Category: Politics

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, is presently in Paris, the French capital, for a medical checkup as his health is fast deteriorating.

“Tinubu is in Paris, France for a medical checkup. His health is deteriorating due to old age,” a top source told SaharaReporters.

Though the former Lagos state governor has not openly declared his intention to run for president in 2023, it is an open secret that he intends to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

In January 2021, Tinubu was reported sick and hospitalised in Paris, France.

Tinubu had earlier complained of exhaustion and travelled out to rest before the news of his collapse went viral.

He was flown to Paris for medical attention in the first week of January.

President Muhammadu Buhari, says those accusing him of sparing bandits and terrorists in Nigeria are being unfair.

According to the President, he is also treating bandits and insurgents in the language they understand.

He was reacting to an accusation of “double standards” alleging that he pampers bandits in the north while sounding tough against insurrectionists in the South-East.

Buhari spoke on Friday evening during an interview aired on NTA.

President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed that he is preparing the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC to remain in power for as long as possible.

In an interview on Friday night on NTA monitored by POLITICS NIGERIA, the president revealed that the survival of the party is largely dependent on his administration.

“We are preferring APC to remain in power for as long as possible. in the sense that we say registration of members from bottom to top.”

“From polling units to wards to local government to states and here in Abuja. We want to have a reliable number of people registered in APC in every state of the country. We are going to give it a lot of Publicity. The success of this administration will depend on the survival of APC,”

“The party should continue,” he said.

Governor Ugwuanyi Receives Ooni Of Ife In Enugu

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State on Saturday received in audience, The Ooni of Ife, Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, at the Government House, Enugu.

The Ooni of Ife, who is Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), is in Enugu State for the 49th convocation ceremony of the prestigious University, held on Saturday.

Tinubu stated this in a congratulatory message to the nation observed by Native Reporters on Friday, in commemoration of the Democracy Day celebration.

With all that they do, they will not succeed. In trying to pluck a democratic and just society from our hands they are as mistaken as they are evil.

Our democracy was not here established to be destroyed by the terrible likes of people such as these. Those who sacrificed their lives for democracy did not give of themselves so that we would be turned back by terrorists or by those who seek to tear the nation asunder just so they might imperially rule over some small part of it.

Despite the troubles we face, and those troubles are serious, we must stand up for democracy lest we shall find ourselves falling to oblivion. Democratic good governance offers the only reasonable solution to the challenges confronting Nigeria.

Thus, we must stand for democracy today. We must stand for it even more tomorrow. Ask this question 10, 20, 100 years from now, the answer must remain the same: the people of Nigeria stand for democracy and stand against that which would chase democracy from our land.

We stand for a better way. We celebrate Democracy Day not only because we have come far but to help give us the social fuel and encouragement to continue onward because we have farther to go and even greater things to achieve as one nation and one people.

A member of the House of Representatives, Ben Igbakpa, has said that if the Federal Government insists on carrying out its threat to arrest and prosecute those still using Twitter despite its suspension, then it should start with the opposition lawmakers.

Igbakpa was one of the lawmakers who walked out of parliament on Tuesday, after the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila failed to grant their prayers on the #TwitterBan.

Tweeting after the incident, Igbakpa said, “We reached the unfortunate juncture where party politics overtook the sanctity of national interest and objective leadership in @HouseNGR. As representatives of our people, we are disappointed that our privileges are suppressed in favour of executive impunity. We walked out today.

“We have to #KeepitOn. I never stopped using Twitter because I recognized it is a violation of my right as a person. #TwitterbaninNigeria is a demonstration of the height of the shortcoming of the executive.”

In response to a tweet, he added, “If they want to arrest, let them start with us.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has suggested a way forward on how to solve the malignant problem of corruption in Nigeria.

Mr Buhari who spoke during an interview monitored by Native Reporters on NTA on Friday night said that the country needs ‘special courts’ to fight corruption.

“People are corrupt. People in the house of reps with one wife and house but when they get elected, they have more houses and wives”

It would be recalled that fighting corruption was one of the three major campaign promises of Mr Buhari while campaigning for his first term in 2015.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu today presented N500 million compensation to popular Nollywood actor, Babatunde Omidina, known as Baba Suwe and several others whose properties were demolished in Ikorodu to pave way for ongoing Igbogbo-Igbe Road expansion project.

