Author: Jide Ige

Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, has condemned ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, for ordering some monarchs in Yoruba land to stand up and sit down during an occasion. Obasanjo, some weeks ago asked the monarchs, who attended a road inauguration, in Iseyin, Oyo State, to stand up and sit down when he and Governor Seyi Makinde entered the venue of the event. To this end, the Afenifere asked the former president to tender an unreserved apology to the purported insulted monarchs. This was part of the resolutions of the association contained in…

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France’s ambassador to Niger left the capital Niamey early Wednesday, after weeks of tensions between Paris and the post-coup regime in the West African country that demanded his expulsion. “The ambassador and six colleagues left Niamey around 4:00 am (0300 GMT),” a diplomatic source from the French embassy said.A source in the Niger interior ministry confirmed the departure and said the plane was headed towards Chad. It comes two months after a coup in Niger ousted its pro-Paris president and prompted a souring in relations between France and its former…

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Nigerian duo, Osagie Imasogie and Chineye Ogwumike were listed as part of the 12 members of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States announced by the United States President, Joe Biden. The appointment was contained in a statement released by the State House on Wednesday. The members include Silvester Scott Beaman who will chair the council, Mimi E. Alemayehou, Rosalind Brewer, Viola Davis, Helene D. Gayle, Patrick Hubert Gaspard, C.D. Glin, Osagie Imasogie, Almaz Negash, Chinenye Joy Ogwumike, Ham K. Serunjogi, and Kevin Young. The…

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The leadership of the Labour Party on Wednesday threw its weight behind the planned industrial action of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, saying the presidency has been insensitive to the plight of Nigerian workers. The development is coming in the wake of organised Labour’s resolve to ground activities nationwide from October 3 following the failure of the government to successfully implement policies to alleviate the sufferings of the masses after the removal of fuel subsidy. After the 21-day ultimatum given by the NLC lapsed last week, the…

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Kano State continued to remain calm as residents of the ancient city complied with the 24-hour curfew imposed on the state by the government even as the State Governor, Abba Yusuf, vowed to appeal the judgement of the governorship election tribunal which nullified his election and declared the APC candidate, Nasiru Yusuf Gawauna as the winner. Gov, Yusuf made the declaration while making a broadcast to the people of the state. He said his legal team had been directed to appeal the judgement at the court of appeal in order…

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President Bola Tinubu in an address to Nigerians living in the United States has stated the importance of their presence back in the county urging them to “forget the frustration of the previous years’ leadership saying Nigeria is home for business opportunities.” During a town hall meeting organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission on the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly session in New York, on Wednesday night, Tinubu encouraged Nigerians abroad to adopt a success-oriented mindset to overcome challenges in their pursuits. The meeting, organised by NiDCOM,…

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The Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, on Wednesday, sacked the state governor, Yusuf Abba, of the New Nigeria People’s Party. The three-man panel led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay commenced proceedings virtually a few minutes before 10:00 am transmitting at Miller Road venue of the tribunal. The court invalidated Yusuf’s election as Kano State governor and declared candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Nasir Gawuna as the winner of the election. The court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to withdraw the certificate of return earlier issued to…

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Rwandan President Paul Kagame has said for the first time that he plans to run for a fourth term in elections due to be held next year. “Yes, I am indeed a candidate,” Kagame, who has ruled over the country with an iron fist for decades, told Jeune Afrique, a French-language news magazine, in an interview published online on Tuesday. “I am pleased with the confidence that Rwandans have placed in me. I will always serve them, as long as I can,” the 65-year-old was quoted as saying. The Rwandan…

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Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has disowned his wife, Taiwo Obasanjo, barely 24 hours after she pleaded with all Yoruba worldwide to forgive the elder statesman over his statement at Iseyin, Oyo state during Friday’s inauguration of projects executed by the state Governor, Seyi Makinde Taiwo in a report titled, “Oyo Kings: A plea for forgiveness”, begged “for permanent and eternal forgiveness and pardon from all Yoruba sons and daughters worldwide, fathers and mothers, youths, teenagers and children, Christians, Muslims, traditional worshippers, all leaders in Yoruba land and the Council of Kings…

