Tag: Tinubu

  • Gbajabiamila welcomes Shettima’s choice as Tinubu’s running mate

    Gbajabiamila welcomes Shettima’s choice as Tinubu’s running mate

    The Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has described the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as the running mate of the Presidential Candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a wise decision.

    Gbajabiamila expressed delight that Tinubu settled for one of the best hands for the job of Nigeria’s Vice-President.

    He said Shettima has over the years proved his mettle as a shrewd and progressive politician whose eight years as governor of Borno State – from 2011 to 2019 – was a defining moment for the state.

    “Asiwaju is widely known as the biggest talent hunter in the country who has over the years assembled an army of performers in governance irrespective of their ethnicity or religious leaning. This unique feature also can be found in Sen. Shettima following his track record of excellence in both the private and public sectors”, the Speaker said.

    As a foremost banker, Gbajabiamila said Shettima has the right character and intellectual capacity to turn things around hence having him as the Vice-President under a Tinubu presidency will be a masterstroke in the management of the economy.

    Recalling his first encounter with Shettima, Gbajabiamila said: “My first encounter with Gov Shettima, who I had admired from afar, was many years ago when he and I travelled together with Asiwaju to the UK to address the issue of terrorism with the British and Nigerians in the Diaspora.

    “I was amazed by Shettima’s depth, ability and capacity to engage Christian Amanpour, a journalist of international repute. He earned my respect (and I must say that of his interviewer) even more ever since then.”

    The Speaker said the Tinubu/Shettima ticket is a good combination that will lead to success at the polls for the APC.

    Gbajabiamila congratulated the Asiwaju for making “the wise decision,” noting that Nigerians yearned for such a great team.

    The Speaker called on Nigerians to support the Tinubu/Shettima ticket and other APC candidates for various elective offices during the 2023 elections.

  • Tinubu’s Choice Of Shettima As Running Mate Is The Wisest – Zulum

    Tinubu’s Choice Of Shettima As Running Mate Is The Wisest – Zulum

    Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has commended the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, for picking a former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate.

    In a statement on Sunday, he described the choice of Senator Shettima as the APC vice-presidential candidate as the wisest choice made by the party’s flagbearer.

    Below is Zulum’s full statement:

    Earlier today, I received with the greatest joy, the announcement of my mentor, His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima as the vice-presidential candidate of our party, the APC, and insha’Allah, the next Vice President of the Federal Republic under His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our incoming President, Bi’iznillah.

    It has been my greatest wish that HE Kashim Shettima gets this elevation that he so much deserves as one of Nigeria’s highly patriotic leaders. For me, and I am sure for many leaders and members of the APC, Tinubu’s choice of HE Kashim Shettima is the wisest choice at this point in time.

    Shettima’s choice is very personal to me and together with our leaders and all stakeholders and members of the APC, we shall campaign vigorously, and work day and night to collectively secure overwhelming victory for the APC in 2023, insha’Allah.

    Without the slightest doubt, HE Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has chosen a leader who has a very deep understanding of our country and its complexities. There is hardly any tribe in any of Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT that Senator Kashim Shettima cannot knowledgeably speak about.

    He knows the social, cultural, religious, economic, and political structure of virtually all the 36 States and the FCT. Shettima is extremely patriotic. He believes so much in the unity of this country and he has proved it on a number of occasions.”

    Shettima’s administration (in which I am honoured to have served as rector and as commissioner) truly reflected the Nigerian configuration. Above everything else, Tinubu has chosen for Nigeria, an incoming Vice President, insha’Allah, with very deep knowledge not only of the Nigerian economy (challenges and prospects) but also of the world.

    As far back as 2012, Shettima had on many occasions predicted the likelihood of fall in revenue from oil just as he predicted potential fall in the value of naira to dollar, which was why he imported agricultural products worth over N30 billion which today are worth far more, making Borno one of the richest in agricultural machinery.

