Politics

By Nura Jibo MRICS

His Excellency, the former governor of Jigawa State, wrote:

“The APC-controlled government of Jigawa State has WON all the Chairmanship seats of the 27 Local Governments and the 283 Councilorship seats in the YET to be conducted local government elections throughout the State. The reason being no opposition Party is able to pay the FIVE MILLION NAIRA for the Chairmanship and TWO MILLION NAIRA for the Councilorship nomination forms from the State electoral commission! While other States are engaged in protests over hunger and poverty, congratulations to Jigawa for being the most prosperous State in Nigeria. “

I responded to him below. Enjoy!

“Your Excellency,

Courtesies and good morning, sir.

With due respect, this was what your president and you did as his governor(s). Indeed, you did similar political maneuvering during your stewardship as Jigawa State Governor and got much of it! However, one thing that you politicians so often forget or hardly understand is that life is just like a piano! It keeps on repeating itself! I am happy you mentioned hunger and poverty in this short satirical write-up. 

Lest you forget, you were quoted several times on social media and in the national dailies asserting that the Talaka that your type impoverished cannot do anything to effect any meaningful change or something like it! You were quoted in the Leadership Stable Newspaper by Wole Olaoye in an article that he dubbed “Too Poor to Revolt,” saying: 

“Nigeria is too weak to break. Who will break it? The ordinary person in Jigawa, the ordinary person in Sokoto, or the ordinary person in Bayelsa? Is it the Igbo vulcanizer, the Yoruba woman selling kerosene by the roadside, or the Okada man in Delta? They don’t have the capacity to unite because they are burdened by poverty. We have taken away from them their dignity, their self-esteem, their pride, and their self-worth so that they cannot even organize.” Wole went ahead to quote you, affirming the fact that “Up there, we (the elite) unite… We will never allow Nigeria to break because once it breaks, we will lose. But the common man loses nothing. What is he losing? He is already in hell; he cannot lose anything more than this hell.”

Unfortunately, all these statements that you made were full of a dearth of political history and knowledge of the political changes that happened in certain parts of the world. Your Excellency, let me take you back to memory lane and inform you so that you see the reasons for the superficial statements that you made in the Leadership and so that you may give thanks to Jibo one day for telling it exactly how it is!

Excellency, you should be aware that the recent Zanga Zanga that started in Nigeria is just a precursor to what you hypothesized above, and want to make those with little or no knowledge of how politics and politicians use words to manipulate or intimidate the hapless and vulnerable by eating therefrom. Your Excellency, what you and all the Northern Governors failed to understand is this:

The resilience in Talaka that you spent so long a time defining and controversially defending under the tutelage, or better put, an appendage of Malam Aminu Kano’s school of thought, is only workable and thrives on individual mental toughness, which is not sufficient! Whenever you talk of hunger and poverty plus starvation in Talaka, there are other sides of it that local champion politicians, especially the northern ones, don’t know or deliberately ignore. 

The hunger and poverty-driven Zanga Zanga that you see is what I prefer to call organizational resilience and sustainability. Indeed, that form of deliberate Talaka’s subjection to poverty and hunger that you mentioned suggests that those highly pauperized Nigerians that your type thinks have dribbled and can charge them and score points any day are no longer susceptible to individual resilience and adaptability, sir! They are now resorting quickly to community resilience support systems essential for successfully navigating unpredictable circumstances. 

I don’t have the time, sir. Still, I could have opened up this political history debate by making you think profoundly about those statements you made, which, by and large, are nothing but one of those political mistakes that most African political leaders are good at. They no longer see the dangerous paths they have led their people down until they are consumed by it.

In any case, I wish you all the best in reviving the political atmosphere in Nigeria.

Sincerely,

Jibo.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

The chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajiboye Omodewu, has died. Omodewu, who hailed from Otu in Itesiwaju local government, passed away about a year after undergoing treatment for an undisclosed ailment. 

The late APC chairman, who held dual citizenship of Nigeria and the United States, was a former Commissioner under the administration of the late former Governor Abiola Ajimobi. He had recently completed his law degree and law school. 

APC Publicity Secretary in Oyo State, Olawale Sadare, confirmed the death of the party’s chairman.

Omodewu’s demise has left a void in the state’s political landscape, as the party will now begin the run to get another chairman.

