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Tinubu fast transforming into a despot – Atiku
President Bola Tinubu, is fast degenerating into a despot by the way he is dealing with opposing views, especially coming from the National Assembly, Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, in the 2023 election, said on Thursday.
Atiku, Tinubu’s main opponent in the election, is reacting on the heels of the summary removal of Ali Ndume, Senator (APC), for calling out the President, who he accused of surrounding himself and his office with kleptocrats, having a field-day on the national till while the rest of the country suffered.
Appearing as guest on Prime Time, a public affairs programme on Arise News Television, the former Chief Whip, one of the longest serving legislators in Nigeria currently, had stressed his earlier comments in made via a press statement, claiming that the President had been completely caged.
Though he absolved the President of complicity in the alleged massive thievery he alleged that was going on around the Presidential Villa and among top government functionaries, he said: “The government is also populated by kleptocrats, but unfortunately that is not what the President is up to. He really meant renewed hope, but you can only do that when you have people around you that are on the same type of thinking.”
Ndume one of the longest serving members of NASS, explained that much as Tinubu, whom he described as a close political associate and a democrat, would always be quick to act on any act of malfeasance that came to his attention, such as his recent repudiation of the Cyber-crime bill, the said unscrupulous aides, had been doing much to keep him away from some critical information.
Emphasizing about the cybercrime bill, he had said: “When the president realised that he had not heard about it, he quickly suspended it.” He highlighted the significant challenge of hunger and food scarcity, mentioning that inflation has risen to 40%. In some places, even with your money, you won’t find the food items you want to buy, which is very dangerous.
“Nigeria has never been included among countries facing severe food crises or food insecurity, but recent UN and World Food Programme figures rank Nigeria as a hotspot. For people like me, I have to be scared because I’m 64 years old with 10 children, 20 grandchildren, and I don’t have a passport or visa to anywhere.
“Some Ministers only meet the president during council meetings and that the President is often the first to leave. I’m the chief whip, and if the chief whip can’t have access to the president, the new senators won’t have access either. During the time of President (Olusegun) Obasanjo’s administration, any senator could see the president within 24 hours.
“President Tinubu is caged in. There are no visible efforts by the government to address pressing issues like climate change. The President has to harness Nigeria’s natural and human resources. He must get the right people into office and dominate his government with democrats. The president needs people who will realise his dream and tell him when something is wrong.”
Incensed by the comments, APC, in a letter by Abdullahi Ganduje, National Chairman, to the Senate, had on Wednesday, demanded Ndume be stripped of his position as Chief Whip, one of the principal offices at the Red Chambers, with the Senate going further to also remove him as Chairman, Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
The lawmakers, however fell short of suspending him from its activities, as proposed by Fasuyi Cyril, Senator representing Ekiti North, complained that his privileges had been breached by Ndume calling Senators, thieves, when Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, who argued that the Borno Senator mentioned kleptocrats, but not thieves, put the motion to vote and the Ndume’s colleagues voted against the move.
Regardless that the Senators did not go the whole hog, Atiku who assailed them over the development, linked it to the pressure by the Tinubu-led executive, who he accused of having scant regard for opposing views, a sign of despotism, which is a danger sign to democratic ethos.
In a statement, he personally signed, the former VP, said: “In the evolution of systems of government, a major concern for thinkers was a governmental framework that will reduce the highhandedness of the executive arm of government. It was thought, and rightly so too, that a participatory approach to governance, such that will make the government derive its legitimacy from the people will better serve the interest of the masses.
“And thus, to make sure that the executive does not go overboard in the application of its powers, the legislative arm of government was conceived as a means of protecting the people from the authoritarian tendencies of wielders of state powers. Regrettably, however, the democracy in Nigeria in the current administration of President Bola Tinubu has become an anathema to that general principle of democracy as providing primary protection for the people against executive excesses.
“This ugly tendency is being manifested by the steady posturing of our National Assembly, especially the Senate, of taking a reverse course in its core function and becoming a puppet in the hands of the President. It is uncharitable that whenever members of the Senate stand on the floor of the red chamber to perform their statutory duty of calling the executive to order, they are immediately reprimanded for doing so.
“When Senator Abdul Ningi called attention of the country to the incident of budget padding in the 2024 Appropriation bill, rather than calling for a thorough investigation into the observation, the reaction of the Senate was to hand him a suspension. Today, the people of Nigeria are victims of an ambiguous budget framework upon which appropriations for the current fiscal year are hinged in the face of multiplicity of appropriations.
“Only yesterday, Senator Ali Ndume called for the President to wake up to his responsibilities and provide succour to address the biting hunger and poverty in the country. Ironically, the response of the @NGRSenate to his patriotic warning is to relieve him of his principal office as the Chief Whip of the Senate. Also, despite persistent solicitations that government put its priorities on canceling the excruciating hardship in the land and suspend the idea of spending scarce resources on the purchase of new aircraft for the presidential fleet, the Senate took a stand against the people and ignored the voices of altruism by decorating the President with controversial purchases of an aircraft and a yacht amidst the worst material conditions of the average citizen in the history of our country.
“We are, therefore, beginning to see a pattern in which the National Assembly has become an enabler of executive recklessness, and the concerns of the people stand in the nadir of priority list of the legislature. This emerging reality must stop. The health of our democracy is being compromised by this unholy alliance between the executive and the legislature and portends a dictatorship that will worsen the lot of the people.”
From the seat of the Presidency, came what indicates a clear and open support for the camp in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) fighting David Mark, National Secretary and Rauf Aregbesola, National Secretary, respectively.
