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Demolition Of Kaduna State University Chapel: Court Fixes Date For Ruling reporterspot.com May 14, 2023 1:02 PM A Chief Magistrate Court, in Kaduna has fixed May 31, 2023 to rule on whether or not it has the jurisdiction to entertain the case of the alleged demolition of the only church building at Kaduna State University (KASU). The case was instituted by Rev. John Joseph Hayab, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Kaduna chapter and Dr. Emmanuel Dangana Monday, a lecturer at the University against Mr. Ismail Umaru Dikko and Mr. Yusuf Abdullahi. The matter came up on Thursday, 11 May, 2023 for hearing and for the complainants to present their proofs in the case but a preliminary objection was filed by the law firm of Abdullahi Sani & Co, and the substantive State counsel, I.S. Lere Esq, sought to move the said application. Objecting, counsel to the Complainants, Gloria Mabeiam Ballason Esq, raised a counter stating that the Law Firm of Abdullahi Sani & Co, not being counsel in the matter could not file an application in the case. The Court struck out the filed application and directed the substantive State counsel to elect to make his application orally. Lere Esq submitted that the defendants, being public officers could not be sued in personal capacity as that would violate ‘Section 208 of the 1999 Constitution and section 2 (b) of the Public Officers Protection Law’. Counsel to the complainants, Ballason stated that the defendants were sued in their personal capacities and not as public officers and that Section 208 of the 1999 Constitution had no basis to the case as it is about appointment by a Governor simpliciter. Findings from newsmen reveals that the complainants had approached the court following the demolition on 6th June, 2022, of the only church structure in the premises of the Kaduna State University main campus, Tafawa Balewa Way, Kaduna. The demolition was done by the defendants with the protection of heavily armed security agents and operatives of a bulldozer. The demolition was not pursuant to a court order. The complainants’ contention is that the defendants, without authorization and approval, demolished and defiled the only Church building structure in the University premises and thereby committed the offences of defiling a place of worship, criminal trespass, criminal intimidation, assault and causing disappearance of evidence contrary to sections 130,179, 327, 333, 376, 377, 239 and 240 of the Penal Code Laws of Kaduna state, 2017. After listening to the arguments of both parties, the Chief Magistrate, Stephen Hassan, fixed 31st May to rule on whether or not the court has the jurisdiction in the matter. KADUNA POLITICAL AFFAIRS

Demolition Of Kaduna State University Chapel: Court Fixes Date For Ruling reporterspot.com May 14, 2023 1:02 PM A Chief Magistrate Court, in Kaduna has fixed May 31, 2023 to rule on whether or not it has the jurisdiction to entertain the case of the alleged demolition of the only church building at Kaduna State University (KASU). The case was instituted by Rev. John Joseph Hayab, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Kaduna chapter and Dr. Emmanuel Dangana Monday, a lecturer at the University against Mr. Ismail Umaru Dikko and Mr. Yusuf Abdullahi. The matter came up on Thursday, 11 May, 2023 for hearing and for the complainants to present their proofs in the case but a preliminary objection was filed by the law firm of Abdullahi Sani & Co, and the substantive State counsel, I.S. Lere Esq, sought to move the said application. Objecting, counsel to the Complainants, Gloria Mabeiam Ballason Esq, raised a counter stating that the Law Firm of Abdullahi Sani & Co, not being counsel in the matter could not file an application in the case. The Court struck out the filed application and directed the substantive State counsel to elect to make his application orally. Lere Esq submitted that the defendants, being public officers could not be sued in personal capacity as that would violate ‘Section 208 of the 1999 Constitution and section 2 (b) of the Public Officers Protection Law’. Counsel to the complainants, Ballason stated that the defendants were sued in their personal capacities and not as public officers and that Section 208 of the 1999 Constitution had no basis to the case as it is about appointment by a Governor simpliciter. Findings from newsmen reveals that the complainants had approached the court following the demolition on 6th June, 2022, of the only church structure in the premises of the Kaduna State University main campus, Tafawa Balewa Way, Kaduna. The demolition was done by the defendants with the protection of heavily armed security agents and operatives of a bulldozer. The demolition was not pursuant to a court order. The complainants’ contention is that the defendants, without authorization and approval, demolished and defiled the only Church building structure in the University premises and thereby committed the offences of defiling a place of worship, criminal trespass, criminal intimidation, assault and causing disappearance of evidence contrary to sections 130,179, 327, 333, 376, 377, 239 and 240 of the Penal Code Laws of Kaduna state, 2017. After listening to the arguments of both parties, the Chief Magistrate, Stephen Hassan, fixed 31st May to rule on whether or not the court has the jurisdiction in the matter. KADUNA POLITICAL AFFAIRS

