Politics

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

Published

1 year ago

February 24, 2023

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.

Related Topics:ADC Atiku Featured Kachikwu Obi Tinubu

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Politics

Senate in rowdy session as lawmakers quarrel over sitting arrangement

Published

3 days ago

April 30, 2024

Trends Admin

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.

Politics

Ganduje drums support for Tinubu, says no vacancy in Aso Rock 2027

Published

3 days ago

April 30, 2024

Trends Admin

Ganduje drums support for Tinubu, says no vacancy in Aso Rock 2027

National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, says members of the opposition are trying to discredit the Bola Tinubu-led administration in their desperation for Aso Rock in 2027.
He however declares that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2027.

Ganduje said the administration of President Tinubu had been contending with accumulation of many years of neglect, policy summersaults and other disjointed decisions by previous administrations.

The APC national chairman gave the position while addressing supporters and support groups at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.

Ganduje urged the APC supporters and groups to be committed to the party so that it could continue to forge ahead.

He said the leadership of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and its chieftains were afraid, having been defeated in the last general election and already foreseeing another defeat.

Ganduje said the NNPP elements were now engaged in a propaganda campaign against the leadership of APC.

He said, “They are so afraid because we are consolidating. They are so afraid all over the country because we are receiving new entrants into our party. That is creating fears in their minds.

“They are already eyeing 2027, but at that time, there is no vacancy. Only our President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will, Insha Allah, continue as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Ganduje claimed the leadership of NNPP and its chieftains in Kano State were sponsoring protests and campaigning for his removal as APC national chairman.

Politics

Another PDP bigwig dumps party

Published

4 days ago

April 29, 2024

Trends Admin

Dr Cosmos Ndukwe

Another PDP bigwig dumps party

Dr Cosmos Ndukwe, one of the key opposition Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidates for 2023, has resigned from the party.

This is stated in a letter written by the former Deputy Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly to the Chairman of his Item C Ward in Bende Local Government Area, which was copied to the party’s State Chairman, Hon. Asiforo Okere, and the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum.

The former Chief of Staff to the Governor and Commissioner for Works under ex-Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu claimed “personal reasons, current commitments, and aspirations” in his decision to leave the PDP.

He praised the party for providing him with the opportunity to enter the political spotlight and wished it success in the state.

The letter posted on his Facebook page on Monday morning read, “I hope this letter finds you well. It is with a heavy heart that I compose this correspondence to tender my resignation as a member and stakeholder in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Abia State, effective immediately.

“My decision to resign as a member within the party stems from personal reasons and reflections on my current commitments and aspirations.

“After careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that potting out of PDP is the best course of action for me at this time.

“I am immensely grateful for the opportunities that the PDP has afforded me during my tenure as a Councillor, Deputy Chairman Local Government, Chief of Staff to Executive Governor of Abia State, Deputy Speaker Abia 6th House of Assembly and Presidential Aspirant PDP 2023.