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Anambra governorship candidate pledges more dividends of democracy

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An aspirant in the forthcoming Anambra gubernatorial election, Mr Godwin Ezeemo, has said that though Nigeria has witnessed 22 years of uninterrupted democratic rule , a lot still needed to be done.

“We are celebrating 22 years of democracy but a lot is still left behind when we talk about the dividends on ground.

“If you look at the level of achievements, you will discover that we have failed to live up to expectations,’’ Ezeemo said in a statement released on Sunday in Awka by his publicist, Mr Emmanuel Chukwuebuka.

While congratulating Nigerians for celebrating 22 years of uninterrupted democracy in the country, Ezeemo said the nation was still confronted by many problems including election irregularities, lack of infrastructure and poor performance on the part of political office holders.

“Most, if not all elections conducted in the country, are still far from being credible, the security situation is bad, the rate of killings continue to gain momentum, the economy is not buoyant, the roads are bad and there is poor electricity supply,’’Ezeemo said in the statement.

To solve the numerous problems, governorship aspirant in the November election, called for credible polls to enable the people to choose their leaders.

While commending some past leaders for deepening democracy in the country, Ezeemo especially thanked former President Goodluck Jonathan and erstwhile governor of Anambra, Mr Peter Obi.

“These are my two top leading heroes of democracy in Nigeria … Jonathan as the national hero and Obi as the outstanding hero in the Southeast where his outstanding performance as governor remains the leadership model,” he said.

He said that Jonathan boosted democracy in the country by conceding defeat to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 election, a feat that was seen as un-African.

Ezeemo said that Jonathan’s decision to accept defeat, as a sitting President and Commander in Chief, simply thrust him into the rank of the leading heroes of democracy in Africa.

He said Obi’s ability to recover his stolen mandate in court and his outstanding performance as governor for eight years has yet to be matched by any governor in the Southeast geopolitical zone.

“Obi was the first to recover a stolen mandate in court and that paved the way for others to have the courage to go to court to seek redress over stolen mandate,’’ he said.

He commended what he called Obi’s “superlative performance“ within eight years as governor, pointing out that that made him a hero.

He said that there was a need for the immediate implementation of the Electoral Reforms in order to checkmate electoral irregularities and allow the choice of the electorate to prevail.

Chairman of Orient Group of Companies, said to have more than 4,000 employees, Ezeemo promised to deepen democracy through the delivery of democracy dividends the same way Obi did.

He assured the people of Anambra that he has all it takes in terms of experience and exposure to deliver dividends of democracy. (NAN)

 

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Publicise President Tinubu’s achievements, Oyebanji urges APC Southwest leaders

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Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to provide necessary publicity for all the programmes and policies of President Bola Tinubu that have improved the living conditions of the people, especially his economic reforms, infrastructure development and efforts being made to stabilize the country.

Governor Oyebanji said hyping the achievements of the President at every opportunity by leaders of the party will provide the needed enlightenment for the people, especially at the grassroots. This, he said, will make the people value the government’s programmes and policies and further endear the President to Nigerians.

 

The Governor, who spoke when he received the APC Zonal executives led by the Zonal Chairman/National Vice Chairman, Southwest, Dr Isaac Kekemeke in his office on Tuesday, said it is apparent Nigerians attach more seriousness to whatever they hear from their leaders than from other sources.

He stressed the need to activate the party’s structure at all levels to serve as information desk for members and the populace informing them of various laudable programmes and projects of the administration.

 

The Governor, who described the six months he spent in office before the inauguration of President Tinubu in 2023 as “very tough period”, said the President’s decision to immediately free resources to the sub-national as a way of improving and rescuing the economy from collapse, turned the situation around, making him to achieve more for the state I terms of infrastructure development.

 

“The story is the same across the states. President Tinubu’s programmes and policies have impacted positively on the people and while the opposition element would do everything to rubbish the gains of the reforms, leaders should counter them with verifiable facts”.

 

Citing Ekiti State as an example, the Governor said out of the six federal roads in Ekiti State, two have been fixed, work had commenced on one and two have been been awarded. He also revealed that the state has been linked to the new rail line project of the federal government.

