The campaign team of Labour Party Presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi, has explained why his principal met with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, erstwhile Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in Abuja.

Online platforms and social media were awash with viral photographs of Obi’s closed-door meeting with the three chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party on Monday.

This is the first meeting of the former Anambra governor with his former political allies after he defected from the PDP to LP in May 2022.

The development comes on the heel of claims by Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, that Obi was frustrated out of the opposition party by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, because of the latter’s political ambition.


Ibe made this claim when he featured on the popular online political platform, Mic On Podcast, on Saturday.

Addressing the circumstances surrounding Obi’s departure, Ibe denied that the former VP orchestrated the split.

Speaking exclusively with The PUNCH following Monday’s meeting with Atiku, Saraki and Lamido, the Chief Spokesman of Obi’s Presidential Campaign Organisation, Yunusa Tanko, explained that the closed-door meeting with the PDP big wigs bothered on discussions on how to rescue the ‘soul of Nigeria’ from the clutch of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

He said, “I am not privy to their meetings. But what you are seeing are some of the long discussions we have had a long time ago. It is part of the discussions and efforts to battle for the soul of Nigeria.

On the chances of Obi returning to the PDP or the possibility of a merger between the Labour Party and the PDP, Tanko said such talks would only remain in the realm of speculations.

“Well, not really. Those are the permutations of individuals. I don’t want to dwell on that. But this is still an ongoing discussion. His destination will reveal itself later. Some of these discussions (Obi returning to PDP) are offshoots of what has been happening since the last election.

“We need to wait and see how these discussions pan out. Let’s hope they bring a positive outcome in the long run,” he said.

An official statement released by Obi’s media team titled ‘State of the Nation and Plight of the Poor: Obi visits Atiku, Saraki and Lamido’ corroborated Tanko’s earlier sentiment that Obi is determined to engage virtually all his political allies on the need to wrest power from the ruling APC.

The statement read, “The 2023 Presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has continued to live up to his expressed commitment to the peace and progress of the nation. His abiding devotion is to the emergence of a Nigeria that works for all its people and where the people are quickly pulled out of poverty.

“Worried about the state of the nation and the increasing uncertainty in the living conditions of the poor and underprivileged, Obi in Abuja on Monday visited some top Nigerians, among whom are Former Vice President, and PDP Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, the Former Senate President Senator Bukola Saraki and the Former Governor of Jigawa state, Alhaji Sule Lamido.

“At the centre of discussion during each of these visits was the state of the nation and how to reduce the suffering of all Nigerians irrespective of class and location. In particular, the desperate condition of the downtrodden in our midst was highlighted.

Curious345:
The Atiku-Obi Merger: A Game-Changer in Nigerian Politics

President Bola Tinubu on Monday launched the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) in Nigeria with the theme “We Are Equal”.

Speaking during the event at State House Conference Hall, Abuja, he expressed his commitment to continue working towards ending gender-based violence and increasing learning opportunities for girls in safe and conducive environments.

President Tinubu stressed the imperative of education in empowering girls and promoting gender equality.

He commended the OAFLAD initiative for launching the campaign, noting that it has been successfully launched in 15 other African countries.

President added that the launch’s focus on Nigeria with the title “Education as a Powerful Tool for Change,” is critical for Africa’s development.

The president stated: “We must continue to create opportunities for all our children to access quality education without leaving anyone behind, particularly the girl child.

“We must engender a society where everyone has the same opportunities, regardless of who they are, because doing that leads to a stronger and more peaceful society for all.”

The president also praised the African First Ladies for their commitment to advancing gender equality and narrowing the gender gap in opportunities and appointments across Africa.

“I salute the commitment and dedication of the African First Ladies, as members of OAFLAD, to advance gender equality and narrow the gender gap in opportunities and appointments across the African continent,” he said.

Speaking to his wife, the First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi, the president commended her efforts in championing education as a primary tool to advance gender equality, saying: “I particularly congratulate my dear wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady of Nigeria, who has chosen education as a primary tool to champion this campaign nationwide.”

Tinubu noted that the launch of the #WeAreEqual Campaign in Nigeria, with a focus on education as a tool for change is critical for Africa’s development.

“The focus of the launch of this campaign in Nigeria, ‘Education as a Powerful Tool for Change‘ is critical for Africa’s development, if we are to attain gender equity and ensure equal opportunities for all,” he noted.

President Tinubu stressed the importance of laws and policies that protect and promote women’s rights, invest in girls’ education and skills development, and create economic opportunities accessible to all.

“We must work together to promote laws and policies that protect and promote women’s rights, invest in girls’ education and skills development, and create economic opportunities that are accessible to all,” he added.

President Tinubu further reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that no Nigerian child is excluded from quality education that prepares women and girls to lead and bring positive changes to their communities.

“I reaffirm my commitment to ensuring that no Nigerian child is excluded from quality education that prepares women and girls to lead and bring positive changes to our communities,” he stated.

