Category: Politics

President Muhammadu Buhari has said ethnicity and religion are not the problems of Nigeria.

Buhari said Nigerians should blame themselves for the inherent injustices in the country.

Recounting his struggles to get justice at the courts, after disputed results of presidential elections in 2003, 2007, and 2011, Buhari submitted that people who ruled against him were of his own ethnic stock and religious persuasion, while those who stood up for him were of other faiths and ethnicity.

“Our problem is not ethnicity or religion, it is ourselves,” the President submitted.

“After my third appearance in the Supreme Court, I came out to speak to those who were present then. I told them that from 2003, I’d spent 30 months in court.

A leading politician in Kano and the state coordinator of Tinubu Peoples Network (TPN), Muhammad Tajo Nagoda has declared that there is no better candidate for the 2023 presidential election than the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Ahmad Tinubu.

He stated this over the weekend while speaking exclusively to Vanguard and calling on governor Abdullahi Ganduje to accept to run as his Vice President.

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has said he would not hesitate to give land to any Fulani man who intends to do livestock business through ranching.

Speaking in Abuja at the 72nd birthday of Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Ortom dismissed the insinuation that he is on a war path with Fulanis.

He said historically, the people of the state have always been friends with the Fulani.

The governor reiterated that his government would not back down on the anti-grazing law, arguing that ranching remains the best practice

”He has taken a decision now to be deliberate in explaining to people that the establishment of the anti-open grazing bill or law is a very progressive idea which is done in almost all countries of the world.

”Those who have a lot of cattle are still using ranching, and any Fulani person who wants to establish a ranching in Benue will have the land. Even if our ‘Chairman’ wants to start a ranch, he will get the land today.

”We will give you land and start the ranching today, so that people will see it as model and wherever we go, we want to correct the impression because if you read history, you will see that we have always been friends with Fulani.”

Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai (rtd), has been deployed to Benin Republic.

While General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin (rtd), former Chief of Defence Staff, has been appointed the head of mission to Cameroon.

The president appointed the ex-service chiefs in 2015 and refused to bow to the pressure to relieve them of their duties until they “voluntarily resigned”.

Their ambassadorial appointment sparked public outrage, with calls on the Senate to reject their nominations.

Despite the outrage, the Senate, on February 23, 2021, confirmed their nominations.

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Major General Farouk Yahaya as the Chief of Army Staff.

The confirmation was sequel to the presentation and consideration of the Joint Committee on Defence and Army on the confirmation of the Nomination of Major General Farouk Yahaya for appointment as Chief of Army Staff of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and presented by the Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, All Progressives Congress, APC, Sokoto North.

The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage and Water Resources, Joe Igbokwe has berated the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe over his customised shirt “The Dot Nation”.

According to the APC chieftain: “A Senator and an ethnic bigot, an elder for nothing.”

“The blood of those policemen and the uninformed youths killed in the South-East will be accounted for in the fullness of time, We cannot be mad all the time”, He said.

The special adviser to governor Sanwo-Olu , vow to write on the minority leader saying: “I will soon write a book on Abaribe.”

Former Super Eagles Striker, Odion Jude Ighalo has described the Governor of Kogi State as a bridge builder whose leadership style has been a source of hope to the Nigerian youth.

The footballer made the statement while paying courtesy call in the Governor at his Abuja resident on Monday.

He commended the Governor for recognising the efforts, contributions, patriotism of the Ex-Super Eagles players by organising a world class reception for them in Lokoja in March, 2021.

He said such recognitions and honour remained the biggest inspiration to the young athletes who want to represent Nigeria at any level.

While urging other leaders to emulate the Kogi Governor, Odion said Bello has demonstrated the character and quality of a leader who believe in the prosperity of the youth of this country. He commended the Governor for his various projects in Kogi state and appealed to him to continue to speak on behalf of the Nigerian youths.

Bello thanked the Eagle’s player for the visit which he described as heart warming, adding that Odion Ighalo just like every other Nigeria sports person have served the Nation diligently, made the nation proud and brought glory to her

The Governor noted that the Nigerian forward has often displayed love and passion for the Nation on and off the field of play which he asserted was a duty and dedication expected of every loyal citizen of the country

He stressed that football just as other sports have been a veritable source of national integration and cohesion hence those who are actors in achieving such feat must be recognized and honored at every available opportunity

Governor Bello while urging his visitor to continue to play his role in national growth, grass root sport development and other areas of interest, urged that citizens of the country should remain united in the interest of the Nation

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, says a former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is under investigation.

He said: “You asked me a question earlier about arresting people before investigation and now you are saying why didn’t we arrest Tinubu? Why didn’t you just say ‘arrest him?’

“Investigation is ongoing. When you are investigating matters like this, they don’t end in a day. Thousands of investigations are going on, on a daily basis.

“You understand? You know you are from the media. After you will say we are doing media trial.”

Bawa was said to have requested for Tinubu’s assets declaration form when he was the head of Lagos Zonal Office.

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the MTN Group to make available top-of-the-range service to its Nigerian subscribers and at cheaper rates.

The president made the call when he received in audience members of the board of MTN Group, led by its President and Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Mupita, at the State House, Abuja, on Friday.

Buhari said: “I congratulate you on your appointment as the Group President of MTN. I wish you all the best.

“Nigeria is your most lucrative market in Africa, Asia and the Middle East as well as the source of a third of the income of the entire MTN Group.

“As such, we urge you to offer top-of-the-range and affordable services to Nigerians.

“As we seek to make broadband widely available and affordable, we urge MTN to continue to support our efforts by expanding high-quality connectivity to Nigerians in un-served and under-served areas.”

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, says former President Olusegun Obasanjo contributed to the current chaos in the country, adding that the ex-military general should mind his utterances.

He stated this on Friday in a piece titled, ‘Nigeria’s Unity And All The Iberiberism’.

Adesina wrote, “The sabre-rattling about Nigeria’s unity and the possibility of disintegration has got to the point of Iberiberism (an Igbo word which could mean stupidity). Some people have no other business than doomsday predictions of a crumbled, collapsed Nigeria, as if they actually fast and pray for that eventuality.

“When Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was President between 1999 and 2007, they predicted that he was going to be the last President of a united Nigeria. It didn’t happen. When Umaru Yar’Adua came, they said he was too sick to hold Nigeria together. The country stood.

“Under Goodluck Jonathan, they said the man was too weak, and different components of the country would soon say, ‘to your tents oh Israel.’ Nigeria survived. And for six years under Muhammadu Buhari, they have not changed their songs. The Somaliasation of Nigeria was on the way. The Fulanisation of the country would be the final death knell. But Nigeria lives. It trudges on from day to day, month to month, and will surely survive.”

Adesina said though some people dwell on negativity, “some fathers of the land will not fold their hands and see Nigeria go down”.

“Fortunately, we have one of them as President now. The young Muhammadu Buhari spent 30 months in the frontlines as a young army officer, fighting the war of unity. And he has said it: we will not be around and watch Nigeria go down. Never. We will rather speak to insurrectionists in the language they understand.

“And what of Olusegun Obasanjo, a civil war hero. Despite all that he has contributed to the current upheavals by his actions and inactions, words and bile, he says it is idiotic to wish Nigeria disintegration now. Good. But let us put our money where our mouth is. Let Baba mind his thoughts