Politics
Why Nigerians Must Vote For PDP In 2023 – Ifeanyi Okowa
Vice-Presidential Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor of Delta, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa has urged Nigerians to vote Atiku Abubakar and all PDP candidates in the 2023 elections to ensure that prevailing hunger, poverty and insecurity in the country were over.
Okowa made the call on Thursday at the party’s campaign at Oshimili North and Oshimili South Local Government Areas of the state, and said that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government had taken Nigerians many years backwards with its inept administration.
He said that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration had destroyed the nation’s socio-economic system, including the educational sector where the government allowed university lecturers to be on strike for eight months.
According to him, because God sanctioned my nomination for Vice-Presidency and put me on the PDP presidential ticket, He has finished the work for us.
“Aside the fact that PDP gave us the Vice-Presidential ticket which we have not seen since the creation of Delta and even Bendel, we need to work hard to justify that confidence reposed in us.
“In 2019, Delta produced the highest votes for the PDP in South-South and this time that we have been given Vice Presidential ticket, it is our duty to double the votes because the APC has spoilt Nigeria with hunger, insecurity, disunity, ASUU strike and that’s not what we want as a country.
“The APC has no human face, they are angry that we are empowering our youths and women with skills to enable them own their businesses and become employers of labour.
“If God put you in position of authority you need to lead with a human face and that is why Atiku-Okowa ticket will bring Nigerians out of hunger and poverty,” he said.
On the governorship election, Okowa said that the party was supporting Sherrif Oborevwori and Monday Onyeme because they were politicians with worthy characters.
“We have been uniting Delta by working everywhere in unity and as I am leaving, an Urhobo man is coming and I know that he has common sense and he is very humble.
“I have known Sheriff Oborevwori for over 21 years and God has been very helpful to him to have become the longest serving Speaker in the history of our state.
“We will pepper APC with our votes and we will elect all candidates of the PDP to continue our youth empowerment programmes.
“I thought that as we are empowering the people, the APC will appreciate us but they are complaining, and no wonder they are using hunger to kill our people,” he added.
He accused the Deputy President of the Senate and APC Governorship Candidate in the state for lying to Deltans that his administration didn’t do anything in Asaba.
“Sometime ago, the APC governorship candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, came to Asaba and tried to deceive our people that we didn’t do anything in Asaba.
“When I heard his lies I began to wonder whether he was referring to the same Asaba that we built roads, a modern State Secretariat , Dennis Osadebay University, Leisure Park, Film Village and Zoo.
“Need we talk about the Flyover and Interchange at Koka Junction? But I am particularly happy about the storm drainage project which has deflooded Asaba and environs.
“As we have done in Asaba so we are replicating it in Warri, Effurun and environs and so we have decided as a party to support a grassroots politician, an amiable and humble personality in Rt Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori to continue from where we will stop.”
The Governorship Candidate, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, on his part, said he had learnt a lot from Governor Okowa, and assured that he would deploy the experience garnered over the years to bear in the administration of the state.
“In politics there is time and seasons and the past seven and half years have been very awesome because I went through the Okowa political school.
“Those that knew me before 2015 and now know the difference, I have learnt to be more humble and I have also learnt how to listen more and that’s how I was able to lead the assembly successfully in the last 6 years.
“Many people have passed through this school and I have passed through it successfully and I have been given a certificate to take over the mantle of leadership of this state.
“I will consolidate on what Okowa has done with my MORE Agenda and I can assure you that I will not disappoint Deltans with the confidence reposed in me. I want to assure you that I will keep to my MORE Agenda because it is my covenant with Deltans,” Oborevwori stated.
He commended the Anioma nation for supporting Delta Central for the governorship ticket and assured that he would not disappoint Deltans.
State Chairman of the party, Chief Kingsley Esiso, said he was happy that the people of Oshimili North and Oshimili South were totally committed to the liberation of Nigerians from the shackles of poverty and insecurity created by the APC-led administration.
“I am happy and convinced because from the crowd here today there is no other political party in this local government.
