US and China have agreed in principle that President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will hold a virtual summit before the end of the year, a senior White House official said, amid high tension in bilateral relationship over Beijing’s actions on issues like trade, human rights, the South China Sea and Taiwan. The announcement by the White House followed a nearly six-hour meeting in Zurich between US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on Wednesday. The move comes as tension between the countries spiked over Biden administration demands that Beijing cease military…
Author: Ifeanyi N.
The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), has reacted to the threat by the federal government to declare a state of emergency in Anambra State over the worsening insecurity in the State. InfoStride News reported that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami disclosed this after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja on Wednesday. The Minister stated that the Federal Government is determined to ensure a hitch-free election in the State. However, a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Tex Okechukwu, and issued to the media on Wednesday, APGA frowned at the threat…
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has come hard on the Federal Government over its threat to impose a state of emergency on Anambra State. InfoStride News reports that the President Muhammadu Buhari government had through the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami hinted that the insecurity in the State could lead to a state of emergency ahead of the next month’s governorship election. Malami’s statement has been receiving knocks from several political parties, as well as other organizations. This time, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said it was shocked that the FG could even think of such a plan…
Fresh crisis is currently brewing within the Oyo State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), Infostride News reports. Our correspondent learnt on Wednesday that a commitee led by a former Governor of the State, Chief Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala had set up a commitee to consider zoning of positions and conduct the state congress of the party. But, a group within the party cherished Unity Forum had said that it was not part of the commitee. InfoStride News reports that members of the forum included former Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, Senators Ayo Adeseun, Femi Lanlehin and Soji Akanbi. Other…
Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare, has kicked against the composition of a commitee set up to conduct congress of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State. InfoStride News reports that Sunday Dare is from Ogbomoso in Oyo State. Our correspondent gathered on Wednesday that the APC elders advisory council led by a former governor of the state, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala had approved a 9-man committee to oversee the zoning and planning of the state congress. The committee is expected to have its inaugural meeting on Thursday in Ibadan. Alao-Akala who ruled the state between 2007 and…
A US federal judge has declared it unlawful for the State Department to use travel bans issued to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as a reason to stop processing visas for otherwise eligible travellers that include technology professionals from India, according to a media report. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by a group of private individuals and a coalition of immigration law firms with support from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), over the State Department’s refusal to issue visas during the pandemic, Northjersey.com reported. They argued that a “travel ban” does not amount to a…
As the political atmosphere in Nigeria is beginning to heat up ahead of the 2023 presidential election, with who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari becoming a manor focus, politicians have been told to pay more attention to insecurity and challenges facing the country. A public Affairs Analyst, Jare Ajayi, gave the advice on Wednesday while speaking exclusively to the media. Most politicians commenting on the next president of Nigeria have named Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the best candidate to succeed Buhari. Traditional rulers, a former minister, lawmakers, APC chieftains, and other pressure groups have…
Ahead of 2023 general elections, the Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has called on Nigerians to give more priority to the unity of the country rather than the ongoing intrigues and strategies over the future polls. Senator Kalu, who represents Abia North District in the Senate made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists after receiving the traditional title of Kibiya (Arrow) of Argungu Emirate in Kebbi State from the Emir, Alhaji Mohammed Mera. Responding to a question on whether he would run for presidency in 2023, the lawmaker said he…
A social critic and aspirant in the 2022 gubernatorial election in Osun State, Busuyi Oyewole, has accused elected political office holders in Osun of failing to bring meaningful developments to their constituencies. Speaking with newsmen in Osogbo on Wednesday, the engineer-turned-social crusader also accused elected political office holders from both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of neglecting the electorate in their constituencies after election victories but always coming back to them when their votes are needed again. Oyewole revealed that the attitude shown by this set of politicians is not masses-oriented but they are…
Two lawmakers in the Anambra State House of Assembly have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The lawmakers, Mr. Douglas Egbuna, (Onitsha North l Constituency), and Mr. Onyebuchi Offor (Ekwusigo Constituency), announced their defection at plenary in Awka, on Wednesday, NAN reports. Offor, who was also the Minority Leader of the House, disclosed that he consulted widely with his family and mentor on his decision to move from the PDP to the APC. He said, “It’s time I join the party at the centre so that my constituents can feel and experience the…
