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APC LG Primary: Massive Protest Over Alleged Imposition Of Candidate, Faleke Fingered

May 14, 2025

By Akinwale Kasali

Thousands of protesters have stormed Shomolu Local Government Area, Lagos State streets over alleged imposition of Candidates at the All Progressives Congress, APC, Local Government Primary, held last weekend.

The aggrieved protesters displayed placards with various inscriptions some of which read: “Stop Imposition of Candidate”, “Faleke Is a criminal”, “No To Kogi Conspiracy In Somolu”, “Somolu Says No To Religious Bigotry”, “Who Is William Andrew Dullard”, “An Attempt To Terminate 2027 Shall Not Stand”.

The Protesters alleged that Hon. James Abiodun Faleke connived with the Incumbent Chairman of Shomolu LG, Abdul Hammed Salawu, popular as Dullar, and imposed Lateef Ashimi on the people of Shomolu against their wish as the Candidate of the APC for the July 12, 2025, Local Government Election.

It was gathered that Dullar and Faleke are from Kogi State, prompting the conspiracy that led to the imposition of a candidate on the people.

Unconfirmed repoints point at an underhand business allegedly between Dullard and Faleke.

All the Aspirants under the APC vying for the Chairmanship Position have thrown their weight behind Hon. Bowale Sosimi, including Rotimi Olowo, a former Lawmaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, who had served for Four terms.

The protesters chanted that Bowale is the People’s Choice, stressing that no form of Imposition will work.

In a chat, one of the protesters who pleaded anonymity said Bowale is the People’s choice that no form of intimidation or Imposition will make the people change their mind.

“It is disheartening that the voice of the people is being silenced. Bowale is our choice, no one knows Ashimi Lateef, he cannot be imposed on us, it is either Bowale or nobody else”, he stated.

In the same vein, another protester said Ashimi is the current Councillor of Ward B in Somolu LG, and also a staunch loyalist of the Incumbent Chairman, stressing that he is relatively unknown and a rookie when it comes to politics and private business.

“We, the electorate have spoken, and Bowale is our choice, no one will promote a Kogi agenda here, it will not work. The needful needs to be done. Bowale is tested and trusted and we give him our mandate”.

It would be recalled that prior to the APC Primary, the Chief Imam of Somolu Central Mosque, an Hon. Salawu’s ally, had allegedly written a letter to the APC Office using the Letter Head of the Shomolu Muslim Community stating that Shomolu LG wants no Christian as its Chairman.

This has sparked outrage from the Muslim Community who distanced themselves from such religious bigotry, saying that they are a peace loving people who see Christians as their brothers, adding that those fanning the ember of religious hatred will not be tolerated or accommodated while confirming that Christian public office holders have done wonderfully well for them in the past.

At the protest ground, the protesters were chanting, “Chief Imam Ole, “Dullar Ole, Faleke Ole!”.

The protest is targeted at getting the attention of President Bola Tinubu and the APC leadership to address the situation in earnest.

Students Loan Scheme Transparent – Minister

Ayodele Oni

May 14, 2025

By Ayodele Oni

The Minister for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has declared that there was no fraud uncovered in the student loan scheme.

Alausa made this known on Wednesday, at the end of a meeting with Vice Chancellors, officials of the National Universities Commission, (NUC) Nigerian Education Loan Fund, (NELFUND) and the Federal Ministry of Education.

Alausa also described the statement credited to the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission, (ICPC) and other related offences as incorrect.

“Let me start by saying that there is no fraud in NELFUND. ICPC reported that the information was not correct. There is no fraud in NELFUND; what we have are issues that have to do with the timeline.

Recently, ICPC announced that it commenced a comprehensive investigation into alleged discrepancies surrounding the disbursement of student loans under the Nigeria Education Loan Fund.

The commission said its preliminary findings revealed that while the Federal Government released N100 billion for the scheme, only N28.8 billion was disbursed to students, leaving N71.2b unaccounted for.

Worried by the development, the National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS) vowed to protest the alleged discrepancy.

The National Orientation Agency, (NOA) had alleged that certain schools, conniving with some banks, delayed payments to students who qualified for loans so they could make money off the situation.

This followed a media report that alleged that some institutions made unauthorised deductions ranging from N3,500 to N30,000 from students’ fees received from the loan fund.

