The Workers and Youth Solidarity Network has condemned the ‘no work, no pay' policy of the Nigerian Government against workers of public universities in the country.
 
The WYSN, in a statement by its secretary, Dammy Owot said the policy is targeted at members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institution (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), who are currently on strike.
 
The group noted, “To us in the WYSN, the 'No work, no pay' policy is an attempt to intimidate the striking workers. ASUU members haven't received their salary for three months now in a Federal Government attempt to force them back to work.
 
“At the same time, the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, has spent N100m on an All Progressives Congress presidential expression of interest and nomination form! 
 
“Despite the crisis in the Universities at the moment, the wives of Vice-Chancellors across Nigerian universities were set to travel to Istanbul, Turkey, for a five-day ‘leadership course!’ The plans were cancelled due to public condemnation.
 
“The media of the ruling elite are all over the place saying that the ASUU strike hurts the students. It's clear that the children of the poor people are the ones that attend public schools.
 
“On the other hand, the children of ruling elites are graduating from different international Universities across developed countries. And the Federal Government is the one to blame for this stalemate. Such hypocrisy!
 
“Nigeria’s annual budget for education is N1.29 trillion or 7.9%. Though this figure represents an increase compared to last year’s, it is still far too low-UNESCO for example recommends 26% of the budget to be allocated for education.
 
“We salute the University of Benin students for their courage to hold a protest for two days. Also, some students of the University of Lagos protested two days ago. 
 
“We also extend our solidarity to Obafemi Awolowo University Students for their plan for protest actions. We urge all other university students across Nigeria to mobilise and organise a series of political actions to compel the government to meet ASUU, SSANU, NASU and NAAT’s demands so that schools can be reopened.
 
“We call on the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to declare total support for ASUU strike and break away from dilly-dallying with a regime that doesn't care for education.
 
“We call for unity of staff unions, students, workers and communities to mobilise for mass actions to force the government to back down and meet the demands of University unions.”
 

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Ahmed Sani Yerima

A former governor of Zamfara State and presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmad Yerima, has boasted that he will become the next president of Nigeria.

 

Yerima, while speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, said he has over 15 million registered supporters to make him become the president as previous presidential elections were won by not more than 15 to 16 million votes.

Ahmed Sani Yerima

“We are using technology; we have an application that is available on iOS and Android devices. You can go and see; I have more than 15 million supporters now with their phone numbers and pictures.

“If you look at previous elections, most of the presidents that have won have won with 15 to 16 million votes so I’m confident that with the kind of followers and supporters I have already, then it is possible I become the president Insha Allah,” he said.

He also said his past performance and experience are enough to run a country.

“I have served this country in many places, I was governor for two terms and senator for twelve years. I also worked in the Central Bank so Nigerians believe that I have seen a lot in governance and have enough experience to run this country, and my performance in previous offices has made the people confident in me that I can handle higher office,” he said.

Yerima also stated that it was the response and assessment he got from social media that pushed him to join the presidential race.

“In this age of technology, you can assess yourself through social media which is very open and transparent. I have seen responses from Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms and the interactions I have with my over 1,000 support groups that have been working since 2019, my inspirations did not start today,” he said.

 

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At least, seven Nigerian soldiers have been killed following an ambush on the convoy of the commanding officer of the 93 Army Battalion, Takum, Taraba State by gunmen suspected to be terrorists.
 
Military sources told SaharaReporters that the Brigadier General was on his way to Jalingo on Tuesday when the incident happened.
 
One of the sources said the “whereabouts of the senior military officer and his orderly are unknown hours after the attack”.
 
Another source added that he wasn’t sure the “Brigadier General was in the convoy” but said his official vehicle was among those attacked.
 
 

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There have been reports that a coalition of northern socio-cultural groups, basically of Fulani extraction, purchased N100 million nomination and expression of interest forms of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), for former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest for President again in 2023.
Following the reports, Jonathan rejected the presidential form of the ruling APC purchased for him on Monday, purportedly by a group of supporters from the northern region.

