Politics
Your political comments are becoming unstatesmanlike -Keyamo knocks Cardinal Onaiyeken
Your political comments are becoming unstatesmanlike -Keyamo knocks Cardinal Onaiyeken
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has lashed out at the comment credited to Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, John Onaiyekan, on Thursday.
Onaiyekan had during his appearance on Channels Television programme, said it would be wrong to swear in Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s president before the conclusion of cases challenging his victory in tribunal.
But reacting to Onaiyekan’s comment in a tweet on his verified Twitter handle, Keyamo, who was one of the spokesperson of Tinubu’s campaign team, said the retired Catholic priest’s behaviour was uncalled for.
The Delta – born Keyamo also said Onaiyeken decided to single out Tinubu because the candidate he supported lost in the 2023 presidential poll.
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His words: “Dear daddy Onaiyekan, you know we all respect you a lot, but your political comments are becoming unstatesmanlike.
A statesman who doubles as a Man of God should strive to be fair to all. You didn’t say the same thing when Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan and Buhari were all sworn in as Presidents when their cases were still before the courts.
You have chosen to single out this President- Elect @officialABAT this time around because the candidate you and your other religious brethren openly supported lost the election and you all feel humiliated and embarrassed. All issues raised against the victory of @officialABAT in court now (whether it is 25% votes in FCT or the fake drug issue, etc), are not different from issues raised against previous Presidents-elect because basically the complaints have always been that the declared victor did not win the election fair and square or was not qualified to contest the election. No disqualifying issue against a candidate can be greater than other disqualifying issues since a single issue can decide a case against a President-elect.
So, why all the fuse now? It has always been our electoral template since 1999 for the declared winners to be sworn into office in order TO AVOID A VACUUM and not to foist an unconstitutional contraption on the system whist the cases are in court.
My dear daddy, may I respectfully advise that going forward, you and your brethren may consider stepping back from the deep and murky waters of politics and desist from descending into the arena of political conflicts where your children in your congregations find themselves on different sides of political divides, so it would be unfair to them for you to openly take sides. The embarrassment to the Body of Christ is getting too much and no politician is worth dragging this dignified body into unnecessary political controversy. Is this too much to ask, daddy?”
Your political comments are becoming unstatesmanlike -Keyamo knocks Cardinal Onaiyeken
Politics
APC spokesman denies threatening Peter Obi
APC spokesman denies threatening Peter Obi
Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has accused Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last election, of misleading the public.
Obi had raised the alarm that Morka threatened him over his New Year message to President Bola Tinubu.
“My New Year Message has now led to threats to my life, my family, and those around me. While I have received all sorts of messages, one Mr. Felix Morka has gone further to accuse me of “crossing the line” and has warned that I will face consequences,” Obi had tweeted.
The allegation of Obi had attracted comments from different quarters, with Atiku Abubakar, Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, accusing the ruling party of stifling opposition voices.
The Labour Party also told Tinubu to call Morka to order, demanding a probe of the alarm raised by Obi.
But in a statement on Tuesday, Morka said Obi’s allegation stemmed from his answer to a question during an interview on AriseTV’s THIS WEEK program on Saturday, January 4, 2025.
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“To be clear and for the record, Morka did not threaten Mr Obi or his family or those around him or anyone. Morka has absolutely no reason to, and has never, threatened Obi or anyone. Nothing that Morka said in that interview or any other forum remotely contains or suggests threat against Mr. Obi or anyone else, as the verbatim transcription of the relevant clip indisputably attests:
“Morka’s answer was in the exclusive context of the question. The last sentence of that answer that, “I am not somebody to go on the offensive in that manner, but Mr. Obi has crossed the line so many times and I think that at this point he has coming to him, whatever he gets, he needs to manage it”, was in specific and exclusive response to the question’s reference to “prophet of doom” and “voodoo economics”. Again, nothing in that sentence constitutes or suggests a threat to Obi or anyone.
