GRPolitics
2019: Meet 22 Presidential Candidates so Far


By Chisom Asogwa
Nigeria is the most populous black nation on earth and the 8th most populous in the world after china, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan and Russia.
It is no news that it is also adequately blessed with a wide variety of natural resources ranging from petroleum to precious metals.
It also not breaking news that its leaders mismanage these resources and with Nigeria’s vast deposit of natural resources, the Nigerian economy is almost crippled. Before now, with the ‘Not too young to run bill’ passed by the senate, Nigerians have been quite optimistic about the approaching 2019 presidential elections.
As a multi faceted society, the presidential elections always pose the possibility of a leader from the vast ethnic groups across the country.
The three majority groups Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba are always are the fore front of this war.
The issue of ethnicity in leadership is a very sensitive one and is not at all new to Nigeria. It is in fact an issue predominant in Africa.
This is evident in the war between the Hutu and Tutsi people of Rwanda, Katanga (now Zaire) break away struggle from Congo, Biafran war in Nigeria, Somalia’s attempt to take the Ogaden from Ethiopia, South Sudan’s 17years struggle to break away from the North and in the end settled for autonomy in 1972. The list still goes on.
Currently in Nigeria, we have parties that are based on ethnicity and not ideologies. We are not to blame; ethnicity is an integral part of the African political DNA.
The people tend to perceive that whoever is in power (taking cognizance of the fact that a Nigerian president has 80% of the ruling power) has the ability to make things better for his constituency.
The power to move infrastructures, investments, and federal headquarters lies in the presidency.
One might think that what we need then is a leader who has the nation’s interest at heart regardless of ethnicity or political dispensation but where pray thee do we find this white horse?
Up until this moment, Here is a thread of everyone that has so far declared their intent to run for the presidency in 2019.
- Kingsley Moghalu
-55 years old
-Professor of Practice in International Business and Public Policy at Tufts University
-Attended UNN and LSE (Ph.D)
-President of the Institute of Governance and Economic Transformation
-Former United Nations official
-Former CBN deputy governor
- Fela Durotoye
-46 years old
-Public speaker and business strategist
-BSc. Computer Science and Economics, and MBA/MSc. Business Strategy from Obafemi Awolowo University
-Look up the Mushin Makeover Project
- Donald Duke
-56 years old
-LLB from Ahmadu Bello University, LLM from the University of Pennsylvania
-Former Commissioner for Finance and Planning
-Former Governor of Cross River
-Initiated the Tinapa Free Zone & Resort, and the Calabar Carnival
- Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies
-55 years old
-Professor of Language and Communication Arts at the Rivers State University of Education
-Degrees from the Universities of Ilorin, Port Harcourt, and Northwestern University
-Founded the Agape Bible Church
- Muhammadu Buhari
-75 years old
-Current President of Nigeria
-Left secondary school to the army at age 19
-Military Head of State from 1983-1985
-Somehow we put him back in office
-Has so far spent a sixth of his presidency on sick leave
- Remi Sonaiya
-63 years old
-Retired professor of French Language and Applied Linguistics at Obafemi Awolowo University
-Degrees from Obafemi Awolowo University and Cornell University
-Was the only female candidate in the 2015 presidential election
- Thomas-Wilson Ikubese
-47 years old
-Chief Medical Director of Sckye Hospital and Diagnostics Limited
-Attended the University of Benin School of Medicine and Surgery
-Also a poet, motivational speaker, radio and television presenter
- Omoyele Sowore
-47 years old
-Founder and owner of Sahara Reporters
-Degrees from the University of Lagos and Columbia University
-Lecturer at the City University of New York and the School of Arts, New York
-Also a writer, public speaker, and human rights activist
- Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr
-47 years old
-Chairman/CEO Pointsman Projects Ltd
-Principal Counsel Grand House of Law
-Degrees from University of Nigeria LL.B Hons.
-B.L Nigeria Law School
-Ph.D Honoris Causa
-Professor of Political Science and Public Administration Honoris Causa
-Ran for President in 2011 at 40 making him the youngest Presidential Candidate in Nigeria’s democratic history.
-Convener COUNTRYFIRST MOVEMENT
- Enyinnaya Nnaemeka Nwosu
-40 years old
-Former lecturer at West George College
-Degrees from Asia State University and Robert Gordon University
-Worked with the Royal Bank of Scotland, SERCO Group, the Legal Aid Agency, and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals in the UK
- Ahmed Buhari
-40 years old
-CEO of Skylar Inc.
