Bashir Machina has vowed to seek legal redress after his name was substituted with that of Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Yobe North.

According to a signed list of candidates sighted by Channels Television, the Senate President’s name was listed as the APC flag bearer for the seat.

The recent move comes after Machina, who clinched the APC ticket for the district, vowed not to step down for Lawan.

Lawan had contested but lost the party’s presidential primary held earlier in the month with Machina claiming he was being pressured to relinquish his ticket for the lawmaker.

But in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today earlier in the week, he vowed not to step down. According to him, the Senate President did not have plans to contest for the post.

“I’m sure he did not plan to go back to the National Assembly. That is why he contested for the presidency and lost. This is democracy. The space is free,” Machina said.

“A certain period of time was given for people to want to contest. Timetables were set, guidelines were produced by the parties, and eventually, elections were held.”

Breaking...

Yobe North APC Senatorial Candidate, Machina Rejects Alleged Substitution Of Name, INEC To Do The Needful.

Details of the press conference that was held today in Abuja will come your way through various media organisations while Hausa listeners should listen to BBC Hausa tomorrow.

Thank you.

As leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are in a dilemma over the choice of a Vice Presidential candidate, some northern governors are pushing for a Muslim-Muslim ticket. Sources revealed that the governors are insisting that Tinubu selects either a serving or former governor from the core North as his running mate in order to get massive support against the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Tinubu was elected candidate of the party at APC special convention last week in Abuja. Northern governors of the party had massively supported his candidacy at the presidential primary, which enabled him to defeat other contestants, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmad Lawan and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, among others.

Saturday Sun gathered that northern governors are making overtures to Tinubu to pick one of them, which means the party would have a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“The northern governors are pushing him to make a choice from among them or former governors. In fact, that was why they worked against the consensus arrangement that could have produced a northern candidate. Had there been a consensus candidate, which was to have come from the North, none of the governors, either serving or former, would have benefitted from that arrangement. Knowing that a Southern candidate will make way for any of them to become vice president, they worked for that,” a source stated. Two governors being considered, Saturday Sun gathered, are Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna State and Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, governor of Kebbi State. Also being mentioned is Alhaji Kashim Shettima, former governor of Borno State.

It was learnt that while the Muslim-Muslim ticket looks tempting, the Tinubu camp is looking at the implications.

“Tinubu’s supporters know that although a Muslim-Muslim ticket could favour him, it would give the North something to refer to, if in future they decide to push for North-North ticket,” the source. A chieftain of APC, who spoke to Saturday Sun on the development, said that in fairness to those fronting members of the Governors Forum, judging by the critical roles they played in the emergence of the candidate, they actually deserve an offer of first refusal to bring the running mate.

He said: “One of the governors should actually be the most viable option for consideration as the running mate, but almost all of them are of the Islamic faith. The only one that is a Christian, the governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, may not have actually worked for Tinubu’s emergence.

“The governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, is one person any right-thinking person can route for, but it can only fly if our party has settled for a risky Muslim/Muslim joint ticket. Another governor who worked for Tinubu is Abduallahi Ganduje of Kano State. He can command the Kano voting population, but the same religious inclination will still be a serious factor. I am sure you heard Asiwaju pay glowing tribute to the Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, in his acceptance speech. One could safely conclude that he is also in consideration, but he falls into the same category like others.

“The governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, could also be considered, but apart from the fact that he is a Muslim, it is doubtful if he actually worked for Asiwaju or Chibuike Amaechi,” the chieftain said on condition of anonymity.” A member of the national leadership of the party, who admitted the precarious situation facing the ruling in picking a running mate, argued that the party may sacrifice those primordial sentiments if they must shop for a running mate to withstand the Atiku threat.

According to him, “no matter the colouration you want to give it, we may be left with no option than to settle for a Muslim/Muslim joint ticket. You see, where we can get a serious and reliable Christian as running mate should be in the North Central.