“While everyone has a right to free speech, no one has a right to peddle misinformation or outright falsehood. The right to free speech granted by our country’s Constitution is not Mr. Obi’s exclusive right but a right that is available to all Nigerians, including Morka. Mr. Obi cannot disseminate misinformation and demand or expect that no one should disagree or challenge his false narrative.
“Ours is a democracy where every citizen, irrespective of political affiliation, is entitled to agree or disagree with other political views or opinions. More than any other Nigerian in this political dispensation, Mr. Obi has exercised his fundamental liberty to speak and disseminate his political views in person, in the formal and on social media.”
The APC spokesman claimed Obi leads a restless band of online mob who continue to attack, intimidate, bully and issue death threats to other citizens who dare disagree or criticize Obi or his opinions or position on any subject or matter of national conversation.
“Many eminent and highly respected elder statesmen have been serially attacked, humiliated and bullied by Obi’s online followers. Obi has never condemned their conduct or called them to order.”
“Obi must think himself to be Nigeria’s sacred cow, the super citizen, quintessential, without blemish, beyond reproach, always right, never wrong, and endowed with the supreme and inalienable right to deride, castigate, intimidate blackmail and incite Nigerians against other political leaders who disagree with him, even those who defeated him decisively in the last general election. Mr. Obi is not entitled to any monolithic or exclusive constitutional or extraterrestrial liberty over and above any other citizen.
“There’s no doubt that Mr. Obi has crossed the line of truth in his many assessments. As a candidate for the office of President in the last general election, Mr. Obi made very bold electoral promises to implement specific economic policies to tackle the country’s economic crisis.”
APC spokesman denies threatening Peter Obi
Politics
El-Rufai speaks on report of defection to PDP
El-Rufai speaks on report of defection to PDP
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has dismissed claims that he has defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
A close associate of the ex-governor informed Channels Television that the allegations are baseless and the work of detractors. The aide emphasized that El-Rufai, as a prominent political figure, would not join the PDP without making such a decision public.
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El-Rufai also addressed the speculation on his verified X account, formerly known as Twitter, urging the public to ignore the rumors and asserting that legal action has been initiated against those spreading falsehoods.
“Please disregard the patent lies and rumours about my political affiliation. I have referred the lead peddlers of the fake news for further action by my lawyers,” El-Rufai posted on Sunday.
El-Rufai speaks on report of defection to PDP
Politics
Delta Gov Oborevwori under fire for hobnobbing with APC
Delta Gov Oborevwori under fire for hobnobbing with APC
In Delta State, some PDP elders have queried Governor Sheriff Oborevwori over alleged anti-party activities.
The elders under the aegis of ‘Concerned Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Delta State chapter, urged Oborevwori to either confirm or deny rumours of his alleged romance with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The group, in a statement by Mr. Theophilus Ekiyor, Mr. Ochuko Oghenekome and Mr Ezekiel Chukwudi, also urged the governor to either confirm or deny his defection plan.
The statement reads in part: “The rumour mills are agog with stories of your intention of cross-carpeting to the ruling party at the centre, the APC
“You have been secretly romancing top aides to His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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“Top presidential aides and allies of the president are now working to facilitate a meeting between you and President Tinubu on this self-seeking agenda.
“Your ultimate goal, as pointed out by those close to you, is to obtain approval to join the APC. In this regard, we are deeply troubled by these flying and unconfirmed rumours.
“We, therefore, demand prompt clarification from you to put us in the picture.
“A delayed response could be considered as glaring evidence of your compromised position.”
However, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Festus Ahon, dismissed the query, which he attributed to opposition politicians in the state who are afraid of the governor’s landmarks.
He said: “Those people are not from the PDP. They are elements who want to heat up the polity. The governor is comfortable in his party and has no plan to defect to the APC.”
Delta Gov Oborevwori under fire for hobnobbing with APC
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