I give kudos to his campaign team! Peter Obi that's almost unsellable here months ago. Today, the music has changed. Peter Obi is now seen as a "principled, incorruptible man" like Buhari.
The former Anambra state governor is becoming very popular among Northerners both online and offline. I thought it was only online until I had discussions with peeps here in Kano. Even people who despised him before are now singing his praises.
APC Convention: Tinubu pays Ogun delegates $25,000, Adamawa $10,000; delegates reject Osinbajo’s $5,000
Delegates from Adamawa and Ogun have disclosed to Peoples Gazette that they received cash gifts from Bola Tinubu, all but offsetting doubts over earlier expectations that the ruling All Progressives Congress’ presidential primaries would be grossly monetised.
At least five delegates from both states told The Gazette in separate interviews Tuesday that they were offered American banknotes to support Mr Tinubu and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The delegate provided information under anonymity to avoid being accused of anti-party conduct that could carry severe disciplinary measures.
Whereas Mr Tinubu gave Ogun delegates $25,000 each to induce his acceptance as the party’s presidential flag-bearer tonight, Adamawa delegates said they received $10,000 each from Mr Tinubu’s surrogates. The delegates have converted on Abuja starting last week ahead of the primary scheduled to be held June 6-8.
“Ashiwaju’s people came here and they said we should support him because he has the best chance to defeat Atiku Abubakar,” a delegate told The Gazette. “Then they said they didn’t come empty-handed.”
Delegates from Ogun confirmed getting $25,000 from the former Lagos governor. They, however, said they rejected $5,000 from Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s surrogates.
“The vice-president’s people initially said he didn’t have any money to give and advised everyone to vote their conscience,” a delegate said. “But suddenly they came back to say he wanted to give us $5,000 to support our transportation and hotel accommodation.”
The delegates admitted they rejected the money because it was smaller than what Mr Tinubu, perhaps the biggest contender for the ticket, had already offered. The delegates shared pictures of the cash gift they said came from Mr Tinubu with The Gazette. At least one delegate claimed being shortchanged by Mr Tinubu’s surrogates.
“I don’t know what happened but they only gave me $9,000,” the politician said. “I am working now to get the balance from the person they sent to us.”
The Gazette was unable to clarify how much other aspirants have offered delegates. At least five aspirants are believed to remain in the race amidst intense horsetrading. Rotimi Amaechi, Kayode Fayemi, David Umahi, Mr Tinubu and Mr Osinbajo are said to be on a shortlist of governors. One of them may be announced later today as the favourite, although President Muhammadu Buhari has acquiesced to elective primary after weeks of doubling down on a consensus arrangement.
Spokespersons for Messrs Tinubu and Osinbajo campaign bodies did not return requests seeking comments. Politicians hardly own up to sharing money among delegates in public, but they also keep mum about allegations of cash inducement. Despite its widespread manifestation, law enforcement authorities have had little success with cash-for-vote schemes during primary and general polls because they are difficult to establish.
A politician may deploy hundreds of agents via proxies to give money to delegates or voters but disavow involvement in case of arrest or public humiliation. The APC certified 2,322 delegates to vote at the primary, with 248 allotted to Ogun while Adamawa got 184. Factors including the availability of delegates often contribute to how much will be paid on a state-by-state basis. For instance, delegates in states with incumbent APC governors, like Ogun, will be more difficult to secure than in states like Adamawa, which does not have an incumbent APC governor.
But aspirants generally channel their resources towards states in which delegates are up for grabs. Today’s affairs mirrored what transpired in late May when the opposition Peoples Democratic Party held its convention also in the nation’s capital. The event was widely dubbed a ‘cash duel’ between Mr Abubakar, a former vice president, and Governor Nyesom Wike, his main challenger. Mr Abubakar got the ticket.
The senior pastor of Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), Tunde Bakare, says he is still in the race for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party began its three-day convention in Abuja on Monday.
