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Tag: Tinubu

  • Tinubu warming up to be President come 2019 – Dele Momodu

    Publisher of the Ovation Magazine and former Presidential aspirant, Dele Momodu has explained a recent comment by an All Progressives Congress chieftain, Chief Bisi Akande, on issues of ‘automatic ticket’ is a pointer that national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bolaji Tinubu is warming up for presidency come 2019.

    Akande during a meeting of the South West leaders of the ruling party had made it clear that there was no automatic ticket for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Reacting to the matter in a long article he shared on social media yesterday, Momodu pointed out that Yoruba leaders are preparing a former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bolaji Tinubu for presidency come 2019.

    He said the decision is borne out of frustration, adding that the Yoruba leadership will no longer support any other tribe for the presidency.

    Part of his article reads, “What Baba Akande has not said is simply that the days when the Presidency would be voluntarily zoned to exclude most sections of the country in favour of another section, whether the candidate presented and supported by the people is competent or useless, are over.

    “The truth is zoning never worked anyway, as some Presidential candidates left their original parties for other parties in defiance of the zoning formula of their own party.

    “Without mincing words, it is obvious that the Yoruba leadership has decided it would no longer support other tribes, zones or regions to attain to power to the exclusion of their tribe.

    “They would rather work hard, reach out, and join hands with like minds to get power.

    “Their decision is borne out of the acute frustration and disappointment that makes them feel cheated about the Nigerian configuration which does not throw up the best but regularly favours the dregs of society who have only contributed to drawing Nigeria backward, in most cases.

    “The campaign has probably started in earnest, culminating in the search for a Yoruba Presidency.

    “Though the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose has controversially but ceremoniously thrown his hat into the ring, it is the fact that the capo di tutti capi, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may be warming up for his turn to take a major shot at the race of his life that is most significant.

    “Mark my words. One of the greatest political strategists in Nigeria, Tinubu is tired of being a kingmaker and he would rather be the king.

    “Indeed, that has always been his ambition but this has been largely curtailed by circumstances.

    “Like many of those who supported Major General Muhammadu Buhari to attain power, after so many attempts, the former Senator and former Governor of Lagos State, feels he’s not gotten the respect and relevance he deserves for his monumental effort. Accordingly, he seems determined to make a personal push.

    “Apart from the virtues of Baba Akande that I have enumerated above, a lesser known one is his deep sense of loyalty.”
  • Nigeria must restructure to create balance —Tinubu

    Nigeria must restructure to create balance —Tinubu

    A national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has said restructuring will bring much needed balance to the country.

    The former Lagos State governor, however, said he was against the split-up of the country.

    Tinubu’s assertion followed repeated pronouncements by President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo that Nigeria’s unity is settled and not open to negotiation.

    Tinubu, who was the keynote speaker at the annual dinner of the King’s College Old Boys’ Association, on Saturday, described Nigeria as a nation that had not sufficiently defined its governance.

    The APC leader said, “We are like the bewildered couple who has got their marriage licence after a lavish wedding; yet neither of them really understands the meaning of marriage or their roles as husband and wife in it.

    “Legally, they are married but functionally, their union is a crippled one. This couple will be at loggerheads until somehow they forge an agreement on what type of home they want and what are their respective duties in making that home come into existence.

    “It is a rather curious lapse that a nation with such diversity as ours has not taken the time to give our legal marriage its proper functional underpinning. In other words, we all lined up to call ourselves Nigerians without gathering to discuss what it meant.

    “We may be defined by political borders and boundaries but we have not glued ourselves to collective purpose and vision. Too many of us are born in Nigeria but not of it. Thus, our society is not a collective enterprise as important to each of us as our own personal endeavour. It is a platform, an arena, to claim whatever one can by whatever means available.

    “Thus, we argue over matters that long ago should have been settled. The longer such fundamental questions fester, the more extreme become the proposed answers. Thus, we have people clamouring for secession in one part of the country and the murmur of such a course grows stronger in other sections.”

    Tinubu noted that blame and recrimination had become the political currency, while statesmanship had fallen in short supply as the dominant urge was to confront instead of reconcile.

    “Constitutionally, we are a federation of 36 states. However, the vestiges of past military rule continue to haunt the democratic road we hew. We function like a unitary state in many ways. We cannot become a better Nigeria with an undue concentration of power at the federal level. Competition for federal office will be too intense, akin to a winner-take-all duel.

    “Those who lose will bristle at the lack of power in the periphery they occupy. They will scheme to pester and undermine the strong executive because that is where they want to be. The executive will become so engaged in deflecting their antics, that it will not devote its great powers to the issues of progressive governance for which such powers were bestowed.

