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We’ve Become Embarrassment to the World, TY Danjuma Laments

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By Eric Elezuo

A former Minister of Defence, and Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), has lamented that Nigeria is a war front, and has become an embarrassment to the world, while appealing to all and sundry to be their brother’s keeper and cease killing one another, in order to attract foreign investors from across the world.

Danjuma, who spoke Friday at the opening ceremony of the Nwonyo International Fishing and Cultural Festival in Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State, said Nigeria has devolved into a war zone where citizens are killing one another.

He said: “There is no sane foreign person that will come to our country to celebrate with us if we continue to kill each other and make our roads unsafe for people to move around.

“As we are today as Nigeria we are a disgrace to the whole world. The country is a war front where our people are against our own people.

“We must put our house in order because right now we are a laughing stock to the whole world.

“We must stop killing each other. We must make our roads safe. We must stop kidnappings.

“If we are expecting this festival to be truly international, we must have peace in our State and throughout the country.”

It would be recalled that the former Minister, in rare fit of outburst, while speaking  at the maiden convocation of the Taraba State University, called out the military, accusing them of colluding with terrorists in an attempt to indulge in ethnic cleansing.

Born about 86 years ago, Danjuma was the Chief of Army Staff from July 1975 to October 1978. He was also Minister of Defence under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.

 

According to Wikipedia, Danjuma was born in Takum, Taraba State (formally Gongola), Nigeria, to Kuru Danjuma and Rufkatu Asibi. Takum was mainly a farming community when Danjuma was young, and yams, rice, cassava, and beniseed were largely cultivated by families and clans. His father was a hardworking peasant whose ancestors were all highly respected members of the community. Kuru Danjuma was a farmer who traded metal parts for farming implements and tools.

He started his education at St Bartholomew’s Primary School in Wusasa and moved on to the Benue Provincial Secondary School in Katsina-Ala where he was the captain of the school cricket 1st XI team; he received his Higher School Certificate in 1958. In 1959, Danjuma enrolled at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science, and Technology in Zaria (Ahmadu Bello University) to study History on a Northern Nigeria Scholarship.

However, by the end of 1960, Danjuma had left the university to enroll in the Nigerian Army.

Danjuma’s military sojourn will be incomplete without a recount of the role he played on the July 29, 1966, when he, alongside other officers of northern extraction, stage a retaliation coup, killing the Head of State, General Aguiyi Ironsi, and his host, Lt. Col. Adekunle Fajuyi, in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The operation, code named July Rematch, also had Murtala Mohammed, Buka Suka Dimka, Muhammadu Buhari, Sani Abacha, Musa Usman, Ibrahim Taiwo, Ibrahim Bako, Ibrahim Babangida, and others as participants.

Though Danjuma had denied the roles he supposedly played in the coup and killings of the two ranking officers, reports detail as follows: “Danjuma picked up Nigeria’s first military Head of State General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi and first military Governor of the former Western Region Lt Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi (who was hosting Aguiyi-Ironsi at his residence in Ibadan) from the side of the road, as there were escaping an ambush orchestrated by Danjuma, Mohammed, Dimka, Buhari and others.

“Danjuma held them captive in the back of his car and drove off to an isolated area in Oyo state, where he ordered them to get out and shot them in cold blood.”

The events of that day turned out to be the harbinger of a 30 months catastrophic war, which claimed millions of lives, especially from the South East region of the country.

Today, Danjuma is in the habit of giving back to the society, using his TY Danjuma Foundation. The foundation has continued to take care of persons and institutions the distinguished soldier come across with.

“To show my gratitude to my country and to the Almighty God, I give,” he said

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El-Rufai Lacks Capacity to Win Even Senate Seat – Presidency

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Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, has stated that the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the lacks the influence to “unsettle” President Bola Tinubu.

Bwala made the remarks during an interview with TVC News on Thursday, stating that former Kaduna State governor does not have the capacity to win even a senate seat.

He emphasized that President Tinubu is not troubled by El-Rufai’s ongoing criticisms of his administration.

Bwala also noted that el-Rufai only gains political prominence when aligning with a strong, revolutionary leader, adding: “Let me tell you something about my elder brother, el-Rufai, and whether we should be concerned.

“There’s a dynamic around him. El-Rufai needs a solid revolutionary figure to thrive. On his own, El-Rufa’i might not even secure a Senate seat.”

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Reps Propose Creation of 31 More States

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The House of Representatives Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution has proposed the creation of 31 additional states in the country.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who presided over plenary on Thursday read a letter from the committee containing the proposed states.

If approved, this will increase the number of states in Nigeria to 67.

