Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant has promised to use modern technology to re-secure Nigeria if elected. He stated this after a consultative meeting with Kebbi State PDP executives, delegates and other key stakeholders of the party held at the state secretariat in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital. the party held at the state secretariat in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital. Nigerian tweeps react as singer Oxlade’s alleged sex tape surfaces online Lagos pastor accused of defiling worshipper inside church’s store The Nigerian security forces are struggling to contain the security challenges bedevilling the country which include terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, farmers/herders crisis and communal crisis. The incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, had promised to end insecurity in the country but after almost seven years in charge, no solution was in sight. But Tambuwal vowed to deploy modern technologies to surmount the problem once and for all if elected president in 2023. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tambuwal was in Birnin Kebbi in continuation of consultation towards accomplishing his intent of becoming the presidential flag-bearer of PDP. Tambuwal, who was a former Speaker, House of Representatives, said: “First of all, it’s about ensuring that Nigeria is re-secured and to do that, we must reorient our security forces so that they learn and understand the techniques of the current security challenges. “We will ensure supply of sufficient modern equipment and ensure that security agents are well taken care of in terms of their welfare, recruit more and more personnel and use modern technology to fight banditry, insurgency and other crimes across Nigeria. “We also intend to create more jobs, we will have no business with poverty in Nigeria, and by creating more jobs, you are in a way addressing the issue of insecurity. “We also intend to support and boost agriculture that will take care of most of the people by engaging them in one form of agriculture or the other.” On education, the aspirant observed that “if care is not taken”, the country’s education system would collapse, insisting that the issue was glaring in the lingering squabble between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government. Tambuwal said if elected, he would intensify efforts more on rail services, support constitutional amendment to devolve more powers to states. “On infrastructure, we intend to do a lot more in terms of providing more of rail services in the country by also supporting the constitutional amendment that will devolve more powers to states, strategising for their involvement in rail system, power and energy. “This will enable states to invest in power generation, transmission and distribution as well as provision of railway and other services and a lot of other things that we will do to reform, reposition and take Nigeria to a greater level,” he noted. On how to foster unity among Nigerians, Tambuwal said that records were there when he was the Speaker, House of Representatives, he was able to ensure unity among house members from different parts of the country. “I was able to bring 359 members of the house together without rancour, despite the fact that members came from different parts of the country and from different backgrounds, different cultures, and different parties among others. “This goes to show that by the grace of God the capacity is there to bring back the unity of this country by providing inclusive leadership,” he said. Earlier, former PDP Board of Trustees’ Chairman, Dr Bello Haliru, commended Tambuwal for accepting to contest for the position of President. “We are not just happy that you are from Sokoto, and Kebbi is part of Sokoto, but because you actually deserved to do the job. “This is because we need somebody who is more credible and who will mend the bond of relationship amongst Nigerians. “We need somebody who is honest, confident, committed and more credible to fix the nation,” Haliru said. Dr Attahiru Bafarawa, a former governor of Sokoto State and former presidential aspirant, expressed appreciation for the warm reception accorded the entourage in Kebbi, appealing for more support, prayer and encouragement to succeed. (NAN)

  Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum and Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu yesterday warned that any political party that fields a northern candidate in the 2023 Presidential election will lose. Akeredolu said that governors in the Southern part of the country under the auspices of the Southern Governors Forum are determined to ensure that the next President comes from the south. The Governor said this in Akure, the Ondo state capital during a courtesy visit by members of a group, Power Rotation Movement, led by the Chairman, Dr Pogu Bitrus, who also doubles as the Chairman, Middle Belt Forum. Other members of the group include the Co-chair, Rtd. General Collins Ihekire, representing the Ohaneze Ndigbo; National Organising Secretary of Afenifere, Abagun Kole Omololu; representative of Yoruba Council of Elders, Hon. Ayodele Oni; National Publicity Secretary of Afenfere, Comrade Jaye Ajayi; National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Hon. Ken. Robinson; and Comrade Kennedy Iyere, National Coordinator of Power-shift Movement & Forty Million Ballots ( a movement being driven by the Youth) among others. Akeredolu, who said those pushing against the power rotation in the country are tinkering with the existence of Nigeria, added that he believes in one fair and equitable Nigeria. He commended the group for its approach by involving youths in galvanizing support and votes ahead of the 2023 election. We’re committed to Police reforms — Buhari, Gov Emmanuel “In about two or three meetings, we have come out and declared that power must move to the south. “Only a party that is determined to lose will field a northern candidate. You are now a movement of members of political parties coming together. “What we stand for is fair and equitable power rotation. The only thing fair is that after 8 years in the north, it should come to the south. “Some of us believe in One Nigeria that’s fair and equitable. We have a reason for it and it can be defended. Some people have argued that the Presidency should be based on competence. Are they saying there are no competent ones in the south? “My brother Governors from the south, all of us are determined. Whosoever we pick, for as long as it is south, we will support him. “We are saying the President must come from the south. There are people who merit it in the South-South, South- East, and the South-West. “I also support your approach. If you are able to mobilize the youth and do not allow the election to be rigged, then we will win. You should also get our women to support us.” Earlier, the Chairman of the movement, Dr Pogu Bitrus said that the movement is passionate about power rotation to the south. “We are passionate believers that power should rotate in this country and should move from the north to the south. “We launched the 40 million ballot movement. That’s the sensitization of the youth. We launched it for our youth to key in. According to Bitrus ” leaders in the south and middle belt met in Abuja and agreed that power should rotate to the south, that the middle belt and the south should move against any party that fields any candidate outside the southern part of the country.

  Former Aviation Minister and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osita Chidoka, says the main opposition party is in a dilemma over the zoning of presidency to any region. Chidoka, who spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said he would personally want the PDP to field a southerner from the eastern part of the country as its candidate. He however explained that his party is faced with two tough options – either to struggle to clinch power or embrace zoning to the detriment of winning the polls.   He said: “PDP is in a kind of dilemma. Do we struggle to win power first or continue our zoning as we have done or do we continue with the zoning even if that candidate may or may not win the election? “First of all, the Igbo people will have to bring out a candidate that can convince Nigerians because Nigerians are not a party to this internal party zoning structures.” In the event that both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP field a south-easterner as their respective candidates, Chidoka explained that Nigerians would be left with the choice of voting the best candidate that will deliver the dividends of democracy to them. When asked if the PDP has lost hope of fielding an Igbo man for it to coast to victory, the former minister neither confirmed nor denied. Rather, he said Nigerians have gotten to the stage whereby they will overlook their ethnic identities and consider the national interest first while voting for credible leaders at the polls. While the 17 southern governors have demanded that the region produces the next President, their colleagues from the 19 northern states have warned that no region can threaten them over the zoning formula. Although few northern governors have called on political parties to produce a southerner as President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor, Governor Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) also of the PDP has demanded that the opposition party field a northern candidate in 2023.