APC

By Muhammad Sabiu

Former Lagos State governor and leader of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has expressed his confidence that he would win the 2023 presidential election, noting that stakeholders’ reactions are behind his optimism of becoming the president.

Mr Tinubu stated this when he paid a visit yesterday to Rashidi Ladoja, a former governor of Oyo State.

Mr Tinubu was quoted as saying, “Life is a challenge, and you must be ready to confront challenges and overcome. I have the confidence that I will overcome any form of challenge.

“The reactions of critical stakeholders to my presidential ambition have been very positive, encouraging and overwhelming, and these have spurred me on with the strong conviction that we would succeed and emerge victorious after the election.

“We are forging ahead, and with the strong support of the masses of Nigerians, we are going to achieve a resounding victory.”

Recall that the APC leader had told President Muhammadu Buhari that he was interested in contesting for the office of the president come 2023.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahya Bello, hosts the Vice President of Liberia, Dr Jewel Cianeh Taylor at his Abuja residence on Sunday. 

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onogwu Muhammad, disclosed this in a Facebook post. 

According to him, the governor is in Abuja to attend the Progressive Governor’s forum meeting, which is to hold this evening.

He also noted that the governor attended a dinner organized by the female members of his administration in honour of Liberia’s Vice President.

By Abdulrahman Yunusa

The fact is that no matter how saint or pious you tend to be in the realm of politics, the rotten eggs surrounding the defined political territory must, at all cost, drag you to the diabolical clique of corrupt individuals.

“Politics at whatever level has no nexus with morality,” I have said this over and over, and I will reiterate it now and forever. Therefore, when you see people ditching or bashing people of high repute and class, be it among scholars or royal personalities on a political basis, don’t ever worry about it. They buy it themselves by aligning themselves to the dirty game of politics and paying the price at all costs.

You can’t eat your cake and have it. It’s either you stay away from politics and get your dignity saved or choose to be part of the game and get your dignity torn apart. That’s just the truth. As a person of class, if it appears must for you to associate with men of power, you can do it but with diligence and yet without being actively part of the game. Therefore in another term, you can choose to be passive in the sense that you can air your advice from far for that will earn you more respect in the world of murky politics as of today.

Although, under no reasonable circumstances, you can dive into the gutter with a clean dress and still expect to come out as clean as before. Don’t hoodwink yourself, my man. However, in the meantime, you can possess the guts and audacity to challenge power on behalf of the weaker masses and remain respectful ever in their sight, but getting intimidation by power can worsen your personality. So get this, don’t say we don’t tell you. 

However, suppose you have an interest in politics. In that case, I can advise you to humbly naked yourself from that regalia of dignity and respect for the simple reason that environment you set to get yourself involved in doesn’t favour people of such type. Instead, it brings about gross damage to your hard-earned personality knowingly or unknowingly. 

The case of Sheikh Pantami and Kwankwasiyya supporters of 2019 isn’t far from us, as it trended over and over anyone conversant with Nigerian politics can attest to the overt fact that it’s the Sheikh that once crossed the path of their Messiah (accidentally) without knowing the repercussions that might follow back. Thus, since he believes he is ready to play the game, he has to pay the price of his action in such an unwanted way. 

In addition to that, the bulger case against Bukar Abba, former Yobe state governor, is also a famous instance to prove me right. His private affairs with some ladies who were once brought to media. Such a dirty act cost him much from his dignity. Because many went with the idea that HE IS A WOMANIZER and you know how sensitive every saner society react to case related to sexual content thus, Bukar was trolled and later left in the abyss of shame. However, he wasn’t showing any sign of regret about it, but none can deny the fact that his dignity was mischievously touched.

Meanwhile, you better know that when you get yourself into the chaotic environment, don’t ever anticipate a position that won’t get you compromised. It’s either you recant and make a public apology against your step or delve deeply and get compromised.

Therefore, anyone trying to make “Politics and Morality” two exclusive things in the case of Nigerian politics will forever be proven wrong. The system is designed to favour nothing except indecency, corruption lewdness and injustice at all realms.

Even if they find it sweet and succulent to ridicule the personality of our beloved Sheikh on every single move taken by him, don’t be anxious or worried. The Sheikh is not the first and will never be the last victim of such devastating and nauseating political reality. For many will rush to get themselves into the corridor of power, thinking they are shrewd enough to escape the traps set on the paths without knowing the fact that those deadly traps are not set in the way someone can go through them without being injured or distracted.

Know when and how to set your foot in politics and prepare well for the challenges ahead. 

Thank you!

Abdulrahman Yunusa is a political and public affairs analyst. He writes from Bauchi and can be reached through abdulrahmanyunu10@gmail.com.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

A former governor of Oyo State, Christopher Alao-Akala, is dead.

Alao-Akala died on Wednesday at the age of 71. The sad development was confirmed by the Publicity Secretary of the state chapter of the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress, APC, Dr Olatunde Abdulazeez.

Dr Olatunde, in affirming the news, said, “The news of his death is out. He did his best for the state, May his soul rest in peace.”

Mr Alao-Akala was the governor of Oyo State from January 12, 2006, to December 12, 2006. He was also elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2007 as the Executive Governor of Oyo State, where he served till May 2011.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Leader of the All Progress Congress (APC), met President Muhammadu Buhari behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Monday.