 

He also said that his administration had not collected any loan to finance infrastructure projects in the last three and a half years, explaining that he has been able to properly utilize receipts from the federal allocation and state’s IGR to finance all projects. This, according to him , was made possible by President Tinubu, hence the need to support him for a second term in office.

 

“So, if a state as small as Ekiti has this kind of federal government presence, then you can imagine what will happen to other big states in the country. Please, we have every cause to be proud of the achievements of our party and the only way we can get this done is through you, because you are the closest to the people at the grassroots level. What are we talking about is that at every ward meeting, two or three minutes should be devoted to explaining to party members what the government has done.

 

“Our party is on a rescue mission, generally, through the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, we are all ambassadors of the President in our respective zones and states and I will use this opportunity to appeal to our party leaders from this zone to make explaining the achievements of the President’s administrations to everybody paramount. And because you are credible leaders, people will listen to you more than those in government.

 

Earlier, the National Vice Chairman, Southwest, Dr Isaac Kekemeke who commended Governor Oyebanji for the successful outing at the official flag off of his re-election campaign, described him as an emerging party and national leader based on his pedigree of humility and astute leadership quality and by positioning himself as a unifying force.

 

He said they were in the state for their first executive meeting after their inauguration last month.

 

While reiterating their unalloyed support for all APC governors in the South-west, Dr Kekemeke, stressed that the zonal leadership intends to strengthen the party’s structure in the region.

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2027: Obi Unsure of ADC Presidential Ticket, Emphasises Commitment to ‘Cause’

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Peter Obi
Peter Obi
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Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said he is uncertain about securing the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking in a video circulating on social media, Obi told supporters that his focus remains on a broader political mission rather than personal ambition, noting that there is no guarantee he will emerge as the party’s flagbearer.

“I cannot be certain that the ADC will give me the presidential ticket. What matters is that we are committed to a cause,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor reflected on Nigeria’s current political climate, questioning how the situation evolved and the potential consequences if ongoing reform efforts are abandoned.

“I keep wondering how we ended up in this situation and what might happen if we decide to stop working on this project,” he added.
Obi also reaffirmed his commitment to his ideals despite reported threats, while expressing appreciation to his supporters for their continued loyalty.

“It’s not easy to be in the opposition in Nigeria, and I’m thankful to those who keep supporting even when there’s no clear reward,” he said.

He, however, raised concerns over the uncertainty of political alliances, warning about the possibility of shifting loyalties among stakeholders.
“How can we be certain that the people we’re working with right now won’t leave us behind tomorrow? I wish we could be sure, but we can’t,” he said.

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Ogun Lawmakers Back Tinubu’s 2027 Bid, Endorse Adeola for Governor

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Senator Solomon Adeola and President Bola Tinubu
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No fewer than 20 members of the Ogun State House of Assembly have declared support for the re-election of Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, citing his administration’s economic reforms and infrastructure development as key achievements.

The endorsement, announced on Wednesday in Abeokuta, aligns with an earlier position taken by the Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by Governor Dapo Abiodun and other party stakeholders.

Speaking on behalf of the lawmakers at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Secretariat, the Majority Leader, Hon. Sherrif Yusuf, said the decision reflects confidence in the President’s efforts to stabilise the economy and expand critical infrastructure nationwide.

According to Yusuf, the administration has made notable progress in fiscal reforms and road development connecting key economic corridors, adding that continuity would help consolidate ongoing gains.

The lawmakers also unanimously endorsed the governorship ambition of Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, describing him as an experienced legislator with a strong record of performance and commitment to public service.

Yusuf highlighted Adeola’s contributions in the National Assembly, including leadership roles in strategic committees and advocacy for development projects and empowerment initiatives across Ogun State.

In addition, the Assembly members expressed support for Governor Abiodun’s future political aspirations beyond his current tenure, noting that his administrative experience and governance record position him for higher responsibilities.

The lawmakers reaffirmed their commitment to the APC, pledging continued support for leaders whose policies and vision align with the aspirations of the people of Ogun State and Nigeria.

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