The Labour Party (LP) has disclosed that its presidential candidate, Peter Obi's running mate will “most likely” come from the northern region of the country.

The party revealed this through its chairman, Julius Abure, while speaking in commemoration of the Democracy Day on Monday.

Abure noted that the principle of social-religious inclusion and the diversity of the Nigerian workforce and membership of the Labour Party would not be compromised in its choice.

He said, “While I want to say that it may be too premature for me to speak, and the constitution also gives the presidential candidate the right to nominate his vice presidential candidate, I feel it would be more proper for the presidential candidate to answer.

"However, I want to assure you that as a party that is reasonable; as a party that believes in equity and justice; as a party that believes in social justice and equal opportunity for all, a vice-presidential candidate that is widely accepted, with powerful credentials, is most likely going to come from the Northern region, there is no doubt about that.”

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had fixed Friday June 17, 2022, as a deadline for political parties to send the names of their presidential candidates and running mates.

It also issued Friday, July 15, 2022 as a deadline for the parties to submit names of governorship candidates and their running mates.

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Nigerians who went to the FESTAC office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State have cried out that officials of the election umpire refused to attend to them.

In a 1 minute, 51 seconds video clip seen by SaharaReporters, one of the registrants, who were stranded at the office, said the INEC told them that there was no machine with which the officials could register them.

But the people alleged that there were machines but the officials deliberately ignored them to miss the June 30 deadline given by the INEC for the Continuous Voters Registration.

The registrant who did not mention his name in the video said, “Fellow Nigerians, this is INEC office, FESTAC. This is the man in the INEC office. They have given a deadline, and yet we are all here and they are telling us that there is no machine; that they have sent their machine out.

“Look at the population. The people that left their work to come and get voters’ cards, but in INEC office, there is no machine. Look at the people sitting all over the place. Some carried their children but this man is telling us that there is no machine in the head office, FESTAC. Nigerians, see what is happening.”

Recall that following the surge in the number of Nigerians coming out for the CVR exercise, INEC on Saturday announced that it had deployed additional 209 registration machines to Lagos, Kano and the five South-East states to enable it register all the eligible Nigerians before the deadline.

The INEC National Electoral Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, had yet to respond to a message sent to him as of the time of filing this report.

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Senate President Ahmad Lawan

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, is on the verge of suffering two losses within a week as the winner of the Yobe North All Progressives Congress senatorial primary, Bashir Machina, has refused to step down for him.

 

Lawan, who represents Yobe North in the Senate, contested and lost a bid to secure the APC presidential ticket at the party’s national convention held on June 8, where Bola Tinubu emerged the winner.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan

The president of the Senate was initially touted as the consensus candidate of the party, but 13 Northern governors kicked against the idea of retaining power in the North.

 

Daily Nigerian reports that since the winner of the senatorial primaries refused to step down, the Senate president is now mounting pressure on the presidency to get back his senatorial ticket.

 

All efforts by Lawan’s cronies to convince Machina to step down for the president of the Senate failed as the senatorial candidate insisted that he would not withdraw.

 

According to sources, Lawan was secretly given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) form by the APC headquarters to fill for submission, although he didn’t submit himself for party screening and didn’t participate in the senatorial primary election which took place in Gashua town on May 28.

 

In the primaries, Mr Machina, who was the sole candidate, got 289 votes.

 

According to sources, Lawan, in concert with the APC National Vice Chairman, North East, Mustapha Salihu, is trying to ‘forcefully take over’ the ticket from Machina.

 

However, the APC National Vice Chairman, North East told Daily Nigerian that he never interfered in the decisions of the party in Yobe.

 

“I don’t interfere with local party arrangement in states. Yobe has its own unique way of primaries, which is a general consensus.

 

“All aspirants who obtained the party’s nomination forms nationwide have filled the withdrawal forms, which is a clear consent to withdraw in case of any superior interest, and with the consent of the party stakeholders in the state.

 

“I’m aware that it is a national party policy for aspirants who lost the presidential ticket to return to their seats in the Senate. You can see Godswill Akpabio has already reclaimed his senatorial ticket,” Salihu added. 

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The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the kidnapping of an Anglican Bishop, his wife and driver by suspected kidnappers in Oyo State.

According to a statement in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the Bishop, Rt. Reverend Oluwaseun Aderogba of the Jebba Diocese in Kwara State was in the company of his wife who is a technologist in the Department of Crop Protection at the University of Ilorin and their driver when they were kidnapped along the New Oyo-Ogbomoso Expressway.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adewale Osifeso, said on Sunday, June 12, 2022, that “at about 2100hrs, one Reverend Adekunle Adeluwa reported to the command through an incident report at Atiba Divisional Police Headquarters, Oyo town that at about 2030hrs, one Bishop, Rt. Reverend Aderogba of Jebba Diocese in Kwara State in the company of his wife and driver was kidnapped.” 