By Zailani Bappa

The Sahara Reporters reports that the Kano All Progressive Congress (APC) has called for the arrest of Bello Galadanchi, popularly known as Dan Bello, “for inciting violence.” This comes after his smash video, released two days ago on his X handle.

On the special skit, he alleged an unwholesome practice by a former Commissioner for Local Government Affiars under the Governorship of Abdullahi Ganduje. He backed his claims with evidence, though.

Now, instead of going to court, the APC in the state has gone completely off balance (as the former Commissioner was its Deputy Governor-Candidate), forgot about the Nigerian Judicial System, and done the unthinkable. 

If I may ask, how can Dan Bello be arrested for this allegation, please? He does not live in Nigeria, where the APC rules; he lives and teaches English in China. Moreover, he is a United States Citizen, and the US is known to fiercely protect its citizens’ rights, lives, and property anywhere in the World.

If it is true that the APC is poised for a battle with this young man, someone should advise the Party to take it easy because this guy is equipped with everything it takes to do damage to its members and its Government, not only in Kano but beyond.

I say he is equipped because he has the required knowledge, intelligence, and journalistic acumen to dig; he has excellent film and skit facilities to make his messages appealing to anyone; and he has the protection he deserves to stay safe (especially if all his messages are true).

What is remarkable about Dan Bello so far is that, unlike most of our so-called investigative journalists in Nigeria, whose findings are often hijacked and promoted by equally corrupt politicians, he appears to be highly balanced in his presentations.

For those politicians who gloat over his recent searchlight on the Kano APC politician, they should be advised to keep off Dan Bello as their turn will surely come. 

May God protect the efforts of this young man and all his likes on social media.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has declared that he will reveal the truth about the company’s operations when the time is right.

Kyari made this assertion on Wednesday while testifying before a Senate ad-hoc committee investigating alleged economic sabotage in the petroleum industry.

Led by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the committee is probing the oil firm’s activities amidst controversy and public scrutiny.

Kyari denied any involvement in the importation of sub-standard products, stating that NNPCL is committed to transparency and honesty.

The CEO expressed frustration over unfair media attacks, which he believes are aimed at tarnishing the company’s reputation and creating the impression of economic sabotage.

“We are not criminals, we are not thieves,” Kyari said. “We will protect our dignity so we can serve this country.”

Kyari also revealed that the oil and gas industry is bleeding, hinting at undisclosed issues which “they” knew that cannot be made public “until the time comes.”

By Anas Abbas

The Kaduna State Security Council, led by Governor Uba Sani, has imposed a 24-hour curfew on Kaduna and Zaria metropolitan cities, effective immediately.

This decision comes after a review of the state’s security situation, which revealed that ongoing protests have been hijacked by criminal elements.

According to the council, these criminal elements have resorted to looting shops and destroying private and public property. To maintain safety and security, citizens are advised to remain indoors while security forces work to contain the situation.

The curfew will be continuously monitored, with the possibility of review as necessary. The Kaduna State Government has urged citizens to cooperate with security forces to restore peace and order in the affected areas.

This development follows a wave of protests that have turned violent, prompting concerns about public safety. The government’s swift response aims to prevent further escalation and protect citizens’ lives and property.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini.

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani has expressed his profound gratitude to His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the landmark signing of the North West Development Commission Bill describing it as “a decisive step to pull the North West back from the brink”.

Governor Sani extended his commendation and well wishes in a statement on Wednesday 24th July 2024, “I wish to express my profound gratitude to our dear President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for signing the North West Development Bill into law. This is no doubt, the most significant piece of news I have received in decades. It clearly demonstrates President Tinubu’s deep concern for the North West and commitment to addressing its multifaceted developmental and security challenges,” governor Sani said.

The Governor further lauded President Bola Tinubu for his “uncommon support to State Governments in the North to effectively tackle their myriad challenges and set the region on the path to sustainable growth and development.”

Additionally, Governor Uba Sani urged leaders and people of the North West to see the signing of the North West Development Commission Bill into law as a call to action.

“We must come together and fashion a Marshall Plan for the development of the North West. Our plan must be people – driven and all inclusive. The people that will be saddled with the responsibility of running the North West Development Commission must be men and women of transparent honesty, knowledgeable, creative and innovative. There must be no room for incompetence and lethargy,” Kaduna State governor added.

