After securing just two votes at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries in Kaduna North Federal Constituency of the House of Representatives, Adam Namadi, son of former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, has reportedly asked delegates to refund the N2 million each he doled out before the election.
Namadi, who had promised to add N1.5 million to the amount given to each of the delegates, secured the least votes among the three contenders.
The delegates raked in millions of naira from the aspirants who appeared in a hurry to outspend one another.
At the end, Samaila Suleiman, the incumbent representative of the constituency carried the day as he defeated Namadi and Shehu Usman ABG.
Suleiman, who recently decamped from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP, won with 22 votes against Shehu Usman ABG who polled 14 votes.
Two policemen have been shot at the venue of the Peoples Democratic Party’s House of Representatives primaries in the Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The primary election is to nominate a candidate of the party in the 2023 general elections for the Obudu/Obanliku/Bekwara federal constituency.
The rescheduled primaries were billed to hold at a school, Handmaid’s International Nursery and Primary School along hospital Road, according to Cross Rivers Watch.
One of the policemen, who was at the main entrance identified by his colleagues as Martins Mbang died on the spot after he was shot while the other who was at the rear has been rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Supporters of some of the aspirants were protesting for unknown reasons and opened fire on the policemen.
Several shots were fired for about six minutes which were said to be tense.
The shooters were eventually chased away while the PDP members strategised on what to do next.
Some Christians took to the streets to protest the killing of a Sokoto student, Deborah Yakubu, over alleged blasphemy.
The Christian Association of Nigeria had earlier called on Christians to protest on Sunday (today) Deborah’s killing.
Deborah was on Thursday, May 12, stoned to death and set ablaze on the premises of Shehu Shagari College of Education by an angry mob over alleged blasphemy.
These are pictures of the protests in Oyo State and Badore Ajah, Lagos
Credit: Facebook| Adelaju Oluwaseyi Taiwo, Olayiwola Michael Akanji, TVC
Some Christians took to the streets to protest the killing of a Sokoto student, Deborah Yakubu, over alleged blasphemy.
The Christian Association of Nigeria had earlier called on Christians to protest on Sunday (today) Deborah’s killing.
Deborah was on Thursday, May 12, stoned to death and set ablaze on the premises of Shehu Shagari College of Education by an angry mob over alleged blasphemy.
These are pictures of the protests in Oyo State and Badore Ajah, Lagos
Credit: Facebook| Adelaju Oluwaseyi Taiwo, Olayiwola Michael Akanji, TVC
Some Christians took to the streets to protest the killing of a Sokoto student, Deborah Yakubu, over alleged blasphemy.
The Christian Association of Nigeria had earlier called on Christians to protest on Sunday (today) Deborah’s killing.
Deborah was on Thursday, May 12, stoned to death and set ablaze on the premises of Shehu Shagari College of Education by an angry mob over alleged blasphemy.
These are pictures of the protests in Oyo State and Badore Ajah, Lagos
Credit: Facebook| Adelaju Oluwaseyi Taiwo, Olayiwola Michael Akanji, TVC
Former Minister of Transportation and presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that he is more experienced than any presidential aspirant in Nigeria, especially because he came from a very low background.
Amaechi made the statement when he met with delegates of the APC in Niger State on Thursday ahead of the party’s primary elections, saying that he could easily connect with the poor as he used to, and still, eat ‘garri’ three times a day.
The former minister stated that, apart from his vast experience, having served and delivered as Speaker, Governor, Minister, and Director-General of two successful presidential campaigns, there existed a difference between him and other aspirants, a fact that he was a better-experienced politician and a people-person.
“Another difference between me and them is that I am a politician, they’re not. The difference is that I can walk to you and I’ll talk, discuss with you.
He added that his humble background had afforded him the opportunity to understand the plight of the common person and relate easily with them.
“I can connect easily with the people. I wasn’t born into a rich family. My father was a poor man, and the only English my mother knows how to speak is pidgin English. I ate garri three times a day, and I still eat garri three times a day till today, so I know poverty”, he said.
He told the people of Niger that he understood their problem of insecurity therefore he had an idea of the problem bedeviling the state.
“I know what you’re suffering, I was governor of Rivers State when they were kidnapping two months old children, and I never slept until everybody slept.
“But in six months, we brought down insecurity in Rivers State,” Amaechi said.
He opined that now is the time for the people of the North and all Nigerians to stand by him, as he did for the country when he supported the emergence of the President Buhari, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), without looking at whether he was from the North or South.
“When everybody was fighting me, saying ‘he’s supporting a northern candidate, he’s supporting a Hausa/Fulani candidate,’ I remained steadfast that I was supporting a Nigerian candidate. Now it’s your turn to,” he said.
