Politics
Elections will hold, no plans for interim govt – Presidency
The Presidency has denied allegations that President Muhammadu Buhari plans to impose an Interim National Government on the country before leaving office on May 29 this year.
It describes the claims as a huge joke, maintaing that February 25 presidential election will hold as scheduled and a new president will emerge to take over the affairs of the country.
This is contained in a statement on Friday issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, saying the claim of an interim government was a joke.
Kaduna and Kano state governors, Nasir el-Rufai and Abdullahi Ganduje, had said some people around President Muhammadu Buhari were working towards installing an interim government on May 29.
Ganduje and el-Rufai spoke against the backdrop of the naira scarcity after the redesign of the N200, N500 and N1,000 notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria, which has led to protests in some states.
The presidency’s statement titled: ‘STOP THE JOKE ABOUT INTERIM GOVERNMENT, ELECTIONS WILL HOLD’ read,
“Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda Chief of Adolf Hitler said ‘‘Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth’’. This was in the 1930s, before the internet was birthed.
“Let us clearly, specifically and emphatically state that there is absolutely no truth to the claim that President Muhammadu Buhari is working towards an interim government or even worse, the truncation of democracy – democracy that he has helped to keep alive not only here at home, in West Africa but throughout the continent.
“The talk of interim government and truncation of democracy is way off the mark. Those who peddle it stand to gain nothing- nothing at all -but the creation of panic and the incitement of the public against the federal government.
“It is another dangerous dimension by people who are afraid that they may lose their elections.
“Everybody is aware that there is a lot of pressure on everyone-all of us- the party, its elected officials, its candidates and law enforcement agencies following the way the currency swap has gone but the way to go is not to panic.
“There is indeed a problem and nobody will pretend that it doesn’t exist.
“It is precisely because the President is concerned with this problem that he opened several avenues for consultation with leaders and groups across the country, culminating in his broadcast to the nation on Thursday morning.
“In line with the speech, his clear and unequivocal directive is that the problem of cash supply must be addressed without delay.
“While this is being done, there is no need to panic. We need to work together as leaders; as a people and as one nation. When panic hits, people go into overdrive. Shouting helps no one because no one can listen.
“The solution to the problem is not in sending Nigerians into confusion.
“Elections, just a week ahead, will hold and Nigerians will vote for the All Progressives Congress, APC, (and any others if they so wish) on the basis of their choice.
“Our people want progress, good governance, law and order and will not be swayed by the negative energy that is being expended against a well-meaning currency change.
“Finally, to state that: the President clearly has a favoured successor in Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is not in doubt.
“The fact that Tinubu has been opposed to the speed and timing of the Naira swap timetable does not mean he is against the idea of Nigeria becoming a cashless society. Of course, Tinubu does support a cashless society: for he is a man of the future.
“What should be made crystal clear to the doubters and the speculators and the untruth-tellers is that in no way was the naira swap “engineered” to keep the President in office beyond May 29. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
The President looks forward to handing over the reins of power to his elected successor. This will happen on May 29, 2023 as the Constitution requires it.
The days of unelected Nigerian leaders, and those who outstay their welcome by unconstitutionally extending it, have gone
Politics
Gbajabiamila speaks on his rumoured Lagos governorship ambition
Gbajabiamila speaks on his rumoured Lagos governorship ambition
Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff (CoS) to President Bola Tinubu, has dismissed speculations about his potential bid for the governorship of Lagos State, stressing that his current focus remains on his duties in the presidency.
Speaking at the general assembly of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Surulere, Lagos, on Saturday, Gbajabiamila attributed the rumours to detractors attempting to undermine his political progress.
“Some people are saying he came back from America about 20 years ago. After spending three to four years, he became the principal officer to the Minority Whip, from there he became Minority Leader, then Majority Leader, and from Majority Leader, he became Speaker,” Gbajabiamila said.
He noted that some individuals see his rise in politics as a threat and believe he might return to Lagos to contest for governor.
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“They think with the way I’m progressing, it’s time to quickly drag me down so I won’t have any standing in Lagos,” he stated.
However, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives made it clear that the governorship race is not on his agenda for now.
“Please tell them it’s not yet time for governorship. There are still two and a half years left—it’s still far. God Almighty knows who will become the next governor,” Gbajabiamila noted.
Addressing the challenges of his current position, he added, “My current job as Chief of Staff is so demanding that I can’t even finish it. I don’t have the time to be thinking about governorship.”
The remarks come amid growing speculation surrounding potential contenders for the Lagos governorship seat, with names like Lagos State Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, also being mentioned.
Gbajabiamila speaks on his rumoured Lagos governorship ambition
Politics
Wike: My fallout with Secondus was his opposition to Fubara
Wike: My fallout with Secondus was his opposition to Fubara
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has shed light on his role in the removal of Uche Secondus as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking at a PDP gathering in Rivers State, Wike explained that his decision was fueled by Secondus’ opposition to Siminalayi Fubara’s governorship ambition in 2023.
According to Wike, Secondus had pushed for his cousin, Tele Ikuru, to secure the PDP ticket for the governorship position, a move Wike said he could not support. This, he revealed, was the primary reason he championed Secondus’ ouster from the party’s leadership.
Reflecting on the ongoing tensions between himself and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Wike accused Secondus and former Rivers Governor Celestine Omehia of hypocrisy. He alleged that the duo only began backing Fubara after benefiting personally from the relationship.
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Wike, who was once a close ally of Fubara, claimed that Secondus and Omehia were the true enemies of the governor, not him. He criticized their actions, arguing that their newfound loyalty to Fubara was insincere.
“I heard Secondus recently in Bori, saying I awarded the Bori Internal Road as governor. I paid 50% with the hope that we had a governor we all supported to continue the projects,” Wike said.
He continued, “Secondus claimed his enemies are the governor’s enemies. But who are the enemies of the governor? Secondus, who initially opposed him becoming governor and wanted his cousin, Tele Ikuru, to get the position?
“I orchestrated Secondus’ removal as PDP National Chairman when he tried to impose his cousin as governor. Now he calls himself the governor’s friend while labeling me the enemy. To God be the glory,” Wike declared.
Wike: My fallout with Secondus was his opposition to Fubara
Politics
APC reacts to Kwankwaso’s statement to reduce party’s votes in 2027
APC reacts to Kwankwaso’s statement to reduce party’s votes in 2027
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano state has dismissed claims by former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso that the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) will significantly reduce APC’s votes in Kano State during the 2027 elections.
Reacting in a statement on Thursday, Abdullahi Abass, chairman of the state chapter of the party said Kwankwaso’s assertion is laughable and nothing but a mere daydream. Abass called on Kwankwaso to focus on reclaiming his membership in the NNPP rather than making unfounded claims.
The APC described Kwankwaso as a political refugee clinging to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in a futile attempt to regain relevance. They warned Kwankwaso that the APC would not allow a repeat of the alleged vote manipulation and allocation that created the impression of NNPP’s influence in Kano State during the 2023 general election.
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“Our teeming supporters in the APC have no cause to worry about Kwankwaso, who has been booted out of the NNPP due to his cluelessness and self-centredness. We expect Kwankwaso to keep wondering why he has become a wanderer in the political terrain,” the party chair said.
“He ran away from APC because he couldn’t fit into our progressive ideals. His overbloated ego and domineering posture forced him to abandon the PDP, and he has now become a political refugee because the NNPP refused to accommodate him.”
Kwankwaso had on Wednesday received some political decampees at his residence. During the event, he claimed that the NNPP was now formidable enough to diminish APC’s influence in the state.
“If the PDP could struggle to receive 15, 000 votes in the 2023 Presidential elections in Kano, APC would not only receive below expectations but would receive the most embarrassing votes in the 2027 elections in Kano,” he stated
“NNPP achieved tremendous success in the presidential and governorship elections despite being a new political platform with a late start to its campaign. APC will be diminished in Kano in 2027,” he added.
APC reacts to Kwankwaso’s statement to reduce party’s votes in 2027
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