Politics

Respect your age, stop being teleguided by Dino, Tinubu’s camp blasts Atiku

Published

3 years ago

March 7, 2023

Atiku leads protesters to INEC office

FCT, Abuja – The APC Presidential Campaign Council has advised Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate to get his lawyers to plead his case in court rather than leading a street protest.

This was contained in a statement sent to Legit.ng on Monday, March 6, by Bayo Onanuga, Director of Media and Publicity for the APC Presidential Campaign Council. The APC campaign was reacting to an Atiku-led protest organised by PDP members against the outcome of the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly election.

Onanuga also advised Atiku to respect his age and the high office of the Vice-Presidency of Nigeria he once occupied. “When the defeated Atiku Abubakar told the whole world last week that he would seek redress in court over the outcome of the election, little did we know that he did not plan to be guided by his own promise.

“Going by his political antecedents, it was rather not surprising that Atiku, days later, led a band of protesters, nay jesters in Abuja, to the Headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). “What was on display today by Alhaji Atiku and his motley crowd was a new low from the perennial election loser.

“With Atiku staging a theatre of the absurd, we fail to see how a march to INEC by a scanty crowd will provide any victory window for him and his fragmented PDP,” Onanuga said.

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He added that the only recourse open to Atiku after the electoral umpire declared Sen. Bola Tinubu, a former two-term Governor of Lagos State as President-elect, was the Election Petition Tribunal. Onanuga further added that instead of Atiku and his party wisely spending their time gathering the so-called evidence they hope to present before the courts, they were busy dancing on the streets.

He said they were also causing traffic nuisance to residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)who were going to work on a Monday morning.

Onanuga added that the APC PCC does not expect a former Vice-President of Nigeria, a statesman and a presidential candidate to be so jobless as to have time to disturb public peace. This, he said, was especially over an electoral outcome he had already said he would challenge in court. “We want to admonish Alhaji Atiku to respect his age and the high office of the Vice-Presidency of Nigeria he once occupied. “He should stop being teleguided by Dino Melaye, who disclosed scandalously that N400 billion was wasted on the election, which was clear at the outset that Atiku was bound to lose.

“Atiku should avoid being misdirected by other court jesters in his party, who continued to campaign after the election, still spewing their inanities against the President-elect,” Onanuga said.

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He described such persons as mere comic characters in a travelling theatre group, saying that INEC headquarters was not a court where the prayers of Atiku could be answered. Onanuga stressed that no amount of theatrical display would give Atiku and his party succour, adding that the honourable and lawful path to take was for him to get his lawyers to plead his case in court.

“He should stop throwing tantrums like a baby whose candy was taken away over an election he clearly lost due to his own poor judgment. “Mismanagement of his own party and violation of power rotational arrangement between the North and the South. “The PDP presidential candidate dug his own grave, in his last election and, absurdly, he is trying to rewrite the script of his own utter failure,” Onanuga said. Onanuga wondered how Atiku and his party hoped to win when he had admitted that Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate, his running mate in 2019, ran away with traditional PDP votes from the South-East and South-South.

He said it was preposterous that while Atiku was disturbing public peace, chanting phantom electoral victory, Obi was making the same claim. “We think both men have embarrassed themselves enough and it is high time they both resolved who between them is the supposed winner that will challenge our party’s victory in court. “We advise Atiku to retire honourably from politics and move to his abode in Dubai. At 77 in November, Atiku does not have age on his side again. “He had participated in his last election and hopefully, he had learnt worthy lessons, never to place his selfish interest above party and established principles in his party and the polity,” Onanuga said.

Related Topics:Atiku Dino Featured Tinubu

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Politics

Ogun Lawmaker Rasheed Kashamu Defects from PDP to APC

Published

2 days ago

December 15, 2025

Trends Admin

Ogun Lawmaker Rasheed Kashamu Defects from PDP to APC

Mr. Rasheed Kashamu, Ijebu-North 1 lawmaker in the Ogun State House of Assembly, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defection, announced on Monday during a plenary session at the Assembly Complex, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, was communicated through a letter read by the Speaker of the House, Oludaisi Elemide. Kashamu, who served as Deputy Minority Whip, cited irreconcilable differences and factional divisions within the PDP at both state and national levels as reasons for his move.

