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2023: Support My Ambition, SDP Presidential Candidate, Adebayo, Appeals To ‘Ndigbo’

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Presidential Candidates of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has appealed to the Igbo speaking people to support his presidential bid.

The presidential candidate made the appeal in Abuja on Thursday September 29th 2022, at Igbo Cultural gathering held to celebrate the new yam festival.

According him, anything that has to do with Nigeria has to do with Ndigbo, adding that those who understand history known that every stage in Nigeria’s development involves the expertise of the Igbo people.

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He said, “We have been colonies in West Africa for many years but Nigeria did not become Nigeria until Alaigbo became part of Nigeria, that’s when we had Nigeria”.

“I am saying all of these because where I am standing today is Igbo land because anywhere you see commerce, you see prosperity, you see development, you see unity, you find Igbo there.”

He reiterated his party’s commitment to truth and justice, adding that the party has many beautiful plans for Nigeria.

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“I plead with you to have confidence in Nigeria, a new Nigeria will come where we will not have to protest before we get our rights in Nigeria. A new Nigeria will come where our government will not be our enemy. A new Nigeria will come where we can go out every day of the week to do our businesses, we will not be doing stay at home, but that will be based on truth and Social Democratic Party will give you that”.

On his part, former Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, who accompanied Adebayo to the occasion, urged the Igbos to support the SDP candidate.

READ ALSO: Nigeria @62: Vote ‘Progressively,’ SDP Presidential Candidate, Adebayo Urges Nigerians

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“The highest stakeholder in Nigeria is an Igbo man because the Igbos are the true Nigerians because they go to anywhere and they go to everywhere and if Nigeria is bad, the first casualty is an Igbo man; therefore it is important that the Igbos develop interest on who becomes president in Nigeria.

“2023 is very critical and the choice of the Nigeria president must be determined by our Igbo brothers. Support my candidature, a young, vibrant and energetic youth Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party for president 2023.”

 

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Enugu Gov Mbah Set to Dump PDP

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Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah is set to dump the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, next week.

National Chairman and Deputy National Chairman, South-East, of the APC, Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda and Emma Eneukwu, respectively, broke the news in Abuja on Friday.

The APC national leadership revealed Mbah’s imminent defection to the ruling party while swearing in the newly inaugurated members of the Enugu State caretaker committee, led by former state chairman, Ben Nwoye, at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.

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READ ALSO:Why We Named Mandy Kiss Anti-drug Abuse Ambassador – Lagos Commissioner

The governor is expected to announce his defection at an event schedule to hold in the state next week.

Chairman of the newly inaugurated caretaker committee, Nwoye, who confirmed the development, said the governor will join the ruling party alongside all his appointees.

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There are speculations that Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, is also set to join APC.

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Makinde Calls Out Umahi Over Coastal Highway Cost Analysis

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Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has weighed in on the cost of the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project that was approved by President Bola Tinubu.

Makinde, who spoke at an event in a viral video on Friday, said there was no need for the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to be “dancing around the cost” of the project.

The governor was reacting to a heated exchange that unfolded live on television between Umahi and Arise TV presenter Rufai Oseni on Tuesday.

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Oseni had requested the minister to analyse the cost of the project, kilometre by kilometre.

READ ALSO:Umahi Terminates Benin–Warri Road Contract, Seeks Refund

The request didn’t sit well with Umahi, who declared himself “professor” of practice in engineering while elaborating that the costs of the road in kilometres are not the same and would be too complicated for the journalist to understand.

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He said, “These are elementary questions. And it makes no sense (sic). A process is ongoing, payment has been made, and you are saying, ‘how has this money been utilised?. The money is meant for the project, and it will be paid according to the work done.

“When a certificate is generated, and it is approved through a process in the Ministry of Works, it will then be given to the funders, who will, in turn, check if the works were done. How can you be asking for cost of kilometre? The prices are different. The next kilometre is different from the next kilometre.

“Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I’m a professor in this field. You don’t understand anything. I understand engineering very well. You have no knowledge of what you ask. You have no knowledge of what you’re asking.”

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READ ALSO:Japan Scraps ‘Africa Hometown’ Project After Visa Confusion

Oseni, who also refused to back down, responded, “Minister, it’s alright, keep dignifying yourself, and let the world know who you truly are.”

