Politics

Atiku, Obi, Tinubu Take Presidential Campaign ‘Fight’ To U.S

Published

2 years ago

October 2, 2022

Editor

The three leading presidential candidates in the 25th February 2023 Nigerian presidential election, Messrs Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, took their campaign ‘fight’ to Nigerians in the United States.

The Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the support groups for Abubakar, Obi and Tinubu converged on New York at the Nigeria Independence Day Parade and Carnival to canvass votes for their candidates.

Abubakar is the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while Obi is that of the Labour Party (LP) and Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The support groups for the leading presidential candidates joined the Nigeria Independence Day Parade and Carnival in a float, with DJs and supporters dancing to the candidates’ campaign lyrics.

They later regrouped at the Dag Hammarksjold Park where they continued singing and dancing to attract Nigerians to their candidates.

Speaking with NAN, the Coordinator of Save Nigeria Group for Obi/Datti, Mr Stephen Osemwegie, said Nigerians in the diaspora wanted a Nigeria that works for everyone, bemoaning the economic situation in the country.

“When people call us from home, the calls are no longer ‘how are you’. The calls are ‘please help me, save me’. So we in the diaspora are trying to get involved and being engaged,” he said.

“We found Obi to be a competent leader with integrity. He does say ‘go and verify’ and we verified his claims and they are largely true.

“Except maybe he may miss one number or the other but if you go through his antecedents, he is really a good man.

“And in Nigeria, we don’t have this type of people coming out very often. So we see this as a one in a lifetime opportunity.

“That’s why we came out in full force to let people know that this ‘Obidient’ movement is not just a Nigeria thing,” he said.

He also said that many Nigerians in the diaspora would vote adding, “because I will be in Nigeria for the election, I’m that determined. Many of us are going to buy our tickets”.

“One of the things Save for Nigeria Group is doing is to ask Nigerians, ‘instead of going for Christmas, go in January or February and vote.

“We are also asking people to support grassroot movements in Nigeria. Support them through your finances if you can. Also call your family members that call you for money.

“Ask them, ‘do you have your PVC’? ‘No PVC, no dollars. That’s what we are doing,” Osemwegie said.

The Chairman of the PDP in the United States, Pastor Joe Olobor, said he was rooting for Atiku because he was the most experienced and prepared among the frontrunners for the election.

Olobor said: “Nigerians in the diaspora are actually influencers and that is why it is very important that we sell our candidate to them to be able to galvanise and utilise their influence over the many people they have in Nigeria.

“We in the diaspora especially in the United States send a lot of money to Nigeria to take care of our people back home. And we will not continue to do that if we have a good government to actually do the right thing.

“Of all the three candidates, Atiku is the most prepared candidate, the most experienced and the greatest unifier, both South and North. That’s what we are selling,” he said.

Also speaking with NAN, the Coordinator of the Tinubu Support Group, Mr Lukman Ajasa, said Tinubu was the best among the presidential candidates because he had antecedents.

Ajasa said particularly, Tinubu would be able to address the security situation in the country, stabilise the economy and provide welfare for the citizens.

“My candidate is an accountable politician. He has fixed Lagos States and we can all see what Lagos is now.

“If you compare him to what the other candidates have done, they have not even done a quarter of what he (Tinubu) has done. I believe Tinubu is the best president for the country.” Ajasa said.

He, however, warned politicians against taking the Nigerian electorates for granted, saying the people can now fight back through their votes.

“The candidate need to open their ears and listen to what the people want. The electorates have heard enough and are ready to fight back.

“So as a politician, you must listen to the electorates and what they want. You must tell them how you want to fix the grassroots, particularly, the local governments.

“Fix the local governments and you have fixed Nigeria,” he said.

NAN reports that no fewer than 20 Nigerian Associations, groups and religious bodies joined the parade and carnival, including the UN Staff Recreation Council, Association of Nigerian Physicians, Akwa Ibom State Association and Christ Apostolic Church first in the Americas.
NAN.

Politics

JUST-IN: PDP Clears All 33 LGA Chairmanship Seats In Oyo

Published

6 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Editor

The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has declared all the 33 candidates of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winners in the local government areas elections conducted across the state on Saturday.

The declaration on Sunday came amid controversy of irregularities as echoed by the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), which alleged irregularities in the voting process.

The APC in the state while the exercise was ongoing on Saturday had described the election as a sham which it noted was capable of causing the Pacesetter state untold disrepute if allowed to stand.

The opposition party then sought the rescheduling of the election for another day when OYSEIC “is ready to conduct a free, fair and credible poll.”

Oyo State APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, in a statement regretted that “another opportunity to deepen democracy and return power to the people at the grassroots has had to be missed due to the insensitivity and insincerity on the part of the ruling class in the state.

“With what is happening at the moment in most Polling Units across the state, Gov. Seyi Makinde has again disappointed the whole world. He promised the people that their votes would count today but the opposite is the case. The good people of the state desired to participate in an election to elect a new set of council officials but what they are experiencing is nothing but a sham.

“Even if OYSIEC comes out later to declare all the candidates of the APC, we would not rate this election as credible and acceptable as it falls below the minimum global standard of election conduct. The best thing is for the Commission to suspend the exercise and choose another date for a proper conduct rather continue to connive with a few anti-democratic elements in the ruling PDP to perpetrate electoral fraud and desecration of democracy in the land,” the statement read in part.

The Oyo state government however disagreed, insisting that the victory of all PDP candidates in the Saturday’s elections was predictable.

The state Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, after the announcement of the results, attributed the victories of the PDP candidates to outstanding performance of Governor Makinde in the last five years.

The Commissioner also attributed the election result to the quality of the candidates which the ruling party presented.

