Category: Politics

Prophet Emmanuel Chukwudi of King Of Kings Deliverance Ministry, Gbonum Ulepa Ntezi, In Ebonyi State Publicly came out to make a very Controversial Statement.

Prophet Emmanuel Chukwudi Reveals that If Atiku Does not Rule Nigeria, an Igbo Man can Never Be President. The Prophet Stated that in the Spiritual realm God has Ordained Atiku Since 2015 and the results of the 2022 PDP Primaries is the Prophecy of God Coming to Past.

The Clergyman Further Stressed that God has Chosen Atiku to Govern and Rule Nigeria to better the Life of the People.

“In his Words”

“If Atiku does not Rule Nigeria, an Igbo Man can never be President. God has Ordained Atiku President of Nigeria Since 2015, to Govern and Rule Nigeria inorder to better the Life of the Citizens. The Result of the PDP Primaries is the Prophecy of God Coming to Past” Prophet Emmanuel Chukwudi Reveals.

Ex-VP, PDP fear regional divisions in S’East, North may work for APC candidate

Former Lagos gov moves to douse Muslim-Muslim ticket tension

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate for the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, are mulling over the option of engaging the presidential candidates of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in talks on how to work together to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Obi, who is a former governor of Anambra State and Atiku’s running mate in the 2019 presidential election, and Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, were members of the PDP before they defected to their respective parties to actualise their presidential ambitions.

Findings by Saturday PUNCH, however, revealed that the PDP was considering how to enlist their support and form a formidable team to defeat the candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Meanwhile, in the APC, among other qualified persons being considered as Tinubu’s running mate are Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, both of whom are prominent northern Christians.

While efforts are on to avoid a Muslim-Muslim ticket, the party is also said to be considering Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, who is a strong northerner, but a Muslim.

In the PDP, however, it is believed that Obi and Kwankwaso’s defections could affect the fortunes of the party in the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

There are concerns that Obi’s exit will further split the votes of the South, which is the PDP’s stronghold, while Kwankwaso’s exit will have a similar effect in the North, especially Kano State, which has bloc votes. If allowed to happen, the party fears it will work in favour of the APC, which already has more states in the North.

Obi, who had obtained the N40m presidential forms of the PDP before he defected, was said to have left the party due to the unfriendliness of one of the governors of the party in the South-South.

Kwankwaso, a former Minister of Defence, was also the foremost leader of the party in Kano State before his defection.

A former National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, told one of our correspondents in an interview that the result of the 2019 presidential election had shown that the PDP needed to get all the votes it could from all the states, especially northern states with higher numbers of voters.

He said, “In Kano State, President (Muhammadu) Buhari won in all the 44 local government areas with 1.4 million votes, while Atiku got 391,593 votes. Though the incumbent governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje, won the governorship election on the platform of the APC in 2019, it was a tight race between his party and the PDP. So, the PDP has prospects in the state, which is why it has to do what is necessary to get the maximum possible from the state.

“The 2019 governorship election results, which were a combination of the March 9 election and the March 23 rerun, showed the APC polled 1,033,695 votes, while the PDP scored 1,024,713 votes. With the above analysis, you will see that the PDP will need the cooperation of the two gentlemen to remain popular and win these states.”

However, Secondus refused to comment on what the party and Atiku planned to do to woo the two men, whom he described as “valuable persons” to the party.

The Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibrin, also said there were possibilities that votes from the South-East could be split into three with Obi’s candidacy.

“We may have a situation whereby Obi will have some votes from there (South-East), then our party and the APC will get votes as well. We need to work against that. The South-East is our zone and we know the people and the voters there will not abandon us,” he stated.

This, according to findings, is the reason the PDP and Atiku are considering speaking with Obi and Kwankwaso to enlist their support.

A source privy to the planned discussions said, “We will talk to them. The battle ahead is not personal. We need to win the election and rescue the country from the bad governance of the ruling party. Thank God that we have about nine months ahead of us before the conduct of the general elections.

“We have enough time to engage people and solidify whatever agreement we want to propose. We should not allow this opportunity to slip from our hands.”

Atiku still consulting, says aide

When asked to confirm if moves were being made to engage Obi and Kwankwaso in talks, a media consultant to Atiku, Paul Ibe, said in an interview with one of our correspondents on Friday that he could not say if such moves were being made, but that since his emergence, the candidate had been consulting stakeholders.

