Politics

2023: Consider Age, Mental, Physical Capacity, Northern Elders, Catholics Caution Nigerians

Published

3 years ago

September 27, 2022

Editor

Northern Elders Forum, NEF, and Catholic Laity Council have asked Nigerians to consider the age and mental as well as physical capacity of presidential candidates in the 2023 elections before voting.

While the northern elders said they would consider these factors to determine which presidential candidate to support, the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria, CLCN, pleaded with Nigerians to avoid sentiments and consider the age and health status of candidates before voting.

It also advised them to vote for the best candidates whose manifestos and economic blueprint could lead Nigeria out of her present quagmire.

NEF said its option of a consensus presidential candidate was still open, insisting its preferred persons for the Presidency, after a rigorous but productive interrogation, would be one with strong mental and physical capacity to govern Nigeria and solve the pertinent security and economic challenges facing the country.

Northern elders won’t make mistake they made in 2015

Spokesman of the forum, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who also said such a candidate must be one with the interest of the north at heart in an interview on Channels Television Politics programme on Sunday night, said northern elders won’t make the mistake they made in 2015 when they endorsed All Progressives Congress’ Muhammadu Buhari and encouraged the people of the region to cede their bloc votes to him.

According to him, Nigeria’s next President must have the ability to secure the country, improve the economy, and have plans for 34 million out-of-school children in the region.

While noting that the thoughts of the candidate on restructuring and other national issues would be evaluated, Baba-Ahmed said: “It will be a basis with which the north will support a candidate.”

On the region or zone the next president should emerge from, the NEF spokesman said: “What he intends to do in terms of satisfying us that he has the mental capacity, the physical capacity, the intellect, the willingness to tap into the best that is available, sensitivity to a number of key issues that are central to our survival as a country. Those things are going to represent for us the basis for which we will support a candidate.”

Leading presidential candidates for the 2023 general elections include APC’s Bola Tinubu; Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party; Peter Obi of the Labour Party; and New Nigeria Peoples Party’s Rabiu Kwankwaso.

While Atiku and Kwankwaso are from northern Nigeria, Tinubu and Obi are from the southern part of the country, casting doubts on whether NEF would back them.

Baba-Ahmed said: “At this stage, our options are open. We will not vote on narrow prisms like where you (candidates) come from.

“I can speak for the Northern Elders’ Forum. We’ve not said we will only support a northern candidate; what we said is we will defend the rights of northerners to compete freely and equally with others; we will support a northerner if we think he is the best, and we will not go to apologise for that at all.

“We will support a southerner if we believe he will do justice to the interest of the north and the interest of other parts of the country. What is important for us is that we are looking for the best that is available.”

He insisted that the group wields sufficient influence over the people of northern Nigeria and would exercise its responsibility of endorsing the best candidate very seriously.

He said: “We are not supporting anybody, we are going to support the best candidate that represents the best.

“We will put all those candidates through a rigorous process if they are willing and they had better be willing because, believe me, we carry the responsibility on our shoulders to advise a lot of people in the north where to go and we will exercise that responsibility very seriously.”

Catholic Laity asks Nigerians to consider age, health status, others

On its part, the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria, CLCN, yesterday, pleaded with Nigerians to avoid sentiments, but consider the age and health status of the candidates before casting their votes in 2023.
The body also called on the electorate to consider the manifestoes of the candidates to know who would rescue the country from her current challenges.

In a resolution at the end of its 149th National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Bauchi, the body reiterated that the country had suffered so much due to failure of leadership, hence the need to end the trend.

In the document signed by Sir Henry Yunkwap, National President and Mr. Godwin Gege, acting National Secretary-General, Catholic Laity Council also condemned the unjustifiable and unprovoked attack on facilities, abduction and gruesome murder of Catholic priests, religious, lay faithful and innocent Nigerians in general.

