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OPC, Afenifere never supported Tinubu – CNG hits back

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Abdul Aziz Suleiman CNG chairman

 

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has said, the self-professed leading Yoruba groups, OPC and Afenifere had never worked for the victory of Nigeria’s President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

CNG was replying to the statement by the OPC that tends to threaten the North from demanding what is due to it describing the development as unguarded and empty in a statement signed by its Spokesperson, Abdulazeez Suleiman.

The statement said, “without the need to give the OPC more reasons to feel important, the CNG is however compelled to respond to the fact that both the self-professed leading Yoruba groups, OPC and Afenifere never worked for the victory of the Asiwaju.

“While Afenifere, through its leader, Ayo Adebanjo, openly, directly and actively opposed the Tinubu contest, the OPC was completely silent throughout and for any of these groups to now turn around and assume the right to speak against the North, from where the President-elect extracted the bulk of his winning votes, is the accurate personification of crass opportunism.”

Basing their response to facts and figures, CNG extends invitation to the OPC to stop being lazy and instead, dissect the data from the 2023 presidential election to get the idea of how Tinubu was able to overcome strong opposition thereby coasting to victory and where the Northern claim to commensurate reward comes from.

“For a start, Tinubu got more votes from the north-west — the largest voting geo-political grouping in the country — than from the south-west, his home zone. In raw numbers, Tinubu beat Atiku in the north-west, scoring 2,652,824 votes compared to his opponent’s 2,197,824. Not only were Atiku’s margins in some of the states narrow, Tinubu took a whopping half a million votes in Kano alone.

“In fact, Tinubu got 30 percent of his total votes from the north-west alone. That is almost one-third. The entire south-west gave Tinubu 2,542,979, second to the north-west.

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“Another vital context is that his second highest votes came from Kano where he also came second. The third was also from a state where he came second, Katsina and coming second in certain states is better than coming first in others. Tinubu was first in Ekiti state, for instance, but he got only 200,000 votes while he got more than double the figure in Kano to place second.

“Tinubu got a miserable one percent of his total votes from the south-east with a total of 127,605 votes from the five states and did not score 25 percent in any of them. If these verifiable figures mean anything to OPC regional jingoists, they should by now understand that the North is only making a legitimate case for appropriate recognition of its efforts.

“No one expects that the incoming president will run an administration that will give to the North what it does not deserve, but no one also can deny the North the right to speak for what is legitimately due to it.”

CNG further made its ground that no amount of threat or hooliganism will stop northerners such as Abdulaziz Yari, Abbass, Betara, Gagdi, Wase and Jaji from exercising their right to contest for the positions of their choices.

“Any other interested candidate from whatever section of the country should be free to contest so that in the end the matter is sorted through democratic election by the legislators themselves.

“In case OPC needs a tutorial on elementary political principle that participation is always, and everywhere, a matter of give and take, contrary to their orientation in uncoordinated brigandage and grandstanding.”

The statement therefore cautioned the incoming President to be wary of the way he relates with what it termed as “proliferated regional jingoist associations like OPC and the Afenifere, lest they drag him into an unnecessary misunderstanding with other sections of the country by pretending to be his kith and kin.

“It is no longer news that neither Afenifere nor OPC played any role in bringing about the Tinubu presidency, what is clear however, is they both expressly and impliedly opposed his bid for the presidency right from the primary to the secondary stages of the race.

“For the OPC and all other merchants of mindless threats and hate campaigns, we say, the North is neither afraid nor apprehensive of their designs and we will remain resolute in protecting our legacy and inherited responsibility to all northerners.

“The OPC and all those who have no other useful vocation other than attacking northerners under the slightest of pretexts, should know that the North’s reticence in speaking out or taking action is not born of fear or ignorance of how to respond in kind.

“We are aware that a few regional political opportunists have made an entire career out of demonizing and insulting the North and all it stands for. We will not feed these people with more reasons to be important. What the North will do, as it has always done, is to insist that justice is done to it and to everyone else.

“The North shall henceforth respond to any provocation coin for coins and we dare say: Shege Ka Fasa for those who have ears to hear.”

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4th Year Anniversary: Best Medix Honours Staff, Unveils Expansion Plans in Kano

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The Best Medix Pharmacy and Store, a leading pharmaceutical brand in Kano State, has marked its end-of-year activities alongside its 4th anniversary, celebrating four years of uninterrupted 24-hour healthcare service, steady expansion, and commitment to people-centred pharmaceutical practice.

The company, which commenced operations on January 1, 2022, has grown into a trusted healthcare provider, expanding from a single outlet to three fully operational branches, with plans underway to open a fourth branch to further improve access to essential medicines across the state.

Speaking during the anniversary celebration, the General Manager of Best Medix, Pharmacist Ibrahim Muhd Mujittafa, described the milestone as a journey marked by resilience, teamwork, and remarkable growth.

“Best Medix began operations on January 1, 2022, and today we are celebrating four years of uninterrupted, 24-hour service. Within this period, we have recorded tremendous success and notable achievements, with relatively minimal challenges. This is a testament to our planning, teamwork, and commitment to quality healthcare delivery,” he said.

According to him, the company’s 24-hour service model has remained a cornerstone of its operations, ensuring that residents of Kano State have access to life-saving medicines at all times, including during emergencies and late-night hours.

He stressed that the company’s achievements would not have been possible without the dedication and professionalism of its workforce.

