Politics
PDP’s GREAT BETRAYAL AND THE CHOICE BEFORE THE APC
PDP’s GREAT BETRAYAL AND THE CHOICE BEFORE THE APC
With the emergence of a Northerner as its presidential candidate I wonder how Afenifere, PANDEM, Ohaeneze Ndigbo, the Middle Belt Forum and the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum now feel about their favoured child known as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)?
The virulent and avowed opposition that these august and highly respected bodies had against a Northern presidential candidate has been overuled by their party.
Their call for an Igbo presidential candidate has been ignored and treated with contempt and disdain.
Their preffered party is fielding a Northerner and there is nothing they can do about it.
They have been misled, fooled and scammed and they have no influence or power over the affairs of their favoured party.
Despite their reverred age, wealth of knowledge, profound insight and depth of wisdom their PDP has tossed their collective counsel into the dustbin.
Permit me to welcome them to the world of ‘real politik’ and I advise that they stop allowing themselves to be so easily manipulated and deceived.
Politics is a game of numbers where words and the knowledge of history alone count for little and where only insight, passion, a firm resolve and a large war chest coupled with the ability to conspire and the courage to build bridges even with past adversaries and former foes are the keys to success.
In this game, like the words of Shakespeare’s witches in his famous play ‘Macbeth’,
“fair is foul and foul is fair: hover through the fog and filthy air!”
It is a strange and difficult game filled with intrigue, betrayal and treachery.
It is murky, it is foggy, it is dark, it is treacherous, it is full of intrigue and mystery and nothing is as it seems or appears.
They thought their PDP would produce a Southern candidate even if the APC failed to do so but now they know that the trust they bestowed on their arrant yet favoured child was misplaced.
This was a shocker to them.
And let me assure them that more shockers and surprises are coming.
I believe it is time that they start thinking differently and adopting a new approach in order to achieve their noble objectives of a fair, equitable and just Nigeria in which we are all equals regardless of ethnicity or faith.
Constantly suppporting and relying on the PDP and hoping they will come to power to do something new, fix the problems and provide the solutions is an ill-placed illusion and dangerous delusion.
It simply cannot work.
I advise them to have a rethink and to realign.
In doing so they may well make a difference and achieve their noble objectives.
Now permit me to get to the meat of this essay.
It is interesting to note and quite an irony that the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC), a party that the opposition PDP has wrongly labelled as a bunch of Northern irridentists and hegemonists, are now the ones that could possibly provide a Southerner as their flag bearer.
Conversely the PDP, the party that has always claimed to champion the precepts of equity, justice and Southern rights and that has always prided itself on its strong Southern base, has opted to give its presidential flag to a Northerner.
They turned their backs on the people of the South East who have given them more support than any other ethnic nationality in the country over the last 23 years.
They spurned the people of the Middle Belt who saw in them a hope of salvation and emancipation.
They rejected the people of the South South whose sons and daughters stood firmly behind them through thick and thin.
Finally they displayed their usual and utter contempt for the people of the South West who they have always regarded as nothing but the biblical “hewers of the wood and the drawers of the water” and the poor relatives of the party ever since President Olusegun Obasanjo left power in 2007.
Worse still they gave their ticket to a man who is the best of friends with Sheik Ahmad Gumi, the defender-in-chief of the terrorists of the North West, they gave it to a man who withdrew a public condemnation of the savage lynching of Miss Deborah Emmanuel in Sokoto and they gave it to a man that refused to condemn the brutal slaughter of a pregnant Fulani lady and her four children in Anambra.
They gave their ticket to a man that lost the 2019 election and promptly left the country for 3 long years for beautiful Dubai, abandoning all his followers and supporters to weather the Nigerian storm and waters.
How this man can sleep at night I really don’t know!
They gave their ticket to a man who is soft on the terrorists that are butchering the people of the North West and North East and who has offered no solution to the plague of unknown gunmen and terrorists that are slaughtering people in the South East.
Is this a party that can be trusted with power?
Have they not become the very monster that they once claimed to seek to oppose and destroy?
Have the tables not turned?
Has the party not been taken over by faceless hardliners with a hidden agenda?
Can the people of the South West, South East, South South, North Central or even North West and North East trust Atiku with power?
I have my doubts. The truth is that the PDP has been high-jacked by a dangerous cabal who have utter contempt for anyone and everyone that is not part of their inner circle.
Many ask, who are those in this cabal?
Who are those that now control the PDP and that ensured that Nyesom Wike was defeated and Atiku emerged?
The same forces ensured the emergence of Atiku at the Port Harcourt Convention in 2018 by whispering his name at the last minute to the relevant stakeholders and they have done it again in 2022.
