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Keyamo Mocks PDP over Wike, Others’ Absence at Presidential Campaign Flag-off
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The Spokesperson of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, on Monday night, said Nigerians should see the absence of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, four other governors and some members of the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party at the official launch of PDP’s presidential campaign in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, as a warning signal.
This is even as the Minister of State for Labour and Employment disclosed that he found the presence of the embattled National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, on the podium promising the PDP will change the fortune of the country a huge joke.
Keyamo made the statement in a release issued on Monday night.
Members of the PDP Board of Trustees, led by a former senate president, Chief Adolphus Wabara, were also present at the venue.
But Keyamo believed the launch of the presidential campaign was a disaster waiting to happen, saying the opposition party had continued to treat the Nigerian public with disdain and disrespect.
He said, “When you have a flag-off campaign that is shunned by the national vice-chairmen of the South-South, South-West, and five sitting governors out of thirteen, that is a definitive and resounding red-flag that Nigerians should not vote the presidential candidate of the PDP in this coming election.
“If the people’s representatives at the state levels are so unanimously against their party’s candidate that they would shun his campaign launch, then indeed, we would say to Nigerians, A word is enough for the wise.
“If not the loss of the sense of shame, what else could have goaded PDP’s now discredited “sit tight” National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to be audacious enough to stand on a podium today in Uyo and make any promise to Nigerians?
“Has he been able to fulfill the promise he made to himself and his party members to step down from office should a northerner emerge as the presidential candidate at their party primaries?
“How can a party that cannot unite itself promise to unite Nigeria? How can a party that brazenly violates its own constitution on zoning be trusted to obey the constitution of Nigeria if again trusted with power?
“Fortunately, to the benefit of Nigerians, there remains a few good men within PDP. These honourable men belonging to the party’s NWC, deemed it right to return hundreds of millions of Naira allegedly transferred into their individual bank accounts as “hush money” to suppress the investigation of the scandal of humongous financial misappropriation leveled against their national chairman.
“Not much should, therefore, be expected from such a gathering. With the obvious inability of its presidential candidate to assuage frayed nerves of disaffected persons within their ranks, how will it be possible for such a person to unite people within such a diverse landscape as Nigeria? You definitely cannot give what you don’t have.
“The PDP and its self-conceited leadership failed woefully to put its house in order before hitting the streets to ask for the votes of Nigerians and, ironically, telling Nigerians they are on a rescue mission.
“Till date, their national secretariat remains uncompleted, whilst the APC, in its relatively shorter existence, now has a permanent headquarters.
“Our democracy is young. This Fourth Republic is barely 24 years old. But then, a 24 years old man would be said to be coming of age. At this time, Nigerians are no longer interested in a trial-and-error leadership.
“Those who have not been proven to be ‘good enough’ leaders should have no access to our highest office. If nothing else speaks to the disaster an Abubakar Atiku presidency will be, this crisis within the PDP does so eloquently.”
The Punch
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to account for the N15.8 trillion saved from the removal of the fuel subsidy and the over $100 billion borrowed by his administration.
Obi’s challenge comes 24 hours after Tinubu took a swipe at the former Governor of Anambra State during an All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign rally in Akwa Ibom State, saying that while the NDC candidate ran from erosion in Anambra, he (Tinubu) confronted the Atlantic Ocean in Lagos.
In a post on his X handle on Saturday, Obi congratulated Tinubu on spending a night in a Nigerian State outside Lagos and Abuja, while urging him to visit other states and account for the resources available to his administration.
“I congratulate you on spending a night in one of Nigeria’s states outside Lagos and Abuja. I hope you enjoyed the warmth, hospitality, and delicious cuisine of Akwa Ibom, which I am sure is even better than those of the destinations where you have spent over 260 days outside Nigeria since coming into office.
“I sincerely hope this visit will inspire you to travel to the remaining 33 states of the federation, spend time with the people and, more importantly, explain what your administration has done with the ₦15.8 trillion saved from the removal of fuel subsidy, the over $100 billion you have borrowed, the increased revenues accruing to the government from taxing Nigerians, and the additional government revenues which your administration celebrated last year as having surpassed its target,” Obi wrote.
