Details have emerged that the Planning and Strategy Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu Campaign Organisation (TCO) headed by Mr Babachir David Lawal recommended Senator Kashim Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate.

 

Daily Trust reports said that the former governor of Borno State was among the 11 persons the committee recommended for APC presidential candidate, Tinubu to be his running mate.

According to the paper, the recommendation was contained in a report of a sub-committee chaired by Senator Grace Folasade Bent which it sighted.

 

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal rejected the Muslim-Muslim ticket, and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to revoke Shettima’s nomination.

 

Babachir had in his opposition said that Christians all over the country will revolt against the APC for choosing Shettima, a Muslim, to deputise for Tinubu.

 

However, the paper reported that members of the Lawal-led committee informed it that the final report of the committee was concluded last Tuesday and submitted to Tinubu by Lawal, who travelled to London on Wednesday for the purpose.

 

It was after he received the report that the APC candidate travelled back to Nigeria where he announced the name of Shettima as his choice for running mate on Sunday.

 

Shettima was first on the list of the seven persons shortlisted from the North-East geopolitical zone, in addition to four others recommended from the North West.

 

It was learnt that the report shows that the committee noted that a Muslim-Muslim ticket will give Tinubu “guaranteed victory” and listed many Muslim candidates for consideration.

 

The report however weighed the merits and demerits of Muslim-Christian and Muslim-Muslim tickets for the APC candidate and highlighted the implications of possible apathy and protest from the Christian community in the event of the adoption of a Muslim running mate.

 

Daily Trust gathered that the members of the planning and strategy committee, which was constituted three months ago included Senator Magnus Abe; pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu; Senator Abu Ibrahim; Senator Bent; Senator Ishaku Elisha Abbo; Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, House of Representatives’ member, Abiodun Faleke; and House of Representatives’  Musa Sarkin-Adar.

 

One of the members of the committee said after the emergence of Tinubu as the flagbearer of the APC, a sub-committee was constituted to provide guidance on the selection of a running mate and director general of the campaign team.

 

The committee member reportedly said Senator Bent was named as the chairperson of the sub-committee under the supervision of the main committee chaired by the former SGF.

 

Another member of the panel said the decision to pick Shettima was in line with the committee’s recommendation insisting that Tinubu worked with the guidance provided.

 

“In arriving at our recommendation, we looked at all persuasions including religion, gender and acceptability. We looked at those who can add value to the ticket,” he said.

 

He said that the report of the committee passed through Lawal before getting to the former Lagos State governor.

 

“He was part of the decision and the report got to the presidential candidate through him.

 

“First, we sent the soft copy of our report to Asiwaju before BD Lawal took the hard copy to him in London last Wednesday,” he said.

 

Among the names recommended for the VP Slot are: Kashim Shettima, Kashim Imam, an associate of Tinubu; the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum; a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina J. Mohammed, Ambassador Fatima Balla and Senator Anthony Manzo.

 

In the North West, the committee recommended Hajiya Najatu Mohammed, Kaduna State governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, a former governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, and the Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu.

 

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A former Bank Executive Director, Henry Ajagbawa, and board members of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) on Wednesday allegedly broke into the premises of the company in Benin, Edo State capital, despite a subsisting court order restraining them from “any unlawful occupation.”

The board members were identified as K.C. Akuma, Adeola Ijose, Charles Onwera and Yomi Adeyemi, who were recently appointed to the board of the company.

A Federal High Court in Abuja had during the week issued an order restraining Fidelity Bank Plc and other co-defendants from taking over BEDC, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated July 8, 2022.

 

The other defendants are the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

 

Those affected by the order include the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

 

In the suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/1113/2022), Vigeo Power, the majority shareholder of BEDC is praying the court for an order of interim injunction restraining Fidelity Bank Plc, whether directly or indirectly, through its directors, managers, officers, employees, servants, consultants, attorneys, agents, representatives, privies, however so-called, persons acting under its instructions and control, including the entities set out into this application from altering or further altering board composition of BEDC Electricity Plc (BEDC) or working in concert with any person or party to alter the board composition of BEDC.

 

The applicant also prayed for an order of interim injunction restraining NERC and CAC, whether directly by themselves or indirectly, through their directors, managers, officers, employees, servants, consultants, attorneys, agents, representatives, privies, and so-called, persons acting under their instructions and control, including the entities, set out into this application from registering or recognising Henry Ajagbawa, Charles Onwera, Yomi Adeyemi, K.C. Akuma, Yomi Adeyemi as directors of BEDC, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated July 8, 2022.

Vigeo also prayed the court for an order of interim injunction restraining Henry Ajagbawa, Charles Onwera, Yomi Adeyemi, K.C. Akuma, and Yomi Adeyemi, whether directly by themselves or indirectly, through their consultants, attorneys, agents, representatives, privies, however so-called, persons acting under their instructions and control, including the entities, set out into this application from parading themselves or holding themselves out as directors of BEDC, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated July 8, 2022.

 

Besides this, the applicant also asked the court for an order of interim injunction restraining Henry Ajagbawa, Charles Onwera, Yomi Adeyemi, K.C. Akuma, and Yomi Adeyemi, whether directly by themselves or indirectly, through their agents, representatives privies, however so-called, persons acting under their instructions and control, including the entities, set out into this application from taking over the management and control of the affairs, assets and undertakings of BEDC, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated July 8, 2022.

 

However, despite the order, sources told SaharaReporters that the defendants led by Ajagbawa invaded the premises of BEDC office in Benin and broke into the office of the Managing Director and the board room bragging of government protection.

 

They also refused to accept service of the court order served on them by court bailiffs on the premises of company.

The NERC and BPE had recently announced a putative restructuring of the boards of five DisCos.

 

The duo had explained that the announcement followed Fidelity Bank’s activation of the call on the collateralised shares of Kano Electricity Distribution Company, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company and BEDC Electricity Plc in a bid to take over the respective boards of the DisCos over the alleged inability to repay loans obtained to acquire majority stakes in furtherance of the 2013 privatisation exercise.

 

Consequently, the management of BEDC responded by issuing a press statement explaining that there was no contractual, statutory or regulatory basis for the takeover and appointments.

 

The company said, “For the avoidance of doubt, the shares of BEDC have not been given as security to Fidelity Bank or to any other party.”

 

According to the management of BEDC, it was “Vigeo Holdings Limited (VHL – a non-shareholder of BEDC) that obtained credit facilities from Stanbic IBTC Bank Limited, Fidelity Bank Plc, and Keystone Bank Plc (the VHL Lenders).”

 

It noted further that the said credit facilities have in the meantime become the subject of litigation in a court action instituted by VHL and other plaintiffs (the VHL Action) with Suit No: FHC/L/CS/239/22 – Vigeo Holdings Limited and 4 Ors v. Stanbic IBTC Bank Limited, and therefore, subjudiced.

 

Worried by the development, Vigeo Power Limited, the majority shareholder of BEDC had filed a suit and obtained injunctive orders at the Federal High Court in Abuja to restrain Fidelity Bank Plc, Henry Ajagbawa, and the other co-defendants from taking over BEDC pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated July 8, 2022.

 

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An Ikeja special offences court in Lagos State has declared embattled Nollywood actor, Omiyinka Olanrewaju, aka Baba Ijesha, guilty of sexual assault involving a minor.

The court, therefore, sentenced him to 16 years’ imprisonment for the felony.

This was contained in the judgement given by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court on Thursday after he convicted Baba Ijesha of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, and attempted sexual assault in a two-hour judgment.

Baba Ijesha has been in a protracted legal battle after he was said to have sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl.
Baba Ijesha was arraigned on June 24, 2021. During the trial, six prosecution witnesses testified against him.

They are Princess, the 14-year-old minor, Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, a child expert; Aniekan Makanjuola, a medical doctor; Wahab Kareem, the investigating police officer; and Abigail Omane, a policewoman.

