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  • APC hails Tinubu as veritable pillar of democracy

    APC hails Tinubu as veritable pillar of democracy

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday described its  National Leader , Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a veritable pillar of the country ‘s  modern democracy and a proven political genius.

    In a congratulatory message to the former Lagos State governor on the conferment of  The Sun Man of the Year award, the  APC  National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, said Tinubu’s  contribution   to the current democracy in the country cannot be overlooked.

    It is no surprise,Buni said, “that, in addition to your status of Asiwaju, you also hold the revered title of Jagaban Borgu. As the APC National Leader, you have continued to guide, inspire and lead our noble causes of liberating our people from oppression and improving the quality of life of Nigerians.

    “You are a sterling example of statesmanship and steadfastness. Notably, your efforts, as a major arrowhead, alongside other like-minded progressive Nigerians, led to the merger of parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “This ultimately resulted in the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the installation of the current APC-led government.

    “Indeed, you have shown the world, through your doggedness and qualitative leadership, that Nigeria can indeed take its pride of place among comity of progressive nations.”

    He wished him  “many more happy, healthy and fulfilled years of service to the nation and party.”

  • Tinubu expresses worries over health spending

    Tinubu expresses worries over health spending

    Senator Oluremi Tinubu has expressed worries over the country’s poor spending on health.

    The situation, according to Mrs Tunubu,  has become a challenge to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    She said the last administration did not do much in the area of health.

    Mrs Tinubu  spoke yesterday at a three-day summit on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) in Abuja.

    She said: “As the First Lady of Lagos State, when my husband was the governor, I worked on health-related issues on women and children. Up till now, I’m still working with my NGOs, still advocating for youth, still advocating for the rights of women. Coincidentally, in my second senate, I have been appointed to chair the Committee on Women.

    “Issues of health are not political; I stand to agree and to disagree. It’s political because, maybe, the previous administration did not do what they were supposed to do.

    “And now we have the challenge. Are we going to do the right thing?  So, it’s a challenge for the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. We must do the right thing for our people, our people deserve the best.”

    Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole assured non-government organisations of government’s support.

    The minister, who was represented by the ministry’s Director of Family Health, Dr Balami Wapada, said: “We will issue templates for NGOs to report on their spending on health on a quarterly basis.” He added that such reporting “will bring in accountability and using resources more efficiently.”

     

     

    He explained that civil society groups will also be mandated to report on their activities in Nigerian hospitals, so as to track service delivery, and if necessary improve on services being rendered.

     

    United Nations Population Fund’s representative in Nigeria, Ratidzai Ndhlovu also stressed that accountability for maternal health will require “periodic and transparent dissemination of key results particularly on maternal mortality and its discussion with stakeholders.”

     

    Meanwhile, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and some CSOs have challenged the federal government to ensure transparency in the implementation of the 2016 health budget.

     

    This was part of the resolutions reached at the end of a workshop on 2016 budget with regards to healthcare, organised by  the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and family Health (PACFaH).

     

    NMA President, Dr Lawrence Obembe said: “There are lot of loopholes, lacunas difficiency in the 2016 health budget, we also know that the percentage is very low, it’s about 3.7 percent. Nigeria’s commitment is supposed to be 15%.”

     

    Obembe also called for strengthening of health care financing as a way to address various health challenges in the country.

     

    But in a communique at the end of the workshop signed  by Chairman of the ocassion, Prof Ben Anyene and  PACFaH  National Coordinator, Dr Judith-Ann Walker,  they observed that the “prospects and opportunities for domestic mobilizing for health financing of the 2016 budget

    compliance with inherited and new international obligations in the health sector- benefits and challenges” are the key to attaining set goals in the sector.

     

    They called for “adequate funding in the context of the deficit financing- the best arguments for the health sector advocate. Tracking timely releases, value for money and cost effectiveness of the health budget after releases-most effective strategies

     

    “Health financing is challenged by dwindling revenue, poor fiscal management of resources and weak private sector financing. The 2016 health sector budget of the government is characterized by lack of transparency responsiveness and misplacement of priorities,” the group said.

