, but also one of the main issues.

"I wish the Jagaban Borgu a happy birthday and many more years of impactful service to our beloved fatherland, Nigeria, and its great people," Lawan says.

Signed.

Ola Awoniyi
Special Adviser(Media)
to President of the Senate

Monday, 28 March, 2022

Some Christian clerics under the auspices of Northern Clergy and Christian for Tinubu 2023, on Thursday, staged a special prayer rally for the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and 2023 presidential hopeful, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, at the Unity Fountain, Abuja.

The Christian preachers said the decision to pray for the presidential ambition of the former Lagos State Governor was informed by the Holy Spirit.

The clergies offered prayers for the will of God for Senator Tinubu's presidential ambition to come to fruition at the rally which was also well-attended by their followers.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the one-million man prayer rally, the convener, Bishop Sunday Garuba, said God expressed it in their hearts to pray for Tinubu's presidential ambition.

He said it was the culture of the organisation to always pray and intercede for Nigeria.

According to Bishop Garuba: "It is in our culture as an organisation to always pray and to intercede for this great nation. Just like I said in my speech, since 2015, God has been using us as an organisation to pray for this great country for good governance that God will choose the right people to lead this nation.

"And looking into that as we went to prayers, God expressed in our hearts to pray and to intercede. And we are praying, God also expressed in our hearts to pray for Senator Ahmed Tinubu because of his track records of how he had led. He is one man that has led before as the Governor of Lagos State. And for his wisdom and his ability as a man. He is not a tribalistic man. And also at the same time, he is not biased in his religious affiliation.

"That prompted our hearts to pray and to call on God so that God will give us the right leader to lead this nation."

In similar vein, one of the clerics and Lead Pastor of Fountain of Praise, Bishop Lawrence Ungene, said Tinubu has the requirements to lead Nigeria.

He said: "We came together to pray for a person by the name Tinubu Bola Ahmed who has a trajectory records of leading this nation.

"Now, the reason for us to come to pray is that the will of God be achieved. It is one thing to have a passion to do a thing, it is one thing to have an ambition for something. But you need to pray to God who has the power to bring that to come pass.

"Because all powers belong to God. Nobody comes into authority except by the will and permission of God. It is only God that can approve for a man to come to authority. The will of God concerning Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be realized.

By: Alex Ehimhantie Aidaghese

Esan is More than Constituency Projects. Federal presence is abysmally lacking in Edo Central Senatorial District. We need Federal Government Projects. Not Constituency Projects. We deserve better. Senator Clifford Ordia has done his best, but his best is not good enough for my beloved people of Esanland. If he couldn't do it in eight years, he cannot do it in four more years. It's time we make a change. Therefore, he has to go for a new start to unfold.

The Esan tribe of Chief Anthony Enahoro, of Great Anenih is not reputed for back-benchers. In the past twenty-four years, we have had Senators who did not rise to the position of relevance at the National Assembly - position of relevance defined by the benefits that accrued to your people. It doesn't take twelve years to become the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives. It's who you are and your ability to rise up to the demands of the legislative process.

How many Federal Government projects or institutions can we boast of in Edo Central Senatorial District in the past twenty-four years? Where are the completed water projects? What about irrigation, the dams? Where are the Military Institutions? Where is the Federal Security apparatus to ensure our safety and security throughout the regions? We have none.

If they couldn't do it in twenty-four years, it's futile to trust them with another four years. They slumber on their rights while a one time flourishing Ewu Flour Mills went under, before the carcass was acquired by Pastor Chris Oyakhilomen.

Right now, the continuous existence of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma as one institution hangs precariously in uncertainties. The threat of its being dismantled by the present administration in Edo State should not be taken with a grain of salt. The fact that no pronouncement on the record has emerged from any of our members at the National Assembly condemning the plan of the Governor of Edo State, exemplifies the morbid disconnect between them and the reality on the ground in Edo Central Senatorial District. AAU is a landmark. Whoever fights AAU is fighting every man and woman in the entire Esanland. It will not happen under my watch as a Senator representing Edo Central Senatorial District. Period.

The issue here goes beyond their inability to perform. It is whether they are ever conscious of the enormity of the power and privileges they packed with the mandate to serve at the National Assembly. Ignorance is a disease. The lack of wisdom to discern the existence of your inadequacies and how to deal with it is the worst of an anomaly as a peoples' rep. And that's the harbinger of the culture of low expectations besetting Esan's development.

If Mr. Clifford Ordia and those before him, couldn't ascend to the "Big Positions" in eight years, and lacked the capacity to influence Federal presence to Edo Central Senatorial District in twenty four years, Esan voters cannot afford to trust them again for another four years.

In my first two years in the Senate, about half of the entire Esan tribal region will be connected with pipe-borne water. And in four years, the entire Esan region will be enjoying an uninterrupted stream of clean water.

I am not promising miracles; with the right information at the disposal of your members of the National Assembly, coupled with diligent management and oversight in place, there's nothing the Federal Government cannot do for your community.

In recent times, there is a void hamstringing direct Federal engagement in the development of Esanland. It is about communication and information mismanagement. I want to fill that void. And I have what it takes to break the jinx and fill the void.

How many times have you seen your Senator driving around your community or conducting a Town Hall Meeting? Not in Edo Central Senatorial District. If you accept the troubling disconnect at the federal level as evil that must be condemned, you must also condemned the unhinged disconnect at the Senatorial District.

The ability to fathom the existence of a void (disconnect), and how to go about eliminating it is what makes the difference. That ability is what differentiates me from the other candidates as well as those you have been clapping after before now. And that's what I'm bringing to the table. You are a servant of the people, not the Lord of the Manor.

How many times have you seen or heard of Esan members at the National Assembly, as a team, seeking an audience with the President or the decision takers at the Budget Office to draw their attention to the lack of Federal presence in Esanland or lobby for opportunities for the region? Nothing on the record. I will do things differently, believing that information is power. And that's what I bring to the table.

The Minister of Agriculture or Water Resources, for instance, doesn't know where the Odu River is in the Esan region. I know. In a similar vein, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not aware of the existence of the Odu River Dam in Ewohimi and its capacity to generate water ceaselessly for more than half of the Esan communities. But I do.

As your Senator, it is my responsibility to bring this information and information about similar untapped resources all over Esanland to the attention of the President and his team, as well as the President of the Senate and the appropriate Ministers and Ministries for appropriate action.

Please, don't let them tell you it can't be done. Don't tell me I can't do it. Surely, it can be done. Surely, I can do it. That's what governance is about. It's happening in other villages and towns all over Nigeria. Why not in Esanland? And that is where I will make a difference - meeting and consultation.

I am not an accidental public servant. And I do not seek your mandate on someone else's goodwill or because I have the right to contest. I am in the race because I am prepared. And I'm going to do things differently.

This is the time for a new start. And I represent that new start, the present, and the future. My name is Alex Ehimhantie Aidaghese. I am your son. And I seek your support to serve you selflessly as a Senator at the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Trust me, and I will bring development to our beloved Esanland.

In addition to my degree degree in Energy and Environmental Law and Policy, I study Administration and Management at a graduate level at a top University in America. And I am very conversant with the nuts and bolts of public policy and how to apply them to the facts on the ground and make government work best for my Esan people.

