2023 Presidency: Ayade Promises To Step Down For Jonathan If APC Picks Him

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April 26, 2022

Trump Hints At Possible Deportation Of Elon Musk — Elon Musk and Trump

Former US President Donald Trump vowed he would not be returning to Twitter if his account was reinstated following the purchase of the platform by tech billionaire Elon Musk, announced on Monday.

The Republican leader said he would be using his own site, Truth Social, although he appears only to have posted once since its launch in February.

“I am not going on Twitter, I am going to stay on TRUTH,” Trump said, according to FoxNews.com, adding that Musk was a “good man” who would improve the service.

“We’re taking in millions of people, and what we’re finding is that the response on TRUTH is much better than being on Twitter. Twitter has bots and fake accounts, and we are doing everything we can,” he told the network.

Trump was banned for life from Twitter — and impeached for a second time — following the January 2021 assault on the US Capitol by his supporters, with the company citing the “risk of further incitement of violence.”

The California-based platform has been dogged by complaints from conservatives that it was biased against them and violating their free speech rights with suspensions for rule-breaking.

Lawmakers have called for the modification or repeal of a 1996 law shielding social media platforms from liability over their content moderation practices and for the postings of third parties.

Musk, whose immense wealth stems from the popularity of Tesla electric vehicles, as well as other ventures, struck a deal Monday to buy Twitter for $44 billion, the company announced.

A self-proclaimed “free-speech absolutist,” he is expected to take a less robust approach to regulating content, and analysts have speculated that he may reinstate accounts of Trump and allies who have fallen afoul of the rules.

Trump appeared to have spoken to Fox News before he was aware of Musk’s purchase. But progressive group Media Matters for America had already warned that the former president could return.

“Any negotiations to sell Twitter to Musk must include clear enforceable mechanisms to uphold and maintain existing community standards, including the removal of those who violate those standards,” the group’s president Angelo Carusone said in a statement.

Trump struggled to pronounce the name of his social media platform during a rally in Ohio on Saturday, appearing to refer to it as “something called trove, Truth Central.”

He took several weeks to post after its launch in February.

More than one million users downloaded the app after its launch but interest appears to have waned amid technical glitches and long wait times to access accounts.

Victims Of Imo Illegal Refinery Fire Buried

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April 26, 2022

The Imo State Government on Tuesday buried en masse the victims of the illegal oil refinery explosion which occurred at a forest in Abaezi community of the Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of the state on Friday night.

The tragedy which claimed over 100 lives razed all the vehicles at the illegal refinery site.

The mass burial which occurred at 5:05 pm saw the victims who were burnt beyond recognition lowered in three graves.

The victims were buried at the site of the explosion with few Community members present.

Though there were no family relatives of the victims who were around, the Interim Management Committee chairman of the LGA, Marcel Amadioha, told Journalists that he had the instruction of the state governor, Hope Uzodiinma, to conduct a mass burial for the victims.

Assisted by the staff members of the Nigerian Red Cross Society and National Emergency Management Agency, the council boss said that his people were saddened by the development.

Apart from the mass burial, staff members of the Environmental Health at council Headquarters began the fumigation of the scene.

This, the LGA chairman said, was to forestall any outbreak of disease in the area.

Amadioha said, “We have the instruction of the governor of Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodiinma, to conduct a mass burial for the victims of the explosion. This is the least we can do for them because they were burnt beyond recognition. You can see there are no relatives of the victims who are here. This is because the victims were unidentifiable. This is the least we could do to avoid their bodies from decaying further.

”I believe this will serve as a deterrent to others. We are clamping down on all illegal refineries in this area. We can’t allow this economic sabotage to continue. We deserve better than this.

“The governor has shown enough compassion by providing us with enough logistics to carry out this mass burial.”

One of the youth leaders, Ben Marcos, told our correspondent that the community was carrying out a sensitisation program against oil theft in the community.

He said that the youths of the community assisted government officials to bury the victims so as to ensure that there was no outbreak of epidemics in the community.

A cleansing process was carried out before the mass burial.

Representatives from the Catholic archdiocese of Owerri were present during the funeral activity.

