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BY Maye Bwalai

Kaduna

Ahead of the Saturday 18tj March, 2023 Governorship and States Houses of Assembly elections in Nigeria, the Penticostal Bishops Forum (PBF) had cautioned clerics both of the Christian and Islamic faiths to be mindful of their sermons, utterances and hate speeches to avoid inciting their followers and others.

Chairman of the forum, Kaduna State Chapter Bishop Ademola I. Tinuoye who made the call in an interview with newsmen on the forthcoming elections, also called on the good people of Kaduna State to come out enmass on the18th March to vote/elect their leaders without sentiment.

He admonished that competence and inclusiveness which he said is better than gang up and conspiracy should be the yardstick for who to vote for regardless of party, religion or ethnicity.

“Christian and Muslim leaders must stop issuing statements that could create chaotic tension and over heat the polity, their speeches or sermons must be such that will calm nerves and promote peaceful and religious coexistence.

“While we appreciate the outgoing administration in Kaduna State under the leadership of Malam Nasir el-Rufai for infrastructural development in the state, we appeal to them that they should complete the ongoing projects especially those in the southern part of the state capital. Doing this will change some narratives”.

On the current naira notes and fuel challenges, Bishop Tinuoye urged the citizens to endure the challenges, saying it will soon be over, adding that it should not discouraged them from coming out to exercise their franchise.

He frowned at the renewed attacks on some communities of Zangon Kataf of Southern Kaduna and called on government and security agencies to rise up to the situation before it excalates beyond what it is now.

” We pray for peace in the troubled Southern Kaduna and any other area in Nigeria. May the peace of God reign supreme and expose those behind the attacks” he prayed.

ENDS

By Dahiru Sani

… Heralding the ascension of Nigeria’s towering amazon to seat of power

… Why Fintiri mimicks her projects

… Survey gives her 70 percent margin of victory

… How her fear pushes Fintiri to go on overdrive, engage in last minute vote buying

… Real reasons why she enjoys cult like follower-ship

Adamawa State, the land of beauty is on the threshold of history as Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani is set to make a triumphant entry into the Dougirei seat of power as the first elected female governor in Nigeria’s political annals come March 18, 2023.

Going by the pulse of the state one can say with absolute certainty and precision that Binani is only few days away from the government house as her election as the successor to governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri is a fait accompli if popular votes are the drivers of electoral victory.

Apart from former governor Murtala Nyako, no governorship candidate enjoyed an unprecedented, cult like follower-ship and the goodwill Binani is currently enjoying which made many to believe that the March 18 election is going to be a walk over as Binani makes a scintillating and spectacular outing to the Dougirei seat of power.

Her popularity was reinforced by a survey recently conducted by an independent survey firm, Democracy Watch Network (DWN) in one of the biggest vox populi ever conducted in the state.

According to Mr. Stephen Godwin head research, planning and statistics, of DWN, Binani is set to emerge victorious with about 70 percent margin of victory which is unprecedented in the history of election in the state.

He said the survey which was carried out meticulously in the course of nine months involved over 500,000 respondents across the 21 local governments of the state with 95% degree of confidence.

He noted that women, youth and the people living with disability have the greatest preference for the female candidate as 80 percent of them endorsed her ambition. They expressed optimism that with Binani occupying the driver’s seat in Adamawa, they expect enhanced lifestyles, serious empowerment drive and a robust social investment packages which will save many families from the rampaging poverty currently ravaging the state.

Also corroborating DWN, a politician in Adamawa State, Sen. Ahmed Barata predicted a landslide victory for the female politician going by the avalanche of goodwill she enjoys on account of her meritorious service to the people.

“I have no doubt that the sassy, ebullient and enigmatic candidate of APC, senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani a woman with large heart and a solid reputation of philanthropy and excellent service to humanity will trounce her male contenders especially the governor anytime any day.