He’s facing a six-count charge of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration, and sexual assault by penetration.

The charges were proffered against him by the Lagos state directorate of public prosecutions (DPP).

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the popular Yoruba actor claimed the scene showing his alleged molestation of a minor was part of movie production.

The actor told the court that it was the foster mother of the minor, Damilola Adekoya alias Princess, who asked him to kiss the minor adding that he was acting a script.
He made this revelation while being led in evidence by the defence counsel, Dada Awosika (SAN).
Baba Ijesha claimed he had received a call from Princess who requested that he should be part of movie production.
Also, a Clinical Psychologist, Dr Olukayode Olugbemi, while testifying as the third defence witness before an Ikeja Special Offences Court, claimed that a 14-year-old minor whom Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James, alias Baba Ijesha allegedly defiled, appeared to have been tutored in her narration of what transpired.
Olugbemi also noted that “something was wrong” with the footage of an interview conducted by child rights expert and prosecution witness, Mrs Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode.
He made the claim while testifying as the third defence witness before an Ikeja Special Offences Court.
 

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Social media platform, Twitter on Friday afternoon stopped functioning with millions of users worldwide having issues signing in, updating or generally using the social media app.

A check on the platform by SaharaReporters showed that users could not refresh and were being kicked out of their accounts and forced to log back in.

The glitch happened for over 30 minutes.

Shortly after, ‘banned’ started trending on the app with some Nigerian users wondering if it had been banned in the country again or if the glitch was from their network provider.

From 5 June 2021 to 13 January 2022, the government of Nigeria officially banned Twitter, which restricted it from operating in the country.

 

The ban occurred after Twitter deleted tweets made by President Muhammadu Buhari, warning the southeastern people of Nigeria, predominantly Igbo people, of a potential repeat of the 1967 Biafran Civil War due to the ongoing insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria.

It was, however, not clear what caused the crash or the exact number of users impacted.

 

The incident happened a few days after Twitter sued Tesla CEO Elon Musk, trying to force him to complete his $44 billion takeover of the social media company.

The company accused him of “outlandish” and “bad faith” actions that have caused the platform irreparable harm and “wreaked havoc” on its stock price.

 

Back in April, Musk pledged to pay $54.20 a share for Twitter, which agreed to those terms after reversing its initial opposition to the deal.

 

But the two sides have been bracing for a legal fight since the billionaire said last Friday that he was backing away from his agreement to buy the company.

 

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Fresh details have emerged on why some top officers in the Nigerian Armed Forces mounted pressure on the legislators to pass a bill seeking to establish a trust fund for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

 

According to multiple sources, the action is a grand plot to use the trust fund as a retirement package for top military officers, especially Director Generals who are always appointed from the army.

The Senate passed the bill seeking to establish the trust fund in June 2022, while the House of Representatives passed the bill earlier in April 2022.

 

The Trust Fund established under Section 3 of the Act covers all corps members, personnel of the NYSC, orientation camps, formations, and facilities, and it is meant for the overall improvement and efficiency in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities.

 

The Trust Fund is to operate concurrently with the National Youth Service Corps Scheme from the commencement of the bill.

Part 4 section (1) stipulates thus: “A levy of 1 per cent of the net profit of companies and organised private sector operating a business in Nigeria; 0.2 per cent of total revenue accruing to the federation account; any take-off grant and special intervention fund as may be provided by the federal, state, and local government.

“Aids, grants, and assistance from international bilateral and multilateral agencies, non-governmental organisations, and the organised private sector; as well as such money as may be appropriated to meet the objective of this Act by the national assembly in the budget.”

 

Also, any money that is derived from investments made by the Trust Fund.

 

According to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity, it is however seen as a slush fund for the military, where monies are disbursed to top military officers at the behest of the Chief of Army Staff.

The current DG of the NYSC is Brig. Gen. Mohammed Fada while the immediate past DG is Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim.

"As a DG of the NYSC, you are mandated to service top military officers. This was the trend until the former DG, Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim proposed the NYSC Trust Fund, where it was systematically positioned to take care of the retirement needs of senior officers.

 

"The NYSC Trust fund will provide funding for these officers through proxies that would receive monies on their behalf. I can tell you there is excitement within the top echelon of the military, and they have consequently mounted pressure for its speedy passage into law."

 

Another source who is an aide to a member of the House of Representatives stated that the pressure to pass the bill has been tremendous, mainly from the military.

 

“During the tenure of the immediate past DG of the NYSC, Major General Ibrahim, the DG was in the habit of making financial offers to members of the committee. At some point, he offered to concede the contract for the supply of essential items at the various orientation camps to the lawmakers if they could pass the bill in record time. I think he succeeded in a way given the bill's speedy passage.

 

“The former NYSC DG ensured that most of the members of the House of Representatives were taken care of in numerous ways.

 

"The rot in the NYSC is phenomenal. Let us forget the public posturing concerning the benefits of the NYSC Trust Fund. If only Nigerians knew what went on behind the scene. And the question was that if indeed the NYSC Trust Fund is meant to serve the country, then why the desperation to get it passed,” the source said.

 

It was also gathered from reliable sources that the former DG, Ibrahim concocted the bulk of the provisions of the NYSC Trust Fund to attract more funds at their disposal to continue serving specific interests.

 

“The NYSC Trust Fund is not what people think; rather, it is another avenue for attracting more funds from the pool to do the bidding of some powerful elements within the Nigerian military, under whose supervision the NYSC falls,” a top official of the scheme told SaharaReporters.

 

"To show you it's deliberate; the new NYSC DG is also singing the same tune as the former DG. He has been leading the charge to ensure the bill's signing into law. I can assure you that the bulk of the monies realized would end up in private pockets.

 

“We discovered that for proposing the NYSC Trust Fund, the former DG of the scheme was rewarded with a promotion to the rank of Major General, the first of such in the annals of the NYSC. The Nigerian military was really pleased with the outgone DG of the NYSC.

 

“I can tell you that the DG would have remained in office with the promotion. Even at that, it is on record that he is the first DG that was promoted to the next rank while still in office. This was in reward for taking care of the powers in the country.

 

“It is more like a tradition; once you assume headship of the NYSC. The NYSC Trust Fund is more like taking it to the next level, hence the agitation for its speedy implementation by the powers up there."

 

SaharaReporters gathered that the former NYSC DG had perfected plans to continue receiving financial benefits throughout his lifetime through the NYSC Trust Fund.

 

“By the time the NYSC Trust Fund is signed into law, the former DG who initiated the idea will go home with a princely sum every month. This has been strategically worked out and awaiting implementation. Nigeria is indeed an interesting country. These military people know how to take care of themselves,” the source added.

 

“The lawmakers are not left out of the largesse too. There is always something for those who worked for the passage of the bill in the Senate and House of Representatives.”

Efforts to reach Eddy Megwa, Director, Press and Public Relations of the NYSC were not successful and he did not answer calls from SaharaReporters.

 

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court on Thursday declared the suspension of Twitter operations in June 2021 as unlawful and ordered the Nigerian Government not to give a similar order again.

This judgment was given in a suit filed by Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo, challenging the ban as a violation of his fundamental rights to freedom of expression, speech and association and other Nigerian nationals.

SaharaReporters gathered the case filed by Malcolm was consolidated with other suits with a similar cause of action.

From 5 June 2021 to 13 January 2022, the government of Nigeria officially banned Twitter, which restricted it from operating in the country.

The ban occurred after Twitter deleted tweets made by Buhari, warning the southeastern people of Nigeria, predominantly Igbo people, of a potential repeat of the 1967 Biafran Civil War due to the ongoing insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria.

 

 

The Nigerian government claimed that the deletion of the president's tweets factored into their decision, but it was ultimately based on "a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real world violent consequences", citing the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence.

 

 

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A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking the disqualification of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Governor Gboyega Oyetola from the Osun State governorship election slated for Saturday.

