Politics

2023: I’m contesting to make our children’s future great – Tinubu

Published

4 years ago

March 4, 2022

Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Former Governor of Lagos State and presidential aspirant, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said, on Thursday, that Nigeria needed a competent leader who could unite the people, tackle insecurity and rejig the debilitating economy and as well benefit the masses this time around.

Tinubu, who was in Ekiti State as part of the ongoing consultation for the 2023 presidential election, said that he decided to consult with the traditional rulers before declaring because of the enormous respect he placed on culture and tradition.

He said, “I’m contesting this race to renew the hope and make the future great for our children. For Nigeria to stand united and develop, we require patience and wisdom. We have to be united, that is the only way we can be great.”

It was carnival-like at the palace of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, as people gathered for hours singing, dancing and praising the All Progressives Congress National Leader to the high heavens, as they awaited his arrival to meet with the revered monarch.

Tinubu, accompanied by the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Bisi Egbeyemi, who said he represented Governor Kayode Fayemi, and top brass of the Southwest Agenda for Tinubu 2023, led by Senator Dayo Adeyeye, earlier met with the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers at their chambers in the capital city.

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He said, “We have struggled for democracy and today, we have democracy, but we are not stable yet. There is insecurity, hopelessness, lack of education and suffering in the land. By now, we should have a good farming system and opportunities to produce for other nations to buy.

“We are here to answer the call of our children by educating them the right way so that we can leave a Nigeria that is united, prosperous and abundant for them. We chose democracy and we must not fail in this task.

“That was why we formed the APC based on principles. I want to tell you that Nigeria needs serious change. I knew how Lagos was when I took over and we have never failed any election. There must be continuity in governance for progress to be attained.

“I was the first governor in Nigeria to start paying the WAEC fee of secondary school students. I shall do it again as a President.”

Tinubu, who said he had been on Nigeria’s project since the 70s, said, “I was with MKO Abiola in Social Democratic Party. I was a Senator before he came out. I was the youngest Senator of that era. I was about becoming Director of Finance of ExxonMobil, but I rejected it.

“I said I wanted to serve Nigeria. They gave me leave of absence to go and do politics for four years and come back, but I only spent two years as a senator when the military came and terminated our tenure. I had an option, which was to go back and enjoy at ExxonMobil, but I decided that I would fight for Nigeria.

“We believed that there must be democracy in Nigeria, there must be freedom and there must be opportunities. We joined hands with Professor Wole Soyinka, Chief Anthony Enahoro and others. Governor Kayode Fayemi was in the University of London then, brilliant and he joined the struggle. He worked so hard, in fact, he is an excellent man. So, looking at all these, we should all know that this democracy must not fail.

“We have to collaborate, unite and promote ourselves, instead of fighting. We all see what is happening in Ukraine today, we don’t need such experience here. We must elevate our technology and make use of available opportunities to develop Nigeria and that is what we are coming to do,” he said.

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SWAGA National Chairman, Senator Adeyeye, who said Tinubu had made great investment to the development of Ekiti State in terms of human resources, said, “That APC is in Ekiti today is traceable to God and Tinubu. He struggled for it and restored progressive politics here.

“He had made many Ekiti people commissioners, Special Advisers, and local government chairmen in Lagos. Tinubu honoured our own hero in Ekiti, Adekunle Fajuyi, by building a house for him. He had helped so many people including myself.

“Tinubu brought a paradigm shift to Lagos governance, in fact, he is a miracle worker. As a governor of Lagos State, he was ranked first and no wonder he remained the last man standing when the then Alliance for Democracy lost grip of the Southwest.

“That was why many of us dragged him into the presidential race to replicate what he had done in Lagos at the national level. Nobody can stand shoulder to shoulder out of all the presidential aspirants across party lines with him. He is the best builder of men in the history of Nigeria. This is the best man at this moment to rule Nigeria,” Adeyeye said.

The Traditional Council Chairman and the Onisan of Isan Ekiti, Oba Ayodele Adejuwon, who said there was nothing wrong with Tinubu’s aspiration to be president, said the constitution permitted every qualified Nigerian to aspire for any position, saying, “God will help you realise your ambition.”

Speaking at his palace, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo, who appreciated Tinubu for teaching people how to fish and for his exploits in Lagos State, said, “That is why I believe you (Tinubu) when you said you would turn the situation of Nigeria around for good.

Punch

Related Topics:2023 children contesting Featured Tinubu

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Politics

NANS Declares National Protest Against Implementation of Tax Reform Law

Published

6 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Trends Admin

NANS Declares National Protest Against Implementation of Tax Reform Law

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has announced plans to mobilize students nationwide to protest against the implementation of the Tax Reform Law, citing unresolved issues in the gazetted law and lack of proper engagement by the government.

In a statement released on Tuesday, NANS National President, Comrade Olushola Oladoja, faulted the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for proceeding with the law’s implementation from January 1, 2026, despite lingering concerns about its provisions.