“Sen. Binani, has paid her dues in leadership excellence and service to humanity; attributes that project her well above her competitors and will reap abundantly from the reservoir of goodwill she invested for years in the people.

“Binani has brought glamour, allure and colour to the all important business of leadership. Her sojourn into the realm of public service and politics has yielded unprecedented dividends to the people. Binani has broken leadership myths of under performance, raised the bar of good governance and upped the expectations of people from those they invested their future in. This has brought a paradigm shift of enhanced performance by those we elected in Adamawa State,” he said.

How destiny people’s will pushed Binani into politics

Binani’s sojourn into politics is predicated by destiny and the people’s prodding, two factors that conspired to push her into the game of numbers even against the will of her husband, Dr. Ahmed Modibbo at first instance.

Before she joined politics, Sen Binani was a budding young business woman who invested heavily on the people. Because of her interest to touch the lives of the people through philanthropy, she opened an NGO under whose canopy she began her massive empowerment drive in Yola South and Yola North being her immediate constituency.

Through that rare gesture, Binani was able to bring succour and relief to poor households, engaged in massive empowerment of women, youths and people living with disability, provided scholarships to orphans and other indigent students as well as ambulances to both christians and Muslims in the two local governments and many more.

Like the proverbial golden fish, Binani’s giant intervention which was phenomenal in history attracted massive goodwill to her from the people who issued a fiat directing her to go into politics so as to serve them better.

But as a married woman Binani referred them to her husband Dr. Modibbo who told them point blank that his wife is not carrying out the humanitarian intervention for reward and hence he declined the request.

The people who could not allow a good opportunity to pass by remained undaunted and kept pushing till Dr. Modibbo surrendered and gave his wife the green light to go ahead because of the belief that the prodding of the people is archetypal to a national call to duty.

Infact, Binani earned her popular political acclaim and sobriquet Kiran Jama’a (call to national duty) from that happenstance. In the first instance the people prodded her to represent Yola South, Yola North and Girei federal constituency. With the support of the people she became the first female in history to represent her people at that level. After satisfactory representation culminating in massive accrual of democracy dividends never witnessed before, the people again promoted her to the Senate.

After a spectacular performance at the Nigerian senate, the people also deemed it fit to again prod the amazon for a higher call of duty which translates to her phenomenal victory at the APC guvernorship primaries where she defeated her five male opponents comprehensively to the extent that the cumulative votes scored by the five candidates are less than her votes.

“It should be stressed here that Binani has never vied for any political office on account of her personal interest. She is always pushed by the people that is why she is in the habit of winning elections with landslides because it is the people who want her not the other way round.

“And the covenant between her and the electorates has been fulfilling and rewarding. On their parts the people willingly give her their mandates and she in return provides dividends of democracy to them.

“The reason why people asked her to vie for governorship position is due to her sturdy performance while in the senate. Despite being a senator she works like a governor by carrying out capital intensive projects like building of roads, hospitals, sinking of industrial boreholes providing empowerment packages and starter packs to hundreds of thousands of people. She has also made good laws whose impacts will outlive her.

“As a senator, she also turned Adamawa into her constituency as people from Madagali to Toungo, Guyuk to Belel recieved her support in the areas of skills acquisition, provision of empowerment packages, farm implements and starter packs which really helped a lot of families.

“Many people thought Binani won the last APC guvernorship primaries because of the influence of women. That is not true. Binani won that election overwhelmingly because she is the most sought after candidate who got genuine support from men and women alike as a payback for her immense gestures.

“She will still replicate similar feat of victory in the coming guvernorship election more than the primaries because the people will come out en masse to vote for her on account of her goodwill, track record of excellence ebullience, empathy and higher expectations,” Barata added.

Fintiri mimicks Binani’s gesture, earn rebuke as people cry foul

But in his attempt to score a political point, governor Fintiri has in a move many described as copycat, has been forced to take detour from his vow not to accord the people the much sought after “stomach infrastructure” which equates to empowerment by hastily organizing what could be described as a vote buying frenzy days after the March 11, guvernorship and state assembly election was postponed.

