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Acting National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress APC, Comrade Timi Frank has written an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, saying if Nigerians must key into his recently-launched social reorientation campaign, #ChangeBeginsWithMe, and the president must kick-start the process from within the APC.

Frank was again reacting to the face-off between the national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and one of its national leaders, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu who had accused the chairman of mishandling the Ondo state governorship primary election of the party.

READ THE FULL LETTER BELOW:

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI:

AN URGENT APPEAL TO SAVE OUR PARTY NOW!

Mr President sir, it is with great enthusiasm and patriotism that I’ve decided to write you once again through this open letter to intimate you on the impending danger lurking to befall our great party and I’m optimistic that this letter will serve its urgency and purpose of reaching you and our leaders and elders of our great party.

In the words of Ola Rotimi- the gods are not to be blamed, “When a chameleon brings forth a child, it is not the child that is expected to dance. Yes, the king should act as a king.” The recent outburst by one of our founding fathers and a National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu against the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun seems to be threatening the smooth sail and peaceful coexistence of our great party the All Progressives Congress (APC) and if nothing is done urgently, them I’m afraid “the pot left on the fire will definitely burn.”

Mr. President sir, I wish to reiterate my earlier stand on this matter and I’m also elated that I’ve been vindicate in my struggle to save our party all the while, when so many thought of me as a rebel or paid apologist. It is therefore no secret that I was one of the very first persons in the party who took the bull by the horn and openly raised the alarm of urgent issues which had to be addressed in other to steer the APC ship in its right course. Suffice to say that all my efforts to plead with the party leadership to redirect its affairs fell on deaf ears as no one took me seriously at the time.

You may recall Mr President, that the origin of this crisis began when the issue of the National Assembly leadership arose and the decision of the party at the time against party members, especially against the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representative. I foresaw the impending cracks at the time when the party leaders ignored the injustice against these two persons and I subsequently raised viable concerns which still fell on deaf ears.

Again, when I raised concerns against the manner in which Chief Oyegun handled the conduct of the Bayelsa state governorship primaries that produced the APC candidate, no one listened to me, and alas the outcome of that election became a clear testament to my alleged fears. Subsequently, when my immediate boss, Alhaji Lai Mohammed became the Minister of Information, I was supposed to immediately fill in the gap and act in his stead as enshrined in our party constitution as the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, but this was not to be as I was outrightly being persecuted for reasons unknown and perhaps for selfish interest. I was deprived from performing my duties and my duties assigned to themselves.

It is worthy to note that Today, we are witnessing the same concerns and fears being expressed by one of the founding fathers of our great party, who also doubles as a national leader agreeing with my earlier call that Chief Oyegun should resign as the National Chairman.

This allegation of bribery raised by Asiwaju Tinubu as regards the recent Ondo governorship primaries should be of concern to all well meaning party leaders and elders and should not be swept under carpet or taken of levity. This weighty allegations should and must be properly investigated because of course “there is no smoke without fire”. Mr. President sir, you recall the launch of the “Change Begins With Me Campaign” a fortnight ago, where we were admonished to lead by example, and I dare say that this change must start from within the party so that Nigerians can follow suit.

Mr. President sir, the episode of the recent Ondo primaries is just one case too many befalling the APC under the leadership of Chief Oyegun and I’m therefore challenging Chief Oyegun to tell Nigerians if he has been able to mediate over any crisis that has been successful. As far as I am aware, APC under Oyegun has not been able to resolve any crisis in the party since we became the ruling party.

Chief Oyegun has shown that he lacks the capacity to resolve all the crisis currently rocking our party in nearly all the states of the federation. Not even personal grudges and rifts between party members, eg Senator Shehu Sani vs Gov. El rufai in Kaduna, or Senator Kwankwaso vs Gov Ganduje in Kano, Senator Goje vs Senator Nafada in Gombe, and lastly the rift between late Chief Audu’s family against Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi state . The crisis rocking the Bayelsa state APC which is also divided against itself as well as Delta, Ondo and Ogun states are visible examples to mention a few.

Mr. President sir, I’m aware you may not have forgotten hurriedly your experience under Chief Oyegun’s chairmanship in the defunct All Nigerians People’s Party (ANPP) that eventually led to the series of events which saw your exit from the party, and this same man is at it again.

