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Tag: Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

  • Enugu governor, Mbah bans IPOB sit-at-home order, begs Tinubu to release Kanu

    Enugu governor, Mbah bans IPOB sit-at-home order, begs Tinubu to release Kanu

    Enugu state governor, Peter Mbah has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, for peace to reign in the Souheast

    Mbah made the appeal on Thursday, while listing out the decisions reached at the end of his first security council meeting with the heads of all the security agencies at the Government House, Enugu.

    “I call on our newly-sworn-in President, President Bola Tinubu, to consciously work towards the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. We believe that his release will expedite the healing process Nigeria needs at this time.

    “It will also be a pointer to his administration’s extension of brotherly hands of fellowship to Ndigbo.”

    However, the governor has now  declared  Monday sit-at-home by IPOB to press for Kanu’s release as antithetical to the economic interest of the state, saying it should stop from June 6.

    Although Mbah, has expressed his government’s resolve “to engage in dialogue with people, who have genuine grievances towards bringing lasting peace and security to Enugu State.”

    At the meeting, which also had in attendance the Deputy Governor, Mr Ifeanyi Ossai,  the governor said he had hit the ground running on the day of his inauguration by signing three Executive Orders for the good governance of the state, including Executive Order 002 for the removal of “Unauthorised Street Barriers Across the State Within 100 Days.”

    He said, “There is no time to waste. The clock has started ticking on the mandate you gave me and deliverables I promised.

    “The idea behind sitting at home on Monday, the first working and business day of the week, is abominable and antithetical to greatness and the spirit of industry we profess to have inherited from our forebears. This cannot be us. Tufiakwa (God forbid). It does colossal damage to us.”

    Mbah reminded the people of the direct connection between his lofty promises he made to them and the vibrancy of commerce in the state.

    He added, “For us to transit from a public service economy to a private sector-driven one, we must free our markets from the shackles of restriction to commerce. If indeed we aspire and anticipate an influx of private sector practitioners and investors in Enugu State, we must know that this will not happen where the perception of us is that of unproductive people.

    “Therefore, those that strike on Mondays, putting restrictions in the way of our Igbo spirit of creativity, cannot be our true representatives. In fact, they kill our spirit.

    “To this end, therefore, from Monday June 6, 2023, there will be no observance of any sit-at-home in all nooks and crannies of Enugu State.

    “Government will enforce this with all the powers at its disposal.

  • INEC is taking sides with Tinubu – Atiku’s camp

    INEC is taking sides with Tinubu – Atiku’s camp

    One of the legal representatives of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Chris Uche has said that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is taking sides with Bola Tinubu in his quest to prove that the president-elect’s electoral victory was flawed and marred with irregularities.

    Recall that Atiku has called for the live coverage of the tribunal proceedings, a request that INEC, Mr Tinubu and All Progressives Congress (APC) have vehemently opposed.

    Displeased that INEC opposed his client’s application, Mr Uche expressed doubts about the electoral body’s neutrality.

    “INEC is fighting a proxy war on behalf of Tinubu, which a neutral body should not do,” asserted Mr Abubakar’s lawyer.

    He urged the panel of five justices chaired by Simon Tsammani to discountenance INEC’s response.

    “We mostly urge our lordship to dismiss this application in its entity as well as to discountenance the INEC reply on points of law as being a gross abuse of court process as my lord would see in the entire two processes all INEC had done is to apply to strike out two different applications against Tinubu,” prayed Mr Uche.

    The court is expected to give a ruling on the application of live broadcast of proceedings filed by aggrieved presidential candidates Mr Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi today.

  • Implement Affirmative Action For Women, stakeholders urge President-Elect, Tinubu

    Implement Affirmative Action For Women, stakeholders urge President-Elect, Tinubu

    Stakeholders advocating for gender equality have called on the incoming administration to ensure the implementation of the National Gender Policy (NGP), in order to bring on board a greater number of women in the governance process.

    The Chief Executive Officer of Gender Dynamix Consult LTD, Joyce Ahmadu led the call during PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, an anti-corruption radio programme, produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG, Wednesday in Abuja.

