Featured

I’ll End Boko Haram, Keep Nigeria More United – Atiku

Published

8 years ago

July 17, 2018

Eric

A former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, said if elected Nigerian president, his government will not only end the Boko Harman insurgency, but also keep the nation more united.

He also said if he was in the position of President Muhammadu Buhari, he would have by now sacked all service chiefs for failing to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency in the last three years.

Mr. Abubakar, who spoke in Maiduguri, Borno State, said he was not impressed with President Buhari’s handling of security in the country, especially the protracted Boko Haram insurgency.

The former vice president was in Maiduguri on Tuesday to woo delegates ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party presidential primaries.

The politician, who last year defected from Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP, held a joint meeting with PDP delegates from Borno and Yobe in Maiduguri.

Mr Abubakar also expressed his sympathy to the two states over the Boko Haram insurgency that has caused the death of tens of thousands and displaced millions of residents.

He said security would be his number one priority if the delegates give him their support to emerge as the candidate of the party in the 2019 presidential election.

He said the two North-east states will benefit more from the federal government if they support his cause of becoming the number one citizen.

“Since the year 1999 when I was elected the Vice President of Nigeria, I knew Borno, Yobe and Gombe states were under the government of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

“But if you consider the appointments that these three states enjoyed from the federal government, (they) were much higher than the ones given to other PDP states.

“And the reason for that is not far-fetched; it was so because one of your own was in the position of authority. So you all must not lose memory of that fact.”

On security, he said President Buhari’s government has failed the North-east for failing to end the insurgency which has ravaged Nigeria since 2009.

“It is now more that nine years that this part of the country is facing the problem of insecurity, and our socio-economic sphere has been injured as a result of that.

“Today our schools and our healthcare system are not functioning; our youth are roaming the streets jobless; yet there is a government in place.

“We must also recall that this is the same Nigeria whose security forces had been able to fight a civil war and keep the country united in just about two years and six months only. And most of the soldiers that fought on the side of Nigeria are from the north.

“But here we are sweating to end an insurgency that is mostly domiciled in just two states, Borno and Yobe; and we cannot even see its end in nine years.

“This is unacceptable and I cannot accept it. There is no way I can tolerate any security chief that will come and inform me that he cannot end this war in three years. Such security chief will not last the next day on seat.

“I swear in the name of God that the service chief must go.

“I was flying about 35,000 feet over Borno and Yobe states few hours ago, and all I could see were nothing but open plain lands; yet someone on ground will be telling me that he cannot see where Boko Haram insurgents are.

“I hereby promise you all that should I be elected as president, the issue of insecurity will become a thing of the past. I know there is insincerity in the management of the country’s security.

“This is the time for us to wake and forge a common front in our struggle to salvage our children and grand children from future calamity by supporting our cause”.

Mr Abubakar also told journalists at the end of the meeting that the failure of APC government had outweighed the shortcomings of the 16 years of the PDP rule in Nigeria.

“If you compare the PDP years and that of the current APC’s, you will find out that the past is still better than today in terms of security, economy and development”, he said.

“PDP has done far better than the APC in all ramifications”.

Mr. Abubakar who is vying for the presidency for the fourth time, said he would soon unveil his vision and mission for Nigeria at a grand press conference.

“Everyone knows me as Mr. Restructure, and everybody knows that I will bring my private sector experience to bear on the economy and Nigerians can be rest assured that jobs will be made available and the country will be more united under my watch because I don’t belong to any part but the whole”.

Earlier, some of the speakers, led by Muhammad Imam, a PDP stalwart and governorship aspirant in Borno State, and Adamu Waziri, an ex-PDP governorship candidate from Yobe State, gave Mr Abubakar the assurances of their support in the forthcoming PDP presidential primaries.

“This is the chance of the North-east and we must not allow it to slip off our hands. For if we do, we may regret it for a very long time to come,” said Mr Imam.

Ahmed Ningi, a senator, spoke in Hausa, on behalf of former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, who is the Director-General of the Atiku 2019 campaign. He said the North-east has been underrated and ruled out of the possible zone that could produce the president of Nigeria.

“But we want to assure all and sundry that power comes from God alone and this is the time of the North-east, and nothing will stop Atiku from becoming president”, said Mr Ningi, a PDP chieftain from Bauchi State.

A Borno PDP governorship aspirant was arrested at the event. Grema Terrab had earlier been declared wanted by the police as part of a murder investigation.

Premium Times

Featured

2027: Obi, South-East Leaders Meet Jonathan Behind Closed Doors

Published

15 hours ago

April 28, 2026

Eric

A presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi, on Monday, consulted former President Goodluck Jonathan on the state of the nation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Obi disclosed this after a closed-door meeting with the former president in Abuja. He led a delegation of South-East political leaders to the meeting, including serving and former lawmakers, as well as former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the former Anambra State governor said the visit was part of ongoing consultations ahead of the 2027 elections.

“Notable South-East leaders have come in consultation with our respected former president. That is basically what it is—on the 2027 elections and, overall, about Nigeria,” Obi said.

Obi has been holding meetings with political heavyweights across the country as part of ongoing consultations ahead of the ADC presidential primary for the 2027 general elections.

Last week, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party was in Bauchi with South-East leaders, where they held a closed-door meeting with Bala Mohammed.

Speaking after the meeting, Obi said the visit was focused on building national unity and strengthening cooperation across regions.

