Politics
APC And Change Momentum
Only a few people will
disagree that President Muhammadu Buhari, is on the path of history.
Never in the history of Nigeria had an opposition party defeated the ruling party at the centre, as Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) did to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on March 28, this year.
May 29, which was the handover date, therefore presented a unique opportunity for President Buhari to assert himself as the agent of change that his party promised Nigerians.
In his inaugural speech, the president said the change that has already taken place, is going to positively affect the psyche of the Nigerian populace as the new government settles down to unleash its developmental agenda.
“Having just a few minutes ago sworn on the Holy Book, I intend to keep my oath and serve as President to all Nigerians.I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody,” he said.
This is one statement Nigerians would certainly not forget in a hurry. To think that after donkey’s years of the winner of an election taking all, even if it meant putting square pegs in round holes, or asserting superiority at the least presumed provocation, everybody, no matter affiliations, would be carried along, is one change Nigerians would eagerly look forward to.
Many have already given various interpretations to the statement, which is naturally expected. But,in recognition of the aspirations of the founding fathers of the Nigerian state, and how the leadership had hitherto deviated to the detriment of the country, the President confirmed thus:
“They might have differed in their methods or tactics or details, but they were united in establishing a viable and progressive country. Some of their successors behaved like spoilt children breaking everything and bringing disorder to the house”.
Since a house in disorder implies various forms of filth infestation, that Buhari has recognized this as fact is indicative of his resolve to embark on a thorough clean-up. How he will achieve such order that has eluded the country for over half a century is one big task most Nigerians would want to know, even as they look forward to it coming to fruition.
A pointer to where the President is headed in this wise seems to have been what manifested in the 8th Assembly during the election of key officials that produced a Senate President from the ruling party (APC), and his deputy from the opposition (PDP). It also saw the minority party producing the Majority Leader.
The President also knows how daunting the task may be, but he is also determined to realise that it is not insurmountable because, as he sees it,”there is now a national consensus that our chosen route to national development is democracy. To achieve our objectives we must consciously work the democratic system.
“The Federal Executive under my watch will not seek to encroach on the duties and functions of the Legislative and Judicial arms of government. The law enforcing authorities will be charged to operate within the Constitution. We shall rebuild and reform the public service to become more effective and more serviceable. We shall charge them to apply themselves with integrity to stabilize the system”, he said.
If it is true that Buhari was sort, as the Commander-In-Chief, to prevail on the happenings at the 8th National Assembly to ensure that his party had its way, yet he decided to allow nature to take its natural course, it can only mean that he is determined to let democracy be.
Contrary to the expectations of the APC, and the orthodox populace, Buhari said although he would have preferred that he would have wished that the process initiated and concluded by APC had been followed, he had no option than to accept the outcome because due constitutional process was followed.This is another way of saying that he backsNigerians’ determination to have a truly democratic government, which was set in motion when they decided tovote for the opposition against all odds.
Having been able to instil this level of democracy thus far, and if the Federal Executive under Buhari’s watch will indeed observe Separation of Powers to the letter, and law enforcement will be according to the constitution, not minding whose ox is gored, Nigeria would be on its path to contending with notably established democracies like the United State of America.
Rebuilding and reforming the public service to become more effective and more serviceable, among other things, imply that it will not be politicised as it is today. That, as it was in the days of yore, Permanent Secretaries will not come and go with the government of the day, they will naturally ascend the position through service and hard work in the given Ministry.
In other words, the Chief Executive will not have the sole power to sack, transfer, or carry out any disciplinary measure against a Permanent Secretary. The reason being that having grown through the ranks in the Ministry, the Permanent Secretary, as the Head of Administration, has become a custodian of rules and regulations, as well as the administration of the Ministry. A quality which a neophyte politician could hardly have.
This also means that measures taken in the good old days to make the civil service an epitome of discipline and encouraged education and hard work will be taken seriously. Such measures include ensuring that public servants are encouraged to take education seriously knowing that there is a limit to which level long service can get them.
