News
Atiku: ADC primaries passed integrity test *My ticket is untainted
Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Wednesday, swore to the integrity of the process that led to his picking the party’s ticket, saying it remained untainted and consistent with the wills of the members.
Against the backdrop of the insistence of Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), that he stole the ticket by corrupting the process, Atiku, Vice President between 1999 and 2007, pooh-poohed the claim.
Before the former SGF Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation as well as Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, former Chairman of Nigeria Economic Summit Group, both candidates in the contest for the ADC ticket, had rejected the process as flawed, even before the outcome.
Lawal, who had earlier announced his resignation from the ADC a fortnight ago and made sundry allegations of gaming the system against Atiku, had doubled down on Monday, while appearing on Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television, claiming he personally monitored the exercise and had evidence that the primary was rigged.
Hear him: “Don’t forget I was the National Vice Chairman (North-East). I was in the field during the exercise, so I have evidence. Atiku’s people are the ones trying to deny what they did. We are all human beings. We know what they did. I knew the primary was rigged at the point it was being done and the results declared.”
Regardless that neither Amaechi nor Hayatu-Deen had recanted their original position Atiku, insisted that nothing was amiss, adding that his opponents actually won in the areas of their individual popularity and stronghold.
Conveying his position through Phrank Shaibu, his spokesman, who appeared as a guest on Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television, the former VP said: “Anybody who claims rigging or irregularity in the last election should check the places and locations they won. Where are the states that Rotimi Amaechi won? If you check the figures and the margins he got there, you will know that those are his strongholds. It was not a fraudulent process.
Maintaining that the burden of proving any fraud rested on the former SGF Shaibu, Shaibu depicted his boss as the most popular among the contestants, arguing that the outcome of the event should not be surprising to anybody.
He said of the ex-SGF: “Babachir reminds me of a baby who is yanked off her mother’s breast while suckling. It is like a deprived suckling; definitely the baby will throw tantrums. He admitted on your show that his preferred candidate was Hayatu-Deen. He worked for him.”
Seriake Dickson, National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), on Wednesday showcased Peter Obi, its presidential candidate in the 2027 election, but gave a proviso – his importance would not be at the expense of the party.
A guest on Prime Time, a public affairs programme on ARISE NEWS Television, the former Governor of Bayelsa State, now Senator representing West at the National Assembly, maintained that the belief in some quarters that Obi’s entrance into the party was a favour was completely misplaced.
Instead, he argued that the opposite was the case, as it was the party that was doing its candidates a favour by giving them the opportunity to contest elective positions on its platform in the 2027 elections, a gesture that ought to be returned.
Hear him: “Don’t make it look like anyone is doing NDC a favour. No one is. Rather, the NDC and I and my colleagues are doing people a favour by granting our platform. If you are genuinely supporting Peter Obi and you are disparaging me, the leader, or the platform itself. That is nonsensical.”
Stressing that NDC had demonstrated confidence in Obi by adopting Obi as its sole presidential candidate and selecting a vice-presidential candidate without internal disputes, he said it was enough to earn its leadership the gratitude it deserved.
He added: “Nobody paid shishi. So, if a presidential candidate didn’t pay shishi to be made the sole presidential candidate and sole vice-presidential candidate, that same party cannot be the one saying that small people are underprivileged.
“I could have run. There’s no one more qualified than me. There’s no one more qualified than me to run for presidential candidate. None. There is no crisis within the NDC. Peter Obi is a cherished member of our party. On our own, we have made him a presidential candidate. Sole presidential candidate. And that counts for something. We are working well together. There’s no crisis.”
Invoking its zero tolerance on issues of security breaches, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has clamped down on aircraft and crew of the privately operated jet that landed on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba, Delta state.
Even with regulatory body for airline operations in Nigeria informed that no casualties were recorded in the incident, it still went for its sanctions in line with its sworn position of maintaining maximum safety at every point.
In a statement on Wednesday, Michael Achimugu, its spokesman said preliminary reports indicated that the aircraft conducted a missed approach while attempting to land at Asaba airport at about 7:43am.
Achimugu: Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, said: “Reports received from personnel at the scene indicate that all occupants safely exited the aircraft and were transported to Asaba by road,” Achimugu said. The aircraft had four (4) crew members on board. At this time, no injuries to passengers or crew have been reported.
“Preliminary information available to the authority indicated that the aircraft later departed the location and returned to Lagos without obtaining the required regulatory approval. Air traffic control was informed only after the aircraft had become airborne.”