The governor according to reports has pencilled down Tuesday for the program in which no fewer than 10,000 women will receive a token of N50,000 from the governor.

But political analyst in the state who described the governor’s move as an attempt to buy people’s conscience rebuked him for his primitive desperation and abuse of privileges and perks of office.

They urged those lucky to be involved by the superfluous empowerment to collect the package but vote according to their conscience during the coming election as vote buying constitutes a gross human rights abuse.

They recalled that due to the governor’s failure to assist the people, one of his associates, Hon. Umar openly counsels the governor to direct his energy in providing succour to ameliorate the suffering of the citizens, but the governor through one of his aides Saidu Sarkin Zana excoriated and blackmailed Umar for daring to tell truth to power and even forced Umar to withdrew his statement on the strength that the governor was not happy with his submission.

Feelers from the government house indicated that after INEC shifted the guvernorship and state assembly election from March 11, to March 18, the governor planned a deceptive empowerment package ostensibly to empower 10,000 women. But investigation indicated that the number is over exaggerated as the women pencilled down for empowerment are in the region of 600.

“The governor has no such plans to empower the women but Binani’s serious empowerment is making him to lose sleep. So the shift of the polls offered him a window to decieve our mothers by lying that he will empower about 10,000 of them with N50,000 capital to start businesses.

“In truth, the program is a complete sham and dead on arrival. It is stage managed to decieve the women as the government does not have the capacity to compile the names of 10,000 women within a short period of time. So instead a handful number of women that may pass as mistresses, concubines and relatives to some highly placed people were quickly put together for the ruse,” a source close to the government house said.

Another fear induced action taken by the governor as a result of the Binani phenomenon is the proscription of activities of NGOs over a phantom allegation of vote buying. The rash and imperious action as expected has precipitated considerable disquiet in the state as stakeholders said such action is a crude display of power and an attempt to muscle peoples rights at will.

Feelers also reveal that the governor has few weeks ago in a futile attempt to deny Binani the opportunity to participate in the election has sought an experte motion to debar her from participating in the polls but sources said the attempt was frustrated by the judiciary which asserted her independence by refusing to tow the governor’s doomed path.

Why Binani enjoyed cult follower-ship in Adamawa

Binani currently straddles Adamawa political space like a colossus and enjoyed massive goodwill from the people on account of her passion, empathy, support and down to earth posture.

She is a woman that can go to any length to fight for the development of her state and the people through direct empowerment, life changing projects and impactful laws.

A conservative estimate has it that since her sojourn into politics, Binani has empowered no fewer than 100,000 people and has addressed multi-dimensional poverty which straddles many communities.

“In the last four years, Binani has carried out a number of critical life changing projects that only a governor can attempt and touches the lives of all Adamawa citizens despite being only a senator. Such display of wit, spiritedness, valour and can do spirit was the major reason why she will win election in Adamawa State any day,” Hon. Sen Barata added.

Recording its 7th Edition, Christ Embassy is set to Reach the World Globally with the Healing Streams Live Healing Service.
The program is set to run for 3days from Friday 17th March to Sunday 19th March across Nations of the World at 3pmGMT+1 daily.

Speaking in the Lekki Branch, the Pastor of Christ Embassy Lekki Church during her service on Sunday March 12th, had encouraged everyone to be a part of the program with full expectation for the miraculous.
Pastor Deola Phillips also encouraged everyone to Register for the program and prayerfully prepare for the program.

The Program, which had recorded several testimonies from past editions held is another opportunity to pray for Nations and be God’s Outstretched hand to those direly in need of Healing in their bodies.

The Man of God Pastor Benny Hinn had also prophesied in one of the programs held by Christ Embassy, that this edition will come with an avalanche of Miracles like never before.

Many around the world are waiting with full expectation for the program.
To register, click http://www.healingstreams.tv/zone/LZ5.

