₦airaland Forum

Ebonyi State Police Command, yesterday arrested two sons of the foremost founding father of Ebonyi state, Late Senator Office Nwali over their alleged refusal to step down for another aspirant in the just concluded APC primaries in the State.

It was gathered that the duo, Barr. Rollins Offia Nwali and his brother Engr Alfred Offia Nwali were arrested on Thursday at Onueke in Ezza South Local Government Area of the State.

Rollins Offia Nwali, is an aspirant in the APC House of Assembly primary election.

He was contesting for Ezza South State Constituency seat before his arrest.

A source alleged that Mr Offia Nwali was arrested for refusing to step down for his opponent in the election.

“He was called severally from Government House to step down but he told them that as the son of one of the founding fathers of the State, the opponent should be the one to step down for him.

“He had received so many threats over the election but he refused to step down preferring to go to the field. They arrested him because they saw that he was going to win as he had a large number following him in the constituency”, the source said

The source further alleged that his supporters, including some of the delegates, were chased out of the election venue.

Elder Brother of the two brothers, Oguzor Offia Nwali confirmed the arrests of the brothers.

He also alleged that the arrest was instigated by the “powers that be” in the state who wanted him out of the way to pave the way for their preferred candidate to win.

“Yes, my two brothers were arrested and we heard they have been taken to the Police Headquarters in Abakaliki”, he said.

The Police spokesperson in the state, Chris Anyanwu could not be reached for comments as his phone lines were switched off at the time of filing this report.

by Olushola Bello


Increased lending by banks to businesses and the economy jacked up interest income in the banking sector, hence, reflecting on the cumulative net profit of N261.991 billion declared by 11 banks during the first quarter (Q1) ended March 31, 2022.

This, according to LEADERSHIP findings, arose as a result of effective funding optimisation and drive for efficiency in the concerned banks.

The banks are; Zenith Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), Access Holdings, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated Plc (ETI), United Bank for Africa (UBA), Fidelity Bank, Jaiz Bank, Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN), Sterling Bank, Unity Bank, and Wema Bank.

According to the results released on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), total net profit released by the financial institutions for the period under review increased by 8.78 per cent from the N240.855 billion posted Q1, 2021 to N261.991 billion in Q1, 2022.

The performance in the first quarter reflects the resilience of banks’ business model. Despite the general turbulence witnessed in the wobbling economy, occasioned by the Russia/Ukraine war, high inflation, heightened insecurity and low investment, the banks still declared an impressive financial performance in the quarter under review.

Capital market analysts said, banks delivered a strong base for growth in Q1, 2022, through effective funding optimisation and drive for efficiency.

Leading in the profit line for the period was Zenith Bank Plc that reported N58.19 billion net profit, a growth of 9.67 per cent. Access Holdings net profit grew by 9.23 per cent to N57.991 billion in Q1, while GTCO declared profit after tax of N43.208 billion, lower than N45.546 billion in Q1, 2021.


Trust Bank, Access Bank and ETI with N49.302 billion, N41.147 billion and N30.587 billion respectively. UBA reported N28.665 billion while Stanbic IBTC profit was N19.150 billion.

UBA achieved a net profit of N41.496 billion as against N38.155 billion in 2021; ETI reported total profit of N38.324 billion as against N30.494 billion in 202; while Fidelity Bank net profit stood at N9.515 billion, lower than N9.590 billion recorded in Q1, 2021.

Meanwhile, Union Bank, Sterling Bank, Wema Bank, Jaiz Bank and Unity Bank posted profit after tax of N5.551 billion, N3.543 billion, N2.856 billion, N1.040 billion and N869.264 million respectively, as against N6.207 billion, N2.395 billion, N1.305 billion, N832.297 million and N721.537 million, respectively in Q1, 2021.

Speaking on the Bank’s performance, the Group managing director/chief executive officer, UBA, Mr Kennedy Uzoka, explained that, despite the myriad of economic challenges on the global front which shaped the first three months of the year, the bank’s business model continued to show resilience.

These challenges among others, he noted, include the ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine that has resulted in a huge supply shock, pushing up commodity prices; and the hike in the interest rates in most advanced countries aimed at tackling spiraling inflation, sparking capital flow reversal from emerging and frontier markets.

Moreover, the CEO of GTCO, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said: “our first quarter results show a decent improvement across key revenue lines as well as other financial metrics, which demonstrates our ability to effectively navigate the evolving business landscape anchored on our strong business fundamentals.

“With this performance, we are optimistic about the rest of 2022 as we rapidly consolidate the gains of our new holding company structure to deliver superior stakeholder value.”

The chief executive officer, Ecobank Group, Ade Ayeyemi stated that the performance was achieved in a difficult operating environment characterised by the strengthening of the US dollar against local operating currencies, high inflation, high interest rates and tight labour markets across Africa as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continued to take its toll.

“Despite these challenges, we continued to support our customers effectively, which paid off as our businesses grew their revenues and profits. These were driven by trade, cash management, FICC and payments, while we also achieved modest loan growth with support from higher interest rates,” he said.

Assessing the performance, the managing director, ARM Securities Limited, Mr. Rotimi Olubi said:, “Interest income has been a major driver of earnings across all banks. We have seen a significant increase in banks interest income due to rise in loans from customers and institutions.”

He noted that there was increase in banks gross earnings across all banks as a result of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chief operating officer, InvestData Limited, Mr. Ambrose Omordion said the Q1 2022 is a reflection of economic recovery in Nigeria post COVID-19.

According to him, the performance showed the local economy is not doing bad in the Q1, 2022 as projected by the world bank. Banks been the cash flow of the economy have performed beyond expectations.

Speaking from a shareholder’s perspective, chairman of the Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Boniface Okezie, noted that, Nigerian banks have proven to be resilient in growing profits and savings from customers despite domestic and global challenges.

“It is a good thing that Nigerian banks are still resilient and are doing very well despite economy challenges. The resilient is what investors are seeing in our banks and are taking position. The Q1, 2022 performance is encouraging and with the growth, shareholders are expecting higher dividend in 2022 full year,” he pointed out.

Yamleg:
The rates at which workers are now getting sacked at my place of work is alarming. I can't afford to lose my job due to sleeping on duty.

Guys, kindly state things you do to stay awake all through the night.
I look forward to your replies.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have surrounded the private residence of a former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, Daily Trust has learnt.

The house is located at No 3, Nyasa Close, Off Ontario Street.

Our correspondent, who is currently at the residence, also observed the presence of armed personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.

A source at the anti-graft agency said on Tuesday that Okorocha has been snubbing several invitations extended to him over alleged corruption against him.

The spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, has yet to respond to several phone calls by our correspondent.

Facts have emerged showing why embattled Accountant General of the Federation who is currently a guest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stayed in office after he served out his term as AGF and also attained the retirement age of 60 years.

The Nation was told that “he retired from service in 2021 as a civil servant but was reappointed as a political appointee”.

An official at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) confirmed that Ahmed Idris’ reappointment letter was signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) thus making him a political appointee.

According to the official, Ahmed Idris served out his term as Accountant General after completing five years in office. The letter appointing him as Accountant General the first time was signed by the Head of Service but the one reappointing him was signed by the SGF.

The official stated the letter reappointing Ahmed Idris as AGF had the blessing of President Muhammadu Buhari.

An Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) is usually appointed to the position from the ranks of Directors of Finance and Administration after successfully scaling three examinations ICT, Civil Service Procedures and General Knowledge.

Ahmed Idris is considered to be the first to transition from a civil service AGF to a political appointee.

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has urged the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, to switch from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in his race to become the next president of the country.

Ortom, who received Fayemi at the Government House in Makurdi on Saturday during the latter’s visit to canvass support for his presidential ambition, said he was working for the emergence of a southern president.

He urged Fayemi to pursue his ambition with vigour, stating that he and ex-Governor Gabriel Suswam, who was also present during the visit, would have worked for him if he were in PDP.

He said, “If they mess you up in APC, come to PDP and join us so we can prosecute Nigerians’ agenda.

“Some of us have made our positions very clear. We are from the north but believe in a southern presidency because we believe in fairness, equity and justice. Yet, if my party says it’s a northern candidate, I would have no choice but to succumb.

“But the truth must be told, the presidency, for some of us who have a conscience, believes that it should go to the south. But if the leadership and delegates decide that it should go to the north, that’s not going to be a problem, then we can queue up and work together. Because we must have leadership, that’s why myself and Senator Suswam believe in the south and we are working for a southern presidency.

“Just like you came here, if we are in APC, we would have been working for you because we know that you have the capacity, knowledge and education to help us out of the problem we are today as a country.”

Earlier, the presidential hopeful said he was at the Government House to pay a courtesy call on Governor Ortom while on the visit to meet with APC delegates in the state.

Fayemi said the visit was to fulfil the tradition of the Nigerian Governorship Forum (NGF) as its chairman, irrespective of the political party differences.

The US-based scholar said the suspended AGF should be prosecuted



United States-based Nigerian social critic, Prof Farooq Kperogi, has reacted to the alleged theft of N80billion by the suspended Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had recently nabbed Idris for allegedly stealing and using proxies to obtain prime properties located in Kano, Lagos, Abuja, Dubai, United Arab Emirates and London, United Kingdom, at the expense of Nigeria.

In his latest column, Kperogi argued that Idris’ action also amounted to blasphemy against Nigeria as well as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which had been on strike for months.

The US-based scholar said the suspended AGF should be prosecuted, citing the recent outrage that trailed the death of Deborah, the student Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto who was killed by a mob over alleged blasphemy.

He said, “I am intentionally appropriating, and extending the semantic boundaries of, the term “blasphemy” for this piece because it seems to be the only term that inflames enough passions to get Nigerians to talk, listen, or act.

