As Obi unveils new DG Osuntokun, Fani-Kayode mocks him for joining 'losing side' – Newstrends
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As Obi unveils new DG Osuntokun, Fani-Kayode mocks him for joining ‘losing side’

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The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has officially unveiled Akin Osuntokun as the new Director General of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council.

But former Minister of Aviation and member of the ruling All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Femi Fani-Kayode, has mocked Osuntokun as joining a ‘losing side’.

Obi formally unveiled Osuntokun in Abuja, on Tuesday, hours after the Labour Party’s National Chairman, Julious Abure, announced the appointment of the former Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

While fielding questions from journalists after the unveiling ceremony, Obi said for as long as there are Nigerians who are forced to leave their homes to live in Internally Displaced Persons camps, Nigeria remains an IDP camp.

The LP candidate explained that his aspiration was built on his conviction that Nigerians deserve better leadership than what they were getting at the moment.

He said, “We are trying to build a better Nigeria. Over this period, I have been traveling, I have been in various states visiting people in difficult positions, and living in IDP camps.

“If Nigerians are made to leave their homes and live in IDP camps, then Nigeria as a country is an IDP camp because these are Nigerians that should be in their homes.

“The purpose of government is to care for its citizens and the first line of care is the less privileged, government takes care of the less privileged people.

“My commitment is to ensure that every Nigerian sleeps and wakes up feeling proud to be a Nigerian and not live in an IDP camp.”

Osuntokun took over from Dr Doyin Okupe, who resigned from the position earlier.

This effectively ended weeks of speculations about the possible replacement for Doyin Okupe.

Okupe had resigned from the position to appeal his conviction for money laundering.

He paid N13 million as the option of a fine to avoid a two-year jail term that he would have served for the offence.

Until his appointment, Osuntokun was the Zonal Coordinator(South), of the Obi-Datti Campaign.

He is a trained Nigerian political scientist, strategist, researcher, administrator, journalist, and writer, with experience in media advocacy, policy research and implementation, and political analysis.

He was also at one time Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, Osuntokun served as Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and as Director of the Presidential campaign of the People’s Democratic Party in 2011.

Meanwhile, Femi Fani-Kayode has ‘congratulated’ Akin Osuntokun, the new DG of the of Labour Party who he described as a formidable force.

Fani-Kayode made this assertion in statement via his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday, adding that he had teamed up with a losing side.

He stated, “Congrats to my brother Bashorun Akin Osuntokun on his appointment as DG of the Obi/Dati PCC. I respect Akin & we have fought many battles shoulder-to-shoulder against our common foes for over 30 years. He has joined the losing side but he will be a formidable adversary.

“..look forward to joining issues, crossing swords and meeting my brother in the field of battle.

“Peter the Pooh and Dati the Daft have absolutely NO chance of winning this election even with a tough and courageous soul and brilliant mind like Akin leading their campaign,” he added.

Femi Fani-Kayode

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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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