Founder and General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Prof. Daniel Olukoya has lauded the transformation of the Church since its establishment in 1989.

According to him, “MFM has transformed into formidable presence worldwide”.

Olukoya’s reaction comes on the heels of the Church’s 35th anniversary slated for August.

In a Facebook post Thursday, the MFM GO appreciated God for His faithfulness over the Church.

“Starting as a humble assembly of fewer than 25 faithful members, including my brothers who now serve as the assistant General Overseer of MFM, the church of God has transformed into a formidable presence worldwide.

“Like a sturdy oak tree, MFM has extended its reach across continents. As we celebrate this significant achievement, we recognize that our journey is far from over.

“Through heartfelt praise and worship, we pay homage to the Sovereign Ruler of all, knowing that MFM’s legacy will endure. Long live MFM!”

https://tribuneonlineng.com/35th-anniversary-mfm-has-transformed-into-formidable-presence-worldwide-olukoya/

Nigerian chess master, Tunde Onakoya has set the new Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon, surpassing the previous record of 56 hours and 9 minutes.

In bid to raise funds and awareness for providing educational opportunities to underprivileged children across Africa, Onakoya currently aims at reaching the 58-hour target.

The previous Guinness World Record record of 56-hour, 9-minute mark, was set by Norwegian players Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad in 2018.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/breaking-tunde-onakoya-sets-world-record-for-longest-chess-marathon/

Despite being the giant of Africa, Nigeria has been ranked in the list of poorly-governed countries on the African continent by World Economics, a United Kingdom (UK) based research organisation.

The good governance ranking, TRIBUNE ONLINE gathered, is assessed through four main indexes. The indexes are; corruption perception, rule of law, press freedom, and political rights.

The governance index as set by World Economics, gives equal weight to all four criteria set by the researchers.

Index numbers according to World Economics, are all rebased and shown on a scale of 0-100. Governance: 0 = Poor governance, 100 = As good as it gets, Corruption Perception: 0 = Bad, 100 = Good, Rule of Law: 0 = low rule of law, 100 = High rule of law, Press Freedom: 0 = Low press freedom, 100 = High press freedom and Political Rights: 0 = Low political rights, 100 = High political rights. The grade definitions are A: Very good, B: Good, C: Average, D: Poor and E: Very poor.

Based on the ranking, Nigeria had a grade of D with an index score of 37.0.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/full-list-nigeria-makes-list-of-poorly-governed-countries-in-africa/

Nigeria President and Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Bola Tinubu on Thursday, inaugurated the 6th Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja.

ECOWAS Parliament comprises 115 members drawn from the 15-member State of which Nigeria is one.
Nigeria has been allotted out of this number, 35 slots (That is 17 Senators and 18 Honourable members), followed by Ghana which has eight seats. Côte d’Ivoire is allotted seven seats, while Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Senegal have six seats, respectively.

Here is list of Nigerians inducted into the 6th ECOWAS parliament under Tinubu:

1. Hon. Barau JIBRIN
2. Hon. Mohammed Ali NDUME
3. Hon. Osita NGWU
4. Hon. Onyeka Peter NWEBONYI
5. Hon. Ireti Heebah KINGIBE
6. Hon. Natasha AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN
7. Hon. Sadiq Suleiman UMAR
8. Hon. Idiat Oluranti ADEBULE
9. Hon. Sharafadeen ALI
10. Hon. Jimoh IBRAHIM
11. Hon. Ipalibo Harry BANIGO
12. Hon. Aniekan BASSEY
13. Hon. Asuquo EKPENYONG
14. Hon. Osita Banaventure IZUNASO
15. Hon. Lawal Adamu USMAN
16. Hon. Ibrahim LAMIDO
17. Hon. David S.U JIMKUTU
18. Hon. Benjamin KALU
19. Hon. Ahmed IDRIS
20. Hon. Dawodu BASHIRU
21. Hon. Awaji-Inombek Dagomie ABIANTE
22. Hon. Bamidele SALAM
23. Hon. Canice MOORE NWACHUKWU
24. Hon. Munachim UMEZURUIKE
25. Hon. Usman Auyo IBRAHIM

Continue.... https://tribuneonlineng.com/full-list-nigerian-lawmakers-in-6th-ecowas-parliament-under-tinubu/

Founder and General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Prof. Daniel Olukoya has described 2024 as a year of positive and negative mix.

Olukoya, who tagged 2024 as a ‘speedy and troublesome year’, urged Nigerians during the Church’s annual crossover service, on Monday, to follow the survival keys to scale through the year.

According to him, 2024 is a year of open doors and divine speed (Rev 3:7- for MFM members worldwide.

“There is plenty to rejoice about (in 2024) and there is plenty to worry about. There are plenty of good things to look forward to. It’s a hydra-headed year, that is, positive and negative mix...

https://tribuneonlineng.com/2024-is-troublesome-year-with-positive-negative-mix-olukoya/

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lokoja, on Wednesday, declared the Peoples Democratic Party senatorial candidate in Kogi Central, Chief Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as winner of the February 25 poll in the State.



The court had sacked Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress and subsequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (third respondent) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to the APC candidate.

