NEWS
Whose President is Tinubu, Anyway?
By CHIDI AMUTA
Midway into a rather routine and very tepid presidency, President Bola Tinubu is caught in strange identity crisis. Politicians from across the nation are asking the president to define whose leader he really is.
The general public is equally embarrassed by what many see as an “anyhow “ government: no focus, no commitment, no clarity of policy and a harvest of adversity all over the land. Suddenly, no political constituency seems ready to claim Tinubu as their own even as he tries desperately to make things happen. To paraphrase his colourless predecessor, “I belong to no one …”, and apparently no one belongs to me. That seems to be the summation of the present state of Tinubu and his national constitutency.The presidential throne is literally on fire from every direction. The president himself is hardly loved by the populace. He lacks the charisma and personal electricity to attract the popular support that should alleviate his failings to be glossed over and make his blatant sins forgivable. His actual performance on the job is below average. He has neither the intellectual depth nor the firm grasp of national issues and the way out to convince anybody that he has a higher interest than just the fancy title and the benefits of power.An inchoate coalition of parties and interest groups is in the offing with an openly declared intent to oust Mr. Tinubu from his rent free quarters in Abuja. The regional interests are not disguised. The most consequential is a coalition of northern political interest groups. The entire norther political bloc seems to be united in the conviction that Mr. Tinubu’s presidency is not in their interest. They cite the declining security situation which has rendered the region dangerous. The roads are unsafe. Villages are being razed at will and their resdients taken hostage routinely by a motley of bandit armies who have defied the agencies of national security. The farms are similarly no go areas as farmers can neither plant nor harvest freely except by paying huge tolls to bandits to get to their very farms. Nor can convoys of harvested goods and farm produce move freely through ambushes and road blocks mounted by bandits.In a most unfortunate propaganda twist by the Presidency, the myriad problems of the Tinubu government are being blamed on the fact that he is from the south. Tinubu’s chief town crier, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, has just screamed out . For him, Mr. Tinubu is being troubled because he is from the south, a rather desperate but unwise twist to a clear personal political problem created by failings of the president himself. In other words, there is a northern conspiracy against Tinubu. This silly divisive rhetoric is being erected to characterize an office whose principal aim is to unite a multinational country. Tinubu was elected to unite Nigerians, not to create and see regional adversaries in his self inflicted political problems. Underneath this lazy and mischievous diversion is the assumption that Tinubu’s policies are in the interest of the south. In other words, Tinubu is now being vilified for presumably placing the interests of the south over and above those of other regions especially the north. What nonsense. The north has just organized a huge conference in Kaduna and ended up with a divided voice as to Tinubu’s precise political allegiance to the region that gave him most of the votes that installed him in Abuja. While the APC governors from the region insist that Tinubu has been fair to the region, the broad majority of free wheeling political agents from the region have disowned the man as a political traitor. Tinubu’s northern traducers point to an avalanche of grievances to make their point: Insufficient political appointments. Paucity of federal government projects and a general alienation of the core northern political elite from the policy making machinery of the federal government. As for the broad south, the picture is even more unclear and worrisome. The strategic South South cannot understand what hit them. Their voice in the Tinubu government is a mixed bag of a power drunk high and a thuggish low. The highs are Akpabio and the Wikes of this world and their variants. The lows are of course the Asari Dokubos and similar thugs. Until he passed on recently, the respected E.K Clark never stopped lamenting the relative emptiness and lopsidedness of the Tinubu government as it concerned the marginalization of both the South South and the South East respectively.Tinubu’s matter with the South East is a different matter entirely. For a man who as Lagos state governor ran an integral and inclusive government that embraced a number of Igbos, the present total eclipse of the South East from national political life is scandalous. The alienation and exclusion of the region from the commanding heights of this administration has been heightened by a certain undeclared political hostility powered by the emergence and prominence of Mr. Pater Obi as the nation’s lead opposition figure. From the presidential election of 2023 to the present, Tinubu’s body language and grassroot political footwork has driven a dangerous wedge between the Igbos of the South East and their Yoruba compatriots in the South West. At the present moment, the social media and the language of common discourse on the streets between both groups is dripping with hate and bigotry. No one knows where this will lead in the run up to the 2027 elections.In Tinubu’s own South West, there is a discordant tune. The rest of the country has no doubt that what Tinubu is presiding over is a virtual ‘Yoruba republic of Nigeria’. Over 98% of the strategic federal appointments and still counting are filled with persons with Yoruba sounding names. These range from the highest positions in defence, security, finance, internal affairs, oil, gas, internal affairs etc. Accomplished Yoruba sons and daughters who have shared a higher commitment to the noble values of inclusive nationhood are embarrassed by Tinubu’s xenophobic and exclusive pattern of appointments. And yet within the Yoruba world, there is loud grumbling that Tinubu’s definition of Yorubaland is limited to a choice of his friends from the Lagos circuit and the Ogun state axis from where he has appointed four cabinet ministers in flagrant violation of the