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APC Presidential Primaries: Buhari and His Feeble Challengers

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By Eric Elezuo

Presidential primaries of political parties the world over most times comes with a lot of tension and uncertainty as it marks the turning point to winning the major general election. This is because the primaries remain the location where one is either rejected or accepted by ‘his own’ people. As a result aspirants are involved in massive canvassing and lobbying of votes to sway party members or delegates to their sides.

However, as the presidential primaries of the Nigerian ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) draws very close, there is absolutely nothing to show that a major contest is on the way. A cross section of regular Nigerians who spoke to the Boss has said that as far as they were concerned, only President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed willingness to re-contest, and it seems no one is challenging his candidacy.

But President Buhari, who expressed his desire to re-contest just before jetting out of the country some time ago, even against popular will of most Nigerians, is not the only aspirant on the platform of the APC; there are quite a good number of others who has expressed their interest verbally. Their interest has not however, matched the ‘horrible’ nomination form fee pegged by the party as well the requisite national clout expected of a presidential aspirant.

It would be recalled that the APC has planned and executed charging its presidential aspirants a whopping N45 million for the expression of interest and nomination forms. This development has not gone down well with as many as wish to contest the APC presidential slot with Buhari. While Buhari’s form has been obtained and paid for by a shadowy group, Nigeria Consolidation Ambassador Network (NCAN), other aspirants have not received a worthy mention, even from the press, as the claim.

The group claimed it raised the money from contributions by its members across Nigeria.
On Tuesday at State House, Abuja, Mr Buhari who was away in China when the group bought the forms, formally accepted them.

Consequently three of the aspirants threatened to conduct a parallel National Convention to produce the candidate of the party if the APC does not scrap the “exorbitant” nomination fees.

In a statement they issued as ‘Coalition of 2019 Presidential Aspirants of the All Progressives Congress’, the aspirants urged President Muhammadu Buhari to reject the nomination form purchased for him by the group.

The statement was signed by three presidential aspirants, SKC Ogbonnia, Charles Udeogaranya and Mumakai Unagha.

“We demand that President Muhammadu Buhari should reject the N45 million nomination forms purchased for him by a group,” they stated.

They said accepting the form was a contravention of the law, which states that no individual or entity can donate more than one million naira to any candidate.

“It fundamentally contravenes Section 91 (9) of the Electoral Law,” the aspirants said in their statement.

In its reaction, the APC dismissed the aspirants’ agitation, saying since they have not purchased their forms, they cannot be seen as aspirants. The situation has reduced Buhari’s opponents to ‘feeble’ category.

Below is a brief on the APC aspirants:

SKC OGBONNIA

Seen as the most vocal of the Buhari challengers, and with a hierarchy of intimidating credentials, Dr. Ogbonnia serves as the Chairman of First Texas Energy Corporation. He had served in other leadership positions at First Texas Energy, including Executive Vice President. He was previously an officer of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and later at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Dr. Ogbonnia is also an adjunct professor and has taught leadership at many United States Universities and colleges. He received education from the following institutions: Emmanuel Anglican School, Ugbo, Awgu LGA, Enugu State; Corpus Christi College, Achi; Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas; Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota; University of London, United Kingdom.

Dr. Ogbonnia is an author and commentator in the topics of oil and gas, energy, leadership, and politics. His latest book is: The Effective Leadership Formula, featuring a new leadership theory. He is from the South East region of Nigeria, and may not get a chance given that the party has zoned the presidency to the North.


CHARLES UDEOGARANYA

A former Lagos State Chairman of the defunct African Renaissance Party (ANN), not much is known of the aspirant apart from few national commentaries at inconsistent times. He believes seriously in his ability to pick the APC ticket at the expense of Buhari much as it has been very difficult for him and some others to cough out the expression of interest and nomination fees. He is of the opinion that Buhari has been abandoned by all and sundry, and as a result shifted attention to him. However, his South East origin has recorded a minus for him.

In a statement he issued some time, he said: “Respectfully Mr. President, how can the majority of Nigerians be with you when virtually all the Nigerian former Heads of State and power brokers have left you with their cult followers nation-wide, publicly?

“Members of our party at the National Assembly and their grassroots followers in their local constituencies recorded a historic avalanche of defection such as has never been witnessed before in the political history of this country against a ruling party even in the face of possible severe persecution. Was this defection as a result of my candidacy or yours?”