    The Affirmative Action (AA) policy has been around in Nigeria since 2006, with successive governments failing to implement it. The policy, which was revised in 2022, demands that 50 per cent of women be involved in all governance processes, whether by election or appointment.

    Ahmadu specifically urged the incoming government not to ensure the activation of affirmative action that will guarantee females to get 50 per cent representations in government as contained in the revised NGP, noting that adequate inclusion of women by the incoming administration has the propensity of reducing public sector corruption.

    She tasked the President-elect, Ahmed Bola Tinubu to be deliberate about including women in his administration and emulate former President Goodluck Jonathan who appointed women into sensitive positions in his administration.

    “The President-Elect has to be much more deliberate.
    “How does he see women in decision making? Does he see value in it? President Goodluck Jonathan made some achievements in improving women participation in governance. He went as far as including gender budgeting where some key ministries had specific budgets for women participation. Those are the kinds of things a leader who values women in governance would do.

    “For the incoming government, I don’t know how gender sensitive he is, we need to see practical actions on the table. We believe that if we bring quality women on the table, they can change the dynamics. I will start by asking the president elect’s perspective in terms of gender mainstreaming. The President elect needs to be intentional about gender mainstreaming to promote gender equality,” Ahmadu averred.

    On his part, PRIMORG’s Media & Communications Officer, Chidozie Ogbonnaya also urged the incoming administration to follow through with the provisions of the revised National Gender Policy and ensure it runs an all-inclusive government.

    Ogbonnaya noted that Nigerian women are doing exploits in the private sector and have also shown capacity before now in public service which should encourage any administration in carrying them along, while appealing to Tinubu administration to implement the revised NGP
    His words: “when you inherit a government, you inherit whatever policy is on ground, so the revised NGP is on ground.

    “The incoming government can look at the NGP and increase the number of women in his cabinet, because in the current Buhari’s administration, there is low representation of women and I believe Tinubu should raise the bar. So, I’m urging him to come in and raise the bar and assuage the complaints and the fact that many women were not able to get into leadership positions through elections”.

    Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio program used by PRIMORG to draw government and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.
    The program has the support of the MacArthur Foundation.

  • Tinubu, APC leaders rally lawmakers-elect over National Assembly leadership

    Tinubu, APC leaders rally lawmakers-elect over National Assembly leadership

    The leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has invited the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima; senators-elect and members of the House of Representatives-elect on its platform to a crucial meeting.

    The closed-door meeting, which is scheduled to hold at the State House in Abuja on Monday, has got political stakeholders pondering what it is all about.

    Though the agenda for the meeting was not stated, a source at the APC secretariat told our correspondent that it had to do with early consultation and strategic plans concerning the issue of zoning of the Senate presidency, Speaker for the House of Representatives and other principal

    The leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress has invited the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima; senators-elect and members of the House of Representatives-elect on its platform to a crucial meeting. The closed-door meeting, which is scheduled to hold at the State House in Abuja on Monday, has got political stakeholders pondering what it is all about. Though the agenda for the meeting was not stated, a source at the APC secretariat told our correspondent that it had to do with early consultation and strategic plans concerning the issue of zoning of the Senate presidency, Speaker for the House of Representatives and other principal offices in the National Assembly.

     

    offices in the National Assembly.

    “We have a feeling that this was a frantic effort to avoid a repeat of the coup that brought in Senator Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker of the House in 2015, respectively,” the source stated.

    The source explained that the “ghost of the civilian coup” executed by Saraki and Dogara in 2015 was still haunting the ruling party.

    According to him, the situation could have been averted if both politicians had considered party supremacy ahead of their selfish interests.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the invitation to the meeting, which was signed by APC National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore, was also published on the party’s official Twitter handle around 10.08pm on Friday.

    While requesting the guests to come along with the Certificates of Return issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission after they were declared winners, the statement also urged them to arrive early enough to participate in a screening before the event slated for 2.00pm would commence.

    The invitation read, “This is to inform all Senators-elect and members of the House of Representatives-elect of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that they are invited to a parley with the party’s national leadership.

