2023: Misguided Elements Out To Stoke Religious, Ethnic Divisions — Tinubu – Newstrends
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2023: Misguided Elements Out To Stoke Religious, Ethnic Divisions — Tinubu

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All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has said that Nigeria is at a critical moment when misguided persons seek to stoke religious and ethnic divisions among the people. 

Tinubu said the aim of such actors was an attempt to destroy social harmony and reign violence in the country.

The former Lagos State governor noted this in a statement  while congratulating the newly elected president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), The Most Rev Daniel Okoh. Tinubu urged Nigerians of all faiths to agree to live in peace and eschew violence and hatred.

“As a country, we are in a critical moment when misguided and terrible actors attempt to destroy social harmony and reign violence on us all. These awful forces seek to stoke religious and ethnic divisions in the hope of pitting Nigerians against one another. While we may not agree on everything, all well-meaning Nigerians agree that we must live in peace, respect and honour our diversity and eschew violence and hatred,” he stated.

Tinubu, who noted that the CAN was one of the most important organisations that sought the betterment of the country, added that the newly elected president of the association would advocate the benefits of good governance for all Nigerians, regardless of creed or belief systems.

This is as a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal and some Christian chieftains of the All Progressives Congress(APC), have threatened to sink the party for fielding a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.

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The threat was made yesterday in Abuja at the ‘APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit.’

Lawal and Dogara, in their separate presentations at the event, urged northern Christians not to surrender to the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC.

They and others who spoke urged Christians in the North to speak with one voice against the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.

Dogara, who said that APC was now looking like a ‘janjaweed’ party, also said Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu made a fatal error of judgement in his running mate choice as Nigeria of 2022 is not that of 1993.

“The truth must be told that anyone who is not bringing us together is consciously tearing us apart. When we talk about a Muslim-Muslim ticket, God forbid that we should be understood to be objecting to Muslims or that we don’t want Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to be president.

“It is not about Senator Kashim Shettima either, it is about what is right and what is wrong. It is about justice, fairness and equity. It is about Nigeria, its diversity and how it can be harnessed in an inclusive manner for the greater good of all of us.

“Be that as it may, some of us really wanted Asiwaju to be president because he has sacrificed much for our party, the APC and for what he represents to so many people. So, our position cannot be against Muslims or Islam. That fact cannot be denied in any way,” Dogara said. 

He said the fact that some said Christians should not worry about a Muslim-Muslim ticket while a Muslim-Christian ticket give them sleepless nights should make people worry the more.

He described as “hogwash”, the claim that there is no Christian competent enough from the North to be a vice presidential candidate of the party.

Also speaking, Babachir Lawal said Nigerian Christians’ opposition to the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 general elections was genuine.

“Our opposition has some historical basis. There were times in the past when Christians produced the deputy governors in Kebbi, Niger and Kaduna states. Now, it is wholly Muslim-Muslim tickets.

“It is also now a recurring practice in the North, whereby any Christian traditional ruler that dies is replaced with a Muslim prince, albeit from the ruling family, even if the most qualified and preferred prince is a Christian. The recent case of Billiri chiefdom in Gombe State is still fresh in our minds,” he said.

Lawal also said the main purpose of this historical narrative was that for the APC, a Muslim-Muslim ticket had been a long term political strategy and not a one-off decision.

Contacted for comments last night, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka said, “As citizens, our Northern Christian leaders are entitled to their preferences. However, the position they have taken is unhelpful to anyone and contributes nothing to the need of our people for good governance, security and improved standards of living. 

“Our needs are the same, irrespective of religious affiliation, and working to uphold the wellbeing of all Nigerians is at the core of the commitment of the presidential and vice presidential candidates of our party going forward to the general election of 2023.”

Daily Trust

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6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP

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6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP

Six Labour Party (LP) members of the Enugu State House of Assembly have officially defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

They made their defection known on Thursday in Enugu in a letter read by the Speaker, Chief Uche Ugwu, during plenary.

The defectors include the Majority Leader, Mr Johnson Ani (Enugu North); the Chief Whip, Mr Ejike Eze, (Igbo-Eze North 1); and the Deputy Chief Whip, Ms Princess Ugwu (Enugu South Rural).