     

    They also maintained that “the framework and guideline for implementation of the National Health Act 2014 is yet to be put in place, including the non-recognition of the provisions of the 2014 National Health Act in the 2016 budget proposal.

     

    “The absence of budgetary provisions for key and essential line items like child and family health, service wide votes have not been disaggregated for many line items in the 2016 health budget.

     

  • Who is afraid of Buhari and Tinubu?

    SIR: So much has been said and written about Sir Ahmadu Bello and Chief Obafemi Awolowo. These two were great men who led their people with vision. The north is yet to have the good old days of the Sardauna and the West still bask in the euphoria of Awolowo’s state policy in education and the economy. Awolowo’s numerous books on national statehood are in the public domain. It says a lot about him, and his pristine principles.

    Had these two ruled further and lived longer, they might have been celebrated, truly so, for their fountain of knowledge and greatness needed for the country’s growth. As great as these leviathans were however, they didn’t see eye-to-eye on national policies, each asked their supporters to “watch my six” as they say in the military. It might have been better if the supporters had ‘watched the six’ of the nation as opposed to the region.

    Little wonder the Sardauna chose to remain a premier instead of prime minister, ostensibly to avoid moving to Lagos and running affairs of the nation from the West. Little wonder Awolowo only travelled to the north a handful of times.

    Great leaders have their own moment of ascendancy to the heights and while on the pedestal, their spirit soars to their destined apogee. They consciously radiate dutifulness, responsibility and decency in ways alien to mortal man. They bear in mind fraternally that “matter and spirit are completely different elements” and they do not allow self to be driven by philistinism, the banality that has destroyed many a small man.

    The prevailing reality in Nigeria today is that there are few heroes and heroines. True heroes exhibit commitment to a cause, goal, an idea that is accepted by those who celebrate the hero as worthy. Often, however, the yardstick for determining heroes is not clear, and jingoists have cashed in on this to deceitfully robe contenders on ethnic or regional basis, and so a Muhammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu may be heroes to many and villains to others. “One man’s hero” it is said, “may be another man’s villain.”

    Heroism, ordinarily, is as a function of deeds, it also relates to time and space.

    Why should anyone be afraid of Buhari and Tinubu? These two, even though have not established universities, written tomes of books like Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Sir Ahmadu Bello, to many are greater than them for the reason that they have been able to unite the north and west in ways that those luminaries could only have imagined.

    Buhari and Tinubu showed statesmanship by rallying the national troops for national growth forgetting the age-old chasm that had been created regionally. Authentic heroes pursue a cause; which must gladden the hearts of all and heroes act out heroic script without fail.

    Many do not want to live in the still calm of life because they know that “Great necessities call out great virtues.” These virtues include appreciation of reality and distinguishing between phantoms and reality. They include the abandonment of the petty route of “fanning the embers of hatred and exacerbate our already complicated problems in the country”.

    Tough order indeed that only few progressives can handle. Buhari and Tinubu are two of the greatest pantheon of political greats in this dispensation and both can alter the democratic stake in 2019

     

    • Simon Abah,

    Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

     

  • Tinubu’s role should be documented, says Seriki

    Tinubu’s role should be documented, says Seriki

    ll Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Chief Akanni Seriki has extolled the virtues of the national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, saying that his contribution to the enthronement of the progressive government at the centre should be documented.

    He said the documentary on the heroic roles of the astute politician will inspire future generations to embrace politics of principle, service and ideology.

    Seriki, a Lagos APC elder, expressed worry over the activities of detractors trying to damage the image of the leader in the social media through their limitless campaigns of calumny, fabrication, falsehood and treachery.

    He also chided people he described as “political associates-turned foes within” for attempting to break the ladder they climbed to political stardom. Urging them to retrace their steps, he said it is dangerous for the ingrate to bite the fingers that fed them.

    Seriki observed that Tinubu’s name has already be written in the letters of gold because he played a major role in charting the course of progress for the country.

    He said: “There are revelations these days about how the last government of the PDP mismanaged the economy and distributed money meant for arms to lackeys for partisan errands. If the PDP government had survived in the last election, the country would have collapsed. But, Tinubu rallied like-minded progressives to push for power shift. He started the work on 2003. He persisted. he kept hope alive. He has dwarfed his detractors.

