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Former Governor of Jigawa State and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sule Lamido, has blamed the ongoing challenges in the country on Nigerians.
Speaking at his residence in Bamaina during a Ramadan fast-breaking event on Sunday, Lamido asserted that Nigerians voted PDP out of power without considering the grave consequences of their decision.
He argued that Nigerians do not know much about President Bola Tinubu, and described him as an expert in deceit and selfishness.
“As I have been saying, Nigerians don’t know much about Tinubu. He is an expert in deceit and selfishness,” Lamido said.
His comments followed a call by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, urging opposition leaders to unite under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to rescue Nigeria from the current administration.
Lamido, however, dismissed the idea, arguing that only the ideals of truth and nationalism can confront Tinubu.
“You cannot challenge Tinubu with rage, greed, hate, envy, or wickedness. He is a master of all that.
“Only the ideals of truth and nationalism can confront him effectively,” Lamido said.
Meanwhile, Lamido, has asserted that the PDP remains the only political force capable of unseating Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
He also called on former PDP members who defected to the APC, including Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir El-Rufai, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Aliyu Wamakko, to return to the party and strengthen the opposition’s chances of success.
The former governor expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of the nation, citing widespread poverty, hunger, insecurity, and general apprehension among Nigerians as consequences of APC’s poor governance.
He stated: “Everyone in Nigeria is now confused because the leadership has lost focus. However, in the struggle to find a way out, politicians must remain focused and avoid personal prejudices; otherwise, it will be difficult to defeat Tinubu.”
He further emphasized the importance of a collective approach, saying: “You shall not think of fighting state institutions on the basis of personal disappointment and succeed, but you can only succeed when you put the collective national interest and make sure everyone around is bound by that philosophy.”
Call For Former PDP Members To Return
Lamido urged former PDP members who had defected to the APC—only to face persecution and marginalization—to return to their original party.
“There is no shame in coming back to the party that glorified you and gave you all opportunities to excel in the Nigerian political arena. You must learn how to eschew political bitterness. Leadership cannot go with anger,” he added.
Lamido specifically called on former governors and political figures, including Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir El-Rufai, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Aliyu Wamakko, to reunite under the PDP and work towards what he described as the liberation of Nigeria from APC’s atrocities.
Dismissing the potential of alternative parties such as the Social Democratic Party (SDP) or the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to challenge Tinubu’s government, Lamido insisted that only the PDP had the structure and strength to mount a formidable opposition.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has decried the direct involvement of the federal government in the appointment of Vice Chancellors for public universities in the country.
ASUU argued that the responsibility should fall directly on the governing councils of the respective institutions.
The ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, who made the fresh call, pointed at the political interference that often accompanies the government appointment of such Vice Chancellors.
Osodeke, who outlined what should be the process of appointment of a university VC according to the law, said the final candidate chosen by the governing council should only be sent to the President, who is the visitor through the Minister of Education for ratification.
The ASUU president noted that if the process is adhered to, it will remove the crisis that usually accompanies the emergence of Vice Chancellors across public universities in the country and there will be an assurance that such a person is not simply the Minister of President’s candidate.
Explaining the process in a chat with Nigerian Tribune, he said, “The procedure to appoint a new VC for a public university in Nigeria is very clear and backed by the law.
“It is the governing council that has a sole responsibility to appoint a new vice- chancellor whenever there is a vacancy.
“The council will meet and constitute a committee, which will be made up of the university Senate and Council.
“The selection committee will conduct interviews for shortlisted candidates and the interviews may be in stages to arrive at the best three and recommend them to the larger Council to pick one for the position.
“The Council will then do thorough review of the entire process against each of the recommended candidate with the criteria used for selecting them.
“At this stage, the Council has the rights to pick anyone from the three and the person may not necessarily be the candidate with the highest marks based on their review and findings.
“And if there is an argument on who to pick among them, they will subject the process to voting with candidate that has the highest votes becomes the new VC and that ought to end the process before sending the name to the President, who is the visitor through the minister of education for ratification.
