Politics

Independence Day Broadcast: Timi Frank Knocks Buhari Over claims

Published

4 years ago

October 1, 2021

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Friday, described President Muhammadu Buhari’s Independence Day speech to Nigerians as a message “filled with inaccuracies.”

Frank, who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and Middle East, in a statement in Abuja, lamented that Buhari’s speech is “tantamount to rewriting history by twisting facts which are already well known by Nigerians.”

He also accused the president administration since 2015 to be replete with “nepotism, divisiveness and ethnic bigotry,” adding that the President “attempted to pull wool over the faces of Nigerians.”

He insisted that “the country which had been on a steady growth and development since 1960, through the spirited efforts of successive administrations, did not only stall since 2015 upon Buhari’s ascension to power but has continued to retrogress irretrievably in all measurable economic, social and political indices.”

The Bayelsa-born political activist said: “First, Buhari praised the Armed Forces for their gallantry in curtailing the murderous activities of Boko Haram insurgents, Fulani herdsmen, bandits and other criminal elements, yet, this is the same military that have failed to stop incessant attacks on their formations, killing of its personnel and kidnapping of its Generals across the country.

“The attack on the Nigerian Defence Academy, killing of two officers and kidnap of Major Christopher Datong is a case in point.

“The nation’s currency exchanged for about N180 to a dollar when Buhari took over power, but his administration created multiple foreign exchange rate windows. What is the exchange rate today? About N567 to a dollar at the parallel market and N410 at the official window!

“What was the price of fuel, cooking gas and electricity tariff when Buhari assumed office in 2015 and how much are Nigerians paying for these essential commodities today?

“Nigeria was the fastest growing economy in Africa following the rebasing of the nation’s economy under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. Today, Nigeria is the Poverty Capital of the World. However, Buhari would want the world to believe that his regime has recorded appreciable economic revival in the country.

“Insurgency was largely confined to the Northeast states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa when Buhari took over, but today farmers in Buhari’s home state of Katsina and Northwest states of Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, including Niger in the North Central pay taxes to bandits to be allowed access to their farms.

“Today most schools in the Northwest states have been shut down while telecommunication networks have been switched off in Zamfara, Kaduna and Sokoto states as a result of the activities of rampaging bandits and insurgents who have taken to kidnapping innocent school children for ransom. Yet Buhari praises his administration’s efforts at curtailing insecurity. In Southern Kaduna, killing of innocent villagers has continued unabated.

“Today, Buhari and his administration have turned a once peaceful South East region bubbling with commercial activities to another haven of insurgency and gruesome killings due to the cluelessness with which it handled legitimate protests and agitations by youths in that region.

“Unfortunately, Dr. Chike Akunyili who was husband to late Professor Dora Akunyili recently fell victim of that heightened orgy of violence now ravaging the South East.

“No doubt that the wanton killing of innocent Igbo youths has now snowballed into undreamt of killing spree by Unknown Gun Men. But to Buhari, all is well!

“Buhari said his administration has uncovered the financiers of secessionist movements in the South East and South West, but because of nepotism, he failed to name the sponsors of Boko Haram and bandits in the North even when the United Arab Emirates has since named the financiers of these dreaded groups.

“For Buhari, it is easy to name a Federal Lawmaker as a financier of secessionist agitation in South East, but not easy to identify Boko Haram sponsors in the North. What manner of ethnic chauvinism!

“Buhari should bear full responsibility for turning the South East into a terrorist zone like Borno, Yobe and Adamawa as well as Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi and Niger and Sokoto states.

“Buhari said that the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable but failed to add that his elevation of nepotism to state policy where he has made sure that 95 per cent of all government appointees are either Muslims or from the North West has been the fuel driving demands for self-determination from other regions,” Frank concluded.

(VANGUARD)

Related Topics:Buhari Independence Day Timi Frank

Up Next

Buhari Not Unfair To South-East – APC Chieftain

Don't Miss

JUST IN: PDP Zones Chairmanship Position To North

Comments

Politics

FULL LIST: APC Sweeps Rivers Elections, Wins 20 Of 23 LGAs

Published

1 hour ago

August 31, 2025

Editor

The All Progressives Congress has emerged victorious in a landslide victory in the Saturday Rivers State local government elections, securing 20 out of the 23 LGAs.

According to The PUNCH, the Chairman, Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Dr Michael Odey, announced the results at the commission’s Headquarters along Aba Road in Port Harcourt on Sunday afternoon.

According to Odey, the Peoples Democratic Party managed to clinch the remaining three LGAs.