    “The meeting, which will be attended by the President-elect and Vice President-elect, will be held at the State House Banquet Hall, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. Senators/House of Representatives-elect must come to the meeting with their Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Certificates of Return and must come alone.

    “The meeting is strictly on invitation. Date: Monday, 13th of March, 2023. Time: 2pm prompt. Venue: State House Banquet Hall, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. All invited guests are expected to arrive early to allow for screening and be seated before 12noon.”

    Confirming the agenda of the meeting, a member of the APC NWC, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, said, “The meeting is going to deal with the issue of who leads the next National Assembly. You know we cannot stand aloof and allow everyone to continue spending money in wooing their colleagues for their ambitions.

    “We are also trying to prevent power brokers and external forces from hijacking the next National Assembly. The President-elect will not stand by like the current President and allow power seekers and enemies to hijack the National Assembly. It is not in the interest of the President-elect and not in the interest of the ruling party as well.

    “Yes, the President is aware of the meeting, but he is not attending. We took the meeting to the Villa in order to limit the number of attendees and prevent those not invited and also our enemies from coming.”

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the invitation to the meeting is coming on the heels of calls by concerned members of the party, including the National Vice Chairman (North-West) and member of NWC, Mallam Salihu Lukman, who insisted that there was a need to lock down the sensitive positions of the Senate president Speaker after the posts of President and Vice-President had been zoned to the South-West and North-East regions, respectively.

    Lukman warned that no candidate from the two regions should be considered for both positions and that the APC should not give consideration to narratives by opportunities in the party.

    The Kaduna politician, who earlier called for reformation of the party, appealed that only candidates from the North-West, South-East and the South-South should be considered for the principal positions.

    He said, “Some specific recommendations may be necessary at this point. The offices of the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives will have to be locked. Given that the President and Vice-President are from the South-West and the North-East, respectively, nobody from either of these two regions should aspire for any of these offices. Opportunists may argue that in the last four years, the South-West also produced the Vice-President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    “We must correct this kind of lopsided reality as a strategic approach to dousing ethnic and religious tension in the country. With a national chairman from the North-Central and hopefully a Christian, the North-Central too should also be excluded from aspiring for either the position of Senate President or Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    “Accordingly, the positions of Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives should be zoned to the North-West, South-East or the South-South. With a Muslim President and a Muslim Vice-President, it is only logical to zone the Senate President, who is the number three ranking leader of government, to either the South-East or the South-South, who will be a Christian.

    “Logically, the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives should be zoned to the North-West. This will have the advantage of acknowledging that the North-West gave Asiwaju the highest votes of 2,950,393, representing 33.6 per cent of the votes he won. All other positions in government can be assigned by taking a bearing from that.”

    Lukman added that while it might be important to also consider the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation as part of the positions to be zoned, Tinubu must not undermine his government by appointing a politician with zero experience in managing public service institutions to serve as the SGF.

    According to him, the office of the SGF is the brain box of any government system, warning that if a wrong person is appointed into such a sensitive position, the delivery capacity of the government will be weak.

    However, a member of the APC NWC and National Vice Chairman, South-East, Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu, has drummed support for the party to consider zoning the Senate presidency or the speakership of the House of Representatives to the region.

    The appeal was in reaction to the agenda of Monday’s meeting.

    Although Arodiogbu admitted that he had no inkling of the agenda of the meeting, he expressed confidence that it would be about a consultation on principal officers of the lawmakers to avert a repeat of the controversial manner in which Saraki and Dogara emerged as leaders of the respective chambers of the National Assembly.

  • Nigeria Decides: FFK reacts to Bola Tinubu’s emergence as President-Elect

    Nigeria Decides: FFK reacts to Bola Tinubu’s emergence as President-Elect

    Former Aviation Minister,  and a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Femi Fani-Kayode, has congratulated the winner of the 2023 Presidential Election, Bola Ahmed Tinubu popularly known as Jagaban.

    FFK as he is fondly called described Tinubu’s victory as historic and well-deserved.

    Earlier, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, had announced Tinubu as the winner of last Saturday’s presidential election in the early hours of Wednesday.

