Politics

I’ll Accept Outcome Of Free And Fair APC Presidential Primaries — Tinubu

Published

2 years ago

June 4, 2022

Frontline President Aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pooh-poohed those he accused of misrepresenting his statement in Abeokuta on Thursday to pit him against President Muhammadu Buhari.

Noting that he has high regards for President Buhari, the former Lagos State Governor said he would not denigrate Buhari or the office he seeks to occupy.

He added that he would accept the outcome of free and fair presidential primaries whether he won or lost.

Tinubu while addressing APC delegates in Ogun reportedly said among others that he deployed his resources to make Buhari president in 20215, a comment that elicited sharp criticisms, yesterday.

However, in a statement he signed himself, Tinibu said: “We have entered the meat of primary season. Sensationalism and wilful inaccuracy tend to push aside truth during such moments. I make this statement so that truth and accuracy may have a chance. It is important that people truly know what I said and where I stand. Whatever view you have of me is within your right to make. But let it be based on truth and not on falsehood or reckless exaggeration.

“There have been gross misinterpretations in some sections of the media regarding comments I made on Thursday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. To a degree, the erroneous interpretations may be somewhat innocent given that I spoke in Yoruba. Those who do not understand the nuances of this richly layered and subtly language may have inadvertently yet erroneously missed the true meaning of what I said while attempting to translate my statement. Instead of weighing what I said carefully, they translated so quickly and thus inaccurately in an attempt to meet media deadlines. Of course, there are also those who knew better but they conveyed these inaccuracies because the sensationalism suits their political purposes.

“Again, such propaganda and misinformation becomes daily fare in the heat of the political season. Let’s just state what needs to be stated. My opponents want to present a narrative that I made comments disrespectful of President Muhammadu Buhari in hopes that such a narrative would convince President Buhari to oppose my aspirations regarding the approaching primary. President Buhari is an experienced and accomplished leader. I do not believe he will be taken by the tricks of such people.

“Let me also erase any doubt. My respect and regard for President Buhari as Commander-in-Chief of this nation and as a person are high and unfailing. I shall never denigrate him. I certainly did not do so in Abeokuta. We have been political partners for a long time and I hope that partnership continues well into the future. I would do nothing to jeopardize it. I believe our party is the best hope for the nation to right itself. I believe I have a future role larger than the one I now have. I also believe President Buhari has a continuing and important role to play even after his tenure as president is over.

“Indeed, I consistently supported the president and his administration. Even when the administration has come under intense criticism, my feet have always been planted solidly in defence of the president. The president personally nominated me to coordinate his re-election campaign in 2019. He did this not because I opposed him or because I was indifferent. He did so, because I was firmly with him in 2015 and has stood firmly beside him ever since. When I publicly announced my aspiration to seek the party nomination for the upcoming presidential election, I stressed that my strategic objective was to build on the foundation laid by the Buhari administration. In fact, I believe I was the first aspirant to inform President Buhari of his presidential intention. It was a sign of the respect I have for him and his office. It is unthinkable that I would asperse the leader of the party for which I hope to be the next flag bearer. It makes no sense at all to do such an indelicate, unseemly thing.

“In Abeokuta, I spoke to the unwarranted attacks against my person that have been part of the campaign of others. I also recounted the history of the party for those whose memories need repair. There are many who had no role in the birth of the APC and in its many victories. Now that the party has climbed the political summit, they want to claim credit for something they had no part in. “However, this cannot be said of President Buhari. I am proud of my role in the advent of the APC and its electoral successes. But President Buhari, of course, stands as the main driver of this success. He was elected president twice. He has borne the weight of national governance for seven years. Nothing can rival that. I would not dare belittle what he has done and what he has meant to the party and nation.

“President Buhari is a Nigerian patriot, a man of integrity. These qualities won him tremendous mass support leading to electoral victory in 2015 and 2019. I am proud to have been his partner in the political merger that became the APC and in making history by ousting an incumbent president for the first time in Nigeria.

I make no apologies for seeking the party’s nomination. I believe I have something important to offer Nigeria that the other aspirants do not have, although I see them as good and committed Nigerians in their own right. While I want this office, there are certain things I will not do and certain lines I shall not cross. I shall never belittle myself by denigrating the president or his office. I dare not seek an office and disrespect it at the same time.

“My aspiration to be President of Nigeria is based on my want to serve the nation and not that I feel some personal entitlement to high office. Governance of this nation is a sacred and solemn duty. It is neither to be given as a favour to someone who is unqualified nor should people be motivated by personal reasons to prevent the most qualified person from attaining the office. The wellbeing of over 200 million souls is at stake. Let us all realise this and act accordingly, I only desire a level-playing ground for all aspirants and an adherence to stipulated rules and due process. If in the fairness of such a process, I do not emerge as the party’s candidate, I shall have no complaints regarding an honest primary and will accept the fair outcome as a true democrat.”

VANGUARD

Politics

Edo Guber: APC Candidate, Okpebholo, Lacks Cognitive Experience To Govern – Tenebe

Published

2 days ago

May 25, 2024

Editor

A stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Chief Henry Tenebe, says the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo lacks the cognitive experience to govern the state.

Tenebe, who made the assertion while x-raying major political parties governorship candidates in the forthcoming election in the state, noted that when it comes to managerial experience, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP is more experience and competent than the opposition APC candidate, Sen. Okpebholo, whom he dismissed as a non-starter.