    “That is why I believe that Asiwaju will not fall by the grace of God. That is why I also caution against betrayal by the people he raised. That is why I want them to remember the past when they were nobody. Tinubu’s records are impeccable. His roles as the arrowhead, motivator and leader of the progressive movement should be documented to serve as an inspiration for future generations.”

    Seriki lauded Lagos State Governor Akinwumi Ambode for building on the legacies of Asiwaju Tinubu and Mr. Babatunde Fashola, urging him to intensify his people-oriented programmes.

    He said: “We have to appreciate that we have a governor in Lagos who is a silent worker. He is focusing on the grassroots. He is completing the road projects kicked off by his predecessors. Ambode has moved to the riverine areas to give them hope through rural projects. We are happy that Ambode has decided to open up Epe Division through road construction and rehabilitation.”

    The party elder also lauded the free meal programme for pupils and the revival of housing schemes and employment of new teachers.

    Seriki added: “Lagosians are behind Ambode. He has proved that Lagos has hope and bright future. he is a silent worker and not a noise maker. In four year’s time, there will be assessment and the judgment will be favourable. APC has made a good choice for Lagos State.”

  • Tinubu is Thinkers’ Man of the Year

    Tinubu is Thinkers’ Man of the Year

    All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has emerged 2015 Thinkers Magazine Man of the Year of

    Secretary of Thinkers Communications Limited Hajiya Saratu Muhammad, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, said the the APC chieftain emerged after a keen screening by the board of the organisation.

    Describing Tinubu’s contribution as impressive, she said he transformed the political system by transiting an opposition party to a ruling government.

    The statement said: “In Nigeria, nay Africa, it is rare for an opposition party to defeat a ruling party as done by APC in 2015. What makes Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s contributions impressive is that as far back as 2013, he spearheaded the move to form an all-encompassing party that can overcome the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). And against odds and despite dangers to his safety and business interests, Tinubu helped secure victory for APC during the presidential poll. In, short he is a man of the people, who fully deserves this honour.”

    She added that the political genius groomed politicians, who contributed meaningfully to the well-being of the people.

    “We also took into cognisance the number of brilliant gentlemen and Women, whom Tinubu groomed into strategic positions. The competence shown by these men and women has also shown that Tinubu is the ultimate talent hunter,” the statement read.

  • ‘Plot to smear Tinubu in full swing’

    ‘Plot to smear Tinubu in full swing’

    A campaign to smear the reputation of All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which started about six weeks ago, is in full swing, his Media Office said yesterday.

    In a statement signed by Sunday Akin Dare, the Tinubu Media Office (TMO) said it had learnt of “a concerted, wilful campaign tagged ‘destroy the reputation of Tinubu and his relationship with Buhari,’” which it has been monitoring for six weeks.

    The statement said: “As part of this ugly plot to cultivate the worst of lies against the national leader of the APC, several blogs and online sites recruited to launch this smear campaign have manufactured stories to advance this sinister plan to taint the public mind with gross lies disguised as news reports and interviews.

    “This campaign, now in full and desperate swing, involves a blatant violation of the minimal standards of journalism and social media ethics.

    “Without conscience or any hint of a sense of morality, the lie in the most outlandish fashion by attributing statements to Tinubu which he never made.

    “ They concoct interviews that were never given and assert positions that he would never hold or endorse. They go about putting words in his mouth, contending that he was in places that he never was, and reporting falsely his movements and meetings.

    “They recently have trespassed another boundary of proper behavior by engaging in cloning letterhead of the Tinubu Media Office and issues their libelous statements under such letterhead. This filth is now being circulated in the social media in a malicious attempt to tie him to the Dasuki money. The writers of these lies wilfully seek to mislead, confuse and deceive the public.

    “Such fallacious headlines such as: ‘Reasons Why I collected N9 million-Tinubu’ and ‘I will not return N9 million –Tinubu’. ‘I am afraid PDP will stop Buhari in 2009 – Tinubu,’ are being paraded.