  Home Nigeria World Politics Sport Opinion Business Technology Guardian Life Guardian Arts Features Guardian Woman Guardian Angels Property Saturday Magazine Sunday Magazine #EndSARS Guardian TV National   133 million Nigerians remain poor despite sharing $700m Abacha loot By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Joseph Chibueze (Abuja) and Waliat Musa (Lagos) 18 November 2022   |   4:38 am Poor Nigerians • 25.3m Nigerians face acute food, nutrition insecurity in 2023 • UNICEF: Over 14m children in Nigeria face acute malnutrition • PDP carpets APC over NBS’ report, says majority of Nigerians excluded from intervention schemes The Federal Government, yesterday, admitted to Nigeria’s status as the poverty capital of the world, when it disclosed that 133 million of its citizens are currently living in poverty. This figure represents 63 per cent of its population living in poverty, according to a survey conducted by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). Recall that in 2016, World Bank in its survey rated Nigeria the poverty capital of the world, displacing India from the infamous apex. The bank stated that four in every 10 Nigerians live below the poverty line of $1.9 per day, while the number of poor people in India was pegged at 269.8 million, 21.9 per cent of the population. In its latest National Multidimensional Poverty Index Report unveiled yesterday, NBS said 63 per cent of Nigerians are poor due to a lack of access to health, education and living standards, alongside unemployment and shocks. Nigeria’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) survey was launched in Abuja with President Muhammadu Buhari represented by his Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari. President Buhari said the index was adopted because it provides ways poverty could be identified and addressed with government policies. The MPI offers a multivariate form of poverty assessment, identifying deprivations across health, education, living standards, security, unemployment and shocks. According to the Statistician-General at NBS, Semiu Adeniran, it is the first time NBS will conduct a standard multidimensional poverty survey in Nigeria. The report said: “Over half of the population of Nigeria are multidimensionally poor and cook with dung, wood or charcoal, rather than cleaner energy. High deprivations are also apparent nationally in sanitation, time to healthcare, food insecurity and housing. “In general, the incidence of monetary poverty is lower than the incidence of multidimensional poverty across most states. In Nigeria, 40.1 per cent of people are poor according to the 2018/19 national monetary poverty line, and 63 per cent are multidimensionally poor according to the National MPI 2022.” The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, who revealed the findings from the report said that 63 per cent of Nigerians being multidimensionally poor means that they are being derived in more than one dimension of the four measured. A breakdown of the results showed that of the 133 million poor Nigerians, 65 per cent (86 million people) live in the North, while 35 per cent, about 47 million, live in the South. The result also showed that poverty levels across states vary significantly, with the incidence of multidimensional poverty ranging from a low of 27 per cent in Ondo to a high of 91 per cent in Sokoto. This is despite various intervention programmes of government. The Federal Government had, on Wednesday, through the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), claimed to have disbursed about $700 million from the repatriated Abacha looted funds to over 1.9 million poor and vulnerable households across the country in the last six years. Acting National Coordinator of NASSCO, Kabir Abdullahi, who disclosed this, said the project entails conditional and basic cash transfer to poor and vulnerable households, stressing that beneficiaries of the basic cash transfer receive N5,000 every month, while those under the conditional cash transfer receive additional N5000, making it N10,000 every month. He stated that the current register of the beneficiaries of conditional cash transfer has 1,940,000 households and with the ongoing enrolment, it is hoped that the target beneficiaries may reach two million by the end of December 2022. President Buhari yesterday restated his administration’s resolve to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, insisting that no one will be left behind. He said his administration recognises the importance of data and promised that government will utilise the MPI result in the formulation of policies going forward. Earlier in his speech, Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, said the good thing about the MPI is that it gives a clearer picture of the state of poverty in the country. Pondering why the country’s poverty narrative has not changed in spite of the huge government funding, he said: “We are conducting a sub-national MPI survey across the 109 senatorial districts, to investigate at granular level, why there is a disconnect between available social welfare opportunities and its uptake; identify which sector, state, senatorial district and groups of persons with poverty incidences, and then use these data to nudge for behavioural changes that will lead to increase in uptake, influence design and implementation of projects. “For instance, in Ondo, educational and housing-related deprivations contribute more to multidimensional poverty than in Lagos, where food security, unemployment and shocks contribute to poverty. “So, using the MPI beyond measurements, but as a policy, allows government to tailor interventions according to the