Sen. Bola Tinubu, the 2023 Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), says he bears no grudges or grievances against anyone, not even those that do not support his ambition.

Tinubu, who emerged as the APC 2023 presidential candidate at its just concluded Special Convention and presidential primary election, said this on Wednesday in Abuja.

The former two-term Lagos State governor thanked the party’s delegates and leadership for making him its presidential candidate for 2023 presidential election.

“I humbly accept the nomination of this convention to be the presidential candidate of our enlightened, humanitarian and great party, the APC.

“I also offer my sincere gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for his calm and prudent leadership throughout this process.

“I thank him, also, for his steadfast determination to ensure a level playing field and a free and fair primary process for every aspirant.

“Without him, I would not be standing here today as the new flagbearer of Nigeria’s party,” Tinubu said, adding that he didn’t expect to win the primary but he won.

Tinubu, while saying that he was intoxicated by the victory, thanked the party’s governors for what he described as their invaluable contributions to internal democracy and unity.

He commended the party’s leadership and organisers for the conduct of a successful convention and thanked the delegates for the confidence they had shown in him.

“I will prove that your choice was a wise one, you have moved our party and country towards its best future. On your mandate I shall stand,” Tinubu said.

He particularly commended other aspirants that contested the party’s presidential ticket with him, noting that it is a difficult thing to run for president.

Tinubu said the stiff and bold competition the aspirants offered, made the party stronger and himself a better person.

“I must say a special word of thanks to the seven aspirants who chose to step down their personal ambitions for the good of the party and the unity of our purpose.

“The competition is now over, those who did not support me, you have nothing to fear. I hold no grudges or grievances.

“Let us each agree to join hands in defeating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and beating back our common foes of poverty, terror and violence.

“We now have a date with destiny in February 2023, let us win so Nigeria can become the nation it is intended to be,” Tinubu said.

He thanked his campaign team and close advisors, saying that their dedication, long hours and sound advice made his emergence as APC presidential candidate possible.

Tinubu also thanked his wife, Oluremi, for her patience and wise counsel, and for standing by his side, saying that he is indeed a fortunate man to have her as a wife.

While acknowledging that we were faced with challenges in the country, Tinubu said we could, with determination, unity of purpose and commitment reach our finest destiny.

“With help from God, we shall make this nation better for the generations to come.

“President Buhari has already laid a solid foundation in security, economy and anti-corruption, we will build upon this for the salvation of our people,” he said.

He said if he became the country’s next president in 2023, he would provide meaningful education and jobs for youths to enable them strive for a better future.

The former Lagos state governor noted that the country’s teeming youths was her greatest asset, adding that his administration will create jobs for youths from the Zamfara and Osun gold deposits to the vast agricultural land across the country.

“We will create new opportunities in the FINTECH sector, the creative and entertainment industries, digital skills and other areas,” Tinubu said.

He added that with our collective strength, we would conquer terrorism, kidnapping and violent evil of any form.

Tinubu said the ensuing contest between the APC and the PDP for the 2023 presidency would be one of competing visions.

“Our vision is of progress and the future that can be, we must defeat the PDP’s reactionary ideals. Our better, more progressive vision of Nigeria shall secure a better society for all Nigerians.

“May this be our task arising from this convention, let nothing stand in the way of our achieving a more just society and a greater Nigeria,” Tinubu stressed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tinubu, pulled a total 1,271 delegates votes at the APC Special Convention and presidential primary election to emerge as its 2023 presidential candidate.

Rotimi Amaechi, the immediate past Minister of Transportation, came second at the primary with 316 votes, while Vice President Yemi Osinbajo came third with 235 votes. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

…Appreciates Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, IPAC Members

Former chairman of the Interparty Advisory Council (IPAC), Enugu State, Barr Kenneth Ikeh, who is popularly known as Barr Ken Ikeh, has handed over power to the newly elected Chairman, Chief Edwin Alor, at the IPAC Secretariat, Enugu.

In his brief remarks at the handover ceremony, on Thursday in the full glare of other IPAC executives and members, appreciated the immense support during his tenure from the state Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the entire IPAC members in the state.

This is the first time there was a smooth transition power from one elected executive to another in the Enugu State chapter of IPAC.

Giving account of his stewardship, the former IPAC chairman noted that even though he inherited nothing from his predecessor on December 2, 2019 when he took over, his administration has elevated the state IPAC to a “status of envy”.

