
Posts by :


2023 Presidency: Performance under pressure, proven competence stand Tinubu out among other candidates, says Agbaje
2023 Presidency: Performance under pressure, proven competence stand Tinubu out among other candidates, says Agbaje
If ability to perform under intense pressure, proven ability to assemble the right team and innovative leadership are worth considering in electing a leader for Nigeria in 2023, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) presents the most formidable candidate in person of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, says Barrister Akeem Agbaje, APC Oyo state governorship aspirant in the last primary election.
Agbaje said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Abuja on Saturday.
NAN reports that INEC has closed the window for the emergence of Presidential candidates ahead of 2023 election and Tinubu, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, Mr. Peter Obi and Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso are the leading candidates representing APC, PDP, LP and NNNP respectively.
According to him, all the major contestants have functioned in one elective post or the other, they will be voted based on their performance, saying Tinubu’s track record contributed immensely to his party’s emergence as a ruling party since 2015.
“President Muhammadu Buhari should be commended for saying let us pick somebody that is very popular and can give us victory in the coming election.
“And everybody knows that it was Tinubu that within the present crop of APC has the highest potential to achieve that. His record as Executive Governor of Lagos State is probably unmatched by any state as we speak today.
“What we need today is somebody who can manage our resources and be innovative. We have a lot of challenges we are facing today as a nation, we need somebody with requisite experience.
“Tinubu is not telling you what he can do, he has done it with great results and still ready to do it better in more challenging situations.
“As governor of Lagos state, Tinubu faced the most challenge, can any governor, as we speak today cope when federal allocation is not released to the state?
“But when Lagos state was not paid allocation for years, he made sure that the state did not only survived, but it excelled significantly,” he said.
Agbaje added that the APC national leader was also a technocrat and experienced politician.
” No contest that you situate Tinubu that he won’t fit into. You should look at his background, he worked with Mobil at a very high level in Mobil- Nigeria,that makes him a technocrat ” he said.
He noted other inbuilt qualities of leadership, needed to take the nation higher that re innate in Tinubu.
“Competence alone cannot take Nigeria out of its present challenge,
“Look at Tinubu at the presidential primary, people across the country stood for him, he has relationship with people across the country.
“He is a man who is suited to challenges and seen to excel under pressure, that is what we need in Nigeria of today. Not somebody who hasn’t faced challenges before.
“We need people who are tested and succeeded, you can’t rule Nigeria without managing our differences.
“Tinubu is not somebody that will get to a point and say “who do I know in Sokoto or in Ebonyi?”, he has relationship with people from all over the country. Such a personality builds confidence,” he said.
He lauded Tinubu’s commitment to Progressive politics and patience to follow through in his convinction from 1999 till date, unlike some politicians who moved from one party to another whenever they fail in their ambition.
On the development of electoral process in the country, the respected lawyer commanded INEC for building the trust of stakeholders in its conduct.
“If you look at INEC, the two successive chairmen, (Prof. Atahiru Jega and Prof. Mahmood Yakubu) have exhibited a very high level of integrity in the conduct of anything related to election.
“They have done that to the extent that you can hardly blame INEC for any election they conducted. INEC has been firm, it has been disciplined in their approach to electoral process,”
He also commended the National Assembly for the new electoral act that now removed some politcal appointees from the list of eligible delegates in an election.
Agbaje commended Nigerians, especially the youths for their massive turnout during the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) which had recorded huge increase in the number of registered voters in the coming elections.
He urged the electorate to re-elect APC into power in 2023, saying it presented the most qualified candidate the nation needed at this point in time, Asiwaju Tinubu.

2023 Electioms: Ensure genuine reconciliation for victory in Oyo, Agbaje urges APC national, zonal Leaders
2023 Electioms: Ensure genuine reconciliation for victory in Oyo, Agbaje urges APC national, zonal Leaders
For the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to takeover power in Oyo State and secure maximum victory in the state and national elections, the national headquarters and zonal leaders of the party need to ensure reconciliation of all the aggrieved members in the fallout of the primary elections.
This was the advise of Barrisster Akeem Agbaje, a legal practitioner and Gubernatorial aspirant in May 28 governorship primary in the state in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday, in Abuja.
