Politics
CSU saga: Igbo group slams Obi for asking Tinubu to reveal his ‘true’ identity
…says Atiku suffering from post election trauma
A pro All Progressives Congress (APC), Igbo group – Omaluegwuoku Progressive Initiative, OPI, has slammed Mr Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate for the 2023 general election, for demanding that President Bola Tinubu reintroduce himself to the country following controversies surrounding his degree certificate with the Chicago State University.
Mr Peter Obi had in a press conference aired live on Arise Television, Wednesday morning, requested that President Tinubu reveal his ‘true’ identity to the public he governs.
He had said, “I humbly call on him (Tinubu) to immediately and personally mount his president’s high office and perform a simple task once and for all time. He should reintroduce himself to the nation he governs and to the world for avoidance of further doubt.
“He should let the world know his name, his nationality, his place of birth, his parentage, the primary and secondary schools he attended with dates as well as the actual universities he attended and certificates he obtained”.
But in their reaction, the Igbo group stated that it was quite disrespectful and an insult to the Nation for anyone to ask the president to publicly make clarification on his personal profile.
Speaking on behalf of the group in a World Press Conference, Wednesday afternoon, the OPI global leader, Amb. Ginika Tor expressed disappointment in Obi for making such request even when the matter is still in court.
The group said, “I realised that my own brother that I respect so much, Peter Obi, who is also the presidential candidate of Labour party, he came up on ARISE TV to say that our president, a man that is the number one man in this country should come out and explain his state. So by now a man who served 8 years as a governor, you don’t know his state? Should tell us his background educationally, is that right?
“It is an insult to Nigeria as a nation. For you to call out our president who was massively supported, elected, confirmed and validated as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to come and stand before who? To say he’s from this state, from this country, from this region, from this locality. Does he owe us that? What the President owes us now is to take us to our destination of choice.
“So, I am disappointed in a man that I respected so much, my brother, who stood in front to run for Igbos. It may not be his turn now, but it could come in future. But whatever he does now is going to play out in the future. So let us be cautious and let all Igbos not be misled by this press interview that our own brother granted ARISE”.
They however urged Mr Obi not to further heat up the polity but join hands and support the President in moving the country forward.
On the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s insistence that President Tinubu’s Chicago State University certificate was fake, the group alleged that he (Atiku) was suffering from post election trauma.
According to them, Atiku’s claim was out of envy, having lost to President Bola Tinubu in the last general elections.
“The PDP Presidential Candidate Abubakar who appear to still be suffering from a severe post-election loss trauma and a near-presidency syndrome following his defeat at the polls on his fifth presidential contest suddenly realized that his dream of being President of this country which seemed so close in 2003 was again a mirage in 2023.
“His post-election trauma ballooned following the unsuccessful prosecution of his brief by his legal team at the PEPT, filed a petition lacking in substance and direction. Like someone who woke up from a terrible nightmare, Atiku commissioned a fishing expedition to Chicago State University on a wild goose chase for President Bola Tinubu’s certificate. They started by saying President Bola Tinubu did not attend CSU and when CSU confirmed repeatedly that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was their student and graduated with honours in 1979, they changed lane and started accusing President Bola Tinubu of submitting a fake certificate to INEC in 2022.
“Atiku Abubakar’s inordinate quest to malign the integrity of Mr. President also amounts to destroying or tarnishing the image of Nigeria before the international community all in a bid to perpetuate a lie and make people believe that President Bola Tinubu submitted forged certificate to INEC.
“We wish to state that this matter is in court, we chose to refrained from making comments on it but wish to unequivocally debunk the lies being towed by such an elder Statesman who should place patriotism and national interest above his personal ambition to be the number one man in Nigeria. To seek to impugn the character of Nigerians before the International community in the manner he is going smacks of desperation”, the group said.
They further called on the people of the South-East region to unite and support the present administration progressive policy direction.
“We call on Mr. President to equally find a way to include many competent progressives who share his development ideology and also worked tirelessly to help enthrone this government. Giving these categories of people the opportunity to serve in different capacities will be the surest way of quickly attaining the targets contained in his Renewed Hope vision since they are co-owners of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We pray that the President will sustain his track record as a worthy father, a unifier and detribalized Nigerian to ensure equitable sharing in the forthcoming appointments in order to give everyone a sense of belonging and command national loyalty which will ensure that we remain an indivisible Nation and actualize peace and unity for the good of all Nigerians”, they added.
Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the 2023 general election, Adewole Adebayo said, God has told him that the party will produce the next president in 2027 general election.
Speaking over the weekend in Abeokua when he met the members and executive who were led by the State Chairman, Yinka Ola-Williams, said he could confirm that a President of SDP will mount Aso Rock villa in 2027.
