TheNewsGuru

Tag: 2023

  • Why Peter Obi will be national security risk if elected – Omokri

    Why Peter Obi will be national security risk if elected – Omokri

    Former media aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri has accused Labour Party (LP), presidential candidate, Peter Obi of working with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), saying it poses a security threat to the nation if he becomes the president of Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru reports that Omokri took to his Twitter page to claim that Obi defended Eastern Security Network (ESN) and met with IPOB after the Federal government proscribed it as a terrorist group.

    He wrote: Peter Obi is an IPOB compliant candidate, who defended ESN and admitted meeting them after IPOB was classified as a terror group. The IPOB flag is on his Hero beer. He can be an IPOB President, but should NEVER be Nigeria’s president. It is a national security risk!

    See Tweet:

  • We’ve won trust of Rivers people – PDP

    We’ve won trust of Rivers people – PDP

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers said it has won the trust of Rivers people through good governance, infrastructure delivery, and tourism development.

    Desmond Akawo, State Chairman of the Party stated this on Friday at a beach party in Ikuru during the Andoni Unity Festival in Rivers.

    Akawo noted that PDP has become a household brand across the 23 local Councils for delivering massive infrastructure, assuring on the party’s readiness to further grow the state’s economy through tourism.

    According to him, local government chairmen should look inward and identify relevant economc potentials just as the Andoni LGA Chairman Mr Erastus Awortu has identified a potential economc window in tourism.

    “As a party with direct interest of the people, we will indeed identify with this huge investment hub in Andoni.

    “The beach when harnessed will not only create employment opportunities and revenue for the state but also has the capacity of attracting International recognition whenever tourism is mentioned,” he said.

    Akawo also applauded the people of the area for cooperation with the council Chairman on various peace initiatives which has positively transformed the area council.

    “We drove to Ikuru Town Beach by road courtesy PDP, indeed, there’s no room for other political parties in the 6,866 polling units of the state.

    “I’m sure we don’t need to persuade Andoni to vote for our party and Candidate Mr Siminialayi Fubara in the forthcoming gubernatorial election because the soil texture in Andoni is PDP, the DNA of the people of Andoni is PDP,” he added.

    Earlier, Awortu has called for partnership towards harnessing huge revenue in the tourism sector which he discribed as a ‘money spinner’.

    “Tourism is a capital intensive venture that requires more than what the local government council can afford. That is the reason we are calling on investors, operating oil companies and government,” he said.

  • Just In: Court of Appeal sets aside judgement nullifying Zamfara PDP guber primaries

    Just In: Court of Appeal sets aside judgement nullifying Zamfara PDP guber primaries

    The Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division on Friday voided the Federal High Court Judgement nullifying the election of Dr Dauda Dare as Zamfara Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for March 11 poll.

    Recall that the PDP Governorship Primary in the state which held on May 25, produced Dr Dauda Lawal-Dare, as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections in the state.

    However, on September 16, a federal high court in Gusau nullified the election of Lawal as the governorship candidate of the PDP, following a lawsuit filed by, Madawaki, Shehu-Gusau, and Aliyu Hafiz Muhammad challenging the legality of the primary election.

    Details later…

     

     

  • 2023: Ex-Kogi Speaker, others defect to PDP

    2023: Ex-Kogi Speaker, others defect to PDP

    The Former Speaker, Kogi House of Assembly, Alfa Imam, on Thursday led scores of supporters of the ruling APC to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The former speaker described their defection as “decisive” and “a step in the right direction.”

    Receiving the defectors on behalf of the PDP in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi, Sen Tunde Ogbeha, former Senator representing Kogi West, said the ruling party had failed the country.

    He applauded the defectors’ decision to “move out of APC to join PDP that holds the ace, to take Nigeria to the promised land.

    He welcomed Alfa Imam and the other defectors to PDP for their foresight, empathy, and courage.

    “Today, I call on all lovers of peace and progress to come out of their hiding places and join PDP, which when in power, many of you have robust businesses and a good condition of living, unlike now.

    “On behalf of the leadership of PDP, I wish to assure you that there will be no discrimination or denial as our party will always welcome genuine individuals, who want the best for Nigeria.”

    Ogbeha called on residents of Kogi to go and get their Permanent Voters’ Cards, (PVCs) to vote for PDP on Feb. 28.

    Also speaking, a serving Lawmaker representing Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency, Shaba Ibrahim, said that APC would regret losing the former speaker to the PDP.