In a statement last Thursday by the ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, the commission stated that its Special Task Force immediately commenced investigations upon receiving the allegations.

“I Don’t Hate Tinubu, But I Have No Use For Him” – Babachir Lawal

The Source

May 14, 2025

By Gideon Njoku

A former close friend, political ally, and confidant of President Bola Tinubu has said that he habours no shred of hatred for him, but has no use for the President.

Babachir Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation during the President Muhammadu Buhari Government, said this in an interview with The Punch.

Lawal, who suddenly became one of President Tinubu’s most bitter critic was asked why suddenly hates the President and if he had tried to reach out to him (President Tinubu) to express his concerns about the state of the North which Lawal said has been abandoned by the President. His answer was in the negative. He then added that he had no reasons to reach out to Tinubu in order to discuss anything because the President knows what he is doing and is deliberately “Yorubanising” the Federal Government. He said it remained for Tinubu’s Government to write memos in Yoruba and added that he would not be surprised if that was already the case.

His answer when asked if he had reached out to the President: “And do what? Are you saying that he doesn’t notice that every appointment or employment recommendation that reaches his desk favours a Yoruba man? Are you saying that he doesn’t see that the CBN Governor, FIRS Chairman, Finance Minister and others are all Yoruba? The only thing they probably don’t do in this Government- though I’m not even sure – is write memos in Yoruba. How would I know? I don’t read their memos. But it’s possible. This is their Government. They have appropriated and commandeered it. Everyone else is just a serf.”

Lawal, also ruled out he would change if the President reaches out to him to pacify him.

Lawal: “Pacify who? It is not about all this. You see, the problem with Nigeria is that we think everything revolves around money and power.

“There are just some people God created who are not motivated by money or power but by a sense of justice and equity. So, no matter how much you pump into them, they will not collect. No matter which power you give them, they will not collect. By the grace of God, I’m happy. I’ve never gone to bed hungry. Since childhood, I developed a liking for farming and started building my cattle business. Cows are like our bank. You get more money, you buy a cow and add. Since my childhood, aside from the land I inherited from my parents and grandparents, I continued to purchase, and I now have close to 4,000 or 5,000 hectares of land. So, what am I doing if it is money I want? What am I going to do in a Government where I’m going to be treated as a secular citizen? So, why do I need to come and stay in Abuja here sitting on a chair, attending meetings and developing a backache?”

Recall though that when Lawal was in Government, and was accused of alleged corruption, he replied that he didn’t need to touch Government’s money; that if he wanted money, there was Tinubu to give him anytime and that Tinubu had given him so much that atimes, he had to beg Tinubu to stop giving him.

It has been said in different quarters that Lawal was Tinubu’s nominee to Buhari for the office of the SGF. That’s how close they were before they fell apart.

“If I were VP Shettima, I Would Have Resigned” – Fmr. SGF Babachir Lawal

The Source

May 14, 2025

By Gideon Njoku

“The VP position is that of a spare tyre. In Shettima’s case, it is a flat spare tyre. There is n Northerner in Tinubu’s Government”

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has said that in the position of Vice President Kashim Shettima, he would have resigned from office. “If I were him (Shettima) I would have graciously and honourably left the job” Lawal said in an interview with The Punch published in its Tuesday edition.

Lawal said this while painting a dreary picture of what he called the sad situation in the North, and why a good number of them are determined to remove President Bola Tinubu from office in 2027. He said the North has become a huge refugee camp, and that atimes, for days, people go without food. He said no Northerner occupies a lucrative office in President Tinubu’s Government. He does not consider the office of the Vice President or that of the Ministers for Defence occupied by two Northerners, or that of Health and Foreign Affairs. According to him, all Vice President Shettima does is attend weddings or pay condolence visits. As for the Ministers? Lawal says they just wear babaringa and pose like they are busy.

For the above, therefore, Lawal said the North will be deliberate in its choice of who the next President will be. It has to be one who will take care of the North, he submitted.

His words: “As Northerners, we must be deliberate and determined to get the next President who will get us out of the woods. This is because the North has now become a massive refuge camp. Sometimes, for two and half days, you have not eaten. Nobody is paying school fees. Nobody is traveling or going to the farm. Tell me, if you don’t go to the farm, how do you eat? So, the North is a massive refugee camp, and we must be deliberate in choosing who the next President is.

