₦airaland Forum

The crisis in the All Progressives Congress (APC) has deepened following a letter by Governor Mai Mala Buni, which faulted Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s narratives on his purported removal as the chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

The letter dismissed el-Rufai’s claims that Buni was sacked as the party’s chairman.

Buni’s camp claimed that the embattled APC caretaker committee legally handed over the affairs of the party to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello before travelling out.

In the letter, dated February 28th, Buni directed Governor Bello to act in his absence as the chairman of CECPC because he will be away for a medical trip to Dubai

The letter was copied by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all members of CECPC.

The letter, which was exclusively obtained by THE NATION, reads: “This is to please inform you that I will be embarking on a medical trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from today, 28th February, 2022.

“In my absence, I hereby transmit the functions of my office as the National Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) to you.

“This is to enable the committee conclude all arrangements leading to the National Convention slated for March 26th, 2022 and other duties that may be required of the office.

“I invite all members to cooperate with Governor Abubakar Sani Bello by extending to him all the support that I have enjoyed from you.

“Please do accept the assurances of my best regards.”

In an interview with Channels Television, el-Rufai said he had the authority of the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Governor Atiku Bagudu, to explain the action that led to the appointment of the Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello as acting chairman of APC.

An aide to Buni, who spoke in confidence, said: “Buni couldn’t have been removed by anybody or a group of Governors because his letter was explicit. He followed due process and nominated Bello to act for him.

“Governor el-Rufai should tell Nigerians what actually transpired between President Muhammadu Buhari and some governors last Sunday. His narratives are faulty.

“Nigerians should ask Bello and CECPC members if such a letter came to them from Buni.”

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed April 7 for hearing of the suit seeking the removal of Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over his defection.

In the application, the PDP asked the court to declare the impeached Deputy Governor Mahdi Aliyu Gusau as the duly elected governor of Zamfara State.

PDP is also asking the court to sack about 37 members of the National Assembly and the State Assembly who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Inyang Ekwo on Thursday fixed the suit following an application for joinder and the submissions of lawyers in the matter.

The lawyers to the defendants led by Mike Ozekhome (SAN) also sought for an extension of time to file their responses to the matter.

In the originating summons by its lawyer, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), PDP is seeking a declaration that sequel to the Supreme Court judgement of 2019 in APC and another Senator Kabiru Marafa and 179 others, only members of the PDP, including Matawalle then, were entitled to hold the office of the governor and deputy governor or member of the Zamfara State House of Assembly “or occupy any position or seat as a senator or member of the House of Representatives of the Nigerian National Assembly for the purpose of representing any senatorial district or electoral constituency in Zamfara State for the period beginning from May 29, 2019 and ending May 28, 2023.”

The Nigerian Bar Association condemns the unfortunate and unacceptable reaction of H.E. Engr. Dave Umahi to the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja delivered on 8th March 2022, which inter alia directed him & Mr. Eric Kelechi Igwe to vacate the offices of Governor & Deputy Governor respectively of Ebonyi State.

Joseph Egbunike, a Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID) died of obesity complications.

Egbunike died in Abuja in the late hours of Tuesday.

A source at the Force Headquarters told FIJ Egbunike was obese, a condition he managed for years with a combination of measures, including owning a standard bed in his office for intermittent resting.

Until his death, Egbunike headed the Special Investigation Panel that investigated the suspended Abba Kyari, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), over his alleged involvement in fraud.

In his former role as Commissioner of Police in charge of budget and finance at the Force headquarters, Egbunike joined other police chiefs to approve more than N1billion for sham police transit camps project in Benue, Bauchi, Plateau, Katsina and Kano State.

A former Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has written to the House of Representatives to inform members of his plans to contest the post of the Nigerian president in the 2023 general election.

Tinubu, in the letter read out on the floor at the plenary on Tuesday by the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, requested to meet members of the APC Caucus on March 16, 2022.

Similarly, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Sam Ohuabunwa, wrote the House to request a meeting with the PDP Caucus, on Tuesday.

Gbajabiamila also read out a letter from the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, notifying the PDP members of a meeting with Ohuabunwa.

Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday stopped President Muhammadu Buhari, Attorney General of the Federation, and the Senate President from tampering with the newly amended Electoral Act 2022.

The judge in a ruling on an ex-parte application by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, agreed that the Electoral Act has become a valid law and cannot be tampered with without following due process of law.

