Some terrorists on Tuesday opened fire on President Muhammadu Buhari’s advance convoy deployed ahead of his trip to Daura, Katsina State for Sallah celebrations.

A statement from the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu titled, ‘Gallant Presidential guards repel attack on advance team ahead of President’s visit’, obtained by SaharaReporters confirmed the attack.

It, however, added that the terrorists were repelled by the personnel of the military, police and the Department of State Services in the convoy.
 
It said, “The Presidency has described as sad and unwelcome, the shooting incident near Dutsinma, Katsina State, at the convoy of cars carrying the Advance Team of security guards, protocol and media officers ahead of the President, Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to Daura for Sallah.
 
“The attackers opened fire on the convoy from ambush positions but were repelled by the military, police and DSS personnel accompanying the convoy.
 
“Two persons in the convoy are receiving treatment for the minor injuries they suffered. All the other personnel, staff and vehicles made it safely to Daura.”

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The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has petitioned the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, accusing the Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Mr. Mike Igini of failing to recognise a faction of the party loyal to former Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Godswill Akpabio.
 
In the petition dated July 1, 2022, and signed by the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, APC accused Igini of disobeying a court order for Akpabio’s candidacy to be upheld and unlawfully recognising a candidate produced by another factional group in the state chapter of the party.

It asked why an INEC official who is supposed to be an unbiased umpire, was meddling in intra-party affairs, urging the SGF to intervene.
 
Igini had said that based on the outcome of the APC State Congress held on October 16, 2021, INEC recognises Austin Ekanem as the authentic Chairman of the party who won with 1,278 votes while the candidate backed by Akpabio scored 006.
 
He alleged the former Minister forged the original result and altered the result so that the candidate who scored 006 later scored 1,006 while that of Ekanem was falsified to read 278 instead of 1,278, and with the forged document, the criminality was taken to court where they fraudulently got a judgement that Ntukekpo won the election.
 
The INEC boss noted that though the process of conducting the primary or congress of political parties is the exclusive right of the parties, its duty is only to monitor and write a report, but that the report of the commission has consequences if due process was not followed.
 
"Our report can be very decisive. It cannot be ignored," he had said.
 
The INEC REC also noted with dismay that despite a Court of Appeal that ordered a Stay of Execution, the APC National Chairman went ahead to swear in Stephen Ntukekpo as State Chairman in flagrant disregard of a court order.
 
He declared that as far as INEC is concerned, the APC did not conduct any governorship primary in Akwa Ibom and to date, neither Akpabio nor his faction has been able to name the Abuja INEC officials who monitored the illegal midnight primary that allegedly produced one Akan Okon as Akwa Ibom APC candidate.
 
The four-paragraph petition dated July 1, 2022, and signed by the National Secretary of the party, Iyiola Omisore, reads: “Re: Petition Against Mr Mike Igini (Resident Electoral Commission) for Willful disobedience to a valid order of court by according unlawful recognition to an illegal group in APC Akwa Ibom State.
 
“We wish to bring to your attention the contemptuous conduct and activities perpetrated against our Party by Mike Igini, (Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State), which have been highlighted in the petition attached herewith about the above subject.
 
“We hereby forward the petition to your good office and respectfully request for your intervention by conveying the concerns of the party contained in our petition to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the relevant security agencies.
“We are grateful in anticipation of your kind consideration and necessary action with regards to this request. Please accept the assurances of my highest regards.”
Igini recently threatened to institute a N1 billion libel suit against a chieftain of the APC, Dr. Blessing Agbomhere.
According to Igini, Agbomhere in a television interview he granted on June 29, accused him of working for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State and consulting for state governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel.
 
 
Igini asked the APC chieftain to retract the said defamatory statements and tender an apology to him in four major TV stations and five prominent newspapers within the next 48 hours.

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Bruce Fein, the American counsel for the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has asked women from the South-East region to embark on numerous protests to call for the release of the detained IPOB leader.

Kanu has spent over a year in the custody of the Department of State Services.

Fein accused the Muhammadu Buhari-led government of engaging in genocide and crimes against Biafrans, asking the women to demonstrate “at a given time and place weekly if not daily at or near the Presidential Villa at Aso Rock and in the state capitals of Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Anambra, Enugu, Abia, and Imo”.
 
According to the lawyer, dramatic public protests were employed by Argentina’s Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo to secure accountability for tens of thousands of disappeared children by a military dictatorship.
 
Kanu, the IPOB leader, who is also a British citizen, is the most noticeable face of the Biafran movement.
 
“Leading the deliverance of the Biafran people from the ongoing Fulani genocide like Moses and the Exodus,” Fein said in a statement dated July 5, 2022, and addressed to ‘Mothers of Biafra’, which he sent to SaharaReporters.
 
“Towards that noble end, I encourage you to demonstrate at a given time and place weekly if not daily at or near the Presidential Villa at Aso Rock and in the state capitals of Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Anambra, Enugu, Abia, sand Imo.
 
“Embroider the names of your killed, disappeared, or maimed children by Fulani terrorists on your garments. Carry signs demanding the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu; a Biafran self-determination referendum mandated by international human rights law, including Article I of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and, prosecution of President Muhammadu Buhari for genocide by the International Criminal Court. 
 
“Dramatic public protests were employed by Argentina’s Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo to secure accountability for tens of thousands of disappeared children by a military dictatorship. Their inspiring bravery eventuated in a 1985 documentary film: The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo. You stand in apostolic succession to them. 
 
“You will be celebrated not only by the living but by those yet to be born. I salute your courage.”

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The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Plateau State University Chapter, has threatened that the crisis in the school will degenerate further if nothing is done about their plight.

 According to the workers, the management of Professor Yohanna Izam and the University Governing Council failed to show any serious commitment to addressing their grievances which include alleged discrimination.

