The Adamawa State Government has denied President Muhammadu Buhari’s request to use the state-owned Ribadu Square in Yola for an All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign rally on Monday stating that the site is under construction.

The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Bashiru Ahmad, informed the presidency that the facility would not be available due to the renovations.

In his response to the President’s letter, Ahmad stated: “I write to acknowledge your letter ref. SH/COS/28/16/A/793 dated 3” January, 2023 addressed to His Excellency, the Governor, in respect of the above subject matter. “It is with utmost joy that we always welcome the news of a visit by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Adamawa State and always prepare to accord him a rousing welcome with the highest level of respect notwithstanding political party differences.

“Please note that, on this proposed visit that is scheduled for 9 January, 2023 and considering the purpose of the visit which is rally, the only befitting place (Ribadu Square) that is secured enough to host Mr. President, on occasions like this, and the surrounding infrastructural facilities are under extensive renovation. We, therefore, write to inform you that, much as we would want to provide a place befitting to receive Mr. President, we are constrained because we cannot guarantee the readiness of Ribadu Square before the due date of the flag-off. However, we are working round the clock and racing against time, along with the contractors, to get the place fairly ready to receive the President on the 18 January, 2023 when the presidential campaign train of the APC berths in our state.

“Sir, while hoping that you will take seriously the foregoing in your planning, accept, as always my highest respect for your esteemed office.”

Despite this, the APC’s Organizing Secretary in Adamawa, Mustapha Ribadu, has stated that the rally will proceed at an alternative location. The Director of Public Affairs, APC Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo (SAN) Keyamo who is also the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity said that Buhari will participate in the campaign in at least ten different states in order to ensure the victory of the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in the upcoming election.

He stated: “Recall that the President, out of his very busy schedule, had earlier attended the flag-off of the presidential campaign in Jos on the 15th of November, 2022. This was also after graciously accepting to be the Chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling party.

“In the latest campaign timetable released yesterday (5th January 2023) the President is billed to join the Campaign Train in at least ten States.

“The states are Adamawa State on the 9th of January; Yobe State on the 10th of January; Sokoto State on the 16th of January; Kwara State on the 17th of January; Ogun State on the 25th of January; Cross Rivers State on the 30th of January; Nassarawa State on the 4th of February; Katsina State on the 6th of February; Imo State on the 14th of February and the Grand Finale in Lagos State on the 18th of February.

“The PCC expresses its profound gratitude to President Buhari, the leader of our great party for his sterling and inspirational leadership at this time and for galvanising our teeming members and supporters across the country.

“We urge our party and supporters to turn out en masse, as usual, in the forthcoming campaign rallies. The zero hours is nigh; our spirits must be high; we must not relent in this collective march to our victory that is divinely ordained.”

Chris Ngige, the minister of labor and employment, has provided an explanation for why he is unable to endorse or engage in political activity on behalf of any of the four front-runners for the position of president.

While giving out gifts from his foundation to locals on Tuesday in his birthplace of Alor, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Ngige shared his motivation.

Ngige, a member of the All Progressives Party, claimed that since he had worked with all four of the presidential contenders at some point, he cannot choose one of them to support.

The minister referred to Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the APC, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party as his brothers, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as his best friend, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party as his sister.

Therefore, he advised Nigerians to cast their votes for the best candidate who would be able to represent them after critically analyzing their platforms and track records.

The four front-runners, he claimed, are qualified candidates with relevant expertise in state and federal governance.

“They are my pals, and I am familiar with them. They have previously collaborated with me in some capacity.

“When I was abducted as a sitting governor, the People’s Democratic Party’s former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was in charge of the nation’s affairs. He was filling in for Mr. President, who was away at the moment in Maputo. He directed that I be reinstated. He is the Chairman of the National Economic Council, where we were both seated. Together with Asiwaju, we founded the Action Congress.

“My close friend and political comrade is Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC. He was an enormous help to us as governor during the difficult times. Our group came up with AC. We collaborated in ACN, and on the Action Congress of Nigeria platform, I was elected as the only opposition senator for the eastern part of the country. He is not a stranger to me.

“My friend Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the NNPP. I was acquainted with him while he served as Agunwa Anaekwe’s deputy speaker in the federal House of Representatives in 1991. I am familiar with him because we were in the APC.

“Let the Nigerian people vote fairly, in my opinion. Let Nigerians examine them and their platforms and cast their votes in accordance with what is best for the nation.

“I don’t believe I will make the rounds for candidates A, B, or C. No, I won’t. It is not my specialty. I don’t flit from gathering to gathering. However, I do have some conscience, which I will safeguard and make sure is unharmed.

Prior to withdrawing from the election, the minister was said to have expressed interest in running in the APC presidential primary and to have bought the Expression of Interest Form.

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has given the country’s defense minister orders to impose a cease-fire in Ukraine over the Orthodox Christmas holiday.

On January 6, at noon, the 36-hour cease-fire will begin.

Many people typically observe Orthodox Christmas on January 6 and 7.

According to the Kremlin’s press office, Putin made the declaration in response to the Russian Patriarch Kirill’s earlier request that firearms be silenced during the Orthodox holiday.

According to a statement on the Kremlin website, “We call on the Ukrainian side to observe a ceasefire and permit them to visit Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services because a significant number of residents of the Orthodox religion live in numerous locations of the combat zone.”

Patriarch Kirill has always backed the Kremlin’s actions in Ukraine, even urging Russian soldiers that their deaths would “wipe away all sins” if they died in the service of their country.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, called Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier on Thursday and requested that the latter enact a unilateral cease-fire in support of peace talks.

According to a statement on the Kremlin website, “We call on the Ukrainian side to observe a ceasefire and permit them to visit Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services because a significant number of residents of the Orthodox religion live in numerous locations of the combat zone.”