Politics

VP Slot: Babachir’s Panel Recommended Shettima, 10 Others To Tinubu

Published

2 years ago

July 14, 2022

Babachir David Lawal

Former Borno State governor, Senator Kashim Shettima, headlined a list of 11 persons recommended for consideration for the choice of running mate to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, by the Planning and Strategy Committee of the Tinubu Campaign Organisation (TCO) headed by Mr Babachir David Lawal, Daily Trust reports.

The recommendation was contained in a report of a sub-committee chaired by Senator Grace Folasade Bent sighted by one of our reporters.

Members of the Lawal committee told this paper that the final report of the committee was concluded on Tuesday last week and submitted to Tinubu by Lawal, who travelled to London on Wednesday for the purpose.

It was after he received the report that the APC candidate travelled back to Nigeria where he announced the name of Shettima as his choice for running mate on Sunday.

Shettima was first on the list of the seven persons shortlisted from the North-East geopolitical zone, in addition to four others recommended from the North West.

Babachir, who was Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) between 2015 and 2017, had on Tuesday faulted the selection of Shettima as running mate to Tinubu for the February 25, 2023, presidential election.

In a statement Tuesday night, Babachir said Christians all over the country will revolt against the APC for choosing Shettima, a Muslim, to deputise Tinubu.

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But contrary to his opposition to the Muslim-Muslim ticket and his censure of Shettima as unfit for the vice presidential role, the report showed that the committee says a Muslim-Muslim ticket will give Tinubu “guaranteed victory” and listed many Muslims for consideration.

The report however weighed the merits and demerits of Muslim-Christian and Muslim-Muslim tickets for the APC candidate and highlighted the implications of possible apathy and protest from the Christian community in the event of the adoption of a Muslim running mate.

Daily Trust gathered that the members of the planning and strategy committee, which was constituted three months ago included Senator Magnus Abe; pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu; Senator Abu Ibrahim; Senator Bent; Senator Ishaku Elisha Abbo; Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, Rep Abiodun Faleke, Rep Musa Sarkin-Adar, among others.

One of the members of the committee said after the emergence of Tinubu as the flagbearer of the APC, a sub-committee was constituted to provide guidance on the selection of a running mate and director general of the campaign team.

He said Senator Bent was named as the chairperson of the sub-committee under the supervision of the main committee chaired by the former SGF.

Another member of the panel said the decision to pick Shettima was in line with the committee’s recommendation insisting that Tinubu worked with the guidance provided.

“In arriving at our recommendation, we looked at all persuasions including religion, gender and acceptability. We looked at those who can add value to the ticket,” he said.

He said that the report of the committee passed through Lawal before getting to the former Lagos State governor.

“He was part of the decision and the report got to the presidential candidate through him,” he said.

“First, we sent the soft copy of our report to Asiwaju before BD Lawal took the hard copy to him in London last Wednesday,” he said.

Contacted, Senator Abu Ibrahim, an ally of Tinubu and a member of the committee, confirmed the recommendation of the committee.

“Senator Shettima was selected after wide consultation. Our committee has submitted its report to Asiwaju and his name is there,” he said but declined further comment.

Ibrahim, however, assured that “There is no cause for alarm on a Muslim-Muslim ticket. I can assure you, Asiwaju will be fair and just to all”.

El-Rufai, Wamakko, Dogara, others recommended

It was gathered that the committee recommended seven persons from the North East and four persons from the North West geopolitical zones.

The panel did not recommend any person from the North Central geopolitical zone.

Panel members said the North Central was not considered because the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, hails from Nasarawa State in the geopolitical zone.

After Shettima’s name, in the list from the North East, is Kashim Imam, an associate of Tinubu. Other persons recommended from the zone were; the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum; a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina J. Mohammed, Ambassador Fatima Balla and Senator Anthony Manzo.

In the North West, the committee recommended Hajiya Najatu Mohammed, Kaduna State governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, a former governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, and the Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu.

Ex-SGF confirms chairing panel, distances self from running mates recommendations

In a phone interview Wednesday night, Lawal confirmed chairing the planning and strategy committee but that he was not aware of any sub-committee.

“I chaired the Bola Tinubu Planning and Strategy Committee, which was set up to implement strategies for Tinubu to pick the ticket. But I’m not aware of the sub-committee that recommended running mates. It is not our work. You know politicians can cook up anything,” he said.

APC chairman in Daura, defends Muslim-Muslim ticket

The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Wednesday, defended the decision of the party’s presidential candidate to settle for Shettima as his running mate.

Adamu fielded questions from State House reporters after leading members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to pay a courtesy call on President Muhammadu Buhari in his country home in Daura, Katsina State.

Adamu said the party had to agree on the strategic decision because of the reality of politics in Nigeria, stressing that nobody was out to promote Christian-Christian or Muslim-Muslim ticket.

