A United States-based Nigerian social critic, Prof Farooq Kperogi, says Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo’s presidential declaration speech contained “two barefaced lies.”
Earlier on Monday, Osinbajo, a senior pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God in a short broadcast shared via his Twitter handle said that he would want to succeed his principal, Muhammadu Buhari and complete all that the All Progressives Congress government started seven years ago.

“In the past seven years, I have served as Vice President under a true Nigerian patriot, a servant of the nation in war and peace, and a man of integrity, President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We have, together, worked through some of the most difficult times in the history of our Nation, but we have remained focused on securing the country, providing infrastructure and growing our economy,” he had said.
In a lengthy article via his social media page on Monday, Kperogi, a professor of Journalism and Emerging Media at Kennesaw State University in Georgia said Osinbajo “is a compulsively narrow-minded, intolerant, Christian fanatic who nurses a noxious, deep-rooted loathing for Muslims.”
He added, “Yemi Osinbajo’s underwhelming, grammatically error-ridden, self-sabotaging presidential declaration speech contains two barefaced lies.
“The first major lie is his claim that he has “been to practically all local governments in Nigeria.” The lie is too self-evident to need further elucidation from me.
“But the second major lie, which concerns me more than the first, is his claim that he wants a Nigeria “where the man from Nnewi sees the man in Gusau as his brother, where the woman in Warri sees the woman in Jalingo as her sister, where the love of our nation burns alike in the hearts of boys and girls from Gboko to Yenogoa. Where everywhere in this land is home for everyone, where our diversities, tribes [sic] and faiths unite, rather than divide us.”
“Let us examine his own record as Vice President. As I have repeatedly pointed out in the past few weeks, Osinbajo is a compulsively narrow-minded, intolerant, Christian fanatic who nurses a noxious, deep-rooted loathing for Muslims (and, frankly, other Christian sects] and who sees his being in government as an opportunity to promote the supremacy of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), which I have characterised as his RCCGification project
“So, let’s start. Although every political position he has ever occupied in life has been facilitated by Yoruba Muslims (i.e., Prince Bola Ajibola and Bola Tinubu), every consequential position he has had an opportunity to facilitate was given to an RCCG member. In 2015, when he was given an opportunity to nominate a minister, he presented Okechukwu Enelamah, an RCCG pastor, who became Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment until 2019.
“His spokesperson, Laolu Akande, was an RCCG pastor in New York. Like many RCCG pastors in the US, he relocated to Nigeria to feed fat on the Pentecostal paradise that Osinbajo has created for his kind. I’ve learned that Akande’s parish in New York has now closed.
“As Vice President, Osinbajo is in charge of the economy, and all the major appointments he has influenced in government agencies under the economy have been given to RCCG pastors. For example, when he was asked to nominate a chairman for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), he nominated Babatunde Fowler, an RCCG pastor.
“How about the Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE)? You guessed right; another RCCG pastor by the name of Alex Ayoola Okoh.
“When it came time to appoint someone to be MD and CEO of Nigeria's Bank of Industry (BOI), guess again who Osinbajo nominated. Yep, another RCCG pastor by the name of Olukayode Pitan who has turned the BOI into an RCCG church. I’ve been given a dossier of the happenings there and will share them at the appropriate time.
“His RCCGification isn’t limited to government appointments. He also parlays his symbolic currency as VP into an opportunity to put RCCG members as university vice chancellors and traditional rulers in Yorubaland. There’s currently tension in Ogbomoso because Osinbajo influenced the imposition of an RCCG pastor by the name of Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye as the new Soun of Ogbomoso. Olaoye is an RCCG pastor in Maryland, USA.
“And Osinbajo has been accused of hatching another plot to impose an RCCG pastor as the Akinrun of Ikirun, a historic Muslim town in Osun State. Although I don’t think there’s any credibility to this accusation, it nonetheless resonates in Muslim Yorubaland because it fits the pattern of Osinbajo’s RCCGification efforts in the region.
“The list of RCCG pastors Osinbajo has caused to be appointed into government is deep, long, and wide. Almost without exception, every opportunity Osinbajo has had to appoint someone to a consequential position, he has unfailingly given it to an RCCG pastor.
“That was precisely what he meant when, according to the Vanguard, he told Apostolic Christian leaders in Lagos on Nov. 4, 2016, that his vice presidency “is our [i.e., Christian leaders’] first opportunity. This is our first shot at it. We need to maximise it and do the best we can. I think what my nomination and appointment have done is that it has open [sic] the door for us. We can do it and we can be influential in doing it.”
“Yet this vile, shameless, emotionally stunted bigot has the gall to barefacedly lie to Nigerians that he wants a Nigeria “where our diversities, tribes [sic] and faiths unite, rather than divide us.” No, he doesn’t. He wants to establish a Pentecostal RCCG republic. If that’s what Nigerians want, good luck.”

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Residents of Mosogar Community in Delta State have begun to flee their homes following a gas pipeline explosion along the Warri/Benin Expressway in Ethiope-West Local Government Area.
Details as to why the gas pipeline exploded are still sketchy at the time of this report, Daily Post reports.

The incident was confirmed by the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe.
According to him, the gas pipeline explosion occurred as a result of leakage.
“They said it is not vandalisation. They said it’s pipeline leakage that caused it.”

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A United States-based Nigerian social critic, Prof Farooq Kperogi, says Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo’s presidential declaration speech contained “two barefaced lies.”
Earlier on Monday, Osinbajo, a senior pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God in a short broadcast shared via his Twitter handle said that he would want to succeed his principal, Muhammadu Buhari and complete all that the All Progressives Congress government started seven years ago.

