The Nation Newspaper

Tag: support

  • APC thanks Kwarans for support

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expresses profound appreciation to the people of Kwara State “for the tremendous and overwhelming support shown to President Muhammadu Buhari and all candidates of the party in the presidential and National Assembly elections” held last Saturday.

    A statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said: “For our party and to Kwarans, this victory is special in so many ways.

    “But most significantly is how the people showed uncommon resilience and determination against all odds to kick out a man that had stagnated development and held the fortunes of the state hostage for the past 16 years.

    “The people of Kwara have shown clearly that they will no longer fraternise with their oppressors, neither will the state’s representation continue to be a signpost for thuggery, embezzlement, feudal lords, misuse of power and opportunism.

    “The people of Kwara have shown commitment to the kind of change that will empower them while reclaiming the lost glory of Kwarans.

    “The dawn of intellectual capacity, integrity, accountability, fair and progressive representation as well as respect for people and institutions beckons.

    “We equally note with utmost satisfaction the total and unequivocal victory given to our party, as we not only won the presidential election but also all the Senate and House of Representatives seats in the state.

    “It is, indeed, a new dawn for our dear Kwara State. The APC would not take this victory for granted. Service to the people would be our watchword, as our representatives in the National Assembly are fully conscious of the enormous responsibilities now placed on their shoulders.

    “However, we want to remind our people that the work is not done yet.

    “Come Saturday, we humbly ask every eligible voter in the state to come out en masse and vote for our governorship candidate, AbdulRahman AbdulRazak and all our candidates for the House of Assembly polls.

    “To accomplish this task is imperative in order to uproot all the vestiges of the retrogressive political servitude that has held our dear state backward among the comity of states in Nigeria.”

  • Southwest Ohanaeze reiterates support for Atiku

    The Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Southwest has reiterated its support for presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and his vice Peter Obi.

    A statement by the spokesman, Prince Erondu Uche, said: “We will not relent in our support for Atiku/Obi. The order given to the military by President Muhammadu Buhari will not deter our support for a restructured Nigeria. No Igbo man in Southwest will engage in ballot box snatching or electoral violence.

    “I, therefore, encourage all Igbo to vote candidates based on merit. Do not be afraid, the presence of security agents should guarantee your safety and not otherwise. Igbo are law abiding citizens therefore nobody should boycott this election for fear.

    “I also urge all Igbo in the Southwest to remain focused. Do not allow few selfish individuals who have been mobilised to distract us to disappoint our brother Peter Obi to prevail. Do not give them attention.

    “To those who travelled and have been inconvenienced because of the postponement, especially the Concerned Citizens of Abia in Diaspora (CCAD), I urge you to please make this sacrifice for the sake of our future generation. Please stay till the end of the exercise.”

     

  • UN, foreign observers seek support for INEC

    The United Nations (UN) and international election observers who are in the country for the general elections want Nigerians to remain calm despite the postponement of the polls.

    They are also  encouraging  Nigerians to support the Independent National Electoral Commission  (INEC) in implementing the new election dates.

    The UN and the observers in a statement in Abuja yesterday noted that the postponement has caused disappointment  but stressed the need for Nigerians to keep faith with INEC.

    They said: “We, the Heads of the international election observation missions and the United Nations present in Nigeria, have taken note of the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the 2019 general elections due to logistical and operational challenges.

    “While we note that this decision has caused disappointment for many, we call on all Nigerians to continue to remain calm and supportive of the electoral process as INEC works to implement its new timeline.

    “We urge INEC to use this time to finalise all preparations and ensure that the new election dates are strictly adhered to. We encourage INEC to provide regular updates and information to the public on its preparations in the coming days and weeks to enhance confidence and trust in the process.

    “As we continue to closely observe preparations across the country, we stand in solidarity with the people of Nigeria in their desire for credible and peaceful elections.”

     

  • Why Atiku can’t get support from Southwest

    In this piece, Moses Ipadeola highlights the factors that will shape the presidential election in the Southwest on February 16.

