Headlines
Atiku Challenges Party Stalwarts to Win Polling Booths, Promises to Expand Scope of Economy
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has challenged members of the party to win their polling booths as the 2023 elections draw nearer.
Atiku stated this during a town hall meeting held with stakeholders and members of the party in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
On Atiku’s entourage were the National Chairman of the party, Iyocha Ayu; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; former Vice President, Namadi Sambo; former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State.
Others were Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwa; Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel; former governor of Cross River State, Lyel Imoke; former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido; governorship candidate of Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, and the governorship candidate of Lagos State, Jide Adeniran (Jandor).
The former Vice President said if members of the party want PDP to return to power on May 29, they must all go back to their constituencies and work for the party to win the election.
Atiku said: “The fact that you (party members) are following the gubernatorial candidate or the senatorial candidate or the House of Representatives candidate or the presidential candidate to campaigns is no qualification that you will get an appointment.
“It is not a qualification that you will get a contract whether at the local government level, state or the federal level.
“The only way, as far as I’m concerned, if I’m President, if you come and say you want a job or you want a contract, I will ask you to let me have the result of your polling booth.
“And that is what I’m going to direct to everybody because unless we do that, we will not win the elections.
“You are all members of the PDP and supporters of the PDP, you want PDP to return to power, please I beg of you, make sure you win your polling booths.
“You cannot be following the governor or Senator all over the place and then you don’t win your polling booth and you come and say you want to be a minister or you want to get this contract.
“So please, as members of our party let us make sure that we go back to our constituencies and make sure that we deliver our polling units.”
Atiku noted that he would be able to execute his plans to retool the country for greatness if he wins at the poll, and maintained that party members must mobilise the people and ensure PDP wins in their polling booths.
He warned that members must not be complacent by just following the party candidates around, but strive to deliver the party at the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.
Atiku informed the gathering that if elected his administration would expand the scope of the economy so as to improve the living standard of the people and create more employment.
He recalled that the PDP-led government grew Nigeria’s economy between 1999 and 2015 as the largest in Africa, saying that his administration would not only revive the ailing economy but grow it sustainably.
The PDP presidential candidate added that his administration, in conjunction with international partners, would fund and expand primary health centres, to ensure quality healthcare is made available to the people at the grassroots.
On education, Atiku said more money would be budgeted for education and works towards ending the incessant strikes in Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions.
While addressing thousands of PDP supporters at the mega rally held at Ake Palace Ake Palace ground in Abeokuta, Atiku called on residents of the State to vote out the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Call it the eating of a humble pie, and you may not be wring as the embattled Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, apologised to Governor Godwin Obaseki amid a face-off between them.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday in Benin City, Mr Shaibu appealed to Governor Obaseki to forgive his “mistakes” for them to continue to work together, Channels TV reported.
“I use this medium to appeal to Mr Governor, if there is anything that I don’t know that I have done, please forgive me so that we can develop our state together,” he said.
“We have just one year to go. We have been the envy of the entire country. So, Mr Governor, if there is anything you feel that I have done, please I am sorry. I need us to work together to finish well and strong,” the deputy governor added.
When asked if he had resumed at his new office, Mr Shaibu said, “We have resumed but there is still a lot of work to be done there.
“There is no problem about it. The governor has asked us to go there. Like I have always tried to prove, I am a loyal servant and nothing has changed.
“I took a personal vow to support my governor and you can see my Catholic people are here. When I took a vow with God, nothing can change it and I wish that the relationship that we had will come back in the next few days and weeks.”
Mr Shaibu also said he has been missing the governor since their rift began, and expressed hope that God will “touch the governor’s heart” to forgive him.
“I mean well. If there is any mistake I have made as a human, it is not out of wickedness because I know I’m not wicked. I have a very clean heart.”
The Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has announced the revocation of 167 plots of land in some highbrow districts of the nation’s capital, Abuja.
Areas affected are Maitama, Gudu, Wuye which had the highest revocation, 41; Katampe, Katampe Extension, Wuse 2, Jabi, Utako, Idu Industrial zone, and Asokoro which had the second highest revocation, 39.
In a notice issued Thursday night in Abuja, the administration said the plots were revoked due to the refusal or failure of their allottees to develop them.
“The Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA hereby informs the general public that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory has, in the exercise of the powers conferred on him under Section 28(5)(a) & (b) of the Land Use Act 1978, revoked the underlisted plots with names and titles as reflected in our records for continued contravention of the terms of development of the Right of Occupancy to wit non-development”, the administration said in the notice signed by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola.
Some of the plots revoked in Maitama district A05 had names like Liyel Imoke, Musa Aboki Egu, Hassan Hadejia and Ishaya Baba.
In Jabi, some of the plots revoked had allottees such as Sam Nda-Isaiah, and Donubari Josephine Kogbara, while Katampe district had Peter Gregory Obi, BUA international among others.
In other areas, this revoked had names as Julius Berger Nigeria, Honeywell Construction, Uffot Joseph Ekaette, Shittu Mohammed, Udoma Udo Udoma, Kanu Agabi, Niki Niki Tobi, Ishaku Bello, and others.
Wike had on assumption of office vowed to restore the master plan of the territory and revoke plots that had not been developed or those whose ground rents have not been paid for years.
He had consequently given a two-week grace to allottees to pay their ground rents or risk revocation of their allocations.
Vanguard
President Bola Tinubu has appealed against the ruling of Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert, sitting at the United States’ District Court of Northern Illinois which ordered the Chicago State University (CSU) to release all relevant records pertaining to him.
SaharaReporters had reported how the federal court in Chicago, while ruling on the civil case filed by Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday granted the applicant’s request to the court, stating that former Nigeria’s vice-president had been able to sufficiently satisfy the purpose for seeking the records.
In the judgement documents seen by SaharaReporters on Wednesday, Judge Jeffrey Gilbert also ordered a deposition of designated CSU officials within two days after the records have been released, noting further that the process can be conducted during the weekend if necessary.
However, as the school prepared to surrender the papers, Tinubu filed an emergency motion in the district, requesting a higher judge to reconsider Mr Gilbert’s September 19 ruling and postpone the execution until at least September 25, according to People’s Gazette.
“Due to the timing for compliance by Chicago State University – later today – Intervenor is filing this motion separately from its challenge to the Magistrate’s ruling on the application,” Mr Tinubu’s lawyers, led by Christopher Carmichael, said. “Intervenor intends to file, by the end of the day, a substantive brief addressing the errors in the Magistrate’s decision.”
