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Tag: Buhari

  • POLLS: Air Peace suspends flight operations

    POLLS: Air Peace suspends flight operations

    Air Peace has announced that flight operations will be suspended on February 25 as a result of the general elections.

    However flight operations will resume on February 26, the local airline assured.

    Air Peace disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, via its official Instagram handle.

    The statement reads, “Members of the public are hereby informed that there will be no scheduled flights on February 25, 2023, due to the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly Elections. Scheduled flight operations resume on Sunday, February 26, 2023.”

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that general elections will be held in Nigeria on 25 February 2023 to elect the President and Vice President and members of the Senate and House of Representatives. Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is ineligible to run, being term-limited.

    POLLS: Air Peace suspends flight operations

    Electoral system
    The President of Nigeria is elected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive a plurality of the valid vote and over 25% in at least 24 of the 36 states. If no candidate passes this threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a majority of votes in the highest number of states.

    The 109 members of the Senate are elected from 109 single-seat constituencies (three in each state and one for the Federal Capital Territory) by first-past-the-post voting. The 360 members of the House of Representatives are also elected by first-past-the-post voting in single-member constituencies.

    Presidential election
    With President Muhammadu Buhari having been elected to the office of president twice, he was ineligible for renomination. There was no formal zoning agreement for the APC nomination despite calls from politicians and interest groups such as the Southern Governors’ Forum to zone the nomination to the South as Buhari, a northerner, was elected twice.

    The party held its indirect presidential primary on 8 June 2022 in Abuja and nominated Bola Tinubu, the former Governor of Lagos State.[

    In mid-June, the APC submitted the name of Kabir Ibrahim Masari- a politician and party operative from Katsina State- as a placeholder vice presidential nominee to be substituted at a later date.

    On 10 July, Ibrahim Masari formally withdrew as a vice presidential nominee and later that day, Tinubu announced Kashim Shettima- Senator for Borno Central and former Governor of Borno State- as his replacement.

  • ‘History will speak more of my stewardship’ – Buhari

    ‘History will speak more of my stewardship’ – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abuja says time and history will no doubt speak more eloquently of his stewardship.

    Buhari stated this at an event tagged “Preserving PMB Legacy”, organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture to conclude its Scorecard Series.

    The event witnessed the inauguration of PMB Legacy Portal, Testimony Series, Documentary and a Compendium of the Buhari Administration’s achievements.

    Represented by his Vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the president said he could confidently say that his administration had given of as much as it could and impacted positively on the lives of the citizens.

    He said the scorecard series, legacy portal, testimonies series, documentary and the compendium put together by the ministry were the documented evidences of the achievements of the administration.

    According to him, they will be reliable historical records of what transpired in the eight years of his administration.

    He said the works, being kept in many different forms, they would help to reinforce their accuracy and authenticity.

    The president noted that the five works would also provide useful source of materials for researchers and historians in the future whether they are for or against his administration.

    Speaking on the contents of the works, Buhari said the testimony series featured the testimonials of actual beneficiaries of the Social Investment Programmes (SIP) of the administration.

    He said the testimonial series practically presented SIP as the largest social investment programme in Africa as well as its impacts.

    “Hearing from citizens themselves; the petty trader who was able to expand her business because of TraderMoni; the unemployed graduate who benefitted from the N-Power programme discovers a new and profitable path.

    “We see and hear recorded for history, the passengers who could not hide their excitement at the seamless operation of the modern railway system or the state-of-the-art airport terminals.

    “We also see the president of the rice farmers association who told us how rice production in the country has increased exponentially under the Anchor Borrowers Programme.

    “These are real people provided with a springboard to do more for themselves and for their communities; real people inspired to hope and believe that Nigeria can be positively transformed in our lifetime,” he said.

    The president said the scorecard series provided a platform for Ministers to highlight their achievements, challenges as well unfold plans for their respective ministries.

    Buhari urged that the accounts should be given the widest possible reach across traditional and new media channels.

    According to him, the Documentary and Testimony Series should resound on radio, television, and across social media.

    He added that the Compendium should be circulated, in hard and soft copies, far and wide, to engage, provoke and inspire Nigerians and others who would come across it.

    The president said that government being a continuum, he desired that the unfinished business of his administration found continuity and fulfilment in his successor as he did to his predecessor.

    He said the administration considered it a privilege and an honour to serve the people of Nigeria.

    Buhari congratulated the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and his team for putting together the “impressive, innovative and robust archival materials”.

    He said they would provide veritable template for future administrations.

    Earlier, the minister said the Scorecard Series was introduced to consolidate all the ministry had been doing since 2015 to propagate the policies and programmes of the administration.