-Degrees from the Federal University of Technology, and Cavendish College, London.
- Adesanya Fegbenro-Bryon
-59 years old
-Chairman/CEO of Mothergold Limited, Chief Responsibility Officer for Mothergold Consulting
-Degrees from the University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University
-Former regional coordinator for the Department for International Development
- Mathias Tsado
-41 years old
-CEO of Matstrutt Nigeria Ltd.
-BSc. Mech. Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Minna
-Set up the Hope Platform Initiative
-Say he can provide Nigerians with 16-18 hours of constant power within his first 2-3 years in office
- Eniola Ojajuni
-39 years old (Turning 40 this year)
-Businessman and consultant on imports, exports, and investments
-LLB from Lagos State University, MBA from Ghana Business School
-Previously ran for the Lagos State House of Assembly and the Governorship of Ondo
- Olu James Omosule
-48 years old
-Attended the City University of New York before dropping out to take care of his ill grandmother
-Former Chief Officer for Scope America Outreach in the US
-Served as General Manager for several US firms
- Tope Fasua
-47 years old
-CEO of Global Analytics Consulting Ltd.
-Degrees from Ondo State University, London Business School, and Harvard Business School
-National Chairman of the Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP)
-Also a newspaper columnist and TV analyst
- Sule Lamido
-69 years old
-Attended Barewa College
-Former Governor of Jigawa from 2007-2015
-Former foreign minister from 1999-2003
-Briefly jailed and stood trial with his two sons in 2015 for embezzling state funds, blamed his enemies
- Atiku Abubakar
-71 years old
-Attended Ahmadu Bello University
-Former Vice President from 1999-2007
-Founder/co-founder of Intels, Adama Beverages Ltd., and the American University of Nigeria
-Making his 4th presidential bid under his 4th political party since 1992
-He said he is not desperate to becoming Nigeria president contrary to opinions held by some
- Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed
-48 years old
-Degrees from the University of Westminster (BSc & PhD)
-Former senator representing Kaduna North
-MD of Baze Research and Data Services Ltd.
-Founder and Co-Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja
- Iyorwuese Hagher
-68 years old
-Attended Ahmadu Bello University
-Pro-Chancellor of Afe-Babalola University
-Former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico (2004-2007), and Canada (2008-2012)
-Founder of the Africa Leadership Institute USA
-Also a playwright, poet, and activist
- Charles Udeogaranya
-46 years old
-Former Lagos State chairman of the defunct African Renaissance Party
-Now a chieftain of the APC
- Peter Ayodele Fayose
-57 years old
-Current Governor of Ekiti
-Impeached as Governor in his first term in 2006
-Caught in a 37-minute audio recording of a “vote-rigging meeting” for the Ekiti elections in 2014
-Also in 2014, EFCC froze 4 accounts he used to launder ₦4.7billion
-Somehow still governor today, even though his rigging was caught on tape.
-Somehow was allowed to run after being impeached in 2006.
-Has a HND from The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
GRPolitics
PDP Crisis: Saraki, Dickson, Dankwambo Storm Enugu, Meet with Gov Mbah
… South East is important to PDP, says Saraki – REPORTER: SANDRA ANI


In a clear bid to stem the tide of crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the PDP Special Reconciliation Committee chaired by former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Friday, met with the governor of Enugu State and leader of the party in the South East region, Dr. Peter Mbah.
Other members of the Committee present at the meeting, which held behind closed doors at the Government House, Enugu, were former governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, and former governor of Gombe State, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo.
It is recalled that the leaders of PDP in the zone had in a communique issued after the South East PDP Zonal Executive Council, ZEC, meeting a fortnight ago announced the re-nomination of former PDP National Youth Leader, Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye, to serve out the remaining tenure of the National Secretary, threatening possible exodus should their decision not be respected.
“In the event that our position is not promptly implemented by the Party, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward,” the communique stated.
But addressing newsmen after the closed-door meeting with Mbah, Saraki said, “We are members of the PDP Reconciliation and Strategy Committee that was set up recently by the PDP Governors’ Forum to work towards ensuring that our upcoming National Executive Council meeting and also likely convention is rancor-free and and works smoothly.
“In line with that, we are here in Enugu State to consult with one of our leaders, Governor Peter Mbah, who is the leader of South East PDP.
“This is the first state we are coming to because we appreciate the importance of the South East in our PDP family. As you all know, the South East has played a key role as the bedrock of the popularity and the strength of our party.