“My purpose is to solicit the support and cooperation of His Excellency and the stakeholders of Bauchi and the North-East in our quest to unite this country. We want to have a united country to build a future for our children.

“The country cannot continue the way it is today; we are headed in the wrong direction, and we need to reverse that for everybody. That is the simple purpose of why we are here – to seek the support of the stakeholders of Bauchi in building a new Nigeria that will be of benefit to all,” he added.

Featured

Tunde Ayeni’s Travails Return, As EFCC Arrests Ex-Skye Bank Chair over Fraud Allegations

Published

3 days ago

April 26, 2026

Eric

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested a former chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc, Tunde Ayeni, over alleged money laundering, misappropriation and diversion of funds amounting to N36.54bn and $30m.

Ayeni, a businessman, was arrested in Abuja on Thursday, and is currently being held at the commission’s facility.

The arrest followed an EFCC probe into alleged misappropriation and diversion of funds said to have been obtained from Polaris Bank through multiple entities linked to him.

“Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested a former board chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc and businessman, Tunde Ayeni, in connection with alleged money laundering, misappropriation and diversion of funds to the tune of N36,540,058,400.00 and $30m.

“Ayeni was arrested sequel to the investigation of the EFCC into alleged misappropriation and diversion of funds to the tune of N36,540,058,400.00 and $30m obtained from Polaris Bank Plc by different entities linked to him.

“The funds were loans obtained allegedly for specific investment projects but subsequently transferred to other entities’ accounts. Investigations showed that, though the loans were obtained for purposes such as finance of marine security activities, electricity distribution contract, estate development, they were diverted to the NITEL/MTEL asset acquisition through NATCOM account,” one of the sources said.

Another source said the commission is currently probing 12 companies allegedly linked to Ayeni, which it said were used to obtain the loans from Polaris Bank.

“Twelve different companies linked to Ayeni are being investigated by the EFCC. They are entities he allegedly used to obtain loans from Polaris Bank for his shady activities. The loans are depositors’ funds fraudulently obtained and frittered into diverse wasteful purposes. Ayeni will be arraigned in due course upon conclusion of investigations,” the source said.

When contacted, EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale confirmed the arrest but declined to give further details.

The Punch

Featured

2027: Opposition Parties Storm Ibadan, Unite to Field One Candidate Against Tinubu

Published

3 days ago

April 26, 2026

Eric

Political leaders from the opposition have resolved to present a united front in the 2027 general elections, agreeing to field a single presidential candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The decision was one of the major highlights of a National Summit of Opposition Political Leaders held on Saturday in Ibadan, Oyo State, where participants gathered to fashion the way out of the current challenges facing the country.

They also warned that Nigeria’s democracy is under increasing strain and requires urgent collective action to safeguard it.

The summit, themed “Safeguarding Nigeria’s Democracy: A National Dialogue,” brought together key opposition figures across party lines, culminating in the adoption of a joint communiqué known as the Ibadan Declaration.

Leaders at the event said the decision to rally behind a single candidate was driven by the need to avoid fragmentation of votes and strengthen the opposition’s chances at the polls.

Host governor, Seyi Makinde, in his welcome address, warned of a steady erosion of democratic competition, noting that the concentration of political power under one party threatens pluralism.

He took a trip down memory lane, reminding the ruling party that the ‘wet e’ era in Ibadan, which he said must not be allowed to repeat itself.

“Democracy without opposition is not democracy, it is a slow drift toward a one-party state,” he said.

Factional National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Taminu Turaki, described the move as both strategic and necessary, warning that disunity has historically weakened opposition efforts.

“A single stick can be broken easily, but a bundle of sticks is far more difficult to break,” he said, urging political actors to prioritise national interest over individual ambition.

Turaki maintained that Nigeria is currently experiencing what he termed “progressive regression,” citing worsening insecurity, economic challenges, and declining confidence in democratic institutions.

“This is not a moment for silence or division; it is a moment for decisive action,” he said.

Similarly, former Senate President David Mark described the moment as a “national rescue mission,” stressing that no single opposition party could confront the current political structure alone.

“We cannot confront the future as fragmented entities. This is the time to rewrite the story of coalition building in Nigeria,” Mark said.

In the communiqué issued at the end of the summit, opposition parties reaffirmed their commitment to contest the 2027 elections at all levels, rejecting what they described as attempts to impose a one-party state.

They also resolved to resist any move to make the election a one-candidate race, insisting that Nigerians must be presented with credible alternatives.

Beyond the consensus candidacy plan, the declaration raised concerns over the credibility of the electoral process.

They passed a vote of no confidence in the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan.

The opposition leaders alleged bias and called for his removal from overseeing the 2027 elections.

Leaders at the event said the decision to rally behind a single candidate was driven by the need to avoid fragmentation of votes and strengthen the opposition’s chances at the polls.

The summit further urged the National Assembly to review contentious provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, and demanded an extension of deadlines for party primaries to the end of July 2026.

Participants also called for the release of political actors allegedly detained on bailable offences, stressing the need for inclusivity and respect for fundamental rights.

Speakers at the summit, in their separate remarks, repeatedly stressed that Nigeria stands at a critical juncture, urging leaders to act decisively to preserve democratic institutions.

The summit ended with the declaration of a shared commitment among opposition parties to deepen collaboration, rebuild public trust, and present a united challenge in 2027.

The Ibadan meeting attracted several prominent political figures from different political parties, including the PDP and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Among them were former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, political economist Pat Utomi, and elder statesman Jerry Gana, among other notable political leaders.