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Tag: Candidacy

  • President Buhari’s aide endorses Tinubu’s candidacy

    President Buhari’s aide endorses Tinubu’s candidacy

    One of president Buhari’s aides has openly endorsed the candidacy of Senaroe Bola Ahmed Tinubu

    Tinubu, who made his presidential ambition public during a visit to Aso Rock last month, has been soliciting support across the country.

    Some traditional rulers, politicians and different groups have assured the former Lagos governor of their support.

    On Wednesday, Bashir Ahmad, one of the personal aides of Buhari, joined the league of those open to a Tinubu presidency.

    Bashir made his support for Tinubu known while responding to a question posed by a Twitter user.

    Tweeting via @slywhite0012, one Sylva White, had asked, “Bashir, I want to ask you a question and same time with a honest reply without being biased. Btw Tinubu and GEJ, who would you prefer to take over from your boss? You also want the best for us too.”

    Responding, the presidential aide said, “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu!”Unlike his aide, Buhari has made it clear that he does not care about who succeeds him.

    During a television interview he granted earlier in the year, Buhari had said, “2023 is not my problem, I don’t care who succeeds me, let the person come, whoever the person is. All important things I make sure I put them on record. Nobody should ask me to come and give any evidence in court, otherwise, whoever it is will be in trouble.

    “I don’t have a favourite for 2023 in my party, I wouldn’t because he will be eliminated before I mention, it is better I keep it a secret.”

  • Osun 2018: Adeleke stole our mandate; withdraw his candidacy – PDP gov aspirants tells party

    Seven governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State have asked the national leadership of the party to rescind its decision on the nomination of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the candidate of the party in the September 22 governorship election.

    The aspirants: Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi; senators Olasunkanmi Akinlabi and Felix Ogunwale; Prof. Adeolu Durotoye and Dr. Ayoade Adewopo said this at a joint press conference in Osogbo on Thursday.

    Other aspirants who are also urging the PDP leadership to drop Adeleke are: Messrs Adejare Bello and Jide Adeniji. They were both absent at the press conference, but their names were listed as supporting the call.

    Olasunkanmi, who read the address said, “The candidacy of Senator Ademola Adeleke will further divide rather than unite the PDP in Osun State in view of the fact that a great number of the party members will not feel secure working for him, because of the very controversial circumstances of his nomination.

    “The PDP may not be able to secure the support of critical stakeholders in the state with Senator Adeleke’s candidacy, because of his not too impressive public conduct as a senator of the Federal Republic.

    “In view of the foregoing, therefore, we the under listed aspirants call on the national leadership of our party to rescind its decision on the nomination of Senator Ademola Adeleke as our candidate for the September 22 governorship election.”

    Ogunbiyi stated that he would not leave the party but would not stop to demand that the party do the right thing.

    He said, “We are actually facing a challenge at present. It is a storm that will pass and I, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi and other aspirants will not leave the PDP under any guise. We believe that the leadership of the party will do the right thing. We will stay together and fight to uproot the government of APC.

    “The good people of Osun State should remain calm. The PDP is the hope of Osun State. There is no alternative party that can rescue Osun State and Nigeria.

    “I cannot be a mole in the hands of anybody. With my modest achievement as a village boy with this level of grace God has given me, I cannot condescend to do such dishonorable job.”

    Durotoye said the aspirants and people of the state wanted the party to announce the name of the “real winner” as the party’s governorship candidate.

    He said although the aspirants and the people would not defect, they would not join the alleged impunity.

  • PDP chairmanship: I won’t step down my candidacy for anybody – Gbenga Daniel

    A national chairmanship aspirant of the PDP, Gbenga Daniel, said on Monday in Lagos that he had no plan of stepping down for any of the other contenders.

    Reacting to speculations that he might be stepping down for, Olabode George, another aspirant for the position, Daniel said he had no intention of stepping down for anybody.

    Mr. Daniel is a former Governor of Ogun, while Mr. George served as a former national deputy chairman of the now opposition PDP.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that with the zoning of the PDP’s chairmanship position to the South-west, five major contenders are currently jostling for the position.

    The other contenders are Jimi Agbaje, the 2015 governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos State, Tunde Adeniran, a former Minister of Education and Taoheed Adedoja, a former Minister of Sports.

    Mr. Daniel told reporters that although Mr. George was a respected leader of the PDP, he would not back down for the Lagos chief but would see the race to its logical conclusion.

    “All the aspirants for this position are my friends and competent people but I am the bridge builder and the best man for the job.

    “I will not step down for anyone because I did my consultations during our convention in Port Harcourt and I know so many leaders in Yorubaland who support me.

    “People contest for various reasons. Some people contest to enrich their curriculum vitae, some contest to get donations while some run to win.

    “It is not a do-or-die affair. It is an in-house contest and I’m running to win so as to bring my experiences to bear on the party and work on re-positioning the party,” Mr. Daniel said.

    According to him, with 2019 around the corner, the PDP cannot afford to make mistakes in choosing its leaders because it is germane to the rebuilding of the party.

    “PDP is spread across the length and breadth of Nigeria. The fragmentation in the party cuts across all political parties in Nigeria.

    “However, most of our members who defected to other parties left, due to the internal challenges within it.

    “The moment those who leave see a new leadership committed to fairness and justice, they will return’’ the former governor said.

    On the PDP’s zoning of the presidential slot to the North, Mr. Daniel described the decision as sacrosanct, noting that it was common sense for the party to look for a candidate from the northern part of the country to square up with the APC.

    Speaking further, he debunked an alleged strife between him and Buruji Kashamu from Ogun, stating that they had no personal issues and that they had no quarrels.

    Mr. Daniel, however, expressed his support for the clamour for Nigeria to be restructured, arguing that the nation’s potential would be maximised when restructured.

    “We must begin to examine the system to give equal opportunities to all parts of the country,” he added.