The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State to ensure a fair and peaceful process in the September 19 governorship election in the state. Vice-Chairman, Communication and Publicity of the APC National Campaign Council, Mr Patrick Obahiagbon, gave the advice on Friday at a news conference in Abuja. According to Obahiagbon, nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Edo resident. “The protection of the integrity of the Edo Governorship election from the brooding and sprawling violence is a collective obligation. “This must be shared by all well-meaning citizens and groups interested in the…
Author: Emmanuel Anthony
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned individuals or stakeholders planning violence before or before the Edo 2020 governorship election that consequences that await them will not be palatable. INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, information and voter education committee, Festus Okoye gave the warning while declaring open a workshop for Journalists on Edo 2020 governorship election processes and procedures. He said it will be in the best interest of every stakeholder to be law-abiding for a smooth, free, fair and credible electoral process. According to him, “everyone involved in the process must see the conduct of this election as…
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday described the crisis in Mali as a setback to West Africa. Buhari said the incident was a setback to diplomacy and peace among West African countries. The president made the remark during his meeting with fellow leaders of the Economic Communities of West African Countries, ECOWAS and was disclosed via his verified Twitter handle. He stated this during an organised an extraordinary virtual summit by ECOWAS leaders over the crisis in Mali. However, Buhari said Nigeria backs any move by the African Union, and United Nations, UN, to ensure a peaceful resolution in Mali. According to…
Malian soldiers who carried out the coup that led to the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita have explained their action. Keita resigned and dissolved parliament as soldiers detained him at gunpoint. On Wednesday, they said Keita’s removal was to save Mali from further crises. They announced plans to form a civilian transitional government that will organize fresh elections. In a broadcast, Col. Ismael Wague, spokesman for the mutineers, called them the “National Committee for the Salvation of the People”. Wague invited Mali’s civil society and political movements to join them to create conditions for a political transition that would lead to…
Presidential campaign posters of the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, have flooded social media with the 2023 presidential election only three years away. The posters indicate that the Governor is seeking to contest for the country’s number one position come 2023. The posters carry Fayemi’s photograph as a contestant on the platform of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC. The campaign poster was sponsored by the Chairman of Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Mr Femi Ayodele. The posters have become a subject of political debate on different social media platforms. Fayemi is seen in the posters wearing…
The acting managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Daniel Pondei, has finally opened up after he fainted at the National Assembly a few weeks ago. Pondei fainted while Fielding questions from a Senate committee on the misappropriation of the budget of the NDDC, leading to mixed reactions on social media. He was however revived after scores of NDDC officials including Dr Cairo Ojuogboh seated close to him promptly came to his rescue. Pondei was however ferried out of the venue of the investigative hearing chaired by the chairman of the House Committee on Niger Delta, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo at…
A coup is likely underway in Mali following recent political events. This followed nearly three months of demonstrations calling for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s resignation. Soldiers in Kati town are arresting senior military officers. Tanks and military vehicles are moving round the streets of Kati, 15 kilometres from the capital, Bamako. Government workers in the nearby capital of Bamako are evacuating. “Arrests are being made of officials. It’s total confusion,” an officer at Mali’s Ministry of Internal Security, told journalists. The development comes amid the intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The body met late July but…
It took the intervention of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila to quell a rowdy session during the investigation into Chinese loans by the House Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreements, On Monday. The committee is investigating the alleged non-inclusion of local content in the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan loan project. The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi appeared before the committee on Monday. A mild altercation ensued between the Minister and the Chairman of the Committee, Nicholas Ossai from Delta state. The Chairman asked Amaechi about the alleged $33 billion loans for infrastructure. The Minister noted that the transport…
All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters have celebrated the sack of Bayelsa Governor, Duoye Diri. They marched through some areas in Yenagoa, the state capital. The party loyalists carried banners and chanted victory songs. David Lyon, the APC candidate, won the November 16, 2019 governorship election. But the Supreme Court declared Diri and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner after ruling that the APC Deputy Governor-elect, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, presented a forged certificate. On Monday, the State Election Petition Tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh poll. It declared that INEC wrongly excluded the Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP)…
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has opened up that he feels unhappy going a day without fighting with people. The Governor also said that it is his duty to raise the Blood Pressure (BP) of those who do not want to see him. According to Wike, he enjoys it when his name is being mentioned in Abuja for whatever reasons. Governor Wike said this when he addressed stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. “I’m not one person anybody can threaten. Of course, all of you know that when you threaten me you even…
