Saturday, January 23

Tag: Reuben Abati

Reuben Abati Advises Sanwo-Olu Against Making ‘Empty’ Promises
22May By dthataNo Comments
Politics

Reuben Abati Advises Sanwo-Olu Against Making ‘Empty’ Promises

Former spokesperson for ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Reuben Abati, has advised the governor-elect of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, against making what he termed as empty promises. Eyes Of Lagos gathered that, The journalist made his remark in his column titled: Promises and the Future: “Sanwo-Olu and other govs-elect” which was published at the back page of ThisDay Newspapers on Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Abati, in his intervention, cautioned the governor-elect to refrain from making promises that he may not be able to keep warning that there would be consequences as the media and other stakeholders would double check and call him to account in due time. According to Abati, Mr. Sanwo-Olu was not a professional politician advising him to resist the temptation to talk li...
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Aisha Buhari: The Critic In The Other Room By Reuben Abati
24Jan By raymonNo Comments
News

Aisha Buhari: The Critic In The Other Room By Reuben Abati

Mrs Aisha M. Buhari, the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari is probably the most loved person in Nigeria today, especially by critics of her husband’s administration. She first came to our notice in this regard when in the course of her ailing husband’s medical vacation in London, she famously declared through BBC Hausa Service that the Buhari administration had been hijacked by a cabal. Long before anybody raised the issue, she was the first to observe that President Buhari has no business seeking a second term in office the way he was carrying on. She even added that she would not join him for any second term campaign. I had written a piece at the time titled “Aisha and that BBC interview”. I said I expected that the statement attributed to her would be disowned. But no such thing hap...
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How I predicted Nigerians Would Be Victims Of Buhari-APC ‘One-Chance’ Bus – Abati
9Jan By raymonNo Comments
News

How I predicted Nigerians Would Be Victims Of Buhari-APC ‘One-Chance’ Bus – Abati

Former presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati has recalled that he warned Nigerians to avoid President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC). In his latest article ‘Buhari: Between yesterday and tomorrow’, Abati said he was sure Buhari was driving a “One Chance” bus, and trying to lure unsuspecting Nigerians to certain despair. “I wrote an article shortly after the postponement of the 2015 Presidential elections”, he said. “The piece, titled ‘Buhari’s One Chance Campaign’ never got published. One of my colleagues to whom I showed it advised against its publication. His point was that we should remain professional and not get involved in partisan politics”, he disclosed. In the excerpts, Abati noted that Buhari was unelectable in 2003, 2007, 2011, and he was even far ...
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Jonathan’s Former Aide, Abati Mocks Tunde Bakare Over Presidential Ambition
4Jan By raymonNo Comments
News

Jonathan’s Former Aide, Abati Mocks Tunde Bakare Over Presidential Ambition

Reuben Abati, former media aide to immediate paste president, Goodluck Jonathan has reacted to the recent claim by Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly that God asked him to run for presidency.   Tunde Bakare, the senior pastor of Latter Rain Assembly, has disclosed he will be running for president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.     Bakare while Speaking at the crossover service inside the Church’s auditorium in Ogba, Lagos, on Monday morning, had said God instructed him to return to politics to lead the nation to prosperity.   “I heard the Lord say to me, politics is not over for you, there is still one thing left for you to do; run for president,” he was quoted as saying.   Reacting via an article entitled Fr. Mbaka and the V...
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Abati Didn’t Write That…
22Oct By raymonNo Comments
News

Abati Didn’t Write That…

I had dedicated Saturday, October 21, to two important events: attending to family duties and participating in a farewell funeral party in Abeokuta in honour of a doughty elderly woman whose paths and mine crossed for many seasons. She was the mother of a childhood friend, who became the mother of many others because she was a dependable ally in every battle. But my day was constantly disrupted and my attention distracted by reports from known and unknown persons about a certain commentary that was purportedly going viral on social media, authored by one Reuben Abati, and affirmatively titled “Still on Okorocha and Zuma’s Statue: Reuben Abati’s epic reply to Rochas Okorocha”. One fellow wanted to know if I authored the piece, others followed suit, and later close friends started bomb...
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Akwa Ibom Churches: Where Reuben Abati Got It Wrong
6Sep By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments
News

