Yobe State House of Assembly, on Wednesday, passed the 2024 finance and appropriation bills of two hundred and sixteen billion, nine hundred and fifty million Naira for the recurrent and capital services.

The House passed the bills into law following the adoption of the report of its standing committee on finance and appropriation on the 2024 finance and appropriation bills.

The chairman of the committee, Hon. Buba Ibrahim Kalallawa said in the 2024 budget estimate, a total of over N96.130 billion representing 44% was allocated to recurrent expenditure, while over N120.870 billion representing 56% is for capital expenditure.

The chairman said the House reduced the size of the proposed budget presented to the House with fifty million naira to ensure a realistic budget estimate.

The lawmaker also noted that the budget will be utilized in the areas of improving commercial activities, provision of agricultural inputs for job opportunities to the teeming youths, basic infrastructure, completion of all ongoing projects, among others.

He called on the internally generated revenue agencies in the state to ensure proper remittance of revenue to enable the state government to finance the 2024 proposed budget for more dividends of democracy to the people of the state.

Presiding over the sitting, the Speaker of the House, Right Honourable Chiroma Buba Mashio commended the members for their various contributions towards the quick passage of the 2024 budget.

Recall that Governor Mai Mala Buni had on 14th November, 2023, presented to the State Assembly the sum of N217,000,000,000.00 as budget estimate to cover both recurrent and capital expenditures for the 2024 fiscal year.

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun has approved the release of bond certificates worth N1.6 billion for 346 retirees under the contributory pension scheme.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary, Local Government Staff Pension Bureau, Ibrahim Akibu, on Wednesday in Osogbo.

Mr Adeleke said the beneficiaries cut across primary school teachers and local government staff, among other retirees.

He said about 182 primary school teachers and 164 local government staff were among the beneficiaries of the bond certificates.

Mr Adeleke said the presentation ceremony would take place on December 21.”

This is another phase in the fulfilment of my open resolve to clear backlogs of salaries, pensions and emoluments issues within the public service.

“We have commenced payment of inherited half salaries and other emoluments owed public licence servants by the past administration,” Mr Adeleke said.

According to him, the presentation of the bond certificates is a continuation of the commitment of the state government to worker’s welfare in and out of service.

On Tuesday, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) injected 201 fresh hands into the security apparatus of the airports, with a charge to be “as watchful as the eagle.”

This came as the organisation’s Aviation Security (AVSEC) unit graduated the cadets to enhance the safety and security of air travellers at the nation’s airports.

FAAN managing director Olubunmi Kuku said the graduation/induction ceremony of the STP 123 Basic Course for 201 aviation security cadets was in response to challenges in the sector.

She admonished the new inductees to use lessons from the training to prepare them to be the “vigilant sentinels of our skies.”

The FAAN boss urged them to adopt the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, remembering that the safety and confidence of passengers rested in their hands.

“You, dear cadets, are our eyes and ears. Commit all our civil aviation regulations to heart and be as watchful as the eagle. Each time a plane takes to the skies or lands safely, acknowledge that you played a vital role in making it happen,” she said.

Ms Kuku said FAAN would continue prioritising the safety, security and comfort of passengers and other stakeholders while ensuring that staff were committed to excellent public service delivery.

The FAAN chief added that the safety and comfort of passengers were at the core of FAAN’s operations. She said the induction ceremony marked a significant milestone not only in the careers of the trainees but also in the journey of FAAN towards bolstering the nation’s aviation security.

“It is also one of our strategic responses to the increase in the volume of passengers using our airports. Permit me to remind us that the safety and security of lives and property are at the core of our business.

“As such, we deploy all human and material resources to ensure we provide the nation with the best-trained personnel to carry out our various job functions with an emphasis on Aviation Security,” she said.

Ms Kuku explained that the STP 123 Course was an eight-week residential training designed to integrate new cadets into the civil aviation industry. She added that the training was to help them implement, monitor and enforce aviation security measures proactively in accordance with locally approved regulations.