Today, the demand for Decentralization of Power and Restructuring is at the front burner of the Nigerian leadership struggle, and I have written extensively on the subject. So, as we match towards the actualization of True Federalism, Esan people cannot afford to be represented at those debates by backbenchers and mere spectators who cannot make an informed distinction between Unitary, Federal, and Confederal systems of government. We need a strong candidate, an articulate voice, astute in Public Policy as well as Constitutional Law to be the eyes and ears of Esanland at the upper chamber.

In my private capacity, thousands of miles outside of Abuja, I have made substantial impacts in nurturing our constitutional democracy. When the demand for the removal of the Immunity clause (Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended) reached its crescendo, my essay made the most impact in its retention by the Constitutional Review Committee. Though I have not been in government, I have been involved through my essays and writings.

I do not have a godfather, God is my God Father. And I am accountable to no one but you - the people of Esanland. I won't be going to Abuja alone. And I won't surround myself with my town folks. I am going to assemble a formidable team, with vast knowledge of our legislative process and government in general, from all the five local government councils of Esanland to accompany me to Abuja. On a daily basis, we will meet and strategize on how to ensure that Esan is not left out in the deliberation of what becomes of Nigeria and in the management and disbursement of our national wealth.

Politically, I am liberal and I espouse Chief Obafemi Awolowo's populist philosophy - of government being about service to the people and for the people. I will strive to sponsor and support motions and bills that are poverty alleviation-focused, geared towards sustainable development, and have positive impact on the overall wellbeing of my people.

Above all, I am not going to be a Senator of Agbazilo or a Senator of Okpebho, but a Senator of the men and women of every community in Edo Central Senatorial District.

This struggle, this mandate that I seek transcends tribes and political affiliation. I humbly ask that you Judge me based on what I'm bringing to the table, and not by the name of my community. If you consider the marginalization at Abuja and in Edo State capital abhorrent and condemnable, you should also consider the age-old marginalization in Esanland abhorrent and condemnable.

My dear people of Esanland, we are one big family. Let's support the candidate with bold visions and an innate understanding of leadership as well as the working of government. And I am that candidate.

All the senators before now are well-respected gentlemen who, unfortunately, are not known to ever articulate bold visions, bills, or motions that garner bipartisan support for the benefit of our Esan people. They offered you nothing other than a little block of classrooms and community health centers here and there without Doctors. We are better than that.

Esan deserves more than boreholes and classroom blocks. Esan needs a Federal presence. Period. I will bring Abuja to Esanland. That's why I seek your vote and your mandate. And that's why I am going to Abuja. Senator Ordia has no idea of what federal presence is about or how to go about getting them. If he couldn't do it in eight years, he cannot do it in another four years. If they couldn't do it in twenty-four years, they won't be able to do it in another four years.

It's time we send a trusted, selfless, articulate, credible, and reliable Esan son to the National Assembly - a son who will not be lost in the crowd or short of visions. And I am that your son, your brother, your cousin, your uncle, your nephew, and your friend.

Finally, in the memory of those who have died or made enormous sacrifices in the struggle for the fulfillment of our constitutional democracy, I honour you today, believing that President Abraham Lincoln's most cited lines in his Gettysburg address of November 19, 1863, also apply to you: “that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Amen.

Please, I cannot do it without you. come on board and let's join hands to make a change. I need your support to be able to give you the leadership you deserve. Together we will can make the change we seek. TRUST ME, I WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN.

God Bless you and may God bless the good people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

My name is Alex Ehimhantie Aidaghese, and I endorse this message.

Eghosa Asemota Agbonifo Officially Declares Intention To Join Edo State House Of Assembly Race


It is a very emotional moment today as I officially make my decision concerning the forthcoming general elections, public.

I recall with nostalgia the excitement, high hopes, and the enthusiasm with which I and the good people of Oredo West, took to the streets four years ago when I first presented my interest to represent the people at the State House of Assembly.

To be honest, I was tempted to face my business and family considering the turnout of the last elections. But who is my family and what is my business?

The people of Oredo-West are my family and their well-being is my business.
The call from the people requesting that I come back to reclaim the mandate gave credence to the fact that their wellbeing is my business.

In lieu of the above, I, therefore, use this means to humbly notify the entire public and the ever-dependable and trustworthy people of Oredo-West that your brother, your son, and your friend have answered your call and has therefore made himself available for the race.

In the coming days, the physical declaration will be made.
I am counting on your support as at the other time and I know you won't let me down.

Wa ya ruese!��

Eghosa Asemota Agbonifo (EAA)

2023 GENERAL ELECTION: DUMEBI KACHIKWU CALLS ON NIGERIANS TO JOIN HIS RESCUE MISSION

Frontline entrepreneur Dumebi Kachikwu and 2023 Presidential hopeful have called on Nigerians to join his rescue mission.

In a published open letter to Nigerians he signed, Mr. Kachikwu opined that with the official commencement of “election season”, Nigerians “have the opportunity to do something about what we have all been complaining about for the last few years”.


Kachikwu noted that there are two choices before Nigerians namely: to exercise their civic duty to in credible leaders and to present themselves as candidates in the 2023 general elections.

He called on “those who will be bold enough to explore the choice” of becoming candidates to take over the ship of state from “those who had no business being in positions of authority” hast have presided over government and failed.


While arguing that “the 2023 election presents an opportunity for us to get things right and rebuild them from the ground up” he acknowledged that “it will take a rescue army of the bold and brave”.

Kachikwu also argues that the task before Nigeria “requires visionaries who can chart a new course for our battered but beloved nation”, to occupy the offices of “President, 30 Governors, 109 Senators, 360 House of Representatives Members and 994 House of Assembly members”.

He called on such like-minded Nigerians to join his Rescue Mission to help “lift our nation and people out of the mess we have found ourselves”, directing them to reach him via his social media handles, to “make history”.

Award Winning Gospel Artist Yoyo Micheal Releases Much Anticipated Music Video "Zion"


Nigerian award-winning gospel artiste and exquisite songwriter, Yoyo Michael has released the much talked about music video of her song titled “Zion”.

Watch here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtSgm14a7CE

"The word of the reckless pierces like sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" Proverbs 12:18. Self-praise is equally not a leadership virtue. The self-acclaimed National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu's incautious outbursts since he declared his presidential ambition are rather slacking off his political fortunes than boosting them.

For instance, when he addressed the State House Correspondents immediately after consulting with President Mohammadu Buhari in Aso Rock Vila, he was asked why he wanted to be president instead of maintaining his position as a kingmaker. He declared arrogantly that a kingmaker has a right to become king.


In normal African setting, kingmakers naturally are not meant to be kings. This claim of kingmaker has drawn a lot of denunciations from analysts. A northern top short of the ruling All Progressives' Congress, (APC) who wouldn't want his name in prints said he was amazed to read that the former Lagos State Governor, declared that he was tired of being a kingmaker and that it was time to actualise his dream of presiding over the affairs of this country as president. He said it bothered on egotism for Tinubu to take pride in being addressed as a kingmaker or leader of the party when he knows that that appellation naturally belongs to the President.