“So, it is not compulsory to pick number one on the list as the other two have equal chance of becoming the VC, but the council must have to put up a clear and convincing reason or reasons for rejecting the number one.”
Based on the explanation, Osodeke called on the government to hands off the picking of Vice Chancellors.
He said, “What we are seeing nowadays like the recent case of Admiralty University of Nigeria is about external interference from the government that somebody cannot be picked or that this or that person is the candidate of Mr. President or the Minister, which is supposed not to be so.
“If the system is allowed to work as it should, there won’t be any problem in this matter and that is why I will ask government to hands-off completely in the appointment of a new VC for public university in the country.”
Channel For Addressing Grievances
Further speaking, the ASUU president said in order to ensure merit and fairness, any person who feels unsatisfied with the selection process can approach the courts.
He said this would make the process transparent instead of running to the President or Minister when such issues come up.
“At this stage, court has the power to upturn the council’s decision if found to be unfair and the ruling will stand, especially if it is by the Supreme Court.
“So, neither the ministry nor presidency has the constitutional power to force any candidate on the council. It was those old days that the Council would send names of the best three candidates to the President to pick from and that is no longer the practice today.
“And that is why running to the president or minister to resolve appointment crisis instead of court is improper.
“After all, candidates in political elections in the country run to court when they feel cheated and whatever court says stands, especially if the ruling comes from the supreme court.
“That is the same procedure provided for by the in the appointment of a new vice-chancellor for a public university in Nigeria,” Osodeke submitted.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered an immediate probe into the unfortunate prison break incident at the Koton Karfe Correctional Centre in Kogi State.
This was made known in a statement to Naija News on Monday by Babatunde Alao, Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Interior.
The Minister described the incident as unfortunate, vowing to ensure all fleeing inmates are captured leveraging the service’s robust biometrics and already deployed technology solutions.
Tunji-Ojo also ordered the Acting Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Ndidi, to visit the facility in Kogi to evaluate the situation, and commence a comprehensive audit to unravel the events that led to the incident.
“We are on top of the situation. Our men are on ground in Kogi, and I have ordered a comprehensive audit of the situation,” he said.
Naija News reports that the National Spokesman for the NCoS, Abubakar Umar, confirmed the jailbreak, stating that two of the inmates had already been recaptured, with efforts ongoing to apprehend the remaining ten escapees.
Umar assured the public that all available search mechanisms were being deployed to locate and recapture the inmates.
He said: “Two of the inmates in our custody at the Koton Karfe Medium Custodial Centre have escaped. They are all awaiting trial, but as I speak to you now, two have been captured. We are already working to capture the remaining inmates on the run.”
Tragically, Umar also revealed that one correctional officer was killed during the escape attempt.
Gunmen have attacked the Awgu Divisional Police Headquarters in Enugu State, killing Police Constable Akpa Emmanuel.
The assailants also vandalized facilities at the station and made off with weapons, including an AK-47 rifle and two riot guns, according to a source.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday, March 24, 2025, though details remain unclear. The incident has left Awgu town tense, with heavy security deployment as spy agents and other operatives have taken over the area.
In response to the attack, the new Commissioner of Police in Enugu, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has dispatched the Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Special Forces, the Police Mobile Force (PMF), the Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU), and other tactical teams to bolster security at the division.
This attack comes just weeks after the posting of a new Divisional Police Officer to the station.
Meanwhile, gunmen also attacked the Inyi Divisional Police Headquarters in Oji-River Local Government Area around 2:00 a.m. on the same day. However, no casualties or damage were reported as security agents successfully repelled the assault.
Efforts by SaharaReporters to get a response from the state police command were unsuccessful, as the Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, did not answer calls or respond to text messages seeking comment.
Members of the Kogi Central constituency have reportedly submitted a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) requesting the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents the district in the Senate.
To initiate the recall of a federal lawmaker, the law requires that a petition be submitted to the INEC chairman, signed by more than 50 percent of the registered voters in the constituency.
This is followed by a verification process and, if necessary, a referendum. The law mandates that the entire recall process must be concluded within 90 days from the date INEC receives the petition.
