Politics

Easter: Clerics Task Buhari On State Of The Nation

Published

4 years ago

April 18, 2022

Having watched the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government’s sloppy response to several challenges bedeviling the nation and threatening its unity, top among which is insecurity, clerics, political elite and other stakeholders have called on the president to call time on his trance and stem the slide into anomie.
On the occasion of this year’s Easter celebration, they stressed that rather than let the nation remain at sea and allow insecurity to fester at a scale never witnessed before, the government must think out of the box for solutions, as well as procure a healing balm for a fractious nation.
Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Dr. Samuel Uche, specifically, called on President Buhari to brace up and arrest the ugly situation because “government would only be relevant if it is able to secure the lives and property of its citizenry.”
Uche urged the president to sit up and tighten the loose ends so that the worsening insecurity across the board would be arrested. “I know that the government has immense intelligence at its disposal and knows where these people are. So, it should not treat them with kids’ gloves; they should see them as criminals, terrorists and handle them as such,” he said.
Stressing the “urgent need to do something,” he noted that though President Buhari’s tenure would end pretty soon, his actions and inaction from now till he exits office would affect the political party that he represents. According to the Prelate: “Buhari’s failure is the failure of his party, and his success is the success of his party. If he loves his party, he should brace up and rewrite the wrong impression people have about him and his party. I am talking as a religious leader, not as a politician.”
Uche advised President Buhari to “sit up, be awake and alert to the mandate given. He should use it wisely and responsibly.”
Regarding the Easter season and what it embodies, Uche called on leaders and Nigerians to learn from Jesus Christ who showed love in all endeavours while also manifesting a very high level of servant leadership.
“Jesus cared for those He led, he was willing to make any form of sacrifice for the betterment of their lot to the extent that He was willing to die…” he noted.
For the Catholic Bishop of Oyo Diocese, Most Rev. Emmanuel Badejo, political leaders must also wake up and save the nation from complete collapse, adding that their insincerity and inaction have damaged all citizens.
In his Easter message titled, “Life Conquers Death: God Has Done His Part,” Bishop Badejo said: “All the betrayal, the rejection, oppression, the lies and wickedness of the powerful people will someday be defeated by justice and love. Light will win, darkness will fail.”
Badejo, however, urged Nigerians, especially Christians, not to lose hope amid the challenges confronting the nation while calling on leaders of the world to give up war and embrace peace.
“I say to all our governments and all leaders, your insincerity and inaction have done enormous damage to all, wake up and save Nigeria, this beautiful country and people from complete collapse. Make justice and peace to break out and save your name in history,” he said.
On his part, the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, His Grace, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, observed that, without doubt, insecurity has worsened when one considers the brazen way the so-called bandits have been operating.
He lamented the effrontery of the bandits, who recently claimed that the government knew what they wanted and unless they were given, they would continue to make the country insecure.
While expressing surprise that government and security agents allegedly know the locations and phone numbers of the said bandits, Martins declared that the Buhari-led government and security agencies have failed Nigerians.
“The government is either overwhelmed or elements within it don’t want to deal with the problem. Nigerians should be told what the bandits want. It is worrisome that Kaduna State, which has many military formations and institutions is the epicentre of recent attacks. One wonders what agenda is behind this continued assault on innocent people in homes, on the roads, and even on the rails.

“Indeed, the elections are approaching and Nigerians should not simply accept broad promises of a better life. We need to ask for the details of plans that they have to deal with the economic crisis, the problem with the infamous oil theft, the insecurity problem, and the crisis in the educational sector. We need to know how they intend to solve the problem of borrowing more money and the like. Promises should be backed up with concrete plans for fulfilling them,” he said.

The cleric noted that since Easter is a sign of hope that good will always triumph over evil, the problems currently being faced as individuals, families, and as a nation would not overwhelm us.

Martins prayed that the light of the risen Christ overwhelms the darkness of evil in the country and charged Nigerians not to lose hope, but to keep praying while striving to do everything possible to deal with the challenges.

Politics

Parties’ Deregistration: How Justice Lifu Overruled Appeal Court Justices

Published

10 hours ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday brushed aside the order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which ordered him to stay proceedings in a suit that sought deregistration of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Accord Party and three others.
The Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision of a panel of three Justices had on May 22, 2026 directed the Federal High Court Judge not to proceed with the suit until an appeal pending before them and filed by Accord Party is resolved.
In a Certified True Copy Enrol Order of the Superior Court, Justices Mohammed Danjuma, Adebukola Banjoko and Oyejoju Oyewumi asked the lower Court Judge to stay proceedings until all issues on the appeal filed by the Accord Party were resolved
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State had, through the Accord Party, applied to justice Lifu to join him as a defendant in the deregistration legal battle instituted by a group of former legislators.
The contention of the Osun State governor was that he had a stake in the Accord Party, being the platform he was seeking re-election in the August 15 gubernatorial poll in the state.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu on April 27 ruled against the Osun State governor, rejecting his request to be joined in the suit to defend his own position and interest.
Not satisfied with the Federal High Court decision, the Osun State governor, through his lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), moved to the Court of Appeal in Abuja where he challenged the Justice Lifu decision to refuse to allow him join the suit.
After listening to the argument canvassed, especially that he has interest to protect as Accord Party gubernatorial candidate for Osun State governorship election, the three Justices of the Court of Appeal, unanimously directed Justice Lifu to allow them look into the grievances of the governor.
In specific terms, the Court of Appeal Justices directed Justice Lifu not to proceed further with the matter and fixed October 27 to determine the interlocutory appeal of the appellant.
However, when the certified enroll order and notice of appeal were served on Justice Peter Lifu by Mr Adetunbi (SAN), the judge rejected it on the ground that it was a ploy to arrest his judgment in the matter.
Although the judge had adjourned his judgment delivery in the matter indefinitely, he finally made a dramatic turn around on Monday and proceeded to deliver the judgment that has now proscribed the five political parties.