He noted that he could claim a kingmaker in his Southwest region where he had been calling the shorts. He stressed that such claim was an insult to the person of Mohammad Buhari if was referring to his emergence as president in 2015. He observed that right from 2003 to 2011 when General Buhari contested for president under All Nigerian Peoples Party,(ANPP) and the Nigerian Conscience Party, (CPC) respectively, he had won over twelve million votes.


According to him, All Progressives' Congress was an amalgamation of four political parties, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) called New PDP led by seven Governors and a sitting Speaker of the House of Representatives, a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA) led by Governor Rochas Okorocha, Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) and the Nigerian Conscience Party,(NCP). The various factions came with several heavy weights who were influential in their states and constituencies.
From the above expression it was evidently clear but erroneous for anyone to claim kingmaker here. All the four parties came together to form a formidable opposition to unseat the then PDP government.


Buhari won with a total vote of 15,424,921, so if subtract, 12, 214, 853 from 15,424,921 you can judge for yourself who really is the kingmaker and the National Leader of APC here.

While the claim of kingmaker was still causing ripples within the ranks and file of the All Progressives Congress, the Jagaban came up with another mindblower. He was quoted to have said: "If it means fighting dirty, l will fight dirty to realise my ambition". This bluff has further ignited more disparagements to his presidential ambition as many saw it as a scabrous speech. Senator Tinubu allegedly made the statement during his visit to the Olubadan Elect of Ibadanland, Dr Lekan Balogun. A socio-professional organisation, the Yoruba Stakeholders Summit Group, (YSSG) immediately berated him over the statement. Convener of the group, Olufemi Lawson, in a signed reaction advised that Nigerians should be mindful of desperate politicians ahead of the 2023 race. “As Yoruba people, especially those with the distinct characters of ‘Omoluabi’, we consider Senator Tinubu’s statement as an act of political desperation, and one which is antithetical to our democracy and backward in modern time.

“The utterance is contrary to the consensus of all
peace-loving Nigerians, who believe that politics should be devoid of desperation and dirty fights, unlike the route which Senator Tinubu, is threatening to thread ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
“Senator Tinubu is free to play his politics the way it suits him but we wish to advise, that he should tread softly in playing games with the lives of Nigerians by making desperate and reckless statements ahead of the crucial election.
“As defenders of democracy, we admonish Nigerians to be mindful of the desperation of politicians, who are beginning to display tendencies which may create tension and instability in the country as we prepare for the crucial 2023 general elections,” Lawson further emphasized.

Similarly at the palace of the Ooni of Ife and Owa of Obokun of Ijesha Land, Bola Tinubu demmanded that General Buhari should hand over to him when he leaves office in 2023 saying that he stood with him (Buhari) ahead of the 2015 election when he was contesting to be president. "We went round the country in 2015 to campaign for Buhari. Again in 2019 we stood with him and he won.
" He will soon finish his tenure. I am saying they should not just leave the post; they should hand it over to me.
" I am competent, capable and fit to pilot the affairs of the country to greatness". He boasted.

This again was regarded as blackmail to armtwist President Buhari into handing over power to him by hook or crook.
At another instance where he had to defend his physical strength and health status, Senator Tinubu was quoted to have declared, " I didn't apply for a job of bricklayer. The job I'm applying for requires brain, I'm not sick. I only repaired my knee. I'm not applying for a relay race and I'm not a horse. I have the quality to serve and make Nigeria great. I want to serve my country ". He stressed.
A good leader is not just an individual who has brain but one who has mental capacity and physical strength. It is ironic for Senator Tinubu to assume that only brain is needed to be a president of the country. I don't think that Nigeria of today requires only brain to preside over it. Just last week, he was addressing the youth wing of the All Progressive Congress, (APC) Senator Tinubu apparently realised he misfired in his earlier claim that he needed only brain to be President in 2023 when he told the members of APC youths that he was a youth with a bubbling energyy to serve the country.


Is it possible for a 69 old person who will be 70 years in a couple of months before May 2023 to be called a youth?. The law of the land recognises persons within the ages of 15 and 24 as youths but at 69 our APC presidential hopeful calls himself a youth to soothe the psyche of his audience whose clamour had been the enthronement of younger people into political offices.


All his utterances since he declared his ambition has been streamed with desperation and inconsistencies. Such do not portray a man who is rightly prepared for leadership. Nigerians need not just a brain box but someone who can properly decode the prompting of the brain and be propelled to function rightly. We won't equally vote a candidate who claims what he is not. If you claim youth let youthfulness in you be visible.

Contrast this crabby and cantankerous posture of Tinubu with the peaceful disposition of former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in and out of office. Dr. Jonathan’s popular refrain that his “political ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian”, has become a hallowed mantra that is now synonymous with good behaviour in politics in the whole of Africa.

While he was being abused and maligned left, right and centre during the twilight days of his Presidency by critics hired by then opposition leaders like Tinubu, Dr. Jonathan chose the path of honour in leadership by letting his works speak for him.

In one of those rare occasions when he stood up to his critics, it was to reassure them that, being a democrat, he views democracy as an important ingredient of governance. He was quoted to have said: “I don’t expect praises now. It’s when you leave that people will begin to compare you with others. I will do my best to address all the challenges we are having. I will do my best so that when I leave, people will compare what I have done and what others before me did. The seat belongs to the country and it is only the country that can decide who occupies it”.

It is this kind of Tinubu’s unprogressive bearing that is pushing Nigerians to remember the good old days of politics under Jonathan. It is what informs the strident and mounting calls for the former President’s return to power.
I hope the former President heeds this call an returns to the presidency because the country, as it stands now with desperate politicians baying for the blood of anyone that would stand in their way, needs a peacemaker and unifier like Jonathan to bring stability and restore confidence in the polity.

By: Olufemi Lawson

As Nigeria prepare for the 2023 General elections, a year symbolising another significant transition era, it is becoming imperative, for nigerians, to be interested in actions of political actors and parties, as decisions begin to emerge, on the transition succession plans, being championed, by political gladiators, most importantly, as it concerns the political stability of the country, and ultimately, the growth of our fledgling democracy.



Unlike the previous political processes, this time demands that every patriotic citizens, advocate for equity and fairness, as a step, towards consolidating, on the firm commitment, to the unity of Nigeria. There is no doubt, that the atmosphere is charged, with desperate attempts, by political gladiators, particularly in the All Progressives Congress (APC), to appropriate the party’s zoning formula, to their own advantage. Yet, the party must not allow itself, to be hijacked by those interest groups, whose ultimate agenda is opposed to the principles of fairness and equity, which is the ultimate necessity, towards sustaining the party’s hold on power, and electing a leader, that can consolidate on the legacies of the President Muhammadu Buhari’a administration.

As the jostle intensifies, we have an obligation to be sensitive to the demands of polticians, whose ambitions, are not only insensitive, but are self serving and unjust. It should be an uncompromising decision, for genuinely progressive members of the APC, to ensure that not only is the party’s presidential ticket ceded to the southern part of the country, but that such must reflect the needed equity, within the distribution of power, among the geopolitical blocks of the southern nigeria.

Be that as it may, ensuring political stability, demands that the blocks within the south, understand the imperative of fairness, in the distribution of political power, and the desire for continuity and sustainability of the democratic gains.