“He must be somebody who has the interest of the North at heart and who will address these issues so that we live as free citizens of the country. Now, we are practically second class citizens with nobody in Government.

“The Ministers, all they do is to put on babaringa and pose as if they are doing something. When their budgets are not funded, they are not doing anything. The parastatals that have money are not being held by the Northerners. There is no help you can render to anybody in this Government if you are a Northerner.”

Asked about the Vice President; if he is not a Northerner and if his office is not important, Lawal retorted: “Which VP? Even in our time, during (Muhammadu) Buhari’s regime, the VP was representing the President in many things. Tinubu’s VP is just busy attending weddings and probably, condolence visits. I’ve not seen him do anything different from that. He doesn’t do anything. I’ve not heard him representing the President at big conferences or occasions.

“If I were him, I would have graciously and honourably left the job. That position is a spare tyre. But in this case, it’s a flat spare tyre.”

Babachir Lawal and President Tinubu were great friends and political allies. But they were torn apart by Tinubu’s choice of his Vice Presidential Candidate. Tinubu, being of the Muslim faith, Lawal was against the choice of another Muslim as his running mate. He said it was an insult to the Christian North. Since then, he turned a bitter critic of Tinubu and his Government.

Nnamdi Kanu’s Trial: IPOB Killed Former Presidential Adviser, Ahmed Gulak – Witness

Tosin Olatokunbo

May 14, 2025

A former Special Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonthan was killed by the militants of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB a federal government witness has said.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, the witness identified as BBB made the revelation on Wednesday while tendering the certified copy of Gulak’s death certificate.

The document was tendered during the ongoing trial of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu in Abuja, the nation’s capital. The IPOB strongman who is under trial for terrorism related offenses and the members of the secessionist group have been accrued of being responsible for the wanton criminality that has taken place in Nigeria’s south east for years.

Among the offenses, the killing of Gulak in Owerri, Imo state in 2021.

BBB, who was the second prosecution witness and shielded in the ongoing trial of IPOB leader Kanu, tendered the document before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, while being led in evidence by the government’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo.

Upon resumed hearing, Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN informed the court that though the matter was scheduled for cross-examination of the witness, he had a question to ask the witness.

“We ask for permission to ask a question, my lord,” he said.

Kanu’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi, did not oppose Awomolo’s application, and the judge directed him to proceed.

Awomolo then asked BBB that one of the last evidence he gave was that during the radio broadcast made by Mr Kanu, he called for a sit-at-home, leading to the death of Mr Gulak.

The witness confirmed the statement.

He said he participated in some of the investigations into Mr Gulak’s death.

Besides, he said he had a certificate of his death in the courtroom from the police dated July 18, 2021. According to the witness, this is a certified true copy of Mr Gulak’s medical report.

When the document was shown to Mr Agabi, he said he did not have any objection, and the judge admitted it in evidence and marked it as exhibit PWJ.

Awomolo then sought the court’s permission for the document to be given to the witness for reading in the open court.

Gulak was murdered on May 29 , 2021 by unknown gunmen in the Imo State capital.

FG Gets US Report On Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe’s Fatal Helicopter Crash

James Orji

May 14, 2025

15 months after the helicopter crash that killed Herbert Wigwe, the the United States National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB shared the shared the report of what led to the crash with the federal government, according to The Punch.

Alex Badeh, the Director-General of the Nigeria Safety and Investigation Bureau, made this known, the newspaper report.

Badeh is the chief executive officer of the NSIB, the Nigerian version of the US’ NTSB.

Wigwe, the magazine reported died in an ill-fated helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of his wife, son and others on February 9, 2024.

The helicopter, an Airbus EC130B4 operated by Orbic Air, LLC, under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135, crashed near Halloran Springs, California.

The US NTSB had released the report on the cause of the banker’s death, last week, more than 15 months after the fatal crash.

The US agency said the crash was caused by the “pilot disorientation” as well as violation of flight protocols, especially the decision to proceed under visual flight rules in instrument meteorological conditions, as key causes of the crash.

Badeh who confirmed that the report has been shared with the federal government however refused to comment on how the government is planning to proceed with the issue, saying “it is not my place to comment on that.”

Aviation experts insist that the US government is likely to press charges against the operators of the aircraft compay.

Badeh: “The NTSB shared the report directly with the NSIB as we are interested parties and in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 protocols.