    “Try as hard as they can, the creators of these false tales and misleading headlines will fail miserably. Their stories cannot stand up to the slightest scrutiny. They are patently false and we condemn in the strongest terms those involved in this anti-Tinubu racket.

    “While these fellows may think themselves cunning, they might have outwitted their very selves. In writing these stories, they have committed clear libel. In abusing the media office letterhead and name, their misrepresentations amount to forgery.

    “They laugh now but walk on thin ice. Soon, that ice will break and they shall have nothing but the weight of their wrongdoing to blame for their predicament that will soon come.

    “The individuals behind the plot are mostly scarred PDP elements made frightened by Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign. They direct these falsehoods at Tinubu in the futile mission of trying to drive a wedge between the President and Tinubu, to disrupt the progress being made against corruption and to destabilise the APC.

    “But their PDP is already something by-gone, buried under the mass of its corruption and wrongdoing. They fight for a cause that has no cause. They are mercenaries of all the ills and defects that the people want excised from our body politic. Thus, we must do the people a public service.

    “After identifying the bloggers and paid hatchet writers perpetrating these wrongs, the Tinubu Media Office is taking the step to alert the public to beware and be wary of hatchet writers, false prophets and paid bloggers.

    “The Tinubu Media Office has the names and online sites recruited for this campaign and will not hesitate to make them known if they do not desist from their negative mission.”

     

  • Defectors will not destabilise APC, says Tinubu

    Defectors will not destabilise APC, says Tinubu

    •Olubadan incorruptible, fearless’

    All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu said yesterday that the influx of defectors into APC won’t pose any danger to the party.

    Tinubu spoke yesterday at the Government House in Ibadan during a condolence visit to the family of the late Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugbade 1.

    The former Lagos State governor, extolling the virtures of Oba Odulana, who passed on last week, also spoke on the nation’s economy

    Tinubu said:  “A human being must be able to associate and join any political party he or she wants, so you cannot stop them, or discriminate against them. If any member of a party is coming into APC and he is discriminated upon, it will be unfair.

    “A good political party must be tolerant, accommodating to any member of a party coming into APC as long as they do not import corruption and injustice into our party. It is necessary for us to be tolerant and that is why APC is welcoming them into the party and we shall not discriminate against them.”

    On the dwindling oil price, he said there are variables in the oil sector which the government needs to look critically at.

    The APC leader said:”We are not the only country affected; it is universal. We have to manage ourselves, challenge ourselves and be more creative in a way it will not affect the welfare of the people because government is about the people.

    “We should also be innovative and develop our economy in such a way that will show the leadership position that we always espouse in Africa. Now and years back, we have been talking about diversification of the oil sector but it has always been on the drawing note and we never implemented it.

    “There are so many ways to revitalise this economy. It is not as bad as people make it appear. The past is nauseating and there has never been a principle of good governance. We have to support and encourage this administration in its struggle against insurgency, because if you do not clear terrorism, foreign investors will not come in. We also need to support the administration to fight kidnapping of expatriates and many of our citizens. Nigerians also need to be patient with the administration to revatalise the economy. “

    During his visit to the Monatan Ibadan private residence of the late Olubadan, Tinubu was accompanied by Governor Abiola Ajimobi; Oyo Speaker Michael Adeyemo; former interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande; National Vice Chairman (Southwest) of the party, Chief Pius Akinyelure; state Chairman Chief Akin Oke, among others.

    The team was received by the Olubadan-in council, led by the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Lekan Balogun and Otun Balogun, High Chief Owolabi Olakulehin and the children of the late foremost traditional ruler, led by Prof. Femi Lana.

    Tinubu said Oba Odulana  did not hide his backing for the Ajimobi-led administration’s urban renewal and operation clean-up Ibadan; a city, he said, was dotted with heaps of refuse before Ajimobi mounted the saddle.

    Tinubu said: “Our late Baba lived an exemplary life worthy of emulation by our traditional institution. He was fearless, courageous and incorruptible. We are proud of his spartan lifestyle and discipline.

    “Kabiyesi loved Ajimobi and I can say that he was one of his staunch backers for the governorship ticket. His support for the governor and his programmes, especially the urban renewal and cleanliness we are now witnessing in Ibadan, was without bounds.