“In recognition of that, we are here to consult with him and first to commend him on the leadership role he has been playing in the party. More importantly also, to commend what he is doing in Enugu State, which is a reflection for Nigerians to see what happens when you have a PDP government.
“In doing that, we discussed how we will ensure that we carry out the assignment given to us and go ahead to have our NEC and our convention. We will have one that is rancor-free and smooth, peaceful and lays the foundation for the PDP that we all are wishing for.
“We have had a very good discussion. Frankly, we have had a very, very useful discussion. We are going away with some of the suggestions that we have here and hopefully work on that.
“With this, we can say here in Enugu we laid the foundation for a greater new PDP that is coming.
“What we have also seen today is that there is nothing insurmountable in the challenge ahead and the spirit, the commitment of all of us, especially our leaders, is very very inspiring,” he stated.
GRPolitics
Ratify Udeh-Okoye as National Secretary or Face Mass Exit, South East Threatens PDP


… It’s time to stand together – Mbah
… We’ve been trampled upon – Wabara
… We don’t want to be taken for granted – Achike Udenwa
The crisis currently rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has worsened as the South East caucus of the party has threatened mass exit from the troubled party if its choice of Hon. Udeh-Okoye as the National Secretary is not respected for the umpteenth time.
This was even as the governor of Enugu State and leader of the PDP in the zone, Dr. Peter Mbah, said it was time for the zone to speak with one voice, while the Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, and former governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa, expressed fury over what they described as the party’s disrespecting and trampling of the region.
The zone vented its displeasure in a communique read by the Zonal Chairman, Chief Ali Odefa, at the end of a meeting by the South East Zonal Executive, ZEC, at the Government House, Enugu on Wednesday.
It said the meeting was convened to nominate a candidate to complete the remaining term of the position of National Secretary in line with the directive of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, during its 600th meeting in Abuja.
Rendering the communique, Odefa said, “The South East ZEC exhaustively deliberated on the directive of the NWC and came to the conclusion that it offered a sure pathway to peace, unity, stability, and progress of our party. Consequently, the ZEC unanimously recommended Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate to complete the term of office of the National Secretary.”
The South East PDP, however regretted that it had to go through the process of nominating Udeh-Okoye severally since October 2023, and urged the NWC to not only immediately ratify his nomination, but also ensure that Arch. Setonji Koshoedo effectively occupies the Office of the National Secretary in acting capacity pending Udeh-Okoye’s ratification by the NEC.
The South East PDP, however, threatened to review its continued membership of the party should its position suffer further delay despite its agelong loyalty to the PDP.
“The South East has consistently served as a stronghold of the PDP from inception. In PDP’s near three-decade existence, we have given our loyalty and all to the party.
“Currently, while the party has been losing key members post-2023 general elections, the South East PDP is at the vanguard of strengthening the Party by rallying major opposition figures such as in Enugu where the Labour Party, LP, gubernatorial candidate, two LP House of Representatives Members, numerous members of the House of Assembly, among other stalwarts into the PDP fold.
“Therefore, we hope that this time around, the position of the South East PDP regarding the Office of the National Secretary is accorded the honour and immediacy it deserves. This would bring to a closure to the needless lingering dispute over the matter.
“However, in the event that our position is not promptly implemented by the Party, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward,” the communique concluded.
Wabara, on his part, said it was in order to review the region’s relationship with the party should what he described as trampling of the zone by the party persist.
“We have been trampled upon, not taken seriously. If such a position were vacant in the South-South, it would not be like this. And now, it came to us. I mean, the usual thing is to play politics with the Igbo man. Yes, we may have to reconsider our stand as far as the party is concerned. But I trust the NWC,” he stated.
Udenwa, on his part, Udenwa said, “We are expecting that this issue will be finally ironed out once and for all. We do not want to be taken for granted by anybody again.”
GRPolitics
2nd anniversary: Nsukka leaders score Gov Mbah’s administration high
…as Nsukka retired army generals, DSS, police throw weight behind Mbah’s security reforms


Leaders of Enugu North Senatorial District, also known as Nsukka Zone, have scored the administration of the state governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, very high and satisfactory, stating that the governor’s second anniversary in office deserved commendations.
This was as retired senior security chiefs, comprising army generals, directors of the Department of State Services (DSS), commissioners of police, among others, declared support for the governor’s security reforms and tech-driven policing system.
The Nsukka leaders who converged on Adada House, Nsukka, weekend, under the aegis of Enugu State Coalition for Progress, Enugu North Senatorial Zone Chapter, comprised a cross section of socio-cultural groups, senior academics, retired security officers, captains of industry, traditional rulers, association of farmers, politicians, among others, drawn from the 6 council areas, said the governor had done well in the governance of the state.
