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HOW GOV. ABIODUN PLANS TO WIN HIS 2ND TERM TICKET

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DIGITAL NIGERIA DAY: ABIODUN REWARDS BEST INNOVATOR

HOW GOV. ABIODUN PLANS TO WIN HIS 2ND TERM TICKET

•Details Of His Deal With Senator YAYI

For many politicians, 2023 is like 6 months away, because they know the earlier they start campaigns the better, knowing fully well that so many intrigues will still be played on the field.

This is no different for Ogun State, as both the incumbent governor and the opposition are gearing up for who will assume the exalted office come 2023 elections.

The Ogun State Governor, Dr Prince Dapo Abiodun needs no announcement for his 2nd term ambition, it is well written on the wall and according to political analysis in the state, just like his successor, he will always contest for second term in office and high chances are, he will win the election. One of the reasons he is having the upper hand right now is because he has most of those who matter in and outside government to win the election on his side. He has been making necessary moves to ensure he is well represented in all tbe 3 senatorial districts and he also has those whose followers are large on his team.

One highpoint of Governor Abiodun’s strategic build-up to 2023 is the Quality membership he has been able to attract to the party. Among many others, he has been able to bring former Speaker Dimeji Bankole, former Governor Gbenga Daniel and , Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, into the APC fold. Given the place of the new members, in the Ogun political calculus, there are many who hold the view that Ogun has effectively become a one-party state, and that the re-election bid of Governor Abiodun should be smooth-sailing, as he is not likely to face serious challenges in getting the APC ticket. The story is that having built a solid political base, Governor Abiodun can count on his allies to deliver the coveted prize.

Although party members claimed that the party remains one indivisible body, the outcome of October 16, 2021, State Congress signify otherwise, with the look of things the party is more divided than it was in the build-up to the 2019 general elections, based on recent happenings, including recent defection galore into the party.

There are currently at least 3 different factions in the party. Discernible is the Senator Ibikunle Amosun (SIA/PMB) group, former governor Olusegun Osoba Group and the incumbent governor’s group.

Sources within the party disclosed that these lineups have surreptitiously commenced underground fireworks and antics, in their bid to clinch the state’s number one seat. This was manifested with the parallel congress held by the Amosun faction, where factional party leaders also emerged.

Beyond the political structures, many have pointed to the governor’s strides in various sectors, including Education, Roads, Housing and Agriculture. They point to road projects like the 10-lane Epe/Ijebu expressway, the floating of Tech hubs to drive Youth Engagement in the Ogun economy, the massive enrolment in schools following the abolition of tuition, the repositioning of the state’s tertiary institutions and the massive promotion and reward of outstanding teachers with cars and houses.

Also his two-time recognition by the Nigeria Agricultural Award as Governor of The Year in Agriculture, having initiated landmark projects like the Cargo airport, giving over 10,000 farmers fertilizers, palliatives and continued support across the state; supported young farmers with over 900 hectares of land preparation in 17 locations, with some 2,500 unemployed youths and farmers engaging in cassava production; and set up strategic partnerships with international development partners and farmers in large-scale cultivation of rice and cassava in 36 locations in 11 local government areas.

Abiodun is also credited with empowering 54 pilot youths in broiler production with each making a profit of at least N150,000 per cycle for three cycles. Observers point to the linkage of 4,462 participants to inputs and credit to the tune of N700m in the cassava value chain, the linkage of 1,065 participants to inputs and credit to the tune of N300m in the rice value chain.

The linkage of 800 participants to inputs and credit to the tune of N360 million under the Ogun State Government/Federal Government/IFAD Assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), with 394 maize farmers, 54 rice farmers and 21 poultry farmers benefitting from the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) through the CBN. The construction of14 solar-powered water schemes in select local government areas, and the establishment of a rice processing centre in Eggua, among others.

The Ogun West is one particular senatorial district, Governor Abiodun is banking on for huge votes, although the senatorial district have not produced a Governor since the creation of Ogun stage, but they have had the likes of Olurin, Gboyega Isiaka who have contested for governorship but luck was not to be on their side.

Recall that Senator Adeola Olamilekan, otherwise known as Yayi also showed interest in the Ogun State Gubernatorial race even before Governor Abiodun but each time he is close to declaring his ambition, politics comes to play. Yayi has used this opportunity in the last 6 years to get close to his people and also attending to their needs, which has earned him a lot of Followers. He is no doubt loved by all in Ogun West, and although he has not declared his ambition to contest for Ogun West senatorial district, but those who are on the know understands that the word West to West means coming from Lagos West and back to Ogun West. While Senator Amosun. and Senator Yayi don’t see eye to eye, Governor Abiodun has made sure that Senator Yayi is on his team. Recall that some of Yayi’s loyalists were one of the first set of people who got political appointments when Governor Abiodun assumed office, inside source revealed that the Governor holds Yayi in high esteem and he cherishes their relationship which will also work for him in the gubernatorial election. Yayi will campaign for Ogun West senatorial district and also deliver his senatorial district for the Governor. Come 2023, Yayi will be playing a key role in tbe gubernatorial election while also campaigning for his Ogun West senatorial ambition. With Yayi, the Governor is rest assured that Ogun West will be delivered in his favor. But Senator Tolu Odebiyi who might also be considering to return back as Senator representing Ogun West will also be dancing to Senator Amosun’s tune, as he is back with his team and it is said that he will be working hand in hand with Amosun’s choice as the next governor of Ogun State.

