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South-East PDP Demands VP Slot, Says Obi’s No Threat
The Peoples Democratic Party in the South-East is reaching out to the leadership of the party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to ensure that the PDP standard-bearer picks his running mate from the zone.
The Punch gathered that the leadership of the party in the South-East argued that having failed to cede the presidential ticket to the zone, which had consistently supported the PDP since 1999, the only thing left for the party was to cede the vice-presidential slot to it.
Atiku had in May emerged the winner of the PDP presidential primary after defeating other aspirants including a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim and an ex-President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Sam Ohuabunwa.
After the PDP primary, the apex socio-cultural organisation for the Igbo, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, criticised the party for betraying the zone.
A few days to the primary, Atiku’s running mate in 2019, Mr Peter Obi, dumped the party and joined the Labour Party on whose platform he would contest the 2023 presidential election.
There has been growing support for Obi since he joined the LP. Analysts have warned that Obi’s defection to the LP may affect the chances of the PDP in the South-East, where its presidential candidate got 1.6 million votes in 2019 against over 403,000 votes garnered by the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
The Publicity Secretary of the Anambra State PDP, Nnamdi Nwagwu, in an interview with The PUNCH, confirmed that the South-East had demanded the vice-presidential slot like the South-South.
He noted that both the PDP and the APC had sidelined the South-East, adding that it was only in the PDP that the zone could get the VP slot.
He added that only the VP slot could, at least, secure votes for the party in the South-East.
He said, “They (South-East leaders) are making such a demand for the VP slot. Let us see how it goes. They are making the demand because every party has sidelined the South-East and it is only in the PDP that they can get the VP slot because they cannot get it from the APC as the APC already has a southern presidential candidate.
“Only the VP slot can secure votes for the party in the zone, if not, it will be difficult to wrest the votes of the region from Peter Obi. And let us see how it goes if the VP slot will be given or not.”
On its part, the Imo State chapter of the PDP said that it was not perturbed by the growing acceptability of Obi in the South-East.
The Director-General of the New Media of the PDP in the state, Collins Opuruzor, said that the PDP in the region was not worried about Obi’s candidature.
He said that the party was mobilising for the victory of the PDP not only in the South-East but also across the country.
Opuruzor said that the PDP presidential candidate could win the presidential election in 2023.
When contacted, the National Vice-Chairman of the PDP (South-East zone), Chief Ali Odefa, said, “I’m not the National Chairman of the party to comment on this. Contact the National Chairman of the party for this, please.”
But the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologbunagba, in an interview with one of our correspondents, dismissed Obi’s popularity.
On whether the party considered Obi’s growing support as a threat, Ologbunagba said, “When we talk about popularity, that is your assessment and you are entitled to it. When we get to the polls, the popularity will reveal itself.
“We are not talking about somebody’s popularity. That is not what we are talking about. We are focused on our party. That is the important thing. We are focused on what we are doing and what we will do for Nigerians. We are focused on insecurity, our kids being out of school for one year.”
Also, a former presidential aspirant of the PDP, Sam Ohuabunwa, said in picking a running mate, the party would choose somebody who could bring votes.
He stated, “The PDP leadership will do a lot of hard work and will not just focus on dividing the so-called Obi’s votes in the South-East and while he may also have followers outside his region, we are not sure yet. All we see now is social media hype. We cannot be sure until we get to the polls. What we read in the media may not be what happens in real life.”
But the Spokesman, Peter Obi Support Network, Sani Altukry, took a swipe at the PDP.
According to Altukry, the Peter Obi phenomenon is now a national movement and revolution that will bring an end to the PDP and the APC.
He said, “Some say it is a revolution, a present reality that will bring an end to the PDP and the APC as major political parties because they failed to do the right thing.
“They failed to address the yearnings of Nigerians for equity and justice. And they have also failed the youth of this country. The youth yearn for good government, an end to ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) strike and graduate unemployment. The youth are angry that Nigeria is today the poverty capital of the world because of the PDP and the APC misrule and Peter Obi’s rallying cry to move the country from consumption to production is a rallying cry for hope.”
He added that the ‘Peter Obi Movement’ was also a protest against the injustice meted out to the people of southern Nigeria when the PDP failed to zone the presidency to the South.
