Politics

2023: Supporters Say Shettima Obstacle To Tinubu’s Victory As Protest Against Muslim-muslim Ticket Thickens

Published

2 years ago

August 19, 2022

Protests against the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress thickened on Friday with over 200 youths and supporters of the APC from the North-Central zone demanding a reversal of the decision.

The protesting youths said the choice of Kashim Shettima was the only obstacle to Bola Tinubu’s victory at the 2023 poll.

They called on the presidential candidate of the APC, Tinubu, to drop Shettima as his running mate.

The demonstrators, under the aegis of North-Central Progressives Youth, began the protest at Unity Fountain and culminated at the Presidential Villa.

While chanting solidarity songs, the youths from the six North-Central states and the Federal Capital Territory held banners with inscriptions such as, ‘APC presidential ticket must be for all faiths’, ‘Shettima must go now’, ‘All Christians say no to Islamisation of the APC presidential ticket’, ‘Tinubu and Shettima must do the needful, it is our constitutional right’, ‘Don’t destroy the unity of Nigeria’, among others.

The President of NCPY, Musa Attah, who described the party’s presidential flagbearer, Bola Tinubu, as a “man loved and adored by Nigerians”, was quick to add that his only obstacle to getting victory in the 2023 presidential election would be his running mate and former governor of Borno State.

He, therefore, called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to prevail on Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, to replace Shettima with a Christian for the good of the party and Nigeria.

According to him, since the President has etched his name in history due to achievements in infrastructure, anti-corruption and good governance, Buhari must protect his legacies by working towards a worthy successor that can consolidate his gains.

Christian group faults CAN opposition to Muslim-Muslim ticket
Attah said, “Mr. President, on numerous occasions you have promised to bequeath a democratic system imbued with workable institutional structures that will stand the test of time. True to your word, the nation’s electoral system has been revolutionised.

“Your footprints will never be forgotten in the area of infrastructure. The fact that there’s still a country called Nigeria is due to your resilience despite the mirage of security challenges. We are also coping with the global economic crisis. Meanwhile, the trial of the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation and many others have proven your zero tolerance for corruption. There are no sacred cows.

“Yet your biggest legacy will be your successor. Whoever takes over from you will either consolidate some of these gains achieved in the last seven years or dissuade them all. As a progressive nation, we wouldn’t want the latter. And that is why we are beckoning on you to call the ruling All Progressives Congress to order as regards its presidential candidates.”

He added that Tinubu has demonstrated capacity over the years and is primed to build on Buhari’s legacies.

Attah said, “Tinubu’s alliance with Shettima may just be his undoing. In the face of unprecedented disunity, the same-faith ticket is a disregard for the country’s fragility and would further polarise the nation. Sections 14 and 15 of the Constitution talk about Federal Character. The question is, does the choice of a Muslim-Muslim ticket fit into that Federal Character? As they say in law, you can’t come to equity without clean hands. He who wants equity must do equity. Is there equity in that Muslim-Muslim choice?

“The rejection of the same-faith ticket should not be seen as Christian objection but a protest by every Nigerian in favour of democracy which guarantees freedom of choice, freedom of expression, and freedom of worship. Nigeria is a secular state. Our forefathers were aware of this even before they designed the Constitution. And in making these choices, we must be sensitive to the sensibilities of the people. It shouldn’t be lorded over the people, to whom the power belongs.

“A Muslim-Muslim Presidency would mean a sectional national ideology to replace the liberty upon which Nigeria was established as a country. With Shettima, the APC is implying that Christians in the North are of no consequence in the scheme of things. We have a huge Christian population in the North-East and North-West. In the North-Central, the Christians are dominant. This is why Shettima must vacate this position.”

The organisation, therefore, told Buhari to look beyond the surface and replace Shettima with a Christian, adding that only this can protect the President’s legacies with Tinubu as successor.

Related Topics:2023 election APC Muslim-Muslim ticket

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Politics

PDP Crisis: Drama As Dino Melaye, Ortom Exchange Words During Meeting [VIDEO]

Published

17 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Editor

Former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Kogi State, Dino Melaye, was involved in a hot exchange with ex-governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.

Melaye accused Ortom of anti-party activities during the 2023 presidential election.

Speaking at a North Central zonal leadership meeting of PDP in Abuja on Wednesday, Melaye said Ortom’s anti-party activities led to PDP losing both the presidential and governorship elections in Benue.

He expressed surprise that the former governor could attend a PDP meeting despite his previous disloyalty to the party.

This led to a hot exchange between both PDP chieftains.

During the 2023 election, Ortom had teamed up with the G-5 governors led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, to work against PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

While other members of the group worked for President Bola Tinubu’s victory, Ortom backed the Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Video:

Dino Vs Ortom at PDP North Central Zone leadership meeting.
Melaye expressed surprise at Former Governor Ortom ease in attending a PDP meeting despite his previous disloyalty to the party. The two engaged in a heated exchange during the encounter. pic.twitter.com/Y8WTycJ88q
— Imran Muhammad (@Imranmuhdz) April 18, 2024

Politics

NNPP Faction Suspends Kano Governor For Six Months

Published

2 days ago

April 16, 2024

Editor

A faction of New Nigeria Peoples Party under the leadership of Major Agbo on Tuesday suspended the Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, for six months over his failure to appear before a disciplinary committee to defend an alleged Infraction against the party’s constitution.

