The Director of Strategic Communications for the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Momodu, has expressed his desire to expel the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, from the People’s Democratic Party if given the authority.

Despite his desire to sack Wike from the PDP, Momodu did not object to Wike’s ministerial appointment by President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Momodu said this while speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Political Paradigm’ programme aired on Tuesday (today).

“I don’t have the power, if I had the power, I would have fired him (Wike) long ago,” Momodu said.

PUNCH Online reports that Wike had challenged his party, the PDP, daring them to take action against him through suspension or disciplinary measures.

The former Rivers State governor asserted that he had yet to encounter a party leader who possessed the authority to suspend or expel him from the PDP.

He also claimed to be working for President Bola Tinubu and not the All Progressives Congress.

When questioned about his rationale for wanting to expel Wike from the party, Momodu responded, “Such an unruly person who wants to destroy our party? One individual cannot hold everybody to ransom. If we fought the military, Tinubu was part of those who fought the military in this country, and then, you will now allow a civilian dictatorship?”

Prior to the 2023 elections, Wike and four other former governors, collectively known as the G-5 within the PDP, withdrew their support for the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, due to disagreements over power-sharing within the PDP.

[Punch]

The Independent Broadcasting Association of Nigeria (IBAN) has condemned the wanton destruction of Daar Communications PLC’s (owner of African Independent Television and Raypower) building and equipment by the Rivers State Government, which occurred on Monday, 4th September, 2023.

IBAN has described the Rivers State Government’s action as self-help, illegal, and an abuse of the legal order prejudicial to our nascent democracy, as the dispute on the land between Daar Communications PLC and Rivers State Government is still a subject of litigation before a court of competent jurisdiction.

IBAN views the action of the Rivers State Government as an attempt to intimidate and silence the media, which is the watchdog of the society. It calls on the Rivers State Government to stay action and allow the judicial process to prevail on the matter.

Guy Murray-Bruce

Chairman, Independent Broadcasting Association Of Nigeria (IBAN)

Undeterred by jetlag from a long intercontinental journey, President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, arrived in New Delhi to the immediate embrace of Mr. Gopichand Hinduja, the Chairman and CEO of the Hinduja Group of Companies, a conglomerate with a total asset portfolio exceeding $100 billion U.S. Dollars.

The Indian Industrialist was received by the President within 90 minutes of the President's arrival in India for a meeting, which began around 8:00pm local time.

Accompanied to the meeting by Nigeria's Ministers of Finance, Trade & Industry, and Foreign Affairs, the smiling Nigerian leader made it clear to his first visitor that he is in India with one focus: attracting investments to Nigeria with lucrative opportunities for investors, but most essentially, jobs for Nigerians and new revenue opportunities for Nigeria's federal and sub-national governments.

"We are here for business. I am here to personally assure our friends and investors that there is no bottleneck that I will not break. Nigeria will become one of the most conducive places on earth to make good profits and create lasting jobs. With my support, there is nothing standing in your way of enjoying the unrivaled opportunities presented by our massive market and the ingenious & hardworking nature of the Nigerian people. We are open for business," the President firmly assured.

The Hinduja Group Chairman told the President that he was a living witness to his landmark effort as Governor of Lagos in turning a coastal erosion and water encroachment crisis into a massive free trade zone where industry now thrives. This, he said, was partially responsible for his excitement to partner with Nigeria's new President to create win-win prosperity for Nigeria's talented population.

"We believe in you as a leader who has done this before. You know what the challenges are. You know how to fix them. We are going to make investments into the billions of dollars under your leadership, because we see you are already addressing the systemic problems. I am ready now to sign an MoU and to begin execution. You tell me who to liase with, and we will get to work immediately, particularly with respect to bus and automobile manufacturing in Nigeria, amongst other areas," the industrialist enthusiastically stated.

The President did not wait to respond.

