Kogi Assembly Suspends Nine Members, LG Bosses, Over Alleged Terrorism, Misappropriation

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March 23, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

The Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal has received nine petitions on the 25 February National Assembly elections.

The Secretary of the tribunal, Musa Adam, who disclosed this in Akure on Thursday, stated that seven of the petitions were on the House of Representatives election and two on the Senate.

Mr Adam said that Olusegun Phillips-Alonge, the candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Ondo North Senatorial District, filed a petition challenging the election of Olajide Ipinsigba of the All Progressives Congress,(APC).

He added that the Labour Party candidate for Ondo Central, Morounfoluwa Bademosi, also filed petition on the election of Mr Adeniyi Adegbonmire of the APC.

The secretary explained that petitions were also filed to challenge the elections in Akoko South east/Akoko South west, Ese Odo/Ilaje, Okitipupa/Irele and Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituencies.

Other federal constituencies include Akure South/Akure North and Akoko Northeast/Akoko Northwest.

Mr Adam said the tribunal is still expecting petitions on the outcome of the House of Assembly poll.

According to him, aggrieved candidates have 21 days from the date of the announcement of the result of the election to file a petition before the tribunal.

Breaking: Bad News For The Ekweremadu’s, Found Guilty Of Organ Trafficking

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March 23, 2023

Ike Ekweremadu, a former Deputy Senate President, and his wife, Beatrice, have been found guilty of organ trafficking in the United Kingdom.

The duo alongside their daughter, Sonia, and a medical doctor, Dr. Obinna Obeta, were found guilty of facilitating the travel of a young man to Britain with a view to his exploitation after a six-week trial at the Old Bailey.

The couple, accused of criminally conspiring to bring the 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London to harvest his kidney, was found on Thursday by the jury handling the case.

The couple will receive their sentence on a latter date, Justice Jeremy Johnson said.

More to come………..

First Bank: FMAP Application Closes Tomorrow

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March 23, 2023

First Bank of Nigeria, FBN, Limited has urged Nigerians interested in its Management Associate Programme, FMAP, to apply before the portal closes on tomorrow.

The application for the third season of the programme, the Adesola Adeduntan-led bank, said in a statement on Wednesday closes March 24, 2023.

The FMAP is a 24-month fast-track comprehensive programme targeted at young, dynamic, and highly driven individuals that are passionate about making a difference in the financial services industry.

The bank noted that the programme is designed to build the next generation of leaders to drive the bank’s vision of being Africa’s Bank of First choice.

According to the bank, FMAP equips participants with an extensive wealth of experience comprised of both classroom and real-life work that affords an insightful and balanced insight into the world of work.

It added that programme is targeted at hi-potential young professionals who possess acute thinking skills, financial and methodical skills, and a distinctive ability to communicate effectively and synthesise ideas, information, and data to aid decision-making.

Speaking on the FMAP Season III, the Group Head, Human Capital Management and Development, Olumuyiwa Olulaja, said: “Since its inauguration in half a decade, we are delighted with the giant strides and impact the initiative has had in promoting the career development of emerging talents in the financial services industry as they are instilled with the tenets and ethics of the banking industry in line with global best practice.

“The FMAP initiative is amongst the many ways we reinvest in our human capital as we build the next generation of leaders through their exposure to various opportunities essential to preparing their readiness for the future.”

Kano: We Won Fair and Square, NNPP Tells APC As Tension Rises

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March 23, 2023

The New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPC says it will be useless for the All Progressives Congress, APC, to go to court to challenge its victory.

The party said in the aftermath of its declaration as the winner of the March 18 governorship election, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that it defeated the ruling party in the keenly contested election.

It said the APC must accept defeat after it had been roundly rejected by the people of the state.

The electoral umpire declared Abba Kabir Yusuf of the NNPP winner of the election after polling 1,019,602 votes against his closest rival, APC’s candidate, Nasir Gawuna, who polled 890,705 votes.

The state has witnessed massive protests from the APC, which claimed irregularities since the results were declared.

On Wednesday, supporters of the ruling party staged a protest at the INEC office in the state’s capital.

The APC has also disclosed that it will go to court to challenge the result.

Responding NNPP spokesperson, Presidential Campaign Council, Abubakar Yesufu, said the legal challenge will end in futility, as the will of the people of the state cannot be overturned.

The NNPP spokesman made this known in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement said ”The move by APC to challenge the Kano gubernatorial result is escapist, futile and an attempt to cover the shameless and disastrous outing of Mallam Yusuf Gawuna and his collaborators at last Saturday’s gubernatorial poll in Kano State.

“We commend the Governor-elect, Abba Kabir Yusuf for this deserved victory. We hereby admonish Yusuf Gawuna to be a sportsman by congratulating the winner. Despite the strong-arm tactics employed to muzzle him with over 1,200 million votes and 890 fictitious votes procured by Gawuna through questionable means, our candidate won.