At this crucial moment, the south should be interested in stabilising and balancing the intended rotational proposal, by ensuring that the south-south geopolitical zone produces the next nigeria’s president of southern extraction. This has therefore once again, reignitted the raging debate, for the return of former President Goodluck Jonathan, as nigeria’s President, come 2023. In a Dr. Goodluck Jonathan candidature, the APC, will be offering Nigerians, a credible, knowledgeable, selfless, trusted and patriotic candidate to become President Buhari’s successor. There is no doubt that Nigeria is at a crossroads between discontent, fear and suspicion and the propensity for peace, reconciliation and hope. These are attributes that the Jonathan presidency will offer, while, reestablishing the equitable rotational arrangement, for the geopolitical zones.

There is no doubt, that what the country requires at this crucial moment, is a man of unflinching patriotism and love for Nigeria, and this is an undeniable attribute of Dr Goodluck Jonathan. Since leaving office after his first term as the president in 2015, Dr Jonathan has maintained an exemplary political solidarity and commitment to the progress of Nigeria, by his relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari.

The emergence of Dr Jonathan in 2023, will be a crucial step, to bridge the gap and foreclose any suspicion among nigeria’s ethnic nationalities without doubt.The southern Nigeria must at this time deepen democracy by ensuring that the South-South, is given its due, with a completion of the short-lived tenure of Dr Goodluck Jonathan and ultimately, ensure that the survival stability is brought into the Nigerian polity, as a matter of patriotism and national importance.

Olufemi Lawson is the Convener of Yoruba Stakeholders Summit Group, He sent in this piece from Lagos

Tinubu @70 Ex-Super Eagles Players to Honour Him with a Novelty Match


Tinubu support Group, The management and staff in collaboration with Lagos state government have perfected plans ahead of the 70th birthday of their principal, Alhaji Ahmed Tinubu, to commemorate the birthday of their Leader, who will be 70years on the 29th March, 2022.

The Director General of Tinubu Support Group, Arch. Umar Ibrahim made this known today in press conference held in it's office today in Abuja.

Umar during is speech said we will collaborate with the Lagos state government to organize a football match and Prayers simultaneously across the six (6) geo-political zones of the country.

There will also be a Novelty football Match between Ex- Super Eagles International Players and the Asiwaju Team at Onikan Stadium Lagos on 20th march 2022.

Among the Ex Super Eagles players set to play are Kanu Nwako, Jay Jay Okocha, Peter Rufai, Tijani Babangida, Mutiu Adepoju, Garba Lawal,Julius Aghahowa, Victor Ikpeba, Uche Okechukwu, Ifeayi Udeze, Taribo West, Victor Agali, Ike Shorunmu, Victor Ezeji, Obafemi Abiodun, Dosu Joseph, Jonathan and others

While an award will be presented to His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu by Ex-Super Eagles players and Kanu Heart Foundation.

The 13th Bola Tinubu Colloquium, an annual high-powered policy roundtable, which is expected to add colour to the Birthday celebration and attract prominent Nigerians from all walks of life in preparation for what political pundits described as a remarkable watershed in the career of the man known to be wielding considerable influence on the political landscape of the country.

The colloquium and the above listed TSG activities will mark the 70th birthday of the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu in Lagos, Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari has cautioned the Progressive Governors and other leaders of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) against backstabbing their Colleague, ahead of the March 26 national convention.

The President was apparently referring to the recent outing in the media by some Governors, who resorted to name calling and use of ungentlemanly words against one of their own, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State.

Buni is the current Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), who is being embattle by his colleagues.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, had on Wednesday, during a Channel Television program, lambasted Buni for working to scuttle the proposed national convention of the party.

Arakunri Rotimi Akeredolu, the Governor of Ondo State also took his turn, referring to some Governors and other supporters of Buni as "Yahoo Yahoo Boys".

In a strong worded statement through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Garba Shehu, on Saturday, Buhari warned of the consequences of such outing in the media by leaders of the party.

"President Muhammad Buhari warns the leaders (and membership) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to desist from name-calling and backstabbing ahead of the oncoming March 26 Convention, remain steadfast and maintain its unity if the party is to continue in the path of victory and its dominance at all levels throughout the country", the statement reads in part.

Buhari drew the attention of the Governors to the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who was in power for 16 years, to learn from their activities.

"President Buhari asks the members to look at the once-powerful, ''main opposition'' Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now enfeebled and adrift and learn lessons in disunity, mismanagement and corruption", it said.

The President also warned that, "parties splintered by competing egos destine themselves to the worst possible fate".

He recalled that the APC started out with a confidence of victory and the party today enjoys that confidence in nearly two-thirds of the 36 states.

Yet, he noted, "this is a party that has been in existence barely for eight years, becoming the dominant party because it has thrown open its doors to defectors from other parties, big and small.

"This alone, addition to the fact we didn’t start on the note of arrogance of power, nor see government as a vehicle for self-aggrandizement, to be held at all costs, but a vehicle to bring development to all without discrimination-political, ethnic or regional to our dear country made this success possible".

The party, he went on to note, "is proud of the fact that in its short period of existence, it has won two general elections decisively and despite losing a few states in 2019, it steadfastly expanded its pan-Nigerian outlook with significant defections of the opposition Governors and parliamentarians into its fold.

''Given all that is at a stake, we can expect contests into offices as we are now faced with to be heated although candidates and their promoters for party offices are not so much debating policy differences but differences of management, personality, character, and suitability for the most important leadership roles in our country and therefore the continent.'

"It is equally clear that over the last week or so, the internal management affairs of the APC have been afforded generous media coverage – over and above its importance to the voters of Nigeria.

"It is important to ask what benefits the poor are getting during the period of intense negative coverage.

"When precisely the party’s convention is held and who is the party’s chairman is hardly a matter for the average voter: vastly more important is who convention delegates will elect as the party’s flagbearer in the coming weeks to take forward the party’s platform to the people in the general election in February next year.

"It is therefore important for the media to put such matters into perspective. No one is debating policy differences here. That is for the general election. None of the declared aspirants and any of those that may step forward will change because of who may be in the party in the chairman’s seat. It is essentially the same party.

"Of course the media are welcome to comment on the content of the character of the potential APC candidates; discuss their suitability for leadership; scrutinize their offer to the membership. But to focus on the routine internal divisions and magnify them into what they have become today is a waste of everyone’s time, amounting to no more than a discussion over seating arrangements".

This is not what Nigerians talk of in their communities. They have an inclination only for things that matter.

As typical Africans and with strong ancestral history, we the Binis believe strongly in the spiritual side of man, this is why we don't just give children names like the western world. We believe names are prophetic, connecting us with the spirit within us.

With westernization, so many people have doubted this age-long reality, despite the obvious signs around us. I for once also doubted this belief until I paid close attention to Hon. Eghosa Asemota Agbonifo’s campaign four years ago.

When Etek, as he is popularly called in the streets was canvassing for votes, the electorates kept saying it is him or no one else. So many people saw it as a mere word of mouth, including myself, the writer of this clarion call.

From Igun spare parts market to New Benin market, from Edokpolor Secondary school football pitch to Arinze primary school training field, in the rain and under the sun, the electorate came out in their numbers, proclaiming him as the voice they know, the voice they want, and the voice they endorsed to speak on their behalf at the state House of Assembly.

