Politics
PGF boss warns against campaign for postponement of APC national convention, says it’s illogical

***Says February date sacrosanct
A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) Salihu Moh Lukman, has faulted campaign in some quarters for the postponement of the party’s national convention from February date.
The APC chieftain described as ‘illogical’ recommendation through a letter written by Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu to the APC CECPC Chairman, Mai Mala Buni, dated December 13, 2021, calling for the postponement of the APC convention.
In an open letter to all the APC leaders Monday in Abuja, Lukman warned of the repeat of 2019 Zamfara experience if the needful are not done.
The APC chieftain said: “It is very difficult to excuse the CECPC from the campaign to postpone the February Convention. If the CECPC is not interested in the postponement of the Convention from the agreed February 2022 date, why is it difficult to make formal announcement about the date and venue of the Convention? Statutorily, by the requirement of the Electoral Act, the party is expected to serve at least 21 days’ notice of the Convention to INEC. Which basically means that if the Convention is to hold any day before February 28, 2021, the notice to INEC should be given on or before February 7, 2022. That being the case, the temptation could be to argue that there is more time. Some reminders would be necessary at this point.
“Once that is the case, we would have succeeded in making the 2019 Zamfara electoral disaster a national phenomenon in 2023. Is that what the CECPC members under the leadership of His Excellency, Mai Mala Buni want to subject the party to?”
The letter warned governor Mai Mala Buni not to allow all his good work as CECPC be destroyed.
“With the emergence of the CECPC in June 2020, His Excellency Mai Mala has done an excellent job by bringing down tension within the party. Sadly, all the good work of the CECPC under His Excellency Mai Mala is about to be destroyed once it yields to the temptation of staying longer than February 2022.”
While calling on APC leaders to wake up to the responsibility of providing the needed political leadership to the country, Lukman said: “No one should imagine that agendas set in 2014 or 2019 are sufficient to respond to contemporary challenges, which post 2023 governance will be expected to respond to. If anything, it may also be important to emphasise the fact that to respond to contemporary challenges facing the country would require massive investment in human capital development in the country.
“This will call for a deliberate and aggressive policy to mobilise large scale public investment to rebuild public schools at all levels. The correlation between collapse of education since the mid 1980s, rising levels of unemployment and insecurity are very glaring. As a party, we must come up with practically convincing answers, which should form the basis of public support by Nigerians to guarantee victory in 2023 elections.
“The burden of responsibility to strengthen the capacity of the APC to put itself on a vantage position to commence internal negotiation around all these issues is on the CECPC, especially, the Chairman, His Excellency, Mai Mala Buni.
“Inability to discharge this responsibility or avoid it by toying the path of a deceptive campaign for postponement of Convention can only spell doom for the APC and return Nigeria to the hands of those who laid the foundation for all the challenges facing the country.
“By way of an appeal to APC leaders, as much as the question of who emerge as the candidate of the party is very important, it is not only who emerge as a candidate of the party that can win the election. But how united are party leaders behind the candidate will be a more determining factor. President Buhari, with all his mass support in the Northern part of the country, may not have won the election in 2015 without the unity of all APC leaders from every part of the country. All APC leaders must be reminded that, there is no one political leader in the country that enjoy convincing mass support of any region of the country.”
Insisting on agreed February date for the national convention, Salihu said: “The only reason why some leaders, perhaps including the members of CECPC, are attracted to campaign for postponement for the Convention is the deceptive belief that any candidate who emerged, whether elected or imposed on the party can win the 2023 elections. This is a big lie!
“Finally, we must also appeal to the CECPC to ensure that the February 2022 Convention is not just about electing NWC members. There must be some reflections about the challenges facing the country, with priority focus on problems of insecurity, rebuilding public education and health through mosilisation of massive financial investment in these sectors.
“As part of the review of public education and health, consequences of avoidable strikes actions and how to bring an end to what has become clearly destructive to these sectors must be considered. Conclusions and recommendations from the Convention should guide the review process of the party’s manifesto and bring out some of the campaign agenda of the APC for the 2023 campaigns.”
Politics
Obi did received N850m from Abure, Tanko clarifies

***describes claim as malicious
The Obi – Datti Chief Spokesman, Dr Yunusa Tanko has clarriffied insinuation by one Mr Calistus Okafofor that the National Chairman of Labour Party Barrester Julius Abure, gave the Presidential Candidate of the party, Peter Obi eight hundred and fifty million Naira, (N850million) to prosecute the 2023 election.
Dr Tanko while debunking the clai said Obi did not collect any funds from the party describing the claim as false, adding that the reverse is the case.
He noted that it was Obi who actually gave money to the party severally.
He challenged Okafor to produce evidence, if actually the chairman told him that he gave Obi money for the purpose of campaign during the election.
“His Exellency has been exemplary in his financial conduct in both his private and public life.
“infact he always matain and always demand for Accountability and Transparency from anybody around
him.
He maintaned that anybody around him should not collect any money from anyone that he or she can not account for.
Dr Tanko declared that he was in the forefront of the campaign and privy to most of the expenses during the campaign and to the best of his knowledge, the party never provided any money directly to Obi to support his campaign rallies across the country.
The Campaign spokesman further stressed that Obi and his supporters were quite aware of all the campaign of calumny being orchestrated of recent from various quarters against the LP leader just to paint him in bad faith by those scared of his rising acceptance by the Nigerian people.
“We are aware that people are already scheming for 2027 and it is unfortunate that certain individuals have chosen to divert attention from the high rate of insecurity and poverty that are currently threatening the very existence of our nation by constantly attacking the personality of Peter Obi.
“Those are the enemy of Nigeria and Nigerians but l know that God will disappoint them and rescue our country from their grips whether they believe it or not’.
Politics
Ondo 2024: Over 250 political structures join forces with Omoluabi Coalition Group

