The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has suspended its embattled Kogi State Chairman, Moses Peter Oricha, citing alleged indiscipline and anti-party activities. The suspension was detailed in a letter dated July 22, 2024, signed by the National Secretary of SDP, Olu Agunloye. The letter stated: “In particular, the National Working Committee received the committee’s recommendations and further reports in respect of your activities from the National Vice Chairman (North Central Zone). These activities are considered not in the interest of the Social Democratic Party.” The National Working Committee (NWC), in line with the 2022 Constitution of the Party, approved Oricha’s suspension…
Author: Ifeanyi N.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has issued a warning against a planned nationwide protest, stating that it is not in Nigeria’s best interest. The agency announced on Thursday that it had identified the sponsors of the protest and urged them to cancel it. The warning was detailed in a press statement signed by the Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Dr. Peter Afunanya, and made available to Vanguard. The DSS cautioned that intelligence suggests the planned protest could be hijacked by hoodlums to incite chaos and extreme violence across the country. The agency alleged that the protest organizers…
The Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) has announced a new date for the Local Government elections, now set for October 5, 2024. The election was initially planned for November 16, 2024, following an earlier date of July 6, 2024. The new date was disclosed on Wednesday by the Commission’s Chairman, Dr. John Chen, during a meeting with members of the Benue State House of Assembly Standing Committee on Electoral Matters and Civil Society, led by its Chairman, Mr. Abu Umoru, at the Commission’s headquarters in Makurdi. Dr. Chen was represented by the Commission’s Secretary, Dr. Vincent Gisaor, who cited…
The Board of Trustees Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing the South East Development Commission Bill into law. InfoStride News reports that the bill was first introduced in 2017 by Hon. Chukwuka Onyema, representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Anambra State, in the House of Representatives, but it did not survive the second reading. In 2024, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, revived and expanded the bill. The bill was passed swiftly through the legislative process, with the Senate promptly concurring. President Tinubu…
The Accord Party has informed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of a new date for its National Convention. The change was necessitated by a proposed nationwide protest slated for August 1. In a letter titled “Notice of the Change of Date for the National Convention,” signed by National Chairman Barr. Maxwell Mgbudem and National Secretary Adebukola A. Ajaja, the party explained the reasons for the rescheduling. “We wish to refer to our letter dated July 20, 2024, on the above subject. Consequently, the date of our National Convention earlier scheduled to hold on August 1, 2024, has been changed,”…
The Rivers State government has criticized the Nigeria Police for allegedly failing to impartially fulfill its constitutional responsibilities of protecting lives and property in the state. This response followed a clash on Wednesday between supporters of Martins Amaewhule, factional speaker of the state House of Assembly, and supporters of the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, at a health center. State Commissioner for Information, Joseph Johnson, condemned the police for actions he claims endanger citizens rather than protect them. He alleged that police officers went to a health facility in Eliozu, Obio/Akpor local government area, and discharged canisters of teargas, causing panic.…
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has called on leaders across the country to develop programs and policies that will create opportunities comparable to those attracting Nigerians to foreign lands. He emphasized that this is the only sustainable way to control the mass exodus of Nigerians seeking jobs abroad. Governor Otti made these remarks at his country home in Umuihim, Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South LGA, while receiving the executives of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). He noted that the ‘JAPA syndrome’—the trend of Nigerians leaving the country in large numbers—is a reality that cannot simply be legislated against.…
The Zamfara State Executive Secretary of the Substance Abuse Control and Human Trafficking Agency, Pharmacist Ishaq Ibrahim Anka, has announced that the agency has begun blocking all channels of hard drug supplie s in the state. Anka disclosed this during a press briefing in Gusau, the state capital. He emphasized that the move is crucial due to the alarming rate of drug abuse in the state. “Blocking the corridors of hard drugs’ supplies will reduce security challenges bedeviling the entire state, as hard drugs contribute immensely to the high rate of crimes,” he stated. Anka highlighted the dangers associated…
Daniel Bwala, former spokesman for the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has announced his plans to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Bwala made this declaration on Wednesday following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja. Confirming his move, Bwala stated, “Yes, the last time I was here, I was still in PDP. I have officially left PDP and I’m making plans to join APC. The intention is just like somebody who is planning his wedding; you don’t just wake up one morning and go to church. You have to…
The Edo State Government has dismissed the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership’s demand for the Federal Government to place Governor Godwin Obaseki on a security watch list ahead of the proposed August 1, 2024, nationwide protest by some youths over economic hardship. The State Chairman of the APC, Jarret Tenebe, claimed the request was necessary due to Obaseki’s alleged threat to incite violence if the Federal Government did not arrest APC members accused of attacking Benin Airport. Tenebe’s call was detailed in a statement titled, “The All Progressives Congress, APC, Alerts Federal Government to Put Governor Obaseki on Security Watch.”…