The elections came and the will of the people was thwarted, but divinity cannot be changed by man. His endorsement has been signed by God himself and so the will of the people still found expression at all cost.

They said it is Etek or no one else, little wonder the seat remained vacant until this day. This is not the making of man, but God. There are some people who you cannot take what belongs to them because their guarding angels won't let it happen.

This is to show that the voice of the people is still the voice of God. And as the people gave you their full support four years ago, they are calling on you once again not to be discouraged from the experience of the past.

They are reminding you of your first name, Eghosaseré, it is your time and that seat will be vacant until the real owner sits on it.

It is your time to give us, the good people of Oredo-West the Effective and Efficient Representation you promised us.

We will go all out for you just as we did the other time. All we are saying is that you declare your intentions to recontest and then leave the rest for us, the electorates.

Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come. Etek is not just a political brand, it is a movement!

On behalf of the good people of Oredo-West in general and Ward 9 in particular, we are pleading that you throw your hat in the ring and contest. You have our unalloyed support any day and anytime.

Moses Ehigiamusoe, writes from Oredo ward 9

The crisis bedeviling the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) may have started yielding negative effects on the party, as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rejected the nomination of Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State as the Chairman of Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party.

According to an inside source, Governor Bello, upon resumption as Chairman of CECPC of APC, transmitted a letter dated 8th March, 2022, informing INEC of the change of guard at the party's national secretariat.

Bello introduced himself in the said letter as acting Chairman while Professor Tahir Mamman was introduced as the acting Secretary of the party.

Both Governor Bello and Professor Mamman were said to have signed the letter.

The source also added that the letter served as notice to the commission, of APC's CECPC decision to hold a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for next week Thursday, 17th March, 2022.

But, in a swift reaction, the Commission was said to have replied the letter on Wednesday, 9th March, 2022, saying it was not aware of any change of guard in APC, and would not honour it, since it was not signed by the known CECPC Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni and Secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe.

The letter was signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs Rose Omoa Oriaran-Anthony.

"The Commission draws your attention to the fact that the notice for the meeting was not signed by the National Chairman (Buni) and National Secretary (Akpanudoedehe) of the CECPC, contrary to the provision of the Article 1.1.3 of the Commission's Regulations and Guidelines for Political Party Operations (2018).

"Furthermore, the APC is reminded of the provision in Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires 'at least 21 days' notice of any convention, congress, conference or meeting convened for the purpose of "merger" and electing members of executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any elective offices'", a copy of the letter obtained by this newspaper reads.

Governor Bello's letter, according to a source at INEC, remains strange as there was no time the Commission was invited to observe or monitor any meeting where the changes took place, hence, the letter was not honoured.

"Section 82(2-3) of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) makes it mandatory for all registered political parties in Nigeria to involve INEC in any meeting, congress or convention where elections or decisions to nominate executives or governing bodies of the party shall be taken.

"The same section also provided that, in a case of replacement of any vacant position in the party, INEC must be fully involved too", the Source added.

The source further maintained that the Commission was not invited to any meeting or Congress where Mai Buni was removed as Chairman, and as such, could not deal with what was not legally constituted.

"The APC will be heading for an illegal NEC meeting by next week by the provision of the law. It is the duty of the Commission to properly guide the party, just as it will do to any of the opposition parties", the Source further stressed.

Barring any last-minute changes, about 10 million members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will welcome the Chairman, Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Governor Mai Mla Buni, back to the party’s head office in Abuja on Monday.

The coordinator of the group said the recent hiccups in the party by some demonic elements were targeted at eliminating Gov Buni while on his hospital bed.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, convener, APC United Frontiers, Hon. Tope Musbau, said these elements resorted to blackmail and campaign of calumny to paint the governor in bad light before President Muhammadu Buhari when their initial plot failed.

According to Musbau, Buni has proven his pedigree, dedication and commitment to the growth of the party from his time as national secretary to this moment.

He said it is laughable that vested and compromised interests wanted to capitalise on his health-enforced trip to twist the party in their favour.

Musbau further described the APC leader as an upright man, a staunch disciple of President Buhari’s school of transparency, accountability and integrity.

“Everyone in Nigeria knows Buni’s pedigree as a forthright leader of the APC,” he said. “We are not surprised that evil forces who are scared of light want him out at all cost.

“Buni is too decent for the people leading this evil campaign against him. He will not fall for their antics as all they want is to rubbish Mr. President’s legacies”.

Musbau, therefore, promised that loyal party members will roll out the carpet in celebration when the Yobe Governor returns to duty.

He said millions of APC supporters across the 36 States will convene in the nation’s capital to welcome Governor Buni as he continues to lead the party to greatness.

“Our leader deserves a grand return and that’s what we have planned for him. We will sound the trumpets, hit the drums, sing and dance because what they planned for Governor Buni didn't materialise.

“He will be ushered back to his office by over 10m party faithful who truly knows his worth and value his quality leadership. No amount of propaganda can deter the CEPCC chairman.

“We are appealing to party stalwarts to converge in their numbers on Monday. Buni’s return is a victory for our party, victory for Nigeria and victory for democracy”.

APC Legal Team In Search Of Judges To Vacate Court Order Stopping March 26 Convention - Source


The Legal Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) is reportedly shopping for ‘compromised judges’ to vacate a court order stopping its elective national convention that it had scheduled for March 26, 2022, a source told SaharaReporters.

SaharaReporters gathered that a Bwari division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in suit number FCT/HC/CV/2958/2021 had restrained the ruling party from holding its convention until a substantive suit has been heard and determined.

The suit, filed by one Salisu Umoru at the court had the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Mai Mala Buni, governor of Yobe state and now-ousted chairman of the party as respondents.

“That the 1st Defendant/Respondent can only conduct its national convention after the hearing and determination of the substantive suit pending before this honourable court,” the court order seen by SaharaReporters reads.

“That in the interest of justice accelerated hearing of the substantive suit is hereby ordered.

“That this matter is hereby adjourned to the 10th day of January 2022 for hearing of the substantive suit at High Court No. 15, Kubwa, FCT-Abuja.”

An APC chieftain said the court order has hobbled the party as the court already fixed March 30, 2022 as next adjourned date.

“That means the party won’t be able to hold its convention on March 26, 2021 until another court over rule the earlier order,” he told SaharaReporters.

“With INEC having published an elections timetable, the APC is now under pressure to meet stipulated timelines failing which it may not be able to field candidates in the 2023 general elections.

“It’s so sad that this is happening at this time, the party is in serious crisis and controversies surrounding its national convention. Some high-ranking party leaders first clashed over the date for the convention, after that was settled, another crisis began over the controversial endorsement of some candidates by President Muhammadu Buhari at the behest of some Northern state governors.”

He added, “The Legal Sub-Committee of APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) is now frantically shopping for corrupt judges who will hide behind legal technicalities to vacate the subsisting court order that has barred the party from holding its convention.

“It is a serious matter because our party leaders are now seeing that the party is inching towards the 2019 Rivers and Zamfara states scenario where candidates fielded by the party were deemed ineligible. So, as things stand, the team will do all that is necessary to avert that situation.