Politics

ADC: Okonkwo Rejects Amaechi As Presidential Running Mate, Withdraws Support

Published

10 hours ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

Actor turned politician, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, has rejected the choice of former Rivers State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement on Monday, Mallam Bolaji Abdulllahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, announced the party’s choice of Mr Amaechi.
However in a statement, Mr Okonkwo said that the choice of Mr Amaechi from the South South strengthens the continued marginalization of people from the South East.
According to the former spokesperson of the Labour Party, any arrangement that would not factor a person from the South East either as president or vice president in the party is anti-Igbo.
He contended that Chief Raph Nwosu, who founded the ADC in 2005 and willingly surrendered it’s leadership to Senator David Mark did not do so to entrench Igbo marginalization in the party.
The former actor said: “I heard from the social media that ADC has picked its vice presidential candidate from the South-South. If this is true, it is unfortunate, as this will continue the crude marginalisation of the South-East.
“This geo-political zone has neither produced a president or vice president since 1999. To deny the South-East the opportunity to produce the president or vice president in the ADC in 2027, will amount to perpetuating the marginalisation.
“The ADC was founded by Ralphs Nwosu from the South-East in 2005. He made the sacrifice to give up the party in 2025 for the coalition to usher in a better Nigeria. He couldn’t have made that sacrifice to marginalise his own people.
“I did not join the coalition to assist in marginalisation of my own people further. I am of the opinion that if we made a sacrifice to give up the national chairman and the president, it will amount to unpardonable injustice to deny us the vice president in 2027.
“I joined politics to fight for a better Nigeria where no region, geo-political zone, or person will be marginalised.
“The only favour I asked Atiku Abubakar, who openly declared that he is the pathway to the presidency of the South-East, is to show it by choosing someone from the South-East to be his vice.
“If it is confirmed that he has chosen a candidate from the South-South, I wish him well. I am not favourably disposed to campaigning for any presidential ticket that does not have a person of South-East origin as president or vice in 2027”

Politics

2027: Tinubu’s Projects Give APC Edge In South East – Yilwatda

Published

10 hours ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, on Monday said that the numerous projects being executed by President Bola Tinubu across the states in the southeast will give him upper hand over other presidential candidates during next year’s general elections.
Prof. Yilwatda stated this at the Abakaliki Township Stadium during a mega rally organized by the Ebonyi State government and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, during which President Tinubu and other APC candidates for the 2027 general elections were adopted.
According to the APC National Chairman, no President had done for the southeast region what President Tinubu has done for them and expressed the confidence that the president would not only win in Ebonyi State but in the entire South East.
Prof. Yilwatda also used the occasion to address growing insinuations in some quarters that Ebonyi State had been conceded to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dismissing the claim, Prof. Yilwatda said the state would not allow the PDP to win any position in the forthcoming general election.
“We will return President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Francis Nwifuru as Governor of Ebonyi State in 2027.
“We want to return all APC senators, members of the House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates in 2027.
“Nobody has conceded Ebonyi to the PDP. Therefore, there is no vacancy in Ebonyi State. Ebonyi PDP has no place, and there is no vacancy at all in the Government House come 2027,” the APC National Chairman declared.
He commended the people of the state for their support for President Tinubu and urged them to re-elect him in the next presidential election in appreciation of what he has done for the state and the entire South-East through infrastructural transformation and human capital development.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, who also spoke at the event, said the state had no other presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections apart from President Tinubu.

He declared that Ebonyi remained a stronghold of the APC and vowed that the party would deliver the President in the state.

Gov. Nwifuru said President Tinubu had shown exceptional commitment to the state and deserved total support for appointing Senator Umahi as Minister of Works, a role he said Senator Umahi had performed creditably.

“Ebonyi has no other presidential candidate apart from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we will return him in the presidential election.

“We are standing here today to tell the whole world, especially those using the President’s name to orchestrate division and confusion in this great state, that we have only one party, and that is the APC.

“This statement became necessary because some people are going around claiming they have discussed with Mr President and that he has handed Ebonyi over to the PDP. They are also saying that Chief Nyesom Wike is their leader and that Wike said the President has given Ebonyi to him.

“Ebonyi is not for sale. We are restraining ourselves because the people are with us. Nobody should push us because we have what it takes to confront anyone trying to destabilise us.

“We want to tell Mr President that he has earned our votes. He gave us what we had never had in Eastern Nigeria — the office of the Minister of Works. And this Minister of Works is not sitting idle; he is working,” he stated.

Senator Umahi, in his remarks, said President Tinubu had done what no other President had done for Ebonyi State and the entire South-East by executing numerous projects across the state and the region.

“Ebonyi State is a one-party state under Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. We are not going to repeat the mistakes of the past.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done a lot, not just for Ebonyi State but for the entire South-East and other geopolitical zones,” he said.