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Tag: Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

  • 2023 Elections: Atiku, Obi can’t lead Nigeria – Bola Tinubu

    2023 Elections: Atiku, Obi can’t lead Nigeria – Bola Tinubu

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, have attacked the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his Labour party’s  counterpart, (LP) Peter Obi, saying they do not have what it takes to lead a country like Nigeria.

    Both Tinubu and Shettima spoke during the presentation of their action plans at the business community and the organized private sector in Lagos on Tuesday.

    Many dignatries graced the occassion and they included, President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; Group Chief Executive of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, Chairman of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia; the Chairman of UBA, Tony Elumelu; former Chief Executive of Access Bank, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede;  other business leaders representing sectoral groups such as agriculture, oil and gas, trade, manufacturing, creative sector, among others.

    The town hall session was attended by the APC vice presidential candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima; Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); Simon Lalong (Plateau); Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi); Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq (Kwara), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa); Dapo Abiodun (Ogun); Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun); Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna); and Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) as well as other APC leaders and chieftains.

    Tinubu  said if elected president in 2023, his administration will hit a double-figure gross domestic product.

    According to a statement by the Tinubu Media Office, signed by Tunde Rahman, the presidential candidate said attaining the feat was possible having achieved similar economic success when he governed Lagos State.

    He called for the support of the Lagos business community, stating that such was needed for a viable economy.

    He said, “Nigeria stands at the threshold between indifference and greatness, prosperity and poverty, the future and the past. The door is ajar. Together, let us open it so that we may cross over to the better side and secure for this beloved nation its finer destiny.

    “The productive and beneficial things we seek do not lie in the sole domain of one sector. They reside in the cooperation between the government and the private sector. I see no conflict between the business community and the government. Yet, with equal conviction, I believe the private sector and government should constantly be at war.

    “But they wage this battle, not as enemies. They must stand as inseparable allies combating the mutual enemies of scarcity, underdevelopment, joblessness and the fear these bad things breed.

    “The pragmatic problem solving and teamwork that improved Lagos, I want to bring to this nation. I ask your help as the task ahead is doable but also difficult.”

    Also, Tinubu and Shettima took a swipe at the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party, Peter Obi, whom they said lacked the antecedent and experience to lead the country.

    He said, “Democracy doesn’t mean that everything is going to be perfect but on the higher percentage, perfection is achieved at the right at which we work for the highest population of the country or the environment, local governments would continue to see what constitutionally can be done to strengthen the local governments.

    “Then we will look at the qualifications and achievements of an individual during the processes, but don’t forget, we are in a multi-party democracy so we will have those mistakes once the wrong party gets in and you have one of the candidates who wants to be a president who is fond of saying ‘when you do the right thing.’ How to solve his problem is by when we do the right. What is the right thing? They fool you with foolish statistics and lies. Don’t get me into the mood of campaign.

  • PDP VS APC: Atiku warns Tinubu, others to stop interfering in other party’s affairs

    PDP VS APC: Atiku warns Tinubu, others to stop interfering in other party’s affairs

    The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has warned All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to focus on their party and stop being nosy about issues in PDP.

    Recall that the Director of Media and Publicity of the All Progressive Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, on Friday, mocked the PDP over its lingering internal crisis.

    APC said “Once again, another bid for the presidency of our country by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar is slipping away. This is unraveling before our very eyes even before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) blows the whistle for the electioneering campaign. His party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in disarray. The signs are just too ominous for Waziri Adamawa with the report by the Economic Intelligence Unit predicting another trashing for him in the forthcoming polls.

    “After violating his party’s code for power rotation between the north and south and grabbing the PDP ticket without a modicum of sensibilities about our national ethos, Alhaji Atiku is now faced with the karma of his inordinate ambition”.

    In his reactions, Atiku  through a statement by his Media Adviser and Publicity of his Presidential Campaign Council, Paul Ibe described Tinubu and his APC teammates as busy bodies.

    Atiku advised the APC to solve the problems confronting the country rather than poke its nose into the affairs of another party.

    The statement reads in part, “Well, since the APC Presidential Campaign Organization seems to have woken up from their state of hibernation, it is good to remind them that there are pending questions about the social and educational history of their candidate that Nigerians want answers to.

    “We shall be kind enough to remind the APC that when, in the next few days, campaigns begin in earnest, Nigerians will require answers to some weighty character questions about their candidate and, rather than expend precious time on what is never their business, should use the remaining few days judiciously.

    “Secondly, whatever is happening in the PDP is a conversation among leaders of the party and that, in itself, is a reflection of the PDP, as a living and engaging political party. The conversation in the PDP is all about consensus building, which in itself is a major ingredient for peace and unity.