Speaking through his Media Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, the former president said it was an insult for the group to have bought him the forms without his permission.
However, sources told SaharaReporters on Tuesday that claims by the former President that he did not authorise the purchase of the multi-million-naira forms are far from the truth.
“Contrary to his denials, former President Goodluck Jonathan gave over N200 million to the governor of Jigawa, Mohammed Badaru, to purchase the APC nomination and expression of interest forms for him,” a source privy to the arrangement told SaharaReporters.
Interestingly, the Jigawa governor, Badaru last week joined other interested presidential aspirants to vie for the ticket of the APC by buying the N100 million nomination and expression of interest forms.
“I will join the Presidential race since everyone knows I’m a highly qualified person to do the job,” Badaru was quoted as saying during an APC stakeholders’ meeting held at Government House in Dutse last Tuesday.
The governor was also said to have told the gathering during the meeting that he was pressurised by his colleagues to contest for the presidential seat.
His media aide, Auwalu Sankara, said his principal had sought President Muhammadu Buhari’s blessings before buying the forms.
But SaharaReporters learnt that the Jigawa governor had bought the forms and come up with the statements as a ruse to deceive Nigerians; as he was indeed working for Jonathan.
It was further learnt that Jonathan backed out of the plan and swiftly came up with the denial after the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, had refused to guarantee that the former President would be the consensus candidate of the ruling party.
Jonathan was Nigeria’s leader as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which is now an opposition party.
“The reason why he (Jonathan) gave him that much money – over N200 million – was that he asked the governor to buy himself a form too in order to cover up the deal,” the source said.
“And upon purchasing the form, Jonathan alerted Buhari. Buhari told him to meet with the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, but Adamu said he can’t guarantee him as a consensus candidate
“At that point, GEJ (Goodluck Ebele Jonathan) started denying that he purchased the form,” another source said.
SaharaReporters broke the story of how a cabal in the ruling APC had pushed for Jonathan to succeed Buhari, after being impressed by how the former President never openly criticised Buhari government despite its ineptitude and the insults the APC, as an opposition party, hurled at him (Jonathan) ahead of the 2015 presidential election.
The fact that Jonathan cannot spend more than one term in office, if they can manage to get him there, is also not lost on the cabal. However, SaharaReporters has also reported how Jonathan was later called a betrayer by the cabal after he failed to fulfil some of the conditions given to him, including convincing some PDP governors to defect to the APC.

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Senator Stella Oduah

The planned arraignment of a former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Oduah on the N7.9bn money laundering charges was on Tuesday stalled for the sixth time before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
This follows a letter from the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN.

Senator Stella Oduah
Odua, who showed up in court along with eight co-defendants could not be put in the dock following the inability of Malami to give a definite go-ahead to the arraignment.
The prosecuting counsel, Dr. Hassan Liman (SAN) had shortly after the case was called up, notified the court that he received a letter from the office of the AGF in relation to the case.
According to Liman, Malami, in the letter dated May 6, disclosed that his office was still reviewing the facts of the case.
However, the AGF, said the court could proceed with the trial, pending the outcome of the review.
Justice Inyang Ekwo who was to give the order for the plea to be taken insisted that Malami should be given time to take a definite position in order not to embark on an exercise in futility.
Other lawyers standing for the defendants agreed with the court that the AGF should be given more time to complete his actions on the case file and issue the necessary directive.
Justice Ekwo subsequently fixed October 12 and 13 for the plea of the defendants to be taken and for trial.
Oduah’s planned arraignment had before now, been stalled five times due to her absence in court.
Justice Ekwo had on July 12, 2021, threatened to issue a warrant of arrest against her should she fail to make herself available for arraignment on the then adjourned date of October 19, 2021.
SaharaReporters exclusively reported in 2021 that Oduah’s trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may be scuttled, going by her secret plot with Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Malami.
 
“February 22 (2021) has passed but she was not arraigned. April 19 has also passed. She is working very hard using Senate President and AGF to either scuttle arraignment or frustrate the trial. Alternatively, they are planning to water down the trial through the prosecution via the EFCC chairman.
“Another way is through the prosecutor, Dr Hassan Liman, a close friend of Lawan and the AGF,” a source had revealed to SaharaReporters.
Oduah is being prosecuted on 25 counts of money laundering alongside Gloria Odita, Nwobu Emmanuel Nnamdi, Chukuma Irene Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Limited, Crystal Television Limited, Sobora International Limited and the China Civil Engineering Construction Company Limited.
A source who was at the court sitting accused the senator of compromising some judicial officers and journalists.
“Finally, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the AGF to immediately continue the prosecution and trial of Stella Oduah, former Minister of Aviation under President Goodluck Jonathan administration.
“It will be recalled that Justice Ekwo of Federal High Court had invited Stella Oduah five times for Stella Oduah to appear and enter the witness box to take her plea, but she blatantly and recalcitrantly refused to come to court to take her plea.
“Now, President Buhari has directed for the trial to commence immediately. Stella Oduah has compromised the court and some segments of the media. Stella Oduah and her associates have been bragging that they are in control of Justice Ekwo of Federal Court Abuja.
“It appears that Stella and the court want to frustrate the case till Buhari hands over to his successor come May 29, 2023.”
 

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See Also Sahara Reporters Stephanie Otobo Accuses Apostle Suleman Of Poisoning, Trying To Kill Her, Releases X-rated Photos 0 Comments 1 Week Ago

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Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari says he is not safe being in detention with members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN), who he described as criminals.
 
Kyari disclosed this through his lawyer, Nureini Jimoh, while asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to review his bail application initially rejected.
 
According to the documents which contained details of the suspended police officer’s argument, his life is at risk for sharing the same correctional facility with criminals that he put in jail, including IPOB/ESN members and terrorists.
 
“At the centre, the applicants who were head and deputy head of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force met stiff resistance, attack and open threats to the lives of the applicants by series head (sic) of criminal gang that they had busted.
 
“There is no correctional centre that the criminals that have been arrested by the IRT under the headship of the applicant in furtherance of their constitutional and statutory duties as police officers cannot be found and there is a high likelihood of threat to the lives of the applicants.”
 
This is not the first time Kyari would be attacking IPOB over his travails.
 
He had while appearing before a probe panel led by Joseph Egbunike, the late Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), claimed the group and its security wing, ESN, were after him due to the onslaught launched against them in the South-East.
 