This was contained in the judgment given by Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo on Thursday. 

Justice Ekwo ruled out the suit on six grounds that the plaintiff, a chieftain of APC, Moshood Olalekan Adeoti, failed to establish any justifiable cause of action, stating the matter constituted a gross abuse of the court process and that the plaintiff did not exhaust the internal mechanism before rushing to court.


He however upheld the arguments of Olusegun Jolaawo (SAN) that membership of the APC’s Caretaker Extraordinary and Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) by Governor Oyetola in which the suit is predicted is an ad-hoc body and not the real APC’s office recognised by the party’s Constitution.
Adeoti had sought disqualification of the incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola from the governorship poll.
In the originating summons, he prayed the court to nullify Oyetola’s candidacy on the grounds that the governor contested in the February 19 primary election as a member of the APC’s National Caretaker Extraordinary and Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).
The plaintiff said the act contravened the provisions of Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Article 31(iii) of the APC, October 2014 (as amended).
But the judge held that CECPC is not officially recognised by the APC’s Constitution upon which anybody can be disqualified but a mere ad-hoc body put in place in the absence of the National Executive Committee known to law.

Governor Oyetola is seeking to extend his tenure in office by another four years, having won the last election held in 2018.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that ahead of the poll, the APC held a mega rally in Osogbo to canvas support for its governorship candidate before the deadline for campaigns.
Party leaders at the event held on Tuesday include APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno, and Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi
APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, as well as the party’s vice-presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, were also present.
 

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A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking the disqualification of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Governor Gboyega Oyetola from the Osun State governorship election slated for Saturday.

This was contained in the judgment given by Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo on Thursday. 

Justice Ekwo ruled out the suit on six grounds that the plaintiff, a chieftain of APC, Moshood Olalekan Adeoti, failed to establish any justifiable cause of action, stating the matter constituted a gross abuse of the court process and that the plaintiff did not exhaust the internal mechanism before rushing to court.


He however upheld the arguments of Olusegun Jolaawo (SAN) that membership of the APC’s Caretaker Extraordinary and Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) by Governor Oyetola in which the suit is predicted is an ad-hoc body and not the real APC’s office recognised by the party’s Constitution.
Adeoti had sought disqualification of the incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola from the governorship poll.
In the originating summons, he prayed the court to nullify Oyetola’s candidacy on the grounds that the governor contested in the February 19 primary election as a member of the APC’s National Caretaker Extraordinary and Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).
The plaintiff said the act contravened the provisions of Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Article 31(iii) of the APC, October 2014 (as amended).
But the judge held that CECPC is not officially recognised by the APC’s Constitution upon which anybody can be disqualified but a mere ad-hoc body put in place in the absence of the National Executive Committee known to law.

Governor Oyetola is seeking to extend his tenure in office by another four years, having won the last election held in 2018.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that ahead of the poll, the APC held a mega rally in Osogbo to canvas support for its governorship candidate before the deadline for campaigns.
Party leaders at the event held on Tuesday include APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno, and Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi
APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, as well as the party’s vice-presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, were also present.
 

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A Magistrate Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State has struck out the suit against two anti-President Muhammadu Buhari.

The court, on Thursday, discharged and acquitted Larry Emmanuel and Anene Victor Udoka.

The court struck out the matter after a series of adjournments by the state without any iota of evidence presented against them.

Thus the suit: State v Anine Victor Udoka & Emmanuel Larry: Case No: CMCL/123m/2021 was thrown out of the window.

In April 2021, violent youths descended on the two middle-aged protesters who were pasting Buhari-Must-Go posters in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

SaharaReporters learnt that the irate mob flogged the two youths, filmed them, and brutalised them before they were later handed over to the police.

It was gathered that the police thereafter quizzed the two protesters and detained them when they insisted on seeing their lawyer before making a statement.

In some viral videos, the protesters were seen being molested and questioned by the mob before they were flogged as the youths forced them to clean their painting of “Buhari Must Go.”

They were granted bail after spending 78 days in detention.

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court on Thursday declared the suspension of Twitter operations in June 2021 as unlawful and ordered the Nigerian Government not to give a similar order again. 

This judgment was given in a suit filed by Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo, challenging the ban as a violation of his fundamental rights to freedom of expression, speech and association and other Nigerian nationals. 

SaharaReporters gathered the case filed by Malcolm was consolidated with other suits with a similar cause of action. 

From 5 June 2021 to 13 January 2022, the government of Nigeria officially banned Twitter, which restricted it from operating in the country. 

The ban occurred after Twitter deleted tweets made by Buhari, warning the southeastern people of Nigeria, predominantly Igbo people, of a potential repeat of the 1967 Biafran Civil War due to the ongoing insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria.

The Nigerian government claimed that the deletion of the president's tweets factored into their decision, but it was ultimately based on "a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real world violent consequences", citing the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence.

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Governor Gboyega Oyetola

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking the disqualification of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Governor Gboyega Oyetola from the Osun State governorship election slated for Saturday.

This was contained in the judgment given by Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo on Thursday. 
Governor Gboyega Oyetola

Justice Ekwo ruled out the suit on six grounds that the plaintiff, a chieftain of APC, Moshood Olalekan Adeoti, failed to establish any justifiable cause of action, stating the matter constituted a gross abuse of the court process and that the plaintiff did not exhaust the internal mechanism before rushing to court.

He however upheld the arguments of Olusegun Jolaawo (SAN) that membership of the APC’s Caretaker Extraordinary and Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) by Governor Oyetola in which the suit is predicted is an ad-hoc body and not the real APC’s office recognised by the party’s Constitution.

Adeoti had sought disqualification of the incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola from the governorship poll.

In the originating summons, he prayed the court to nullify Oyetola’s candidacy on the grounds that the governor contested in the February 19 primary election as a member of the APC’s National Caretaker Extraordinary and Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

The plaintiff said the act contravened the provisions of Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Article 31(iii) of the APC, October 2014 (as amended).

But the judge held that CECPC is not officially recognised by the APC’s Constitution upon which anybody can be disqualified but a mere ad-hoc body put in place in the absence of the National Executive Committee known to law.

Governor Oyetola is seeking to extend his tenure in office by another four years, having won the last election held in 2018.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that ahead of the poll, the APC held a mega rally in Osogbo to canvas support for its governorship candidate before the deadline for campaigns.

Party leaders at the event held on Tuesday include APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno, and Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi
APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, as well as the party’s vice-presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, were also present.
 

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Ogun State Ministry of Environment has warned religious organisations and relaxation centres across the state to desist from any act that can cause noise pollution within the environment.

 

 This was disclosed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment, Farouk Akintunde during an enforcement tour to Sango/Ota and its environs, saying any erring organisation would be sanctioned.

Akintunde, in a statement sent to SaharaReporters on Thursday, signed by OGEPA's Press Officer, Mrs. Busola Morakinyo, reiterated that Prince Dapo Abiodun's administration would not condone infringements on the rights of citizens, maintaining that every religious organisation must operate in compliance with the laws of the constitution.

 

He enjoined residents to lodge complaints to the Ministry whenever the need arises for a swift response, saying "religious organisations within residential areas should maintain 60-degree decibel noise level during the day and 40-degree decibel at night, organisation that defiles this rule will be prosecuted accordingly.”

 

The Special Adviser while addressing the founder of a church who had been served an abatement notice on the effects of noise pollution on the mental health of residents, pointed out that the noise pollution could cause high blood pressure, hearing loss, mental health disorder, deprive residents of sound sleep, among others.

 

Responding, a pastor and one of the residents in the area, Benjamin Ekanem, and Mrs. Bukola Musoro respectively, applauded the state government for the sensitisation, promising to comply with the regulated laws of the state and ensure that worshippers and residents did not infringe on each other's rights during religious activities.