deprivation profiles of each state, making them more efficient to result in greater impact.” This is as about 25.3 million Nigerians across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are projected to face acute food and nutrition insecurity between June and August 2023. States with the highest rate include Borno with 1.4 million people, Yobe with 1.3 million people and Adamawa with one million people. In the projected period, food consumption is expected to slightly worsen due to possible reduction in household and market stocks and attendant rise in food prices. According to the 2022 October Preliminary Food Security and Nutrition Analysis results released by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, about 17 million people, including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and returnees in 26 states are expected to be in the third phase of the crisis or even worse through October to December 2022. Also, UNICEF has raised the alarm that an estimated 14.7 million children under the age of five are currently under the threat of severe malnutrition. The Fund said that a good number of these children may become wasted if urgent measures were not taken to arrest the situation. UNICEF Chief of Nutrition in Nigeria, Nemat Hajeebhoy, made this known, yesterday, in Lagos during a media roundtable on Dialogues on Nutrition, organised by the National Council on Nutrition (NCN) and other stakeholders. She said malnutrition is a direct or underlying cause of 45 per cent of all deaths of under-five children. Nigeria has the second highest burden of stunted children in the world, with a national prevalence rate of 33.1 per cent of children under five. An estimated two million children in Nigeria suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), but only two out of every 10 children affected are currently reached with treatment. She added that the recent massive flooding, which led to the destruction of farms and agricultural products across states as well as inflation are bound to worsen the nation’s food security and increase malnutrition in 2023. According to her, food prices has risen by 23 per cent in the last one year, making it difficult for families to provide nutritious meals for their household. She said one in three household cannot afford the lowest cost nutritious diet in the country. She explained that only 34 per cent of households in Nigeria could afford the lowest cost diet estimated at N1,687 household per day. Hajeebhoy further hinted that Nigeria still ranked number one in Africa and second in the world in terms of number of children malnourished, adding that the situation is threatening the survival, growth and development of children. MEANWHILE, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the NBS report that 63 per cent of Nigerians have fallen below poverty level, is a confirmation that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration lacked the capacity and competence to deliver good governance. Responding, the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) said the rising poverty in Nigeria is indicative of the failure of the Federal Government to build the economy. Director of Strategic Communication, Dele Momodu, said APC couldn’t have done well because it never had the wherewithal. In another reaction by Phrank Shuaibu, the Special Assistant, Public Communication to the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, he said the report about rising poverty level in Nigeria calls for concern, “more so that in President Buhari’s Nigeria, there have been no convincing measures taken to indicate that anything concrete is being done about it.” He lamented that “included in this troubling reality is that over 23 million youths, mostly educated and potentially productive, are unemployed.” According to Shuaibu, “this development portends only one thing: a threat to the security and stability of the Nigerian nation. “Although the administration claims to be empowering potential investors, big and small, so as to improve people’s lives, records show that 54.7 per cent of Nigerians are financially excluded due to low level bank penetration in the country, and that beside the 916 Microfinance Banks, the 24 ‘big banks’ have only a little over 6,000 branches, mostly concentrated in a few urban centres.” He said what made matters worse for the APC administration was that the social safety net scheme introduced in 2016 to tackle poverty and hunger has not made any significant impact owing to poor implementation, corruption allegation and politicisation. “It is for the purpose of departing from Buhari’s legacy of poverty that Atiku’s policy document code-named Unity-SEED, which stands for Unity, Security, Economy, Education and Devolution of power to states and local governments lays emphasis on promoting diversification and linkages between agriculture, industry and micro and small enterprises.” In this article Abacha loots Muhammadu Buhari‎ NASSCO UNICEF Tired of muscle and joint pain? 