“I am happy because the people of this local government have rejected the APC with their hunger, poverty and insecurity and this time around the PDP is on a mission to reset and rebuild Nigeria.
“APC came with their lies and propaganda and destroyed Nigeria and by the grace of God and by your support APC will never happen to Nigeria again.
“Nigerians have decided to join the rescue train of the PDP with Atiku Abubakar as the Chief Driver and Deltans are particularly happy with the ticket because since the creation of Nigeria nobody from the state has ever been selected to be Presidential running mate.
“But our own performing Governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta will produce the next Vice-President.
“Having destroyed our economy, security and social life, the APC is bringing a sick man to come and cure a sick country, we will not allow them,” Esiso stated.
Director-General of the State Campaign Council, Chief Funkekeme Solomon urged Nigerians to reject the APC at all levels adding that the APC had so deceived our people and rubbished the work done by the PDP over time.
At Akwukwu-Igbo, a former chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Mr John Azike, and no fewer than 100 members of the party, defected to the PDP.
Azike, who addressed the mammoth crowd, said he was joining the PDP alongside his supporters to support Governor Okowa who “is a Vice-President in waiting.
“We are also supporting the PDP because of the incoming Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, who has presided over the state Assembly for years without any crisis,” he stated.
Politics
Nigeria’s Debt Service Ratio Falls To 65% As Tinubu Tackles Economic Woes
In an effort to reduce Nigeria’s debt burden and stabilize the economy, President Bola Tinubu announced on Monday that the country’s debt service-to-revenue ratio has fallen from 97 to 65 percent over the 17 months since he took office.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for seven new ministers at the State House, Abuja, Tinubu emphasized the government’s progress in stabilizing the economy despite challenging conditions.
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“For us, it was a challenge when the nation was servicing its debt with 97 percent of its revenue. It was nothing but the edge of the cliff,” Tinubu said.
“But today, I can report to you that we have brought that down to 65 percent, and we have never defaulted in meeting all obligations, both foreign and domestic.”
His remarks follow Afreximbank’s recent projection that Nigeria’s debt service-to-revenue ratio could reach 110.4 percent by 2024.
Afreximbank’s 2024 Nigeria Country Brief warned of a troubling upward trend in debt servicing, which could see the ratio surge from 33.8 percent in 2017 to a projected 110.4 percent next year.
However, with continued reforms, the report suggested the ratio might decline to 62.6 percent by 2025.
In the first nine months of 2023, debt servicing consumed 66.9 percent (₦5.79 trillion) of Nigeria’s total revenue, a slight improvement from 99.3 percent (₦4.23 trillion) during the same period in 2022.
Tinubu, while optimistic about economic recovery, acknowledged the ongoing struggles faced by Nigerians due to a sharp increase in the cost of living triggered by recent economic reforms.
“We have taken the bull by the horns,” the President asserted. “We have stopped the scavengers. We will fully put an end to the profiteers and smugglers of our resources across the country. We are not shirking our responsibility; we are confronting it head-on.”
He further expressed confidence that Nigeria was on a “good path” toward recovery, emphasizing that the government remains committed to re-engineering the economy.
He cited the introduction of a new minimum wage as one measure aimed at mitigating rising living costs.
Monday’s ceremony also saw the swearing-in of seven new ministers, part of a recent cabinet reshuffle.
In two batches, ministers including Idi Maiha (Livestock Development) and Dr Jumoke Oduwole (Industry, Trade, and Investment) took their oaths.
The reshuffle, which saw 10 ministers reassigned, five discharged, and seven new appointments confirmed by the Senate, reflects Tinubu’s stated commitment to reshaping his cabinet to meet Nigeria’s evolving challenges.
As the administration continues to implement reforms, President Tinubu emphasized a long-term vision for economic sustainability, not only for the current generation but also for future ones.
“Despite the challenges, we must undertake the job of re-engineering and retooling this country’s economic path,” he said.