    As the nation continues the steady march towards the February 16 Presidential Election, one big question that has been agitating the minds of the people of the Southwest geopolitical zone of the country is what they stand to benefit by voting for either of the two main contending parties – the APC and the PDP. This is a question that falls within the purview of analysts to examine and present an overview of what to expect from the zone in the coming election.

    One of the main grouses of the people of the Southwest against the PDP is the way the party treated the people of the zone during the Jonathan administration of 2009 to 2015. The people believe and rightly so, that they had been shortchanged not only in the siling of infrastructural projects in the zone but also in appointments to public offices.

    Hardly can one point to any major project started and completed in the Southwest during the rule of Goodluck Jonathan or that of his predecessor, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Instead many projects initiated by the two PDP leaders have been abandoned halfway only to be taken over by the Buhari administration. Many of such projects have either been completed by now or nearing completion by the current APC government of President Buhari.

    For example, the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway construction was to be done through a concessionary arrangement that flopped. That all important project very vital to the socio-economic well-being of the South westerners has now been taken over by Buhari and is getting near completion stage and more interestingly, this big undertaking is now being executed through direct government funding.

    Similarly, one of the busiest roads in Nigeria, the Ibadan/Oyo/Ogbomosho Expressway which was started by the PDP government of Chief  Olusegun Obasanjo was abandoned at Oyo leaving the Oyo/Ogbomosho section uncompleted since the past 16years. It is Buhari government that is now working towards the completion of the project.

    One other major project that has continued to gladden the hearts of the Yoruba people is the standard gauge railway project directly linking Lagos with Ibadan, the political Capital of the Southwest. This project was started by Jonathan but nothing was done on it until Buhari came on board. While on a state visit to China, Buhari renegotiated the project with the Chinese authorities. Work is progressing at a high speed right now on the project.

    You can just imagine a rail journey from Lagos to Ibadan taking only 30minutes. And what about haulage of goods between the two great metropolis? Why will the Southwest then choose to show ingratitude to a party, APC that is doing much at the same time in the geopolitical zone?

    Right now Atiku is dangling the bait of restructuring to the region. But where are the details of his restructuring proposal? Will he do it, can he do it and is it going to be a project that will favour the people in that zone? Atiku came to Ibadan to canvass for the people’s support but merely touched the issue of restructuring on the surface. He merely browsed the issue and made no promise to complete ongoing projects that are of immense socio-economic value to the South westerners.

    Today, Alhaji Atiku’s most vociferous backer is Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a former President who had once declared the PDP candidate as unfit to rule Nigeria because of what he described as his insatiable greed and corruption. But even then, the pertinent question is, does Obasanjo possess the moral or political compass by which he can direct the course of events in Yorubaland?

    Only recently, one of the most highly respected leaders of the Yoruba nation, General Alani Akinrinade, former Chief of Defense Staff, took a swipe at Chief Obasanjo and described his call on South westerners to vote for Atiku as “an insult to our collective intelligence”. He also blamed the media for according the ex-president undue attention, adding that they (the media) owe Nigerians the responsibility of “keeping this irritable man where he belongs – the waste bin of history”.

    The retired general then advised his comrade-in-arms to “allow Nigerians choose who they want and stop goading the citizenry for his own selfish interests”. Alani Akinrinade has spoken the minds of most Nigerians, especially people of the Southwest. General Akinrinade is seen and regarded as a highly influential and respected leader whose views on any issues are usually taken as representing the collective interests of the Yoruba.

    Now, if Atiku thinks he can rely on Obasanjo’s support to win Southwest votes, then he has missed the point. He must be living under a great illusion that Obasanjo’s political clout in the zone is sufficient enough for him to withstand PMB’s rabbit punch in the February 16 election. The Yoruba people have never regarded Obasanjo as a true son of theirs and many PDP leaders and supporters in the zone regard his much orchestrated support for Atiku as constituting a big albatross on the neck of his former vice.

