Politics

PGF Wants APC Manifesto ReviewedTo Strengthen National Unity

Published

5 years ago

July 19, 2021

Ahead of the 2023 general election, Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, has called for the review of manifesto of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to strengthen political initiatives for national unity.

The PGF chairman made the call amidst the challenge of insecurity seemingly disunity bedeviling the country.

According to him, the big question is whether the contest for leadership of the country in 2023 will prioritise processes of national consensus building through negotiation and agreement.

In a statement made available to newsmen Sunday in Abuja, Lukman identified inability of Nigerian politician to facilitate political negotiations and consensus building as bane for the current difficulties facing all the geo-political zones of the country.

“For those of us in APC, the process of re-organisation going on in the party present an advantage. For instance, it should be possible to commence a campaign to review provisions of the APC manifesto to strengthen political initiatives for national unity.

“Will political leaders from all the six geo-political regions commit themselves to implementing agreements that can strengthen the bonds of unity among citizens from the six geo-political regions? What could be the details of such agreements? And to what extent could the agreements meet the expectations of citizens from all the six geo-political regions? Beyond which region produces the successor of President Buhari, what will be the commitment of the post-2023 Nigerian president to specific agenda of regional developments of both the region he/she come from and the other five regions?

“Invariably, how will our political parties respond to the challenge of mainstreaming initiatives to facilitate consensus building activities, involving negotiations and agreements to produce the right balance for equitable, just and fair access to Nigeria’s resources by all sections of the country and all citizens.

“Will parties and their leaders take steps to produce leaders from the regions who can facilitate the unity of the country? Or will parties continue to prioritise issues of regional/ethnic politics at the expense of national unity? At the same time, will parties be able to ensure that once there are agreements on issues that have implications for national unity, leaders are committed to their implementation unassailably? Is there even any prospect that the question of national unity will be a major political agenda of any of our parties?”

The APC chieftain said: “Part of the projection should be to get the next National Convention of the party adopt a new manifesto, which would highlight major commitments of the party for national unity to be use during the 2023 campaigns. Integral to the campaign for national unity is the issue of how the party intend to handle negotiation for the emergence of the standard bearer for 2023 elections. In many respects, these are issues that should be handled internally within the structures of the party with all the confidence that principles of justice, equity and fairness can be achieved.

“This means that the campaign for power shift, which is about writing or respecting the rules of our parties, should be handled within the structures of the APC. There will always be conflicting interests in terms of who determine how agreements are reached internally within parties.

“The reality of our contemporary development as a nation in this Fourth Republic, since 1999, is that during the sixteen years of PDP tenure, processes of respecting political agreements within the PDP have been mismanaged and undermined. With the emergence of our party, APC, in 2013, our leaders were able to skillfully handle negotiations for leadership based on strategic consideration of winning the votes of Nigerians.”

Lukman also called on APC leaders to return to the 2013 mode of leadership negotiations for 2023.

“APC leaders must return to that 2013 mode and handle leadership negotiations for 2023 very carefully and skillfully. APC should continue to work towards setting the right standards for Nigerian politics, which should prioritise national unity!

“Now that 2023 politics is heating up, what is it that can be done specifically to ensure that Nigerian politics begin to focus on mobilising political leaders and establishments to facilitate national unity? First things first; Political leaders from all the six geo-political regions must recognise that they can’t have everything.

“Therefore, the notion of exclusive possession of everything of value in Nigeria is impossible. Ab initio, political leaders and citizens must recognise that something just has to give for regions to maximise what they can have. The spirit of sacrifice by all will be required in order to guarantee any prospect for regional development under a united Nigeria.

“It however needs to be stressed that any choice made by political leaders, should not be expected to be perfect or unassailable. If choices made by leaders are to achieve the desired objectives of meeting the expectations of Nigerians, they must be engaged by both citizens and leaders must also recognise that they need to engage citizens to be able to win their support.”

Politics

2027: Why I’m Supporting Tinubu’s Re-election — Alex Otti

Published

7 hours ago

September 25, 2026

Editor

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has said his position as governor and member of the National Economic Council leaves him with no choice but to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027, even though he belongs to the opposition Labour Party (LP).

Speaking in an exclusive interview aired on Arise Television on Friday, Otti was asked whether his backing for Tinubu amounted to a “comfortable arrangement” between him and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He agreed with the characterisation, saying he was not in a position to oppose the President’s candidacy.

“It works the way you have said. It’s a statement of fact. I am not in a position to oppose his candidacy,” Otti said.

The governor explained that being part of government came with obligations that ruled out open opposition to Tinubu, warning that such a stance could trigger “implosion” within the system he serves.

“And sometimes people don’t understand the opposition. When you say opposition, and you are part of a government, then what you are driving towards is implosion.

“So if I do have a problem with anything, I’ll sit down in one of our meetings and I’ll make my point. So I’m not going to oppose his candidacy,” he added.

He said his role on the National Economic Council effectively tied him to decisions taken by the Federal Government, leaving him little room to distance himself from Tinubu’s re-election project.

“I had also said that as a governor in this republic, that a lot of the things that are being, in fact, I’m part of all the things that have been done as a member of National Economic Council. So, we should distinguish that.