"Alhaji Ahmed Idris, the suspended Accountant General of the Federation, has “blasphemed” the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nigeria, and even decency with his stratospheric pillaging of the nation’s resources. One of the consequences of his theft is the closure of our public universities.

"He should be “beaten,” “stoned,” and “burned” with speedy prosecutorial vengeance to avenge his blasphemy. If blasphemy is “the act of depriving something of its sacred character,” Idris has more than stripped our public universities of their “sacredness” by being partly responsible for the ongoing strike by ASUU, which has put the futures of our youth on hold.

"Idris was arrested last Sunday by officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for stealing at least 80 billion naira. The Punch of May 19 also reported the EFCC as saying that Idris used proxies to obtain prime properties “located in Kano, Lagos, Abuja, Dubai and London” at the expense of Nigeria.

"While it’s heartening that the EFCC has finally arrested and detained him for the staggeringly monumental fraud he’s been perpetrating for years, it was ASUU that first called attention to the questionable source of his wealth when no one cared.

"Prof Lawan Abubakar, who coordinates the Bauchi Zone of ASUU, issued a statement on behalf of ASUU last year in which he called attention to Idris’ unexplained wealth and grasping acquisitiveness.

“We would want Gentlemen of the Press to assist us in the conduct of two Investigations,” he said. “The first is to uncover who bought the version of the Sokoto Hotel in Kano with a whopping sum of N500million cash down and demolished it the next day for ongoing development of a multi-billion-naira shopping mall.

“How and where did he get money for such investment? The second assignment is to assist uncover who is hiding to invest multi-billion naira in the Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange. How and where did he get money for such investment?”

"It turns out that Idris actually got the bulk of his ill-gotten wealth on the back of the despair and agony of university lecturers. He blatantly stole lecturers’ salaries through the fraudulent Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), which ironically bills itself as a safeguard against fraud.

"Idris made N16,000 for every university lecturer who enrolled in IPPIS. The IPPIS also indiscriminately and inexplicably deducted thousands of naira from the salaries and allowances of lecturers every month.

"Just days after his arrest, many friends told me, they started getting bank alerts notifying them of the payment of backlogs of unpaid allowances— and possibly payments from the reversal of illegal deductions.

"So, the IPPIS is basically designed as a conduit to siphon the legitimate earnings of university teachers and other public sector employees, and Idris milked it for what it was worth. How can one person be that monumentally avaricious and unfeeling? How can one person visit so much anguish on so many people for so long without consequences—until now?

"Freedom from the torment of the IPPIS is one of the reasons ASUU is on strike—and why our children are mindlessly vegetating at home and wriggling in emotional pain. That’s secular blasphemy (if you would forgive the counterintuitive terminological paradox) worthy of the toughest “red lines”— if we care about the future of Nigeria.”

"Finally, I wish someone would indoctrinate Nigerians to be as angry, touchy, intolerant, and pushed to draw “red lines” over injustice, misgovernance, elite cruelty, etc. as some people in the Muslim North are over “blasphemy.”

"Leaders would always be on their game, on their guard, and on their best behaviour. And Nigeria would be one of the best places to live on earth."

By Ahmed Ali
The students of Kaduna State College of Education (KSCOE), Gidan Waya, who were abducted three days ago, have regained freedom.

Daily Trust had reported how the students – Racheal Edwin, Esther Ishaya, Promise Tanimu, and Beauty Luka, were abducted in Jemaá Local Government area of the state.

The kidnappers had demanded a huge ransom, according to Comrade Benjamin Fie, President of the Students Union in the school.

“The abductors are already demanding a huge ransom for their release. We want to use this medium to urge the college community and all the students to commit themselves, the school and their parents to prayers,” he had said.

But on Saturday, he told Daily Trust that their abductors released them on Friday.

Fie did not disclose if any ransom was paid. He only said they were rushed to Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Memorial Hospital in Kafanchan for medical checkup after which they were reunited with their relatives.

Indications have emerged to suggest that President Muhammadu Buhari will unveil his preferred candidate ahead of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC’s) Special National Convention scheduled for next Saturday. This is coming just as it also emerged that the race for the ticket of the APC appears to have narrowed down to three aspirants as the gladiators begin a last minute push in what observers have described as a week of long knives.

Sources close to the Presidency told Saturday Telegraph on Friday that President Buhari “Will unveil his preferred presidential candidate to party leaders and other stakeholders of the APC in a few days to the convention.” Another party source told our correspondent that the race for the ticket has been narrowed down to three leading contenders based on the support base that they have garnered in recent weeks. He listed the front runners to include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi and the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, adding that “the fourth person is the preferred candidate of President Buhari whose identity he is still keeping to his (President Buhari’s) chest for strategic reasons.” “These aspirants are leveraging on their well-established support base of caucuses within the party to snatch the top prize from one another,” the party source who pleaded not to be mentioned added.

Asked to state the basis for arriving at the top three, the source stated that of the lot who obtained the party’s nomination forms, the trio and Buhari’s candidate have the requisite political platforms to successfully challenge for the party’s ticket. According to him, “Osinbajo seems to enjoy support of the bulk of membership of the ACN caucus as well as some governors outside his South West traditional catchment area, especially in the North Central, South South and South East who would mobilise their delegates for him.” He (the source) added that Amaechi is enjoying the backing of members of the old Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the party who are said to be working assiduously for his emergence at the convention.

“Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, is banking on the solid support of his former allies in the PDP who are prominent in the management of the party and that support is solid for him,” the source told our correspondent. On his part, Lawan is relying on the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) and the old All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) blocs in the APC to actualise his ambition that many initially didn’t view as serious. The source added that “Apart from the support that the Senate President is getting from the CPC and ANPP blocs in the party, prominent members of the Aso Rock power brokers are also backing his bid and they are making things happen for him since they have the ears of the president.” According to him, the fourth contender is the preferred candidate of President Buhari who is expected to be unveiled before the convention.

“The president is expected to unveil his candidate before the end of next week to party stakeholders and I can tell you that,” the source said but added that the identity of the lucky aspirant who enjoys the goodwill of the retired General remains unknown. “Only the President knows the person he wants to support. Maybe very few people in his office or very close associates can tell who that person is but no one knows for now until the President himself tells us who the person is,” the source said.

Controversies are trailing the moves by 17 outgoing governors to install their successors ahead of the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Daily Trust reports.

Reports from the affected states revealed that the moves by the governors to force their anointed candidates on their parties have caused discontent in both APC and PDP in the states.

No fewer than 201 aspirants have picked the forms of the ruling party to contest its governorship primaries, which was yesterday rescheduled to Thursday, May 26.

For PDP, 145 contenders have purchased the forms to participate in the governorship primaries scheduled for Wednesday, May 25.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would conduct the governorship election in 2023 for 29 of the 36 states of the federation. The remaining seven states are now off-circle elections.

Cutting across the two parties, the governors, Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ben Ayade (Cross River), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa) and Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), have raised tension in their bids to clear the coast for the emergence of their preferred candidates as flag bearers of their parties.

Other second term governors enmeshed in the battle to install their successors include Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano), Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto) and Darius Ishaku (Taraba).

Unlike the 17 governors, 11 governors who are in their first term including Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq (Kwara), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara) are scheming to retain their seats beyond May 29, 2023.

El-Rufai’s Uba Sani

El-Rufai may have steered the hornet nest by his recent decision to endorse Senator Uba Sani (APC, Kaduna Central) as his preferred candidate for the state governorship election.

El-Rufai’s decision though not entirely surprising, came after other aspirants had expended resources to purchase the N50m governorship form in a bid to replace him at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House.

Pundits within the APC in Kaduna say though the governor was still in control of the party, his decision had caused some ripples.

A former member of the House of Representatives and gubernatorial aspirant of the APC, Alhaji Sani Mahmud Sha’aban, described the governor’s action as an abuse of democracy.

Sha’aban, whose son Turad is married to President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter, Hannan, said he was the first to purchase the form and expressed optimism that the president and the national leadership of the party will not accept dictatorship.

Unending uproar over Ortom’s Uba

In Benue State, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Titus Uba, has been anointed by Governor Samuel Ortom to succeed him in office. It is believed that Uba was not the initial candidate of the governor, even though they had a cordial relationship.

Ortom was, however, said to have keyed into the idea of Uba allegedly sold to him by the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu and has since mandated his aides to queue behind his favoured candidate or be fired.

The preference for Uba has caused no small disaffection among other aspirants as well as some supporters of the PDP in the state.

Some of the aspirants have embraced the governor’s anointed candidate while others are too fearful to react against Uba’s emergence but there are few who have left the party on account of the development or waiting to contest the primaries.

Crack in Akwa Ibom

It is a similar scenario in Akwa Ibom State as the PDP has been polarised over the governor’s decision to endorse Pastor Umo Eno as his successor.

Governor Udom Emmanuel said he chose Umo Eno as his successor on the conviction that he would continue with his developmental strides in the state, describing him as “A highly respected person with enormous capacity”.

However, other aspirants from Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District who the 2023 governorship zoning arrangement favour insisted that as bonafide members of the party, they have the right to vote and be voted for.

One of them, Senator Bassey Akpan, who is the Senate Committee Chairman on Petroleum (Upstream), has alleged that Governor Emmanuel had an unwritten arrangement to hand over power to him as governor in 2023.

Umahi’s Nwifuru fuels crisis in Ebonyi

The anointed candidate of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State for 2023 elections is the Speaker of the state house of assembly, Francis Nwifuru.

However, the endorsement has caused a serious division not only between the blocks of old and new APC members in the state but among the Izzi clan where the speaker hails from.

