Dons Eze2027: I’VE NO PROBLEM DEPUTIZING PETER OBI, WE’RE READY FOR TALKS – KWANKWASO
2027: I’VE NO PROBLEM DEPUTIZING PETER OBI, WE’RE READY FOR TALKS – KWANKWASO The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, in the 2023 elections, Rabiu Kwankwaso has hinted at the possibility of him deputizing his Labour Party counterpart in the last election, Peter Obi. In a video clip currently trending on X microblogging platform, the former governor of Kano State who spoke on Hausa, said he would be willing to deputize Obi “if certain conditions are met”. Kwankwaso, who claimed that he is politically bigger than Obi, said they are willing to engage in meaningful discussions with the LP leader to establish an agreement ahead of the 2027 elections. He said, “I’m bigger than Peter Obi politically, I’m his elder brother, I’m a PhD holder, I performed better than him when I was a governor of my state. I’ve no problem with deputizing Peter Obi, but only if certain conditions are met. “We are willing to engage in discussions, provided that trust is established”. In the 2023 election, Peter Obi won the majority of votes in 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja. The former Anambra governor came third with about 6,101,533 votes. On the other hand, Kwankwaso won the election in 38 of the 44 local government areas in Kano State, garnering a total of 1,496,687 votes in the elections.
I REPORTED MY RAPE CASE TO SUPERIOR OFFICERS BUT THEY DISREGARD IT DUE ACCUSED PERSON’S RANK – DISCHARGED FEMALE SOLDIER
I REPORTED MY RAPE CASE TO SUPERIOR OFFICERS BUT THEY DISREGARD IT DUE TO ACCUSED PERSON’S RANK – DISCHARGED FEMALE SOLDIER A former female soldier, Private Ruth Ogunleye, who was relieved from service after accusing a senior officer, Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, of sexual harassment, has made further revelations about how superiors in the army refused to listen to her when she first reported her rape case. The discharged soldier disclosed this when she featured on an AIT programme monitored by SaharaReporters on Wednesday evening. During the interview, she levelled allegations against General Christopher Gwabin Musa, the current Chief of Defence Staff, and other superior officers, claiming they deliberately avoided thoroughly investigating her rape case due to the accused person’s seniority during her service. She said: “I sought intervention from people like General C. G. Musa, the current Chief of Defence Staff. I told him. I told so many officers. I sought redress but nothing was done because he is my senior, and nobody was ready to give me a listening ear. “I exhausted all the procedures; I sought redress using Section 179 of the Armed Forces Act and nothing was done. He would inject (me) and throw me inside a psychiatric hospital.” She accused Abdulkareem of making repeated attempts to assault her, administering injections against her will, forcibly removing her from her residence, and confining her to a psychiatric hospital for several months after she rejected his sexual advances. However, the Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, said Ogunleye’s allegations lacked merit. The army spokesperson said that after an exhaustive review of the facts, testimonies, and evidence presented, it was determined that Abdulkareem did not commit the offences alleged by Ogunleye. Nwachukwu stated that medical reports following an evaluation at the National Hospital in Abuja indicated that Ogunleye was suffering from a condition that rendered her medically vulnerable.