    He said the forum provided a counter to the pushback by the opposition and the naysayers, who contended that the Buhari administration had achieved nothing.

    Mohammed said the scorecard series also provided campaign materials for the ruling All Progressives Congress and its candidates in the run-up to the 2023 general elections.

    “We have now shown that not only do we have a lot to campaign with, we are spoilt for choice!

    “We also went beyond the moment by creating the Legacy Portal, which, as I said earlier, is an electronic storehouse of the achievements.

    “This is unprecedented in the history of our country,” he said.

    The minister assured that the same way the scorecard series was a success, the other four variants launched by the president would attain same level of success.

  • Keyamo reveals who directed Osinbajo to stay off Tinubu’s presidential campaigns

    Keyamo reveals who directed Osinbajo to stay off Tinubu’s presidential campaigns

    The spokesman of the Tinubu/Shettima campaign, Festus Keyamo has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari directed VP Yemi Osinabjo to stay off the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential campaigns.

    APC flagbearer Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday drew the curtain on his campaign rally in Lagos State, with Osinbajo not attending any of them.

    According to reports, Osinbajo had endured a frosty relationship with Tinubu during the APC presidential primaries in 2022 after contesting against his political godfather.

    Many said Osinbajo should have backed Tinubu during the party primaries having served as the Attorney General of Lagos State while Tinubu was governor.

    Speaking on Osinbajo’s absence in all of Tinubu’s presidential campaigns across the nation, Keyamo said the Vice President’s absence was due to Buhari’s directive.

    Speaking with DAILY POST, Keyamo recalled issuing a statement where Buhari directed Osinbajo and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha, to stay off APC presidential campaigns.

    According to Keyamo: “There was an official statement where the president directed Osinbajo and Boss Mustapha to stay off the campaign and work while he campaigned for APC.

    “We issued a statement to this effect last year.”

  • Hunter delivers thousands of voter’s cards found in bush to radio station

    Hunter delivers thousands of voter’s cards found in bush to radio station

    With three days to the 2023 general election in Nigeria, a hunter has found thousands of voter’s cards disposed inside a bush in Nnewi and took them to a radio station.

    A radio station in Anambra State recorded a video of the drum-full of voter’s cards brought to their station.

    According to a presenter at Authority Radio FM in Nnewi, a hunter brought the cards to the station after finding them discarded inside a bush in Nnewi North LGA, Anambra State.

    “The names that we have here are all coming from the people who are from Nnewi North and of course the entire South East.

    “These guys have looked for their PVCs, they have lost hope… How can someone do this? A few days to the general election of 2023 and this is what we’re seeing,” the radio presenter said.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the general elections will be held in Nigeria on 25 February 2023 to elect the President and Vice President and members of the Senate and House of Representatives. Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is ineligible to run, being term-limited.

    With President Buhari having been elected to the office of president twice, he was ineligible for renomination. There was no formal zoning agreement for the APC nomination despite calls from politicians and interest groups such as the Southern Governors’ Forum to zone the nomination to the South as Buhari, a northerner, was elected twice.

    The party held its indirect presidential primary on 8 June 2022 in Abuja and nominated Bola Tinubu, the former Governor of Lagos State.

    In mid-June, the APC submitted the name of Kabir Ibrahim Masari—a politician and party operative from Katsina State—as a placeholder vice presidential nominee to be substituted at a later date.

    On 10 July, Ibrahim Masari formally withdrew as vice presidential nominee and the later that day, Tinubu announced Kashim Shettima- Senator for Borno Central and former Governor of Borno State- as his replacement.

  • Lagos rally: ‘l hereby raise the hand of next president’ – Buhari affirms support for Tinubu

    Lagos rally: ‘l hereby raise the hand of next president’ – Buhari affirms support for Tinubu

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday affirmed his support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of Nigeria’s presidential election billed for Saturday.

    Buhari gave his assurance at the grand finale of the APC Presidential Campaign held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.

    “l hereby raise the hand of the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the  Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    “Congratulations and l wish APC the very best of luck,” the President said.

    In his remarks, Tinubu thanked Buhari for his support and encouragement in his bid to become the next president of Nigeria.

    The former two-term governor of Lagos state said that for anybody to succeed Buhari, he or she must work hard and follow the law.

    “You follow all the procedure during the party primaries, votes were cast, and l won.

    “You did not ask them to reverse it based on my tribe or religion,  not minding being from your village in Daura.

    “Leadership is for growth,  independence of mind and capacity to perform which you encouraged me to inculcate,” he said.

    He,  therefore, gave his assurance to work hard if elected and promised to sustain democracy.

    The APC presidential candidate said: “I will  renew the hopes of the hopeless and all the goals and agenda set in our manifesto will be fulfilled.”