"Ministers of Trade and Finance, the two of you will follow this up immediately, and you will draw up the terms to the satisfaction of both parties. If there are any issues at all that require my intervention, they must be brought to my attention immediately."

After the President assigned the task of concluding the agreement to the two Ministers in collaboration with Hinduja Group Executives, who were present in the room, the industrialist could not hide his excitement.

"I have had paperwork stalled in Nigerian bureaucracy for over one year, especially in FCT, but I knew that you would be purpose driven in this endeavour and God will help you to turn Nigeria's rich promise into rich reality for all of its citizens," the Indian Billionaire concluded.

The President concluded that his task of making Nigeria great can only be achieved through teamwork and not in isolation, noting that when his investors are happy, Nigerians will rejoice by partaking in an inclusive economy where hard work is rewarded and where excellence becomes the reputation of the nation.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

When on March 31st 2023, I offered my letter to step aside as National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples' Party (NNPP), my prayer and hope then was that this was an opportunity for the party to move ahead and move fast to consolidate on the indisputable gains made so far during the last 2023 General Elections and prepare for the forthcoming elections that lie ahead.

Unfortunately, in the last few weeks, the party has slipped deeper and deeper into avoidable crises and conflicts that have led to several cases of suspension and counter-suspension of key leaders of the party, acrimonious press war, accusations and counter- accusations, which regrettably has led to the factionalisation of the party.

After the historic merger of the party in March 2022, together with other astute, highly dedicated, hardworking and loyal members of the party, we put in place a robust political structure nationwide. The National Working Committee (NWC) forged cohesion among our members and created a formidable national platform that fielded candidates for all elective offices from the State Houses of Assembly to National Assembly, Governorship and the Presidency. I am proud to be part of that Dream Team.

It is on record that within a period of less than one year and despite the limited time corridor from the merger to the General Elections,
the party won elections in the Governorship, National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly seats.

However, I voluntarily stepped aside as the National Chairman of the NNPP shortly after the general election this year to give room for new hands and fresh ideas in order to advance the party forward. As far I was concerned, I never believed in the culture of sit tight in leadership positions nor that I was indispensable. The New Nigeria we all aspire to achieve must be built on the solid foundation of dedication, hardwork, resilience and personal sacrifice.

However, the recent disturbing developments in the NNPP with the emergence of factions working against each other is really unfortunate and counter-productive. Sadly,
there appears to be no end in sight in this needeless war of attrition. It seems that there's an unwritten code by the warring factions not to allow Elders of the party to mediate to finding a lasting solution to the crises. This is indeed regrettable and unhealthy for the growth and survival of any political party, especially an emerging political party such as the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Therefore, and in accordance with the NNPP Constitution, and having consulted widely, I hereby announce the withdrawal of my membership of the NNPP forthwith, and I pray and wish the party the best in her future endeavours.

I wish to call on all my friends, associates and supporters to remain calm and resolute while awaiting communications on future developments and our next direction.

Professor Rufa'i Ahmed Alkali
Former National Chairman, (NNPP)

The National Executive Committee of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has expelled its 2023 presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

His expulsion came following his alleged refusal to appear before the party’s disciplinary committee.

The former Kano governor had been earlier suspended by the party’s leadership at the National Convention on August 29 in Lagos.

Recall that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NNPP set up a disciplinary committee and directed it to invite Kwankwaso to defend allegations of gross anti-party activities and mismanagement of party/campaign funds within five days.

Announcing his expulsion, the acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq, said in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos, that the NEC had expelled Kwankwaso with immediate effect because of his refusal to honour the committee’s invitations.

“The NEC met in an emergency session on Friday, September 1 and resolved that following the refusal of Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to appear before the disciplinary committee which sat on Thursday, August 31 after being duly invited in writing, he is hereby expelled from NNPP with immediate effect.

“That the erstwhile presidential candidate, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso will be reported to appropriate quarters to answer questions on financial impropriety relating to mismanagement of public funds,” the statement said

[NationalDaily]

The two-day warning strike embarked on by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) recorded partial compliance in some parts of the country on its first day.

