Daybreak, Politics, Entertainment, Sport

Tag: 2023 Presidency

  • 2023: I Won’t Decline Calls to Contest for Presidency – Tinubu

    2023: I Won’t Decline Calls to Contest for Presidency – Tinubu

    Former governor of Lagos State and one of the national leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday, cleverly declared his decision to take his chances in the 2023 presidential election, saying he would not decline the many calls by supporters and admirers for him to contest.

    By this statement, Tinubu has made it clear that his resolve to contest the 2023 presidential election was no longer in the realm of speculation, but when to officially declare, after he might have consulted widely and effectively as he had stated explicitly yesterday.

    Tinubu, who hinted at this in Abuja after a closed-door meeting with leaders of the Northern Alliance Committee (NAC), however, insisted he would still consult widely before finally declaring his intention for the 2023 presidential poll.

    His words: “I am not going to turn them down but I will still effectively and widely consult, particularly brainstorm with my friends and find a date to come out openly and tell Nigerians.

    “But the President is still in office. I don’t want to distract him from all the challenges he might face today. So, don’t muddle the political waters. Consult, make our programme known to the people later. And the intention is clear. So, you can keep guessing.”

    Leader of the group, Mr. Lawal Munir, while endorsing Tinubu’s presidential ambition, also revealed that the meeting resolved to work towards the actualisation of his ambition in 2023 due to his superlative qualities.

    According to him, “The meeting ended very well. We are working for him. We are working for him because we know he will win the election when the time comes.”

    Despite the fact that the former Lagos governor has not formally declared his intention to run, one of his mobilisation machines, Tinubu Support Group (TSG), has already commenced mobilisation of party faithful across the country in order to ensure his 2023 presidential ambition comes to fruition.

    The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had in October inaugurated the South West Agenda 2023 (SWAGA ’23), a political movement that has been mobilising support for Tinubu to throw his hat in the 2023 presidential ring.

  • 2023 Presidency: PDP FCT Chapter Endorses Saraki

    2023 Presidency: PDP FCT Chapter Endorses Saraki

    ABUJA- Ahead of the 2023 Presidential election, former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki appears to have taken a significant step in the big contest following his adoption for the plum office by the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

    Saraki’s adoption, yesterday by the FCT chapter of the PDP came after Benue, Nasarawa and Niger states chapters similarly adopted him within the past one week.

    Shortly before the adoption, leaders of the party from FCT noted that only a Presidential candidate of North Central extraction would be good enough for the PDP in 2023. According to them, the North Central axis, having contributed immensely to deepening democracy in the country since the return of the military to the barracks in 1999, is yet to be appreciated for its selflessness, commitment and sacrifice to the growth and expansion of the PDP.

    Thus, in a unanimous voice vote without dissent, they pledged their unalloyed support for the micro-zoning of the PDP Presidential ticket to the North Central geo-political zone.

    That settled, Alhaji Ogah Doma, a chieftain of the PDP in FCT moved a motion for the adoption of Saraki as the North Central pick for the Presidential ticket; a motion that was unanimously adopted by the stakeholders.

    At the event were PDP stalwarts including FCT chairman of the party, Sunday Zakka, Senator Sulaiman Adokwe, Dr. Musa Ahmadu amongst others.

    There are indications that like 2019, the leadership of the PDP would again retain the Presidential ticket in the North, particularly as the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, appears to be going down South in search of its Presidential flag bearer.

    For political pundits, going up North would represent a smart political move for the PDP given the voting pattern in the North dating back to the First Republic.

    So far, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Governors Aminu Tambuwal and Bala Mohammed of Sokoto and Bauchi states respectively have been credited with interest in the race on the platform of the PDP.

    The outgoing leadership of the party has continuously insisted that the zoning of the Presidential ticket has not been discussed at any level yet.