    Tinubu also urged the people to come out en masse to vote for him if they wanted him to become the next president of Nigeria as well as all other APC candidates.

  • What Buhari said about Tinubu in Addis Ababa

    What Buhari said about Tinubu in Addis Ababa

    President Muhammadu Buhari has given a word of assurance on the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu in far away Addis Ababa.

    Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s spokesman in a statement, said the president made his feelings known in a video clip to woo voters for Tinubu on Sunday.

    The Nigerian leader, who is in Ethiopia, attending official engagements, said the currency swap policy was meant to bring ”overall improvement to the country” not hardship.

    In the video recording to shore up support for Tinubu, in the upcoming elections a few days ahead, the president thanked Nigerians for electing him to be President for two terms.

    He urged them to vote for the APC flag bearer because “he is reliable and I know he will build on our achievements.”

    In the campaign message to voters, the president specifically put a call on “our traditional rulers, religious leaders and parents to warn their followers and wards alike, to not allow themselves to be used by a few to foment trouble.

    “I want to assure you that the Government has taken adequate security measures to allow everyone to come out and cast their votes. I am therefore appealing to everyone to give them the necessary support.

    “Fellow Nigerians, I want to use this opportunity to once again thank you for electing me to be your President on two occasions.

    “I am not a contestant in this election, but my party, the All Progressives Congress, has a candidate in the person of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. As I mentioned before, Tinubu is a true believer in Nigeria, who loves the people and the development of our country.

    “I am calling on all of you to vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is reliable and I trust he will build on our achievements.

    “Finally, I want to once again assure you that I am fully aware of the current hardship you are facing as a result of some policies of the government which are meant to bring overall improvement to the country.

    “I am appealing to you to exercise further patience as we take appropriate measures to ease these hardships. God willing, there will be light at the end of the tunnel.”

    The president emphasized that the APC presidential candidate had demonstrated his commitment to the development of the country and the well-being of its people.

  • SERAP drags Buhari to court over ban on old N500, N1,000 notes

    SERAP drags Buhari to court over ban on old N500, N1,000 notes

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has filed a lawsuit against President Muhammadu Buhari over “the unlawful directive banning the use of old N500 and N1,000 banknotes, contrary to the interim injunction granted by the Supreme Court that the old N200, N500, and N1000 notes remain legal tender.”

    Joined in the suit as defendants are the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the Supreme Court in a case initially brought by 10 states recently held that the old banknotes remain legal tender pending the determination of a motion on notice fixed for February 22. The deadline for the swap of the old notes expired on February 10.

    However, Buhari in a national broadcast on Thursday directed the CBN to recirculate only the old N200 banknotes, banning the use of old N500 and N1,000 notes in the country.

    In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/233/2023 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is asking the court to determine “whether Buhari’s directive banning the N500 and N1,000 banknotes is not inconsistent and incompatible with the constitutional duties to obey decisions of the Supreme Court and oath of office.”

    SERAP is asking the court for “a declaration that Buhari’s directive banning the use of old N500 and N1,000 banknotes is a fundamental breach of section 287(1) of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and his constitutional oath of office, and therefore unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void.”

    It also seeks an order of interim injunction restraining Buhari, the CBN and Malami, their agents or privies, from further enforcing the presidential directive banning the old N500 and N1,000 banknotes, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed in its suit.

    SERAP drags Buhari to court over ban on old N500, N1,000 notes

    The suit was filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, and Kolawole Oluwadare.

    SERAP is also asking the court for the following reliefs:

    A declaration that by virtue of section 287(1) of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999, Buhari, the CBN and Malami have a constitutional duty to obey and enforce any decisions and orders of the Supreme Court, particularly the order allowing the use of old N200, N500 and N1,000 banknotes;

    An order restraining and stopping the CBN from carrying out and giving effect to the directive of the President directing and approving that the old N500 and N1,000 banknotes are no longer legal tender and the old N200 banknote will cease to be legal tender on April10, 2023, in compliance with the order of the Supreme Court of Nigeria made on February 8, 2023 in the Suit Number SC/CV/162/2023 – Attorney General of Kaduna State & two Ors v. Attorney General of the Federation;

    And an order for the CBN to direct all commercial banks in Nigeria to accept and give out the old N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes as legal tender concurrently along with the new banknotes of the same denomination in line with the order of the Supreme Court.

    However, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

  • Buhari acted on wrong advice over N500, N1000 notes – Keyamo

    Buhari acted on wrong advice over N500, N1000 notes – Keyamo

    The spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC), Festus Keyamo, has said that President Buhari acted on a wrong advice to his directive on the naira swap policy.

