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Tag: Peter Obi

  • You are reckless, attempting to cause divison with your mouth -Akpabio blasts Peter Obi

    You are reckless, attempting to cause divison with your mouth -Akpabio blasts Peter Obi

    The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has slammed the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi over his earlier comments on the life and times of the late elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark.

    TheNewsGuru reports that Obi, while eulogising Clark, had deplored the poor quality of leadership in the country, saying, “The labour of our heroes past had been in vain.”

    Responding, Akpabio, while presiding over a valedictory plenary session in honour of the late Chief Clark on Thursday, knocked Obi, describing his statement as ”reckless, and attempting to cause division with his mouth”.

    The senate president noted that the former Anambra governor lacked the moral ground to make such comments, having failed to resolve the leadership crisis in the Labour Party.

     Akpabio insisted that the labour of Nigeria’s past heroes had not been in vain.

    “Those who are aspiring as presidential candidates want to cause division with their mouths using social media. Tell them to resolve the crisis they have in their small party before they come to talk about the larger Nigeria

    “You cannot even resolve the crisis in that Labour Party. Is it the crisis of Boko Haram that you will come and resolve in Nigeria?” Akpabio said.

    The former Akwa Ibom State Governor boasted about what he termed his numerous achievements during his tenure as governor, insinuating that Obi, who was the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, had little to show for his eight years as governor of Anambra State.

    “I would like us to be known for what we did when we had the opportunity. As I speak now, I can tell you about the dualised thoroughfares in my city. I can fly over us in my city. I can tell you about the best international hospitals in my city. I can tell you about the monuments of the government houses for the governor and deputies.

    “I had one of the best digitalised governors’ offices. I can tell you about the free and compulsory education. I can tell you about the unity I brought in religion by sponsoring over 5,800 Muslims and over 12,000 to 15,000 Christians to Rome and Jerusalem.

    “But then those who are aspiring as presidential candidates want to cause division with their mouths using social media.

    “Tell them to resolve the crisis in their small party before they come to talk about the larger Nigeria, because the social media in Nigeria is not regulated,” Akpabio said.

  • Unrepentant Farotimi says “in 2027, I will still vote Peter Obi”

    Unrepentant Farotimi says “in 2027, I will still vote Peter Obi”

    Human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi has reaffirmed his support for Peter Obi, stating that he will back the former Anambra State governor if he runs in the 2027 presidential election.

    Farotimi, who made this known during an appearance on Channels Television’s program stated that talks about the 2027 elections at this time are distracting.

    He said, “If elections where our votes will count will hold today, I will vote for Peter Gregory Obi, unless somebody else comes into the race that I think can do better. If it’s still the same lineup as the last time, it’s definitely Peter Obi I’m voting for.

    “I hope he will be a little bolder with his policy platforms, but frankly speaking, in terms of capacity and integrity, there’s nobody I will be supporting.

    “Something drastic has to happen for me to decide I’m not supporting Peter Obi. He might be that he teamed up with some objectionable persons that I cannot stomach, and that’s a real possibility. However, outside of that, there’s nobody else.

    “I actually think our discussions of elections today are a disservice to ourselves because we really cannot speak in terms of an election in our current circumstances.”

    Farotimi, who served as spokesperson for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council and a staunch supporter of Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election, said his continued support stems from a desire to see a better Nigeria.

  • Peter Obi’s strong ally dumps Labour Party

    Peter Obi’s strong ally dumps Labour Party

    Mr Oseloka H. Obaze, a key ally of Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, has resigned his membership of the party.

    Obaze disclosed this in a letter addressed to LP Chairman in Ochuche Ward 406, Ogbaru Local Government in Awka on Sunday.

    Obaze, a former United Nations Diplomat was the Secretary to Anambra Government under Obi and had worked closely with him as an adviser and chieftain of the party until his resignation from LP.

    He said his decision was to express his disapproval and protest the conduct of the April 5 governorship primary election of the party in Anambra.

    According to him, by virtue of this letter, I hereby tender my resignation from the Labour Party (LP).

