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APC Forcing Civil Servants To Register As Members, ADC Alleges

February 1, 2026

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has accused the All Progressive Congress, APC, of engaging in alleged subtle and underhand dealings designed to coerce unsuspecting members of the public, particularly civil servants into registering as party members.

The allegations are coming amidst the ongoing nation-wide e-registeration exercise of the ruling party at the centre.

In a statement from its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, the emerging opposition Coalition platform, informed that report received across the states indicate alleged widespread and coordinated moves by the APC in forcing Nigerians of all hues into registering as members.

According to Abdullahi, civil servants are allegedly being pressured into registering as APC members, as a precondition for job security, career progression or continued access to their means of livelihoods.

While condemning the alleged development, the ADC described as totally unacceptable and unjust the idea of compelling people to belong to a particular political organization in a democratic arrangement.

The opposition Coalition platform, noted that such action not only tantamount to an act of gross violation of the people’s fundamental human rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ,but also a direct affront to the basic principles of democracy.

The ADC expressed serious concern that a political party which has been bragging about its popularity and people-oriented programmes could still be coercing citizens to register as members.

“A popular political party that genuinely enjoys popular support does not need to conscript citizens through intimidation or the weaponization of the payroll.

“Pressuring civil servants to register for a party they do not believe in amounts to state-sponsored conscription rather than genuine party growth”, ADC stated.

This is as the party warned that the practice of converting civil servants to partisan players will inexorably result in the undermining of critical democratic institutions, and democratic norms with the attendant loss of credibility ,and erosion of public trust.

However, the opposition platform insisted that mere over-bloated data base, achieved through coercion as allegedly being pursued by the APC, does not in anyway translate to electoral victory.

According to the ADC, inflated membership figures through intimidation can only serve the the temporary purpose of propaganda, but will not cover the emptiness of the ruling party before the long-suffering people of Nigeria who are battling with unprecedented and excruciating economic hardship, insecurity and declining public confidence.

“I Am Not Ashamed To Say I Don’t Have Godfather, I only have God,” Oyo Gov. Makinde

Ayodele Oni

February 1, 2026

By Ayodele Oni

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has revealed that in his seven years as Governor, he has no godfather.

According to him, “When I became the governor of Oyo State in 2019, I was the 8th civilian or Executive governor of Oyo State and the significance of eight in the Bible depicts a new beginning. So, the journey has been a new beginning for Oyo State. I didn’t plan it.

“I tell people that I am not ashamed to say that I don’t have a godfather, I only have God the father.

“Some of the people are upset, they said I came to them to ask for support to be elected. Yes, you go somewhere to seek for support. Does that make the person your godfather?

“So, God has been so merciful to us, and we will continue to operate in accordance with the will and the dictates of God for us.”

The governor stated this on Sunday, during a Thanksgiving Service in commemoration of Oyo State’s 50th anniversary, held at the Cathedral of St Peter’s, Aremo, Ibadan.

He assured that his government has built strong foundations for the state as it enters its next phase.

Makinde also assured the people that his administration will continue to govern the state in accordance with the will and guidance of God for the people of the state.

This was as the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, lauded Governor Makinde for the uplift of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and for using public funds for public good.

Governor Makinde, who had earlier read the second Bible lesson from Matthew 5:1-12, congratulated all residents of Oyo State for witnessing the celebration of the state’s golden jubilee, which he noted was due to God’s grace.

He emphasised that his emergence as governor of the state in 2019 after contesting for eight years could only be attributed to God’s mercy, which enabled the state to experience a new beginning.

He assured the people of the state of continuity of good governance after the expiration of his tenure, stressing that his team is still intact and will carry on the good works.

He said: “I want to congratulate all of us for witnessing Oyo State at 50 and I pray that we shall witness many more years on earth.

“God has brought a particular Governor at a particular time to signify a new beginning for Oyo State. My charge to you as we celebrate this 50th anniversary of Oyo State is that we should not go back to where we were coming from. Let us stay focused.

“We have a team that is still intact. It is only Seyi Makinde that will go out; members of the team are there to continue to work for the people of Oyo State. We will continue to operate in accordance with the will and the dictates of God for Oyo State.”

In his goodwill message, former Governor of Anambra State and Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, lauded Governor Makinde’s leadership style and transformation agenda in the state.

Obi said: “It is always an honour to be in Ibadan. I was here on Tuesday to visit the University and I was telling somebody that this is a historic town where all of us, as Nigerians, come because it is a city of knowledge and a city of hope.