The statement further said “Preliminary investigations reveals that the victim’s vehicle developed what seemed a mechanical fault while travelling from Yewa, Ogun State to Jebba, Kwara State en route an isolated area along New Oyo-Ogbomoso Expressway.”

The statement signed on behalf of the state Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, added that the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations of the Command was in charge of the rescue operation that commenced since Sunday.

“All the tactical teams of the Command Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Ambush Squad, Puff Adder, Police Mobile Force, Counter-terrorism Unit and Conventional Police personnel along with local hunters and vigilantes are all involved in the rescue operations.

“Meanwhile, discreet investigation led by the State Criminal Investigation Department is simultaneously being vigorously embarked upon to ensure that the victims are rescued unhurt.”

Meanwhile, in Ilorin, the Kwara State Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Communion, Bishop Sunday Adewole, who confirmed the development, said the victims were kidnapped on Sunday evening when they were attempting to fix their faulty vehicle along the highway adding that the abductors had contacted the church demanding the sum of N50million as ransom.

Bishop Adewole who described the incident as a total collapse of the security architecture of the country said the political class was not sincere in addressing the issue but on winning the 2023 elections.

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Southern Kaduna

A survivor of last Sunday's attack on Southern Kaduna communities, Rev. Denis Sani of the First Evangelical Church Winning All, Maikori, has narrated his ordeal.

Reverend Sani alongside some other community members paid a Save-Our-Soul visit to the President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), Jonathan Asake at the National Secretariat of the Union to seek assistance for their starving communities and narrate the tragedy that befell their communities.

Southern Kaduna

In their account, armed herdsmen invaded Adara villages in Kajuru Local Government Area on Sunday, June 5, and while residents resisted the attackers, a white helicopter came from nowhere and aided the assailants against the natives.

Sani said, “It was around noon while we were in the church that we started getting information that armed Fulani herdsmen were attacking Dangoma and some nearby villages.

“We hastily rounded up our prayers and came out,” he went on.

“We then heard that they were in large numbers and that they were heading towards Maikori. We then called out for reinforcement and all the youths came out and we laid ambush waiting for them. We evacuated our women, children and old ones into hiding.

“In no time we saw them. They were in large numbers on scores of motorcycles each carrying three turban herdsmen who all had AK 47 rifles.”

According to Rev Sani, when the herdsmen were getting close to them, they tried defending their communities by firing dane guns at the invaders.

“Upon hearing our gunshots the leaders of the armed herdsmen raised his left hand and came to an abrupt halt. The rest also stopped,” he said.

He said that they dismounted from the bikes and started firing back, but the villagers got the upper hand and the assailants started retreating.

“From nowhere, we saw a helicopter coming over towards Maikori, and we were happy that help had come,” he said.

However, he said the villagers were shocked to discover that the helicopter started firing in their direction, even when the motorcycles of the assailants, their positions and mode of dressing, marked them out clearly.

“I saw my people running for dear lives and some were falling. I also ran. It was not possible to face the armed Fulani and the bullets from the helicopter, so we ran for our lives,” he said.

He narrated further that upon escaping, the herdsmen entered Maikori and started burning homes.

“As they were burning houses, the helicopter was hovering over the village to defend them from our returning. They took three good hours burning every structure in Maikori, except three or four houses that do not have any valuables.

“My church, 1st ECWA Church Maikori, was burnt to ashes. My house and everything I ever worked for went with the flames. I only came out with what I am now wearing.

“As of now, I cannot tell you exactly how many people were killed from that attack, because we are still picking corpses in the bushes. But 32 persons have been killed and buried. Other villages that were attacked earlier that day by the same killers are Sabon Gida, Unguwan Sarki and Dogon Noma.”

According to him, the ECWA church in Dogon Noma was also burnt with some other houses.

“The helicopter did not hide its intention that it came to kill us and to help the armed Fulani to achieve what they wanted to do. We are therefore here to beg for any form of assistance, especially food and clothing. And we want you to help us inform the world what has happened to us,” he said while presenting a bullet he claimed came from the gunshot from the helicopter.

Corroborating the Reverend's claim, Johna Chris, the youth leader of Maikori village said, “When we started shooting at the bandits with our dane guns, they seemed to be taken by surprise that there was some form of resistance. Even when they were firing back at us, we noticed that they were going backwards. We were ready to defend our village with the last drop of our blood and we had the upper hand against those devils.

“Then this white painted helicopter came from the sky. Instead of attacking the criminals, it is us that it started shooting at. The bullets were coming from the bottom of the helicopter straight at us. At first, I thought it was a mistake, but it circled back, saw the position of the enemy, left them alone and started raining bullets at us and into our village. When I saw people running and falling, I also ran into the bush.

