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  • 2023 presidential aspirants take centre stage as PDP holds convention

    2023 presidential aspirants take centre stage as PDP holds convention

    The race for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 election is beginning to take shape with at least six members of the party yesterday directly or indirectly confirming their interest as the PDP national convention got underway in Abuja.

    Supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; a former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed; and former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso left no one in doubt about the ambition of their men as they sand their praises and carried posters announcing their aspiration.

    Only former Senate president Pius Anyim openly confirmed his interest.

    Incidentally, he is the only Southern member of the party who has so far indicated interest in the position.

    The competition for the attention of delegates to the convention by supporters of the presidential aspirants almost overshadowed the election of the party’s Deputy National Chairman (South) between former Osun State governor Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and a former Deputy Governor of Oyo State Taofeek Arapaja as well as that of Deputy National Chairman (North) between Mrs Inna Ciroma and Umar Damagum.

    Efforts made by governors elected on the platform of the party to persuade Oyinlola and Ciroma to step down for their opponents failed.

    Stakeholders, including the governors, had earlier picked other party officers by consensus.

    Read Also: Buhari: Forget tenure extension, I’ll quit in 2023

    Adorning various parts of the Eagle Square venue of the convention were large posters and banners of the presidential aspirants.

    But the most eye catching were the several 80-seater Mercedes Benz luxury buses bearing the portrait of Saraki, each of which is emblazoned with the phrase ‘Sarakiyya Movement of Nigeria’.

    Atiku, while not making a categorical declaration on his ambition, tried to pass a few hints across.

    As he rose to address delegates at the convention, his supporters, bearing his campaign posters, marched toward the podium singing and drumming.

    Written on the posters were: “2023 Atiku is the answer”; “I stand with Atiku”; and “2023 Support Atiku” among others.

    He took a dig at the present administration, saying: “I am 70 years plus but I have never seen Nigeria in such a bad shape; disunited, insecure with the economy in tatters.

    “We have a chance to unite this country for greatness and we are going to make use of that opportunity come 2023.”

    At a point, he had to plead with his singing and drumming supporters to pause when he realised that his voice was being drowned by their noise.

    Supporters of Kwankwaso were also conspicuous with their red caps and branded white kaftan.

    They kept chanting his name “Kwankwaso, Kwankwaso” as they moved from one side of the expansive venue to the other.

    I will run for Presidency in 2023, says Anyim

    Addressing reporters in Abuja, Senator  Pius Anyim  said he would  contest for the Presidency in 2023 irrespective of whether  the Peoples Democratic Party zones the ticket  to the South-East zone or not.

    The Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation said that the party’s national convention would signal the commencement of political activities in the party, adding it was ample time to indicate interest.

    He said: “Posters of my presidential bid and agitations by groups for me to contest flooded the social media in 2020 and I disassociated myself from such calls.

    “I felt that it was too early for such declarations to enable the present administration concentrate on governance.

    “Such calls resurfaced in the early part of 2021 and I choose to be quiet over the issue.

    “We presently have less that 18 months to the next elections and I feel the time is ripe to indicate my interest.”

    He noted that the zoning committee constituted by the party was only saddled with zoning party positions and not elective positions ahead of 2023.

    He said: “Zoning of such positions was deferred but nothing stops any one from the Southeast zone from contesting the presidency even if it was not zoned to it.

    “The most important thing is that the party’s national convention is a sort of rebirth for a group of people who have recovered from a setback.

    “The party members are presently focused and determined to reclaim power with one spirit.”

    Anyim said that despite the party’s seeming infraction with its former Chairman, Uche Secondus, he remained friends to several members.

    “Secondus is particularly my friend and many other members of the party, and we do not have any problem with him,” he said.

    PDP leaders fail to prevail on Oyinlola, Ciroma to step down

    Soon after the formal opening of the convention, delegates began voting to elect the party’s Deputy National Chairman (South) and Deputy National Chairman (North) following the failure of party leaders to convince Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Mrs Inna Ciroma to withdraw for candidates anointed by the governors.

    Oyinlola squared up with a former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Taofeek Arapaja, while Mrs. Ciroma slugged it out with Umar Damagum.

    However, two candidates for the position of National Auditor, Samben Nwosu and Mrs Chibuogwu Benson-Oraelosi, withdrew from the contest.

    Nwosu’s letter of withdrawal was read at the convention venue by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State.

    On the other hand, Oraelosi announced her withdrawal on the podium while voting was in progress.

    Their withdrawal left Chief Okechukwu Obiechina Daniel as the consensus candidate for the position.

    Shortly before the commencement of voting, some delegations began distributing a ‘consensus list’ containing the names of those believed to have been picked by the governors.

    On the list were: Senator Iyorchia Ayu (National Chairman), Amb. Umar Iliya Damagum (Deputy National Chairman North) and Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja (Deputy National Chairman South).

    Others are Senator Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary), Hon. Ahmed Yayari Mohammed (National Treasurer), Hon. Umar Bature (National Organising Secretary), Daniel Woyegikuro (National Financial Secretary), Prof. Stella Effah-Attoe (National Women Leader), Mohammed Kadade Suleiman (National Youth Leader), Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade (National Legal Leader), Hon. Debo Ologunagba (National Publicity Secretary), Okechukwu Daniel (National Auditor), Arch. Seteonji Koshoede (Deputy National Secretary), Ndubuisi David (Deputy National Treasurer) and the Deputy National Publicity Secretary (Ibrahim Abdullahi).

    Also on the list were Chief Ighoyota Amori (Deputy National Organising Secretary) and Hon. Adamu Kamale (Deputy National Financial Secretary); while Hajaja Wanka, Timothy Osadolor, Barr. Okechukwu Osuoha and Hon. Abdulrahaman Mohammed were designated as Deputy National Women Leader, Deputy National Youth Leader, Deputy National Legal Adviser and Deputy National Auditor respectively.

    The other list had all the names but substituted Arapaja with Oyinlola and Damagum with Ciroma.

    It’s not easy keeping PDP united —Tambuwal

    Speaking at the convention yesterday, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Aminu Tambuwal, said it is not easy keeping the party united.

    He said it was tough to keep PDP together as a big party, with members from across the country and with various interest and desires.

    “Diverse as we are, it is, however, clear to me that we are at our best when we remember that we must remain focused and disciplined for the sake of our country and for the benefit our fellow Nigerians,” he said.

    “In Nigeria, it is tough to remain an item, focused and disciplined when being an opposition party.

    “The temptation and allure of power can be overwhelming. Some have fallen along the way,” he said.

    Tambuwal, however, commended all those who found the steps to remain focused and disciplined and do the hard work that opposition requires.

    According to him, although there are attempts to scuttle the party’s activities, PDP remains united.

