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Save Nigeria From Tinubu-Lukman Urges Former Military Rulers

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Senator Bola Ahamd Tinubu
President Bola Ahmad Tinubu

 

Former National Vice Chairman, North West of the All Progressives Congress, Salihu Lukman, has called on former military and civilian presidents in the country to seize the initiative and make concerted efforts to rescue Nigeria from what he called the present “government’s heartless and mindless policies.”

In a statement titled “Nigerian Democracy in ICU,” the former APC chieftain appealed to two-term civilian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; former military president and Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and former National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau, to take more than a passing interest in the battle for economic survival facing Nigerians as a result of the economic policies of the current administration.

The immediate past Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum noted that the “existential crisis has caught up with even the income-earning population, and governments at all levels are demonstrating both a lack of commitment and inability to respond to the urgency of rescuing the country.”

He said: “One of the big gaps that is there constantly staring Nigerians in the most uncomfortable way is the demobilisation and destruction of democratic structures in the country, which would have ordinarily facilitated consultations with elected leaders and influenced policy decisions of governments at all levels.

The absence of any functional party, whose structures are meeting as provided by their constitutions, is enough evidence. All the so-called big parties don’t hold meetings of their organs.

“The APC is now more of a private limited liability company owned by President Asiwaju Tinubu. PDP, LP, NNPP, and many of the registered parties are all faced with avoidable leadership crises that have strangulated them and are blocking them from holding meetings.

With all these, citizens are denied options and capacity to produce alternative choices. Even the right to register new parties is being blocked seamlessly by INEC.

“With meetings not holding and opposition political leaders manipulated into terminal crisis, Nigerian democracy is in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with no doctor to attend to. Could former President Obasanjo, former Military President Babangida, former Head of State Abdulsalami, and retired General Gusau be the ‘doctors’ needed to get Nigeria out of the ICU? If so, how can they achieve that?”

Even as he admitted that some of the eminent Nigerians he listed lack democratic credentials, Lukman insisted that their intervention has become compelling in the face of the manipulation of the leadership of the main opposition parties by the Presidency and the subordination of the national leadership of the ruling party itself to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Former President Obasanjo, former Military President Babangida, former Head of State Abdulsalami, and retired General Gusau are certainly leaders in their own right who have paid their dues.

At different times in the political history of Nigeria, they were able to intervene. Arguably, their interventions may have in one way or another contributed to getting Nigeria to its current messy situation.

“For instance, the political practices that are responsible for the erosion of political competition in political parties in Nigeria could be traceable to the tenure of former President Obasanjo.

The policy of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) under former Military President Babangida could have been the source of inspiration for President Asiwaju Tinubu’s impulsive and unplanned policies.

“Although, to be fair to former Military President Babangida, to use Chidi Amuta’s words, he ‘balanced compassion and hard policy choices.’

To the extent of contributing to getting Nigeria to the current messy situation, these leaders owe a responsibility to the nation to take it out of the ICU.

“Getting Nigerian democracy out of the ICU is a function of the ability to revive, restore, and strengthen democratic structures in the country, which is dependent on the ability to create at least a functional political party that would allow for political competition within its structures and, by extension, in the country.

This should not just be about identifying and promoting a candidate who will emerge as a candidate in any of the registered parties.

“Once the approach is limited to producing a candidate, the potential of falling into a legal booby trap imposed by the manipulative activities of President Asiwaju Tinubu and APC is high.

“Part of the legal booby trap is that the potential candidate may be produced by a leadership faction of a political party, which will throw the party and the candidate into court cases that will undermine electoral viability.

The other challenge is that producing a candidate may not guarantee a corresponding commitment by elected leaders to honor their campaign promises and be accountable to Nigerians.

“For elected leaders to come with a corresponding commitment to honor campaign promises and be accountable to Nigerians requires the existence of a strong political party whose organs will meet as prescribed by the party’s constitution.

Above all, the profile of the leadership of the party should be at least equivalent to that of the elected leadership of the country.

“A situation whereby party leadership is below the profile of elected leaders is injurious to Nigerian democracy and will retain it in the ICU.

“Therefore, if former President Obasanjo, former Military President Babangida, former Head of State Abdulsalami, and retired General Gusau are truly committed to rescuing Nigerian democracy and getting it out of the ICU, they should facilitate a deeper engagement of opposition political leaders in the country.