“The contest was indeed a contest between the powerful but unpopular Mallam Yusuf Gawuna, current Deputy Governor, and a powerless but popular Abba Kabir Yusuf of the NNPP.

“It was a triumph of a people over an evil regime. At this juncture, we commend, the Returning Officer, Prof. Doko Ibrahim, Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, for being steadfast, refusing compromise and insisting on justice and truth.

“As we celebrate Abba Kabir Yusuf, we are humbled by the confidence reposed on the party and its Kwankwasiya Movement. We are also solemn on the arson and killing of innocent souls in the bid to hang on to an anti-people administration.”

Meanwhile, not a few Nigerians have urged the APC to dissuade its supporters who are angry with the outcome of the governorship election from causing violence in Nigeria’s biggest commercial city.

Throwing the state into pandemonium is not what is needed at this time, according to those monitoring what is going on in the Governor Abdullahi Ganduje-led state.

CBN Disburses N13bn To Anchor Borrowers’ Farmers In 2 Months

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March 23, 2023

Nigerian farmers under the CBN Anchor Borrowers programme received close to N13 billion between January and February this year.

Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor made this known in Abuja, during its 29^th Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, meeting, saying that the apex bank disbursed N12.65 billion to farmers within the period.

He explained that the total funds disbursed under the agricultural interventionist’s programme have now risen to N1.09 trillion since its kick-off six years ago.

The ABP was launched in 2015 by the apex bank to assist farmers to boost the production of food in the country. s

According to the apex bank governor, the ABP has assisted close to five million smallholder farmers in the cultivation and rearing of 21 agricultural commodities.

Emefiele said, “Between January and February 2023, the bank disbursed N12.65 billion to three agricultural projects under the ABP.

“It brings the cumulative disbursement under the programme to N1.09 trillion to more than 4.6 million smallholder farmers cultivating or rearing 21 agricultural commodities on an approved 6.02 million hectares of farmland.

“Cumulative disbursements under the real sector facility currently stands at N2.43 trillion disbursed to 462 projects across the country, comprising 257 manufacturing, 95 agriculture, 97 services and 13 mining sector projects.”

The International Monetary Fund, IMF, early in the month said the ABP has not achieved desired results, because it has been mismanaged. For instance, the Fund said out of the total funds disbursed to farmers under the programme, 76 per cent had not been paid, adding that farmers who benefitted may have diverted the funds.

IMF said, “For the Anchor Borrowing Program, repayment is also low at 24 percent, especially since repayment can be made in kind, thereby limiting the tenor of the loans to one year,” the report reads.

“Part of the problem is that the incentive structure for repayment is weak, the recipient loans are not always well targeted and occasionally the funding is used for other purchases (e.g., new agricultural input trading companies to elicit trading rents).”

“Don’t Distract Otti With Litigation” – Gov Ikpeazu Urges; Congratulates Alex Otti”

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The Source

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March 23, 2023

By Charles Igbo

Less than 24 hours after Abia people gave Governor Okezie Ikpeazu a vote of no confidence, and threw him and his Party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, out of power, Ikpeazu has asked those who contested with the winner of the Governorship Election, Alex Otti, to shun Litigation so as not to distract the incoming Governor.

Abia’s Governorship election, which result was announced on Wednesday, even though it was held side by side with that of 27 other States on March 18, 2023, saw the candidate of the Labour Party, Otti, throw away the PDP which had held the State by the jugular in since 1999. PDP’s Candidate was Okey Ahiwe, a former Chief of Staff to Ikpeazu.

The loss of the Governorship election to the LP, is the second time Abians would give Ikpeazu a knock out within three weeks.

On February 25, Ikpeazu, who will serve out his second term in office on May 29, 2023, and had planned to go to the Senate, thereafter, was roundly rejected by his Senatorial District.

He has, however, taken the the landslide defeat handed over to his candidate by Otti, with calmness.

Uncharacteristic of most Nigerian Politicians, Ikpeazu congratulated Otti hours after his Candidate’s loss to him, and urged other contestants to shun going to Court to challenge Otti’s victory so as not to distract the new Governor.

When Ikpeazu won his election as the Abia State Governor, he faced an almost four-year long litigation, until the Supreme Court confirmed him the duly elected Governor.

A Press Release signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Onyebuchi Ememanka, reads thus:

“The Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu has sent a message of congratulations to the Labor Party Candidate in the 2023 Gubernatorial Election in Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, OFR on his emergence as Governor Elect.

“Governor Ikpeazu noted that Dr. Otti has fought a long battle over a very long period of time and deserves commendation for his staying power and resilience.

