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Jonathan urges Africa to strengthen democracy

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  • Buhari, others hail him at 63

 

President Muhammadu Buhari, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and Senator Ike Ekweremadu have hailed rejoiced with former President Goodluck Jonathan on the occasion of his 63rd birthday anniversary on Friday.

This came as the former president made a case for the consolidation of democracy in Africa, describing it as a leverage that could ensure that the continent’s future would be better than its past.

Jonathan noted that democracy might have its flaws but pointed out that various academic studies had demonstrated that the system of government “yields better economies, better health for its citizens and better respect for human rights.”

 

 

 

Buhari, in his congratulatory message, said Jonathan’s life of service has brought honour and goodwill to the country.

 

This is coming as Jonathan has made a case for the consolidation of democracy in Africa, describing it as a leverage that could ensure that the continent’s future would be better than its past.

 

The president’s spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, said Buhari expressed appreciation to the former president for his dedication to service following his astronomical rise to the highest level of service and eventual emergence as ECOWAS envoy in recent times.

 

The president prayed God to grant Jonathan long life, wsdom and good health so that he can continue to serve humanity.

 

The statement read: “On behalf of the federal government and Nigerians in general, President Muhammadu Buhari warmly felicitates with former President Goodluck Jonathan on his 63rd birthday, November 20, 2020, congratulating him for a life of service that has brought honour and goodwill to the country.

 

“The President notes with appreciation the peculiar and remarkable climb of the former president on Nigeria’s political ladder, and dedication that has kept him working most recently as ECOWAS envoy to bring peace to the Republic of Mali.

 

“As the former Nigerian President turns 63, President Buhari prays that the Almighty God will grant Dr Jonathan longer life, good health and more wisdom to keep serving the nation and humanity.”

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has also congratulated Jonathan, as he clocks 63 years today, saying his efforts at promoting democracy particularly in Africa are impactful and commendable.

The former president’s “unique statesmanship and graceful disposition to issues” has also endeared him to democrats globally, Okowa said through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika.

He said that Jonathan’s bourgeoning role in entrenching democracy across Africa through his observer-mission activities was impactful and laudable.

Okowa also noted that the former president’s role in the peace process in Mali, describing it as “truly statesmanlike”.

Ekweremadu has also hailed Jonathan, for his democratic temperament and selfless leadership.

Ekweremadu commended the former President for not only the electoral reforms recorded under his administration, but also for providing the right democratic atmosphere to ensure that the reforms were implemented by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant agencies and stakeholders.

Jonathan in his keynote speech at a virtual conference organised by the Kofi Annan Foundation which focused on ‘Democracy in East Africa in the age of COVID- 19: challenges and opportunities’.

Jonathan further affirmed that it was no coincidence that the countries with the best human development index scores are all democracies, while the worst performers are not.

He said, “We have made enormous strides in Africa in terms of democracy. According to Freedom House, there were only two democracies in Africa in 1980; now there are no fewer than forty.”

Stressing that not all of these democracies meet the required standards, the former President however emphasised that they are mostly big improvements on what came before.

Comparing democracies to dictatorships, Jonathan stated that dictatorships around the world tend to underperform “because they are subjected to little or no accountability, either from a free press, an independent judiciary or a vibrant opposition.”

Jonathan noted that democracy “is fundamentally a competitive system, and competition keeps people, even politicians, on their toes”, adding that they are meant to be in power to serve their people and their countries, not themselves.

He said although democracy has its challenges in many countries, the aspiration to democracy has taken root, especially among our youth.

“From Washington to Abuja to Nairobi, democracy is always a work in progress, everywhere: each generation has to address the challenges left by its elders.”

 

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Obi will contest presidency even without coalition – Yunusa Tanko

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Peter Obi

Obi will contest presidency even without coalition – Yunusa Tanko

Yunusa Tanko, former spokesperson for Peter Obi’s presidential campaign and current Director-General of the Obidient Movement, has affirmed that the former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, will run for the 2027 presidential election — regardless of whether he emerges as the candidate of the newly formed opposition coalition.

Tanko made this statement on Monday in Abuja during the second Annual Colloquium held in honour of Associate Professor Abdulmumin Ajia.

“Obi has already stated that he will contest in 2027, whether we get the coalition ticket or not, so we are not even contemplating whether or not he will run. But when we get to that level, the platform will be revealed,” Tanko declared.

The comment comes amid increasing tension within the opposition coalition, which recently adopted the African Democratic Congress, ADC, as its official political platform for the 2027 elections. Internal disagreements have reportedly emerged within the group, especially concerning the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket.

Tanko, representing Obi at the event, urged the coalition leaders to ensure that the presidential ticket is zoned to the South, citing national unity and fairness.

“Why should we have a northerner again when we can easily allow the South to complete their tenure to promote unity and cohesiveness? Afterwards, our northern brothers can take up their eight years,” he said.

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He also cautioned against repeating past political errors, referencing the annulment of Moshood Abiola’s 1993 presidential election victory, and stressed that the governor of Anambra State remains the best candidate to lead Nigeria forward.

Tanko described Obi as “a committed and capable leader who possesses the competence to transform the nation” and urged members of the coalition to rally behind him in order to avoid “another political blunder.”

Speaking at the event, Associate Professor Abdulmumin Ajia praised the ADC as “a credible and independent platform with the potential to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape.”

“It is only a strong opposition, free from the direct and indirect influence of the ruling party, that can rescue Nigeria from what can best be described as the irony of a collapsing rich nation,” Ajia stated.