Daily Trust learnt the old members who felt that they were edged out have petitioned the national leadership of the ruling party, seeking for their prompt intervention.

Gawuna’s selection in Kano tears APC apart

In Kano, issues associated with the endorsement of the Deputy Governor, Nasir Gawuna for the gubernatorial ticket of APC by the Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led party stakeholders, have led to the exit of many stalwarts of the party including a former Governor of the state, Ibrahim Shekarau.

With Shekarau joining Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in NNPP, the political equation in the state has been altered. NNPP is gaining ground in the commercial centre of the country amid fears that anything can happen in 2023.

Many members of the state house of assembly have dumped the APC and the hitherto leading opposition PDP in the state.

While Ganduje had made many concessions including dumping his senatorial ambition, it is too early to hazard a guess where the pendulum would swing in the state in 2023.

Anxiety as loyalists await Badaru’s endorsement

In Jigawa State, the apparent lack of clear direction from the Governor, Muhammad Badaru, who is statutorily the leader of the party in the state, on who succeeds him at the end of his tenure in 2023 has created anxiety among party supporters.

Daily Trust gathered that the peace of the graveyard was accentuated by the governor’s repeated previous public assurances of non-interference in the selection process of who succeeds him.

At least, nine persons have so far picked and returned the governorship nomination and expression of interest forms in the party. Three of the nine are from Hadejia zone; two from Birnin Kudu, one from Dutse Jigawa Central Senatorial District; one from Kazaure and one person from Gumel.

Malami’s withdrawal paves way for Idris

In Kebbi, the Deputy President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Nasiru Idris, appeared to be the most favoured candidate in the APC.

The sudden withdrawal of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami from the governorship race seemed to have paved the way for Idris to be the anointed candidate as there are indications that the governor has thrown his weight behind him.

The Senate leader, Dr Yahaya Abdullahi and Abubakar Garry Malami, are two other contestants that Idris would likely slug it out with them. A former governor of the state, Senator Adamu Aliero is said to be the chief promoter of the senate leader.

Ayade, Wike, Bello keep aspirants, others guessing

The governors of Cross River, Rivers and Niger States are keeping aspirants and other stakeholders guessing days to their parties’ primaries.

There is no clear indication that Governor Ben Ayade has pin-pointed any one of the 17 aspirants yet as his possible successor. Four of the aspirants have reportedly been shortlisted by former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba’s committee set up by APC in the state.

In Niger State, Daily Trust gathered that the Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello has no preferred successor as multiple sources close to the governor and key contenders told our correspondent that he had already informed the aspirants that he would not interfere in the choice of the masses.

However, some of the contenders said it is too good to be true considering that no governor will take the risk of not playing a key role in deciding who succeeds him.

Suspicion in Rivers

The issue of who is the endorsed candidate of Governor Nyesom Wike for the 2023 governorship election in Rivers State has raised tension among the stakeholders of PDP in the state.

All but one of the 17 candidates who bought their expression of interest and nomination forms scaled through the screening.

Only Dr Farah Dagogo, the member representing the Bonny/Degema federal constituency in the House of Representatives was not cleared because he did not present himself for the screening.

The lawmaker reportedly went to the South-South PDP secretariat, the venue of the screening to participate in the exercise but was arrested by the police because he was declared wanted by Wike, for allegedly hiring cultists to disrupt the state and National Assembly candidates’ screening held a day earlier.

While some said Wike was threatened by the profile of the lawmaker, others said nobody can tell who his preferred candidate among the 16 cleared is.

It’s a direct assault on democracy – Kari

Commenting on the development, an associate Professor of Political Sociology, University of Abuja, Dr Abubakar Umar Kari, said the so-called endorsement by some governors constitutes a direct assault on democracy and negates the principle of choice, which is one of the pillars upon which the very edifice of democracy rests.

“Only the people or, in the instant case, party members, have the right to decide who should be a candidate for election in accordance with the extant rules (the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 and the constitutions of the parties).

“It’s quite unfortunate that governors have appropriated and arrogated to themselves the power to decide who should vie for what position in the parties. This is tantamount to governors placing themselves over and above the people – this is antithetical to democratic norms and best practices,” he said.

On his part, Barrister Abdullahi Yusuf said the governors were being “clever by half.”

He said “Those of them who endorsed their favourites think they would continue to have their way in the affairs of their state and this is a gross error considering previous contraptions in many states.

“And for those who are playing to the gallery, they are actually confused and this is most likely because they promised many people and they are finding it difficult to choose one,” he said.

“Above all, Nigerians should be allowed to choose the best candidates even though I have a feeling that some of the upcoming political parties would launch surprises if they play their games very well because Nigerians are looking for alternatives,” he added.

A 25-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Bright Martins Ekong, has decided to use his 10-month allowance to pay the school fees of one 12-year-old Sokari Wealth from JSS 1 to SSS3.

Ekong, from Akwa Ibom State and graduate of chemistry from the University of Calabar (Unical), said he surrendered his allowance as a way of giving back to society as his pet project.

He explained that the family of the girl had been facing difficulties since their father’s death.

Wealth is a pupil of Community Secondary School, Bukuma village in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State where Ekong is serving.

He said, “Sokari is brilliant, there is need to encourage her because she has lost her father and the mother cannot afford to pay. It is risky to allow such a talent to waste.”

The corps member called on the government to make funding of schools and educational development in the country a priority.

The mother of the beneficiary, Madam Sokari, thanked Ekong for the gesture.

She said, “Even though my children and I have been struggling to survive since my husband’s death, I never expected help to come from someone I had never met. This scholarship is a big relief for me. It has come when it is most needed.”

TEN days to the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), there are signs that some leaders of the party from the states in the southern part of the country have initiated fresh moves to forge a united front. 

The initiative is said to be part of some pragmatic moves to ensure that an aspirant from one of the three zones in the South gets a PDP ticket. 

The other option said to be on the card of the leaders is that in the event of the ticket not coming to the South, whoever would be PDP candidate should be a northerne5r with ‘strong roots in the South.’ 

The talks are being held by key PDP politicians from the South-South South-East and the South-West, who felt it was imperative to have a Plan B, because the party leadership resolved to throw the race open instead of explicitly zoning the ticket to the South. 

It was gathered that the PDP leaders from the South are determined to rally delegates from areas to vote only for either a particular southern aspirant or, in the alternative, adopt a northern candidate who is not from the far North. 

“The strategy of the southern PDP leaders behind the efforts is to ensure that the outcome of the PDP presidential primary produces a win-win situation for the South, irrespective of where the candidates come from,” a source said. 

A prominent politician from the South who is involved in the ongoing plan said the region is resolved to influence the choice of whoever will emerge as the standard-bearer of the main opposition party at the primary. 

“We will work to ensure the South decides who the presidential candidate is, even if he is not from our zone. Southern delegates may come together and choose a northern candidate who has strong roots in the South. 

“He must be somebody who has a close affinity and filial relationship with us. He must be somebody who understands the challenges facing the South and can run a government that is based on equity, justice and inclusiveness, and knows what it is to suffer injustice or the pains of the minority. 

“It is the reason why we will not support aspirants from the far-North. We will rather support aspirants whose zone has not produced any of the two positions in the Presidency of Nigeria. An ideal candidate for the PDP is somebody from either the South or the northern minority,” the source stated. 

The leaders are of the view that the South occupies a strategic place within the PDP, hence the party could not afford to discountenance the wishes of the three zones in the South. 

“It is the only way we can show that without having a southern candidate, we can have a president who believes he owes the South and that the support of the southern delegates is instrumental to his victory. That means if the South plays its card well, it can produce a southern candidate from the North,” the source added.

Kingsley Nwezeh

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bauchi Zone, had last year, queried the source of wealth of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris.

Idris, who was arrested by EFCC on Sunday in Kano and flown to Abuja on Monday, is presently undergoing interrogation by investigators of the anti-graft agency.

The union had asked Idris to explain how he acquired some multi-billion naira properties in Kano State.

ASUU’s Bauchi Zone Coordinator, Prof. Lawan Abubakar, in a statement, sought the AGF’s explanation regarding his source of wealth and how he bought Sokoto Hotel in Kano at the sum of N500 million and ordered for its immediate demolition to build a multi-billion naira shopping mall.

The union, which then confirmed that the project was ongoing, reportedly asked the AGF to account for the money he used in acquiring multi-billion naira Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange.

“We would want Gentlemen of the Press to assist us in the conduct of two Investigations.The first is to uncover who bought the version of the Sokoto Hotel in Kano with a whooping sum of N500 million cash down and demolished it the next day for an on-going development of a multi-billion naira shopping mall.

“How and where did he get money for such investment? The second assignment is to assist uncover who is hiding to invest multi-billion naira in the Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange. How and where did he get money for such investment?”, they had asked.

On the ongoing strike, Mr Abubakar blamed the AGF and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, for impeding resolution of the industrial action.

According to the union, the duo had “continued to throw spanners in the wheel of progress of the concerted efforts, aimed at amicable resolution of its disagreement with federal government.”

He also alleged that the AGF insisted on Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, in order to gain N16,000 per enrollment of each of the academic staff of universities on the salary payment platform.

“While the Minister of Labour and Employment, has continued to exhibit all manners of antics and insisting that government does not have the money to responsibly educate its citizens, the AGF has continued to greedily and selfishly count on the gains of N16,000 per enrollment of each academic staff he would have made

“Thereby insisting that ASUU members be enrolled on the only payment platform he has now, Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS,” said the coordinator.

Ukraine President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has declared that victory could be near for his country as Russia has become bankrupt.

Zelenskyy said this on Sunday night during an address that he was beginning to see a potential avenue to victory but that they would not let up in their struggle with the Russian military or in seeking international support to cripple Russia economically.

