Politics
Senate Presidency: It Is My Turn, Kalu Says
By Sunday Isuwa, Abuja
Senate Chief Whip Orji Uzo Kalu has said that it is his turn to be Senate President, insisting that he is the most qualified candidate to emerge as the Chairman of the National Assembly in the 10th Assembly.
According to Kalu, his party the All Progressives Congress (APC) should zone the office of the Senate President to Abia State and micro zone it to his village.
Kalu, who ran against another Muslim as Senate President, said he will contest for the office of the Senate President in the 10th Assembly.
“I will not be comfortable with a Muslim Senate President, the answer is no, I will not be comfortable with a Muslim Senate President because this is a secular state.
“In a secular state, we need to accommodate interests and spread to be able to maintain the secularity of our country.
“I believe in a Muslim -Muslim presidency, but I will not believe in the Senate President being a Muslim because it will not go fine for our country,” Kalu added.
“On whether I will run for Senate President, I am ready to run for Senate President office if the party zones it to my zone because the party is supreme.
“So I would like the party to zone it to my zone, because President Tinubu needs people of high character to turn around the economy and work for the masses and make laws that will enable him to turn around the economy. I am an economic person and an entrepreneur.
“The bills I sponsored, like the railway bill, you can see that the state governments can now build railways, private sector entities can now build railways, like the electricity was unbundled,” Kalu said.
“The Senate has rules, let me be honest with you. If we practice true democracy, I should not be in a contest with anybody in the race for Senate President office because apart from the Senate President and Deputy Senate President, the Senate Leader, I am the next ranking member in the Senate going by the position I occupy today in the 9th Senate.
“It is virtually impossible that the Senate will elect or zone it to a new member to the Senate. The Senate is an established institution that needs somebody with experience, someone with the skills and will be able to relate,” Kalu said.
On the just concluded general elections, Kalu said no election is perfect, adding that, “we have some lapses, there is no democracy that is perfect.
“But we must move on, INEC has done the job they can do, it is left for us as lawmakers to tighten the noose in the act where there is a mistake, we go back for amendment and I want you journalists to promote where there is lapses.
“President Tinubu, I want to assure you that he will stand firm in giving good governance, he will also stand firm with this 10th Assembly to amend the constitution to see that we can do electronic voting and do away with paperwork in our elections.
“For me, no election is perfect, and President Tinubu is talking about fairness and he will work with the National Assembly in line with human rights, address the issues of economy, electoral processes, police and security and remove issues around electoral processes.
“I am a team Nigeria, and will always be there for Nigerians at all times and I hope that Nigerians will Pray for me to be Senate President because it is my turn,” Kalu said.
The Northern Nigeria Youths Union (NNYU), has promised to garner over two million votes for President Bola Tinubu during the 2027 General Elections.
The Chairman of the union, Abubakar Aliyu, discussed this on Wednesday shortly after the conclusion of a major meeting held in Jos, Plateau.
“We are speaking after the conclusion of a large gathering of young men and women who have committed themselves to contributing to the journey of Tinubu.
“This is after seeing how he is implementing a myriad of developmental projects across the country, especially in the Northern parts of Nigeria,” Aliyu said in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.
The chairman, who is also the Galadiman Takai, cited Tinubu’s recent inauguration of the construction of the Abuja to Kaduna to Kano Highway.
Aliyu said, “This is a road that has three lanes on each side, which will attract more developments to the North and the entire country.”
He also referenced the phenomenal decline in the prices of food stuffs during just-concluded Ramadan’ fast, averring, “everyone glaringly witnessed this feat.
“The prices of various goods had also nosedived and even the price of fuel had reduced significantly.
“We in our organisation, the Northern Nigeria Youth Union, assure the president that when the election comes, we will give him more than two million votes.”
Aliyu stated that the union had registered members, Muslims and Christians, all volunteers in each of the 19 Northern states.
He added, “It is is not that we were given money from somewhere, we are just volunteers with patriotism.
“Considering our large membership, when the elections are held, we will also attract the attention of many people to cast their votes for Tinubu.
” Therefore, with a large membership of over 65,000 people, and the efforts we will make to get people with voter’s cards, will ensure that we generate the votes for Tinubu.
“This is a guarantee that this will indeed be done.”
The chairman, however, called on Tinubu to ensure that all his political appointees were closely monitored.
“This call becomes necessary so that the people could be properly cared for as per the constitutional provisions,”Aliyu explained.(NAN)
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has announced a ban on night grazing and restricted the use of motorcycles across the state following incessant attacks.
In a state broadcast on Wednesday, Mutfwang described the attacks as “coordinated acts of terror” aimed at displacing residents and undermining their right to exist peacefully on their ancestral lands.
The governor also prohibited the transportation of cattle by vehicles after 7pm.
He said the directives take immediate effect, with the restriction on motorcycle use in place from 7pm to 6am across the state until further notice.
“The tragic echoes of Dogo Na Hawa, Riyom, Barkin-Ladi, Mangu, and the Christmas Eve massacres in Bokkos remain vivid. The cycle continues, but it must not endure. Enough Is Enough,” the governor said.
“As your governor, I stand resolved — Plateau shall not be overrun by fear, nor shall we accept this culture of bloodshed as the new normal.
“My administration is intensifying efforts to protect our people and enforce the rule of law across all local governments.
“I hereby announce the following measures, effective Wednesday, April 16: Night grazing of cattle is strictly prohibited; transportation of cattle by vehicle is banned after 7pm.
“The use of motorcycles is restricted from 7pm to 6am across the state until further notice.”
By Abubakar Yunusa
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar reaffirmed his commitment to building a coalition of opposition political parties ahead of the 2027 election.
Atiku spoke on at a meeting with a delegation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Nasarawa state, led by Alhaji Jibirin Sabo Keana, and members of National Opinion Leaders, headed by Yusuf Sheriff Banki.
“Yesterday, I met with a delegation of two groups, during which I briefed them about the status of the pan-Nigerian coalition that I am building in conjunction with other leaders and stakeholders across political divides and regions,” Atiku wrote on X.
“I informed them that the Nigerian Movement is being powered by Nigerians desirous of reclaiming and rebuilding their country from across the nooks and crannies of our country.
“Indeed, the Coalition Train has left the station and would have multiple stops to bring on board Nigerians of all shades. First was the meeting with a delegation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Nasarawa State, led by Alhaji Jibirin Sabo Keana, and a delegation of National Opinion leaders, led by Yusuf Sheriff Banki.”
Atiku also warned them against being distracted by minor financial offers that could jeopardise their future.
He said leaders from various parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and others, have been meeting to forge a new path towards a better Nigeria.
He referred to the initiative behind the coalition as “Sabuwar tafiya” in Hausa, translating to “a new pathway” in English.
The PDP presidential candidate in 2023 expressed optimism about announcing the coalition soon and appealed to the public to join the movement.
“Now, because of that, that’s why a number of us leaders from the parties I have mentioned — APC, PDP, Labour, and others — have come together to say we are going to have what I call in Hausa Sabuwar tafiya, which in English means a new path, a new pathway to a new Nigeria,” he added.
“And we have been meeting, and by the grace of God, very soon we will announce. We hope and we appeal to you all to be part of this movement.
“Whatever vehicle that will give us good governance in the future of our children and grandchildren, that is the vehicle we are going to ride on.
”Get to planning and working together and getting as many Nigerians as possible to get converted to this new pathway.”
On Monday, governors elected on the platform of the PDP ruled out the possibility of coalition or merger with any political party ahead of the 2027 elections.