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SDP ‘Walk For Freedom’, Canvasses Votes For Candidates

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Supporters of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Monday embarked on a road walk in Lagos State to canvass votes for their presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo and other candidates of the party.

The supporters initially converged at the SDP Secretariat in Yaba at around 8 am from where they moved to Ebute Meta, Obalende, Iyana-Oworo, Maryland, Ikorodu Road then to Computer Village in Ikeja, soliciting votes for their candidates.

Addressing the residents in Obalende and other areas, the vice-presidential candidate of the party Mr.Yusuf Buhari, urged those who were yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to take advantage of the deadline extension by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do so.

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READ ALSO: SDP Presidential Candidate, Adebayo Faults CBN Policy On Naira Redesign

Buhari said the party chose ‘Walk for Democracy’ as part of the Lagos presidential campaign rally to reach out to the grassroots and educate voters on why they need to vote for SDP as the best alternative that would transform Nigeria.

Also speaking with journalists, the Deputy Director General for SDP presidential campaign council, Mrs. Khadija Okunnu-Lamidi, said the party is one of the oldest political parties in the country, urging Nigerians to vote for Adebayo as the next president.

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Okunnu-Lamidi said “This is the party that gives mandate to Late MKO Abiola. The democracy at that period was truncated. This is thirty years after and we are in 2023, as luck would have it, we now have another candidate who understands the issues, and how to govern.

” He is very intelligent and well-educated. He is very much in tune with the reality of the grassroots, and that’s what is important, most of the candidates we have now have been in the system and are corrupted by the system, we can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results.

“This is why it’s important that Prince Adewole Adebayo, who is the people’s choice, should be given a chance to govern the country”.

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She said that the party will get rid of poverty in the country, saying that if poverty was eradicated, other issues like unemployment, insecurity and other challenges facing the country would be a thing of the past.

Okunnu-Lamidi said “Our campaign is all about farewell to poverty. This farewell to poverty is the same theme that MKO Abiola had, but guess what, thirty years later, poverty is getting worse, insecurity now has a grandchild called kidnapping, and all metrics you can use to measure poverty have increased. The number of people and the level of poverty itself also increased.

”We are here to eradicate poverty and insecurity. These things, once we take care of them, solve the whole issue, solve healthcare problems, and give dignity back to the citizens. Where there is dignity of lives, our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will increase. We have the number, we just need to get productivity out of them. A hungry man can’t work and strategize and these are the things to fix in order to boost productivity and boost the economic status of everyone.

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”I urge Nigerians not to sell their votes but vote their conscience and presidential candidate that would assist in reposing confidence in Nigerians”.

She added: “We expect Nigerians to make a choice devoid of money, as you know the money that is being spent in politics, most of the politicians are not spending their money, rather they spend your money to campaign to you, to continue doing the same things. I expect Nigerians to listen to issues and stop getting swayed by the theatre they are bringing into it.

”They are not talking about poverty, they are not talking about how to address the problem of out-of-school children, they are not talking about finding lasting solutions to the flooding in Nigeria, they are not talking about the availability of potable water, good healthcare. What they are talking about is to keep dancing, keep thinking that politics is a game or theatre or a clown show. No, it is real because it affects your life.

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READ ALSO: Why I Declined Chatham House Invitation – SDP Presidential Candidate

”I am glad that we are finally getting to the issues and we are finally leaving that nonsense behind and bringing someone like Prince Adewole Adebayo who is young. Our candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo is 51 years old and he is capable of turning things for the better in Nigeria “.

The walk was led by the 0residential candidate of SDP, Prince Adewole Adebayo, running mate, Mr. Yusuf Buhari, the Deputy Director-General of SDP Presidential Campaign Council, Mrs. Khadija Okunu- Lamidi and other Chieftains.

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BREAKING: Nigerian Senate Approves Tinubu’s N1.15tn Loan Request

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The Nigerian Senate has approved the request of President Bola Tinubu to raise N1.15 trillion from the domestic debt market to cover the unfunded portion of the 2025 budget deficit.

This comes after the adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt during plenary on Wednesday.

According to the committee, the 2025 Appropriation Act provides for a total expenditure of N59.99 trillion, representing an increase of N5.25 trillion over the N54.74 trillion initially proposed by the Executive.

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The expansion created a total budget deficit of N14.10 trillion. Of this, N12.95 trillion had already been approved for borrowing, leaving an unfunded deficit of approximately N1.15 trillion (N1,147,462,863,321).

READ ALSO:Senate Uncovers $300bn Unaccounted Crude Oil Sales

In a related development, a motion by Senator Abdul Ningi was adopted, directing the Senate Committee on Appropriations to intensify its oversight to ensure that the borrowed funds are properly implemented in the 2025 fiscal year and used strictly for their intended purposes.

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Recall that President Tinubu had on November 4th requested the approval of the National Assembly for a fresh N1.15 trillion borrowing from the domestic debt market to help finance the deficit in the 2025 budget.

