Former Governor of Ekiti State Ayo Fayose has alerted presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressive Congress Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to walk into danger with his pursuit of the presidential ticket of the party.
Fayose in an open letter on Monday said he foresaw danger just as it happened to the likes of the late MKO Abiola.
He warned Tinubu that what he believed was a political empire has been “Balkanized “ by his outburst in Abeokuta where he made some references to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Tinubu Campaign Organization has claimed that picking the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan as APC consensus candidate will be political suicide and unconstitutional.
This was contained in a statement released and made available to news men by BABATUNDE OGALA; SAN, Director; Legal Directorate, Tinubu Campaign Organization as read in part:
“The media is inundated with reports that the Chairman of the All progressives Congress (“APC”) has unilaterally announced the purported adoption of a certain aspirant the consensus presidential candidate of the APC for the forth coming presidential election in 2023. While the National Chairman is yet to deny or offer any clarification on the alleged declaration, it is necessary to state that such a declaration is a legal impossibility. This is because under the regime of the Electoral Act 2022, consensus, though provided for as one of the means by which a political party may produce its candidate, must specifically occur in a precise form.
Waterfield Luxury Hotel, Akobo, Ibadan
“Section 84(9) (10) and (11) of the Electoral Act 2022 are the relevant provisions and they state as follows: “(9) A political party that adopts a consensus candidate shall secure the written consent of all cleared aspirant for the position, indicating their voluntary withdrawal from the race and their endorsement of the consensus candidate”.
“(10) Where a political party is unable to secure a written consent of all cleared aspirants for the purpose of a consensus candidate, it shall revert to the choice of direct or indirect primaries for the nomination of candidates for the aforesaid elective position.
(11) A special convention or nomination congress shall be held to ratify the choice of consensus candidates at designated centers at the National, State, Senatorial, Federal and State Constituencies, as the case may be”.
“Instructively, none of the above conditions have occurred in respect of producing the presidential candidate of the APC. Therefore, any declaration of a consensus candidate would be premature and a violation of extant provisions of the law.
“We are confident that as a law-abiding entity, the APC will not be part of such. We are further persuaded to urge our supporters to disregard this report considering that the overwhelming majority of the APC Northern Governors who, after meeting with the President, re-affirmed their preference for a president from the Southern part of Nigeria. This patriotic decision is widely accepted by all Nigerians as a demonstration of deep understanding of the nuanced fault lines of our nation.
In the circumstance, a unilateral declaration by the National Chairman of aconsensus presidential candidate for the party will not only violate the law, but set the party on collision course with its Governors who are critical stakeholders in the party”.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) governors from the North have rejected the choice of Senate President Ahmed Lawan as the consensus presidential candidate of the party.
The National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, was said to have announced Lawan as the consensus candidate, a decision members of the National Working Committee reportedly disagreed with.
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In a meeting on Monday with President Muhammadu Buhari, the Northern governors insisted that power should rotate to Southern part of the country in 2023.
The Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, briefed State House reporters after the meeting with the president at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He said the 13 of them apologised to the president for receiving the information about their position after it was leaked.
The governor, however, said that they took the decision in the interest of justice and peace in the country.
Lalong, who stated that they would hold another meeting by 5pm today among themselves, said the president agreed with their position and maintained that the presidential candidate must emerge through a transparent process.
He said President Buhari told them he did not have an anointed candidate for now and directed them to meet the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to agree on the succession plan.
On the absence of the Governor of Kogi State at the meeting where the power shift decision was taken, he said his colleague was not part of the agreement as his signature was not on the statement.
In his contribution, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State said it was the democratic right of Kogi governor to excuse himself.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC has announced the President of the Senate and APC Presidential Aspirant- Senator Ahmed Lawan as the consensus candidate of the Party.
It was gathered that Adamu announced this at the meeting of National Working Committee on Monday in Abuja.
Other Presidential aspirants which include Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Engr. David Umahi and others will be allowed to contest the primary election at the convention scheduled to hold tomorrow Tuesday, May 7, 2022 at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
Mainwhile, crisis has hit the All Progressives Congress, APC following the announcement of Senate President Ahmed Lawan as consensus presidential aspirant by the national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
The NWC members, our correspondent was informed, insisted other aspirants must be given a level playing ground to compete.
Adamu’s adoption of Lawan as consensus candidate is against the position of 11 APC northern governors who endorsed that power must shift to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
Adamu told the National Working Committee that he arrived at the choice of Lawan after consultation with President Buhari.
To ensure Adamu does not cause problems for the party and throw the country into an avoidable political crisis, our correspondent learnt the northern governors are on their way to the Villa to meet with President Buhari to stop the National Chairman from executing his personal agenda in the name of the president.
The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has paid a condolence visit to Ondo State to commiserate with the Governor, the state and the Catholic diocese of Ondo over the Sunday terror attack at St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo.
Chairman of the NGF and Ekiti State Governor, Dr John Kayode Fayemi visited Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, at the Government House, Alagbaka,Akure on Monday.