Find hereunder a summary of the tribunal verdict in 6 paragraphs:

1. The tribunal ruled that the 1st respondent (Abubakar Ohere) was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast in the Kogi Central Senatorial District Election held on February 25 and 26, respectively.

2. The tribunal also directed that a certificate of return should rather be issued to the 1st petitioner (Natasha) while nullifying the declaration of Ohere as winner of the election.

3. In the 72-page judgement obtained by TRIBUNE ONLINE, the tribunal said Natasha was duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast in the poll. Based on its findings, it added 996 (reduced votes) which was reduced from Natasha’s votes to determine her total score while subtracting 1031 (unlawful votes) added to Ohere’s votes.

4. After the computation of lawful votes for the duo, the tribunal held that Natasha polled a total of 54,064 while her closest rival Ohere scored a total of 51,291 lawful votes. The former was however declared winner and hereby returned elected.

5. Ohere, according to the tribunal, could not invalidate the said result in contention which he adopted, accepted and used in his alleged victory adding that he has not by any credible evidence proved his claim as admitted during hearing.

6. The respondents (Ohere, APC and INEC), however, were jointly and severally ordered to pay the petitioners (Natasha and PDP) a sum of N500,000 as fine.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/kogi-central-6-key-takeaways-from-natashas-tribunal-victory/

Ibadan is one of the largest cities in Nigeria, located 119 kilometres (74 miles) northeast of Lagos and 120 kilometres (75 miles) east of the Nigerian international border with the Republic of Benin.

Ibadan is naturally drained by four rivers with many tributaries: Ona River in the North and West; Ogbere River towards the East; Ogunpa River flowing through the city and Kudeti River in the Central part of the metropolis.



In this urban centre is a growing number of out-of-school children who have now become vagabonds on the street following the state of the nation.

It is sad to note that Nigeria, according to the 2022 global data on out-of-school children by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), has the highest figures for out-of-school children globally.

Even though primary education is officially free and compulsory, about 20 million of the country’s children aged 5-14 years are not in school.

The current economic quagmire has even exacerbated the already dire situation, leaving us with the big question: Why?

To find out the reason these children still prefer hustling on the streets while their peers are in school learning for a better future, we did a spotlight on out-of-school children in Ibadan and its environs. AROGBONLO ISRAEL reports…

‘I eat beggars’ crumbs to survive’

One of the kids who spoke to our reporter, Saheed Abiodun, ran away from home to look for succour in the street of Ibadan. He has no parent and he dropped out from primary school.

“I ran away from home at age 10 after my parents died. It became tough for me to cope since I don’t have any relatives or family members to sponsor me. I dropped out of school in Primary 3.

“Life has been difficult for me since I came here. I had no choice but to join beggars for alms and also eat their crumbs to survive. I wish to go back to school if I can get sponsor,” emotional Saheed confessed.

There is also Hassan, 17, from Kano who came to Sabo, Ibadan three years ago.

“I beg to survive on the street since I don’t have anyone to sponsor me. Life here has been hell for me. I need help to get a better life,” he said.

Samuel picks scraps from the street of Ibadan, as his only way of surviving. He, however, called on government and well-meaning Nigerians to come to his rescue.

Quest for shelter

Our reporter also took a tour to Iwo Road where he spoke to at least 15 street kids to be able to unravel some of their untold stories.


One of the kids, a frail-looking ‘almajiri’ said he makes N200 daily from street begging.

According to him, he has been the one faring for himself since his parents separated a few years ago.

“Begging on the street has not been easy but I have no choice since I need money to survive,” said the 10-year-old hustler.

When asked if he would like to go back to school, the Jigawa-born joyfully said “Yes”.

On the way forward, Mrs Christiana Oluwatoyin Daniel, a child rights advocate, recommended that the government invest more in education, which will in turn, address the influx of out-of-school children ravaging the country.

“There have been series of attacks on education in recent times. So, if we invest in education that is when we can see a decline in the number of out-of-school children,” she said.

She added; “This (out-of-school children) is not good for our international image neither does it speak well of a country that is developing, not to talk of Nigeria that should have been a developed country. Look at Singapore and other (developing) countries; they are advancing but we are still where we were years back.

“We have a large number of out-of-school children, who should be in basic elementary. What will be the future of the country? What will be the future of those children on the street? We’re grooming touts, robbers and those that will create social vices for us in the future. It’s not just about me, it is about everybody. Every hand must be on deck to curb this menace.”

She also advised parents not to shy away from their responsibilities, urging them to always nurture their kids rather than sending them to the street due to negligence.

Chess in Slums

Chief Operations Officer, Emmanuel Oke Abiodun of an organisation that has been working with out-of-school-children, Chess in Slums Africa, shared with us how the foundation has empowered over 50 street kids in Ibadan this year.

“One of the findings we discovered that has contributed to the menace in Ibadan is parental failure. Most of the kids are from broken homes.

“For us at Chess in Slums Africa, we use chess as a strategy to catch the attention of these kids by identifying their talents, and in turn, enhancing their creative skills and cognitive thinking abilities.”

According to him, they partnered with the Oyo State Government through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, among other Non-Governmental Organisations in the State.

