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Politics
Jagaban Army: Atiku/Okowa Campaign Calls
for Tinubu’s arrest, questioning
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By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organization (AOPCO) has described the formation of a uniformed squad by the All Progressives Congress (APC) code-named “Jagaban Army” as a treasonable act.
The campaign organisation has, consequently, called for the arrest and questioning of the APC Presidential Candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The organization said this in a statement yesterday by its Spokesperson, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja.
The AOPCO alleged that the Jagaban Army, which is apparently set up to disrupt
•Says formation of militia a treasonable act
the 2023 general elections and raid the polling units for votes on behalf of APC Presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a direct affront to the Nigeria Armed Forces and other security agencies as well as an assault on the sovereignty of our nation.
The organization stressed that it is reprehensible that Tinubu can create a rogue force just for the purposes of undermining the electoral and security arrangements of our nation.
According to the statement, “The Jagaban Army, which is apparently set up to disrupt the 2023 general elections and raid the polling units for votes on behalf of APC Presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a direct affront to the Nigeria Armed Forces and other security agencies as well as an assault on the sovereignty of our nation.
“It is reprehensible that Tinubu can create a rogue force just for the purposes of undermining the electoral and security arrangements of our nation.
“Our Campaign holds that this nefarious act of the APC Tinubu/Shettima Campaign lend credence to the position of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and well-meaning Nigerians that Tinubu as well as his rank and file has set out to make our nation ungovernable and thereafter disrupt the 2023 Presidential election scheduled for February 25, 2023 using his army of ‘Jagabandits’.
“The notion of Jagaban Army is a ploy to bring hoodlums, thugs and gangsters together under the cover of the APC and turned them into official militia that will be used to unleash mayhem on the day of election.
“This reckless anti-democratic plot by the ‘Jagabandits’ must also be condemned by all lovers of democracy in Nigeria and across the world over.
“We call on the security agencies to save the lives of Nigerians and protect our electoral process by immediately going after this dangerous formation, arrest those behind this design and save our nation from electoral violence.
“Our campaign counsels Tinubu to note that his Presidential ambition is not a do or die affair and that he should not set the nation ablaze just because Nigerians have rejected him and his party, the APC for their mass failures.
“Nigerians have settled for the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who continues to exhibit maturity, experience and capacity to deliver, and not even the ‘Jagabandits’ of the APC can cow them to submission”, it said.
CNPP tells INEC to withdraw Tinubu, Atiku candidature over drug, corruption scandals
By Christiana Ekpa
Conference Of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has demanded that the presidential candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, immediately withdraw from the February 2023 race, urging the federal lawmakers to effect necessary electoral laws amendments to include security clearance, including narcotics clearance, as part of the conditions for valid nomination candidates by political parties and requisite for acceptance by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of future elections.
The CNPP in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, noted that “latest revelations and counter allegations against the presidential candidates of the PDP and APC have brought to the front burner the urgent need to ensure that corrupt politicians and persons with connections to illicit businesses are not allowed to emerge as political parties’ flag-bearers in elections at all levels.”
The CNPP said, “While we agree with the APC Presidential Campaign Council that the security agencies should immediately arrest the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar for prosecution over his alleged Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) coded corruption strategy as against “open corruption”, we also call for the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to subject himself to security screening over alleged illicit business ventures and corruption allegation bordering on the alleged use of “SPV” like the Alpha Beta for money laundering.”
The APC had given 72 hours ultimatum to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to arrest, interrogate and prosecute Atiku for what the party referred to as offences against Code of Conduct for Public Officers, Offence of Money Laundering; Offence of Criminal Breach of Trust and Criminal Misappropriation; and Offence of Conspiracy.
On its part, the PDP has described the formation of a uniformed squad by the APC code-named “Jagaban Army” as a treasonable act and called for the arrest and questioning of Tinubu who has also been figured in a Chicago State narcotics syndicate saga in the United States.
“For the CNPP, both the APC and the PDP are right in their calls and counter calls for their respective presidential candidates to step aside for thorough investigation as the allegations made by a whistleblower, Mr. Michael Achimugu against Atiku Abubakar and the revelations equally made against Tinubu by awardwinning journalist and researcher, David Hundeyin, bordering on international crime, specifically, trafficking in narcotics and taking proceeds of narcotics are all germane.
“These are serious allegations that impact negatively on national security, corruption and transborder criminal activities.
“Crime prevention is part of the fundamental duties of security agencies anywhere in the world and Nigeria is not an exception.
“There is reasonable suspicion that Atiku Abubakar engaged in syndicated corruption at hi-tech magnitudes as Vice President of Nigeria under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, where companies were alleged to have been deliberately incorporated purely as a vehicle for unfettered siphon of Nigeria’s commonwealth.
