Obasanjo’s coalition suffers setback ahead of 2019 election

macfranc007 February 12, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Kess Ewubare

The newspaper paper review leads with a reported cloud of uncertainty hovering over a coalition led by former president Olusegun Obasanjo among other stories.

The Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) led by former president Olusegun Obasanjo may have encountered a setback following its launch as state governors are yet to identify with the group.

Though the CNM had claimed that 13 of the 36 governors would embrace it, the Nation reports that no governor has joined the movement yet, a development said to be troubling some of the coordinators of the organisation, which the former president hopes could transmit into a party.

Newspaper headlines for Monday February 12

The Nation newspaper for Monday, February 12, photo credits, snapshot from NAIJ.com

Citing sources, the newspaper states that stability in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the prospect of a sustainable reconciliation in the All Progressives Congress (APC) have made some of the governors to have a rethink on CNM.

It reported that the governors are said to prefer fighting for survival in their parties than taking a gamble.

“We believe there is no basis for going to a new movement when we have a virile party. Most of our governors,who are eligible for second term, may get automatic ticket. So, what is the basis for teaming up with CNM,” a PDP governor, who spoke in confidence stated.

“Nobody wants to leave a known party for the unknown and risk his political career. CNM cannot fly in spite the fact that its ultimate target is to turn into a political party.

Their target is to produce a party, which will be a hybrid of PDP, APC and lesser parties.

“In fact, technically, if you look at their plan, there is no time for any effective movement against APC other than adopting PDP which the CNM does not want.

“Obasanjo’s coalition is already tackling APC on socio-economic problems facing the nation. PDP is ready to benefit from the consequences of their Cold War.”

“I think there is a PDP governor whose position is fluid on CNM but we are watching him. We may end up expelling him from the party.”

In other news, the Punch reports that southern groups in the country on Sunday, February 11, said restructuring must be central to the plan by the North to form an alliance with zones in the South for presidency in 2019.

The Punch newspaper for Monday, February 12, photo credits, snapshot from NAIJ.com

The groups that made the demand include the pan Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, and the Ijaw Youth Council.

Afenifere stated that it was willing to work with any association that was focused on moving Nigeria forward through the restructuring of the polity.

Afenifere spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, welcomed the decision of the northern elders to work with other compatriots from other sections of the country, noting that the apex Yoruba group was not opposed to forming a coalition with them.

On its part, the middle belt youth council said the main agenda of the north was to dominate the south and the north-central (Middle Belt).

Northern elders and stakeholders had, at a meeting in Abuja on Saturday, February 10, said they were exploring ways to form an alliance with the South.

Meanwhile, the PDP has asked President Muhammadu Buhari doubles as the minister of petroleum to accept responsibility for the unending fuel supply crisis in the country and the manifest failure in the oil sector.

Vanguard reports that the party’s national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement accused the APC of dishing out lies in an attempt to give Nigerians false hope on issues related to the fuel crisis and the collapsing national economy.

The Vanguard newspaper for Monday, February 12, photo credits, snapshot from NAIJ.com

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PDP said: “The inherent poor coordination, inefficiency and reported heavy sleazes in a sector that is under the direct supervision of the President, raise a lot of issues and speak volumes of the evident mismanagement of the system for which the economy is now in complete shambles.

“It is an appalling height of insensitivity that the President, as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, has failed to take any decisive steps to arrest the situation, which has remained unabated since the last Yuletide.

“Rather, the sector has been delivered to an APC cabal, whose mission, particularly, the desperate re-election bid, largely accounts for the biting fuel situation and the economic misery Nigerians suffer today.

In reply, the APC described the PDP’s statement as an opinion lacking party understanding of the workings of the presidency.

The national publicity secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi said: “It is their opinion since they think they know better how to run the Presidency. Are they saying the President does not have the power to appoint himself as Minister or what are they saying?

“That is the only thing they can think of as solution. Are they saying the only solution is for the President to step down? That is absolutely their opinion. What they are saying demonstrates ignorance of presidential authority.

“The presidential power is vested by the constitution on only one person and that is the President of Nigeria. The President is not obliged to listen to them.”

In other news, the federal government has made it clear that it will not fund the 2019 election with its 2018 capital budget of N2.4tn.

This Day reports that the minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun, who disclosed this at the weekend, maintained the Buhari administration was focused on maintaining the capital spending levels of the last two years in the election year.

This Day newspaper for Monday, February 12, photo credits, snapshot from NAIJ.com

Meanwhile, the Guardian reports that the aviation sector will save local airlines at least N11.55 billion in revenue yearly sequel to the planned review and removal of the mandatory Value Added Tax (VAT) on all air travel tickets issued in the aviation sector.

Newspaper headlines for Monday February 12

The newspaper stated that the tax, which is five per cent of every ticket fare paid only by local passengers, has been scheduled for consideration and withdrawal at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

Consider rest - Obasanjo to Buhari on NAIJ.com TV