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Opinion

2023 Presidency: Assessing the Options Before Nigerians

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Adnan Mukhtar Tudun Wada

 

By Adnan Mukhtar

As the 2023 general elections knock on the door with 18 presidential candidates on the ballot, pundits have narrowed the options available to Nigerians to just four.

This is the first time that Nigeria will witness the rise of major presidential contenders under unpopular platforms. Despite practising multi party system, Nigeria has always witnessed two major contenders for the office of the president since 1999.

It was Olusegun Obasanjo and Olu Falae in 1999. It was Obasanjo of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Muhammadu Buhari of the All People’s Party (APP) in 2003. It was Umaru Musa Yaradua of PDP and Buhari of All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) in 2007. It was Buhari of Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) and Dr Goodluck Jonathan of PDP in 2011. But in 2007 and 2011, Atiku Abubakar and Nuhu Ribadu flew the flags of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) respectively and both came third.

Buhari contested for this office three times and lost before he won in 2015 after the merger with other political parties which won him the southwest and north central.

The decision to elect Buhari in 2015 and 2019 has however turned out to be a regrettable one for Nigerians as sorrow, tears and blood have been the lot of the masses.

With all these challenges facing the country, who can rescue and unite Nigeria at this critical moment?

2023: NNPP Gubernatorial Candidate tackles FG over universities’ increase in registration fees

The All Progressives Congress has Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its flag bearer, Peoples Democratic Party has Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party is fielding Peter Obi and the New Nigeria Peoples Party has nominated Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Analysts are of the view that it’s a repeat of the 1979 general election with five candidates among whom Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) emerged victorious.

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Despite having four major contenders, the race is strictly between Atiku and Tinubu. The other two – Obi and Kwankwaso – are just regional candidates like Obafemi Awolowo of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Nnamdi Azikwe of the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP) and Aminu Kano of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), in 1979.

While PDP and APC have structures across the country, LP and NNPP have not fielded candidates for all the National Assembly, State House of Assembly seats and governorship positions across the country.

While Atiku and Tinubu are aiming for the top prize, Obi and Kwankwaso are apparently in this race to garner experience for the future and claim they were once presidential candidates.

Tinubu’s candidacy has problems of its own. His party is deemed to have failed the country and his presence of mind and general health status are suspect.

Tinubu is relying on the core north to give him votes but his approval rating in the northwest has plummeted in recent weeks with new naira notes palaver and acute fuel shortage supervised by the APC moving people to the edge.

Hajia Najatu Mohammed’s defection to the Atiku camp and recent campaign against the APC candidate have also done incalculable damage to the chances of the Tinubu/Shettima ticket in the North.

Obi is winning the southeast, parts of south-south and parts of north central but there is no credible path to victory for him.

As attested to by Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, Obi’s performance in Anambra is also not inspiring, aside saving monies he should have spent on infrastructure and human capital development.

Kwankwaso’s performance as Kano State governor was incredible. He sponsored the children of the poor for postgraduate and undergraduate studies abroad.

His understanding of national politics is however shallow. Like Obi, he has to shatter a huge glass ceiling to be able to get near the Villa.

The NNPP according to analysts can only win Kano, his home state, with a slim margin but cannot go anywhere in Kaduna, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States.

A vote for NNPP will only strengthen Tinubu’s APC. It is a vote for continuity of Buhari’s failure. The party is no where outside Kano, therefore will not be compared with Aminu Kano’s PRP in the second republic with two governors and members of the National Assembly from Kano, Kaduna and other Northern States.

Atiku is an old war horse, a restless fighter who has experience at the highest level to lead Nigeria to greater heights.

Atiku is contesting for the 5th time. He did it in 1992, 2007, 2015, 2019 and 2023. The ‘unifier’ has built bridges across the country. He was instrumental to bringing El-Rufai, Nuhu Ribadu, Okonjo Iweala and some other best brains into government. The economy was very stable until when he left as Vice President in 2007.

He has the best policy document and has the ability to implement it from the look of things. His ideas are lucid and convincing and everywhere he goes he holds the audience spellbound with his massive presence of mind, clarity of thoughts and clear headedness.

