Politics
Atiku is cosmopolitan person, I don’t believe he will fail like Buhari says Alex Kadiri
***Advocates for rotational Presidency to be part of electoral law so that Ibo man can be President
Following the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Saturday as the Presidential flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Alex Usman
Kadiri, an APC stalwart, who represented Kogi East from 1999 to 2003 has said his prediction of another Fulani President in 2023 is gradually coming to pass.
The elder statesman had predicted that based on the capacity to garner votes, Atiku is the only politician in PDP today that is assured of at least 8million to 12 million votes even if he does not go out for the campaign.
He said every political party aspires to win the Presidency hence they cannot just give their ticket to anybody who will go and mess it up.
“About a month ago, I told you we are going to have another Fulani President After Buhari whether we like it or not and my prediction is coming slowly to reality assuredly.
“Atiku as a man has a broader mind than Buhari, he is a cosmopolitan person, his first wife is Yoruba, most of his good friends are Ibos or Yorubas, and he even has another wife who is Ibo. He has businesses in Port Harcourt, Lagos, and Yola. He is a well-traveled person, he is an enlightened person. I think if we must tell ourselves the truth he will make a better President than Buhari.
“Buhari is from my Party, I am APC but I must criticize where I think it is right for me to criticize because I am an 80 years old man, I can’t pretend. As far as I am concerned Buhari has been a failed President I don’t believe that Atiku would fail like Buhari even though he is also a Fulani man
On the clamor for Ibo Presidency, he said,
“My wife is Ibo, I have nothing against the Ibos, more Ibos come to my house to argue with me politically than even my Igala People. I have told them the story. Today, Tomorrow no party that wants to win the Presidency of Nigeria will want to give their ticket to an Ibo man because there is no Ibo man who can bring 10 million votes, in fact, those in the ring now none of them can bring 2million votes to a party.
Read Also >> 3rd Force Leaders Storm Asaba For Labour Party Presidential Primaries
“Look at what happened in the PDP presidential primary there were 95 Ibo delegates, and the Ibo man who scored votes got 14 votes so even among the 95 delegates. Even the Ibos didn’t believe in him. That is what they did to Peter Obi.
According to him, The only way an Ibo man can become President is not through these high sounding English and insults they pour on people, they should prevail on their representatives in the national Assembly to lobby their colleagues to put rotational presidency in the electoral law if putting it in the constitution would be cumbersome.
“They should insert in the electoral law that the Presidency of Nigeria must rotate from zone to zone, somebody from North East must be President let it move to South West, to South East, South South and to the North Central.
“I am saying this because that is the only way I can see an Ibo man becoming President of Nigeria.
“Yet they are full of insults, they believe they are more educated. Every part of the country now has educated people. Yes, they are better in business but governance is not business the way they are looking at it.
So if there is provision in the electoral law that says the Presidency must rotate from zone to zone, let each zone have five-year tenure, they can even start from the South East after these series of elections then an Ibo man will become President of Nigeria but let me tell you, the day we zone that to the south East they will kill themselves.
“How can Ohaneze Ndigbo say that no Ibo man must accept the Vice Presidency of Nigeria? Whether they accept or not the Presidential candidate must pick someone from anywhere he likes and he can still win the election.
“Look at the point I am making, the same Ohaneze threatening Atiku that he will not get any vote from the South East. They commit themselves to things they know they can enforce.
“How can somebody sit in Enugu or Aba and say that they Ohaneze will ask all Ibos above the age of 18 not to vote for a particular person, that is being Naive.
“Don’t they know that if an Ibo man becomes a candidate of any party tomorrow the Hausa Fulani can also decide that they would not vote for the Ibo man? It is not possible.
“I am saying they should amend the electoral law or the constitution whichever is easy so that the Presidency can rotate from zone to zone if not as it is today, parties are looking for those who can win elections for them.
“They are looking at somebody who can have residual votes to give them. If they don’t do what I am suggesting then nobody from North Central can ever aspire to be President of Nigeria because the Hausa Fulani will not vote for him, even the Ibos who are making all these noises will not vote for him, the Yorubas will not vote for him.
“Our people can only get to the Presidency via a coup and coups are no longer fashionable if nobody from North Central can become President based on the constitution or the current electoral law. So we are blocked.
“Now the south South can align with the Hausa Fulani and one of them can emerge. Goodluck Jonathan became President because he aligned with the late Yaradua.
“After five years when people forgot about Yaradua what became his fate?
So I will advocate that the electoral law should be amended through an act of the national Assembly to create room for the zoning of the Presidency from one zone to the other, turn by turn and in the process we should exclude the NorthWest and the South West from being number one or two, we can start from South East followed by North Central and them North East, South South before we go back to South West and the North West. We can not continue like this.
“Ibos can never be President of Nigeria by hauling insults at people. They cannot threaten anybody, all these their empty threats I tell them I will be 80years next month, you cannot threaten me to vote for you. You have to convince me that you can be President of Nigeria.
