• Obidient Movement flays Presidency’s attempt to muzzle opposition
• Umahi canvasses South Eastgovs’ support for Tinubu’s re-election
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said Nigeria needs urgent restructuring to enable citizens to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
He, therefore, launched a fresh call for a united political movement to remove President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
Also, the Obidient Movement criticised the administration for “a growing descent into dictatorship”, following a recent statement by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, against Peter Obi.
However, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, called on governors in the South East to rally behind Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election as a show of appreciation for his administration’s support for the region’s infrastructure.
Speaking yesterday in Yola at a coalition meeting attended by members of various political parties, the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate said things were not going in the right direction.
“We need a new movement we can use to correct things; if we do not act this time, our children will become slaves in their father’s land,” he said.
Atiku added that he would soon address national issues and clarify his political stance, urging his supporters to remain calm and focused.
“It is not yet time for me to speak on the politics of the country, but very soon, I will break my silence on my political position and other things that are going on wrongly in the country,” he stated.
The meeting’s convener, Sen Elijah Abbo, told attendees that Atiku remained their political leader, regardless of party affiliation.
Addressing a crowd of supporters in Adamawa, Atiku emphasised the urgency of reclaiming Nigeria’s path to progress through collective action.
“The future of our nation depends on our ability to unite and take decisive steps towards real change. Nigeria deserves better leadership that is accountable, inclusive and focused on the people’s needs rather than the political elite,” Atiku said.
He commended Abbo for organising the event, urging him and other political leaders to intensify efforts in mobilising support ahead of the next election cycle.
IN a statement signed by its Director of Strategic Communications and Media, Nana Kazaure, the Obidient Movement condemned Onanuga’s warning to Obi to “watch his mouth” after the former presidential candidate decried the administration’s authoritarian tendencies at a colloquium marking Emeka Ihedioha’s 60th birthday.
The movement described the statement as a veiled threat and questioned whether the administration had sinister plans against opposition voices.
It also accused the government of investing more effort in suppressing dissent than in addressing the economic and security crises facing the nation, adding: “The tendency for the Tinubu administration to play the ostrich has become one of its defining characteristics.”
Recalling incidents of violence and ethnic divisions allegedly fuelled by similar rhetoric during the 2023 elections, the Obidient Movement warned that any harm to Obi, his family or associates would be attributed to those issuing such threats.
It called on Nigerians and the international community to take note of the situation and hold the Tinubu administration accountable for its actions against opposition figures.
SPEAKING at the flag-off for the Second Niger Bridge, which will link Delta and Anambra states, Umahi lauded the work the Tinubu administration did in the South East, listing various projects that he said had been flagged of and underway, and that the people of the South East should show appreciation to Tinubu.
He said, “We owe Tinubu three things. One is to pray for him and his government. As you are praying for him, you also pray for the governor. If you pray six days, the seventh day, you join me, you add me in the prayer.
“The second one is to support him. If our disgruntled brothers are criticising, we must say no, they don’t represent us. I thank Ndigbo; when there was a demonstration, the last one, the entire Igbo, whether in Nigeria or outside, said no. We didn’t demonstrate again. We have woken up to support the central government, and we have been reintegrated into the central government, and we are benefiting.”