“After the intervention, we were able to reunite about 10 kids with their families. The end goal is to make them become competent and active citizens who will be gainfully integrated back into society,” he added.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/untold-story-of-out-of-school-kids-in-ibadan/

Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello reportedly lobbied for ministerial slot in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu, GWG.ng reliably gathered.

A credible source told our reporter the Governor had approached the previous Acting Chairman of All Progressive Congress (APC), Abubakar Kyari through the backdoor to be named among Tinubu's cabinet pending when he leaves governorship seat in 2024.

"He (Yahaya Bello) lobbied to be Minister of Defence but his proposal was however turned down by the Presidency," the source disclosed.

The source also faulted claims that Governor Bello recommended late Abubakar Audu's son, Shuaibu Abubakar Audu as one of Tinubu's ministerial nominees.

"Bello was not the one that recommended Audu's son. It was just a publicity stunt to gain sympathy votes from the Igalas knowing fully well they are determined to unseat APC in Kogi following the outcome of the party's primary," the source further disclosed.

Recall the late Audu's son had recently paid a thank-you visit to the Kogi governor after his successful screening by the 10th Senate.

His nomination was however faulted by some stakeholders of the party in the State arguing that Shuaibu’s nomination was not in the best interest of supporters of the APC in the Kogi east Senatorial zone where he hails from.

https://gwg.ng/2023/08/12/how-yahaya-bello-lobbied-for-ministerial-appointment/

Amidst thanksgiving for surviving a challenging birthing experience, Kogi Central PDP senatorial candidate in the last general election, Barr. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and her husband, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan on Sunday dedicated their son, Prince Reign Emmanuel.



Sharing her traumatic experience during the child’s delivery, Mrs Uduaghan thanked God for saving her life while recalling how said she was given six pints of blood and thought she was going to die.

“I told my husband I couldn’t feel the strength in my limbs, I also felt my stomach swelling up, I told him something is not right. Later on, the doctors came in and when they checked, blood was gushing out, it was just rushing like they opened a tap from me, it was rushing that they had to bring a bucket in.

“I noticed that I was gasping, it was the first time of experiencing many things. Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe, I think I passed out and the next thing I saw, I was in the theater.

“I thought I was going to die, I remembered telling my husband to take care of our son, Reign if I don’t make it. I remembered that last word in the theater.

“I was given six pints of blood, I just want to thank God for saving me. We are survivors, our baby is a survivor, and we thank God for everything,” she disclosed.

Dignitaries at the occasion include: Delta Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy, Monday Onyeme, the immediate past governor, Ifeanyi Okowa and former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and wife.

Also in attendance were former PDP National chairman Iyorchia Ayu and Sen. Sam Anyanwu (Imo PDP guber candidate) amongst other distinguished members of the 10th National Assembly and also a number of traditional rulers across the State.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/child-dedication-thought-i-was-going-to-die-natasha-opens-up/

Asari Dokubo, the leader of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF), on Friday, met with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Villa, Abuja, declaring that his men, "employed by Nigerian government" are the ones securing Abuja-Kaduna road and not Nigerian Army.


Speaking with newsmen after the meeting, Asari-Dokubo accused the Nigerian military of blackmailing the security architecture of the country describing it as "shameful".

His words;

“There is a full-scale war going on and the blackmail of the Nigerian state by the Nigerian military is shameful. They said they do not have enough armament and people listen to this false narrative. They are lying. They are liars. I repeat they are liars because I am a participant.

“I am a participant in this war. I fight on the side of the government of the Nigerian state in...

https://tribuneonlineng.com/asari-dokubo-reveals-top-secret-about-nigerian-military/

As Nigerians mark another Democracy Day after the end of Muhammadu Buhari's eight-year regime, there seems to be a glimpse of hope for a better Nigeria where rule of law will be the order of the day.

However, that will only be possible in the illusion of our minds unless things are done right. Since the beginning of democracy in 1999, Nigeria has weathered the storm, with a lot of lessons learned during that brief period.

Of course, there is no doubt that Nigeria has recorded huge successes in the last 24 years since it started practicing democracy, but there are also some pitfalls that must be addressed if the country is to truly be the "Giant of Africa".

Among the recent lacunae in the system is the 2023 election, which has become a topic of public debate in recent times, especially over the outcome of the poll.

The election saw the emergence of Bola Tinubu as Nigeria's 16th President, despite many flaws that marred the process. Though the likes of Peter Obi and Abubakar Atiku are challenging the declaration of the former as President, there are still some Nigerians who have little or no hope in the way Nigeria practices democracy. For some, it is more like a "demonstration of craze," just like the Great Fela rightly opined.

Tinubu's craze

A few hours after he was sworn in as President, Tinubu made a decision that has since thrown the country into agony with the blanket removal of fuel subsidies and the attendant fuel hike. It would have been logical and sound reasoning if the 'Emi lo kan' crooner had consulted widely, just like he did during his campaign, before making such a decision that he once described as "breaking the social contract with the people".

Subsidy removal is a welcome development, but it must be done empirically by putting measures in place to cushion its negative impact on the livelihood of the citizenry. Tinubu's move came at a time when Nigerians were still looking forward to recovering from the last regime that threw the country into darkness.

