Why Tinubu Should Pick Christians As Chief Of Staff And SGF - Nuhu Ibrahim Bunu

 The emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections presents another opportunity to address the challenges of uniting the country.

Given the divisive campaigns sponsored by opposition parties, especially around the Muslim-Muslim ticket of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Sen. Kashim Shettima, now President-elect and Vice President-elect respectively, APC needs to demonstrate that the politics of uniting the country require unconventional approaches.

Beyond the challenge of electoral viability, the Muslim-Muslim Presidency also risks mobilizing strong opposition largely because it may have to alter the political equation in favor of a particular religion to the disadvantage of other religions.

The challenge, which the APC has to respond to with the emergence of Asiwaju Tinubu as the Presidential candidate and Sen. Shettima as Asiwaju Tinubu’s running mate of the party for the 2023 Presidential election, brings to fore, the role of religion as a major factor in political decisions.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) throughout the campaign used the choice of the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC as a big campaign issue. They used it to mobilize Nigerians against the APC and all its candidates, especially Asiwaju Tinubu being the Presidential candidate.

And they succeeded in making little political gains out of it with some shocking victories for the Labour Party in some states largely attributed to Christian voters who voted massively on religious grounds.

Now that the election is won by APC and Asiwaju Tinubu, it is important to demonstrate that the Muslim-Muslim ticket of Asiwaju Tinubu and Sen. Shettima is simply an electoral strategy and indeed represents a progressive template for inclusion in Nigerian politics. For this to be achieved, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu must not allow parochial politics or selfish ambition of potential office holders to drive the process of constituting the next cabinet. Individual aspirations by potential office holders may only result in unmanageable contests for positions in the next cabinet. APC must avoid past pitfalls and develop a proactive strategy of producing a religiously balanced government post May 29, 2023 under the leadership of Asiwaju Tinubu.

It is important that before the May 29, 2023 swearing in of Asiwaju as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, necessary steps should be taken to proactively make major appointments of Christians into top positions in other to give them a sense of belonging, importance, respect and recognition in a Tinubu government in other to give christians assurances and comfort.

Asiwaju Tinubu must not make the mistake of proceeding with the task of constituting a new government based on business-as-usual strategy, which will be inconsiderate. The opportunity of constituting a new all inclusive government must be used strategically to reconcile the APC with Nigerians. Sacrifices must be made by every leader of the party to create the condition for an Asiwaju Tinubu led Federal Government to emerge with strong legitimacy and wider support base by Nigerians.

There is a need to reflect religious considerations in the distribution of political offices. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu must consciously avoid any mistake that could be used by political adversaries to suggest religious insensitivity to Nigerians. He must take steps to manage the aspirations of individual leaders to positions in the next Federal Government. Some positions, for instance, must be deliberately balanced with religious considerations.

Some specific recommendations may be necessary at this point. The offices of Chief of Staff to the President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) would have to be allocated and reserved for Christians. Given that the president and vice president are both Muslims, no Muslim should aspire for any of these offices. Opportunists may argue that in the past, little consideration was given to religion.This kind of lop-sided reality must be corrected as a strategic approach to dousing religious tension in the country.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu needs to recognise that the Muslim-Muslim ticket he introduced that won the 2023 Presidential election, if not managed to produce the desired outcome of religious inclusivity could further widen the division among Nigerians, which should be avoided. A successfully well-managed Muslim-Muslim ticket would make a Christian-Christian ticket viable and possible in the nearest future.

That is the only way to show Nigerians that the alleged Islamisation agenda that has become a singsong for the opposition is only the hallucinatory proclamation of some individuals and groups.

Rauf Aregbesola Campaigns For Sanwo-Olu In Alimosho

 Forget grievances at this moment, come out en mass, re-elect Sanwo-Olu and APC Lawmakers....."

Rauf Aregbesola addresses Alimosho Artisans

Ladoja to Oyo voters: Come out on Saturday and vote for Folarin of APC

 Ahead of the forthcoming governorship and state assembly elections in Oyo State, Rasheed Ladoja, a former governor, has endorsed the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Teslim Folarin.

