Bola Tinubu Profile: Nigeria APC Presidential Candidate

 

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Bola Tinubu wields enormous power in western Nigeria politics

Bola Tinubu, 70, dey widely known as di pesin wey reshape Nigeria commercial capital, Lagos.

Na im go lead di ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) go February presidential election but e dey face very gingered opposition, allegations of corruption and health wahala as e dey face one of di hardest job for Africa.

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As pesin wey don face exile sake of military ruler Sani Abacha, oga Tinubu know di value of freedom and e dey wia am as sign for im cap, broken chain wey look like sideways figure eight.

As a trained accountant, na im waka wit di pro-democracy National Democratic Coalition (Nadeco) group wia im be member make am cross Abacha.

Di opposition of groups like Nadeco and Abacha death for 1998 na im carry Nigeria to democracy for 1999 and in many ways, oga Tinubu wey be former Mobil executive see Nigeria presidency as im right.

E go dey depend on im experience for politics and im ogbonge influence for di kontri to win election. E dey face strong competition from former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for di People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party, Peter Obi wey dey popular with city voters.

If oga Tinubu aka “Jagaban” win di presidency, im go dey look to unify kontri wey regional lines don scata, tackle insecurity, create jobs abd bring down inflation.

But dat job no shake am. E dey point to im time as Lagos govnor from 1999 to 2007 to sell im candidacy give party delegates and to Nigerians.

Under im tenure, Lagos grow im income wella sake of plenti foreign investment, as im public transport scheme wey see dem build new lanes for rapid bus to reduce di ogbonge traffic wey pipo dey face.

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Despite im ogbonge wealth, Lagos able to solve never dey able to solve no di ogbonge traffic jams by completing a light rail project wey Mr Tinubu bin start.

But di city wey get about 25 million pipo neva really live up to im megacity name even though e claim say im turn tins around.

Public infrastructure mostly don spoil finish, tins like water and public housing don breakdown, as di light rail project wey start for im tenure neva finish 20 years later even with all di money of di state..

E also dey accused say e dey hold di neck of di state money even afta e comot govnorship for 2007.

Everi govnor wey don come afta am na im follower wey dey follow “grand roadmap”, as di one wey dare find im path bin dey quickly rerouted with help from powerful transport union members.

Accuse of corruption dey but oga Tinubu deny am.

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• BOLA TINUBU: Wetin Tinubu mean wen im say im ‘ready to fight dirty for 2023 presidency?
• FULL COVERAGE: Nigerian Presidential Election 2023

BBC

Two years ago, Dapo Apara, accountant for Alpha-beta, company wey Tinubu allegedly get stake for, accuse am say e use di company do money laundering, fraud, tax evasion and oda corrupt tins.

Oga Tinubu sue am even though im and Alpha-beta deny di accuse but later, all parties say dem go settle out of court.

Dat accuse, including say im face Nigeria Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) twice for accuse of breaching public officers code (wey dem don clear am of) make opponents of Tinubu to say e no be di right man for di job as corruption dey high for Nigeria.

For di last election, bullion vans wey banks dey use move money, drive enta im Ikoyi compound for Lagos wey ginger suspicion say im dey buy votes, and e no try hard to deny am.

E say, “if I get money, if I like I go dash pipo, as long as I no dey buy votes”.

Many pipo also neva forget wetin im tok afta di death of #EndSARS protesters for di Lekki part of Lagos for 2020 wia im question di intentions of di pipo wey die.

Dem see am as di political godfather of di south west and na di region most influential figure wey dey decide who go get power.

For 2015, e call imself say e be “talent hunter” wey dey put “talents for office”.

AFP

Mr Tinubu (L) claim say e help both Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (C) and President Buhari (R) enta office

Im political influence na im lead to di merging of opposition political parties for 2013 wey collect power from di den ruling PDP for 2015 wey dey rare for Nigeria.

E bin remind Nigerians say na im be one of di main pipo wey put President Muhammadu Buhari for power afta plenti failed attempts.

Oga Buhari pipo bin don try to reduce di narrative of di influence of di former govnor for di 2015 election, but e no clear say Buhari for win im two terms without Tinubu backing.

E dey widely rumoured say na im nominate Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo for im role and get hand for how Nigeria Senate President Ahmed Lawan and di Speaker of di House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila get work.

Na why im supporters bin take am as betrayal wen di vice president wey bin work as commissioner with Tinubu for Lagos run for di party ticket.

All dat now dey behind am and as Tinubu dey campaign, many pipo dey look im health and physical appearance as e bin spend three months for London on top knee injury and worry about one undisclosed sickness.

Nigerians fit dey fear anoda president wey get health issues afta President Umaru Yar’Adua die for office for 2010 and Buhari wey go abroad wella for medical treatment.

Sha, who ever win February election wey still dey look like e go tight, go get plenti mata wey Buhari leave to deal with – insecurity, high unemployment, rising inflation and ethnic division.