Students, on Saturday, stormed the venue for a programme, Royal African Young Leadership Forum, an initiative founded by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi. The students protested the lingering strike action of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The programme was designed to award young Nigerians and youths with outstanding leadership roles.
The programme, which had popular #ENDSARS activist, Rinu Oduala, Governor Akeredolu’s son, Babajide Akeredolu, and 98 others as nominees for the awards, was held at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, where the students of the institution stormed the hall, displaying placards and chorusing “End ASUU Strike!” continuously.
It was gathered that the students had come to the venue with the expectation of the presence of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, with the same aim of expressing their displeasure with the continued closure of schools over the strike action of staff unions across public institutions in the country.
The Vice President had visited Osogbo, the state capital on Friday as part of his consultations ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking to our correspondent, one of the students, who had gathered under the aegis of Fund education Campaign and Concerned Nigerian Students, Omowumi Ewatee, said, “We came to protest the strike, the Vice president is part of the problems of the strike.”
“They cannot be coming to our school that is closed due to strike and be doing political publicity in the same school,” she said.
There’s palpable tension in Bauchi over an alleged blasphemy by one Mrs Roda Jatau, who was said to have shared a video in a WhatsApp group in which a convert ‘insulted’ the Prophet of Islam.
According to a source, Mrs Jatau works with the Bauchi State Primary Health Care and is originally from Gombe, but married in Warji local government area.
Reports from the area indicated that Muslim youths mounted a search for the lady immediately after Jummaat prayers, but could not find her because she had been whisked away to safety.
Consequently, the irate Muslim youths destroyed properties belonging to Christians in area and set a few buildings ablaze.
However, a Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) leader in the state said he has informed the Commissioner of Police and the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Bala Mohammed of the development.
He also called on the Christian community in the state not to allow the situation to degenerate, even though they have to protect themselves from the attackers.
The police is yet to issue a statement as at the time of filing this report.
This is coming few days after Deborah Samuel, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was lynched and set ablaze by her colleagues over alleged blasphemy.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has warned political parties against holding rallies in the South-East.
This was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the group’s spokesman, Emma Powerful.
Powerful specifically warned Ikechi Emenike, who is contesting for Abia governorship under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We want to advise Chief Ikechi Emenike and his APC people not to hold any political rally in Umuahia tomorrow, Friday, May 20, 2022, while they kept quiet and did nothing when Fulani bandits kidnapped passengers including female students along Okigwe/ Uturu road.
“We cannot allow Emenike and his APC co-travellers to be dancing and singing at Chidiebere Park while our daughters are still in captivity.
“It is hypocrisy for the political elite to show no concern about the plights of our people who they claim to be seeking their welfare. It is wickedness for Emenike and his co-travellers to keep mute and do nothing about the incessant abductions of Igbo sons and daughters by Fulani herdsmen around Uturu and its environs. Ikechi Emenike should keep away from Chidiebere Park Umuahia tomorrow.
“We won’t allow APC and other political parties to continue to hold their rallies in our land while Fulani bandits operative with impunity Kidnapping and rapping our people, yet the politicians do nothing about it. All they care about is 2023. Enough is enough,” the statement reads.
Block FCT Minister’s Office Over Elongation of Councils Chairmen Tenure
Residents of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT ) Abuja are currently protesting along Gwagwalada- Abuja expressway setting bonfire on the road preventing human and vehicular movement.
The situation that have led to commotion and tension thereby causing traffic gridlock in the area.
Some of the protesters have also blocked the Minister’s office located at Area 11 to protest against the judgement of a federal high court which granted a one-year tenure extension to the incumbent six Area Council Chairmen.
The protesters are calling for the swearing of the Chairmen-elect earlier scheduled for today Friday 20th.
They also faulted the decision of the Minister, Bello Mohammad for suspending the inauguraion and swearing ceremony of the elected chairmen.
According to the judgment, based on the recently signed Electoral Act 2022, which stipulates that the tenure of office of the chairmen of the Area Councils in FCT would now be four years, instead of three years, the existing chairmen, whose tenure was meant to expire on Thursday, have another one year to continue, based on the new electoral act.
Block FCT Minister’s Office Over Elongation of Councils Chairmen Tenure
Residents of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT ) Abuja are currently protesting along Gwagwalada- Abuja expressway setting bonfire on the road preventing human and vehicular movement.
The situation that have led to commotion and tension thereby causing traffic gridlock in the area.
Some of the protesters have also blocked the Minister’s office located at Area 11 to protest against the judgement of a federal high court which granted a one-year tenure extension to the incumbent six Area Council Chairmen.
The protesters are calling for the swearing of the Chairmen-elect earlier scheduled for today Friday 20th.