The NLC had last week declared a two-day warning strike over the impact of petrol subsidy removal on the masses.

Labour had accused the federal government of abandoning negotiations with the union.

The congress also said the government has failed to implement some of the resolutions reached at previous meetings.

On Monday, the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) said its members would join the industrial action.

Reacting to the development, Simon Lalong, minister of labour and employment, appealed to the NLC to suspend the strike.

Lalong also pleaded with the NLC to give the government some time to settle and address the issues on the ground.

On the first day of the strike, commercial activities in most cities across Nigeria continued apace, with a lull in the financial services sector.

At the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos, some banks were open to customers while some fillings stations were seen attending to motorists.

Workers at the Ikeja distribution company in the Alausa area of the state were locked out of their offices while civil servants at the Lagos secretariat were seen going about their normal duties.

In Kaduna, government offices, banks and other financial institutions were shut in compliance with the industrial action.

In Edo, the NLC barred entry into the state high court premises while in Rivers, civil servants were seen at the state secretariat.

[TheCable]

A friend shared an analogy with me this week. He said the average Nigerian politician is like a student preparing for exam; you have read to your best, and are confident that you will pass the exam. When your friends ask you before the exam how you are feeling, you tell them “e lo f’okan bale” — you tell them to calm down. But on exam day, you still cheat to pass the exam simply because you don’t want to leave anything to chance. And that is the genesis of our problems. 

We may come back to this analogy later — or not. But I got into some self-reflection this week, and I thought to share. I do not believe Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party, won the 2023 presidential election. The evidence simply does not support it. The sense, I however get, is that the Obidients are also not saying he won, they are just saying the process was not free and fair, so whoever won cannot be said to have won a credible election.

This was my position for the longest. Until I decided to get into conversation with some Obidients in my network. These people would swear that Obi won the elections  — and it was not even close. They believe Tinubu rigged the election blindly. To garnish their thoughts, they said Tinubu “let go” of Lagos state at the presidential election to bring some credibility to his overall win.

What about FCT, could he not have rigged to get the famous 25%? I asked. Their response was that Abuja was “unriggable”.  There was nothing I could say, no amount of data could convince them. To make matters worse, there were more pre-election opinion polls in 2022/2023 than we had ever seen in the history of this country, and they overwhelmingly predicted an Obi win.

SO WHAT IF WE ARE WRONG?

At the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, I learnt a new level critical writing. The biggest takeaway from that module was understanding that your writing could be blind and self-defeating, if you are not your own fiercest critic. In line with this thought, I have asked myself; what if I am wrong about Peter Obi not winning the election? What if Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was the winner? What if Tinubu rigged most of the states he won, as we are made to believe? Or what if nobody won, and the actual results would necessitate a re-run?

I found that I was open to all these scenarios because I have no allegiance to any political party or politician. I have no gods among them. So, I’d like to ask you, as a BATist or Obidient, have you ever considered if your position was wrong? What would you do? Would you admit? Can you even stomach the thought that Tinubu did not win? That Obi did not win? That Atiku was out of question?

I reckon that if you are not ready for such admission, you may not be approaching this matter logically. I fear that you have a god among them.

IT’S THE HOPE THAT KILLS

In 2012, Manchester United and Manchester City were fighting so hard for the English Premier League Title. As at the last game, any of them could still win the league. It was expected to be harder for City because they were playing Queen Park Rangers (QPR), who were 17th on the league table and needed that game to beat relegation.

For 90 minutes, Manchester United fans, like me, hoped that this would end in a draw. In less than 30 seconds to the end of the game, Kun Aguero scored for City, and won City’s first Premier League title ever. This was the beginning of City’s Dominance, that has now lasted more than a decade.

