Politics
APC national chairman promises minority leader Abia Guber ticket if he joins party
At a special valedictory session to mark the exit of three members of the Senate on Wednesday, the newly elected All Progressive Congress chairman, senator Abdullahi Adamu promised the Senate Minority leader Enyinnaya Abaribe APC Governorship ticket for Abia State if only he will join the party.
The valedictory session was in honor of the new Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the Deputy National Chairman (North), Abubakar Kyari, and Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Hassan Muhammad Nasiha.
The APC chairman in his brief remark had capitalized on the hiccup in the Governorship ambition of the minority leader to woo him to the APC fold.
Abaribe, who is eying the Governorship ticket for the PDP in Abia State had been caught in the web of a zoning formula which favors Abia Central and Abia North senatorial districts since his Abia south had taken its turn in producing the Governor.
Continuing Adamu said, “Some of you are the best materials that this country can have but you are in the wrong camp.
“I was a founding member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998, I took the flag of PDP to Nasarawa State. I served as a Governor on the platform of PDP, I served as secretary to the Board of Trustees of PDP.
“They said it as if to remind me as a person who put in abundant service, nobody has asked me why did you break the bondage between you and PDP.
“It is in my heart of hearts those of you who are willing to reach out to the higher pedestal of life, our hands are opened and we are stretching the hands to you.
“I assure you amongst you there is the best Governor Abia State ever had, amongst you, there is a good Governor to be that is being denied, come over we are very humane, very fare, we play according to the rules of the game.
“So I assure you that I will continue to cherish our relationship. I hope and pray that you will see the light and come over to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Earlier Abaribe thanked the party APC for making the choice of their chairman of someone that the PDP has groomed and also the former Secretary of the BoT of the PDP.
“So we are happy. He came here as a PDP Senator and now taking over the APC to do a great job that Nigeria has thrust on his shoulders. “The bridge builder, we are very happy that you have also gone to show them how democracy works. “We also want to thank our dear colleague the Deputy National Chairman (North) of the APC. You have not finished your work here but we are going to donate you to still go and do your job.
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“Finally, my great friend Hassan, who came as a PDP, left again and now came back and to go back again – PDP, APC, PDP again, APC again – I dare say Hassan, wherever you remember your home.
Senators James Manager representing Delta South and Ali Ndume representing Borno North also begged the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress Abdullahi Adamu to protect colleagues by ensuring they get return tickets
The appeal came against the backdrop that many of the senators who fell out with their Governors may not get the return ticket.
Senator James Manager having the plight of his colleagues on his mind said “The first test for you will be, to protect those who are here, not me, because we are not in the same political party.
“Everyone is in danger in one way or the other. Yesterday (Tuesday), this place was very scanty because everyone is in danger.
“So, I will urge you, particularly the national chairman of APC, as you go there, please protect those who are in danger. You know how it is done. “Those of us on this side will be watching with keen interest.
We know who you are, we know what you can do. Try your best for all of us.”
Senator representing Borno South Ali Ndume also spoke in the same vein saying, “Now that we have people from here as leaders of the party, you have the responsibility. It is not about us, it is about the Senate.
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It is not about Ndume being a Senator from Southern Borno but protecting the position of the Senate or the representation from the southern Borno having someone that served from two, three, or four terms.
“You know that the rate of turnover is very worrisome. It is not because the legislators are not performing, we need you the chairman to protect the institution and this institution is made up of individuals with a wealth of experience. Nigerians are expecting a lot from the institution.”
A frontline aspirant for the National Chairmanship position, Senator Sani Musa (Niger East), said the emergence of Senator Adamu as APC National Chairman was the best decision made by the All Progressives Congress.
“We will stand by him, work with him and do all the foot soldiering to see that he succeeds”, he said.
Senator Albert Bassey Akpan (Akwa-Ibom North East) said, “Senator Adamu is a man you can trust any day. I am confident that APC which we thought was almost gone has got it right.
“I am confident that Baba Adamu will do the right thing. We will miss him.”
Senator Smart Adeyemi (Kogi West), said, “Senator Adamu is a political textbook of contemporary Nigeria.
“He is patriotic and God-fearing. Each time he speaks here, he speaks from the position of the law.
“I served in his Committee on Agriculture. You’ll know he is a believer in the rule of law. He is a no-nonsense man.
“Your (Adamu’s) emergence is a pointer that more people from the other side, from the body language, are willing to come back.
“He is a good man with a large heart who is a team player.”
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in his contribution, described the emergence of four members (serving and former) of the National Assembly as party executives of the APC as a remarkable development in the political evolution and history of Nigeria.
“That the National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman (North), National Secretary, and National Auditor are all people who are either completing their service in the Senate or were here before.
“What this goes to show is that the legislature is coming of age, that the legislature is now contributing to the political development and stability of our country, and we shouldn’t take this for granted.
“Even though the legislature has been the most disadvantaged arm of government out of the three, but I think it is rapidly developing”, Lawan said.
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.”