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Dele Momodu Drops ‘Bombshell’, Reveals How PDP Abandoned Adeleke; Says Osun Election Was A Civil War

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Publisher of Ovation magazine and former presidential candidate, Dele Momodu, has revealed how the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, abandoned its candidate, Ademola Adeleke in the last governorship election in Osun State.

He made this known in a statement on Saturday in which he also outlined the best strategy for the PDP if it desires to win the presidency in 2019.

Momodu further said no candidate from the core north can compete against, and defeat, President Muhammadu Buhari simply on the basis that he is from the core north.

The statement reads: “What transpired in the State of Osun, as my dear brother, the Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, loves to refer to our State, was not gubernatorial, but a prelude to the presidential election. The interest and resources galvanised for that election demonstrated that it was a civil war and not a civilised election.

“The election was seen and executed as a referendum on the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari and its wobbly government.

“While the ruling party appeared determined or maybe ‘desperate’ is the appropriate word, to win, the main opposition party looked jazzed and disinterested.

“But for the merciful interventions of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the President of the Nigerian Senate, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the PDP candidate, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke, could as well have been a virtual orphan. It was that bad.

“What manner of opposition would sit at home, arms akimbo, after seeing how the President, Vice President, Governors, Ministers and party Chieftains all invaded, and flooded, Osun as if their lives depended on it?

“I fail to understand how PDP can parade over a dozen presidential aspirants yet only few of them are showing irrevocable commitment to serious party matters while the rest are only pursuing personal agenda.

“Adeleke was just lucky to be blessed with a family that had the means to fund his campaign and in particular a megastar, David Adeleke (aka Davido), who unleashed his monstrous talent on the campaign.

“The ways of politicians are certainly not the ways of ordinary mortals. I could not believe how they turned Osun into a theatre of war because of a few thousand votes. I thought that, by now, Nigeria had passed this disgraceful and embarrassing stage.

“I have no doubt that APC merely used the elections in Ekiti and Osun as dress rehearsals of what to expect in next year’s general elections. I don’t see the APC apparatchik agreeing to vacate power without a truculent fight.

“Many people, Nigerians and non-Nigerians have come to the incontrovertible conclusion that what we currently have is an army of occupation and we should accept our fate with equanimity.

“But no country can afford not to have a virile opposition. This is why it is sad and tragic that those who were in opposition only yesterday are perpetrating the same unfortunate acts we collectively rejected and dismissed not too long ago.

“The PDP that should fight back stoutly to give a good fight is already gasping for breath because of multiple ambitions of individuals who may choose to turncoat at the drop of a hat.

“From the multitude of PDP aspirants and even the cacophony of permutations about who can challenge Buhari to a duel, it is becoming clear, to discerning minds, that there are only two, possibly three serious challengers and no more. Of these three, two currently stand tall.

“One is old and the other is young. It seems patently obvious, from the recent shenanigans that we have seen that President Buhari and his people would do everything humanly possible to avoid confronting either of these two candidates at the polls next year.

“Moving on, let me say with every emphasis I can muster, no candidate from the core North can compete against, and defeat, Buhari simply on the basis that they come from the core North. It is practically impossible.

“The jejune argument that PDP should pick a candidate who can divide the core Northern votes is either a joke carried too far or a deliberate decision to hand power back to the incumbent on a platter of gold.

“What the PDP needs urgently is a candidate who can explode its votes in the entire South and the North Central. This does not necessarily mean such a candidate should come from these regions, but it would be ideal. A candidate with cross-over appeal from the North East and North West would also do well provided he does not believe that his place of origin means he should concentrate his effort in that region or adjunct region.

“PDP should forget the pipe dream of competing favourably against Buhari in the North East and North West. He has consistently won overwhelmingly in those two regions. However, if President Buhari can be restricted to those two zones while opposition locks down the other four zones of the country, then the prospects of the opposition PDP resoundingly beating the APC candidate becomes much brighter.

“70 percent of the electorate are under the age of 45. Opposition requires a candidate who can readily galvanise a multitude of first-time voters. Nigeria is long overdue for a candidate in the mould of Barack Obama, an energetic and cosmopolitan leader. Politics as a game of numbers must be approached meticulously.

“Buhari has stupendous State appurtenances and resources to deploy, his opponent must have access to the similar armoury or have sufficient wherewithal to match the substantial resources of State and not be a scavenger in search of morale, audacity and finance. I’m not sure about what the third force can produce. I have expressed this publicly and privately.

“I think the toughest opposition can still come from PDP if it can rescue itself from certain interests and manage to pick a kamikaze candidate who is not docile and who is ready to fight all the way with everything at his disposal.

“No meek or lily-livered gentleman can fight and conquer Buhari next year. The lesson to pick from Osun, while litigation processes are being cooked, is that the next Presidential election is not going to be the stuff of conventional warfare. A serious opposition must prepare for the use of ballistic and anti-ballistic missiles. This is the reality of what to expect.”

BIG STORY

JUST IN: UAE Bans Transit Visas, Imposes Stricter Entry Rules For Nigerians

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The United Arab Emirates has implemented more stringent entry requirements for Nigerian travellers and has fully stopped accepting transit visa applications.

This was confirmed by travel agents on Tuesday.

As stated in the latest directives from Dubai immigration, Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 45 are now ineligible for tourist visas unless accompanied.

Applicants who are 45 years old or older must provide a personal six-month bank statement showing a minimum ending balance of $10,000 (or the equivalent in naira) each month.

