₦airaland Forum

The Obi-Datti fundraising team has refuted Monday’s claim by the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, that only Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua Ighodalo, were responsible for managing the campaign funds of LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, at the 2023 election.

Abure had told journalists in Abuja after a meeting of the National Executive Council on Monday that there was no iota of truth in the allegation that he embezzled the party’s campaign donations.

The embattled national chairman emphasised that there was no way he could have accessed any fund since he was not involved directly in the management of the presidential flag candidate.

He said, “ The party and I have been accused of being responsible for Peter Obi’s failure in the 2023 general election. They stated that the campaign, election donations and funds for the payment of agents were mismanaged by the party hence Peter Obi failed in the election.

"The election funding was done by Obi himself. As per the donations, the party was not involved. The signatories to these accounts were Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua Ighodalo. They were equally responsible for the payment of Polling Unit Agents.

“Consequently, it is mischievous for any person to accuse me and the party of mismanagement of these funds. At no time did the Party or its officials engage in any financial transactions as it relates to the presidential campaign.”

Reacting in a viral video posted on her official YouTube account on Tuesday, Yesufu, who doubled as the chairman of the campaign fundraising team, described Abure as a liar.

The activist also challenged the national chairman to tell Nigerians what he did with the proceeds of the ‘Labour Party N1,000 Challenge’ campaign donations he has been raising since 2022.

He said, “That statement Abure made was a big fat lie. He thinks it was like those days when they used to do their Labour unionism when nobody had internet or keep records; those days they got away with everything. When it comes to certain things, I am a very detailed and process-driven person.

"There were times when the fundraising team was frustrated with me because of my insistence on due process. Before Mr Obi came out with his campaign account, the Labour Party had theirs. I have with me here a ‘Labour Party N1,000 Challenge’ post that was tweeted on 24/11/22. It said ‘Take ownership of the LP campaign by donating a minimum of N1,000 to Labour Party Zenith Account 1225832294.

When that account was opened by Abure, I was very angry. I remember some people harmlessly saying it was no big deal since it was for the same Labour Party campaign. But I insisted that it is not the same thing because we don’t have access to any money that went into the LP account and therefore can’t use it to facilitate the electioneering campaign.

"So for Julius Abure to come out in 2024 to blatantly lie that they were not involved in any campaign, saying it was only Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua (is unbelievable). By the way, there are three signatories, not two as he said. Up till now, the LP has not accounted for the money the public donated to them neither have they accounted for the money used to procure forms.”

The allegation and counter-allegation come six months after Yesufu announced that the fundraising team received donations totalling N596m from party supporters, Obidient movements and well-meaning Nigerians across the globe.

She added that Obi also spent N744,500,000 on litigation following his loss in the 2023 presidential election.

National grid shutdown looms as the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) puts members on strike alert over the arrest of Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), by the Department of State Security (DSS).

Acting General Secretary Igwebike Dominic disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

This follows the arrest of Ajaero by the DSS on Monday.

Reacting to Ajaero’s arrest, NUEE demanded his immediate and unconditional release without harm.

“Nigeria is our collective country; our leaders should not make us live like slaves that cannot express themselves in our country.

“We demand the unequivocal and unconditional release of Comrade Joe Ajaero without any harm meted out to him. We are using this medium to put all our members on alert for further directives.”

DAILY POST reports that Ajaero was on his way to attend the Trade Union Congress (TUC) UK conference held on Monday when he was arrested by the DSS at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Earlier, the NLC had issued a notice of a red alert to the affiliate unions, warning of an impending nationwide strike and protests if Ajaero is not released.

President Bola Tinubu has accepted the exit of Chief Ajuri Ngelale as his official spokesperson.

On Saturday morning, Ajuri announced that he was proceeding on an indefinite leave of absence to deal with medical matters “presently affecting my immediate, nuclear family”.
He said he had submitted a memo to the office of the Chief of Staff to the President.

In a statement on Saturday night, the presidency acknowledged that Tinubu had received the memo and he thanked Ngelale for his service to the nation.

"The President has received the memo from Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity and Official Spokesperson of the President as well as Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, informing of his decision to proceed on an indefinite leave of absence for personal and health reasons.”

“The President accepts his reasons for the leave, fully understands them and sympathizes with the circumstances that have led to this seemingly difficult decision.

"While extending his heartfelt prayers and best wishes to Chief Ngelale and his family during this challenging moment, the President hopes for a speedy recovery and full restoration to health.

"The President notes his tireless efforts and dedication in serving the nation, and thanks him for the remarkable contributions he made in his various capacities, especially in advancing national discourse and leading efforts on climate action and other key initiatives. The President wishes him well in all his future endeavors.