Charity Omole, a representative of the constituents, spoke on Monday, stating that the petition was filed due to the constituency’s need to have an active representative in the Senate.
“We cannot afford to be without representation in the Senate,” she emphasized.
The Secretary to the commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, received the petition on Monday.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate on March 6 for “gross misconduct” following an altercation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over seating arrangements.
The suspension came just days after the senator accused Akpabio of sexually harassing her.
The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, on Monday revealed that the Social Democratic Party, SDP, which opposition leaders are currently embracing, will become stronger than the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the Labour Party and other political parties but will fail against President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Primate Ayodele said the party will fail because those who are decamping there will be more concerned about their personal interests rather than wrestling power from the ruling party.
In a statement by his Media Aide, Oluwatosin Osho, the popular prophet warned the party to be cautious of the influx of members and to avoid giving its ticket to candidates who will lead it to failure.
He said: “SDP will be stronger than PDP and Labour. It will be the party to watch, but greed will make the party fail in 2027. Those who will be decamping there will not be focused on winning power but on enriching themselves.
“The party must be careful because of the large number of people joining, and they must be watchful not to give tickets to failures. They must ensure that sentiment and emotions do not influence their selection process.”
Primate Ayodele emphasized that the issue of the 2027 elections cannot be resolved through a mere coalition with another party but requires a strong alliance involving all opposition parties.
He noted that attempting to defeat President Tinubu will not be easy and that following traditional political party structures will lead to failure.
“The issue of the 2027 presidency cannot be addressed through a mere coalition; it won’t be about just one party but rather a strong alliance. Coalitions can break, but alliances cannot. A coalition may not last or deliver the desired outcome, but a solid alliance can.
“Defeating Tinubu is not a joke; he is very strong, and it will not be easy. Following the usual political party approach will not achieve anything. A new alliance must be formed under a new name, and if this is successfully done, victory will be possible,” he said.
Furthermore, he warned that the opposition should not rely on governors for the alliance, as they will betray it.
He advised that the alliance should be built around the people and mentioned some opposition governors who would not be part of it.
“I also want to warn them not to depend on governors, as they will betray any coalition they try to form. They should build this alliance around the people because some governors are already out of it.
“Some governors, like Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, and others that I will mention later, will not be part of the alliance,” he added.
This comes amid moves by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and former PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to form a coalition.
Veteran actor Jide Kosoko has stated that despite his fame and over 60 years of experience in Nollywood, it hasn’t led to significant wealth.
Featuring on The Honest Bunch podcast, Kosoko explained that he is comfortable but doesn’t consider himself rich by Nigerian standards.
“I have been in this [movie] industry for this long. I thank God that I can eat three square meals. But can I claim to be a rich man by Nigerian standards? No,” he said.
The 71-year-old film star emphasized that piracy has significantly impacted the Nigerian movie industry and called for harsher penalties for pirates.
“The punishment in the copyright law for piracy is still not strong enough as far as I am concerned. Somebody who has been pirating people’s works for years is a billionaire, so how much do you want to fine him?
“Fine him N500 million, and he will just bring it out of what he has sold. But if you attach a 20-year jail sentence to it with no option of a fine, people will refrain from piracy,” he said.
Jide Kosoko began his acting career as a child actor in 1964 in a television production named Makanjuola.
Since then, he has featured in hundreds of Nollywood movies in both English and Yoruba languages.
Famous Nigerian gospel musician, Steve Crown, has announced engagement with his lover.
Steve Crown made the announcement in an Instagram post on Sunday night.
The singer in the proposal video was seen placing a crown on his fiancee’s head as they both hold hands affectionately.
While describing the development as the beginning of his best days, he informed his followers that he has been taken and officially off the market.
“Officially off the market, two hearts fused by God. A walk to forever and the beginning of my best days,” he said.
Watch the video below:
Emergency rule: Fresh Details Emerge On Money Received By Lawmakers Amid Fubara’s Suspension
AFOLABI
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on FCT, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, has clarified that he shared $5,000 with members of his committee as a “Sallah gesture” and not as an inducement to support emergency rule in Rivers State.