Decisions of this magnitude should have been better done through a roundtable discussion with key stakeholders rather than using the fire brigade approach and hoping Nigerians will sacrifice for what they were never part of. If we truly practice democracy, then we must live by the tenets of what we preach as a democratic state.

What is democracy when people are neglected? And for democracy to prevail, there are fundamental questions to be addressed. In this Nigerian situation, we are divided on an issue, and we are asking, ‘Whose views should prevail and in what circumstances?’ Should a majority always prevail, or should minorities sometimes be empowered to overcome majority rule? This craze must stop if we are to get things right.

Arogbonlo Israel is a journalist and good governance advocate with a wealth of experience in peacekeeping

As unconventional as it seems for an average Nigerian who prefers foreign-made to locally-made products, there are still some Nigerian governors with made-in-Nigeria vehicles as official cars.

Here is list of Nigerian governors who use locally-made vehicles as their official cars.

Alex Otti (Abia)



Born February 18, 1965, Alex Otti was recently sworn-in as the 5th democratically elected Governor of Abia. He is one of the very few Nigerian governors that use locally-made vehicles as official car. At his inauguration on Monday, May 29, Otti reportedly rode in an Innoson-based parade vehicle, to the admiration of Nigerians.

Charles Soludo (Anambra)

Charles Soludo was born July 28, 1960. He hails from Aguata, a Local Government Area in Anambra, with its headquarters in Aguata, a major part of which falls into Aguluezechukwu, while the smallest part falls within the commercial town of Ekwulobia. He is the Number 2 in the list of Nigerian governors that used made-in-Nigeria vehicle as official car.

Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe)

Like his Abia counterpart, Governor Inuwa Yahaya also unveiled (Innoson) as official car during his inauguration at Patami stadium. He was sworn-in for his second term in office.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/nigerian-governors-using-made-in-nigerian-cars/

Read the full text of his broadcast below:

FAREWELL SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.

My fellow Nigerian brothers, sisters and friends of Nigeria.

2. I address you today, in my last assignment as a democratically elected President of our great and well endowed nation, with a deep sense of gratitude to God, a great deal of appreciation to the Nigerian people and a modest sense of fulfilment.

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3. Today we mark and celebrate another peaceful transition of power from one elected government to another in our steady march to improve and sustain Nigeria’s democracy.

4. This year we witnessed the most keenly contested Presidential Elections since the first Republic and this demonstrates that our democracy is getting better and more entrenched with each election.

5. We must as a nation improve and sustain gains we make in the electoral process, on an incremental basis for Nigeria to take its rightful place among Nations.

6. Our democracy provides for, allows and encourages seeking redress for any perceived injustices, enabling some candidates and political parties that did not agree with the results to go to court.

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7. Irrespective of the outcome of the various cases, I urge all parties involved to accept the decision of our courts and join hands to build a better Nigeria.

8. I salute the doggedness and resilience of all the Presidential Candidates and their political parties for believing in our judicial system by taking their grievances with the election results to court.

9. In the course of the campaigns, we had argued and disagreed on how to make Nigeria better but we never disagreed or had any doubts that Nigeria has to be better.

10. As your President, I call on all of us to bring to bear the strength of our individualism, the power of our unity, the convictions of our beliefs to make Nigeria work better and together with one spirit and one purpose.

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11. To my brother, friend and fellow worker in the political terrain for the past ten years – Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu -, I congratulate you on the realisation of your dream, which was propelled by a burning passion to put Nigeria amongst the leading nations of the world.

12. You have indeed worked for this day and God has crowned your efforts. I have no doubt that your passion for excellence, reliance on competence, fairness in relationships, commitment to equity, loyalty to the country and desire for Nigeria to be globally relevant would come through for you, under God’s guidance, as you lead our country to levels higher that I am leaving.

13. You are the best candidate among all the contestants and Nigerians have chosen well.

14. The last eight years have been an exciting experience in my desire and commitment to see a Nigeria in which public goods and services are available, and accessible within a united, peaceful and secure nation.

15. Fellow Nigerians, on the strength of your over-whelming support for me and my political party, I started this journey with a great deal of promise and expectation from you. I never intended to be just politically correct but to do the correct things that will make meaningful impact on the lives of the common Nigerian.

16. This high expectation was not misplaced because, like the ordinary Nigerian, I had grown tired of watching the country progressively moving away from the path of correctness.

17. To ensure that our democracy remains resilient and our elected representatives remain accountable to the people, I am leaving behind an electoral process which guarantees that votes count, results are credible, elections are fair and transparent and the influence of money in politics reduced to the barest minimum. And Nigerians can elect leaders of their choice.

18. We are already seeing the outcome of this process as it provided an even playing field where persons without any political God-Father or access to money defeated other well-resourced candidates.

19. The Nigerian economy has become more resilient due to the various strategies put in place to ensure that our economy remained afloat during cases of global economic downturns.

20. You would all recall the supply chain disruptions and economic downturn that the world witnessed between 2020 and 2022 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The deftness of our response to the pandemic still remains a global best practice.

21. Furthermore, we increased the ability of the poor and rural Nigerians to earn a living, provided more food for millions in our villages and gave our women opportunities to earn a living.

