Press Statement at the Conclusion of the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR Governor, Anambra State National Leader, APGA
The 2023 General Elections in Nigeria have come and gone. Elections in Anambra were generally peaceful, and I commend all the participants, the security agencies, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the citizens. While we commend INEC for the successful completion of the general elections, it is important to note that we must seriously continue to reform and strengthen our electoral processes and citizens’ political participation as we march towards a more perfect system. To me, the true heroes of the last elections are the citizens of Nigeria, especially the youths, whose voices will continue to be critical as we collectively strive to build a new Nigeria. Nigeria is the winner, and I am confident that a better future lies ahead of us. Congratulations to all Nigerians!
Let me also congratulate the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his election. We congratulate your closest opponents for their courageous and impressive outing. Nigeria needs healing and restructuring, and the fundamental challenges of insecurity and the economy remain humongous. We pledge to collaborate and partner with you and the Federal Government for the development of Anambra state and Nigeria. This is the only country that we call ours and we must make it work. One critical issue that we must draw your urgent attention is the issue of systemic insecurity in the South East. While our efforts with the security agencies are yielding significant results, we believe that sustainable peace and security will be enhanced through wider non-kinetic engagements with all critical stakeholders. In this regard, may I repeat my previous calls and hereby request our President-Elect to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu immediately after swearing-in (that is, if he is not released before then). We need him around the table as an important stakeholder in discussions about healing and sustainable peace in the South East.
To our newly elected colleagues (Governors-Elect), we say a big congratulation. Let us work together, especially under the auspices of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) in pursuit of national common good. We also congratulate the elected members of the National and State Assemblies. We also thank millions of Nigerians who voted for candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) across the entire country. We have made modest gains by winning seats at the Senate, House of Representatives and State Assemblies across the country. As we reform and strengthen our party, we will continue to present our social-progressive agenda as the roadmap for the country. As true believers in the potentials of Nigeria, our party will continue to network and collaborate with all like-minded Nigerians and groups to advance the greatness of this country.
I want to thank God almighty for His unfailing love and grace upon us. Our gratitude also goes to all the stakeholders in the Anambra project--- the hardworking indigenes and residents of Anambra, the church, traditional rulers, ASATU, youths and women organizations, traders, transporters, businessmen and women, professionals, captains of industry, CSOs, etc for their faith and continued support to my government and APGA in the state. You have demonstrated once again that Anambra is truly APGA-land! Despite the heat of the moment, the sophisticated Anambra electorate still delivered an emphatic vote of confidence on us and our party-APGA with an absolute majority in the Anambra State House of Assembly. We will never take your support for granted, and will continue to work every minute of the day to justify your confidence on us.
So far, winners have been declared, and those who are dissatisfied with the results have their rights to pursue their grievances through the due process of the law. My own political party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, might challenge several of the results in pursuit of justice. While we will take all necessary legal steps to recover the seats we believe that APGA won especially in Anambra state but were mistakenly called for other parties, we also know that several of the announced “winners” from other parties are “APGA-nized” and are patriotic citizens of the State. We therefore expect a progressive House of Assembly that will partner with us to continue the transformation agenda. I hereby extend my hands of fellowship to the elected members of the State and National Assemblies from other political parties in Anambra State: let us work together for the greatness of our dear state. Elections and partisan politics are over, and we should all now focus 100% of our time on delivering good governance to our people.
POLICE URGE LAGOSIANS TO DISREGARD OLD VIDEOS PURPORTEDLY DEPICTING ONGOING RIOTS IN LAGOS
- Assure that prosecution awaits purveyors of fake news
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Idowu Owohunwa, has called on residents and visitors to Lagos State to disregard old videos purportedly of ongoing riots in different parts of the state being shared on social media by mischief makers.
These videos are not only old, but are being maliciously shared by scaremongers to incite and provoke people, cause panic, disharmony and unrest within Lagos State.
While the Cybercrimes Unit of the Command has been mandated to fish out the people behind this deliberate misinformation for immediate prosecution, the good people and residents of Lagos State are urged to disregard all forms of messages, especially on social media depicting fictitious, fallacious and divisive claims aimed at jeopardizing the peace currently being enjoyed in the state.
Once again, the Command assures Lagosians that all human and operational resources at its disposal have been fully and optimally deployed, especially at vulnerable points, including major markets across the state to ensure a total forestalling of breakdown of law and order in the state.
CP Owohunwa therefore urges law abiding residents and visitors to Lagos State to go about their lawful duties without fear or apprehension as their safety and security remain prioritized.