The Senior varsity workers embarked on industrial action in December 2021 over issues including mainstreaming of hazard allowance at the Governing Council approved rate of N30,000 as against the N15,000 being paid by the university administration; payment of arrears of minimum wage from April 2019 to December 2020; payment of arrears of earned allowances; payment of arrears of salaries and regularization of the salary payday and constitution of a board to manage the staff gratuity fund.
 
Other issues are the implementation of Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Staff Salary (CONTISS) 15 salary grade in line with the CONTISS salary and implementation of 30 working days as annual leave, as against calendar days, as is the practice in the Nigerian university system.
 
But at its emergency executive meeting on Monday, the union lamented that the university management and the Plateau State government have grossly discriminated against its members and neglected them while favouring its sister union.
 
In a communique signed by the Chairman and the Secretary of the union, Timnan Rimdap and Fom Dakwak, SSANU said that while the state government recently released funds to the university for the payment of arrears of earned allowances, the management used the funds to settle the arrears owed only to members of a sister union, leaving its members with nothing while the Governing Council of the institution does nothing about it.
 
The communique made available to SaharaReporters reads, “The Plateau State University Branch of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, (SSANU) at its emergency EXCO meeting which held in Jos, Plateau State, on Monday, 4th July 2022 deliberated extensively on the blatant discrimination meted out to its members by the Professor Yohanna Izam led Management and the PLASU Governing Council in the course of the ongoing internal industrial action.
 
“SSANU, at the end of its meeting, came out with far-reaching decisions which are products of its deliberation as follows:
 
“SSANU strongly condemns the fact that though its strike action has entered the 7th month, neither Management nor Governing Council has taken any serious step to address the issues in dispute. It also condemns the fact that a committee of Council (led by Hon. Samuel A. Parah) constituted since February (over 4 months ago) to resolve the issues in dispute has held numerous meetings with a sister union but has not held a single meeting with SSANU.
 
“SSANU strongly condemns the fact that funds recently released to the University by the Government for the payment of arrears of earned allowances were used in settling the arrears owed only to members of the sister union in question, leaving our members unpaid. This development has created a situation where the sister union has been paid eight (8) years of its arrears leaving a balance of one (1) year while our members, who work in the same University, have only been paid four (4) years leaving a balance of seven (7) years.
 
“SSANU notes with disappointment that this naked show of discrimination which is unprecedented in the history of tertiary education on the Plateau, represents a wide departure from the principles of good management of human resources and good leadership, for which Professor Izam is an advocate.
 
“SSANU is surprised that Governing Council can sit comfortably and maintain a clear conscience while such a high level of discrimination is happening right under its watch.
 
“SSANU strongly condemns the fact that apart from the discrimination meted out to its members in the uneven payment of arrears of earned allowances, the Management and Council of the University have gone a step further by refusing to mainstream hazard allowance into its members’ monthly salaries at the agreed rate of N30,000, even though the State Government released funds for same purpose since February 2021.
 
“SSANU notes with deep concern that numerous calls on the Governor Lalong administration, which prides itself on being labour-friendly, to intervene in the dispute, have fallen on deaf ears.
 
“SSANU wishes to state that the discrimination meted out to its members has generated high tension in the system and the union should not be held responsible should the current situation degenerate into further crisis.
 
“SSANU calls on the Governor of Plateau State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Barr. Simon Bako Lalong to call the Management and Governing Council of PLASU to order in order to bring an end to the discriminatory treatment meted out to its members.
 
“SSANU calls on the Governor Lalong administration to release the sum of N323 million to address the discriminatory payment of arrears of earned allowances done to its members. It also calls on the Governor to direct the Management and Governing Council of the University to mainstream hazard allowance into our member’s monthly salaries at the agreed rate of N30,000, for which the union has agitated and obtained cash backing from the Government since February 2021.”

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Agboola Ajayi

A former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi has reacted to the suit filed by the Senator representing Ondo South district, Nicholas Tofowomo challenging the outcome of the May 23, 2022, primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the district.

The senator had approached the court seeking Ajayi’s disqualification as the 2023 Senatorial candidate of the party.

Agboola Ajayi

He was joined in the suit by the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the second and third defendants respectively.    

In a suit number: FHC/CS/AK/ 83 /2022 filed on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, Senator Tofowomo who came second in the PDP senatorial primary, said Agboola did not meet the constitutional requirements for contesting the 2023 general elections as contained in the interpretation and application of Section 66(1)(i) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Section 29(5) & (6) of the Electoral Act, 2022 as well as other relevant laws. See Also Sahara Reporters PDP Senator, Tofowomo Drags Ondo Ex-Deputy Governor, Agboola To Court Over Alleged Falsified Documents 0 Comments 1 Week Ago

Tofowomo, through his lawyer, Femi Emodamori, claimed that the court should determine if together with the totality of the facts before the Court, the 1st Defendant (Agboola) did not present false information and/or forged certificate(s) in his INEC Form EC9 and the other documents attached thereto which he submitted to the 3rd Defendant (INEC) as the candidate of the 2nd Defendant for Ondo South Senatorial District in the 2023 General Elections.

Reacting in a statement through his media aide, Allen Sowore on Tuesday, Ajayi described the move as an exclusive right of the lawmaker.

The former deputy governor however said he has respect for Tofowomo as a brother and “recognises him as a leader”.

The statement read, “The attention of the former Deputy Governor of Ondo State and PDP Candidate for Ondo South Senatorial District has been drawn to various insinuations on the media, particularly, the online platforms that the Senator Representing Ondo South in the upper Chamber of the National Assembly, Nicholas Tofowomo, may have filed a suit to challenge the outcome of the May 23rd Primary Election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Agboola Ajayi respects Senator Nicholas Tofowomo as a brother; recognizes him as a leader and as such counts on his enormous support towards the party's victory in the forthcoming general elections.

