Folarin Kehinde

Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress have asked the party to revisit its choice of Kashim Shettima as its vice-presidential candidate and Governor Simon Lalong as the Director General of its campaign.

These statements were made on Monday by a coalition of stakeholders of the party from the North East and North Central.

According to them, the party’s insistence on Muslim-Muslim ticket has caused untold disaffection in its ranks and file.

The Secretary-General of the APC stakeholders, Dauda Yakubu, said these during a press conference in Abuja.

He said the leadership of the APC must address the alleged marginalisation of christians in the party before September 20 slated by Independent National Electoral Commission to publish the final list of candidates for presidential election.

Yakubu said the choice of Shettima as running mate to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu amounted to insensitivity and utter disrespect for the ethnic and religious plurality of the country.

He said, “The leadership of the Coalition of North East and North Central APC Stakeholders is holding this press conference to drive home a crucial point that can affect the party’s electoral chances in the forthcoming presidential elections.

“It remains a known fact that the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party has indeed caused untold disaffection in the ranks of the party, especially in the North East and the North Central states in the country.

“The choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as the Vice Presidential Candidate of the APC has indeed questioned the position of our great party on mutual respect for the ethnic and religious plurality of the country.

“This is on the heels that the party elected to disregard the highly qualified and loyal party members from the North East and North Central region of Christian origin as Vice Presidential candidates of the party.

“This action was insensitive and a gross display of insensitivity and strategy by the party’s leadership. We must state that since the return of democracy in 1999, it has been the trend for ethnic and religious balancing of political positions to give all a sense of belonging in the Nigerian project.”

Yakubu said that the appointment of Governor Lalong as campaign Director-General “is a feeble attempt at assuaging the Christian stakeholders in the party that has contributed immensely to the development of the party.”

He added that it was not enough to assuage the Muslim-Muslim ticket’s ill feelings generated across the country, as it is viewed as an insult to the sensibilities of Christians.

To avoid outright rejection in 2023, the APC stakeholders, therefore, advised the party to resolve the impasse that has come about as a result of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Yakubu, however, told the APC to initiate steps and measures towards replacing Shettima with a popular member of the Christian faith.

He said, “The leadership of the APC must take advantage of INEC’s final list of presidential candidates, which is to be published on September 20, to quickly address the wrong and hand the party’s Vice Presidential ticket to a Christian to assuage the feelings of those still aggrieved.

“The leadership of the APC must realize that there is a lot at stake for the party should it go ahead with the Muslim-Muslim ticket. The party must not be perceived as disregarding and disrespecting the Christian community in Nigeria.

“The implication of such is massive electoral losses. The party’s leadership must also realize that other political parties adopted the Muslim-Christian tickets, and the APC must not be an exemption.

“The Muslim-Muslim ticket can only lead to the path of destruction for the party. As concerned stakeholders, we are using this medium to call on the party’s leadership to effect a change in the composition of the party’s presidential ticket.”

The National Commissioner of Nigeria Data Protection Bureau, NDPB, Dr. Vincent Olatunji led some staff of the Bureau on a visit to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF Boss Mustapha at the Shehu Shagari Complex in Abuja-FCT.

The SGF expressed his delight on the visit of the National Commissioner and reinforced the need for the establishment of the Bureau in line with global best practice.

He noted that Nigeria is fast becoming a data driven society hence, the need to curb the menace of data breaches.

He said, “Data theft is one of the most thriving businesses in the world. Everywhere you go, every country is putting measures in place so that data of its citizens are protected because accessibility to people’s data, unauthorized ones, would invariably allow anybody doing that to take absolute control over the people’s lives, from their financial transactions to their health records, to their access to certain information which can be manipulated.

“I am glad that we are starting well, by laying the foundation that is required, which is having an institution by way of the Bureau.

”He also assured the NDPB of the federal government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for the Bureau to achieve its statutory obligations by ensuring that the needed legislative framework is put in place. The SGF assured that the Federal Government would do everything within its capacity to support the Bureau by ensuring that the needed legislative framework and service-wide circulars were worked out.”

In his words: “I have listened to you and I have seen the prospects of the Bureau. I would want to assure you that if there is anything I can do to ensure that the necessary legislation is put in place as quickly as possible; I’m ready to do it. Because you are operating with regulation that was put up earlier, but you need a legislative framework that would strengthen your hands, even your surveillance over organizations that are supposed to process data – your ability to impose fines and penalties in cases of infractions.

“I want to thank you for this visit and to assure you that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is willing to be one of your strongest advocates. And if need be, at the appropriate moment, you can work along with the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office so that you can craft a service wide circular to ensure compliance by the MDAs.

”Speaking earlier, National Commissioner/CEO of NDPB, Vincent O. Olatunji, said that the purpose of the visit was to acquaint the SGF with the activities of the Bureau and to seek collaboration with his office toward the implementation of a robust data protection regulation in Nigeria.”

He also appealed for the institutionalization of data protection in the public sector through the issuance of a service-wide circular to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for compliance with the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, NDPR.

According to him, the Bureau has embarked on a sensitization tour to different MDAs to keep them abreast of what the Bureau is doing, as enshrined by the law in data protection, and to also get their buy-in.

“We are taking the lead to ensure that we have a principal law for the data protection in the country. What we are doing now is to create awareness. We have visited more than 35 public sector organizations. We have discovered that in the audit report, the performance of the public sector is very poor, just 4 percent while the financial sector is 49 percent. So, we have been visiting major data controllers in the public sector to create awareness. That is why we are here today too brief SGF,” he said. He further said that the Bureau is ready to build the capacity of public servants in data protection with the aim of creating awareness on the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, NDPR.

The American Business Community has affirmed that Mr Peter Obi and his team have the wherewithal to move Nigeria into a 21-century country that is self-reliant and self-sufficient if given the opportunity.

This was confirmed by a Nigerian  U.S. based philanthropist, business analyst and the founder of Princewill and Shantel Odidi Community Foundation, Mr Princewill Odidi.

Echoing the heartbeat of participants during the interactive session at the US Chamber of Commerce organize for Peter Obi and his team, Odidi remarked that one of the greatest test to leadership is one’s ability to choose the right lieutenants.

“When Peter Obi was faced with questions at the US Chamber of Commerce meeting with Washington DC insiders, the world bank and IMF, he carried along Prof Pat Utomi.

“The way and manner Prof Utomi handled questions and addressed issues related to our forex, Capital Projects, what exactly is the problem with the economy at present, and how they planned to solve it, it is obvious, he is master of the game. I was proud of Nigeria.

Odidi said Nigeria and Nigerian would be better off if they elect competence over ethnicity. He said from what he saw and the reactions from investors, IMF and World Bank delegates, Peter Obi has the magic wand to turn things around for better if elected Nigeria President.

“The Washington boys found in Peter Obi and Pat Utomi a formidable  team capable of leading Nigeria into the 21 century.

“Sitting down here and watching the presentation and analysis, you will be proud to be a Nigerian.

“Later today as we leave Washington DC to Atlanta, there is a  town hall meeting slated for 6pm and a media chat with CNN Saturday morning. Proud to be Nigerian, happy I aligned with a team that has shown capacity.

A Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos on Friday discharged and acquitted a former Governor of the state, Jonah Jang, over the N6.3 billion corruption charges levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

The court presided over by Justice Christy Dabup also discharged and acquitted a former cashier in the office of the Secretary to the Plateau state government, Yusuf Pam, who was accused alongside the former governor.

Details Later….