WHY WE LOST EDO ELECTION – LABOUR PARTY
WHY WE LOST EDO ELECTION – LABOUR PARTY Mr Kelly Ogbalo, Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) in Edo State, has alleged that the party would have won the state governorship election if it was conducted in a free and fair manner. Ogbalo disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Monday. He claimed that the election was marred by serious irregularities, including open vote-buying that the security agencies failed to check. Ogbalo alleged that: “Labour Party won the election but was not allowed to take possession. There’ll be nationwide thunderstorms for three days, NiMet alerts NigeriansMinimum wage: Labour, FG sign MoU on salaries adjustments“What I mean by that is that the election was marred with serious irregularities; there was open vote buying. The security agencies failed to check this anomaly. “So in such a way where votes were bought and with manipulation of results here and there. What do you expect? When asked if LP would challenge the result in court, Ogbalo said the party had yet to call a state council meeting to take a position on the matter. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Sept. 22 declared Sen. Monday Okpebholo of the APC winner of the election. Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 247,274 votes while LP’s candidate, Mr Olumide Akpata, came third with 22,763 votes. (NAN)
APC STATE CHAIRMEN LAMENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN NIGERIA, RESOLVE TO MEET TINUBU
APC STATE CHAIRMEN LAMENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN NIGERIA, RESOLVE TO MEET TINUBU Chairmen of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have resolved to meet with the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the state of affairs in the country. Secretary of the APC States Chairmen’s Forum and Chairman of Cross River State, Alphonsus Ogar Eba Esq, disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday after their meeting in Abuja. Nigerians are groaning over deteriorating insecurity, hunger, poverty, hike in fuel pump price, electricity tariff, and other challenges bedeviling the country. Ogar who was flanked by the acting chairman of the forum, Hon Cornelius Ojelabi, and other states chairmen said the meeting would discuss a variety of issues with the federal government including that of hardship in the country. He said, “The Forum of APC States Chairmen met yesterday to discuss issues that are of great concern to the party’s democratic ethos and the success of our APC led administration under the able leadership of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and his dependable Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima GCON. “While the Forum has resolved to have close-door meetings with the leadership of the NWC and government, we considered it necessary to discuss the recent action of the NWC under the leadership of H.E. Alhaji Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje with respect to the extension granted to the caretaker committee of Rivers State APC led by Chief Tony Okocha.” Fielding questions from newsmen on the current hardship in the land, Ogar said, ”About the hardship, yes, everybody has a complaint. We are not unaware of that and we said we are going to have a closed-door meeting with the NWC and the government.“So the government we are referring to is the federal government. Untill that is thrashed and matters addressed, it will be premature to address the press on these issues.” Ogar also said the states chairmen were working with the NWC to resolve crises in some state chapters of the party. He said the decision of the Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led NWC to extend the tenure of the caretaker committee led by Chief Tony Okocha in Rivers State would boost its fortunes as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum. The Forum also singled out a former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, as a performing minister and enumerated his milestones in the areas of security, infrastructure and human capital development in the FCT, but kept mum on whether non-perfoming ministers should be sacked.
L ABOUR PARTY AND CHALLENGE OF DEMOCRACY
LABOUR PARTY AND CHALLENGE OF DEMOCRACYDemocracy is based on popular participation of the people in their government. Internal democracy is a constitutional requirement which ensures the participation of the members of a political party in the affairs of their political party. This right is granted them by giving them the exclusive privilege to elect the members of their Party’s ruling organs. Section 223(1)(a)(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN) as amended, provides for the periodical election, on a democratic basis, not exceeding four years, of the principal officers and members of the executive committee or other governing body of a political party. The democratic basis in section 82(3) of the Electoral Act (EA) means that the election of members of the governing body of a political party, including the election to fill a vacant position in any of the governing bodies, shall be conducted in a democratic manner which allows all members of the party or their duly elected delegates to vote in support of a candidate of their choice. Any other route apart from this route to impose leadership on any party is illegal and a destruction of internal democracy and as such null and void.The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is empowered by law to ensure that political parties observe the practices of internal democracy, including the fair and transparent conduct of party congresses and conventions. The law did this in section 82(1) and (5) of the EA when it instructed any political party that wants to elect its National Officers to give the Commission at least 21 days’ notice of any convention, congress, conference or meeting convened for the purpose of electing members of its governing bodies. Failure to do this renders the convention invalid. The whole idea of giving INEC 21 days notice is to enable