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APC Will Ensure Buhari Recontests In 2019- Oyegun
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has revealed plans by the leadership of the party to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to seek a second term by contesting the 2019 presidential election. Though the election is still more than two years from now, and Buhari is yet to make any official pronouncement on his plan, Oyegun told New Telegraph in an exclusive chat that the party’s leadership will do everything possible to ensure that the president contests the election. Oyegun hinged this decision on two factors.
One, he said the president is the only politician in Nigeria today that has the capacity to win 12 million votes without major campaign. Two, Buhari, he said, is the only man who has the courage to make the changes that Nigeria need.
According to him, “There is no another Buhari in this country. Buhari is the only man who can command 12 million votes even without any major campaign. So, you can see the picture. Yes, there will be changes, the party will get new members or lose a few members, but there is no Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). So, there is no strong party any more to say you are going to join and strengthen it. It is only APC that is really a strong party.”
Oyegun added that he would commit Buhari’s second term project to prayer. His words: “I will pray, fast to God that Buhari agrees to contest in 2019. If he contests, Nigeria will be better for it. “My prayer is that we can get Buhari to re-contest in 2019. We don’t know his mind yet, but I will do anything in my power to ensure that he re-contests in 2019. Why? He is the only one who has the moral front and the courage to make the changes that Nigeria needs.
“We need more than four years to get this country to subscribe to a new morality, a new ethic and turn its back on corruption of the very type we are trying to uproot now.” When asked if he is convinced that the APC would win the election given the disenchantment over the party at the moment, Odigie-Oyegun said: “Of course, APC will win.”
The national chairman of the governing party ruled out the possibility of the PDP bouncing back in 2019. On the possibility of the PDP bouncing back in 2019, he said: “Well, let them come back first. I am not a theorist. If they bounce back, we will have to deal with that, but as at now, they are not bouncing back. PDP is in confusion. PDP is suffering a terminal illness. The party is unlikely to recover from this cancer that is afflicting them.
The division is a major illness; it is cancerous.” When reminded that the PDP exuded such confidence with its boast of being in power for 60 years before its shocking defeat in the 2015 elections, the APC national chairman, said: “Well, I’m not clairvoyant; I’m not seeing into the future; it is the immediate future that I’m seeing. “APC will continue to be the force to be reckoned with. I cannot tell you how long it will last, but that we will continue to be the chief host in Nigerian politics, there is no question about it. When new parties start developing, then you can ask me the question again. But as at now, the parties don’t exit.”
He, however, did not rule out the possibility of some members of the APC aligning with others to form a new party ahead of the next election, but insisted that they will not make any impact. His words: “APC has come to stay. As at today, strictly speaking there is no other party in the country.
It is possible that a few people within the APC might join others to form other party, but a party doesn’t grow in one day to win an election. So, APC will continue to be the strongest and the largest political party in Nigeria for quite a while, because you don’t form a party today and win an election tomorrow.”
He dismissed opposition’s belief that the president is dragging the country back, saying: “That is what they say. The reality is there for us to see. They have run the country aground. They did not foresee the collapse of oil price; we did not foresee it too. If the collapse of oil prices had happened when Goodluck Jonathan was in office, I doubt if there would have been Nigeria again today.
That is why I said that God brought Buhari at that point in history to make sure that Nigeria remains one country. “Nigerians should continue to trust APC. Yes, we inherited a very difficult situation and the economy has been battered by the collapse of the oil prices, but we have a government that is even-minded in the application of the dwindling resources to produce the very best in the circumstances. The president is working to develop other sources of income like mining and agriculture.
Odigie-Oyegun, who also admitted that Buhari inherited myriads of problems that won’t be solved in four years, said: “We inherited a whole mass of problems. Everything Buhari is doing now is to solve all those problems. If the measures taken begin to yield fruits in the next few months, people will start appreciating that all this time we thought we are suffering; in fact things were being done to save the situation.
And, of course, the picture will change. We are hopeful that the measures being taken will bear fruits before the middle of say next year. We are hopeful that things will change.” While absolving the APC of the crisis rocking the opposition party in Ondo State, he said: “Who else would they blame?
They will look for a scapegoat. That is natural. Who is paying attention to them? Is it APC that is fighting them in Ondo State, where they have a governor that is PDP? Even we have a bit of crisis in Ondo, but things are looking good for us.”
Buhari’s second term project has been in the offing before now with kites being flown in that regard by some chieftains of the ruling party. The belief is that either the arrowheads of the bid are using it to test political waters or to scare potential contenders.
Former governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, and erstwhile Zamfara State governor, Senator Ahmad Sani Yerima, were among the first supporters of second term agenda for Buhari.