On the Biafra issue he said the Biafra Ojukwu fought for included today’s Rivers State, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Delta States. “You cannot go to Portharcourt today and talk to the Rivers man that he is going to be part of Biafra, you cannot do the same in Bayelsa, you can go to Akwa Ibom or Cross River and make claims on television and in Abuja here that you are fighting for Biafra.
“If you are fighting for the South East to Become a Country, then name the States that are going to be part of this Biafra. Not the old Biafra that Ojukwu had in mind. Those days are gone, those States are gone.
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.
READ MORE: JUST IN: FG Dissolves Nnamdi Azikiwe University Governing Council, Removes VC
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.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has urged Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to prioritize completing ongoing projects and avoid leaving any abandoned during his second term in office.
Ganduje made the call on Wednesday at the APC’s national secretariat in Abuja after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented Certificates of Return to Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Adelami Olaide.
Governor Aiyedatiwa’s re-election was marked by a sweeping victory in all 18 local government areas of the state during last Saturday’s governorship election.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Nigerian Beauty Queen, Chidimma Adetshina Quits Peageantry
Ganduje praised the outcome, describing it as a testament to the people’s confidence in the APC-led administration.
“I am happy about the landslide result. The election is not the effort of the elite and middle class alone; it is also through the effort of the grassroots,” Ganduje said. “Out of 203 wards, APC won 202, losing only one ward. This is a victory embraced by all.”
Ganduje highlighted the importance of continuity and urged the governor to leverage his experience from the previous administration led by the late Rotimi Akeredolu.
“As a deputy, you knew how projects were started by your late governor. You were part of it, also as a governor for 10 months, and now as a re-elected governor. For the next four years, you will continue,” he said.
“You know the terrains, geography, and physical landscape of all 18 local government areas. Use these insights to carve out projects that will improve the lives of the Ondo people.”
Meanwhile, Ondo APC Chairman, Ade Adetimehin, commended Ganduje’s leadership and strategic direction, which he credited for the party’s success in the election.
He also expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering support for Aiyedatiwa’s candidacy, despite internal opposition from some party stakeholders.
“We have finally killed PDP in Ondo,” Adetimehin declared. “Most of the leaders of that party have defected to the APC. With the landslide victory in this election, it is clear to the whole world that there is no PDP in Ondo.”
He further described Ganduje as a mentor whose leadership had been instrumental in uniting the party and ensuring victory at the polls.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, who succeeded Akeredolu and completed his tenure before securing re-election, has pledged to focus on delivering on his mandate and completing critical projects in his second term.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally issued certificates of return to Ondo State Governor-elect Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Olayide Adelami, following their victory in Saturday’s governorship election.
The presentation ceremony took place on Wednesday at INEC headquarters in Abuja, where the commission’s National Commissioner for Ondo State, Kunle Ajayi, handed over the certificates.
Biztellers reports that Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and incumbent governor, emerged victorious in the election, securing 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival, Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 117,845 votes.
Related News:
The results were announced in Akure on Sunday by the Returning Officer, Professor Olayemi Akinyemi, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja.
Election observers described the polls as peaceful and credible, commending INEC for improved logistical arrangements.
The event was attended by top APC officials, including the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, and other party members.
Ganduje hailed the outcome as a triumph for democracy in Nigeria.
“Since 1999, we have been enjoying democracy, and we always fine-tune it to ensure it is fair, free, and decent, so that it is the vote of the people that counts,” Ganduje said.
PDP Rejects Results
Despite widespread praise for the conduct of the election, the PDP has rejected the outcome, describing it as fraudulent. Its candidate, Ajayi, vowed to challenge the results in court.
Aiyedatiwa Pledges Better Leadership
Speaking after receiving his certificate of return, Aiyedatiwa expressed gratitude to the people of Ondo State for renewing his mandate.
“The mandate you have just renewed via your huge votes across 18 LGAs where we won convincingly has placed a burden on me to serve you better than I did before now,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa initially assumed office in December 2023 following the death of his predecessor, Rotimi Akeredolu.
N1.7trn Loan: Atiku Blames NASS For Worsening Nigeria’s Debt Burden
Musa Joins Jaiz Bank As Ambassador
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants For Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Others
Fans Celebrate Davido As Nigerian Superstar Turns 32
CSR: Dangote Cement Fuels Education With Support Projects At Lagos Schools
Chelsea Handed Injury Boost As Omari Kellyman Nears Return
OSSG Raises Alarm Over Murder Plot By APC Chieftain
NCC, SMEDAN, NAICOM, SEC, Others Set for SUPERNEWS SMEs Conf June 13
Sahara’s Tonye Cole resigns from GPHCDA
Oando opens ultra-modern petrol station in Lagos
Niger Delta Avengers: President Buhari Reads riot Act …considers the carrot and stick option
