Connect with us

Politics

May 29: From Eagle Square, I’ll Fly Straight To Kaduna – Buhari

Published

on

Says opposition parties created impression that my govt was in a mess

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said that immediately he hands over to the next President on May 29, he will take off from the swearing-in venue to Kaduna before proceeding to Daura, his hometown.

He said he has been counting the days and was looking forward to Monday very desperately, adding that he would use the weekend to sign some of the papers so that from Eagles Square he will take off.

Advertisement

President Buhari also said that before the concluded general elections, the opposition political parties had created the impression outside the country that the All Progressives Congress-led administration was going into a mess because it has incompetent leadership

The outgoing President spoke at his Book launch with the title, “A promise kept, a compendium of significant achievements of Muhammadu Buhari Administration 2015-2023,” at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said, “I think by my profession, I spent most of my time that is the military for 20 years, there wasn’t this surprise. If you allow yourself to be taken by surprise you will be virtually overwhelmed. I wasn’t expecting this honestly. Especially today when I need to sign a few papers because I know on Monday, from the swearing-in venue I will fly directly to Kaduna and then I will go to the other side of Nigeria.

Advertisement

Thank you for surprising me with your generosity and kindness. I think the achievement we wanted is to make we developed a firm political culture. I think I was expecting too much. When I was in Doha, meeting some heads of state, I was getting calls from Europe, America, and Nigeria, congratulating us on the success of the elections.

READ ALSO: Again, Court Imposes N17m Fine On Litigants, Lawyer Seeking To Stop Tinubu’s Inauguration

“The opposition has created the impression outside the country that we are going into a mess because we have incompetent leadership of the party. They were overwhelmed that the election came and went and both at the center and at the states, fantastic.”

Advertisement

He further said, “How can ten sitting governors of states lose their constituencies, this has been unprecedented. So I congratulate you the national working committee (of the APC) and others here, that we have really proved that democracy is worth defending.

“Nigerians have understood it now, otherwise how can they vote against their sitting governors stopping them from going to the senate to rest?

“So they were really overwhelmed and I congratulate our political development. Please congratulate your constituencies, it means that even though you have excess money, they will collect and put it in their pockets but they will elect the person they trust from any constituency, either House of Assembly, House of Representatives, or Senate until it comes to the president itself.

Advertisement

“Because it was so transparent, everything was done there in front of everybody. And committee by committee from various constituencies lined up and picked the candidate they want. So really, we have virtually politically arrived. I congratulate our party.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Court Declines To Stop Tinubu’s Swearing-in As President

“Today, we prayed together with Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) and I congratulated him and I said I am eager to go to the other side of Nigeria. I wish him the best of luck. I said his Vice President is experienced, a two-time governor in his state, and then the senate. And this is how we got the chairman of our party, two-time governor in his state and also he has been in the Senate.

Advertisement

“So they are people are really from the bottom of the system to the top. When you get experienced people to be in charge, taking important decisions, they will always reflect on their experiences and they can hardly go wrong. So I congratulate you and our party.

“I thank you very much for this major surprise, I think now when I go back I will have time to read some books not just about myself but about other issues. I assure you, I have been counting the days, I am looking forward to Monday very desperately. I will use the weekend to sign some of the papers so that from Eagles Square, I will fly to Kaduna and eventually go to Daura. Thank you very much.”

Advertisement

Politics

NNPP Expels Reps Member, Drags Him To Court

Published

on

The Kano State chapter of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has expelled Abdulmumin Jibrin, member representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, over alleged insubordination and failure to remit statutory party dues.

Announcing the decision at a press conference on Saturday, NNPP state chairman, Hon. Hashim Sulaiman Dungurawa, said the move was necessary to uphold party discipline and supremacy.

Advertisement

Dungurawa accused Jibrin, a former chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, of demarketing the party’s national leader and 2023 presidential candidate, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, while allegedly aligning with President Bola Tinubu and the ruling APC.

READ ALSO:FirstBank’s Digital Banking Channels Suffers Downtime

He said Jibrin’s repeated media appearances, including a recent interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, discredited the party’s principles and projected views that did not represent NNPP’s official position.

Advertisement

“If he was truly strong politically, he would have won his election under the APC in 2019, but he failed. It was Kwankwasiyya and NNPP that gave him victory in 2023. Now he is deceiving himself, thinking he is strong,” Dungurawa said.

Jibrin, who has met President Tinubu twice at the Presidential Villa in recent weeks, has publicly hinted at a possible defection, saying he remains open to joining any party, including APC, PDP, ADC, or PRP.

READ ALSO:APC Defeats NNPP In Kano Re-run Election

Advertisement

Dungurawa disclosed that a reconciliation committee was initially set up to engage Jibrin after his first interview, but the lawmaker “crossed the line” by granting a subsequent interview to DCL Hausa, where he openly discussed his next political moves.

Instead of dialogue, he went further to work against our interest and openly declared loyalty outside the party. That is why we expelled him. He has no value to add to NNPP,” Dungurawa said, adding that the party will drag Jibrin to court to recover unpaid dues.

