No Amount of Protest would stand against Matawalle, APC Group warn Instigators

The APC Youth Wing Mobilisation Vanguard on Thursday, warned those she tagged ‘instigators’ that no amount of sponsored protest staged against the Minister for State Defence, Bello Matawalle, would stand.

Chairman of the group, Alhaji Ashiru Tukur, in a statement, said those instigating the EFCC against the Minister  are ignorant of the law.

“Our findings have shown that some of these characters traveled from their states, using public funds to mobilize and hire jobless youths in Abuja to intensify their propaganda and campaign of calumny against perceived political enemies.

These are political jobbers who have abandoned their constituents to poverty, insecurity and economic challenges back home only to come to the Nigeria seat of power and waste public resources in their care to pursue a mission to nowhere leveraging allegations without substance.

“For example, those campaigning against the former governor of Zamfara State and current Minister of State Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, are ignorant of the law, due process, and modus operandi of institutions like EFCC.

“The same character who boasted of spending billions of naira on President Tinubu’s campaign is facing the same accusations of neglecting his constituent with squalor, hunger and insecurity challenges, while allegedly sponsoring mischiefs and political propaganda against the personality of Matawalle and Sen Yari for actualisation of his ambition to be governor of Zamfara state in 2027.

All the Ministerial nominees of President Bola Tinubu followed due process as tradition demands before they were cleared by the National Assembly which is why we are concerned about this incessant unnecessary protest to remind the EFCC of its responsibility.

“We have also noticed the conivance of People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s led government of Zamfara State with a member of the House of Representatives from Zamfara, financing such protests around Abuja. To us, this is rather too demeaning for the Zamfara people who are dire need of security of lives and property at the moment.

“So, this unpopular propaganda against the duo of Matawalle and Abdul’aziz Yari, must be stop, because it cannot hold water; because these are Nigerians who have been progressing in their political journey.

“These are not ordinary Nigerians in terms of recognition, networking and political supports across the country.

We specifically call on Hon Sani Jaji the alleged grandmaster of all these comedy to face his legislative duty and bring development to his constituents, instead of financing such failed project along with PDP government of Zamfara state.

“Zamfara is in dire need of peace and political stability which is why those with sense of reasoning must come together as a united force to fight the ravaging insecurity and other challenges that have retarded its progress.

“We therefore pray for the peaceful, progressive and political stable Zamfara State, North West and Nigeria as a whole.

“We sincerely commend the maturity so far shown by Hon Matawalle on the issues and we urge him to continue to be doing good things for the people of the state, nation in general”.

Adamu, other APC chieftains for Tinubu Lagos rally

Lagos state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will Saturday hold a presidential campaign rally for the party presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

Announcing the preparation of the party for the rally at a press briefing in Lagos, Wednesday, the director general of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the presidential campaign in Lagos state Campaign Council, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, said the rally will be a homecoming for the former Lagos state governor and the national leader of the party.

Solomon said the rally holds a promise for mass attendance by members of the APC and members of the general public because of the popularity of the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Tinubu, whom he said has remained the most consistent, and the biggest contributor and the most visible democratic icon since the advent of democratic dispensation in 1999.

“You may wish to recall that Asiwaju Tinubu excelled as a Senator of the Federal Republic representing Lagos – West Senatorial District, and as the governor of Lagos state between 1999 and 2007. Therefore, the event is like a homecoming for our leader and mentor who has become a national pride.

“As a responsible political party, it is imperative to seek the cooperation of members of the general public as regards the need for temporary diversion of traffic and mass movement of supporters within the vicinity of the rally.”

On security arrangement, Senator Solomon reassured members of the public that men of the Nigerian Police Force, LASTMA officials and other law enforcement agencies would be fully mobilised to ensure that the rally will be an event devoid of the security infractions and traffic disruptions.

Speaking about security measures put in place because of the anticipated large number of people that will attend the rally, the party chairman in the state, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, said, “On the issue of security, we will try to make the venue very conducive for all.”

(Blueprint)

I’ll defend my mandate at tribunal — Adeleke

Osun’s governor-elect, People Democratic Party’s (PDP) Sen. Ademola Adeleke, has said that he is ready to defend his victory at the election petition tribunal and retain his mandate.

