STOP HARASSMENT OF OUR LEADERS IN ETHIOPE WEST LGA, PDP TELLS POLICE; APPEALS FOR NEUTRALITY DURING GOVERNORSHIP/STATE ASSEMBLY ELECTION

PRESS STATEMENT

 

17TH MARCH, 2023

 

STOP HARASSMENT OF OUR LEADERS IN ETHIOPE WEST LGA, PDP TELLS POLICE; APPEALS FOR NEUTRALITY DURING GOVERNORSHIP/STATE ASSEMBLY ELECTION

Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has been informed of a deliberate plot by the Nigerian Police to invite our top leaders, especially in Oghara and Jesse, Ethiope West LGA, and subsequently, detain them over the weekend, thus removing them physically from participating in the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections, scheduled for Saturday, March 18th, 2023.

 

Our leaders who have been subjected to this unprovoked intimidation and harassment include: BARR. JOHN NANI,

1. HON. BEN IGBAKPA, ISAAC OMOMEDIA, JOKPA OYOKOSE, HENRY EGHWUBARE, BENJAMIN OBOH, DUNCAN EGWERE, MRS. HAPPY OTOJARERI, PATRICK ATUMAH, FESTUS MADUKU, NICHOLAS OMOKO, PHILIP OKE, and others.

 

We unequivocally declare that this is a calculated plot, not only to disenfranchise our leaders and prevent them from exercising their constitutional right to fully participate in the elections, it is also a wicked strategy to remove them from circulation, place them incommunicado and deny our teeming supporters of the critical presence of their leaders at this crucial election.

 

We hereby caution in strong terms, that we will not take this obvious harassment, intimidation, and suspected temporary incarceration and incapacitation of our leaders during this crucial election weekend, lying low.

 

PDP is a responsible, law-abiding political party and we therefore humbly urge the respected Inspector General of Police to advise the AIG Zone 5 and his officers and men, to maintain professional neutrality and remain apolitical during the election, not only by deferring their invitation to our leaders, if at all necessary, until after the election, but to also desist forthwith from implementing any other ill-intentioned, anti-democratic ploy to surreptitiously clamp down on our leaders on the eve of an election.

 

Deltans are convinced that the Nigerian Police would not want to blemish its hard-earned impressive reputation, by engaging in acts of sabotage that can potentially truncate the electoral process and subsequently provoke and unleash a backlash of visible unrest by an aggrieved electorate.

 

They should allow restraint and wise counsel to prevail in the above regard, please.

 

The world is keenly watching Delta State and Nigeria.

 

 

Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza,

Deputy Director, Media & Publicity,

Delta PDP Campaign Council/ State Publicity Secretary,

Delta State PDP.

 

 

We’ll miss your support, cooperation, Gbajabiamila tells outgoing British High Commissioner

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has commended the outgoing British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms. Catriona Laing, for her selfless service and collaborative efforts with the Nigerian Parliament during her 5-year assignment in the country.

Gbajabiamila said during her term, Ms. Catriona provided a lot of support to the House, which he said was helpful to the Parliament.

The Speaker, who received Ms. Catriona and her team during a farewell visit to his office at the National Assembly on Tuesday, described the meeting as “bittersweet.”

“We will miss you, Nigeria will miss you, and the Parliament will miss you,” Gbajabiamila said.

He added that, “It’s a bittersweet visit, I’ll call it. Sweet because it’s always good to have you around, and bitter because you’re going. I personally enjoyed a great working relationship with you.

“You and I, over time, had robust and engaging interactions. It was a very enriching time for me. I think your passion was so evident in our discussions.

“My prayer is that whoever succeeds you on that trajectory will carry on with the good job.

“I thank you for the interest in the work that we do here. You played a very critical role in the mentorship programme that I launched. At your age, I believe you still have so much to offer your country. We are really glad to have you around.”

One of the bills that the High Commission contributed to, was the Electoral Act (Amendment Bill 2022), which was passed and was eventually signed into law.

Earlier, Ms. Catriona told the Speaker that she witnessed two election cycles in Nigeria, having resumed as the British High Commissioner to Nigeria in 2018. She described her experience in the country as wonderful.

“I’m happy to have worked with Mr. Speaker on a number of issues, and a number of bills were passed during the period. I’m sure my successor will be glad to work with you.”

The outgoing British High Commissioner to Nigeria also lauded the speaker for his support for women’s empowerment.

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

10TH MARCH, 2023

 

ARREST OMO-AGEGE NOW, DELTA PDP CHARGES SECURITY AGENCIES, OVER VIRAL VIDEO

 

Our attention has been drawn to a viral video where a town crier in Orogun, the home town of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the APC Governorship candidate in Delta State, is threatening voters to either vote the APC or risk being killed.

 

Claiming to be delivering a message from an unnamed Deputy Inspector General of Police, the town crier warned that any indigene of Orogun who votes for the PDP in the forthcoming Governorship election will be “beaten to death by the police and thugs,” adding that “their corpses will be buried by the Government if they dare to vote the PDP.” The town crier further warned that “whosoever says he will not vote for Omo-Agege should stay at home.”

 

The Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is alarmed that Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has resorted to crude threats, blackmail, and blatant intimidation to cow the electorate in his inordinate quest for power. Indeed, the video validates our assertion that Omo-Agege is unfit to govern a multi-ethnic State like Delta. It is also undeniable proof that he is so unpopular and unacceptable that he is not confident of winning a free and fair election even in his village.

 

The Delta State PDP is calling on the Inspector-General of Police to urgently investigate this matter and arrest the purveyors of this death threat. We do not want to believe that the Police is colluding with this village tyrant to subvert the electoral process and the will of the people. The people of Orogun have a right to freely vote for any candidate of their choice and should not be denied that right by a desperate power monger and despot in the person of Omo-Agege.

 

Deltans are urged to come out on March 18, 2023 and vote the UMBRELLA and PDP all-the-way, for the Sheriff Oborevwori/Monday Onyeme joint Governorship ticket and all the PDP House of Assembly Candidates.

 

We further implore and enjoin all eligible Deltans to turn out enmasse as voters for the election, to be peaceful and firm throughout the process and must be resolute in defence of their votes, no matter the intimidation by the enemies of democracy.

 

“PDP! Power to the People!!”

 

 

Dr. Ifeanyi M. Osuoza.

Deputy Director, Media & Publicity,

Delta PDP Campaign Council/ State Publicity Secretary,

Delta State PDP.

 

Ovie Omo-Agege: Unveiling A Self-Conceited Man

 

By Dr. Ifeanyi M.Osuoza

 

When those who have had personal and official interactions come out to situate issues about the one whose desperation is notoriously spurred by divisive urgency and anxiety, his attack dogs become restless, running into fits, pushing out distorted and deceptive publicity to fence off growing misgivings about him.

 

Incidentally, with every effort to try to pull the wool over people’s faces so as not to see through and therefore unable to make independent opinions, the persona of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Delta Governorship candidate, Ovie Omo-Agege as highly nepotistic gets further exposed.

 

This reality has been further underscored by a foremost Urhobo elder, who is indeed, the immediate past President General of the prestigious Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), High Chief Joe Omene. In another no-holds-barred viral exposé, the eminent Urhobo leader was vehement in denouncing Omo-Agege and his claim to having common sense or intelligence. He dismissed his claim to altruism, pointing out that the APC Governorship candidate is extremely selfish as the totality of himself does not believe in acting for the good of others. He truly does not believe that acting for the benefit of others is right and good. He is selfishness personified. He demonstrates without qualms that his personal needs and wishes are more important than those of other people.

 

Chief Omene dismissing Ovie Omo-Agege in a response to Dr. Wilson Omene, asked sarcastically: “What is good in Omo-Agege? What good qualities does Omo-Agege have? Nothing,” Joe Omene said. For him, Omo-Agege becoming Governor will be disastrous for Delta State. “We all know the havoc that he will cause should he get there. And should he get there, I know the sufferings that Deltans will go through.”

 

Because Omo-Agege is selfish, he failed to distribute in an equitable manner projects he attracted as Senator. Instead, he localized them within Orogun. In fact, not that he even had the common sense to spread the projects across his Orogun Township, he located them all within his own cluster (quarter).

 

Besides, while exposing Dr. Wison Omene’s moral decadence in not seeing anything wrong in Omo-Agege putting all federal projects in his cluster at Orogun, Chief Joe Omene deflated the argument by asking: “Was it that his area alone that voted for Omo-Agege?” He said putting all projects in one’s locality is not a sign of good leadership.

 

That nothing good can come from Omo-Agege has been pointed out severally by different people who know and saw through him, even knowing that despite representing Delta Senatorial District in the Senate, he had no good sense to put equity in place by distributing federal projects round the Urhobo axis that he represents, he took them all to a section of his village in Orogun. A man with a proven tendency to discriminate will surely put Delta State in jeopardy should he become Governor, because his record of antecedents showed clearly that he will not handle Delta State with a sense of equity. It is one of the many reasons that Deltans have rejected Omo-Agege as a Governorship candidate. A man who is driven by selfish ambition and blinded by desperation to achieve it without thinking about the ethical wrong in not considering the sensibilities of other ethnic groups for the office of Governor will create an atmosphere of disharmony among the ethnic groups of Delta State and set the stage for discord and ethnic strife in the State.

 

This is why Ovie Omo-Agege does not fit the bill of the person of quality and character that Deltans want as Governor. He has failed in all indices of consideration. And there’s no amount of propaganda that can change the mind of Deltans because the issue is crystal clear.

 

Sheriff Oborevwori is the choice of all Deltans for Governor and he will be voted for.

 

 

 

© Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza is the State Publicity Secretary, PDP, Delta State & Deputy Director, Media, and Publicity Committee, PDP Campaign Council.

 

 

14TH MARCH, 2023

 

CHIEF JOE OMENE ENDORSES SHERIFF OBOREVWORI AS GOVERNOR, CONFIRMS OUR DECISION TO MAINTAIN EQUITY, FAIRNESS, JUSTICE IN DELTA STATE

 

The Delta State PDP Campaign Council, most sincerely and with a deep sense of respect and gratitude, extend our heartfelt appreciation and satisfaction to our cerebral and highly articulate elder statesman and leader, Chief Joe Omene, former President General of the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, for his forthright and faultless endorsement of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, as the next Governor of Delta State.

 

We have watched and listened with great awe and admiration, the video excerpt of an interview with Chief Omene, released by RERO TV, and we were totally fascinated by the clear, simple, incontrovertible facts and logic with which the former leader of the umbrella body of Urhobo ethnic nation, x-rayed our present political situation and espoused, in his usual courageous, uncensored and charismatic style, the singular reason, above every other consideration, why Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, should become the next Governor of Delta State.

 

As a responsible political party, we have always strived to maintain fairness, equity, and justice in the delicate balance and equilibrium to sustain the rotational power-sharing arrangement that defines us as a party of the people, across all positions in our party at the State and Local Government levels, while ensuring that the principles and tenets of internal democracy and representational recognition are maintained in the distribution of offices and responsibilities, as much as possible.

 

We, therefore agree completely with the position of Chief Joe Omene, which he presented so succinctly and unequivocally, that having first of all established that the rotational power-sharing balance in Delta State has rightly and equitably been delivered to Delta Central, the definitive and absolutely fair and just decision, is to ensure that the OSU, (Okpe, Sapele, Uvwie), the only axis in the Delta Central Senatorial zone composition yet to have produced a Governor in the State, is given its rightful due and recognition.

 

This is the point which Chief Joe Omene concisely and effortlessly delivered with his symbolic candour, embellished with an admirable dose of pointed innuendo with which he expressed his disappointment over the deliberate efforts by respected and revered leaders and statesmen of our party, to disintegrate the house which they collectively built, with their unstatesmanly manoeuvres.

 

We could not agree more with Chief Joe Omene in this position, even as we admit that his clarification is an endorsement and justification of the pragmatic, progressive, and collectively encompassing vision of sustaining the equity and unity of Delta State which defined and guided the conduct of our party primaries, several months ago.

 

We are grateful to Chief Omene for setting the records straight and clearing the air on a unanimously accepted matter, which so many discerning leaders of our party, who should be defending the brave and courageous decision, have unfortunately manipulated it for selfish political purposes.

 

Deltans are now wiser and more informed on why Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori is the right choice as our Governorship flag bearer and the next Governor of Delta State. We therefore urge all eligible voters to come out en masse on March 18, 2023 and vote for PDP and the UMBRELLA all the way to victory.