federal character principle and the spirit and letter of the 1999 constitution. Yet the preponderance of Yoruba sounding names at the top of all strategic posts of government leaves a permanent stench of sickening ethnocitrism and decadent political myopia. Ordinarily, while expecting the President to have a more enlightened sense of balance and inclusiveness, most Nigerians will feel better if indeed key political appointments at the federal level minimally represent the broad spectrum of the nation’s diversity. In the present situation, the feeling of state capture by Tinubu on behalf of the Yoruba faction of the national elite is inescapable. Matters would have been somewhat lighter to bear if indeed the appointees were giving the nation a sterling quality of governance. Instead, the Tinubu administration has run the Nigerian state aground. Performance of key sectors is at its lowest ebb. National security is literally absent. Service delivery is nil while the welfare of the populace has been pulverized by an avalanche of taxes, thoughtless levies, tariffs and incoherent policy measures all of which have left a world of misery and increased poverty and frustration. Arguably, corruption and lack of transparency is at an all time high.Tinubu’s Yoruba world is not the universe of Obafemi Awolowo that combined the best technocrats and bureaucrats and even invited the traditional business acumen in the best Yoruba tradition to create a Western region which became a model region. Instead, Tinubu’s Yoruba federal republic is a hopeless land of corruption, incompetence, mediocrity and epic lack of capacity in all spheres. This is not the first federal administration to include a sizeable number of Yoruba elite and technocrats at the top. President Ibrahim Babangida had Olu Falae, Ojetunji Abayode, Bolaji Akinyemi, Olikoye Ransome Kuti, Babs Fafunwa, Michael Omolayole, Tai Solarin, Wole Soyinka, Maria Sokenu and many other brilliant and accomplished Yoruba sons and daughters at the helm of national life and the team delivered sterling quality service to the nation. I am personally troubled that Tinubu’s choice of Yoruba ‘best’ has devalued national service and now runs the risk of degrading the high standards that the world has come to associate with the Yorubas as a race. These people are associated with world class values, sense of equity, hospitality, accomplishments in science and technology, the administration of justice, democracy and the rule of law as well as art and culture. For this great civilization to be reduced now into the current Abuja rabble of office seekers, small thieves and pick pockets at the helm of the present administration is a crime that Tinubu should apologize to the Yoruba nation and ancestry for. No gravity of power grab can excuse this hubris by any standards. Indeed, Tinubu owes Nigeria an open apology for inflicting the worst stock of the Yoruba on the nation. Tinubu’s current quandary as to his real national constituency may end in greater confusion unless he is ready to rediscover the source of his original sin and redress it. That original sin is that he has failed to rise to the lofty height of the nation, Instead, he has spent two years struggling to reduce a great nation to the limited size of his stature, vision and politics. To discover his mission, Mr. Tinubu has to rise to the magnitude of his national canvass.
“As he delivered 13,591 votes to president Tinubu in his Ward 8”
From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
As the 2027 political activities is gathering momentum and with Presidential Primary done and dusted by the Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heneiken Lokpobiri has declared that Bayelsa state is for APC.
The Minister handed down this while answering questions from Newsmen after the declaration of results from the presidential primary election in Ward 8 in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa state.
According to him, “today is the presidential primary to nominate who will be the candidate of APC in 2027 presidential election. We started with the state Assemblies, then House of Representatives and Senate.Today is the nomination for who will be our presidential candidate”.
“As you can see, this is Ekeremor Ward 8, this is my own ward, over thirteen thousand registered members of the APC are here to participate in the primary, am not a voter, as a political appointee, the law says I cannot vote or be voted for, but am entitled to be an observer
“Am very happy, voting has been done and our candidate president Bola Ahmed Tinubu has won, the other candidate they don’t know and he got zero vote. As we are speaking here, the excercise is going on in all the 12 wards in Ekeremor LGA . So am very happy that this excercise started peacefully and is ending peacefully.
‘We are fully prepared for whosoever want to challenge our candidate from other parties. We have credible candidates to present against their candidates
“With me here is Barr. Tari-ere Joyce Gita APC candidate for Ekeremor Constituency 1. Hon. Living Mitin APC candidate for Constituency 2, and Barr. Berry Negerese as APC candidate for Ekeremor Constituency 3. While Chief Fidelis Agbiki is the Bayelsa West Senatorial District candidate.
“There is no any other parties in bayelsa again outside APC, the state is APC, anyone you can’t find here is a retired politicians. Anyone you can find here is retired.
“We are sure of victory in Ekeremor LGA come 2027 general elections. We are United, strong to defeat any other candidates from other parties
Am not aware of any other candidates running against Mr President, take whatever you’re seeing here, zero result for whoever is contesting against Mr President .
“We can assure you that the same thing is happening in all the,105 Wards in the state. Bayelsa is for APC”, he said.
Declaring the results, the returning officer of the presidential primary in Ward 8 Ekeremor Local Government Area, Ashanti Bekomowei said, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu scored 13,591 votes, while his contender Stanley Osifo scored zero vote and therefore declared president Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner.
The Bayelsa West Senatorial District candidate Chief Fidelis Agbiki and the three Assembly candidates, said APC will come out victorious in all the elective offices come 2027 general elections.
