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Tragedy: 31 Persons Die In Stampede At Church Charity Event In Porthacourt

By
The Source
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Stampede in a Church at Porthacourt

By Charles Igbo

The General Overseer of Kings Assembly based in Porthacourt, Rivers State, is in trouble. A programme his Church planned to bring joy to hundreds of hungry families has turned to sorrow.

He had invited members of the public to assemble at the Polo Club, Porthacourt,  on Saturday, May 28, to receive gifts ranging from foodstuffs to other things to ameliorate their hunger at this time of great suffering and difficulty in the country.

As expected, the venue was jam-packed.

Reports from Porthacourt said scores of people, not to miss out, arrived in the evening of  Friday, May 27, 2022.

On the D-day, May 28, many more arrived in their hundreds, as early as 6.00am. But the gate to the venue, manned by “bouncers”, was locked.

They waited.

Time to open the gate, and it was bedlam as soon as that was done.

Everybody made to rush in at the same time. There was no plan for crowd control, apparently.

So, mayhem reigned.

A stampede ensued.

People fell on people. People marched on people.

And death stared them in the eyes. Agonizing death, in search of food.

At the time of filing this story, 31 people, and still counting, have been declared dead.

Tears, blood, anger, agony and sorrow reign.

Now, instead of food, families would have the dead bodies of their loved ones to carry home.

And instead of appreciation to the Church, its leadership  could be charged with manslaughter.

The Rivers State Police Command, through its Acting Spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the number of fatalities, so far, to LIB.

Oyo 2023: Adelabu Defects To SDP Over Loss Of Ticket To Teslim Folarin

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Adebayo Adelabu - Minister of Power

By Akinwale Kasali

Adebayo Adelebu, popularly known as Penkelemesi, has defected from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Social Democratic Party, SDP.

His defection is not unconnected to his loss of the Governorship ticket of the APC for the upcoming 2023 Oyo State Governorship election.

He lost the ticket at the Governorship Primaries to Senator Teslim Folarin, a serving Senator, who was a one-time Senate Leader when he was in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He later defected to the APC.

Adelabu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, surprisingly resigned from the CBN and opted for politics. However, since his resignation, he has not fared well in politics.

Folarin was declared winner of the APC Governorship primary in Oyo State after defeating Adebayo who was  the APC flagbearer during the 2019 Governorship Election in the State.

To clinch the ticket, Folarin defeated Adelabu and four others – Akeem Agbaje, Azeez Adeduntan, and Hakeem Alao.

He scored a total of 954 votes on Friday, at the Primaries which held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Adelabu, who was his closest challenger, got 327 votes despite being absent at the venue of the election.

Following Adelabu’s failure to clinch the Party’s ticket, he has dumped the APC and joined the Social Democratic Party, SDP, to actualize his Governorship ambition.

Political analysts, however, said he is not likely to achieve his ambition to govern the State.

He faces a tough battle with the incumbent Governor, PDP’s Seyi Makinde, and now APC’s Folarin.

PDP Convention: Osita Chidoka Accuses University Don Of Electoral Fraud

By
Adesina Soyooye
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By Adesina Soyooye

A former Minister for Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has accused a University Don, Professor Kingsley Chimsorom Chilaka, of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University and his team of Electoral Fraud.

Chidoka revealed that Chilaka and his team committed the fraud  on May 10, 2022 in his (Chidoka’s Idemili North Local Government Area.

Chidoka,  a Minister during the Goodluck Jonathan Government, who was, also, a Corp Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Corp, FRSC, revealed this in a post   where he explained why he would not attend the National Convention of his Party, PDP, going on in Abuja.

The Convention, where  PDP Delegates would choose the Party’s Presidential candidate began in Abuja on Saturday, May 28, 2022, and will end on Sunday, May 29, 2022.

But Chidoka, a staunch member of the PDP, and a member of the Electoral Sub-Committee for the Convention, in the post, said he chose to boycott the Convention in protest of the Electoral heist committed in his LGA by the National Delegate Congress Committee, led by Prof  Chilaka, sent to conduct the Congress.

Chidoka: “On May 10th, a National Delegate Congress Committee chaired by Prof Kingsley Chimsorom Chilaka of Nnamdi Azikiwe University went to Anambra to conduct the Congress and did not conduct any Congress in Idemili North LGA where I had bought form to contest as a National Delegate.”