“They also underwent physical training to equip them for the long hours. All these are to ensure we offer our darling customers the best service possible,” she said.

Ms Kuku thanked President Bola Tinubu for all his input, encouragement and support in improving the fortunes of the aviation sector and raising its contribution to the nation’s GDP.

The commandant of aviation security at FAAN, Femi Apata, said the eight weeks of intensive training were meant to tackle the dynamics of threats.

Mr Apata listed areas of training that encompassed all areas of the sector, adding that a portion captured security, banditry, and terrorism.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang has commiserated with victims of a tanker crash at Mararaban Jama’a, Kuru district of Jos South LGA.

The governor stated this in a condolence message issued by his spokesman, Gyang Bere, on Tuesday.

A tanker conveying petrol crashed in the Mararaban Jama’a area and destroyed many shops and other properties worth millions.

The governor, who described the incident as unfortunate, thanked God that no life was lost in the accident.

However, he prayed for a speedy recovery for those who sustained various injuries during the incident.

Mr Mutfwang, however, appealed to motorists to obey all traffic rules and regulations as they travel during this festive season.

He reaffirmed his commitment to providing a conducive and peaceful atmosphere for all citizens to carry out their lawful duties without intimidation.

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dele Momodu, has said President Bola Tinubu cannot be the headmaster of state and Federal Government.

Momodu said Tinubu’s intervention in the crisis between Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike was legally absurd.

Fubara and Wike have been at rheads over the control of Rivers State’s political structure and finances.

The rift had led to lawmakers in the state Assembly defecting to the All Progressives Congress, APC, and some Commissioners resigning from the Fubara-led executive council.

In a bid to resolve the crisis, Tinubu brokered a peace deal between Wike and Fubara at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday.

During the meeting Tinubu issued an eight-point resolution as part of the peace deal.

Reacting on Instagram, Momodu wrote: “The directives to Rivers State by a Federal President is really absurd in legal terms. No President can be a Headmaster of both State and Federal.

“What manner of democracy are we practicing that allows a President to intervene in the internal affairs of opposition parties and over-rules the Constitution unchallenged, and our politicians comply as if they are in a slave camp.

“Opposition parties must vehemently oppose this brazen attempt at forcing a one-party dictatorship on Nigeria.”

President Bola Tinubu on Saturday sympathised with the ruling Sabah family, the government, and people of the State of Kuwait over the passing of the Emir, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah.

This was contained in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in Abuja.

Applauding the achievements of the late Emir in such a short time, the Nigerian leader described the monarch as a man of great compassion, peace, and mercy, who granted amnesty to political prisoners and dissidents, fashioning a progressive and stable state.

Tinubu also commiserated with the ruling House of Sabah, and all those who mourned the painful loss.

He prayed to Almighty Allah to show the Emir mercy and grant him a place in Aljannah Firdaus.

Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah died on Saturday at the age of 86.

Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah al-Sabah, the minister of his emiri court, made the announcement in a statement aired on state television on Saturday.

All is now set for the Supreme Court to deliver judgment to decide the fate of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, today, Friday.

Kanu has been in detention since June 2021 when he was rearrested in Kenya and subjected to extraordinary rendition to Nigeria.

With his return, the Nigerian Government arraigned him before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a four-count charge of treasonable felony, conspiracy to commit treasonable felony, illegal importation of radio equipment, and defamation of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The charges were later withdrawn by former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami who replaced them with a fresh 14-count charge bordering on terrorism and membership of a proscribed group.

The court reduced the charges to seven counts which the Appeal Court later quashed.

Displeased by the verdict of the Appeal Court, the Nigerian Government filed an appeal at the Supreme Court.

Commenting on the much-anticipated judgment, an Abuja-based socio-political activist, Deji Adeyanju, said the Supreme Court should admit Kanu to bail.