    I have more to say on this unique leader, but I will reserve them for campaigns. In the meantime, I want to register our profound gratitude to the leader of our party, His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, for his political leadership over the years and for supporting Shettima’s choice as our VP candidate.

    We are grateful to the national executives of the APC and members of the National Working Committee as well as all elders and stakeholders of our party. We are grateful to all governors of the APC under the sound leadership of my elder brother, His Excellency, Senator Atiku Bagudu.

    We are grateful to all APC stakeholders in the Northeast for supporting this wise choice. We are grateful to all stakeholders and members of the APC in Borno State for their ceaseless support. We are grateful to the good people of Borno State for their undivided support and prayers.

    May Allah lead the APC to a third round of ground-breaking victories in 2023, and may that victory serve the best interest of Nigerians in terms of security, massive economic recovery, endless growth, and overall development.

    Amin thumma amin

  • 2023: Tinubu has chosen running mate – Campaign team

    2023: Tinubu has chosen running mate – Campaign team

    Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, 2023 presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has decided on his choice of running mate.

    A highly-competent source in the Tinubu Campaign Organisation who requested anonymity confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

    The source said Tinubu would make the name of the candidate public this week.

    “The vice-presidential nominee may most likely be a former governor and senator from the Northeast part of Nigeria.

    “The person is also by accident of birth a Muslim, confirming what Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State said on Saturday that Tinubu had settled for a Muslim-Muslim ticket,’’ the source said.

    The source added that in picking the running mate, Tinubu was not thinking about religion, but about competence, exposure and intellectual depth of the candidate.

    “The considerations given for the choice of a running mate were dictated by the need to choose an individual capable of working with the presidential candidate to take Nigeria to greater heights,’’ the source said.

    Tinubu is scheduled to pay Sallah homage to President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina, on Sunday to brief him on his chosen running mate.

    The former two-term Lagos State governor won APC’s presidential ticket at the party’s June 8 special national convention and presidential primary election.

    He earlier chose Ibrahim Kabiru Masari, as placeholder for the vice-presidential slot.

    Tinubu was away in France from June 27 on a short vacation during which he held some strategic meetings. He returned to Nigeria on Saturday early enough for Sallah festivities.

  • 2023: Group Endorse El-Rufai As Tinubu’s Running Mate

    2023: Group Endorse El-Rufai As Tinubu’s Running Mate

    Ahead of the July 17 deadline given by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for political parties to submit the lists of their candidates for the 2023 general elections, the Tinubu Support Organisation has endorsed Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai as the vice-presidential candidate.

    Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had openly admitted that he is still searching for his running mate. Sources within the APC said the party’s candidate is considering Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum or his predecessor, Senator Kashim Shettima as preferred options.

    But speaking during a press conference on Monday in Kaduna, TSO’s Director-General, Aminu Suleiman, said the group arrived at the choice of El-Rufai after meeting with critical stakeholders from the northwest zone and beyond.

    He believes that the choice of running mate is a critical success factor for the victory of Tinubu in 2023, hence the organisation having assessed all options wants the APC’s candidate for the vice president should come from the northwest, which is the largest voting bloc in the country.

    El-Rufai, the group added, is a very experienced person who has done well in both politics and governance at the federal and state levels and is the best candidate that can complement Tinubu as Vice President.

    “After due consultation with critical Stakeholders especially in the North-West, it is of the fact that El-Rufai is Asiwaju’s best choice for VP,” Suleiman said.

    “The Tinubu Support Organisation is working tirelessly for the election of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the next President of Nigeria. TSO believes that the choice of running mate is a critical success factor for the victory of Asiwaju.

    “We are glad that the APC has many outstanding individuals among its leaders. But having assessed all the options, it is the view of TSO that the APC’s candidate for VP should be chosen from the North-West, the single largest voting bloc in Nigeria.

