POLITICS
Tinubu to Buhari: Your Place in History is Guaranteed
The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, says President Muhammadu Buhari’s place in history has been assured for integrity, transparency and transformative leadership.
Tinubu stated this when he joined family, friends and associates of Buhari to celebrate his 80th birthday, on Friday night in Abuja.
He said the president would be remembered like Charles de Gaulle of France, Winston Churchill of Britain and Franklin Roosevelt of America when he leaves office.
Tinubu said Buhari had carefully influenced Nigeria’s history with a unique leadership style that is selfless, sacrificial and responsive to the needs of the people.
“You have been at the helm of affairs at a critical time in Nigeria’s history. We have seen a life of commitment, dedication, patriotism and honesty. You have done well.
“Our nation has seen the difference. The leadership style you demonstrated while reading your speech during inauguration, when you said dollars or pounds you had not, and even if you had it, you will not pay.
“You are a man of integrity, great commitment and exceptional humility.
”The nation may not at this stage appreciate who you are, as we know, but there is one thing, you belong to the ranks of generals who came at challenging periods to serve like Winston Churchill of Britain, Charles De Gaulle of France and Franklin Roosevelt of America,’’ he said.
The presidential candidate said Buhari would continue to standout among leaders for the courage he brought to democracy in Nigeria, demonstrating and supporting transparency and honesty in electoral processes.
The president was honored by family members and some close associates following his absence from the country on the day of his birthday, Dec. 17, 2022, in Washington DC, where he attended the US-African Summit, turning an octogenarian.
The documentary, produced and directed by US-based film maker, Ose Oyemadan, showcased the president’s early life, school days, military career, rise as Head of State in 1984, coup and imprisonment, release, PTF days and return to democracy.
The president contested elections in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, when he won and his re-election in 2019.
The narrative was driven by the president, and supported with deep and authoritative insights by his nephew, Mamman Daura, classmate, Sen. Abba Ali, close family members, friends, aides and political associates, including Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, and FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu.
Others included; President’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, former running mate in CPC, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Special Envoy to Chad, Amb, Babagana Kingibe, State Chief of Protocol, Lawal Kazaure, SGF, Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari and publisher/biographer, John Paden.
Speakers in the documentary underscored the president’s integrity, loyalty and commitment to national development, and his distaste for tribalism, laziness, insincerity and corruption.
At the event, which was compered by Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, tributes poured from the Vice President, President Buhari’s eldest daughter, Fatima Abba, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi, Oni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II and Emir of Kazaure, Alhaji Hajeeb Adamu.
Umahi and Amosun, who were in opposition party, PDP, told the gathering how the President’s warmth, friendliness and empathy attracted them to the APC.
The royal fathers on their parts, recounted personal experiences, and how infrastructural development had touched the lives of Nigerians, like Lagos-Ibadan express way and the Second Niger Bridge.
The night of tribute on the president’s 80th birthday was also witnessed National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State, Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, former Governors, Rotimi Amaechi and Adams Oshiomhole, service chiefs, ministers, political associates of the president, and family members.
The business community was represented by Aliko Dangote, Abdulsamad Rabi’u, Tope Shonubi, Faruk Aliyu, Nasiru Danu and others. (NAN)
Mr Martin Amaewhule (Obio/Akpor 1), the factional Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, has accused Gov. Siminialayi Fubara of planning to demolish the residential quarters of the state House of Assembly.
Amaewhule made the remark in Port Harcourt in reaction to the governor’s recent inspection visit to the assembly residential quarters.
Fubara had told newsmen during the visit that he wanted to acsertain the state of the facility for possible rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, Amaewhule described the visit as ‘unannounced and an invasion’ on the residential premises of Rivers assemblymen.
”His plan is to demolish the quarters the way he did to some parts of the state assembly complex in 2023,” he said.
The factional speaker said that the governor’s move was purely political because the Rivers assembly residential quarter was still the best in the country.
”The residential quarters were built by the administration of former Gov. Nyesom Wike in 2022.
”There’s nothing wrong with the buildings. They are in perfect condition. We have not called on the governor for any form of help.
“The governor’s undue interference is one that is unbecoming of a sitting governor who is supposed to uphold the sanctity of the law,” he said
Amaewhule further accused Fubara of always carrying out actions that were against democratic norms and principles.
”His actions show that he had declared war on all politically elected people in the state,” he said.(NAN)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the 27 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers at the Rivers House of Assembly can’t impeach Gov. Siminalayi Fubara, because they are no longer members of the House.
Mr Debo Ologunagba, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, said this at a new conference on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ologunagba said that the directive by the state APC chapter for the lawmakers to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor was in vain.
He said that the APC lawmakers had since vacated their seats at the House, by virtue of Section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution.
“The lawmakers claiming to be APC members lost their seats after their defection from the PDP, the political party platform on which they were elected into the House.
“For emphasis, Section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution provides that: a member of a House of Assembly shall vacate his seat in the House if … (g) being a person whose election to the House of Assembly was sponsored by a political Party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected.
“It should be noted that Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution is self-executory. The import of this provision is that the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who defected, have vacated their seat by reason of that defection,” he said.
Ologunagba advised APC to come to terms with the fact that Rivers was home to PDP and that the people of the state were not ready to leave the party.(NAN)
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
Senators yesterday during plenary continued complaining about their renovated chamber, with the Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Ali Ndume at one point describing the reconfigured chamber as a Conference Room.Recall that a week ago, bickerings about sitting arrangements led to a rowdy session which lasted for about 15 minutes, eventually forcing the Senate into executive session.
However, issues over alleged inadequacies in the Chamber once again took center stage yesterday during plenary when Senator Ali Ndume, through Order 42 of the Senate Standing rules pointed out that what was supposed to be a Chamber had been turned into a conference hall, stressing that was unacceptable. ”Mr President, I rise to make disturbing observations on this supposedly renovated chamber through order 42 that deals with personal privileges.”Since day one, precisely last week Tuesday when we moved into this Chamber that is supposed to have been renovated, there have been complaints here and there.”First was on sitting arrangements, followed by the echoing of voices by microphones that are not even audible. No voting device and the required facilities are not yet provided.”We need to correct all these anomalies for the Hallowed Chamber to be what it is supposed to be,” he said.Aligning with Ndume’s observations, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio said the observations were well noted and the point of Order upheld.He however explained to Ndume that complaints on sitting arrangements among Senators have been sorted out 99.9%, reminding him that the contract for the renovation work was not done by the 10th National Assembly.”This is not our contract and not even the National Assembly contract but that of the Federal Capital Development Authority ( FCDA), the landlord of the National Assembly Complex.”Observations on inadequacies in the renovated chamber are welcome from time to time for required perfection but what we should be aiming at in the long run is for us, as federal lawmakers, to have proper autonomy on the National Assembly Complex and not continue as tenants of FCDA,” he said.
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