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NEWS
Tinubu Polls 277,192 Votes In APC Presidential Primaries in Bayelsa*A Restructured Nigeria Possible, Says Gov Diri
From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
President Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, polled 277,192 votes in the direct primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the 105 wards in the eight local government areas of the state.
Governor Douye Diri, who served as the state’s Coordinator/Collation Officer for the presidential primary, declared the results at the collation centre at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Yenagoa.
His Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted Governor Diri as saying that the peaceful conduct of the exercise across the state, from the presidential to the National Assembly and the House of Assembly primaries, showed a shift from the party’s “toxic” primaries previously in the state.
He stressed that no single individual could win an election without collective support, urging members to close ranks ahead of the 2027 general election.
His words: “As our party chairman already informed us, the party at the national level graciously asked me to be the returning officer and the chief collation officer.
“You have conducted yourselves so well. The exercise has been peaceful, calm, and in some areas more of a festive mood.
“To all those who contested and lost, you still have to be party men. I’m seeing a lot of them here, and that shows they are sportsmen. They belong to APC and they are going nowhere,” he said.
The Bayelsa helmsman stated that with the party’s unity and the strength of incumbency at both the state and federal levels, APC was well-positioned to dominate the elections.
“If all of these people here will go back to our wards, can’t we deliver? Can anybody beat us in Bayelsa State? It is a very big capital No.
“We have the human beings that know the strategies of elections. With our numerical strength and incumbency, it is game over in Bayelsa State,” he said.
Giving a breakdown of the results presented by the returning officers in each of the local government areas, he said Tinubu scored 39,454 in Brass, Ekeremor 45,949,
Kolokuma/Opokuma 22,593, and
Nembe 32,487.
The president also got 24,896 in Ogbia, Sagbama 46,283
Southern Ijaw 34,692 and
Yenagoa 30,834.
His only challenger, Mr. Stanley Osifo, got only five votes from Yenagoa local government area.
Earlier, speaking to party faithful and supporters after the exercise in his Sampou/Kalama Ward 6 in Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area, the governor said the APC remained the only party offering hope to Nigerians through the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.
He said while there were two contestants in the presidential primary, the president was the overwhelmingly preferred choice among party members due to his leadership record and national visibility.
Diri acknowledged the reforms undertaken by the current administration were painful but maintained that they were necessary as the country would ultimately be repositioned for long-term prosperity.
He also expressed confidence that the restructuring of Nigeria was possible under Tinubu, describing him as one of the few leaders with the experience, democratic credentials, and political will to transform the country.
According to him, restructuring remains critical to addressing the nation’s recurring ethnic, religious, and political challenges.
Citing Tinubu’s role in Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle and his involvement in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) during the military era, he said the president was one of the best-qualified leaders to champion the restructuring agenda.
Collation of the results was observed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner in Bayelsa, Isah Ehimeakhe, the commission’s Administrative Secretary, Mrs. Eme Akpa, as well as the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Daniel Iyamah and service commanders
In attendance were the Deputy Governor, Dr Peter Akpe, Senator Konbowei Benson (Bayelsa Central), House of Representatives members, Oforji Oboku (Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma federal constituency) and Rodney Ambaiowei (Southern Ijaw federal constituency) as well as the State APC Chairman, Hon. Warman Ogoriba
Also present were the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, his counterpart in Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, among other party stalwarts, stakeholders and members.
By David Torough, Abuja
The Senator representing Benue North East Senatorial District, Senator Emmanuel Memga Udende, on Saturday led party members across the district to massively endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the APC presidential primary elections.
Addressing supporters at the Ukum Local Government headquarters in Sankera, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes said President Tinubu’s administration has delivered significant benefits to both Benue State and Nigeria at large.
Senator Udende highlighted ongoing infrastructural development, improvements in the national economy, and the appointment of Benue indigenes into key federal positions as major reasons behind the overwhelming support for the President.
“For the first time in the history of Benue State, we have our own Senator George Akume serving as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). We also have a Grade A Minister from Benue State, the Chairman of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), among several other federal appointments. These achievements justify giving President Tinubu another opportunity to continue his people-oriented policies,” Udende stated.
The senator, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the immediate past APC National Assembly primaries, alleging that some individuals attempted to manipulate the process by producing results from guest houses and private residences instead of the officially designated council ward headquarters.
According to him, such actions were unacceptable and the purported results would not stand.
The “Ikuen I Ukum” also commended the people of Ukum and the entire Benue North East Senatorial District for turning out in large numbers to vote, assuring them that their trust and support for President Tinubu and the APC would not be in vain.
In his remarks, the member representing Ukum State Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, Hon. Engr. Ezra Nyiyongo, urged party faithful to remain united and continue supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the forthcoming presidential and National Assembly general elections for the progress of Nigeria.
While Senator Udende cast his vote at the Tsaav Council Ward headquarters in Afia, Ukum Local Government Area, Hon. Ezra Nyiyongo participated in the exercise at Melabu in Mbayenge Council Ward.
Bayelsa state is for APC, says Lokpobiri
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