Air Marshal Sadiq Baba Abubakar, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for governor of Bauchi state in the general elections of 2023, was introduced to the president Muhamadu Buhari on Thursday.
Abubakar was accompanied by Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the APC National Chairman, who has received enormous support and endorsements from numerous groups in the state since his emergence as the governorship candidate.
During the visit, President Buhari raised his hands in approval of Abubakar’s bid for the governorship. Additionally, they talked in private on party developments.
Following reports of Doyin Okupe, a former presidential adviser, being detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on Thursday morning, more information has continued to come to light.
The Service allegedly took action in response to a “watch-list request issued on July 18th, 2016, nearly six years earlier,” according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Dr. Peter Afunanya, the DSS’s spokesperson, had earlier intimated in a statement that its agents had detained Okupe “at the request of the EFCC.”
He says that Doyin Okupe has been turned over to the Commission that made the request for the action for quite some time. London was to be Okupe’s destination.
Meanwhile, the EFCC Spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren in a statement to Daily Independent said, “The DSS, today, January 12th, informed the Commission of the interception of Dr. Doyin Okupe, former presidential adviser, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
“The Service acted on a Watch-list request issued on July 18th, 2016, over six years before his recent conviction on money laundering charges by the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“The Commission was in the process of formally lifting the watch-list before his interception and will expedite action in this regard.”
Okupe is the immediate past Director General of the leading opposition presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi.
He voluntarily resigned as Obi’s Campaign DG following his recent conviction by the Federal High Court, Abuja on money laundering charges.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has hinted that it would file a lawsuit against a cartel that is thought to have given Abuja’s streets illegitimate names.
Indicating that the legal dispute over the issue would be settled amicably, with the agreement of all parties, between FCTA and the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
At a joint press conference on Thursday, Umar Shuaibu, the coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), made a statement to provide additional clarity on the pressing issue.
Despite the FCT High Court’s judgment about street naming being appealed, all parties, including the AMAC leadership, have agreed to establish an interagency committee to take all pertinent aspects into consideration.
Shuaibu made it clear that FCTA was following the law as a major provider of infrastructure in the Capital City rather than taking over AMAC’s duties.
He equally hinted that it’s intervention in the issue was to restore the integrity of the process, alleging that investigation has exposed unscrupulous individuals who were adultrating it for personal gains, using AMAC as a cover.
According to him: ” The existence of a cartel who are operating for their personal aggrandizement using the AMAC as a cover. Even the AMAC leadership is not aware of the extent of the damage and quantum of corruption perpetrated in the name of Street naming under it.
” As such the FCTA is going to engage the anti-corruption agencies to ensure that all those involved in the infamous activities are brought to books or face the wrath of the law”, he stressed.
Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman of AMAC, Christopher Maikalangu stated that his council was interested in having a harmonised process for the purpose of achieving a desired result.
He, however, claimed ignorance of the rot in the street naming process, saying the committee in charge of it had been in place before he came into office.
He however, assured that the Council would co-operate with FCTA on the issue to find a lasting and mutual beneficial solution.
The FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) increased its efforts to contain the spread of fire in the markets, workplaces, homes, and other public areas of the nation’s capital.
In order to inform vendors and customers about how to minimize fire outbreaks, Mrs. Florence Wenegieme, Director of FEMA’s Forecasting Response Mitigation, led a team to Kubwa Village Market on Thursday.
She gave a stern warning against the selling of kerosene sealant and engine oil there.
Wenegieme sneered at the return of those who were selling petroleum products after the market explosion in 2022, which was caused by those selling kerosene.
According to her: ” Today, we are in Kubwa Market, you will recall that sometimes ago there was a kerosene explosion in this Kubwa village market and to be specific at this location.
” This is a location where a lady was selling kerosene and another woman was frying beans cake and there was explosion and we were involved in the rescue operation.
” Since, then we use to come here to carryout sensitisation to talk to them and advice them on the dos and don’t in terms of disasters of different kinds.”
She explained that during dry season, the agency discouraged traders from selling petroleum products in different locations because such products are supposed to be sold only at the filling station.
” But if you look around you will see people selling petroleum products like kerosene, dizseal, engine oil, under the high-tension wire.
” Looking in front of us we have a generator mechanic and somebody selling kerosene right beside a transformer and under the high-tension wire.