The federal government has inaugurated an Inter-Ministerial Technical Expert Committee to work out the modalities of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty. The team will develop a framework of cooperation for all stakeholders’ special intervention under a public-private partnership. Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs spokesperson, Julie Osagie Jacobs, said this in a statement at the weekend. Other terms of reference include the preparation of a template for coordination of inter-governmental policies, projects and programmes. The committee will harness sundry opportunities for collaboration and cooperation among all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) at all levels of governance. Permanent…
The embattled Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi on Friday officially declared intentions to run for governorship under the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). Ajayi’s declaration was coming about two months after he dumped the All Progressives Congress, APC for Peoples Democratic Party. With the emergence of Ajayi as the standard-bearer of ZLP three weeks after he lost the PDP primaries to Eyitayo Jegede, it is believed that a third force that will give both the APC and PDP a run for their money at the October 10, 2020 governorship polls has emerged. Welcoming the Deputy Governor into the party,…
A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Obadiah Mailafia, has admitted he got the information about a Northern Governor leading the Boko Haram insurgents from Fulani traders in a market. Mailafia was invited by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the claims. After his release from DSS custody, he refused to retract his statements and insisted he was ready to lay down his life like former South Africa president, Nelson Mandela. However, in an interview with BBC Hausa on Thursday, Mailafia revealed he got the information from “some Fulani traders” in the market and did not…
A young black-American man has redefined perseverance and focus after emerging from the obstacles life threw at him to become the youngest judge in c at the age of 27. As a teenager, Hanif Johnson was constantly in a fight with the law that saw him imprisoned three times, but he picked up the pieces of his life and resolved to turn things around. Johnson, a student at Penn State University, was also charged with assault in connection with a hazing allegation that earned him three weeks in jail. Although Johnson was not found guilty of the most serious charges,…
Popular Nollywood actress, Ruth Kadiri has said that voting should be abolished in Nigeria until the punishment for corruption is death penalty. The popular actress made this known in a recent social media post where she stated that political candidates and their parties are all liars. According to her, Nigeria hasn’t changed for the better despite the promises they made in the past. Ruth Kadiri shared a text image which read: “Based on what I have seen in the past, any incoming president or governor campaigning for your vote and promising you a better Nigeria is a liar!!! I repeat…
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Professor Olawatoyin Ogundipe, has been sacked by the governing council of the institution. His removal was announced during the meeting of the Governing Council of the institution which was presided over by its Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN) at the National Universities Commission (NUC) building in Abuja on Wednesday. A statement released by the council said Ogundipe was removed due to his gross misconduct, financial recklessness and abuse of office. “The general public is hereby notified that at an emergency meeting held on Wednesday 12 August 2020 and…
About two weeks after the Imo State House of Assembly went on recess, the assembly’s symbol of authority, the mace is alleged to have gone missing. It was gathered that part of the news was that the Assembly mace was allegedly used for the impeachment of the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly and his deputy about a week ago. Meanwhile, the member representing Oru-West state constituency in Imo State House of Assembly, Dominic Ezerioha, in a press briefing described the rumour as false and fabrication of evil discussants who want to destroy the image of the State Assembly.…
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq has said that no fewer than five million candidates have applied for the 2020 N-Power programme. The Minister made the disclosure in a statement on Tuesday by her Special Assistant on Strategic Communication, Mrs Halima Oyelade. She said that the registration which commenced on June 26 was to end on July 26 but was extended by two weeks. “A total of 5,042,001 Nigerian youths have applied as at the end of the registration. “Due diligence will be applied during the next stages of the selection to…
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), on Tuesday, denied receiving any money from the terrorist group in or outside Nigeria. The group director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, gave the denial in a statement, following reports that it received N200,000 from Islamic State for West Africa Province (ISWAP). Akintola described the allegation as illogical, adding that the group has always condemned every act of terror. The group said it was a wicked concoction from the pit of Jahannam, adding that it has never had any contact with ISWAP or any terrorist group. “We remain committed to the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria,” the…
The Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, insisted that the resignation of the Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, would not affect their chances of victory in the October 10 governorship election. Ajayi’s resignation from the PDP comes six weeks after he dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). However, in a statement signed by Kennedy Ikantu Peretei, the State Publicity Secretary, the party said it was yet to receive Ajayi’s resignation letter. Peretei said Ajayi’s resignation proved that he (Ajayi) is desperate to become the Governor of Ondo State. According to the statement, “In the days to come,…