Akwa Ibom Churches: Where Reuben Abati Got It Wrong

I know Dr. Reuben Abati very well and I count him as a friend and a cherished colleague. I am also eternally excited to see the way he has grown in journalism having played a small role in his foray into journalism and the subsequent success he has garnered in the profession. I am thus not very happy that I would have to join issues with him. In 1990, as a 25 year old PhD holder in Theatre Arts, Dr. Abati was brought to the offices of Hints magazine by his childhood friend, Kayode Ajala for consideration as a writer with Hints magazine. I recalled the Publisher of the magazine, then Chief Counsel at TEXCACO Oil and the current Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu asking me what I thought of Dr. Abati. I remember telling Dr. Kachikwu “Doc, “(as we used to call him ...
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Jonathan, CJN, Fayose, Bello, Okonjo-Iweala, Ex-Govs Under EFCC Probe
6Sep By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments
News

Jonathan, CJN, Fayose, Bello, Okonjo-Iweala, Ex-Govs Under EFCC Probe

Names of some high profile individuals being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have been revealed. The Punch, in a report, said a list it obtained contained the names of Patience Jonathan, the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen; Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State; his predecessor and the current Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and the immediate past Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The names are in the list of high-profile cases involving over 100 politically-exposed persons and top-ranking public officers still being investigated by the EFCC as of August 2017. The list was recently sent by the EFCC to the Attorney General of the Federation and M...
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The Speech President Buhari Failed To Deliver
26Aug By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments
News

The Speech President Buhari Failed To Deliver

Fellow Nigerians, congratulations on the arrival of our dear President Muhammadu Buhari from a prolonged medical vacation. Let’s all raise our voices and thank God for performing what the President himself described as a miracle. “I’ve never been this sick,” the President had repeatedly told well-wishers. Before his sudden departure from Abuja House, the official residence of Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, events were getting rough and embarrassing as some aggrieved Nigerians had started making a willow cabin at his gate, raking and ranting about the President’s decision to seek medical succour abroad while the state of healthcare back home remains pitiably scandalous. It was a great relief to most Nigerians when news came from the Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesin...
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Civil Rights Group Advocates For Accountable Leadership
7Aug By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments
News

Civil Rights Group Advocates For Accountable Leadership

A civil rights group, League of Progressive Ambassadors of Nigeria (LEPAN), has called on the National Assembly to expose those who stood against the bill promoting youths’ active participation in politics. The bill sought to place the age for a candidate wishing to run for the office of the president at 35; governor at 30; House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly at 25. Speaking at a press briefing held in Lagos, LEPAN President, Chukwudi Anyawuocha, said: “While we commend the Senate for the passage bill and well-meaning Nigerians like Mrs. Oby Ekewesili and Mr. Reuben Abati, including the youths for their resilience, and plead for the accent of the bill by the president, we demand that the identity of those that opposed the bill should be made public for all to see. ...
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Who Is The Presidency? –Reuben Abati
25Apr By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments
News

Who Is The Presidency? –Reuben Abati

When last week, President Muhammadu Buhari decided to suspend the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and the Director General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ayo Oke in order to allow unfettered investigations of both public officers, the most striking immediate reaction was the SGF asking: who is the Presidency? State House correspondents had accosted the then SGF as he left a meeting with the Vice President. It is standard practice at the State House for correspondents to lay ambush. Babachir Lawal obviously did not know that he had been suspended from office. If the Vice President knew, he did not tell him. Again, that is how the Nigerian Presidency works. Once you fall out of line or favour due courtesies may not be extended to you. I was i...
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The Abuja-kaduna Airports: A Testimony – Reuben Abati
18Apr By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments
News