Chidoka said even though the Committee conducted no Congress in Idemili North it shockingly submitted a fake result with the name of someone who did not even purchase the form for the Congress.

Chidoka: “Strangely, the Committee submitted a report and fake result for Idemili North LGA with the name of someone that did not purchase the form for the congress.”

He said that the report submitted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, confirmed that no election took place at Idemili North, where they waited, in vain, till 7pm.

To push the National Leadership of the PDP to do the right thing, Chidoka said he submitted a petition to it, but disappointly, heard nothing from them. Instead, he noted: “The Party went ahead and published the name from the fake result as National Delegate”

While wishing the Party well, the PDP chieftain said he had decided to stay away from the Convention in protest of the fraud.

He, also, emphasized that he would not go to Court to challenge the fraud, but advised: “It is time we looked into the role of Academics in the corruption in our electoral process. I will follow up on that soon.”

We Are Abandoned After Our Tenure – Regents

By
Ayodele Oni
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Regents

By Ayodele Oni

The Association of Regents in Ekiti State has called on the Government to map out strategy at improving the well being of its members.

Chairperson of the Association, Mrs Moradeke Falade, nee Aladesanmi II, made the call in Ado Ekiti  when she led other members of the Association to the office of the wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi.

Mrs Falade noted that  members had always been neglected after the expiration of their Regency, saying that such usually affect them negatively, most especially, economically.

Regents, especially women, are installed in communities in Yoruba land at the demise of Monarchs and hold sway untill a new one is enthroned.

Most communities install unmarried ladies, who are daughters of the late Monarch as Regents, while some prefer elderly women, depending on culture of every town.

According to her, some of them have spent their useful years while serving as Regents, hence they become irrelevant after their regency.

She said a lot of legal activities that could have made them self-reliance were abominable due to the cultural beliefs of the palaces, hence nothing would be done by the communities to compensate them.

She further pointed out that some of them end up not having husband after their tenure as men have negative thinking about them.

Responding, the wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi appreciated the Regents Association, urging members not to hesitate to seek government support in their quest for positive change.

Also contributing, the wife of the APC governorship candidate, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji encouraged the group to support continuity agenda by voting for the party in the coming election so as to further enjoy government’s programmes.

Why I will Not Attend The PDP National Convention

By
The Source
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By Osita Chidoka

For the first time in many years, I will not be attending the PDP Convention. I will watch from my house though I am a member of the Electoral Sub-Committee for the Convention.

On May 10th, a National Delegate Congress Committee chaired by Prof Kingsley Chimsorom Chilaka of Nnamdi Azikiwe University went to Anambra to conduct the Congress and did not conduct any Congress in Idemili North LGA where I had bought form to contest as a National Delegate.

Strangely the Committee submitted a report and fake result for Idemili North LGA with the name of someone that did not purchase the form for the congress. It is time we looked into the role of Academics in the corruption in our electoral process. I will follow up on that soon.

INEC’s report clearly stated that they did not observe any election in Idemili North LGA as they were at the venue till 7 pm.

I submitted a petition to the Party with a certified copy of the INEC report. I requested the Party to reschedule and conduct the congress in line with the party rules and Electoral Act.

I waited till yesterday Friday 27th May for the Party NWC to sit on the petition to no avail instead the Party went ahead and published the name from the fake result as National Delegate.

As a loyal Party member, who have remained a dedicated and prominent voice of the Party since the Party went into opposition, I have elected to stay away from the convention and will not pursue a legal redress against the party that I have given so much at grave personal risk and cost.

I wish the Party a successful convention.

Chidoka was a former Minister for Aviation under the President Goodluck Jonathan Government

PDP Insists Convention Holds As Scheduled

By
Ayodele Oni
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PDP Secretariat - Wadata Plaza

By Ayodele Oni

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, says there is no shift in the dates of its scheduled National Convention where it would pick its Presidential candidate for the 2023 Presidential election.

The Party’s declaration comes amidst strong speculations that it was considering a rescheduling, based on the sudden decision by  the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Friday, to grant six more days to Political Parties for their Primaries.

Not a few people allege that INEC deliberately added six more days to pander to the desires of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, which is yet to put its house in order. Till date, it has not screened its Presidential aspirants.