Recall that few months ago, former Governor Gbenga Daniel decamped from PDP to APC. One need not be told that he has ambition to run for Ogun East senatorial district, but with the unrest in PDP, he can only actualize his ambition by contesting under APC. He has always been friends with Governor Abiodun, their friendship goes way back. But they have became even closer than before lately. Governor Abiodun will also be counting on OGD to win Ogun East come 2023, OGD has been a favorite in Ogun East, uptil today his great achievements still speak for him and he sure will be banking of his goodwill from when he was Governor which will also play a key role in Governor Abiodun’s second term.

In March, former speaker Dimeji Bankole dumped PDP for APC and his decision was the talk of the town. Many people believe he joined APC to actualize his ambition of representing Ogun Central senatorial district, knowing fully well, Amosun and Dapo Abiodun don’t see eye to eye, contesting under APC will unseat Amosun or anyone contesting from Amosun’s camp. And although Dimeji Bankole has not declared or made his intentions known, but political analysts in the state have summed it up that, Government Abiodun might also be banking on Dimeji Bankole to win Ogun Central in the gubernatorial election.

Let’s not forget that Governor Abiodun has become the rallying point for APC faithfuls and fortunes in the state and has been working hard to sustain that shift. No doubt another thing that is giving the Governor leverage is his character and Omoluabi principles and also the way he has been able to manage the complex party issues that have arisen since May 29, 2019 when he came onboard.

Vice President Osibajo is also on the list of those Governor Abiodun is counting on to return back to office in 2023. Recall that during the last Ogun gubernatorial election, Gov Abiola and Vice President Osibajo’s relationship was tried but Osibajo stood by Governor Abiodun and looking at the level of their relationship as we speak, the same thing will come to play in the coming election.

@City People

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TINUBU IS THE WISEST MAN EARTH -PROPHET IKURU 

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TINUBU IS THE WISEST MAN EARTH -PROPHET IKURU.

by Collins Nkwocha 

 

Nigerian prophet, prophet Godwin Ikuru of Jehovah Eye Salvation Ministry, Lagos magnetized everyone’s attention when he referred to the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the wisest man on earth regarding the appointment of Daniel Bwala as special Adviser on policy communications.

 

 

Speaking to reporters today in Lagos,

Prophet Ikuru applauded the president for choosing him and enunciated that he’s capable of delivering effectively and marketing the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president and urged Nigerians to stop the criticism because of what he said in the past “I’m personally happy with his appointment and I urge Nigerians to forget about the past, forget about what he must have said about the president some years ago which people are now disseminating on the social and taunting him a betrayal that lacks integrity, Nigerians should forget his past because he’s the best choice”.

 

Prophet Ikuru insisted that Bwala saw the sincerity and genuity of the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda and he decided to partake in it “even if he criticized the president, it was in the past, he saw the sincerity in the Renewed Hope Agenda and decided to join in nation building ,the president is ready to unite everyone in order to build Nigeria,that’s why someone like Wike is in his government,Bwala has what it’s required to be successful under Mr.president, as a wise man, the president saw it and decided to harness it ”

 

Finally, he praised Tinubu and referred to him as a great leader who is ready to involve everyone in his government, he maintained that his wisdom is magnanimous ,Baba is truly the wisest man on earth.

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U.S. Courtroom Shock: Funke Ashekun, Husband Collapse as MFM Wins

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U.S. Courtroom Shock: Funke Ashekun, Husband Collapse as MFM Wins

