₦airaland Forum

Some stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in the North under the banner of Northern Progressives Union (NPU) have outrightly rejected any attempt by the immediate past Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Abubakar Badaru to smuggle himself as the ministerial nominee of the party from the northern states.


In a statement signed on behalf of the group by Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Kiyawa, the group appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resist the temptation of appointing any of the immediate past state governors in his soon to be constituted cabinet as a ministerial nominees based on the fact that they are all spent forces, failed politicians and disgruntled so-called leaders who don't fit into today's reality of the present vision of the Renewed Hope mantra of the present administration.


"We are the foot soldiers of the APC in this part of the country and therefore making a categorical statement urging Mr. President and the APC as a political party not entertain the idea of nominating any of the former Governors from the region in the incoming cabinet "as they do not have the required capacities and capabilities to drive the process.


"Our demand is legitimate and is consequent upon the misdeeds of some of them during the 2023 general elections where most were moles and fifth columnists used by the opposition parties and in most cases funds given to them for elections were personalized and kept for self-serving purposes".


"While President Tinubu was mobilizing at all levels, the former Governor seeking ministerial nomination could not deliver votes from his area".


According to them, Jigawa,
Yobe and Zamfara states can be adjudged among the least politically astute states in the northern Nigeria and thus they are most likely to move in line with the body language of their key leaders that they identify with and not necessarily any other factor.


"In Jigawa State 2023 presidential election, the Hadeijia Emirate consisting of Birniwa, Kirikasamma, Guri, Hadejia, Malam Madori, Kaugama, Auyo and Kafin Hausa local governments, massively voted for APC owing to the fact that one of them was made APC governorship candidate for the first time ever since the creation of the state, the votes were not necessarily due to any funds disbursed by the former Governor. In the first place, the Governor never disbursed any money; the truth is that for some of us on the ground, it was found out that People's Democratic Party outspent APC, thus the reason for PDP gathering some considerable votes otherwise. It should have been landslide for APC because of the zoning arrangement in favour of the governorship candidate of our great party as stated.


The PDP had a very good show in the Gumel Emirate comprising Gumel, Maigatari, Sule Tankarkar local governments, this again may be due to those places being traditionally PDP apologists and perhaps APC’s non-mobilization of the appropriate resources, the group stated.


"APC did very well in the Ringim Emirate consisting of Ringim, Garki, Taura, Gagarawa owing to the philanthropy of a man called Gerawa who’s arguably the biggest entrepreneur in the state and the biggest investor in the politics of the state".


"As for Kazaure zone which is the governor's zone, it was more of even between the two parties, again it may be due to lack of necessary goodwill and lack of appropriate resources. The local governments include: Babura, Kazaure, Gwiwa, Roni, Yankwashi".


The group posited that Dutse Emirate was majorly PDP owing to it being Sule Lamido's zone as well as perhaps passing a vote of no confidence on Governor Badaru whom they didn’t really support throughout his tenure. The local government areas include: Dutse, Gwaram, Buji, Kiyawa, Miga, Birnin Kudu and Jahun. PDP won Dutse, Birnin Kudu and Gwaram with wide margins while the places that APC won in the other areas were a slim margin.


"That it amounts to injustice and morally unjustifiable on the part of anyone to smuggle the former governor as the representative of the state in the federal cabinet".


"We whole-heartedly align with the new policy of Mr. President as announced by Mr. Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President on Stategy and Communication stating that anyone seeking a federal appointment must attach a copy of his voter's card and results of his polling unit during the elections.


"We commend such a wonderful criterion in other to checkmate desperate politicians seeking to reap where they did not sow and failed politicians who go about grandstanding without doing anything for their people nor have the support of the grassroots".


"That it is inconceivable, unimaginable, irreconciliable and unacceptable that in this era of "Renewed Hope" some members of the old order are trying to pollute the agenda with their continued presence in the system when they are supposed to retire and watch from the sidelines for the new and young breed to give Nigerians a new lease of life. There is need to tackle this anomaly and quickly too in the interest of the Nigerian people.


"Therefore, we have resolved to constitute ourselves as the vanguard and agenda setter that would monitor and ensure the new cabinet is devoid of old order syndicate vaunting to use their money to buy their way into the cabinet. We shall resist them for our own good and that of the generation yet unborn.


"We are going to institute a legal action to stop them making to the new cabinet. While it is the turn of the new breed in the block, it is turn of the immediate past class of 2015-2023 Governors, Ministers and other political office holders to take the back seat and allow patriotic citizens with fresh blood and ideas to contribute their own quota in the process of nation building in a government progressive, promising and performing administration geared towards changing the narrative for the betterment of Nigerians and the socio-economic development of the country.

The Chief of Army Staff (CAS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, has assured President Bola Tinubu of the absolute loyalty of the Nigerian Army to him and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. READ MORE ON:https://newsdeskng.com/2023/06/16/chief-of-army-staff-assures-president-tinubu-of-absolute-loyalty/

Chef Dammy may have laboured in vain as the Guinness World Records has said it did not receive an application regarding the cookathon that just ended in Oye-Ekiti. Read more:https://newsdeskng.com/2023/06/15/chef-dammy-labours-in-vain-as-gwr-refuses-to-acknowledge-her-cookathon/

By Emeka Ugwuonye

The information reaching my desk is that Peter Mbah went to the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking to stop NYSC from releasing information about him. Such attempt to use the Court to stop the NYSC from continuing to expose the forgeries committed by Mbah over his NYSC is a classic ex ample of witness suppression. But the effort is too little and it came too late to make any difference. All the information needed from NYSC is already out. I have a mountain of it in my drawer already. Indeed, I am now seeking information from the university Mbah claimed to have graduated from in the UK. He should tell the court to stop that university from responding to the request for information I propounded upon it two days ago.

This latest effort by Mbah means that he has tried all known ways to suppress the truth. He has used intimidation and threats, attacking everybody who tried to say the truth. He has used bribery, like paying INEC officials. And now, he tries to use the courts to block the truth.

When a person accused of a crime tries to suppress witnesses, it means they are attempting to prevent those witnesses from testifying against them in court. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as intimidating or threatening the witnesses, offering them money or other incentives to not testify, or filing legal motions to exclude or block their testimony. Peter Mbah is overwhelmed by the truth gushing out from every hole around him. Peter is facing a losing battle in the Elections Tribunal. It is glaring that one of the most damaging pieces of evidence against him has to do with the forgeries he committed over his non-participation in the mandatory NYSC program.

Clearly, Peter Mbah is scared. Everyday, new piece of evidence emerges, more damning that that of the day before. Not knowing what else to do, he ran to Abuja to file an action at the Federal High Court asking the court to gag the NYSC and stop it from releasing information about him. It is important to note that Peter Mbah did not tell the court that the information coming from the NYSC was false. He did not tell the court that he did not forge documents. He did not tell the court that that he did not do anything wrong. Instead, he only told the court to stop NYSC from telling the truth. That is called witness suppression. It will not work for the people of Enugu State.

Attempting to suppress witnesses is generally considered illegal and unethical behavior, and can result in additional criminal charges being filed against the accused. It can also be used as evidence of guilt, as it suggests that the accused is aware of their wrongdoing and is attempting to avoid accountability for their actions.

What is Peter Mbah scared of? What is he is afraid of? He knows that the allegations against him are probably true. Indeed, with this latest move, anybody previously in doubt should now understand that Peter Mbah himself knows he is guilty of what he is accused of. Otherwise, why is he afraid of the truth? Is this how he plans to govern Enugu State? By lying and hiding the truth? Peter Mbah has no respect of the judiciary. To think that he could cajole the courts into doing his bidding, he has exposed the kind of leader he will be, if given the chance.

It is important to note also that witnesses play a crucial role in the criminal justice system, as their testimony can help to establish the facts of a case and ensure that justice is served. Any attempt to interfere with or intimidate witnesses is therefore taken very seriously by the courts and law enforcement officials. In a case where NYSC documents are said to have been forged, the NYSC stands to play a crucial role in establishing the truth. To try to silence the NYSC in such a blatant manner is unfortunate, but ultimately detrimental to Peter Mbah. Not only has he shown that the truth will be against him if allowed to come out, he has also made a terrible miscalculation, because the order he claims to have gotten from the court does not stop the NYSC from responding to subpoenas and any order of the Tribunal.

It is important to state that the Federal High Court is a court of coordinate jurisdiction with the Tribunal. It has no power to bind the Tribunal. It has no power to tell the Tribunal how to do its work. So, nothing the Federal High Court can do today will help Peter Mbah. His cause is doomed and no amount of desperation will alter it. Besides, the order can only be an interim ex parte order which will most likely be set aside when NYSC or any interested party joins the case and moves to vacate that order. So, no easy way out for Peter Mbah. No easy way, buddy.

THE Federal Ministry of Justice has charged First Bank of Nigeria Limited, its managing director, Nnamdi Okonkwo and three other individuals with forgery. READ MORE: https://newsdeskng.com/2023/03/31/first-bank-md-nnamdi-okonkwo-three-others-to-face-forgery-charges-criminal-breach-of-trust/

By Augustine Aminu

It was a day of celebration, funfair, as family, friends and well wishers gathered to celebrate the 70th birthday of Lady Mrs Theresa Chigbue on Friday

Nothing was spared by her family to celebrate the beautiful Chigbue’s matriarch, as there so much food, drinks and music to entertain the guests who came from near and far to celebrate with her.Read more ...https://newsdeskng.com/2023/04/29/lady-theresa-chigbue-marks-70th-birthday-in-style/

CivicHive: Declaring A
A. Sule winner 'shocking'

A former Attorney -General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi, SAN, and eleven Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) are counsels to Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, Hon. Emmanuel David Ombugadu, at the governorship elections petitions tribunal.

Ombugadu, who was in the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2019, is challenging the declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and incumbent governor, Audu Alhaji Sule, as winner of the March 18 election.

Also part of Ombugadu's legal team are 35 other senior lawyers.

Shortly before declaring Sule winner, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the APC candidate polled 347,209 votes against the 283,016 votes it said Ombugadu polled.

The Commission's declaration sparked state-wide protests. For several days, half-naked women and youth groups clad in black clothes besieged INEC headquarters in Lafia, describing the governorship lection as the most flawed in the history of Nigeria.

Apparently worried by the international traction the protests garnered, Nasarawa state police command quickly banned all forms of protests across the state.

According to several persons and groups that monitored the state governorship election, the results INEC declared didn't tally with what the commission uploaded on it's Irev portal. They also maintained that the results INEC declared were at variance with what they collated.

A leading Non-governmental organisation (NGO) with special focus on good governance and participatory democracy, CivicHive, that monitored Nasarawa state governorship election, described their findings as "shocking."

"What this result shows is that there appears to be irregularities with the result announced by INEC and what was recorded and uploaded on the result sheet as available on Irev," noted CivicHive.

In Lafia LGA alone, observed CivicHive, INEC padded A A. Sule's score with as much as 65,619 votes. Giving the breakdown, CivicHive said INEC declared 107, 213 votes in favour of APC's A.A. Sule, and 41,594 for PDP's Ombugadu, but that from its calculations, A.A. Sule actually polled 51,199 votes, while Ombugadu's real votes were 48,770.
Governor A.A. Sule's slim victory in his Lafia base, continued CivicHive, was in the face of "eight blurry results, five wrong uploads, eight wrong calculations, five cases of 'no results', two cases where elections didn't hold, a case of cancelled election, and another case of over-voting."

As at the time of collating the result, noted CivicHive, "the total number of uploads is (was) 3242/3256, which is about 99.6% of the total results expected to be on the platform."

Even at that, further submitted CivicHive, "Out of the 13 LGAs, only 8 LGAs had complete results." The NGO lamented that the results from Lafia were tainted by "alleged cases of voter suppression and manipulation" shit it added, led to the protests that rocked the state after A.A. Sule's declaration as winner.

CivicHive said it scanned the results from 497 polling units, "and after collating results from the Irev by our team, the difference in the result is different from what was declared" by INEC.

Another observer, Mohammed Salisu, told The Authority that from he monitored at the polling wards across the state, there was no way A.A. Sule could have scored up to half of the 347,209 votes INEC announced in his favour.

According to the election observer, while Governor Sule's strongholds were generally characterized by cases of over-voting, Gayam and Ciroma centres in Lafia stood out as most notorious.

He noted, "In Ward 8 of Gayam, INEC accredited 32,847 voters. Out of this number, there were 289 rejected votes. Miraculously, INEC still recorded 33,136 votes, meaning they manufactured 289 additional voters- the same number of voters they said they rejected."

He said the role of INEC didn't help matters. He stressed, "Following the delays that trailed the announcement of the results, and the admittance by INEC's electoral officer in the central district of the state, Professor Samaila Usman, that there were several mistakes in Gayam and Ciroma wards, the least INEC should have done was to have ordered a re-run in those areas as they did in Adamawa and Kebbi States.
"Instead, in the face of the overwhelming irregularities, INEC went ahead to declare AA Sule winner", regretted Salisu, adding, "I hear they are banking on the connection of a traditional ruler who used to be a very high-ranking officer in our judicial system."
However, Ombugadu has expressed optimism in the ability of the tribunal to adjudicate on his petition without fear or favour.
"I want to call on my supporters to be calm as I believe in the Nigeria judiciary. Our case is very clear and the judicial system is the only hope for the common man," he declared.

According to the petition submitted recently to the state election petition tribunal sitting in Lafia, Agabi is billed to lead other Seniir Advocates of Nigeria: Joe-Kyari Gadzama, S.I . Ameh, J. S. Okutepa, Chukwuma Machukwu Ume and Chibuike A. N. Nwokeukwu.

Other senior advocates in the team are Prof. S. S. Shikyil, Abdul A. Ibrahim, Mela Audu Nunghe, J. J. Usman, B. J. Akomolafe and M. J. Numa.

Tragedy was averted over the weekend at One-Man Village, a suburb of Abuja, as good Samaritans pushed away a Peugeot J5 van which caught fire while queueing to buy petrol at AA Rano mega fuel station there.

At the end of the day, the Peugeot J5 van and a Honda Accord car parked in an adjoining plot of land were burnt to ashes.