    “The PDP, as a truly democratic party, understands that democracy is a lively concept because it allows for people to express their opinions and, it is within that understanding that everyone becomes part of the process.

    “The same, of course, cannot be said of the APC where what exists is at best graveyard peace. It is on record that in the seven years and more that the APC has been in power and with the attendant hardship that the party has foisted on the ordinary people of Nigeria, the candidate of the APC, former governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu had not for one single time stood on the side of the people.

    “And, that is so for the obvious reason that the presidential candidate of the APC considers his poorly conceived presidential ambition more important than the adversity that his party has unleashed on a vast majority of Nigerians. We wish to remind the APC that its presidential candidate has to own the failures of the party in the last seven plus years. He should also know that Nigerians will not reward their failure with nothing less than a resounding loss in the election.

    “Tinubu and the APC ma lu’le! It is important to let Tinubu and his paid agents know that what obtains in the PDP is not the mundane stoicism that the APC is known for.

    “Indeed, the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar has established credibility before the masses of this country that he is one patriot who can be counted on to stand by the side of the people – even when the times are hard”.

  • PDP: Atiku considers second option to settle party’s crisis

    PDP: Atiku considers second option to settle party’s crisis

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is looking at another measure to calm the nerves of Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike.

    Wike and some leadership of the party has been at loggerheads after he was overlooked for the position of the party’s Vice presidential slot.

    Wike has been demanding that the National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu should step down if the Atiku camp is really interested in resolving the crisis.

    The governor revealed that hours after the Abuja primary, Atiku told him that Ayu will go because it is unfair that the flagbearer and chairman are from the same region.

    But after series of meetings Ayu refused to leave or resign and Wike has not been happy about it.

    The National Executive Committee (NEC) passed a vote of confidence in him last week, an indication they are not favorably disposed to Wike’s wish.

    A cheiftain of the party, Charles Aniagwu noted that sacking Ayu would further plunge the PDP into deeper crisis.

    The Delta Commissioner for Information, who confirmed that different options are being weighed, fears a forceful exit of Ayu would create a constitutional crisis.

    Aniagwu said because the offices were elective, if Ayu leaves and the seat is conceded to the South, the provisions of the PDP constitution would be offended.

    He further revealed that if Ayu leaves and a Southerner is elected, the top three positions would be occupied by Southerner.

     

    “If you decide to bring these two positions to the South, have you also made arrangements to take the National Secretary to the North?”, he quipped.

    While some party chieftains believe the party should placate Wike, others warn of the legal issues that could emerge and distract the campaign ahead of the general polls.

    Wike already dismissed the resignation of Walid Jibrin as the Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman and the emergence of Adolphus Wabara.

    A source said Bode George, a former Deputy National Chairman (South), was initially considered for the role but “did not accept it”.

    The governor described the BoT as a mere advisory body, warning that he would fire more salvos if the right thing is not done.

    Wike revealed that somebody in the presidency was backing Atiku in his quest to occupy Aso Rock in 2023.

    “I will tell Nigerians at the appropriate time…the person in the presidency that is backing them”, he told a gathering in Rivers.

     

  • 2023 Elections: Okupe clears air on agreement between Obi, Atiku

    2023 Elections: Okupe clears air on agreement between Obi, Atiku

    A Labour Party (LP) chieftain, Doyin Okupe, has explained that the speculation flying around that there is an agreement between the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the LP’s  Flagbearer Peter Obi as the wishful thinking of some distractors.

    He noted that the speculation about a deal involving the LP and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates was false.

    Okupe said Obi enjoys massive support home and abroad and is ahead of his opponents by miles.

    The former presidential aide wonders why the former Anambra governor will negotiate “with other less popular candidates or their parties”.

    Okupe advised the public to ignore the “cheap, self-serving and distracting propaganda, which we believe is not coming from the Atiku camp”.

    The politician stressed that the Obidient movement gathers more and more electorates “on an hourly basis”.

    “It is evident that the political fortunes and followership of the other parties diminish and recede like a drying lake in the scorching heat of an arid desert.”

    The Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation, he added, remains focused to take back Nigeria and hand it over to the youths to secure their future.

    “Our compelling commitment and promise is to move Nigeria from consumption to production”, the statement concluded.

  • Atiku, Wike reconciliation teams meet in Rivers, details emerge

    Atiku, Wike reconciliation teams meet in Rivers, details emerge

    The Peoples Democratic Party’s  (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar reconciliation team met Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike’s team  to set  a framework for reach an  accord between both disagreeing parties ahead of the 2023 general elections.