The reasons the immediate past Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, and the DG of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar, resigned from their positions have been revealed.

Sources within the Presidency told Saturday PUNCH that President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, questioned the intelligence gathering mechanisms of the two agencies following the violent nature of the #EndBadGovernance protests in some northern states and the seizure of three presidential aircraft in France.

While Bichi was held responsible for lack of functional intelligence on the protest, Abubakar was reportedly queried for the NIA’s inability to have reports ahead of the seizure of the jets by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited.

A French court had sanctioned the seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets, including a newly purchased Airbus, amid a legal dispute between Zhongshan and the Ogun State Government.

The #EndBadGovernance protest, which began on August 1, turned violent in Kano, Gombe, Yobe, Borno and Bauchi states while demonstrations in the South-West were peaceful.

During the protests in some northern states, public and private facilities were destroyed, while hoodlums looted shops and caused mayhem. This led to the imposition of curfews in Kano, Bauchi, and Plateau states.

The protest was driven by widespread hardship resulting from the removal of fuel subsidy, electricity tariff hike and the high cost of living, among other issues.

Bichi, who hails from Kano State, where widespread destruction and looting occurred, was appointed on September 14, 2018, by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Abubakar, from Katsina State, was also appointed by Buhari on January 10, 2018.

According to credible sources, Tinubu and Ribadu were embarrassed by the turn of events on the seizure of the presidential jets and the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations.

"The seizure of the presidential jets and violent nature of the #EndBadGovernance protest embarrassed the President nationally and internationally.

“The President was displeased with the NIA and DSS bosses. This was why he requested the resignation of the two security chiefs,” said one of the sources.

Another source told Saturday PUNCH that Bichi and Ribadu had been having a running battle before the protest, with the fallout from the northern demonstrations serving as the final straw.

He stated, “The former DSS DG and the NSA boss had been on bad terms for some time. Their issues escalated to the point that Bichi was unable to meet the President for a while. The Presidency finally had a valid reason to dismiss him due to the #EndBadGovernance protest.”

Abubakar announced his resignation on Saturday, August 24, after meeting with President Tinubu.

In contrast, Bichi’s resignation was announced in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Monday, August 26.


Why we celebrated Bichi’s exit – DSS officers

Bichi’s resignation elicited reactions from DSS staff and the public.

Some DSS officers, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, described his exit as ‘freedom from unprofessionalism’.

The DSS officers listed Bichi’s alleged misconduct to include undue interference in the service’s operations by his wife and son, Yusuf Bichi.

A video of some DSS staff members allegedly celebrating Bichi’s resignation surfaced online immediately after his departure.

However, an X user, Sanusi Jibrin, said the clip was recorded at the Kogi State DSS office, where personnel were celebrating Ajayi’s appointment, as he was a former director at the state command.

A DSS officer, however, said personnel of the agency were happy with his removal.

"We believed his regime was a punishment for us. He impeded the career advancement of many officers by extending the service years of those due to retire. Some senior officers, who were due for retirement in 2021 and 2022 were retained in the service,” he stated.

Another officer alleged that Bichi was indifferent to the welfare of workers.

“The Federal Government increased our salary by 40 per cent, but there was no implementation. We were earning more than the police before, but the police are now earning more than us because they implemented their 40 per cent increment. However, there was a proposal to increase our salary by 25 per cent this year, but it has yet to be realised,” the officer said.

Speaking on the recruitment of personnel, another secret agent described Bichi’s recruitment as nepotistic.

"Bichi’s recruitments were arbitrary and lopsided. Three different training sessions have been conducted for some people we didn’t know when they were recruited this year alone. Most of the newly recruited personnel are northerners.

“His first recruitment in 2019 brought in either 420 or 450 persons from Bichi Local Government Area in Kano alone. In the history of the service, 450 was the maximum recruitment we ever had before Bichi, but he recruited 1,000 personnel at once.

"There was no southerner among the national directors and deputy directors at the headquarters until January this year when he was directed by the Presidency following a petition. His wife is another issue; she abused her husband’s office. His son, too, was power drunk.

“Just two weeks ago, his wife slapped a DSS director in a northern state. She also slapped at least two deputy directors at airports.”

Tweeps also criticised the former DSS boss, accusing him of allowing his family to abuse power because of his position.

The publisher of Daily Nigerian, Jafaar Jafaar, while commenting on X, said Bichi turned the DSS into a “graveyard of career aspirations.”

