News
Kalu to APC: Obasanjo became President without winning S’West, don’t short-change S’East
To those making the argument that the South East must be overlooked in the distribution of the booties by the All Progressives Congress (APC), for posting a dismal performance in the last presidential election, a counter has come from former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu – Olusegun Obasanjo became President of Nigeria in 1999, without winning significant votes from the South West, where he comes from.
Kalu, who is eyeing the position of the Senate President, maintained that he should not be denied the position based on the performance of the APC in the South East, but on his ability and the fact that Nigeria as a country needed to be welded together in unity, where no part is seen to be undoing the other.
His admonition came on Thursday, when he joined other aspirants of the party on a visit to the National Chairman of APC, Abdullahi Adamu, where a protest was lodged against the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) to allot offices at NASS, which excluded Kalu and his camp.
Admitting errors in the decision of the NWC, Adamu had told Kalu, Senate Chief Whip and former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, who led former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari and Senator Sani Musa, to submit a petition to his office: “We’re happy to receive you and hear you express your displeasure for what we have done. As chairman of the APC and members of the NWC, we take responsibility. As chairman, I take responsibility for what has gone on air. I take absolute responsibility for that. And in that spirit, I welcome you to this office on behalf of my colleagues.
“On Wednesday, we received members of the lower chamber who are also contesting for the Speakership in the lower chamber and we had similar pronouncements – words of disagreement from them. What we will not do today from what we have received from you is to start to open any discussion with you at this sitting as to how what you heard got to be what you heard.
“Yes, there was no sufficient or adequate consultations with you that are contesting and it is a simple principle of democracy that you get views and opinions. But, the circumstances that we found ourselves in after the elections frustrated our desire. We will go back to the drawing board. We owe our party that duty to take a look whether what was done cannot be changed; what was done needs some changes or reviews. We will take a look at what necessary compelled us to do by the grace of God.
“Hold the fire until the last word is heard from us. We are the custodians of the party as NWC but we are not acting alone. The voice of the President-elect is an essential voice. We must accommodate him, the best we can. I will not compromise on that.”
Kalu, denouncing the zoning arrangement of the party for the NASS offices as undemocratic, warning that that it was setting a stage for members to revolt at the floor of the chambers on June 13 when it would be inaugurated and voting to elect officers conducted, told his host: “What I want to say is that the country needs to live in peace. We need to live as people that have worked together for many years. And in doing this, vote should not count on what you get most times. Enmity should not also count in what one gets most times.
“The current vice president of America, Lady Kamala Harris, used to abuse President Biden. They were opponents, but today, they have found themselves in the same boat, they are living peacefully, they are showing maturity. President Obasanjo became President with votes from other Nigerians other than his constituency. So, what I am saying is vote should not be the right measurement because what you did not do today, you can do tomorrow.
“We had a hurricane in our zone that nobody could have stopped it. President Buhari had 29.9 per cent in Abia in 2019. He had 68.7 per cent in Abia North senatorial district. We are still very proud of what we did to him. I insist that vote must not count because we need one another. The binding of one another is more important than vote cast.
“Yes, vote cast is important to help the party win. But the party has won and we need peace and everybody on board…We cannot only count our success by vote, after all, in our zone, we used to be only two or three senators but today we are about six or seven APC senators from the zone.
“We all know that there was a presidential candidate from the South East and the entire people from the area took a decision. But it is not only in the South East that this happened, every part of the country had problem of voting.
“I want to appeal to the NWC that giving every part of the country a piece of the cake makes the country safe and the people to feel that they are Nigerians. I have been at the vanguard of calling for Nigeria’s unity for over 40 years…We piloted unity of the country, which is more important. We have had elections were presidents of Nigeria lost all his zone but he was still made president. Nobody discriminated against him even when he lost where he voted. Winning is not rocket science. Winning is not the issue but being your brother’s keeper is more important than winning.
“I appeal to you people to cede something reasonable and valuable to the South East. We are going to rebuild the party and the most important thing is starting earlier. Four years is like four days and it is like going back for election in the next few years. Give us opportunity to rebuild this great party.
“I am not saying that what you people have done does not look very nice but it is wrong micro-zoning to individuals, pencilling people’s name. It is undemocratic and against the constitutional right of all the aspirants. Section 51 of the Constitution did not approve that for the National Assembly. So, we are going to challenge it. We are going to say no to it. I am a party man, I am a believer in the party and I have never disobeyed this party. This is first time we are going to say no to directive of the party. We are going to say that we are not going to do this in the floor of the Senate.