22. Young men and women in urban centres were also supported to put their skills into productive use. Our administration also provided an enabling environment for the private sector to engage in businesses for which their return on investments is guaranteed.

23. The private sector proved a strong partner in our drive to build a resilient and sustainable economy as evidenced by the growing number of turn-key projects in various sectors of the economy.

24. In the course of revamping the economy, we made some difficult choices, most of which yielded the desired results. Some of the measures led to temporary pain and suffering for which I sincerely apologised to my fellow countrymen, but the measures were taken for the over-all good of the country.

25. Mindful of the need to ensure adequate infrastructure to drive economic growth, we completed age-long projects and processes notably amongst which are the Petroleum Industry Act, completion of some power projects, completion of the second Niger bridge and various important roads linking cities and states.

26. Our battle to ensure that all Nigerians live in a safe and secure environment has achieved considerable results. As I complete my term in office, we have been able to reduce the incidences of banditry, terrorism, armed robbery and other criminal activities considerably.

27. To sustain the gains made so far, I call on all Nigerians to be more vigilant and support the security agencies by ensuring that our values defined by being your brothers’ keeper govern our actions.

28. Up-till now, I still grieve for our children still in captivity, mourn with parents, friends and relatives of all those that lost loved ones in the days of the senseless brigandage and carnage. For all those under unlawful captivity, our Security Agencies are working round the clock to secure their release unharmed.

29. Fellow Nigerians, you know how dear the desire in my heart to rid the country of corrupt practices that had consistently diminished our efforts to be a great country.

30. I did pursue this commitment relentlessly, in spite of the expected pushback. I am happy that considerable progress had been made in repatriating huge sums of money back to the country and also taking over properties illegally acquired from our commonwealth.

31. To improve service delivery, we began the implementation of a number of reforms aimed at producing an Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible and Citizen-oriented (EPIC) Federal Civil Service and the results are beginning to show.

32. On the international scene, Nigeria’s influence continues to grow as exemplified by notable Nigerians occupying headship and leadership positions in renowned global bodies.

33. Our democracy is built on and continues to thrive on the principles of separation of powers. The leadership and members of the National Assembly deserve my appreciation for their patriotism which did not detract from their roles as a check to the executive arm.

34. I also want to use this opportunity to express my appreciation to a good number of Nigerians who provided their support and encouragement to help me navigate the exciting journey in moving Nigeria forward.

35. I can not and will not forget the millions who prayed for me during my illness in my first term of office. I am constantly praying for you and for Nigeria to thrive in peace.

36. As I retire home to Daura, Katsina State, I feel fulfilled that we have started the Nigeria Re-Birth by taking the initial critical steps and I am convinced the in-coming administration will quicken the pace of this walk to see a Nigeria that fulfills its destiny to be a great nation.

37. I am confident that I am leaving office with Nigeria better in 2023 than in 2015.

38. I thank you all. And may God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), the leading counsel of Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi has vowed to expose the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for allegedly withholding essential documents, alleging that the electoral umpire is probably trying to manipulate the documents, before releasing them.



According to him, he will focus on the most important witnesses in the case in the three weeks allotted to his team to present their case.

Uzoukwu said this during an interview with journalists Tuesday at the tribunal pre-hearing in Abuja.

“We have written five letters indicating to pay and that we’re ready to collect those documents. The letters were duly received and endorsed by INEC. Why are they telling lies to say that we couldn’t pay? This is very unfortunate.

“What about the documents we have collected? Don’t we pay for them? Of course, we paid for them and those ones were given to us but refused
to give us others,” he said.

Obi’s lawyer also said his party would serve INEC a subpoena as soon as hearing resumes May 30 (a day after inauguration), to compel them to...

https://gwg.ng/2023/05/23/obis-lawyer-gives-update-on-inecs-withheld-documents/

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, May 18, in Abuja, awarded no fewer than 52 ex-corps members who distinguished themselves during the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The President also granted the awardees automatic employment in the Federal Civil Service and scholarships to pursue their education up to the doctorate degree level in any university of their choice within the country.



Full list below:

S/N | Name | State of Origin

Odaudu Elizabeth (Benue)
Ejikeme Peter (Anambra)
Isiaka Mercy Lovelyn (Kogi)
Aladekomo Segun (Osun)
Eze Daniel (Ebonyi)
Mmesirionye Veronica (Abia)
Nwokedi Chimezuo (Abia)
Otu Pamela (Akwa-Ibom)
Ekanem Samuel (Akwa-Ibom)
Okonkwo Ifeoma (Anambra)

https://gwg.ng/2023/05/21/full-list-of-2023-presidential-honours-award-winners/

As known to most, Hilda Baci is one of the hottest Nigerian ladies reigning in town now.

Hilda, whose real name is Hildah Bassey came into limelight after breaking the old longest cooking hours previously held by Indian Chef Lata Tondon who made meals for 100 hours.

Hilda broke the Guinness World record which was previously held by Indian chef Lata Tondon on Monday morning.

Here are the top five (5) stunning photos of Hilda as gathered by GWG.ng:



More photos>>>https://gwg.ng/2023/05/16/top-5-stunning-photos-of-hilda-that-will-make-you-say-wow/

Vice-Presidential spokesperson, Laolu Akande has revealed reason his principal, Yemi Osinbajo contested for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against Bola Tinubu, the President-elect.