     Mahmood said, Tinubu scored a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat his closest rivals and candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP who polled 6,984, 520 and 6,101,533 votes, respectively.

    Reacting, Fani-Kayode, in a tweet via his Twitter handle, wrote: “Congrats to President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) for a resounding, historic & well-deserved victory after a hard-fought fight.

    “We give the Lord praise and thanksgiving for what He has done. He is mighty in battle and faithful to His own. To Him alone be the glory.”

  • Tinubu commiserates with downtrodden Nigerians over fuel, naira scarcity

    Tinubu commiserates with downtrodden Nigerians over fuel, naira scarcity

    Following the lingering fuel and new Naira notes scarcity across the country, the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, sympathized with Nigerians, especially the poor masses, and appealed to them to remain calm and allow the Federal Government to proffer solutions.

    The scarcity of the new naira notes and the short deadline issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria has generated tension in the country.

    In the last one week, protests have broken out in various states and cities across the country, with many lamenting the hardship Nigerians are being subjected to.

    Viral video clips of half-clad customers breaking down bank gates and threatening to beat officials have also surfaced on social media space.

    However, addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Tinubu sympathized with Nigerians, especially the downtrodden, who he said have been made to bear the brunt of the new Naira policy by the Central Bank as well as the irregular supply of petrol that has combined to inflict avoidable pains on the masses.

    Tinubu commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited for the fuel supply relief being enjoyed in the Federal Capital Territory and urges the company to step up its act to bring relief to other parts of the country.

    He also urges the CBN not to be dogmatic in the deadline it has fixed for the transition from old Naira notes to the new one, especially as the unintended consequence of the policy has been massive pain on our people.

    According to him, he is distressed by the news of cash-strapped farmers having to sell their products excessively cheaply to avoid losing all.

    He said, “This is a challenging period in the life of our country when our people are made to stay on the line for hours to get fuel and even get their own money from the banks. I empathize with Nigerians across the country especially the poor masses who have been made to bear the brunt and pains of the CBN Naira policy and fuel scarcity the most.

    “While the government continues to work to solve these problems, let’s stay calm, maintain the peace and continue to shun and avoid any act capable of causing civil unrest and disharmony. What the opposition and enemies of democracy want is to create a state of national siege and tension that can disrupt the coming general elections and create an atmosphere of strife in our country.

    “We must say no to them. We must be resolute and stand firm to protect our democracy by ensuring we hold our elections in a peaceful and orderly manner. I am in this race to bring renewed hope and prosperity to all Nigerians.

    “There are no challenges that will be difficult for us as a people to surmount when we stand in the unity of purpose. When you elect me, I will work to ensure security, economic prosperity, national unity and cohesion and we will together build a country that will be a source of joy to us all and pride to every black person everywhere in the world.”

  • APC PCC unveils Tinubu’s agenda for Nigerian youths

    APC PCC unveils Tinubu’s agenda for Nigerian youths

    The youth wing of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, has assured that Nigeria and its teeming youth will advance forward under the administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate.

    The National Youth Spokesperson, Tinubu-Shettima Campaign Council, Aliyu Audu stated this while addressing a youth forum tagged, “APC Youth Conversation on The 2023 Elections,” with the theme, “Youth Conversation on the Renewed Hope’ for Nigeria,” which held in Lagos on Sunday.

    Audu stated, “The youth represent a time for action, not talks. So I’ll not bore you with a long speech, rather I’ll delve straight into why we are here.

    “To begin with, we have gathered here to discuss why it is important for us as youths to expand our influence on the running of our dear country. This conversation is more about how the sum total of our commitments and collaborations as young people can advance our lofty dreams for our dear country.

    “We are here to possibly agree on one fundamental fact, and that is the fact that any of us sitting on the fence, as far as political participation is concerned, will not get us any closer to attaining our collective desire for a great nation.

    “In addition, the presidential aspirant of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged to deploy technology and the digital economy to create jobs. He has also promised to work on delivering a student loan that would greatly ease the burden of students and also deliver reforms to guarantee a stable academic calendar in our tertiary institutions.

