Imo state governor, Hope Uzodinma, has said that the south-eastern part of Nigeria was denied the opportunity to produce the next president owing to a lack of equity. Uzodimma spoke on a Lagos based television station, Channels TV programme, saying that the south-east should produce the next president, but they will not due injustice being meted out to that part of the country. He said: “From the political calculations available, the sentiment of the people in the south-east is that they deserve to produce the president because the reason why this power is moving from the north to the south is that the current president is from the north having served for eight years. “The reason why the south-east is asking for it is that when the power came to the south it went to the south-west and was there for eight years and the next time it came to the south it went to the south-south and it was there for seven years plus. “The natural thing to do and the justice of the case is that now that power is coming again to the south and since it is only three geo-political zones that made up the south, it should come to the south-east, having been in the south-west and south-south. “In a situation where equity should be the issue we (south-east) don’t need to struggle for it. But here again, you see how it has come. We will continue to hope that one day God will touch the heart of our brothers and sisters to do that which belongs to us.” Uzodimma said the presidential hopefuls from the south-east who withdrew from the race to support northern candidates did so because they hoped to produce the next president when power returns to the south. He explained that, “this is what has to be discussed at the party level because it is a serious matter. Because we are dealing with human beings here. You cannot just wake up and take any decision, there are consequences to every action. Those are the things that will be discussed and something must be done. “Most of our people (presidential hopefuls) here who came from the south-east, when they saw that it will be difficult clinching to the ticket they opted for a northern candidate. “The reason is very simple because when a northern candidate stays for eight years and then the power will come back to the south; this time around maybe we (south-east) will have the opportunity.”

  Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos state, has won the presidential primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation and top contender, polled 316 votes while Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo got 235 votes. Senate President Ahmad Lawan, the ”consensus candidate” of Abdullahi Adamu, APC national chairman, polled 152 votes. Rochas Okorocha, Tein Jack-Rich and Tunde Bakare got zero vote; Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba got one vote; David Umahi polled 38 votes; Ogbonnaya Onu got one vote; Yahaya Bello polled 47 votes, and Ben Ayade got 37 votes. The former governor of Lagos will fly the party’s flag in the 2023 presidential election. Tinubu won the ticket despite stiff opposition. The special convention of the ruling party kicked off on Tuesday, and will end today. The primary election was steeped in controversy as the APC national chairman announced Lawan as the consensus presidential candidate. But the national working committee (NWC) of the party distanced itself from Adamu’s position and aligned with the decision of the northern APC governors who resolved for power shift to the south. Tinubu will be squaring off against Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Peter Obi of Labour Party, and other candidates in the 2023 presidential election.

  Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo The spokesman of the Yemi Osinbajo Campaign Organisation, Mr Richard Akinnola, has congratulated the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu. Akinnola who made the disclosure in a post on his Facebook page, said: “Congratulations, Asiwaju Tinubu, the presumed winner of the primaries. “In any contest, there must be a winner. However, I’m very proud of my choice of support in the person of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. Akinnola who made the disclosure in a post on his Facebook page, said: “Congratulations, Asiwaju Tinubu, the presumed winner of the primaries. “In any contest, there must be a winner. However, I’m very proud of my choice of support in the person of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. “I have no iota of regret over my support for him. It was a privilege to play a pivotal role for him during the process. I would gladly do it over and over again. It’s a matter of conviction. “And for all our supporters and other volunteers who worked assiduously, day and night on the PYO project, God bless you all. I’m so proud of all of you. “As l often say, God rules in the affairs of men and He has a purpose for what just happened. Understandably, many of you are dispirited and downcast but do not let your heart be troubled. There must be a reason God allowed this. It may not be manifest to us now but later as He is all knowing. “I’m unfazed, unbowed and proud of PYO. Our supporters, abeg, make una shake it off. No be say person die, Life goes on. No yawa,” he wrote.