He said: “My hope is that the Supreme Court will deliver a judgment that is acceptable to everyone, but no matter what the Supreme Court delivers, it will not be acceptable to some.

“In the case of Ojukwu vs the Lagos State government, once the right-thinking members of the public go home believing that the judiciary is biased, then it defeats the purpose for which the judiciary was set up. Our appeal to our judges is that they should deliver a judgment that will make citizens have confidence in the judiciary.

“Politicians must not be bad losers, they must learn to accept defeat when they lose elections.

“Kanu should be admitted to bail; bail is not an escape from justice. It’s an opportunity for the defendant to amply defend himself. In my view, this idea of turning people into political prisoners is unacceptable.”

The Cross River Internal Revenue Service (CRIRS) says it has grown its monthly revenue collection from N1.9 billion in May to about N2.97 billion in October.

The CRIRS chairman, Edwin Okon, disclosed this in Calabar on Thursday during an interactive stakeholders’ session and training on best practices for tax consultants operating in Cross River.

Mr Okon also used the occasion to announce plans by the government to introduce property tax in the state.

The chairman, who gave the projection of the state revenue service to raise N35bn as internal revenue in 2024, noted that the state could grow beyond the projection if all worked with a common purpose.

Mr Okon attributed the steady rise in tax collection since he assumed office in June to the cooperation of stakeholders and appealed for more resources to enable the government to have more resources at its disposal.

He said, “We are the owners of this state and it’s only us that can help us to build the state. I am happy to report that our monthly revenue of N1.9 billion in May grew steadily to N2.3 billion in June, N2.4 billion in July, N2.6 billion in July and now to N2.97 billion in October.

“We have also seen a remarkable improvement from the MDAs’ collection that has hovered around N3.8 billion since 2012 to N6.8 billion as of November 2023. We have our strategies on how we are following this, but it, however, comes with challenges.”

Mr Okon also mentioned that “as for our N35 billion internal revenue projection for 2024, we are looking more in the direction of the informal sector.”

On the challenges of multiple taxation, the CRIRS, while acknowledging the situation, called on the stakeholders to devise a workable solution.

The Cross River government had projected to spend N250 billion as its capital and recurrent expenditure in the 2024 fiscal year.

President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated 107 gas and electric-powered buses and taxis in Maiduguri, Borno State.

This is an effort geared towards mitigating the effects of fuel subsidy withdrawal, and is intended to improve public transportation.

The media aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, shared photos on his X handle on Monday.

He wrote, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu commissioned 107 gas and electric-powered buses and taxis in phase II of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum’s metro transport scheme in Maiduguri.

“I read that the initiative was designed to alleviate the impact of fuel subsidy withdrawal, aims to enhance public transportation. God bless Gov. Zulum!”

President Bola Tinubu on Monday, mourned a former Broadcaster of the Nigerian Television Authority, Aisha Bello Mustapha who died in the early hours of Monday.

Tinubu’s condolence message was made known by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, and shared on his Facebook page on Monday.

Tinubu extends his deepest condolences to her family, friends, colleagues, and the management and staff of NTA.

The post read, “The President joins them in paying solemn respects to the highly professional news anchor and presenter, who spent 35 years at NTA until her retirement in 2022.

“During her time as the presenter of the flagship ‘NTA Network News at 9’, Nigerians and viewers around the world looked forward to seeing her smile, warmth, and wisdom as she delivered news that can be trusted objectively.

“She mentored many young women who took to broadcasting, mainly by watching and listening to her eloquence, passion, and integrity on the screen, in the newsroom, and off the screen.

“Her legacy in broadcast journalism lives on in the rich news archives she leaves behind and the contributions she made to the development of broadcasting in Nigeria.

She brought news to life and will continue to be a beacon to inspire generations in the beautiful art of broadcasting,” the President stated.