  • 2023: Pro Emmanuel group repositions for statewide membership in A’Ibom

    2023: Pro Emmanuel group repositions for statewide membership in A’Ibom

    A group supporting the succession plan of Governor Udom Emmanuel, Maintain Peace Movement has said that it would embrace membership from all political parties in the state.
    Though political, it has said that their aim remained to ensure that political peace is sustained inspire of political differences among the people in the state.
    Director General of the Movement Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem told a press conference yesterday in Uyo that the group is intended to make the legacy of peace in Akwa Ibom State enduring and sustainable by ingraining it in the minds and hearts of our people.
    Enoidem said that Governor Udom Emmanuel who is also the Grand Patron of the Movement would inaugurate the national leadership of the group on Friday to deliberate investment on the monumental  gains of  peace engendered in the state by his administration.
    “This historic endeavoour is intended to make the legacy of peace in Akwa Ibom State enduring and sustainable by ingraining it in the minds and hearts of our people.
    On that day, we took the message of Peace, the gargantuan gains our state has enjoyed on account of the legacy of Peace that the present administration has laid to the good people of Ikono and Ini Local Government Areas.
    “The overarching message which this Movement has taken to all the nooks and crannies of Akwa Ibom State, has been that Peace has been the firm foundation and the anchor which Governor Udom Emmanuel has built the strong pillars of development across all sectors of our state economy.
    “On account of this, as people who have witnessed firsthand and cherished the benefits of peace, we lauded out to plant the seeds of peace across the the land.” Enoidem, who is the incumbent National Legal Adviser of the PDP explained.
    He charged all stakeholders in the  Akwa Ibom project to, “take this tide of Peace by the flood, or risk losing all the gains we have made in the past.”
  • Zoning May Leave Us With Useless Presidential Candidates In 2023 – Sanusi

    Zoning May Leave Us With Useless Presidential Candidates In 2023 – Sanusi

    Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, former Emir of Kano, has said zoning may leave Nigeria with two “useless presidential candidates” in 2023.

    Currently, the issue of zoning has heated up the polity as the governors are divided along the north and south.

    While Southern governors have demanded that their region should produce the next president, their northern counterparts have said rotational presidency is unconstitutional.

    But speaking on an Arise Television programme, Sanusi said he has always been opposed to the idea of rotational presidency.

    He said what Nigeria needs at the moment is a president who can deliver.

    “I have always objected to this idea that we should focus on where the president comes from. We have got southern governors saying we want the presidency and some northern governors saying that they want it in the north. Have you noticed that nobody has given the name of what they want?” he said.

    “This whole thing is to corner the presidency to one part of the country and the big masquerade will come out. And that is why at the end of the exercise, you end up as Nigeria… presented with two useless candidates. Those who want to be president should show their face either from the north or the south.

    “Meanwhile, we have before us very serious issues. You have a simple issue of electronic transmission of results which is designed to make the electoral process fairer and you have people saying that they do not want it, shamelessly announcing to the country that they want to rig. Why are we not talking about these issues?

    “The greatest weakness we have as a country is that we do not think. We are very smart when it comes to making money by doing our work but we do not apply critical intellect to and these guys just take the entire country for a ride.

    “Give me a president from any part of the country who can deliver and we should vote for him. He is not taking the presidency to his hometown.”

    Sanusi, however, noted that although he’s an advocate of less money at the centre, the governors slamming the federal government are also guilty of not distributing funds to the local government.

    He said, “I don’t want to talk about this matter because it’s in court but what we need is to learn how to distribute our resources properly.

    “I’m a strong advocate of less money at the centre because this puts too much concentration on money from Abuja but the bulk of this Tax problem comes from not implementing what we have.

    “These governors fighting for VAT are extremely undemocratic they hold on to money meant for the local government yet keeps complaining.

    “The state governors complain what federal government do to them but don’t care about what they do to the local government, thereby ignoring the constitution.

    “If we really want to put in for federalism we need to respect our constitution and do it at all tiers of government then I believe our constitution can work.

    “ Let’s make what we have work and we’ll see this constitution is not that bad.”

  • 2023: Northern Elders, Middle Belt Forum Clash Over Power Shift

    2023: Northern Elders, Middle Belt Forum Clash Over Power Shift

    The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) on Tuesday disagreed over where the next Nigeria’s president should come in 2023.

    While the NEF applauded the position of the Northern Governors Forum and monarchs that rotational presidency is unconstitutional, the MBF said it would only accept a president from either the South or the middle belt.