INEC to monitor that the parties comply with the provisions of the law and ensure fairness and transparency in the election of their officers.It then means that any party that fails to invite INEC, through the requisite 21 days notice, intends not to observe internal democracy in organising its elections and also intends not to be fair and transparent in its elections. INEC will be failing in its duties to lend its name to such a desecration of the laws by the party and would have been a willing tool in the destruction of our democracy. The proper thing INEC should do is to ignore such a charade and treat it as having not been done. We have become so lawless and so litigious that we think the courts must give orders before we perform our duties. No! Courts are meant to settle disputes, not to do the work for people. INEC doesn’t need a court order to ignore any national executive of a political party which emerged in a manner not known to law because in the eyes of the law, there was no convention. Paragraph 15(b)(c) of third schedule to the CFRN empowers INEC to register political parties and monitor the organisation and operation of the political parties. Any party that fails to comply with the laws should be penalised by INEC by refusing to recognise the officers that are responsible for the breaching of the laws.What is happening in Labour Party (LP) today is a reflection of lawlessness and impunity that have characterised our fourth republic and this is threatening to destroy our democracy. It is important to note that other parties are suffering from one problem or the other and if this trend is not checked and corrected, Nigerians will lose interest completely in the democratic process. By the communique released recently by the expired, former Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the LP,…
ONE YEAR OF TINUBU’S MINISTERS
ONE YEAR OF TINUBU’S MINISTERS PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has one of the largest cabinets in Nigeria’s history, comparable to Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, which had 47 ministers in 1999. Despite his promise to appoint technocrats to drive his Renewed Hope Agenda, Tinubu’s cabinet appears to be a mix of politicians, loyalists, and a sprinkling of experts.One year after their appointment, it has been a mixed result with many failing to deliver on their mandate. One of the key promises of Tinubu’s administration was economic revitalisation. Under the stewardship of the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, the economy has seen both commendable efforts and areas of concern.The administration has introduced bold reforms, such as unified exchange rates and the removal of petrol subsidies. These policies have sparked inflation and public dissatisfaction.The raft of reforms has also failed to reflate the economy or strengthen the naira, which has continued to lose its value against the greenback. This is because the country is not producing. Edun’s reforms could, at best, be described as an attempt to make a dead horse walk.The much-anticipated job creation drive has yet to produce the expected results. Unemployment and underemployment continue to plague the country, with the youth disproportionately affected. The employment initiatives, though well-intentioned, have yet to materialise into significant job opportunities.Infrastructure development has been a focal point of Tinubu’s government, with the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, tasked with overseeing critical projects. The administration has made strides in continuing and initiating key infrastructural projects. However, the pace of development has been slower than promised. Bureaucratic delays, funding gaps, and security concerns have hindered progress.So far, the government has awarded 51 contracts worth N6.27 trillion to procure, construct, and develop various infrastructural projects across the federation. The contracts, awarded between October 2023 and May 2024, would facilitate infrastructural projects, including roads, bridges, train systems, and airport infrastructure.The minister’s leadership has been stable, but a greater push is needed to meet its ambitious targets. The focus on completing ongoing projects from previous administrations is a positive sign of continuity, but new projects are crucial to meet the growing demands of Nigeria’s burgeoning population. The coming years will test the government’s ability to turn ambitious infrastructure plans, especially the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Badagry-Sokoto superhighway, into reality.Security remains a paramount concern for Nigerians, and the performance of the Minister of Defence is crucial in this regard. Despite some efforts to combat insurgency and banditry, many Nigerians still feel unsafe. The situation in the North-East and North-West regions has shown little improvement. Bandits are still occupying territories in the North-West and preventing farmers from accessing their farmlands.While there have been successful military operations, the overall strategy seems reactive rather than proactive. The administration must rethink its security policies to provide lasting peace and stability. The minister of defence has failed in his assignment.Despite the administration’s efforts in other areas, health and education have not received the attention they deserve. The health sector remains underfunded and ill-equipped to handle the country’s needs, while the education system continues to struggle with inadequate infrastructure, frequent strikes, and poor quality of instruction.These sectors are critical for the country’s future, and the lack of significant progress in these areas is concerning. The administration should prioritise investments in health and education if it hopes to foster a well-educated and healthy population capable of driving economic growth and social development.Reengineering bureaucracy as engine room of governmentThe healthcare system is still underfunded and overburdened, and the minister’s efforts to improve it have not yet had a noticeable impact. The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, has failed to make the necessary impacts in the sector, which is reeling under the exit of professionals leaving the country in droves.Similarly, the…