On Thursday, the screening committee of the party had advised Mr Bakare and nine of the 23 aspirants to withdraw from the race becase they were not considered to have the capacities to win the general election.
On Tuesday morning, the party’s state governors and National Working Committee after a meeting further recommended only five aspirants for the primary and advised the other contenders to step down.
Those who got the nod of the governors and party leaders to remain in the race are former Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu; a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
But Mr Bakare told PREMIUM TIMES Tuesday afternoon that he had not been consulted by anyone in the party on the advise to step dowm.
“I have not heard. There are several news flying around, I have to be told officially. I have not been told.
“I will confirm the structure when I get to the venue (venue of the convention). But I remain in the race. I have not stepped down,” he said.
This was an isolated accident not involving the VP's convoy. He stopped his convoy to help the victims with his doctors and the ambulance in the convoy.
The VP is fine.
On his way to the airport this morning, VP came across a road traffic accident, stopped to lend assistance, & ensured victim was taken to the hospital with VP's convoy ambulance. He then proceeded on his trip and is now in Ondo State heading to site of yesterday's attack in Owo.
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has expressed shock and sadness over the heinous killing of worshippers on Sunday at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo Kingdom, in Ondo State.
President Buhari in his condemnation of the dastardly act said that eternal sorrow awaits those behind killing both here on earth and in the hereafter.
The President’s expression of grief was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina.
President Buhari in the statement said “only fiends from the nether region could have conceived and carried out such dastardly act, adding that eternal sorrow awaits them both on earth here, and ultimately in the hereafter.”
He mourned the dead, condoled with their families, the Catholic Church, and the Government of Ondo State, charging emergency agencies to swing into action, and bring succour to the wounded.
The statement quoted him as saying, “No matter what, this country shall never give in to evil and wicked people, and darkness will never overcome the light. Nigeria will eventually win.”
The Pan Yoruba Socio-Political Group, Afenifere, has said that the Owo attack in which church worshippers were murdered at St Francis Catholic Church, was a direct attack on Yoruba race.
It’s National organising secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu said that ” the massacre in Owo Chatholic church is a direct attack on Yoruba land.
“It is directed at Gov Rotimi Akeredolu for his unfliching support for security in Yoruba land by championing the Amatekun security outfits, his strigent upholding of the open gracing law and for his ” big mouth” about Southern co-operation for equity and justice in Nigeria.
“We will not succumb into terrorist threath or attack, they will not be allowed to bring down our civilisation.
“We will hunt the killers down. Citizen should not take law into their hands by attacking innocent northerners, only the terrorists, who are mostly foreign Fulani, should be fished out and finish off by the security forces.
“This attack is to course confussion and course war into our land. We should not play into their hands.
Omololu said that “This evil is condemned in the strongest term. We commensorate with the government and people of Ondo state, the catholic church, the Olowo of owo and the people of Owo
Rev Father Andrew Abayomi, one of the priests at St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo, Ondo State, has narrated how the church was attacked.
Daily Trust had reported how many worshippers were killed when terrorists bombed the church on Sunday morning.
In an interview with BBC Yoruba, the cleric said suspected terrorists struck as the day’s service was about to end.
“We were about to round off service. I had even asked people to start leaving, that was how we started hearing gunshots from different angles.”
“We hid inside the church but some people had left when the attack happened. We locked ourselves in the church for 20 minutes. When we heard that they had left, we opened the church and rushed victims to the hospital.”
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has reacted to the incident, which happened in his hometown.
He described the attack as “vile and satanic”, saying it was a calculated assault on the peace-loving people of Owo Kingdom who have enjoyed relative peace over the years.
“It is a black Sunday in Owo. Our hearts are heavy. Our peace and tranquility have been attacked by the enemies of the people. This is a personal loss, an attack on our dear state. I have spoken to the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ondo, Most Reverend Jude Arogundade, who is presently on his way to Owo. Similarly, I have had to cut short my party’s national assignment in Abuja and visit Owo immediately.”