“However, beyond the fact that our national chairman, Abdulahi Adamu is from that zone, going far north remains the most viable option for us. We need a political heavyweight from the North East especially, or North west to neutralise whatever force Atiku might provide.”

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has warned that a Muslim-Muslim ticket would not work in today’s Nigeria. CAN, in a statement by its General Secretary, Joseph Daramola advised Tinubu to pick a Christian running mate from the North, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, should pick a Christian running mate from the south. CAN also advised Peter Obi of the Labour Party to choose a Muslim from the North as running mate.

CAN said: “Anything contrary means that the leadership of these political parties do not bother about the unity of Nigeria. And also, those who are planning a Muslim/Muslim ticket should find out the outcome of the MKO Abiola and Kingibe ticket in 1993”, warning that “if they try Muslim/Muslim ticket this time round, the outcome will be disastrous because our fault lines are very visible.”

The fears among the promoters of the Muslim-Muslim ticket is that only a core northern Muslim would guarantee massive votes among the predominantly Muslim population in the North, which could be decisive during elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not recognise the emergence of the former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, as the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate for Akwa Ibom North-West District for the 2023 elections.

Mr Akpabio, Thursday night “won” the primary for the district conducted by a faction of the APC in Akwa Ibom State that is loyal to him.

A source at INEC told PREMIUM TIMES, Friday morning, that the commission was not aware of a new primary for the district and did not monitor the exercise.

The source, who did not want his name mentioned in the report because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the commission only recognises Udom Ekpoudom, a retired deputy inspector general of police, as the APC candidate for the district.

The primary “won” by Mr Ekpoudom was conducted on May 28 by another faction of the APC in the state. INEC monitored the exercise.

The APC in Akwa Ibom has been torn into two factions because of a protracted battle between Mr Akpabio and the former national secretary of APC, John Akpanudoedehe, over the control of the party structure in the state.

The faction that conducted the primary, which Mr Ekpoudom “won”, is loyal to Mr Akpanudoedehe.

Mr Akpanudoedehe, a few days ago, defected to the New Nigerian Peoples Party and secured the party’s governorship ticket in Akwa Ibom after he was outmaneuvered by the other faction which got Akanimo Udofia, a man who joined the APC in less than a month, to be elected the 2023 governorship candidate of the party in the state.

As it is, Mr Akpabio’s ambition to return to the Senate in 2023 may not be realised, unless the former minister challenges and defeats INEC in court.

Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom, was elected a senator in 2015 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. He later resigned from his position as the minority leader and defected from the PDP to the APC.

He, however, failed to win the senatorial election in 2019 under the APC, and was compensated with an appointment as the minister of Niger Delta Affairs by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The former senator resigned as minister to contest the APC presidential primary, but stepped down at the last minute for the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, who emerged as the party presidential candidate for the 2023 election.

Ebonyi State Government House Cameraman, Mr. Uchenna Nwube has been reportedly abducted by suspected kidnappers along Okigwe-Aba-Enugu Expressway.

This development has opened up series of discussions among Journalists and Staff of the Government as to the safety of the abductee.

Nwube, who was allowed access to his phone by the kidnappers, told some selected journalists that he was kidnapped on Wednesday at about 7 p.m.

According to him, “I was kidnapped today, June 8 while returning to Abakaliki from Aba and I had some people in my car.

“Right now, they (kidnappers) are demanding N50 million as ransom, which I do not know how and when I can get such money. Please, I need help,”.

Contacted, the spokesman of the Ebonyi Police Command, SP Chris Anyanwu, advised the victim to be calm with his abductors.

“The area the incident occurred is not within our jurisdiction in Ebonyi. That place is between Imo and Abia“, Anyanwu stated.

Many are of the opinion that the present administration should mobilize both human and material resources geared towards the release of the abductee, considering his enormous contributions to the development of the State.

The Twitter handle of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), on Wednesday, posted a message on the proposed running mate for Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Tinubu polled 1,271 votes to defeat 13 other presidential hopefuls at the APC primary, which was concluded on Wednesday.

Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation and top contender, polled 316 votes, while Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo got 235 votes.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan, the “consensus candidate” of Abdullahi Adamu, APC national chairman, polled 152 votes, while Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi, got 47 votes.

On Wednesday, a Twitter user, @Ssaasquatch, had posted on how difficult it may be for Tinubu to select a vice-presidential candidate.

Responding to the Twitter user, the NNPP official handle had posted: “He will run with a Muslim VP.”

The tweet, which seems to have been made in error, already had more than 90 retweets.

The post has, however, been deleted.

Meanwhile, in a statement through his social media team, Tinubu had earlier denied endorsing a Muslim running mate.

He said a viral text message sent to delegates at the Eagle Square during the just-concluded presidential primary, alleging that he has decided on a Muslim-Muslim, ticket was false.

“We have been informed of a text message going around APC delegates at Eagles Square in Abuja purportedly from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu claiming that with his imminent victory at the APC presidential primary and emergence as the party’s presidential candidate, the APC leader has now decided on a Muslim-Muslim ticket,” the statement reads.

“This is nothing but a lie. It has no basis whatsoever.”

DISCLAIMER:

The general public is hereby informed that #NNPCLimited's Twitter handle (@NNPCgroup) was compromised and used to send an inappropriate message on 8th June 2022 at 6:35pm. The breach has been addressed, and the Twitter handle successfully recovered.

#NNPCLimited wishes to reassure the general public that it remains committed to doing business in the most ethical manner at all times.

Governors Nyesom Wike, @seyiamakinde, Samuel Ortom and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi came calling on a courtesy visit before my meeting with the @OfficialPDPNig Governors Forum. Slowly but surely, the seeds of unity are being planted in our party. -AA

In the aftermath of the presidential primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has ripped into the process which he deemed ‘highly compromised but peaceful.’

Bello, who was also an APC presidential aspirant, gathered 47 delegates’ votes despite Kogi State accounting for a total of 63 delegates.

The Governor’s displeasure was made known on Wednesday, via a statement issued by Yemi Kolapo, Director, Media and Publicity, Yahaya Bello Presidential Campaign Organisation.

In the statement titled, “Yahaya Bello Remains The Hero Of The Oppressed,” the Kogi State Governor decried how the democratic system in the country has been defined as “the government of the oppressors by the oppressors and for the oppressors.

“It is sad to note that those who should know and who many progressives had thought of as leaders with integrity are the ones working against the people they were (s)elected to represent for egocentric reasons.

“In this process, one leader stands out, according to the majority of Nigerians. And that leader is one that has proven to the downtrodden and those regarded as “Nigerians without surnames”, that regardless of agelong intimidation by the elite, the best of our people can stand tall without compromising the values that we should have been known for as a nation.”

Bello further revealed a gang-up against him by Northern Governors while picketing delegates

“who have largely been pocketed by their paymasters and who defer to the highest bidder are made to choose flagbearers of a political party is as warped as the process itself.

“It is obvious that in a bid to prove that he is not one of them, enemies of this project, Nigeria, went beyond speaking with delegates and oiling their palms to ensure that votes that did not represent Yahaya Bello’s popularity were counted against his name. But they have unwittingly made him the hero of the moment.

“We do not have to talk much but to pray that God Himself would deliver Nigerians from the hands of enemies of democracy. Poverty is a tool they have used for long to keep Nigerians poor. At the right time, however, this jinx must break!”

“We only wish that this obvious crack in the ceiling would not eventually make the ceiling cave in.

“We want to thank the media immensely for their solid support in spite of persecution and mischievous information being churned out by detractors. You are indeed partners in progress.”

Nasarawa Governor and Chairman of Media and Publicity of the All Progressives Congress (APC) convention, Abdullahi Sule, has denied Governors in the party have pruned down the number of candidates for the primary to three from five.

While Governor Sule said President Muhammadu Buhari would have preferred a consensus candidate to reduce rancour, he added that the party was set for an election in the event that the 23 candidates do not agree on a consensus arrangement.