They also faulted the decision of the Minister, Bello Mohammad for suspending the inauguraion and swearing ceremony of the elected chairmen.
According to the judgment, based on the recently signed Electoral Act 2022, which stipulates that the tenure of office of the chairmen of the Area Councils in FCT would now be four years, instead of three years, the existing chairmen, whose tenure was meant to expire on Thursday, have another one year to continue, based on the new electoral act.
Osun State Pensioners have cried out over their unpaid entitlements and accused the Governor Gboyega Oyetola-led state government of showing no concern about their lives after service.
The Osun State Coordinator of the Women’s Wing of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Ronke Aderibigbe, stated this during a prayer gathering in the state on Thursday, Daily Post reports.
Speaking on behalf of other pensioners in the state, Aderibigbe said they had passed through lots of challenges trying to get the Oyetola-led government to pay them their pensions and other entitlements but their efforts had yielded no positive fruit.
”We are facing a lot of challenges in Osun State as regards our entitlements. For instance, some pensioners who retired in 2008/09 are yet to be remunerated. Gratuity is not forthcoming, 33% is not forthcoming, (so are) half salary, half pension or quarter pension,” the Coordinator said.
Aderibigbe also accused the governor of being adamant over their issues. “We now notice that our efforts to meet Governor Oyetola have been proving futile. It is like an exercise in futility. Our management, the NUP (Nigeria Union of Pensioners) under the Chairmanship of Alhaji Abdulganiyu and the Secretary, Comrade Bandele Aina, have done all necessary actions to meet with the governor. We don’t know our sins to Governor Oyetola. Since we have sought his face and he has refused to look at our faces, we know God will answer our prayers.
“We have written so many letters (but) nothing is forthcoming. With all our struggles, Governor Gboyega Oyetola is not doing anything. He has rubbished us. He has pushed us to the walls. And we feel there is no more to do than to pray. “The SSG is there. The Chief of Staff is there; they cannot say they don’t know what is happening just as Governor Oyetola is claiming he does not know what is happening. After all, he (Oyetola) worked with Governor Aregbesola (Former Governor of the state, now Minister of Interior) “Pensioners are dying. Oyetola has refused to pay. He has refused to give us our entitlements. We are dying because there is no money to treat ourselves. There are elders amongst us who have terminal ailments,” she lamented.
According to Aderibigbe, the situation has forced some pensioners to resort to casual jobs including commercial motorcycle riding, while their children take up odd jobs to survive. She therefore appealed to Governor Oyetola to look into their matter and address their grievances before the coming July 16 gubernatorial election.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has identified the kind of leader Nigeria needs.
Obasanjo said Nigeria needs a leader driven by passion and “a touch of madness” to move forward.
He made the remark while hosting a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential aspirant, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, DailyTimes gathered.
The former President said Nigeria would overcome its security challenges within two years if the leader was ready to make tough decisions.
Suspected fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, has become a subject of trend on Twitter, hours after singer, Lojay, released the remix of his hit single, Monalisa, featuring Chris Brown.
In his verse on the remix, Chris Brown sang, “See for this life | Me and you chop like Hushpuppi | We walk and they stare | Please show them you’re best…”
Tweeps have been reacting to the Hushpuppi reference in the song.
Edo Boy said, “Chris Brown confirm am say hushpuppi chop life.”
Another tweep, Ebenezer Ekpeyong said, “I listened to Monalisa remix and I heard Chris Brown mentioned Hushpuppi. The guy just reminds us of the Oga kpata kpata.”
Elom Chikodi tweeted, “Hushpuppi don chop money even Chris brown they sing about him.”
Son of Grace said, “Hushpuppi really chop life and is very popular to the world even Chris Brown testify to it in Monalisa remix.”
Hushpuppi is facing charges of fraud and is set to be sentenced on July 11, 2022.
The Lagos State Government has issued a 14-day eviction notice to the occupants of the Alaba Rago Market in the state.
According to the State Police Command, the notice was issued after months of negotiation between the state government and representatives of the occupiers of the market.
A joint team of Rapid Response Squad and Lagos Task Force went to inform the occupants of the eviction notice.
The Lagos State government is seeking to modernise the market along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
On Thursday, the police in Lagos faced stiff resistance from commercial motorcyclists in the Ojo area of Lagos as they began enforce of the ban announced on Wednesday by the Lagos State government.
Many people sustained gunshot injuries in the melee that ensued after police fired shots to control the irate Okada riders resisting seizure of their vehicles.
PurpleWorld learnt that violence broke out at about 10:00 a.m. on Thursday morning when police officers from Onireke Police Station, began clampdown on Okada riders and their motorcycles around Barracks bus stop.
The security operatives then fired gunshots into the air to scare the okada riders but some residents got hit by the stray bullets, a source told The Gazette.
