₦airaland Forum

ASIWAJU IS COMING

But why is @ChibuikeAmaechi only complaining on 18 March? Why did he not complain on Sat 25 Feb 2023 when the same "forces" were used to massively alter @inecnigeria Result Sheets to transfer votes of @PeterObi
to another Candidate ?  Was it okay then to rob Peter to pay Paul?

But why is @ChibuikeAmaechi only complaining on 18 March? Why did he not complain on Sat 25 Feb 2023 when the same "forces" were used to massively alter @inecnigeria Result Sheets to transfer votes of @PeterObi to another Candidate ? 🤔 Was it okay then to rob Peter to pay Paul? pic.twitter.com/Em5nNKsW6v

— Atedo Peterside (@AtedoPeterside) March 19, 2023

The voter intimidation going on in Lagos State is unacceptable. Governor Sanwo-Olu needs to speak out against it. APC is tarnishing the reputation of Yoruba people for political gain. This is not who we are, please.
If Lagosians want GRV, let them have GRV. It's their choice.

I had to delete a tweet about the long history of westerners' contribution to the unity of Nigeria because of what APC affiliated thugs are doing.

The president-elect, Bola Tinubu, on Thursday said Nigeria’s politics is intact.

POLITICS NIGERIA reports that in an article titled ‘Nigeria: At the Cusp of Renewed Hope’, the APC chieftain said the impressive showing of “new parties” in the February 25 presidential election “underscores the dynamic strength of our democracy”.

Tinubu said: “Critics of Nigeria have been too quick to conclude that our political system is fragmented because of the impressive showing of new parties and their candidates.

“These critics are wrong. The emergence of the new parties and their candidates underscores the dynamic strength of our democracy.

“People want democracy to work and they want to have their voices heard and interests met within it. This is a good thing to be promoted, not something to be feared.

“What must concern us is not the growth of parties but the regrowth of old prejudices and bigotries such as ethnicity, creed and place of origin. As a nation and as individuals imbued with the love of God and of our fellow man, we are better than this.”

The Election that declared Peter Obi re-elected Governor in 2010 was reported here by International Observers as very fraudulent yet he defended the mandate & rebuffed the Observers. Hypocrisy at its peak!

Incumbent declared winner in flawed Nigeria poll

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike has described Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi, as the hero of the 2023 presidential election for scuttling the chances of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, thereby preventing North from holding on to power.

Wike, addressing a cluster of Rivers state traders associations Saturday in Port Harcourt, said, “Obi is my hero. If Obi did not contest, power would have gone back to the North. The whole of South-South and South-East that PDP lost if Obi did not contest PDP would have won.”

“Obi is the hero. He may not have been pronounced the winner, but no problem, the law will take its course. If Obi did not run this election, power would have remained in the North. Whether he is declared winner now or not, history will be on his side, that he fought and fought well.”

The governor knocked his predecessor and immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, for wooing Igbos in Rivers to vote for All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Tonye Cole, as governor whereas he allegedly mobilised votes for Atiku in the presidential polls.

“If Amaechi loves the Igbos, why did he not support Obi? Instead, he supported Atiku. He did not want the power to return to the South because he lost his APC ticket”, Wike alleged against Amaechi.

The governor further said Amaechi is deliberately canvassing support for Cole as the next Rivers governor to evade ongoing prosecution for alleged embezzlement of $50M from the Rivers government coffers.

Chairmen of the Computer Dealers Association, Anunobi Ikechi and the Building Materials Traders Association, Okwudiri Onuorah, assured the governor of their support for Rivers PDP to go

Peter Obi Surges As Counting Begins For #NigeriaElections2023

Peter Obi lost his voice, yet still granted an interview. Nigeria deserves a president who is capable of & willing to work for Nigeria as hard as Peter Obi is working to win this election. You have to respect that.

It is a dreadful thing for Nigeria to fall into the hands of Obidients. If they can be this arrogant and domineering without power, imagine how they will be with power? Criticise Obi and you disappear. I shudder at the thought. God forbid! God forbid!! God forbid!!!