How can a serious political party not afford Ayo Fayose, Dele Momodu at least ONE vote each at its presidential primaries simply because they refused to bribe the delegates?
How can they lose Rabiu Kwankwaso, Peter Obi and Enyinnaya Abaribe to other smaller and totally inconsequential parties just before their convention?
How can they deny Pius Anyim the presidential ticket?
How can they not encourage Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who is the best of them and the brightest star in the South East, to run for the nomination?
How can they reduce Emmanuel Udom to 13 votes, Bala Mohammed to 20 votes and Bukola Saraki to 70 votes and how can they deal such a ruthless death blow to the aspirations of Nyesome Wike who struggled so hard to bring the Presidential ticket to the South?
Had it not been for Aminu Tambuwal’s decision to back Atiku at the last minute, Wike would have won with flying colours.
And look at their Convention itself? Was it not a show of shame where the highest bidder simply took the prize?
Were the activities there not worse than those in an 18th century Parisian whore house where money was exchanged for services rendered?
This was not an election but a shameless gathering of corrupt souls in which the dollar determined the outcome at the behest of its providers.
The delegates were bought and their price was on open display.
It was a shameful dollarfest in which honor, decency, politics, merit and seriousness had no place.
It was a jamboree of spending and an act of open worship to Mammon, the god of money.
A candidate that emerges from such a gathering and as a consequence of the invocation of such dark and bestial forces and powers cannot be expected to do any good.
If there was any reason for INEC to nullify a party Convention this particular one provided it.
Put together, the PDP convention was worse than an Arab carpet bazaar and an Indian brothel all rolled into one.
It stank to high heavens and it resulted in a shameless mess which lacked any pretence to legitimacy.
The truth is that there really is something defective about the thought processes and reasoning of the PDP.
Time will prove that.
Interestingly there are many in the ruling APC who have expressed a strong preference for a Southern presidential candidate for 2023 and most of them are from the North.
Would it not be a remarkable thing if President Muhammadu Buhari, the man many in the South have constantly viewed with suspicion and skepticism and who many have wrongly labelled as an ethnic warlord and religious bigot, was the one that gave the South what they wanted?
And make no mistake about it, this decision is Buhari’s and his alone.
He alone will most likely determine who APC will field and where that person comes from.
If he chooses to stop any presidential aspirant from emerging even at this late stage he can do so, no matter how popular, rich and powerful that aspirant may be.
Just one phone call from him to the relevant stakeholders can achieve that.
He can also endorse the weakest and most unlikely contender even at the last minute and that person will emerge.
Such is the respect, trust and affection that the leaders and members of the party at every level have for him.
As they say, he has the “yam and the knife” and he can determine what will happen or choose to sit back and allow all the aspirants to slug it out until the best man wins.
I am on record as saying that the three zones that ought to be considered for the nomination before others are the South East, North Central and North East and I stand by that.
Compared to the South West, North West and South South none of them have had a fair crack of the whip when it comes to democratically- elected Presidents and they all deserve to have their chance.
They are not slaves and they need to be encouraged, given a sense of purpose and carried along.
I maintain this position even if I am the only one that refuses to hedge my bets and say so publicly.
I also maintain that it would be easier for a Northerner to defeat Atiku but, if truth be told, it would also be a reflection of the courage and sense of fairness of the President and the APC that, even if it means risking the 2023 election, it is better to do the right and proper thing, assuage the fears and worries of the South, honor past commitments and allow a Southerner to take over.
This alone will make Buhari a hero above all else.
This alone will give Nigeria a new lease of life and will restore and strengthen North/South relations.
This alone will assuage the feelings and heal the wounds of those that live in perpetual fear of Northern hegemony and domination and quench the awesome fire of the militants and separatists that thrive in the South East, South West and South South.
This alone will send a strong signal to Boko Haram, ISWAP, the killer herdsmen and the foreign terrorists that they have failed to destroy our fragile unity and to divide us.
This alone will be a legacy that will speak for our President and our party into eternity.
The question therefore is whether we do the right thing by giving the ticket to the South or do the politically expedient thing by giving it to the North.
That choice will be made at the APC convention in a few days time.
Let us wait and see.
(FFK)
Politics
Rescue Mission 2.0: Why Governor Dauda Lawal Should Continue Rebuilding The Future Of Zamfara Through Investment in Education
Rescue Mission 2.0: Why Governor Dauda Lawal Should Continue Rebuilding The Future Of Zamfara Through Investment in Education
By: Bashorun Oladapo Sofowora
For those who know Zamfara State before Governor Dauda Lawal became Governor will appreciate the current situation in the state. The state, which used to be in the rubble, has been reconstructed into a powerhouse within its geographical location and has become an envy of others. All thanks to the visionary rescue mission 1.0 spearheaded by Governor Dauda Lawal, PhD, in 2023, when he was elected Governor of the agrarian and mineral-rich state.
