Politics

Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Ezekwesili Knocks APC, PDP For Insensitivity

Published

3 years ago

October 2, 2022

Former Minister of Information, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has knocked the ruling All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party for not considering Nigeria’s cultural diversity and ethnoreligious factors before settling for their choice of presidential candidates.

A livid Ezekwesili aired her grievance when she appeared on Politics Today, a popular programme on Channels Television on Sunday night.

The presidential primaries of both parties, which were conducted in the second quarter of this year have produced former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the flagbearer of the APC and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as candidate of the PDP.

But Ezekwesili believed the situation could have been better if both parties give conscientious consideration to the feelings of Nigerians and agreed to follow due process.

She said, “Look at what APC and PDP did. It is utterly contemptible. First, you have got APC. How could you possibly be fielding Muslim-Muslim candidates in a society that has always found a way to ensure a balance, even in the time of the military?

“We are a diverse society and it is important that we manage our diverse ethnicity in such a way that it won’t breed conflict. The military was smart to always have the northern head of state get a younger deputy from the South that is a Christian. Then you come to democracy and you are not even sensitive to that? It is like being contemptible of a section of the population, which is not right.

“And then you look at the PDP. This is a party that says it tends to build around inclusion to make it easier for rotational principles for the emergence of their candidate.

“Suddenly, a candidate emerged who has been running for the same office on many occasions. Why would that happen? The time for a candidate from the South East as you always clamour is now.

“But they upstaged that and yet have the arrogance to tell them they have no reason to complain. This is the season of character, competence and capacity. My God! It is sophistry. Within the South East, they could have found someone with the character, competence and capacity we are talking about.

“And by the way, Mr Obi who is now the candidate of Labour Party, was in your party. If you really needed the triple character, competence and capacity in a way that is just, equitable and inclusive in your PDP, you could have made Peter Obi your candidate.”

The former minister stated that it was the unfair manner the two major political parties behaved that is fuelling the kind of support that Obi is receiving at the moment.

This is even she predicted that the 2023 general elections may either work in favour of the political elite who are always eager to cling to power or clinched by young Nigerians who are eager to do away with the Old Order.

“There are two possible outcomes in the 2023 elections. This extant political class in their ruthlessness can blatantly say ‘we are not going anywhere and blatantly do anything to take the nation down in order to retain the status quo. That’s a possible outcome. But it is an outcome we can possibly mitigate by our collective effort.

“The other outcome is the current mobilisation of people to come out en-mass and vote with their PVCs. And not just vote but stay there as a guardian angel, especially to make sure that the credible process that the INEC has promised us is done.

“The INEC as the regulator of the process has to be above board and beyond reproach. Anything that is contrary will not be welcome by the citizen,” she said.

Politics

Ambassadorial Nominees: Ndume Asks Tinubu To Withdraw List

Published

15 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Editor

Ahead of the Senate’s screening and confirmation of the ambassadorial nominees sent to the Red Chamber by the Presidency, former Senate Leader Ali Ndume has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to withdraw the list from parliament.

The federal lawmaker declared that the composition of nominees was in clear breach of the Federal Character principle, as enshrined in the Constitution.

Checks revealed that while certain states have three and four nominees, states like Gombe have no representation, while the only nominee from Yobe, Senator Adamu Garba Talba, died last July.

The entire North East state has 7 nominees in the list.

Further checks revealed that the South West geopolitical zone has 15 nominees, while the North West and South East have 13 and 9, respectively.

North Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominees, while South South region has 12 nominees.

The Senate President at plenary on Thursday formally read the list of nominees and referred it to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for further legislative action.

The Senator representing Borno South in a statement issued on Saturday maintained that the list of nominees was in clear breach of Section 14(3) of the Nigerian Constitution which mandates that the composition and conduct of the federal government must reflect the “federal character of Nigeria” to ensure national unity and loyalty.

The section reads: “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”

The former Chief Whip of the Senate admonished President Tinubu to avoid taking decision that will fuel ethnic tension and promote distrust in the country, amidst the wrong narrative being promoted by the Western world against his administration.

He said: “My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical time in the life of his administration, he should avoid missteps that could endanger national unity and promote ethnic distrust.

“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholders in the country.

“He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on Federal Character Principle that government’s structure and operations must represent the diverse states and peoples of Nigeria.”

Politics

PDP Issues Certificate Of Expulsion To Wike, Fayose, Anyanwu, Others

Published

4 days ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it has issued certificate of expulsion from the party to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other 10 members earlier expelled from the party.

The party National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen after the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

The other members, according to him, include the embattled National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, the Legal Adviser, Kamarudeen Ajibade, former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.

They also included Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah Nnanna, George Turna and Chief Dan Orbih, expelled during the party National convention in Lagos.

Turaki said that the original copies of the certificate had been dispatched to the owners through a courier service to serve as proof that they were expelled from the PDP.

“We have taken note of the fact that Nigerian law frowns on dual membership of political parties, and so we have sought to make it easy for them.

“Now that they are no longer members of our party, and now that the National Convention, which is the highest decision-making organ of our party, has expelled them, we have decided to issue them certificates of expulsion.

“So, when they go to register with other political parties in Nigeria, they will show these certificates as proof that they are no longer members of the PDP.

“By that, those parties will not accuse them of trying to belong to more than one political party,” he said.

He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, and other government agencies, to take note.

“Very soon, members of the society will be informed via proper disclaimers that any person henceforth who decides to do business with them, any or all of them, does so at his or her own risk.

“They are no longer members of the PDP. They have been expelled,” he added.

He added that the NWC also reviewed some of the cases filed against the party and lawsuits instituted by the party, particularly the one that related to the “unlawful and illegal” closure of the party’s national Secretariat, the Legacy House, and the Wadata Plaza.

“The brief we received from our lawyers is that we are on sound ground, and that very soon, the law will take its course,” he said.

Turaki said the NWC was prepared to be saddled with the responsibility of performing its functions as the leading opposition party in Nigeria.

“We are going to provide a credible alternative to Nigerians. We are going to provide credible leadership to Nigerians by the special grace of God from 2027,” he said.

Politics

Adebayo Adedamola Wins Osun PDP Governorship Primary

Published

5 days ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, popularly known as FRYO, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the August 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

The primary election took place in Osogbo on Tuesday amid heavy security presence.

Announcing the result, chairman of the primary election committee, Humphrey Abba, stated that Adebayo secured 919 votes out of 957 accredited ballots, giving him a clear victory in the contest.

Explaining that there were 20 void votes following the withdrawal of one of the candidates, believed to be Governor Ademola Adeleke, Abba added, “The candidate that got the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and he stands elected and returned.”

DAILY POST reports that despite announcing his resignation from the party, Adeleke’s name appeared on the ballot paper for the PDP governorship primary.

Party officials said the exercise was conducted in accordance with established guidelines, with accredited delegates participating in the voting process.

Adeleke announced his resignation in a letter dated November 4, 2025, and addressed to the PDP leadership at his ward.

On Monday, Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, had announced that the governorship primary slated for Tuesday, December 2, 2025, has been postponed due to leadership crisis at the national level.

But a faction of the party went ahead with the exercise in Osogbo on Tuesday.