“Little wonder former President Obasanjo was quoted as insisting that he is corrupt in his book, My Watch, in chapter 36, which was devoted to discussing alleged corruption and money laundering cases linked to Atiku and details some “corrupt involvement” of the former vice president with a company called iGATE and William Jefferson, a former US lawmaker, who was later jailed for 13 years over corruption.
“Chief Obasanjo linked Atiku to the misappropriation of $20 million, which the administration was supposed to deploy for Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), and another $125 million to fund PTDF during 2003 the fiscal year.
“On the other hand, David Hundeyin exposed alleged drug links to Bola Tinubu, with Atiku’s spokesperson, Dino Melaye, insisting that as a result of the revelation, Tinubu is the person expected to be investigated and prosecuted as “He is the one that has been indicted already in a certified court indictment. He is the man that has faced the Code of Conduct before,” Dino Melaye said in response to a petition to security agencies by Festus Keyamo against Atiku Abubakar.“
Soludo removed my billboard in bad faith – LP’s Victor Umeh
By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
Senatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, Victor Umeh has opened up on the recent dismantling of his campaign billboard by the Anambra State government.
Umeh who spoke to journalists in Awka on Tuesday said the billboard was dismantled on the order of the state Governor, Chukwuma Soludo.
The former senator said the Governor ordered the removal of the billboard, during a meeting with some members of his party at the Governor’s lodge.
“He ordered them to remove it, but someone told him that I duly paid for the billboard to stand at Unizik temporary junction, but he replied that they should refund my money to me, that that space was too strategic for any other political party to display their billboards.
“They removed it on Saturday morning, and on Saturday evening, they replaced it with an APGA billboard.
“I made inquiries before I accepted to pay for that billboard. That space was previously occupied by Interfact Brewery, makers of Hero Beer, and when their contract there expired, an advertising company which is duly registered, which works with us told us the space was vacant.
“We paid N1 million for our billboard to be hoisted on that space, and the billboard had my face and that of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi. The advertising company also paid the Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ANSAA) for the billboard.
“That billboard has been there since December, and the contract was to expire after the election, but he ordered that it be removed. He did it in bad faith, and I heard that he has asked me to go to court if I like, that if I do, the matter will remain there until after the election.”
He said further “On the very day he ordered that the billboard be removed, about five people who were in that meeting called to tell me too. This is impunity. The Soludo government has been very intolerant of other political parties campaigning in Anambra, except APGA and PDP. That is unfair.”
Asked whether he felt bad campaigning for the emergence of Soludo as the Director General of his campaign council last year, Umeh said he has no regret.
He said “I campaigned for him to be governor, I was his Director General, and during the run-off at Ihiala, he called me to be his returning officer, and I discharged creditably, ensuring that his votes were not stolen, and after that, I took the result
Governor Soludo
to him in Isuofia and presented it to him.
“I have no regrets. I only told him my interest was for him to take care of Anambra people, and it is left for the people to judge if he is doing well or not.”
Atiku plans to sell Nigeria to shady partners -Tinubu tells voters in Kwara
By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Ilorin on Tuesday charged the people of Kwara State to vote for party candidates in the coming general elections, saying that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar plans to sell Nigeria to his shady partners under the pretence of privatisation.
Speaking at the rally, Tinubu said: “On February 25th, we will need you to come out. You don’t vote for anybody else, you vote for me, you vote for the APC. Vote APC across all levels - Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.”
The APC Presidential candidate, in his prepared speech, again warned Nigerians never to be deceived into voting the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in next month’s election, saying a vote for PDP would be an error that will be hard to correct.
According to him, several facts have pointed to the fact that the PDP Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar is only interested in the presidential race to enrich himself and his friends.
He said just like he did in the past, if given the opportunity again, Atiku would only sell Nigeria to his shady friends in the name of privatization.
He said: “You earned a favorable and great place in the history of our progressive party and of the nation when you voted for the APC to chase the PDP out of this beautiful and historic town. You kicked them out and now they want to come back.
“Do not let them back in. They only want to devour what they could not take the first time. If you give them the chance, they will strip Kwara and Nigeria bare to the bone.
“The PDP candidate in the race is well known for selling everything that has the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s name on it. If it is part of the public treasure or national patrimony, he is looking to pawn it to one of his shady partners.
Tinubu also dwelt on the recent revelation by one of Atiku’s former aides Michael Achimugu where the former vice president himself admitted to setting up Special Purpose Vehicle companies to siphon the country’s funds.
“Before today, we used to call him Mr. Privatize. But today, we must give him a new name. One that comes from his own mouth.