Governor Fayemi was accompanied by former Governor of Ogun State and serving Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
They were later led by Governor Akeredolu to the residence of the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ondo, Bishop Jude Arogundade before moving to Owo to commiserate with the Olowo of Owo, Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye in his palace.
Governor Fayemi, who described the ugly attack as least expected, stated that Owo has been a very peaceful environment.
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“It is a serious and unusual attack on the people who can’t go out and farm or workship God in peace. We are all shock.
“Just like the Governor said, these people shall not go unpunished. They will be hunted down and brought to book. But this can not save the lives that have been lost or save the wounded from discomfort.
“As leaders of the people, we will redouble our efforts. This is happening across the county and we are concerned. We know how troubled you will be. And we know that this is something that troubles our minds.
“For now, the government at the state and federal levels are working to bring the perpetrators to book. My colleagues in the Governors forum have asked me to donate N50 million to the Catholic Church to ameliorate the condition of the families of the victims. This is a crime against humanity.” Fayemi said.
The Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Bishop Jude Arogundade described the attack as evil.
He urged the Governors to ensure that those behind the killing and their sponsors are brought to book.
“I appreciate your coming and comment. How did we get here? Have we lost our mind and humanity? Even in war situation, nobody kills children and women. Nobody attacks the church.
“I am calling on you the leaders of the country, I think we need to talk and we need to be frank with each ourselves. This can not happen without the backing of some powerful people. Those behind this no matter how powerful they are, must be brought to book.
“How are we presenting ourselves as primitive. Ondo state doesn’t deserve this . Humanity doesn’t deserve this. This doesn’t present us well. People are laughing at us.” Bishop Arogundade said.
At the palace of Olowo of Owo, Fayemi commiserated with the people of Owo and the Olowo over the ugly incident.
“Our people are traumatized. The entire Governors asked me to deliver their condolences to you and the entire Owo. We are all still in shock.
“This is not an attack on owo or Ondo state. It is not attack on all of us. We must restore our pride. So that our people can feel safe again. We need to restore our country to sanity, to safety.” He said.
The Olowo of Owo, Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye said the perpetrators of the ugly attack wanted to make a statement.
He said the federal government needs to be proactive, saying “Our forest here in owo, in Yoruba land have been invaded. Our farmers can’t go to farms again. Those in our forest illegally must be flushed out.”
Governor Akeredolu later led the visitors to the St Louis hospital in Owo, where some of the survivors are receiving medical attention.
The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Oyo State chapter, has told the deputy governor, Engr. Rauf Aderemi Olaniyan to resign immediately since he has willfully abandoned the political party and the votes that produced him as such on the party’s joint ticket.
The ruling party warned against any attempt by Olaniyan and his new party to steal Oyo people’s mandate through the backdoor after the last ruling party was utterly rejected at the 2019 governorship poll.
This statement follows the deputy governor’s dramatic defection from the ruling PDP to one of the opposition parties in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday.
The state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Akeem Olatunji, in a press release on Monday morning, June 6, noted that the PDP leadership in the state, south west region, and national levels all intervened at different intervals to resolve whatever the situation fueling the suspected defection plan was to no avail.
Disappointed by comments credited to the deputy governor after officially announcing his defection from the PDP to the APC that even though he has left PDP, he still remains the deputy governor, the ruling party cautioned against what it called selfish motivation noting that such move amount to daylight robbery of the people’s mandate.
The party said Olaniyan should not pretend not to know what is right next to do after leaving the political platform that sponsored him and Makinde on the joint ticket if truly he has any atom of the Yoruba ‘omoluabi’ toga he always ascribed to himself.
“Oyo people did not vote for a PDP/APC joint ticket, they voted entirely for a PDP mandate”, the ruling party declared, adding that while section 40 of the constitution of Nigeria guarantees freedom of association of any person, the deputy governor ought to be enlightened by the same Constitution when it stipulated that the ticket upon which he (Olaniyan) contested the 2019 governorship election alongside Governor Seyi Makinde as a deputy was not an independent candidate ticket.
“It is only when you contest election as an independent candidate and win and then decides to move to any political party of your choice that you become the owner of the votes cast by the electorates, unfortunately for Olaniyan who wants to eat his cake and still have it.
The Oyo PDP, which is the rightful owner of the mandate will retrieve it back in no distant time using every available legal means if Olaniyan fails to humbly resign as a gentleman with his new move.
“Our position is simple and very clear on this matter and as a matter of legal implication, the votes in any election in Nigeria are to political parties, and not candidates,”. And it is on this note that the PDP as the ruling party in the state is advising the Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan, not to be carried away by the lies and deceits told him by a political neophyte such as ‘Mr jagba’ and be bamboozled into self delusion of thinking he can be used a tool to steal Oyo people’s mandate through the backdoor.