Recall Osinbajo was among those who contested the party’s presidential primary which was won by Tinubu.

His decision to contest had drawn criticism from members of the Lagos APC, with some describing his ambition as a betrayal of Tinubu.

Osinbajo was the attorney-general of Lagos when Tinubu was governor of the State.

Some members of the ruling had called on Osinbajo to step down for his former boss during the buildup to the 2023 presidential election but all to no avail.

Speaking on Friday in an interview with Channels Television, monitored by GWG, Akande said Osinbajo contested because he believed that he possesses the necessary experience, qualifications and inspirational leadership qualities for the office of the president.

“What is important is that you take the step you want to take in the best interest of the people. Public interest is the overriding factor,” he said.

https://gwg.ng/2023/05/05/why-osinbajo-contested-against-tinubu-in-apc-primaries-laolu/

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 election, Peter Obi has said he does not have dual citizenship.



This is coming on the heels of controversies trailing Bola Tinubu, who allegedly acquired citizenship of another country other than Nigerian.

David Hundeyin, over the weekend, had sent Nigerian internet users into a frenzy after he uploaded images of a Guinean diplomatic passport bearing “Bola Ahmed Tinubu” and his photograph on Twitter.

Though Twitter sanctioned Mr Hundeyin over what it described as a “breach of privacy”, there seems no end in sight to the controversy as Nigerians have started calling out Tinubu to come clarify himself.

“I’m a Nigerian. Committed Nigerian. I don’t have any dual nationality. So, this (Nigeria) is my own country.

“And I have said it that even if there is war outside this country and I’m outside, I will come back because this is my country,” Obi said at the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the Labour Party in Asaba, Delta State on Tuesday.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/i-dont-have-dual-nationality-obi-throws-jab-at-tinubu/

Reactions have started trailing the defeat of Senator Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, in the just concluded Adamawa gubernatorial election.



Recall Binani was on Sunday morning declared the winner of the Adamawa governorship poll with no result announced by the now-suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner for the State, Barrister Hudu Yunusa.

But, in recent development, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Governor Ahmadu Umar Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of Adamawa governorship election.

Fintiri was declared winner after a supplementary election held on Saturday, April 15, and having polled 430,861 to defeat his closest rival and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Binani who scored 396,788 votes.

Social media reacts
Nigerians have since taken to social media to express their views on Binani’s “painful” loss, with some calling on the APC candidate to go to court to challenge Gov Fintiri’s victory.

@joyMichaels20: “AISHA BINANI GO TO COURT OOOOO!!!!!”

https://tribuneonlineng.com/go-to-court-nigerians-react-to-binanis-loss-in-adamawa/

Former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom, Mike Igini, in a now-viral video was quoted saying Nigeria’s Constitution mandated a candidate to score 25 percent of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) before being declared winner in presidential poll.

Recall many Nigerians had interpreted the relevant section of the constitution, which has portrayed different meanings that a presidential candidate must win FCT.

This follows INEC’s declaration of Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate as the winner of the February 25 poll despite failing to secure 25% votes in the FCT.

But, in a video clip obtained by TRIBUNE ONLINE, the former INEC REC during an interview with Arise Television, a few hours to the February 25 presidential poll, said it is a “compulsory question” for a candidate to have 25% votes in the FCT before being declared President-elect.

His words;

“Provision of Section 134 (2b) of (Nigeria’s) Constitution states: “No presidential candidate can be declared a winner in this election without having 25% in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). That is very important for the world to know whenever (election results) may be finally declared.

“Apart from having 25% in 24 States (of the federation). The FCT is like a compulsory question without 25%, you go nowhere.”

https://tribuneonlineng.com/trending-25-votes-in-fct-mandatory-ex-inec-rec/

Amidst the ongoing wrangling in the Labour Party (LP), Lamidi Apapa, a factional leader of the party on Sunday, claimed he has the backing of the 'OBIdient Movement', supporters of the party's flag-bearer, Peter Obi.

He stated this when featured on Channels Television's Sunday Politics programme, which was monitored by TRIBUNE ONLINE.

His words:

"I think they (OBIdients) are on my side. Let me tell you why I said so. Are OBIdients not Nigerians? We're all Nigerians.

"Everybody has freedom to say whatever he likes without investigating what really transpired. If they know what transpired, they will know that they are acting out of ignorance," Apapa replied when asked if he was conversant the OBIdients on Twitter are not happy with his emergency as the party's acting leader.

He, however, added that the party has no financial issues as widely claimed by opposition.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/obidients-are-on-my-side-lp-factional-leader-apapa/

Joshua Agboola, a young programmer, speaker on technology topics, and YouTuber, added another medal to his list of achievements, by becoming the youngest Certified Amazon Web Services Cloud Practitioner in Africa at the age of 13, after passing the AWS Cloud Practitioner test.

Cloud services are infrastructure, platforms, or software that are hosted by third-party providers and made available to users through the internet.

When asked what inspired him to accomplish this feat, Joshua responded: “I had known for a while that Cloud Computing was one of the growing areas of the IT sector and one of the defining technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution. But its importance became very visible to me when I had to employ MongoDB, on one of the Artificial Intelligence projects I was working on.

