Headlines
2023: Adebanjo Blows Hot, Says North Can’t Dictate to Others
The leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has said the North cannot dictate to the rest of the country who becomes the president.
Adebanjo spoke on Monday during a public lecture themed, ‘Nationalism and nation-building in Nigerian history,’ held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs on Victoria Island, Lagos.
He said, “It was said that the South-East must come to negotiate with the North because politics is a game of numbers. My case is – and I told people yesterday – the case for the East is not to beg for a favour; it is their right. Yet, each time I hear that they should go around because the North has the population, what fraudulent population? You can’t sell that to me.
“They tell us to work together but unfortunately because they now have produced a president at the helm of affairs, they say ‘no one can become president except you come to the North and unfortunately, some southerners have been brainwashed that they can’t do anything except they bow to the North. I don’t believe it.
“What right has the North to dictate who will become our president? We were brought together not by peace, not by agreement, they forced us together and we agreed, so to continue to live together in peace must be by agreeable terms. The East has the right not because he is Igbo but because it is in Nigeria. The principle of Afenifere is on ideological basis and principle of rightness, inclusiveness and not any sentiment.”
The President of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof. George Obiozor, in his opening remark, explained that no generation of Nigerian leaders since independence had been able to create an atmosphere of credibility to ensure Nigeria’s claim to a political future as one nation.
He said, “Recently, some Nigerian political leaders have said that Nigerian unity is non-negotiable. This is an irony because these leaders seem to have forgotten Nigerian history or have failed to learn the lessons of history in general.
“Nigerian unity is definitely negotiable and must be re-negotiated for it to stand or survive the test of time. The reality over the years remains that in spite of the best efforts of all our leaders past or present, Nigerian unity is not guaranteed.
“It is simply, at best, an aspiration and not yet an achievement. Consequently, the statement that Nigerian unity is ‘non-negotiable’ is simply a historical fallacy.”
On his part, the National Director of Publicity of the Northern Elders Forum, Dr Hakeem Ahmed, said, “Some Nigerian political leaders have said Nigeria’s unity is non-negotiable. I don’t know who these people are, but I can tell you they are not of the North and they are not related to the NEF.
“Nigeria’s unity is negotiable. You either negotiate it because nations are very fragile and very delicate and you have to nurture them and pay attention to their need or they break and we are at that breaking point.”
The guest lecturer, Prof. Jide Osuntokun, lamented that since 1966, Nigeria had struggled to find a method to balance the regional desire for autonomy under a national structure.
The Punch
Former US Vice President Kamala Harris said in a British television interview previewed Saturday that she may “possibly” run again to be president.
Harris, who replaced Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate but lost to Donald Trump, told the BBC that she had not yet decided whether to make another White House bid.
But the 61-year-old insisted she was “not done” in American politics and that her young grandnieces would see a female president in the Oval Office “in their lifetime, for sure”.
“I have lived my entire career a life of service, and it’s in my bones, and there are many ways to serve,” Harris told the British broadcaster in an interview set to air in full on Sunday.
“I’ve not decided yet what I will do in the future, beyond what I am doing right now.”
The comments are the strongest hint yet that Harris could attempt to be the Democratic Party nominee for the 2028 election.
The interview follows the release of her memoir last month in which she argued it had been “recklessness” to let Biden run for a second term as president.
She also accused his White House team of failing to support her while she was his deputy, and at times of actively hindering her.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made changes in the hierarchy of the Service Chiefs in furtherance of the efforts of the federal government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture.
The President appointed General Olufemi Oluyede to replace General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff.
The new Chief of Army Staff is Major-General W. Shaibu. Air Vice Marshall S.K Aneke is Chief of Air Staff while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff. Chief of Defence Intelligence Major-General E.A.P Undiendeye retains his position.
The President expressed appreciation to the outgoing Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and the other Service Chiefs for their patriotic service, and dedicated leadership.
The President charges the newly appointed Service Chiefs to justify the confidence reposed in them to further enhance the professionalism, vigilance and comradeship that define the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
All appointments take immediate effect, Special Adviser to the President
Media and Public Communication, Mr Sunday Dare, said in a statement in Abuja.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the trial of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, till Monday, October 27, to enable him to open his defence in the terrorism charges filed against him.
Justice James Omotosho fixed the new date on Friday, after Kanu informed the court that his former legal team, led by former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), had yet to release his case file to him.
At the resumed hearing, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) appeared for the Federal Government and reminded the court that the matter was fixed for Kanu to begin his defence as earlier directed.
However, no counsel represented Kanu.
He pleaded for an adjournment to allow him to retrieve and study the file to prepare adequately for his defence.
He said, “My lord, my counsel left the case yesterday, and I have not received the file from them.”
He also informed the court of his intention to call 23 witnesses, both local and foreign, and requested an order directing the Department of State Services to allow his foreign witnesses access to him.
Additionally, he sought permission for his lawyers to visit him on non-working days — a request Omotosho granted.
Counsel to the Federal Government, Awomolo, however, described Kanu’s complaint as “strange”, noting that the defendant had spent hours in court with his former lawyers. He further urged the court to strictly enforce its earlier directive giving Kanu six days to open and close his defence.
The prosecution said, “I’m aware that there is a standing order for the defendant to defend himself within six days. The defendant wasted yesterday. This is the second day, my lord. I urge your lordship to keep to the standing order of the number of days given to the defendant,” Awomolo said.
In his ruling, Omotosho said while Kanu’s claim about the withheld case file was “strange and difficult to believe”, he would still grant a short adjournment in the interest of justice.
The judge cautioned against unnecessary delays, stressing that several other cases had been affected by the protracted proceedings.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to Monday, October 27, for Kanu to open his defence.
