Welcome to the round-up of the latest political news in Nigeria, political gist, highlights of political events, and happenings in Nigeria for today Thursday, 2nd June 2022.
Read all the major political news, political event highlights, and happenings in Nigeria for today on a single page right here.
2023: Ohanaeze Chieftain Reveals What Igbos Will Do If Atiku Chooses Running Mate From Their Region
A chieftain of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo socio-political organisation, Chuks Ibegbu has revealed that the Igbos will not reject the choice of Atiku Abubakar if he decides to choose his running mate from the southeast in the 2023 election.
He however stated that the implications of such a step will be critically considered.
Ibegbu pointed out that the Igbos never planned to be in contention for Nigeria’s Vice Presidential position in 2023 but with the recent developments, they also have to move with reality.
Speaking about the development, the Ohanaeze chieftain in an interview said 2023 should ordinarily have been an affair of the south in the interest of fairness and justice but as things stand, Atiku is at liberty to choose his running mate from any part of the country, and if he adopts an Igbo man, they will support such a person so as not to lose out entirely.
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2023 Presidency: APC, PDP Have Lost Their Political Relevance – Peter Obi
The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, says the two major political parties in the country have lost their political relevance.
Obi claimed that both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cannot win the 2023 general elections because Nigerians have deserted both parties.
He said the Labour Party would defeat both parties in the upcoming presidential election due to the support from Nigerian workers, youths, and market women.
The former Governor of Anambra State said the strategy of the party will be to reawaken the Nigerian workers and charge them to rescue the country from the APC.
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Former Presidential Aide, Obono-Obla Laments, Says New People Have Taken Over APC In Cross River
The former chairman of the disbanded Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Public Property Recovery, Mr Okoi Obono-Obla has lamented that some new entrants into the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State have taken over party affairs and positions completely.
He lamented that those who defected alongside Governor Ben Ayade in May 2021 are now the ones benefitting from the party while the old members have been pushed aside.
Obono-Obla said that even in the recently-conducted primaries for the 2023 general elections, the positions were allocated to the new party members to the detriment of others.
He claimed the older members are being discriminated against in party affairs while state funds and resources are being used to support the new members which ought not to be so.
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Ekweremadu Drops Governorship Ambition, Congratulates Mbah
Former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu on Thursday shed his governorship ambition in the 2023 general elections.
There had been speculations that the lawmaker representing the Enugu-West senatorial district might dump the Peoples Democratic Party after failing to clinch the governorship ticket of the party.
There were claims that Ekweremadu might join the All Progressives Congress to actualize his ambition.
However, Ekweremadu on Thursday released a statement to congratulate the winner of the governorship primary of the PDP, Peter Mbah.
He further stated that he has quit the governorship race.
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2023: Former Lawmaker Emerges Atiku Abubakar Favoured Pick For Running Mate
Former Vice President and Presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar is reportedly favouring Emeka Ihedioha to emerge as his running mate.
Since Atiku emerged as the flag bearer of the main opposition party the names of Governors Ifeanyi Okowa, Nyesom Wike, Udom Emmanuel have been thrown up as those considered to be the former VP’s running mate.
But sources have now tipped the former Imo state governor, Ihedioha to be selected.
When contacted, a media aide to the former Imo state governor, AIC Akwarandu told Vanguard that Ihedioha’s name is among other names being considered.
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2023: Deji Adeyanju Calls For Obi, Kwankwaso Presidential Ticket Against APC, PDP
The convener of the Concerned Nigerian movement and human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju has called for a presidential ticket of former Governor of Anambra State as the presidential candidate, while the leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Musa Kwankwaso stands as his running mate.
Adeyanju in a post on his Twitter account said he would prefer Obi as President to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 general election.
The activist called on them to meet and strategize on how to defeat APC and PDP, adding that it’s not easy to defeat the ruling party and the main opposition party.
Obi is the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, while Kwankwaso is a presidential aspirant under the NNPP.