“However, it is within the exclusive right of Distinguished Senator Nicholas Tofowomo to approach the court of law wherever he feels that his right has been infringed upon and as a matter of fact, it falls within the Nigerian electoral process to so do.

“Apparently, it should be noted that leaders of our great party have been working hard to appeal and persuade all aggrieved persons in the party to work together in a view to ensuring the victory of the party at the 2023 General Elections.

“We are very confident as loyal party members that total reconciliation among the critical stakeholders is achievable.”

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No fewer than 15 persons have been reportedly killed in a fresh communal crisis between the people of Ngbo and Ezza in Nkwuada community.
The community is in the Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The crisis which reportedly started on Saturday night had yet to be confirmed by the State Police Command as of Tuesday.
The Command's spokesman did not offer any comment when SaharaReporters contacted him on Tuesday. Instead, he handed his call to someone else to tell our reporter to call his second line before the line went off. Meanwhile, the number of the line was not provided.
However, according to the Daily Trust report, most of the victims were said to be indigenes of Nkwuada.
The trouble was said to have started following the killing of an indigene of Nkwuada allegedly by Ezza settlers.
A native of Nkwuada told the paper that the deceased was accused of having killed a cow said to be owned by an Ezza indigene.
“The cow of Ezza man was said to be missing and they traced the missing cow to the farm of one Ngbo man. The Ezza didn’t wait to hear from the man (deceased) before they organized themselves and invited their warriors who went to his house and killed him in the night.
“So, after an investigation by the Nkwuada people, it was revealed that the deceased was killed by the Ezzas over an alleged missing cow belonging to an Ezzaman.
“The next day having known who killed the deceased, the Ezzas quickly sent out some elders among them who came and calmed elders of Nkwuada and promised to bring out the perpetrators to face the law.
“But that did not happen, the people of Ngbo the next day mobilised and attacked the people of Ezza in their settlement and the Ezza the next day (Saturday) mobilised their warriors and attacked the people of Nkwuada and killed not less than 15 persons.”
It reported that another resident dispelled the killing of the cow as the main cause of the crisis.
The resident, however, traced the crisis to anger among the people of Ezza which was said to have been bottled up. According to the source, the Ezza people were struggling to survive following Effium communal clash but were not allowed to settle in Nkwuaba.
SaharaReporters reports that Nkwuada Ngbo community shares boundaries with Effium and the people of Izzi in the Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state.
Meanwhile, Effium community has been in constant communal war with Ezza settlers in the community for several years now which has claimed several lives and led to the destruction of property running into millions of naira on both sides.
When SaharaReporters reached the Chairman of Ngbo Council, Mr. Clement Odah, he confirmed the crisis but didn't give the causality figure.
“The incident happened on Saturday and another one happened yesterday, being Monday. I have told you the efforts we are making. Give us time to gather the facts or you go to the police. I spoke to you as the chief security officer of the local government area,” he said.

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Following the poor state of the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Kaiama, in the Kolokuma-Opokuma council area of Bayelsa state where students sit on the bare floor, the state governor, Douye Diri has finally woken to his responsibilities by ordering the school to move to a new site.

A statement by the commissioner for information and orientation, Ayiba Duba said the viral picture showing pupils of the school taking a class while seated on the floor as shared by concerned citizens prompted the action.

According to Duba, the state government was not aware of the poor condition of the school.

Duba said, “The attention of Bayelsa State Government has been drawn to a picture of the Government Girls’ Secondary School Kaiama on the social media and the concerns it raised.

“This prompted the immediate on-the-spot assessment of the situation by the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Gentle Emelah.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Government is not unaware of the condition of our schools and a holistic plan of action is being implemented to revamp them.

“This explains why the government is committing huge resources to several ongoing renovations and reconstruction of existing schools’ infrastructure and construction of new ones.

“The case of the Government Girls’ Secondary School Kaiama is particularly pathetic because the school is susceptible to perennial flooding which often results in damage of facilities and equipment in the school.”

“While the state government will continue to implement the ongoing reconstruction of infrastructure in a phased and systematic manner within the limit of available resources, the Governor, His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri has directed that the Government Girls’ Secondary School Kaiama be relocated to a new site and provided with new facilities. The Ministry of Education is already implementing the directive,” the commissioner added.

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Two fraudsters identified as Destiny Unabor and Confidence Ekeanya have been convicted over impersonation and romance scam by the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo and Bwari respectively.

It was learnt that Unabor created a Facebook page with the name, Steven Zheng, a Singaporean engineer, and professed love to Seika Goto and Jennifer Chen, both Chinese nationals, in an attempt to get money from them.

Upon arraignment on Monday by Abuja Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Unabor pleaded guilty to one count of fraud.

In view of his plea, Justice Halilu sentenced Unabor to one year in prison with the option of a fine of N70,000 (Seventy Thousand Naira only). He is also to forfeit his mobile phone and laptop to the Nigerian government.

Similarly, Justice Belgore sentenced Ekeanya to one year in prison with an option of N100, 000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira only) fine. He is also to forfeit his mobile phone and laptop and restitute $650 (Six Hundred and Fifty US Dollars) to his victim.

He was jailed after pleading guilty to the charge. He was said to have induced one Mr. Collins, an American, to deliver the sum of $5,000 (Five Thousand US Dollars) to him over a phantom romantic relationship while pretending to be Stephanie, based in London.

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Human rights activist and co-convener of #BringBackOurGirls, Aisha Yesufu, has said that it is a waste of time to debate the educational qualifications of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate and former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu.

