The Big 5: Atiku’s race for 2019; Wole Soyinka condemns re-election talks; and other top stories

Good morning.

Here are the top 5 stories you should be monitoring today:

2019 seems to have arrived early for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who has, from recent indications, started his campaign for the presidency in earnest.

Atiku seized the opportunity on Monday during a tour in Abuja to pitch himself, saying that he “would fight corruption like never before if he is given the opportunity to preside over the affairs of the country.”

He also protested the allegations of corruption against him, challenging anybody who had evidence that he stole at the Customs or during his tenure as Vice President to confront him with evidence.

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However, Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka is not particularly psyched about the 2019 rush.

“Why are we talking about second term for heaven’s sake? I don’t understand this. I refuse to be part of that discussion. I absolutely refuse to be part of the discussion,” he answered when asked about his opinion on the recent debate about Buhari’s re-election.

Soyinka also talked about insecurity in the country, the economy, and restructuring. Read everything he said here.

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Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo revealed on Monday that the Federal and State governments need N700bn monthly for payment of salaries, statutory transfers, and debt servicing.

“Over the years, our over-reliance on statutory transfers from the Federation Account has resulted in the unsustainable culture where 36 state commissioners of finance come to Abuja every month to collect their share of revenue derived from crude oil,” he said.

This, he said, has, however, made the government find alternative sources of income.

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The Non Academic Staff Union of Nigerian universities began a “total, comprehensive and indefinite” strike on Monday over the non-implementation of the 2009 agreement.

However, after receiving a letter from the Ministry of Labour and Employment inviting them for a meeting, they said the leadership of the union would meet to decide when to meet with the Federal government.

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Buhari joked yesterday in a meeting with traditional rulers in Aso Rock that he “was considering what country to run to” but for the improved rainy seasons in the last two years.

“We are lucky that last year and this year the rainy season is good. If it were not good I must confide to you that I was considering which country to run to,” The Cable quoted him as saying. “But God answered the prayers of many Nigerians the rainy season last year was good and this year with the report I’m getting is good. We thank God for that otherwise there would have been a lot of problems in this country.”

One comment

  1. wild wild West good example to show that we are not one Nigeria.

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