SP BENJAMIN HUNDEYIN, anipr, mipra, Police Public Relations Officer For: Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Ikeja-Lagos.
March 20, 2023.
POLICE URGE LAGOSIANS TO DISREGARD OLD VIDEOS PURPORTEDLY DEPICTING ONGOING RIOTS IN LAGOS - Assure that prosecution awaits purveyors of fake news
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Idowu Owohunwa, has called on residents and visitors to Lagos State to disregard pic.twitter.com/d47IkcNols
— Lagos State Police Command (@LagosPoliceNG) March 20, 2023
Click on the link above to see one of the old videos that's being shared on social media.
Page 2: NOW ILLEGAL LEAKS FROM A CORRUPT & HIGHLY POLITICAL MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE, WHICH HAS ALLOWED NEW RECORDS TO BE SET IN VIOLENT CRIME & WHOSE LEADER IS FUNDED BY GEORGE SOROS, INDICATE THAT, WITH NO CRIME BEING ABLE TO BE PROVEN, & BASED ON AN OLD & FULLY DEBUNKED (BY NUMEROUS OTHER PROSECUTORS!) FAIRYTALE, THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!
US police forces on alert ahead of possible Trump arrest
3 hours ago By Max Matza BBC News
Police in major US cities are preparing for potential unrest in case ex-President Donald Trump is arrested this week as part of a hush-money inquiry.
Authorities in New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles are ramping up their law enforcement presence.
A Manhattan prosecutor may charge Mr Trump over claims that he paid a porn star to keep quiet about the affair they allegedly had.
It would be the first criminal case brought against a former US president.
Steel barricades were being erected on Monday outside the Manhattan Criminal Court, where Mr Trump could be charged, fingerprinted and photographed if charges are filed this week, as US media widely anticipate.
Increased police presence has also been seen outside Trump Tower in the city.
Every member of the New York Police Department (NYPD), including plainclothes detectives, has been ordered to wear their full uniform on Tuesday and is being placed on standby to mobilise, a police source told CBS, the BBC's US partner.
The NYPD and the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force have been in touch with the US Secret Service, whose job it is to protect presidents and former presidents, about how a potential arrest might take place.
Capitol Police, who protect lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, plan to issue an emergency declaration on Tuesday, a congressional source told CBS.
The order aims to increase co-ordination with other law enforcement agencies.
More civil disturbance officers will also be on standby, though the congressional source said there was no specific threat and that the order was proactive.
In Los Angeles, the LAPD and federal officials were preparing for a pro-Trump protest on Tuesday outside a federal building, the LA Times newspaper reports.
US intelligence officials have detected an uptick in online threats against legal and government officials since Mr Trump wrote online on Saturday that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday, according to CBS.
Most of the threats were against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the man widely expected to file charges against Mr Trump.
On Saturday, the same day Mr Trump posted that his supporters should protest, Mr Bragg sent an email to staff.
"We do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York," the prosecutor wrote.
Why is Trump under investigation?
The grand jury has been set up by Mr Bragg to determine whether there is enough evidence to indict Mr Trump.
The Stormy Daniels case centres on how Mr Trump reimbursed his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, after he paid Ms Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet ahead of the 2016 presidential election about an alleged affair years earlier with Mr Trump. The former president has denied any such relationship with Ms Daniels.
The record for the payment reimbursing Mr Cohen says it was for "legal fees".
Prosecutors could argue this amounts to Mr Trump falsifying business records. That is a misdemeanour in New York, though it could be upgraded to a felony, a more serious case, legal analysts say.
The Secret Service agents assigned to protect Mr Trump will stay with him during any arrest, reports NBC.
Other US media say there will be no perp walk - when a handcuffed suspect is publicly marched by officers to face charges.
In the latest hearing in the grand jury investigation on Monday, a Trump legal ally testified to push back against evidence provided by a key prosecution witness.
Robert Costello sought to discredit Mr Cohen, who claims the former president was aware of the hush-money payment to Ms Daniels.
Mr Costello told reporters after emerging from two hours of testimony: "I told the grand jury that this guy [Mr Cohen] couldn't tell the truth if you put a gun to his head."
Mr Costello claimed Mr Cohen had once told him that Mr Trump was not aware of the payment to Ms Daniels.
In an interview with MSNBC, Mr Cohen hit back, saying that Mr Costello, who used to be his legal adviser, "lacks any sense of veracity".