    Recall that Atiku and Wike have not been in good terms since the emergence of Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa as vice presidential candidate of the party.

    Both parties set up a reconciliation committee to for the purpose.

    The committee set up for that purpose consists members drawn from both Atiku and Wike’s strategic teams.

    Atiku’s team comprised the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri; Hon. Adamu Waziri and Hon. Eyitayo Jegede.

    Wike had  former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke; former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke; former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko and former Governor of Gombe State, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo in his team.

    Speaking to news men after the four- hour meeting that held in Rivers government house, Governor Fintiri stated that talks were still ongoing but progress was being made.

    He expressed confidence that both teams would find a middle ground to ensure peace reigns in the party.

    He added that Nigerians are waiting patiently for the PDP to clinch power from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2023, and redeem the country from the bad governance brought about by the current federal government.

    He further explained that he was confident that the team on both sides would broker peace  and urged Nigerians to be patient and expressed optimism that at the end of the day, the committee will unify the party and Nigerians will be happy for the PDP.

    “We are aware that Nigerians are anxious and waiting for PDP to take over the 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”. H e said

    On his part, the former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, also said the agreement by members of the committee to bring about unity in the party will be achieved soon.

    Mimiko also stated that the meeting will continue again to further discuss issues that will bring about progress in the party.

    “We have agreed that there is a 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 committee meets again.”

    It would be recalled that Atiku and Wike had agreed to constitute the committee at a meeting they held in Abuja a few weeks ago at the residence of former Minister of Information and National Orientation, Prof. Jerry Gana as part of the framework for the resolution of their political differences.

    However, at the end of the committee’s session, members of the committee met with Wike at his private residence in Rumueprikom to give an update on the progress made so far.

    At the end of the meetings a date is expected to be fixed for the two PDP heavyweights Atiku and Wike  to finally meet and discuss way forward ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

  • 2023 Elections: Wike finally meets Atiku in closed door meeting

    2023 Elections: Wike finally meets Atiku in closed door meeting

    The governor of Rivers State,  Nyesom Wike, and  Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP),  presidential candidate,  Alhaji Atiku Abubakar met on Thursday in Abuja.

    The closed-door meeting between the two party heavyweights was held at the residence of Professor Jerry Gana.

    Reports say that the meeting is connected to efforts to appeal to Wike to sheath his sword with the PDP presidential candidate so as  to make up.

    Wike felt left out and cheated out of the PDP Vice presidential race when Delta state governor Ifeanyi  Okowa was chosen ahead of him.

    It was gathered that the two PDP chieftains agreed to set aside their differences to work together ahead of the 2023 elections.

    Meanwhile, Wike had earlier in the year posited that he wouldn’t leave the PDP for any party ahead of the 2023 general elections in the country.

    Recall that  Wike had on Sunday met with some PDP stakeholders in Abuja as part of measures to review the party’s post-presidential primary crisis.

  • Grant one-hour interview, show your mental alertness – Atiku tells Tinubu

    Grant one-hour interview, show your mental alertness – Atiku tells Tinubu

    Former Nigeria vice president and the current presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  Atiku Abubakar has challenged his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant at least one-hour television interview before castigating his comments on Arise TV.

    Recall that Atiku had attacked Tinubu for flying a Muslim-Muslim ticket, saying that he didn’t consider the Christians before taking such a decision.

    According to Atiku, he refused to allow Tinubu to be his running mate when he lobbied in 2007, and that caused a separation between them,

    He further revealed that Tinubu then switched camp and supported Late Yar’Adua

    However, in a swift reaction, Tinubu’s Campaign Organization in a statement on Saturday, said the PDP presidential candidate lied and was unprepared for the job of the presidency.

    The group analyzed six areas Atiku lied in his interview, as he argued that contrary to Atiku’s claim, it was the PDP candidate that wanted him to be his running mate.

    Reacting to Tinubu’s outburst, Atiku in a statement by its Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, Saturday, said he was amused to read the knee-jerk response from the Tinubu Campaign Organization, challenging the APC candidate to grant the same interview.

    The former Vice President said he was not surprised at Tinubu’s response because he has not sat down to do any prolonged interview for obvious reasons.

    The statement reads partly, “We would like to challenge Bola Tinubu to subject himself to an hour-long interview as the Waziri did, and if he can be as articulate and mentally present as our candidate, then he can talk.

    “Until then, we will only want to remind him and his yes men that they are not in a position to point fingers when they have not sat on the hot seat.”