According to Agbaje, without genuine reconciliation of aggrieved contestants and party members after the primary elections that were marred by irregularities, APC may not be able to muster adequate support to victory.
“”`Reconciliation’ is a word that cannot in itself create anything. There must be sincerity, you don’t steal people’s mandate in the crudest of forms and now say `let us reconcile’.
“A fractionalise APC will find it difficult to win any of the elections (in Oyo state) in 2023. Fortunately we have time to heal the wounds.
“The national headquarters and the Leadership in the Southwest can step in, bring everybody together, unite everybody genuinely and the party will regain power.
“The candidates in Oyo State, the executive members that emerged after the poorly conducted primaries are not sincere with the reconciliation moves they are making.
He hinged the need for reconciliation on sharp practices that he said were not in tandem with the progressive ideology of the party.
“”Primary elections are conducted by the national headquarters of individual party, if they do not initiate a credible process, they cannot get a credible result.
“They (national headquarters) should have ensured that most popular party members emerge in their primaries.
“The fact that APC is in opposition (in Oyo State) would suggest that the party will be more transparent in the conduct of its party primaries, not conducting them in a way that will damage the trust and loyalty of sincere party members.
“Oyo primary elections were heavily manipulated ,so many irregularities in the conduct of the primary, delegate lists made available for just 10 minutes on the election date,
“Deligate lists were compiled by an aspirant, Sen. Teslim Folarin, populated by his supporters, which led to exodus of some notable aggrieved contestants with their supporters.
“Some of us that contributed to the growth of the party cannot leave because we don’t want the party to die in the state,” he added.
The respected lawyer and party faithful suggested the kind of reconciliation that could possibly calm the nerves of thecaggrieved members, bring them back to the party’s fold and return them to winning ways.
“You must put something on the table, You must tell people ,” ok, it has come and gone, let us be united. It is only when we are united that we can succeed”.
“You must offer something. You may liken it to a situation where someone stole your car and now call you to push it for him, it is very difficult.
“You cannot just say, let us work together and succeed without any attempt to appease them, you must also build their confidence.
“What is the assurance that someone that abused power within the party will not do more when he gets the real power?
“If someone that doesn’t have executive power can go to the extent he (Sen. Teslim Folarin) went in the last primary election, you can imagine what he will do if he gets into power.
Reconciliation is important, I am fully supportive of reconciliation but not deceptive reconciliation, they must carry everybody along,” he said.
He also advised that Folarin-led APC in Oyo state should consider shifting ground on some elective positions that the party could win with more formidable and credible aspirants that were denied free ,fair contest.
“You must give something to the aggrieved parties, no matter how small”.
Agbaje commended President Muhammadu Buhari for displaying high sense of commitment to victory in the 2023 Presidential election by ensuring that most credible and popular candidate emerged during the party’s presidential primary.
He described the process that produced Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the party’s flag bearer, to be worthy of adopting by the party in all subsequent internal elections.
NAN recalls that Agbaje came third in the Oyo Gubernatorial primary election in May, contested by six aspirants which led to the emergence of Folarin.



Reactions on Tinubu
Yorubas need to ro inu. I wonder why the national gang up against 1man? What did the man say that’s new or news??? Ask yourself as an unbiased person, we’ve been aware of his intentions & aspirations since GMBuhari 1st term (2015-2019). This man is not a pretender and has not hidden his dreams to rule this nation for the past 6yrs or so now. I believe this is why he remains the man to beat to the coveted seat. We’ve only been wishing it away individually & collectively as a people, that he will remain a king maker that we all know him to be. Why? Because of:
1. He his perceived to be very, very, corrupt by all & sundry. Though no competent court of law has convicted him. He was only charged to a tribunal(not even a regular criminal courts that Atiku, Kwakwanso, Orji Kalu etc were charged to) for not disclosing some foreign accounts alleged he operates while gov of Lagos 1999-2007. The case was thrown out without merit. I’ve said this at many fora that if OBJ (his arch enemy) as president with all the powers of information & investigations at his disposal, could not find anything on him to indict or convict him, why are mere mortals like me, that never hold a head of street post go about pronouncing the man as corrupt. Is it not a mantra that “all are deemed innocent until proven guilty”? Again why is everybody on this man’s case sef? Is he more corrupt that convicted Atiku? Which one of them is not a thief sef??? If me or you get their won’t we steal our own potion? Is it possible “lati wa ni idi oro, ki n ma je oro ni”? Pls let someone point to me 1(just one) politician that has not stolen from our commonwealth in this country or illegally dipped his/her hand into our treasury? Yoruba e ronu yin.