 

PDP! Power to the People!!

 

 

Dr. Ifeanyi M. Osuoza.

Deputy Director, Media & Publicity,

Delta PDP Campaign Council/ State Publicity Secretary,

Delta State PDP.

 

 

14TH MARCH, 2023

 

DELTA PDP CONDEMNS ATTACK ON RT. HON. SHERIFF OBOREVWORI’S CONVOY, CALLS ON POLICE TO FISH OUT PERPETRATORS

 

Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Campaign Council, is absolutely staggered and horrified by the reported attack on the convoy of our Governorship flag bearer Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, by unknown gunmen, between Elume Junction and Okuabude, in Okpe Local Government Area of the State, on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

 

The heavy attack, which was confirmed in a Press Statement by Mr. Dennis Otu, Chief Press Secretary to our Governorship Candidate and Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, left many vehicles, including the one conveying our candidate and several security vehicles attached to the convoy, riddled with the hail of bullets sprayed on the convoy, by the unknown gunmen.

 

Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori only survived the ambush by the special Grace of God, the fortuitous protection of his bulletproof vehicle, and the gallantry of his brave security men, who rose to the occasion by engaging the gunmen in a fierce gun exchange duel which lasted over ten minutes, before the assailants took to their heels and disappeared into the thick darkness of the night.

 

Delta State PDP is unequivocally declaring this heavy attack as a deliberate, well-planned, and clinically executed assassination attempt on the life of our Governorship Candidate and leading contender in the Delta State Gubernatorial race.

 

We have repeatedly raised alarm and highlighted the penchant of violence synonymous with some political parties in the State, especially at election time and this recent incident is one attack too many on our Governorship Candidate, so close to election day. We are therefore strongly calling on the Security Agencies to quickly swing into action and bring the suspected assassins to book immediately.

 

We are also calling on our teeming supporters to remain calm and peaceful in the face of this horrible manifestation of deliberate violence, targeted at eliminating the next Governor of Delta State, by the grace of God.

 

Delta State PDP will neither be intimidated nor distracted by this cowardly act of known purveyors of violence, and while reiterating our clarion call on the Security Agencies to apprehend the perpetrators, urge our members to always be vigilant and prepared for any eventualities as election day approaches.

 

PDP! Power to the People!!

 

 

Dr. Ifeanyi M. Osuoza.

Deputy Director, Media & Publicity,

Delta PDP Campaign Council/ State Publicity Secretary,

Delta State PDP.

 

 

Arise TV Gubernatorial Debate: Matters Arising

 

Last night, Arise TV hosted Delta State gubernatorial candidates to a debate in preparation for the forthcoming elections. We wish to observe as follows.

 

1. Given the rising profile and the international image of Arise TV, Deltans had looked forward to a professional, robust, and well-packaged debate devoid of bias and partisanship on the part of the organisers. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The event was poorly organised, and the moderators played the roles of judge and jury that left a sour taste in the mouth of many viewers. Even while the debate was ongoing, the social media space was awash with comments about the haughty and unprofessional conduct of the moderators.

 

2. Our gubernatorial candidate, Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, through the campaign office, had sent his apologies to Arise TV in a letter conveying his inability to participate due to prior scheduled engagements. The letter was sent through Email and WhatsApp to the organisers at 12:49pm on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. To our shock and chagrin, the letter was all over the social media within 30 minutes of our sending it.

 

4. Mr. Frank Tietie, the principal moderator of the debate, read out the letters from the PDP and APC explaining their inability to take part in the debate. The PDP letter was straight to the point on why our candidate could not participate in the debate. But the APC letter contained scurrilous attacks on Oborevwori. This was a very unprofessional and unethical act on the part of Arise TV, because it was tantamount to providing air time for APC to malign the person of Rt Hon. Oborevwori.

 

4. We note that Mr. Tietie has been a strident critic and antagonist of the Okowa administration. He was a prominent actor in the callous dissemination of false claims on the loan status of Delta State, which the fact checker debunked yesterday. He frequently used his Arise TV platform to spew those lies with impunity and castigate the government. Given his bias and prejudice against the Okowa administration, we were surprised that he was chosen to moderate the debate.

 

5. The female moderator, Angela Ajetunmobi, prefaced the question on healthcare with the false statement that pregnant women who require cesarean procedures pay for the services in state hospitals contrary to what obtained in the past. This is absolute bunkum because the Okowa administration rolled over and integrated the free maternal care and free medical care for children under 5 into the contributory health insurance scheme.

 

6. The combative – and adversarial – posture of Mr. Tietie in insisting that Rt. Hon. Oborevwori MUST come to Arise TV to speak to Deltans betrays the pretentious neutrality of the moderators. His outburst is not only unethical, it is also insulting and provocative. Besides, there is no provision in our laws that mandates candidates to participate in television debates.

 

7. In view of the obvious bad faith and hostility displayed by the moderators towards Rt. Hon. Oborevwori, we have absolutely no confidence in the Arise TV debate programme as currently constituted. This eleventh-hour debate looks more like a set up than a sincere effort to raise the bar of political discourse in our dear State. We reiterate that this debate is ill-conceived, ill-motivated, ill-timed, and ill-intentioned. Our candidate, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori will, therefore, not be participating.

 

God bless Delta State.

 

 

Dr. Ifeanyi M. Osuoza.

Deputy Director, Media & Publicity,

Delta PDP Campaign Council/ State Publicity Secretary,

Delta State PDP.

 

 

 

EXPOSED!!!

 

APC’s DEVILISH PLOT TO COMPROMISE, SABOTAGE DELTA GOVERNORSHIP/STATE ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS, ON SATURDAY, MARCH 18

 

Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has uncovered a devilish and brazen plot by the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the State, to deliberately compromise the March 18, 2023 Governorship and State House of Assembly election, by sabotaging the process of accreditation, with the intention to achieve over-voting in many polling units and the subsequent cancellation of elections in many parts of Delta State.

 

A terse statement by Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza,

Deputy Director, Media & Publicity, Delta PDP Campaign Council/State Publicity Secretary, Delta State PDP., which confirms this plot, reads:

 

1. Delta State Peoples Democratic Party PDP, has obtained solid information from impeccable sources, of a dangerous plot by the APC, to sabotage the March 18, 2023 Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Delta State, by colluding with willing INEC officials, to illegally perform the false accreditation of more persons than the legitimate number of voters captured in each polling unit via the BVAS machine, thus creating a deliberate situation of over-voting in such polling units.

 

2. The second strategy of this devious plot, is to give selected voters three or more ballot papers for each position, in order to create a scenario of over-voting for a particular candidate/party, thereby compelling the Electoral Officer in charge to cancel the results from such polling units and nullify the election completely, as a result of over-voting, as stipulated by the electoral laws.

 

3. The targeted areas are predominantly located in Senatorial Zones where the APC already knows it will perform woefully during the elections, particularly in Aniocha/Oshimili, Ndokwa/Ukwuani, and Ika Federal Constituencies, in Delta North, as well as, Okpe Federal Constituency, in Delta Central, which is the electoral stronghold of our Governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.

 

4. We also have it on good authority that the APC has also considered the diabolic option of violence, disruption of elections, and even the abduction of personnel, in areas where election officials courageously refuse to succumb to the offers of compromise and complicity, in the interest of the people.

 

5. Most worrisome is the latest disturbing intelligence which has come to our knowledge, that Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy Senate President and Gubernatorial Candidate of the APC in Delta State, and the State Chairman of the APC, Chief Omeni Sobotie held a classified meeting with the leadership of the IT Department of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abuja. The purpose of this meeting, we learnt, was to solicit the help of the IT Department in altering uploads from BVAS of Delta State in the forthcoming gubernatorial election to favour the APC candidate.

 

6. We are bringing this to the public domain and to the knowledge of the Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu because we are not taking this information lightly. Given that INEC is severely buffeted on all sides as a result of the management of the Presidential elections, eternal vigilance has become our watchword for the coming elections and we advise same to be the watchword in INEC.

 

7. The APC knows it can never win the Gubernatorial election in Delta State and it is in sync with their desperado nature to seek ways to subvert the expressed will of the people. We warn the APC that they will fail in their sinister plots as the eyes of all Deltans are trained on them. They must always remember the age-old saying of the Orogun people of the State that “you cannot steal in the marketplace and put your hands at your back” in the vain hope that no one will see.

 

A word is enough for the wise.

 

8. We are particularly calling on all party agents, not only to monitor the voting process keenly, but to equally be very alert and vigilant to this plot by the APC to smuggle people to vote, beyond the legitimate number of duly accredited voters per polling unit and to quickly raise alarm where such acts and discrepancies are discovered. We also urge voters to make sure they don’t vote multiple times for any candidate/party or position, by ensuring that they only collect ballot papers and vote once for each candidate/party of their choice for the displayed position on the ballot papers.

 

9. We are also, by this Press Release, putting our security agencies on full Notice of the intentions of the APC in Delta State, which is hell-bent on ensuring that they secure victory at all costs, through this particular plot of over-voting and we urge them to immediately apprehend any INEC official found culpable in assisting the APC to accomplish this devilish plot.

 

10. Deltans are urged to come out on March 18, 2023 and vote the UMBRELLA and PDP all-the-way, for the Sheriff Oborevwori/Monday Onyeme joint Governorship ticket and all the PDP House of Assembly Candidates.

 

We further implore and enjoin all eligible Deltans who will turn out en-masse as voters for the election, to be peaceful and firm throughout the process and must be resolute in defence of their votes, no matter the intimidation by the enemies of democracy.

 

“PDP! Power to the People!!”

 

 

Dr. Ifeanyi M. Osuoza.

Deputy Director, Media & Publicity,

Delta PDP Campaign Council/ State Publicity Secretary,

Delta State PDP.

 

 

Vote Oborevwori for continuity of projects, programmes, Okowa urges Deltans

 

Delta Governor, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa has called on Deltans to vote for the party’s governorship candidate, Rt Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori for the continuation of government’s projects and programmes.

 

Okowa made the call on Tuesday after inspecting the multi-billion naira Orere bridge linking 15 communities in Ewu clan, Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

 

He said that a vote for the party’s candidates in the Governorship and House of Assembly elections would ensure sustainable development of the state.

 

He noted that just as his administration had continued and completed some of the major projects embarked upon by his successor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, a vote for Oborevwori would ensure completion of his administration’s laudable projects across the state.

 

Okowa who was in company with Oborevwori, State Chairman of the party Chief Kingsley Esiso further said that his administration was spending about N20b on the project which spans about 500meters and 4kilometre road construction.

 

“This bridge will connect as much as 15 communities and the road will eventually connect Bomadi. This project will not be completed in my tenure but obviously a lot of work has been done up to 55 percent completion.

 

“The bridge is spanning 500 metres which is obviously a very huge bridge and beyond that we also have 4.5km of which we are going to construct.

 

“Its obviously a huge project but we have gone this far and I have been told its about 55 percent completed so we need somebody who will be ready to continue with the project and other major projects that dot across the state,”

 

He said a vote for Oborevwori would ensure completion of all ongoing projects and sustainable development of the state.

 

“I want to urge all Deltans that in the best interest of continuity and in the best interest of peace and continuing development and the unity of our people, its important that Deltans come out enmasse to vote Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori who has been a part of all the projects that we have continued to do.

 

“He has been Speaker of the State House of Assembly and he has a clear understanding of our vision and the infrastructural development efforts of this administration.

 

“While starting his own projects, he will ensure that all ongoing projects are completed at the end of the day just as we have continued to ensure the completion of the projects started by Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan.

 

“It’s important that Deltans do realise this, he is focused and I believe that he is able and capable to administer the state in the best interest of all.

 

“He is not a greedy man and I know for sure that he is somebody who is able to honour both the rich and the poor, he is somebody who is able to honour all facets of our people and that is exactly what we need in need in Delta State,” Okowa said.

 

The Governor who had earlier inspected the Udu Harbour Market in Ovwian, Udu Local Government Area of the state apologised to the people of the area for the delay in completing the project which was started by the Uduaghan administration.

 

He said the contractor abandoned site after being paid his last certificate and despite government reviewing the project upward in line with market realities.

 

“We only succeeded in re-awarding the project to a new contractor just three months ago and coming here today i am very very impressed with what the present contractor has done and if he continues at this rate, he is likely to complete the project by the end of the year.

 

“I am sure the Udu people are happy because a great work has been done here and the contractor is very serious minded just like the Orere bridge contractor,” Okowa stated.