He called on all relevant stakeholders to carry the campaign forward to empower girls and promote gender equality.

“Let us carry forward this campaign, which promises to gift an educated girl-child the potential to bring the necessary change and transform African communities for the better,” he added.

HeatSeeker:


How is it treason biko?

BreconHills:


He is an ex soldier who founded an innovative post war trauma and injury centre for war vets and created a games for them to recover their self worth and meaning. The building of the forthcoming Invictus centre is great for wounded and traumatised ex soldiers.

The army respects him as an officer involved with this objective and there is nothing wrong with that. He did not wear his military uniform nor does he need to wear it to attend an honour guard.

I do not understand why you are up in arms about a matter that clearly does not concern you as a non UK royal. Nigeria is not an outpost of Great Britain and it's internal non state decisions are not binding on Nigeria. Nigeria is a sovereign state and it's army is an Insituation of a sovereign state.

BadMaster:

I have since advised you to seek psychological help, but you have refused. Now, your situation is critical.

The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, has suggested that interest rates will remain elevated until the inflation rate decreases.
According to him, the CBN Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is taking all necessary measures to combat inflation.

Cardoso also mentioned that conventional policies will be put in place to control inflation.

Naija News understands that Nigeria’s inflation rate climbed to 33.20 per cent in March, up from 31.70 per cent in February. As a result, the CBN’s monetary policy committee (MPC) increased the interest rate by 200 basis points in March to 24.75 per cent.

Speaking, however, on the events, Cardoso said: “They will continue to do what has to be done to ensure that inflation comes down.

“Let’s face it: for a long period of time, the CBN did not embrace orthodox monetary policies.

“We want to go back to using an orthodox method, and it will take us to where we want to go.”

The CBN governor said the apex bank had been “reoriented” to focus on “price and monetary stability”.

The governor stated that the official window of the foreign exchange (FX) market has been brought to a stable state.

As per his remarks, investors used to have an inclination to approach the window when faced with currency fluctuations, but there has been a significant change in this pattern.

Cardoso mentioned that investors are now becoming more at ease with the market.

Naija News understands that the naira dropped to a record low of ₦1,627.40/$ in the official FX window on March 8 before bouncing back to ₦1,154.08/$ on April 18. However, following this recovery, the local currency started to decline once again.

By May 10, the official FX rate was recorded at ₦1,466.31/$.

Cardoso emphasized the importance of increasing interest rates, stating that it has been essential. He expressed concerns that prolonged high interest rates could discourage investment and hinder production.

“Hiking interest rates obviously has had a dampening effect on the foreign exchange market, so that has begun to moderate. It’s not a zero-sum game. You lose on one side, you get on the other,” he said.

Cardoso attributed the higher inflation to “distortions,” primarily caused by the soaring food prices, stating that it exceeded his expectations. He further emphasized that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) does not have direct control over this issue.

In March, food inflation surged to 40.01 per cent, a significant increase from the 24.45 per cent rate observed in the corresponding month of the previous year.

Putindbutt:
Tinubu is the real defination of i am for everybody and i am for nobody.

Ecos:
Criminal woman

Kukutente23:

Lol. The person you're fighting for does not even acknowledge herself a Nigerian or if Nigerian ancestry

OriOko88:
Whether colonial mentality or not,these people are not our mates atal. After God na dem,give it to them.

BTW Harry or any British royals are first citizens of the world. They don't need visa to travel to any country. Dem senior us.

Gba fun oga e sanni

Melagros:
COMRADES, Umahi is hell bend on wasting our 15trillion in order to please the president's son

judatech:
Why the hell did he choose Nigeria?

malali:
If God has destined this Harry boy for greatness not even "his majesty" can stop it.

They are hell bent on robbing this boy of his royalty because he dared to marry a black woman and also stand up for himself.

My people watch and see how God acts.

Already 2 people have cancer in the royal family at the same time.

Some people are Gods people if you touch them....you will have yourself to blame

Righthussle:
Nigeria is Harry's property now. The queen shared the family properties before her passing.

The British High Commission in Nigeria has failed to acknowledge the presence of Prince Harry.

Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in the most populous black nation on earth, on Friday, and there have been different activities to welcome them.

The couple was received by military authorities on Friday afternoon in the nation’s seat of power.

He, alongside his wife, visited the Defence Headquarters in Abuja as part of their tour of Nigeria. They also proceeded to Kaduna State, where they met with Governor Uba Sani, who gifted the prince a traditional attire.

However, as against their tradition of welcoming top dignitaries from the United Kingdom, the social media handles of the commission has been silent on the activities of the Prince in Nigeria.

Checks by Daily Trust showed that the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, was silent on the visit on social media, while the UK in Nigeria X handle didn’t also acknowledge their presence.

In an interview with NAN, Montgomery said: “It’s great that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are visiting Nigeria, which I understand is at the invitation of Defence Headquarters.

