APC South-South Region Urges Tinubu to Contest Again In 2027

The All Progressive Party (APC) in the South-South region has called on President Bola Tinubu to re-contest for the office of the president in the 2027 election.  This was contained in a communiqué jointly signed by the APC Congress South-South Zonal Executive after a meeting in Calabar, Cross Rivers, on Sunday. It commended Tinubu for his policies, projects, and programmes, adding that the economic reforms were targeted at repositioning the country. The committee reaffirmed its unwavering support for the policies and programs of the Tinubu administration in areas of good governance, economic reforms, national security, and infrastructural development. Tinubu had on May 29, 2023, declared an end to petrol subsidies, a move that saw Nigeria’s headline inflation rising to 33.95 per cent in May, according to the latest report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The data revealed that on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 11.54 per cent points higher compared to the rate recorded in May 2023, which was 22.41 per cent. The NBS report also revealed that the Food inflation rate in May 2024 was 40.66% on a year-on-year basis, which was 15.84 per cent points higher compared to the rate recorded in May 2023 (24.82 per cent). Despite the rising inflation rate, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has also implemented several money-tightening policies which have been criticised by the World Bank. Different tax policies to increase revenue have also been put in place by the apex bank. As if the inflation was not enough, the Federal Government is currently battling the duo of the Nigerian Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, on a new minimum wage. FG has insisted on N62,000 despite rejection by labour. But the committee has expressed optimism with Tinubu’s reforms and also commended the president for his commitment to the coastal road project, and the commencement of the construction from both ends of the project. The committee said it has resolved to set up a reconciliation committee in the South-South region, to be headed by the Coordinator of the South-South geo-political zone, Senator Bassey Otu. The communiqué said the move is to bridge any existing gap, foster collaboration, and work towards a common goal of strengthening the party’s presence and influence in the region. It also resolved to mobilise available party assets towards winning more states; particularly using the forthcoming elections in Edo State as a test case. “Resolves to mobilise efforts towards the e-registration program of the All Progressives Congress by creating the required awareness to engender inclusivity, participation, and ownership of the party,” the communiqué added. It also passed a vote of confidence on the President of the Senate, Sen (Dr) Godswill Akpabio, as the Leader of the APC in the zone, and on Victor Giadom and the zonal executive members of the party. The meeting concluded with a call to action for all party members, to actively participate in the re-building and strengthening of the APC in the zone.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Rejects Clarks’ Call To Remove Abia, Imo, Ondo From NDDC

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has strongly rejected the recent call by prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, to remove Abia, Imo, and Ondo States from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Chief Clark had made this appeal during a press conference in Abuja, where he urged President Bola Tinubu to expel the three states from the NDDC, citing their inclusion for the sake of convenience as the primary reason. In response, Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, issued a statement denouncing Clark’s call as “satanic, parochial barbarism,” emphasizing that it posed a significant threat to national cohesion and unity. Isiguzoro expected Chief Clark to support the gazetting of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s recognition of the Old Anambra River Basins as oil-producing states, which would include Anambra, Enugu, and Kogi States into the NDDC. Isiguzoro accused Chief Clark of promoting ethnic bigotry, which he said had no place in Nigeria’s diverse and multicultural society.  Ohanaeze Ndigbo called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reject Clark’s divisive rhetoric and encouraged the incorporation of the Old Anambra River Basins into the NDDC, emphasizing that such a move would correct historical injustices and promote national integration, development, and unity. The organization reaffirmed its commitment to a united and prosperous Nigeria, where all ethnic groups are treated with equal rights and opportunities, and where harmony, understanding, and shared prosperity prevail.