“President Tinubu prays Gto od to grant the soul of the departed eternal rest and comfort for those who mourn”.

However, a funeral prayer will be held for the late newscaster in Abuja on Monday, December 11.

Newly inaugurated Argentina’s President Javier Milei has taken immediate action to streamline the government, consolidating federal ministries from 18 to nine on his first day in office.

This drastic measure is part of his commitment to curbing government spending and addressing the rampant inflation plaguing the South American nation.

The presidential decree, signed shortly after Mr Milei’s inaugural address on Sunday, is set to be officially gazetted later today, signalling a swift implementation of his vision for a more efficient and cost-effective government structure.

Widely viewed as a political outsider in the traditional Argentine political landscape, Mr Milei is positioning himself as a transformative leader determined to redirect the country away from hyperinflation, which is nearing 200 per cent.

With over 40 per cent of the population living below the poverty line and the peso experiencing significant depreciation, his administration faces a daunting economic scenario.

Argentina’s negative net international reserves and looming payments of over $4 billion to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and private-sector creditors by the end of January underscore the situation’s urgency.

The reduction in the size of the government reflects Mr Milei’s proactive approach, setting a precedent for the necessary measures he believes are crucial to overcoming decades of economic stagnation and decline.

Addressing the nation after assuming office, Mr Milei emphasised the unavoidable need for a shock adjustment, acknowledging the short-term challenges.

Despite the anticipated worsening of the situation, he expressed confidence in the eventual fruition of their efforts, laying the groundwork for robust and sustainable growth.

“There is no alternative to a shock adjustment,” Mr Milei said after officially assuming office yesterday.

“There is no money. We know that in the short term, the situation will worsen, but soon we will see the fruits of our effort, having created the base for solid and sustainable growth.”

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has promoted 5,004 senior officers who participated in the 2023 exercise conducted by the Civil Defence, Corrections, Fire and Immigration Services Board.

This is contained in a statement by the Service Public Relations Officer, assistant controller of corrections, Abubakar Umar, on Saturday in Abuja.

Mr Umar quoted the NCoS Controller General, Haliru Nababa, as charging the beneficiaries to get ready for more work, knowing full well that promotion comes with additional responsibility.

Mr Nababa admonished the newly promoted officers to brace up for the tasks ahead.

He encouraged those that missed the promotion to remained steadfast as more opportunities abound in the future.

According to him, seven Controllers of Corrections were elevated to the rank of Assistant Controller General of Corrections, while 35 Deputy Controllers of Corrections were promoted to Controller of Corrections.

“Others promoted to new ranks include 68 Deputy Controllers of Corrections, 129 Assistant Controllers of Corrections, 426 Chief Superintendents of Corrections, and 650 Superintendents of Corrections.

“1,048 Deputy Superintendents of Corrections and 2,641 Assistant Superintendents of Corrections among whom are those qualified for upgrading and omitted from advancement,” he said.

The NCoS boss said the Service was committed to improving staff welfare as well as ensuring inmates were reformed and rehabilitated in line with accepted global standard.

The immediate past President of the Senate, Sen. Ahmad Lawan (APC-Yobe), has congratulated the President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, on his 61st birthday celebration.

Mr Lawan, in a birthday message to Mr Akpabio in Abuja on Saturday, extolled the Senate President for his remarkable achievements throughout his political career.

He commended Mr Akpabio’s efforts in championing legislative initiatives and lauded his unwavering determination in advocating for good governance.

“As you celebrate your 61st birthday anniversary today, I join in congratulating you on the remarkable achievements you have displayed throughout your political career as an uncommon leader.

“Your dedication to public service and commitment to improving the lives of the Nigerian people have not gone unnoticed.

“Your visionary leadership has paved the way for positive change and progress, and the citizens of your beloved state, Akwa-Ibom, can attest to this.

“As President of the Nigerian Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly, you have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to making a lasting impact as you stir the affairs of the National Assembly.”