Just three years ago, education in Zamfara State was in a Comatose state. It was nonexistent. No functional primary and secondary schools conducive to learning. The narrative was one of despair: schools as ghost towns, examination halls locked by creditors, and a generation of children seemingly abandoned by systemic neglect. But for Governor Dauda Lawal, a leader who views governance not as a relay race but as a rescue mission, the story has changed with just three years in charge of the affairs of the state.
When he assumed office, the education sector wasn’t just ailing; clinically, it was on life support. Massive debts had piled up, teachers had vanished into thin air and the number of out-of-school children was skyrocketing on a daily basis. However, two years into the “Lawal era,” the sound of silence in Zamfara’s classrooms has been replaced by the sound of flipping of new textbooks and the scratching of pens on examination answer sheets.
One of the cruellest legacies Governor Lawal inherited was the hostage crisis of student futures. Students could not write exams, classes were dilapidated and qualified teachers. Past administrations had failed to remit examination fees to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO). Consequently, thousands of bright Zamfaran students saw their results withheld not because they failed, but because the state failed them. Some had to travel to neighbouring towns like Sokoto, Katsina and Kano to enrol for exams risking their lives.
In a dramatic move that sent shockwaves through the opposition, Governor Lawal reached into the state’s coffers and cleared the backlog of a staggering: ₦1.4 billion to WAEC covering debts from 2018 to 2022, and a combined payment of over ₦1.34 billion to NECO covering debts from 2014 to 2021. The immediate effect was the release of all previously withheld results, allowing students to finally apply for higher education. Furthermore, the state fully funded the 2024 WAEC examinations, ensuring that no child was barred from sitting for their finals due to a lack of funds.
Governor Lawal after his swearing in, declared a State of Emergency on Education in November 2023, this meant that governance moved from the air-conditioned offices in Gusau to the muddy fields of rural schools across the state. He rolled his sleeves and got to work almost immediately fixing the rot he met. Available data from the Zamfara State Government reveals that the state has embarked on the construction and renovation of over 500 schools across all 14 Local Government Areas. This is not a cosmetic paint job, the administration is investing in modern, safe, and dignified learning environments:
Classroom Revolution: Through the UBEC-ZSUBEB Matching Grant and AGILE projects, contracts worth over ₦5.9 billion have been awarded to build schools meeting global standards.
Furniture Supply: The administration has distributed over 12,000 two-seater desks for students and over 1,000 chairs for teachers, ending the era where pupils sat on bare floors to learn.
Recruitment of more teachers and supply of more textbooks: Infrastructure without manpower is a shell. When Governor Lawal looked at the teacher-to-pupil ratio in the state, he saw a crisis. In a decisive move to reverse the brain drain, he approved the massive recruitment of 2,000 qualified teachers.
The recruitment is strategic, the first batch of 500 focuses on critical science subjects (English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics), preparing Zamfaran youth for the 21st-century economy. The government is also finalising a 120-day Rapid Intervention Action Plan to audit payrolls, map schools, and secure school environments from illegal encroachment.
For the 2025 fiscal year, Governor Lawal presented a “Rescue Budget 2.0” of N545 billion. The largest single allocation, N79.6 billion, representing 14% of the entire budget, went to Education. For 2026, the proposed budget allocates an additional N65 billion to sustain this momentum. However, a journey to the Renaissance is not complete. It is at this critical inflexion point that the people of Zamfara face a defining choice. Before Governor Lawal, Zamfara was a state where students were barred from exams due to unpaid debts. Today, those chains are broken completely. But the enemy of progress is not just failure; it is interruption. The gains made in education are still fragile and need continuous consolidation. The newly recruited teachers need continuous training and the 500 renovated schools need constant security and maintenance. The unified Education Sector Bill, designed to create a seamless system from early childhood to tertiary level, is still awaiting full legislative maturity.
To stop the “Rescue Mission 2.0” now would be to hand the baton back to those who drove the system into educational bankruptcy. The same political forces that allowed the debt to accumulate to over N2 billion are already regrouping eyeing 2027. They promise something different, but their records speak of withheld results and abandoned classrooms. Governor Dauda Lawal is not merely constructing classrooms; he is dismantling the architecture of ignorance that held Zamfara backwards for decades. He has proven that with political will, the “Education Governor” can turn around a sector that was declared dead.
To secure this legacy, to ensure that children never again sit on bare floors and to guarantee that WAEC and NECO never again hold Zamfaran results hostage, the mission must continue for a secured future. The vote for continuity is a vote for the future. By re-electing Governor Dauda Lawal, Zamfara will not just be learning to read and write, but also to win in all ramifications and also put the state on a winning streak.
