Politics
Many 2023 political aspirants should be in jail – Obasanjo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday declared that many aspirants parading themselves for one political office or the other ahead of the 2023 general elections should be in jail.
Obasanjo also predicted that Nigeria might soon collapse into different countries if its citizens failed to unite.
The ex-President spoke at the international symposium organised to mark his 85th birthday at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
He lamented that several politicians aspiring for political positions and their supporters should have been arrested, tried and jailed for corrupt practices if the anti-graft agencies had done their jobs diligently with the support of the judiciary.
The symposium was attended physically and virtually by eminent personalities, including President Paul Kagame (Rwanda); former President Nicéphore Soglo of Benin Republic; Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Prof Goski Alabi (Ghana); Ambassador Barry Desker (Singapore); Prof Juma Shabani (Burundi); Dr Mary Khimulu (Kenya); Dr Moussa Kondo (Mali); Prof Sarah Agbor (Cameroon); Anambra State Governor-Elect, Prof Charles Soludo, and a former Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, among others.
Obasanjo, who spoke on the theme, ‘Africa Narrative with Nigeria Situation’, advised Nigerians to learn from the events of the past and put aside sentiments in choosing the next president of the country.
He said, “I cast a cursory look at some of the people running around and those for whom people are running around. If the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission had done their jobs properly and supported adequately by the judiciary, most of them would be in jail.
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“Any person who has no integrity in small things cannot have integrity in big things. Fixing Nigeria must begin on the principles of nation-building, not necessarily on emotion, sentiment, euphoria, ignorance, incompetence, ethnicity, nepotism, bigotry, sectionalism, regionalism, religion or class.
“The issues of security, stability, development, economy and our relationship within Africa and with the rest of the world can only be taken care of if we get the issue of nation-building right.
“We have a lot to learn from the events of the last almost 24 years and God is not to blame if we fail.
“It would appear that we are not getting our priorities right and that can spell doom for our country if we fail to do what we should do for nation-building in terms of fundamentals of equity, justice, common ideals, popular education, shared values, mutual respect and equality of opportunities anchored and propelled by leaders across the board that are persons of integrity, honour, morality, competence, great virtue, courage to do what is right, humility and ability to put a team together and work with them in selfless devotion and service with the fear of God.”
Obasanjo, who warned against the collapse of Nigeria into different countries, also called on Nigerians to speak with one voice and vote for a candidate that would bring development to the country.
The former President maintained that Nigeria would continue to face insecurity, economy and other challenges until Nigerians agree to speak with one voice.
Obasanjo however complained about alleged manipulation of election results in the country, warning that if the situation persists, Nigeria might go into extinction.
He said he had not endorsed any candidate for the 2023 presidency.
He said “I believe in principles before personalities. Taking personalities before principles is putting the cart before the horse, and for me, the major issue is how to progress Nigeria from a country to a nation.
“If in 2015 Nigeria was 75 per cent a country and 50 per cent a nation, today, Nigeria will not be more than 50 per cent a country and 25 per cent a nation. The task of reversing the trend is beyond one personality, one political party or all political parties; it is beyond professional and commercial politicians alone. It demands and requires all hands on deck.
“I mean Nigerians from all walks of life – politicians, community leaders, traditional leaders, religious leaders, diplomatic leaders, leaders in the academia, leaders in all aspects of government life, and leaders in other aspects of the civil society.
“Nigeria is tottering and for as long as we continue to put the cart before the horse, it cannot be well. Or put another way, for as long as we continue to do the same thing over and over again, the result will not be different. If the drift is not halted, the remaining 25 per cent of Nigerian nation will be dissipated in no time and Nigeria will not be a country but countries and will never be possible to be a nation again. That will be a monumental tragedy for Nigeria, Africa, the black race and humanity.
“Since 1999, we have changed from one political party to another, we have manoeuvred and manipulated to the point that election results are no longer reflections of the will of the people and we seem to be progressively going back rather than going forward politically, economically and socially.
“We have activities without required actions and personnel to move us forward. If we continue in the same pattern of recycling, sweet-word campaigning, manoeuvring without substance of integrity, honesty, patriotism, commitment, outreach, courage, understanding of what makes a nation and what makes for development, we will soon have to say goodbye to Nigeria as a nation.”
Punch
Politics
PDP: Sule Lamido blames court for mass resignation from party
PDP: Sule Lamido blames court for mass resignation from party
Former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has revealed why the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is grappling with a gale of resignations from its folds in recent times.
