₦airaland Forum

Former Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has court cases around massive frauds hanging on his neck as his supporters and proxies drum support for him for the 2023 presidency.

Checks revealed that the fraud cases against Tinubu dated as far back as 1998, raising questions on how the former governor struggled to delay the axe of the law.

The APC leader has yet to come out officially to declare any 2023 ambition, although many of his godsons are already in the forefront of negotiations across stakeholders, first in the South-West region.

On February 18, 2009, SaharaReporters obtained original copies of a judgment in the case of United States versus Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in which Tinubu was charged (along with other defendants) in a case of massive drug trafficking and money laundering.

This judgment directly relates to (and further documents) the SaharaReporters report of September 16, 2008 – How US Federal Agents successfully Linked Tinubu to Drug Trafficking Ring in Chicago.

The United States of America, by its attorney, Michael J. Shepard, United States Attorney for Northern District of Illinois, for its verified complaint of forfeiture, stated that “Beginning as early as 1998, Adegboyega Mueez Akande, with others operated an organisation which distributed white heroin, a controlled substance under Title 21 of the United States Code.

“This distribution operation was conducted on a large scale and the proceeds of the operation substantial.”

The judgment was that the court ordered: “that the funds in the amount of $460,000 in account in the name of Bola Tinubu represents proceeds of narcotics or were involved in financial transactions in violation of 18 U.S.C ss 1956 and 1957 and therefore these funds are forfeited to the United States.”

After protracted litigation in which Bola Tinubu claimed that the monies legitimately belonged to him, his wife, Oluremi Tinubu, and his surrogate mother, one Alhaja Mogaji, Bola Tinubu finally opted for a stipulated settlement with the US government.

According to the settlement order dated September 15, 1993; Hon. Judge John A. Nordberg ordered that the sum of $460,000 held by Bola Tinubu in the First Heritage Bank account be forfeited to the United States Government.

MA bigger scandal was uncovered in 2018 when Alpa Beta, a consultancy owned by Bola Tinubu, was caught at the centre of a N100 billion fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering petition written by Mr. Dapo Apara, its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

According to Apara’s petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Alpha Beta “has become an avenue for official corruption of government officials, a conduit pipe for massive money-laundering scheme, tax evasion, among other vices.”

In the petition, sent on his behalf by Adetunji Adegboyega ESG, his solicitors, Apara said: “Over the years the company is being protected and shielded by some powerful politicians and people in the society which made them to always boast of being untouchable, but our client, feeling the need not to keep quiet again and strengthened by his belief in the fact that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is keen on fighting corruption, which has been the bane of our country, is of the firm belief that it’s time to expose and open the can of worms called Alpha Beta Consulting.”

Alpha Beta first became known when it was appointed as a consultant to the Lagos State Government, arguably its first client, under the tenure of Babatunde Fowler as the Chief Executive Officer/Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue from 2005 to 2014.

The company got the appointment when Tinubu was Governor of Lagos State. The speculation, which has yet to dissipate since then, is that Tinubu completely owns or is a major shareholder in the company.

In the same vein, the state has also never denied claims that the company takes about 10 percent of the internally generated revenue of Lagos, estimated in 2016 to be about N40 billion every month.

The court process was still on when on October 27, 2020, hoodlums burnt the documents during the riotous #EndSARS violence in the state.

The court papers stating charges brought against Tinubu, his tax consultancy firm, Alpha Beta Consulting, by a former MD, Dapo Apara, were burnt according to claims by Tade Ipadeola, Apara’s lawyer.

“Everything in Igbosere High Court got burnt including the registrar’s copy of our application. In fact, the whole building was burnt to ashes. So, we will have to file again. The registry has been moved to Ikeja.

“We may have to file the case afresh at the Ikeja High Court but we have not yet been instructed to do so,” he said on October 27, 2020.

Apara had claimed in the documents that Tinubu, suspiciously diverted N22,360,000,000 and $4,396,063 from the firm’s account to that of Vintage Press Ltd, publisher of The Nation Newspaper.

In writ of summons marked LD/7330GCMW/2020 deposed at a Lagos High Court, Apara, who claims to own a 30 per cent stake in the company, alleged that the former governor reneged on certain agreements reached in the past about the management and control of the consulting firm.

Other fronts used by Tinubu, according to the former Alpha Beta boss, are Olumide Ogunmola and Tunde Badejo.