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The Ondo State Deputy Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Friday, denied signing a pre-resignation letter as rumoured in some quarters. This was contained in a statement he issued on Friday. The statement was tiled, ‘re purported pre-signed resignation letter’. The statement read, “My attention has been drawn to a rumour of a purported pre-signed resignation letter, signed by me, being circulated in the public domain. “I wish to state that I, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, the Deputy Governor of Ondo State have not, do not intend and will not sign/author any…

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The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, has set aside the judgment of the National and State House of Assembly Election Tribunal in Asaba, Delta State. The court affirmed the candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Ngozi Okolie, as the duly elected lawmaker. In February Ngozi Okolie of LP polled a total vote of 53,879 to defeat the incumbent minority leader Elumelu of the Peoples Democratic Party who pulled 33,456 while Tony Nwaake of APC polled 11, 712 votes However, the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in…

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The Oyo State Government will soon commence the demolition of illegal properties and structures built on government land in Akanran, Ona-Ara Local government. This was as the Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Williams Akin-Funmilayo warned encroachers to vacate Government Land with immediate effect. The Ministry of lands helmsman hinted that it has been observed that a lot of people in the state have encroached on Government lands, and this is disturbing the masterplan of the state. Mr. Akin Funmilayo stated that the Omituntun 2.0 agenda will not…

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the Labour Party has lost thre members of house of representatives from Abia State in the South East zone considered as its presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s political stronghold. The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, the Abia State capital had on Monday sacked three House of Representatives’ members elected on the platform of the Labour Party. A panel of the tribunal led by Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe had sacked the member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, Mr Ibe Okwara Osunwa, for non-compliance with the electoral act 2022, in a petition…

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No fewer than 92 pensioners in Oyo State on Monday received cheques worth N208 million as gratuities from the Oyo State government. This, according to the Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Hon. Adeniyi Adebisi, is in fulfillment of Governor Seyi Makinde’s promise to the executives of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Oyo State Chapter. The Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Hon. Adeniyi Adebisi made the disclosure during an interactive session with the Executives of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Oyo State Chapter and the symbolic presentation of cheques to some…

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Visa ban on Nigerian travellers to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been lifted with immediate effect. The development is the product of engagement between President Bola Tinubu and President of the UAE, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The two leaders, on Monday in Abu Dhabi, finalized the historic agreement, which has resulted in the immediate cessation of the visa ban placed on Nigerian travellers. With the agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, without any further delay. Also,…

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Hours after the release of the Certified True Copy of the Presidential Elections Petition Tribunal’s judgment affirming the election of Bola Tinubu as President, the camp of the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has faulted the appearance of the watermark of the legal team of the President on the CTC. In a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Public Communications to the former Vice President, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, the camp urged the PEPT to clear on the controversy in the interest of teeming Nigerians. The statement read in…

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The crisis rocking the leadership of the New Nigeria Peoples Party took a new dimension as a faction of the party loyal to ex=Kano state governor and the party’s flag bearer in the 2023 presidential election, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso move to amend the party’s constitution and logo. The decision to amend the constitution was confirmed during an exclusive interview with the National Auditor of NNPP, Ladipo Johnson by Saturday PUNCH. The development is coming three days after the faction of the party under the leadership of Major Agbo expelled the…

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If there is anyone who is not undaunted by difficult assignments—someone society can bank on to take on an existential problem and find a lasting solution to it—that must be Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd). If you put the country’s biggest problem on the table and ask Nigerians for suggestions of trusted hands capable of solving it, he will be one of the obvious choices for many citizens across generations and ethnicities. It is not surprising that his name comes to mind quickly. In three cycles, he has proven…

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Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi,has reacted to claim in a viral video that the former Nigerian President is dead. According to Dubawa, a WhatsApp video suggesting Obasanjo was dead went viral on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. WhatsApp video claims Obasanjo is dead The fact-checking platform said the video was captioned in French – “DÉCÈS DE L’ANCIEN PRÉSIDENT DU NIGERIA OLUSHEGUN OBASANJO” translated as “DEATH OF FORMER PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA OLUSEGUN OBASANJO”. However, the former president’s name was wrongly spelt as Olushegun in the caption. The 12-second video with…

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The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal has declared that the Federal Capital Territory does not hold a higher status than other states in the country. Justice Haruna Tsammani, the lead judge of the five-man panel declared this during the tribunal’s sitting on Wednesday in Abuja. According to him, Section 134 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) stipulates that a presidential candidate must attain or score a majority of votes cast in a presidential election, where two or more candidates are involved, and at least 25% in…

