Welcome to the round-up of the latest political news in Nigeria, political gist, highlights of political events, and happenings in Nigeria for today Thursday, 23rd June 2022.
Read all the major political news, political event highlights, and happenings in Nigeria for today on a single page right here.
Osun 2022: Oyetola Tackles Adeleke Says Governance Is Not Dancing Competition
The Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola has slammed the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic party Ademola Adeleke.
Speaking at his re-election campaign held at Ibokun and Oriade constituency on Wednesday, the All Progressives Congress candidate, said Ademola Adeleke lacks the capacity to govern the state. 
While making a mockery of the senator, Oyetola said governance is a serious business for serious-minded people and not a dancing competition or child’s play.
The governor claims that, given the numerous difficulties the state is currently facing, it takes divine wisdom and a person with a solid understanding of the art of governance to govern the state.
Oyetola concluded that he is endowed with the quality and wisdom of how to govern Osun State.
2023: Falana Speaks On How APC Can Present Lawan, Akpabio
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), on Wednesday condemned the ruling All Progressives Congress over its plan to field the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and former Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio as senatorial candidates in 2023.
Recall that Bashir Machina had won APC’s ticket for Yobe north senatorial district, while Udom Ekpoudom won the ticket for Akwa Ibom north-west.
The primaries were held on the 27th of May and were monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Akpabio and Lawan, however, lost the presidential ticket of the ruling party in the presidential primary held on the 3rd of June.
Days after Akpabio withdrew from the presidential primary in support of Bola Tinubu, he was declared the winner of another primary, but the resident electoral commissioner (REC) of Akwa Ibom, Mike Igini noted that the primary which produced the former minister wasn’t monitored by officials of INEC.
In the case of Lawan, Machina refused to step down for the Senate President after his defeat in the presidential primary.
Meanwhile, according to the list submitted by the ruling party to the electoral body, Akpabio and Lawan were listed as senatorial candidates.
The National Chairman of APC, Abdullahi Adamu had also claimed that a primary was held where Lawan was declared the winner.
Falana while reacting to the development in a statement released on Wednesday charged INEC to do the needful.
He added that Lawan and Akpabio can only emerge as candidates for the party if Machina and Ekpoudom decide to step down.
NNPP-Labour Party: Okupe Exposes Major Threat To Alliance Against PDP, APC
The vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Doyin Okupe has stated that discussion with the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to form a mega alliance is still ongoing.
According to Okupe, the Labour Party and NNPP have agreed to form a new political order in the country but are yet to reach an agreement on which party will produce the presidential candidate.
He told Vanguard that both Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso are insisting on being the presidential candidate.
The former presidential aide noted that an agreement on who emerges the flag bearer is the only issue delaying the alliance.
Aggrieved APC Senators List Conditions To Halt Defection To PDP, Others
At least twenty Senators elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have listed conditions to stop their defections to opposition parties.
Naija News reports that 13 APC senators have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and others.
Following the recent defections, the APC now has 62 senators while the PDP boasts of 39; NNPP has three; Young Progressives Party (YPP) boasts of two; Labour Party (LP) has one and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), one.
The senators plotting to leave the ruling party are some who lost return tickets to the National Assembly during the party primaries and have gotten mouthwatering offers from the PDP.
They also alleged that their states’ governors hijacked the senatorial primary elections which caused their loss at the exercise.
In a chat with THISDAY, a senator from the North-west who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said one of the conditions to stop their defections is justice and fairness.
He stated that the lawmakers sought the immediate intervention of the APC leadership to curtail the powers of the state governors.
2023: Tinubu, Kwankwaso, Peter Obi Can’t Field Another Running Mate – Falana
Prominent Nigerian lawyer, Femi Falana has said that the presidential candidates that have submitted their running mates as ‘placeholders’ cannot field other names.
Naija News reports that the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential flagbearer, Bola Tinubu, submitted the name of Kabiru Masari as a placeholder pending when a substantive vice presidential candidate will be unveiled.
Tinubu, however, affirmed that he had chosen Masari his substantive running mate ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Also, the Labour Party presidential flagbearer, Peter Obi, chose former presidential aide, Doyin Okupe as a placeholder and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential flagbearer, Rabiu Kwankwaso chose Ladipo Johnson as his interim running mate.
In an interview on Arise TV on Monday, the INEC Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, had said the law does not support an idea of a placeholder.
Okoye had stated that for there to be a substitution, the vice-presidential candidate must write to INEC, with an affidavit stating that he is withdrawing from the race within the time frame provided by the law.
Speaking with The Guardian on Wednesday, Falana stated that there is no place in the electoral law for a placeholder or interim running mate.
The senior lawyer asserted that the suggestion that a vice presidential candidate can be substituted at will is erroneous and misleading.
2023: Veteran Nollywood Actor Tells Nigerians Who To Vote
Veteran Nollywood actor, Charles Inojie has enjoined Nigerians to vote the presidential candidate with competence and not based on religious or ethnic sentiments.
Naija News reports that the comic actor made the statement while reacting to the now-viral video of Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo state, addressing the surge of supporters, the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi is accumulating ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Reacting to the clip, Inojie called on Nigerians to vote for competent candidates, regardless of where they come from.
We Need Igbo Votes To Win 2023 Election – APC Group Send Message To Tinubu
A sect of the All Progressives Congress, APC under the aegis of APC Patriots, South East, has called on the party to take into cognizance its impact in the upcoming 2023 presidential election.
In a congratulatory message signed by Ikenga Dozie Ikedife, a one-time deputy governorship candidate of the APC in Anambra State and sent to Bola Tinubu, the flag bearer of the party, the group noted that it was paramount that the party promote the ideals of Ndigbo.
The group insisted that it would be dangerous to the party to ignore the East if they were to obtain victory in the upcoming election.
2023: Aisha Yesufu Praises Peter Obi For Meeting Wike
The co-convener of the BringBackOurGirls movement, Aisha Yesufu has commended the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi for meeting with the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike on Wednesday.
Recall that the former Governor of Anambra State had a closed-door meeting with Wike in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital yesterday.
Obi while stating the reason behind his visit to the Peoples Democratic Party governor in a post on his Twitter account said, he met with Wike about vital issues of national interest.
Yesufu in her reaction noted that Obi’s meeting is more strategic than his trip to Egypt.
She wrote on her Twitter account, “This is more strategic than that Egypt trip!
#WeMoveeeee.”
2023: The Game Is Still On With Peter Obi – Nwodo Speaks On Igbo Presidency
A former Governor of Enugu State, Okwesilieze Nwodo on Wednesday described the candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi as a promising presidential candidate that can actualize South-East 2023 ambition.
Nwodo warned that Ndigbo will not remain political slaves serving other geo-political zones in Nigeria.
The former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lamented that some politicians under the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the region failed to support the Igbo presidency.
He added that it is unfortunate that the likes of Orji Uzor Kalu and Hope Uzodinma supported a northern candidate to grab the presidential ticket of the APC.
That will be all for today. You can read more political and other Nigerian news on Naija News
The post Latest Political News In Nigeria For Today, Thursday, 23rd June, 2022 appeared first on Naija News.
