Headline

Saraki, Wike, Dele Momodu Omitted in Buhari’s National Honours List

Published

4 years ago

October 3, 2022

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Reactions have continued to trail the list of 437 Nigerians earmarked for possible national honours by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led national government.

Among many of the minuses associated with the list is the omission of of the names of immediate past Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki; Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike and Publisher par excellence, Aare Dele Momodu.

Many Nigerians have wondered why these names were conspicuously missing considering the political offices they have occupied or occupying, their manifold contributions to humanity and not forgetting grassroots philanthropic activities.

It is even more disheartening that the Buhari nominees list identified and recognized past and present Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), in the persons of Justice Ariwoola and Justice Tanko Mohammed with the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON); past and serving Speakers of the House of Representatives in the person’s of Mr. Yakubu Dogara and Hon Femi Gbajabiamila respectively with Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) honours, which omitting Dr. Bukola Saraki, who is the immediate past Senate President when his successor, Dr. Ahmed Lawan has been penciled down for the GCON honours.

A cross section of Nigerians, who voiced their opinions to the hearing of The Boss opined that it is still obvious that the Buhari administration is still harbouring misgivings concerning the roles Saraki played as Senate President in checkmating the supposed excesses of the present administration, leading to consistent loggerheads bordering on constitutional interpretation. While Saraki and Dogara decamped from the ruling party then, Dogara has since returned to the APC while Saraki has remained in the opposition.

An Executive Director of Adopt A Goal Initiative, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, urged the federal government to jettison the plan to exclude deserving citizens from the awards as reported in the media.

Atoye, in a statement, argued that the exclusion of Saraki from the awards could ridicule the Buhari administration as “petty, low and vindictive.”

In the same vein, stakeholders have wondered how the very visible projects of the Nyesom Wike administration has gone unnoticed before the Federal government to warrant a shun in the national honours list.

Wike, though a vociferous opponent of the Buhari administration, has been applauded across party divide as one of the performers in their various states. Wike has been known to churn out classic projects after another in matter of days, earning him the sobriquet, Mr Projects. In the last couple of months, Rivers State, especially the capital city, Port Harcourt has worn a new look as a result of the facelift occasioned by veritable infrastructural development. He is known to have fought the federal government on many occasions, including suing the central government over the collection of Value Added Tax (VAT). His victory at the court prompted other states, including Lagos State to join in the suit.

A source however, told the Boss that Wike, who is already a CON honours holder may be riped to the CFR honour when he completes office as a serving governor, and gets higher office.

Also omitted on the list is Nigeria’s distinguished publisher and celebrated journalist, Chief Dele Momodu. The journalist, who publishes Ovation International magazine, The Boss Newspaper and Ovation Television, is not a new name in the field of philanthropic acts. He singlehandedly supervised the sourcing and distribution of palliatives to thousands of Nigerians during the dreaded COVID-19 era.

Momodu, on two separate occasions, has presented himself for election into the highest office, first as a presidential candidate in 2011 under the umbrella of the National Conscience Party (NCP) and in 2022 as a presidential aspirant with the PDP. He writes a weekly column called Pendulum published on the Backpage of Saturday ThisDay, where he proffers solutions to the myriads of challenges bedeviling the nation’s political and economic fabrics.

His youth oriented dispositions and programmmes have also not gone unnoticed as he has used his annual Ovation Carol to unite the youths and create participation for talented Nigerians. His omission in Buhari’s list of national awardees calls to question if there’s not more than meets the eye. It must be added that his contribution to national development over the years notwithstanding, no government has deemed it fit confer with even the least of national honours

The 2022 national honours list is being handed by the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Agencies led by Senator George Akume, a former governor of Benue State.

The 437 selected awardees will be conferred during an elaborate ceremony on October 11, 2022 in Abuja.

Headline

Amid Denials, ADC Reportedly Secures Rainbow Event Centre As Venue for National Convention

Published

4 hours ago

April 13, 2026

Eric

Baring any last minute change, the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as National chairman and National Secretary respectively will hold the party’s National convention at the National Rainbow Event Centre in Garki on Tuesday, 14 April 2026.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has being denied two venues without any cogent reasons despite early arrangements, according to sources.

