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Tinubu’s insult to Akwa Ibom is unwarranted, says state spokesman

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Tinubu’s insult on Akwa Ibom people unwarranted, uncharitable and anachronistic

The Akwa Ibom State Government is demanding an apology from the APC presidential candidate.

The Akwa Ibom State Government approved the use of the Nest of Champions (GOA International Stadium), a state-owned property, by the All Progressives Congress for their Presidential Campaign scheduled for January 30, 2023.

On the scheduled date, the Presidential candidate, Sen. Bola Tinubu, landed at the Victor Attah International Airport, a state-owned and managed airport, without any hitch or hindrance and proceeded to the venue of his campaign, without any negative reaction from the citizens (as witnessed in other states where presidential candidates are stoned by youths in states not controlled by their party).

At the venue, he, Tinubu, without any provocation, went on to hurl insults and threats at the government and people of our state, questioning the legitimacy of our Governor and threatening to send reptiles to invade the Governor’s lodge and eventually seizing the property.

The Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, in his usual peaceful disposition, has decided not to respond to Tinubu, but it is the duty of the government to put some things in their due perspective for history and posterity. We do hereby state as follows:

1. The Government and people of the state did not at any time say or act in any way provocative to the person or campaign of Bola Tinubu. Instead, all the facilities used by his campaign were generously approved for their use, by the government, without any hitch or delay.

2. The residence which Bola Ahmed Tinubu has threatened to take over, totally belongs to the Government of our state and his threat is taken very seriously, considering his antecedents. Conversely, Akwa Ibom has been home to all Nigerians (including Yoruba people), who have, over many years, done business and even resided here, without any threat to them or their business.

3. The comments by Sen. Tinubu, to say the least, is immature and totally unexpected of a person of his advanced age. That is an insult to the Government and people of the state, and we demand an apology.

4. Mr. Udom Emmanuel was duly elected as Governor of Akwa Ibom State and therefore, it is clearly unpresidential and undemocratic for Sen. Tinubu to say that he “calls himself Governor”.

5. Sen. Tinubu should, during his campaigns, concern himself with answering questions about his nebulous history and his amorphous manifestos. The Presidency of our country is a very serious business that must be treated with seriousness and intellectual depth.

The Government advises all her citizens to ignore the vituperations of Sen. Tinubu and continue to co-exist peacefully with all Nigerians who are living and doing legitimate businesses in our state.

Signed:

Comrade Ini Ememobong

Honourable Commissioner for Information and Strategy

Tinubu’s insult to Akwa Ibom is unwarranted, says state spokesman

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Tinubu’s insult on Akwa Ibom people unwarranted, uncharitable and anachronistic

The Akwa Ibom State Government is demanding an apology from the APC presidential candidate.

The Akwa Ibom State Government approved the use of the Nest of Champions (GOA International Stadium), a state-owned property, by the All Progressives Congress for their Presidential Campaign scheduled for January 30, 2023.

On the scheduled date, the Presidential candidate, Sen. Bola Tinubu, landed at the Victor Attah International Airport, a state-owned and managed airport, without any hitch or hindrance and proceeded to the venue of his campaign, without any negative reaction from the citizens (as witnessed in other states where presidential candidates are stoned by youths in states not controlled by their party).

At the venue, he, Tinubu, without any provocation, went on to hurl insults and threats at the government and people of our state, questioning the legitimacy of our Governor and threatening to send reptiles to invade the Governor’s lodge and eventually seizing the property.

The Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, in his usual peaceful disposition, has decided not to respond to Tinubu, but it is the duty of the government to put some things in their due perspective for history and posterity. We do hereby state as follows:

1. The Government and people of the state did not at any time say or act in any way provocative to the person or campaign of Bola Tinubu. Instead, all the facilities used by his campaign were generously approved for their use, by the government, without any hitch or delay.

2. The residence which Bola Ahmed Tinubu has threatened to take over, totally belongs to the Government of our state and his threat is taken very seriously, considering his antecedents. Conversely, Akwa Ibom has been home to all Nigerians (including Yoruba people), who have, over many years, done business and even resided here, without any threat to them or their business.

3. The comments by Sen. Tinubu, to say the least, is immature and totally unexpected of a person of his advanced age. That is an insult to the Government and people of the state, and we demand an apology.

4. Mr. Udom Emmanuel was duly elected as Governor of Akwa Ibom State and therefore, it is clearly unpresidential and undemocratic for Sen. Tinubu to say that he “calls himself Governor”.

5. Sen. Tinubu should, during his campaigns, concern himself with answering questions about his nebulous history and his amorphous manifestos. The Presidency of our country is a very serious business that must be treated with seriousness and intellectual depth.

The Government advises all her citizens to ignore the vituperations of Sen. Tinubu and continue to co-exist peacefully with all Nigerians who are living and doing legitimate businesses in our state.

Signed:

Comrade Ini Ememobong

Honourable Commissioner for Information and Strategy

Police chief orders arrest of naira racketeers

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Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba has ordered the nationwide arrest and prosecution of Nigerians caught selling the country’s currency.

The order to arrest and prosecute was issued to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Intelligence Bureau.

In a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on February 3, the IGP asked that officers be placed across the nation on high alert to carry out the arrest.

Mr Baba said that the move to arrest sellers of the naira across the country was “In furtherance of the Federal Government’s policy and drive to uphold the provisions of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, and dignify Nigeria’s currency”.