“It is still early enough, about 18 to 19 days to resolve it. It will be better that the party returns to the drawing board, deliberate and call a consultative meeting. You have to review the zoning arrangement and correct micro-zoning the positions to individuals. It must be done by zone not name because it contradicts all the relevant sections of the (APC) Constitution.
“It will not be right for a big national party like ours to perpetrate what is unconstitutional. We want you people to do what will be in agreement with the Constitution. Mr. Chairman, don’t forget that all the 109 senators are capable of becoming a Senate President. There is no one elected there that is not competent enough to be a Senate President.
“I urge you people to go for further consultations and know the direction this party will go so that we can have peace in the country built on tripods like Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. You should ignore the excuses about number of votes.”
In his reaction, Yari, said that the decision was capable of empowering the opposition party to upset the ruling party, warning the party not to underrate the capacity of the North in turning around whatever decision it had taken, insisting that the incoming government was still the government of the North.
On his part, said: “Whenever we see anything that is not right, it is only fair if we are good followers to bring it to the table and when they said the national chairman is inviting us for this, I agreed. I am standing here in my own corner as a distinguished senator, who is also aspiring and also, I am here to speak in respect of my distinguished colleagues, Senators-elect from the north central geopolitical zone of this country.
“When I made my declaration, I said, looking at the secularity of this country and looking at the permutations when we took risk (same faith ticket) and we were successful. There are certain times we should not push our luck. I said, we have competent distinguished Senators-elect from anywhere. That is because we have a Muslim president. We have a Muslim vice president and we thought that at least the third person should be a Christian.
“As we are going, I had expected that the party will look at those who are very few. I think four or five of us declared interest. And I thought in the wisdom of the party, they will invite just those five of us which they can manage. If you can manage us like this after a decision has been proposed, decision have been reached, it would have been easier if you sat with us before that proposed decision was issued and said there can only be one leader and we are first among equals. But the party didn’t do that.
“The NWC had a meeting with Mr. President-elect. I respect Mr. President-elect, he is a tactical politician. He knows it. He knows every inch of it. He will be able to listen to whatever an organ like APC will bring to him. Whatever anyone will tell him, he will want to aggregate his own views.”
Taiwo Oyedele, Minister of Finance, General Chris Musa, Minister of Defence, Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser (NSA), Adeola Ajayi, Director General, Department of State Services (DSS), Tunji Disu, Inspector General of Police (IGP), art to appear before members of the House of Representatives to answer question on the state of insecurity in the country.
Also to appear are the Service Chiefs – General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Idi Abbas, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and Sunday Kelvin Aneke, Chief of Air Staff (CAS).
While the Minister of Finance is expected to brief the House on the financial releases to security agencies to fight insecurity, the others are expected to brief the lawmakers on efforts to curb rising insecurity across the country.
The House called on the President to urgently deploy a more aggressive, comprehensive, and sustained security strategy aimed at flushing out bandits from their strongholds, securing vulnerable schools and places of worship, and ensuring the immediate and unconditional release of all persons currently held in captivity.
In their resolutions following two separate motions of urgent public importance sponsored by Abubakar Gumi (APC, Zamfara), and Ibe Osonwa (LP, Abia) the House also spoke of the need to revisit the cashless policy of government, which discourages the movement of large sums of money, adding that it is often difficult to pay ransom money through bank transfers.
The House also asked the President to immediately order the recruitment of more forest guards in all states of the federation in line with the security challenges in the various states.
Gumi, who lamented that insecurity in Zamfara State and the entire North West had escalated into a complex humanitarian crisis, driven by armed banditry, kidnappings, and the infiltration of transnational jihadist groups, told his colleagues that between the first and sixth of June, 2026, rampaging bandits riding on about 250 motorcycles with three riders on each invaded Gumi/Bukkuyum federal constituency of Zamfara state and some parts of Sokoto state, killing 93 people.
He also said that on the night of June 2, 2026, into the early hours of June 3, 2026, seven students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State, were abducted by bandits at their off-campus students’ hostel. Earlier, two senior lecturers of the same Polytechnic (Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda) were kidnapped and had been in captivity for more than two months, despite ransom payments for their release.
He also spoke of the violent attack by bandits on Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State where four people were killed and several travellers abducted, while in Talata Marafa Local Government Area, a Councillor and a Director were abducted while travelling from Jangebe to the local government headquarters over Hajj activities for intending pilgrims from Jangebe.
He said the bandits killed both of them after refusing to collect any ransom, while also raising alarm at the escalation of bandit attacks in other North West States of Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi and Jigawa.
