Politics

Presidency, Opposition Exchange Words Over Tinubu’s Overseas Trips

Published

9 months ago

November 30, 2024

Major opposition parties have faulted President Bola Tinubu’s frequent travel abroad.

According to them, the president is more interested in globetrotting than addressing pressing issues in the country.

But the presidency said a leader who sought to bring foreign investments couldn’t afford to sit back when the harvest was out there.

In the past 18 months in office, Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have embarked on 43 trips across 28 countries.

The PUNCH analysis has shown that the president has visited 17 countries on 30 foreign trips.

The President is currently in France for a state visit.

Commenting on the trips, the National Deputy Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, Timothy Osadolor, described Tinubu as a globetrotting president.

He said, “He believes more than ever before that being a president is only an exercise by how much you travel across the world. He’s busy globetrotting rather than sitting down to cut waste and develop the country’s economy. Foreign trips are good for investment attraction.

“But why do you have ministers of trade and investments as well as foreign ambassadors in this country? Also, these are several international business platforms the government should explore on one hand.”

Osadolor wondered why the funds spent on such trips could not be put to good use to salvage thousands of jobless Nigerian youths.

“The humongous taxpayer’s money being used on these contingents would be more than enough to set up more than 20 small-scale industries that could take over 10,000 youths off the streets of joblessness, and our production would have increased,” the youth leader added.

Speaking on the matter, the National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Ladipo Johnson, expressed reservations about the president’s frequent travels abroad.

According to Johnson, the trend is becoming worrisome.

He said, “It is not looking good. We don’t know the resultant effects of his globetrotting. At the moment, they tell us it will yield investments, but we haven’t seen it. How will investors come in when the economy doesn’t seem to be turning around? Then we also have the security issues to contend with.

“At the end of the day, we will see his scorecard when they mark his papers by May next year, which will be the mid-term of his four years. Then we can see the result of what he has invested so much in travelling and what has come out of it.”

Meanwhile, the presidential spokesman, Sunday Dare, who spoke in an interview with TVC, on Friday, explained that Tinubu as the ‘chief marketer’ of Nigeria couldn’t afford to sit back.

He said, “I think that for a country looking for direct investment and trying to pursue a new trajectory when it comes to the critical sector of the economy, there is a need for the new president to quickly make sure that he interacts with other presidents, investors and big international organisations who are present at most of these meetings they attend.

“Yes, there is work for the president at home, but he cannot be a sit-at-home president. He must go out there and speak for this country. He needs to make a strong pitch. The president is the number one spokesperson for his administration. These trips aren’t junkets. They are critical for the country’s development.”
PUNCH

Politics

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

Published

23 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

1 day 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.