₦airaland Forum

A 2023 Presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Doyin Okupe, has vowed to voluntarily step down from the presidential race if there’s a national concession to give the South-East the Presidency in 2023.

The former Presidential spokesperson stated this during an interview on City 105.1FM with Reuben Abati.

While making reference to the consensus made in 1998, which saw to the emergence of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, he explained that he would support a candidate like Mr Peter Obi who, he says, has the much-needed credentials to move the nation forward.

Okupe said: “Of all the people who have come out to declare their interests for the Presidency, I believe that I am the most qualified.

“I have worked with two former presidents which gave me the opportunity to understudy them and learn from them and this has prepared me well.

“He also stated that if elected, he would ensure that the country has a more sustainable yielding asset away from crude oil.“As a political veteran, the post of the presidency is a highly competitive one and it must be contested even when there’s a consensus amongst the parties.

“The office of the Presidency which is to be contested in 2023 is a competitive one, which must be made open for everyone to contest,” he added.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), on Tuesday, tackled the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, over its refusal to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his 2023 presidential bid.

The group further noted that Tinubu deserves Afenifere’s support in view of his active role in the struggle for the restoration of democracy in Nigeria.

MURIC Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, who expressed shock over the decision of pan Yoruba socio-cultural group, in a statement said the leader of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has shown signs of refusal to support Tinubu, as the group kept mute, two weeks after Tinubu declared intention to contest for president.

The group said it believed that Tinubu deserves to reap from the gains of democracy, having sacrificed so much for its realisation.

“As a member of the CD under Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti in those tough days, the Director of MURIC can testify that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited No. 19, Imaria Street, Anthony Village, Lagos secretariat of Dr. Beko, who was the CD chairman on several occasions to give both moral and financial support.

It was a huge risk for him to have done this with the Abacha gestapo on the trail of pro-democracy activists,” the statement said.

While describing the action of Afenifere as myopic and unpatriotic, MURIC said the group has one or two lessons to learn from the Igbo.

“Unlike Afenifere’s cold attitude towards the only Yoruba man who has shown interest in the presidency (at least publicly), the Igbo socio-cultural group, the Ohaneze, has pledged to support two Igbo men (Anyim Pius Anyim and Dave Umahi), who have expressed interest in the presidency with 10 billion naira.

“We call on Afenifere to sharpen its political instinct. An adage says one good turn deserves another.

The Yoruba socio-cultural group should neither reject its best candidate nor remain neutral at a time others are embracing their own,” he added.

At least two persons were Sunday night reportedly killed and another seriously injured in a suspected rival cult clash at the Gyado Villa area of Makurdi town.

Vanguard gathered from a source in the area who spoke on condition of anonymity that the clash created pandemonium in the community which is a stone throw from the Benue State University, as residents scampered for safety.

According to him, “a group of young men were in a meeting at about 8pm when another group stormed the venue and started shooting and attacking anyone in the meeting.

“We were later told that they were rival cult groups and nobody knew what led to the fight but everyone scampered and ran for safety.

“At the end of the bloody fight we discovered the corpses of two persons and another person who was seriously injured but we doubt of he would survive because of the severity of the injury.

“As I speak with you residents of the community now live in fear becaue we do not know what will follow next after attack.”

Contacted, the Public Relations Officer, Superintendent, SP, Catherine Anene confirmed the incident saying, “some young men sat at a spot and some other young men came and attacked them around 8pm last night (Sunday).

Two persons were confirmed dead and another one who was seriously injured and he is presently on admission in hospital.”

She said the remains of the dead victims had been deposited at the mortuary while investigation into the matter was ongoing.

UnusualEmissary:
You want to set a record of highest amount of hands raised simultaneously at a particular period in time?

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, to “abort” the planned protests against the Federal Government’s proposed removal of fuel subsidy.

Lawan described the planned nationwide protest as “totally unnecessary”.

He made the appeal on Monday when he met with the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, over the planned removal of subsidy on petroleum products by the Federal Government.

Lawan faulted the timing for the planned removal of subsidy on petroleum products.

He stated that in as much as the administration and management of subsidy on petroleum products are flawed, President Muhammadu Buhari-led government believes that sufficient planning must be carried out before its eventual removal.

He said, “The position of everyone in government today is that admittedly, subsidy administration and management are flawed because of so many reasons.

“Admittedly, the burden is huge and massive and there is a need at one point to do away with the subsidy.

“Even though our economy is growing, we still have the challenge of getting things to be better for our people.

“A lot of us in this administration believe that the issue of removal of subsidy should be handled with utmost care, especially that sufficient planning needs to be done.

“It is not about NLC, we are talking about every Nigerian. We are concerned beyond the Nigeria Labour Congress.

“I am taking this opportunity to appeal to the TUC and NLC to shelve this plan to go on strike or demonstration, it is totally unnecessary.

“There is not going to be a removal of subsidy, so there is no need for this. Please, let’s not create unnecessary tension where there should be none.

“I appeal to them using this medium, to please forget about this January 27, 2022, deadline because there is no need for any deadline.”