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HOMENEWSPOLITICSMETROSPORTENTERTAINMENTOPINIONEDUCATIONHEALTHINTERVIEWDAILY POST GHANA CONNECT WITH US SEARCH Daily Post Nigeria POLITICS2023: I wonder why PDP still exists – TinubuPublished on September 4, 2022 By Ifreke Inyang The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has wondered why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) still exists. Tinubu stated this during the unveiling of the Tinubu/Shettima door-to-door campaign group in Abuja on Saturday. The former Governor of Lagos also described the PDP as a party that lacks direction. “They spent 16 years and forgot that there is a railway infrastructure that can do haulage, human carriage, animal husbandry and food carriage across the length and breadth of the country. “They (PDP) got there and turned it into an incubator. I wonder why they still exist as a party. These are people still fighting for leadership of their party, looking for the direction of the compass. “We don’t need to worry about the PDP — poverty development party. Today, let’s lower the temperature. It’s not the time to campaign yet. They will hear a lot from us,” Tinubu said. by TaboolaPromoted Links You May Like I’m shocked, God already endorsed Peter Obi – Prophet Gbujie Daily Post I can never underestimate Peter Obi, Atiku – APC chair, Adamu Daily Post Real reason Ambode ‘fell out’ with Tinubu – PDP Daily Post Marry a Canadian Woman and Immigrate To Canada Canada IJ Do this before bed and watch your stomach shrink Safari News 103-Yеar-Old Nigerian: I Don’t Get Ill Because I Clean My Vessels History of Sefi Oyeyemi RELATED TOPICS:2023PDPTINUBU UP NEXTHow child trafficking syndicate murdered woman, sold children in Akwa Ibom DON’T MISSAtiku vs Wike: PDP’ll lose presidency, sink into oblivion if Rivers gov leaves – Primate Ayodele YOU MAY LIKE 2023: Support group synergizes with others for Gov. Ugwuanyi, PDP’s victories PDP to Babayemi: We will not succumb to illegalities PDP crisis: Devil resides in your heart – Dino Melaye fires back at Fani-Kayode You’re intimidated by Atiku, APC dead – PDP replies Tinubu 2023: Gov Ikpeazu speaks on dumping PDP Tinubu: National Assembly moves to stop same faith tickets on presidency ADVERTISE ABOUT US CONTACT US PRIVACY-POLICY TERMS Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd

2023: Satguru Maharaj Ji Begs Atiku To Drop Presidential Ambition Independent Dec 22, 2022 2:59 PM Satguru Maharaj Ji, the Living Perfect Master, has called for good governance in Nigeria as he marked his physical birthday on earth, even as he appealed to the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election to drop his ambition. Maharaji ji took the stance at a press conference yesterday, at Satguru Maharaj Ji Village, the Highest Spiritual Centre of the Universe, Iju/Ishaga, Agege, Lagos State, Nigeria, ECOWAS Region. Maharaji Ji spoke extensively on why Atiku Abubakar should not be President of Nigeria saying “By the Grace of the Grace, as the Divine instrument holding Nigeria from going into war and as the Living Perfect Master of the Universe who is empowered by the Creator to ensure universal peace and harmony, I feel fully qualified to please, in the name of all our Ancestors in Africa, to call on the West African Elders Forum who are in Nigeria now on a Pre-Election Assessment Mission to kindly join the voices of sincere, honest and patriotic Nigerians call where some of the Northern Elders Forum has kept numb for Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the PDP to drop his ambition to contest the elections for many reasons. “One of which is his inordinate ambition to truncate the ongoing political process and arrangement of 8 (eight) years rule being shared by the North and South over the years is an experience which has not only worked so well among the Nigerian political development but has also helped to hold the diverse peoples of Nigeria together and deepened the love of all for a united Nigeria. “Another demonic act which is viewed by the majority of Nigerians and Africans as a treasonable and egregious act of impunity, hatred and utter disregard for the achievements made so far in the struggle to free Nigerians from the shackles of tribal wars, economic bondage is the bombshell made by Atiku that and I quote ‘Northerners should not vote for the Yoruba and Igbo Presidential candidates,’ and hear him further…. ‘I have traversed the whole of the country… This is what the Northerner needs.’ ” He (Northerner) doesn’t need a Yoruba candidate or an Igbo.  This is what the Northerner needs.  I stand before you as a pan Nigerian of Northern origin,” Maharaji Ji disclosed.  He stated that Atiku’s comments are advance warnings to Nigerians that he would not keep the country as one. “This is an advance warning that this guy will never hold the country together but divide it through wanton destruction of the existing beacons of unity that have been built on ground now.” He said Nigerians should not underestimate Atiku Abubakar “We cannot underestimate Atiku Abubakar’s Freudian slip, something that slips from somebody’s mouth unintentionally, which reveals the person’s deep feelings and plans about something. “Unlike the APC campaigns of 2014 which led them to victory, such bizarre vituperations/statements made by the APC group then, were because the incumbent President wanted to break the promise he made earlier to the Elders that he was going to spend one term after completing late Yar Adua’s tenure coupled with the fact that he turned deaf ears to all entreaties by some Elders and even insulted and called the Elders touts for taking a strong stand for peace. “Atiku’s case is different and shows how a cantankerous person he is, and it does not matter whether there is a cabal group pushing him to undermine the South in order to forfeit all he has on earth due to his greediness, selfishness and complete lack of proper understanding of the plight of hardworking Nigerians and Nigeria as the world’s largest black nation who are comparatively and globally highly conscious educationally, physically and spiritually and so we can say