The Abuja-kaduna Airports: A Testimony – Reuben Abati

I have just returned from Abuja travelling through the Kaduna airport. As we disembarked from the aircraft and moved towards the arrival section, I could hear an announcement being made. The diction of the announcer was clear. She didn’t sound like those On-Air-Personalities (OAP, they are called) who speak as if they have hot water on their tongues. Airport continuity announcers in Nigeria tend to imitate these OAPs. This has been for me a great source of irritation. The last time I travelled from Lagos to Abuja, for example, I missed my flight because I just could not figure out what was being said. I was stranded because someone chose to speak fake English. The electronic boards at Nigerian airports where they are available, are unreliable and so, you invariably have to rely on those...
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Uti Nwachukwu Reacts To Reuben Abati’s #BBNaija Article, Says “Women Have To Learn To Stand For Each Other…If Not A Lot Of My Fellow Men Will Never Allow You All Go Far” 
11Apr By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments
Celebs

Uti Nwachukwu Reacts To Reuben Abati’s #BBNaija Article, Says “Women Have To Learn To Stand For Each Other…If Not A Lot Of My Fellow Men Will Never Allow You All Go Far” 

Former Presidential spokesperson Reuben Abatipenned quite an ‘analytical’ article about the just concluded Big Brother Naija reality show today and as a result, his views have been a source of conversation on social media.A lot of people have described his views as harsh and in a series of tweets, former Big Brother Africa winner Uti Nwachukwu shared his thoughts about the article. According to Uti, the article was an attack on women and he encouraged women to stand for each other. He also encouraged women to “teach African chauvinistic misogynistic men a harsh lesson”.
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Why I Don’t Regret Working With Goodluck Jonathan – Reuben Abati
27Feb By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments
News

Why I Don’t Regret Working With Goodluck Jonathan – Reuben Abati

Contrary to public sentiments that members of ex-President, Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet enjoyed working with him because of his alleged leniency towards corrupt people, his then media adviser, Mr. Reuben Abati, has said that he had no regrets working with Jonathan, because of the many lessons and quality exposure that he received under him. Abati said this on Sunday night while fielding questions from the media on life in the Presidential Villa. He described working under the former President as going to the ‘University of Life,’ saying that even those who were his critics would have had something to learn if they got into arena of state power at that time. The former presidential spokesman said that in spite of the allegation that he received N50 million from ex-National Security...
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I Want To Go To London… To See Buhari — Reuben Abati
21Feb By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments
News

I Want To Go To London… To See Buhari — Reuben Abati

When 15 million plus Nigerians voted for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 General elections, their expectation was that he would be available to serve them 24/7/365, and that those who fielded him as their candidate had done their home work to avoid what is curiously becoming the Katsina problem in Nigerian politics. Katsina! But we have now found ourselves in a situation whereby our President is now in London, for more than one month sir, ma, and we are here, and we have an acting President, who according to everybody, including the extremists and the mischievous, and the politically partisan, is beginning to try his best, with his admirers, now praying for the worst. For that reason alone, we have an emotionally, politically and spiritually divided country on our hands. Don’t mi...
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“The Two Faces Of Tuface” By Reuben Abati
6Feb By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments
News

“The Two Faces Of Tuface” By Reuben Abati

Reuben Abati has just dropped a bombshell to express his own reaction towards Tuface Idibia's latest decision to back out from the much publicized protest. Tuface’s decision to lead a protest to register the dissatisfaction of Nigerians with the performance of the incumbent administration and to reiterate the value of government’s responsibility to the people was his finest moment as a citizen and artiste. But it is also now, with his Jammeh-like volte-face, his worst moment. His transformation into a champion of democratic values and voice of the masses brought him added stardom and value. His retreat has turned him into a revolutionary manqué. He deserves our understanding and sympathy. When on 24th January Tuface (Innocent Dibia) announced that he was going to lead, under the...
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The Sad News Of Trump’s Triumph, By Reuben Abati
11Nov By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments
News