    “Ibadan was full of filth and heaps of refuse before Ajimobi became governor, but he cleaned up the city. Kabiyesi was so impressed by this, just as many of us, that he conferred the title of Atunluse on Ajimobi. We are proud of the governor’s achievements.

    Tinubu expressed delight at the agelong seamless Olubadan of Ibadanland succession process, which, he said, would have been a worthy model for political succession, but for what he called the intrigues and do-or-die phenomenon introduced into the country’s politics.

    The Otun Olubadan said the Olubadan-in-council and the people of Ibadan felt highly honoured for the visit, adding that the council was proud of Ajimobi and his support for the palace before and after the death of the Olubadan.

    The Balogun said it was “heartwarming” that Oba Odulana was on the throne and died when “the son of the soil” (an Ibadan indigene) was the governor.

  • APC group flays Aluko for disparaging Tinubu

    APC group flays Aluko for disparaging Tinubu

    •Senator: I didn’t belittle Asiwaju

    The Action Group (AG) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has berated Senator Gbenga Aluko for allegedly casting aspersions on the political relevance of the party’s National Leader and former Lagos State governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    The group described Asiwaju Tinubu as the unshakable pillar of the party in the Southwest and across the country.

    In a speech he made while pleading to be “assimilated” into APC in Ekiti State, Aluko, who represented Ekiti South between 1999 and 2003, said, among other things, that Asiwaju Tinubu was politically tired and was almost booted out of APC.

    Reacting to Aluko’s statement, APC’s Action Group, through its spokesperson, Segun Dipe, noted that it was unfortunate that the senator, who wanted to be assimilated into the party, had a divisive mindset against its National Leader.

    The statement said: “Imagine someone still begging to join our party from the dying Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) saying at our party secretariat, of all places, that those party members going to Osogbo and Bourdillion would soon regret doing so. That the man at Bourdillion was already tired and would soon be sent away from the party!

    “Making such a disparaging statement as he did about the party he aspires to join and its National Leader is quite unfortunate, a misadventure, mischievous and a misnomer. We are not in PDP, where there is no respect for leaders and elders.”

    APC’s Action Group said Aluko should remind himself that the recent achievement of Asiwaju Tinubu will forever remain fresh in the memory of every Nigerian and should not have warranted such disparagement from him or anyone else.

    It said: “Aluko wants to come and eat from a cooked meal. Yet, without Asiwaju Tinubu putting all his political arsenals to use, there would not be an APC for him to contemplate being assimilated into today. We know Aluko’s antecedent of moonlighting and political prostitution. We know he loves to identify himself with other people’s successes.”

    The statement said Asiwaju Tinubu was not just any other politician who could be equated to another politician in the PDP, where Aluko wanted to leave for the progressives.

    The group said: “For him to have made such a disparaging statement regarding our National Leader, therefore, simply means he does not recognise our structure and cannot fit into our party.

    “We are not surprised though that Aluko is making such divisive statements as we saw him doing. Or, is he not the same Aluko who was quoted at the Senate to have said that he was not a Yoruba senator and was not in support of any Yoruba agenda? Why then should we expect such a person to respect our culture and appreciate our values?”

    APC’s Action Group reminded the senator of a Yoruba adage that says: ‘A child who boasted that he would have his lunch with the head of the pigeon on attaining maturity would be debarred from growing up by the same pigeon.’

    “Now, we know why Aluko became a pariah in his PDP. He was once accused of name-dropping by his own blood brother and he was always making unguarded statements, throwing missiles from within. We don’t want such a person in our party.”

    The group urged Aluko to publicly apologise to Asiwaju Tinubu, whether or not he would eventually joins the party.

    Failure to do so, the group said, would make Aluko to incur the wrath of the party and jeopardise his future political ambition, which would keep him running from pillar to post.

    The statement added: “Gbenga Aluko started with faulty steps and wobbly legs. He is a wingless bird with perfidious ambition. If he is this arrogant, when naked and running to our party, we wonder what would become of him when eventually he is well-clothed by us. Hence, his journey from PDP to APC has ended just as it began.”

    But Aluko said he was shocked to have been misquoted.