    ”I wonder how he was able to cope in that toxic environment called APC. We are going to dislodge all those that took us from top to bottom.

    “Those who have made life unbearable for us in our state; we will send them packing,” he added.

    He charged supporters to ensure sweeping the APC out of power.

    Ibrahim said, ”I wonder how Imam was able to cope within the environment of APC but I want to assure you of a level playing ground in the PDP. ”

    Earlier, Imam said he was overwhelmed by the warm reception given to him by the PDP and regreted staying far too long with the ruling party, which he said, had disappointed many Nigerians with its style of leadership.

    The former lawmaker explained that their movement to PDP was not to seek for an alternative to the APC, “rather a move to a party that has structure and organized leadership”.

    Imam commended Ogbeha for his leadership quality in Lokoja Local Government Area, Kogi, and Nigeria in general.

    He recalled that in 2014, they campaigned against PDP, but were perplexed that Nigeria has witnessed more hell under the ruling APC.

    Imam assured that PDP would win convincingly in February’s election, adding that his journey to PDP was a privilege and not a right.

    NAN

  • Why I ignored Obi/Datti movement to join Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organization – Bwala

    Why I ignored Obi/Datti movement to join Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organization – Bwala

    The spokesperson for the Atiku, Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation, Daniel Bwala has revealed that former president Olusegun Obasanjo is the brain behind Obi/Datti movement, saying that Obasanjo poached him but refused and then chose to join Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).

    Bwala made the comments on Thursday while featuring on a political show on Arise Television.

    The revelation is coming on the heels of the endorsement of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, by Obasanjo.

    Obasanjo had, in a New Year message to Nigerians, endorsed Obi ahead of other presidential candidates for the forthcoming general  elections, in the country.

    The Egba high chief noted that  age , physical and mental disposition favours Obi more than other frontline candidates.

    “None of the contestants is a saint, but when one compares their character, antecedent, understanding, knowledge, discipline and vitality that they can bring to bear and the great efforts required to stay focused on the job, particularly looking at where the country is today and with the experience on the job that I personally had, Peter Obi as a mentee has an edge,” Obasanjo had said.

    However, Bwala said he did not join the Labour Party because he thought it could not defeat his former party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.

    “Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president and elder statesman, is someone that I respect very dearly. And I felt that was wrong because if you look at the content of the letter, he did not disclose the fact that he is the one behind the coupling together of the Obi/Datti movement. I know as a person because five months ago, he contacted me and wanted to draft me into the movement but respectfully I did not go, because I did not think that if I left APC because of the same free thinking that I want to ensure APC does not win, I should join a party that I don’t think to have a realistic chance of defeating APC.”

  • Four reasons why Obasanjo won’t stop attacking Buhari – Presidency

    Four reasons why Obasanjo won’t stop attacking Buhari – Presidency

    The Presidency says former President Olusegun Obasanjo will not stop attacking President Muhammadu Buhari because he is jealous of Buhari’s achievements.

    Malam Garba Shehu, the president’s spokesman gave four reasons for the unjustifiable attacks on Buhari by Obasanjo, saying ”the ex-president won’t stop being jealous of anyone who beats him to a new record in the nation’s development process.”

    According to the presidential aide, Buhari is ahead of the former president in all fields of national development.

    ‘Shehu said: ‘To do that is a cardinal sin to Obasanjo whose hallucinations tell him that he is the best ever to lead Nigeria and there will never be another one better than him.”

    He said that Buhari’s administration had successfully completed the world-class edifice, the second Niger Bridge after three decades of failed promises, saying the project would soon be inaugurated by the president.

    ”’Obasanjo laid the foundation for the bridge in his first term as elected President and work never started.

    ”When he sought re-election for his second term in office, he returned to the site to turn the sod for the bridge the second time.

    ”When the Obi of Onitsha, a forthright ago  scholarly, reminded him that he had done this in the past, Obasanjo told the foremost Southeast traditional ruler that he was a liar in the full presence of the Chiefs and Oracles in his Palace.

    ”Obasanjo lied to the Southeast to get their votes.

    ”President Buhari didn’t get their votes but built the bridge because he believed it is the right thing to do,” Shehu stated.

    The presidential aide also maintained that the former president was not comfortable with Buhari’s bagging awards and encomiums for strictly promoting democratic culture and the rule of law in Nigeria and beyond.

    He said: ”Two, President Buhari had been bagging awards and encomiums for trying to do that which the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria says a leader should do: Serve one, or a maximum of two terms and go.