“In the past seven years, I have served as Vice President under a true Nigerian patriot, a servant of the nation in war and peace, and a man of integrity, President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We have, together, worked through some of the most difficult times in the history of our Nation, but we have remained focused on securing the country, providing infrastructure and growing our economy,” he had said.
In a lengthy article via his social media page on Monday, Kperogi, a professor of Journalism and Emerging Media at Kennesaw State University in Georgia said Osinbajo “is a compulsively narrow-minded, intolerant, Christian fanatic who nurses a noxious, deep-rooted loathing for Muslims.”
He added, “Yemi Osinbajo’s underwhelming, grammatically error-ridden, self-sabotaging presidential declaration speech contains two barefaced lies.
“The first major lie is his claim that he has “been to practically all local governments in Nigeria.” The lie is too self-evident to need further elucidation from me.
“But the second major lie, which concerns me more than the first, is his claim that he wants a Nigeria “where the man from Nnewi sees the man in Gusau as his brother, where the woman in Warri sees the woman in Jalingo as her sister, where the love of our nation burns alike in the hearts of boys and girls from Gboko to Yenogoa. Where everywhere in this land is home for everyone, where our diversities, tribes [sic] and faiths unite, rather than divide us.”
“Let us examine his own record as Vice President. As I have repeatedly pointed out in the past few weeks, Osinbajo is a compulsively narrow-minded, intolerant, Christian fanatic who nurses a noxious, deep-rooted loathing for Muslims (and, frankly, other Christian sects] and who sees his being in government as an opportunity to promote the supremacy of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), which I have characterised as his RCCGification project
“So, let’s start. Although every political position he has ever occupied in life has been facilitated by Yoruba Muslims (i.e., Prince Bola Ajibola and Bola Tinubu), every consequential position he has had an opportunity to facilitate was given to an RCCG member. In 2015, when he was given an opportunity to nominate a minister, he presented Okechukwu Enelamah, an RCCG pastor, who became Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment until 2019.
“His spokesperson, Laolu Akande, was an RCCG pastor in New York. Like many RCCG pastors in the US, he relocated to Nigeria to feed fat on the Pentecostal paradise that Osinbajo has created for his kind. I’ve learned that Akande’s parish in New York has now closed.
“As Vice President, Osinbajo is in charge of the economy, and all the major appointments he has influenced in government agencies under the economy have been given to RCCG pastors. For example, when he was asked to nominate a chairman for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), he nominated Babatunde Fowler, an RCCG pastor.
“How about the Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE)? You guessed right; another RCCG pastor by the name of Alex Ayoola Okoh.
“When it came time to appoint someone to be MD and CEO of Nigeria's Bank of Industry (BOI), guess again who Osinbajo nominated. Yep, another RCCG pastor by the name of Olukayode Pitan who has turned the BOI into an RCCG church. I’ve been given a dossier of the happenings there and will share them at the appropriate time.
“His RCCGification isn’t limited to government appointments. He also parlays his symbolic currency as VP into an opportunity to put RCCG members as university vice chancellors and traditional rulers in Yorubaland. There’s currently tension in Ogbomoso because Osinbajo influenced the imposition of an RCCG pastor by the name of Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye as the new Soun of Ogbomoso. Olaoye is an RCCG pastor in Maryland, USA.
“And Osinbajo has been accused of hatching another plot to impose an RCCG pastor as the Akinrun of Ikirun, a historic Muslim town in Osun State. Although I don’t think there’s any credibility to this accusation, it nonetheless resonates in Muslim Yorubaland because it fits the pattern of Osinbajo’s RCCGification efforts in the region.
“The list of RCCG pastors Osinbajo has caused to be appointed into government is deep, long, and wide. Almost without exception, every opportunity Osinbajo has had to appoint someone to a consequential position, he has unfailingly given it to an RCCG pastor.
“That was precisely what he meant when, according to the Vanguard, he told Apostolic Christian leaders in Lagos on Nov. 4, 2016, that his vice presidency “is our [i.e., Christian leaders’] first opportunity. This is our first shot at it. We need to maximise it and do the best we can. I think what my nomination and appointment have done is that it has open [sic] the door for us. We can do it and we can be influential in doing it.”
“Yet this vile, shameless, emotionally stunted bigot has the gall to barefacedly lie to Nigerians that he wants a Nigeria “where our diversities, tribes [sic] and faiths unite, rather than divide us.” No, he doesn’t. He wants to establish a Pentecostal RCCG republic. If that’s what Nigerians want, good luck.”

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A young accountant based in Lagos, Ekechi Nnadozie, has cried out for justice after some personnel of the Nigerian Air Force from PWD, Ikeja, damaged his sports utility vehicle in the Obanikoro area of the city last Thursday morning.
Nnadozie was driving to work along Ikorodu Road within the metropolis that fateful morning when he came across the military personnel in a convoy of buses.

Seeing how recklessly the convoy moved on the expressway, the young man decided to branch off into the service lane in order not to have his car – a Ford Edge 2013 model – hit by one of the buses conveying the air force personnel.
But as he drove into the service lane, the military officers stopped Nnadozie’s car and unleashed their fury on him.
Apart from destroying the sunroof of the vehicle, they also broke one of the headlamps before driving away from the scene.
The incident did not only rattle the young accountant, who still wonders what his offence was, but it also left him in a state of confusion.
Efforts to get air force authorities to punish the errant officers, who damaged his SUV, have been futile.
Speaking with SaharaReporters on Monday over the incident, the accountant revealed that he has received a N420,000 invoice from an auto mechanic to fix the damage done by the military officers.
According to him, he should not suffer such a financial burden over damage caused by overzealous and power-drunk law enforcement officers.
He said, “I was driving to work and trying to join the service lane along Obanikoro when errant air force officers driving recklessly broke my sunroof.
“I had joined the service lane when I saw their convoy in front of me and they were trying to bully me out of the road.
“I tried to park my car and allow them to pass but they stopped me and broke the roof and shattered the glass. They also damaged one of the headlamps of the car.
“This is an injustice of the highest order. I did not commit any offence to deserve this type of unwarranted attack by those air force officers.
“They destroyed my car and put me in unnecessary difficulty. They are from the air force school at PWD in Ikeja, it was written on their vehicle. All I want is justice to be served on this matter.”
Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, could not be reached for comments at the time of filing this report as his telephone line was unreachable.
















