I have followed with deep concern the developments surrounding the reported freezing of the bank accounts of the Osun State Government by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), coming just days before the governorship election.
Let me reiterate that I have always supported a relentless fight against corruption. However, that fight must never become a tool for political intimidation or the suppression of democracy. No institution, however important, should be used in a manner that creates the impression of influencing the electoral process.
The timing of this action raises legitimate questions. If investigations had been ongoing for months, why take such a drastic step on the eve of an election? In a democracy, institutions must not only be impartial but must also be seen to be impartial.
What is increasingly troubling is the growing perception that state institutions are being deployed to achieve political ends and secure power at all costs. This is dangerous for our democracy. Governments come and go, but once institutions lose their independence and credibility, the nation suffers.
If there is evidence of wrongdoing, the Constitution provides a clear path: seek the appropriate orders from a competent court. Due process is the foundation of justice. No agency should exercise powers beyond those granted by law.
I call on all relevant authorities to act strictly within the Constitution and ensure that nothing undermines the credibility of the Osun Governorship Election. The people of Osun must be allowed to freely determine their future through the ballot, without intimidation or institutional interference.
Nigeria’s democracy was built on sacrifice. We must not allow it to be weakened by the misuse of institutions or the pursuit of political advantage.
A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO
When he left high school in 1962, John Cardinal Onaiyekan was 18.
His grades were so outstanding, the Premier of the Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, asked to see him & offered him a free cheque to the best anywhere in the world.
The man said #ThankYou & headed off to priestly formation.
64 yrs later, an #OrganizedCrime ring - led by a man with no verifiable record of having gone to school - wants to do a #RoyalRumble with a man who gave up on worldly things as a teenager.
There can be only one winner & it will not be the criminals!
It is a shame that truth has become so politicised in Nigeria. Today, if you speak the truth about the suffering of ordinary Nigerians, you are quickly labelled partisan. That should concern every Nigerian.
Cardinal Onaiyekan was not speaking for Catholics alone. He was speaking for millions of Nigerians who bear the weight of the present realities. The Church has always stood with the poor, the vulnerable and those whose voices are ignored. That is her mission.
Mr. Bwala, your statement is very divisive and by reducing a moral intervention by the Catholic Bishops on behalf of millions of suffering Nigerians to mere politics, you have lost all sense of the sacred. Not every voice that challenges those in power is a political voice.
The Church does not exist to defend any government or opposition. She exists to proclaim the Gospel, defend human dignity, and remind those in authority that power is a trust to be exercised for the good of the people. When we dismiss every uncomfortable truth as politics, we lose not only our moral compass but also our sense of what is sacred.
All these attacks against Cardinal are plain nonsense. Cardinal is the most credible and respected Christian leader in Nigeria. His courage, truthfulness and honesty are without comparison. I know him closely.
The outrage is because he did not say “Well, insecurity is not Tinubu’s fault, Poverty is not Tinubu’s fault. Let us keep praying to God for help”.
If you hold Tinubu responsible for his failings, you are an Obidient, whether you are Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani or Nupe; whether you are a pastor, bishop, imam or babalawo
There are two moments of great clarity in @PeterObi interview with Seun:
1. When he successfully showed that @officialABAT is trapped in the basement of Aso Rock. He smashed it, drove it in. Tinubu is missing in action. He cannot speak to his citizen even in the gravest tragedy. He has unleashed myriad spokespersons. That is a fundamental breach of democracy. Obi differentiates himself by saying he would take democracy seriously by being a communicative president,
2. When he successfully classified Tinubu’s macroeconomics as ‘victory for the less than 1% billionaire’, a form of casino economy. In contrast, Obi defined his economics very clearly. It is the economics of ‘Growth for the Poor’.
This is a powerful contrast.
This is why I will never regard Ikwerre as Igbo. They're more Yoruba than Igbo with the way they're always double-dealing. Amaechi went to the Abuja Igbo Festival and claimed that Ndi Igbo said he isn't Igbo because he decided to become Atiku’s running mate, but this was the same Amaechi on Arise News last year claiming he isn't Igbo and that he only said he was Igbo out of pity.