  Former Lagos Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is leading by a wide margin from results so far sorted in the ongoing All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Primary at the Eagles Square, Abuja. From the results so far from 17 out of 40 polling boxes, Tinubu has polled 1069 votes out of a total of 2, 203 accredited votes in the exercise. None of the other contenders has close to 290 votes. Details Shortly…

Ekiti State governor, Kayode John Fayemi has stepped down for Ahmed Bola Tinubu for APC Presidental ticket. Fayemi urged all delegates to vote for Tinubu

  Former Ogun Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun has withdrawn from the All Progressives Congress(APC) presidential primary to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Amosun, who was called to addressed delegates at the primary, said: “We have somebody who can do the job and the person is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.” Details Shortly…

  Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole has withdrawn from the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He called on all delegates to vote for Tinubu. Details Shortly…

  Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Senator Gods will Akpabio has stepped down from the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Akpabio called on all delegates to vote for Tinubu, saying the former Lagos Governor deserves the presidential ticket of the APC. Details Shortly…

  General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, says he knows a name that could change Nigeria for good. He said this on his Facebook page, attaching an image of himself with a text – Jesus. “I know a name that can change the current state of Nigeria for Good,” he posted. He said this hours after reacting to the killings of Christian worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo in Ondo State. The PUNCH had reported that gunmen attacked the church, killing about 40 worshippers during Sunday service. Adeboye in a post on his Facebook page on Tuesday, expressed sadness over the attack, saying every soul counts before God. He wrote, “My heart goes out to everyone who has suffered from this gruesome attack. I am unable to grasp the evil that motivates one human being to deliberately take the life of another. “Every soul counts before God, and I know that He is greatly displeased with this wickedness. I pray that God comforts the loved ones of the departed, and the people of Ondo at large. May we never have cause to send such greetings again. And may Nigeria never know such bloodshed again”. Earlier, the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. Israel Akanji, said the “carnage” in Owo is the height of the desecration of a place of worship. In a message he signed on Monday, Akanji said, “The act is despicable, unacceptable, regrettable and sad. We can only look to God at such a time as this to have mercy on our land. “These are negative signals indicating that there is no part of this country that is safe and that there are intentional designs to engender the collapse of our nation. “We all must arise to ensure the discontinuation of this evil trend in our nation. “This is also a negative omen and a mark of environmental unsuitability in our national preparation towards the election of 2023.” Also, the President of the Evangelical Church Winning All appealed to the Federal Government to adopt modern technology to fight insecurity in the country. The cleric said that the killing was a barbaric and well-calculated attempt to truncate the existing peace in the state and the country in general. ”We received with great shock, pain and sorrow, the sad news of the gruesome attack on St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, by bandits, leading to the deaths of over 50 innocent Christian worshippers including children. ”This attack is clearly a well-calculated assault on the peace-loving people of the Owo Kingdom and the entire Christendom in Nigeria. “It is barbaric, vile, wicked, Satanic, and a deliberate action to wipe out Christianity in the country. ”We, therefore, join all people of good conscience in Nigeria and around the world, to condemn this dastardly attack on innocent citizens in its entirety and in the strongest terms ”Clearly, there is the need to overhaul the security architecture, and put in place a security system that is technology-driven, proactive, comprehensive and decisive,” he said. On its part, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs condemned the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, where many worshippers were killed. The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Council, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, made the condemnation in a statement by Mr Zubairu Usman-Ugwu, the Head of administration of NSCIA. Part of the statement read, “The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs under the leadership of its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, condemns in the strongest terms, the heinous attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State. “The Council calls on governments at all levels to issue and pursue an ultimatum for the security agencies to unravel the identity and bring to book the perpetrators of the violation of the sanctity of not only life but also religion. “The security agents, who have been engaged to combat criminality and insecurity are enjoined to heed the Qur’anic call that: “For had it not been that God checks one set of people by means of another; monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, wherein the name of God is persistently mentioned would surely have been pulled down. “Verily, God will help those who help His (cause). truly, God is All-Strong, All-Mighty. (Q 22: 40). It is therefore mandatory for security agencies to help in rescuing the helpless citizens that we have all become.”