It is no surprise that Al Shabab Football Club of Saudi Arabia striker, Odion Ighalo has been called back from retirement to the Super Eagles team to face Liberia and the Blue Sharks Of Cape Verde in the crucial Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Ighalo had called it quits with the National team after the Super Eagles Third Place finish at the 2019 African Cup of Nations Championship in Egypt. But Coach Gernot Rohr had not stopped persuading him to return to the team.
He has now heeded to the voice of the Franco-German tactician to add his wealth of experience to the younger attackers in the Super Eagles frontline.
Rohr released a list of 24-players including Ighalo and Super Eagles Captain, Ahmed Musa leading the pack of European based players invited.
Villarreal Football Club of Spain midfielder, Samuel Chukwueze, Leicester City defensi midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, Hoffenheim Fiotball Club defender, Kevin Akpoguma and Everton Football Club midfielder, Alex Iwobi, all made a return to the team, having missed the double header against Central African Republic.
The Super Eagles will tackle the Lone Star of Liberia at the Grand Stade Tangier in Morocco on Saturday, 13th November and then fly into Lagos for the final group game against Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks at the Teslim Balogun Stadium on Tuesday, 16th November.
Top of their group with nine points but hotly chased by seven-pointer Cape Verde who host Central African Republic on the island of Mindelo, the Eagles need the three points against the Lone Star on the neutral turf of Morocco’s principal northern city to remain on firm ground when hosting the Blue Sharks three days later in Nigeria’s commercial and industrial capital.
The invited players and overseas-based members of the technical crew are to report directly to the city of Tangier on Monday, 8th November while technical officials from Nigeria are to report in Tangier the same day.
The invited players are: Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Midfielders: Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Galsgow Rangers, Scotland); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Odion Jude Ighalo (Al-Shabab Riyadh, Saudi Arabia).
Some sections of Football fans have applauded the invitation of Ighalo, saying his wealth of experience will help the younger striker.
Femi Oyebanjo, a Super Eagles supporter said the invitation of Ighalo will further create competitiveness among the likes of Onuachu, Iheanacho and Osimhen.
“Our attack will be more solidified and this will make everyone sit tight and battle for places in the team. He has the experience that will propel us on achieving victory and been at the world fiesta”, he said.
An inkling has been given into why a 20-floor storey building collapsed in the afternoon of Monday, November 1, 2021, killing and injuring yet to be ascertained number of people.
The building, located on Gerard Street, Ikoyi, meant to add more beauty to the Lagos skyline apparently collapsed because its structure was defective.
Perhaps, it couldn’t have been so if the developer, Fourscore Height Limited, had adhered to the professional advice of Structural Consultants, Prowess Engineering Ltd.
In a letter dated 20th February, 2020, the Structural Consultants withdrew their services from the project because they were no longer comfortable with how it was being executed. “We arrived at this decision due to the fact that we no longer share same vision with you as our client in terms of how the project is being executed.”
They said they guarantee the integrity of the first two towers, but could not guarantee that of the third one, from the fifth floor up.
It is the third tower that eventually collapsed.
The letter, addressed to Mr Femi Osibona of Fourscore Heights Limited, and signed by Muritala Olawale for Prowess Engineering Ltd, was titled: Re: Proposed Gerrard Terreces For Fourscore Limited It reads:
“This letter is to formally inform you of the withdrawal of our structural consultancy service from the above named project. We arrived at this decision due to the fact that we no longer share same vision with you as our client in terms of how the project is being executed.
“We can guarantee the integrity of the first two buildings and also works done up to the fourth floor of the third building supervised by us provided specifications have been met in terms of the required concrete strength. This We do not have control over as we do not have the concrete cube test results for each stage of the building till date. Also, note that we are not taking responsibility for any other construction errors that may have occurred over time on the project.
“Furthermore, we request that our company’s name and logo be removed from the project board and also kindly notify all necessary approving authorities of our withdrawal from the project.
“We regret this decision and the lost opportunity to do business together. We look forward to future cooperation in other projects.
At the time of writing this, we were not able to confirm the new Structural Consultants, but unconfirmed reports say the Lagos State Government had, sometime, a year ago, sealed the project. Apparently, somebody unsealed it.
