By Emmanuel Oloniruha

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has congratulated former Minister of Finance for her emergence as the first female and African Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Abubakar in a statement signed by himself said Okonjo-Iweala was well known to him and “not hyperbole” when he said that no one could be more qualified for the job of D-G of WTO than her.

He described her as an apostle of free trade and astute manager of people and resources, adding that the world would be much more prosperous with her recent elevation.

“As the world prepares to emerge from the global pandemic of COVID19, the planet needs a steady hand at the wheel, to drive global trade, and rebuild from the devastation wrought by the virus.

“ We would not need someone who thinks they can pull this off. We would need someone who has actually and serially pulled it off before. And that person has emerged,” he said.

Abubakar said that Africa and Nigeria were proud of Okonjo-Iweala.

He said his family was full of joy at her victory, saying “go to Geneva and make us proud, as we know you will.” (NAN)

By Rotimi Ijikanmi
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has demanded the immediate cancellation of the ongoing APC membership registration exercise in Kwara for non compliance with the party’s regulations and guidelines.

The minister made the demand in his home town in Oro, near Ilorin, after partaking in the party’s national registration and revalidation exercise at his PU006 Oro Ward 2.

Speaking at a media briefing, Mohammed demanded the putting in place of a process to ensure the conduct of a credible and fair exercise that would enjoy the support and confidence of all.

He requested the immediate disbandment of the Sen. John Danboyi-led Membership Registration Committee for Kwara State on the ground that a vast majority of the APC stakeholders in the state had lost confidence in the committee.

The minister urged the constitution of a fresh committee that is truly independent, non-compromised and sensitive to the delicate diverse interests in the party.

He said a thorough investigation should be launched into the botched membership registration exercise by the Danboyi-led committee.

Mohammed noted that the demands were the irreducible minimum requirements for peace and progress in the state chapter of the party.

Justifying his demands, the minister said teams had been deployed ahead of the exercise to monitor the process to ensure compliance with the guidelines stipulated by the party.

He said the reports from the monitoring teams revealed that the whole exercise which started on Feb. 9 did not comply with the stipulated guidelines.

“The guidelines stipulate consultation with all stakeholders by the Registration Officials from Abuja.

“After the botched attempt to have a meeting of stakeholders due to orchestrated violence, the Registration Officials failed to consult with all stakeholders before the commencement of the membership registration exercise.

“They opted instead to work with only one of the four tendencies here in Kwara, the Fagbemi Group, to which the governor belongs.

“They excluded the three other tendencies – The Akogun Group, the Gbemi Saraki Group and the Lai Mohammed Group, without which the ‘O To Ge’ Movement would not have succeeded.

“Ironically, the Fagbemi Group is the weakest of the four tendencies. Out of the 193 wards in the state, the group has only nine ward chairmen and does not have even one local government chairman,” he said.

He said the Fagbemi group had only four members at the State Executive Council level.

The minister also said that the recruitment of officials for the registration exercise had been a one-sided affair.

The minister said contrary to the party’s guidelines, the registration officials from Abuja on getting to Ilorin had handed over the registration materials to an individual not recognised by the provisions of the guidelines.

He said those who were given the materials also decided to hoard them instead of distributing them to the wards.

“The implication is that the registration is being carried out without Party Membership Register, while temporary membership slips, to be signed and detached from the forms after registration, are not being given to those who have purportedly registered.

“According to our findings, since the commencement of the registration, over 80 per cent of the registration units do not have either membership register or membership registration slip.

“In the few places where they are available, they are kept in private apartments of some political office holders,” he said.

To back up his claim, the minister said that in Baruten Local Government, the registration materials were handed over to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly who hailed from the area.

He said in Oyun, the materials were given to one Olayiwola Ojo, a member of the State House of Assembly while in Shao, Kwara North Senatorial District, the registration materials were taken to a police station.

The minister said the DPO of the station presided over membership registration, in contravention of the party’s guidelines.

“It was only when the people mobilised against the use of the police station for registration that the illegality was stopped.

“What happened in Shao is the clearest indication yet that the police and other security agencies may be complicit in the mess being made of the membership registration in Kwara State,” he said.

Mohammed said instead of membership registers, conniving registration officials were using exercise books or foolscap sheets to register members.

He said senior Kwara government officials and State House of Assembly members were made to write their details in the exercise books or foolscap sheets in clear violation of the guidelines.

“We have pictorial and video evidence of this. More worrisome is that members who have purportedly registered are being asked to come back for their registration slips.

“Till date, no such member has been given the registration slip.

“Even senior officials of the state government, including Special Advisers as well as House of Assembly members, have had to register using exercise books/foolscap sheets,” he said.

The minister said due to the shoddy and non-compliant mode of registration using exercise books and foolscap sheets instead of the membership register, many members were unwilling to submit their personal details through such unsecured and illegal process.