“Conservatively, they have voted billions of naira for that aspect. They have strategized to work with more than one judge to increase the success rate of this intervention.”

By Friday Peter

About every single Nigerian alive today rues the choice of President Muhammadu Buhari, who rode to power as a civilian president on the expectation that he was the antidote to the epidemic of corruption that has held the country back from emerging as a viable and competitive country.

When in his first term it became apparent that he has failed to show commitment to tackling corruption, he blamed the glaring failure on “corruption fighting back”. However, events of recent months have proven that the more things change the more they stay the same. President Buhari merely flipped the mat to have his assemblage of saints sit on the reversed side.

Mr. President is fully living the truism of “show me your friend and I will tell you whom you are”. Top on the list of those with access to the president today is Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu, who also is among those manipulating him to the extent that the crisis in his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), has revealed. Bagudu alongside Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai and others were able to deploy their experience in running scams to get President Buhari to sign off, with his revered signature, on a fraudulent zoning list for the party’s national positions.

It is instructive that Bagudu remains this close to the President at a time when his name is making international news, not for providing quality leadership for the hapless population of Kebbi state, but for insisting on keeping the proceeds of the theft he committed some decades ago. The brazenness. Bloomberg reported that the United States authorities will resume legal proceedings to seize over $150 million that Bagudu allegedly laundered as far back as in the 90s. What would be discovered to be missing from Kebbi State’s coffers when Bagudu is done with his tenure is better left to the imagination.

As worrisome as it is that a character of this mold hangs around a President, who is futilely attempting the cut an anti-corruption persona, it is more worrisome to learn that the administration he leads has been abusing government powers to shield Bagudu from the international consequence of his theft of money that belonged to Nigerians. Another saint in the administration, Abubakar Malami, conveniently the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, cooked up the necessary legal hogwash to explain why Nigeria cannot testify against Bagudu for this monumental theft.

Interestingly, Malami is a permanent fixture among the group of shady characters that have practically hijacked the Presidency, with the likes of Bagudu, arrogantly prancing around as the puppet masters of the man whom Nigerians elected to clean out the mess of corruption but who sadly is now the strongest enabler of sleaze.

President Buhari continuing to hobnob with Bagudu after the latest US moves to seize the money he stole has outdone that nauseous moment when he went to Kano to raise Governor Umar Ganduje’s hands and endorse him for re-election after the viral video showing Ganduje stuffing wads of dollars received as bribe into his apparel. It is no wonder that those around the President have realized that, with President Buhari, the path to sainthood is to engaged in corrupt acts in a manner that is mind-boggling.

One can only shake one’s head in contemplative regret that there was a Buhari, the fiery spartan who abhorred corruption and vowed with his every breath to root out the evil from Nigeria when elected and given the chance to clean up the system. Today’s Buhari is different. He is one that jumps into bed with the very people he should be facilitating jail terms for. Buhari as the president has become everything he hated and railed against as a candidate when he wanted to become the president of the country.

But the country now has a problem in its hands. It is bad enough that President Buhari failed to tame corruption like he promised to. It is disheartening that he elevated corrupt people to positions of influence once their ethnic and sectarian affiliation aligned with his narrow jingoist leanings. It is alarming that corruption has been institutionalized in the years Buhari has been president and would have become a sacred vocation by the time his tenure ends on May 29, 2023. What should get Nigeria worried, however, is the disaster staring us all in the face by way of Buhari prepping the band of corrupt people around him as his replacement when he is done messing our system.

In this, the response of Nigerians must be united and unequivocal. A man who failed to deliver on his anti-corruption promise when he became president has no right to further inflict his lack of integrity on Nigerians. He has in fact lost the right to meddle in how his successor will emerge since he has repeatedly proven that he will always resort to his collection of saints to source a successor. Nigeria cannot survive another administration that would not make genuine efforts to tame corruption.

Nigerians must go further to socially and politically ostracize Buhari’s band of saints, who are archangels of corruption as they would invariably sink what is left of the country. If Nigerians unite on this, there would be no need to go through the hassle of barring thieves from public offices, it would be a matter of the people declaring this set of people persona non-grata.


Peter wrote this article from Kaduna.

By David Adejare

I have long stated to whoever cared to listen that the All Progressive Congress (APC) harbours some very despicable elements, those that know next to nothing about democratic tenets. Yet, they rode on the tidal wave to elective positions in the country. It was ordinarily expected that these people would align themselves with democratic tendencies. However, they have instead elected to display acts of brigandage in a most embarrassing manner.

The supposed leadership change in the APC brings to the fore the very issues that have been threatening the foundation of the party in the buildup to the general elections in 2023. Consequently, I wasn't alarmed when the Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Bello, stormed the National Secretariat of the APC, declaring himself as the "acting" chairman of the party.

I was also not surprised because the case of Governor Abubakar Bello didn't come as a surprise. After all, coup-plotting runs in his family. As Commanding Officer of the 81 Battalion in Kaduna, his father, Colonel Musa Bello, was a part of the 1975 coup. He was rewarded as Military Administrator of Kano state. This is a topic of another day.

Back to the crux, it is shameful that Governor Abubakar Bello displayed complete arrogance when he claimed acting chairmanship of the APC. His actions are not just an insult to the sensibilities of lovers of democracy; it also sends a strong message to concerned stakeholders in the APC regarding the future of the party and its preparedness for the forthcoming general elections in 2023.

Even though I am not a lawyer, I could still place the illegality of such actions and how such tends to lead the party astray before the general elections. It goes further to highlight the fact that since Governor Mai Mala Buni assumed leadership of the party, his notable efforts at stabilizing the party were not appreciated by a segment that desired to entrench impunity and division in the party further.

However, I am glad that the cat has been let out of the bag with the action of Governor Abubakar Bello. And Nigerians don't need to look further in identifying the brains behind the crisis in the APC. The demigods of the APC have revealed their identities with this palace coup they have been nurturing since the time of Adam Oshiomohle. They wanted the soul of the party by all means necessary, including sponsoring factions at the state level.

They grace the pages of the newspapers as faithful and committed party members, while they hold nocturnal meetings on ways to destabilize the party. Have we wondered why these goons are after Governor Mai Mala Buni? The answer is not farfetched. Governor Mai Mala Buni braved the odds to restore normalcy in the party since he assumed leadership as chairman of the caretaker committee.

I knew his actions at repositioning the party ruffled some feathers, and they would have none of it. They consequently schemed for him to be replaced but had no tangible evidence to achieve their dull ambition. Not until now, when the president is away and Governor Mai Mala Buni. In the words of Governor Abubakar Bello, he stated that “I have been acting chairman for a while."

The above statement is indeed loaded and an indication that all the while, the goons have been working underground to undermine the successes recorded by the Mai Mala Buni led caretaker committee. They have been ferocious in their scheming till recently when they struck to the bewilderment of genuine lovers of democracy.

To say the action of Governor Abubakar Bello is an act of rascality would be an understatement. It is an exhibition of ignorance and bitterness. It remains unfortunate that he allowed himself to be used to affront our democracy makes it more worrisome for the future of the APC.