February 22, (THEWILL) – Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has dissociated himself from recent claims by former Governor of the State and Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, that he and other members of the G5 are supporting Bola Ahmed Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Kalu had in a recent interview with Channels Television on Monday, said, “Tinubu is well-liked by the North and is from the South-West and is going to get a [sizeable] vote in Imo, Ebonyi, Abia, Anambra and Enugu. And he’s going to have the support of Governor Wike of Rivers State, so we’re on track.

“My Governor here, Okezie Ikepazu, will also support Tinubu. My senatorial district is going to give Tinubu the vote, the puncher to give the 34, 35 per cent to be on the ballot.”

Speaking on Tuesday, after inspecting the ongoing final asphalt overlay on Faulks Road, in Aba, Ikpeazu said “no member of G5 can railroad another member into supporting anyone against his will as suggested by Senator Kalu,” he said.

Ikpeazu, who dismissed Senator Kalu’s statement, described it as mere wishful thinking and the usual political speculation associated with the season.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Ikpeazu has not endorsed Tinubu and will not endorse him because he is a leader that is guided by the feelings of his people.

“PDP remains formidable and all our candidates in the forthcoming elections hold very strong prospects of winning in Abia,” the Abia PDP Campaign Council also declared in a statement.

The statement issued by Chief John Okiyi Kalu, the Director of Strategic Engagement, said “Governor Ikpeazu is a democrat and even as he frowns at some decisions of his party, the PDP, he remains a committed member of the PDP family.

“Ikpeazu is in touch with Abians and will not derail from the decision of a majority of his people, which does not presently incline towards APC or its presidential candidate, Senator Bola Tinubu.

“It is noteworthy that in the field, APC structures in Abia South Senatorial District have completely collapsed into the PDP as was seen during the PDP rally held at Ahiaba in Obingwa LGA. So it is laughable for anyone to imagine the Governor working for the same party that has collapsed as a result of the good work the Governor has been doing in the state.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Ikpeazu has not endorsed Tinubu and will not endorse him because he is a leader that is guided by the feelings of his people. PDP remains formidable and all our candidates in the forthcoming elections hold very strong prospects of winning in Abia.

“We acknowledge the frustration of opposition parties in the state and sympathize with them on their imminent rejection by the people, who see the PDP as a steady hand guaranteeing continuing peace and progress of the state.

“Abians cannot abandon the PDP, which gave them over 200 roads including 4 bridges, 700 new classroom blocks, sent some of her youths abroad on scholarships and trained shoemakers overseas. It is unthinkable for our people to abandon such a party, which built 2 brand new giant firms that have been gainfully employing our people and engaging them in other numerous positive ways

“The PDP government of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has employed over 10,000 youths through direct jobs in TIMAAS, APUMA, ENASCO, Abia school feeding programmes, ASEPA etc. It has facilitated regular power supply in parts of Aba through delineated support to Geometric Power Company and has bequeathed the first free trade zone in the Southeast through Enyimba Economic City.

“It is because we are proud of our record as a party and government that our candidates are campaigning on those records, whereas our opponents are engaging in propaganda and outright falsehood to attempt to hoodwink voters.

“As of today, Abia remains the safest state in the Southeast. To the glory of God, the state has not witnessed any success

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari made a mistake concerning the naira redesign policy.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa, El-Rufai said the policy was introduced to make the All Progressives Congress (APC) lose in the election.

He said governors were against the policy because of the hardship it has put people into and not because of vote buying.

“We reviewed this policy and the hardship it put people into and the feeling of hatred Nigerians developed for the APC because Nigerians are putting the blame on the APC and the people who introduced the policy did it to make our party lose in the election.

“After we finished our review, we agreed that the judgement of the Supreme Court should be followed which is the old and new notes should be used until the case is over.

“Did vote buying start today? Why was the money not redesigned before? Why now? Secondly, is vote buying only done with naira? It can be bought using dollar, euro, Cefa, you can give the voters food.

“There are several ways through which you can buy votes. You cannot take money out of politics, but you can reduce it.

“We are not against this policy because of vote buying. I swear to God we are against it because of how we saw people are suffering, not the elections.

“The people who pushed for the naira redesign are not members of the APC. You see Godwin Emefiele, it was the PDP that brought him. The others with who the decision was taken with them we know them and when the time comes, we will expose them because they are not members of our party.