He insisted that Nigerians deserve to know what the government has achieved with the resources, including the number of people lifted out of poverty, children returned to school and functional primary healthcare centres built.
“Nigerians deserve to know how many that were pulled out of poverty within this period, how many out-of-school children were returned to school, and how many functional primary healthcare centres you have built.
“They also deserve to know how much electricity supply has improved, especially given your promise that if you do not fix power, Nigerians should not vote for you. They deserve an explanation of how you have secured the country, which still ranks among the most terrorised countries in the world.
“Mr. President, Nigerians deserve answers. They deserve to know what has been done with the resources entrusted to your government,” he added.
Obi said the new Nigeria he hopes to build would be founded on accountability, transparency and the physical, measurable impact of public resources on the lives of citizens.
Nigeria’s under-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, etched their names into football history Saturday, defeating former champions Japan 2–1 at the Mohammed VI Football Complex to lift the 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
With the victory, Nigeria becomes the first African nation to win the tournament since its inception in 2008.
Led by head coach Akeem Busari, the Flamingos entered the showpiece having already broken ground as the first African side to reach the final, surpassing their previous best finish of a bronze medal in 2022.
After a fiercely contested opening half-hour against a disciplined Japanese side making their fourth final appearance, Nigeria broke the deadlock in the 39th minute.
Midfielder Awawu Bashiru—who had starred with a brace in the semi-final against Brazil—unleashed a long-range strike that slipped past Japanese goalkeeper Kou Kadowaki to give the Flamingos a 1–0 lead at the break.
Nigeria wasted no time doubling their advantage after the restart. Just two minutes into the second half, forward Oluebube Umejiaku latched onto a through ball and lifted a composed finish over the onrushing Kadowaki in the 47th minute to make it 2–0.
Desperate to reclaim a title they last won in 2014, Japan responded with a triple substitution and mounted heavy late pressure.
The Young Nadeshiko eventually pulled a goal back in the 80th minute through setting up a tense finish in front of a crowd that included FIFA President Gianni Infantino and CAF President Patrice Motsepe.
Despite Japan’s late surge, Nigeria’s backline—marshalled by goalkeeper Sylvia Ijirigho and defender Omowunmi Sunday—held firm through stoppage time to seal an unforgettable triumph for Nigerian and African women’s football.
ThisDay
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to restore fuel subsidy, improve security and create employment if elected president in 2027.
Atiku made the pledge on Thursday during a campaign rally in Kebbi State, where he called on voters to support the ADC, describing it as the only party committed to addressing the three issues.
“The people of Kebbi State, let me ask you a few questions. Do you want the return of subsidy? Do you want security? Do you want employment? Therefore you have no option other than the ADC. ADC is the only political party that is committed to these three objectives and more to bring about prosperity, unity and peace to the people of our country,” he said.
The former Vice President and his running mate also criticised some projects being presented as achievements of the President Bola Tinubu administration, describing them as legacies of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
Supporters of the ADC gathered at the party’s secretariat in Birnin Kebbi to welcome Atiku and other party chieftains ahead of the rally.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Austin Akobundu, commended party faithful for what he described as their resistance to intimidation by the state government.
Akobundu said the 2027 general elections would be a referendum between suffering Nigerians and the Federal Government under President Tinubu.
The ADC National Chairman, in his remarks, described the party as a moving train that no amount of intimidation could stop.
He called on the people of Kebbi State to vote for Atiku as president, Abubakar Malami as governor and other ADC candidates in the 2027 general elections.
The rally ended with the ADC National Chairman formally presenting the party’s flag to Malami as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
The campaign in Kebbi came hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the leadership of the Senator David Mark-led ADC and voided the actions taken by the party’s executives, including the process that produced Atiku as its presidential candidate.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of the party, who challenged the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.
Atiku rejected the ruling, describing it as an attempt to weaken his political support and frustrate his campaign. He said he would challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
The ADC also rejected the decision, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to cripple the opposition and vowing to challenge the judgment through all available judicial processes.