” That is why the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, the Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, the Permanent Secretary of FCTA, Mr Olusade Adesola and the Director-General of FEMA, Abbas Idriss, directed us to come out immediately to advice the residents on how to mitigate the incidence of fire outbreak in the territory.”
Wenegieme, however, asssured that the agency would continue to intensify efforts to rid the territory of all kinds of disaster with a view to save lives and properties.
Her words: ” What we are doing here is a continuation of the Dry Season sensitisation which we started in November 2022.
” We have been moving from one market to another to enlighten traders on how they can prevent fire outbreak in the market.”
The director, however, commended the market management for the provision of fire extinguisher in various locations in the market and urged the FCT Fire Service to carryout comprehensive check on the market.
Meanwhile, the Divisional Fire Officer, Kubwa Division, Uwadoneh Idorenyi, emphasised the need for traders and the FCT residents to avoid all risk factors associated with fire outbreak.
She also advised residents to have Fire blanket in their kitchens, avoid storing petroleum products at homes and ensure to switch off all electrical appliances whenever they are going out.
Hon. Shamsudeen Dambazau, a member of the Nigerian House of Representatives who represents the Takai/Sumaila Federal Constituency in Kano State, stated that it is the responsibility of the country’s security agencies to ensure a successful and orderly general election in 2023.
In response to question about the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) concerns about security threats to the upcoming election, he made this statement on Thursday during an engagement with members of the House of Representatives Press Corps in Abuja.
He emphasized that the security agencies had a responsibility to protect Nigerians who also have the right to exercise their civic responsibilities.
Dambazau said “It is very important that they (security agencies) and the candidates (of political parties) come together to see that all apparatus put in place to ensure peaceful conduct of the election”, he said.
On the pockets of argument against the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) for the coming general election, including that of National Chairman of the APC, Abdulahi Adamu, the lawmaker insisted that it is the best for the country at the moment, as according to him, the president backed the system based on past experiences of being rigged out.
The Lawmaker noted that, “Sometimes, people out of painful experience, when they are in position, they try to prevent others from going through the same. If people are kicking against the BIVAS, it is because it is doing its job. It is excellent”, he stated.
He also called for the evolvement of new technologies to ease the registration for, and collection of PVCs by Nigerians.
He also insisted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government under President Muhammadu Buhari has done so much in addressing insecurity, and deserved a return to continue on the legacies of the outgoing president, recalling how at a point he personally stop going stopped going to the mosque for prayers due to indiscriminate bombings.
Also on the twists added to the threats of terrorism or insurgency through kidnapping, banditry and secession agitations, the lawmaker submitted that “they are being addressed by the government. We have joint task forces all around the zones of the country. These, you cannot eliminate completely but what is important is a level of sanity”, urging the government to however up its punitive measures “so as not to allow impunity for anybody to come out to perpetuate such acts”.
When asked on his opinion over the suggested political solution option to the ongoing trial of leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, he said it was the full responsibility of the executive arm of the federal government, which initiated the arrest in the first place, to decide the best way out, especially on the basis that those charged with the responsibility of managing the situation “are better informed to make the right decision”.
The University of Nigeria campus in Nsukka, Enugu state was shut down on Thursday by students who met Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party.
Peter Obi exhorts students to vote carefully and join the effort to free Nigeria from poverty, unemployment, and inadequate financing for education.
The presidential candidate, who is now visiting Enugu as part of his campaign, stopped at Nsukka, where the entire student body and faculty turned out in support of their idol.
All other operations came to a halt as a huge crowd surrounded Obi’s convoy and followed him as he spoke to the gathering at the Magaret Ekpo Refectory.
A mammoth crowd also received the Presidential candidate in Enugu as commercial and business activities were shut down.
Our correspondent reports that security agencies had a tough time controlling the crowd that trooped out to receive Obi in Enugu
Speaking at UNN Nsukka Campus, Obi said the purpose of the visit was to inform students of his ambition and solicit for their votes in the forthcoming general election.
His words: “As an alumnus of the great university, I am here to solicit for your votes in the forthcoming general election so that you can join hands with LP to rescue Nigeria.
“Ensure you have your Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) which is your constitutional instrument to vote me into power so that we can better Nigeria and remove it from consuming nation to producing nation,” he said.
The LP presidential candidate assured Nigerian students that if elected his administration would put to an end to the incessant Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike in the country.