 

He commended local contractors in the state for showing capacity over the years adding that they have grown big enough to be able to undertake bridge projects and major housing projects.

 

He urged the benefiting communities to come out enmasse to vote for Sheriff Oborevwori and the PDP candidates to ensure completion of ongoing projects.

 

 

 

Guber Poll: Okowa Urges PDP Leaders To Work For Party’s Victory

 

Delta Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, on Wednesday, urged the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in across the state to carry all members along to ensure a resounding victory for the party in the March 18 gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections.

 

Okowa gave the advice at a stakeholders meeting with members of the party at the residence of Chief Solomon Ogba in Aviara, Isoko South Local Government Area of the state.

 

He urged the party faithful to collaborate by putting the past behind them and work collectively to enable the PDP record overwhelming success for all its candidates in the forthcoming elections.

 

According to him, members of the party should draw a lesson from what happened in the presidential and national assembly elections held on February 25 so as to avoid a repeat of what happened during that election.

 

The governor appealed to aggrieved persons to bury the hatchet and work for the electoral success of the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and the party’s candidates for the House of Assembly.

 

He also implored leaders and members of the PDP to work assiduously to enable them deliver their units and wards, adding that they should protect their votes at all the levels.

 

“When l was listening to the PDP Chairman in Isoko South, he said that they will deliver massive votes for the party and to deliver such votes, everybody must work together.

 

“I thank you all very well. Those who are aggrieved should bury the hatchet and work together because if the party goes down, every member of the party will collectively go down and if the party goes up, every member will rise collectively.

 

“We must realise that together, we must fight this battle and therefore, everybody has to be on track with the same plan to enable us emerge victorious in the March 18 polls.

 

“The past presidential and national assembly elections should teach us a lesson so that we can plan ahead and work together for the victory of the PDP.

 

“We must carry everybody, including the youths and women, along in the scheme of things. It is very important that we carry everybody along. The youth must not be ignored.

 

“We should realise that with the BVAS technology, it is one man, one vote. So, we should learn that everyone has one vote,” Okowa said, and urged members of the party to woo eligible voters in their areas to vote on Saturday.

 

Earlier in their separate speeches, the PDP Chairman in Isoko South Local Government Area, Chief Godspower Obaro and Chief Solomon Ogba, had assured that they would mobilise eligible voters in the area to vote massively for the party’s governorship and House of Assembly candidates.

 

 

Rising Ethnic Tension in Lagos

 

Being a Press Statement by Akin Osuntokun, Director-General, the Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation*

 

Good day gentlemen and ladies of the press.

Kindly permit me, as the DG of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign, to comment on the rising ethnic tension across the country, particularly

 

There has been a contrived ethnic tension in Lagos State, since the outcome of the last Presidential election, in which our Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmad, performed above the expectations of our critics and consequently set some political parties on a panic mode. This panic mode is accentuated by their knowledge of our real performance in the February 25 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections, not by the results announced by INEC.

 

Playing up the fear factor

 

In Lagos, the fear factor being currently stoked and weaponized is that the Igbos would take over Lagos if Labour Party wins Saturday’s Governorship and State Assembly elections. In their desperation, they are even shamelessly questioning the ‘Yoruba-ness’ of our candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, ( GRV) despite the fact that he is from one of the best known families in Lagos whose ancestral tree can be traced to over 200 years.

 

This begs the question of how exactly this taking over of Lagos by the Igbos would occur. Would the Igbos physically carry Lagos and transfer the city and its infrastructures to the South-eastern part of the country? Will the Igbos put guns on the heads of the Yorubas in Lagos and ask them to handover their lands to them because Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is the Governor? Will Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour as Governor denounce his father, grandfather and his entire Vivour ancestry and find another father and grandfather from Igboland if he wins?

 

The world has moved beyond primitive communalism.

These desperate politicians have played up the changing demographics arising from the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos and falsely concluded that the huge population of the Igbo was responsible for the APC losing the state on the February 25 2023 elections. The truth is that more Yorubas than Igbos voted for our presidential candidate on that day because they want good governance and for Lagos to be freed from the stranglehold of a criminal syndicate.

 

In our increasingly globalized world, it is difficult to find pristine communities or primitive communal societies in which everyone in the community is related by blood. Given the status of Lagos as the commercial capital of the country and its history as a former political and administrative capital, it is naturally a magnet for people and businesses looking for greener pastures.  Let us bear in mind that all the state capitals in the country – from Kano to Abeokuta to Lagos and Jalingo – tend to have a high proportion of non-indigenes relative to the original owners of the place because people move to areas of better economic advantages.

 

As people and businesses migrate, they also become part of their new societies. This is why in the United Kingdom today several top politicians including  the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Olukemi Olufunto “Kemi” Badenoch are all children or grandchildren of immigrants. The story is not different in the United States where several Nigerians are in President Biden’s cabinet and the Vice President, Kamala Harris, has Asian ancestry.

 

Remarkably, those fanning the embers of ethnic discord in Lagos  – just to avoid their party being humiliated a second time –  are themselves non indigenes of Lagos.

 

Non-indigenes contribute immensely to development.

Let us imagine what Lagos would be without the Igbos and other non-indigenes. Across the world, the role of immigrants in the development of the society is now being increasingly acknowledged despite the anti-immigration rhetoric of right-wing politicians. In the USA for instance, more than half of the most valuable startup companies were founded by immigrants, according to figures by the National Foundation for American Policy. According to their findings, immigrants have started more than half (319 of 582, or 55%) of America’s startup companies valued at $1 billion or more. The research also found that nearly two-thirds (64%) of U.S. billion-dollar companies (unicorns) were founded or cofounded by immigrants or the children of immigrants.

 

Similarly, in the United Kingdom, research shows that of the seven unicorns in the UK’s 100 fastest growing companies, five have at least one foreign- born co-founder. The desperate politicians playing up the politics of hate will never tell you of the employment the profiled ethnic groups provide, the businesses and companies they set up and the taxes they pay – all of which contribute to making Lagos what it is today.

 

Let us eschew politics of hatred and violence and celebrate our diversity. The Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council implores politicians promoting and hoping to profit from weaponizing ethnic hatred in Lagos State to desist because the world has moved beyond their primitive antics. The world is changing fast. We must learn to live in peace and celebrate our diversity.  For members of our party, the Labour Party, and the Obidient family, we urge that you remain calm and peaceful –even in the face of provocation. Being self-restrained and calm amid provocation is not cowardice or naivety but evidence of higher emotional intelligence. We should not play into the hands of those in panic mode who want to promote violence so that elections would become manipulable and fulfil their desire of claiming victory through the back door.

 

Akin Osuntokun

Director General

Labour Party presidential campaign council

 

 

 

*Presidential Election: Group slams Buhari for intimidating, tele-guiding Judiciary*

 

• Urges Election Tribunal to assert Judiciary’s independence, render justice and rescue Nigeria’s democracy

 

A good governance group, Govindex Leadership, Empowerment and Development Foundation, has come down hard on President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing him of contempt by attempting to teleguide and intimidate the Judiciary with regard to the on-going litigation over the controversial February 25 Presidential election.

 

Govindex in a statement issued on Wednesday slammed the President for endorsing the results of the disputed election, noting that “his unfortunate comments on the ill-fated election are sub judice and smack of a desperate attempt to legitimise the illegitimate so as to intimidate the Judiciary into rubber-stamping a Presidential mandate stolen by his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)”.

 

The group in the statement signed by Justice C. Aninworie, of Govindex Legal Directorate specifically refereed to Buhari’s endorsement of the election result while speaking at the recent Fifth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries in Doha, Qatar.

 

According to Govindex, “Following his penchant for disobeying court orders, and dictating court orders by his infamous body-language, President Mohammadu Buhari has again desecrated the sanctity of the Nigerian Nation by comments ascribed to him by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu. Buhari, who was said to have been attending the Fifth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries, a conference his abysmal eight years in office has firmly etched Nigeria as a permanent member by ensuring that Nigeria do not meet minimum standard of ‘developed’ countries, said: ‘Bola Tinubu’s election stands. If you are aggrieved, and you have the locus to do so, go to court’.

 

“Like the antithesis leader, the President attends international conferences with own-negative sensationalism. The above statement credited to him is inimical to development and falls short of making a developed nation.

 

“At the wake of the rape of the Nigerian People’s freedom of choice of who leads them by the Independent National Electoral Commission who lured the Nigerian politically-docile populace with bogus promises that votes would count, came international condemnation of the process leading to the declaration of the candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress as President-elect whom the President allegedly pronounced with near almighty declaration to stand, in faraway Doha, Qatar.”

 

Govindex lamented that, “As if that was not enough, President Buhari, upon his return from Doha, caused his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, to issue a statement on March 14, purporting that the discredited February 25 poll was Nigeria’s best-ever”.

 

The group described the President’s pronouncements at a time when the Election Tribunal is yet to begin hearing cases lodged by Labour Party Presidential Candidate Peter Obi and his Peoples Democratic Party counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, as “a clear case of executive sub judice, a calculated attempt to over-awe, intimidate and teleguide the Judiciary into endorsing electoral theft”.

 

Lamenting the rape of the Nigerian people’s mandate, Govindex said: “The People, acting through the assurances of INEC did come out in defiance of politically-sponsored attacks, stood under rain and shine for hours and whole days and nights, casted their votes, counted the votes joyfully, and then, INEC shut the sacred results out of its servers in grave of violation of both their binding moral promises and legal rules. Next, INEC declared results other than the ones obtained in polling units, and posted same through unconventional doors. International Civil Society and election observers delivered damning report of willful breach of own rules by INEC, disenfranchisement by late or non-arrival of electoral materials, violent attack on voters, destruction of ballot cast to diminish opposition votes, and mutilation and swapping of electoral results amongst other vices that characterized suppression of People’s right to elect their leader. Top in the condemnation of the conduct of the February 25th 2023 Presidential election in Nigeria were head of AU observer team who said the election was below minimum standard, the EU observers, The Economist of London, the Financial Times, Guardian of U.K, the Times of London, the New York Times, German Sueddeutsche Zietung, the Washington Post, CNN and local media.”

 

Govindex appealed to the conscience of Justices handling the election disputes, noting that “their revered Justices have an historic duty to assert the constitutionally-guaranteed independence of the Judiciary by rendering justice in the Presidential election disputes irrespective of desperate efforts by the Executive to intimidate and teleguide it”.

 

This, the group said, “is the only way to rescue Nigeria’s democracy, convince the people that their vote still counts and that the Judiciary, indeed, remains the last hope of the common man”.

 

 

Press release

 

March 15, 2023

 

OMO-AGEGE WILLING TO ATTEND ARISE TV DEBATE, BUT SHERIFF MUST BE THERE.

 

In the evening of Tuesday, March 14, 2023, we received an undated letter from Arise News, operators of Arise Television, inviting the leading contender for the March 18 governorship election in Delta State and APC’s flagbearer, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, to a debate involving the major candidates. The said debate is scheduled to hold today, Wednesday, March 15 at 6pm.

 

Although the invitation came rather late and we had no prior knowledge of the event while having other engagements already lined up, Senator Omo-Agege is prepared to review his appointments and participate in the debate. However, his readiness comes with a caveat: His main opponent and candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, must also be in attendance.

 

Our position is informed by the fact our candidate had thrown an open challenge months ago to Rt. Hon. Oborevwori on this same subject matter; a challenge that he refused to take up.

 

We are aware that Rt. Hon. Oborevwori had repeatedly indicated that he will not participate in any debate, of course to conceal his inadequacies from the discerning Delta electorate.

 

To this extent, if there is a firm assurance from Arise News that the PDP gubernatorial flagbearer has committed to participating in the debate, Senator Omo-Agege, will be part of the exercise.

 

We believe that a debate involving all the candidates is a veritable platform for the public to get an insight into the persona of every candidate and further enrich their assessment of their programmes. However, such exercise can only be meaningful and wholesome if all the candidates participate.

 

Signed

Sunny Areh

Chief Press Secretary to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege

 

 

A New Nigeria is not only possible; it is already being born and  Nigeria will prevail and rise, says Peter Obi

 

Obi-Datti media release.

 

 

Obi writes Nigerians says…

 

 

A New Nigeria Is Again Possible on the 18th of March!