    “I am happy to report to the naysayers that PDP today is the strongest and formidable party in Nigeria.

    “I am happy to report to those who want to divide and weaken us that we are winning by the grace of God.

    “Allow me to welcome new members to our party. They are here because they want to work for a better Nigeria.

    “They are here because they have realised that the PDP is the best platform to move Nigeria forward, we say welcome.

    “We encourage other patriots and concerned Nigerians to join us in the PDP.

    “We will soon be welcoming more members to our party,” he said.

    Tambuwal, who noted that the country is going through tough times, added that Nigeria needs strong and smart citizens who could provide the leadership that would help sustain institutions capable of promoting collaboration in the areas of security, innovation, trade, investment and defence of democracy.

    “Our young people need a secured safe and enabling country that will allow them realise their desires to be educated, employ and deploy their entrepreneurship skills.

    “They need to take advantage of their potential to make the best of the best to fulfill their ambition,” Tambuwal said.

  • Will eNaira bode well for economy?

    Will eNaira bode well for economy?

    A lot of hype attended the introduction of Nigeria’s new digital currency – e-Naira, which is a digital representation of the paper Naira and coexists with it as an additional form of money. In this report Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf examines the different issues that has heralded what is generally described as a giant leap in the nation’s financial ecosystem

    Following the official launch of the eNaira last Monday by President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria scored a major feat as the first country to unveil a digital currency on the continent.

    An elated Buhari during the launch said that the development, seen by many as a giant leap in the country’s digital economy, would increase remittances, foster cross-border trade, improve financial inclusion and enable the government to make welfare payments more easily.

    “I am delighted,” he concluded, “to officially launch the Central Bank of Nigeria digital currency called the eNaira. And in so doing we have become the first country in Africa and one of the first in the world to introduce a digital currency to our citizens,” Buhari said.

    Echoing similar sentiments, in a statement released on 23 October, the director of communications of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Osita Nwasinobi, said that the eNaira “marks a major step forward in the evolution of money and the CBN is committed to ensuring that the eNaira, like the physical Naira, is accessible by everyone… The theme of the eNaira is: ‘Same Naira, more possibilities.”

    The eNaira will be an electronic version of the local paper naira currency, equal in value and issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria. It is not intended to replace cash but will function as a safe and efficient alternative means of payment.

    Banks upbeat about eNaira

    Ahead of the launch last Monday, many of the money deposit banks had already set machinery in motion to fully integrate the digital currency into its system.

    Lending credence to the foregoing, the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, said, “33 banks are fully integrated and are live on the platform. 500 million has been successfully minted by the Bank, N200 million has been issued to financial institutions, over 2,000 customers have been onboarded and over 120 merchants have successfully registered on the eNaira platform.”

    “As the tagline simply encapsulates, the eNaira is the same naira with far more possibilities. The eNaira, like the physical naira, is a legal tender in Nigeria and a liability of the CBN. The eNaira and naira will have the same value and will always be exchanged at 1 naira to 1 eNaira,” he said.

    The ‘why’ of eNaira

    It is however instructive top note that boosting inclusion is one of the principal aims of the digital currency. It aims to integrate millions of unbanked Nigerians into the banking sector. Some 55% of adult Nigerians were unbanked in 2020 – around 58m people. Of these, 35m own mobile phones and could be reached with mobile money.

    Besides, the eNaira is aimed at boosting transparency by allowing the regulator to better monitor currency transactions and curb black market trading in the paper naira. The new currency is built on blockchain’s open ledger technology, which reduces the risk of fraud by ensuring each eNaira note is unique and can’t be duplicated or counterfeited.

    The eNaira is also aimed at boosting in-bound remittances by providing a cheaper, more secure and faster way for Nigerians in the diaspora to send back money. Remittances to Nigeria amounted to over $17.2bn in 2020, according to the World Bank.

    Read Also: CBN’s eNaira to grow Nigeria’s GDP by $29bn in 10yrs — Buhari

    “However the costs and logistics associated with these transactions can also be prohibitive for people living in remote parts of the country. The eNaira will enable direct remittance payments between Nigerians within and outside of the country,” said their representative.

    The eNaira is also intended to reduce so-called “leakages” from state budgets due to in-built traceability that uses blockchain technology. It is furthermore hoped that the new currency will offer an alternative to the cryptocurrency black market. At the same time, because this infrastructure will give the authorities much greater direct oversight of transactions, privacy issues could emerge.

    A further benefit for the government is that the digital currency is expected to reduce the high cost of printing the physical currency, which amounted to N307bn (747m) between 2014 and 2019, according to a report from the CBN.

    The pilot launch will take place in Port Harcourt, Abuja, Kano and Lagos, and in the first phase digital currency will only be available to those who already have bank accounts. However, the eNaria is intended to be universal, meaning that it will eventually be possible to use it around the world to send and receive money or pay for goods and services.

    To use eNaira, it will be necessary to create an eNaira wallet, which is digital storage managed by blockchain technology. During the rollout, there will be just one version of the wallet, the government’s Speed Wallet, although financial institutions will be able to develop their own versions later.

    Once the eNaira wallet has been created users will be able to transfer money to it from bank accounts or credit cards and to send and receive payments to others in the digital currency.

    Advantage to consumers

    The eNaira will be legal tender and users will be able to make peer-to-peer payments to anyone who has an eNaira wallet without having to use an intermediary. Customers will be able to use their eNaira wallets to purchase goods in store by scanning QR codes.

    Nigerians will be able to make payments for all manner of goods and services this way. As the CBN has stated that there will be no charges for peer-to-peer transactions and payments to merchants, consumers will make significant savings on what they would have paid if making payments through a mobile money service.

    Unbanked Nigerians will be able to make transactions of up to N50,000 a day without the need for a bank account, while those with bank accounts will be able to send or receive money using a bank account or credit card linked to their eNaira wallet. It will be possible for customers to monitor their wallet, balances, and transaction history.

    However, money held in an eNaira wallet will not be paid any interest.

    Users will be able to transfer money out of their digital wallets back to their ordinary bank account, but it will not be possible to withdraw physical naira from an ATM from the wallet.

    On a monitored television magazine programme in Lagos, Johnson Chukwu of Cowry Asset Management Limited, said “One of the main differences between the eNaira and existing e-wallets is that it will not allow transactions to hang.”

    “Once you’ve made the transaction, it’s done immediately,” he said. The biggest problem for individuals with the digital currency would be if they lost their access code. “Then you’re going to find it hard to retrieve your money,” he said.

    The CBN’s eNaira website gives an example of how the digital currency should work for international transactions. Abuja-based roofing sheets supplier Olugbenga Fakoredele Arenola describes how much easier he expects it to be to make payments to his Ghanaian supplier for an urgent shipment of materials.