“God willing on Saturday the masses will retaliate against those who want to drag our party to the ground. Those who APC gave an opportunity to get money more than what will be sufficient for them to do shopping because some of them we knew how things were difficult for them eight years ago, but now, they have money more than you could imagine.

“I swear to God we will bring them out and ask them where they got their money from.

“Because the president is a person who believes in people, and we (governors), our image has been tarnished. He has been told that governors are thieves which is why we are against the naira redesign policy.

“Even if we go to him and say ‘our leader, you have been lied to in this place’, and he says I understand and will take action on it, the moment we depart, he will be told not to take any action.

Obidients are a curse to Obi. The man himself is not so bad. But with the behaviour of Obidients, you are afraid of what will become of Nigeria if power gets to their hands. Many are just unnecessarily and scarily aggressive. May power never get to their hands!

The Vice Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Datti Baba-Ahmed accused the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and some Governors of All Progressives Congress (APC) states of indulging in treasonable acts.

Datti in a Press Conference in Abuja said actions must be taken against governors who defied President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision on the withdrawal of old Naira notes.

According to him, it was treasonable for the governors to ask citizens to continue transactions with old notes, adding that such a move was against the spirit of the 1999 constitution.

The LP VP candidate also disclosed that the constitution empowers the President to direct for a change in local currency, noting that the move was aimed at correcting certain economic issues.

He also criticized the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, for “advising Buhari to make a national broadcast on a matter still in court”.
Datti described the broadcast as “a classical failure in leadership.”

On 25 February 2023, voters in Nigeria will go to the polls to determine their country’s next President, who will replace term-limited incumbent Muhammadu Buhari, the retired major general and former military head of state.

Since the beginning of Nigeria’s current democratic regime in the 1990s, the presidency has been held by only two political parties: the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) followed by the All Progressives Congress (APC). This duopoly appears set to be broken in the upcoming election contest by outsider candidate Peter Obi, of the Labour Party.

We at Redfield & Wilton Strategies have polled 3,351 Nigerians in order to understand the dynamics of what will be a transformative election.

Altogether, we find Peter Obi leading Bola Tinubu by 40%. The full results are as follows:

Peter Obi (Labour Party) 62%
Bola Tinubu (All Progressives Congress) 22%
Atiku Abubakar (Peoples Democratic Party) 12%
Rubi’u Musa Kwankwaso (New Nigeria People’s Party) 3%
Another candidate 1%


70% of those who voted for PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar in 2019 say they intend to vote this time for Peter Obi, who himself used to be part of the PDP and was even Abubakar’s running mate in 2019. 20%, meanwhile, say they will again vote for Abubakar.

Likewise, 40% of those who voted for Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, a plurality, say they will vote for Peter Obi. 38% of Buhari’s 2019 voters say they intend to vote for his party’s 2023 nominee, Bola Tinubu.

While enthusiasm for Obi is said to be driven by younger voters, majorities of voters across all age groups say they intend to vote for Obi.

In addition to leading in voting intention, Peter Obi is the only major candidate in the upcoming election who is viewed favourably by a majority of Nigerian voters. His net favourability stands at +65%, far above that of Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar, who have net favourability ratings of -38% and -22%, respectively.


Nigerians overwhelmingly believe Obi has the leadership qualities for a President. For instance, 82% of Nigerians think Obi is charismatic. 73% believe that he can bring Nigerians together (compared to 23% for Tinubu and 20% for Abubakar), and 79% that he understands the problems facing Nigeria (compared to 28% for Tinubu and 29% for Abubakar).

Amidst this significant polling lead and widespread favourability, 57% of Nigerians believe that Obi will win the election later this month—a result that would be met with much enthusiasm.

Altogether, 70% say they would be excited and optimistic if Peter Obi were to win the upcoming election. Just 9% say they would feel dismayed and pessimistic with this result. By contrast, majorities of voters say they would feel dismayed and pessimistic if either Tinubu (56%) or Abubakar (51%) were to become President.


Clearly, Obi has captivated the country.