The Abuja court had in March ordered that Kyari be remanded at Kuje correctional centre pending the conclusion of his trial.
 
He was arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on February 12 and was arraigned on March 7 over allegations of drug trafficking.

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Billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday said he would lift Twitter’s ban on former President Donald Trump—a move he called “flat-out stupid”.
He said this would happen if he completes a $44 billion acquisition of the social media company, a month after Trump said he would not seek to get back on the site, Forbes reports.

Speaking virtually at a Future of the Car event hosted by the Financial Times, the CEO of Tesla called the move to ban Trump a “morally bad decision” and “foolish in the extreme.”
Musk said Twitter should limit permanent bans to spam accounts and bots, though he said that doesn’t mean users should be able to “say whatever they want to say.”
Permanent bans, he said, “fundamentally undermine trust” in Twitter as a “town square where everyone can voice their opinion.”
The comments come a month after Twitter’s board agreed to be acquired by Musk, who’s currently seeking to solidify his financing.
Musk argued more appropriate actions would consist of temporary suspensions or efforts to make certain tweets invisible or have “limited traction.”
 
A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to a request for comment from Forbes.
“I do think that it was not correct to ban Donald Trump. I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country, and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice,” Musk said.
The comments come a month after Trump told CNBC he would not return to Twitter even if Musk reversed the company’s ban. Trump said he would instead stick to posting on Truth Social, the social media site he announced he would launch last year as a rival to popular social media companies after Twitter, YouTube and Facebook froze his accounts following the January 6 insurrection.
Truth Social was supposed to be fully operational by the end of March, but its rollout has been plagued by technological glitches, a waitlist of millions of users and resignations from the company’s heads of technology and product development. Musk on Tuesday claimed banning Trump from Twitter amplified his voice “from the right” instead of silencing the former president.
 

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The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has said the country is running a confusing electoral process that would not guarantee free, fair and credible elections.
Kukah, who stated this during the 60th birthday celebration of a renowned lawyer and human rights activist, Clement Nwankwo in Abuja, said Nigeria will never have free, fair or credible elections until it ensures a sense of common citizenship where everybody is on the same page.

He, however, regretted that the system Nigeria is running had foreclosed the possibility as there is a lack of conceptual clarity in its political process.

He said "Where we are now; if we continue and we are true to our tradition, it is after General President (Muhammadu) Buhari has gone; 2023 brings another president. By 2024 or by the end, we will be saying, ‘Oh! you know, General Buhari wasn't so bad.

"You know, because Nigeria progresses from reverse, we are always nostalgic about the past. And if you run through, you will just discover we were saying all these people were being killed under (former President Goodluck) Jonathan and then suddenly, they say ‘no, no, no, bring back the corruption of Jonathan. We didn't really mind the corruption because a bag of rice was not as expensive as it is now.’”

 

He said Nigerians really don't understand the job of politics, adding, "I hear Nigerians say to me, you know we just pray this time that we get it right. And I say get it right as in what – that the elections were free, they were fair, they were credible; that's fine, but what does that guarantee you?
"Many of us confuse electoral processes with outcomes. When we talk about political processes, we are never going to have free, fair or credible elections until you fix the sense of common citizenship, that is that all of us are aiming at the same goal. And of course, the system we are running has foreclosed the possibility because there is a lack of conceptual clarity.
"Right now, as we know and as we are talking, even to declare interest in participating in this process despite your qualifications - you went to Harvard, …that is not enough in Nigeria. This is what I have the ability to do, no, it is not accepted.
 
"So, if you cannot find N100 million, N50 million to buy a form or you don't have the kind of friends who can, I mean it is such a joke that Nigerians are sitting and we are just watching.
 
"We have to pay the price for this; we will pay the price because we are complicit, because if somebody has erected this barricade, saying that poor people don't need to apply; that is what he said, irrespective of your qualifications, then we should not pretend we are running a democracy.
"We should say we have opted for plutocracy which is, the only reach people can participate in the process," he stated.
 

 

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A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and 2023 presidential aspirant, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, has officially joined the 2023 presidential race.
Moghalu promised to tackle the challenges of insecurity in the country, saying he would multiply the number of police personnel by four.

The former deputy governor while speaking to journalists at the national secretariat of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abuja on Tuesday said he had paid the required N25 million for the presidential nomination and expression of interest form under the platform of the party.
He said, “As president, I will reform the Nigeria Police Force. I will increase the number of police from 250,000 to one million operatives. It is through effective intelligence gathering that we can fight terrorism and win.”
Speaking on the state of education in the country, Moghalu promised to earmark a minimum of 20 per cent of the country’s annual budget for education to improve the sector and bring an end to the incessant strike actions embarked upon by university lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
According to him, competent leaders are found in all tribes and religions, so the regions that have yet to produce the president of the country should be given the chance to do so in 2023.
 