So far, according to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, four bodies have been recovered. Three injured persons have been rescued, and the speculation is that many are still trapped.
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered a probe into the tragic incident.
Night club entrepreneur and socialite, Obinna Iyiegbu popular as Obi Cubana has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The magazine learnt that Cubana, who rose to social media prominence after he threw a massive party last year during the burial ceremony of his late mother, was arrested by officials of the anti-graft agency and he’s still being grilled at the headquarters of the Commission as at the time of filing this report.
“His lawyers are doing everything to ensure he leaves EFCC custody before tomorrow morning. Obi Cubana is a free Nigeria whose legitimate business is well known to many. Yes, the EFCC has the power to invite anybody for questioning, but you cannot punish somebody on a mere suspicion that he has committed a crime,” one of his close associates told the magazine on Monday.
Before his arrest by the EFCC earlier today, calls have been made for his prosecution over the manner the naira was sprayed and abused during his mother’s burial in Anambra state last July.
According to Section 21 of the CBN Act, 2007, a person who tampers with a coin or note issued by the apex bank risks imprisonment for a term not less than six months or a fine not less than N50,000 or to both.
In spite of the alleged infractions against the Nigerian currency, the CBN failed to enforce the law, rather it said the socialite can only be prosecuted by the EFCC.
“If a celebrant is dancing and you spray him/her, you may go to jail from the party venue, because the law enforcement agents will be there, waiting to arrest you.
“It is the duty of the law enforcement agencies to catch offenders and take them to court. Our (CBN) collaboration with the police will intensify as we move to implement the mobile court for offenders,” Okorafor reportedly said in a statement published by the News Agency of Nigeria,” Isaac Okorafor, CBN spokesperson at the time said in a statement.
It’s however uncertain whether it was on that basis that the Cubana was arrested by the EFCC. When contacted, spokesman of the Commission, Wilson Uwujaren said he was yet to be briefed on the development.
Top Nigerian lender, Zenith Bank Plc has announced its unaudited results for the nine months ended September 2021, indicating a gross earning of N519 billion. This is despite the economic headwinds exacerbated by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
According to the Ebenezer Onyeagwu-led bank unaudited nine months financial results presented to the Nigerian Exchange, NGX, the growth in gross earnings was largely due to an increase in current account maintenance fees and fees from electronic products during the period.
Also profit before tax, PBT also rose to N180 billion, reflecting one percent growth over the N177 billion recorded in the same period in the previous year. Despite continuing economic uncertainties, the Group was able to grow its net earnings through a reduction in its cost of funds while keeping the cost of risk flat.
This strengthened earnings per share, EPS by one per cent to N5.11. The Group achieved a mine per cent growth in interest income from loans and advances on the back of an increase in gross loans of 9 per cent year to date and enhanced efficiency, culminating in a 21 per cent drop in interest expense to N74 billion from N94 billion. This resulted in the growth in net interest income of four percent, from N225 billion recorded at the end of Q3 2020 to NGN235 billion in the current period. Total assets also increased by 3 per cent to N8.8 trillion in the current period, while total deposits grew by 13 per cent to close at N6.0 trillion from N5.3 trillion as at 31 December 2020, with a substantial contribution from retail deposits.
As a result of the focused drive to increase retail deposits in the past three years, there was a decrease in The Group's cost of funds by 35 per cent to 1.4 per cent from 2.2 per cent year-on-year.
The Group continues to make significant progress in its retail banking drive, as evidenced by remarkable growth in transaction volumes and value across its digital platforms and strong growth in customer acquisition.
For the final quarter of the year, management’s outlook remains positive, buoyed by a declining inflationary trend, expected increase in foreign exchange inflows, and improving oil production. The Group remains focused on increasing its retail market share, consolidating its leadership position in the corporate segment and maintaining a robust balance sheet.
In recognition of its track record of excellent performance, Zenith Bank was voted as Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria in the World Finance Banking Awards 2021, Bank of the Year
(Nigeria) in The Bank of the Year Awards 2020, Best Bank in Nigeria in the Global Finance World; Best Banks Awards 2020 and 2021, and Best in Corporate Governance; Financial Services; Africa 2020 and 2021 by the Ethical Boardroom.
