News

Tambuwal Hints at Running for President, Rejects Zoning

Published

4 years ago

March 23, 2022

Eric

The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, on Tuesday in Abuja kicked against the idea of zoning of the Presidency and cautioned the PDP to focus on winning elections.

He said the party would have the liberty to share power only after it had successfully won the 2023 elections at the centre and in the states.

Tambuwal said this when he met with former presiding officers of state Houses of Assembly and the House of Representatives in Abuja as part of wide consultation ahead of his official declaration to run for the office of President in 2023.

His position appears to be a clap-back on his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, who insists that the main opposition party should zone its presidential ticket to the South-South.

After its 95th National Executive Council meeting last Wednesday, the PDP had constituted a 37-member committee to make recommendations for the zoning of various elective positions ahead of the general elections.

Given only two weeks for the assignment, the committee is expected to submit its report next Wednesday.

But speaking on Tuesday, Tambuwal said, “Now, this is for the PDP. In the South, as of today, the PDP is in eight government houses. The APC is also in eight government houses, leaving one, Anambra. In the North, the APC is in 14 government houses and the PDP is in five government houses. And they (the APC) have the President.

“I’m giving you this analysis so that together, as leaders of our party, we can work towards winning the election, not zoning, not winning tickets. Yes, we can share tickets and everybody can take his piece and go to his zone. But you must plan to win the election. That’s the reality of it. It’s not anybody’s making. I didn’t make myself come from Sokoto. No, it’s God.

“So, we must accept these realities as a party and work with these realities to win the election. After that, we can now say okay, let’s share power. Win the election first. Don’t win zoning! Win the election and then we’ll come and share power.”

The presidential hopeful noted that as the APC did in 2015, the PDP must seek viable candidates with which it could win elections and not narrow its chances through a zoning arrangement.

According to him, had the APC presented a candidate from the South in 2015, it would have lost the presidential election.

The Sokoto governor stated, “The APC took their ticket to Katsina in 2015, where the last PDP President, Umaru Yar’Adua, who died in office in 2010, hailed from. Five years later, the APC, out of strategic thinking with Bola Tinubu and the rest of them, did this. I was part of it. We said we were looking for how to zone, but we must get power before we share it.

“I deliberately took the APC ticket to Katsina to give it to President Muhammadu Buhari. Yes, Atiku contested; Rabiu Musa contested and Sam Nda-Isaiah and Rochas Okorocha contested. But we knew where we were going, because we were determined to win.

“Let me tell you, had the APC given that ticket to someone from the South, in particular the South-South, we couldn’t have won. Go and check the election results of 2007. Buhari had 11 million votes before in 2003. But in 2007, he got seven million votes against Yar’Adua because they are from the same Katsina. For the PDP, I have a question. Are we looking at zoning or winning?”

According to him, the PDP must balance the calibre of candidates it hopes to front in the elections, arguing that the party could not afford to front two candidates from the same region or religion as that would be political suicide.

He said “The President and the Vice-President cannot come from the same zone. They cannot even come from the same religion. Am I right? If you have the President and the Vice-President as Muslims, that’s dead on arrival. In the current Nigerian situation, if you have both of them as Christians, that’s dead on arrival.

“So you must balance the ticket and sit down. We cannot do what the APC has done, especially this second term, because we believe in this country and we know this country. We understand the dynamics and complexities of Nigeria’s condition. Otherwise, how else will you look at the line-up in the Federal Government like Nigeria? President, Vice-President, Senate President, Speaker, Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker, SGF, Chief of Staff, even chairman of the party, and no one from the South-East.

“We can’t do that. Where I am involved, that cannot happen. So, what we need is inclusiveness. We can then run the country.”

On his 2023 ambition, Tambuwal said he was the most qualified aspirant to clinch the party’s ticket and to lead the nation.

In his remarks, a former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, said no opposition party bothers itself with zoning, but it must focus on winning elections.

He also taunted those advocating zoning to begin from their states saying, “Why come to the centre to talk about zoning? Are you interested in winning the centre and losing at home?”

The Punch

News

Ex-CJN Tanko Mohammed is Dead

Published

2 days ago

December 16, 2025

Eric

A former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad (retd.), is dead. He was aged 71

The former CJN reportedly died at a hospital in Saudi Arabia, about two weeks before his 72nd birthday on December 31.

Muhammad’s death was confirmed in a condolence statement on Tuesday in Abuja by the Nigerian Association of Muslim Law Students (NAMLAS).

In the statement titled “NAMLAS Condolence Message on the Passing of Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, GCON, Former Chief Justice of Nigeria,” the association described his passing as a significant loss for the country.

“Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return.

“The Nigeria Association of Muslim Law Students (NAMLAS), National Headquarters, Abuja, receives with profound sorrow the news of the passing of Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, GCON, former Chief Justice of Nigeria. His demise is a monumental loss to the Nigerian judiciary, the legal profession, the Muslim Ummah, and the nation at large,” NAMLAS said.