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An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Aminu Lawal on Tuesday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that the anti-graft agency had never detained Aliyu Abubakar, a co-defendant in the trial of former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Adoke, during the investigation of the case.
Lawal, who is the 2nd prosecution witness in the trial-within-trial of the money laundering charge brought against Abubakar and Adoke by the anti-corruption commission, disclosed to Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court, Abuja that the EFCC never detained Abubakar while he was undergoing investigation

The witness said this during cross-examination by Akin Olujimi, SAN, counsel for Abubakar. He said the defendant (Abubakar) was always released on bail after questioning.
He stated that the defendant was never forced to make statements or induced to implicate others in the course of the investigation.
Lawal was among the EFCC investigators who took the defendant’s statements on December 31, 2019; January 6, 2020, and January 25, 2020.
When Olujimi asked the witness to explain how his client was invited for questioning on January 25, 2020, he said “Abubakar was called and he came with his lawyer, Yusuf Ahmed”.
 
He explained that Abubakar's statement was taken in the presence of his lawyer.
But the senior lawyer further asked Lawal to tell the court where his client was between January 2, 2020, and January 27, 2020, insisting that he was detained by the agency.
The witness disagreed that Abubakar was detained by the EFCC, saying the defendant was detained in the commission’s facility during the time based on the order of the FCT High Court where he was being tried for another matter.
He said the court had ordered the police to remand him in the EFCC detention.
“Was it not the EFCC lawyer that asked for his remand,” Olujimi asked.
“I don’t know, but the court ordered his remand,” Lawal insisted.
He said the three statements were taken at the conference room of the executive chairman of the anti-graft agency located at Wuse II, Abuja.
He said though there was no closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera in the hall, the interview sessions were recorded with the commission’s HP laptop and copied to a flash drive.
He explained that at the end of each exercise, Abubakar attested to the statements with his signature.
The lawyer representing the EFCC, Ofem Uket, tendered the flash drive as evidence.
The matter was adjourned to Wednesday, May 11 for the continuation of the trial.

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The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) on Tuesday said the North would prefer someone from South-South to emerge as President in 2023, noting that it is a “more friendly space for the North”.
 
The group said if power must shift to the South, the North would be more comfortable with the South-South, Vanguard reports.

The spokesperson for the northern coalition, Suleiman Abdul-Azeez, said although the defection of former President Goodluck Jonathan had not been confirmed, “I think, all the same, it is said that you never see smoke without fire.”
 
CNG, however, said it would be difficult for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to convince the voters in the North to accept Jonathan after they had called him all sorts of names in 2014.
Abdul-Azeez noted that there was the concern that Jonathan might return office as President with a grudge against the North and might not be as fair as he could be.
 
He said, “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.
 
 “And 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.
 
“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 decampaigned 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 APC to be able to convince the Northern voter to accept Jonathan after they have 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 these current regional tensions being stocked by separatist forces.”
 

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INEC Chair Mahmood Yakubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has turned down the appeal for an extension of the deadline for the conduct of primaries by political parties.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this at the commission’s quarterly consultative meeting with leaders of 18 registered political parties on Tuesday in Abuja.

INEC Chair Mahmood Yakubu
The INEC boss spoke as Yusuf Yabagi, Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), appealed to the commission to extend the June 3 deadline for political parties' primaries for the 2023 general election, by two months.
But while dismissing such calls, Yakubu said any extension in the timeline for an activity would affect other activities and put unnecessary pressure on political parties and the commission.
He said that any extension in the timeline for an activity would affect other activities and put unnecessary pressure on political parties and the commission, NAN reports.
“I hereby reiterate the position of the Commission that there will be no review of the timelines. There are so many interrelated activities associated with the timelines that must be carried out,” he said.
 
“Any review to extend the timeline for one activity will affect other activities and put unnecessary pressure on political parties and the commission.”
 
Speaking on Ekiti and Osun governorship elections slated for June 18 and July 16, Yakubu said Section 42 of the Electoral Act 2022 required the commission to invite political parties to inspect samples of materials for the election not later than 20 days before the date fixed for an election.
 
Earlier, Yabagi said that the demand for adjusting the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections was adopted unanimously by the 18 political parties at the IPAC general assembly meeting.
 
“By implication, the IPAC leadership is appealing to the INEC to extend the deadline for conducting party primaries and resolve ensuing conflicts from the present INEC given date of June 3 to August 4.”
 
He explained that some of the issues that made parties demand an extension “are based on certain circumstances and developments that have hampered timely and strict compliance by the political parties to the timetable.”
 
He listed some of the developments that were not considered by INEC while drawing up the schedule of activities as the Ramadan fast, the Eld-el-Fitr and Easter celebrations within the period.

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Adamu Garba, a presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has withdrawn from contesting for the party's presidential ticket.
 
Garba, a former presidential candidate, made the announcement via his Twitter handle on Tuesday.

He said he withdrew from the race due to the high cost of obtaining APC expression of interest and nomination forms for the presidency and the cost of running for political office.
He said his decision to shun obtaining APC presidential form was due to consultations with his campaign team. He said N81.75 million had been generated from private donations while N1.4 million was generated from online donations, giving a total of N83.2 million.
 
He, however, promised that the funds would be returned to the donors as he encouraged them to send an email with evidence of payment.
 
Garba also said his next political move would be announced in the coming days while accusing the APC of taking steps that may likely dent its democratic credentials.
 
He 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 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.
 