    “Things will be in a constant state of disequilibrium and irritation. Such a situation tends toward the maintenance of an unsatisfactory status quo in the political economy. It is against reform.

    “It would be better to restructure things to attain the correct balance between our collective purpose on (the) one hand and our separate grass-roots realities on the other. We must listen to what is being said so that we can determine what is really meant,” he added.

    Tinubu, however, noted that there were opportunists on the path to achieving balance in the polity.

    He said, “Let us be frank. Many who cry separation do so because their personal ambitions will be better served by such a thing. They believe they will have greater chance at political power under a different arrangement. Yet the cry for separation has gained traction among average people. This is due to the chronic failure of government to meet basic aspirations.

    “If over the years, government had delivered on the promise of growth, prosperity, and justice, those calling for such extreme remedies would be but a small fringe of little consequence.

    “Our task is not to condemn but to listen and understand. I care not at all for this proposed solution. But I dare not discount the concerns and problems that have led many people into advocating such a thing.

    “Here, I want to plainly state my position. I am a firm believer in Nigeria. I believe this land will become a great nation and a leader among other African nations. We can resolve our dysfunctions in a manner that will make this nation rise as a standard of decency, justice and prosperity for all Nigerians.”

  • Eid-El-Kabir: Saraki, Dogara, Tinubu preach peace, prayers for Buhari

    The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara and national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu have all tasked Muslims and Nigerians in general to live peacefully and continue to offer prayers for President Muhammadu Buhari’s final recovery as they mark the 2017 Eid-El-Kabir celebrations today.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the Senate President urged Nigerians, irrespective of their faith, to pray for the country’ greater glory.

    He stated that the Muslim festival which falls on Jummat day (Friday) is unique as it carries a dual promise that all prayers offered during the Eid and Jummat have a double assurance of bringing Allah’s blessing to Muslim faithful and their country.

    The statement reads: “It is significant that the Eid-El-Kabir and Jummat will be celebrated in one day. This tells us that all prayers offered during this solemn day will no doubt command double mercies of Allah towards us all.”

    Saraki called on Islamic faithful to seek Allah’s grace for the peace, unity, security and economic development of the country.

    Saraki also enjoined Nigerians to pray for the good health of the President, God’s guidance for all in positions of authority, including the private sector.

    He said: “This is a time we must be our brothers’ keeper by sharing our worldly goods with them. This is a time we must pray for our leaders, especially President Muhammadu Buhari and all those saddled with the responsibilities of leadership at all levels in our country.

    “With prayers, I have no doubt that God will inspire and guide our leaders to initiate and sustain policies and programmes that would guarantee peace, security, economic growth, political stability and social cohesion in our nation.”

    Saraki urged Nigerians to pray for a strong rebound of the economy, saying that the positive effects would trickle down to individual homes and help citizens to realise their goals and aspirations.

    He said: “Therefore, I call on all our brothers and sisters, fellow Nigerians, to be law abiding and support the present administration in its bid to tackle the problems of insecurity, unemployment, corruption and underperforming economy.”

    In a similar goodwill message, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara admonished Muslim faithful to promote unity and tolerance, which are crucial for peaceful coexistence.

    In a statement by his media aide, Mr. Turaki Hassan, Dogara said that Nigeria could only fulfill its great potential with the promotion of unity, peace, security and stability by the citizenry.

    He stressed the need to show greater respect and love for one another.

    The Speaker said: ”This is a moment for sober reflections. I enjoin you to use the period to uphold the spiritual benefit of the celebration by extending a hand of friendship and solidarity across all divides.

    “Also imbibe the spirit of sacrifice and obedience to the higher authority as exemplified by prophet Ibrahim and upheld by Prophet Mohammed.”

    Wishing the Muslim faithful a blessed and peaceful celebration, Dogara reiterated his call for sustained prayers for the leadership of the country at all levels.

    He said: “This is an opportunity for us to reflect and pray for our nation, and to pray for our dear president for God’s guidance and good health.

    “And pray for all those in leadership positions so that God in his infinite mercy will continue to guide them as they steer the affairs of the country.”

    The former governor of Lagos State and National leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu also urged Nigerians to submit to the will of the almighty and pray for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in his Sallah message to Nigerians.

    The administration, he noted, has a mission to move Nigeria out of the woods and that the purpose for which the government set out must be accomplished for the benefit of all.