*To launch National Youth Alliance

While hinting on launching a movement termed, “National Youth Alliance”, the Special Adviser Youth to His Excellency, former Vice President and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 presidential elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Ambassador Aliyu Bin Abbas has tasked Nigerian youth to brace up and free Nigerians from slavery.

Ambassador Abbas expressed this in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen in Kaduna on Saturday March 11, 2023.

“I call on you all to join us in this crusade. It is centered on the freedom of our great nation Nigeria from the hands of those holding us in perpetual slavery over time.

“How long shall we stand beside and look at them Mortgaging our collective Interests?” He queried.

According to him, the time is now for all to support the Redemption Project.

“The future of our democracy is sacred and sacrosanct. Let’s come together and secure our future and that of unborn children,” he said.

He said that he is making the Clarion Call, while reflecting on the need to ensure a better future for Nigeria.

“I watched with heavy sense of consternation the complacency of our generation regarding practical involvement in our nation’s politics and governance.

“Much has been said about youth takeover, tomorrow belongs to the youth, youth are the leaders of tomorrow and so on.

“The salient question is this, how prepared and ready are the youths for this noble course and tasks?” He queried.

According to him, “many of us are too complacent, prefer to settle for stipends rather than take the bull by the horns.

“In countries like France, United Kingdom etc, youth are the arrow heads in politics and governance. In South Africa, the likes of Honourable Julius Malema is making a serious case for the nation’s younger generation.

“Unfortunately, Nigeria’s Younger Generation appears caged, impoverished and brainwashed with lies and ridiculous baiting, imprisoned mentally and psychologically. Reason for the prevalence of those who enslaved our fathers in the system.

“Myself with other patriots cut across ethno religious and political divides have been working assiduously to ensure both mental and psychological redemption of our generation,” he revealed.

By Usman Dambolo Kowye

The zonal Secretary North West of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rt.Hon. Barr. Bello Muhammad Goronyo has urged the youths on the need for them to come out enmass to vote for for the candidates of the party during the Governorship and states Houses of Assembly elections scheduled for the 18th, March 2023.

Rt. Hon. Goronyo who is also the North West Director Youth Mobilisation APC Presidential Campaign Council while appreciating  the youths for their enormous contributions and role they played in the victory for Asiwaju/Shettima emergence,  further appealed on them to put more efforts in ensuring that they come out enmass and vote APC Governors and State Assembly members.

He stressed that youths being agents of positive change can make it happen so that the President elect and his running mate can conveniently put up a formidable team that will  implement their renewed hope Manifestoes to the Nigerian people.

Rt. Hon. Goronyo emphasised that the youths as vangaurds for the protection of our democracy should not allow themselves to be used negatively  but should occupy their rightful space as agents of positive change. 

“They should also be a vanguard  for the protection of our democracy  and never allow themselves to be used by desperate and overzealous politicians whose aim is to truncate our  democracy for their selfish interest.

” This Governorship and States Houses of Assembly elections is key for our party to win overwhelmingly, so as to produce governors on the platform of the party that will provide support for the President elect”.

He therefore appealed to the youths to also encourage each other to come out and excercise their franchise in support of the APC. 

“Lets continue to pray for our country and our President elect and his running mate Kashim Shetima for a united, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria where everyone will realise his dream and potential to make our country great again”.

He expressed optimism that the president elect will consolidate on the gains and successes achieved over the years under the APC administration.

ENDS

By Mike Odeh James

Chairman, Southern Kaduna Christian Leaders Forum ( SKCLA) and former National Secretary of Pentecostal Feliowship of Nigeria (PFN),

Apostle Dr. Emmanuel Nuhu Kure has appealed for calm during the forthcoming  Governorship and House of Assembly elections holding on 11th March 2023.

He said in a statement on Wednesday that Muslim and Christian brothers should vote with one voice to break that wall and bring back the God of Love to Kaduna state. 

