The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the All Progressives Congress (APC) will lose the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti. The Bisi Kolawole Campaign Organization (BKCO) listed disengagement of workers, infrastructural decay and insecurity as reasons. The APC candidate, Biodun Oyebanji had boasted that Governor Kayode Fayemi’s performance will help the party to win. PDP said the achievements Oyebanji could build on are “banditry that has turned most Ekiti roads to nightmares, kidnappings, workers sack, bad roads (Akure to Ekiti, no road) and looting of public funds.” A statement on Sunday by BKCO spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, lamented that teachers recently…
Author: Ifeanyi Nwagboso
The US government will take steps on Friday to free half of the $7 billion in frozen Afghan reserves held in the United States to aid the Afghan people without providing the Taliban access to the funds, sources familiar with the plan said. A multi-step plan calls for the other half of the funds to remain in the United States, subject to ongoing litigation by US victims of terrorism, including relatives of those who died in the 11 Sept, 2001, hijacking attacks, the sources said. The moves come amid mounting pressure in Congress for the Biden administration to use the…
A Nigerian activist, Omoyele Sowore, has reacted to a video currently making the rounds on social media showing the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu looking wet after standing up to address some of his loyalists during an enclosed event. In the video, a man in a suit believed to be security personnel was seen staring at the wet part of the dress while closing his nostrils. Reacting to the video, Sowore urged the 2023 presidential aspirant to proceed for medical treatment, saying he is sick. According to the popular activist, if the former Lagos State…
The Chairman-elect, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Zakka, has pledged to work with all the critical stakeholders for the development of the council. Zakka, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was declared winner of Saturday’s AMAC chairmanship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He polled 19,302 votes to defeat Murtala Usman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 13,240 votes. Speaking with newsmen on Sunday shortly after the INEC declaration, Zakka said he would work with every candidate in the election to develop the area. “I am not that type that will forget them. I will…
Engr. Muazu Magaji Dansarauniya, who has been detained in prison for his alleged defamation of Governor Umar Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State on social media, has formally expressed his full loyalty to Senator Ibrahim Shekarau’s G-7 faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Dansarauniya was released on bail on Saturday after staying in prison for about a week for failing to fulfil his bail conditions. However, in a quick press conference at Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau Mundubawa country home, Sunday, Dansarauniya said his loyalty is now fully with the Shekarau APC faction because they mean well for Kano. He said, “I…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, declared Suleman Sabo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the winner of the February 12 Kuje Council Chairmanship election in the Federal Capital Territory. Sule Magaji, the INEC Returning Officer for the Kuje Area Council, announced the final results on Sunday morning. Mr Sabo, who is the council’s incumbent chairman defeated five other candidates in each of the 10 wards in the area council. He polled a total of 13,301 votes to defeat his closest rival, Sarki Hamidu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who secured 7,694 votes to emerge second. Meanwhile,…
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Japanese and South Korean counterparts were meeting Saturday in Hawaii to discuss the threat posed by nuclear-armed North Korea after Pyongyang began the year with a series of missile tests. Blinken gathered in Honolulu with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong. Defense chiefs from the three countries last week said North Korea’s recent missile tests were destabilising to regional security. Some experts say North Korea is using the weapon’s tests to put pressure on President Joe Biden’s administration to resume long-stalled nuclear negotiations as the pandemic…
A former Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman has appealed to the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni to free the party from the current high level of uncertainty surrounding the February 26 National Convention. Lukman made this appeal in a statement issued on Sunday titled, “Success or Failure: APC and Campaign for 2023.” He said being a National Convention, it should be the highest opportunity to celebrate the party and begin to mobilise every party member to recommit himself/herself ahead…
The Zikist-Buhari-Movement (ZBM) Enugu State Chapter, on Sunday, commended His Excellency, Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for uniting main factions of the party in Enugu State. InfoStride News reports that the CECPC withheld the Certificate of Return meant for Enugu State. Chief Ugochukwu Agballah had stepped out to receive the certificate but he was stopped by the national leadership of the party. In a press statement signed by its Publicity Secretary in Enugu State, Hon. Victor Nwankwo, the ZBM described the CECPC’s action as a “milestone in uniting APC Enugu State…
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign council for the FCT Council polls and Governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom, has warned the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), not to tamper with the results of the elections in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and that of Kwali council. The Governor, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Nat Ikyur, asked INEC to declare the results without further delay. He said INEC should not allow itself be influenced by a serving minister in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and a serving governor from the South East…
