Politics

Buhari Snubs Calls To Visit North, Jets Out To Turkey With Wife, Seven Ministers

Published

4 years ago

December 17, 2021

President Muhammadu Buhari has snubbed calls to visit northern Nigeria amid the rising insecurity in the region.

Rather, the President on Thursday travelled with his wife, Aisha, and seven ministers to Istanbul to attend the third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit.

Buhari had come under attack in recent times due to the rising insecurity in the region with youths campaigning with the #SecureNorth and #NorthisBleeding.

As of Thursday evening, over 32,000 people had signed a petition on Change.Org, calling on the President to declare a state of emergency in parts of Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina due to the insecurity even as the President had refused to visit victims.

During protests on Wednesday, the demonstrators said the President should personally visit communities attacked bandits rather than sending delegates there.

Some northern groups faulted the President’s decision to visit Lagos for the book launch of All Progressives Congress chieftain, Bisi Akande, barely two days after a bus load of passengers were burnt alive by bandits in Sokoto State.

Defending the President on Monday, the Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, said it was impossible for the President to pay condolence visits to victims, adding that sending a delegation was proper.

“These attacks are happening almost on a daily basis and it is not possible for the president to visit all the places for condolences. And if you send a delegation, it is as if you were there, is all the same,” he said.

However, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said in a statement on Thursday that the President had travelled to Turkey for a summit, themed, ‘Enhanced Partnership for Common Development and Prosperity,’ which will be hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Republic of Turkey.

According to the organisers, the summit will review the cooperation between African countries and Turkey since the last summit in 2014.

Shehu said, “The third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit is coming on the heels of President Erdogan’s recent State Visit to Nigeria during which several agreements in the fields of energy, defence industry, mining and hydrocarbons were signed to expand existing bilateral ties.

“The Turkish leader had, during the visit to Nigeria, affirmed his commitment to immediately expand the volume of trade between the two countries to $5bn and the Nigerian delegation will seize the opportunity of the gathering in Istanbul to enhance cooperation with other partners for more trade and investment opportunities in the country.”

Shehu added that Buhari would be accompanied on the trip by his wife, Aisha Buhari; the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Defence, Bashir Magashi; FCT, Mohammed Bello; Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire; Agriculture, Mohammed Abubakar; Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo; the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Abubakar.

The President is expected back in Abuja on Sunday, December 19.

Istanbul will be the 9th city the President has visited in the past 13 weeks. Within this period, he has visited Dubai, Durban, Paris, Scotland, New York, Riyadh and Mecca.

President’s failure to visit victims shows he does not care about Nigerians – Coordinator, NAM

Meanwhile, the coordinator, Northern Alliance Movement, Yahuza Getso said the President’s decision to snub even his home state where a commissioner was killed on Wednesday and traveled out of the country showed that he does not care about Nigerians.

He said, “We find it very disheartening and disappointed that at a time when people are being killed, when a lawmaker was killed in the president’s state, this is apart from the killings and kidnappings in the Northern parts of the country, he ( president) could leave the country, this has brought to the fore his lack of concern. It is a bad attitude that we never expected from our president. The President is an absolute failure to Nigerians. “

Buhari will leave the country on fire, only God holding Nigeria – SOKAPU youth leader

The Youth President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, Isaac John, in an interview with The PUNCH said he was not surprised by the action of the President.

According to him, only God has been holding the country.

He said, “I am not surprised and I do not expect anyone to be. It is the same old story. He would leave even if the entire country is on fire. Let me say at this point that it is only God that is holding the country.”

Meanwhile, Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has demanded the immediate release of protesters arrested in the Federal Capital Territory and other parts of the Northern region.

The PUNCH had reported that some northern youths who were protesting against the rising insecurity in the region were arrested and subsequently detained by the operatives of the FCT police command.

However, in a statement on Thursday signed by Falana, he accused the police of breaching the fundamental rights of the protesters by disrupting their demonstration and arresting some of them.

The statement was titled, “Release detained protesters against insecurity”.

It read, “On Thursday some young people participated in a peaceful protest against increasing insecurity in the northern part of Nigeria. In utter breach of the fundamental right of the protesters the Nigeria Police Force violently disrupted the rally and arrested some of the participants.

“In stopping the peaceful rally the police violated the fundamental right of the unarmed protesters and others who were earlier arrested in Kano, Kaduna and Sokoto by the police and the State Security Service.

“By abruptly stopping the protests, the security forces breached section 83 (4) of the Police Establishment Act which requires the police to provide adequate security for citizens who participate in peaceful meetings and rallies.”

Falana reminded the police authorities that on November 20, 2014 the leaders of the All Progressive Congress led by Buhari took part in a protest against insecurity under President Goodluck Jonathan without any harassment whatsoever.