Beyond anything, this will help reset Nigerian democracy and restore the confidence of Nigerians in surviving the current hard times imposed by the impulsive, unplanned, and undemocratic policies of President Asiwaju Tinubu.”

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FG Obeys Court’s Order, Stops FAAC Allocation to Rivers State

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Senator Bola Ahmad Tinubu

 

The Nigerian government under President Bola Tinubu has confirmed that it has stopped the October monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) revenue payment to Rivers State.

The development comes amid the ongoing face-off between Governor Simi Fubara and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike.

According to the Spokesperson of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, the decision to stop the payment was made in respect of a court order.

Mokwa disclosed that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) will respect the court order, which barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian government from disbursing monthly allocations to the Rivers State government.

His words: “What I got is that the October 2024 FAAC has not been distributed yet. However, the Federal Government will obey the court order on the matter of Rivers State allocation.

“We are going to follow due diligence as long as there is no contrary order. In case there is a contrary, the status will remain.”

He added, “The process of disbursement of the October 2024 monthly allocation is going.”

The court order was obtained by the factional Rivers State Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, who had filed an originating summons against the Rivers State Executive, under the leadership of Simi Fubara.

The Amaewhule faction had alleged that the Rivers State Executive was yet to comply with the order of a Federal High Court directing it to re-present the 2024 appropriation bill to the faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

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Kano Civil Society Forum Board of Trustees Lacks Authority to Suspend Members, Says Amb. Ibrahim Waiya

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The Kano Civil Society Forum (KCSF) Board of Trustees (BOT) has no power to suspend or dismiss any bona fide member of the KCSF, according to Amb. Ibrahim Waiya, the Executive Director of Citizens for Development and Education (CDE).
Waiya’s statement comes in response to reports that the BOT, led by Prof. Mohammad Tabiu, has suspended him from the forum.

Waiya addressed the issue in a press statement, clarifying that the information circulating on social media and other platforms was misguided. “The misguided information in the press release, published on some media platforms, was said to have been signed by one Alhaji Hamisu Isa Sherifai, who paraded himself as the Secretary of the KCSF Board,” Waiya stated.

He emphasized that he does not typically engage in trivial disputes but felt compelled to set the record straight for the benefit of those misled by the media propaganda. “The only crime Amb. Ibrahim Waiya and his colleagues committed was their objection to a kangaroo election organized by BOT to elect the new leadership of KCSF,” Waiya explained. He noted that less than 50 out of 200 registered organizations participated in the election, which he described as lacking accountability, transparency, inclusiveness, and credibility.

Waiya criticized the BOT for not understanding the KCSF constitution and overstepping their boundaries. “KCSF BOT has no right to outrightly suspend any registered member, except on the recommendation of the Executive Council, after a thorough investigation of any offense,” he asserted. He added that the BOT should not assume the role of managing the day-to-day affairs of the organization.

Highlighting the importance of fair hearing, Waiya pointed out that the Nigerian constitution guarantees this right to every citizen. “It is clearly spelt out even in the Nigerian constitution that fair hearing is a fundamental right of every citizen,” he said. Waiya questioned how the BOT received a recommendation from the executive council, given that the BOT-anointed leadership is currently standing trial in a case challenging the validity of the election.

Waiya appealed to all patriotic members of the KCSF, associates, partners, friends, and colleagues to remain calm and disregard the negative propaganda against him. “We must also note that Kano development, the North, and Nigeria are the primary priority of Amb. Ibrahim Waiya, not his reputation,” he stated. Waiya assured that the purported suspension letter holds no water and that the action will be challenged in court.

The statement was signed by Bahir A. Bashir, Media Aid to Amb. Ibrahim Waiya.

 

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Mutiu Adepoju Urges NFF to Retain Augustine Eguavoen as Super Eagles Coach

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Former international, Mutiu Adepoju, has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to keep Augustine Eguavoen in charge of the Super Eagles.

Eguavoen took charge of the Super Eagles in interim capacity in September.

The 59-year-old guided the team to qualify for AFCON 2025 with three wins, two draws and one defeat.

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The NFF are reportedly still planning to hire a foreign coach for the three-time African champions.

Adepoju however said his former teammate should stay in charge of the team.

“I would rate him very well. Number one, we’ve qualified for the AFCON, which is one of the objectives,” he told Brila FM.

“I would say he has done well and is still doing well.

“They should keep encouraging him. I believe he’s getting things done, I will rate him high, let just keep supporting him.”

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