U.S. Courtroom Shock: Funke Ashekun, Husband Collapse as MFM Wins

A dramatic scene reportedly unfolded in a United States courtroom as a legal battle involving Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) ended in favor of the church, leaving the opposing party visibly shaken.
According to accounts from individuals familiar with the proceedings, tension had been high throughout the hearing as the court prepared to deliver its ruling in the long-running dispute involving Funke Ashekun and her husband.
Moments after the decision was announced in favor of MFM, the atmosphere inside the courtroom reportedly turned chaotic. Witnesses said Ashekun and her husband appeared overwhelmed by the verdict and suddenly fainted, prompting immediate concern from those present.
Court officials and medical responders quickly intervened to provide assistance, while proceedings were briefly interrupted as the situation was brought under control.
The case, which had drawn attention among observers following the dispute, concluded with the court ruling in favor of the ministry, marking a significant legal victory for the church.
U.S. Courtroom Shock: Funke Ashekun, Husband Collapse as MFM Wins
While details surrounding the legal arguments remain closely watched by those familiar with the case, the dramatic moment following the ruling quickly became the most talked-about aspect of the courtroom proceedings.
As reactions continue to emerge, the outcome is expected to close a chapter in the dispute while raising conversations about the broader implications of the case
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Had FFK Faced Mehdi Hassan, Nigeria Would Have Spoken With Fire 

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AHMAD GUMI: CLERIC OF BLOOD, FACE OF HATE 

Had FFK Faced Mehdi Hassan, Nigeria Would Have Spoken With Fire 

By Mohammed Bello Doka

 

 

 

In politics, timing is everything. In diplomacy, character is everything. And in moments of national importance, leadership must be entrusted to individuals who possess not only experience but courage, intellect and an unshakable commitment to the nation they represent.

 

It is for this reason that the appointment of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode as Nigeria’s Ambassador to a foreign nation stands out as one of the most consequential diplomatic decisions in recent years.

 

Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, better known in the South as “FFK” and in the North as “Sadauki”, is one of the most brilliant, experienced, accomplished, vocal, respected, educated, profound, intellectual, patriotic, disciplined, well-read, historically literate, versatile, forceful, persuasive, sophisticated, cosmopolitan, charming, eloquent, courageous and resilient men in Nigerian politics and he has paid his dues and proved his worth over the last 35 years in politics and political discourse.

 

 

In each role he has played he has excelled and succeeded even when he was in opposition.

 

 

His friends value him as a great and loyal defender and his traducers and political adversaries fear and respect him because when he goes to war he is utterly relentless, takes no prisoners and literally spits fire.

 

 

 

How I wish it was him that was interviewed by Mehdi Hassan of Al Jazeera and not the young and inexperienced Daniel Bwala because he would have not only humbled Hassan but also done Nigeria proud.

 

 

 

He played Bwala’s present role in the Presidential Villa 23 years ago as President Olusegun Obasanjo’s spokesman and not only brought the then President’s domestic enemies to their knees but also had a series of very hot exchanges with foreign Government officials like America’s Under-Secreatary of State for Africa Jendaye Fraser and the White House over the Charles Taylor issue and Liberia.

 

 

 

Tinubu decision to appoint him as an Ambassador for our nation was a wise one because he will fight for and protect the interests of Nigeria and the Nigerian community whetever he goes and will never sell his soul or bow to foreign imperialist interests.

 

 

 

His appointment is not about just rewarding loyalty for the key role he played in Tinubu’s presidentiel campaign organisation as Director of New Media and Special Operations in 2023 and the staunch support he has given the President over the last three years but also about putting a square peg in a square hole.

 

 

 

If you want to put Nigeria first Sadauki is the one to do it.

 

 

If he runs the Nigerian Mission in the country that he is sent to in the same way he ran the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ministry of Aviation when he was Minister to each of them one after the other twenty years ago he will do very well and both our nation and whichever nation he is posted to itself will benefit from his efforts.

 

 

 

History teaches that diplomacy is most effective when nations deploy individuals who possess both intellect and courage.

 

 

 

As the American statesman Henry Kissinger once noted, “Diplomacy is the art of restraining power.”

 

 

 

To do so successfully requires deep historical awareness and strategic clarity—qualities that have long defined Fani-Kayode’s political career.

 

 

 

Sending a politically seasoned voice like FFK to any nation that is a key partner to Nigeria signals that Bola Ahmed Tinubu intends to strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic posture with confidence.

 

 

Throughout more than three decades in the political arena, Fani-Kayode has remained one of the most resilient and outspoken figures in Nigerian public life despite numerous challenges which would have broken and destroyed lesser men.

 

 

Regardless of all that was thrown at him he continues to pull through and come out victorious which is why many refer to him as the “Akanda Eledumare” and the “Ayanfe Oluwa” which mean “the strange one of God” and “the beloved of the Lord”.

 

 

There appears to be a divine dimension to his life that makes him unstoppable and irrepressible even though his enemies are legion.

 

 

 

 

 

One wonders what sets him apart and makes him so different.

 

There is no doubt that his education played a part in it and this set him apart from most.

 

 

 

He never went to school in Nigeria but was educated from the age of eight in England starting off at Holmewood House School in Kent, one of the UK’s best and most famous Preparatory schools, after which he attended the famous Harrow School just outside London which is, together with Eton College, an institution that is the exclusive preserve of high society in the UK, one of the two best private schools in that country where only the ruling elite, the rich, the well-to-do, the famous and only a tiny proportion of those in British high society can afford or even qualify to attend.