    “The processes, conduct and outcome of the Labour Party governorship primaries held on April 5, 2025 in Awka, were fraught with outright irregularities, bothering on fraud and criminality.

    “It was not in tandem with either the party’s Constitution and espoused core values or true tenets of democracy.

    “As such, I hereby disassociate myself henceforth from the Labour Party,” he said.

    NAN confirmed that “the letter was real and speaks for itself”.

    Obaze also cited the leadershiip crisis in the LP at the national level and the refusal of leaders of the party to harmonise or reconcile the Julius Abure and Sen. Nenadi Usman factions.

    He however did not disclose his next political moves.

    Obaze resigned from PDP in 2022, one week ahead of Peter Obi, to the Labour Party.

    He subsequently became Peter Obi’s campaign manager and one of the prominent brains behind the Obedient Movement.

  • The oppression of young voice is a dangerous path that we must not normalize – Peter Obi condemns arrest of VDM

    The oppression of young voice is a dangerous path that we must not normalize – Peter Obi condemns arrest of VDM

    The presidential candidate of the Labour party, (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi has condemned the arrest of popular social media critic, Martins Vincent Oste better known as VeryDarkMan by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

    TheNewsGuru reports that activist lawyer Deji Adeyanju earlier confirmed in a post on his official Facebook page on Friday evening that the social media influencer was detained and in the custody of the anti-graft agency.

    This comes after it was suggested that Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB, ordered VDM’s arrest following his criticism of the bank after alleged unauthorised transactions were made from his mother’s account.

    Reacting, the former presidential candidate via the microblogging platform, X former Twitter on Sunday noted that, the manner in which the social media commentator was arrested left many Nigerians unsettled.

    He then added that some of the actions of security agencies, not only create fear but also risk being mimicked by criminal elements.

    The former Anambra governor further raised questions about the effect of such actions on Nigeria’s democracy as touching on the rule of law and respect for human rights.

    “The recent developments in our nation continue to raise serious concerns about the direction we are headed as a democracy. The tension in the land aggravated by hardship is being needlessly fueled by our attitude to the rule of law and human rights.

    “The arrest of Martin Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), though perhaps within the legal rights of security agencies, was carried out in a manner that left many Nigerians unsettled.

    “The display of force, lacking in transparency and civility, closely resembled an abduction, a disturbing method that not only creates fear but also risks being mimicked by criminal elements. If Nigerians begin to struggle to distinguish between legitimate arrests and unlawful abductions, we will lose a vital layer of national security and accountability.

    “This trend is not new. We must recall that even our esteemed judges, the last line of defence for justice, have suffered similar indignities in recent years. When those who interpret the law are treated with such disregard, it is difficult to expect that ordinary citizens will feel protected under the law,” Obi wrote.

    Effect On Nigeria’s Economy

    Obi stressed that the current happenings around the country especially with the arrest of VeryDarkMan being the most recent will affect the image of the country negatively,adding that steps must be taken to avoid actions that undermine the trust of citizens in Nigeria’s economy and business environment.

    He called for more civility in the actions of security agencies.

    “Moreover, these methods are beginning to affect our economy and business environment. The backlash directed at GTBank, allegedly linked to the circumstances surrounding Mr. Otse’s arrest, has had serious reputational consequences. At a time when investor confidence is already fragile, we must do all we can to avoid actions that tarnish institutions or undermine the trust of both citizens and the international community.

    “One cannot help but ask: was it impossible to invite Mr. Otse in a civil, transparent, and legal manner? Would that not have spared Nigerians, GTBank, and our national image the unnecessary shame and losses we now witness?” Obi added.

  • Don’t run for presidency again- Baba-Ahmed Urges Atiku

    Don’t run for presidency again- Baba-Ahmed Urges Atiku

    Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum and ex-Political Adviser to the Vice President, has called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to step back from his long-standing pursuit of Nigeria’s presidency.

    According to him, Atiku who has contested the presidency six times, should now assume the role of a statesman and support emerging leaders.