“This is an unexpected development. I am shocked to say the least. Nevertheless, We shall commit every available resource to hunt down these assailants and make them pay. We shall never bow to the machinations of heartless elements in our resolves to rid our state of criminals.
“I commiserate with my people in Owo, particularly families of the those who lost their lives to this ugly and unfortunate attack. I extend my condolences to Olowo of Owo, Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye as well as the Catholic Church.
“I urge our people to remain calm and vigilant. Do not take laws into your hands. I have spoken to the heads of the security agencies. I have equally been assured that security operatives would be deployed to monitor and restore normalcy to Owo kingdom.” Akeredolu said.
June 05 – The die is cast for the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) as D-Day is just around the corner. The race for the presidential ticket of the party, ahead of the 2023 General Election is now at its climax and in the next two to three days, a clear winner would have emerged as the party’s flagbearer .
THEWILL can authoritatively report that unless the unexpected happens, the much-anticipated APC presidential primary, which is now scheduled to take place between Monday, June 6 and Wednesday, June 8, 2022 in Abuja, after a series of postponements, political scheming and permutations, is going to be a two-horse race.
THE TWO-HORSE RACE
At the time of filing this report, THEWILL checks show the race for the APC presidential ticket in the 2023 General Election had finally been narrowed down to the duo of the immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who is a top contender from the South, and Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, believed to be the poster boy of some powerful northern clique to match Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who is also from the North. A third contender, with a great hope of stepping into the shoes of his master for the sake of continuity, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, surprisingly dropped from the radar at the last minute.
OTHER ASPIRANTS IN FLIGHT OF FANCY
No fewer than 20 aspirants had earlier been screened by the APC Presidential Screening Committee led by a former Governor of Edo State and former National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, for the contest, with the leading aspirants expressing the hope of clinching the ticket at the Presidential Convention. The already screened aspirants include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Senator Ahmad Lawan; Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State; Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State; Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State; Pastor Tunde Bakare; Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State; a female aspirant, Mrs Uju Ken-Ohanenye; Mr Tein Jack Rich; Senator Ibikunle Amosun and Senator Rochas Okorocha.
Others include a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu; former Minister of Information, Ikeobasi Mokelu; Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State; former Governor of Zamfara State, Sani Yerima; immediate past Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; a former presidential candidate, Nicholas Felix; Senator Ajayi Boroffice and former Senate President, Ken Nnamani.
The leading aspirants have also been going round the country to mobilse support for their aspirations and wooing the various states’ delegates for their cause. The party, however, came up with a sucker punch on Friday, June 3, when the APC Presidential Screening Committee chairman, Oyegun, announced the disqualification of 10 of the screened aspirants from participating in the presidential primary.
The aspirants cleared to participate in the primary are: Abubakar Badaru, Godswill Akpabio, Rotimi Amaechi, Ibikunle Amosun, Yahaya Bello, Kayode Fayemi, Jack-Rich Tein, Ahmad Lawan, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Christopher Onu, Yemi Osinbajo, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Dave Umahi. This is believed to be in line with the instruction earlier given by President MuhammaduBuhari that the list of the aspirants be pruned to 10 names.
BUHARI TO ‘ANOINT’ SUCCESSOR
However, despite the initial confidence exuded by quite a few of the leading aspirants, especially Asiwaju Tinubu and VP Osinbajo, among others, THEWILL gathered that the three-day presidential primary in Abuja is expected to result in shocking outcomes.
While the hopes of some of the leading aspirants have already been dashed, the highpoint of the APC presidential primary will be the emergence of the ‘anointed’ candidate of the party’s leader, President Buhari, who had earlier pleaded with the APC governors to allow him to choose his successor. The President, as previously reported exclusively by this newspaper, had earlier instructed the party’s national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, to narrow the number of aspirants down to 10 to enable him make his choice.
