Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna, says the “fixation” of Nigerians on the religion of political office holders is “pathetic and sad”. El-Rufai spoke on Friday in an interview with Channels Television. With the election of presidential candidates of political parties, there have been concerns about the religion of the candidates and their intended running mates. Since the two major political parties — All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — have Muslim presidential candidates, many people, including the Christian Association of Nigeria have asked that their running mates should be Christians. Asked to react to the speculation of a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the APC, the Kaduna governor said the business of governance has nothing to do with religion. He added that religion will not solve the problems of Nigeria, adding it is the competency of the elected leaders that will solve the problems. “I don’t look at people from the lens of Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian, some of my closest friends are Christians,” he said. “It was Pastor Tunde Bakare, a pentecostal pastor, who took me to CPC, not President Muhammadu Buhari. I’m very close to Pastor Bakare. I’m very close to many Christians. “I don’t think the business of governance has to do with religion. I think we should look for the best person for the job. The person who will get the job done. “I’m the wrong person to ask that question because in my state I picked a very competent and qualified woman as my running mate in the 2019 elections. “But just because she happens to be a Muslim, people were calling it Muslim-Muslim ticket and they said we are going to lose. We didn’t. We won overwhelmingly. “This fixation of Nigerians with religion instead of competence, capacity and capability is quite sad and pathetic and I urge you as the media to take religion out of governance and let’s look for capacity, competence and delivery. “I don’t think we should be looking at religion. We want to develop this country. When I get into a plane I don’t ask about the religion of the pilot. When I go to the hospital, I don’t ask about the religion of the doctor. I just want to get well and get to my destination even on an aircraft. “Nigeria is at crossroads. We face very serious dangers in security, economic meltdown, and global issues affecting us. All that people are concerned

  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday said it has recorded an unprecedented surge in the number of citizens seeking to registers as voters ahead of the 2023 elections. The Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, revealed this in a statement. “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received reports from our States indicating an unprecedented surge in the number of citizens that wish to register as voters and the challenges they face across the country. In some States, the sudden turnout of prospective registrants is overwhelming,” the statement said. “Consequently, the Commission convened an urgent meeting with all the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) yesterday Thursday 9th June 2022 to review the situation so that eligible Nigerians who wish to register are able to do so. The necessity to urgently deploy more voter enrolment machines to ease the congestion at the registration centres was identified as a priority. “In response, the Commission has immediately released additional 209 machines deployed mainly to the five South Eastern States, Lagos and Kano where the pressure is most acute. “The Commission will monitor the situation over the next few days. Thereafter, it will meet to review the progress of the exercise. “Every step will be taken and all options will be explored to ensure that eligible Nigerians are given the opportunity to register as voters. “The Commission appeals for patience and understanding of all citizens. Every Nigerian who is 18 years of age and above has the constitutional right to register and vote in any part of the country he/she resides without let or hinderance. “The sudden surge is an affirmation of the increasing confidence Nigerians have in our electoral process. The Commission will continue to ensure that this confidence is sustained.”

  Ex-Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party have pledged their support to the party’s 2023 presidential flagbearer, Mr Atiku Abubakar. The ex-Governors made the pledge during a meeting with Atiku in Abuja. “We are here to reinstate our commitment, our loyalty and our readiness to work for the success of PDP, for the success of Atiku Abubakar as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, said. The Governors also asked Mr Atiku to clear the air on where he intends to pick his running mate from. “But I’m going to ask a question sir, somebody said to me, can you confirm what Waziri Adamawa meant, because yesterday he said his Vice President will come from the Governors,” Aliyu said. :But he didn’t say former Governors or current Governors. So in your response, please clarify further what that meant.” Although Atiku did not directly answer the question, the asked the ex-Governors to work towards the party’s success. “If we can all put our energies in our respective states, local governments and even polling units, nothing should stop us from making sure that we return our party to power,” he said. “Because there is no single political party that has got the kind of resource persons that we have got today. Let’s put behind whatever political disagreements that have occurred, between the consultants or between whose side you supported and which side you did not support. This is my appeal to all of you.”

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has donated an office to the presidential campaign of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He made the announcement on Friday during the visit of Tinubu in Abuja. Tinubu arrived in the company of former All Progressives Congress’ National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.   In response, Tinubu appreciated the gesture and promised to work for the party and country’s unity. The meeting is party of reconciliatory moves following the outcome of the APC presidential primary. Bello was one of several contestants beaten by Tinubu in the race to clinch the APC’s presidential ticket.

  Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday said he remains committed to the dream of a new Nigeria, despite losing the All Progressives Congress’ presidential ticket to Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He made the remark while speaking in Abuja at the campaign office of the Progressive Project (TPP), a coalition of support groups that backed the Vice President for the presidency. The Vice President also stated that he will support the winner and flagbearer of the APC for the 2023 presidential elections, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Osinbajo was received by a large crowd at the TPP Office in Abuja, a statement signed by presidential spokesperson Laolu Akande said. In his address to the crowd of supporters, the Vice President described the clamour for a new Nigeria as a movement. “This movement is a movement within a party also, we are not doing something that has not been heard of before,” he said. “What is new is that we have a firm belief that a new Nigeria is possible and it is possible through us who are here. “We went to the convention, and the results showed us clearly that we lost, but it is only a battle, it is not the war. There are battles ahead, but we will win the war for a new Nigeria. I have no doubt in my mind that we will win that war for a new Nigeria. “That is why our movement for a new Nigeria must remain strong and firm. And we will do everything to keep our movement strong and solid.” According to the Vice President, despite the result of the APC Presidential Primary, “the dream of a new country remains alive and well… We will have at the back of our minds, that what you have started in the various movements, coming into one, is the seed that will birth a new nation. You and I know the time has come and we will devote everything to it. “I am committed and will remain committed to that dream (of a new Nigeria), for as long as you are willing and recognize that we have not yet written the story of this country, we have not yet completed the story of this country. As a matter of fact, the story has just begun, this movement has just started.” The Vice President further said, “a new Nigeria has only just started, and everywhere across this land, it will be clear to all that a new Nigeria has been born. Once the genie comes out of the bottle, you cannot put it back. The word has been spoken; it cannot be taken back: it is time for a New Nigeria.” Pledging support for the APC presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, Prof. Osinbajo recalled the personal letter he wrote to Asiwaju yesterday congratulating him on his victory at the party primary. “In that letter, I said to him that the dream of this country, the dream of a new country remains alive and well. And I want you to know in your hearts that we are democrats when we participate in a contest and the results are announced. “No matter what those results may be, we abide by them because there is only one process for democrats, whether that process is good or bad, there is only one, and we have gone through that process. “And in that process, a winner has been adjudged, but that does not kill the dream of the great future. We will support our party; we will support the flagbearer of our party because we know that the other side is not even worth considering. So, we will support the flagbearer of our party, we will do everything we can.” Thanking Nigerians at home and abroad, including the Osinbajo supporters’ groups, for the overwhelming support for his presidential bid, Prof. Osinbajo noted that “when we started this race, I never believed that we would have so many young men and women who would believe so passionately in the cause of a new Nigeria.” Expressing his gratitude to them, he said, “everybody said, oh, everyone has lost hope, there is no future, we are all tired, we are in despair. But when you came out in your numbers across the country – the volunteers’ movement, the progressive union, the women’s movement, all across the country, saying the same thing, I knew that it was time. And you made it clear to everyone that indeed it is time for a new Nigeria. “And we went everywhere to the 36 States of this country and Abuja and we spoke to the elected delegates of our great party the APC, they shared their fears with us, they told us about their dreams of the future, everyone wants a new Nigeria where young people have jobs, we all want a Nigeria that is safe and secure, a Nigeria where there is a future, where people can dream of a real future. “As I said at the convention, I went to school here, I was born here, my parents were born here. Every opportunity I have had was given to me by this country. “And it is possible for this country to provide the same opportunity for you and all the future generations. But we must fight for it. In every fight, you lose some battles.” Also speaking, some leaders of Osinbajo Support groups lauded the Vice President for being a true leader and inspiration to millions of Nigerians. Dr Ahmed Badanga described the Vice President as “a role model to all of us. You are the Obama of Africa. You have made us proud and we will continue to remain with you.” He added, “yes, we are progressives and we need to move forward. I will urge all of us to remain steadfast and committed to this cause because we have a bright future ahead of us.” Similarly, a leader of the Coalition of Women for Osinbajo, Hajiya Rabbi Dauda, declared the VP as a