He added, “After he won the primary, he met with other aspirants, PDP governors, former ministers and other stakeholders. In this race, especially when you are contesting against a ruling party, everyone matters. These are extraordinary times and they require extraordinary measures.

“So, there will be alliances and the objective is to kick out the APC that has done nothing than to make Nigerians suffer, promote division and entrench a state of insecurity. But I can’t say if the party is reaching out to them (Obi and Kwankwaso).”

Obi won’t step down, says campaign DG

Meanwhile, when asked if the LP candidate would be favourably disposed to negotiating with the PDP, the Director-General of the Peter Obi Campaign Organisation, Dr Doyin Okupe, vowed that the former governor would not step down for any candidate, adding that the candidate and his supporters were focused on the task ahead.

“The support Peter Obi is getting across the country is too massive for anyone to ask him to step down for anyone. Nobody ever thought Obi could leave the PDP, but he left. The real third force is here with us. The coming revolution is beyond Obi. Peter Obi is a man whose time has come. The PDP and the APC have expired. They are no longer relevant in Nigeria’s current situation.”

Nigerians’ll be disappointed if Obi returns to PDP, says aide

Also, Obi’s media aide, Valentine Obienyem, told one of our correspondents in an interview on Friday that his principal was content with being the candidate of the Labour Party.

Asked if his principal would be favourably disposed to working with Atiku if approached, Obienyem ruled out the possibility, saying that would dash the hopes of many Nigerians and leave them disappointed.

He added, “If today he (Obi) says he is going back to the PDP to be a running mate, I can tell you that if he walks on the street, many Nigerians will stone him and they will see him as a disappointment. Nigerians want him and the only thing we can do for him is to encourage him to answer the call of Nigerians. So, he will contest and I’m sure he will win, all things being equal.

“Today, Nigerians want change and Peter Obi has been seen as a symbol of that change, so the issue of structure people talk about does not arise. The last time they asked him about the structure of his party, he said Nigerians across the country were the structure and that is the greatest structure.”

On how Obi would match Atiku and Tinubu, reputed to be big spenders, the media aide said, “What is happening in Nigeria today is a peaceful revolution. Nigerians want to break away from the old order. Nigeria is ripe for a peaceful transition and Peter Obi is lucky to be at the forefront of that change.”

Asked how Obi would penetrate the North, Obienyem said Nigerians, including northerners, were desirous of good governance and that “what matters is that he has already penetrated the minds of Nigerians all over the country.”

Obi remains Labour Party’s presidential candidate, says Nat’l Sec

The National Secretary of the Labour Party, Mr Umar Ibrahim, said on Friday that Obi remained the party’s presidential candidate and that there was no faction in the party. Ibrahim said this while addressing journalists in Kaduna.

The News Agency of Nigeria quoted Ibrahim as saying, “Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, is the authentic presidential candidate of the party, duly elected at a convention organised by the leadership of Mr Julius Abure as the national chairman, supervised and recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission. There is no faction in the LP, but in the imagination of those who are foot soldiers of enemies of Nigeria and Nigerians.

“The leadership and members of the Nigeria Labour Congress have recognised and endorsed the candidacy of Obi.”

I won’t step down for any candidate, says Kwankwaso

Kwankwaso said he was certain of victory over Tinubu and Atiku in 2023 and that he would not step down or withdraw his ambition for any other candidate.

Asked whether he would step down for Atiku, the NNPP candidate said in an interview with Saturday PUNCH on Friday, “I won’t be stepping down for anyone; our party is popular across the country and we are sure of victory at the polls.

“Our candidacy is based on capacity and performance. People are looking for those who have done it better in the past, and people who are trusted. Nigerians want someone who can unite Nigeria, improve the educational system and end insecurity.

“We will defeat the two major parties at the polls in 2023. The Kwankwasiyya Movement is very popular, and we will win even in the North-East. I’m happy that the Electoral Bill was signed into law, and that will make it difficult for anyone to rig us out as they have always done. Once there is a free and fair election, it will be difficult for anyone to defeat us.”

Tinubu considers Lalong, El-Rufai, SGF, others

Similarly, the leadership of the APC has commenced the search for Tinubu’s running mate.

A chieftain of the APC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Nigerians were justified to express reservations about a Muslim-Muslim ticket. He, however, cautioned that people should be more concerned about competence rather than religious affiliations.