TINUBU’S CHANGE OF SPY CHIEFS AND BRAZILIAN CONNECTION BY STEPHEN ANGBALU
TINUBU’S CHANGE OF SPY CHIEFS AND BRAZILIAN CONNECTION, BY STEPHEN ANGBULUOn the evening of Saturday, August 24, 2024, visuals from the State House showed Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, the country’s top spy, emerging from a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.It appeared to be one of those routine visits by agency heads who merely tell the press that they had “fruitful deliberations with Mr President,” even if the reality could be far from that.It could have indeed been a fruitful deliberation, but it could also have been a dressing down, new marching orders, or a warning to improve performance.However, Abubakar appeared to have nothing to hide this time. In his words, he had “tendered his resignation” to Mr President, who “graciously approved it.”When asked why he resigned, Abubakar told journalists, “There are quite a number of reasons one would do that. Some personal family issues, but nothing very serious, actually, and the friendship will continue.“I discussed with Mr President; he understood very well, and I promised to remain steadfast regarding issues and the security situation of the country.”He continued, “It’s routine to brief Mr President on security issues from time to time, and today is no exception.“After the briefing, I tendered my resignation, and Mr President graciously approved and accepted it.“I thanked him for giving me the opportunity to serve Nigeria under his transformational leadership for an extended period of 15 months, which is very rare—to have the opportunity to serve two Presidents consecutively. So, I thanked him sincerely, and I promised to remain professionally dedicated to our country.”However, Abubakar declined to clearly answer how the President reacted to his resignation, saying such details are better revealed by the Commander-in-Chief himself or the National Security Adviser, Mr Nuhu Ribadu, in whose company he arrived at the Villa.“I think it’s not for me to say this. I would be breaching protocol. But perhaps the NSA or Mr President himself will say it.“But what I can tell you is that I’m very grateful for the opportunity the President gave me to serve the country under his leadership; for the encouragement I received, the confidence he had in me and my service, the opportunity to speak to him, to submit briefing notes and advice, and so on.“For me, this means everything, and I have had the opportunity to mentor officers and staff during the entire period I have been DG. This is the seventh year, by the way, and the opportunity to mentor younger officers to step up. We now have many officers who can perform this job excellently,” he said.Two days later, the President approved the appointment of new Directors-General of the National Intelligence Agency and the Department of State Services.“The new appointments follow the resignation of the previous NIA and DSS chiefs,” read a statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.At the NIA, Mohammed Mohammed succeeded Abubakar, while Mr Adeola Ajayi, succeeded Yusuf Bichi as the new Director-General of the DSS.The two outgoing spy chiefs were appointed in 2018 by former President Muhammadu Buhari.Leaving service after more than seven years at the helm must have felt like a sigh of relief.However, the nature of Abubakar’s exit, the subsequent resignation of the DSS Chief, Yusuf Bichi, and the almost immediate appointment of new heads left some Nigerians with questions, primarily because, in Africa, voluntary resignations of government officials occur once in a blue moon.On the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, a user named Awwal said, “This is rare in Nigeria. It takes courage and selflessness to resign from these kinds of positions, honestly. The majority of Nigerians will wait until they are sacked. I wish him well.”Another wrote, “Who read his face and his voice? So many words left…
I’LL PUT FIRE IN THEIR STATES – WIKE FIRES SHOT AT PDP GOVERNORS SUPPORTING FUBARA
I’LL PUT FIRE IN THEIR STATES – WIKE FIRES SHOT AT PDP GOVERNORS SUPPORTING FUBARA Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, has warned PDP governors supporting Governor Siminalayi Fubara that he will “put fire in their states”. He said, “Not while we live will anybody take the PDP structure from us. I hear that some governors claim they will take the structure and give it to somebody. I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states.” The threat was made during the Rivers State PDP Congress, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Capital. “We are party members, we have taken over our party members. We will not leave for anybody or allow anybody to take the party from us,” the FCT Minister added. “Some governors say they will take the structure from us and give it to somebody. I hear that they have given them assurance that they will take the party from us. I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states. When God has given you peace, you say you don’t want peace. Whether you are in Bauchi or wherever, your hands will get burnt. You will never see pace again,” Wike said Wike’s relationship with Fubara, his successor, has deteriorated since the latter emerged as governor in 2023. The two have been at odds, with the Rivers State legislative arm split into factions. Party members have attempted to intervene, but their efforts have been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, PDP governors have consistently backed Fubara, which appears to have infuriated Wike. The Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike has warned state governors assuring Governor Fubara of support that he will “put fire in their states”
HOW ENDBADGOVERNANCE PROTEST COST DSS, NIA BOSSES THEIR JOBS
