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2023: Obi playing ethnic card to get votes, says Keyamo

Published

2 years ago

September 12, 2022

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The minister of state for labour and employment, Festus Keyamo, has accused Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), of concocting a WhatsApp message to be seen as a victim of ethnic agenda.

Keyamo, the spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council, made the remark in response to a video clip where Obi is seen reading a message asking south-westerners not to vote for him.

The LP presidential candidate was at a parley when he read out the message purportedly from a “Tinubu group” which said: “Yoruba shine your eyes o, if you vote for Peter Obi, it is automatically voting for seaports in south-south and south-east.

“The Igbos will stop coming to Lagos state to invest, rather they will go to Delta and Rivers states, they may even stop building houses in Lagos. It will affect a lot of Yorubas.”

But reacting in a statement on Monday, Keyamo said the group Obi referred to does not exist, adding that he lacks ideas on how to tackle the country’s challenges

READ 2023: APC kicks off presidential campaign Nov 15

“We wish to state that it is obvious Mr. Peter Obi deliberately concocted that message and circulated that offensive video himself as a campaign strategy in order to come across as a victim of some kind of ethnic agenda, whereas in truth, he is the real agent provocateur of an ethnic agenda,” Keyamo said.

“As the takeoff date for campaigns draws closer, Mr. Peter Obi has suddenly realised that Nigerians are beginning to burst his bubbles as his messages are bereft of ideas, depth and clear-cut solutions to our challenges.

“His messages are only full of false data and highfalutin jargons in what is clearly a disingenuous ruse to distract a scrutiny of his empty records as a Governor of Anambra State and nothing else. Hence his easy recourse to playing ethnic card and fanning the embers of hate.

“We find it utterly disgusting, demeaning and insulting to the sensitivities and sensibilities of Nigerians for a Presidential Candidate of the ilk of Peter Obi to make such a video parroting a spurious, unverified and sham message that has the potential of deepening our fault lines as a nation and further promoting ethnic tensions.

READ BREAKING: Ondo assembly commences impeachment process of deputy governor over 'gross misconduct'

“This is completely unbecoming of a Presidential Candidate that hopes to unite this country. Again, we note that Mr. OBJ’s latest stunt is consistent with what is now widely perceived as his adoption of hate as campaign strategy, having consistently failed to rein in his known and i

Related Topics:APC Ethnic agenda Festus Keyamo LP PETER OBI

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UPDATED: Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as chairman of education loan fund

Published

4 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed Jim Ovia as the chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, announced the appointment of Ovia, chairman of Zenith Bank, in a statement on Friday.

Ngelale said Tinubu believes that Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience to ensure that no Nigerian student suffers a paucity of funds in the quest for tertiary education.

On April 3, Tinubu signed the student loans amendment bill into law to provide Nigerians with quality and accessible education.

The law will allow Nigerian students in tertiary institutions to access low-interest loans for tuition and other academic needs.

Subsequently, the president appointed Akintunde Sawyerr as the managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of the fund.

Tinubu also appointed Frederick Oluwafemi Akinfala as the executive director of finance and administration, while Mustapha Iyal will serve as the executive director of operations of NELFUND.

READ No plan to increase petrol price, NNPCL assures Nigerians

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JUST IN: Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as chairman of education loan fund

Published

6 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed Jim Ovia as the chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, announced the appointment of Ovia, chairman of Zenith Bank, in a statement on Friday.

More to follow…

READ President Tinubu returns to Nigeria from London

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ICPC detains TETFund boss ‘over questionable N7.6bn project’

Published

10 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has detained Sonny Echono, executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Demola Bakare, ICPC spokesperson, confirmed the development on Friday.

Bakare said that Echono was invited by the anti-graft agency on Thursday.

“The executive secretary of TETFund is here with us. He has been invited for questioning. He is still in custody. He was invited yesterday.” Bakare said.

“He was invited on Thursday. He has not been released. He’s still with us. Investigation is still ongoing.”

It was earlier reported that TETfund awarded two contracts to Fides Et Ratio Academy and Pole Global Marketing (PGM) within two months at the cost of N3.8 billion respectively without the approval of the federal executive council (FEC), which is required for the contract size.

The contract was to provide capacity building course and learning management systems to about 2 million students across higher institutions in the country.

READ Playing ethnic card: Atiku wants to divide Nigeria as he divided PDP, says APC

In a rejoinder, TETFund said it did not award N7.6 billion contracts to two companies without due process.

The agency said it was wrong to say they were contracts, whereas they were ICT projects implemented under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which doesn’t require competitive bidding in public procurement.

TETFund further said its disbursement guidelines were approved by the president on the recommendation of the “Fund’s Board of Trustees and concurrence of the Honourable Minister of Education in line with the TETFund Act 2011″.

In an interview with TheCable, Echono said there was no form of irregularity in the N7.6 billion project.