According to eyewitnesses, trouble began shortly after a Plateau State- bound J5 van lined up to buy petrol at the fuel station. Other commuters immediately noticed smoke billowing from the front of the van.

Narrated one eyewitness, "We panicked when we saw smoke coming out of the engine compartment of the J5 bus. My car was two or three vehicles from the J5 bus.

"In the confusion that ensued, some car owners furiously tried to drive out of the fuel station, causing more confusion. It was at that point that the manager of the AR Rano fuel station suggested that we push out the J5 bus, ostensibly to avert more damage.

"No sooner had we pushed out the J5 than we realized that the driver, afraid that the bus could explode any moment, jumped of the bus. The bus, now out of control, rolled and rammed into a Honda Accord car parked in the adjoining compound. The impact caused both vehicles to explode," he said.

Another eyewitness explained that the fireball created by the explosions were do big that attempts by workers of the neighbouring Threshold gas plant to it out the fire were unsuccessful.

"The people at AA Rano tried to play smart by trying to wash their hands off the unfortunate incident. They forget that had that J5 bus not been pushed out of their fuel station, it would caused considerable damage running into hundreds of millons of Naira, that is, if lives wouldn't have been lost," stated the eyewitness.

He, however, added, "But from the good things I've heard about Alhaji Auwalu Abdullahi Rano, especially his good heart and philanthropy, I have little doubt that AA Rano chairman would order that the owner of the Honda Accord car be adequately compensated. I heard he is a very considerate businessman."

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun uploading results of the Plateau State governorship election, replacing the results of Dabir and Golten polling units with that of Chika 1 where the ruling All Progressives' Congress (APC) won by landslide.

Dabir, Golten and Chika 1 are polling units in Chika "A" registration area in in Kanke Local Government Area (LGA) of the state where the APC governorship candidate, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda hails from.

Yilwatda, who recently resigned his appointment as INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to pick the Plateau APC guber ticket, is a graduate of electrical and electronics engineering, and helped INEC develop several software used for the election.

According to data uploaded on INEC's viewing portal, out of 523 accredited voters in Dibir and Golten polling units respectively, APC polled 508 votes in each if the PUs, while the People's Democratic Party (PDP) came a distant second with 14 votes.

Curiously, the same result sheet recorded by INEC for Dibir and Golten polling units was the same the commission recorded for Chika 1 polling unit. The three result sheets were signed by the same Ajani Aishat Abiodun.

Commenting, a PDP agent told reporters that the body language of the APC agent before and during the elections suggested that he was banking on a rigging strategy.

He noted, "This is incredulous. Didn't know that they would be this daft. Who records the same result in three different polling units? The three polling units had the same number of registered and accredited voters. They had the same number of valid votes. What is more, the same number of people voted for PDP and APC in the three different wards," adding, "this must be INEC's latest wonder!"

He continued, "The implication of their rigging is that in just three polling units, the APC candidate polled 1,524 votes compared to the 42 purportedly polled by my party, the PDP.

"It means that in just three wards, INEC gave the APC candidate a headstart of 1,482 votes. Multiply that number by the number of wards in Kanke and Pankshin LGAs, and you'll have a faint idea of how they plan to rig us blind," lamented the PDP agent.

He continued, "Even when companies run gift promotions, they clearly forbid friends and relations of their workers from participating. How is it that a man who until a few months ago was in charge of INEC's ICT is now contesting in an election that largely will betermined by the use of the same ICT systems he installed?

"Recall that we raised the alarm last week that the APC candidate Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda has been boasting to friends and political associates that he cannot fail in an examination he set up the questions. That his boys in INEC know what to do when the chips are down.

"The chips are down and we are beginning to feel the hand Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda and clearly hear his voice manipulating things in INEC," he declared, warning that "any attempt to subvert the will of the people of Plateau State will be stoutly resisted by all means necessary."

Ahead Saturday's governorship election across the country, the national leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has directed its governorship candidate in Plateau State, Dr. Patrick Dakum to step down for his People's Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Chief Caleb Mutfwang.

LP said the move became necessary to "have a better working relationship with (Mutfwang) and to join forces in defeating the ruling APC in the state."

The resolution was conveyed in a letter dated March 18, 2023, and signed by LP's national chairman, Barrister Julius Abure.

The letter was captioned "Endorsement of the gubernatorial candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State."

In the six-paragraph letter, the LP national chairman told Dakum, "I wish to formally inform you that NEC has endorsed the candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang for the March 18, 2023 gubernatorial election in Plateau State.

"The NEC wishes to appreciate you for holding the flag of the Labour Party high and sustaining the party up to this moment," stated the LP national chairman.

He added, "You are by this resolution of the NEC expected to accord the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP unfettered access to all structures and members of the party in Plateau State to ensure our collective victory at the polls.

Earlier in the letter, the LP leadership "noted that the party performed excellently well in the presidential election across the states where majority of Nigerians and Obidients freely gave their mandate to Mr. Peter Gregory Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed."

LP sources hinted that Dakum, who was believed to have been rigged out of last year's All Progressives'Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Plateau State, has on the heels of the letter visited Caleb Mutfwang, the PDP candidate, and pledged support for his governorship bid "in order to battle the scourge caused by APC."

All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Plateau State, Dr. Nentanwe Goshwe has perfected plans to use his contacts in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rig this weekend's guber election in the state, a group, Plateau Emancipation Front (PEF) has alleged.

Goshwe, who was INEC's Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Benue State, was reportedly backed by Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State to emerge the state's APC governorship candidate in a bitter primary election.

In a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja, PEF said it had credible intelligence that after APC's crushing defeat in the February 25 general elections, Governor Lalong contacted INEC chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakoob to "save him from double embarrassment of allowing his candidate lose the governorship election."

The statement was signed by the group's coordinator, Dr. Emmanuel Pam.

Noted the group, "We all witnessed the monumental embarrassment INEC brought upon Nigerians in the February 25 polls. As if this isn't bad enough, the trioka of Prof. Mahmud Yakoob, Governor Simon Lalong, and his protege Dr. Nentanwe Goshwe have perfected strategies to subvert the will of Plateau people by manipulating this weekend's governorship election."

It noted, "Dr. Goshwe has been going around town bragging about how he knows INEC inside out, and how he'll use his 'boys' and expertise in ICT and digital systems engineering manipulate the servers and computers in the Commission to win this weekend's governorship election."

Continued the group, "Some Good Samaritans in INEC tipped us off on how huge sums of foreign currency changed hands all in the bid to auction the soul of Plateau State.

"We recall with sadness that it was the same Dr. Goshwe who used his contacts in INEC to help Governor Lalong win in 2019. To repay this 'kindness,' Governor Lalong humiliated his loyal deputy, Dr. Patrick Dakum and other top APC aspirants and rigged Goshwe to become the flag bearer," claimed PEF, adding, "Governor Lalong should realize that Plateau State is not APC where he forced his INEC enforcer to become candidate."

The group warned that it would resist every attempt by Prof. Yakoob to install a governor in Plateau State and then later tell them to go to court to challenge his decision.

"We are a peaceloving people. However, Prof. Yakoob should not mistaken our good nature for weakness. He should carry his rigging plans elsewhere. Plateau is tired of the shenanigans by APC and her officials," declared PEF.

Recall that in the APC primary that threw up Goshwe, the former INEC official polled a stunning 803 votes to beat three other aspirants. Five other aspirants withdrew from the contest.

The embattled governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Plateau State, Ambassador Yohanna Margif has advised heads of church denominations in the state not to support the court-declared LP governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Patrick Dakum in the March 11 governorship election.

Margif said it was morally wrong and unpardonable for Dakum he said wined and dined with the APC- led government that ruined Plateau State and Nigeria, to now seek to harvest from the goodwill of the LP presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.

He advised Plateau church leaders to draw a clear distinction between the party's presidential candidate, "Mr. Peter Obi, who represents a new order, and Dakum who connived with the evil forces of APC to bring down Nigeria."

According to the former envoy, Dakum was a mole planted by the ruling All Progressives' Congress (APC) to scuttle what he described as the "Plateau Project" of "rescuing the state from a party that wasted eight years of the time of the people of Plateau State and Nigeria.

He claimed Dakum fraudulently secured the LP ticket by presenting a forged letter purporting that he (Margif) relinquished his LP guber ticket. He, however, expressed the hope that the Supreme Court would remedy the situation.

He penned: "I wish to respectfully write to inform the church of how I was fraudulently shortchanged of the governorship ticket of the Labour Party that I lawfully procured. For the avoidance of doubt, I contested and won.

"Regrettably, I was fraudulently substituted with Dr. Patrick Dakum. According to the Electoral Act, a candidate can only be substituted either by voluntary withdrawal or death of the candidate. In my case, the procedures for substitution of candidates was blatantly disregarded.

"I pledge my full support for the position of the church, especially, as it was prompted by the flagrant disregard to the christendom by the ruling party, the APC, when the party insisted on a Muslim/Muslim ticket despite the admonition of CAN. Indeed, the position of the church is commendable.

"Now that what the body of Christ fears most; the Muslim-Muslim ticket has come upon us, I would like to passionately appeal to the church to intervene in clearing the ambiguity that thickens around Plateau State in relation to the governorship and State Assembly elections.

“Both Dr. Patrick Dakum and myself are members of the body of Christ, the church may need to intervene and save itself from the embarrassment that may follow if what Dr. Patrick Dakum is peddling on the media about plans by the church on the Plateau to extend the same support it lent to his Excellency Mr. Peter Obi for the presidential election to himself as the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Plateau state is true.
.
"While noting that the case is still pending at the supreme court, this may serve to avert the misinterpretation of the action I may be forced to take against Dr. Patrick Dakum in the next few days ahead as sabotaging the alleged plans of the Church at supporting a candidate.

“This is necessary because I had already secured an arrest warrant against Dr Dakum and all those involved in the Criminal forgery which I would have executed before now, but for the respect I have for the body of Christ and the church on the Plateau and Nigeria at large which is why am writing this letter to explain my own side of the story.”

Senator Ifeanyi Ubah is the only lawmaker from Anambra State delegation to the National Assembly who retained his seat in the February 25 general elections.

All the other thirteen seats previously occupied by lawmakers elected on the platforms of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) were overrun by candidates of the Labour Party (LP).

Interestingly, Ubah, who is one of the youngest senators in the red chamber, is the only senator elected on the platform of the Young Progressives' Party (YPP).

Those who lost are members of better-known political parties like the People's Democratic Party (PDP), and the All Progressives' Grand Alliance (APGA).

PDP- elected senators Stella Oduah and Uche Ekwunife, representing Anambra North and Anambra Central districts respectively, failed to return to the Senate.

In Dunukofia/Njikoka/Anaocha federal constituency, incumbent Rep Dozie Nwankwo who aspired to become senator, lost.
In Idemili North and South federal constituency, Hon. Obinna Chidoka of the PDP lost. In Onitsha North/South federal constituency, ranking PDP lawmaker Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu, lost.
Another ranking PDP lawmaker, Hon. Chuchu Onyema, representy Ogbaru federal constituency, lost.
In Oyi/Ayamelum, Hon. Vincent Ofumelu lost. The same scenario played out in Anambra East/West federal constituency where Hon. Chinedu Obidigwe lost.
In Orumba North/South federal constituency Okwudiki Ezenwankwo lost
The bid by lawmaker representing Aguata federal constituency, Chukwuma Umeoji to become a senator hit the rocks.
A similar scenario played out in Nnewi North/Nnewi South/Ekwusigo federal constituency where the incumbent Representative Chris Azubogu sought to dislodge Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, but crashed out of the senatorial contest.

Not spared was lawmaker representing Ihiala federal constituency, Chudi Momah. for Awka North/Awka South federal constituency, the incumbent, Hon. Samuel Onwuaso of the PDP failed to contest.

A lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Lillian Orogbu of the Labour Party (LP) won the seat for Awka North/South federal constituency.

Commenting, a political scientist, Dr. Chima Ugorji told The Authority that Ubah's victory demonstrated that the electorate have moved from voting individual performance over party affiliation.

He said, "In general, the February 25 elections threw up a lot of upsets. However, Anambra South senatorial election proved that the masses can tell the performers from the pretenders.

"Ifeanyi Ubah is not your typical noisemaker in the Senate. Obviously, he knows why he's there, that's why he spent the better part of his tenure using legislation to help build the people of his senatorial district.

"Look at his party, the YPP. He's like the sole financier of the party. Yet, he's been able to make the party stronger to the point theyvey won a seat into the House of Reps. His victory signposts his popularity even beyond Anambra State. He's a man to watch," declared Ugorji.

Why he cannot be trusted with power!


By DanTijjo Tijani Jalloh


Mr. Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi, former Governor of Anambra State, and now presidential candidate of the Labour Party LP in the 2023 elections, serially violated the law by failing to declare to the Code of Conduct, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and other relevant agencies.


These actions were secret until the Pandora Papers revelations and investigations report that exposed how Mr. Obi incorporated offshore holdings, which he did not declare to the Code of Conduct Bureau or other agencies when he served as governor and how he continued to manage Next International Nigeria Limited, Guardian Express Mortgage Bank Limited, Guardian Express Bank Plc, Future View Securities Limited, Paymaster Nigeria Limited, Chams Nigeria Limited, Data Corp Limited and Card Centre, 14 months after becoming a governor and in addition continued to operate a foreign account as a governor and other assets tucked away in secret havens, to evade tax compliance.


Mr. Obi has continued to deceive gullible Nigerians since becoming the governor as an advocate of good governance, openness and transparency. It will be recalled that when he was governor of Anambra State he swore never to give any land (C of O) to any Pentecostal Church, because he deemed them to be “one-man business ventures,” and, as such, gave land to the Catholic church to which he belongs, which led to the growth of the Church members today in the hierarchy of leadership in Anambra as against other churches.


Investigation also shows that Peter Obi does not have a house or residence in Anambra State, but has a house in Lagos, but resides in hotels in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja and other states.


