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28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2022 By Anayo Okoli, Vincent Ujumadu, Chimaobi Nwaiwu, Nwabueze Okonkwo, Ugochukwu Alaribe, Steve Oko, Chinedu Adonu, Ikechukwu Odu & Emmanuel Iheaka. ENUGU—WHEN Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of People’s Democratic Party recently visited South East zone to meet party stakeholders, he was quoted to have told them that the best guarantee for the zone to get the presidency of Nigeria is to wait for him to win and serve out his tenure. Atiku’s promise drew the anger of people of the zone who see it as an insult and insensitive of him as the zone had contributed so much to PDP. Former Minister of Finance, Kalu Idika Kalu dismissed Atiku’s advice, saying the former vice president should not arrogate to himself the position of God who anoints kings. He said that it is the people and not Atiku, that determine when a South Easterner becomes President of Nigeria. “It is for the Nigerian people to determine who succeeds President Buhari to continue our democracy, restore peace with security and judicious equity. No one person, not even my friend and Turaki Adamawa can change this”, Kalu Idika said. Abia monarch reacts, says it's selfish, insensitive of Atiku. The Paramount ruler of Abiriba Ancient Kingdom, Abia State, Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu, Enachioken Abiriba said it was very insensitive of Atiku Abubakar to suggest that Ndigbo should wait after his tenure before trying to become President of Nigeria. “I don't understand what he means by that. I can't join issues with him. But this is the height of selfishness and insensitivity on the part of Atiku”, the revered monarch said. He, however, blamed South East PDP stakeholders who listened to Atiku without responding appropriately to his comments. “What really matters at this point is what the stakeholders told him after hearing from him. What is the assurance that the Igbo nation can ever produce a president with the North known to shift the goal post as it pleases them? It is now clear that certain people have shared this nation among members of their exclusive club. They move the goal post without recourse to equity, fairness and justice. We can only watch and pray. “I love Atiku. I would have preferred that he supports an Igbo man to lead Nigeria after which he can come and he will be voted by the Igbo nation as a hero. It is insensitive for him to ask Igbo to wait until after 8 years to be president”, the monarch said. Igore him, Atiku does not keep promise-Ndukwe. A PDP chieftain, Dr. Cosmos Ndukwe said Atiku is not serious, saying that he is a man who does not keep promises. Ndukwe, a former Deputy Speaker of Abia House of Assembly and one of the THE TEAM SUPERVISING EDITOR: Chioima Gabriel, Lagos. (08052201257) REGIONAL EDITOR Anayo Okoli, Enugu. (08034046839) Vincent Ujumadu- Awka Dennis Agbo- Enugu Chinedu Adonu-Enugu Chidi Nkwopara- Owerri Chinonso Alozie- Owerri Emmanuel Iheaka- Owerri. Peter Okutu-Abakiliki Chimaobi Nwaiwu-Nnewi Nwabueze Okonkwo- Onitsha Ugochukwu Alaribe- Abia Steve Oko- Abia Ikechukwu Odu-Nsukka. •Igbo Leaders Presidency: Would Igbo wait for Atiku before taking turn? •Atiku can’t determine when South East gets President-- Kalu Idika Kalu. •It's insensitive of Atiku, North always shifts goalpost --Abia monarch •No Southerner should vote for Atiku—Ezeife. •Just mere political statement; Atiku doesn't keep promises —Ndukwe. •Unfortunate, Atiku has courage to insult the sensibilities of Ndigbo--Imeobi Igbo. PDP presidential aspirants for 2023 elections, said what Atiku told PDP stakeholders during his visit was a mere political statement. “The statement by Atiku was political statement. Has Atiku ever kept his words? The statement would have been taken seriously had it been that he is a promise or covenant keeper, or if he is a personality that stands by his words. “This is just a political statement. This is what I call crowd chasing for him to get what he wants. Just like other politicians, they can kneel and speak good grammar and make promises that they don't keep. So, I don't consider this statement something serious”, he noted. He cautioned Atiku not insult Ndigbo by assuming the position of God and Nigerian electorate who alone will say who becomes President. Don’t vote for Atiku-Ezeife urges South Easterners. Angered by Atiku’s statement, elder statesman and former Governor of Anambra state, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife advised Southerners not to vote for Atiku Abubakar in 2023 presidential election. He described Atiku’s position as an affront to the Igbo. “The North has taken before. The South West has taken. The South South has taken and the North is presently in power. So, why can't the South East take? “I was chairman of power sharing committee some time ago when it was agreed that power should rotate between the North and the South but Atiku, as a Northerner, wants to take over from