  • Atiku to launch Aaron’s book: Nigeria drivers of digital prosperity

    Nigeria’s former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (Waziri Adamawa), will this Thursday, 7th July 2022 lead a pack of eminent Nigerians to the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos for the launch and public presentation of the book: Nigeria DRIVERS OF DIGITAL PROSPERITY, The Trajectories Of The Digital Evolution, Sector Analysis And Players’ Contributions, authored by Aaron Ukodie, Nigeria’s pioneer ICT and Technology Journalist.

    The 472-page page hardcover book, printed in glossy colours, is an experiential chronicle of Nigeria’s sojourn through the backwaters of IT and Telecoms to the revolution which inspires the present global reference of its institutions, corporate entities/brands, and the individual skills sets. Other high-profile techies expected to grace the occasion among others include Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, the Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government and a former President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) who has been a dogged advocate of ubiquitous broadband connectivity across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

    The book’s public presentation will be preceded by the eWorld Forum 2022 themed: 4G, 5G Broadband connectivity and the Economy. The paper presentation session by the current Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Danbatta would be chaired by Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, Chairman MTN Nigeria who was the EVC/CEO of NCC when Nigeria recorded the landmark success with the award of the GSM licenses.

    Atiku who is the Presidential flag bearer of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was the head of the nation’s Economy management team during the two-term regime of former President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007 and he supervised the telecom deregulation and liberalisation process. It was the regime that birthed the celebrated accolades recorded with the Digital Mobile Licensing (DML) which introduced the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) technology to the nation’s telephone network.

    As recorded in the book, for the posterity’s sake, Atiku also played a key role in subverting the surreptitious plot by high-ranking government officials who attempted to throw spanners in the works in order to scuttle the GSM auction processes when President Obasanjo was out of the country. Details of the plot that could have denied Nigeria the globally acclaimed integrity and epoch-making mobile revolution and how Atiku filled the leadership gap in the absence of his boss have been intricately narrated in the book.

    The veteran journalists also gave incisive details of how and why it took Nigeria about a decade to successfully issue globally benchmark GSM licenses. Details of the interests of the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, and the connections of the Chagouri family were also lucidly narrated in the new book.

    Also profiled in the book are the contributions of the celebrated and unsung Nigerians and corporate entities who sacrificed sweat and blood to endure the uncharted pathways to Nigeria’s noble contributions to the national and global IT, Telecoms and computing ecospheres.  The role of the Surulere, the sprawling Lagos Mainland community in computerised Nigeria is also revisited in the new book.

    The book segmented into five sections avails Nigerians of the tricks and trials that the pioneer players in the Technology, Telecoms, and Computing business environment endured translating to the powerful statements in the fintech, Creative Hubs, telecoms, technology, robotics, and other generational expertise and milestones that Nigeria is now showcasing to the world.

    The book, the first of its kind to articulate Nigeria’s roadmap from the pre-independence analogue era to the present-day digital connectivity will be useful not only to industry enthusiasts, scholars, academia, researchers, and students; avid readers will also find it very interesting as a worthy collection.

  • Vice Presidency: Ortom accuses Atiku of insulting Wike

    Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has berated the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar claiming he insulted his Rivers state counterpart Nyesom Wike over issues bothering on the vice presidential slot.

    Ortom made his position known while granting interview on Arise TV .

    The Benue born politician stressed that it was an  insult for Atiku to send emissaries to Wike, who was runner-up in the party’s presidential primaries.

    The governor criticized Atiku for not reaching out to Wike personally instead of sending people to him.

    Ortom said: “It’s an insult for Atiku Abubakar to send people to a powerful mobiliser like Wike.

    “Atiku offended Wike. It is an insult for Atiku to send people to call Wike.

    “Atiku and the leadership of the party at all levels must visit him, Wike is a strong pillar in PDP.”

    “Why can’t Atiku visit Wike personally?”

  • PDP: Wike, Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed meet in Port Harcourt

    In an effort to reconcile Governor Wike with Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential flagbearer Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and other PDP stalwarts, the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed has held a closed-door meeting with his Rivers State counterpart, Wike ahead of the 2023 elections.

    The National Vice Chairman of the PDP, South-South Dan Orbih was also part of the meeting.

    Recall that, a picture of Wike meeting Labour party presidential candidate Peter Obi had surfaced online, amid speculation Wike was going to support him.

    Gov. Wike has also recently met with Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State in Port Harcourt.

    Governor Wike is aggrieved after losing the PDP presidential ticket and subsequently being neglected as Alhaji Atiku’s running mate.

    However, Wike has refrained from making a public statement since losing the vice presidential slot to Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Wike’s group rejects a reconciliation meeting with Atiku’s camp citing contradiction and disrespect as basis for the rejection.