Politics
Wike, supporters ‘ll dump PDP if reconciliation fails, says Jerry Gana

• Fresh talks with Atiku’s camp deadlocked
Professor Jerry Gana, a former minister of Information said in Port Harcourt, that Wike and his backers “shall tell the people of Nigeria where to go “ if reconciliation failed.
He spoke on a day fresh talks between representatives of the former vice president and those of Wike broke up without any concrete decision.
“We want to assure you that the problems we have in the PDP we shall resolve them. And if they are not resolved, this leader here, the governor together with all of us, we shall tell the people of Nigeria where to go,” Gana said while flagging off the construction of a flyover at the Mgbuoba, Ozuoba -Ada George Road in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Gana said PDP chapters in the North Central zone stood behind Wike to pick the presidential ticket of the party during the May primary in Abuja.
He said: “When I came earlier this year before we had our party primaries on behalf of our people from North Central Nigeria, I asked you whether you could confirm the rumour we heard that one of your illustrious sons was preparing to preside over the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“You answered in the affirmative and we assured you then that if you came out we would support you solidly. I am to confirm that we stood by your son and our people delivered.
He said: “When I came earlier this year before we had our party primaries on behalf of our people from North Central Nigeria, I asked you whether you could confirm the rumour we heard that one of your illustrious sons was preparing to preside over the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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“You answered in the affirmative and we assured you then that if you came out we would support you solidly. I am to confirm that we stood by your son and our people delivered.
He said Wike was raising the status of Port Harcourt to become an enduring investment destination and home for many because of the prevailing peace.
He said: “We love your son. He is a wonderful leader of truth. The man stands for justice, for equity, for goodness and we love him so much because he is also performing.
“He is delivering development projects for the people of Rivers State. In fact, we are very jealous that you have such a wonderful governor. One of the good things of the governor is that you have enjoyed peace and security under him.”
The resolution of the two month face-off between Alhaji Atiku and Governor Wike appears not to be in sight after their latest peace talks broke up yesterday in Port Harcourt without any concrete decision.
The two sides merely agreed to advance discussions after about four hours of meeting behind closed doors.
Sources said the representatives of the two gladiators failed to sort out their differences.
From the Atiku camp at yesterday’s meeting were Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri; former minister Adamu Waziri and Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) PDP governorship candidate in the last election in Ondo State.
Wike was represented by a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke; former governor of Cross River State,Mr. Donald Duke; former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and former governor of Gombe State, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo.
Speaking to reporters at the end of the meeting, Fintiri, said that talks were ongoing to achieve desired objectives.
He claimed that Nigerians were waiting patiently for the PDP to clinch power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023.
He urged PDP supporters to be patient saying the committee would broker peace, unify the party and Nigerians.
He said: “We are aware that Nigerians are anxious and waiting for PDP to take over government in 2023. We have met as leaders, members of the same political family and we have opened discussion, work is in progress and we will continue.
“At the end of the day, we will broker peace and we will unify the party and Nigerians”.
Also speaking, Dr. Mimiko, said soon, unity would be restored in the party.
Mimiko, hinted that the committee would meet again to further deliberate on issues that needed to be addressed.
He said: “We have agreed that there is need for us to enhance unity within our party. This is a reconciliation process.There are some issues out there which need further deliberation when the committees meet again.”
Members of the committee were said to have later met with Wike at his private residence in Rumueprikom.
Only 24 hours before yesterday’s meeting,Wike threw a fresh jab at those he said “are there in Abuja following their candidate to Adamawa.”
He then asked: “Is that where you win the votes?”
Adamawa is the home state of Alhaji Atiku.
He said: “I’m not a son to anybody,I’m a son of Rivers State and I’ll do what interests and benefits Rivers State.
“We’re here in Rivers State bringing in people from other parties to join PDP.
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“Some people stay in Abuja, ask them how many people they brought into the party. How many people have you brought in to support your candidate?”
And speaking at the flagging off of the 12th flyover in Port Harcourt yesterday, Wike vowed to deal with persons irrespective of their party affiliations plotting to destabilise the state.
He spoke against the backdrop of the shut down of a hotel,a bar, and a filling station belonging to some PDP stalwarts in the state.
But Wike stressed that his administration had invested hugely in achieving the prevailing peace, and would not tolerate attempts to return the state to the dark days of insecurity.
He said: “Now, let me tell anyone who cares to listen, whether you’re in PDP, APC, you’re in SDP, you’re in Accord or any other party, if I catch you trying to breach the security in this state, you’ll go in for it.
“I will not allow anybody to destabilise this state. We have suffered insecurity and God has helped us together with security agencies to maintain peace. For me, whether it is true or not, I must make sure that I take action.”
Wike said, sadly most people did not take the warning issued in his last state broadcast seriously.
The governor said he earlier warned that any hotel or event centre where criminals, cultists were allowed to gather to plot the breach of peace would be demolished.
He said: “So, if you know they’re using your hotel, or they’re using your drinking joint as where they’ll be holding meetings, think twice now.
“There is no amount of propaganda, if you like go to social media that they’re clamping down on you, that’s your business. I will not allow anybody to destabilise this state, because we have suffered insecurity and we have spent money.
“You can’t begin to arrange for cultists to meet in your event centres, or in your hotels. Pray that I don’t have any hint about that, if I do, I will bring down your hotel, I will bring down the event centre and I will arrest those people found there and I will prosecute them, heaven would not fall.”
The governor said it was not in doubt that Rivers was presently the only state that the PDP was sure of delivering its gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 election.
He said: “This is because Rivers people are already at home with the PDP and its commitment to the development of the state.
“That is why we are proud to say this is the only state, for now that PDP can be sure of returning its governorship candidate as governor.”
He explained that one of the reasons why the PDP was delighted to have chosen, Mr. Siminalaye Fubara, as its governorship candidate, was because he knew what was going on in government.
“Because you must be part of the system to understand the system to continue from where we are going to stop. Not people who just have the idea of wanting to be governor because they want to syphon our money. Thank God that we didn’t give them the ticket,” he said.
The Nation
Politics
Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

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

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