“But they are visiting in a private capacity, not an official one. So, the British High Commission is not involved in arranging or facilitating their programme. They are not representing the work of His Majesty’s Government on this visit.”

While in Kaduna, Harry identified sports as a useful way for the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers in Nigeria.

The prince said the focus of his visit was to meet with the wounded and sick men and women who served in the Nigerian armed forces.

“The focus of this trip is the wounded and sick men and women who served in the Nigerian forces to keep the people safe, and having founded the Invictus game over 10 years ago, Nigeria was the first African nation to join in Germany with 10 fantastic human beings.”

“When you talk about lifting the spirits, that is what we are here to do, and we will build on that morale and ensure that anyone hooked on the line of fire, despite being injured, is not alone, and sport can be a useful way for rehabilitation,” he had said.

Harry and Meghan met in 2016 and married in 2018. They stepped down as senior royals in January 2020.

Angry about media intrusion, they were frustrated that Buckingham Palace stopped them developing their “SussexRoyal” brand.

The couple kept their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, but are no longer addressed as his or her royal highness (HRH). Harry also gave up his military titles.

When Harry’s father Charles became King, the couple’s two children became Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.

Prince Harry allegedly missed the flight that carried Prince William, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward up to Scotland where they raced in vain to see Queen Elizabeth II one last time before she passed away.

While nobody made it to her bedside in time, except for King Charles III and Princess Anne, William and his uncles were a lot closer to making it than Harry was.

Harry was allegedly so persistent about bringing his wife, Meghan Markle, with him to Balmoral where the Queen was dying, that an argument ensued, causing him to miss the flight that carried his brother and uncles.

Melagros:
COMRADES, Shehu Sani is right unlike that useless Omokri who underrated the protocol, he also accused the media for giving the visit a low coverage
You can see how stupid Reno Omokri is

A special interest group, the Nigerian ReNewed Hope Solidarity Movement (NRHSM) has said but for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s pragmatic policies and programmes the country would have gone into bankruptcy.

The group also applauded the administration’s commitment to fighting and eradicating corruption in the country in the last one year in office.

This position was contained in a statement in Abuja by the National Coordinator of the Movement, Hon Tom Obulu.

According to the group whose interest is in seeing that the renewed hope dispensation is spread to all grassroot for all the citizens to benefits, described the decision taken so far in directing the affairs of the country by the administration as courageous.

Commending the progress recorded so far since last May 29, Obulu said: “the Tinubu administration can pump its chest for been courageous enough to go back to the drawing board by making sure that Nigeria does not go bankrupt.”

The movement cited the removal of fuel subsidy, the reformation in the forex market and the students loan scheme which will help provide succour to indigent students by providing platform for them to access qualitative education.

It also commended the administration for initiating and implementing the one million nano business owners, who are currently receiving N5O,000, the take-off of the super Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the completion of Aba- Port Harcourt railway line.

Frowning at the pockets of rising opposition, the movement urged the administration not to fold its arms and allow wealthy oppositions to be sponsoring pockets of protest. The group also advised that government should wield the big stick to discourage hoarding, in order not to allow galloping inflations.

The movement also endorsed the minister of state of defence, Bello Muhammed Matawale’s verdict on the lack of authority of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) to speak for the entire region, noting that they have become a political burden to the northerners.

“This statement is been amplified by the NHRSM because they (NEF) have no department that monitors the progress of achievements of this administration as enumerated above, they just want power for power sake, they should wait for 2031 as there is no vacancy.

“What the president needs now is the energy of the citizens of Nigeria to show support for his government and move the good governance that we need.”

The group urged the Organised Labour to tread softly in their demand for minimum wage, arguing that the N615,000 benchmark will cause instant hyper inflation that will turn Nigeria into a banana republic.

In an interview with NAN, Montgomery said: “It’s great that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are visiting Nigeria, which I understand is at the invitation of Defence Headquarters.

“But they are visiting in a private capacity, not an official one. So, the British High Commission is not involved in arranging or facilitating their programme. They are not representing the work of His Majesty’s Government on this visit.”

Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has picked holes with the recent visit of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Nigeria.

According to Sani, the protocol displayed “obsequiousness and colonial mentality, claiming it was utterly disgusting.”

In a post on his X handle on Saturday, the lawmaker said he likes Harry and Meghan because of their rebellious attitude and appreciated their visit to Nigeria.

He said: “I like Harry and Meghan because of their rebellious attitude and I appreciate their visit to my country; but the obsequiousness and colonial mentality displayed by the protocol of their visit is utterly disgusting. I hope when the elder brother comes, our officials will not carry him on their shoulders.”

DAILY POST reported that Harry and Markle arrived in Nigeria for their 72-hour tour on Friday.

This is the first time Harry and Meghan are visiting Nigeria together.

Other travellers were held back while they were escorted off into a waiting blacked out minibus.

According to FDC, Nigeria's inflation is set to see an uptick to 34.25% due to the return of petrol scarcity and a weakening naira.