A Nigerian investigative journalist, Jaafar Jaafar, disclosed this in a post on his X handle.
Jaafar said Betara explained this to him after the lawmaker reached out to clarify that the $5,000 given to lawmakers was merely a “Sallah gesture” and not an inducement.
According to the investigative journalist, Betara said it was part of a long-standing tradition and had nothing to do with the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State.
Jaafar wrote:
“The chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, has clarified to me that he only shared $5,000 with each member of his committee as a ‘Sallah gesture,’ not as an inducement to support emergency rule in Rivers State.
“According to him, he maintains the tradition—like Santa Claus—every year.
“As we say in Hausa, not thigh but hind leg.”
Media
The chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, has clarified to me that he only shared $5,000 to each member of his committee as "Sallah Gesture" not an inducement to support emergency rule in Rivers State.
— Jaafar Jaafar (@JaafarSJaafar) March 23, 2025
According to him, he maintains the tradition – like… pic.twitter.com/o18kOkURKa
Solid core earnings drive growth in profitability and returns.
Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has released its audited financial results for the full year ended December 31, 2024, with all its major indicators witnessing significant improvement.
The 2024 financials, filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGx) on Monday, showed an impressive rise in the bank’s profit after tax which went up by 26.14 percent to close the year at N766.6 billion, up from N607.7 billion recorded at the end of the 2023 fiscal year.
The Bank’s gross earnings also grew significantly from N2.08tn recorded at the end of the 2023 financial year to N3.19tn in the period under consideration, representing a 53.6 percent growth.
Like in the previous years, the banks’ total assets also rose remarkably by 46.8 percent, from N20.65 trillion in 2023, to close at N30.4 trillion in December 2024; signifying a milestone leap for the bank with the largest spread across the continent.
Despite the highly challenging global economic and business environment, UBA recorded a profit before tax of N803.72 billion representing a 6.1 percent increase from N757.68 billion recorded at the end of the 2023 financial year.
Consequently, UBA Group Shareholders’ Funds rose from N2.030 trillion as at December 2023 to close the 2024 financial year at N3.419 trillion, achieving an impressive growth of 68.39 percent.
As a result of the impressive performance and in fulfilment of the promise made by the UBA Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, to shareholders at the last Annual General Meeting, the Bank proposed a final dividend of N3.00 kobo for every ordinary share of 50 kobo, for the financial year ended December 31, 2024. This brings the total dividend in the year to N5.00. The final dividend is subject to the ratification of the shareholders during its upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM).
UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, who expressed excitement at the results, stated that the 2024 financial performance demonstrates the bank’s continued focus on driving earnings growth, preserving asset quality, expanding business operations and deepening market share.
“Our continued investment in our highly diversified global network allows UBA to deliver high quality, consistent earnings. Our businesses have been able to grow product and service income and expand our deposit base, allowing the Group to increase earnings, while maintaining strong spreads and margins,” Alawuba highlighted.
According to him, “With total deposit increasing by 42.03 percent from N17.4 trillion in 2023 to N24.7 trillion and total assets hitting N30.4 trillion from N20.7 trillion, the just released results reflect broad-based growth across all core businesses and were achieved despite prevailing macroeconomic challenges, geopolitical uncertainties, and exchange rate volatilities.”
The GMD expressed excitement at the marked improvement recorded in the bank’s core earnings profile, as he explained that the profit is derived from high-quality income streams from funding intermediation, fees and commissions, thus reflecting strong long-term, sustainable revenues generation capacity.
“Our ex-Nigeria (Rest of Africa & International) operations have expanded significantly over the past five years, now contributing 51.7% of Group revenue, up from 31% in 2019, delivering diversification benefits and further boosting long-term shareholder value. This will continue to grow, as we further explore strategic markets that align with our overall vision. We are currently upgrading our business scope and authorization in France, and considering other viable markets in the short to medium term,” Alawuba noted.
He pointed out the bank’s resolve to invest continuously in technology, data analytics, product innovation, staff training and development, which, according to him, will collectively enhance our customers’ experience.