    Reasons why the duo of Obasanjo and Atiku cannot influence voters in the Southwest cannot be far-fetched, given the antecedents of the two leaders while holding the highest offices in the land. Neither of the two of them can point to any project or undertaking of significance that can qualify them for the people’s support or gratitude.

    During Atiku’s eight-year vice-presidential tenure, people of the Southwest said they did not see the positive impact of his performance or activities either as a political juggermet or as the all-powerful No. 2 man who could influence the establishment of important national projects in the zone. The name “Atiku Abubakar” is heard in Yorubaland only when he comes calling for electoral support and not for the commissioning or laying of the foundation stone of any public or private projects in any area of the zone. He did not even honour the invitation to witness the heavily attended installation ceremony of the incumberant Olubadan of Ibadan Land, Oba.

    As for the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, the Yoruba can never forgive him for the ignoble roles he had played in the affairs of his own people. According to General Alani Akinrinade, through Obasanjo’s “clandestine maneuvers in 1979, he foisted on Nigeria a reluctant Shehu Shagari at the expense of cerebral Obafemi Awolowo”. Through the same undemocratic practice he caused the removal of a popular governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja from office in 2007.

    Though Obasanjo was foisted on Nigeria as President by the military to atone for the great loss suffered by the Yoruba in the aborted June 12, 1993 Presidential Election and the state murder of its winner, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the main beneficiary of those sordid events, Obasanjo did not for once publicly appreciate the sacrifice made to bring him back to power, fame and world recognition.

    For this and many more, including his unfriendly attitude towards the famous Awolowo family, Obasanjo is and will for many years to come remain a political outcast among the children of Oduduwa.

    It is however to the eternal credit of President Muhammadu Buhari that what Obasanjo ungratefully refused to do for his own people in his eight years of misrule, PMB did it in under two years, and that is the official recognition and proclamation of M.K.O. Abiola as winner of  the 1993 Presidential Election! This great and courageous act of patriotism on the part of President Buhari is more than enough to endear him to the hearts of South westerners and dismiss the vituperations of Obasanjo as the tantrums of a rejected leader.

    By now Atiku should be reminded of the inglorious antecedents of his former boss, his own reputation as a corrupt and ineffectual leader and accept the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari in February 16 Election as a fait-accompli

     

  • ‘Why I support Dapo Abiodun’

    The Ogun State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Muyiwa Oladipo has declared his support for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Dapo Abiodun, saying he remains loyal to the party’s principles which is superior to any personal interest.

    Oladipo, who made this known while fielding questions from reporters in Abeokuta, noted that many were wondering about his political stand and why he remained silent in the ongoing political imbroglio. He said he remained resilient with the APC which is the ruling party, noting that he never thought of decamping to Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM).

    He said: “Truly, there has been many gossiping here and there based on where I belong, most especially when I am silent about the ongoing political machinations in the state. But I must confess to you that I Basorun Muyiwa Oladipo, I am in support of APC progressive principles which are similar to the Action Group (AG), founded by our late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo that was later transformed to Alliance for Democracy (AD) and now APC by the collective agreement of all progressive political leaders and elders in Nigeria.

    “There was a time I showed my interest in contesting for governorship position of this state, but God said it is not yet time. I am in ruling party, APC and I am in support of Prince Dapo Abiodun the governorship candidate of APC in Ogun State who I am very sure by the grace of God will emerge as the Amosun’s successor,” he said.

    On why he remained in APC, he said: “I am in APC because my boss Governor Ibikunle Amosun who appointed me as Commissioner still remains committed to APC progressive ideology. The Governor has his reasons for standing with Buhari in APC and that is why all of us cannot sleep and put our heads in the same direction, and we all have our conscience to follow. “The Governor asked some of his party followers to decamp to the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) to actualise their political dreams and ambitions,” Oladipo said.

    He noted that the Governor Amosun was in support of Hon. Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade from opposition party, APM. That doesn’t mean that other cabinet members of the Amosun should follow his footstep, but one need to be steadfast and committed to the party’s principle that made him an Amosun’s cabinet member.