Saudi Arabia’s oil company Aramco reached a $2 trillion valuation as it hit near record levels Wednesday during trading hours. Its market cap value puts Aramco just behind Microsoft and Apple as the world’s most valuable company. It comes as crude oil prices climb to over $82 a barrel, the highest in seven years. Demand for energy is picking up, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic’s continued toll on travel and other key gas-guzzling sectors. Aramco is mostly owned by the government of Saudi Arabia, with just under 2% of the company publicly listed on the Saudi Tadawul stock exchange. Aramco…
The Zamfara State Urban and Regional Planning Board (ZURPB) has marked the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other structures as illegal and set for demolishing. Addressing newsmen at the secretariat, the spokesman of the Deputy Governor’s office, Umar Aminu Gusau expressed shock over the marking of the structure as illegal and ordering the stoppage of the activities at the secretariat. He alleged that the secretariat was marked illegal structure due to political differences in the state, saying that the present administration does not want any opposition. According to him, PDP leaders in the state wrote official letters…
The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has described as a welcome development the formal defection of the member representing Aba central constituency at the State House of Assembly and ex-minority leader, Abraham Oba, to the ruling PDP from the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA). Abraham Oba who was elected twice on the platform of APGA, had announced his defection in a letter read on the floor of the house by the Speaker, Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, at its plenary sitting on Tuesday. The lawmaker cited the factional crisis in the party and other issues rocking the Abia…
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has urged the National Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against President Muhammadu Buhari. The spokesperson, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere made the call on Wednesday at a press conference. He alleged that the President had abused his office, grossly misconducted himself and failed to protect the lives and property of Nigerian citizens. Ugochinyere said life was now so cheap in Nigeria that leaders “do not even show empathy anymore”. The CUPP said people are becoming unfeeling since wanton killings have become the order of the day and every new death is taken for granted. The…
The youth wing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the northwest has frowned at the southern governors for insisting Nigeria’s president must come from the south. It totally condemned in strong terms the party’s decision on zoning the chairmanship of the party to the north. The PDP youths explained that the north is yet to complete its term of the presidency under PDP, explaining that former President Goodluck Jonathan completed late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s tenure and went ahead to run his own first term at the expense of the north. The Coordinator of the PDP National Youth Wing,…
US President, Joe Biden said he spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss China’s military activity near Taiwan and both sides agreed to abide by the Taiwan agreement, Spoutnik reported citing White House press pool’s report. “I’ve spoken with Xi about Taiwan. We agree, we will abide by the Taiwan agreement. That’s where we are, and I made it clear that I don’t think he should be doing anything other than abiding by the agreement,” the President Joe Biden said on Tuesday (local time). Since Friday, China has sent almost 150 aircraft into Taiwan’s defence zone. Taiwan’s Ministry of…
The Senate Minority Leader, Eyinnaya Abaribe, has insisted that the All Progressives Congress, APC, would not allow the Southeast to produce its 2023 presidential candidate. Abaribe said only his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, can produce an Igbo President in 2023. In an interview on Channels Television, the PDP chieftain said the APC was not set up to manage Nigeria properly. Commenting on the possibility of an Igbo President in 2023, Abaribe said, “The man who the shoe pinches know where it hurts. The Igbos are the people in Nigeria who make conscious efforts of setting anywhere else without…
Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, on Tuesday accused Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of causing the problems threatening the party in the state. Oyedepo said this while speaking with newsmen at the end of the weekly political dialogue organised by the Nations Leadership Institute in Ilorin. He warned that the party could not move forward in Kwara as it was presently constituted, stressing: “Don’t talk of reconciliation again, there are too many irreconcilable differences. “Only one person is destroying the party and that’s the governor himself. If you have the courage to say…
Bukola Saraki, former Senate President in the 8th National Assembly, on Tuesday joined other party members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to participate in the Ilorin West Local Government congress election. He was spotted at Ajikobi ward, Agbaji area of Ilorin, where he performed his re-registration membership of the party. Saraki later joined other party members including ward delegates at the Ilorin West Local Government secretariat of the party at Agbooba, in Ilorin. InfoStride News reports reports that the local government congress election was held in all the 16 local government areas of the state on Tuesday. Addressing the…
Deputy Governor of Edo, Comrade Philip Shaibu, has declared that consensus arrangement on leadership positions of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) congresses is working. Shaibu, who doubles as Chairman, Local Government Congresses of PDP in Oyo State, made this disclosure on Tuesday. He spoke after monitoring the local government congress of the party in some parts of Ibadan. InfoStride News reports that the PDP local government congress was held across the state on Tuesday. Shaibu, who addressed journalists after monitoring the congress, said the peaceful coordination of PDP members in the state and the consensus agreement is a victory for the…