On his part, UBA’s Executive Director, Finance & Risk Management, Ugo Nwaghodoh, said the bank recorded triple digit growth in net interest income, resulting in remarkable improvement in net interest margin from 6.83 percent in 2023 to 9.02 percent, while also recording strong double-digit growth in fee and commission income lines of 91.66 percent.
“UBA Group continues to demonstrate strong capital levels, with shareholders' funds growth of 68.4% to N3.42 trillion and a solid capital adequacy ratio of 31.0%., and as we defensibly position the portfolio to navigate prevailing global and regional macroeconomic upheavals, asset quality improved, with NPL ratio moderating to 5.58%, with strong provision coverage at 81%”, Nwaghodoh noted.
He explained that as the bank navigates evolving risks, its management remains focused on responsible growth, delivering customer-focused value propositions, whilst ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements in all jurisdictions.
United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries and the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge technology.
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Media personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, popularly known as Daddy Freeze, has claimed miracles in Nigerian Pentecostal churches are choreographed.
He said he doesn’t believe the miracles in Nigerian churches, stressing that they are for half-witts.
He argued that the miracles performed by Jesus in the bible were verifiable but no Nigerian cleric has been able to carry out their miracles on a public figure.
Speaking in a recent episode of Outside The Box podcast, Daddy Freeze said, “I’m sorry but I don’t believe in any of the miracles in any Pentecostal church. I don’t have a problem with the pastors but I don’t believe their miracles.
“My IQ is 156. I will have to be pretty dumb to be able to [believe in miracles in Nigerian churches]. Christ walked into the temple on a Sabbath and there was a man with a withered hand and Christ healed him. Christ raised Lazarus from death.
“He raised the Pharisee’s daughter also from the death. He healed blind Bartimaeus. Everybody knew blind Bartimaeus. The woman with the issue of blood, there were some very prominent people who we all know we healed by Christ.
“But in Nigeria today, there’s nobody… Dora Akunyili was dying of cancer, every Nigerian G.O prayed for her, they couldn’t heal her.
“Mr Ibu was deteriorating to the point they have to amputate him and nobody could heal him. And then he died and nobody could raised him.
“Don’t tell me you did miracles. I want proofs.”
The Presidency has alleged that militants in Rivers State were on standby, awaiting directives from Governor Siminalayi Fubara to launch attacks on oil pipelines before President Bola Tinubu foiled their plans by declaring emergency rule in the state.
The state of emergency was declared on March 18. Tinubu invoked Section 305 of the Constitution and appointed retired Chief of Naval Staff Ibok-Ette Ibas as the state’s sole administrator. The National Assembly approved the emergency rule two days later, despite opposition from some lawmakers.
The emergency rule suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the state House of Assembly for six months.
According to President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, his principal’s intervention prevented threat to the country’s oil production and economic stability.
Onanuga stated this in an opinion piece defending the declaration of the state of emergency in the oil-rich state amidst criticism from different quarters.
According to him, intelligence reports confirmed that militants had been mobilised and were waiting for Fubara’s signal before carrying out the attacks.
Onanuga stressed that President Tinubu’s action was justified by the political crisis between Governor Fubara and the state House of Assembly which had spiraled out of control and grounded governance in the.
“A responsible leader like President Tinubu, who swore an oath to protect the constitution and corporate existence of the country, can not fail to act when a constituent part of the Federation is careering towards the precipice. The political crisis in Rivers State between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and members of the State House of Assembly who owe allegiance to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that blew open barely six months into the administration of the Governor has degenerated by 18 March. A chain of events since the war of attrition started 14 months ago among the combatants had indeed paralysed the government of Rivers State to the point where Fubara, copying from the bad book of former Governor Obaseki in Edo, emasculated an arm of government entirely. This reality informed the Supreme Court’s damning verdict about the absence of government in the State as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of Nigeria, as amended. The court also excoriated Fubara for acting like a despot.
