ADC presidential candidate Kachikwu seeks last-minute Atiku, Obi collaboration to beat Tinubu – Newstrends
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ADC presidential candidate Kachikwu seeks last-minute Atiku, Obi collaboration to beat Tinubu

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Barely 24 hours to the presidential poll in Nigeria, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Dumebi Kachikwu, says Ahmed Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress may be coasting to victory unless there is a last-minute collaboration between the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.
For him, he said had accepted the reality that he would not win tomorrow’s presidential election.
But he lamented that the ruling APC had better chance of emerging victorious at the end of the poll without the PDP and the LP reaching an accord.

The APC presidential candidate spoke to journalists in Abuja on Thursday.

Even the reality he painted Kachikwu said he would not quit the presidential race.

He spoke while delivering what he described as his ‘closing argument’to end his campaign for the election.

“I believed then that my final argument would be a pitch on why you should vote for me but alas as we prepare to vote in the next 48 hours, I am forced to accept the sad reality that there is no pathway towards victory for Ahmed and I.

“I will, therefore, make a different argument today and it is the case for a Nigeria that works for everyone,” he said.

Kachikwu said that sadly those who would be mostly affected by the effect of the current financial constraints in the country were supporters of Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate.

He also said that the PDP, the main opposition party had been weakened by internal factors, including its division which now gave the APC candidate a better chance of winning.

Kachikwu, however, advised that the PDP and Labour party should reach an agreement within the next 24 hours on how to collaborate to win the election.

“Any vote for Peter Obi is a vote for Tinubu. PDP and Labour Party need each other. It is that simple.

“As true democrats, the leadership of both the PDP and Labour Party must find a way to work with the other smaller parties towards building a formidable coalition that ensures that the contest is even.

“Any attempt to go this alone guarantees another four years for the APC.

“Beyond this, we must accept the reality that except Northern Nigeria miraculously comes together in the next 24 hours to throw their support for the PDP candidate, the race looks likely to favour the APC candidate.”

Kachikwu, however, commended Obi for embracing youths and expressed his optimism that the relationship would go beyond the elections into real mentoring for millions of Nigerian youths who had lost hope.

The presidential candidate said that although the three front liners in the presidential race had previous stints in public service, he believed the Igbo’s had not had a fair share in Nigeria and should be given the opportunity.

“I subscribe to the argument that the Igbo’s have not had a fair share in the Nigerian nation, most of the blame for this must go to our leaders who mostly subscribe to self and family as against building their states or region.

“They failed to capitalise on the entrepreneurial spirit of the Ibo man to create an industrial powerhouse in the South East that would provide millions of jobs and shared prosperity for our people.

“Today the economy of the Southeast is in ruins. Our people live in fear and our leaders have relocated to Abuja and Lagos.

“When leaders are afraid to defy evil what do we expect to happen to our communities?

“We all saw what happened in Northeast Nigeria because their leaders failed to stand up to Boko Haram and we now see the same thing in Southeastern Nigeria.

“This attitude of it is their problem has almost destroyed us. We all have to come together to save Nigeria. Nigerians can’t continue to look for a mythic hero or saviour when they are unprepared for individual change.

“Today our youths are poor, angry, bitter, frustrated and therefore, subject to all forms of manipulation and abuse by desperate politicians.

“We can’t continue to do this to our people. We fail to plan for them but plan to use them. We threaten their future with inexplicable debts, we polarise and divide them with tongue, tribe and religion.”

Kachikwu advised Nigerians to look beyond the flaws of the three major candidates and focus on their capabilities, their relationships and associations and those they were likely to work with when elected.

He urged Nigerians to vote rightly and not allow religion, pecuniary gains and tribalism to be the basis for their votes.

Kachikwu also commended and congratulated other presidential candidates for being in the race and giving the 2023 general election a different dimension in ensuring that Nigeria was liberated.

He said whichever way the pendulum of the elections swung, he would remain committed to nation building and devote his time and resources towards deepening Nigeria’s democracy.

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Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats

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IIiya Umar Damagum

Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats

Few days after governors on the platform of the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) handed down an ultimatum for things to change in the party, the Acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagun has moved against the FCT Minister and his loyal lawmakers, the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Damagun in a letter addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dated 13th November 2024 and released on Sunday by the spokesperson of the Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, Ikenga Ugochinyere urged the electoral umpire to conduct a bye-election to fill up the 27 seats, they vacated to join the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Wike has been accused of being behind the crisis in the PDP over his disagreement with the Rivers State governor, Sim Fubara, his successor.

The crisis which started over control of resources divided the party in the state with 27 lawmakers in the state assembly siding Wike and defected to the APC following Wike’s acceptance to serve in the government of the APC.

He has also been accused of working in cahoots with Damagun to damage the PDP by not organising the National Executive Committee which would lead to the acting Chairman’s ouster.