Ultimately, he noted rightly that “It is only when the three arms act constitutionally that government will be enabled to serve the country optimally and avoid the confusion all too often bedevilling governance today”.
No doubt this has been one aspect of governance that had always been given lip service by past governments, even after they had sworn by the “holy book”. But the new President was not done. The same thing, he said, will trickle down to all sphere of governance.
“Constitutionally there are limits to powers of each of the three tiers of government but that should not mean the Federal Government should fold its arms and close its eyes to what is going on in the states and local governments. Not least the operations of the Local Government Joint Account.
“While the Federal Government cannot interfere in the details of its operations, it will ensure that the gross corruption at the local level is checked. As far as the constitution allows me I will try to ensure that there is responsible and accountable governance at all levels of government in the country.
“For I will not have kept my own trust with the Nigerian people if I allow others abuse theirs under my watch”.
Towards achieving what the new party in power aims at, he recognises that it can only be achieved with the cooperation of key stakeholders in the country’s development.
“No matter how well organized the governments of the federation are, they cannot succeed without the support, understanding and cooperation of labour unions, organized private sector, the press and civil society organizations. I appeal to employers and workers alike to unite in raising productivity so that everybody will have the opportunity to share in increased prosperity.
“The Nigerian press is the most vibrant in Africa. My appeal to the media today – and this inacludes the social media – is to exercise its considerable powers with responsibility and patriotism”.
With the tonic for expected change having been swallowed following President Buhari’s declarations in his inaugural speech, and the hitherto impossible having taken place in the National Assembly, expectations are fever-pitch high. By the end of thePresident’s first 100 days in office, the horizon may be clearer.
Politics
Reps Constitution Review Committee Holds Zonal Hearing For Rivers, C’River, Akwa Ibom In Calabar

A press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Cross River State Governor, Mr Linus Obogo, disclosed that the Calabar Centre — designated as Centre B — will host representatives and stakeholders from Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States.
The public hearing is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Transcorp (Metropolitan) Hotel, Calabar.
The initiative, according to the statement, is designed to promote inclusive dialogue and capture the aspirations of Nigerians from all regions.
It aims to serve as a platform for citizens to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing national efforts to refine and strengthen the country’s legal and institutional frameworks.
“Citizens, civil society groups, professional bodies, traditional rulers, and other interest blocs are invited to participate in this landmark engagement aimed at advancing a more just, equitable, and responsive Nigerian Constitution,” the statement read.
The hearing forms part of the broader review process of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and is seen as a strategic move toward fostering national unity and addressing structural legal issues within the federation.
Politics
Tinubu’s Contribution To Buhari’s Presidency Marginal – Ex-SGF

For the first time since 2022, when then-presidential aspirant Alhaji Bola Tinubu declared he made former President Buhari Nigeria’s President in 2015, Mr Mustapha dismissed the claims, stressing that the merger only contributed about three million votes in addition to Buhari’s existing 12 million votes in the North.
He insisted that former President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to the breakthrough, not the three million votes from the merging parties, which he described as insignificant.
Speaking on the role of the merging parties, particularly President Tinubu, the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Mustapha, who was the keynote speaker at the launch of the book ‘According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience’ authored by Mallam Garba Shehu, described the impact of the votes from other merging parties as very insignificant.
In attendance were former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, chair of the event; immediate past Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; SGF George Akume, who represented President Tinubu; PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar; former Chief of Staff to Buhari Ibrahim Gambari; elder statesman Babagana Kingibe; former governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Chris Ngige (Anambra), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Raji Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); former ministers Solomon Dalung and Sunday Dare; former Army Chief Tukur Buratai, and Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s spokesman, among others.
According to Mr Mustapha, “I do not intend to stir up any controversy. The merger in 2013 was midwifed to create a Buhari presidency. Let us look at the statistics. In the 2003 election, it was the Obasanjo-Buhari presidential contest where Buhari recorded 12.7 million votes. In 2007, it came to 6.6 million, and it went back to 12.2 million in 2011.
