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Ekiti 2022: Tinubu, Adamu, APC governors storm Ekiti for Oyebanji

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The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC) for the 2023 general election, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, led 14 APC governors to Ekiti State to campaign for the party’s governorship candidate, Biodun Oyebanji, ahead of Saturday’s election.

Those who were also at the APC’s final rally were former Osun State Governor and first Interim National Chairman of the APC, Bisi Akande, and the current National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu.

Besides Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, Governors Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo; Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano; Dapo Abiodun of Ogun; Gboyega Oyetola of Osun; Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna; Abdurazaq Abdurahman of Kwara and Inua Yahaya of Gombe were present to lend their support.

Others were Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Solomon Lalong of Plateau, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Babagaba Zulum of Borno State and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos.

Addressing the crowd of party supporters at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado Ekiti, Mr Tinubu said APC had started a revolution in Nigeria in 2015 by sweeping away the PDP.

He said the revolution pioneered by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and, which was sustained in 2019, should be allowed to reach an enviable height by voting for APC in all elections.

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“President Buhari, a man of honour and dignity, had kept his promise by passing the ball to us in the south that we should produce the next President and it is now left for us to vote APC to maintain the unity and progress of our nation,” he said.

Tinubu noted that the Ekiti election was significant in boosting the APC chances in next year’s presidential election, and urged all factions within the party to close ranks.

“To those who are aggrieved in Ekiti, nothing is wrong in having quarrels in a party, but it is not good to burn down the house,” the presidential candidate said.

“That is why I want you to vote for ‘Emilokan of Ekiti’, Biodun Oyebanji. This is our first test after my emergence, don’t let us fail; don’t let us disappoint President Buhari.

“We must put Nigeria on the path of progress and you will never regret voting for APC in this election.”

In their submissions, Governors Akeredolu, Sanwo-Olu and Bagudu described Oyebanji as the best man to continue with the purposeful leadership laid by Governor Kayode Fayemi .

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Mr Bagudu, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, added that Mr Tinubu had been picked as the presidential candidate and that the Southwest zone must stand by him, and that the only way to demonstrate this was by winning Ekiti for APC.

“The Progressive Governors’ Forum knows that Ekiti will do us proud on Saturday by overwhelmingly voting for APC, banking on the solid foundation Governor Fayemi has provided,” he said.

“Biodun Oyebanji is the only one that can continue the good work Fayemi has begun. He will not disappoint you. The Southwest has a big task ahead of 2023 and holding the zone strongly for Asiwaju to be able to win the 2023 presidential election will be to the benefit of all of us.”

Presenting the flag to the candidate, the National Chairman of the Party, Adamu, expressed optimism that Mr Oyebanji will be elected as the next governor to succeed governor Fayemi, who he said had done wonderfully well in the last four years.

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“Since the nomination of my brother and your father, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as our presidential candidate, this is our first outing,” said Mr Adamu.

“We want to see you come out and vote for this humble and service-inclined young man.

“I have been to Ekiti on three occasions, but I have never seen this kind of a crowd. I have never seen a crowd like this and this is an indication of the support you have for APC.

“We saw the votes you gave APC in 2018 and you have to replicate and even do more on Saturday.”

Mr Akande, on his part, said if all Nigerians, including Hausa, Fulani and Igbo, agreed to make a Yoruba man President in 2023, that Ekiti voters shouldn’t disgrace the party on Saturday.

“Please, whoever we have offended should please forgive us in the interest of our party and all of us,” he said.

“APC is a party that we can trust. Yoruba and Ekiti, in particular, belong to the progressives and we must display this in this election.”

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Don’t condemn or curse Nigeria in your sermons — this is a beautiful land, Tinubu urges clerics

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President Bola Tinubu has appealed to religious leaders to desist from laying curses on the nation in their sermons.

The president spoke on Thursday while breaking the Ramadan fast with traditional rulers and religious leaders at the presidential villa.

Tinubu harped on the significant role of religious leaders in shaping public opinion and promoting unity in the country.

The president asked the clerics to be constructive in their criticisms of government officials, saying his administration is determined to address Nigeria’s challenges.

 

“The love of the nation is in your hands. Pray for our country. Educate our children. The sermons we preach to the members of our churches and mosques are important,” Tinubu said.

 

“Do not condemn your own nation. As a Yoruba man and as our fathers will say: ‘no matter how slippery the bottom of your child is, you must leave the beads there’.

 

“Leave the beads there. This is your country, do not condemn it in sermons, and do not abuse the nation. Leadership is meant for changes.”

READ  Ekiti APC governorship primary holds January 27

 

Tinubu said instead of condemning the country, “bad” leaders should be shown the exit during elections.