In part, his success owes itself to his campaign’s use of social media. A majority (52%) of Nigerians say they use social media as their primary source of news, far above television news (15%) and online newspapers and magazines (14%). Of these, around 40% use Facebook to get the latest news, and 30% use Twitter. Whereas Obi’s main opponent, Bola Tinubu, claims to no longer read social media, Peter Obi’s fans are reportedly active in expressing their support on social media networks.

By and large, however, widespread dissatisfaction with the current Government and a yearning desire for change appear to be the critical drivers of support for Peter Obi. Economic development (67%), corruption (65%), and education (57%) are the top three issues voters say will determine how they vote in the upcoming election. On all three counts and more, the current Government has a woeful net approval rating.


55% do not have confidence in the current government, outweighing the 38% who do.


Above all, Nigerians are most critical of the government’s handling of the economy. With inflation in Nigeria running above 20%, following the introduction of a redesigned currency, an overwhelming 75% disapprove of the government’s actions on inflation. 76% of Nigerians believe that the government is currently not taking the right measures to deal with the rising cost of living, whilst only 14% say it is.


On the heels of a decade of stagnant growth, 69% disapprove of the government’s performance on economic development, and 67% disapprove of the government’s handling of employment and wages.

79% overall assess the economic situation in Nigeria to be bad, while only 19% say okay or good. Among Peter Obi voters, 87% believe that the economic situation is bad, and only 7% believe that it is good.


55% of Nigerians say their financial situation has changed for the worse in the last year, whilst 26% say it has improved, and 19% say it has stayed the same. Peter Obi voters are slightly more likely to say their financial situation has worsened (61%) and less likely to say it has improved (19%).


In addition to feeling economic insecure, voters also feel physically insecure. 72% disapprove of the government’s performance dealing with crime, while 79% identify the crime situation in Nigeria as ‘bad’ or ‘very bad.’ More granularly, 59% disapprove of the government’s performance dealing with ethnic and religious conflict, and another 46% disapprove of its performance against counterinsurgency and counterterrorism.

A decade of violence in Nigeria has displaced 2.2 million people. By some reports, 10,000 Nigerians were killed in armed conflict and 5,000 kidnapped in 2022. Increasing violence across the country has thus left many dissatisfied with the current Government.


Finally, Nigeria has a longstanding corruption problem. Corrupt practices, in particular bribery, continue to be prevalent throughout all ranks of the Nigerian public sector. When President Buhari was first elected in 2015, he promised to deal with corruption in the country. Yet, 80% of Nigerians at this moment rate corruption an extreme problem.

As a result, Peter Obi will not only be competing with his rivals. He will also be contending with voters’ (lack of) trust in the voting process. A third of Nigerians (33%) disagree that they have trust in the electoral process. Among likely Peter Obi supports, this number rises to 41%, compared to 26% who do have faith in the electoral process.


To be sure, such a question can merely indicate disappointment with a previous election result. As a counterpoint, 78% of Nigerian voters agree that their votes can make a difference, including 81% of likely Obi voters. Moreover, 63% believe the election will be determined by voters, rather than by bribery and cheating, an option selected by 25% of respondents.

Critically, in a country plagued by violence, 71% say they are very concerned about their safety during the upcoming Presidential election, compared to only 4% who say they are not at all concerned—though, again, 82% are confident that they will be able to vote if they want to do so.

As such, on the current polling, Peter Obi is set to win the upcoming Presidential Election in Nigeria decisively.

To find out more information about this research contact our research team. Redfield & Wilton Strategies is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Follow us on Twitter

A Northern leader, Buba Galadima has revealed that a serving governor stashed N22 billion old naira notes.

The former National Secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, made the disclosure in an interview on Trust TV’s Daily Politics.

Galadima answered a question on the controversial naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

The New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, chieftain recalled the party already took a strong position on the contentious issue.

Galadima said the CBN Act states that in an event of naira redesign, it should be done within a period of not less than six months.

The statesman said the government however explained it approved the policy because many individuals had amassed the currency in their houses.

“I agree. I know, from intelligence, that there is a governor in the Northwestern part that has about N22 billion of the old currency.

“Yes, N22 billion stacked in his house as I speak to you. He knows himself. And the security agencies know,” he stressed.

Galadima said the agencies might be looking the other way because “maybe they belong to the same club or they are protecting him”.