“The people who came with me said you don’t know how this place has changed and I appreciate the preacher on what he said about how the state has developed under Governor Seyi Makinde.

“I thank Governor Makinde for faithfully serving the people. As you celebrate this 50th anniversary, I pray that the next fifty years of the great state will be exemplary. May God continue to bless our governor and all the members of his team.

“I was here at the onset of his government. I was one of those that were brought in to talk to his commissioners and I thank him for his exceptional work.

“As I conclude, I want to make a request to Nigerians to, please, always remember us politicians in prayers. We are the problem of Nigeria. No other person. Nigeria is not a poor country but only poorly governed.

“Remember us in your prayers that God should touch our hearts to use public money for public good. That is what Seyi Makinde is doing in Oyo State.”

Earlier in his sermon entitled: “Gratitude,” the Archbishop of Ibadan Province, The Most Rev’d Williams Aladekugbe, said God has been good to Oyo State and also hailed past leaders who contributed meaningfully to the growth of the state in the last 50 years.

He congratulated the governor for his people-oriented programme, which he said, has shaped the state and brought about infrastructure development, improved workers and pensioners’ welfare and peaceful coexistence, among others.

Special prayers were offered for Governor Makinde, Oyo State, past leaders/governors of the state, and Nigeria as well as for the continuity of good governance through a good successor to Governor Makinde.

Ogun Insists On Ownership Of Oil Rich Eba Island

Ayodele Oni

February 1, 2026

By Ayodele Oni

As ownership controversy over ownership of an oil rich Eba island, the Ogun State Government has reaffirmed its territorial jurisdiction over the Island located in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of the state.

Ondo had earlier laid claim to the island, following fresh move by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) to commence oil drilling in the area.

This followed public debates and a motion sponsored by Donald Ojogo, representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency in Ondo State, after President Bola Tinubu approved the commencement of drilling activities at an abandoned oil well located on Eba Island.

With the project on board, Ogun is expected to join the oil producing states in Nigeria with oil royalty coming in monthly from the Federal Government

A statement by the Special Adviser to the Ogun state Governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, on Sunday, dismissed claim of ownership by the Ondo State Government, describing it as misleading and capable of triggering avoidable communal tension.

Akinmade, an indigene of Ondo state, said Eba Island, where the approved oil well is located, falls squarely within Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun State.

According to him, boundaries between states and local governments in Nigeria are constitutionally defined and properly documented by the National Boundary Commission.

Akinmade added that official boundary maps and records clearly situate Eba Island within Ogun State.

He explained that Eba is a long-established community within Ogun Waterside, whose status predates Nigeria’s independence and has remained unchanged through successive political and administrative reorganisations, including the 1976 state-creation exercise that carved Ogun State out of the former Western State.

“Since 1976, there has been no constitutional amendment, judicial pronouncement, or federal gazette that altered the boundary, placing Eba outside Ogun State,” he added.

The government spokesperson clarified that there are two distinct locations known as “Eba.” While one is located near the Ondo State forest reserve, the larger Eba Island—where the oil well approved by the President is situated—lies entirely within Ogun State’s coastal corridor.

Akinmade noted that the presidential approval for drilling followed extensive due diligence by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and other relevant federal institutions, all of which confirmed that the oil well is located within Ogun State territory before clearance was granted.

He added that the deployment of national security assets, including naval formations around the drilling site, further demonstrates federal recognition of Ogun State as the host state.

Akinmade, while providing additional context, disclosed that in October 2024, the Molokun of Atijere in Ondo State formally approached the Osobia of Makun-Omi in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area, seeking permission to conduct business activities on Eba Island.

The request was declined and subsequently reported to the Ogun State Government, NNPCL, and security agencies.

According to him, this engagement amounted to a tacit acknowledgement of Ogun State’s jurisdiction over the area.

On historical claims being circulated, Akinmade described reliance on colonial documents from 1919 and 1920 as misleading, pointing instead to Colonial Government Gazette No. 660 of April 29, 1950, which it said clearly defined the boundary between the former Ijebu and Ondo Provinces and superseded earlier notices.

He also cited lease agreements, historical community records, and survey documents — including the Olokola Free Trade Zone Survey Plan — as further evidence establishing Eba Island as part of Ogun State.