“The Fulani then came into the village and started burning houses and everything, especially foodstuff. The Helicopter was probably hired by the armed herdsmen because it assisted them to do what they wanted.”

He pointed at one Shedrack Joshua, who narrowly survived the attack.

Joshua is an 18-year-old farmer who had dropped out of secondary school. 

“This boy is one lucky person who survived from the helicopter bullets,” he said, as Joshua dropped his trousers to reveal a wound he said was caused by the bullet from the helicopter that grazed passed just below his left knee."

Also narrating her ordeal, a 20-year-old student of Government Day Secondary School, Jabi, Rifkatu James said she had come home on a short visit and was caught in the attack.

“We finished church service in a hurry because people were saying that Fulani were on their way to come and attack us in Maikori. We took the children, our mothers and old people into the bush to go and hide," she said.

"Our men started to shoot at the Fulani who were coming on hundreds of motorcycles to attack us. And they also started shooting our people.

"I think we were winning because the Fulani were trying to run away. Then I saw a helicopter coming from behind us. It then started shooting our men. I saw them running, some were falling. I also ran very fast into the bush with others. The Fulani chased us and came into Maikori.

"They started burning houses. They burnt our village and were inside there for hours.

"The helicopter was on their side. I was very terrified.”

Reacting, the President of SOKAPU, Hon. Jonathan Asake said he was saddened by the development, especially by the denial of the Kaduna state government that the said helicopter actually came and dislodged the terrorists and never harmed the villagers.

“Our people have always said of a certain helicopter that brings in supplies for armed Fulani militia in their hiding places for many years. Nobody in the government bothers to find out if that was true or not.

“Today the helicopter has upgraded its services to killing for the bandits. Yet the Kaduna state government, without carrying out any investigation concluded that no such evil took place. The Nigeria Air Force must come clean of this.”

Asake said the same government admitted in May 2020 that an Air force helicopter bombed Assembly of God Church, and some homes in Kabrasha village in Chikun local government area in Southern Kaduna, claiming that it was chasing bandits.

“Though Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state promised that he was going to rebuild the church and homes, he not only failed to do that, not a single measure of grain was taken to the displaced community as assistance till date.

“Again, this same Dogon Noma that is among the communities attacked last Sunday, it was violently violated by the same armed Fulani militia in March 2019 and 77 persons, mostly women and children killed and the town razed.

“Government did nothing to assist. Now that same community had managed to rebuild and return, it has been put to ruins again and many killed and nothing is being done,” he lamented.

“As for us in SOKAPU, we can only shout out to the world for assistance as we are not a government. Fortunately, last month, Governor Nyesome Wike of Rivers state made donations for the IDPs in Kaduna state. We have made purchases which we have been sharing out to our IDPS across all the affected areas in Southern Kaduna. And that’s part of what we shall give you and your people today,” he said.

The Vice-President of SOKAPU said it was clear that both the Federal Government and Kaduna State government has abandoned Adara and other besieged Southern Kaduna communities to their fate.

"It is a shame that government cannot protect lives and properties of its citizens, but would lie against victims and give them zero support after such heinous crimes against them by pampered terrorists," he charged.

He called on the international community and good-spirited individuals to assist Adara land and put pressure of the government to produce the crew of the helicopter that carried out the attack on June 5, 2022 in Adara land.

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The London-Lagos biker, Kunle Adeyanju, has been conferred the Are Aniyikaiye of Offa Land in his state of origin, Kwara State.
Adeyanju announced the reception of the chieftaincy title conferred on him by the Olofa of Offa on his verified Twitter page on Monday.

The member of Rotary Club International wrote, “I was conferred the chieftaincy title of Are Aniyikaiye of Offa Land, by his majesty the Olofa of Offa. So when next you see me, please call me Chief Kunle.”
Adeyanju, who embarked on a London-to-Lagos journey on a motorbike to raise money #EndPolio campaign, arrived in Nigeria on May 29 after 40 days.
The heroic biker who has been recounting his experiences on his 12,000km journey has been applauded for his adventure locally and internally.

I was conferred the chieftaincy title of Are Aniyikaiye of Offa Land, by his majesty the Olofa of Offa.

So when next you see me, pls call me Chief Kunle! #EndPolio #LionHeart#ThinkAfrica#LondonToLagos pic.twitter.com/dD1fauxHNM

— Kunle Adeyanju (@lionheart1759) June 12, 2022
Speaking on why he embarked on the journey and its outcome, Adeyanju said, “Doing this was basically to achieve two purposes of raising awareness of end polio message by seeing how we can see the level of vaccines acceptance. The second objective was to raise funds.
“For me, the two had been accomplished because everybody is now aware of polio. Polio has got a renewed drive as we have the vaccines to end the virus.
“I am very happy that the message has taken a global dimension.”