The politician added that the trap is for the governor to go change the cash “accumulated through corruption”.

A fortnight ago, CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele said the old N200, N500 and N1000 denominations were recalled because N2.7 trillion was kept in people’s homes before the Buhari administration came on board.

Ndudi Elumelu, and PDP campaign trail for Atiku/ Okowa chased out of a community in delta North constituency.

Just in 💢- @Honndudielumelu Ndudi Elumelu, and PDP campaign trail for Atiku/ Okowa chased out of a community in delta North constituency.
Delta state is OBIdient nothing can change it #ObiDattiInAbuja Gowon Federal Government Enzo Tuchel Dele Alake potter Kano Arise TV Igbo pic.twitter.com/aybiypIgEv

— SirOdue (@Sirodue1) February 10, 2023

Today marks the end of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s deadline to phase out the circulation of old Naira notes; however, the silence by the country’s apex bank over the Supreme Court’s judgement restraining it from implementing the deadline has left Nigerians confused.

On Wednesday, the country’s apex court, in a majority judgement, restricted CBN from banning the circulation of the old notes.

The court’s decision received mixed reactions. While on the one hand, some lauded the court’s position, on the other hand, some faulted the decision.

During an interview on Arise Television, Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, on Thursday stated that the government is hopeful that the Supreme Court ex parte ruling, which expires on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, would be upturned.

He affirmed that the Federal Government would obey the court order.

Osita Nwanisobi, the Director of the Corporate Communications Department of CBN, did not reply to calls or texts before this report was filed.

Meanwhile, on Friday, on his Twitter handle, the former Minister of Aviation and member of the Tinubu/Shetima presidential campaign council, Femi Fani-Kayode, said the Federal Government bowed to the will of the Supreme Court.

“The FG has bowed to the will of the Supreme Court and declared that the old naira notes remain legal tender unless and until the court says otherwise”, he tweeted.

***Says 2023 Election Isn’t About Political Party, But Competence

LAGOS – The former Deputy National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Parry (PDP) has taken a swipe at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) stressing that the party has plunged the country into unprecedented hardship, pointing out that in a civilised clime, the ruling party would not have the temerity to present a presidential candidate and ask Nigerians to vote for him.

The Atona Odua of Yoruba land made this remark at a press conference on Thursday which was also attended by party chieftains and associates.

George he noted that he was not speaking as a chieftain of the PDP but as a concerned Nigerian, said, “I see it as absolute lunacy for anybody to campaign for the APC or to contest on the platform of APC, due to the state of formlessness the ruling party has thrown Nigeria into.

“It is grieving to see Nigeria slowly sliding into a state of perpetual hopelessness.

In all honesty, I cannot decipher the logic of quietness against the cliff edge which the APC government has plunged the Nigerian state into, where there seems to be no opposing views, calling the ruling government to stop and rethink.

Talking about concerns over silence by other political parties who should be worried about the state of things, Bode George said, “Our party, the PDP, and others, such as the Labour Party, Social Democratic Party (SDP,) New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), seem to have concurred to the present shenanigan.

“I wonder, what hate, what evil, what madness will propel anyone of sane mind to plunge Nigeria into the present state of hopelessness, annihilation and abject suffering of the citizenry.

“It puzzles rationality. It benumbs our senses as Nigerians wake up every day to daily agonies of perennial fuel scarcity, tossed at us by the NNPC and the agony of non-availability of cash, occasioned by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through its Naira rebranding.

He added, “Where is the presidential candidate of our party, the PDP, Atiku Abubakar? Where is Iyorchia Ayu, the National Chairman. How come the voice of the DG, Campaign Council of the PDP is drowned in perpetual silence against the atrocities of the APC government with the presidential election just a few days away?

“Why have they allowed their voices to be drowned in conspiratorial silence?

Where are the opposition political parties? What does the graveyard silence portend for Nigerians? It seems to mean that Nigerians’ right to good has been consigned to the dustbin by the political class.

George further stated, “Governments are elected to guarantee the pursuit of happiness , to ensure the protection of personal liberties, to create an atmosphere where all citizens can carry out their economic livelihoods without being subjected to oppression or being savaged by the lawlessness of incendiary actors.