DOUBTS OVER TINUBU’S CHANCES
Indications have also emerged that despite touting and flaunting himself as the most qualified aspirant to match Atiku Abubakar of the PDP at the poll and succeed President Buhari in 2023, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s chances have also dimmed significantly. Apart from the fact that he appears not to be in the good books of the ‘Aso Rock cabals’ as he has severally been shown the red flag, Tinubu may have also sealed his fate by his careless and arrogant outburst last Thursday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, where he said that he was the one who made Buhari president and that the incumbent governor of the state, Dapo Abiodun, wouldn’t have dreamt of becoming a governor without his support.
A political miscalculation, according to observers of the event, Tinubu may have committed a big blunder that may not only put paid to his chances of becoming the number 1 citizen of Nigeria, come 2023, he may have also inadvertently thrown himself into a bigger problem.
THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY
THEWILL investigation has however revealed that the highly cerebral event may just be an anointing ceremony in which President Buhari will anoint either Amaechi or Lawan as his preferred presidential candidate of the APC, while the other aspirants would be asked to respect the party’s decision on a consensus candidate with the several delegates left with no choice than to toe the party’s line. This newspaper gathered that while the eight southern governors in the party, three of them – Governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Ben Ayade of Cross River State and David Umahi of Ebonyi State – who are among the 19 presidential aspirants of the party, have unanimously resolved that the top position should go to not only the South, but also one of their own, a governor, either former or serving, some northern elements in the party are strongly rooting for Lawan, a northerner from Yobe State in North-West geopolitical zone of the country.
All these developments are coming even as APC’s zoning and the much flaunted but controversial consensus arrangements continue to unsettle both the aspirants and other stakeholders in the party. Already, nine northern governors are said to have joined their southern counterparts in the push for a southern candidate as they believe that a strong candidate from the South could also match PDP’s Atiku Abubakar in the big battle ahead. They also believe that the zoning arrangement, which the party dearly subscribes to, but is about to be jettisoned for political expediency, must be respected. To these nine governors, it is the turn of the South to produce the presidential candidate of the ruling APC.
The governors, according to a source close to the development, are Governors Babagana Zulum of Borno State; Simeon Lalong of Plateau State; Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State.
Others are Governors Aminu Masari of Katsina State; Abubakar Bello of Niger State; AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State; Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State and Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State.
WHO THE CAP FITS: BETWEEN AMAECHI AND LAWAN
ROTIMI AMAECHI
Fifty-six year-old Rotimi Amaechi is from Rivers State in the South-South geopolitical zone of the country. A former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly for two terms, between 1999 and 2007, he was also a two-term governor of the state between 2007 and 2015.
Amaechi, who was the Minister of Transportation between 2015 and May 2022, is believed to be highly favoured by President Buhari. His Dan Amanar Daura (the trusted son of Daura)’s honour by Buhari’s kinsmen in Katsina is an indication of how much he is loved in the North.
The Director-General of the Buhari-Osinbajo Presidential Campaign Committee in the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections, Amaechi is believed to have met the benchmark of outstanding service as a minister as he also fits the bridge between the old and younger generations. At 56, the immediate past Minister of Transportation is seen as being capable of birthing the much-vaunted generational shift in Nigeria’s political leadership. As a hybrid of Igbo extraction (South-East and South-South), he is seen to fit into the President’s calculation of giving the presidential ticket to the South-East coupled with his outstanding performances, especially in the infrastructure development of the country.
AHMAD LAWAN
Sixty-two year-old Ahmad Lawan is from a minority tribe in Yobe State in the North-East geopolitical zone of the country. One of the longest -serving members of the National Assembly, Lawan was a Member, House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007; Member, Nigerian Senate from 2007 till date and he became the Senate President in 2019, a position he occupies till date.
Senator Lawan is one of the poster boys of the North, who is quite popular in the National Assembly as one of the longest-serving members. He is believed to have the capacity to mobilise support from lawmakers in both chambers to his cause as the Senate President.