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The Nigeria Labour Congress, on Wednesday, asked workers under its affiliate unions to return to work on Thursday (tomorrow). This is coming after the end of the union’s two-day warning strike, which it claimed was meant to draw the attention of the government to the hardship being faced by Nigerians as a result of the petrol subsidy removal. The directive was contained in a letter dated September 6, 2023, with the title, ‘The Two-Day Nationwide Warning Strike: Nigerian Workers have spoken’. In the letter signed by the NLC President, Comrade…

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Social media users have started reacting to trending video photos and video clips of some prominent Nigerians and lawyers who were captured on TV sleeping during the proceedings of the presidential election petitions Tribunal Wednesday. Those seen dozing off some hours into the court session include the former Kano governor and national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo; Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed, lawyers and some journalists. The judgment is on three cases challenging the outcome of the February 25…

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The Julius Abure led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has rejected the judgments of the Presidential Election Petitions Court in the party’s petitions challenging the electoral victory of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25, 2023 poll just as the other faction of the party led by Lamidi Apapa accepted the judgement declaring that the party’s standard flag bearer, Peter Obi went on a goose chase. In a statement after the verdict of the Tribunal on Wednesday, LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh,…

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The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, on Wednesday afternoon, dismissed the petition of the ruling All Progressives Congress challenging the eligibility of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to contest the 2023 general election. The APC had challenged Obi’s membership of LP, declaring it incompetent. Justice Abba Mohammed, a member of the five-member panel that read the lead judgment, said membership in a political party is an internal affair. President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima had contended that they had the locus standi to institute the petition…

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The Kogi State Election Petitions Tribunal has declared Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial election held in February. It also invalidated the victory of Senator Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress. The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako, delivered the unanimous judgment of the three-man panel, revealing that Sen. Ohere’s results were inflated in nine polling units in the Ajaokuta Local Government Area. He added that the Independent National Electoral Commission reduced Natasha’s results in those areas and omitted the…

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The Presidential Election Petitions Court on Wednesday said the presidential candidate of the Labour Pary (LP) Peter Obi failed to specify how they scored the majority of lawful votes in the February 25 presidential election. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Bola Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election, defeating Obi, Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and other candidates. In his petition, Obi and the Labour Party said they won the election and should be declared winner. At the ongoing Presidential Election Petition…

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The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal said it rejected 10 out of 13 witnesses presented by the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi. Justice Haruna Tsammani, who took over to deliver judgment on the substantive petition filed by Obi and LP, said this on Wednesday. Tsammani said Obi called 13 witnesses, who testified as PW1 to PW13, noting that of the 13 witnesses, only three witnesses whose statements are on oath, were filed along with the petition. The remaining 10 witnesses, the Justice said, were subpoenaed and their witness…

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The Presidential Election Petition Court has struck out the Allied Peoples Movement petitions against President Bola Tinubu and his Vice President, Kashim Shettima, for lack of merit. The PEPC dismissed and described APM’s case filed to nullify Tinubu’s election as “incompetent”. The court held that issues raised by the APM in its petition contained pre-election matters that could only be determined by the Federal High Court. Chairman of the panel, Justice Haruna Tsammani, read the ruling. The tribunal also dismissed the APM petition against the Independent National Electoral Commission and…

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The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has struck out about 17 paragraphs from the petition brought before it by Peter Obi and the Labour Party. The court struck out the paragraphs for containing “vague and generic allegations”. A member of the tribunal’s five-member panel, Justice Abba Mohammed, read the lead judgment. Obi and LP are complainants in the petition marked CA/PEPC/03/2023, challenging the election which brought Tinubu to power on May 29. The petitioners made allegations of irregularities and said they would rely on spreadsheets, inspection reports and forensic analysis filed…

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Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has withdrawn the lawsuit he filed at the Federal High Court aimed at thwarting alleged efforts by Governor Godwin Obaseki to unseat him from office, citing reconciliatory efforts of party elders in the state. Shaibu, in a circular dated September 5, 2023, referred to the lawsuit with Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1027/2023, which listed the Inspector General of Police, State Security Service, the Governor of Edo State, and the Chief Judge of Edo State as defendants. He clarified that his decision to retract the lawsuit stemmed…

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