Politics

APC Primary: Amaechi Under Fire Over Vote-buying Comments

Published

3 years ago

July 26, 2022

…. Comments From A Frustrated Fellow – BAT Loyalists

A former Minister of Transportation and presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, Rotimi Amaechi, came under fire on Monday over his allegation that delegates who voted at the APC primary were bribed to influence the outcome of the convention.

Amaechi had further claimed that many of those who were induced with money have since regretted their action.

He made the controversial statement at an event to mark the 60th birthday of the General Overseer of Abundant Life Evangelical Mission, Eugene Ogu, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital on Saturday.

The standard-bearer of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had defeated Amaechi, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and 12 others to clinch the presidential ticket at the party’s national convention.

Reacting to his scathing remarks, some APC supporters and party chieftains berated the former governor of Rivers State, who they claimed was exhibiting traits of frustration after losing out to Tinubu.

A number of Amaechi’s loyalists have also risen to his defence, stating that the ex-minister did not mention any name while making the conjecture.

Director-General of Asiwaju Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation, Adebayo Shittu, said he found the utterances of Amaechi unbelievable.

He said, “Who is regretting what? Can Amaechi isolate himself from those he claimed to have induced delegates for votes? He, just like other aspirants at the APC primaries, cannot point fingers at others without implicating themselves.

“What does he mean by delegates are regretting they collected bribes for votes? Is he indirectly saying the governors who brought them collected bribes and expressing regret too? I wish to have an opportunity to square up with him on this kind of issues.”

“Amaechi’s outburst, just like few other noticeable ones, were obviously done out of frustration. I understand that when one loses an election, one is bound to hold grudges. You can’t rule that out. After all, we are human beings and Nigerians,” he added.

The Ekiti State Coordinator of Tinubu Support Organisation, Gabriel Babalola, also took a swipe at Amaechi and wondered how a former minister believed he could win the battle for the APC presidential ticket without working hard for it.

“Before any of them could wake up, Asiwaju had gone from state to state, from one traditional ruler to another asking for their support.

“How many traditional rulers did Amaechi visit before the convention? How many states did he visit? He must have spoken out of frustration,” Babalola said.

APC’s youngest presidential aspirant, Nicholas Felix, however, called for restraint on both sides.

He said, “Amaechi, like some other aspirants and party members, may not be pleased with the fact that Asiwaju won the elections, especially with the contentious Muslim-Muslim ticket playing out.

“I am quite sure the reaction would have been different if Tinubu didn’t head in that direction. Perhaps, everybody would have been fired up.”

One of Amaechi’s allies and a chieftain of the APC, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, however said it was unfortunate that Tinubu’s camp took the matter personal.

Eze, a former spokesman of the defunct new Peoples’ Democratic Party, noted that the former minister neither mentioned Tinubu nor name any politician and wondered why he attracted unnecessary criticism from his men.

“Did Amaechi mention anybody’s name when he made that statement? So if Tinubu’s people feel that they are the guilty, it is very unfortunate.

“Everybody saw what happened on that day, and even most of the delegates confirmed that they were given money to vote,” he said.

In a related development, Deputy Publicity Secretary of the APC in Rivers State, Darlington Nwauju, also believed Amaechi was misunderstood.

Nwauju said, “First of all, I was present at that ceremony or the event where he spoke. Now the issue is that he gave an example anybody can give any interpretation. And I hope they also heard when he said ‘please, vote for the APC.’ He said that clearly.

“So, when people take the example out of issues, he contextualised it because he is an APC member. He couldn’t have used the example of the PDP. If he had said those who voted for Atiku Abubakar, they would have said ‘oh, because he wants to join the PDP.’ So he contextualised it.”

All efforts made to reach the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, for reaction proved abortive.

As of the time for filing this report, he didn’t answer his calls or reply the SMS.

However, a former Deputy Spokesman of the APC, Yekinni Nabena also hinted that he would be totally disappointed if Amaechi really desecrated the same process he partook at the APC primary.

PUNCH

Politics

N’Assembly committee Approves New State For S’East

Published

3 hours ago

October 26, 2025

Editor

The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has approved the creation of an additional state in the South-East geo-political zone.

According to a statement by the media unit of the committee, the resolution was reached on Saturday at a two-day retreat in Lagos, where it reviewed 55 proposals for state creation across the country.

The session, chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and co-chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, resolved that, in the spirit of fairness and equity, the Federal Government should create another state for the region.

Kalu, who joined other lawmakers to champion additional state creation for the region, argued that a new state would give the people a sense of belonging.

When created, the South-East will be at par with the South-South, South-West, North-Central, and North-East zones, each having six states.

The South-East is the only geo-political zone with five states comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo.

The North-West comprises seven states: Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Jigawa.

According to the statement, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) moved a motion for the creation of the new state, which was seconded by Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State) at the retreat.