Speaking during a Channels interview at the venue of the convention, Tuesday, Sule said: “People are actually mistaken and forgetting what the electoral act says. The Governors have no power to reduce the number of aspirants, not even the party. According to section 84 subsection 9 to 10 of the act, it shows clearly that if one person says I am not going to withdraw, then, there is going to be an election.

“As far as we are concerned, we are ready for election, and if all the 23 people that are there are screened by the party and allowed for election, we will conduct an election.

“So, the idea of pruning down or selecting a number of people that Governors do is just to reduce the number of people that we intend to support in order to reduce the tension. It is not necessary to force anybody actually to step down.

“The number of people that we will be supporting has not been pruned down to three, it is still five.

“Sometimes you don’t always get what You want. I think Mr President definitely wanted consensus in order to reduce the rancour.

However, the president is a democrat and if he tries to convince people and they do not agree, he tells them to go out on the field and do it.”

Elo Fokan Bale!

#cityboy
#BAT2023

The meeting between the governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC)  and the National Working Committee on Monday night ended in a stalemate as the national chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, was absent.

Deputy National Chairman North, Senator Abubakar Kyari, led other members of the NWC to the meeting with Kebbi State governors, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, leading his colleagues.

The governors declined to speak with newsmen.

Asked by journalists,  if the pronouncement by Senator Adamu on Senate President Ahmad Lawan has been reversed, Senator Kyari said discussions would continue on Monday night.
Investigation revealed that the governors and other members of the NWC proceeded to the Asokoro residence of the party’s national chairman.

At an earlier meeting between the APC governors in the North and President Muhammadu Buhari, the governors restated their resolve on power shift to the south.

COMMENT ON THE STATEMENT MADE BY A LEADING APC FLAGBEARER CANDIDATE

It is perhaps not surprising that on the eve of the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer primary there are those running as candidates who wish to associate themselves with the President’s rise to elected office seven years ago.

There are many people who played parts large and small in his historic election in 2015, making history as the first opposition candidate to defeat a sitting president with power changing hands peacefully at the ballot box.

There are those who advised the President to run again; those who decided to build a political party – the APC – that could finally be the political vehicle capable of delivering victory where all other opposition parties and alliances before it had failed.

Those decisions may have been agreed upon by a few. But they were delivered by thousands and voted for by tens of millions. No one can or should claim to have made the possible.

Yet as important as that moment was, it is not what should decide the next general election.

What matters is the future: the policy platforms, the ideas, the drive, and the determination to take over the President’s stewardship of our country and build upon his legacy to make our country better than it has ever been.

The person most demonstrable in those qualities is the one to lead our party and our country forward.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
June 06, 2022

APC SET FOR 3RD STRAIGHT VICTORY SINCE 2015, SAYS PRESIDENT BUHARI

At a meeting held Sunday night at State House, Abuja, with members of the National Advisory Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Muhammadu Buhari appraised the series of consultations held so far towards getting a widely acceptable presidential standard bearer, and concluded: we are on the way towards winning our third straight victory since 2015.

Saying the meeting was convened to provide leadership and direction during the transition period, the President added that the motive was “to strengthen our unity and to focus on building upon our electoral fortunes.”

He added: “I am optimistic that the outcome of this consultation with the National Advisory Council will in addition to sharpening our focus, help to fortify the positive democratic principles, practices and culture that already exists within the party system.

“In the course of these consultative processes, I have already met separately with the Progressive Governors and with all our eminent members who are aspiring to become the Presidential flag bearer for our party during the 2023 elections.

“I am pleased to inform you that those meetings have been fruitful and indicative of a party that is prepared and marching towards a third straight victory since 2015, at the presidential polls.”

President Buhari recalled that at the meeting with the Governors and the aspirants, “I underscored the important roles consensus building and consultation have played in the survival of successful political parties around the world, adding that our party should not be an exception.