Based on INEC’s shift, the APC, immediately, rescheduled its dates to June 6 and 7,  prompting speculations that the PDP would do the same.

But in a statement on Saturday signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, PDP said the party is going ahead with its Convention as scheduled. Said the statement:

“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP states in very clear terms, that it has not postponed its 2022 Special Convention. The 2022 Special National Convention of the PDP is on course as scheduled today, Saturday May 28, 2022, and there is no contemplation whatsoever for postponenent.”

Following is the full statement as released by the Party.

PDP 2022 National Convention Holds as Scheduled Today

“The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to speculations from some strange quarters that it has postponed its 2022 National Convention holding today, Saturday, May 28, 2022

“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP states in very clear terms that is has not postponed its 2022 Special National Convention. The 2022 Special National Convention of the PDP is on course as scheduled today, Saturday May 28, 2022 and there is no contemplation whatsoever for postponement.

“The PDP as a party of due process has since commenced processes to elect our Presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections in line with our mission to rescue and rebuild our nation from misrule.

“Our Party remains focused and will not be distracted by the shenanigans and underhand dealings of the rudderless, deceitful and manipulative All Progressives Congress (APC), which is desperate to orchestrate uncertainties, derail the electoral process and subvert the Will of the people in the 2023 general elections.

“The PDP 2022 Special National Convention is already on course, our Presidential candidates, national delegates, teeming members of our great Party and Nigerians from across the country are set for the National Convention, which will at the end, credibly and transparently deliver a Presidential candidate who will be the choice of majority of Nigerians in the 2023 general elections.

“The PDP therefore charges our members, swarming supporters, the International Community, election monitors and the general public to disregard and completely discountenance suggestions that the 2022 Special National Convention has been postponed.

“The APC is fighting a lost battle as its resort to manipulations and underhand dealings can never sway Nigerians in their determination to vote out the APC in 2023 and commence the rebuilding of our nation on the platform of the PDP.

Angry Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s Family To Sue Simon Ekpa Over Defamation, Impersonation

By
The Source
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Nnamdi Kanu and Simeon Ekpa

By Charles Igbo

The spat between the family of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra,  (Worldwide) IPOB, and by extension, IPOB, and the self -proclaimed disciple of Kanu, Simon Ekpa, has escalated.

Angered by what it terms Ekpa’s unwholesome actions and utterances, the Kanu family has threatened to sue him.

To avoid a Court action against him, the Kanu family has given Ekpa, a 14-day ultimatum, beginning from the day he legally receives the warning letter to him, a couple of things he must immediately adhere to.

One of such things, the family demanded, in the letter to Ekpa, through their Counsel, Magnus Jonsson, is that Ekpa stops immediately, from identifying himself as a disciple of the IPOB Leader.

Ekpa, Finland-based, had been anonymous in the operations of IPOB, until Kanu’s rendition from Kenya to Nigeria by the Nigerian Government. A couple of days after that, Ekpa, like a volcano, happened on the scene, and introduced himself as Kanu’s disciple.

Most IPOB followers, from the way Ekpa identified himself, took him as a stand-in for Kanu, pending when the Nigerian Government’s case against him would be over, but that was soon debunked by the central leadership of IPOB – Directorate of Services, DOS, –  which accused Ekpa of refusing to adhere to IPOB’s rules and principles.

Since then, things have gradually never been the same between Ekpa and IPOB. There have been accusations and counter-accusations from both sides. And there have been orders and counter-orders too.

For instance, while IPOB insists it is a non-violent organisation, agitating for the freedom of the Igbo from Nigeria over marginalisation, it has accused Ekpa and his group which it identified as “Autopilots” of being responsible for the violence in Igboland, especially, recently, and responsible for people passing such violence off on IPOB, thus giving IPOB a bad name.

Again, while IPOB has cancelled the sit-at-home order imposed on Igboland, except on the days Kanu would appear in Court, Ekpa has continued to counter that, insisting on the weekly Monday sit-at-home order with its attendant violence against those who go contrary to it.