 

“Yes, this leader is bad, fine. Wait until the next election to change him, but do not condemn your country. Do not curse Nigeria. This is a beautiful land,” Tinubu said.

 

Also speaking, Kashim Shettima, vice-president, advised religious leaders to continue to “build bridges that transcend ethnic and religious divides”.

 

“The president means well for the nation, and he has continued to redefine the meaning and concept of modern leadership,” he said.

 

”For many years, fuel subsidy was an albatross. The president took a bold decision from day one, and he hit the ground running. Now the economy is turning the corner.”

 

Speaking on behalf of the Traditional Rulers Council of Nigeria, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ooni of Ife, said the monarchs are in support of Tinubu’s administration.

 

“You are not alone, Mr. President. The prices of food items and goods are gradually coming down. You are doing your best on security, and we cannot allow you to do it alone. We will join hands to support your vision for the betterment of our nation,” Ogunwusi said.

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Ahmed Bamalli, Emir of Zazzau, who spoke for the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), said Ramadan is a period of reflection, empathy, and unity.

 

“I am happy to see representatives of Muslim and Christian communities in this room. I pray God Almighty blesses the president for him to do more to take the country to the Promised Land,” he said.

Samson Fatokun, general secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), commended Tinubu for fostering unity in the country.

 

”We are encouraged that your administration has shown great determination in tackling the challenges of kidnapping and banditry and bringing to justice the perpetrators of this dastardly act,” he said.

”We shall continue to show our support to your administration so that you can execute your noble intention for the nation.”

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Tompolo rejects Tinubu’s wish for low-key birthday, buys out frontpage of dailies

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Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has rejected President Bola Tinubu’s wish for a low-key birthday celebration by buying the frontpages of a slew of national newspapers to celebrate the 72nd birthday of President.

Tompolo is the chairperson of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, an oil pipeline surveillance firm that tackles crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region.

 

Last Sunday, the presidency announced that Tinubu will not celebrate his 72nd birthday on March 29 “in deference to the challenging times” in the country.

The presidency said the president “does not want any of his associates and numerous well-wishers across the country to organise any celebratory event on his behalf or in his name”.

Tinubu also “enjoins friends and associates who may wish to place goodwill advertorials to kindly donate the money to charity organisations of their choice in his name”.


However, on Friday, Tompolo placed birthday messages for Tinubu on the frontpages of at least eight national dailies.

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TheCable understands that a frontpage newspaper advert of the size Tompolo splurged on costs an average of N10 million.

 

This is not the first time the Tantita boss will use the frontpage of dailies to celebrate Tinubu.

In October 2023, after the supreme court affirmed Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election, Tompolo bought the frontpages of several dailies to celebrate the judgment.

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Delta monarch declared wanted over murder of 17 soldiers turns himself in

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Clement Ikolo Oghenerukevwe, monarch of Ewu-Urhobo kingdom in Delta, has reported to the police, hours after the military named him as one of the wanted persons for the murder of 17 army personnel in Okuama.

Bright Edafe, Delta state police spokesperson, confirmed Oghenerukevwe’s surrender.

Edafe said the monarch turned himself in on Thursday.

“We have already handed him over to the military, they were the ones that declared him wanted,” the spokesperson said.

The Defence Headquarters had on Thursday declared Oghenerukevwe among eight persons wanted in connection to the murder of the army personnel.

Among those declared wanted are Ekpekpo Arthur, a professor of physics at the Delta State University; Akeywiru Omotegbono, Andaowei Bakrikri, Igoli Ebi, a lady; Akata David, Sinclear Oliki, and Reuben Baru.

Before turning himself in, the monarch released a statement to plead his innocence.

 

“I am very surprised that my name as the monarch of the kingdom will appear in the list of wanted persons. I have no hand in the killings, I have no hand in encouraging anybody to kill anybody, it is against my philosophy as a human being and my faith as a Catholic,” he said.

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“It is a serious crime against humanity and they need to look at the appropriate places and do thorough investigation to know all those who have committed this and bring them to book and let justice prevail.

 

“I am not a party to this and like I have said earlier, the state government is aware of the turbulence I have been going through and as I speak, an arrangement was made by the government to invite the opponents recently just before this happenings.”

After the killing of the army personnel, President Bola Tinubu and the military high command promised that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

 

Speaking during the burial ceremony of the late personnel, Taoreed Lagbaja, chief of army staff (COAS), said it was “highly demoralising” that the soldiers were killed by those they were equipped to protect.

 

The army chief added that it took over 72 hours of search to recover the vital organs of some of the deceased soldiers.

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