The IGP similarly “charged all supervisory Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police in charge of police commands and formations” to carry out full enforcement of the provisions of Sections 20 and 21 of the CBN Act, 2007

The sections criminalise the “hawking, selling or otherwise trading, spraying of, dancing or matching on the Naira notes, falsifying or counterfeiting of bank notes, refusal to accept the Naira as a means of payment, tampering with the coin or note issued by the CBN.”

The IGP reiterated the mandate of the police to “enforce all laws and regulations without any prejudice to the enabling Acts of other security agencies”.

Mr Baba called for cooperation with the police “as it brings the long arm of the law to bear upon all violators of the provisions of the CBN Act, and other extant statutes in Nigeria, with a view to having a well-policed society in all ramifications within the country.”

Obi’s campaign chief Osuntokun disowns viral letter

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[Campaign Briefing]

Akin Osuntokun, the head of the Peter Obi/Datti Baba Ahmed Campaign Council has said that a letter purportedly writen to the campaign council by the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom, is fake.

In a statement issued by Mr Osuntokun and seen by the Business Daily, Mr Osuntokun said:

"My attention has been drawn to a letter addressed to me, purported to have originated from a UK agency called *National Crime Agency (NCA)* , and titled; *Pre-Action Notification In Relation To Falsified Documents* , being circulated across several social media platforms.

It is ironical that the first time I would learn of a British security agency called National Crime Agency (NCA) is through a hoax and a delinquent one at that. This is the first time I will encounter a British government agency with no address. It is equally the first time I will come across an unsigned letter from anyone, let alone a government agency.

Again, since 1st October 1960, the British government ceased to have jurisdiction over Nigeria, hence, I’m not answerable to the British government. Were any Nigerian to commit such infraction, it is elementary logic that this supposed British outfit should have employed the good offices of its Nigerian counterpart to take action.

I thought nothing of this infantile hoax, until I received a telephone call from Mr. Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson of the Tinubu campaign team, to inquire of its wherewithal. It was from him that I also learnt of the contents of the "falsified document". It was at this stage that I decided to seek the intervention of the British High Commission. Here was the response of the Political Counsellor at the British High Commission:

*"Hi – unfortunately there are several hoax letters circulating at the moment. If you have questions from media you can refer them to NCA press office, which is +44 (0)20 7979 5835, (including the one you attached – it’s not genuine)".*

This, I believe, has provided the needed explanation to all well-intentioned Nigerians, and has equally halted the malicious schemes of the darkroom elements towards me and the Obi-Datti presidential campaign council.

I urge our supporters to discountenance the ruse and remain focused on our objective of birthing a new Nigeria where progress is POssible!

PDP presidential campaign group accuses Tinubu of undermining democracy

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PDP presidential campaign organisation has accused the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of sending his campaign officials to unleash hate speech against prominent leaders in the north and other parts of the country in a desperate bid to incite Nigerians, cause insurrection and disrupt the 2023 general elections.

A statement issued by the Kola Ologbondiyan, the campaign’s spokesperson and seen by the Business Daily, reads in part:

Nigerians have noted how Tinubu, who is heavily agonized by his looming defeat in the 2023 general elections, having been rejected by Nigerians, has now resorted to incendiary statements as well as deploying top members of his campaign, including a serving governor, to insult and condemn prominent Nigerian leaders as a ploy to trigger crisis in the polity.

Our Campaign invites Nigerians to note how notable arrowheads and supporters of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign have been moving around various media houses to spew hate speeches and promote blackmailing narratives apparently with the view to undermining our national unity and derailing the electoral process.

Such top officials of the Tinubu Campaign are also reportedly instructed to attack peaceful and well-meaning Nigerians, issue threats, incite mob actions, promote riots and violence in various parts of the country in furtherance of Tinubu’s unrelenting incitement to his followers to deploy violence, fight and snatch power by all means in the 2023 general elections.

Nigerians can still recall how Tinubu recently in London declared to his followers that “political power is not going to be served in a restaurant, it is not served a la carte. It is what we are doing; It is being determined; you do it at all costs; fight for it, grab it, snatch it and run with it”.

Also, Nigerians can recall how Tinubu, in APC Campaign Rally in Abeokuta, Ogun State, made very wild allegations, incited his followers to see the February 25, Presidential election as a “revolution”.

It is therefore not in doubt that having failed in every parameter of assessing a credible presidential candidate and having realized that he cannot win in the election, the APC Presidential Candidate is desperately seeking to cause anarchy, mayhem, bloodletting, violence and a forcible overthrow of our democratic system not minding the lives and safety of millions of Nigerians.

It is clear that Tinubu is pathetically being driven by an entitlement mentality, and as such, he does not care about the unity of our country. In any case, Tinubu had since announced that he does not believe in Nigeria as a nation. It is therefore obvious that he is in the Presidential race for purposes that are not for the wellbeing of Nigerians; thus his readiness to set our nation on fire for his selfish purpose.

It is however pitiable that a two-term governor, who has been spewing divisive insults on the leaders of our nation, can make himself a willing tool just because of personal aggrandizement.

Our Campaign calls on Nigerians to be wary and firmly resist the evil machinations of the Tinubu Presidential Campaign against our nation.

Tinubu and his co-travelers must come to terms with the reality that Nigerians across ethnic, religious and political divides have made up their minds to elect the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, as the next President and not even their predilections to violence, hate speech and blackmail can detract from this resolve"