The North West Development Commission was established to address the challenges facing the seven states in the North West geopolitical zone with the aim of bringing the Federal Government closer to people in all North Western states.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Kaduna State House of Assembly on Wednesday repealed the laws that established the Zaria Metropolitan Authority, Kafanchan Municipal Authority and the Kaduna Capital Territory Authority in 2021.

The Speaker, Dahiru Liman, passed the bill for a law to repeal the law after the Chairman, the Joint Committee on the three authorities’ law and judicial law presented a report to the house.

The Daily reality reports that Mahmud Lawal, Ali Kalat and Auwal Muhammad presented a report for a bill to repeal Zaria, Kafanchan and Kaduna Capital Territory Authorities, respectively.

The house also repealed the law establishing the Fire and Public Safety Law No.20 of 2018 and enacted the Kaduna State Fire and Public Safety Law, of 2024.

The law was enacted after the chairman of the Joint Committee on Security and Intelligence and Judiciary, Munirat Suleiman, presented a report on the bill to the house.

Mahmud Lawal, a member representing Zaria City Constituency and the chairman of the joint committee of Zaria Metropolitan Authority and judiciary, said the repeal was necessary and timely.

“With the recent judgement by the Supreme Court and going through the provisions of our constitution, which stipulated the functions of local governments in Nigeria.

“We come to realise that the existence of the metropolitan authorities is not possible if we go by the functions of the local governments.

“Most of the activities of the metropolitan authorities by the law is supposed to be carried out by the local government functions,” he said.

By Uzair Adam Imam

President Bola Tinubu has convened an emergency meeting with APC governors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, commencing at 1:01 pm.

The gathering occurs amidst escalating demands for nationwide demonstrations against economic adversity.

Although the meeting’s objectives remain unclear, it may be linked to the impending protests slated for August 1-10.

Despite the organisers’ anonymity, the ‘EndBadGovernance’ protests have garnered considerable online attention.

This meeting succeeds a prior conclave of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum on Wednesday evening and a last-minute cancellation of the National Economic Council meeting scheduled for Thursday at noon.

Notable attendees include National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Finance Minister Wale Edun, and Budget & Economic Planning Minister Abubakar Bagudu.

Details later…..

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Dele Momodu, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has said that Nigeria is failing because someone transferred Lagos template to Abuja.

Momodu, who did not mention name, stated this during an interview on Channels TV.

He criticized the composition of the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu, who was Lagos governor from 1999 to 2007 and touted as laying the development structure in the coastal state.

The former PDP presidential aspirant stated that he would struggle to name 10 current ministers alongside their accomplishments before their appointment, adding that those close to the president could not tell him the truth because their lives depend on him.

Momodu said, “Today, God is my witness, if you ask me to name 10 ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet and to tell you what they did or did not do before they were appointed, I will struggle.

“That is the truth. Look, what we have today is that someone transferred the Lagos template to Abuja and that’s why we are failing.

“Nigeria parades some of the greatest human beings on planet earth. I have travelled a bit. There is nowhere up to Australia that I did not meet Nigerians doing great things. Where are those people?

“In today’s Nigeria, it’s either you are the son of, the daughter of… Nigeria cannot continue to operate on the basis of compensation. I must compensate my friends and former schoolmates. No!”

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Ahmad Bola Tinubu has pleaded with the aggrieved Nigerians, especially the youths who are planning a national protest over the high cost of leaving to shelve the planned action, saying there is no need for it.

The President also assured those behind the planned national protest that he has heard their grievances and is working seriously to ensure that all their concerns are addressed.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, conveyed the President’s plea while speaking with State House correspondents after he his meeting with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Minister said that at the meeting with the President, general issues on the country were discussed and the President said he was working assiduously to ensure that the country’s economy is placed in a good position.

He said, ‘We discussed the issue of the country in general and Mr President has asked me to again inform Nigerians that he listens to them, especially the young people that are trying to protest.“

Mr President said he listens to them and takes what they say seriously and he is working assiduously to ensure that this country is good not just for today but also for the future.

“The issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that, he asked them to shelve that plan and he has asked them to await the government’s response to all their pleas, he has listened to them.