    How eNaira will affect banks and fintechs

    Nigeria’s financial institutions will be close partners of the government in developing the new system, but aspects of it could impact strongly on their revenue models.

    Although financial institutions will be able to develop their own eNaira wallets, the initial roll-out will use the CBN’s Speed Wallet (see above). This, along with the fact the CBN will own “the infrastructure, platform, customer, and data”, could “turn the regulator into a competitor and provide the CBN a first-mover advantage over the banks,” warns Tochukwu Egesi, writing on the Inclusion Times website.

    The Director, Centre for Economic Policy Analysis and Research, Prof. Ndubisi Nwokoma, said that the currency which is novel would be faced with distrust even as implementation progresses.

    A Professor of Economics at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Sheriffdeen Tella, said the eNaira is a worthy innovation by the CBN, hoping that the banks would keep the charges low so as not to frustrate the project.

    “It is an extension or addition to normal fund transfer except that it can be used easily for cross border transactions. It also requires an app that may not be available for those phones used by poor people.

    To access the eNaira, users have to download the ‘speed wallet’, which allows users to conduct transactions with speed and ease. It is the digital storage that holds the eNaira and is held and managed on a distributed ledger.

    According to economic pundits, the apex bank may have literally set itself on a very ambitious target of “minting, issuing, distributing, and redeeming the eNaira” and question whether it and the country’s financial institutions will be capable of carrying out all the ensuing responsibilities.

    Citing an IMF blog that says: “Offering full-fledged CBDC requires central banks to be active along several steps of the payments value chain… Failure to satisfy any of these functions, due to technological glitches, cyber-attacks, or simply human error, could undermine the central bank’s reputation,” Sola Fawole said it is anybody’s guess how the CBN would navigate the many hiccups that could come with the eNaira but feels strongly that if successful, the launch could have great positive repercussions for Nigeria’s banking system and the economy as a whole.

    The eNaira could reshape the country’s financial landscape and push legacy banks to expand and adapt the services they offer, comments the CBN’s partner, Bitt Inc.

    “Bitt believes that central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) represent a first step toward realising a quantum leap in infrastructure transformation that enables global financial networks to interact in a faster, more modern, and secure way,” says the firm.

     

     

  • Our battles with drug addiction, by survivors

    Our battles with drug addiction, by survivors

    Yetunde Oladeinde, in this piece, captures stories of Nigerians formerly caught up in the abysmal web of drug addiction, now playing huge part in the campaign against the habit.

    It’s a few minutes past midnight.  The neighbourhood is calm and serene. Almost everyone has gone to bed after a very hard day’s work. But suddenly the serene atmosphere is disrupted.  A loud noise, screaming, shouting as someone throws stones, bottles and other items around.

    Welcome to the nightmare that now trails the Adeyemi’s, a quite, hardworking couple who have sacrificed so much to give their son good education and a better future.  Unfortunately, the young man swapped all this for a street drug introduced to him on campus by his friends. Ever since, it’s been tales of frustration, confusion and rejection.

    He is not alone. In fact, there is a largely deadly drug epidemic sweeping across the country at the moment. Nigerian youths have become addicted to different types of drugs, which they consume daily at street corners, schools and bus stops.

    While a few are lucky to get off the hook, a huge number run into depression, mental illness and end up in the drug wards of psychiatric hospitals  for treatment and rehabilitation.

    Getting a bed space in a drug ward is now a herculean task, with the number of drug addicts clearly attesting to a pandemic situation. From their escape from real life to getting addicted to substances like cough syrups with Codeine that has a sweet strawberry taste which makes them high, tempts them to go for more and hooks them, they degenerate and overtime, get killed.

    Michael Onuwaje is one young man who has been down this road, and he goes down memory lane to recount his experience.

    “It is prevalent in our society now. Basically, I would say that is the situation of things in the country today. I was a victim of that circumstance too. For me, it was idleness. When a man is idle, the devil takes advantage of it. And the truth about the matter is that the nation does not care about the masses. So, young people find themselves frustrated and stranded. That is the cause of the drug pandemic”.

    You want to know how he got lured into the habit and he goes on to tell his story. “Nobody lured me. I found myself first with alcohol, and at a point this took a very large chunk of my life. But by the grace of God I have been delivered from alcohol, weed smoking, night crawling and gambling”.

    Read Also: Marwa: Life jail awaits drug laws violators

    Trying to impress others, usually, is the bait for many. For Onuwaje, it was a life of ignorance that got him exploring the weed option. “I was just having fun. I was living a life of ignorance, thinking I was living the good life. As soon as I made any cash, I would call my friends and lavish it on alcohol and drugs. Then I didn’t know it was a waste of time and talent.”

    The experience almost ruined his life. “I found out that all the money that I was making for about a decade could not be accounted for.  So, I told God to deliver me and God delivered me”.

    The turning point, according to Onuwaje, happened about three years ago. “I slept on my bed one night but when I woke up the next morning, everything about me had changed. I saw a cut on my forehead, my eyes were swollen and my nose was bent. Initially, I thought I was dreaming but I later dis covered it was for real. That was a terrible encounter and looking back now, I know I could have died.”

    Onuwaje then made up his mind from that point to save himself before it became too late. “I started seeking for righteousness till I found people who could help me. Sadly, the drugs are everywhere now, on every street corner.  It is so easy to get them and you even find despatch riders coming to deliver them to people”, he laments.

    Anthony Abakporo is the initiator of United Breeds Foundation and he and his team have been caring and reaching out to survivors to rehabilitate them and get them back to the society.

    He also has passed through that road but was lucky to have retraced his steps, survived the odds and motivated to stand in the gap for others, rescuing and transforming the lives of young people lost in the throes of drugs and crime through his organisation.

    “Yes, I did drugs and alcohol. I wasn’t really into women but had few women friends. I loved drinks far more than women. The lifestyle I was into was too bad that if I’d added women, I would have had several baby mamas. I had a son outside wedlock in 2009 September and, thankfully, got born again”. One thing that however makes Abakporo sad is the alarming rate of addiction today amongst youths all over the country.

    His words: “We usually reach out to them on the streets and engage them every day because we know this is also a mental health issue and we need to transform them mentally first and foremost. We have used several strategies, including engaging them via sports, free ICT training, free skills acquisition programmes and financial

    empowerment”.

    Abakporo adds that: “We do all these and more because we know it’s not wise to take the substance or drugs away from them and not engage them positively. That would be leaving a vacuum that might make the situation worse. Like we all know, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, hence it behoves on us to ensure they are properly engaged”.

