Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has made his interest in the party’s chairmanship position official. George today, Friday, August 5, obtained a nomination form to join AIT founder, Chief Raymond Dokpesi in the race, ahead of the August 17 National Convention of the party. The Convention is expected to hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Author: David Folami
Ijaw National leader, Edwin Clark, has said former president Olusegun Obasanjo is the most corrupt ex-president in Nigeria’s history. Clark, who was defending himself after he was accused of not speaking against corruption, said he confronted Obasanjo with allegations of corruption during former president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. Speaking to newsmen at his Warri, Delta state residence on Friday, August 5, the elder statesman recalled that he accused Obasanjo of having just N20,000 when he left prison but is now one of the wealthiest ex-presidents in West Africa. “During Jonathan’s time, I accused Chief Obasanjo that he was the most corrupt…
All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State says it will conduct a primary election on Aug. 8 to pick a candidate for Oorelope State Constituency re-run election. Mr Olawale Sadare, the Director of Media and Publicity of the party, announced this in a statement issued in Ibadan on Saturday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the seat became vacant following the assassination of Assemblyman Gideon Aremu on July 1. NAN also reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed Aug. 20 for the election to fill the vacant position. Sadare said that the eligible party members had…
Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed claims that he attended a meeting with the members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the party’s convention. While reiterating his exit from the opposition party, Obasanjo said having announced his exit from partisan politics publicly, it is impossible for him to return to a “divided, factionalized party gasping for breath.” In his words,“If I quit a party when it was alive and seemingly united, how could I go back to a now divided, factionalized party gasping for breath?” “Those who know me, know that I have publicly announced my quitting partisan politics…
Tanko Yakasai, an elder statesman has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will lose the 2019 elections. Yakasai, a former presidential adviser in the Second Republic stated this in his Kano residence when Raymond Dokpesi led members of his campaign team to seek his support for his PDP chairmanship bid at the forthcoming national convention in Port Harcourt. “In my opinion, Nigerians will vote out APC in 2019 because they are complaining over the cost of living and the rate of poverty is on the increase”, Yakasai said. I don’t see how APC will win if they don’t manipulate…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Alhaji Zannah Bunu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the by-election for Gulani state constituency of Yobe. This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Bagudu Nma, Information Officer of the commission in Damaturu. It stated that Bunu polled 6,488 votes to beat Isa Babayaro of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 1,623 votes. NAN reports that the by-election was conducted on Saturday following the election of Alhaji Abdu Kukuwa to the House of Representatives to replace Khadija Abba Ibrahim who was appointed minister in the federal…
The former Chairman of the House of Representatives appropriation committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has alleged that some Governors loyal to Yakubu Dogara don’t want him to meet with President Buhari. Jibrin said “After three days of careful observation and receiving information from Nigerians, I discovered a grand plan by two governors and three former House members to provide a soft landing for Dogara and 12 others, give them time to clean up the mess on their desk, destroy whatever evidence in their possession and reach, spread money across members to buy signature of vote of confidence.” He also claims that Dogara…
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BOT), Walid Jibrin has said that the party is not for sale. Jibrin also said that the PDP would not allow any person to buy his way into office. The BOT Chairman made the comment during the inauguration of the party’s National Convention committee on Friday, August 5, 2016, at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre in Abuja. “This party is not for sale. This party must be a party of very conscious people. We are telling every delegate to reject anybody that comes with money,” he said. “This party…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has accused Governor Adams Oshiomhole of squandering allocations meant for local government councils in the state. The Edo PDP also criticized Oshiomhole for claiming to help the councils save the funds in question. The opposition party’s comments were made by State Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih during a press briefing in Okada. “We can confirm that the reason why he has refused to conduct elections to fill the vacant positions of chairmen and councillors is to enable him squander allocations due the local governments in the name of saving it for them,” Orbih…
Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu has said that he returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC) because things changed in the ruling party. Ribadu recently dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC after an earlier defection. The ex-EFCC boss made the revelation during a recent interview with Punch. Excerpts below: You recently returned to the All Progressives Congress, a political party you participated in founding. Why did you leave in the first place? I joined politics during the 2010/ 2011 elections. By 2014, we were actively engaged; we almost succeeded in…