The 2027 presidential race is expected to attract several influential politicians within the coalition, including Peter Obi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

Obi will contest presidency even without coalition – Yunusa Tanko

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2027: Peter Obi urges ADC coalition to zone presidential ticket to South

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Peter Obi

2027: Peter Obi urges ADC coalition to zone presidential ticket to South

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the southern region of Nigeria, citing the need for equity, unity, and national cohesion.

Obi made the appeal on Sunday in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, while speaking on the sidelines of the 2nd Annual Colloquium in honour of Associate Professor Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia, a former APC governorship aspirant in the state.

According to Obi, giving the South a fair shot at the presidency in 2027 would help foster national balance and address concerns of marginalization.

Former PDP Presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Obi have both insisted that they will be on the ballot come 2027.

In an exclusive chat with Daily Trust at the event, Obi said “Why should we have a northerner again when we can easily allow the south to complete their tenure to promote unity and cohesiveness, and afterwards, our northern brothers can take up their eight years”.

To this end, the former Anambra governor said, “we are urging this coalition to cede the presidential ticket to the South and let us finish this matter”.

Obi, who was represented by the National Coordinator of Obidients Movement, Dr Tanko Yunusa, described his chances in the 2027 elections as very bright, saying he remains a capable and committed leader ready to transform Nigeria.

He “urged the coalition to seize this opportunity and avoid repeating the kind of political error that led to the late Moshood Abiola debacle”.

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He said “Obi has already stated that he will contest in 2027 whether we get the coalition ticket or not. So we are not even contemplating whether or not he will run. But when we get to that level, the platform will be revealed”, he added.

In his welcome address, Associate Professor Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia described the ADC as a credible coalition platform for the opposition and a potential vehicle for political transformation in Nigeria.

“It is only a strong opposition, free from direct and indirect influence of the ruling party, that can rescue Nigeria from what can best be described as the irony of a collapsing rich nation,” he said.

Ajia noted that the ADC and allied platforms are more than political parties but instruments for democratic restoration and civic renewal.

“These platforms represent more than party politics. They are tools to return power to the people and revive democratic ideals. Their emergence reminds us that democratic expansion and renewal are not only possible, but already in motion.”

Speaking on the theme of the colloquium, Ajia said the colloquium stands in solidarity with all formal and informal efforts aimed at rebuilding the Nigerian state into a truly accountable, inclusive, and citizen-serving republic.

In his remarks, a former “O to ge” frontliner and current leader of the Kwara Redemption Movement, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, called for a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s political culture, saying the country needs a new set of founding fathers who embody fresh values and a renewed national purpose.

“Twenty-six years of democracy has not taken us far from dictatorship in substance, even if the form has changed,” he said.

He lamented that the original structure designed by Nigeria’s founding fathers has collapsed completely.

“It is appropriate to review the Fourth Republic, which is already 25 years old, because we have failed in all three previous republics.”

Oyedepo noted that the seven election cycles conducted in the past 27 years have primarily served elite interests rather than the masses, adding that most political parties in the country are ideologically barren.

On Rivers State, the KRM leader said “The main source of the crisis in Rivers is the struggle over the state’s resources between a godfather and a godson, not a mentor-mentee relationship. That is the problem.”

He reiterated the need for a value-driven democratic process, stressing that without building a culture of accountability and inclusiveness, Nigeria cannot escape the grip of dictatorial leadership under the guise of democracy.

2027: Peter Obi urges ADC coalition to zone presidential ticket to South

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Your tenure was the worst in Osun history – Adeleke hits Aregbesola

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Gov Ademola Adeleke and Rauf Aregbesola

Your tenure was the worst in Osun history – Adeleke hits Aregbesola

OSOGBO — Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has launched a scathing attack on his predecessor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, describing his eight-year tenure as the “worst in Osun’s history.”

Adeleke’s remarks came in response to Aregbesola’s statement on Sunday while addressing supporters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Osogbo. Aregbesola had boasted that the ADC would dislodge the Adeleke-led administration from the government house come 2026.

In a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Monday, Governor Adeleke said Aregbesola has no moral ground to speak, accusing him of leaving behind a legacy of hardship, financial mismanagement, and institutional decay.

“The empty boast of Mr. Aregbesola about 2026 is a symptom of a troubled mind battling his benefactor and haunted by the suffering he inflicted on millions of Osun people through his evil policies and programmes,” Adeleke said.

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The Governor accused Aregbesola of mismanaging workers’ welfare by introducing the controversial half salary policy, misusing contributory pension funds, and withholding cooperative deductions from civil servants.

“A man who should be remorseful and tender public apologies for his years of maladministration has the audacity to attack a Governor who is paying up the half salary affliction, clearing unjustified debts, and rehabilitating brutalized Osun workers,” the statement read.

Adeleke revealed that his administration has so far paid 28 months of the half salaries owed by Aregbesola’s administration and has also cleared close to N60 billion in pension debt.

He further criticized Aregbesola for plunging the state into a cycle of unsustainable debt, which he said is still affecting Osun’s financial health today.

“Our people are smart enough to know that the worst era for Osun State is that of Mr. Aregbesola, under whom many pensioners lost their lives and thousands of livelihoods were disrupted,” Adeleke declared.

Describing Aregbesola as a “shrew who doesn’t realize he’s smelling,” Adeleke warned that 2026 will be a payback year, where Osun voters will reject the return of what he termed “the dark days” of Aregbesola’s rule.

“No voter in Osun is ready for a return to the evil days. The people will punish the former Governor and his party for willfully inflicting pain on them.”

The war of words between the former and current governors signals an early start to the political contest ahead of the 2026 Osun governorship election.

 

Your tenure was the worst in Osun history – Adeleke hits Aregbesola

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