Adeleke said his emergence as governor-elect was entrenched in total compliance with the law and in the will of the people.

His declaration is contained in a statement issued on Saturday in Osogbo by his spokesman, Malam Olawale Rasheed.

Sitting Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was defeated at the July 16 election and his party, filed a petition before an election tribunal on Friday challenging the election’s outcome.

Adeleke, however, claimed that the election was one of the most transparent in recent history in Nigeria, adding that the people’s mandate, freely given against overwhelming odds, would be defended and validated.

He said in the statement that PDP’s Legal Department was taking appropriate action on the petition and called on his supporters to remain calm.

“This divine victory cannot be stolen through the backdoor.

“I urge the good people of Osun who voted massively to reject bad governance to remain calm.

“We are doing the needful to defend their mandate.

“We will do all within our powers to ensure judicial validation of our victory as this is an election globally certified as a great advancement in electoral transparency and integrity.

“We also want to reaffirm our faith in the judiciary as a bastion of hope and justice.

“We have unshakeable trust in God that this election petition shall end in another landmark victory for us and the resilient people of Osun,’’ he said.

INEC declared Adeleke winner of the election on July 17 with 403,371 votes to Gov. Oyetola’s 375,027 votes.

(Vanguard)

Journalist quits job to support Peter Obi’s presidential bid

A journalist with Silverbird Television, Favour Bassey Otu, has resigned her job to support presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi.

The broadcast journalist made the announcement on her Twitter page on Saturday.

Otu said she made the decision to quit her job and support Obi because she is not allowed to be partisan due to the nature of her work.

“They said a journalist must be non-partisan (unbiased and fair). So, I resigned my position with Silverbird TV to throw my full support on Peter Obi,” she said.

After the elections next year, I’ll apply for a media job maybe with Channels TV or ARISE TV or start up my business.

“We must get it right. Please this is not a campaign.”

(Blueprint)

Yobe North: Lawan Loses Out as INEC Affirms Machina

Yobe North 2023: Lawan Loses Out as INEC Recognises Machina The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has affirmed Bashir Machina as the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Yobe North Senatorial District.

A certified true copy of the Commission’s report from the May 28, 2022, election showed Machina scored 289 votes out of 300 delegates, corroborating the politician’s public claim that he won the primary and legally emerged candidate.

The document, certified by the electoral body on June 23, 2022, did not mention Ahmad Lawan, the Senate President who has been labouring to steal Machina’s mandate in collusion with the party’s national chairman Abdullahi Adamu.

Adamu had listed Lawan as the candidate of the APC for the Yobe North 2023 senatorial election, claiming that a primary held in which Lawan purportedly emerged winner.

Even though Machina has been certified winner by the electoral office, he still expects additional fights ahead when INEC will post candidates standing for election across different political parties in the coming weeks.

INEC had said it lacked the powers to pick a candidate in an election, even though its authentication was necessary to certify that an election held.

Lawan started making attempts to seize the ticket from Machina after losing at the ruling party’s presidential primary, which was won handily by Bola Tinubu on June 8.

Party primaries: Ohanaeze president breaks silence, urges Igbos to lament no more

The President General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Ambassador Professor George Obiozor, has reacted to the presidential nominations of the ruling All Peoples Congress and the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, for the 2023 elections.

The South-East presidential aspirants in the two mainstream political parties had lost in the primaries with some not getting any vote despite the overwhelming agitation for the region to produce the next president based on equity, justice and fairness, and in the spirit of rotational presidency between the North and South.

While Bola Tinubu, the former Lagos State Governor from the South-West, emerged the presidential candidate of the ruling APC, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the North-East emerged the PDP presidential candidate in elections that were allegedly ‘dollarised’, that is, for the highest bidder.

But Obiozor, who had remained silent about the outcome of these primaries, broke his silence on Saturday morning in a statement titled: “What does Nigeria want from Ndigbo?”

The former Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States of America, said, “Now it is clear that the Nigerian national political elite have successfully orchestrated to deny the South-East an opportunity to produce the president of Nigeria come 2023.

“By this machination, some Nigerian leaders have demonstrated gross historic injustice towards Ndigbo, beyond our expectations.”