“The center appears overwhelmed, stunned, halted, stalled, puzzled about grappling with the Nigerian challenges.

I believe the various state actors can do better.

He added!, “Managers of our economy should not take Nigerians for granted by churning out retrogressive economic policies. We should rather strive to review our focus and our ultimate horizon . Nigeria must withdraw from the destructive brink.

“Sadly enough, it is on record that Nigeria has continued to toy with the issue of power supply which is very germane to the development of any economy, particularly, a developing economy like ours.

Presently, our country loses an estimated $29 billion in accruable revenue every year due to epileptic power. This is not sustainable. Power is the very lifeblood of all industrial revolution. It is the fuel of all economic development.

The PDP leader when called to state which of the presidential candidates he would support, noted that he would not disclose who he would vote for but that Nigerians should vote for competence and someone who can take the country out from the doldrums.

He said , “I urge Nigerians to vote for the right candidate, someone with competence and not about political party. Peter Obi was one of us in PDP and Atiku Abubakar was a member of APC.

While alluding to the presidential candidate of the APC, he said, “In a civilised world APC will not have the temerity to present a presidential candidate after all they have put Nigerians through.”

Speaking further he said, “If the lingering crisis in our party is not resolved I will not cast my vote for Atiku. In our party the presidential candidate is from the North, the National chairman of our party is from the North, the DG campaign is from the North, the Deputy National chairman is from the North, where is justice here? Bode George queried.

He appealed to past leaders in the country to speak up concerning the evil that is happening in the country, stressing that this is the opportunity to speak up as Nigerians get ready to go to the polls in a few days.

The director of media and publicity of the Tinubu/Shettima campaign council of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bayo Onanuga, has called for the dismissal of Godwin Emefiele as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria .

Onanuga made this call on Wednesday, February 8 via a tweet sighted by Legit.ng.

Godwin Emefiele has been a subject of criticism since the implementation of the naira redesign policy.

His tweet reads:
"The Nigerian people have won in the battle to make Godwin Emefiele and his CBN see reason that their 10 February swap deadline is grossly unreasonable and is sheer madness.

"And it is time for President Buhari to suspend this fumbling governor from office."

Onanuga has joined the long list of APC chieftains calling for an extension of the February 10 deadline issued by CBN for the circulation and usage of the old naira notes across the federation.

CBN naira redesign: What APC, PDP governors told Buhari in top-level Abuja meeting
With 16 days to go into the general elections, many chieftains of the APC believe that implementing the naira redesign at such short notice in the build-up to the election was not the best decision by the apex bank.

This development on the implementation of the naira note has also triggered a lot of rancour amongst the hierarchy in the APC with the suspicion that some cabal within the party was plotting to frustrate the presidential ambition of the Bola Tinubu, the flagbearer of the party.

In an interview, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state made it public that some cabal at the State House was behind the scarcity of the naira to discredit and sabotage Tinubu's goodwill.

These submissions by Governor El-Rufia were concurred by APC chieftain and former minister of aviation Femi Fani-Kayode.

CBN's naira redesign policy is senseless... CBN deceived Buhari and the intention behind it was to stop the elections, says former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

CBN's naira redesign policy is senseless... CBN deceived Buhari and the intention behind it was to stop the elections, says former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole. #The2023Verdict#CTVTweets pic.twitter.com/A9pDqeWLMT

— Channels Television (@channelstv) February 5, 2023

“Any man who must say, "I am the king" is no true king.”

—— Tywin Lannister.

An ASIWAJU Airforce project, print any version of the pledge cards I will be sharing now, hold in your hand and take a picture just like below. The 1st tweet to hit 10,000 organic likes or retweet gets N200,000. The 2-4 get 50k each. You must be following
@dayoisrael
and

The Peoples Democratic Party has said the February 25th date for Presidential and National Assembly Elections remains sacrosanct.

It said attempts by the ruling All Progressives Congress to orchestrate violence to cause a constitutional crisis in order to cling to power will fail.

National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, said this at an ongoing
media briefing in Abuja.

He explained that while the PDP was busy campaigning and preparing for elections,
the APC was busy scheming to unleash violence and arm twist the Independent National Electoral Commission into shifting the elections.

