TheNewsGuru

Tag: Tambuwal

  • “I won’t join APC because I don’t want my sins to be forgiven– Tambuwal vows

    “I won’t join APC because I don’t want my sins to be forgiven– Tambuwal vows

    Sokoto South Senatorial District Senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has vowed never to join the All Progressives Congress, APC.

    Tambuwal, a member of the opposition coalition said he has no interest in seeking political “forgiveness of sins.”

    Addressing his supporters upon his return to Sokoto, the former state governor said he cannot join the APC because he does not want his sins forgiven.

    He said: “I do not want my sins to be forgiven so I can’t join the APC. I cannot be intimidated. I cannot be blackmailed. No one can tarnish my records.”

    The former Sokoto State governor maintained that the political landscape in Nigeria is sharply divided between “those with Bola Tinubu and his government” and “those with the people of Nigeria,” stressing that he has chosen to stand with the people.

    Recall the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had detained Tambuwal in Abuja over alleged fraudulent withdrawal of cash to the tune of N189 billion.

  • EFCC releases ex-Gov of Sokoto, Tambuwal from detention

    EFCC releases ex-Gov of Sokoto, Tambuwal from detention

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released ex- Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, a day after he was summoned and interrogated at the agency’s Abuja headquarters.

     

    Tambuwal, a political acolyte of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, was taken into custody on Monday following his arrival at the commission’s office around 11:30 a.m.

    He was grilled over allegations of fraudulent cash withdrawals amounting to ₦189 billion.

    According to EFCC sources, the investigation is centred on possible breaches of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The transactions under scrutiny were reportedly carried out during his tenure as governor from 2015 to 2023.

  • I was most demonised person during Jonathan’s regime – VP Shettima

    I was most demonised person during Jonathan’s regime – VP Shettima

    Vice-President Kashim Shettima, on Thursday in Abuja recounted his odeal under the administration of the former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Shettima made the revelation at the public presentation of a book titled, ” OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 billion Nigeria Oil Block, “authored by the former Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke.

    According to Shettima, in the last four years of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, I was the most demonized person, I was the public enemy number one.

    “There are two gentlemen seated here. Certain decisions are taken in a very rear peace circle.  The President, the Vice President,  the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    ” In one of such conclaves, former President Goodluck Jonathan with whom we have sheath the sword and have now recalibrated our relationship was muting the idea of removing this Borno governor.

    ”Aminu Tambuwal, the then Speaker of the House of Representatives had the courage to tell the President that your Excellency, you don’t have the powers to remove an elected councillor.

    ”The President was still not convinced,  he muted the idea at the Federal Executive Council, ” Shettima said.

    The Vice-President also expressed his admiration to Mr Mohammed Adoke for his courage,  conviction and capacity to stand for what he believes in.

    ”He (Mr Adoke) told the then President that Mr President you do not have the powers to remove a sitting governor not even a councillor.

    ”They sought for the opinion of another SAN in the cabinet, Kabiru Turaki,  who said I’m concurring with the opinion of my senior colleague.

    ”That was how the matter was laid to rest but that was how my relationship with Mr Adoke and Aminu Tambuwal became eternally sealed. “

    Shettima also commended Adoke for the courage to forgive all those who had offended him in the course of his public duty.

    NAN reports that the 26-chapter book on the OPL 245, also known as Malabu oil deal scandal, centres on a 2011 agreement in which Royal Dutch Shell and Italy’s Eni paid $1.3 billion to acquire Nigeria’s deep-water oil licence.

    The oil block is believed to hold nine billion barrels of crude.

  • APC defends defections, slams Tambuwal’s criticism

    APC defends defections, slams Tambuwal’s criticism

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) says members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are defecting to align with President Bola Tinubu’s bold economic reform agenda.

    Felix Morka, the APC’s National Publicity Secretary, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja while responding to criticism from former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal.

    Tambuwal had claimed that defections from the PDP were driven by “stomach infrastructure,” insisting that no politician with a conscience would join the APC.

    In response, Morka said Tambuwal’s remarks better described his own history of defections between multiple political parties over the years.

    He recalled that Tambuwal had moved from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) in 2007, then back to ANPP, and later to the PDP.

    Morka noted that Tambuwal also defected to the APC in 2014 before returning to the PDP in 2018.

    “There is wisdom in the saying that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. That wisdom has clearly eluded Tambuwal, a notorious party defector.

    “His comments more accurately reflect his own history of political migrations. His movements were driven by self-interest, not conscience,” Morka stated.

    According to him, a politician like Tambuwal lacks the moral right to question the motives of those leaving the crisis-ridden PDP for the APC.

    He argued that, contrary to Tambuwal’s claims, PDP members were joining the APC because of Tinubu’s economic reforms and the party’s growing appeal.

    Morka said many defectors had cited Tinubu’s policies and the PDP’s internal crisis as reasons for their decision.

    He highlighted that, under Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria recently surpassed its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota of 1.5 million barrels per day.