“MongoDB is a document-oriented database for high-volume storage. It provided flexibility, and the ability for data storage of different volumes because it was cloud-based. This got me curious to study more about the cloud. However, the idea of going deeper in my search for knowledge, and getting certified was first muted by my dad”.

On why he chose the AWS route to get certified, Joshua explained; “The range of services and solutions provided by Amazon Web Services is very wide. AWS is the current leader in the Cloud Computing space, followed by Microsoft’s Azure and Google Cloud.

“I decided to follow the leader because I believe AWS will continue to dominate the space for years to come. Besides, I found that there was quite an awesome amount of training resources from Amazon itself, and from other members of the cloud community on AWS Cloud certifications that made the learning and certification journey easier for me”.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/nigerian-wonderkid-becomes-youngest-cloud-practitioner-in-africa/

The Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Professor Nnenna Oti has said she was offered money and threatened to compromise the Abia governorship election but refused.

She disclosed this at her triumphant entry to the school on Tuesday.

Prof. Oti was given a hero’s welcome back to the institution by staff and students.

The staff and students of Federal University of Technology, FUTO, Owerri, on Tuesday gave Professor Nnenna Oti a hero’s welcome back to the institution.

In a video clip obtained by TRIBUNE ONLINE, people were seen dancing and chanting songs with a banner with the inscription “Welcome back Nnenna Oti, Heroine of Nigeria Democracy.”

Addressing journalists during the hero’s welcome, Oti said; “As an electoral officer, I have never in my life participated in any election but duty came calling.

Details>>>https://tribuneonlineng.com/i-rejected-their-huge-cash-insisted-peoples-votes-must-count-oti/

Following criticism from the opposition, the national leadership of the Labour Party (LP), has reviewed the nomination fee for the governorship form from N25 million to N15 million.

The spokesperson for the Peter Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Kenneth Okonkwo, made the announcement in a series of tweets on Tuesday.

“The party’s constitution frowns at any action that will constitute a hindrance to the participation of any Nigerian in governance at any level,” he tweeted.

According to him, “N25 million is exorbitant and will not be encouraged,” because “Article 8(h) of the Labour Party Constitution states, “To broaden participation in governance at all levels by ensuring that the costs of the electoral process do not constitute hindrance to any Nigerian.”


The party’s governorship primaries have been billed to hold next month, with 13 aspirants securing Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms so far.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/lp-slashes-imo-guber-nomination-form-from-n25m-to-n15m/

The United Kingdom has said no fewer than 10 individuals are on its watchlist following the outcome of the 2023 general elections.

Ben Llewellyn-Jones, British deputy high commissioner to Nigeria disclosed this while reacting to controversial comments made by Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of aviation and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Fani-Kayode, in a series of tweets, was said to have used words and phrases deemed derogatory, divisive and inciting against the opposition.

“The single greatest lesson that the 2023 presidential election has taught us is that God will NEVER allow a practising sodomite and his repugnant retinue of perverts, pimps, fraudsters, court jesters, degenerates, monkeys, slaves and malefactors to lead Nigeria,” the former minister had tweeted.

In another tweet, the APC chieftain said; “What @PeterObi, @atiku & their thugs did to the CJN is despicable.They lied on him, defamed him, rubbished his reputation & sought to humiliate, blackmail, undermine, destroy & disgrace him out of office. These savages & barbarians seek to destroy all our revered institutions.”


“A WORD TO THE DOGS OF OPPOSITION

“As a consequence of the events of the last few days I am constrained to say that, like a rabid and mad dog that is foaming at the mouth, the Nigerian opposition, represented by the followers of Atiku Abubakar (Atikulators) and the followers of…,” he posited in a separate tweet.


Reacting, the UK envoy said he was puzzled as to why Fani-Kayode would make such statements, adding that the APC should have distanced itself from the former minister’s utterances.

“Yes, let’s be specific, there were some people, like Femi Fani-Kayode, what is he saying and why is he saying it? I don’t understand,” Llewellyn-Jones told Nigeria Info FM on Sunday.

“It is wrong from my perspective that he will speak on behalf of a party and that party does not distance itself from him and say stop doing that. It is wrong to say that.

“To me, it is really important, people who have said I am part of a party’s press and media campaign, well, the party itself should say no you are not, and you should stop and we do not agree. I know that some leaders very clearly said we are about unity, and that is good, I encourage that.

“The problem is if you get the other people over here, who are very clearly associated with the party and giving you another message, and there isn’t any kind of calling out of that. What would you take from that as a voter?”

https://tribuneonlineng.com/fani-kayode-10-names-on-our-visa-ban-watchlist-uk/

A social media post has claimed Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, one of the counsels of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has never lost any case since he started his law career.

“Meet The man who gives the APC a nightmare His name is Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN. lead counsel to ademola Adeleke and Mr. Peter Obi, Has never lost any case before,” read the tweet.

The tweet, TRIBUNE ONLINE gathered, was shared on March 24, gathering 425 likes and several comments.

VERIFICATION
There is no official record or data that back the claim that Peter Obi’s lawyer, Dr Ikpeazu has never lost a case before, TRIBUNE ONLINE findings revealed.

