Politics

2023: Most Nigerians Are Confused On Who To Elect Due To Hunger –Nigerian Cleric

Published

2 years ago

July 3, 2022

Editor

The Senior Pastor of Awaiting The Second Coming Of Christ Ministry, Adewale Giwa, has stated that Nigerians are confused about who to cast their votes for in 2023 as president due to hunger caused by politicians.

According to Giwa, starvation had been weaponised among Nigerians by politicians in order to have opportunities to influence the mindset of citizens in their favour.

The pastor who stated this over the weekend emphasised that the situation, which is begging for urgent measure, could be seen with what he described as heavy monetary inducements during elections.

He maintained that with the 2023 polls fast approaching, Nigerians should exercise the courage of demanding from the presidential candidates obvious questions begging for answers as regards the future and development of the country.

He said “Hunger has been weaponised to weaken the mindset of most Nigerians by politicians ahead of the election so that citizens will be confused in casting vote for the best person.

“Most of the candidates rely on money that will be shared to the electorate on the day of the election.

“Nigerians should learn lessons from what has happened, especially from the APC government, and do everything to prevent reoccurrence. There is no way we can tell politicians what we want them to do, there is no way we can question or ask them what we want them to do, not what they want to offer.

“It should be on what we want them to do. There are three options before Nigerians as they prepare for the 2023 election. Are they going to continue with the party that has brought economic hardship, killings, and set back to the country? Are they going to vote for the party that has been tested or are they going to vote for a new party that they think will bring change to the nation’s political and economic systems?

“If Nigerians want to vote for a new party, they should be bold enough to demand what they want, not giving the impression that a certain politician is a saint because nobody is a saint when it comes to politics and political situations in our country.

“To change the 1999 constitution with a view to decentralising powers to authorities should be the utmost priority.”

He added that: “Should we talk about how the APC deceived Nigerians on restructuring? Should we also talk on the promises they never fulfilled on the economy and security? How do Nigerians forget so soon about how they promised to make the naira equal in value to the dollar. Only insane Nigerians will vote APC in 2023.

“As regards who to vote for, if Peter Obi is an option, Nigerians should demand what they want him to do if he becomes the next president. There is too much noise on social media which I think won’t help the young man.

“In a situation whereby the executive arm of government appoints the CJN, INEC Chairman among others should be totally forbidden of the ban because we cannot make any progress on that.

“We cannot compare what is happening in the United States to what is happening in Nigeria. United States is well organized, that is why true federalism is taking place in the country.”

Politics

JUST IN: Ex-PDP Deputy National Chair, Oyedokun Defects To APC

Published

14 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Editor

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, has resigned his membership of the party and announced defection to the All Progressives Congress.

Oyedokun, a notable personality within the political circle in Osun State and beyond, said he decided to dump the PDP after consultation with his loyalists.

He said he would be joining APC, where his experience, efforts, and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.

His resignation letter addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP through the ward, local government and state chairmen of the party obtained late Thursday further read, “As a functional member and leader of PDP (Ward 13, Jagun/ Osi-Bale Ode, Odo-Otin South Local Government, Osun State,) whose high electoral productivity and value have been credibly and positively acknowledged in my ward, across the local council, state and country-wide for the enhancement of the fortune of the PDP, I have the honour (though with pain) in announcing the renunciation of my membership of the party on principle, having observed that the ideals of we, founding members, had been sorely contaminated.

“In taking this step which is not even without due consultation with my teaming loyalists in the PDP, I have consequently decided to shift my allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC) where I believe my experience, efforts and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.”

Oyedokun’s defection to the APC is coming at the time the aspirant he supported during the 2022 Osun governorship primary of PDP, Mr Dotun Babayemi is also moving to the national ruling party.

Osun APC said on Wednesday that Babayemi and his supporters would be dumping PDP and joining the party at a rally scheduled to be held in Osogbo on Friday.
PUNCH

Politics

Poll: APC Has No Sellable Candidate, Nothing To Campaign On – Edo Govt

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

The Edo State Government claimed on Monday that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has no credible candidate for the September 21 governorship election.

This was an assertion made by the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, at a press conference in Benin City.

Nehikhare also alleged that the party is using lies and propaganda as its campaign strategy.

According to him: “The only APC strategy for the governorship election is to resort to lies and propaganda. When a party takes lies and propaganda as an election strategy, it means it has nothing to offer the people. The party lacks people with character, capacity, and intellect.”

The commissioner who took journalists through a screened shot WhatsApp chat said: “What we have here is the official APC WhatsApp platform, their own people screenshot their discussion. One of them who has a conscience asks, is this the only thing we have?”

Nehikhare, who said APC is ashamed to campaign for its candidate, noted that, as of today, nobody had heard of what the party has for the state.

“All we heard is how they are going to help their paymaster, lies and propaganda that will not help the state,” he added.

He opined that lies and propaganda are not strategies the opposition party, like APC, can use to win the September 21 governorship election.

The commissioner, who warned against misinformation and fake news ahead of the governorship election, urged media practitioners to be neutral in matters concerning lies and propaganda.

He, however, noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration has a lot of achievements to market and sell its candidate for the election.

Politics

Defection: Edo Govt, Ex-PDP BoT Member, Idahosa In Verbal War

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

Edo State government and a former member of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, Charles Idahosa, on Monday traded words over the latter defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Recall that Idahosa resigned
formally resigned who had last month resigned from PDP, rejoined the APC on Monday in Benin City.

Speaking during his formal presentation to the APC in Benin City, he noted that he left the party four years ago due to internal crisis.

Idahosa added that he dumped the PDP because of what he described as the “damning deeds of the Obaseki-led administration in the last four years”.

He took a swipe at Obaseki for saying that PDP would win the forthcoming September governorship election with 80 per cent of votes.

“I thank God, four years later we all are wiser now. Like the Secretary said, I was a founding member of ACD, ACN and APC. The damage we did four years ago, the APC never remained the same.

“But I am glad we are back to the family. I was nominated to the Board of the Railway when I was in the APC. When I moved to the PDP, I wrote to resign my membership but it was rejected and showed my wide acceptance.

“At 71, I am not here to contest position with anybody, I am here to work. I want to urge APC to keep their eyes on the ball. It is not over until it is over.”

While lambasting Governor Obaseki for his comment that those leaving PDP have been given money, he noted that his greatest regret was not allowing the governor to resign after his first four years in office.

“When he came to beg me like a weather beaten chicken, how much did he give to me? Anytime he goes religious gathering he would say those leaving PDP have been given money.

“He came to me three times in my house to say he wants to resign, that he was tired of being governor but I appealed to him, telling him it was not about him but Benin interest.”

But in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare alleged that Idahosa was never a PDP member.

Nehikhare noted that Idahosa was also never a BOT member of the party, because the party in the state rejected his nomination.

He alleged that it was as a result of the rejection that he found his way back to APC.

“I heard that he claimed to be a member of BOT of PDP but I want to challenge him to tell us when he was sworn in as a member of PDP BOT. He was not a fit and proper person. Even though he was nominated he was shunned by the party.

“It was this that drove him back to APC which he never left in the first place. He was holding on to the board appointment which was offered him while in APC prior to 2020 governorship election.

“He has reached the end of his political career. He has nothing to offer any political party or any group he joins because he believes in bread and butter politics,” Nehikhare said.