The Acting Director General Prof. Sebastian Tar Hon, SAN, gubernatorial campaign Organization, Chief Ngutor Anyam, PhD, has called on Benue people to come out en masse to register as members of APC to enable them participate in the party’s forthcoming Ward Congresses.

Chief Anyam who doubles as the Chairman of the Benue Rescue and Rebuild Mission made the call while speaking with journalists in Abuja recently.

He pointed out that when Prof. Hon is sworn in as the next Governor of Benue State on 29th May, 2027, he will bring to an end insecurity and economic strangulation that is going on in the state thereby creating an enabling environment for massive agricultural production and job creation.

The vision of the Benue Rescue and Rebuild Mission, according to him, is to deliver a secure, united, highly educated and model 21st Century state, driven by smart agricultural practices. He also envisioned Benue to be a robust tourist and investment destination where the presence of labour and employment shall eradicate poverty under Hon.

Chief Anyam lamented the culture of deceit and lack of local initiatives to generate wealth which are ills leading to capital flight from the state. He also condemned the lack of inclusiveness by the current administration in Benue State, giving assurance that the generality of the electorate were resolute to vote out the Alia administration in the coming general elections.

He further reiterated that participating in governance begins with involvement in all activities that lead to the emergence of quality leadership.

He thanked Benue people across all shades of political persuasions for the massive support so far received by the Benue Rescue and Rebuild Mission especially the People’s Democratic Party in the state for uniting in partnership to elect Prof. Hon as the next Governor of Benue State.

By Aliyu Musa
The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark has said the mission to rescue Nigeria from the misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is a collective one.

He stated this on Tuesday at a book presentation titled, “The Loyalist”, written by ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.

Mark called on opposition parties to unite to rescue and reshape the country.

He applauded the commitment of the author to the Nigeria project, noting that while most Nigerians are interested in personal benefits, Mallam Abdullahi “is a committed Nigerian, very patriotic.

“He is a straightforward person. He has paid his dues and done his best.”

Mark however dispelled the insinuation in some quarters, that the Doctrine of Necessity, which the Senate adopted to make Dr. Goodlukck Jonathan acting President in 2010, was influenced from outside.

“The Doctrine of Necessity is the sole responsibility of the Senate and has nothing to do with Kwara State or anyone from Kwara State.

“It was the sole responsibility of the Senators of that time,” he added.

Abdullahi however stated that while Nigerians are ready to vote out the APC government in 2027, the opposition is still divided.

“We are not coming together enough. We are not holding hands enough. Nigerians look at us; they see different enclaves and different entities. They see competition rather than cooperation,” he regretted.

The opposition spokesperson said Nigerians are waiting, and would be disappointed if opposition fails to unite to oust the ruling party in 2027.

“I am making this appeal: please, come together more. Let our followers direct their passion into the ADC.

“Let them know there is only one party, and our mission is bigger than anything—any individual or individual ambition.

“This is what I’m begging. So it is my hope that if this is the only thing that this gathering this afternoon is able to achieve, Alhamdulillah,” he pleaded.

By Saint Mugaga

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Solomon Bob, has lambasted President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Mr. Daniel Bwala, describing him as “an insignificant and attention-seeking operator promoted punching above his weight”.

The lawmaker also accused Bwala of what he called “malicious narrative distortion.”

Bob was reacting to comments made by Mr. Bwala on a television programme on Friday, in which he (Mr. Bwala) claimed that the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike, had been “adequately compensated” while also implying that he was not allowing the governor of Rivers State to govern.

In a statement on Sunday, Hon. Bob stated that Mr. Bwala’s comments were “cheeky, unwarranted, and stemmed from premeditated bile.”

“You could see that he deliberately pivoted from the question to talk about the Minister having been adequately compensated, whatever that means. He doesn’t understand the Minister’s contribution to this administration.

“Clearly, he operates on the fringes. And sadly, he leaves the impression that he sees public office as a gravy train ride. Because public office is about service delivery, not adequate compensation.

“Next, he cheekily downplayed the Minister’s generally acknowledged superlative performance in the FCT by putting it down merely to exiting the TSA.

“Firstly, exiting the TSA itself was the Minister’s ingenious idea. Secondly, the President’s acceptance underlines his confidence in the Minister’s ability to deliver. That confidence is rooted in his strong record as Rivers governor, for which even President Buhari honoured him – and Buhari was never enamoured of Wike.

“Worse still, Mr. Bwala betrayed his absolute lack of judgment by implying that the Minister is impeding Governor Fubara from governing. The manner of his comment is classic implication framing from a confused individual who dabbles into everything and all things, including those beyond his competence and job description,” the statement continued.

According to Hon. Bob, Mr. Bwala “denigrates his office by infusing his public comments with his own sentiments and biases and passing them off as the president’s. But he wasn’t speaking for the President because the President knows who bears responsibility for the situation in Rivers. Mr. Bwala doesn’t really speak for the president, by the way. That’s not his remit and he is way down the pecking order of presidential spokesmen.”

Hon. Bob, who is a ranking member and chairman of the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, and represents Abua/Odual and Ahoada East Federal Constituency, claimed that perhaps Mr. Bwala is troubled by the bitterness he still nurses following Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s defeat at the 2023 elections.

“Mr. Bwala enthusiastically ran his mouth and spoke out of turn because Minister Wike got Atiku Abubakar on toast. Atiku was his boss until he jumped ship. Obviously, he is still overcome with a sense of what might have been, despite grovelling back to get a job in a government made possible by people like the Minister while he was engaged in typical self-serving rants elsewhere.”

Hon. Bob advised Mr. Bwala to know his level and be humble and grateful for the job he has because “despite his pretensions, he doesn’t convince many people that he has the ingredients to function in that capacity.”