He said “I  passionately and desperately appeal to all citizens of Kaduna State as we approach the elections on Saturday to vote against that WALL that has sown enmity, distrust, fear, and very unhealthy and bloody rivalry between the northern and southern Kaduna, separated people of faith even from within same religions.”

“The last eight years has caused so much pain and confusion for most of the state and even more for one part. Unfortunately the secret campaigns to the elections still carry the same messages of fear, lies, seeds of division, blackmails, inducements and strange promises of all sorts.”

“I plead with my Muslim and Christian brothers, let’s vote with one voice to break that WALL and bring back the GOD OF LOVE to the state.”

“The last eight years has sown so much hatred even among people of same religion that I fear that another four or eight of that will be the end of the state. And will impact greatly on or shake up this country, taking past precedence into account.”

“Both religions have prayed and fasted for a better future, let us please with one voice vote together to remove that past on Saturday.Let’s start a healing season and process.”

“Let’s not play politics of sentiments this Saturday, let’s vote for  unity, survival, and justice for all as our Holy Books command and our religions advocate. That is if we still believe in God and the Holy Books. God will hold us religious leaders accountable for destroying this nation.”

“We did not see unity in the last eight years. Let’s bring back God’s love to Kaduna State. Let Kaduna State become the epic reference center of the north again. Is this -God’s Will- too much to ask the people of the books? Let’s vote a government that will break this wall. Again with a broken heart and cry to God, I appeal to you, let’s bring a government that will bring down this wall.”

“WHOEVER WINS BY GOD’S GRACE MUST BRING DOWN THIS WALL, HEAL WOUNDS AND RESTORE CONFIDENCE AMONG ALL IN THE STATE.”

“May God bear witness this day that somebody spoke out for God and for ALL religious leaders who still fear God by the Holy Books.  And for the many blood of the innocent that Kaduna State has swallowed or may continue to swallow if we make a mistake on Saturday,” Apostle Dr. Emmanuel Nuhu Kure,the Vision Pioneer, Throneroom Trust Ministry  and co-Chair, House of Kaduna Family has said.

A political activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Monday, called on the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to as a matter of urgency resign of his appointment or President Muhammadu Buhari should do the needful by relieving him of his position for conducting the worst ever rigged election in the history of Nigeria.

He called on President Buhari to be courageous enough to sack Professor Yakubu for bringing shame and opprobrium to the country by declaring highly compromised and heavily doctored results as an outcome for the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections

Frank who made this call in a statement in Abuja, said it is high time the INEC boss resigned because Nigerians have lost total confidence on him.

“We are supposed to be the light and example in Africa but with the dismal conduct of INEC and its officials during the last Presidential and National Assembly elections, other countries in the continent absolutely have nothing to learn from us because of what Yakubu and INEC have done,” he said.

He insisted that despite the avalanche of facts of rigging and manipulation that characterised the Presidential and National Assembly elections available in huge volume of videos, audios and documentary evidences yet Yakubu went ahead to declare the APC’s Presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as winner.

He said:“Nigerians have lost confidence in Yakubu. His words and his promises mean nothing. He has started again by promising free and fair governorship and State Assembly elections but Nigerians are no fools because they know he will do exact the opposite.

“Prof. Yakubu has shown himself to be a practical disgrace to Nigeria and has brought shame, disgrace and embarrassment to Nigerians in the global community. Today, Nigeria is now a laughing stock among members of the international community.

“Even in 1993 without the use of technology, Nigeria conducted an election adjudged as the freest and fairest ever. But in an age of advanced technology like internet and BIVAS in 2023, Yakubu chosed to compromise the oath of his office and obviated every truth and betrayed the confidence reposed in him by Nigerian taxpayers.

“Even at that time, the then Chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, was asked to stop announcing results by then Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, but he continued because he stood on the platform of truth and living conscience.

“This is why he needs to urgently resign or President Buhari should show capacity to throw him out.”