that federal character academicians and politicians are more in strategic places than the Atlanteans hence their fear of the unknown which allows somebody like Atiku to want to contest elections where there is an agreement on ground that, nobody, no matter how highly placed, can truncate. “Atiku Abubakar’s  statement is highly felonious, divisive, provocative, ethnocentric and tribalistic, made before a group of unknown Arewa Joint Committee, is rather unpatriotic, demonic and insensitively a neo-colonialist heading a group of Nigerians who do not know that Black Africa is still searching for her roots beyond building roads, houses, churches, mosques, schools without guarantee of a life of both the young and old and right now we are in a godless state, where MONEY IS GOD and all means of ensuring  peace has been thrown into the wind just because the present day African does not know that his mind is conditioned and manipulated by the Caucasian Nations who have turned Nigeria and Africa under the Sahara into farmlands to carry everything – their children, fathers and mothers and material resources, as they like.” Speaking on other national political and societal issues, the Perfect Master stated that Mothers should not wear trousers and expose the sensitive parts of their bodies which are the root causes of disasters, giving birth to polio children; “Gay or homosexual life should be condemned because to most of us, it creates bad spirits, witches, Emere, etc., and it is the foundation for disasters, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, due to taboos for misdirecting the pure energy within man.” He stated that abortion should be prevented and if at all, should be done on the advice of the traditionalists who will divine to know the spirits of the child or at best consult an Ashram Premie, a step that could have been taken good care of with the receipt of Divine Knowledge. Satguru Maharaji Ji said that money for pilgrimage should be used for building roads, schools, Civic centres, caring for aged mothers and fathers since it has been discovered that such trips are unnecessary and that the Creator lives within man and can be contacted. “All commercial vehicles should avoid blue colour because this is the major cause of accidents on the road. They should embrace red, yellow, pink, black, and white colours as this will reduce accidents on our roads. “Since the North have Sharia Court, there should also be Egbesu, Oduduwa, and Amadioha Courts. “There should be an Executive Order that anyone that is 61 years and above should not pay for transport fare again on public transport. “All Local Government Chairmen that have served in the last 10 years should be asked to give an account of the projects executed by them. “The federal government should give the Executive Order that Bible knowledge and Islamic studies should be replaced with tradition and culture studies as they are full of rites and rituals that are causing unimaginable horrors in the society and that 50% of the problems to disappear in Nigeria, Nigerians Should change their names from English and religious name to their native names and as a result, the Creator back to them.” He said there should be financial autonomy for judiciary workers to pay their salary by themselves, adding that there should be an Executive Order that there must be judicial police to enforce the judgement in the law court, drug barons should be given life in jail, the federal government should give an Executive Order to ban all states in the federation from cutting the hands of offenders for stealing,  the federal government should give an Executive Order to ban asking questions like What’s your religion? Where is your state of origin? Maharaji Ji said the federal government should ensure all governors whose States cannot pay a minimum wage of N30,000 are merged with other States and that the federal government should make Yoruba, Ibo, Hausa and French be compulsory for pass in school certificate exams, among other critical national questions. Do this before bed and watch your stomach shrink Student Discovery Unsold Cell Phones Are Being Sold For Surprising Prices Free Phones For Seniors Search Now Get up to ₦120,000 Today with Parimatch. They Play – You Win. Parimatch Private Jets Became Available In 2022 For Residents Of Nigeria How Much Is Private Jet Search Now by TaboolaSponsored Links

How Tinubu’s ‘Zero Commitment’ at London Meeting Forced Wike Back to Atiku thisdaylive.com Aug 29, 2022 5:45 AM ·    Engagement between PDP presidential candidate, Rivers governor face-saving ·     Obasanjo denies supporting any candidate, plans to disclose own agenda soon ·     Shekarau joins main opposition party today Laleye Dipo in Minna and Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano Last week’s London meeting between the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike, though shrouded in secrecy, was actually not a successful engagement, THISDAY has learnt. Tinubu was alleged to have declined committing to all of Wike’s conditions precedent to working together during next year’s presidential election. By implication, the subsequent engagement between the Rivers State governor, his colleague governors, and the presidential candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar, also in London, was timeous and face-saving for embittered Wike and friends. Meanwhile, fresh facts have emerged on the covert involvement of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was equally in London at the time and met with Wike and the rest of them, in some of