“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 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.
 
“Recalled that I had made a similar lamentation to the APC in the run-up to the 2019 election, it appears, with this decision, the party clearly shows that only money matters in who becomes the leader of the largest black nation on earth and not other critical tenets of character required of a 21st century leader.
 
“We have recorded the sum of N81,750,000.00 in private donations and N1,457, 794.70 in online donations. Totaling N83,207,794.70. We sincerely, immensely, and graciously thank everyone for these wonderful contributions and donations, including those who made theirs anonymously.
 
“We, however, request that all those who donated online and who require a refund send an email with evidence of payment to adamugarba@adamugarba.org. I assure you of a complete refund upon request.
 
“Those that made private donations, we know them, we will meet them and settle this out.
 
“Incidentally, if your donations are done for pursuing our course for the Presidency. of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the coming 2023 election, the battle is not over yet. Kindly do bear with us for further directives in the coming days.
 
“I deeply, immensely appreciate my supporters, friends, well-wishers, and the well-meaning Nigerian Youth who contributed unceasingly to this journey. We are just starting, Insha Allah.”

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INEC Chair Mahmood Yakubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has turned down the appeal for an extension of the deadline for the conduct of primaries by political parties.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this at the commission’s quarterly consultative meeting with leaders of 18 registered political parties on Tuesday in Abuja.

INEC Chair Mahmood Yakubu
The INEC boss spoke as Yusuf Yabagi, Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), appealed to the commission to extend the June 3 deadline for political parties' primaries for the 2023 general election, by two months.
But while dismissing such calls, Yakubu said any extension in the timeline for an activity would affect other activities and put unnecessary pressure on political parties and the commission.
He said that any extension in the timeline for an activity would affect other activities and put unnecessary pressure on political parties and the commission, NAN reports.
“I hereby reiterate the position of the Commission that there will be no review of the timelines. There are so many interrelated activities associated with the timelines that must be carried out,” he said.
 
“Any review to extend the timeline for one activity will affect other activities and put unnecessary pressure on political parties and the commission.”
 
Speaking on Ekiti and Osun governorship elections slated for June 18 and July 16, Yakubu said Section 42 of the Electoral Act 2022 required the commission to invite political parties to inspect samples of materials for the election not later than 20 days before the date fixed for an election.
 
Earlier, Yabagi said that the demand for adjusting the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections was adopted unanimously by the 18 political parties at the IPAC general assembly meeting.
 
“By implication, the IPAC leadership is appealing to the INEC to extend the deadline for conducting party primaries and resolve ensuing conflicts from the present INEC given date of June 3 to August 4.”
 
He explained that some of the issues that made parties demand an extension “are based on certain circumstances and developments that have hampered timely and strict compliance by the political parties to the timetable.”
 
He listed some of the developments that were not considered by INEC while drawing up the schedule of activities as the Ramadan fast, the Eld-el-Fitr and Easter celebrations within the period.

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Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS) says the general elections in 2023 may not hold due to the insecurity experienced in the country, SaharaReporters has gathered.
 
This was disclosed during a brainstorming session between officials of the agency and civil society organisations.

The meeting which was held on April 6, 2022, was also attended by a cross-section of human rights groups, non-governmental organisations, media leaders and rights activists in the country.
A source who was at the meeting told SaharaReporters that participants were told by the DSS that the 2023 elections may not hold due to insecurity.
The country’s electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had slated the Presidential and National Assembly elections for February 25, 2023, while governorship and state assembly elections will be held on March 11, 2023.
“We had a meeting at the DSS headquarters on April 6 where they asked participants to imagine a scenario where insecurity might lead to tenure elongation for Buhari,” a member of the civil society who attended the meeting told SaharaReporters.
 
“I thought they were joking when INEC had already picked dates for the election. But this morning, it was all over the newspapers that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Robert Clarke is asking for tenure elongation for Buhari.
“What’s weird was that this particular angle of the well-attended event was not reported by media persons in attendance, even though it caused substantial confusion and surprise.
“No doubt, the entire brainstorm was a ruse to prepare them to sell the tenure elongation idea to the public.”
Indeed, elder statesman, Chief Robert Clarke (SAN), on Monday called for a tenure extension for President Muhammadu Buhari to enable him to tackle the nation’s problems before elections would be held.
The senior lawyer on an Arise Television programme argued that the few months left before the 2023 elections were not sufficient to put an end to the insecurity in the country, which would be required to conduct the general elections.
A communique of the meeting seen by SaharaReporters however failed to mention the debate about election postponement.
Also, a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the DSS, Peter Afunanya, said the session was organised to establish a better relationship with CSOs and to ensure the stability of Nigeria and make better progress.
Afunanya pointed out that since CSOs also set agenda like the media, they need to work in synergy with the security agencies in the land and to always give out the kind of information that would engender hope, peace and progress at all times.
The communique issued at the end of the event, which was described as a one-day brainstorming session with civil society organisations/non-governmental organisations, was themed, ‘Civil Society and National Security In Nigeria’.
The event, organised by the DSS and coordinated by its public relations officer, was held at the Abuja National Headquarters of the Service.
It was attended by the Director-General, Y.M Bichi, who was represented by Kabiru Sani (ADG), Director, Administration (DA).
The communique said the “programme was aimed at building a synergy between Security Agencies and CSOs/NGOs to enhance communication for national peace and security”.
“Papers were also delivered on key issues particularly, effects of fake news on national security, need for robust relationships among strategic groups and relevance of early warning to security planning and activities of CSOs as well as roles of stakeholders in achieving election success,” it also said.
It noted that the session identified such challenges to include "Non-existent information-sharing mechanism/platform between CSOs and Security agencies; Inadequate knowledge of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by some CSOs and in some instances, non-responsiveness to the Act by Security agencies; and Inadequate sensitization programmes on governance and electoral processes in the rural communities and volatile areas".
Others include “Fake news, hate speech, misinformation, miscommunication and misrepresentation of information remain threats to national security; Irregular attendance by security agencies to functions organised by CSOs/NGOs; CSOs lack of knowledge about the existence of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and its activities/roles; Unethical practices of some CSOs which derail national security; and Ignorance and overzealousness by some CSOs to engage on negative issues in order to incite citizens against Government.”
It was signed on behalf of other participants by Chizoba Nwankwoala, DSS, Chairperson, Communique Drafting Committee (CDC); Badaru A. Ismail, DSS, Member; Linda Oparandu, DSS, Member; Pharmacist Emeka Akwuobi; Coalition for Peace in Nigeria (COPIN), Member; and Salaudeen Hashim, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Member.

