News

I Didn’t Beg to be VP, I Can Leave at Short Notice – Osinbajo

Published

8 years ago

May 17, 2018

Eric

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday night said he would rather vacate his office as the nation’s Number Two man than compromise his Christian faith.

Osinbajo stated this while responding to posers raised by some Christian leaders at the stakeholders’ meeting held at the new Banquet Hall of the Benue State Government House, Makurdi.

He said under no circumstances would he give up his faith but would rather vacate his position as the nation’s Vice-President at the slightest attempt to cause him to abandon his Christian virtues.

One of the speakers, the Catholic Bishop of Gboko, His Lordship, Williams Avenya, had reminded Osinbajo of the then-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign promises that he would not Islamise the country and would protect the interest of all Nigerians including citizens of minority ethnic groups if voted into power.

Quoting Buhari, the bishop said, “My deputy is a Christian and there is no way I will Islamise Nigeria with many Christians in my team.”

Avenya noted that the killing of Christians and members of the minority ethnic group particularly in Benue State had proved that the Federal Government under Buhari was not living up to these promises.

Facing Osinbajo, the bishop said, “The point I’m trying to make is that a day is going to come when you, as the Vice-President, will bear the brunt of that problem of injustices in our land, especially those perpetrated on smaller ethnic groups that have no one to fight for them.

“So, as a Christian person, exonerate yourself from this situation,” the bishop advised the VP.

Responding, the vice-president said, “My Lord Bishop, you said you are not a politician, I am also not a politician. As a matter of fact, I’m also a priest and I’m a Christian, a born again Christian. Because I’m a born again Christian, my destiny is not determined by any man but by God who I serve.

“Let me assure you that under no circumstances, none whatsoever, will I give up my faith or refuse to stand up for my faith.

“You can take that to the bank. Even the position that I currently occupy, I did not ask for it and I’m prepared to leave it at a short notice.

“It doesn’t mean anything. I became a born again Christian after I became a professor, a professor of the law of evidence, a professor of proof.

“But when the Lord Jesus Christ met me, He persuaded me by showing me clearly that there is such a thing as the evidence of things that are not seen.

“It is because of the evidence of things that are not seen, it is because you can make something out of nothing that I stand here today as Vice-President.

“How possible can anyone say that the killing of women and children doesn’t matter because he is Vice-President or because he is President? How is that possible? Certainly, it cannot be for a person who is born again. A renewed mind will know that there is justice, there is consequence even if there is no justice here on earth.”

The Vice-President, while reacting to the issue raised by another speaker, Dr. Magdalene Dura, that the invasion of the state was an ethnic agenda, said no one would deliberately kill his own people.

“I do not accept and I do not believe that there is an agenda. No one will deliberately kill his own people. No one will do so. But we cannot bring back the dead but we can make life more bearable for the living.

“This is why coming here today at the behest of the President is first, to look at the situation myself, to get a first-hand view of the situation because the President has mandated me to take this on board and deal with the issues,” Osinbajo added.

In his remark, Governor Samuel Ortom appealed to the Federal Government to ensure that peace reign in his state.

The governor said that the killing of the two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners could have caused a religious crisis but for the prompt action of his administration.

He appreciated the Federal Government for deploying more troops in the state as well as releasing funds for control of flood.

The Punch

News

Jigawa ADC Receives Defecters from APC, NNPP, PDP

Published

8 hours ago

April 6, 2026

Eric

A wave of defections has hit the All Progressives Congress, the New Nigeria People’s Party, and the Peoples Democratic Party in Jigawa State, as politicians and supporters defected to the African Democratic Congress.

On Sunday, Dutse, the Jigawa State capital witnessed a large turnout of supporters and politicians during a mass gathering to formally receive a two-term senator representing Jigawa South-West Senatorial District, Senator Sabo Nakudu, who joined the ADC alongside other defectors.

Nakudu, accompanied by other politicians from across the state, was received by ADC leaders and supporters.

The former senator, who chaired the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) in the 9th Assembly, resigned from the APC on Friday and joined the ADC on Sunday.

Speaking after receiving his ADC membership card, Nakudu said, “I am grateful to my supporters for turning out en masse to receive me into my new party,” adding, “I promise to work towards a greater Jigawa and the country at large.”