Kaduna-born politician Shehu Sani has said the just-concluded FCT council election shows that voter apathy still exists. Shehu Sani on his Twitter page alleged that politicians bribed people to vote for them in most parts of Abuja. He said some voters justified their reasons for collecting money to vote. He wrote, ”The Abuja Local council elections demonstrated that nothing much has changed, Electorates were paid to vote and voter apathy in most places. ”One voter told me “Party exco collect money, politicians collect money so we the voters must collect money.” Meanwhile, the PDP has won the Chairmanship for Kuje…
The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has approved a plan to assist the victims of war under which aid will be provided to the orphans of the Islamic Emirate and former government forces as well as victims of the past four decades of conflict. “Under the Islamic Emirate, aid will be provided to martyrs’ families, disabled people, orphans and also orphans of the previous governments’ security forces,” TOLO News quoted Bilal Karimi, the Taliban’s deputy spokesman, as saying on Friday. The families of the Islamic Emirate and former security forces who lost their lives in the 20 years of war said…
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, a new Interim Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), engineered by a group, Akwa Ibom APC Alliance (AAA) has been inaugurated on Friday, in Uyo, the state capital. The mission of the committee, it was gathered, was to harmonize and unite the divergent interest of APC leaders in the state so as to work towards winning the gubernatorial race in 2023. It could be recalled that (AAA), while unveiling the chairman of the interim committee, Engr Ime Mbom and the leader, Engr Larry Esin, on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, said the formation of…
One of the governorship aspirants, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State, Hon. Femi Bamisile has said that he will not defect to another political party based on the outcome of the last primary election of the party. Bamisile, who is a member of the House of Representatives, gave the assurance while speaking with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti. The lawmaker also said that he will not engage in any action that will be detrimental to the party and Ekiti people in general, pointing out that after due consultations with some of his legal team, he had…
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has said he is still considering running for the presidency in 2023. Atiku said his consideration on whether to run for the presidency or not was due to the challenges facing the country. This was as he stressed that the country was more divided now than it was during the Civil War. Addressing members of the Let’s Fix Nigeria with Atiku group in his residence in Abuja, the former Vice President said insecurity and poverty had become prevalent in the country. According to Atiku: “I have never seen this country with so many challenges at…
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has said President Muhammadu Buhari would decide the next All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate. Zulum explained that Buhari would decide APC’s presidential candidate because he is the leader of the ruling party. He spoke in Maiduguri, the State capital on Friday when he played host to members of the Progressive Consolidation Group (PCG) led by their chairman, Dr Aliyu Rabiu Kurfias. The group had visited Zulum to promote the presidential ambition of the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo. There have been speculations that Osinbajo may run for the presidency in 2023. But, Osinbajo, through…
Russia could invade Ukraine “at any time” and American citizens should leave immediately, the US has warned. An invasion could start with aerial bombing that would make departures difficult and endanger civilians, the BBC quoted the White House as saying on Friday. Moscow has repeatedly denied any plans to invade Ukraine despite massing more than 100,000 troops near the border. The US statement prompted countries around the world to issue fresh warnings to nationals in Ukraine, the report said. The UK, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands are among those urging citizens to leave as soon as possible. However, attempts to…
An Ilorin-based legal practitioner, Mr Taiwo Usman, has warned politicians to stop using gun to win elections. He advised politicians in the country to shun do-or-die politics, as the 2023 general election draws near. Usman, who gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Friday, said that politicians should be friendly in their approach to the upcoming elections. According to him, politics is a game and not a war, where people must harm their opponents to achieve their desired goals. “Enough of winning-at-all-cost politics; politicians should learn how to accept defeat in…
Contrary to the call for a young candidate, Atiku says Nigerians should be looking for someone who has been endowed to lead instead. PDP Presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar says the idea of zoning is not recognised in Nigeria’s constitution. Atiku said the constitution allows everyone to run, adding that he was a member of the constituent assembly that drafted the current constitution. The Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said this amid the call on the party to zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the south. While addressing members of a group,…
Fourteen political parties will be slugging it out against one another for 62 councilorship and six chairmanship seats as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election holds Saturday. The Executive Director, Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), Faith Nwadishi while addressing a press conference on Friday in Abuja said the FCT election should be taken seriously just like any other election because its failure or success counts towards the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). She said no fewer than 55 chairmanship candidates and 363 councillorship candidates will be contesting on Saturday as 1.4 million registered voters in…