Politics
I won’t probe past govts if elected – Obi
…unveils Baba-Ahmed as running mate
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has said his administration will not carry out a witch hunt of previous governments if elected into office in the 2023 presidential election.
Obi stated in an interview with journalists shortly after unveiling an educationist, Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, as his running mate on Friday.
“As for probing the past government, let me tell you: you see me argue that you can’t close your shop and be chasing thieves, those who only look at yesterday and today will miss tomorrow. God did not give us eyes at the back, mine is to look forward.
“If you come into the government today and decide to stop the leakage first, you will get more. I am not going to be part of any form of victimisation or witch-hunt, it won’t happen. Nigerians must live within law and order.
“But I can tell you right away. If you, the principal person, the local government chairman, the governor or the President are not stealing, your family is not, and those around you are not, you will reduce it by 70 per cent,” the former Anambra State governor added.
While announcing Baba-Ahmed as his running mate, he said the former lawmaker was eminently qualified to bring his private sector and academic achievements to bear in the drive to rescue Nigeria from the primitive politics of ethnicity.
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Obi added that the LP would anchor its manifesto in the coming days on the 17 goals of Sustainable Development Goals.
He added, “I have the honour to present to you somebody I can call a friend, a younger brother, and God willing the next Vice President of Nigeria in the name of Senator Yusuf Baba-Ahmed.
“We made this choice and Datti and I sat down and discussed it. I said to him, ‘What we are doing is not just the two of us.’ We are bringing all Nigerians into this big tent where everybody will be involved because we want to end the primitive politics of ethnicity, and religion. What we want now is to replace that with competence.”
While accepting his nomination, Baba-Ahmed, who is the proprietor and founder of Baze University, Abuja, and Baba-Ahmed University, Kano, said Nigeria was in a great deal of trouble and that he could not afford not to be part of the people to rescue the country.
Baba-Ahmed said, “I remain forever humbled and appreciative of this consideration. My task is simple and it is to accept this nomination and this candidacy. Just before I do that, I should normally give a justification as the fundamental reason for being on this ticket is to rescue Nigeria. It goes logically and without saying that you can only rescue that which is in trouble. Nigeria is in a great deal of trouble. I cannot afford not to be part of the movement to rescue Nigeria.
The Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, said that the party proved to people that it could achieve any feat, adding the event was a clear message.
Meanwhile, the party has said an Obi-Baba-Ahmed presidency will create a better and united Nigeria devoid of ethnic and religious sentiments.
But speaking with Saturday PUNCH, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Arabambi Abayomi, said the issues surrounding the Buhari regime and the candidates of the All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party and others showed that the Labour Party was prepared to govern Nigeria.
“In the Obi- Baba-Ahmed ticket, you can see the credentials. For us, Nigerians should expect unity from an Obi- Baba-Ahmed administration. Nigerians should expect a change in our production. Nigerians should expect jobs,” Abayomi said.
“With an Obi- Baba-Ahmed administration, we will be more united because Buhari has divided us along ethnic and religious lines. Obi and Baba-Ahmed are true Nigerians that have come out to say they want to govern Nigeria, not on ethnic and religious lines.”
Politics
I broke the chains of godfatherism in Oyo politics – Makinde
I broke the chains of godfatherism in Oyo politics – Makinde
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State says he has dismantle the shackles of godfatherism that once characterised the State politics.
Makinde said Oyo State was once known for ‘who is your father’ politics, stating that such style of political arrangement has ended with him.
Makinde spoke on Wednesday at Students’ Legislative Summit organised by the Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly and chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin, in conjunction with the Students’ Representative Council, University of Ibadan.
Makinde disclosed that his father was not wealthy or influential and the Oyo State people still gave him the opportunity to lead.
The governor underscores the need to get youths into leadership position, imploring Nigerian youths to become more actively involved in governance by increasing their participation.
Makinde said that the issue of leadership is imperative in preparing the youth for the future and governance.
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“For us here, we have seen the common situation where ‘who is your father’ was the order of the day but we have been able to break that in Oyo State. My father was a ‘nobody’ and the Oyo State people still gave me the opportunity to lead.
“We may not be able to prepare the future for the youth, but we can prepare the youth for the future. Please, don’t see this event as just an opportunity to look at the issue of leadership in this country. And, in me, Seyi Makinde, the youth have an ally and we will prepare the leaders of the next generation amongst the youth.
“I am here this afternoon to encourage the youth. If you look at the history of Nigeria, we had our independence in 1960 and six years after, in 1966, the person that became the Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, was 31 years and some months old. After him, during the Second Republic, former President Obasanjo retired as a General at the age of 39.
“You should dream big; people have ruled this country at very tender ages. So, for you, don’t think that at 29 or 30, you are too young to rule and I am glad, because this is almost like catching them early.
“You have the students here and in about three years, some of you will be out there to move on. If I were you, I wouldn’t start looking for work; I would start doing my own thing at a very early age of 24 or 25. With the kind of energy you still have, you can pull down the kingdom of Satan.”
I broke the chains of godfatherism in Oyo politics – Makinde
Politics
Updated: Rivers crisis worsens as attorney-general, finance commissioner resign
Updated: Rivers crisis worsens as attorney-general, finance commissioner resign
The power tussle in Rivers State took a new turn on Wednesday as Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Zacchaeus Adangor, resigned his appointment and as a member of the state executive council.
This is after the commissioner had rejected his redeployment by Governor Siminalayi Fubara as Commissioner for Special Duties.
Similarly, Isaac Kamalu has resigned as Commissioner of Finance after he was redeployed to the Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment Ministry by the governor.
Zacchaeus on 14 December first resigned his position as the Attorney-General of the state following the face-off between Governor Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Zacchaeus and other commissioners who resigned due to the political crisis in the state, however, returned to the government after being reconfirmed by the state House of Assembly.
Fubara, earlier in the week, reshuffled his cabinet and redeployed Zacchaeus as the commissioner for Special Duties (Governor’s Office).
In a letter addressed to the Secretary to the Rivers State government, Zacchaeus rejected his new office.
In his resignation letter, he accused Governor Fubara of interfering with the performance of his duties as the state’s attorney general.
For Kamalu, who served as commissioner for Budget and Economics under former Governor Wike, he forwarded his resignation letter to Governor Fubura and the Secretary to the Government, Tammy Danagogo.
He accused Fubara of lying about the internally generated revenue of Rivers State.
Politics
Just in: Ex-Imo Gov Ihedioha heads for LP, dumps PDP
Just in: Ex-Imo Gov Ihedioha heads for LP, dumps PDP
Former governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
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