The letter read: “This is to inform members that the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), has received legislative proposals for the creation of states and local governments in the following order:

NORTH CENTRAL

1. BENUE ALA STATE from the present Benue State.
2. OKUN STATE from the present Kogi State
3. OKURA STATE from the present Kogi State
4. CONFLUENCE STATE from the present Kogi State
5. APA-AGBA STATE from Benue South Senatorial District
6. APA STATE from the present Benue State.
7. A 37th state, namely FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

NORTH EAST

8. AMANA STATE from the present Adamawa State.
9. KATAGUM STATE from the present Bauchi State.
10. SAVANNAH STATE from the present Borno State.
11. MURI STATE from the present Taraba State.

NORTH WEST

12. NEW KADUNA STATE and GURARA STATE from the present Kaduna State.
13. TIGA STATE from the present Kano State.
14. KAINJI STATE from the present Kebbi State.
15. GHARI STATE from the present Kano State

SOUTH EAST

16. ETITI STATE as the sixth (6th) state in the South East geopolitical zone.
17. ADADA STATE from the present Enugu State of Nigeria.
18. URASHI STATE as the sixth (6th) state in the South East geopolitical zone.
19. ORLU STATE from the South Eastern Region of Nigeria.
20. ABA STATE from the South Eastern Region of Nigeria.

SOUTH SOUTH

21. OGOJA STATE from the present Cross River State.
22. WARRI STATE from the present Delta State.
23. BORI STATE from the present Rivers State
24. OBOLO STATE from the present Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.

SOUTH WEST

25. TORU-EBE STATE from the present Delta, Edo, and Ondo States.
26. IBADAN STATE from the present Oyo State.
27. LAGOON STATE from the present Lagos State.
28. IJEBU STATE from the present Ogun State.
29. LAGOON STATE from the present Lagos State and Ogun State
30. IBADAN STATE from the present Oyo State.
31. OKE-OGUN and IFE-IJESHA STATES from the Present-day Ogun, Oyo, and Osun states.

The request for states’ creation can only materialise if at least “the third majority of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives (National Assembly) and the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and the Local Government Council in respect of the area is received by the National Assembly.”

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How Far Will Tinubu Go Against Opposition?

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By Eric Elezuo

The spate of crises in opposition party camps have become worrisome, even more worrisome than the unimpressive economic situation of the country. Consequently, a lot of accusing fingers have been pointed at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its leader, President Bola Tinubu.

The Boss gathered that since the inception of the Tinubu-led administration, no political party in the country has known peace; they have all been immersed and enmeshed in one national, state or area council challenge or another, prompting mass defection to the ruling APC to solidify its political capacity.

From the supposed main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the surprised third force, Peter Obi’s Labour Party (LP), and down to Rabiu Kwankwaso’s New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), an unfettered shenanigan has been the order of the day. Even the Social Democratic Party (SDP), reputed as the oldest surviving political party in Nigeria, is not spared of the raving malady of crises.

All fingers are pointed at President Tinubu as the architect of the problems, with accusations of his intentions to establish a one party state, and secure his return to power in 2027 without stress. This has prompted unanswered questions as to how far Tinubu is willing to go against the opposition parties.

In the PDP, and to a large extent, the LP, moles are said to hold prominent positions, and takes decisions that seem to align with the policies of the ruling party. In the PDP, a long drawn battle has continued to be waged as feuding factions fight for the soul of the party.

On one hand is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, though a card-carrying member of the PDP, but hobnobs in the most intimate fashion with the APC. The Minister is said to favour the stay in office of the PDP acting National Chairman, Aliyu Demagun and the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu against the wishes of the party. The situation has created tension and faction in the party.

“If Wike is sponsoring the likes of Damagun and Anyanwu, and Tinubu is sponsoring Wike, then we don’t a soothsayer to tell us who is dealing with the PDP. It’s all about 2027, and somebody or some people do not want any opposition or challenge to their ambition,” an insider confided in The Boss.

Only recently, a former Vice President and presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, accused Tinubu of weaponizing state institutions to target political opponents rather than addressing corruption in his administration. He also alleged that the president was inducing opposition leaders with N50 million to constitute political nuisance to their parties, thereby destabilizing its smooth operations.

Atiku made the claim in a statement shared on social media over the weekend, citing the recent arrest of Professor Usman Yusuf, a prominent social critic, and Omoyele Sowore, as evidence of a politically motivated clampdown on people of diverse views.

“Two days ago, the nation was jolted by the arrest of Professor Usman Yusuf, a fierce and unyielding social critic,” Atiku wrote, suggesting that the charges against Yusuf, though originating from the previous administration, were being used selectively to suppress opposition voices.

The former vice president criticized the Tinubu administration for what he described as a double standard in its approach to fighting corruption. According to Atiku, while the government shields individuals within its fold who are under investigation for corruption, it exploits pending cases to intimidate and silence critics.

“It is absurd that while the administration shelters those under investigation, it continues to exploit state institutions to stifle dissent, all under the false pretence of combating corruption,” he stated.

Atiku further alleged that President Tinubu’s actions are aimed at consolidating political power rather than addressing the nation’s pressing issues, accusing him of manipulating the justice system to his advantage.