Elemide noted that Kashamu’s decision was aimed at aligning with progressive forces in Ogun State and supporting the development agenda of Governor Dapo Abiodun. “After reviewing the current state of affairs of the PDP, marked by unresolved leadership crises, he resolved, in consultation with his supporters, to join the APC and back the ISEYA agenda of Governor Abiodun and the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu,” the Speaker said.

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Kashamu formally joined the APC at his Oke-Sopen Ward in Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu-North Local Government Area, accompanied by his supporters, while lawmakers welcomed him into the Assembly’s majority caucus. His wife, uncle, and other well-wishers were present to witness the event.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State House of Assembly also acknowledged a letter from Governor Dapo Abiodun seeking the confirmation of Mr. Abdul Najeem Olayinka as Auditor-General for Local Governments following the retirement of Mr. Lamidi Mulero.

Elemide directed the nominee to appear before the House for screening on December 17 and to submit 30 copies of his curriculum vitae and credentials by 10:00 a.m. on December 16, as part of the confirmation process.

This development marks a significant political shift in Ogun State, strengthening the APC’s presence in the House of Assembly ahead of upcoming elections.

Ogun Lawmaker Rasheed Kashamu Defects from PDP to APC

Politics

Ex-Osun Assembly Speaker Najeem Salaam Wins ADC Guber Primary

Published

2 days ago

December 15, 2025

Trends Admin

Dr. Najeem Salaam, former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly

Ex-Osun Assembly Speaker Najeem Salaam Wins ADC Guber Primary

Dr. Najeem Salaam, former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, has emerged as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate for the 2026 Osun State election, securing an overwhelming victory at the party’s primary election on Monday.

The primary, held in Osogbo, saw 528 delegates accredited, including 482 local government and ward delegates and 53 special delegates. Of the votes cast, 520 were validly credited to Salaam, while eight votes were declared invalid, confirming his landslide win.

Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Chairman of the ADC Primary Election Committee, officially declared Salaam as the party’s flagbearer, empowering him to lead the party into the 2026 gubernatorial race.

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In his acceptance speech, Salaam thanked delegates and ADC leadership for their confidence, vowing to champion the party’s vision and represent the people of Osun State effectively in the upcoming election.

Salaam’s nomination adds momentum to a highly competitive political landscape in Osun State, where other parties, including the Accord Party and All Progressives Congress (APC), have also concluded their nominations. Governor Ademola Adeleke secured the Accord Party ticket, while the APC confirmed Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji as its flagbearer.

Political analysts note that Salaam’s experience as a legislative leader and grassroots mobiliser positions him as a strong contender in the 2026 Osun governorship election, signaling an intense contest across major parties.

Ex-Osun Assembly Speaker Najeem Salaam Wins ADC Guber Primary

Politics

El-Rufai Denies Claim on 2027 Presidency, Calls Viral Report Fake News

Published

2 days ago

December 15, 2025

Trends Admin

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai

El-Rufai Denies Claim on 2027 Presidency, Calls Viral Report Fake News

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed as false a viral report alleging that he commented on which region should produce Nigeria’s president in 2027, describing the claim as fake news.

The report, which circulated widely on social media, alleged that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain said it was the South’s turn to produce the next president. Reacting on Monday via X (formerly Twitter), El-Rufai categorically denied making such a statement.

“My attention has been drawn to a trending fake news item alleging that I specified which region of the country should produce the president in 2027. This claim is untrue, despite its virality,” he said.

El-Rufai stressed that he did not express such views in any speech, interview or social media post, noting that his opinions are only conveyed through his verifiable official platforms.

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He also faulted the practice of attributing opinions to him based on articles written by others, even when such articles are shared on his platforms as part of broader national discourse.

“It is wrong and improper to attribute to me opinion articles written by other authors, even when I share such articles on my platforms as contributions to the national conversation,” he said.

The former governor warned that the spread of misinformation and irresponsible politicking on social media poses a serious threat to public trust and democratic debate.

“These clarifications are crucial as we confront the deliberate misuse of social media for the spread of fake news,” El-Rufai stated, adding that fake news platforms should not be accorded any credibility.

He further urged journalists, media organisations and members of the public to verify information before publishing or sharing it, cautioning that failure to do so undermines the integrity of the media.

“In this age of falsehood, the obligation to verify information before posting or publishing has become more important than ever,” he said, lamenting what he described as the growing alignment of some media actors with unverified social media narratives.

El-Rufai concluded by reiterating that no political views should be attributed to him unless they are explicitly expressed on his official social media accounts or during interviews with reputable media organisations.