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Femi Fani-Kayode took to Instagram on Monday morning, November 7, to mock PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and PDP’s spokesperson, Dino Melaye.
The former Aviation Minister, who is backing the APC presidential candidate, shared photos of what he claimed were Atiku and Melaye’s legs.
He also included a photo of a lightening cream. “Bleacher’s united,” FFK wrote in the caption
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has increased the number of his Special Assistants on Political Unit Affairs from 100,000 to 200,000.
Wike announced the increase while inaugurating the second and last batch of the initial 100,000 assistants from the Rivers East Senatorial District on Friday, November 4.
Recall that the first batch of about 45,000 assistants from Rivers South-East and Rivers West Senatorial Districts were sworn-in by the Governor on Thursday, November 3.
The job of the Special Assistants is to send in honest feedbacks from the people at the grassroots to the state government
They are to communicate the feelings of the people towards the Wike administration through the 319 Liaison Officers at the Ward levels, who will then report to the 32 State Constituency Liaison Officers for transmission to the office of the Governor.
The 319 Wards Liaison Officers and 32 State Constituency Liaison Officers were sworn in earlier this week.
The Department of State Services ( DSS) has alerted Nigerians that politicians are likely going to use thugs during the campaign for the 2023 elections.
This was disclosed by DSS Director in Kaduna, Mr Abdul Enachie, during a presentation of a report of security situation for 2nd and 3rd Quarter in the state.
Daily Trust reported that Enachie said there is need for government to take the situation seriously by taking steps to sensitize the youths against allowing themselves to be used as thugs in the state and other part of the country.
Also outlining the need for residents to pass information to security agencies, the DSS Director also urged the military to sustains their operations against the terrorists in areas like Birnin Gwari and other flashpoints.
He also appealed to the Federal Government to complete the Kaduna-Abuja highway and Birnin Gwari highway as this would help improve the security situation on the roads.
The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, has said that the Federal government is looking at securing multi-billion dollar loans from financial institutions in China, Portugal and Turkey to fund the completion of the ongoing rail projects across the country.
Sambo stated this when he appeared before the joint National Assembly Committee on Land and Marine Transport, chaired by Senator Danjuma Goje.
He explained that the ministry was committed to the implementation of the Nigeria Railway Modernisation project.
According to him, the railway network was being progressively expanded through yearly budgetary appropriations since the federal government was facing challenges in securing counterpart funding through loans.
“Currently, the implementation of the Kaduna-Kano, Port Harcourt to Maiduguri and Kano – Maradi Segments of the Railway Modernisation is ongoing with the federal government counterpart funding in the 2022 appropriation.
The ministry hopes that the Federal Ministry of Finance concludes negotiation of the loans with infrastructure development finance institutions of the Chinese, Portuguese and Turkish origin to implement the projects.
To ensure finalising and signing of the loan agreements, evidence of source of funding of the balance of the advance payment and other aspects of work to be financed directly by the federal government has to be made available to these financial institutions through adequate budgetary provisions in the year 2023 budget and subsequent budgets.”
He also said the Lagos – Ibadan segment of the Lagos – Kano and Itakpe to Warri railway projects were fully operational and receiving patronage from the general public.
To reach practical completion on the projects, the minister said some aspects of works, including construction of overpass bridges, connection to the national grid and other ancillary provisions had to be completed.
The minister lamented the sad occurrence on the Abuja – Kaduna Rail incident earlier in the year and said plans were ongoing to resume service there. “With the release of those abducted, the Ministry plans to commence operation on the line, but not without taking proper precaution.”
He explained that necessary security gadgets would be installed to monitor the line and forestall a reoccurrence.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq has reacted to claims made by elder statesman and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, on flooding in South-South states.
Clark had implored the Federal Government to act quickly and save flood victims in the Niger Delta.
Reacting to the plea, Sadiya said an assessment carried out by the ministry, showed that Bayelsa State is not among the top ten most affected states by the recent floods.