 

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A 38-year-old Nigerian man, Detayo and his friend reportedly took turns sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in Ilogbo Elegba, along Alaba International Market Road in Lagos State.

 

SaharaReporters gathered that Detayo was sleeping with the minor and when his friend found out, he said he wanted to speak to the little girl to stop the act, but instead took her to his room and also sexually assaulted her.

When Detayo found out what his friend did, he became furious and went to report the matter to another person whom SaharaReporters could identify, that a certain person was sleeping with the minor.

 

The person Detayo reported the matter to then told him to report the matter to the girl’s parents but he could not do that because he was the first person to commit the crime.

 

However, an eyewitness told SaharaReporters that the police later found out and arrested Detayo but his friends contributed money and bailed him with N30,000 from the police.

 

According to the source, those who had gone to bail the suspect argued that the girl was the one who had always gone to see Detayo “like it wasn't the man that lured her into it in the first place”.

 

“How can a 13-year-old child start coming to your house at night and you as a man doesn't have the decency to chase her away if you weren't the one that lured her in the first place. And the fools blaming a 13-year-old for being abused by a 38-year-old man, I don't have the right words,” the source added in anger.

 

According to the eyewitness, “the man (Detayo) even beat up this child's mother when she came to him, thankfully her husband showed up at the right time.”

 

However, efforts made by SaharaReporters to reach the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin on the phone were not successful. He also did not respond to the messages sent to him.

 

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There are strong indications that a cold war is going underground in Epe, Lagos State which urgently begs for the attention of the state government before it becomes uncontrollable, regarding Abomiti, Yeguda and Eyin-Osa resettlement land.

 

In 2006, when Lekki Free Zone was created, about three communities were affected identified as Abomiti, Yeguda and Eyin-Osa. However, the government allocated another land, which is 10% of what it compulsorily acquired for the displaced communities elsewhere for their resettlement, which some top Lagos State Government officials, and two traditional rulers in Epe and Ogun State, are allegedly now hijacking and converting to theirs, so as to start selling through some real estate companies. 

One of the chairmen and trustee members of Free Trade Zone Parcel B Resettlement Communities, Chief Obafemi Onayemi Obajimi (Baale Onigbagbo and other family representatives of Abomiti, Eyin-Osa, Yeguda-Parapo, the displaced communities for Parcel B and Alaro City Projects) have alleged that there are moves by Mrs Lola Akande, the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperative, in collaboration with Oba Kamarudeen Animashaun, the Oloja of Epe; one Oba Ganiyu Olusegun Awokoya, aka {Alhaji White}, the Onirete of Irete in Ogun State, to convert the Abomiti, Yeguda and Eyin-Osa resettlement land for kickbacks.

 

Some of the families’ representatives alleged that Awokoya has been claiming to be a surveyor and at times a consultant to the Lagos State Government Mrs Akande has been trying to compel them to use as their surveyor even when she knows that the monarch is not a registered surveyor.

 

Sources told SaharaReporters that Awokoya is allegedly fronting for the commissioner and Animashaun regarding Abomiti, Yeguda and Eyin-Osa Government Resettlement Land for the displaced communities.

 

"Oba Olusegun Awokoya has been fuelling Eko-Epe and Ijebu-Epe crises to push up his alleged land-grabbing business in the axis, believing that no one dares question his authority because of his influence and relationship with some Lagos State civil servants and the Nigeria Police Force,” a community leader laments.

 

“We further gathered that one Lanre Ogunlesi, SAN conspired with Awokoya who claimed to be a surveyor and Akande to fraudulently obtain the Abomiti, Yeguda and Eyin-Osa Certificate of Occupancy from the beneficiaries.”

 

The communities have however cried to the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to come to their rescue as Mrs Akande and her members have allegedly taken over the new land allocated to them.

 

The letter written by the families to the governor read, “We act as representatives of Free Trade Zone Parcel B Resettlement indigenes {Abomiti, Eyin-Osa, Yeguda} and we hereby write you on behalf of the Parapo of the three zones. Our protest is borne out of seeing the duo of Oba Kamorudeen Animashaun, the Oloja of Epe and Oba Ganiyu Olusegun Awokoya, aka Alhaji White, the Onirete of Irete, Ogun State fuelling Eko-Epe and Ijebu-Epe crises to thrive his land grabbing business in connivance with some Lagos State civil servants, not limited to one Mr. Ilu Oshikoya, who has been serving as ‘Agbodegba’ for Lanre Ogunlesi, SAN, {Oba Olusegun Awokoya’s lawyer} and working hand in hand with Hon. Lola Akande to sell out all the resettlement land meant for resettling our displaced communities.

 

“Epe is one of the Local Government Areas in Lagos, and each state has her own territorial survey and by virtue of the Land Use Act 1978, which has vested each state land to the state governor and by that, Epe is part of Lagos state in which the state also gave Oloja of Epe his staff of office, the said Oloja Epe is now ungratefully canvassing for Ijebu-Epe and Eko-Epe crises because of his land grabbing business.

 

“The oppressed indigenes of Parcel B, resettlement called on the Attorney General (Moyosore Onigbajo) as the man in charge of Lagos State law enforcement, Mrs Adijat Apena, representing Laporu in Eyin-Osa said it is time for the Commissioner of Justice to rise up to the occasion and protect the interest of the whole Lagosians, and call everybody to a round table and educate them that Lagos State is Lagos State, either your forbears migrated from Ijebu to Epe or not, there is nothing like Ijebu-Epe or Eko-Epe, Epe is Epe in Lagos State.

 

“Just as Mr. Okanlawon also called on His Excellency, Babajide Sanwo-Olu that, the goal of Oba Animashaun in conjunction with Oba Awokoya is to cause chaos, division, tumult and upheaval in Epe so as to thrive his land grabbing business, if they are not restrained and stopped, the peace and the safety of the whole Epe might become history. We passionately appeal to you that you call everyone to order, to maintain the peaceful co-existence of the entire Epe Local Government.

 

“It is no longer news that Lagos State Government acquired our land, for the purpose of Free Trade Zone. As a result of the acquisition of our land, the state government resettled the displaced communities under the umbrella of Free Zone Parcel B Resettlement communities, of which we are members of the 248 communities that formed Abomiti, Yeguda & Eyin-Osa. 

 

“Sequel to the resettlement, a memorandum of understanding was executed with the representatives of the communities, and the same was signed by the Lagos State Government, and the representatives of the committee.

 

“However, most of those who signed as representatives are protégé of Lola Akande, Oba Olusegun, and Oba Animashaun. In furtherance of the memorandum of understanding, for the resettlement of the displaced communities, the state government instructed the committee to register themselves, so that their certificate of occupancy can be issued to them in their names. Oba Olusegun, who ported himself as a registered surveyor to the committee, and recently referred to himself as the consultant to the Lagos state government, claiming to be fronting for some officers of the Lagos State government parastatal, wherein the officers want two (2) per acres to settle some of the officials of the Lagos State government through which the committee registered in proxy.

 

“However, going through the trustees in each of the zone supervised by the Oba Olusegun Awokoya, it’s clearly shown that most of the registered trustees are not even indigenous members of the committee but rather close associates of Oba Olusegun and that of the Oloja of Epe, particularly one Jelili Oluwaseyi Arimi, who is a trustee on both the Eyin-Osa, and Yeguda resettlement zone, one of the militants of the said Oba Onirete, and doesn’t belong to any of the displaced communities that were settled. So, it amazes one how someone that doesn’t belong to a community became a trustee in the registration of such communities.

 

“For a clearer understanding of our point sir, almost all the members in the committees are Oba Olusegun and Oba Kamarudeen’s proxy, the person of Chief Jelili Arimi Oluwaseyi, who is the Baale Deesa at Abule Foli, close to Eti-Osa not in any way related to parcel B resettlement committee. He is one of the armed militants of Oba Olusegun, he’s also a trustee of all the zones. Chief Waheed Oluwo, the Odofin of Oloja Epe and also the chairman, ‘Central Working Committee’ is the number one salesman of fake surveyor Segun Awokoya, selling the resettlement land.

