Politics

Biafra: Don’t condemn IPOB – Tinubu tells Nigerians

Published

9 years ago

September 24, 2017

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, has said Nigerians should not condemn but listen and understand the agitations by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

He said this while delivering the Keynote speech at the 2017 Annual Dinner of the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA) at King’s College, Lagos.

The APC leader, who said the cry for separation had gained traction among average people due to the chronic failure of government to meet basic aspirations, however, warned against any attempt to split the country.

Tinubu noted that gargantuan challenges were facing the country but explained that they were not enough to call for the dismantling of the federation at a time some parts of the world were taking advantage of integration.

He said: “It is a rather curious lapse that a nation with such diversity as ours has not taken the time to give our legal marriage its proper functional underpinning. In other words, we all lined up to call ourselves Nigerian without gathering to discuss what it meant.

“Thus, we inhabit a nation that has not sufficiently defined its governance. We may be defined by political borders and boundaries but we have not glued ourselves to collective purpose and vision. Too many of us are born in Nigeria but not of it.

“Thus, our society is not a collective enterprise as important to each of us as our own personal endeavor. It is but a platform, an arena, to claim whatever one can by whatever means available. In too many ways we resemble a wrestling match instead of the nation we were ‎meant to become.

“Thus, we argue over matters that long ago should have been settled. The longer such fundamental questions fester, the more extreme become the proposed answers.

“Thus, we have people clamoring for secession in one part of the country and the murmur of such a course grows stronger in other sections.

“These other areas resent that some have advocated secession. Blame and recrimination become the political currency. Statesmanship falls in short supply. The dominant urge is to confront instead of reconcile.

“It would be wrong to mistake this for a tempest in a teapot. If not careful, we may be tossed about like a teapot in a tempest.

“We must listen to what is being said so that we can determine what is really meant.

“Let us be frank. Many who cry separation do so because their personal ambitions will be better served by such a thing. They believe they will have greater chance at political power under a different arrangement. Yet the cry for separation has gained traction among average people; this is due to the chronic failure of government to meet basic aspirations.

“If over the years, government had delivered on the promise of growth, prosperity, and justice, those calling for such extreme remedies would be but a small fringe of little consequence.

“Our task is not to condemn but to listen and understand. I care not at all for this proposed solution. But I dare not discount the concerns and problems that have led many people into advocating such a thing.

“Here, I want to plainly state my position. I am a firm believer in Nigeria. I believe this land will become a great nation and a leader among other African nations. We can resolve our dysfunctions in a manner that will make this nation rise as a standard of decency, justice and prosperity for all Nigerians.

“So many excellent people have devoted themselves, even given their very lives, to give life to this nation. I dare not cast aside their hardy and brave work as if it were nothing. Many things we now enjoy and see as good are due to these people. We have benefited from their labor and sacrifice.

“Being more pragmatic, separating the nation into small pieces resolves nothing and creates additional problems. The world marches toward integration. Europe, America, Asia seek trade and commercial pacts that will make them more integrated markets. Notwithstanding Brexit, the EU grows more integrated in the functions of governance by the day. Thus, while nations more powerful and developed than us seek to pool their wealth and might, some of us seek to whittle this nation into smaller pieces.

“Such a thing would make us more vulnerable to outside influences. We would forfeit our rightful place on the world stage and as a leader of this continent.

“Moreover, not every split solves a problem. The political mentality, either good or bad, that defined a group before the split will remain after the divide. If one is imbued with factionalism, that perspective will remain even when the immediate problem is surmounted. Division will manifest differently, but manifest it will.

“A new factional bigotry will arise to replace the old. The cycle of tension and unrest will take its inexorable toll. Just ask the people of South Sudan if their woes ended when they left Sudan.

“When your heart is geared toward division, you will seek it within a single tribe, even a single family. The gossamer of ethnic unity will be ripped apart by sub-ethnic squabble. An angry man outside his home remains angry inside it as well and a thief steals from both stranger and friend.

“Driven by such a mentality, even someone you once called your brother becomes a nuisance, then a burden, and ultimately your enemy in short order.

“Thus, I oppose talk of break-up and all other exotic political arrangements tantamount to it. That I am a foe of disunity does not mean I have blinded myself to the truth that our nation is in need of great repair.

“We all see the nation for what it is. Some look further to see the nation for what it is not and they rush to condemn it.

“I choose to see the nation for what it can be and thus seek to nurture and cultivate it so that this Nigeria may bring forth the fullest blossoming of its riches, resources and ingenuity of its diverse people.”

Politics

Two-Term Ex-Oyo Lawmaker Dumps APM, Accuses Makinde Govt Of Neglect

Published

2 days ago

October 9, 2026

Mega Icon

A two-term former member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Peter Oyetunji, has resigned from the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM), accusing Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration of neglecting Surulere Local Government.

Oyetunji, who represented Ogo-Oluwa/Surulere State Constituency, announced his resignation in a letter dated October 6 and addressed to the state chairman of the party.

The politician and town planner said his decision to leave the party was informed by what he described as unfulfilled promises to members and the absence of meaningful development in his local government.

He consequently asked the party to remove his name from its membership register at the state, local government and ward levels.

In the letter, Oyetunji lamented that Surulere had suffered years of neglect despite the support and loyalty of its people to the party and the governor.

“Within the last seven and a half years, there has been total blackout of meaningful development by the local government and the state government,” he said.

He added that Surulere had experienced “a complete neglect and absence of any meaningful people-oriented developmental project from state government”.

