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Yar’Adua HandOver: The Voice Of God

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“If we fail to act now, history will not forgive us,” –  Dora Akunyili

Only very few persons have good conscience to say no even when majority believe all is well in a system. Obviously Dora Akunyili, a professor and Nigeria’s Information and Communications Minister is among the few that can off-load a burden, feel free to take a principled stance and damn the consequences if need be.

  It takes the singular heart of a lion and a principled character like Dora Akunyili to make a positive difference in a rotten drug industry even when dare-devil drug traffickers want her life out to pave way for a free drug business in the country.

  The drug traffickers fled the illegal drug trade and the image of the Amazon (Dora) blossomed to the good health of Nigerians, and history was made of her glorious outing in the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

  Last Wednesday, Dora with a heavy heart, not in relation to death but saddened with “the State of the Nation”, rattled the Federal Executive Council (FEC) with her memo on the continued absence of ailing President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua from the country and the need to handover to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan to save the nation from further embarrassment.

  Dora Akunyili’s memo which was later withdrawn say in parts “ I wish to call on the Federal Executive Council to act now in the best interest of our dear President and our dear nation. We also wish to save ourselves from shame because our stand is becoming very embarrassing… The name of our President and all his achievements are being rubbished by this unfortunate debacle. The President and his family are also being put under undue pressure, which will not help his recovery. If we fail to act now, history will not forgive us.”

  Of a truth, history do not forgive those who keep silent in the face of challenges especially if such challenges have to do with conscience and integrity. Thus, when Dora Akunyili decided to send her controversial memo to the FEC, she did that not for want of it, but to stand on the side of history irrespective of the earlier position of FEC that all is well with Yar’Adua in Saudi Arabia hospital.

  On January 27, the Federal Attorney-General and Justice Minister, Micheal Aondoakaa had told Nigerians after a FEC meeting that the cabinet unanimously agreed that Yar’Adua is fit to continue in office, even with his poor health.

  Every element of charade has an expiring date. When Dora sent in her memo to FEC that Jonathan Presidency is now imperative, it was an indication that the FEC’s charade has expired to the chagrin of most other FEC members. Who is fooling who?

  Dora Akunyili is not alone for Jonathan Presidency now. Media stakeholders, February 1, had expressed worry over the political crisis in Nigeria and called on ailing Yar’Adua to handover power to Jonathan within seven days or resign. Unfortunately, Aondoakaa would not stop at nothing to secure rulership in absentia for Yar’Adua, and that is why the media stakeholders have given him (Aondoakaa) red card even as they advised the National Assembly to impeach Yar’Adua if he fails to abide by Sections 144 and 145 of the 1999 constitution. The beauty of democracy can be seen in the unity of 36 state governors for a transfer of power to Jonathan in order to save the country from impending anarchy and threat to political instability. The governors’ stand over Yar’Adua’s continued absence from the country is enough to send strong message to Nigerians that deceit has lost its face value in the game of offshore Presidency.

  For how long will Nigeria continue to exist with leadership vacuum? This is the worry of another set of  political figures in the country led by former House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Bello Masari and a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani. Their demand for the resignation of Yar’Adua and the assumption of leadership by his vice will only encourage the efforts to strengthen the nation’s weak democratic institutions that have failed to respond appropriately to the popular clamour for Yar’Adua to transfer power to his deputy.

  Arewa Consultative Forum, an umbrella body of the Northerners has pitched its tent with history. It lent its weight in support of an orderly transfer of power to the Vice President.

  Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a Pan-Igbo organization shares the sentiment of Arewa Forum, that time has come for Jonathan to take charge of leadership in absence of his master.

  All these calls represent voices of reason which of course are those of God and they  should not be ignored even as the evil cabal that has pocketed Yar’Adua administration is not leaving any thing to chance to secure Yar’Adua’s rulership in absentia. Perharps, the cabal is worried that once power shift, their economic base and that of their aides, dependents etc will cease, hence the efforts to keep the flame of offshore Presidency burning.

  Whether we like it or not, two sets of Nigerians are locked up in prayers which are equal and opposite. The first prayer point is for God to facilitate the transfer of power to Jonathan at least to enable the country move forward. Others are praying for Yar’Adua to recover immediately to retain power and shame his perceived enemies. But when we realize that many national issues including the review of the Electoral Act, the Niger Delta crisis, the 2010 National budget have been put on hold, it is only expedient for those in power to listen to voice of reason which is that of God.

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Reps Constitution Review Committee Holds Zonal Hearing For Rivers, C’River, Akwa Ibom In Calabar

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In a renewed effort to deepen Nigeria’s constitutional democracy, the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has announced the commencement of its Zonal and National Public Hearings across the country.

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.

 

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Tinubu’s Contribution To Buhari’s Presidency Marginal – Ex-SGF

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Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, has stirred fresh political controversy by dismissing claims that President Bola Tinubu was highly instrumental to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence in 2015 after the merger of political parties that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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”.

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Your Lies Chasing Investors From Nigeria, Omokri Slams Obi

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Former Presidential aide, Mr Reno Omokri, has accused Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, of spreading false information about Nigeria’s debt profile, claiming it is deterring foreign investors from the country.

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.

 

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