Tinubu Is the ‘Surgeon’ Nigeria Needs; Opposition Lacks Courage for 2027 — Ogra
ABUJA — Senior Special Assistant to the President, O’tega Ogra, has defended the reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing him as a “surgeon” prepared to take difficult but necessary decisions to stabilise Nigeria’s economy, while criticising opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement titled “My thoughts on the APC, President Bola Tinubu’s reforms, and the opposition,” Ogra, popularly known as ‘The Tiger,’ said many opposition leaders lack the political will required to implement tough but beneficial policies.
‘Surgeon vs Bystander’
Drawing a medical analogy, Ogra likened the President’s leadership style to that of a specialist willing to carry out life-saving surgery, while portraying critics as passive observers.
“The difference between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and them is like comparing a surgeon willing to take a difficult but life-saving decision in the operating theatre, and a bystander more concerned with applause than outcome,” he said.
He argued that while the President is willing to endure short-term criticism in pursuit of long-term national stability, the opposition remains driven by populist considerations that could delay meaningful progress.
Structural Reforms Underway
Ogra dismissed claims that the administration’s policies are superficial, insisting they represent fundamental changes aimed at correcting longstanding economic distortions.
He cited developments in the oil and gas sector, including efforts to promote domestic refining and eliminate what he described as fraudulent subsidy regimes, as measures targeted at blocking revenue leakages. He also referenced fiscal reforms designed to boost government revenue and support infrastructure and social investments.
“These decisions are not politically convenient. They demand resolve,” Ogra said, adding that history tends to favour leaders who undertake systemic reforms rather than those who “manage decline.”
Criticism of Opposition
The presidential aide said opposition parties have “a lot to learn” from the internal workings of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing rival groups of failing to present clear and workable policy alternatives.
According to him, criticism in a democracy must be accompanied by substance and conviction.
“Nigeria does not need rehearsed outrage. It needs tested ideas and leaders willing to stand by them when it matters most,” he added.
Outlook on Reforms
While acknowledging that the reforms may take time to fully materialise, Ogra expressed confidence that early signs across key sectors point to a more resilient economy and improved fiscal discipline.
He concluded that leadership is ultimately defined by the ability to make difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions, insisting that such choices are essential for building a strong and stable nation.
Politics
Top Reps Aspirant, Abudu-Balogun Assures Constituents of Inclusive, Progressive Representation
Top Reps Aspirant, Abudu-Balogun Assures Constituents of Inclusive, Progressive Representation
It is an incontrovertible fact that Watersiders should GET IT RIGHT this time around by overwhelmingly support this distinguished Watersider, Hon. Abudu-Balogun to emerge as the Candidate of APC for the Federal House of Representative in the 2027 elections.
Apart from being a respected politician among the creme-de-la-creme professionals in politics in Ogun State, and undoubtedly a prominent grassroots politician of Waterside extraction, Hon. Abudu-Balogun has seen it all in National politics that will be of great benefits to the Federal Constituency if eventually elected.
Hmmm! With the emergence of the distinguished Senator Solomon Adeola (Yayi) as the consensus Governorship candidate of APC in Ogun State, Waterside agitation for enduring developmental projects and its realisation like Deep Sea Port, assumption of Oil producing LGA via Eba Oil deposits, sustainable Electricity Supply would be a walk-over. This anaysis is predicated upon a scientifically established empirical evidence that Hon Abudu-Balogun is a sustainable Bridge between this Federal Constituency and the Powers that be at Federal level.
He has the competence, he posseses the Capacity, he has the cognate political experience, he has fortified the developmental blueprint, he has worked tirelessly, and earned the link to facilitate the expected developmental projects to this Federal Constituency.
Above all, Hon Abudu-Balogun has concluded political and economic arrangements to galvanise support in all respects from the main actors at the National and sub-national levels in the country for the tasks ahead.
TENI NI TENI. This is the time TIME FOR “ACTION” in the realisation of the enduring Developmental Agenda (that has been eluding us from time immemorial) for the entire Federal Constituency, particularly, our dear Ogun Waterside LGA.
Distinguished Watersiders, particularly, the comrade professional politicians and the astute Professionals in politics, please factcheck this. Hon Abudu-Balogun is a very popular and honoured politician in Ijebu-North LGA, he is cherished and respected professional in politics in Ijebu-East LGA, he is a consistently consistent rare breed politician in Waterside who has the interest of Waterside development at heart.
ACTION needs our support, he needs our endorsement at this political turning point of our dear LGA, the Wealth Side of Ogun State.
Iwe teni, iwe teni, iwe teni o.
Ajuse ri Dede Eni o.
Happy Sunday to us all.
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