Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has endorsed Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy Femi Hamzat for a second term. Mr Tinubu held up both men’s hand after a Lagos APC stakeholders meeting held at the Adeyemi Bero in the Alausa area of the State. There had been speculations that Mr Sanwo-Olu wasn’t guaranteed a second term ticket of the party. But Mr Tinubu’s endorsement may have put paid to such rumours. Mr Tinubu, who is also vying to fly the APC’s flags in the upcoming presidential elections is a former Lagos State Governor and popularly believed to be the state’s ultimate political godfather.

  David Umahi, governor of Ebonyi, says it is in the interest of justice, equity and fairness for the south-east to produce the next president. The governor spoke on Friday in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi capital, during a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and leaders of the zone. Umahi, a presidential hopeful, said political considerations were applied in ensuring that the south-west produced the president in 1999, adding that the south-east should get the 2023 presidential ticket if other regions in the south truly support equity. “The south producing the presidency is a moral question which should be answered by its components,” Umahi said. “I thank a leader of the middle belt forum and chief Ayo Adebanjo from the south-west, as well as chief Edwin Clark from the south-south over their views on a south-east president. “The south-east should produce the president if other zones of the south are truly seeking equity, fairness and justice. “When it comes to our turn whatever wrong we have committed, the same political consideration should be applied to ensure equity and fairness. “It will be difficult for the south-east to continue to be short-changed and continue voting for those who cannot vote for us.”

  NIGERIA’s Vice President and All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential aspirant for the 2023 general elections, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has interacted with the Anambra State APC stakeholders in Awka, saying there is so much politics going on about the country’s insecurity. Addressing the APC delegates, Osinbajo observed that there is a lot of politics around the acquisition of military equipment, noting that they take a long time to arrive the country. According to him, it is usually not easy to change the supply order because of the issue of maintenance, adding that so far, the country was importing a lot of equipment from America and from other Western world. The Vice President described security as central to everything the government was doing because without security, other sectors would be adversely affected. He noted that every government had various challenges, explaining that the challenge of this particular government happens to be security. He, however, said that despite the security challenges, government was opening up everywhere. He said: “We have opened up the North East and containing the insecurity there and the same with the North West. We are also handling the cases of violence going on everywhere, including in the South East and the South-South. “For the first time, the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria are stretched, obviously beyond even their own capacity. If you have four or five different fronts where the law enforcement agents are required, there is no question that they will not be overstretched. “The military is not trained for civil conflicts and all of that, but they have to adapt. But what this period has taught us is that we must drastically reengineer our security apparatus. “I don’t think that there will be more security council meetings in any other administration more than in this one. “A lot of work has been going on in reengineering our entire security architecture, from men and women in the armed forces and the police and ensuring that we are able to beef them up because this is a big country. “We need more men in our security outfits and so we will need to recruit more people and acquire the equipment”.

  Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State says President Muhammadu Buhari has agreed to a political solution to the threat the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) pose to the South East region in particular and the nation in general. He said this while speaking at a meeting the President had with South East leaders during his two-day State visit to Ebonyi. The governor said President Buhari would be remembered as a man who did not use the plight of the people of the South East to play politics but came to their rescue severally. He urged Southern leaders to work towards finding a political solution in resolving some challenging issues, warning that the region is at ‘‘crossroads.’’ ‘‘On this issue of a political solution, I have never believed in IPOB’s method of operation, I disagree with them but we have gotten ourselves to a very terrible and pitiable solution. ‘‘Some of us warned that we will get to this situation and some were playing politics with it. Mr. President, we are at crossroads. I have been to you and I have begged you for a political solution. Surprisingly and graciously you granted that. You said our people should initiate that and at the forefront is Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer.” The Governor, therefore, urged the President of Ohaneze Ndigbo to meet with elder statesman, Mbazuluike Amaechi, the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South East, the Chairman of South East Traditional Rulers Council, Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer and few others to initiate the political solution. On the 2023 elections, the Governor said he believed in the demand for the presidency to be zoned to the South East region on the basis of fairness, equity, justice and morality. Umahi, who is also a presidential aspirant, commended some leaders from outside the region for expressing their support for the next president of Nigeria to emerge from the South East. The Chairman of South East Traditional Rulers, Eze Charles Mkpuma and CAN Chairman, South East, Very Rev. Fr. Abraham Nwali, also spoke in favour of President of Nigeria of South East extraction come 2023. The leaders, while expressing support for a united Nigeria, appealed to the President to grant pardon and release the IPOB leader, urging other agitators to cease all forms of hostilities. Buhari, while speaking at the meeting held in Abakiliki, promised that the Federal Government would deploy its strength to protect innocent and hardworking Nigerians from terrorists and those causing break down of law and order in the South East region. The President, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in the region, reiterating his directive to security agencies to ‘‘flush out’’ those perpetrating violence in the land. ‘‘I must register my deep and grave concern with regards to the deteriorating state of security affairs in this region. ‘‘In the last 48 hours, I have been informed of the latest in the round of brutal actions carried out by gun-wielding terrorists, who prey on innocent and hardworking citizens, unfortunately, these barbaric acts were visited upon those who have committed their lives to protect their fellow citizens,’’ he said. Buhari paid tribute to members of the Nigerian armed forces who recently lost their lives in the region. The President, while responding to appeals by traditional, religious and political leaders in the region for the release of the detained leader of the outlawed IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, said: ‘‘I have listened carefully to the various appeals from the elders to the traditional leaders regarding a wide range of options, and as I have said previously this matter remains in the full purview of the courts where it will be properly adjudicated.”