The Kanu family, with their son in the custody of the Federal Government, being prosecuted in Court for alleged treasonable felony and terrorism, is not comfortable with the alleged actions and utterances by Ekpa which people mistake as coming from IPOB, on the instructions of Nnamdi Kanu. The family has, therefore, asked Ekpa to desist from using Kanu’s name, or image, for his activities. Said the family which, also, disclaimed Ekpa as an IPOB member:

“You should forthwith cease and desist from using the name and image of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, either in your broadcasts or otherwise, for any material gain whatsoever including any fundraising.

“You should forthwith cease and desist from addressing yourself as a Disciple of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, either in the guise of you being a member of IPOB (which we are informed you are not) or in any other manner relating to Biafra agitation.”

The family also accused Ekpa of defaming members of the Kanu family, and warned him to stop immediately. “You should forthwith cease and desist from any further defamatory publications against any member of the Kanu family, whether such publications are personally uttered by you or by others that you invite to your social media networks.”

Following is the full text of the letter, to Ekpa, dated May 17, 2022.

“A DEMAND TO CEASE ÅND DESIST FROM USING THE NAME OF MAZI NNAMDI KANU

FOR MATERIAL GAIN, ETC”

Dear Mr Ekpa:

The Kanu family, both in Nigeria and in the diaspora, has retained undersigned to formally demand from you as follows:

“That you should forthwith cease and desist from using the name and image of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, either in your broadcasts or otherwise, for any material gain whatsoever including any fundraising.

That you should forthwith cease and desist from addressing yourself as a Disciple of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, either in the guise of you being a member of IPOB (which we are informed you are not) or in any other manner relating to Biafra agitation.

” That you should forthwith cease and desist from any further defamatory publications against any member of the Kanu family, whether such publications are personally uttered by you or by others that you invite to your social media networks.

That you are hereby given Fourteen (14) days from the confirmed receipt of this Legal Mail within which to comply with the demands in this letter.

“That your failure or refusal to comply with the demands herein will result in costly legal actions against you, including but not limited to the following:

(a) Direct criminal complaint against you to Finnish authorities and/or to any European country in which you are encountered.

“(b) Tortious and injunctive claims against you for the civil injuries enumerated above.

“( c) Petitions against you to the Finnish authorities that regulate legal practice such as you are currently applying in Finland.

“Finally, you are hereby warned that this Legal Mail constitutes a pre-action Notice that no further forma! warnings will be forthcoming to you before our commencement of the forgoing legal actions against you.

Thank you for your anticipated cooperation in the regards of the contents of this Legal Mail.”

Opinion: INEC Is In Bed With APC, Can’t Be Trusted

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Farooq Kperogi

By Farooq Kperogi

The only major political party that INEC’s 6-day extension of the primary election timetable is designed to benefit is APC. There’s no question about that. PDP has already screened its presidential contestants and is ready to conduct its primary election this weekend.

APC, on the other hand, hasn’t screened its contestants even when it publicly it said it would conduct its primary election on Sunday. It at once shows irresponsibility, impunity, and an indication that it knows it can manipulate INEC at the last minute to bend to its wishes.

APC has always wanted PDP to first elect its candidate to determine how it will choose its own, and it just got it because INEC has shown itself to be a spineless and feckless toady of the party in power.

INEC is evidently in bed with APC and can’t be trusted to conduct a fair, credible, and transparent election.

If rules made months ago can be changed so whimsically to pamper the irresponsibility of a political party, what’s the point of making them? We might as well be conducting primary elections until Election Day in 2023.

Mahmood Yakubu obviously hasn’t learned anything from his disastrous conduct of the 2019 election. He is determined to replicate it in 2023. Sad.

• Kperogi is a popular columnist and public affairs analyst.

PDP: Hyatudeen Withdraws From Presidential Race, Cites “Obscene Monetisation” Of Primaries As Reason

By
Uche Mbah
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Mohammed Hyatudeen

By Uche Mbah

Days after former two time Governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, pulled out of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and his Presidential bid under it, another Presidential aspirant, Mohammed Hyatudeen, has also pulled out of the race.

Hyatudeen’s reason runs similar to what Obi gave as reason: Obscene Monetisation of votes. He described the political system as proving to be “acrimonious, corrupt and self-serving.”

While Obi  quit the party completely to join Labor party to continue his presidential quest, Hyatudeen stayed back in the party.

A trained economist who, like Obi, had made his mark in the Corporate world, he sent a letter to the National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorcha Ayu.