    “As we pray during this period, let us remember President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration in our supplications so that the government may fulfill its appointed mission by uplifting us as a nation unified in vision, direction and purpose”, the former Lagos State governor said in his Sallah message.

    The message reads: “Today is Eid-el-Kabir. I congratulate Muslims in Nigeria and across the world for this festival.

    “Prophet Ibrahim demonstrated his submission to Almighty Allah as exemplified by his readiness to sacrifice his only son. This is reason we celebrate the Eid.

    “To mark the Eid faithfully, we must celebrate it in the same spirit of submission to the will of Allah that prophet Ibrahim showed.

    “This is what the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) told us to do. This is what we as Muslims must do and do without fail.

    “Our devotion to Allah must manifest itself in how we treat our fellow man. If we are truly devoted to the will of Allah, then we must also be devoted to the wellIbeing of our neighbour.

    “This occasion calls for peace, compassion, justice and tolerance. It calls for us to adhere to principles and causes greater and nobler than our own self interests. It asks us to work and strive for the betterment of community and country.

    “It is these traits that must order our daily lives and our relationship with one another.”

    “May Almighty Allah accept all our devotion and take it as an act of Ibadah.”

     

  • Buhari’s love for Nigeria compelled him to come home – Tinubu

    Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Ahmed Tinubu, expressed joy at the return of President Buhari, saying the president’s return to Nigeria is because he [Buhari] loves the country.

    In a statement by his Media Office, Mr. Tinubu, who is at present abroad, said the president had always been a man of moral fortitude, discipline, strength and dedication.

    According to him, the attributes had helped him battle medical challenges. “These same attributes will lead him to success in surmounting our national challenges.”

    “President Buhari has demonstrated time and again his devotion to this nation and its great causes. His love of country and the realization that he has a mission to fulfil so that Nigeria may realize its better self by providing security and prosperity to all Nigerians has compelled him home.

    “Just as we gathered to pray for his health and his return, we must remain united in spirit to support President Buhari as he pursues the progressive agenda for which he was elected and that promises us all a better day.

    “Our nation is strong but must overcome many challenges. We can do so with President Buhari at the helm and with the rest of the nation in active support.

    “Thus, the president’s return home is both real and symbolic. We all must renew our faith in our collective purpose and rededicate ourselves to a nation indivisible and united in reconstructing our political economy so that it provides a decent and good life to all our people.

    “It has been a heartening thing to see that our nation has matured to the point where governance continued in a meaningful, seamless manner during the president’s absence. This again was a sign of the harmony between President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    “On this day, it is even more heartening to think of the things that can now be achieved with President Buhari back to lead the nation.

    “Today is a glad and happy one for those who wish Nigeria well. While we celebrate the President’s return, we also must quickly turn to the hard and heavy work at hand.

    “With President Buhari back and with the nation united behind him, we can accomplish excellent things. May we do our best to become our best.”

  • 2019: South-East leaders task Oyegun, Tinubu, others

    Stakeholders in South-East on has applauded the All Progressives Congress (APC) for sustaining democracy in the country.
    They also praised the APC government for translating the hopes and dreams of the people into reality and creating for Nigeria an environment of good order and civilization.
    “The All Progressives Congress (APC) government is the most efficient and accountable in the history of Nigeria’s democracy”
    At a meeting focused on mapping out strategies for the November 2017 Anambra State Governorship Election, the leaders praised the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun for opening up the ruling party to every Nigerian citizen and compelling government functionaries at the various levels to better their people and their surroundings.
    A statement from the South-East Unity and Advancement Forum (SEUAAF) after the meeting in Awka described the alleged N850 Million bribery story as wicked, baseless and reckless.
    “The story is spurious. It is a political fabrication aimed at undermining the national chairman’s integrity and causing confusion in the party”
    The leaders condemned the suspended National Deputy Publicity Secretary of APC, Comrade Timi Frank and those behind him for encouraging anarchy in the party.
    “It is totally irresponsible for Frank and his sponsors to promote chaos and tribal bitterness in the country’s ruling party. Frank and his sponsors want to turn back the clock on the progress we have made”
    Signed by SEUAAF National Chairman, Chief Maxwell Okoye, the leaders charged Oyegun, APC National Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and others to work round the clock to ensure that the party wins in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states.
    “We come from different background with divergent political ideologies. We also hold a variety of views. However, let us put the people ahead of political interest. Let us support President Muhammadu Buhari, Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the National Working Committee of our great party in creating a country which everyone experiences a better life. Let us work in cooperation for 2019”.
    Oyegun, according to the leaders, transformed APC into a formidable, highly disciplined political machine that outperformed other parties in presidential, national assembly and governorship elections in Nigeria,
    They also promised to teach All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others a lesson in democracy on Saturday, November 18, 2017.
  • Alleged new plane acquisition: Tinubu blasts This Day Newspapers, says ‘your report is fake’

    Alleged new plane acquisition: Tinubu blasts This Day Newspapers, says ‘your report is fake’

    The Media Office of former Lagos State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has refuted reports that he has purchased a new plane.