“Recognizing the foregoing, therefore, I also emphasized the need to strengthen our unity, stabilize our internal cohesion and system as well as present a formidable Presidential candidate who has the ability to build a unified nation and the capacity to deal with our challenges.

“The party machinery has also screened all our aspirants to the office of the President and found that they consist of eminent personalities, rich in experience, capacity, commitment to service and accomplishment in life. This gives us a lot of confidence but it also comes with its challenges.”

He said that in the circumstances, in order to prevent any post-convention acrimonies and also reduce noticeable anxiety among members on the possible outcome of the process, the party leadership has recommended the intensification of consultation and consensus building to reduce the number of aspirants as it approaches the convention, which commences Monday , June 6, 2022.

The President said in order to further support the efforts of the party, he has admonished the aspirants to consult among themselves and with the party, so that the objective of the recommendation by the leadership would be actualized.

And as members of the National Advisory Council of the APC, the President says he recognizes the fact that they all have diverse interests, spheres of influence and expectations. “You similarly possess the collective ability to ensure our victory at the 2023 polls by strengthening the stability and unity of the party.

“My charge and appeal to all of you, therefore, is to reach out to your various spheres of influence to actively promote the spirit of consultation and consensus building so that a formidable candidate for the 2023 Presidential elections would emerge from the convention. Our citizens do not expect less from us.”

President Buhari assured, as he did to the Governors and the aspirants, that in the interest of the nation and the party, he would lead the transition processes and on-going consultations, “till we successfully choose our candidate for the 2023 presidential elections and record our third straight victory, thereafter, by God’s grace.”

Responding on behalf of the National Advisory Council (hitherto known as Board of Trustees) members, former Internal Affairs Minister and Senator, Major General Mohammed Magodo (retd), former Osun State Governor and first Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, and former Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani, thanked the President for the consultative meetings, and commended him for the great service he had rendered to the country, particularly in the areas of agriculture and infrastructure.

They were unanimous that with hard work and a united front, the APC would win the presidential election billed for February next year, as well National Assembly, governorship, and State Assembly polls.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
June 5, 2022

fergie001:

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged all presidential aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress to consult among themselves, build consensus and produce a formidable candidate for the party.

The President addressed the candidates at a State House dinner in Abuja on Saturday.

“I wish to remind you that our choice of flag bearer must be formidable, appealing to the electorate across the board and should command such ability to unify the country and capacity to address our critical challenges,” the President said, as quoted in a statement signed by presidential spokesperson Femi Adesina.

“Ahead of the Convention, the party machinery has screened and found all aspirants eminently qualified. Recognizing this fact, the Screening Committee has, amongst others, recommended that consensus building through consultation, be intensified.

“Without prejudice to your qualifications, I urge all of you to hold consultations amongst yourselves and with the party, with a view to building a consensus in a manner that would help the party reduce the number of aspirants, bring up a formidable candidate and scale down the anxiety of party members.”

The meeting was held behind closed-doors.

#APCPresidentialPrimaries: Sani Yerima withdraws from from Presidential race

President Muhammadu Buhari's planned meeting with the All Progressives Congress' presidential aspirants has been moved from 7pm to 8.30pm.

The meeting is scheduled to hold at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that Buhari might announce his preferred candidate during a meeting with the aspirants.

Buhari had left for Ghana earlier today (Saturday) to attend an Extraordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Accra, Ghana.

Quite alright Tinubu is betrayed, not by Buhari but by his lieutenants like Osibanjo, Ministers, Governors from the Southwest, etc.

Look at his surroundings, you’ll find Kashim, Abu Ibrahim, Ganduje, Kashim-Imam, Aminu Suleman etc. Where are his beneficiaries?

I hate betrayal!

Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Alliance (APGA), Senator Victor Umeh has kept his senatorial ambition alive by joining former governor Peter Obi in the Labour Party.

Umeh had failed to pick the ticket of APGA, by a slim margin.