“Rivers was in a grave situation, as the combatants refused to allow reason to prevail, even after the Supreme Court judgment, before President Tinubu declared a state of emergency on 18 March. The President took action in the best interest of the people of the State, who had become victims of the warring politicians, the people they elected to serve them. President Tinubu needed to act. He chose prevention over cure,” he wrote.
Onanuga reaffirmed that President Tinubu’s actions were in line with his constitutional responsibility to maintain national stability.
He dismissed claims that the intervention undermined democracy, arguing instead that it was meant to preserve democracy.
“Section 305 of Nigeria’s Constitution empowers the President to act when the nation faces a breakdown of law, order, and economic security —precisely the case in Rivers, a bastion of Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy. Intelligence confirmed militants, told by Fubara to await signals, were already targeting pipelines, risking a collapse in output and a Niger-Delta domino effect.
“Historical precedents, such as the past emergencies in Plateau and Borno and the doctrine of necessity, support the President’s proactive measures to avert disaster. The President’s oath demands he must not fail in his sacred duty to safeguard national stability, not watch idly as partisan strife strangles our democracy and the material well-being of Nigerians, whose prosperity depends on the social and economic interdependence of every part of the country. Rivers State is a significant hydrocarbon economic artery in Nigeria, and any dislocation and politically motivated disruption of the oil industry in the state will have ripple effects on the national economy,” he wrote.
Responding to critics of Tinubu’s action, Onanuga added: “Critics claim the emergency rule in Rivers undermines democracy. Their position misrepresents reality. The intervention is temporary, surgical, and aimed at restoring—not replacing—democratic institutions. The suspension of political actors for six months is no power grab; it is not a permanent removal but a reset to disarm warring factions. Notably, the same critics who assailed the President’s action for suspending the political actors remain silent on Governor Fubara’s refusal to collaborate with the legislature, exposing their partisan bias. Democracy can not thrive amid lawlessness—anarchy.”
Tinubu’s action had drawn criticism from former President Goodluck Jonathan and Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka.
Jonathan, speaking at the Haske Satumari Foundation Colloquium in Abuja, condemned the suspension of democratic governance in the state.
He expressed disappointment that elected officials, including Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the state House of Assembly, were removed from office.
Jonathan warned that such actions could damage Nigeria’s reputation and deter investment, blaming all three arms of government for engaging in abuse of power.
“These actions by key actors in the executive and legislative arms of government paint the country in a negative light,” Jonathan, who was the chairman of the colloquium, said.
“The key actors in Nigeria from the executive to the legislature and the judiciary know the correct thing to do but they are refusing to do it; they are pretending to sleep, and waking such a person is extremely difficult because the person knows the right thing.
“A clear abuse of offices, clear abuse of power, clear abuse of privileges, cutting across the three arms of government — from the executive through the parliament and to the judiciary,” Jonathan said.
Soyinka had also criticised the move in an interview The Africa Report, saying the emergency rule was against the principles of federalism.
He argued that the 1999 Constitution grants excessive powers to the president and called for a national discussion to amend the Constitution to ensure true federalism.
In response, President Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, dismissed the criticisms as personal opinions.
“Professor Wole Soyinka and former President Goodluck Jonathan are respected statesmen. Like many Nigerians that have offered varied opinions on the President’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, the two distinguished Nigerians have also offered their own opinions too.
“President Tinubu has a country to govern, and he has exercised his power under the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“President Tinubu has a duty to preserve the corporate existence of Nigeria. He won’t allow any part of the country or state to descend into chaos.
“The Supreme Court ruled that there is no functioning government in Rivers State known to the constitution of Nigeria. President Tinubu won’t fail in his sacred duty to protect and preserve the country,” said Ajayi.
•NNPP yet to decide on alliance —National publicity secretary
THE Patriots, a body of elder statesmen and leaders of thought in the country, at the weekend, explained why it could not be part of the ongoing efforts by some opposition politicians that unveiled a coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the All progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidency.
The organisation spoke against the backdrop of the unveiling of the coalition in Abuja last week by former vice president and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Other prominent politicians who attended the conference included the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachair Lawal.