She also revealed that the criteria used to arrive at the conclusion are based on the following indices: the number of deaths recorded and displaced persons per state, number of injuries, partially damaged, houses totally damaged, farmlands partially and totally damaged.
Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu has appealed to the Supreme Court to set aside the ruling of the Court of Appeal staying the execution of the court’s judgment discharging him.
Kanu’s lawyers in a statement released, said the ruling has no foundation in law or facts placed before the court.
The statement read;
“We have appealed to the Supreme Court to set aside the ruling of the Court of Appeal staying the execution of the court’s judgment discharging and placing further bar to any further detention and prosecution of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on any charge/indictment before any court in Nigeria.
“Recall that on October 28, 2022, a three-man panel of Learned Justices of the Court of Appeal (Abuja Judicial Division) granted an application for the stay of execution of the judgment of the Court of Appeal, pending the determination of the Appeal filed before the Supreme Court by the Federal Government.
“After a thorough review of the said ruling by our defence team eminently led by foremost leading Senior Advocate of Nigeria – Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), an informed decision was taken by the erudite Senior Advocate and the entire team that the said ruling, which has no foundation in law or facts, placed before the court, should be immediately appealed against, for it to be set aside by the Apex Court.
“Our well-informed position was given a final nod by our indefatigable client, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, during my last visit to him.
“We are, therefore, by this medium, informing the general public, and Umuchineke in particular, that we have filed an appeal against the said Ruling of the Court of Appeal delivered October 28, 2022, and will proactively follow up on the administrative process to ensure that both appeals are given [an] accelerated hearing in line with the extant fast track rules of the Supreme Court.
“We shall keep everyone abreast of the development in the appeals as we progress. We respectfully urge you all to still remain peaceful and law-abiding, as always, and rest assured that the ruling of the Court of Appeal now appealed against will be reviewed on merit by learned Justices of the Supreme Court.
“Let us reiterate, for the avoidance of any doubt, that the said ruling did not interfere in any way with the status of the judgment of the Court of Appeal discharging Onyendu.
“The judgment of the Court of Appeal discharging Onyendu and striking out the seven-count charge still subsists; it has not been set aside. Thank you all, and remain blessed, Umuchineke.”
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State, Alhaji Ahmad Sani Kaura is dead.
Kaura ,62, slumped and died during a peace meeting organised by the Nigeria Council of Ulamah, Zamfara state chapter on Wednesday, November 2, 2022 in Gusau.
The Nigeria Council of Ulamah is organizing a sensitisation meeting with all the political parties in the state on how to ensure peaceful conduct of 2023 general elections.
The Secretary of the party, Faruku Ahmed Gusau, confirmed the development, stating that the chairman who was invited along with PDP stakeholders for the meeting, had developed sickness immediately after he delivered a speech at the occasion.
Gusau said he was immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital where he was confirmed dead by doctors.
A chieftain of the party in the state, Aminu Umar, said Kaura was sick and had not fully recovered before attending meetings.
Preparations are in top gear to bury his remains according to Islamic rites in his home town of Kaura Namoda.
The late chairman is survived by two wives and six children. Late Kaura emerged as the state party chairman on 23 September 23, 2022, following the resignation of the elected party chairman Col. Bala Mande to contest for the Northern senatorial seat of the state.
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party has said that the Federal Government has not shown compassion for the plight of flood victims across Nigeria.
Speaking during a visit to Governor Samuel Ortom in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, Obi noted that leadership comes with compassion, listening and understanding.
He said;
“We want a Nigeria that we will show patriotism by caring for the people on everything. Look at the flooding that has happened all over Nigeria. As far as I am concerned, the Government of Nigeria has not responded adequately, they’ve not shown compassion.
“Leadership comes with compassion, it comes with listening, it comes with understanding. Even those people in (Internally Displaced Persons) IDP (camps) how many people has the Federal Government come to visit. That is what you do, that is what shows you are committed.”
Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Toby Okechukwu, has asked the federal government to allow Nigerians carry arms if insecurity in the country persists.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, the lawmaker representing Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, lamented that even after some members of the National Assembly issued an ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari over insecurity few months ago, the situation has deteriorated rather than improved.