He said northern governors were working with the party’s National Working Committee to consider a list of options at their disposal, adding, “There is no cause for alarm. We anticipated that things could head this way, but the party is considering some candidates to neutralise the threat of an Atiku presidency.

“The party and the governors are mulling the option of Lalong; Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu; and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.”

He added that El-Rufai; Kano State Governor, Abdulahi Ganduje; and Mallam Kashim Ibrahim-Imam were also being considered.

The party’s NWC, led by the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and the Progressives Governors’ Forum, led by Bagudu, visited Tinubu barely 24 hours after his emergence as the APC candidate.

PGF to determine Tinubu’s running mate, says TCO

Members of the APC Northern States’ Governors Forum earlier paid a courtesy visit to Tinubu in Asokoro, Abuja. Although details of the closed-door meeting were sketchy, Saturday PUNCH gathered that it might not be unconnected with talks around the running mate and the likelihood of Nigerians rejecting a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

The spokesman for the Tinubu Campaign Organisation, Mr Bayo Onanuga, however, told journalists that the candidate already had an arrangement with the Progressives Governors’ Forum to decide his running mate if he emerged as the candidate.

“The vice-president can come from any region and religion, but the PGF is at liberty to pick. The party will look at the chances and decide how it will balance a Muslim from the South, maybe with somebody that comes from the North-East, North-Central or the North-West. That is how it is done. I cannot circumvent the party. The Bagudu-led PGF has the task to pick a competent deputy for him,” Onanuga stated.

PDP intensifies search for Atiku’s running mate

In a related development, there are indications that the PDP is intensifying its search for a running mate for Atiku. The governors being touted for the role are Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.

There are also indications that the party has set up a committee comprising the PDP governors, National Working Committee members, former governors and Board of Trustees members with the mandate to pick its vice-presidential candidate.

CAN rejects same religion tickets

Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria has warned political parties against a Muslim-Muslim ticket or a Christian-Christian ticket for the presidential election. It said this would be a threat to the peace and unity of the country.

CAN, in a statement by its National Secretary, Joseph Daramola, on Friday, congratulated the candidates, while calling for a balance of religious representation when choosing competent running mates.

The statement added, “The running mate of the APC presidential flag bearer, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, should be a Christian from the North; Atiku’s running mate should be a Christian from the South, while Obi should choose his among the Muslims from the North.

“Anything contrary to the above means that the leadership of these political parties do not bother about the unity of this entity called Nigeria. Those who are planning a Muslim-Muslim ticket should also find out what was the outcome of the MKO Abiola and (Babagana) Kingibe ticket in 1993. If they try a Muslim-Muslim ticket this time round, the outcome will be worse, because our fault lines are very visible.”

It stressed that the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had further polarised the country by not heeding CAN’s call to overhaul the security architecture and deploy religious and ethnic balance within the security structure of the country.

A professor of Political Science at the Bayero University, Kano, Fage Sanni, told Saturday PUNCH, “I think they have limited chances if they work individually. They can garner a few votes here and there, but if they were to collaborate in any way, they would make more impact.

“Kwankwaso is very strong in the North-West, and Obi in the South-East, they will need someone like Wike in the South-South. If they can come to a meeting point concerning who becomes President of Nigeria, they will be raising their probability of winning at the poll.

“Already, the APC and the PDP are the dominant parties, but with a formidable collaboration, the election will be a three-horse race at the presidential level.”

Also, a professor of Political Science at the Osun State University, Omitola Olumuyiwa, told one of our correspondents on Friday that he had doubts that the candidates would work together.

He added, “All of them have unique strongholds; Kwankwanso will only have votes in some places in the North, maybe in Kano and a few places, because of the Kwankwasiyya movement, but he does not have a national spread.

“Obi is someone to watch out for, but the problem with Obi is that I don’t see people from the South-East voting for him. They are likely to go the way of Atiku. People will look towards Atiku because he has a better chance than Obi. However, the way Obi is going, you will be surprised that people from the South-West, the North and the South-South will vote for him. He is seen as a kind of departure from the norm.”

The delegate died in Abuja where he travelled to, so as to participate in the APC convention where the party will elect its presidential candidate.

A delegate at the presidential primary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from Jigawa State, Isah Baba-Buji, slumped and died while taking his breakfast on Tuesday in Abuja.

The APC spokesperson in Jigawa, Bashir Kundu, confirmed the incident to reporters in Jigawa. He said the official was pronounced dead while taking his breakfast and preparing to move to the venue of the party convention.

