A former Vice President and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has lamented that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has caused unprecedented disunity among the diverse elements of the country. Atiku, however, promised to reunite Nigerians if elected as the president of the country. He spoke while speaking with the PDP delegates from Ondo State in Akure, the state capital. According to him ” the whole country had been messed up in all sectors by the current administration and need a person who is experienced and nationally acceptable to turn around the bad state of the nation. “As long as the country is not united, as long as there is no peace, you cannot govern even in your own home, not to talk of a complex country like Nigeria which is multi-ethnic and multi-religious,” He promised to unite Nigeria by giving every part a sense of belonging, tackle insecurity, and implement his economic development blueprint towards transforming the country. ” The APC government has caused disunity I have never seen in my life in this country. If I’m elected i will reunite every part of the country .” Atiku highlighted five areas where he would work on if elected, which include, unity, insecurity, economy, education, and restructuring. ” I believe in small Federal Government, the power should be devolved to the states. ” We must vote a person with national acceptability and experience. Atiku Abubakar is a household name in this country, we deserve the best for this country. He lamented that insecurity challenges have been threatening the peace of Nigeria. ” This country has never seen the level of insecurity that we are facing today. I am here because I have the requisite experience to govern this country well and equitably, to give everyone a sense of belonging. I am here to appeal to your conscience; you have a historic responsibility to bail out this country.” Atiku reiterated his promise of 40 per cent youth and women representation in his cabinet.

  Ahead of 2023 general elections, a pressure group, Coalition group for New Nigeria, CGNN, has bemoaned the conspiracy of some Nigerians to deny South East Region President of Igbo extraction. The group that regretted the marginalisation of Ndigbo in the affairs of Nigeria government, tasked the two major political parties to zone their presidency to South East or stand the chance of losing it. The group noted that it would vote for any candidate of Igbo extraction no matter the political party. The National secretary of the group, Hon Kizito Ikenna, addressing pressmen at the end of South East Inaugural meeting held in Enugu, disclosed that they will use their power to ensure that an Igbo man becomes the president in 2023, adding that Nigeria president of Igbo extraction is now or never. Hear him, “It is the turn of South East this time. South East is the only region that had not produced the president despite it’s contribution to the unity and growth of Nigeria, adding that if they fail to allow Ndigbo produce the next president, it means they want Ndigbo but don’t consider them as part of Nigeria. READ ALSO: Abia: Governorship zoning counterproductive in almost 24 years – Rep. Onuigbo “In our communiqué for today’s meeting we resolved as follows, that considering the political scenario in Nigeria, it has become so imperative that South East be given opportunity to rule Nigeria. “Coalition group for new Nigeria in affiliation with other well meaning Individuals have come to terms on that singular fact. As a matter of sincerity and honesty, we are telling the power that be in Nigeria that we have decided to cry to the world as advocacy group, as pressure group and patriotic Nigerians who want to fight for the right of South Easterners to have south East presidency not with guns, weapons, banditry but our power, “Voters Card”. We are going to chose our leader and that leader must be from South East. “We appeal to the two major political parties in the country, which is PDP and APC to zone presidency to South East. We know that if APC or PDP zone their presidency to South East, others will do same. If the two major parties fail to do otherwise by refusing to give us a South East Presidency just to deny us our right, we can go as far as voting any other party no matter how little, so far the party gives us a credible, reliable, trusted well known Igbo man of South East extraction come 2023. “South East have qualified candidates for Nigeria President, we know that we have sound minds, technocrats, well groomed politicians, well groomed South Easterners who are in high offices, who can be chosen for that office come 2023. And on that note, we are not interested in who becomes, who is appointed, so long as he is an indigene of South East to become the president of Nigeria and there we stand,” He said.

  GOVERNOR Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has appealed to God to use and send him to rescue Nigeria from imminent collapse in 2023. Emmanuel who spoke during Government House Prayer Conference held on Sunday at Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo, said God is looking someone who is prepared to lead Nigeria not for self-aggrandizement but for what God can use him to do. He said believes Nigeria could come out from its present condition with the right leaders who could address problems of the country as it affects the economy, insecurity, Education and other key sectors begging for attention. problems of the country as it affects the economy, insecurity, Education and other key sectors begging for attention. READ ALSO: 2023 Presidency: Rescuing Nigeria, my priority — Gov Emmanuel He noted that the trend of depending on foreign countries for skills, raw materials and manpower development could be reversed if the right leaders were voted into power. His words: “Leaders should be confident in themselves. I am not entering the race to be Vice President, I am entering the race so I can partner with God to be the President of Nigeria. I think Nigeria has reached a point where God has to intervene. “If God does not intervene in 2023 we should forget it. God is looking for a leader this time to partner with in order to rescue and restore this country and if we all fold our arms thinking that I don’t want to be blackmailed, misconstrued or misunderstood, we will continue to be where we are. “There must be someone who will tell God here am I send me. There must arise someone who is going not for self-aggrandizement not for what he can gain, but for what God can use him to do. “I am stepping out to say God if you need a man to partner because we’ve not recognized that God needs somebody to partner to rescue Nigeria, Lord, here am I send me I am available’’. In his homily, the General Overseer, Evangelical Outreach Ministries International, Prophet Isa El-Buba, with the theme ‘Only God’, culled his text from 2Ch: 20: 2-17, called on Christians to believe in the leadership that God has set over them, adding that it is through a godly covenant that the right leader could emerge. “You must respect the leadership that God has set up. You the inhabitants of Akwa Ibom believe in the Lord your God, believe that only God can give us the right leader, believe that only God can bless Akwa Ibom, believe that only God can fight our battle’’, he prayed Prophet El-Buba further prayed for members of the State Executive Council and for the succession agenda of Governor Emmanuel.

  Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, on Monday, approached the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of plotting to disqualify him from contesting. Emefiele, in the suit he filed through his team of lawyers led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, told the court that both INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, are “making frantic efforts” to ensure that he does not participate in the presidential primaries he said has been scheduled for May 30 and June 1. Consequently, he prayed the court to order INEC and the AGF to maintain status quo ante bellum (allow things to remain the way they are) and not compel him to resign from his position as CBN Governor, until 30 days to the general elections. He urged the court to, in the interim, restrain the two defendants from taking any step that could push him out of office, pending the determination of the suit. “My lord, by Wednesday, May 11, 2022, the timeline for collecting the form for expression of interest will expire. “The timeline for the congresses and conventions of the political parties for the presidential election, which he is interested in, comes up on the 30th of May. “This motion, is therefore, seeking that the court should grant an order for maintenance of status quo. “Let my lord not allow anybody to do anything,” Ozekhome pleaded while moving Emefiele’s ex-parte application that was supported with an affidavit of urgency. “Let my lord not allow anybody to do anything,” Ozekhome pleaded while moving Emefiele’s ex-parte application that was supported with an affidavit of urgency. READ ALSO: 2023: Court rejects Emefiele’s motion for restraining order against INEC, AGF Adducing reasons why he would not resign as CBN governor, Emefiele, contended that not being a political appointee, he was not caught up by section 84 (12) of the new Electoral Act, since he is a public servant. The plaintiff further drew the attention of the court to a subsisting judgement of the Federal High Court in Umuahia, which he said voided section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act, 2022. He prayed the court to invoke section 318 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and bar the defendents from asking him to vacate his office, until 30 days to the presidential election. Meanwhile, in a bench ruling on Monday, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, rejected Emefiele’s ex-parte application, and directed him to go and put the two defendants on notice and also serve them with all the relevant processes in the matter. Justice Mohammed ordered the defendants to appear before him on May 12 and show cause why the plaintiff’s prayers should not be granted. In the substantive suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/610/2022, Emefiele, is praying the court to declare that he can “validly participate in the primary election of any political party and is entitled to vote and be voted for as candidate of any political party of his choice, for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for the election to the office of President or any other office under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended”. He wants the court to issue an order, stopping the defendants from stopping or prejudicing him, “from participating, voting or being voted for at the congress or convention of any political party of his choice, for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for the election to the office of President or any other office under the Constitution”. In his supporting affidavit that was deposed to by one Maliki Sylvanus, Emiefele, told the court that he is aspiring to seek election to the office of the President of Nigeria and participate as a candidate in the upcoming 2023 presidential elections. He is specifically praying the court to among other things, determine; “Whether the provisions of section 84(12) of the Electroal Act, 2022, which are inconsistent with the provisions of section 137(1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which have been declared so by a court of competent jurisdiction, can be relied upon by the defendants to disqualify the plaintiff from contesting election to the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or from contesting or participating in the parties’ primaries or other convention or congress for the purpose of election to the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, scheduled for 25th February, 2023”. He is equally praying the court to also determine, whether by provisions of section 84(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022, “a political party can by its constitiution, guidelines or rules, impose any nomination qualification or disqualification criteria measure, conditions on any aspirant or candidate including the Plaintiff herein, in its primaries or constitution, guidelines or rules for nomination of its candidates for election besides those criteria as prescribed under section 65, 66, 1067, 107, 131, 137, 177 and 187 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended)”. As well as; “Whether by the combined effect of the provisions of section 84(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022, and section 137(1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which require a public officer toresign, withdraw or retire from his employment at least 30 days before the date of the presidential election, the plaintiff can be mandated and/or compelled to resign, withdraw or retire his position as the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria earlier than 30 days to the political party primary or Presidential election as prescribed by section 137 (10 (g) Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, which Presidential election is scheduled to take place about February 2023, while the primaries are fixed for 30th May and 1st June, 2022”. The plaintiff futher wants the court to determine whether by provision of section 137(I) (g) and 318 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, he could be regarded

