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Afenifere, NEF, PANDEF Endorse Atiku …‘My Endorsement, Hope For Nigeria’ …Atiku’ll Beat Buhari 60-45 In Katsina -Galadima
Regional socio-cultural organisations, including Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Northern Elders Forum, Pan-Niger Delta Forum and the Middle Belt Forum have endorsed the candidature of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The groups, which met at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, yesterday, said Atiku possessed the intelligence, capability and knowledge to lead the nation.
Leaders of the associations such as Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, Malam Ango Abdullahi, Chief Edwin Clark and Dr. Bitrus Pogu, therefore, asked Nigerians to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential flagbearer on February 16.
Meanwhile, the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, pledged to ensure autonomy for local governments, if elected in the February 16 presidential election.
Abubakar made the pledge in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital, during his presidential campaign rally.
“If elected on February 16, I will make sure the local governments in our country have autonomy and joint accounts between states and local governments will be scrapped.
“I will not allow any governor to take a penny from local governments’ coffers as the money is meant for LGAs and their development,” he said.
He also promised to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths and empower women to start up businesses in order to make the economy more stronger.
“I will also make sure that poverty is chased away and hunger decimated in the country.
“When we do this we are, at the same time strengthening the security of our country and fighting insecurity,” Atiku said.
The Director General, PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Sen. Bukola Saraki, accused the ruling APC government of failing to deliver on its promises to Nigerians.
“They promised security, employment, and to fight poverty but we still have no security, unemployment is on the increase and hunger is at its highest ebb,” Saraki claimed.
Earlier, PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, said that the party was committed to preserving the unity of Nigeria.
Secondus urged the people of Kebbi to vote massively for PDP candidates at all levels of the elections.
He also advised the electorates to take measures to protect their vote and resist any form of malpractice.
He called on the relevant agencies to put necessary strategies in place to ensure that the elections are free and fair.
Also speaking, the state Chairman of the party, Alhaji Haruna Saidu, said the mammoth crowd witnessed at the rally was an indication that the PDP would take over the state.
“We have no doubt that with what we have witnessed today, come February16 and March 2, we will sweep all the polls,” he said.
Saidu commended the party followers for coming out en masse to welcome the PDP presidential candidate and his campaign team.
Meanwhile, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to his adoption by regional leaders and socio-cultural groups from the six regional zones of the country saying such adoption is an indication that there is hope for the nation.
Atiku, who was a former Vice President, said in a statement which he personally signed that he was moved to tears when he heard about the news of his adoption.
The groups are Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Northern Elders Forum, Pan-Niger Delta Forum and Middle Belt Forum.
The groups, after their meeting in Abuja on Sunday, asked Nigerians to vote for Atiku instead of the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Muhammadu Buhari.
Atiku described his adoption as “ a loud statement that there is hope for our country as we go to the polls in a few days.”
He said, “I am moved to tears that in the midst of deep divisions and deliberate use of instrumentalities of state to set our people against themselves in the last three and a half years, responsible and respected leaders across Nigeria have agreed to come together for the purpose of endorsing my candidature for the February 16th, 2019 Presidential elections.
“The endorsement by the leading lights of our nationalities – Afenifere, OhanaezeNdigbo, Northern Elders Forum, Pan-Niger Delta Forum and Middle Belt Forum is a loud statement that there is hope for our country as we go to the polls in a few days.
“Today we put aside all our prejudices to elect a President with religion and ethnicity playing no role in our elections.
“I profusely thank our Leaders across the country who have created this wonderful moment for
us to come to the table of brotherhood.
“Once again, and in the words of our old National Anthem, we can proudly sing: ‘Though tribes and tongues may differ, in brotherhood we stand’.
“This has buoyed me to lead a Pan-Nigerian team that will give practical interpretation to what has been done by the time I take leadership of our country, by the grace of Allah, on May 29, 2019.
“Many countries of the world have been led into disintegration by strongmen (one in each country) and we have seen how individuals who understand the management of diversities have rallied their people for unity.
In another development, Buba Galadima, a spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign organisation, has said that the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, AtikuAbubakar will beat President Buhari with a margin of 60 to 45 percent in the north.
Galadima also said that Atiku will didvide the votes 50 to 50 with Buhari even in Buhari’s home state, Katsina.
Galadima made the statement while appearing on Channels TV programme, Politics Today,yesterday.
According to him, “Atiku will defeat Buhari 60 to 45 on the minimum. The only place it would be 50-50 is Katsina.
“In the south west, i want to say with certainty, the Yoruba people respect their leaders, they will not vote from sentiments. He said President Buhari refused to sign the electoral act because he is afraid of defeat.
The Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has floated a culture content platform in collaboration with digital television group, Multichoice.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, disclosed this after a meeting with MultiChoice Head of Content Acquisition, Don Dotun Ojon, in Port Harcourt.
