Politics

Peter Obi will no longer attend debates where surrogates of leading presidential candidates represent them – Okupe

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Director General of the Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation, Doyin Okupe has said that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, will no longer attend debates where ”surrogates of leading presidential candidates represent them.”

This is coming after the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, failed to show up for the presidential town hall meeting organized by Arise TV.

Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party was also represented at the event by his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, November 7, Okupe said Obi will no longer debate with surrogates of running mates and will back out of any debate even at the last minute should other presidential candidates fail to show up.

Politics

Governor Ortom and Benue elders ‘withdraw support’ for Atiku over comment on killings by suspected herdsmen in the state

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Governor Samuel Ortom and a group of elder statesmen in Benue, Minda Leaders of Thoughts, have supposedly withdrawn their support for Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar over alleged hate speech and profiling of Benue people.

This came after Atiku sent a message of sympathy to Gbeji community in Ukum Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue State, after attacks that left about 39 people, including two policemen, dead and many hospitalized.

He said in the message;

“I’m saddened by the sustained clashes between farmers and herders that led to the loss of lives, including those of police officers in Gbeji community, Ukum LGA of Benue State.

“When our people are well integrated into communities where they live, work, pay taxes and raise their children, they’d be obligated to reciprocate the love and acceptance.

My deepest condolences to the families that may have lost a loved one and to the people and government of Benue State.”

However leaders of Gbeji community, accused the presidential candidate of being insenstive by claiming it was just a farmers and herders’ clash.

They stated that what happened in Gbeji last Wednesday, 19th October, 2022, was an unprovoked attack by armed Fulani militia.

The statement read;

“We members of the Gbeji community are disappointed with the statement by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar that there was farmers and herders’ clash in Gbeji which claimed lives including those of policemen.

“What happened in Gbeji last Wednesday, 19th October, 2022, was an unprovoked attack by armed Fulani militia, on the people around 6am.

“For Alhaji Atiku to talk about integration does not arise in Gbeji as the attackers do not live among us. After the unprovoked attack many people visit us including Senator Gabriel Suswam and other members of the National and State Assemblies who also visited the mortuary and saw some of the bodies of those killed.

“That Alhaji Atiku who is supposed to be the big shelter of the Tiv people, the Zege Mule u Tiv, does not believe people have been killed in spite of media reports and eyewitness accounts is the height of insensitivity.

“Alhaji Atiku should have taken time to visit us, or send assistance to alleviate our humanitarian problems is the least that we expected at this time. As at today the death toll has risen to 39 with many still missing while others are in various hospitals.

“If anyone cannot help us in our time of distress he should not mock us. We therefore, reject Alhaji Atiku’s statement which we regard as mockery.”

Also reacting to the statement, Ortom accused Atiku of dishonoring him as Governor and working against the interest of Benue residents.

Asides from alleging that the presidential candidate sidelined him while selecting his presidential campaign team, the Governor also accused Atiku of working with Miyetti Allah.

Ortom said;

“It was not correct for a presidential candidate who is seeking to rule the people to say that kind of thing.

“It was very wrong. And it would appear that he doesn’t even reference me and consider me to be a Governor of my state.

“I am not in his campaign team. The people they appointed there, no consent from me. So I’ll remain on my own. But I’m waiting; when the election comes, we shall vote the election according to the election.”

Politics

Nigeria lost best presidential candidate in Osinbajo — Girei

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Senator Abubakar Girei,a member  of the Election Management Committee of the just concluded All Progressive Congress (APC) Special National Convention, has said that although the primary that produced  Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the Presidential candidate was very fair, free and credible, but Nigeria has lost the best presidential candidate that would have been produced.

” But I can tell you that the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (PYO),won the special convention without fear of contradiction. As the Vice President, he is an heir to the throne, a crown prince who should have been given the right of first refusal in the contest in which he offered himself to serve the nation in which he had a national acceptability,” he averred. 

Girei who spoke in an interview, said the Vice President “had the best speech and his manifestoe at the convention was the best, he identified problems and proferred solutions to them more than all other aspirants. For someone who has never contested any election before and with no politicking knowledge to emerge third at the convention, I consider him the greatest winner of the convention. I have no doubt in my mind that Nigeria has lost the best presidential candidate that would have been produced “

Senator Girei regretted that those who stood for truth and what is good for the masses of this country were not appreciated, adding that “in politics of today, it is very clear that the highest bidders always have their way and election goes to not necessarily the best but those who could buy their way in a cash and carry manner.”

He however, expressed joy that flag bearers of political parties have emerged, congratulated the flag bearer of his party the APC, Asiwaju Tinubu and other flag bearers, and promised to work committedly for the overall victory of the APC flag bearers from bottom to top.

” As a loyal member of the APC. I will work for the total victory of my party flagbearers from bottom to top and I’m confident that our party will emerge victorious in the general election”.

He frowned at the way and manner money had taken over the political space which he said characterized the various party primaries including the small political parties, and called on Nigerians to vote for  competence and not those who could buy their way through.

Speaking on Osinbajo, he said, “his teaming supporters are those of us who are  committed to his ideals out of conviction that he has the knowledge, experience, capacity, capability, mental and physical fitnes and all that is required to transform our dear nation to greatness.” 

“It may also interest Nigerians to know that PYO is totally opposed to monetisation of our democracy and politics and has refused to encourage  delegates/votes buying. Even his friends and associates who tried to help him could only do so without his knowledge or consent.”

Commenting on the rumoured Muslim/Muslim ticket, the APC chieftain said, ” it is an issue that is being championed by propagandists  for selfish political interest, apparently by those who are neither good Muslims of Christians.”

“Politics however is all about winning strategy, so in my opinion whatever strategy can be used to win elections that is within the confine of the Constitution to me is okay” he said.

Senator Girei ,a chieftain of the ruling party had contested for the position of the National Deputy Chairman (North) but had to step down to respect the consensus arrangement of the party that brought in Senator Abdullahi Adamu as National Chairman of the party and other National Working Committee (NWC).

World News

Libyan court reinstates Gaddafi’s son, Saif, as presidential candidate

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The son of late Libya’s leader, Muammar Gaddafi, Saif-al-Islam, has been reinstated as a presidential candidate and given the go-ahead to run in the country’s upcoming presidential election.

The reinstatement of Saif-al-Islam came a week after he was disqualified for what Libyan authorities said were war crimes committed during the uprising against his father more than 10 years ago.

A court in Sebha, on Friday, overturned the electoral commission’s decision to nullify Saif al-Islam’s candidacy for December polls.

Saif al-Islam‘s lawyer, Khaled al-Zaydi, confirmed to that the court accepted his client’s appeal lodged on Thursday, and that he would therefore be reinstated in the presidential election scheduled to take place later this month.

In disqualifying Saif Gaddafi, Libya’s electoral commission had pointed to articles of the electoral law stipulating that candidates “must not have been sentenced for a dishonourable crime” and must present a clean criminal record.

Saif Gaddafi, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, had registered to run for president on November 14 but was among 25 candidates whose bids were rejected by the elections board last week.

Saif Gaddafi, who was sentenced to death by a Tripoli court in absentia in 2015 for war crimes committed during the failed battle to save his father’s 40-year rule from a NATO-backed uprising, is one of several divisive candidates in the race.

He is a figurehead for Libyans still loyal to the former government of his father, whose toppling and death in 2011 heralded a decade of strife.

However, many other Libyans, including armed groups that hold the balance of power across the country, view his presence on the ballot as unacceptable after the bloody struggle to remove his father.

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