Politics

2023: Tinubu’s false age, educational qualification accusations unjustifiable, says Lagos APC chieftain

Published

3 years ago

January 26, 2022

APC National Leader and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos, Seye Oladejo, has described as unjustifiable the allegations of age falsification, questionable educational qualification and source of wealth against the party’s National Leader and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu.

There have been series of allegations against Tinubu in the public space after declaration of his ambition to contest in 2023 presidential poll with the plan to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in May 29.

Oladejo, stated this on Tuesday, during a media parley on wide range of issues bordering on Lagos politics as well as APC leaders’ aspirations, held at the party’s Secretariat, Acme, Ikeja.

The APC scribe, who maintained that Tinubu has the right to contest the party’s presidential ticket for the 2023 election, charged those kicking against his presidential ambition to be democratic and provide facts rather than resorting to cheap blackmail.

According to him, “”Allegations and blackmail over Asiwaju Tinubu’s source of wealth, education qualification and age, are unjustifiable because they are accusations without substantive facts.

“it is very interesting that those in opposition suddenly have access to Asiwaju’s medical record and they have become the authority on his state of health.

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“Tinubu’s movement to different parts of the country in the last few months showed that he is medically fit going by World Health Organisation WHO, which defines good health as a complete state of physical, psychology and social wellbeing.”

Oladejo, stressed that Tinubu should be commended for making his recent knee surgery public despite being a private citizen, adding that “since the APC National Leader returned back from his foreign medical trip, he has been moving across Nigeria, attesting to clearn bill of health.”

Speaking about the controversy trailing Tinubu’s age from some quarters, Oladejo said nothing has been hidden about the former Lagos State governor’s age, noting that “for over one and half decades, Aswaju has always celebrated his birthday. Come March 29, Asiwaju will be 70 years old. It is as clear as that.”

On Tinubu’s source of wealth, Oladejo stated that “Asiwaju’s wealth cannot be measured in monetary value and in terms of naira and kobo. His wealth should be measured by the goodwill and image he has built through development of men who are willing to play their parts at a time like this. These men are spread all over Nigeria.”

Oladejo said Tinubu has the required qualifications to be President of Nigeria based on constitutional provisions, that anybody running for the presidency must be 35 years old, be a card-carrying member of a political party and must be sponsored by a political party.

“Tinubu is eminently qualified to be Nigeria’s President because of the confidence people have in him having distinguished himself during his eight years as Governor of Lagos State as well as his contributions to national politics in the last three decades,” Oladejo stated.

According to him, “As at the last count, over 1,800 groups across the country are already clamouring for his candidature.”

“We are excited about Asiwaju’s aspiration. We are excited because for once we have someone who is aspiring, who is a willing aspirant to say. He is not been forced on us and he is not been thrown up by circumstances to run for the office. As we speak, we have over 1,800 different groups across the country clamouring for Asiwaju Tinubu’s candidature and calling on him to throw his hat into the ring for the presidential election.

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“Asiwaju is well-grounded and over time, he has built a whole lot of goodwill and image across the country; across various ethnic nationalities. Asiwaju over time has been a man of the people. Looking at various issues such as economy, security, education, good health, among others in the country, it is high time for us to have a personality like Asiwaju to run for the presidency and we are very optimistic. The opposition will have their say but people will have their way,” he said.

Oladejo said the decision of Tinubu to contest for the presidency is already giving a lot of people sleepless nights, especially those who are interested in the presidency, but he believed that the APC’s national leader is a democrat who would never stop others from contesting.

He was optimistic of Tinubu defeating aspirants from South-West and other parts of the country during the APC presidential primaries and general elections because overwhelming acceptance and support across the country, adding that the clamour for Tinubu’s presidency is also from the North.

“Asiwaju is a democrat, the more the merrier when it comes to the number of aspirants aspiring for the presidency. I am sure with the various people supporting Asiwaju, there is no reason for us to lose sleep over anyone’s aspiration, especially someone who has not really made his aspiration clear.

”We should commend Asiwaju for the way he is approaching this race. First, he went to the incumbent president to inform him about his aspiration. He is yet to officially declare interest though,” Oladejo said.

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Related Topics:2023 accusations Age educational Featured Lagos APC chieftains qualification Tinubu

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PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum

Published

2 days ago

December 21, 2024

Trends Admin

Umar Iliya Damagum, Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum

Two former Presidents of the Senate, Chief David Mark and Dr Bukola Saraki are leading a fresh charge aimed at removing Amb. Umar Damagum as the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The push by Mark and Saraki has received the backing of prominent stakeholders, including the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Muftwang and other political office holders elected on the platform of the PDP.

Similarly, former governors from the Northcentral zone who served on the party’s platform have also aligned forces with the group.

Rising from a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Thursday night, the party chieftains resolved to produce a candidate from the zone early 2025 to replace Damagum.

According to them, the move to replace Damagum with a substantive chairman from the Northcentral, has received the endorsement of key party stakeholders from the Northwest and the Northeast zones.

Among those being projected as potential candidates to take Damagum’s seat include Mark; a former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam; and a former House of Representatives member from Nasarawa State, David
David Ombugadu.

A communique issued after the meeting, said the stakeholders
reviewed the festering crisis in the party following the exit of the erstwhile National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.