Politics
Edo Deputy Gov, Omobayo Ordered To Court Over Refusal To Vacate Office
A Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated that Godwins Omobayo, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, appear in person on November 26, 2024, following allegations of contempt of court stemming from his failure to comply with a previous ruling.
Justice James Omotosho issued the order on Monday, asserting that Omobayo, described as the alleged contemnor, must be afforded a fair hearing in accordance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
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The court action was initiated by Philip Shaibu, who was reinstated as Deputy Governor after the court invalidated his impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly on July 17.
Justice Omotosho ruled that the impeachment proceedings lacked due process and that the grounds for Shaibu’s removal did not constitute gross misconduct.
Shaibu’s suit targets several parties, including the Inspector-General of Police and the Edo State House of Assembly, seeking enforcement of the court’s judgment and demanding that Omobayo vacate the deputy governorship position.
Omobayo assumed office on April 8, following Shaibu’s impeachment.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Omobayo was served legal documents but failed to appear.
In response, Shaibu’s attorney, Ayotunde Ogunleye, SAN, urged the court to compel Omobayo’s attendance, citing the need to uphold judicial authority.
In delivering his ruling, Justice Omotosho adjourned the case until November 26 for further proceedings.
He directed that hearing notices be served to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th defendants involved in the charge.
“In the interest of justice and to provide the alleged contemnor with an opportunity to defend himself and receive a fair hearing, in accordance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I hereby order that the alleged contemnor appear in court in person on November 26, 2024,” the judge stated.
It is noteworthy that the current tenure of the state government is set to conclude on November 12.
Politics
Presidency Fires Back At Atiku
On the heels of the salvo fired by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria’s 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, signalling what might be a long-drawn hot exchange of words, the Presidency has made what it called ‘our initial response to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’.
This was contained in a statement put out on micro-blogging site, X, Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), Bayo Onanuga.
The former vice president had detailed the shortcomings of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, making efforts to detail what he would have done differently, that would have better results for Nigeria.
In a swift response, the Presidency countered that Atiku and his ideas “were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll”, based on his antecedents.
The statement reads, “OUR INITIAL RESPONSE TO ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR
“We have just read a statement credited to former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in which he tried to discredit President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform programmes while pushing his untested agenda as a better alternative.
“First, Alhaji Atiku’s ideas, which lacked details, were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll.
“If he had won the election, we believe he would have plunged Nigeria into a worse situation or run a regime of cronyism.
“Abubakar lost the election partly because he vowed to sell the NNPC and other assets to his friends. Nigerians have not forgotten this, nor would they be comforted by Atiku’s antecedents when he ran the economy in the first term of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government between 1999 and 2003.
“As vice president, Atiku supervised a questionable privatisation programme. He and his boss demonstrated a lack of faith in our educational system, and both went to establish their universities while they allowed ours to flounder.
“Talk is cheap. It is easy to pontificate and deride a rival’s programmes even when there are irrefutable indices that the economic reforms yield positives despite the temporary difficulties.
“Despite the futile attempt to hoodwink Nigerians again in his statement, it is gratifying that the former Vice President could not repudiate the economic reforms pursued by the Tinubu administration because they are the right things to do.
“His advocacy for a gradualist approach only showed that he was not in tune with the enormity of problems inherited by President Tinubu.
“It is so easy to paint a flowery to-do list. It is expected of an election loser.
“President Tinubu met a country facing several grave challenges. Fuel subsidies were siphoning away enormous resources we could ill afford, and there was criminal arbitrage in the forex market.
“No leader worth his name will allow these two economic disorders to persist without moving to end them surgically.
“While advocating for gradual reforms may sound appealing, Tinubu took measures that should have been taken decades ago by Alhaji Abubakar and his boss when they had the opportunity.
“Alhaji Abubakar calls for empathy and a human face to reforms. We have no problem with this as it resonates well with our administration’s focus. President Tinubu has consistently emphasised the need for compassion and protection of the most vulnerable.
“The administration has prioritised social safety nets and targeted support for those affected by recent economic transitions.”