Umeh, the former National Chairman of APGA for eight years lost the ticket of the party for Anambra central senatorial zone to a serving member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Ferdinard Dozie Nwankwo who represents Anoacha/Dunukofia/Njikoka Federal Constituency.

Reliable sources said that Umeh has emerged the candidate of the Labour Party for Anambra central senatorial zone for the 2023 general election.

One of the sources told our correspondent that the primary election of the Labour Party is going on right now in Asaba, Delta State where the former Senator is standing unopposed for the ticket.

More facts have emerged from the meetings held so far by the State Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress on the consensus candidate to fly the party’s flag in the 2023 presidential election. T

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at a meeting with the governors urged them to allow him to pick a consensus candidate as a “successor”.

The PUNCH gathered that the governors have held two meetings so far, with another meeting expected to hold on or before Saturday.

During the first meeting, the Governors were said to have deliberated on the idea of having a consensus candidate proposed by Buhari.

“Many of them agreed that it is an idea that can be tried,” a source privy to the meeting told our correspondent.

He, however, said during the second meeting, suggestions were given on who should be put forward as the APC consensus candidate.

The PUNCH learnt that regional division marred the second meeting as some northern Governors who spoke believed that a northern Governor should be nominated as a consensus candidate.

Though the source did not specifically mention the name of the northern governor, The PUNCH had reported that Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; and Jigawa State Governor, Mohammed Badaru, are in the presidential race.

After a South-West Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, raised an objection to the idea, it was learnt that two of the Northern Governors also said a Governor from the South could be considered.

Governors from the South who are contesting the Presidency in 2023 are the Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade; his Ekiti State counterpart, Dr Kayode Fayemi, and Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi.

Asked about the Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, the source said, “Most of the argument was centred on a Governor succeeding Buhari, for now. But Southern Governors are talking about power rotation.”

He continued, “When Akeredolu and other Southern Governors asked them to consider the unity of Nigeria, the Northern Governors proposed that two Governors from the South and North should be considered.”

However, some Governors at the meeting argued that a Southern Candidate may not defeat the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 presidential election.

Atiku, who hails from Adamawa State in the northern part of Nigeria, had unsuccessfully contested five times for the Office of President of Nigeria in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019.

In 1993, he contested the Social Democratic Party presidential primary losing to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe.

He was a presidential candidate of the Action Congress in the 2007 elections coming in third to Umaru Yar’Adua of the PDP and Muhammadu Buhari of the ANPP.

He contested the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party during the 2011 elections losing out to incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.

In 2014, he joined the APC ahead of the 2015 presidential election and contested the presidential primary losing to Muhammadu Buhari.

In 2017, he returned to the Peoples Democratic Party and was the party presidential candidate during the 2019 elections, again losing to the incumbent President Buhari.

Efforts to reach the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Atiku Bagudu, proved abortive as of the time of filing this report. Calls made to his mobile number were not picked after they rang out.

When contacted, Governor Akeredolu’s spokesperson, Olabode Olatunde, said, “I was not part of the meeting. It was held among the Governors behind closed doors, so I cannot give any details about it.”

Also, efforts to reach the media aides of Tinubu and Osinbajo proved abortive as they refused to pick up their calls or respond to text messages.

Three days after he was accused of running a one-man show and using the name of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to blackmail members of the National Working Committee, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Adamu, has apologised to the aggrieved party officials.

He also promised to carry every NWC member along in the decision-making of the party henceforth.

The PUNCH reported on May 28 how a fresh leadership crisis was brewing in the party following the accusation by the APC North-West National Vice Chairman, Mallam Salihu Lukman, and his counterpart in the South-West, Isaac Kekemeke, that Adamu had failed repeatedly to carry members along in decision-making.

Piqued by the development, Lukman had identified several anomalies in the secretariat, which he considered as “very shocking.”

In a leaked letter dated May 27, 2022, and titled ‘Rebuilding APC: Need for new initiatives’ and made available to The PUNCH, Lukman warned that the leadership of the National Working Committee could ‘snowball’ into oblivion like the previous administrations of Adams Oshiomhole and Mai Mala Buni.