a Northerner. Atiku, as a Muslim wants to take over from a Muslim. Atiku, as a Fulani wants to take over from a Fulani. I think he is the real enemy of Nigeria. “In 2019, the entire South East voted for Atiku, he lost. But when we were fighting for the actualization of his mandate in the tribunal, he abandoned us and jetted out to Dubai. Now, he has come back to solicit for our vote again even when he knows that it is no longer the turn of the north. “So, my advice to him is to either withdraw from the race or be disqualified from the contest. His claim to be a unifier is now in doubt. Intact he should be called enemy of unity for attempting to take the power that belongs to the South Easterners. By my calculation, he has succeeded in destroying PDP and I believe, his time is up”, Ezeife said. Atiku’s promise lacks sense of justice, equity--ASETU. National President, Association of South East Town Unions, ASETU, Chief Emeka Diwe, dismissed Atiku’s promise as lacking sense of justice and equity and should not be taken serious. Diwe stated that Atiku’s promise implies that the PDP presidential candidate clearly lacks what it takes to convince the people of the zone to support his ambition. He noted that Atiku’s promise doesn’t follow natural justice as, Muhammadu Buhari, a Northerner will complete eight years in office as President in 2023. His words: “Atiku’s promise lacks foundation. It is baseless. It is too vague l Iove Atiku. I would have preferred that he supports an Igbo man to lead Nigeria after which he can come and he will be voted by the Igbo nation as a hero and lacks sound political logic. How sure is Atiku to win the presidency and hand over to the Igbo after his tenure? Such a matter doesn’t merit discussion because Atiku has shown that he has no sense of justice and equity. Atiku’s promise to the Igbo doesn’t follow natural justice. It is not justifiable. It doesn’t make any sense. Atiku doesn’t own Nigeria and can’t be promising who to hand over power to. “It is shocking that a presidential candidate of Atiku’s wants to run after Buhari, his brother from the same North is finishing 8 years tenure. This shows Atiku has no sense of justice. What does he take the Igbo for? If he loves the Igbo, he should drop his ambition and support one of the Igbo candidates”. It is an insult for Ndigbo--Imeobi Igbo Forum lashes Atiku. Imeobi Igbo Forum, a Pan Igbo socio-cultural group, said it was a big insult for Atiku to think Ndigbo can’t be president unless after him. "It is unfortunate that Atiku draws his courage to insult the sensibilities of Ndigbo from some unserious and selfish politicians parading themselves as Igbo elites whose slavish mentality is all about crumbs to pick for self and never for the general good. “The relegation Igbo are suffering today is because we embraced PDP with our whole hearts and souls. For rejecting APC is reason we are completely removed from important political and governmental spaces today. Now that it is time for Ndigbo, PDP jettisoned its age zoning formula and Atiku is contesting again to spite us. It is naive to think that after eight years of power in the North, Ndigbo will concede another eight years to please Atiku. The group said Atiku's promise was a mere promissory note which should be consigned to the dust bin, insisting that “for equity, justice and fairness, next Nigeria President should come from South East. Luckily, God has brought Peter Obi who stands head and shoulders above the other candidates in the race”, Dr. Mike Ikegulu, the National Chairman of the group said. Nwodo agrees with Atiku, says it is best option for Ndigbo. The former National Chairman of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo agrees with Atiku, saying that supporting the presidential ambition of Atiku Abubakar is the surest way for South East to produce the President of Nigeria as Atiku had always expressed his ambition to hand over power to someone from South East Nigeria should he become the President of the country. “If you follow the voting pattern in this country, no geopolitical zone can aspire to produce the president of Nigeria alone. We have Peter Obi running for the position of the President of Nigeria; we wish him all the best. But what other zones are supporting us? We need to score 25 percent in 24 states. My belief is that South East alliance with the North is the surest way we produce a President of Nigeria. Atiku has always told some of us who are close to him that if he becomes the President of Nigeria, he would be succeeded by someone from South East”. It is an insult to Igbo nation, a mere political statement. The National President of Igbo National Congress, INC, Comrade Chilos Godsent described Atiku’s statement as an insult on the Igbo. He said the Igbo have had enough of insult from the PDP and do not deserve any more. For Comrade Kindness Jonah, Atiku made a mere political statement, insisting that only the electorate will determine who becomes president, not Atiku Abubakar. “Atiku