Presidential assessment: Tinubu, Obi camps slam Atiku – Newstrends
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Presidential assessment: Tinubu, Obi camps slam Atiku

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2 years ago

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Peter Obi and Bola Tinubu

The Labour Party and the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation on Friday berated the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, for saying he will win the election next year.

Specifically, the Director-General of Asiwaju Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation, Adebayo Shittu, told Saturday PUNCH that the outcome of the 2023 general election would shock Atiku.

He said, “Talk is cheap. Tinubu will be waiting for him. Despite coming from Adamawa, Atiku’s people will prefer to vote for Tinubu.

“When people ask me why I think so, I tell them the evidence is there for all to see. What has Atiku done for his people in Adamawa since he became a politician?

“We in Tinubu’s camp have no fear and we will lose no sleep over the threat of Atiku. Our number one priority in the North-East is to beat him in his constituency in Adamawa. Our victory in 2023 will just be like the MKO Abiola’s election.”

Also, Valentine Obienyem, Peter Obi’s spokesperson, said Obi would win next year’s election.

“Things are not working well in Nigeria today, we have acute hunger in the land. Is it social media generated? We have many things going wrong in Nigeria, not because of social media.

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“If it is not because of social media, you cannot say that it’s only those in social media that feel the impact. So, whether you’re in the social media, villages and wherever you are in Nigeria today, we are having the impact of hard times.

“Whether they’re in social media or not does not really affect the vote. I can tell you that 80 per cent of Nigerians believe that it is Peter Obi that will solve all these problems. So, his followership is not social media generated, but a product of the dysfunction that we have in the society today. Followers of Obi go beyond social media,” he added.

Earlier, Atiku had said although he is friends with the All Progressives Congress standard bearer, Bola Tinubu, he is determined to defeat him in next February’s election.

Atiku said these during an interview with Arise Television which aired on Friday.

“Of course, we are still friends but that doesn’t mean we will not have political differences. We have been having political differences since we became friends,” he stated.

When asked if he was determined to defeat Tinubu despite their relationship, the former Vice-President said, “Of course.”

He, however, disagreed with Tinubu for picking a Muslim as his running mate, adding that this would be a threat to Nigeria’s unity.

“I don’t believe in that. I don’t believe it is right for a country like Nigeria that is multi-ethnic, multi-religious and there should be balancing of interest,” Atiku stated.

He recalled that while he was running for President in 2007, Tinubu wanted to be his running mate but he dismissed the idea because they were both Muslims.

The former vice-president claimed that this made Tinubu to abandon him for the candidate of the PDP, Umaru Yar’Adua, who won the election.

“Remember I came out of the PDP on the issue of zoning and together with him we formed ACN and I was given a ticket in Lagos and he insisted on being my running mate and I said no, I am not going to have a Muslim-Muslim ticket. So he switched his support to the late Umaru Yar’adua. That was the departing point,” Atiku stated.

He also dismissed the argument that Tinubu’s choice of Kashim Shettima – who is also from the North-East like Atiku – could give him (Tinubu) an advantage.

Atiku noted that of the six states in the North-East, only Borno and Yobe are dominated by the Kanuri tribe of which Shettima is a part of.

“Certainly my prospects are much higher. If you know the composition of the North-East, you have Borno and Yobe. These are essentially two Kanuri states and then you have the other states which are essentially Hausa/Fulani. So, even if people are going to vote on that basis, I think I have a more favourable position from the North-East,” he stated.

The former vice-president also dismissed the chances of his former running mate, Peter Obi, who is now the candidate of the Labour Party.

Atiku argued that Obi’s popularity was mainly on social media and about 90 per cent of northerners are not on social media. He added that Obi’s candidacy would not split the votes of the PDP because he had no structure or politician to push his candidacy.

“I really don’t expect the Labour Party to take many votes from the PDP as people are speculating. They have no structure at all levels, with no governor, and lawmaker. It will take a miracle for the Labour Party with no structure at the grassroots to win the election.

“They had said through social media they have one million votes in Osun State but how many votes do they have in real life? In the northern part of the country, about 90 per cent of people don’t have access to social media. Most of the electorate are not on social media,” he said.

Atiku added that Obi never informed him of his intention to leave the PDP, adding that he was only informed a few days after.

When contacted for comment, the Director of Media of Tinubu’s Campaign train, Bayo Onanuga, said, “They are friends and Tinubu wants to reply to him (Atiku) personally. We’ll issue a statement tomorrow (Saturday) when Asiwaju replies him personally.”

But the LP said Atiku was restless over Obi’s growing popularity.

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2027 PDP ticket: I defeated you in 2019, 2023, Atiku mocks Wike

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14 mins ago

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November 15, 2024

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Minister, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar

2027 PDP ticket: I defeated you in 2019, 2023, Atiku mocks Wike

There’s no let-off in war of words between former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over who controls the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Wike, although a minister in the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to influence happenings in the PDP which some party hawks loyal to Atiku have tried to expel without fruition.

Both squared up in 2019 when Atiku won the ticket in Wike’s backyard. Wike was governor in the oil-rich Rivers at the time and withheld his support during the party primaries in his state, instead supported his counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal, who was also governor of Sokoto State.

The hope was that Tambuwal, as agreed, would nominate him (Wike) as his vice. Unfortunately to him, Atiku won.