the ongoing discussions ahead of the 2023 polls. Although Obasanjo denied backing any candidate ahead of the presidential poll, he was believed to be rooting for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, for reasons of balance of power among Nigeria’s major ethnic nationalities, in the interest of justice, equity and fairness. Relatedly, Obasanjo said yesterday in Minna that he would unveil his own agenda for the 2023 general election soon. He stated this after visiting two former Heads of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, at their residences. In another development, former governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, was billed to formally join PDP today at an elaborate ceremony, believed to have compelled Atiku to cut short his Paris trip in order to officially receive the ex-governor and his people into the opposition party. Wike and his friends – Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) – had met in London with Tinubu to consider the possibility of working together. This was after Wike lost out at the PDP presidential primary held May 28, and was also unable to clinch the running mate slot. The Rivers State governor, who was bitter over his loss, had been openly engaging in what could pass for anti-party activities. He blamed his loss on religion, betrayal by the party leadership, especially, the national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, and the Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, whose sudden decision to stand down for Atiku, he claimed, allegedly tilted the presidential primary result against him. Ever since, Wike had been working against the interest of PDP, holding meetings with leaders of other political parties in a deliberate effort to undermine his party in next year’s presidential election. Besides APC leaders, Wike had met with leaders of LP and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), ostensibly, mulling his options. The governor had been meeting with different people in search of a better deal, and he had hoped for a fruitful engagement with Tinubu, a move he believed would undo his party’s candidate at the presidential election. However, after he allegedly tabled his demands before Tinubu, soon after their discussions, the former Lagos State governor was said to have failed to commit to any of his demands and explained why he could not accede to his terms. According to sources at the meeting, Tinubu believed Wike’s demands were largely unrealistic and way above what he could realistically bring to the table. For instance, Wike was said to have demanded that the APC candidate “ensures if he wins the presidential election, which comes first, he will ensure he does not influence the outcome of the governorship and House of Assembly polls in Rivers, Benue, Oyo and Abia states, so that candidates in his camp and those of the other governors could win maintain control of the states”. The sources said of Wike, “He also wanted assurances that their men should be allowed to win Senate and House of Representatives seats, including the governors contesting senatorial elections. There was no headway on this demand either, since the presidential and National Assembly elections would take place same day. “Tinubu, however, didn’t make any commitment and that was a red flag for Wike. The APC candidate only said, yes, he could look into the demands for Rivers, but he cannot do same for Oyo, Benue and Abia; that it would be very difficult and will not want to come across as deceptive.” The sources said Wike wanted Tinubu to force the APC candidate in Rivers State, as well as those of Oyo, Abia and, especially, Benue, where the APC candidate, a cleric, is believed to be very popular, to drop their ambitions. But Tinubu failed to commit to the demands, except for Rivers, which he promised to look into, despite the fact that a prominent member of the APC, former governor of the state and immediate past Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, is from the same state as Wike. According to THISDAY sources, Wike and the others left the meeting with Tinubu disappointed. However, they were excited to learn that Atiku was on his way to meet with them in London and as such, used the window provided to save face and re-align with the party. Although they also tried to grandstand with the PDP candidate by giving conditions, which some of Atiku’s men dismissed as untenable, nevertheless, it was not a difficult situation for the former vice president to manage, being members of the same party, as he simply told them he would look into their demands. The demands bordered mainly on the removal of Ayu as national chairman to allow for a southerner to be produced by the Wike group. Sources believed that Atiku was not unaware that the options before Wike and allies were limited but he refused to rub it in their faces. He played along, especially, as he did not want to appear insensitive to their plight as the leader of the party de facto. If the dictates of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable and schedule of activities were properly situated, they had clearly shut the doors of any realistic options against Wike and co. For one, all the activities in the electoral process are tied to time, with legal implications for any contraventions. This makes it difficult for Wike and others to leave the PDP. Conversely, Wike’s candidates for the senate election, for example, are three as with other states, but he also has eight candidates for the House of Representatives, 32 candidates for the