“Even to the most inattentive, it has become glaringly clear that Tinubu is not waging a war on corruption — he is waging a war on the opposition, manipulating the system for his own political advantage,” Atiku asserted.

The arrest of Professor Yusuf has sparked widespread reactions from his sympathizers, with many questioning the timing and motive behind the detention.

Yusuf, known for his outspoken criticism of the Tinubu administration, has become a prominent voice in Nigeria’s political discourse.

In another development, the former Vice President, who is also the Waziri Adamawa, decried what he describes as systematic dismantling of the opposition by Tinubu administration.

In a post on his X handle, Atiku said that the recent arrest and “baseless prosecution” of Omoyele Sowore and Usman Yusuf is the latest in the harassment of opposition figures.

“When I made the clarion call that Tinubu and the APC were devoting their energies to the systematic harassment, intimidation, and dismantling of the opposition, all in service of their grand design for a one-party autocracy, I became the target of vicious attacks.

“The arrest and baseless prosecution of @YeleSowore is the latest chapter in this unrelenting campaign. Now, they have seen fit to add Professor Usman Yusuf — an outspoken critic of this administration — into their grim roster. At the pace they are going, it seems they may soon find themselves contending with the incarceration of every one of us.”

Sowore, who is the convener of the #Revolutionnow movement, had honoured the invitation of the police on Monday, January 27, 2025, when he was questioned at the Force Criminal Investigation Department.

He was subsequently granted administrative bail but rejected the conditions of bail and remained in custody.

The police later filed a 16-count charge of cybercrime against him.

On Thursday, the court granted Sowore bail to the tune of ₦10 million and one surety in like sum.

The surety must be a responsible individual with landed property valued in like sum.

The surety is expected to deposit the original documents of landed property and a passport photograph to the registrar of the court.

While ruling on the bail application, the trial judge, Justice Musa Liman, ordered Sowore to deposit his international passport with the registrar of the court.

The judge, however, gave him 24 hours to perfect the bail conditions or be remanded by the police until the bail is perfected.

He was to be arraigned on Friday, but the arraignment was, however, moved to Monday (today) to allow for amendment of the charges, according to a statement by the EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale.

Though defence counsel, Isah Dokto Haruna, who held brief for the lead defence counsel, O. I. Habeeb, SAN, made an application for bail, it was turned down  by the court on account of the defendant’s deferred arraignment.

Justice Nwecheonwu adjourned the matter till February 3, 2025, for arraignment and ruled that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Commission.

On the political party front, all is well with all the opposition political parties.

Stakeholders, observers and a large section of the general public are toeing the Atiku line that Tinubu has a hand in the disunity that has continued to ravage the parties, especially the PDP, which is touted as the party with the capacity to give him a run for his money come 2027.

Far back in 2023, just six months into the Tinubu administration, it became obvious that there is an unholy trend geared towards instigating crisis in parties, and harvest its members. The trend was not taking place via ballot papers or boxes or electoral propriety, but inordinate manipulations, using the instrumentality of the courts, judiciary, coercion and outright intimidation.

Fast forward to the present, the political positions are making dramatic switches to the APC via court rulings inordinate defections and more, giving a cross sections of Nigerian the effontery to believe there is a hidden agenda to welcome a new Nigeria where political positions both elected and appointed are ‘allocated’ to Tinubu’s APC. Only a few days ago, the senator representing Delta South, Ned Nwoko, joined a long list of decampees, who had found solace in the APC amid administrative deficiency, which reduced Nigerians to advocates of hardship, hunger and depravity.

A few instances were visible in 2023 to raise eyebrows as regards the direction and shape Nigeria political landscape was taking. They included the sack of all elected Plateau State PDP elected lawmakers, and replaced with defeated APC candidates, failed attempt to sack Zamfara and Kano states givernors, the victory of Imo and Kogi APC governorship candidates, and followed in 2024 by the victory of Edo APC governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo. In all instances, public opinion had feared obvious manipulations of the electoral and judicial processes.

Presently, almost all the elected federal lawmakers under the banner of the Labour Party have defected to the APC. The party shame-facely boasts of two national leaders; Julius Abure and Nenadi Esther Usman, creating dissension that that have continually polarized the party.

Everyone, with the interest of the political future of Nigeria, has continued to ask when Tinubu will let go of his grip on the fragile throats of opposition parties.

Meanwhile, the Tinubu camp has denied ever interfering in the politics of the opposition, carpeting yhe former vice president, Obi and host of other accusers.

Tinubu’s administration will be two years in four months, and with his grip on political decisions across board, it is believed that by the time the next electioneering kicks off, a whole lot of political figurehead would have decamped to join the APC.

Time is no longer telling; the reality on ground foretells doom for the political future ofbthe country.

But all in all, time will still tell; 2027 is just around the corner, and Nigerians are watching and waiting to see how the opposition parties will make recovery to free themselves from the Tinubu-grip.

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