"The occupiers still do not want to admit that they are in a dead end and their so-called 'special operation' has already gone bankrupt," he said.

"But the moment will surely come when the Ukrainian people will force the invaders to fully recognise reality."

"This week, as always, there will be a lot of international activity in which I will take part," the Ukrainian president continued.

"The key is weapons and financial support for Ukraine. Finances not only to maintain stability now, but also to begin rebuilding what Russia has ruined."

He said Ukraine is also focused on securing an oil embargo against Russia, as Kyiv continues to urge countries to find energy elsewhere.

"We are also working to strengthen sanctions on Russia. Partners need to make decisions that limit Russia's ties to the world every week. The occupiers must feel the rising cost of war for them; feel it constantly," Zelenskyy said.

He added, "No matter how hard Moscow tries to disrupt this decision, the time of Europe's dependence on Russian energy resources is coming to an end. And that can’t be changed.

By Wale Odunsi


Russia has reacted angrily to the plans by Finland and Sweden to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The intergovernmental military alliance already has 30 member states – 28 in Europe, the United States, and Canada.

On Monday, Moscow warned that the admission of the two countries would be a grave mistake.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said there will be far-reaching consequences.

Ryabkov added that military tensions with the two Scandinavian nations would increase.

“They should have no illusions that we will simply resign ourselves to this”, Interfax news agency quoted him saying.

In a chat with Finnish Head of State Sauli Niinistö, President Vladimir Putin said his country would be making an error.

More European countries are seeking NATO membership due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

By Bisi Abidoye and Bakare Majeed


Two weeks to the nomination of presidential candidates for the 2023 General Election, 40 aspirants remain in the races for the tickets of the two dominant parties in Nigeria.

Twenty-five of the aspirants submitted the expression of interest and nomination forms they bought for N100 million from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the close of the submission of the forms Friday night.

However, the forms purchased in the names of former President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, were not returned. Also, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, announced his withdrawal from the race hours after President Muhammadu Buhari presided over a valedictory session for him and nine other ministers who had bought forms to participate in the APC primaries for different offices.

The APC began the screening of aspirants to all the other offices in Abuja on Saturday but announced May 23 for the 25 presidential hopefuls.

The aspirants, who will slug it out for the APC flag at the two-day national convention of the party at the end of May, if they pass the screening and do not step down from the race, are a national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former Minister of Niger Delta Development, Godswill Akpabio; former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu, former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and former Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun.

Others are a pastor, Tunde Bakare; Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade; his Ebonyi State counterpart, Dave Umahi; Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; Minister of State, Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello; Jigawa State governor, Mohammed Badaru, and former Zamfara State governor, Ahmed Yerima.

Also on the list are a senator, Ajayi Borroffice; the only female aspirant, Uju Ohnenye; a pastor, Nicholas Nwagbo; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; Senate President Ahmad Lawan; AfBD Managing Director, Akinwumi Adesina; former Minister of State, Petroleum, Timipre Sylva; former Minister of Information, Ikeobasi Mokelu and businessman Tein Jack-Rich.


PDP’s Aspirants

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) concluded its screening of the aspirants who paid N40 million for its presidential nomination forms two weeks ago. Two of the aspirants were disqualified but the party is yet to officially disclose their identities.

The 17 who stood for the screening are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal; former Senate President Pius Anyim.

Others included former Minister of Federal Capital Territory and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed; former Minister of State for Education and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel; 2019 PDP vice presidential candidate and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi; former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose; United States-based medical doctor, Nwachukwu Anakwenze, and media mogul, Dele Momodu.

Also in the race are an investment banker and economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen; a pharmacist, Sam Ohuabunwa; former Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Cosmos Ndukwe; Charles Ugwu; and the only female aspirant in the race, Tareila Diana.


Jonathan, Emefiele no show

It turned out to be much ado about nothing. For a few weeks, former President Goodluck Jonathan was the star attraction in the APC presidential race, even though he is a member of the rival PDP and has not been active in partisan politics since his reelection loss in 2015.

The odd development followed rumours that some power brokers or “Aso Rock cabal” had offered him the ticket. Their motivation for the gift was reported to be the fact that the former president can only do one more term of four years, having been previously elected to the office in 2011.

According to the grapevine, the governor of Yobe State, Mai Buni, who at the time was the interim national chairman of the APC, had approached Mr Jonathan and urged him to run for president again on the ticket of the ruling party. A report on April 23 by the Punch stated that the former president gave a condition for accepting the offer: that his candidature should be endorsed by President Buhari – meaning in plain language that he should be pronounced the consensus candidate of the party. Mr Buni was said to have fancied himself as the running mate to Mr Jonathan and the potential beneficiary when his term runs out in 2027.

The rumours continued even after Mr Buni reluctantly ended his tenure as interim chairman, but remained outlandish until April when Mr Jonathan welcomed a group to his office in Abuja which had come to demand that he ran for the APC ticket.

Last week, a group dropped a N100 million cheque to pick the APC nomination forms for Mr Jonathan. But he immediately denied any connection to the group in a statement by his media aide.

However, he did not deny interest in running in the 2023 presidential election with the APC. According to an associate of his, the former president was only uncomfortable with being numbered among the crowd of aspirants in the party.

Eventually, the form obtained in the name of Mr Jonathan was one of the few not returned to the APC. And so, the former president will not be the APC flag bearer next year – to the relief of his supporters and the other aspirants who had dreaded the unfair advantage he was asking for.


Emefiele too

The CBN governor was involved in a similar drama to Mr Jonathan’s. His office does not anticipate he would dabble in partisan politics. But a group also picked the APC forms in his name, following which he too dissociated himself from the group. But while he was doing so, he made it clear that he may run, and a few days later went to court to affirm his right to do so while still being the CBN governor.

On Thursday, he was summoned to the presidential villa. It was not explained what he heard from the president, but after the meeting, a seemingly disoriented Mr Emefiele made shocking remarks to State House correspondents in which he said he was having fun over the excitement about his political intention, even if the matter was giving his compatriots a heart attack.

On Friday, Mr Emefiele did not return his forms, thus ending his prospect of picking the APC ticket, at least for next year’s election. But he will likely continue to face calls for him to stand down from an office many said he has denigrated by his controversial involvement in partisan politics.


No zoning

The two parties have thrown their races open, to the consternation of southern and middle belt groups which had been demanding that the South produce the next president. The PDP formally jettisoned zoning and has five northerners among its aspirants.

On its part, the APC has not taken a formal position on the issue. However, four northerners are among the aspirants who filed their nomination forms – the Senate President, governors of Kogi and Jigawa, and a former Zamfara State governor.

But while the northerners are mostly considered the top contenders for the PDP ticket, they do not yet enjoy the same status in the APC on which platform Mr Buhari is concluding his eight-year tenure next year.

However, some analysts think this could change if the PDP ticket goes to the North. It, however, remains to be seen who among the northern quartet in the APC has the clout to match his putative PDP rival for northern votes.


Buhari’s ambush tactics

President Buhari, a retired general, is very much familiar with the military ambush tactics, and it appears that he likes using them in dealing with his political party, the APC.

Whenever there is a crisis in the party, the president keeps everyone guessing before striking unexpectedly. The same strategy was used during the turbulent tenure of Adams Oshiomhole when he had the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party dissolved and had it replaced with a caretaker committee with Yobe governor Mai Mala Buni at the head.

The president deployed the same surprise move earlier this year when he ordered the Governor of Niger State, Sani Bello, to take over from Mr Buni. But in another twist, the president made a U-turn and allowed the Yobe State governor to remain on the party chair, after being advised that sacking the Yobe governor could take the party into conflict with the Electoral Act.

The president did a similar thing in the build-up to the National Convention that brought in the current National Working Committee. Many national chairmanship aspirants bought the N20 million form to contest and campaigned vigorously for months across the country, only for the president to ambush them hours before the convention and endorse Abdulahi Adamu for the position.

On Wednesday, Mr Buhari struck again by directing all his appointees aspiring for elective offices in the 2023 elections to resign on or before May 16.

This wait and pounce strategy best describes this week in the APC presidential race.

On Monday, Nigerians had woken up to hear that the Governor of the Central Bank was indeed interested in running for president as had been speculated. Mr Emefiele instructed his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, to file a case at the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking the court to issue an interim order stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Attorney General of the Federation from disqualifying him from running for president while still being the CBN governor.

The judge did not grant the interim order but instead ordered that INEC and the AGF be served to state their case in court on why the order should not be granted. The action of Mr Emefiele cleared all doubts that the groups that brought the N100 million nomination form and procured dozens of branded vehicles for his presidential campaign in the colours of the APC did so at his behest.

It emerged from the court case that Mr Emefiele had been a card-carrying member of the ruling party since 2021.

Jiti Ogunye, a constitutional lawyer, in an analysis published by PREMIUM TIMES, said Mr Emefiele’s participation in partisan politics violates the constitution, the CBN Act and public service rule.

“The CBN Act does not contemplate, let alone tolerate or accommodate, a CBN governor, who is obligated by law to devote all his time while in office to the pursuit of the mandate of the CBN, being a registered member of any political party in Nigeria, and certainly does not accept a CBN Governor running for a legislative or executive political office during his term of office as CBN Governor,” Mr Ogunye had argued.

More so, Mr Emefiele’s political affiliation presented another challenge for INEC, as it raised concerns about the security of the sensitive material that it usually keeps in CBN vaults.

Until the last hours, the presidency was as quiet as a cemetery on the matter. Mr Buhari ignored the clamour for the removal of Mr Emefiele, while his other appointees continued to buy forms to participate in APC primaries. 10 ministers bought the forms but chose to remain in office despite the provisions of section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act.