Ekwo agreed with Chief James Ogwu Onoja SAN, counsel to PDP, that the proper place to challenge the validity of any existing law is a court of competent jurisdiction.

Specifically, the court restrained all the defendants in the suit from removing section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act or preventing It from being implemented for the purpose of the 2023 general elections.

Further hearing in the matter has been fixed for March 21.

ORTOM CONSULTS KINSMEN, GETS NOD TO CONTEST 2023 SENATE SEAT

Governor Samuel Ortom has cleared speculations to his rumoured senatorial ambition as he formally sought the blessings of his kindmen to contest the Benue North West senatorial seat.

The Governor at a meeting with his Nzorov kinsmen comprising traditional rulers and other leaders on Saturday, March 5th, 2022 told them that he is now convinced to contest the Zone B Senate seat on the platform of the People'sDemocratic Party, PDP.

District head of Nzorov, Chief Gwatse Akaahena who spoke on behalf of traditional and political leaders gave their nod and affirmed their support for the governor to go ahead and run for the senate seat.

The traditional ruler said they were in full support of their son to not only contest and win the senate seat but also conquer higher offices.

Governor Ortom had in a short address to his kinsmen, informed them that he had finally being convinced that God has confirmed to him to contest for the election and requested if they were in agreement with the vision.

The Governor thereafter, spoke with the Nzorov Council Ward Executive Council of the PDP where he also got their blessings to contest for the Zone B Senate in 2023.

The Nzorov Council Ward Chairman of the PDP, Hon Ezekiel Adikpe JP, spoke on behalf of the party from the Governor's council ward.

The Governor is billed to also extend his consultations to the PDP EXCO in Guma as well as party stakeholders in Masev, Ihyarev and Nongov Development Association, MINDA as part of consultations for his Senate ambition.

After this, leaders from the MINDA political axis will meet with Jemgbagh leaders to seek for their blessings and support for the governor ahead of the senatorial election.

Nathaniel Ikyur
Chief Press Secretary,
March 5th, 2022

Matthew Kukah, Catholic bishop of Sokoto diocese, says women should benefit from quota system in regards to political participation.

He however said it is important that the special consideration is not enjoyed by relatives of people in government or “mistresses of big boys”.

The Catholic priest spoke on the topical issue on Saturday at a book festival in Abuja.

Quota system is designed to give opportunities to the best of under-represented segments of society.

TheCable had reported how senators and members of the house of representatives voted against bills seeking to provide more opportunities for women in politics and governance.

Reacting to the outcry over the issue, Kukah said the beauty of democracy is to expand the frontiers of knowledge, adding that “there are some things in the African culture that are the direct antithesis of democracy”.

“Now the women are talking about gender. These are conversations we never had before and of course, in Nigeria and in Africa they still tell you ‘can you imagine, men are talking and women are talking’ which is that it is not acceptable that a man should be talking and a woman is talking,” Kukah said.

“As far as I am concerned, people like myself or my small ethnic group that is marginalised even at local government level, I am asking if we are going to create a space for women, and I think we should, but we must agree on the kind of women who are going to benefit from that quota.

“Because if it is just the same big boys who are coming with their mistresses and their extra wives, it is not acceptable.

“Unless you are going to say that we create a quota for women but in creating that quota we must listen to 70, 80 percent of Nigerians who are not Igbos, who are not Hausas, who are not Fulanis, who are not those of us who have the right to be here.

“So I would suggest, yes grant the quota, but the quota cannot be benefitted… nobody who was already benefiting should benefit from that quota.”

Chicken Republic Responds to Security Guard Video

We'd like to thank our loyal followers and customers for the feedback received on the various social media threads.

As a company, Chicken Republic encourages all staff to have fun at work, and this is evident in the multiple songs, dances and "Nice, Nice!" chants that you will often hear in our stores, whilst you are patronizing them.

It is disappointing that some people may have the impression that Chicken Republic fired these security guards for dancing in our stores, this is not true, and hence we need to set the record straight. We take the safety and security of our customers, staff, and assets very seriously and as such, we outsource our security to various private security companies that specialize in these services.

The two security guards in the video work for such a private security company. When the management of the private security company saw the two security guards dancing in the video, they had concerns that the security officers, whilst dancing, were not necessarily conducting their duties responsibly and as such, were probably not fully focused on their core responsibility, which is, your safety and your security.