“Mr. Shade Takiu (P.R.O. Central Working Committee), a proxy of Oloja of Epe was made a trustee to protect the interest of Oloja of Epe, to the detriment of the indigenous owners. Chief Muritala Gbadebo Lateef, is the Kankanfo Epe Land and also a proxy of Oloja of Epe. Though, he’s from Oloja-Ibiwo family of Eyin-Osa, but became a trustee of the committee, to see to the interest of the Oba of Epe. Mr. Wakilu Lufomu and Mr. Saheed Ligali are both Oloja of Epe and Oba Olusegun’s militants, and they were made trustee to serve their interests. Chief Olajide Ishola Shefiu is a secretary to CWC of Epe, he is also from Oloja-Ibiwo family in Eyin-Osa, and he is one of the militants of Oloja of Epe, and sees to the interest of the king as a trustee of the committee.

 

“Animashaun Muyideen Olatunji is the son of the king and only serves the interest of his father, who does not belong to Eyin-Osa, Abomiti and Yeguda people, nor do they own a property at the acquired place. Only a few members of the actual Eyin-Osa, Abomiti and Yeguda were registered as trustees, and these persons have been threatened and silenced by the Oba Onirete of Irete Ogun State.

 

“The genuine members who are indigenous to Eyin-Osa, Abomiti and Yeguda communities, such as but not limited to Omotayo Yusuf of Oke-Oko family in Abomiti zone, Chief Obafemi Onayemi Obajimi, Aba Onigbagbo family of Abomiti zone, Chief Tawaliu Oniga Moboluwaduro of Oniga Iposun Family of Eyin-Osa, Chief Kareem Otolerin Baruwa of Baruwa Shosho family of Eyin-Osa, Mrs Apena Adijat, the secretary to the Laporu family of Parcel B resettlement communities, who is one of the subjects of Chief Wahidi Obalewo Mohammodu, the Baale of Lapolu family all of Eyin-Osa community, Chief Femi Abdulai Isa of Fowotera village of Yuguda Lagos State Special Task Force on Land Grabbers, who informed them that one Ilu Osikoya and some officers of the Attorney General office, have been part of the ‘Agbodegba’ of selling our land, and they were even boasting that they are selling in trust for Lola Akande, and some workers of Lagos State government parastatals, and as such they are untouchable as they have the backing of the high ranking officers of the Lagos State judiciary.

 

“In the light of the above, we painstakingly pray that by virtue of your good office and position, as the number one citizen of Lagos State, you will caution and restrain the person of Chief Mrs Lola Akande, Oba Olusegun Awokoya, Oba Kamarudeen Animashaun and Mr Ilu Osikoya from further harassing, maiming and threatening us. We hope that you admonish them that no one is above the law, and also compel them to release our certificate of occupancy to us with immediate effect.

 

“In as much as we do not believe in the rumour being frittered around by Oba Olusegun and Mr. Ilu, that the Attorney General of Lagos State and Lagos State Special Task Force on Land Grabbers, are fully aware of the resettlement for kickback game, we hope that what we heard isn’t true, however, in the circumstance of our guess being correct, we will not hesitate to take the right action.

 

“We called on the Alaro City as a company, that if they choose not to wade in to call the attention of the state government, they should expect us to join them in legal battle to recover our land, in which the state forcefully acquired, handover for their project and now handover our Resettlement to a Quack Surveyor Awokoya, who has converts same to an instrument of fraud, in defrauding innocent land buyers, claiming he has bought all the land from the displaced communities, time for reconciliation. Accept our kind regards,” they wrote.

 

The letter was signed by 24 heads of families from the three communities.

 

News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, new York Disable advertisements : 

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has announced that its presidential candidate and former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has chosen Bishop Isaac Idahosa as his running mate for the 2023 general elections.

 

The party made the announcement on the official Twitter page of its campaign organisation on Thursday where it wrote, “Our VP Pastor Bishop Isaac Idahosa from Edo State.”

Bishop Isaac Idahosa from Edo State is the Senior Pastor of God First Ministry, popularly known as Illumination Assembly, with its headquarters at Lekki Light Centre (LLC), Ajah, Lagos.

 

The cleric who is also a gospel singer, writer, and motivational speaker is popularly known as ‘Prophet Talk Na Do’ by his followers.

 

Kwankwaso’s choice comes after he failed to get the presidential candidate of the Labour Party and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi to be his running mate.

 

Obi’s refusal to be Kwankwaso’s running mate also ended the two political parties’ alliance talks as they had announced earlier that they were in talks on reaching an alliance ahead of the 2023 elections.

 

Politics Breaking News News AddThis :  Original Author :  saharareporters, new york Disable advertisements : 

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has blamed governors, lawmakers and other leaders in Northern Nigeria for worsening insecurity in the region.

 

The Chairman, Board of Trustees of CNG, Dr. Nastura Sherif, made the accusations while delivering a lecture in Katsina at a one-day sensitisation lecture on permanent voter cards (PVCs) registration.

While lamenting the inability of the electorate to elect the right people into the State House of Assembly, Sherif accused governors of hijacking and mismanaging local government funds, causing untold hardship.

 

Titled: "Get Your PVC to Rescue and Rebuild Nigeria," Sherif in his lecture also accused governors of not allowing knowledgeable people to get to the state Houses of Assembly because of their selfishness.

 

The chairman noted that the time had come for the electorate to vote for credible and competent leaders of their choice instead of political parties.

 

Daily Post quoted Sherif as saying, “I could recall sometime back while discussing with one of the Northern Governors at his residence, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly walked in and went on his knees to greet the Governor and thereafter sat on the floor before the Governor. It’s obvious that such a Speaker was brought to answer ‘yes sir’ to the Governor’s whims and caprices.”

 

He opined that it was the fault of the electorate because they did not stand to ensure that they elected the right people into the State Assembly who would defend and protect their rights and make laws that would prosper the people.

 

He alleged that some of those representing the people only go to the State and National Assembly offices when they need to sign and collect money, lamenting that they cannot contribute meaningfully to the discussion going on there.

 

With the right people elected into the State and National Assemblies, he assured that there is no way the Governor or the President would dare toy with the needs of the masses.

 

Nastura identified insecurity and hardship being experienced in the country since 2015 as responsible for why people were reluctant to go out and register for their PVCs, expressing optimism that with the current enlightenment by the Coalition of Northern Groups, people will come out and register.

 

He urged Nigerians to shun selling their votes, saying that “as far as we collect money from politicians and vote”, they will never get the good leaders they want.

 

Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  Saharareporters, new York Disable advertisements : 

Ayo Adebanjo

An elder statesman and leader of the pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo has described the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as a complete failure.

Adebanjo during an interview on Arise TV on Wednesday, monitored by SaharaReporters, said the APC lacked the credibility to ask Nigerians for their votes again after eight years of disaster.

Ayo Adebanjo

He said, “What could be the reaction of APC, what credit has the APC got to come back to Nigerians again to say they should vote for them?

“It’s only in a country like that the APC will have the effrontery to come and ask Nigerians to vote for them after eight years of disaster, on what record? For the security they have given us? For the improvements of our infrastructure? For the improvements of our economy? On what measure of governance can they say they have a claim to be elected?

 

“The case of APC is mountainous for rejection, they have no cause to show their face at all, they are a complete failure and this country will be unwise to after I warned them not to vote for Buhari to go again for another Buhari party.

“What have they done to recommend them? is it your naira that has improved? Can you travel on your road? Can you sleep with your eyes twice closed? The security situation is worsening day by day.”

Speaking on the rotational presidency which led to controversies ahead of the presidential primaries of the ruling APC and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he said the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, did not have to contest again after past futile attempts to become the President.