(DAILY POST)

Politics

INEC Has Not Confirmed ADC State Leaders – Party

Published

2 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed a report claiming that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed a list of its state chairmen across Nigeria.

In a statement on Sunday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the circulating report titled “Coalition Update: INEC Confirms ADC State Chairmen Nationwide” as “fake news” aimed at creating confusion within the party.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission, to the best of our knowledge and verification, has issued no such confirmation, neither officially nor unofficially,” Abdullahi said.

He explained that choosing and approving state leaders is the party’s internal responsibility, not INEC’s.

“The process of constituting and ratifying state leadership within any political party lies squarely within the party’s constitutional prerogative. INEC only recognizes what the party submits through the appropriate channels after due process,” he added.

Abdullahi urged ADC members and the public to ignore the fake list and wait for official communication.

“We therefore urge our members and stakeholders to remain calm, vigilant, and guided by official communication from the national leadership of the ADC,” he said.

He reassured supporters that the ADC remains committed to discipline, structure, and internal democracy, adding that any genuine updates on party leadership will be shared through verified platforms.

Politics

How Bello Deceitfully Assured Me Of Kogi Guber Ticket For 4 Years — Onoja

Published

12 hours ago

September 14, 2025

Editor

Former deputy governor of Kogi State, Edward David Onoja, has revealed that his former principal, Yahaya Bello, assured him for four years that he would succeed him as governor, only to change his decision a day before the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election.

Onoja made the disclosure during an interview on MIC ON Podcast published on Saturday night, where he recounted his political journey and his relationship with former Governor Bello.

LEADERSHIP recalls that Onoja had served as Chief of State for about four years before becoming deputy governor under Bello until their tenure elapsed.

“For four years before 2023, he (Yahaya Bello) was the one who called me and said, ‘You will succeed me, get prepared.’ And of course, I planned, I worked, and when it was time, he gave all of us the opportunity (to contest),” Onoja said.

According to him, about seven cabinet members at the time, including himself, picked up the All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination forms on Bello’s directive, but in the end, Bello’s support was with the current governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo.

“At the end of the day, his heart and his choice was with the current governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo,” he said.

Onoja revealed that Bello broke the news to him just a day before the party primaries, a decision he respected despite his disappointment.

“When he broke the news to me a day before the primaries, I told him, ‘You are the boss, you are over me, what you see is what I see, so let’s go get the job done, but I hope you are not making a mistake.’ There were no issues, and then we went to the field and did our best for our candidate,” he stated.

Onoja, who is now a board member of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC), emphasised that despite the turn of events, he remained committed to ensuring victory for the party’s eventual candidate and winner of the last Kogi State governorship election, Ododo, who went on to succeed Bello.

Politics

Alleged Infidelity: Soludo’s Wife Issues Senator Ekwunife Ultimatum To Apologize

Published

13 hours ago

September 14, 2025

Editor

Mrs. Nonye Soludo

…dares her for fidelity oath, paternal DNA test challenge

The wife of Anambra State governor, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, has issued Senator Uche Ekwunife 72 hours ultimatum to withdraw claims of Infidelity against her and tender a public apology, or face legal action.

She also challenged the senator for both of them to swear an oath of fidelity before the Blessed Virgin Mary or subject their children to DNA tests.

The challenge followed claims by Ekwunife, deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2025 Anambra governorship election, who alleged that Mrs Soludo was once close to former Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju.

In a statement issued on Friday, Nonye Soludo accused the former fenale lawmaker of fabricating allegations and dragging her children into political disputes.

She described Ekwunife’s comments as malicious and said: “Since Uche Ekwunife claims to be a converted Catholic, I challenge her for both of us to swear an oath of fidelity and chastity at any cathedral in front of the Blessed Sacrament and the Bible.

“I will swear (with my children) that in my 55 years on earth, I have known only one man—Chukwuma Soludo. On your part, you should also swear (with your children or your political ambitions) that since you got married, you have never cheated on your husband,” she declared.

Soludo’s wife also invited Ekwunife to scientific verification through DNA testing.

“I challenge you, Uche Ekwunife, for us to subject our children to paternity tests in three reputable hospitals in London. I will pay all the expenses, including travel for you and your family. If the results confirm that your husband fathered all your children, I will not only congratulate you but also present a cash award,” she added.

The governor’s wife emphasised her Christian upbringing and marital fidelity.

“I married him as a virgin and my fidelity to him in 33 years of marriage and for life is ironclad,” she said.

Declaring that her life has never depended on government patronage, even as First Lady, Mrs. Soludo vowed to sustain her defence “with decency, character, and grace.”

“My weapons are decency, character, and grace. I am a long-distance runner, and I welcome you to the marathon,” she stated.

The confrontation stemmed from Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s earlier questions over Senator Ekwunife’s academic qualifications. The APC deputy governorship candidate responded with sharp criticisms, prompting the governor’s wife to step into the feud.