According to Mohammed, there is a deliberate policy of exclusion by the Registration Team from Abuja and their collaborators.

“It seems there is a plan to de-register even high-ranking members and stakeholders who have not only paid their dues in the party, but without whose contribution this government would not have been in power.

“For example, at the Registration Unit of Senator Gbemi Saraki, the Honourable Minister of State for Transport, which is PU 005 at Ode-Opobiyi in Ajikobi Ward of Ilorin West LGA, not a single registration official has been sighted at the designated point since the commencement of the exercise, not to talk of registration materials.

“This is the situation in all other places considered to be the stronghold of high-ranking party members,” he said.

The minister said that in Irepodun, his local government, registration officials only showed up once, making it impossible for many members to register.

He said though the registration exercise was supposed to last two weeks, registration officials only showed up in many registration units once.

The minister said the seven-member APC Membership Registration Committee led by Danboyi seemed to have gone underground since it arrived in Kwara from Abuja.

“They have not had any useful interaction with lawful members of the State Executive as well as party leaders and other stakeholders, including local government chairmen and their executives and ward chairmen and their executives.

“These are lawfully-constituted party executives that the registration guidelines stipulate should not only be consulted but carried along during the exercise,” he said.

The minister said the findings indicated clear and deliberate policy to massively disenfranchise and de-register APC members in Kwara, resulting in many members being disillusioned.

By Lizzy Okoji

The Arewa Youth Forum (AYF) has called on Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi to run for the Presidency in 2023, stating that it was time for the youth to take over the country’s leadership.

The forum made the call on Saturday during a courtesy visit on Bello at the Government House, Lokoja.

Mr Onogwu Muhammed, Chief Press Secretary to the Kogi Governor, disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

According to the statement, Comrade Gambo Gunjungu, President of the AYF, said the youth were tired of “recycled leaders”.

Gunjungu  said that the group “after thorough research and evidence of the numerous antecedents’’ of Bello decided to call on him to run for President in 2023.

The youth leaders said Bello had made remarkable achievements in the areas of security, infrastructure, youth and women inclusion in governance, as well as his firmness against the politicisation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Like many other young Nigerians wanting to change the narratives of political bandwagon and recycled politicians, we are looking up to him as the hope of the Nigerian youth.

“We are discussing with our patrons and we already have the network it would take to propagate their message all over the nation,” Gunjungu said.

In his response, Gov. Bello called on Nigerians to continuously support the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Bello said that Buhari was doing his best to proffer solutions to the different challenges the country was faced with.

Reacting to the call to run for Presidency in 2023, Bello said the discussions and events ahead of 2023 elections were in the hands of God to decide.

“The recent call on Nigerians, particularly the youth, to revalidate and register as members of the APC was an affirmation of the president’s good intentions,” he said.

The governor said that despite the numerous challenges which his administration faced at inception, it has in five years changed the negative story of the state.

Bello said the story of the state has been changed to that of unity and integration, infrastructural development, enhancing security, institutional reforms and other areas.

He said the achievements were due to honesty, resilience and tenacity of his administration in doing what is right.

He urged the AYF to encourage Nigerian youths to participate in the ongoing registration and revalidation exercise of the APC. (NAN)

By Muhammad Bello

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Sokoto State Chapter, has resolved to boycott the forthcoming local government (LG) election in the state.

The position of the party was made known by the state APC Chairman, Alhaji Isah Achida, at a news conference on Sunday in Sokoto.

According to Achida, the resolution was based on the recent happenings in preparation for the forthcoming LG election in the state.

“It is on record that when the members of the present Sokoto State Independent Electoral Commission were inaugurated, the APC issued a statement expressing its total lack of confidence in the composition of the commission.

“Our position is due to the glaring fact that they are all card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“Indeed, all of them are very close cohorts of the leadership of the government in Sokoto State, who are always dancing to its tunes,” he said.

Achida blamed the party’s decision to pull out of the exercise on what he described as a lack of transparency by the state government

“When the state government announced the belated decision to conduct the local government election, we expected the electoral body to arrange consultative meetings with political parties for the successful conduct of the election.

“This, they refused to do, because we feel that they are working with some selected political parties for their own ulterior motives.

“To our dismay, however, the commission went alone and prepared their own timetable, convenient for them and their paymasters, which was sent to us only for information,” Achida said.

He said that the position was in due consultations with all the stakeholders of the party in the state.

Achida thanked the people of the state for their support to the APC and called on all the party members and supporters not to participate in the election.

By Emmanuel Acha

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Egede, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State says it has engaged canvassers for its ongoing party revalidation and registration of members.

The Special Assistant to the President on Justice Reform Sector and International Relations, Mrs Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu disclosed this on Sunday after revalidating her party membership.

Ibekaku-Nwagwu, who registered in Egede/Umuoka Ward 002, said that the move was to boost the membership of the party in the area.

The special assistant said that by such move, the APC would have more membership in each of the polling units in the area.

“We have canvassers that will be going round every market day to get people to register. We are making our people to understand what the APC stands for,” she said.

She said the party was doing better in terms of getting the attention of the people of the area than it did in 2014.

“The chances of the APC in the state are better because we are now speaking with one voice. Our people are happy with this exercise,” Ibekaku-Nwagwu said.

Also, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of APC in the state, Mr Ben Nwoye commended the smooth running of the exercise in the state.

Nwoye said that the party was positioned for the challenges ahead, adding that residents of the state had shown their willingness to identify with the APC.

News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) reports that the APC Revalidation and Registration of Members Exercise started in Enugu state on Feb. 11, 2021.

By Chimezie Anaso

Mr Valentine Ozigbo, an aspirant in the November governorship election in Anambra, has donated eight vehicles to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to facilities its campaign ahead of the election.

Ozigbo handed over the keys of the Sienna buses to Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, Chairman of the Anambra Chapter of the PDP at the party’s Secretariat in Awka on Sunday.

Speaking at the brief ceremony, witnessed by 21 local government branch chairmen, Ozigbo said the gesture was his own Valentine’s Day gift to the party.

The donor assured party members of his unalloyed support to ensure that PDP emerges victorious in the election.

He said he had confidence in the leadership of the party and expressed confidence that he would emerge the flag bearer of the party, acceptable to all and sundry.

He appealed to the beneficiaries to use the vehicles for the purposes of electioneering campaign.

According to him, “we have to sacrifice our resources and time to ensure that PDP wins.

“I donated these vehicles as part of the love I personally have for PDP and to make the party more popular than other contesting political parties in the state.

“I urge other party supporters who have benefited in one way or the other to emulate this gesture to keep the party moving,” he said.

In his reaction, Nwobu commended Ozigbo for his gesture, calling it a demonstration of love for the party.

Nwobu said the party needed a strong candidate to win the election while assuring that the vehicles will be used wisely to achieve victory in the election. (NAN)

By Akeem Abas

Sen. Teslim Folarin (APC- Oyo Central), has said that the ongoing All Progressives Congress (APC) membership registration and revalidation exercise would strengthen and boost the party’s chances in 2023 general elections.

Folarin disclosed this to newsmen shortly after he revalidated his membership on Sunday at Ward 5, Idi Ose, Ona Ara Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that Folarin, a former Senate leader, is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content.

The exercise had in the last few days witnessed large turnout of youths and women across the state, among whom are old and new members.

According to Folarin, “The exercise has been very successful. I am impressed with the large turnout of both the old and new members, particularly youths and women.

“They have been thronging the polling units across the 351 wards in Oyo State on daily basis,” Folarin said.

The former senate leader said that the exercise was well thought out and had achieved a lot in terms of reconciliation, reengineering and solidifying the party ahead of 2023 general elections.

”It has turned out to be the tonic and boost needed by our party to get stronger, greater, and bigger and I am glad about this,” he stated.

Folarin, who emphasised the importance of having a strong, cohesive and vibrant party, said the exercise had increased his confidence that all APC candidates would win their elections with ease come 2023.

“In Oyo State, APC is obviously the leading party. It is the party to beat. We lost the last gubernatorial election in the state because of the fragmentation in our party.

“And now with the large number of people enthusiastically joining our party, it is obvious even to the blind that APC is the party to belong to for victory,” he said.

He assured that as an experienced politician and victim of fragmented political party, he would spare no efforts in unifying and attracting the best of politicians to the APC.

“I am happy that the party is starting on a fresh note where everybody is equal with equal opportunities and sense of belonging,” he said.

He promised to join other leaders of the party in ensuring that the idea of winners takes all becomes history in APC.

The three-time senator said what was paramount to him presently, was building the APC and making sure Oyo State benefitted maximally from all the good programmes of the Federal Government.

“As a senator and a fecund player in governance and politics at the federal level, I want to ensure that the state benefit from Federal Government’s programs as they affect infrastructure and human capital development,” he said. (NAN)

By Chioma Ugboma

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Diaspora Chairmen Forum has urged the leadership of the party in Nigeria to fast-track the revalidation of its members in various countries.

The forum’s Chairman, Dr Philip Ideawor and APC Chairman, U.K. and the Spokesman, Mr Lawal Ayoola, who is also the Chairman, APC Scandinavia, made the appeal on Sunday in Lagos in a communique endorsed by the Diaspora chairmen after an emergency online meeting on Saturday night.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the communique which dwelt on ways to get APC members across the world to revalidate their membership as well as admit Nigerians in various countries that have indicated interest to join the party, was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The communique was endorsed by Ideawor (U.K.) who chaired the meeting, Ayoola (Scandinavia), Mr Stephen Tella (Chairman, APC Spain) Prof. Adesegun Labinjo (Chairman, APC U.S.A.), Mr Charles Mitcheletti (Chairman, APC Ghana) and Mr Adefioye Hammed (Chairman, APC Ireland).

Others are, Mr Olalekan Ogunwede (Chairman, APC Germany), Mr Olanrewaju Balogun (Chairman, APC France), Mr Elias Ebone (Chairman, APC Canada), Chima Ibezim (Chairman, Italy) and its Emeritus Chairman, Tony Isama.

The forum noted that with plans for diaspora voting in the 2023 general election, the APC must take advantage of the ongoing registration in Nigeria to validate membership and admit many Nigerians abroad who were willing to join its fold.

It said the party could liaise with the forum in opening and manning online registration portals.

“Once approval is given, we will fine tune the establishment of a registration portal in accordance with the stipulation of the party regarding the exercise.

“Although we have a register of our existing members in our various countries, it is no longer valid except a revalidation is done and to also accommodate new members,” it said.

The diaspora chairmen said many Nigerians abroad were willing to join the APC fold because of the achievements of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, noting that the party must take advantage of the accolades to admit as many people as were willing to join it.

They, however, added that it would be better to carry the diaspora Nigerians along in the ongoing registration exercise rather than inaugurate a fresh one for their communities. (NAN)

By Dorcas Jonah

The Patriotic Action Nigeria (PAN), a Non-Governmental Organisation on Friday called on Nigerians to be in unity to have a true national development.

The founder of PAN, retired Gen. John Gbor, said the problem of ethnic conflicts in Nigeria had been compounded by the colonial legacy of national states whose artificial boundaries cut across many ethnic divides.

Gbor said that PAN was established to get Nigerians to pledge their individuals’ allegiance to the country.

“The mission of PAN is to provide a level playing ground that guarantees inclusiveness and fairness to every Nigerian to advocate his or her dream and aspiration in pursuit of fulfillment and happiness, devoid of oppression and suppression.

“Our cardinal objective is `The Unity of Nigeria,’ PAN seeks the realistic unity of all component parts of the Nigerian society into one solid indivisible nation,’’ he said.

Gbor said that PAN was an assemblage of patriotic Nigerians who strongly believe that once the majority of Nigerians unite into nationhood, most of the undesirable ills challenging our peaceful co-existence would be a thing of the past.

According to him, the unity of Nigeria is the key to our survival and success as a nation.

“The key to all Nigerian problems is unity. Once we unite and pledge our allegiance to Nigeria and accept one another as fellow citizens, there is hardly any problem we cannot solve.

“There is an adage which says, ‘divided we fall and united we stand.”

“Nigeria will remain undeveloped, ungovernable and poor until we, the citizens of the country give up ethnicity, the geo-political divides of North and South, and pledge our loyalty to Nigeria before we can begin to make appreciable progress.

“We must accept being just Nigerians as the Chinese are Chinese and Americans are just Americans and not English-American, French-American or Danish-American,’’ he said.

Gbor said that though Nigeria was faced with challenges such as insecurity, poverty, corruption among others, the Unity of the country was key to youths’ development, hunger eradication and women empowerment.

He said that all these would be possible only when Nigeria becomes united.

“As a link between the present and future generations, you are a critical partner of PAN,” he said.

Gbor called on governments at all levels and the private sector to take the advantage of the youth population and abundant natural resources for the growth and development of the country.

“The country has doubled its efforts to ensure the employment of youths. The youths are also encouraged to seek assistance from friendly banks to set up businesses for self-employment.

“Any nation that ignores its youths, does so at the expense of its very existence since the youths represent the future.

“It takes Nigerians to fix Nigeria.

“We have a choice, either to fix our nation for the benefit of present and future generations or, to continue to suffer the mess we inherited from the colonialists and the ones we have created for ourselves,’’ he said.”

He urged the media, as critical stakeholders to use the platform with a great sense of patriotism for the peace and unity of Nigeria.

Gbor said the media were expected to encourage the populace to partner with the government in finding solutions to the myriad of challenges facing the country from corruption, infrastructural deficits to criminality.

He reiterated that: “PAN seeks to partner with government, collects information at the grassroots and communicates with governments on all issues hindering or facilitating national unity”

He said that the country needed people’s constitution and not as Yorubas, Igbos, Kanuris, Hausas, Fulanis, Nupe’s, Ibibio, Anang, Ekwere, Tiv etc; or as Easterners, Northerners, and Westerners; or as Muslims or Christians but as Nigerians. (NAN)