In his statement of claim, Apara said during a review of the company’s account, he discovered that huge sums of money earned by the company over the years were not reflected in its account.

He also revealed how Tinubu used the Osun State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, as a front for the establishment of the firm.

Alpha Beta Consulting was awarded a contract by the Lagos State Government when Tinubu was governor of the state after a recommendation by a committee comprising the then Attorney-General of Lagos State, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (now the Vice President of Nigeria); Mr Wale Edun, then Commissioner for Finance; and a former Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Yemi Cardoso.

The firm was subsequently given exclusive rights to collect taxes on behalf of the Lagos State Government and was believed to receive about 10 percent commission from the revenue it collected for the state.

However, pro-transparency groups and opposition politicians had constantly alleged that Tinubu owned Alpha Beta even though his name was not on any of the company’s documents.

Although both Tinubu and Alpha Beta denied the allegations, they had to provide counter-evidence as the former governor’s cronies continue to work on his perceived 2023 presidential ambition.

Osinbajo track record has been soiled by Buhari. He doesn't even stand a chance in the APC. You know this

uthlaw:
quote me..... Osibanjo is the next president of Nigeria.... nothing you can do about it!

Far from that. Unfortunately you have not read the article like you said. It still remains an opinion. The idea is to have other opinions and not to hate on anyone. We all want the best for Nigeria

Shetemi12:
When I started seeing i dont want from the account. I know its out of hate you wrote the article

This is very Apt, from my wise Igbo brother we are one walahi. The South West are of the view it is their birthright, as usual they will end up misjudging the political calculations thinking they can use the press to cajole nigerians. I think my South East brothers deserve the presidency as much as the South West but as it stands the IPOB issue has caused a lot of uncertainty among we Northerners. Vice Presidency will be a good way to begin straightening out some of theses uncertainties

AsabaPropertyAg:
I will suggest that the Easterners should support Alhaji Atiku for President, let's settle for Vice president so that after Atiku's tenure he will support an Igboman for 2027 or 2031 Presidency. Let's tell ourselves the truth as High Chief Dokpesi said some weeks ago, no Igboman can win the presidency now. We need Northerners more to win any election because the south west cannot support us and it's only south south which igbo's are banking on for presidency cannot decide presidential election in Nigeria, please let's back Alhaji Atiku so that it will be very easy for us to get the presidency after Alhaji Atiku.

Let Us Solve the problem of Insecurity, we know how to handle our brothers in the North East.

Opinion piece my friend. Its goal is to steer conversation on the need for better candidates. Tinubu falls short of this. Certainly we are not cursed to the point that he becomes the only option you can think about.

Ovamboland:
Yet the writer can't mention whom he feels is positioned, prepared and a better candidate, not someone still hibernating somewhere and not a member of any recognized political party,

ask them now they will be mentioning the names people still grateful to lead one international institutions and merely looking for money to pay their children school fees

Election season is fast approaching again and both contenders and the usual pretenders are dropping their hats into the ring for consideration.

One of the contenders who later became a pretender and is now trying to make himself a serious contender again is Bola Ahmed Tinubu. From holding birthday colloquium in the core northern city of Kano to donating generously to the Arewa House library and internally displaced persons in the North Central to burnish his national credentials, Tinubu has been running from pillar to post, trying to make himself look like a nationalistic figure as opposed to the Southwest political godfather that he really is.

The truth is, Tinubu cannot be a national politician because he is a regional leader in thought and action and can never be a national leader. He stays in Lagos and tries to be the big roster that doesn’t allow smaller ones crow for a reason.

I don’t want Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria’s next president. I don’t even want him dreaming about participating in politics or dreaming about leading anything or anyone again. He is part of the generation that does not know when enough is enough and will not bow out when the ovation is loudest but until when the audience starts to throw stones and empty bottles.

2023 is election year and the same old, faded and empty heads decorated with fancy caps are going round making useless ‘consultations’ to justify why they are contesting.

Why they cannot trust a younger, more vibrant and intelligent person without the garbage they are having will shock only a non-Nigerian.

Like the proverbial masquerade that will not think of returning to its sacred grove until it has been booed out of the market, our politicians do not stop thinking they are indispensable until they are humiliated. Tinubu has so many negatives going against him that his aides are trying mightily to paper over but that I will discuss here as some of the reasons why we must not be delivered of eight wasted years and enter another possible eight years of darkness and excuses. A Tinubu presidency will convey to all of us, a better understanding of what Senator Alli Ndume meant when he said he saw ‘light at the end of the toilet’.