 

On 25th of February 2023, millions of Nigerians from all walks of life, across generations and backgrounds, from Bornu to Lagos, Port Harcourt to Sokoto, Kano to Enugu, Taraba to Ondo voted strongly and resolutely to take back their country. They voted for Labour Party; they voted for a New Nigeria!  I most sincerely continue to thank all Nigerians for their genuine belief and commitment that a New Nigeria is possible through us. And indeed, it is possible and has started!

During the campaigns, we travelled across this our most blessed and beautiful country Nigeria. We interacted, listened and learnt from you and was most humbled by the millions of young Nigerians who passionately invested their resources, time and life to our call and demand for a Nigeria that works for all.  We met very genuine and patriotic Nigerians who eagerly volunteered and gave whatever they can for a New Nigeria. Their genuine and emotional commitments were not based on religion, tribe, gender, class or any of the sentiments that divide us. It was based on the honest desire and belief for a New Nigeria where the freedoms and potentials of our greatly endowed country and her youths will be supported to create an inclusive, sustainable, growing and progressive Nation.

With increasing poverty, insecurity, corruption, unemployment, failing educational and health systems, the general state of our dear country and economy is troubling. What INEC did with the WILL OF NIGERIANS on the 25th of February is even far more troubling. It will only serve to exacerbate our sad situation, frustration of the people and the deterioration of the country. As we are directed to go to court, we call on INEC to provide all the required materials and access to our legal and technical teams to do their job. INEC should not be a hinderance to the efforts to get justice for a New Nigeria!

History has taught us that the destruction of a society can be gradual or sudden through deliberate manipulation of the rule of law and suppression of the will of the people. However, rather than dampen our spirit, we are doubly inspired by the creativity, passion, patriotism, and relentless optimism of Nigerians particularly our youths on the need and urgency of a New Nigeria. It is a demand that its time has come. While we are all aware and can see the deliberate and unpatriotic efforts to stop our march to freedom, please be assured that while we can be delayed, a New Nigeria Will Never be Denied!

I particularly salute young Nigerians who braved the challenges, withstood all kinds of difficulties and other contrived obstacles to cast their votes and make their voices heard. It was very loud and clear to Nigeria and the Global Community! Through your dynamism, creativity, optimism and passion for a New Nigeria, we derive our inspiration. For instance, undaunted amidst all odds, Yusuf Alabi stood in front of my moving car with his two hands fully stretched! I was tired that day but in him I was re-energized.

As he gazed at me, I saw hope, determination, love and passion. My belief in the need and urgency of a New Nigeria was strengthened. Please note that he didn’t stand so radically and bold because I am his uncle, an Ibo Man or a Christian! He stood because in us, he is convinced and believe that a New Nigeria that will better his life is Indeed Possible! His desire which represents the appeal and prayer of majority of Nigerians must be achieved and sustained.  He like many other Nigerians defied all odds and demonstrated to those that said we had no structure, that our unity of purpose, courage, love, commitment and resilience are the ingredients for the most powerful structure in our country. This is why the victories we won on 25th February must be repeated on 18th March 2023. Our victories are not for Datti Baba-Ahmed and I but for Nigeria and Nigerians especially the youths who desire a better future of unlimited opportunities.

I am especially gratified by the fact that many of you were              voting for the first time, and you have demonstrated without question your capacity to shape your country and its destiny.  I salute your courage, resilience and resolve. All of us including many local and international observers lamented the poor conduct of the Presidential Election on the 25th of February. It is very obvious that it was deliberately conducted in gross deviation of the agreed rules and regulations. Expectedly, the results were most condemnably manipulated to suppress and subvert the will of the people.  It is being generous to say that the elections fell far short of minimum acceptable standards of procedural integrity and democratic practice.

Let me reiterate that our team is taking up all these issues through all available legal and peaceful channels and I continue to urge all of you to remain peaceful and law abiding. Despite these setbacks we are undaunted and remain resolutely committed to the fight for a New Nigeria as it is an idea whose time has come. Datti Baba-Ahmed and I therefore implore you my dear brothers and sisters, that March 18th is another day and opportunity to birth a New Nigeria.

The Governors and State House of Assembly members will be elected, and I urge you all to use the same burning passion and commitment to troop out and vote for Labour Party- the character and competence you can trust.  Vote for a new set of dynamic and people-oriented leaders to birth a New Nigeria. We have the patriotism, love, unity and power to defeat the forces of division and prejudice as they represent a  brand of politics that has expired and cannot take us into  the future. As we are counselled, we may differ in tribes and tongues, but we profess our unity in love and brotherhood to recreate a Nation where no Nigerian will be oppressed and where peace, fairness, justice, equity and prosperity will reign.

Irrespective of what INEC announced, we do know that in several states across our dear country, Nigerians massively voted for a New Nigeria on 25th February, for a new direction, for a new leadership, for a better life, for new opportunities that will see them compete with the best in the world. They voted for a transition from consumption to emphasis on production, they voted to have a country, strong and respected within the comity of nations. They did not vote based on religion, tribe, class and other sentiments of division. They voted for a New and United Nigeria led by Labour Party, they voted for brotherhood.  I implore you to do the same on the 18th March 2023. Vote for a new set of dynamic, committed and competent leaders.  That is the spirit that led to the emergence of Rishi Sunak as UK Prime Minister; Sadiq Khan as Mayor of London and many others like Barack Obama, former US President. It is time to put in place a government that we will all participate in forming, that will be accountable and deeply committed to a New Nigeria, a Nigeria that is inclusive and sustainably growing for the benefit of all. That is the kind of Government we want across all states of Nigeria.

Over these years, you will agree that every time the possibility of progress and a new Nigeria has arisen, the forces of retrogression have attacked it with weapons of division, violence and prejudice. The same thing is happening now. We must all in unity, say no and totally condemn those that are invoking tribal prejudice, hatred and violence. Killing and attacking people, burning markets and properties, suppressing people from a section of the country must stop and should not define our politics. We continue to pray for our brothers and sisters that lost their life in this struggle and for those that were attacked and injured, May God heal and strengthen you all.  Our security agencies must ensure that the perpetrators face the law and that all Nigerians are fully protected irrespective of their political affiliations.

Like in other states, in Lagos for instance, Nigerians of all tribes, religion, culture and backgrounds voted for Labour Party and other parties. Their desire to repeat this their fundamental right on Saturday 18th March must be respected and protected. The New Nigeria we are pursuing, and desire is not based on tribe, religion, culture or class. It is based on a Nation that is inclusive and works for all.

To those that did not vote for us at the Presidential election, I say to you, ‘we bear you no grudge. We are fighting for you so that we will hand our children and youths a country and banner without stain, where justice, peace, love and prosperity will reign. Join us as we are one family- A Family of a New Nigeria That is Possible! All of us that believe in equity, justice and fairness and in a better country must no longer be a silent majority. A New Nigeria is not only possible; it is already being born and  Nigeria will prevail and rise!  God bless you all and The Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

Mr Peter Obi

Labour Party Presidential Candidate

 

 

African countries commended for implementing regional integration agenda, promoting intra-regional trade

 

Addis Ababa, 15 March 2023 (ECA) – African countries have made commendable progress in implementing the regional integration agenda and promoting intra-regional trade, but more work is needed to accelerate the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and the ratification of the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment. This was said by Stephen Karingi, the Director, Regional Integration and Trade Division, in his presentation on the Assessment of progress on regional integration in Africa.

The report, which is based on monitoring frameworks and tools, including the indicators developed by the ECA, the African Union Commission and the African Development Bank was presented to experts meeting ahead of the 20-21 March ministerial segment of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Member states will need to address integration challenges, which include inadequate financial resources; poor infrastructure networks; increasing violence, terrorism and political instability. Furthermore, the integration agenda is experiencing slow implementation of policies and agreements. For instance, the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment, needs ratification because, “It is the bedrock of deepening integration as it interacts with the ability to move goods and services and help to optimise the AfCFTA,” stressed Karingi.

“Collective efforts are required from all member States, regional economic communities, key partners and stakeholders to realize the economic benefits of integration and the African Continental Free Trade Area,” he said.

Macroeconomic integration

According to Karingi, to support member States in their formulation and implementation of economic policy and enhance macroeconomic integration, ECA has developed a prototype macroeconomic model and provided support and training in 15 countries. On the fiscal side, ECA supported taxation policy reform and revenue collection in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.

Infrastructure and energy sectors

Africa remains constrained by huge infrastructure gaps, with an estimated annual financing need of between $130 billion and $170 billion, and an annual financing gap of between $68 billion and $108 billion. But improvements were reported in access to information and communications technology constituting an important driver of the African infrastructure development index. Digitalization in Africa was further accelerated by the pandemic, creating greater potential for trade and business growth.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in the Ukraine have however, worsened public deficits and the debt burden, which have reduced infrastructural investment in Africa,” said Karingi.

Energy price increases, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, has put a strain on African countries, in particular on those that are net energy importers. Africa’s energy demand is mainly driven by Nigeria, South Africa and North African countries.

Participants from Burkina Faso, Chad, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania, raised concerns about the worsening insecurity, poor infrastructure, high cost of communication across the borders that are hindering the integration process.

Antonio Pedro, ECA Acting Executive Secretary said collaborative efforts, including the United Nations, the African Union, and regional economic communities, have continued to be deployed to respond to threats to peace and security, to participate in the management and resolution of conflict, and to stem the tide of terrorism and coups on the continent, albeit with mixed results.

In West Africa and the broader Sahel area, he said ECA through its West African office in partnership with the African Union, ECOWAS and other key players continue to fight the spread of violence, terrorism and drug trafficking while showcasing the opportunities available in the region.

“To foster regional integration on the continent, ECA will continue to prioritize the support that it provides to member States, regional economic communities, the African Union Commission and the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area towards the implementation of the free trade area,” said Pedro.

-Ends-

 

DELTA APC CAMPAIGN COUNCIL COMMISERATES WITH OBOREVWORI ON ATTACK

** CHIDES PDP FOR PLAYING POLITICS WITH INSECURITY

The Delta All Progressives Congress, APC, Campaign Council, has received with shock the reported attack on the Delta Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Gubernatorial Candidate, House Speaker Sheriff Oborevwori, by suspected assassins.

We unequivocally condemn this attack and demand an immediate investigation and apprehension of the perpetrators by the relevant security agencies.

While we cannot say without the benefit of an investigation if this condemnable act was politically motivated or not, we make haste to say that we are all Deltans and we are all brothers and sisters.

The Delta APC is on the cusp of a historic victory. Regardless, we choose not to play politics with insecurity. We hold this so dear to heart that Enduring Peace and Security is a crucial part of our EDGE agenda.

It is in this regard that we firmly deplore the finger pointing by PDP in a matter that should be of grave concern to all. Theirs is public communication at it’s most tasteless, and should have no place in any civilized discourse.

Ima Niboro,

Director, Communications and Media Strategy,

Delta APC Campaign Council.

Member, APC Presidential Campaign Council.

15 March, 2023.

 

Press release

March 15, 2023

With Oborevwori opting out of Arise News’ Governorship Debate, Omo-Agege will not participate

In the evening of Tuesday, March 14, 2023, the Delta APC Campaign Organisation received a letter from Arise News, operators of Arise Television, inviting the leading contender for the March 18 governorship election in Delta State and APC’s flagbearer, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, to a debate involving the major candidates. The said debate is scheduled to hold today, Wednesday, March 15 at 6pm.

Although the invitation came rather late and we had no prior knowledge of the event while having other engagements already lined up, Senator Omo-Agege is prepared to review his appointments and participate in the debate.

However, his readiness had always had a caveat: His main opponent and candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, should also be in attendance.

Unfortunately, we have confirmed that Rt. Hon. Oborevwori has chickened out of the debate. Of course, this does not come as a surprise as the PDP flagbearer had repeatedly indicated that he will not participate in any debate, probably to conceal his inadequacies and avoid his hollow persona being unraveled by the discerning electorate.

As a result, Senator Omo-Agege is not inclined to participate in the debate when Rt. Hon. Oborevwori is not there.

However, if as the PDP stated in their letter declining the offer from Arise News that should the organization reschedule it to a new date, their candidate may consider participating, Senator Omo-Agege will promptly review his decision. If only that was truly the case. But we know that Rt. Hon. Oborevwori will never subject himself to any situation where he will face a barrage of questions from the media without the aid and guidance of his media aides.

If the unthinkable happens and the Speaker expresses willingness to be part of the debate, Senator Omo-Agege will adjust his schedule and participate in the debate.

