Politics
‘10 mins in Jos, zero hours in Lagos’, Atiku faults Tinubu’s ‘absentee governance’
By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, slammed President Bola Tinubu, for exhibiting what it called a “disturbing pattern of absentee leadership,” following a series of brief public appearances and missed engagements in Lagos and Plateau states.
Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to the former vice president, Phrank Shaibu in a statement, described the president’s recent conduct as “troubling and unacceptable,” specifically noting a perceived lack of empathy following recent security breaches.
A primary point of contention in the statement was the president’s recent trip to Plateau State, which came on the heels of a devastating terrorist attack.
Shaibu described the visit as “shockingly brief and perfunctory,” noting that the president “spent barely 10 minutes at the Jos Airport before departing, an act widely perceived as dismissive of the gravity of the tragedy.”
The statement argued that the justification for the short visit, that the president needed to reach Lagos for official engagements, has been “rendered hollow” by subsequent events.
According to the Atiku camp, the president’s two-day working visit to Lagos State has been defined more by his absence than his participation.
Shaibu claimed that since arriving, the president has remained “largely confined to his private residence, with little to no visible engagement in the very activities meant to validate the so-called working visit.”
The statement pointed to the commissioning of the Opebi–Mende–Ojota Link Bridge and the inauguration of a Multi-Agency Complex as events the president missed.
Shaibu noted that Tinubu “failed to personally attend, instead delegating these significant national duties to the Senate President, a close political ally.”
The statement linked the Tinubu’s perceived detachment to broader concerns, including “recent precautionary actions taken by the United States Government regarding its personnel in Nigeria.
“At a time when Nigeria is grappling with worsening insecurity, rising terrorist attacks, and growing international concern, such indifference at the highest level of leadership is both alarming and indefensible,” Shaibu stated.
He described the administration as “a presidency that appears detached, disengaged, and disturbingly casual about the weighty obligations of governance.
“We, therefore, call on President Tinubu to urgently recalibrate his approach to governance, re-engage fully with the demands of his office, and demonstrate the seriousness of purpose required to confront the daunting challenges facing our nation. Anything less would amount to a grave disservice to the Nigerian people,” Shaibu said.
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Former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has responded to remarks linked to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, stating that Kwankwaso was once his political protégé.
Ganduje asserted in a statement released on Friday by his chief of staff, Comrade Muhammad Garba, from Saudi Arabia, where the former governor is currently performing the Hajj pilgrimage.
According to the statement, Ganduje said politics is built on relationships, support and mentorship, adding that every successful politician receives assistance from others at some point in their career.
He said he played a significant role in Kwankwaso’s early political ascent, particularly during his election into the House of Representatives and subsequent emergence as Deputy Speaker.
The statement quoted him as saying: “I also have the right to say Kwankwaso was once my political boy because I supported him and helped him rise to important positions.”
Ganduje also claimed that, before that period, while he worked in both Abuja and Kano, Kwankwaso frequently visited his offices to discuss political matters.
The former governor urged politicians to avoid labels such as “godfather” and “political son”, stressing that attention should instead be focused on leadership quality and the development of the people.
He also recalled the 1998 political developments in Kano, noting that he won the governorship primary at the time but stepped down in the interest of unity and agreed to serve as Kwankwaso’s deputy.
The statement added that, despite later political disagreements, Ganduje and Kwankwaso worked together between 1999 and 2003, and again from 2011 to 2015, for the development of Kano State.
Speaking on Abba Kabir Yusuf, Ganduje said that although Yusuf once served under him, he is now the elected governor of Kano and deserves respect by virtue of the office he holds.
Ganduje called on politicians and their supporters in Kano to avoid remarks capable of deepening division, urging a focus on peace and unity in the state.
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The Young Progressives Party (YPP) has affirmed a former secretary of the Adamawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Wafarninyi Theman Dalatu, as its governorship candidate in the state.
The YPP affirmed Dalatu in Yola on Friday through a physical, person-to-person count of accredited party members from the 21 local government areas, who lined up to recognise him as the sole governorship aspirant at the Bridgewood Hotel in Jimeta.
The YPP National Secretary, Vidiyeno Bamaiyi, who led other national officers of the party to supervise the exercise, declared Dalatu as the affirmed governorship candidate of the party in Adamawa State, charging him to strengthen the party and ensure the success of its candidates in the different elections in 2027.
In his acceptance speech, Wafarninyi Dalatu said he nurtures the dream of reversing Adamawa State’s poverty index and ensuring prosperity for all through broad economic transformation.
Dalatu is a trained pharmacist who served as Adamawa State secretary of the APC between 2019 and 2023 and participated in the 2023 governorship primary of the APC.
Earlier, between 2011 and 2015, he served in the State House of Assembly as a member representing Hong State Constituency.
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Senator Kabiru Marafa has emerged as the governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Zamfara State ahead of the 2027 election.
Marafa secured the party’s ticket through a consensus agreement during a meeting held in Gusau, the state capital.
The chairman of the party’s electoral committee, Aminu Jelani, officially announced him as the NDC candidate.
Speaking after the announcement, Marafa thanked party members for their support and promised to provide responsible leadership if elected governor.
He said corruption has slowed development in Zamfara and pledged to promote accountability and the prudent management of public funds.
Marafa also promised to improve governance, raise living standards for residents, and provide equal opportunities for people across the state.
The former senator recently joined the NDC after leaving the ADC, a move earlier confirmed by party leader Seriake Dickson.
According to a statement from the party, Marafa agreed to help strengthen the NDC and lead its activities in Zamfara State.
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