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Don’t Opt For Muslim-Muslim Ticket, Babachir Warns APC

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A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has warned the All Progressives Congress against picking a Muslim as running mate to its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who is also a Muslim.

Lawal pointed out that Nigerians are still conscious of ethnoreligious factors in politics. According to him, Tinubu would have been running mate to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), when the latter became the candidate of the APC in 2014 but for the discouragement of a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

He issued the warning while speaking on a program on Channels Television on Thursday.

Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the APC, had emerged as the flagbearer of the ruling party on Wednesday.

There are concerns that Tinubu, a Muslim, might be forced to pick a Muslim running mate from the North where Christians are the minority.

When asked if it was time for northern Christians allegedly marginalized to be placated with the nomination of one of them as Tinubu’s running mate, Lawal said, “I will answer this question in a roundabout way. A political party is in the business of winning elections and to win elections you need to get the votes to beat your opponents. The way I see it is that in choosing your vice-president, that must be paramount in your mind. You can have the best ticket but if you don’t win elections, it is a waste of time.

“So, whatever candidate we are going to choose, we will bear in mind that that vice-president will contribute to winning that election. How does he (or she) continue? It is either he (or she) is popular and can bring in the votes or he (or she) can bring the money that will help our logistics in getting out the votes, so we can win the elections.

“But then, there is also the requirement that you want to run a united country; you want to run a country where you don’t he friction in the society – peaceful, settled and everybody goes about their business.

“To that extent, you must factor in Nigeria’s peculiarities in politics. That is why, for example, in recognition of these peculiarities, the northern governors and the majority of us in the North felt that the presidency ought to shift to the South.

“It is not a requirement in the Constitution that it has to shift. There is no zoning. But it is so we can have a country that is united; that everybody can go about their business in a peaceful environment.

“It could have been possible for a northern (presidential) candidate to emerge. But then, you would know that running the country in that manner would have the southern part of Nigeria (to be) hostile to that government. So, we allowed it to shift.

“Now, extending that consideration to the Muslim-Muslim ticket, I have lived among the Christians and I know that among the Christians, the question of a Muslim-Muslim ticket is a no-go area. It is dead on arrival. Buhari himself, even at that time, had to drop this present presidential candidate (Tinubu) because of the tension of a Muslim-Muslim ticket. And we have not seen anything in the country that has changed significantly to allow that to happen.

“On the contrary, it has worsened. The religious divide has increased. Tribal divisions have increased. Regional divisions have increased. So, it would be a good thing if APC would settle for a Muslim-Christian ticket because we know (that the) PDP, that is what they would do.”

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Aso Rock Not A Party Office — Holding NEC Meeting There An Aberration — ADC To APC

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The African Democratic Congress has criticised the All Progressives Congress for conducting its national executive committee meeting at the State House in Abuja.

In a Friday statement, Bolaji Abdullahi, interim national publicity secretary of ADC, noted that the State House is neither a party office nor a private residence.

President Bola Tinubu presided over the APC NEC meeting on Thursday at the Banquet Hall of the State House. During the session, the party named Nentawe Yilwatda, the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction, as its new national chairman.

Yilwatda replaced Abdullahi Ganduje, who stepped down from the position in June.

Abdullahi responded to the appointment by stating that the ADC hopes the “appointment” of Yilwatda “might trigger a shift in tone, temperament, and trajectory for a party that has too often equated governance with propaganda, and power with impunity”.

He also expressed the hope that the APC would demonstrate “greater tolerance” for opposing voices under Yilwatda’s leadership.

He added, “We hope Professor Yilwatda will channel his high education and experience towards improving the democratic credentials of his party and its government, which, so far, has been marked by intolerance and what has often appeared like a deliberate plan to eliminate all opposition parties and foist a one-party rule on the country.”

He said it was concerning that the National Executive Committee meeting “was held within the confines of the State House — a public institution, funded by the Nigerian people, not a party office or private residence.”

He described the APC’s decision to host a party meeting at the seat of government as “an aberration that underlines how far this government has strayed from the foundational norms of democratic accountability.”

He called on the new chairman to ensure the party “respects the line — now dangerously blurred — between party and state.”

Abdullahi also highlighted Yilwatda’s former role as a Resident Electoral Commissioner, saying, “This is no small credential. It comes with a deep understanding of electoral ethics, neutrality, and public trust.”

He continued, “We sincerely hope he will draw on this experience to promote the sanctity of our electoral processes, rather than using insider knowledge to game the system in favour of his party, as has often been the case under the APC’s watch.”

He concluded, “In closing, we pray for Professor Yilwatda that may his tenure be longer than those of his predecessors and his exit more honourable.”

This is not the first time an APC NEC meeting has been hosted at Aso Rock. The ruling party previously held a similar meeting at the presidential villa in 2020.

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Over 4,000 Inmates Freed In Push For Justice Reform — Interior Minister Tunji-Ojo

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The federal government has announced the release of over 4,000 inmates from correctional facilities nationwide as part of its justice system reform efforts.

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior, made this known on Thursday during a meeting with Chinedu Ogah, chairman of the house of representatives committee on reformatory institutions, in Abuja.

He stated that the inmate population has decreased from over 86,000 to around 81,450 following a review process focused on cases involving minor infractions.

“The correctional service remains a key priority. We must uphold the dignity of even the most vulnerable citizens,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo praised the national assembly for backing the ministry’s reform initiatives and highlighted the importance of collaboration between the executive and legislative branches in achieving lasting changes.

Ogah remarked that the minister’s actions are in line with President Bola Tinubu’s broader goals for justice reform and national progress.

This federal initiative coincides with similar actions at the state level aimed at easing overcrowding in correctional centres.

In May, Halima Mohammed, chief judge of Gombe, authorised the release of 85 inmates from the custodial facilities in Gombe and Billiri.

That decision came after inspections by the state’s criminal justice and inquiry committee across four correctional centres.

The chief judge explained that the visits were intended to identify inmates qualified for bail or outright release.

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PDP Will Finish Fourth In 2027 Elections — Many Leaders Have Been Eased Out — Fayose

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Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lost its structure and may likely end up in fourth place in the 2027 general election.

During an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Fayose explained that the opposition party has been weakened by internal strife and the exclusion of its key figures.

“You know the situation of our party today, and it is in my prayer that the PDP does not come fourth in the coming elections,” he said.

“When I came here, I said the party was already going into carcass.

“Pretenders can pretend, but you know that managing the party has become an issue; everybody in that party today is doing to your tent, o Israel.

“Today, I am telling you the PDP will come fourth in the general elections. In most states, they are already compromised.

“They have eased out so many leaders. It’s good for them, but let me remind you, I was part of the G5.”

Fayose added that the PDP has lost much of its strength, pointing to the departure of influential members.

“In the same PDP, the presidential candidate has left, the vice-presidential candidate has left, senators have left, and governors have left,” he said.

He noted that although he was invited to the party’s last national executive committee (NEC) meeting, he stayed away because he felt sidelined.

Fayose also suggested that President Bola Tinubu offers the quickest route for the north to regain power after his tenure.

He referred to a past conversation with the president where Tinubu described the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the “shortest political link between the north and the south”.

“I recall he told me that the shortest distance between the north and the south is APC,” Fayose said.

“I could not understand at the time because he told me that after Buhari’s four years, anybody should be able to wait for another four years.

“So, zoning to the south by the PDP is good for them because today Tinubu is the shortest distance for power to return to the north.”

Fayose clarified that he has not left the PDP but remains open to working with any political party.

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