    ”President Buhari has been stating and restating that he will supervise a better election than the one that brought him to office and to leave as and when due.

    “Having tried tenure elongation and failed, Obasanjo’s fictitious mind must be telling him that he is the one under attack.

    ”But, he is not on President Buhari’s radar because experience has shown, especially lately in West Africa where there have been at least three successful coups and many other failed attempts, that third term or tenure elongation is a recipe for political instability.”

    Shehu further reminded the former president that the totality of African leaders appointed Buhari the Anti-Corruption Champion of the continent.

    He said: ”You can’t be an anti-corruption champion if “you meddled and bent the rules,” carrying the putrid responsibility of what happened to national assets in the name of privatisation as documented by the Nigerian Senate in 2011.

    ”As an insight, the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria, ALSCON, which was set up with $3.2 billion, was sold to a Russian firm, Russal, for a paltry $130million. Delta Steel, which was set up in 2005, at a cost of $1.5billion, was sold to Global Infrastructure for just $30million.

    ”ALSCON got back $120million for the dredging of the Imo River, which was never carried out.”

    According to Shehu, the third reason for the Obasanjo attacks on Buhari is the growing profile of the president as the Champion of Democracy not only at home and in the West African subregion but the African continent as whole.

    He said: ”As President, Obasanjo destabilised internal democracy by orchestrating impeachment after impeachment of Governors who were not compliant with his highly imperial administration.

    ”As we said sometime back, Mr Obasanjo’s tenure, 1999-2007, represented the dark days of Nigeria’s democracy due to a slew of assaults on the constitution.

    ”The former president deployed federal machinery to remove Governors Joshua Dariye, Rashidi Ladoja, Peter Obi, Chris Ngige and Ayo Fayose from office.

    “They were the then governors of Plateau, Oyo, Anambra, Anambra and Ekiti, respectively, unjustly removed using the police and secret service under his control.

    ”Under him, a five-man legislature met at 6:00 am and “impeached” Gov. Dariye in Plateau; 18 members out of 32 removed Gov. Ladoja of Oyo from office;

    ‘Shehu also recalled that in Anambra, APGA’s Gov. Obi was equally impeached at 5:00 a.m. by members who did not meet the two-thirds required by the constitution.

    He said lawmaking powers of the Rivers legislature were transferred to the federal parliament to punish Gov. Amaechi for shifting his political alliance.

    Shehu said the former president ”damned the Supreme Court and unlawfully held back Lagos State revenues due from federal sources on account of his pettiness against Gov. Bola Tinubu.

    He added: ”On the other hand, in Washington a few weeks ago, the US President, Joe Biden, at a meeting with African Heads of States and Government, described Buhari as a champion of democracy and role model for the leaders of African states.

    ”Clearly, Obasanjo has become even more jealous by adopting a vengeful attitude.

    ”Four, to say that “frying pan to fire” is the situation in Nigeria at this time should be read to mean a personal experience to him and we know what that means.

    “Hell” for Obasanjo is when a President, any President that comes after him refuses to be his own puppet, to do as he wishes on all matters and at all times.
    He then keeps attacking out of frustration.

    ”Obasanjo’s vengeful attitude towards President Buhari is the height of selfishness and little short of moral squalor.”

  • Morally squalid Obasanjo attacks leaders out of frustration – Garba Shehu

    Morally squalid Obasanjo attacks leaders out of frustration – Garba Shehu

    Thanks for seeking our reaction.

    Former President Obasanjo is so well known to all that no one needs to describe who he is.

    But, four things we will like to say:

    One is that he will not stop attacking President Muhammadu Buhari because the former President won’t stop being jealous of anyone who beats him to a new record in the nation’s development process.

    President Buhari is ahead of Chief Obasanjo in all fields of national development and to do that is cardinal sin to Obasanjo whose hallucinations tell him that he is the best ever to lead Nigeria and there will never be another one better than him.

    President Buhari just completed the world class edifice that is the Second Niger Bridge after three decades of failed promises. It is now awaiting commissioning.

    Obasanjo laid the sod for the bridge in his first term as elected President and work never started.

    When he sought re-election for his second term in office, he returned to the site to turn the sod for the bridge the second time. When the Obi of Onitsha, forthright and scholarly, reminded him that he had done this in the past, Obasanjo told the foremost Southeast traditional ruler that he was a liar, in the full presence of the Chiefs and Oracles in his palace.

    Obasanjo lied to the Southeast to get their votes. President Buhari didn’t get their votes but built the bridge because he believed it is the right thing to do.