Okechukwu said;
“The idea of you being a citizen is that you will give up your right to carry arms in so doing you give it to the and the state is to protect you.
When they are not able to do that it is a serious situation and the only thing that can avert it is for us to have good leadership. If we continue this way, Nigerians should be allowed to defend themselves.”
When asked if Nigerians defending themselves means they should be allowed to carry arm, he said; “Why not? You want to leave yourself to be killed? By so doing such a call is meant for the state to wake up.
“Security situation has not improved until I am able to go from Abuja to Kaduna the way I used to. In my state the other day they kidnapped a former SSG and some students going back to the university, how can I say it has improved?”
Abdulkareem Abdulsalam Zaura (popularly known as AA Zaura), the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano central has been declared missing by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission during a recent court outing.
AA Zaura who was accused of defrauding a Kuwaiti national of $1.3million, refused to show up for arraignment on Monday, October 31, after the Court of Appeal quashed the earlier discharge and acquittal judgment and ordered his retrial.
The prosecution counsel and EFCC’s Head of Legal, Aisha Habib, noted that the defendant who was also absent on October 14, is nowhere to be found and his absence in court was a total disregard to the court.
Zaura’s counsel, Ibrahim Waru, however told the court that because they have filed an interlocutory application challenging the jurisdiction of the court, his client does not have to be physically present in court.
He added that his client is not physically fit to stand trial and that a medical report had been obtained.
Before adjourning the case to November 10, Justice Mohammad Nasiru Yinusa directed that a written application on whether or not the defendant should be present in court be filed by Zaura’s counsel.
Bandits have killed Lawal Dahiru, a steward working in the Katsina State Government House after collecting N5m ransom.
Spokesperson of the State Police Command, SP Gambo Isah, who confirmed the incident, said Dahiru was kidnapped 24 days ago on his farmland, not far away from the 35 Battalion Natsinta, Nigerian Army Barracks, along the Jibiya-Katsina Road.
Late Dahiru is survived by four wives, about 20 children and grandchildren. He has since been buried according to Islamic rites.
Governor Aminu Bello Masari on Saturday, October 29, 2022, paid a condolence visit to the family members of the deceased.
President Muhammadu Buhari will today Monday, October 31, meet with security chiefs in the nation’s capital, Abuja, to further review and strengthen the security network in the country.
The President, who was initially scheduled to commission the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) new Technology and Innovation Complex, will receive briefs from the security chiefs, and interject on areas that need more attention.
The meeting will be coming amid terror alerts of impending attacks on the Federal Capital Territory.
The development led to panic with the US and UK advising their citizens to leave Abuja.
The federal, state, and local governments have shared N760bn allocation for the month of September.
The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disclosed this on Thursday, October 27, in a communiqué issued after its meeting for October 2022.
A breakdown of the N760.235 billion for the month of September shows that N502.135 billion was for statutory revenue, N189.928 billion for value-added tax (VAT), and N8.172 billion for electronic money transfer levy (EMTL).
According to the communiqué, the federal government received N294.244 billion, the states received N233.223 billion, and local governments received N172.776 billion.
For the month in review, oil-producing states also received N59.992 billion as derivation, (13 percent of mineral revenue). FAAC further said the gross revenue available from the value-added tax was N189.928 billion.
From the figures received, the federal government received N28.489 billion, the states received N94.964 billion and local governments got N66.475 billion.
On the gross statutory revenue of N502.135 billion distributed, the federal government was given N232.921 billion, while the states and local governments got N118.141 billion and N91.081 billion, respectively.
Meanwhile, FAAC disclosed that oil and gas royalties increased tremendously. It said while petroleum profit tax (PPT) and excise duty marginally increased, value-added tax (VAT), import duty, and companies income tax (CIT), decreased considerably.
The committee added that the balance in the excess crude account (ECA), as at October 26, 2022, stands at $472,513.64.
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, has advised Nigerians to consider their future and vote for credible candidates.
