Chief Whip of the outgoing 9th Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has lamented that Nigeria has not been fair to him despite his contribution to nation building.
Kalu, who shed tears during the Senate valedictory session currently ongoing at the National Assembly on Saturday, said people he gave transport fares to travel to Lagos are now living in wealth while calling him a thief.
The former Abia State governor thanked the 9th Senate for standing by him during his difficult times, insisting that Nigeria has not been fair to him.
“When I had a problem, most of the Senators stood by me. We went through difficult period,” Kalu said during an emotional speech.
“Before I went into politics, I can buy anything I wanted to buy. I am not a thief.
A bill seeking to curb brain drain by mandating Nigerian medical doctors to practice at least 5 years in the country before going abroad will have passed for second reading at the House of Representatives.
Tilted “A bill for an Act to Amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap. M379, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to mandate any Nigeria-trained Medical or Dental Practitioner to Practice in Nigeria for a minimum of five before being granted a full licence by the council in order to make quality health services available to Nigeria,” was sponsored by Hon. Ganiyu Johnson.
Leading the debate at Thursday’s plenary, Johnson said the bill when passed into law will effectively checkmate the mass exodus of doctors abroad.
He said that bill will also ensure that no doctor was given a full operational licence until after 5 years.
Wole Soyinka you are a benefactor of Tinubu criminality in Lagos state You are a disciple of Tinubu by night and form neutral by day. You are a coward— Barrister Olalekan
🅾️ Wole Soyinka you are a benefactor of Tinubu criminality in Lagos state You are a disciple of Tinubu by night and form neutral by day. You are a coward
Israel Adesanya Beats Alex Pereira by Knockout at UFC 287 to Win Middleweight Title
Israel Adesanya is back. The Last Stylebender reclaimed his middleweight throne with a second-round knockout win over Alex Pereira to close out UFC 287 from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
The first round started off slow and was difficult to score. Pereira opened with several low kicks that landed and Adesanya peppered in some punches, but there were few strikes of note.
The lull of the fight came to a sudden and violent end. Pereira pressured against the cage before Adesanya turned his lights out with an amazing knockout:
The win has to be a burden off of Adesanya's shoulders. Pereira has been a proverbial thorn in his side throughout his martial arts career. The two fought twice when they were both kickboxers, and Pereira went 2-0 in those fights.
With Pereira winning the first one in the Octagon, this was a must-win for Adesanya.
Now the question shifts to what happens next for the champion. Only five months have passed since the two last fought. It certainly didn't sound like he was interested in another immediate rematch.
At the UFC 287 weigh-ins, Adesanya noted the rematch meant "everything," and it's "one and done."
It would probably be wise for the promotion to lay off the rivalry despite the split record in the Octagon. With the first two fights between them taking place in a short span, both could use a match against fresh faces before the rivalry is renewed.
Between the storied rivalry and Adesanya's record of dominance in the middleweight division, it feels like we'll be getting a fifth chapter of this rivalry eventually.
Many do not actually believe that witchcraft is real, but the tale of tragedy of Gloria and her Witch Mother will erase every doubt people may have about the existence of witches in our world today.
According to the narrative Gloria gave on how she lost both hands after her mother attacked her in an attempt to kill her, she said her mother belongs to a witchcraft coven that instructed her to kill Gloria against all odds.
Chimamanda Adichie’s letter to Biden petty, reflection of colonial mentality – Keyamo
Official Spokesperson of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, APC PCC and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Festus Keyamo has hit Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie over her open letter to President Joe Biden on the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.
Recall that Adichie had published an open letter, titled, “Nigeria’s Hollow Democracy: Why is America congratulating the winner of this disastrous election?” addressed to Biden on Thursday.
The letter partly reads, “I hope, President Biden, that you do not personally share this cordial condescension. You have spoken of the importance of a “global community for democracy,” and the need to stand up for “justice and the rule of law.”
Related News ‘Pathetic colonial mentality’, Keyamo slams Chimamanda over letter to Biden Onoh carpets Chimamanda’s objection to US govt’s congratulatory message on Tinubu Chimamanda faults UK, US for congratulating Tinubu “A global community for democracy cannot thrive in the face of apathy from its most powerful member. Why would the United States, which prioritizes the rule of law, endorse a president-elect who has emerged from an unlawful process?
“Has the United States once again decided that what matters in Africa is not democracy but stability? (Perhaps you could tell British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who quickly congratulated Tinubu, that an illegitimate government in a country full of frustrated young people does not portend stability.)”
But, Keyamo, in a statement via his verified Twitter handle on Friday described the letter as petty and reflection of colonial mentality.
