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Nigeria: Nigeria Civil Society – Situation Room – Situation Room Condemns the Killings of Labour Party Women Leader in Kaduna State, Victoria Chintex – Thursday 1st December 2022 (01.12.2022)

Nigeria: All Progressives Congress (APC) – Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council – Sponsoring Fake News against Asiwaju Bola Tinubu won’t help atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi (13.11.2022)

Nigeria: Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment – ILO Commends Nigeria’s Commitment to Decent Work (08.11.2022)

Nigeria: All Progressives Congress (APC) – Adamawa State Chapter – Publication of Unapproved list of State Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) – (04.11.2022)

Nigeria: World Igbo Congress – Nigeria must be a respecter of Nigerian and global laws and release Nnamdi Kanu immediately without further delay (18.10.2022)

Nigeria: The South East Council of Traditional Rulers and Representatives of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops on Peace and Conflict Resolution – Press Statement issued on October 18th, 2022, by The South East Council of Traditional Rulers and Representatives of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops On Peace and Conflict Resolution on the Immediate Release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (18.10.2022)

Nigeria: Nigeria Civil Society – Situation Room – Situation Room Expresses Concern over Attacks by Political Thugs at Campaign Rallies (18.10.2022)

Nigeria: Is Atiku and Tinubu self-sabotaging their campaigns?

It is a long time to the polls. This is months in advance and the race is far from over. Just this week two of the main candidates in the Presidential Candidates race in 2023 has slipped up. They have shown part of their character and this cannot be hidden again. These two are the candidates of the two major parties of the Republic, the All Progressive Party (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

You would expect seasoned politicians like Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC to be better. They are supposed to be fishing for votes and be the most likeable guy. These two are supposed to connect and show skills ahead of the polls. However, these days they are either making silly campaign posts or saying outrages things.

Start with the oldest clip that has been trending online. This is from APC’s Tinubu: “If they say they want a change of government, just tell them, we will like to be polite, but shut up your mouth. To you, the people and particularly the women gathered here today, let me say one thing, hope is here, promise is here, prosperity is here, security is here, banditry has ended and hopelessness is not part of our dictionary” (Tinubu, 10.10.2022).

Than you have the statement of Atiku: “I have been in politics for more than three decades and I am a Northerner. So, if you ask me why I am the best candidate to lead Nigeria in 2023, I will simply say that what Nigeria needs is a pan-Nigerian president, not whether he is Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa-Fulani” (Atiku, 15.10.2022).

When you read these two statements or quotations from the Presidential Candidates. You can really wonder what the other 16 got. There is like 18 registered Presidential Candidates and one other major one. The third one in the race is the Labour Party who is Peter Obi. He haven’t done something like this yet, but it’s still months ahead of time. So, he has time to slip up too.

The issue with Tinubu is the arrogance and thinking that his the supposed heir to Buhari. His the man taking over from him. It is striking that his not seen the brutality, the cases of banditry and such in the Buhari era. The current government haven’t created total peace or entrusted authorities with the public. Why do you think the End SARS demonstrations happened after the Lekki Massacre?

It is like Tinubu has looked the other way and hope people have moved on. He hopes that people are oblivious to how the Buhari government has reigned and that he can just takeover without any pressure. Because people are just to “shut up” and listen to the APC.

While Atiku goes in the North-South issues of Nigeria. The sort of leaders from the North to rule the hegemony. In contrast from Tinubu who is from the South now. His using his ethnicity and the region his from matters more. That isn’t a leadership trait or a value that gives strength to the national unity. No, it is just that his from the North and wants to see himself a President from there. It is nothing new that discussion and the want to change from one way or another. However, his saying his a Northerner and that’s why his the best candidate. Doing so… you can wonder what sort of reasoning is that.

Atiku should be judge on his character, his merits and what he promises to do in office. Not because his from the North. That’s not the deal of the elections and he has to be a Northerner to win the race. No, that’s not the way it works.

However, we have seen how both Tinubu and Atiku has failed here… This should be an opportunity for Obi. Let see what the parties does. We have seen the APC react to Atiku, but not so much towards Tinubu. It would be fair to address that too.

Nevertheless, these two will mess up again and this is months ahead of the polls. Peace.