Author: Emmanuel Anthony

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma has taken a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in his reaction to the defection of his Ebonyi counterpart, Umahi, to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He spoke with reporters after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja. The former Senator said politicians who decide to remain in the opposition will be ‘hungry’. The governor said anyone who believes in Nigeria and has a pan-Nigeria attitude should “go for a national party”. “If you are not with the national party, and you choose to be in opposition, of course, you…

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The Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, said there is bad blood in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) adding that he was having very bad experiences in the party. He stated on Friday that he was having problems with his PDP governor colleagues. Matawalle made the claims in a statement by his media aide, Zailani Bappa, while praising the Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, for his bold decision to leave the PDP for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He said the extent of bad blood in the PDP was one of the reasons Umahi defected to the APC.…

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The Governor of Ebonyi State David Umahi on Friday vowed to openly fight the former governor of Ebonyi State Senator Sam Egwu, the former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Senator Pius Anyim and other national assembly members if they continue to disturb the existing peace in the state. Umahi made this known while briefing newsmen shortly after a meeting with all security chiefs in the state.  “I want the media to note that I reported an allegation that some Ebonyi people are engaging cultists and according to them, some IPOB members to start killings and crisis in…

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) formally accepted Senator Ishaku Abbo into the party on Thursday. The lawmaker was received at the APC national secretariat in Abuja. He was welcomed by Mai Mala Buni, Yobe State Governor and Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC). The event was witnessed by Senate President Ahmad Lawan. Abbo, elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is the Senator representing Adamawa North District in the National Assembly. He announced his intention to join the ruling APC on Wednesday. Also in November, Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, dumped the PDP for the…

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The Federal Government has reached out to Niger Republic and the United States of America, in a bid to execute the arrest warrant issued by an Abuja court against a former Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, who is believed to have jumped bail. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed this in the counter-affidavit filed against Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume’s bail application filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja. Maina is on trial for money laundering. And the court on November 18, revoked the bail granted to him and issued a bench warrant for…

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The lawmaker representing Idanre Constituency in the Ondo State House of Assembly, Festus Akingbaso has rejected his appointment as the Assembly’s Deputy Minority Leader. This is following the rejection of the impeachment of the Deputy Speaker, Ogundeji Iroju, by nine lawmakers. According to Akingbaso who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he was not aware of the purported impeachment of Iroju as Deputy Speaker, neither the move to appoint him as the Deputy Minority Leader. The appointment of Akingbaso as the new Deputy Minority Leader of the Assembly was announced at the plenary of the Assembly to…

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A lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, has applied to withdraw his services from the former chairman, Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina’s case of money laundering. Adedipe, who is representing Maina’s company, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd, told Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday at the resumption of proceedings in the case, that he has filed a notice, signifying his intention to withdraw from further representation of his client. According to him, he has not been paid by his client. The lawyer also apologised to the court for being absent from proceedings during some of…

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The Senate on Tuesday approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for a refund of N148,141,969,161 to Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Osun and Ondo State Governments. The sum was for projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government. The approval followed the consideration of a report by the Committee on Local and Foreign Debts. The committee is chaired by Senator Clifford Ordia (PDP – Edo Central). Ordia said most of the federal highways in the beneficiary states “were at a deplorable state before the intervention of the state governments. “Series of visits were carried out by the Federal Ministry of Works and…

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The Deputy Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Ogundeji Iroju, has been impeached. Iroju was impeached on Tuesday with Aderoboye Samuel representing Odigbo Constituency 2 elected as the new Deputy Speaker. The motion for the removal of Iroju was moved by Tomide Akinrogunde following a parliamentary resolution where the former Deputy Speaker was alleged of gross misconduct which the lawmakers said was inimical to the progress of the Assembly. The resolution was said to have been signed by 20 lawmakers which was said to be in line with the Standing Order of the Assembly. Aderoboye who was the…

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There have been reports that Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) met with former president, Goodluck Jonathan, in Abuja. The purpose of that meeting was apparently to sound out Jonathan ahead of the 2023 general elections. Jonathan was elected president in 2011 and lost to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. However, there are talks that he is still qualified to run having only spent one term of four years in office. Ilemona Onoja, a lawyer based in Abuja, does not agree with that. Onoja believes the constitution does not support a Jonathan presidency. In…

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The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Judicial Inquiry probing the alleged killing of End SARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki tollgate on Saturday resumed the viewing of a CCTV footage submitted by the Lekki Concession Company (LCC), operators of the tollgate. The clips were played before the cross-examination of Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, Commander of the 81 Division, Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island. It showed that the scene was peaceful until about 6.43pm, when protesters could be seen running towards the tollgate from the Oriental Hotel end. Two minutes later, at least seven military trucks with flashing headlights arrived. At…