HOW ENDBADGOVERNANCE PROTEST COST DSS, NIA BOSSES THEIR JOBS The reasons the immediate past Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, and the DG of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar, resigned from their positions have been revealed.Sources within the Presidency told Saturday PUNCH that President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, questioned the intelligence gathering mechanisms of the two agencies following the violent nature of the #EndBadGovernance protests in some northern states and the seizure of three presidential aircraft in France.While Bichi was held responsible for lack of functional intelligence on the protest, Abubakar was reportedly queried for the NIA’s inability to have reports ahead of the seizure of the jets by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited.A French court had sanctioned the seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets, including a newly purchased Airbus, amid a legal dispute between Zhongshan and the Ogun State Government.The #EndBadGovernance protest, which began on August 1, turned violent in Kano, Gombe, Yobe, Borno and Bauchi states while demonstrations in the South-West were peaceful.During the protests in some northern states, public and private facilities were destroyed, while hoodlums looted shops and caused mayhem. This led to the imposition of curfews in Kano, Bauchi, and Plateau states.The protest was driven by widespread hardship resulting from the removal of fuel subsidy, electricity tariff hike and the high cost of living, among other issues.Bichi, who hails from Kano State, where widespread destruction and looting occurred, was appointed on September 14, 2018, by former President Muhammadu Buhari.Abubakar, from Katsina State, was also appointed by Buhari on January 10, 2018.According to credible sources, Tinubu and Ribadu were embarrassed by the turn of events on the seizure of the presidential jets and the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations.“The seizure of the presidential jets and violent nature of the #EndBadGovernance protest embarrassed the President nationally and internationally.“The President was displeased with the NIA and DSS bosses. This was why he requested the resignation of the two security chiefs,” said one of the sources.Another source claimed that Bichi and Ribadu had been having a running battle before the protest, with the fallout from the northern demonstrations serving as the final straw.He stated, “The former DSS DG and the NSA boss had been on bad terms for some time. Their issues escalated to the point that Bichi was unable to meet the President for a while. The Presidency finally had a valid reason to dismiss him due to the #EndBadGovernance protest.”Abubakar announced his resignation on Saturday, August 24, after meeting with President Tinubu. In contrast, Bichi’s resignation was announced in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Monday, August 26Some DSS officers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described his exit as ‘freedom from unprofessionalism’.The DSS officers listed Bichi’s alleged misconduct to include undue interference in the service’s operations by his wife and son, Yusuf Bichi.A video of some DSS staff members allegedly celebrating Bichi’s resignation surfaced online immediately after his departure.However, an X user, Sanusi Jibrin, said the clip was recorded at the Kogi State DSS office, where personnel were celebrating Ajayi’s appointment, as he was a former director at the state command. A DSS officer, however, said personnel of the agency were happy with his removal.“We believed his regime was a punishment for us. He impeded the career advancement of many officers by extending the service years of those due to retire. Some senior officers, who were due for retirement in 2021 and 2022 were retained in the service,” he stated.Another officer alleged that Bichi was indifferent to the welfare of workers. “The Federal Government increased our salary by 40 per cent, but there was no implementation. We were earning more than…
DONALD DUKE SLAMS TINUBU FOR BUYING NEW JET, YACHT WHEN NIGERIANS ARE HUNGRY
DONALD DUKE SLAMS TINUBU FOR BUYING NEW JET, YACHT WHEN NIGERIANS ARE HUNGRY A former of Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, on Friday, condemned the purchase of a presidential jet and yacht when Nigerians are hungry. According to Duke, it is a failure of leadership for President Bola Tinubu to make this purchases, when Nigerians are going through economic crisis. Duke stated this while speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television. Duke said, “There is no glamour in saying your people are going through hard times. It’s a failure of your leadership. If I’m the head of a family, I want my family to have everything. I don’t want life to be difficult for them. “If life is difficult then I feel I’ve failed to provide for them or do the things I ought to have done. I’d ask him (Tinubu) to see the Nigerian nation as his family. What is good for his family is good for the nation. “Buying a new aircraft or yacht or living large is a failure. You can’t have kids who are hungry and you are living lavishly, going to parties and wearing the biggest agbada.” Duke said the recent #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests by hungry Nigerians showed that the President has not been a good father to Nigerians. The former governor said, “A protest is like your kids coming to tell you that ‘Daddy, I am not happy with you. You have failed to do this and do that for me’. “I’d ask him (Tinubu) to rethink a number of things that are going on and test his policies. The policy of floating the currency was a mistake because it wasn’t thought through. “The largest pressure on the Nigerian currency is the importation of fuel, and the way it is being done, it is fuelled by corruption. So, we are paying the price for it.” Duke tasked the President to hold security agencies responsible, reform the judiciary, and address the economy with local indigenous solutions, far from those of the Bretton Woods system.