Also, the Bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands 2020 and 2021.
The Inspector General of Police has ordered an investigation into the invasion of the home of Supreme Court Justice, Mary Peter-Odili, pledging to fish out and punish the perpetrators.
Odili’s home in Abuja was invaded by some men who were armed with a search warrant order signed by a Magistrate, Emmanuel Iyanna.
The Magistrate revoked the order a few hours later, and said he was deceived into issuing it.
The security team was alleged to have come from a group under the supervision of the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubskar Malami, SAN. But the AGF has denied knowledge of the invasion and has ordered a probe.
In the heat of the controversies, Hovernor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, alleging the invasion was meant to assassinate the Supreme Court Justice and her family, gave the Federal Government 48 hours to fish out and punish perpetrators.
Both the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, deny complicity.
In a release by Frank Mbah, Force Public Relations Officer, entitled “REPORTED INVASION OF JUSTICE ODILI ABUJA RESIDENCE: IGP ORDERS INVESTIGATIONS”,
The IGP says perpetrators would be made to face the wrath of the law.
The release read in part:
“The Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc (+), NPM, fdc has ordered detailed investigations into the reported invasion of the Abuja residence of Justice Mary Odili, an incident that occurred on Friday, 29th October, 2021.
“The IGP, who noted that the leadership of the Force is not aware and did not, at any time order Police operatives to carry out such assignment, described the reported violation of the sanctity of the residence of the Justice of the Supreme Court as unfortunate and unacceptable.
“Consequently, the IGP has directed the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) to conduct a discrete investigation into the incident. He assured the commitment of the Force to the safety and security of the members of the Judiciary and Nigerians in general. He further called for calm, promising that the Force will do all within its powers to unravel the perpetrators and motives behind the breach with a view to bringing all indicted persons to book.
“Meanwhile, the IGP has directed the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to strengthen security around the street and residence of Her Lordship, Justice Mary Odili JSC, to ensure her safety and also to prevent a reoccurrence of the unfortunate incident.
“The IGP assured that the details of Police investigations would be made public on conclusion of investigations.”
Chairman, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Council of Elders, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has adduced reasons why Saturday’s Governorship election in Anambra state must hold.
He has, therefore, appealed to the people to allow the Governorship election to hold peacefully.
Chief Iwuanyanwu, who made the appeal in his capacity as the Chairman, Council of Elders Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said if the Saturday November 6 election is disrupted, not just people of Anambra State, but indeed Ndigbo in general will be the losers.
A statement by his media adviser, Mr. Ben Osuagwu, stated that the success of the election is very vital and crucial to the people of Anambra State and Ndigbo in general.
Iwuanyanwu observed that Anambra State is the cradle of development and achievements in education, politics, industry, commerce and religion, pointing out that Onitsha was the first port of call in 1857, when the white missionaries came to Igboland.
He listed great Igbo men of Anambra extraction who dominated various spheres of life in the country and pleaded that the present generation should not destroy the legacies these men and women left behind.
“We owe it a duty to our forebears and posterity to avoid any action that could cause blood shed in Anambra state or any part of Igboland or even in Nigeria.”
Chief Iwuanyanwu, pointed out that there was no doubt that the youths are agitated especially those in Anambra State, appealed to them to sheathe their sword and allow peace to reign for the election to hold in the interest of Ndigbo and Anambra state.
He disclosed that Government and Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide are working on the industrialisation programme for South East which will transform Igboland into an economy that will create jobs for youths and produce goods and services to improve the Gross Domestic Product and advance in their contribution toward Gross National Domestic Product.
“I urge all in Anambra to allow the election to hold on November 6, to show the world that this generation of Igbos and youths are determined to preserve the legacies of their forebears and indeed surpass those records.”
The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, said it would lock down the South-east for a week, as from November 5, if its leader, Nnamdi Kanu is not released from the custody of the Federal Government. Kanu is being prosecuted by the Federal Government at an FCT High Court on charges related to, among other things, terrorism and treasonable felony.
