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2023 Presidency: Igbo Candidate Can’t Be Trusted, IPOB Supports PDP —– Joe Igbokwe

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All Progressives Congress chieftain, Joe Igbokwe, says an Igbo candidate cannot be trusted in the 2023 presidential election.

According to him, nobody is going to vote for people who would use the same position to divide Nigeria.

Igbokwe, who is an aide to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, stated this in a PUNCH Live interview on Thursday.

He said the South-East geopolitical zone has indeed suffered “injustices”, adding that in “everything we share in this country, we get the least.”

He, therefore, urged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to facilitate the creation of one more state to make states in the South-East six like other geopolitical zones in Nigeria.

States currently in the zone are Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia, and Ebonyi.

Speaking on the Live programme, the politician, however, noted that despite the “injustices”, violent agitations and killings were not the way to press for justice, equity and fairness.

Igbokwe lambasted members of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and other secessionists in the South-East geopolitical zone, saying they are going about their agitation in a wrong manner.

He alleged that IPOB members are supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, adding that the secessionists began agitations to leave the Nigerian entity after the PDP lost the 2015 presidential election.

The party stalwart said that only the PDP is currently campaigning in Anambra ahead of the November 6 governorship poll while other parties are allegedly being attacked.

He knocked Igbo leaders who are thirsty for the zone to produce a President in 2023, saying they should wake up and do the politicking and make friends in the other five geopolitical zones to achieve their goal.

As the 2023 general elections draw nearer, there have been intense political posturing, permutations, and fireworks, especially as the eight-year regime of Buhari, who is from Katsina State, winds down.

The clamour for an Igbo President has since resonated with some 18 months to the general elections. Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has been consistent in its demand for an Igbo President in 2023.

The 17 Southern Governors had also met twice in the year and demanded power shift to their region while the 19 Northern Governors also met last week, opposing such move and noting that the candidate with the highest votes will emerge as President in the next general elections.

BIG STORY

Philip Shaibu Moves To Reunite With Oshiomhole, Vows Not To Support Ighodalo

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Philip Shaibu, the impeached deputy Governor of Edo State, has moved to reunite with Oshiomhole and vowed not to support Ighodalo in the forthcoming governorship poll in the state.

Shaibu made this known in an interview (with The Punch), stating that he is not ready to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate, Asue Ighodalo.

The former deputy governor said he would not support Ighodalo because, despite several attempts to know his plans, the latter failed to open up to him about his governorship ambition.

Shaibu noted that he has consistently apologised to Oshiomhole. However, he does not regret his past actions because the former Governor led them to fight against godfathers.

He said, “First, I am not ready to support the governorship candidate of the party, Asue Ighodalo, and until the PDP does the needful, I may not be able to answer the question. I cannot support him because he didn’t open up to me about his ambition despite asking him several times, including at my house. The last time I asked was in November. So, I was taken aback when he spoke on TV that he was being pushed to run.

“I called him and asked who was pushing him to run, but he told me to ignore the report and that it was a social media thing. But his younger brother, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, said that the move to make his elder brother the governor of Edo State started two years ago. Edo State needs a “homeboy” to govern them, not people who will rent houses during their tenure and leave as soon as it ends. We need people who we can relate to and understand the challenges of the people. The PDP governorship candidate is more of an Ibadan man than an Edo man.

“I am ready. I have also consistently apologised to Comrade, and I am using this avenue to do so again over what happened in 2020, especially the language I used during that period. I look at some of the videos and the only thing I can do is apologise. However, I don’t regret the action I took because Oshiomhole is the one who led us to fight against godfathers. I felt what he was trying to do at that time was wrong. Reuniting with him will be interesting. Even amid the fight, I have maintained that he is my father. I will reunite with him sooner or later. He is also my mentor. So, a lot of things that I do, I learnt from him.”

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BIG STORY

No More Political Crisis In Rivers State — Governor Fubara

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The executive governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has said that the pressure mounted by the political crisis in the state has been weathered sufficiently, giving way for his administration to provide focused leadership and governance to the people.

Fubara made this known when he hosted on a courtesy visit, members of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, led by its Chairman, Mike Etaba, at Government House in Port Harcourt on Saturday.

This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi.

The governor declared that as long as his administration and the Rivers people he is leading are concerned, there is no more political issue of note.

Referring to a movie he had seen a long time ago, Fubara explained how the pressure from the unwarranted political crisis served as an enabler to strengthen his commitment to service that is now impacting lives positively.

He stated, “As far as we are concerned, there are no political issues. I had seen a movie many years ago, entitled, ‘Devil’s Advocate.’ I believe some of you must have seen that movie too.

“One of the starring characters: Al Pacino said, that pressure makes some people retreat or fail, and to others, it makes them become focused on succeeding. We have chosen to be focused under this pressure.

“That is why we are moving ahead. That is why we are making a positive impact on the lives of our people. Governance is about the people. It is not about self.

“Governance is about touching the core needs of those people we are leading, and by the special grace of God, we are doing it.”

The governor pointed to the empowerment of about 3,066 Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises when he flagged off the N4billion single-digit loan scheme in conjunction with the Bank of Industry Limited on Friday, as one way his administration is improving the socio-economic dynamics of the State.

Fubara has been in a running battle with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

Recently, two commissioners, Prof. Zaccaeus Adangor, SAN, and Isaac Kamalu, said to be loyal to Wike resigned from the governor’s cabinet.

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BIG STORY

Aare Abisoye Fagade Stands With Oyo State: Condemns Governor Seyi Makinde’s Assault On Democracy

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Today, with a heavy heart and a deep sense of duty to the people of Oyo State, Aare Abisoye Fagade, a staunch advocate for justice and a revered pillar of the All Progressives Congress (APC), raises his voice in resolute condemnation of the egregious assault on democracy orchestrated by Governor Seyi Makinde.

As the heartbeat of democracy in Nigeria, Oyo State has been dealt a grievous blow by Governor Makinde’s calculated campaign of electoral subterfuge. Withholding election materials across the state, Governor Makinde has callously deprived our beloved citizens of their fundamental right to participate in free and fair elections, a right that lies at the very core of our democratic ethos.

But this is not merely an attack on the mechanics of an election; it is an attack on the soul of Oyo State, on the hopes and aspirations of its people, and on the principles of justice and equality that we hold dear. Governor Makinde’s actions betray a callous disregard for the sanctity of the ballot box and a cynical determination to silence the voices of the people.

In this moment of trial, Aare Abisoye Fagade stands shoulder to shoulder with the resilient sons and daughters of Oyo State, united in our determination to defend our democratic heritage against those who would seek to defile it. He calls upon all patriots, regardless of political affiliation, to join him in condemning Governor Makinde’s assault on democracy and in demanding accountability for this shameful betrayal of trust.

Let us stand together as one, Oyo State, in defense of our democracy, in defense of our future, and in defense of the principles that bind us together as a people. For it is only by standing firm in the face of tyranny that we can ensure a brighter tomorrow for generations yet unborn.

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