Politics

2023: Clark Lambasts Southern Presidential Aspirants, Says ‘It’s Madness’ To Have Many

Published

3 years ago

May 6, 2022

…says Southern politicians shouldn’t accept VP slot

Elder statesman and leader of Pan-Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark, raised concern over the growing number of presidential aspirants from Southern Nigeria, describing it as madness and unrealistic.

According to him, most of the aspirants from the South that have declared interest to contest the presidential seat in 2023 were playing double games.

Saturday PUNCH reported that presidential aspirants from the South who have either declared interest or obtained forms were Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi; former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha; Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajuiba; former Governor of Lagos State and national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu; and the only female aspirant, Uju Kennedy.

Others were Pastor Tunde Bakare; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; Minister of Labour and productivity, Chris Ngige; Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu; Ihechukwu China; former Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun; and former National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

Others included the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole.

Clark, in an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, said it was not a normal situation.

He said, “It is madness. If I’m to be realistic, they are not serious; particularly the Southerners from the South-West and the South-South. There are some people that have gone to be bottle bags to play double games. So, when it comes to where we say no, some people would come out to say yes we are contesting. So they know why some of them are there.”

Clark, who would be 95 years old on May 25, wondered where aspirants from the ruling APC were getting N100 million to pay for the forms considering the level of hunger in the country.

“You have everybody in Nigeria where there is hunger, where there is lack of employment, where there is kidnapping going on every day, where children cannot go to school, where the economy is going down, these people were able to mobilise N100 million to pick forms.

“So, if these governors and ministers use their salaries, I don’t think they have it because they must eat in their houses, so also the governors. But they went back telling Nigerians that their friends contributed money for them,” he said.

Clark expressed shock that Oshiomhole recently declared to contest the presidential seat when it was known to all that he was supporting Tinubu.

The nonagenarian said he was also surprised that Amosun also declared for President in spite of the fact that Osinbajo was from his state and he’s also in the race.

He added, “So you come back to the South-South, Nyesom Wike wants to be President of Nigeria, Rotimi Amaechi wants to be President of Nigeria, both of them are in small Ikwere. You can imagine what is going on.

“I understand Timipre Sylvia would soon declare. Meanwhile, people are asking me questions about Goodluck Jonathan and they are in the same Senatorial zone in Bayelsa State. So they know what they are doing.

“And for the Igbos, some of them, I encouraged them to come out. Even if it’s zoned to the South-East, the whole of Nigeria will vote for them, and would take part in the primary.”

Speaking on the issue of zoning, Clark stressed that they had warned Southern politicians not to accept running mate positions if the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party refuse to zone the Presidency to the South.

He said, “We strongly warn our politicians, former governors, ministers, senators and so forth not to accept a running mate position from any northern candidate because they cannot do without us and we cannot do without them.

“That will show how serious we are and anybody who offers himself as a running mate will be regarded as the most unpatriotic and a man who has sold his own side of the country and not worthy of being respected and honoured.”

Related Topics:APC Presidential Aspirants

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Politics

Coalition: Abure-led LP Gives Obi 48 Hours To Leave Party

Published

1 day ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

The Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has given the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, a 48 hours ultimatum to leave the party haven formally joined the coalition party.

This was contained in a statement signed by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in Abuja, on Thursday.

He explained that the Labour Party under Abure’s leadership remains vehemently opposed to joining the coalition while dismissing members of the coalition as “power mongers whose only interest was self and not the people.”

The party warned Nigerians that the often mouthed ‘new Nigeria is Possible’ is a ruse and cannot be achieved with the assemblage of old, recycled, desperate and frustrated politicians in the coalition.

Ifoh said the party is aware that all those who mismanaged Nigeria over the years are the ones that gathered themselves in the coalition while noting that desperate politicians can’t birth new Nigeria.

He said, “We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party. We’re also aware that a number of them has refused to defect with him.

“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition and therefore, any of our members who is part of the coalition is given within 48 hours to formally resign his membership of the party.

“Labour Party is not available for people with dual agenda, people with deceptive persona. The party will not avail itself to individuals who have one leg in one Party and another leg elsewhere.

“People who in the morning they will claim to be in the Labour Party and in the evening they are in coalition.

“Nearly 70 per cent of the Nigerian population are youths who are tired of the old order, tired of gerontocrats deciding their fate. The new Nigeria that the youths are dreaming of, is not what can be realized from what we are seeing in the coalition.

“These people are opportunistic politicians who are only interested in relaunching themselves into circle of power, people who are desperate to continue holding on to power.

“The new Nigeria of our dream can only be realised through the Labour Party, and the party is willing to lead Nigerians along that trajectory.

“I therefore urge all members of the party to remain loyal and keep the party structure intact ahead of future elections.”

Politics

Only A Formidable Coalition Can Salvage Nigeria, Says Peter Obi

Published

1 day ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has given his full support for the coalition of opposition parties aimed at ending President Bola Tinubu’s rule in 2027.

He explained that it was a fact that no single group can change Nigeria alone, hence the need for people to come together to pursue the goal.

The former Amambra State Governor said this in a post on his verified X handle, on Thursday.

He said this just as the Julia Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has given him 48 hours within which to formally resign from the party or risk expulsion.

Obi in his post wrote, “Yesterday, the coalition members formally adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 Nigeria General Elections with Distinguished Senator David Mark serving as the National Chairman and H.E. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola serving as the National Secretary.

“Our commitment is to sacrifice and work together towards the 2027 General Elections, ensuring that Nigeria gets a competent, capable, and compassionate leadership that will prioritise the nation’s future by putting the welfare of Nigerians first.

REAS ALSO: Peter Obi Speaks As Port Harcourt Refinery Begins Production

“This decision was not made lightly. It comes from deep reflection on where we are as a country and what must be done to move forward.

“No one group can change Nigeria alone. To dismantle the structures that keep our people in poverty and insecurity, we must build bridges, not walls even when those bridges are uneasy. A New Nigeria is Possible. -PO.”

Politics

I Don’t Owe Anybody Explanation On Truce With Fubara – Wike

Published

1 day ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, declared that peace has returned to his home state, Rivers, saying he does not owe anyone an explanation on the terms of the truce.

Wike disclosed this during a Media chat monitored in Abuja.

According to him, several people had turned the crisis in Rivers State into an “oil well”, from which they were drawing illicit funds for their selfish interests, saying such fifth columnists are no longer happy that he has reconciled with the suspended Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara.

Details later…