Politics

2023: Atiku, Peter Obi Gave Victory As Donation To Tinubu – Soyinka

Published

2 years ago

September 17, 2023

Professor Wole Soyinka has said Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi willingly donated victory to President Bola Tinubu at the 2023 presidential election.

Soyinka said Atiku and Obi made this happen as they contested the election separately under the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party respectively.

The literary icon also dismissed insinuations by supporters of the opposition political parties of PDP and LP that Tinubu, who contested under the All Progressives Congress, did not win.

Soyinka, in recent times has been countering the narrative that Tinubu, lost the election, a view which has gained traction in the international community.

In a statement released from Stellenbosch, South Africa on Saturday, Soyinka insisted that duo of Atiku and Obi, in actual fact propelled Tinubu to victory by running separate tickets.

He said, “The mistake we all continue to make is our insistence on regarding the recent Nigerian elections as an adversarial thriller. The contrary is the truth.”

The ballot tally, he said, accurately reflected what happens when a political party splits itself in two, especially so critically close to an election. “What promised to be a spectacular contest is transformed into a Feast of Voluntary Donation of the spoils of war.

“That, however, is not always the ultimate destination – the re-gifting may continue, prodded by a sudden surge of regret.”

He said the notorious Datti interview, menacing, intimidating and unambiguous, sets the scene for such re-entry.

He said, “Then, history repeats itself over and over again, as currently manifested along the West African sub-region. The “call to arms” is made literal by those whose trade is precisely that of arms.

“Barring such abrupt “patriotic intervention”, however, the last word belongs to the Supreme Court. Until that conclusive hour, wherever and whenever the subject turns to the Nigerian elections, my contribution can be taken for granted in advance: Peter Obi did not win the Nigerian 2023 elections. Jointly with his erstwhile colleague of the PDP, Abubakar Atiku, they donated the outcome, even before the voting.”

Politicians and their cohorts, he said, should learn to take responsibility for the consequences of their choices within democratic options.

Earlier in the week, Soyinka had said he could categorically say that Peter Obi’s party came third not even second and the leadership knew it but they want to do what we call in Yoruba ‘gbajue’, that is force of lies.

“This recent election – two things happened first of all. One party took over the labour movement, which is not my favourite movement, and then it became a regional party,” he said.

“Whereas it was a marvellous breach into the established two camps. Peter Obi achieved something remarkable there, that he broke that mould. However, he did not win the election.”

Politics

Amaechi Slams Tinubu’s Policies In Fresh Outburst

Published

22 hours ago

June 12, 2025

Editor

Former Minister of Transportation and two-time governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has asked the coalition opposition to kick President Bola Tinubu out of office if Nigeria is to escape its deepening economic crisis.

In a no-holds-barred interview with the BBC, Amaechi, a founding member and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, lamented the country’s deteriorating condition and signalled his willingness to help forge a new opposition coalition to rescue the nation.

“People are dying. People are starving. I myself am feeling the effects of hunger,” he said, painting a grim picture of life under the current administration.

Amaechi’s statement comes in the wake of the APC’s recent endorsement of Tinubu as its sole presidential candidate for 2027, a move Amaechi openly questioned.

While reiterating his loyalty to the party, he warned that fidelity to a political platform should never come at the cost of national conscience.

“If the government is failing the country, you don’t just go along because you’re in the same party. You know that’s not right,” he stated emphatically.

Though he stopped short of confirming a 2027 presidential bid, the former minister said the option remained on the table.

“Certainly, I believe I can make a meaningful contribution,” he added, hinting that his political journey may not yet be over.

He spoke of widespread poverty, spiralling food insecurity, and daily tragedies that now dot the national landscape.

Reflecting on his years as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Amaechi lamented that the number of out-of-school children then pegged at 10 million, had since ballooned.

The economic hardship, he said, had also deepened insecurity.

“The Boko Haram insurgency is not just a religious crisis. Many of those involved are driven by desperation and hunger,” he asserted, linking terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping to a broader socioeconomic collapse.

Amaechi’s declaration added momentum to an emerging political realignment.