    “It is our view that the person that can best compliment Asiwaju as VP is Malam Nasir El-Rufai The Executive Governor of Kaduna State and we recommend that he should be chosen as the running mate.

    “El-Rufai is a very experienced person. He has held office at the federal level and at the state level, and he has done well in every office. He has always stood for progressive policies. He is not afraid of difficult decisions. This is a man that is running a state government with appointees from all over Nigeria.

    “His capacity is not in doubt. His personal ability is outstanding. He is firm. He is courageous. He is principled. We know that he resisted every pressure to be dragged into the presidential race. We appreciate him and his colleagues, the APC governors from the north, for sticking to the view that gentlemen should respect agreements.

    “El-Rufai is a leader whose talents and energy should be brought back to the federal level. We appeal to all our leaders in the APC to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to choose El-Rufai as his running mate.”

  • Buhari, Tinubu, Elumelu, others eulogise Gbajabiamila at book launch on speaker’s political journey

    Buhari, Tinubu, Elumelu, others eulogise Gbajabiamila at book launch on speaker’s political journey

    …Legislative mentorship opens for young Nigerians

    President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and other notable personalities have showered accolades on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, describing him as an exemplary patriotic leader.

    They said the speaker had demonstrated capacity in his political journey, asking him to remain consistent and relentless in service to Nigeria.

    They spoke in Abuja at the weekend during the presentation of a book, ‘Mr Speaker,’ authored by Dr Charles Omole and Mr Musa Abdullahi Krishi, chronicles the “legislative life, service and resilience of Femi Gbajabiamila.”

    The event, a two-in-one, was also for the unveiling of the ‘Legislative Mentorship Initiative (LMI)’ piloted by Gbajabiamila to mentor young Nigerians on a career in politics, particularly grooming them for legislative roles in the Nigeria of the future.

    The weekend event, which was part of the activities to mark the Speaker’s 60th birthday, was chaired by a former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, and graced by dignitaries drawn from the public and private sectors of Nigeria as well as diplomatic and international human development support groups.

    Buhari, represented by his Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, described Gbajabiamila as a “true patriot”, who “is passionate about Nigeria.”

    He stated that having watched the speaker’s political growth over the years, he had come to the conclusion that Gbajabiamila is “an astute legislator who wants a peaceful, united Nigeria to grow.”

    The President praised the Speaker for his concept of ‘parliamentary diplomacy’, which had helped the Executive arm to resolve certain knotty issues, and the harmony that had existed between the two arms of government since 2019.

    On his part, Tinubu, while appreciating Gbajabiamila, recalled how the speaker learnt fast in his early days as a politician, in spite of the tough terrain he found himself in back then in Surulere, Lagos State.

    The APC presidential candidate noted that because of Gbajabiamila’s willingness to learn, he was able to turn his initial reluctance into an unstoppable politician.

    “Politics is very rough and I told Femi. He would complain from morning and hours. Later on, he got used to it, but he never stopped complaining about one thing or another.

    “As Minority Leader, he was always there to see to the thinking of the opposition to defeat the PDP. He had to brainstorm on strategies… Femi is a workaholic”, he added

    Tinubu narrated how he almost cried when Gbajabiamila lost in his first attempt to be the speaker in 2015, but said, “I told him, ‘stamp your feet, never give up.’ Then he fought hard.”

    He thanked Gbajabiamila for being a good ally, wishing him well to aspire to occupy any position in the country, having demonstrated enough capacity to lead.

    The Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr Tony Elumelu, who was the Chief Presenter of the book, said Gbajabiamila remained “a man we have all come to love and admire.”

    “He is extremely outstanding and humble, and this is why his friends have all come to celebrate with him. We must all begin to show interest in how we are governed and how laws are made”, he stated.

    One of the Speaker’s former colleagues and member of the PDP, Rep. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, was also on hand to testify to Gbajabiamila’s legislative expertise.