It is not as if he has been a worthy example in governance in Niger state since he was elected governor in 2015. What can he boast of as an achievement in the state? And what qualifies him to assume leadership of the APC? This is indeed a shame, and I fear for the future of the APC as we move towards the 2023 general elections. However, I am glad that the chicken has come home to roost. How Governor Abubakar Bello and his goons would turn the party's fortunes for good remains to be imagined.

I am confident that this illegality won’t stand. The efforts of members of the party that have toiled night and day towards building the party shall not be in vain. The likes of Governor Abubakar Bello and his coconspirators must come to terms with the realization that what they have done is a coup against democracy by all ramifications.

This is indeed a clarion call to all well-meaning members of the APC to resist this coup that spells doom for the party on the heels that the national convention is some weeks away. I can't say more because legal luminaries in the country have questioned the legality of the action of Governor Abubakar Bello. And they have been unanimous in their position that the action is indeed a rape on democracy to the embarrassment of the party.

This is indeed a failed coup, and Governor Abubakar Bello and his goons must retrace their steps and give peace a chance. That it worked for his father doesn’t mean it would work for him as times have changed. My two cents.


Adejare is a public affairs analyst based in Abuja.

CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS ISSUE A LETTER OF CREDENCE TO HONOURABLE FEDERAL COMMISSIONER NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES, MIGRANTS AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS


The Civil Society Alliance for Transparency and Development (CSATD) has issued a “Letter of Credence” to the Honourable Federal Commissioner (HFC) of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.


The Letter of Credence is a summary of the CSATD’s Independent assessment of MDAs on criteria such as Focus on Mandate, Efficiency in Operations, Transparency, Collaborations and Impact on the Citizenry.


In a statement by the National Coordinator of the organization, Mohammed Basah, “the CSATD, following it’s independent assessment, which included discreet interviews with stakeholders, budgetary review and project implementation among others, found the NCFRMI worthy of this recognition”.


He went further to state that “this recognition is a tap on the shoulder for the commission, while also reminding them that their activities are being watched hence, if we have cause to do so, we will not hesitate to call them out for any irregularities on their part”.


Mr. Basah also argues that “the Commission no doubt is reaping the fruits of purposeful leadership, being provided by a relatively young but experienced HFC, who had served in the private sector for years and held senior management positions in international brands”.

Basah said further that the commissioner had brought this wealth of experience to bear in the change of approach in managing persons of concern by the commission to “a development approach where the commission seeks to rehabilitate, reintegrate and resettle person’s of concern within the quickest possible time by empowering them rather than charity interventions”.


The CSATD also called for cooperation and support of all stakeholders to help the NCFRMI achieve more as government alone cannot bear the burden of rehabilitating, reintegrating and resettling IDPs.


The organization called for the private sector and even individuals to reach out to the commission and partner with them by making donations to aid the development approach of the NCFRMI.

Nigeria’s youth must be at the heart of any solution to the current problems in the country. That much is obvious. The question for those running for public office is whether they understand this reality, and how they plan to empower them.

#Gej2023
#GejIsComing

By: Benedict Aguele

Alema of Warri Kingdom, Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, is a quintessential Nigerian of many parts, all of which coalesce around his unflinching love for humanity and the undying quest to add value to all who encounter him without fanfare.


Chief Uduaghan is a politician, businessman, philanthropist, and family man extraordinaire, who by choice keeps a low profile despite making immense contributions in all of these roles.


Chief Uduaghan served as a Special Adviser under the administration of Governor James Onanefe Ibori in Delta state, having joined partisan politics as a member of the defunct Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) and later becoming a foundation member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State. Chief Uduaghan has been a major influence in the making of several political dynasties in the delta state and the greater Niger delta region.


Despite having a business empire that spans several jurisdictions including Nigeria, Ghana, the United Kingdom, Asia, and the United States of America, Chief Uduaghan is a cheerful man always wearing a smile and ever willing to be of service.


It is this disposition that has guided his business to phenomenal growth in less than 3decades, while he continues his personal development having acquired degrees in Engineering and Law and he is currently pursuing a post-graduate degree in Law. He equally encourages and supports others to equally pursue personal and professional growth, as his companies employ over 200 staff directly, with engineers, lawyers, and several other professionals in their ranks, many of who were sponsored by Chief Uduaghan himself.


The Alema of Warri kingdom, a very high-ranking chief and custodian of tradition, lives his life by the biblical principle of giving with the right hand and not letting the left hand know about it.


How else would one describe a man, who despite not having lived for 300years, has managed to among other things, provide significant grants for research in diverse fields in different universities, instituted scholarships for indigent students, and provided loans for enterprising market women?


All of these chief Uduaghan has done without any ceremonies as is the norm among the Nigerian elite, who tend to spend more than they give to the poor publicizing their giving.


No question philanthropy is about the impact and not publicity for publicity's sake, and the Alema of Warri is a clear example of this.

We need more of his kind who are committed to giving and supporting others to grow if we must wean our country off the excessive dependence on government for virtually every facet of human existence which robs the government of the resources and focus to provide public goods and services that facilitate wealth creation.


Our collective prosperity lies in building human capacity, and the Alema of Warri has distinguished himself as a world-class provider of engineering services, while also building a local capacity pool.



Benedict Aguele is an Entrepreneur based in Abuja. Twitter(benaguele)

*Re: Who is bankrolling Emefiele's political campaigns?* _– the tyranny of vocal wokery_

By Idoko Ainoko

An opinion piece titled, “Who is bankrolling Emefiele's political campaigns?” by one Etim Etim is symptomatic of an emerging problem of cancel culture that is fast taking over in Nigeria. According to Wikipedia, “Cancel culture or call-out culture is a blanket term used to refer to a modern form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles – whether it be online, on social media, or in person. Those subject to this ostracism are said to have been "cancelled". The expression "cancel culture" has mostly negative connotations and is used in debates on free speech and censorship.”

Etim’s opinion piece also finds expression in the corrosive wokery and wokeism that is fast taking over the world and increasingly making free thought and free speech impossible let alone actions taken in good faith. The root word for wokery and wokeism is of coure the slang use of the word “woke” which Urban Dictionary defined as “A word illogical people use to band together to give their lives meaning. A community of people who seek to assert sexual exploitation, social injustice, and so on, into issues in which none of it exist just so they can feel like they belong to something superior.”

The referenced opinion piece is therefore a weak attempt at “canceling” Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), by a woke activist, who has elected to find something wrong to fight irrespective of what good is possible from what is under discourse. Etim’s perceived grouse in this instance is that there are paid advertisements asking Mr. Emefiele to join the contest for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the 2023 presidential election. He went on to raise several issues, albeit on the wrong premises, which makes it necessary to correct some of the wrong impressions the writer created.

First, it is baffling that Etim decided to castigate Mr. Emefiele for the financing of the advertisements asking him to run for president when he was unable to prove that the CBN Governor caused the same to be published. It is not enough to cite nameless and faceless sources in a matter that is as grievous as abuse of office that the writer maliciously accused the Apex Bank Governor of. We are in an era where tracking financial flow is possible at the click of a few keypads, and this is in addition to the prospects offered by the Freedom of Information Act that could be leveraged. The writer could have asked to know if the CBN or its subsidiaries paid for the advertisements he referred to in his piece. If these cannot be proven then asserting that Mr. Emefiele is running a political campaign and paying for the messaging borders on criminal libel.