 

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There was palpable tension in Idi-ape, Basorun and Iwo-road areas of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Monday when a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeniyan, defected to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
SaharaReporters observed that hoodlums suspected to be members of the Motor Park System (MPS) stormed the Idi-ape house of Olopoeniyan shortly after his defection to the NNPP.

Eyewitnesses narrated that on arriving in his house, the thugs started shooting sporadically which injured one of the supporters of the politician.
SaharaReporters also observed that people were scampering for safety in the ensuing confusion after closing their shops while others avoided the affected areas.
One of the aides of Olopoeniyan, Tunji Adefuye, who confirmed the attack, said to avoid such incident, his boss had informed the police ahead of time.
According to him, the MPS boss, Mukaila Lamidi popularly known as Auxiliary, is always after the life of his boss for no reason, which he said was why the hoodlums were in his house to disrupt the peaceful defection.
He noted that one of the invaders confirmed that they were sent by the chairman of the park management system in Oyo State, Auxiliary.
"Those guys arrived with guns and machetes. We saw them from afar and that was how God saved some of us. One of our men was affected. It took the intervention of the police before they chased them away. This is serious. Why attacking my boss when the governor knows that he is not popular?"
Olopoeniyan had earlier said PDP was currently in crisis due to the selfishness of the governor in the state who failed to appreciate efforts of party members that worked for his emergence.
He said; "PDP was not on ground in Oyo State as at 2015, we reshaped the party and used it to contest and come to power. NNPP is ready; PDP and APC members are still going to join us, it is now money for money and power for power in 2023 election; we shall attack whoever attacks us.
“Makinde is running thuggery and prisoners’ administration, PDP has been divided beyond repair; that is why we have to leave before it collapses totally.”
Meanwhile, the secretary of NNPP in Oyo State, Soji Olaojo, in his welcome address said that the leaders of the party approached Olopoeyan having seeing his strength as one of the stakeholders in the state.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday arraigned one Bolarinwa Abiodun, a fake Army General, before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State.
The EFCC Lagos Zonal Command arraigned the fake Chief of Army Staff on a 13-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, forgery of documents and possession of documents containing false pretence to the tune of N266,500,000.

The offences are contrary to Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act 2006; Section 363 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015 and Section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act No 14 of 2006, respectively.
The defendant, who posed as a General in the Nigerian Army allegedly, made false representations to the complainant, Kodef Clearing Resources, that the President, Muhammadu Buhari, had shortlisted him and one other to be appointed as the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, and that he needed a short grant to “press and process the appointment.”
Abiodun, who was arrested at his house in the Alagbado area of Lagos State on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, also allegedly forged a letter of appointment as COAS purportedly signed by the President and showed the same to the victim to further prove his claim.
In the said letter, he claimed that he needed to pay a certain amount of money into the coffers of the Federal Government of Nigeria, as part of the requirements for the appointment as COAS.
Abiodun is also alleged to have, in May 2020, forged a Nigeria Army Identity Card with serial number 387140, claiming the same to have been issued to him from the Nigerian Army, and another forged Letter of Recommendation purportedly signed by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo recommending one Adebayo Rasaq Adebola, with recruitment No 77RRI/OG/556/0032555 and Adeogun Emmanuel Adesola with recruitment No 77RRI/OG/352/0123751 for employment into the Nigeria Army.
He is also accused of being in possession of a forged Certificate of Confirmation dated November 7, 2018, purporting the same to have emanated from the Nigerian Army Headquarters.
He is also accused of being in possession of a forged document titled: Letter of Authorization, purportedly signed by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo permitting one Bamidele Olusegun Safiriyu of De-Rock Maritime Resource L.T.D. to enter Apapa Port freely and load their truck.
Upon his arrest, six pump action guns, three cartridge bullets, a swagger stick and several forged documents were recovered from him.
One of the counts reads: "Bolarinwa Oluwasegun Abiodun, between 15th June, 2020 and 31st December 2020 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud and whilst holding yourself out as a General in the Nigerian Army, obtained the sum of N111,400,000 from Kodef Clearing Resources Limited, under the pretence that the sum represented part of the amount expended to "press and process" your incoming appointment by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as the CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF of the Nigerian Army, which pretence you knew to be false."
Another count reads: "Bolarinwa Oluwasegun Abiodun, sometime in May 2020 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly forged LETTER OF APPOINTMENT AS CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF dated 20th May 2020 and purported the said document to have emanated from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which document you know to be false."
He pleaded "not guilty" to the charges.
Following his plea, the prosecuting counsel, A.O. Muhammed, prayed the court for a trial date and for the remand of the defendant at the facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Justice Taiwo adjourned till Thursday, April 14, 2022 and ordered that the defendant be remanded at Ikoyi Correctional facility, Lagos.

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The Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, has assured that Federal Government will ensure that justice is served in the matter of the gospel artist Osinachi Nwachukwu, who allegedly died as a result of unreported serial domestic violence meted out to her by her husband, Peter Nwachukwu.
Osinachi’s death was announced on Friday night after battling reported cancer.

