Politics
Stop Blame Game, APC Chieftain Chides Buhari, NGF
A onetime All Progressives Congress, APC governorship aspirant in Bauchi State, Muhammad Sani Al’ameen has cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Governors Forum to develop the political will to tackle the problems bedeviling the country rather than blaming each other for the current woes.
Al’ameen stated this in Bauchi on Monday when he interacted with journalists, lamenting that the major problems of the country included poverty, insecurity, high cost of living, and bad governance.
The politician said Nigerian leaders had failed to meet the yearning and aspirations of the electorate that voted them into power, leaving the masses crying in difficulties in virtually all aspects of living.
He decried the inability of the nation’s leaders to make judicious use of the resources at their disposal to improve the living standard of the common man, saying this has led to the rising level of poverty among Nigerians.
Al’ameen said Buhari is the chief security officer of the country, while the governors are chief security officers of their states, saying both have failed in the area of providing adequate security and public safety which is the primary duty of any government.
He pointed out that security was paramount to ensure the safety of lives and property, without which no sensible human activity takes place.
“But government at all levels are unable to fulfill this covenant with the people, thus allowing bandits, insurgents, and kidnappers to turn the country into a killing field, maiming and abducting people, in schools, market squares and even on their farmlands all over the country,” he lamented.
“Under the current administration, the NNPC failed to remit statutory allocations to states for several months, even monies budgeted for such federal ministries like agriculture, rural development, and humanitarian affairs, are not being deployed in the direction of the people.
“On many occasions the people at the helm of affairs of these ministries were accused of diverting the money, through alleged dubious ways and corruption, but the executives were silent, they didn’t investigate the allegations. They allowed them to continue in office”
The former governorship aspirant said it was high time our leaders emulated leaders of other countries in the world who when they see they are failing in office resigned in the best interest of the country.
Al’ameen urged the political class to provide credible leadership that will rescue the country from sinking instead of the blame games against each other.
He advised those in power to provide exemplary leadership that will ease the hostile environmental where the common man is the only one feeling the harsh socioeconomic condition always.
He prayed for a peaceful general election in 2023, appealing to President Buhari to fulfill his promise of conducting credible, free and fair elections as the very important legacy he will leave for the country.
He said the President must ensure that the autonomy of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is respected , urging for the provision of adequate security to ensure peaceful 2023 elections in the country.
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has appointed Nigerian music legend, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as TuFace, as his Technical Adviser on Entertainment and Community Outreach.
In a viral video on Wednesday, Governor Alia praised TuFace for all the support towards his administration.
The Governor stated that TuFace can do more.
He stated, “On behalf of the Benue State Government and our very good people, we want to give you some more responsibility plus the ones you have been doing because you have the capacity to do some more and help us chart a way forward to improve other people’s lives and to gain more from your wisdom and advice as well.
“So, I’m pleased to announce that we will make you a Technical Adviser to the Governor on Entertainment and Community Outreach.”
Governor of Delta State, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The announcement was made following a closed-door meeting at the Government House in Asaba on Wednesday.
The Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, confirmed the development in a telephone conversation with The Tide’s source.
Similarly, the defection of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was announced on Wednesday in Asaba by Senator James Manager, following a meeting that lasted over six hours at the Government House.
Senator Manager said all PDP members in the State, including the Governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, and all local government chairmen, had agreed to join the APC.
“We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat,” he said.
The decision to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) followed extensive consultations with political stakeholders and was made in the interest of Delta State’s long-term development.
Governor Oborevwori, who won the 2023 gubernatorial election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was received by senior APC officials in what political analysts are already describing as a strategic realignment with far-reaching implications ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria has condemned the recent wave of killings in Plateau, Borno, Benue, Niger State and most recently, Kwara State, calling on the federal and state governments to take urgent steps to stem the tide.
Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Adebo Ogundoyin, stated this in a statement issued in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Rt Hon. Ogundoyin, who is the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, said the gruesome killings had led to tragic loss of lives, widespread displacement, and unimaginable trauma for thousands of Nigerians.
“We are alarmed by the escalating insecurity in the land and the seeming helplessness with which these attacks are met. The time for mere condemnation and rhetoric has passed; urgent and coordinated action is now required at all levels of government to end these bloodbaths and restore peace and order.
“While we acknowledge that defence and national security fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Government, we must stress that every level of government bears responsibility for the security and welfare of the people. State governors, in particular, must rise to the occasion and fully understand that governance is not limited to road construction and ceremonial functions. True governance is rooted in the protection of lives, the preservation of order, and the alleviation of suffering,” he said.
He called on state governments to complement the efforts of the Federal Government by making and enforcing enabling laws for community policing and other grassroots-driven security models.
According to him, States must develop proactive frameworks that integrate local intelligence, social support systems, and youth engagement in the fight against insecurity.
The conference also urged the Federal Government to meaningfully engage the citizenry and introduce bold, practical measures to cushion the hardship caused by its current economic policies.
“Millions of Nigerians are groaning under the weight of inflation, unemployment, and a cost-of-living crisis. It is imperative that relief initiatives—targeted, transparent, and impactful—are rolled out without delay. Dialogue, not distance, must define the relationship between the government and its people at this critical time.
“The Conference of Speakers affirms its commitment to supporting all legislative actions necessary to restore security, promote justice, and foster inclusive governance across the country. The killings in Benue, Niger, Plateau, Borno, Kwara, and any part of Nigeria must not be allowed to continue unchecked. Justice must prevail, and peace must be restored.
“Let it be known: the safety, dignity, and well-being of every Nigerian must remain the top priority of all arms and levels of government,” Rt Hon. Ogundoyin said.