Politics
2023: S’West, not S’East deserves APC Presidential ticket — Yakasai
A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC and former Special Adviser to the Kano state Governor, Salihu Tanko Yakasai has faulted agitations for a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction in 2023, saying he believes that the Southwest, as opposed to the Southeast deserves the party’s presidential ticket.
Popularly known as Dawisu, Salihu is the son of elder statesman, Second Republic Presidential Aide and founding member of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai. He spoke on Friday on a breakfast television show, The Arise Morning Show monitored in Abuja.
Making a case for rotational presidency, Yakasai also challenged the Ebonyi state Governor, Engr. Dave Umahi to explain if the APC has promised him its presidential ticket since he premises his reason for ditching the Peoples Democratic Party PDP on the grounds that the country’s main opposition was averse to having a president from the East.
He said; “This is a very crucial issue not just for the APC but for Nigerians and the political stability of the country. I am of the view that, particularly in the APC, that power should rotate to the South and even in the South, I am of the opinion that the candidate of the APC should come from the Southwest in particular. And I have my reasons for saying that.
“The reason is simply. I know what the southwest in particular contributed to the victory of the APC in the 2015 elections. Even in the formation of the party, they contributed immensely and even if you look at the major contenders in the APC, they are from the Southwest. So, I see no reason the rest of the party should not put its weight behind any candidate of their choice from the Southwest in particular in order to produce the next candidate for the APC in the general election.
“I think what has heated the polity recently is the remark by the Southern Governors Forum which they have made twice but which is unconstitutional. Apart from one Governor from the North who has indicated his interest, there has not been any such indication from the APC as a party that it wants to retain power in the North and that is why I fault the Southern Governors. That gentleman agreement has been there since 1999 and I see no reason it should not be upheld in 2023
“I am saying that for APC, it has to go to the Southwest. I am a northerner, I know where we came from in the elections in 2015. So, I see no reason the APC as a party should not support any of the candidates from the Southwest because they are the biggest contributors to the victory of APC.
Igbo Presidency
“Gov. Dave Umahi should tell us if APC has promised him and other governors from his region if they are going to give the ticket to him or them in 2023. I think that question should be put to His Excellency because his reason for decamping was that PDP was not going to give power to particularly the Southeast. Then, has there been any move or assurance by the APC that they are going to give a candidate from the Southeast? Because as far as I am concerned, I have not seen any indication that the APC is going to field any candidate from the Southeast and I don’t think that is going to happen. Even if Southwest does not get it, to be honest, I don’t see the APC giving it to anybody from the Southeast, maybe South South perhaps, but definitely not the Southeast.
“In the Southeast, they keep agitating individually but they have not come together collectively to show a unified front to the rest of the country that they are indeed ready for this presidency. There is no unity among the governors, there is no unity among the political elite and there is no unity among the followers. And unfortunately for them, they do not have the numbers which means that they need the support of one or two regions”, Yakasai added.
On Nigeria’s brand of democracy and his travails under the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration, the younger Yakasai said he is not an enemy of the president.
Until February 2021, Yakasai was the media aide to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, but was relieved of his appointment for criticizing the President Buhari Administration on the rising insecurity in the country.
He was later arrested and detained by the State Security Services SSS for expressing his opinion on the security situation on social media.
Yakasai said; “We can look away from so many issues like the lack of development, the economy etc, but when it comes to the issue of insecurity which has spread all over the country and for which we have given enough time for the government to do what is important in securing lives and property, unfortunately we don’t see that translating into anything tangible on the ground. Even if they are doing anything behind the scenes, that has not translated to results on the ground and I felt personally that this is something we cannot keep quiet about.
“A lot of people think that I am being sponsored or that I am doing someone’s bidding. But I am not. I did not come up one day and said I wanted to cast the government and the president in bad light. No. I woke up and saw the news of 300 kids that they have been taken away from their school. What is a normal human being supposed to do, for crying out loud? I have two daughters and one son. And that was not the first time. It has happened a number of times and as a parent, I felt that it was not right and something has to be done. I worked for the president. I was his returning officer during his first election in 2003. I have supported him. I am not an enemy of the president. I am not an enemy of this government but there are things that we need to get right. This is six years into the administration and we need to start delivering results and closing some of these major issues that we are facing and unfortunately we are not seeing results”, he added.
Omeiza Ajayi, Vanguard News Nigeria
Politics
Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats
Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats
Few days after governors on the platform of the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) handed down an ultimatum for things to change in the party, the Acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagun has moved against the FCT Minister and his loyal lawmakers, the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Damagun in a letter addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dated 13th November 2024 and released on Sunday by the spokesperson of the Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, Ikenga Ugochinyere urged the electoral umpire to conduct a bye-election to fill up the 27 seats, they vacated to join the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Wike has been accused of being behind the crisis in the PDP over his disagreement with the Rivers State governor, Sim Fubara, his successor.