    In a recent interview on Channels Television, Baba-Ahmed expressed the same sentiments he shared in an open letter to President Bola Tinubu on April 23, where he advised Tinubu not to seek re-election in 2027. He argued that the country’s current state calls for a generational shift in leadership.

    “If I could speak with Atiku, I would tell him the same thing I told President Tinubu—step aside and support a younger, more dynamic generation,” Baba-Ahmed stated, stressing that both the ruling APC and the opposition PDP need fresh, visionary candidates.

    He suggested that the PDP stands a better chance in 2027 if it fields a younger, healthier candidate with integrity and innovative ideas. “Nigerians are desperate for leadership rooted in competence and empathy,” he said, dismissing the importance of regional origin in leadership selection.

    Baba-Ahmed also cast doubt on whether Atiku or Labour Party’s Peter Obi could have outperformed President Tinubu, though he acknowledged Obi’s potential and ideas. Nevertheless, he maintained that the older generation of politicians must bow out. “The best service they can render now is to retire or be retired by voters,” he said.

    Addressing speculation around his resignation from the Tinubu administration earlier this year, Baba-Ahmed said he accepted the appointment out of patriotism but left due to a lack of seriousness in governance. Despite being designated as a senior political adviser, he claimed he was never truly involved in policy matters nor had direct access to the president.

    “I took the job hoping to contribute meaningfully to rebuilding the country. But there was no commitment, no drive,” he said. “I never even met the president during my tenure.”

    He emphasized that while Vice President Shettima was not sidelined, the administration lacked the urgency to tackle the nation’s deepening problems. “I wouldn’t take the job again,” he said. “I don’t regret accepting it, but I saw no real will to fix Nigeria.”

    Baba-Ahmed also criticized the APC for becoming a haven for politicians seeking protection from prosecution. “People aren’t defecting to APC for policy reasons—they’re looking for safety,” he said, adding that the EFCC lacks the independence to tackle corruption effectively.

    He reserved his harshest criticism for former President Muhammadu Buhari, calling him the worst leader Nigeria has had. Despite supporting him in 2015, Baba-Ahmed said Buhari governed with apathy and failed to prioritize the country’s needs. “He didn’t represent the North or any real agenda just himself,” he said.

    Comparing the Tinubu administration to Buhari’s, Baba-Ahmed noted that the country’s challenges particularly in the North have only worsened. “More lives are being lost now than before, but officials claim violence is down. Where do they get their data?” he asked.

    He warned that Nigerians are losing patience with leadership that lacks vision, accountability, and empathy.

     

  • What an unintelligent response – Jamb slammed over response to Peter Obi’s criticism of exam schedules

    What an unintelligent response – Jamb slammed over response to Peter Obi’s criticism of exam schedules

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has come under criticisms over its response to the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi over the early resumption time for its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

    TheNewsGuru reports that this comes after the former Anambra governor via the microblogging platform on Sunday condemned reports of candidates who were made to travel to examination centers as early as 6:30 am despite security concerns.

    The presidential candidate described the situation as “reckless,” citing incidents of accidents and missing candidates, and blamed it on what he called Nigeria’s inadequate investment in education.

    He said, “Setting exams for vulnerable teenagers as early as 6:00 AM while transporting them across far-flung locations is reckless.

    “Already, reports are emerging of students getting into accidents and losing their young lives, some going missing, and many more being subjected to unnecessary trauma. Who takes responsibility when a 15- or 16-year-old child disappears or is harmed while trying to access their right to education?”

    Reacting, the exam body clarified that the early arrival of candidates was necessary to prevent late-coming, which could disrupt the exercise.

    In a post on its official X account, JAMB wrote, “Your Excellency, I must assert that our examination is scheduled to commence at 8:00am, not 6:00 am. While verification and other clearance processes begins at 6:30am , it is imperative that candidates are afforded adequate time to settle in before the exam begins.”

    The statement added, “Given the tendencies often observed among Nigerians to arrive late when a start time is set without space for eventuality, this structured timeline is essential to ensure that all candidates are properly prepared and can perform to the best of their abilities.”