2. Many come up with his age or falsified age. Ask yourself how old is Atiku, PDP candidate. How old is President Biden? How old is Buhari himself & what age did OBJ became president. President Trump nko? The man has captured it well himself by saying – the job of a president is not as a bricklayer, labourer or marathon runner. What a president need is his intelligence & wisdom to manage men & resources. This he has proven to have in abundance, with the caliber of men he’s brought into politics – Fasola, Oshiomole etc. Age is nothing but number, it’s obvious Nigeeia needs now is a bridge maker, a man of intellect, a street wise man with diverse connections & contacts to nurture this fractured insecure country back to the path of greatness. Yoruba e ronu joor!
3. What is new or news in his utterances in Abeokuta? Are we not all aware this man has made tens of nobody become somebody? Is it news that GMBuhari contested as an ethnic lord & lost woefully on three attempts until he agreed to team up with Tinubu’s AC, to become president? Is it not true that for the 1st time this man brought the Yorubas into the central govt? Something that our revered Papa Awolowo could not do. Was Abiodun (Ogun gov) not on the seat while he claimed he (Tinubu) made him gov? If it’s a lie can’t he deny it their & then? So why all the brouhaha naa? Is it news that he nominated Osinbajo as VP? Didn’t the man say so himself??? When did stating the fact become “pride or arrogance”? Is he a god that cannot “sinregun” as Yorubas would say? Yorubas says “alara ni n gbe ara ga”, ti e ko ba yin mi ma yin ara mi naa. Who would know Fasola without him? Would we have ever known Ambode, Aregbesola, Obanikoro, Sanwo-Olu, Mimiko, Fayemi & a plethora of others he brought from oblivion or obodo Oyinbo to come participate in our politics?
Since he left govt in 2007, he never took any other political office. Is it not sane to assume he was baiting, calculating & scheming for the highest seat all along? Now that he has set himself to achieve his dreams after 15yrs of arduous work, we all wish and dream he gives the opportunity to those he has made. Even our God says He is a jealous God, and would not share his glory with anyone. This man is a mere mortal o. Why wish of him to do what even gods cannot do?
4. Is his ambition out of place? Are we not admonished in our churches, mosques & even schools to dream big, because we serve a very big God? That we should aim for the sun and if we don’t catch it, we might get one of the stars? If a known Camerounian in Atiku is vying to become Nigerian president, what’s the problem with this man aspiring to also lead? Is it a lie that he is the brain and heart of APC from inception? If I built a house with my sweat, is it not right to accord me the honor to choose which room I want to stay in the house(right of 1st refusal)? Which of us after building a house would ask his own children to come choose 1st, which room or apartments they want, before he makes a choice? Nigerians are bare faced hypocrites, and most Yorubas don’t really ro inu as Omoluabi. This man single handedly rescued the SW from PDP onslaught in 2007, when they ran riot in 2003 taking away 4of the 5 SW states (Osun, Ekiti, Ondo & Ogun states). Now all are pretending as if this never happened. While the man was working hard day & night to position himself for this post, everyone was busy sleeping. When at his old age, he woke up very early pounding yam, everyone of you were pretending blind. Now he want to eat his pounded yam, you’re crying thief, thief, agba-iya! You hypocrites! May you not be a dream killer. Cause what we wish or do to others, may someday be wished or meted out to us, at the edge of our own breakthrough or success too.
6. PDP has picked Atiku as their candidate, the strongest & richest, most connected candidate from the north, to succeed GMBuhari after 8yrs. Does any politically conscious Yoruba man think Osinbajo, Amosun or Fayemi can ever beat veteran Atiku at the presidential polls? Anyone thinking such must be a political novice. Tinubu is the only Yoruba man that can face Atiku and conquere him. Mark my words! In fact his (Atiku) political calculations is that Tinubu must not get the APC ticket, cause he knows what will result.