    Two, President Buhari had been bagging awards and encomiums for trying to do that which the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria says a leader should do: serve one, or a maximum of two terms and go.

    President Buhari has been stating and restating that he will supervise a better election than the one that brought him to office and to leave as and when due.

    Having tried tenure elongation and failed, Obasanjo’s fictitious mind must be telling him that he is the one under attack.

    But he is not on President Buhari’s radar because experience has shown, especially lately in West Africa where there have been at least three successful coups and many other failed attempts, that third term or tenure elongation is a recipe for political instability.

    Furthermore, the totality of African leaders appointed President Buhari the Anti-Corruption Champion of the continent.

    You can’t be an anti-corruption champion if “you meddled and bent the rules,” carrying the putrid responsibility of what happened to national assets in the name of privatization as documented by the Nigerian Senate in 2011.

    As an insight, the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria, ALSCON, which was set up with $3.2 billion, was sold to a Russian firm, Russal, for a paltry $130million. Delta Steel, which was set up in 2005, at a cost of $1.5billion, was sold to Global Infrastructure for just $30million.

    ALSCON got back $120million for the dredging of the Imo River, which was never carried out.

    Three, which is linked to the one above is the growing profile of President Buhari as the Champion of Democracy not only at home and in the West African subregion but the African continent as whole.

    As President, Obasanjo destabilized internal democracy by orchestrating impeachment after impeachment of governors who were not compliant with his highly imperial administration.

    As we said sometime back, Mr. Obasanjo’s tenure, 1999-2007, represented the dark days of Nigeria’s democracy due to a slew of assaults on the constitution.

    The former president deployed federal machinery to remove governors Joshua Dariye, Rashidi Ladoja, Peter Obi, Chris Ngige and Ayo Fayose from office. They were the then governors of Plateau, Oyo, Anambra, Anambra and Ekiti, respectively, unjustly removed using the police and secret service under his control.

    Under him, a five-man legislature met at 6:00 am and “impeached” Governor Dariye in Plateau; 18 members out of 32 removed Governor Ladoja of Oyo from office; in Anambra, APGA’s Governor Obi was equally impeached at 5:00 a.m. by members who did not meet the two-thirds required by the constitution.

    Lawmaking powers of the Rivers State legislature were transferred to the federal parliament to punish Governor Amaechi for shifting his political alliance.

    Moreover, he damned the Supreme Court and unlawfully held back Lagos State revenues due from federal sources on account of his pettiness against Governor Bola Tinubu.

    On the other hand, in Washington a few weeks ago, the US President Joe Biden at a meeting with African Heads of States and Government described President Buhari as a champion of democracy and role model for the leaders of African states.

    Clearly, Obasanjo has become even more jealous by adopting a vengeful attitude.

    Four, to say that “frying pan to fire” is the situation in Nigeria at this time should be read to mean a personal experience to him and we know what that means.

    “Hell” for Obasanjo is when a President, any President that comes after him refuses to be his own puppet, to do as he wishes on all matters and at all times.

    He then keeps attacking out of frustration.

    Obasanjo’s vengeful attitude towards President Buhari is the height of selfishness and little short of moral squalor.

  • Corps member delivers Ebonyi State’s first baby of 2023

    Corps member delivers Ebonyi State’s first baby of 2023

    The wife of Ebonyi Governor, Mrs Racheal Umahi welcomed the first baby of the year around 12.52 a.m at the Alex-Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki.

    The baby girl, weighing 3 kilogram at birth, was delivered by a National Youth Service Corps member, Mrs Chidimma Attah-Favour, serving in Ebonyi but hails from Nsukka, Enugu State.

    Speaking during her visit to the first baby delivered through Spontenous Vagina Delivery (SVD), Mrs Umahi prayed and thanked God for safe delivery.

    She commended the management of the hospital for their commitment and attention to ensure safe delivery.

    She urged the parent to bring up the baby properly to better their family and the society.

    “2023 is a unique year and God proved himself mighty; we appreciate God for keeping everyone alive to see the New Year.

    “We join the family of this baby to thank God for safe delivery and for the gift of a baby girl.

    “The child will be a great preacher, fill her with God’s word and knowledge properly for the betterment of the society and her family,” Mrs Umahi said.

    Dr Richard Ewa, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, confirmed that the baby was delivered through SVD.

    Ewa commended governor Umahi-led administration for its support and contributions to the hospital so far.

    “The baby was born at 12.52a.m, weighing 3kg and was delivered by a corp member,” he said.