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Katsina: Buhari’s Nephew, Sabiu Yusuf To Emerge As APC Deputy Gov Candidate
President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew and Personal Assistant, Sabiu ‘Tunde’ Yusuf may emerge as the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Katsina State.
It was learned that the APC governorship candidate in the state, Dikko Radda, is reportedly set to pick Yusuf as his running mate in the 2023 gubernatorial poll.
Recall that Radda, former Executive Director of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), won the APC governorship ticket in Buhari’s state.
He defeated the immediate past Secretary to Katsina Government, Dr Mustapha Inuwa, the immediate past CEO of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc, Abbas Umar Masanawa, and a former Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Ahmed Dangiwa, to emerge the winner of the primary election.
However, a source disclosed that the choice of Buhari’s nephew as Radda’s running mate was a calculated attempt to provide immunity for the former SMEDAN boss.
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Fresh Trouble In PDP As Stakeholders Tell Iyorchia Ayu To Resign As National Chairman
A fresh crisis is looming in the ranks of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party as a group of stakeholders identified as PDP Concerned League has demanded the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu as the party’s National Chairman.
The group in a press briefing on Wednesday also demanded the resignation of Samuel Anyanwu, PDP national secretary, and Umar Bature, the party’s national organising secretary.
Naija News reports the group wants the national officers to resign from office on or before June 20, 2022.
Narrating the offence brought against the PDP national officers, the leader of the group, Daboikiabo Warmate accused them of selling the party’s 2023 tickets to the highest bidders, manipulating delegates’ lists and impunity in running party affairs.
Warmate added that with the flagrant disregard for members, the current PDP leadership can’t lead them to victory in 2023.
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APC Presidential Screening Committee To Submit Report Today
The Presidential Screening Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will submit its report to the National Working Committee of the ruling party, today (Thursday).
The Head of the screening committee and former National Chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja.
Naija News reports that the committee have completed the screening of 23 presidential aspirants ahead of its Presidential primary election scheduled for June 6th and 7th.
Twelve aspirants were screened in the first batch of the exercise on Monday, while eleven hopefuls appeared before the committee on Tuesday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.
In a chat with The PUNCH, Odigie-Oyegun said the panel will tender the outcome of the screening exercise to the APC leadership at the party’s National Secretariat.
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2023 Presidency: Obasanjo May Dump Atiku For Peter Obi
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is reportedly set to dump his former deputy, Atiku Abubakar for the former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi.
Naija News reports that the former Vice President emerged as the Presidential flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at last Saturday’s primary election held in Abuja.
While the former Governor of Anambra State emerged as the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party on Monday in Delta State.
In a chat with New Telegraph, a close associate of Obasanjo said the former President feels that the 2023 presidency should be zoned to the South, in the interest of equity, justice and fairness.
The source said Obasanjo has concluded plans to throw his weight behind Obi and dump Atiku due to the outcome of the presidential primary of the PDP.
He added that the former President’s possible support for Peter Obi is borne out of patriotism and the need for balancing, equity, and justice, considering the plurality of Nigeria.
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Again, South West APC Leaders To Meet Osinbajo, Tinubu, Fayemi, Others
The leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South West are set to meet with presidential hopefuls from the region to pick a consensus candidate.
Naija News recalls that the first meeting of the South-West leaders which was held in Lagos on May 6 discussed unity among the Presidential hopefuls.
It is understood that this meeting, which is the second edition, would be chaired by the former interim Chairman of the APC, Bisi Akande, and co-chaired by the former Governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba.
Other leaders of the ruling party expected at the meeting set to take place in Abuja include governors, ministers, and members of the National Assembly from the zone.
It was gathered that the South West APC leaders would meet with the five presidential aspirants of the party in the zone in order to pick a consensus candidate, a chieftain of the APC told The Punch.
He said the meeting will deliberate on the need for the South West to stand behind one aspirant to strengthen the chances of the region to produce the presidential candidate of the party.
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That will be all for today. You can read more political and other Nigerian news on Naija News
This article was originally published on Nigeria News