We believe that a debate involving all the candidates is a veritable platform for the public to further enrich their assessment of each candidate’s programmes. Such exercise can only be meaningful and wholesome if the major candidates, especially the flagbearer of the ruling party in the State is willing to participate.

Signed

Sunny Areh

Chief Press Secretary to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege

 

 

 

Text of address by Mr. Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President-Elect at the interactive session with representatives of International Media Organisations covering Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday, March 16, 2023.

We welcome you to this special interactive session today and we thank you for honouring the invitation. We specifically called for this session with you, who are representatives of international media organisations in Nigeria, to exchange views on the way you report our country generally and the specific matter of the coverage of the last presidential election circle won by our party, All Progressives Congress and then Presidential Candidate now President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In weeks and months leading to the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, there were a rash of pre-election analysis, news reports, special features and even opinion polls from a number of partisan local pollsters and international media that gave victory to the candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi. Some of the polls were conducted online. Some polls had small samples that were not sufficiently representative of Nigeria’s diverse voting population and did not represent the realities of Nigeria’s political environment and factors that influence electoral behaviour.

But there were some other polls that correctly predicted the outcome, that our candidate was headed for victory. Our internal polls also gave us some measure of confidence. With 21 states under our party’s control, we did not expect a complete change of electoral behaviour, like in the US, where no one expects a blue state suddenly turning red 100 per cent.

With the eventual outcome of the election at variance with some of the Labour Party sponsored pre-election predictions, many international media organisations who took premature position on the basis of these flawed polls, found themselves blind-spotted, leading to some of the skewed reports about the election.

We object to the mischaracterisation of the presidential election by a section of the international media.

Contrary to the innuendos and aspersions being cast on the election by organisations such as Financial Times, Economist, New York Times among others, we make bold to say that the 2023 Presidential election is the most credible, most free and most fair national election in Nigeria since 1999.

The elections into the Senate and House of Representatives were held the same day with the presidential election. They produced an outcome that showed our party winning majority seats in both chambers. None of the presidential candidates assailed the integrity of the elections.

Similarly, the presidential election produced expected outcome.

Anyone who is honest enough and understands the political landscape of Nigeria and the forces at play in electing a President in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society like Nigeria will know that only Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC could have won the election.

It must be stressed that only the APC went into the 2023 election intact. Peoples Democratic Party went into the election fragmented into three parts. Five of its Governors under the G5 group worked against their party’s Presidential candidate. Alhaji Abubakar Atiku. The Labour Party candidate, who was Atiku’s running mate in 2019 abandoned the party. In the North, Rabiu Kwankwaso, also a member of the PDP, went solo in the NNPP.

These divisions within the main opposition played out in our favour. It was a repeat of 2015, when some PDP states supported the new coalition of parties called APC and gave President Buhari a resounding victory.

The presidential candidate of PDP at his post-election press conference admitted that the Labour Party swept away his party’s votes from its traditional stronghold in South-East and South-South. He is yet to admit the impact of the rebellion of the G5 governors and Kwankwaso in large voting state of Kano.

For emphasis, it must be stated that no political party or candidate can win a presidential election in Nigeria without strong support from four of the six geopolitical zones in the country. Only the candidate of APC had such support as shown in the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Mr Obi could not have been elected President by winning in South-South and South-East and the Bible-belt states of Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Taraba and Nasarawa. He needed the core northern votes from the North-East and North-West. He needed the South West. Winning Lagos narrowly was not enough to make Mr. Obi President.

These are political realities that have been ignored in post-election reportage by a number of international media.

We consider it unfair and quite uncharitable to describe the last election as fraudulent, manipulated or flawed. All the noise over results not being uploaded on INEC server was misplaced. The election in Nigeria is done at about 176,000 polling units. There results are announced, signed by party agents and sent to collation centres at ward, council and state levels. Results are tallied at state level and announced. All parties after the state results are announced, already have an idea, whether they won or lost. The collation in Abuja is a mere ceremony to sum up all the results from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. It was in realisation of this that in 2015, President Jonathan did not wait for the Abuja collation before conceding defeat to President Buhari.

To further support our view on the credibility of the entire electoral process, we recommend three reference materials that can further enrich better understanding of how the election panned out. Number one reference material is a well-articulated Editorial commentary by Premium Times on the just concluded Presidential election. Premium Times is an independent and well respected newspaper in Nigeria.

The second material is the well-informed analysis on the electoral outcome by Professor Ebenezer Obadare, a Fellow of Council of Foreign Relations in Washington DC. Professor Obadare’s article was quite illuminating. The third reference material is an opinion piece published in Thisday Newspaper by Mr. Mahmud Jega, a respected Nigerian syndicated columnist and also an adviser to the President-elect. His article provided a clear and dispassionate review of the election and why APC/Asiwaju Tinubu prevailed against other contenders.

Gentlemen of the press, we called this parley, primarily, to appeal for a shift and a change of mindset in the way the international media report issues in Nigeria and Africa generally.

You are the ones on ground here, you understand the political environment and the nuances better than your bosses in Paris, London, Johannesburg, New-York, Beijing, Istanbul and Tehran. You are in a much vantage position to educate your bosses on how to exercise better editorial judgement on matters relating to Nigeria.

Our country, is the biggest black nation on earth with a population that is estimated to be over 200 million. Though it is the biggest economy in Africa, it is a poor country with institutions of state that are still growing.

We seek the cooperation of the global media to project our country as the new frontier of economic growth, best destination for foreign investments because of our large market and guaranteed profitability for investors. As a country, we don’t need news reports that stoke political tensions and exacerbate crises that can set off unrest and instability.

We are very mindful of the sophistry of the opposition elements and Labour Party candidate going on TV and Radio Stations to cite reports from Bloomberg, Financial Times, Economist, Washington Post etc as clear evidence of electoral fraud in Nigeria, as if these reports are the gospel truth, as if those reports were not products of a tunnel vision.

As we move through this transition period to inauguration on May 29, through the next four years when our party will remain in the saddle of leadership, we want to appeal to you to make your reports more balanced, accurate and factual and also remove the tendency for negative slants in news reporting and analysis.

We thank you for your time.

 

March 16, 2023

Press Statement

Presidential Polls: PDP, Atiku Did Not Withdraw Election Petition – PDP

…Says It’s on Course to Reclaim its Mandate at the Tribunal

Our attention has been drawn to the mischievous report claiming that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar have withdrawn the petition filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Election Tribunal.

The said report is false and a reprehensible fabrication by the mendacious APC which is disconcerted by the overwhelming evidence against it and our tenacity to reclaim the mandate freely given to the PDP and Atiku Abubakar by Nigerians on February 25, 2023.

The PDP states in clear terms that our Party and Atiku Abubakar did not withdraw our petition against INEC, APC and Tinubu at the Presidential Election Tribunal.

However, to set the record straight and for the benefit of our teeming members, supporters and the general public, the PDP clarify as follows;

On Monday, March 13, 2023, the Legal Team of Atiku Abubakar led by J.K Gadzama, SAN was in court to move a Motion Exparte accompanied by an Affidavit of Urgency (CA/PEC/12M/2023), seeking Orders directing INEC to allow us observe/participate in the process of sorting out the ballot papers used for the Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections conducted on February 25, 2023 across the country.

The Court directed that all parties should be put on notice and asked that we amend our Motion Exparte to Motion on Notice, to serve same on the parties (INEC, APC & Bola Ahmed Tinubu) and return on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, for hearing of our Motion on Notice.

On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, our Legal Team had a conference meeting with the Legal Team of INEC, and the Commission gave its assurance to cooperate with our Team during the inspection and sorting out of ballot papers, and to also provide election materials needed to file our petition.

On account of this agreement with and assurance by INEC, there was no longer need to proceed with the hearing of the Motion on Notice (CA/PEPC/13M/2023). Consequently, our Team filed a Notice of Discontinuance of the said Motion.

On Wednesday, March 15, 2023, our Legal Team returned to Court to inform the Court of the resolution reached with INEC and formally discontinued the Motion on Notice against all the Parties (INEC, APC & Bola Ahmed Tinubu).

The PDP is therefore on course and we are determined to pursue the case to its logical conclusion, which is the retrieval of our Presidential mandate at the Tribunal.

The PDP appreciates the concerns of millions of Nigerians over the false report. Such concern further points to the fact of the overwhelming support of majority of Nigerians for the PDP and Atiku Abubakar at the February 25, 2023 Presidential election.

Signed:

Hon. Debo Ologunagba

National Publicity Secretary

 

March 15, 2023

Press Statement

March 18: APC Has No Governorship Candidate in Taraba State – PDP

…Charges INEC to Be Guided by Supreme Court Judgment

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) states that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has no validly nominated candidate for the rescheduled Saturday March 18, 2023 governorship election in Taraba State in line with the Judgement of the Supreme Court delivered on February 1, 2023 in suit No SC/CV/1564/2022.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the good people of Taraba State and the general public are invited to note that the import of the judgement of the Supreme Court is to the effect that the APC cannot validly field a candidate in the March 18, 2023 governorship election in Taraba State, having failed to comply with the mandatory provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 with regards to the conduct of its governorship primary in Taraba State.

Specifically, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the provision of Section 84 (13) of the Electoral Act, 2022, which provides that;

“Where a political party fails to comply with the provisions of this Act in the conduct of its primaries, its candidate for election shall not be included in the election for the particular position in issue”

In the words of the Supreme Court, “Section 84 (13) of the Electoral Act is quite clear on the effect of failure to comply with the provisions of the Act and the Guideline of a Political Party in the selection or nomination of a candidate for election. Its Candidate shall not be included in the election for the particular position in issue”.

The implication of the Supreme Court’s Judgment therefore is that INEC is effectively restrained from accepting or recognizing any governorship candidate from the APC for the March 18, 2023 Governorship election in Taraba State.

INEC must therefore be guided by the hierarchy of courts in Nigeria and the finality of the pronouncements in the Judgment of the Supreme Court on any issue or subject upon which it has ruled, ordered or given judgment.

The people of Taraba State must note that any vote therefore cast or credited to the APC in the March 18, 2023 Governorship election in Taraba State will be treated as wasted vote.

Signed:

Hon. Debo Ologunagba

National Publicity Secretary

March 10, 2023

Press Conference

Presidential Election: PDP Demands Resignation of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as INEC Chairman

…Charges Police, DSS to Investigate INEC Boss for alleged Electoral Offences

…Demands International Sanctions for Undermining Democracy

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has further reviewed the widely-condemned infractions, brazen violation of the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and criminal manipulation and alteration of election results by the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to subvert the Will of Nigerians in the February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

The PDP has also reviewed the latest scheme by INEC to reconfigure the BVAS devices, erase and destroy evidence of its manipulation of the Presidential election, deny Nigerians and political parties, especially our Party and Candidate access to relevant information required to prosecute our case at the Presidential Election Tribunal.

From all indications, the INEC under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu was compromised to rig the election by brazenly violating the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 as well as INEC’s Regulations, Guidelines and Manual issued for the election.

It is also obvious that the Commission under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu deliberately sabotaged the uploading and transmission of results directly from the Polling Units to give room for the criminal mutilation, alteration and switching of election results across the nation in favour of the APC as now abundantly exposed in the pictorial and video evidence of compromised results sheets in many parts of the Country.

Several evidence abounds in States across the six Geo-Political Zones of the Country where winning figures lawfully scored by the PDP were switched in favour of the APC; where results sheet from polling centers won by the PDP were destroyed and replaced with fake results sheets in which APC was allocated unearned winning figures.

This further explains why the INEC Chairman rushed to announce and declare manipulated results that were not transmitted directly from the Polling Units to INEC’s Server/Website and ignored the objections and complaints raised during the collation of results in deliberate violation of the provisions of Section 64 (4) (a) and (b), 64 (6) (a)-(d), and 65 (1) (c) of the Electoral Act. 2022.

For emphasis while Section 64 (4) (a) and (b) expressly require the INEC Chairman as the Chief Returning Officer to announce only results that were transmitted directly from the Polling Units, Sections 64 (6) (a)-(d) and 65 (1) (c) compel INEC, in the case of disputes, complaints or objections regarding a collated result or the result of an election from any Polling Unit, to take steps including the review of collation where they are made contrary to the provisions of the Law, Regulations, Guidelines and Manual issued for the election.

By flagrantly violating these provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 as well as INEC’s Regulations, Guidelines and Manual for the election, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is not only culpable of serious electoral offence but also betrayed, thrashed and threw overboard the trust, confidence and hope Nigerians reposed in him and the Electoral Commission to deliver a free, fair and credible election in the country.