“He is now Mr. SPV. From his own mouth, we have heard him admit that he and his old boss conspired to rob from the Nigerian treasury millions upon millions of dollars. They did this by using a fancy business device called an SPV, Special purpose vehicle, to hide the money.
“By his antics, Atiku has changed the meaning of SPV. It is no longer a business unit. With him, it is a money-eating monster. From henceforth, Atiku shall be known as MR. SPV. S for Stealing, P for Plunder and V for Vicious.
“For this is a vicious assault on the public funds, public welfare and on the public conscience. How can he so brazenly steal and plunder yet ask you to return him to the scene of the crime. He wants to return to the crime scene not to repent but to repeat the Stealing Plundering and Viciousness.
L-R: Director General / CEO, Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), Dr. Jummai Adamu Tutuwa, Minister of Science ,Technology and Innovation (STI) Sen. Olorunimbe Mamora, Director Finance and account FIIRO, Mr. Joshua Oderinde, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (FMSTI), Mrs Monilola Udoh, Director Chemical Technology FMSTI, Mr. Mej Bassey and the Board Chairman, FIIRO, Alh. Ibrahim Gwarzo, inspecting products develop by FIIRO, during the FIIRO day at the ongoing 7th Edition of the Science, Technology and Innovation Expo 2023, theme: Actualizing Effective Diversification of Nigeria Economy through Science, Technology and innovation, held yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo.
Why Labour Party didn’t field candidates for most positions – Chieftain, Okonkwo
By Christiana Ekpa
Kenneth Okonkwo, a spokesperson to the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has revealed why the party could not produce candidates to contest for various positions in the forthcoming general elections.
Peter Obi has taken a relatively small Labour Party into national limelight but despite its popularity, the party failed to get candidates for a number of Senatorial and House of Representatives seats, particularly in areas that are not his stronghold.
According to the list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Labour Party has only 78 candidates out of the 109 seats available in the Senate.
Okonkwo, who spoke on Tuesday, said the party prefers to leave the positions without a candidate rather than field unqualified candidates without character.
“Peter Obi entered the Labour Party about two weeks or three weeks before the end of the nomination time.
“And at the time, the party had not become monstrously popular as it is now. So the entrance of Peter Obi made it attractive to Nigerians who are looking for escape routes from these structures of criminality.
“So when we entered there, we discovered there were offices that were not filled and Peter Obi is a man who in an emergency yields to pressure.
“He will still be committed to the capacity, competency and character of each and every person. He would prefer that a seat is vacant rather than fielding incompetent or people who are not of character.
“So in those areas where there are no candidates, not because we couldn’t have drafted anybody but because of shortness of time we were not able to certify that we can comfortably vouch for all the candidates that we are putting in there because when you want to bring a new thing you don’t have to succumb to the blackmail of the opposition to in your haste come against the particular thing you want to change.
“So we were prepared to do the right thing at all times so whoever that was prepared was allowed to get in within the short time that we had“, he said.
Group takes vote not fight campaign to violence flashpoints in Bayelsa
By Musa Baba Adamu
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, a group known as Fostering Achievement of Community Empowerment (FACE) Initiative, has said it has begun the “Vote Not Fight, Election No Be War” campaign in some areas identified as violence flashpoints in Bayelsa State.
Briefing newsmen on Tuesday, at the NUJ Press Centre in Yenagoa, Executive Director, Inatimi Peter Odio, stated there was a need to address the issues of violent conflicts, hate speeches, vote buying and other vices that have characterised the political and electoral processes since Nigeria returned to democracy.
He said the sensitisation will be taken to areas prone to electoral violence in the state such as Oporoma community headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Nembe LGA, Ekeremor LGA and Brass LGA.
His words “The citizens particularly youth and women need to be awake to their responsibility of nation building through active participation in the electoral process. This group of citizens have remained at the fence for a long time because of voter apathy”
All non-governmental organizations, community and faith-based organizations, traditional institutions, youths and women groups should deepen engagement with relevant government agencies in demanding professionalism in the conduct of elections and also intensify sensitization of their constituents on the need to embrace peaceful elections.
The BVAS is an innovative game changer in Nigeria’s political process, therefore youth are encouraged to go get their PVCs and go out en-masse to vote for the new Nigeria they desire, and avoid by used by politicians to perpetrate electoral violence.
He also called on INEC to ensure they make effective logistic arrangements for staff and mobility for voting materials to enhance election day coordination to prevent potential violence resulting from poor coordination.
NNPP candidates, others defect to APC in Zamfara
By Musa Baba Adamu
Zamfara North senatorial candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Hon. Ibrahim SonAllah Abubakar, along with the party’s candidate of Zurmi/ Shinkafi Federal Constituency, Hon. Suleiman Garba Zurmi, has defected to the APC.
