Politics

Nigerians must unite behind President-elect for nation building—APC Chieftain

Published

7 months ago

March 6, 2023

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun, Mr Muritala Audu, has urged Nigerians to unite behind the President-Elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu, for the growth and development of the country.

Audu, in statement on Monday in Lagos, congratulated Tinubu on his victory at the Presidential election on Feb. 25.

“I congratulate Asiwaju Tinubu and urge Nigerians to unite to secure our growth and development as a nation,” he said.

Urging electorate to support Gov. Dapo Abiodun’s second-term bid in Ogun, Audu described the governor as a performer “whose class towers far above other contenders in the race ahead of the March 11 2023 general election.”

He said that Abiodun’s second term would attract many great developments to the state.

“When it comes to governor of Ogun state, and all state representatives across the state, the present occupier of the Oke Mosan is by all standard a performer.

“A governor who within a short stint has turned the tide of Ogun State for good. Prince Dapo Abiodun has virtually delivered on many of his electoral promises.

“A second term for Gov. Dapo Abiodun will translate to good political fortunes for the state, most especially now that we have a Yoruba man as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as he is likely to as a ranking governor be imbued with the required clout to influence greater development to the state.

“A governor can only become so powerful in the FEC/State and earn influential and decisive Federal projects to the state only if he is a second term governor,” Audu said.

According to him, only top-performing governors get to feature in office for second term.

He said that a powerful position could only be given to a ranking governor “not a rookie”, hence the reasons why the electorate should vote for Abiodun for second term in order to become a ranking governor.

Audu said that this could place Abiodun at a vantage position to earn a position like Chairman of Governor’s Forum or Chairman of APC Governors forum that would in turn help to attract developments to Ogun.

“A dedicated and committed party leader like Dapo Abiodun, who has made us proud in every aspect of governance, should be elected at the next general election,” he said.

The chieftain, however, urged party leaders whom the governor might have offended in the course of duty, to forgive and close rank with him.

“I see victory at the end of the tunnel, come March 11, with Prince Dapo Abiodun on the ballot for Ogun,” Audu said.

He added that other representatives of the State Assembly, who had equally proved their mettle should enjoy revalidation of their mandate for the benefits of all. (

Feature

Dollar is now the underground currency of Nigeria’s economy – Peter Obi

Published

1 day ago

October 2, 2023

Gift Oyekunmi

Businessman and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has lamented the ‘dollarisation’ of the Nigerian economy.

According to Peter Obi, the naira has faded in significance as the use of the dollar in the country has led to unproductivity.

“Dollar has become the underground currency of our economy. It shouldn’t be. We have a currency called the naira. All the things people use dollars to do that are not productive should be removed.’ Obi told Arise TV on Monday, October 2.

“I can assure you that when you remove it, it can strengthen the currency. Today, even when you want to do party primaries, people share dollars. That is not our currency.

“There should be a stiff penalty in dealing with the issue. If people earn dollars legitimately, let them spend it the way they want. However, it has now become a means of corruption and criminality in our system.”

Peter Obi added that the country should work more on exports to strengthen the currency.

Headline

Tribunal upholds Gov. Alia’s election

Published

1 week ago

September 23, 2023

Alero Danjuma

The Benue State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Makurdi on Saturday upheld the victory of Gov. Hyacinth Alia of the APC in the March 18 Governorship Election.

Delivering the judgment, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Ibrahim Karaye, held that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction to entertain pre election issues raised by the petitioners, Titus Uba and PDP.

Karaye, who read the unanimous judgment, stated that only the Federal High Court had the exclusive jurisdiction to entertain issues bordering on pre-election matters.

He further said the petitioners’ case was also an abuse of court processes because the same case was filed by the petitioners before the Federal High Court Abuja Division and its judgment was not challenged by the petitioners.

He said the petitioners lacked locus standi to challenge the nomination of the 2nd and 3rd respondents by the 4th respondent since they were not members of the 4th respondent.

Justice Karaye further said that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of forgery against the 3rd respondent before the tribunal.

He said the 2nd and 3rd respondents were qualified to contest the March 18 Governorship Election and therefore, dismissed the case.

The petitioners, Titus Uba and the PDP, had dragged the respondents, INEC, Hyacinth Alia, Dr Sam Ode, and the APC before the tribunal, challenging their declaration by the INEC.

The petitioners argued that the 2nd and 3rd respondents, Gov Alia and Dr Ode, were at the time of contesting the election, not qualified to contest the March 18 Governorship Election.

They averred that the 4th respondent – the APC – did not follow the provisions of the law in the nomination of the governorship and deputy governorship candidates.

They also alleged that the 3rd respondent had presented a forged certificate to the 1st respondent, INEC, therefore, should be disqualified.

They, therefore, prayed among other things, for the nullification of their election and declare the petitioners as winners of the election, having scored second highest lawful votes.

The also contended that having not qualified to contest the election, their votes should be declared invalid and certificates earlier issued to them by INEC be withdrawn.

NAN reports that the petitioners in the suit did not challenge the result of the March 18 Benue Governorship Election but qualifications of the candidates.

However, the respondents in their counter arguments, urged the tribunal to dismiss the suit in its entirety as it was an abuse of court processes.

The respondents stated that the Federal High Court Abuja Division, had before the election, delivered judgment on the same matter which was filed by the petitioners but they did not appeal the judgment till date.

They also said that the issues raised were all pre election matter and only the Federal High Court had the exclusive jurisdiction to entertain same.

The 2nd and 3rd respondents clearly stated that since the prayers sought by the petitioners were all pre-election matters, the petitioners case was status bar and should be struck out.

They said the petitioners lacked locus standi to challenge the nomination of candidates of other political parties as they were mere meddlesome interlopers.