    However, the response of Jamb to former presidential candidate, Obi did not sit well with many who called out the examination body for laying emphasis on the same claim such as Peter Obi.

    How Nigerians reacted:

    One user comment: “The person handling that jamb account that responded to PO.They should review his jamb results. Cos what is the difference between what PO said and what his saying.”

    Another user, rubydennis2090 added, wrote: “It didn’t break, it divided into two. What’s the difference between what Peter Obi wrote and what you’re writing? Do you start by 6:30am or not?”

    iam_mztonia wrote: “For someone doing masters or phd verification won’t start at 6:30am. Student should be able to rest their head before writing an exam, I don’t see why jamb can’t start verification by 8am and exam by 10am. I rember travelling to Sango ifo with my dad years back from Ikorodu.”

    themeatvilla wrote: “Jamb is crazy… Is the screening at 6:30am not part of the exams preconditions.”

    _charles.jnr wrote: Not everything requires defending. JAMB! Do the needful.Obi made a valid point—JAMB needs to call for a stakeholders’ engagement to see how they can improve their exams to make them safer and better for these teenagers.

    biyondstudios wrote: AbI ori jamb daru, verification starts by 6:30 am and each centers have hundreds of students, most of these students love very far from that center where you posted them, what time do u expect them to leave thier respective homes, ENKR

  • Why Peter Obi should not return to PDP – Labour Party Chieftain

    Why Peter Obi should not return to PDP – Labour Party Chieftain

    The Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party, Dr Ayo Olorunfemi, has advised the 2023 LP presidential candidate to ignore all calls to dump the party ahead of 2027 general election.

    Olorunfemi, also the LP Candidate in the 2024 Ondo governorship election, gave the advice on Sunday in Lagos, stressing that Obi should rather focus on rebuilding the party .

    Recall that there have been calls in some quarters for Obi to dump the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    One of those making the calls, Mr Segun Sowunmi,a former PDP governorship candidate in Ogun ,said during a television interview on Thursday that Obi’s return to his former party would brighten the chances of the PDP in  2027 .

    According to Sowunmi, Obi, who left the PDP for the Labour Party ahead of the 2023 Presidential election, owes much of his national political recognition to his time at PDP.

    Olorunfemi, who noted that though Obi was at liberty under the law to associate with any political party of his choice, said he  needed to be wary of what he called dangerous advances.

    “Now that he has contested and he has seen the LP force, if he decides to go to another political party, it will then speak volumes of his intention.

    “It will tell whether he truly believed in the ideology of the Labour Party before coming to run, or he just wanted to use the opportunity of the platform.

    “So, it will now be left  for Nigerians to decide whether Obi ,who got millions of votes under the Labour Party, can still be voted for under PDP or another party.

    “He (Obi) must use his tongue to count his teeth. If I were he , what I will be doing now is working to restore peace in Labour Party and rebuild it

    “He should find a way to resolve the issues in the party and remain on the platform. He should remain in the party and restore peace.He should stay and resolve the crises he and others created in LP.

    “Moving around will portray him as an opportunistic politician not different from these politicians jumping here and there,” he told NAN.

    Noting that Obi had the capacity to resolve the crisis in Labour Party, Olorunfemi said that some aspirants shelved their ambitions in 2022 to allow Obi use the LP platform to run for president.

    He, however, said that if Obi decided to dump the LP, the party would continue to exist as a strong opposition party.

    Speaking on the leadership crisis in the party, Olorunfemi said that Mr Julius Abure-led LP National Working Committee (NWC) never wronged Obi and others fighting against it.

    He said that members of the NWC, including himself, risked their lives and endured vitriolic attacks from different groups and persons for supporting Obi’s presidential ambition in the last election.

    “What is the offence of Abure? He stood in the sun, stood in the rain. All of us in the NWC stood by him (Obi). In spite of all the attacks, we stood by him.

    “My own people, in the course of fighting for him (Obi) ,called me names  for fighting for  for someone not from my tribe. LP is blind to ethnicity and I supported him because  believe in politics devoid of ethnic sentiment.