It is said that “A stitch in time saves nine”. I recall how we raised similar concerns when the PDP was still PDP under Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. This warnings were of no effect even as things got worse daily, suffice to say that the appeal from party leaders to former President Jonathan to act yielded no result as he acted rather late and the result is the very obvious which is still bedevilling the PDP up until this day.

It is no longer news today that so many leaders of the APC are aggrieved as a result of the handling of party affairs by Chief John Oyegun. Injustice has become an order of the day, whilst so many leaders and party faithfuls might be contemplating an exit of the party if nothing is being done urgently to salvage the already soar taste. I’m aware that in a swift reaction to Sen Bola Tinubu’s outburst, former Vice President and chieftain of the APC Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, pointed out vividly that the party leadership is expected to be guided always by respect for the rules, fairness, equity, neutrality and respect for democratic consensus. We must therefore be bold to say that these principles may not be found in the dictionary of Chief Oyegun.

Six months down the line after the last NEC meeting, Chief John Oyegun has not deemed it necessary to call for either the carcus meeting, BoT, NEC or any other leadership meeting to discuss issues of national importance and those confronting our great party. This clearly is in sharp contrast with the party’s constitution, which states in article 25 b( i) that “the National Executive Committee shall meet every quarter and or at any time decided by the national chairman or at the request made in writing by at least two-third of the members of the National Executive Committee provided that not less than fourteen (14) days notice is given for the meeting to be summoned.”

In the light of the aforesaid therefore, I am appealing to Mr. President to immediately direct Chief John Oyegun to summon an emergency NEC/ BOT and Caucus meeting which will enable the party leadership to sit face to face to confront and resolve all pending issues before our great party, whist finding a lasting solution moving forward.

Finally Mr. President, I am appealing to you that this open letter should be treated with all sincerity of purpose to enable us surmount our challenges as a party. It must be noted that with a strong, vibrant and indivisible party, we will together achieve our dream of queuing behind your able leadership in delivering the much needed change to Nigerians. I am therefore optimistic that this open letter will serve as the yardstick of the beginning of new things to come for our great party.

Thanks

God bless President Muhammadu Buhari!
God bless our party APC!!
God bless Nigeria!!!

SIGNED:

Comrade Timi Frank
APC Acting National Publicity Secretary.

BIG STORY

PDP Rejects Outcome Of Ondo Election, Calls For Review

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the result of the Ondo state governorship election.

Lucky Aiyedatiwa, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared the winner of the Ondo state governorship election held on Saturday.

Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor of Ondo state, won the election in all 18 LGAs, securing 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival, Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who received 117,845 votes.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said the poll “runs short of all expectations and requirements of a free, fair and credible election.”

“The Peoples Democratic Party and indeed all lovers of democracy in Nigeria and across the world have just witnessed the worst election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the statement reads.

Ologunagba further claimed that the election “witnessed the height of electoral swindle, deceit and manipulation” allegedly perpetrated by the APC.

He added that the poll “witnessed widespread election merchandising, monetisation and barefaced vote buying” and voter suppression.

Ologunagba called on Nigerians and the international community to take “serious action” to address all forms of election manipulation and protect the nation’s democracy.

The PDP spokesman concluded by stating that the party will “take appropriate action” after reviewing the election outcome.

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BIG STORY

You’re Peddling Economic Fantasies, Purge Yourself Of Petty Politics — Bayo Onanuga To Atiku

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Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, has accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of promoting “economic fantasies” and urged him to rid himself of “petty politics.”

Recent weeks have seen exchanges between the presidency and Abubakar following his proposed solutions to the country’s economic difficulties.

Last week, the former vice-president stated that he could not be envious of Tinubu, as the president causes pain for Nigerians.

In a statement on Sunday, Onanuga emphasized that Nigerians rejected both Abubakar and his ideas during the 2023 presidential election.

“Atiku’s critiques of Tinubu’s presidency are mere harebrained propositions devoid of realistic alternatives,” the presidential aide said.

“He must acknowledge the decades of mismanagement of the economy inherited by the current administration, including the exorbitant subsidy expenditures that far exceeded government earnings from crude oil.”

“As of mid-2023, the landing cost of fuel was between N500 and N600, while it was sold nationwide at an average of N200. The 2023 budget allocated N3.36 trillion for fuel subsidies until June 2023, against a projected N2.23 trillion in oil revenue for the year.”

“The Nigerian state was on life support.”

“We expect Atiku to commend what the Tinubu administration has achieved concerning revenue generation for the Federation.”