    Going down memory lane, he recounts some of his experiences, stating that it can be a torturous journey for the victim, family and loved ones. “We meet every day, except Wednesdays and try to meet immediate needs of some of these people as well as feed them – all these without a steady flow of funds.”

    Most of the empowerment and other financial responsibilities have all come from us and few family members and friends who believe in what we’re doing”.

    Even though the odds are many, Abakporo believes that there is hope and many lives have been transformed in the process. “All hands must be on deck to making things work in Nigeria, especially the politicians. Parents must parent better; we as Nigerians must uphold and respect law and order. Say ‘yes’ when we should say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ when we should. Nothing good happens without the enforcement of good thinking. We must develop good characters and this way, our minds would begin to execute processes for a better Nigeria”.

    He adds: “Also, lack of jobs in Nigeria is not helping matters. This, couple with lack of basic amenities and opportunities for those who want to do business, is another fuel for interest in indulgence. Also, bad content from entertainers play a part. Imagine what some of these artistes say in their songs? ‘Mo ma jaye, mumu kumu fafa ku fa baba so me o,’ meaning, I will enjoy life, drink anyhow, smoke all sorts, God help me.

    “Imagine what a youth is singing and no one is calling him out or asking for it to be banned. It’s very sad how we are all tolerating immorality publicly. Bad parenting and family background is also a factor that breeds this helpless state of drug use and abuse.

    For Mr. Onyema Onyenakeya of the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), hard drugs and other substances that are dangerous to the health of Nigerians, especially young people, are everywhere.

    “We have not even scratched the surface of the problem. We know places where the thing is freely given and taken. It is sad that even those who should curtail are involved, everyone is involved.”

    His organisation, he informed, has done enormous work as a commission within the Catholic Church. “Before, it used to be in the tertiary institutions but now it is all over the place – from primary school to secondary schools, amongst business people as well as artistes. I think something needs to be done and it should be the work of Everyone: parents, religious people, everyone.”

    He added: “What we have done so far in terms of awareness is just a tip of the iceberg. We need to do so many awareness programmes in schools.”

    Folarin Adebisi has been to hell and back. His journey from a gentle young man in his neighbourhood caught many by surprise. His mum was a widow and she struggled to raise her three children doing menial jobs. When Folarin, her only son got admission into the university, she heaved a sigh of relief, thinking she would soon cross the Rubicon.

    His first two years went smoothly because he was very intelligent but by the third year on campus, Folarin’s romance with hard drugs hit her badly. She ran helter skelter but the weeks, months and years that followed opened chapters of failure, frustration and nightmare.

    “It was not just drugs because it leads you from one thing to the other. I was also into cultism and later joined the Yahoo boys in the neighbourhood, desperate to make quick money.”

    He recalls how he was lured into it by a friend. “I had some friends in the neighbourhood; we used to gist, go to parties, play football and hang out together. Initially they would tell me tales of the bad things they were doing running strange errands for seniors and I would advise them to change their ways.

    One day we went to a party and they gave me free drinks and at a point I passed out. It was later that they told me someone added something to the drink that I was given. This continued and gradually I became part of the group, craving for free drugs and drinks.”

    Folarin recalls that he sank deeper and deeper and gradually the addiction tore his life to shreds. “From the street gang, I met another set of friends on campus. I started recruiting others into drugs, cultism and other vices. I craved for terrible things and was stealing just to get the drugs. I also joined friends and associates and became a Yahoo boy. My life was in shambles and I forgot about the classroom completely. I failed woefully and it got to a point where some of us were asked to leave the university”.

    Folarin practically lost everything and became a shadow of his former self. He moved first into depression and gradually sank into mental illness.

    “Everyone ran away from me. I dressed like a lunatic and became a great source of embarrassment to my family. There are so many scars that remind me of that phase of my life. I’ll never wish it for even my worst enemy. I practically lost everything “.

    It was at that point that a Good Samaritan stepped into his life and they whisked him to a psychiatric hospital.  “I was on admission for months and gradually I began to pick back the pieces of my life that had been shredded away by drugs once more. I got there looking like a skeleton; months after, I had grown so robust that many couldn’t recognise me or imagine it was me”.

    At the psychiatric hospital I met, fellow addicts and every day and night, we shared our stories, consoling one another and praying never to go back again.  Of course, we were not all on the same page. It is not an easy route to change; you need a lot of determination and support to have a new life after being an addict. It is worse without a job, without support and being haunted by the past”.

    Some survivors were lucky but not everyone made it. Injections, hospital drugs and hallucinations riveted in their minds. “The drug was very inspiring. The matrons were stern but caring. Our counsellors gave lectures, monitored our progress and medical history. The recurring message from them was that the final decision lies with the individual that it has to be a personal conviction never to go back again”.

  • BREAKING: Oyinlola, Ciroma refuse to step down for PDP consensus candidates

    BREAKING: Oyinlola, Ciroma refuse to step down for PDP consensus candidates

    Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have failed to persuade a former Osun Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola to withdraw from the contest as of the time voting commenced at 5pm.

    Oyinlola, a candidate for the position of Deputy National Chairman (South), is contesting the position with a former Oyo Deputy Governor, Taofeek Arapaja.

    Stakeholders, especially the party’s Governors, have adopted Arapaja as consensus candidate for the position, a decision Oyinlola has vowed to resist.

    Mrs Inna Ciroma, who is contesting for Deputy National Chairman (North), has also stuck to her guns, resisting pressure to step down for her male contender, Umar Damagum.

    READ ALSO: PHOTOS: PDP holds National Convention in Abuja

    Ciroma and Damagum are from Yobe State to which the position was micro zoned.

    However, two candidates for National Auditor, Samben Nwosu and Mrs Chibuogwu Benson-Oraelosi have withdrawn from the contest.

    Nwosu’s letter of withdrawal was read at the convention venue by Adamawa Governor Ahmadu Fintiri.

    On the other hand, Oraelosi announced her withdrawal on the podium while voting was in progress.

    Their withdrawal left Chief Okechukwu Obiechina Daniel as the consensus candidate for the position.

  • BREAKING: FG extends NIN-SIM deadline again

    BREAKING: FG extends NIN-SIM deadline again

    The Federal Government has extended the deadline for linkage of National Identity Numbers (NIN) with the Subscribers Identity Module (SIM) card again.

    It urged Nigerians and legal residents to complete the process of the linkage “before the end of the year 2021.”

    The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, disclosed this.

    The extension was contained in a statement on behalf of the Minister by the Director of Public Affairs of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Dr Ikechukwu Adinde and the Head of Corporate Communications of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mr Kayode Adegoke.

    It reads: “The decision to extend the deadline was made further to appeals by the Mobile Network Operators and other industry stakeholders, soliciting for a further extension to ensure better compliance with government’s directive and to avoid widening the digital divide.”