The full list of chairpersons-elect is as follows:

1. Abua/Odual: Ofori Owolabi (APC)

2. Ahoada East: Solomon Achoma (APC)

3. Ahoada West: Eugene Epelle (APC)

4. Akuku Toru: Bob Fubara (APC)

5. Andoni: Lucky Promise (APC)

6. Asari Toru: George Onegiyeofori (APC)

7. Bonny: Abinye Blessing Pepple (APC)

8. Degema: Michael John Williams (APC)

9. Eleme: Obarilomate Ollor (APC)

10. Emohua: Chidi Loyd (APC)

11. Etche: Njoku Boniface (APC)

12. Gokana: Dekor Confidence (APC)

13. Ikwerre: Charles Wobodo (APC)

14. Khana: Bariere Thomas (APC)

15. Obio/Akpor: Gift Worlu (PDP)

16. Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni: Shedrach Ogbogu (PDP)

17. Ogu/Bolo: Vincent Nemioboka (APC)

18. Okrika: Akuro Tobin (APC)

19. Omuma: Obasi Uchechwuku (APC)

20. Opobo/Nkoro: James A. James (APC)

21. Oyigbo: Okechukwu Akara (APC)

22. PHALGA: Allwell Ihunda (PDP)

23. Tai: Mbakpone Okpe (APC)

The RSIEC Chairman also disclosed that certificates of return will be presented to the winners on Monday, September 1.

This election marks the first time the APC has gained such dominance in Rivers State since the return of democracy in 1999.

Politics

Keyamo Warns PDP Against Fielding Jonathan, Obi In 2027

Published

2 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Editor

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has warned that the Peoples Democratic Party risks serious setbacks in its 2027 presidential strategy if it opts for former President Goodluck Jonathan or ex-Anambra governor Peter Obi as its standard-bearer.

In a long post on his X account on Sunday, Keyamo said the opposition party remains in a “non-enviable position” after failing to zone its 2023 ticket to the South, a decision he said cost the PDP support in its traditional strongholds in the South-South and South-East.

Keyamo argued that nominating Jonathan carries a constitutional danger tied to section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which he suggested could bar anyone sworn in twice as president from contesting again.

“If he is fielded, the Party runs the RISK of NOT HAVING A CANDIDATE AT ALL,” Keyamo wrote, warning that such a legal challenge would ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.

“The constitutional amendment was made AFTER the court judgment which cleared him (Jonathan) to run in 2015, so nothing is decided yet on that new amendment, hence I use the word ‘RISK’ advisedly. All the arguments as to whether the section can be interpreted to affect him will not be decided on Social Media, but at the Supreme Court.

“If he is barred from running AFTER nominations have closed and the PDP is declared as having no candidate, nobody should scream ‘judiciary is corrupt’ because such a large party saw the judicial danger ahead and deliberately ignored it.”

He added that the party would bear responsibility if it ignored the legal risk and lost its candidacy after nominations closed.

“All the arguments … will not be decided on social media, but at the Supreme Court,” he said.

Keyamo also dismissed the likelihood of a successful South-West flagbearer for the PDP.

“If the PDP decides to field its most attractive S/West candidate, no other region of the country will vote for a fresh Yoruba candidate who would be eligible for a fresh two terms in office.

“And that candidate will battle with the well-oiled APC structures in the S/West. You need a majority of at least 3 to 4 regions in Nigeria to win the Presidency.”

On Peter Obi, the minister said bringing the former Labour Party candidate into the PDP fold would not solve the party’s problems.

He suggested doubts about Obi’s credibility, plus his past one-term pledge, could dilute support among his core followers.

“The principled ones amongst the ‘obidients’ will see him as going back to his vomit … and may not be too vociferous in their support anymore,” Keyamo wrote.

Concluding his assessment, the minister blamed the PDP’s current predicament on what he called its “original sin” of not zoning the 2023 ticket to the South.

“The young social media warriors may lampoon anyone talking about these zoning sentiments, but that is the REALITY of our politics,” he said, adding that unless “something EXTRAORDINARY happens, the Party may have to wait till 2031.”

The PDP has not publicly responded to Keyamo’s comments.

Politics

Ex-Tinubu Campaign Coordinator Resigns From APC

Published

2 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Editor

The former Tinubu/Shettima 2023 Presidential Campaign Coordinator in Zamfara State, Senator Kabiru Marafa has confirmed his resignation from the All Progressives Congress.

Marafa, who confirmed his registration to Channels Television via text message on Sunday, left the ruling party after a meeting with his political structure last Wednesday and Thursday.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the leaders of the group unanimously resolved to dump the APC over what they described as injustice, neglect, and worsening insecurity in Zamfara State.

They expressed grave concern over the deteriorating security situation, citing recent statistics that placed Zamfara as the state with the highest number of kidnapping cases in the country.

The group also accused the Federal Government of politicising insecurity during the recent Kaura Namoda bye-election, alleging that security forces were deployed to secure the APC’s electoral victory rather than protect lives.

“The entire structure with all its supporters hereby formally resigns from the All Progressives Congress in protest against the sustained injustice, mistrust, marginalisation, and deliberate neglect of Zamfara State and its people. We shall, in due course, announce our next political direction, guided by the collective interest of the good people of Zamfara State,” the communiqué, issued on Friday, partly read.

On political appointments, Marafa’s loyalists faulted what they termed the deliberate marginalisation of Zamfara, despite the state’s contribution to the APC’s 2023 presidential victory.

They noted that while other states in the North-West secured multiple ministerial slots, Zamfara got only one, and communities devastated by banditry attacks have received little or no federal intervention.

The statement, signed by Comrade Bashir Muhammad Mafara (Chairman) and Dr. Mannir Bature Tsafe (Secretary), added that the group will soon announce its next political direction in line with the aspirations of the Zamfara people.