2023: GROUP WANTS WIKE TO CAUTION JANG OVER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

 

2023: Group wants Wike to caution Jang over presidential candidate 

A group, the Plateau Integrity Group has written the leader of the G-5 Governors, Nyesom Wike, in the PDP to caution former governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang for supporting Atiku Abubakar rather than wait for the decision of the group on who to support for the presidency.

The group in a letter to the Rivers State governor said the former Plateau State governor could be playing double game if allowed.

The letter reads: 

"We crave your  understanding to communicate to you in this manner hoping you'll agree with us that it is imperative due to the urgency required in drawing your attention to a brazen case of betrayal in your fold by a former governor of Plateau State, Senator Jonah Jang.

"Sir, permit us to first of all, appreciate your commitment and sacrifice to nation building through your efforts at ensuring that Nigeria deserves a better deal through equity and justice in the allocation of political offices.

"Rest assured that you have won the admiration of many with your great courage and fearlessness as encapsulated in your 'pepper them' stance which upholds saying the truth at all times no matter whose ox is gored and this you have amply demonstrated by your insistence that political positions must not only be rotated among the various divides in the country but must at any given time, reflect federal character.

"Your Excellency, as you strive to purify our  democracy of prebendalism and to ensure that the right things are done which led to your disagreement with the PDP heirachy and consequently the formation of the Integrity Group also known as G-5, there are some within your camp whose commitment to this just cause are in doubt as they are playing double game with you by pretending they are with you while trying to throw away all the efforts you're making in this regard.

"Foremost in this category is the former governor of Plateau State, Senator Jonah Jang who pretends to be with you in daytime but fights you at night with his selfish and unfortunate agenda 

"Your Excellency, the former governor has managed to pretend that he is with you in the cause to restore justice and equity to the PDP when he travels out of Plateau State but does a different thing when he is in the state.

"Permit us to bring to your notice a recent happening in Plateau State that exposes this Janus-face tendency and the betrayal of the worthy cause you have chosen in your quest to see Nigeria grow in unity and cohesion.

"Your colleague, Gov Simon Lalong of Plateau State who like you, stands for truth and justice, had at a campaign rally in Wase LG of the state, had cause to draw the attention of the people to the principle you are fighting for and made reference to you and all the G-5 governors are doing to ensure power shifts from the North to the South.

"But to the shock of many, Jang took umbrage at this popular acclamation and in a gasping epiphany, revealed that he is not in support of that acclamation and that he is in bed with the same forces you are up against.

"Subsequently and in total betrayal of your celebrated stand on national cohesion and integration, Jang issued a statement countering Lalong, telling the world point blankly that he is not with you in your bid to restore equity and justice in the polity and that he is one hundred percent for Atiku Abubakar, Iyorchia Ayu and Aminu Tambuwal who threw you under the bus to achieve their selfish aims.

"For adumbrating on what you and the G-5 stand for, Jang became angry and took it personal with Lalong calling him all sorts of names and worst of all, exposed himself as not worthy of the trust and respect you have accorded him.

"Sir, have you travelled this far to ensure equity and justice in the polity only for you to be betrayed by the very people you've been trying very hard to sustain and restore to political relevance with your hard earned resources and valuable time?

"Instead of staying the course of the G-5 position which he pretends to support at the national level and on national television, the former governor is singing a different tune in Plateau State, in a  classical case of double speak.

"Those familiar with the antics of the former military administrator are however not surprised as he has in the past demonstrated the same trait of inconsistency when he left the PDP after losing at the primary in 1999 and joined the now defunct ANPP swearing never to return to the PDP only to abandon his supporters in the ANPP when he saw an opportunity to grab the PDP ticket in the build up to 2007 and quickly ate his vomit.

"Even while in the PDP, he again betrayed so many people that helped him to return to the party when he became governor that many of them including his deputy, Pauline Tallen out of anger, formed what later came to be known as PDP 2 before leaving for other parties.

"You remember his role in the chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors Forum where he said without shame that he won the election with 16 votes against his opponent who scored 19? That is the kind of person he is. Always supporting a wrong cause in a wrong way.

"In the same manner, he has now taken to his double dealing antics again urging his dwindling number of supporters to support the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in total embarrassment to your altruistic populist agenda, which he pretends to support.

"The former governor has continued to assure his few followers that he’ll get funding from you to deliver Plateau State to Atiku Abubakar and by so doing, damage and embarrass your group interest, and secure the ministerial position promised him in one of the  nocturnal meetings with that camp.

"If you doubt this submission, we urge you to kindly monitor the private FM station, Jay FM,  which he personally owns to verify the rubbish being broadcast to deride your corporate position and that of the G-5.

"Sir, is it not for the same act of betrayal that you reprimanded Celestine Omehia who through your magnanimity was enjoying all the perquisites of office as a former governor from the Rivers State government only for him to go behind your back to support Atiku?

"Your Excellency, the case of Jang may come to you as a shocking betrayal, however, the Plateau people who are familiar with his antics are not surprised.

"When you personally stormed the courts in Jos to rescue the former governor from corruption charges along with the background efforts you made to save him from imprisonment, not a few knew that those things you did in good faith would be requited with betrayal.

"Hence, barely two weeks to the presidential election that is meant to project you as a nationalist, the Judas is unleashing his treacherous fangs to expose you to ridicule and mockery by pitching tents with the very people that conspired against you in the PDP presidential primary due to his selfish interest.

