Politics
Ngige’s Call On Igbo To Join APC, Childish, Pedestrian –Ohanaeze
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo last Monday described as childish, a call by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, that the Igbo should join the All Progressives Congress in order to produce the next President of the country.
The group’s National Publicity Secretary, Prince Uche Achi-Okpaga, in a telephone interview with our source said until an “Igbo man becomes president, Nigeria will never progress.”
Ngige, had while addressing the APC members last Sunday at Alor in the Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, said the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari had done well for the Igbo.
He had stated that the APC was the easiest political platform the South-East could use to ascend the presidency of the country.
Faulting Ngige, Achi-Okpaga said the minister’s statement was baseless and pedestrian. According to him, in 2019, the Igbo voted for the APC.
He asked: “Is Ngige from Ghana? Is he not an Igbo man? The APC got all the percentages of votes they needed from the South-East in the February 2019 presidential election. Was it a fluke or doctored? Were the votes not Igbo votes? So if he is saying Igbo should join the APC, is he saying that there are no Igbo in the APC, including himself?”
The Ohanaeze spokesman said people asking the Igbo to join the APC were just looking for an excuse not to field an Igbo candidate in 2023.
He stated: “I think his statement is very pedestrian. It is just that when you want to kill a dog, you want to find a fault to hang it. Just to find a fault to say that the Igbo are this or that. Let me tell you, until an Igbo man becomes President, nothing will move forward. Nigeria will continue to be a motionless engine.
“We have said the Igboman sees the entire world as his village. So if an Igbo man becomes president of Nigeria, there is no state, there is no village in Nigeria that you cannot find an Igbo man. So he has no time to marginalise anyone. The Igbo man lives in Sokoto, so the government will like to build roads in Sokoto because his brother lives there. The Igbo man lives in Kafachan. The Igbo live in Ogun. They live in Cross River. They live in all parts of Nigeria.
“The whole of Nigeria is the horizon of Igbo man. There’s no ethnicity in Igbo man. It is only the Igbo that practise one Nigeria, every other person is a hypocrite. So until Igbo man becomes president, Nigeria will keep running round the same circle. What Ngige said was just childish.”
On its part, the Peoples Democratic Party said the APC was not a viable party for Ndigbo to actualise any of their political aspirations in.2023. The PDP Deputy National Publicity, Mr Diran Odeyemi, in an interview with journalists in Abuja also said the PDP was not dead.
He said the comment by Ngige that the Igbo people should join the APC to realise their aspiration for the 2023 presidency was a mere campaign talk which had no practical validity.
Odeyemi said: “Ngige can say all that he wants to say. He can cajole the people to join them in the APC. But he knows that the South-East is a no-go area for the APC. There is nothing they can say that the people will believe them.
“In 2023, we are bringing out a great candidate that Nigerians will know and vote for. It is too early to be talking about zoning, but Ngige knows that the Igbo people will never go the way of the APC because it is a party that is full of deceit and lies.”
Former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Matters and Social Events, Dr Waripamowei Dudafa, has praised the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri on his formal defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Dr Dudafa, who is also a former member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and one time commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Development, described the governor’s decision as a wise and well-considered move that aligns the State with the centre for accelerated development and greater political inclusion.
“Governor Diri’s decision reflects his pragmatic leadership style which has always been guided by consultation, inclusiveness, and the pursuit of the common good.
“Your Excellency, your decision to work in harmony with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which is in synergy with your ‘Assured Prosperity’ vision will undoubtedly bring about the needed transformation and development for the people of Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta at large.
“Since assuming office, your guiding principle has been clear and consistent — to consult widely, act in the public interest, and deliver measurable development outcomes. That same principle has informed your latest political alignment, and it will continue to serve as a compass for your Assured Prosperity Administration”, he said.
He further praised the governor’s performance in office, stating that Gov. Diri’s administration has been characterized by purposeful governance and tangible results, reaffirming his continued loyalty and support for the governor, while also assuring that he and his associates will keep identifying with the Gov Diri’s administration in the collective effort to sustain peace, unity, and progress in the state.
While restating his continued solidarity with the governor’s leadership in the state, Dr Dudafa promised to lend his support to ensure that he finishes strong.