Obi has since joined the Labour Party to actualise his dream.

Hayatu-Deen’s  letter, titled: “Why I am stepping down as a presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party,” and dated May 27, 2022, reads in part:

“I have been a keen observer of Nigerian politics for so many decades, but have not been opportuned to actively participate in party politics due to my engagements in managing critical public and private institutions, among others.

“I have observed with great concern and sorrow the recent rapid deterioration of all aspects of our national life – characteriszed by increasing poverty, religious intolerance, banditry and kidnapping, monumental oil theft, corruption, mismanagement of national assets, communal and religious strifes and near collapse of public services and public institutions.

“During my recent nationwide trips, I came face to face with angry and hungry youths, children, boys and girls abandoned by their states who ought to provide them with education and vocational training.

“These had become the recruiting grounds of criminals, religious and political extremists. I planned to ensure that the great potential that had become the hallmark of Nigeria’s development paradigm, should be actualized during our presidency.

“We planned to make Nigeria the continental economic powerhouse which would guarantee high quality of life to the vast majority of our citizens. I planned to provide peace by ending insurgency of all types occasioned by the absence of a robust and coherent plan and lack of engagements with those involved and by improving the capacity of our intelligence services, the armed forces, the police and paramilitary services.

“I planned to put a final stop to the incessant closure of our universities and other

public institutions due to strikes. As we speak, another round of strikes is going on and nobody knows when our public universities would be opened.

“It is because of the foregoing that I found it morally compelling to introduce myself into the political space in order to provide tangible solutions to these problems.

“I was driven by passion and commitment to the cause of salvaging our country which is on the verge of collapse.

“My exposure locally and internationally and contributions to the nation’s economic and political-well being positioned me to take up the challenges facing our dear nation and – the courage to participate in this grueling exercise which most of our elites have shunned away from.

“Regrettably the political system has proved to be acrimonious, corrupt and self-serving.

“For the past three months I had the privilege of intensively interacting with Nigerians from all walks of life. This reinforces my resolve that Nigeria MUST BE saved, otherwise our future is doomed. I joined the contest as a democrat, with an open mind to keenly contest and accept the result of a process that is fair, credible and transparent.

“We have endeavoured to forge a consensus which would have facilitated a seamless emergence of a candidate which unfortunately could not be achieved.

“I wish to reiterate that I did not join party politics and to contest for the presidency because of personal gains and inordinate ambition, but in order to serve our country.

“It is therefore based on personal principles and with great humility that I have decided, after wide consultations, to withdraw from this contest which has been obscenely monetized.

“I wish to thank all my supporters, especially those from my state, well-wishers, friends, family, the extraordinary hardworking young men and women of our campaign organization, the party leadership and members for their tremendous support which enabled us to contribute within this short period towards changing the character and direction of the Nigerian political landscape.

“Finally, as a very loyal party member and believer in the democratic process, I will continue to avail myself and my teeming supporters at all times to ensure victory of our great party.”

Anyim Writes Ayu Again As Ebonyi Delegates List Crisis Gets More Messy

By
The Source
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0
Anyim Pius Anyim

PDP frontline Presidential aspirant, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, has written a second open letter to the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof Iyorchia Ayu complaining about the manipulation of the delegates list for Ebonyi State.

The second letter which came less than ten hours after the first, complained that the authentic list of delegates from the state had been changed and replaced with people who were not elected as delegates.

In the first letter, the former President of the Senate had complained that Ebonyi delegates names were completely missing from the PDP’s national delegates list.

The second letter was also copied to Sen. David Mark, Chairman of the 2022 PDP Special Convention.

Titled: “Re: Open Letter on the Absence of Ebonyi State Delegates List”, the letter reads:

“The Chairman may refer to my earlier letter of today the 27th day of May 2022 and captioned as above.

“I am to observe that shortly after my letter, I noticed in an official publication by the party, list of Ebonyi State Delegates alongside other states.

“It is disheartening that by 6pm today, the Ebonyi State Delegates List has changed from what was officially published.

“There is no doubt that the aim of this gamble with Ebonyi State Delegates List is to disenfranchise duly elected delegates from Ebonyi State from participating in the presidential primary election.

“Let it be on record that anybody not on the list originally published by the party, is certainly not a delegate from Ebonyi State”, Anyim cautioned.

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