As we head towards the 2023 general elections, people are heating up the polity with lots of political rhetoric’s, comments, opinions, attacks and defense. Of course it is a good sign that the electorate are partakers in the political process unlike other electioneering period.

However, having accused the supporters of the presidential candidate of Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, the ‘Obedient’ of threatening his life, former aide to former president Goodluck Jonathan, Pastor Reno Omokri, Sunday said that the former governor of Anambra state is an excellent candidate for 2023 presidential election.

Reno stated this via his verified Twitter handle. According to him Obi is an excellent candidate but the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar is better.

He urged people to support whoever they want and still respect each other.

His words: “I love Obidients, because they love #RenosNuggets. But I am voting for Atiku Abubakar. It does not mean Peter Obi is not an excellent candidate. He is.

“Just that Atiku is a better candidate in my opinion. We can all support who we want and still respect each other.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo had in an interview with ChannelsTv said that Obi is more experienced in governance than the former Vice President Atiku.

He said Mr Peter Obi is “ahead of him (Mr Atiku) in terms of capacity to make decisions. So how are we going to hand the country to somebody who has never held a position—who has never shown capacity where he makes the final call. Atiku Abubakar is not tested, he is not trusted. He has never held such a position, even Obi is ahead of him.

“The major rival we have today has never held an executive position where he makes the final call in government. So, we cannot second guess—Atiku Abubakar has never held an executive position where he made the final call; he was the vice president, he was not the chief executive, he was never governor, he was never anything. Even Peter Obi is ahead of Atiku Abubakar.”

Is Peter Obi getting more support even from the opposition than other candidates?

Former lawmaker, Dino Melaye, on Saturday, alleged that the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, sees the presidency as his “entitlement and retirement benefits”.

On August 4 2022, the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, designated Melaye, and Dr. Daniel Bwala to serve as his spokespersons for the 2023 presidential campaign.

Malaye, who represented Kogi West at the Red Chamber of the National Assembly during the 8th Senate, alleged that Tinubu was contesting for the presidency not on basis of the greater good but to fulfill his “lifetime ambition”.

In a video shared on his Facebook page, the former lawmaker who was responding to the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, over his comment on Atiku in a TV interview recently, said, unlike Tinubu, the PDP’s candidate is contesting with rich credentials.

According to him, Atiku has the rudiments of civil administration and of politics.

“Atiku Abubakar is running for the presidency for the second or third time and he understands this route better than the political virgin, Tinubu, that you (Keyamo) are supporting who is running for the presidency for the first time and sees it as his life entitlement and retirement benefits for supporting Buhari.

“Atiku has rich credentials and he is not running because of entitlements. He is not running because of his support for any party. He is running because he’s got the credentials and he is a team player. He is a talent hunter and leader per excellence.”

Furthermore, Melaye describes Keyamo’s comment on Atiku during the interview as “shameful, very embarrassing and a disgrace”.

“Keyamo’s inactive ministerial sojourn is affecting him. Because if he has succeeded as a minister he won’t be talking the way he is talking. Many Nigerians will tell you today they don’t know the ministry where Keyamo is working because he is redundant, inactive and invisible and he has been completely consumed by the aura of Ngige, the superior minister.

“Because Keyamo is a commercialised conscience and he has monetised his life that is why he will not understand that the vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has some ministries, agencies and government parastatals under his direct supervision.

“What he has done is that he has disrespected the office of the vice president of Nigeria as a lawyer who understands the constitutionality, enormous responsibilities of that office.”

Osun’s governor-elect, People Democratic Party’s (PDP) Sen. Ademola Adeleke, has said that he is ready to defend his victory at the election petition tribunal and retain his mandate.

Adeleke said his emergence as governor-elect was entrenched in total compliance with the law and in the will of the people.

His declaration is contained in a statement issued on Saturday in Osogbo by his spokesman, Malam Olawale Rasheed.

Sitting Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was defeated at the July 16 election and his party, filed a petition before an election tribunal on Friday challenging the election’s outcome.

Adeleke, however, claimed that the election was one of the most transparent in recent history in Nigeria, adding that the people’s mandate, freely given against overwhelming odds, would be defended and validated.

He said in the statement that PDP’s Legal Department was taking appropriate action on the petition and called on his supporters to remain calm.

“This divine victory cannot be stolen through the backdoor.

“I urge the good people of Osun who voted massively to reject bad governance to remain calm.

“We are doing the needful to defend their mandate.

“We will do all within our powers to ensure judicial validation of our victory as this is an election globally certified as a great advancement in electoral transparency and integrity.

“We also want to reaffirm our faith in the judiciary as a bastion of hope and justice.

“We have unshakeable trust in God that this election petition shall end in another landmark victory for us and the resilient people of Osun,’’ he said

INEC declared Adeleke winner of the election on July 17 with 403,371 votes to Gov. Oyetola’s 375,027 votes.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Adamu, has said the party must win big in 2023.

Adamu said APC must record resounding victories at the presidential, legislature, and governorship elections in 2023.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Adamu stressed that the APC would not be satisfied with just 25 percent votes.

“All the national elections, House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship, likely the presidential election, we’ll not be satisfied with just the 25 percent of votes cast.

“No halfway through it, if we’re to win, we must try to win every state,” Adamu stressed.

The APC National Chairman urged members of the ruling party to put their house in order and work towards the party’s victory in 2023.