    Police rescue 7 kidnap victims, recover AK-47 rifle, magazines in Abuja
    Kaduna parents worry over safety as schools reopen

    Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna, the NEF’s Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said Monday’s declaration by governors of the North, who were in the past reluctant or shy to respond to their counterparts from the southern region, was a strong vindication for NEF.

    “There is a law governing how presidents will emerge and this is our position and we are comforted by the fact that finally, the 19 northern governors have taken a position that is consistent with the position we have advocated for a long time,” he said.

    Baba-Ahmed said in a democratic setting, tendencies that suggest that intimidations and threats will yield results are not the way to go.

    According to him, it amounts to breaking the law for anyone or region to demand the implementation of what is contrary to the constitution.

    “Now, southern governors are saying you must bring the presidency to the South and northern governors are saying read the constitution again, there is a way this is done. These are politicians; they need to find a way to breach the gap that exists between them.

    “We welcome this position they have taken publicly and we hope that their counterparts from the southern part of the country will take note of this and we hope that the governors as a whole and other politician will sit down and do the real work of politics, discussing what can be done and what cannot be done and discussing how those things that can be done should be done.

    “What the North is saying is that there is a constitutional provision for how presidents emerge and there is also a political process within which you can decide how it emerges.

    “There is a law you cannot break and you can break that law by demanding that what is not in the constitution is done.”

    The forum urged the governors from the North to engage their counterparts in the south for productive discussing on the way forward.

    But reacting to the northern governors’ rejection of the call for power to rotate to the South, the MBF said power should rotate between the three zones of the North, South and middle belt as the idea of a monolithic north was dead and buried.

    MBF in a statement by its National President, Dr Pogu Bitrus, contended that North’s insistence on the presidency in 2023 “could capsize the ship of the Nigerian State”.

    The forum said, “By resorting to the constitutional provisions as the basis for rejecting power shift, the northern governors and traditional rulers are simply being clever by half as they are only attempting to hide behind a finger.”

    “The reason behind the zoning arrangement that emphasised the need for power rotation between the North and South is to avail all zones a sense of belonging in providing leadership in the country.

    “As the umbrella body of all ethnic nationalities in the Middle Belt Region, we are surprised that it is now that the NGF whose members are beneficiaries of power rotation is kicking against power shift to the South.

    “We are shocked that instead of harping on the bloodshed ripping across the country, the governors and traditional rulers are concerned with which of the zones takes over power in 2023.”

    Bitrus added, “We have called and demanded that the 2023 Presidency be zoned to the Middle Belt. In the event that such demand is unrealisable, all ethnic nationalities of the Middle Belt Region are resolved to support any presidential candidate from the South.”

  • 2023: We Will Lead Nigeria, We Have The Voting Population – Northern Elders

    2023: We Will Lead Nigeria, We Have The Voting Population – Northern Elders

    The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has vowed that the north will continue leading Nigeria, arguing that the region has the majority to produce a leader through the ballot.

    With the 2023 presidential polls in view, leaders and politicians of southern extraction have been clamoring for a shift in power, arguing that the region must provide the nation’s next leader.

    But NEF, in its most recent submission on the nation’s polity, rejected the push to have Nigeria’s next president come from the southern region.

    “We will lead Nigeria the way we have led Nigeria before. Whether we are president or vice president or whatever, we will lead Nigeria,” NEF spokesman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said on Sunday at a lecture in memory of the late Maitama Sule in Zaria Kaduna State.

    According to him, NEF will not allow the 2023 presidency to be zoned to the southern part of the country, insisting that the position is a democratic office that will be determined by the majority.

    He maintained that there is nothing wrong if the north produces the next president after Muhammadu Buhari, adding that this is possible not because the north is superior to others, but because the rules of politics avail the region a great opportunity.

    The NEF spokesman stressed that the north will never be cowed into submission, nor forced to give up in the quest to retain power in 2023 considering its huge human population that gives the region an advantage over others.

    While stating that the future of the north is not for sale, Baba-Ahmed also maintained that the region will not be threatened, intimidated or blackmailed into giving up its right to a democratic office.