“When we were conceptualising the merger, what would give us a headstart? Obviously, it was at the back of our consciousness that the merger with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), though it had only one state, the ACN had six states, ANPP three states, and when you sum up the total votes that we had as the presidency in 2015, the aggregate of the total votes was 15.4 million.
“So, basically, what we brought to the table after the merger outside the Buhari 12.5 million votes was three million. Before turning to that presidency, it is important to recognise the former President’s role in reshaping Nigeria’s political trajectory.
“In early 2013, as the leader of the CPC, Buhari formally requested and supported the creation of a CPC merger committee, part of a broader coalition-building process that brought together the ACN, ANPP, APGA faction, and elements of the ruling party through the breakaway ‘new PDP’ group. His endorsement and participation, along with other party leaders such as President Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, lent credibility and direction to the merger, helping to unify disparate party factions under the banner of the APC. That coalition-building paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent ruling party in Nigeria’s history.
“President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to that breakthrough. No account of President Buhari’s tenure would be complete without acknowledging the extended periods he spent on medical leave. These moments, while politically delicate, were also telling of his leadership philosophy and personality,” he said.
In his remarks, President Tinubu promised to build on the legacies of former President Buhari, stressing that “nation-building is a relay. The efforts of one administration lay the foundation for the next.
“In this regard, I acknowledge the efforts of my predecessor, President Buhari, and assure all Nigerians that the reform-oriented path he initiated will be consolidated and strengthened under this administration. Our Renewed Hope Agenda is inspired by the desire to build a resilient, just, and inclusive Nigeria—a nation that delivers dividends of democracy to all its citizens”.
Politics
Your Lies Chasing Investors From Nigeria, Omokri Slams Obi
Speaking during an appearance on live television on Wednesday, Mr Omokri alleged that Mr Obi’s statements were misleading and damaging to the country’s economic prospects.
Mr Omokri said some investors currently operating in Nigeria were considering exiting the market due to Mr Obi’s remarks.
“That is not true. He doesn’t rile me up. I rile him up. The reason why I came here is because I’m a patriot. Peter Obi lied. You know, foreign direct investors are watching your programme, who are making investment decisions not to come to Nigeria. There are foreign investors in Nigeria that are making investment decisions to leave Nigeria because of the lie he told.
“One of the lies he told is that President Tinubu has borrowed more than the administrations of Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari. That is a blatant lie”, Mr Omokri said.
To buttress his claims, Mr Omokri referenced figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO), maintaining that President Tinubu had actually reduced Nigeria’s external debt burden since assuming office.
“I have here with me data from the Debt Management Office, and Nigerians who are watching can go to DMO.com and search Debt Management Office, Nigeria State of Indebtedness 2015.
“As of 2015, Nigeria was owing a total of $63 billion. When Buhari was leaving office, Nigeria was owing $113 billion. Today, from the DMO, our debt has gone from $113 billion to $97 billion, meaning that Tinubu has reduced our debt by over $14 billion.
“We should be appreciating this man. Yet Peter Obi came here and lied to the Nigerian people. He took the debts and translated them into naira to make it look like the debts have increased”, he said.
-
Politics3 days ago
Civic Duty, Not Politics Necessitated My Engagement With Abacha – Obi
-
Women3 days ago
What To Know About Fufu, Loi Loi
-
Sports3 days ago
Former Champion Seeks Title Defence At Para Table Tennis Tourney
-
Rivers3 days ago
Don Sues For Leadership Assessment Centre In IAUE
-
Niger Delta3 days ago
Oborevwori Boosts Digitalisation With Ulesson 500 Tablets To Pupils, Students
-
Business3 days ago
Cassava Flour Initiative Revival Can Up Economy By ?255b – COMAFAS
-
Sports3 days ago
Eagles B Players Admit Pressure For CHAN Qualification
-
Niger Delta3 days ago
Don Highlights On The Potential Of Groundwater As Hidden Wealth For Sustainable Future