    It explained that the extension would also provide the enabling environment for the registration of Nigerians in remote areas, Diaspora, schools, hospitals, worship centres, as well as foreigners, diplomatic missions and those in other areas hitherto unreachable, and increase enrolments in countries with a significant number of Nigerians.

    The statement added: “The review of the progress of the exercise indicated that over 66 million unique National Identity Numbers (NIN) have been issued- an indication of progress achieved in the ongoing NIN-SIM linkage.

    “However, a significant part of the populace is yet to be registered into the National Identity Database (NIDB), which may be due to some challenges which the Federal Government has looked into and has made efforts to alleviate, hence the need to extend the deadline.

    “As of October 30, 2021, there were over 9,500 enrolment systems and over 8,000 NIN enrolment centres within and outside the country- this has significantly eased the NIN enrolment process and subsequent linkage of NIN to SIM.

    READ ALSO: NIN-SIM enrolment hits 59m

    ” The NIN-SIM verification process is supporting the Government’s drive to develop Nigeria’s digital economy, strengthen our ability to protect our cyberspace and support the security agencies.

    “The administration of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has graciously approved the extension to accommodate the yearnings of the populace and make it easier for its citizens within and outside the country, and legal residents to obtain the NIN and link it with their SIM.

    “The Federal Government will ensure that all innocent, law abiding citizens and residents will not lose access to their phone lines as long as they obtain and link their NIN.

    ” Government will also continue to provide an enabling environment for investors in the telecommunications sector.

    “The unique 66 million NIN enrolments, with an average of 3 to 4 SIMs linked to the NIN, is a testament to the commitment and dedication of the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), to ensure the success of the project.

    “With the creation of additional NIN enrolment centres within and outside the country, and many more coming up, the remaining citizens and legal residents living in the country and the diaspora should be able to obtain their NINs and link them with their SIMs before the end of the year.

    “Consequently, the Honourable Minister enjoins Nigerians and legal residents to make use of the opportunity of the extension to enrol for their NINs and link with their SIMs.”

  • BREAKING: Voting begins in PDP convention with Abia delegates

    BREAKING: Voting begins in PDP convention with Abia delegates

    Voting at the ongoing national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commenced.

    The exercise, which began at 5pm, will see delegates from Abia state as the first to vote. Adamawa, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, state will come next, to be followed by Bauchi, then Benue and the rest; all in alphabetical order.

    READ ALSO: What next after Saturday’s PDP convention?

    In all, a total of 3600 delegates are expected to vote at the convention.

    The Abia delegates are being called upon to begin voting this moment.

    Details shortly…

  • PDP: Wike, Fintiri, Saraki, Okowa, Bala emerge power brokers

    PDP: Wike, Fintiri, Saraki, Okowa, Bala emerge power brokers

    By Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation/Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt/Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

    • Appeal Court Ruling: Secondus heads for Supreme Court

    • Suspended national chairman enemy of PDP – Rivers gov

    • Deputy Chair: Southwest split over Oyinlola, Arapaja

    • Ayu, Anyanwu, others to resume December 9

    The constitution of the incoming National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will be a test of strength by governors and elders of the party, according to indications in Abuja last night.

    The NWC will emerge at the National Convention which gets underway later today in the federal capital after the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt yesterday gave the green light for the meeting to proceed.

    It turned down an application by the suspended National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus to stop the convention.

    Party members, including Secondus’ estranged chief supporter, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and the Southwest zonal hierarchy of the PDP hailed the party’s victory at the court and assailed the suspended chairman for the litigation.

    “Anybody who crosses our way to stop this rescue of Nigeria, the person is an enemy of this country,” Wike said in Port Harcourt moments after the court ruling, adding that Secondus’ action was aimed at sabotaging the party.

    The Southwest PDP wondered why “a man who has benefited so much from the party seeks to destroy it.”

    Secondus was dissatisfied with the ruling and vowed to take his grievances to the Supreme Court “as no abuse of the constitution of our dear party should be allowed to stand.”

    Investigation by The Nation revealed that governors and elders of the party are locked in a battle of wits to put their loyalists in the new National Working Committee (NWC).

    Horse-trading in the last few days shows that old forces in the party are losing grounds to new ones.

    The emerging power brokers are governors, especially Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Ifeanyi Uguwanyi (Enugu) and Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta).

    Some of the old forces still pulling some weight are a former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State and a former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Maina Waziri.

    The governors and other stakeholders launched into a crucial meeting last night in Abuja on the fate of   ex-Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a trusted ally of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Inna Ciroma (the wife of a founding father of PDP, the late Adamu Ciroma).

    It was gathered that Inna Ciroma has been under intense pressure in the last 48 hours to step down.

    Oyinlola who is seeking to be the Deputy National Chairman (South) is locked in a battle with Taofeek Arapaja, who is the anointed candidate of Governor Seyi Makinde.

    The meeting was meant to find a common ground on who between Oyinlola and Arapaja should get the position.

    Those at the enlarged stakeholders meeting held at the Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, included the 13 governors elected on the platform of the party.

    Others were NEC members, Board of Trustees (BoT) members, National Working Committee members, National Assembly members, former governors and former cabinet ministers, among others.

    At the  meeting were the immediate past Vice President, Namadi Sambo, who was attending the party’s function for the first time since he left office in 2015; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Senate Presidents David Mark, Adolphus Wabara and Pius Anyim; and former PDP national chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo.

    Also present were former Governors Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Ibrahim Shema (Katsina); Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Peter Obi (Anambra); and Emeka Ihedioha (Imo).

    Efforts by party leaders to pick one of the contestants as a consensus candidate have failed to yield positive results.

    Governor Makinde of Oyo State, backing Arapaja for the position, is said to have secured the buy-in of his 12 other colleagues on the choice.

    But some elders and leaders are rooting for Oyinlola. Their position is premised on the need for the party to beef up its support base in states where the PDP does not have a sitting governor. They claim that while Makinde is on ground in Oyo to lead the party’s mobilisation drive toward the 2023 general elections, Oyinlola should be empowered to strengthen the party structure in Osun and be a rallying point for the party.

    It was on the basis of this calculation that the PDP deliberately zoned its critical elective positions in the National Working Committee (NWC) to states where the party does not have governors.

    A source said: “It was for this reason that the National Secretary was micro-zoned to Imo State and the Deputy National Chairman (North) micro-zoned to Yobe State where the PDP does not have sitting governors.

    “The argument of some of our leaders who expressed a presence for Arapaja was that Oyinlola defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014.

    “These leaders have chosen to forget that Arapaja also defected to the APC about the same time. What about some of our high ranking chieftains who defected to the APC in 2014 and who worked hard to ensure that the PDP lost the 2015 presidential elections.

