Tinubu behind Sanwo-Olu, GAC insists as controversy surrounds second-term bid – Newstrends
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Tinubu behind Sanwo-Olu, GAC insists as controversy surrounds second-term bid

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Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu

• Only gov has picked nomination form – Lagos APC

CONTROVERSY has surrounded the second term bid of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

While the Governor’s Advisory Council maintained that it has cleared Sanwo-Olu to return in 2023, it is not clear whether or not the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has endorsed the governor’s second term bid.

There had been reports (not by The PUNCH) that Tinubu had dumped Sanwo-Olu for another loyalist, Mustapha Olorunfemi, ahead of the May 23, 2022 governorship primary in the state.

Efforts to get the reaction of Tinubu’s spokesman, Tunde Rahman, on whether Sanwo-Olu had the nod of the APC leader proved abortive as he did not take calls and reply to the message to his line on Thursday.

However, GAC member, 85-year-old Prince Tajudeen Olusi and APC chairman in Lagos, Cornelius Ojelabi, in separate interviews with The PUNCH on Thursday, noted that Sanwo-Olu had GAC’s support to return to office.

The GAC, the highest decision-making organ of the party headed by Tinubu, had mid-April endorsed Sanwo-Olu for second term.

GAC had in 2018 kicked against the second term bid of a former governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, which led to the emergence of Sanwo-Olu as the APC candidate in the 2019 governorship election in the state.

Ambode’s predecessors were in office for two consecutive terms.

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They include Tinubu, who was governor between 1999 and 2007; as well as current Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who was governor from 2007 to 2015.

Responding to viral reports that Tinubu had rejected Sanwo-Olu just as he opposed Ambode in the build-up to the 2019 governorship election, Olusi told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Thursday that Tinubu had filled Sanwo-Olu’s endorsement form which would be transmitted to the party’s secretariat in the state before the May 23 governorship primary.

Olusi said, “All members of GAC are happy with Sanwo-Olu’s first term performance and we support his return for second term.

“A lot of our members have also filled a form endorsing Sanwo-Olu’s second term bid. Tinubu also signed the form. Any other thing is untrue.”

Another GAC member, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, did not respond to inquiries by The PUNCH as of press time.

When contacted, Kayode Odunaro, an aide to another GAC member and Senator representing Lagos West, Solomon Adeola, said his principal won’t go against GAC’s decision.

“Whatever GAC has decided is what they have decided and I don’t think my principal will go against it,” he said.

On his part, the state chairman of APC, Ojelabi, said though the party did not have a consensus candidate yet, no other aspirant aside from Sanwo-Olu had picked up APC governorship form for Lagos.

Ojelabi said, “We don’t have a candidate yet. I only know that Governor Sanwo-Olu has obtained his nomination form. I have not seen any other person that has obtained form from Lagos State.

“The GAC made a statement that they have endorsed Sanwo-Olu for second term and they have not changed that. Asiwaju is part of the GAC.”

Efforts to speak with Sanwo-Olu’s Chief Press Secretary, Gbeyega Akosile, proved abortive as calls to his line and a text message were unreturned as of press time.

But Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, told our correspondent that the reports making the rounds were so because of what happened to Ambode in 2019.

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Omotoso said, “Asiwaju is a member of the GAC and GAC, about two weeks ago, endorsed Mr Governor. What is going around is mischief.

“People are talking about this because of what happened during Mr Ambode’s tenure but that should not make them give Asiwaju the name that he doesn’t bear; I think it is not fair to the man. The GAC has spoken.”

A source close to Sanwo-Olu accused Ambode’s camp of peddling falsehood.

The source said, “Tinubu has no problem with Sanwo-Olu. They were still together in Abuja days ago when their nomination and expression of interest forms were presented to them individually. It is Ambode’s people that are peddling falsehood.”

Responding, the Chairman of the Akinwunmi Ambode Campaign Organisation, Wale Oluwo, in a telephone chat with our correspondent, refuted the allegation.

He said, “The same way they heard about it was the same way we heard about it. The person that they said has been picked to replace Governor Sanwo-Olu is not from AMCO. He doesn’t work with us; we know him because he was in government and had been a PS (Permanent Secretary).”

When asked whether Ambode had purchased APC N50m form for the May 23, 2022 governorship primary, Oluwo said, “No”.

On whether the ex-governor had any intention to do so, he said, “The organisation, AMCO, will announce it. The organisation has to meet and finalise things and announce.”

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Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats

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IIiya Umar Damagum

Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats

Few days after governors on the platform of the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) handed down an ultimatum for things to change in the party, the Acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagun has moved against the FCT Minister and his loyal lawmakers, the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Damagun in a letter addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dated 13th November 2024 and released on Sunday by the spokesperson of the Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, Ikenga Ugochinyere urged the electoral umpire to conduct a bye-election to fill up the 27 seats, they vacated to join the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Wike has been accused of being behind the crisis in the PDP over his disagreement with the Rivers State governor, Sim Fubara, his successor.