 

 

No less than eight British Prime Ministers, including the great Sir Winston Churchill, and countless British cabinet ministers attended Harrow and so did many leaders, diplomats and top politicians from many foreign countries.

 

 

 

After finishing at Harrow he attended some of the top universities in the world, including London University (SOAS) and Cambridge University (Pembroke College) where he did so well.

 

 

 

As a matter of fact his great grandfather, Rev. Emmanuel Adelabi Kayode, attended Furrough Bay College which at that time was part of Durham University and graduated with an MA (Hons.) in Theology in 1893. His grandfather Justice Adedapo Kayode attended Cambridge University (Selwyn College) where he studied law and graduated in 1922. His father Chief Remilekun Fani-Kayode attended Cambridge University (Downing College) where he studied law and graduated in 1943. Sadauki himself graduated in law at Cambridge University (Pembroke College) in 1984 whilst his daughter Folake Fani-Kayode graduated from Durham University in 2009.

 

No African family has an uninterrupted streak of 116 years of Oxbridge-level university graduates except for the Fani-Kayode’s which is something that both his family and every patriotic Nigerian should be proud of.

 

 

It therefore makes perfect sense that a man from such a distinguished pedigree and intimidating lineage and that has such an extraordinary intellectual heritage should represent Nigeria on the international stage.

 

 

 

There is also his role in the debate on Gaza which made him a hero in the eyes of millions of people in the Global South both amongst Christians and Muslims.

 

 

 

He spoke out consistently about what he described as the genocide being committed against the Palestinians and he was prepared to put his life and career on the line for this cause even though most Nigerian leaders and politicians refused to say what he was saying publicly out of fear of the Zionist lobby and the Jewish state.

 

 

 

His sense of patriotism is unquestionable and nothing reflects this better than his series of essays written against Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British Opposition Conservative Party and his write up against one Ben Llewelyn-Jones, who at that time was the Deputy British High Commissioner to Nigeria, when the former consistently sought to insult and denigrate Nigeria and the Nigerian people and the latter attempted to interfere in our internal affairs by making statements in support of Peter Obi and his Obidients in the 2023 presidential elections.

 

 

 

Sadauki successfully put them both in their place and when American Senator Ted Cruz, President Donald Trump, Congressman Tim Riley and other American politicians began to peddle the false narrative and fake gospel of Christian genocide and persecution in Nigeria Sadauki, a devout Christian himself, rose to the challenge and more than any other Nigerian wrote about the issue in a series of essays pointing out the fact that as many Muslims were being killed as Christians by the terrorists in our country and that Christians were not being persecuted by our Government and are in fact faring better when it comes to positions in the security apparatus and governance under Tinubu than they did in the previous administration.

 

 

 

He also spoke out boldly against President Trump and his administration when they accused the Government of South Africa of indulging in genocide against the white minority population in their country and pointed out the fact that South Africa, like Brazil, was a shining example of a successful multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural nation that was treating its white minority population with the greatest respect. Few Africans said a word to defend South Africa at the time even though they knew that Trump was wrong but Sadauki did so without thinking twice.

 

 

 

He is clearly a strong Pan-Africanist and a believer in the importance of the African Union, African solidarity, the BRICS coalition and the Global South alliance comprising of China, Russia, South Africa, India, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other emerging world powers.

 

 

This is commendable and it reflects his courage and disdain for those that display ignorance, disdain and contempt for our nation and people and that seek to denigrate and misrepresent us.

 

 

 

Sadauki is not the type that bows and quivers before Westerners like so many other Nigerian leaders and politicians but rather takes pride in his Nigerian culture, race, heritage and identity and is prepared to defend us and speak for us no matter whose ox is gored and who is involved.

 

 

 

In an increasingly competitive global environment, Nigeria requires diplomats capable not only of negotiation but also of defending national interests with conviction.

 

 

 

If the energy, eloquence and intellectual fire that have defined Fani-Kayode’s political life accompany him to the country to which he has been posted, his tenure may well become one of the most consequential chapters in Nigeria’s modern diplomatic engagements.

 

 

 

I wish him well and I thank God that he is back in the saddle of public office after so many years.

 

 

What more could any of us ask of this great and noble son of Nigeria?

 

 

This is undoubtedly the quality of personnel and leaders that we need on the international stage.

 

I hope and pray that in his endeavours and during the course of his work he meets with Mehdi Hassan in a debate and prove to him and the rest of the world that Nigeria still has men that can not only match them but that can also remove their trousers in any verbal encounter. Bwala put us to shame but FFK can redeem us before the eyes of the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Mohammed Bello Doka, the author of this essay, is the publisher of Abuja Network News and can be reached via [email protected])

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