Obviously, he is the best man for the job. He is the right candidate to heal the wounds and cure the illness of that the Buhari administration represents.

 

Adnan is a Political PR Consultant. He writes from Atiku Abubakar Campaign Office, Zaria Road, Kano.

Opinion

From Zamfara roots to national vision: Aliyu Muhammad Adamu, seasoned media leader, returns home to serve his people.”

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Aliyu Muhammad Adamu was born on 29th December 1982 in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, into the respected Adamu Joji family.

He hails from a lineage that includes notable family members such as Alhaji Sanda Adamu Tsafe (Sarkin Yakin Tsafe), Alhaji Aliyu Adamu (Danmadami), Alhaji Sani Adamu, Hajiya Khadija Adamu (Gwoggo Dala), and Hajiya Amina, among others.

His father, Muhammad Adamu (popularly known as Nata’ala), later relocated to Kano State in pursuit of business expansion. As a result, Aliyu and his siblings were raised in Kano, where he began his early education at Da’awa Primary School, Kano.

Driven by a strong connection to his roots, Aliyu returned to Zamfara State for his secondary education, attending Unity Secondary School, Gummi. He subsequently gained admission into Bayero University, Kano (BUK), where he obtained both his Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree, graduating in 2010.

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After completing his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Aliyu faced the realities of life with resilience and determination, navigating through challenges that shaped his character and leadership capacity. In 2014, he returned to Zamfara State and began his professional career in the media industry with Gamji Television and Radio.

Through dedication, hard work, and professional excellence, he served the organization for nearly ten years, rising through the ranks to become the General Manager of the station, an achievement that underscored his leadership, administrative competence, and commitment to public communication.

In 2023, Aliyu voluntarily resigned from the media organization and relocated to Kano State in pursuit of broader opportunities and personal development. Today, driven by a renewed sense of purpose and a lifelong commitment to his people, Aliyu Muhammad Adamu is preparing to return to his hometown to seek the support and mandate of his people. His aspiration is to represent our parents, brothers, and sisters at the federal level, with a clear vision of contributing meaningfully to the development, unity, and overall progress of Zamfara State.

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Opinion

Opinion:The Anatomy Of A Hoax- Setting The Record Straight On Governor Abba Yusuf

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​By Ahmed Badamasi Tsaure

​The recent wave of political “scoops” regarding the purported defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has moved beyond mere speculation into a coordinated campaign of character assassination. Most notably, reports by Daily Nigerian claiming the Governor’s move was “postponed” are masterpieces of fiction, designed to paint a sitting Governor as indecisive and subordinate. As a witness to the political realities in Kano, I find it necessary to dismantle these fallacies with the facts that the purveyors of this rumor have conveniently ignored. In Nigerian politics, defection is a statutory process requiring a formal resignation from one’s current party. To date, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has not submitted any resignation from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). To claim that a “finalized arrangement” for a Monday registration existed is a procedural hallucination; one cannot join a new house without first stepping out of the old one.
​Furthermore, the narrative suggests the Governor’s plans were shelved because he failed to seek the “blessings” of local APC bigwigs. This is a laughable distortion of executive power. History is replete with Governors who defected based on executive conviction without the interference of local APC “big wigs.” We have seen this with the Governor of Delta vs. Senator Omo-Agege, the Governor of Bayelsa vs. David Lyon and Minister Heineken Lokpobiri, the Governor of Rivers vs. Nyesom Wike, and the Governor of Plateau vs. the current National Chairman of the APC. More recently, the defections of Governors like Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Ben Ayade (Cross River), and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara) proved that when a Governor moves, he does so as the new leader of the party in his state. It is also historically hypocritical to label such a move as “betrayal.” When Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso defected from the PDP to the APC in 2013, he did not seek permission from any person or leadership—he led a rebellion based on his own conviction. If it was “principled politics” for the godfather then, it cannot be “betrayal” for the Governor now.

