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The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, has said that he stands by his words that the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, is not an electable leader.Many critics of the All Progressives Congress candidate, including the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, who, in the buildup to the March 28 presidential election, condemned Buhari, had subsequently apologised after he won the election.
But Okupe, on Monday said he would stand by his words that Buhari, who he said had no West African Senior School Certificate, was not eligible to contest for President.
He stated on his official Facebook page, “These are very interesting times in our nation. An election has come and gone. A victor has emerged and the loser has conceded.
“Yet some of our folks are behaving as if we have just gone through a war between two hostile nations. The APC agents all over the place are unrelenting in their tirades of abuses, insults and lies against President Goodluck Jonathan, his aides and supporters.
“It is shameful that we are still saddled with denying falsehood and fabrications in the social media and even by hitherto highly respected newspapers.
“Missing $20bn found in an account in Zenith. PGEJ returns tons of dollars to federation accounts. N2tn spent on elections by PGEJ. Okupe says Chibok girls will not be found. How many lies, deliberate falsehood and evil propaganda, outright curses and attacks must we suffer just because we lost an election in which we were never disgraced?
“Buhari polled 15m (56 per cent) while Jonathan scored 12m (46per cent). Those who talk to us disparagingly should respect the sentiments of the 12m Nigerians who voted for Jonathan.
“Of course, we have our reservations about the results but we will pass on that for now. We have lost this election but this is not and can never be a crime. We are all Nigerians and having lost does not make us less. We should be allowed to bow out peacefully and constitutionally on the 29th of May.
“Yes, I said Buhari was not electable. I also said his victory will not happen. I said and I still insist that Buhari has no WASC certificate. I said a lot of things to promote my candidate and many things to put his opponent down.
“I have no regrets for any of the statements I made. Lai Mohammed said worse. This is the nature of politics. For anyone who cares to listen. We will be back, period.”
The Senate will adjourn plenary on Tuesday (today) in honour of the late Senator Uche Chukwumerije.The adjournment is in line with the tradition of the upper federal legislative chamber.
Chukwumerije, a three-term senator, was the Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, in the current 7th senate, until his death on Sunday at a Turkish Hospital in Abuja. He died at the age of 75.
The Senate traditionally honours dead members by postponing all items on the order paper at the first plenary after the demise of the member.
The Senate Leader will, immediately after the chamber is set for the session, request for an adjournment to honour the late colleague.
His motion for adjournment will then be seconded by the opposition minority leader while the senate president will call for voice vote from members after which he will make a pronouncement to adjourn plenary till the next legislative day.
Meanwhile, the senate said on Monday that it had lost a political giant with the death of Chukwumerije.
A statement by the senate spokesman, Enyinnaya Abaribe, described Chukwumerije as a political giant and one of the nation’s finest legislators.
The statement said the late lawmaker, who represented Abia North Senatorial District of Abia State in the senate, was “a repository of legislative tradition and practice.”
The statement read, “The Senate will surely miss his erudite contributions on the floor of the chamber and his painstaking approach to committee work.
“Chukwumerije was indeed an embodiment of legislative tradition and a consummate activist democrat who loved his people passionately.
“He will be remembered for his deep love for Ndigbo, which was manifested in his relentless struggle for the total political and social emancipation of the race over the years.
“The late Senator’s love for Nigeria and her corporate existence was unprecedented.”
Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State has assured Nigerians that the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, will not fail the nation, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.“The APC-led Federal Government under Buhari will strive to meet the expectations and yearnings of Nigerians, irrespective of religious, ethnic or cultural differences,’’ he said.
Wamakko spoke on Monday in Sokoto when members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in the state paid him a courtesy visit.
He said, “Buhari will ensure social justice, adherence to the rule of law, youths and women empowerment, improvement of security and the power sector.
“All Nigerians will be treated equally and fairly under Buhari; the electorate in the country as well as the international community will find Buhari to be a worthy democratic leader.”
Wamakko said that the peaceful conduct of the 2015 general elections was a victory for democracy; he therefore urged Nigerians to continue with their support and prayers for the incoming administration to deliver.
He commended the Nigerian journalists for their objective coverage of the polls.
The leader of the visiting journalists, Mrs Rakiya Mohammed, said that the visit was to felicitate with the governor over the successful conclusion of the general elections in the state.
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