PUNCH

Winner Of 2022 Ray Nkemdirim Foundation Quiz Competition To Grab N1m, Forms Available At No Cost

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April 26, 2022

Winner Of 2022 Ray Nkemdirim Foundation Quiz Competition To Grab N1m, Forms Available At No Cost

Ray Nkemdirim Foundation has announced that the winner of its 2022 secondary quiz competition will go home with a whopping sum of N1m while the second position will grab N500,000 and the third to be given N250,000.

This comes as the non-governmental pro-education organisation announces that the forms for the 2022 edition, which is second in the series is out for pick up at no cost at offices of its partner agencies.

The foundation seeks to leverage on its capacity and networks to ensure realization of educational dreams of ordinary citizens who are being hindered by financial challenges, thereby creatively supporting Abia state government’s effort in the education sector.

It also seeks to contribute its quota to the uplifting of humanity and to enhance human development, reduce poverty, crime and achieve state development,thereby motivating students within the state.

Briefing newsmen in Umuahia, Abia state capital at Flo 94.9FM premises Factory road, Umuahia, the coordinator, Ray Nkemdirim Foundation, Uche Ama Ohaka said the Scholarship and quiz competition will take off at the local government from 17th-26th May while the zonal quiz competition would commence from 31st May-2nd June with the grand finale holding on June 30th 2022.

He hinted that the Abia State Schools Quiz Competition for secondary schools, which is in collaboration with the Abia state Ministry of Education, Abia state secondary Education Management Board(SEMB),National Association of Proprietors of private schools(NAPPS),Abia state Universal Basic Education Board(ASUBEB),Abia state scholarship Board as well as FLO FM 94.9 Radio station Umuahia and sponsored by a retired Assistant Director of State Security Service, SSS Raymond Nkemdirim is a strategic effort aimed at community oriented actions for good governance and sustainable development.

Ohaka said, “With this project, we hope to rightly stimulate, motivate and encourage learning in our state using various incentives, motivational and inspirational mechanisms like school quiz, debates, grants, scholarships, other productive competition and reward systems: we hope to engender sustained interest in education and openly reward efforts for more”.

“This non-governmental and nonprofit engagement is delivered as our humanitarian contribution to the education sector in the state and purposed to bridge some critical society developmental and learning gaps bordering on lack or inadequacy of creative incentives or motivation, lack of certain technical and financial supports from the private sector as well as absence of awareness and guidance for productive engagement.

“We are therefore deploying strategic incentive approaches, enduring exposure and mentoring actions at community levels to close these identified gaps. From last year 2021,as part of our contribution for a better society Raymond Nkemdirim Foundation initiated a yearly school quiz competition program across the local governments and three education zones in abia state”. The scholarship last for a year and strictly for senior secondary students both public and private schools.”

Lack Of Fairness: I’ll Drop My Presidential Ambition If… — Sen. Orji Kalu

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April 26, 2022

Lack Of Fairness: I'll Drop My Presidential Ambition If... — Sen. Orji Kalu — Senator Orji Uzor Kalu

Chief Whip of the Senate, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu has said he will drop his 2023 presidential ambition if the two major political parties, APC and PDP fail to zone their tickets to South East, stating that it will amount to lack of fairness to the South-East if the parties fail in this regard.

The former Abia governor while hinting that he will return to the Senate noted that South East alone cannot produce the country’s President, adding that it will need the support of other regions.

In a statement on Tuesday titled, “2023 Presidency: The Fairness I Know” the Abia North Senator while stating that North is at an advantage to win election at the current democratic setting expressed shock with the number of aspirants coming from South South and South West, saying they have no single respect for the South East.

He said his thinking was that the candidates will support the South East to produce the country’s next president, wondering why some of the aspirants go about spending money around. He said the presidency of Nigeria is not gotten by throwing money around.

He said, “The situation in Nigeria is that without the support of other regions, it would amount to a shadow chase for a South Easterner to be President. This is the reason I have been in the frontline of the call that the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should zone their presidential tickets to the South East as they did for the South West in 1999. In the absence of this zoning, I shall return to the Senate and stay away from the presidential contest. The reality is that the North is more advantageous to win elections in this democratic setting.