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The umbrella body of the Ijaw Youths worldwide, Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) has raised an alarm over the strange movements of suspected herdsmen in some communities in the Niger Delta region.
The IYC warned the indigenes of the Ijaw communities to be on red alert and avoid a repeat of the violent killings in Owo in Ondo State.

The Ijaw Youths Council worldwide, through its National Spokesman, Ebilade Ekerefe, made this known in Yenagoa in commemoration of the Democracy Day celebration.
He stated that an intelligence report available to the council revealed that the movement of strange men under the guise of being Fulani herdsmen and non-indigenes was making indigenes of the communities in the region uncomfortable.
Ekerefe said, “We have observed some strange movements and are not comfortable. We are also calling on security agencies to be on red alert and protect the lives of the people. We also call on non-indigenes residing in Ijaw Communities to be vigilant and not allow unlawful individuals to infiltrate their midst to perpetrate evil in Ijaw land.”
He also condemned the last weekend's church killings in Owo in Ondo State and called on President Muhammadu Buhari and Service Chiefs to rejig the security architecture of the country.
He described the poor handling of rising killings and insecurity in the country as shameful and pathetic despite a series of meetings held between the President and security chiefs.
The Ijaw Youths Council called on the Presidential standard-bearers of the various political parties to take note that the Ijaw nation, which forms the 4th largest ethnic nationality in the country, will only support a political party and its candidate with a sincere focus on true federalism, restructuring, review of Revenue Sharing formula and others.
“It's notable and worthy to say that the youths from the Niger Delta region and other five geo-political zones after due consultations know and recognise that the youths have the largest percentage ratio of the electorates and are most affected by the type of leadership produced. “We have written to leading political parties on the need to allow youthful personalities as Vice Presidential candidates. We have many youths in abundance including Dr. Ibrahim Bello Dauda from Borno State (APC). Chief Igho Charles Sanomi, a business Mongul from Agbor, Delta State, Mr Hebert Wigwe, a CEO of one of Nigeria’s leading banks from Rivers State, young qualified governors, and among many others in the country.”
On the continued incarceration of an ex-militant leader, Fara Dagogo, the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) restated its call on Governor Nyesom Wike to immediately order the release of Fara Dagogo and kick start a process of reconciliation with his kinsman and standard-bearer of the PDP in Rivers State.

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A Nigerian based in the United Kingdom, Sheila Racheal Daniel, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged fraud involving Reverend Dapo Adegboyega, the Board of Trustees Chairman of Salvation Proclaimers Army Church (SPAC) Nation, London, a Pentecostal church based in the United Kingdom.
According to Mrs Daniel in the petition shared with SaharaReporters, Adegboyega relocated to Nigeria after the fraudulent act.

“I am writing this letter to bring to your attention of how I was defrauded of £194 thousand pounds interests included, by Dapo Adegboyega of SPAC Nation in the UK. I would like your team to call for his arrest.
“The incident occurred in 2012, he Dapo Adegboyega requested that we assist him to take a loan for the purchase of a property for a church but he however, arranged a remortgage of my property and eventually parted away with the money without acquiring the property for the church.
“I am requesting that he be invited and take full responsibility for his actions. Enclosed are evidence, document and signed agreement by him.”
SaharaReporters had reported how Adegboyega defrauded Mrs Daniel of £110,000 (N60,500,000, using N550 to £1).
Bank documents showed that he took a loan of about £106,264 with interest amounting to £195,940.44 with Mrs Daniel’s name and refused to pay everything back 10 years after.
A total of £85,000 was however paid back in a piecemeal fashion, leaving about £110,000.
Speaking with SaharaReporters, the victim said her traumatic ordeals in the hands of the pastor started after he approached her that he wanted to purchase a property for the church and that she should assist him with a loan.
“When he was my resident pastor at World Evangelism Bible Church (WEBIC), he asked us to assist him secure a loan, that he wanted to purchase a property for the church. This was in 2012; we had a board meeting where he said he needed our help. And I replied that I would approach my bank and get back to him.
“I never knew he had other means of securing a loan. He talked about £10,000-£20,000. Anyway, to cut the long story short, he met with a broker - Grant & Hind - who gave him £110,000 and with interest amounting to £198,000, and the money was transferred into my own account. I was away when he called me that the money was in my account and that I should come back from my holiday and make the transfers; £90,000 to the church account and £20,000 to his own account.
“After that, he left the church with half of the members for his father’s church. Before leaving, he said my money would be paid back in full. He even made mention of paying £50,000 that day. Right there in the pulpit/altar.  When he finished talking, I approached him and he said I knew where the money went to so why was I troubling him. My brother, I thought it was a joke. When this loan was taken initially, there was no agreement or anything of such.
“I never knew he made a repayment agreement for 35 years while he told me that after they have purchased the property, it would be within a month. Since 2017, they have refused to pay, I’ve been chasing them all over the place. I took a lawyer that wrote them until he got tired and they refused to reply. They just received the letters and acted as if nothing happened. When I couldn’t pay the lawyer anymore, I rested. In 2017-18, I couldn’t cope with it, I tried contacting his younger brother, Tobi Adegboyega, who is the main pastor of their dad’s church here and he gave me money for two months £1,200 and promised to meet with the bank to clear the debt.”
Racheal said to her surprise, Tobi, like his elder brother, blocked her phone numbers after four months.
“Thereafter, he (Tobi) refused to pay and answer my calls; it was a struggle to get him to pay for the third month. By the fourth month, he literally blocked me completely, I couldn’t reach him. I went to the father who is aware of everything. The father’s name is Prophet Samson Adegboyega of SPAC Nation, Ibadan. He kept me posted like forever, he eventually asked me to write a soft appeal letter to Tobi Adegboyega so that he could see what he could use to assist me.
“I wrote as soft as I could and sent to the father to send to him. Whenever I call the father, it’s either he is sleeping or in a meeting for the past five years now. I’m just appealing to the general public to please ask Adedapo Adegboyega of SPAC Nation to pay back Halifax loan of £198,000 he fraudulently took with my name.”
Asked why she did not go to the police, she replied, “I actually went to the police over here in the UK but they told me a lawyer knows what to do. But I couldn’t afford to pay a lawyer anymore, so I rested.”