Ayu lost his seat to the crisis triggered by disagreements over the emergency of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 general election.

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The crisis has continued to deepen with the apparent overbearing influence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike on the Damagum-led national leadership.

The Northcentral stakeholders argued that Damagum’s continued occupation of the office breached provisions of the PDP constitution.

The communique states in part, “The PDP’s constitution clearly states that succession of offices in the party at all levels is largely to the extent that any vacant position can be replaced by appointment from the zone, as per Section 47 (6) of the party.

“The party is guided by its constitution at all times. Therefore, the leadership of the party needs to rise up to the occasion to restore goodwill and cohesion in the party by making necessary sacrifices and compromises to restore confidence and cohesion in the party.

“It is in the light of this that the stakeholders of the Northcentral Zone appeal to the conscience and goodwill of our compatriots in other zones of the Northern region to restore the seat of the chairmanship of the party back to the Northcentral Zone to serve out its tenure.

“That the stakeholders must strive to build consensus to get the buy-in to the position of Northcentral zone.

“The Northcentral is united and will strive to preserve the PDP as a veritable platform for good governance in Nigeria.”

The meeting, which was attended by Governor Muftwang, also had former Governors Jonah Jang (Plateau), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Idris Wada (Kogi) in attendance.

Others at the meeting included the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro; incumbent PDP National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN); and a former Information Minister, Prof Jerry Gana.

Also at the meeting were former senators Tunde Ogbeha, Philip Aduda, Suleiman Adokwe, Dino Melaye, Mohammed Onawo and Peter Jiya.

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Similarly, former Ministers, Labaran Maku and Sarah Ochekpe also attended the meeting. Other stakeholders like Simon Mwadkwon, Mrs. Margaret Icheen, Mr. Raymond Dabo, Maika Jiba, and Isa Dobi were also present.

Damagum, who is from Yobe State in the Northeast zone, emerged Acting National Chairman in March 2023 following the exit of Ayu who is from Benue State in the Northcentral zone.

Damagum was the PDP Deputy National Chairman (North) before his appointment as Acting National Chairman.

By virtue of Section 47 (6) of the party’s constitution, he ought to have relinquished the seat for a substantive National Chairman from the Northcentral zone where Ayu hailed from.

The Section reads: “Where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from to serve out the tenure of the officer.”

Ayu was elected chairman in 2022 for a four-year tenure that should expire in 2026 before his tenure got truncated in 2023.

Several moves by critical organs of the party, including the PDP Governors Forum, the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the National Caucus to replace Damagum have been thwarted by the Acting National Chairman, allegedly with the backing of Wike.

Miffed by the development, the PDP Governors Forum, led by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, had, a few weeks ago, directed the Damagum-led leadership to convene the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting latest by February 2025.

The NEC meeting has suffered four postponements between August and November 2024, as Damagum, who is supposed to convene the meeting has been evasive.

The power to ratify any candidate chosen by the Northcentral zone to replace Damagum is vested only in the NEC.

PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum

Politics

PDP expels South-East national vice chairperson over anti-party activities

Published

4 days ago

December 19, 2024

Trends Admin

PDP expels South-East national vice chairperson over anti-party activities

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oguduokwor Ward, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has officially expelled Ali Odefa, the suspended National Vice Chairperson of the party in the South-East, following allegations of anti-party activities.

Odefa had been suspended on September 11, 2024, by the ward executives, a move that was later upheld by the Federal High Court in Abakaliki. In its ruling on November 29, 2024, under suit number FHC/AI/CS/182/2024, the court affirmed the legitimacy of his suspension.

On Wednesday, Onyeka Ovuta, the Acting Chairperson of the PDP in Oguduokwor, announced Odefa’s expulsion in a statement. Ovuta explained that the decision followed recommendations from the party’s disciplinary committee, which confirmed the allegations against Odefa.

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The party announced that Mr Odefa by the virtue of his expulsion, “ceases to be a member of the party.”

Reacting, Mr Odefa laughed off the expulsion, stating that those who announced it were “frustrated charlatans”.

He said the expulsion cannot stand because “it did not take place in the ward but in Abuja”. He said those who made the announcement against him were not ward executives of the party.

“Let them come home come and announce it. Or is our ward now located in Abuja?”

PDP expels South-East national vice chairperson over anti-party activities

Politics

INEC recognises Sylvester Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman

Published

5 days ago

December 18, 2024

Trends Admin

APGA National Chairman, Sylvester Ezeokenwa

INEC recognises Sylvester Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman

Sylvester Ezeokenwa has been reinstated as the national chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

Ezeokenwa was reinstated by the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday, December 17.

According to Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, the commission had been served with the judgement of the Supreme Court.

The apex court judgement with the Appeal No. SC/CV/824/2024 APGA & ANOR vs OYE & ORS was delivered on November 27, 2024.

The court ruled that Ezeokenwa should be recognised as the national chairman of the party.

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“In compliance with the judgement of the apex court, the Commission has restored Barr. Ezeokenwa as the Chairman of APGA and restored his name on our website accordingly,” the INEC commissioner said.

He also stated that the reisnstatmemt of the new chairman would automatically lead to the withdrawal of the recognition of Njoku as the national chairman of the party.

The court also upheld an earlier judgement of the appeal which did not confer any enforceable rights on Njoku.

If also awarded N20 million each against the appellaants.