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Wike: What I Means By ‘I Owe You Nothing Statement,’ – Tinubu

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The President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has described as misleading, media reports of his response to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State over request for refund of funds spent on building flyovers and federal roads in the state.

Tinubu had last Wednesday during the commissioning of Rumuokwuta-Rumuola flyover bridge, told Wike to lobby him to get refunds for the monies expended by the state on federal projects.

“On the demand you made for refund, I owe you nothing. It’s your road. You’re the one living on these roads. I commend your efforts. You have to lobby me to collect”, Tinubu had said.

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Clarifying his response, the president-elect said Wike was in order against any shade of interpretation the public was giving to it.

READ ALSO: Why I Can’t Refund Wike On Flyover — Tinubu

Whatever you say about owing or no owing, I’m very grateful to the man (Wike) who brought me here. He didn’t ask for personal commitment. He asked for a policy commitment that an incoming president has no authority to offer and approve.

“There can only be one President at a time. I cannot commit to expenditure on behalf of the outgoing President when my tenure has not started. Get educated, be informed, please,” Tinubu told Nigerians as he concluded his two day visit to Rivers State.

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Procurement Act

Recall that Wike had drawn the attention of the federal government towards the need to amend its procurement law in order to end incessant abandonment of projects across the country.

He stressed that some of the flyovers were built on federal roads and the state should be refunded by the FG. He requested the incoming administration to consider a possible refund to the Rivers State.

READ ALSO: Comment On Tinubu: Keyamo Replies Onaiyekan, Says ‘Stop Embarrassing Body Of Christ’

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These projects are FG’s roads. We don’t want our people to suffer. I believe the Federal Government should say ‘let us refund these monies. I assure you, as you enter office and approve to pay these monies back, other states will also do same thing. So that (refund) is the first request we are making to you.”

N20m monthly for Law School
The Rivers governor also used the opportunity of commissioning the Magistrate Court complex to make a pledge of N20 million monthly stipend to the Nebo Graham Douglas Law School, a Federal Government facility, built by the state government.

He said: “When we handed over the Law School to the Council of Legal Education, the state government gave out N400m for the maintenance of the structures.

“We gave them property that they can use to make money to keep the school. We didn’t want a situation where they will say the federal government has not released money or the money they released is too small.

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“I was told the other day that there was no light, there was no water. I can’t understand our system.”

READ ALSO: Tinubu’s Visit: Shehu Sani Knocks Wike Over Public Holiday

The Governor attributed such attitude to the poor maintenance culture of the public sector in Nigeria, where nobody cares enough to maintain public property and charged state chief judge not to allow the newly constructed court complex to suffer such fate.

Governor Wike assured that financial provision would be made, which should cater to the maintenance needs of the complex for the first one year.

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“As I am leaving office, in this one year, when I come here, I don’t want to see and hear that it is dilapidated or it has deteriorated, it will be unfair.

“So each month, you’ll get N20 million to maintain this place. So, we will give you one year (money) in advance so that you will keep this place well,” he said.

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Edo Guber: We’ll Fight If… – Obaseki Threatens

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Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has warned members of Legacy Group within the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to state away from the party else they’ll face his wrath.

Obaseki gave the warning weekend at the inauguration of the state campaign council of the PDP in preparation for the September 21 gubernatorial election in the state.

Obaseki, who described the Legacy Group as disorganised, sheep without shepherd, alleged that they have collected money from the party, adding that is why they are fighting to disorganised the PDP in the state.

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The Governor who expressed confidence in the 363-member campaign council, noted that the structure of the campaign council was rooted in all the 192 wards across the state, adding that every organ of the party was captured.

READ ALSO: Thugs Allegedly Drug, Sexually Assault 37-year-old Australian MP In Her Constituency

Obaseki, who noted that the PDP has the best candidate and programmes for the people of Edo, said: “The time table is out, can you see any of them (Legacy Group)? Can they organise themselves? PDP leads, others follow.”

Obaseki further said: “PDP is one. Those who are fighting PDP have collected money from the other parties, and they want to sell out, join me so that we can flush them out of our party. Because we are not going to allow anybody to divide us, we are one party; one indivisible party in Edo State.

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“The money they have collected is enough, let them go and enjoy it; let them go and spend it outside. We don’t have anything to fear. I will fight them if they try us; we will fight them if they try us. They know us, we never fight and lose, let them come and try. They have collected money, let them stay outside with their money, and not disturb us, because this election is ours and we are going to win by the grace of God.”

Obaseki, who declared that the opposition has no space in Edo, boasted that the PDP has put together hardworking campaign council members who, according to him, were going to deliver 80 per cent of the total votes to the party.

READ ALSO: Obaseki Reassures Residents Of Over 22 Communities In Ovia South West Of Adequate Security

He further said: “By the grace of God, this campaign council will deliver nothing less than 80% of our votes.

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“We can’t find them anywhere. They have no place here. They cannot destroy us at the centre and want to still come and destroy us here. We will not allow it. The hunger is too much out there, we are preventing the hunger from coming to Edo.

“Everybody sees what is happening in Nigeria today. You can see the suffering in the land. You can see the struggle in Edo, but we pulled Edo out of those problems. So, our campaign is going to be based on the hope we will give our citizens in Edo State.”

