Politics

Tinubu to Afenifere: Help me thank Buhari, northern govs for being promise-keepers

Published

2 years ago

October 31, 2022

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Sunday opened up on a conversation he had with President Muhammadu Buhari on his choice and his running mate.

Tinubu spoke this at the residence of Pa Reuben Fasoranti, leader of Afenifere, Yoruba Socio-cultural group, in Akure, Ondo State capital.

He said the visit was in fulfilment of an earlier promise he made to the Afenifere leader before the APC primaries.

“I promised to come back after winning the APC ticket. I am here to thank all Yoruba leaders and also ask them to thank Buhari and northern governors for their steadfastness and for being promise-keepers.

“The North proved to me Nigeria can survive its unity. Some people wanted President Muhammadu Buhari to announce someone, but the President said no. He insisted the process must go on democratically. The President said that anyone that would mess up the APC process would see his other side.

“He remained upright to the end. Northern APC Governors resolved that the presidency must go to the South and, especially, South West. Governors Nasir El-Rufai, Abdullahi Ganduje and others supported me to the end.
“The battle was tough and, at a point, I was in doubt. There were many rumours and I became confused over what to believe. Buhari told me I promoted his name with the way I won the primary election because the process was clean and transparent and nobody could accuse him of manipulating it.

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“The president said I gave him credibility and I deserved to be President. When I asked him to nominate the Vice Presidential candidate, he said I should pick whoever I wanted and it is the reason I chose a competent man in Kashim Shettima who has never lost any election. I particularly went for him because he had protected Christians in time of trouble in his state,” he stated.

Immediate past General Secretary of Afenifere, Chief Seinde Arogbofa, tasked Tinubu to be a leader that would unite Nigeria and work for the progress and development of the country.

“You are not just a Yoruba man but a Nigerian. When you become president, take Nigeria into consideration in all you do, but never forget home.

“Our demands are what you know already – restructuring, security and the economy. Our country is no longer safe. We want state police so that the country will be safe,” he said.

Ondo State Deputy Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who received Tinubu and his delegation on behalf of Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu, said Ondo State people were ‘Afenifere’ and would support Tinubu to win.

“Asiwaju has the reach, the competence to lead Nigeria,” Ayedatiwa said.

In his remark, Gov. Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti assured the Yoruba leaders that all the governors of South West and people were solidly behind Tinubu.

“We are happy to receive our leader, Asiwaju Tinubu, today. I want to assure him and our fathers that we will support him to the end,” he said.

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Chief Olu Falae, former Secretary of the Government of the Federation and an Afenifere leader, asked the APC presidential flagbearer to work to fix the economy.

Chief Falae decried the falling value of the Naira, adding that he spent his life serving Nigeria and would not be happy if such efforts went in vain.

“When you become president, please work to fix this country. We are here to offer advice. I am old and no longer looking for job. We need to fix security, fix our economy.

“Our naira is almost becoming useless and will soon become N1000 to a dollar. We must change that. I know your ability. We will always be here to support and I wish you well.

“We will be here when you bring the trophy home by the grace of God,” he said.

NAN reports that leaders of Afenifere from the six South-West States, including Kwara and Kogi, were present at the Akure residence of the Afenifere leader to offer support to Asiwaju Tinubu. (NAN)

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Politics

Tinubu smashes opposition, four more PDP govs set to decamp

Published

18 hours ago

April 27, 2025

Trends Admin

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu smashes opposition, four more PDP govs set to decamp

President Bola Tinubu’s determined push to weaken opposition ranks appears to be yielding results, with strong indications that four Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors are set to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Fresh investigation has revealed that Tinubu, long on the defensive against opposition attacks, has intensified efforts to consolidate power by targeting key figures in rival parties. His moves, insiders said, triggered the current wave of high-profile defections.

While sources within the APC and the Presidency attributed the looming defections to Tinubu’s aggressive political strategy, some opposition figures have accused the President of using inducements and blackmail to lure defectors. The president’s allies, on the other hand, have argued that his leadership style has made the APC increasingly attractive.

Governors Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Abba Yusuf (Kano), and suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara have been named as the next big catches for the ruling party.

“It is not a rumour. It is happening; those four governors – Eno, Mbah, Yusuf and Fubara — are on their way to joining the APC,” a senior party source confirmed.

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Officials at the APC national secretariat in Abuja also corroborated the development, pointing to an aggressive recruitment drive spearheaded by the President and top party leaders.

The anticipated defections come on the heels of last Wednesday’s surprise defection by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa, and the entire PDP structure in the state to the APC. Their move was announced by Senator James Manager after a six-hour meeting at the Government House in Asaba.