Ologunagba explained that the APC and its leaders have been engaged in a series of conducts and utterances which are clear indications that the party is not prepared for the forth coming elections.

He said, “The first (of such acts) is the heightening plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to derail the conduct of the 2023 general elections.

“The second is the attempt by the APC to mislead the public by falsely claiming that the PDP has no candidate for Borno Central Senatorial District Election.

“Our Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been following the many furtive narratives being promoted by the APC with the view to blackmail critical election stakeholders to accede to its design to postpone the 2023 general elections, particularly the February 25, 2023 Presidential election.

“Our Party had earlier alerted the nation of a well-oiled plot by the APC to orchestrate security situation and promote circumstances to warrant the postponement of the 2023 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“The ultimate intent of the APC is to use such unfounded circumstance to derail the entire electoral process and impose an undemocratic situation on our country.”

He further said, “The PDP hereby insists without equivocation that the February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly election date is sacrosanct.

“February 25, 2023 date is already locked in for the Presidential and National Assembly elections, the security agencies have given their assurances, the Federal Government has also given its assurance; Nigerians are ready for election and will not accept any postponement of elections under any guise whatsoever.

“The APC and its Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu know that they have no chance at all in the coming elections, having been rejected by Nigerians because of their multiple failures, recklessness, humongous corruption, violence and continuing infliction of pains, hardship and life-discounting experiences on Nigerians in the last seven and half years.

“Nigerians are not ready to continue with a hopelessly corrupt, miserably incompetent and viciously insensitive political party, the APC, which has mortgaged the future of our country with an accumulated N77 trillion debt as revealed by the Debt Management Office (DMO).“

This, he said, explains why the APC and its Presidential Candidate continue to promote and encourage violence in various parts of our country including attacking INEC facilities.

According to him, “The APC and its leaders are desperate to use their doomsday orchestrations to frighten and blackmail INEC to alter the electoral schedule after which the APC will take advantage of the situation to unsettle the general election, foist a constitutional crisis and truncate the nation’s democratic process,

“The PDP therefore charges INEC, as an independent institution not to succumb to the blackmails of the APC but focus on its preparations and fix its eyes on delivering a free, fair, transparent and credible election on February 25, 2023.

“The PDP also demands that Security Agencies should place APC leaders on watchlist and take urgent steps to halt APC’s implementation of Asiwaju Tinubu’s directives to his party members, as contained in the recently leaked video, to deploy violence and underhand dealings in the 2023 general elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for the collection of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) until Sunday 29th January 2023.

The electoral umpire earlier fixed the collection deadline as Sunday, 22nd January, 2023.

But following a meeting on Thursday, INEC said it has pushed the deadline by eight days.

“The Commission is determined to ensure that registered voters have ample opportunity to collect their PVCs ahead of the forthcoming election. For this reason, the timeframe for the collection of PVCs is extended by eight days,” INEC National Commissioner Festus Okoye said in a statement.

“Instead of ending on Sunday 22nd January 2023, the collection of PVCs will continue until Sunday 29th January 2023. At the moment, the period of collection is 9.00 am – 3.00 pm daily (including Saturdays and Sundays).”

He explained that the development signals “a consequential adjustment of the collection by location as follows:

1. Collection at the Registration Area (Ward) level is extended by one a week from Monday 16th – Sunday 22nd January 2023.

2. Collection at the Local Government level will resume on Monday 23rd – Sunday 29th January
According to him, with reports of INEC officials extorting Nigerians at PVC collection centres, the Commission is launching an investigation into the allegations.

“Those found culpable will face disciplinary action and/or prosecution,” Okoye added.

“Similarly, the Commission is disturbed by allegations of discriminatory issuance of PVCs in some locations. This is against the law. All bonafide registrants are entitled to their PVCs and to use them to vote on Election Day in any part of the country where they are registered.

“Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) have been directed to ensure that no such practices occur nationwide and take immediate disciplinary action against violators.”

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has said he will not work for the emergence of any of the presidential candidates, in the February election.

Ngige who is a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, said the four frontline presidential candidates are his friends, and that he will not campaign for or against any of them.
The Minister stated this on Wednesday, in his country home in Alor while speaking to journalists.