Nakudu, who contested against Governor Umar Namadi during the 2023 APC governorship primaries, is expected to run for governor on the ADC platform in 2027.

Sources close to him said he has begun consultations with key stakeholders in the state.

Another prominent figure linked to the ADC is Aminu Ringim, a three-time governorship candidate in Jigawa State under the PDP (2015, 2019) and NNPP (2023).

Ringim, described as a protégé of former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, said he would soon formally join the ADC at a similar event in his hometown.

Also present at the event was Senator Ubale Shittu, a political figure who previously represented Jigawa North-East Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly on the PDP platform before later moving to the APC.

Earlier, the Jigawa State ADC coordinator, Ahmad Gumel, welcomed Nakudu and other defectors, describing the development as a boost to the party.

He said the defections reflected the party’s growing popularity in the state and praised Nakudu’s experience as an asset.

Similarly, ADC chieftain Bashir Jumbo welcomed the new members, saying, “We pledge equal opportunities within the party structure.”

He urged party members to work towards unity, adding, “We must take over power in 2027 by the grace of God.”

Reacting, the PDP Public Relations Officer in the state, Umar Kyari, dismissed the defections, saying they did not involve key members of the party.

“They’re just a group of political jokers seeking relevance,” he told our correspondent via telephone on Monday.

Kyari challenged the ADC to test its popularity at the polls.

“If they want to test their power, come out and contest — we’ll show them what politics is,” he said.

Also reacting, the APC spokesperson in the state, Bashir Kundu, downplayed the development, describing the defectors as driven by personal interests.

“They’re chasing personal interests, not the public good,” he said.

Kundu added that Namadi’s performance would continue to attract support, expressing confidence that more politicians would join the APC.

News

‘ADC Membership Hits 500,000 after INEC Derecognition of Leadership’

Published

16 hours ago

April 6, 2026

Eric

The African Democratic Congress has recorded a surge in new members following the Independent National Electoral Commission’s decision to delist Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as national chairman and national secretary of the party.

ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, revealed in a statement on his X account on Sunday that the party’s membership “had grown from over 40,000 registrations on April 2 to more than 500,000 new Nigerians joining between April 1 and today.”

INEC, through its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, announced the delisting on April 1, citing a court order that directed the commission to maintain the status quo pending a suit challenging the legality of Mark’s leadership.

The commission removed Mark and Aregbesola from its portal and said it would not recognise Nafiu Bala Gombe, who had approached the court seeking to be declared national chairman.

Haruna explained that INEC had received conflicting legal demands from opposing camps, including a cautionary letter from Suleiman Usman SAN & Co. advising against recognising Gombe, and a counter-letter from Summit Law Chambers requesting enforcement of the Court of Appeal judgment affirming Gombe’s position.

Reacting to the development, Abdullahi and his Peoples Democratic Party counterpart, Ini Ememobong, insisted the development was “a calculated attempt to undermine democratic structures,” and urged supporters to mobilise in defence of democratic principles.

News

Yusuf Tuggar Resigns As Foreign Affairs Minister

Published

1 week ago

March 30, 2026

Eric

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has resigned.

Tuggar’s resignation was confirmed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, on Monday.

The minister’s action followed the directive of President Bola Tinubu to all political appointees in his administration who intend to contest elective positions in the 2027 elections to resign from their posts on or before March 31.

The president had hinged his decision on Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 and the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for party primaries ahead of the 2027 polls.

Tuggar’s resignation comes amid the speculation of his interest in contesting the 2027 Bauchi State governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He is a seasoned diplomat, policymaker, and political figure who was appointed as minister by Bola Ahmed Tinubu in August 2023.

Born on March 12, 1967, he has built a distinguished career spanning diplomacy, politics, energy, and strategic consulting.

He is widely regarded for his role in shaping Nigeria’s global engagement and advancing its foreign policy priorities.

His political career includes serving as a member of the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011, representing the Gamawa Constituency in Bauchi State.

The diplomat later contested the governorship of the state in two election cycles.

From 2017 to 2023, Tuggar served as Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany, where he played a key role in strengthening bilateral relations, enhancing trade cooperation, and promoting Nigeria’s interests in Europe.

As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tuggar led Nigeria’s diplomatic efforts under the Tinubu administration.

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