The crisis which started over control of resources divided the party in the state with 27 lawmakers in the state assembly siding Wike and defected to the APC following Wike’s acceptance to serve in the government of the APC.
He has also been accused of working in cahoots with Damagun to damage the PDP by not organising the National Executive Committee which would lead to the acting Chairman’s ouster.
After a series of agitation, the latest being from the PDP Governors’ Forum over the weekend, Damagun has demanded that INEC conduct elections as soon as possible, apparently moving against the FCT minister.
He argued in letter titled, ‘DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE CONDUCT OF FRESH ELECTION IN 27 STATE CONSTITUENCIES OF RIVERS STATE WHICH HAVE BECOME VACANT PURSUANT TO SECTION 109(1)(g) OF THE CONSTITUTION’ that it’s “unlawful” for the 27 members to defect.
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The members defected to the APC on December 11, 2023.
Damagun said, going by provisions of the Constitution, the lawmakers are no longer members of the Assembly.
The PDP acting chairman therefore urged the Commission to perform its constitutional duties and begin the process of conducting fresh elections to fill the vacancies created in the 27 state constituencies by the unlawful act of the former Assembly members.
Parts of the letter read, “The Leadership of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wishes to draw the attention of the Commission to the gross violation of Section 109 (1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) by 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly following their unlawful defection from our Party, the PDP who sponsored their elections to the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Monday, December 11, 2023.
“The Commission may recall that our Party, the PDP nominated all our 32 State House of Assembly candidates in Rivers State for the 2023 General Election on the 7th of July 2022 via your electronic candidate election nomination portal (See attached acknowledgement).
“The Commission may also recall that following the nomination, the Commission conducted election into the Rivers State House of Assembly on the 18th of March, 2023 and our Party won 32 seats in the state Assembly. The elected State House of Assembly members were inaugurated and sworn-in on June, 2023.
“However, on Monday, 11 December, 2023 a period of just six (6) months after inauguration, 27 out of the 32 members publicly announced their defection from our Party to the All Progressive Congress (APC). This defection is a gross violation of Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended).
“The only two grounds of division and merger provided for in the Constitution that permit such defection are completely non-existent in our political Party. It therefore means that the defections of the 27 members are without lawful excuse and these members have vacated their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly by the operations of Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.
“In view of the foregoing, we hereby demand that the Commission performs its constitutional duties and begin the process of conducting a Fresh Election to fill the vacancies created in the 27 State Constituencies by the unlawful act of the Assembly members. Find attached the list of the 27 State Assembly Members and their Constituencies.
“While thanking the Commission for its commitment to deepening democracy in our country, please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats
Politics
Nigeria would have been better under Peter Obi, too much nepotism under Tinubu – Senator Abaribe
Nigeria would have been better under Peter Obi, too much nepotism under Tinubu – Senator Abaribe
Nigeria would have been better than what it is currently if Peter Obi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), had won the 2023 elections, the senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has said.
Abaribe, who spoke on ‘Politics Today,’ a Channels Television programme, on Monday, said Obi would not have been as nepotistic as the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“Number one, he would not be as nepotistic as this government; he won’t; it’s not in him. That is just who we are; we feel for the other people.”
The lawmaker called attention to Tinubu’s appointment of four ministers from Ogun alone, noting that many other states have just one.
“I say it, and I don’t think so. We are seeing it everyday. I just gave you one example. How can Ogun state have four ministers? Why does he favour Ogun state? Oyo state has only one minister,” Abaribe said.
”The nepotism of Buhari, which nobody followed, has now deepened under President Tinubu because Buhari did it, and nobody said much. I was the only person shouting.”
He said that rather than waiting for presidents to be fair to the people of the south-east, it is high time people of the zone went back to revamp it, make it more livable, better, and more cohesive.
“It’s obvious that if we continue to look at whoever becomes president, they will look at us and do us right. Apart from Obasanjo and maybe Jonathan, I do not think that we have seen that same type of fairness,” he said.
Politics
Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary
Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary
Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, has been tipped for the seat of Lagos governor in the 2027 governorship election.
This was according to a video making the rounds on various social media platforms, which Peoples Gazette saw on Sunday.
The video highlights the president’s son’s biography, focusing on his education, career, and humanitarian activities as a Nigerian. It also documents his involvement in youth development in the country.
This biopic comes on the heels of some groups’ endorsements of Mr Tinubu’s son as a potential successor to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2027.
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On Tuesday, the Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders issued an endorsement in Owerri, Imo, suggesting that the younger Tinubu would be welcomed to contest the governorship seat in Osun or Imo.
He was also endorsed by Friends of Seyi, a group emphasising his vision and intellectual wherewithal to govern the country’s commercial nerve.
APC chieftain Joe Igbokwe, however, described the gale of endorsements as a ploy to undermine the president in a Facebook post.
“Who are these faceless people pushing Seyi Tinubu for Lagos governor? This is a needless distraction,” said Mr Igbokwe. “To pull PBAT down is their target. Ruling Lagos is not the job of boys.”
Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary
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