In addition to deceiving the public and Nigeria, his rhetoric governance records and statistics-laden prescriptions for Nigeria’s development and economy which fact-checks have revealed are all false. He talks about how hugely successful he became in business before diving into the murky waters of politics. He is never shy to brag about his numerous business affiliations and accomplishments all gotten when he became governor of Anambra State.


Reports and due diligence on Mr. Obi have it that, beyond his façade of priggish speeches and appearances, he is not entirely transparent in his affairs as he likes Nigerians to believe. He has, for long, been living a fake, false private life, as a business executive that has earned his efforts from legitimate income, whereas he has actually dipped his hands in the public till to enrich himself and family.


The Pandora Papers investigation is part of the global International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, ICIJ-led Pandora Papers Project. The project saw 600 journalists from 150 news organizations around the world poring through trove of 11.9 million confidential files, documents, and contextualizing information, tracking down sources and analyzing public records.


The leaked files were retrieved from some offshore services firms around the globe that set up Shell Companies and offshore entities for clients many of them influential politicians, businessmen and criminals, seeking to conceal their financial dealings.


Mr. Peter Obi was one of the individuals whose hidden business activities was thrown open by the project as he has a number of secret business dealings and relationships that he has, for decades, kept to his chest as the funds used in these businesses were ill-gotten, ostensibly, from Anambra State, when he was governor. These are businesses he clandestinely set up and operated overseas, including the notorious tax secrecy havens in ways that breached Nigerians laws.


The former governor admitted that he did not declare these companies and the funds and properties they hold in his asset declaration filings with the Code of Conduct Bureau (the Nigerian government agency that deals with issues of corruption, conflicts of interest and abuse of office by public servants).


This, to our knowledge, is fraudulent and a corrupt practice of the first order for Mr. Obi to have failed to declare all his property and funds, running into billions of dollars and tax payers' funds from Anambra State. He said he was unaware that the law required and expected him to declare assets or companies he jointly owns with his family members or anyone else, which we believe, is a big lie, as ignorance is not an excuse in law. He deliberately took advantage of the system to corner funds meant for development in Anambra State to his private pocket.


The leaked records came from 14 offshore services firms from around the world that set up Shell Companies and other offshore nooks for clients like Mr. Obi, who seek to shroud their financial activities, often suspicious, in secrecy as the funds are not legitimate.


Mr. Peter Obi has two children, Gabriella Nwamaka Francis Obi, and a son, Gregory Peter Oseloka Obi. Sometime in 2010, more than four years after he became governor, the politician developed an appetite to set up his first discreet company in the British Virgin Island. He named the company Gabriella Investments Limited (after his daughter).


To set up a fraudulent and tax evasive convoluted business structure, Mr. Obi approached Access International, a secrecy enabler in Monaco, France, to help him incorporate an offshore entity in one of the world’s most notorious tax havens noted for providing safe haven for criminals, tax evaders, and conduit pipes for wealthy and privileged corrupt political elites to hide stolen cash to avoid the attention of tax authorities.


These tax haven countries are politically and economically stable offshore jurisdictions with extensive laws and systems that provide little or no tax obligations, but enable high secrecy and privacy protection for stolen foreign individuals and businesses.


Against all known facts, Mr. Obi also paid Access International to provide nominee directors for the company. These nominee directors are residents of tax havens paid to sit on boards of companies to hide the identities of real owners of offshore firms. After accepting the brief from Mr. Peter Obi/his representatives, Access International officials headed to the British Virgin Island, a notorious tax haven, where they constructed a registered agent – Aleman Cordero Galindo & Lee Trust (BVI) Limited (A Lcoga1) to set up the Gabriella Investments Limited for Mr. Obi.


After the leak of the offshore accounts, President Muhammadu Buhari directed that all individuals involved in the Pandora’s Papers should be investigated by the anti-corruption agencies and accordingly, the EFCC communicated the invitation to Mr. Obi on the 27th October, 2021, to face investigators which case is on-going as we write.


Mr. Peter Obi is a hypocrite, pure and simple, all his sermons of fiscal federation all these years are already what is in the public domain, and there is nothing new to what he says now. Political hypocrisy in Nigeria is so pervasive that it calls to mind so many shenanigans perpetrated by our political class due to their stomachs. They are stealing our fortunes while camouflaging as the voice of the poor masses.


This piece is on Peter Obi, an archetypical case of hypocrisy and his recent political pandering. Accordingly, Peter Obi’s hypocrisy summarized therefore involves the outward expression of a virtue concurrently with the practice of a correlative vice. He hobnobs with the people in and around Anambra that have fleeced the state and the country he eulogizes people who have wastefully spent on armoured cars through funds gotten from public till and wines and dines with people with shady characters and still considers himself “above board.”


According to Churchill Okonkwo, “Peter Obi is a hypocrite! A man that campaigned for the re-election of the most careless and the most dangerous corrupt government in the history of Nigeria is deceiving the gullible. We had a National Security Adviser that turned himself into a Father Christmas, but instead of giving the kids, he gave the fire-breathing monsters that plundered the national wealth. The same monsters Peter Obi vigorously campaigned to re-elect in 2015. Peter’s hypocrisy thus reminds me of politicians who, according to Adlai Stevenson, would cut down a red wood tree, then mount the stump and make a speech for conversation,” he stated. Obi is a political panderer and a wonderful epistle on fiscal conservatism.


The people of Anambra will not forget in a hurry, talking about spending for growth, how the saintly and Emperor Peter Obi made caricature of governance during his second tenure by dashing millions of Naira to amorphous groups, while displaying larger than life cheques. All you ever hear from him is, “I,” “I,” never “we,” never “my administration,” “my commissioner.” He never uses words like “we” or “our administration.”


As governor, he was then the alpha and omega with all the state and local government resources at his beck and call and pleasure. Is that the standard of democracy we should be promoting and go as far as opening bogus secret accounts offshore?


Peter Obi ruled Anambra State with iron fist like a dictator for eight years without reforming or transforming a single ministry, agency or local government area within those years. Most still, there has been no single interest or investment to develop human capital, but an embodiment of personal aggrandizement and selfishness.


One wonders, why do voters give hypocrites a pass? Why are Nigerians eulogizing the fraudulent pretence in Peter Obi’s saying: “mannerisms” elements at the same time ignoring the “doing” element of hypocrisy in his behaviour?


Those who know Peter Obi very well will attest to the fact that he has been a drug dealer beginning from his days as an undergraduate at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN. He was hardly attending lectures and only managed to graduate with a pass in Philosophy after spending years in the university. His brother-in-law who incidentally is one of the hirelings used by him for his nefarious drug trafficking business and courier is currently languishing in jail in far away London. This is known to be the major cause of strain between Obi and his in-laws. It is widely known and on record, that his closeness to Dubem Obazie was because he (Dubem) served jail term for drug trafficking, because of Peter Obi.


Peter Obi should explain his relationship with former Military Administrator, Governor Ibim Princewill and Col. Earnest Kizito Attah of Cross River State, whom he helped as a conduit pipe to fleece Cross River State government, thus contributing to the under-development of the state.


Mr. Obi should also explain to Nigerians the circumstances surrounding his father’s death which remains his best kept secret. We can reveal authoritatively that Obi’s father was drowned to death by Obi’s associates in the drug trade whom he short-changed in a business drug deal, prompting the mafia to kill the old man whom they drowned with bound hands and feet tied to bricks round his neck. Let “Saint” Obi explain
how he expended his security vote (N320 million from local government; and N380 million from the state FAC accounts) when he was governor.


Mr. Peter Obi confesses and professes to be an ardent Catholic for political expediency, let him explain to Nigerians and his Catholic faithful his relationship with the Olumba, Olumba Obu, OOO, cult sect where his wife is a known member. It is also on record that he met the wife at a night club in Auchi. The lady is confirmed to have had two children from two different men, an Albino and a Ghanaian. The affirmed Catholic is yet to wed his wife in the church. Up till date, Obi has not given satisfactory explanation as to how he looted the state then using his brother, Ndibe Obi, Ejike Onwusogbulu and a certain Chidi Agbapu, a Lagos State stock broker as a conduits for money laundering, while so many youths then were unemployed. Though Mr. Obi was elected Governor on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, it is on record that he never convened an APGA meeting for once, thereby destroying the entire party structure. Let him also explain to Nigerians why under him, Ndi Anambra State allocation grew wings, including the only state that doesn’t have elected officials of local governments, thereby allocating all the funds to himself.


His treachery has led to astronomical numbers of Igbo deaths. Peter Obi formally joined the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on the 8th day of October, 2014, after years of riding on the ship called APGA, powered by the unconditional support of the Igbos as a consequence of their undiluted belief in the Late Odumegwu Ojukwu. Peter Obi was adopted as a son of Odumegwu Ojukwu, and before you say Jack Robinson, he had brought the party to its knees amongst numerous promises and assurances when Dim Ojukwu was no longer alive.


Peter Obi jumped ship and he is a man of vain ambition of ‘self’ rather than ‘us’ or ‘we.’ He is not a man of integrity, not to talk of honour: the exploitation and abuse of Igbo people’s trust complete and total when Peter Obi collectively intoxicated the Igbo population with “HERO” brand of beer, with Biafran logo of “the rising sun” as label. The consumption of the beer became a religion for the Igbos. This goes to show that Obi is truly an Igbo man who believes in Biafra rather than Nigeria. So, Peter Obi deceived Nigerians when he wanted to port to PDP, he used the reason that he needed to move so as to support Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GEJ, to win the presidential election, which is also a big lie.


Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo has the inalienable right to speak his mind on Peter Obi’s record and candidacy. He said “Peter Obi knows he can’t and won’t win. The game he is playing is the main reason he didn’t return to APGA. The brutal truth is that there are two persons/parties seriously contesting for President; the rest is exciting drama …. The current fleeting frenzy, if not checked, will cost Ndigbo dearly for years.”


The former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, publicly declared unequivocally that Obi would not win the 2023 elections. In a long piece, he personally wrote in response to strident attacks by loyalists of Peter Obi, who he describes as social media mobs. In the piece entitled, 'History beckons and I will not be silent (Part1)' that it amounts to political suicide for Obi to think that he could win with having no political structure, adding, “creating a credible third force for presidential election in Nigeria requires a totally different strategy and extreme hard work,” and not so many media brouhaha or social media attacks of opponents.


On 12th November, 2013, Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, leader Chief Ralph Uwazuruike said Peter Obi and Achike Udenwa are responsible for numerous deaths of Biafran agitators. This reminds us about the 2006 shoot-on-sight order by Governor Peter Obi that massacred about 2,000 MASSOB members innocently as reported by Igbo Mandate Group also on 16th November, 2015 in their document.


During these periods in question, spanning till 2009, Nigerian soldiers were on rampage at Onitsha, Nnewi, Oba Ihiala and environs shooting, killing and maiming anything that had a suspicion of being MASSOB. As the shootings were going on, real MASSOB members escaped into various dens, while stranded travellers, unsuspecting traders and residents were branded MASSOB and killed.


By the time the exercise was over, an estimated 5,000 people were killed and the affected families took the remains of their relatives and buried quietly to avoid being killed too by the rampaging soldiers ordered by Peter Obi.


All the wickedness was at the behest of an APGA governor claiming to be a follower of ex-Biafran leader Odumegwu Ojukwu. Today, these same people are secretly funding aspects of the pro-Biafra agitations and aspects of hate speeches against other tribes due to political downturn. The Igbo race must remind themselves that the greatest enemies of the Igbo's common good are not Buhari, Tinubu and their APC as being bandied now. It is the Igbo politicians who corner the lot of their people for personal aggrandizement. The same Igbo leaders that invited troops to kill unarmed civilians without exhausting avenues of negotiations and diplomacy.


Up till date, thousands of members were killed, including a pregnant woman and 65 others still missing. On 6th February, 2013 some corpses were found floating on Egu River in Amansea Community. These corpses were those of MASSOB members, who were arrested in the state and secretly executed on the orders of Peter Obi without proper trial to cover their tracks.


Some of the executed members were identified as Basil Ogbu, Michael Ogwu, Sunday Omogo, Philip Nwankpa, Eze Ndubisi, Ebuka Eze, Obinna Ofor, Joseph Udoh and Uchechukwu Ejiofor. They were said to have been arrested at MASSOB security office, Onitsha, Anambra State on 9th November, 2012. They were said to have later been detained until their suspicious disappearance till date.


Peter Obi is very culpable as he was in charge and was the one that invited Federal troops to do the extra-judicial killings, not minding they were his kit and kin, but just because of power. So, going by these, what do Nigerians think Peter Obi will do if given power as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? It is obvious that as an avowed Biafran, he would order for the unlawful arrest of select politicians and some Nigerians and do the same thing he did to his fellow Igbos who professed to be members of MASSOB!


Peter Obi is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He is a pretender of the first order, who will do anything and whatever it takes to deceive the gullible Nigerian youths including attending churches and mosques in order to become President. He will sell his heart to the devil just to lead. But unfortunately for him, no Igbo governor from the South-East
states is behind him. This is obvious, because they know his antecedents and trademarks very well as someone who is only interested in self-adulation and personal aggrandizement, including self-serving ordinate ambition of an egotist.


A vote for Peter Obi is a vote for IPOB, a vote for Biafra. Nigerians should be careful not to vote for a sectional leadership that believes so much in the Biafran agitation through his naming of his beer conglomerate with the brand logo and flag design.


When he was governor of Anambra State he sent the northern/Hausa community back home through lorry loads of them and asked that they must have identity cards for them to be in the state. He marginalized the north and drove them back home in droves and on cattle vans.


He stopped non-Igbos from having stores and shops when he was governor till date in Anambra and including marginalizing all other tribes from contracts, financial assistance and any other business that will empower humanity. He is so sectional, mean and wicked, always seeking revenge from anything done to him.

Coalition of Pro-democracy and Human Rights Group in Nigeria, in same vein with other civil society organisations cut across the country, has called for visa restriction against the Executive Chairman of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, others over contempt of court.

The spokesperson of the group, Comrade Ibrahim Bakori, in a statement signed and made available to newsmen on Friday, emphasized that ‘To know what is right and not to do it is worst cowardice.’

