Politics

Edo Guber: Umakhihe Enters Benin In Grand Style After Picking APC Forms

Published

2 years ago

January 29, 2024

It was a carnival-like celebration yesterday in Benin Airport as Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant on the forthcoming Edo State election touched ground in the airport after picking his Nomination and Expression of Interest forms.

The former federal Permanent Secretary who was received with singing and dancing by his supporters at the airport thanked them for the warm welcome and unwavering support, promising that when he elected, they would all smile.

Addressing the large number of supporters who had patiently waited at the airport, Dr Umakhihe, said if given the party’s ticket in the forthcoming primary, and eventually emerge governor of the state, he would leverage on his wealth of experiences and connections to turn the fortune of the people of the state around.

Dr. Umakhihe said if he could use his little connections then as a civil servant to impact on the lives of the people, he would do more if he becomes the governor of the state.

“Why I am the best candidate and the first choice for this position? I have a blue print on what I want to do.

“My antecedents spanned various sectors of the Nigerian economy. National Planning and Budgeting, Central Administration, Infrastructure because I was the Permanent Secretary, Works and Housing and of course, agriculture.

“That was the last beat before I retired and in the cause of these works, I have had extensive experience and connections with international development partners, local and I was also secretary to the National Economic Council, (NEC) and in that position, I have interfaced with the 36 governors, and of course, the Vice President and so, I know the workings of the Nigerian economy and dovetailing into the sub-nationals, those are the states and of course, the local governments.

” In the cause of my stay in the infrastructure ministry like Works and Housing and Agriculture. The aspect of agriculture, there is also rural development in agriculture.So, we had agriculture and rural development. I was able to attract a lot of projects to Edo State in the three senatorial districts whether is borehole, road infrastructure, connecting farms to markets, skill acquisition centers, health facilities, school buildings, empowerment of farmers.

“I have touched a lot of farmers indeed when I was the Minister of Agriculture. We have done a lot to empower women in this state because i had a gender unit which was focused on agriculture for youths and women and we have done a lot across all that.

“The driving force in this aspiration is that, with those positions, I could reach and touch a lot of lives. So, if I am giving a higher opportunity, I will excel and touch the lives of average Edolites in the areas of road infrastructure, education, agriculture, women empowerment, skill acquisitions and every other infrastructural development that the state urgently desires now. That is my driving force. All these things i have mentioned that i did, I didn’t promise anybody .

“I could have easily stayed away without doing them. I didn’t promise and I did. So, if I now promise that I will do this, certainly I will do it”, Umakhihe said.

Umakhihe added that he is fully in the race and his determination is to win the forthcoming governorship election.

“I am still in the race fully. And they have been screened to six candidates and I was one of them.

“So, I have bought my form, that is what I could let you people know that I am fully in the race and I am filling it and returning it by next week to the national secretariat”, Umakhihe added.

He urged the party faithful to rally round him for him to be victorious because he is committed to serve them just he has always done adding that the reward for more work, is more work.

“So, my plea to Edo people is, I always say the rewards for hard work, is more work . so edolites, please give me this opportunity for more work”, Umakhihe said.

Related Topics:#edo poll Edo Guber Umakhihe

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Politics

Tinubu Sends Ex-INEC Chair, Former Oyo First Lady, 30 Additional Ambassadorial Nominees To Senate

Published

3 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has forwarded 32 additional ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, just days after submitting an initial batch of three names.

In two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President urged the upper chamber to consider and swiftly confirm 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees.

The list includes four women among the career nominees and six women among the non-career nominees.

Prominent names on the non-career list include Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia State; former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta); former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; and former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Others are former Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau State Commissioner, Yakubu N. Gambo; and former Deputy Executive Secretary of UBEC, Yakubu K. Musa.

Also nominated are former Plateau senator, Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut; former Lagos Deputy Governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State.

Additional nominees include former Oyo First Lady, Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent; former Abia governor, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim of Ondo State; and former envoy to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue).

The career ambassadorial nominees are Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa), Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi), and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).

Others include Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).

The new nominees are expected to be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains strong and strategic diplomatic relations, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as to Permanent Missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.

Their specific postings will be determined after Senate confirmation.

Recall that President Tinubu, last week, forwarded three ambassadorial nominees, Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun), who are being considered for postings to the UK, USA, or France.

President Tinubu said additional ambassadorial nominations will be announced in due course.

Politics

Soludo Visits Tinubu, Goes Into Closed Door Session With President

Published

1 day ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, on Thursday, paid a courtesy visit to the President, Bola Tinubu, GCFR at the State House.

Report by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Soludo, Mr Chris Aburime stated that President Tinubu received the Anambra State Governor with excitement, describing him as his long standing friend of over 22 years.

Aburime said, “The President used the occasion to further congratulate Governor Soludo on his landslide victory in the just concluded Anambra gubernatorial election.

“Recall that President Tinubu had earlier issued a congratulatory message to Governor Soludo immediately the governorship election was concluded.”

Governor Soludo was declared winner with 73% of the votes cast by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Other details of the meeting were, however, not disclosed as the press Secretary told DAILY POST that both men went into a closed door meeting after the reception.

Politics

2027: I Will Resign If Tinubu Loses In Edo – Governor Okpebholo

Published

1 day ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholor has vowed that President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election in Edo State.

Okpebholor in an interview captured in a viral video vowed to resign if the outcome of the 2027 election does not favour the president in Edo State.

According to him, the entire people in Edo State are ready to vote for the president, citing projects that his (Okpebholor) administration executed since the All Progressives Congress, APC took over the state.

He claimed that there is no opposition in the state, stressing that everyone is supporting the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said, “There is no opposition here in Edo everybody is for Asiwaju in this state.

“Tinubu is more popular than me in Edo state. If he doesn’t win the presidential election in Edo in 2027, I will resign.”