    He said the region should not be compelled to give up a democratically elected office that can be sought by any person irrespective of where he or she comes from.

    The NEF spokesman further reminded those calling for power rotation to bury such thoughts, saying Nigeria is running a democratic government, whereby decisions over where the next president comes from are basically decisions that will be made by voters who will elect the leaders of their choice.

    While addressing those present, Baba-Ahmed said: “The vote says vote who you want. We have the majority of the votes. Why do we need to accept a second class position when we can fight and get a first class position. Why?

    “Why does anyone need to threaten us and cajole us and intimidate us? If you don’t bring the presidency here, you will see, okay let’s see, we are waiting to see.

    “But when we get the power, in the name of God be humble because power comes from God”.

    “If they tell you the north must play second fiddle, say No! If the rule of the game says you should vote for the candidate of your choice, vote for the candidate of your choice.

    “If they do not like the fact that it might be a northerner that will emerge as president, too bad. If we want to support a southerner, we will support a southerner because that will be in our own interest, rather than in somebody’s interest.

    “And we can decide for ourselves, we do not need anybody to tell us what to do,” Baba-Ahmed added.

    The NEF spokesman’s comments came a few days after governors from the southern region of Nigeria declared their support to have the 2023 presidency zoned to their region.

    Rising from a meeting in Enugu, Chairman of the Forum and Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu said the leaders have resolved that the next president of Nigeria must come from the southern part in line with politics of equity, justice, and fairness.

  • 2023 Presidency: No Automatic Ticket for New Decampees – APC

    2023 Presidency: No Automatic Ticket for New Decampees – APC

    Ahead of the 2023 presidential elections, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said there will be no automatic ticket to anyone who defects to the party.

    APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) Secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, in a statement released on Friday, September 17, said defection into the party by any person does not confer the status of an automatic candidate of the party on such individual.

    Akpanudoedehe, who was reacting to a misrepresentation of his views on the waiver granted new entrants and defectors by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) at its December 8, 2020 meeting in a television programme, said all party members, irrespective of the status of the person, must go through the party’s nomination process as outlined in its constitution. He maintained that the waiver by NEC was not restricted to anyone.

    According to the Secretary, “the waiver is not specific to anyone as being misconstrued and misrepresented in some sections. Coming into the party gives no one special status of being an automatic party candidate in any election. All aspirants must undergo the nomination processes outlined by the APC constitution,” he said.

    Akpanudoedehe recalled that the party’s NEC resolved and granted waivers to persons who have recently joined the party and those desirous of joining the party in the nearest future to contest for positions in the APC and as party flag bearers in general elections.

    He explained that by the NEC resolution, “new members will enjoy all the benefits and privileges accruable by the APC” but not the status of automatic candidate of the party.

    “For the records, in my recent television interview reaction to the rumoured plans by former President Goodluck Jonathan to join the APC, my statement was that NEC resolution was a blanket waiver to ALL new APC entrants, including the interviewee.

    The waiver is not specific to anyone as being misconstrued and misrepresented in some sections.

    Coming into the party gives no one special status of being an automatic party candidate in any election. All aspirants must undergo the nomination processes outlined by the APC constitution” he added

  • Buhari’s visit to Imo not for 2023 Presidency – Gov Uzodinma

    Buhari’s visit to Imo not for 2023 Presidency – Gov Uzodinma

    Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has said President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the state has nothing to do with the 2023 elections.

    Uzodinma said Buhari was simply on a working visit.

    The governor, who stated this while appearing on Channels Television, said Buhari commissioned projects while in the state.

    “Our people came out to receive the president who visited Imo State in solidarity with the governor of Imo State. It has nothing to do with the 2023 election or politics.

    “We only received the president who came on a working visit, commissioned projects and had an interaction with us,” Uzodinma said.

    Recall that Buhari was on a one-day working visit to Imo State on Thursday.

    While in the state, the president had promised to help Uzodinma fight insecurity.

    Buhari also met with Igbo leaders and stakeholders during a Town Hall meeting.

