What Christians Should Do About APC’s Same Faith Ticket — Fayemi – Newstrends
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What Christians Should Do About APC’s Same Faith Ticket — Fayemi

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Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi
  • ‘Tinubu/Shettima govt will heal Nigeria’s wounds’

The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has asked Christians in the country to look beyond the religious background of the presidential candidates for the 2023 poll but use the current challenge of the Muslim/Muslim ticket adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to present a charter of demands to all political candidates, especially those of the ruling party.

The governor spoke in Ado-Ekiti at the weekend during a courtesy visit to him by the new executives of the state’s chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) led by its Chairman, Dr Emmanuel Aribasoye.

Controversy has continued to trail the adoption of a former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, a Muslim from the North East, as running mate to the National Leader and presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also a Muslim, from the South West.

But the governor said Christians should not look at the Muslim joint ticket as a ploy to undermine them, but as a calculated political strategy to win the presidential election.

He said, “It’s time for us to realise that there are compelling reasons for Christians to participate in politics. In my own opinion, whatever makes us good Christians makes us good citizens.

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“The Christian leadership should use this current challenge as an opportunity to present a charter of demands to all political candidates, especially our party (APC), outlining the irreducible minimum conditions acceptable to Christians in the next political dispensation.

“While it is desirous to see one of us on either side of the presidential ticket, I think it is important for us to look beyond the religious profession of the gladiators or even their ethnic or geopolitical origins.”

Tinubu/Shettima govt will heal Nigeria’s wounds – Group

A group, National Unity Movement for Bola Ahmed Tinubu (NUMBAT) has said the Tinubu/Shettima ticket is the winning option that will heal national wounds.

The group, in a statement by its Director General, Hon Engr Bamidele Faparusi, said Shettima’s emergence was purely the handiwork of God.

The statement reads in part: “He is a good combination to bring about the anticipated change that our nation desires at this time of its life. He is a seasoned and tested professional in both public and private sectors. His emergence will also complement the one united Nigeria posture of Alhaji Tinubu.

“The combination of Alhaji Tinubu and Shettima for Nigeria will usher in developmental strides in all sectors. At the state our country is now, we require purposeful leadership, and this we can find in the combination of Tinubu/Shettima.

“They are detribalised Nigerians with large hearts and high level of religious tolerance. We are, therefore, confident that this combination will work to restore the soul of the nation and fight to move the country forward.”

DAILY TRUST

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Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

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Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that he does not know if he will contest the presidency in 2027.

Atiku made the remark in a yet-to-be-aired interview for a television show, Untold Stories, with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, scheduled for broadcast today but exclusively obtained by Daily Trust.

The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently announced the formation of a coalition of opposition leaders to wrest power from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

However, there has been widespread speculation about who will lead the coalition and emerge as its presidential candidate, with former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, being considered among its key figures.

When asked if he would be running for the presidency in 2027, Atiku said: “I don’t know because there has to be, first of all, a viable platform, more than any other time in the political history of this country, particularly since the return of democracy.”

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Atiku, who has run for the presidency a record six times, did not rule out the possibility of contesting again in 2027.

“I have not seen Nigeria in dire need of, you know, an experienced and credible leadership than this time.

“We had a similar, you know, what would I say, merger in 2014. About four of us or is it three? We all ran for president and one of us emerged, and we all supported the one who emerged, and he won,” he said.

He agreed with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s assertion that Nigeria’s democracy is deteriorating, saying the situation is “very dire.”

“No doubt about that,” he said.

Atiku also expressed his disappointment with the country’s political leadership.

“The next generation after me, many of them had been governors, had been senators. Instead of me to see an improvement in the level of governance at the state level and so on and so forth, I don’t see it. So I feel a little bit distressed.”

Atiku also questioned the credibility of the current legislative leadership, especially as it relates to the National Assembly’s ratification of the state of emergency in Rivers State

“I am not surprised,” he said, alleging that they are corrupt.

 

Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

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Africa’s democracy is govt by small for small number of people – Obasanjo

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Africa’s democracy is govt by small for small number of people – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has advanced reasons for what he called abysmal failure of democracy in Africa.

According to him, African presidents work with a clique and wield enormous powers with little or no resistance from perpetuating illegalities and abuse of office.

The ex-President said the democracy being practised in Africa does not aligned with the people’s values, culture, and way of life.

Obasanjo said spoke on Monday at a colloquium in Abuja to mark the 60th birthday of Emeka Ihedioha, a former governor of Imo State.

The former Nigerian leader, who chaired the event, referencing Abraham Lincoln’s definition of democracy as “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” said the system should work for all citizens rather than a privileged few.

He however wondered if African countries are practising true democracy or only adopting Western Liberal democracy.

He said, “If you are talking about democracy failing in Africa, democracy in Africa has failed. And why has it failed?

“Because in context and in content, it is not Africa. It does not have any aspect of our culture, our way of life, what we stand for, what we believe.

“Today, we have democracy, which is the government of a small number of people, by a small number of people over a large number of people who are deprived of what they need to have in life. That is not democracy that will endure.

“It is ‘I am because I can grab.’ What sort of democracy brings you, and you grab everything and then illegally, corruptly, and you say go to court? When you know that even in the court, you cannot get justice.

“It’s not that democracy is failing, democracy is dying and if we are going to make democracy not to die, we have to look at democracy in the context and in the content of Africa. I hope that we will get to that stage so that democracy which will deliver will be the democracy that we will have in Africa.”

Obasanjo was Nigeria’s military ruler from 1976 to 1979 and democratically elected president from 1999 to 2007.

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Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau

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Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau

Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau

Former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has cast doubt on the ability of a newly formed opposition coalition to unseat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.

Shekarau described the alliance, which includes former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, as a gathering of individuals with personal political ambitions rather than a structured and unified opposition front.

His remarks came just two days after the coalition’s formation was announced, with the stated goal of challenging Tinubu’s administration.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Dr. Sule Yau, Shekarau remarked, “This is just a gathering of certain individuals with political ambitions; none of them has officially consulted their party leadership.”

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He further argued that a coalition featuring prominent figures does not necessarily equate to an effective political alliance.

“The coalition of opposition figures is a good development, as seen in their recent meeting under what they call an opposition alliance. However, none of the key figures involved represents their party leadership,” Shekarau stated.

Emphasizing the legal framework for political mergers, he pointed out that only registered parties could formally unite, making the recent gathering an informal arrangement rather than an officially recognized coalition.

 

Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau

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