I will start with his age. Despite being officially ’69’, everyone knows he is lying and that he is considerably older than that.

His dishonesty about his age was the reason why he has not been able to confirm the years he attended schools, his classmates and even the name of the schools he attended.

Tinubu is old and by now, I am sure we have had enough of old people who struggle to win elections only to start moving in and out of hospitals instead of working as expected. Let him go and take care of his failing health.

Let him enjoy his money for a change instead of working hard to amass wealth and not having the opportunity to spend it. He should visit a dentist while at it and have his teeth properly cleaned and washed. Let him buy a treadmill and exercise. He can also ‘work’ to make even more money to be kept in bullion vans, so that he can tell us with all the arrogance he can muster, that he can keep his money wherever he liked and move it in bullion vans any time.

A lawless person cannot be relied upon to keep the spirit of the law in a country with weak and compromised national institutions like Nigeria. There will be no check and balances to control his excesses in office.

His carefully crafted persona of a ‘manager of men and resources’ is fake the same way the persona of integrity was created for someone we all know and whose utterances and actions have been the opposite of integrity and accountability. He doesn’t have what it takes to manage a country like Nigeria. His gaffes are too many to be overlooked. From proposing the recruitment of fifty million young people to fight insecurity who would be fed ‘cassava, maize and agbado’ like area boys under Oshodi bridge to ‘converting empty land to grazing areas’ to placate northern power brokers, he has proven that he is nothing without the legion of aides he relies on to carry out everything. If he cannot lead policies, how can he ensure that right things are being done? He will become another ‘economic illiterate’ who will not allow his deputy outshine him.

His opaque history is filled with too many gaps. When did he attend those schools? Who are his classmates? Who were his teachers? How many of them can go on the record to say they attended the same school with him? If he cannot come clean on simple things like the name of his schools, he cannot be trusted to lead a whole country with openness and accountability.

Who is Bola Ahmed Tinubu? Nobody knows exactly who he is since his origins, real names and vital information that could allow people make informed decisions about him are not in the pubic domain or subject of controversies like his ties with Iragbiji in Osun state and his real parents. Late Lam Adesina said he assigned four teachers to go through the records of Government College Ibadan from inception to 2003 and they never saw any ‘Bola Ahmed Tinubu’ on the student lists.

Will he be fair enough to every region or will he be a slave to the ‘Unseen’ cabal manipulating things in this country? Tinubu will rather please the powers that be than do the right thing because he is a sycophantic hustler and an establishment person himself.

Does he have the moral authority to fight corruption when he himself had already been put under the searchlight of EFCC for corrupt enrichment several times? What happens if his past catch up with him and the FBI request for his extradition like one Mr. Abba Kyari of the police?

Will he be able to sever his ties with NURTW thugs and deal with them if required? Very unlikely. The foundation of his aura of invisibility in Lagos is the National Union of Road Transport Workers aka ‘Agberos’ who command an economy that generates more revenue than at least 32 Nigerian states. Many of the NURTW officials are rich and will do anything to ensure their freedoms are not disturbed. Tinubu is the assurance, the liaison and the bridge between them and the officialdom they require to continue making money illegally without hindrance. In return, they offer their manpower and the perceived ability to unleash violence to him on demand. This was what happened in Lagos during the 2019 elections when the NURTW thugs were unleashed in some areas where the election seemed not to be going according to plan. Will Tinubu be able to turn his back on his primary constituency, the NURTW, if he becomes a president? Your guess is as good as mine.

Will he remain healthy enough to perform? Not likely. He will most likely continue to travel abroad to ‘see his doctors because he has been using them for over forty years and they have his records’ according to the current excuse being offered on behalf of the current incumbent of the position Tinubu is craving.

Will he make any difference? Not likely because he won’t implement any policy that will change the status quo. Roads will remain terrible, electricity will still be epileptic, unemployment will still be high except for thugs and insecurity will worsen.

These are some of the reasons why Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu aka Amoda Sangodele of Iragbiji town cannot be our president.

With rejection of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I hereby take a stand against same of the same and sign up for a new Nigeria.

These old professional politicians will never retire from the scene because they are not decent and don’t know how to bow out when the ovation is loudest. The Nigerian people must give them their pension plan and ensure they stick to it.