Administrative validation by the Independent National Electoral Commission was also referenced, with the polling unit at LA Primary School, Eba, officially registered under Makun/Irokun Ward in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Akinmade stated that following the discovery of hydrocarbon prospects in the coastal corridor, the Ogun State Government conducted independent verification of the well coordinates using geospatial and cartographic technology, which confirmed that the wells are located within Ogun State boundaries.

He added that Ogun State has worked closely with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and NNPCL to secure the asset and prepare it for commercial exploration, including facilitating the establishment of naval security infrastructure in the area.

While cautioning against the spread of misinformation and inflammatory narratives, the spokesperson for Ogun State Government called for restraint and responsible engagement by all parties.

He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to the rule of law, peaceful coexistence, and cooperation with the Federal Government in safeguarding national assets.

He added that the people of Makun-Omi Kingdom have assured authorities of their readiness to maintain peace and protect lives and property.

“The facts are clear, and the law is settled. Eba Island, where the approved oil well is located, is in Ogun State,” he stated.

Ebonyi Communal Clash: 10 Suspects Arrested, Curfew Imposed, Schools Closed

Ayodele Oni

February 1, 2026

Governor Francis Nwifuru sacks all Traditional Rulers

By Ayodele Oni

As a follow up to tackle insecurity in Amasiri community in Afikpo Local Government area of Ebonyi State, Government, on Saturday night, imposed stringent a curfew following renewed communal violence involving the Okporojo community in Oso Edda, Edda Local Government Area of the State.

The State Police command also confirmed the arrest of 10 persons.

The fresh violence reportedly led to the beheading of about five persons in Okporojo on Thursday by suspected Amasiri warlords.

The same group was also accused of attacking Akpoha community in Afikpo Local Government Area, where four persons were abducted.

Three of the abductees were later released following intense pressure from the state government.

Governor Francis Nwifuru announced the measures after an emergency State Security Council meeting held on Saturday, and assessment visit to the affected Okporojo community.

The governor explained that the Security Council recommended the immediate removal of the traditional rulers in Amasiri, a decision the government accepted without delay.

“The Security Council advised the government, and we have agreed to immediately dethrone the two traditional rulers in Amasiri. Their letters of dethronement will be issued without delay,” Nwifuru said.

He also announced the dissolution of all leadership structures in the area, including development union executives, village heads, women and youth leaders, and other organized groups.

“All leadership structures in Amasiri are hereby dissolved with immediate effect,” the governor declared.

The governor further stated that local government chairmen of the affected areas, alongside other officials in Ebonyi South, would take over government activities in Amasiri, while security agencies were directed to act decisively to restore peace.

He disclosed that the Commissioner of Police briefed the council that about ten persons had been arrested in connection with the crisis.

“Investigations are ongoing, and suspects remain suspects until proven guilty by a competent court,” the governor added.

The governor also revealed that the state government would forward an executive bill to the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to repeal the law establishing the Amasiri Development Centre.

“An executive bill has been prepared to repeal the law creating Amasiri Development Centre,” he stated.

As part of the emergency measures, the governor ordered the immediate closure of all public and private schools in the area, with teachers to be redeployed to other parts of the state.

“There will be no school in Amasiri from tomorrow morning, and a curfew from 2 p.m. to 10 a.m. is hereby imposed until peace is fully restored,” Nwifuru announced.

Bandits In Early Sunday Attack, Abduct Five, Burn Police Station, Church In Niger

Ayodele Oni

February 1, 2026

Bandits attacked LGA Niger State — Armed bandits attacked Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.

By Ayodele Oni

Armed bandits have attacked Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State again, setting the Divisional Police Station and a church ablaze while abducting about five villagers in an early Sunday raid.

Police said the attackers stormed the station around 3:40 a.m. A tactical team attempted to resist them but was eventually overpowered.

The assailants reportedly used suspected dynamite to set the building on fire before moving to the United Methodist Church, where part of the structure was also burnt.

An eyewitness said the bandits arrived around 2 a.m., parked their motorcycles some kilometres away, and trekked into the community.

After attacking the police station, they allegedly moved from house to house, looting valuables and food items, before heading to the church, piling benches together, pouring petrol on them, and setting the place ablaze.

Reverend Yakubu Yohanna confirmed the incident, stating that no lives were lost as worshippers fled before the bandits reached the church. Police said the situation is being monitored and further updates will follow

The State Police Command confirmed that suspected armed bandits set a police station and part of a church on fire in Agwara community in the early hours of Sunday.