is of no power to realize that promise even as a President. Nigeria is heading towards restructuring that will certainly curtail the excesses of the President to lord it on Nigerians. So, that statement is democratically irrelevant”, he said. Look beyond Atiku-Ozobu to Ndigbo. Prince Richard Ozobu urged the Igbo to look beyond Atiku’s promise. Atiku, he said, sounded boastful and disrespected to the Igbo by that promise which he said is a sad reminder of the marginalization of the Igbo in Nigeria. “Why must the Igbo wait for Atiku to be president before getting it, this is not the first time such a political promise has been made to the Igbo. So, what is different in Atiku’s case”, Ozobu wondered. Prominent Anambra politician and political adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, said Atiku's promise could amount to another deceit. Obiogbolu said: “PDP was founded on zoning, fairness and national patriotism. That was the reason in 2019, the PDP ticket went to Atiku, a Northerner; Igbo people supported him thinking that PDP will protect their interest at the national level. Now that it is time for the South East to run for presidency, PDP threw the slot back to the North. That is a big injustice”. Chief Marcus Nwafor, a political commentator, said Igbo people have come to realize that politicians from other parts of the country are merely taking them for a ride when it comes to supporting an Igbo for the country's highest office. Chief Johnson Okolo, an Onitsha based industrialist, described Atiku’s promise is an insult to Ndigbo. He wondered why Igbo leaders did not challenge him. Atiku and Igbo politicians working for him should be ignored because they are not sincere. “I blame South East political leaders for the insult the North is giving the Igbo. We elect them into positions of leadership, instead of working for our collective interest; they work for the interest of the North. The North treats them without respect; they behave like slaves to the Northern politicians, thinking it is the North that will give them President, as if they have the sole power to make others president of Nigeria. It is time the Igbo work together and clinch that position; it does not belong to any particular ethnic group”, Okolo said.
Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER, 16, 2022 — 29 :Vanguard :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 2023: Ex-militants blast PDP, vow to support Omo-Agege U Association GHELLI—NATIONAL of Niger Delta Ex- Militant Leaders, Delta State Chapter, has said that the failure of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to give good governance to the people of the state was a motivation to rally support for governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and other candidates of the party in the state in the 2023 general election. The National Chairman of the group, self styled 'Gen' Figbele Joseph who stated this in a statement after their meeting, said: "the association has met today to critically examine the level governance in the state for the past two decades by the ruling Party, People's Democratic Party, PDP. "Having assessed developments at different ramifications to include, road infrastructure, education sector, Health, security of lives and properties, technological advancement among other sectors, in different sections of the oil rich state, we expressed dissatisfaction over the poor level of development in the state in spite of the enormous resources in the state. "The PDP in the state has done little or no encouraging jobs in the state for the past 15 years of former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and the incumbent Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa. "The said administrations have mismanaged revenues generated from our God's given resources, oil and gas which were enough to development the different sectors of the state but what we see today are mere substandard projects. "The meeting has considered the failure of the PDP administration in the state as a motivation to rally support for the Candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State, particularly, her Governorship Candidate, Senator, Ovie Omo- Agege, Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate. "This decision is as a result of his democratic leadership style and achievements at the Senate which has attracted about 1,000 projects, these include, Human Capital development/ empowerment, job opportunities, Political appointments, Provision of Microcredit schemes for traders and business entrepreneurs; and industrialization of Delta State for wealth and job creation where the youths will have enough jobs to do. "Others include; installation of Solar Street lights across the Delta Central Senatorial District with over 500 communities, Sea Embarkment project at Egbo- Ide community, Ughelli South LGA of the state, Construction of Storey Buildings in some Schools, Construction ICT Centres, Establishment of Federal Polytechnic and Nigerian