Olaide Omideyi is a conflict management, post-conflict reintegration and economic development expert with over two decades experience with international organisations including the United Nations. He writes from Abeokuta, Ogun state and can be reached on +2347032356295, omideyi3259@gmail.

Well that is not the conversation

Grayoso:
Thank you. Everything for them continues to be about hate for others and sentiments.

This is why the entire SE is a mess today yet Igbos will be strutting around arrogantly like Peacocks in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto etal claiming to have developed those places yet their own States are horrid and unproductive hell holes. Sad.

What are the achievements of your current governor if i may ask?You will agree that he is worst than Saraki ever was. I studied at Unilorin! So i know.

Charmingrascal:
Saraki is from Kwara
I am from Kwara and never will Bukola become President of Nigeria.

What was his achievement as Kwara Governor?
Maybe post Office fly over. Lol

God forbid Saraki being President of Nigeria

Certainly not Tinubu and the disappointing Vice president Osinbajo. The Presidency should come to the south west and Olubukola is the man!

Charmingrascal:
Bukola Saraki?

You people joke a lot

Seun with the resources at Tinubu's disposal as Governor, which is the only yardstick he can be judged on. He was a disappointment! Fashola was miles better than he could ever achieve. At least we can say he handpicked Fashola and so he gets some credit for that.I understand the bar is so Low but don't hype rubbish!

Just some of Abubakar Bukola Saraki's Achievments:

In 2015, the Senate President promised to pass comprehensive electoral reform laws before the election season starts. This promise was actualized in April 2017.

In August, 2015, Senate mandated Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC to immediately abolish fixed charges on electricity consumption, and bulk marketing of villages and communities.

Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshots, Bill 2016

In July 2017, the Senate passed the #NotTooYoungToRunBill during its Constitution Review exercise.

In November, 2015, Senate detected the fraudulent activities involved in the implementation of TSA and resolutions to bring such act to a halt saving Nigeria N25billion from the implementation of the TSA policy.

seunmsg:
Tinubu is not perfect but when it comes to quality leadership and track record of administrative success, he’s way ahead of Saraki, Atiku, Peter Obi and Tambuwal joined together.

Former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has vowed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will recapture political power in Kwara state in 2023.
He said this on Saturday, at the inauguration of the new executive council of the party in Ilorin.

According to him, the PDP would commence work in Kwara State immediately.Saraki said

“the struggle for Kwara begins now, let commitment be your watchword.“Let the campaign begin with your election today at wards, local governments and state levels as you begin your tenure in office.”

“The peaceful conduct of this congress has confirmed to me that we are indeed ready to take back power in Kwara.

“I charge all the new state officers of our party to begin work in earnest to return PDP to power in 2023 and reposition Kwara state again,” he stated.

In attendance at the congress were former Governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed, former Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, former National Chairman of PDP, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Razaq Atunwa, Senator Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim, Abubakar Kanike and Ambassador Gana Yisa and a host of others.

A Tinubu presidency will amount to sending the nation backward. The candidate that can make the difference is Sen Bukola Saraki

Lagos state did not generate 45 billion last month. or ever. But his points still remain Valid, that states must find sustainable ways to finance development and growth.

Its Premium Times and their agenda. Irresponsible bunch

Decency2020:
Election is not far and pandora is here to deceive the already directionless youths.


Nobody is talking of bandits and their sponsors now. People's private businesses are now our problem and the reason why naira is on freefall .


Idiots. Where are the fulanis mentioned in pandora rubbish.

This is fredictable walahi! this post won't do the numbers of Peter Obi or Atiku Abubakar. I bet!

nonut:
Silence of the lambs since its not Peter Obi.

The only person who has nothing to hide in this Pandamonium Papers is Turakin Adamawa H.E Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Nyesom Wike joined Nigeria Law School and completed his studies in 1997. He also holds a Masters degree in Political and Administrative Studies from Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RUST), where he obtained a degree in Law. After his education,he worked briefly in the private legal practice before he ventured into politics.

He was elected as the Executive Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area (LGA) for two terms from 1999 to 2007. He distinguished himself as one of the best performing chairpersons of the council. While he was in office, Ezebunwo served as Deputy President, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, in 2004 and was later elected the President of ALGON. He was also an African representative in the Commonwealth Local Governments Forum.When he finished his tenure as LGA's Executive chairman, he got appointed as the Chief of staff at the Government House in Port Harcourt. He was also assigned as the general manager of the campaign team during Governor Amaechi’s re-election campaign.

