Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that he is not leaving the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) anytime soon.
Atiku shared this while speaking to a group of women from the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), who visited him in Abuja to discuss ways to save the party from its ongoing crisis.
Atiku assured the women that he is committed to the PDP but stressed the need for a broad coalition to challenge the APC-led government in the 2027 elections.
He explained that the coalition was not just a political move but a vital step in rebuilding Nigeria.
He referred to historical alliances, such as the NPN-NPP accord, as proof that such coalitions could work successfully.
The women, led by former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Inna Ciroma, expressed concern over the lack of leadership within the party, which they believed was causing instability and divisions.
They emphasized the need for direction and leadership to prevent the PDP from collapsing.
Atiku also discussed the importance of party funding, stating that no individual should have too much control over a political party.
He highlighted the role that all members of the party must play in ensuring its growth and success.
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR
RE: DELAY IN APRIL 2025 SALARY FOR FEDERAL TERTIARY INSTITUTION STAFF ON GIFMIS PLATFORM
Your Excellency,
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR,
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
May this letter find you in strength and wisdom as you continue to shoulder the great responsibility of leading our nation toward renewed hope and progress.
Today is 6th May 2025, and with deep concern and heavy hearts, we, the staff of Federal Tertiary Institutions (FTIs) under the GIFMIS salary payment platform, wish to draw your urgent attention to the non-payment of our April 2025 salaries.
While our counterparts on the IPPIS platform have received their salaries as expected, those of us on the GIFMIS platform have once again been left in uncertainty, hunger, and distress. Sadly, this is not the first time such a delay has occurred, it has become a recurring hardship since our return to the GIFMIS platform.
Your Excellency, this situation raises unsettling questions:
1. Is this persistent delay a punishment for choosing a more transparent, accountable, and institutionally autonomous salary system?
2. Why has the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) withheld our salary warrant without any official explanation?
Mr. President, this is no longer a simple administrative oversight. It is a humanitarian emergency. Families are suffering. Workers are sick but unable to afford treatment. Schools have resumed, yet parents cannot pay tuition. Many live hand-to-mouth and now find themselves at the mercy of hunger, debt, and emotional trauma.
As a father of the nation, we know you care deeply about the well-being of every Nigerian, especially those who daily invest their lives in building the nation through education and service. We therefore humbly and sincerely plead with you to wade in urgently.
Let those who may be frustrating your vision for a better Nigeria through unjust delays be held accountable. Let justice and equity reign. Let no Nigerian worker be made to feel like a second-class citizen for demanding transparency and dignity in salary payment.
We, the academic and non-academic staff of Federal Tertiary Institutions, remain committed to serving this nation with all our hearts. All we ask is that our rights and livelihoods be protected.
Your Excellency, please ensure the release of our April 2025 salaries and other entitlements without further delay.
With utmost respect and trust in your leadership,
Com. O. O. Ọlálèmí
NASU Secretary, UI Branch
(On behalf of the concerned FTI staff on the GIFMIS platform)