In 2023, both top PDP men squared up again. It took a last minutes maneuvering for Atiku to defeat Wike after Tambuwal, rather than returning the 2019 favour, gave his delegates to Atiku.

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Not done yet, Atiku refused to give the vice presidential ticket to Wike and instead gave it to Ifeanyi Okowa, the governor of Delta State.

A sore Wike was miffed and mobilised loyal governors to support the candidate of the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, who went on to be announced the winner of the 2023 election.

Despite being over two years away, Wike has thrown the first stone telling Atiku that he should forget the 2027 presidential ticket of the PDP.

It’s worth noting that Atiku has not declared interest in the ticket and had said he would support whoever the PDP agrees to give the ticket to, including its erstwhile vice presidential candidate, now Labour Party topman, Peter Obi.

That’s in the belief that Obi will agree to a coalition to unseat the APC, alongside the New Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

Wike, who called a press conference to tell Atiku of what awaits him politically said, “He (Atiku) is lobbying for another chance, but the chance will not be there,” the former Minister of State for Education said.

He questioned, “In which party? How can we rely on one man for so many years?” implying that Atiku’s prospects of securing the PDP ticket are slim.

However, responding to the statement, Atiku in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku reminded Wike of his unsuccessful attempts to install his preferred candidate within the party since 2019.

Shaibu said, “If he had the power to distribute presidential tickets like party favours, he’d certainly have kept one for himself.

“Atiku schooled him and his chosen protégé in his own backyard in 2019 and then handed him a resounding defeat in the 2023 primaries in Abuja.”

Shaibu also questioned Wike’s focus on 2027, especially given his public support for Tinubu’s potential re-election, suggesting that Wike should prioritize the immediate challenges facing Nigerians.

“People are struggling with rising costs and hunger; these are the issues we should be addressing, not political maneuvers for 2027,” Shaibu noted

2027 PDP ticket: I defeated you in 2019, 2023, Atiku mocks Wike

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Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

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2 days ago

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November 13, 2024

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Peter Obi and Omoyele Sowore

Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, recently shared his reasons for not forming a coalition with Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate in the same election.

In his appearance on the Honest Bunch podcast, Sowore asserted that, in his view, Obi is similar to other Nigerian politicians, describing him as “better at packaging.”

Sowore explained that his own journey in politics began long before Obi gained national recognition, emphasizing his dedication to advocating for systemic change in Nigeria.

During the podcast, co-hosted by Nedu, Husband Material, Deity Cole, and Ezinne, Sowore highlighted his belief in challenging the status quo, which he feels differs significantly from Obi’s approach.

Sowore said, “Before you discovered Peter Obi, I was already running for president. All these shouts about Peter Obi… He just knows how to package. Anyone can do it.

“If I form a coalition with Peter Obi, I will be going against what I have always stood for, which is that I will never support a Nigerian leader who has held any political office — whether at the federal, state, or local level — if I consider them non-performing.

“It’s the same reason I would never have joined hands with Atiku. And the Peter Obi you’re talking about was a vice-presidential candidate to Atiku when I was a presidential candidate in 2019.

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“So, what are we talking about? There is no lesser evil in my book. If you are evil, you are evil. If you are good, you are good. I have a general disdain for non-performance.”

He added that there is no such thing as “emotional attachment” in his dictionary.

“There was a friend of mine who kept saying, he doesn’t care if Peter Obi is Igbo, but that it is the turn of the Igbos. But it is beyond that; I have a natural disdain for poor performance,” he explained.

Sowore insisted that while many may not know it, he knew Obi before and during his time as governor, and he backed him.

“I had always known and supported him and stood against his removal when (Olusegun) Obasanjo wanted to use Andy Ubah to replace him—the twists and turns then.

“However, when Peter Obi finished his term in Anambra, the question I asked him was whether he could send his child to any university he had built in Anambra—he was mute and could not respond.

“I also asked him if he could enter any hospital he built in Anambra, which he governed for eight years, even if it was for the slightest headache—there was also no response.”

Sowore went on to challenge the four anchors or any other Nigerians, saying, “If they can pack their bags and head to Anambra for a vacation.”

PUNCH Online reports that President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress recorded 8,794,726 votes in the 2023 presidential election, followed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party who secured 6,984,520 votes.

In third place, Labour Party’s Obi garnered 6,101,533 votes, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party secured 1,496,687 votes.

Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

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Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

Published

4 days ago

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November 11, 2024

By

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

The Arewa Consensus for Jonathan, a political group in the North, has urged former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to enter the 2027 presidential race.

Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, is widely regarded for his role in fostering democratic growth and his relatively peaceful exit from power after losing the 2015 election.
Despite his exit from politics, his name has remained a focal point in discussions about Nigeria’s future leadership.

The group’s leader, Munir Musa, who made the appeal during a press conference in Bauchi over the weekend, emphasised that Jonathan’s return to office was crucial to addressing Nigeria’s pressing economic and security challenges.

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He argued that Nigeria, grappling with severe economic downturns and rising security threats, needs a leader with Jonathan’s experience and competence to restore stability.

“The nation is at a crossroads, and we believe that Goodluck Jonathan is the right man to steer us out of the current malaise,” Musa told reporters.

He expressed confidence that Jonathan’s leadership could heal the country’s deepening wounds and usher in a new era of progress.

 

Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

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