“I am even shocked with the number of aspirants coming from the South West and the South South . It is embarrassing that these aspirants (APC and PDP) have no single respect and concern for the South East. I had thought they would think about the South East; I thought they would support us. The amount of money being spent by these aspirants is alarming and they have forgotten that money alone cannot buy the presidency.

“It has become a joke to an ordinary Nigerian who hears Southern commentators and aspirants rooting for a Southern President on the premise of fairness, equity and justice.

“How can you talk about these morals when you are not even fair to your own brothers?”

He said the refusal of people of South South and South West to support a presidential candidate of South East is unfair and just especially when both zones have at different times produced the country’s President and vice president respectively.

Sen. Kalu wondered what moral justification such individuals will have to condemn a northerner seeking presidential election.

“If there is anything like “fairness”, “equity” and “justice”, it should be the entire South pushing for a president of South East extraction. Anything less than that is “hypocritical”, “unjustifiable”and “inordinate”. Some ‘persons’ are even claiming God’s anointed choice in 2023 . Unfortunately, it is not all prayers that God answers; at least not inordinate ones.

“What moral justification does a Southerner who refused to be fair to his brothers have against a Northerner running for president? It will be very insensitive , unreasonable and disrespectful for any Southern man to criticize a presidential aspirant from the North on the ground that the North has done eight years and power should return to the South.

“The South West and the South South have successfully completed their tenures as ‘President and Vice President’.They should have the courage to support their brothers from the South East. If the next president after President Muhammadu Buhari does not come from the South East , there would be nothing unfair and unjust if he/she comes from Daura.

“This country belongs to all of us and the unity of the country should be paramount . If not for selfishness and greed, how can you say that where a president comes from does not matter simply because you don’t want to support a president of Nigeria from the South East, but turn around to clamor for a power shift to the South? How do we explain this to the younger generation? Let the wise and courageous stay firm on their convictions and not swing on the two sides of the Atlantic .

“If you are convinced that where a president comes from does not matter, let Nigerians not hear you clamour for power shift. Be brave to encourage everyone to run , including President Buhari’s kinsmen. But if you have conscience and believe in equality, then you should support the South East region that is yet to produce a president. That is what I consider fairness.

“The two regions that are yet to produce a President are South East and North East. If this means anything to Nigerians, the APC and PDP should be fair enough to prioritize these regions. If power should come to the South and not the South East or North and not the North East, the essence for which the six geopolitical zones were created is long dead.

“To Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Edwin Clark , Deji Adeyanju and a host of others who have stood firm in their support for their brothers in the South East, posterity will be kind to you,” he concluded.

Presidency Should Go To North Central, It’s Their Turns, Says Saraki

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April 26, 2022

Okowa Fires Back at Saraki Over Defection Criticism, Cites PDP Crisis — Bukola Saraki

As politicians jostle for the nation’s presidency in 2023, former Senate President Bukola Saraki has said that it was the turn of the North-Central geopolitical zone to lead the country.

Saraki spoke on Tuesday in Jos when he addressed delegates from Plateau ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary elections slated to hold in May.

The former Kwara governor, who is among the many aspirants in the race for the PDP ticket, pointed out that the North-Central had consistently supported other regions to lead the country and deserved similar support from other zones, this time.

“You remember that before the national convention of our party, we held a meeting in Abuja with delegates of North-Central extraction.

“We said to ourselves that for many times and many years, we, in the North Central, have worked hard, we struggled, used our efforts, used our money, used our energies to support other people to lead.

“Everybody, who had become President under this great party, got the seat because of our massive sacrifices.

“We have now resolved that it is time for others to vote for us in 2023,” he said.

He stated that the North-Central had capable hands to address the myriads of problems bedeviling the country.

Saraki said that if given the opportunity, he would run an open government that would be transparent and fair to all Nigerians.

The presidential aspirant said that security and other challenges bedeviling Nigeria went out of hand because of a lack of accountability by the people that were responsible for tackling the issues.

“The problem of insecurity in Nigeria is because there has been no accountability. People have done things and nobody was held accountable for their failures.

“When I was Senate President, we sat down with security agencies and drew a roadmap on how to address the issue of insecurity, but the report was abandoned.