Yesufu, who recollected that the same issue trended in 2014 when incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari emerged as the party’s presidential candidate, said Nigerian politicians are only taking advantage of the weak and flimsy 1999 Constitution of the country.

The Constitution’s provisions, according to her, have enabled the worst people among Nigerians to occupy the most exalted positions including the presidency in the country.

Yesufu in a statement tagged ‘Beyond the Certificate Saga,’ noted that it is heartbreaking to find out that the constitution of the most populous African country provides Primary School Leaving Certificate or its equivalents as the least education qualification for the number one seat of the country, whereas, for entry jobs, Nigerians are required to possess a university degree and a certificate of National Youth Service.

She argued that rather than wasting time debating on Tinubu or any other politician’s basic school certificates, Nigerians should focus their energies on electing people with competence, character and capacity into the legislative arm of the government to courageously give Nigerians a brand-new constitution that will take care of the many anomalies that the country currently has with the 1999 Constitution as amended.

According to Yesufu, “How did the highest political office in the land have a criterion of school certificate or its equivalent?” meanwhile, “To teach even in a primary school, you need more than a school certificate.”

She noted that “The current Constitution was put together albeit contentiously in 1999, yet, school certificate level or its equivalent was what was given for such an exalted position? Instead of talking about the same problem, we should be concerned with the Constitution of Nigeria that opened the gate for the least educated persons amongst us to have the opportunity to contest and govern over us.”

Quoting the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, she said, “According to Section 131, of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, a person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President if – (a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth; (b) he has attained the age of forty years; (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and (d) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”

She pointed out that although some people believe that the basis of the constitution is illegal because it was drafted by the military government without the people’s consent.

She said, “How can the Supreme law of Nigeria peg school certificate as the least academic qualification for the exalted position of President of the country? How did we consider secondary school certificate holders for Presidency in 1999 when Nigeria had a good population of well-educated and capable individuals from all walks of life?

“I am a strong proponent of discussing ways to fix the Constitution to reflect our reality instead of dwelling on whether someone has a certificate or otherwise. We should focus on electing people with competence, character and capacity into the legislative arm of government that would be courageous enough to give Nigerians a brand-new constitution that will take care of the many anomalies that we currently have with the 1999 constitution as amended.”

She explained that Section 318(1) of the constitution further reveals sad details on what constitutes a school certificate by providing that “School Certificate or its equivalent” means (a) a Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent, or Grade II Teacher’s Certificate, the City and Guilds Certificate; or (b) education up to Secondary School Certificate level; or (c) Primary Six School Leaving Certificate or its equivalent and – (i) service in the public or private sector in the Federation in any capacity acceptable to the Independent National Electoral Commission for a minimum of ten years, and (ii) attendance at courses and training in such institutions as may be acceptable to the Independent National Electoral Commission for periods totalling up to a minimum of one year, and (iii) the ability to read, write, understand and communicate in the English language to the satisfaction of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and (d) any other qualification acceptable by the Independent National Electoral Commission.”

She noted that by implication, it means that “If a janitor with a Primary Six School Leaving Certificate or its equivalent works in private or public service for 10 years cleaning without even doing anything beyond just cleaning, he is as eligible to run for President of Nigeria as a Professor. Whereas in Nigeria, you are only qualified for an entry job when you have not just a university degree, but also National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate, a minimum of a second-class upper degree is mostly stipulated.”

Therefore, rather than debating over the basic school certificates of Tinubu and others, “We need capable persons with character in the legislature to make laws that reflect our present situation and rid the Constitution of obstinate provisions that have held the nation back.

“We should concern ourselves more with the fact that the biggest law of our land enables the worst among us to rule over us and not concerning ourselves with who presents their certificates or not. This certificate saga is not one for banter; it is a major issue that should make us weep for our dear nation. We must begin assessing persons who will fill up the legislature to give us a progressive constitution and an active judiciary that will reflect the rule of law and justice.

“The Judiciary is vested with the power to interpret laws. Sadly, Nigeria has not seen as much activism as is required of the Judiciary when entertaining cases or interpreting the law. A lot of wrongs and anomalies would have been fixed if our judges displayed judicial activism.

“In the case of Terver Kakih Vs PDP & Ors (2014) 15 NWLR (PART 1430) 374, the Court held that submission or presentation of certificate is not the requirement of S. 177(d) of the Constitution as regards the Gubernatorial screening process. The process of screening requires the candidate to fill in his qualification in the form and to swear to a verifying affidavit that the information contained in Form CF001 was accurate. The court held in the case of Ocholi Onojo James, SAN V INEC & Ors (2015) 12 NWLR (PART 1474) 538 that the most critical consideration to take while interpreting the provisions of the Constitution is the intention of the lawmaker.

“In Heydon’s case (1584), Lord Poke, while defining the Mischief rule as a canon of interpretation, held that the intention of the parliament must be sought in order to use the law to suppress the mischief and advance the remedy.

“It is high time we focused on getting a constitution that guarantees the progress of the Federal Republic of Nigeria not the progress of a few persons.”

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Mourners at the burial of a pastor with ECWA Church, Rev. Adamu Buba, were dispersed by gunmen at Tudun Ibru in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna state on Tuesday.

Buba was kidnapped when terrorists during an attack on the area on Monday night in which three persons were killed and some others were kidnapped.

Vanguard reports that he was found dead on Tuesday close to the community.

Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, confirmed the incident, saying, “It is true and when the church went for his burial; gunmen started shooting and people fled.”

Regarding how Buba was kidnapped and killed, a source recalled the attack on the community on Monday night.

