Politics

2023: Dele Momodu Hits APC, Tinubu Hard

Published

3 years ago

November 2, 2022

Editor

The Director of Strategic Communications of the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Momodu, has said the All Progressives Congress and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, cannot unite Nigerians.

Momodu in a statement obtained by The PUNCH, dated Wednesday, November 2, 2022, and titled, “Atiku: APC’s Shettima Suffering From Amnesia – PDP Campaign Organisation,” expressed worry over what he described as an “open disdain for the democratic and voting rights of certain ethnic groups within their domains.”

The PDP campaign director was reacting to the remarks credited to the APC presidential candidate and his running mate on Tuesday at an event in Lagos, where the duo said the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, could not unite Nigeria.

Momodu said, “It is our belief that Alhaji Shettima, in a moment of deliberate amnesia, must have tried to point fingers at the specks in another man’s eyes while studiously ignoring the giant logs in his own eyes.”

Momodu described the APC as a disorganised party with chieftains openly apologising to Nigerians for the undiminished damage it forced on Nigeria since 2015 which resulted in a mass exodus of APC members to the Peoples Democratic Party.

He further stated, “It took almost forever for APC to achieve the simple task of constituting its Presidential Campaign Council, due to the total lack of unity in their party. It is very obvious that APC has become completely rudderless and many self-respecting members are jumping ship and being recovered by PDP.

“How can these APC candidates ever unite Nigerians when they’ve shown open disdain for the democratic and voting rights of certain ethnic groups within their domains?”

The statement further said that APC and its candidates have been shrouded in secrecy and they are just unable to tell Nigerians the truth about anything, stressing, “how can Nigerians be expected to place their faith in such mysterious characters?”

Momodu added, “How can these APC candidates ever unite Nigerians when they’ve shown open disdain for the democratic and voting rights of certain ethnic groups within their domains?

“Everything about APC and its candidates has been shrouded in secrecy and they are just unable to tell Nigerians the truth about anything. How can Nigerians be expected to place their faith in such mysterious characters?”

On the allegation by Shettima that Abubakar could not be trusted with the economy of Nigeria. The director stated that “no heresy could be worse than this. Nigerians would want to know what businesses the APC candidates have managed personally and successfully alleging with the exception of living outlandishly on government booty and largesse.

“Atiku Abubakar started business as a teenager and served meritoriously as a government officer in the customs where he assisted so many Igbo traders, according to available testimonies.

Momodu queried how APC could be expected to guarantee the safety of lives and properties when right under the watch of Shettima as Governor of Borno State the terrorist group, Boko Haram, became an intractable menace and Nigeria is yet to fully recover today.

He noted that the PDP is extremely proud of its antecedents and former vice president and his running mate are fully ready to recover Nigeria from the hands of the “most incompetent leaders in the history of Nigeria.”

Continuing, Momodu maintained, “Alhaji Shettima alleged that Atiku Abubakar cannot be trusted with the economy of Nigeria. No heresy could be worse than this.

“Nigerians would want to know what businesses the APC candidates have managed personally and successfully except living outlandishly on government booty and largesse.

“In Atiku’s private life, he remains one of the biggest employers of labour in Nigeria. He has brought jobs to Nigerians instead of shipping jobs out.”

“How can APC be expected to guarantee the safety of lives and properties when right under the watch of Alhaji Shettima as Governor of Borno State, Boko Haram became an intractable menace and Nigeria is yet to fully recover to this day?

“PDP is extremely proud of its antecedents and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Governor Ifeanyichukwu Okowa are fully ready to recover Nigeria from the hands of the most incompetent leaders in the history of Nigeria,” he added.

Politics

APC Defeats NNPP In Kano Re-run Election

Published

15 hours ago

August 17, 2025

Editor

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has defeated the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary re-run election in Kano State.

Announcing the result on Sunday, the Returning Officer, Prof. Muhammad Waziri of Bayero University, declared APC’s Garba Gwarmai winner with 31,472 votes, ahead of NNPP’s Yusuf Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes.

The supplementary election was conducted after the initial poll was declared inconclusive.

Hon. Gwarmai’s 3,541-vote lead marks a significant victory for the APC, further consolidating its political foothold in the state.

According to Tribune Online, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kano State Chapter, had expressed concerns over alleged irregularities in the rerun elections for Ghari/Takai and Bagwai/Shanono Constituencies.

Politics

Obi Blames Tinubu For 70% Investment Crash

Published

1 day ago

August 16, 2025

Editor

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of presiding over what he described as “a collapse in foreign direct investment.”

He blamed what he called “poor leadership, weak governance, and uncoordinated reforms” for the country’s economic woes.

Obi, in a statement shared on official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, noted that going by fresh figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, FDI into Nigeria plunged by about 70 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, falling to $126.29m from $421.8m recorded in the last quarter of 2024.

“While the President, ministers, and other government officials continue their global galivanting in search of FDI, our poor performance in key governance indicators – such as rule of law, regulatory quality, government effectiveness, and voice and accountability – continues to prove that you cannot attract sustainable foreign investment with poor leadership and governance,” Obi wrote.

While noting that the country’s investment inflows were largely speculative, Obi said, “Of the total capital importation of about $5.64 bn in Q1 2025, FDI accounted for only about 2.24 per cent, compared to 8.2 per cent in Q4 2024.

“Disturbingly, about 90 per cent of the imported capital went into speculative money market instruments, with negligible impact on industrial growth or job creation, given the ease with which such ‘hot money’ can exit the economy.”

He argued the sharp drop in manufacturing inflows further underscored the lack of investor confidence in the country.

“Capital flows to the manufacturing sector declined by 32.1 per cent, falling to only $129.92 million in Q1 2025 from $191.92 million in the same quarter of 2023. There is no better confirmation of the lack of trust in this government, whose reforms remain uncoordinated and largely reactive,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor further compared the country’s performance with other African nations that recorded major gains.

“In 2024, while global FDI flows declined, Africa’s FDI rose by about 75 per cent to $97 billion,” he stated.

“Egypt alone attracted $46.58 billion. Ethiopia received $3.98 billion, Côte d’Ivoire $3.80 billion, Mozambique $3.55 billion, Uganda $3.30 billion, DR Congo $3.11 billion, South Africa $2.47 billion, Namibia $2.06 billion, Senegal $2.02 billion, Guinea $1.83 billion, and Morocco $1.64 billion.”

According to him, Nigeria has been left trailing far behind.

“Most disappointingly, our dear nation, the so-called ‘Giant of Africa,’ received only $1.08 billion – about one per cent of Africa’s total FDI – representing a decline of about 42 per cent from 2023. Worse still, after that 42 per cent drop between 2023 and 2024, FDI to Nigeria has further declined by 75 per cent between Q4 2024 and Q1 2025,” Obi lamented.

He warned that unless Nigeria fixed its governance problems, it would continue to lose investment to more stable African economies.

“We cannot achieve sustainable growth and development with ineffective leadership and a weak government,” he said.

Politics

By-election: Edo Deputy Gov Lauds Credible Process, Encourages Voters

Published

2 days ago

August 16, 2025

Editor

Edo State Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, on Saturday commended the impressive turnout of voters in the ongoing by-election for the Ovia Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives.

Idahosa gave the commendation after casting his ballot at Unit 3, Old Education Board, Iguobazuwa West Ward, Ovia South-West Local Government Area.

He described the process as seamless, peaceful, and encouraging.

Edo Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, on the queue at the Ovia Federal Constituency to cast his vote.

“I must commend the people for coming out in large numbers to vote. So far, everything is going well. We are expecting free, fair, and credible elections. Ovia people will be happy with the outcome. I am calling on more voters to come out and perform their civic duties.

“I just voted and I am going home while I wait for the result,” he said.

Meanwhile, at Okada West Ward Units 1, 4, and 6, voters were seen in long queues waiting to cast their ballots.