For them, Buhari needs to rule beyond 2019 to address the rot in the country. Meanwhile, Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, yesterday disclosed that Buhari will soon address the APC faithful on the need to unite and move the nation forward.
Okorocha, who is also the Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum disclosed this yesterday in Abuja after a two-hour meeting with the leadership of the House of Representatives. He noted that they were the foot soldiers that worked hard to actualise change, adding that change was dare to them.
Okorocha boasted that APC will not fail but would continue to remain the ruling party. He however noted that the victory had not been well managed. The governor disclosed that angry party members would be reconciled.
On his part, Speaker Yakubu Dogara said a common decimal at the round table meeting were discussion that those elected in position of authority must put the interest of the people first. He said that the country cannot afford the luxury of arms of government going in different ways. Dogara assured that the APC will deliver on its campaign promises.
celebrity radar - gossips
From Friendship to Tragedy: IBB Recounts Executing Childhood Friend Mamman Vatsa
From Friendship to Tragedy: IBB Recounts Executing Childhood Friend Mamman Vatsa
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
“When Loyalty Clashes with Duty; IBB Reflects on Betrayal, Heartbreak and the Heavy Burden of Leadership”
In his recently published autobiography, A Journey of Service, former Nigerian military ruler Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida has opened up about the heart-wrenching decision to execute his childhood friend, General Mamman Vatsa, following a failed coup plot in 1986.
Released on February 20, 2025, Babangida’s memoir provides an unprecedented glimpse into the emotional struggle of balancing personal loyalty with national security. He recalls first hearing rumors of a coup allegedly involving Vatsa, which he initially dismissed as the result of jealousy or political rivalry. However, further investigations and consultations with senior officers (including Generals Nasko, Garba Duba, and Wushishi) uncovered evidence that Vatsa had provided funds to other officers to further the coup plan.
The plot, Babangida recounts, involved bombing Lagos’ Eko Bridge, disrupting Air Force operations, and targeting the presidential aircraft, actions that threatened the stability of the nation. Vatsa had attempted to explain his financial involvement as a contribution to a farming project, but Babangida said the evidence from covert investigations was undeniable.
Reflecting on his personal anguish, Babangida admitted, “I experienced a profound personal sense of betrayal. They had orchestrated a violent coup that threatened to shroud the nation in darkness. I faced an impossible choice: save a friend’s life or safeguard the future of my country.” Despite their shared youth and years of friendship in Minna, Babangida prioritized national stability over personal grief.
Vatsa’s execution in March 1986, alongside other coup plotters, left a deep personal void for Babangida, who described the loss as both “a personal tragedy” and a necessary step to protect Nigeria. He emphasized that the unity of the armed forces and the nation’s survival outweighed private sorrow, insisting that the rule of law and the demands of national security must take precedence over friendship.
The former military ruler also highlighted later attempts to politicize the incident, stating that some officers were displeased with Vatsa’s appointment as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory due to lingering perceptions about past coups. Nonetheless, Babangida maintained he had always sought to honor their friendship, accommodating Vatsa’s personality and character wherever possible. “I stayed loyal to our friendship and went above and beyond to accommodate his excesses and boisterous behavior,” he wrote.
Scholars and historians reviewing Babangida’s account note that the execution of a childhood friend underscores the extraordinary pressures faced by leaders during periods of national crisis, highlighting the intersection of personal ethics and state responsibilities. Dr. Chukwuemeka Okeke, a Nigerian historian, commented, “IBB’s narrative shows the stark reality of leadership in times of upheaval. Personal relationships, even lifelong friendships, can be overshadowed by national imperatives.”
Babangida’s account provides a rare, candid exploration of the emotional burden borne by leaders forced to make life-and-death decisions. The memoir paints Vatsa not only as a friend but also as a symbol of the painful sacrifices that leadership demands, illustrating the complexities of governance in a nation fraught with political instability and internal dissent.
Ultimately, A Journey of Service chronicles a delicate balance: the tension between human attachment and the responsibility to safeguard a nation. The story of Vatsa’s execution is a stark reminder that the path of leadership is often laden with moral dilemmas and irrevocable decisions, where loyalty to country may exact the ultimate personal cost.
Babangida’s revelation adds a deeply human dimension to historical events that have long been analyzed in military and political textbooks, shedding light on the emotional and ethical struggles of one of Nigeria’s most influential military rulers.
Published on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
FACT CHECK: Viral “Trump Post” Blasting Tinubu Over Maiduguri Bombings is Fake
LAGOS — A viral image circulating on social media, purportedly showing a post by former U.S. President Donald Trump criticizing Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been confirmed as false and digitally manipulated.
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The image, which appeared online late Monday, March 16, 2026, claimed to be a post from Trump’s Truth Social account reacting to a deadly wave of bombings in Maiduguri. While the attacks themselves are real, the alleged international rebuke is entirely fabricated.