Minutes later, it was learnt that the singer died in the hospital after suffering domestic violence from her husband.
Singer, Frank Edwards, also disclosed that an “unreasonable human” put an end to her life.
There are reports that Osinachi refused to leave the marriage despite domestic violence because of her commitment to the church.
However, the Minister in a statement on Monday, said she personally signed domestic violence as a crime under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (2015), stressing that Peter Nwachukwu, the husband of the late popular gospel artiste, would be prosecuted.
She called on religious and traditional institutions, as well as the immediate families to join in the fight to rid the society of such acts.
The statement reads in part: “As with every news of domestic violence which spreads like wildfire, I was woken up to the news of the untimely death of one of Nigeria’s finest female gospel artists Osinachi Nwachukwu, who was said to have died as a result of cancer on 8th April 2022. This could have passed as one of those news, until new facts started emerging that she died as a result of domestic violence.
“Then you begin to wonder and ask how such a talented and self-accomplished individual who loved God has been a victim? It is now truly obvious that violence knows no class or creed. It could have been that she cried out to her church or pastor or friends or family, but all she got was “it is well” and now that the inevitable has happened, they are speaking out. It is NOT WELL if we carry on with the traditional ways of sweeping bad behaviour under the carpet.
"In Nigeria today, Domestic Violence is a crime under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (2015). The Federal Government of Nigeria and the states have declared zero tolerance for Gender-Based Violence. And so, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs under my watch will prosecute this matter to get justice for Osinachi.
"It is obvious that her children also need psycho-social support to heal from this trauma if it is true that their Father will go the whole length of tying her up and asking the children to flog her with a cane. This is unbelievable and MUST be condemned in all its ramifications.
"The ministry working with relevant authorities will set in motion the mechanism to rehabilitate these children so that they do not grow up damaged and assume that such acts are normal thereby poisoning our society.
"I know that more women are going through such traumatic experiences, please give them a listening ear, provide wise counsel and save them from untimely death. I am not advocating for divorce for those, who will misunderstand me! All I am asking is that we stand up to the truth where necessary and promptly so as to save a life when you have an opportunity to do so. We cannot continue to keep losing our young women to mentally unstable young men all in the name of marriage. Life first before anything.
"Our religious and traditional institutions, as well as the immediate families must join us in this fight to rid our society of such acts before they become fatal. May the soul of Osinachi and all those who have lost their lives as a result of domestic violence rest in peace. Please if you see something, speak out so that together we can save lives. She added.

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A Nigerian man, Godwin Okon Udoh has narrated how his daughter, Joy was arrested and detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) for wearing a 'Biafra outfit' during her birthday.
SaharaReporters gathered that the 20-year-old lady was arrested on November 8, 2021, in Enugu State.

It was learnt that Joy has been denied access to her lawyers and family members by the DSS since her arrest.
In a statement obtained by SaharaReporters, the father accused the secret police of disrespecting the daughter’s rights as if the agency is above the constitution of the land.
He said, "I have a serious problem concerning my biological daughter, Godwin Joy Udoh. She is an activist who has been abducted by DSS operatives since 8 November 2021 in Enugu state, but it is very sad that till today, she has not been charged to court. The Nigerian DSS has refused to allow anyone to see her, they have denied both the lawyers and parents from visiting her at the headquarters of the DSS in Abuja where she was transferred to.
“According to the DSS, after their investigations on 22 February 2022, they said the offence of my daughter was that she wore a Biafra coloured dress on her birthday and that she also agitated for Biafra freedom through her social media, Facebook page.
“Latest updates and confirmation from the lawyer advocating for the enforcement of her fundamental rights are that my daughter is no more in the DSS headquarters in Abuja, that she has been transferred to Wawa military detention facility in Kainji, Niger state.
“Her continuous detention is absolutely Illegal and refusal to charge her to court is an absolute and gross violation of her fundamental rights as a human. Everyone has the right to agitate for self-determination which is a universal law. Her name is Godwin Joy Udoh. She is 20 years old. Date of Abduction: 8 November 2021.”
Similarly, Nollywood Actor, Chiwetalu Agu was arrested and detained in October 2021 in Anambra State for donning a ‘Biafra outfit’. 
He was later released following public pressure. 

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities, will on Monday have a meeting with the Nigerian Government through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, over the ongoing industrial action.
According to Punch, the meeting which is scheduled to commence by 5pm today will have in attendance representatives of the Federal Government and ASUU.

A notice sent by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Patience Onuobia, noted that Ngige would chair the meeting himself.
“The Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, will be meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Universities today by 5pm,” the notice read.
Meanwhile, the ongoing industrial action by ASUU entered its 56th day today (Monday).
The union is currently on strike over the failure by the Federal Government to honour the various agreements reached with them.
Some of ASUU’s demands include the release of revitalisation funds for universities, renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, release of earned allowances for university lecturers, and deployment of the UTAS payment platform for the payment of salaries and allowances of university lecturers.
Following the expiration of the initial four weeks of the warning strike, the union had gone ahead to declare another eight weeks saying that it was giving the government more time to attend to its needs.





 

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Human rights activist and Presidential aspirant, Omoyele Sowore, has vowed to wrestle power from the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government and retire all corrupt politicians who have impoverished Nigerians come 2023.
Sowore described himself as the best man for the job who would put the country on the path of honour where all Nigerians would have a sense of belonging.

He disclosed this during a visit to the members of African Action Congress (AAC) in Orozo community in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Sunday. 
The activist, who was received by a large crowd, said the present government had lost touch with reality and inflicted hardship and pains on Nigerians.
Sowore lamented the monumental corruption and injustices going on under the APC government, adding that the time had come for Nigerians to put an end to the shenanigans of the ruling party. 
The activist while debunking the insinuation that AAC did not have structures across the country said the oppressed and marginalised Nigerians were their structures and were ready to vote out bad politicians who had made life miserable for them.
He added that their structures included the oppressed market women, poor people, pensioners, students, unemployed graduates and commercial motorcyclists.
He said his agenda was to rescue and salvage the country from total collapse and unite Nigerians irrespective of their religion, ethnic and political affiliations.