  • Imposition of candidates will destroy APC come 2023- APC chieftain

    Imposition of candidates will destroy APC come 2023- APC chieftain

    By Danzumi Ishaku, Jalingo

    Chief Ben Adaji, a cheftain of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) has advised the party to stay clear of imposition of candidates for the position of party leadership on the heels to the 2023 general elections.

    The APC Chieftain gave the advice on Wednesday while speaking to newsmen in Jalingo.

    Adaji, who contested in 2015 and 2019 for the Ankpa, Omala and Olomaboro Federal constituency for the House of Representatives elections in Kogi State noted that imposition of candidates would have negative impact on the party in the coming elections.

    He explained that his experience in the past where some members were denied participation in the primaries after the purchase of expression and intent forms was capable of causing crisis that would destroy the party in future.

    Adaji noted that the same imposing of candidates and neglect on the part of party leadership caused

    the fall of the PDP which was the largest political party in the country that lost to the APC in 2015.

    According to him, if the APC will do same as PDP did, then it should get ready to face the consequences of action in subsequent general election.

    He however, advised the party to allow the members to choose their leaders at all levels as well as allow candidates to test their popularity.

    Adaji also called on the youth to resist any imposition of leaders in 2023 elections.

    He equally advised the party to be weary of some decampees into its fold, adding that some of those decamping could be agents sent to destroy the fortunes of the party.

    “We want the APC to be different from PDP in all its conducts having emerged through opposition to defeat PDP.

    ” For APC to have snatchrd power from PDP, the largest political party in Africa, that means people look at the party as better alternative to the PDP.

    He said the APC must be very careful in carrying out all its activities by ensuring justice and fair play in all processes that would produce the leadership of the party at all levels.

    ” Can you imagine that in 2019, I purchased nomination form for N4 million to contest for the House of Representatives in Kogi State, on the day of the primary elections I was chased out of the venue and later someone said to be government candidate was imposed on us.

    “Despite the injustice and ill treatment I remain in the party and worked for the success of the party in all the elections but was never rewarded with any appointment either in Kogi state or at the Federal level.

    “I advise the party officials at all levels to provide a level playing ground for aspirants to test their popularity.

    “Without justice, the party should be ready to contend with stiff resistance and crisis because candidates will not accept to be shortchanged anymore.

    “I equally call on the youth to resist vehemently any attempt by the party to impose candidates for the 2023 elections.

    “We expect the APC to correct the imbalances that caused the fall of the PDP and build on those mistakes to consolidate on its continuous existence.

    “We also caution the APC to be weary of the new entrants as some of them might have contributed significantly to the woes of their former parties and may wish to perpetriate the same evil acts in their new party.

    “The problem of political parties is not peculiar to the APC but it should allow justice to prevail and that will give the party the uniqueness as a mechanism for internal democracy,” Adaji said.

  • 2023 Presidency: Northern Group Rallies Support for Akpabio

    2023 Presidency: Northern Group Rallies Support for Akpabio

    A northern political group, North Central Patriotic Democrats (NCPD), yesterday urged the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to present himself for presidency in the 2023 general election.

    The group revealed that it has endorsed Akpabio as its sole candidate in the build up to the 2023 presidential election.

    The Chairman of the group, Hon Musa Yahaya Rilwanu, made public the position of the group while interacting with journalists in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State.

    The group chairman maintained that for fairness and equity, the 2023 presidency of Nigeria should go to the southern part of the country.

    He also appealed that the presidency of the country should always be rotated between the northern and southern parts of the country.

    According to Rilwanu, “The Patriotic Democrats of the North Central Nigeria deem it fit to ask the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to participate in the presidential race in the forthcoming general election based purely on his accomplishments, competences and goodwill in steering the governance of Akwa Ibom State when he held sway as that state governor, as well as the minister’s pragmatic performance during his stay in the National Assembly as senator.

    “The group has on record that prior to the minister’s assumption of office at the Niger Delta Affairs ministry, activities at the ministry were in dire need for reformation. Therefore, it took the frugality in his resource management and political determination to turn around the entire gamut of the Niger Delta community for the better within his short stay in office.”

    He concluded that the North Central democrats, therefore, called on Akpabio to make himself available for the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the forthcoming general election.