Police spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the attack occurred around 3:40 a.m. when the assailants invaded the Agwara Police Station.

According to him, the tactical team on duty attempted to resist the attack, but the bandits eventually overpowered the officers and used suspected dynamite to set the building ablaze.

He added that the attackers later moved to the United Methodist Church (UMC), where they burnt part of the structure before proceeding to other areas of the community.

About five persons were abducted, and their identities are yet to be confirmed.

The police assured that the situation is being monitored, investigations are ongoing, and efforts have been intensified to track down the perpetrators and rescue the abducted victims.

IPOB’s Lawyer, Ejiofor, Says “Feb. 2 Sit-at-home Order Is A Scam, Ignore It”

The Source

February 1, 2026

By Charles Igbo

Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, former number one Counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has told the Igbo that the sit-at-home scheduled for Monday, February 2, is fake and fraudulent.

Ejiofor, therefore, urged residents of the South-East to completely ignore it.

He was reacting to a statement signed by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, titled “IPOB declares Biafra-Wide Solidarity Lockdown on Monday February 2, 2026 in unwavering support for Onitsha traders and demand for the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu”.

The statement read: “The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, under the leadership of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, hereby declares a Biafra-wide solidarity strike, a complete lockdown of all economic activities across Igboland and wider Biafran territories, on Monday, February 2, 2026.”

The IPOB directive, which incidentally, has been contradicted by IPOB’s Directorate of Services, DOS, is an obvious move to rubbish the order given by Governor Chukwuma Soludo for traders to return to their trading activities in Anambra State on Mondays.

But in a statement on Saturday in which he dismissed the lockdown order as fraudulent

Ejiofor noted:

“Once again, the well-worn theatre of misinformation has opened its curtains, this time with a particularly lazy script and an insultingly predictable cast.

“Late yesterday, (Friday), a report was widely circulated alleging that a total lockdown of Ala-Igbo has been ordered under the guise of a sit-at-home directive purportedly issued by ‘Emma Powerful,’ slated for Monday, February 2, 2026.

“Let it be stated, clearly, unequivocally, and without ambiguity: this directive is fake, a phantom, a calculated falsehood.

“Upon careful inquiry and diligent verification, especially considering the delicate and hard-won calm presently returning to our homeland, it became glaringly obvious that the so-called ‘Emma Powerful’ platform has been fatally compromised.

“It has been hijacked by vested interests whose business model thrives on fear, disruption, extortion, and the cynical exploitation of vulnerable communities.

“The peaceful global movement of the IPOB has formally and decisively disowned this fabricated publication, categorically distancing itself from the false sit-at-home order and directing Ndi-Igbo to go about their lawful and normal activities without fear.

“Going forward, the message from IPOB is unmistakable: any publication attributed to ‘Emma Powerful’ should be treated with extreme suspicion, if not outright contempt.

“Frankly, one cannot but express astonishment, bordering on disbelief, that at such a critical juncture, when relative peace is cautiously resurfacing in Ala-Igbo, anyone would recklessly circulate information capable of reopening wounds and inviting criminal infiltration.

“History has taught us, at unbearable cost, what happens when fake directives fall into the hands of violent opportunists masquerading as enforcers.

“It is, therefore, no longer sufficient to merely advise our people to ‘ignore’ publications from this source.

“The time has come for greater clarity and firmness. The platform known as ‘Emma Powerful,’ in its current corrupted state, has positioned itself as an adversary to Ala-Igbo’s peace, progress, and collective well-being.”

Recall that the sit-at-home regime was imposed on the South-east by IPOB in 2021 to protest Nnamdi Kanu’s rendition from Kenya to Nigeria and to pressurize the Federal Government of Nigeria into releasing him.

The order brought the Zone to its knees, inflicting unprecedented violence, death, sorrow and reduced the economy to the least in the country.

Seeing that the order made no impact on the Federal Government or helped Kanu’s cause, but was, instead a curse to the people it said it was protecting, IPOB suspended it.

However, a group, Autopilots, led by Simon Ekpa, an estranged IPOB member, has continued with the unpopular order and has kept inflicting pain on the people.

Ekpa, has since been sentenced to seven years imprisonment by Finland for his activities in the South-east.

Rivers crisis: Wike Tells His Loyalists To “Go Home And Sleep, We Are In charge”

Adesina Soyooye

February 1, 2026

Nyesom Wike - FCT Minister — Nyesom Wike.