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Yemi Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says President Muhammadu Buhari has taught him how to govern a complex and diverse country like Nigeria.
 
According to his spokesperson, Laolu Akande, he spoke on Tuesday when he visited the Palace of the Emir of Gombe, Abubakar Shehu Abubakar.
  Yemi Osinbajo
The visit, it is understood, was to canvass for votes from All Progressives Congress (APC) delegates ahead of the ruling party’s 2023 primary election.
 
Speaking on the occasion, Osinbajo, who recently joined the 2023 presidential race, said his experience as a vice-president, acting president and working with Buhari would be "extremely useful" in governance.
 
He said: “I have had the honour of serving under a transparent leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, who exposed me very diligently to all that there is to know about governing a complex and very diverse country such as ours.
 
“With the experience that God has given me and the exposure that I have had, including being acting President on occasions; if God enables me to become president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I think my experience, all I’ve learned, will be extremely useful."
 
His comment further corroborates his earlier remark that he would build on the "legacies" of Buhari if elected.
 
Many Nigerians have been criticising Osinbajo due to the poor economic indices and widespread poverty experienced under Buhari, wondering what the future portends for the country should the Vice President toe the path taken by his boss.
 
Under Buhari, for instance, the unemployment rate has worsened. Nigeria’s unemployment rate has more than quadrupled since 2016 when the economy slipped into a recession. The country also recorded a second recession in 2020.
 
At least one in three Nigerians able and willing to work had no jobs in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
 
Statistics also show that Nigeria’s unemployment rate rose to 33.3 per cent, translating to some 23.2 million people in 2020, the highest in at least 13 years.
 
Also, Hanke’s Annual Misery Index established that Nigerians were more miserable in 2021 than they were in 2020.
 
The report released in February 2022, in analysing 156 countries, showed that Nigeria went from 15th among the most miserable countries in the world’s ranking in 2020 to 11th in 2021.
 
Insecurity has also taken a worrisome dimension under Buhari despite promising to end the menace on several occasions.
 
The inflation rate has also been alarming with prices of food and other essential items rising almost on a daily basis.
 
In March, for instance, the consumer price index, which measures the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services, climbed to 15.92 per cent in March 2022, amid rising food and gas prices.
 
The figure represents the highest rate recorded since October 2021 — and 0.22 per cent points higher than the 15.7 per cent recorded in the previous month (February 2022).

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The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) on Tuesday, called on relevant organs of government to fish out the lawless elements disturbing the peace that Nigerians used to enjoy wherever they resided across the country.
The herders’ union said that the growing spate of insecurity in the South East wasn't targeted at its members, adding that the good people of the South-East region had been equally affected. 