Talks were already underway among key opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, as they explored the possibility of a unified front against Tinubu in 2027.

Even ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and once a key Tinubu ally had signalled interest in backing an opposition alliance.

But as opposition forces stir, the ruling party continues to absorb defectors, prompting fears of Nigeria drifting toward a one-party state, a scenario Amaechi warned could undermine democracy and silence dissent.

“We’re thinking that if we come together and win the election, the country will certainly witness change,” he said, suggesting an urgent need for a credible alternative.

Politics

UNN Best Graduate Wins £33,000 Com

Published

23 hours ago

June 12, 2025

Editor

A student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka’s with the overall best graduating CGPA of 4.98, Chizoba Ejiofor, has secured a fully funded Commonwealth scholarship.

Education advocate and tech entrepreneur Alex Onyia, who made this known on social media on Thursday, said he had taken responsibility for supporting Ejiofor after the university failed to award him the promised N50,000 prize for academic excellence.

“I have a good news. A very good news. You remember Chizoba Ejiofor, who graduated as UNN overall best graduating student with CGPA of 4.98, that UNN refused to fulfill the N50k price promised to him?

“I took him up as a full responsibility. We started working tirelessly together since last year to secure a fully funded scholarship, and today we have the good news,” Onyia wrote.

Onyia revealed that Ejiofor was awarded a fully funded Commonwealth scholarship, valued at over £33,000. The package includes tuition, flight tickets, and monthly stipends.

“This is fully funded scholarship from Commonwealth. Over 33 thousand pounds in scholarship, flight tickets and monthly stipends inclusive. No one can describe how happy and fulfilled I am today,” he added.

Politics

Nigeria No Longer A Democracy, Peter Obi Laments

Published

24 hours ago

June 12, 2025

Editor

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has lamented the state of Nigeria’s democracy, saying the country no longer qualifies to be regarded as a democratic nation.

Obi, in a speech commemorating Democracy Day on Thursday, said the core elements of democracy are absent in the current system of governance in Nigeria.

“Most unfortunately in our present state, our dear country Nigeria cannot be classified as a democratic country. Democracy is said to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Yet, none of these three measures exist in our democracy today,” Obi said.

Obi criticised the electoral process, noting that rules and requirements for participation are routinely violated.

“People who are not qualified and ought to be disqualified are now holding public offices,” he said.

Reflecting on the symbolic significance of June 12 in Nigeria’s democratic struggle, Obi expressed concern that the country, under the current administration, has seen a broad erosion of democratic values in just two years.

“It is deeply troubling that under the present administration, in a short span of two years, our nation has witnessed a broad erosion of democratic principles,” he said.

He highlighted a corresponding deterioration in security, economic stability, and social services, including education and healthcare.

“We have traversed from rigged elections to collapsing social service, from soaring poverty to rising corruption, and from a seemingly stable economy to a parallel economy,” Obi stated.

Obi accused the federal government of manipulating public perception rather than addressing the challenges facing the nation.

“Rather than show genuine accountability and measure good progress, [the government] focuses on manipulating the narratives, gaslighting the public, shifting blame, and weaponising governance,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor also cited economic statistics to back his claims.

According to him, Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has fallen from $364 billion in May 2023 to $188 billion, while per capita income has dropped from $1,640 to $835.

“Nigerians living in poverty have increased from 38.9% to 54%. Within this period, 129 million Nigerians now live below poverty line,” he added.

He noted that a World Bank report showed that 75% of Nigerians in rural areas now live below the poverty line.

Obi also decried the state of education and healthcare.

“Today, we have 18.3 million children out of school, the highest in the world. Our children are now being taught science without science labs and computer without computers. They are now taking exams in darkness with candles,” he said.

On healthcare, he quoted the National Primary Health Care Development Agency as saying that less than 20% of over 30,000 primary health care centres across the country are functional.

“I recently visited some where there are delivery rooms without toilets,” Obi added.

He concluded that the country is “declining fast in all its facets,” warning that the rule of law has become virtually non-existent and that governance is failing to meet the basic needs of the people.