Agency Report by Sani Idris

By Sani Idris

The Forum of Concerned Student Union Government (SUG) Presidents for the 2022 National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Convention have unanimously endorsed the candidature of Comrade Yusuf Mohammad Lawal of the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria as their preferred candidate from the North West Zone.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the National Coordinator of the Forum, Cmrd Abubakar Ahmed of Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina State and its Secretary, Umar Faruk of Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic Zaria, Kaduna state, and issued to pressmen on Saturday in Kaduna.

According to them, the endorsement was in line with the zoning arrangement of NANS which seeks to rotate the presidency across the six newly created zones.

The Forum expressed optimism in their choice of the candidate, adding that Cmrd Yusuf was not just highly experienced but the most qualified candidate, having served as a former SUG President and Zonal Coordinator respectively.

"As concerned and patriotic stakeholders, we make bold to state that Comrade Yusuf Mohammad Lawal is the most travelled and exposed candidate who has equally consulted widely and hence the most accepted.

"He is in the good books of past NANS presidents and most loyal to the struggle. We as the legitimate delegates to the convention have therefore, throw our weight behind him to clinch the presidency and nothing can stop us", they said.

The Forum expressed dissatisfaction with what they described as sponsored media publications aimed at arm twisting Cmrd Yusuf and forcing him into oblivion, insisting that the Forum would not just fold its arms and watch people with vested interest who do not understood the struggle subvert the legitimate will of the delegates who have already made their choice and ready for the polls.

"It has come to our notice that some malicious elements have been working behind the scene to thwart this Convention and force a consensus candidate on the delegates.

"It is also on record that some candidates names have been removed from the list of contestants to the chagrin of stakeholders, We will vehemently oppose and resist any such criminal attempts from whereever they may come from as we are confident of victory and ready to meet at the polls," they said.

"There were about 300 delegates, made up of student leaders across tertiary institutions in the country who are expected to elect new leaders who would steer the affairs of NANS for a period of one year with the presidency zoned to the Northwest, where Comrade Yusuf Muhammad Lawal, the preferred and most qualified candidate hails from,"they said.

News Politics

I'm not a stranger to Nigerian problems - Obi tells Nigerians in Germany

NURUDEEN SHOTAYO

August 27, 2022 11:13 PM

Peter Obi is currently on a tour of Europe and the North America to speak to Nigerians in Diaspora ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi at an event in Frankfurt. [Twitter:@_weyimi]

The Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has declared that he's well informed about all the challenges confronting Nigeria.

Obi's arrival: The frontline candidate said this while addressing a group of Nigerians who came to welcome him to Frankfurt in Germany on Friday, August 26, 2022.

The overseas trip: Pulse had earlier reported that the former Anambra Governor had embarked on a week-long overseas trip where he is expected to attend several events, including lectures, town hall meetings, and interviews with foreign media houses in cities across United States, Europe, and Canada.

Know your candidate: In a statement by the Peter Obi Support Network Media group, the LP flag-bearer told Nigerians to do a proper background checks of all the presidential candidates before listening to whatever promise they make.

He added that every candidate must address Nigerians on their plans make Nigeria work, adding that any candidate that speaks through proxies should be rejected.

Obi's word: “When you listen to us, go and check our background, this is not a time for somebody to show us his qualifications, I live in Nigeria and I know Nigeria and what Nigerians need. I am not a stranger to Nigerian problems.

“I am a trader but I have a privilege to go to some of the best of schools like Oxford, Cambridge, and other Ivy league institutions, but I always say to people that educational qualification is not the same as integrity.

“Listen to all the presidential candidates not through proxy. Let anyone who wants to be your President come forward himself and speak to you directly, because he is the one you will hold responsible for whatever happens to Nigeria under his care.

“This campaign is not a campaign you are going to speak through somebody, that person needs to come and directly tell us what he is going to do for our country and we must take note of whatever he says and hold him by his words.

“We also don’t want that would be carried to this place in a wheelchair, but must consider his capacity, competence, integrity and commitment.”

“I don’t see any country as racist. If you think your host country is racist you can go back to your country. The reason why you are here is because your place is not working.

“So, it is our duty to turn things around in Nigeria for the good of our country.

“Somebody asked me a question about going to look for foreign investors, I said Nigerians outside are going to do what China and India did.

“It is good for us to go back and fix our place, we need to secure it and it is important for our place to have proper leadership that is visionary, there is nothing happening in other countries that is rocket science, a country is measured by its productive capacity.

“Somebody asked me what are we going to do to stabilise the naira and I said it is very simple; production, because the more you produce goods and export , the more your currency becomes stronger, if you are looking for dollars and Euro, just go and sell something to somebody that has euro and dollar and your currency will become strong. We will ensure security of lives and bring stability to governance.

“Our human capital today is low, we have 200 million people with barely ten percent productive capacity. You also need to reduce the cost of Governance and have zero tolerance for corruption. People cannot continue to do what they are doing with government resources.”