Among others giant strides, Barr Ken Ikeh IPAC leadership said it bequeathed to the council a befitting operational Toyota Hummer Bus with Registration No: 1ENSG 5642, an efficient and debt free office secretariat at a prime location in the state capital, with a female staff whose only outstanding salary is January 2022.

To guarantee continuity and smooth take off by the new executive, part of the documents and vital correspondents handed over to the new IPAC chairman, Chief Edwin Alor, included particulars and keys of the operational bus and application for official plate number code for IPAC dated 13 January 2020.

Other vital correspondents are document relating to the Women and Youth Empowerment Program of APPEALS Enugu, which is over
95% completed; proposal for a permanent office in Enugu Urban, which is an ongoing programme; requests for courtesy visits, and documents relating to the 2022 IPAC election, including a letter to the Manager, United Bank for Africa (UBA) for change of signatories to IPAC bank account, wherein the former Chairman has already signed off.

Barr. Ikeh who noted that “to the Glory of God, the end is better than the beginning”, said his expectation is “to see a more harmonious and goal-oriented IPAC Enugu State.”

The Notary Public of Nigeria concluded by pleading with his colleagues and everyone to forgive him if he had erred in anyway while in office.

The leader of the South East group within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the South-East APC Integrity Group, Chinedu Jideofo-Ogbuagu has declared to contest for the President of Nigeria in 2023.

The South-East APC Integrity Group had launched a collective South-East APC initiative known as South-East APC Presidency Project 2023, which has made several efforts to produce a presidential candidate from the South East geopolitical zone on the platform of the APC.

However, despite listing a number of South East politicians, the group was unable to conclusively produce a choice candidate for the zone due to alleged lack of commitment by would be preferred candidate.

In a statement on Tuesday, February 1, 222, declaring his intention to contest for the office of the President of Nigeria in 2023, Dr. Chinedu Jideofo-Ogbuagu said “We would not have imagined that twenty years after our first and previous attempt at becoming President of Nigeria, we would ourselves contest again for the office”.

Jideofo-Ogbuagu who has been President Muhammadu Buhari’s ally since their days in the All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP), contested for President in 2002/2003 before he joined President Buhari to form the Congress For Progressive Change (CPC).

He noted that “Indeed, as recently as January 2020, our South-East APC Integrity Group launched a collective South-East APC initiative known as South-East APC Presidency Project 2023, by which we have for over two years advocated vigorously for emergence of President of Nigeria of South-East extraction on APC platform in 2023.

“We wanted not only to sell the idea of President of Nigeria of South-East extraction to the generality of Nigerians, but also to create a massive campaign movement and over 50 million would-be voters that would be ready-made for any credible South-Easterner to ride on to Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja on 29th May 2023.

“Having successfully achieved our first objective of creating a massive network of supporters, with over 80% of voters and non-voters of Nigerian now in favour of President Buhari’s successor coming from the South-East geopolitical zone of the country, we started since January 2021 to call for expression of interest by credible South-East APC persons capable of contesting for President of Nigeria”, Jideofo-Ogbuagu narrated.

Regrettably, he recalled, “after a year and in spite of the spirited efforts we made to encourage such persons to declare to contest, none did.

“Disappointed by their apparent lack of interest and with time fast-running out on our Project timeline, we issued a press statement in December 2021 in which we promised our known supporters and other Nigerians that if no credible South-Easterner declared to contest for President of Nigeria on APC platform on or before 31st January 2022, that I, Chinedu Jideofo-Ogbuagu, Convener and National Coordinator of South-East APC Presidency Project 2023 (a project of South-East APC Integrity Group), would declare on 1st February 2022 to contest for the same office in 2023.

“As by 12 midnight of 31st January 2022 no credible South-Easterner had declared to contest for President of Nigeria on APC platform, and today being 1st February 2022, I hereby declare to contest for President of Nigeria as I had done in 2002 – exactly twenty years ago.

“Whereas we had thought that we would work with another South-Easterner (as presidential aspirant) on our manifesto intended to fix and prosper Nigeria and Nigerians, perhaps it is providence that has made it inevitable for me to once again contest for that office.

“Whereas we had hoped for an equally visionary South-Easterner of integrity but younger than my 64 years of age to project, I today find myself poised at the starting block of what will be another difficult presidential race”, Dr. Jideofo-Ogbuagu explained.

Solicits For Support

While soliciting for support of Nigerians across board, Dr. Jideofo-Ogbuagu pledged to “fix Nigeria and prosper Nigerians”.

