Category: Southwest

All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has told the Labour Party (LP) candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi, that statesmanship demands strategy, not sentiment.

The party in a statement issued in Ogba, Lagos yesterday by its spokesman, Seye Oladejo, said:

 ‘’Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress notes with concern, the latest remarks made by Mr. Peter Obi regarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s official trip abroad.  ‘’Obi’s comments, couched in emotional rhetoric, demonstrate a persistent misunderstanding of governance and global diplomacy.

‘’President Tinubu’s current travel itinerary is not a leisure tour, as Mr. Obi has insinuated, but part of a strategic international engagement to reposition Nigeria on the global economic and diplomatic stage. At a time when our nation is seeking partnerships, investments and solutions to shared global challenges, the presence of our President at multilateral forums like the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) is not only appropriate — it is essential.

‘’We remind Mr. Obi that leadership in the 21st century does not operate in isolation. Our challenges — economic revitalisation, climate resilience, energy access and security cooperation — require international collaboration, not insular thinking. ‘’President Tinubu’s engagements with foreign leaders are informed by a vision of building a stable, secure and prosperous Nigeria, with partners who understand our reality and are willing to support us.

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‘’Mr. Obi, who has himself toured foreign capitals in search of sympathy for a rejected electoral bid, should understand that diplomacy is not optional — it is a duty of leadership. ‘’While he asks why the President visits foreign countries, we ask why he consistently disregards the significance of high-level diplomacy in attracting aid, forging security partnerships and expanding trade.

‘’Rather than distort facts, Mr. Obi should acknowledge the visible progress being made: Stabilisation of the naira and moderation of inflation.

Attracting multi-billion-dollar commitments in infrastructure, energy and digital economy.

Improved bilateral security cooperation, especially in the fight against terrorism and organised crime.

‘’Let it be clear: Nigeria is not bleeding — Nigeria is rebuilding, and that work is being done at home and abroad. The President’s travel schedule reflects a strategic prioritisation of Nigeria’s long-term interests, not neglect.

‘’Finally, Lagos APC urges Mr. Obi and the Labour Party to rise above politicised commentary and contribute to national discourse. Nigerians deserve sober reflection, not alarmist rhetoric.

‘’President Tinubu remains fully committed to the service of the Nigerian people, whether from Abuja, Yokohama, or anywhere his duty calls.’’

Ahead of 2027 general election,  Southwest Zonal Executive Committee of All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged Nigerians to reject the coalition of opposition figures now operating under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The zonal leadership said members of the coalition ‘’have nothing to offer” the country, describing them as “failed politicians” who had been tested with power in the past, but left no meaningful achievements.

Speaking with reporters in Akure,  Ondo State capital, after their meeting, the APC Southwest Zonal Chairman, Isaacs Kekemeke, said those in the coalition had been tested with power in the past, but disappointed Nigerians with nothing to show for their existence in power.

“This coalition of politicians cannot win against the coalition of Nigerian people who know that what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing now is the best for our country.

“They are people who have been tested and have failed. If people have been tested and have failed over time, then it will be terrible for Nigerians to abandon someone (like Tinubu), who is setting Nigeria on the path to greatness. 

“They are a committee of people who have failed in time past and in the very recent past. They are people who have not been able to accredit themselves credibly well in the areas that they have been asked to work. They are people who have nothing to show,” he added.

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Kekemeke challenged the coalition members to present their track record, urging Nigerians to disregard their antics of coming back to power in 2027.

“Let this coalition tell us what they achieved when they were in power and what they plan to do differently now. If you look at their past records, they are very undesirable,” he said.

The APC zonal chairman expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would be unbeatable in the 2027 polls.

He said Southwest APC leadership had concluded arrangements to recruit canvassers for Tinubu across 2,000 electoral wards in the six states of the region.

According to him, the canvassers will be tasked with taking the president’s socio-economic policies and achievements directly to the grassroots.

“A committee has been set up to work out the modalities. Apart from overseeing party activities across the zone, it will strategise for President Tinubu’s second term bid. As the president’s home zone, we must lead the crusade for his re-election,” Kekemeke said.