Sowore also promised to create jobs for teeming unemployed graduates and ensure that Nigerians youths channelled their potential energy toward productive ventures.
He maintained that the AAC had structures which cut across all categories of people in the country.
He said, “We are going to retire all of them in 2023 and send them back to their villages.  Buhari will go back Daura, Osinbajo will go back to Lagos and do his pastoral work.
“They are saying we don't have structures across Nigeria.  Our structures are organic across - the country.  Who are our structures? The poor, oppressed, pensioners, widows, students, commercial motorcyclists, markets women, drivers and others.”
He said that he would run a socialist government that would focus on workers’ welfare, free education, job creation, and pension reform.
Sowore had on March 1, 2022, formally declared his intention to contest for the position of Nigeria’s president in the 2023 general elections under the platform of African Action Congress (AAC).
He had last week visited Tunga Maje and Mpape communities in the territory as part of his engagement with the people.

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The Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to launch an investigation into the death of late “Ekwueme” singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu.
The petition, signed by the National Chairman of the group, Amb. Belusochukwu M. Enwere, comes on the trail of reports that the singer died in the hospital after suffering from domestic violence from her husband.

Osinachi’s sister, who is the first daughter of the family and was identified as Favor Made, said on Sunday that Osinachi died as a result of a cluster of blood in the chest.
She said the late suffered from a blood clot after kicks she received from her husband, Peter Nwachukwu.
“We heard it was cancer that killed Osinachi. She did not die of cancer. The husband, Mr Peter Nwachukwu hit her with his leg on the chest. All this while, he has been beating her but my sister hides all that she was passing through from us,” she had said.
SaharaReporters had reported that Osinachi’s death was announced on Friday night.
The YOWICAN petition reads, “We humbly write on behalf of YOWICAN, the umbrella body that coordinates and oversees the affairs of all the Christian Youths in Nigeria, over the sudden death of Mrs Osinachi Nwachukwu.
“Prior to her demise, the deceased was a gospel minister, a singer and an artist. She was a devoted Christian and worshipped at Dunamis International Church, Airport Road, Lugbe, Abuja and was 42 years old as at the time of her death.
“The deceased Osinachi Nwachukwu was married to Mr Peter Nwachukwu (the prime suspect) who also doubles as her manager, and with whom she had four children, all minors.
“Information reaching us from a reliable source including friends and close family members has it that Mrs Osinachi Nwachukwu died as a result of injuries owing to domestic violence in the hands of her said husband, Mr Peter Nwachukwu.
“We as well gathered that the acts of domestic violence have persisted unabated and have been largely kept away from the Christian fold and the general public before this unfortunate episode that led to her death, owing to the severe injuries she sustained, which mostly affected her vital organs.
“Our prayers: It is in the light of the foregoing that we as leaders and representatives of the Christian youth body, to which Minister Osinachi Nwachukwu is a dedicated member, hereby petition that you use your good offices to cause an in-depth investigation into the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate death of this renowned music evangelist in order to ensure justice for Late Minister Osinachi Nwachukwu, especially the purported role played by her husband that led to her death in order to ensure that she gets justice, while bringing the perpetrators to book. Thank you Sir, in anticipation of a speedy investigation.”

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abuja zone says there will be no resumption in public universities until the renegotiated 2009 agreement is signed, implemented and the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) deployed.
The ASUU Zonal Coordinator, Dr Salawu Muhammed Lawal, made this known during a press conference at the University of Abuja in Gwagwalada on Monday.

According to him, members are ever ready to return to their duty post as soon as their demands are met by the Federal Government.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the zone comprises the Federal University of Lafia, Federal University of Technology Minna, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, and the University of Abuja.
“You would recall that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declared a four-week rolling strike at the University of Lagos National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on February 14.
“Owing to the failure of the Federal Government to act within that period, the national action was rolled over for another eight weeks following the resolution taken at an emergency NEC meeting at the Festus Iyayi National Secretariat on March 14.
“The action as you are probably aware is to among other things, compel the Federal Government to sign and implement the draft renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement submitted to it by the Prof. Munzali Committee in May 2021.
“Deploy for use in the Nigerian university system, was the home-grown payment and personnel solution called UTAS developed by ASUU as a replacement for the failed IPPIS.
“As usual, the Federal Government has ignored ASUU’s call for full implementation of that famous agreement and other memoranda signed with the union.
“No meeting has been held between the two parties since the commencement of the ongoing strike. The only exception is our union’s re-submission of UTAS for a retest.
“The summary is that unless and until the renegotiated 2009 agreement is signed and implemented and UTAS deployed, there will be no work in public universities,” he said.

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At least one person was killed while two others were injured when policemen opened fire on members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), popularly known as Shiites during a protest.
The protesters were demanding the release of the passport of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, in Zaria, Kaduna State, on Sunday.

 
The victim known as Yusuf was said to have been hit in the abdomen by a bullet and died on the spot.
 
Two other members of the group sustained bullet wounds and are currently battling for their lives in hospital.
 
An eyewitness, who spoke with SaharaReporters, disclosed that the IMN members were peacefully going about their protest when policemen emerged all of a sudden and began firing live bullets at them.
 
He said that the defiant Shiites stood their ground despite the danger they came under, demanding that the passport of their leader must be released in order for him to seek urgent medical care abroad.
 
“Policemen opened fire on Shiites in Zaria on Sunday during a protest calling for the release of the passport of their leader, Sheikh El-Zakzaky, so that he can go abroad for medical treatment.
 
“The law enforcement agents came in large numbers and immediately started firing live bullets at the protesters who were peaceful in their conduct, killing one person and leaving some others injured. 

“The situation created tension in the city on Sunday as residents were afraid that the issue could escalate further,” he said.
President, Media Forum of IMN, Ibrahim Musa, who confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters on Monday, disclosed that the victim had been buried in accordance with Islamic tenets.
 