“We do not necessarily comment on accident reports as they are not to ascertain blame but to improve safety and prevent reoccurrence. Please note that the NSIB is not the head of aviation.

“The family of the deceased has been in contact with the NTSB at the time of the accident till the close of the investigation.”

Wigwe was on his way to watch the Super Bowl when he died in the fatal helicopter crash alongside his wife Doreen, their first son, Chizi, and former Nigerian Exchange, NGX Group Chairman, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, along with two pilots.

Serial Defector Atiku Abubakar Should Write A Book- Oshiomhole Takes A Dig

James Orji

May 14, 2025

Amidst the gale of defections that have trailed some opposition political parties in the country, Senator Adams Oshiomhole has taken a dig at a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar to author a book on the issue of defection, because he has more experience.

The former governor of Edo state spoke on Tuesday on Channels Television programme ‘Politics Today’, as criticism intensifies in the country over the recent defections of dozens of opposition leaders to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Just this week, three senators from Kebbi state left their party, the PDP, for the APC amidst suggestions that more politicians from the opposition are planning to join the ruling party.

The senators are Adamu Aliero, representing Kebbi Central Senatorial District, Yahaya Abdullahi, representing Kebbi North Senatorial District, and Garba Maidoki, representing Kebbi South Senatorial District.

Recall that the governor of Delta state, Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy and all the members of the state House of Assembly, had last month dumped the PDP, in what political pundits described as the biggest gains for the ruling APC.

The development has generated intense fears, that the country is gradually sliding into a one-party state, even as key opposition leaders such alleged that people are being forced to defect from their political parties. APC has denied the allegation.

Reacting, Oshiomhole, a former APC National Chairman slammed Abubakar, for being a serial defector, asking whether he was also coerced to do so.

Since 2007, when the he had a problem with his former principal, Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, the former number two citizen had defected many times, recent suggestions indicate that he’s preparing to dumped the PDP, the party on which platform he contested the 2023 Presidential election due to the internal crisis rocking the party.

Adams Oshiomhole — Oshiomhole: Abubakar Most Popular Defector

According to Oshiomhole, It’s wrong for Abubakar and others to suggest that those defecting to APC were being forced to do so, noting that the former vice president is among those who “started defection” in the country.

“When, as a sitting vice-president of Nigeria, he decamped from PDP to ACN, which is now part of APC, was he courted by no state at all?

“Was he (Abubakar) courted by ACN, which was then led by Bola Tinubu – Asiwaju Tinubu – a non-state president at the time?”.

“Was Atiku Abubakar coerced by Tinubu to come and join us in ACN?” he asked. “Did ACN coerce Atiku Abubakar to leave Obasanjo and PDP to pick our ticket and run as president?”

Abubakar’s first defection happened in 2006 when he dumped the PDP for the Action Congress, AC, due to the clash he had with former President Obasanjo at the time.

He rejoined the PDP in 2009, moved to the APC in 2014, and returned to the PDP again in 2017, under which he contested twice as presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023.

NNPCL GMD: No More ‘Clashes’ With Dangote

James Orji

May 14, 2025

Bayo Ojulari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL says he will ensure that no clash exists between the company and Dangote Refinery.

The NNPCL chief executive spoke on Wednesday, saying the owner of the refinery and Africa’s Richest Man has made huge contributions to the country, and needs to be supported.

Ojulari stated that efforts are ongoing to ensure that existing conflicts with the managers of the $20 billion private oil refinery in Lagos, are mutually resolved in the interest of the country.

Dangote Refinery and NNPCL had a frosty business relationship over the importation of fuel into the country before Ojulari’s appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in April this year.

For instance, Dangote had last year claimed that the decision by the NNPCL to continue to import fuel into the country was part of the larger plot to destroy his multi-billion dollar oil refinery. The allegation has been denied by the state-owned oil giant.

Two weeks ago, the business man also accused oil marketers in the country of sabotage.

But, the NNPCL boss has assured that the clashes will be nailed under him.

“You won’t hear of any more clashes between NNPCL and Dangote Refinery. We’ll work together for Nigeria’s benefit,’ he said.

During his courtesy visit to the NNPCL GMD last week in Abuja, the nation’s capital Dangote had assured that a new dawn has began between his company and the government- controlled oil corporation.

The company is not in competition with the NNPCL, rather a business partnership exist between them, the business mogul said.

