Politics

Pastor Tunde Bakare Obtains APC Presidential Form

Published

4 years ago

May 5, 2022

Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Nigeria, PastorTunde Bakare, has obtained the N100 million presidential Expression of Interest and Nomination forms of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

He obtained the forms at the All Progressives Congress headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

The pastor would officially declare his presidential ambition on Monday, May 9, 2022, at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Central Business District in Abuja, according to a statement,

The statement was obtained by The PUNCH correspondent on Thursday.

Tunde Bakare was a former Vice-Presidential candidate to Muhammadu Buhari during the 2011 elections under the Congress for Progressive Change and he is also the Convener of the Save Nigeria Group.

The statement read, “Having been privileged to serve Nigeria in various nation-building capacities, I intend to take a step further in the service of our beloved country and of you, her worthy citizen, by running for the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Citizens of our nation, elder statesmen and stateswomen, political leaders, traditional leaders, overseers of religious establishments, members of civil society, policymakers, students, public servants from the national and sub-national levels of government, stakeholders from the private sector, the intelligentsia, opinion moulders, thought leaders from various institutions of knowledge, and every Nigerian, home and abroad – of my intention to contest.

“Propelled by the desire to rebuild Nigeria into a nation that works for every Nigerian, I have, in the past, engaged in the political process as running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 presidential elections under the Congress for Progressive Change, and subsequently, as the founding member of the All Progressives Congress who moved the motion for the merger that produced the APC.

“I have also served as a leader in the civic space as the Convener of Save Nigeria Group, a coalition of civil society groups that facilitated the rightful recognition of President Goodluck Ebe le Jonathan, first as Acting President, and then as substantive president, through a grassroots people movement and high-level advocacy.

“In 2014, it was my privilege to be selected as a South-West Delegate to the National Conference, where I proposed “The Nigerian Charter for National Reconciliation and Integration” that was unanimously adopted and incorporated into the final report.

“Furthermore, I have been actively involved in awakening collective citizen ownership through the pulpit as the founding Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, formerly known as The Latter Rain Assembly.

“I have, in addition, contributed to engendering social, political and economic shifts in Nigeria through propositional platforms, including through such initiatives as the New Nigeria Dialogues, the inaugural event of a think-tank I founded in 2009. I have also provided pro bono advisory services to government institutions through key policy inputs, while fostering coalition-building across divides, in addition to building thriving businesses in diverse sectors.

“I have remained committed to harnessing my local and international networks, platforms and resources towards
the emergence of the New Nigeria. As I offer myself to serve you and to work with you towards the peace, progress and prosperity of Nigeria, as well as the realisation of the enormous possibilities of a great nation in this decade, it would be a great privilege to welcome you as my special guest on the occasion of the formal declaration of intent.”

Politics

Dino Melaye Reacts To Malami’s Arraignment For Money Laundering

Published

1 day ago

December 30, 2025

Editor

Ex-Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, has reacted to the arraignment of a former Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Abubakar Malami, before an Abuja Federal High Court.

Melaye wished Malami well as he began his trial for corruption.

Posting on X, the former lawmaker recalled how he was prosecuted by Malami over what he described as frivolous cases while he was the AGF.

He wrote: “Reminded me of how I was appearing in different courts when Malami as AGF was prosecuting me over frivolous cases including taking over one of the police cases against me. Wish him.well.”

Malami, his son Abdulaziz, and another individual are facing a 16-count charge of money laundering.

They were arraigned on allegations of unlawful acquisition and concealment of funds.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Politics

What PDP Said About Wike’s Media Parley

Published

2 days ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, of being a constant agent of provocation in the political space, alleging that he creates trouble to mask selfish intentions.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, stated this in a statement issued on Monday in response to Wike’s media parley with selected journalists in Port Harcourt, also held on Monday.

According to the PDP, remarks made by the minister on several occasions are proof that he falls short of being a locus classicus of anti-democratic adventurism.

The party said Wike’s conduct was not new, stressing that he has consistently acted as an agent provocateur in the political arena, stirring controversy to advance personal interests.

The PDP further stated that since Wike assumed office as Governor of Rivers State in 2015, he has remained a recurrent source of trouble within the party’s leadership.

“From the Sheriff era, where he was a forerunner in the Sheriff-for-National Chairman movement and later turned to fight and remove Sheriff; later he championed the Uche Secondus-for-National Chairman movement (in fact, he granted a very combustible interview that polarized the party just before the convention) and then was the same person fighting to remove Secondus.

“The same Wike led the movement to produce Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman against the advice of many party leaders, and so soon thereafter, it was Wike again who led the Ayu-must-go struggle.

“By his end-of-year media chat, Minister Nyesom Wike has reiterated his support for, and in fact declared that he is the ‘number one supporter’ of the presumptive candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 Presidential election, while remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, confirming the basis of his expulsion from the PDP, for anti-party activities,” the statement said.

Politics

JUST IN: INEC Excludes PDP From Ekiti Governorship Election

Published

2 days ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the 2026 Ekiti governorship election, Dr Wole Oluyede, and his deputy were conspicuously absent as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, released the provisional list of party candidates ahead of the election.

INEC on Monday posted the list of candidates from 12 political parties vying for the state’s top job at its office on New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The list shows that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is fielding the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, with Monisade Afuye as his running mate.

Other candidates include Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party, with Omoyemi Olaleye as deputy; Akande Oluwasegun of the African Action Congress, paired with Oluwasanmi Fajuyigbe; and Ayodeji Ojo of the Action Democratic Party, with Itunu Ibitoye as running mate.

Similarly, the African Democratic Congress is presenting Oluwadare Bejide and Paul Olowoyeye, while the Action Peoples Party has Bidemi Awogbemi and Akinyemi Adewumi on its ticket.

The PDP’s absence may not be unconnected with the leadership crisis currently rocking the party at the national level.