Politics
IBB wants younger president in 2023, rules out Atiku, Tinubu
- Says, corruption worse under civilian rule
Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), says a competent leader in the sixties should emerge as Nigeria’s president in 2023.
IBB, who served as head of state between 1985 and 1993, also said corruption was more endemic in the country under civilian regimes than the military rule.
His suggestion has thus technically ruled out a former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, from the 2023 presidential race since they would be in their 70s by the next election.
Although IBB as Babangida is fondly called did not in any way mention their names as not eligible for the nation’s number one seat, he suggested that individuals in their 60s should be the focus of Nigerians as presidential candidates in 2023.
By the next general election in 2023, Atiku, who is 75 this year, would be 77; while Tinubu, who marked 68th birthday in March, would have turned 70 years.
IBB, who will be 80 on August 17 this year, expressed confidence that the nation had been endowed with both human and natural resources. He said there were a few individuals in their 60s that had the capacity to effectively run the country.
He spoke in an exclusive interview aired on the Arise News Friday morning, saying, “I have started visualising a good Nigerian leader. That is, a person who travels across the country and has a friend virtually everywhere he travels to, and he knows at least one person that he can communicate with. That is a person, who is very versed in economics and is also a good politician, who should be able to talk to Nigerians and so on. I have seen one, or two or three of such persons already their sixties.”
Focusing on the state of the nation, IBB said one of the reasons Nigeria had refused to progress and achieve the dreams of the founding fathers was because Nigerians no longer believed in the future of their own country.
The former leader accused the Nigerian people of creating and at the same time, destroying their own country.
He identified bad leadership as a major reason for the nation’s socio-economic challenges.
Specifically on the importance of leadership in nation-building and where he thought the likes of Atiku and Tinubu no longer fit the bill, IBB said, “If you get a good leadership that links with the people and tries to talk with the people; not talking on top of the people, then we would be okay.
He urged government officials and all politicians to always obey court orders, stressing that flouting court decisions should not be tolerated if democracy must be allowed to thrive.
Speaking on corruption in the country, IBB said it was obvious that that the social vice was worse under the civilian regime than the military rule.
The former military head of state said people who stole public funds under civilian administrations were on the streets walking free.
He said during his time as military head of state, he sacked a governor for misappropriating less than N313,000.
He said, “From what I read; from analyses, I think we are saints when compared to what is happening under a democratic dispensation. I sacked a governor for misappropriating less than N313,000.
“Today, those who have stolen billions and are in court are now parading themselves on the streets. Who else is better in fighting corruption?”
Politics
Labour Party collapses into APC in Plateau
Labour Party collapses into APC in Plateau
In a major political development in Plateau State, the Labour Party in the Northern Zone has officially merged with the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a significant shift in the region’s political dynamics. The formal defection took place this morning at the APC Secretariat, Kalwa House, Yakubu Gowon Way, Jos.
Led by former Labour Party Senatorial candidate, Barrister Gyang Zi SAN, thousands of party faithful pledged their allegiance to the APC, declaring the ruling party the most viable platform for the socio-economic transformation of their communities.
Addressing the APC State Working Committee, Barrister Zi stated that the decision was reached after extensive consultations and careful evaluation of the political landscape. He noted that the APC’s track record, particularly in implementing people-oriented policies and developmental programmes, made it the natural choice for their political aspirations.
“Our resolve to join the APC is a strategic step to build, consolidate and mobilise for the party’s continued success across all levels of governance,” Barrister Zi explained.
READ ALSO:
- Niger Gov Bago makes U-turn on dreadlocks ban after backlash
- P-Square: Jude Okoye freed after two months detention
- Cultists kill teen during anti-cultism walk in Lagos
Receiving the defectors, Plateau State APC Chairman, Rt. Hon. Rufus Bature, described the occasion as a historic milestone for the region. He noted that the mass defection had effectively altered the political arithmetic in the Northern Zone.
“Today marks a turning point in our political journey. The inclusion of our brothers and sisters from the Labour Party signals a broader unity and shared commitment to delivering good governance,” Rt. Hon. Bature stated.
He assured the new members that they would enjoy equal rights and privileges within the party, urging them to actively participate and take full advantage of the opportunities within the APC structure.