"He lowered the recruitment bar, removed the multi-layer screening process to recruit personnel who couldn’t even pass the Halogen Security aptitude test. Bichi arguably recruited the highest number of Cotonou ‘graduates’ into the service. He wilfully extended the tenure of some retired directors in his good book for years, killing the ambitions of the aspiring directors. He allowed his wife to lord over the service, influencing recruitment, promotion and discipline,” he stated.

The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, on Thursday, said he had since known the challenges associated with being a labour leader in the country.

He stated this in Abuja shortly after he honoured the invitation of the police to appear at the Force Intelligence Response Team’s (IRT) office.

Daily Trust reports that Ajaero, who was invited last week by the police for questioning over “a case of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime”, arrived at the IRT office at about 10:15 a.m and left some minutes past 11a.m.

The NLC president was accompanied by his lawyer, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria; another senior lawyer, Maxwell Okpara; popular human rights activists, Deji Adeyanju; Marshal Abubakar and some senior officials of the NLC.

Our correspondent, who monitored the development, gathered that the labour leader was given a “statement sheet” to write all that he knew regarding the questions that were posed to him by some officers at the police unit.

Briefing newsmen, Ajaero said the circumstances surrounding his recent questioning were part of the ongoing struggle for workers’ rights.

He said: “Comrades, the labour movement is worth dying for, because of patriotism and commitment. The Labour movement is one of the biggest pan-Nigerian organisations. Our patriotism from the days of colonial masters during the period of the military is unshakable.

"We are more patriotic than any other institution you can think of in this country. We have gone there and we are back. I just want to confirm to you that as a citizen, we have gone there and we are back here. You cannot do this kind of job without this kind of hazard, it is expected.


“Even at the unit level, some of us experienced this as far back as 1998. But what is important is the circumstances that took me to that place.

"For whatever is the case, we are out to continue the struggle, we have gotten minimum wage but it has not been implemented so we have to press for its implementation as soon as possible. Every other thing that will make the welfare of the Nigerian workers to be worthwhile, we will be involved in it. We will not listen to any distraction.”

Maxwell Okpara, who spoke on behalf of NLC lead counsel, Femi Falana, SAN, said the inclusion of terrorism financing and treason allegations in the summon letter to Ajaero may have been a mistake.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Taoreed Lagbaja on Tuesday said the military will not heed calls for overthrow of democratically elected government to satisfy some interests.

Speaking in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State at the opening ceremony of the COAS Combined 2nd and 3rd Quarters Conference, Lagbaja said the call for military takeover was majorly coming from young Nigerians who never experienced the era of Nigeria’s extensive military rule.

He stressed that the Nigerian Army was not ready to lose the “new prestige” it has painstakingly built in the past 25 years by allowing safe democratic rule.

"The Nigerian Army will not allow itself to be used to undemocratically sail some interests to power. As the Service that received the most image bashing as a fallout of previous military interventions in Nigeria,
the Nigerian Army is not poised to losing the new prestige it has painstakingly built in the past 25 years, secure, and united,” he said.

Lagbaja noted that the Nigerian Army and its sister services have continued to receive support from the government at both the national and sub-national levels as shown in the recent purchase of 2 BELL UH-1 Huey Helicopters equipped with advanced sensors and enablers to conduct a range of missions, including reconnaissance, surveillance, logistics and medical evacuation, among other functions.

He added that welfare of widows and family members of fallen heroes remains on course.

On the fallout of the recent nationwide hunger protest, the Army Chief stated that the situation was an eye opener that as an Armed Force, they should not only focus on physical security and defense of the nation but that food and social security issues can snowball into physical security challenges.

He said though the situation that led to the protest seemed to have settled, the Nigerian Army understands that the issue of food security was among the factors that led to the protest.

The COAS pledged the Army’s resolve to wade in through the review of its agricultural policy.

He further said the Nigerian Army currently provide security cover for farmers in critical farming communities in the North East, North West and North Central zones so as to prevent the devastating consequences of a halt in food production in those regions on the entire country’s food supply chain.

“The Nigerian Army will, in the coming days, review its agricultural policy to better position the Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Limited to significantly boost crop production so that the Army can release grains into the market at highly subsidized rate in support of government efforts.

"Furthermore, the Army Headquarters is reviewing some proposals for partnerships with Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government and reputable private organizations on how best to collaborate to resolve food crisis in the country,” he added.

Lagbaja revealed that the Nigerian Army has acquired other combat enablers such as Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, rifles, and ammunition to strengthen operations and security across the country.

Declaring the event open, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno expressed happiness that the conference was held in Akwa Ibom and commended the COAS for the “purposeful direction he has given to Nigerian Army towards meeting its constitutional responsibility”.

