Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Veteran actor, Kanayo O Kanayo has called on Nigerians once again to come out and exercise their civic duties by casting their votes for the right candidates. The movie star said this via a video shared on his Instagram page while lamenting that Nigerians who are yet to get their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) are part of the problem in the country. Kanayo noted that Nigerians have the power to save the country by going to vote, rather than going to church or mosque to pray. Highlighting the problems in the country, the 60-year-old actor pleaded with Nigerians, who collect money from politicians to cast their vote, to stop being cheap, adding that the state of the nation calls for urgent action. Kanayo said: “Please stop being cheap by selling your votes; the current state of our country calls for immediate action if we must save our father land. People are being kidnapped and prisoners set free to go and continue their evil enterprise, the list is endless. “You and I have the power to save our country. No one can do it but you. Do not say your vote will not count. “First, go and perform your civic responsibility of casting your vote. “Going to vote is better than going to church or mosque. Do not misunderstand me. If you’re going to church and there’s a security situation, how will you get there? “Everything is not all about prayer, there’s no Jesus Name where they are voting, that is why you have been saying In Jesus Name and these guys have been doing the same thing. “There is no voting on social media. It is a physical exercise. If by now you have not gotten your PVC, you’ve become part of the problem of this country.”

  The embattled Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Rauf Olaniyan, on Thursday, challenged the judgment of an Oyo State High Court which dismissed the application challenging the legality of the state House of Assembly to remove him from office. Justice Ladiran Akintola of an Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan, dismissed the suit, stating that the House of Assembly has not breached the provisions of the constitution on the removal of a governor or deputy governor. Confirming the development to Daily Trust after the High Court judgment, Counsel to Olaniyan, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), said he has filed applications for notice of appeal and stay of execution of the judgment delivered by the lower court. Details later…

  Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje has cautioned Babchair Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, over his utterances on the controversial issue of the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The governor in a statement by his Commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba, accused Lawal of spreading falsehood and preaching intolerance, saying he should be mindful of his choice of words. “Muslim Muslim ticket is not going to in any way resulted in the neglect of Christians in the country,” the statement read. “The former SGF, Christian party members, and other Nigerians should be mindful of their utterances, especially on religious matters, and support the APC for quality leadership that will deliver the country from its challenges.” The Kano State governor was responding to Lawal’s statement condemning the decision of the APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu’s decision to pick Kashim Shetima, a fellow Muslim, as his running mate for the 2023 general election. In the statement, Lawal described Tinubu’s choice as a “disastrous error”. “I am afraid a Moslem-Moslem ticket will be “Dead on Arrival”. And the arrival date according to INEC’s election timetable is 25th February 2023. This ticket will drag down the whole APC members to the pit. We all should reject it,” he said. Lawal in his statement also said there was evidence of an Islamic agenda and accused Governor Ganduje of being involved in the agenda. He said, “Proof of a possible Islamic agenda was leaked when Governor Ganduje, the “Kadmul Islam”, gave advance notice that Tinubu had assured them he would be nominating a Moslem as his running mate. “For those who might not know, Governor Ganduje has a foundation called “Ganduje Foundation” which purpose according to its website is to “provide selfless service to humanity and Islam” but whose primary purpose it appears is the conversion of Christians to Islam.” But Ganduje rejected the allegation, saying, “the comment was totally false considering that, while there is no compulsion in religion, Islam gave individuals the freedom to choose their own religion, and also provided non-Muslims with considerable economic, cultural and administrative rights”. He added, “There was never a time any Christian or non-believer is forced to embrace Islam by the foundation because it negates the teachings of Islam, but (they) are called to Islam at their wish just as the missionaries go to villages in Kano to invite non-believers to embrace Christianity.” According to him, it is unfortunate that at a time when the country needs to be united for national development and religious tolerance, a man of Babachir’s calibre would spread falsehood without much consideration for his position in the APC and close relationship with the party’s flagbearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Further defending the foundation, the statement said it was set up about 40 years ago and is engaged in philanthropic, humanitarian, and charitable activities that included medical, support and assistance to the needy in the society, particularly the orphans and the physically challenged, medical outreach to attend to those with diabetes, hypertension, malaria, dental as well as ante-natal and maternal care. “Governor Ganduje always stands for religious harmony in Kano as exemplified by the administration’s creation of the Ministry for Religious Affairs, where the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is a partner and enjoys a good working relationship with the governor as well as the introduction of an Inter-Faith Dialogue that promotes religious harmony between Muslims and Christians in the state,” the statement added. Controversial ticket Tinubu had sparked controversy On Sunday when he announced Shetima as his running mate after weeks of speculations about who he would pick. The announcement which meant that the APC was opting for a Muslim-Muslim ticket drew condemnation and split opinion. Tinubu, his allies and his party have all tried to allay fears and concerns about his choice. He has said he has deep respect and trust in Islam and Christianity. He said Shettima was selected because the former Borno State governor is “competent, capable, reliable and able to be picked as a running mate”. “Religion, ethnicity, and region cannot always and fully determine our path,” he was quoted as saying in a statement on Sunday by Bayo Onanuga, spokesman for his campaign organisation. “To forge ahead as a nation towards development and prosperity, we must break free of old binds. We must recalibrate our political calculations to where competence and fairness matter, more than reducible demographics.”