He had lamented the acute insecurity, unemployment and hunger bedevelling the nation as a good reason for the party to reject Buhari and give him the ticket.

MUMAKAI UNAGHA

Alhaji Mumakai Unagha, is a native of Delta State, and had in the political limelight since the second republic with the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

A lawyer by profession, Unagha claims to be ‘very passionate’ about Nigeria, saying that his vision is to transform Nigeria.

“We are not there yet, but we shall get there. President Muhammadu Buhari is currently laying foundation which I will build on if elected in 2019. Nigeria cannot be   Nigeria without greatness and the greatness  must  start  by  proper navigation of the country’s economy. In order to realize this vision, Nigeria needs a great leader and I’m offering myself. I’m determined to leave a good legacy. I strongly believe we can move the country from where we are to where we can all live in peace regardless of our religion or ethnicity.

The aspirant says his desire to be president is an answer to the call of various groups including women organisations.

He stated: Given the opportunity, I will add value to the change agenda of our party, revive the down trodden economy of the nation. Similarly, I will start from where Mr. President will stop in 2019.”

“As a legal practitioner with vast experience both in governance, I shall nurture the political economy of the nation to an enviable condition that will be jealous by the international community. The oil and gas, aviation, transport, education as well as other sectors shall be effectively re-organised to meet the yearning of Nigerians.

On corruption, I shall re-design a new strategy on the war against corruption with optimal achievement. Greater attention shall be accorded to combat the Boko Haram insurgency ravaging the North East as well as the kidnapping that has taken over the country. On militancy in the Niger Delta, which has constituted threat to oil economy, more diplomatic measures shall be applied to bring the situation under control.

The APC, speaking through Malam Gidado Ibrahim, Buhari Campaign Organization Director of Communications and Strategy, has asked Nigerians to regard other of APC presidential aspirants by Dr SKC Ogbonnia, Chief Charles Udeogaranya and Alhaji Mumakai Unagha, saying that they are “anti-democratic elements in the country’s political space.”

From the look of things, it appears the ruling party has already berthed its ticket with Buhari as the sole candidate, and as such whatever other aspirants do is termed feeble ‘ranting’.

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Dele Momodu Mourns Passage of Ex-President Muhammadu Buhari

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By Eric Elezuo

Publisher, Ovation Magazine, and The Boss Newspaper, Chief Dele Momodu, has expressed deep condolences on the demise of former two-terms President and Head of State of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari, who died in a London hospital on Sunday.

Momodu, writing via his social media handle, wished the former soldier a goodnight, asking Allah to grant him Aljannatul Firdaus.

He wrote: “Goodnight Sir, Former President Muhammadu Buhari…May Allah grant your soul Aljannah Firdaus”.

Dele Momodu with President Muhammadu Buhari

Buhari was 82 years when he died after prolonged illness. He is due for burial in his hometown, Daura, Katsina State on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.

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James Barnor @96: Sights and Sounds of the 2025 HACSA Sankofa Summit in London

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By Eric Elezuo

Friends, family members and well wishers last week gathered in Chesterfield Hotel, Mayfair, London, to celebrate Ghanaian born ace photographer, James Barnor, as part of activities to mark the 2025 HACSA Sankofa Summit.

According to a post by the Chairman, Ovation Media Group, Chief Dele Momodu, who participated in the 2-day intellectual fiesta comprising hearty lunch and fireside chats, noted that the “moving session is a heartfelt tribute to his extraordinary legacy, which spans over six decades of capturing the soul of African identity, fashion, culture, and Diaspora life through the lens.”

The post further stated that “Today’s chat is not only a journey through visual history but also a celebration of life, as we mark James Barnor’s 96th birthday, a testament to a life lived with purpose, vision, and enduring impact.

“The atmosphere is both reflective and celebratory, bringing together cultural leaders, creatives, and changemakers who are united in honouring a pioneer whose work continues to inspire generations. This event encapsulates the spirit of the Sankofa Summit sponsored by Svani Groups, looking back to honour, looking forward to preserve, and moving together to build.”

This is wishing a happy 96th birthday to a prolific image hunter.

