Today’s Headlines:Nobody Can Break My Ranks—Wike, APC Reveals Reasons For Tinubu’s Visit To Jonathan

Nobody Can Break My Ranks – Wike

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said plans by some powerful individuals attempting to break his rank and create disunity will fail.

The governor maintained that the Peoples Democratic Party governors working with him were only demanding that the right things should be done in the party and agreement reached be respected.

Governor Wike spoke on Monday when he inaugurated the Okezuo Abia Flyover along the Aba -Enugu Expressway in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, and the rehabilitated Aba- Owerri Road in Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State.

This was contained in a statement issued by the media aide to the governor, Kelvin Ebiri, and sent to newsmen in Port Harcourt.

The statement read, “When I read on the pages of newspapers. They say some people are making attempts to break my rank, I say to myself that they don’t understand the modus oparandi of what we are doing.

“If they understand the modus oparandi of what we are doing, they won’t waste their time. If you like go and meet Ikpeazu, if you like go and meet Seyi (Makinde), if you like go and meet Ortom (Samuel), and if you like go and meet Ugwuanyi (Ifeanyi), I pity them. People think that relationship can be bought with money.”

Wike asserted that no propaganda could weaken his political capacity to deliver a win for whoever Rivers State decides to support with votes in the 2023 general election.

“Look, nobody should bother about any abuse on me. I’m too much for it. I don’t even know when I’m abused. If they like, let them put everything on social media and abuse me, at the end, we will know who is relevant or not at the appropriate time.

“Politics is not to go on the pages of newspapers. Politics is not to go and buy slot on television and speak.

“It is who will deliver at the appropriate time. That is what is key. If you like abuse me from now until tomorrow, it’s your business.

“What is important is when the time comes we will know. When the jungle matures, we will know those who can stand crisis. We will know those who have capacity to say this is where our State will go.

“Ikpeazu is one of those governors who have capacity and will decide where the people of Abia State will go,” the governor added.

Wike emphasised that the governors who formed forces in the PDP were fighting were the ones who were projecting the party, and had consolidated the goodwill of the electorate that would translate to electoral fortune.

“Look at what they said, they said your governor (Abia State) is a boy. They said Wike is a boy, Seyi is a boy, Ortom is a boy, Ugwuanyi is a boy. But see what the boys are doing. Tell them that as men, they should show us what they have done.

“Because we say look, agreement is agreement. You told me you will do this, now it’s time for you to do it, you don’t want to do it. Is it good ?

“Now, what’s the problem, we say, my brother, you have shared and given to Atiku; you shared and given Okowa, you shared and given Saraki, which one have you given to Ikpeazu?

“What Ikpeazu and company are saying is that when you are sharing Senate President to so and so person, which one have you given to Abia,”; he said.

Governor Wike noted that because the Abia State governor had submitted himself to God, whatever he does has continued to prosper.

He commended Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu for changing the narrative of governance in Abia State and working to better socioeconomic situation for the people of the state.

In his speech, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu said the Okezuo Abia Flyover along the Aba -Enugu expressway, was one of the signature projects of his administration. According to him, it is the first interchange bridge delivered in the State since it’s creation.

“Our desire to construct this flyover at this point was borne out of our conviction that we will ease the movement of personnel and goods out and in of Aba , being our commercial nerve centre in Abia State.

“People were spending two / three hours at this junction trying to get into Aba, to get into the central market in the city and we decided to respond to that problem by providing this flyover. I thank God that today, this project has become a reality.”

APC Reveals Reasons For Tinubu’s Visit To Jonathan

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the recent visit of Bola Tinubu, its 2023 Presidential Candidate to former President Goodluck Jonathan was a strategic move for national unity and cohesion.

Mr Felix Morka, APC National Publicity Secretary made the explanation in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

Morka said the move was worthy of commendation and emulation, adding that the alleged outburst against the visit by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) betrayed its extreme hypocrisy and folly.

“Rattled by the recent statesmanly visit of our Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. The opposition PDP has hit the panic button in a false alarm, saying the move won’t help our candidate and party.”

He further stated that the PDP has proven itself a party afflicted with chronic myopia, lacking in vision and incapable of recognising the imperative of elevating the common good of our country above partisan quibbles.

According to him, PDP’s obsession with puerile partisanship blinds it to existential and strategic opportunities to heal old wounds, mend fences and build bridges of national unity and harmony.

The APC spokesperson stressed that it was sad that the PDP would rather fan the embers of hate and division.

“The PDP’s track record of 16 years of misrule, corruption and squandermania, remains indelible in the consciousness of Nigerians.