SEE THE STATEMENT:

"To know what is right and not to do it is worst cowardice."
Confucius (500BC)

The angst against the cowardly and disgraceful disobedience to the several orders of Nigerian courts of competent jurisdiction as a punishment for Abdulrashed Bawa of EFCC for his contempt of court is a clear sign-post that Nigerians are no longer willing to allow law breakers disguising as law enforcement agents to get away with their recklessness.


It evokes questions why it is the same Bawa of EFCC associated with crude tactics of fighting corruption, selective prosecution and in certain instances persecution of suspects, is the person refusing to obey the laws of our land, undermining himself and exhibiting gross disobedience to the orders of Nigerian courts. It is high time the Presidency saw the dangers posed to the laws of our country when unelected government appointees are acting with above-the-law swagger. Particularly if the day light contempt of court hanging around his neck becomes the features among government officials!


The fundamental questions is how can government officials disobey court orders in a cynical and very contemptuous manner, and yet expect the ordinary Nigerians to respect their glaring acts of impunity, high-handedness and biased handling of corruption cases? This is the time to drive sanity into the service psyche of Bawa and other law breakers in the 'Emefielization' of the Nigerian laws and even the Constitution.


It was quite an amateurish reaction on the part of Bawa's EFCC when his mouth-piece recently said that people were sponsoring the civil society groups against the lawless conduct of the Commission under the stewardship of Bawa.It is unfortunate that the EFCC has forgotten that the civil societies are part and parcel of the Nigerian state and are vehemently opposed to the style and gestapo hounding of perceived political enemies for personal gains.


The EFCC spokesperson failed to see the hand-writing on the wall that Nigerians are indeed tired of EFCC's lackluster and abysmal failures in all ramifications and as such has nothing new to offer the country due to the extreme moral burden hanging on the chairman's neck,going after innocent personalities rather than the real culprits. It seems Bawa's atrocities against innocent citizens have made him develop insomnia to the level of not remembering the several people he has offended via instrument of selective prosecution over his few years stay on the saddle.


Let us state that since the incorporation of
Nigeria as a country not even EFCC a product of National Assembly law, the most endemic threat to her growth and stability has been disobedience to court orders by minions using the cover of their good offices for the entrenchment of contempt in flagrant disregard and disrespect to our courts.


This obnoxious culture of disobedience to court orders idealized by the Bawas of this world, had permeated almost all facets of our national lives spreading like wild fire from the Presidency to the Emefiele's CBN.


The same Bawa has been accused of abandoning his prosecutorial prowess in the face of massive looting and corruption by some of his privileged associates.


Several international institutions have genuinely and consistently expressed reservation that Bawa's selective fight and continued disobedience to court orders in our country must be rebuked. If not, the consequences may translate to similar disobedience to the activities of the EFCC as an anti-graft agency on the part of the Nigerian people as a replica to the lawlessness of the Commission.


We urge the international community to place visa restriction against Bawa and members of his cycle for the dwindling rating of the outfit by global bodies as being deeply mired in violation of human rights, selective anti-corruption campaign, high-handedness and disobedience to court orders. Bawa's EFCC is at the moment occupying a damnable position in the chart of government agencies violating court orders in the African continent.


Bawa came with pomp and pageantry and was expected to 'heal our land and wipe out corruption'.


Unfortunately, he became infected himself by the cancer! Obviously, disobedience to court orders is much more cancerous than corruption. The conduct of Bawa is pure case of 'anti-corruption campaign in detention' or better still "democracy in detention." Should it therefore, not be thrilling news and a great public relief if visa restriction is placed on Bawa and members of his cycle? With glaring evidence against Bawa's contemptuous behaviour, we implore the members of diplomatic missions in Nigeria to have the courage to do the needful.


Comrade Ibrahim Bakori,
Spokesperson, Coalition of Pro-democracy and Human Rights Group in Nigeria.

,...Blast Malami for Compromise

Some Civil Society Groups in Nigeria have declared their support over the recent judgement of a court against EFCC boss, Abdulrasheed Bawa.

According to the group, the contempt of court judgement against Bawa is a right one considering his disrespectful attitude towards the county's judicial system.

The group in a press statement issued on Monday also blast the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, over frustrating the enforcement of the court order against Bawa by frustrating all moves to bring him to justice in compliance with the valid order of the courts.

The statement reads "We are well known for our principled stand on matters of democracy, human rights, rule of law and good governance since the struggle against military dictatorship in Nigeria.

We are highly piqued that Democracy in Nigeria, for which many had lost their lives to enthrone, is being disrespected by rascals and fellons parading themselves as government officials. The same band of adventurers who hijacked the anti graft crusade in our country for their selective war against corruption and persecution of perceived political opponents. They are the characters debasing the very laudable ideas which gave many hope of a vibrant nation during the inauguration of the Buhari administration.

We have chosen to address this press conference in solidarity with the recent contempt of court judgement given against Abdulrasheed Bawa of the EFCC by a competent court of jurisdiction. We must say that we have seen in some steps taken by Bawa as not only disrespectful but disdainful to the Nigerian judicial system.

We recall the invasion of the Abuja residence of Chief Rochas Okorocha in a gestapo manner by operatives of the EFCC under the leadership of Bawa. That Bawa who orchestrated the misadventure cannot comply with the order given by a court of competent jurisdiction is spewing nonsense in an attempt to circumvent justice. Just few months ago, a similar court of competent jurisdiction gave another guilty verdict on Bawa for the contemptuous behavior of disrespectful magnitude against the court.

At this juncture, let us state that Abubakar Malami, the Minister of Justice is frustrating the enforcement of the court order against Bawa by frustrating all moves to bring him to justice in compliance with the valid order of the courts.

We also frown at Malami's collaboration with Bawa well known tendency for sweeping major constitutional- sometimes criminal matters professing to deal with them after self interpretation. Contempt of court is a very serious act that cannot be overlooked by any sane judicial officer, law enforcement agencies or any Minister in the temple of justice. Sadly, today, Bawa is going about as if he is above the law, a situation which emboldened the likes of Godwin Emefiele of the CBN to instigate an unprecedented voodoo monetary policy, economic and banking arson worth billions of dollars and trillions of arson against the help less Nigerian citizens.

We are aware of the several underhand dealings going on under the present leadership of Bawa. Ranging from appointment of compromised individuals as departmental heads, wrongful arrests of suspects, inconclusive investigation of cases, selective arrest of suspects, persecution of perceived individuals among others. There are several cases of failed investigations, lack of diligence in prosecution, bungling of cases undertaken by him among others. A case involving a former Northern Governor and the sales of seized trucks loaded with oil in Rivers State are evidence of the atrocities stated above.

In the past, operatives that infringed on the rules were merely removed to go and enjoy their loot rather than being there prosecuting, even when top military Generals were prosecuted. Unfortunately, what is obtainable under the current tainted lame duck leadership is the promotion and elevation of operatives that committed all sorts of infractions.

We are afraid, and we have every reason to say so, that since Bawa refused to submit himself to the custodial service authorities he should resign forthwith. He doesn't have moral authority any longer to prosecute any suspect standing trying trial for corruption investigated by the EFCC. It is ridiculous, scandalous and embarrassing that the same Bawa who arrested Senator Nwaboshi, a serving member of the red Chambers from Delta State for evading the justice, is the same person hibernating and refusing to comply with an order of the court bordering on contempt of court of competent jurisdiction.

We are aware that any person sentenced by any competent court in our land ensures compliance with the order by submitting self to custodial service facility. It is after the submission that the convict can apply for stay of execution, appeal or even serve the sentence as pronounced by the court. Therefore, in this case, Bawa doesn't have a choice than to obey forthwith.

We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to resist the temptation of standing aloof in the present circumstances, while the fabric of Nigerian democracy is being undermined by Malami, Bawa, Emefiele and their ilk. Their syndicates have been accused of large scale embezzlement of tax payers funds running into billions of naira and allegations of bribery, self enrichment and display of lifestyles above visible means of income.

Under Bawa's leadership and collaborators, politically exposed persons and financial rogues elements are being provided with soft landing while perceived rivals are being persecuted and court orders disobeyed. To think that Bawa would ever obey the contempt of court order against him requires some kind of leap of confidence and faith that many Nigerians, for us, don't have.

The EFCC, as presently constituted, is reeked with moral and financial burden. President Buhari's anti corruption campaign which has already received national and international acclaim may suffer credibility problems should the President continue to sit atop an anti graft agency whose green horn head doesn't obey court orders, treats judicial system and human rights with disdain and contempt while doing nothing about corrupt and lawless sick kick other than to cover up their wrong doings under the pretext to enjoy Villa soft landing.

Lastly, let us put it on record, that no power is conferred on anyone, no matter how highly placed, to override the court on the issue of contempt, except and only the court. As far as issues of this nature are concerned, there is no room for resorting to self help. The only choice left to Mr President in the present circumstances is to ask Bawa to turn in his resignation letter for bringing the administration and its anti graft crusade to disrepute and contempt. The anti corruption mantra of President Buhari would be called to question should Bawa be allowed to stay a day longer in office.

This document is adopted and endorsed by the following pro-democracy and human rights groups

Agenda for Good Governance (AGG)
Com Bright Chigbo

Centre for Policy Development and Leadership (CPDL)
Com Jude Ogah Obayi

Arewa Voters Assembly (AVA) Ibrahim Isa Bakori
Coordinator

Coalition of Civil Societies Against Corruption (ACAC)
Com John Maxwell
Convener

United Nigerians Forum(UNF)
Musa Abdullahi
President

Conscience Group
Wale Adegoke
Chairman".

Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi on Friday suffered a major political setback as a Federal High Court sitting in Awka, capital of Anambra State, nullified the election of Victor Umeh as the LP senatorial candidate for the Anambra central zone.

Umeh and Peter Obi are from the same Anaocha local government area, and from the same Anambra Central senatorial zone

Delivering judgement in a suit filed on behalf of incumbent People's Democratic Party (PDP) senator Uche Ekwunife, by B.E.I. Nwofor, SAN, the court held that by standing for two elections in the same electoral constituency, Umeh violated the Electoral Act.

Unless the judgement is set aside by a superior court, Obi's LP will not have any candidate for Anambra Central senatorial zone in the February 25 general elections.

Last May, Umeh, who a former national chairman of the All Progressives' Grand Alliance (APGA), sought the party's senatorial ticket for Anambra Central, but but was defeated by the lawmaker representing Anaocha/Dunukofia/Njikoka federal constituency, Hon. Dozie Nwankwo.

Few days after Umeh's defeat in APGA, he moved to the LP and was subsequently declared the party's senatorial candidate.

Dissatisfied with Umeh's action, Senator Ekwunife approached the court to determine whether Umeh, who contested APGA senatorial primary election could still lay claim to being the LP senatorial candidate.

Interestingly, Umeh had in 2015 successfully challenged Ekwunife's election as Senator representing Anambra Central on the ground that she did not formally quit the All Progressives Congress (APC). At the time, Ekwunife was chairman of the Senate committee on Petroluem (Downstream).

After the Court nullified Ekwunife's election, it ordered fresh election, but barred Ekwunife's PDP from participating in the fresh exercise. Umeh emerged victorious in the re-run election in which PDP was barred from contesting.

A group, Oodua Youth Front has praised President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing a former Inspector General of Police, Dr. Sunday Arase, as chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).

The group said Arase's appointment couldn't have come at a better time considering what it said was the administrative crossroads the Nigeria Police Force found itself, and expressed the hope that Arase would become a moral compass for the police institution.

In a statement issued Tuesday night in Osogbo, Osun State capital, Oodua Youth Front said it was particularly "elated that President Buhari chose competence over other ethnic considerations."

According to the statement, which was signed by the group's convener, Comrade Ifedayo Irewole, the group praised President Buhari for "choosing Arase despite several blackmail attempts by certain persons who do not mean well for Nigeria "

Noted the group, "Before Arase's appointment as Inspector General of Police in April 2015, he proved his mettle as a young officer, rising to become the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Force CID. He later became the DIG in charge of the same department, completely digitalizing intelligence gathering and operations of the Force.

"It goes without saying that during Arase's brief but eventful tenure as Inspector-General of Police, he introduced a lot of reforms to the Force, to the extent that the Force deployed technology to solve several crime riddles," said the group.

Oodua Youth Front, however, tasked the new PSC chairman, to leverage on his training as a police officer, as well as a lawyer, to sanitize the Nigeria Police Force.

"We are confident that Arase's appointment will change the fortunes of men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force. They'll no longer be the butt of jokes. Officers deserving of promotions and commendations should get their due, and those deserving of sanctions should not be spared," the group affirmed.

"A tree, it is often said, cannot make a forest. However, we have seen the difference single trees have made around the world, including in the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) where retired General Buba Marwa holds sway. We task Arase to help transform the NPF into one of the best police forces in the world," Irewole declared.

Residents of Kogi State have commended the Department of State Services (DSS) for arresting two suspected terrorists who masterminded deadly attacks near the palace of the Ohinoyi on December 29, 2022.

A cross section of the citizens who spoke to The Authority said they were relieved that AbdulmumIbrahim Otaru (aka Abu Mikdad) and Saidu Suleiman were apprehended, and in good time.

According to the residents, the arrest of Otaru and Suleiman would heighten citizens' confidence in government's ability to protect life and property, as well as deter other persons who might want to embrace terrorism.

An Islamic cleric, Alhaji Abdul Mohammed said they have been worried by the activities of Otaru and his apostles, especially the bad image it was portraying Islam.

"Islam is a religion of peace. Sadly, some misguided people around the world are trying to tie he religion to terrorism or violence. We, as Islamic leaders, are duty-bound to correct this impression and teach our young ones the truth about Islam," noted the scholar

He commended the DSS in Kogi State for rising to the occasion to arrest the terrorists, saying the arrests have proven that our intelligence services are among the best in the world.

"What the DSS is very laudable. In fact, it is challenge to other sister security agencies, including the military to sit up and prove their mettle," he stated, stressing, "we can now see that with the right motivation, our security agencies can do wonders."

Another resident of the state, Okechukwu Udensi thanked the DSS for "restoring the confidence of the citizens in government."