The gathering which featured a dialogue series themed, H.E Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah Administration – The Journey So Far (Education, Politics & Security), had the former Minister of National Planning and Chief Economic Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof Osita Ogbu, delivering the keynote address.
Referring to the former Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew’s sacrifices that led to the transformation of Singapore from a third world country to a developed nation, Prof Ogbu said the country was in need of leaders that were committed to the welfare and growth of their people.
He commended the governor for substituting partisan politics for all-inclusive, people-driven governance in the state.
Noting that the governor was fulfilling his campaign promises, Prof Ogbu pointed at the revitalization and completion of abandoned projects, funding of quality education, financial independence through fiscal discipline, private sector mentality and efficiency in public governance.
Speaking on the concept of “Tomorrow Is Here,” the renowned economist said the governance philosophy had zero tolerance for lazy and unintelligent acts, zero tolerance for corruption, strive for new opportunities, adherence to strict democratic accountability, clean and green environment, and the pursuit for healthy and happy citizens with rights and responsibilities.
“We did analyses of the budgets of all the states and we did a comparison. Enugu State, in absolute terms, in relative terms, spends more on education than even Lagos State. It’s the highest spender on education across the federation,” he added.
Speaking on security, a discussant, Maj. General Victor Ezeugwu (rtd), said the retired veterans from the zone met with the governor on some of the challenges facing the zone with proposals, adding that the governor had already done almost 60% of them.
“We visited the Command and Control Centre in Enugu today, and from that centre we watched Uzo Uwani and the forests around Uzo Uwani, and other areas, and all of us were very amazed that he has brought technology to bear on security. We’ve proposed to the governor that all the senatorial zones have a replica of that spectacular innovation which he has promised,” Ezeugwu said.
The veteran, who called for a joint taskforce where all the security apparatuses would work in sync to tackle the menace of killer herders and the ESN, said Governor Mbah had provided welfare and also informed them of the planned increment of salaries for local vigilante and neighbourhood watch operatives.
Acknowledging that veterans from the zone were already working in synergy with the governor through a 5-man committee approved by him, Gen Ezeugwu called on the people of the district to support the state government to do more.
Also speaking were the Member representing Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency, Rt Hon Dennis Agbo, the Deputy Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Ezenta Ezeani, Special Adviser to the Governor on Education Innovation, Dr. Chinyere Onyeisi, Coordinator of the group, Hon Chinedu Onuh, and the secretary, Prof Simon Ortuanya, who lauded the governor for championing landmark projects in the zone.
Justifying the significance of the gathering, Hon Agbo said the governor had done well particularly for the people of the zone which was the motive behind the discussion. He called on the people to continue their support for the administration.
Lending his voice, the Deputy Speaker said it was time to tell the world the remarkable projects the governor was championing in the senatorial zone, and to also convey a message of appreciation to him.
“From what we have gathered from our people, the governor is getting more popular on a daily basis. It’s because of the litany of development projects and it has never happened, so we’ve come out en masse to appreciate his good works. We’re a very grateful people, and we are grateful to the governor. What we’re discussing here is governance beyond politics,” he added.
On her part, Dr Onyeisi stressed that the world-class 260 smart schools in the state were an initiative of the Mbah administration to address inadequate infrastructure, outdated curricula, and equip both teachers and students with the essential soft skills for the 21st century tech revolution.
Declaring support for the governor on behalf of other security chiefs, Maj. Gen. Godwin Ugwuoke (rtd) said security comes first in any clime at all levels, saying the governor had accepted to set in motion all that was required to execute the terms and proposals made by them.
According to him, “Everything that he’s putting in place, it’s only security that will make us enjoy it – the economy, education, health, and all that the government is doing. The most important thing we from the Enugu North Zone can do is to encourage him to continue to do more, and let us not distract him unnecessarily. From afar, you’d think that the governor is unapproachable, but if you approach him with a good idea, you’ll discover that this is a leader.”
Other dignitaries at the dialogue moderated by the Chairman of Udenu LGA, Mr Aka Eze Aka, were the former Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Dr Dan Shere, the Chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, His Majesty, Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, State Secretary of PDP, Chief Chukwudi Nnadozie, foremost entrepreneur, Mr. Emeka Ugwu-Oju, and the chairmen of the 6 local government areas of the zone led by the Deputy Chairman of the State Chapter of ALGON, Barr Ferdinand Ugwueze, among others.