He said, “It was an unprovoked attack on our members. They were only asking for the release of the Sheikh’s passport so that he can go for medical treatment abroad.
 
“His health has been on a decline for a while now and he needs urgent medical attention. This is what our people were demanding when they were attacked.”
 
El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat, were in July 2021 acquitted and discharged by the Kaduna State High Court after spending almost six years in detention.
 
They faced eight counts bordering on alleged culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, and disruption of the public peace, among others after IMN supporters clashed with soldiers in Zaria in 2015.
 
However, the couple has been denied their passports since their release, depriving them of the chance to attend to their failing health.
 
But the spokesperson for the police in Kaduna, Mohammed Jalige, did not respond to calls and a text message sent by SaharaReporters, seeking clarification on the issue.

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A civic group, the Take-It-Back Movement, has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Ari Mohammed Ali, over his alleged involvement in child trafficking, banditry and terrorism acts allegedly committed against children in the state.
The group in a letter addressed to the Delta State Coordinator, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Asaba and copied to the Executive Secretary of the Commission and the Inspector-General of Police, stated this.

According to the letter, the CP allegedly supervised the trafficking of thousands of children in Delta State with the latest being in February 2022 in which the CP, alongside Oghenekevwe Agas, the Permanent Secretary of the Delta State Ministry of Women Affairs supervised the re-trafficking of 22 children.
The group noted that the CP had refused to deal with a petition titled “Re: in the case of the alleged abduction and trafficking of over ten thousand children through the Delta State Police Command” as ordered by the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba.
It further alleged that police stations and commands under the CP were responsible for the transfer of exploited children from their custody to child trafficking centres also known as “Orphanages” or “Orphanage Homes” illegally approved by the Ministry of Women Affairs in Delta State.
The letter reads, “The Take It Back(TIB) Movement is committed to the protection and prevention of flagrant abuses of the rights of Nigeria’s citizens as enshrined in and the guaranteed by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). Also, to establish a system of prompt and efficient assistance for the needy persons whose rights are being violated.
“We are calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Ari Mohammed Ali over allegation of massive child trafficking, banditry and terrorism allegedly committed against children in Delta State on the following grounds:
“That via a letter dated 14/10/2021, referenced CB: 7000/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.557/184, the Inspector-General of Police had ordered CP. Ali Mohammed Ari, Commissioner of Police, Delta State Police Command to deal with the content of the aforesaid Petition titled “Re: in the case of the alleged abduction and trafficking of over ten thousand children through the Delta State Police Command” but has refused to carry out the said order to date. Find attached and annexed the said letter as Annexure Q1.
“That via another Petition dated 11/11/2021 addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, we have also complained about the unprofessional conduct of CP. Ali Mohammed Ari of refusing to carry out the order of the Inspector-General of Police with respect to the aforementioned Petition. Find attached and annexed the said letter as Annexure Q2.
“That the claim of CP. Ali Mohammed Ari that most of the Police stations and commands in Delta State do not have records of children is very worrisome because these police stations and commands are responsible for the transfer of exploited children from their custody to child trafficking centres also known as ‘Orphanages ‘or ‘Orphanage Homes’ illegally approved by the Ministry of Women Affairs in Delta State.
“The conduct of CP. Ali Mohammed Ari is not only unprofessional but centred on acting against the interest of children in Delta State.
“That CP. Ali Mohammed Ari appears to be fraternizing with suspected child traffickers, bandits and terrorists who are mainly Delta State government officials including Mrs. Oghenekevwe Agas, Mr. Joshua Omorere and others who had infiltrated the Delta State Police Command to cause the disappearance of thousands of children from Delta State.
“That we cannot condole the conduct of a commissioner of Police who is working against the interest of children by conspiring to traffick them using the machinery of the Nigeria Police Force and at same time displaying utmost disregard for the Order of the Inspector-General of Police.
“That on/about the month of February 2022, CP. Ali Mohammed Ari conspired with Mrs. Oghenekevwe Agas, Permanente Secretary, Delta State Ministry of Women Affairs supervised the re-trafficking of 22 children who were victims of child trafficking apprehended at various spots in Warri by failing to take the affected children into Police Emergency Protection thereby contravening  Section 44 of the Child’s Rights Act 2003.
“That on /about 23 June 2021, CP. Ali Mohammed allegedly supervised the re-trafficking of Jamina Shagari ‘F’ ‘16years’ and three other children. by failing to take the affected children into Police Emergency Protection thereby contravening Section 44 of the Child’s Rights Act 2003.
“It is very pertinent your office swiftly investigates the content of the Petition with a view of arresting and prosecuting the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Ari Mohammed if found wanting and preventing further breakdown of law and order.
“Take notice, the said CP Ari Mohammed has hired the services of killer police officers, suspected bandits and terrorists including the notorious Divisional Police Officers(DPO), Ovwian Police station and the Area Commander Burutu, SP Samuel Yohanna and ACP Adetoye Adepegba respectively to frame up, kidnap and assassinate Comrade Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho.”

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A young man named Johnson Apeh, who was among 15 passengers kidnapped along Itobe-Ochadamu Road while travelling from Abuja to Anyigba, Kogi State, last Thursday, has been freed.
Apeh, who is from Ette in the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, was released on Sunday night after the payment of a ransom of N500,000 to the abductors.