    “Femi worked the House like no one could. Femi did more to ensure that Nigerians fell out of love with PDP. I wasn’t surprised he became speaker, and so far he has been absolutely wonderful”, she told the session.

    Speaking, the chairman of the occasion, Osoba, wished the Speaker well, saying, “Gbajabiamila is going to clock 100 years. I thank him for his service to this country. I pray you will become the Nancy Pelosi of Nigeria. Gbajabiamila deserves to be given that type of support to be a Pelosi of Nigeria.”

    The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms Catriona Laing, congratulated Gbajabiamila for coordinating the 9th House effectively, leading to the passing of important bills, especially the Electoral Act, 2022.

    Making his remarks, Gbajabiamila, who turned 60 on June 25, expressed gratitude to God for his life and his humble contribution to governance in Nigeria.

    He thanked all those who had shaped his political journey, and also hailed Omole and Krishi for putting that historical journey down in a permanent form.

    He went on, “Our lives are a gift, and all our stories are important simply because we are. Therefore, it is just as important that we try to tell our own stories for their own sake. And I hope that, if nothing else, the work that the authors have done here will inspire many of you to begin writing your own history.”

    Among the dignitaries present was The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha; the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Chairman/Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; his Kebbi state counterpart/APC Governors’ Forum Chairman, Atiku Bagudu; Kwara State Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi; Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa; Minister of State for Health, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, as well as the Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor, Chukwuemeka Woke.

    Captains of industry present included betting mogul, Kensington Adebutu; airline operator, Dahiru Mangal, who was represented by former Head of Service, Bukar Goni; while Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola and Abdul Samad Rabiu were all represented.

  • Unknown Persons Stole My Academic Certificates, Tinubu Tells INEC

    Unknown Persons Stole My Academic Certificates, Tinubu Tells INEC

    The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that his academic certificates were stolen by unknown persons while he was on self exile.

    Tinubu, a former Lagos State Governor, was one of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) Chieftains who fled the country under the regime of the late General Sani Abacha.

    Abacha had clamped down on academics, activists and other technocrats opposed to his regime.

    In his sworn affidavit in support of his nomination form for the office of the president, Tinubu said he “went on self exile from October 1994 to October 1999 (and) when I returned and discovered that my property including all the documents relating to my qualification and my certificates in respect of paragraph 3 above were looted by unknown persons.”

    While Tinubu skipped information regarding his primary and secondary education in the INEC form, he, however, said he attended University of Chicago between 1972 and 1976, where he obtained B.Sc in Economics.

    He also said he had B.Sc in Business and Administration, as well as certificate in Public Account.

    Tinubu’s latest claims appear to contradict his previous election submissions, especially in 1999, when he ran and won the Lagos State governorship election.

    He had said then that he attended St Paul Children’s Home School, Ibadan, between 1958 and 1964; while his secondary education was at Government College Ibadan (GCI), between 1965 and 1968.

    Following a backlash, the former governor withheld his primary and secondary schools academic records when he recontested in 2003.

    He had claimed that from Ibadan, he proceed to Richard Daley College, Chicago, from 1969 to 1971.

    He finally said he attended both Chicago State University and the University of Chicago.

    All the submissions were, however, challenged as fraudulent by a prominent Nigerian lawyer, late Gani Fawehinmi.
    Fawehinmi, who argued the matter up to the Supreme Court, which dismissed the case on technical grounds.

    In his forms, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presented the Master’s degree he obtained in 2021, as his highest educational qualification.

  • You Truly Belong To Everybody And Nobody, Tinubu Tells Buhari

    You Truly Belong To Everybody And Nobody, Tinubu Tells Buhari

    The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, described President Muhammadu Buhari, as a “true leader” and friend who demonstrated a “sense of purpose, composure, and maturity” in the weeks leading to the presidential primary elections of the party.

    In a letter to the President, which he personally signed, Tinubu cited Buhari’s decision to leave the contest open to all the 23 presidential aspirants saying, “You belonged to everybody in the party and you belonged to none of the individual aspirants of the party.”