    Also, Mrs Chidimma Attah-favour, mother of the first baby expressed satisfaction over the visit and commended Mrs Umahi for the gift.

    She, however, promised to bring up the baby properly and thanked God for safe delivery. The governor’s wife presented various items and foodstuff to the mother of the baby.

  • Akeredolu presents cash, gifts to first baby of 2023, others

    Akeredolu presents cash, gifts to first baby of 2023, others

    Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, Wife of the Ondo State Governor, on Sunday presented cash and gifts to the first three babies of 2023 in Akure.

    Anyanwu-Akeredolu also presented cash and gifts to seven other babies who were delivered on Christmas day, and in the last hours of 2022.

    The wife of the governor, who presented the gifts and cash to the parents of the babies at the Mother and Child Hospital, Akure, and Arakale Comprehensive Health Centre, Akure, said the gesture was to support the parents of the babies for their upkeep.

    According to her, it has become an annual ritual for us in the state to celebrate first child of the year and I am very delighted to see babies delivered in the two centres are healthy.

    Anyanwu-Akeredolu, who appreciated the doctors and nurses at the two hospitals due to the safe deliveries of the mothers, called on the parents to imbibe the culture of family planning in their child-bearing period to enable them to train the children well.

    “For a child born in this century to function properly, you must give him or her good education, you must provide for them, give them balanced diet for them to grow well and develop well so that they can compete favourably.

    “If a child is malnourished, that child will not do well in school and it’s at this very beginning, how they were born, how they were nourished that will determine the child.

    “We are not saying we want to lock their womb, but there is the need for our people to reduce the number of children that they give birth to because that’s what the present situation demands.

    “And we can not run away from the fact that it’s really a lot of money to bring up a child in this present century.

    “So, Nigerians will continue to have baby which is a good thing but all we are saying let us have the number we can afford to train or take care of.

    “Please, do a family planning and not over do it so that you will have enough to train these children and give them a healthy live style,” she said.

    Earlier, Dr Banjo Ajaka, State Commissioner for Health, who presented four babies to the wife of the governor at the Mother and Child Hospital, Akure said that the first child was born at 5:30am with a weight of 3.5 kg.

    “The other three babies, one was born on Christmas day and two others born during the last hour of the year 2022,” he said.

    Similarly, Dr Omoseyi Adeyemi-Osowe, Director, Primary Health Centre, Arakale in Akure South Local Government Area, who presented six babies to Anyanwu-Akeredolu, said the first child was born at 1:30 a.m, the second at 1:55 a.m, while they weighed 3.5kg and 3.4kg respectively.

    Also, Mrs Ayomide Bankole, who gave birth at 1:30 a.m., and Mrs Olatuji Mariam, who gave birth at 5:30 a.m., both on Sunday, appreciated the wife of the governor for the gesture, saying it would go a long way to take care of their babies.

    “We are very happy and grateful for what the wife of the governor has done for us. May Almighty God continue to bless her for us,” the duo said.

  • What Archbishop Kaigama said in his 2023 New Year message

    What Archbishop Kaigama said in his 2023 New Year message

    The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Archdiocese, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, has urged leaders to inspire hope in Nigerians in the new year.

    Kaigama who made the call in his new year message on Sunday in Abuja, said that Nigerians were facing challenges with far-reaching consequences on their social life.

    He called on the leaders to find a lasting solution to secure lives, property, and freedom of the people.

    He said that the Nigerians lived with and survived a culture of kidnapping, hostage taking, and mindless murder in 2023.

    Kaigama said that there would be a turnaround in 2023 with fervent prayers and help from God.

    “The determination to confront insecurity must be given priority in the agenda of those seeking to be elected,  they must have the will to unveil those behind brutal attacks and murders,“he said.

    Kaigama urged  critical stakeholders to  ensure fair play and respect for the opinions of the people when eventually expressed when the ballot is cast.

    “We are here today just because God has brought us thus far. The Kaduna deadly train attack in March and the agonising months the abducted passengers spent in the hands of armed men left us all traumatised.

    “The daring Kuje Prison attack by Boko Haram and precipitated secessionist rallies left all of us begging for answers.

    ”The advisory by some foreign embassies on the risk of travelling to Nigeria and the subsequent arrest of suspected terrorists in October left us reeling in fear.

    ”The volatile situation in the Southeast in a bid to enforce an unlawful lockdown has made life in that part of the country difficult,“he said.

    He prayed for preservation for all Nigerians in the new year.