  National leader of the All Progressive Congress and presidential aspirant in 2023 election, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has thrown a poser to his opponents, daring them to try and see who wins the party’s ticket and the election proper. He also observed that the reward system in APC was poor, promising to change the system if elected president next year. Tinubu also said he would address the economic and security challenges if given the opportunity. Tinubu, who is a former governor of Lagos State spoke on Thursday evening in Abuja when he hosted the Forum of Former Deputy Governors of Nigeria (FFDGN). He appealed to the forum to support his presidential ambition and also ensure the unity of the the party in their various states to achieve success, starting with Osun and Ekiti elections which are afoot. “Many of you I know, and you have participated in governance and political activities. You have given a value to your various states. When we merged as one and took broom as the symbol of party, broom has a lot of meaning. “Let me first of all address our element of constitution, I promise to look into that if elected. Our reward system as APC is very poor, and it was late before I could recognise that. Let me assure you, I won’t repeat that mistake, if I’m elected. “I know that you still have people who believe in you, in the system. In some states where we have divisions, please, tell us, we have to harmonise and become one. Particularly, Oyo is divided, Osun and Ekiti elections are coming, these elections are precursors to the national election. “But for those who have decided to be an opponent, I will not dwell on that, let’s see who wins, but I want to win and I want you to work along with me and to convince more delegates,” Tinubu added. Earlier in his remarks, the national chairman of the forum and former deputy governor of Edo State, Lucky Imasuen pledged the support of APC deputy governors to the presidential ambition of the national leader. “You can tell from the attendance that the level of enthusiasm was extremely high, when we have a political meeting of this nature, APC members will attend APC meeting and PDP members will attend PDP meetings, same to other political parties, but when we hold meeting, we hold meetings together as one family. “We came here to listen to you, we are going to talk less and listen to our leader,” he said.

The Vice President and presidential aspirant under the All Progressives Congress, Yemi Osinbajo, has stated that he would start work immediately after he assumes office if elected in 2023. Osinbajo was said to have stated this during his consultation visit to APC delegates and traditional leaders in Cross River and Bayelsa States on Thursday, which was contained in a statement signed by his media aide, Laolu Akande. He noted that his seven years working as the Vice President, and experience in other aspects of public service has provided him with the sufficient knowledge, information and know-how to hit the ground running from day one if he is elected to be president. Addressing the members of the Cross River State Traditional Council, Osinbajo noted that Nigeria would overcome its economic and security challenges. “The truth of the matter is that, every country is faced with peculiar challenges – in our case, we are faced with security and economic challenges. But we also know that God Himself equips us with all the necessary resources to defeat every challenge. I believe very strongly that God helping us, our economic and security challenges will not only be dealt with, but will be stepping stones for a greater nation and a more prosperous and secured nation,” he said. While at the Palace of the Obong of Calabar, the former Attorney-General of Lagos restated his invaluable experience in government, as Vice President and at some point, Acting President. “Your Royal Majesty and Paramount Ruler present, in my capacity as VP, I had the great fortune of working with President Buhari, who in every real sense exposed me to all one should know about governance at the highest level in our country. “Our country is complex, diverse, and rich in resources, and with the diversity and various complexities, it obviously requires some experience. I have had the good fortune of serving for 7 years, observing first-hand the intricacies of our nation. On occasions also, I have served as Acting President of our country. “I think that with all the experience I have been able to gather within that period, it is clear that God’s intention was that all that experience would become useful one day and I believe that that time has come when our country calls for a successor to President Buhari who by May 2023 by the grace of God, would have served for 8 years,” Osinbajo was quoted as saying. In Cross River, Osinbajo was received by the State Governor, Ben Ayade, accompanied by stalwarts of the APC in the South-South geo-political zone, including Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, former Minister Edem Duke, former NDDC Managing Director, Obong Nsima Ekere among others. While in Bayelsa, the vice president was welcomed by the State Governor Douye Diri, and senior state government officials.

  President Muhammadu Buhari says the court should be allowed to decide the fate of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Buhari made the comment on Friday when he met with leaders in the south-east at the government house, Abakaliki, Ebonyi state. The president has been on a two-day working visit to Ebonyi. Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other leaders in the region have repeatedly called on the president to intervene in the case of the IPOB leader. At Friday’s meeting, Charles Mkpuma, chairman of the south-east traditional rulers, repeated the plea. But Buhari said it is important that the court makes a pronouncement on Kanu’s case. Kanu is standing trial on an amended 15-count charge bordering on treasonable felony. In April, a federal high court in Abuja struck out eight out of the 15-count charge filed against the IPOB leader. Mike Ozekhome, Kanu’s lead counsel, described the charges as “defective and baseless”.