He therefore pledged that if elected, his administration will offer “Free, compulsory and qualitative education to first degree in Nigeria for all Nigerians of school age”, and “Zero-tolerance for corruption and criminality”.

He also pledged to offer “Special encouragement for production of goods and services, and strict implementation of Nigerian-Content and Buy-Nigerian policies”, “Abolition of all taxes except the Service or Value-Added Tax”, and “Tarred and drained road(s) to or through every community plus – where possible – rail line(s) too.”

Others are “Youth empowerment plus housing estates in every state capital and other major cities of Nigeria for young persons in need of urban housing that will be made available to them on rent-to-buy basis.

“Development of all Nigerian languages and cultures.

“Measures to reduce size of and wastage in government.

“Growth of health facilities, introduction of national health insurance scheme for all Nigerians, provision of standard sports facilities in every community, and development of Nigerian foods to enhance health of Nigerians.

“Abolition of local government areas and increase of number of states.

“Development of navigable inland waterways, river ports and domestic shipping services.

“Comprehensive, accurate and regular census exercises with registers of births and deaths in every state.

“Standard utilities such as electricity, gas and water supplies in all states of Nigeria.

“Squeaky clean environment with functional sewage and waste management systems, and beautification of the environment by house improvement, tree/flower planting, etc.

“Security and intelligence agencies that are repositioned to secure Nigeria and Nigerians.

“Reorientation of the judiciary to dispense justice without fear or favour.

“Special measures to strengthen and preserve the traditional family unit.

“Ownership of natural resources by the communities who will pay Service/Value-Added Tax on what they produce.

“Scrapping of immunity clause and security vote.

“Foreign affairs engagements that are focused on the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerians”, among others.

He therefore noted that “It has been a long way from a child born and growing up at Ihe in Awgu LGA of Enugu State (where I attended St Mary’s Elementary School) to attending Federal Government College Sokoto to attending tertiary institutions in Britain to preparing myself for the Presidency in many other practical ways.

“We hope we will get the opportunity from the good people of Nigeria this time to put into practice all that we have learnt over the past decades – by a government we intend will be dominated by sensible, credible and serious youths and women”, he declared.

Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) have demanded that the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Kesiye Wabote, step aside for a thorough investigation of allegations of corruption against him within 21 days.

The CNPP and the CSOs in a joint statement on Tuesday noted that “it is in the interest of justice and in line with the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s avowed stance on war against corruption.”

In the statement signed by the CNPP Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu and the Secretary of the CSO coalition, Alhaji Ali Abacha, they noted that “perjury is of serious concern” and should be taken seriously.

The statement added, “learning of the ongoing case in the United States of America in a libel case instituted by lawyers acting on the authority of the Executive Secretary in which the Defendant’s counsel is accusing Mr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote of perjury and lying on oath in his case against Jackson Ude, a journalist, in a United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

“Attorney to Ude from Amadi Law Office at 204 Blossom Street Extension, Suite A. Lynn MA 01901, Barr. Beneth O. Amadi, had in a letter dated January 15, 2022 and addressed to the Honorable Joseph F. Leeson, Jr., United States District Judge, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 504 West Hamilton Street, Suite 3401, alleged that Wabote perjured (lied on oath) in his response to interrogatories.

“The court had on Tuesday, December 21, 2021 ordered Wabote, to provide “full and complete responses to defendant’s interrogatories”, as the court was not satisfied with earlier responses provided by Wabote and his counsel.

“But in his reaction to the responses by Wabote to the interrogatories, counsel for Defendant (Ude) wrote to the court demanding sanction for “Plaintiff (Wabote) and his Attorneys for committing fraud on the court, for perjury and for acting in subornation of perjury in this case”, the statement recalled.

The CNPP and the CSOs said they “found it shocking that if knowingly, and with clear intention, as Mr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote was accused, is working to derail the course of justice and to torpedo Defendant’s access to justice in a case in far away United States, he will do worse in Nigeria.

“To ensure that he does not continue to obstruct the course of justice both in Nigeria and the United States, we call for his immediate suspension or he should voluntarily step aside for proper investigation into corruption allegations against him and to stop further siphoning of the nation’s scarce resources for legal fees abroad.

“We therefore call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the National Assembly to immediately institute open probe of the core allegations against him as contained in a petition directed to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

“If he fails to resign within 21 days, we shall be left with no choice but to take legal actions against him, including mobilising the civil society community to occupy the National Assembly and relevant anti-corruption institutions until the the needful done”, the statement read.