Politics

2023: Atiku, Tinubu In Fresh Battle Over Health Issues, Alleged Corruption

Published

3 years ago

January 18, 2023

Barely 38 days to the presidential election scheduled for February 25, both camps of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidates, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, respectively, have continued to trade words.

The attacks heightened over the week, with each calling for the arrest and disqualification of the other over allegations of graft, contrary to the peace accord signed by the respective presidential candidates ahead of political campaigns.

Recall that at the commencement of political campaign season, presidential candidates and the national chairman of their respective parties were made to sign a peace accord committing themselves to a peaceful campaign for the 2023 election. The signing was organised by the National Peace Committee in Abuja.

Some of the candidates that signed the accord were Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

However, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Bola Tinubu, was absent but his running mate, Kashim Shettima, stood in for him.

Tinubu’s camp threw the first salvo last week when he called on Nigerians to worry about Atiku’s health and credibility and not his, adding that he (Atiku) must come clean on issues regarding his health and corruption allegations.

The Director, Media and Publicity of Tinubu, Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed this in a statement, said Atiku ought to have stepped down from the race because he was bound to lose again.

“It is time for Atiku Abubakar, the 76-year-old presidential candidate of the PDP, to come clean over two issues clouding his campaign: his health status and his scandalous confession of how he colluded with his former boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to fleece the Nigerian treasury, using the special purpose vehicles after he became Vice-President in 1999.

“We have it on good authority that Atiku indeed fell ill while missing on the field. He was indeed in the UK for some medical help, though handlers camouflage that he was there on the invitation of some British officials at Whitehall, in a mimic of the earlier visit of the APC rival, Asiwaju Tinubu,” the statement partly read.

While countering the allegations and attack by Tinubu, the Atiku, Okowa Campaign Organisation said he (Tinubu) had no moral standing to put to disrepute the impeccable character and integrity of Atiku.

In a statement issued by the spokesman of the campaign organisation, Kola Ologbodiyan, he said his principal (Atiku) had refrained from Tinubu’s appalling health issues before the ignoble public dance of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign.

“The Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organisation mocks the wobbly, wonky and narcotic-devastated presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Tinubu, over his failed attempt to impute illness on the healthy and energetic presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar.

“The campaign also describes as ludicrous the failed attempt by Tinubu, the famed Lagos property stripper, who has gained notoriety as corruption personified and the living example of the artful dodger, to impugn the impeccable character and integrity of the incoming peoples’ President, Atiku,” Ologbodiyan said.

But not yet done with the verbal tirade, over the week, the spokesman for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, who also serves as the current Minister of State for Labour, Productivity and Employment, Festus Keyamo, returned fireworks from Tinubu’s camp.

Keyamo said Tinubu’s campaign council has forwarded a petition to the anti-financial crime agencies – the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, seeking the arrest and prosecution of the PDP candidate, Atiku.

He further disclosed that he had given a 72-hour ultimatum to the anti-graft agencies to “arrest/invite, interrogate and prosecute Atiku, failing which he said he would go to the courts to cause the agencies to act.”

Tinubu’s camp, speaking through the PCC at its headquarters in Abuja, with the full complement of his media directorate, also queried the sources of wealth of both Atiku and Obasanjo, his erstwhile principal.

The PCC also played a two-minute recorded voice call purported to be a conversation between one Messrs Achimugu and Atiku bordering on allegations of corrupt practices.

The Campaign Council alleged that Atiku had committed a Breach of the Code of Conduct Act, Criminal Breach of Trust, Conspiracy, and Money Laundering.

But while countering the allegations, the PDP dismissed Tinubu’s calls and allegations against its presidential candidate. It described them as simulated allegations and attempts to divert public attention from the issues affecting Nigerians.

“It is indeed ironic that an embattled Tinubu, who is beleaguered by uncountable cases of fraudulent activities, including perjury, forgery, treasury looting, corruption and narcotic-related conviction can attempt to impugn on the unimpeachable integrity of the PDP Presidential Candidate,” its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba alleged in a statement.

The spokesman of the Atiku, Okowa Presidential Campaign, Kola Ologbondiyan, also in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, demanded the immediate arrest and questioning of Tinubu for his alleged formation of a uniformed gang of thugs code-named “Jagaban Army” for the sole purpose of committing an electoral heist.

“The Jagaban Army, which is apparently set up to disrupt the 2023 general elections and raid polling units for votes on behalf of APC Presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a direct affront to the Nigeria Armed Forces and other security agencies, as well as an assault on the sovereignty of our nation.

“The notion of Jagaban Army is a ploy to bring hoodlums, thugs and gangsters together under cover of the APC and turn them into an official militia that will be used to unleash mayhem on the day of the election,” Ologbondiyan said.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Tuesday, slammed Atiku and his counterpart, Tinubu, over engaging in campaigns of calumny against each other.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, said both candidates are two sides of the same coin since both sides are claiming that their opponent has been found to have allegedly committed the same offence of money laundering they are accusing each other of.

“The case of APC and PDP is very laughable. It is because both Atiku and Tinubu are accusing each other of the same offences that they allegedly said each other committed.