In their separate speeches, Hon. Ibrahim Son Allah and Hon. Suleiman Garba said they joined the APC because of the impressive improvement recorded in addressing insecurity of their respective constituencies by the Bello Matawalle administration which has brought relative peace.
They assured to work hard for the success of the party at all levels.
Receiving them into the APC, Governor Matawalle said Zamfara people are satisfied with the APC leadership under his watch that is why a lot of people are leaving their parties.
He promised to sustain the tempo in his fight against banditry until a desired result is achieved.
The NNPP candidates were presented to the Governor by the state APC Chairman, Hon Tukur Umar Danfulani, at the Government House, Gusau.
The event was attended by the Zamfara State APC Secretary, Hon.Ibrahim Umar Dangaladima; Speaker, Hon. Nasiru Maazu Magarya; Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Kabiru Balarabe; state APC working committee, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Directors General and party supporters, among others.
Desist from jaded aproko pettiness – Atiku fires back at Oby Ezekwesili
By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday berated a former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili for being petty.
On Monday, Atiku, while speaking at an event organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), claimed he played a major role in designing a private sector revival strategy and opening the economy for private sector investments in several sectors.
But Ezekwesili, who served along with Atiku during the administration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, described the exVice President as a liar.
However, speaking through his spokesman, Paul Ibe, Atiku accused the former minister of resorting to “jaded ‘aproko’ pettiness.”
His tweets read: “Dear @ obyezeks, I know it’s political season and people resort to all sorts of antics in support of their preferred candidates. But some things should be considered too low.
“In trying – and failing – to weaken his standing in public, let us not resort to this sort of jaded ‘aproko’ pettiness.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
Binani begins guber campaign with renewed appeal to womenfolk
By Christiana Ekpa
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, Senator Aisha Ahmed Binani, has started her community-level campaign with a renewed appeal to the womenfolk.
Binani who had won the APC guber ticket last year by relying massively on votes from women delegates said on Tuesday that as a woman and a mother, she could be trusted to live up to her promises.
Speaking to the crowds who gathered in communities around Toungo and Ganye local government areas to receive her, Binani emphasised that as a woman, she will serve them truthfully.
Urging the people to beware of politicians and candidates for political offices who come round to make promises to them only to promptly forget such promises, Binani said: “Don’t listen to politicians who come only to deceive you. Trust me because what I say I will do is what I will do.”
She said she would make a priority of the welfare of the people, and that she would make skills acquisition centres of the state functional so that everyone can learn skills and create wealth for themselves.
A community leader who spoke during Binani’s stopover in Kiri, a village in Toungo LGA, Alhaji Mansur Toungo, said his people would vote for Binani in view of her services to her people while she was a House of Representatives member and now as a senator.
Mansur Toungo told Binani: “We know you to have empowered your people and provided social amenities for them since you have been in the National Assembly, so you can be sure that we will vote for you.”
Senator Aisha Ahmed Binani
2023 election is about candidates not political parties – Dalung
By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
Solomon Dalung, former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, has said the 2023 general election is about the quality of candidates and not their political parties.
Dalung, also Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for Langtang North/ Langtang South Federal Constituency, stated this on Tuesday in Jos when he interacted with newsmen.
The former minister said that Nigerians were more politically aware and that their considerations in the current political dispensation was about the qualities of candidates and not their political parties.
“Don’t be deceived, Nigerians are not going to elect parties, Nigerians are going to elect individuals.
“It is going to be a rainbow coalition in 2023, and it was the rainbow coalition that saved South Africa because it ended apartheid.
“In 2023, Nigerians with their votes will build a rainbow coalition that will end these political failures, political gangsters and set the foundation of a new nation.
“A nation where people from different political backgrounds, different ideologies, different religions, different ethnicities will come together, and build a better country for Nigeria,” he stated.
The former minister said that the performance of an elected person was the only weapon he could use to survive the 2023 general election.
“For a candidate that has not been elected before, it is going to be his character, his integrity and past antecedents that will give him an edge.
“It is not going be how long a politician has been in government but what it has been able to achieve during that period,” he said.
Kwankwaso’s Bauchi Coordinator dumps NNPP, defects to PDP
By Musa Baba Adamu
The Bauchi State Coordinator of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and campaign council of presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Babayo Liman has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Liman disclosed his defection to PDP at a press conference in Bauchi yesterday.
The NNPP North-East Zonal Secretary said he dumped the party due to lack of structure to win elections.
He said: “I want to formally inform the general public, especially members of the NNPP in Bauchi State, North-East and Nigeria at large, that I have resigned as a member of the NNPP.