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Yvonne Khamati: The Coming of a Presidential Amazon

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By Eric Elezuo

With a focused eye on the presidency of the Republic of Kenya, seasoned diplomat and thorough bred politician, Yvonne Khamati, is a force to reckon with. She is by every intent and purpose born for leadership, having started very early to mount saddles of political and diplomatic seats, dishing out first class acumen and sound ambassodorial gestures that have placed Kenya in better corners of the world map.

As the July 2027 date for the election of a new president for the Kenyan Republic draws nearer, young, seasoned and tested Yvonne Khamati, who was born in 1982, is ready to move the nation to a new level, having set standards, conquered diplomatic territories, developed new horizons, and is set for the task ahead.

Khamati was born in Nairobi, Kenya, where he started his early education, attending elementary school before joining Stretford Grammar School, in Manchester, United Kingdom, where she completed her O-Level studies in 1998. By 1999, she returned to Kenya and attended Peponi High School, for her A-Level education, which she concluded in 2001.

Setting her mind to acquiring the best of academic tutelage, she devoted the period between 2001 and 2009, among other things, for intense studying, studying at various institutions of higher education including the University of Nairobi, the United States International University Africa and the online American World University.

Consequently, she earned a Diploma in Sociology & Criminology, a Diploma in Political Science & International Relations, a Bachelor of Business Administration from San Juan de La Cruz University (Universidad San Juan de la Cruz) and a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Counselling Psychology.

In 2012, she returned to the classroom, and earned a Professional Graduate Diploma in Management from Cambridge Association of Managers.

Currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya National Heroes Council, a parastatal under the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, Yvonne, as close friends, colleagues and family members address her, is a full-blooded Kenyan, and was nominated to the East African Legislative Assembly as Member of Parliament by Ford Kenya Party (and the Kenya National Assembly) at the age of 21. Yvonne cut her political teeth at a very young age, which put her at a gracious advantage of thorough knowledge of thr country’s political and economic terrain.

Again, as a diplomat, she was appointed by then President Mwai Kibaki to serve as Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to Ethiopia and African Union at 24. She is a typical example of catch them young, and has garnered thorough and home-based experience requisite for leadership.

She has also served in the past, as the Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives and Rapporteur of the African Diplomatic Corp, in the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has also worked in various missions. As at November 2018, she served as the Deputy Ambassador of Kenya at the Kenyan Embassy in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia.

Yvonne has a larger than life credential trailing her, thanks to all exploits. It is worthy of note that in 2001, at the age of just 19, she was elected to serve as the Deputy Organizing Secretary of the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy – Kenya (Ford Kenya) political party, a position she kept until 2006. Whe she was later nominated by the party to the East African Legislative Assembly in Arusha, the appointment bestowed on her the status of the youngest MP to be nominated to the house. From August 2003 till March 2006, she was a research fellow at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), working in the Sustainable Development and Food Policy Division. Again, from April 2003 till January 2008, she served as the Chairperson of the Youth Technical Committee for NEPAD, appointed by the then President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.In January 2008, she added diplomacy to her budding political career, when she was appointed by Kibaki, the then President of Kenya as Ambassador and DPR to Ethiopia and the African Union. She went on to became Deputy Permanent Representative of Kenya at the United Nations office in Nairobi, Kenya, working in that capacity until September 2012. In the same year, she was transferred to Kenya’s Embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia, as the Deputy Ambassador. She has served as Director FS in the Liaison Parliamentary and Senate Directorate at the Foreign Ministry HQ, Chairperson of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of UN HABITAT, Rapporteur of the African Diplomatic Corp and was Director FS in the Directorate of International Conferences and Events at the Foreign Ministry.

Khamati’s sterling performances over the years have drawn recognitions from.across thw length and breadth of the continent and the world at large. In December 2014, she was named one of “The 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa 2014”, by Forbes. A feat worthy of celebration.

In 2017 she was named among 100 top Africans under 40 by MIPAD (Most Influential people of African Descent).

On the side, she runs the YK Foundation which works on empowering women and the girl child in rural areas providing scholarships, sanitary towels, jigger treatment and feeding programs.

Khamati, who is married to Nigerian Oxford University trained lawyer, Laiwola Yahaya, and bless with two children; Zalika Kalani and Kazeem Yahaya, is a bundle of academic, entrepreneurial, diplomatic and leadership skills. These qualities set her apart to give Kenya the next leadership direction.

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