Eno equally assured of the state government’s readiness to lend all necessary support to enable the establishment of the proposed Army base in the state as well as other logistics.

Bola Tinubu will visit the People’s Republic of China in early September.

The visit is expected to enhance economic collaboration and attract investments to Nigeria.

The trip is seen as a strategic move to strengthen bilateral relations between the two nations while pursuing key economic opportunities.

During a briefing at the State House in Abuja, on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, highlighted the importance of the upcoming visit.

Ngelale stated that the President will visit major Chinese companies, including Huawei and the China Rail and Construction Corporation, to accelerate the completion of the Ibadan-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano rail project.

He added that Tinubu will also meet with CEOs of 10 top Chinese corporations, which manage over $3 trillion in assets across sectors such as ICT, oil and gas, aluminum production, seaport development, finance, and satellite technology.

He stated “His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will depart for the People’s Republic of China, most specifically, Beijing, from the nation’s capital within the first week of September, to engage in a series of meetings and activities with immediate and future benefit to the Nigerian economy and the Nigerian people.

"First and foremost, His Excellency, Mr. President, will conduct site visits to two major Chinese corporations; Huawei Technologies, as well as the China Rail and Construction Corporation, (CRCC). This is to achieve one of Mr. President’s top agenda items, which is the completion of the Ibadan to Abuja segment of the Lagos to Kano high-speed rail line.

"Thereafter His Excellency, Mr. President, will meet 10 selected chief executive officers of 10 major Chinese corporations with assets under management totaling over $3 trillion US dollars across multiple sectors of the economy, including information and communications technology, refining oil and gas, aluminum production, seaport construction, harbour construction and dredging services, financial services, satellite technology development, as well as many other critical sectors.”

Ngelale revealed that Tinubu will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which both leaders will sign several Memoranda of Understanding to strengthen bilateral ties.

According to Tinubu’s spokesman, the agreements will target crucial sectors such as the green economy, agriculture, satellite technology, media enterprise development, blue economic initiatives, and national planning collaboration.

He added that the meeting will offer an opportunity for the two presidents to discuss broader issues of mutual interest, including economic partnerships, security at national, regional, and international levels, and other global challenges.

The hunger protests, which rocked the country, especially the northern part, from last Thursday, appears to have lost steam following the police crackdown on the organisers and protesters, many of whom had been detained.

Some of the #EndBadGovernance protest leaders have also gone underground and switched off their phones as the Department of State Services took custody of seven Polish nationals arrested for waving Russian flags during the demonstration in Kano on Tuesday.

DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, confirmed the arrests on Wednesday while explaining that the action was part of routine security enforcement rather than a targeted effort against Polish nationals.

The protest, which gained momentum in major cities such as Kano, Gombe, Yobe, Borno, Niger, Kebbi, Abuja and other northern towns, were marked by escalating violence.

In some instances, security officials’ actions were the catalyst for the violence, while in other cases, it was driven by overzealous protesters or counter-protesters.

A few days ago, media reports and footage showed some #EndBadGovernance protesters carrying Russian flags.

In a national broadcast on Sunday, President Bola Tinubu pleaded with the organisers of the nationwide protest to suspend the action as it had gone violent in some states with the attendant loss of lives and destruction of property.

However, the protests scheduled nationwide between August 1 and 10, 2024, seem to have faltered as the demonstration was not held in Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna, Borno and other states on Wednesday.

The development followed the arrest of 873 protesters by the police, and detention of 30 others for waving the Russian flag during the protest in Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Bauchi states.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, had said the individuals waving the Russian flags committed treason and would therefore, be prosecuted.

The PUNCH reported that four political bigwigs, who hail from Katsina, Kaduna and Kano states, were being investigated for allegedly instigating the use of Russian flags by demonstrators in the north to orchestrate an unconstitutional regime change.

Confirming the probe of the seven Polish nationals, the DSS spokesman, Afunanya, explained that the action was in line with democratic principles and respect for human rights.

Afunanya addressed the Polish Ambassador to Nigeria during a briefing with the Diplomatic Corps in Abuja, on Wednesday.

“Seven persons were picked up from Kano because of where they were found during the protest and display of foreign flag in Kano two days ago.

"As a responsible security organisation, we owe it an obligation to do some verification and ascertain basic reasons and circumstances for some cases.

“They were picked by security enforcement because of where they were when the incident happened. It is not a targeted operation,” the spokesperson stated.

He also issued a plea for international cooperation in maintaining global stability, urging other nations not to allow their citizens to be used as instruments for undermining domestic peace in any country.