“Contrary to PDP’s laughable claim that the duo of Asiwaju Tinubu and Sen. Shettima are distancing themselves from President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

“It is on record that this government deftly managed two economic recessions, and pulled the nation back from the precipice where PDP’s years of atrocious rule left it hanging precariously,” he said.

Morka said the APC and its presidential candidate were seeking the mandate of Nigerians to consolidate on the foundation of restoration and greatness that had been laid across all sectors by the Buhari administration.

He added that the PDP and its co-peddlers of hate and disunity could not stop this noble aspiration.

Current Wave Of Terrorism, Banditry Under Buhari Is Greatest In Nigeria Since Civil War – Minister, Lai Mohammed Admits

The Nigerian government has admitted that the current wave of banditry, terrorism and kidnapping in the country is the greatest Nigeria has seen since the advent of the Civil War in 1967 to 1970.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this during a joint security conference in Abuja on Monday, amidst the current onslaughts of terrorists and bandits in the country.

Meanwhile, the government also claimed it has “substantially degraded” the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and the Eastern Security Network, ESN, saying they posed a threat to the security of the country.

Mohammed admitted that the security challenges “have been daunting, from terrorism to banditry to kidnapping to separatist violence to crude oil theft to armed robbery and sundry crimes. It’s undoubtedly the greatest challenge to the peace and security of our great nation since the civil war from 1967 to 1970.”

“Please don’t misunderstand or misrepresent this assertion. We may still witness isolated cases of security challenges here and there, but it will not be on the scale that we have witnessed in the past.

“We want to use this opportunity to salute Mr President for his leadership. When many threw their arms up in the air and felt it was all over, President Buhari remained resolute. When many called for the use of foreign mercenaries to tackle the challenges, especially terrorism and banditry, President Buhari never wavered in his belief in the ability of our gallant men and women in uniform to rise to the occasion, and rise to the occasion they did.

“Some said the security challenges have overwhelmed the military, but the military has now demonstrated that no group of ragtag criminals can ever overwhelm them.

“Terrorists and bandits and co can run but cannot hide, and this has been demonstrated by the arrest of those who attacked a church in Owo. These criminals can run but cannot hide, as we have seen in the decimation of the cowards who ambushed the Brigade of Guards troops in Abuja.

“I am sure you will hear from my colleagues how our military and other security agencies have been decimating the top echelon of ISWAP and Boko Haram, how armed bandits camps and resources have been destroyed, and how the capacity of IPOB/ESN has been substantially degraded.”

The minister noted that whereas in conventional warfare, the parties could declare a truce or cessation of hostilities, upon reaching an agreement, “it is not the same for the kind of unconventional warfare that our military has been fighting in recent years.”

He said the government was not saying the battle was over, but that the military and other security agents had been able to contain “the daunting security challenges we face, and that the worst is indeed over. We have now put the terrorists, bandits and their ilk on the run and we will not relent until they have been crushed.”

He appealed to all Nigerians to continue to support the security agencies in their arduous task of keeping the country safe.

The minister commended the media for continuing to carry out its constitutionally-mandated watchdog role.

He, however, urged the media to also endeavour to give a big play to the recent successes recorded by the security agencies in tackling terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, separatist violence and oil theft, among others, “just as they gave prominence to the reporting of the security challenges at their peak.”

Buhari’s request to visit Doha rejected; Qatari leader asks Nigerian president to reapply in 2023

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar, has rejected a proposed visit to the country by President Muhammadu Buhari this month, asking Mr Buhari to apply in 2023.

On Monday, Sahara Reporters reported that it had obtained a document showing that Mr Buhari’s proposed visit dates were rejected by the Qatari government last month.

“The Embassy of the State of Qatar in Abuja presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Regions Department) and with reference to the latter’s Note M 403/2022 dated 12/08/2022 informing that H.E Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has accepted to visit Qatar on 11-12 September 2022 on invitation of H.H Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar,” the note is quoted as saying. “Has the honour to communicate that the proposed dates for the visit are not suitable and kindly request the Nigerian side to propose other dates for the visit during the first quarter of the year 2023.”

The report cited an unnamed presidential source who alleged that the State Chief of Protocol (SCOP), Ambassador Lawal Abdullahi Kazaure and his team “didn’t follow the usual diplomatic channel to accept and propose alternative dates.”

“After over 3 months without a word, the State House wrote directly to the Qatar Embassy in Abuja to inform them that President Buhari wants to visit from 11-12 September 2022. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not involved. Our Embassy in Doha, capital of Qatar was not also consulted,” the report said.

Efforts to reach the presidency for comments proved abortive as phone calls and messages made to Garba Shehu, Mr Buhari’s aide, were unanswered at the time of filing.

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