The resolutions read: “The problem of Nigeria is the failure of leadership; the inability of our leaders to rise to their responsibilities. The council, therefore, urges Catholics to study and apply the Catholic social teachings to extensive and complex issues in all spheres of life, so that being involved in the political developments in Nigeria will be able to revitalise our Catholic faith for political stability in the nation.

“Council joins her voice to that of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, to urge all Catholic Lay faithful and Nigerians in general, to be honest in conscience and rise above the sentiments of political parties, support and vote for the best candidates whose manifestos and economic blueprint can lead Nigeria out of her present quagmire.

‘’The electorate must consider the age, health status, intellectual sagacity, and grasp of developmental paradigm shift in choosing their next leaders.

“The council condemns the unjustifiable and unprovoked attack on facilities, abduction and gruesome murder of Catholic priests, religious faithful and innocent Nigerians in general. The Federal Government must rise to its statutory obligation of protecting the life and property of its citizens.”

Politics

CSO, PDP Bicker Over Fagbemi’s Stand On Osun LG Crisis

Published

10 minutes ago

June 27, 2025

Editor

An Osun-based civil society group, The Osun Masterminds, has urged the State Government to respect the opinion of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, regarding the leadership crisis rocking local government areas in the state.

The group said Fagbemi, being the number one law officer of the federation, his opinions on issues relating to law are not just official, but are also binding.

This was disclosed by the Executive Director of the group, Prof. Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, while speaking with journalists at the monthly media briefing of the organisation held in Osogbo on Friday.

Oyedokun-Alli, who said accused the state government of disregard for, not just the Appeal Court, but also the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, adding that the group has studied several legal positions on the Osun local government disputes and came to the conclusion that the government was swimming against the tide of clear court pronouncements.

“We are to point out, however, that the utter disregard for, not just the Appeal Court, but also the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, by the Osun State Government is a matter of grave concern. Where we understand that the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, is the number one Law Officer of the Federation, we must realise that his opinions are not just official, they are also binding.

“We have studied several legal positions on this matter, especially from highly revered silks who have dissected the pronouncements of the Court, and one thing remains obvious – the Osun State Government is swimming against the tide of clear Court pronouncements.

“The question that begs answers, however, is why the Osun State Government is so unwilling to work with Local Government Chairmen elected under a different political platform. Where we respect the principles of separation of powers, should we not be willing to work together even if the political parties are not the same? Has the APC-led Federal Government refused to work with the Adeleke Government because it is of the PDP?”, Oyedokun-Alli said.

Calling on the stakeholders to prevail on the Osun State Government to end the LG crisis, Oyedokun-Alli, however, urged the residents, regardless of party affiliation, to cohabitate in peace.

Responding to issues raised by the group, the spokesperson for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Oladele Bamiji, said TOM was a partisan organisation that has consistently supported the All Progressives Congress in the state.

Bamiji further said, “Their so-called ‘civil society’ posturing has long collapsed under the weight of its hypocrisy and shameless servitude to the dictates of APC in Osun and beyond, and it is sad they are dead to their dented image out there.

“TOM has again confirmed to the people of Osun that it is nothing but a busy body propaganda irritant of the APC, issuing monthly rankings, not out of civic concern but to earn its monthly stipend from its political sponsors.

“We find it laughable and frankly disturbing that any group claiming to possess civic literacy would hold binding the personal opinion of a political appointee like the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, over and above the ruling of a competent court of law.”
(PUNCH)

Politics

BREAKING: Confusion As APC Chair, Ganduje Resigns

Published

5 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Editor

National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has resigned from his position, Saturday Vanguard has learned.

Although the exact circumstances surrounding his resignation remain unclear as of press time, a senior party official confirmed the development, stating simply, “Yes, it is true. He has resigned.”

Sources revealed that Ganduje’s personal belongings were earlier moved from his office at the APC national secretariat, further fueling speculation.

The development has thrown the party’s headquarters into confusion, with staff and visitors visibly shocked by the unexpected news.

Politics

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

Published

10 hours 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.