However, justifying the journalist’s question to the minister, Makinde said, “They asked a minister how much is the coastal road is, and then you (Umahi) are dancing around and going to say that no, the next kilometre is different from the next kilometres. Then what is the average cost?

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“When we did the Oyo to Iseyin road then, it was about N9.99 billion, almost N10 billion. About 34 or 35 kilometres, average cost is about N238 million per kilometre.

“But when we did Iseyin to Ogbomoso, that was 76 kilometres, it was about N43 billion, average cost is about N500 million per kilometre. And we had two bridges, one over the Ogun river and then one at Ogbomoso end.”

READ ALSO:Falana Slams South-West Governors, Criticises Makinde’s N63bn Renovation

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The PUNCH reports that last year, the Federal Government announced the commencement of construction work on the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which spans nine states and includes two spurs leading to the northern states.

Umahi made the announcement during the official handover of the first phase of the project, made up of 47.47 kilometers of dual carriageway, to Hitech Construction Company Limited, and which is to be constructed in concrete pavement.

This was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser (Media), Uchenna Orji.

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According to him, the Minister who was in company with the Federal Ministry of Works’ Controller in charge of Lagos State, Mrs O. I. Kesha, emphasised the need for all contractors handling Federal Government’s road projects to deliver within a record time, noting that the government would not allow variation arising from delays or slow pace of work once mobilisation had been done.

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2027: Oyo Gov, Makinde Speaks On Successor

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Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said that the choice of who would succeed him in 2027 rests solely with the people of the state, not with political godfathers or entitlement claims.

Makinde said this on Thursday in Ibadan while flagging off the zonal stakeholders’ consultative forum and engagement meeting on the 2026 Budget.

According to the governor, the decision of who becomes the next governor of Oyo state rests on all eligible voters in the state.

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“Oyo State has gone beyond the era of politics based on entitlement or propaganda.

“Rather, the people of the state are now more politically enlightened and they will only support leaders who present credible plans and demonstrate capacity for development,” he said.

READ ALSO:I’m Not Ready To Go Into The Gutters With Anyone – Makinde

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Makinde, while reflecting on his own experience before coming into office in 2019, noted that leadership must be about accountability, not entitlement.

He recalled that many people doubted his capability when he first sought the governorship position, because he had not held any political office.

“In 2018, when I was consulting to become governor, there was no yardstick to measure me. I had never been a councillor or a local government chairman, but I asked the people to trust me and judge me by my actions,” he said.

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The governor urged political leaders to focus on policies and projects that directly impact the lives of citizens rather than engaging in political theatrics.

READ ALSO:Senate Fives FG Ultimatum To Submit Budget Performance Report

He said his administration’s approach to challenges has been to present a clear roadmap for Oyo State’s development, “one that people can read, evaluate, and hold us accountable to.”

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Makinde expressed optimism that the people of the state would continue to support leaders who prioritise progress, inclusivity, and the well-being of citizens over personal ambition.

Speaking at the 7th Stakeholders Consultative Forum, the governor said that his administration would continue to consult and engage with residents of the state on the making of the state’s annual budgets, with a view to knowing their aspirations and prioritising their needs.

He maintained that the stakeholders’ engagement was to enable his government to serve the residents of the state better through a bottom-up approach to development, noting that his administration began the tradition in 2019.

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READ ALSO:Makinde, Wife Installed As Aare Omoluabi, Yeye Aare Omoluabi Of Akure Kingdom

According to him, his government first separated the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning from the Ministry of Finance in order to ensure better management of the state’s resources and to avoid discrepancies.

He stated that the stakeholders’ engagement had resulted in better budget performances and economic development of the state.

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Makinde reiterated that his government would continue to serve the interests of the people of the state by putting in place institutions that would ensure that the environment was safe and ready to attract investments.

He added that the state was growing rapidly and that this development had stopped rural-urban migration with the construction of Moniya-Iseyin Road, Iseyin-Ogbomoso Road, Oyo-Iseyin Road, among other infrastructural projects, which have opened rural communities.

READ ALSO:Falana Slams South-West Governors, Criticises Makinde’s N63bn Renovation

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Makinde is currently serving as governor for the second time.

The governor, whose term ends in 2027, had earlier this month advocated a single term of five or six years for elected political office holders across all levels of government in Nigeria, against the current double term of four years each.

He said a single term of five or six years is enough for any government to focus and serve the people and deliver on its mandate.

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(NAN)

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