He stated, “In global diplomacy and international relations, Presidents of countries make decisions and take actions about other countries’ affairs (albeit within the limits of sovereignty of States in International Law) based on reports from official and diplomatic sources likely to have been conveyed through well-established channels of communications.
According to Keyamo, the long epistles written in flowery or purple prose by bitter supporters of sore losers, posing as ‘concerned citizens’ (but in reality actuated by ethnic politics) do not fall within these official or diplomatic sources.
The APC spokesperson further stated, “It is befuddling that someone often celebrated for using a God-given talent to promote our African values, will so tragically degrade that same ethos by penning a letter that is so petty, so grovelling in its tone in urging a single foreign power to withhold a mere congratulatory message to our President-elect as if that is what actually validates our own democratic identity.
“It reflects a pathetic colonial mentality. It is even more ironic to realise that the same foreign power to which the obsequious appeal is directed is still grappling with the credibility of its own internal democratic process that produced its present leadership.
“More tragic is that some rabid supporters here are falling over themselves in deluded ecstasy for such a worthless letter that may not even be considered worthy enough, in a diplomatic sense, for the attention of even a stenographer to an Under Secretary in the US.
“Such only paints the picture of a band of drowning supporters clutching at any straw to stay afloat. As for the empirical fallacies contained in the letter, I will not bother myself here with a lengthy response as enough have been said in the last few weeks in respect of those specific issues and all the issues are before our Justices awaiting adjudication.
“But I have bad news for them: the stenographer will probably toss the letter into a trash bin with the conclusion that it is no more than the tantrums of a Trump reincarnate in Nigeria – those who refuse to accept obvious defeat! Yes, the US has the likes of that writer in their midst too!” he said.
Peter Obi, the Labour Party's presidential candidate, has refuted claims that he referred to the 2023 elections as a religious conflict. He stated that he is experiencing pressure to flee the country.
Here’s the full text of his latest public statement expressed in a tweet thread last night:
“I continue to thank all Nigerians, especially the youths and the Obidients, as they have remained focused on the core mission of a New Nigeria that is POssible even after the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
“Before, during, and after the campaign, it is on record that I have maintained my commitment and focus on issue-based campaign about a New Nigeria that is POssible, a shift of emphasis from consumption to production, a New Nigeria characterized by inclusion, justice, equity, fairness, and prosperity.
I repeatedly stated that no one should vote for me based on Tribe or Religion, but rather on the assessment of Character, Competence, Capacity, Credibility, and Compassion that can be trusted to create a New Nigeria!
“The present attempts by the APC as a Party, and the APC led-government through some government officials and agencies to divert our attention from our blatantly stolen mandate is unfortunate and sad.
“These have come and continued to manifest in different ways, such as the malicious accusation of the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, the circulation of a fake doctored audio call, and a pressure on me to leave the country.
“Let me reiterate that the audio call being circulated is fake, and at no time throughout the campaign and now did I ever say, think, or even imply that the 2023 election is, or was a religious war.
“The attempts to manipulate Nigerians is very sad and wicked. Our legal team have been instructed to take appropriate legal actions against Peoples Gazette and others.
Former British Prime Minister, Mr. Boris Johnson, has said Nigeria can be a renewable superpower,
The former Prime Minister, who spoke at the 16th Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe lecture series in Lagos, on Monday, called for a stronger “mutually-benefitting relationship” between Nigeria and the United Kingdom in order to unleash the potentials of both countries.
He spoke just as the former Secretary General of Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who was chairman of the occasion called on politicians to see the welfare of the people as the bedrock of their policies and actions in government.
Johnson, a member of the British Parliament, who delivered the keynote address, said it is high time Nigeria and the UK which he described as two great democracies took the forefront of leading the world.
He said, “Now is the time. When the world is so uncertain, when some nations are disentangling, now is the time for the UK and Nigeria, two great democracies to work together.
“Nigeria can be a renewable superpower and still be a producer of oil and gas. We could be much more together.”
Johnson insisted that democracy still remains the best option for the people, adding that it was the fear that the Russian people may go the democratic way that forced Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine.
He however expressed hope that Ukraine would win the current war with Russia.
He listed areas for continued collaborations with Nigeria to include free trade, free speech, free elections.
“You need a society that is opened and that is tolerant to develop human potentials,” he said, adding that urban successes are built on freedom under the law”.
Chief Anyaoku hailed the legacies of the former PM and how he’s made the welfare of the people a priority, saying, “He’s a remarkable British politician and leader. He has so far left legacies in modern British politics. He was the Prime Minister who followed the decision of the majority of the British people…it was he therefore (in popular parlance) who got Brexit done,” Chief Anyaoku said.
