Adewole Adebayo, the presidential candidate of Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the 2023 elections, has asked former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El Rufai to address his personal weaknesses as he is not infallible.

El Rufai, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, recently defected to the SDP following his failure to secure ministerial appointment from President BolaTinubu.

Adebayo who however described El-Rufai, as an asset with a proven track record of exemplary public service.

He spoke on a day National Secretary of the party, Dr Olu Agunloye, declared that the defection of the former Kaduna governor would add value to the party.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, The Morning Brief, yesteterday, Adebayo extolled the intellectual sagacity of el-Rufai but said the former governor and also ex-minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, had some weaknesses to work on.

He said: “The issue is that I see him as an asset, as a hard-working person and he has a verifiable and measurable track record of public performance. What I believe is that he has his weaknesses which he needs to work on but I am not his mentor or therapist.

“What I know is that Nigerians have a bird’s eye view of el-Rufai, they will consider some of the comments he’s made and some other aspects. Overall, Nigerians will say: ‘Here is a very good public servant.”

Adebayo, who said el-Rufai was welcomed into the SDP, stated further: “Nigeria is diverse and you will find patriots on all sides. It doesn’t mean that if you narrow the discussion to particular areas, I will agree with Nasir el-Rufai on many of them but I agree with the fact that he is a hard-working person and a highly intelligent person.”

He described APC as a party of lousy people with the overriding goal of state capture, the SDP presidential candidate said: “I consider APC to be a lousy coalition of people who do not know what governance is all about and who are very good with politics of how to capture power.”

Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has opened the 43rd Ordinary Meeting of ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja with a call on member States to foster collaboration and solidarity in the face of emerging threats of terrorism, organized crimes, climate change and other forms of criminalities.

In his opening remarks, the Minister
emphasized the urgent need for a unified approach to addressing the pressing security challenges facing the West African sub-region as well as highlighted the complexities of the current security landscape, noting that the rise of global populism and revisionist ideologies has heightened the vulnerability of the region.

According to a statement by Mati Ali, Personal Assistant to the Minister on Media and Publicity, Badaru asserted that economic growth and sustainable peace are intrinsically linked, urging member states to foster collaboration and solidarity in the face of emerging threats, including terrorism, organized crime, climate change, cyber-crime, and pandemics.

“The imperative for us in the sub-region is to strengthen our bond and collective resolve is greater now than ever,” Minister Badaru stated.

He said- “We must recognize that we are collectively as strong as our weakest link. It is essential that we close ranks against these threats and refocus our strategy to deny terror and insecurity a breeding ground.”

The Minister underscored the significance of the discussions planned for the meeting, which will focus on critical issues such as the ECOWAS Standby Force, Peace Support Operations, and Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea. He expressed confidence that the deliberations would be characterized by collaboration, innovation, and a shared determination to craft sustainable strategies that address the security needs of the region.

Badaru also announced the activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force, a pivotal step in the collective fight against terrorism and insurgency, reinforcing the commitment of member states to ensure the safety and security of their citizens.

Concluding, the Minister expressed profound gratitude to the Chiefs of Defence Staff for their unwavering dedication and professionalism in safeguarding the well-being of the people of West Africa. He urged all participants to approach the discussions with purpose and unity, recognizing the potential of their collective efforts to shape a more secure and prosperous future for the sub-region.

The management of Dangote Refinery Limited has said the company’s primary concern is how to supply its products to Nigerians and at prices they can afford; rather than maximise profit at the detriment of the citizens.

Anthony Chiejina, Group Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Dangote Industries Limited stated this on Tuesday, while speaking exclusively to Nationwide Reports.

Chiejina was reacting to a statement credited to the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association (PRETOAN), which on Monday, lamented that reduction of price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), by Dangote Refinery and the NNPCL was affecting their businesses as they rely on importation.

Chiejina said with Dangote Refinery, Nigerians are now guaranteed best quality products they have ever used and can therefore bid goodbye to importation of substandard products into the country.

He told Nationwide Reports that PETROAN had no reason to complain against price deduction by Dangote, as according to him, Dangote Refinery was built by a Nigerian for Nigerians, promising that it would continue to put the interest of Nigerians first in its business considerations.

Chiejina said with Dangote Refinery, thousands of jobs have been created for the people, in addition huge taxes that the company is paying to the Federal Government, adding that the overall aim was to achieve self-sufficiency in the petroleum sector as additional contribution to the nation’s economic growth.

He challenged petrol importers to tell Nigerians how they have helped the country in the areas of foreign exchange conservation and employment as well as how much axes they are paying to the government.

Chiejina expressed surprise that some persons are still talking of fuel importation at a time when all hands should be on deck to make Nigeria self-sufficient, adding that by complaining against Dangote, the marketers have shown that they are not aware of the impending impact of ongoing economic revolution across the world, where countries without capacity to produce their energy requirements may face serious challenges.