Osibanjo urges youths to join politics

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) has urged Nigerian youths to join politics to make a difference in the country.

The Vice president stated this in Abuja, at a virtual forum where he interacted with Nigerian Fellows of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

Osinbajo urged the youths to get involved in whatever level of politics so that they can make a difference on the scale that is required even though there will be a lot of challenges but they should never give up.

“African nations and especially our country, cannot afford to have its best minds and most committed social activists remain only in the civil space. No, we simply can’t afford it, you have to get involved in politics. You have to be in the position to make the difference on the scale that is required,” he stated.

PDP disqualifies Oladipo and two other aspirants

In the week under review, the Screening Sub-Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party disqualified three aspirants from vying for positions in the National Working Committee during its convention.

Those disqualified were Prof. Wale Oladipo (Osun) who expressed interest in the position of Deputy National Chairman South, Okey Muo-Aroh (Anambra) who expressed interest in the position of National Secretary, and Dr Olafeso Eddy (Ondo) National Publicity Secretary.

The Chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State, said the aspirants were disqualified for taking the party to court to stop the convention.

According to the Governor, those disqualified failed to exhaust the internal conflicts resolution mechanism as provided for in the PDP Constitution.

I’ll win Anambra governorship election, says Ifeanyi Ubah

Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, a candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) for the November 6 Governorship Election in Anambra State, expressed optimism that he would be declared the winner.

Ubah stated this in Abuja shortly after he was awarded Bachelor of Law degree at the Baze University. He said the knowledge he acquired as a law graduate would assist him to offer quality governance as the state’s helmsman.

He said he was able to combine his academic works and legislative activities because he set his agenda and always ensure that his priorities were always right.

“I am a lover of knowledge and I will continue to do everything possible to acquire more certificates. The law degree, for instance, would assist me more as governor of Anambra State.

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“I am the leading contender in the November 6 governorship election and I believe that by 7pm that day, you will be glad that I will be announced as the next governor of Anambra State,” Ubah said.

APC members deny involvement in parallel congresses

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Some members of the All Progressives Congress whose names appeared on the list of those who conducted the parallel congresses in Niger State have denied involvement.

The members, who disassociated themselves from the factional group are Mohammed Agwara, Shittu Ibrahim, Isiyaku Bosso and Jauro Tafa.

Apart from denying involvement, they also disowned the group and have pledged their loyalty to the new elected executive led by Haliru Jinkantoro.

Ibrahim, a former local government chairman of the party said he was not aware of any factional group.

“Even though I aspired for the position of vice chairman zone B, stakeholders of the zone in a meeting agreed on a consensus candidate and I have stepped down for the consensus candidate and declared my respect and loyalty to the decision of the party,” he said.

We don’t have a democracy, says Pat Utomi

Prof. Pat Utomi, a political economist and former presidential candidate, has described the #EndSARS protests as an event marking the arrival of citizenship in Nigeria, insisting that Nigeria does not have a democracy yet.

“We need to build citizenship and raise citizens – people who have a passion for a shared humanity. At the bottom of society’s ladder are idiots, people who care just about themselves, and at the next level are tribalists who care only about people who share the same blood or language. For tribalists, everyone who does not share in their parochial base is an enemy” Utomi said.

The former presidential candidate added that the practice of democracy in Nigeria had been turned upside down.

“Democracy is supposed to be people holding government accountable. But the kind of democracy we run here is that people fear the government instead of the government fearing the people. Until we can make government fear the people, we don’t have a democracy,” he said.

Why Nigerian political parties remain backward- PDF DG

Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman, has expressed sadness that while progress is being made by the Independent National Electoral Commission in improving elections, the political parties in the country have been on the decline.

The PGF DG said progress was being made to enhance the processes of election management in the country but still, management of political parties remained very backward.

“The loyalists who emerge as political leaders have, in turn, become delegates during party primaries for the selection of candidates for election, who then confirm the aspiring political leaders as the party’s candidate for election,” he lamented.

APGA hails Buhari for promoting credible elections

The All Progressives Grand Alliance has commended the regime of the President Muhammadu Buhari for maintaining neutrality in most elections held under his watch.

APGA National Coordinator, Media Warriors, Chinedu Obigwe, stated this in a press briefing in Awka, Anambra State.

“President Buhari as a progressive-minded politician, is not comfortable going back to the dark era of using presidential powers to rig elections in favour of an unpopular candidate,” Obigwe said.

Obigwe also stated that the President is giving Governor Obiano the needed cooperation as the Chief Security Officer of the State to tackle the insecurity of the state.

“If the President maintains his current neutral stand without succumbing to undue pressure to use the federal might to rig the Anambra November 6 poll, he has succeeded in giving Nigerians hope that the 2023 general election will be free and fair” Obigwe stated.