APC may screen presidential aspirants Tuesday, expects Jonathan, Emefiele, Ngige, Adesina – Newstrends
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APC may screen presidential aspirants Tuesday, expects Jonathan, Emefiele, Ngige, Adesina

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The National Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Sulaiman Arugungu, has hinted that the screening of the party’s presidential aspirants will now take place on Tuesday.

This came just as the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) expects the screening panel would screen former President Goodluck Jonathan, Minister of Labour and Employment Dr Chris Ngige, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele and African Development Bank (AfDB) President Akinwunmi Adesina.

On Sunday the party announced the indefinite postponement of the screening initially slated to hold today, Monday May 23.

But Arugungu confirmed in an interview with The Nation that it was shifted from Monday to Tuesday.

He said, “As far as the party is concerned all the 28 aspirants that paid and picked the forms for the nomination as presidential aspirants, nobody has formally written to us that he has withdrawn his aspiration.

“All the forms of the 28 aspirants will be taken to the screening committee, not tomorrow (Monday), but on Tuesday, God’s willing, at Transcop Hilton Hotel.”

Arugungu said the panel would be constituted today.

“But we have to consult with our leaders before we make it public. By tomorrow (Monday) we will know who are the panellists,” Arugungu assured.

The party’s NWC expects all those who bought its presidential application and expression of interest forms will be screened.

Although the nomination forms were obtained for the four, they never submitted the forms to the party before the close of submission.

Presidential aspirants such as Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmed Lawan and 21 others will also appear tomorrow before the screening committee.

The seven-man panel set up by the NWC is made up of a member from each of the six geo-political zones.

The major work of the committee is to scrutinise the nomination documents of the contenders ahead of the primary slated for Saturday.

Other aspirants expected at the exercise are former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Niger Delta Development Senator Godswill Akpabio, former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha and former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosu.

Others are Pastor Tunde Bakare, Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade, his Ebonyi State counterpart, Governor Dave Umahi, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, Minister of State for Education Emeka Nwajiuba, former Senate President Ken Nnamani, Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, Jigawa State Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and former Zamfara State Governor Ahmed Yerima.

Others are Senator Ajayi Borroffice, the only female aspirant, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, Pastor Nicholas Felix Nwagbo, former House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole, former Minister of Information Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu and Mr Tein Jack Rich.

 

 

 

 

 

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

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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

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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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Afenifere, Council of Obas back Aiyedatiwa for Ondo gov

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Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa

Afenifere, Council of Obas back Aiyedatiwa for Ondo gov

Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political and cultural organization, has endorsed Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State.

Sehinde Arogbofa, a prominent Afenifere leader, announced the support at the Olubaka of Oka land palace, Oba Yusuf Adebori Adeleye.

Arogbofa expressed confidence in Aiyedatiwa’s leadership and encouraged him to follow the values and legacy of Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Ondo State’s first governor. “Afenifere stands firmly behind your mandate… Strive to make Ondo State great again,” Arogbofa said.

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Oba Adeleye, speaking on behalf of traditional rulers in Akoko South West Local Government Area, also endorsed Aiyedatiwa, citing his masses-focused policies and the governor’s initiative to allocate five percent of local government funds to traditional institutions as a demonstration of his commitment to their welfare.

“The Council of Obas has decided that Governor Aiyedatiwa is our candidate,” Oba Adeleye stated, pledging their support for Aiyedatiwa’s election campaign.

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