News

Presidential Poll: Jonathan, Kwankwaso Pick Forms

Published

11 years ago

October 31, 2014

National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’Azu with President Goodluck Jonathan as he picks Expression of Interest to contest the 2015 Presidential election next year at the Party headquarters in Abuja

President Goodluck Jonathan visited the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to collect his expression of interest and nominations to enable him contest the February, 2015 Presidential election.
President Jonathan who promised to work with all Nigerians to move the country from its present level to where Nigeria should be, however boasted that he would have still picked the form if the party had refused him right of first refusal and did not give him the forms.
Speaking at the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC hall shortly after he received the two forms from the National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, the elated President said,
“First let me thank God for today, and thank Nigerians that were here today for this brief ceremony. Let me thank the leadership of our party and all member of our party for believing in me and for giving me the right of first refusal. I could have still picked the form if they did not give me. But giving me the right of first refusal has attracted more people that ordinarily it would have had.
Also, Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso yesterday in Abuja picked the N27.5 million nomination and expression of interest forms to contest for the presidency on the platform of the APC in 2015 general elections.
He promised to regard his co-aspirants as a family and strive to play by the rules, to ensure a rancour-free primary.
’’Mr Chairman, at the convention yesterday (Wednesday) you said all the aspirants who have shown interest have ýpromised to work together. ‘’It is not a do-or-die affair. I assure you we will play the game according to the rules. Our participation is to add value to the party,’’ he said.
The governor said many of his friends were still willing to defect to the APC.
’’I assure you sir, that many more decampees are on the way after Tambuwal because they desire change and this party has all it takes to give Nigerians desired change,’’ Kwankwaso said.
He commended the National Working Committee of the APC for ‘’its determination to bring change and forming a formidable group for the success of the party’’, ‘’I also want to thank those who contributed to ýpurchase these forms. I have the capacity to buy the forms but they secretly paid and assured me there is enough money for the campaigns.’’
Responding, the APC Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, expressed happiness that more people planned to defect to the party.
’’Part of the amendment to our electoral constitution makes it possible for any eligible son to join the party today and contest tomorrow; so tell them they’re welcome, we have more forms for them. ‘’I am also glad to hear you’re ready to play politics without rancour; your words show your love for the country and personal commitment,’’ Odigie-Oyegun said.
The chairman further expressed delight that APC ‘’is the number one newsmaker today’’, adding that the party was popular both locally and internationally.
He prayed to God to give Nigeria a man ‘’that will give us tangible change we can see or touch’’.
Meanwhile,efforts by son of Nigeria’s late prime minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Dr Abdul Jelil to purchase his expression of interest and nomination forms to challenge the decision of the National Executive Committee, NEC to participate in the Presidential primary election was frustrated, just as the doors were closed behind him.
The PDP yesterday asked Jelil Tafawa Balewa who has dared the PDP’s decision by storming the National Secretariat with his supporters to pick the forms having paid the mandatory N2 million for expression of interest and N22 million for Nomination form totally, N22 million to come tomorrow, Thursday, the last day for the sale of forms to aspirants.
It would be recalled that NEC had at its 66th NEC meeting endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s sole Presidential candidate of the party whose candidature would be ratified at the December 6 National Convention.
The party had also said after the endorsement that all law abiding members of the party must adhere strictly to the decision of PDP by not picking presidential nomination forms to kick against the decision of the organs of the party.
Speaking with Journalists at the National Secretatiat after he was denied opportunity, Balewa, a medical doctor said that having consulted widely, he was convinced that Nigerians have been yearning for a new leadership capable of fulfilling the high expectations and aspirations of the majority in Nigeria.
According to Dr. Abdul Jahlil Tafawa Balewa, he paid the required N22m, displayed a Zenith Bank teller with account number 1012436478.
Balewa who noted that he went to see the National Organising Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha and the National Secretary, Prof. Wole Oladipo said, “I have paid for my forms, I was however told that they don’t have the forms ready. No matter, I am still here, I will send some of my people here on Thursday to come and pick the forms. People came from Bauchi and from different parts of the nation to support me. We have signature of over 40million Nigerians that want a change. I am in the PDP, I have always being in the PDP, I have no intention of leaving the PDP, but I have every intention of making my country a better country, a country that we will all be proud of.