“If I am the President, I will hold people accountable and they will do what is right to end insecurity and there will be no injustice,” he said.

Saraki further stated that the country was so divided and needed someone that had the capacity and a good grasp of the situation to restore its lost glory and unite the people.

The PDP Chairman in Plateau, Chris Hassan, told the delegates that Saraki stood with the state during its trying times.

Hassan said that Saraki was a stabilising factor that had traversed the length and breadth of the country to reconcile members of the PDP.

The chairman said that delegates would assess all aspirants and make an informed decision based on their antecedents.

Rep Beni Lar, daughter of Chief Solomon Lar, first PDP chairman, in her remarks, said that Nigerians were tired of bloodshed and that Saraki had the capacity to end the killings.

Lar urged the presidential aspirant to ensure that women got their 35 per cent affirmation action when elected President come in 2023.

President Buhari, Tambuwal In Closed-Door Meeting

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April 26, 2022

President Buhari, Tambuwal In Closed-Door Meeting

President Muhammadu Buhari and Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal have met behind closed-door at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Tambuwal is one of the front runners for the opposition People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential ticket.

The meeting with Buhari is coming days after the PDP’s consensus arrangement structured for four northern presidential aspirants hit the rocks.

The PDP presidential aspirants involved in the arrangement include Tambuwal; his Bauchi counterpart Governor Bala Mohammed; former Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Managing-Director of FsB International Bank, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.

Supreme Court Voids Andy Uba’s Participation In Anambra Governorship Election

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April 26, 2022

Supreme Court Voids Andy Uba’s Participation In Anambra Governorship Election — Andy Uba

The Supreme Court has voided the participation of Andy Uba in the last governorship election in Anambra State as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A five-member panel of the court, held in a judgment on Tuesday, that the APC breach its guidelines for the conduct of primaries and thus, failed to conduct valid primary from which Uba emerged as the party’s candidate in the Anambra governorship election.

The Supreme Court affirmed the February 23, 2022 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the December 20,2021 judgment by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The apex court proceeded to dismiss the appeals filed by Andy Uba and the APC – marked: SC/CV/240/2022 and SC/CV/241/2022.

In the December 20, 2021 judgment, Justice Ekwo held among others that Uba was never a candidate in the election held on November 6, 2021 having emerged from an illegally conducted primary election held by the APC.

Justice Ekwo held that the plaintiff, in the case marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/648/201, George Moghalu (an APC aspirant for the election) succeeded in proving that the APC did not conduct a valid primary election from which Uba claimed to have emerged as the party’s candidate.

I Can’t Betray Nigerians By Refusing To Serve Them — Osinbajo

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April 26, 2022

2023 Presidency: It Will Amount To Betrayal If I Refuse To Serve Nigeria – Osinbajo — Prof Yemi Osinbajo

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on Monday visited the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, and some leaders of the All Progressives Congress, as well as some political office holders in the state as the presidential primary of the party, draws nearer.

The visit may not be unconnected to part of the consultation tour being embarked by Osinbajo to the party faithful across the country as the forthcoming presidential primary of the party draws closer.

The vice president, who expressed his readiness to contest the presidential election in 2023, said it would amount to an act of betrayal to the country if he failed to serve Nigeria.

He said, “Opportunity comes once in a while. It is also a privilege to serve. Our country needs service that will bring the country out of the wood.

“Nobody can be anything without the endorsement of God. I declare my intention based on the fact that I have served for over seven months as acting president. I was given very serious responsibility as an acting president.

“Now the opportunity has come, with the experience that I have, the connection and contacts that I have both locally and internationally, it will be a betrayal to the country not to accept to serve the country. Many people are dying for the country every day. If with all that has been given to me by the grace of God, all experience, I now retire to Lagos or Ikene to go and be writing my memoir, it would be a great injustice to this country.”

In his remarks, Akeredolu said the delegates from the state love and respect him but said it is God that enthrones.

“It is only God that can enthrone, if God says it is you (Osinbajo), it will be you,” Akeredolu declared.

2023 Presidency: Endorse Jonathan Now, Group Tells Buhari, Adamu

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April 26, 2022