A presidential aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, said on Saturday evil and politics would not divide Nigeria.
The former Lagos State governor stated this during a meeting with the APC delegates In Jigawa, ahead of the party’s presidential primary slated for May 29 in Abuja.
He said despite his presidential ambition, Nigeria’s supremacy superseded any personal interest.
Tinubu said: “There are evil forces that wish evil for Nigeria but certainly, they will fail as good people of the country are praying to God to save the country.”
“We must work together to build the nation and make Nigeria grow bigger than all of us.
“I am here before you to solicit your support and I hope you will vote for me at our party’s presidential primary.
“I assure you that if given the mandate, we will join hands with all good people of Nigeria to move the country forward for peace, unity and prosperity.
“My dreams and plans are to have a Jigawa that is full of opportunities for farming, commerce, and trade, as well as a country with full opportunities for health care services, education, and food security for all.”
In his remarks, the Jigawa State Governor, Badaru Abubakar described Tinubu as a pan- Nigerian with broad-based support across the country and beyond.
Badaru recalled how the ex-governor gave him an opportunity in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) when he was looking for a platform to contest the governorship election in 2011.
*Police probe Bauchi community crisis*
The Bauchi State police command has commenced an investigation into the crisis that erupted at Katanga community of Warji Local Government Area of Bauchi State on Friday.
The command’s spokesman, Ahmed Wakil, confirmed the development in a statement on Saturday.
He said the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Sanda, had ordered a thorough investigation into the crisis.
Some irate youths set six houses and seven shops ablaze in the community on Friday.
This followed an alleged blasphemous message posted on social media by a 40-year-old female employee of the local government council in the state.
Wakil said: “The police deployed troops to the community and they have brought the situation under control.”
“The CP appealed to the general public to be calm and to go about their lawful businesses without fear of intimidation.
“He also urged religious leaders and community leaders and elders generally to always speak to youths to desist from truncating the peace in their communities.”
*Deborah: Why Christians should protest within church premises – CAN*
The planned nationwide protests over the killing of Deborah Samuel by her colleagues at the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto State over alleged blasphemy last week, will now be conducted within church premises, according to a new directive by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
This was contained in a statement on Saturday issued by CAN National President, Rev Dr Samson Ayokunle, which instructed Christians to go on with the protests but within the safety of their various churches or state CAN Secretariats to avoid any confrontation with security agencies or a breakdown of law and order.
The change of plan was also as a result of several state governments banning such protests and vowing to clamp down on any protester.
The Christian body had earlier called for peaceful nationwide protests by Christians especially in the Northern states to drive home their demand for justice in the gruesome murder of Deborah by the Muslim fundamentalists, but has now told Christians to do it within their churches.
In the statement, CAN stated that it had intelligence information that some Muslims groups were also planning to organize a counter-protest with the aim of turning it into a violent protest and open confrontation.
The statement addressed to all CAN state chapters read:
“You are all aware that some Muslims had sent out information that they were going to counter our peaceful protest on Sunday, May 22. Their intention is to cause chaos and attribute it to us.
“In view of the foregoing, I urge you all to do the protest of placard carrying within the premises of your local churches or your CAN Secretariat.
“However, where it is unsafe to do the protest in the premises of your church or CAN Secretariat, you may carry the placards inside your church and pray for justice for Deborah Samuel who was wickedly and extra judicially slain.
“Pray as well for a change of heart for the wicked who find it convenient for them to kill their fellow human beings under religious guise.
“In all, let the television cover your in-house protest and equally use the social media for the entire world to see.
“May the Lord be with us all, His Church in Nigeria and our nation who is in birth pains.”
*2023: Call for southern presidency based on principle of nation-building — Anyim*
Former Senate President and presidential aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Anyim Pius Anyim, has again identified Southern presidency in 2023 as a basis for genuine nation-building.
The former lawmaker said that the call did not grow out of a vacuum, stressing that it was only a reminder that Nigeria belongs to every Nigerian regardless of tribe and region.
Anyim, who featured in an interview on Arise TV on Saturday, noted that presidential aspirants coming from the South-East were indicative of the demand for a president of South-East extraction.
He emphasized that no discord exists between all presidential aspirants from the region, including Peter Obi, adding, that they were all bound by a course for a better Nigeria.
He said: “The call for Southern presidency is based on the principle of federal character which is entrenched in the constitution that every segment should have an opportunity to lead. It is also in line with nation building because stakeholders tend to overlook this crucial point.
“This call by the leaders ought to be taken seriously because it is rooted in solid basis. Everyone must have a sense of belonging and I believe the electorate will heed to the call.
“The aspirants from the South-East, irrespective of party, met and we collaborated to ensure the presidency comes to the South-East. Whatever choice made by the electorates will be acceptable to me.
“There is no competition between Peter and I; he is my brother. Our strategies are different and we are going about it without any ill-feeling.
Speaking on layers of insecurity in the country, the presidential hopeful identified multi-dimensional approach to address the various factors fueling the scourge.
“The insecurity we have today is of different manifestations — banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, agitations, etc. If addressing agitations and it is approached as a criminal conduct, there would be difficulties in resolving it.
“Some of the other manifestations have economic considerations backing it up. The economic issues behind it have to be redressed in order to tackle it. We need to engage our youth in order to provide job opportunities. The education system also has to be overhauled, refocusing the curriculum so that learning will be more engaging”, he added.
