Politics

Independence Day Broadcast: Timi Frank Knocks Buhari Over claims

Published

4 years ago

October 1, 2021

Editor

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

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Politics

Osun LG Crisis: INEC To Relocate CVR Centres, Releases Gov Poll Timetable

Published

14 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Editor

The Independent National Electoral Commission in Osun State said it will relocate registration points for the forthcoming Continuous Voter Registration exercise from local government secretariats currently under lock.

Osun LG secretariats have been shut since February 17, 2025, due to a tussle between the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress over control of councils.

The APC had claimed that the February 10, 2025, decision of the Court of Appeal, Akure, had returned its candidates elected in the October 15, 2022, local government elections, but sacked by the Osogbo Federal High Court in December 2022.

But the PDP insisted that the officials who emerged on February 22, 2025, are legally recognised to manage the affairs of council areas in the state.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo, the state capital, on Wednesday, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Mutiu Agboke, said the affected INEC offices had been identified and would be moved to alternative locations to ensure the CVR proceeds without disruption.

Agboke said, “The CVR will start on the 18th day of August, 2025, with online registration.

“By this, the prospective registrant will visit www.cvr.inecnigeria.org to supply the necessary information about himself or herself.

“Thereafter, he or she will generate a slip to take to INEC local government office within his place of residence.

“Later on the 25th of August 2025, the registrant will visit the local government office for his or her biometrics, i.e the fingerprint and the facial.

“INEC offices located inside local government secretariats are not shut down.

“However, INEC has harvested the number of those local government offices. We want to bring them out of the LG secretariats. We are working on that. Our headquarters had requested for their details and we have forwarded to them.”

Agboke also announced that activities for the August 8, 2026, Osun governorship election have officially begun, with notices posted in all INEC LG offices.

Party primaries are scheduled between November 24 and December 15, 2025, while submission of candidates’ particulars will run from January 15 to February 9, 2026.

He stated, “This is necessary to enable political parties democratically nominate candidates for the election as required by section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022. The submission of forms EC9 ( personal particulars of candidates) and EC9B (Names/list of nominated candidates) online at the nomination portal of the commission at 9 am on the 15th day of January, 2026, to 6 pm on the 9th February 2026.

“Access code for the submission of nomination forms shall be available for collection on 15th December, 2025, at the headquarters of the commission. I implore all the political parties and other stakeholders to follow the timetable for the 2026 Governorship Election for Osun State with a view to tracking the various activities contained therein. Copies of the timetable shall be made available to the political parties at this meeting in a short while. The 2026 Governorship election shall be conducted on the 8th day of August,2026.”

He appealed to political parties and other major stakeholders to work against the menace of vote buying, saying the electorate should be educated not to sell their votes.

The REC also called on all stakeholders to continue supporting INEC in the state for it to deliver a credible election, noting that the commission alone cannot deliver a peaceful and successful election without their cooperation.
(PUNCH)

Politics

JUST IN: Total Loyalty Non-negotiable, PDP Tells Members

Published

15 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party has warned that it will not tolerate disloyalty from any member, stressing that total commitment to the party’s cause is non-negotiable.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba said the party will rely on its constitution to ensure members remain committed to its cause.

Responding to a question about the recent conditions set by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for the success of the November 15 and 16 National Elective Convention, Ologunagba emphasised that the PDP is about the people, not any individual.

He said, “We have zero tolerance for anti-party activities. We expect and demand total loyalty from all our members. Anything short of that will not be tolerated, and we shall invoke the relevant sections of the party’s constitution to enforce this.”

Details shortly…

Politics

By-Election: APC Correcting PDP 8 Years Of Underdevelopment In Edo, Days Idahosa

Published

2 days ago

August 12, 2025

Editor

The deputy governor of Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa says the Monday Okpebholo-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the state is correcting the eight years wrong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Idahosa, however, urged more support for the administration and the APC to attract more developmental projects across the nook and cranny of the state.

Idahosa made this statement when the campaign train stormed Usen and Ugbogui wards of Ovia South West Local Government Area.

He urged the people to come out enmass to exercise their civic duty on Saturday in support of the APC candidate, Hon. Omosede Igbinedion.

Idahosa said support for the party would mean more developmental projects for the area that had lacked same from the immediate past administration of the PDP.

“The present APC government led by Sen. Monday Okpebholo is the one that has started transforming your area within nine months in the office.

“He can only do more with your support, especially by voting for his party’s candidate on Saturday,” he pleaded.

On her part, the APC candidate, Omosede Igbinedion, promised to synergise with the governor his deputy to attract more developmental projects to the constituency.

Similarly, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Paddy Iyamu, said the government has put measures in place to ensure no students is sent home for want of school fee.

According to him, the state government has concluded plans to pay bursaries for students while market women would enjoy soft loans.

Meanwhile, Elawure of Usen, Ovia south west local government ,have advised Politicians to be united in their pursuit of common goal of delivery dividends of democracy to the people.

Oluogbe II gave this advise when he received the campaign team of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the state deputy governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa.

The traditional ruler expressed joy in the unity between Idahosa and the APC candidate for the Ovia federal constituency bye-election scheduled Saturday, Hon. Omosede Igbinedion.

He noted that the present unity and synergy between the former political foe would bring nothing but victory for their party, as well as development to the people of the federal constituency.