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My respect for Buhari “high and unfailing.” – Tinubu

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Presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has explained his comments about being responsible for making Muhammadu Buhari Nigeria’s president.

In a statement on Friday, Tinubu said the media subjected his utterances in Abeokuta, Ogun State, to “gross misinterpretations.”

“To a degree, the erroneous interpretations may be somewhat innocent given that I spoke in Yoruba,” said Mr Tinubu.

“Those who do not understand the nuances of this richly layered and subtly language may have inadvertently yet erroneously missed the true meaning of what I said while attempting to translate my statement.

“Instead of weighing what I said carefully, they translated so quickly and thus inaccurately in an attempt to meet media deadlines.

“Of course, there are also those who knew better but they conveyed these inaccuracies because the sensationalism suits their political purposes.”

While addressing Ogun State APC delegates on Thursday ahead of the party’s presidential primaries next week, Mr Tinubu spoke about his role in Mr Buhari’s presidency.

“If not for me that stood behind Buhari he wouldn’t have become the president,” he said.

“He tried the first time, he failed, the second time, he failed, the third, he failed, he even wept on national television and vowed never to contest again but I went to meet him in Kaduna and told him he will run again, I will stand by you and you will win, but you must not joke with Yorubas and he agreed.

“Since he became the president, I have never got ministerial slots, I didn’t collect any contract, I have never begged for anything from him, it is the turn of Yoruba, it is my turn.”

Tinubu’s comments – accompanied by elicited heated responses from Nigerians with many saying they were disrespectful.

But in his reaction on Friday, the former Lagos State governor said his respect and regard for Mr Buhari are “high and unfailing.”

Read Mr Tinubu’s full statement below:

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I HAVE HIGH REGARD AND RESPECT FOR PRESIDENT BUHARI

We have entered the meat of primary season. Sensationalism and wilful inaccuracy tend to push aside truth during such moments. I make this statement so that truth and accuracy may have a chance. It is important that people truly know what I said and where I stand. Whatever view you have of me is within your right to make. But let it be based on truth and not on falsehood or reckless exaggeration.

There have been gross misinterpretations in some sections of the media regarding comments I made on Thursday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. To a degree, the erroneous interpretations may be somewhat innocent given that I spoke in Yoruba. Those who do not understand the nuances of this richly layered and subtly language may have inadvertently yet erroneously missed the true meaning of what I said while attempting to translate my statement. Instead of weighing what I said carefully, they translated so quickly and thus inaccurately in an attempt to meet media deadlines. Of course, there are also those who knew better but they conveyed these inaccuracies because the sensationalism suits their political purposes.

ALSO READ: UPDATED: After Buhari, ‘it is my turn’ – Tinubu
Again, such propaganda and misinformation becomes daily fare in the heat of the political season. Let’s just state what needs to be stated. My opponents want to present a narrative that I made comments disrespectful of President Muhammadu Buhari in hopes that such a narrative would convince President Buhari to oppose my aspirations regarding the approaching primary. President Buhari is an experienced and accomplished leader. I do not believe he will be taken by the tricks of such people.

Let me also erase any doubt. My respect and regard for President Buhari as Commander-in-Chief of this nation and as a person are high and unfailing. I shall never denigrate him. I certainly did not do so in Abeokuta. We have been political partners for a long time and I hope that partnership continues well into the future. I would do nothing to jeopardize it. I believe our party is the best hope for the nation to right itself. I believe I have a future role larger than the one I now have. I also believe President Buhari has a continuing and important role to play even after his tenure as president is over.

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Indeed, I consistently supported the president and his administration. Even when the administration has come under intense criticism, my feet have always been planted solidly in defence of the president. The president personally nominated me to coordinate his re-election campaign in 2019. He did this not because I opposed him or because I was indifferent. He did so, because I was firmly with him in 2015 and has stood firmly beside him ever since. When I publicly announced my aspiration to seek the party nomination for the upcoming presidential election, I stressed that my strategic objective was to build on the foundation laid by the Buhari administration. In fact, I believe I was the first aspirant to inform President Buhari of his presidential intention. It was a sign of the respect I have for him and his office. It is unthinkable that I would asperse the leader of the party for which I hope to be the next flag bearer. It makes no sense at all to do such an indelicate, unseemly thing.

In Abeokuta, I spoke to the unwarranted attacks against my person that have been part of the campaign of others. I also recounted the history of the party for those whose memories need repair. There are many who had no role in the birth of the APC and in its many victories. Now that the party has climbed the political summit, they want to claim credit for something they had no part in. However, this cannot be said of President Buhari. I am proud of my role in the advent of the APC and its electoral successes. But President Buhari, of course, stands as the main driver of this success. He was elected president twice. He has borne the weight of national governance for seven years. Nothing can rival that. I would not dare belittle what he has done and what he has meant to the party and nation.