The election is scheduled for Saturday, November 6, 2021.
Various groups have criticized the immediate past Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development in Enugu State, Victor Nnam, for resigning his position Friday last week.
Nnam had resigned in protest claiming it is honorable to do so.
The groups include Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, ESUT-TH, the organized labour such as the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, the Trade Union Council, TUC, and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE.
The reason for resignation, according to Nnam, was because the Directors, who are the professionals, were redeployed without recourse to him.
“The reason for my resignation is the recent removal of the professional heads of departments under me on punitive grounds for simply doing their jobs diligently”, he wrote.
“My conscience will no longer allow me to continue to serve your administration while those innocent professional Senior Civil Servants are punished for doing the right thing”.
Some of the agencies allege that Nnam was actually forced to resign because of various land deals he was allegedly involved in.
In fact, the Labour Unions said he took over a plot of land allocated to them at Independent layout Enugu. They have already filed a petition against him, and are asking security agencies to expedite action on it.
NULGE, Enugu state Chapter, said through its state President, Comrade Kenneth Ugwueze that they doubted that he wrote the resignation letter signed by him.
“If the said letter actually arose from him then he needs to search further the true meaning of diligent and also may be referring to a guilty conscience.”
According to Ugwueze, the land was allotted to them by the former governor Sullivan Chime.
“We have over the years possessed the ownership of the land with considerable works going on until recently (July 2021) when the land agents of the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, appeared claiming ownership of all the lands belonging to Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Society of Engineering and two other individuals (with erected buildings) without prior notice, whatsoever.
“We wrote to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Enugu State Rt. Hon. Dr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi crying out for help as His Excellency is also aware of our ownership of the land. While the security agencies were still investigating and making their preliminary reports, the Commissioner hurriedly tendered his resignation letter to avert his sack since his guilty conscience was already staring him in the face claiming to be in the hospital for over some time.
‘If grabbing peoples land without due process is a diligent work done by his affected officers and his version of ‘World Best Practices in Land Administration’ then he should blame himself for the act and seek forgiveness from God and so many groups and individuals that he has subjected to untold hardship and dehumanization through his “Diligence.”
“It is ridiculous for the Hon. Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development to write such letter of resignation when the investigation is still ongoing and those his senior officers were only redeployed to give way for proper investigation of his Ministry which has been on public domain including but not limited to several invitations by the Enugu State House of Assembly. We, therefore, cry out that the investigation by the security agencies be concluded so that justice will be done,”
But critics of the government tend to allege that the groups were alleged loyalsts of the governor, and that all the noise was geared towards 2023, with the governor alleged to be nursing vice presidential ambition, though facts on ground have not confirmed such ambition.
Security agents in Plateau State on Monday dispersed protesters and some hoodlums that stormed the Plateau State House of Assembly complex in what appears to be a new twist to the crisis in the Assembly.
The protesters, some loyal to the impeached Speaker, blocked the gate of the Assembly complex in Jos, chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards.
This was ongoing as the 13 anti-impeachment lawmakers, led by the former Speaker, Ayuba Bok, were in the Chambers.
Attempts by some hoodlums to force their way into the complex through the back entrance, leading to smashing the entrance door to the Chambers, however drew the attention of Policemen that had been deployed to the complex.
The group that had been keeping vigil outside the complex confronted the invaders to protect the members in the Chambers, a situation that led to pandemonium.
It took the intervention of security operatives before normalcy was later restored at the assembly complex.
The Commissioner of Police in Plateau, Edward Egbuka, who was at the scene in the company of some police officers, also met with members of the assembly.
The crisis in the parliament deepened after eight members of the Assembly impeached Abok as the Speaker on Thursday last week.
Mr Yakubu Sanda, who later emerged as the new Speaker, assured his colleagues that he would work in synergy with the Executive and Judiciary for the peace, progress, and development of the State.
According to him, the House will use its full legislative powers to ensure that government programmes and projects impact the people at the grassroots level.
The new Speaker was later received at the Government House by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Danladi Atu, on behalf of Governor Simon Lalong.