“The kidnappers then moved to Doka and abducted 9 people. The pastor of ECWA Church Tudun Ibru, Rev Adamu Buba was among those kidnapped, but this morning, while villagers were on the heels of the kidnappers, they found his body,” said a source.

 

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Shina Peller

A member of the House of Representatives representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency, Shina Peller, has secured the Accord Party ticket for the Oyo North Senatorial District in the 2023 general elections.

The declaration was made on Tuesday in Saki town, Oyo State, after the initial candidate, Prince Michael Ademola Ojo, publicly announced his resolve to willingly withdraw from the race.

Shina Peller

According to Ojo, he willingly withdrew from the race.

“In the overall interest of our people in Oke Ogun and Oyo North Senatorial District at large, I hereby willingly withdraw from the race and wholeheartedly transfer the mandate I have to contest for the Oyo North Senatorial District seat on the platform of Accord to my dear brother, Honourable Shina Peller,” Ojo said.

Representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were there to witness the event.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that Peller left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) last month.

The federal lawmaker disclosed this in a letter titled “APC Membership Renouncement,” which he addressed to the Chairman of APC Ward 9, Koso in the Iseyin local government area of Oyo State.

Peller, an entrepreneur and owner of Quilox Club, said he had due consultation with his people before taking the decision but failed to disclose the party he would be joining at the time.

He said his people were embarrassed by the “undemocratic acts and decisions” of some politicians in the state APC chapter.

He failed to clinch the APC senatorial ticket in May, losing to Senator Fatai Buhari who had 570 votes against Peller’s five votes.

That brought his four-year stint at the National Assembly to an end. He had declined to seek a second term in the House of Representatives to honour an agreement to rotate the seat in his constituency.

The letter read, “I write to formally inform you of the renouncement of my membership from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“I took this decision after due consultation with my people from the Oke Ogun region and beyond who feel humiliated by the undemocratic acts and decisions of some gladiators within Oyo State APC.

“President Muhammadu Buhari preached bottom-to-top approach driven APC, but the undemocratic conduct of some party chieftains particularly in Oyo State has shown that the people from the grassroots and the youth will continue to be at the mercy of the few at the top, who impose their preferred candidate against the wish of the people, as recently witnessed in Oyo North Senatorial District where I belong.

“My people have therefore decided that we withdraw our membership of the APC, and I totally align with them as I delved into politics, not for a selfish reason but for the overall interest of Nigerian youths and the people of Oke Ogun. So. I hereby renounce my membership of the APC.”

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Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has expressed his displeasure over the non-appearance of top officials of the Nigerian Government before the Ad Hoc Committee on the Volume of Fuel Consumed Daily in Nigeria at its investigative hearing in Abuja on Tuesday.

The Speaker expressed his displeasure during the flag-off of the investigative hearing to "ascertain the actual daily consumption of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in Nigeria" and summoned the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, and Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to appear before the Committee.

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.

The hearing was chaired by Hon. Abdulkadir Abdullahi,

Represented by the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Peter Akpatason, the Speaker observed that the House also mandated the Committee not to restrict its findings to the NNPC records alone, but to liaise with experts in the industry, transport workers and all other stakeholders to determine an independent finding for the benefit of Nigerians.

He cited sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which gave the House powers to inquire into the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, ministry or government department charged, with the duty of or responsibility for executing or administering laws enacted by the National Assembly

Tribune reports that during the hearing, the attention of the House was drawn to the lingering cases of fuel scarcity causing significant loss of manhour and untold hardship on Nigerians; controversies and concerns generated over the huge sums of money being paid as oil subsidies and the inaccuracy of data required for effective planning, supply and distribution of the premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol.

“Only last week, the news was awash with the trading of blames between the NMDPRA and IPMAN over bridging the gap as a result of the rising cost of IPMAN’s operations, reportedly to the tune of over N70 billion in the interim, to address the lingering fuel scarcity. See Also Sahara Reporters Tell Emefiele He Has To Come – House Speaker, Gbajabiamila Walks Out Representative Sent By Embattled Central Bank Governor 0 Comments 2 Months Ago

“The National Assembly in the repeal and re-enactment of the Year 2022 Appropriation Act has projected the cost of subsidy for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to be over N4 trillion.

“In view of the above, the House of Representatives has constituted and mandated the Ad-hoc Committee on the volume of fuel consumed daily in the country, to engage the key operators in the sector, so as to leverage on your expertise and experience in the industry and come up with a solution or template required for effective planning, supply and distribution of the premium motor spirit (PMS) in Nigeria.”

While noting that the amount being expended on fuel subsidy as reeled out by the apex bank and NNPC on the fuel subsidy is doubtful and has been contested by concerned stakeholders, the Speaker frowned on the failure of all the accounting officers to honour the invitation of the Ad-hoc Committee. See Also Sahara Reporters Nigeria’s House Of Representatives To Reconvene On Monday Over Central Bank Governor, Emefiele’s Presidential Aspiration 0 Comments 2 Months Ago

“Now you have been given the opportunity to come here and show us what you know, bring out facts that will either confirm or controvert the stories that are out there. So that at the end of the day we are able to act on facts. But here we are.

“I know NNPC hardly absent itself from this kind of investigative hearings, they wrote a letter which is quite commendable but it’s appalling that such letter will come in at this point and there was no single representative that will come and explain why the company cannot appear before submitting the letter.

“That is not fair, how much more CBN? CBN paid these monies and people are disputing the figures that they are churning out to defend their position or clear the air. Is it that they are not taking the parliament seriously or what is that?

“I want to make it very clear that it is not acceptable to the parliament, that people, organisations that are saddled with the responsibility of managing the critical assignments like the distribution and accounting for the distribution and sale of PMS in this country will be reluctant to come here to do their duties.