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The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Friday gave Nigerians one condition to vote out members of the current National Assembly (NASS). Lawan in a speech asked Nigerians to vote out members of the NASS if they do not like the current crop of lawmakers. “Vote us out if you don’t like us”, he said. He challenged Nigerians to get better people as lawmakers in 2023. The Senate President spoke at a retreat for top management of the National Assembly Service Commission and National Assembly in Abuja. Lawan also charged Nigerians against engaging in debates on the heavy salaries…

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A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Jude Idimogu, on Friday insisted that the political future of people of South-East Nigeria lies in the APC. Idimogu an APC, Oshodi-Isolo Constituency II chieftain and Deputy Apex Leader, Ndigbo in Lagos APC, stated this while reacting to Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi’s defection from the PDP to the APC. The two-term lawmaker explained that it was time politicians from the South East embraced the ruling party to actualise their hopes and aspirations for the region. “Our party is a great party; APC is the hope. I thank God that one of our…

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Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, on Thursday reacted to the defection of the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Sani said Umahi’s defection may affect the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu. In a tweet, the former lawmaker said only God would save Onu from humiliation, following Umahi’s defection to APC. According to Sani: “With the defection of Umahi, only God will save the Minister of Science and Technology Ogbonnaya Onu from humiliation.” Recall that Umahi defected to the APC earlier this week. The governor had blamed his…

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The ECOWAS Court of Justice has fixed November 30, 2020, to adopt the terms of settlement in a third party proceeding brought by representatives of some communities and victims of mines and explosives remnants of Nigeria’s civil war. On the reconstituted panel for the case are Justices Edward Amoako Asante (presiding), Dupe Atoki (judge rapporteur) and Januaria Moreira Costa. Justice Dupe Atoki said the court was amenable to settlement while emphasising the need for diligence in the process to avoid time-wasting. The judge added that the court adjourned for a period longer than requested by the parties to enable them…

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National Assembly members from Ebonyi State, elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have said they will not be defecting to the APC. The PDP caucus in the National Assembly was reacting to the defection of Governor Dave Umahi. The media had been agog with rumours of the Chairman of South-East Governors Forum joining the All Progressive Congress (APC) and he has officially joined the All Progressives Party (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party. He confirmed his switch to the central ruling party during his interaction with journalists in his office, at the new Government House, Abakaliki. Umahi based his decision on…

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Nigerians on social media on Wednesday dragged the Federal government and Nigeria Broadcasting Commission after CNN released its findings from an independent investigation carried out on the October 20 shooting incident at the Lekki tollgate. Footage released by CNN showed that soldiers shot at the End SARS protesters who had gathered at the tollgate to press home their demands to end SARS as well as police brutality. CNN also tracked the bullets shells seen at the scene of the massacre which showed that they were purchased by the Federal government from Serbia in 2005. The global cable network in its…

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Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has accused the President General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nnia Nwodo of betraying the Southeast. He made the allegations while hinting on strategies the Southeast could use in making Nigeria beg for Igbo presidency. Kanu claimed Nigerians would beg for Igbo presidency if the Southeast supports IPOB’s push for secession. The IPOB leader’s comments are contained in a statement issued on Tuesday. According to Kanu: “Shameless crying babies. Somebody should remind the Efulefus clamouring for ‘Igbo presidency’ that power is not given, it is taken. This is elementary politics. Even a…

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The Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi, has said the Federal Government is committed to ensuring there is no repeat of the violence that broke out in parts of the country in the wake of the recent End SARS protest. Dingyadi disclosed this to State House correspondents after a meeting of the National Security Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He quoted Buhari as saying that relevant stakeholders including the youth, will be carried along to forestall a repeat. When asked whether it would include a crackdown on potential protesters, Dingyadi replied, “On the…

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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday launched the Rebuilding Lagos Trust Fund. It was established after the violence and destruction that trailed the End SARS protest. Citibank Nigeria Chairman, Yemi Cardoso heads the eight-member Board. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu constituted the team early this month. He also signed an Executive Order to restore lost assets. The Trust Fund will oversee the government’s recovery process. For transparency, FBN Trustees headed by Kunle Awojobi will oversee the body, the Vice President said. It will comprise five members from the private sector, two members from the public sector and one member from the international aid community.…

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The former representative of Ishielu/Ezza North Federal constituency Hon. Peter Edeh has said that Governor David Umahi did not sin by planning to defect to the All Progressive Congress (APC). The ex-lawmaker made this known while interacting with newsmen in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital. Edeh who was a former commissioner in the state under PDP government but joined the APC in 2017 said the defection of the governor to APC will end all factions in the party. According to him: “We believe that the governor has clout and support in politics. We expected that his coming to APC will boost…