state assembly, a governorship and deputy governorship candidates, all of which come down to 45 candidates for the 2023 elections. This same calculation is applicable to other PDP governors, including Makinde of Oyo State, who is itching to return to office for a second term, as well as Ortom of Benue State and Ikpeazu of Abia State, both of whom are senatorial candidates of the PDP. Situated better, the options before them became even more impossible, given the understanding that the presidential and the National Assembly elections are holding first, the outcome of which could sculpt subsequent elections in 2023. Thus, with their careers, political future and those of their followers at stake and at the mercy of whatever option they ultimately embraced, it became evident that Wike and others could not actually leave the PDP but were only seeking a better deal after the outcome of the presidential primaries. Still on the pre-election permutations, indications that Obasanjo might be working for Obi as his preferred presidential hopeful manifested after their London meeting, when the former president allegedly alluded to the need for balance of power in other to achieve justice, fairness and equity in the polity. One of the sources privy to the meeting and believed to be close to Obasanjo, explained, “OBJ’s support for Obi is borne out the desire to secure his place in the history of Nigeria, as a nationalist. It is his firm view that it is the turn of the South-east to produce the next president, since Hausa and Yoruba have had their turns. So, his support for Obi is rooted in that desire.” Questions have been raised about Obasanjo’s support for Obi’s presidential bid and, ultimately, his victory. But the former president has also not hidden his disapproval of the ambition of other older candidates, whom he is always quick to dismiss, albeit in veiled references, as no longer capable of delivering result. Yesterday in Minna, Obasanjo, who spoke about unveiling his 2023 agenda soon, did not, however, give details of the agenda to be released. While declaring that he had no favoured candidate for the presidency of the country, as being speculated in the media space, Obasanjo said, “I do not have a special candidate; I only have a national agenda.” Obasanjo said he was in Minna to see Abdulsalami, who had been indisposed, adding that the former leader “is very special to me. I came to see my brother, who has been a little indisposed. When he was in London, I wanted to visit him but the day I arrived in London was the day he left. So, that is why I decided to come and see him at home “He (Abdulsalami) is very special and I am still strong to visit those who are special to me.” Obasanjo arrived at Abdulsalam’s residence about 12.30 pm and after greetings with members of  the family, he entered  into a closed-door meeting with the former Head of State. The meeting lasted for a little over 30 minutes. From the residence of Abdulsalami, Obasanjo visited former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, where he also held another closed-door meeting. He left the residence of Babangida about 2.30pm for the Minna airport, from where he flew to Abuja. On his part, Atiku, who flew into the country last night from Paris, alongside Ayu and other party officials, was scheduled to present the PDP membership card to Shekarau at his Mundubawa Residence in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State. An official of the party told THISDAY in Kano that the officials of the party had since held a closed-door meeting with Shekarau at his residence on Sunday to perfectly complete the arrangement for his movement to the party from NNPP. A PDP official, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said, “As I’m talking to you now, we met Shekarau at his residence and we are busy arranging his defection along with his supporters into PDP.  We perfected all the arrangements. “Our party officials are fully engaged to ensure successful hosting of our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the national chairman of the party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu. Atiku will stay in Kano for three days to articulate and woo many opposition members into the PDP. I am confident that the party will win the 2023 general election.” The source stated that Atiku would meet with various groups of Islamic scholars, youth groups and women, students, young and old politicians, during his stay in Kano. Shekarau had in 2014 defected from APC to PDP. That year, he protested against APC for giving the party’s structures in Kano to another former governor of the state and current presidential hopeful, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who was the governor at the time, following the latter’s defection to APC, also from the PDP. Shekarau  rejoined APC in 2019 and contested the Kano Central Senatorial position, a position he is still enjoying, and dumped the party for NNPP some three months ago. His defection followed weeks of lobbying from both APC and PDP, each trying to woo Shekarau to its side. Last week, Shekarau explained that Kwankwaso and his group betrayed the trust reposed in them by aligning with NNPP months ago. “All the agreements we had with him were betrayed by Kwankwaso and his boys and they did not accommodate one single person from my camp,” Shekarau said as he left NNPP.   Big Bonus Alert. Don’T Miss Your Chance To Get An Extra 500K Cash Giveaway, Only On Msport. MSport Sign Up Find Entry Job In the Tech Industry. 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