    “Some of these leaders are occupying prominent elective positions in government on the platform of the PDP today with some of them aspiring to get the party’s presidential ticket for the 2023 election.

    “To some of us, this is double standard which may not help the party in the long run.”

    The meeting was also expected to take a final position on the Deputy National Chairman (North), which is being contested by Alhaji Umar Damagum and Mrs. Inna Ciroma.  The party had yet to take a final position on who to consider for the position between the two contestants from Yobe State.

    Answering a question on the party’s position on the matter, the chairman of the Convention Organising Committee, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, said during a briefing earlier yesterday that the matter was still being resolved.

    Fintiri said: “We are still deliberating on who to go for the office between the two contestants. But we have resolved that the two will not contest at the convention. One of them must step down for the other.”

    Meanwhile, last minute preparations for the convention continued in earnest up to yesterday’s judgment.

    There was a flurry of activities at the expansive Eagle Square, Abuja, designated venue for the convention as party members and hired hands were observed performing one task or the other.

    Canopies have been erected and the main podium and brightly decorated in the red, green, white signature colours of the PDP.

    Also, posters of contestants in varying sizes adorned strategic locations at the venue.

    Investigation revealed that all the key actors have been trying to outwit each other in their battle for the soul of PDP.

    About 27 aspirants have got the clearance to contest for 21 offices at the National Convention. The offices are National Chairman, National Deputy Chairman (North), Deputy National Chairman (South), National Secretary, Deputy National Secretary, National Treasurer, Deputy National Treasurer, National Financial Secretary, Deputy National Financial Secretary, National Organising Secretary and Deputy National Organising Secretary.

    The remaining posts are those of National Publicity Secretary, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, National Legal Adviser, Deputy National Legal Adviser, National Auditor, Deputy National Auditor, National Women’s Leader and Deputy National Leader and National Youth Leader and Deputy National Youth Leader.

    Investigation shows that while the Wike-Ortom/governors alliance is producing the new National Chairman of PDP, Iyorchia Ayu (who will be adopted today), the deal with the governors led to the ceding of the office of the National Secretary to Wike.

    It was learnt that to the discomfiture of all the stakeholders in the Southeast, Wike has succeeded in anointing Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of PDP.

    “In the power-sharing arrangement, all the PDP governors have been accommodated in one way or the other under the Consensus Option which was adopted by them,” a well placed party source said.

    “They also agreed that where some aspirants have chosen to defy consensus to contest, all the governors will direct their delegates to vote for the mutually agreed ones.

    “So far, the pact by the governors has led to Wike, Ortom, Fintiri, Okowa, Bala, Saraki, Tambuwal Makinde, Ugwuanyi, Ikpeazu leading the new generation of power brokers in PDP.

    “It was a smart and strategic move by Saraki which made his camp to secure the post of National Legal Adviser, which is the soul of the party.”

    Responding to a question, the source said: “I think the offices yet to be resolved through consensus are Deputy National Chairman (North), Deputy National Chairman (South) and National Auditor.

    “Governors and party leaders have been trying to prevail on Inna Ciroma to withdraw for Iliya Damagum, who has been adopted as the consensus candidate for the office of Deputy National Chairman (North). But she is yet to do so.

    “For the Deputy National Chairman (South), Governor Seyi Makinde has insisted on Taofeek Arapaja but ex-Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola is adamant that he will slug it out at the convention. We expect a royal battle at the convention ground.

    “The founding fathers of PDP and the military elements in the party have decided to rally round Oyinlola.

    “Concerning the office of National Auditor, the governors have mutually conceded the slot to Sir Obi Okechukwu from Anambra State, but Sam Ben Nwosu, a close associate of a former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, said he will contest.”

    I am heading for Supreme Court, says Secondus

    Dissatisfied with yesterday’s ruling of the Court of Appeal which gave the green light for the holding of the PDP National Convention, Prince Uche Secondus said he is heading for the Supreme Court.

    He said no abuse of the constitution of PDP should be allowed to stand.

    He said the case in court was not about himself but about the sanctity of PDP’s constitution and core democratic principles of justice and rule of law.

    Read Also: Makinde, Wike, Tambuwal in Ondo to woo Mimiko back to PDP

    He said he did not at any time take PDP to court and would not have done that.

    Secondus made the clarifications in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Ike Abonyi.

    He said: “I have just been briefed of the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt dismissing my motion to halt the National Convention of the party. I respect the position of the court even though I disagree totally with it.

    “Even as the substantive case is still pending at the Court of Appeal I have instructed my lawyers to study the ruling with a view to appealing it immediately as no abuse of the constitution of our dear party should be allowed to stand.

    “The issue is not about Prince Uche Secondus but about the sanctity of our party constitution and core democratic principles of justice and rule of law not only in PDP but in our democracy. No impunity must be condoned.”

    Secondus said he did not at any time sue the PDP because of the harm litigations had done to the party in the past.

    He added: “I will therefore wish to emphasise the fact that I did not take the party to court and would not have done that.

    “As a foundation member of this party, who has served at various levels, State Chairman, Chairman of state Chairmen, National Organizing Secretary, Deputy National Chairman, Acting National Chairman and now National Chairman, I am very much abreast with the workings of the party.

    “I have been a witness to how much harm litigations have done to our party in the past and as a result I have been a strong advocate against settling issues in courts.

    “This was why I resisted and rejected entreaties of those who wanted me to go to court to halt these forces when it was obvious that they were determined to disrupt my leadership and truncate my tenure in office with the sole objective of hijacking the party for their selfish ulterior motives.

    “To allow this travesty to stand is to reduce our beloved party to a level where anybody can wake up overnight and remove officers against the proscribed constitutional process and the National Chairman for that matter, and purporting to use the judiciary through an ex parte order to legitimize same.

    “As a major practitioner in our democracy, I am duty bound to protect and defend the sanctity of the provisions of our constitution of which I’m the custodian.”

    He said the PDP descended to this level because those who orchestrated the crisis ignored party elders’ calls to withdraw the case.

    He said: “I wish to therefore at this juncture thank and appreciate leaders and other stakeholders of our party who have called in to express their concerns on this matter and appeal for the understanding of all.

    “If those who orchestrated and fostered this avoidable crisis had listened to wise counsel of party leaders and elders who advised the withdrawal of cases, this situation would have been avoidable. I wish the party well as always.”

    Secondus’ action meant to sabotage PDP, says Wike

    Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State hailed the court’s decision and declared that no individual, including Secondus, would be allowed to derail the party’s mission to rescue Nigeria.