When asked by newsmen if he had informed the president of his intention to run for the presidency, he replied in the affirmative. He, however, said he is yet to tell Nigerians because he is still consulting.

The National Party Leader reportedly said:” I have informed the President of my ambition, but I have not informed Nigerians yet; I’m still consulting.”

Mr Tinubu, who is known to be politically savvy, also described his ambition as lifelong while answering questions from journalists.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari.

President Muhammadu, on Wednesday, while granting an interview on Channels TV, reportedly said he had a favourite successor.

The President, whose tenure will be over in less than two years, dropped the bombshell during an exclusive interview on Channels TV on Wednesday, January 5, 2022.

However, the president refused to state who the favourite successor was on the ground of their safety.

The President, in his own words, ” I wouldn’t (mention the name of my favourite successor) because he may be eliminated if I do. I better keep that a secret.”

The interview has generated ripples and different reactions across the political spectrum in the country.

By Uzair Adam Imam

President Muhammadu Buhari has confirmed that new jobs are on the way for Nigerians in the new year, 2022.

The president made this public in his new year message to Nigerians, adding that his administration would deploy ICT (Information and Communications Technology) platforms.

According to Buhari, the purpose of job creation is to ensure the diversification of the economy to support other emerging sectors.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan also asked Nigerians to continue having faith in the country and its democratic institutions.

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said that given the way Nigerians fought to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no doubt that they can equally “stand up to problems that seek to shackle us.”

Speaking about security challenges in the country, Buhari promised that government would not relent in tackling the problem citing the “number of insurgents and bandits who have willingly surrendered to our security forces and continue to do so through various channels and the Safe Corridor created for that purpose.”

“The persistent insecurity in certain parts of the country may have threatened to unravel the incremental gains achieved in the real sectors of the economy and in the administration’s overall objective to position the nation on the irreversible trajectory of sustainable growth and progress, but I assure you that we will remain resolute in our commitments and shall continue to press ahead with our programmes and plans,” he added.

By Abba Muhammad Tawfik

The prime priority of every government is always to ensure the safety of its people by providing adequate food and security and other necessities of life to make a pleasant bustling of it (life). However, the inability to reach that satisfactorily had made Nigerians call it an anathema on President Goodluck Jonathan’s stewardship and pinned him with the harsh tags of incompetence and murderer in northern Nigeria. For that, we prayed consistently and did everything practically possible within the sphere of our human influence until we had him ejected from power.

General Muhammadu Buhari is very well acquainted with his antique military stature of rational thoughts. And, of course, zero tolerance to nonsense and his political confederates in APC wooed us by the “change” cliche. They strategized their political expedition by accentuating majorly on Jonathan’s incompetence to ensure the security of life and property in the Northeastern states of the nation.

As hapless and helpless as we were with our lives at the grabs and pangs of insurgents, we put our complete trust in Buhari and APC, with the expectation and hope of fulfilling their promises of strengthening security setbacks and restoring peace in the nation. As a result, APC attained the peak of our love and succeeded with the power of our lives and thumbs.

Early in their (APC) administration, as they vowed before God and the good people of Nigeria of addressing the security challenges, we can honestly say that the waterloo of Nigerian enemies was celebrated. Normalcy was restored in most Northeastern states like Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Yobe, and Borno, which were then wrecked by detonations and eruptions of improvised explosive devices.

Expectations often fail, and most often, most of their promises fail. The accomplishment of the war being waged furiously against insurgents turned out to be a mirage. It was short-lived, and insurgence spread its tentacles ubiquitously across the nation.

Up to now, a two hour thirty minutes drive from Damaturu to the once known “Home of peace” is like penetrating through the boundaries of the “Bermuda triangle” despite having an airforce base that is well equipped with military fighter jets in Maiduguri. The road will be barricaded for hours, and people would be wantonly slaughtered like animals in abattoir by insensate humanlike beasts without any intervention.

Sadly, the enormity of the matter is that even those who have taken the solemn oath and are saddled with the heavy responsibility of protecting the lives of innocent Nigerians are not spared.

Moreover, the country’s Northwest and the Northcentral segments have also responded to the topsy-turvydom of insecurity and have become a furnace hell on earth. The Kaduna–Abuja road remains a highway of death where people are daily being mercilessly forced to breathe in death and exhale life and stripped of their chattels by kidnappers. 

One of the worst tribulations that betide one in today’s Nigeria is being a resident of Zamfara, Sokoto, or Katsina. The daily news reaching us from the region is that of kidnappings. Bandit terrorists bathe in the bloodstream of innocent souls, turning wives into widows and children into orphans.

Despite the economic hardship in the country,  one has to struggle to fulfil Darwin’s law of survival. But, unfortunately, only our vital forces dearly pay the cost of so doing. May Allah, in His infinite mercy, restore peace to our dear nation. Amen. 

Abba Muhammad Tawfiq is a 500L Medical Rehabilitation student at the University of Maiduguri. He can be reached via abbamuhammadtawfiq@gmail.com.

By Abdulrazak Iliyasu Sansani

It is harvest time, where farmers all over the country harvest their crops. Some have already harvested the early maturing varieties of crops, while others are counting days to commence harvesting, or at least have started preparations for the harvesting of Agricultural produce after toiling, expending funds, and hoping of getting bumper harvest as a reward for everything.