Connect with us


POLITICS

Over N11trn Stolen Under Buhari’s Watch —– PDP

Published

on

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council has alleged that over N11 trillion has been stolen under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The allegation was made in a statement on Sunday by the PDP-PCC.

The statement reads in full: “The attention of the PDP Presidential Campaign has been drawn to fresh fabrications allegedly being sponsored by the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency, in its unrelenting bid to tarnish the image of our Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, since their realization that Nigerians have reached a consensus to vote him in as their next President.

“It is indeed despicable that President Buhari will continue to endorse the spinning of lies by his handlers against another Presidential candidate, including its false claims that Atiku Abubakar cannot travel to the United States, which Nigerians have since seen to be mere fabrications.

“Is it not ludicrous that the Buhari Presidency has abandoned its statutory duties and turned itself into a lying, ‘monitoring spirit’ on Atiku Abubakar and his movements, yet it has not been able to produce any documentary evidence to substantiate its claims?

“President Buhari’s fixation on Atiku Abubakar, to the extent of sponsoring fabrications in a section of the media, only goes to show that he is intimidated by our candidate’s resume, his overwhelming popularity, and policy direction, which have since amplified his (President Buhari’s) incompetence and lack of direction, as a result of which he is being rejected by the majority of Nigerians.

“Atiku Abubakar is a global figure and is not inhibited, in any way whatsoever, from traveling to any part of the world.

“However, he is not prepared to make the sky his office, unlike President Buhari, who unleashed a widely condemned taste for very expensive and wasteful gallivanting with our national fleet, while Nigerians wallow in abject poverty for neglect and abuse of resources.

“In any case, the PDP refuses to lose sight of the fact that our campaign is on the rescue mission and that Nigerians are looking up to our candidate for direction.

“As such, we will not allow the rejected Buhari Presidency to distract us from our focus of repositioning and redirecting our nation to the path of a united, peaceful, secure and prosperous nation where are all citizens are happy and free.

“The PDP Campaign, therefore, counsels President Buhari to note that Nigerians have moved ahead with Atiku Abubakar as their next President. He should, therefore, use the remaining days of his fading administration to prepare answers for his misrule.

“President Buhari should, by now, be providing answers for the over N11 trillion stolen under his watch, particularly in the petroleum sector where he sits as minister; the alleged diversion of funds meant for the purchase of weapons and welfare of our soldiers to finance his re-election campaign as well as the neglect and insensitivity that led to the escalation of killings and bloodletting in various parts of the country under his rule.

“President Buhari should provide answers for his incompetence and harsh economic policies that plunged our economy into recession, leading to high cost of living, loss of over 30 million jobs, acute poverty, hunger, a collapse of infrastructure in our country in the last three and half years.

“On our own part, the PDP will continue to focus on issue-based campaign and run with practical answers to the myriad of challenges facing our nation in line with the manifesto of our repositioned party and the policy direction of our Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.”

BIG STORY

“Your Turn Will Come To Leave Power” — El-Rufai Tells Political Office Holders

Published

on

Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, has reminded current office holders that their tenure is temporary, urging them to lead with fairness and keep in mind that “power is transient”.

Speaking in Abuja on Thursday during the public unveiling of Mohammed Bello Adoke’s memoir titled “OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 billion Nigerian Oil Block”, el-Rufai said Adoke, a former attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, should be praised rather than targeted for his role in strengthening the nation’s democracy.

He noted, “Everyone knows that Mohammed Bello Adoke was one of those that stood and persuaded President Jonathan to actually concede the 2015 elections.”

According to him, “we should actually thank him as the APC government of 2015, not persecute him.”

Reflecting on his time in government, el-Rufai spoke about the betrayals that often come with public service.

He recalled, “About 12 years ago in this hall, I presented ‘The Accidental Public Servant’, which was a record of my experience in public service at the time, which showed how friends abandon you, betray you, and how those that you’ve been good to turn around against you.”

He continued, “And everyone told me I made a mistake, that I will never go near public service again. Because in Nigeria, when you are in government, you eat, you keep quiet, and you come back, and you remain silent.”

El-Rufai said he had no regrets about his service and believed Adoke had no reason to fear scrutiny.

“I don’t think I had anything to hide in public service, yes. I still don’t,” he said.

“And I know Bello Adoke has nothing to hide. So, you can write a book like that and hold your head high, because you know you did nothing wrong while holding public office.”

He encouraged today’s leaders to act with integrity and always remember how brief time in power can be.

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

Buhari Couldn’t Have Won 2015 Election Without Tinubu’s Strategic Support — Bayo Onanuga

Published

on

Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy, says the 2013 merger that led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured the “important votes” that helped former President Muhammadu Buhari win the 2015 presidential election.

During an interview with Arise TV on Thursday, Onanuga responded to comments made by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, who claimed that the APC merger added only three million votes to Buhari’s tally in the 2015 election.

The merger brought together the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP).

Mustapha argued that Buhari had consistently polled over 12 million votes even before the merger, suggesting those votes formed the majority of the 15.4 million he received to defeat ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

But Onanuga contended that despite those numbers, Buhari lacked sufficient presence in the south and required the support of the ACN to achieve the necessary electoral “spread.”

He noted that the ACN delivered the “important votes” Buhari needed from the southern region.

“It was clear to ACN, a very strategic arm of that alliance, that without additional support, there was no way Buhari could have won the election,” Onanuga stated.

“Yeah, he was getting 12 million votes if you put all the 19 states together, but in the south, Buhari was nowhere. Buhari needed the spread. ACN had six.

“Buhari got the votes he needed in those six states. They may not be in millions, but there were important votes.

“He won in all those six states, and he got more than 25 percent. At the end of the day, he won in about 25 states, more than the constitutional requirement of 24 states.”

Onanuga also said Buhari “never forgot the help that Tinubu rendered to him” and maintained that without Tinubu’s contribution, Buhari would not have become president.

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

Senate Replaces Natasha Akpoti With Aniekan Bassey As Diaspora Committee Chair

Published

on

Senate Sacks Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Diaspora Committee Chairman, Replaces Her with Akwa Ibom Senator

The Senate, on Thursday, removed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from her position as Chair of the Committee on Diaspora, naming Senator Aniekan Bassey, representing Akwa Ibom North-East, as her replacement.

The announcement was made during plenary without any official explanation for the change. Senator Bassey is expected to take over the responsibilities immediately. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, was appointed Chair of the Diaspora and NGOs Committee on “February 4, 2025”, after being removed as Chair of the Committee on Local Content. This latest move represents another minor reshuffle in the Senate committee leadership.

Continue Reading



 

Join Us On Facebook

Most Popular