Yusuf’s suspension was announced by the National Secretary of the faction, Ogini Olaposi, at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

Addressing journalists at the party secretariat, Olaposi disclosed that the Board of Trustees took the decision to suspend the governor in the interest of the party.

The factional secretary said they have yet to come to terms with what the governor, a national figure who was elected on the platform of the NNPP, was doing at an ‘illegal national convention’ of the Kwankwasiya group led by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso in Abuja on April 6.

He said, “We called this media conference to brief you on developments resulting from the recent invitation to Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano to appear before a disciplinary committee to explain infractions on the party constitution.

“Nigerians need to know the position of the New Nigeria People’s Party following the failure of the governor to appear before the Disciplinary Committee to explain the reason(s) His Excellency, who was elected on the party’s platform and a national figure of NNPP participated in an illegal/ factional national convention of NNPP held by the Kwankwasiya group at Wuse 2 in Abuja on Saturday, 6th April.

“The leadership of the NNPP to strengthen our internal disciplinary and democratic measures, most especially in the area of party supremacy without prejudice, is left with no other options than to decisively take necessary action according to the letters of NNPP Constitution 2022 as amended.

“With the approval of the Board of Trustees of New Nigeria Peoples Party and the unanimous decision of the National Working Committee of our great Party, His Excellency, Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State is hereby suspended for six months with immediate effect.

Reacting via a phone chat, the National Secretary of the Kwankwasiyya faction of NNPP, Dipo Olayoku, described the purported suspension as a joke taken too far by ‘a bunch of clowns’ who he claimed had long been expelled from the party.

“Gov Abba Yusuf was suspended in what capacity? These people are not members of the NNPP. They only want to make news. We don’t know them because they are not members of our party. After all, they have all been suspended, and there is a court order banning them from parading themselves as party members.

“So, how can non-members of NNPP suspend a governor? They are just clowns having fun because you can only suspend someone if you have a party. They don’t have a party and INEC has a record of members of the party. They are just out there making people laugh,” he stated.

Politics

Edo Guber: Trouble Looms As Imansuangbon Seeks Disqualification Of Akpata As LP Candidate

Published

2 days ago

April 16, 2024

Editor

…files suits in Benin, Abuja in pursuance of Akpata’s disqualification

An ex-governorship aspirant of the Labour Party (LP) Barr. Kenneth Imansuangbon, has asked the court to prevent the “alleged governorship candidate” of the party in Edo State from the September 21 election.

In a suit No. FHC B/CS/26/2024, filed at the Benin division of the Federal High Court by his counsel A.A. Malik & Co, Imansuangbon said that Labour Party erred by declaring Olumide Akpata as the winner of the party’s primary conducted on February 23, 2024.

In the suit filed in Benin, Akpata served as the first defendant, LP second defendant while INEC stands as third defendant.

In the suit, Imansuangbon said Akpata was not qualified to have contested the primary having violated the provisions of the section 222(c) of the Nigeria constitution as well as Article 28 of the party’s guidelines for the conduct of the primary.

Imansuangbon further averred that votes garnered by the first defendant in the primary be declared invalid and wasted.

The plaintiff who listed nine issues for determination and 18 others for declaration by the court, asked the court to set aside the LP February 23 governorship primary in the Edo state.

He asked the court to determine if Akpata is qualified to have contested the primary having failed to sign or endorse the indemnity form issued to him by the second defendant.

He also asked the court to determine if the votes garnered in the purported primary should not be voided and wasted in the face of “outright disregard” to the constitutional provisions of the country and that of the party.

Similarly, Imansuangbon asked the court to determine if he that scored the second highest votes in the said primary should not be declared the winner and validly nominated to be the governorship candidate of the LP.

Alternatively, the court was asked to determine if the party conducted the February 23 governorship primary in a manner outlined, prescribed or otherwise circumscribed by section 84 of the electoral Act, 2022.

That the court should also determine if the primary did not run foul of the provisions of section 84(2), (3), (4) & (5) of the electoral Act, 2022.

In his declaration, the plaintiff told the court to bar the INEC or any other agent, from recognizing Akpata as the governorship candidate of the LP for the September 21 Edo governorship poll.

He also called for the withdrawal of the certificate of return issued by the second defendant to the first defendant as the purported winner of the said primary.

While asking for the sum of N20 million as the cost of the suit, Imansuangbon asked that a fresh primary should be conducted not later than 30 days of the judgement of the court.

In a similar suit filed in the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, Imansuangbon alleged Akpata and his running mate to have lied under oat and supplied false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In the Abuja suit filed on April 12, 2024, Akpata is the first defendant; his running mate, Alufohai Faith, second defendant; LP third defendant, while INEC is the fourth defendant.

In the suit filed in Abuja division, Imansuangbon alleged Akpata supplied false information to the INEC according to information provided in their form EC9.

He said where Akpata claimed to have been Akpata Olumide Anthony, but filled his name to be Akpata Olumide Osaigbovo.

Similarly, his running mate who said that she was born in 1981, claimed to have had her first school leaving certificate ysame year she was born.

She was also alleged to have gotten three certificates, OND, HND and PGD in the same year in 2005.

According to Imansuangbon, their actions contravene the provisions of section 29(5) of the 2022 electoral Act and also section 182(i),(a) &(j) of the 1999 constitution of the federal government of Nigeria as amended.

He thus sought for their disqualification and restrained from participating in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.

Imansuangbon Abuja suit was accompanied with the affidavits in support of the originating summon.