“The success of Best Medix depends largely on the contributions of our staff. Their dedication, professionalism, and sacrifice are the foundation of everything we have achieved. That is why we consider it important to honour and motivate them,” he added.

As part of the anniversary programme, outstanding staff members were honoured with awards and commendations for excellence in customer service, pharmaceutical practice, night-shift operations, stock management, and community engagement.

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Also speaking at the event, the Head of Human Resources at Best Medix, Pharmacist Abdulmalik Muhd, highlighted the company’s strong focus on efficiency, staff welfare, and ethical service delivery.

According to Abdulmalik, Best Medix has deliberately invested in creating a supportive work environment that not only improves productivity but also positively changes the lives of its staff.

“At Best Medix, we place high value on efficiency, staff welfare, and ethical conduct. We believe that when staff are well supported and motivated, they are better positioned to provide ethical, compassionate, and professional services to customers,” he said.

He added that the company’s human resource policies are designed to promote fairness, continuous learning, career growth, and a strong ethical culture in dealings with customers and the community.

Best Medix continues to prioritise regular staff capacity-building programmes, aimed at strengthening professional competence and service quality. These programmes cover areas such as patient counselling, drug safety, customer relations, product knowledge, and leadership development.

Management noted that these efforts have contributed significantly to improved service standards and customer satisfaction across all branches.

Meanwhile, the anniversary celebration also featured customer appreciation initiatives, promotional activities, and health-focused engagements designed to strengthen ties with customers and the wider community.

According to the management, building trust and long-term relationships remains central to the company’s healthcare delivery philosophy.

In the same vein, with three branches currently in operation and a fourth branch in the pipeline, Best Medix’s expansion drive is expected to create more employment opportunities and widen access to healthcare services in Kano State.

In addition, the General Manager disclosed that the company is exploring long-term plans to venture into pharmaceutical drug manufacturing, subject to regulatory approvals, as part of efforts to contribute to local drug production and strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare value chain.

As Best Medix enters its fifth year of operation, the management reaffirmed its commitment to ethical pharmaceutical practice, staff welfare, customer satisfaction, and community health development.

Customers, partners, and stakeholders have congratulated the company on the milestone, describing the four-year anniversary as a reflection of consistency, innovation, and a strong people-focused approach to healthcare delivery in Kano State.

The ceremony was in attendance the chairman of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Kano state chapter Pharmacist Murtala Isa Umar, Kano state coordinator of Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria Pharmacist Hasiya Ladan, the chairman of Association of Community Pharmacists in Nigeria, Kano state chapter Pharmacist Muhammad Tukur, representative of MGK Pharmacy, representative from Best Choice Hospital among others stakeholders in the prophession.

The ceremony was co-sponsored by Young Focus Ventures led by Alhaji Nafi’u Ibrahim, PSN, ACPN, PCN and others.

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President Tinubu Returns to Nigeria After State Visit to Türkiye

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returned to Abuja on Saturday evening, concluding a state visit to the Republic of Türkiye aimed at deepening bilateral relations.

The President’s aircraft arrived at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 8:55 p.m., as confirmed in a brief statement issued to State House correspondents.

During the visit, which began on Tuesday, President Tinubu held extensive discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The talks focused on enhancing cooperation in areas of shared interest, including defense, energy, and security.

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The presidential delegation included Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Attorney General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, Minister of Defence Gen. Christopher Musa (retired), and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The diplomatic engagement culminated in the signing of nine bilateral agreements, covering strategic sectors such as defense, energy, security, and research. These pacts are expected to bolster collaboration between the two nations.

The visit underscores the administration’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s international partnerships and advancing national interests through strategic diplomacy.

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ADC Accuses National Assembly of Delaying Electoral Bill to Sabotage 2027 Polls

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the National Assembly of employing delay tactics in passing the 2025 Electoral Bill.

In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC highlighted various amendments to the Electoral Act 2022 that carry serious eligibility and compliance risks for political parties if not enacted on time.

The party also noted that new provisions involving mandatory electronic voter accreditation and the transmission of results are minimum requirements on which the credibility of the 2027 elections depends and must not be undermined by unnecessary filibustering.

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“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply concerned by the continued prevarications of the National Assembly over the 2025 Electoral Bill. Failure to promptly pass the bill for presidential assent raises suspicions that the legislature, which is dominated by the APC, is deliberately delaying key amendments, especially those intended to make future elections more difficult to rig.”

“The ADC also notes that some of the proposed amendments introduce new compliance and eligibility requirements that must be fully understood and met by political parties. Failure to allow sufficient time to study and implement these provisions, beyond what is publicly available, could have serious consequences for both political parties and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Lack of clarity in the electoral guidelines would not only create potential booby traps for opposition parties, but also make it difficult for INEC to prepare and issue clear rules within the required timeframe.

“For example, the provision requiring INEC to publish election notices at least 360 days before the general election remains in effect. This means that even now, there is very little time left for adequate preparation and compliance.

“The ADC therefore calls on the National Assembly to pass the bill without further delay. Any postponement risks the integrity of the 2027 general elections and undermines confidence in the entire electoral process. Nigeria cannot afford another acrimonious or dubious election.

“The ADC also urges civil society organisations, international partners, and all political parties committed to accountable democratic governance to pressure the National Assembly to act swiftly, as Nigerians cannot afford another election cycle without these essential safeguards.”

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