    “There is bound to be crisis, people will come with different things in mind, but we have to moderate everything like we are doing now in LP

    “Everything we are doing in the Labour Party is in line with our constitution.That is our strength. Anybody that wants to challenge the authority of the NWC should challenge it to the constitution.

    “They should show us the aspect of the constitution that has been violated.If they confront us with the facts ,then we will agree with them,” the chieftain said.

    The party has been enmeshed in leadership crisis since it lost in the 2023 election.

  • Stop demarketing Nigeria at international forums  —  Sowunmi slams Peter Obi

    Stop demarketing Nigeria at international forums  —  Sowunmi slams Peter Obi

    Barely 24 hours after urging Peter Obi to rejoin the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, the former governorship aspirant in Ogun State has advised the 2023 Labour Party Presidential candidate to think Nigeria first and stop demarketing the country.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that the former presidential candidate while speaking on the topic ‘Politics and Change in Nigeria’ at an event at Johns Hopkins, Washington, DC said that in 1990, when the Human Development Index (HDI) measurement started, Nigeria, China, Vietnam and Indonesia were all classified under the medium category of the HDI measurement.

    According to Obi, between 1990 and 2025, the three other countries moved up to the high category of HDI, while Nigeria fell into the low category.

    Obi said that in the area of poverty, Nigeria had the fewest people in poverty in 1990, and 35 years later, it has more poor people than China, Indonesia and Vietnam.

    However, Sowunmi faulted Obi’s analysis, saying his submissions about Nigeria were extremely skewed.

    He emphasised that “those who manipulate these figures have no metrics to measure the informal sector in Nigeria.”

    He, therefore, advised Obi to immediately stop portraying Nigeria in a bad light at international forums, adding that “one who wishes to lead a nation called Nigeria must be the de-marketer on steroids of the same country he or she wishes to lead.”

    Showunmi received several backlash from supporters of the former presidential candidate.

    In response to the backlash, Showunmi noted that when President Donald Trump was running to be the 47th president of the US, he did not demarket the country.

    “Did Donald Trump come to any other country or Africa to demarket the United States?” Showunmi asked.

    He said the former Governor of Anambra State ought to know that some of the samples used to arrive at data concerning Africa were faulty.

    He added that it was wrong for Obi to always emphasise Nigeria’s misery without proffering a solution.

    “The world is in flux right now and nations are renegotiating terms from trade to tariff to WTO to enter requirements. Do you think one of our most visible citizens, Peter Obi, should be so myopic as to not look at the errors in sampling?

    “Those who pick estimations to keep us down and discourage, especially when the biggest cause of our insecurity is the failure and destabilization of Libya, Syria, Iraq, etc. Joined with an excessive know-it-all of IMF, you need to tell him to stop it.

    “Shall Peter Obi’s play only be misery? Ask him for a practical solution he gets confused. Our salvation is not outside our country. If he loves Indonesia so much, he can relocate there. Those who love Nigeria will be inspired to fix it,” he stated.

  • Peter Obi reveals how much Nigerian politicians pay youths to insult those advocating for their future

    Peter Obi reveals how much Nigerian politicians pay youths to insult those advocating for their future

    The presidential candidate of the Labour party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has claimed that Nigerian politicians run ‘’transactional politics” where they go as far as paying youths to insult anyone advocating for a better future for all Nigerians.

    The former Anambra State governor made this known while speaking on the topic ‘Politics and Change in Nigeria’ at an event at Johns Hopkins, Washington, DC.

    ‘’People pay them to cause confusion. As I am here now, go to social media. All those that are being paid N20, 000 or N40, 000 monthly are youths whom you are fighting for their lives because at over 60, I have just few years to go but we can get it right,” he said.

    Nigeria’s Failure Caused By Political Leadership

    Obi further noted that Nigeria’s failure across all sectors was caused by politicians, adding that, only competent, capable and compassionate political leadership can help Nigeria achieve development.