The former lawmaker also faulted the party’s leadership, alleging that it had become characterised by arrogance and deceit, with little regard for internal democracy, transparency and members’ welfare.

He further alleged that loyal and outspoken members who demanded accountability and progress had been subjected to deliberate gang-ups and victimisation.

“There have always been a deliberate gang-up and victimisation of loyal and outspoken members, who seek accountability and progress for the party and the people,” he said.

Explaining his decision to quit, Oyetunji said he could no longer justify remaining in the party after years of what he described as fruitless efforts.

“In view of the above, I can no longer in good conscience continue to remain in the party after eight years of fruitless effort,” he added.

The resignation comes ahead of the 2027 general elections, although Oyetunji did not disclose his next political move in the letter.

Efforts to obtain responses from the party’s leadership and the governor’s office to the allegations were not reflected in the information available for this report.

Politics

2027: Ibarapa will deliver massive votes for APC, Ayandele tells Makinde’s commissioner

Published

2 days ago

October 9, 2026

Mega Icon

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, Dr Olusola Ayandele, has faulted the claim by the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Ademola Ojo, popularly known as Ijaya, that the Allied Peoples Movement controls the political landscape in Ibarapa.

Ayandele described the commissioner’s position as an illusion, insisting that the political strength of any party would ultimately be determined by votes cast during elections, rather than claims made at political gatherings.

He expressed confidence that the APC would secure massive votes across Ibarapa in the 2027 general elections, saying his recent mobilisation activities and those of other party stakeholders reflected growing support for the opposition party in the area.

Speaking on the political situation in the zone, the APC chieftain said the electorate had become more politically conscious and would assess parties and candidates based on their records, credibility and commitment to the people’s welfare.

“Ojo is simply living in an illusion that he has political strength in Ibarapa which he does not have. The era when politicians could deceive the people with empty propaganda and manufactured political structures is gone,” Ayandele said.

He added that the people would not be swayed by what he described as political grandstanding or claims of popularity that had yet to be demonstrated at the grassroots.

Ayandele maintained that his recent political engagement in Ibadan was not a publicity stunt but part of a broader mobilisation effort aimed at strengthening the APC across Ibarapa.

He said more political stakeholders and supporters were identifying with the party, expressing optimism that the development would translate into votes in the next general elections.

The APC chieftain challenged Ojo and the APM leadership to demonstrate their claimed political influence through electoral performance rather than public declarations.

“Political strength will ultimately be measured by votes cast at polling units and not by claims made at political gatherings,” he said.

Ayandele urged APC members and supporters in the area to intensify grassroots mobilisation and remain committed to the party ahead of the elections.

He said the 2027 polls would provide an opportunity for voters to assess the competing parties and decide which candidates they believed could best address their concerns.

“We welcome Ojo to the political contest. Let him continue to make his claims, but 2027 will be the ultimate test. When the votes are counted, the people of Ibarapa will demonstrate clearly where their confidence lies,” he said.

Ayandele also expressed confidence in the APC’s prospects in the presidential and senatorial contests, saying he expected voters in the zone to support President Bola Tinubu, Senator Sharafadeen Alli and other candidates of the party.

However, his projection of massive APC votes in Ibarapa remains a political claim ahead of the 2027 elections, with the eventual outcome to be determined by voters at the polls.

Politics

Oyo South: Oseni restates commitment to people-centred legislation

Published

2 days ago

October 9, 2026

Mega Icon

The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Oyo South and member representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, has reaffirmed his commitment to people-centred legislation, saying the needs and aspirations of constituents must remain central to lawmaking and governance.

Oseni said effective representation must go beyond the passage of bills to addressing the challenges confronting communities, promoting sustainable development and facilitating interventions that improve the welfare of the people.

‎He stated this in a statement issued on Friday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan.

‎The lawmaker recalled that he had championed a community-based governance approach during the last election, emphasising grassroots participation and the need to incorporate the views of constituents into decisions affecting their lives.

‎According to him, the initiative was designed to strengthen communication between elected representatives and the people, enabling him to identify local priorities, understand emerging challenges and pursue appropriate solutions through legislative and other institutional channels.

‎Oseni said the approach had provided opportunities for engagement with community leaders, artisans, traders, market men and women, religious leaders, youths, women, teachers and other stakeholders. He added that the interactions had sustained dialogue on community needs and reinforced the importance of listening to constituents.

‎“This people-centred approach has strengthened trust in governance and reaffirmed our conviction that democracy works best when leaders listen,” he said, stressing that regular engagement was necessary to understand the concerns of different groups and ensure that their voices informed decisions affecting them.

‎He further said people-centred legislation should translate into tangible benefits through the facilitation of essential infrastructure, social interventions and other development initiatives. Such efforts, he added, should focus on improving livelihoods, strengthening local economies and expanding access to basic amenities through appropriate legislative and institutional processes.

‎The APC chieftain maintained that the responsibility of elected representatives extended beyond lawmaking to protecting the interests of constituents, encouraging innovation and supporting initiatives that could improve their welfare. He said representation should ultimately be measured by its contribution to addressing the everyday challenges of the people.

‎“Our responsibility as lawmakers goes beyond passing laws. It also involves protecting people’s dreams, nurturing innovation and safeguarding their welfare. We intend to expand and extend this initiative so that everyone can participate in our shared vision of building an Oyo South that works for all,” he said.

‎Oseni expressed his determination to deepen grassroots participation and strengthen collaboration among communities and development stakeholders, saying inclusive governance was essential to achieving sustainable development. He said his vision was to ensure that the concerns of constituents received appropriate attention and that representation translated into meaningful development across Oyo South.