    He said: “This life is like a talking drum, what faces someone may back another. There is something my boss, Governor Amosun saw in supporting Hon. Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade which is personal. So, the sky is very wide enough to accommodate variant birds to fly without conflict of interest.

    “Many Commissioners have resigned their appointments but I have not resigned because the party that appointed me as commissioner is still the ruling APC. The governor never said he is going to APM, so I have no reason leaving the party when our leader in the state is still in support of APC.”

    The Commissioner restated his commitment to the party’s principle at all times but noted that he was ready to leave the party if the  governor also leaves the party for APM, adding that he was not into any anti-party activities but in line with the Amosun’s principle of APC which he said can be justified by his.

    He advise the people to collect their PVCs, which he said was an instrument to choose the candidate of their choice that is going to lead them for the next four years, even as he enjoined the youth not to be used as political thugs for any political gain but be  very wise in working for the success of the general elections.

  • LASUCOM students seek support for mental health patients

    Protostar Initiative, an organisation founded by three medical students, held its maiden Mental Health Conference at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) at Ikeja. TOLANI ODUKOYA, 400-LEVEL MEDICINE, LASUCOM was there with about 150 others.

    Medical students of the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) have been told to create a world without stigmatisation.

    The admonition was given  at the maiden Protostar Mental Health Conference (PMHC) organised by Sarah Kalu, Ogomigo Ortega  and Soyemi Toluwalashe (2018 UN Millennium Fellow) – all 400-Level Medical students.

    The three students are the founders of Protostar Initiative – an organisation focused on mental health advocacy and education.

    The organisation provides a platform on its website (www.protostar.com.ng) to connect mental health professionals with those in need.

    The conference, with the theme: Creating a world without stigmatisation and encouraging a mental health culture, was aimed at fostering a paradigm shift about mental health ideas of older generations in youths and help them understand the issues and challenges in managing mental health in Nigeria as well as develop more sustainable andpractical solutions to reduce mental health stigmatisation.

    Speakers included non-profit leaders and mental health professionals like Omotoke Olowo Totilope (2018 Mandela Washington Fellow and Founder, The Autism Awareness Place), Dr. A.O Coker (psychiatrist), Mrs Damilola Oyalaja (special needs educator), Mrs Rose Mordi (Downs Syndrome Foundation), and Mrs. Elsie Akerele (administrator, Lady Atinuke Memorial Home) who urged young people to see mental health as an important yet neglected part of health.

    In her presentation on “The role of non-profits and individuals in the creation of sustainable solutions in mental health sphere”, Titilope underscored the importance of positivity and inclusion as some of the tools in developing solutions.

    She urged students to be positive about their self-image by saying one positive thing about themselves daily.

    Each of the speakers, all of who had at least 10 years’ experience in mental health advocacy and education, inspired the youths to demystify mental health by fighting stigmatisation.

    The session ended with a panel session and presentation of awards to the speakers.

  • Garba II reiterates support for Buhari

    FORMER presidential aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) Adamu Garba II has thrown his weight behind President Muhammad Buhari.

    He dismissed the chances of People Democratic Party (PDP) flagbearer Atiku Abubakar.

    In a statement, Garba II, the CEO of IPI Solutions, said the interests of Nigerians were better served under Buhari.

    Garba II said privatization under the watch of Atiku during the Second Republic went awry consequently his support for Buhari is not negotiable.

    “We all thought that we were better off between 1999 and 2015 but it was clear that we were living in a bubble as a nation.

    “But for the first time since the early 1990s, we have a government under President Buhari that dared to press a reset button on those institutions that used to be pipe drains.”

    He noted further that Buhari would take the country to lofty heights with his ‘NEXTLEVEL’ agenda.

     

  • Ekiti SSG rallies support for Fayemi

    The Secretary to Ekiti State Government (SSG), Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has urged the residents to support Governor Kayode Fayemi to reposition the state for rapid development.