Reacting to his impeachment, Abok said he would continue to stand for truth, justice and the rights of the Plateau people.
He said he was not disturbed by the development, rather it has only given him more strength to stand for the people.
“We have been standing for the people of Plateau, we stand for truth, we stand for justice, we stand for the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and we stand for democracy.”
Ijaw Youths Council, (IYC) has accused the Minister of State, Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba of meddling in the appointment of a substantive Rector for the Federal Polytechnic, Ekeowe, Bayelsa state.
The youths, from the nine States of the Niger Delta region appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Minister to order to avoid crisis.
IYC was of the view that the emergence of Dr. Iwekumo Wanton as the Rector of the oil and gas institution was transparent and devoid of any manipulation.
According to the Ijaw Youths, despite the emergence of Dr. Wanton through a selection process that was certified free, fair and transparent, the Minister is trying to delay his appointment four months after the selection process has been completed.
In a statement by IYC in Yenagoa, signed by its National Spokesman, Mr Ebilade Ekerefe, it said the delay in the appointment of a substantive Rector for the institution despite the authentication of the selection process by the Federal Character Commission and the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, was political, sectional and targeted at the indigenes of the region.
“The IYC frown at the sudden interruption in the process as a deliberate attempt by adversaries of the ijaw people to further deprive the ijaw nation of the service of one of its first breed, who is committed in moving the institution forward and competing actively in the academic space.
“We want to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Minister of State for Education to order and should immediately direct the confirmation of Dr. Iwekumo Wanton as the substantive Rector of the Institution.
“We warn that any plan to experiment with the destiny of the ijaw people is a joke taken too far, and will be fully resisted.”
Ebilade pointed out that the position of Ijaw Youths on the emergence of Dr. Wanton is based on his performance in the last three months as the Acting Rector of the Institution which has given stakeholders the hope of a new dawn in the institution.
“He is a young and brilliant administrator that understands the geographical terrain, culture, tradition as well as the struggle and aspiration of the ijaw people.
“It is our conviction that the President fully appreciates the unique peculiarities of the area, and that the location of the institution in a rural, coastal community of Ekeowe requires that any individual appointed to oversee the affairs of the Polytechnic must be thoroughly conversant with the terrain and environment challenges.
“One of the reasons in advancing our support for his appointment as substantive Rector is the fact that he resides fully in the polytechnic campus.
“By this, he has effectively mobilized his management team and all members of staff to fully operate on the campus. This is against the practice of overseeing the affairs of the Institution from Yenagoa as it was in the past.”
That democracy is a game of numbers has never been a subject of debate. It is an obvious fact, both in principle and in practice. In deed, in this universally preferred form of government, the people are rightly the vital engine that powers democratic processes and its actualisation.
Therefore, from this foundational framework, there is no gainsaying that the higher the numbers, the brighter the collective fortunes of groups or individuals that populate a given political party. This, succinctly, is in sync with a popular African adage, ‘a tree does not make a forest’. Or, perhaps, another that says, ‘when a collective urinates in a spot, it conjures a foam!’
These aptly capture the ongoing political and social engineering currently unfolding in Anambra State by the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the November 6, 2021 governorship election draws near. In recent times, the fortunes of the APC in the state, as well as the whole of the South East, have continued to receive unprecedented boost, going by the number and calibre of politicians and supporters that continue to embrace the party in a gale of defections from rival political parties.
The phenomenon is so befuddling that today, an APC that only a few months ago grappled with monumental challenges of acceptance in Anambra and the South East region in general, is now the beautiful bride, not only recognized by many as a true national party, but one in which they desire to fellowship together. Eureka! the people appear to have, finally, discovered the political vehicle most suitable to launch themselves back into national limelight and secure a more promising future.
Previously, other opposing parties in the zone had almost succeeded in casting the APC in the ignominious image of an unwanted enemy of the people – a pariah entity and hater of the Igbo race. Deploying a combination of devious post civil war propaganda and modern rejection rhetorics, it was quite easy setting up the APC, as the author and finisher of whatever ill fate that confronted the Igbo, whether at home or in the diaspora.