The signal came from Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff (CoS) to President Bola Tinubu, who practically threw his weight behind Leke Abejide, one of the arrowheads wedging the war that could see the main opposition party in Nigeria not presenting a candidate for next year’s presidential election.
Against the backdrop of allegations that Aso Rock has been fuelling the various crises in the major political parties, Gbajabiamila, former Speaker of the House of Representatives and a key ally of President Bola Tinubu, all but clearly stoked the fire by egging the Kogi lawmaker on to launch a fiercer onslaught against the Mark leadership.
Urging Abejide, who had sworn that he would do everything to ensure Tinubu’s re-election not to leave the ADC, through which he won his election to the National Assembly in 2023, but to stay back and fight rather than exiting the party, the ex-Speaker praised him for his resilience so far.
Abejide, who on his own, has thrown his weight behind Nafiu Bala, former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, now laying claims to Mark’s position was one of those sacked at the convention organised by the Mark group last week.
But Gbajabiamila, who used the Kogi lawmaker’s birthday celebration on Monday to announce his support publicly, while hailing his political trajectory and resilience, including winning his election under the ADC – a relatively less-fancied platform in 2023.
His words: “For a man to contest in a place like Kogi, under a relatively unknown party, and win back-to-back elections, it tells you who that man is. You did not only secure re-election but also helped expand the party’s influence by bringing in other candidates. You’re a committed party man and a fighter.
“My charge to you is to stay in that same party. Fight them. Scatter them. Hold on to your party. Do not abandon them. We like what you are doing. Hold on to your party. Do not abandon it. Continue what you are doing. Win your election there. Nobody can take your party away from you.”
After the hammer from the Mark group, alongside Kingsley Temitope, Obinna Norman, Kennedy Odiong, and Stella Chukwuma, over the allegation of anti-party activities, Abejide dismissed his sack as null and void, coming from a “suya convention.”
President Bola Tinubu and others interested in the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will have to cough out a whopping N100million as fee for the nomination form of the ruling party.
This is coming as the party released details of its scheduled presidential primary election billed for May 15 and 16, 2026, as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Sulaiman Argungu, National Organising Secretary, who released the details of the activities of the party ahead of the nomination for the 2027 polls on its official X handle, including the sale of forms, screening of aspirants, appeals, and primary elections across all elective positions, said informed that the forms go on sale from April 25 to May 2, while the submission deadline was fixed for May 4.
The statement said screening of aspirants would commence on May 6 and end on May 8, with the publication of results slated for May 11 and appeals scheduled for May 12 to 13.
The primaries for the House of Representatives will be held on May 18, the Senate on May 20, State Houses of Assembly on May 21, and the governorship on May 23.
The party pegged the total cost of forms for presidential aspirants at ₦100 million, comprising ₦30 million for the expression of interest and ₦70 million for nomination.
Governorship aspirants are to pay ₦50 million, while fees for the Senate, House of Representatives, and State Assembly vary.
“Female aspirants, youth and physically challenged aspirants are to pay for the expression of interest and 50 per cent of the prescribed nomination fees for each position,” it added.
In the statement, the APC said the timetable was issued in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2026, and the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The party reaffirmed its commitment to conducting “credible and transparent primary elections” to strengthen internal democracy.
As of the time for filing this report, no member of the APC has formally declared interest in contesting the presidency.
Some APC leaders and key affiliations of the party have, however, endorsed President Bola Tinubu for re-election.
Although Tinubu has not publicly or officially declared his intention to run for a second term, he had last week dismissed the speculation that he was scared of the opposition ahead of the elections.
“The safety of our citizens rests on our shoulders. You must remain resolute and go after these criminals until they are eliminated. We must make Nigeria safe at all cost,” were the words with which Olufemi Oluyede Chief of Defence Staff, read the riot act for the umpteenth time against insurgents terrorising many parts of Nigeria.
Against the backdrop of renewed attacks in parts of the country days after the killing of Oseni Omoh Braimah a Brigadier General and I.A. Muhammed, a Colonel, each commanding troops in Borno State, one of the hotbeds of the nearly two decades onslaught in separate outbreaks, the CDS told troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA to intensify ongoing operations against the terrorists and other criminal elements in the North-West region, stressing the need to ensure security across the country.
At an operational visit to the Headquarters Theatre Command, Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA (OPFY), in Gusau, Zamfara State, the military boss who said the visit was aimed at assessing operational readiness, addressing challenges confronting troops, and boosting morale in the ongoing campaign to restore peace and security in the region, commended their resilience, courage, and sacrifices in defence of the nation.
Urging the troops to remain disciplined, professional, and relentless in the fight against banditry and terrorism, the CDS, whose encounter was conveyed by Samaila Uba, a Major General and spokesman, at the Defence headquarters was said to have assured the troops of continued support in the areas of welfare, training, and provision of necessary operational equipment to enable them to discharge their duties effectively.
Uba, Director of Defence Information, quoted his boss as reaffirming the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to sustaining pressure on criminal groups until lasting peace is restored across the North West and the entire nation, acknowledging the importance of air support in ongoing operations.
The Defence Chief, while noting that efforts were underway to enhance operational capabilities through additional platforms and improved coordination across theatres of operations, was said to have paid a courtesy call on the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, appreciating him for his continued support of Operation FANSAN YAMMA and the military.
ADC: Fight, scatter them! *Presidency goads Kogi lawmaker on Mark’s leadership
Presidency: Tinubu, others to pay N100million for APC nominations
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