By Adesina Soyooye

A boastful and confident Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has told his loyalists in Rivers State to “go home and sleep with their two eyes closed because we are in charge.”

In the midst of the dangerous political crisis the State is swimming in, Minister Wike advised his people to have no fears because he is in charge.

The Minister said this as he revealed to the people how President Bola Tinubu put a call across to him and told him that the Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has been zoned to the State, and therefore, it became his lot to choose who occupies that position.

According to Wike, that was how he recommended Boma Iyaye to Mr President who then went ahead to appoint him to the position.

Wike spoke in Ogu, Rivers State on Saturday, January 31, when the people of Wakirike Ethnic Nationality held a grand civic reception for him.

Said Wike: “When I had the opportunity, when the President called me and said the position of the Executive Director of Finance and Administration is coming to Rivers State, I was helpless because I didn’t know what to do.

“At that time, you don’t even know who to trust again. I looked left and right and I said God guide me; but I want to give God the glory that he has guided me well in recommending Boma Iyaye to Mr President.

“I have always told people that there is nothing wrong in appreciating people who in one way or the other have contributed in their lives. Boma does not have the money to buy me anything I need in this world. Sekibo does not have it. But for me, when people appreciate I say look ‘thank you is enough.’

“I’m not the most intelligent or handsome person, but you know why you gave me this position.”

“I have told whoever cares to listen. When you have the opportunity to impact the lives of your people, do not waste time, that opportunity may not come again. Now you have it, make your people to be happy as that’s the only way you can be happy yourself.

“Yes position comes with envy and hatred but Boma God will bless you for making your people happy.

“I thank God that you did not disappoint me and Mr President.

“I can tell you to go home and sleep with your two eyes closed, we are in charge.”

It is, strongly, being speculated that Iyaye has been penciled down by Wike to succeed Governor Siminalayi Fubara in 2027 or even earlier than that if the impeachment hanging on the Governor’s neck is successful.

January Exposes Nigeria’s Deepening Challenges, Says Peter Obi

The Source

February 1, 2026

Former Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has described January as a “deeply distressing” month for Nigeria, citing worsening insecurity, failures in education and power supply, and what he termed misplaced governance priorities by the federal government.

In a statement shared on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, Obi said the first month of the year has become a troubling indicator of the challenges facing the country, warning that conditions continue to deteriorate across multiple sectors.

According to him, insecurity surged nationwide in January, with reports of several killings and hundreds of kidnappings and abductions. He noted that victims included children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers, with abductors allegedly demanding millions of naira in ransom. Obi added that persistent insecurity has prevented many farmers from returning to their farms, worsening food shortages and deepening rural poverty.

The former Anambra State governor also expressed concern over the state of education, which he described as the foundation of national development. He lamented that millions of Nigerian children remain out of school, while those enrolled are frequently unable to attend due to insecurity or teachers’ strikes. He described the situation in Abuja, the nation’s capital, as “particularly tragic,” noting that schools remain closed despite what he said were billions of naira spent on renovating a conference centre and constructing bus terminals.

On infrastructure, Obi pointed to Nigeria’s electricity crisis, noting that the country, which already ranks among those with the poorest access to power, experienced two national grid collapses within the month.

He also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s travel schedule, contrasting Nigeria’s situation with other countries where leaders, he said, focus on domestic governance at the start of the year. Obi claimed that the president spent 23 days abroad in January across two foreign trips, questioning the urgency of such extended absences amid pressing national challenges.

“The collective impact of these events paints a grim portrait of a nation grappling with insecurity, economic distress, failing infrastructure, and profound social upheaval,” Obi said. He accused the political class, particularly the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), of focusing more on power calculations, rallies, and welcoming defectors than on addressing the daily struggles of Nigerians.

IPOB Bans ‘Emma Powerful’, Cancels Feb. 2 Sit-at-home Order As Onitsha Market Resumes Monday

Suleiman Anyalewechi

February 1, 2026

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Anambra State Government has announced the reopening of the Onitsha Main Market, after a week-long closure occasioned by traders’ observation of the outlawed Monday sit-at-home order proclaimed by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, in South East region of Nigeria.

The state Government said the Market will be reopening for normal business activities on Monday , February 2, 2026, after the expiry of the closure period on Sunday February 1,2026.

The announcement of the re-opening of the Market , however, came on the heels of the purported resignation of the spokesperson for the Biafra separatist movement Emma Powerful over a deep disagreement within the ranks of the IPOB leadership concerning the validity or otherwise of a South East-wide special sit-at-home order.