The kidnappers had initially demanded N10 million and later N5 million but eventually accepted N500,000 before releasing the young man.
The ransom money was raised by family members of the victim and kinsmen from his hometown in Enugu State.
A cousin of the victim, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the development to SaharaReporters on Monday.
He said, “He has been released. We paid N500,000 before they let him go. Family members and some people of Ette contributed money so that he could be freed.”
Thanking family members, friends and Nigerians for the support received during the tough period while he was in captivity, Apeh in a Facebook post on Monday said that words could not accurately capture the nasty experience he had while in the hands of his abductors.
He said, “I am indeed overwhelmed by the show of love in prayers and financial support in ensuring I regain my freedom.
“The experience was terrible and I wouldn't wish it for even an adversary.
“But God has used you all to rescue me and I can't forget in such a hurry. My family is full of praises and prayers for you all. We say thank you a million times!
"May God continue to bless and safeguard you all in your endeavours.”

The armed men, who carried out the operation, had blocked the vehicle Apeh was travelling in and ordered all passengers out before taking them into a nearby bush.
The hoodlums were said to have operated for over two hours unchallenged in the area with police and other law enforcement agencies failing to show up during the time.

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja has fixed April 13, 2022, for hearing in the case filed by the human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, challenging the ruling of the Federal High Court in confining him to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) since August 2019.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) had arrested Sowore in the early hours of August 3, 2019, for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand better governance and a better country. 

But the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari swiftly arraigned him in court on trumped-up charges, without any shred of evidence. 
The activist was kept in unlawful detention from that period until December 5, 2019, when he was finally released on bail despite two court orders earlier sanctioning his freedom. 
In a twist of events, DSS operatives invaded the Federal High Court in Abuja on December 6, 2019, to rearrest him without any court order. 
He remained in unlawful detention until 18 days later when he was released by the secret police for the second time.
The trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, had granted Sowore N100 million bail with two sureties who must be residents of Abuja and have landed properties within the Federal Capital Territory. 
The judge also ordered that one of the sureties must deposit N30 million with the court pending the determination of the case. 
Sowore was also restricted to the Federal Capital Territory pending the determination of the case.
The activist, however, approached the Appeal Court over the stringent bail conditions, including the one restricting his movements to Abuja.
In a document dated April 11, 2022, with Appeal number CA/A/778/21, which was obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday, the court fixed Wednesday, April 13 for hearing in the suit.
Titled 'Hearing Notice', it says, "Take notice that the above-mentioned motion, Appeal/Judgment has been listed for hearing before the Court of Appeal, Abuja sitting at 3 Arms Zone, PMB 322 Central District, Cadastral Zone." 
His counsel is Falana & Falana's Chambers. 

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Muhammadu Buhari

Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, on Monday stated that the recent invasion of Kaduna airport and the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna bound train by terrorists is not just shame to the country, but has created fear in Nigerians.
The group asserted that the level of insecurity was compounded by the unprecedentedly high cost of living, the collapse of social welfare, malfunctioning infrastructure, high level of unemployment, crime and hopelessness.

Muhammadu Buhari
These were contained in a statement released by the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere Mr. Jare Ajayi, urging the president to call on retired security officials to come and support those who are still in the service.
Afenifere noted that it was not too late for Buhari to clean the mess he met as well as the oe created by his government. 
The statement reads in part; “Reports from various parts of the country posted an unprecedented level of insecurity, direct attacks on security formations and camps of the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, as well as actual occupations of some areas by terrorists, especially in the northern part of the country. The recent invasion of Kaduna airport and the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna bound train by terrorists are things that bring not just shame to the country, but engender deadly fear in the hearts of an average Nigerian.
“The level of insecurity was compounded by the unprecedentedly high cost of living, the collapse of social welfare, malfunctioning infrastructure, high level of unemployment, crime and hopelessness.
“While it is noteworthy that President Buhari conceded that there is ‘mess’ that needs to be cleaned up, such expression ought to come from an incoming administration and not from someone who has been in the saddle for about seven years – out of the maximum eight years that he can spend in the office.
“Since the efforts the administration has been making all these years have not yielded the desired fruits, especially in the area of security, it is incumbent on the President to call on retired security officials to come and support those who are still in the service. Those to be recalled should include the retired soldiers, police and security officers of various hues. State police should also be allowed forthwith.
 “In the same vein, the Federal Government should make use of the abundant human resources with which the Almighty blessed this country by allowing knowledgeable Nigerians to have input into the running of the country.
"The present attitude of we know it all as being exhibited by government officials cannot solve the problem which the President identified just as the intolerance to suggestions from well-meaning Nigerians on the part of government officials is at variance with the ‘accountability mantra’ that President affirmed while hosting the ICAN leadership on Friday.
“The tendency by those in government to regard the calls by well-meaning people and organisations to change for better as hate speech is not helping either the government or the country.”
“It is not too late in the day to reverse the nation’s vehicle which appears to be heading towards the precipice. Greater respect must be given to the rule of law, justice must be allowed to prevail just as no group or entity is preferentially treated at the expense of others in the country.
"Indeed, to confirm that President is really determined to ‘clean the mess’, particularly in the area of security, willing states should be allowed to have their own state police just as government should show more commitment to education by respecting agreements reached with ASUU and other unions so that our youths can return to their schools," it added.

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The family of 29-year-old female doctor, Chinelo Nwando Megafu, who was killed in the Abuja-Kaduna train bombing on March 28, has announced her funeral arrangement.
Chinelo, whose family members are based in Lagos State, was about to relocate outside Nigeria when she met her untimely death.

According to her obituary poster, she will be laid to rest in Lagos State on April 21 at the Ebony Private Cemetery Ikoyi after a funeral mass at Shepherdhill Baptist Church, Obanikoro.
SaharaReporters had on March 29 reported that Chinelo was meant to travel out of the country on the Friday after the Monday’s attack, according to her friends.
SaharaReporters had reported how bandits attacked the train which was on its way to Kaduna from Abuja.
The gunmen were said to have blown up the rail track after which they launched an attack on the passengers.
The dentist was one of the over 300 passengers on board when the terrorists attacked the train.
Shortly after the attack, Chinelo took to her Twitter page at 9:43 pm asking Nigerians to pray for her.
“I’m in the train. I have been shot; please pray for me,” she had tweeted.
Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, a friend of the deceased said, “Dr Chinelo was making an honest living, she was working at St Gerald's hospital in Kaduna, she wanted more for herself and processed her papers to leave this hell-hole.
“She resigned last month to leave the country this Friday then this happened. Nigeria why???”
Speaking to SaharaReporters, another friend of the deceased said, “Yes, it’s true, though I don’t know when she was meant to leave. May her soul Rest In Peace.”