Afunanya added, “As the foremost domestic security organisation, we believe we have to work in sync with all of you who are men and county of goodwill.

“Our operations must be governed by democratic principles and protocol that emphasises freedom and human rights and of course intelligence and security governance. We obey all of these, whether we are dealing with Nigerians or foreigners.

“But we have a plea. In the course of discharging of our duty, we also see that some Nigerians definitely would want to use foreign lands as a launch pad to attack domestic peace and stability.

"We plead that you do not offer your country to some persons who may be deviant or have a terrorist inclination in today’s global pursuit; if anything happens in a country, it affects the others. Nigeria is a country with a large population and I believe that the support other countries will give will help us.”

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Economic Community of West African States have called for dialogue to address the tension from the hunger protests.

This is as the international community expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, emphasising their importance for Nigeria’s future prosperity.

Diplomatic Corps

Speaking at a briefing of the Diplomatic Corps in Abuja on Wednesday, the British High Commissioner, Richard Montgomery, and his US counterpart, Amb Richard Mills, stressed the importance of maintaining dialogue and peace-building efforts to address the issues raised by the protesters.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs convened the parley to brief the international community about the protests over the economic hardships in the country.

The diplomats praised the Nigerian administration’s commitment to reform, while also urging continued dialogue to address the citizens’ concerns.

Montgomery commended the security agencies for their restraint in managing the protests, highlighting their avoidance of lethal force.

State Governor, Caleb Muftwang, says the 19 northern governors in Nigeria will kick-start conversations on the explosive birth rate in the region.

He said measures must be put in place to care for the education and welfare of the children being born in the region.

“We are sitting on a time bomb,” Muftwang said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, warning that the lack of infrastructure for human capital development of the youth bulge in the region may escalate banditry and terrorism ubiquitous in the three geopolitical zones of northern Nigeria.

He also said some of the hoodlums who disrupted the “peaceful” #EndBadGovernance protests in the state were external elements from outside the state.

The governor said the elite in the north failed to take responsibility for the young population in the region, allowing some criminally minded persons to control the youth bulge and indoctrinate them into insurgency and banditry.

Muftwang said, “We don’t have an option. At this point, we must take the bull by the horn. I am pretty sure that a lot of the northern elite do not have their children on the streets; they send their children to elite schools locally and internationally.

“If that is the situation, it is not so much about how many children you give birth to, but that we must be able to put measures in place that if you give birth to children, you must take responsibility for those children. It must be a carrot-and-stick strategy that we’ll put in place.

"I don’t want to say this is the maximum number of children you must have. That is a dialogue that is beyond me but I can assure you that from the Forum of Northern Governors, we are going to initiate this dialogue. We are going to make sure we broaden it to a national consultation.

“We must know that religion has a responsibility to society and we must ensure that religion does not become a setback to society. We must then be able to bring religious leaders in tandem with global realities.”

The governor said the government will hold parents accountable for out-of-school children, assuring residents of the state that no willing child will be uneducated by the time he leaves office in 2027.

Muftwang said one of the key ways to fight poverty is agriculture and food security but unfortunately banditry has been a challenge. He said lands must be reclaimed and put to productive use to ensure food security.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adamu Garba has claimed that the same camp used to oust former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 has been activated against President Bola Tinubu in the North.

Garba said they might have succeeded against Jonathan but will fail in winning against Tinubu.

In a post on his X handle on Monday, the APC chieftain said no one will have the capacity to distribute Russian flags all over the North other than persons who already have an established political structure.

He suggested that some unnamed politicians are doing everything possible to undo the current government.

Garba said: “There is no one that will have the capacity to distribute Russian Flags all over the North other than persons who already have an established political structure.

“I cannot imagine a correlation between Russia Flags and the Hunger the protesters are using as a yardstick.

“It seems to be that some politicians are doing everything possible to undo this government.

“We know it wasn’t you who removed to kerosine subsidy, diesel subsidy, it wasn’t even you who removed the current petroleum subsidy, it was the last administration. Yet they blame you for daring to do the right thing. Shame on them

“We know Mr. President, you are a very strong patriotic Nigerian President and you are doing everything possible to see to the success of this country, for this effect, we stand with you wholeheartedly till the very end.

"It may appear that same camp that was used to oust Jonathan, using Sowore and his Sahara reporters as a frontier as same people that activated the anti Tinubu sentiment in the North. They shall fail.

“The only difference is that they may succeed against Jonathan, but they will never succeed in winning against President Tinubu.
God is always with those who genuinely care for Nigeria.”