Some residents sustained injuries as they scampered for safety while some group of army and anti-riot police officers intervened and calm the situation.
Some leaders of the Hausa community in Lagos State have appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to reverse the ban on Okada operations in six local government areas of the state.
The leaders, who spoke in separate interviews with The PUNCH, on Wednesday, said Okada riders who hail from northern Nigeria contribute significantly to the voting population of Lagos and should not be economically strangulated.
Sanwo-Olu had on Wednesday banned the operations of commercial motorcycle riders in six Local Governments and nine Local Government Development Areas in the state.
The affected councils are Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland and Apapa.
The governor said, “We will not sit back and watch criminally-minded people use that mode of transportation (motorcycles) to perpetrate crimes and criminality in Lagos. Lives are being lost on a daily basis, preventable accidents are happening every day and the riders are not respecting any of our traffic laws.
“The situation has led to a complete breakdown of law and order. This ban has come to stay and we will not tolerate any weakness in enforcement.”
But the Seriki of Obalende, Saliu Waziri, told The PUNCH that the government should rethink its decision.
Waziri said the government should instead get the data of Okada riders in Lagos to fish out any intruder or criminally-minded fellows.
He said, “This issue has taken us a long time and we have been trying to put our members on the line. I want to advise the government to rethink its decision because Lagos can’t operate without bikes because of traffic. Government should register Okada riders in each local government to know those working in any local government. By so doing, the government would know who to pick when any issue arises.
“Some of our members stay here in Lagos and vote during elections. That should count for something because we contribute to votes during elections. The government should change the system of Okada riders not stopping them.”
Waziri, however, ruled out the possibility of taking any legal action against the state government.
The Seriki Hausa of Ajah, Ibrahim Ngoma, agreed with his Obalende counterpart that the government should consider the voting population of Hausa Okada riders in Lagos.
A hemp seller, identified as Toba, has been accused of slitting his girlfriend’s throat and dumped her corpse in a bush in Kara-Kekere community, Ogunrun, Mowe, in the Obafemi Owode area of Ogun State.
Toba and his girlfriend, Tunrayo Odubanjo, were at his residence when he sent her to get an alcoholic drink on Wednesday, May 18.
The victim was said to have worn his slippers to the place and he allegedly attacked her for it when she came back.
“He told her to pack out of his house, but she kept begging him and when she decided to leave the house, she could not see her slippers. She asked him for the slippers and Toba said he threw them into the bush. She pleaded with him to help her retrieve them from the bush, but he refused,”
According to eye witness she said, “I tried to intervene, but he threatened to use broken tiles on me. So, I withdrew and continued with what I was doing. The girl later asked me for slippers, but I told her I had none. Suddenly, he pursued the girl again, dragged her into the bush and started beating her.
“I heard the girl begging and thought it was just beating. After a few minutes, I suddenly saw him sitting on the lady. I quickly called people at the site and the son of a chief in our community and they rushed down to apprehend him as he abandoned her corpse in the bush and wanted to run. Toba used broken tiles to slit his girlfriend’s throat.”
Tunrayo’s corpse was carried out of the bush, with a cloth covering her neck.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), alongside the National Association of University Students, South-West zone, has directed over 22 million Nigerian students to shut down all international airports nationwide until the Academic Staff Union of Universities strike is called off.
NANS urged Nigerian students across the six geopolitical zones to come out en masse to take over “all international airports in the country.”
The association asked President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime to address the yearning issues of ASUU and other unions.
In a statement on Wednesday by its South-West coordinator, Adegboye Olatunji, NANS said it waited long for Mr Buhari to resolve the ASUU crises to no avail.
The association accused Mr Buhari’s regime of not showing concern about the strike “for so long, ASUU/ASUP strike had been ongoing, and the federal government has not been showing concern through the minister of education.”
NANS added that Nigerian students would take the bull by the horns and no longer keep quiet, pointing out that Mr Buhari’s position on the crises could ruin their future.
At least, 30 passengers have been abducted by terrorists along the Abuja-Kaduna highway, PurpleWorld learnt.
An unspecified number of persons were said to have been shot during the attack.
The attack came barely two months after bandits derailed a Kaduna-bound train, killing scores and kidnapping several persons including pregnant women, some of whom are still in captivity.
The attack reportedly happened around 4:30 pm on Tuesday, leaving many injured, including women and children.
“The victims were writhing in pain by the roadside while cars were parked on the highway,” a source said.
Passengers of a Zamfara State Transport Authority 18-seater bus, one Peugeot 406, two Toyota Corolla, a Golf car, and several other vehicles were attacked by the terrorists.
The terrorists had left the scene before the arrival of security operatives, a source informed.