Six of them, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipriye Sylva, and the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, all procured the N100 million nomination forms.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and the Minister of State for Mines and Steel, Uche Ogah, bought governorship forms of Kebbi and Abia states respectively. Also, the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, and the Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Tayo Alasoadura, are gunning for senatorial seats in Plateau and Ondo states respectively.

Only Mr Nwajiuba tendered a resignation letter, dated April 28, to enable him to face his campaign.

In his usual style, Mr Buhari did not utter a word, until Wednesday during the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, briefing journalists later, said the president had ordered all appointees to resign on or before May 16.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, later issued a circular to that effect.

Coincidentally, the decision of the president followed the verdict of the Court of Appeal on the contentious section 84(12) of the Electoral Act. The Appeal Court had dismissed the case because the applicant had no legal basis to institute the suit, although the court declared the section to be unconstitutional.

After the presidential announcement, Messrs Akpabio and Onu announced they had tendered their resignation letters.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the directive of the president was giving some of the aspirants cold feet on their ambition. After much dilly-dallying, the AGF announced his withdrawal from the Kebbi race.

This strategy of an ambush will be giving the presidential aspirants sleepless nights, as Mr Buhari continues to keep mum on the call for a consensus candidate.


Tinubu’s man in Kano teams up with Kwankwaso

Controversial ex-lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has decamped from the ruling APC and joined his former boss, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Mr Jibrin, until he moved, was the Director-General of Tinubu Support Group, which is campaigning for the presidential bid of the former Lagos governor.

The growing strength of the NNPP is forcing pundits to review their predictions for the 2023 general election in Kano State. The state had consistently produced the largest votes in past elections for the APC. But with Mr Kwankwaso as its presidential candidate, NNPP is being tipped to affect the calculations of the two major parties in Kano.

The K4 states (Kano, Katsina, Kaduna and Kebbi) delivered the margins that delivered the 2015 and 2019 elections to the APC. Even though the party, through Governor Guanduje, remains in control, the 2019 governorship elections showed that Mr Kwankwaso is a formidable force in the state. The APC won the 2019 governorship election by 8,982 votes. To complicate the situation, Mr Buhari, who won the state by over a million votes in 2019, will not be on the ballot in 2023.

The NNPP has been on a recruitment drive in the state, enjoying defections from the ruling party and the PDP.

Mr Tinubu last week tried to reconcile Messrs Jibrin and Ganduje, but the effort failed. The state will probably be a three-horse race in the presidential election for the APC, PDP and NNPP.


Lawan in the race

On Monday, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, officially joined the presidential race, bringing the number of aspirants from the north in the APC to four. The others are a former Governor of Zamfara State, Sani Yerima, and the governors of Kogi and Jigawa states, Yahaya Bello and Abubakar Badaru, respectively.

Mr Lawan’s aspiration got a big endorsement from the Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu.

“In the absence of a South Easterner being president of Nigeria in 2023, I have my full support for a North Easterner. This is because it would be the closest to the equity, fairness and Justice everyone is talking about. It further means that justice is on its way to the South East,” Mr Kalu said in a statement.

Mr Lawan is the only APC aspirant from the North-east, a region that is yet to produce a president for Nigeria.

A former governor of Kano State and senator representing Kano Central, has rejected an invitation to see President Muhammadu Buhari as part of efforts to stop his defection from APC to NNPP.

DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the said invitation was extended to Mr Shekarau through the governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje.

Mr Ganduje was earlier heckled and booed when he visited Mr Shekarau’s Mundubawa Road residence to persuade him to join him in a charter flight to see the president in Abuja at 1am on Saturday.

Although Mr Shekarau had earlier accepted to honour the invitation, inside sources however told DAILY NIGERIAN that Mr Shekarau cancelled the visit after discovering that it was not the president who wanted to see him but the national chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu and some governors.

“Mallam [Shekarau] has been unreachable on phone since he concluded plans to join the NNPP. So they are making strenuous efforts to take him to Abuja and persuade him to shelve his plan.

“They know Mallam respects constituted authority, and will not turn down an invitation from Mr President. This is the reason they hatched that plan.

“But the fact of the matter is that Mallam has reached a point of no return. Should he accept to remain in APC, I assure you 80 percent of his supporters will join the NNPP.

“And then even if they gave him automatic ticket, he cannot win election in APC,” said a source.

By Yemi Balogun


No fewer than 25 presidential aspirants will contest for the presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

As of midnight Friday, the 25 aspirants were able to meet the deadline for the submission of completed forms.

To this end, the 25 aspirants will slug it out at the presidential primary of the party slated for May 30.

The list of the presidential aspirants that submitted their nomination forms includes Senator Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Niger Delta Development, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, former Imo State governor, Sen. Rochas Okorocha and former Ogun state governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosu.

Others are Pastor Tunde Bakare, Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, his Ebonyi State counterpart, Gov. Dave Umahi, Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Minister of State, Education, Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba, former Senate President, Sen. Ken Nnamani, Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, Jigawa governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and former Zamfara State governor, Sen. Ahmed Yerima.

Also on the list of presidential aspirants that filed their papers are Senator Ajayi Borroffice, the only female aspirant, Barr. (Mrs) Uju Kennedy Ohnenye, Pastor Nicholas Felix Nwagbo, former Speaker of Representative, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawal, AfBD Managing Director, Akinwumi Adesina, former Minister of State, Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, former Minister of Information, Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu and Mr Tein Jack Ric.

Matthew Ochei


The Delta State High Court sitting in Kwale division has granted an order restraining the Board of Central Bank of Nigeria and Independent National Electoral Commission from stopping the CBN governor, Godwin Emiefele from seeking an elective post.

Emefiele had gone to the court to obtain a Court order to enable him to stay in office while contesting for the Presidency.

The PUNCH gathered that the application was filed on May 5, 2022, and the judgement was granted on Thursday, May 12.

Justice DC Maidoh in a judgement secretly delivered on May 5 granted the order and adjourned the case to May 25.

“In the circumstances, in line with order 39 rule 3 of our rules, this motion is hereby granted. The motion on notice is accordingly adjourned to 25/5/2022 for hearing,” the judge said.

Court documents obtained by our correspondent revealed, “The court upon reading through the motion papers and hearing C.N. Ofiah Esq. for the claimants/applicants ordered as follows: I have read the processes in this suit, the applicant has complied with order 39 of our rules.

“Applicants also deposed to an affidavit of urgency. From the processes before this court, I find that the said application at this stage has merit pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

Catriona Laing, British high commissioner to Nigeria, has condemned the killing of Deborah Samuel, a female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto state.

The student was said to have been attacked by a mob over comments purportedly considered to be an insult to Prophet Mohammed.

A video of the student being stoned and beaten with sticks was shared on social media, and the incident was said to have occurred in the early hours of Thursday.

In a tweet on Friday, Laing said the authorities must ensure that the perpetrators of the act are brought to justice.

“I condemn the murder of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto, and urge the police and relevant authorities to ensure the perpetrators of this horrific act are made to face justice in line with the law,” she wrote.

Sokoto police command said two suspects have been arrested over their alleged involvement in the killing of the female student.

North’ll be more comfortable with S-South in 2023- CNG

Meanwhile, the Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, has said that the North would be comfortable with a President of South-South extraction in 2023.

Spokesperson of the Coalition, Suleiman Abdul-Azeez, told Vanguard that although the defection of former President Jonathan to APC has not been confirmed, “Yet, I think all the same, you never see smoke without fire. If it does happen eventually, it could be the saving grace. The reality is that the APC may lack the moral correctness to retain power in the North beyond these first eight years of Buhari. If power must shift to the South, the North would be more comfortable with the South-South. It is a more friendly space for the North,” he said.

According to the CNG, “Jonathan is by far the most qualified from the South-South among all those that have indicated interest. The problem would be the burden the APC would have to carry having so severely ‘de-campaigned’ Jonathan just less than eight years ago.”

“Unless they first apologize to him and to Nigerians generally and admit they judged his administration against the standards of fair judgment, they would only end up embarrassing themselves in the marketplace.”

“Besides it would be really difficult for the APC to convince the Northern voter to accept Jonathan after they bloodied him in 2014. And there is the concern that he may return with a grudge against the North and may not be as fair as would be expected. But taking away all unhealthy possibilities, Jonathan could provide a soothing relief to this current regional tensions being stocked by separatist forces.”

APC begins aspirants’ screening Friday, rakes in N2.63 bn from presidential forms

Meanwhile, the APC, yesterday, ended its sale of nomination and expression of interest forms, with no fewer than 25 aspirants jostling for its presidential ticket.

Although, the directorate of organization was still computing the figures of aspirants including those who picked forms in their states as of press time, Vanguard gathered that there are no fewer than 105 governorship aspirants, nearly a thousand National Assembly aspirants and more than 1,500 aspirants for states Houses of Assembly.

A revised timetable issued the National Organizing Secretary, Sulaiman Muhammad Argungu, fixed the last day for submission of completed forms and accompanying documents is now set for tomorrow, May 11, 2022.

“Also, Congresses to elect Local Government Area (LGA), State and National Delegates will now be held from Thursday, May 12 to Saturday, May 14, 2022”.

27 presidential aspirants

1. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

2. Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello

3. Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi

4. Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba

5. Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi

6. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio

7. Madam Uju Kennedy – N30m

8. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

9. Former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole

10. Former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun

11. Former National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole

12. Former Governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Sani

13. Jigawa State Governor, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar

14. Labour and Employment Minister, Senator Chris Ngige

15. Senator Rochas Okorocha

16. Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade

17. Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi

18. Mr Tein Jack-Rich

19. CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

20. Science and Technology Minister, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu

21. Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva

22. Former President Goodluck Jonathan

23. Dr Akinwumi Adesina

24. Senator Robert Ajayi Borroffice

25. Pastor Tunde Bakare

26. Pastor Nicholas Felix Nwagbo

27. Senator Ken Nnamani

Total = N2.630billion

Why APC should cede presidency to South-West —Sanwo-Olu

Submitting his forms on Tuesday at the International Conference Centre, ICC, Abuja, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, urged stakeholders to cede the APC presidential ticket to the South-West.