    Oyebanji spoke in Ado-Ekiti, the state apital, when a delegation of the old students’ association of his alma mater, Awo Community High School, Awo-Ekiti, visited him in his office.

    The SSG said the Fayemi administration is committed to diligent implementation of its Four-Point Development Agenda to transform the state.

    According to him, the hallmark of the new administration includes transparency and accountability.

    Oyebanji said the government would remain open to constructive criticisms.

    The SSG expressed appreciation to God for another opportunity to serve the state.

    He called for continued prayers and support of members of the association, promising not to let them down.

    The Protem National Chairman of the Awo High School Old Students Association, Mr Oluropo Ojo, expressed confidence in Oyebanji’s ability to live up to expectation in his new office.

    According to him, the school has produced prominent men holding strategic positions in public and private sectors.

    He hailed the SSG for being a good ambassador of the school, adding that the association was proud of his accomplishments.

    Ojo congratulated Oyebanji on the feather added to his cap and prayed for his continued success.

  • Ambode’s aide seeks support for Sanwo-Olu, APC candidates

    The Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Civic Engagement, Adeyemi Olabinjo, has urged members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ifako Ijaye Local Government Area to ensure the success of the party at all levels in next year’s general elections.

    He also urged members to eschew all forms of bitterness trailing the recently primaries of the party.

    The governor’s aide assured them that APC leadership would carry them along in the preparations for next year’s polls.

    Speaking at an event to kick-start the mobilisation of prospective voters in Ifako Ijaye Local Government Area, Olabinjo, who is a former Chairman of Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA), said he had put behind him the experience of the last party primaries in which he contested to represent Ifako Ijaye Federal Constituency.

    The governor’s aide urged his supporters to do same in the overall interest of the party.

    Emphasising the supremacy of the party, Olabinjo said: “I have met our leaders, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and Osun State Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. They have spoken. As a good and loyal party man, I have obeyed. I urge you all to imbibe the same spirit in the interest of our party.

    “In the 2015 governorship election, Ojokoro came third in the votes delivered; this time round, I want us to come first by voting massively for President Muhammadu Buhari, our governorship candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other candidates of our party in the State and National Assembly elections.”

    The well-attended event was attended by leaders of the Igbo, Southsouth, Arewa and Nupe communities in Ifako Ijaye Local Government Area.

     

  • Students pledge support for Buhari

    A group of students has declared its support for  President Muhammadu Buhari in next year’s  election. The students, under the aegis of Buhari Students Support Group, passed a vote of confidence on the President at a press conference in Lagos with the theme: In defence of democracy.

    They promised to mobilise students in all tertiary institutions for Buhari’s re-election, saying the president’s efforts to put the country on a good foundation should be supported by the youth.

    The group’s leader and Lagos State University student, Dhikrullah Aasim, said: “As the 2019 elections draw close, we deem it fit to pass a vote of confidence on our dear President Muhammadu Buhari, given the avalanche of achievements recorded by his administration and how he has successfully maintained the state of the nation.”

    Dhikrullah noted that the emergence of President Buhari in 2015 brought hope to the country, because people believed he would rescue the country from the maladministration of previous governments, revive the economy and enhance security.

    “For the first time, those who diverted public funds are not finding it easy,” Dhikrullah said, adding that Buhari’s administration recorded rare feat in security, which the previous administration could not do.

    “This administration has secured the release of some Chibok girls and their Dapchi counterparts abducted by Boko Haram,” he said.

    Stating why the support group was formed, Adelowo Adewale, a student of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, said members of the group believed Buhari’s integrity remains intact and helped him to set a good precedent in the fight against corruption.

    A student of the Fountain University, Lawal Muhammad, said the sole aim of the group was to help the President realise his re-election dream. “We are not in support of any party; we’re being straightforward in supporting Buhari,” he said.

    Urging Nigerians to vote Buhari in 2019, Adelakun Tufayl of LASU said: “Our Permanent Voter Card is our power; we should get it, and go out en masse to vote this man of integrity, so that he can continue with his work of change and transformation.”