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Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has re-appointed Osarodion Ogie as Secretary to the State Government. A statement on Saturday by his media team said it would be the only political appointment for now. It disclosed that others have been deferred to the first week of February 2021. Obaseki was inaugurated for a second term on Thursday. He was reelected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He defeated Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in September. Meanwhile, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has charged traditional rulers in the state to advise their youths and subjects…

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Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has warned the rank and file of the Nigeria Police and the army not to return to their duty post again. Recall that a former Inspector General of Police, IGP Tafa Balogun, had appealed to men of the Nigeria Police Force, to return to duty, following the reported killing and razing of police stations and subsequent absconding of many officers during the End SARS protests. Hoodlums had attacked police stations, killing some officers, looted and destroyed their belongings during the crisis that resulted from the nationwide protests. However, Balogun had…

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Friday announced that all the pending by-elections across Nigeria would be conducted on Saturday, December 5, 2020. INEC’s National Commission and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, disclosed this in a statement. Recall that INEC had postponed by-elections slated for October 31, 2020, in six senatorial districts and nine state constituencies. The statement read in part: “The Commission consulted with political parties and Civil Society Organizations on Tuesday and with the media and the Inter-Agency Consultative met with all Resident Electoral Commissioners on Thursday. “Based on these consultations, the Commission believes that…

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The Speaker of the Imo House of Assembly, Dr Collins Chiji (APC-Isiala Mbano) was on Friday, impeached from office. He received the votes of no confidence during a special sitting of the House presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Amarachi Iwuanyanwu (APC-Nwangele). Mr Paul Emeziem of Onuimo state constituency was also elected the new Speaker and was sworn in by the Clerk of the House, Mr Chinelo Emeghara, at the session. The impeachment motion moved by Ekene Nnodumele (APC-Orsu) and seconded by Michael Njoku (APC-Ihitte Uboma) cited gross incompetence, parliamentary ineptitude, financial impropriety and high handedness as reasons for the…

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The Anambra State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality, Extra-Judicial Killings and other Related Matters has said it would invite Ex-governor, Peter Obi or anyone indicted by petitioners to appear before the panel and also give testimonies. The Chairman of the panel, Justice Veronica Umeh was reacting to the testimony of a petitioner, Bonaventure Mokwe who had accused the former governor of rash actions following SARS reports. Appearing before the panel, Bonaventure Mokwe claimed he was arrested and tortured by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and his hotel demolished by the governor over alleged involvement in kidnapping activities.…

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday urged the international community and investors to take advantage of Nigeria’s diversity in human and natural resources for investment. The President also explained that his administration remains committed to youth development, integration and employment. He spoke at a ceremony to receive the Letters of Credence of the Ambassadors of Belgium, Mauritania, Austria and Norway at the Presidential Villa, Abuja and was contained in a statement signed by his spokesman, Femi Adesina. According to Buhari: “Nigeria is ready to pursue broader dialogue, as well as enhance cooperation and collaboration on the basis of constructive mutual respect…

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Former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday declared support for the repeal of the state pension law. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had on Tuesday disclosed that a bill on the abrogation of the law would be sent to the House of Assembly in a few weeks. He spoke during the 2021 budget presentation to the legislature. Speaking on Wednesday, Tinubu urged others, with specific reference to All Progressives Congress (APC) loyalists, to do the same. “Congratulations to Governor Sanwo-Olu over the Y2021 budget which he appropriately christened” Budget of Rekindled Hope”, he tweeted. “This audacious and enterprising budget will…

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US President Donald Trump is soliciting for funds to settle his election expenses. The President has set up a GoFundMe account tagged ‘election defence fund’ to solicit money. According to the UK Guardian, Trump spent a little more money than he had, seeking re-election. He spent to the tune of $1.6 billion which he now needs help in repaying. The newspaper reports that those donating may believe that the fund would go towards battling the outcome of the election in court. It reports that the part of the donations would be used in settling election expenses. Donations can be made…

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The Federal Government has been accused of engaging in gross partiality and policies capable of harming citizens, after it granted Dangote Group freedom to export goods through our borders even as it banned other companies from such activity. Recall that in October 2019, President Buhari had closed the country’s land borders to boost local production and strengthen security. However, it was reported that the cement company had secured permission from the Federal Government to resume cement exportation to Niger and Togo for the first time in 2020. The Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Cement, Michel Puchercos, said the company resumed…

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