Earlier, the State Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, disclosed that the campaign council consisted of 363 members, excluding the women and youth wings.

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Edo Poll: PDP Inaugurates Campaign Council, Obaseki Mocks Legacy Group, APC

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By Joseph Ebi Kanjo 

Ahead of the September 21 gubernatorial election in Edo State, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday, inaugurated a 363-member campaign council, with Governor Goodwin Obaseki describing the other faction known as Legacy Group as disorganised, sheep without sephard.

Obaseki, who noted that the PDP has the best candidate and programmes for the people of Edo, said: “The time table is out, can you see any of them (Legacy Group)? Can they organise themselves? PDP leads, others follow.”

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The governor who alleged that the factional PDP members fighting in the party have collected money from opposition parties to distabilise the party in the state, warned such persons to stay away or face his wrath.

Obaseki said: “PDP is one. Those who are fighting PDP have collected money from the other parties, and they want to sell out, join me so that we can flush them out of our party. Because we are not going to allow anybody to divide us, we are one party; one indivisible party in Edo State.

READ ALSO: EFCC Chairman Narrates How 17-year-old Hacked His Computer, Bank Account

The money they have collected is enough, let them go and enjoy it; let them go and spend it outside. We don’t have anything to fear. I will fight them if they try us; we will fight them if they try us. They know us, we never fight and lose, let them come and try. They have collected money, let them stay outside with their money, and not disturb us, because this election is ours and we are going to win by the grace of God.”

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Obaseki, who declared that the opposition has no space in Edo, boasted that the PDP has put together hardworking campaign council members who, according to him, were going to deliver 80 per cent of the total votes to the party.

He further said: “By the grace of God, this campaign council will deliver nothing less than 80% of our votes.

“We can’t find them anywhere. They have no place here. They cannot destroy us at the centre and want to still come and destroy us here. We will not allow it. The hunger is too much out there, we are preventing the hunger from coming to Edo.

READ ALSO: Why Candidate Who Needs Interpreter Can’t Be Edo Gov – Shaibu

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“Everybody sees what is happening in Nigeria today. You can see the suffering in the land. You can see the struggle in Edo, but we pulled Edo out of that problems. So, our campaign is going to be based on the hope we will give our citizens in Edo State.”

He noted that the structure of the campaign council was rooted in all the 192 wards across the state, adding that every organ of the party was captured.

Earlier, the State Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, disclosed that the campaign council comprised of 363 members, excluding the women and youth wings.

In his acceptance speech, the Director-General of the state campaign council, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, thanked the governor and PDP faithful for the opportunity to serve the party.

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Iduoriyekemwen, however, promised to lead the party to victory come Sept.

In his remarks, the PDP governorship candidate, Barr. Asue Ighodalo, who thanked party faithful and leaders for the confidence repose in him, said Obaseki had laid a functional foundation at every sector that he would build upon.

 

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Edo Poll: LP Group Hails Tinubu For Adhering To Zoning, Says Party Has Murdered Sleep In The State

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A pressure group known as Shine Your Eyes Group, ( SYEG), Thursday, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leaders of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Edo State for adhering to the principle of fairness, equity in the choice of it governorship candidates and running mate.

The group in a statement signed by its Chairman, Comrade Jonah Ifada and Secretary Osagie Omoregie, and made available to INFO DAILY late Thursday night, said the LP has murdered sleep in the state when the leadership of the party decided to go against the core principle of fairness, equity and justice by throwing a candidate from Edo South in a skewed primary.

The group members who are members of the LP in the state, was apparently reacting to a news report by the Benin Youth Council, (BYC), on Wednesday where its appealed to Barrister Ken Imansuangbon to sheath his sword and join hands with Olumide Akpata in his governorship bid.

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READ ALSO: Edo Guber: Trouble Looms As Imansuangbon Seeks Disqualification Of Akpata As LP Candidate

Shine Your Eyes Group said Akpata should rather step down to a more popular Imansuangbon to avoid embarrassment at the September 21st governorship election in the state, noting that it is not the turn of Edo South.

The group argued, “Look at what President Tinubu and the leadership of APC did in Edo State. They decided to abide by the principle of fairness, equity and justice which are fundamental to any development just like what the PDP did. The Labour party should have taken a cue from the APC.

“Are you saying Olumide Akpata is more popular than great and experienced politicians like Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Lucky Imansuen and others who decided to drop their ambition in support of zoning? Akpata should do the needful and step down for Imansuangbon now and save the Labour party from shame. Imansuagbon has vowed to fight his case to a logical conclusion”, SYEG noted.

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READ ALSO: [JUST IN] Akpata: UNIBEN Suspends Students’ Union

Recall that Imansuangbon had gone to court to challenge the emergence of Olumide Akpata as the candidate of the Labour Party.

Imansuangbon, in his petition, stated that Mr Olumide Akpata committed offences ranging from giving false information to the acquisition of citizenship of another country, which is a grand departure from the Nigerian Constitution’s accepted norms

The educationist wanted the court to determine whether Akpata “has not supplied or otherwise given false information to the INEC within the meaning or contemplation of the provisions of section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022 read together with section 182(1) (a) and (j) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), among other allegations.”

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