Am I the drama?
Peter Obi and Atiku stir up drama with alleged alliance plans
Good morning, Big Brains. I hope this email finds you with a cup of tea in your hand. And if you’re already on the road, today’s newsletter is just as good as tea. One thing I can tell you for free is that 2027 is going to be a very interesting year.
- Margaret
Word count: ~1300
Reading time ~6 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
APC Remains Unfazed By The Possible Alliance between Peter Obi and Atiku
Former Nigerian Defense Chief Backs Closure of Abuja Plaza Following Soldier Assault
Kenyan President Reportedly Defends $1.5m Spent On Renting Private Jet for U.S Trip
The Big Deal
APC Remains Unfazed By The Possible Alliance between Peter Obi and Atiku
There’s drama in Nigeria’s political scene, and it’s the Nollywood kind. The ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), has made it clear that it's not moved by any form of partnership between Atiku Abubakar, who was the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, and Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP). They also added that Obi and Atiku are just “desperate politicians” that pose no threat to President Tinubu.
What’s the backstory?
On May 13, Peter Obi who won 25% of the 2023 electoral votes, met with former vice-president, Abubakar Atiku in his home in Abuja and the presidential candidates had a private meeting discussing things that will most likely piss President Tinubu off.
Atiku made this meeting known to the public when he shared a picture of himself and Obi on his X account saying, “It was my honour and privilege to host #PeterObi today.” The post, which has now gone viral, raised questions about a possible coalition between both politicians.
A political hate triangle that started in 2019…
Atiku, Obi and APC did not just start going at each other’s neck, they’ve been at it for five years now. In 2019, Atiku and Obi were running mates on the PDP joint ticket during the presidential election which was eventually won by Muhammadu Buhari.
During the last election in 2023, Obi left PDP for LP, becoming the party’s presidential candidate. But days after President Tinubu was declared as the winner of the election, Atiku called for unity among all opposition parties and said that he didn’t mind forming a coalition in 2027.
Atiku has also been very critical of President Tinubu. Earlier this month, he revealed that President Tinubu’s son, is a director on the board of CDK Integrated Industries, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group which is the parent company of the organisation responsible for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road, suggesting that the contract was unfairly awarded.
Obi has also criticised some of President Tinubu’s decisions, like the cybersecurity levy which has now been scrapped. He added that the president’s administration is more interested in ‘milking a dying economy instead of nurturing it to recovery and growth.”
APC isn’t exactly thrilled about the possible alliance…
The APC spokesman, Felix Morka, said it won’t be surprising if Obi returns to PDP, describing him as a “political wayfarer that is only dwarfed by Atiku’s track record as a veteran political wanderer.”
“Atiku and Obi are united by their mutual desperation to be President of Nigeria and ignoble disdain for President Bola Tinubu’s focused and extraordinary commitment to the transformation of our nation,” the party added.
Why is this a big deal?
Deciding the president of a country is the most important decision the citizens of any country make often. In Nigeria, the last presidential election was believed to be unfair by some. Several opposition parties accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of violating the Electoral Act and conspiring to manipulate the result in favour of Tinubu. These allegations were dismissed and the president has now been in office for almost a year now.
While President Tinubu has introduced new reforms that he swears by, Nigerians are not very impressed with the president. Nigeria’s inflation rate is currently at 33.69% while food inflation has also risen to 40.53%. If the situation persists and President Tinubu’s “it gets worse before it gets better” promise falls to the ground, a coalition between Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar in 2027 might force the ruling party out of Aso Rock.
Former Nigerian Defense Chief Backs Closure of Abuja Plaza Following Soldier Assault
On Saturday, a video showing civilians assaulting some soldiers in uniform at the Banex Plaza of Wuse 2 District of Abuja went viral.
Witnesses reported that the soldiers, who went to the plaza to complain about a phone, got into an argument with the traders which escalated into a violent attack. Following the incident, many shop owners and traders quickly closed their shops to avoid any potential reprisal. On Monday, military personnel arrived in about five Hilux vehicles and reportedly shut down the plaza.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, former Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor, expressed his support for the closure of Banex Plaza in Abuja.
Irabor described the incident at Banex Plaza as very unfortunate, emphasising that it is never acceptable to assault a uniformed officer. He stated, "This applies to any uniformed person as long as they are an agent of the state. An attack on them is an attack on the state, so any Nigerian of goodwill must condemn such an act."
He added, "I support the closure of Banex Plaza until those responsible for this heinous act are brought to justice. If we fail to act, we are inviting anarchy."
But the temporary closure might be a stretch…
Banex Plaza has been described as a business centre where thousands of Nigerians make a living. This temporary closure defies the fundamental human right of business owners in the plaza to work. The altercation involves a small group of people who work at the plaza so the decision of the army to shut it down temporarily doesn’t come off as fair to many Nigerians. Section 355 of the Criminal Code Act in Nigeria states that a person who unlawfully assaults another and thereby does him harm, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for three years. So if there’s any punishment that the offenders at Banex Plaza deserve, it would be jail term served by a judge, not a temporary closure that affects the livelihoods of innocent people.
Kenyan President Reportedly Defends $1.5m Spent On Renting Private Jet for U.S Trip
President Ruto of Kenya has been in the news for all the wrong reasons this year. First, Ruto is infamous for controversial taxes - like the motor vehicle tax which could potentially make Kenyans pay $750 yearly to keep their vehicles on the road. Now, he has sparked the anger of Kenyans again with his very expensive trip to the U.S.
According to Kenya's KTN TV, the president and his long line of delegates spent about $1.5 million (over ₦2 billion) on a four-day visit to the US.
Kenya says the end justifies the means
The Kenyan government has defended the expense, claiming that "The benefits from this visit far outweigh such a million times." President Ruto is on a visit at the invitation of US President Joe Biden. This marks the first state visit by a Kenyan president to the US in two decades and the first by an African leader in 16 years.
But Kenyans are upset that he rented a private jet from the Dubai-owned RoyalJet company instead of using the presidential plane, especially given the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the House of Representatives has raised concerns over the status of the Presidential Air Fleet. This comes after President Bola Tinubu had to charter a private jet for his recent official trips to the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.
The cost of President Tinubu's private jet trip has not been disclosed, but the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence has decided to form a technical committee to address the frequent issues with the presidential aircraft, ensuring the president won't have to fly private again.
This Week’s Big Question
“Can you still afford the things you could comfortably afford last year?”
Cherry’s response - “Monthly maintenance was a thing for me last year. I never missed it but my maintenance is quarterly now. Send help please!”
You can also share your response here and if it’s as interesting as Cherry’s response, we’ll feature it in the next edition.
The Big Picks
Labour Shifts To ₦497,000, Rejects FG’s Fresh ₦57,000 Wage Proposal: The Organized Labour, consisting of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has once again rejected the Federal Government's new minimum wage offer of ₦57,000.
Tinubu To Attend Mahamat Déby’s Inauguration As Chad’s President: President Bola Tinubu will travel out of Abuja today to N’Djamena, Chad, in a bid to attend the inauguration of President Idriss Mahamat Déby Itno.
If you enjoyed this edition of the newsletter, don’t forget to subscribe and share. You can also leave feedback for us in the comments or by filling out this form.