He assured that content entrepreneurs and film makers would enjoy the platform by promoting culture and other contents to sell the states tourism potentials.
He said MultiChoice M-net was now open to increase its patronage for content shots on locations in Rivers State, describing the State as one that has numerous potentials for film tourism.
“We were privileged to have Don Ojon with us at the Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) at the weekend in Bonny and he saw, first hand, the numerous sites and opportunities that are open to creatives in the State. After that, we felt it was important to deepen the conversation and he obliged. This is a cheering news for the sector in the State,” he said.
Ndigbara stated that “Rivers State has many more untold stories to tell, many more contents to reel out and the assurances from the M-net Acquisition Manager is an indication that the industry in the state will soon enjoy a new lease of life”.
The Permanent Secretary thanked Ojon for the visit and assured that creatives in the State would grap this opportunity and show the world that Rivers State is a major hub for film tourism in Nigeria.
On his part, Ojon said the visit was to discuss on ways of promoting tourism in the State using creatives and film.
Ojon said although the company has recently been acquired by canal+ France and is undergoing restructuring, he would promote the chances of Rivers State to host the MultiChoice talent factory in the State.
With Asaba, capital of Delta State, being saturated, Ojon said the next port is Rivers State, which he said is capable of building fresh crop of creatives, new locations, new story lines and concepts.
He, therefore, called for collaboration from stakeholders in the State.
Kevin Nengia
This is according to a campaign timetable released by the APC Campaign Council last month.
The Tide reports that the APC presidential campaign kicked off in Kaduna on October 24 with President Bola Tinubu in attendance.
The campaign train later moved to Cross River, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Ekiti on November 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively with the Vice President, Kashim Shettima representing the President at the rallies.
President Tinubu is personally scheduled to attend 12 states including Rivers, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos.
The Rivers State rally, scheduled to hold at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, is expected to witness a large crowd of party supporters drawn from a coalition of political parties in the State.
The party is expected to round off its presidential campaign in Lagos State on January 9, 2027.
The Tide reports that Tinubu has not visited Rivers State as President since he assumed office in May 2023. His last physical visit to the State was before his inauguration on Wednesday, May 3 – Thursday, May 4, 2023, when he was hosted by then Governor Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt to commission the Rumuola/Rumuokwuta Flyover and the Magistrates’ Court Complex.
Tomorrow’s visit will be his first to the State since assuming office.
Fubara gave the charge on Wednesday while declaring open the 126th, 127th and 128th Combined Quarterly Meeting of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council, in Port Harcourt.
The governor said the primary function of traditional rulers is to administer justice and ensure fairness, saying their conduct must not lead to division and unmanageable crises.
“Let me therefore, request, if that is the right word to use, that please, as we are entering into this political season actively, everyone should ensure that your conduct promoted peace in your place. Your actions should not be what would lead to the division and multiple crisis that we cannot manage as a government.
“I think with that, we can all live as one and we can also continue to make this progress that we are trying with all our mind, our body and our soul, to ensure that we deliver to our dear State,” he said.
Fubara urged the royal fathers to abide by the oath and constitution they swore to before ascending their respective stools, in the interest of stability and progress of the State.
He also enjoined them to set aside individual sentiments and place the interest of Rivers State above personal considerations, noting that this principle has guided his own day-to-day governance of the State.
“I want to enjoin everyone to keep aside issues of individual sentiments and ensure that the interest of our state supersedes whatever thing that we have in our mind. This is not just what I’m saying here, it is what I’ve also practiced and displayed in my day-to-day life in the governance of our dear State,” he said.
On the appeal for improved welfare for traditional rulers, the governor clarified that the delay in actualising some of the requests they made in the past was not from the government but from the inability of the Council to put its house in order.
Fubara explained that the issue of stipends paid to the traditional rulers by the local government councils, was a statutory benefit provided for in the constitution and not what a state governor can change by mere verbal pronouncements.
He assured that he remains a man of his word and will fulfill his promises to the traditional rulers before leaving office, next year.
He reaffirmed his respect for the traditional institution as custodians of culture and the closest link to the people, thanking them for their prayers and support.
The governor urged the royal fathers to ensure that the combined quarterly meeting featured fruitful deliberations that will strengthen peace and development in the State.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and Paramount Ruler of Apara Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Eze Chike Amadi Worlu Wodo, expressed profound gratitude to the State Government for its efforts in maintaining a cordial relationship with the traditional institution.
Wodo highlighted the importance of traditional rulers in conflict resolution, noting that their closeness to the people places them in a strategic position to mediate in disputes involving chieftaincy matters, family disputes and land ownership in their respective communities.
The royal father drew the attention of the State Government to some challenges affecting the performance of the traditional institution, particularly the lack of official utility vehicles and logistical support needed to discharge its responsibilities effectively.
He also appealed for improved monthly stipends and better welfare provisions to reflect prevailing economic realities.
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