On why the recent meeting of some South-West APC leaders with some presidential aspirants from the zone did not result into a consensus arrangement, the governor said; “That is unfair for you to say we did not arrive at a consensus. You should have asked what the objective was. Did we achieve the objective of that meeting? The answer is yes. We needed to have ourselves in the room, lock up ourselves and have frank conversations, which were exactly what we did. Are we going to have further conversation with the leadership? Yes, I believe so. So, we are not fed up, we were sincere with ourselves and we hope that in future engagements, all the aspirations we have in our region will come to pass”.

When asked about zoning, Sanwo-Olu said the South-West deserves the presidential ticket.

“I think we believe so and I think that is what is fair, that is what is just, but it is really about Nigeria. There are aspirations everywhere and there are so many qualified people but for equity and fairness we have in our country, I think it is just morally fair that it goes to that part and South-West is top-notch on that. We believe that our positions from those meetings are still very valid and everybody must consider”, he stated.

Blueprint Publisher submits forms

Chairman, Blueprint Newspapers Limited and frontline gubernatorial aspirant of the APC in Niger state, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi has said he would work from his first hour in office as Governor to achieve his agenda of a greater Niger State if given the mandate to fly the flag of his party in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Malagi, who addressed journalists after submitting his nomination and expression of interest forms yesterday in Abuja said his roadmap for the development of Niger State will build on the solid foundation that already exists in the state.

He said Niger State is by far one of the frontline states in Nigeria, given its abundant human and natural resources and promised to unleash the capacity of the people of the state to propel the state to an enviable position in the comity of states in Nigeria.

“Our path to the development of Niger State is clear and unambiguous. I will work from my first hour in office as the Governor of Niger State to unleash potentials of our people; men, women, youth, educated and uneducated, farmers and artisans, traders and everyone else living in all parts of the state to be the best they can be under a stable and secure environment.”

Malagi, a media entrepreneur and consummate public relations practitioner is a top contender in the forthcoming governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress in Niger State.

Adamu Garba withdraws from race over high cost of forms, withdrawal form

Ahead of the Presidential primaries of the APC, a presidential aspirant, Adamu Garba, has withdrawn from the race, saying he was no longer obtaining the expression of interest and nomination forms because of what he described as the over – financialised and commercialised nature of the party.

Garba said he was also withdrawing from the race because of the attachment of a Letter of Voluntary withdrawal on page 18 of the nomination form.

Addressing Journalists, in Abuja, Garba warned that if the APC failed to check and correct its actions, which started from the period of the contest for the position of National Chairman to the sale of forms for the Presidential ticket and other positions, the party is heading for doom.

Garba said, “I call this conference to notify Nigerians and my supporters all over the country that after high-level deliberation with our internal campaign team, we have concluded that we will not be obtaining the expression of interest and nomination form for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the platform of the APC.

“Our team has determined the following: Our generation should not set an example as part of the people that supported the ‘financialization/commercialization’ of our political space, especially the public office, considering the high cost of the nomination forms – the highest in the world. We believe this action is capable of over-financializing our political space, institutionalizing vote-buying, encouraging corruption, and complete obliteration of the youth and the poor from participation.

“We further discovered that even if we went ahead to obtain the form, the party has foreclosed the plan for primary election because of the presence of the request for a Letter of Voluntary withdrawal on page 18 of the nomination form. I cannot, in all honesty, rally funds from my supporters in the hope that we will be having a primary election, then sign a post-dated letter of voluntary withdrawal from the contest.

“The party, from its convention to this moment, has taken several steps that may likely dent our democratic credentials as we venture into the third decade of our uninterrupted democracy. These steps, if not changed, could reverse the gains we made over time and return us back to centrist, sycophantic, patronage-driven unitary systems, a situation we have to avoid at all costs in the interest of the future of Nigeria.”

By Soni Daniel, Dapo Akinrefon, Henry Umoru, Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Omezia Ajayi, Peter Duru, Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo Davies Iheamnachor



AFTER two hours of meeting with leaders and members of Fulani community, who procured the N100 million presidential nomination forms for him, former President Goodluck Jonathan, is considering running on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress, Vanguard learned, authoritatively last night.

The former president reportedly met with the Fulani pastoralists between 11p.m on Monday and 1a.m on Tuesday to sort out issues regarding their purchase of the presidential nomination forms without his consent, a development, which made him to reject the offer and denounce those involved in the action.

“We wish to categorically state that Dr. Jonathan was not aware of this bid and did not authorise it,” Jonathan had said in a statement by his media aid, Ikechukwu Eze.

However, it was learned that at the meeting with the Fulani community in Abuja, the leader of the team that procured the form for him, Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, apologised to the former president and pleaded with him to pardon their indiscretion and accept the offer to run.

The pastoralists are reported to have told Jonathan that they bought the form for him as a demonstration of their appreciation for the N60 billion investments he made for the Almajiris during his tenure in the form of schools and investment opportunities.

A source at the meeting pointed out that after listening to the Fulani community, Jonathan reluctantly accepted their plea to consider running for the APC ticket as suggested by them and promised to give them a feedback as soon as possible but did not however, give a specific date.

The former president also asked the Fulani community never to embark on any political assignment on his behalf without first clearing with him given his position in Nigeria and the international community.

Jonathan is said to have also told the Fulani delegation that he was uncomfortable to hear about the purchase of the nomination form for him just like any other person, an action, which he considered insulting to his status as a former president of Nigeria.

Vanguard learned that majority of the inner caucus of the former president’s loyalists, who had vehemently opposed his running on the APC platform, had gradually withdrawn their opposition to the idea and had given him the nod to go ahead.

As a result, some of the key loyalists are reported to have joined with the Fulani community in completing the APC presidential nomination form for Jonathan so as to meet the deadline for the return of the document to the party secretariat in Abuja.

“I can tell you that Jonathan’s loyalists cut across party lines and majority of them have really been encouraging him to run. That is why some of them are helping with the completion of the nomination form for the former president,” a reliable source said.

“The Fulani Group of 10 led by Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi said they purchased the form out of the gladness of their hearts as a way of paying back former president Jonathan for being kind to them while in office.

“The Fulani community recalled that Jonathan built hundreds of Almajiri schools during his tenure and also allocated the pastoralists cattle seed funds,” the source said.

It will be recalled that Jonathan had on Monday rejected the nomination form presented to him by the Fulani community and upbraided them for insulting him with their action.

He, however, later met with the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, in a move seen as an acceptance of the offer to run for the ticket of the party, if given the chance.

On a day that the APC scheduled the screening of aspirants to begin on Friday after raking in N2.63 bn from sale of presidential nomination forms, former President Jonathan’s moves elicited mixed reactions in the polity.

We’re not surprised — ACF

The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has said that it cannot stop former President Jonathan from moving to another political party as doing so is not new to politicians.

Shuaibu Lili, the officer in charge of ACF’s information and Protocol, told Vanguard: “Nigerians know what former Goodluck was, therefore, the ACF cannot stop him from moving from one party to another. This is not a new thing among politicians and it is his right to make his choice.”

Defection of ex President Jonathan to APC unfortunate — MBF

The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, described as unfortunate the purported defection of former President Jonathan to the APC.

The Forum noted that by his action, Jonathan would lose the goodwill he enjoys among Nigerians, who regard him as a reference point for good governance in the country.

MBF National Treasurer, Chief Ben Akaakar, said: “It is unfortunate that he is joining the people that have destroyed the legacies that he left for Nigerians as President of the country. He should know that if he actually defects to the APC, he will never be a reference point for good governance in the country anymore especially with the lack-luster performance of the ruling APC.

“So, his defection will be a disappointment for Nigerians, who have been lamenting the maladministration of the APC and demanding that the party return the country to the pre-2015 era.”

APC may find it difficult to campaign with Jonathan as its candidate —Umahi

Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. Dave Umahi, said that the APC might find it difficult to campaign with Jonathan as its presidential candidate.

Governor Umahi also said that those who obtained the APC forms for the former president could be mischievous people, whose intentions were to embarrass him.

However, Umahi said that the success story of his emergence as Ebonyi State governor in 2015 could not have been possible without President Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan.

Governor Umahi, who met with President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja to present him a “Thank you” letter from South-East leaders following his recent visit to Ebonyi, told State House correspondents that it would be another wonder of the world to have President Jonathan in the race for the presidential ticket of the APC.

He said even though there have been denials regarding the former President’s rumoured move to the APC, if he eventually joins the ruling party it would be a material for Guinness Book of Records.

The Governor wondered how the APC would reconcile its policies and promises with those of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, under which Jonathan was President.

“The reason is that if you go and see the campaign programmes of APC and you now ask President Jonathan to come and run, I don’t know what will be our campaign promises and what will be the stories we’ll be telling Nigerians.

“I believe strongly that he was not aware of the forms and I want to believe that people that are mischievous would have bought the forms to embarrass him. But from what I read, he has quickly distanced himself from that. But like I said, if that is not the case, then the Guinness Book of Records is not totally filled up.”

Speaking further,,he said: “Jonathan is my father and God used him and his wife to make me governor of Ebonyi State and so, anybody who has done anything for me, I’ve always remained very grateful to such person and I will continue to be very grateful to him, and the wife for being available and being my destiny helper, to achieve that feat.”