When asked about his message to Nigerian Christians who were agitated by the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party, he said: “The fact of the matter is that God doesn’t do anything in vain. God has His reasons for having two major religious persuasions to be in this country. And each of these groups has good people whom I have reason to believe they have also a stake. We have had times when Christians led this country. We have had times when Muslims led this country. We can’t deny that fact. We can’t have what we want at a point in time all of us agreeing to one thing.

“The fact of the matter is we appreciate that the Christians are interested, no doubt about it, but the fact of the matter is that we are as practical as can in this situation. And we do hope that people see reason. Nobody is willing to promote Christianity or Muslim ticket necessarily. But we have to face the reality of our politics in the country. That’s what we are doing,” he said.

When asked if he had nothing to fear about the development, Adamu said: “Absolutely, nothing to fear. Shettima is another Nigerian like me and you. Yes, we all don’t have to be Muslims or Christians. It is the will of God that this time around he is going to be vice president of this great country if we win the election. And we do hope and pray and we are working to win the election.”

On the chances of APC in the Osun election, he expressed confidence in the ability of the party to achieve success, saying: “By the grace of God, we will win. You heard it. Take it home, sleep over it today and on Saturday, come back and say Abdullahi Adamu, you are the son of your father.”

On the motive behind the visit to the president, the APC national chairman said: “First and foremost, it is to pay my courtesy in keeping with the tradition, which we were born into. And as chairman of the ruling party, the president’s party, where he is the leader of the party, it behoves on us in a moment like this to come, identify with our leadership and show example to those who are behind us, who are coming after us. So, that’s what it was and we are happy and each time we knock at his door, he opens his door for us. And that is exactly what happened today again.

“We were in Osun yesterday (Tuesday) and we had to give him some little report on what happened in Osun. And we also look forward to the election this Saturday and we have his buy in into our thoughts as to the election. That’s why we’re here.”

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Politics

Obi: We’ve not agreed on merger with any political party

Published

20 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Trends Admin

Obi: We’ve not agreed on merger with any political party

The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi has said there was currently no agreement between the party and any other opposition party for a merger.

The former Anambra State governor spoke against speculations that the LP had entered into a merger deal with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP.
Obi, who addressed newsmen on the state of the nation in Abuja, yesterday, however, didn’t admit or deny the existence of merger talks, but he was emphatic that there was “no agreement yet.”

He appealed to all lovers of Nigeria irrespective of political affiliation to unite because it was only in unity that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, whom he said has “mismanaged” the nation’s resources can be defeated.

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Obi described Nigeria’s security situation as unfortunate. He expressed sadness that Nigerians were needlessly being sent to their early graves on account of banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping-for-ransom.

He also faulted the current administration’s claims of fighting corruption.

Obi argued that the level of corruption in Nigeria remained high just as the cost of governance which he said has led to an astronomical increase in public debt.

Obi stressed that the situation was worsened because government officials willfully mismanaged public funds in 2024 through incessant foreign travels.

Obi: We’ve not agreed on merger with any political party

Politics

How Tinubu outsmarted Buhari to become president – Ojudu

Published

3 days ago

January 1, 2025

Trends Admin

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ex-President Muhammadu Buhari

How Tinubu outsmarted Buhari to become president – Ojudu

Babafemi Ojudu, a former Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, has claimed that ex-President Muhammadu Buhari did not endorse the presidential aspirations of his former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, or his political ally, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking on Edmund Obilo’s State Affairs podcast on Monday, Ojudu stated that Buhari withheld his support from Osinbajo, despite the latter’s qualifications, and also refrained from backing Tinubu.

According to him, Tinubu managed to secure the presidency by “outmaneuvering” Buhari in various ways.

Ojudu, who previously worked in Osinbajo’s office, expressed confidence in his former principal’s ability to lead, asserting that Osinbajo could have delivered a more effective administration than the current leadership.

His words: “I knew Osinbajo was going to lose the primary, I saw it coming.

“Because of the system we operated and still operating, I kept saying at our meeting that all of the efforts we are making like traveling around, convincing people, and addressing delegates is only 40 percent.

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“60 percent of it lies in Buhari’s hands unless and until Buhari mobilizes people around him, the governors, his aides, we are going nowhere.

“I used to refer to Buhari as a one-man majority and he never mobilized his team towards Osinbajo and I think Tinubu outsmarted him in so many different ways.”

Speaking further, he likened the failure to elect Professor Yemi Osinbajo during the last presidential election to missing a second chance at the leadership of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

“I supported Osinbajo to be president. I was convinced because having seen him up close,” Ojudu said.

“The way he worked, his philosophy, his breadth of knowledge and the kind of patriotic verve in him I just think that he was the best person at that time to govern Nigeria that I have seen up close to be on the part of danger.