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Political parties in Nigeria have drawn their curtain on who becomes their flag bearers for offices in the coming 2023 election. Once again, the media space is awash with conversations, campaigns, attacks, counter-attacks and propaganda. 
The #Obedients seem to be taking over social media daily with endorsements from strong individuals and personalities; the #BATists have continued to spread the “Lagos-magic prototype” to Nigerians; the #AtikuWarriors are strongly building the “8 years misery under APC” campaign strategy.

Of course, actors in civil society and activists are working hard to make strong efforts to strengthen our democracy and increase voter registration and awareness, especially among youths. More than ever before, Aisha Yesufu now frequently publishes articles, produces videos and makes an average of 15 tweets in a day educating the Nigerians on why they need to be active citizens; YIAGA Africa has continued to increase the capacity of youths to be community organisers and even organised a historic mega-concert where they registered thousands of youths in Lagos, Nigeria; Eromz has moved his PVC registration beyond Lagos communities, far into northern and southern Nigeria; Dr Oby Ezekwesili is not staying mute on the need to fix Nigeria and get things to work out well. There are a plethora of activities going on amidst the thick political space in Nigeria.
Amid these noble efforts to make Nigeria better, it’s sad that a population of Nigerians are yet to get a complete grasp of the reality of this nation. Some young Nigerians are yet to understand what it means for Nigeria’s total debt stock to rise to $100.1 billion in the first quarter of 2022. They seem unable to comprehend what it means for the number of deaths caused by insecurity in Nigeria to surge year-on-year by 47% to 10,366 in 2021, according to data compiled by SBM Intelligence. They don't understand the danger of paying over N10 billion ($19.96 million as of June 30, 2021) as kidnap ransom to gangs. They don’t know what it means to be the 154 least corrupt nation out of 180 countries. They don’t know what it means for Nigeria to have the number of international migrants increasing from around 450,000 in 1990 to 1.4 million in 2019.
I was taken aback when an unknown Kwara youth called me out for taking pictures with prominent young female members of APC despite my criticism of the party. For one, I couldn’t comprehend how it’s an offence to have conversations on national development with young politicians. Shouldn’t we be worried that at this time when Nigeria is this divided, a supposedly educated youth thinks it’s a crime for youths of different political orientations to converge and hobnob? Shouldn’t we be concerned with the need to get our enlightenment on Politics Without Bitterness far and wide?
At this point, every Nigerian should be more concerned about voting for persons with competence, character and capacity across all levels. Party sentiments have undoubtedly failed us in Nigeria, and until we focus on personalities, we may be driving into another long ditch of uncertainties and failures. I doubt if we can afford another 4 years of incompetence.
Again, I must reiterate the call for a focus on the legislative arm of government across all levels. We can’t afford to undermine the influential roles and responsibilities of the legislature in our democracy; hence we must also be interested in who we elect into our State Assemblies and National Assembly. Legislators make the laws that the judiciary interprets. Legislators confirm the appointments of judges and carry out substantial oversight functions. We can’t afford to exclude this critical aspect by focusing only on who becomes governor or president.
I come from a state where the legislature sponsored only one new bill in 3 years. Please take a moment to imagine how the government in my state works if 20 out of 24 lawmakers in the Kwara State Assembly did not sponsor a single bill in 3 years.
Never again should a nation as blessed as Nigeria produce the worst of its own to govern its people!
Never again should we allow politicians to take us for a ride.
Never again!
Fellow Nigerians, now is the time to change the narrative.
Dear Nigerian Youths, sorosoke and make a difference!
Titilope is an active Nigerian citizen
 

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Titilope Tawakkaltu Anifowoshe Disable advertisements : 

The Super Eagles, on Monday, thrashed The Falcons and True Parrots of São Tomé and Príncipe at the Grand Stade Agadir Stadium, defeating them by a 10 - 0 score.
During the match on Monday, Victor Osimhen scored four times to give the Super Eagles a resounding victory in their Day 2 encounter of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification series in Morocco, Punch reports.