“The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) expresses its profound disappointment and total lack of confidence in the fiscal and economic advisers surrounding President Bola Tinubu, whose misguided counsel has pushed the administration toward an avoidable national confrontation over the controversial Tax Reform Law,” Oladoja said.

NANS accused FIRS and the Presidency of failing to engage stakeholders and the public in meaningful consultations, calling the decision to implement the law without widespread consensus “undemocratic and dangerous.”

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“Nigeria is a constitutional democracy, not a dictatorship. No policy, no matter how well-intentioned, can be forcefully implemented without the consent of the majority,” Oladoja said. He warned that the law, as currently implemented, could have painful economic consequences for many Nigerians.

The student body also highlighted that civil society organizations, youth groups, and student bodies have expressed strong reservations about the law, urging the government to suspend its implementation until issues regarding constitutional integrity, transparency, and public awareness are fully addressed.

As part of its response, NANS has declared Tuesday, January 14, 2026, as a National Day of Action, calling on students from all campus chapters, state zonal coordinators, and national secretariats to converge at Unity Fountain, Abuja, for a peaceful mass protest and march to the Presidential Villa.

“Our demands remain clear, non-negotiable, and just: Immediate suspension of the implementation of the otherwise beautiful but deeply controversial Tax Reform Law,” Oladoja said. He stressed that NANS will continue to pursue peaceful engagement, democracy, and national development, but will resist any attempt to impose policies without transparency, consent, and constitutional compliance.

NANS Declares National Protest Against Implementation of Tax Reform Law

Politics

Labour Party Reacts to Peter Obi’s Defection to ADC, Calls 2023 Candidacy ‘Mistake’

Published

6 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Trends Admin

Labour Party Reacts to Peter Obi’s Defection to ADC, Calls 2023 Candidacy ‘Mistake’

The Labour Party (LP) has reacted to the defection of its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, along with some of his supporters, to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing the move as a long-awaited development that “liberates” the party.

Obi, the former Anambra State governor, and some of his allies, including serving federal lawmakers, officially joined the ADC on Wednesday during a ceremony held in Enugu State. In response, the Labour Party mocked Obi’s speech, describing it as “lacklustre” and questioning what new vision he intends to offer Nigerians.

According to a statement signed by the national publicity secretary of the Julius Abure faction, Obiora Ifoh, the party said Obi had lost the “charm that had endeared him to the people prior to 2023” and apologized to Nigerians for fielding “an unfitting presidential candidate” in the last election.

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“We have since September 2024 parted ways with Peter Obi and some of his blind supporters in the National Assembly. We have patiently waited for this day,” the statement said, adding that Obi’s defection is considered a blessing for the party.

The statement also blamed Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti for the internal crisis within the Labour Party, accusing them of sponsoring an insurrection against the Julius Abure leadership. The party further claimed that the Enugu event was largely boycotted by prominent political and traditional institutions in the South East.

Labour Party leaders criticized Obi’s past performance, citing the South East’s marginalization in President Ahmed Tinubu’s government, including limited ministerial appointments and infrastructure allocation.

“He must be told that the South East lost out completely in the Tinubu government because they trusted him in 2023,” the statement said.

The party urged Nigerians to remain attentive, promising to present a strong presidential candidate capable of restoring the nation to its “glorious days.”

Labour Party Reacts to Peter Obi’s Defection to ADC, Calls 2023 Candidacy ‘Mistake’

Politics

Peter Obi Directs Labour Party Members to Register with ADC Ahead of 2027

Published

8 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Trends Admin

Peter Obi

Peter Obi Directs Labour Party Members to Register with ADC Ahead of 2027

The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has directed all Labour Party members and supporters in Imo State to immediately register with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following his formal alignment with the opposition coalition.

The directive was conveyed in a statement signed on Wednesday in Owerri by the Imo State Labour Party Acting Chairman, Chief Innocent NwaDavid.

According to the statement, the instruction aligns with Peter Obi’s decision to declare for the ADC, describing the party as the political platform he will use to pursue his presidential ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The statement urged zonal chairmen, local government and ward chairmen, as well as members of the Labour Party and Obedient Movement who believe in Obi’s leadership, to follow suit by registering with the ADC.

“All Zonal Chairmen, LGA and Ward Chairmen, and Labour Party/Obedients members that believe in His Excellency Peter Obi are to follow suit by registering with the ADC,” the statement said.

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“This is the political vehicle he will use to actualise his presidential ambition.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Peter Obi, alongside other prominent political leaders from the South-East geopolitical zone, formally declared for the African Democratic Congress, marking a major shift in the opposition’s political landscape.

Speaking at the declaration event, Obi described the move as the beginning of a collective effort to rescue Nigeria from poor governance, particularly under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Today is an important day; today is the last day of 2025. We are ending this year with the hope that, in 2026, we will begin a journey to rescue our country for proper socio-economic development that will be unifying and inclusive,” Obi said.

He further accused beneficiaries of Nigeria’s democracy of undermining the system through coercion and political intimidation, vowing that the opposition coalition would resist such actions.

“We have watched those who benefited from our democracy become accessories to destroying it. We cannot allow this to continue, and we will resist it,” he added.