    The politician said he made what he called an honest remark on the resolution of the disagreements within the party in Ekiti State.

    He insisted that he respected Asiwaju Tinubu well, adding that he would not say or do anything to disrespect him.

     

  • Tinubu: A great man passed on

    Tinubu: A great man passed on

    The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has described the death of the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade as “the passing on of one of the great men of the Yoruba nation”.

    In a statement yesterday, Tinubu said: “He was a custodian of the Yoruba tradition and culture, filled with wisdom and also genteel. His death will be felt amongst not just his people but the Yoruba nation.”

    The former Lagos State Governor noted that during Oba Odulana’s reign, Ibadan witnessed peace and development.

    “He was supportive of the advancement of the people and he kept faith with the values, tradition, culture and integrity of the Yoruba.

    “I mourn with the governor and people of Oyo State over his passing. He has left a legacy which we must sustain. May the soul of the departed rest in peace.”

  • Tinubu: I didn’t grant interview on defections, Buhari

    Tinubu: I didn’t grant interview on defections, Buhari

    The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has declared as “fiction”  and “fantasy” an online report in which he is quoted to have predicted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will stop President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid in 2019.

    The report was published by a little known online platform, “Post Nigeria online”, dated 14 January with the title, “I am afraid PDP will stop Buhari in 2019 – Tinubu”.

    “ The writer, Amako Nneji, concocted the latest work of political deceit,” said a statement Friday night by Tinubu’s media office.

    “No sane reporters would dare put their true names to this screed; it is pure libel. If the disciple of this libel truly believes in this account, we challenge him to visit Tinubu’s office or to announce where he can be found. Tinubu’s attorney will serve the writer with a complaint for libel. The writer will then have a chance to defend and explain himself in open court and before the public. If he is so sure of the fidelity of his tale, let him speak openly before us as to what he wants us to believe is the truth instead slinking about writing lies in the anonymous dark.

    “The falsity of the article is patently clear in that it does not even comport with the minimal standards of journalism. The writer fails to divulge the date or the place the alleged statement was made. This omission is wilful. The writer does not state these basic facts because the meeting never happened; to give such information would make it even easier to prove his work is a lie.  The writer has not seen Tinubu and has no idea where Tinubu was on any given day.

    “Worse, the writer says Tinubu was speaking to newsmen. If so, why have no other newspapers carried this story? The answer is simple. There was no such meeting between Tinubu and several newsmen. Because the story is the figment of one awfully wounded.

    “The story contains a long quote supposedly from Tinubu.  There is no way a true journalist would have tried to transcribe this by hand. He would have taped it. We dare this journalist to produce the tape.

    “The story falls in the genre of the hit-man tactics of the politically desperate. Clearly, the schemers behind this are minions of the collapsing PDP. Their party is falling apart before our eyes, with multiple defections by the day.  They fabricated this story to discourage further defections and to sow discord in the APC. However, the discord will remain where it belongs: the PDP.

    “Tinubu has never publicly commented on the defections of people from the PDP, much less making derogatory remarks about the phenomenon. In fact, if you check, he has welcomed many former PDP members into the APC. Tinubu is a democrat and a progressive. He believes that the APC is and shall always be opened to those who share its progressive beliefs and who are committed to a better Nigeria. The more people of like minds gather, the stronger the party and the more likely it is to achieve the objective of building Nigeria anew.

    “The writer of this fable tries to bring discord between Tinubu and Buhari regarding 2019 election and the budget. The attempt will fail. President Buhari was elected less than a year ago. The challenges he inherited are many. We must all seek to help him do the great things he envisions. 2019 is such a long, far road away. Let 2019 take care of itself. Today presents enough challenges of its own. Those who want Nigeria to succeed should be more concerned with tackling the difficulties of today and not stirring up trouble based on what might happen tomorrow.

    “For the record, Tinubu supports the government’s expansionary budget and has no qualms with its objectives and programmes. For the writer to say Tinubu complained about the figures is to pile lie upon lie.

    “Whosoever wrote the story is serpentine. But their venom will not hurt Tinubu, Buhari or the APC. They are like the mad snake that mediated its own demise by biting itself.”