Senator Andy Uba
For a people so renown in their republican disposition, this was certainly a new philosophy – one unbeknownst to them, forged in the furnace of pure partisanship and crave for personal advancement.
Were it not so, how come almost two decades after, the lyrical muezzin, nkea bu nke anyi (this is our own), has refused to be internalised, and accepted as a rallying anthem in the four other Southeast states of Enugu, Abia, Imo and Ebonyi?
Besides Anambra, why has it been difficult to spread and plant this seemingly good seed in any of the aforementioned states?
How come too, those who promoted the concept, almost to the point of being a religion, upon having a ‘Damascus’ experience left the orchestra for their choir boys?
In deed, how comprehensible is it that the new altar boys continue to desecrate the sanctuary, leaving the Prophetess bewildered as the ship irretrievably heads for the rocks?
The answers to these posers lie in the realisation that it only takes one day of truth to overtake many years of lies.
For the new political consciousness that has suddenly enveloped our landscape, reversing previously held wrong and unfathomable philosophical notions, the maxim that time and truth exonerate victims of falsehood appear to be at work.
Many have attributed this new lease of life for the APC in the South East to many factors. But could it be a mere coincidence that this drastic reinvention of the party in Anambra, particularly, is taking place since the emergence of Senator Andy Uba, as the governorship candidate of the APC in the state? I don’t think so.
Propelled by his Igwebuike philosophy, Senator Uba’s popular Igbo moniker, which when translated, means: ‘Strength in numbers,’ the unfolding scenario in Anambra is the product of a well thought out political re-engineering meant to wean the people off a belligerent disposition hitherto unknown to their forebears.
How come a people famed for their courage in battles, convivial spirit, sense of adventure, voyages, good neighbourliness, technical competences and creative ingenuity in the face of challenges and difficulties now be the very ones to seek answers in ethnic cocoons? Tufiakwa!
Put succinctly, Igwebuike means democracy! Simpliciter! And Senator Uba is not only leading the charge, he lives the full expression of the tag in his efforts to build the APC into a formidable force in Anambra State. He is strategic and deliberate in feeding the fuel of unison and purpose to the vehicle of collective progress and betterment of ndi Anambra and Ndi Igbo in general by widening the doors and coast of the party in the state.
And rather than a desperate, selfish quest to be a lone hugger of the podium, Igwebuike is deploying positive energy to ensure that he attracts quality ndi Anambra, with remarkable leadership, organizational and governance skills, to the APC fold. This, to me, is a commendable leadership and social engineering foresight for the good of Anambra and its precious people. He appreciates the fact that no one knows it all, but in togetherness, a winning team of leaders that would put the interest of the people first, will emerge.
The APC as a brand is benefiting from Senator Andy Uba’s Igwebuike ‘live and let’s live’ political ideology. And the harvest is vividly outstanding, both in quality and quantity.
The obvious sting of ‘how did we get here’ tormenting the hearts of leaders and faithful of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), by the defection to the APC and subsequent reception of Dr. Nkem Okeke, deputy governor of Anambra State, by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, is not lost on political observers. Essentially, it underscores not only the current pleasant allure of the party in the state, but also the swift and steady movement on the pathway to victory.
It is on record, however, that before this stunning development, APC had also attracted several top politicians, including serving and past Senators, past and current House of Representatives members, serving and former state legislators and many others from prominent political parties. And we say, Igwebuike!
Only few days ago, the deputy governorship candidate of the Accord Party in the coming November 6 election, Chief Kenneth Obi, also got enthralled by the APC alurring populist dispositions and dumped his party to join in the spirit of Igwebuike ( Strength in numbers), in the overall interest of Anambra State!
And since democracy is a game of numbers, we are cocksure that with the ceaseless influx of new members and the expected impact of grassroots mobilisation and realignments, APC and ndi Anambra will on November 6, 2021, and beyond, echo a resounding Igwebuike! Surely, Igwebuike wins and wins again. Like in 2007, he will win again in a landslide swell!
Hon. Ogene, a former member and deputy chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, is the Director, Media and Publicity, Senator Andy Uba Governorship Campaign Organisation (SAUGCO)
