Tinubu Vows To Deal With Buhari If Elected President

.....Says President plotting for him to lose the election

Senator Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is angry with President Muhammadu Buhari.

A source close to the former Lagos State Governor said he is very upset with President Buhari for deliberately working to frustrate his ambition of taking over from him as Nigeria’s next president.

The source said Tinubu, who is still chafing at the decision of the president and APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu last year to adopt Senate President Senator Ahmed Lawan, as their choice to pick the APC presidential ticket, has vowed that he will deal with Buhari once he is elected president.

“Asiwaju is very upset with President Buhari. He is convinced the president is going out of his way to prevent him from becoming president after him. He believes as some people have said, that President Buhari may be discreetly throwing his weight behind Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) presidential candidate who his fellow Fulani.

“Most of the people close to Asiwaju believe that even though Buhari has joined him on the campaign trail a few times and has said Asiwaju will take over from him, he has actually been working against him behind the scenes. Practically everyone in Asiwaju’s camp knows that the President is just going through the motions. His body language and some of the policies he has come up with suggest he is tacitly frustrating Asiwaju. Asiwaju is very disappointed with Buhari and has made up his mind to extract a pound of Buhari’s flesh if he becomes president”, the source said.

Indeed, the disquiet in the Tinubu group of the APC has worsened in the last few weeks with Tinubu himself leading members of the group including Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El Rufai and Adams Oshiomhole, former Chairman of the party openly defying President Buhari on different occasions over the redesign of the Naira. In late January, Tinubu while on campaign in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Tinubu had lashed out at President Buhari accusing him of trying to undermine his candidacy by redesigning the Naira and its accompanying scarcity, and fuel scarcity following an increase in the pump price of fuel, so close to the election. The APC presidential candidate speaking at the MKO Abiola Stadium, fired a broadside at President Buhari:

“Let fuel be expensive, only they know where they keep it. Keep the Naira, we will vote and be elected. You may change the ink on the Naira notes. What you expect will not happen. We will win.

They said petrol will rise to N200 per litre and N500 per litre, let your mind be at rest. They don’t want these forthcoming elections to hold. They want to scatter it but that won’t be possible.

“They thought they cause trouble; they sabotaged fuel but with or without fuel, with or without motorcycles, we will vote and win. This is a superior revolution”.

A few weeks after Tinubu’s outburst in Abeokuta on February 15, 2023, Governor El-Rufai openly defied President Buhari in a broadcast to Kaduna people on the redesigned Naira notes. The president had in a national broadcast, stated that the old 500 and 1000 notes had ceased to be legal tender. He said the old 200 notes would be allowed to continue to be in circulation until April 10, 2023.

In his broadcast of February 16, Governor El-Rufai told Kaduna people to ignore the president’s directive.

“Let us stay calm and peaceful, and support the lawful means being employed to solve our problems. On behalf of the Kaduna State Government, I wish to assure you that none of you would lose the money you have in old notes. Let no artificial and illegal deadline frighten you. Whether you live in towns, villages or in our isolated rural communities, do not feel stampeded to deposit your old notes in the banks. Hold onto them. Continue to use them as legal tender as ordered by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. No law can render them worthless, ever. The law is on your side. The CBN Act, 2007 and the Bills of Exchange Act, both oblige the CBN to recognize your old notes and give you value in new notes whenever you bring them to the CBN, even in the next 100 years”, Governor El-Rufai said in the broadcast.

The Kaduna State Governor’s open defiance of President Buhari was followed up five days later by sharp criticism of the president by Oshiomhole while on campaign at the Jattu market in Edo State. The former Edo State Governor said if Buhari was not out to sabotage Tinubu’s presidential bid the he wonders why he did nor redesign the Naira in 2019 when he was seeking re-election. Speaking in a combination of pidgin and English language, he said:

“All the wahala Buhari put for currency change, my hand no dey inside. Our party don tell Buhari, wait, if you wan change currency, you should not change am during election.

“Wetin make you no change am during your time? You wan take am spoil another person time; e no do good. At this point, na God we go dey fear.

“He has to obey the Supreme Court. Supreme Court judgment is superior to the pronouncement of the president. That is the Nigerian law. Under democracy, the Supreme Court, once it pronounces, it must be obeyed. The president must obey Everywhere I go, I dissociate myself because the money in your hand, no be you print am, the colour e wear, no be you choose am.

“Na dem choose am. If dem say dey want to change it, make dem give you the new ones. Now, dem want to remove the old ones, dem no give you the new ones. So, if you have the old money, don’t throw it away. On this matter, President Buhari is on his own. Your Naira will remain valid according to the Supreme Court. Don’t throw away your Naira, keep it”.