“Mark my words, the PDP will receive the shock of its life as its presidential candidate will come second runner-up while Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will emerge as a winner in the 2023 presidential election. It is quite unfortunate that the party lost its followers due to injustice,” he added.
The Punch
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
It’s impossible for any mortal person to claim that he has not at one time or another felt envious. In other words, everyone somehow has wished they have something other people; friends, partners, siblings, colleagues or even family members, have. It is worthy of note that the Creator of heaven and earth designed the universe in such a way that everyone needs to depend on one another for survival. Nobody has it all.
While one person may be gifted in singing, another might be gifted in praying, healing, speaking or writing. Yet another might be gifted in playing soccer, while another might be gifted in sprinting, tennis, swimming, and more.
As a Human Capacity Development expert, I have come to realize that we all have different strengths and weaknesses. The mistake most people make is to chase what is not chasing them instead of focusing on developing themselves.
When you develop yourself, it will be easy for other people to appreciate and support you, but when you focus your energy on being jealous of what other people have, you deprive yourself of attracting blessings and opportunities to your life. As a Life coach, I always tell my tribe, major on your major and work on your weakness.
Envy is not only when one is jealous of what someone has, it also means greed when one is not satisfied with what one has. Isn’t it true that greed makes a rich man poor and contentment makes a rich man poor. It is important to note that you can’t attract what you hate. If you see anyone thriving, please if you can’t support them, please leave them the way you are instead of pulling them down.
One of the best ways to succeed in life is to know oneself. According to Socrates, “man know thyself”. When you understand who you are, you will understand what’s unique about you, and you won’t be concerned about the activities of others. The benefit of self-discovery is priceless. Self-discovery will help you to make the right choice, it will assist you to unleash your potential, and it will ultimately help you to be intentional with your life.
One of the reasons why envy is paramount is that we don’t practice gratitude and appreciation. Most often, we look towards what we lack instead of looking at what we have. There’s an adage that says, it is because the philosopher was too busy to get to the promised land that he forgot there’s a ditch in front of him and he fell inside. That’s the philosophy of envy.
It’s instructive to note that envy is not only deadly, but also “cancerous” because when it envelops someone, it blinds the person not to see the good in others. Envy, if not properly managed, can cause more than damage.
There was a story about two friends- John and Paul. John woke up one morning to a gleaming new model Toyota Camry in Paul’s garage. He went green with envy, and by the next day, he had the same brand of car in his own garage to prove a point. Unknown to John, he didn’t know that Paul’s car was a gift from his wealthy father-in-law. John on the other hand had to exhaust all his savings to buy his own car just to prove whatever point he had in mind.
At the end of the day, Paul was smiling well and living his best life, but John was experiencing financial challenges that threatened his marriage because of his pride and greed to prove a point. The moral of this message is to desist from competing with people, rather compete with oneself by being better than you were yesterday.
One good reason why envy and covetousness are such terrible afflictions is because what is right for others may not be right for you. If your motivation is to have what others have, your decisions will be targeted at the wrong or goal. Your goal must be self-geared and not to keep up with the neighbors.
It’s instructive to note that we are not on earth to impress anyone, except God. Yes, it’s good to impress our boss at work, our friends, family members, mentors, and benefactors, etc., it should be done with moderation. What is important is for one to know the intention behind whatever they are doing. This is because when you try to please man, you’ll fail, but when we try to do the right thing, everything will fall in place. According to Bill Cosby, I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone. Moral: Just do you and everyone will be fine because at the end of the day, those that care, don’t matter and those that matter don’t care.
In conclusion, as you journey towards life, please avoid envy, run from it and be satisfied with what you have.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
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WAEC Dismisses Viral Letter on Deployment of Security Personnel to Exam Centres As Fabricated, Fake
By Eric Elezuo
A statement signed by the Ag. Head, Public Affairs, West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Office, Yaba, Ms Moyosola Adesina, on behalf of the Head of National Office, has denied and dismissed a letter purportedly issued by WAEC, and making the rounds on the internet, as forged, fake and fabricated.
The statement stated categoricrally that ‘the Council has not issued any such directive regarding the deployment of security personnel to individual examination centers as described in the rogue letter.’