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President Buhari is a Nigerian patriot, a man of integrity. These qualities won him tremendous mass support leading to electoral victory in 2015 and 2019. I am proud to have been his partner in the political merger that became the APC and in making history by ousting an incumbent president for the first time in Nigeria.

I make no apologies for seeking the party’s nomination. I believe I have something important to offer Nigeria that the other aspirants do not have, although I see them as good and committed Nigerians in their own right. While I want this office, there are certain things I will not do and certain lines I shall not cross. I shall never belittle myself by denigrating the president or his office. I dare not seek an office and disrespect it at the same time.

My aspiration to be President of Nigeria is based on my want to serve the nation and not that I feel some personal entitlement to high office. Governance of this nation is a sacred and solemn duty. It is neither to be given as a favour to someone who is unqualified nor should people be motivated by personal reasons to prevent the most qualified person from attaining the office. The wellbeing of over 200 million souls is at stake. Let us all realise this and act accordingly, I only desire a level-playing ground for all aspirants and adherence to stipulated rules and due process. If in the fairness of such a process, I do not emerge as the party’s candidate, I shall have no complaints regarding an honest primary and will accept the fair outcome as a true democrat.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

June 3, 2022.

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Testimony controversy: After backlash, Enenche apologises, meets Abuja testifier

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The woman who was accused of lying while giving testimony at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja, Vera Anyim, has said she bears no grudge against the church.

 

This followed the controversy that trailed the treatment that was meted out to her by the church’s Senior Pastor, Dr Paul Enenche, on Sunday.

 

In a video that emerged online, Anyim, during her testimony in the church, said she graduated with a “Bsc in Law” from the National Open University of Nigeria.

 

She was however interrupted by Enenche who said she was lying. The pastor also questioned the credibility of the woman’s testimony while he chided her on how she spoke.

Enenche who said there was nothing like “Bsc in Law” immediately asked her to leave the pulpit.

 

The action however generated a flurry of reactions as netizens demanded an apology from the cleric.

 

But Anyim, in a post on her Facebook page on Monday, said she had put the situation behind her.

 

She made the statement after meeting Enenche and his wife, Becky.

Sharing photos from the meeting, she wrote, “I want to inform the whole world that I just had a warm meeting with my spiritual father and mother, Dr Paul Enenche, and Dr Becky Enenche.

 

“I don’t have any grudge against the church or them. I remain committed to serving God as a member of Dunamis Church.

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“I am thankful for the concern of the public.

 

“I have put the situation at my back, and I have moved forward, and I want everybody to do the same. Peace.”

 

The church in a statement on Monday said it reached out to Anyim over the issue, while it explained that concerns arose during her testimony at the Glory Dome on April 14, 2024, regarding her language proficiency and the clarity of her academic credentials.

 

It stated that her speech suggested a level of English proficiency below what might be expected of a university graduate, particularly one with a Law degree, while noting that discrepancies also emerged regarding the nature and duration of her academic pursuit, raising doubts about the legitimacy of her qualifications.

 

The statement added that the Senior Pastor’s actions stemmed from a commitment to upholding standards of excellence and integrity within the church community.

 

The statement read, “A scenario was created on Sunday the 14th April, 2024 at the Glory Dome, the Global Headquarters of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, when Ms Anyim Veronica Nnenna came out to testify of how God helped her graduate from the university, thus making her the first person to attain that feat in her family.

 

“These were the immediate triggers for the said scenario: First, listening to the testifier’s expressions as it borders on basic spoken English, conveys the impression that the minimum standard expectation of a graduate, especially a graduate of Law was not met.

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“Second, stating that she studied Law for 10 years begged the question of what her degree actually was.

 

“Third, she was unable to state exactly what the correct degree was for Law which is LLB, rather she said it was a BSc in Law which is largely unknown as a Law degree in Nigeria and possibly globally.

 

“These prompted the Senior Pastor. Dr. Paul Enenche, to stop the testimony immediately as a product of a ‘lie.’ However, relief came when it was later confirmed that she actually graduated from a university.

 

“It must be pointed out clearly here that embarrassing the testifier publicly with the attendant media frenzy was never intended; whatever happened was under the spur of the moment.”

 

The church disclosed further that the Senior Pastor was rather based on his and the church’s aversion to seeming mediocrity and any appearance of untruth.