Travel agents noted that this policy is expected to significantly decrease the number of Nigerians travelling to Dubai, a major hub for tourism and business.

The notification stated, “For Nigerian nationals, please bear in mind that an applicant aged 18 to 45 years travelling alone is not eligible for the TOURIST VISA CATEGORY.

“An applicant who is 45 years or above must provide a Single Nigerian personal bank statement for a period of the last six months, with each month’s end balance reflecting a minimum ending balance of USD 10,000 or its naira equivalent.

“Kindly note that the above points must be taken into consideration before sending your applications with other existing documents such as hotel reservation, data page, etc.”

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Dangote Refinery To End Crude Imports By December — Bloomberg Report

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The Dangote Petroleum Refinery plans to stop importing crude oil by December 2025, aiming to replace hundreds of thousands of barrels per day of imported crude with domestic supply.

A Bloomberg report quoted Devakumar Edwin, Vice President at Dangote Industries, who oversees the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility in Lagos, saying that contracts with foreign crude suppliers will expire, allowing the refinery to shift to sourcing feedstock locally.

Edwin stated that the refinery had previously imported crude from Brazil, Angola, Ghana, and Equatorial Guinea. However, he explained that “improved relations between the refinery, local oil traders and the government will result in a steady supply of Nigerian crude.”

The report noted that in June, the plant received about half of its crude from local producers, who will be able to supply more as their foreign commitments wind down.

Edwin said, “We expect some of the long-term contracts will expire. Personally, and as a company, we expect that before the end of the year, we can transition 100 per cent to local crude.”

Data compiled by Bloomberg revealed that in June, the refinery sourced 53 per cent of its crude from domestic producers and 47 per cent from the United States.

Edwin added that the plant is currently processing 550,000 barrels of crude per day.

According to cargo allocations seen by Bloomberg News, Dangote was scheduled to receive five cargoes from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in July, with the same amount set for August. Each cargo contains nearly one million barrels of crude.

Aliko Dangote constructed the $20 billion refinery to end the export of Nigerian crude for refining abroad and the subsequent importation of refined products.

The gradual ramp-up of the refinery has already enabled Nigeria to become a net exporter of petroleum products, despite initial challenges in securing adequate domestic crude to reach its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day. This led to the refinery relying heavily on foreign crude.

Dangote recently stated that despite a naira-for-crude deal, the refinery had been largely dependent on crude from the United States.

The refinery expects a notable increase in local crude supply over the coming months.

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BIG STORY

LG Polls: Speaker Obasa Charges Lagos West APC Candidates To Intensify Campaigns, Assures Of The Assembly’s Support

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  • As Lagos Railway Corporation and Ibile Energy Corporation bills scale second reading

 

Ahead of the local government elections holding Saturday, July 12, across the state, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa met with candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), from the Lagos State West Senatorial District at the assembly complex on Tuesday, charging them to knock on all doors and campaign vigorously until the very last day to ensure victory at the polls.

As a show of support, Speaker Obasa contributed generously to the candidates’ campaign purses and assured them of the Assembly’s unstinting support before and after the elections.

At the meeting, which was attended by all the APC chairmen, vice-chairmen, and councillorship candidates, Speaker Obasa urged the candidates not to rest on the party’s laurels but to maintain momentum and outreach efforts until the very last day of campaigning. “Engage with everyone in the community, regardless of their ethnic background or religion,” he implored, while harping on the necessity for candidates to actively supervise those assigned to manage their campaigns.

The Speaker also admonished the candidates to adopt a mindset centred on service to the people when they assume office, adding, “Your focus should be on serving your constituents with integrity and commitment, and you must have respect for democratic institutions and practices.”

Further, he proudly noted that Lagos remains unique among states in the country, as it grants local government chairmen a four-year tenure per term, allowing for more sustained governance and grassroots development.

The meeting concluded with a palpable sense of urgency and resolve among the APC candidates, as they prepare to take their campaigns to the grassroots, embodying the spirit of service and dedication imparted by Speaker Obasa.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Railway Corporation bill and the IBILE Energy Corporation Bill have scaled the second reading.

According to the Majority Leader, Hon. Noheem Babatunde Adams, who spoke during plenary later on Tuesday, the proposed ‘bill for a Law to establish the Lagos State Railway Corporation to improve Railway Transportation in Lagos State and for connected purposes’, seeks to provide efficient and reliable transportation services, and establish a Governing Board tasked with overseeing the corporation’s operations.

Hon. Adams, the member representing Eti Osa Constituency 1, said, “With South Africa leading in Africa with a 20,926 km railway network and Nigeria currently at 3,798 km, Lagos, as Africa’s second-largest city economy after Cairo, must take the lead in innovative rail transport solutions.” He added that the bill will set up a standard railway corporation comparable to any across the globe.

Similarly, the House also read for the second time, ‘A bill for a Law to establish the IBILE Energy Corporation’, which Hon. Sobur Oluwa, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Mineral Resources, described as a transformative one for the state’s energy landscape.
“If passed into Law, the corporation will attract innovation, investment, and reshape the energy sector of the State,” he said.

In his remarks, Speaker Obasa commended the essence of the bills and noted that when eventually passed into law, they will mark a significant advancement in the assembly’s efforts to modernize infrastructure and strengthen the state’s economy. He, thereafter, committed the two bills to the committees on Transportation and Energy and Mineral Resources with a mandate to submit their reports at the earliest possible time.

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