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Governor of Ekiti state and loudest opposition voice to President Mohammadu Buhari’s government, Ayodele Fayose has said that his agitation and revelation about what had happened to the President was responsible for the return of President Buhari last Saturday August 19.

Vanguard reports that Governor Fayose was speaking to leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party at the government office on Wednesday August 23, said he stands by all his claims about the President be in coma on July 6, adding that he has no apology whatsoever for all he has said.

The governor who reiterated his call for President Buhari’s resignation, said: “If not for our efforts Buhari wouldn’t have returned now. Buhari is sick and tired and even his physical appearance betrayed this and he needs to go home and rest.

“Today, they have cancelled the Federal Executive Council meeting. You cannot hide the truth forever, it will reveal itself someday. You cannot continue to deceive Nigerians. ”

“Every word that has come out of my mouth before the President returns, I have no apology for them. President Buhari was indeed in coma and one of those who visited him said his recovery is a miracle that shows that he was indeed very sick. ”

“Let Buhari go back to Daura and rest. Don’t send him to early grave. Buhari is not old enough to be my father, my mother is older than Buhari, he cannot be my father, he can only be my uncle. I am close to 60. I stand by all I have said about the President. We are glad he is back, but don’t over flog him.

“I am not a sycophant and I stand to speak for Nigeria. Somebody must be able to speak on behalf of the poor masses. This was how they deceived us during the time of Yar’Adua. I am not a hypocrite and I will never be one.

“This country deserves a very healthy person. The office of the president is not for a sick man. The president is tired and should be allowed to resign and go and rest. ”

I have said it severally and without apologies. Everything I said when the President was away, I stand by them.

“The president actually went into coma and this was attested to by what one of the governors who visited him when he was abroad said that his recovery was a miracle.
When somebody’s recovery is a miracle it simply means something very serious happened to the person.

“Since the President himself cannot disclose his health status and also the extent of his ailment, it apparently shows that there is so much to hide.

“Not until civil societies and people like us started making noise. You can’t be our president without us knowing what is happening to you.

So, for me, the president went to coma July 6.

Today, they can come back and organise rallies and all that; they attested to the fact the President recovered by miracle which we are glad about.

“We are happy that he is back but when you look at the President physically, you will see that he is emaciated tired and weak. ”

You don’t have to be president at all cost, when you are tired. “You go home. I don’t want to talk about 2019′ but I want to tell you that Nigeria needs a president that is agile and strong.

“The job is too much for an individual that does not have what it takes. It is a common saying that health is wealth. Everything is about health. We wish him well and we want him to recover but the President should throw in the towel, resign and go home.

“You see they said he would come back and resume in his office, he resumed in his office, they said rats have taken over his office! A presidential office, rats took over his office! ”

Now they said he is working from home, tomorrow, they would say he is coming from bedroom. All these stories are ending up in a make believe.

“In a country where you have so much to do, I am not going to be a sycophant here. I am going to be on the side of the common man, the President is tired. I feel for the president like every other elderly persons, or even people who are not elderly. They could be sick. But when it comes to th e issue of governing a country.

“There is so much responsibility to this and we must equally be able to stand up and say if the president does not have what it takes to continue, he should throw in the towel. Asked if he would oblige if invited to see Buhari, Fayose said:

“I cannot go and greet the president if invited and the reason is that such action would be misinterpreted to be something else.

“So, it is good for me to wish him well from a distant and be able to tell Nigerians the truth”

Denying that he ever said he would commit suicide should Buhari returns home as being speculated in the social media.

He said: “I can’t commit suicide because of an old man. Such are from miscreants on the social media. Let me tell you expressly, why would I commit suicide?

“I cannot commit suicide because of my mother. Even if they are burying my mother now, I will cleverly stay away from the grave so that I won’t fall into it. I can’t commit suicide because of Buhari. I never said that and will never make such statement.

“Truth is that the pressure from me and many other Nigerians made the president to return home. They have been treating this matter under the table forgetting that the life of a president is an open book that can be read by everybody and anybody. What I am saying in effect is that it is in the overall interest of everybody that we have a president that is strong enough to do the job,” Fayose insisted.

BIG STORY

BON Awards Hosts Memorable Book Reading Of Do As You’re Told Baji

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On November 24th, 2024, the Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards organized a captivating book reading of Do As You’re Told, Baji, authored by the renowned writer Lola Shoneyin. The event, held at 11 a.m. in Kwara State, celebrated the power of storytelling and the importance of fostering a culture of reading among families.

Among the distinguished attendees were the First Lady of Kwara State, Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRazaq, alongside notable figures such as Wole Ojo, Cynthia Clarke, Chioma Okafor, Segun Arinze, and Kemi Adekomi, who added prestige and insight to the event.