According to him, it is unfair to compare Ighodalo with Okpebholo, highlighting that the APC governorship candidate lacks the exposure and experiences that Ighodalo has acquired in both his private and public sector careers.

He noted that these experiences make Ighodalo the best-suited candidate for the job in Edo.

Tenebe expressed his dissatisfaction with how the APC has managed the national economy in the past few years.

He insisted that the party lacks the moral right to even field a candidate for the Edo Guber election.

“If not for the law that allows parties to stand for election irrespective of performance, the APC is not supposed to field a candidate, let alone canvass for support.

“The party is synonymous with hunger, deprivation, kidnapping, terrorism, crude theft, energy blackout, and countless other vices.

“The indices are quite gloomy and they tell the story of a party in utter disarray. In a sane climate, voters would revolt and ensure they used their votes to send them packing”, Tenebe said.

Politics

LP Crisis Takes New Twist As Edo Chapter Suspends Abure

Published

2 days ago

May 25, 2024

Editor

…accuse him of anti-party activities

…it’s an exercise in futility – Abure

The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Barrister Julius Abure, has been suspended by party executives in Ward 3 Arue-Uromi, in Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, for alleged high-handedness and anti-party activities.

This decision was ratified by the State Executive Committee of the party after the ward wrote a formal letter to the SEC.

Abure’s suspension was a sequel to a meeting of members of the ward where allegations of his “high-handedness and anti-party activities in the administration of the party and other acts of financial impropriety were exhaustively discussed.”

The ward executives in the letter of suspension addressed to Abure noted that “allegations of fraud levelled against you, which are (currently) under investigation.”

A letter of suspension dated May 14, 2024, and another letter of ratification dated May 15, 2024, both of which were ratified at a meeting of the state executive committee on Friday (May 24, 2024) night in Benin, read in part, “While the suspension is with immediate effect, you are advised to restrain from holding out or parading yourself a member of Labour Party, Ward 3, Arue, Uromi in Ean North-East LGA, Edo State.”

The letter of suspension was signed by the Ward Chairman, Thompson Ehiguese, and Ward Secretary, Stanley Usiomoh.

The letter of ratification of his suspension was forwarded to the State Executive Committee of the party through the State Chairman by the Local Government Chairman of the party in Esan North-East, Patrick Onogbeni, and LGA Secretary, Ehikioya Eromosele.

The second letter read in part: “Here forwarded to you and for your consideration is the ratification of the suspension of Comrade Barrister Julius Abure from the membership of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Ean North East LGA, Edo State.

“The LGA Executive met today, 15th of May, 2024 about noon, to consider the matters presented on the suspension and accordingly found them weighty, and the suspension ratified and upheld.”

The State Executive Committee endorsed the decisions of the Ward and Local Government Committee of the party at a well-attended meeting in Benin late on Friday.

It was gathered that the venue of the meeting was charged as leaders and members of the party chanted: “Abure must go!”

The State Executive Committee considered the letters, together with the issues contained therein, and ratified Abure’s suspension.

With the ratification of his suspension, the basis of his chairmanship of the party at the national level has been vitiated, and by implication, he stands suspended as the party’s national chairman.

In response, Abure, while speaking through the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said the action of the Edo State Chapter was an exercise in futility because it lacks basis in law as enshrined in the LP constitution.

Ifoh said, “The 2019 Labour Party constitution, Article 17 subsection 1, is clear that only the National Convention convened solely for the purpose of removal of the National Chairman with a two-third majority can suspend or remove the chairman. The ward, LG, or even the state have no power to suspend the National Chairman.

“An Edo High Court has also ruled on this matter. Also, an Appeal Court has also ruled on this matter.

“This dimension is a continuation of the attack on the person of Abure as witnessed during the governorship primaries. It will also amount to nothing, and we are not perturbed.”

Politics

Peter Obi And I Will Defeat APC Any Day — Datti Baba-Ahmed Boasts

Published

2 days ago

May 25, 2024

Editor

The vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 elections, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has said that his party will defeat the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in any election.

Datti stated that he was confident in the abilities of his principal, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Datti said these during an appearance on Arise TV on Friday. He added that he was not scared of going against the ruling party, the APC in future elections.

According to Datti, “APC and PDP did not have 60 per cent of the Labour Party’s votes in the FCT that they are ruling.

“So, I’m never scared because if we are in a democracy, it’s the people’s power that we will use. And we’re using it. Not the armoured tanks of the Nigerian Army that belong to the Nigerian people, and not the barrels of the gun or the teargas that the Nigerian people are afraid of.

“Any day, if there’s an election again, if they come out, we will defeat them. It’s left for them to go and twist the constitution again, change the meaning of English, and declare by 4 a.m.”

‘We won 2023 election’

Datti also said that, in retrospect, the Labour Party won the 2023 general elections.

He said: “In fact, we hold our heads high. Where are the campaign promises of the APC, or the ongoing government? What have they achieved?

“The iRev was switched off. They returned the results manually. And then the Constitution was twisted, and the meaning of the English language was changed.

“We won the 2023 election. I will never stop saying it. Now the Labour Party, as of today, is in a better state than the CPC was in 2013/2014 leading up to the 2015 election. Far better than it was.

“Continue to look at the failures. The worsening insecurity, declining economy, and aggravated corruption that is now going on.

“Add that to when Nigerians will now wake up to the realisation that beyond 2027, there’s probably a grand scheme to dismember Nigeria into six autonomous zones.

“Because there’s no way to explain the failure, and because the only way is to carry those failures and run away.”