Stressing that the action constitutes a violation of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) and is currently under investigation by the authority, he said the NCAA immediately grounded the aircraft upon its arrival in Lagos pending the outcome of investigations.
He added: “The flight crew have been placed under regulatory review while the NCAA conducts further inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the occurrence and the subsequent unauthorised departure of the aircraft.
“The NCAA has formally notified the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) of the occurrence and is coordinating with relevant aviation stakeholders, including the operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Stating that the NCAA immediately suspended the operator’s permit for non-commercial flight (PNCF), he added that the authority would review all operational, airworthiness, maintenance and flight-related records as part of its statutory responsibilities and take further enforcement action in accordance with applicable aviation regulations.
Achimugu said the NCAA remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety, security, and regulatory compliance within the Nigerian aviation sector.
Nothing outside the immediate appearance – dead or alive – of Mele Kyari, former Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (GMD-CEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), will be enough to satisfy the Senate, which appears to be baying for blood over the alleged loss of over N210 trillion from the company during his time.
Incensed at the repeated absence of the former NNPCL boss from its investigation, the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, which is carrying out the probe covering the period from 2017 to 2023, insisted on Wednesday that he must appear in person and not through any proxy to answer questions.
Relying on the audit queries forwarded to the committee by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAGF), the committee, chaired by Ibrahim Dankwambo, senator representing Gombe north, actually went for the big hammer to order his arrest as a result of the development
Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central, who moved the motion for his arrest had submitted that the committee could no longer tolerate delays in an investigation involving one of the largest financial accountability exercises undertaken by the national assembly.
Seconded by Onyekachi Nwebonyi, Senator representing Ebonyi North, Umeh told his colleagues in his motion: “This matter has lingered for too long. Nigerians deserve answers. The committee cannot continue to wait indefinitely while critical questions concerning trillions of naira remain unanswered.”
Dankwambo, who excused Bayo Ojulari, Kyari’s successor, who was represented by Dapo Segun, the company’s chief financial officer, agreeing with the motion, said, “For Mele, I agree with you. We hereby rule that anywhere Mele Kyari is, the former group GCEO, should be arrested and brought before the committee immediately.”
An attempt by Tony Nwoye, Senator representing Anambra North, who tried to intervene saying he was aware that the former NNPCL boss was in a hospital in Germany, met a brick-wall, and even led to a shouting match between him and some of his colleagues.
Nwoye, a member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), had told his colleagues: “I spoke to Mele Kyari about a week ago. He promised that he would be here. But incidentally, I learned last night that the man is hospitalised in Germany.”
But even while he was still making his pitch, Nwebonyi interrupted him shouting – point of order, point of order, which appeared to have incensed Nwoye, who riposted – you can’t shout me down.
In reply to the assertion of Nwebonyi, who would not let off, but shouting: “You are not Kyari’s lawyer!” Nwoye riposted that he was all the same duty bound to guide the committee with information at his disposal.
His words: “I am not holding brief for Mele Kyari. I am duty-bound to bring this information to the committee. The decision on whether to issue a warrant of arrest is entirely for this committee to make.”
But the highpoint came with Adams Oshiomhole, appearing unfazed by the report of Kyari’s reported ill-health, thundering that even his dead body would not escape being questioned in the investigation and be made to answer.
Hear the former Governor of Edo State and now Senator, representing Edo North: “Some people believe they are bigger than Nigeria. The law must be effective when it catches the lion, not only when it catches the rabbit. This parliament risks diminishing its authority if it fails to compel compliance with its summons.
“This committee must have the courage and the will to deploy its powers and issue a warrant of arrest — not tomorrow, but today. Bring Mele Kyari here, dead or alive. Even if he is dead, we want to see the body, and he will account.
“These are allegations involving trillions of naira at a time Nigerians are suffering, and the country is borrowing heavily. His responsibility is to account for his actions as MD. He can’t be represented in that capacity. Mele Kyari can’t be represented. He is no longer the MD. Having failed repeatedly, we must invoke our powers to order the arrest of Mele Kyari.”
Echoing the position Nwebonyi, added: “The committee has exhausted its patience. This is the ninth sitting of this committee. This committee is not a creation of the Senate. It is statutory. I thereby second the motion, using our powers, to order the arrest of Mele Kyari. It goes without saying that the former CEO of NNPCL has no regard for this committee. Therefore, waiting for him will amount to what we call, in law, a wild goose chase, and I will not be part of that.”
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