    “The APC candidate has also guaranteed to work on reforming our security system in order to make our uniformed men more professional and to operate strictly within the ambit of the law. Without a doubt, it is my firm conviction that Asiwaju remains the best option for Nigeria moving forward,” Audu said.

    He stated further, “For those of us familiar with the nearly comatose economy inherited in 1999 when Asiwaju became governor of Lagos State and the spate of unlawful activities perpetrated by mostly young people;

    “his achievements in office, including the thriving entertainment and movie industry enabled by his government which engaged many hitherto idle youths; we can assess his capacity to do a good job as Nigeria’s president. Based on his antecedents, competence and record of service, we can almost be certain that Nigeria will advance forward under Asiwaju.

    “Like I said in the beginning, the greatness we seek for Nigeria will not just happen because we can dream or debate it on social media or whenever we come together as a group; it will only happen because all of us as a collective choose to take part when it matters the most.

    “Certainly, we can attain our collective desire for Nigeria if we all think together, band together and work together with other stakeholders to drive this country toward its desired destination.

    “No doubt, the confident and proven display of capacity by young Nigerians in almost all sectors across the world can be said to be inspired by the spirit of patriotism and tenacity displayed by our past heroes in their prime. As youth on whose shoulders rest the burden of ensuring that we safeguard this country, both for ourselves and the generations to come, we must first recognize and appreciate the contributions of older folks as we seek to work with them in order to blend their experience with our own dynamism as innovative, energetic and resourceful young people on a quest for a greater Nigeria. Our approach should be that of cooperation, and not antagonism.

    “As young people, when we combine our divergent strengths and individual talents, it is certain that great stuff can happen in this country. We only need to bury all forms of inherited pains or animosity, either on behalf of our religion, region, or ethnic lineage. We must now resolve amongst ourselves and come to terms with the fact that mistakes were made, and errors committed, from all sides and seek to end every grievance holding us down as a nation in our own generation.

    “We are the generation to turn around the fate of our beloved Nigeria and we must start now by making informed decisions based on character, competence, capacity and pedigree of the candidates seeking our support and votes.

    “More than ever before, we must now get more deeply involved, set aside every vestige of sentiments that have left us poorer and more divided as a country; and consider, without any form of bias, whose antecedents and track record speak to our current challenges as a nation.

    “It is my hope and prayer that the conversation here today will help us to begin that journey of being a part of those who will successfully shape the future of this country. We owe ourselves and our future that responsibility, and we must not shy away from it,” he said.

    According to Audu, this present government has contributed to increasing the participation and inclusion of youth in politics and governance, especially with the enactment of the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ law.

    “The law has made it a reality for young people to contest and win elections in order to contribute to national leadership at various levels; It is now left for us to take up the challenge and benefit from the opportunities this avails us.

    “Some of the dividends of democracy delivered by the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the leadership of President Muhammadu; which has accorded youth issues significant attention; include initiatives like the Public Works Scheme to cater to the interest of youths with purely technical skills; it has taken cognizance of the developments in ICT and digital evolution across the world with the launch of the Youth Fintech and Digital Youth Nigeria,” he said.

    He stated further, “Not leaving the youth out of its agricultural policy, the administration launched the National Young Farmers Scheme so that youths can take advantage of reforms in the agric sector. The government had also approved a N75 billion National Youth Intervention Fund to support young people with bright business ideas. There was also the Jubilee Fellows Programme, a youth empowerment Initiative supported by the United Nations Development Programme and the European Union.

    “While I have focused only on the government’s interventions and achievements in the area of youth development, due to lack of time; I should mention that the APC government is very aware of its own shortcomings, especially as regards the challenges still faced by the young people of Nigeria. For instance, the lack of stable and affordable education is still a source of concern to the party, just as the issue of unemployment and police brutality and harassment of young Nigerians.

  • 2023: Why PDP is bringing up allegations against Tinubu — Onanuga

    2023: Why PDP is bringing up allegations against Tinubu — Onanuga

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is bringing up allegations against Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, because of his popularity.

    Mr Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), said this in a statement he released on Sunday in Abuja.

    He said that the PDP had realised that Tinubu’s sure victory in the February 25, 2023 presidential election was inevitable.

