Politics
NNPP Blasts Tinubu Over Absence At Town Hall Meeting
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, has taken a swipe at the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for refusing to honour invitations on debate, saying that it was an indication that he has nothing to tell Nigerians or he does not have the power to rule the country.
Addressing journalists on Monday in Abuja, the NNPP National Chairman, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali said that the APC Presidential candidate should endeavor to appear for Nigerians to hear him and his blueprint for the country, asking him to come for debates and say something, even if it may not be clear.
According to him, the media should interrogate all the presidential candidates as we inch closer to the 2023 Presidential election, adding, that “the NNPP would continue to engage patriotic individuals and organisations that share our vision and mission to rescue Nigeria and save democracy in the country. For the avoidance of doubt, our Party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party will not in any way be coerced or blackmailed to fulfill somebody’s inordinate ambition to rule Nigeria by all means.”
Recall that the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar; the NNPP candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso and that of Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi had featured on Sunday night at a town hall meeting organised by Arise TV, Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, in partnership with Vanguard Newspapers, Premium Times, Daily Trust, Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, and Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in Abuja, where Tinubu was conspicuously absent again.
According to him, the NNPP as the Third Force has finally arrived against the backdrop that Nigerians were tired of excuses and the culture of blame games by the APC, adding, “like what happened yesterday, the 4th of Dec 2022. Apart from Arise TV, the CDD, highly respectable organisation and virtually all the media organisation in the country, so this is an open forum. It’s very clear. So why can’t you go and talk, say something, even if it’s not clear, people will get something out of you but you preferred to jet out of the country.
“So this is a different issue. This is not the first time, not the second time, it has been like that. You can assume that most of them do not have the power to rule the country. Two, they are also ashamed of what they have done. You can’t call yourself the leader of a party for eight years and now you want to rule the country, you cannot come and tell Nigerians what you have done during the eight years. You are the leader of the party because, you have, for the first time, in the history of the country, a President is different, and the leader of the party different.
“Now the person who is invited is the person who is the leader of the party, come forward, you say no, he is out of the country. So people are waiting for him, if he doesn’t come for debate, he will come for election.”
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has strongly rejected calls by the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria seeking the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, over comments he allegedly made on genocide.
The Fellowship described the demand as unjustified and a threat to constitutional freedoms.
In a statement signed by its National Secretary, Bishop David Bakare, the PFN insisted that Prof Amupitan, like every Nigerian, has the constitutional right to express his views on matters of national concern, irrespective of the public office he occupies.
According to the PFN, the comments attributed to the INEC Chairman were made in his personal capacity and had no link whatsoever with his official responsibilities or electoral duties.
The Fellowship stressed that elections and electoral activities were not involved in the matter, arguing that there was no basis to connect the alleged comments to Prof Amupitan’s role as INEC Chairman.
“We strongly oppose such calls because Prof. Amupitan, as a Nigerian, has the right to make comments on what he observes to be happening in the nation, regardless of his appointment or assignment,” the statement read.
The PFN said it condemned “in every ramification” the suggestion that the INEC Chairman should be removed from office on the basis of his personal views, warning against attempts to punish public officials for expressing opinions outside the scope of their official duties.
The Tide source reports that the Fellowship also cautioned against what it described as a growing tendency to interpret national issues through religious lenses, noting that such an approach only deepens divisions and undermines peaceful coexistence.
“We must resist the temptation of profiling or judging people based on their religious beliefs or positions. Prof. Amupitan has a right to bear his mind, and this should not be at the cost of his job,” the PFN added.
The PFN called on all stakeholders to exercise restraint, understanding and mutual respect in national discourse, particularly on sensitive issues.
It emphasised that unity and peace must remain paramount in addressing national challenges.
The Fellowship reaffirmed its commitment to fairness, justice and mutual respect, urging that these values guide public engagement and responses to issues affecting the country.
The Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the Rivers State Governor, Dr. Darlington Oji, has disclosed that about 15 Special Advisers to the governor were duly approved by the Rivers State House of Assembly before the current political crisis in the State.
Oji made the disclosure in a Television programme in Port Harcourt, recently, while reacting to issues surrounding appointments, the impeachment moves against the governor and his deputy, and allegations of financial mismanagement.
He clarified that the appointment of Special Advisers was carried out in strict compliance with constitutional provisions, and received the approval of the Rivers State House of Assembly under the leadership of the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, before the crisis began.
According to the Special Adviser, the appointments did not require any further screening, countering claims that the governor violated due process in constituting his advisory team.
On the impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, Oji described the process as unfounded and lacking constitutional backing.
He said that several lawmakers who initially supported the impeachment move were now reconsidering their stance after discovering that the process had no legal basis.
Oji also attributed the impeachment plot to personal and political ambitions, saying it is not motivated by the interest or welfare of the people of Rivers State.
Speaking on the financial position of the State after the Emergency Rule, the Special Adviser disclosed that the governor met about ?600 billion in the state’s coffers upon assumption of office.
He explained that the availability of funds enabled the administration to continue governance smoothly without the need for a supplementary budget.
The governor’s aide also refuted allegations of financial mismanagement against the governor, and stressed that all allocations to lawmakers and constituency projects were transparently handled.
He maintained that the Fubara administration remained focused on development, stability, and good governance despite the political distractions in the State.
Oji expressed confidence that the impeachment moves would eventually be abandoned as legislators and the public become more informed, adding that the governor’s leadership has continued to reassure citizens and sustain political stability in the State.
King Onunwor
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