"As you continue to fight a just cause, kindly accept the assurances of our esteemed regard as we vow to continue to expose those that do not mean well for our party."

Signed: Clinton Bagat,

Coordinator,

Plateau PDP Intelligent Group

13-02-2023

RENEWED HOPE - TINUBU /SHETTIMA PRESIDENCY

 

Broken Shackles, Renewed Hope: Hallmarks of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidency

By Yakubu Dati

The illustration of broken shackles adorning the cap of the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has evolved from a mere beautiful piece of art to a symbol of liberation under a new beginning.

Like a true African art piece, the illustration is not just about aesthetics, but encapsulates a deeper meaning that  resonates with the people.

The immediate acceptance of the broken shackles as an emblem is an endorsement of the ideal that those behind it have the vision of what Nigeria needs to progress to the comity of advanced nations that have broken the chains of poverty and underdevelopment and has further revealed the philosophical depth of Tinubu,  the man whose time has come … awal’okan!

Not surprisingly, the insignia of the broken shackles has found its way into the fabric of northern and southern attires, evoking a definitive fashion statement and adding to the many positives of the Tinubu brand.

While the symbol is sending the right messages across,  the Renewed Hope mantra of the Tinubu/Shettima APC Presidential campaign is also doing wonders on its own.

It is gaining traction through strategic deployments of intimidating rallies, sectorial townhall meetings and grassroots mobilization by thousands of support groups all lending support to what existing party structures are doing.

The APC, with a verifiable presence across the about 15,000 Electoral Wards spread across 774 Local Government Areas is daily sensitizing the 93 million registered voters to do the right thing come February 25. This figure can be fact-checked in case of doubt and at the risk of sounding immodest, let me add that facts are sacred. 

From all available indices, the All Progressive Congress (APC) parades an intimidating profile.

As the ruling party in Nigeria, it has in its kitty a humongous superstructure led by a sitting President at the top, supported by 22 governors and over 500 elected local government chairmen and about 13,00 councilors to boot. 

These elected representatives are not only driven to deliver the Tinubu/Shettima presidential ticket, but most importantly, in the bis to secure their political relevance and survival as elected representatives, in line with the dictum that all politics is local, they add to the fortunes of the party at the next general elections.

In tow are the political appointees who are resolved to protect their appointments as well as the many others who are desirous to seek relevance and accommodation in the next administration and are giving their all to make sure the Tinubu/Shettima presidency becomes a reality.

Added to that is the fact that all the aspirants have personal stakes in the 176,846. polling units across the country and they know what is expected of them to deliver to the APC!

These obvious advantages have been upped by the formidable popular choice of the Tinubu/Shettima presidential candidacy. 

A combination that is sensitive to the yearnings of Nigerians for inclusiveness and one which sets to unite the country on all fronts.

The groundswell of enthusiasts has invariably quadrupled with the army of youths who have situated their personal well-being with the APC ticket embedding it deeply in the Tinubu/Shettima victory.

Not only that, majority of National Assembly members and candidates who are members of the APC will further enlarge the nest of those convinced to vote for the party in their respective constituencies.

This has foreclosed the slightest possibility of electoral victory for the opposition parties and has put them on edge.

Under the calm and strategic leadership of the Director General, Gov Simon Lalong, with a team comprised of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor and charismatic labour leader; Hadiza Bala Usman, foremost pro-democracy/civil society  activist from the scion of the firebrand social justice crusader, Dr. Bala Usman; and herself former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority and Hon James Abiodun Faleke, a three-time serving federal lawmaker; all is set for the APC ship to coast to victory.

This formidable team has calibrated about 80 Directorates which has no less than 10,000 strong membership  all inspiring a coordinated force transversing the nooks and crannies of the nation harvesting votes.

Little wonder the opposition parties, faced with imminent defeat, are running from pillar to post and losing steam.

Rather than focus on issues of development, they're rather inciting the people by stoking primordial fault lines.

The main opposition party for instance, is currently engulfed in crisis of unimaginable proportion with five of its governors publicly rejecting their presidential candidate, situation which has left them gasping for breath with only eight governors!

The only APGA governor on the other hand, has since distanced his party from the regional social media presidential candidate from his state thereby practically rendering the candidacy as Dead On Arrival (DOA). 

The presidential pretender whose party has no governor and zero elected office holders has remained on the sphere of facebook and Twitter misleading innocent youths and promising an Eldorado that he couldn't offer when he was governor.

While the party entangled in credibility crisis and legal rigmaroles with the likelihood of its ending up with no presidential candidate, it is engaging in foreign travels to fleece the hard earned money of unregistered voters in the Diaspora with a Greek gift of Green cards which is akin to what transpired in “Waiting for Godot," a play by Samuel Beckett in which two characters, Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), engaged in a variety of discussions and encounters while awaiting the titular Godot, who never arrives.

With the three swing states of Lagos, Kano and Rivers firmly in the kitty of the APC, the pollsters are unanimous about a Tinubu/Shettima Presidency  

This reminds me of a literary piece titled, “Broken Shackles “ which was published in 1889 in Toronto under the pseudonym of Glenelg.

Little did the author  imagine that the theme of the work will resonate in the most populous country in Africa centuries later to inspire millions to break from their shackles and embrace Renewed Hope under a Tinubu/Shettima presidency in 2023!

It is due to the freedom and opportunities that a broken chain offers which is different from the dour and Utopian claims of the opposition, that I urge Nigerians to in line with the popular mantra “shine your eyes and follow who know road!”

Yakubu Dati is the Chief of staff to the DG PCC