    Onanuga was reacting to a recent allegation against Tinubu by Mr Phrank Shaibu, the Special Media Assistant to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate.

    “In another puerile move, Shuaibu challenged our candidate (Tinubu) to give his full name and went on a journey of fantasy about his early education and parentage,” Onanuga noted

    He said such matters had already been thrown into the dustbin decades ago.

    Onanuga added that the APC PCC was, however, not surprised that the desperate Atiku Camp, faced with mounting setbacks in its campaign, would engage in another round of mudslinging.

    This, he said, was especially after it failed to make any capital over its amplified allegation of drug dealings against the APC presidential candidate.

    “This latest allegation, we must say, is another attempt at shadow boxing, Onanuga stated.

    He added that having failed to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians on its 16 years of “infamous governance“ , the PDP had just woken up to realise that Tinubu’s victory in the Feb. 25,2023 presidential election was inevitable.

    “It is this that had led to the desperate resort to character assassination and innuendoes,” the APC PCC Director of Media and Publicity said.

    Onanuga said that if only the PDP would go back to its records, it would have realised that the same campaign of reckless calumny was its stock in trade in the governorship campaigns in Lagos State in 2003.

    He said this had also been a subject of investigation by the Lagos State House of Assembly.

    He recalled that in the 2003 elections, the masses in Lagos voted against the PDP for its malicious campaign and rejected it at the polls.

    Onanuga said it was unfortunate that the PDP and its presidential candidate had chosen to revive a dead allegation, knowing that the coming election was again slipping away.

    “We, however, sympathise with Atiku and his mudslinging agents, we know why they are lashing on every straw available. They are seized with fear that the election is once again lost.

    “With the massive turnout of the Nigerians to welcome Tinubu in Kaduna, Minna, Abuja and other parts of the country in the last one week, it is obvious that they are running after a train that has left the station.

    “The (Nigerian) constitution is very clear on the rights of a citizen to contest for president, our candidate has fulfilled those conditions.

    “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the impartial umpire, has affirmed that he is qualified to run.

    “But the PDP and Atiku are utterly confused and in serious disarray and running round in circus like a barber’s chair looking for what is not lost,” Onanuga said.

    He said that a responsible party should have taken the cue from its losses.

    He said in the last two weeks, no fewer than six cases filed by proxies of the PDP on these same frivolous allegations had been thrown out by the courts.

    “Yet like a fly that insists on being buried with the corpse, the media handlers of the PDP prefer to flog a dead horse.

    “The over 93 million registered voters, who will vote in the 2023 elections, have the intellect to choose who they want as president.

    “That man is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Yes, that is his name.

    “The PDP should wait for its day of judgment rather than engage in this obscurantist, diversionary game, a game that will be determined by the Nigerian masses,“ Onanuga said.

  • 2023: Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga reveals how Atiku’s convoy almost killed him

    2023: Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga reveals how Atiku’s convoy almost killed him

    Bayo Onanuga, the spokesperson of the Bola Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council, has revealed his near-death experience, saying he almost got killed by the convoy of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar on Sunday.

    Onanuga explained that a vehicle in Atiku’s convoy almost killed him along the Shehu Shagari expressway in Abuja on Sunday evening.

    He added that he was returning from a visit to Senator, Tokunbo Afikuyomi, around 9pm when the accident happened.

    Continuing, Onanuga said the vehicle in Atiku’s convoy bashed his car, damaged his side mirror, dented, and scratched the two doors on its path , saying that the vehicle reversed and joined the convoy without showing any sign of being remorseful.

    A statement by Onanuga reads in part: “I had a close shave with death on Sunday night in Abuja as I was returning home at about 9 p.m. after a visit to Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi. I was driving on the last lane of Shehu Shagari Way when I noticed a convoy emerging from one of the feeder roads.

    “My slowing down turned a mistake as a Toyota SUV emerged from the same road where the convoy had earlier emerged. It headed straight to my car. I was petrified as the driver rammed into my Toyota Camry, by the passenger side.

    “The convoy drove deep into Asokoro, into TY Danjuma Road and then entered one of the mansions.

