Politics
2023: Kwankwaso, Yakasai, Galadima, others form new political group
Former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, with some prominent Nigerians has formed a political movement, The National Movement, expected to transform into a political party, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He said with the new group was formed to save democracy and rescue the nation.
Other members of the movement convened by Kwankwaso are elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai; Air Vice Marshal Ifeanaju; Buba Galadima; former minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung; Sen Prince Nweze Onu; Folasade Aliyu; Prof Rufai Ahmed Alkali; Senator Grace Ben; Senator Umale Shittu; Ibrahim Ringim; Alhaji Arre Gwaska; Chief Paul Okala; Rufai Hanga; Idris Wada; Sen Abdulrahman Abubakar, among others.
Speaking during the unveiling of the movement on Tuesday, Kwankwaso said it was a collective desire to rescue the country.
Kwankwaso, a former minister of defense, said, “For too long, Nigerians have been waiting for this day. For too long, friends of Nigerians abroad have been waiting for this day and the time is today and now. Today, 22-02-2022, all Nigerians cut across all social, religious and regions have gathered. It is our collective resolve to rescue our nation from this difficult situation.”
Kwankwaso said his friends met during the COVID-19 lockdown and resolved that a step must be taken to rescue Nigeria.
He stressed that the idea was to fight poverty and ensure the wellbeing and happiness of Nigerians.
He said, “We resolved that there must be a Nigeria first before politics. While some of us will want to contest, we must work together to rescue the country. The national movement has members in every local government area and outside the country. As a former minister of defence, I believe in the capacity of the Nigerian Armed Forces to fight this insecurity.
“We shall fight against rural and urban poverty and promote prosperity of all, and not prosperity for only a few. We shall ensure that quality social services such as education and healthcare services are made available and accessible to all Nigerians irrespective of the social and cultural backgrounds; and we shall promote and ensure the wellbeing and happiness of all Nigerians.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, all the above lofty ideals cannot be achieved in an atmosphere of rancour, unprecedented collective dislocation and upheavals, unimaginable banditry and kidnapping, ever-present pillaging and rampage posed by Boko Haram and other terrorist groups, and indeed other equally dangerous tendencies represented by lPOB, the continued pollution of the environment in the Niger Delta, and indeed multiple separatist agitations all over the land.
“We know the origins of all these existential threats to our existence as a nation, much more to our collective development as one indivisible sovereign nation. All these are thrown up on us substantively due to lack of leadership capacity to handle them. We therefore are more than just determined to confront these threats to our corporate existence. We are ready with concrete and incontrovertible measures to pull our nation out of the doldrums.
“We cannot claim that all these challenges can be solved by brute military force. However, as a former Minister of Defence, I believe in the capacity of our security forces to confront and solve the current insurgencies bedeviling our country. We will equip and empower the military and all arms of our security agencies and provide them with effective and unquestioned capacity to reclaim our country from the stranglehold of insurgents, kidnappers, terrorists and all forms of criminal elements.
“The farmers and herders conflict also continues to represent a serious threat to law and order and to the continued co-existence of hitherto brotherly people across the country. The TNM will protect all farming communities across the country from the encroachment of herders. Similarly we will preserve the interests of herding communities by providing them with the wherewithal to practice their age-old profession in the most modern ways without having to encroach on farmlands.
“We in the TNM are also acutely aware of the agitations of many sections of our beloved country for re-structuring and re-alignment and resource control. We believe that the voice of the people is sacred; the voice of all our people, together, is the voice of God. Therefore, restructuring the corporate units of our great country is possible and doable.
“As avowed democrats we are ready and prepared to act in concert with the wishes and desires comprehensively of all our people. We will embark of massive, comprehensive, and unprecedented reform of our national life in order to improve the living conditions of all our people.”
Politics
Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau
Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau
Former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has cast doubt on the ability of a newly formed opposition coalition to unseat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
Shekarau described the alliance, which includes former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, as a gathering of individuals with personal political ambitions rather than a structured and unified opposition front.
His remarks came just two days after the coalition’s formation was announced, with the stated goal of challenging Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement by his spokesperson, Dr. Sule Yau, Shekarau remarked, “This is just a gathering of certain individuals with political ambitions; none of them has officially consulted their party leadership.”
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He further argued that a coalition featuring prominent figures does not necessarily equate to an effective political alliance.
“The coalition of opposition figures is a good development, as seen in their recent meeting under what they call an opposition alliance. However, none of the key figures involved represents their party leadership,” Shekarau stated.
Emphasizing the legal framework for political mergers, he pointed out that only registered parties could formally unite, making the recent gathering an informal arrangement rather than an officially recognized coalition.
Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau
Politics
PDP gives condition to back Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai in 2027
PDP gives condition to back Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai in 2027
Although the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hasn’t made its official position known on the coalition being put together by some key leaders of the opposition to wrestle power from the ruling party at the federal level, All Progressives Congress (APC), and President Bola Tinubu ahead of 2027, Sunday Vanguard understands that the PDP may join forces with them on one condition: The process will not lead to its loss of identity.
The PDP was in power for 16 years before the APC dislodged it from the Presidential Villa in 2015 when then-incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan lost reelection to former President Buhari.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, had, last week, announced his decision to join the coalition with other members of opposition parties to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Atiku was responding to a call by a former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam El-Rufai, to key members of opposition parties in the country to come together and fight Tinubu and APC in 2027.
El-Rufai had made the call while dumping the APC for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
In his response, the former PDP presidential candidate confirmed that he, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Mr Peter Obi, and El-Rufai, among others, had kick-started a movement aimed at defeating Tinubu’s APC in the 2027 elections.
He spoke at a press conference organized by Nigeria’s key opposition leaders and political stakeholders to discuss the President’s controversial declaration of state of emergency in Rivers State.
When journalists asked whether the emerging coalition would be the major opposition force against the APC in 2027, Atiku did not mince words.
“Yes,” he declared.
Clarity
Sources within the PDP told Sunday Vanguard at the weekend that the party will expect the former presidential candidate to give clarity to his decision soon.
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A member of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), who spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter was “yet to be discussed at the official level,” said, “We expect him to shed more light on his decision as we proceed.
“For now, he is still a high ranking member of our party the PDP.
“We have been following his public statements and engagements and he hasn’t announced to anyone that he is leaving or has left our party.
“Yes, he left the party on two previous occasions over the past two decades -first to join Tinubu’s Action Congress (AC) to contest the 2007 presidential election; and in 2013 or thereabouts to join others to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Note, however, that on each of these occasions he returned to the PDP.
“Now, whether he is planning to leave to join others or he wants others to come join us to beat the APC rigging machine in 2027, only he can explain. “For now, from my interactions with members of his team, one thing is clear, this time around, Atiku’s move is a strategic step towards unifying opposition forces against the ruling APC.
‘Significant shift’
“His announcement of the formation of a coalition signals a significant shift in Nigeria’s political landscape, as opposition leaders seek to present a united front against the current administration.
“The proposed coalition is expected to bring together key political parties and stakeholders, including prominent figures like Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
“It’s worth noting that Atiku’s decision might not be universally accepted within the PDP, as some members may have different opinions on the best strategy to challenge the APC in 2027.
“Nevertheless, Atiku’s move demonstrates his commitment to opposing the current administration and his willingness to work with other opposition parties to achieve this goal.”
Identity
The party chieftain further explained that a majority of leaders and members of the PDP are resolute in their desire to ensure that the party retains its identity.
According to him, a former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, spoke the minds of most leaders and members of the PDP when he dismissed El-Rufai’s call to dump the party and join the SDP.
Lamido said in an interview, “The party we formed, the PDP, is the one that gave birth to El-Rufai. You’re not enough to make us leave the PDP.
“He (El-Rufai) once said that there are no elders in Nigerian politics, but now he is calling on us to join him in the SDP.”
Lamido equally questioned El-Rufai’s motive for dumping the APC for the SDP and his motivation for seeking power.
“Leadership is done with patience and vision, and doing things for the peace of the followers and the country as a whole”, he said.
While restating his loyalty to the PDP, Lamido said the party which he helped to form hasn’t done anything wrong to warrant him leaving to join another.
His views resonated with another leader and foundation member of the PDP, Chief Bode George, who has told whoever cares to listen that he is in the PDP to stay.
PDP gives condition to back Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai in 2027
Vanguard
Politics
PDP crisis over secretary lingers despite Supreme Court ruling
PDP crisis over secretary lingers despite Supreme Court ruling
The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, delivered on 20 December 2024, which affirmed the removal of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a unanimous judgment by a five-member panel, the apex court ruled that matters concerning the leadership or membership of a political party are internal affairs and should not be subject to judicial intervention. The court held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter initially brought by Aniagwu Emmanuel.
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However, the judgment, expected to bring an end to the crisis, has left the PDP leadership and members in disarray, as both parties in the suit—Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye—are claiming victory. The development threatens to disrupt the fragile peace the party has enjoyed since its organs unanimously endorsed Sunday Ude-Okoye following the High Court’s ruling in Enugu.
PDP crisis over secretary lingers despite Supreme Court ruling
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