“Your job is not only to go to your office and do whatever you have to do but you have to also come out and respond to the call of the government to show accountability for whatever that you are doing as an agency of government even if you are a private organisation that is also participating in the process of distribution, you must be accountable.

“So, we want to see this attempt by critical stakeholders to absent themselves from this investigative hearing as an attempt to frustrate the efforts of the committee and the parliament will not take it likely.

“And I want to say the subsequent meetings those of you who are not here, the major organisations who are not here, a lot of them are not here. Ministry of Petroleum Resources, who on earth will believe that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources will not be present here and will not send any message? Ministry of Finance is not here also; the Central Bank of Nigeria is not here; the office of the Accountant General, the popular office of Accountant General is not represented by anybody.

“Federal Inland Revenue Service is not here; this is not fair. Even PPMC is not here, they are the ones distributing and they are not here? This is not acceptable. Chairman, I thought I should make this point so that you can carry on from there,” he said.

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Nigerian judges

The Lagos State Government on Monday says it has fired a customary court judge, Mr Ishola Razaki Adeyemi, who allegedly dissolved a marriage between a couple and impregnated the wife of the complainant, Olayemi Ayeni.

Ayeni in a now-viral video was seen recounting his tumultuous ordeal in the hands of Adeyemi, whom he claimed made his life a living hell.

Nigerian judges

According to him, he had a major dispute with his wife and mother of his kids, Doyin Rukayat Okunnubi, in whose business he had invested N5 million.

The romance became sour when her business flourished and his wife allegedly became rebellious.

The man further accused his wife of infidelity which prompted him to sue to seek a resolution to the crisis.

He said the judge who presided over the marital fracas engineered their divorce and subsequently impregnated his wife.

“I had an issue with my wife, she moved out of the house, she rented an apartment very close to my house. I put five million naira into her business to establish a school, Greatest Kiddies Foundation. So, the success of the business caused a problem in the family, I could not control her again,” he had said in the video.

“So after 10 months, I took her to court, thinking that I’d able to resolve this matter through Alternative Dispute Resolution. The judge, Dr Ishola Azakiq Adeyeni, hurriedly dissolved my marriage and got that woman impregnated three months after the dissolution of the marriage.

“The woman, she’s now carrying nine months pregnancy for that man. What really pained me is that in the ruling, this man denied me access to my children. That I can only see the children at the school premises once a week. The same children now are under his custody; he took over the business I established for that woman. He denied me access from having access to my children, he impregnated the woman now and he still wants to send me to jail.”

Reacting in a statement issued on Monday, the Lagos State Government said the case was investigated by the State Judicial Service Commission.

According to the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Titilola Vivour Adeniyi, the findings of the investigation subsequently led to the termination of the appointment of the judge.

She added that the incident happened between 2014 and 2015.

“The attention of the State Government has been drawn to a viral video circulating the social media space wherein one Mr. Olayemi Ayeni (the Complainant) alleged that a former Customary Court Member, Mr. Ishola Razaki Adeyemi, abused his office by exhibiting unprofessional conduct in a customary court case involving the Complainant and his wife and proceeded to snatch his wife and children from him.

“The matter which occurred between 2014/2015 was investigated by the Lagos State Judicial Service Commission. The findings of the investigation subsequently led to the termination of the appointment of the Member of the Customary Court.

“It was discovered that the viral video was posted by ‘Ogbongefriends’ sometime in 2016.

“Members of the public are informed that the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency has attempted to reach out to Ogbongefriends on their various social media accounts, but unfortunately their accounts have not been active since 2018. All efforts to reach out to the complainant have been to no avail.

“We, therefore, use this medium to encourage anyone with useful information about the complainant to please reach out via our social media handles- @dsvrt on Twitter or @dsva on Instagram or on 0813-796-0048,” the statement read.

A family source on Monday told SaharaReporters that Ayeni now has his children in his custody.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday presented more witnesses before Justice Sedoten Ogunsanya of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State, against Abubakar Ali Peters and his Company, Nadabo Energy Limited.

Peters and Nadabo Energy Limited are facing 21 counts bordering on forgery and subsidy fraud amounting to the sum of over N761 million.

One of the counts filed against Peters and his company by the EFCC reads, “Nadabo Energy Limited and Abubakar Ali Peters, on or about the 26th day of September 2011 in Lagos, within the Ikeja judicial division, fraudulently obtained the sum of N761,628,993.84 from the Federal Government by falsely representing that the sum represented the subsidy accrued to Nadabo Energy Limited under the Petroleum Support Fund for the importation of 16,808,064 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which Nadabo Energy Limited purported to have purchased from Delano Petroleum Corporation Akara Tortola British Virgin Island, and transported the 16,808,064 litres through MT Gotland Carolina (mother vessel) and MT Sonia (daughter vessel) to Nigeria, whereas Nadabo Energy Limiter only imported 7,953,962 litres of PMS from Delany Petroleum Corporation Akara Tortola British Virgin Island and transported 7,953,962 litres of PMS through MT Gotland Carolina (mother vessel) and MT Songa (daughter vessel) to Nigeria.”

But Peters, who was arraigned on October 7, 2015, pleaded “not guilty” to the charges leading to the commencement of his trial.

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One of Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abuja Zonal Command, has obtained the conviction of one Obochi Simeon Iwodi before Justice A.O. Musa of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja on one count bordering on cheating by impersonation.

The conviction of Simeon was secured last Thursday.

Simeon impersonated the Special Adviser to the EFCC Chairman and collected N1.8 million from job seekers, claiming he would get them employment in EFCC.