Mr Kundu said Mr Baba-Buji’s body was being prepared to be conveyed back to Jigawa State for burial rites.

Mr Baba-Buji was the APC vice chairman for Jigawa Southwest.

More details about his death will be provided later.

The APC is holding its presidential primary in Abuja to elect its presidential candidate.

Three party delegates from each of the 774 local governments across Nigeria are eligible to vote in the primary.

A total of 23 presidential aspirants are taking part in the primary. Some of them include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, ex-Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, and ex-transport minster Rotimi Amaechi.

ABDULLAHI ADAMU ON A FROLIC OF HIS OWN

My attention has just been drawn to the expensive joke purportedly enacted by the National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu. The speculation is rife that the Chairman took a flight of fancy and decided to make a pronouncement beyond his competence. He has, allegedly, made public his preferred choice as the candidate of the APC for the Office of the President in the next general elections.

This alleged pronouncement runs contrary to the position of majority of Northern Governors in APC and their counterparts in the South. Our agreement is unanimous on this issue. The office of the President should be contested for by qualified persons from the Southern part of the country if the move to get a consensus candidate fails. There has been no shift from this settled issue.

Let it be known that the Chairman or anyone who holds a contrary opinion does so at a personal level. He is at best embarking on a frolic which reasonable people will consider dangerous.

We are grieving but have not forgotten that Power MUST shift to the south. On this we stand.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and gubernatorial aspirant in Plateau state, Amos Gizo has tasked delegates in the state to support the aspiration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to clinch the party’s Presidential ticket.

The Plateau APC stalwart says Asiwaju possesses better credentials and experience than all the other aspirants.

He made his views known during a parley with journalists in Jos, the state capital.

Mr Gizo warns that the party risks the chance of losing power and the opportunity to consolidate on the good work it has started if Asiwaju is denied the ticket.

Supporters of National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under the aegis of Northern Young Professionals for Tinubu (NYPT) and Tinubu Support Organisation (TSO), have kicked against consensus for the APC nomination for the 2023 elections.

The groups said Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, has great vision for Nigeria and should be compensated for the role he played for the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

Reading a text of the press conference signed by the National Coordinators of the NYPT and TSO, Abdullahi Tanko Yakasai and Aminu Suleiman, Yakasai asked the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) to provide a level-playing field for all the presidential aspirants to slug it out.

Yakasai said for the party to retain power in 2023 and deliver dividend of democracy to the people, it must conduct a free, fair, credible and transparent presidential primary and pick the right candidate.

He also asked delegates not to sell their conscience by receiving money and other forms of gratifications from aspirants for the purpose of voting them.

“The party cannot afford at this time to play to allow some few selfish individuals circumvent the universal practice of due process and the laid down rules as contained in our party’s constitution for picking candidates for various elective positions to contest election on the party’s platform.”

“We see such machinations being orchestrated by enemies within the party to undermine the ambition of our principal, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Yesterday (Tuesday) President Muhammadu Buhari during his speech made it clear that we need someone who is strong enough to deliver the party in the general election. But some people have decided to twist the statement of Mr. President that he was calling for consensus,” he said.

The Chicago State University says All Progressives Congress stalwart and presidential hopeful, Bola Tinubu, indeed attended the university.

Beverly Poindexter, who is in charge of official transcript requests, enrolment and degree verification at the Office of the Registrar, CSU, said this in a terse email response to The PUNCH on Tuesday.

“Mr Tinubu did attend our university, however, if further information is needed, go to studentclearinghouse.org website to make a formal request,” Poindexter wrote.

In an earlier letter dated August 20, 1999 and signed by then Registrar, Lois Davis, the university stated that Tinubu was its student between 1977 and 1979.

He wrote, “Please be advised that Bola A. Tinubu did indeed attend Chicago State University from August 1977 through June 1979. He was awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and Administration with honours on June 22, 1979. His major was Accounting.”

Also attached to Tinubu’s form CF004 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission during his re-election bid in 2003 was a commendation letter from CSU recognising his performance and “high scholastic achievement”.

Tinubu’s academic qualification has been a subject of controversy for over a decade.

Frontline Presidential aspirant and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has shared his manifesto for the transformation of Nigeria if elected president of the country.

The APC presidential aspirant, according to a press statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Director of Media and Communication, said his team will lead Nigeria to a new era of economic prosperity, peace, security and political stability.