Further checks showed Dr Ikpeazu, in 2019, lost his case (AKINLADE V ABIODUN) at the Ogun Election Tribunal after his client (Adekunle Akinlade of the Allied Peoples Movement) was defeated by the then governor, Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the list endless.

VERDICT
The claim that Peter Obi’s lawyer, Dr Ikpeazu has never lost a case before is false and misleading.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/fact-check-has-peter-obis-lawyer-ikpeazu-lost-a-case-before/

Following the controversial 2023 elections, Nigerians in some States of the federation will be having a breath of fresh air, especially with the emergence of newcomers (Governors) into Nigeria’s political landscape.

In this article, TRIBUNE ONLINE profiles some of these first-timers and also takes a look at their plans for governance in their respective States.

Akwa Ibom
Umo Eno was declared winner of the 2023 Akwa Ibom governorship election after wading through legal labyrinths to clinch victory.

In January, Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court Uyo dismissed a suit filed by one Akan Okon challenging the primary that produced Eno as the PDP candidate for Akwa Ibom for the 2023 general elections.

Okon prayed the court to disqualify Eno on grounds that he allegedly forged a West African Examination Certificate (WAEC) which he submitted to the electoral body.

The judge ruled that Okon’s arguments were based on assumption and unprovable.

Okon subsequently approached the Supreme Court but the apex court held that Eno was duly nominated by the PDP on May 25, 2022, and eminently qualified for the elections.

No doubt, the former member of the state executive council has weathered many political storms, hence, the reason for his magnanimous victory. The ‘Happy Hour’ proponent hinged his campaign on the theme of continuing with peace, stability, and security, as enabled by his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel (a member of the G-5 Governors) Umo Eno who is backed by key stakeholders including former governor Attah and many others including host of the clergy, has a development blueprint for the economic consolidation and expansion in the State tagged ‘ARISE Agenda’.

For the March 18 poll, Eno garnered 354,348 to defeat his closest rivals — Akanimo Udofia of the APC who scored 129,602 votes and Labour Party (LP)’s Uduakobong Udoh who got 4,746 votes.

Katsina
Dr Dikko Umar Radda of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 859,892 votes to defeat his closest rival, Senator Yakubu Danmarke, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled a total of 486,620 votes.

In his manifesto, Radda promised to adopt the strategy employed by his predecessor, Aminu Masari, to solve the security challenges facing the State.

“Health sector will also be improved, facilities, personnel among others are not enough to cater for the good healthcare of people, supporting the MSMEs based on his Excellency’s experience in SMEDAN,” he told newsmen in the buildup to the gubernatorial election in the State.

Radda rode on the overwhelming support from the incumbent governor, Mr President (Muhammadu Buhari) and other key party stakeholders in the State, who endorsed him as the right man for the job prior to the election.

Benue
In May 2022, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia upset the Catholic Church when he announced his decision to get the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue.

Days before the primary which he eventually won, the Catholic Diocese of Gboko in Benue suspended the “miracle-working” priest whose name was already a household identity in Benue for joining “partisan politics”.

Saturday, March 18, 2022, saw a new dawn in Benue’s political turf as INEC declared Fr Alia Hyacinth as winner of one of the battle States in the North Central region. He polled 473,933 votes ahead of his closest rival and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Titus Uba, who scored 223,913.

Born on May 15, 1966, the Catholic Priest in his manifesto christened, “Strategic Development Plan for Greater Benue”, explained that the document is structured around seven priority pillars with the acronym “SACHIIP” which stands for “Security of lives and property, Agriculture and rural development, Commerce and Industry, Human capital and social development, Infrastructure and Environment, Information and Communication Technology, (ICT) and Political and economic governance”.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/pastor-eno-catholic-priest-other-first-time-governors-in-2023-elections/

Lagos State Chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has debunked the news making the rounds on social media that one Prof. Ifagbemi Awamaridi is its authentic candidate ahead of Saturday’s gubernatorial election in the State.

Awamaridi, in a circulating report, had alleged that the Lagos LP recognised gubernatorial candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and the party’s executives submitted a fake withdrawal letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He added that at no point in time did he tender a letter to withdraw his candidature to the electoral umpire.

He said that he is the “original” flag bearer of the party, adding that the party submitted “forged documents to INEC”

He made this claim during a media chat at Primal Hotel in Ikeja on Thursday, March 16.

In recent development, a press release purportedly signed by the party’s State Secretary, Sam Okpala claimed Awamaridi is the valid candidate of the party as recognised by INEC.

When contacted, Mr Okpala described the development as “fake news” adding that the purveyors are “distractors who are only sheering away from the reality”.

“It’s fake news. They (the opposition) can go to any length… they forged my signature and the statement (press release) was never from me or the Labour Party.

“We do not know any Ifagbemi Awamaridi or whoever. Our candidate for tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) election is Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour. Don’t (referring to our reporter) let nobody kid you. Labour Party do not know anything about that release. It’s an handiwork of lour distractors who are jittery because defeat is stirring at them in the face and they don’t to accept the reality,” he told TRIBUNE ONLINE.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/lagos-guber-gbadebo-is-still-our-candidate-not-awamaridi-lp/