Some notable members of the nation’s leading opposition party have quit the party in recent weeks.
Speaking on the exodus from the party, Lamido blamed the situation on the procedures of the court.
He said the actions of the court and the leadership of the PDP have left the party in a precarious and parlous state.
He added that the PDP mass resignation was as a result of frustration engendered by the leadership of the party and the judiciary.
Speaking during an interview with This Day, Lamido bemoaned the selfish moves of some leaders of the party.
Recall that there has been an ongoing resignation by members of PDP especially in Imo and few other states.
The former governor said if the court did not insist that Senator Samuel Anyanwu was the National Secretary, when he (Anyanwu) went and contested for the Imo State governorship election, the position of National Secretary would have gone to another person from Imo State.
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He also asserted that some persons outside the PDP are influencing what happens in the party.
Lamido said, “Emeka Ihedioha and other chieftains of the PDP that resigned from the party were humiliated and frustrated out. They were humiliated by the leadership of the party, with the help of the judiciary.
“Ministers resigned to contest election. Other government officials and even party officials resigned to contest elective offices. Senator Anyanwu ought to have resigned to contest the governorship election in Imo state.
“What did he (Anyanwu) do. He held to the office of national secretary and contested for the governorship election. You cannot eat your cake and still have it back. You cannot appropriate the two positions. You are the national secretary and the governorship candidate at the same time. This is not done.
“So, when the stakeholders from Imo state complained, the judiciary aided him and affirmed his position as National Secretary when he lost his governorship election.
“So, Ihedioha and his group felt frustrated and humiliated by the action of the leadership of the party by failing to stand up for justice. So, as a person, I don’t blame Ihedioha and his associates. I can understand why he and his associates left. Some external influences are tele-guiding the party.”
he said, “The leadership of the party was extremely unfair to Ihedioha who first asked if Anyanwu will contest for governor and when Anyanwu said yes, Ihedioha left it for him and yet, Anyanwu still did not leave the post of National secretary. It is not fair.”
PDP: Sule Lamido blames court for mass resignation from party
Politics
Aregbesola no longer member of APC, says ex-Osun commissioner
Aregbesola no longer member of APC, says ex-Osun commissioner
The immediate past Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Adebayo Adeleke, has said ex-Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, is not a member of the All Progressives Congress.
Adeleke served as a commissioner in the cabinet of ex-governor Adegboyega Oyetola, currently serving as the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.
He spoke at the Osun Central Senatorial meeting of the APC held in Osogbo, Osun State capital.
The APC chieftain said all serious party members in the state were aware that Aregbesola was not currently a member of the party.
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Speaking at the meeting attended by the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, and other party bigwigs from the ten local government areas that made up the senatorial district, Adeleke insisted that the two ex-governors in Osun APC are Chief Bisi Akande and Oyetola.
Adeleke said, “They said in our party in Osun, we have two former governors, we have Chief Bisi Akande and ex-governor, Adegboyega Oyetola.
“Someone asked about ex-governor Rauf Aregbesola, and my response is that all members of the APC know that Aregbesola presently is not a member of our party.”
Aregbesola no longer member of APC, says ex-Osun commissioner
Politics
Senate in rowdy session as lawmakers quarrel over sitting arrangement
Senate in rowdy session as lawmakers quarrel over sitting arrangement
The Senate broke into a rowdy session on Tuesday after three senators engaged in a heated argument over arrangement of seats.
Danjuma Goje, senator representing Gombe Central, and Sahabi Yau, senator representing Zamfara North, expressed displeasure over the seats assigned to them.
They complained to Opeyemi Bamidele, the majority leader.
The Senate is currently using its refurbished chamber, two years after renovation began on it.
According to the standing rules of the upper legislative chamber, senators should sit in order of rank.
The Easter and Sallah recess was postponed to accommodate the completion of the renovation of both chambers of the national assembly.
However, while Senate President Godswill Akpabio read his welcome address, the heated argument among the three senators began.
It was learnt that Goje and Yau, sitting on the second row on the right side of the aisle, did not like the seats allocated to them by the senate committee on services.
Sunday Karimi, senator representing Kogi west, is chair of the senate services committee.
The four-term senators subsequently insisted that they should have been assigned seats on the front row on the extreme right — opposite the row of the majority leader and the deputy senate president.
After the argument, Kawu Sumaila, senator representing Kano South, called for a “point of order” which was ignored.
Thereafter, Bamidele moved a motion for a closed-session.
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PDP: Sule Lamido blames court for mass resignation from party
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