Mark my words today. If APC make the grave mistake to allow our nepotistic president choose a consensus candidate, the north will have their way and rule for another 8yrs. If he succeeds in disenfranchising Tinubu out od APC, the party will break because I see him leaving the party if not given the ticket, and it will become a case of “kaka ki eku maje sese, a fi se awadanu ni”. Tinubu will team up with his long term friend and political brother, Atiku (they’re both from Late Gen. Musa Yar’Adua polical machine PDM), and they will trounce APC hands down. Atiku is a master political wheeler & dealer like Tinubu. APC will loose woefully without Tinubu, mark my words.
7. Why is the north always against the south presenting our best man? They did it to Awolowo by prodding up Ladoke Akintola against him. They did it against MKO, by denying him to rule, and finally killing him, because the man was larger than life itself as they had no Yoruba puppet to measure against him. They did it against Falae by bringing OBJ from prison against him. Now they’re doing it against Tinubu, by prodding his boys Osinbajo, Amosu & Fayemi against him. The same Osinbajo humiliated severally. Funnily, again Mark my words, they won’t choose Osinbajo! He is too intelligent & the north are ever afraid a an intelligent southerner taking up that seat, and a prof& lawyer for that matter. Yoruba e ronu, stop wishful thinking.
Ever wondered why does the north always want to dictate to us who to represent us, when it’s our turn to take the seat of leadership? Did we choose Buhari for them? Yoruba e ronu yin! Awon agba ni omo eni ko se idi bebere ki afi ileke so idi omo elomiran. Like him or hate him, BAT is our best shot at occupying the exalted seat in Aso Rock again.
Most of us don’t know the arduous work done to produce president Buhari in 2015. We just saw the result in 2015, not knowing what or how long they’ve been working at mastering the political game & calculations that produced him. It was a permutation that had started since 1964, while trials & errors commenced since 2007. Somebody sat to study our(Nigeria’s) political history & reasons why the Yorubas never came close to head the nations govt as PM or president, neither did we ever head the national assembly.
As mentioned earlier, our highly revvered & celebrated Chief Awolowo and his team could only win the SW regional govt. Always got trounced at the center. I feel the greatest mistake Awo made was not building a bridge to connect with the northern elite. He was busy courting the talakawas, dealing with them the way he relates with the educated, cosmopolitan Yorubas & Igbos, hoping to break them free from the shackles of ignorance & illeteracy. He tried to educate them so they could make wise choices, which was altruistic, but mere idealistic. Forgetting that politics is all about being pragmatic. Of course the northern elites refused & blocked his attempts by playing the religious card against him. A religion which admonished them to remain subservient to their leaders(elites), as their fate in life. The rest his history now. So, in Awos case it’s really not a Yoruba problem per se, because even if Ladoke Akintola was not over ambitious (like Osinbajo is doing presently), Awo was never going to win any state in the core north or the general election, so he would never have been able to ganner enough majority votes to win 122/3(twelve, two-third) states to become president. All he could win was the middle belt states of Jos & old Gongola states. He was unable to make in-road into the core north. Same in the east, which Azikiwe controlled. Rather than team up together (Awo + Zik) the Igbos, preffered to team up with the north. We all know the story of how Zik after having the largest votes, went over night to sell his rightful position to Tafawa Balewa, to become a 2nd fiddle as a ceremonial president rather than a prime minister (the true head of govt).
In the case of MKO in 1993 again I believe he became a victim of his own making. He was too close to the army boys or armed forces boys, whom he had used on several occasions. IBB in particular was a very close friend to MKO, and Abacha of course knew him well too & knew his capabilities. MKO had been making deals with the Gowons, Muritalas and other senior army generals, while the IBBs, Dongoyaros, Abacha & Co were still mere ADC. They were simply afraid to give him power, to add with all his connections & money, knowing that he is a boss of bosses. He would have been too difficult for even the armed forces & the northern elites to control him. I will again liken MKOs position then to BAT now. The north are simply afraid to give power to any southerner they perceive they can’t control.