Meanwhile, concerns have emerged over the tactics allegedly employed to secure these defections. A senior source cited the alleged Tinubu’s secret meeting with Fubara in London as a possible example of backroom pressure. The meeting reportedly took place at Fubara’s request following his suspension and the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

A source familiar with the situation said, “It was at that meeting that we believed Fubara must have been coaxed into considering the idea of defection as part of the arrangement to return his mandate. We also have reasons to suspect that Governor Eno’s potential move to the APC is linked to his predecessor and godfather’s alleged corruption case with the EFCC.”

Regarding Kano, the source stated that Tinubu had intensified reconciliation efforts between former Governors Abdullahi Ganduje and Rabiu Kwankwaso to pave the way for Yusuf’s defection.

“In the coming days, the news of Abba Yusuf’s defection will be made public because he will officially move to the APC with his mentor. We all know Kano is too big a state for Tinubu to ignore politically,” he added.

Tinubu smashes opposition, four more PDP govs set to decamp

Politics

Obi introduces online registration, ID cards for Obidient

Published

19 hours ago

April 27, 2025

Trends Admin

Peter Obi

Obi introduces online registration, ID cards for Obidient

Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has launched an online registration portal and identity cards for members of the Obidient Movement both within Nigeria and among supporters in the diaspora.

The development was announced in a joint statement on Saturday by the National Coordinator of the movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, and the Director of Strategic Communications and Media, Nana Kazaure.

According to the statement, the new identity cards will feature a QR code for easy authentication and display the national flag of each holder’s country of residence.

It stated in part: “Obidient registration portal supports Nigerians and fellow Obidients living in the diaspora. You will observe that the ID has a flag on it. For example, if you’re not resident in Nigeria, the top right-hand corner will carry the flag of your country of residence.”

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Highlighting the movement’s emphasis on unity and diversity, the statement added: “That way, we can all witness first-hand the embodying of our spirit of diversity, comradery, and unity and how far-reaching the messaging Obidient Movement is. The OBX is constant on the ID card. The Diasporan and Nigerian cards, all start with the same prefix which is the OBX.”

The statement further explained the functionality of the QR code embedded in the card: “The QR code on the bottom right-hand corner is there to authenticate your card, which can be scanned with any QR scanner such as a smartphone, to give Obidients a secure and confident way of interacting with one another.”

It continued: “So if you choose to support or do business with an Obidient, you can scan the QR code or verify the OBX ID online to confirm that the person is who and what they truly say they are and are who they truly claim to be.”

Obi introduces online registration, ID cards for Obidient

Politics

Tinubu won’t get second term if El-Rufai can mobilise northerners for Obi – Dahiru

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2025

Trends Admin

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu won’t get second term if El-Rufai can mobilise northerners for Obi – Dahiru

Political analyst and columnist Majeed Dahiru has said that President Bola Tinubu’s administration may end in 2027.

This, he said, was dependent on how former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai successfully rallies northern political forces behind Labour Party’s Peter Obi.

Dahiru spoke during an appearance on The Morning Brief of the Channels Television, discussing recent opposition alignments and El-Rufai’s strategic relevance ahead of the next general election.

“If I may put it straight. The day El-Rufai decides and can galvanise the opinion moulders in the North to zero in on Peter Obi, for instance, as the candidate, that will be the end of the Tinubu administration,” Dahiru stated.

This came amid ongoing conversations about potential coalitions to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The situation took a new turn on Wednesday when Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme, and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, alongside several PDP officials, defected to the APC.

Dahiru noted the reported resistance from PDP governors to opposition coalition efforts, attributing it to regional loyalty.

“That’s because the PDP governors’ preferred candidate for the next election is President Bola Tinubu of the APC — because of southern solidarity. The bulk of the PDP governors are from the South. One of their own is in power. They can’t work against one of their own. It’s not possible.”

He cited historical examples to underscore the role of regional interests in Nigerian politics.

“In 2003, the AD (Alliance for Democracy) didn’t field a presidential candidate because of Obasanjo. That is the nature of Nigerian politics.

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“When Yar’Adua became president in 2007, a number of ANPP (All Nigeria Peoples Party) governors moved to the PDP. Two governors even married his daughters to gain a footing in the PDP. It has always been like that.”

Dahiru also addressed El-Rufai’s recent departure from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), attributing it to deeper tensions with the presidency.

“El-Rufai has a grouse against the president — a legitimate grouse — because he worked for the president. Hate him or love him, he has a basis to be angry,” he said.

“He has been working assiduously to undermine the president, particularly in the Muslim North, where he is like the caliph to Buhari. He’s the brainbox of the Muslim North.”

He hinted at a broader political strategy by El-Rufai, possibly involving an endorsement of a candidate from the South, especially the Southeast.

“Let me give him a tip: if he really wants to sit at the back of the president, what he should do — and I think they may already be on that path — is convince the Muslim North to look towards the South for a candidate. Specifically, the Southeast.

“If he’s able to do that — and I know he can; he has the capacity — to shift support to someone like Peter Obi, then that will be the end of the Tinubu administration.”