He said, "I've lived in Okene for over 20 years. The activities of these fundamentalist have been a source of worry to many,but they dared not speak out.

"Thank God for using the DSS to arrest their king pins. The implication is that we can now breathe a new air of freedom. W can, once again, move around freely, without being afraid for our lives," he declared.

An Anambra High Court sitting in Awka on Wednesday ordered the immediate release of one Mr Chukwuemeka Ekwueme, a Real Estate Developer who has been detained at the Zone 13 Headquarters, Ukpo, Anambra since December 14.

The order followed an application for bail by Alex Ejesieme (SAN), counsel to the applicant in Suit no. A/Misc 461/2022 and Motion No.A /2050m/2022.

Defendants in the matter are Inspector General of Police, AIG Abutu Yaro in charge of Zone 13, Nkiru Nwode, PRO Zone 13, and Emmanuel Awah, office of the PRO Zone 13.

Ejesieme said Ekwueme, the CEO of S. Bigman Multi Biz Concept, a real estate company was arrested and detained in relation to his move to develop lands around the Oba International Airport, Idemili South Local Government Area.


He said the Police arrested him based on a petition by the community, but held him in detention ever since without charging him of any offence.

The senior lawyer said the Police was already acting in contempt of court as an order of a Magistrate Courts obtained at Ugbenu in Awka North LGA with which they effected the arrest had been voided by the same court through an order dated December 20.

Ejesieme who described the situation as a draconian policing prayed the court to admit the applicant on bail pending the conclusion of investigation of the crime he allegedly committed.

He also sought an order for substituted service on all applicants' processes and subsequent processes in the suit on the respondents by serving the same on the Officer in Charge of Legal Department, Zone 13 Headquarters, Ukpo.

In his ruling, Justice D. A. Onyefulu ordered the Police to release the applicant on bail with the sum of N5 million and a surety resident within the jurisdiction of the court.

The judge also ordered the applicant
the applicant not to interfere with the police investigation.

"The Court hereby admits the applicant to bail pending the conclusion of investigation in the sum of N5 Million with one surety in the like sum, surety to be recommended by counsel and attach his NIN for proper identification and live within this state.

"The court also orders service of all the processes in this suit on the Respondents as prayed in the 3rd
relief sought," he said.

The matter was adjourned to 4th January, 2023 for the motion on notice to be heard.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC)for the Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency of Delta State Tamuno Obriki for allegedly defrauding a businessman of N150 Million

Obriki who is gunning for the House of Representatives Bomadi/Patani Federal constituency was arrested In Abuja on Wednesday.

According to a source in the EFCC“ Obriki is Efcc custody for N150million naira fraud (419) he would soon be charged to court once investigations are concluded.

...Condemns His Attempt to Incite Religious Crises in Nigeria

The attention of Citizens Watch Advocacy Initiative (CWAI), a pro-democracy, civil society and human rights group, has been drawn to the recent arrest of and prosecution of Publisher of Kaduna-based Desert Herald, Tukur Mamu, a self-confessed negotiator of the Kaduna-Abuja train kidnap.

CWAI is equally concerned about the uncontrolled and uncouth utterances of Sheikh Ahmad Mahmud Gumi, Kaduna-based controversial Islamic cleric, to whom Mamu is Chief Press Secretary/spokesperson. CWAI has observed that the utterances of the sheikh are capable of inciting innocent Nigerians and whipping sentiments along ethnic and religious lines.

First and foremost, the CSO has commended the frantic efforts of the Department of State Services (DSS) for the professional job and handling of the sensitive issue so far.

CWAI recalls that Mamu was arrested in Egypt precisely in Cairo International Airport on his way to Saudi Arabia to perform the lesser Hajj (Umrah) and was sent back by the authorities and handed over to the Nigerian authorities for further investigations, following petitions from well-meaning Nigerians both home and in the Diaspora owing to the role played as a self-styled negotiator for ransom payment on kidnapped Nigerians by bandits running into billions.

CWAI notes that many Nigerians in captivity of bandits were tortured and Mamu’s ignoble role was to negotiate for the captured or kidnapped victims to pay ransom to the bandits before they could be released. Therefore, we refer to him as an active participant in their ordeal.

In a release by the Executive Secretary of CWAI, Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele, the organization noted that as a result of the recent upsurge in agitations owing to the role played by Tukur Mamu, the DSS swung into action and he is presently been investigated.

During their investigation and a search in his office and residence, a large cache of military accoutrements, huge sums of foreign currencies, debit and credit cards, cheques of various banks as well as other financial instruments/transactions were recovered.

As professionals, CWAI executives know what a Publisher earns, even when his newspaper/magazine enjoys the high patronage in terms of advertisements and sponsored articles. In view of this, CWAI makes bold to assert that Mamu’s lifestyle and job done are not commensurate with the large amounts of money found on him and, as such, the DSS has diligently approached the court for another 60 days extension to be able to conduct and conclude a thorough investigation.

According to our investigations, since the detention of Tukur Mamu, his boss Sheikh Gumi has been vociferous in his condemnation of the DSS action and has poured out his vituperations on the state institution as well as calling it all sorts of names in order to derail the investigation.

We have it on good authority and according to our findings that he has been going from one social institution to another, including social gatherings to preach in order to whip up sentiments on religious grounds and calling names, just as he is abusing the constituted authorities.

All these, the organization notes, are done with the aim of causing religious sentiments. In view of the foregoing, CWAI hereby calls on the law enforcement agents concerned to, as a matter of urgency, arrest Sheikh Gumi for hobnobbing with terrorists/bandits all these years, so that government will be in a position to confirm the true nature of the role he has all along been playing so as not to use his present garb as wolves in sheep’s clothing to deceive Nigerians.

CWAI emphasizes that the current security challenges to national unity and stability are partly founded on false perceptions and narratives of people like Sheikh Gumi and others who are allegedly fanning the embers of divisiveness with their preaching at social institutions and gatherings and giving active support to non-state actors and bandits who go up in arms against the state.

The CSO urges Nigeria to keep a close watch on the consternation, the provocative tendencies and utterances of Sheikh Gumi over time, especially as it relates to bandits and kidnappers especially along the North-West zone and have come to the stark reality and realization that indeed Sheikh Gumi should not be walking in the society as a free man.

We strongly advice that he should be made to face the law for his unfettered romance with these mercenaries. That Gumi’s arrest and interrogation will put an end to banditry in the North-West so that farmers will go to their farms without fear of being harassed or killed.

As we speak, more than one hundred Abuja/Kaduna train passengers kidnapped by terrorists since April this year, are still languishing in the hands of these kidnappers with their families suffering untold hardships and traumas under terrible conditions.

As agents of change and peace advocates, CWAI executives condemn in strongest terms these acts perpetrated by Tukur Mamu, and by extension, his master Sheikh Gumi, and insist that no one is above the law, nor has the right to carry arms against the state at whatever guise. We therefore call for an all out red alert to be beamed on Sheik by law enforcement and security agencies and call for his arrest, interrogation and prosecution and if found wanting, should be made to face the consequences of his action.

We assert that Gumi’s sustained romance with bandits has drawn wide condemnation from Nigerians for long, including the international community. As a person of interest considering his open relationship with bandits and kidnappers causing untold harm and threatening national security and his persistent call for amnesty to be granted to the bandits, calls for serious concern.

We are of the strong opinion that security agencies must be allowed to do their job dutifully and diligently and they must firmly discharge their constitutional roles and continue to ensure the safety of lives and property.

We also call on Nigerians citizens to be more observant and promptly participate in matters of security as well as hold people in authority to account.

At this juncture, CWAI further advises law enforcement agents to arrest and interrogate Sheikh Gumi promptly so as to serve as deterrence to others.

Furthermore, our organization advises security authorities to henceforth place him on red light so as not to set Kaduna State on the road to Golgotha. This is so important, as Tukur Mamu is the undisputed official spokesman of Sheikh Gumi on this vexed issue of kidnapping, ransom collection and punishment meted out to these Nigerians in captivity.

CWAI asserts that the apprehension of Sheikh Gumi is important and paramount to the peaceful elections not only in Kaduna State, but Nigeria in general, as he will provide vital information with credible and actionable intelligence on the whereabouts, locations, ammunitions, strategy and the modus operandi of these bandits and kidnappers to the authorities.

CWAI strongly believes that Nigeria is stronger together as a united nation, and has by far, greater potentials and possibilities. The freedom to express grievances and agitate for diverse causes cannot be absolute and should never extend to hate speeches, whipping up negative sentiments on religious grounds/ethnic sentiments to inflame nerves, including threats that hurt sensibilities of other groups and threats to security of the nation.

Gumi is now sermonizing falsehood to incite Islamic fanatics against the Nigerian state through his sermons in social institutions and gatherings, so as to divert attention of the security agencies. The DSS should arrest him forthwith.

It is in view of this that CWAI now advises DSS to thoroughly investigate Tukur Mamu to find out his links with alleged meetings with international commanders of terrorist groups when he was arrested in Egypt and also arrest Sheikh Gumi without further delay as well as immediately interrogate him to ascertain his veracity and culpability and the role he has played with the terrorist groups – operating in the North-West zone of the country.

With this brevity, CWAI hereby passes a vote of confidence on the Department of State Services (DSS) and all its operatives for this bold initiative for arresting a self-acclaimed negotiator and to with immediate effect, arrest Sheikh Gumi as a collaborator and alleged Master-Minder of all these ugly happenings in the North-West zone and beyond.

We urge and commend the lead management of the DSS for policy direction, execution and governance processes in the pursuit of human security objectives on which its intelligence gathering efforts are based and call on the DSS to rein on terrorists nationwide, especially main collaborators and persons of importance like Sheikh Gumi and Tukur Mumas should be thoroughly investigated and brought to book if found guilty, for Nigerians to close their eyes while sleeping.

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Abia Central Hon Emeka Atuma has declared that his mission to the Senate is to re-invent Abia State just as he declared that he has volunteered to lead the struggle for good governance in the state from the Senate.

In a statement by the Emeka Atuma campaign organization the former member of the House of Representatives stated that he is determined to recover and transform the nature of representation from its current medieval status.

According to him “ My mission as a Senator is to reinvent Abia State and to restore its previous place of pride, so that the state could survive and thrive on a larger Nigerian context. Without doubt, Abia has been through a horrible wilderness experience in the past eight years. Our
reputation as a people has been sullied and have become the butt of jokes due to the crass ineptitude, loquacious ignorance, and ravenous corruption masquerading as governance in our state during this outgoing administration.

My decision to engineer a liberation process from the Senate is motivated by an unmitigated indignation against criminal trends and violent tendencies, which have collapsed the sacred institutions of governance, to the extent that Abia has become a failed State. My Legislative agenda is designed to change all these, and to put in place a new, qualitative representation.

“As we move to run and win the Senate seat of Abia Central district of Abia State, my mission is to recover and transform the nature of representation from its current medieval status. My vision is to introduce a quality and quantitative representation based on democracy, transparency and good governance.

“In these,I am inspired by the fear of God and my personal abilities.
My plan of action to actualize and realize this target is guided by the Nigerian Constitution and the democratic principles of our electoral act of 2022. Based on divine inspiration, conviction and persuasion to represent Abia central district out of poor representation to a new age of quality and quantitative representation.

Atuma declared that “I volunteer to lead the struggle for good governance in the state from the Senate. Judging from the provisions of the Nigeria constitution on the imperatives for participation, based on personal credentials and antecedents, I assure that I am supremely qualified and sufficiently prepared to run and win the Abia central senatorial district race, 2023, by the grace of God.

“History has shown that when a people are well organized, strong, disciplined, focused and united, talented and creative leaders emerge to take them to higher levels of achievement. But where the people are torn from within by indiscipline, mercenary motives, disloyalty and lack of transparency, the state enters an age of troubles.

Speaking further he pointed out that “in context, the leadership we demand in Abia central senatorial district as we approach 2023 is a collective enterprise that borders on the division of labour and separation of powers.

This explains why I believe that politics is like a baby that cannot be delivered by only a palm. But for the successful delivery of a child, for example, all hands must be on deck since the ocean is the product of drops of water.

Like developmental strides which signifies good governance and protection for all, without prejudice to race, region, religion, generation or gender, the aims, objectives and functions of Grace movement 2023 are broad enough to shield diverse democratic inclinations and demands in all sectors of life in Abia Central senatorial District including the economy, culture, education, agriculture, health, social welfare delivery etc.

“My courage stems from a firm belief in God as a Christian. Therefore, I pledge to represent Abia Central District with emphasis on transparency, honesty and accountability in public affairs, a policy of genuine generosity and human capacity development based on the golden rule of good governance.

As an Abian, I pledge to pursue the granite values of the Abia people, predicated on harmony, achievement-oriented, merit, prudence in the management of scare human resources, culture of perseverance and ability to overcome hardship and set-backs, the sacrifice of personal convenience for the collective good.

He stated that “as a Nigerian, I shall operate with humility and modesty, the spirit of service and sacrifice, rigorous commitment to cause, community, state and nation, and other cultural traits that mark the political behavior of people from this part of the nation, such as loyalty to constituted authority and legitimate leadership at the three tiers of governance in the Federal Republic of Nigeria constitution.

In these, I pledge allegiance to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the good people of Abia Central senatorial District, Abia State and Nigeria at large.

...Urge Buhari to "speedily confirm him"

Officers and men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) are happy with President Muhammadu Buhari's recent appointment of Mr. Dauda Biu as their acting Corps Marshal, The Authority findings have revealed.

The officers, however, would rather the president speedily confirmed Biu as substantive Corps Marshal "to enable him see through the beautiful reforms he introduced the Corps."

A cross section of the officers and men who spoke with The Authority commended President Buhari for continuing with the tradition of appointing the most senior officer to assume leadership of the agency.

They described the appointment as a gesture of President Buhari's commitment to professionalism, saying an agency like the FRSC should at all times be run only by professionals.

The officers noted that the recent appointment had put the FRSC on a trajectory of growth, and that confirming Biu as the substantive Corps Marshal would encourage upcoming officers to put in their best.