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​What, then, remains for a Governor who already holds the overwhelming mandate of his people? It is a known fact that Governor Abba Yusuf moves with the ironclad support of almost 95% of the Kano State House of Assembly, 50% of the National Assembly members from the state, all 44 Local Government chairmen, and the entire grassroots party structure. The desperate attempt by the NNPP National Working Committee to dissolve the Kano executive committees is a futile, “too-late” maneuver that only confirms their loss of control. When a Governor commands such total loyalty, he does not ask for permission; he leads. The defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is inevitable if he so wishes, as he carries the entire political soul of Kano with him.
​The theory that the APC postponed this move because Senator Kwankwaso is not coming along simply does not hold water. Kwankwaso’s refusal to join the APC is a settled matter; it is alleged the President offered him a ministerial position or the Chairmanship of the soon-to-be resuscitated Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), both of which he rejected after his demand to join the Presidential ticket was denied. Using this stalemate as a pretext for the Governor’s “indecision” is a transparent lie aimed at making the Governor look like a political appendage. It is disheartening to see Daily Nigerian abandon objective journalism to frame the Governor as a “betrayer.” If Governor Abba Yusuf chooses to move, he does so as a leader of a massive political movement. The media must stop concocting stories to mislead the public. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf remains focused on his mandate. These rumors are merely the desperate gasps of those who wish to see Kano in perpetual turmoil.

​Ahmed Badamasi Tsaure writes from Shanono Local Government, Kano State. He can be reached at ahmedtsaure28@gmail.com.

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Opinion

Your Excellency, the Governor of Kano State Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf: Welcome to APC the People’s Party

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By Abbati Bako,psc,bsis,mti,Kent,UK, former special adviser on public affairs to former Governor H/E Ganduje

It is with a heart full of joy and a spirit of unity that we welcome a true son of Kano State Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf into the fold of the APC, the people’s political party and the largest political party in Africa.

Governor Yusuf, an‑engineer by profession and the elected leader of our great State since May 2023 has already made a lasting imprint on Kano State. Sir, thanks.

His bold intention to declare a state of emergency on education allocating a remarkable 30 % (more than 26% of prescription by UNESCO) of the state budget to schools has turned the tide for countless children of downtrodden to be educated and enlightened. From solar‑lit streets that brighten our nights to a N50,000 monthly support for 5,200 women entrepreneurs to cushions economic precarity, his initiatives echo the APC’s vision of a prosperous future, inclusive of the benefits of former councillors in the 44 LGA of Kano State. Also, the benefits of pensioners which have not been paid a long time ago. I’m sure that the next special advisers’ benefit will be on the line.

Hence, the countless roads construction and rehabilitation at both metropolitan and rural areas has been going on without delay. Your Excellency, these gigantic policies by His Excellency have been the same with the central government under His Excellency President Bola Tinubu.

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The APC, under the steadfast guidance of Chairman Prince Abdullahi Abbas and the former national chairman His Excellency Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has repeatedly affirmed its readiness to receive Governor Yusuf “with open arms”. This invitation is not a political maneuver but a sincere call for unity, reconciliation, and collective responsibility values that will combine our strengths for the progress of Kano State and the entire nation. Take note that today Nigeria is on the way to political, economic and social reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria will be on the same pathway with other economic emerging markets of the Global Southern Hemisphere.

As we extend this warm embrace, we also look forward to the synergy of your seasoned leadership and the APC’s grassroots energy. Together, we shall:

*Strengthen our education sector, ensuring every child has a desk, a book, and a future especially on science, technology and innovation

*Boost agriculture, healthcare system, transport, security and strengthen women‑empowerment programmes that lift families out of poverty. Drive infrastructural development that lights up our streets and connects our markets. And again, this writing and understanding that there’s the need to create “New Kano” as has been done in other nations like Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria and other developing nations of the world.

Governor Yusuf, your presence today is a testament to the power of partnership and with that Kano State will be the next commercial centre of Africa. We pledge to walk hand‑in‑hand with you in APC, to build a Kano that shines brighter than ever before the creation of the State in 1967. With your presence in APC the election year of 2027 will be a work over in Kano State and the nation at large.

Thank you, and welcome home!

Abbati Bako,psc,bsis,pl.sc,political strategy and communications consultant and care taker chairman former special advisers to former Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje

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