Tinubu, the Governor of Lagos State between 1999-2007, presented his vision within five thematic areas.

He promised to improve security by decentralising the policing of the country and creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs simultaneously.

He promised to transform Nigeria into an enviable country and one where there will be justice, peace and prosperity for all, with a “robust economy”.

Titled ‘My Vision for Nigeria’, Tinubu promised in the document, “a nation transformed into greatness, the pride of Africa, a role model for all black people worldwide, and respected among all other countries.

“A vibrant and thriving democracy and a prosperous nation with a fast-growing industrial base, capable of producing the most basic needs of the people and exporting to other countries of the world.

“A country with a robust economy, where prosperity is broadly shared by all irrespective of class, region, and religion.

“A nation where its people enjoy all the basic needs, including a safe and secure environment, abundant food, affordable shelter, health care, and quality primary education for all.

“A nation founded on justice, peace, and prosperity for all.”

On economy, Tinubu promised to build an economy that will make the nation’s Gross Development Product grow quicker annually for the next four years while also providing jobs for millions of youths in the country.

He also promised to launch a new National Industrial Policy focused on special intervention to reinvigorate specific strategic industries.

“I will focus on stimulating jobs, which will be my top priority as President. I will get Nigeria to work by launching a major public works program, a significant and heavy investment in infrastructure, and value-adding manufacturing and agriculture.

“My administration will build an efficient, fast-growing, and well-diversified emerging economy with a real GDP growth averaging 12% annually for the next four years, translating into millions of new jobs during this period,” he said.

Tinubu also promised to create six new Regional Economic Development Agencies which will establish sub-regional industrial hubs to exploit each zone’s competitive advantage and optimise their potential for industrial growth.

The presidential aspirant also promised to formulate a new National Policy on Agriculture to boost food production.

He promised to promote the establishment of new commodity exchange boards, while also strengthening the one in Lagos in order to guarantee minimum pricing for agricultural products such as cotton, cocoa, rice, soya beans, corn, palm kernel, and groundnuts.

On infrastructure, Tinubu promised to “Build A New Nigeria (BANN)” by developing a National Infrastructure plan, which will cover strategic roads, bridges, rail, water, power, seaports, and airports spanning the length and breadth of the country.

He said his administration will combine government funding, borrowing, public private partnership, private sector financing and concession to initiate a medium and long-term financial model for the BANN initiative.

Tinubu further stated that his administration will target an electricity distribution goal of 15,000 megawatts across the country and ensure a sustainable 24/7 supply.

“On Electricity, I will embark on a renewed action-oriented focus and take immediate and urgent action on resolving existing challenges of power generation plants, gas purchasing, pricing, transmission, and distribution. My administration’s critical goal is to have 15,000 megawatts distributable to all categories of consumers nationwide to ensure 24/7 sustainable supply within the next four years,” he added.

On the oil and gas sector, Tinubu said there will be no need for a subsidy because the market will be open and transparent.

“Supply will come from local refineries, and the forces of demand and supply will determine the price of petroleum products”.

“My administration will establish a National Strategic Reserve for Petroleum Products to stabilize supply during unexpected shortages or surplus periods. This will eliminate any form of product shortages and prevent wild swings in prices.

Tinubu also spoke about his administrations promise in the area of education, promising to increase the spending on education to 25 per cent of the nation’s budget.

He promised to continue the free school feeding programme of the APC, feeding “millions of primary school children across the country”.

On tertiary education, Tinubu said his administration eradicate strikes by tertiary institution workers by encouraging the tertiary institutions to source for funds through grants and corporate sponsorships, with all the institutions granted financial autonomy.

Just like education, Tinubu also promised to increase the funding for health care in the annual budget to 10 per cent. According to him the National Health Insurance Scheme will be relaunched to grant health insurance cover to most Nigerians.

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress APC Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has vowed that he will not retire from partisan politics until he becomes President of Nigeria.

Tinubu who made the vow during his campaign visit to Benue State on Tuesday ahead of the APC’s primaries slated to hold this Friday, said if elected, he would bring his wealth of experience to bear on the governance of the country.

“I won’t retire from politics until I am the president of Nigeria. I will bring the experience of my leadership in Lagos state as a Governor to bare on my leadership style in Nigeria.

The former Lagos State Governor who insisted that he is the best man for the job said if he emerges as the Presidential candidate of the APC, he will surely win the presidential election no matter whoever emerges as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party PDP.