The Council urged schools and examination centres to disregard the letter and it’s content as ‘it did not emanate from the office of the Senior Deputy Registrar (Test Administration) or any other department within WAEC Nigeria’.
Below is WAEC’s statement in full:
The attention of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, has been drawn to a fraudulent letter making the rounds in the media space.
The fabricated letter, dated May 27, 2026, bears the reference number L/SED/12/DIST/VOL. 4/460 and is addressed to “The Proprietor/Principal of schools.
The forged document falsely claims that the Council has finalized plans for a “comprehensive deployment” of personnel from the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to all WAEC examination centers across Nigeria, effective June 1, 2026. The letter also features a forged signature of the Senior Deputy Registrar/Head (Test Administration), Mr. S.D. Kum.
The Management of the West African Examinations Council wishes to state categoricrally that the said letter is fake, as it did not emanate from the office of the Senior Deputy Registrar (Test Administration) or any other department within WAEC Nigeria. Similarly, the Council has not issued any such directive regarding the deployment of security personnel to individual examination centers as described in the rogue letter.
Furthermore, WAEC recognizes that this letter is the handiwork of mischief-makers and fraudsters aiming to create unnecessary panic, disrupt the smooth conduct of the ongoing examination, and mislead school proprietors, principals, parents, and candidates.
On this note, school authorities, supervisors, invigilators, parents, and the general public are hereby advised to completely disregard the contents of the said letter.
The Council hereby wishes all registered candidates for WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026 the very best in their preparations for the examination.
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to deepen, as the President Bola Tinubu’s daughter, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, on Wednesday, called for the disbandment of the influential Justice Forum and Mandate Movement groups over alleged manipulation of the party’s primaries.
Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of President Bola Tinubu, specifically faulted the conduct of the House of Representatives primary for Mushin Constituency I, Agege Constituency II, and Ojokoro, alleging that the mandate of aspirants in the constituencies was stolen and handed to “a non-winner”.
Speaking during the weekly meeting of market leaders and stakeholders at the Iyaloja-General’s office in Alausa, Ikeja, she condemned what she described as political shenanigans and warned against attempts to subvert the will of party members.
She also decried the alleged marginalisation of traders by political office holders despite their contributions to the growth and electoral success of the APC in Lagos State.
The Iyaloja General cited the cases of Mutiu Olaide Oladeebo in Agege Constituency II, Seye Oladejo in Mushin Federal Constituency, and Olotu Emmanuel Ojo in Ojokoro, insisting that the aspirants won their respective primaries convincingly before moves were allegedly made to alter the outcomes.
She said: “We have to cry out now; let the APC cancel Justice and Mandate Forums because our governorship candidate belongs to the Justice Forum.” Everybody is now joking at the Justice Forum because that is where our incoming governor belongs. Are we not Lagosians? When he becomes the governor, he will not be the governor for the APC alone; he has to balance it. Even when you are the governor, you have to lead both your friends and foes. It is saddening that when a Mandate Forum aspirant wins, he jumps to Justice Forum; it is saddening. It is a way of telling us that hard work doesn’t pay in politics.
“Something must be done on that because it is important.
We are sure that Seye Oladejo won in Mushin Federal Constituency and Olotu Emmanuel Ojo in Ojokoro won in Ojoroko with a landslide.
“In fact, we decided to calm down and see what they will do about it because we are ready to protest. We know they won the election and their mandate should not be given to somebody else.”
She urged APC leaders at the state and national levels to immediately investigate the disputed primaries and ensure that justice prevailed before final ratification of the results.
She warned that failure to address the grievances could worsen internal tensions within the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu-Ojo declared that market women across Lagos remain committed to supporting the governorship ambition of Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat and other APC candidates nationwide, but stressed that traders deserve recognition and political appointments in return for their loyalty and sacrifices.
She also urged President Bola Tinubu to acknowledge traders as critical stakeholders in national development.
Meanwhile, aggrieved APC members and supporters in Mushin have threatened mass protests if the alleged mandate of Oladejo is not restored.
The protesters accused leaders of the Justice Forum bloc of attempting to impose candidates and undermine internal democracy within the party.
“We know who won the election, and the mandate should not be stolen. We are ready to protest if justice is not done,” one of the protesters said.