Mr Lawan commended Mr Akpabio’s tireless efforts in championing legislative initiatives and applauded his unwavering determination to advocate good governance.

“Your vision and passion continue to inspire us all, and we are grateful for your steadfast devotion to public service. Indeed, Nigerians are grateful for your tireless efforts in striving for a better future for our country.

“On the special occasion of your birthday celebration, I extend my warmest wishes to you, your family and loved ones. May your birthday be filled with joy, happiness, and the recognition of the profound impact you have made on the lives of so many.

“We look forward to many more years of your exemplary leadership and dedication to our great nation,” Mr Lawan said.

The Nigerian Breweries Plc has announced the resignation of Mr Asue Ighodalo as the chairman of its Board of Directors, effective December 31, 2023, after informing it of his decision to offer himself for public service.

Disclosing this in a corporate filing on the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Friday, the company secretary, Uaboi Agbebaku, revealed that the changes in its board of directors were made after the board meeting on December 7, 2023.

This development comes after Mr Ighodalo, who hails from Ewohimi, Esan South-East Local Government in Edo Central, indicated interest to run in the upcoming governorship election in the state.

He is said to be the anointed of incumbent Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to fly the party’s ticket, but will have incumbent deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, as one of the major contenders to slug it out with.

According to the Nigeria Breweries, the longest-serving Director, Sijbe Hiemstra, will take over as interim chairman of the board from January 1, 2024, and also oversee the process of appointing a substantive chairman during the transition period.

It read in part, “The chairman informed the board today of his decision to offer himself for public service. As a result, he will be resigning from the Board and as the chairman of the board on December 31, 2023 to enable him devote his full attention to the new cause.

“To give the board enough time to appoint a substantive chairman, the longest serving director, Mr. Sijbe “Siep” Hiemstra was appointed to act as the chairman in the interim effective the 1 of January 2024,” it stated.

The company noted that Hiemstra, until his appointment, was a member of Nigerian Breweries’ governance committee who also served on the company’s statutory audit committee.

“He joined the board on August 1, 2011 and is a past Heineken Regional President for Africa and Middle East,” it added.

Similarly, Mrs Ndidi O. Nwuneli has also notified the Board of her intention to step down from her position as a director from December 31, 2023, following the completion of her nine-year tenure as an independent non-executive director.In her place, the Board of Directors appointed Mrs Stella Ojekwe-Onyejeli to fill the position on the board effective January 1, 2024.

“Ojekwe-Onyejeli brings to the Board years of experience as a risk manager with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry, and skilled in enterprise risk management, business planning, internal audit, and analytical skills,” Nigerian Breweries said.

“She currently serves on the boards of Coronation Insurance Plc and Rand Merchant Bank, amongst others. The company is pleased to have someone with her knowledge and experience join its board,” the company said.

The Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai and the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, have visited Tudun Biri in Kaduna State where villagers attending Maulud celebration were bombed on Sunday evening.

The village was struck by an accidental airstrike on Sunday during a Maulud celebration, resulting in the loss of scores of lives.

The two leaders joined other leaders from the Tijjaniyya Islamic sect for a visit to the village on Friday.

Sanusi is a spiritual leader in the Tijanniyah Sufi order of Nigeria.

The Republican candidates for president largely avoided criticising frontrunner Donald Trump in their final debate outing in Alabama.

For almost two hours, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy fended off moderators’ invitations to attack him.

Only ex-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie addressed Mr Trump directly, saying he would use another term in office to persecute political rivals.

Mr Trump maintained his policy of non-attendance at the debate.

The former president has refused to take part in any of the preceding three contests and has consistently called on the Republican Party to cancel the bouts, insisting that no other candidate can overcome his double digit lead.

Despite Mr Trump’s absence, Mr Christie condemned the former president as a “dictator” during heated attacks.