He scored in the ninth, 48th, 65th and 84th minutes alongside Moses Simon who scored in the 28th minute, Moffi (43′, 60′), Oghenekaro Etebo (55′), Ademola Lookman (63′) and Emmanuel Dennis (90+2′).

Having pocketed another three points, the Eagles are top of Group A.
Head Coach, Jose Peseiro, had said at the Aeroport Agadir Almarissa that the encounter against ‘The Falcons and True Parrots’ would bring the best out of his team as they seek to go top of the Group A table.
“We want to be the team at the top of the table, so we must fight hard against the opponents. Every match, we must commit ourselves fully to winning it. As I said earlier in the week, Nigeria has huge pedigree and they also have both quality and quantity of players. It is important that we select the best all the time to win the big games,” he had said.
Defender and deputy skipper, William Ekong, and midfielder, Innocent Bonke, had returned to their respective bases in England and France to attend to injuries copped during the international break.
Bonke was injured in the friendly game against Mexico in Dallas on May 28, while Ekong suffered a groin strain in the 2-1 defeat of Sierra Leone in Abuja on Thursday.

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A former Central Bank of Nigeria’s Deputy Governor, Kingsley Moghalu, has resigned his membership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
SaharaReporters had reported that Moghalu lost the 2023 presidential ticket of the ADC to the founder of Roots Television, Dumebi Kachikwu.

Kachikwu is the younger brother of Nigeria’s former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu.
In a letter dated June 13, 2022, and addressed to Okey Nwosu, ADC national chairman, Moghalu said his leaving the party was as a result of the poor conduct of the presidential primary.
“I am writing to hand in my resignation from my membership of the African Democratic Congress, effective immediately. I have resigned because of the process and conduct of the party’s presidential primary on June 8, 2022 at Abeokuta revealed a fundamental clash of values between me and your leadership of the party,” the letter reads.
“Despite the circular you issued a few days to the primary committing the party to providing transportation and accommodation for delegates to and in Abeokuta, and which as we agreed would provide a level playing for all the presidential aspirants, the party under your leadership failed to do so.
“Some aspirants, including myself, made donations to the ADC party account as requested by the party for this purpose. This failure, which appeared intentional, created room for massive abuses of the electoral process including delegate capture and financial inducement of delegates.
“This is only one of numerous inconsistencies and the absence of transparency and predictability in the management of the party that I had progressively complained about.
“As you are well aware, I have consistently resisted pressures to join the APC or the PDP precisely to avoid “cash-and-carry” politics. For me to remain a member of the ADC therefore, after what thousands of party members participated in at Abeokuta, would be to endorse political corruption of a most obscene order.
“I joined the ADC in October 2021 with the best of intentions. Since then, I have put my entire team to work on growing and improving the party, including raising the party’s visibility on all media platforms, recruiting more than 10,000 new members to the party, and providing new offices for various state chapters of the party at my expense.
“It is deeply regrettable that other inducements appear to have played more important roles in determining the outcome of the primary than loyalty to the party.”

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The Nigerian national grid has yet to recover to its previous level of 3,700 megawatts (MW) as only the Jebba hydropower plant had 88MW on the grid on Monday afternoon, Daily Trust reports.

It had earlier been reported that the national grid collapsed on Sunday just before 7pm, the sixth reported collapse in 2022.

Amid efforts by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to manage and restore the grid, electricity supply has been restored to only a few cities while the rest are in darkness.

Meanwhile, stakeholders in the power sector are yet to be briefed on the immediate cause of system collapse.

Records from the Independent System Operator (ISO), a segment of TCN on Monday indicated that the grid had 1,700MW of electricity as of 10am which then rose to slightly over 2,000MW by 11am.

However, by 1pm, the grid which was recovering plunged further to 512MW as several Generation Companies (GenCos) went off the system.

In another apparent sign of a near system collapse, the grid had just 88MW of electricity from Jebba hydro as of 2pm acting as a spinning reserve to keep the grid on, with many residents confirming power outages in Abuja, Nasarawa and Niger environs.

The Distribution Companies (DisCos) were expected to get 2,377.14MW of electricity but could not due to the system disturbance.

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The Catholic Diocese of Ondo State has said that the victims of terrorists’ attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, in the Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State would be given a funeral mass on Friday.