I believe this mistakes or shortcomings Tinubu noted and worked to correct. Starting with candidate Nuhu Ribadu in 2007, who as at then had a very good record and followership as EFCC czar. Unfortunately this did not translate into political gains. Then he tried Atiku as candidate in 2011, unfortunately he was mustered out with the power of incumbency. Then came the choice of GMB in 2015. To a politically conscious mind, you would see the man had a strategy he was playing at all along, doing trial & errors. Like him or hate him he is a patient man of foresight & a great politician. He had been planning to make the SW the beautiful bride to the north, thereby replacing the SE as their preferred bride. By so forming a party to produce a Northern president, on the agreement of political rotation between the north & south every 8yrs. Just like he said, it’s the turn of the south, and obviously the SW, since SE are still welded to the northern PDP. So it was a case of who amongst the southern blocks will choose the best northern candidate to win the coveted seat.
SE + North produced ;
1. OBJ – 1999
2. OBJ – 2003
3. Yar’Adua – 2007
4. Goodluck – 2011
Who thought it wise to fish out a better candidate to beat the SE + North union, Tinubu! After his trial & errors with Ribadu & Atiku. Now his calculations has finally worked, his hard work has finally paid off. His calculations have materialsed, and the Yoruba hypocrite are joining the SE to pull down their man.
Since APC came to power in 2015 the SE has been such sore loosers. Calling the Yorubas unprintable names like – Fulani slaves, Fulani cows etc. And funnily our Yoruba elites joined them in doing everything possible to pull down our own. I keep wondering why they all forgot these same Igbos have been the Fulanis choice bride since the 1st republic, up until 2015 when Mr. Tinubu mastered and defeated them at their game. In 1999,2003,2007 & 2011 they were not Fulani slaves abi? Yoruba just get knowledge we no get wisdom at all.
For me the noise of the past few days has become so annoying. Sincerely I would have preferred Osinbajo as APC candidate if PDP had chosen OBi or anyone else apart from Atiku. However, with PDP presenting Atiku that wish immediately became a foolish & unrealistic stupid wish. Then this gang up against this man makes me sick inside, and realised something is fishy. I keep wondering why the gang up against 1man??? Why is everyone afraid or against BAT? Is it because it is obvious he is the man to beat??? Deep down everyone know a BAT as APC candidate will simply walk over against any candidate to the coveted seat, even against Atiku. Therefore I believe these smear campaigns is orchestrated, certainly the disgruntled SE + PDP & Atiku might be pressing the buttons. Go on social media and you’d see over 80% of those championing the campaign of calumny are Igbos and a few oponu Yorubas that does not know their right from left.
I never expected the SE to be happy about Tinubus candidacy, hence I’m totally not surprised they’re throwing everything, even the kitchen sinks at discrediting the man they all know they can’t beat. The SE has shown their hands since 2015 to be sore loosers. They know they do not have any candidate that can make in-road to win any core Northern states. Obi will even find it hard to win Rivers, Delta states or even Imo, Ebonyi & Cross-River states. He can never ganner the required 24states to win at the polls outrightly, neither can he manage to get the highest number of cumulative votes nationwide, considering Atiku is PDPs candidate. Someone that ran away from contesting against Atiku in the primaries of less than 1000 delegates. How would he win in a general poll of tens of millions??? Does Labour party have a national spread or any governor? If APC presents Tinubu, I predict OBi will not win more than 1state – Anambra(his home state), by sympathy. This is why they’re canvassing for a free run, consensus candidacy, attempting to bully everyone to “dashing” them the seat on sentiment. Where in the world is that ever done? Pls point just 1 to me! Election or politics is a game of numbers, this people like BAT knows very well. This is why he keeps insisting on being given the opportunity to contest in a primary against other aspirants within the APC(he’s not even demanding GMBuhari choose him as a consensus candidate over others, of which if truly he’s exhibiting an entitlement mantality like some opine, he could demand it of GMB).
Does anyone feel it’s by mistake he(Tinubu) chose or prefer to be addressed primarily as the “Jagaban of Borgu”. Do you think he doesn’t have other titles to simply be referred to as “Chief”? The man is a master strategist and you need give it to him, like or hate him. He keep warming himself to the heart of the elite north.