    Recall that on Thursday, February 16, President Buhari in a national broadcast on the controversial policy, ordered that the old N200 banknotes remain in circulation till April 10, while the old N500 and N1,000 bills no longer serve as legal tender.

    The ensuing currency scarcity has led to protests across the country with several cases of ATMs destroyed, as well as banking facilities and property damaged.

    Speaking on Channels on Friday night, February 17, Keyamo said

    ‘’My view is that the President acted honestly without intention to slight the Supreme Court. But he may have acted on wrong advice. I did not give that advice; it is not my responsibility. I don’t know who gave that advice. I want to say this openly because tomorrow, people will ask me where I stood at this time.”he said

    The Minister of State for Labour stated that President Buhari’s speech acknowledged that there were certain matters in court and that the President believed he was playing safe by purportedly intervening to quell the growing tension across the country.

    “He thought he was playing safe by saying, ‘Before you decide this matter in court, may I just provide some middle ground so that country burning, there are riots everywhere, so let me just try and provide some succour to the people, whilst acknowledging the matters are in court.

    Now, if I were to advise him, I would have advised differently. I did not advise him. It’s not my responsibility; I don’t know who.”

    Asked what his counsel to the President would have been, Keyamo said it would be for him to “comply strictly with the terms of the order of the Supreme Court, [which is that] all the old notes should circulate for now side by side with the new notes because that is the order of the Supreme Court.”

    He added that by virtue of the constitution, “all authorities in Nigeria must obey the orders of the Supreme Court, “adding that anything to the contrary is “a descent to anarchy.”

  • Tinubu never asked governors to disregard Buhari – APC

    Tinubu never asked governors to disregard Buhari – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed as fake, a media report that Sen. Bola Tinubu, the party’s presidential candidate asked party governors to disregard President Muhammadu Buhari’s orders on the new naira note re-design.

    Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC) gave the clarification in a statement he issued on Friday in Abuja.

    “Our attention has been drawn to the fake viral news, claiming that Tinubu has asked APC governors to ignore President Buhari’s broadcast and enforce the Supreme Court ruling on the re-circulation of old naira notes.

    “The publication by the Peoples Gazette is fake; Tnubu never issued such an order.

    “Mr. Dele Alake, the APC-PCC Adviser on Media and Communications never issued such advisory on behalf of Tinubu,’’ Onanuga stated.

    He added that the message quoted by the platform was being randomly shared on WhatsApp, stressing that Alake was not the author.

    He stated also that since the naira note re-design crisis started, Tinubu had been calling for calm as the authorities tried to find out a solution to the crisis.

    “He has offered a six-point suggestion to lessen the anguish our people are facing in trying to get money from the banks.

    “He has also held several meetings with President Buhari, his leader over the matter.

    “It is thus inconceivable and unthinkable that he would instruct APC governors to disregard President Buhari’s order on the currency matter.

    “Governors who have so far declared this line of action said clearly that they were acting on the ruling of the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land,’’ Onanuga stressed.

    According to the Director Media and Publicity, APC-PCC, Tinubu has no influence in the decision.

    He added that journalists, unless acting on the dictates of political opponents or prosecuting some agenda, should endeavour to confirm authorship of their materials from the APC-PCC Media and Publicity Directorate.

    Onanuga stated also that journalists could also seek confirmation from the Tinubu Media Office or Mr. Alake before going to press.

    “The Gazette should recant the story with immediate effect,’’ Onanuga advised.

  • After enjoying everything, Buhari turned back against APC – Ganduje blows hot

    After enjoying everything, Buhari turned back against APC – Ganduje blows hot

    Governor Umar Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has come hard on President Muhammadu Buhari for refusing to abide by the Supreme Court order and going ahead with the ban on the old Naira notes.

    In an audio recording, Ganduje was quoted in vernacular asking, that, “President Buhari should remember that for several times he was trying to contest Presidency but he couldn’t make it until there was an alliance, but now after enjoying everything, he turned back against the same democratic system that saw him to office”.

    He said, “the President should remember that this is a democratic setting that allows popular voice and leaders to listen to advice and adhere strictly to those advice.

    “I wonder why the President is hellbent in making the same Party that helped him to win elections lose out, what did we do to him that he is this ignorant on several advice forwarded to him”.

    “This same Buhari he contested again and again but he couldn’t win not until there was an alliance, now he wins and win again for the second term, but now that he is leaving, he wants to cripple the same Party that brought him to power why?

    “This Currency Swap Policy, why didn’t the President bring it seven and a half years ago or after elections, but now one must be compelled to think that there is an ulterior motive in the whole thing.”

    Ganduje, who somehow exonerated the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, said, “the CBN Governor don’t know anything; you now set the Nation Apex Bank on fire with this policy”.