No be say di work no possible to do, but e go hard sha.

“I’m different, I’m Bola Ahmed Tinubu”

The British Broadcasting Corporation

Vote Buying: Politicians Leveraging On Nigeria’s High Poverty Figure To Win 2023 Election

 

It’s almost two months to the 2023 election, and the desperation as well as the win at all cost syndrome of politicians across political party lines in all the states, continue to intensify.

Aside from attacks on offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission across the country, political party offices and members,  by suspected sponsored hoodlums, the more rampant but non-violent pre-election illegal activity going on unabated by politicians across board, is vote-buying.

The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu had repeatedly made it clear that there is no way the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System can be manipulated and that unregistered and ineligible voters would not vote, and nobody can use another person’s Permanent Voters Card to vote.

However, activities of party agents and candidates demanding for PVCs or the identification number in it from voters, in exchange for financial or other gratification in different parts of the country, continue to get into the news.

Some alleged that the PVCs are being collected from unsuspecting voters who they feel may not vote for their candidate on election day. They prevent them from doing so, in the hope that they will have more voters for their principal. Others however alleged that the agents collect the numbers on voters’ PVCs for reasons which still seems to be a mystery, even to INEC.

Although just a few agents, supporters and hoodlums have been apprehended for being in possession of huge numbers of PVCs, no major arrest has been made. It is obvious that the few already arrested and those continuing the act unabated, are working for politicians who are desperate to get into power “by hook or by crook.”

Vote buyers arrested by the EFCC during the Ogun re-run election in 2020.

According to Worldometer, as at 12:00am on December 16, 2022, Nigeria’s population was estimated to be 219,465,670, while the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on November 17, estimated that no fewer than 133 million Nigerians, representing well over 60 per cent of the population, are currently living in multi-dimensional poverty.

Unknown to many, the continual increase in the country’s number of multidimensionally poor people is good news to these desperate politicians, as it is usually extremely helpful before and during elections because most poor people are usually more concerned about what and where their next meal would coming from, rather than who they will elect to better their lives and that of their children, in the long term.

These opportunists, in their desperate bid to actualise their political aspirations, use poor peoples’ conditions against them and take advantage of it, by giving them money, food items, clothing. They are always successful at this, not only because authorities responsible for curbing this always look away, but also because the unsuspecting voters, the easily swayed and the ignorant population among this huge poverty figure, already feel defeated in their different conditions and don’t even think twice before lying down for the cover.

Sadly, the mentality of some sets of voters is that the politicians giving them these gifts right before the elections is a sign that they will do more, when they win the election. Other sets of these negligent voters, don’t just care, as long as their present feeding and financial needs are met.

READ MORE: Millions Of Northern Voters Made To Give Up Their PVCs For N2,000 – Northern Elders Cry Out

Rumours of party agents seeking for PVCs from traders in some markets in Lagos were first heard, but nobody was able to confirm this categorically. INEC however, finally later raised the alarm that voters in various parts of the country were actually giving up their PVCs for different amounts.

The nation’s electoral umpire however proposed a life ban for any politician or political party caught in the act of buying. The police also warned that they will launch a manhunt for politicians who procure PVCs for the purpose of rigging the 2023 election.

These threats however, are of no effect to the defiant politicians, as they continue to send their agents to keep inducing voters for their PVCs. Just days after INEC raised the alarm, findings by at least two other independent bodies confirmed the development.

The Northern Elders Forum, in a statement on Wednesday, cried out, alleging that some politicians, working for different parties, and targeting communities where their candidates have comparative advantages or disadvantages, are buying PVCs from voters for N2,000 in the North.

“Thousands, or possibly even millions of Northern voters, particularly women, are being made to surrender their PVCs for a pittance, in most instances not more than N2,000 Naira. In some instances, they are told their cards will be returned to them after they are processed for additional payments as poverty relief. No cards are returned,” Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, NEF Spokesman revealed.

“Our relative poverty now is no excuse to surrender the opportunity to improve our future,” Baba-Ahmed further advised.

In another revelation, The Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA), in a pre-election observation report released yesterday, raised similar alarm over the inducement of potential voters and purchase of voter cards from voters by politicians ahead of the 2023 election.

The statement signed by the Executive Director of the Civil Society Organisation, Samson Itodo revealed that they deployed a total of 822 long-term observers to monitor pre-election events in the 774 local government areas of the country and made their findings known through its Watching The Vote (WTV) project.

Part of the statement read, “Though voter inducement was reported in 33 states, it was more prevalent in the following states: Abia, Bauchi, Borno, Delta, Katsina, Kano, Niger, Oyo and Sokoto.

“Specifically, buying of PVCs was reported in Ugwuachara, Echiaba Ward, in Ebonyi LGA by APC supporters. WTV observers reported that APC supporters went around the LGA giving citizens N10,000 in exchange for the voter identification number on their PCs,” Yiaga revealed.