"Look at the confusion that trailed the appointment and subsequent removal of of Dr. Hilary Madu as acting Commandant-General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)," a senior FRSC officer noted.

"After about a month, Madu's junior Abubakar Audi was announced as the substantive Commandant-General. It is obvious that the sour taste the new appointment left in the mouths of most people may be responsible for the current lul in the activities of the Civil Defence Corps.

Several FRSC officers noted that Biu's appointment was a huge morale booster, even as they expressed optimism that he would lead the Corps well.

"We have little doubt that Acting CM Biu will perform exceptionally. He's started well by hitting the ground running. His inaugural address gave us cause to rejoice. He promised improved welfare and working conditions, and to review delayed promotions," they stressed.

Some of Biu's former personal aides revealed that their boss's stint as a teacher before joining the Corps may be responsible for his disposition and willingness to listen and learn, even from his subordinates.

"He's a very patient person, always giving people the opportunity to prove themselves, and painstakingly correcting them when they make mistakes. This is one leadership quality God has blessed him with, and we are sure he's going to leverage on that to transform the Corps," they declared.

By Danjuma Aziki

If not for the country we found ourselves as Africans and Nigeria as a country, will people like Babachir Lawal, with no electoral value and someone that has been caught for corruption and abuse of office, be walking freely and canvassing on issues of burning national importance? Same applied to Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, who has not in his entire life, empowered anyone, not even his family members.

These are men who all their lives have chosen to be greedy, selfish and self-centred, without any political loyalty to any party they belong to, but are only interested in mesh of porridge and the next elections.

The recent Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has brought another avenue for both Babachir and Dogara to fan their battered image to high heavens by betraying the party that kept and fed them all this while, including their paymaster that have kept them out of the gunlock.

During the recent clamour for the choice of vice presidential candidates by the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, a committee was set up amongst them curiously was Babachir, also a member to look into the best choice of candidate taking into cognizance, their faith and belief, including capacity and competence, but after few months in search, the committee recommended former Governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima, who is a minority Muslim from Kanuri, Borno State.
After the selection process and endorsement by the party as the vice presidential candidate to Asiwaju Tinubu, the duo of Babachir Lawal and Yakubu Dogara started a campaign of calumny against Asiwaju Tinubu and stoking the issue of a Muslim-Muslim ticket all in a bid to drag the party to the mud and cast aspersions on the APC flagbearer.

The recent press conference and visit to some television stations, as well as visits to Benue State, leaves much to be desired, and, as such, calls for concern for all APC stakeholders that, indeed there is much to it that meet the eyes.

Concerned APC members, in their astonishments, have heard and read that Babachir Lawal crossed paths with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu just in 2015 and, as soon as the APC took power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015, because of his closeness and association with Asiwaju, he was rewarded with the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). And, before one could say Jack Robinson, he was enmeshed in abuse of office and corruption, running into several millions of Naira and today, he is in court for corruption charges.

History has it that, up till today, Babachir has not empowered anybody, not even his family members, but is full of pride, hypocrisy with a moral burden hanging on his neck.

Babachir Lawal, has restated his objection to the decision of the APC to run with a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the 2023 general election.

He said Christians, including members of the APC, will use their Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) and prayers to resist the party’s plan ahead of the polls.

His stance was echoed by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

The duo spoke at an “APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit” in Abuja on Friday.

Their reaction comes amid controversies that have trailed the announcement of a Borno State senator and former governor of the state, Kashim Shettima, as the running mate of the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

Many have condemned the outburst of Babachir as being insensitive to the need for the party to clinch the 2023 presidential general elections and calling his activities as anti-party activities perpetuated by Babchir while hiding under the inglorious canopy of religion.

Although Babachir had protested the announcement earlier, some APC chieftains like the Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, and the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, rebuked him.

Babachir has no locus standi to speak on behalf of anybody, not to talk of any group or association, because he is yet to clear his name for corruption charges having abused his office. He has no moral standing to speak on behalf of Christians whose faith he maligned, disparaged and denigrated having occupied the exalted office as SGF.

We make bold to say that on no account was the Muslim-Muslim ticket meant to discriminate against the Christian religion as alleged by Babachir and co-travellers. The APC did not (and will not) carry any fight as alleged, and is not blaming Christians, neither is it abusing CAN or Christian leaders as alleged by Babachir. All these vituperations are the verbal diarrhea of Babachir and Dogara, fanning the embers of divisiveness in the APC and misinforming Nigerians, just because they lost out on the vice presidential slot and have axe to grind with the party, for not standing for Babachir’s corruption charges in court.

Asiwaju Tinubu’s wife of over 40 years, is a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RGGC). The question now is: if Asiwaju Tinubu did not change the faith of his better half, and not even those of his children, how can he now convert Nigerians to Islam? So what is the veracity of Babachir and Dogara’s fuss about Muslim-Muslim ticket? Do they have anything to lose apart from their selfish ambitions? Christians should not be allowed to be deceived by these self-serving politicians, who now claim to be representatives of the Christendom, but are rather wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Indeed, no one should take him seriously, not even the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) leadership or Christian leaders in the North, because he does not represent their interest, but is self-serving and self-centred for mesh of porridge.

The exaggerated, arrogant and hypocritical sense of moral integrity and self-righteousness exhibited by Babachir and Dogara is there for all to see. These are men that have hitherto been given bread and butter by Asiwaju Tinubu and were made what they have now become politically. They have now come behind to bite the finger that fed them.

This is not only disdain, but shameful, and a let-down for their persons, calling themselves leaders when, indeed, they are nobodies, having no followership all these years.

When did Babachir Lawal and Yakubu Dogara start speaking for themselves? When did they start speaking for the North or Christians? Are they core Christians or they just want to grab the “opportunity” to make themselves popular in the political space? If they are Christians to the status they portray themselves to be, why did Babachir abuse his office against his so-called faith? And, why has he suddenly decided to go after his godfather and mentor, which is clearly a case of betrayal and backstabbing? This invariable means there is more to it, than meet the eyes; that he wanted to occupy the APC vice presidential slot, come rain, come sunshine.

However, both Babachir and Dogara cannot speak on behalf of the Northern Christians. They are acting on their own. Well-meaning Nigerians should not take them serious. They have no moral justification to speak on behalf of the Northern Christians.

Indeed, there is no agenda, whatsoever by APC to malign, suppress the Northern Christians economically, politically or religious, as is being shamelessly championed by Babachir and Dogara.

We have it on good authority that Babachir has gone to take loans and even given a lot of people his words that when he is made the Vice President, he will do this and that on false hope and fake assurances, just to assuage his pride and ego. However, today to his chagrin, he is licking his wound for not achieving that feat.

It is now on record, that Babachir and Dogara have gone to the market place to dance naked, misinforming gullible Nigerians and leaders of thought as if they are genuine Christians. The question is: Who are they speaking for, and on whose authority, because they are not recognized Christian leaders from the North, but fifth columnists being back-rolled by the opposition to malign the Muslim-Muslim ticket approved by the President and APC stakeholders.

Before year 2000, Babachir and Dogara were nobodies, in fact Asiwaju Bola Tinubu made them and brought them to the front burner of prominence. But today, their selfish agenda have overtaken all their sense of judgment, trying to pull the Asiwaju down by all means. Posterity will surely judge them.

Nigerians were awakened on December 14, 2016, when the Senate called for the removal and prosecution of SGF Babachir Lawal based on breach of Nigeria’s law in handling contracts awarded by the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE). Mr Babachir’s company, Global Vision Limited, is one of the companies indicted by the Shehu Sani-led ad-hoc committee for benefitting from inflated and phantom contracts, not executed at all.

He was said to have awarded over N500 million in contract to clear “invasive plant specie in Yobe State.

The committee found out that at the time the contract was awarded in March 2016, Babachir was still the director of Global Vision and that he just resigned in September 2016 and was still a signatory to the company’s account: Mr Babachir’s directorship of the Global Vision while being a public official – Secretary to the Government of the Federation – contravenes Nigeria’s code of conduct for public officials as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. To all intents and purposes, Global Vision was incorporated in 1990 to carry out ICT services, but it received contract to clear grass in 2016, even while the owner is a senior government official and was also arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 10-count charge bordering on fraud, diversion of funds and criminal conspiracy to the tune of N500 million.”

Babachir, according to Nigerians, was then a disgrace to the APC and was also exhibiting anti-Buhari tendency and what the APC administration stood for and still continues to expend energy and ill-gotten resources to pull down APC at all cost.

Babachir Lawal and Yakubu Dogara are not recognized as Christian leaders of the North in any ramification. Their visit to the Governor of Benue State Samuel Ortom should not be taken seriously, because they are not speaking on behalf of anyone but themselves, crying wolf where there is none.

Their presence at the Governor’s lodge does not have the backing and authority of the known Christians leaders like General Yakubu Gowon, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (Taraba), Dan Suleiman (Adamawa), Senator Barnabas Gemade (Benue), Prof. Jerry Gana (Niger) and General Zamanai Lekwot (Kaduna).

These are the recognized Christian leaders of the North and any other persons posing as such, are fakes, fifth columnists and should not be taken seriously by well-meaning Nigerians.

The above purported Christian forum spearheaded by Babachir and Dogara is not known to the North and should be discountenanced and disregarded for their self-serving statements.

Asiwaju is a political phenomenon of our time, a detribalized Nigerian that has transversed the nation’s political landscape, taking battles that seemingly appeared insurmountable and coming out victorious. These shenanigans of Babachir and Dogara will come and go, but Asiwaju/Shettima will remain as an indelible mark on the sands of Nigeria’s democratic history.

The supposed group of both Babachir and Dogara is not recognized or given a backing by the recognized Christian leaders of the North, and, as such, they speak for and on behalf of themselves and their opinion does not count as they do not truly represent the generality or leaders of the Northern Christians.

The coming together of Asiwaju and Shettima ticket has thrown the Nigerian polity into frenzy and the announcement was a bang, because of what is portends for the country and the future of our youths.

The ticket will right the wrongs of the past and put the country right back on the comity of nations as a result of transformative and transparent governance, which has drawn wide applause and commendations from the international community, Nigerians, including torrents coming from the Diaspora.


Danjuma Aziki is of Middle-Belt Renaissance Group (MRG), and wrote in from Abuja.

By Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele


The presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as embodied by former Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Jagaban Borgu) and former Governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima can be described as one team Nigeria that is bipartisan, no religious inclination and a truly Nigerian party comprising a team that has its sight on the development of Nigeria like never before seen.

The vision, inspiration, courage, personal sacrifice, personal example and experience of the above ticket has been tested and trusted over time when Asiwaju held sway as Governor of Lagos State for eight years, served at the Senate until the military intervention and today Lagos State has become a model city, not only in Nigeria but Africa.

He laid this foundation even when Lagos State was denied its statutory allocation during the days of President Olusegun Obasanjo. Asiwaju had to look within and think outside the box, by increasing the internally generated revenue (IGR) to cater for payment of civil servants, Lagos model city and pioneered the Treasury Single Account (TSA) also which is now used at the centre, the rest is now history.

The same story goes for Senator Kashim Shettima. According to Tinubu: “Much has been said, written about my decision to select Shettima to partner me on this journey. As a committed and progressive leader, I have read and listened to all that has been written and said; it has been an emotional situation for me.”

“Out of many competent Nigerians and out of many advice, I know it has to be my decision. And the hallmark of leadership is taking a decision at the right time when it ought to be taken.

“I did consult and I am proud to tell all of you here acknowledging the quality of our Vice President Kashim Shettima.” These were the words of Asiwaju Tinubu at the unveiling of Senator Shettima at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja recently.

Prior to the unveiling of Shettima, Asiwaju Tinubu in a statement early July, said “the spirit of 1993 is upon Nigerians again in 2023.” Making reference to the Abiola/Kingibe Muslim-Muslim ticket in 1993, he said he chose Shettima, because, “Senator Kashim Shettima’s career in politics and beyond shows that he is eminently qualified not only to deliver that all important electoral victory, but, also, step into the shoes of the Vice President. As a man with talent, maturity, strength of character and patriotism, he has my implicit confidence and faith.”

Senator Shettima has a similar history of performance and accomplishments when he was at the mantle of leadership (between 2011 and 2019) and the same at the National Assembly as Senator representing the state. Under him at Borno State, he left a huge educational legacy and built schools and educational facilities across the 29 local government areas in Borno State. He built ultra-modern schools, rehabilitated and refurbished others damaged by Boko Haram insurgents.

He also built model schools in Biu, Azare, 202 estates, Gumari airport, Yewa Government Girls College, with good living environment and so many other schools spread all over Maiduguri, so as to take care of 50,000 orphans across the state – children whose parents had been killed during the war.

This development templates across the state drew the anger of Boko Haram insurgents who tried on several occasions to kidnap and kill Senator Kashim Shettima.

We are still aware of the Kabiru Sokoto plot to kidnap Shettima’s children at Borno Lodge in 2012, the mastermind of the Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State which killed 37 people and injured 57 others.

Shettima, who is now the Vice Presidential candidate of the APC, decided then to relocate his family – two girls and a boy to Abuja, while Kabiru Sokoto disguised into the lodge and today, we are all aware of the story and its history, including numerous attempts on the life of Shettima by Boko Haram insurgents at different fora at different times since the insurgency started.

In 2016, Shettima rebuilt churches destroyed by Boko Haram in Borno, a state with over 80 percent Muslim population. On April 4, 2017, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed that Shettima released N210 million to rebuild churches in Borno. Shettima also ordered the rebuilding of churches destroyed in Borno, according to Thisday, September 26, 2016.

On September 30, 2016, Shettima promised to rebuild churches and other structures destroyed by Boko Haram in Lassa and visited liberated communities and accessed the level of damage in Lassa in Askira-Uba Local Government Area.

On November 26, 2017, the then President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama said he was attracted to the qualities in then Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, because he had proven not to be “narrow-minded and myopic,” but rather one who was broad minded and fair to adherents of all religious groups as being testified by Christian leaders from all denominations living in Borno.

