2023: What I’ll Do If I Lose Presidential Election – Kwankwaso

 The New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said he would accept defeat if the outcome of next month’s presidential election follows due process.

Kwankwaso disclosed this while addressing staff and students of the University of Abuja, UNIABUJA.

He noted that the 2023 elections must be free and fair.

According to Kwankwaso: “I have no problem with accepting losing election. The best way to accept the 2023 election is by doing the right thing – free, fair and of course credible election.”

He also promised to increase the numerical strength of the country’s armed forces as part of his security strategy.

“We have decided and it’s there in our blueprint that we will tackle the issue of insecurity. We are very angry that today, as we’re sitting here, we have so many people, young men and women being kidnapped.

“We will give a lot of opportunity to the young men and women to serve this country as members of the armed forces, members of the police, members of the DSS and so on,” he said.

Former Adamawa Governor, Bindo, Dumps APC To Support Atiku, Other PDP Candidates

The immediate past governor of Adamawa state, Jibrilla Bindow has dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the general elections in Nigeria.

Bindow, who confirmed his defection to SaharaReporters on Tuesday, said he took the ‘painful decision’ because of the need to salvage the nation.

In a formal letter addressed to the chairman of APC in his Kolere ward, in the Mubi North Local Government Area of Adamawa, Northeast Nigeria, Bindow said, "The need to salvage is above all personal interests."

Bindow added, "The painful decision was taken after deep prayers and wide consultations with family members, stakeholders and faithful followers within and outside Adamawa state.”

The former governor has declared his support for the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the incumbent governor, Ahmadu Finriri, who defeated him in 2019.

He noted that "it's time to abandon politics of bitterness in the interest of the nation."

He added, "The unfortunate event of the 2019 general election and the 2022 Governorship primaries among many reasons remains the main crux of why I’m resigning from APC.”

Bindow expressed worry that the lack of genuine reconciliation with aggrieved stakeholders within the party in Adamawa state since the last primaries also explains why he no longer feels at home in the APC.

His resignation has laid to rest rumours that he was leaving the APC in the buildup to the 2023 general elections.

The formal letter obtained by SaharaReporters quoted Bindow as saying, “While thanking you and the party, I wish to also inform you that my faithful supporters will be joining me across the state in leaving the party so as to champion a cause of building a harmonious Adamawa state that will enshrine unity in our diversity toward a collective development as a people."

President Buhari Departs Lagos And Flies To Senegal

 PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI ARRIVES SENEGAL 2ND DAKAR INTERNATIONAL ON AGRICULTURE JAN 24TH 2023

Peter Obi's Convoy Attacked In Katsina

Presidential Candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has narrated how his campaign team was attacked in Katsina State.

Obi’s team that has been on a state-to-state tour touched down in Katsina on Monday.

Daily Trust had reported how the Presidential Candidate wooed voters and promised to tackle insecurity if elected.

In a statement issued on his behalf, Diran Onifade, Head of Media, Obi/Datti Presidential Campaign Council, said, that the attack on Obi and his campaign team is condemnable.

“Our candidate had met with women in a townhall and then held a hugely successful Rally at the Muhammad Dikko Stadium. However, on his way to the airport, hoodlums attacked the car our candidate was riding in with heavy stones from his drivers’ side causing substantial damage to the vehicle.

“To the glory of God, Mr Obi and other occupants of the car were unhurt. Subsequently another set of thugs also threw stones outside the stadium which damaged several vehicles including that of our official stage crew,” Onifade said.

According to him, the two incidents taken together make the team to suspect that the attacks may have been premeditated at the behest of desperate politicians who had been deluding themselves with the false claim that they had the northwest in their pockets, but are now shocked by the show of force of the “Obidient movement” in the region.

While commending the people of Katsina who came out en masse to support their campaign on Monday, he urged security agencies to investigate the attacks to forestall future occurrences.

 

President Buhari Takes A Train Ride In Lagos

 

FG Raises 14-Man Panel To End Fuel Scarcity

 The Federal Government is meeting with operators in the midstream and downstream oil sector as part of measures towards developing strategic stock for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, in key locations across the country,

It said the national strategic stocks would help in addressing the recurring fuel scarcity in Nigeria, as it also announced the constitution of a 14-man committee to find a lasting solution to the disruptions in the supply and distribution of petroleum products.

On the strategic stock, the Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Ogbugo Ukoha, disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at the ongoing stakeholders’ consultation forum on midstream and downstream petroleum regulations.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, he explained that the NMDPRA and stakeholders were going through the eight draft regulations, which were the third batch, put together by the authority, adding that the National Strategic Stock Regulations was one of them.

He said, “Section 181 of the PIA (Petroleum Industry Act) compels us to develop strategic stock. On the supply issues that we usually have, recall that a few weeks ago, there was flooding in Lokoja and Bayelsa, and supplies were impacted negatively.

“We should have strategic stock across the country. And there are storage everywhere, even though pipelines need to be revamped. So this strategic stock regulations addresses that need, and it is a priority.”

Ukoha added, “It takes three to four days for trucks from the coastal areas to get here (Abuja), and if something happens on the road, then you will see how it will impact on the supplies in the Federal Capital Territory.

“On Friday, we had to go to Niger State, where three trucks fell across the Bida-Lapai and Agae road. We were there to make sure that those trucks were cleared. But with the strategic stock, most of that will be addressed.

“If you have that kind of issue, you’ll just recall some volumes from the nearest storage. So these are very important draft regulations that the authority is putting forward.”

The NMDPRA official explained that the midstream and downstream arms of the sector were very strategic positions in the industry, and the regulations being put out by the authority were critical

“If you look at this third batch of draft regulations we are considering, there are eight of them and almost all of them speak to a particular aspect in the value chain,” he stated.

Senate To CBN: Extend Deadline For The Exchange Of Old Naira Notes Till July 31

 

Extend deadline for the exchange of old naira notes till July 31 — Senate urges CBN.

The Senate has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to extend the deadline for the exchange of old naira notes from the January 31 to July 31, 2023.

The apex bank had in October last year said the old naira notes would seize to be legal tender from January 31, a stance that was reiterated by its governor, Godwin Emefiele, at a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, January 24. 

However, Senator Sadiq Umar (APC, Kwara North) moved a motion on the floor of the Red Chamber on Tuesday, where he demanded an extension to July 31. 

Most senators who contributed to the debate overwhelmingly embraced the extension, citing scarcity of new notes both in the banks and at the various Automated Teller Machine points across the country.

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, put the prayers in the motion to vote and the lawmakers voted in support of the extension of the deadline from January 31 to July 31.