The charge sheet reads: “That you, Obochi Simeon Iwodi, between August 2020 and August 2021 within the Judicial Division of the Federal Territory High Court, Abuja did cheat by pretending to be the Special Adviser (SA) to Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC carried out an illegal act by inducing one Abah Job Ebute and others to deliver to you the aggregate sum of N1,800,000 (One Million Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) under the guise that you are capable of giving them employment in EFCC, a fact you know to be false and you thereby committed an offence of Cheating by Personation contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation (Abuja), 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law.”

He pleaded guilty to the charge while taking his plea.

Following his guilty plea, Justice Musa sentenced Iwodi to one year in prison with an option of N700,000 fine.

It was learnt Simeon had returned to the victims their money in full. 

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File photo used to illustrate story.

Suspected terrorists have reportedly killed a police officer and kidnapped a Chinese man during an attack on a quarry site in Shao Town of Moro Local Government of Kwara State.
The terrorists reportedly burnt the car allegedly used for the operation before fleeing.

File photo used to illustrate story.

A police officer injured in the attack is said to be receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital.
The Spokesman for the state police command, SP Okasanmi Ajayi confirmed the incident to Daily Post, saying the “command is working round the clock to get the victim rescued and perpetrators apprehended.”
“Meanwhile, the command is in a mourning mood over the killing of one of our operatives,” he added.
Ajayi further said that the state police commissioner, Tuesday Assayomo, has set up a special investigation team to investigate the matter.
“The people of Kwara State would be briefed accordingly of our progress please,” he said.
In June, SaharaReporters reported that two passengers travelling in a coastal bus were killed by suspected terrorists along Obbo-Aiyegunle-Osi Road in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State
The terrorists also kidnapped at least 10 other passengers on the bus, whose vehicle registration number was 'XC167MUN'.
SaharaReporters gathered that one of those killed by the gunmen was the driver, simply identified as Akeem.
Okasanmi, while confirming the incident on Sunday, said, "On receipt of the information by the police in Obbo Aiyegunle, policemen, vigilantes, local hunters and available members of sister agencies on the ground immediately raced to the scene in an effort to get the victims rescued.”
 

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The Majority Leader of the Adamawa State House of Assembly and member representing Jada Constituency, Hammantukur Yettusuri, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), SaharaReporters can report.
 
Yettusuri, who currently represents Jada Constituency, home of former vice president and PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, officially joined the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP) on Tuesday at the party's secretariat in Yola, the state capital.

He was immediately initiated into the 'Kwankwasiya movement', the political ideology of NNPP presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
 
Speaking on why he left the PDP even when Atiku, who is from his Jada hometown is running for the seat of the president, Yettusuri noted that justice was his driving force.
 
"He said, "I'm in the NNPP to join forces with other good Nigerians to fix the system, it's not about my own or anybody's personal interest.
 
"You see, if a system continues with imposition ideology, the eventual results become implosion.
 
"As for me and my numerous supporters, we will commence activities immediately to ensure NNPP's victory in the 2023 general elections," he assured.
 
He was accordingly awarded the party's automatic ticket to run for Jada/Toungo/Ganye/MayoBelwa federal constituency.

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Bolt, the ride-hailing company in over 400 cities across more than 45 countries, has opted for Kenya to house its African regional office, shunning Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world that used to be called the ‘Giant of Africa’.

Bolt’s regional spokesperson for Africa, Nthabiseng Mokoena, in a statement reported by Peoples Gazette on Tuesday, said the Kenyan office will serve as the company’s regional nerve centre.

Ms Mokoena in the statement disclosed that the office, located in Riverside Drive, Nairobi, Kenya, will host Bolt’s top-brass leadership overseeing operations across Africa.
 
Bolt says the Nairobi office will provide an opportunity for it to run its operations in a more integrated and cohesive manner across the African region.
 
Currently, Bolt runs its African operations across seven countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Tunisia, South Africa and Ghana.

The Estonian mobility company, headquartered in Tallinn, offers vehicle for hire, micromobility, car-sharing, and food delivery services.

Speaking during the launch, Bolt Regional Director and Interim VP for Rides, Paddy Partridge, said the development will further boost Bolt’s presence in Africa.
“This investment is strategic for us as it will enable us to run and coordinate operations seamlessly across Africa in an integrated manner.

“It also provides us access to the great COMESA regional markets which we are keen to expand to,” Mr Partridge said, adding that Kenya acts as a great gateway into Africa.

With the announcement, Bolt joins a list of multinationals that have shunned Nigeria to site their African headquarters or regional office in other countries despite the human resources the most populous African country boasts of.

For instance, communications giant, Twitter, in April 2021 opened its Africa Operation Headquarters in Ghana, shunning Nigeria, despite over 2.5 million users – which is about the third-largest in the continent after Egypt and South Africa. See Also Internet Free Speech: Twitter Shuns Nigeria, Chooses Ghana As Africa Operations Headquarters 0 Comments 1 Year Ago

The then-Twitter Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Jack Dorsey, had said, “Twitter is now present on the continent. Thank you Ghana, and Nana Akufo Addo.”

Less than two months later, President Muhammadu Buhari’s government banned the operations of the microblogging giant in the country, describing it as a threat to its corporate existence.

Google also chose Accra, Ghana as the location for its very first Artificial Intelligence research laboratory in Africa.
 
A 2021 report by RMB, a division of FirstRand Bank Limited, titled, ‘Where to Invest in Africa 2021’ shows Nigeria dropped from Africa’s top 10 investment destinations to 14 while Egypt retained the number one position. The ranking is based on operating environments in the countries evaluated.
 

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Ondo State Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi.

A former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi has been dragged to a Federal High Court sitting in Akure for allegedly falsifying credentials, and some other documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
 
The Senator representing Ondo South district, Nicholas Tofowomo is seeking Agboola Ajayi’s disqualification as the 2023 Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the district.