The hope, which eventually failed, devastated Manchester United. Hope is great — I do not speak of ‘renewed hope’ — but it is also the hope that kills. On Wednesday, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal  (PEPT) will give its judgement on who won or lost the election.

Many young Nigerians are hopeful that like Manchester City, this may be winning something that has never been won before. Older Nigerians, who have a history of “nobody has ever won at presidential tribunal” feel nothing new will come out of the tribunal. People like Femi Falana, the legal luminary, have said the tribunal decision is not final.

Here is my call to every Nigerian reading this; be calm, manage your expectations, and prepare you mind for an outcome that may not favour your candidate. Those calls for a coup d’etat if certain candidates do not win at the tribunal are largely unnecessary. The military has never solved any nation’s economic and development problems.

Ultimately, can you stomach that your god did not win?

You can reach ‘Mayowa on Twitter @OluwamayowaTJ 

Explains why Naira lost value

The 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said former President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was to be blamed for the current economic crises being experienced by Nigerians and not his successor – President Bola Tinubu.

The traditional cum religious leader of Dariqa Islamic sect said the Buhari government in its eight years mismanaged the country’s economy without listening to experts.

Sanusi II, who is a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), spoke in an undated viral video while addressing his students at his regular Islamic teaching sessions.

He said government apologists or sycophants called the shots under President Buhari administration, adding that an “inexperienced boy” can own a private jet under the immediate-past administration because he gets Dollar at the official rate and take it to the black market for round tripping.

Sanusi II also said excessive borrowing by the Buhari government crippled Nigeria’s economy, the negative effects of which Nigerians are now facing, including loss of Naira value. He, therefore, urged the citizens to be patient with the current administration of President Bola Tinubu, who took over barely three months ago.

He stated that all that is currently happening in Nigeria had been foreseen and foretold by him, saying some Nigerians criticised him and dubbed him as an anti-government critic at the time.

He, however, added that this was not the right time for him to speak on the difficulties Nigerians were experiencing.

“The last eight years, Nigeria lived a fake life, the government borrowed from within and without. About N30 trillion was borrowed from the Central Bank.

“All the revenue the country generated in the last few years couldn’t cater for debt servicing. Debt servicing exceeded 100 per cent. Government borrowed to service debts. No country can grow this way. Time will come when one cannot even borrow any more. Additionally, there will be nothing available to pay the debts.

“Those writing, demanding that we speak on the current situation in the country; this is not the right time for me to speak. It was like a driver on the road driving recklessly despite repeated warnings about potholes ahead. What will you tell after plunging the car into the hole?

“People refused to listen to us then. We will only now advise them to be patient. I will never say Tinubu has pushed Nigeria into difficulty. I am not saying he is flawless yet. We will speak when he goes astray. The government can’t pay subsidies since it doesn’t have the means.

“If they increase tax, we will have to pay since borrowing is impossible. If the CBN printed more Naira, the Dollar would jack up to N1,500. We must suffer. When I was the CBN governor, Naira was about N150 to a Dollar. Today it’s somewhere around N900.

“They treated the economy the way they wanted and refused to listen to experts. In the last eight years, only sycophants succeeded. The sycophants bought Dollars at N400 and sold N540. Even an inexperienced boy who had never worked anywhere can own a private jet,” Sanusi II stated.

He, therefore, urged wealthy Nigerians to assist the needy in the present circumstance even as he admonished ordinarily Nigerians to also be financially prudent and disciplined.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said the four oil refineries in Nigeria will never work.

The four refineries are located in Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna states.

Obasanjo said the refineries will never work as long as the government continues to hold onto them.

The former president who stated this in an interview with The Cable Online Newspaper, said Shell Oil Development Company turned down his offer to them to run the refineries.

He disclosed that after much persuasion the managing director of Shell, at the time, listed four reasons why the oil company wouldn’t get involved in running Nigeria’s refineries, including “too much corruption in refineries.”

Recall that President Bola Tinubu last month assured that the petroleum refinery in Port Harcourt will start working by December 2023.