“I believe if we were to effectively pursue the theme of this 16th lecture series of the Osigwe anyiam-Osigwe, namely: ‘Rehumanising Human Experience,’ consideration of the comprehensive welfare of the people should be the bedrock of policies and actions of politicians and actions across the world.”
Lagos Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, said “We should not as a people undermine our society by always looking at our negatives, rebroadcasting our negatives, and pushing down our positives. It is for us to understand that as a Nation we make mistakes but we must look at the good side and continue to build our Nation”.
President-elect Bola Tinubu has promised to tackle a litany of problems, including escalating violence, double-digit inflation and industrial-scale oil theft.
His supporters portray him as an effective administrator who improved roads, trash collection and other services in the chaotic city of Lagos during his tenure as governor from 1999 to 2007. Opponents are sceptical: many of Nigeria's problems worsened under outgoing president Muhammadu Buhari, on whose party ticket Tinubu ran.
Here is what Tinubu's win could mean.
HOW DOES HE PLAN TO FIX THE ECONOMY? Tinubu says he will build on Buhari's public infrastructure programme to create jobs and remove legal limits on government spending.
Nigeria's revenue-to-GDP ratio is the lowest among its peers, according to the World Bank. Tinubu says he will reduce corporate tax to attract investment and plug tax loopholes to boost revenue.
A popular fuel subsidy, which cost $10 billion last year and is driving up debt, will be phased out and the money channelled to infrastructure, agricultural and social welfare programmes.
So too will a system of multiple foreign exchange rates that the International Monetary Fund says is subject to abuse and makes it difficult for investors to repatriate their money.
Any new foreign borrowing will be used to fund projects that generate revenue from which debt can be repaid, Tinubu says.
WHAT ARE HIS PLANS FOR THE OIL SECTOR? Crude oil theft is the biggest headache for oil companies, which have seen production tumble. Oil majors are selling shallow-water projects, mainly due to the theft and vandalism of pipelines, and shifting offshore.
Tinubu says he will set up a surveillance unit to protect the country's pipelines and attract new investors with tax incentives.
Africa's top producer of crude oil depends on imported refined fuels, something Tinubu wants to end by increasing domestic refining through joint ventures with private investors.
HOW WILL HE DEAL WITH INSECURITY? Spreading insecurity is a major concern for Nigerians and foreign investors, from kidnappings for ransom in the northwest to a 13-year Islamist insurgency in the northeast, separatist violence in the southeast and decades-old ethnic tensions between herders and farmers in the north-central region.
Tinubu wants to recruit more soldiers and police officers, while paying and equipping them better.
He says there will be "anti-terrorist battalions" and special forces to fight jihadists and armed gangs but also wants the military involved in community initiatives to "win hearts and minds."
WHAT ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS? Human rights groups and media outlets including Reuters have documented abuses on all sides of the conflict in the northeast and elsewhere.
The International Criminal Court prosecutor concluded in 2020 that grounds existed to open an investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity by both Nigeria's security forces and insurgents, but the court has not opened one.
Tinubu casts himself as a champion of human rights, pointing to his time campaigning against Nigeria's former military rulers in the 1990s when he was forced into exile.
But critics question whether he will hold authorities to account after he suggested that protesters who were shot at during anti-police brutality protests in 2020 should explain why they were in the locations where security forces opened fire.
HOW DOES HE PLAN TO FIX THE ECONOMY? Tinubu says he will build on Buhari's public infrastructure programme to create jobs and remove legal limits on government spending.
Nigeria's revenue-to-GDP ratio is the lowest among its peers, according to the World Bank. Tinubu says he will reduce corporate tax to attract investment and plug tax loopholes to boost revenue.
A popular fuel subsidy, which cost $10 billion last year and is driving up debt, will be phased out and the money channelled to infrastructure, agricultural and social welfare programmes.
Advertisement · Scroll to continue So too will a system of multiple foreign exchange rates that the International Monetary Fund says is subject to abuse and makes it difficult for investors to repatriate their money.
Any new foreign borrowing will be used to fund projects that generate revenue from which debt can be repaid, Tinubu says.
WHAT ARE HIS PLANS FOR THE OIL SECTOR? Crude oil theft is the biggest headache for oil companies, which have seen production tumble. Oil majors are selling shallow-water projects, mainly due to the theft and vandalism of pipelines, and shifting offshore.
Tinubu says he will set up a surveillance unit to protect the country's pipelines and attract new investors with tax incentives.
Africa's top producer of crude oil depends on imported refined fuels, something Tinubu wants to end by increasing domestic refining through joint ventures with private investors.
