From Alex Nwanodim (Umuahia)

Abia state governor, Alex Otti has declared that he would not seek to play the role of a godfather when he finishes his second term in office in 2031

Otti assured that after his second tenure in 2031, his successor will be determined by Abia voters.

The governor, who made the declaration  at the Labour Party State Secretariat in Umuahia on Thursday when he formally received the 2023 governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Dr Ngozika Gladys Johnson-Chukwunenye, into the party.said, “What I can assure you is that by the time I am done, the person that will succeed me will be better than me. I don’t want to be a godfather.

“I don’t tolerate godfathers. So, some of the people are making noise because they will tell you to do this, and I say I will not do it. Sometimes when I say no, they will go back and be digging for something.

“We will all sit down, look at everybody and say, who is the best person for this job? And then all of us would agree. And we will campaign for him. He will win. We will take a back seat.”

The governor stated further that, “I am not interested in any other thing. I don’t even want to go to Senate. I am not interested. Once I finish this one, I will retire. Why do I say so? I want the young people to take over.

“You will see young people between the ages of 16 and 25. You will see how smart our children are. So, these are the people that will take over from us. And they are being trained now for tomorrow. So, we can never go back.

“We should stop this sit-tight syndrome. There are smarter, more trained, better trained, better equipped younger people – our children. We need to give them opportunity. And that is what is important to us. It is not about money.”

Speaking on opposition criticisms, Otti said, “I can tell you without any fear of contradiction that we have literally restored those cities – Aba and Umuahia. And we are now moving into the hinterlands. And we will continue until we reach everywhere.

“Some dogs that are barking, we just ignore them. After barking, some of them will lose their voices. But then the ones we can cure, we will help to cure them.”

Earlier, Dr Ngozika Gladys Johnson-Chukwunenye who extolled the leadership qualities of the governor, said her decision to join the Labour Party was to support Otti’s bid after closely following developments in the state and observing the changes and transformation of the state under the present administration

She listed the payment of salary arrears, regular payment of workers, attention to pensioners and the rehabilitation of roads in Umuahia and Aba as some of the developments that influenced her position.

Vice president Kashim Shetimma has clarified his remarks on Wednesday, where he was quoted as claiming that only six northern Nigerian governors supported president Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambition in 2023

The vice president, who made the revelation  at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, during the turbaning of Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the Sardauna of Ilorin Emirate, said, “You all know that we have 19 states in the North. Out of these, only six actually believed and supported Tinubu.”

He identified former Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello and AbdulRazaq as two of the six governors, but could not name the others, saying he wanted to avoid controversy, adding that Tinubu had reconciled with northern governors who did not support his presidential bid after the 2023 election.

He said, “After the 2023 election, President Tinubu hugged and forgave all other northern governors that did not support him. That is a mark of a good leader.”

But in a clarification which was made through a statement on Thursday, the Office of the Vice President said Shettima’s comments regarding the support President Bola Tinubu received from northern governors was ahead of the 2022 All Progressives Congress presidential primary.

The Office in the  statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, the clarified that Shettima’s reference to six northern governors who “believed in and supported” Tinubu was limited to political consultations and alignments before the APC primary in June 2022.

Nkwocha noted that Shettima’s reference to the six governors was about the period before the APC presidential primary and should not be interpreted as suggesting that northern APC governors did not support Tinubu after he emerged as the party’s candidate.

“The reference by the Vice President to six northern governors who ‘believed in and supported’ President Tinubu was strictly in the context of political consultations and alignments that took place before the APC presidential primary in June 2022.

“After the primary, APC governors in the North rallied around the party’s candidate and played important roles in the campaign that culminated in President Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 general election,” he said.

The Vice President’s office said Shettima holds the northern governors and other APC leaders in high regard and recognises their individual and collective contributions to the party’s success and Tinubu’s emergence.

Nkwocha added that Shettima regretted any interpretation of his remarks that suggested otherwise, saying the clarification was intended to put the comments in their proper context.

By Nkem Okereh 

As Nigerians go to the poll to elect their new leaders in 2027, the federal government has charged all foreign envoys and diplomatic offices to refrain from making statements that could stir crisis  and endanger the nations democratic process

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, at a meeting on Thursday, warned foreign diplomatic missions against making unguarded comments, disparaging remarks or unsolicited lectures on democracy as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.

The minister who met with  with members of the Diplomatic Corps at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, described Nigeria as Africa’s largest democracy, added that developments in the country had regional and international implications, and therefore emphasised on the need for diplomatic missions to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and established diplomatic channels.

The minister however assured the diplomatic community that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was committed to democratic governance and delivering a credible election.

“As the 2027 general elections draw near, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would request that missions remain guided. Recognising the fact that Nigeria is the largest democracy in Africa, and that developments in Nigeria have regional and international complications and implications, we would not look kindly upon unguarded comments, disparaging remarks, or unsolicited lectures on democracy.

“The Government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to democracy and to delivering an election that will be peaceful, free, fair, and credible in all ramifications,” she stated.

She called for closer cooperation between the ministry and foreign missions, emphasising the importance of dialogue, mutual respect and adherence to established diplomatic procedures.

“I want us to speak frankly, to engage constructively, and to resolve issues through dialogue, established diplomatic channels, and mutual respect.

“Let me emphasize that the Ministry is not an obstacle between you and the Nigerian Government; we are your bridge to the Nigerian Government

“The true measure of our relationships will not be the number of meetings we hold, neither will it be the number of communiqués we issue. It will be the progress we achieve for our peoples, the investments we facilitate, the opportunities we create, the challenges we resolve, and the friendships we strengthen,” she stated.

The minister reiterated that Nigeria’s foreign policy under Tinubu was anchored on the four Ds—Demography, Development, Democracy and Diaspora.

According to her, the policy seeks to place Nigerians at the centre of the country’s international engagements while maintaining its commitment to Africa and constructive relations with the wider international community.

She said Nigeria would continue to pursue strategic autonomy in its international relations, stressing that the policy did not amount to isolation.

“Strategic autonomy does not mean isolation; it means preserving Nigeria’s sovereign right to determine the relationships and positions that best serve our people,” she said.

On consular services, Odumegwu-Ojukwu urged Nigerian and foreign authorities to improve efficiency in handling diplomatic correspondence, document authentication, legalisation and visa applications.

She appealed to foreign missions to review their visa processes for Nigerian applicants, noting that prolonged waiting periods could affect legitimate travellers, students, businesspersons and families.

“While we fully respect the sovereign right of every country to determine its visa policy, excessively long waiting periods can create considerable difficulties for legitimate travellers, students, businesspersons, and families,” she said.

The minister further reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to dialogue, multilateralism and the peaceful resolution of disputes through its engagements with ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations, the Commonwealth and other international institutions.

“Nigeria will, therefore, continue to champion dialogue, multilateralism, and peaceful resolution of disputes while remaining active within ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations, the Commonwealth, and other international institutions.

“We will continue to advocate an international system in which Africa’s voice is heard, and the continent participates meaningfully in shaping global decisions.

“We are ready to work with each of you to deepen trade and investment, strengthen cooperation on peace and security, advance education, health, and technological innovation, and create greater opportunities for our peoples,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu stressed.