Another source close to Tinubu says the direct attacks on President Buhari by Tinubu, El-Rufai, and other party members is an indication that the APC presidential candidate has reached the end of his tethers with Buhari. He said the decision by APC Governors closes to Tinubu to drag the Federal Government to the Supreme Court over the redesign of the Naira, was Tinubu’s subtle message to President Buhari that he had drawn the battle line.

PICTURE NEWS: ObiDatti’s Rally Flops In Ogun State

 

…….As the Former DG of LPPCC Conspicuously Absent

Some angry members of the Labour Party have described the ongoing presidential rally in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as a "monumental flop."

A notable member of the party who wishes to remain anonymous noted that the boycott of the presidential rally by notable leaders of the party in the state has further validated its position that all is not well with the Ogun State Labour Party.

"What else can be more humiliating than the embarrassing drama that is playing out now at the ObiDatti rally in Ogun State?" "It is an open rebuke of a delusional leader." 

The former Director General of the ObiDatti Campaign Organization, Dr. Doyin Okupe, is conspicuously absent. Also absent include the party’s State Chairman, Comrade Samuel Ashade, Oyelekan Akingbade, and Mr. Michael Feyisola, among others 

As of 5:00pm, below were the pictures from the venue:

Coalition Questions Why INEC Continues To Deal With Chief Victor Oye As APGA's National Chairman

 

The Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness has questioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on what the name of Chief Victor Oye is still doing on the INEC website?

Addressing the media on Friday in Abuja, the Director General of the Coalition, Dr. Nwambu Gabriel wondered on what grounds is Chief Victor Oye’s name being retained on the INEC website?

“This act by INEC casts a shadow of doubt on the credibility of the coming election, he said.

The statement read partially,” As a coalition, we have observed with keen interest the controversy surrounding the corrected version of the Supreme Court Judgment of May 9, 2022. Despite the controversies, the lead Justice of the Panel Hon. Justice Mary U. Peter-Odili (Rtd), in other to ensure that justice prevails, had to write from retirement to clarify to all parties that Chief Edozie Njoku was the National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) that was wrongly removed at the Jigawa State High Court.

“In her letter dated November 7, 2022, the lead Justice and other members of the panel pointed out the misconception arising from the slip of pen and tongue on paragraph 1 of page 13 of the October 14, 2021 judgment and that this error had long been corrected.

“Interestingly, all the parties to the suit including INEC were duly served. This notwithstanding, the Commission is yet to honor the Supreme Court Judgment.

“A few days ago, January 19, 2023, the Chief Justice of Nigeria through the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, while admitting that Chief Victor Oye’s name was ‘erroneously inserted’ in the Judgment further confirmed Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA and requested him to come forward with a motion to the Court for the regularization of the corrected version of the Judgment.  

The coalition, therefore, urged Professor Mahmood Yakubu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in the spirit of fairness and justice, to look into the name of Chief Victor Oye on their INEC’s website because it sends the wrong signal both home and abroad.

Scarcity: Without Kyari And NNPC, Nigeria Will Be Grounded

 

By Festus Chukwuma

Many Nigerians are shockingly ill-informed about the cause of the unfortunate scarcity of petrol that has been bedevilling the country for some time now.

Because of a poor understanding of what is going on; or for sheer mischief, Nigerians look for and find a scapegoat in the NNPC Ltd and its leadership under Mele Kyari. If only they know the dynamics that combine to produce these fuel queues, they will be saluting Mr Kyari and the NNPC under his leadership, instead of maligning him.

Kyari, who is without any doubt one of the most patriotic, hardworking and intelligent Nigerians around, works 24/7 to make sure that despite daunting challenges, PMS, or petrol, is available in Nigeria daily. On average, the NNPC evacuates 60 million litres daily, sells it to marketers at a price lower than the market value and still manages to pay taxes and royalties to the FG, which the government (federal, state and local) utilizes to run the country.

Many people are probably not aware that almost the whole of our neighbours is dependent on Nigeria for their petrol supply. In fact, according to very reliable sources, some of our neghbours have not imported PMS into their country for the past year. They somehow find a way to survive on the 60 million litres that the NNPC Ltd evacuates daily into the Nigerian market. Perhaps you may ask: Why are those countries not importing PMS? The answer is simple: Because they cannot afford it, they simply do not have the foreign exchange to buy the petrol at the current market price.

But Mr Mele Kyari has the mandate and the constitutional responsibility to ensure that Nigeria is kept wet with petrol no matter where and how he gets it. And that is what the man has been doing since he became GMD and later GCEO of NNPC over three years ago. How he manages to do that, people don't know and don't care.

Similarly, the issue of why scarcity persists despite Kyari's and the NNPC’s efforts is another story altogether, because so many factors are involved. For example, does Nigeria consume 60 million litres every day? How does our petrol find its way to places as far away as CAR, Sudan etc? The answer to this is also simple: Subsidy. Nigeria sells petrol at the lowest price in the whole of West Africa. It's up to you to work out the rest of the answers. What Nigerians should be doing is offering solutions on how the problem can be tackled. These are the questions Nigerians should be asking and coming together to solve, and not abusing Mr Kyari, without whose effort, we will not even see the product, not to talk of queuing to buy it. That is when Nigerians will see real hell.