In a show of solidarity, goodwill messages were received from the APC leadership in the United Kingdom, and the ceremony concluded with the presentation of the APC flag to Barrister Zi, symbolising his formal induction into the party.
Joining him were all six former Labour Party flagbearers for the State House of Assembly, as well as candidates for local government chairmanship and councillorship positions—further cementing the scope and impact of the defection.
This latest development is expected to significantly influence political alignments ahead of future electoral cycles in Plateau State.
Labour Party collapses into APC in Plateau
Politics
2027: Atiku remains the best to face Tinubu, says Dele Momodu
2027: Atiku remains the best to face Tinubu, says Dele Momodu
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu, has declared that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar remains the best opposition candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
Momodu said Atiku stands out in terms of political experience, national reach, and support base.
His words: “You have to be realistic. It’s a game of numbers, and it’s also a game of your network.
“There’s no one in Nigeria today as experienced, as exposed, as networked as Atiku Abubakar from 1993 when he stepped down for Chief MKO Abiola in Jos.”
He said the opposition needs a candidate who can mobilise votes across both northern and southern Nigeria, adding that only Atiku fits the profile.
“For anybody to face a Tinubu, that person has to come from the opposite direction. Which means it must be someone who can get the North to coalesce behind him.
READ ALSO:
- NLC to IMF: Your reforms inflict hunger, poverty on masses
- Nigerians deserve truth about electricity, not propaganda, labour slams power minister
- INEC may allow Nigerians without PVCs to vote in 2027
“So, I pray that the coalition will be able to achieve that. I don’t know if they will, but I’m sure they are working on that. Then it must be someone who has a substantial network in the South. There is no other person I can see who has that kind of network behind him,” he stated.
Citing the example of Donald Trump’s continued relevance in American politics, Momodu said political necessity often trumps past performance.
“Why do you think the Republicans in America will risk a Donald Trump, a man who already lost the election, who already got indicted on many felonies? It is because they need him,” he said.
Speaking on Nigeria’s informal power rotation arrangement, the PDP chieftain said leadership should be about performance, not geography.
“Democracy as practised in Nigeria is done every four years because it is an examination. You pass, or you fail.
“The only qualification cannot be about where you come from. The only qualification we’re seeing now is that it should be a southerner,” he concluded.
2027: Atiku remains the best to face Tinubu, says Dele Momodu
Politics
Delta Governor Oborevwori dumps PDP for APC
Delta Governor Oborevwori dumps PDP for APC
Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, has announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The announcement came after a high-level closed-door meeting held at the Government House in Asaba on Tuesday evening.
The governor’s defection is coming just after a viral video stirred speculation about his political future. In the footage, which sparked online debates, Oborevwori was seen in close company with known APC stakeholders. At the time, his media aide dismissed the clip as “old and misleading.”
Newstrends learnt senior APC figures were present to welcome the governor into their fold, signaling a significant political realignment in the South-South state.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, said Oborevwori’s decision was based on “wide consultations with political stakeholders and in the interest of Delta’s long-term development.”
“This move was not made lightly,” Ahon emphasized. “The governor is deeply committed to the prosperity of Delta State and believes that working with the APC at the federal level will help accelerate growth and deliver better dividends of democracy to the people.”
Governor Oborevwori was elected under the PDP platform in the 2023 gubernatorial election, defeating his opponents to secure the governorship seat. His defection to the APC, however, is already being interpreted by political analysts as a calculated strategy with an eye on the 2027 general elections
-
metro2 days agoRivers: Tinubu meets with Fubara, may lift his suspension
-
metro3 days agoBring your children to compete with mine, MC Oluomo challenges those mocking his spoken English
-
metro2 days agoI’m not in supremacy battle with Ooni, says new Alaafin
-
Business3 days agoMarketers count losses as NNPC slashes petrol price
-
metro3 days agoRivers: Fubara’s supporters praise Tinubu’s intervention with emergency rule
-
metro2 days agoBandits attack Kwara North, kill vigilante, six others
-
Business2 days agoNigeria’s gas production increases by 15.6% to 227,931.65 mscf
-
metro22 hours agoNiger Gov Bago makes U-turn on dreadlocks ban after backlash