Lawan’s candidacy is being promoted by a powerful clique around the President, who argue that he is the party’s best chance at taking on and defeating Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in next year’s presidential election.
The national leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has described as unacceptable the outburst of a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu against President Muhammadu Buhari.
Noting that the apology later offered by Mr Tinubu was not enough, the party said it may punish the presidential aspirant for the outburst.
June 03, (THEWILL) – THEWILL investigation shows that barring any last minute manoeuvre, President Muhammadu Buhari will this weekend name either Senate President Ahmad Lawan or former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, as his preferred successor to the Presidency.
Two influential government sources, who knew about this development, revealed it to THEWILL on Friday on the condition of anonymity.
This move, THEWILL reports, will deal a huge blow to the presidential aspirations of notable aspirants like Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and his estranged benefactor, former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
President Buhari returned to Abuja from his official three-day trip to Spain on Friday afternoon and he is scheduled to meet again with Nigeria’s influential state governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress [APC], key party leaders as well as the 13 presidential aspirants cleared on Friday to contest in the party’s primary.
The APC has scheduled its presidential primary to hold between June 6 and 8, 2022.
Read THEWILL Newspaper [Print or Digital Edition] on Sunday for the full report and current update on this development.
The attention of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation has been drawn to the erroneous, misleading and mischievous interpretation of his address in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State on Thursday.
It is on record that the leading presidential aspirant in the forthcoming primaries of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu addressed the national delegates of the party in Ogun State , with Governor Mr.Dapo Abiodun in attendance.
In his effort to convince the party delegates to vote for him at the primaries, he went down memory lane to provide specific instances when he brought his political clout and strategic skills to assist individuals, groups and tendencies in the party to gain political power.
These factual references are already in the public realm.
They have been reported and analysed in the media in the last eight years.
They are therefore, matters of public knowledge.
While we recognise that recent unexpected interventions in the time table and the heat generated by the proximity of the event might have led to some anxiety, this campaign organisation believes that the main thrust of Asiwaju’s presentation, was that his huge contributions to the formation and electoral success of the All Progressives Congress should count in his favour as a true party man who desires to be the flag bearer.
There is also no doubt that the fresh conditions proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari for the consideration of a presidential candidate of the party made it necessary for Asiwaju to labour to convince the delegates that he fits the bill.
The campaign was surprised at the way the opposition and Tinubu’s traducers had turned his statement to give an interpretation Tinubu did not mean and did not say.
At no time did Tinubu play any ethnic card or denigrate any ethnic group. That is surely out of his character, as Engineer David Babachir Lawal, attested in his viral whatsApp statement.
Tinubu’s speech in Abeokuta did not demonstrate any disrespect to President Buhari, for whom he has a very high regard, and whose re-election campaign he chaired in 2019.
Since the video of the speech he delivered in Yoruba hit the social media, varied interpretations have been given to the speech, which in the main was about Governor Abiodun, who in the true tradition of Yoruba culture bowed to his leader after Tinubu’s short speech.
The Tinubu campaign is not surprised why the opposition in the APC have decided to turn and twist the statement.
The former Lagos governor, a great party man remains the man to beat at the party’s convention on Monday.
We are least surprised that he is the target of well-calculated and most unkind virulent attacks
The campaign organisation hereby appeals to the media to avoid over- sensationalising issues of facts and play its constitutional role of informing the electorate to make informed choices at the presidential primaries.
Tinubu and Osinbajo disqualified from APC Primaries?
John Oyegun, Tinubu’s nemesis who chaired APC’s screening committee, told newsmen a while ago that only 13 “youthful aspirants” were cleared to run for the party’s primaries. I can bet my bottom dollar that Bola Tinubu has been disqualified. 70 years isn't, by any system of measurement, "youthful."
At 65, which is just 5 years younger than Tinubu, Yemi Osinbajo isn’t “youthful,” either.