The church disclosed this in a pamphlet seen by SaharaReporters.

According to the pamphlet, the funeral mass would hold at Otapete, Emure Road at 9:00am.

Gunmen had on Sunday, June 4, attacked the church located on Owa-Luwa Street in Owo, the hometown of the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, leaving many parishioners dead and several others injured.

Akeredolu had put the number of persons that died during the attack at 40.

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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged all presidential candidates of political parties to publicly declare their assets ahead of the 2023 general elections.
said a presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, is ready to declare all his assets ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The group made this known via its official Twitter page on Monday, urging other presidential candidates to follow suit.

The tweet reads: "BREAKING: 2023: Social Democratic Party (SDP) Presidential Candidate @Pres_Adebayo has publicly agreed to publish his assets now, and reject vote-buying before and during the elections.

"Other presidential candidates are yet to make any commitment. @atiku @officialABAT @PeterObi."

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that SERAP sent an open letter to presidential candidates ahead of the February 2023 presidential election, urging them to “urgently publish details of their assets and liabilities.”

The group also urged the presidential aspirants to reject vote-buying and electoral bribery before and during the elections.

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Alhaji Shettima Yerima, the President of Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF)

The Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF) has declared that the union is ready to support any presidential aspirant that chooses youth as his running mate during the 2023 general elections.

This was stated by President of the group, Shettima Yerima, in a conversation with Daily Post on Monday.

Alhaji Shettima Yerima, the President of Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF) Daily Post

He urged the presidential candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party to pick youths as their running mates to enhance youth participation in the country's realm of affairs.

He said, “The ultimate thing is that the youths should try to get their PVC. After all, it’s not just these two political parties that we have.

"We have the opportunity to turn things around. And it’s possible that things will turn around in favour of the Nigerian youths.

“Everybody should get their PVC. After a few weeks, we can make a decision. Already, I’m embarking on consultations with our counterparts across the country.

“Our decision on who to support will depend on who they pick as their running mates. We want a candidate that will have the younger generation at heart and who they pick as their running mates will tell us more about who they are," he added.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had given Friday June 17, 2022, as a deadline for political parties to send the names of their Presidential candidates and running mates.

It also issued Friday, July 15, 2022, as a deadline for the parties to submit names of gubernatorial candidates and their running mates.

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Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Igbo apex socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has alleged that there are politicians who are manipulating the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration in the South-East region. 

The group made the allegation in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, noting that INEC was under pressure to disenfranchise eligible Nigerians from participating in the 2023 general elections.

Ohanaeze therefore charged Nigerians to rise and demand that INEC extend the voters registration exercise till September 2022.

The group which stated that Nigerians should not vote into power “a sick and antiquated” president in 2023 with their PVCs, asked civic rights and religious organisations to bring together, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) to debate on issues of Nigeria’s Security, Economy, and Education, in order to help Nigerians make right choice in 2023.

The statement read, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide has called on Nigerians to be conscious of the ongoing manipulation of the electoral process by corrupt politicians to ensure that INEC will end the ongoing voter’s registration exercise in order to curtail the surge of Nigerians hurrying to collect their PVCs.

“This is the best time Nigerians should take advantage of the ongoing voters' registration exercise and get all eligible voters registered, and Nigerians must rise and demand from INEC to extend the enrollment of eligible voters till September 2022 as it appears that INEC is under pressure to disenfranchise the rights of Nigerians to participate in 2023 elections, there are undercover meetings to pressurized the INEC Chairman, to end the voter’s registration exercise by June 2022.

“There will be no democracy without Nigerians, the power to get the best leaders in 2023 will be in the hands of Nigerians, we should arise from our slumber and demand that INEC should extend the voter’s card registration to September 2022, starting from 12th June 2022, Nigerians should use peaceful mediums and constitutional ways to pressurize INEC to extend the time of the voter’s registration exercise till September 2022.

“Our message to Nigerians on 2022 Democracy Day, is to take back Nigeria from the hands of corrupt politicians; we must prove to them that the labour of our heroes past shall not be in vain, Atiku, Tinubu, and Obi should be summoned by youths, Civil Rights organisations and religious organisations for a debate on issues of Nigeria’s Security, Economy, and Education, Nigerians should end a sick and antiquated President from Aso Rock in 2023 with their PVCs.”

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The Deputy Governor of Yobe State, Idi Barde Gubana, has lost his son, Buni, in a road accident.
A statement signed by his press secretary, Hussaini Mai Suleh, said the seven-year-old boy who was named after Governor Mai Mala Buni died in a crash along the Maiduguri-Kano road in the state.

