Politics

2023: APC, Tinubu Not Ready For Election, Governance – Atiku

Published

3 years ago

October 7, 2022

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are not ready for the election and governance.

Atiku, in a statement by his spokesperson, Senator Dino Melaye, Friday urged Nigerians to critically examine the conduct and character of the people and parties that seek to lead.

He claimed that it is becoming increasingly apparent that the APC members are desperate to retain power.

The PDP presidential candidate also claimed that the APC used media propaganda to confuse Nigerians.

The statement read in part, “I once had a cause to describe the APC as an NGO and not a political party. Even now that it has managed to have a contrivance called party executive it remains formless, unstructured, uncoordinated and unorganised. It’s not surprising since as you may recall the coronation of the Chairman of the Party was a mere formalisation of the appointment approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the lifewire, navigator, and camp commandant of the APC.

“As an indication of the unpreparedness of the APC to lead Nigeria, the party, in its nearly 10 years of existence, has no Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees is usually referred to as the soul or the conscience of the Party. Without a soul, the party has remained rudderless, floundering, reactive and retrogressive. Before Ahmed Tinubu emerged as the flag bearer of the Party against the run of play, he had, in his usual entitled fashion, been addressed as the leader of the party. However, neither he nor any other was good enough to lead the BOT, so the structure remained sterilised.

“With the acephalic existence of the party, it could only function under a Caretaker Committee. Again, no one was worthy to lead the intervening contraption but a sitting Governor, who ordinarily should be preoccupied with the affairs of his state. As things stand, all the illegality committed in Buni’s era may be subjected to judicial interrogation. The shilly-shally continued until the Presidential Convention of Parties fell due.

“Again, the APC acted disjointedly, asking to be granted an extension of time by the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC). While PDP had conducted its Party Convention and Presidential Election convention as scheduled, INEC had to babysit and spoon-feed APC before it could hold its Party and Presidential primaries conventions. How the Party dilly-dallied before ending up with the contentious selection of a running mate for its presidential candidate is another lamentable story waiting to be told another day.

“Another evidence of maturational lag manifested during the Presidential Primaries. The National Chairman of the Party, acting for himself or a proxy expressed preference for a candidate, while majority of APC Governors had their own choice. Though President Buhari, sometimes humoured to be the leader of the Party, did not make any pronouncement, it is unlikely that the Chairman acted alone without the approval of the man behind the mask. Till today it has been a ding-dong between the National Chairman of APC and the flag bearer of the Party. Where is the time to think or act on the good of Nigeria in all these?

“Perhaps a more telling indicator of the gross unpreparedness of the APC for governance is in the constitution of its Campaign Council. In its unguided attempt to be at pace with the better organised and better-structured party like the PDP, the APC amateurs bypassed processes, ignored consultation, discarded vital inputs and ran to the press with a hurriedly hemmed list of Council members.

“As the joke goes, it is the matter they are still settling. The omission or commission arising from the composition has led to accusations and counter-accusations of usurpation of power, disregard for processes, violation of power boundaries, engagement of the dead and even the borrowing of names from other parties to make up numbers or profiles.

“The inauguration of the APC Campaign Council has since been postponed indefinitely! If the kick off of campaigns was unified by INEC APC would still have held PDP and other parties down from commencing their campaign, but Gentlemen, as you can see PDP is already up and running”.

Politics

‘Peace Has Returned To Rivers’ — Wike, Fubara Speak After Meeting Tinubu

Published

20 minutes ago

June 27, 2025

Editor

After months of political tension and division in Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, have publicly declared an end to their rift, assuring residents that peace has finally returned.

The truce followed a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Thursday night, where both leaders, along with other stakeholders, reached a resolution to work together for the state’s progress.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, expressed gratitude to God for the breakthrough.

Wike said, “I want to give God the glory that today is the 26th of June 2025, that peace has finally returned to the state. We all agreed to work together with the governor, and the governor also agreed to work together with all of us. We are members of the same political family.”

He acknowledged that disagreements are part of politics but emphasised that the resolution marked a fresh start for the state.

He said, “Just like humans, you have disagreements, and then you also have a time to also settle your disagreements, and that has been finally concluded today, and we have come to report to Mr President that is what we have agreed.

“So for me, everything is over, and I enjoin everybody to work together with everybody. There is no more acrimony; there is nothing to say. We have disagreed; we have all agreed on everything, so thank God. For me, it’s a day we have to thank almighty God.”

Governor Fubara, who also spoke to journalists, said the return of peace is crucial to the state’s development.

He said, “For me, it’s very important that this day has come to be. What we need for the progress of Rivers State is peace, and by the special grace of God this night, with the help of Mr President and the agreement of the leaders of the state, peace has returned to Rivers State.”

Fubara pledged to do everything within his power to sustain the peace, describing it as a step toward lasting stability and governance in the oil-rich state.

Politics

INEC Fixes Voter Registration Resumption Dates For Anambra Election, Nationwide

Published

15 hours ago

June 26, 2025

Editor

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will resume in Anambra on July 17 and nationwide on Aug. 18.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this at the commission’s quarterly meeting with political parties on Thursday in Abuja.

Yakubu said that in view of the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra, the CVR exercise would be held at two levels.

He said the exercise would commence in the 326 wards across the state on July 8 and end on July 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, including the weekend.

“During the registration period, new voters as well as those who wish to transfer their registration to Anambra from other states of the federation or from one location to another within the state will have the opportunity to do so.

“Similarly, registered voters whose Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) were lost or damaged will have the opportunity to apply for replacement.

“Uncollected PVCs from previous registrations will also be available for collection at the registration centres.

“Interested eligible Nigerian citizens are encouraged to appear in person to register,” he said.

The INEC chairman, however, explained that the online pre-registration option is currently unavailable.

Yakubu added that voter registration and compilation of the voters’ register must be completed not later than 90 days before the date fixed for the election as provided by law.

“For the nationwide CVR, the commission has approved resumption of the online and in-person registration of voters in all states of the federation.

“The online pre-registration will start on Aug. 18, while the in-person registration will follow on Aug. 25.

“The exercise will be held simultaneously in all states and the FCT as well as the 774 Local Government Area offices nationwide,” he said.

Yakubu said the detailed schedule of activities would be released soon.
(NAN)

Politics

2027: Drama As Two ‘ADA’ Emerge In INEC’s List Of 110 Party Registration Bids

Published

1 day ago

June 26, 2025

Editor

Two political associations seeking registration as political parties have submitted identical acronyms to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

According to Vanguard, the first is the All Democratic Alliance, ADA, being promoted by Chief Akin Ricketts and said to be one of the special purpose vehicles that the anti-Tinubu coalition is seeking to use as a platform in the 2027 general election.

While the Ricketts ADA is 109 on the INEC list, the other ADA, Advanced Democratic Alliance, is 110, the last one the list unveiled by the electoral umpire.

This second ADA has Alhaji Ahmadu Suleiman as Protem Chairman and Zipporah Pius Miracles as Secretary.

The Ricketts ADA has its national headquarters at Ground Floor, UAC Complex, Plot 273 Samuel Adesujo Ademulegun Street, CBD, Abuja, FCT.

Suleiman’s ADA has its national headquarters at 1 Frandriance Close, Off Oda Crescent, Off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja.

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, no fewer than 110 political associations have written to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, seeking registration as political parties.