After a series of agitation, the latest being from the PDP Governors’ Forum over the weekend, Damagun has demanded that INEC conduct elections as soon as possible, apparently moving against the FCT minister.

He argued in letter titled, ‘DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE CONDUCT OF FRESH ELECTION IN 27 STATE CONSTITUENCIES OF RIVERS STATE WHICH HAVE BECOME VACANT PURSUANT TO SECTION 109(1)(g) OF THE CONSTITUTION’ that it’s “unlawful” for the 27 members to defect.

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The members defected to the APC on December 11, 2023.

Damagun said, going by provisions of the Constitution, the lawmakers are no longer members of the Assembly.

The PDP acting chairman therefore urged the Commission to perform its constitutional duties and begin the process of conducting fresh elections to fill the vacancies created in the 27 state constituencies by the unlawful act of the former Assembly members.

Parts of the letter read, “The Leadership of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wishes to draw the attention of the Commission to the gross violation of Section 109 (1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) by 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly following their unlawful defection from our Party, the PDP who sponsored their elections to the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Monday, December 11, 2023.

“The Commission may recall that our Party, the PDP nominated all our 32 State House of Assembly candidates in Rivers State for the 2023 General Election on the 7th of July 2022 via your electronic candidate election nomination portal (See attached acknowledgement).

“The Commission may also recall that following the nomination, the Commission conducted election into the Rivers State House of Assembly on the 18th of March, 2023 and our Party won 32 seats in the state Assembly. The elected State House of Assembly members were inaugurated and sworn-in on June, 2023.

“However, on Monday, 11 December, 2023 a period of just six (6) months after inauguration, 27 out of the 32 members publicly announced their defection from our Party to the All Progressive Congress (APC). This defection is a gross violation of Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended).

“The only two grounds of division and merger provided for in the Constitution that permit such defection are completely non-existent in our political Party. It therefore means that the defections of the 27 members are without lawful excuse and these members have vacated their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly by the operations of Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.

“In view of the foregoing, we hereby demand that the Commission performs its constitutional duties and begin the process of conducting a Fresh Election to fill the vacancies created in the 27 State Constituencies by the unlawful act of the Assembly members. Find attached the list of the 27 State Assembly Members and their Constituencies.

“While thanking the Commission for its commitment to deepening democracy in our country, please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”

Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats

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Nigeria would have been better under Peter Obi, too much nepotism under Tinubu – Senator Abaribe

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Nigeria would have been better under Peter Obi, too much nepotism under Tinubu – Senator Abaribe

 

Nigeria would have been better than what it is currently if Peter Obi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), had won the 2023 elections, the senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has said.

Abaribe, who spoke on ‘Politics Today,’ a Channels Television programme, on Monday, said Obi would not have been as nepotistic as the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“Number one, he would not be as nepotistic as this government; he won’t; it’s not in him. That is just who we are; we feel for the other people.”

The lawmaker called attention to Tinubu’s appointment of four ministers from Ogun alone, noting that many other states have just one.

“I say it, and I don’t think so. We are seeing it everyday. I just gave you one example. How can Ogun state have four ministers? Why does he favour Ogun state? Oyo state has only one minister,” Abaribe said.

”The nepotism of Buhari, which nobody followed, has now deepened under President Tinubu because Buhari did it, and nobody said much. I was the only person shouting.”

He said that rather than waiting for presidents to be fair to the people of the south-east, it is high time people of the zone went back to revamp it, make it more livable, better, and more cohesive.

“It’s obvious that if we continue to look at whoever becomes president, they will look at us and do us right. Apart from Obasanjo and maybe Jonathan, I do not think that we have seen that same type of fairness,” he said.

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Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary

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Seyi Tinubu

Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary

Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, has been tipped for the seat of Lagos governor in the 2027 governorship election.

This was according to a video making the rounds on various social media platforms, which Peoples Gazette saw on Sunday.

The video highlights the president’s son’s biography, focusing on his education, career, and humanitarian activities as a Nigerian. It also documents his involvement in youth development in the country.

This biopic comes on the heels of some groups’ endorsements of Mr Tinubu’s son as a potential successor to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2027.

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On Tuesday, the Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders issued an endorsement in Owerri, Imo, suggesting that the younger Tinubu would be welcomed to contest the governorship seat in Osun or Imo.

He was also endorsed by Friends of Seyi, a group emphasising his vision and intellectual wherewithal to govern the country’s commercial nerve.

APC chieftain Joe Igbokwe, however, described the gale of endorsements as a ploy to undermine the president in a Facebook post.

“Who are these faceless people pushing Seyi Tinubu for Lagos governor? This is a needless distraction,” said Mr Igbokwe. “To pull PBAT down is their target. Ruling Lagos is not the job of boys.”

Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary

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