The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, on Monday warned that National leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu; ex-APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje are working towards creating a great calamity in Nigeria. The Deputy Governor warned Edo indigenes to stay away from the APC leaders because they will bring calamity to the state. The Deputy Governor, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media, Benjamin Atu also urged people of the state to distance themselves from APC governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. He accused them of putting Nigeria’s unity, nascent democracy,…
The Chairman of Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, on Saturday said he was never written a letter by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to refund the sum of N2.5 billion for unexecuted contracts. Reacting to what he described as ‘fake letter’ purportedly written to him by the NDDC, the lawmaker said, “there was no letter emanating from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) requesting a refund of N2.5 billion from him.” In a statement on Saturday by his media team, he said that the purported letter credited to one Peter Claver Okoro, Esq, posing as…
The Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State has advised the former governor of Lagos State, now National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, to concentrate on what they described as epileptic 2023 presidential ambition rather than wasting time and energy on Edo political situation. The South-South national vice chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih gave this advice in Benin City, while reacting to the recent statement credited to Tinubu when he accused Gov Obaseki of committing impeachable offences. He said Tinubu should leave Edo State alone and stop accusing Oabseki. According to Orbih, “Tinubu style of leadership…
President Muhammadu Buhari Friday in Abuja received the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, urging party leaders and campaign team to do all that is necessary, following legal and constitutional means, to win the election. President Buhari received the governorship candidate at the State House alongside Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni; Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, as well as APC Campaign Chairman for Edo State elections and Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. The…
A former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Okwesilieze Nwodo, has warned that elites of the Southeast may begin to support the secession move of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Nwodo warned that the Southeast may be forced to support Kanu’s push for Biafra if the region is not allowed to produce Nigeria’s next president in 2023. He issued the warning while backing an elder statesman, Tanko Yakassai’s call for Igbo presidency in 2023. Yakassai had urged the Southeast to seek the support of other regions of Nigeria to produce the country’s next president in 2023.…
The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Edo State, Osagie Ize-Iyamu on Thursday declared that Adams Oshiomhole, an ex-National APC Chairman does not control the police hence Governor Godwin Obaseki must explain the State Assembly tussle. Ize-Iyamu made the remark in his reaction to the heavy presence of policemen and other security operatives at the premises of the State House of Assembly. Recall that the Peoples Democratic Party had accused the federal government of mobilizing security operatives to take over the House of Assembly. However, Iye-Iyamu, in a statement signed by the Chairman of APC campaign council in the state, John Mayaki,…
Nigerians on Wednesday queried how the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) discharged 11,194 COVID-19 patients in a single day. On Tuesday night, NCDC announced that a total of 31,851 patients have been discharged in Nigeria. The total number of discharged patients as at Monday, Aug 3rd were 20,663. This means 11,194 COVID-19 patients were discharged in 24 hours, making it the highest number of patients to be discharged in a day. In response to the development, the Minister of Health, Chikwe Ihekweazu stated that the cumulative discharged cases include 10,946 recovered #COVID19 patients in Lagos State who were being…
Edo State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker, Yekini Idiaye, has been impeached. He was removed during Wednesday’s plenary session. The lawmaker represents Akoko-Edo Constituency I. The Assembly elected Roland Asoro as his replacement. Asoro is the member representing Orhionmwon II Constituency. On Monday, Idiaye declared support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu. Ize-Iyamu is the main challenger to Governor Godwin Obaseki. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed September 19 for the poll.
Kwara State Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi, and his wife, Abieyuwa, have tested positive for coronavirus. Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, made the announcement in a statement on Tuesday. Alabi is the Chairman, Kwara State Technical Committee on COVID-19. Ajakaye disclosed that on Monday, Alabi and his wife were tested after they showed slight symptoms of coronavirus, “The results of their test are positive. The second couple are very stable and in high spirit, and are now undergoing standard management protocols supervised by the government’s medical team. “Immediate contact tracing and tests, among other safety protocols, are…
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has said that he is not surprised by the recent revelations about the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as the commission allegedly brought out N10 billion to fight him during the 2019 election. According to Wike, the agency has since deviated from its original mandate and has become a cash cow for some corrupt politicians. “I have said before and it is very clear; my concern is everybody knows that NDDC was set up for the development of the region,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “Unfortunately, they have turned it to a…