On July 14th, 2011, he was appointed Minister of State for Education, and later as Minister of Education of the Federal Republic of Nigeria after Mrs Ruqayyatu was sacked. However, he resigned voluntarily to vie for Governorship of Rivers State on the People's Democratic Party's ticket. On December 8th, 2014, he won the Rivers State People's Democratic Party gubernatorial election primaries and subsequently won the general elections in April the following year. On April 3rd, 2019, he was re-elected as the Governor of Rivers State in the 2019 general elections.

Nadaken:
Abi o, how can such grown man be in law school at 1999 sef

And me I know ffk sef is counting from 2003 when he joined obj as "special adviser"

The APC cannot repeat that victory in kwara again in 2023.

adekolaelect:
when he lost in 2019

When he won as Governor or for Senate?

adekolaelect:
Saraki that didn't win a local government in his state? Saratogeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Ahead of the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria ,the former Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki has been endorsed by the Katsina State Youths Network (KSYN) to contest for the exalted seat under the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Already, the Kaduna State chapter of the Network has joined forces to ensure that Saraki contests and win in 2023.

Leader of Katsina Youths Network, Abubakar Nuhu Adam said that the endorsement of Saraki was formally done in Daura, hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari as a sign of "politics without bitterness".

They said the Network for said Saraki would be launched in two more zones in the State as soon.

According to him ,

"we are here today to inaugurate the Katsina state youth endorsement of Dr. Abubakar Bokula Saraki as presidential candidate under the umbrella of People's Democratic Party (PDP ) .

"We started with Daura zone and we shall, Insha Allah, (God's grace) expand the movement to the remaining two zones of Katsina and funtua respectively. In the nearest future we shall open our head office in katsina metropolis.

"Therefore, we the katsina state youth network for Dr Abubakar Bokula saraki have endorsed him to be our presidential bearer under the platform of our great party, PDP.

"Where are the Nigerian youths, I want to categorically tell you that it was the effort of Dr Abubakar Bokula saraki the Bill of not too young to run was brought in to the floor of the senate and later the Bill was signed into law. That give equal opportunities to Nigerians youth to contest in to different political office.

"The intention is to reflect the changing of political Demographic of African most populous Nation and help usher in younger leaders.

"With this strong reasons, I believe Nigerian youths will support Dr Abubakar Bokula Saraki to win the PDP presidential ticket come 2023 General election.

"We therefore ask you and well meaning Nigerians to Join hands with us in this notable course. My brothers and my sisters, let grow Nigeria together.

"As I look round this hall my pride overflow at the sight of a large number of my political friends and other well wisher who have shown strong desires to see the progress of this gathering". The Statement said.

In a similar statement by the leader of Kaduna State chapter of the Youths Network, Mohammed Makera said, "Bukola Abubakar Saraki, was the 13th President of the Senate of Nigeria from 2015 to 2019 and Chair of the 8th Nigeria National Assembly. We see in him the qualities of a leader the country deserves.

"We believe he still has a shot to take at the presidency. He is young and educated, and he has both executive and legislative experiences, which are added advantages to him. He still has his political connections. He is a key stakeholder in PDP and party politics in Nigeria.

"We will ensure that his popularity soar higher for presidential race as we inch towards 2023 general elections.

"We will work for him to succeed, and we are ready to join forces with our brothers in Daura, Katsina State to ensure that Nikola Saraki's presidential ambition is actualised.

"We don't believe in rotational presidency, this is democracy, let the people's Will prevail. Let the majority votes carry the day.

"Bukola Saraki's is a young man, highly intelligent to handle the affairs of this country. As the then Senate President, he controlled a well organized Senate where the Executive arm of government could not use as rubber stamp. We pray to God to guide us on this noble journey for the betterment and of our dear country, Nigeria.

Shema has no political relevance

BAT

Gbajure:
Yorubas has decided and BAT is our candidates. And we have started begging other progressive Nigerians to bless our choice and support us.

Lol. This is so stupid. Lagos is Nigeria's commercial capital. Has nothing to do with tinubu. He remains just a part of its storied history[quote author= post=106703736]JAGABAN of Africa.