Some political groups and structures of governorship aspirants in Ondo State numbering over 250 have joined forces with the Omoluabi Coalition Group ahead of November Governorship elections in Ondo State.
This took place on Monday 27th of May 2024 at an expanded Exco’ meeting held in Ore, where the President of the Yoruba Council- YCW; the apex umbrella body for all Yoruba socio cultural groups Aare Barr. Oladotun Hassan received the groups executives from all the 18 local governments across the sunshine state.
Aare Hassan in his welcome address admonished them to remain steadfast, and always imbibe Omoluabi ethos in their conducts.
He stressed the need for the remaining political structures in the state to join forces with Omoluabi Coalition to decide who will govern the State for the next four years, as this governorship election “is not about political party but the candidates”.
The DG Omoluabi Coalition Group Tunji Balogun emphasized the importance of voters card, as he urged those yet to collect theirs to go to INEC offices in their respective local governments for collections.
He said the groups’ target across the state is 200,000 votes. whereas the compilation of registered voters cards at the moment is still 124,678 which is far below target.
He therefore mandated the new members to register their voters cards on the group’s portal for proper documentation.
The woman leader, Yeye Atunluse Oodua Alhaja Tawakalitu while welcoming the new affiliated groups explained that Omoluabi Coalition Group is an independent apolitical and sociocultural group in Yoruba land committed to good governance, aimed at strengthening the democratic process.
She also gave her admonition and assurances that come November governorship election in Ondo state, the choice of Omoluabi Coalition would emerged as governor.
Other speakers included the youth leaders, and state commanders who also corroborated the statements earlier made by the group leaders.
In his closing remarks, the DG Omoluabi coalition advised all members to remain focused and loyal, stressing that the leaders are in consultation with leaders of thought and stakeholders in the State with assurances that “we shall come up with the right choice in the interest of our dear state”.
Omoluabi souvenirs were freely distributed to new members, while the inauguration of streets captains in all 203 wards would come up at a later date.
Politics
I withdrew suit against APC, Aiyedatiwa after Tinubu’s intervention, says Jimoh Ibrahim

The Senator Jimoh Ibrahim representing Ondo South said he has withdrawn his suit against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa after President Bola Tinubu intervened.
Senator Ibrahim had dragged the APC candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in the State Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the party before the Federal High Court Abuja where he challenged the gubernatorial primary election of the APC held recently in Ondo state.
Ibrahim had alleged that there was no voting in his Senatorial district and a larger part of the State.
Following the suit, the executives of the APC in Igbotako Ward II, Okitipupa local government area of Ondo State, suspended Ibrahim from the party over alleged anti-party activities and insubordination.
However, Ibrahim at a briefing at the Senate on Tuesday, said he withdrew the suit in deference to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who waded in the issue.
Ibrahim in his statement in Abuja titled: “Presidential intervention and notice of withdrawal suit No.
FHC /ABJ/ CS/588/2024,”said: “The suit is now withdrawn due to the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.
“The President called me, had a meeting with me, and assured me that he will as the leader of the party improve on internal democracy within our party, and i will need to withdraw the case to enable him to chart a way forward.
“The Governor of Ondo state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, earlier visited my Asokoro residence for several hours after another unsuccessful visit to my hotel room in Akure.
“I cannot disobey the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because the issue am fighting for is not personal.
“It is simply to improve internal democracy to which the President has promised improvement. My respect for the President is absolute!
“Let me use this opportunity to thank Mr. President for the words of wisdom and encouragement during my meeting with him which lasted over one hour and his various interactions with me on the telephone during which he emphasized his commitment to internal democracy over and over again. Thank you, Mr. President.
“The withdrawal of this legendary suit coincides with the first anniversary of Mr. President’s incredible performance in office, and this is my gift of the ‘cake’ of the first anniversary”
-
Crime1 year ago
Police nabs Killer of Varsity Lecturer in Niger
-
News1 year ago
FCT-IRS tells socialite Aisha Achimugu not to forget to file her annual returns
-
Appointment1 year ago
Tinubu names El-Rufai, Tope Fasua, others in New appointments
-
News From Kogi1 year ago
INEC cancells election in 67 polling units in Ogori-Magongo in Kogi
-
News From Kogi2 years ago
Echocho Challenges Tribunal Judgment ordering rerun in 94 polling units
-
News1 year ago
IPOB: Simon Ekpa gives reason for seperatists clamour for Biafra
-
Metro12 months ago
‘Listing Simon Ekpa among wanted persons by Nigeria military is rascality, intimidation’
-
News1 year ago
Kingmakers of Igu/ Koton-Karfe dare Bello, urge him to reverse deposition of Ohimege-Igu