Tinubu, had in a statement by former presidential spokesman, Dele Alake, in August, said the “Port Harcourt refineries will start production by December 2023 after the completion of the ongoing rehabilitation contract between NNPCL and Italian firm, Maire Tecnimont SpA.”

The President stated this when he met with labour unions at the State House in Abuja to halt the last nationwide protest.

Labour, had among other things, demanded the government’s commitment to getting local refineries to work, an objective that has gulped about N11.35 trillion in the last 10 years.

But responding to a question on the state of Nigeria’s refineries in the interview, Obasanjo said, “They will not work as long as the government is keeping hold of them. When I was president, I invited Shell to a meeting. I told them I wanted to hand over the refineries for them to help us run. They bluntly told me they would not. I was shocked.

“I repeated the request and they stood their ground. When the meeting was over, I asked their big man (MD) to wait behind for a little chat. Then I asked him why they were so hesitant on not taking over the refineries. He said did I want to hear the truth? I said yes. He listed four reasons. One, he said Shell makes its money from upstream and that is where its interest lies. Two, he said they only do downstream or retail as a matter of service. Three, he said our refineries would be bad business for them, that globally, companies are going for bigger refineries because of the economics of refineries. Four, he said there is too much corruption in refineries.

“I thanked him for his honesty. I knew we had a big problem in our hands. I had virtually given up hope on the refineries when God did a miracle. Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola approached me and said they would be interested in buying two of the four refineries. They said they would buy 51 percent stake in Port Harcourt and Kaduna. I was over the moon. I said, finally, this burden would be taken off the neck of the government. They offered $761 million and paid in two instalments. Unfortunately, Umaru (President Yar’Adua) cancelled the sale and returned the refineries to NNPC. Today, we are still where we were. Someone told me Tinubu said refineries would work by December. I told the person the refineries would not work. This is based on the information I received from Shell when I was the president.”

On the power sector, Obasanjo said “You can only get the power sector right when you get all the fundamentals in the power sector right. In 2006, we ordered 42 turbines that should have been completed if not by 2007 then in 2008. My target was 10,000 megawatts of power by 2007.

“Up till today, I understand that five of the turbines have yet to be installed. I have been out of the office for 16 years. If after 18 years when those turbines had been ordered, five have still not been installed, what are you talking about?”

He said his administration did all it could do in the sector he left office, adding that it is still struggling with 4,000 megawatts since he left office in

Restates no going back on subsidy removal

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that Nigeria, which used to be the sleeping giant of the world, is now ready to take its rightful place in the global arena.

“Nigeria, the sleeping giant of Africa, has woke up from its slumber,” Senator Shettima said on Tuesday at the 16th Annual Banking and Finance Conference holding in Abuja.

Shettima, therefore, restated that the withdrawal of fuel subsidy was irrevocable.

The Vice President said President Bola Tinubu was determined to catapult the nation to higher pedestal.

He enjoined the participants at the conference to come on board to help build a nation for all.

“This is a great nation on chains.

The potentials are there. It’s the leadership that is missing. That is what is lacking in our midst. We have the resources. We are closer to Europe than India,” he said.

The Vice President said the current administration was partnering with some banks to drive a digital economic process. He said some banks were already working with government to teach our young men digital skills to compete in the global digital space.

“Let’s walk the talk. We are open for business. Nigeria is the destination of choice for any savvy investors,” he said, while encouraging the bankers’ committee to utilise emerging and distracting technologies to harness Nigeria’s economic opportunities.

“We must prioritise financial inclusion and equal opportunity for everyone,” he added.

While noting that the forum was not one for name calling, Shettima said it was a sanctuary for innovation and vision for a better economy.

He ended his speech with the claim that as depressive as Nigeria’s challenges were, they are also pregnant with opportunities.

He told the participants that the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu-led administration can’t be fully implemented without their cooperation, adding that, “We seek your partnership in getting this done.”