Mr Trump has vowed to continue his campaign to become the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election if he is indicted.
But 44% of Republicans said he should drop out of the presidential race if charged, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found on Monday.
stagger: Your account is mostly correct, but there is one inconsistency. The China '85 final was not shown on NTA live. The result was announced in the morning and the match was relayed later.
naptu2: We've finally broken the jinx (and created the second exception). Usually whenever we win the cup we end up coming second in the next edition of the tournament.
I remember that I stayed up to watch the final against Germany in 1985. I also saw the victory parade. I followed them through Obalende Road, Keffi Street and Awolowo Road. Lots of motorcycles appeared from nowhere (remember that there were no motorcycle taxis/okada at that time). The players were in a huge green and white bus. Ugbade was holding the trophy on the front seat of the bus. There were lots of policemen around them (someone joked that they didn't want anybody to steal the trophy).
We got to the final of Canada '87 and Babangida sent a presidential delegation to cheer the team. It was led by Admiral Aikhomu and Old Man was on the delegation. We lost to Russia. We teased Old Man endlessly at home. We said that he brought bad luck to the team (a journalist would make a similar point in the late 1980s. He said that these federal government delegations put too much pressure on the team and that's why we often lost whenever we sent a federal government delegation to cheer the team).
We won the tournament again in 1993. Those games in 1993 were very sweet. NTA could not hook up with their commentators for the first game, so they had to hook up with Ghanaian tv. The Ghanaian commentator was very funny. He couldn't believe that Nigerians were singing, "All we are saying, give us more goals" when the Golden Eaglets were leading Canada 7-0. The ships at Lagos Harbour put on their usual New Year's Day fireworks display when the referee blew the final whistle in the final match.
1995 was the first exception. Our team was filled with younger brothers of Super Eagles players and we ended up getting knocked out in the quarter finals.
I heard a stunning announcement on the radio c2006. Uncle Tella was made the coach of the Golden Eaglets. I remember that Deji Omotoyinbo didn't think that it was a good idea. Coach Tella had been teaching at the National Institute of Sports for a while, so Deji thought that he was a classroom coach. I knew better. I first knew Coach Tella around 1980/1981 when he prepared fantastic secondary school football teams that won multiple Principals Cup competitions, so I knew what he could do. He was also a friend of Old Man and it was always a treat for me whenever he came to the house ( Coach Tella was like Santa Klaus - a jolly old man). So I wasn't surprised when he won the World Cup.
We hosted the tournament in 2009 and got to the final, but as usual we lost to Switzerland.
I was out of Lagos during much of UAE 2013, but I was still able to watch most of the games. I remember asking myself (after the final match) if we would get to the final of the next competition and lose again.
Now here we are. Unfortunately I slept through the match. One minute I was waiting for the match to begin and the next I was watching Victor Osimhen pick up his golden boot award.
naptu2: 1985. The Golden Eaglets won the Fifa/JVC World Under 16 Championship (Nigeria's first victory in a Fifa competition). I went to watch the victory parade.
Nduka Ugbade held the trophy like his life depended on it! They arrived MMIA and drove through Yaba, Third Mainland Bridge, Obalende, Ikoyi, Marina onward to the National Stadium for a grand reception.
When I saw them, there was first a long line of motorcycles (I wonder where they came from, since there were no okada in Lagos at this time), then police vehicles and then the bus. Ugbade was sitting in front holding the trophy tightly.
I went back home to watch the proceedings on tv and all through, from the National Stadium to State House Marina (where Buhari received the team) Ugbade was holding on to the trophy like his life depended on it.
Nduka Ugbade was captain of the Golden Eaglets team that won the 1985 FIFA Under 16 World Cup in China. He was also a member of the Flying Eagles squad that came second in the 1989 FIFA Under 21 World Cup in Saudi Arabia. He was also part of the team that won the 1994 African Nations Cup in Tunisia.
Many journalists pleaded with Coach Clemens Westerhof to take him to the 1994 World Cup, so that he would become the first person to feature in all 3 grades of the World Cup, but he was dropped from the team.
He was the assistant coach of the Golden Eaglets from 2011 - 2013.
Wilfred Ndidi was in the Golden Eaglets team in 2012, but he was dropped because of the MRI test. He joined the Flying Eagles the following year.
Ndidi visited his former coach and the boys at the Golden Eaglets camp in Abuja this afternoon.
Politics › Governor Charles Soludo's Statement On The 2023 Elections. by naptu2(op): 1:29pm On Mar 21, 2023