I really hope that Tinubu's presidential campaign is something he's doing for his personal entertainment: to spice up his life as an elderly man. I hope his plan is to endorse Osinbajo after catching his fun. Please �.
I don’t understand why Bola Tinubu’s people are murmuring that Buhari shouldn’t choose who APC’s presidential candidate will be. Who chooses who becomes candidate of the APC in Lagos? Is it not solely Tinubu? What is good for Lagos APC is also good for national APC!
The only Southerner who can defeat Atiku in APC now may be GEJ but if APC & PDP both pick Northerners and Nigerians with sense vote Peter Obi, the 2 northerners may end up dividing their votes & Obi wins.
APC should go south but not South West in the interest of equity because how will Buhari explain it that he supported or endorsed another Northern candidate? Also, morally speaking; GEJ should not be looking for anything in APC but he’s a strong candidate if they consider him.
The Leader Of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, on Monday, warned a South-East presidential hopeful, Peter Obi against his presidential ambition.
Primate Ayodele disclosed that Obi cannot contest the presidential election and win, hence he should resign from politics or help suffering Nigerians with his resources.
In a statement by his Media Aide, Oluwatosin Osho, the cleric attested to Obi’s leadership qualities, but noted that he doesn’t have the backing of God for the presidential election, coupled with the fact that he was misled into joining another party to pursue his ambition.
He also mentioned that South-East leaders have successfully jeopardized the chances of the zone in the 2023 presidential ambition.
Ayodele noted that the coming generation will remember their actions and curse them for bringing such a predicament to the zone.
“There is no way Peter Obi can contest and win, it’s either he resigns from politics or wastes his money. Better still, he should help Nigerians that are suffering with his resources.
“He was misled into joining the Labour Party to pursue his presidential ambition; he has missed it, Igbos have missed it already, their generations to come will remember this and curse them.
“The South-East political leaders have successfully jeopardized the chances of the Igbos and turned the zone to something else.
“Igbo have no leaders; they don’t like themselves at all, Peter Obi is a fantastic leader, but he cannot become the next president of Nigeria, any party that gives him ticket will be a waste of time.”
Primate Ayodele had warned the South-East leaders not to allow the presidency elude them in 2023 because of their selfish interests and betrayal.
He had noted that for peace to reign, the South-East deserves to produce a president but if the leaders are not careful, they will miss it.
Sources within the National Working Committee of the APC, informed DAILY POST that the party postponed the convention to allow it decide on the best candidate in the event that Atiku gets the ticket.
“The party is willing to pick a candidate from the South, but we are concerned that a strong northern candidate by the PDP could make the party reconsider its options. If you look at the way the emergence of Atiku happened, then there is a need to be worried.
“With Tambuwal stepping down and the North rallying around Atiku, that is a major reason for concern. Had it been he won without uniting the northern delegates, then there would be no reason to be worried. But it was like he united the entire northern base. What if he repeats the same thing during the general election? Secondly, there was no outcry from the candidates from the South on the basis of rotation. So there is a need to be worried,” the source disclosed on condition of anonymity.
This disclosure also corroborated the claims in the letter by Salihu Lukman, the controversial ex-DG of APC Governors’ Forum, who is now the APC Deputy Chairman, Northwest.
It would be recalled that Lukman, in a letter directed to the National Chairman, Abdulahi Adamu, revealed some of the reasons for the delay in the screening of the candidates.
He accused the National Chairman of the party of using the name of the president as an excuse not to conduct the screening of presidential aspirants.
The emergence of Wike would have been more welcoming for the Tinubu’s camp, as his brash nature could have polarised the party. However, Atiku has so far campaigned without being offensive against any of the aspirants.
Muslim-Muslim ticket
The former Vice President will have unlimited options when it comes to picking a vice from the South. Several governors like Ifeanyi Okowa, Emmanuel Udom, Wike and others have been suggested, giving the Muslim/Christian combination.