    “I drove into the compound with the convoy. My adventure was certainly getting interesting. I, an APC and Tinubu campaigner inside the Atiku-Okowa den.”

     

  • I won’t run my administration on religious bias — Tinubu

    I won’t run my administration on religious bias — Tinubu

    Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate has said he will not run his presidency on a religious bias.

    He said this when he met the leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
    This is according to a statement issued by Mr Tunde Rahman, his media aide.

    He recalled that since his administration as Lagos State Governor did not discriminate against anyone based on tribe, religion or gender, he would not start such in office as a president.

    The statement added that the CAN leadership under its new president Daniel Ukoh presented a charter of demands and issues to the APC presidential candidate.

    It added that some of the demands included: the creation of state police or a decentralised policing system, devolution of power to states and equal rights for all religions and their adherents.

    Others, it added were right to self-determination by all ethnic groups, right to control natural resources by communities that bear them, saying no to open grazing and equitable electoral system among others.

    The statement quoted Tinubu as saying that his belief in the need for secular government and faith-based organisations to work in unity was not something adopted recently to benefit his campaign.

    He said as governor of Lagos, he partnered with Christians to improve lives and foster education and returned mission schools to their owners, most of whom were Christians.

    “I instituted yearly Christian Denomination Service at the Governor’s residence as we approached the new year, this tradition continues in Lagos.

    “More importantly, we fostered an atmosphere of religious tolerance and inter-faith collaboration, my cabinet was diverse and talented.

    “In the exercise of government, I did not give a thought to whether a team member was Christian or Muslim, Yoruba, Igbo or Arewa. I have never lent myself to baseless prejudice and discrimination.

    “To do so would be a recipe for failure in the governance of a diverse society and I am not a man that is familiar with failing,” the statement further quoted Tinubu as saying.

    He added that he never chased people out of Lagos nor made them feel unwanted, saying that under his administration, Lagos welcomed all comers and continued to do so today.

    He say he saw Nigerians as equal and as brothers and sisters in our national family.
    This, he said, meant that no one was inherently inferior or superior to anyone else, regardless of faith, place of origin, social status and gender.

    He said anyone who does not hold this fair and equitable view, should not run for president in a country such as Nigeria.

    Tinubu said the Christian body has a great role as the moral compass of the society which he cherishes and would always support.

    “You, as an organisation and as individual leaders of CAN, are entrusted as the watch person of the welfare of this society from a Christian perspective.

    “Which means functioning in an atmosphere of charity, understanding, patience and wisdom.

    ” I understand the tremendous importance of your work and have nothing but the deepest respect for your selfless contributions to our national cause,” the APC 2023 presidential candidate said.

    On his choice of Sen. Kashim Shettima as running mate, which had generated lots of controversies, Tinubu assured the CAN that he made the best available choice at his disposal without recourse to religious sentiments.

    “I did not choose Shettima so that we could form a same faith ticket. The ticket was constructed as a same progressive and people- based ideology ticket.

    “I selected Sen. Shettima thinking more about who would best help me govern, picking a Christian running mate would have been politically easier.

    “But the easy way is rarely the right one, the selection of a running mate is at once a very momentous yet very intimate decision.

    “Resting such a key decision on religious affiliation as the primary weight did not sit well with me. I am not saying there were no good and adequate potential running mates of the Christian faith,” Tinubu said.

    He added that Shettima’s faith was immaterial, saying that he is a brilliant man with superior intellectual capacity.

    He further said that Shettima is studious and detailed oriented and enjoys excellent organisation skills and fully understands the vital difference between governance and politics.

    “This exceptionally gifted human being has humility of spirit, courage of his convictions and a strongly progressive world view in harmony.

    “I trust the calibre of the man. I know the great lengths he went in fighting Boko Haram in his state. He did his best to protect the Christian community and rebuilt damaged churches.

    “This man understands the value of our national diversity in all of its ramifications, including religious, he possesses the courage to stand up to those who would wreck that diversity and freedom,” Tinubu explained.

    According to the statement, Tinubu was accompanied to the meeting by his wife, Sen. Oluremi, Sen. Shettima, House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila and some APC governors and senators