Obiozor, who is convalescing in a Dubai hospital, states that Nigeria, by its deliberate injustice, has failed the Rotary Club International four-way tests, “which are: First – Of the things we think, say or do: Is it the TRUTH? Second – Is it FAIR to all concerned? Third – Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? And Fourth – Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?”

While urging Ndigbo not to lament much but wait for the verdict of history, he expressed his conviction that in the end, this political manipulation would end in “a Pyrrhic victory for those who rejoice and celebrate injustice.”

Obiozor, who conveyed his statement through the National Publicity Secretary of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, thanked Nigerian statesmen and patriots across the country, who supported the idea for the South-East to produce the president of Nigeria in 2023, based on Nigerian proven history of rotation of power between the north and the south as well as commitment to equity, justice and fairness.

(Punch)

Action Alliance Denies Instituting Suit Against Tinubu

The Action Alliance  Party has refuted allegations that the party filed a suit in the Federal High Court, Abuja against the All Progressive Congress (APC) and its Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The  National  Chairman of the Party, Hon. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje, made this known in a statement made available to the media in Kaduna.

The  Statement said that the matter with case no. FHC/ABJ/CS/954/2022 filed and deposed to by one Upkai Ukairo and one Kalu Agu has nothing to do with Action Alliance.

The  statement stressed that as a matter of fact, both Upkai Ukairo and Kalu Agu are alien to the party and its leadership, most probably are effigies or at best imaginary personalities.

The  statement explained that, Hon. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje is and remains the National Chairman of Action Alliance in Nigeria and neither he nor the  leadership  of the Party are   privy to  the court case.

“Action Alliance as a party is one and has no faction at all whatsoever, any other person parading himself/herself as national chairman is an usurper.

“We advise the said respondents in the purported suit, to disregard and discountenance the entire matter in its entirety as it was the handiwork of political jobbers sniffing around in search of any vulnerable mind around to sleaze.

“Action Alliance is busy working to fulfil all legal documentation required by law to participate in the approaching Osun state Gubernatorial election and the 2023 general elections.

“The party shall soon take necessary measures to put a stop to the unholy exploit of the faceless usurpers behind the said criminal act.” the  statement

APP threatens to drag Tinubu to Court over alleged irregularities in documents

The Action Peoples Party (APP) will on Monday drag the presidential candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu to court to challenge his academic qualification to stand for the 2023 election.

The decision, according to APP, followed alleged irregularities in the academic qualification and documents submitted by Tinubu to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The chairman of the party, Uche Nnadi, who disclosed this on Friday, added that the party has enough facts to nail TinubuRecall that INEC had on Friday published the list of candidates to contest the 2023 election.

According to the APP Chairman, APC candidate Tinubu is not eligible to contest as his forms contain alleged false information.

Tinubu denied attending Primary and Secondary but claims a university degree in the new INEC forms published on Friday.

The APP Chairman said that Tinubu commits perjury as he abandons his earlier claim of attending primary school, sworn in an affidavit to run for governor but now claims not to have attended primary school.

Tinubu’s new forms, he said contradicted his 2007 affidavit that he has primary school and secondary.

“Tinubu’s new declaration in new INEC forms of not attending primary and secondary school is false information, in view of earlier nomination forms of 2007 on oath containing alleged controversial primary and secondary schools he claimed to have,” he said.

(Blueprint)

Why APC Should Pick Dogara as Tinubu’s Running Mate – Arewa Group

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

A Northern group, under the auspice of Coalition for Peace and Progress, at the weekend urged the All Progressives Congress (APC), to chose former Speaker of tge Nigeria House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, as the running mate to Bola Tinubu, her Presidential candidate for the 2023 election.

National Coordinator of the group, Dr. Muhammad Chindo, at a press conference in Kaduna, noted the party needs someone who is credible, capable and acceptable that has the required qualities and political experience to manage the diverse nature of thr country along with the President.

“Above all, it is imperative that the future Vice President must be a Christian who could transcend primordial sentiments bordering on religion, and the twin evils of tribalism and sectionalism.

“Such a person must also be a good Christian who could promote the cause of unity and togetherness among the diverse and heterogeneous citizens of our great country. After a thorough, painstaking search, and in furtherance of our avowed commitment and dedication to the noble cause of ensuring a united Nigeria, we of the COALITION FOR PEACE AND PROGRESS have unanimously come to the conclusion that the best person most suited to hold the position of the future Vice President under the APC is none other than the RT Honourable Yakubu Dogara, former Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives of Nigeria.