He said further that “on 3 1st May, 2026, 17 villagers were killed when bandits in their hundreds and riding on motorcycles invaded Dangulbi community in Tureta Local Government Area of Sokoto State. It was also reported that more than 15 communities in Tureta and Sabon Birni Local Government Areas of Sokoto State have been deserted due to constant bandit attacks.
“In Katsina State, a former Director of Defence Information of the Nigerian Army, Major General Rabe Abubakar Batsari (rtd), and his wife were abducted when their vehicle was ambushed along the Marabar Musawa-Kafinsoli road in Matazu Local Government Area on 30 May, 2026.
He also expressed concern about the continuous, unchallenged movement of bandits between the towns, states and their hideouts, severely undermining the credibility of the nation’s security, while expressing conviction that if the recurring trend of insecurity and kidnapping in Zamfara State and the entire North West is not checked, it will destroy lives and ruin the socio/economic fortunes of the entire North West Region.
Stanley Olajide (APM, Oyo), also bewailing the situation, called for investment in satellite imaging to monitor activities of terrorists, while Olumide Osoba said state governments should invest in CCTV.
Babajimi Benson spoke of the need to place the establishment of state police on the front burner of legislative activities, adding that the parliament should set aside a day to hold a special session to pass the bill on the establishment of state police.
Adopting another motion on insecurity by Ibe Okwara Osonwa (LP, Abia), the House called for immediate and decisive executive action to address the escalating wave of insecurity across Nigeria, particularly the surge in banditry, the daily abduction of schoolchildren, and repeated attacks on schools and places of worship.
In considering the motion, the House anchored its concerns on Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
The House expressed grief and alarm over what they described as the unrelenting escalation of banditry, mass kidnappings, and terror attacks across various parts of the country, warning that the development has left Nigerians in a continuous state of fear, mourning, and uncertainty.
The House noted that the persistent abduction of schoolchildren has gone beyond isolated incidents, stressing that it has severely disrupted the nation’s educational system, forced thousands of children out of school, worsened the out-of-school children crisis, and inflicted lasting trauma on affected families and communities.
It further observed with concern that schools and places of worship, once regarded as safe havens for learning, spiritual reflection, and communal peace, have increasingly become prime targets for armed criminal groups.
Lawmakers also highlighted the disturbing trend of attacks on worshippers, noting that religious congregants are now regularly abducted or killed during services, a situation they said constitutes a serious infringement on citizens’ fundamental rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
The House expressed worry that ordinary Nigerians are increasingly feeling abandoned by the state as insecurity continues to cripple economic and social life. It noted that farming communities have been deserted due to terror threats, businesses are collapsing, and families are being pushed into extreme poverty as they struggle to meet ransom demands for kidnapped relatives.
It also observed that despite trillions of naira allocated to the defence and security sectors in successive national budgets, the country’s security architecture appears overwhelmed, reactive, and incapable of effectively countering the sophistication of criminal networks operating across different regions.
The House further raised concern over what they described as the absence of a decisive and coordinated military response, warning that the situation has created the impression that the state may be losing control over parts of its territory.
The House also warned that should the administration fail or prove unwilling to decisively halt the worsening insecurity within a clearly defined timeframe, the Service Chiefs should honourably resign their positions, having failed in their constitutional responsibility to guarantee the safety and welfare of Nigerians.
It further mandated its Committees on Defence, National Security and Intelligence, and the Army to intensify oversight of the implementation of the resolution and report back within two weeks for further legislative action.
The House reaffirmed that the protection of lives and property remains the fundamental duty of government under the Constitution, urging urgent and sustained action to stem the tide of insecurity across the country.
Now that push has come to shove, with hundreds of its citizens being evacuated due to continued xenophobic attacks, Nigeria may be considering retaliatory measures against South Africa over the hostilities, which have intensified in recent months.
Nigerians and other black African migrants in the country, have come under serious attacks, with their businesses being looted by South Africans demonstrating against what the refer as illegal immigrants populating their country.
But Bianca Ojukwu, Minister of Foreign Affairs while expressing the displeasure of Abuja over the development stressed that the actions being directed at black African migrants were particularly troubling given the role they played in supporting South Africa’s struggle against apartheid.
Giving example with the efforts of Nigeria in particular, she said: “Nigeria is not happy because Nigeria has sacrificed much for the South African struggle for independence. Nigeria sacrificed quite a lot, committed funds, committed resources to aid South Africa.
“In schools, seats were reserved for South African students. My own generation, we carried placards. We demonstrated in front of South African assets. Sometimes, we even got arrested for doing this. And Nigeria is a serious frontline state, and Nigerians are not happy about how they have treated us.