    A statement by the former governor’s Special Assistant Ademola Oshodi described the report as “fake news’.

    The statement reads: “The THISDAY story of Sunday, July 23, 2017 claiming Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has recently purchased a new airplane is symptomatic of what happens when a publication divorces itself from any pretence of objective and impartial reportage. This is what happens when a newspaper becomes a mercenary tool for partisan designs.

    “THISDAY has a partisan axe to grind and it seeks to grind that axe against someone like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu because that is what the paymasters of THISDAY demand of it.

    “So eager to be seen as loyal to the whims of its paymasters, THISDAY stands disloyal to the very truth it professes to publish. Rather than practise journalism, this publication now specialises in peddling rumour and manufacturing fake scandal. One of the paper’s favourite excursions into fiction is to publish any and all things false about Bola Tinubu. Why THISDAY has such animus against Tinubu only the paper can answer. That such irrational hatred exists cannot be controverted.

    “THISDAY published a story that Tinubu purchased a new plane. The story was replete with pictures as if to authenticate the report. There is only one slight problem. The story is false and the pictures are doctored.

    “Asiwaju Tinubu has not purchased a new plane. He is currently using the same plane he has used for over a decade now. This is the same plane that was used during the elections of 2011 and more recently in 2015 to help the APC campaign to victory, much to the everlasting chagrin of THISDAY and those whose wishes it caters to. If THISDAYwould have done even a cursory check of the photos it published, it would have noticed the pictures reveal spaces with different interiors. They would have easily seen Tinubu’s picture was super-imposed onto a space he has not been.

    “This is sensational, shoddy and false. In the rush to embarrass Tinubu, THISDAY bares itself as a mill of rumour and falsehood. It is THISDAY that should be embarrassed not Tinubu. Had THISDAY done any investigation at all and had it even a brief acquaintance with the truth and the etiquette of proper journalism, it would not have published the false report.

    “To clear the record, Tinubu has not bought a new plane. A simple investigation would have revealed the correct situation. But these merchants of fake news are more interested in attacking perceived enemies than in enlightening the public as should be the call of a newspaper.

    “This is journalism that is not journalism. We send this message in hope that THISDAY will find some respect for the norms of the profession it claims to practice. While this hope is probably too optimistic given the newspaper’s track record, we shall continue to pray and hope that they turn to the truth and quit their romance with blatant rumour and outright falsity.”

     

  • Stop attacking Obasanjo, Tinubu, OPC warns Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB

    The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has warned the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to stop disparaging former President Olusegun Obasanjo and All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Two factional groups in the Yoruba organisation – New Era and Reformed OPC – gave the warning in a statement by their leaders, Razaq Aroundade (Reformed) and Dara Adesope (New Era).

    The statement said: “OPC is also committed to the promotion and furtherance of democratic principles in Nigeria. We will, as an organisation, support the entrenchment of democracy, rule of law and all the attributes of a sound democracy.

    “OPC also supports the genuine aspirations of all self-determination groups, which pursue their aims through non-violent means.

    The Constitution and several international charters, to which the country is a signatory, recognise the right to freedom of association by anybody, whether individual, corporate or institutional.

    “However, in supporting such agitations, we must not shy away from rebuking Nnamdi Kanu for the aspersions he has been casting in the direction of our referred leaders. Kanu’s repeated condemnations of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and others, are condemned in the strongest possible terms. The idea of respect for elders is a fundamental part of the Yoruba culture and tradition and we cannot afford to overlook such transgressions.

    “We, therefore, use this medium to warn this irritant called Nnamdi Kanu and other such individuals, who are fond of making careless comments in relation to our leaders, that OPC will no longer sit back and allow disrespect of our leaders or to use them to score cheap political points.”

     

  • Let’s keep praying for Buhari’s recovery, Tinubu tells Nigerians

    National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on yesterday urged Nigerians to keep praying for the recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He said this while speaking in Kano during a condolence visit to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje over the death of Dan Masani Kano, Alhaji Maitama Sule.

    Tinubu said “there is nothing anybody can do in the face of health challenge”.

