Politics

Why Obasanjo Is Not Qualified To Recommend Presidential Candidate – Tinubu

Published

2 years ago

January 5, 2023

Editor

Obasanjo Laid Foundation Of Challenges Facing Nigeria – Oshiomhole

The presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has said former President Olusegun Obasanjo was not qualified to recommend or endorse anyone as President of Nigeria because of his failures.

Tinubu said this on Thursday in Edo State while speaking at the APC Presidential Campaign rally held at the University of Benin Sports Complex, Ugbowo Campus, Benin.

The APC flagbearer said Obasanjo failed to develop the country when he had the opportunity, but rather was fighting his then Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, accusing each other of spending the country’s money for their personal comfort.

Tinubu also noted that after spending $16billion on electricity, Obasanjo and the PDP government could not deliver electricity for Nigerians to make even popcorn.

As Lagos governor, Tinubu recalled how he brought Enron Power to generate electricity and solve the power problem in the commercial nerve centre of the country but the project was frustrated by the Obasanjo-led PDP government.

Tinubu told the Edo people that his administration would focus on job creation through small-scale industries, build a credible credit system for capital formation, bring multibillion-dollar investments to Edo State and end estimated electricity billing.

Tinubu said, “I brought Enron to solve the electricity problem and help Lagos economy but Obasanjo and PDP frustrated it. They punished me and Lagos people and even began deducting our money. I created Local Governments in Lagos to accelerate development and create employment for our people but Obasanjo siezed our allocation and punished us for that.

“That was wickedness and such a man said he endorsed a man for you to vote as President. Can you follow such a man? Can Obasanjo recommend a leader for anyone in Nigeria? A man who does not know the way cannot show the way.”

The former Governor of Lagos said the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku was not qualified to be President of Nigeria having indicted himself on his record as a civil servant.

“Atiku and Obasanjo accused themselves of using Nigeria’s money to buy cars for their comfort. Atiku was a custom officer who said he made money selling cars, that is smuggling. He didn’t even know that a civil servant cannot do any other business apart from agriculture. That is enough to disqualify him and he is not fit to be President.”

On his plan for the economy and Edo people, Tinubu said it was time to eliminate darkness and make the economy of the country productive through massive industrialisation, promising to make Edo state a hub of industrial activities and an energy state.

On his part, former national chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, urged those present at the rally to go and convince their siblings to vote for Tinubu, describing the presidential candidate as a unifier and someone who promoted multi party system in the country.

Oshiomhole who also noted that Obasanjo laid the foundation of the challenges facing the nation, said Tinubu possessed what Nigeria needs as a country.

He said: “What Nigeria needs is what Tinubu possessed.

“Asiwaju says he will bring back all moribund industries.”

He continued: “People can no longer go to farm because of insecurity, but I assure you Asiwaju is going to deal with this.

“Asiwaju will empower women, because he has done it.”

Earlier in his welcome address, APC chairman in Edo State, Col. David Imuse (rtd.) described Tinubu as the most qualified candidate among other candidates.

Politics

Atiku, El-Rufai Coalition Seeks INEC Registration For New Party

Published

8 hours ago

June 21, 2025

Editor

The National Opposition Coalition Group, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has formally applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the registration of a new political party—the All Democratic Alliance.

The application, dated June 19, was acknowledged by INEC on Friday, signalling the coalition’s determination to float a new platform instead of aligning with any existing political party.

The formation of ADA, backed by some other key political heavyweights, including former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and Umar Ardo, convener of the League of Northern Democrats and former aide to President Olusegun Obasanjo, seeks to capitalise on mounting public dissatisfaction and political realignments to stop President Bola Tinubu at the next poll.

The application comes just a few days after INEC warned political groups that no amount of pressure or public sentiment would override the need for strict compliance with constitutional and electoral guidelines.

The commission reiterated that party registration remains a rigorous constitutional process—not merely a political declaration.

With Thursday’s application, the national opposition coalition has now put an end to weeks of speculation about whether it would revive a dormant political platform or launch a fresh one altogether.

A copy of the application letter, obtained by our correspondent in Abuja, was jointly signed by the association’s Protem National Chairman, Chief Akin A. Rickets, and Protem National Secretary, Abdullahi Elayo.

The letter partly read, “We respectfully write to the Independent National Electoral Commission, requesting the registration of our association, the All Democratic Alliance, as a political party.

“This is a sequel to the decision taken by the Nigerian National Coalition Group to sponsor our association for full registration.

“The name of the party shall be All Democratic Alliance with ADA as our acronym and ‘Justice for All’ as our slogan.”

The coalition also submitted relevant documents, including the party’s constitution, manifesto, logo, and minutes of its foundational meetings.

The party’s symbol prominently features a maize (corn), which the applicants say represents abundance, resilience, and sustenance—core ideals they hope to promote.

“We have further attached our manifesto encompassing details of our party ideology and our constitution providing the legal framework that defines our identity, structures, and organisation,” the letter continued.

Politics

Rivers LG Administrator Appointed By Ibas Resigns

Published

9 hours ago

June 21, 2025

Editor

The administrator of the Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, Goodluck Ihemnacho, has resigned.

Ihemnacho is one of the administrators appointed by the state Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), for the 23 LGAs of the state.

The resignation was contained in a letter dated June 20, 2025, addressed to the state sole administrator and obtained by our correspondent.

In the letter which has flooded the social media space, Ihemnacho said his resignation was informed by his desire to return to the private sector.

The resignation letter partly read, “I humbly write to your noble office to convey to you my resignation as the administrator, Ahoada East LGA.

“My sincere gratitude goes to the government of Rivers State and the good people of Ahoada East for finding me worthy to serve as Ahaoda East LGA from 11th day of April 2025 to 20th day of July 2025.”

Meanwhile there are speculations that Ihemnacho resigned to pave the way for him to contest the forth-coming LG elections in the state, though this has not been verified.

Politics

Why I left Tinubu’s Govt — Former Aide Aliyu Audu Declares

Published

5 days ago

June 16, 2025

Editor

A former Senior Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Public Affairs, Aliyu Audu, has revealed that he resigned from the administration in order to actively campaign against Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Speaking on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Audu said his decision was driven by a matter of “principle and conscience,” as he accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.

“It confirmed it on one hand, and on the other hand, it strengthened my resolve to not work for him in 2027,” Audu said, referring to Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech where the president claimed to enjoy seeing the opposition in disarray.

“I couldn’t in all honesty and in my conscience be in his government knowing I’m plotting against removal in 2027, because I will, and by God, we will remove him. Collectively, Nigerians will install a leader that will be our chosen, not his chosen. Not emilokan (my turn), but awa lokan (our turn), in fact, gbogbo wa lokan (all of us).”

He also criticised the inclusion of Nyesom Wike, a PDP member and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, in the APC-led government, questioning his loyalty and the legitimacy of such a move.

“What is Wike doing in our government? If he’s going to leave the PDP, he should leave. If we’re doing a government of national unity, you deal with the party, not individuals. The party is what we vote for — not Bola Tinubu but APC; not Atiku but PDP; not Peter Obi but Labour Party.”

Audu’s resignation letter, dated June 8, criticised the APC’s political trajectory and warned against what he described as a deliberate silencing of opposition voices. In a follow-up statement, he clarified that while he does not support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he would not lend himself “as an instrument to reduce Nigeria to a one-party state.”

“If we now begin to silence or crush opposition simply because we have the upper hand, then we are no different from the very system we once criticised under Obasanjo in 2003,” he said.