A flip side of the accusation of groups and farmers paying for the advertisements is that Etim wants the CBN to become an emergency dictator, who as the chief regulator of the nation’s financial sector, would gag individuals and organizations to prevent them from exercising the freedom of expression that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) guarantees. Etim did not prove that he was able to investigate the books of these farmers and organizations and was on account of that able to surmise that they were insolvent to the extent of not being able to spend money to sway someone who has aided their sector (agro) to contest for a higher office in the belief that he (Emefiele) would prioritize agriculture. That is something that would ultimately make farming profitable. For someone who wrote glibly about political communication, it is surprising that Etim is ignorant about how sectors and industries galvanize support for the candidate they know will advance their own interest, even in the western countries that the likes of Etim are quick to point out as glowing examples of democracy. That is the business side of politics.

Also, accusing Mr. Emefiele of not repudiating those asking him to contest for president is akin to entrapment. There is every likelihood that any response the CBN Governor makes on this subject matter would be twisted out of context and exploited for negative propaganda by those that are waiting for such opportunity. Rather than being condemned, Mr. Emefiele’s silence on this matter is to be commended. He has demonstrated the stoic silence expected of the office he presently occupies when the subject of the discourse is political.

Secondly, while the writer could have a point about the import of a CBN governor being dragged into politics, the way the concern was expressed smacked of someone that has been addicted for too long to a diet of CNN hogwash. The framing of the argument showed that the writer is hooked on the western concept of right and wrong. Nigeria presently faces unusual challenges and if taking the unusual measure of conscripting a sitting CBN Governor to drive the reforms initiated by the present administration further there should not be a problem with that. What right people should find worrisome is if Mr. Emefiele tries to turn down this call to patriotic duty based on certain rules about his CBN tenure and fear of how the likes of Etim will respond to his involvement in serving Nigeria in a higher capacity.

Furthermore, the writer admitted that he had in the past written in support of Emefiele, possibly eulogizing him, which is a red flag that should be investigated further. Usually, pay-for-hire hacks write such glowing tributes or articles in support of a public office holder in expectations of reciprocation; failure to be acknowledged in kind or by being given access usually cause the same writer who has written in glowing terms to turn on the public office holder by dishing out negative articles until the needful is done. Could this be the case with Etim? Would he suddenly begin to see the sterling qualities that have made people rout for the CBN Governor if something should drop to grease his palm?

The writer is right in the litany of names of former CBN top shots that have gone on to occupy higher offices or run for the office of president. This acknowledgment alone negates all the other points marshaled in his piece, which implies there was no point in penning the opinion if he wasted seven paragraphs to make tenuous points only to obliterate his own argument in the closing final paragraph.

One must nonetheless thank Etim for his efforts. There are key takeaways from the opinion article even though it was initially meant to “cancel” Mr. Emefiele as presidential material. One, the writer established the CBN Governor is a competent hand to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in view of the superlative performance and achievements he has recorded even before the end of his stay at the helm in CBN. Two, Mr. Emefiele is so desirable as Nigeria’s president that people in some sectors of the economy are willing to spend their hard-earned money to persuade him to run for president. And three, there are precedents of former CBN governors that have occupied elective office after their stint at the apex bank.

One is tempted to include the other points that the writer missed. The first is that in addition to his intimidating resume, Mr. Emefiele is from the south, to which many political parties are expected to zone their presidential tickets in the spirit of the informal rotational presidency practiced in the country. Incidentally, being from Delta state could be a plus as a choice of Emefiele would straddle the south-west and south-east, which would douse the tension over what part of southern Nigeria should produce the next president.

Secondly, compared to other names that are being mentioned as presidential hopefuls, Mr. Emefiele has age on his side – he is somewhere between the too young and too old aspirants that Nigerians are wary of. The other edges he has over aspirants that have so far shown interest are so numerous and convincing that they are best discussed in other articles.

In conclusion, Etim, and other people on his train should give up the toxic attempt to “cancel” Mr. Emefiele and focus on intervening in areas that genuinely require Nigerians to speak out. They must also note that the kind of vocal wokery they are trying to replicate in Nigeria is now being rejected in the countries where such used to be prevalent.

Ainoko is a public affairs analyst and wrote from Kaduna.

By: Olufemi Lawson

“I am out to become President of Nigeria. No intimidation, no blackmail can stop me. If you want to fight a pig, you must be ready to be smeared and I’m ready to be dirty”. Those were the exact words uttered by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he paid a courtesy call on the Olubadan designate, High Chief Lekan Balogun on Sunday 20 February, as part of his consultations on his presidential ambition. This was widely reported by the news media, both social and regular. Many Nigerians considered this statement offensive and smacked of desperation on the part of Jagaban.

However one of Tinubu’s aides, Tunde Rahman, the following day, made efforts to correct the negative impression of the statement on his principal, accusing media houses of twisting Tinubu words in order to “pour invective on the person of Asiwaju”. Rahman did not deny that Tinubu made the statement, only that the statement was twisted. But the question remains: how else would such statement be reported without conveying the message Rahman tried to correct?

Compare this statement to the one made by former President Goodluck Jonathan in the campaign leading to the 2015 presidential election: “my political ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian”. There is no way any naysayer could have twisted this statement other than what it conveyed: that is, here is a man wanting to be retained as the President, but not desperate to cling to power at all cost, especially if it involves shedding of blood to achieve it. And he demonstrated it beyond any doubts when he conceded defeat, even while counting of votes was still going on. His sacrifice doused the rising tension engulfing the country at that time, the consequence of which could have been grievous.

So, why did Tinubu, a colossus in politics, expected to be conscious of wannabes latching on to his every word, speak in a manner that connotes desperation? Since Rahman did not deny Asiwaju’s statement, can we simply ask: Why in the first instance would he fight a pig? And who is the pig, he was referring to? The answer to the first question should give a clue to the answer of the second. The only reason a decent and a supposedly contented man will be ready to fight a pig is, if the pig is holding what is very dear to him. And the pig is not willing to release the precious thing to the man. And since this man considers what the pig refuses to hand over to him as the one thing that remains for him to be almost immortal, then he can go bunkers with the pig. It’s now a do or die affair between him and the pig. And who is this pig that Asiwaju metaphorically referred to? I don’t know. And why would this pig refuse to hand him his key to deity? I don’t have an answer to that either.

All I know is that a pig, despite its dirt malignance, is reputed to have brain similar to a man, in that it has a gyrecephalic brain, making it an easily translatable model. As a matter of medical fact, the genetic DNA similarity between pigs and human beings, is 98%. This physiology certainly makes a pig capable of discernment. Maybe this particular pig that Asiwaju referred to is a Nostradamus who has foreseen the future where Jagaban’s presidency would be a disaster and since it has the wherewithal to stop him now, he would do so. And Tinubu having seen the body language and the surreptitious moves of the pig, has decided to fire the first salvo.

The upcoming weeks and months as we approach the 2023 presidential election, would be very interesting. But who is this Tinubu’s pig?



Olufemi Lawson is the Spokesman of the Southern Nigeria Frontier SNF, he sent in this piece, from Lagos.