He called on the academia to strip Prof. Yakubu of his professorship rank because he has brought shame to that highly revered and top echelon of the academic community and scholars.

Yakubu has failed to project the academia in good light through personal probity, integrity and fidelity to his promises and sacred trust of the people

Frank who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and Middle East, also urged the International Community to review and reverse all his current VISA status.

He enjoined them to do the needful by canceling all visas he presently holds and never give him opportunity to visit any of the developed countries like United States, United Kingdom or any member countries of the European Union.

He said that the election conducted by Yakubu has failed to meet international threshold of transparency and credibility and all friends of Nigeria must of necessity denounce it.

For instance, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard in a statement on Sunday unequivocally stated that it is clear that the electoral process as a whole on February 25 failed to meet Nigerians’ expectations.”

She added that while “many citizens are angry and frustrated with the results, some others are celebrating victories, they believe were hard-fought and well-earned.”

He added: “We also use this opportunity to call on international community especially the US, UK, EU and other international institutions not to recognize the outcome of the rigged and fraudulent elections conducted on February 25, 2023.

“This is the time Nigerians expect the international community to prioritize the interest of Nigeria first before their own interest in order to save our democracy.

“In this wise, they must not recognize the APC’s purported President-elect until the final outcome of the cases in court.”

“We still use this opportunity to call on the judiciary to remove Nigeria from this shame through truthful, fact-based and unbiased judgement on the post election cases soon to be instituted before the Election Petition Tribunals and the appellate courts.”

*Urges them to save democracy by siding with the law in 2023 election petition cases

*Says Nigerians heartbroken, agitated, angry, frustrated because INEC raped, murdered democracy

A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Sunday, commended the Supreme Court for overriding President Muhammadu Buhari on the legality and validity of the old Naira notes of N200, N500 and N1,000.

Frank in a statement in Abuja, however called on the judiciary to leverage the same patriotic courage it demonstrated in reversing the ban on old Naira notes in dispensing substantial Justice in the several election petition cases to be brought before them soon.

He said Nigerians are heartbroken, agitated, angry and frustrated because INEC raped and murdered democracy in the country on February 25, 2023.

He lamented that some of the rulings emanating from the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court in recent times brought shame to the entire country.

According to him, “Some of the Supreme Court’s ruling in recent time have made Nigerians to lose hope in the judiciary especially the one that awarded Senatorial tickets to Akpabio and Lawan who never participated in senatorial primary in their respective constituencies.

“How can Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senate President Ahmad Lawan be made candidates overnight by the apex court and today they claim to have been elected as Senators?”

Frank who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and Middle East, reminded the Judiciary that Nigerians have since lost hope on them as they believe they already know how the courts will rule on the various post election cases to be filed before them.

He called on the judiciary especially the Supreme Court to rise up from its ashes of partisanship and servile disposition to the APC and seize the opportunity by the present political conundrum to reset its image and do the needful courageously.

He urged the Judiciary to know that this is not the time to again sell justice to the highest bidder, saying, “they must redeem their image by ensuring that justice is done and seen to be done to the election petition cases now being brought before it.”

He urged the Judiciary to note that even the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, admitted that issues of logistics, election technology (BIVAS), the behaviour of some election personnel at different levels, marred the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

He insisted that this a clear indication that INEC failed woefully in its duty to deliver credible elections nor use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to conduct the elections in line with its guidelines.

He said: “This is the justice that Nigerians are asking for. INEC has failed and we urge the judiciary to so hold that INEC violated its own guidelines and did not comply with the Electoral Act and its guidelines.”

He insisted that the present case is unique in the sense that Nigerians have continued to cry out that their votes have been stolen and their mandate denied.

“Both international and local observers have agreed with them that the election was marred by massive irregularities and rigging. They equally berated and scored INEC low for not adhering to the law and its own guidelines.

“It is equally obvious that INEC failed to follow its guidelines and promise to transmit election results from the polling units to its server in real time.

