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Political Aspirants In APC Will No Longer Be Endorsed From Abuja — Buhari

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4 years ago

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President Muhammadu Buhari says political aspirants will no longer be endorsed from Abuja.

Buhari said this on Saturday after he revalidated his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in his constituency in Daura, Katsina state.

It is an unsaid tradition in Nigeria for ”the powers at Aso Villa” to influence the choice of political aspirants in party primary elections.

Buhari’s statement is a departure from the usual.

The president also accused the Nigerian elite of harassing his government.

Buhari, who had earlier called on Nigerians, especially the elite to be fair in their criticism of his administration, said they (elite) “are not interested in rating the competence” of his administration despite its efforts.

“The problem is that I will like especially the elites to please be reflective. When we came, where we were, the resources available from them, and the condition of the infrastructure. I was contrived to go over it several times to tell Nigerians that between 1999 and 2014, let them check with the NNPC, let them check with the governor of Central Bank, production was 2.4 million barrels per day and the average cost was $100 per barrel. So for a year’s daily production, Nigeria would earn having 2.4×100 dollars every day. But look at the condition of infrastructure, you know this better than I do,” Buhari said.

“I know I went to every local government of the country in my three consecutive attempts to become the President. You know the road more than I do. You know the condition of the rail, the railway is dead. Now look at it everywhere we go, what did they do with all these monies?

“When we took over the administration, production went down to about half a million barrels per day, the price collapsed. We had to do what is called a bailout, wherever we got the money from. Upon all the money from 1999 to 2014 we gave out money from the Centre to pay salaries. No, Nigerian elites are not interested in rating the competence but they are interested in harassing us with all efforts we are making.

Speaking on the essence of the registration and revalidation exercise, Buhari said his objective was to ensure that the party is returned to the people at the grassroots by starting from the bottom-up.

“No more crowning from Abuja downward. Let the people know this and appreciate it that they are in charge of their constituencies and they are in charge of the party. Without any incentive, they must come out and defend the party at any level so that we, you, and the party will feel secure and comfortable because the old-time of putting hands in the pocket is over because the money is no longer available,” he said.

“You, who are in the field in charge of your constituencies, you have to make efforts to convince the elites to please give us the due relevance and respect we deserve that we are working so hard with limited resources.”

Abdul-Azeez Adediran, a politician and founder of CORE Media Group, had said the nationwide membership registration exercise of the ruling party will curb intra-party rigging and imposition of candidates.

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BIG STORY

FULL LIST: Tinubu Appoints IBB’s Son, Muhammad Babangida Chairman Bank Of Agriculture, Others As Heads Of Govt Agencies

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1 day ago

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July 18, 2025

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Muhammad Babangida, the son of the former military President, as chairman of the revamped Bank of Agriculture.

President Tinubu approved the appointment today, along with seven others. Some of them will serve as chairmen or directors-general of Federal agencies.

Muhammad Babangida, 53, is an alumnus of the European University in Montreux, Switzerland, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Public Relations and Business Communication. He later attended Harvard Business School’s Executive Program on Corporate Governance in 2002.

Others appointed by the President are:

Lydia Kalat Musa (Kaduna State) Chairman, Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA).

Jamilu Wada Aliyu (Kano State) Chairman, National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).

The Hon. Yahuza Ado Inuwa (Kano State) is the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) chairman.

Sanusi Musa (SAN, Kano State) is the Chairman of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution(IPCR).

Prof. Al-Mustapha Alhaji Aliyu (Sokoto State) is the Director-General of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA).

Sanusi Garba Rikiji (Zamfara State) is the Director-General of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN).

Mrs Tomi Somefun (Oyo State) is the Managing Director of the National Hydro-Electric Power Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC).

Dr Abdulmumini Mohammed Aminu-Zaria (Kaduna State) has been appointed Executive Director of the Nigerian Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC).

 

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President

(Information & Strategy)

July 18, 2025

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BIG STORY

Buhari Never Wanted To Congratulate Saraki, Dogara After Emerging Senate President, Speaker — Femi Adesina

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1 day ago

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July 18, 2025

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Femi Adesina, who served as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, revealed that Buhari was initially unwilling to congratulate Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara after they controversially became Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2015.

Adesina shared this in a tribute to Buhari, reflecting on his early experience as the president’s media aide and the difficulty of balancing loyalty with professional duty.

He explained that the incident happened just nine days after he took up the role of presidential spokesman.

According to Adesina, Saraki and Dogara emerged as leaders of the National Assembly against the preference of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Although their emergence was viewed as defiant, it still adhered to constitutional norms.

“I told the President we needed to congratulate them. He balked. But I stood my ground. He said no, I also said no. I said it would portray him as undemocratic,” Adesina wrote.

He noted that Buhari later agreed to issue the statement, making only a small addition to the final version.

“At the end of the day, he reasoned with me and the statement was written, with him just adding one word,” he stated.

“Keeping to his word is part of the famed integrity. Argue with me. If you have a better point, I’ll agree with you.”

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BIG STORY

Road To 2027: Everyone Afraid Of Atiku — Dele Momodu Claims As He Joins ADC

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1 day ago

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July 18, 2025

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Dele Momodu, the publisher of Ovation International, has said that “everyone is afraid” of former vice-president Atiku Abubakar.

He made this remark while giving reasons for leaving the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to join the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Momodu also confirmed that he would be backing Atiku in the 2027 presidential election.

During an appearance on Channels TV on Thursday, Momodu stated that his endorsement of Atiku stems from a strategic understanding of Nigeria’s political dynamics.

He said: “Everybody is afraid of Atiku, and that is exactly why I, Dele Momodu, support him.

“The fear the ruling party has for him shows he remains the most formidable opposition figure today.

“When everyone is trying to discredit or silence a man, it means he’s the one they truly fear.”

Momodu previously ran for president in 2011 and took part in the PDP presidential primaries in 2022.

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