However, a remorseful Adamu openly apologised on Wednesday to all the aggrieved parties during a marathon meeting with all the NWC that lasted several hours.

When our correspondent reached out to some of the NWC members, Kekemeke confirmed the report, saying they have resolved their differences.

When asked about talks surrounding Buhari’s successor and the need to give all presidential aspirants a level playing field as recommended by Lukman, Kekemeke asked not be drawn into the controversial issue.

“I don’t want to comment on a statement that was authored by Lukman. I can only talk on the one that concerns me as a person. I am referring to the joint statement released yesterday,” he said.

When asked to comment on the allegation of the “one-man show” being run by Adamu, Kekemeke said, “I think I have expressed my view enough. We are just coming from a meeting of the NWC with the chairman.

“I think we are beginning to understand ourselves (one another). I don’t want to go farther than that.”

He added, “I think the mutual respect, reciprocity is back and we are trying to work together as a team.”

Efforts made to get the reaction of Adamu proved abortive as his media aide, Muhammed Lawal, neither picked his calls nor replied the SMS of our correspondent.

As of the time of reporting this story, the APC Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, could also not be reached for feedback.

Rochas Okorocha has arrived at the venue of the All Progressives Congress’ presidential screening in Abuja.

WANTED BY THE EFCC

ENONCHE UGBAGBE IS WANTED BY THE EFCC. ANY CLUE AS TO HIS WHEREABOUT? PLEASE CONTACT OUR NEAREST EFCC OFFICE OR NEAREST POLICE STATION.

An INTERPOL-led operation targeting malware cyber fraud across Southeast Asia has led to the arrest of three Nigerians, suspected of being involved in global scamming.

All the three were not identified.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested the suspects in a sting operation conducted simultaneously in the Lagos suburb of Ajegunle and in Benin City, 300 kms to the east of the commercial capital.

The Nigerian sting operation comes as part of a global operation codenamed “Killer Bee” involving INTERPOL National Central Bureaus (NCBs) and law enforcement in 11 countries across Southeast Asia.

The arrests follows the publication of an INTERPOL Cyber Report linking a suspected syndicate of Nigerian fraudsters operating from the West Coast of Africa to the use of a malicious Remote Access Trojan (RAT) known as Agent Tesla.

The men are thought to have used the RAT to reroute financial transactions, stealing confidential online connection details from corporate organizations, including oil and gas companies in South East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

One of the scammers, Hendrix Omorume was charged with three counts of serious financial fraud and has been convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment.

The trial of the others is still ongoing.

“Through its global police network and constant monitoring of cyberspace, INTERPOL had the globally sourced intelligence needed to alert Nigeria to a serious security threat where millions could have been lost without swift police action,” said INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime Craig Jones.

“Further arrests and prosecutions are foreseen across the world as intelligence continues to come in and investigations unfold,” added Mr Jones.

INTERPOL assisted in examining the laptops and mobile phones seized by EFCC during the arrests, helping to confirm the systematic use of “Agent Tesla” malware to access business computers and divert monetary transactions to their own accounts.

“Cybercrime is spreading at a fast pace, with new trends constantly emerging. Through operations like Killer Bee, INTERPOL partners EFCC to keep pace with new technologies and understand the possibilities they create for criminals and how they can be used as tools for fighting cybercrime,” said EFCC’s Director of Operations, Abdulkarim Chukkol.

“The enforcement actions led by Nigeria and coordinated by INTERPOL send a clear message that cybercrime will have serious repercussions for those involved in business email compromise fraud, particularly in Nigeria,” added Mr. Chukkol.

The three men, aged between 31 and 38, were each arrested in possession of fake documents, including fraudulent invoices and forged official letters.

Operation Killer Bee is led by the ASEAN
Cybercrime Operations Desk, which is funded by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) 2.0 and supported by the Singapore Government.

Operational partners included Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.