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Nigerians in the United Kingdom will no longer be able to access the fast-track service which enables them to renew travel documents within 72 hours.
 
The new development, the Central Association of Nigerians in the United Kingdom (CANUK) said, is a directive from the Nigeria Immigration Service to the London mission.
 
The Central Association of Nigerians in the United Kingdom (CANUK) was formed by the Nigeria High Commission in the United Kingdom in 2005 to see to the welfare, views, and community interests of Nigerians in the United Kingdom.
 
According to the group, the fast-track option was introduced in May 2021 when the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Ishola assumed office and set about addressing the perennial passport problem.
 
The fast-track option allowed individuals to get their passports within 72 hours by paying a fast-track fee of £120.
 
The group explained in a statement, “All they had to do was go to the Post office and get a postal order for £120 payable to the Nigerian High Commission.
 
“After this, applicants proceeded to go for biometric data capturing after which their passports would be sent to them within 72 hours and in some cases, applicants could simply pick up their passports within 24 hours.”
 
The system was said to have been effective until an order from the Nigerian Immigration Service to the London mission to stop the fast-track programme.
 
Olajumoke Ariyo, the Vice-Chair (Passports), of the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (CANUK), said: “This executive committee assumed office on May 22 last year, almost immediately after the high commissioner arrived. We immediately began working to support and assist Nigerians in navigating the complicated passport applications process.
 
"We also worked with the high commission to introduce the fast-track system to the public and helped disseminate relevant information and updates to the community. This collaboration enabled the high commission to promptly clear the backlog of over 16,000 applications and process thousands of daily new applications.
 
"There was also a clear reduction in the tension previously seen at the high commission and a new ease in the passport application process being experienced by applicants and other users of the service. With the scrapping of this highly productive fast-track programme, there is a high possibility of a return to the bad old days and already, we are beginning to see evidence of this with aggressive and abusive behaviour being exhibited by customers who are seeing their expectations not met."
 
In November 2021, Nigeria's interior minister, Rauf Aregbesola visited the UK to formally launch the new enhanced 10-year passport, at the high commission in London.
 
However, since the launch of the new document, according to the statement, the high commission has been asked to change its operating methods to include the introduction of a new appointment system, which is operated from Abuja as opposed to being locally generated.
 
CANUK explained that while the fast-track service was in place, touts were taken out of the system but with the scrapping of service, people in desperate need of their passports are forced to resort to using the illicit services of touts who charge as high as £350 per passport.
 
Also, under the new system, it takes between eight to nine weeks to get an appointment for biometrics capture and a further one to two weeks for a passport to be processed, so those who need to travel urgently are forced to apply for even more expensive visas or an Emergency Travel Certificate. Others are simply taking the option of travelling with expired passports.
"It is quite unfortunate but it would seem that very little thought if any is given to making the process of obtaining a Nigerian passport in the UK easy, uncomplicated, straightforward or transparent.
“This is happening while certain individuals are being enriched at the expense of Nigerians and the Nigerian government, so this situation needs to be reviewed urgently," Ariyo added.

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Pakistan’s parliament has elected opposition leader, Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister, ending weeks of political turmoil.
This comes after former cricket star, Imran Khan lost the support of lawmakers and tried to prevent a no-confidence vote by pushing for fresh elections, Bloomberg reports.

 
A total of 174 lawmakers in the 342-seat National Assembly voted in favour of the younger brother of three-time premier Nawaz Sharif. The new leader will have to focus on securing about $3 billion left from an International Monetary Fund loan needed to bolster the economy where reserves are enough for a couple of months of imports and the rupee recently touched a record low.
“This is the first time a no-confidence has succeeded,” Sharif said in a speech after his election. “Truth has won.”
 
Before Sharif was elected, dozens of lawmakers from Khan’s party resigned in a move to pressure the new ruling party and its allies to call for elections.
Khan was voted out just after midnight on Sunday following a long and drawn out no-confidence debate that saw several adjournments and speeches from his associates in parliament decrying the move as a conspiracy driven by the U.S.
 
Being part of Monday’s vote “would be tantamount to giving legitimacy to an illegitimate government being imposed on us,” said Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistan’s former foreign minister from Khan’s party. “We are all announcing our resignation today.”
Sharif said his incoming government would investigate Khan’s much-hyped allegations of “foreign intervention” in his ouster.
With Khan’s lawmakers quitting, the speaker can delay accepting their resignations -- a tactic to convince them to stay or simply prolong the process.
Eventually, the election commission will have to conduct by-elections but since the remaining parties now have a majority, they can continue the parliamentary process, said Marva Khan, an assistant professor at the law school of the Lahore University of Management Sciences.
 
“As for what Khan is trying to do, he appears to be extremely disgruntled and seems to seek chaos,” she said.
 
Sharif has built a reputation as a business-friendly administrator who pushed ambitious infrastructure projects when he was chief minister of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province.
He has maintained friendly ties with the army even as his older brother, three-time premier Nawaz Sharif, frequently clashed with the generals and is currently self-exiled in London.
Pakistan stocks and the rupee rallied Monday. Before the count, the benchmark KSE-100 index surged 3.8%, the most since April 2020 while the currency rose to the highest level in almost two weeks against the U.S. dollar.
 
 

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