President Bola Tinubu has officially welcomed former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim into the All Progressives Congress (APC). Anyim, who served as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) under President Goodluck Jonathan, recently defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, and his Ebonyi State counterpart, Francis Nwifuru, presented Anyim to President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. In March 2023, Anyim indicated his departure from the main opposition party when he directed his supporters in Ebonyi State to vote for Nwifuru, who was then the APC gubernatorial candidate. After meeting…
Nigerian billionaire, Femi Otedola has spoken on the controversies amid Aliko Dangote and his just commissioned Refinery. In his words, he said: “Aliko Dangote, the visionary entrepreneur, has built the largest single-train refinery in the world, located in Lagos State. He also owns the second-largest sugar refinery globally, situated in Lagos, and the world’s largest cement factory in Kogi State. “Additionally, he has established one of the second-largest fertilizer plants in the world, also in Lagos, soon set to surpass the biggest one in Qatar. “His fertilizer plant in Lagos already exports globally, showcasing his far-reaching impact on international trade.…
Vice President Kamala Harris is narrowly leading former President Donald Trump in a national presidential poll released Tuesday, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. The poll, conducted on Monday and Tuesday, comes after both the Republican National Convention, where Trump formally accepted the nomination on Thursday, and Biden’s announcement on Sunday that he was leaving the race and endorsing Harris. Harris, whose campaign says she has secured the Democratic nomination, leads Trump 44% to 42% in the national poll, a difference within the 3-percentage-point margin of error. This compares with a marginal two-point deficit Biden faced against Trump in last week’s…
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has dissolved its State Working Committee in Kogi State. This decision was detailed in a letter signed by SDP National Chairman Alhaji Shehu Gabam and Secretary Dr. Olu Agunloye, dated July 22, 2024. The letter stated: “This is to officially inform your office that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Social Democratic Party has received and considered reports on the activities and developments of the Kogi State Chapter and has, accordingly, dissolved the Kogi State Working Committee in line with the 2022 Constitution of the Party as amended. “Consequently, the National Working Committee has…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, as a blatant liar. According to APC, Obi’s alleged distortions and misinformation are calculated to mobilize outrage against President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Felix Morka, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, stated that Obi’s remark attributing Nigeria’s economic crisis to the nine years of APC-led administration is misleading and false. In a statement he signed, Morka said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was responsible for the country’s economic crisis, not APC. The statement by Morka reads partly: “The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in…
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has downplayed the possibility of suspending Governor Charles Soludo from the party. APGA’s National Chairman, Edozie Njoku, stated that other political parties would benefit if Soludo were suspended, making such a move unlikely. Addressing journalists in Lagos, Njoku said, “The current peaceful disposition in APGA made it unnecessary for the party. That would have sounded good for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and probably good for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “But, if we suspend Soludo today, who is going to be the beneficiary of that misadventure? It will be other parties. “There is…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced on Tuesday the arrest of ten individuals suspected of illegal mining activities in Oyo State. In a statement provided to media outlets in Ibadan, the EFCC disclosed that the suspects were apprehended in Ogbomoso. The arrests followed credible intelligence on their alleged involvement in the illegal extraction of solid mineral resources. The EFCC noted that the suspects were found with six trucks fully loaded with lithium. The names of the suspects, as listed by the EFCC, are Yunusa Adisa, Ganiyu Kazeem, Muideen Babayemi, Sulaiman Usman, Adeleke Waliu, Tiamiyu Rokeeb, Olusola Sunday, Oyedokun…
The Police on Tuesday arraigned a 24-year-old man, Adekunle Elijah, before a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos over the alleged defilement and abduction of a 14-year-old girl. Elijah, whose address is unknown, faces a three-count charge of abduction, defilement, and unlawful touches. The Prosecutor, Inspector Ayodele Adeosun, informed the court that the defendant committed the offences on July 11 at approximately 11 p.m. at Off Transformer, Agadangba, Ajara, Badagry, Lagos. Adeosun stated that Elijah abducted the 14-year-old girl and had sexual intercourse with her. He further alleged that the defendant unlawfully touched the girl and removed her underwear before…
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Communications and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has responded to the threat of a lawsuit by Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party. This comes after Onanuga recently accused Obi and his supporters of being behind the planned nationwide protests against the Tinubu administration over economic hardships. In a letter signed by his lawyer, Alex Ejesieme, Obi demanded that Onanuga retract his statement and issue an unreserved apology within 72 hours. Additionally, Obi is seeking N5 billion in damages for the allegation. Reacting to the legal threat, Onanuga posted on his…
The Osun State House of Assembly has begun the process of amending the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission and Local Government creation and Administration laws. This action follows a recent Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local governments. During Tuesday’s plenary, Speaker Adewale Egbedun announced the bills slated for amendment: the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (Amendment No 1) Bill, 2024, and the Osun State Local Government Areas (Creation and Administration) (Harmonised) Bill, 2024. Egbedun emphasized the necessity of these amendments to align the legislative framework with the new legal landscape established by the Supreme Court’s ruling.…