News

FG Ends Passport Production At Multiple Centres After 62 Years

Published

11 hours ago

September 19, 2025

The Tide

The Nigeria Immigration Service has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this yesterday while inspecting Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja.

He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.

“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.

He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.

“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.

“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.

“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.

He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.

Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.

He said the centralised production system aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for better service delivery.

News

FAAC Disburses N2.225trn For August, Highest In Nigeria

Published

12 hours ago

September 19, 2025

The Tide

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has disbursed N2.225 trillion as federation revenue for the month of August 2025, the highest ever allocation to the three tiers of government and other statutory recipients.

This marks the second consecutive month that FAAC disbursements have crossed the N2 trillion mark.

The revenue, shared at the August 2025 FAAC meeting in Abuja, was buoyed by increases in oil and gas royalty, value-added tax (VAT), and common external tariff (CET) levies, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.

Out of the N2.225 trillion total distributable revenue, FAAC said N1,478.593 trillion came from statutory revenue, N672.903 billion from VAT, N32.338 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), and N41.284 billion from Exchange Difference.

The communiqué revealed that gross federation revenue for the month stood at N3.635 trillion. From this amount, N124.839 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while N1,285.845 trillion was set aside for transfers, interventions, refunds, and savings.

From the statutory revenue of N1.478 trillion, the Federal Government received N684.462 billion, State Governments received N347.168 billion, and Local Government Councils received N267.652 billion. A further N179.311 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) went to oil-producing states as derivation revenue.

From the distributable VAT revenue of N672.903 billion, the Federal Government received N100.935 billion, the states received N336.452 billion, while the local governments got N235.516 billion.

Of the N32.338 billion shared from EMTL, the Federal Government received N4.851 billion, the States received N16.169 billion, and the Local Governments received N11.318 billion.

From the N41.284 billion exchange difference, the Federal Government received N19.799 billion, the states received N10.042 billion, and the local governments received N7.742 billion, while N3.701 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the oil-producing states as derivation.

News

KenPoly Governing Council Decries Inadequate Power Supply, Poor Infrastructure On Campus

Published

13 hours ago

September 19, 2025

The Tide

The Governing Council of Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, has decried the inadequate power supply and poor state of infrastructural facilities and equipment at the institution.

The Council also appealed to the government, including Non-Governmental Organisations, agencies, as well as well-meaning Rivers people to intervene to restore and sustain the laudable gesture, dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of the polytechnic.

The Chairman of the newly inaugurated Council, Professor Friday B. Sigalo, made this appeal during a tour of facilities at the Polytechnic, recently.

Accompanied by members of the team, Prof Sigalo emphasised the position of technology, technical and vocational education in sustainable development.

He noted that with the prospects on ground, and the programmes and activities undertaken in the polytechnic, there is no doubt that the institution would add values to the educational system in our society and foster the desired development, if the existing challenges are jointly tackled.

This was contained in a statement signed by Deputy Registrar, Public Relations, Kenpoly, Innocent Ogbonda-Nwanwu, and made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt.

The chairman who restated the intention of his team of technocrats to ensure that KenPoly enjoys desirable face-lift, said the Council would deliver on its core mandates, accordingly.

Earlier, the Rector, KenPoly Engr. Dr. Ledum S. Gwarah, commended the appointment of Professor Friday B. Sigalo as Chairman of the KenPoly Governing Council.

He described him and his team as seasoned technocrats and expressed confidence in their ability to succeed.

The Rector pledged the management’s support to the Council to ensure that KenPoly resumes its rightful place in the comity of polytechnics in the country.

Facilities visited by the Governing Council include KenPoly workshops, laboratories, skills acquisition centre, library, hostels and medical centre.

Chinedu Wosu