The continuing stay of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu in office as Chairman of INEC is therefore vexatious, injurious to the integrity of the Electoral Commission and an unpardonable assault to the credibility of our electoral process, the sensibility of Nigerians and the International Community.

Moreover, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s stay in office is capable of paving the way for the suppression, tampering and destruction of critical evidence required to further expose the infractions and violations by the Commission at the Presidential Election Tribunal.

This fear is evidenced by the desperation by INEC to reconfigure the BVAS devices to erase vital data contained therein.

Consequently, the PDP demands that the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu immediately step down from office, having abused the confidence and dashed the hope of millions of Nigerians as well as political parties and the International Community for a free, fair and credible election.

Nigerians no longer have faith in Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s capacity and integrity to manage a democracy institution as sensitive as INEC.

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s exit as Chairman of INEC will be the first step towards sanitizing the Electoral Commission and restoring the confidence of Nigerians especially as the nation prepares for the rescheduled March 18, 2023 Governorship and State Assembly elections.

Furthermore, the PDP demands that the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) immediately commence investigations into the electoral violations and manipulations by INEC with the view to prosecuting Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and other officials of the Commission for electoral offences.

In the same vein the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should open investigation into allegations that certain top officials of INEC were heavily compromised financially to manipulate the electoral process.

The PDP notes the reports of various International Bodies in disapproval of actions by the leadership of INEC in undermining democracy in the conduct of the February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

In that regard, the PDP calls on the International Community to immediately impose sanctions including travel restrictions on the INEC Chairman and other top officials of the Commission over their roles in compromising democracy in Nigeria.

The PDP calls on Nigerians to remain calm but very alert as our Party continues to take steps to retrieve our mandate at the Presidential Election Tribunal.

Thank you for listening. God bless you all and God bless Nigeria

Signed:

Hon. Debo Ologunagba

National Publicity Secretary

 

 

 

BE ON YOUR TOES, WORK FOR YOUR SENATORIAL DISTRICT, GOV AKEREDOLU CHARGES IPINSAGBA

Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON has charged the Senator-elect for Ondo North Senatorial District, Pastor Jide Ipinsagba to work for the development of his people and the State.

Governor Akeredolu enjoined the Senator-elect to be on his toes and make contributions on issues that affect the district and development of the state.

The Governor spoke on Saturday while receiving Ipinsagba and his team at the Government House, Alagbaka, Akure, the state capital.

Ipinsagba was at the Government House to thank the Governor and present his Certificate of Return.

The Governor had also received the Senator-elect for Ondo South, Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim and some House of Representatives members-elect.

The House of Representatives members-elect received by the Governor include: Hon. Timehin Adelegbe, Owo/Ose Federal Constituency; Hon. Abiola Makinde, Ondo West/East Federal Constituency; Hon. Donald Ojogo, Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency; Hon. Festus Adefiranye, Ile-Oluji/ Oke-Igbo/ Odigbo Federal Constituency; and Hon. Derin Adesida, Akure South/North Federal Constituency.

The Governor urged Ipinsagba to be fair to all and be a good representative of the six local government areas in the Senatorial district.

Richard Olatunde

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.

March 11, 2023.

 

OWO ATTACK: GOV AKEREDOLU BEGINS CONSTRUCTION OF MEMORIAL PARK IN HONOUR OF SLAIN VICTIMS

Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, CON has commenced the construction of a befitting Memorial Park in honour of the slain victims of the June 5 horrific attack at St Francis Catholic Church, Owaluwa street, Owo.

Governor Akeredolu said the Memorial Park, located in the heart of Owo, will be a beauty to behold when completed.

The Governor spoke during an inspection visit to the construction site on Saturday.

He was accompanied to the site by the Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye and Special Adviser on Union Matters and Special Duties, Mr. Dare Aragbaiye.

Arakunrin Akeredolu disclosed that his administration is determined not to forget the souls that have departed.

He hinted that the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who visited Owo to commiserate with the State and the people after the incident, will be invited to commission the project when completed.

His words:”The Architect who designed this place, Architect Femi Bello, the Odopetu of Akure Kingdom, I want to thank him very well, because he showed interest in this project. His interest is beyond the normal, so I thank you.

“By the time we finish this Memorial Park, it will be a beauty to behold and it is going to measure up to any Memorial Park anywhere because the Architect has taken his time to do so many good work here. It is for us to just wait and see it.

“Come rain, come sunshine, this project must be completed before the end of May. When this incident (attack) happened, our President-elect was here. I know that by the time we tell him we have this Memorial Park for him to come and commission it, I think it will be a joy to him. That will be just a week after his inauguration, I pray he will come so that he can see this Memorial Park.

“For us, we are determined not to forget the souls that have departed. They were 41 in number. And others that are still nursing the wounds, although they have gone back to their homes, they have been discharged, some of them are outpatients.

“As you know, we also have a lady whose two legs were amputated. The government has provided for her necessary prosthesis that she can use. I’m told that she has been able to use it. Her rehabilitation is moving on well and we are sure that she will still live a normal life. That is what I believe, she will live a normal life.

“So, for us, it is just a way of remembering those 41 souls that died.”

Earlier, the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Land and Housing, Engr. Raimi Aminu, commended Governor Akeredolu for not forgetting the departed souls.

He said the befitting Memorial Park will be completed before the end of May, this year.

“Government has decided to site at this location befitting Memorial Park in rememberance of those departed souls. It is going to be a befitting one, well drawn and which can compete with others throughout the world.

“Apart from that, government also has intension of siting so many things like museum and other things around this area. So, this is going to be a centre of attraction after completion and it will beautify the city, and at the same time, those people that lost their lives will be remembered for life.

“Anybody that passes here will know that something happens at so so date. All things being equal, by God’s grace, this project will be completed before ending of May 2023.” the Commissioner added.

Richard Olatunde

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.

March 11, 2023.

 

 

PRESS STATEMENT

Nigeria : At the Cusp of Renewed Hope

A fair, credible election has been held and has been won. The honor of that victory and the steep responsibility it entails has fallen on me. I say this not to gloat or boast because there is no room for such behavior. I merely state the facts as they are.

I realize many good and well-meaning Nigerians voted for other candidates. They are naturally disappointed that their favored candidate did not win. Other candidates have voiced their dissatisfaction, stating they will go to court to contest the election. This is inherent to the democratic process. We defend their right to seek legal recourse. While they exercise the legal rights afforded them in our democracy, I have set my course and mind on the leadership of this nation. We have important work to do and I am committed to getting that work done for the benefit of all the people, whether or not they voted for me or even voted at all.

This is not the time for continued acrimony and partisan recrimination. These negative things can incite strong passions; but they are not the pathway to a better nation. Only unity and national commitment can serve that purpose..

Critics of Nigeria have been too quick to conclude that our political system is fragmented because of the impressive showing of new parties and their candidates. These critics are wrong. The emergence of the new parties and their candidates underscores the dynamic strength of our democracy. People want democracy to work and they want to have their voices heard and interests met within it. This is a good thing to be promoted, not something to be feared.

What must concern us is not the growth of parties but the regrowth of old prejudices and bigotries such as ethnicity, creed and place of origin. As a nation and as individuals imbued with the love of God and of our fellow man, we are better than this. At some point we must decide whether we shall be enticed by the ills of the past or shall we more bravely and nobly be encouraged by the eminent prospect of a brighter future.

There have been times in our past when our governing institutions created more questions than they answered. But the arc of our political history gives me confidence that we can overcome that past. We have walked through the thick of the night to emerge into the light of brighter days to come. There is no good reason to retreat into the darkness of years past.

We must begin to repair and rebuild this national home of ours. There is time to complete the task, but time is also of the essence. We must not tarry or fret over the enormity of what we face.

We are able of mind and body. Now, we must show the spirit and willpower to accomplish the historic things that lie within our grasp.

As your incoming president, I accept the task before me. There has been talk of a government of national unity. My aim is higher than that. I seek a government of national competence. In selecting my government, I shall not be weighed down by considerations extraneous to abiilty and performance. The day for political gamesmanship is long gone. I shall assemble competent men and women and young people from across Nigeria to build a safer, more prosperous and just Nigeria. There shall be young people. Women shall be prominent. Whether your faith leads you to pray in a church or mosque will not determine your place in government. Character and competence will.

To secure our nation and to make it prosperous must be our top priorities. We cannot sacrifice these goals to political expediencies. The whims of politics must take a backseat to the imperatives of governance.

We have bridges and roads to build not just for commerce and travel but to connect people of different faiths, parties and different outlooks in harmonious dialogue and common purpose. We have families to feed not just to eliminate hunger but to nurture enlightenment, civic responsibility and compassion. We have jobs to create not merely to put people to work but to afford all a better standard of living by which families and communities are improved and democracy deepened. We have water to replenish not just to quench physical thirst but to ignite a thirst for creative and better solutions to society’s challenges. We have a nation to protect such that we eliminate danger and even the fear of danger. May all of our people be able to live their lives in the light of peace and the glow of broadening prosperity.

An important step toward restoring economic normalcy has been taken by the Supreme Court’s decision on the parity of old and new notes . This restores both the rule of law and economic decency. But this is not the end of the story. It is merely the beginning of a more comprehensive solution to our economic challenges.

Our Renewed Hope Action Plan outlines goals for greater economic growth in our cities and rural communities. We are committed to an economy of double-digit GDP growth, greater food security and one with a strengthened manufacturing base as well as an active digital economy where young people will have ample space to fulfill their dreams and aspirations.

I realize that I am the servant of a larger purpose. As such, I have gone straight to work.

My team and I have been daily engaged in discussions and meetings refining our ideas and policy solutions so that we can begin actively working toward the common good the very first day we assume office.

This great project called Nigeria beckons to us all.

I ask that we work together as Nigerians for Nigeria. Those who voted for me, I ask that you continue to believe in our policies and plans for the country. I also ask that you reach out to your brothers and sisters who did not vote as you did. Extend to them the hand of friendship, reconciliation and togetherness. To those of you who did not vote for me, I ask you to believe in Nigeria and in the capacity of your fellow citizens, even those who voted differently than you. The better Nigeria I seek is not just for me and my supporters. It is equally yours.

I do not ask you to abandon your political preferences. That would be undemocratic. I do beseech you to answer the call of patriotic duty as the loyal opposition.

Remain loyal to the cause of a greater, more tolerant and just Nigeria. I too shall keep faith with this objective.

If we all play our proper roles, we shall begin the task of rebuilding our national home together, day by day, brick by brick notwithstanding our political differences.

As such, the victory of national progress will belong to all of us. The triumph of our nation’s democracy shall cite all of you as its very authors. This is how things should be.

Dear Nigerians, this is our country. This is our moment. We dare not waste it. Nor do we back away to accept a lesser version of ourselves and of our collective fate. We can no longer be satisfied with calling ourselves the giant of Africa. We must devote ourselves to doing those great and historic things only a giant can do. As your president elect, I shall do my utmost in this regard for this is my sworn duty.

I call upon you to come bravely forth as well, not for me but out of abiding love of country and for the people who inhabit it with you. We are so much better than we have been. Now is the time to stand fast and have faith in what this nation can be.

I, for one, am standing. But this time, i shall not be the last or only one standing. Imagine how great we can be if over 200 million other souls stand with me. Let the world see a Nigeria that nothing can stop.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President -Elect, Federal Republic of Nigeria

March 16, 2023.

 

 

NO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT VIBRANT AND SUCCESSFUL SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE SECTOR—PRESIDENT BUHARI

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday declared that for any economy to grow and create jobs, an equally vibrant and successful small and medium enterprise sector was also needed, adding that it was for this reason that he recently signed the Business Facilitation Bill into law.

President Buhari spoke at State House, Abuja as he received the Governing Council and members of the Institute of Directors led by its President and Chairman, Dr. Mrs Ije Jidenma.

“I was particularly interested to learn that you not only cater to large corporates, but are aware that for any economy to grow and create jobs, we need an equally vibrant and successful small and medium enterprise sector.

“This administration has, despite the difficult times brought upon us by a variety of external shocks, done much to ensure survival and development of SMEs.

“It is also my pleasure to share with you that your visit comes just a month after I signed into law the Business Facilitation Bill which eases various constraints for micro, small and medium sized enterprises. I am confident that this act will go some way in improving our business environment especially for the MSME’s,” said the President.