The Sad News Of Trump’s Triumph, By Reuben Abati

“Democracy is tricky; it sometimes ends up as a parody of itself. When the people clamour for change, they can vote with their hearts, and prove impervious to plain sight reason, and overlook likely pitfalls. We can only hope that Donald Trump does not become the symbol of the change that Americans are seeking. That would be sad indeed for the free world.” – Reuben Abati, “Anything Can Happen in America”, The Guardian, March 6, 2016. Earlier this year, I had written a piece titled “Anything Can Happen In America”, from which the quote above is excerpted, but I had virtually no idea that the outcome of the 2016 Presidential election could be so shocking, unthinkable and unbelievable. I was like the pollsters, the cultural activists, the Nobel Laureates, the American media establishment a...
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I Don’t Have Any Money To Return To EFCC – Reuben Abati
4Nov By Czar Owolabi Marcus1 Comment
News

I Don’t Have Any Money To Return To EFCC – Reuben Abati

Detained former presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that he does not have any money to refund to the government, sources within the agency said. According to Premium Times, the sources said Mr. Abati told interrogators that he had no immediate means of sourcing the amount for which he is being detained. The EFCC accuses Mr. Abati of receiving N50 million from the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki. The money was part of $2.1 billion allocated for purchase of arms for the fight against Boko Haram, the EFCC says. Mr. Dasuki is currently standing trial for allegedly misusing the money. The latest development came days after Mr. Abati reportedly promised to refund N5 million. The former presidential spokesperso...
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Our Political Elite Are Now So At Peace With Corruption – Oby Ezekwesili
3Nov By Czar Owolabi Marcus1 Comment
News

Our Political Elite Are Now So At Peace With Corruption – Oby Ezekwesili

Oby Ezekwesili has reacted to the People Democratic Party, PDP leaders’ visit to Femi Fani-Kayode, Musiliu Obanikoro, Bala Muhammed and Reuben Abati, who are detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). She said it is not only shameful, but also a gross absurdity that political elite are at peace with corruption allegation, and reduce such serious matters to comedy.   "Our political elite are now so at peace with corruption allegations. They've turned their friends with @officialefcc into Mandela-Wannabes. "It is a gross absurdity that these folks persist in cheerleading an orchestration to reduce serious matters of Corruption to Comedy. #Shame," she said. 
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EFCC Grants Reuben Abati Bail
27Oct By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments
News

EFCC Grants Reuben Abati Bail

EFCC has granted bail to former Spokesperson to former President Jonathan, Reuben Abati. The antigraft agency granted him bail today October 27th. He was arrested on Monday October 24th and has been in EFCC custody where he was interrogated for allegedly receiving some money from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki who is currently being tried for misappropriation of $2.1 billion arms procurement fund. As part of his bail conditions, Abati will have to drop his Passport and produce a surety of not below Level 16 in the Civil Service.
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EFCC Arrest Rueben Abati
24Oct By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments
News

EFCC Arrest Rueben Abati

The spokesperson to Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reuben Abati, has been arrested. Abati was reportedly arrested on Monday and is expected to spend at least Monday night at the office of the anti-graft agency, EFCC. Abati is being questioned for allegedly receiving some money from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, EFCC sources told Premium Times. Dasuki is currently being tried by the EFCC for his management of arms funds under him , in what is now known as #Dasukigate. With Abati’s arrest, at least three former aides of Mr. Jonathan are now currently in EFCC custody. A former Minister of State for Defence and High Commissioner to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, is still with the EFCC since last week Monday when he voluntarily surrendered himself a...
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‘Zenith Bank Owes us an Explanation’ – Reuben Abati
24Jun By Czar Owolabi Marcus1 Comment
News

‘Zenith Bank Owes us an Explanation’ – Reuben Abati

Former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Goodluck Jonathan, Reuben Abati, has on behalf of every Nigerian, requested of Zenith Bank to explain why a member of its staff was photographed kneeling before Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose. The governor, through his spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, on Thursday circulated on social media, photos from a visit of Zenith Bank management team to the Ekiti Government House. Fayose claimed to have been begged by the bank for denying responsibility for funding his June 2014 governorship election campaign. “They were begging me and that the matter should not go beyond this level,” Olayinka quoted Fayose to have said. This submission and the accompanying picture has incensed a lot of Nigerians – one of whom is Abati, who has...
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