The crisis which started over control of resources divided the party in the state with 27 lawmakers in the state assembly siding Wike and defected to the APC following Wike’s acceptance to serve in the government of the APC.

He has also been accused of working in cahoots with Damagun to damage the PDP by not organising the National Executive Committee which would lead to the acting Chairman’s ouster.

After a series of agitation, the latest being from the PDP Governors’ Forum over the weekend, Damagun has demanded that INEC conduct elections as soon as possible, apparently moving against the FCT minister.

He argued in letter titled, ‘DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE CONDUCT OF FRESH ELECTION IN 27 STATE CONSTITUENCIES OF RIVERS STATE WHICH HAVE BECOME VACANT PURSUANT TO SECTION 109(1)(g) OF THE CONSTITUTION’ that it’s “unlawful” for the 27 members to defect.

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The members defected to the APC on December 11, 2023.

Damagun said, going by provisions of the Constitution, the lawmakers are no longer members of the Assembly.

The PDP acting chairman therefore urged the Commission to perform its constitutional duties and begin the process of conducting fresh elections to fill the vacancies created in the 27 state constituencies by the unlawful act of the former Assembly members.

Parts of the letter read, “The Leadership of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wishes to draw the attention of the Commission to the gross violation of Section 109 (1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) by 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly following their unlawful defection from our Party, the PDP who sponsored their elections to the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Monday, December 11, 2023.

“The Commission may recall that our Party, the PDP nominated all our 32 State House of Assembly candidates in Rivers State for the 2023 General Election on the 7th of July 2022 via your electronic candidate election nomination portal (See attached acknowledgement).

“The Commission may also recall that following the nomination, the Commission conducted election into the Rivers State House of Assembly on the 18th of March, 2023 and our Party won 32 seats in the state Assembly. The elected State House of Assembly members were inaugurated and sworn-in on June, 2023.

“However, on Monday, 11 December, 2023 a period of just six (6) months after inauguration, 27 out of the 32 members publicly announced their defection from our Party to the All Progressive Congress (APC). This defection is a gross violation of Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended).

“The only two grounds of division and merger provided for in the Constitution that permit such defection are completely non-existent in our political Party. It therefore means that the defections of the 27 members are without lawful excuse and these members have vacated their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly by the operations of Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.

“In view of the foregoing, we hereby demand that the Commission performs its constitutional duties and begin the process of conducting a Fresh Election to fill the vacancies created in the 27 State Constituencies by the unlawful act of the Assembly members. Find attached the list of the 27 State Assembly Members and their Constituencies.

“While thanking the Commission for its commitment to deepening democracy in our country, please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”

Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats

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Nigeria would have been better under Peter Obi, too much nepotism under Tinubu – Senator Abaribe

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Nigeria would have been better under Peter Obi, too much nepotism under Tinubu – Senator Abaribe

 

Nigeria would have been better than what it is currently if Peter Obi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), had won the 2023 elections, the senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has said.

Abaribe, who spoke on ‘Politics Today,’ a Channels Television programme, on Monday, said Obi would not have been as nepotistic as the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“Number one, he would not be as nepotistic as this government; he won’t; it’s not in him. That is just who we are; we feel for the other people.”

The lawmaker called attention to Tinubu’s appointment of four ministers from Ogun alone, noting that many other states have just one.

“I say it, and I don’t think so. We are seeing it everyday. I just gave you one example. How can Ogun state have four ministers? Why does he favour Ogun state? Oyo state has only one minister,” Abaribe said.

”The nepotism of Buhari, which nobody followed, has now deepened under President Tinubu because Buhari did it, and nobody said much. I was the only person shouting.”

He said that rather than waiting for presidents to be fair to the people of the south-east, it is high time people of the zone went back to revamp it, make it more livable, better, and more cohesive.

“It’s obvious that if we continue to look at whoever becomes president, they will look at us and do us right. Apart from Obasanjo and maybe Jonathan, I do not think that we have seen that same type of fairness,” he said.

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Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary

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Seyi Tinubu

Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary

Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, has been tipped for the seat of Lagos governor in the 2027 governorship election.

This was according to a video making the rounds on various social media platforms, which Peoples Gazette saw on Sunday.

The video highlights the president’s son’s biography, focusing on his education, career, and humanitarian activities as a Nigerian. It also documents his involvement in youth development in the country.

This biopic comes on the heels of some groups’ endorsements of Mr Tinubu’s son as a potential successor to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2027.

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On Tuesday, the Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders issued an endorsement in Owerri, Imo, suggesting that the younger Tinubu would be welcomed to contest the governorship seat in Osun or Imo.

He was also endorsed by Friends of Seyi, a group emphasising his vision and intellectual wherewithal to govern the country’s commercial nerve.

APC chieftain Joe Igbokwe, however, described the gale of endorsements as a ploy to undermine the president in a Facebook post.

“Who are these faceless people pushing Seyi Tinubu for Lagos governor? This is a needless distraction,” said Mr Igbokwe. “To pull PBAT down is their target. Ruling Lagos is not the job of boys.”

Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary

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