“Osinbajo would have been good for this country. For me, it is like losing Awolowo for a second time because he was at Awolowo’s level in terms of capacity, ability, dedication and commitment.”

During the APC primary in the buildup to the 2023 elections, Bola Tinubu secured 1,271 votes to clinch the party’s presidential ticket, while former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi garnered 316 votes. Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo received 235 votes, finishing third, while Senate President Ahmed Lawan obtained 152 votes.

How Tinubu outsmarted Buhari to become president – Ojudu

(Vanguard)

Politics

Seyi Tinubu death threat: Court fixes Jan 6 on Olamide bail application

Published

3 days ago

December 31, 2024

Trends Admin

Olamide Thomas

Seyi Tinubu death threat: Court fixes Jan 6 on Olamide bail application

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, fixed Jan. 6, for ruling in a bail application filed by Olamide Thomas, who allegedly threatened Seyi Tinubu with death threat on social media.

Justice Emeka Nwite fixed the date after T.J. Aondo, who appeared for Thomas, and the lawyer to the prosecution, Victor Okoye, made their submissions for and against the bail application.

Upon resumed hearing, Okoye told the court that the matter was slated for the hearing of the bail application and that he had filed and served his counter affidavit on the applicant’s lawyer.

Moving the bail motion, Aondo said the application, dated Dec. 20, was served on same date.

He said it was brought pursuant to the 1999 Constitution and Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

The lawyer said the application prayed the court for an order admitting Thomas to bail pending the hearing and determination of the charge before the court.

He urged the court to admit his client to bail on liberal terms, assuring that she would not jump bail.

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But Okoye, who said a counter affidavit was filed on Dec. 30, prayed the court to refuse Thomas bail application.

Okoye equally urged the court to discountenance the exhibits attached to the bail request.
He argued that the documents were extracted from the internet in contradiction with Section 84 of the Evidence Act.

He further argued that any newspaper publication sought to be rendered in court ought to be certified by the National Library.

“We submit that those printouts are not worth admitting as evidence,” he said.
Okoye also argued that Thomas claimed that she was suffering from an ailment without attaching any medical report.

He urged the court to discountenance the submission.

But Aondo interjected, arguing that Okoye cannot orally speak on Thomas ill-health, having failed to state this in their counter affifavit.

The senior lawyer also argued that the entire affidavit filed by the prosecution did not meet the requirements of Section 115 of the Evidence Act.

He cited Paragraph 17 of the affidavit which he said equally fell short of Section 115 of Evidence Act.
He said the prosecution argument cannot stop the court from exercising its discretionary power under Section 6(6) of the constitution to grant his client bail.

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He said the power of the court to admit the defendant to bail cannot even be premised on her production of medical report, citing Sections 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution.
Also citing a Supreme Court decision on the admissibility of newspaper publications, Aondo argued that an affidavit presumed to be on oath is already certified.

He said the prosecution did not raised any issue on whether Thomas will not escape if granted bail.
Aondo, therefore, prayed the court to exercise its discretionary power in favour of Thomas.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until Jan. 6, 2025 for ruling.

The judge, who hinted that the case file would be remitted back to the chief judge after the ruling, said his duty as vacation judge would end on the date.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Thomas was, on Dec. 20, arraigned and remanded at Suleja Correctional Centre after she pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge preferred against her by the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police.

Thomas was arrested on allegations bordering on harassing and threatening Seyi Tinubu; the I-G, Kayode Egbetokun and the Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a viral social media post

In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/636/2024 dated and filed on Dec 18 by the police team of lawyers led by A.A. Egwu, Olamide was sued as sole defendant.

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NAN reports that in count one, Olamide was alleged to have, sometime in 2024, knowingly and intentionally transmitted communication in the form of video recording through computer system or network on her social media platforms wherein she made remarks in Yoruba Language.

In the video, she was alleged to have stated “that Mr Seyi Tinubu would die this year, and misfortune and calamity had befallen the Tinubu family, with intent to bully, threaten, harass the person of Mr Seyi Tinubu.”

The communication was said to have placed Seyi in fear of death, violence or bodily harm.
The offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 24 (2) (a) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.

In count two, the defendant was alleged to have intentionally transmitted communication in the form of video recording wherein she made remarks in Yoruba Language to bully, threaten, harass the person of Mr Egbetokun.

The communication was said to have placed Egbetokun in fear of death, violence or bodily harm.
The offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 24 (2) (a) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.

In count three, Olamide was accused of intentionally transmitting or causing the transmission of communication in the form of video recording wherein she made remarks in Yoruba Language, stating that the children of Adejobi would all die before his eyes.

She was quoted to have also said that “he (Adejobi) will bury all his children in a single day, with Intent to bully, threaten, harass the person of Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi.”

The communication was said to have placed Adejobi in fear of death of his loved ones.

The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 24 (2) (a) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024