Archbishop Kaigama stated this in Maiduguri, when he led Bishops to pay a courtesy call on then Governor Shettima on an empathy visit to Borno to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Maiduguri Catholic Diocese (1966 to 2016).

The icing on the cake on Senator Shettima happened when he was endorsed by the APC as Tinubu’s vice on the presidential ticket of the party and the wailers went to the market square to say that the distinguished Senator is a Boko Haram sympathizer and sponsor, while it is on record and well documented how Boko Haram tried killing him on various instances based on the timelines below:

ISWAP (the Islamic State of West African Province) claimed responsibility for the attack on Governor Shettima’s convoy (Channels TV, February 14, 2019, The Cable Online, February 22, 2019); 60 Killed, 100 Abducted in attack in Borno Governor’s convoy, in a new video message; Shekarau threatens Shettima, Zulum, Monguno, Bukarti, Dalung (Daily Nigerian, August 9, 2020); Fighting Boko Haram: Shettima alone funds 20,000 Civilian JTF for 6 years (Daily Trust, January 6, 2019 respectively, and so many others too numerous to mention here.

Both Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima are men brought together by circumstances, or let’s say divine due to their competence, dedication and forthrightness in tackling issues frontally, no matter whose ox is gored, one complementing the other. I must say, I admire their outpouring of positive nationalism which is clearly reflected in the vision to turn Nigeria around from the brink of precipice to sustain a veritable value system that will change the country for good and take it to its glorious future.

In pursuance of the Asiwaju legacy in Lagos State, and Lagos as a model city as well as his vision for Nigeria of our dreams, I am (and we are) confident that the Asiwaju brand will place Nigeria in the threshold of history in spite of the campaign of calumny by the opposition, naysayers and pundits alike.

The present issue since the unveiling of Senator Kashim Shettima of Borno State as the vice presidential candidate of the APC is the overheating of the polity by political jobbers, disgruntled politicians, Nigerian religious bigots, CAN, prominent personalities, students, women groups, HURIWA (Human Rights Writers Association) and others not versed in Nigeria’s history have gone to town fanning the embers of a Muslim-Muslim ticket giving their reasons why it is not good for a secular state like Nigeria.

These people have forgotten that in Nigeria, we have freedom of association and worship and that religion should be separated from politics, especially when we have been at doldrums for a long time and this seems to be the only team ready, poised and experienced with the requisite competence to take Nigeria out of the present quagmire.

The Muslim-Muslim ticket is therefore, an explicit and covert manipulation of religion for political purposes towards the 2023 elections and must be seen as such and nothing more. There is no way the ticket can Islamize Nigeria or endanger Nigerians or give the Nigerian state to the Fulanis or Boko Haram as canvassed by the opposition and naysayers who are ignorant of the antecedents of the APC flag-bearer and their vision for the country.

The unguarded statements by the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Lawan Babachir, should not be taken seriously as he is part and parcel of the APC team that narrowed the selection process to Shettima and therefore, there is more to it than meets the eyes. Babachir described the APC presidential platform as too desperate, not minding the fact that he was part of the consultative process that led to the decision.

There is no empirical evidence that the APC is willing to malign the Christian faith as canvassed by HURIWA and other bodies. Yes, we can infer or understand the fears based on the issues that have pervaded the landscape for the past seven years that the APC government held sway, but that can’t be used as a yardstick or parameter to rob or cast aspersions on the vision and mission of the Tinubu/Shettima ticket for a better Nigeria, an egalitarian society, where equity, justice and fair-play would become the order of the day.

Nevertheless, the APC flag-bearers are not insensitive to the plight of other religions but felt that their choice is the best team to take Nigeria to the Promised Land, regardless of all emotional sentiments attached to the nomination of Shettima as Tinubu’s vice. In some quarters, the nomination is making APC insensitive to Nigeria’s diversity or a threat to Christians and Nigeria’s peaceful co-existence as a nation, but the simple answer to this is NO. It is rather bringing core competence and professionalism to the fore, where Nigerians can aspire to any position of choice without pride or prejudice.

Yes, we all crave for balance and equity in the administration due to the verse resources of our fatherland and from time in history and since independence, including during the military era of General Ibrahim Babangida, and all other military administrations, the issue of balance of both faiths was taken into consideration.

But where has that gotten us today? The most recent was during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari when even the present APC flag-bearer, Asiwaju Tinubu was been put forward as vice presidential candidate but was changed at the last minute due to the Muslim-Muslim ticket and opted for balance. The present flag-bearers of the APC cannot be reduced to their religious faith but rather look at the bigger picture of the Nigerian nation and a future to bequeath to our children.

Therefore, those finding faults with the Muslim-Muslim ticket must stop and not overheat the polity with the divisive slang, but rather look at the bigger picture of what both flag-bearers are to bring to the table - core competence and years of achievements; being core party men, who are consistent with experience as an advantage, who have kept touch with their base and maintaining a goodwill sparing several decades and years for patriotism and nationalism.

The APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Adamu aptly captures Asiwaju Tinubu, describing him as a detribalized Nigerian who has carried everyone along, irrespective of their ethnic and political differences. He commended Tinubu for the choice of Shettima, thus following the path of the presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election, Moshood Kashimawo Abiola (of blessed memory) who picked Babagana Kingibe as his running mate.

The Chairman affirmed that Tinubu can be trusted to run an all-inclusive government as President in 2023 general elections. That Tinubu is a man who has also thrown his arm around every tribe in Nigeria. He has offered his shoulders for those in pain to lean on and has used his wealth to bring succor and hope to the needy and less privileged.

According to Adamu: “Tinubu can be trusted to run an inclusive government in which character, competence and vision matter to his administration.” He stated this while defending Shettima for his right qualities and loyalty to the party at all times.

Consequently, what both tickets hold for Nigeria is the incredible vision and strength of character. Nigerians are indeed lucky to be standing on the shoulders of these two remarkable political titans of the decade who are patriots and nationalists of the first order who are readily charged with the vision to see Nigerians through. These are flag-bearers whose foresight and pragmatic decisions to sacrifice their personal interests and sectional sentiments for the overall good of the nation across ethnic, religious and regional status, as well as stakeholders.

This ticket, like Senator Shettima said, “is not an imposition, it’s an outcome of democracy at its practical best, and based on the aggregation of the ideas and insights of our great party stakeholders. If this were an unpopular option, as the cast of partisan provocateurs have attempted to paint, there wouldn’t have been tonnes of goodwill messages, especially from distinguished Christians, from all over the country. This ticket is a Nigerian project, not a sectional agenda that the frightened camps have been struggling to sensationalize.” This was aptly captured by no other person but Shettima himself.

Nigerians will all agree that this ticket is indeed calculated and planned by the APC, knowing full well how rational the citizens are and by their permutations, this is the only way to victory for 2023. The flag-bearers are bound by passion to retain power in order to deepen democracy and deliver a unifying and transformative governance to our people.

Nigerians must therefore, overlook the pedestrian attempts to politicize the religious affiliations of the APC flag-bearers but rather yield to the message of hope and the manifestation of prosperity, equity, justice, security, employment, economic growth to the county of our dreams. They should reason that indeed these two candidates who are game-changers and change-agents can bring the much-desired positive change to the political landscape.

However, even with the various hues and cries, the ticket has remained the very best option to bring the needed positive change and nothing more by defying the stereotype, sectional and a good decision over sentiments of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Just recently, eminent persons sent their voice to the clarion call for Muslim-Muslim ticket that Nigerians should look beyond the religious connotations but look at their competence for the task ahead. The likes of Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Catholic Diocese and Pastor Tunde Bakare, a presidential aspirant of the APC in the 2022 primaries, also said that Nigerians should look at the competence of the candidates and jettison the religious aspect for the prosperity of the country and our collective future.

For point of emphasis, the APC presidential bearer, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s wife is a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), while Tinubu has also played host to Pastor Enoch Adeboye few days ago to consult and rub minds on the next move and how the Christians and Muslims can move past this and see it from a competent point of view that will win elections and nothing more.

The big question still remains that if Tinubu has allowed his wife of over 40 years to, not only remain a Christian but become a pastor in one of the largest churches of the land, what fears do Christians have? Why did Tinubu not insist on converting the wife and Children to Christianity?

The Tinubu/Shettima brand will place before Nigerians, their people-oriented cardinal programmes that encompass fear of God, justice for all, respect for rule of law, justice and fairness for all. There is also respect for religious and ethnic diversity, restructuring to decentralize governance to the local level, creation of state police with policies put in place for internal security, which will also include free quality education from primary to university levels.

Part of their manifesto include the reinvigorated anti-terror wars, using the Lagos model and other asymmetrical warfare methodologies, community policing, structure created for internal security of the nation, the improvement of the opportunities in the agricultural sector, using modern mechanization tools, technology, provision of adequate infrastructure and the creation of opportunities in science and technology.

Also promised is the improvement on the capacity in the health sector, eradication of corruption, reduction in vandalization of national assets, creation of employment opportunities, improvement in diplomatic relationships with other countries, rapid sports development, increasing the capacity to generate internal revenue, creating multiple platforms to generate electricity by allowing more investors in the generation and distribution sectors.

The Tinubu/Shettima ticket will also create more people’s consortia to make Nigerians happy and aspire to any office of their choice.

The Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC presidential flag-bearers, is one of hope and change, a ticket of Nigerian for Nigerians and a pan-Nigerian ticket for economic prosperity. Nigerians should vote to defend our country’s national resources, economic growth; and vote leaders who are experienced with character, competence, capacity and policies that drive development and look beyond religious sentiments for our collective good.


Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele is a media scholar, activist, brand adviser, research fellow and communications specialist; Fmr Media Adviser to the President (2010-2015).

PRESS STATEMENT: Since the proactive and patriotic Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Faruk Yahaya took over the mantle of leadership, the Nigerian Army has greatly reduced the ferocity of the Boko Haram insurgents/ISWAP; curtailed farmers/herdsmen clashes across the country and also nipped in the bud, various unpatriotic elements who are fanning the embers of war within the country.

Nigerians have never been so proud of the professional focus of the army as regards the safeguarding of the territorial integrity of the nation and the high motivation espirit-de-corps of officers and men, including conforming to the best global practices as it relates to human rights and civility of the Nigerian Army in this democratic dispensation.

Every well-meaning Nigerian is supposed to know that the globe is undergoing a revolution in Technology, Communication and Information flow: in business practices and organizational structure; in ways nations relate to one another and respond to their publics, in the ability of how regional and international organizations respond to conflicts, humanitarian and natural disasters. The new world environment demands new ways of doing things as much as how to command a unit and take the next hill or piece of land of the enemy’s territory.

Our Nigerian Army has remained the best in Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa, it has remained the best led, best trained and best equipped with patriotic soldiers who are focused on the onerous task ahead of protecting and safeguarding the territorial integrity of our nation.

The attention of Africa Advocacy for Leadership and Good Governance (AALG) as well as that of Transparency Network Centre (TNC) (two pro-human rights and pro-democracy groups) has been drawn to the recent numerous media publications and headlines skewed and slanted to favour the insurgents against the Nigerian Army for some time now. This is indeed the handiwork of mischief makers and fifth columnists, a propaganda troll orchestrated by enemies of our unity, peace and stability of the country, to give the impression that the insurgency is winning the battle and to throw fears to Nigerians that we are at the losing end.

We view this as a deliberate falsehood and misleading narrative invidiously orchestrated and calculated to tarnish the unblemished professional reputation of our distinguished military who have spent the better part of their life protecting and defending this country from external aggression and securing its territory.

Ordinarily, we could have kept quiet as some of these subterranean moves are aimed at denigrating and maligning our national pride; the Nigerian Army has done their best for their hard-fought battles which these disgruntled elements now want to turn it into oblivion by falsely casting sensational headlines in favour of the insurgents and divisive elements across the country. We are constrained to issue the following statements:

The recent attacks of Boko Haram insurgents, bandits, kidnappings and the prison break at Kuje Correctional facility against the Nigerian Army, and other security agencies, have been celebrated widely with twisted facts and information regarding the true nature of what happened by the international media, individuals and their co-travellers by hyping the ambushes, counter-attacks and repels from the Boko Haram, bandits, ISWAP and other elements to high heavens and downplayed the victories of the Nigerian Army without taking into cognizance the national security question.

Most of the gains achieved, battles repelled, men of Boko Haram/ISWAP captured or surrendered or killed were denied entries into the media space and public domain, but they rather heightened and embellished news stories of Boko Haram insurgents in a bid to give an impression of defeat and dampen the morale of our troops and the Nigerian public. This is a propaganda ploy and strategy orchestrated by the enemies of Nigeria and agent provocateurs all in a bid to drag back the hard fought war in favour of the insurgents. We are therefore calling on all well-meaning Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora to disparage and discountenance these stories.

Nevertheless, it is a common knowledge that the insurgents have been degraded, decimated and defeated. They are scattered all over the Northeast in small cells and ungoverned spaces in some forests where they launch opportunistic attacks, but the Nigerian Army troops are on their toes round the clock, making sure that these small pockets that cause myriads of challenges here and there are rounded up soonest. As a lot of military personnel recently have been deployed to these remote areas and communities with black spots to nip in the bud these pockets of ISWAP/Boko Haram trying to regroup, once and for all.

A realistic assessment of the security situation shows the insurgents are not winning the war, but have been degraded and demystified by the Nigerian Military, but are just grandstanding and using every propaganda tools and unpatriotic Nigerians including disgruntled politicians to fan the embers of divisiveness.

The recent upsurge in violence across some parts of the country has also been attributed to, and blamed on politicians according to our diligent findings and research. These are politicians whose desperation for power at whatever cost and for political gains, has seen them pitch tent with insurgents, bandits, herdsmen, kidnappers, terrorists and criminal elements from whom they expect a sustained insurrection against the Nigerian state without thought of its implications and how its impacts on the national security architecture, peace and stability.

While it is also of note, that international NGOs that have become the official mouth-pieces of terrorists and collaborators for reasons best known to them and questionable characters, activists help to promote these propaganda under the guise of exclusive news, breaking reports, tweets, or stories in social media to fan their embers and to discredit the Nigerian Army. These so-called cronies and friends of the criminal elements aid and abet them by slanting and planting stories in the public domain to favour the insurgents against our military.