“Without factoring in oil sales, revenue proceeds generated by the Federal Inland Revenue Service almost doubled in the first half of 2024, compared with the level Tinubu met in 2023. The states and councils are more prosperous because of it, as many states have increased the minimum wage for their workers to between N70,000 and N85,000.”

“Atiku’s proposal to privatize the four government-owned refineries, which collectively can only meet a fraction of the nation’s daily fuel consumption when activated, lacks originality.”

Onanuga concluded by stating that Abubakar’s economic proposals do not offer a feasible alternative to Tinubu’s “decisive reforms” and urged the former vice-president to restore his reputation as a statesman.

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BIG STORY

Autonomy: FG, Governors, Local Government Chairmen Sign Implementation Agreement

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The Committee on Local Government Autonomy, set up by the Federal Government, has concluded its meetings and signed the technical document, which is expected to be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu soon.

The National President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Hakeem Ambali, made this known in an interview (with The PUNCH) on Tuesday.

In May, the Federal Government, represented by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, filed a lawsuit to challenge the governors’ authority to receive and withhold federal allocations meant for Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The suit sought to prevent state governors from unilaterally dissolving democratically elected local government councils and establishing caretaker committees.

The AGF argued that the constitution mandated a democratically elected local government system and did not allow alternative governance structures.

On July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court gave a landmark judgment affirming the financial autonomy of the 774 LGs in the country, noting that governors could no longer control funds meant for the councils.

The seven-member Supreme Court panel, led by Justice Garba Lawal, ruled that it was illegal and unconstitutional for governors to manage and withhold LG funds.

The apex court also directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to pay LG allocations directly to their accounts, as it declared the non-remittance of funds by the 36 states unconstitutional.

Also, on August 20, the Federal Government instituted a 10-member inter-ministerial committee to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.

The committee members include the Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Attorney-General of the Federation & Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi SAN; Minister of Budget & Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu; Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein; and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso.

Others are the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs Lydia Jafiya; the Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation & Fiscal Commission, Mohammed Shehu; and representatives of state governors and the local governments.

The committee’s primary goal is to ensure that local governments are granted full autonomy, allowing them to function effectively without interference from state governments.

Speaking to our correspondent on Tuesday, Ambali said, “The committee has held its final meeting and we have signed the technical document which will be transmitted to Mr President so by November end. It is expected that states will receive their allocations from FAAC. Also, I can tell you that the President is eager to receive that document. The committee worked within the time frame that was provided.”

Meanwhile, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has expressed fears about the capacity of LGs to pay the N70,000 new minimum wage to primary school teachers.

The NUT’s apprehension is based on the failure of the councils to implement the former N30,000 minimum wage.

Findings by our correspondent show that some LG workers in Nasarawa, Enugu, Zamfara, Borno, Yobe, and Kogi states, among others, have remained on the N18,000 minimum wage, which was approved in 2011.

However, the inability of the councils to implement the minimum wage has been blamed on the failure of the government to fully implement LG autonomy.

Data obtained from the NUT revealed that teachers in LG primary schools were not paid the former minimum wage.

In Enugu State, for instance, LG workers were exempted from benefiting from the minimum wage, even though state workers enjoyed the salary.

Also, Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Kogi, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, Imo, and Gombe States did not implement the old minimum wage for teachers at both state and local levels.

Confirming this, the General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Dr. Mike Ene, said, “I can tell you that some states didn’t even implement the N18,000 minimum wage for teachers at the local level. Some governors refused to pay, stating that the teachers are under the employment of the local governments.

“There should be no form of segregation when it comes to the implementation of the minimum wage. We all go to the same market. There is no specific market for local government workers. However, we commend all the governors who have come out to say that the minimum wage will be implemented across the board.

“Also, the NLC has vowed to shake the country by December should state governments fail to implement the minimum wage, so I can tell you that the move by the NLC will force things into play.”

But NULGE president Ambali assured that the minimum wage would be implemented across the board when the LG autonomy commences.

“Over the years, governors have had one excuse, and that is the fact that they always claimed that LGs are autonomous so they can’t negotiate minimum wage on behalf of LG workers. But the truth is that LGs were never autonomous during those periods.

“However, during the negotiation of the new minimum wage, the President brought in representatives of ALGON (Association of Local Governments of Nigeria) to also negotiate, and with the LG autonomy coming into play, that will be settled. The NLC has also given an ultimatum of December for all states as regards the payment of the minimum wage,” he added.

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