“At least, a spokesman for Tinubu’s campaign and serving minister, Festus Keyamo, confirmed that the APC presidential candidate forfeited $460,000 in one of the 10 US banks linked to him and that he ‘mistakenly’ stayed in the same house as drug barons,” Onwubiko said.

Speaking to the DAILY POST concerning the verbal war between the duo, the spokesman for Peter Obi, Datti Baba-Ahmed Campaign Organisation, Yunusa Tanko said if it were to be in a sane society, the two candidates would not have the moral standing to run for election.

Tanko said it is only in Nigeria that you will see such a heavy accusation with proof into the public domain, yet shamelessly people would still be willing to run for election.

He further urged Nigerians to vote out those who have put the country in a perpetual poverty by voting for the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

“I watched some of these interviews and my system usually gets upset. In a normal sane society, these two characters do not have the moral standing to run for election in Nigeria.

“It is only in Nigeria that you will see such a catastrophic accusation with proof into the public domain, yet shamelessly people are still willing to run for election and some are even thinking about the situation of even voting for such an individual. It is so demeaning and so embarrassing.

“I will only call on Nigerians to look at the credibility, character, consistency and compassion of Peter Obi, to please use their power of voting to do what we call simultaneous equation by eliminating those who have put us into a perpetual poverty and vote them out of power and vote for Peter Obi.

“That is the only thing I can tell Nigerians because I don’t have the power, my only vote cannot bring Peter Obi. I can only use my mouth to advocate for Nigerians to ensure that they vote for Peter Obi, at least to serve as a deterrent to those who feel they can hold Nigerians captive because of their personal greed, their interest and their corrupt tendencies because they want to continue to perpetuate themselves into power,” Tanko said.

Politics

2027: NDC Unveils Electoral Committee Members For Primaries

Published

2 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has released list of Electoral Committee Members to Conduct primary election.

The exercise is for State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship and Presidential Primaries across all States in Nigeria and the FCT.

This was contained in a statement posted on its verified X handle on Thursday.

The party had provided updates concerning its upcoming Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship, and State Assembly primaries.

According to the party’s National Chairman, Moses Cleopas,
and Barr. Ikenna Alex-Morgan Enekweizu, National Secretary, the primaries are confirmed to take place across the nation on May 29, 2026, adhering to the previously established timetable of May 28 and 29.

Politics

APC: Fubara Has Been Treated Badly, It’s Dangerous For Tinubu – Otubanjo

Published

2 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The director of research at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Femi Otubanjo, has said the treatment of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, in the just concluded All Progressives Congress’, APC, primary poses political danger to President Bola Tinubu.

Otubanjo stated this on Thursday while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he also criticised the role being played by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in the political affairs of Rivers State and the All Progressives Congress.

According to him, the handling of Fubara’s political crisis remains one of the most surprising developments in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Otubanjo further argued that Wike, who is not a member of the APC, appears to be dictating political activities within the ruling party in Rivers State.The research director warned that the current political arrangement in Rivers State could negatively affect Tinubu politically, insisting that Wike was pursuing his personal agenda rather than that of the president.

He said: “The treatment of Fubara must be one of the American wonders of Nigerian politics. Fubara has been badly treated. We have a situation in which Nyesom Wike who is not even in the APC is taking the primary decision in the APC. I hope the tactical team of President Bola Tinubu is not sleeping.

“The reality is that what they have done is very dangerous for Tinubu. What has emerged in Rivers today is that Wike is pursuing his own agenda, not Tinubu’s agenda inspite of PBAT and all of that combination.”

“If Wike really wants to pursue Tinubu’s agenda, he must retain Fubara.”

Politics

In Defence Of Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe: The Generational Shift Reshaping Edo Politics

Published

21 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

By DAN Osa-Ogbegie

For decades, Edo politics remained trapped within a narrow and predictable cycle of political recycling. The same ageing actors moved endlessly from one office to another, from one administration to the next, and from one political alignment to another, as though leadership in Edo State had become the exclusive inheritance of a permanent political aristocracy.

Meanwhile, thousands of intelligent, energetic, and capable young Edo people watched helplessly from the margins while opportunities for leadership, governance, party administration, and public service remained tightly controlled by individuals whose political relevance dated back several decades.

That unhealthy political culture is now gradually changing.

Today, one of the most important political transformations taking place within the All Progressives Congress in Edo State is the deliberate transition from recycled political gerontocracy to a younger generation of political actors. That transition is unfolding under the leadership of Senator Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State and Leader of the APC in Edo State, together with the State Chairman of the party, Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe.

Predictably, such a shift has unsettled entrenched interests.

Those who became accustomed to monopolising political relevance naturally feel threatened by the emergence of a younger generation that is increasingly assertive, visible, influential, and institutionally empowered. Yet, history teaches a simple lesson: no political structure survives indefinitely without renewal.

No serious political party can continue recycling the same exhausted political machinery forever while expecting innovation, grassroots energy, modern governance ideas, and long-term political sustainability.

That reality appears to be clearly understood by Governor Monday Okpebholo and Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe.