President Buhari while congratulating the Institute on attaining the milestone of 40 years, noted its commitment to nation building, stressing the values of transparency and good business ethics. He urged all stakeholders to recognize the noble roles that the Institute can play in the provision of the support base for the development of the economy.

“Let me congratulate the Institute on attaining this very important milestone of 40 years in existence. This is certainly a proud moment not just for the Institute, but for the nation as it signifies your commitment towards the objective of improved corporate governance, ethical business practices, improved corporate governance and transparency.

“These values are not just important pillars in the private sphere. They are also the keys to success in governance in the public sector, where the people have handed to us in trust, the responsibility to lead, guide and protect them.

“As our economy and conversely our private sector continues to grow and evolve, it behooves all stakeholders to recognize that such a resourceful institution not only exists, but is equipped and capable of providing the necessary support and development for the country.”

In her remarks, Dr. Jidenma noted that the reforms executed in various sectors of the Nigerian economy in the past eight years have increased expectations on the performance of business leaders and boards of public sector organisations.

This, the President of the Council noted, has made the Institute poised to sustain its leadership role in the orientation and capacity development for these Directors so that they can deliver on the mandates given to them.

Dr Jidenma stated that the Institute had gained insights on areas that needed further action towards being ‘Chartered,’ and having interfaced with the National Assembly and relevant stakeholders, requested for the President’s kind consideration and assent when the Bill gets transmitted to him.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

March 16, 2023

 

 

 

PRESIDENT BUHARI HAILS FORMER JUSTICE OF SUPREME COURT, EMMANUEL OBIOMA OGWUEGBU AT 90

President Muhammadu Buhari felicitates with former Justice of the Supreme Court, Emmanuel Obioma Ogwuegbu, on his 90th birthday, March 16, 2023, joining family and friends to celebrate God’s grace of a worthy long life of service, with many achievements, especially in the judiciary.

President Buhari congratulates Justice Ogwuegbu, other retired and serving Justices, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and Body of Benchers on the milestone, saluting the courage of the former Judge of the High Court, Imo State, 1976-1987, for putting the interest of the nation and her people first by standing for the truth, and administering it.

The President affirms that the legal luminary worked hard to earn his respected position in the judiciary, the country, and beyond it, upholding standards of clarity and balance in judgements for many years, and consistently sharing his wisdom with leaders.

President Buhari thanks the nonagenarian for believing so much in Nigeria that he returned to the country to start his private legal practice, 1963, after studying at University of Liverpool and University of London,1976.

The President prays for continued good health and sound mind for the venerable retired jurist.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

March 15, 2023

 

PRESIDENT BUHARI MOURNS FORMER SUPER FALCONS COACH, ISMAILA MABO

President Muhammadu Buhari extends condolences to the family of Ismaila Muhammad Abubakar, a former coach of the Nigerian female football team, the Super Falcons, who died on Monday aged 80.

The President joins them in mourning the loss of their husband and father, popularly known as Ismaila Mabo Nakande, who was a seasoned football manager, credited to have worked with and managed some of the best talented female players in Nigeria’s football history.

Mabo was also a legendary footballer in the domestic league, making his mark as a player and captain of Mighty Jets of Jos and also representing the country as a formidable central defender with the Green Eagles.

As the head coach of the Nigeria women’s national team at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2000 Summer Olympics and 2004 Summer Olympics, the President believes that Mabo’s legacy will live on in the players and the coaches that came in contact with him during his career, as well as the young athletes that will draw inspiration from his managerial abilities in the years to come.

The President prays that the memory of the departed will be a blessing to those who mourn.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

March 13, 2023

 

PRESIDENT BUHARI NEVER TOLD AG AND CBN GOV TO DEFY SUPREME COURT ORDER

The Presidency wishes to react to some public concerns that President Muhammadu Buhari did not react to the Supreme Court judgement on the issue of the N500 and N1,000 old currency notes, and states here plainly and clearly that at no time did he instruct the Attorney General and the CBN Governor to disobey any court orders involving the government and other parties.

Since the President was sworn into office in 2015, he has never directed anybody to defy court orders, in the strong belief that we can’t practise democracy without the rule of law and the commitment of his administration to this principle has not changed.

Following the ongoing intense debate about the compliance concerning the legality of the old currency notes, the Presidency therefore wishes to state clearly that President Buhari has not done anything knowingly and deliberately to interfere with or obstruct the administration of justice.

The President is not a micromanager and will not, therefore, stop the Attorney General and the CBN Governor from performing the details of their duties in accordance with the law. In any case. it is debatable at this time if there is proof of willful denial by the two of them on the orders of the apex court.

The directive of the President, following the meeting of the Council of State. is that the Bank must make available for circulation all the money that is needed and nothing has happened to change the position.

It is an established fact that the President is an absolute respecter of judicial process and the authority of the courts. He has done nothing in the last eight or so years to act in any way to obstruct the administration of justice, cause lack of confidence in the administration of justice, or otherwise interfere or corrupt the courts and there is no reason whatsoever that he should do so now when he is getting ready to leave office.

The negative campaign and personalised attacks against the President by the opposition and all manner of commentators is unfair and unjust, as no court order at any level has been issued or directed at him.

As for the cashless system the CBN is determined to put in place, it is a known fact that many of the country’s citizens who bear the brunt of the sufferings, surprisingly support the policy as they believe that the action would cut corruption, fight terrorism, build an environment of honesty and reinforce the incorruptible leadership of the President.

It is therefore wide off the mark to blame the President for the current controversy over the cash scarcity, despite the Supreme Court judgement. The CBN has no reason not to comply with court orders on the excuse of waiting for directives from the President.

President Buhari has also rejected the impression that he lacks compassion, saying that “no government in our recent history has introduced policies to help economically marginalised and vulnerable groups like the present administration.”

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

March 13, 2023

 

Bassey Otu represents fairness, truth, justice and freedom, says Ndoma-Egba

Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, has called on Cross River people to come out en masse on Saturday, March 18, 2023, to vote for the gubernatorial standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Senator Bassey Otu and the candidates of the party for the state assembly election.

Ndoma-Egba, who made the call on Thursday, said the state cannot afford to be in opposition with the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC as the President-elect.

He insisted that the zoning arrangement and understanding that has ensured peaceful co-existence among Cross Riverians shouldn’t be broken at this point in time in the interest of the state.

Going by the power rotation formula that has been in place and strictly followed in the state, Cross River South where Senator Otu emanates from is favoured among the three senatorial districts to produce the governor in 2023.

With the belief that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is the godfather and major sponsor of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Sandy Onor, the erstwhile Senate Majority Leader told Cross Riverians that it would be dangerous to allow external forces determine who becomes the next governor of the state.

Below is Ndoma-Egba’s full message:

Greetings fellow Cross Riverians, I am Victor Ndoma-Egba, a papal knight of St. Sylvester the Pope, Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR), Commander of the Order of Niger (CON), Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the Leader of the seventh Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Saturday 18th March 2023, the date set aside by INEC for the election of our governor and members of the Cross River State House of Assembly is a date with history. It is a date for us Cross Riverians to decide whether we remain masters and mistresses of our destiny or we become slaves to the governor of another state facing imminent retirement who is in search of his pension from our state.

I was born in Ikom in the Central Senatorial District of the state, went to school in Ogoja in the north and practiced law there for a while before settling in Calabar in the south where by the grace of God I prospered. I am a complete local boy who did not seek greener pastures anywhere else other than Cross River State in spite of the opportunities providence offered me. I am a proud Cross Riverian who has benefited from the generosity and kindness of Cross Riverians and have been defined by Cross River State. I chose to remain with my people all my life.

The choices before us on 18th March 2023 are stark. It is a choice between freedom and slavery, a choice between truth and falsehood, a choice between justice and injustice, a choice to be freeborns or to be vassals and underlings. Senator Bassey Edet Otu, aka Sweet Prince is a choice for truth, justice and freedom. He represents what we have stood for – justice, truth and history.

The candidates of the two major parties, the APC and the PDP, have had opportunities of public services at different times. While Bassey Otu’s achievements remain acclaimed many years out of office, that of the other candidate (Senator Sandy Onor of PDP) who is still in office is discussed in whimpers.

Since its creation in 1967 as a south-eastern state and the creation of Akwa-Ibom State in 1987 out of it, we have always shared opportunities and resources on the basis of senatorial districts and local governments and not ethnicity. No wonder when Atam Congress reared its head in Donald Duke’s second term, we all including the candidate of the PDP and its endorsers rose in condemnation. Today, the PDP takes into account Governor Ben Ayade’s two years in APC and fraudulently ignores his six years in PDP. The same Governor Ayade they had commended in the past.

They claim Senator Bassey Otu is a product of Governor Ayade. This is not true. Senator Otu was the outcome of a thorough and transparent process, part of which I midwifed. Assuming but not conceding that Governor Ayade had a hand in his emergence, his status cannot be as bad as that of the PDP candidate who was imposed on his party by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State who has generously funded him in the hope of getting returns in his retirement from Cross River State.

The candidate of the PDP is a candidate of external forces while Senator Bassey Otu is the candidate of Cross Riverians. The ambition of one man is not worth the peace and unity of our state. Stand for truth and reject falsehood!

We as a state are too vulnerable to be in the opposition. That has been the message since 1999. Today, we have a President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC, we still cannot be in opposition. Be wise. Vote for Senator Bassey Otu and all the candidates of the APC for the Cross River State House of Assembly.

 

‘I do not have anything against Bobrisky’ Tosin Silverdam, Daniel Regha sit #WithChude

 

Chude Jideonwo, host of #WithChude, sit with social media commentator, Daniel Regha and popular gossip blogger, Tosin Silverdam to talk about their careers and the public perception of them.

 

On how he got into gossip blogging, Tosin shared, ‘I was into blogging online back then, but then I stopped. I got a job at a pharmacy as a social media manager, and things weren’t going so well like that. Then I got a job at Dufil Prima, the makers of Indomie and I was transferred to Kano. I didn’t know anybody in Kano, so I had to go to Kano to start my life over. During the pandemic, people were doing TikTok, so I said, ‘let me try TikTok’. I didn’t know how to dance, but I was doing the normal challenge. One day I decided to do something different that will shake the internet, I just said, ‘5 celebrities that I don’t like’, and just like that it went viral.

 

Speaking about why he thinks he doesn’t contribute to the toxicity on the internet, Daniel Regha said, “I air honest opinion. Even the haters know that what I am doing is right, otherwise, they should use the block button. Personally, I do not care if my followers drop to 100,000 today. If I can put brands that I work with on blast, why will I care about ordinary following? I would rather have 4,000 legit followers than have people who are stalking me looking for what I am going to wear next to call me and just insult me.”

 

He also shared how he developed a thick skin to what people think of him, ‘I think I just grew into it. There was a time I was looking for people’s approval on certain things, especially when I was in school. But at one time, I was like, ‘you can’t please people and at the same time, while trying to please people I will end up displeasing myself’.

 

On his persistent quarrel with the popular cross-dresser, Bobrisky, Tosin said, “I do not have anything against them (Bobrisky). Bobrisky is content. I met Bobrisky in Khloe’s place. Bobrisky came late, so Khloe was like I should wait for Bobrisky, I should see him and we must settle. I was like how many celebrities will I settle with because even if I settle with them today, I will still talk about them. He came in late, he was supposed to sit beside me but he said ‘I can’t sit down beside that guy, he always talks about me’. So, Khloe said I should talk to him. I met with him, and he wasn’t upset by some things I said about him. He said, I called him a liar that he doesn’t lie, and I was comparing him with Papaya and all that, that was the only thing he said, but I can go ahead and talk about him, but I shouldn’t say he or she is a liar”.

 

On the business of gossip, he shared, “I don’t care what people say, as long as I am making my money. This is just for a period of time, then I will delve into something else”.

 

 

PRESS RELEASE 

‘SANWO-OLU SHOULD BE RE-ELECTED’, AFENIFERE LEADER, PA FASORANTI ENDORSES LAGOS GOVERNOR

 

• Congratulates Tinubu on electoral victory

 

 

National leader of the apex Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, has endorsed the re-election bid of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, urging the electorate in the State to queue behind the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in order to consolidate on the achievements recorded in the in Lagos.

 

Lagos, the Afenifere leader in a press statement said, is an important nation’s commercial city and the pride of the Yoruba race, saying the evolving physical and socio-economic developments of the city should not be thwarted. He said the State would gain more under the incoming Tinubu administration than when it is in the hands of the opposition.

