Stepping down for Peter Obi was the right choice – Pat Utomi
Pat Utomi a celebrated professor of political economics and founding member of the Labour Party says his decision to step down for Peter Obi was the right choice despite calls from party members saying otherwise.
Utomi made the revelation in an exclusive interview with Seun Okinbaloye on Tuesday on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
The political economist said Obi’s political ideology, past performances in government and intellectual ability drew him closer to Obi. These qualities also made it easy to step down for Obi when Obi jump ship and pitch his tent with the Labour Party.
He also stressed the importance of the former governor’s candidacy to Nigeria, saying that Obi’s focus on production rather than wasteful consumption, unlike the ruling party and the main opposition party in the country.
Babachir Lawal faults Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket
Babachir Lawal, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who was entangled in the grass-cutting contract scandal, has faulted the announcement of a Muslim-Muslim ticket by Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the presidential election next year.
He made his distaste for the move known in a letter on Tuesday, in which he described the choice of a Muslim running mate as insensitive to our religious makeup and a complete “disastrous error”.
On Sunday, July 10, Tinubu announced Kassim Shettima, the former governor of Borno State, as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
Lawal warned that “if Tinubu thinks a Muslim-Muslim ticket will win him the northern Muslim votes, he should have a rethink.”
“They will massively vote for one of their sons because it is in their nature to do so. Buhari, their first son, will not be on the ballot in 2023. Atiku, their second son will be. ”
Aregbesola describes Kuje Prison attack as fallout of FG success against terrorism
Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior, has described the Kuje prison attack as a fallout of the Federal Government’s success against terrorism. The minister made this statement during a recent tour of correctional centres in Lagos on Tuesday.
The minister defended the government’s popular view that the insurgents have been technically decimated and are only seeking some form of relevance with the recent attacks. He urged Nigerians to please appreciate the efforts of the Federal Government, as the government was doing all it could to secure the lives and properties of Nigerians.
“I want us to be very clear in our minds that if you fail to appreciate the efforts of the government, it would be too sad,” the minister said. “There was a time when almost three-quarters of the North-East was under the siege of the insurgents. That is not the case today.”
He reminded all that, unlike in the past, terrorists do not have control of any Nigerian territory.
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Tinubu slams PDP and other ‘mushroom groups’ in Osun
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 election, has described the Labour Party and other parties contesting in this week’s governorship election as “mushroom groups.”
The national leader of the ruling party made this remark during a political campaign for the incumbent governor and party representative, Adegboyega Oyetola, in the state capital, Osogbo.
He described those seeking to replace the current governor as “PDP and mushroom parties.” Like the Labour party. They say they are labour. They will labour till death,” Tinubu said in Yoruba.
He prayed that God would not let the electorate labour in vain and that they would meet with good fortune of money, and children.
Ethiopia’s creditors to discuss debt restructuring on Monday
According to Reuters, Ethiopia’s creditors’ committee will meet on Monday, moving the cash-strapped African country a step closer towards restructuring its debts. The restructuring is designed under a common framework set up by the Group of 20 economies.
The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and others had urged the country’s major creditors—China and some private creditors—to speed up work on debt treatments sought by Ethiopia, Chad, and Zambia.
The committee of G20 economies, which is co-chaired by France and China, first met in September 2021, but progress on debt relief for Ethiopia has been complicated by a 20-month insurgency that began in the northern Tigray region. This is according to Reuters.
Many analysts believe that a successful restructuring could pave the way for many other debt-stricken nations to seek similar treatment.