Jonathan has diminished himself — Adebanjo

In his reaction, leader of the Pan-Yoruba Socio-Political organization, Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, said he was disappointed that the former President did not come out early to refute the claims of his presidential ambition, adding that Jonathan has diminished himself.

His words: : “It is better for him to deny but the fact that he has taken such a long time to deny does not give any credit to him. As far as I am concerned, he has diminished himself by toying with the idea in the first place. He should have told the northerners that he was not going to be a party to their politics. He should be knowledgeable enough to know that all the tricks of the northerners are to deny the South. He should know. I am disappointed.

“Anyway, it was better he rejected the offer because if he had not, his reputation would have gone down.”

Insinuations of Jonathan’s defection, insulting —PANDEF

On its part, the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, said that reports of Jonathan defecting to the APC, and getting the presidential nomination form from a group are insulting.

National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Hon Ken Robinson, noted that Jonathan has not indicated interest to run, and has all it takes to get the form for himself if he has interest.

He said: “We see it as one of those political machinations that some political interest groups are deploying for their own interest. It is obvious that if former president Jonathan runs for office and wins he will spend four years in office and that will be to the advantage of some persons.

“As PANDEF has said before, the former president has not told us that he is interested in running for the office, so our attitude will be to wait until party primaries are concluded and then we will see the choices that are presented to us by the two major parties and we evaluate them and take a position.

“Don’t forget that PANDEF, Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo are insisting that power shifts to the South in the interest of Nigeria and anything contrary will affect the unity of Nigeria.

“We agree with the position of the former president media team, that the action was insulting. If the former president wants to run for the office he does not need a group of almajiri or rice farmers or whatsoever to go and buy form for him to be able to run. If he wants to run he has prominent Nigerians, especially from Southern Nigeria.”

Adelani Adepegba, Friday Olokor, Solomon Odeniyi, Stephen Angbulu



More condemnations on Tuesday trailed the move by the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to contest in the 2023 presidential election on the All Progressives Congress while presiding over the apex bank.

A legal practitioner, Dr. Remi Olatubora (SAN), on Tuesday threatened to galvanise Nigerians and the civil society to institute not less than 1,000 cases against Emefiele, should he go ahead with his 2023 presidential ambition on the platform of the APC.

According to him, he would ensure that in the next 10 years, the CBN governor would be jumping from one court to the other and inundate him with litigation, “the kind that has never happened in the history of legal profession in Nigeria.”

Emefiele had in his clarification said he had not taken the decision to run for the Presidency in 2023.

On Monday, his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/610/2022 challenging the legality of Section 84(12) of the amended Electoral Act and to prevent its application to him (a government appointee) in his aspiration to vie for the APC Presidential ticket.

But Olatubora, a former Commissioner for Education in Ondo State during the administration of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, in an interview with The PUNCH said Emefiele’s lawyers should be prepared for a lot of job.

He said, “If Emefiele, the governor of CBN who is entrusted with the public finance of Nigeria, who is the custodian of our foreign exchange, who is the chairman of the Bankers Committee could brazenly come out to tell members of the public that he is a member of APC and goes ahead to collect N100 million expression of interest form; if he submits that form, we will ensure that in the next 10 years, he will be jumping from one court to the other.

“We will inundate him with litigation, the kind that has never happened in the history of legal profession in Nigeria.

“He should expect up to 1,000 cases and his lawyers should be prepared for a lot of job. He should expect up to 1,000 cases in different courts by different interests that his coming into politics will infract on their rights and it will be coordinated and we will ensure that in the next 10 years, he will be jumping from one court to the other.

A former Deputy Governor of the CBN, Prof Kingsley Mogahalu, also took a dim view of Emefiele’s action, describing it as a breach of the CBN Act.

He accused Emefiele of using public office to attain his personal interest, urging Nigerians not to reward such an act.

Mogahalu, who is an aspirant under the African Democratic Congress, spoke while picking up the expression of interest form at the party’s secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said, “I weep for this nation with the development at the CBN. It is deeply wrong to play politics while in office. It is a violation of ethics, moral and the law. What we are seeing is the privatisation of public office for personal gains.”

“The CBN act is clear; Section (9) states that the CBN governor and his deputy should not engage in other employment of vocation. A vocation is something that could take up your time; it may not be a job, it may not be something you could put your hands on, but something that your have your mind and heart in, apart from your duties.

“For the CBN Governor, his heart and mind is in politics up to the extent of going to a law court to seek support for his ambition. First of all, I want to say Nigerians have no business in rewarding this massive breach of the rule of law because the action of the CBN governor shows a contempt of the rule of law. The individual in question has been monumentally incompetent and Nigerians should not support incompetence.”

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project said it was considering legal options to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to move election from the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The group said its action was predicted on the involvement of Emefiele in partisan politics.

Also, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties has called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to sack Emefiele over his involvement in politics.

Speaking during a press briefing held alongside the Coalition of National Civil Society Organizations, the Secretary General of the group, Chief Willy Ezugwu and the National Secretary for the CSOs, Ali Abacha, insisted that Emefiele’s involvement in politics was in clear violation of the Public Service rules and the CBN Act.

The group threatened that it would persuade serving judicial officers to pick up nomination forms from political parties of their choice, should Buhari fail to sack Emefiele.

It stated, “Their intention was to cause a breach of peace as a licence for security agencies to give the protesters the #EndSARS treatment. In this light, the hired hoodlums were to sneak into the crowd of protesters and attack the CBN headquarters with weapons while a counter-protest was also arranged for the same day.

“Our findings revealed that Mr Godwin Emefiele joined the APC and became a card-carrying member of the party in 2019, which proved that the CBN governor’s presidential ambition was premeditated and has been in his plans before 2019 when he eventually joined partisan politics. This is contrary to the Mr. Godwin Emefiele’s position that his focus was on his job at the CBN.”

Speaking in an interview with one of our correspondents on Tuesday, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the continued stay of the materials with the CBN was risky, adding that they must be prevented from unlawful interference.

He said, “Yes, we are considering our legal options to compel INEC to move sensitive election materials in the custody of the CBN, in light of the involvement of CBN Governor in partisan politics.


Youths protest, say Emefiele denigrated CBN Act

Meanwhile, the National Youth Council of Nigeria has protested against what it described as the denigration of the CBN Act by Emefiele, whose presidential ambition for the 2023 election has generated a national outcry.

While declaring that the CBN governor has dragged a revered institution of government into partisan politics, the NYCN said it shall consult widely and take appropriate actions.

The President of NYCN, Solomon Adodo, stated these during the launch of the Youth-Run Campaign in Abuja on Tuesday with the theme, ‘Youth rising for a united Nigeria.’

He said, “In the light of the current developments of searching for credible leaders at all levels we herein state the following :

“Our doors are open to all aspirants across all party lines for proper consultation. Aspirants must show their clear plans for the youth and seal a pact of partnership to ensure youth potentials are moved to productivity.

We’ll await court order to decide Emefiele’s fate, says Presidency

The Presidency on Tuesday said it would wait for the decision of the court before deciding the fate of the CBN governor.

But the Presidency on Tuesday said the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), would not sack the CBN chief until the court reached a final decision on the issue on May 12.

Speaking to The PUNCH on Tuesday, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said, “Since this matter is before a judge, we will rather wait for the court to decide.”

By Saviour Imukudo

Rivers State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday rained curses on members of two Ijaw groups demanding the release of a federal lawmaker currently detained on the orders of the governor.

Farah Dagogo, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency of Rivers State, has been in police custody for a couple of weeks.

He was declared wanted by Mr Wike for allegedly hiring thugs to attack the PDP secretariat in Rivers State.

Mr Dagogo, a governorship aspirant, however, refuted the allegation and accused the governor of trying to prevent him from appearing before the party’s gubernatorial screening panel.

The lawmaker was eventually arrested by the Rivers State Police Command the next day after appearing before the panel for screening and was reportedly arraigned before a court in the state where he was remanded in a Correctional Centre

The Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC0) and Ijaw National Congress (INC) have demanded the lawmaker’s immediate release.

The two groups gave the governor 48 hours to release him.

However, at a church service on Sunday, Mr Wike lashed out at the groups for giving him an ultimatum to set Mr Dagogo free.

Addressing the congregation at a thanksgiving service on Sunday held at St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral in Port Harcourt to celebrate the legal victory secured at the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the oil well dispute between Rivers and Imo States, Mr Wike, who standing at the altar, invoked thunder to descend on members of the groups.

“That takes us to where some people say we are Ijaw Youth Congress, we are Ijaw National Congress threatening the government; you are wasting your time.

“I don’t know why people don’t even know who they are dealing with, me, me, threatening me, 48 hours,” he said, beating his chest with his left hand, apparently to express his anger.

“Instead of you coming to the government [asking] what is the problem, what happened, you begin to threaten the government, ultimatum. Thunder fire you and ultimatum,” Mr Wike, clad in white and standing on the podium, could be heard saying in a video.

In the short video with Channels Television’s trademark posted on Twitter, some congregants could be heard chorusing the Hebrew word – “Amen,” to confirm Mr Wike’s prayers, while the faces of others are ridden with utter shock and consternation.

The IYC, in its reaction, condemned Mr Wike’s outburst, saying it was not only derogatory but inciting.

The spokesperson of IYC, Ebilade Ekerete, in a statement posted on Facebook, said, such “unguarded and incendiary” comments from Mr Wike is capable of souring the existing good relationship between the group and Ikwere (Wike’s ethnic group) and urged the governor’s kinsmen to call him to order.

The group advised Ijaws who are delegates in the PDP presidential primaries not to vote for Mr Wike, stating that such action “will be viewed as a betrayal of our heritage.”