However, Tinubu will be faced with the option of balancing the ticket. A Muslim/Muslim ticket may cost him votes in the South, while a Muslim/Christian ticket will cost him votes in the North.
Whatever the option, the party must decide in the next 7days. Whatever it is, the dramatic movement of Tambuwal has changed the dynamics of the race.
* Says she's "taking a break" to concentrate on her religion.
* Other supporters (see screenshots) have also threatened to take a break. Say Peter Obi retweeting Reno's apology "touched a nerve."
I’ll be taking a break from the chaos & campaigns to concentrate more on my myself & do more of my threads on religion. Who else missed that? While I’m focusing on myself, I hope you guys will carryon the torch like I never left? I love U & it’s been a pleasure knowing all of U❤️
Southern Kaduna women on Saturday met, decrying the high rate at which married women are becoming widows and children being displaced as a result of incessant attacks across the southern part of the state over the years by suspected herders.
The women, under the aegis of the National Women Wing of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, lamented that women and children were worse hit by the insecurity which had claimed the lives of their husbands.
The National Coordinator of the Women Wing of the SOKAPU, Jemutu Katarma, while speaking at the group’s maiden meeting, which held at the SOKAPU Secretariat, Barnawa, Kaduna on Saturday, noted that the over 200,000 internally displaced persons across the area were women and children.
According to her, women and children make 90 per cent of IDPs.
She said, “My dear sisters and brothers gathered here, my leadership happens to come under a period of severe security and economic hardship in Nigeria and Southern Kaduna in particular.
“Women and children have been the worse hit. Today, we have over 200,000 IDPs in several informal makeshift camps both in the state and outside and women and children make 90 per cent of this number. Most of them have been made widows and orphans.[/b[
[b]“There are children in Southern Kaduna who have missed schools for five years because they have been forced out of their villages after their parents have been killed or rendered too poor to provide basic school needs in the new places they escaped to.
“Thousands of our IDPs are not only unable to feed, but are also in serious need of medical care.”
Concerned by the development, Katarma said, the union was desirous of training and empowering the women and children in the various IDPs camp across the southern part of the state.
“The present leadership of the National Women Wing is desirous of not only achieving the objectives of SOKAPU, the plight of our IDPs is topmost in our priority.
“We we are creating awareness and enlightenment on the right of women and their civic responsibilities.”
The National President of the SOKAPU, Jonathan Asake, commended the Southern Kaduna women for their various endeavours across the country while expressing SOKAPU’s readiness to complement their efforts in order to achieve their vision for the people of the area.
Asake, who was represented at the event by the SOKAPU’s spokesperson, Mr Luka Binniyat, also expressed concern over the plight of IDPs.
The Aso Rock cabals and All Progressives Congress power brokers in the Muhammadu Buhari government have reached out to presidential aspirants contesting on the platform of the ruling party to step down and support former President Goodluck Jonathan as the consensus candidate, SaharaReporters has learnt.
The cabals, comprising some members of Buhari’s extended family and associates, are led by the president’s nephew, Mamman Daura.
They are said to have the ears of the president, as well as influence policy-making and select those who get major appointments.
SaharaReporters had recently reported how Jonathan met with Daura and other cabal members in Abuja where he was promised the automatic ticket of the APC.
The consensus method will entail President Buhari anointing him, while other aspirants will step down as it was done during the March 26 national convention of the APC, which produced Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the chairman of the party.
Multiple sources told SaharaReporters on Saturday that all other aspirants had been notified not to expect any primary election next week.
The party had on Friday postponed its special convention for presidential primary for the 2023 general elections from May 29 to June 6. The aspirants were also informed that Jonathan had been adopted by the President.
The move has caused division among party leaders, governors and other stakeholders who felt the former President did not deserve the ticket.
“There is internal war in our party, APC as all aspirants got notification that Goodluck Jonathan is Buhari cabal’s adopted candidate, imagine the insult,” a source told SaharaReporters.