The association hailed Justice Muhammad as “a towering figure of integrity, humility, and unwavering commitment to justice.”

According to NAMLAS, throughout his judicial career, Muhammad “exemplified the highest ideals of the Bench—fairness, courage, and fidelity to the rule of law.”

“As Chief Justice of Nigeria, he discharged his responsibilities with wisdom and restraint, leaving behind a legacy of service that will continue to guide generations of legal practitioners,” the statement added.

Beyond his role on the Bench, the association noted the late jurist’s mentorship of young Muslim law students across the country.

“To NAMLAS, the late Chief Justice was more than a jurist; he was a fatherly pillar and a source of encouragement to Muslim law students across the country,” it said.

The association also highlighted that the deceased’s “support, moral guidance, and openness to the aspirations of young Muslim legal minds reflected his deep belief in mentorship, continuity, and the nurturing of future custodians of justice.”

It extended condolences to his family, the Nigerian judiciary, and the nation.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, the Nigerian Judiciary, the Government and people of Nigeria, and the entire Muslim Ummah”.

The association offered prayers for the repose of his soul, asking that Allah forgive his shortcomings, accept his good deeds, and grant him “the highest abode in Jannatul Firdaus.”

News

Gowon is Not Dead, in Good Health, Aide Debunks Death Rumour

Published

3 days ago

December 15, 2025

Eric

Adeyeye Ajayi, Personal Assistant to former military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), has dismissed recent rumours on social media purporting the death of the ex-leader.

Ajayi described the rumour as false and misleading.

In a statement released on Sunday, Ajayi called on the public to disregard the reports, emphasizing that they are baseless and misleading. He stressed that the rumours only serve to create unnecessary panic and confusion among Nigerians.

He assured that General Gowon is in good health and continues to live an active life. He highlighted that the former Head of State has been attending public functions and engaging with various social and national initiatives.

Ajayi further described General Gowon as a continued voice of reason in Nigeria, noting his ongoing contributions to national dialogue and development.

He urged Nigerians to focus on credible news sources, and exercise caution before sharing unverified information online.

Social media platforms in recent days have seen multiple posts claiming that the 90-year-old ex-leader had passed away. Analysts and observers have warned that such false reports can cause unnecessary anxiety and undermine public trust in information.

Ajayi concluded by urging the public to celebrate the legacy and life of General Gowon while dismissing any unverified reports about his health. He reiterated that the former head of state remains active, healthy, and committed to supporting initiatives for Nigeria’s growth and progress.

News

Accord Party Reaffirms Adeleke As Osun Guber Candidate

Published

3 days ago

December 15, 2025

Eric

The Chairman of Accord Party in Osun State, Pastor Babalola Akande, says the only legally recognised candidate of the party for the 2026 governorship election in the is Governor Ademola Adeleke.

Akande made the clarification against the backdrop of primaries conducted on Sunday by another faction of the Accord Party in Osogbo.

He described the primaries conducted by the factional Accord Party as an unlawful political charade, orchestrated by the opposition.

“Let it be stated clearly, categorically, and without equivocation that all the actors being named in the fictitious primary, are not members of our party.

“Some of them were expelled from the party since 2018 for alleged fraud and other acts inimical to the unity, discipline, and progress of the party.

“Such a character or any other in his shoes, therefore, possess no authority whatsoever; moral, political, or legal, to convene, announce, or participate in any activity conducted in the name of the Accord Party,” he said.

He said the party is not disturbed by crude impersonation and political mischief, stating that the public should, however, know the impersonators are affiliates of the opposition, acting as proxies to undermine the popularity of Adeleke.

“Let me state with absolute finality that Adeleke is the duly nominated and lawful governorship candidate of the Accord in Osun.

“This position is incontestable, irreversible, and firmly grounded in law, haven emerged through due process in accordance with the Constitution of the Accord, the Electoral Act 2022, and established judicial precedents.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Accord hereby issues a formal and stern warning to all concerned.

“Under the Electoral Act 2022, only recognised political parties acting through their duly constituted organs can lawfully conduct congresses or primary elections, after giving proper notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“Any primary conducted outside this framework is illegal, null, void, and of no legal consequence whatsoever,” he said.

He said any individual parading himself as a candidate of the Accord without lawful nomination would be committing a clear act of impersonation and electoral fraud, which is actionable both under the Electoral Act 2022 and relevant provisions of the Criminal Code and Penal laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He said that Adeleke remained the sole and legally recognised governorship candidate of the Accord in Osun, noting that “no parallel structure, impersonator, and contrived spectacle can alter legal reality”.

He urged residents to ignore the distractions, which he said, were the handiwork of politically displaced actors.

A factional Accord Party in Osun, on Sunday, announced Mr. Clement Bamigbola as its 2026 governorship candidate.

NAN