Politics
Tinubu Ignores Arise News Invite, Goes To UK
Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress, departed the country on Saturday morning for the United Kingdom in advance of his scheduled appearance at Chatham House in London on Monday.
The news comes the night before the Presidential Town Hall Meeting that Arise News is hosting for the presidential candidates of the major four political parties.
Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party have all expressed interest in attending, but Tinubu has decided not to.
However, his campaign team has defended the APC candidate’s exclusion from the prior edition, blaming the television station’s anchors’ partisanship and bias.
The candidate’s absence was confirmed in a statement released on Saturday by Bayo Onanuga, the director of media and publicity for the APC Presidential Campaign Council.
The statement read, “The APC Presidential candidate has his own schedule of campaign activities and other engagements within and outside Nigeria. One of such events is his scheduled event for Monday, December 5, 2022 at Chatham House in London where he will speak on Security, Economy and Foreign Policy.
“Asiwaju Tinubu travelled to United Kingdom early Saturday for this earlier scheduled engagement. We want to reiterate for the umpteenth time that no amount of blackmail, intimidation and media bully and innuendos by the owner and management of Arise News will change the position our campaign has taken on this matter.
“We find it shocking and downright anomalous that Arise News continues to broadcast the participation of All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in its Presidential Town Hall meeting scheduled to hold on 4 December, 2022 despite our earlier statement that our candidate will not be available.
“We noticed that Arise News has also been running a campaign on the so-called constitutional duty of the presidential candidates to participate in its debate by dubiously citing section 22 of the Constitution of Nigeria on the obligation of the Mass Media.
“While it is trite that the media has clear constitutional duty to hold public office holders accountable to the citizens and its role as the watchdog of the society, there is no part of the Constitution and the section 22 that says a presidential candidate of any political party and least of all, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu must participate in Arise News Town Hall event or any media organised event at all.
“The same Constitution grants all citizens of Nigeria including, Asiwaju Tinubu the right and freedom of choice and association. The APC Presidential candidate has a right to decide where he goes and events to participate in as he seeks the mandate of Nigerians to be elected as the next President of our country.
“We want to make it abundantly clear again that Tinubu will not participate and will not attend the Arise News Town Hall meeting slated for Sunday, December 4, 2022 and any other ones it may plan before the February 2023 presidential election.
“We want to stress that Arise News has consistently shown a pattern of bias against Asiwaju Tinubu and we don’t consider the medium as credible and impartial.
“We seize this opportunity to warn our spokesmen and supporters to steer clear of this station over its consistent unprofessionalism and bias against our candidate and party.”
Politics
Gaetz Withdraws From Trumps Cabinet Nomination
Following his observations that ‘the momentum was strong’ Matt Gaetz whom 47th POTUS elect, Donald Trump nominated for Attorney General has withdrawn.
Biztellers reports that this follows his meeting with Senate and the feedback, which included two women, represented by their attorneys, who accused him of having paid for sex.
Consequently, Gaetz placed on record his full commitment to seeing “that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history.”
His withdrawal according his statement on micro-blogging site, X, was based on his conviction that “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle”.
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In is view, “Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1”.
Gaetz wrote, “I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition. There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.
“I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.”
His backers have promptly encouraged to take his seat in the House of Representatives, having been elected to the house under the flag of the Republicans to represent Florida.
Politics
Adeleke Represents SW On Ad Hoc Committee on Nat’l Electrification Plan
The Executive Governors from Nigeria’s South West have unanimously nominated Senator Ademola Adeleke as the chairman of the zone on the National Economic Council (NEC).
Adeleke is the Executive Governor of Osun State, southwest, Nigeria.
This, according to the Spokesperson to Governor Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed, transpired on Thursday, at a meeting of the NEC.
ALSO READ: Adeleke Flaunts Local Content Records, Industrialisation Progress
He noted that the meeting reviewed the state of Nigeria’s electricity sector and resolved to engage subnational structures to address current challenges in the sector.
“The meeting particularly sought to build on the devolution of the electricity sector and its movement into the concurrent legislative list which empowers state governments to regulate the sector in their respective areas,” he stated.
Consequently, the NEC, therefore set up an ad hoc committee to review actions in the sector by state governments and explore ways to ramp up activities through coordination, Rasheed highlighted.
The full list of members of NEC’s Ad-hoc Committee on National Electrification:
- Governor of Cross Rivers State, Bassey Out – Chairman, South-South
- Governor of Katsina State, Mallam Dikko Umaru Radda – Chairman, North-West
- Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya – Chairman, North-East
- Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke – Chairman, South-West
- Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma – Chairman, South-East
- Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang – Chairman, North-Central
- Hon. Minister of Finance, Wale Edun
- Hon. Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu
- Special Adviser, NEC and Climate Change, Rukaiya El-Rufai
- Special Adviser, Power Minister, Hon. Bolaji Tunji
- MD/CEO Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu
- MD/CEO Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Jennifer Adighije
- Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazak
- NEC Secretariat
Politics
ACF Pledges Support For Northern Presidential Candidates Ahead Of 2027 Elections
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has announced its decision to back Northern candidates in the 2027 general elections, citing the urgent need to address the worsening socio-economic and security challenges facing the region.
In a communique issued after its National Executive Council meeting in Kaduna on Wednesday, the forum expressed deep concern over the economic state of Northern Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, attributing the region’s struggles to flawed governance and poor policy decisions.
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The ACF criticized the Federal Government’s economic policies, describing them as detrimental to the livelihoods of Northern citizens.
According to the communique, signed by the forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, the policies have compounded the already dire economic conditions in the region.
The statement reads, “Arewa people remain at a great disadvantage, being already worse off economically compared to other parts of Nigeria. While economic reforms are indeed desirable, they should not impoverish the same people they are meant to serve. Policies must have a human face.”
The forum noted that the North faces chronic food insecurity, limited educational and vocational opportunities for youth, and a heavy reliance on small-scale economic activities.
“Livelihoods are currently dependent on micro activities. The region faces acute and chronic food insecurity; its youths lack education and skills training. Daunting as these may be, they can be reversed. The time to think big is now,” the communique emphasized.
The ACF also addressed the pervasive insecurity in the North, warning that the situation has begun to erode public confidence in the government.
“Security is an irreducible minimum of human existence. In this regard, insecurity in its various manifestations remains the most worrisome challenge of Arewa people, that has even started to corrosively undermine the authority of government,” the forum stated.
It condemned the government’s response to the crisis, arguing that the Federal Government has failed to meet its primary duty of safeguarding lives and property.
“That those whose responsibility it is to provide security will be saying they are doing their best is unacceptable,” the communique said. “The minimum duty of government is to safeguard life and property, and doing anything less is a failure.”
The ACF faulted what it described as the “flawed leadership selection process” under the Tinubu administration, claiming it has elevated individuals without the requisite competence or experience to key positions.
It urged the Federal Government to “review, reassess, reevaluate, and re-order the direction of its economic policies with a view to giving it the needed human face.”
Looking ahead to the next general elections, the ACF pledged its support for Northern politicians who demonstrate a clear commitment to addressing the region’s challenges and fostering national development.
“Notwithstanding the parlous state of Arewa’s glaring economic conditions, the policies of the current Federal Government have continued to make matters much worse,” the communique stated.