“Governor Diri’s political maturity and developmental focus have repositioned Bayelsa for a brighter future”, he added.
The Tide further learnt that Dr Dudafa once served as Special Adviser to a former governor of the State on Youth Mobilization and Empowerment.
“I want to again commend the governor for his courage and vision. His alignment of the State with the federal government under the Renewed Hope Agenda is a step toward ensuring inclusive governance and attracting more federal presence to the state”, he said.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
A publication circulating online had quoted Alhaji Sheriff as saying, “It’s not me; it’s Shettima who created Boko Haram.”
But in a statement issued on Saturday, Alhaji Sheriff dismissed the report as a “complete fabrication” aimed at misleading the public and stirring political discord.
“The said story is a complete fabrication, devoid of truth, and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, malign the person of Senator Sheriff, and sow discord within the nation’s political landscape,” the statement read.
Alhaji Sheriff said he never granted any interview or spoke to any journalist on the matter, adding that the falsehood was designed to undermine his long-standing commitment to peace and national unity.
“This false report is not only mischievous but also a dangerous piece of fake news aimed at undermining years of Senator Sheriff’s contributions to peace, national unity, and development, both in Borno State and across Nigeria,” the statement added.
The former governor urged members of the public and the media to disregard the publication, noting that he had directed his legal team to identify and pursue those behind the story.
“Senator Sheriff has instructed his legal team to take immediate steps to identify all individuals, bloggers, or media outlets responsible for the dissemination of this defamatory material.
“Should the false publication not be retracted and taken down forthwith, the Senator will not hesitate to seek full legal redress under the law”, his media office said.
Alhaji Sheriff reaffirmed his commitment to Nigeria’s security, stability, and democratic values and vowed to ensure that the spread of misinformation does not go unpunished.
Politics
Anambra Guber: I’m Not Impressed, LP Candidate Says …As Observers Lament Vote-buying, Low Voters Turnout
Mr Moghalu spoke to journalists on Saturday shortly after casting his vote at Uruagu Ward 1, Nnewi.
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rise to its responsibility of making the process credible.
He also alleged voter apathy, attributing it to people’s lack of confidence in the electoral process.
Mr Moghalu said that even though it was too early to say whether the process was free, fair, and credible, he was not impressed.
“I am not impressed; there were no issues of glitches, at least for now. As we go along to monitor the process, we’ll confirm. In terms of voting, there’s an improvement over previous elections.
“I can’t say it’s free and fair because if you monetise a process, you weaponise poverty. What’s free about it? There’s no doubt there’s low voter turnout, and that has been the trend,” he stated.
The LP’s flag bearer stated that it was incumbent on INEC to continually improve the process, as voter apathy is a manifestation of a loss of confidence in the people.
Reports from Yiaga Africa, European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) II, and other partner organisations indicated that voter turnout was low in most polling units across the 21 local government areas of the state.
Speaking to journalists in Awka, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Mr Samson Itodo, identified vote-buying and low turnout as recurring issues observed in the thematic areas of the election.
Also, Asabe Ndahi of the Kukah Centre decried logistical challenges, including the late arrival of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security officials in high-risk areas, such as Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Ihiala, Ogbaru, and Nnewi South.
She added that incidents of vote-buying and voter intimidation were recorded in several local government areas.
that votes were being traded for between N15,000 and N30,000.
“It is sad that bad governance is fuelling vote buying and selling.
“For an unemployed youth who sells his vote for ?30,000, what will he be paid next month when there is no election?
“By selling your vote, you are saying no school, no hospital, no jobs and selling away your future. This is worrisome”, he said.
He called on journalists to play an active role in exposing and curbing the menace.
The former presidential candidate also described all the hopefuls in the governorship race as his friends.
“Whoever wins, let him serve the people. Nigeria needs service now. We need to pull our people out of poverty,” he said,
Earlier, Mr George Moghalu, LP governorship candidate, said despite the heavy deployment of security personnel for the election, he had received reports of widespread vote-buying.
He also described the trend as “most unfortunate”, and warned that the crime undermines the integrity of the electoral process.
Mr Moghalu added that he remained optimistic on the outcome of the election, as he had campaigned extensively and presented his manifesto to the electorate.