BAT made Fayemi & Amosun, Aregbesola, governor, they would never have been opportuned to occupy those seats if not for this man. He made the present heads of the 2arms of the National assembly – Lawan (senate president) & also the speaker of the house. Now, some of them feel they’re big enough to battle against their benefactor by ganging up against him. Awon alai l’oju ti dede. Do you think the former lord of Kwara state Dr. Saraki & Dino Melaye – Alajota of Kogi lost their elections by mistake or what? Anyone nursing such thoughts must be a political novice to even imagine such.Yoruba e je ronu yin. Ki e fi edo le ori ororo, ki e to gbe ediye ta lati fi owo ra awo.
Our stupidity and foolishness will only play into the hands of the north, like witnessed in the PDP. The northern candidates chose Atiku their best representative as their consensus candidate, to the shameful detriment of the SE. They’re (SE) not even angry & ashamed that the oga they’ve been serving for the past 60yrs don’t even deem them fit nor do they deem themselves fit to lead, by voting for a northerner against their own people. Do we call that Stockholm syndrome? Imagine if all the SE votes went to Wike, he would have won Atiku and taken the PDP ticket. Our stupid over ambitious lots won’t likely win their respective states delegates votes 100%. Amosun & Osinbajo will only share part of Ogun votes with Tinubu. Fayemi will also share part of Ekiti states delegates votes, no matter how they manipulate it. They’re only being prod forward by the northern elites to scuttle the Yorubas chances of producing the next president of this nation if they do not quickly rein in their ambitions and line behind our best candidate against the north’s unjust continued desperation to keep power, which they do not even know what to do with it. Yoruba e je ka ro inu wa daradara….. What has Tinubu done that Atiku has not done worse? Ask yourself this salient question. God bless us all.

National Industrial Court in Ibadan has fixed April 14 for judgment in a case of unlawful termination of appointment, instituted against The Polytechnic, Ibadan by a former lecturer, Mr Kelani Ajadi.
National Industrial Court in Ibadan has fixed April 14 for judgment in a case of unlawful termination of appointment, instituted against The Polytechnic, Ibadan by a former lecturer, Mr Kelani Ajadi.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ajadi, a former lecturer in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, had sued the institution over the termination of his appointment and demanded his reinstatement.
NAN also reports that the claimant had informed the court that his appointment was terminated by the institution on Sept. 15, 2020.
Also joined in the suit is the Governing Council of the polytechnic.
Justice John Peters fixed the date on Tuesday, after the adoption of final written addresses of counsels to the claimant and the respondents.
In his address, counsel to the claimant, Mr Femi Aborisade, adopted and relied on his final written address, urging the court to grant all his reliefs.
He also urged the court to disregard the respondents’ written address, saying that it was misleading and sheer waste of time.
Aborisade said that his client was being punished by the institution for committing no offence.
He said that his client’s appointment was terminated by the institution on the allegation of having an inappropriate relationship with a former female student of his department.
The counsel further stated that his client had been absorbed of any wrong doing by the committee set up by the institution.
Aborisade urged the court to order reinstatement of his client and payment of all his entitlements.
The respondents’ counsel, Mr Michael Akintunde, urged the court to dismiss Ajadi’s claims in its entirety, in order not to set bad precedence. (NAN)

AUCHI KIDNAPPERS MEET WATERLOO
Kidnappers operating along the Auchi/ Benin road were yesterday accosted by the men of the armed forces and the encounter left three of the kidnappers dead while the others managed to escape. Eye witnesses confirmed that the operation lasted for about two hours. A lot of deadly weapons were recovered from them.

The burial arrangement of AKALA has been announced
The family of the former Oyo state governor Otunla Alao Akala has declared a week long affairs as activities marking the death of the former governor who was also deputy governor to former governor and the erthwhile Osi of Ibadan land former Governor Rasheed Ladoja.
In the program of events released the hallmark of the Seven days mark the demise of the former governor is on Friday 18th of February when a burial service will be conducted in his honor at 10am in his home town Ogbomosho.