A statement on Friday January 30 ,by Emma Powerful ordering a total lockdown of the entire five South Eastern states in sympathy with traders over the Onitsha Main Market closure had sparked serious resentment within the IPOB top hierarchy, leading to a counter directive.

In a terse statement on Saturday , January 31 ,2026 from Mazi Chukwukadibia Edoziem, head of its Directorate of State DOS, said IPOB has formally banned any further use of the pseudonym” Emma Powerful” for the release of any official communications.

While totally condemning and distancing themselves from the special Monday sit-at-home order proclaimed for Monday February 2 in all the States of the South East region, the IPOB leadership informed that henceforth, all official statements from the group will be issued on its letterhead.

The IPOB leadership emphasized that the new measure has become imperative in the face of the abuse, misuse and compromise of the pseudonym “Emma Powerful.”

According to the group, the continued use of the Pseudonym, ” Emma Powerful” constitutes a grave danger both to its image and the Biafran struggle.

“Emma Powerful was originally an operational pseudonym used for IPOB press releases.

“Any statement issued under the name of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra carries enormous responsibility for IPOB and its leadership.

“The pseudonym, however, has been abused, misused and compromised.

“The continued use of the pseudonym presents clear and present dangers to IPOB as a movement,and to the Biafran self-determination struggle.

“Certain individuals and groups have subtly deployed the pseudonym as a tool to disrupt the prevailing peace and security currently being enjoyed by both Biafrans and visitors in Biafra land .

” Consequently, the Directorate of State of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra resolved as follows:

“In line with organizational standards, all press statements representing the official position of the IPOB must henceforth be released exclusively on IPOB’s official letterhead paper.

“Arising from the abuse, misuse and compromise of the pseudonym, ‘Emma Powerful’ ,IPOB shall no longer use the name in issuing it’s press statements.

“Furthermore, the Directorate of State did not authorize any individuals or groups whatsoever to issue a lockdown or sit-at-home order across Biafra land on Monday, 2 February, 2026” the partly reads.

Reacting to the position of the IPOB’s leadership, Emma Powerful, in a statement late on Saturday evening noted that his resignation followed a deep reflection and consultation with his conscience,as well as careful consideration of recent developments within the movement.

“I have served with commitment, discipline and loyalty, believing strongly in the ideals of justice, equity, and truth that originally inspired my involvement.

“However, the unfolding realities, internal contradictions, and emerging approaches being adopted in recent times have made it increasingly difficult for me to continue in this capacity in good conscience”, Emma Powerful stated .

A statement from the Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, at the Weekend, noted that following the expiry of the closure period,all traders are expected to resume at the Market on Monday February 2 ,2026 normal business activities.

“This is to inform the general public that the closure of Onitsha Main Market, ordered by Mr Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo lapses this weekend.

‘To that effect, all traders are hereby informed to resume business as usual on Monda, February 2, 2026, as there is no longer any form of sit-at-home on Mondays in Anambra State”, Mefor noted .

While assuring of the commitment of the authorities towards the provision of enhanced security, the Commissioner directed the traders to promptly report any perceived security breaches to the appropriate channels.

This is as the state Government further warned that it will henceforth pay civil servants in the State, including teachers on pro rata basis(no work on Mondays, no payment).

President Tinubu Says APC Governors Are Party Leaders In States

Adesina Soyooye

February 1, 2026

By Adesina Soyooye

President Bola Tinubu has put an end to who, exactly, is the Leader of the Party in All Progressives Congress’ State.

He said that State Governors are Party Leaders in all APC States.

The President, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, spoke in Jalingo, Taraba State, on Saturday, January, 31, at the official reception of the State Governor, Agbu Kefas, after he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the APC.

The President noted that Governor Kefas has now become the leader of the APC in Taraba State since he has defected to the Party.

Not a few people think that by extention, the President has, also, settled the place of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, in Rivers State APC.

While the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, and Presidential Adviser, Daniel Bwala, had, on two different occasions, declared Fubara the leader of the Party, Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, and his loyalists, have kept taunting Fubara and insisting he is not the leader of the party. In deed, a couple of days ago, Senator Magnus Abe, had publicly declared that Wike is the leader of the Rivers State APC.

For the records, Wike is not a member of the APC even though he is serving an APC Government and proclaims to high heaven that he is a member of the PDP.

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