“The supporters went house to house offering the citizens money and food items (Rice) the APC term empowerment. Some people were happy and collected the money while others refused to sell their votes.

“Similarly, the report alleged that Kwara state, Baruten LGA, APC agents were said to have allocated and alerted APC party supporters to assemble and come with their details to access state government grants,” Yiaga added.

It also disclosed that, “The same was noticed in Itakudimo, Ilorin west where PDP agents were seen sharing N500 to residents and passersby to gain support after their meeting.

“In Oroke Onuoha, Achiaba Ward, Ebonyi LGA/Ebonyi State, supporters of APC were seen distributing food items to citizens while canvassing for votes.

“Also, in Bunkure LGA of Kano, party supporters were seen buying PVCs from citizens and giving out N5,000 and fertilizer,” the civil society body added.

INEC, Nigerian security agencies, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and other relevant agencies, should graduate from giving empty threats, to actually wielding the hammer on erring politicians, not only their agents, even if they are members of the ruling party, to serve as a deterrent to others alike, as the activities of such people are a threat to next year’s election and the country’s fragile democracy. 

BREAKING: CBN refuses to extend deadline for old naira notes

 The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has foreclosed the possibility of extending or shifting the deadline on the deposit of the old naira notes.

CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele apologised to Nigerians for not extending the deadline but stated that 100 days from when the announcement was made to the expiration date was enough for Nigerians to deposit their old notes.

He assured Nigerians that the ongoing sensitisation will continue after the 31st of January, 2023 deadline.

The apex bank said it has received between N1.3 trillion to N1.5 trillion so far but expects it will recover over N2 trillion after  January 31 deadline. 

Speaking to journalists at the end of the first Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) in Abuja on Tuesday, Emefiele also disclosed that the Committee has decided to aggressively increase the interest rate to 17.5 percent.

Emefiele noted that despite the drop in inflation in December to 21.34 percent there was “no reason to celebrate”. 

Terrorism Negotiation: Court Orders DSS To Charge Tukur Mamu To Court

  

The Department of State Services (DSS) has been ordered to “immediately” charge Tukur Mamu to court if any offense related to his alleged involvement in ransom negotiation on behalf of terrorists is discovered.

This is according to Justice Edward Andow, who preside over Kaduna State High Court 12.

Recall that Mamu has been with the DSS since his arrest in Cairo, Egypt on September 6, 2022 on his way to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj together with some of his family members.

The lead Counsel to Tukur Mamu, Muhammad Sani Katu (SAN) told journalists after the court session on Monday that he was satisfied with the court order, and expressed the belief that the DSS will obey the order.

READ ALSO: DSS Recovers Military Items, Huge Amount Of Foreign Currencies In Tukur Mamu’s Home, Office

According to him, ”the matter came up today (Monday), we served the DSS and the Attorney General, we started the processes. And the Judge gave the order, directing them to charge him to court immediately for any offence, if any, they may have discovered. That is our target. The word used by the Judge is immediately, immediately differs from soon.

“Don’t be surprised if by tomorrow or next or within the week he is being charged to court if there is any offence, but let me come in here by telling you that one must commend the DSS for the manner that they have been handling this matter. We have gone to see our client severally, he has some health challenges, but they have been taking care of that. They have taken him to hospital, they made so much payment towards his health. But our position is not about his health, not just about holding him there.

“The law is very clear, the essence of his arrest is the belief that he had committed an offence, and how do you know that he had committed an offence is to commence an investigation. And once you finished the investigation and you did not find him wanting, you release him, and if you find him wanting, the law says don’t keep him in detention, charge him to court. That is just the fundamentals.

“As far as we are concerned the order to keep him for 60 days elapsed in October last year. They have the right to renew, but as it stands now we are not aware as to whether they have renewed or not. They, first they are seeking detention, they can go on their own, but the second time there is the need to have the permission of the Attorney General. They can do that without us on notice. But the fact remains that in an attempt to protect the system we are operating, once you obtain an order against somebody you notify him. If you have contact with the persons you notify them, or at least the general public because this is a matter that certain persons are being concerned.

“When they did that of the 60 days they came out to tell the whole world that they have obtained detention order. Which is okay. Now the 60 days have elapsed, nobody knows whether they have gotten additional extensions or not. That is why we say the best we could do is to go to court. We are not saying they must release him. Take him to court for determination. After court determination, we will know whether he will go to jail or be freed.

“If you recall, there was an arrest of our client, Tukur Mamu in Cairo on his way to Saudi Arabia with some members of his family. He was moved to Abuja and since then he remains in detention. We got to know that there is an order by the DSS to detain him for 60 days. At the expiration of the 60 days, we thought the next thing they should do is to charge him to court for any offence. As it stands now he has not been charged. And the best we can do for the system is to file legal enforcement wherein our plea which is very clear; release him on administrative bail, if there is anything call administrative bail. Alternatively, if you found out that he has committed any offence, charge him to court,” Katu said.