    According to him, while all the contestants expected the President to “choose” his successor, he simply allowed a level playing field.

    Tinubu also congratulated Buhari for the successful conclusion of the Convention and assured him of an issue-focused campaign leading to the 2023 general elections.

    The letter read in part, “Dear Mr President, I bring you sincere fraternal greetings and congratulations on the successful conclusion of the special Presidential Convention of our great party, the All Progressives Congress.

    “On behalf of my wife, Oluremi, and my entire family, I want to express my sincere gratitude for the very special and personal congratulatory letter you sent to me. I am deeply honored. Your words in that letter were reassuring, reenergizing, and reinvigorating.

    “Your Excellency, one must admire the sense of purpose, composure, and maturity you demonstrated in the weeks and months preceding the primary elections of our great party. As aspirants and party leaders, we all pleaded with you to “choose” your successor. Naturally, this is expected especially in African democracy. Up until June 6, 2022, the day of the APC Presidential primaries, the whole of Nigeria, including myself, was waiting for you to announce your preferred candidate. All of us thought and believed this was a very simple matter.”

    The former Lagos State Governor noted that it was only as the primary wore into the night and as the candidates spoke that he fully appreciated President’s Buhair’s position to be “neutral and non-aligned to any of us.”

    “As the hours rolled by that evening, it became clear to me that all of us were your preferred candidates. As you captured it aptly in your letter to me, the “spirit” of 2013 and 2014 when we created and built APC was there for all to see.

    “One by one, I saw my colleagues and partners stand on the podium, full of the same passion and patriotic zeal they had in 2013/2014, presenting their ideas on how to build on your successful legacy. Back then, as it is now, we were from all parts of the country, all tribes, and all religions. We all had deep personal and strong bonds with you. We were together back then and our bonds remained strong up till now.

    “Mr. President, as the night of June 6 turned to the morning of June 7, I fully understood and appreciated your stance. ‘You belonged to everybody in the party and you belonged to none of the individual candidates of the party.’ A true leader, brother and friend,” he said.

    He noted that his emergence was only possible through the support of the President, the delegates, party leaders, members of the Progressive Governors Forum, National Assembly leaders and members and most of the 2022 APC presidential aspirants.

    “I will forever be grateful to them for shaping my political journey over the decades. I want to assure you that I will continue to work with them going forward. My emergence as a candidate is also a victory for them,” he added.

    Referencing the President’s Democracy Day speech, Tinubu pledged to run an issue-focused campaign ahead of the general elections.

    He promised to “personally engage the candidates from other political parties to urge them to do the same,” and to ensure that “Voters should elect us based on our policies, programmers, and projects.”

    “As candidates,” he said, “we will avoid having divisive, destructive and disruptive campaigns.”

    Tinubu thanked Buhari for his support, promising to “build on the foundations of transparency and integrity which you have laid.”

  • Tinubu Has Submits Kabiru Masari To INEC As Running Mate

    Tinubu Has Submits Kabiru Masari To INEC As Running Mate

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu has named Kabiru Masari as his running mate for the 2023 elections.

    A chieftain of the party Kabiru Faskari said this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

    “Ibrahim Kabiru Masari is our vice presidential nominee. He was the Welfare Secretary of the APC under Oshiomhole (former national chairman of the party),” he said during the show on Friday. “He is a well-known politician in Kaduna State and his name has been submitted.”

    Faskari explained that picking Kabiru, who hails from Katsina State, does not violate the country’s laws as against the clamour for a Muslim/Christian APC ticket.

    According to him, Kabiru is experienced, close to Tinubu, and will not have a problem working with the former Lagos State governor.

    “He is young; he represents the youths and is grounded in politics and was even a national official of the APC. He is quite close to the presidential candidate and has been with him for a very long time,” he explained. “It is a very informed decision to put out his name.”