Recall that few days ago, the political dynasty of the former governor, Ladoja Idera De Leaders and Stakeholders, had declared support for Folarin’s gubernatorial ambition.

Daily Trust reports that Ladoja made the endorsement public at a meeting with some of his loyalists on Saturday.

Ladoja noted that People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lost in the just concluded national assembly elections owing to the personality of the state governor.

“And this is not about the history of Oyo state, but also about the history of the person in power. We saw an example of this in Osun state.

“Osun state governor, Ademola Adeleke, has only been in power for three months, yet he was able to clear all the House of Representatives and Senatorial seats for candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the just concluded national assembly election.

“And then, we have to know that Osun state is in a peculiar position because it is the root of Bola Tinubu, the president-elect. After Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde, picked the PDP House of Representatives and senatorial candidates to represent the state at the national assembly, he didn’t offer any form of support to them.

“He didn’t spend money to support them or gave out a word to the citizens for any single one of them. Even God detests actions that are unfair and unjust.

“So when Saturday, March 18 comes, please, leave all you’re doing and go out to cast your votes for Teslim Folarin, the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state.”

He also announced the defection of Adebisi Olopoeniyan; a grassroot politician and erstwhile pillar of the Oyo PDP to the camp of APC.

He added that the New Nigeria people’s Party (NNPP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) chapters of Oyo state have adopted Teslim Folarin as their preferred governorship candidate.

He concluded by appealing to all his loyalists to cast their vote for Folarin and also pleaded for forgiveness from anyone who might be aggrieved with him ( Folarin).

“Please, I’m appealing to my loyalists to cast their votes for Folarin in the forthcoming gubernatorial election. In addition, I want everyone to forgive him of whatsoever he might have done in time past,”

Labour Party Collapses Structure For Katsina State PDP Governorship Candidate

 The State Executive of the Labour Party in Katsina State, North-West Nigeria says it has collapsed its structures and endorsed the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governorship candidate, Senator Yakubu Lado ahead of the March 18 polls.

Acting State Chairman of the party, Mannir Salisu who said this while addressing journalists in Katsina added that, they are supporting the PDP with over 70,000 members and all its support groups across the 34 Local Government Areas.

The decision to adopt the PDP Governorship candidate according to Salisu is as a result of the defection of its Governorship candidate and State Chairman, Ibrahim Musawa to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

He said to fill the vaccum created by their Governorship candidate, the entire executives of the party down to the ward level decided to endorse Lado who they say, the state needs at this point in time.

The Acting Party Chairman further explained that, the candidature of Lado will bring back the lost glory of the State especially, tackling of insecurity, hunger and collapse of education.

Responding, the PDP Governorship candidate, Senator Yakubu Lado promised not to let the people down if elected Governor assuring that he will carry everyone along.

He said with the endorsement by the Labour Party, the ruling APC will be put to where it belong which is opposition.

Forgive Me, Lagos Staff Bus Driver In Train Crash Begs Victims

 The driver of the Lagos State Government staff bus that was involved in the incident that led to a train colliding with the bus at the PWD/ Shogunle railway line, on the Agege motor road in Lagos, on Thursday, has appealed to victims of the accident to forgive him.

The PUNCH reports that some survivors said the 44-year-old driver, Oluwaseun Osinbajo, had his earpiece on while driving and ignored the directive of the Flag Officers at the rail line.
The driver, however, blamed the incident on a mechanical fault in the bus.

The driver, who works with the Lagos State Ministry of Transport, was also said to have been transferred to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department.

He was said to be overheard narrating to some of his relatives who were waiting for him there.

“It was not my fault. How could I have ignored warning signs? The bus had a mechanical fault,”The Vanguard newspaper quoted him as saying.

“It is a pity this has happened. I beg everyone affected to please forgive me in the name of God.”

The PUNCH reports that streaks of dried blood, broken glass, and wrung metal plates lined the rail tracks right opposite the PWD Bus Station, Shogunle, Ikeja.


Trapped in the squashed vehicle were sweaty faces, tired breaths, and bloodied bodies, struggling to find their way out to the rays of the morning light above.