The cleric gave the advice when he spoke to newsmen in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“Our future is in our hands, that is why we have democracy and that is why we were given a choice to know our candidates, both at the local government and state levels as well as the federation level.
And since we want the best and we have been dreaming and expecting that we have the very best for our country, it’s to our advantage if we talk to ourselves and be at peace, so that we can have a peaceful and fair election.”he said
Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has presented the 2023 budget to the state house of assembly.
He presented a budget of N1.69 trillion to the house of assembly on Thursday, October 27.
According to the breakdown given by the governor, capital expenditure will take N932 billion which represents 55 percent of the total budget while recurrent expenditure will gulp N759 billion.
While addressing the lawmakers, the governor restated his demand for a new revenue-sharing formula. The governor called for a special status for Lagos, describing the state as a “national asset”.
“Lagos continues to experience increased pressure on social services due to unhindered migration from other parts of the country. It is for this reason that I always sought and I will still continue to reiterate the need for Lagos to be accorded a special status as a national asset.
Lagos is too big for this country to allow it to fail. Lagos is too strategic for us not to see it that the wholesome of Lagos is the wholesome of this country, that the benefits of Lagos transcend one region, one part or one scope of this country.
As a microsome of the entire country, Lagos deserves all the support it can get at the national level.”he said
Former Governor of Ondo state, Olusegun Mimiko has rejected his appointment as the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign council committee in the state.
In a statement released on Wednesday October 26, by John Akinduro, his special assistant on media, Mimiko said his consent was not sought before he was appointed.
The former Governor also said that he supports agitations for restructuring of the party’s leadership architechture.
The statement read;
“Dr Olusegun Mimiko has been inundated with calls and messages from the general public, and his political friends and concerned individuals around the nation; and in particular, his teeming supporters across the length and breadth of Ondo State, seeking clarity on fake news making the rounds since yesterday that he had ditched Governors Nyesom Wike, Seyi Makinde and their colleague governors, and abandoned the agitation for regional equity within the PDP; and in particular, making a party member of southern extraction its national chairman before the 2023 electionr.
“The report and the list that triggered it are fake and a deliberate attempt to muddle things up and smear Dr Olusegun Mimiko.
“It must be stated with emphasis that Dr Mimiko was neither consulted by anyone nor consented to his inclusion in any Ondo state PDP Presidential Campaign Council list.
“For the avoidance of doubt and to set the record straight, Dr Mimiko is unwavering in his commitment to the principle of equity, fairness and justice through which he believes a credible push for a PDP victory is possible.
“He fully subscribes to the agitation by his colleagues and other stakeholders in PDP and the generality of Nigerians that the PDP structure must reflect Nigeria’s diversity if it genuinely wants to unify a visibly divided country.”
Governor Charles Soludo has cancelled all taxes imposed on wheelbarrow pushers, vulcanizers, hawkers and some other blue-collar job holders in the state.
Soludo made the announcement while addressing residents of the state at the second phase of the open bidding for revenue concessions at the Government House Awka.
He said;
“Wheelbarrow pushers must not pay any fee in the state. Vulcanizers operating along the road should also cease paying any fee to anyone. Hawkers shouldn’t pay any fees. These poor people should stop being harassed.
“This message is for the Market unions. If they are found with any evidence, that union will be dissolved with immediate effect.
We want to build a society where the poor feel empowered and where the rich can get more resources to create wealth and employment.”
Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the preliminary number of registered voters in Nigeria is now 93 million.
Yakubu disclosed this at the third quarterly meeting with political parties on Wednesday October 26.
He revealed that 9,518,188 new voters have been added to the existing register of 84,004,084 voters.
He said;
“It is preliminary because section 19(1) and (2) of the electoral act 2022 requires the commission to display the hard copies of the register of voters for each registration area (ward) and local government area (and simultaneously publish the entire register on the commission’s website) for a period of two weeks for scrutiny, claims and objections by citizens not later than 90 days to a general election.
“Accordingly, in the next few days, the commission will print 9,352,228 pages of the register. The hard copy will be displayed for each of the 8,809 registration areas (wards) and 774 local government areas nationwide while the entire register will be published on our website for claims and objections as required by law.