Hoax Exposed
The fake post alleged that Trump described Nigeria’s situation as a “TOTAL DISASTER” and criticized Tinubu for being on a “State Visit” to the United Kingdom during a supposed “STATE OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY.”
However, multiple inconsistencies quickly exposed the claim:
Timeline Discrepancy: The post referenced events occurring while Tinubu was already abroad. In reality, the President only departed Abuja for London on Tuesday, March 17—hours after the image began trending.
Design Errors: Analysts identified a suspicious “whitehouse.gov” button embedded in the image—an element not present on the Truth Social platform.
No Verifiable Source: A thorough review of Trump’s official social media accounts and global media reports shows no record of such a statement.
Tinubu’s UK Visit Continues
Despite the security situation at home, the Presidency has confirmed that Tinubu’s scheduled state visit to the United Kingdom will proceed.
The Nigerian leader is expected to be received by King Charles III at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, March 18. The visit marks a notable diplomatic engagement between Nigeria and the UK.
The widely shared “Trump post” is a deliberate misinformation attempt, exploiting a real national tragedy to spread false political narratives. Authorities and media observers continue to urge the public to verify information before sharing.
TO MY BROTHER BOBBY DEE by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode
For my brother Bobby Dee (Chief Dele Momodu) to compare President Tinubu to General Sani Abacha and claim that he is a dictator suggests that he is suffering from a degenerating and worrisome level of cognitive dissonance.
I love Dele and God knows I have immense respect for him but he sounded drained, tired and broken and spoke little sense yesterday in his interview with Seun Okinbaloye of Channels TV.
May I humbly suggest to him to try and take a break from politics and political commentary for a while, get his breath back and attempt to overhaul his intellectual engine?
Not only was he uncharitable and disrespectful to the President, the Vice President, the Ministers, the Senators and the newly-appointed Ambassadors, many of whom have far more experience than him in governance and Government, on that programme but he also insulted the collective intelligence of the Nigerian people.
He and his associates in the ADC should focus more on trying to build up their depleted ranks and form a strong opposition that we can look forward to engaging in the field of battle for the 2027 election rather than continously obsesse and talk about what our President and our party is doing.
The ADC cannot even be described as a sinking ship but rather as a badly patched up inflatable plastic life boat that has not even managed to find its bearing or leave the harbour.
It has no engine, no sails, no oars, no captain, no crew, no navigational equipment, no muscle, no firepower, no war chest, no destination and worse of all it is made of rubber and not steel.
How can such an ill-prepared contraption even float let alone do battle?
It cannot possibly survive the rough seas and harsh winds of Nigerian politics because it lacks gravitas, focus, character, intelligence, discipline and strength.
It needs to be built up, better schooled, better trained, better equipped, better educated and better prepared before it can enter the field and before we can even begin to regard it as an opposition party.
Right now it can only be described as a haven and pitiful gathering of vacuous, shallow, intellectual frauds and political renegades who lack foresight and who have no direction.
The fact that they have failed to take off is not Tinubu’s fault, it is theirs.
The fact that political leaders and the Nigerian people are flocking to APC in droves is not only because our President and Vice President are doing well but also because they view the ADC as nothing but a collection of disingenious, desperate and recycled political losers, who are addicted to power, who offer no credible alternative to governance and who, like the three blind mice, are running around in circles, chasing each other’s long, mangy and wrinkled tails with no where to go.
Watching my brother Dele trying to speak for them is pitiful and is even more disconcerting than his assertion that Tinubu will regret his decisions and will be deserted by everyone around him.
The Bible says “who is he that sayeth a thing and it cometh to pass when the Lord God of Hosts has commanded it not?”
Dele should listen to the Holy Spirit instead of to the pagan murmurings, strange whispers, demonic divinations and conjuring projections of the Prophets of Baal and the Witch of Endor.
To be sure Tinubu started well, he is doing well and he will, by the grace of God, end well with no regrets in 2031.
Anything short of that is the counsel of the ungodly and the manifestation and delusions of a diseased and demonised mind.
I appeal to my brother Dele: leave the ranks of the forces of darkness and join us.
You are far too good for the company you are keep.
Your presence in the ranks of the ADC is like that of a gentle, beautiful, well bred, well fed and well manicured flamingo trapped in a sea of ugly, cruel, loud, angry, starving, cackling and relentless crows and vultures.
It does not befit you.
(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the author of this essay) is an Ambassador Designate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a former Minister of Aviation, a former Minister of Culture and Tourism, the Sadaukin Shinkafi, the Wakilin Doka Potiskum, the Otunba of Joga Orile, the Aare Ajagunle of Otun Ekiti and a Legal Practioner)
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