The South-East Zonal Chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, disclosed this in a statement issued in Enugu, titled "Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association Of Nigeria (MACBAN) South-East zone reacts to the recent media altercation between Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) over the burning of a cattle laden truck in Anambra State". 
There has been an increasingly hostile war of words between another herders’ association called Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) over a recent attack on a truck loaded with cattle in Anambra State. 
However, the MACBAN zonal chairman in the statement said that though the incident was reprehensible and the perpetrators must be brought to justice, the situation should not be allowed to degenerate further. 
The statement partly reads, "There is no doubt that our country, Nigeria, is in perilous times. The spate of insecurity that keeps spreading across the length and breadth of the country confirms this. 
"While we of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, continue to sue for peace amongst aggrieved Nigerians across ethnic divides, we advise the relevant organs of government to dig in and fish out the lawless elements causing harm and hurt to the warm fellowship and good neighbourliness that Nigerians used to enjoy wherever they resided across the country. 
"We call on Government, Federal, State and Local Governments, to galvanize efforts towards improving the lives of Nigerians by issuing policies that will drastically reduce the huge population of Nigerians in abject poverty. It is beyond contestation that hunger, deprivation and extreme poverty breed unruly acts that include criminality and other anti-social indulgences."
It added that the “security challenge in the South East is not an isolated case from the totality of insecurity in Nigeria. It is evident that while our herders have suffered victims of the dastardly operations of the lawless gangs who are differently addressed, we share this victimhood with other Nigerians including South Easterners who fall into the devious hands of the men of the underworld”. 
It added, "People have been indiscriminately killed and government’s, as well as personal valuables, have been lost to these gangs that have largely adopted the tag of ‘Unknown gunmen’. It is therefore a burden on society that everyone and the government are called upon to contribute to its reduction and eventual eradication.
"With every sense of responsibility, I observed the hostile exchange between the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore (not Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria – MACBAN) and the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, over the Sunday morning burning of a truck loaded with cattle along Uga-Ezinifite-Igboukwu Road in Anambra State. Some Northern persons in the truck were reported hurt and the cow consignment let loose. This is unfortunate, deplorable and most condemnable. 
"While we of Miyetti Allah Cattle Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, unreservedly lend support to voices condemning whatever would have informed that act and whoever executed it, and while we insist that Government should trace and bring the perpetrators to book, we do not subscribe to the mode of the altercation between the two aforementioned interest organisations. 
"We insist it was a security breach which the Government and its security agencies have the responsibility of interrogating. Since it serves neither any of the contending groups nor the society any good to provoke further tension and escalate the insecurity we all detest, we of MACBAN advise that reason prevails in our collective drive for a more habitable neighbourhood that will be beneficial to everyone.
"We are optimistic that the daunting security challenges the country is faced with now are reined in, in no distant time.”
 

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Abubakar Malami

The Federal High Court in Lagos has nullified all sales and disposals of assets made by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami (SAN) under the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019.
The court also nullified the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019 for being “an invalid statutory instrument”.

Abubakar Malami
It held that the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019 were “ultra vires the office and powers” of the AGF.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa made the order on Monday, May 9, in suit FHC/L/CS/40/2021 filed by the plaintiff, Incorporated Trustees of HEDA Resource Centre, against the AGF as the sole defendant.
The AGF on November 9, 2020, inaugurated the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the disposal of assets forfeited to the Nigerian Government.
This, according to the minister, was in accordance with the President’s directive in October 2018 following recommendations of the Presidential Audit Committee on Recovery and Management of Stolen Assets and a need for efficient management of the assets.
 
But HEDA, through its counsel, Omotayo Olatubosun, challenged the AGF’s power to set up the committee.
It argued that the regulations conflicted with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act, Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administrative Act, 2015, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act, 2004 and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission Act (ICPC), 2000, among others, on the matter of disposal of final forfeited assets.
The plaintiff sought nine reliefs, including the nullification of all disposals of assets by the AGF’s Committee.
In its judgment, the court dismissed the AGF’s preliminary objection argued by its counsel, Tolu Mokunolu, and granted all of HEDA’s reliefs as prayed on the motion paper.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa held: “I am entirely in agreement with the submission of counsel for the plaintiff that the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019 are contrary to the statutory provisions of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC Act, Trafficking in Persons Cohabitation Enforcement and Administration Act, NDLEA Act and Immigration Act.
“A careful perusal of the above statutory provisions will show the provisions for the Attorney-General of the Federation to make regulations for the agencies for disposal of assets under the various enactments listed above.
“The above statutory enactments are therefore the enabling source of the Attorney-General of the Federation to the regulations.
“Consequently, the administrative powers to be exercised by the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation must flow from the enabling statutes.
“It is pertinent to state that the powers of the Attorney-General of the Federation do not override the provisions of the enabling statutes stabilising the powers of the law enforcement agencies and anti-corruption agencies and consequently the powers referred to in the commencement clause of the regulations merely are to be exercised in accordance with the Acts not to usurp the mandatory powers vested in the law enforcement agencies and the anti-corruption agencies.
“I am therefore in agreement with counsel for the plaintiff that the executive orders or any other forms of definition can be issued pursuant to session 315 of the Constitution; however, they are limited to enactments predating the 1999 Constitution.
“The Acts under Consideration in this instant suit were enacted after the 1999 Constitution and do not fall within the ambit of session 315 of the 1999 Constitution.
“In all and for the reasons hereinbefore given in this judgement, the questions put for determination in the originating summons are answered in favour of the plaintiff and all the reliefs sought are granted as prayed. This is the judgment of the court read in the open court."
 
The Plaintiff’s reliefs granted by the judge include a declaration that by the ICPC Act, the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019 “is an invalid statutory instrument the former having conferred no power arrogated by the Defendant to himself in the latter Regulations;
“An Order nullifying the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019 as an invalid statutory instrument same being in excess of the provisions of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission Act, 2000;
“An Order nullifying all sales and disposals of assets made by the Defendant pursuant to the said Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019 same being ultra vires the office and powers of the Defendant”.
Some officials in the Federal Ministry of Justice had been reportedly selling off forfeited and retrieved assets owned by the Nigerian Government.
 