Sanwo-Olu presented the cheques to those affected at the official unveiling of the newly upgraded Ijede Road.

The total sum of money paid as compensation by the state government was N500 million.

Baba Suwe got N3. 1 million as compensation for his demolished property while Malok Petrol Station got N100 million, Stir Oil and Gas Petrol got N36 million, Igbe Central Mosque Degolu Junction got N8 million, among others.

The project commissioning was the first phase of upgraded Ijede Road (Itamaga to Ewu Elepe), which was 6. 05km.
Sanwo-Olu, while speaking at the commissioning of the road said it was a promise fulfilled.

A support group in the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, the Progressive Consolidation Group PCG has advised a national leader of the party and former Lagos State Governor to drop his 2023 presidential ambition and instead support Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

The group declared that re-strategization priorities of the Muhammadu Buhari presidency and the APC must include considerations of an Osinbajo presidency in 2023 towards enhancing progressive reforms and national unity.

“Both President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo must reach an accord for timely preparation of a more vibrant successor-administration to be headed by the current Vice President while APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu should reconsider his ambition,” the group asserted.

At a media interface Wednesday in Abuja, PCG’s National Coordinator, Hon. Ahmed Mohammed and National Secretary, Dr Eberechukwu Eli Dibia who spoke on behalf of members drawn from the six geo-political zones pledged the group’s preparedness to begin mobilization and sensitization visits to various stakeholders including the media across the federation.

“Very soon, our group will enlist the support of leaders of thought to drive home our points nationwide; we are aware of the insecurity, economic worries and other issues confronting citizens but planlessness is not a virtue and we advocate that after two years into its second term, this administration must begin serious plans for the years ahead.

“We are aware that some aides of VP Osinbajo described calls for the learned gentleman’s involvement in the 2023 race as ‘mere distraction’ and we are also aware of the views of thoughtful Nigerians including the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III who commended Osinbajo’s loyalty to President Buhari and the spearheading of important reforms towards enhancing ease of doing business, enhancing ICT innovation, as well as economic policies to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“President Buhari can optimally utilize what is currently within the administration now to build a better future by convincing the not-so-political Professor of Law to run in 2023; his candidature would be far more appealing to Nigerian youths, discerning elders and various sectors of the population.

“As for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, he is a great war general but with a chink in his armour such that opponents may easily exploit his Achilles heels to make things very difficult for the ruling party if he becomes presidential candidate in 2023; there is no need to expatiate on what baggages constitute such vulnerabilities at the moment,” they stated.

Expressing what they described as ‘patriotic concerns’ over various national challenges including rising insecurity, separatist agitations, unemployment and other economic issues, the PCG which stated that its membership includes ‘APC loyalists, patriots from other parties and numerous apolitical patriots’ also urged Nigerians not to give into undue anxiety as the situation is not beyond redemption.

“The rather pessimistic views of Ambassador John Campbell and others have energized anxieties but by going back to the drawing table and preparing for the future with our best eleven, including the likes of Osinbajo, Nigeria can be united and made to rise exponentially in the comity of nations.

“Nigeria is not a failed state; today’s challenges are rooted in errors of the past and some misjudgments of the present time but if we re-strategize, we can drastically curb our difficulties and give our people greater basis for hope.

“President Buhari has tried his best over the past six years but much more needs to be done and an Osinbajo successor administration would be in a vantage position to marshal the energies of youth and the visionary experience to transform this great nation,” the Progressive Consolidation Group emphasized.

The diplomatic missions of Canada, the European Union (Delegation to Nigeria), the Republic of Ireland, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States of America convey our disappointment over the
Government of Nigeria’s announcement suspending #Twitter and proposing registration requirements for other social media.

We strongly support the fundamental human right of free expression and access to information as a pillar of democracy in Nigeria as around the world and these rights apply online as well as offline. Banning systems of expression is not the answer. These measures inhibit access to information and commerce at precisely the moment when Nigeria needs to foster inclusive dialogue and expression of opinions, as well as share vital information in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The path to a more secure Nigeria lies in more, not less, communication to accompany the concerted efforts of Nigeria’s citizens in fulsome dialogue toward unity, peace and prosperity.

As Nigeria’s partners, we stand ready to assist in achieving these goals.