He further stated that it is not the right of the southwesterners to lay claim to the presidency after producing a President for eight years and a Vice President for eight years.

“Atiku’s case is very simple, he did not have the right to come back again after eight years, just as I’m opposed to Tinubu for many reasons. It’s not the right of the south westerners to come and claim presidency.

“If you want peace in Nigeria, if you want equity and justice, if you want to be united, we are talking of rotation, you’re talking of federal character; it has gone to the north down to the south, should it come to the south with the same region that has had it with Obasanjo for eight years?

“Yemi Osinbajo with eight years as Vice President, south-south has had it with (Goodluck) Jonathan, is South-East not part of Nigeria?

“Anything that will cause disharmony, I’m against it. Those who are talking now are just talking about politics of convenience, politics of dollars and naira.”

“Any supporter of non-Igbo extraction to be president of Nigeria now, it’s not their privilege, it’s a constitutional right if you want peace and quiet in this country,” he added.

Pa Adebanjo said it is the lack of justice and equity that’s giving rise to agitations in the southern part of the country.

“It is the lack of justice under this constitution that’s giving rise to agitation be it IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra), (Sunday) Igboho, be it anybody. If there’s no equity in any organization, there will be no peace,” he said.

He described Peter Obi as the candidate of Nigerians fed up with Buhari’s administration.

 

 

Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  saharareporters, new york Disable advertisements : 

The Author, Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi

It was for modesty and sensitivity not to heat up the polity that I titled my last article *"Muslim/Muslim Ticket: Tinubu Dares CAN and Entire Christian Faithful",*   expectedly, it has generated a lot of controversy, it is therefore expedient to say it as it is, hence the need for this piece under the plain communication of the title of this article you are reading!
My last article has been mischievously misunderstood by the biased and misconstrued by the wearied spirits and borderline christians who are neither hot nor cold like the water of the stream at Ephesus the symbol in Christ's stern warning to her church, "I will spew you out"!
 Christians with such character if they cannot be accommodated by Christ, it will be useless for the church to attempt to get them to be part of our going forward, such individuals who are useless to Christ cannot be useful to the church nor the nation. The last class are the over zealous individuals who see politics as the place to get even with their perceived competitors  and have chosen fraternal relationship with politicians as one of the ways through which this can even scores and go over. Today many pastors are equally yoked with politicians in the agenda to plunder the state.

The Author, Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi
In this group belong Pastor Sunday Adelaja and his cohorts who manned the propaganda machinery that sold Buhari to the church in 2015, who with the glaring failure of Muhammadu Buhari led APC has not thought it wise to apologise to Nigerians! This has nothing to do with title, fame and membership. Judas was among the 12, faithful enough to be trusted to manage the treasury for Jesus. But once satan entered him it was entirely a different ball game!
Nigerians are a people whose creativity have not spared even religion. Her Christians are redefining how church is done from which we have harvested some of the biggest revival movement in the world today. Their loving Muslims counterparts are up in healthy, creative competition bringing "Nigerianess" into Islam; how do you describe such organization as Nasfat, adopting Sunday as a day of special prayer. This liberal group received me with others then on the platform of a group that will eventually squander the trust both Muslim and Christian invested into the political dialogue seeking to bring the faithfuls of both religions into essence of spirituality and the need to work together to build a nation of peace and unity that we all can be proud of in 2018. We shared our fear of the direction the country was heading under Buhari APC led administration. 
Even without religion humanity in us should frown at what our experience has been between then and now! Islam, the religion of peace is today misrepresented by fundamentalists who are hiding behind Islam to further an agenda that is not in anyway Islamic. Tinubu's choice of V.P from among elements giving Islam a bad name is a source of serious worry not just to Christians and Muslims but all well meaning Nigerians.
If not for mischievous politicians, Tinubu should be offering explanations for Fulani-muslim saturated cabinet of Buhari and the tilted security appointments in favour of the smallest demography of this hypocritical religious tribe, what can be the justification for a muslim/Boko Haram ticket? Obviously not competence but votes of the multitude of teenagers and young adults denied education and training held down by "education is haram ideology" of the likes of Shettima. What is the future of education with a founder, sponsor, sympathizer (which ever apply), in a post Tinubu circumstance?
 It is an insult to our intelligence that the truth about Buhari was communicated by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a simple phrase, "anything except Jonathan", Jona was a failure agreed, and indeed Buhari has been "anything", an "olule" just like the "eleyi" of Ogun State.
It is appalling that the person who brought Buhari without an apology for his woeful performance, proposed a Muslim/Muslim ticket from the very beginning of consultation of his inordinate ambition. In a game of numbers which should be played through negotiation. I haven't seen one meeting that Tinubu has held with any recognized Christian bloc aside charlatans who go to him to merchandise prayers. Tinubu should be talking to christians, we are at the receiving end of his decision, victims of his long time ambition. If our numbers mean anything to him, where is he on our table?
During one of his meetings with the northern elders, their fear was for Southwest Christians who will kick against Muslim/Muslim ticket. But BAT assured them he can handle his people. I called out CAN President and asked him if he was among the people Tinubu plans to use as tribal tools to silence the right of our faith to fair representation in the Executive arm of government. I was ignored till now! Our CAN President has said nothing. Now, he is set to address us, will the conspiracy of CAN leadership and APC be part of his public communication?
Tinubu sounded to me like a smart crook, when he said Shettima was chosen on competence and some gullible persons are running with that. Please, if during his first consultation he promised the north a muslim/muslim ticket, at what point did his search and screening for competency included northern christians? 
Competence, good governance are mere political rethorics in the face of threat to one's existence which has been the reality of Northern Christians. Life is the only thing on the ballot for northern christian and if St Francis Catholic Church Owo communicated anything to southern christians, "it is the massage of the lyrics of the hymns, "Christian, seek not yet repose
Hear thy gracious Saviour say;
Thou art in the midst of foes;
Watch and pray.
Principalities and powers
Mustering their unseen array.
Wait for thy unguarded hours
Watch and Pray.
Grid thy heavenly armour on.
Wear it ever night and day;
Ambushed lies the evil one:
Watch and pray.
Life more than anything for any nigerian at this time is on the ballot. Moreso, let me assure the Asiwaju that 99.9% of Christians in the north have right to life and desire to enjoy it. Senator Ishaku Abbo's resignation is a proof of this existential priority, and if he will not take Abbo serious he should consider the wailing of his once upon a time hailer of APC and friend of Asiwaju Babachir Lawal.
Well, BAT can't be underestimated. He may have something up his sleeves on how to get Northern Christians to play the Muslim/Boko Haram game. Like our previous evil genius, he may have what it takes to erase Shettima's statement "to hell with restructuring" from our memories as he did several of his own nepotistic declarations against a united Nigeria. I await his schemes at disconnecting Shettima's links with the masterminder of Christmas Day Catholic Church bombing in Niger State! He should be reminded, there is always and end. In the spirit of June 12, i see an end.
Northern Christians are not oblivious of the fact that the political elites who are founders or sponsors of Boko Haram, are mostly persons who owe their lives, survival and education to activities of Christian Missions in Northern Nigeria, some of them were born in Missions' Maternity centers and hospitals. The water they drank were from bore holes sunk by missions in their communities. They attended Mission Schools. If all these goodness makes no meaning to them and the fact that Christians as well as their mission are endangered species and they target of pogrom being carried out under a Fulani occupation agenda, Nothing will!
Last word is important in politics, your edge must be kept in the space; words against words, propaganda must not be allowed to pass unattended to. For that a lot of demand will be on us, those who want to volunteer as content developers and writers on our writing team can reach us @ https://www.artintl.org/ 