    He said: “The President did not lie to us. He told us he was ill, and he needs to take care of himself. I don’t see any crisis about this situation. We are a nation that is very humane, honest, compassionate, and resilient. We take care of our own neighbours.”

    He added, “I am not a member of presidential cabinet, but I am a member of his party and I am a Nigerian. All we can do is to pray for him.”

    Tinubu also said he does not see any problem in the feud between the legislature and the executive.

    He said, “Honestly, I don’t see any problem in the crisis between the legislature and executive because we are in politics and in politics, there is an inbuilt conflict resolution mechanism.

    “Crisis, argument and communication are part of politics and there is a self-corrective process.

    “The National Assembly is there to voice their objective or objection. It is constitutional to take action against the opposition while the executive is to do the job of executive. They don’t have to be dog and nick to one another.
    ‘But for the peace, unity, prosperity, harmony and progress of the country, they have to work together; they are co-joined twins. No one can consume one another. If they play the politics well, Nigeria will be better for it.”

    Tinubu added: “It is a great honour and privilege for me to be here today. It has been very tough in the last few years. I grew up in the hands of two people, who knew me to my home. One of them is Dan Massanin Kano, who has just passed on.

    “The other is a living legend, Malam Yusuf Ali. In fact, my bedroom, where I am sleeping today, he has slept there; and he has been a great guiding light for me. He lost his brother; he lost a son, not too long ago. I have not been able to come and be with him.

    “It is only God who gives and he takes. We cannot change any date of calendar as written by God almighty. God will continue to be with you and console you. You will live long for us.

    “And incidentally, I will repeat this when we get to the Government House. Our brother, Ganduje, Your Excellency, you are saying eight years, some people are saying 12 years; but if you put comma in any line of the constitution, that is an amendment.

    “So, I endorse eight years, we are with it, and with all our body and soul. You are a great man – and you are a very very loyal man. We have been planning to come to condole with you because of Dan Masani. It is not just a Kano bereavement, but a national bereavement. We should condole with you and the people of Kano State because you are bereaved.

    “One thing that we must note in His Excellency, Governor Ganduje is this – he is one of the most straightforward, dependable individuals. When you agree on something, or in the words of Donald Trump, ‘do a deal with him,’ you can go to sleep because you will be the one to break that accord, not him.

    “Ganduje, I want to say thank you. You are so humble, so dependable. You are a friend that is completely flexible. You have the understanding of family and friendship.

    “So, if you say eight years, yes; before you add the other four years, I say watch – that other four years, maybe as a governor, maybe as a president. So, we will wait, let’s amortise the eight years first.”

  • Don’t allow excuses turn you to House-of-do-nothing, Tinubu tells lawmakers

    National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu has urged members of the National Assembly not to allow excuses hinder their performance.

    Tinubu made the call when Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, led senate and house of representatives committees on the review of 1999 constitution on a visit at his residence in Lagos on Saturday.

    He urged them to come up with legislation that would help in promoting the country’s diversity for prosperity.

    “I urged you to continue to work for the unity of the nation for our diversity to be meaningful. I promise to be available to render any assistance by providing suggestions and ideas that can foster a greater Nigeria.

    “Do not allow excuses turn you to the house-of-do-nothing. The country is not in a panic mode because of the way you have given effect to the executive constitutional requests,” he said.

    He added that some items in the exclusive federal list were too loaded.

    Speaking earlier, Ekweremadu said the visit was to honour Tinubu as a prominent leader and a former senator.

    The deputy president of the senate described him as a man of great expertise in the art of governance and law-making.

    He said the lawmakers would always be ready to learn from his wealth of knowledge.

  • Tinubu, Amosun commiserate with Akande over wife’s death

    All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun on Wednesday visited the Ila-Orangun country home of Chief Bisi Akande to condole with him over the death of his wife.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tinubu arrived Ila-Orangun at exactly 5.40 pm in a chopper.

    Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, was welcomed to Ila-Oragun by Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun.

    The APC National Leader condoled with the elder statesman, saying the death of his wife should be seen as the will of God.

    He told the former Interim National Chairman of the APC that Omowunmi, his late wife, lived a fulfilled life worthy of emulation.

    Tinubu said that the deceased was a God- fearing woman who lived an exemplary life.

    Amosun, who arrived the Ila-Orangun country home of the Akandes at exactly 6.15 pm, also paid tributes to the late matriarch of the family.

    TNG reports that the remains of the deceased were received by Aregbesola, Ajimobi and Tinubu in Ila-Orangun.

    The deceased, who died on Tuesday evening in Ibadan at 73, would be buried on Thursday in Ila-Orangun