His comments come after Mr Trump refused to rule out using the power of the presidency to attack political rivals during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday. He promised he would not be a dictator upon returning to office “except for day one”.

But Mr Christie failed to draw his rivals, chiefly Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, to join his broadside against Mr Trump.

Mr DeSantis, who has struggled to differentiate himself from his one-time ally and fellow Florida resident, did concede that he felt the Republican frontrunner was too old for another term as president and urged that voters support the “next generation of leaders”.

“Father time is undefeated,” Mr DeSantis said. “The idea that we are going to put somebody up there who is 80 and there is going to be no effects from that, we all know that’s not true.

“And while Ms Haley attacked Mr Trump – under whom she served as UN Ambassador – over his failure to combat China, she defended his trade record with Beijing. When asked directly about the former president’s controversial ban on immigration from seven Muslim majority countries, however, she simply said she would apply a new policy.

But Mr Christie refused to let his rivals off the hook, suggesting that their refusal to criticise Mr Trump was because “they have future aspirations”, alluding to their potential desire to join his administration.

“There’s no bigger issue in this race than Donald Trump,” Mr Christie insisted. “This is an angry, bitter man who now wants to be back as president because he wants to exact retribution on anyone who has disagreed with him.

“After Mr DeSantis refused to answer a host’s question about Mr Trump’s mental fitness for office, Mr Christie again went on the attack. It led to a lengthy shouting match between the two men.

“Guys, guys, guys,” host Megyn Kelly eventually interrupted. “No talking over each other.”

By contrast to his rivals, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy refused to condemn Mr Trump, instead seeking to defend the 2021 Capitol Riot and rattling off several conspiracy theories.

“Why am I the only person, on this stage at least, who can say that Jan. 6 now does look like it was an inside job?” Mr Ramaswamy said.

In a statement after the debate, a spokesperson for Mr Trump’s fundraising campaign called the debate “the biggest waste of time, money, and energy that politics has ever seen”.

The People’s Democratic Party has accused officials in Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s government of stealing public funds.

Mr Akeredolu’s administration denied any theft of state funds, describing the accusation as laughable.

Mr Akeredolu has yet to return to Ondo more than three months after his return from an overseas medical trip.

PDP chair in Ondo, Fatai Adams, made the allegation while addressing journalists in Akure.

“Most disturbing, however, is that our finances are suffering as hard-earned resources of the state are being pilfered by interest groups within and outside government; this is to the detriment of our development and wellbeing,” Mr Adams said.

The opposition chieftain said the PDP was duty-bound to be concerned about the state’s resources and finances, citing the palliative fund “totalling N7 billion.”

“For the past years that Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has been governor, not once has any financial update been given to the citizenry. Curious and inexplicable expenditure has been the order of the day,” stated the PDP chief.

“Therefore, we demand a balance sheet on the finances of our state.” According to him, when the PDP was in government, the party gave a monthly update on the state’s finances, sometimes at the end of every financial year.

“The issue of the palliative fund totalling N7 billion is of absolute concern and interest to the people of Ondo state, who readily declare that no palliative came their way and therefore seek answers to the administration of the fund,” Mr Adams said.

He added, “Government is hereby invited to render an account of how this money is spent immediately or cause actions to be taken to unravel the many debauchery that was perpetrated in the name of palliatives in our state.”

However, information commissioner Bamidele Olateju-Ademola said, “It’s laughable if the opposition party is saying this stuff.” The commissioner told Peoples Gazette that the Akeredolu government “has checks and balances, especially in approving state funds.”

“For instance, I have a limit to the amount I can approve as a commissioner in the state,” Ms Olateju-Ademola said. “I can’t approve any amount above N1 million, and anything above that would have to get the governor’s approval before it can go.”

She said, “Even the governor can’t approve any amount beyond N20 million, and anything above that will have to pass through the state council. It gets approval if they all agree.”

The commissioner explained that the approval would go through stages, pointing out that it would involve the commissioner for finance before going to the state accountant general’s office.