As for those that are taking undue advantage of the situation to launch a political attack on the government, they should be mindful of their duties to their country. Abusing people like Mele Kyari is unjust and a very terrible display of lack of concise. The man works very hard for his country. If we fail to appreciate him, we might end up with ruthless individuals that work only for themselves and will not care what happens to the country.

Festus Chukwuma writes from Imo State.

The Real Lawal Musa Daura: A Response To Salihu Usman

 

By Hamisu Aliyu

An absurd piece written by one Salihu Usman with the title, ‘Lawal Musa Daura and his many Controversies’ can best be described as a comic fantasy, capable of evoking laughter at the same time that it causes pulsation of the heart.

The writer elevated the subject matter of the piece, Lawal Musa Daura, to the status of a superhuman, attributing to him some impossible powers in a trajectory of contradiction.

Daura is a former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Nigeria. He was removed from the position in 2018, under circumstances that are still very unclear, by the then-acting president, Yemi Osinbajo, when President Buhari was away on medical grounds.

Of the many conjectures that trailed his removal then, none touched on his integrity, capacity, or professionalism. Even though the man has kept mute ever since, in the characteristic manner of his ilk, there are still unresolved questions about attempts by some people in government to undermine President Buhari in his absence, which Daura was said to be stoutly averse to. The whole truth about the issues that revolved around his removal may have to wait till all the actors are ready to talk.

However, some Nigerians have continued to ascribe to him the power to control the DSS even from the outside, to the extent that the current leadership of the security outfit is feeling so threatened and unsecured.

For instance, in February 2019, about six months after Daura’s removal, the new leadership needed to tell Nigerians that the ex-DG was no longer controlling its affairs and that “any person or group that further engages him or his representatives/associates does so at their peril.” It was the height of insecurity on the part of the current leadership.

How does a former DG, who has no access to the state apparatus or security clearance, control a whole DSS from the outside? Practically impossible. It was the sort of thrash that a serious-minded security chief would simply ignore.

Not the type to loiter around the corridor of power in the vain hope of gaining favour, Daura has left everything related to his former position behind him. Of course, he is ever-willing to serve his country in any capacity he is called upon to, but he does not stoop to the level of interfering in matters that do not concern him.

It is therefore untrue that he was courting the attention of politicians, as he does not assert any influence on government actions and policies. Also, as trained security personnel, he knows the procedures to take to see the president of the country.

It is ignorance on the part of the writer to believe that the president could be seen at will without prior notice, without an appointment and a schedule. This is such common knowledge that every sensible person knows.

It is also unbelievable, the type of powers that the writer thinks Daura possesses, to make him think any single individual has the capacity to win a presidential election for any politician. Lawal Daura lacks that power and has never pretended to possess the same. At no time did he lay claim to the ability to make or mar any presidential election.

The modesty of Lawal Daura has kept him within his limit as soon as he left office. He is never known to leave beyond his means, nor does he belong to the extravagant types.

It is equally dumb imagination for the writer, to believe that Lawal Daura can and will shield anyone from the law. How on earth does a former DSS chief shield a Central Bank of Nigeria Governor from arrest, if the authorities have cause to arrest him? It was an indirect way to say that the DSS does not know its coin; a damaging attestation to the docility of the Service. This is nothing but a show of incompetence, and inferiority complex, and a demonstration of the basic feeling of inadequacy, or administrative deficiency, on the part of the present DSS leadership.

According to sources close to Daura, he has met with the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami only once since he left office, and it was a chance meeting on a flight. Ditto for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who the sources said, he met at a function.

If that is the case, how does he collaborate with people he does not relate with to shield the CBN Governor?

A more realistic look at all the issues raised by the writer will reveal that he is acting as a parrot for some hidden masters, who fed him with the information he either lacks the capacity to process, or he is just out rightly unintelligent.

The Lawal Musa Daura that Nigerians know is an astute man, consummately Nigerian, patriotic, loyal to the Nigerian cause, and austere. He has served Nigeria to the best of his ability and has remained willing to serve in any capacity he is called upon to still serve.

He does not possess any super-human power to be everywhere and be involved in everything at all times. He does not influence those in power, nor does he undermine them. He does not feel threatened by anyone, because he has maintained a clean sheet, nor does he threaten anyone.

Salihu Usman’s piece is an antithesis of the real Lawal Daura. It is vacuous, a result of awful imagination and, without doubt, simple-mindedness.

Those who have made it a duty to embarrass President Muhammadu Buhari by conjuring all sorts of fantasy stories about the people they think are close to him need to desist. They have been doing the same thing for almost eight years without success.