He said that, incessant strike in public universities was responsible for students spending more than their course years .
“If I’m elected as president in February 25 election, that will not only mark an end to poverty,,unemployment and corruption.
“But it will also end ASUU strike in Nigeria, all hands must be on deck to recover our country from bad leadership,”
“My administration will give priority to education being engine room for development, since no country can develop more that its level of education,” he said.
Obi urged students to disregard some political parties saying that LP had no structure, explaining that “those who boost of having structures only have structures for looting public funds, corruption, impunity and ASUU strike
“Our mission is to rescue Nigeria from those who have hijacked the leadership of this country.
” You and all who believe that with good leadership Nigeria can work again are our structures,” he said.
In his address, Michael Abuchi, President, UNN Student Union Government,described Obi as a Super Lion who had done the university proud as governor of Anambra State as well as all positions held.
“UNN students are proud of you and are ready to give you our massive support to ensure that you are elected in next month general election.
” Your coming today to interact with the students is an eloquent testimony of the volume of love you have for students who are feature leaders.
“We will not take you visit today for granted, your visit has encouraged and given us sense of belonging.
” On behalf of UNN students I promised you that, on 25 February we will come out en mass to vote you to victory so that ASUU strike in public universities will end and Nigeria will be better again ,” he said.
Obi speech was intermittently interrupted by cheers and shouts of “Obi our next president, “Obi our next president”.
Chief Kenneth Okonkwo, LP Presidential spokesman, Chief Okey Ezea, LP Senatorial Candidate in Enugu North District and Chief Chidi Obetta Candidate for Nsukka/Igboeze-South Federal constituency were among party chieftains present at the event.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through its Education Secretariat has urged pupils to avoid cultisms, drug usage, bullying, and stealing.
This charge was made by Malam Sani El-Katuzu, the mandate secretary of the education secretariat, during a school resuming inspection in the Kwali Area Council of the Territory.
He also urged school administrators to implement measures and rules that would require all students, day and boarding, to report to class on the first day back from a break.
The Secretary made it clear to the students and kids that they should not waste the first week at home because academic activities start on the first day.
He, however, who rated the schools visited high in neatness and average in the turn out of pupils and students, but appealed to parents and guardians to always prepare their wards ahead of resumption to avoid wasting their time.
Reacting to the low turn out recorded in one of the Boarding Schools visited in Kwali, El- Katuzu said the FCT Administration is not unaware of the difficulty some parents go through, but insisted that they do their best to ensure that the students don’t miss out in test and first week lessons.
According to him: “Our observation in City Center is that students resume almost immediately. But unfortunately in Kwali,we have some little difference. The resumption is not too poor, but actually not too good. We expect a situation where students turnout will be more than 60%”
“We have spoken to the school Administrators to use their initiative to see that they introduce policies that will attract students to resume school immediately. However, we are also aware that because of the security situation, especially in Kwali and Abaji, sometimes, resumption is not as immediate as expected. But, that not withstanding, we will continue to talk to school Administrators to ensure that students resume on time” El-Katuzu explained.
Meanwhile, the Principal Government Science Technical College Kwali, Mr Oyawale Olusegun confirmed that most of the parents whose children were yet to resume, gave excuses that they have not been able to prepare their children back to school due to the impart of the harsh economic realities.
“Nearly 50% are yet to resume; the reason being that some parents are complaining that they are yet to prepare fully for the coming of their children. But we started lessons on Monday, he said.
Surprisingly however, a visit to Junior Secondary School Kwali, revealed that over 95% of students have resumed.
The Principal of the School Mr Ogonye Yakubu Shedrach who said the school has a total number of 1200 students, said over 1100 have resumed and lessons commenced since Monday with first test written by students on every subject.
He said: ” The Students population so far is within the range of 95% turnout.The total number of students is 1200. We went round the classes and the classes are almost filled up. The first two days were used for opening test. After the test teaching commenced fully” Shedrach said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) G-5 governors will not be taken seriously by the electorate, if they publicly support Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the president-elect of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the general elections of 2023, Dr. Daniel Bwala, a spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organization has said.
This is as a result of the PDP’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, refusing to step down after Atiku won the party’s presidential nomination, governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state, as well as some political heavyweights from the South.
