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Why ‘Progressives Governors’ Kick Against ‘RevolutionNow’ Protest

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*Tell Aggrieved Persons to Meet Their Elected Representatives

By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

Governors on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria have frowned at the call for revolution by a group describing the action as condemnable.

Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum and governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, in an interview with State House correspondents on Tuesday, in Abuja said “it’s wrong to protest in a democratic setting.

An organization called the “Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria” had planned a “revolution” march on Monday with the aim of bringing “regime change” in the country.

The initiator and lead of the protests, Omoyele Sowore – a publisher of Sahara Reporters – a popular online news platform was arrested last weekend by the DSS and may be charged to court.

Governor Bagudu said that the protesters should have waited for the opportunity to express their grievances through the ballot boxes in the next general elections.

In the alternative, he said that the protesters would have done better by following due process by making their grievances known to their representatives either in the state or National Assemblies who will in turn channel same to the appropriate authorities.

He said: “Any call for disorder in a democratic setting is condemnable because the democracy, as the saying goes, is not the best form of government but it is the best that we have, because it gives opportunity periodically for the electorates to exercise their mandate in affirming or rejecting leaders.

“We have just come through a general election in march this year where Nigerians embraced the leadership of president Muhammadu Buhari and he has been elected for a second term with a little more votes than they have in 2015. “Also state governors were elected in different states; a lot of them second termer and a number of them first termers and interestingly enough we have seen all kinds of democratic outcomes which hitherto what we have thought differently, particularly in a democratic setting.

“We have first termers defeating second termers and in the case of one state, the supreme court exercising their rights as the highest court in the land to determine what should be and it is respected by the government.”

The Kebbi governor said that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has done well having been able to manage the nation’s economy through the global recession even when the price of crude was at its lowest in the niter national market.

According to him, the shortfall in the nation’s revenues compelled the government to do more with little resource available especially when oil prices took a plunge from $140 per barrel to $27 when Buhari took over in 2015.

He noted that in spite the dwindled revenue and the attendant recession that hit the economy, the Buhari’s administration has been able to put together progressive policies with infrastructural projects being executed across the country.

“Rail-lines are being constructed, second Niger bridge is being constructed, infrastructural work across the entire six geopolitical zones are taking place, power is improving steadily,” he stressed.

The Kebbi governor noted what gets critics angry most remains the size of the nation’s economy which is very small when compared to her peers particularly Brazil an South Africa.

He said even though the population of Nigeria and Brazil are relatively close, Brazil 2018 budget is $657 billion, South Africa, with less population, is about $100 billion while Nigeria with her population of 200 million is having less than $30 billion as her budget for 2019.

Speaking further, he said that the nation could not attract support from the other parts of the world like her counterparts in Europe and America because it is located in the sub sahara.

“We are a bigger population, bigger economy but we don’t receive such money. Ireland, another European nation get support from the European Union to get them out of economic crisis in excess of Euro200billion. Nigeria is not so lucky, we have not received support of Euros10billion but ofcourse we have borrowed more, we have issued Eurobond,” he said.

Bagudu noted that even though the challenge of Boko Haram had been curtailed, there are still pockets of other crimes in the country occasioned by the the limitation of the nation’s economy.

Asked whether he sensed foreign conspiracy I the call for revolution, Bagudu said such has always been the worry of developing countries world over. Citing Amilcar Cabral and Walter Rodney, the governor said people have always worry about effect of foreign actors.

Asked to comment on the controversies that surrounded the suspended Ruga policy, Bagudu  said “The federal government did not request any state to provide land for Ruga, I am not aware of it. The federal government requested states that have Fulani settlements, like Kebbi, to indicate how much support they want so that we can have more hospital, water, veterinary services, school in those places.”

Governor Bagudu revealed that Kebbi State has over 3000 Ruga settlements in the state.

On agriculture, the governor said that the prices of food in markets have dropped significantly adding that farmers anticipate a bumper harvest this year.

POLITICS

SDP urges President Tinubu, IG to call Kogi CP to order

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The Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Tuesday urged President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police (IG) to call the Kogi Commissioner of police (CP) to order over his attitude towards its governorship candidate.

The Chairman, SDP Campaign Council, Kogi East, Mr Hassan Yakubu, made the call during a press conference in Lokoja.