At a time when people play politics with virtually everything, the military continues to make bold sacrifices to keep the nation together. Nigerians need to support our military and encourage them for having lost quiet a number of personnel at their prime, paying the ultimate price in defending the territorial integrity of the nation. It is high time we inspire our military men with our words, actions and support as they go out daily for the ultimate sacrifice of our dear nation. These spurious and orchestrated plots by enemies of the Nigerian state should be discountenanced and disregarded by well-meaning Nigerians. This is because the stories emanating from some section of the media are nothing but blatant lies and propaganda aimed at denigrating the Nigerian Army in bad light.

We urge our Military to remain focused and undeterred in their on-going military operations across the country, the onslaught against ISWAP/Boko Haram insurgents and criminal elements across the country. They should not be distracted and discouraged by the antics of these fifth columnists and evil merchants who do not mean well for our nation.

Our Military has paid the price for victory and, as such, we have a moral duty to celebrate them. They need our prayers, support and encouragement at this time of our history. They are the pride of the nation, and therefore, we should disregard all the innuendos orchestrated by unpatriotic sympathizers of the insurgents and wish to assert that no amount of propaganda, blackmail, misinformation, and fallacies against the Nigerian Army will turn the nation against its very own.

The purveyors of these stories and individuals engaged in acts capable of undermining the security architecture or re-animating a dying ISWAP/Boko Haram should be dealt with by the Federal Government henceforth. We urge the media to be vigilant and not to be hoodwinked by unscrupulous and criminal elements in the society to malign the good name and integrity of the Military and refrain from publishing any falsehood against the Nigerian Military without checking first with the authorities for fairness, objectivity and balanced reportage.

Signed

Mahmud Bello
National Coordinator, AALG


Com. Bashorun Adegbite
Executive Secretary, TNC

Fresh facts have emerged on how a United States- based self-styled investor, Dr. Gbenga Faleye attempted to surreptitiously take over a multi-million dollar Nigerian Oil company, Quantex Oil and Gas Limited
Faleye’s Prime Realty and Quantex Oil and Gas Limited are currently in a Tennessee, United States court over disputed claims.

Checks revealed that a section of the media may have been unwittingly misled by doctored documents suggesting that Quantex Oil and Gas scammed Dr. Faleye.

According to court papers, Faleye had through his company Prime Realty offered to buy 10 percent of the shares of Quantex Oil and Gas Limited , for $750,000.

In a share purchase agreement dated 10th September, 2021, Prime Realty Ventures LLC of 8545 Orchardhill Drive, Germantown, Tennessee, agreed to buy from Quantex Oil and Gas Limited of Abuja, Nigeria, 100,000 “class A voting shares” at $750 per share, totalling $750,000.

Prime Realty’s bid was for ten percent of the one million shares owned by Quantex Oil and Gas Limited.

According to the agreement, Prime Realty was to first pay $200,000 on the 10th September, 2021, and pay the remaining $550,000 on the “closing date” of the purchase being 17th September, 2021.
In the agreement, in the event of a breach of any part thereof, both parties agreed to submit themselves to the law courts of Nigeria and of the State of Tennessee, USA.

However, instead of paying $200,000, Faleye paid $250,000, saying he wanted to demonstrate “goodwill”.

After paying $250,000 as deposit, with an agreement to pay up $500,000 within the stipulated timeframe, the agreement documents further revealed, Faleye later asked for an extension of time, claiming that his stocks shares in several blue chip companies had crashed.

During the period, the Investor, who had reportedly vowed not to have anything to do with Nigeria, jetted into Lagos to visit Efe Ogbeni and seized the opportunity to move around several oil facilities. He boasted to friends in the US that the trip made him meet several big players in the oil and gas industry, and that he might not be needing Ogbeni any longer.

After the visit to Nigeria, the investor tried to convince Quantex shareholders to “accommodate” him in the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration documents of Quantex Oil and Gas “pending when he’ll be able to raise the $500,000.”

“Ogbeni and other shareholders objected to the novel proposal. This really infuriated Faleye to the point that he promised to ‘damage’ Quantex Oil and Ogbeni,” offered a player in the industry.

Close friends of the US-based doctor told Pointblanknews.com that after the Lagos visit, Faleye, who had yet to fully pay up for his 10 percent shares, travelled all over the US boasting that he had bought Quantex Oil and Gas Limited.

“Faleye has always been a loud-mouth, even from our medical school days. We knew he didn’t have the money to buy out an oil company that big, but had to wait for our only proof which is time. In no time, he began running from pillar to post to raise the balance. I bet this is where their problems began,” offered a former classmate.

“On the one hand, Faleye is now asking to take control of the 100,000 shares of Quantex without paying an additional dime- which I understand is in clear breach of the terms of the agreement I also gathered he personally drafted and signed.

“On the other, I also know that Quantex shareholders were willing to allow Falaye more time to pay up, but I doubt if that position stands, given the very frosty relationship between the parties. They’re already in court for what obviously is a breach of contract,” another added

Trouble reportedly began for Ogbeni, who is Quantex External affairs director, when Faleye, a graduate of the University of Ilorin medical school, approached him mid-2021 through close relatives with a proposal on how to possibly run one shut cafe, Cafe290, in Atlanta, Georgia, which had been shut down.

Apparently to show off how yummy his relationship with the music executive he had just met through friends had become, Faleye shared a WhatsApp message he sent Ogbeni just before their relationship blossomed.

It read: “Hello Efe,
I’m a close friend of (names withheld) from FGCI/Unilorin Med School.

I live in Memphis but also in Atlanta (40%) ultimately plan to base fully in Atlanta. You’re busy, so I wanted to give you a basic jist. One of my favorite spots in Atlanta, Cafe290 just closed and I really feel strongly that there may be an opportunity for the right Jazz-R&B lounge in Atlanta.

“I can’t think of anyone else to run this idea by. I’m currently a low end real estate investor in Atlanta, and my other angle is the commercial real estate investment. I have the funding worked out, but I would love to get your opinion,” he continued.

“My thoughts are something targeted to late 30s to 55 age group, featuring intimate Old school R&B artists , NeoSoul artists in a setting similar to City Winery added on top of a house band.

“Hopefully, a decent cocktail and wine selection with a possible wine shop
Try not to attract the night club crowd
As for food, simple fairly narrow menu, although I thought having a scenario where we invite visiting chefs and restaurant reviews may be fun,” Falaye opined, signing off thus, “ultimately, if it sounds like a terrible idea, I’m good.

Regards Broda. Dr. Gbenga Falaye.”
Quantex Oil & Gas Managing director, Mr. Usifo Eguabor and the firm’s Public Communications department refused to comment on the matter. However, a senior official of the oil firm volunteered that the Tennessee court had advised Faleye to pursue mediation with the music executive.

“I’m aware they are due in court on Thursday (today) to decide on the terms of the mediation. Quantex Oil and Gas is currently closing in on multiple million dollar partnership deals across the West African region, and so won’t want to be distracted by small issues.

“It is bad enough the breach of contract stalled some of our infrastructure and procurements needs, making us lose money tied to these projects, so I don’t think my boss (the MD) will be happy discussing a deal that made us lose so much money ” he declared.

...Reminds Him of Court Case


Ahead of the plans by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Bello Mohammed to stop the sale of alcoholic beverages in parks and gardens in Abuja the parks and garden owners have written the Minister reminding of the pendency of the suit they filed against the Minister.

This is as they called on the Minister to uphold the rule of law and call his aides to order and stop him from the enforcement of the closure of parks and gardens by 7pm in the Federal Capital Territory.

In a letter written through their lawyer Ifeanyi Remy Agu the group stated “Re Suit No: CV/408/2008: Barrister (Mrs) Amanda Pam (Proprietor Suez Garden) & 60 Others -Plaintiffs Vs Hon Minister FCT Defendant. Enforcement of 6pm Closing Hour by FCTA-Action Sub-Judice he stated “as solicitors to the plaintiffs in the above stated suit pending before the FCT High Court, we draw your attention to the threatened enforcement of 6pm closing hour by proprietor of gardens in the FCT by your Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Monitoring and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah which action is sub-Judice of the pending case before the court.

“Suffice it to say that we live in a Democratic society where rule of law prevails against personal desires and brigandage of public servants. The terms of settlements in the above matter has been ordered to be filed by the Honorable court after the parties agreed in terms and principles” he added.

Agu noted that “our clients received with the greatest shock the threatened enforcement by the SSA against the claimants. Sir as a Minister in the temple of Justice, we appeal to you to use your good office to call the SSA to order more especially as the case is before a court of law and the parties have agreed in principles.

“That there was an issue of criminality in one of the gardens does not mean there will be criminality in all other gardens to warrant the enforcement of the regulation of closing by 6pm” he added.

-Says Eselemo Serial Blackmailer

Ahead of the 2023 general elections the Member representing Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency Hon Nicholas Mutu has debunked the insinuation that he met with the Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agebe and the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta with a view to swing stop the ambition of Collins Eselemo.

Reacting to the allegation that Hon. Mutu Nicholas held a meeting with His Excellency Sen. Ovie Omo Agege and the Delta State Chairman of APC, his legislative Aide Barr. Ogbomah Ebitimi described the allegation as not only spurious but laughable and a mere figment of Collins Eselemo's imagination.


Responding to the publication, Barr. Ogbomah Ebitimi stated that there was never a time his boss held any meeting with the Deputy Senate President and the Delta State APC Chairman or any other person to discuss any matter related to Collins Eselemo.

He also denied that his boss gave money to any of them or any other person for that matter.

He went further to say that Hon. Mutu has being winning all his elections from 1999 till date without making a deal with anybody and stated that Collins Eselemo is a known serial blackmailer that is obsessed with his boss.

According to Ogbomah “he is so frustrated that he has not succeeded in blackmailing and intimidating Rt. Hon. Mutu into submitting to his antics and machinations to make money out of him.

“A sore loser that he is, Collins has still not come to terms with the humiliating and crushing defeat he suffered in the hands of Mutu in the 2019 general elections. Hon. Nicholas Mutu will not in anyway lose sleep over an individual like Collins talk-less of plotting against him.

Ogbomah equally told newsmen that during the primary Elections of APC in 2018, Collins came out a distance fourth and nobody knew how he manipulated his way to become the Candidate of the party for the Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency elections in 2019.

Ogbomah said that “it is a known fact that Collins diverted funds that was given to him by the party leaders and supporters to prosecute his election in 2019 for his personal issues. In his charateristic manner, He used the money to purchase a convertible Mercedes Benz and built a recreational center at Bendel Estate in Warri.

He further said that Collins Eselemo's target is the purse of his party and that of those that have sympathy for the APC in the Federal Constituency, who are willing to Sponsor any Candidate of the party.

He said Collins does not have the capacity to contest any election adding “I am also aware that Collins did not participate in the primaries, perhaps because his party members have seen him for who he truly is- A fraud, swindler and blackmailer. No wonder, no politician is willing to give him its platform to ply his stock in trade. Ordinarily, Mutu would have preferred Collins as the opposition Candidate contesting against him because he would have gone to sleep knowing that he would have treated him to another crushing defeat with an unimaginable margin in the 2023 general elections.

“It is rather unfortunate that Collins thinks contesting election is an opportunity to make money and that is why he thought the Distinguished Deputy Senate President and the Chairman of APC in Delta State, must have collected money from Hon. Mutu, since that is his own trademark.

Ogbomah therefore, urged the general public and the people of Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency in particular, to disregard Collins Eselemo as he is a known serial blackmailer.

...Suspect tried to blackmail contractor for N84 million

Detectives of the Nigeria Police Force are investigating how two officials of the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in Abuja colluded with one Sylvester Onny Igbokwe to forge the account opening documents of a consulting firm, Express Concerns International Limited.

When the forgery deal between Igbokwe and the bank officials blew in their faces, said the complainant, the arrowhead of the forgery syndicate (Igbokwe) attempted to use blackmail to extort N84 million from him.

According to a complaint lodged by Express Concerns Limited CEO, Hon. Daniel Okeke, his firm had in June 2021, entered a partnership with New Line West Africa Limited to secure a training contract with the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Office.

The new partnership, noted the firm, necessitated the opening of a new bank account. It was at this point that Onny Sylvester Igbokwe, aka Ikemba Ihechiowa in Arochukwu LGA of Abia State, and an acquaintance of one of the parties, “begged to be allowed to introduce his relation, a marketing staff of FCMB, who was on the verge of being fired for poor performance.”

Noted the complainant, “Mr Igbokwe offered to bring in officials from FCMB, where he runs a personal account for this purpose. He called two officials of the bank who brought the necessary forms for both Dr. Onwe and Hon. Daniel Okeke to sign and attach their passport photographs and copies of IDs.”

He continued, “On the 24th November, 2021, following a successful presentation, an award letter was issued to Express Concerns International Ltd for the training of 90 “delegates” in rice, poultry and fish farming for 6 months, employment of 50 percent of the trainees for 3 years and mentorship.”

Hon. Okeke however regretted that “Sylvester Igbokwe proceeded, in connivance with the bank officials of FCMB, Port Harcourt Crescent Branch, Abuja, to forge a board resolution of Express Concerns International Ltd, designating Igbokwe as a sole signatory in all instances and Dr Onwe as a co-signatory only,” adding, “they struck out the page that had been signed by the duly authorized officer, Hon. Daniel Okeke.”

He noted that, but for providence, the said Sylvester Igbokwe and his FCMB cohorts would have cornered the mobilization fee raised in the name of Express Concerns Limited.

The contractor stated that the PAP training contract was fully insured by Alliance and General Insurance Plc vide a bond dated 28th April. 2022.

He told detectives that he later got to know that Sylvester Igbokwe was a serial blackmailer whose stock-in-trade was introducing bankers to contractors only to end up falsifying their bank account opening documents.

“It should be noted that Mr. Sylvester Igbokwe is being prosecuted by the EFCC for the fraudulent hijacking of a contract belonging to an Ibadan-based IT firm called Citadel Oracle Concept awarded by the FIRS in 2012,” the complainant declared.