He urged Nigerians to rather look at the programmes of the candidates and determine which of them was better than the other, and vote right.

When prodded further on which of the candidates he thinks may win the election, Ngige said he would not like to predict, insisting Nigerians should be allowed to choose who they want to be their president.

Giving an account of his personal relationship with each of the frontline presidential candidates, Ngige said: “Malam Kwankwaso, is my friend, I know him too as deputy speaker when he was deputizing Agunwa Anekwe, one of our party’s strong men.

“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Vice President (former) the Federal Republic of Nigeria was the man who was in the helm of affairs when I was ‘kidnapped’- when I was shoved out of office.
“He was standing in for Mr President (Obasanjo), who was in Maputo, and he ordered the Inspector General of Police then, to reinstate me to office.
“I also worked with him in the economic team- National Economic Council as the Vice President. So, I know him, and he is a friend of mine, and we also formed AC together.

“Peter Obi, my brother, my successor and my everything, I know him too and he is a friend. So, how do I campaign against any of them?

“Bola Ahmed Tinubu, my friend again – supportive. During trying times; we formed AC together. I became the known opposition Senator in the Eastern Region under the auspices and platform of the ACN. So, he is not somebody I don’t know.”

Former President Obasanjo is so well known to all that no one needs to describe who he is.

But, four things we will like to say:

One is that he will not stop attacking President Muhammadu Buhari because the former President won’t stop being jealous of anyone who beats him to a new record in the nation’s development process.

President Buhari is ahead of Chief Obasanjo in all fields of national development and to do that is cardinal sin to Obasanjo whose hallucinations tell him that he is the best ever to lead Nigeria and there will never be another one better than him.

President Buhari just completed the world class edifice that is the Second Niger Bridge after three decades of failed promises. It is now awaiting commissioning.

Obasanjo laid the sod for the bridge in his first term as elected President and work never started.

When he sought re-election for his second term in office, he returned to the site to turn the sod for the bridge the second time. When the Obi of Onitsha, forthright and scholarly, reminded him that he had done this in the past, Obasanjo told the foremost Southeast traditional ruler that he was a liar, in the full presence of the Chiefs and Oracles in his palace.

Obasanjo lied to the Southeast to get their votes. President Buhari didn’t get their votes but built the bridge because he believed it is the right thing to do.

Two, President Buhari had been bagging awards and encomiums for trying to do that which the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria says a leader should do: serve one, or a maximum of two terms and go.

President Buhari has been stating and restating that he will supervise a better election than the one that brought him to office and to leave as and when due.

Having tried tenure elongation and failed, Obasanjo’s fictitious mind must be telling him that he is the one under attack.

But he is not on President Buhari’s radar because experience has shown, especially lately in West Africa where there have been at least three successful coups and many other failed attempts, that third term or tenure elongation is a recipe for political instability.

Furthermore, the totality of African leaders appointed President Buhari the Anti-Corruption Champion of the continent.

You can’t be an anti-corruption champion if “you meddled and bent the rules,” carrying the putrid responsibility of what happened to national assets in the name of privatization as documented by the Nigerian Senate in 2011.

As an insight, the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria, ALSCON, which was set up with $3.2 billion, was sold to a Russian firm, Russal, for a paltry $130million. Delta Steel, which was set up in 2005, at a cost of $1.5billion, was sold to Global Infrastructure for just $30million.

ALSCON got back $120million for the dredging of the Imo River, which was never carried out.

Three, which is linked to the one above is the growing profile of President Buhari as the Champion of Democracy not only at home and in the West African subregion but the African continent as whole.

As President, Obasanjo destabilized internal democracy by orchestrating impeachment after impeachment of governors who were not compliant with his highly imperial administration.

As we said sometime back, Mr. Obasanjo’s tenure, 1999-2007, represented the dark days of Nigeria’s democracy due to a slew of assaults on the constitution.

The former president deployed federal machinery to remove governors Joshua Dariye, Rashidi Ladoja, Peter Obi, Chris Ngige and Ayo Fayose from office. They were the then governors of Plateau, Oyo, Anambra, Anambra and Ekiti, respectively, unjustly removed using the police and secret service under his control.