“The body regrets that even more shocking is the fact that the Rivers Governor took his unrestrained verbiage to the hallowed pulpit of a church and desecrated the altar of God.

“It equally points out that Governor Wike has forgotten that by calling fire and thunder on the Ijaw nation, his benefactor and our revered leader, former President Goodluck Jonathan, is an illustrious Ijaw son.

“This “thunder” did not fire the former president when, despite all odds, he made him the choice of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State against the wishes of other competent Ijaw aspirants in the state.

“Now, Jonathan as an Ijaw man is also under fire from Governor Wike. For him, all those that made him, including the people of Rivers State, are in his pocket and can be insulted at will.

“We, therefore, call on our people as a whole to see Governor Wike as an enemy of the Ijaw Nation. We urge Ijaws all over the world to speak against this tyrannical behaviour of Wike,” the statement said.

An All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant, Adamu Garba, has withdrawn from contesting the party’s presidential ticket.

Briefing newsmen on Monday in Abuja, Garba said he withdrew from the race due to the high cost of obtaining APC expression of interest and nomination forms for presidency and the cost of running for political office.

According to him, pegging the presidential form at N100 million would promote financialisation and commercialization of the country’s political space.

Garba said his decision not to obtain APC presidential form followed due consultation with his campaign team, which, he said, had generated N83.2 million in private and online donations.

He said the fund would be returned to the donors.

Garba also said his next political move would be announced in coming days.

He said, “We believe this action is capable of over financialising our political space, institutionalizing vote-buying, encouraging corruption, and complete obliteration the youth and the poor from participation.

“When we raised this concern on several media fora, the party, however, believed the high cost of form will separate the serious contenders from unserious ones.

“This goes contrary to our belief that you can only separate serious contenders from unserious ones by the competency, capacity, credibility, strength of the programme, workable solutions, and sellable candidate to Nigeria through rapid intraparty debates and other high-level criteria reviews that can ensure we present a better leader for future for Nigeria.

“We further discovered that even if we went ahead to obtain the form, the party has foreclosed the plan for primary election because of the presence of the request for a Letter of Voluntary withdrawal on page 18 of the nomination form.

“I cannot, in all honesty, rally funds from my supporters in the hope that we will be having a primary election, then sign a postdated letter of voluntary withdrawal from the contest.”

He said APC had taken several steps that may likely dent its democratic credentials.

“These steps, if not changed, could reverse the gains we make over time and return us back to centrist, sycophantic, patronage-driven unitary systems, a situation we have to avoid at all costs in the interest of the future of Nigeria,” he said.

Lagos State consumes an estimated N328 billion worth of cow meat per annum.

About 98 per cent of cattle consumed in the state are from the northern part of the country or from across the border.

The remaining 2 per cent is a shortfall in local production and represents about 181,757 tons of meat or about 1,235,601 cattle per annum.

These were made known on Monday in Lagos by the Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry of Agriculture, Ibironke Emokpae.

She represented the commissioner, Abisola Olusanya, at a cattle feedlot screening for 36 investors.

She noted that the feedlot screening was necessary because the transactional value of cattle traded in Lagos State was huge.

She added that when the red meat transformation agenda comes fully into play it would help the state government to eliminate logistics costs of transporting cattle.

Mrs Emokpae emphasised also that the cattle feedlots initiative would bridge the demand and supply gap and prevent food crises in the state.

The feedlot represents an intensive production system with the goal of growing and fattening cattle until they reach slaughter weight.

“The partnership with private investors will prevent food crisis associated with ethno-religious crisis, cattle rustling, and zoonotic diseases and encourage animal traceability,” she said.

“The state embarked on the Cattle Feedlot Systems partnership to evolve a model that will bring in investors who are fully ready technically, administratively and financially to kick-start the project.

“I should bring to your remembrance that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration which is keen in making our agricultural sector viable and sustainable decided to change the face of agriculture and food system in the state.

“The governor made this possible through the Ministry of Agriculture’s five-year roadmap where he established linkages, collaborations and strategic partnership with organisations,’’ she said.

Mrs Emokpae said the government remained focused on enforcing a market structure that ensured a transformation in food systems.

It, therefore, invited interested investors through media advertisements to bid for the feedlots, she said, adding that the state received more than 150 Expressions of Interest as against the 100 it proposed.

In his remarks, Ayokunle Omileye, a project manager in the ministry noted that the state had acquired about 750 hectares of land for the project.

He noted that the exercise would take place at the three senatorial zones of Badagry, Ikorodu and Epe.

He added that the state government had cleared about 250 hectares of land for the first phase and would provide road networks, electricity and water supply for investors in the project.

One of the investors, Mr Olawale Talabi noted that the project was long overdue adding that it would bring an end to food crisis in the state.

“I think the ministry has just got it right with the new commissioner because feedlot is very important,

“This will ensure that the cattle are well taken care of, and consumers are sure of the source of meat they eat.

“In addition, we cannot be rearing animals all over the place, but with the feedlot system, just like ranching, there will be quality of meat in Lagos State,’’ he said.

Talabi said the project would also bring an end to infiltration by diseased cattle coming from neighbouring countries.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the exercise is: “Five Years Agriculture Roadmap: Cattle Feedlot System Partnership with Investors in Lagos State.’’

(NAN)

By Balarabe Alkassim


The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd, airline operators and marketers have resolved on a common ground in the interim to take measures that will keep the aviation sector functioning in the country.

The agreements were reached at a meeting with stakeholders and the leadership of the House of Representatives led by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila on Monday.

In his remark at the meeting, the speaker informed that there were three resolutions reached in the interim between the stakeholders

According to him, recommended ten marketers will get a steady supply of Jet A1 fuel for three months from the NNPC.


He said: “In the long term, you commence the process of applying for your own licence to be able to import your own Jet fuel. So, that will remove, whether it is middlemen or frontmen or whatever. You will know the landing cost to assist you in your business. Have we agreed on that? We have agreed on that.

“And there is the benevolence of the governor of Central Bank; there are six million litres available at N480, correct? You will get allocation for the next three months through the companies that you have nominated. So that you will not come back and say Jet fuel is a particular amount and is being sold by NNPC because you nominated those people that are selling to you.”

In the process of applying for licence, the Speaker said the midstream agency should as much as possible grant waivers that would not touch on the security and safety of the process while urging the committee chairmen on aviation and downstream to follow up.

Earlier, the NNPG Ltd GMD, Mele Kyari stated that it was agreed at the earlier meeting to make the marketers sell the product to them at N500 for three days pending the day they would sit down and agree on the pricing formula.

He said: “It is our role to ensure we intervene. We did. We brought in products so that we can dampen the price. In March and April, we brought in cargo and made it available to the entire industry at N460. There is a build-up to that price.

He said the only way to fix the price is to put a subsidy on adding that to sell for N500 in any circumstance, then somebody has to pay the difference.

He explained that there is a ForeX constraint. “There is a limit to what the CBN can provide. We are constrained because we are not able to produce dollars because of the dearth of oil in the Niger Delta. This is then reality. So we do not have. That means customers must source for FX from alternative sources.”

Also speaking, the Governor Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emeifile said: “The availability of Forex is very important and the issue of constraint from Forex arising from issues bordering on theft in the Niger Delta is a big issue. It is when NNPC is able to export that dollars can come in.

“We do not have FX to sell. It would be difficult for us to grant any concession. It means we would be taking a hit or we would be providing some sort of subsidy for the industry”.

Speaking on behalf of the Airline operators, Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyeama said, the operators were not striking. But they are fighting to save a very crucial industry being bogged down by unnecessary bottlenecks.

He said: “We did not intend to go on a strike. It was not a strike. What the AON was saying on Friday when we released our communique was that we do not have the money anymore to pay.

“Even spare parts, sometimes you take the spare parts and pay later, not to talk of aviation. You don’t have to carry loads of naira in your cargo hold to pay. We all owe these marketers, yes, but we are servicing them.

“What we are doing actually is that we are fighting for this government and the poor masses of this nation. We are subsidising ticket fares at N50,000.”

By Christiana T. Alabi

Public schools in Sokoto and Zamfara states have not officially presented any candidate for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), for school candidates scheduled to hold from May 16 to June 23.

The Head of the Nigeria National Office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mr. Patrick Areghan, disclosed this on Monday while addressing newsmen on the council’s preparations and readiness for the conduct of the examination in Nigeria.

Though Areghan revealed that private schools in the states had registered their candidates for the examination, he noted that “the reason why candidates from public schools were not registered remains unknown.”

He frowned at late registration of candidates, particularly by private schools, saying, such act is totally unacceptable as it delays preparations for the examination.

According to the HNO, over 1.6million candidates from 20,221 schools have registered for the examination out of which 800,055 (49.76%) are males while 800,724 representing 50.24% are females.

The candidates would be examined in 76 subjects, made up of 197 papers while about 30,000 practicing senior teachers, nominated by various Ministries of Education, would be participating in the examination as supervisors.

Areghan explained that even though National Identification Number (NIN) was made a component of the registration process; it was not a compulsory requirement in order not to disqualify many candidates.

He stated that no candidate was denied registration as a result of non-submission of NIN.

WAEC frowned at examination malpractice of any kind, threatening that penalties for involvement in any form of examination malpractice would be meted out to erring candidates, supervisors, schools, etc, as would be approved by the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC), which is the highest decision-making organ of the council that sits on examination matters in Nigeria.

It therefore called on parents and guardians to admonish their wards to study hard and desist from any form of examination malpractice.

It also warned supervisors to desist from aiding and abetting examination malpractice by assisting candidates, especially by allowing them to enter the Examination Hall with their cell phones and make use of same.