Back to Sunday Adelaja, we will like him to rate Asiwaju by the performance of Adelaja's party, APC and the programme of the person he will be succeding and not what happened in 1999 when he won an election on the platform of AD sorrounded by men and women of Awoism ideology. We are few months to elections, it is callous for him to expect us to wait for a man who was smart in 1999 but already shaking in 2022 till he wins election and bring think tank of those who helped Buhari to come help him develop a 100 years total eradication of other indigenous tribes. At least he has said in very clear terms, "he will continue where Buhari stops"!
Tinubu's direct communication is not the same as Sunday Adelaja's hallucinations! 
He asked for signs of Islamization in Lagos, he should ask Lagos State House of Assembly to come out with their latest review of customary law and the Sharia clause. Adelaja should keep himself safe in his bunker and attend to the meat he said is on his plate!
The church and all peace loving Nigerians should take note of communication with the certain content in the days ahead, from the Presidential candidate of APC with his Muslim and fundamentalist pair. Their PROPAGANDA will be built on them. The church must be discerning if not, they will be fooled the second time:
1. The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress will approach Christian leaders, especially those of the Yoruba origin and tell them that he is their brother and sell an ethnic presidency to them. He will tell them that it is not about religion but about region (zoning).
2. He will try to convince them that he is not a religious extremist because his wife is a pastor.
3. He will start attending a lot of Church programmes, beginning with Holy Ghost Congress, conventions, anniversaries and celebrations of clergy men especially in the South West and in Abuja. Though, we can't stop him from coming to our Programme. But the church must understand that appearance can't make up for negotiations. Someone who sat and negotiated with the Muslim North must not bamboozle us with appearance!
4. He will give large Financial donations to Churches and gifts to pastors.
5. He will publicly ask for prayers from pastors to prove that he believes in, and loves the Christian Faith!
6. Quite a number of pastors, especially of his ethnic extraction, will start endorsing him openly and try to sell his candidacy to their various congregations. We saw a subtle attempt by Pastor Poju Oyemade and now this direct effort from Sunday Adelaja. He can even be made a Baba Ijo by some churches! We won't be surprised!
7. His wife may likely meet pastors' wives and Christian women leaders, especially those that run large prayer groups nationwide!
Tinubu knows what he was saying when he said he can handle the Southern Christians!
He singlehandedly divided church votes with his choice of Osibajo as Vice President and the planned visit of Buhari to the camp. But has Buhari been seen at the camp since he won the election? Food for thought!
The Church must be sober and vigilant. I have warned you again!

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Bolaji O. Akinyemi Disable advertisements : 

If the presidential flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu thought a placeholder would be a lightning rod, and maybe soften the blow of his final decision, he has seen by now that he is mistaken. There is a gathering storm.

 

Those who are mad at him are not only upset by his decision on Tuesday, they are doubly upset that it took him five weeks to decide what they always suspected he would do: pick a Muslim running mate to complete what is now Nigeria’s first Muslim-Muslim ticket in nearly 30 years.

Why is Tinubu’s choice a problem? In a multi-religious, multi-ethnic country like Nigeria where balancing has become an article of political faith, they argue, it smacks of insensitivity for the ruling party to choose two of its leading candidates from one religion. The unintended message is that adherents of other faiths – even non-adherents of any faith – can go to hell.

 

It is more than that, they insist. Apart from religious disrespect, there is also the argument that the assumption by the Tinubu camp that Northern Muslims won’t vote for a Muslim-Christian ticket is baseless. They recall that Nigeria’s last president, Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, defeated a Muslim candidate and was overwhelmingly installed by a Northern vote, a story Jonathan also shares in common with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

 

And then, there’s the part that runs even deeper, grating unspoken, deep-seated rancour in Christian circles: Christians under President Muhammadu Buhari have been at the receiving end of the most vicious and deadly attacks, often in an atmosphere that suggests if not official complicity, then at least narcissistic indifference.

 

It would be hypocritical to dismiss these concerns or to meet them with a casual response that the aggrieved should look elsewhere. Interestingly those, like me, who think that religion should have no place in politics are in the minority not just here, but around the world where according to a Pew Research Centre 2012 study 5.8 billion people still profess faith in one religion or another.

 

Two books make this point eloquently: Francis Fukuyama’s Identity: Contemporary identity politics and the struggle for survival, and Yuval Noah Harari’s epic, 21 lessons for the 21st century.

 

While the former explains why identity politics is the new nationalism in modern politics, the latter chides secular people who are at loss for the grip of religion on politics.

 

Of the three spheres of influence in human development – technical problems; policy problems; and identity problems – Harari wrote, while religion has receded in the first two, replaced largely by advances in research, science and rational thinking with more beneficial outcomes, it still dominates identity politics. Regrettably, however, in this area where god serves man, the result has been more harm than good.

 

Tinubu did not claim Harari in his choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as running mate. He didn’t need to. Eight years ago, when he teamed up with Buhari to form APC which brought the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) 16-year reign to an end, he told Candidate Buhari who had agreed to choose him as running mate, that he didn’t think a Muslim-Muslim ticket was a problem. In order words, for Tinubu, nothing has changed.

 

Yet, he himself would admit that the country has changed. It has become far more divided along ethnic and religious lines than it was at any other time in recent history. It would be unfair to heap all the blame on Buhari. The causes have been both internal and external. Also, Boko Haram’s redefinition of apostasy infused a deadlier strain in religious attacks than was the case before Buhari took power.

 

But his nepotism and shambolic temporising have inflamed ethnic and religious politics. His style, if it can be called style, has increased the salience and frequency of attacks to a level hardly experienced before or even thought likely. Tinubu, his biggest cheerleader, bears vicarious responsibility for Buhari’s disastrous performance.

 

The consequences of that poor performance are that they have reinforced the incorrect notions that 1) there is a causal link between Buhari’s religion and the upsurge in violent Islamic extremism, especially targeted at Christians 2) that a Muslim-Christian ticket is required to mitigate this perceived trend and 3) that large swaths of Muslims have either been spared the misery of the violent attacks and misrule or have benefitted disproportionately from the current dispensation.

 

The word, incorrect, dignifies these notions. They’re simply absurd. If religion were the talisman against banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and all of its hideous franchises, Buhari’s home state, Katsina – a predominantly Muslim state – would not be among the most besieged as it currently is. Nor would Zamfara State be contemplating arming citizens to defend themselves.

 

Buhari’s famous magical hold over the captive millions among the Northern poor has been as useless in availing them of a better life in the last seven years as has been his subscription to his Muslim faith. Religion has failed his followers, as it inevitably does, leaving them only with forlorn hope and the excuses.

 

And why, in any case, has the present Muslim-Christian combination of Buhari and Osinbajo not saved Christians from attacks, if such a ticket were the only remedy? I know as many Muslims who are absolutely dissatisfied with Buhari’s performance as there are Christians and non-believers who would be happy to crucify Buhari if they caught him on a deserted street corner.

 

Unfortunately, where Japan’s state Shinto has been corralled to underpin development in one of the world’s most advanced countries, religion in Buhari’s Nigeria, has proved a perfect alibi for his government’s incompetence.

 

I’m not suggesting that there aren’t Muslims that have taken stupendous advantage of Buhari’s presidency the same way a bully might use the name of his notorious Big Brother to terrorise the neighbourhood. But such persons have done so not necessarily because Buhari is a Muslim but more likely because his incompetence indulges them.

 

And what about the point that Northern Christians voted Jonathan in 2011 and may have done so again if Tinubu’s running mate were a Christian? It’s a different ball game here. Jonathan and Obasanjo were the candidates, not the running mates.

 

A number of studies including one of the most cited ones by Christopher Devine and Kyle Kopko, entitled, Do running mates matter, are hard pressed to explain why a position so insignificant can at the same time be perceived as so consequential. The authors found evidence of a limited direct effect on electoral outcomes.

 

Any serious risk of collateral damage in the present case should be a valid concern for Tinubu and members of his party. But such a concern should be based, not on emotions or what happened over a decade ago which may have been undermined by demographic changes, but on evidence.