    “The failure of a nation depends largely on its political leadership. Competent, capable and compassionate political leadership, with integrity, will help nations to achieve sustainable growth and development,” he said.

    He noted that, unlike Nigeria, grouped along with China, Vietnam and Indonesia, in 1990, on Human Development Index, the three countries have performed better.

    “In 1990, the year the measurement of the Human Development Index (HDI) was started, these 3 comparable nations, including Nigeria, were all classified under the medium category of the HDI measurement. 35 years later, 3 of these nations have moved up to the High category of HDI while Nigeria has fallen into the low category.

    “Within the same period of 35 years, from 1990 to 2025, the GDP Per Capita of these comparable nations have all improved. As of 1990, while Nigeria had a GDP per capita of $556, China had $317, Indonesia had $578, and Vietnam had only $99. Nigeria, obviously, had higher GDP per capita than China, while Vietnam had less than one-fifth of Nigeria’s per capita. Today, Nigeria’s per capita is about one-fifth of Indonesia’s ($5000) and Vietnam’s (4400) GDP per capita and below one-tenth of China’s (1300) GDP per capita.

    “In the area of poverty, Nigeria with about 50 million poor people, had the least number of people in poverty in 1990 than any of the three countries. While China had about 750 million people living in poverty, Indonesia and Vietnam had 85 million and 60 million poor people, respectively. China alone had about 15 times the number of poor people than Nigeria. Today, however, Nigeria has more poor people than these 3 countries combined,” he stated.

    The former Governor of Anambra State emphasized the need for Nigerian leaders to prioritize investments in education, health and poverty alleviation.

    “The question then is, what exactly did these countries do to be able to achieve the desired growth and development? That is where political leadership comes in. These comparable nations, and indeed other progressive nations, unlike Nigeria, have competent leadership with character, capacity and compassion, committed to prioritizing investment in critical areas of developmental measures; Education, Health, and pulling people out of poverty,” he added.

  • Peter Obi joins dignitaries to witness Pope’s lying in state at the Vatican

    Peter Obi joins dignitaries to witness Pope’s lying in state at the Vatican

    The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 poll, Peter Obi, on Wednesday, joined global dignitaries in Vatican City to pay final respects to the late Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis.

    Obi, a Papal Knight of the Church, joined Nigeria’s Vatican Veteran, 93-year-old Cardinal Francis Arinze to witness the Pontiff’s lying in the state.

    Writing on his X handle, the LP standards bearer
    said in an article titled
    “Legacy of Light: What Pope Francis Taught the World”

    “Today, I joined Francis Cardinal Arinze, global dignitaries, and thousands of mourners at St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, to pay my final respects to His Holiness, Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21. The solemn lying-in-state ceremony was a moment of deep reflection, as the world bids farewell to a man who embodied humility, simplicity, and selfless service.

    “Pope Francis was more than a Pontiff; he was a moral light in a world darkened by inequality and indifference. His life was a testament to leadership as a sacred duty, one rooted in compassion, truth, and service to the poor and marginalised. He lived for others, spoke for the voiceless, and reminded us all that leadership must be about lifting others, not self-exaltation.

    “I came to truly appreciate what he stood for after my appointment as a member of Scholars Occultantes – an international circle of thinkers he founded during his time as Archbishop. The organisation, dedicated to truth, ethical leadership, and social transformation, gave me a deeper insight into the intellectual and moral force behind his teachings.

    “I was blessed to meet Pope Francis on three occasions. Each encounter left a lasting impression. He radiated peace and inspired faith, and his presence was a quiet yet powerful reminder of the divine responsibility that leadership entails. His humility was infectious, his vision deeply human.

    “As we mourn this great soul, I urge political, religious, and community leaders, especially across Africa, to reflect on his life and commit to the values he upheld: justice, peace, and human dignity. Let this moment not just be one of mourning, but a call to lead with conscience, walk with the people, and govern with love.

    “May Pope Francis’ soul rest in perfect peace, and may his legacy live on in all who seek to serve humanity selflessly.