HOW WILL HE DEAL WITH INSECURITY? Spreading insecurity is a major concern for Nigerians and foreign investors, from kidnappings for ransom in the northwest to a 13-year Islamist insurgency in the northeast, separatist violence in the southeast and decades-old ethnic tensions between herders and farmers in the north-central region.
Tinubu wants to recruit more soldiers and police officers, while paying and equipping them better.
He says there will be "anti-terrorist battalions" and special forces to fight jihadists and armed gangs but also wants the military involved in community initiatives to "win hearts and minds."
WHAT ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS? Human rights groups and media outlets including Reuters have documented abuses on all sides of the conflict in the northeast and elsewhere.
The International Criminal Court prosecutor concluded in 2020 that grounds existed to open an investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity by both Nigeria's security forces and insurgents, but the court has not opened one.
Tinubu casts himself as a champion of human rights, pointing to his time campaigning against Nigeria's former military rulers in the 1990s when he was forced into exile.
But critics question whether he will hold authorities to account after he suggested that protesters who were shot at during anti-police brutality protests in 2020 should explain why they were in the locations where security forces opened fire.
IS DEMOCRACY UNDER THREAT? This year's election marked nearly a quarter century of democracy in Africa's most populous nation, and many hoped that it would be its most credible yet thanks to an increasingly professional electoral commission and measures to curb fraudulent practices rife in many previous polls.
But malfunctions in new equipment used to verify voters' identities and transmit results, along with instances of violence and disruption of voting in some areas undermined confidence in the process.
Tinubu's closest challengers, Atiku Abubakar from the main opposition People's Democratic Party and the Labour Party's Peter Obi, rejected the result as fraudulent.
Tinubu was declared the winner with 37% of the vote and turnout was just 29%, according to results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
"Mr Tinubu's narrow victory is bittersweet, as his historically low support in the polls could lead some to question his legitimacy as president," the Oxford Economics Africa consultancy said in a note.
Popular Nollywood actress Bimbo Ademoye and some Nigerian skit makers and content creators, recently caused a stir online after jumping on the trending ‘Mr. Yakubu’ challenge initiated by the foremost rapper, Falz.
Falz and Vector recently came up with a new song titled ‘Mr. Yakubu’ and he subsequently launched an open verse challenge inviting and permitting Nigerians to jump on the jam.
As expected, a lot of videos from talented individuals surfaced as they did justice to the jam.
According to this New Jam, Falz and Vector discussed the 2023 elections in their most recent song, “Yakubu” which is named after the ‘Eye Neck’ chairman.
The activist teased a portion of the music video on his official Twitter profile, which piqued social media users’ excitement.
The ‘Eye Neck’ is seen as an expression to represent the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that conducted Nigeria elections headed by chairman Prof. Mahmood Yabuku.
In the new song accompanied with a video, the rappers speak for disgruntled citizens and criticised the ‘Eye Neck’ chairman and other political parties that are supposedly complicit in election fraud.
Falz had previously criticized the electoral commission for spending N300 billion on an election that numerous international and local observers, as well as well-intentioned Nigerians, had characterized as a fraud that was not credible, free, or fair.
He also made public a sample of what is thought to be a replica of the tampered-with result sheets in Nigeria.
Falz, the son of Femi Falana SAN criticized INEC Chairman and political parties for suspected electoral fraud.
His lyrics said; “Mr Yakubu! Ę ma ń se bi fraudster, you don’t want to prosper, come and collect, oscar 300 billion te gbà lówó ìjoba, kí le fi se ná sir.” Vector also buttressed a few critical points in the song as well.
Ogun State Nigerian police has arraigned singer, Habeeb Okikiola better known as Portable.
In a new update, the street singer has been arraigned on six counts bordering on assault.
He was arraigned at the Ifo High Court in Ogun State on Monday morning, April 3rd, 2023.
It was reported on Friday that Portable had been arrested by The Ogun State police command.
The arrest came days after the singer refused to honor the police invitation. Recall that on Tuesday, videos of the street artist raining curses and rough-handling some men of the Nigeria police surfaced on the internet
The “Zazoo’ crooner was handed a 72-hour ultimatum by the Ogun State police command to report himself to the nearest police station following the viral video.
Portable, as usual, failed to report himself to the nearest police station and was arrested by the police and detained at the State Police headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta.
Speaking on the development, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed that the singer had been arrested and currently cooling his feet at the state headquarters of the police in Eleweran, Abeokuta.
Mr. Oyeyemi said the Zazu crooner was arrested after refusing five invitations.
Portable releases a first official statement, debunking reports of being arrested
Speaking out following his arrest, Portable debunked reports of him being arrested.