 

By the way, my guess is that of the two candidates of the main political parties – Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar (PDP) – if anyone is likely going to be significantly affected by a Northern switch in allegiance it could be Abubakar.

 

Reason? Peter Obi, his running mate in 2019, offers a potent rallying point for Christians in the North, for Igbos residing there, and across the country. If Tinubu gets his electoral maths wrong, he would, of course, pay the price. But that, in my view, would be not a consequence of poor religious foresight, but one of electoral miscalculation and the sum total of what he represents as a candidate.

 

In a country with a roughly fifty-fifty Christian-Muslim population, there are many Christian leaders and even ordinary Christians who feel genuinely afraid, if not offended, by the prospects of a Tinubu-Shettima presidency after a Buhari one. But there are also a number of them for whom having a “fellow believer” on the ticket is just a matter of group outreach, a way to avenge opportunism.

 

Under Jonathan, for example, how did the ordinary Christian faithful benefit from the multiplication of private jets (among the Christian clergy) a few of which were used to convey cash and arms in a regime of discretionary airport parking fees and waivers?

 

Tinubu is in this race to win. He would do what he has to do to win and if he thinks that includes finding a Muslim or Buddhist monk to run with, that is it.

 

Registered voters, on the other hand, are not bereft. And the sooner they stopped allowing vested interests to swindle them by framing Tinubu’s choice as a bereavement, the better for them. As things stand today, among the frontline parties, there are Muslim-Muslim; Muslim-Christian; and Christian-Muslim tickets.

 

Unfortunately, instead of focusing on the wreckage of insecurity, poverty, unemployment, brain drain and debt that Buhari’s government will leave behind, we’re chasing shadows.

 

The only way to punish any candidate – for ultimately it is the candidate who bears responsibility – is to measure them against the wreckage that stares us in the face. Voters may then choose, with a clear line of sight, the candidate that can start to clear the mess.

 

Ishiekwene is Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Azu Ishiekwene Disable advertisements : 

Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo

While you were sleeping or staying up searching for the certificates of men angling to be your president, a changing moment in human history happened. It was just how a similar thing occurred some two thousand years ago when a baby was born in Bethlehem, and nobody in your hometown knew about it. Nobody took a selfie with the baby and posted it on social media. Not even the three wise men that visited him from the East bothered to do so.

 

 

 

Thanks to Webb Space Telescope, we may soon see the picture of that moment and the picture of every other moment that is important in human history. We may soon see the video clip of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. We may also see the video clip of Gabriel visiting 40-year-old Muhammad in the Hira cave. We may soon see video clips of bald Gautama Buddha in Nepal as he teaches and works to achieve Nirvana, freedom from ignorance, craving, rebirth, and suffering.

 

 

Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo

You need nobody to tell you that we are far away from the days of a pinhole camera. It does not matter how remote a place you are in the world; you may have in your hand a phone that contains more information than all the top-secret information that President Bill Clinton had access to when he was at the White House in the early 90s.

 

 

 

You can understand why when the first set of images from the $10 billion Webb Space Telescope arrived, it was so important that NASA had to go to the White House to reveal them. After all, if there is anything President Joe Biden knows, it is that he knows what a f…ing big deal is when he sees one.

 

 

 

The great reveal of images from the most powerful telescope ever launched into space was streamed live on NASA's website for everyone in the world to see. That you did not know about it or did not watch it did not diminish the importance of the day.

 

 

 

"Webb can see backwards in time just after the big bang by looking for galaxies that are so far away, the light has taken many billions of years to get from those galaxies to ourselves,' said Jonathan Gardner, Webb deputy senior project scientist at NASA.

 

 

 

Launched in December, the telescope is traveling in a part of space one million miles away from the earth. It uses advanced infrared technology to capture images that mankind had never seen. Its mission was to capture the first stars and galaxies of our universe.

 

 

 

NASA Administrator, Bill Nelson, said this about the images: "It is the deepest image of our universe that has ever been taken." The telescope captures images of galaxy clusters as they appeared some 4.6 billion years ago." Mind you, the Big Bang took place some 13.8 billion years ago.

 

 

 

Webb program scientist and NASA Astrophysics Division chief Eric Smith wrote, "The world is about to be new again."

 

 

 

In High School integrated science, I was mesmerized when I read about the pinhole camera's magic. I soon heard about the dream of scientists to invent what could travel faster than the speed of light. Their goal is to use the machine to capture the sun's rays that hit the earth years ago while it travels in space. The idea is that this light carries along as it travels in space images of what was happening when the rays touched the earth. The pinhole camera later became the science behind video imaging.

 

 

 

For a long time, the problem was that scientists could not build something that traveled faster than light. Such a machine could head far into space and block the light that came on earth when Jesus was here or the more recent ones that were on earth when Muhammad was here. Fascinating stuff. And once they capture these lights, they can use photographic tools to retrieve the images and the videos. That is when they will verify the stories about these religious leaders.

 

 

 

Not long ago, breaking the speed of sound was as daunting as breaking the speed of light is today. But on October 14, 1947, US Air Force pilot Captain Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier. He traveled faster than the speed of sound. When he did that, his aircraft flew above those watching, and a minute later, they heard the sound of the jet's engine. It is the same phenomenon that we observe when lightning and thunder strike. Though the two happen at once, we see the lightning first before we hear the thunder because light travels faster than sound.

 

 

 

Because there is no air in space, sound does not travel in space. On earth, sound travels as vibration along the particles of the medium in which it travels. As it travels away from the source, it spreads and loses energy, which is converted into heat. Its intensity reduces until it dissipates entirely. If it were not for that, if we travel faster than the speed of sound, we could capture the sound made years back.

 

 

 

In the case of light, the opposite is the case. Light travels through space, and because it is another form of energy that cannot be destroyed, it travels infinitely unless or until it is stopped. Light travels at 300,000,000 meters (186,000 miles) per second in a vacuum. The speed of sound, in comparison, is only 342 meters per second or about 761 miles per hour or 1225 km per hour.

 

 

 

The closest humans have made to create a mechanism that travels close to the speed of light was at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland. The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) built the $10 billion collider where 10,000 scientists in hundreds of universities from more than 100 countries are exploring different theories of practical physics. Since 2010 when it went into operation, it has been able to measure the Higgs boson, subject the Standard Model to test, and study the nature of dark matter that constitutes over 27% of the universe. It also verified the so-called god particle. In the experiments conducted at the site, there were fears that the particle collider smashing particles near the speed of light might produce a black hole that would swallow everything on earth.

 

 

 

Albert Einstein, in his special theory of relativity, argued that no object could travel faster than the speed of light. Recently, Erik Lentz at the University of Gottingen came up with a way to circumvent the cosmic speed limits of Einstein's theory. Though Lentz's proposal is not practical at the moment due to the massive amount of energy needed, it places on the table how to arrange the structure of space-time to bend it. That way, a spacecraft could arrive at a destination faster than light by contracting space in front and expanding space behind in what is known as a "warp bubble."

 

 

 

"This work has moved the problem of faster-than-light travel one step away from theoretical research in fundamental physics and closer to engineering," Lentz said in the face of the enormous hurdles that building his wrap drive face.

 

 

 

While Lentz is not giving up on ways to get around the challenges, the Webb Telescope that can capture the image of the universe some 4.6 billion years ago has gone too far in the possibilities of shaking the table about facts and fiction about our contemporary history. Webb Telescope scientists can scale it back to just capturing the light, images, and videos of what happened some 2000 years ago.

 

 

 

The day Webb does that, and NASA has the images to show Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, Muhammed marching into Mecca, and Buddha's disciples sharing his ashes after cremation, you can bet that on that day, the world will stand still.

 

 

 

At this point, it is not about if but when. Ready or not, that day is on the horizon.

 

 

 

 

 

Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo teaches Post-Colonial African History at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He is also the host of Dr. Damages Show. His books include “This American Life Sef” and “Children of a Retired God.”

 

 

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo Disable advertisements :