    “Anybody who crosses our way to stop this rescue of Nigeria,  the person is an enemy of to this country”, he said in Port Harcourt while reacting to the Court of Appeal dismissal of Secondus’ application that sought to stop the PDP convention.

    He said: “What Secondus is doing is to sabotage the efforts of Nigerians, the efforts of PDP from rescuing this country from the hand of the party that has failed the country. And it is not fair.

    “This is a party that has given you everything and there’s nothing wrong in making sacrifice. Even if, assuming though not conceding, that anything was wrong, we expected that having achieved what you have achieved in your life from this party, there is nothing wrong in making sacrifice.

    “If you make sacrifice for the party, you’re making sacrifice for Nigerians. If PDP is not there, which other party is ready to rescue Nigeria?”

    Wike clarified that the Court of Appeal did not only dismiss the application of Secondus, but it also ordered that the PDP national convention be conducted unrestrained.

    He said: “Our constitution provides that if a national chairman is removed, the deputy national chairman from that zone will immediately be the chairman or acting chairman as the case may be.

    “And so, when Secondus was removed, he handed over to the acting national chairman now. So, the act has already been done, completed. So, what will the court say when someone is already acting and supervising that office?”

    Wike said the PDP convention on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st October 2021 would be one of the best that had ever been conducted, adding that Nigerians were expecting PDP to come out of the convention more united.

    Wike said the party, particularly the PDP governors, were more united because they had realised that Nigeria was in problem and only a united PDP could wrest power from  the APC.

    He said: “Nigeria is in problem and we cannot do it alone. We require everybody to work with us collectively and see how this country can be rescued.

    “Nigerians are not happy with the ruling party, the way Nigerians are being treated. Like I’ve told everybody that there is nothing better than making sacrifice for the interest of the country. PDP is the only platform, and which it is today as the only opposition party that will rescue Nigeria.”

    Southwest PDP: ‘We shall weed out all usurpers’

    Similar sentiments were expressed by the Southwest PDP.

    Secretary of the zone, Chief Rahman Owokoniran said: “This is not just victory for PDP, it is victory for Nigerians and Nigeria’s democracy as we match towards 2023 general elections.

    “Justice will always prevail. How can a man who has benefited so much from the party seek to destroy it?

    “PDP believes greatly in democracy and we only welcome those that are ready to help repair Nigeria, not sink it further.

    “Today marks another victory for PDP and Nigeria. We shall weed out all the usurpers in our great party.”

    Ayu, others assume duties Dec 9

    The National Chairman designate of the PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu and other national party officers to be elected at the national convention later today  will assume duties on December 9, chairman of the Convention Organising Committee, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, announced yesterday in Abuja.

    By implication, the present national officers will remain in office till December 8 when their four-year tenure expires.

    Speaking on what to expect at the convention, Fintiri said that of the 21 available party offices, only three will be contested for.

    He listed the three as the Deputy National Chairman (South) with Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja vying for the position.

    Also in contention is the position of National Auditor, with three candidates slugging it out. The contestants are Okechukwu Obiechina Daniel, Ikechukwu Samben Nwosu and Mrs Chibuogwu Benson-Oraelosi.

    Similarly, Muhammed Kadade Suleiman and Usman Elkudan will be vying for the position of National Youth Leader.

    Governor Fintiri also said that the party’s Screening Appeal Panel had affirmed the disqualification of all the aspirants who were barred for contesting for positions at the convention by the Screening Committee.

    He added that the Appeal Committee threw out the petitions filed against Arapaja and Samuel Anyanwu who are candidates for Deputy National Chairman (South) and National Secretary respectively.

    No fewer than 3600 delegates are expected to vote at the convention.

    Court restrains Edo bigwigs Orbih, 10 others from participating in convention

    An Edo State High Court sitting in Benin yesterday granted an order restraining  the National Vice Chairman (South-South) of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Dan Orbih, and the State Secretary of the party, Hilary Otsu, from participating in the PDP convention.

    Also restrained by Justice Joy Okeaya-Inneh are Hon. Samuel Saiki, Vincent Ekpomhoriri Umoru, Leslie Ebozoje, David Okoh Aigbodion (also known as Arizona), Abdulkareem Kassim, Kayode Ogunubi, Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide Ihama (House of Representatives member representing Oredo Federal Constituency), Mr Oduwa Igbinosun and Mr Friday Enaruna.

    The court restrained the Defendants from attending, participating or voting at the National Convention of the 12th Defendant herein to elect members of its National Working Committee, NWC or another Governing body, which Convention is fixed for the 30th and 31st of October 2021 or fixed for any other date, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion ex-parte filed by Chief Idehen Manfred Ekundayo, Mr Stanley Iduoze and Odior Omadimhe.

  • Confusion over alleged invasion of ex-Gov Odili’s home by security agents

    Confusion over alleged invasion of ex-Gov Odili’s home by security agents

    By Eric Ikhilae and Nicholas Kalu, Abuja

    Some security agents reportedly invaded the Abuja residence of the former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili in Maitama on Friday evening.

    The residence is said to also be occupied by his wife, Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court.

    The security agents, The Nation learnt showed up at the residence around 5PM, but were prevented from accessing the property by a team of security officials stationed in the house.

    It was gathered that the security team on the ground in the house, composed of men of the State Security Service (SSS) and the police, turned back the visiting security agents, having not been convinced by the reason given as to why they were in the house.

    It was also not clear who, between the wife and husband, was the target of the security agents, who were suspected to be from the SSS.

    Although it was initially thought to be a joint operation by men of the SSS and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the latter agency has distanced officials from the incident.

    Read Also; Police not overwhelmed but challenged by insecurity, related issues

    The spokesman of the SSS, Peter Afunanya did not respond to phone calls, while his counterpart in the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren issued a statement, distancing the EFCC from the episode.

    The Director of Information at the Supreme Court, Dr. Festus Akande’s phone was switched off when The Nation attempted to reach him.

    As at the time of this report, it was not clear which security agency was at the Odilis’ home, their mission and who their target was.

    An insider claimed that SSS operatives came to the house, but were denied entry by the security agents attached to the house, who said the visiting security men did not provide convincing information about their mission.

    The statement by EFCC spokesman reads: “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has been drawn to claims in a section of the media that operatives of the Commission today, October 29, 2021 stormed the Maitama, Abuja home of a Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Odili, purportedly to execute a search.

    “The commission by this statement wishes to inform the public that the report is false as it did not carry out any operation at the home of Justice Odili.

    “If there was any such operation as claimed by the media, it was not carried out by the EFCC.

    “The commission enjoins the public to discountenance the report.”

    The ex-governor recently sued the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) over the seizure of his international passport, which the NIS claimed was informed by a request from the EFCC, which claimed to have placed Odili on its watch list.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja ordered the release of the passport in a judgment given on October 18.