In her remarks, Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRazaq highlighted the vital role of parents in fostering a love for reading among children. “Parents should cultivate the habit of reading with their children,” she said. “It’s not just about education—it’s about creating lasting memories and strengthening family bonds.”

The reading of Do As You’re Told, Baji showcased Lola Shoneyin’s vibrant and relatable storytelling, leaving participants inspired to embrace literature as a means of cultural and personal enrichment. The event also featured engaging discussions about the book’s themes, celebrating the depth and diversity of Nigerian literature.

This initiative reinforces the BON Awards’ dedication to promoting the arts, literacy, and the celebration of Nigerian creative talents.

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BIG STORY

An Aspirant Gave Each Delegate $30,000 During PDP Primary In 2022 — Dele Momodu

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Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation Magazine, says he regrets spending about N50 million to buy the presidential nomination form of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2022.

Momodu spoke in a recent interview on Eden Oasis, published on Sunday.

The journalist and politician said the primary was heavily monetised, with a particular aspirant doling out $30,000 to each of the 774 delegates who voted during the election.

The politician stated that he would not vie for any party’s presidential ticket unless he is adopted as a consensus candidate.

“Experience is the best teacher. I have come to realise that there are powers that you can describe as principalities that control Nigeria,” he said.

“Unless a major political party decides to adopt me — where you have a consensus of people who say Dele Momodu is best suited to change and to lead Nigeria. Then I will consider it.

“But if I have to pick my money to buy a presidential nomination form of about N100 million… I spent about N50 million to buy the form for the last one.

“N50 million would have bought me a property. It was a waste. I didn’t get even one vote because everything was monetised.

“One of the candidates paid as much as $30,000 per delegate, and we had 774 delegates.

“So, how do you want to compete with them? They have stolen the country blind and are doing all kinds of deals to make money, especially those in the oil-rich areas.

“It is not easy. You can’t compete with them. That’s why they insult Nigerians anyhow because of the amount of money available to them in raw cash. There’s no country where people buy raw cash like Nigeria.

“The bulk of their money is not in any bank. So, they are not traceable to any bank. So, they have the money. If today you say to some politicians that you need $500 million to become a president, they will find it.

“So, people like us, where will I start from?”

Momodu was one of the presidential hopefuls of the PDP at the time. He did not secure any votes during the exercise.

Atiku Abubakar clinched the presidential ticket with 371 votes to beat his closest challenger, Nyesom Wike, now minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), who polled 237 votes.

Abubakar was defeated by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election.

Bukola Saraki, former senate president, scored 70 votes; Bala Mohammed, Bauchi governor, got 20 votes; Udom Emmanuel, former governor of Akwa Ibom, secured 38 votes; while Pius Anyim, former secretary to the government of the federation, polled 14 votes.

Sam Ohuabunwa, a businessman, alongside Momodu and Ayodele Fayose, the former governor of Ekiti, received zero votes.

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BIG STORY

Nigeria Has Saved $20bn From Subsidy Removal, Naira Float Policies — Finance Minister Edun

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Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says Nigeria has saved $20 billion from “petrol” subsidy removal and market-based pricing of the foreign exchange rate.

Edun spoke at a ceremony recently held to mark the first 100 days in office of Esther Walso-Jack, head of civil service of the federation, in Abuja.

“An amount of five per cent of GDP is what those two subsidies were costing when there was a subsidy on “PMS”; when there was petroleum product generally for a long time and when there was a subsidy of foreign exchange. Between them, they were costing five percent of GDP,” he said.

“If you say GDP was on average, let’s say $400 billion. We all know what five percent of that is – $20 billion of funds that could be going into infrastructure, health, social services, education.”

Edun said these flows now return into the government’s coffers for further deployment to the aforementioned sectors.

“The real change that has happened with the measures of Mr. President is that nobody can wake up and their target for the day or for the week or the month or the year is to get access to cheap funding, cheap funding exchange from central bank, which they can now flip,” Edun said.

“And overnight, they become wealthy from no value added for doing virtually nothing, except you know the right people. Similarly, they can no longer try and be part of a new peak market and very inefficient “petrol” subsidy regime as a way of making money overnight.”

On May 29, President Bola Tinubu said the “petrol” subsidy regime was over.

Three months later, TheCable reported that Tinubu was considering a “temporary subsidy” on “petrol” as crude oil prices and foreign exchange rates soared.

After several denials of the return of “petrol” subsidy by the authorities, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, on August 19, said the federal government owes it N7.8 trillion for under-recovery.

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