In a statement by his team, the singer honored the invitation of the police as he believes they are the citizen’s friends.
They remain positive that everything will go well as he is with the CP and the issue is been attended to.
The Labour Party (LP) campaign council has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of trying to demarket Peter Obi, its presidential candidate.
The campaign council was reacting to a leaked clip allegedly involving Obi and David Oyedepo, the founder of Winners Chapel.
In the viral clip, a voice similar to that of Obi can be heard asking the cleric to speak to the Christians in the south-west and Kwara to vote for him in the presidential poll, describing the election as a “religious war”.
In a statement released on Sunday, Diran Onifade, head of the LP campaign, and Yunusa Tanko, the council’s chief spokesperson, said the audio is deep fake aimed at tarnishing Obi’s image.
“While we are toeing the constitutional path to retrieve our mandate, those who have truncated the wishes of the majority of Nigerians have recoursed to mischief and endless subterfuge to continue to hold on to what they know does not belong to them,” the LP campaign said.
“From the show of shame in Port Harcourt to the drama in the Ibom Air aircraft, both of which they contrived, they have now moved to the circulation of a deep fake audio file aimed at promoting religious tension in the country.
“All these are meant to serve no other purpose than egregious mischief aimed at demarketing Peter Obi. If the goal is to create a credibility problem, the ploy has failed woefully.
“Peter Obi has long been on record as the only presidential candidate who has urged the Nigerians electorate not to vote for him on the basis of religion or tribe.”
Meanwhile, Kenneth Okonkwo, a spokesperson of the LP campaign, earlier on Sunday, said the clip was authentic.
Okonkwo said: “Political criminals are trying to spin the conversation as if the LP candidate was making a religious comment.”
Valentine Obienyem, Obi’s media aide, also said the leaked audio of his principal’s conversation with Oyedepo was edited out of context.
Ndi Kato Claims 'Obidents' Face Consequences for Hate Speech and Targeted by Imposters
Recently, Arise News, a global news network, shared a tweet that claimed that those who have faced the most severe repercussions for hate speech in Nigeria are the "Obidents." The tweet further mentioned that former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, and Gbedebo Rhodes Vivour are still experiencing the consequences of hate speech, and there is a deliberate attempt to damage the reputation of the "Obidents" by planting imposters.
The tweet suggests that the "Obidents" are facing the most significant consequences for hate speech, and this claim has some merit. Hate speech has become prevalent in Nigeria, and it has resulted in numerous cases of violence and unrest. The Nigerian government has taken steps to curb hate speech, and offenders have faced severe consequences. In 2019, a man was sentenced to two years in prison for making hate speech comments against the Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano.
Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and Gbedebo Rhodes Vivour are both prominent figures in Nigeria, and they have been vocal in their opposition to hate speech. However, it's unclear what specific instances of hate speech they have faced consequences for. It's possible that they have been targeted for their vocal opposition to hate speech, which has made them unpopular with some segments of the population.
Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church says he has never campaigned for any politician during any election in the country.
He said this on Sunday at the church’s headquarters in Ogun State while speaking on the subject of faith.
This come less than 24 hours after an online newspaper, Peoples Gazette, released an audio where Obi solicited the support of Oyedepo to help get votes from Christians in South-West.
The former governor of Anambra State also stated that the votes were needed because the 2023 presidential election was a religious war.
“Daddy, I need you to speak to your people in the South-West and Kwara, the Christians in the South-West and Kwara.This is a religious war. Like I keep saying: if this works, you people will never regret the support,” he said in the audio.
In his reaction, Oyedepo said he never spoke to any group of people on behalf of any politician.
“Nobody had ever told me what to say in this world. No. I have never campaigned for anybody or speak on anybody’s behalf and I will not do that till I go to heaven.
“There is no (political) party in this country that didn’t come to me for prayers and for advice. I advised them, some, they didn’t take. Those who chose to take it, they see results; those who said no, they are going about it (laughs). If you still come again, I will still tell you, it doesn’t change,” he said.
The audio had attracted criticism for Obi, with some of his supporters saying it was doctored.
But in a statement in the wee hours of Sunday, Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesman of Labour Party Presidential Campaign, verified the authenticity but claimed it was taken out of context by critics.
Earlier, Director General of Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, Balogun Akin Osuntokun, told Daily Trust that he had nothing to say on the matter.
“I have nothing to say on this,” Osuntokun said when contacted over the phone.
Politics › Nigeria Unfair To Me, Kalu Cries Out At 9th Senate’s Valedictory Session by MadeINchenzen2(op): 2:24pm On Jun 11, 2023
