The newspaper review for Tuesday, December 5, leads with the presidency and All Progressives Congress reaction to the defection of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar among other stories.
Vanguard reports that President Muhammadu Buhari is not moved by the defection from the All Progressives Congress, APC, of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and will not take his bait to pre-empt the 2019 presidential campaign, high-level Presidency sources have affirmed.
National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has, however, described Atiku’s defection as an act of frustration for a man determined to become president at the last opportuned time in his old age, saying the party had for over a year, known of his move to jump ship.
Vanguard newspaper for Tuesday, December 5, photo credit: snapshot from NAIJ.com
READ ALSO: Governor Okorocha appoints younger sister as commissioner for happiness
Atiku’s defection and challenge to Buhari were, however, dismissed as inconsequential by Mrs. Lauretta Onochie, the President’s Special Assistant on New Media, who in an interview yesterday, affirmed that Atiku could not defeat Buhari in his ward.
The assertions nonetheless, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Timi Frank, yesterday, warned that more high-level defections from the APC could occur in the near future, if the party leadership failed to mend its ways. Mr. Frank, a well-known ally of Atiku, however, vowed not to defect from the APC, saying he will stay put within the party.
The Punch reports that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar will visit the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party, Abuja, on Tuesday (today).
His visit is coming two days after he returned to the party which he left in 2014.
The Punch newspaper for Tuesday, December 5, photo credit: snapshot from NAIJ.com
The Convention Planning Committee of the party, set up to organise the elective national convention coming up on Saturday in Abuja, has banned the display of campaign posters of any presidential aspirants at the Eagle Square venue of the convention.
The committee, headed by the Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, also barred the supporters of the presidential contenders from the venue on Saturday.
Atiku had resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress about a week ago, claiming that the ruling party had deviated from its promises to Nigeria.
The Guardian reports that Nigerians have been thrown into panic following the re-emergence of long queues at fuel stations in parts of the country.
The situation, amid rumour of hike in pump price of petrol, sparked fear that the festive season could be marred by scarcity of the product.
The Guardian newspaper for Tuesday, December 5, photo credit: snapshot from NAIJ.com
In Abuja, many motorists who closed from work yesterday were unable to buy fuel, as many stations were shut.
At about 8 p.m., there was a long queue at the NNPC retail station along Kubwa Expressway that kept motorists waiting for hours.
One buyer, Alabi Ajibola, said: “Most fuel stations have closed. I have been on the queue for about two hours. This should not be at this Christmas period.”
The Nation reports that Southsouth Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders yesterday vowed to fight to the death for the party’s chairman.
The zone’s governors and leaders said they would attend Saturday’s national convention as a united front. They are backing former Interim Chairman Uche Secondus for the coveted seat.
The Nation newspaper for Tuesday, December 5, photo credit: snapshot from NAIJ.com
PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1 news app
Their stand has paved the way for a major crisis, with Southwest aspirants warming up to fight for the seat.
The party chiefs spoke at the PDP Zonal Congress hosted in Port Harcourt by Governor Nyesom Wike.
Besides Secondus and Chief Raymond Dokpesi, all other chairmanship aspirants are from the Southwest, which is seeking the micro zoning of the position to the region, being the only one yet to produce a chairman since the PDP was founded in 1998.
2019 Presidency: Nigerians reveal why they prefer Atiku to President Buhari - on NAIJ.com TV.
Source: Naija.ng