“All over Nigeria, evidence abound in video, audio and hard copy formats showing how the results of the elections were falsified to favour the ruling APC.

“We believe that Nigerian Judges and Justices of the Appeal and Supreme Courts were in this country when the Presidential and National Assembly Election was conducted.

“Besides, we believe that Nigerian Judges and Justices read newspapers and listen to news on radio and television, therefore, they cannot claim to be unaware of Electoral heist that was perpetrated during the last election.

“It now behooves on the judiciary to review the facts that would be presented before them by aggrieved political parties, sift them to determine the truth and rule to uphold Justice, stability, peace and democracy in the country.

“Now that the cases will be coming before them, Nigerians are hopeful that they will use the same patriotic courage to rule in favour of the over 30 million Nigerians who voted during the last election in order to make their votes count.

“We saw how the Judiciary in Kenya rose up and sided with the yearnings and aspirations of the people when it annulled a rigged presidential election and ordered for a fresh one.

“We are calling on the Nigerian Judiciary to equally be courageous enough to declare the actual winners of the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections as duly elected.”

The Northern Nigerian Movement for Asiwaju has congratulated the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his overwhelming victory in the just concluded presidential election.

This was contained in a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Dr Mohammed Attahiru in Abuja on Wednesday.

They praised the Plateau State Governor and Director General, Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Organisation, Simon Bako Lalong, for his commitment in ensuring the victory of Asiwaju against all odds.

According to the group, the overwhelming victory of Asiwaju Tinubu after polling over 8 million votes in a keenly contested election showed that the president-elect remains the preferred choice of Nigerians.

Tinubu, a former Lagos State Governor was declared winner of the presidential elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the early hours of Wednesday after polling the highest votes at the polls and meeting other requirements for the elections.

Attahiru expressed deep optimism that the emergence of Tinubu as Nigeria’s next president at this auspicious period of the nation’s life, signifies dawn of renewed hope, prosperity and rapid transformation for the country.

“As governor of Lagos State, we could all attest to the sterling performance of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu which saw rapid transformation in all facets of the state.

“It is our sincere belief that when Tinubu assumes office as next president, he will replicate the same transformation across the country for the benefits of all”, he said.

He also expressed optimism that Tinubu’s administration will also address the issues of insecurity, separatist agitations, banditry and kidnapping, among other crimes in the country.

Attahiru said Tinubu’s administration will engender unity and national cohesion by giving every part of the country a sense of belonging, adding that the administration will be all inclusive.

The group while commending Lalong for the sacrifice he has made in ensuring Tinubu’s victory, recalled how Lalong galvanised fellow Northern governors in backing the Asiwaju’s emergence as presidential candidate against all oppositions in the build up to the primaries

The group also noted that Governor Lalong against all oppositions from his home state and other quarters, stood stoically and firmly for the Asiwaju course and eventually saw his victory at the poll, adding that Governor Lalong losing his senatorial bid was part of the great sacrifices he has paid for the victory of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Attahiru expressed the firm assurance and hope that Governor Lalong will definitely be handsomely rewarded and compensated for all his sacrifices and commitments to the Asiwaju Tinubu’s presidency project which is now a done deal.

By Ibrahim Mada

From all intents and purposes, the incumbent governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has concluded all finishing touches to sweep brooms out of Adamawa State in order to consolidate the grip of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

The near total victory of the PDP in the just concluded presidential and national assembly elections in Adamawa State is a pointer to the rising popularity of PDP under the able and committed leadership of governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.

The governor through purporseful leadership coupled with the political wizardry and sagacity of the former vice president Atiku Abubakar who incidentally was the PDP’s presidential flagbearer have shown the world that Adamawa belongs to PDP and PDP belongs to Adamawa State.

Under the able leadership of the duo, PDP was able to capture the reins of power from APC which hitherto held sway as the ruling party in 2019. Since then the party has been waxing from strength to strength because of its ebbullience in carrying the people along in its programs and policies.