The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Borno says it has seized more than 20 tonnes of illicit drugs from 87 suspects within two years. The Commandant of the agency in Borno, Mr Ona Ogilegwu, announced this in Maiduguri on Sunday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), stating that the agency made the seizure in Maiduguri from 2014 till date. “It will interest you to know that the command had been recording remarkable successes in its fight against drug abuse in Borno. “The command has so far recovered a lot of psychotropic substances in different…
Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun has called for a ban on the export of primary farm produce as part of strategies to ensure food sufficiency in the country. Aregbesola made the call in Osogbo on Sunday in a statement he issued by his media aide, Semiu Okanlawon. The governor opined that the ban would enhance the value chains of the nation’s agricultural investments. He also urged government to fashion out measures that would make agriculture to be attractive to a new generation of young Nigerians. He noted that this would be viable option towards economic diversification, adding that Nigeria had…
President Muhammadu Buhari will leave Abuja for N’Djamena on Monday to attend the inauguration of President Idriss Deby of Chad. This information is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity. The statement said President Buhari would be joining other Heads of State and Government for the ceremony. It added that the President would be accompanied on the one-day trip by Abdullahi Ganduje and Kashim Shettima, governors of Kano and Borno states respectively. According to the statement, the President’s delegation will also include Sen. Baba…
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has said that budget padding amounts to corruption as the action is against the public interest. SERAP’s position is contained in a statement issued by the Executive Director of the project, Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja. SERAP is making its position known against the backdrop of the claim by the Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara that budget padding is not a crime under Nigerian law. Dogara was quoted to have said on Friday in Abuja after a meeting with…
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said it paid the N55.96 billion into the Federation Account in the month of June. This is contained in the corporation’s monthly financial report for the month of June released in Abuja on Sunday. The report said in parts: “NNPC transferred the sum of N55.96 billion into the Federation Account during the month under review from the net domestic crude oil receipt of N102.68 billion. “Also, the 23rd instalment of the refund to the Federal Government of N6.33 billion was remitted into the Federation Account.’’ It added that NNPC recorded a deficit of N26.51…
The Kwara Government says it has cut the subventions of seven tertiary institutions in the state from N3.6 billion to N517 million. The State Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Demola Banu, made this known in a statement released in Ilorin on Sunday. Banu added that the government had so far disbursed the sum of N430, 388, 359.24 as subventions to the seven State-owned tertiary institutions in 2016. He explained that the government had reviewed the subventions accruing to the institutions by deploying mechanisms to block loopholes and wastages in the system. The commissioner said that an outstanding balance of N86, 996,421.7…
The chairman emeritus of the African Independent Television (AIT), Raymond Dokpesi, has denied sponsoring the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA). A group of militants under the aegis of Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA), alleged that some prominent Nigerians were sponsors of the NDA. The RNDA spokesperson, Cynthia Whyte, named former President Goodluck Jonathan, Raymond Dokpesi, Godswill Akpabio, Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, and many others. According to Daily Post, Dokpesi said he had no connection with the militant group that has been linked with the destruction of offshore facilities belonging to oil companies in the Niger Delta region. The AIT Boss also…
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has denied the allegations that he is a sponsor of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA). The former President, who was named among many others, as an NDA sponsor, said the claim is malicious. This is following President Muhammadu Buhari’s meeting with his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, on August 3, 2016, Jonathan said the composition of the list shows that those who released the list have a political motive. GEJ also said he will issue an official statement to clear himself from the allegation levelled against him by the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA). Some of those mentioned…
The Lagos state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has said the kidnappers of the Oniba of Iba, Oba Goriola Oseni, will face the full wrath of the law. Oba Oseni, was kidnapped by militants on Saturday, July 16, 2016, who demanded for N500m ransom. Ambode also said the arrest of two suspects connected to the crime, is a warning to criminals to know that there is nowhere to hide in Lagos state. He said “Permit me to state that the kidnap of an Oba in Yoruba land is a sacrilege and a complete discretion of the cultural values of the yoruba people…
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris has instructed all police officers to declare their assets or face stiff penalties. Idris said his administration will deal with any police officer who violates the code of conduct guiding the police force. Daily Post reports that he said “Every police officer must declare their assets. “We are going to be very tough on our police officers who go outside our code of conduct. When I took over and told people that I am declaring my assets, it looked surprising, people took it as if I was doing something magical but that is…