On speculation that Jibrin may return to the APC, Dungurawa said such a move would not affect the NNPP’s strength.

Advertisement

Politics is about groups and coalitions. Kwankwasiyya remains solidly behind our leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso,” he stressed.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Politics

Why We Are Yet To Recognise ADC Leadership – INEC

Published

on

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the African Democratic Congress (ADC)
is yet to comply with the extant rules required for the formal recognition of Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as its National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.

The lack of compliance, INEC stated, renders all official documents and communications bearing their signatures null and void until the process is completed.

Advertisement

Speaking with newsmen, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, through his Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said:

Ask ADC if they have truly complied with all the requirements. They visited the Commission recently, and we told them what the problem was. They are aware. Please get in touch with Bolaji Abdullahi, their spokesperson, who was part of the delegation. He ought to have briefed journalists about their visit and what transpired.”

READ ALSO:Anambra Guber: INEC Releases Total Number Of Registered Voters Ahead Election

Advertisement

On the implications for ADC candidates in upcoming elections, Oyekanmi said:
I believe the party will comply with extant rules. Once they do, they won’t have any problem.”

Although INEC did not specify the outstanding requirements, it was gathered that ADC is expected to submit sample signatures of the National Chairman and National Secretary, along with other documentation in line with its constitution.

INEC regulations require political parties to submit detailed resolutions, verified signatures of authorised officials, and evidence of adherence to constitutional procedures before any leadership change can be recognised.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:ADC: Why INEC Has Not Recognised David Mark, Others

Reacting to the development, ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the delay was “largely administrative” and confirmed that the party made the required submissions to INEC last Thursday.

“We have had clarity now, and we made the required submission to INEC last Thursday. We are hopeful that everything will be resolved in the coming week,” he said.

Advertisement

The party has repeatedly accused unnamed individuals of attempts to frustrate its growth ahead of the 2027 general elections and other off-cycle polls.

 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Politics

Edo Govt, PDP Bicker Over Okpebolo’s Absence ,₦4.2bn SUV Budget

Published

on

The Edo State Government and the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday traded words over an alleged absence of Governor Monday Okpebolo and his deputy , Hon Dennis Idahosa in the state.

In a statement signed by
Chris Nehihkare, Publicity Secretary,
State Caretaker Committee of the PDP, the party also accused the Edo State Government of budgeting a whooping #4.2bn for Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) and overbloating the State Executive Council with 28 Commissioner nominees.

Advertisement

Nehihkare, who said “absence of both leaders, who are currently on foreign trips, is an unprecedented abdication of duty,” alleged that their absence has left Edo in a “dangerous leadership vacuum.”

The reckless dereliction of responsibility has plunged Edo into a dangerous leadership vacuum at a time when citizens are groaning under economic hardship, worsening insecurity, and stalled public services—direct consequences of the ineptitude of the APC-led administration at both the federal and state levels,” the statement reads.

READ ALSO: PDP, Ighadola’s Appeal Will Crash, Okpehbolo Says

Advertisement

The opposition party raised the alarm over what it called a “disturbing level of wasteful spending by the Okpebholo administration.”

According to the PDP, “the government plans to spend ₦4.2 billion on luxury SUVs for these commissioners, with each vehicle priced at an estimated ₦150 million.

This reckless expansion of government comes on top of a growing army of Special Advisers, board chairmen, members, and heads of parastatals—appointments that have driven the cost of governance in Edo to an all-time high,” the statement added.

Advertisement

The party accused the administration of prioritizing luxury and patronage over the welfare of Edo citizens.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Okpehbolo Recalls Suspended Edo Attorney General

It criticized the government’s failure to follow the lead of other states that are using increased federal allocations to improve worker welfare and raise the minimum wage.

Advertisement

While other states are prioritizing workers’ welfare by raising the minimum wage in line with increased allocations from the Federation Account, the Okpebholo/Idahosa administration is fixated on buying SUVs, ‘sharing the money,’ and settling political IOUs,” the party noted.

The statement added: “Are Okpebholo and Idahosa unaware that farmers in Uhunmwonde and Ovia North-East have abandoned their farmlands due to attacks by armed gangs?” the statement questioned. “Do they not know that kidnappers continue to terrorize highways and communities across Edo, while markets in Benin and other cities are no longer safe, with traders forced to close early out of fear?”

The PDP, therefore, called on the governor and his deputy to return from their foreign trips and confront the “urgent task of governance,” which it said includes restoring security, paying workers, rehabilitating infrastructure, and improving public services.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Drama At Benin Motor Park As Pastor Chase Away Colleague, Claims Exclusive Preaching Rights

However, in a shift reaction, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Fred Itua, said the Edo State deputy governor, Hon Dennis Idahosa had since returned to the country and is discharging his duty diligently .

He urged the public to disregard the “falsehoods peddled by the PDP.

Advertisement

Edo State is not rudderless. It is firmly on course under the purposeful leadership of Governor Monday Okpebholo and his deputy, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa,” he added.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending