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Insensitive! Peter Obi Knocks Borno Lawmaker over Request of New Aircraft for VP

Published

1 year ago

October 30, 2024

Eric

The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has criticized Borno State House of Assembly Speaker Abdulkareem Lawan for requesting a new aircraft for Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Lawan had expressed concern about the Vice President’s safety due to the continued use of a “faulty” presidential aircraft for international duties, a situation highlighted by Shettima’s recent cancellation of his planned attendance at the Commonwealth Summit in Samoa.

In a statement on X, Obi labeled the demand for a new aircraft as insensitive, suggesting that the Speaker is disconnected from the serious economic challenges currently facing the nation. He emphasized that leaders should focus on issues that benefit the public instead of indulging in selfish desires for unnecessary luxuries that come at the people’s expense.

Obi remarked: “I came across a troubling statement attributed to a political leader who claims that the Vice President’s life is at risk due to issues with his official aircraft. The leader even urged the Federal Government to acquire a new plane for the Vice President. Such comments at this time reveal a lack of sensitivity and concern for the ongoing economic crisis in our country. It is widely known that Nigerians are enduring severe hardship.

“This provocative request comes from someone who seems oblivious to the fact that Nigeria is exhibiting all the signs of a failed state. Over the past decade, we rank among the eleven worst-governed countries in Africa and are among the 20 hungriest nations globally, facing escalating mass poverty, extreme hunger, and starvation.

“Nigeria remains the poverty capital of the world, with our per capita income plummeting from $1,700 in 2023 to $1,109 this year. Shouldn’t these critical issues be the priority for responsible leaders?

“Our national electricity grid has collapsed eight times this year alone and 105 times in the past decade, leading to significant losses for small businesses and leaving households in darkness. Over the last 15 months, many businesses have shut down or faced distress due to the harsh economic conditions. Shouldn’t these challenges be what we focus on as leaders instead of catering to our selfish desires for unnecessary luxury at the expense of the people we serve?

“What does the Vice President truly need a new jet for, and what real benefits are all the trips by the President and Vice President providing given our current circumstances?

“Indonesia, for example, only purchased a Presidential jet in 2014 after experiencing sustainable economic growth of over 6% annually for the past decade, which significantly boosted its GDP and GDP per capita. The Vice President primarily travels on the national airline, Garuda Indonesia. Given that we have recently acquired a new aircraft, it should be reserved for essential trips by the President and Vice President.

“I urge the President, Vice President, and all public office holders to recognize that our current precarious situation calls for minimal, yet impactful, travel. Now is the time to come together to find solutions to our myriad challenges for the welfare of our people and the development of our nation. Nigeria can rise again if our leaders commit to selfless service.”

Featured

Tinubu Nominates Oyedele As Minister of State for Finance, Moves Anite-Uzoka to Budget Ministry

Published

18 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, has announced that “President Bola Tinubu has nominated Taiwo Oyedele as the minister of state for finance, replacing Doris Anite-Uzoka.

“Mrs Anite-Uzoka will now move to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as the Minister of State, her third portfolio in the administration.

“President Tinubu has today conveyed the nomination of Mr Oyedele to the Senate for confirmation in a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“Until President Tinubu nominated him as a minister, Mr Oyedele from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State, was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.

“Mr Oyedele, 50, is an economist, accountant and public policy expert.

“He attended Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in accountancy and finance. He attended Oxford Brookes University and earned a BSc in applied accounting.

“He also completed executive education programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Mr Oyedele spent 22 years of his working career at PwC, joining in 2001 and rising to become the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.

“Mr Oyedele is also a professor at Babcock University in Ogun State and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.”

Featured

Defection: Atiku’s Son, Adamu, Resigns As Adamawa Commissioner

Published

23 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Adamu Abubakar, the first son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned as Adamawa State’s commissioner for works and energy development, days after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar’s resignation letter, dated 2 March 2026, was addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. He gave no reason for his departure.

The timing is pointed. Fintiri announced his defection to the APC in a statewide broadcast last Friday, saying his cabinet and the PDP’s state structure had moved with him. Within 24 hours, 22 commissioners and special advisers publicly announced they were following suit. Abubakar, whose father remains one of the PDP’s most prominent national figures, was not among them.

In a statement issued Monday night, Abubakar’s media aide Abdulaziz Jauro said the former commissioner thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s developmental agenda. He also expressed gratitude to his father “for granting him the moral support and blessing to serve the people of Adamawa State” — a line that, read in context, suggests Atiku was consulted on the decision.

Abubakar said his resignation was not a withdrawal from public life. “This does not mark the end of his commitment to public service,” the statement read, “but rather the beginning of new avenues for developmental collaboration.”

The resignation leaves unresolved the question of whether it reflects a political break with the governor over his defection or a personal decision unconnected to the broader party realignment now reshaping Adamawa’s political landscape.

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DSS Nabs Man over Assassination Attempt on Peter Obi

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has detained a man in connection with the recent attack and alleged assassination threats targeting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to AIT, the shooting incident took place on February 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, during a political gathering attended by Obi and several figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The meeting was hosted by former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the venue, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse for safety.

According to security sources, shortly after the attack, an individual identified as Udeme Monday Stephen allegedly took to social media claiming responsibility and issuing additional threats against Obi, warning of further violence.

Intelligence officials reportedly initiated swift investigations, employing digital tracing and forensic tools that led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in Rivers State. He is said to be a teacher at a private secondary school in the Eliozu area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The suspect remains in DSS custody and is expected to face prosecution. The agency reiterated its commitment to responding to credible threats and safeguarding lives and national interests without bias.