“In arriving at our decision to pick RT Honourable Yakubu Dogara as running mate to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the coalition has taken considerations on a number of factors; As a member of the Federal House of Representatives and Speaker of the Honourable House from 2007 until he voluntarily agreed to step down, Dogara has the required political experience and knowledge more than any other possible choice currently being proposed

“RT Honourable Yakubu Dogara is a grassroot politician who was tested and trusted by the people of his constituency, who had the honour and privilege to be elected for consecutive four terms.

“RT Honourable Yakubu Dogara is a bridge builder whose compassionate love for the progress of humanity is unprecedented. He has always enjoy the trust and confidence of the people of his constituency of Dass/Tafawa Balewa/Bogoro, a constituency that is made up of diverse people who belong to different religions and tribe. Only a tolerant, accommodating and considerate person of no mean standing could command the respect, love, loyalty and support of a people. Even though a good Christian, Dogara has renovated various mosques belonging to Muslims in his constituency, and he remains the highest contributor to the sharing of Ramadan palliatives and cows/rams during Ed Kabir Sallah festivals in Bauchi State. In this regard, RT Honourable Dogara contribute more to Muslims than to his Christian brothers and sisters.

“As a patriotic and great philanthropist, and a visionary full of enthusiasm for the progress and development of humanity Dogara once had to step down from the exalted seat as Speaker to move a motion for the establishment of the NORTH EAST DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.

“As a matter of fact, the North East Development Commissioner’s baby cht Dogara’s large-heartedness and kind nature, are responsible for his concern and pity for the multitude of of Internally displaced persons spread across the North East and Abuja. They are beneficiaries of his frequent visits and subsequent gifts and donations in their various camps.

“The office of the Vice President of Nigeria requires a cool-headed, humble, loyal and trustworthy individual who will give the required constant support and encouragement to the President at all times. It is on record that RT Honourable Yakubu Dogara has always been a reliable fellow in his dealings with others especially on matters of State and National interests. Throughout his exciting tenure at the National Assembly, it was such noble qualities he exhibited that made him to be legendary and unique for all time to come.” He said.

I’m not interested in another term, Buhari tells UK PM Boris Johnson

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of Great Britain on the margins of the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda, during which he once again reiterated his resolve to respect the maximum term limit in the Nigerian Constitution.

The Prime Minister, obviously not quite familiar with the maximum two terms limit, had asked if President Buhari would run for office again. To which the latter responded: “Another term for me? No! The first person who tried it didn’t end very well.” (General laughter)

On the leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, not being allowed to see his lawyers privately, the President dispelled such insinuation, saying the detained separatist was being given every opportunity under the law “to justify all the uncomplimentary things he had been saying against Nigeria in Britain.”

He said: “He felt very safe in Britain, and said awful things against Nigeria. We eventually got him when he stepped out of the United Kingdom, and we sent him to court.

“Let him defend all that he has said there. His lawyers have access to him. Remember he jumped bail before, how are we sure he won’t do it again, if he’s admitted to bail?”

On the keenness expressed by the Prime Minister to help Nigeria in the area of security, the President said helping to stabilize Libya could be an initial good step, as the fall of Muammar Gadaffi after 42 years in power unleashed his armed guards on countries in the Sahel, “and they are causing havoc everywhere, as the only thing they know how to do is to shoot guns.”

On Boko Haram insurgency, the President said there was serious effort to educate the people on the fact that only an unserious person could kill innocent people, “and say Allah Akbar (God is Great).”

“God is justice. You can’t take innocent souls, and ascribe it to God. And the education process is working, the people now understand Boko Haram as anti-God, and not about religion,” he said.

Prime Minister Johnson said he was delighted about the good news on trade between the two countries, adding that the UK was further reducing tariffs on some goods going to Nigeria.

He described the relationship between the countries as “very strong attachment,” adding: “I just want to be sure that we are doing enough. It’s a massive partnership for us, and we need to capitalise on it.”

The Prime Minister offered condolences on some recent attacks in Nigeria, particularly on churches.

(Blueprint)