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Atiku didn’t show empathy over Ibadan blast – Makinde *Obi pays condolence visit
Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State has lashed out at former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, for not showing empathy over the recent explosion in Ibadan, saying he is the only among the three major candidates in the February 25, 2023 presidential elections that did not sympathise with him over the incident.
Makinde, who spoke while receiving Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, on Monday, regretted that Atiku, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), incidentally his own party, failed to call him or even send a text message on the incident, saying there were always time to play politics and other times to show humanity.
Obi who was on a condolence visit to him in his office today, Monday, had commiserated with the government over the incident, saying at a time like this, everybody must discard issues of election and come together to show solidarity to the victims, adding that this was the purpose of his visit.
“Through the governor, we want to extend our condolences to the bereaved families and to all those who lost their valuable property in the incident and to assure them of our prayers that God will grant those who lost their lives eternal rest. And we want to thank the government for its prompt response. That is what governance has to be,” he said.
In his reply, Makinde, one of the two PDP governors in the South West, said: “Let me use this opportunity to thank His Excellency, former governor of Anambra and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, for the visit. I thank him because politics didn’t seep into this. You came here to commiserate with us over the explosion.
“Actually, the investigation is going on. It was simply illegal miners storing explosives in an environment where they shouldn’t be. It is a place where it’s meant for people to live in. It’s not a mining site. So, all the lapses that allowed such to happen had been looked into. I am particularly grateful because the musketeers that went for the presidential election have reached out to me. The President has called me, and you have reached out to me. But my own party candidate (Atiku Abubakar) has not called or even sent a text message.
“And I am saying it openly so that our leaders will know that there is time for politics. You have a time for governance and you have a time for humanity. So, we want to say thank you so much, sir. We appreciate this visit.”
Obi, who also seized the occasion to comment on the parlous economic situation of the country and its effect on the masses, reiterated his position that the situation would continue to get worse without government addressing the cost of governance at the federal level, which he sees as the strongest factor for the situation.
His words: “All of us are now involved and all of us should work hard and make the necessary sacrifice to see that we turn around the situation. That is why it is necessary when things that happened here happened, the government responded in a manner government should respond and everybody comes to participate and commend them for doing the right thing.
“It’s a matter of sacrifice. Today, elections are over, governance is the key thing and what is required for me is to cut down on the cost of governance especially at the federal level. It is unacceptable the way it is going. We need to prioritize critical areas such as education, health and pulling people out of poverty.”
Hours after Mohammed Hayatu-Deen did, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday, also flatly rejected the outcome of the presidential primaries, of the African Democratic Congress, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement and electoral malpractice.
Amaechi former Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers State, described the announced results as “concocted,” insisting that the process failed to meet the standards of transparency and fairness earlier promised by the party.
He said in a statement: “I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” Amaechi stated.
He said he had previously maintained that he would only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair and transparent, stressing that the exercise did not reflect the democratic values the ADC claimed to represent.
“I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold, to rescue Nigerians from the impunity and gross mismanagement that our country is currently facing in the hands of the ruling party,” he said.
Amaechi alleged that a significant number of party members were denied the opportunity to vote during the exercise.
“There’s no way that about eighty percent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results,” he stated.
The former Rivers State governor questioned the moral basis of the ADC criticising the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over alleged electoral malpractice while allegedly engaging in similar conduct internally.
“A party that criticizes the ruling APC and INEC for vote buying, rigging and writing of results, cannot be engaged in vote buying, writing of results, and other electoral malpractices that leads to the disenfranchisement of voters who are party members. This is not acceptable!” he declared.
Amaechi said the ADC was envisioned as a platform to amplify the voices of ordinary Nigerians and provide credible political alternatives irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social background.
His rejection of the outcome is expected to deepen tensions within the opposition party following the conclusion of its presidential primary election.
“These timeless virtues of devotion, selflessness, and submission to divine will are values our nation desperately needs today,” were the exact words with which Godswill Akpabio, attempted to rouse Nigerians to the ethos of unquestionable faith and service to the country.
Akpabio, Chairman of the National Assembly, who drew example from Prophet Ibrahim, admonished Nigerians to emulate his unwavering faith, obedience, and willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Almighty Allah.
The Senate President, who conveyed his sentiments via a statement by Eseme Eyiboh, also used the specifically hail President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his vice, Kashim Shettima and Muslim faithful in Nigeria and around the world as they celebrate Eid El Kabir.
Stressing that the occasion called for prayer and sober reflection on the theme of sacrifice, he added: “This sacred occasion reminds us of Prophet Ibrahim’s unwavering faith, obedience, and willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Almighty Allah.
“To our dear President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his vice, Senator Kashim Shettima and Muslim brothers and sisters, I felicitate with them on behalf of my family, constituents and the Senate on this blessed Eid. May the lessons of sacrifice, compassion, and generosity that define this season strengthen your faith and bring peace to your homes.
“As you share with the less privileged and extend love to neighbours of all faiths, you embody the true spirit of Nigeria. To all Nigerians, I urge us to use this solemn period to pray fervently for peace, security, and prosperity in our land. Let us pray for our troops in the frontlines, for farmers to return safely to their fields, and for unity to prevail over division in our Nation.
“Eid El Kabir also calls us to deep reflection on the future of our country. Just as Prophet Ibrahim was tested, Nigeria is in a season of testing. The sacrifices we make today in patience, in tolerance and in choosing hope over despair will determine the Nigeria our children inherit.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda of this administration, supported by the National Assembly, is anchored on that same principle: that meaningful progress often requires collective sacrifice.
“May Almighty Allah accept your prayers and sacrifices. May He heal our land, guide our leaders, and bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Barka da Sallah. Eid Mubarak.”
“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps.”
These were the exact words of Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, one of the presidential aspirants of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with which he cast a slur on the ongoing presidential primaries of the party, hinging his position on reports of fraud trailing the exercise.
Hayatu-Deen, a second timer in the search for the nation’s number one job, ran against Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former Vice President and Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation.
In a statement on his assessment of the exercise which began on Monday, the renowned economist Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), used his X platform to convey his dissatisfaction with the process.
The ADC which said the collation for the exercise would take place in Abuja had urged aspirants, party leaders, delegates, and members to conduct themselves peacefully and uphold party unity.
Bolaji Abdullahi, its spokesman, who described the exercise as a defining moment for both the ADC and Nigerians seeking a credible political alternative, maintained that it remained committed to internal democracy and a transparent leadership selection process.
“The ADC remains proud to stand today as the only truly democratic party in Nigeria because it is the only political party whose choice of presidential candidate is determined through open primaries,” he said adding that the conduct of aspirants and party members during the exercise would reflect the leadership culture the ADC seeks to promote.
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