The good posture and purporseful leadership it has bequeathed to the people has warmed the party into the hearts of the people to the extent it has almost pulverized its major opposition political party the APC in the state.

A glimpse of the 2023 result will convince even the most ardent naysayer that Adamawa has become the base of the Peoples Democratic Party in Nigeria due to its meteoric rise, grip and influence on the lives of the masses of the state.

In 2019 when governor Fintiri recorded an overwhelming victory from the then ruling party, the APC, he made one categorical and critical promise to the effect that he will banish APC in the state and make Adamawa, a one party state.

Although his traducers and other elements dismissed that promise with the wave of the hand saying it was a tall dream, the valiant governor did not only walk his talk, he has done it forcefully through distinction and leadership excellence.

The reality of APC’s total extinction from Adamawa State polity should be gleaned from the fact that out of the positions contested in the last presidential and national assembly elections, PDP has made a mince meat of its rival and has supplanted it from the minds of the populace.

An insight into the massive failure of the APC should be seen from the failure of her Gubernatorial candidate Sen Aishatu Ahmed Dahiru Binani to make an atom of impact in the last election. The APC gubernatorial candidate was woefully trounced right from her own unit.

It is curious to note that despite her inflated popularity, Binani in a rather bizarre show of incapacity failed to deliver her Mbamoi polling unit to the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the election.

That is not all, after her woeful failure to deliver her polling unit, the APC guvernorship candidate also conceded her Yola South local government to the presidential candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar.

That crass and shoddy performance is least expected from a woman with a feeling of self worth and an overrated popularity.

One of the dubious credentials she always flaunt to promote her self styled and undeserved promotion is the populist inclination under the borrowed garb of philanthropy.

But as it is now, the facade she is using to deceive the gullible minds has melted at the slightest litmus test. With such a very dubious and wobbly base, how can she think of supplanting a sitting governor who enjoys the trappings and perks of office and moreso an undiluted popularity and acceptance of the people like Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri?

With this overrated and hyped popularity, it would have been condescending for Binani to loss even her senatorial zone to the PDP especially considering the huge war chest the presidential candidate provided for her in the run up to the 2023 presidential polls.

With such a woeful showing, one can hazard a guess that Binani is not really at home with her people to deserve such humiliating snub at a time when they ought to have rallied round her.

Again one can say such mistreatment may be a function of her unforgiving and unreliable posture as she has been at daggers drawn with real and percieved enemies despite eyeing the most coveted job in the state.

Despite being the guvernorship flagbearer of APC, she has been spending considerable energy and man hour fighting needless wars against real and percieved enemies in her won party from her ward to the state level.

Such tendencies to pick quarrels with real and percieved enemies sometimes without any form of provocation made her to sideline a number of party officials from the ward to the state level without any justification.

She was said to be the brain behind the aborted suspension of Mutapha Atiku Ribadu, the organizing secretary of APC in Adamawa State and the zonal vice chairman of the APC in the north east, Comrade Mustapha Salihu.

Such quarrelsomeness and intolerance made a lot of people at various levels to loss confidence in her. It is also the major ingredient behind her suspension from the party. That is why everything seems to be falling apart for the touted most popular politician at the twilight of a general election.

But while his rival is fighting a needless war against her own party men and women, Fintiri was busy consolidating and uniting his party to become the most potent and strongest political force in Nigeria.

Such informed his overwhelming victory at the presidential and national assembly elections which made the presidential flagbearer to win the state by an unprecedented margin.

It is also responsible for the victory of the party in the senate and house of representatives election which led to the emergence of two senators and seven members of house of representatives out of eight slots from the state.

With this glaring facts, can anyone in his right state of mind doubt the overwhelming victory of PDP in the coming Gubernatorial and state House of assembly elections? Only the undiscerning political neophytes can hazard such a guess.

Mada, a political analyst writes from Kaduna