Yakubu said recent remarks by the CP, Onuoha Bethrand, were incriminating against the party and its governorship candidate, Alhaji Muritala Ajaka.

He said the situation became more worrisome when the CP claimed that SDP’s rally of Sept.

29 was without police permission, and that Ajaka had refused to honour invitations for discussion and was causing crises in the state.

“As a party, we are neither comfortable nor happy with such a blanket statement of lies and indictment coming from an institution that is supposed to be neutral.

“But what the public should know is that we had police and DSS approvals for the rally at Koton Karfe, where opposition party’s thugs attacked us and ended up killing one of their own.

“There are videos on how thugs invaded our campaign venue, destroyed chairs and canopies even at the palace of the traditional ruler our candidate visited.

“But for the state commissioner of police to turn round and accuse our party with emphasis on our candidate is uncalled for.

“We are calling on the president and the IG to call the CP to order because we are no longer safe with his attitude towards us,” he said.

According to the campaign council chairman, the party has always been on the defensive side following series of attacks unleashed on its supporters even when “we operate by the rules and Electoral Act.”

He said the police must change its attitude towards SDP to enable it participate fully in the Nov. 11 governorship election and emerge victorious considering the pedigree of its candidate.

Yakubu argued that the party was sure of victory at governorship election and described the followership of Ajaka as massive across the state. 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CP through the Command’s Public Relation Officer, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, had issued a press statement on Sunday accusing SDP and its candidate of some infractions in the state.

“For the record, several invitations extended to the SDP and ADC Candidates for interaction and consultation with the Police to shed light, provide explanations and give their own side of the story on Petitions written against them were to no avail.

“His (SDP Candidate’s) refusal to deal with the police is undermining peace in the state, has been impeding efforts to stream-line and regulate political activities.

“It has in turn, greatly contributed to the pockets of political violence being witnessed in the State presently. His riding rough-shod and engaging in political brinkmanship and brigandage is an ill-wind that blows no one any good,” said the CP. 

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POLITICS

Edo Deputy Gov Shaibu Dedicates New Office Ahead Of Resumption

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Comrade Philip Shaibu, the deputy governor of Edo state dedicated his new office on Tuesday, October 3, ahead of his resumption.

A video shared online showed over 10 priests praying, blessing and spraying holy water inside and outside the premises as other voices can be heard singing hymns and other songs.



Recall that Shaibu’s office was relocated from the state government house after he fell out with his principal, Godwin Obaseki.


The politicians fell out after Shuaibu declared his intention to seek election as governor of the state after Obaseki completes his tenure.

This caused a rift between them as Obaseki did not hide his disapproval. He took several steps including relocating Shaibu’s office out of the state government house.

They have however settled their differences after Shaibu tendered a public apology to Obaseki.

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POLITICS

You Didn’t Submit Your UNN Certificate To INEC – Omokri Tells Peter Obi

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Former Presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has taken a swipe at Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour Party, LP, for questioning the legitimacy of the academic records of President Bola Tinubu.

Peter Obi had, while reacting to the university certificate issues surrounding Tinubu, said people should be honest about their qualifications, insisting that educational qualification is not even a criterion to be a good President.

He cited some American leaders who lacked good educational backgrounds.


The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, obtained victory in his fierce legal battle to probe the academic qualification of Tinubu in the February 25 presidential poll.


Tinubu had supplied certificates from the Chicago State University, CSU, to INEC to secure eligibility to participate in the election.

A United States of America court on Saturday ordered CSU to release Tinubu’s academic records for verification and in support of Atiku’s petition challenging the result of the 2023 presidential poll.

Justice Nancy Maldonado, in a judgment, dismissed the objection raised by Tinubu against Atiku’s request and expressly ordered that the CSU must submit the academic records to Atiku.

And on Monday evening, the records were made available to the PDP leader, although the authenticity is still being questioned by some sections of social media users.

But Reno is calling out the Labour Party candidate for even suggesting that there could have been a fake certificate somewhere.

“Peter Obi, Chicago State University, has backed Bola Tinubu’s certificate and stands by the legitimacy of his academic credentials,
” he wrote on X.

“Only yesterday morning, you were on AriseTV accusing a certain leader of having a ‘fake certificate.’

“Now, answer this question: Why did you not tender your own degree from the University of Nigeria Nsukka to the INEC?”

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