Earlier, residents watched in shock how an oncoming train collided with a staff bus, filled with passengers en route to the Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, from Ikotun, pushing them metres away before coming to a halt.

Saturday PUNCH also gathered that the driver of the BRT had veered into the rail track despite signs from the level crossing flag bearers and other motorists urging him not to do so as a train was oncoming.

Emergency responders had conveyed many of the casualties to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja GRA.

About 79 of 85 passengers on the bus were revived and treated for different injuries and subsequently transferred to Gbagada General Hospital, Agege General Hospital, and the trauma centre at the toll gate area of the state.

Speaking to journalists shortly after visiting the injured at LASUTH, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed that 85 people were involved in the accident out of which 42 had moderate injuries, 29 had serious injuries, and eight with mild injuries.

Presidential Poll: Why Pollsters Got Outcome Wrong

 In the buildup to the 2023 general elections, many opinion polls were conducted, projecting the likely outcome of the presidential election. But the results indicated that the opinion polls were largely wrong in their predictions. In this analysis, experts have advanced reasons why pre-election polls in Nigeria don’t conform with outcomes.

Many opinion polls were conducted ahead of the February 25 presidential election in the country.

Polls are a survey of public opinion from a particular sample group, and can be useful in informing politicians about the views of specific groups of the electorate

They help politicians understand what the public wants and tell who is popular at the ballot box.

But how accurate were the opinion polls in respect to the outcome of the February 25 presidential election?

Although victory was largely predicted the way of Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), the poll was eventually won by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu after results from the 176,846 polling stations were counted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Tinubu scored 8,794,726 votes, representing 37 per cent of the votes cast, while the main opposition candidates Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had 6,984,520 votes (29%) and Labour Party’s Peter Obi polled 6,101,533 votes (25%).

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) came fourth with 1,496,687 votes.

Pollsters’ predictions

In a series of polls commissioned by ANAP Foundation and conducted by NOI polls Limited (NOIPolls), Obi was predicted as the winner. In the poll published in September and December 2022, as well as February 2022, Obi was placed in the lead.

“Our third and final poll result in February 2023 reveals that Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) remains in the lead, with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP both trailing him. Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP emerged as the lone outsider.

“Peter Obi leads, with 21 per cent of registered voters proposing to vote for him if the presidential election were to be conducted today, and 13 per cent proposing to vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who fell in second.

“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was third with 10 per cent and Rabiu Kwankwaso was a distant fourth with 3 per cent of voters proposing to vote for him,” said Atedo Peterside, the president and founder of the foundation in the poll report.

ANAP, which credited itself to have used the same methodology that rightly predicted the winners of the 2011, 2015 and 2019 presidential elections, however, noted that given the large pool of undecided voters and/or those who refused to disclose their preferred choice, Peter Obi’s 8 per cent-point lead at this stage is significant but not sufficient to separate him from a leading pack of candidates scoring 13 per cent, 10 per cent and 3 per cent.

Also, Bloomberg News polling 2,384 Nigerians from January 26 to February 4 via a smartphone app noted that two-thirds of respondents said they intended to vote for Obi.

“Of the 93 per cent of participants who said they had decided how to vote, 66 per cent named Obi as their preferred choice. Obi scored a slightly higher 72 per cent among decided respondents in an earlier premise poll was released by Bloomberg in September as the official election campaign kicked off,” it stated.

In the same vein, Nextier SPD poll released on February 5 indicated that Obi was leading (37%) ahead of Atiku (27%) and Tinubu (24%).

On February 7, a Lagos-based data company, Stears, announced that Obi would win with 41 per cent of the votes ahead of Tinubu (31%) and Atiku (20%) “as long as Nigerians followed through on their stated intent to vote.”

The result of the We2Geda Foundation poll on September 17, 2022, showed Obi ahead of other contenders with 51 per cent of the votes, Atiku had 25% and Tinubu 19%.

According to a poll conducted by POLAF, Atiku was predicted to emerge the winner in a close race. According to the organisers, the poll had the largest sampling size of 3,123,660 respondents across 165 local government areas contacted via telephone and were spoken to in English and any other native language they were most comfortable speaking in.