  A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana has given reasons the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele is not qualified to run for Presidency, come 2023. A statement by the lawyer said that the governor is supposed to resign since he has the constitutional right to participate in politics and contest elections, which he said is according to Section 11 of the CBN Act. “Since he has the constitutional right to participate in politics and contest elections he is required by law to resign his appointment forthwith. “If he does not call it quits with the CBN forthwith Mr. Emefiele should be removed by the President in line with Section 11 of the CBN Act and recommended for prosecution for conflict of interest before the Code of Conduct Tribunal. “Retaining Mr. Emefiele as the Governor of the CBN and presidential aspirant in the ruling party is going to have a more deleterious effect on the national economy that has been paralysed through the implementation of obnoxious monetary policies at the behest of imperialism”, he added. Read Full Statement Below: LEGAL HURDLES TO CROSS BY MR. GODWIN EMEFIELE Last week, it was reported that a group of farmers had purchased the N100 million nomination form for the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele to enable him to contest the presidential primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC). While thanking his band of supporters, Mr. Emefiele did not hesitate to confirm his interest in the presidential race. According to him, “Should I answer their calls and decide to seek presidential nomination, I will use my own hard-earned savings from over 35 years of banking leadership (simulating the image of a public-spirited official) to buy my own Nomination Forms…This is a serious decision that requires God’s Divine intervention: in the next few days, (my italics) the Almighty will so direct.” Apparently convinced that Mr. Emefiele is on strong legal ground, a newspaper has reported that his involvement in the race has caused jitters in the camp of other aspirants in the APC. But the supporters of the Governor have ignored section 9 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act which provides that: “The Governor and the Deputy Governors shall devote the whole of their time to the service of the Bank and while holding office shall not engage in any full or part-time employment or vocation whether remunerated or not except such personal or charitable causes as may be determined by the Board and which do not conflict with or detract from their full-time duties.” The provisions of section 18 (4) (b) of the Banks and are in pari materia with Section 9 of the CBN Act. For the avoidance of doubt, the powers conferred on the Governor and the Board of the CBN under the CBN Act are enormous. They include the power to ensure monetary and price stability; issue legal tender currency in Nigeria; maintain external reserves to safeguard the international value of the legal tender currency; promote a sound financial system in Nigeria; and act as bankers and provide economic and financial advice to the Federal Government. In addition, the Banks and Financial institutions Act 2020 has empowered the Governor and CBN to grant and revoke licences of banks; supervise banks, dissolve Boards and Management of Banks, remove Managing Directors and other directors of Banks, sanction erring banks and officials, make rules that guide commercial banks, provide loan to Governments, set interest rates, serve as apex bank to other banks and ensure a cordial relationship with foreign banks. Furthermore, the Minister of Finance shall seek inputs from the CBN in preparing the Medium Term Expenditure Framework for the annual budget pursuant to the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007. The performance of these statutory functions which shall be in the national interest cannot be left in the hands of a politically exposed person. Hence, the Central Bank Act and Banks and Financial institutions Act provide that the bank shall be a fully autonomous body with the objective of promoting stability and continuity in economic management. Therefore, the involvement of the Governor in partisan politics will compromise the autonomy of the CBN. For instance, during the #endsars protests in October 2020, Mr. Emefiele held a secret meeting with some of the leading protesters. He tried in vain to prevail on the young men and women to end the protests. In a desperate bid to coerce the leaders of the #endsars movement to stop embarrassing the Buhari administration, Mr. Emefiele invoked his powers under the BOFIA by freezing the bank accounts of 20 leading protesters. He then proceeded to the Federal High Court where he secured an ex-parte order to justify the violation of the fundamental right of the protesters to property. Even though Mr. Emefiele wanted to extend the obnoxious ex parte order he was compelled to discontinue the suit when his use of the CBN to achieve his political objective was exposed in the media. No doubt, the image of the CBN would have been more dented if the bank accounts of leaders of opposition political parties had been frozen for protesting the deleterious economic policies of the Buhari administration. No doubt, the discharge of the functions of the CBN Governor by a politically exposed person will certainly lead to a conflict of interest contrary to the provisions of Section 9 of the CBN Act, Section 18 (4) (b) of the BOFIA Act and Paragraph 1 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officer enshrined in Part 1 of the 5th Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended. Since the governorship of the Central Bank is a full-time engagement it is submitted that Mr. Emefiele cannot go around wooing delegates to vote for him in the primary election of the ruling party. More importantly, the country cannot afford a situation whereby the Governor of the Central Bank will be tempted

  The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, rejected an ex-parte application the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, Godwin Emefiele filed to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, from disqualifying him from contesting the 2023 presidential election. Emefiele had through his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, prayed the court for an order of status quo ante bellum to be made against INEC and AGF so that he would not be made to resign from office until 30 days to the general election. He contented that not being a political appointee but a public servant, he could not be compelled to resign in line with section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act, 2022. He prayed the court to invoke section 318 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and bar the defendents from asking him to vacate office until 30 days to the Presidential election. However, in a ruling, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, declined to accede to the prayers, even as he directed the plaintiff to go and put the defendants (INEC and AGF) on notice and also serve them with all the relevant court processes in the matter. Justice Mohammed ordered the defendants to appear before him on May 12 and show cause why the request should not be granted.

  Senate President Ahmed Lawan on Monday joined the growing list of presidential aspirants under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He becomes the 24th aspirant to pick the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms for the May 30 primary. A group of his friends led by Chief Sam Nkire, a member of the National Caucus of the party and 15 other Senators, purchased the form for him at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. More to follow….