“In the words of the Governor, ‘Since we have come to the logical end of this battle, it is appropriate to congratulate the winner, Dr Alex Otti on his hard fought victory. In every battle, there will always be a winner and in the spirit of sportsmanship and love for our state, the Governor elect must see his victory as a higher call to service to the people of Abia State’.

“The Governor also salutes the other candidates who took part in the election, especially the PDP candidate, Sir Okey Ahiwe, for their doggedness. Dr Ikpeazu is of the considered opinion that the Governor-Elect should be given an enabling environment to run the affairs of state from May 29th, 2023 and hereby advises the candidates not to distract the incoming Governor with court cases.

“According to the Governor, ‘having myself spent about three and half years in different courts and having experienced first hand, the distraction such cases can cause a leader, I appeal to every candidate in this election not to distract the incoming administration with court cases, so that they will settle down and deal with the very demanding business of governance.

“Let us break this negative trend of subjecting our Governors to endless litigations and allow them to concentrate on providing good governance.

“Governor Okezie Ikpeazu assures the Governor Elect that he will put in place every necessary measure to ensure a seamless transition from his administration to his.

“The Governor thanks the people of Abia State for casting their votes in a very peaceful atmosphere and reminds them that peace remains very critical in the quest for sustainable development, charging them to accord the incoming Governor every necessary support that will enable him succeed.

“Governor Ikpeazu ends by assuring the people of Abia State that he will continue to discharge his duties as Governor until the 29th day of May, 2023 when he will handover to the new Governor.”

Labour Party’s Alex Otti Is Abia Governor,Sacks PDP

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March 22, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

After waiting for five days following the conclusion of governorship election, the Labour Party, (LP) candidate, Alex Otti, has been declared the winner of the Abia State governorship election.

His victory followed the eventual declaration, on Wednesday, of the results of the controversial Obingwa Local Government Area results.

With the conclusion of the collation of the outstanding results of the election, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) scored 9,962 votes, while the Labour Party, 3,776 votes in the LGA.

Consequently, the LP has won in 10 LGAs, the PDP in six LGAs, and the Young Peoples Party, (YPP) in one LGA.

The governorship candidate of the LP in Abia State, Alex Otti, was, consequently declared the winner of the 2023 governorship election in Abia State.

Otti polled a total of 175,466 to defeat his closest rival and candidate of the PDP who scored 88,526.

The Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state, Prof Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti declared Otti the winner on Wednesday evening at the resumption of the final collation of governorship election results in Umuahia, the Abia State capital over 48 hours after INEC suspended the exercise in the South-East state.

The last time the LP produced a governor in the last 20 years was when Olusegun Mimiko was elected Ondo State governor from February 2009 to February 2017.

Before the announcement, Nnannaya-Oti said she will do the right of the people and protect democratic values.

I shall stand squarely and unapologetically on these principles. The people’s votes and mandate shall stand.

“The pastor and the mother in me will not permit me to do anything that will adversely affect the future of our children,” said Nnannaya-Oti, who is the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

As it stands, the results of 25 of the 28 governorship elections have been announced. APC won in 15 states, PDP in eight, LP in one while the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) won Kano.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) won in 15 states, including seven re-elected governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Muni (Yobe), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Babagana Zulum (Borno).

The party also secured wins for eight new candidates: Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Ahmed Aliyu (Sokoto), Dikko Radda (Katsina), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Bassey Otu (Cross River), Mohammed Bago (Niger), Hyacinth Alia (Benue), and Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi).

On the other hand, the PDP secured eight victories including two reelected governors: Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi).

Six first-term governors were also elected on the platform of the opposition party. They are Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Siminialayi Fubara (Rivers), Kefas Agbu (Taraba), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), and Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta). In a historic win, PDP’s Dauda Lawal unseated Zamfara State Governor and APC powerbroker in Zamfara, Bello Matawalle. In a similar fashion, Abba Kabir of the NNPP unseated the APC in Kano.

See results

President-elect, Tinubu Jets Out To Rest, Perform Lesser Hajj

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March 22, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

Office of the President elect had shed light on the current overseas trip embarked upon by Bola Tinubu on Tuesday.

A statement signed by Tunde Rahman states that “After a very exhaustive campaign and election season, President-elect, Asíwájú Bola Tinubu, has travelled abroad to rest and plan his transition programme ahead of May 29, 2023 inauguration.

“The President-elect left the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja for Europe on Tuesday night.

“The President-elect decided to take a break after the hectic campaign and election season to rest in Paris and London, preparatory to going to Saudi Arabia for Umrah (Lesser Hajj) and the Ramadan Fasting that begins Thursday.

“While away, the President-elect will also use the opportunity to plan his transition programme. He is expected back in the country soon.

“We enjoin the media to stop publishing rumours and unsubstantiated claims and to always seek clarifications from our office.”

Naira Swap: NLC Directs Workers To Stay Home From Next Week

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March 22, 2023