They were alleged to have met with Tinubu in London last month. However, the outcome of the meeting remains unknown even though Wike promised to reveal the candidate they are backing this month.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen, Bwala expressed confidence that Atiku will win the election said given the negative things the governors have said about the APC in the past, nobody will listen to them if they ask the people to vote for Tinubu and his party in the presidential election.
According to him: “Look at it from the point of view of Atiku and the PDP. Atiku maintained a national political party. The movement for PDP is carried out by mostly people from the South, which consists of the Yoruba people, Igbo people, South-South and then, the North”.
“Only very few northerners are driving the Atiku campaign because it is a national agenda. PDP is a party that has national spread. It is a party that produced a Yoruba president, Fulani president and South-South president”.
“APC since its emergence has only produced a Fulani man. They accused him of empowering CPC members and now Asiwaju now wants to come and empower his ACN people. So, the APC is a party that is shared by just two people, Buhari and Asiwaju. The rest of the party members are nowhere to be found. So, we are not on the same level. Nobody will look at the APC and vote for them”.
“One of the challenges that they have right now is that if they go supporting Tinubu, is it not the APC that Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike said was a cancer they will be supporting? Remember Wike said PDP has headache and APC has cancer”.
“Even Ortom of Benue said APC brought destruction to his own people and that was why he joined PDP. So, will their people now listen to them to vote for APC? If they support Tinubu, that means they are only deceiving their people and are not fighting for equity, justice and fairness”.
Ikenga Ugochinyere, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the House of Representatives in Imo State’s Ideato North/South federal constituency, has criticized Senator Iyorcha Ayu, the PDP’s national chairman, for filing a lawsuit in the Supreme Court to prevent Chris Ogbu, the Ideato South House of Assembly candidate, from winning. She called the lawsuit provocative, unforgivable, and dangerous.
Ugochinyere, who is also the spokesperson for the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), criticized Ayu’s choice to appeal Ogbu’s Supreme Court victory and claimed that he was scheming against the PDP candidates who were running against him.
In a statement, Ugochinyere claimed that Ayu’s attempt to have Ogbu’s victory declared invalid at the Supreme Court would consume him and his desire for needless vengeance.
According to him: “Ayu is fond of plotting against party’s candidates opposing him, to lose the forthcoming elections.
“He’s trying to get petty revenge at Ogbu for challenging his continued illegal stay in office. Ogbu did nothing to him, he’s the valid winner and candidate of Imo House of Assembly Ideato South Constituency, who dragged Ayu to Court for abuse of office and corruption and now Ayu has joined suit challenging his election and seeking Ogbu should be removed.
“It’s not his first time doing this, he’s fond of plotting against party’s candidates opposing him to lose the forthcoming election. This abuse of power by Ayu must be stopped and I vow that he will not be PDP national chairman before the general elections, he must resign or be sacked.
“He should know that his evil actions has consequences. This is totally unforgivable and his quest for petty revenge will definitely consume him.”
Doyin Okupe, the former director general of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), has reportedly received an apology from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for their “mistake” in holding him in custody.
Okupe was detained by Department of State Services (DSS) personnel at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State, and then turned over to the EFCC, which had earlier “asked for the action.”
For medical reasons, the former presidential adviser was traveling to London, United Kingdom.
Remember that the former PCC DG for the Labour Party resigned in 2022 after being found guilty of money laundering by a court. However, after complying all the requirements, he was given bail.
When asked about Okupe’s detention, DSS Spokesman Peter Afunanya said: “Doyin Okupe was intercepted by the DSS at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos this morning at the instance of the EFCC.
He has long been handed over to the Commission which requested for the action. Okupe was billed to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic.”
Meanwhile, the former aide on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, through his official Twitter handle, @doyinokupe stated, “I was arrested & detained @ the MM int airport, Lagos this morning 12th Jan on my way to UK for medicals yrs of my passport being withheld by the FHC Abuja.I hv just left the efcc office where snr officers in lagos& Abuja appologised to me for the error. OCCUPATIONAL HAZZARD abi?”
Reports indicate that one of Okupe’s lawyers, Tolu Babaleye said that the DSS asked him to provide court processes where he paid the fine option following his money laundering conviction by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
“When will this harassment stop? Who is after Dr. Doyin Okupe? As at today, the man has no case to answer anywhere, I hereby demand that the DSS should release my Client immediately as this is a violation of his freedom of movement, right to liberty and dignity of human person. This is unfair as man ‘s health is fast failing!,” Babaleye quizzed.