Law School in Orogun among other developmental projects in the state. "In the light of above, the group with over 5000 members across the three Senatorial Districts of the state, call on Deltans to resist any attempt by the failed PDP Governments in the state to further seek continuity in the 2023 general elections and this should be done with the use of our PVCs against the failed system and cabal. INEC lists Tebite as PDP candidate for Ughelli North, South, Udu Fed Constituency By Festus Ahon ASABA—THE Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, has listed Olorogun Taleb Tebite as the validly nominated candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Udu Federal constituency, following his victory at the Federal High Court, Asaba. Olorogun Taleb Tebite's name is contained in a list signed by INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran- Anthony attached to a statement issued by the Commission. According to the statement, "the Commission published the Final List of Candidates for Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections on 20th September, 2022 and Governorship and State House of Assembly elections on 4th October, 2022 in accordance with the provisions of Section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election. "After the said publication, the Commission was served Orders of Court in respect of the nomination of candidates for Governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly Elections. "By virtue of the provision of Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the list of candidates in respect of the affected Constituencies is amended pursuant to the Orders of Court. "Please note that the amendment supersedes the earlier publications on 20th September and 4th October, 2022 in the affected Constituencies". It will be recalled that Olorogun Taleb Tebite had dragged Chief Solomon Ahwinawhi, PDP and INEC to the Federal High Court sitting in Asaba to challenge the substitution of his name with the former. The Federal High Court presided over by Justice F.A Olubanjo had in its judgment on October 19 declared Olorogun Taleb Tebite as the validly nominated candidate of the PDP in the party’s primary election held May 22nd, 2022 at the Ughelli township stadium. The court in the judgment, ordered the 1st defendant, PDP to replace its nominated candidate, Solomon Ahwinawhi with Hon Tebite Taleb Avwerosuo Okpako as its (PDP) candidate to contest the 2023 general elections into the Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Udu Federal constituency of Delta State. 2023: Opone commits his, Tinubu, Omo-Agege, others aspiration to God By Festus Ahon SABA — COUNTDOWN to Athe 2023 general election, the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate for Ndokwa/ Ukwuani Federal Constituency, Johnson Opone, Tuesday, held praises and prayer session for a peaceful conduct of the polls and for the victory of all candidates of the party at the elections. Opone said he was moved by his strong faith to ask God to grant the presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Delta State governorship candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, himself and all other candidates of the party victory at polls. Recognising the potency of prayers in all human endeavour, he said: "I decided to start with prayers because I believe that nothing can be achieved without God’s approval. "The essence of the praise and prayer session is also to dedicate my campaign activities to God as well as obtain His blessings for the contest ahead. The forthcoming election may be a tough outing but I believe that I will triumph in the end. "We have prayed and committed the campaign into the hands of God with hope that the exercise will afford us ample time to market our development plan for Ndokwa nation. "You know, anything handed over to God Almighty always ends in praises. I thank all party members and leaders, the clergymen and all campaign council members who were present at the occasion". Those who spoke with journalists shortly after the praise and prayer session opined that the constituency should expect pacesetting developments if Chief Johnson Opone is elected to represent them at the National Assembly in 2023. They reiterated that Opone is determined and ready to make any sacrifice that would fast-track the development of Ndokwa nation in all facets. According to them, Ndokwa ethnic nationality at the moment needs a dynamic leader who will transform and restore the glory of the constituency. Others who joined in committing the aspiration of Chief Opone into God’s hands, commended him for seeking the face of God. The event was graced by the Director General of Johnson Opone campaign council, Dennis Okoh, Secretary of campaign council, Egbuson FN, Ndokwa West APC women leader, Omolara Eke, Izuh Robinson and Godfrey Achi, Ndokwa West and Ndokwa East LGAs coordinator respectively to Johnson Opone campaign council.
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