He said the boy had been buried according to Islamic rites at the palace of the Mai of Fune in Damagum town in Fune local government area.
Commenting on the incident, deputy governor said, “I will forever remember him as somebody close to me.”
Top government officials and other personalities were at the residence of the deputy governor to sympathise with the family over the death.
Also, Governor Buni has expressed shock over the death of Gubana’s son and commiserated with the family.
The governor further prayed for the quick recovery of those who sustained injuries in the accident.
 

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David Oyedepo

The Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo has taken a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
 
During a church programme, Special Prayer for The Nation, on Monday, Oyedepo said Buhari's government is the most corrupt in the history of Nigeria.

David Oyedepo

The clergyman who is a staunch critic of the current regime lamented the level of hardship Nigerians face, blaming it on corruption.
 
According to Oyedepo, the Nigerian Government claims to be fighting corruption but its officials are corrupt.
 
He said, “I shouted 2015 but I was a lone voice, prophets don't need anyone to support them, they say it as it is. The eyes of those technocrats and political juggernauts have seen it now...
 
“Many children are out of school, there is nothing to pay to get them back to school. We saw some folks in Covenant University that we had to help out to graduate. First-class students can’t get N30,000 to pay under this wicked government, selfish, self-centred.
 
“What a fight against corruption? You were all deceived, you can’t be in corruption and be fighting corruption. This is the most corrupt regime in the history of Nigeria.
 
“You heard of Auditor General who stole N80 billion, all they need to get the university up and running is less than the N80 billion but they are not interested because their children are not there.”

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No fewer than three persons collapsed on Monday during the military parade to mark the 2022 Democracy Day, at Eagle Square in Abuja.
 
The victims were said to be members of the different units of the military, collapsing to the ground after standing for hours before the commencement of the exercise.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who presided over the parade was well underway when a bit of commotion broke out from behind one of the parties as some security and medical personnel were seen scrambling to get stretchers to move those who had collapsed for urgent medical attention, Tribune reports.
 
The victims were rushed to the tents provided at the square for medical personnel where physicians successfully resuscitated them.
But it was not clear if they were able to return to continue with their duties.
Four units including the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Police performed the parade with a combat display by the Nigerian Army Female Corps as well as a traditional dance display representing the main ethnic groups in the country.
 
President Buhari, who was the Special Guest of Honour, carried out an inspection of guards, which was followed by a military/police march past.
 
Former President Goodluck Jonathan was among the dignitaries who witnessed the occasion which is the last Democracy Day parade President Buhari would preside over before his exit in 2023.
 
Meanwhile, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, the running mate of the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election, M.K.O. Abiola, was introduced as a former Vice President.
 
The Master of Ceremony at the occasion during the photo session invited Kingibe, whom he introduced as former Vice President to be part of a group photograph with President Buhari, Jonathan, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Chief Justice of the Federation, Ibrahim Tanko, and the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu.
Despite being Abiola’s running mate, Kingibe betrayed the late politician and abandoned the struggle even while he was alive.
Abiola had said he was persuaded by his friends and political supporters to pick him as his running mate because of his political clout in the North and closeness to Major-General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, who was the Deputy Head of State in the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo.
Unfortunately, as the plot for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate thickened, Kingibe changed camp and ensured that Hope ‘93 was not just deferred but completely dashed.
He served as foreign minister under Sani Abacha, the same dictator who arrested and jailed Abiola with whom he ran on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Abiola would later regret choosing Kingibe over Dan Suleiman, a retired air commodore and former military governor from the then Middle Belt. Abiola referred to Suleiman as a 'complete gentleman'.
MKO said he did know that his running mate had "extensive connections and relationship" with the security agencies and the military high command. Kingibe contributed to the abortion of the third republic.
He was later honoured by President Muhammadu Buhari with Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) solely because of being Abiola's running mate. An honour many Nigerians have said he does not deserve.
 

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Gunmen ravaging Anambra State in South-East Nigeria have reportedly killed two persons at Nkwele around Housing Estate 33 in the commercial city of Onitsha in Anambra State.
 
Residents of the area said they were fears and apprehension early Monday morning due to sporadic shooting by the gunmen, after which two unidentified persons were confirmed to have been shot dead.

Although residents said the killing might not be connected to the usual Monday sit-at-home in the region, a source confirmed to SaharaReporters that many residents of the area were indoors following the incident and in observance of the sit-at-home order.
 
“I heard there was sporadic shooting at Nkwele, that is around the Housing Estate 33 this morning but I didn’t go to the place myself, but my friend at that place confirmed that two persons were killed.
 
“We have not ascertained the identities of the victims.”
 
When contacted, the state police public relations officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said, “There is such report before me please.”
 
Meanwhile, despite the cancellation of the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which declared it in 2021 after the rearrest of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, by the Nigerian government, a Finland-based IPOB member, Simon Ekpa has continued to instigate enforcement of the order.
 
Many persons have been killed and property destroyed across the region by armed hoodlums suspected to be enforcing the cancelled sit-at-home order.

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