    Justice Ekwo, who declared the NIS’ action as illegal, ordered the service to among others, publicly apologise to the ex-governor.

  • Buhari: Forget tenure extension, I’ll quit in 2023

    Buhari: Forget tenure extension, I’ll quit in 2023

    By Bolaji Ogundele, Jeddah and Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday offered tacit support for technology-driven electoral process in the country, saying that it leaves no room for foul play.

    The President, who spoke in Makkah during a meeting with a select group of Saudi Arabia-based Nigerians, also warned those who might be planning to campaign for extension of his tenure to desist, saying he had sworn to God that he would not stay beyond May 29, 2023.

    Also, the Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina has faulted reports that the aircraft on which President Muhammadu Buhari recently travelled to the United States developed fault mid-air.

    Adesina described the reports published in some online platforms as an example of fake news that has become a major vice and threat to information dissemination in the country.

    Speaking about his trust in the effectiveness of technology in an electoral process, President Buhari recalled that his victory droughts in presidential contests ended after three outings when technology was eventually involved.

    He argued that the introduction of the card reader and electronic register was God’s answer to his prayers, having been robbed of victory in three previous elections.

    He said: “After the third so-called defeat, I said God dey (there is God). My opponents laughed at me but God answered my prayers by bringing in technology. At that point, nobody can steal their votes or buy them.”

    According to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, President Buhari assured Nigerians that he would not violate his oath to the holy Qur’an by which he had sworn to only serve the terms permitted him by the 1999 Constitution.

    “I swore by the Holy Qur’an that I would serve in accordance with the constitution and leave when my time is up. No ‘Tazarce’ (tenure extension). I don’t want anybody to start talking about and campaigning for unconstitutional extension. I will not accept that.”

    Read Also; Some Nigerians have taken over role of God, says Buhari

    President Buhari, who ended his visit to the Kingdom with the Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, said he would continue to abide by the constitution in all its ramifications and would at all times supervise and deal with his ministers on the same basis.

    He gave assurances at the meeting that in the balance of “eighteen months or so of my time left, whatever I can do to improve the life of Nigerians, I will do it for the country.”

    The President commended diaspora Nigerians in the Kingdom for representing the country well and projecting its good image.

    He also used the opportunity to urge Nigerians to be fair to his administration at all times, asking his critics to compare the security situations in the Northeast and South-South in 2015 and how things have improved now.

    “My problem is the Northwest where people are killing and stealing from one another. I had to be very hard on them and I will continue to be very hard until we put them in line and bring back order,” he said.

    President Buhari urged Nigerians living in the country to respect the law, remain law-abiding and do nothing to derogate from the many years of friendly and mutually beneficial relationships between the two countries.

    A leader of the community, Dr. Abdulkadir Maikudi, who spoke on behalf of the group, requested the President to assist the privately-run Nigerian International School in the Kingdom by equipping it to provide science and technical education.

    The Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Yahaya Lawal and the Consul-General in Jeddah, Ambassador Abdulkarim Mansur attested to the good conduct of the nearly 1.5 million Nigerians there.

    According to them, “Nigerian professionals are doing well and projecting a good image for our country.”

    Buhari not involved in air mishap – Adesina

    However, the Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina has faulted reports that the aircraft on which President Muhammadu Buhari recently travelled to the United States developed fault mid-air.

    Adesina described the reports published in some online platforms as an example of fake news that has become a major vice and threat to information dissemination in the country.

    Adesina said: “It didn’t happen. I was on that flight. We took off from New York, went straight to Santa Maria in Portugal where we refueled. We took off and flew straight to Nigeria.

    “Where is the mishap? It is a lie. It never happened…Do you know the number of people that have been misled by this fake news?

    “Fake news is a problem not only to Nigeria but to the whole world. The traditional media should be careful of fake news, because we must first have a country before digital media can be useful to us.

    “We must not allow digital media to be used to destroy our country. Digital media is good, but there is evil embedded in it.”

    The presidential spokesman, who said he had been a victim of fake news on many occasions, spoke in Abuja yesterday at the public presentation of a book, “101 fake news on EndSARS,” a publication of PRNigeria, authored by a journalist,  Dahiru Lawal.

    Adesina, who cited instances where his views were misrepresented by purveyors of fake news, expressed disappointment that members of the Yoruba group, Afenifere, allowed themselves to be misled by fake news about his recent comparison between Buhari and some past political leaders.

    He advised that the traditional media and professional journalists must be more careful, because the digital media appear to be dictating the pace, while the traditional media now rely on them.

    Adesina, who noted that fake news was instrumental to the EndSARS protest and the massive destruction witnessed, said the problem would be more pronounced as the 2023 general elections draw close.

    Also speaking, Dr. Umar Gwandu, the media aide to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, noted that fake news is always intended to cause harm.

    Gwandu urged professional journalists not to allow quacks to take the lead and dictate the pace of information dissemination, because doing so will be a disservice to the country.

  • Osinbajo meets Tinubu in Abuja

    Osinbajo meets Tinubu in Abuja

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday met with the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in Abuja.

    It was their first meeting since Tinubu’s return from a surgery in London on October 8.

    Details of their discussions were not immediately known, but pictures of the duo were released by the Office of the Vice President to State House Correspondents.

    The meeting came against the backdrop of media speculations over the relationship between the two men ahead of the 2023 presidential race.

    An aide of the Vice President, Mr.Babafemi Ojudu, had recently said attempts to cause conflict between them would fail.

    Ojudu, a presidential special adviser said: “It is incumbent on me to state emphatically that neither the Vice President nor his office is aware of this or endorse this kind of a divisive engagement and news reports.

    Read Also: List of Nigerians, groups mobilising for Tinubu presidency in 2023

    “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo are members of same party. “Osinbajo regards Tinubu as a respected leader of a political family to which he belongs and will therefore not for any reason endorse an endeavour that seeks to pit them against each other.

    “We are not unaware of some people who may want to foist a crack among our leaders. Such an attempt is abortive. Osinbajo and Tinubu’s relationship dates way back and it shall continue to wax strong.

    “Let me, therefore, call on individuals and media houses engaged in this act to desist from doing so. The APC remains one single, indivisible party and Osinbajo remains a loyal member of the party who respects both the party structure as well as its leadership.

    “Moreover, the INEC has not given a go-ahead yet for politicking towards 2023. As a law-abiding citizen, Osinbajo will not commence any act in this regard until INEC blows the whistle, and in any case, the VP has not indicated interest in the 2023 elections

    “While appreciating individuals who are clamouring for him to contest, we however want to plead that they should not draw him or allow themselves into an unnecessary and precipitous controversy.”