Much of the criticism unfairly directed at Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe in recent times stems from the fact that he has become one of the visible faces of this generational transition within Edo APC. Beneath the noise, propaganda, and political bitterness lies an undeniable truth: the party is consciously opening spaces for younger people in ways not seen for many years.

From the youthful Deputy Chairman of APC in Edo State, Sylvester Aigboboh, to several younger commissioners, Special Advisers, members of the State Executive Council, board chairmen, local government administrators, and strategic appointees across government, the evidence of deliberate political renewal is becoming increasingly impossible to ignore.

In Uhunmwode Local Government Area, Hon. Austin Imafidon has emerged as one of the young faces of focused governance and grassroots administration. Beyond politics, he has already established himself successfully in business, bringing into governance the mindset of productivity, enterprise, and modern administrative engagement.

In Etsako, Hon. Sunny Ekpeson has continued to attract national attention as the youngest ALGON Chairman in Nigeria, representing a clear departure from the era where local government leadership was treated as the permanent preserve of ageing political operators disconnected from younger demographics.

In Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Hon. Eric Osawaru represents another example of the younger political generation now entrusted with leadership responsibilities, while in Oredo Local Government Area, Engr. Gabriel Iduseri equally reflects the growing confidence being reposed in younger administrators within the APC structure.

In Owan, Hon. Aitalegbe Ernest, popularly known as “China Boy,” has also emerged as one of the prominent young political figures gaining traction as the incoming Chairman of the local government, further reinforcing the expanding generational transition currently taking shape across Edo State.

The same pattern is visible across government institutions and strategic agencies.

Pastor Stanley Dave Ighodaro, a successful entrepreneur with thriving business interests in Europe, now heads the Edo State Parks and Gardens Agency. His emergence reflects an increasingly important shift towards bringing professionally exposed and globally minded younger individuals into governance and public administration.

Similarly, Kassim Otono, who serves as Special Adviser on Oil and Gas to the Executive Governor of Edo State, represents another example of younger technocratic involvement within the present administration. His inclusion within such a strategic sector underscores the growing confidence being placed in younger professionals and politically aware technocrats within government.

This is how enduring institutions are built.

A political party that refuses to regenerate itself eventually becomes intellectually stagnant, structurally weak, and electorally disconnected from evolving social realities.

Governor Monday Okpebholo deserves commendation for recognising that governance in a rapidly changing society cannot remain permanently tied to political methods and leadership assumptions developed several decades ago. Contemporary governance demands adaptability, technological awareness, stronger grassroots engagement, administrative energy, and a deeper connection with younger populations.

Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe equally deserves credit for helping stabilise the party while managing this difficult but necessary transition process. Generational shifts are never easy within political systems historically dominated by established interests. Resistance is inevitable. Political resentment is expected. Internal anxieties naturally emerge whenever old monopolies begin to weaken.

Leadership, however, requires courage.

The recently concluded primaries further revealed this evolving direction within the APC. The emergence of candidates such as Rt. Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Osazee Igbinovia, Dr. Emmanuel Paddy Iyamu, Omosede Igbinedion, Sir Lucky Eseigbe, and Odianosen Okojie reflects a growing political philosophy that increasingly values capacity, grassroots relevance, contemporary appeal, and generational continuity.

Equally symbolic is the emergence of several young Acting Local Government Council Chairmen who are now candidates of the party in the forthcoming local government elections. That development sends a powerful message across Edo State that political participation is gradually becoming more accessible to younger people with competence, commitment, and organisational value.

For too long, many young people in Edo politics were reduced to political spectators, social media defenders, praise singers, or election-day foot soldiers while actual power remained tightly guarded elsewhere. Such a model was never sustainable.

A society that continuously sidelines its younger generation ultimately weakens its own political future.

The ongoing transition within Edo APC does not amount to hostility towards elders or experienced political actors. Experience remains valuable. Elder statesmen still possess institutional memory and political wisdom that younger actors can benefit from immensely. Mentorship, however, must never become political suffocation. Guidance must never evolve into permanent political domination.

Every generation deserves the opportunity to participate meaningfully in shaping the future it will eventually inherit.

That is precisely why the current direction of the APC leadership in Edo State deserves objective acknowledgement rather than emotional hostility.

Many of those attacking Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe today are not truly angry about party administration. Their deeper discomfort arises from the reality that political influence is gradually shifting away from old centres of control towards a newer generation of actors who may no longer depend entirely on traditional political gatekeepers for relevance or survival.

Societies evolve.

Political cultures evolve.

Leadership itself evolves.

No generation owns political power forever.

Ultimately, the future of Edo State cannot be built exclusively around recycled political veterans whose greatest political moments belong largely to the past. A forward-looking society must continuously create room for younger leadership, newer ideas, fresh administrative energy, and modern political thinking.

That future is already unfolding within the APC in Edo State.

History may eventually remember Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe and Governor Monday Okpebholo as central figures in the difficult but necessary political transition that began moving Edo away from recycled political dominance towards a broader and younger leadership culture capable of preparing the state for a different era.

Daniel Aroren Noah Osa-Ogbegie is a Benin based legal practitioner and public intellectual from Uhunmwode Local Government Area.