First, it was alleged that the Abuja Transcorp Hilton Hotels, which was initially approached, turned down the ADC request to use it’s facility.

The ADC, having sensed sabotage, has kept the Rainbow Event Center under rap as it’s definite venue.

The last National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party was held at the same venue.

Located adjacent the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters, the event centre will host the second NEC meeting of the ADC and it’s forthcoming national convention.

According to The Guardian’ report, the ADC leadership has communicated the venue to state chapters with the caveat not to escalate it.

The ADC is in a battle of survival against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and has approached the Supreme Court for intervention.

The INEC national chairman Prof Joash Amupitan has suspended recognition of the David Mark-led ADC rendering a leadership vacuum in the party.

INEC said it’s decision was on the basis of an Appeal Court pronouncement that ordered statusquo ante-bellum be maintained.

Reports say that why the venue is being quietly decorated moderately for the event, the ADC intends to fully move in the early hours of Tuesday.

The Guardian

Headline

Shettima Lacks Respect, I Won’t Engage Him, Atiku Responds to VP’s Challenge

Published

5 hours ago

April 13, 2026

Eric

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has hit back at incumbent Vice President Kashim Shettima over the latter’s poser over achievements in office, saying he won’t take the challenge because Shettima was disrespectful.

Shettima had reportedly challenged Atiku to provide details of eight projects he executed for the development of Northern Nigeria during his tenure as vice president for eight years, as well as name eight individuals he empowered while in office.

But, speaking in an interview with GTA Hausa podcast, Atiku said he would not engage the vice president on the matter.

“I will not respond to Kashim Shettima because he is disrespectful. I am older than him and I have more experience in governance than he does, so I will not respond to him,” he said.

The former vice president further argued that cultural values in Northern Nigeria discourage younger individuals from publicly challenging their elders in such a manner.

“It is not part of our tradition in the North to disrespect elders. You cannot look at someone who is above you in both age and accomplishments and start taunting him. That is not our tradition, so I won’t engage with him,” Atiku emphasised.

Headline

2027: ADC Leaders Plan Massive Coalition Against APC, Tinubu

Published

8 hours ago

April 13, 2026

Eric

There are indications that the ongoing dispute in the leadership of African Democratic Congress (ADC) may lead to the formation of a 10-party coalition, far bigger than what was initially envisaged, reports quoting sources close to the opposition have said.

The Senator David Mark-led leadership of the ADC was removed from the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on account of what the election umpire said was its interpretation of the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which directed it to maintain status quo ante bellum in a suit involving the Mark-led executive and Nasiru Bala Gombe, a claimant to the national chairmanship seat of the party.

While Senator Mark-led team has argued that the said Bala Gombe lacks the locus standi to institute the suit or lay claim to the party’s chairmanship seat, having resigned his position in May 2025, INEC insisted it would no longer recognise either of the parties in the ADC.

Following the imbroglio, a source, however, said that those pushing the ADC might end up leading it to a bigger coalition, as the development has opened the eyes of many opposition leaders to the possibility of a broader coalition.

Last week, leaders of the ADC engaged a group of leaders from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), while it also engaged with leaders of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), aside from what was called ongoing cross-party discussions with the newly formed National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“What we are seeing is that the loss of ADC on one hand could be the gain of the opposition in this country. What those fighting the ADC don’t know is that you cannot keep the people silent when they are determined to exercise their rights of association. The ADC will be on the ballot in 2027 with a coalition bigger than earlier envisaged,” a source in the know stated.

The source stated that already, the ADC coalition looks good to benefit from the travails of the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP, as well as the resolve of members of other parties whose leaders believe they can benefit from a broad-based coalition in 2027.

It has earlier been reported that the attempt by the leaders of the ADC to rally a strong party behind the possible choice of former President Goodluck Jonathan or in the alternative, a Peter Obi/Rabiu Kwankwaso presidential ticket, is upsetting the ruling party, whose strategists were said to have activated cells of internal opposition within the emerging coalition.

A leader of the ADC, however, said that those pursuing the coalition party are surely pushing it into better things. The way things are going, we may end up with at least a 10-party coalition. That would be bigger than what we initially set out to do,” the source stated, adding that such a development would amount to a masterstroke against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which he said had chosen to interpret the court ruling awkwardly.