In the POLAF poll, Atiku secured 38 per cent to emerge as the preferred candidate, followed by Tinubu, who got 29 per cent, while Obi secured 27 per cent to take the third position. Kwakwanso was a distant fourth with only 5 per cent of the total votes.

However, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research and analysis division of the Economist Group, predicted a win for Tinubu, basing its outcomes on the political dynamics in the country.

The EIU anchored its prediction on the internal wrangling in the PDP and Obi’s emergence, which would eat into PDP’s strongholds in the South East and South-South.

Also, a four-week opinion poll coordinated by FREDDAN Continental predicted a win for Tinubu. It stated that 37.2 per cent of 287,033 respondents preferred Tinubu, followed by Obi’s 32.1 per cent, while Atiku was selected by 30.7 per cent of total respondents.

The poll also suggested a clear win for Tinubu on the first ballot as against some other predictions that there may be a rerun.

Also, Enough is Enough (EiE) in its poll, had predicted a second round, noting that no candidate would win at the first ballot.

The co-founder and head of intelligence, Stears, Michael Famoroti, noted that the company rightly predicted the outcome of the 2023 polls.

He noted that while the basic Stears poll put Obi ahead with 27 per cent of the votes compared to 15 per cent for Tinubu and 12 per cent for Atiku, a first-of-its-kind electoral prediction model correctly projected that a low turnout scenario (29%) would be a victory for the APC candidate.

“Separately, we predicted an Peter Obi victory in a high-turnout scenario (roughly 85% turnout) and maintained that prediction, even under a turnout scenario of 45 per cent.

“The Stears prediction model was also accurate at state level. The basic poll results put Peter Obi marginally ahead of Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Benue State. But, once the model was applied to the poll results, the order flipped as we projected that Bola Ahmed Tinubu would win Benue by a single percentage point, exactly as it played out.

“The Stears prediction model accurately projected a critical APC win in Kwara State and an LP upset in Lagos State,” he added.

Why pollsters got polling wrong – Experts

Noting that polls are important in understanding public opinions, some experts opined that certain factors limit the relevance of the exercise in Nigeria.

The vice chancellor of the Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, Professor Umar Pate, who underscored the importance of survey in both public and private practices, noted that the methodology adopted in a poll was as important as the outcome.

The revered media scholar, who also said it was important to identify the pollsters, their objectives, capacities to conduct a poll and the instruments used among others, added that some of the organisations conducting polls in Nigeria were in cahoots with politicians, thereby denting the credibility of the exercise.

The executive director, Development Specs Academy, Prof Okey Ikechukwu, on his part, noted that some of the polls lacked merit and were mere projections because they were built on faulty methodology and small sample size.

He also argued that there were some external factors beyond the control of the pollsters, which might make the outcome of the election to be different from the polls. He said such factors included intimidation, violence, suppression, manipulation and other hitches witnessed during the conduct of an election.

“Polls are relevant where several factors can be guaranteed, including the right sample size, right stratification of the demographics (their age, education, biases etc). Most importantly is the credibility of the pollsters,” the public communication and media professional noted.

An associate professor of Journalism and pioneer director of the Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC) of the Lagos State University, Dr Tunde Akanni, stressed that “in most cases, the pollsters are not independent, which is why the codes of conduct prepared for journalists covering elections highly recommend that in reporting the outcome of electoral polls, they must also report the profile of the organisers of polls so that their audience would know the biases or interest of the pollsters.

While noting that well conducted polls have the capacity to guide the public in making choices and empowering politicians to know where and how to intensify their campaigns, he counselled media consumers not to take results of polls “hook, line and sinker because of the biases of pollsters who might be commissioned by desperate politicians seeking to boost their profile ahead of an electron.”

The president of the Nigeria Political Science Association, Professor Hassan Salihu, said opinion polls were losing relevance in Nigeria because pollsters were biased.

“This is why you see that in the opinion polls conducted, people were just off the mark because they left substance and allowed sentiment to guide what they did. But like I said, where it is well conducted, it is a good measure of what should happen and what is happening. So it should be encouraged, but in the Nigerian context, it has been bastardised. People have inputted all kinds of sentiments into it, and that is why you see a wide gap between what has been predicted and what later happened,”