 

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A right-hand man to billionaire Mike Adenuga is at the centre of a mystery as to how he and his family acquired the deeds to a luxury hotel in Warri, Delta State.
 
Dr Chief Oritsema Oma Eyewuoma (Chief Oma) is the Executive Vice President at Conoil and has worked for the company since 1992, but salaries at the firm being chased on the international and domestic front for defaulting on debts, are known to be modest.

Oil companies operating in Nigeria such as Shell, Mobil, and Total or local players like Seplat and Oando offer significantly high salaries and compensation packages.
This is why Chief Oma’s construction and management of the magnificent edifice that is the Brookview Hotel & Resorts in Warri, Delta State is rather puzzling as a salaryman would find it difficult to finance the construction of such a grand hotel.
Proof of his status as a secret luxury hotel owner is at Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission showing (See attached documents) Brookview Hotel & Resorts Limited is largely owned by Chief Oma, with the remaining shares split among his children – notably; Taiye, Gbemisi and Gabriel.
 
LinkedIn & Instagram searches reveal that Taiye Eyewuoma is the Chief Financial Officer of Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited.
Gabriel Eyewuoma is the Chief Legal Officer at Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, and Gbemisi Eyewuoma, according to the bio on his Instagram handle, @eyewuomagbesimi, is the Chairman of Gbesi Limited.
 
Brookview Hotel & Resorts, which has three floors, is located on Plot 25/27 Etefia Close, Off Akpagha Street, Off Old Airport Road, 320242, Warri, Delta State.
According to the Nigerian hotel guide website, www.hotels.ng, Brookview Hotel & Resorts is a 3-star hotel with three categories of rooms – the Standard Room at a charge of N15,000 per night, the Executive Room at N20,000 per night, and the Deluxe Room at N30,000 per night.
The hotel features many amenities, as shown in pictures on the hotels.ng site such as an outdoor pool, restaurant, bar, lounge, ample outdoor parking, an onsite dry-cleaning & laundry room, and a fully air-conditioned banquet hall for hosting events.
 
“The source of funds needed to build and operate such a hotel is not easily traceable, however, Chief Oma as the Executive Vice President of Drilling Operations at Conoil oversees a swathe of companies that have both local and international presence,” a worker at the company said.
 
“These companies include Segof (directional drilling services), Shelf Drilling (drilling rigs), Dewayles (barge supply services), Wasco (solid control services), Annajul (drill bits supplier), Skangix (mud logging services), Ana Industries (well kill chemicals), Enixco Ultimate Ventures (dredging and diesel supply services), Bello Bina (drilling and operations support vessels) and Tenaris (pipes and tubings supply).
 
“Payment by Conoil to these companies often requires the 78-year-old man’s buy-in & signature. Shelf Drilling, for example, has two rigs, the Adriatic-1 (AD-1) and the Resourceful (SDR), currently working for Conoil at its OML 59 and OML 153 oil blocks respectively. Draft contracts show that these rigs attract a day rate cost to Conoil of USD $65,000 for the SDR and USD $70,000 for the AD-1 rig. These rigs have been in service to Conoil for more than two years.
“Conoil was the first Nigerian indigenous oil & gas company to strike oil in commercial quantities in 1990 with its OML 103 field in the Ilaje area of Ondo state. Shortly after that success, Conoil struck ‘black gold’ again in its OML 59 field in Bayelsa State. In the mid-90s, these two fields brought in an impressive daily production.
“Chief Oma was employed as the drilling manager for Conoil at its inception and over the last four decades has risen to become the number one drilling man in the company, overseeing all drilling campaigns which Conoil runs year-round.”
The source added that Mike Adenuga has been so focused on his telecoms network, Glo, that he might not pay “attention to Conoil Producing and those that he has entrusted to run the company on a day-to-day basis”.
 
SaharaReporters had in April reported how domestic contractors accused the oil and gas marketing firm of failing to honour its debt obligations totalling millions of dollars.
 
Adenuga, the founder of Globacom and a billionaire businessman, is the chairman of the board of Conoil.
 
In addition to being the oil company’s chairman, the billionaire businessman, who is currently worth $7.4 billion, owns 74.4 percent of Conoil.
 
The contractors demanded an investigation into Conoil’s “tragic state” in separate letters to the president’s Chief of Staff Ibrahim Gambari and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
 
The aggrieved businessmen claim that Conoil’s board and senior management engage in a variety of unethical business practices to ensure that contractors are not paid.
 
The accusation comes nearly five months after Conpurex, a wholly-owned Conoil subsidiary, was dragged to court by creditors over a $7million debt.
 
In addition to the recent contractor accusations, the oil and gas company was accused of failing to properly maintain multimillion-dollar platforms, with creditors pointing to joint ventures between the Nigerian government and Conoil, which they said were a dismal failure.
 
Conoil was also accused of mismanaging the Nigerian government’s Obodo Field, and of being nothing more than a general contractor.
 
The company failed to develop, according to the contractors, as the field has yet to produce a single barrel of oil in the 15 years that the oil company has been involved in the project.
 
Conoil reported total borrowings of N7.34 billion ($17.65 million) at the end of 2021, with trade and other payables estimated at N21.9 billion ($52.67 million).

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