 

The elder statesman urged Lagosians not to make the mistake of buying into the gimmick of those bent on reversing the achievement Lagos had recorded.

 

Pa Fasoranti also described the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as winner of the 2023 presidential election as “a reflection of the electoral will of the majority of Nigerians”, congratulating the former Lagos Governor for his victory.

 

The Yoruba leader said he aligned with impartial electoral observers to give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a pass mark for the conduct of the presidential election, which he described as “free, fair and credible”, despite the challenges that threatened to derail the process.

 

The elder statesman urged the electoral umpire to build on the gains of the presidential elections and improve on the feat recorded in the conduct of gubernatorial elections coming up next Saturday across the federation.

 

He said: “I want to use this opportunity to recognise and appreciate the achievements of the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu who is seeking re-election for a second term on the platform of APC. Lagos as the economic nerve centre of Nigeria and by extension of Yorubaland deserves the very best. Governor Sanwo-Olu has been through the mill and crucible of politics, business, and public administration, occupying various positions in government since 1999 and garnering requisite experience which he has displayed in the last four years to the admiration of all and sundry.

 

“I am convinced that these giant strides should be sustained in the city with the third largest economy in Africa. I therefore wish to join my voice to those of other patriotic Lagosians that there is need for continuity in the state by lending my support to the second term bid of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu as governor of Lagos State. In addition, I believe that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as APC President will benefit Lagos State more if the state has an APC Governor to compliment whatever the President has for Lagos State.”

 

Pa Fasoranto acknowledged Sanwo-Olu’s achievement in provision of physical infrastructure in various sectors of the Lagos economy, including transportation, education, housing, security, health and agriculture.

 

He added that the response of Lagos State Government to stop the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was worthy and commendable.

 

He said: “Sanwo-Olu’s achievements include but are not limited to the Blue Line rail, Imota Rice Mill, Red Line rail, the Proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge, numerous housing projects in different parts of Lagos, and road projects across the state. These projects, when fully operational, will employ over a million Nigerians, mostly youths, thereby substantially reducing unemployment in the country.

 

I am convinced that these giant strides should be sustained in the city with the third largest economy in Africa. I, therefore, call on the good people of Lagos State to come out en-masse on Saturday to cast their votes for the governorship candidate of the APC, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.”

 

 

2023: EX-PDP GUBER CANDIDATE, LP SENATORIAL CANDIDATE DUMP PARTIES, JOIN FORCES WITH APC 

• 13 Chairmen declare support for the ruling party
• Vow to work for Governor’s re-election

 

 

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s re-election bid received a major boost on Wednesday as former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Dr. Ade Dosunmu and Labour Party’s Lagos Central Senatorial candidate on February 25 National Assembly poll, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri dumped their parties to work for the Governor’s re-election.

 

Dosunmu and Onitiri, who defected to APC with thousands of their supporters and members across Lagos State, declared their intentions to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and work for the party during Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections.

 

They made the declarations on Wednesday during a meeting with Governor Sanwo-Olu and APC leaders at Lagos House, Marina.

 

Governor Sanwo-Olu also received chairmen of 13 political parties, who are members of the Conference of Political Parties (CPP) as well as members of the Eyo Alakete Pupa Ikolaba Ekun led by Prince Uthman Sodipe-Dosunmu. They all pledged their support towards the re-election bid of the Governor.

 

Speaking during the event, the defectors said they have seen what Sanwo-Olu had achieved in the last four years and decided to align with his government.

 

Dosunmu, who defected to APC with members of the Lagos State PDP as well as House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates of the party, said their endorsement of Sanwo-Olu for re-election was in the interest of Lagos State.

 

In his declaration speech, Dosunmu said their decision to join APC was based on the dynamic leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the manner with which the incumbent Governor Sanwo-Olu has been piloting the affairs of Lagos State since he assumed office about four years ago.

 

He said: “Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is a man of exceptional dynamism, a listener, and a good crisis manager. I must state that his inspiring personal style of leadership is equally deserving of my humble commendation. The steady and self-assured way he has been piloting the affairs of Lagos State cutting across every sector with characteristic skills and sobriety is commendable. His great exploits in the areas of infrastructure development, youth empowerment, education, health, direct foreign investment, and transportation (rail and land transportation) among others are enormous.

 

“I want to urge all members of the APC in Lagos State to see this current political realignment as a unique opportunity for greater mobilisation, consolidation, and breaking of new grounds in the build-up to the Governorship and State Assembly elections. A vote for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is a vote for strong collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria under the able leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This will no doubt bring unprecedented development to Lagos State and enhance the quality of life of its resident.

 

“My teaming supporters and I will spare no effort to work for wider acceptability and electoral victory for the APC – our new party, in Lagos State come March 18, 2023.”

 

Also speaking, Onitiri, the Chairman of the Elders Committee of the Labour Party, said Governor Sanwo-Olu is the most competent and most qualified among all the gubernatorial candidates.

 

He said: “We are here with our members to join hands with our able brother, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to ensure that he has a second term by the grace of God. We are prepared to work with you because we know you are a tested and trusted hand.

 

“You are the most competent and most qualified. We have seen what you have done in the last four years. We are here to endorse you as a governor for the second term. Lagos State Prominent Indigenes are with you. We will campaign and vote for you.”

 

Governor Sanwo-Olu while receiving the defectors said the APC had the ambiance of togetherness to accommodate all of them.

 

He commended all the defectors and assured them that he will not disappoint them for supporting his re-election.

 

 

 

SIGNED

GBOYEGA AKOSILE

CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY

15 MARCH 2023

 

 

Africa risks missing the Sustainable Development Goals – . Antonio Pedro

 

 

Addis Ababa, 15 March 2023 (ECA) – Africa must lead the charge in mobilizing domestic resources to recover from multiple economic and social crises which have deepened poverty and widened inequality on the continent, Acting Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Antonio Pedro, has urged, warning that Africa risks missing the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Africa currently leads in global poverty,” Mr. Pedro told participants at the 41st meeting of the Committee of Experts that kicked off today, ahead of next week’s Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Mr. Pedro cautioned that without bold financial and climate action, Africa will be locked into a poverty trap. With more than half of the world’s poor – 54.8 per cent in 2022 being in Africa, the continent had overtaken South Asia with 37.6 percent, while the COVID-19 outbreak had pushed 62 million people into poverty in just one year, with an additional 18 million estimated to have joined their ranks by the end of 2022.

As many as 149 million non-poor remain at high risk of falling into poverty, Mr. Pedro said, further elaborating that 695 million people in Africa were either poor or face the risk of falling into poverty.

“Women and girls remain particularly vulnerable, and we are facing a potential reversal of the hard-won gains made on gender equity,” said Mr. Perdo, adding that, “Africa cannot just stay the course and hope that it gets better. It must lead the charge.”

The challenges are not insurmountable if Africa can implement systemic change and build resilient and sustainable systems, shifting away from a primary focus on efficiency that has dominated past decades.

Mr. Pedro said investments in sustainable building up capital in critical assets – including human, infrastructure, and natural resources – were needed to provide an environment that can facilitate achieving the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063. Therefore, governments must design strategies that simultaneously integrate economic, social and environmental objectives, he noted.

“First, we need to finance our development, ” Mr. Perdo urged, emphasizing that getting the macroeconomic fundamentals right can unlock the potential of home-grown solutions.

Nonetheless, he said, Africa still needs a fairer and more just global financial architecture that responds to its needs, bemoaning that many countries currently cannot access international financial markets because of rising interest rates and unworkable existing debt relief mechanisms.

He noted that Africa must aggressively pursue sustainable industrialization and economic diversification to transform its natural resources into tangible benefits for its people. The battery and electric value chain development was a case in point.

“Put simply, our wealth in natural resources must work for the majority, not the few. To get to this point, we must be intentional in our approach, said Mr. Pedro, citing that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can increase intra-Africa trade.

“We must take center stage on climate action. While we cannot overlook the fact that we are disproportionately suffering on impact and financing alike, we have significant opportunities to rebalance the scales on climate finance,” he said.

Africa rainforests and the development of its carbon markets, for instance, could unleash an estimated $82 billion a year in value at $120 per ton of CO2 sequestered and create 167 million additional jobs.

In opening remarks at the conference, Nemera Gebeyehu Mamo, State Minister for Planning and Development of the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, emphasized that Africa must accelerate changes needed for its economic recovery.

“Poverty is Africa’s most pressing challenge,” Mr. Mamo told participants, remarking that Africa should advocate for financial changes to aid recovery.

“Climate action is impossible without finance,” stressed Mr. Mamo, noting that leveraging climate change financing can help tackle poverty in Africa.

Africa’s growing poverty is linked to the worsening economic and financial conditions it has experienced, Mahamodou Bamba Diop, Director General of Planning and Economic Policies of the Republic of Senegal and Outgoing Chair of the Bureau of the Committee of Experts, said in an overview of the situation in Africa.

Mr. Diop noted that Africa’s economic growth had slowed over the past year due to the combined effects of COVID pandemic, the Ukraine war, global economic slowdown and climate change.

“We need to build a resilient Africa,” Mr. Diop urged, highlighting the need to reform the current financial architecture, develop effective data and statistical systems and tackle the impact of climate change.

-Ends-

 

AKERE MARKET FIRE: SANWO-OLU COMPENSATES TRADERS WITH N100M 

 

• Lays foundation for new market building
• As former Ekiti woos Lagos airport taxi drivers for Governor

 

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday donated N100 million to traders in the burnt Akere Motor Parts and Allied Dealers Association (AMPADA) market in the Ajegunle area of the State.

 

The Governor also laid the foundation for a new market building.

 

Speaking during his visit to the burnt site of the Akere market on Wednesday, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the efforts by the Lagos State Government were to help alleviate the plight of the traders who lost goods and cash in the fire when the market got burnt last week.

 

He said: “A week or less ago we promised to come back here to give immediate support to the people who were affected by the unfortunate incident. This is not politics, it is just a coincidence that it is a political season.

 

“I am happy to be here to lay the foundation for the new market building. Now it is a storey building and a small compensation that will alleviate the suffering and loss of our traders here. It is for us to make a clear stand that we are not about ethnic or religious division. We are a government that is people-centered and working to make things better for them, no matter what party or where they come from.

 

“As long as they are law-abiding, keep to laws guiding the environment, and respect the heritage of where they do business, they will always be accommodated.

 

“This will also send a clear message to people who want to divide us that we won’t let a small number disunite a large number of people. We won’t give them a space in Lagos and our government.”

 

Governor Sanwo-Olu also urged Lagos residents to come out and vote massively for him on Saturday, noting that the 18 percent vote cast during the presidential election is not a good representation of the Lagos population.

 

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area, Hon. Fatai Ayoola thanked Governor Sanwo-Olu for keeping to his promise of helping the people.

 

He promised that the people in the council would reciprocate the good gesture by voting for Governor Sanwo-Olu during Saturday’s governorship poll.

 

He said: “True to your word you are here today in Ajegunle to compensate the marketers for their loss and also lay the foundation for their new market. We thank you and wish that your efforts will be rewarded in Saturday’s election.

 

“We assure you that in Ajegunle we will do all within the ambit of the law to canvass for you because you have done so much for us. You rebuilt the Obafon and Mbakadoso roads. You also help us build Maracana Stadium for our youths.

 

“We are grateful and we would forever remain grateful for your stewardship and leadership that you have shown to the true people of Ajegunle.”

 

Also speaking, the Market Chairman, Mr. Izuchukwu Uba, assured Governor Sanwo-Olu of the trader’s support in Saturday’s gubernatorial election.

 

Traders at the market thanked Governor Sanwo-Olu for the good gesture promising to come out enmasse on Saturday to vote for him and all APC candidates.

 

Meanwhile, former Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, on Wednesday drummed support for Governor Sanwo-Olu, calling on Lagos residents to re-elect the Governor on Saturday.

 

Fayose who was joined by Governor Sanwo-Olu at the local wings of the Murtala Muhammed Airport spoke to taxi drivers at the airports and urged them to come out in large numbers and vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the March 18 governorship poll.

 

“Sanwo-Olu is our candidate. Let us all come out on Saturday to re-elect him,” Fayose urged the Airport taxi drivers.

 

Governor Sanwo-Olu promised to address all the issues raised by the Airport taxi drivers during his meeting with them.

 

 

SIGNED

GBOYEGA AKOSILE

CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY

15 MARCH 2023