“Failure to follow this advise and adhere strictly to it from the PDP which is the legitimate owner of every single vote casted by the electorates in the 2019 governorship election, the PDP shall not hesitate to immediately deploy every constitutional means to prevent this daylight robbery.
“We’re determined and resolved to retrieve the party’s mandate being withheld illegally and unlawfully by the deputy Governor, Engr Rauf Olaniyan because it belongs to the people of Oyo state who have handled same to the PDP.” Oyo PDP declared.
According to the ruling party’s statement, the defection of Olaniyan was not surprising because his frolicking and hobnobbing with the APC over time has made his eventual move an open secret which was widely reported in the news by the media.
It was only shameful and disappointing that Olaniyan had repeatedly looked straight into the live camera and told unbridled lies multiple times by openly denying the media reports which have proved to be true after all.
The ruling PDP in Oyo in its statement recalled how the incumbent Anambra state Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, went ahead to record a landslide victory at the poll despite the then Deputy Governor, some APGA members of the National Assembly and other appointees of the Obiano led APGA government defecting to APC which attest to the fact that no amount of blackmail, propaganda and hang-up can change people’s determination to support continuity of good governance.
According to Oyo PDP, Ondo and Kogi state deputy governors made same moves prior to elections in their respective states but the state governors went to record landslide victories at the guber polls, therefore, Teslim Folarin and his likes in the Oyo APC should stop bloating in self delusion following Olaniyan’s action stressing that Seyi Makinde who has earned the trust of the Oyo masses has proved the APC wrong with the unprecedented success and consistency with the achievements recorded in three years.
The party added that there is no vacancy in the Agodi Government House because the 2023 election is already a forgone issue as the people of Oyo state who are well satisfied with the people oriented policies of Makinde led PDP administration are ever ready to make a repeat statement with their votes more than 2019.
The party however, said it will not dignify Senator Teslim Folarin who it described as a political orphan in the state with a response to his hasty remarks following Olaniyan’s defection to his faction of the APC stressing that Oloye Teslim Kolawole Folarin was merely trying to cash in on a seemingly trending topical issue in the state in order to gain political relevance and should focus more on his desolated party than further exposing his overbearing desperation to become governor by all means.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called for blood donation following the attack on a church in Owo, Ondo State, as it also asked the governments and security agencies to do better in the protection of lives and properties.
This call was contained in a statement issued by the NMA President Dr Uche Ojinmah late Sunday, hours after attackers killed scores of persons and injured many others at the St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area.
“The NMA hereby calls for quick intervention by our Governments and security agencies to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians in every part of this nation,” Ojinmah said in the statement.
“The Nigerian Medical Association commiserates with the Government and good people of Ondo State over the loss of lives and prays for the quick recovery of those injured.
“We appeal to Nigerians in the affected area of Ondo State to kindly go to the hospitals where the injured are being treated to donate blood to save lives.”
He also called on doctors in the state and environs to mobilise themselves to take part in the treatment of those injured following the incident.
While lamenting the rising levels of insecurity in Nigeria, the NMA said the government must go beyond rhetorics and secure the country.
“The recurrent shedding of innocent blood in our dear country has been going on for far too long and it is the position of the Nigerian Medical Association that explanations, condemnations, and reassurances are no longer comforting,” it said.
“The NMA hereby calls for quick intervention by our Governments and security agencies to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians in every part of this nation.”
“NMA also calls for the release in good health of those abducted,” the NMA added as the body con
Ahead of the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential primary election, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has debunked rumour that he has stepped down for another aspirant.
His campaign council made the clarification on his behalf via a statement issued by its Chairman, Richard Akinnola II.
According to the statement, the purveyors of the fake news are “afraid of the huge political support base of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.”
The statement said Osinbajo is not contemplating stepping down for anybody, stressing that the VP is ready for the primary election and he is very sure of victory.
The council also welcomed all delegates who are coming into the nation’s capital for the APC primary election scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
The statement reads partly, “welcomes our distinguished delegates from across the country to Abuja for our presidential primaries.
“As you settle down in Abuja, we implore you to kindly disregard various fake news making the rounds that Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has stepped down”.
A former Governor of Ogun State and an elder statesman, Chief Olusegun Osoba has held a midnight South West caucus meeting with presidential aspirants from the region in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The meeting, according to credible sources, was centered around the need for the Southwest to be united and speak with one voice going into the presidential primary election of the party.
A source who was privy to discussion at the meeting said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is being persuaded to step down for the National Leader of the Party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Everything is looking good for Asiwaju (Tinubu). Naturally, the stakeholders are conscious of the fact that the Vice President has the right of first refusal considering the democracy we are practicing.
“However, on the strenght of the peculiarity of the situation, he (Osinbajo) is being persuaded to see the need to step down for Asiwaju.
“There is also the issue of the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi who is believed to have the backing of some of his colleagues from the North.
“In the next few hours, we wait to see what pans out at the end of the day. But what I know is that we are all on the same page on the need to present a formidable candidate that can square up and defeat Atiku (Abubakar), the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” the source said.