Others are Mr Pius Ezugwu (Nsukka East); Mr Williams Amuka (Igbo-Etiti West); and Mr Osita Eze (Oji River).

The defectors, in the letters, said their defection was as a result of the existence of irreconcilable division, incessant crisis within the labour party at the national level and across all the state chapters.

They regretted that the party had evolved into perpetual discord with various factions embroiled in legal battles, which undermine its ability to effectively serve the interest of the people.

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According to them, the Labour Party, once considered a beacon of hope for progressive ideas, have regrettably become synonymous with internal squabbles, thereby reducing its capacity to fulfil the aspirations of electorates.

They cited the cases of Mr Julius Abure and Mr Limido Apapa factions as well as the national treasurer as some of the divisions within the party.

They expressed the hope that the PDP would give them the platform to continue to serve the interests of their people and thanked the leaderships of Labour Party for their supports.

The defectors also acknowledge that the letters were sent to the office of the Speaker by themselves, adding that they would work wholeheartedly for the progress of their new party in Enugu State.

In his remark, the Speaker welcomed the defectors into the PDP and promised that they would be carried along in the legislative activities of the House.

With the defection, the PDP now had the majority in the House with 17 members while LP had only six members.

6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP

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More drama at LP as BoT announces takeover

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More drama at LP as BoT announces takeover

  • NLC rejects Abure re-election
  • INEC disowns national convention

The Board of Trustees at the Labour Party says it has taken over the administration of the party, indicating a fresh trouble in the LP’s internal crisis.

This was announced on Thursday in a statement issued in Abuja by the party’s BoT Chairman, Sylvester Ejiofor.

He said the takeover of the party came after the expiration of Julius Abure’s tenure as LP’s national chairman

Abure was re-elected as chairman t the party’s national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday, amid leadership crisis.

All members of the National Working Committee were returned at the convention.

But the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described Abure’s re-election as “an illegality”.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also disowned the exercise on the grounds that it did not monitor the national convention.

INEC spoke through Rotimi Oyekanmi, media aide to INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The BoT’s statement read in part, “Following the expiration of the tenure in office of the immediate past National Working Committee of the LP headed by Mr. Julius Abure, the BoT, in line with the party’s constitution, has stepped in to steer the affairs of the LP.

“This step is to avoid any leadership vacuum in the LP.

“Furthermore, the BoT of the LP, in consultation with major stakeholders in the party, will soon communicate the processes for the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive national convention of the LP.

“This is in line with the March 20, 2018 Federal High Court consent judgment delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole which recognised the Nigeria Labour Congress as the owners of the LP and mandated that an all-inclusive and expansive national convention of the LP be held.

“The decision of the BoT is also in furtherance of the agreement signed between the former national chairman of the LP, Mr. Julius Abure, and the NLC and the Trade Union Congress on June 27, 2022, which was mediated by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“Unlike the charade that took place today in Nnewi and in tandem with the principles of popular democracy, the all-inclusive national convention will start with grassroots congresses at ward, local government, state and ultimately at the national level.

“This process will not leave any genuine member of LP out and will be held in the full view of the Independent National Electoral Commission, media, civil society, security agents, and the general public.”

The Abure-led executive of the party had not responded to the new development as noon on Thursday.

 

A chieftain of the party was quoted in a report by The PUNCH as saying it was a hatchet job.

“Since many of you journalists have been covering this party, have you heard anything about LP Board of Trustees before? It is non-existent.

“How can one Sylvester Ejiofor wake up one day, tag himself as BoT chairman, and issue a statement that he has taken over the affairs of the party? Let him come over to the secretariat and take over then.

“Too many people and mercenaries are just bent on causing conflict in the party,” he said.

 

 

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BREAKING: LP Re-elects Julius Abure As National Chairman

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Julius Abure, the national chairman of the Labour Party

BREAKING: LP Re-elects Julius Abure As National Chairman

The Labour Party (LP) has re-elected Julius Abure as its National Chairman for a second term in office.

Abure was re-elected by a unanimous affirmation of delegates at the party’s National Convention in Nnewi, Anambra State.

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The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu declared him the winner during the event attended by party leaders and members.

More to come…

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