“All the aspirants have been notified not to expect party primary next week Friday as the cabal around Buhari have chosen Jonathan as the consensus candidate of the party.”
Some of the aspirants include Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Rotimi Amaechi, a former Minister of Transportation.
Other presidential aspirants are former Minister of Niger Delta Development, Sen. Godswill Akpabio; Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade; his Ebonyi State counterpart, Dave Umahi; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; ex-Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba and former Senate President, Sen. Ken Nnamani.
Similarly, Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; his Jigawa State counterpart, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; ex-Zamfara State governor, Sen. Ahmed Yerima; former Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu; former Imo State governor, Sen. Rochas Okorocha and former Ogun state governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun are also not left out.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters learnt that that most of the aspirants especially Tinubu and Amaechi have vowed to test their popularity at the primary election regardless of the decision of the Aso Rock cabal.
Jonathan was Nigeria’s vice-president between 2007 and 2010 and became the president in May 2010 following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He later completed the latter’s tenure. Jonathan won the 2011 presidential election but lost his attempt to secure a second term in office in 2015. SaharaReporters had in the past reported how the Aso Rock cabal was pressurising the former President to defect to the APC.
He was said to have surprised the Northern elite and the cabal by his disposition to the Buhari presidency despite all the dirt and campaign of calumny thrown at him and the PDP before the 2015 presidential election, which gave Buhari an unprecedented victory over an incumbent.
It was learnt that some cabal members had also been impressed that despite the Buhari government's glaring failure, Jonathan had not openly criticised his predecessor or his administration, much unlike ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
For instance, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had written open letters condemning the Buhari government and also verbally berated it at any opportunity.
SaharaReporters learnt from sources that the establishment of 'Almajiri' schools by Jonathan to reduce a large number of out-of-school children in the North also scored the former president good points in the eyes of the northern cabal in the APC, especially with most of it now rotting away, even under a Northerner as president.
Jonathan had recently rejected the presidential form of the ruling APC purchased for him, purportedly by a group of supporters from the northern region. Speaking through his Media Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, the former president said it was an insult for the group to have bought him the forms without his permission.
However, sources had told SaharaReporters that claims by the former President that he did not authorise the purchase of the multi-million-naira forms are far from the truth.
“Contrary to his denials, former President Goodluck Jonathan gave over N200 million to the governor of Jigawa, Mohammed Badaru, to purchase the APC nomination and expression of interest forms for him,” a source privy to the arrangement had told SaharaReporters.
Nigeria's next President will be a Southerner, preferably Christian, if we are being honest about a serious Federation of States. Its not in the Nigerian Constitution, its always been an understanding & Gentleman's agreement. PDP is the only party to elect to include it in theirs
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has said the next president of Nigeria must be from the Southwest region.
Akeredolu, who is the Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, said, “We have said it on the people’s behalf. The presidency must come to this Southwest. The governors in the Southwest have spoken. By the grace of God, some of us believe that the train of this country must have a smooth ride.”
He said the governors in the region believed that the train of the country must have a smooth ride.
He noted this during the visit of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, to delegates in the state ahead of the party presidential primary election.
He said, “Think about Nigeria. Think about the investment over the years. Think about competence. You must look at the background of everybody, the reach and capacity. You have our good wishes as you proceed. Only God enthroned.”
He added: “Your visit is different. We must be able to accept the fact that Asiwaju has done a lot. No doubt, we have noticed that Asiwaju has crisscrossed the length and breadth of this country.
“And let us all be frank to ourselves. His reach is not something you can get easily, his reach as one of the founding fathers of our party. Many aspirants have been here, but your reach has also made it possible to have one of the special assistants to the President here. That will speak volumes.”
Politics › Re: 2023: Peter Obi Has Finally Taken Over The North! (Pix + Video) by SATANICALLY(op): 9:47am On Jun 11, 2022*. Modified: 10:04am On Jun 11, 2022
