2023 intrigues: Osinbajo refutes ‘resignation memo’ as Kwankwaso picks Idahosa, Kachikwu names mate today

• Court thwarts move to remove Matawalle over defection
• Ruling party dismisses threat of upset by Kwankwaso
• Dunamis pastor, Enenche, cautions politicians over rigging

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, distanced himself from a memo purported to have originated from his office and sent to President Muhammadu Buhari seeking permission to resign his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The memo, dated June 24, 2022, with reference number: SH/VP/605/2/0, and seen by The Guardian, listed, among others, family pressure as reason for the decision.

But asked to confirm its authenticity, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, (Office of the Vice President), Mr. Laolu Akande, described it as fake.

According to him, the language of the author is not that of Osinbajo, stressing that his boss will not write a memo so full of errors.

“Where do you people even get these things from? Who gave it to you? Anyway, for the avoidance of doubt, the memo is a fake. The Vice President didn’t write any such thing,” he said.

PRESIDENTIAL candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, yesterday, picked Bishop Isaac Idahosa as his running mate for the 2023 general elections.

NNPP disclosed this in a post on its Twitter handle. Idahosa is the Senior Pastor of God First Ministry (a.k.a Illumination Assembly), with headquarters in Lekki, Lagos State.

The announcement came a day after Festus Okoye, Chairman (Information and Voter Education Committee) at the Independent National Electoral Commission National Commissioner (INEC), said NNPP and the African Action Congress (AAC) had not submitted nominations to the portal.

Prior to being named as the NNPP vice presidential candidate, Idahosa had shared several posts about Kwankwaso and was in Kano over the weekend to celebrate Sallah with the former Kano State governor.

THE presidential candidate, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, will unveil his running mate today.
Sources close to the Dumebi Kachikwu for President Campaign Organisation said the event will hold in Abuja at noon.

Efforts to get the name of the proposed vice presidential nominee proved abortive, as Kachikwu is said to be keeping the information close to his heart, pending the formal unveiling.

“It is not a name I can tell you at this time. Our presidential candidate plans to disclose the name in a grand style tomorrow. So, wait till you hear from the horses mouth,” the source said. 

THE Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, yesterday, declined the application of the 14 local council chairmen seeking to be joined in a legal battle by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to unseat Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, for defecting to the APC.

Justice Inyang Ekwo said the applicants had not shown sufficient legal reasons to join the suit. He specifically said there was no nexus between the applicants to have warranted granting of the application, adding that that it did not comply with relevant procedures. He, therefore, dismissed it.

The chairmen had sought to be joined as interested party in the suit on behalf of their constituents. Ekwo adjourned till October 27 for hearing.

APC said plots are at advanced stage to curtail the influence of Kwankwaso in the northwest geopolitical zone. The party’s National Vice Chairman, Salihu Lukman, in a chat with reporters in Abuja, yesterday, acknowledged that Kwankwaso remains a threat to APC in the region.

Lukman, who met with stakeholders in the zone, however, said there was no cause for alarm, as the APC is firmly rooted to sustain its winning streak in the northwest.

He said: “The reality is that we are not taking anything for granted. We are not dismissing people. We are going to work hard, and that is why we consult among ourselves and have been trying to organise ourselves.”

He also allayed fears that the Muslim-Muslim ticket of Tinubu and Shettima could be detrimental to the interest of Christians.

SENIOR Pastor, Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Worldwide, Dr. Paul Enenche, warned politicians against rigging the 2023 general elections in favour of any political party or individual.

He gave the warning during a sermon at the church’s headquarters, saying any attempt to impose a presidential candidate, against the choice of the masses, will fail.

He added: “You know, about seven years ago, some persons arrived and said they wanted to give change. I am sure you remember. You have seen the change. Loss of lives, blood flowing like water, banditry, terrorism, kidnappings, unbelievable insecurity, poverty, scarcity, shortage, and all manner of terrible things that continued till this day.

“Nobody should be afraid of the mess and rubbish that is happening today in the political cycle. We have a God in heaven that will answer us by fire.”

ALSO, a coalition of all APC Support Groups has called for the adoption of Dr. Ibrahim Bello Dauda as presidential running mate to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to stop growing disenchantment within the party.

The coalition, in a communique, said democracy should have its full expression in the selection of presidential running mate.

It said: “It is on record that no vice presidential nominee can enjoy this uncommon and unprecedented level of support from youth groups, eminent Nigerians and women leaders, like Ibrahim Bello Dauda.”

On the crisis of confidence over the nomination of Senator Kashim Shettima, the coalition said only reversal and adoption of a youth, in the person of Dauda, would unite the party for victory.

It added: “The ruling APC and its leadership should hearken to the voice of Nigerian youth now, as this will reaffirm the much touted promise made by the party on youth inclusion in governance.”