“They (South Africans) are not asking other migrants to leave. They’re only asking black migrants to leave. Well, that (retaliation) is a situation that we are considering. This is up to our legislature. This is a decision that has to be taken at the highest level of government, but it’s not off the table.”
Blaming the South African authorities for failing to act, she lamented how the police in particular had always looked the other way while Nigerians were being attacked saying this did not speak well of the country’s attitude to the crisis.
“So, our citizens are imperiled. They are in distress. So, they cannot be said to be illegal migrants. People who are doing legitimate business have their shops looted, they have their shops set on fire,” she added.
The remarks come amid mounting concern over anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa, where Nigerians and other African nationals have increasingly become targets of protests and campaigns demanding the removal of undocumented migrants.
There have been growing concerns over the safety of Nigerians in South Africa following renewed anti-immigrant protests and hostility directed at foreign nationals.
The demonstrations, which have taken place in parts of Pretoria and Johannesburg, have largely focused on undocumented migrants, with protesters accusing them of contributing to unemployment, crime and pressure on public services.
Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) on Monday doubled down on his attack on Atiku Abubakar, whom he a fortnight ago, accused of having sympathy for terrorist rampaging across Nigeria, especially those of Fulani extraction.
The former SGF had recently accused the VP of not condemning the attacks carried out by the group, including kidnap of citizens in various parts of the country and in some cases, actually killing their victims, apart from other acts of outright carnage against communities.
But Atiku, had in a strong rebuttal, dismissed the allegation, stating that the beef with him stemmed from losing out in the last presidential primaries of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where a candidate he had promised the party’s ticket for financial gains, lost the bid.
But unpersuaded, the former SGF claimed that the attempt by the former VP, who is now the candidate of the party, having picked the ticket at the end of the exercise, to extricate himself of complicity fell flat on its face because the only time he spoke against the series of attacks, was to direct his condemnation against the government rather than the perpetrators,
A guest of Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television, he argued that making general comments condemning insecurity did not equate to specificity in calling out the actual criminals committing the carnage.
Lawal, a prominent member who announced his decision to quit the party a fortnight ago, after accusing the former VP of corrupting the process, said he and other party members had expected a keen contest among the leading aspirants.
Hear him: “Someone like Rotimi Amaechi was very confident that if we go to primaries he would win. Everybody around him was extremely confident that Amaechi would win. And for me, who has been in this process, I was watching the indices to see where his confidence was coming from. Among the three candidates, he was the one moving around, working hard to see that he got the ticket
“Then, we have Atiku Abubakar. That time we used to wonder what is he going to do to win the primary because he was practically not doing much. He was not talking, he was not campaigning, he wasn’t going out. We were wondering how was he going to do it? So, we were watching how it was going to be done. But he ended up manipulating the exercise in his favour.”
“Neither the Kwankwasiyya Movement, not its leader, is complaining,” were the words with which the camp of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso dismissed reports that the Vice Presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), has served notes to the party leadership of his planned exit.
Reports in the media had indicated that that the former Governor of Kano State and former Minister of Defence, had threatened to leave the party over disputes arising from the party’s recent primaries.
The reports specifically claim that the threat came after Seriake Dickson, the party’s national leader attempted to substitute some of the candidates submitted to the party leadership, in a power-sharing arrangement, which Kwankwaso was said to have found offensive.
But Habibu Sale Mohammed, spokesman of the Kwankwasiya Movement, the political family of the former governor, dismissed the report, explaining that the party primaries were conducted on May 29 in line with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines, and that the winners were affirmed the same day.
Stressing that the NDC stakeholders and members had earlier agreed on a consensus model where necessary, adopted candidates accordingly, and submitted the list without internal squabbles, he stated that Kwankwaso had not communicated any grievance with the party to the movement.
-
News4 weeks agoTinubu to African leaders: Copy Nigeria, produce your way out of poverty
-
News3 weeks agoBREAKING: US-Nigeria troops slaughter 175 ISWAP fighters
-
Columns3 weeks agoDear General Gowon: That apology you’re running from is your nemesis
-
News7 days agoBREAKING: Terrorists strike Ibadan again! Abduct ex-Minister’s sister, twin children
-
News4 weeks agoWhy we pegged presidential ticket forms at N60million – NDC
-
News4 weeks agoGowon on civil war: My book is to put records straight, remove falsehood
-
News3 weeks agoBREAKING: Wait over! Arsenal are CHAMPIONS! Win EPL after 22 years hiatus
-
Columns2 weeks agoSee Tinubu’s terrible damage on Option A4 and its precious memories