“One thing that God is telling me is that there will be an SDP president in the villa in 2027.
“For the first time in a long time, we will have people who care for the people. Let’s remain focused. The problems of Nigeria are our problems, not individuals.
“We are not against Tinubu as a person but we are against hunger, inflation, poverty, insecurity, unemployment. That’s what we are against,” he said.
Buttressing Adebayo’s position on modalities of joining the party, the SDP Chairman in Ogun State, Mr. Yinka Ola-Williams, disowned 30,000 membership cards and registers allegedly being flaunted by one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants in the 2023 governorship election in the State.
Ola-Williams said the party’s door is widely opened to anybody who wants to join, but such a person or group, no matter how highly placed, must follow the procedure as laid down in the party’s constitution.
He emphatically stated that the party had nothing to do with the membership cards and registers claimed by the aspirant, who said he got them from the party’s National Secretariat.
“We want people to join us, and we want to work together to provide a better government than what we have now that will remove poverty, provide a better healthcare system for people, improve education and all.
“But not that they come to the party, hijack the party and take the structure away. That’s what we will not agree,” Ola-Williams said.
Barrister Adewole Adebayo, the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general election, apprehensive of massive defection to the party urged defectors to go through legitimate route and due process.
Speaking over the weekend in Abeokuta, Adebayo when he met with SDP members and executive members led by the State Chairman, Yinka Ola-Williams, said the party is open to defectors, but they must do so legitimately.
Flanked by the former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, the former presidential candidate allayed fears that defectors may hijack the party, stressing that the National Working Committee of SDP can only issue membership cards through the executive at the state levels.
He said, “People are counterfeiting naira, they are counterfeiting the dollar, they’re bringing counterfeit rice, and NAFDAC is chasing counterfeit drugs. Why are you surprised that there are counterfeit party cards? Especially if the party cards are carried by counterfeit politicians who have a history of doing counterfeiting in their former parties. So, we should forgive everybody, but this counterfeiting will not work in SDP.”
“We are not fighting anybody we are only saying ‘come to our house through the front door not through the ceiling or the window.’ That’s all. Everybody here joined the party legitimately, anybody coming will join legitimately”.
“We have spoken to the National Chairman and the NWC, he said there’s no counterfeiting of anything. Any card that’s not given through the state, LG and executives is not from the SDP. So, if they come, you will tell them to go away. Put your name in our register here and pay us here. We will get the card for you. That’s how it is”.
“They want to run faster than their legs. Secondly, you are hearing rumors that people are coming to our party, Awolowo is coming, Azikiwe is coming, Balewa, Ahmadu Bello is coming. Let’s see them. Nigerians know us and they know them.”
He ruled out any plan that SDP would merge or collaborate with the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC or any political party ahead of 2027 general election.
According to him, SDP is committed to the well-being and welfare of Nigerians, while he ruled out insinuations that the party is an appendage of APC.
“Maybe APC has appendicitis; they should go to the hospital to kill it. We are a strong party. We are older than any of the parties available. Our mission is clear: we are not in government with them.
“I led the party in the last election. I’m still standing here. I’m not a minister under Tinubu; all the state chairman and the national chairman are intact, including the national secretary. So, we are standing on our own.
“The reason people look down on us is because we don’t attack people, but we tackle issues because our party is a party of intellect. We are the only party that’s a little to the left. Having been a little to the left since we came in 1989, we remain so.
“The problems of Nigeria can only be found with solutions on the left, which is that chapter two of the Constitution, invest money in education, in housing, in healthcare, good infrastructure, let Nigerians live what chief Obafemi Awolowo called a life more abundant,” he said.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Governor of Katsina State, Malam Dikko Umar Radda, over the passing of his mother, Hajiya Safarau Umar Baribari.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, Dr. Ganduje described Hajiya Safarau’s death as a profound loss that has left a deep void in the hearts of her family, friends, and the people of Katsina State.
Extending his sympathies, the APC National Chairman condoled with Governor Radda, the bereaved family, and the entire people of Katsina State during this difficult time.
He acknowledged the remarkable contributions of the late Hajiya Safarau and prayed for Almighty Allah (SWT) to grant her eternal rest in Jannatul Firdaus while strengthening the family to bear this irreplaceable loss.
Dr. Ganduje urged Governor Radda and others affected to find comfort in the cherished memories and enduring legacy of the deceased.
Reaffirming the APC’s support, the former Kano State governor assured the people of Katsina State of the party’s solidarity in their time of grief and prayed that Allah (SWT) grant the departed soul Al-Jannah Firdaus. Ameen.
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