  Muslim/Muslim ticket for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This is as some of his constituents have renewed their call for his recall from the Senate, describing his action as embarrassing and a betrayal to the people. The first time moves were made for the recall of the former Abia Governor from the red chamber was last year when he spent over 100 days in prison over alleged financial impropriety while he held sway as Governor. The renewed call for his recall was triggered by the response of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal, who was unequivocal in his condemnation of the decision. Lawal, a strong political ally of Tinubu from the North East, described the action of Tinubu as “satanic and a disastrous error”, saying that Christians in the North would revolt against it. The former SGF who is also a chieftain of the ruling APC said that he had personally advised against the Muslim/Muslim ticket which he described as disrespect for Christians and regretted that psychopaths around Tinubu were misleading him. Lawal’s outburst is coming less than 24 hours after Northern Christians in APC announced they are pulling out from Tinubu’s campaign team, citing Muslim/Muslim ticket as the reason for their withdrawal. According to them, Tinubu’s action amounts to daring Christians, hence their conscience will no longer allow them to drum support for somebody who has no regard for their religion. Lawal had said: “The result is that they have played on his long-term ambition to be President and have built it into a sort of desperation and a crescendo that easily justifies this satanic resort to a Muslim-Muslim ticket. This is the calamity that has befallen my friend. “It appears that the gods want to destroy the APC and its presidential candidate and have chosen the instrumentality of the northern Muslim governors and their super ambitious tool and Kashim Ibrahim for this purpose. “ Kashim Shettima is a Greek gift from the Northern governors to Tinubu. I advise Bola to make sure Kashima’s two hands are always in plain sight and empty. “Now tell me which Christian will vote for the APC with the following contraption: Muslim presidential candidate (Lagos), Muslim vice presidential candidate (Borno), Muslim National Chairman (Nasarawa), Muslim Deputy National Chairman (Borno), Muslim President (Katsina); Muslim Senate President (Yobe); Muslim Speaker (Lagos); Muslim Deputy Speaker (Plateau) e.t.c.” he added. Some APC chieftains including a former governorship candidate of the party in Rivers State, Tonye Princewill and Air Vice Marshal Frank Ajobena (retd.), from Delta State, have all resigned from their membership of the party citing Muslim-Muslim ticket.

  The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has announced Bishop Isaac Idahosa of the God First Ministry as the running mate to its presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso. The party announced this in a tweet on Thursday. The Christian preacher hails from Edo State, South South geo-political zone. This is after the alliance talks between the NNPP and Labour Party (LP) failed to yield the required results