There are always multiple sides to every story, and as a company we have taken your feedbackvery seriously. We have followed up with the security company, and they have assured us that the security guards have not been fired, have been paid their dues and have been offered some retraining. We value your opinions and have heard you! We can assure you that we are in close communication with the security company and will ensure that everyone is treated fairly and with respect.

Justice Agatha A. Okeke of the Federal High Court, Uyo on Thursday, March 3, 2022, convicted and sentenced one Idongesit Samuel Eyibio to two years imprisonment without the option of a fine.

Eyibio was charged to court by the EFCC on February 6, 2020, for misleading the Commission by concealing vital information through a petition on a matter which a competent court had decided.

The offence contravenes the provisions of Section 39(2)(a) of the EFCC Establishment Act 2004 and punishable under Section 39(2)(b) of the same Act.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, March 3, 2022, Justice Okeke said the prosecution had proven its case against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt, convicted and sentenced him accordingly.

Eyibio's Journey to prison started in 2019 when he wrote a petition with a fictitious name, alleging a lottery fraud against one Aniete Ekan of Papi Events & Promotion Limited and Akwa Ibom States Government, without disclosing that there was an existing judgment against him, over the same matter.

The Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC, on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, secured the conviction of five internet fraudsters before Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, Oyo State and Justice Nathaniel Ayo- Emmanuel of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, Osun State on separate one count charge each of impersonation.
The convicts are: Olusesi Lanre Sadam, Azeez Sodiq Oluwatosin, Bolaji Solomon Damilare, Tiamiyu Faruq Ademola and Arowogun Dotun John.

Arowogun was arraigned before Justice Ayo-Emmanuel while other convicts were prosecuted before Justice Uche Agomoh.

They all pleaded “guilty” to the charges preferred against them by the EFCC.

The Ministry of Defense for the first time announced the losses of the Russian army in Ukraine: 498 Russian soldiers were killed.

1597 were injured.

The Ministry of Defense announced its data on Ukraine's losses during the hostilities: more than 2870 people were killed, about 3700 were wounded, 572 were captured.

Governors of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) have insisted that the National Convention scheduled for March 26 in Abuja will hold, despite the tight time frame provided by the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), released for next year’s general elections.

The Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, said this on Tuesday after the governors met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

There had been speculation that a section of the party was pushing for the postponement of the national convention so that both the election of the national executives and the primaries to select its candidates for the 2023 elections can be done simultaneously.

But fielding questions from State House Correspondents, Bagudu, assured that the party will maintain the March date for the exercise.

He said the governors met with the president to congratulate him for signing the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2022, as well as on the victory of the APC in some of the by-elections conducted over the weekend.

Apart from Bagudu, other APC governors at the meeting included Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Aminu Masari (Katsina), Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Sani Bello (Niger), Umar Ganduje (Kano), and outgoing deputy governor of Anambra State, Nkem Okeke.

Shipping group Maersk will temporarily halt all container shipping to and from Russia in response to Western sanctions on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine, the company said on Tuesday.

The move follows similar decisions by Singapore-headquartered Ocean Network Express (ONE), Germany’s Hapag Lloyd and Swiss-based shipping group MSC.

The suspension, covering all Russian ports, would not include foodstuffs, medical and humanitarian supplies, Maersk said.

“As the stability and safety of our operations is already being directly and indirectly impacted by sanctions, new Maersk bookings within ocean and inland to and from Russia will be temporarily suspended,” Maersk said in a statement.

The company operates container shipping routes to St Petersburg and Kaliningrad in the Baltic Sea, Novorossiysk in the Black Sea, and to Vladivostok and Vostochny on Russia’s east coast.

Maersk owns 31% of Russian port operator Global Ports , which operates six terminals in Russia and two in Finland. Global Ports’ shareholders also include Russian state nuclear company Rosatom and Russian businessman Sergey Shiskarev.

“With Global Ports we are looking at how to comply with the ever evolving sanctions and restrictions and preparing possible next steps,” Maersk said.

The Copenhagen-based company has around 500 employees in Russia. Last week, it temporarily halted all port calls in Ukraine, where it has some 60 employees in Odessa. (Reporting by Nikolaj Skydsgaard, Stine Jacobsen and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; editing by Jason Neely and Louise Heavens)