    He said the decision followed wide consultations and that the party needs a person from a region with a large voting population.

    “I think what it is is that it was the decision of the presidential candidate after due diligence,” the APC chieftain added.

    The APC, it is believed is putting Kabiru as a placeholder to beat the deadline given by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for presidential candidates to submit the names of their running mates.

    INEC had given a Friday, June 17th, deadline for the submission of the names.

  • Don’t be Deceived by Umahi, Ebonyi is a PDP State – PDP tells Tinubu

    Don’t be Deceived by Umahi, Ebonyi is a PDP State – PDP tells Tinubu

    The leadership of the main opposition Party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ebonyi State chapter has urged the Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu not to be deceived by Governor David Umahi’s assurance on getting bulk votes from Ebonyi in the 2023 general election.

    The PDP made this known in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Chika Nwoba, insisting that Ebonyi State remained a stronghold of the PDP in the country.

    The Party was responding to a statement credited to the State Governor, Chief David Umahi, wherein he called on the citizens of the State not to vote for Labour Party, LP, and the PDP in the forthcoming general election.

    Umahi, who swore in five commissioners, Head of Service, HOS, and some co-ordinators of development centers, at the new Government House, Centenary City, Abakaliki, had tasked stakeholders not to support mushroom political Parties, especially LP wherein Mr Peter Obi emerged a Presidential candidate.

    According to Nwoba: “The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ebonyi State has been drawn to a statement credited to the Governor, Engr David Umahi wherein he said that Ebonyi people wouldn’t vote for the PDP presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, but would vote for the APC’s Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    “It should be known to the general public that David Umahi is not the spokesperson of the generality of the people of Ebonyi State and as such, doesn’t have the locus standi to say whom and whom not Ebonyi citizens are going to vote for.

    “As a political party, we wish to charge Mr Umahi to put his house, APC, in Ebonyi State in order, so that the party can have a gubernatorial candidate ahead of the 2023 general elections.

    “A man whose house is on fire doesn’t run after rodents. Ebonyi citizens of voting age are very wise and know where to lay their hands in the time of rain. Without mincing words, Ebonyi is a PDP State and this status will be upheld beyond 2023.”

    Nwoba further urged Nigerians to discard Umahi’s assurances of giving bulk votes to Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, adding that the governor is speaking with the mind of failing the presidential primary election.

    “We wish to inform Nigerians to discard that statement from Umahi, as he spoke in the emotion of a politician who failed woefully in the just concluded presidential primary election of the APC.

    “We urge Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to reckon on the assurances of the defeated political general, whose booths are a modicum of manure in the soil of the Eagles Square,” the Party said.

  • Soyinka Denies Paying Tribute to APC Presidential Flagbearer, Tinubu

    Soyinka Denies Paying Tribute to APC Presidential Flagbearer, Tinubu

    Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, on Friday dismissed claims that he paid tribute to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.

    Soyinka disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘I did not pay tribute to Tinubu – Soyinka’, issued by his spokesman, Abiola Owoaje.

    Reports had emerged entitled, ‘Prof Wole Soyinka’s tribute to Sen Asiwaju Tinubu’, supposedly written by Soyinka praising Tinubu on his political accomplishments, had gone viral on various WhatsApp platforms shortly after the former Lagos State governor emerged as APC’s presidential flag bearer on Wednesday.

    However, Soyinka has come out to describe the trending post as the handiwork of indolent identity thieves whose preoccupation is to deceive the public in a bid to gain prominence.

    The elder statesman maintained that he did not operate or own social media accounts.

    The statement read in part, “The literary luminary reiterated his position on the 2023 elections and the issues surrounding it, noting that he has no business meddling in the struggle for power by political parties in the country.

    “Soyinka enjoins the general public to be on alert to the antics of faceless cowards spreading falsehood, adding that they should not partake in the despicable action of the authors by spreading the cocktail of lies.”