The President’s request was conveyed in a letter. According to the letter, the proposed borrowing is intended to bridge the funding gap and ensure full implementation of government programs and projects under the 2025 fiscal plan.

 

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Agege LG Chairman Resigns

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Agege Local Government
Mr. Tunde Azeez Disco has stepped down as the Executive Chairman of Agege Local Government, citing persistent health challenges as the reason for his resignation.

The former chairman submitted his resignation letter to the Agege Local Government Legislative Arm.

He noted that his health status had significantly impacted his ability to effectively discharge his official duties.

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The legislative house, while acknowledging Azeez Disco’s dedication to public service, quickly accepted the decision. Following a thorough deliberation, a unanimous resolution was passed, accepting the resignation with immediate effect.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Tinubu’s Minister Resigns Amid Allegations

The council wished the outgoing chairman well in his future endeavours, with the event underlining the necessity for public officials to prioritise personal health and well-being.

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Ganiyu Obasa, son of the Speaker, Lagos State Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, is the Vice chairman of Agege Local Government.

In May, residents of Agege, under the banner of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the local government election in Agege.

They claimed that Obasa allegedly plans to foist his surrogates as candidates in the local government and councillorship elections.

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READ ALSO:APC Disowns Members Calling For State Secretary’s Resignation

In a meeting held in response to the announcement of candidates for the chairmanship and vice-chairmanship of the Agege Local Government and Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA), the aggrieved residents alleged that those shortlisted as candidates to represent the area were handpicked by Obasa.

They said the process was void of internal democracy and collective participation.

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Addressing the media, Kamardeen Sabitu, chairman of the PCC for Agege and Orile-Agege, alleged that Obasa did everything possible to manipulate the political structure in the area for personal gain.

During the protest, demonstrators carried placards reading “Red Card, Obasa O to ge, (it is enough). They also chanted songs such as “Enough is Enough, this suffering is enough, Tinubu, rescue us.”

READ ALSO:Elon Musk’s X CEO Resigns

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Sabitu added that the people have endured years of political marginalisation under Obasa’s influence. He recalled that the movement against imposed candidates began in 2018, during which one of the protesters died and 11 others were jailed.

There is no true democracy in Agege. Since 2018, we’ve been resisting Obasa’s control. We salute everyone standing up to this political imposition. One person cannot dominate Agege politics,” Sabitu said.

He emphasised that while the group remains loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and is also appreciative of the party’s leadership, they will not accept candidates imposed on them without proper consultation.

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JUST IN: Reps In Rowdy Session, Reject Key Motions

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The plenary session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday turned rowdy after members voted against some motions of urgent public importance, which bordered on the protection of lives and key government assets.

With the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, presiding, the session became rowdy, as members dissolved into a closed-door session to restore order.

It all started when the member representing Somolu Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Ademorin Kuye, drew the attention of his colleagues to what he called the illegal allocation of lands within the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex and prayed the House to refer the matter to the Committee on Public Assets for investigation.

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Kuye, a member of the All Progressives Congress is the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Assets.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: All Enugu Reps Defect To APC

Proposing an amendment to the prayers, Delta lawmaker and Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, argued that though the matter brought before the Green Chamber is urgent enough, the Committee on Commerce, not Public Assets, should be in charge of the investigation.

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Waive was supported by Akwa Ibom lawmaker, Mark Esset, who argued that “It is the Committee on Commerce that should take responsibility on this matter.”

On the other hand, Yusuf Gagdi representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, Plateau State, supported Kuye, stating that the Public Assets Committee should be allowed to take charge of investigating the allegation of illegal land sale and submit a report to the House.

With no end to the back-and-forth argument in sight, Gbefwi Gaza (SDP, Nasarawa) on the advice of Kalu, proposed the constitution of an Ad-hoc Committee comprising members of both Committees (Public Assets and Commerce) to conduct the probe.

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READ ALSO:Reps Move To Regulate Cryptocurrency, POS Operations

When subjected to a voice vote, almost an equal number of lawmakers voted in support and against the motion.

Not sure whose voices were louder, Kalu gave it to the nays, sparking unrest in the chamber.

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Next on the order of urgent motions was Mohammed Bio representing Baruten/Kaima Federal Constituency, Kwara State.

Bio who lamented the worsening security situation in his constituency, prayed the House to urge the military to establish a base in the crisis-prone areas to stem the tides of attacks.

READ ALSO:List Of 46 Proposed New States Submitted To House Of Reps

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This time, more lawmakers voted against the motion, to the surprise of Kalu and the Kwara lawmaker.

It became clear to Kalu that members had resolved to frustrate the day’s session owing to the rejection of Kuye’s motion.

So, when again voices thundered against Ayodeji Alao-Akala’s motion which drew members’ attention to the need to address Nigeria’s description as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States President, Mr Donald Trump; Kalu allowed the motion to pass, forcing members to openly oppose the decision.

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Voices of dissent rent the chambers and the plenary was suspended for a closed-door session.

…Details later

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