“When somebody now says, ‘Oh, you are supporting or you’re not,’ I have to support him,” he said.

Pressed further on whether he was supporting Tinubu for re-election, Otti pointed to earlier remarks in which he said he still had a presidential candidate for the Labour Party. When the interviewer suggested Tinubu was that candidate, he pushed back.

“No, that’s not what I said,” he said.

Asked to clarify whether he meant a Labour Party presidential candidate, Otti replied, “Yes.” Returned to the question of his support for Tinubu, he responded: “What do you expect me to say? To say I’m not supporting him?”

Otti maintained that Tinubu had every right to contest the 2027 election, and noted that several of the President’s policies aligned with positions he had long held himself, pointing to the removal of the fuel subsidy as an example.

“Quit frankly, there are a lot of things that we have talked about now, that he has implemented, that resonate with me and my thinking.

“People don’t have to agree with me, but from where I sit, I know that for instance, the fuel subsidy was even unsustainable,” Otti said.

Politics

Crisis Rocks NDC Over Obi-Kwankwaso Campaign Council

Published

4 days ago

September 21, 2026

Editor

A fresh crisis appears to be brewing within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) following a sharp disagreement between the party’s National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses, and the OK Movement over the latter’s role and independence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The OK Movement, in a statement signed by its National Secretary, Saadatu Sani, accused the NDC National Chairman of making statements it described as defamatory and reflective of a misunderstanding of the movement’s structure, independence and constitutional foundation.

The statement followed a recent publication attributed to Moses concerning the movement and the involvement of its National Director General, Hon. John Ughulu, in the Lagos State primaries.

The OK Movement had, on Thursday, unveiled a 59-member presidential campaign council ahead of the 2027 general elections. Cleopas, however, on Saturday, dissociated itself from the porported campaign council.

The OK Movement urged the NDC chairman to familiarise himself with the party’s constitution before making assertions about the rights, responsibilities and independence of political movements associated with the party.

“Leadership is ultimately measured by knowledge, restraint, integrity and respect for established rules, not by insults, personal attacks or defamatory assertions,” the statement said.

The movement stressed that its support for the NDC and its candidates did not make it subject to the personal approval of any individual within the party.

According to the statement, the OK Movement recognises the supremacy of political parties within their constitutional and statutory sphere and intends to campaign for the NDC’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates, as well as other party candidates across the country in areas where it has resolved to support them.

However, it maintained that it remained an independent political organisation with its own leadership, organisational structure, ideology and internal processes.

“We will campaign for the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the party,” the statement said.

“We will campaign for candidates of the NDC Party across the country where the movement has resolved to support them. But we do not require the personal validation or approval of any individual before exercising our legitimate organisational functions,” it added.

The movement further rejected suggestions that its activities were driven by the pursuit of political appointments or positions within the party.

It said the organisation was built from the grassroots and did not depend on the sponsorship of any individual or political office holder.

The OK Movement also claimed to have approximately 2.5 million registered members and coordinators in its internal database, describing itself as a long-term political movement rather than a temporary support group established for an election cycle.

The organisation said its objective was to mobilise Nigerians around demands for improved governance, economic opportunity, accountability and citizen-centred development.

Politics

Why I Lent Peter Obi My Vehicle During Benue Visit — Ortom

Published

2 weeks ago

September 13, 2026

Editor

Former Benue Governor, Samuel Ortom, has explained why he lent his vehicle to the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, during the latter’s recent visit to the state.

Ortom, through his media aide, Terver Akase, said he decided to assist Obi with transportation as a matter of courtesy, stressing that refusing to help a former governor and presidential candidate would have been “petty” and unbecoming of a former governor.

Obi had visited Benue last Tuesday as part of plans to meet victims and families affected by the June 2025 massacre in Yelewata.

However, his planned movement from Makurdi to Yelewata was disrupted after youths reportedly blocked his convoy around Gyado Villa, a few kilometres from the airport.

Following the incident, Governor Hyacinth Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, alleged that Ortom was involved in facilitating Obi’s visit.

Tersoo said a state government investigation traced the vehicle used to convey Obi from Makurdi Airport to Ortom.

He identified the vehicle as a Toyota Land Cruiser with registration number GWA 608 BT, claiming that Federal Road Safety Corps records showed it was registered in Ortom’s name and linked to his Judges Quarters address in Makurdi.

The governor’s aide also questioned why Ortom, who has declared support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, would provide his vehicle to Obi.

But Ortom dismissed the suggestion that lending his vehicle to Peter Obi amounted to political collaboration.

He said Obi, as a former governor and presidential candidate, deserved basic courtesy while visiting the state on what he described as a humanitarian mission.

“Peter Obi is a former governor, a presidential candidate and one of the most prominent political figures in the country,” he said.

Ortom added that refusing to assist Obi would have been viewed as “petty, inhospitable and beneath the dignity of a former governor.”

He described attempts to politicise the gesture as “ridiculous and shameful”, accusing the Alia administration of creating controversy around what he called a “humane, courteous and statesmanlike gesture.”

Ortom also rejected claims that his action made him “double-faced”, noting that although he supported Obi in 2023, he had since publicly declared his support for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.