Politics

2023: PDP, SDP Differ On Same-faith Ticket

Published

3 years ago

December 27, 2022

The Spokesperson of the Atiku-Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation, Daniel Bwala, has said that the Christian-Christian presidential ticket that was foreseen by the wife of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Oluremi Tinubu, is not possible in Nigeria, considering how the whole of the Christendom in the North objected to it.

Bwala also said that even the Church that Tinubu attends did not hold the view of having a Christian-Christian presidential ticket in Nigeria.

Bwala who spoke to The PUNCH was reacting to the remarks by the wife of the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, that the future would give a Christian-Christian presidential ticket in Nigeria.

The Senator during the APC South-West women’s presidential rally at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos State, had disclosed that the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the APC would set a new tone in the country’s political landscape after 2023.

However, the spokesperson of the PDP pointed out that the statement by the wife of the APC flag bearer “does not hold water.”

He stated “In Nigeria it’s not possible. How can there be Christian-Christian ticket in a country like ours? Being that to justify the fact that her husband has himself in a predicament of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, which at the beginning they thought only the minority Christians will be complaining about.

“But you can now see when Dogara and certain stakeholders from the North-East, which comprises of highly respected Muslim brothers and Islamic clerics, said that it is not welcomed. It is not just one state saying no, it is something the entire nation is saying.

“So what she is saying does not hold water. Even the Church she works as a pastor even the Redeemed pastor is not in support of Muslim-Muslim ticket.”

He questioned, “What were you expecting her to say? That the ticket is bad, when she is already in it?”

On the contrary, the factional National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party, Alpha Muhammed, observed that there was nothing wrong having a Christian-Christian presidential ticket in Nigeria, having witnessed a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket adding that it is faulted by those who had lost out of the 2023 calculation and who failed to get the vice-presidential slot of the APC.

Muhammed said, “Those against the Muslim-Muslim ticket are politicians who have observed that they are losing the 2023 calculation. They are trying to influence their selfish interest because they expected so much that they will get the VP slot, for themselves and now that they didn’t get it, they believe nobody should get it.

“Nigerians are not bothered about the religion of the president or the vice president and now we have a sitting vice-president what added advantage has he given the Nigerian system to the lives of Nigerian people.

“The Muslim-Muslim ticket we are talking about Tinubu himself has a Christian wife, a pastor. For anybody crying that the Christians are not comfortable under such a leader is just making a comment. If you look at the situation in the country why should a Christian in the first place feel threatened by any Muslim? Most of the people in the current banditry and religious fanatic attacks are Muslims, the whole of Zamfara attacks are on Muslims.”

The factional spokesperson further said “It is unfortunate, unserviceable and of the highest level of hypocrisy for Christians to be shouting. At least there is an attack that is regulated or controlled against Christians in Nigeria, is not so. Muslims are dying in Katsina, Borgu and everywhere, even last week a Mosque was attacked and kidnapping was carried out, it is Nigerians that are victims not Christians anymore.

“Is about Nigeria, for anybody to be whipping up religious sympathy is unfortunate, there is handy-work of politicians who are losing out of 2023 election victory. The only leadership that can bring election confidence is the Muslim-Muslim ticket. There is a possibility that the Christian-Christian ticket is near,” he added.

Politics

Tinubu Sends Ex-INEC Chair, Former Oyo First Lady, 30 Additional Ambassadorial Nominees To Senate

Published

37 minutes ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has forwarded 32 additional ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, just days after submitting an initial batch of three names.

In two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President urged the upper chamber to consider and swiftly confirm 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees.

The list includes four women among the career nominees and six women among the non-career nominees.

Prominent names on the non-career list include Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia State; former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta); former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; and former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Others are former Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau State Commissioner, Yakubu N. Gambo; and former Deputy Executive Secretary of UBEC, Yakubu K. Musa.

Also nominated are former Plateau senator, Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut; former Lagos Deputy Governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State.

Additional nominees include former Oyo First Lady, Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent; former Abia governor, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim of Ondo State; and former envoy to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue).

The career ambassadorial nominees are Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa), Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi), and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).

Others include Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).

The new nominees are expected to be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains strong and strategic diplomatic relations, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as to Permanent Missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.

Their specific postings will be determined after Senate confirmation.

Recall that President Tinubu, last week, forwarded three ambassadorial nominees, Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun), who are being considered for postings to the UK, USA, or France.

President Tinubu said additional ambassadorial nominations will be announced in due course.

Politics

Soludo Visits Tinubu, Goes Into Closed Door Session With President

Published

1 day ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, on Thursday, paid a courtesy visit to the President, Bola Tinubu, GCFR at the State House.

Report by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Soludo, Mr Chris Aburime stated that President Tinubu received the Anambra State Governor with excitement, describing him as his long standing friend of over 22 years.

Aburime said, “The President used the occasion to further congratulate Governor Soludo on his landslide victory in the just concluded Anambra gubernatorial election.

“Recall that President Tinubu had earlier issued a congratulatory message to Governor Soludo immediately the governorship election was concluded.”

Governor Soludo was declared winner with 73% of the votes cast by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Other details of the meeting were, however, not disclosed as the press Secretary told DAILY POST that both men went into a closed door meeting after the reception.

Politics

2027: I Will Resign If Tinubu Loses In Edo – Governor Okpebholo

Published

1 day ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholor has vowed that President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election in Edo State.

Okpebholor in an interview captured in a viral video vowed to resign if the outcome of the 2027 election does not favour the president in Edo State.

According to him, the entire people in Edo State are ready to vote for the president, citing projects that his (Okpebholor) administration executed since the All Progressives Congress, APC took over the state.

He claimed that there is no opposition in the state, stressing that everyone is supporting the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said, “There is no opposition here in Edo everybody is for Asiwaju in this state.

“Tinubu is more popular than me in Edo state. If he doesn’t win the presidential election in Edo in 2027, I will resign.”