And in all these,
JAGABAN of the world,
The King maker himself hasn't said anything about coming out to contest in any election o!
The last time he held any political post was over 15 years ago.

All these Jagaban's thread is just to cause headaches for the miserable children of hate, frustrations and perdition.
This is only out to 'spoil' and mess up their week.


Hmmmmmm, this is deep!

Dem no like Tinubu, Dem no like Tinubu, but a single day will never pass without you seeing them coming to Lagos State with polythene bags from their villages all across the nation.
Awon werey 100%.

#TeamSTARBOY and Zulumbtw[/quote]

This is the way to go! Not visits in United Kingdom. Turakin Adamawa ATIKU ABUBAKAR (INCOMING) will soon visit him also. He deserves our prayers and support for good health for him and his family. Buty should stay far away from conversation about Aso Rock.

Our big problem in this country

powerfulguy:
Martins said, “Come 2023, number one, we as Yorubas, I cannot betray fellow Yoruba men. I love Yoruba, because I’m first a Yoruba man before I become a Nigerian. So, I believe in the Yoruba people and I believe in our tradition.

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart in Bauchi State, Mallam Bibi Dogo, has said that the North-East geopolitical zone should, in the interest of fairness, justice, unity and brotherhood, be allowed to produce the next president of Nigeria in 2023.

Dogo said this in a statement he made available in Bauchi, submitting that the zone was the most backward in Nigeria today compared to other zones in terms of socioeconomic development.

According to him, the North-East is backward despite the huge mineral resources and its population of electorates.

Dogo stated that instead of rotating the presidential seat between North and South of the country, it should be rotated among the six geopolitical zones of the country to ensure inclusiveness and proper circulation of power.

“I called for zoning of the presidency to the North East, specifically with a special focus on Bauchi State, because it is the only zone that is yet to produce a president in either civilian or military arrangement. It is the one which should produce the same in 2023.

“Apart from two gentlemen, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the first Prime Minister of Nigeria and then Atiku Abubakar, who was a one-time Vice President of Nigeria, North East has not had any leader at the top.

“We in the North East are out to pursue the course of justice and fairness in the polity as a condition for peace and progress of the country,” Dogo stated, submitting that capturing the six geopolitical zones in the rotation would ensure inclusion and national unity.

He stated that the North East was the most neglected zone in Nigeria, which accounted for its backwardness in all aspects, adding that to worsen the situation, the zone more than any other zone had been badly hit by the challenges facing the country.

“Due to the many years of neglect, the North East occupies the lowest rung of the country’s socio-economic ladder as poverty, insecurity, unemployment, hunger, power outage and poor infrastructure are most predominant in this part of the country.

“With the highest number of IDPs camps and out-of-school children on the continent, reputable global institutions have also declared the North East as the most unsafe place to live in sub-Saharan Africa,” he lamented.

Dogo submitted that the zone was not fairly treated in terms of states and local governments creation despite its large land mass and population.

According to him, the zone with six states had a total of 120 local government areas viz Borno (27); Adamawa (29);Taraba (17); Bauchi (20); Gombe (11) and Yobe (17), adding that South West and North Central which were not as big as the North-East had 154 and 165 LGAs respectively.

He stated further that, “yet, this is the same part of the country that is most strategic to the country’s corporate existence and territorial integrity, sharing borders with strategic neighbours.

“This same North East boasts of veritable water resources, fantastic tourism potential, the most arable land and conducive climate for agriculture, expansive landmass for all manner of economic activities as well as abundant mineral resources and crude oil deposits.”

Dogo declared that, “what the North East needs is leadership and quality attention from the Federal Government.”

While asserting that zoning the presidency to any particular geopolitical zone of the country is at the discretion of political parties, Dogo said the North East should be given the opportunity to produce the next president come 2023.

“In all fairness, we should allow the North-East to produce the next President and even in the North East, we should ensure that the President comes from Bauchi State as a compensation to Prime Minister (Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa).

“I want all political parties to give their presidential tickets to Bauchi State in North Eastern Nigeria. But if that is not possible by the calculation of the political parties, they should ensure that justice and fairness dominate what they want to do in terms of zoning the presidency.

“I belong to the PDP and I believe the PDP will allow justice and fair play to play out. It is not debatable, North East should have it in the best interest of unity of the country and Bauchi State will be the golden choice of the candidate in the interest of justice and compensation to the state,” Dogo stated.