“The display of the physical register will take place at the designated centers from Saturday, 12th to Friday, 25th November 2022.
Further details, including the procedure for filing claims and objections, will be released by the commission next week. I would like to appeal to all Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the display to scrutinize the list and help us to clean it up further so that the final register of voters for the 2023 general election can be compiled and published.”
Yakubu also said that the permanent voter cards (PVCs) will be available soon as they are working hard to finish the printing process.
He added;
“In the coming days, we will also inform Nigerians of the detailed plan to ensure a seamless collection of the PVCs.
We are aware that Nigerians expect an improvement in the procedure for PVC collection.
Since the end of the CVR in July this year, we have been working to ensure that citizens have a pleasant experience when they come to collect their cards.”
Governor Samuel Ortom and a group of elder statesmen in Benue, Minda Leaders of Thoughts, have supposedly withdrawn their support for Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar over alleged hate speech and profiling of Benue people.
This came after Atiku sent a message of sympathy to Gbeji community in Ukum Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue State, after attacks that left about 39 people, including two policemen, dead and many hospitalized.
He said in the message;
“I’m saddened by the sustained clashes between farmers and herders that led to the loss of lives, including those of police officers in Gbeji community, Ukum LGA of Benue State.
“When our people are well integrated into communities where they live, work, pay taxes and raise their children, they’d be obligated to reciprocate the love and acceptance.
My deepest condolences to the families that may have lost a loved one and to the people and government of Benue State.”
However leaders of Gbeji community, accused the presidential candidate of being insenstive by claiming it was just a farmers and herders’ clash.
They stated that what happened in Gbeji last Wednesday, 19th October, 2022, was an unprovoked attack by armed Fulani militia.
The statement read;
“We members of the Gbeji community are disappointed with the statement by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar that there was farmers and herders’ clash in Gbeji which claimed lives including those of policemen.
“What happened in Gbeji last Wednesday, 19th October, 2022, was an unprovoked attack by armed Fulani militia, on the people around 6am.
“For Alhaji Atiku to talk about integration does not arise in Gbeji as the attackers do not live among us. After the unprovoked attack many people visit us including Senator Gabriel Suswam and other members of the National and State Assemblies who also visited the mortuary and saw some of the bodies of those killed.
“That Alhaji Atiku who is supposed to be the big shelter of the Tiv people, the Zege Mule u Tiv, does not believe people have been killed in spite of media reports and eyewitness accounts is the height of insensitivity.
“Alhaji Atiku should have taken time to visit us, or send assistance to alleviate our humanitarian problems is the least that we expected at this time. As at today the death toll has risen to 39 with many still missing while others are in various hospitals.
“If anyone cannot help us in our time of distress he should not mock us. We therefore, reject Alhaji Atiku’s statement which we regard as mockery.”
Also reacting to the statement, Ortom accused Atiku of dishonoring him as Governor and working against the interest of Benue residents.
Asides from alleging that the presidential candidate sidelined him while selecting his presidential campaign team, the Governor also accused Atiku of working with Miyetti Allah.
Ortom said;
“It was not correct for a presidential candidate who is seeking to rule the people to say that kind of thing.
“It was very wrong. And it would appear that he doesn’t even reference me and consider me to be a Governor of my state.
“I am not in his campaign team. The people they appointed there, no consent from me. So I’ll remain on my own. But I’m waiting; when the election comes, we shall vote the election according to the election.”
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on Tuesday, October 25, revealed a romantic conversation he recently had with his wife, Eberechi Wike.
Speaking at a dinner/reception organized in his honor to celebrate the ‘Distinguished Award in Infrastructure Delivery’ recently presented to him, the governor said as the elections draw nearer and his tenure winds down, he recently told his wife that he no longer has a job as governor and that he has promised her his full attention.
He said ;
“I am going, and I am also happily going. I don’t have any regrets. In fact, I told my wife that now I have no job, you will kiss me till you get tired.”?