“This is a glowing tribute to the governor and his government as this is the last election under his watch till 2027 when he and the just elected LG chairmen and councillors will end their tenures.”

He lashed out at the opposition for starting to rehearse their complaints barely 30 minutes to the commencement of the elections as early as Saturday morning.

Oyelade charged them to behave like sportsmen and stop mixing fantasy with democracy.

The Commissioner hailed the commitments of the security team, the OYSIEC chairman and his team for daring to make a difference after the challenges of the past two local government elections.

Politics

Ondo 2024: lT Expert Emerges As SDP Candidate

Published

8 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Editor

An Information Technology expert, Dr. Segun Oyebolu, weekend emerged the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic party, in Ondo state.

Oyebolu, will be the party’s flagbearear in the November 16, governorship election in the state.

He emerged during the party’s governorship primary held in Akure, Ondo state capital.

The election, was supervised by the officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies.

Speaking at the end of the exercise, the Chairman of the partys primary committee in the state, Joseph Abu, declared Oyebolu as winner

of the exercise having polled 59 votes of the 60 votes cast by the party’s delegates.

Abu who explained that one of the votes was voided, described the election as free and fair and devoid of any rancour or any trouble.

He said that “We have a single candidate and all the delegates voted for the candidate.

” I want to assure you that SDP will win the next governorship election in the state come November by the grace of God.

“I want to thank the people of Ondo state for embracing our party and I am assuring them that SDP will deliver dividend of democracy at their doorsteps.

In his acceptance speech, Oyebolu, assured that his government will focus in freeing the state from the vested interest that had contributed to the underdevelopment in the state.

Oyebolu said that “enough is enough, we are taking our state back”.

“This is therefore a notice to Governor Ayedatiwa to start parking his bags and baggages as our dear Ondo State prepares to replace him with SDP.

“We are duly set to uproot the APC from Ondo State Government House. This is therefore your quit notice served in advance.

“For many of our people yearning for a new day and a new hope – My administration will bring back the good, old days.

“The many destructions wrought on us as a people shall end and in November 2024, SDP shall indeed begin the emancipation of the South West.

” I want to reassure you that the days ahead will witness challenges which collectively we shall overcome as we prepare to return power and comfort to our people”

According to him, SDP is a better alternative to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

He said the ruling party in the state had not changed the lives of the people for better but said the SDP was ready to find solution to the problems of Ondo State if voted to power in the November governorship election.

He noted the current economic crisis facing the people of the state was as a result of the maladministration and ineffective leadership on the part of the party in power in the state.

“We are here today to signal a completely new path, new way and new mindset. What you may call a shift from the unrealisable transformation programme of the APC.

“Our party seeks new way and better alternative entrenched in integrity of managing people, infrastructure and economy for people’s empowerment and emancipation,” he said.

He expressed assurance that the party would defeat the APC and PDP to win the governorship election, said the party is ready to work for the people of the state to rebuild and reposition the state.

The National Secretary of SDP, Dr. Olu Agunloye, while reacting to the primary exercise said “the issue at stake in Ondo State is about ensuring a breakthrough to take the State from its present moribund state to become a prosperous model state.

“This is by leveraging on its abundant human and natural resources, not about the despicable struggle for the purse strings of the State to perpetuate further underdevelopment because of personal interests and unethical agenda.

“In our great Party, the Social Democratic Party we are focused on efforts to move the State forward to social justice, peace, progress, and prosperity”

Politics

Edo Poll: AAC Guber Candidate Unveils ‘Humanity First Manifesto’, As Thousands Of LP Members Defect To Party

Published

9 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Editor

Thousands of Labour Party, LP, members in Edo State on Sunday defected to the African Action Congress (AAC) at the official flag-off of the campaign of the governorship candidate of the party, Dr Udoh Oberaifo.

INFO DAILY reports that Edo State governorship election holds September 21st, 2024.

The defectors drawn from the three senatorial districts of the state, formally defected to the AAC alongside the running mate to Oberaifo, Lord Osunde, who was said to have been a staunch member of the LP and a pioneer Edo Obidient Movement leader.

The running mate who told newsmen that he had defected to the AAC two months ago before the official unveiling, was the organiser of the first Two Millions Obidient Movement Walk in the state in the build up to the 2023 general election.

Speaking at the event, the gubernatorial candidate, Oberaifo, said he decided to make Edo people first in his agenda if elected, hence christening his manifesto ‘Humanity First’, meaning the people (Edo people) first.

A cross section of party members at the event on Sunday, April 28, 2024.

“By God’s grace, my leadership, if elected, will stand for true leadership; will stand for a new perspective; will stand for vibrancy. My government will stand for innovation, and it will answer all the questions of Edo people especially the youth and the women and Edo people in general.

“Humanity first at this time means Edo people first. The People before politics; the people before power mongering; the people before godfatherism; the people before profits. You must put the people first as a good leader, and you will get it right. That means that when you see people through the eyes of God or the way God sees them, you will definitely get it right. I repeat, humanity first,” he declared.

The governorship candidate who said the AAC was an alternative to rescue the state and its people from political, social and economics quagmire it has found itself, lamented that the state had experienced the era of PDP and APC without tangible results.

Speaking on how he intends to develop the state, Oberaifo said being a young businessman, he intends to invest hugely in small businesses in the state, adding that this will boost the state’s IGR and also reduce unemployment.

He said: “We must empower our small businesses. It is the sure way and the easiest way the government can raise IGR. An IGR is what we need to develop our state. it is the only way the government can solve the problem of unemployment.

“When you empower MSMEs, they are better, they create jobs. And when they create jobs, the unemployment rate reduces. The people will have more jobs because if I empower you now, I support you by giving you all you need for you to run your business, one year time, you might employ ten, and five years time, you might employ 20, and the chain continues.”