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They are not Here Because they Cannot Answer the Questions, Ezekwesili, Durotoye, Moghalu Slam Atiku, Buhari for Missing Debate

Published

7 years ago

January 19, 2019

Eric

The three Presidential candidates attending the debate organised by the Nigeria Elections Debate Group and the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, on Saturday took turns lambasting President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party for shunning the debate.

A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressives Party; a former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili of the Allied Peoples Congress of Nigeria; and motivational speaker, Mr. Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria, described Buhari and Atiku as old men who lacked the ability to answer questions.

The moderator, Mark Sugar, asked the three candidates to react to the absence of the two frontline candidates.

Ezekwesili started by saying Buhari and Atiku had announced their exit from the Presidential race by their action.

She said, “I am not surprised they are not here. They have simply announced their exit from the governance. I think it is important that we acknowledge there is a political class that needs to fade away from our country because the idea that the will of the people to be subjected to the whims and caprices of our politicians should be a total anomaly.

“Today as we focus on the competitive ideas that will develop country if the two dominant parties cared about our people, they would come here to contest ideas on how they will fix Nigeria.”

Durotoye, who spoke next, said the APC and the PDP are two sides of the same coin and asked Nigerians to ensure that the two parties never get into power again.

“This shows that the future is here and old things have passed away. I must say to Nigerians that pride always comes before a fall and every time you feel you don’t need to tell Nigerians what you want to do, it means that you are not there to serve them in the first place but you’re there to rule them.

“We have had 20 years of rulership and rulers do not explain to their subjects what they are going to do. They don’t owe it to them.”

Also speaking, Moghalu said the two men lacked the ability to answer questions properly.

He said, “I am not surprised that the candidates of the APC and the PDP have decided to turn their backs on Nigerians and say the people never meant much in their eyes.

“The reason they are not here are first, arrogance because they believe the people of Nigeria have no voice and no choice and that you will always come back to them. They believe they have trapped you and we believe it is time to send them a message.

“The second reason they are not here is because they cannot answer the questions. It is very simple. They belong to the old recycled politicians that want to return to power with a sense of entitlement but not a record of performance.”

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Mike Adenuga, Emmanuel Macron Hold High-Powered Meeting in Paris

Published

21 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Accomplished billionaire businessman and Commander of the French Légion d’Honneur, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., GCON, CdrLH, has held a private meeting with the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

The two powerful citizens of the world held the meeting on Wednesday at the historic Élysée Palace in Paris.

The high-level engagement underscores the longstanding relationship between Dr. Adenuga and the French Republic, as well as his continued relevance in global business and diplomatic circles.

A respected industrialist and philanthropist, Adenuga has been widely acknowledged for his contributions to economic development, telecommunications, energy, and humanitarian causes across Africa and beyond.

The meeting adds to Dr. Adenuga’s growing profile as a bridge between African enterprise and international leadership.

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Free at Last: Burkina Faso Releases 11 Nigerian Soldiers, Aircraft

Published

21 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Burkina Faso has released Nigerian soldiers who were detained after their aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country earlier this month, Nigerian officials said.

The release followed a diplomatic intervention by President Bola Tinubu, who dispatched a high-level delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to meet Burkina Faso’s Military Leader, Ibrahim Traoré, on Wednesday.

In a statement, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s spokesperson, said both sides resolved the matter amicably and secured the release of the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew.

The soldiers had been held for nearly two weeks after the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) described the aircraft’s landing as an “unfriendly act” carried out in defiance of international law.

The Nigerian Air Force, however, said the crew encountered a technical issue that required a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, the nearest available airfield. It said the landing complied with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.

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Corruption Allegations: NMDPRA Boss Farouk Ahmed Meets Tinubu, Resigns

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2025

Eric

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, has resigned following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu amid corruption allegations.

Tinubu, on Wednesday, summoned Ahmed to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, following allegations of economic sabotage and corruption.

Also caught in the web of resignation was the CEO of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, according to a statement on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy.

Tinubu was said to have nominated successors to the senate for approval.

“Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the nominations of two new chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC),” the statement reads.

“The requests followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC.

“Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies created by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

“To fill these positions, President Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA.”

Onanuga said the two nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry.