Igbo Group Knocks Peter Obi’s Remarks on Tinubu’s Certificate Case

The Omalegwuoku Progressive Initiative, an Igbo socio-political group, has criticized Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), for his recent comments about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The group called on Obi to refrain from making divisive remarks and challenging President Tinubu to reveal his personal details. During a news briefing in Abuja, Ambassador Ginika Tor, the Global President of the group and a Commissioner with the Federal Character Commission (FCC), expressed her disappointment. She argued that the President should focus on leading the country towards progress and development rather than engaging in discussions about his background. Tor stated, “It is an insult to Nigeria as a nation for you to call out our president… to say he is from this state, from this country, from this region, from this locality? Does he owe us that? What the President owes us now is to take us to our destination of choice.” She expressed her disappointment in Peter Obi, whom she had respected and referred to as her brother. Tor urged Obi to avoid divisive statements and consider the potential consequences of his actions on the future of the Igbo people. “We are telling our brother, Obi, to calm down. If God wanted you to be there, He would have made you the President. He did not. There are many distractions around this President. Are you not bothered with the issues around the world?”

Tinubu Tells Supreme Court To Dismiss Atiku’s Appeal 

President Bola Tinubu, who contested as the presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election, has officially requested the Supreme Court to reject the appeal filed by Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition party.  Tinubu’s response, which was presented by his legal team, comes in response to Atiku’s notice of appeal. This move follows the prior judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on September 6, which dismissed Atiku’s petition challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.  The tribunal cited Atiku’s failure to substantiate the claims in his petition and concluded that his case lacked merit. Atiku subsequently filed a notice of appeal with 35 grounds before the Supreme Court on September 18, seeking to have the tribunal’s findings and conclusions overturned.  He argued that the tribunal had made “grave errors and gross misrepresentations” that resulted in a miscarriage of justice. In his response, President Tinubu maintained that the presidential election petition tribunal had rightfully reached its verdict and upheld his election. He emphasized that the appellants had failed to substantiate their allegations and provide any compelling reason for the apex court to overturn the lower court’s findings. Tinubu also characterized Atiku’s appeal as “abusive in nature” and urged the Supreme Court to dismiss it.  He stated that the appeal lacked merit and bona fide and urged the court to affirm the lower court’s decision.  The legal battle continues as both parties await the Supreme Court’s decision.

BBC Report Claims Tinubu’s Certificate Is Authentic

In a report released by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Wednesday, it has been revealed that there is no proof that President Bola Tinubu forged his academic record at Chicago State University (CSU). This revelation comes in the midst of controversy surrounding Tinubu’s academic credentials. Recently, Chicago State University had released and deposited Tinubu’s certificate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, as requested by a US court in the context of the 2023 Nigerian presidential election. While President Tinubu and his aides have consistently maintained the authenticity of his CSU certificate, Atiku’s camp had alleged that the certificate was falsified. However, the BBC’s Global Disinformation Team’s investigation has not found any conclusive evidence of forgery. The BBC report stated that they contacted CSU for clarification, and the university expressed confidence in the veracity and integrity of their records concerning Tinubu’s attendance and graduation. The report further highlights that there are three different versions of CSU certificates associated with Tinubu, including the original 1979 certificate, a second diploma submitted to the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), and another replacement diploma from the early 2000s, which was never collected by Tinubu. Contrary to some allegations on social media, the BBC found that the phrase “with honours” does appear on Mr. Tinubu’s diploma from the early 2000s, which CSU authenticated during their investigation. CSU’s registrar, Caleb Westberg, affirmed that changes in the diploma template over the years might explain differences in appearance. He also attested to the authenticity of Tinubu’s diploma during his deposition. The BBC report concluded that CSU’s documents and Mr. Westberg’s statements confirm that President Tinubu graduated from CSU with honours, dispelling some of the doubts raised regarding his academic credentials.

Where Is Tinubu? Reuben Abati Raises Concerns About President’s Whereabouts

Former presidential spokesperson and renowned journalist, Reuben Abati, has raised a pertinent question regarding the whereabouts of Nigerian President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Abati’s keen observation highlights that President Tinubu has been conspicuously absent from the public eye for several days, with no official statement clarifying his location, consequently sparking concerns about his well-being. In his inquiry, Abati directed attention to the President’s handlers, emphasizing the need for transparency and regular updates to keep the citizens informed about their leader’s activities. Abati underscored that the last public sighting of Tinubu was during the nation’s 63rd independence anniversary celebrations on October 1, shortly after his return from an extended trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The President’s whereabouts remained unknown until his return to Nigeria on the night of September 29, despite unconfirmed reports suggesting he might have flown to Paris from New York. During his appearance on the Arsie TV Morning Show, Abati pointed out the absence of key government activities, such as council meetings, the inauguration of recently screened Ministers, and the timely execution of essential government functions. Additionally, Abati noted that President Tinubu has not been participating in official functions nor receiving guests at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.  Instead, Vice President Kashim Shettima has been representing the government in various public engagements.

Tinubu’s Triumph Amid Organised Adversity – A Testament To Resilience

‘The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph’ – Thomas Paine Mudslinging is a major part of political campaigns. While in the US it is called the kitchen sink and politicians and their handlers use it in moderation, Nigerian politicians who, in the main, behave like implacable young Turks, literally empty pit latrines on their opponents as unfounded allegations are thrown at will. Indeed, one politician was quoted to have said “If you aspire to public office, be ready to be told the number and names of men that messed with your mom before she got married”.   With a background of this nature, the journey to Nigeria’s political leadership is thus not for the faint-hearted, as it is fraught with outstanding challenges and obstacles including outright vilification, maligning, and libeling of political opponents. In the case of President Tinubu, his decision to contest the presidency of Nigeria was met with a baptism of fire, acid, and shit. Without a grain of a doubt, he has been the most mocked, abused, and caricatured candidate and now president. Notwithstanding the overdose of mockery, burlesque, accusations, and intentional prophecies of doom, Tinubu emerged victorious, showcasing an uncommon resilience and determination in the face of organized adversity.  His entry into the presidential race was met with ridicule and parody. He had observed with utmost dismay that a clique within his party, the All Progressives Congress, (APC) who had a preferred candidate, wanted to muscle him out of the race. It was an almost frustrated PBAT that echoed “emilokan” to his audience at Abeokuta. Soon the word emilokan became his second name. A popular club latched onto this and did a road show with the new name Emilokan.  Detractors and political opponents attempted to undermine his credibility by portraying him as old and infirm. Ugly photo-shopped photographs and doctored videos of him with a wet butt and tremors of the hand even at rest appeared online and went viral. But the man was unfazed. As a rare political strategist in the mold of Sun Tzu, he trudged on, unperturbed, with eyes fixed on the prize. True leadership is not determined by age alone but by vision, experience, and the ability to inspire change which he has in abundance. Unburdened by the mockery on social media, Tinubu’s accomplishments and political acumen spoke louder and eloquently to him and the electorate than the baseless caricatures. At the height of the political barnstorming, accusations of being a drug baron were leveled against him, to tarnish his reputation and character. However, discerning Nigerians knew that the accusations were baseless since they were not supported by concrete evidence before passing judgment. A letter from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that absolved him of any criminal records in the US was dismissed as forged. Those who dared to support or defend him on social media were harassed, harangued, and cyber-lynched by bullies. Whereas the focus should be on evaluating a candidate’s policies, capabilities, and commitment to public service, many Nigerians were swayed by the social media campaign of calumny against PBAT.   Months before the election, Nigerians experienced one of the most protracted fuel scarcities. With the benefit of hindsight, it is believed that it was contrived to do PBAT in. While the fuel crisis was still lingering, the CBN announced a currency redesign project which was poorly conceived and implemented. Currency was scarce and Nigerians saw hell since they couldn’t access their cash trapped in bank vaults. It was apparent even to the unwary that the currency redesign was targeted at PBAT to deprive him of funds since it was erroneously believed that PBAT was suffused with cash which he could use to buy votes. It was believed by the opposition politicians that the deadly combination of fuel and cash scarcity was enough to turn the electorate against the ruling party which incidentally is the party of PBAT. However, in contrast to the forced opinion polls and fake prophecies by some charlatans who called themselves prophets of God that gave victory to Obi, PBAT won the elections convincingly with 8,794,726 votes to Atiku’s 6,984,520 and Obi’s 6,101,533 votes. PBAT also scored over 25% of the votes cast in 30 States, 6 more States than the constitutionally required 24.  As has become customary of Nigerian politicians who do not accept defeat, the losers took their case to the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. Again, in a detailed judgment that took about 12 hours, the 5 judges were unanimous in giving victory to President PBAT. Before this time however, in a show of shame that brought indelible dishonor to the religion of Christianity, known and unknown entities who parade themselves as prophets, ‘prophesied’ the demise of President Tinubu before May 29 the date of his inauguration and his arrest by the military on his inauguration date.  That Tinubu prevailed in the face of these prophecies and unrelenting prayers for his death is a testament to a divine force that is propelling him. While the case was before the PEPT, the Obidient Movement started a campaign of “All Eyes On the Judiciary” ostensibly carefully planned to blackmail the judges into delivering a judgment that is unfavorable to PBAT. The judges of the PEPT gave no hoot to the campaign of blackmail. The victory of Tinubu in the presidential election was affirmed, proving his popularity and the trust placed in him by the Nigerian people. His victory at the polls and in the PEPT is a testament to his ability to connect with citizens, articulate a compelling vision, and inspire hope for a better future. It also highlights the maturity of the electorate in discerning baseless accusations from genuine leadership potential. But the traducers were not done. Off they went to Chicago to dig for his academic records in the mistaken belief that the degree certificate that he submitted to INEC was forged. PBAT’s lawyers indulged them in delaying tactics to further raise their false hope. As expected, the legal calisthenics in

Islamic Group Warns Wike Over Security Deal With Israel

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has strongly cautioned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, regarding his plans to partner with Israeli security experts.  This warning came through a statement released by MURIC’s Executive Director, Prof Ishaq Akintola, in Abuja on Thursday. In the statement, Prof Akintola highlighted Wike’s announcement of a prospective collaboration with Israeli security experts to enhance security measures in Abuja. MURIC, however, voiced apprehensions regarding this potential partnership. “We like to warn that such collaboration with the state of Israel will exacerbate Nigeria’s security problems by escalating it from a local crisis to an international fracas engineered by MOSSAD (Israel’s secret spies) with the likelihood of Nigeria becoming the centre of rivalry for global espionage outfits like the American CIA and the Russian SVR and FSB,” the statement read. Furthermore, MURIC expressed concerns about misconceptions surrounding Israel’s religious identity, asserting that Israel predominantly recognizes and respects Judaism. The statement also referred to recent incidents in which religious tensions were reported in Israel. “We believe that Wike is now courting the Israelis because, like most Nigerian Christians, he holds the wrong notion that Israel is a Christian state whereas the reverse is the case. Several instances confirm that the only religion Israel recognises and respects is Judaism,” Prof Akintola stated. He continued, “Just yesterday, on Wednesday, September 4, Jews spit on Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem and Christians are under constant attacks in Israel.” The MURIC executive director emphasized the need for caution, citing Israel’s history of disregarding United Nations resolutions and its contentious stance on several international issues. “To cap the edifice, Israel’s arrogant posture at the United Nations as it shuns the latter’s resolutions is legendary. At least 45 UN resolutions have condemned Israel’s aggression against Palestinians,” he pointed out. In conclusion, Prof Akintola stated, “A terrorist state cannot be the ideal security partner for us in Nigeria. Wike should take the Israelis to Rivers State. Israel constitutes an existential threat to both Muslims and Christians in Nigeria.” Minister Nyesom Wike’s office has yet to respond to MURIC’s cautionary statement, leaving the fate of the proposed security partnership uncertain.

APC Suspends Kogi Guber Campaign

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has suspended its campaign for the November 11 Kogi Governorship Election temporarily, as a mark of respect for Ms Khadijat Yahaya, a member of the party who died after an attack by suspected thugs. Mr Kingsley Fanwo, the spokesperson for the state Campaign Council, said stated this in a statement in Lokoja. Khadijat allegedly lost her life after a clash between supporters of Social Democratic Party (SDP) and those of the APC in Kotonkarfe on September 29. Meanwhile, the state APC governorship candidate, Alhaji Usman Ododo, visited the family of the deceased in Kotonkarfe on Tuesday to sympathise with them over her demise.Ododo expressed shock at her demise and prayed to God for the repose of her soul.Responding, Malam Saliu Akawu, thanked Ododo for the visit. Akawu said the conduct of Ododo showed that he was a compassionate leader who would always identify with his people. He said that Khadijat was a very peace-loving person whose life was cut short by evil men. Ododo also visited the Palace of the Ohimege of Kotonkarfe, Alhaji Abdulrazak Koto, where he expressed sadness over the death of Khadijat. He described her as a woman of peace who was desirous of seeing development in Kotonkarfe and promised to ensure justice for the deceased family. 

Court Nullifies Abdullahi Sule’s Governorship, Declares PDP’s Umbugadu Winner

In a significant ruling, the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has nullified Abdullahi Sule’s governorship and declared David Umbugadu of the PDP as the winner of the 2023 Nasarawa State governorship elections. While two of the three justices on the panel led by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi upheld this decision, Justice Ibrahim Mashi is currently delivering a dissenting judgment. More details later…

Senate President’s Wife Has No Office In National Assembly -Eyiboh

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Senate President, Mr. Eseme Eyiboh, has debunked reports that an office was created for the wife of the Senate President, Mrs Unoma Akpabio, in the National Assembly. Eyiboh, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said the story showed that it was essentially designed to malign and disparage the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. “A story of 20 paragraphs on the creation of an imaginary office for the wife of the Senate President uses three paragraphs on the unfounded issue. “And the remaining 17 paragraphs were used for recitation of unrelated fables and other innuendo. “For emphasis to the unguarded who may be prone to the fake news merchandise, Mrs Ekaette Unoma Akpabio has no office in the National Assembly and there is no intention towards that. “Her only relationship with the National Assembly is that her husband is the President of the Senate and by virtue of that, as with his predecessors, she is president of the Senators’ Wives Association of Nigeria,” Eyiboh said. 

NNPP BoT Expels Rabiu Kwankwaso, Dissolves NWC

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has officially confirmed the expulsion of the party’s Presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Sen. Rabiu Kwakwanso. The BoT also dissolved the Abba Kawu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party. This is contained in a communique issued at the end of the party’s meeting held in Lagos. The communiqué was signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq, and made available to newsmen in Ilorin. “The Constitution of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) 2022 (As Amended) remains the constitution of the party and no constitution amendment is approved until after the 2027 general election. “The dissolved Abba Kawu, Ali led National Working Committee of the party, which was constituted without due process and laid down provisions of the party’s constitution, is dissolved and INEC to be notified immediately. “The expulsion of Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) is confirmed and ratified. “The resignation of Dr Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam as the Chairman of BoT of the party during the last board meeting on 29th August 2023 is accepted and ratified. “Dr Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam remains the Founder and life member of the BoT. “The elections of Dr Temitope Aluko as the Chairman of BoT and Engr. Babayo Mohammed Abdullahi as the Secretary to the board, on 29th of August 2023, were accepted and ratified. “Moreso, the elections of Dr Gilbert Major Agbo as the National Chairman, Comrade Olaposi Oginni as the National Secretary, Chief Felix Chukwura as the Deputy National Chairman (South). “Also, Alhaji Babayo Liman as the Deputy National Chairman (North), Mr Abdulrazaq Abdulsalam as the National Publicity Secretary, and Peter Ogah Esq., as the National Legal Adviser of the party. “Their oaths of office having been administered accordingly, were accepted and ratified and the list of other members of the BoT and the National Working Committee will be published subsequently,” the statement read in part. The NNPP’s BoT therefore urged members of the public to disregard the press conference and expression of the Kwankwasiya group, led by Kwankwaso. It explained that the actions were taken over the state of affairs of the party and the judgment of Kano State governorship election petitions tribunal. It stated that: “The groups are mere interest groups who used the party’s platform for the 2023 general elections, but their alliance ended with the elections and as such, the groups have no authorisation to speak or act for the party. “The judgment of Kano State governorship election petitions tribunal which sacked the party’s candidate, Governor Abba Yusuf, on Wednesday, 20th of September, 2023 is to be carefully studied with the view of approaching the appellate court for necessary redress.” The Chairman of the NNPP’s BoT, Dr Temitope Aluko, had on Sept. 22, clarified that the party’s management was not factionalised. Aluko, in a statement he personally signed, insisted that there were no factions within the NNPP as a party. He therefore appealed to the media to desist from promoting issues tending to suggest that the party has been factionalised. Aluko added: “Let it be on record that NNPP is one of the 19 registered political parties in Nigeria, which has existed since 2001. “Let us equally make it clear that the Kwankwasiya Movement, National Movement and Nagaff are political pressure groups with specific interest in the polity of Nigeria. “They are not political parties in Nigeria and cannot operate as such in the eye of the law under the regulation and control of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). “NNPP’s relationship with the aforementioned pressure groups are not political alliances, because they are not political parties.” Her stressed that: “NNPP simply entered into memorandum of understanding with these groups for the purpose of 2023 general election. “In particular was the interest of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to contest presidential election under the platform of the NNPP. “It is in the public domain that the presidential election of 2023 have come and gone, and a winner duly emerged and sworn into office. “It is also on record that Senator Kwankwaso and NNPP are not contesting the outcome of the presidential election in court.” “We equally know that members of TNM led by Prof. Alkali and Prof. Angwe resigned their membership of NNPP, and left in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), thereafter the general election. “Under the circumstances the board of NNPP in consultation with the General Assembly (National Convention) have resolved and taken a decision to terminate the MoU. “Between NNPP on one part and Kwankwasiya and TNM on the other, formally, with effect from 28th of August 2023,” according to him.