    “This achievement results from improved security and targeted oil sector reforms,” he explained.

    He added that Nigeria had recorded consistent trade surpluses, increased Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), a strong stock market, and an enhanced foreign reserve.

    Morka advised Tambuwal and his allies to take responsibility for the PDP’s struggles instead of criticising those exercising their right to political association.

    He urged them to apologise to their party members and adopt a more humble and reflective approach going forward.

  • 2027 political re-engineering: Ex-VP Atiku, Tambuwal, Imoke in closed-door session with Obasanjo

    2027 political re-engineering: Ex-VP Atiku, Tambuwal, Imoke in closed-door session with Obasanjo

    Ahead 2027 election, ex–Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Monday led a delegation to meet with his former principal, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo at the hilltop residence of the former Nigerian leader in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    The former vice president was accompanied by former Governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke and Senator Aminu Tambuwal who is a former governor of Sokoto State and Ex-Speaker of HoR.

    The agenda of the meeting was not immediately known as of press time but it comes amid plans by opposition politicians to map out strategies to trounce the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and win the 2027 presidential election.

    Atiku deputised Obasanjo from May 1999 to May 2007. Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, came second after President Bola Tinubu of the APC who won the poll.

  • Cement price hike: Umahi, Tambuwal inspect BUA’s 5th plant in Sokoto

    Cement price hike: Umahi, Tambuwal inspect BUA’s 5th plant in Sokoto

    Sen. David Umahi, Minister of Works, and Sen. Aminu Tambuwal (PDP-Sokoto), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing, on Thursday inspected the newly constructed BUA Cement’s fifth plant in Sokoto State.

    Umahi, who was in Sokoto to inspect the reconstruction of a 372 km dual road from Sokoto to Zaria in Kaduna State, urged BUA cement’s management to reduce the prices of cement in the market.

    He emphasised the government’s commitment to stabilizing the Naira’s value and assured the public that efforts were underway to address the rising costs of commodities.

    The minister disclosed that President Bola Tinubu was deeply concerned with the escalating prices of commodities including cement.

    He revealed that the president had directed cement companies to revert to the previous prices during a meeting with the manufacturers.

    “I encourage them to comply with the President’s directive, facilitating a massive housing programme and the national agenda for concrete roads,” he stated.

    Regarding the fifth plant, Umahi commended the company’s commitment and expressed confidence in the product’s quality, aligning with the government’s objectives.

    In his remarks, Tambuwal emphasised the importance of cement production in the housing sector, praising the collaboration between the government and BUA cement.

    “I believe this partnership will greatly support the Federal Government’s initiative to provide affordable housing, addressing the significant housing gap in the country,” he said.

    Tambuwal congratulated BUA for its steadfastness, saying that it will contribute significantly to the government’s initiative.

    The Managing Director of BUA, Mr. Yusuf Binji, assured that the fifth plant would significantly increase the daily cement production, contributing to lower market prices.

    “The new plant will add 165 trucks to our daily production capacity, further driving down the product’s price in the market,” Binji affirmed.

  • BREAKING Finally, Senators dump Tambuwal, name missing from list of confirmed minority leaders

    BREAKING Finally, Senators dump Tambuwal, name missing from list of confirmed minority leaders

    Former Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal anointed candidate of the PDP dumped as his name is visibly missing from the list of confirmed minority leaders of the tenth Senate.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports that despite swerve moves made by the former 7th House of Representatives speaker, his name was not on the list Senate President, Godswill Akpabio announced on Tuesday during plenary session.

    See list below:

    Minority Leadership Of 10th Senate Announced

    Simon Mwadkon
    Senate Minority Leader

    Oyewumi Olalere
    Senate Deputy Minority Leader

    Darlington Nwokocha
    Senate Minority Whip

    Rufai Hanga
    Senate Deputy Minority Whip

    Details shortly…

  • Senate Minority Leader: PDP group rejects Tambuwal’s bid

    Senate Minority Leader: PDP group rejects Tambuwal’s bid

    A Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) revolutionary political group, Concerned PDP League (CPDPL), says it will oppose any bid by the party to present Sen. Aminu Tambuwal, as a minority candidate for the senate.

    Chairman of CPDPL, Mr Daboikiabo Warmate, said in a statement on Wednesday that the group was not in support of Tambuwal, based on a trust deficit he earned for himself when he was the Speaker of House of Representatives.

    Warmate said that instead of Tambuwal, the position should rather be zoned to a state in the North-Central, precisely Plateau.

    “That his ambition is dead in its imagination, how much more arrival; nevertheless, the past has caught up with him,” he said.

    Warmate stated that Tambuwal had during his leadership as Speaker of the 8th House of Representatives given to him by the PDP, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and by so doing, sowed a seed of trust deficit.

    He expressed dissatisfaction over such an attitude, saying that the ambition of the former Sokoto governor would be a recipe and incentive for further disunity and crisis in the PDP.