 

“While we remain resolute in our passion for excellence, intolerance of mediocrity and falsehood, we wish to reiterate the fact that no harm or hurt was ever intended by the Senior Pastor against Ms. Anyim Veronica. The Senior Pastor feels deeply concerned and had already reached out to her.

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“As a commission, we regret every inconvenience, hurt, and embarrassment this unfortunate scenario has caused to Ms Anyim Veronica Nnenna. We remain committed to her physical welfare as well as her spiritual growth. God bless us all,” the statement added.

 

Some photos confirming that the woman graduated from NOUN were discovered on her Facebook page and shared online.

 

Reacting earlier to the treatment meted out to her, Vera lamented that she was disgraced and labelled a liar by her spiritual leader because she couldn’t speak English and mistakenly said B.Sc instead of LLB.

 

In a post on her Facebook page on Monday, she stated that she graduated with a 3rd class from NOUN and was no. 2262 on the list of graduates from the school.

She wrote: “It’s disheartened because I couldn’t speak English like lawyers. I was labelled a liar for mistakenly saying B.Sc instead of LLB. Actually, I graduated with a Third Class at NOUN. The rejected stone can become the cornerstone. We’re reminded not to look down on anyone.

 

“You can’t imagine what I endured throughout the service. How shattered I must have felt to be disgraced by my spiritual leader in such a manner? I am no. 2262 on the list. I, Vera, deserve better now.

“The Devil came to steal my testimony but Jesus said NO!,” she stated in a separate post.

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Sack non-performing appointees, review your policies, El-Rufai tells Tinubu

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Former governor of Kaduna, Nasir el-Rufai, says President Bola Tinubu should sack appointees in his cabinet who do not deliver on their mandate.

 

El-Rufai, who spoke in Maiduguri, Borno state capital, on Monday, urged Tinubu to look into the possibility of adjusting some of his policies that are not yielding expected results.

 

“You appointed a person into a position and he is not working according to the expectation, you should have the humility to tell him that I need a better person, go and do something else,” NAN quoted him as saying.

 

The former governor urged Nigerians to pray and assist the administration in its efforts to make things better.

 

“What we must do as citizens is to pray for our leaders for God to guide them to see or do what is right,” he said.

 

“For God to give them the humility to reverse themselves when necessary and do the right thing; that’s how society progresses.”

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Good morning! Here Are Some Major News Headlines In The Newspapers Today: Dangote, modular refineries to pay naira for crude

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1. The Federal Government has eventually complied with the demands of domestic crude oil refiners and other operators in the sector, as it declared on Monday that indigenous refineries can now buy crude oil in naira or dollars. It also declared that the total crude oil and condensate reserves in Nigeria increased to 37.5 billion barrels as of January 1, 2024, with a life index of 68.01 years.

 

2. The State Working Committee of the Kano chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has sanctioned some ward party leaders who earlier suspended the national chairman of the party, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje. Leaders in Ganduje ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government had on Monday suspended the APC national chairman.

 

3. Nigeria witnessed its sixth power grid collapse of 2024 on Monday, as electricity generation on the system collapsed from 2,583.77 megawatts at 2 am to 64.7MW around 3 am before the grid was restored later in the day.

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4. The naira has continued its resurgence against the United States dollar, appreciating N1,136/$ at the official market and N1,050/$ at the parallel market at the close of trading activities on Monday. This was as traders predicted the dollar’s fall to below N1,000 before the end of the week.

 

5. A Lagos Coroner inquest set up to unravel the circumstances that led to the death of Sylvester Oromoni Jnr., a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos, has said that he died of natural causes. The coroner, Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri stated that the deceased’s death was avoidable but for parental negligence, while absolving staff of the college of any complicity.

 

6. The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday, said the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government has so far rescued over 1,000 kidnap victims without paying a ransom. Ribadu said this when he received 22 students and staff of the Federal University of Gusau, Zamfara State, rescued on Sunday.

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7. Tears flowed freely from family members on Monday as the remains of the late Nollywood make-up artist, Abigail Edith Frederick, were entered into her family home in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The late artist, 24, was laid to rest in her hometown in Ikot Udoma, Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

 

8. Former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, says fuel subsidy is back, but many Nigerians do not know this. Fielding questions from newsmen in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, on Monday, El-Rufai said the federal government is now paying more than before.

 

9. The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has stated that a fire incident at the Afam Power Generating Station was responsible for the grid collapse that occurred on Monday. A statement by TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, said the incident caused a partial disturbance of the nation’s grid.

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10. Two persons have been reportedly killed in Minna, Niger State capital during a free-for-all in Maitumbi area of the state. The deaths were as a result of a clash between two rival gang groups in the area, on Monday.

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