“The motion received the unanimous support of committee members and was adopted,” the statement read in part

Similarly, the committee also established a sub-committee to consider the creation of additional states and local government areas across all six geo-political zones, noting that a total of 278 proposals were submitted for review.

Speaking at the event, Jibrin urged members to rally support among their colleagues at the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly to ensure the resolutions sail through during voting.

“We need to strengthen what we have started so that all parts of the country will key into this process.

“By the time we get to the actual voting, we should already have the buy-in of all stakeholders—from both chambers and the state Houses of Assembly,” the Deputy Senate President was quoted as saying.

Politics

PDP Unveils 13-member Screening Panel For National Convention

Published

21 hours ago

October 25, 2025

Editor

According to a statement issued on October 25, 2025, by the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) and signed by its Chairman, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who is also the Governor of Adamawa State, the screening exercise will take place on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.

The committee will be chaired by Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), a former Ondo State governorship candidate and respected legal luminary.

He will be assisted by Hon. Mohammed L.S. Diri (SAN) as Deputy Chairman, while Mr. Asue Ighodalo, Esq., will serve as Secretary. Jacob Otorkpa was named Deputy Secretary.

Other members of the committee include: Emmanuel Enoidem (SAN), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Chief Mrs. Aduke Maina, Iyom Josephine Anenih, Achike Udenwa, Haj. Maryam Inna Ciroma, HM. Felix Hassan Hyat, HM. Zainab Maina, and Chinedu Nwachukwu, who will also serve as Administrative Secretary.

The statement noted that the selection reflected the PDP’s commitment to transparency, integrity, and internal democracy in the build-up to its national convention.

“The NCOC notes and expects that the exemplary conduct and strict adherence to rules and regulations during this very crucial assignment will justify the confidence reposed by the Party in members of the Committee,” the statement read.

Fintiri assured party members that the screening process will be conducted with the highest standards of fairness and impartiality, underscoring the PDP’s resolve to strengthen its democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“This exercise is crucial in ensuring that only credible, competent, and loyal members emerge to steer the affairs of our great party,” Fintiri stated.

Politics

Why I Refused To Endorse El-Rufai As My Successor — Obasanjo

Published

23 hours ago

October 25, 2025

Editor

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how he turned down a suggestion to endorse former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, as his successor.

Speaking on Friday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during the second edition of the annual Ajibosin Platform symposium themed “Importance of Leadership in Governance”, Obasanjo disclosed that former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, had recommended El-Rufai for the presidency, but he rejected the idea.

Chidoka, who delivered the keynote address at the event, had earlier narrated how El-Rufai introduced him to Obasanjo at the age of 34, an encounter that led to his appointment as the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

Addressing the audience, Obasanjo took a playful jab at Chidoka for leaving out the El-Rufai story.

“Let him tell you. He didn’t mention that. He was pushing when I was leaving government that his friend, El-Rufai, should be brought in as my successor,” Obasanjo said.

Turning to Chidoka, who was seated among the panelists, he asked, “No be so (Is that not true)?” The former minister nodded in agreement.

Obasanjo explained that he dismissed the suggestion because he believed El-Rufai still needed time to grow politically.

“I did not yield to the pressure. Later, he said, ‘I suggested this person, why didn’t you agree?’ I said El-Rufai needs to mature. You remember?

“When I left government and, many years later, he saw the performances of El-Rufai, he came back to me and said, ‘You’re absolutely correct. El-Rufai needed to mature.’”

The former president, however, commended Chidoka, El-Rufai, and other former aides for their “special attributes,” which he said contributed to the success of his administration.

Speaking further on leadership, Obasanjo emphasised character, exposure, experience, and training as essential qualities of effective governance.

Obasanjo said, “It’s only in politics that I found out there is no training for leadership. Even among armed robbers, I was told there is apprenticeship.

“But it’s only in politics that there is no training in leadership. That’s not good enough.”

El-Rufai served under Obasanjo’s administration as the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) before becoming the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between 2003 and 2007. When Obasanjo was leaving office in 2007, he instead backed the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as his preferred successor.

In his address, Chidoka blamed Nigeria’s development setbacks on excuses and what he described as the politics of alibi.

“Leadership finds its true measure not in speeches or charisma but in the systems it leaves behind.

“Moral conviction must translate into the everyday machinery of governance—rules, routines, and institutions that make competence predictable and corruption difficult.

“Nigeria’s problem has never been a shortage of ideas; it is the absence of systems strong enough to outlive their authors,” he said.

He urged leaders to prioritise accountability and measurable results.

“We must therefore make leadership accountable not to rhetoric but to results: measure by building national dashboards and accountability systems that track every promise, every budget, every outcome. Monitor by strengthening the institutions that evaluate government performance and expose complacency,” he said.