    “It is with great disappointment and shock to have read on the papers that Tambuwal, the former Governor of Sokoto State and PDP Governors Forum Chairman, wants to be the minority leader of the 10th Senate.

    “Somebody that in 2014 took the House of Representatives Speakership we gave to him and defected to another party. This same person eventually came back to the party.

    “Now, he wants to be the minority leader of the 10th Senate; we will not give support to you.

    “Look, for many years, he was the PDP Governors Forum chairman, but could not speak against the suppression and sufferings of Nigerians,” Warmate said.

    According to him, Tambuwal cannot be trusted the second time and does not have the needed courage to be the minority leader of the 10th Senate, judging from his antecedents.

    He called for a mid-term convention to be followed by the dissolution of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to give room for fresh ideas.

    The group also urged the Acting National Chairman of the party, Amb. Umar Damagum, not to sign any letter introducing Tambuwal as the minority leader of the 10th Senate.

    “The former PDP Governors Forum Chairman, performed woefully as a leader of the opposition party.

    “No, enough is enough; PDP members cannot be used and dumped.

    “It is Peoples Democratic party (PDP), not Elite Democratic Party or Stakeholders Democratic Party, and that is what we want them to know.

    “We will not allow members, leaders or any leader to use the party and dump it at will, no! That is unacceptable. We need to tell them the truth.”

    Warmate commended the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, for providing the needed opposition voice in the eight years of the APC Buhari-led Federal Government.

  • Aliyu revokes land allocations, terminates last-minute appointments made by Tambuwal

    Aliyu revokes land allocations, terminates last-minute appointments made by Tambuwal

    Gov. Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State on Tuesday revoked last-minute all land and housing allocations made by his predecessor, Aminu Tambuwal.

    Aliyu has also dissolved all boards, terminated civil service and traditional rulers appointments recently made by the immediate past administration in the state.

    Aliyu made the announcement through his Press Secretary, Malam Abubakar Bawa, noting that appointments into the state civil service made by the government after March 19, 2023 were all affected.

    Bawa quoted Aliyu as saying the renaming of tertiary institutions and related appointments to their governing councils as well as relocations announced by the immediate past administration were nullified.

    According to him, the affected institutions are to revert to their former names and locations.

    “All recent appointments of traditional rulers, made by former Gov. Aminu Tambuwal are hereby suspended and will be reviewed in due course in the public interest.

    “All local government sole administrators/ caretaker committees recently appointed by the immediate past administration are hereby dissolved,” Aliyu said.

    He directed LGAs Sole Administrators to hand over to the Directors of Administration at the Councils with immediate effect.

    Aliyu added that all governing boards of parastatals other than statutory boards were also dissolved with immediate effect.

    The governor said that all wasteful and unnecessary auction of government assets were suspended and would be revisited in due course.

    Meanwhile, the governor has approved the appointment of Alhaji Ibrahim Arkilla, as acting Director-General of the Pilgrims Welfare Agency

  • Alleged defection: Court dismisses APC’s suit seeking Tambuwal’s removal

    Alleged defection: Court dismisses APC’s suit seeking Tambuwal’s removal

    A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed a suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking the removal of Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State for defecting from the party to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Aug. 1, 2018.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, refused to grant the request on the ground that similar suits were voided by the Court of Appeal in several judgments.

    Justice Ekwo said that since the Appeal Court’s judgments which held that governors cannot forfeit their seats on grounds of defection had not been set aside by the Supreme Court, they remained the law and binding on lower courts.

    Tambuwal, who was elected as governor on the APC’s platform, had on Aug. 1, 2018 defected to PDP less than a year to the expiration of his tenure.

    APC had, in the originating summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/449/2022 and filed on April 5, 2022, asked the court to invoke Sections 177, 179, and 189 of the 1999 Constitution to declare the governorship seat of Sokoto State vacant on the account of defection by Tambuwal to another party.

    The party sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP and Tambuwal as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.

    The party sought a declaration that by defecting from APC to PDP, a political party that did not win the governorship election in the state, Tambuwal had “resigned or was deemed to have resigned from the office of the Governor of Sokoto State with effect from 1st August, 2018 until the end of the tenure on the 28th May, 2019.”

    It sought an order declaring all actions, functions, and duties performed by Tambuwal from Aug. 1, 2018 to May 28, 2019, as unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal, null, and void.

    It also prayed for an order compelling the governor to immediately refund all salaries received from Aug. 1, 2018, to May 28, 2019, to the end of that tenure, including allowances and security votes

    Besides, APC sought a declaration that Tambuwal was unfit to hold public office for violating the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended).

    Justice Ekwo held that lawyers ought to have counselled their clients in respect of such matters that are pending before the Supreme Court.

    He said it would amount to an exercise in futility for a Federal High Court to decide on a matter pending before the apex court.

    The judge, who held that the case of APC failed and lacked merit in view of the position of the Court of Appeal on similar matters, dismissed the suit.