In an interaction with the Nigerian Tribune at the weekend, the Secretary General of The Patriots, Comrade Olawale Okunniyi said there was no relationship between The Patriots Organisation on formed by the opposition politicians.
He said the leaders of The Patriots were preoccupied with “bringing about a new Nigeria that works for all as a pan-Nigerian organisation.
According to Olawale, The Patriots, under the leadership of a former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, had succeeded in getting the buy-in of other stakeholders on the advocacy for a constitution that would reflect the wishes and aspirations of the diverse people of Nigeria.
In October last year, The Patriots inaugurated Zonal Advocacy Committees across the six geo-political zones to collect the inputs of stakeholders towards the actualisation of what the group called a People’s Constitution for the country.
The national chairman of Patriots’ Strategy and Advocacy Committee on constitutional reform of Nigeria, Professor Anthony Kila and the national secretary of the committee, Dr Bilikisu Magoro, had explained that the political reform advocacy was devolved to the zones, with members from each state and diverse groups in Nigeria.
Comrade Okunniyi referenced the setting up of the zonal committee while speaking to the Nigerian Tribune on the formation of the coalition by the opposition politicians ahead 2027, stressing that The Patriots remained focus on its strategic aim of bringing about a new Nigeria.
“The Advocacy and Mobilisation Committee of The Patriots have already enlisted the commitment of formidable voices in the six geo political zones of Nigeria to mobilise critical stakeholders and the general public to buy into the longstanding advocacy in Nigeria for a new democratic people’s Constitution for Nigeria towards resolving Nigeria’s national democratic and constitutional challenges
“To this end, Zonal Advocacy Committees have been constituted and inaugurated in the six geo-political zones since November last year and these have been holding strategy and consultative meetings and now rearing to launch nationwide outreaches in April this year
“However, the new coalition of opposition forces has no relationship with the Patriots as the Patriots as a body of eminent Nigerians, is a non-partisan, pan-Nigerian intervention group of eminent leaders of thought, statesmen and women, who are only committed to bringing about a new Nigeria that works for all via a popularly agreed Constitution by the diverse stakeholders and citizens of Nigeria. So the Patriots as a group will never entertain or embrace partisan politics.”
While inaugurating the People’s Constitution Strategy and Advocacy Committee of The Patriots in August, the Chairman of The Patriots, Chief Emeka Anyaoku (former secretary general of the Commonwealth of Nations) stated that the Advocacy Team Co-Chaired by Senator Shehu Sanni would be reaching out to various sectors of the peoples and citizens of Nigeria for buy-in and support towards actualising a new democratic people’s Constitution for Nigeria as
It would be recalled that The Patriots had earlier visited President Bola Tinubu to make a firm case for a legitimate federal constitution that can make Nigeria work for all.
In the meantime, there are indications that the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) is yet to make a firm commitment to the coalition announced last week in Abuja by Atiku.
This indication emerged at the weekend following inquiries made by the Nigerian Tribune from the national publicity secretary of the party, Mr Ladipo Johnson, on whether NNPP was a part of the coalition since the party was not represented at the unveiling of the coalition.
He said the party leaders were still holding consultations with other groups for the purpose of broadening the base of a platform capable of challenging the ruling APC in 2027, adding the question of being part of a coalition would come at a most auspicious time.
“The opposition platform is a very wide spectrum in this country. What I can assure you is that the NNPP members are also in talks with various groups and we choose to keep our interactions at this stage under wraps until positive decisions and timely decisions have been taken,” the NNPP spokesman said.
“Furthermore, looking at the opposition coalition announced by Atiku Abubakar, you would agree with me that people, groups or parties can join a coalition almost at any time.
“Some people or parties might decide that they are still in talks with some others. When the others come on board, you might decide that you want to join even a broader coalition or otherwise.
“So, I assure Nigerians that the NNPP is in consultations far and wide to ensure we contribute our bit to bringing about good governance in this country that will improve security; that we are working towards ensuring that the value of the Naira gets stronger, inflation is reduced and we give our youths and women the hope that the economy will improve and they will be able to make positive impacts on their entrepreneurship.
“This is what we believe and this is what we are working towards.”