Ondo State Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi.

Ajayi, the first defendant, is joined in the suit by the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the second and third defendants respectively.     
 
In a suit number: FHC/CS/AK/ 83 /2022 filed on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, Senator Tofowomo who came second in the PDP senatorial primary, said Agboola did not meet the constitutional requirements for contesting the 2023 general elections as contained in the interpretation and application of Section 66(1)(i) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Section 29(5) & (6) of the Electoral Act, 2022 as well as other relevant laws.
 
Tofowomo, through his lawyer, Mr Femi Emodamori, claimed that the court should determine if together with the totality of the facts before the Court, the 1st Defendant (Agboola) did not present false information and/or forged certificate(s) in his INEC Form EC9 and the other documents attached thereto which he submitted to the 3rd Defendant (INEC) as the candidate of the 2nd Defendant for Ondo South Senatorial District in the 2023 General Elections.
 
"I verily believe that the 1st Defendant (Agboola) lied and/or swore to false information when he stated in Exhibit FEE4 (the Affidavit For Correction of Date of Birth which he submitted to the 3rd Defendant) that he was issued the 2004 WASSC (Exhibit FEE3) No. NGWASSCS 5529745 and claimed ‘that in the said Certificate my date of birth was mistakenly printed as December 8, 1980, instead of 24th September 1968,’” the court document says in part.

PDP Senator, Tofowomo Drags Ondo Ex-Deputy Governor, Agboola To Court Over Alleged Falsified Documents by Sahara Reporters 

 
The Senator also stated that "Whether, having regard to Section 29 (6) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the 1st Defendant (Agboola) should be disqualified as the candidate of the 2nd Defendant (PDP) for Ondo South Senatorial District in the 2023 General Election”.
His prayers include: "AN ORDER of this Honourable Court disqualifying the 1st Defendant as the candidate of the 2nd Defendant for Ondo South Senatorial District in the 2023 General Elections.
 
"AN ORDER of this Honourable Court declaring the Plaintiff, having scored the 2nd highest number of votes in the 2nd Defendant’s Primary Election for Ondo South Senatorial District held on 23rd May, 2023, as the candidate of the 2nd Defendant for the said Senatorial District in the 2023 General Elections.
 
"AN ORDER of this Honourable Court directing the 2nd and 3rd Defendants to substitute the Plaintiff for the 1st Defendant as the candidate of the 2nd Defendant for Ondo South Senatorial District in the 2023 General Elections.”

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Comrade Gbenga Komolafe, a social activist, and General Secretary, Federation of Informal Workers’ Organisations of Nigeria (FIWON) has alleged that Peter Obi, presidential candidate of Labour Party paid millions of naira to ‘buy’ the party’s ticket.
 
In May, Obi joined LP, hours after announcing his resignation as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Obi was the vice-presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019 general elections.

He said his decision to join LP aligns with the interest of Nigerians across different sectors, adding that he wants to take the country from being a consuming nation to producing nation.

“Therefore, I have chosen a route that I consider to be in line with our aspirations and my mantra of taking the country from consumption to production; and that is the Labour Party which is synonymous with the people, workers, development, production, securing and uniting Nigerians as one family,” Obi had said.
 
A few days after, he was declared the winner of the party’s presidential primary.
 
Pat Utomi, a Professor of Political Economy, Eragbe Anselm, National Youth Leader of LP, as well as Olubusola Olufolake were said to have stepped down for him.
 
Before then, a faction of the party led by Mr Calistus Okafor had elected a presidential candidate for the 2023 elections.
 
However, Komolafe alleged Obi paid millions of naira to ‘settle’ some of the other aspirants like Okafor, saying the information was reliably gathered from inside the party.
 
The activist described the former Anambra governor as a mainstream politician whom he said was not different from the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and that of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar.
 
He said, “Obi paid millions of naira to Labour Party leadership and equally settled other aspirants like the Callistus guy who, with some legitimacy, questioned the credibility of the so-called interim chair of LP who is the greatest beneficiary of the PO (Peter Obi) Bazar.
 
“Obi is fundamentally a mainstream politician. He's not different in any serious sense from a Tinubu or Atiku. But Nigerians have been trapped in a plutocracy. Politics of the criminal rich. Within that context, most Nigerians are incapable of seeing any other candidate except the very visible, traditional ones.
 
“The LP affiliation with trade unions gives a little veneer of difference from the APC/PDP but unfortunately the enormous potential of the LP evolving as a true workers' party has been crippled even before the race started, not only because of their fawning, unprincipled embrace of an Obi without building a programmatic mass base but also because of their determination to simply exploit the current situation for their own individual benefit.
 
“After all, most NLC leaders remain APC. Maybe, in the long run, the LP will still be able to fulfil its historical destiny as a party of working people but for now, it has lost its unique advantages. Mark this, Obi will most likely lose next year's election to one of the dominant parties for some reasons.
 
“The logic of political mobilization remains monetized. Obi is part of this tradition and the labour aristos are only exploiting this to make money for themselves rather than build a mass base for the LP and possibly strike strategic alliances with other progressive formations like AAC (African Action Congress). Given this reality, APC/PDP will easily outspend Obi and the dreamers supporting him.
 
“All the social media noise around Obi is mostly in the air. On-ground support is based on mostly ethno religious, 'it is our turn' emotive sentiments. This can't go far because it can't demographically challenge the traditional Northern voting blocs which always come tops with this kind of politics.
 
“Without a conscious radical political mobilization of the working people around a mass movement that is demonstrably counter-establishment as we know it, spurious, ungrounded, monetized, ethno religious political mobilization crystallizing around Obi right now will eventually crumble. It still remains, 'the only way, the hard way' for genuine change seekers.”

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