“So, how can such pilfering happen with these checks in the system?” Ms Olateju-Ademola said.

Andrew Alli, the first son of former governor of Edo State, Ambrose Alli, has endorsed top Nigerian lawyer Asue Ighodalo, who appears to be seeking to replace Governor Godwin Obaseki on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the upcoming state election.

Mr Ighodalo, who hails from Ewohimi, Esan South-East Local Government in Edo Central, was in a viral video on Tuesday, seen addressing his kinsmen at his ward with the help of a hired interpreter.

The video prompted claims that Mr Ighodalo could not speak his Esan dialect.

Mr Ighodalo, theco-founder of the top Nigerian commercial law firm Banwo & Ighodalo, told his kinsmen that the development of the state must dominate aspirations of its people.

“I do things in Esan land because we’re not noisy. My brother is here, I’m here, my parents were here. I’m a true Esan boy. I’m not going to use homeboy, because they’ve used it badly. I am an Esan boy, I’m a true Edo boy. I’m a true Nigerian. This is what I am,” he said during the meeting.

“Since 2008, I’ve been in the economic team of the state, starting from the administration of former governor Adams Oshiomhole. Since Godwin Obaseki came in as chairman of the economic team, I have been coming to Edo State to support and advise the government.

“I’ve been advising since 2008, which is 15 years ago, which means I come into Edo State five, six, so many times a year for government business, not to talk of my own business.

“So, people can say what they like. Because we’re not noisy, and because we’re not jumping from one ‘mama put’ to another, does not mean I’m not a true Edo boy. This issue of an Edo boy, this issue of a true son of the soil, is in the heart.

“There are many of our brothers and sisters in the diaspora who are more Edo than many of them who live here. So it’s in the heart, it’s what you do in your heart, it’s not how many pepper soup joints you go. So, all those of us in the diaspora, those of us in the diaspora in Nigeria diaspora abroad, all the best hands must come to develop Edo State.

“Someone cannot sit in the village or in ‘mama put’ and say the rest of us can’t come and develop our state, it’s not done. We must all come together and develop Edo State, plus the people in ‘mama put,’ plus the people in Canada, we must come together and develop Edo State,” he stated.

Throwing his weight behind Mr Ighodalo’s governorship ambition, Mr Alli, in his reaction on his X account on Sunday, stated that Edo people are not bothered about the inability to speak the dialect but are more concerned about who is able to lead the state forward.

“Yes, we don’t give a sh**t. Because we major in the majors. We care about his policies and track record. Not this BS. We know where he went to school, we know how he made his money. We know the engagement he’s been having with EDSG,” his post read.

On Ighodalo being attacked due to his linguistic abilities, Mr Alli said, “If they are attacking Asue because of his linguistic abilities, then that basically says that they can’t attack him on the substance.”

Similarly, prominent Nigerian businessman Aloy Chife backed Mr Alli’s characterisation of Ighodalo, saying, “Absolutely! Well said! We’re privileged to have him put himself forward. A++ candidate.”

Mr Obaseli’s choice of someone from Edo Central to succeed him is said to be in the spirit of fairness as since the return of democracy in 1999, Edo North and Edo South had taken turns to rule the state with Edo Central’s only chance being short-lived by the court after Professor Oserhiemen Osunbor spent only 18 months in office (April 2007 to November 11, 2008).

Other governors and their deputies that had ruled the state since the start of the fourth republic include: Lucky Igbinedion (Edo South) and Mike Oghiadomhe (Edo North), 1999 to 2007; Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) and Pius Odubu (Edo South), 2008 to 2016; Godwin Obaseki (Edo South) and Philip Shuaibu (Edo North), 2016 which is to end in 2024.

Mr Ighodalo, who has yet to formally announce his ambition, is expected to slug it out with Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu for the PDP’s governorship ticket, which would come after the party’s primaries in early 2024.