“There is no competition between us, we are not here to compete with NNPC Ltd. NNPC is part and parcel of our business and we are also part of NNPC. This is an era of co-operation between the two organizations.” Dangote stated.

Meanwhile, the NNPCL boss has dismissed reports that he’s not a northerner. According to him, he hails from Kwara state, grew up and schooled in the region.

How Hotel Manager Killed, Buried 22-year Old PoS Operator

Suleiman Anyalewechi

May 14, 2025

POS Operator Killed by Hotel Manager in Delta

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Delta State Police Command, on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 said they have arrested a hotel manager in connection with the killing of a Point of Sales, POS, operator in Isoko area of Delta State.

Onoriode Bethel, 22-year old PoS operator, was killed and buried within the premises of the Century Home Hotel in Owhelogbo community, Isoko North Local Council of the State by the Manager, who was simply identified as Iboirode.

According to a statement issued by Bright Edafe, SP, the spokesperson for the Delta state Police Command, Iboirode, who is presently in custody has confessed to killing and burying his victim in the hotel premises after demanding and receiving ransom payment from her family.

According to the Police, Bethel was on December 13, 2024 reported missing by her family.

The suspect contacted Bethel’s father, demanding a ransom.

The suspect was said to have collected the ransom through the victim’s PoS machine ,after obtaining the password.

Consequent upon collecting the ransom, Iboirode proceeded to killing and burying his victim within the premises of the hotel.

But according to the Police, the suspect’s wife had earlier claimed that her husband killed Bethel for accusing him of using a fake transaction alert to fraudulently withdraw the sum of N10,000 from her account.

According to the suspect’s wife, the husband, after refunding the said N10,000, vowed to get even with Bethel for tarnishing his image.

“My husband called her into the hotel; she was a friend of his.That day, he called her on phone, and took her into a room.

It was around 7pm. I don’t know how he killed her because I was in our own room .It was when he came out around midnight that he told me he had killed her”, the suspect’s wife stated.

Recalling the details of the incident, the Police Spokesman said “If we remember the Owhelogbo hotel murder case where a PoS missing girl was recovered from the manager of the hotel.

“On a very sad note, he has confessed that he murdered the girl who owns the PoS . She only went to ask the hotel manager for her money ,and he murdered her because according to him, she spoilt his reputation.

“He killed her, and used her phone to call her father demanding ransom. He even used her PoS to collect the money. He extracted the password from the girl before killing her. Her remains have been recovered,” Idafe noted.

The Police further informed that Bethel’s fate was only known after the same manager, alongside three other staff members of the hotel were, in March, arrested in connection with the killing of a guest, Sunday Ogofotha, whose remains were also recovered at the hotel.

“You Are Cowards”, Rotimi Amaechi Slams Governors For Not Confronting President Tinubu

The Source

May 14, 2025

By Gideon Njoku

A former two-term Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has, literally, dismissed the present crop of Nigeria’s Governors as “men without balls”.

Amaechi, who was, also, a former two-term Chairman of the once powerful Nigeria Governors Forum, taunted the present Governors for being weak.

He spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the launch of former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido’s book, Being True To Myself.

Addressing the high profile audience, Amaechi bemoaned the state of Nigeria and lamented a situation where Governors were too afraid to call a spade a spade.

In a comparison of his class of Governors to the current class, Amaechi asked if it is possible for what is happening in Nigeria now to have happened during his class of Governors. Before he got an answer, he provided one himself.

He said not possible. “We would have confronted the Government. We would have confronted the President.”

As the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Amaechi mounted a stiff resistance to the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government, including opposing the establishment of the “Sovereign Wealth Fund.” He preferred that every kobo be brought to the table and shared, no savings for the rainy day.

He was, also, as he recounted at the book launch, the push behind the defection of six Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the then new All Progressives Congress, APC.

However, his relationship with the Party is at best, shaky, just as his relationship with President Bola Tinubu with whom, along with others, he engineered the ousting of Jonathan from office in 2015.

He was appointed Minister for Transportation by President Muhammadu Buhari for two-terms, but lost the position when he failed in his bid to clinch the Presidential ticket of the Party in 2023.

Amaechi was beaten to a distant second place by now President Tinubu. Since then, he gave both the President and the party some space, but instead, became a strong critic of the Tinubu-led Federal Government to the surprise of many who knew how both collaborated to oust Jonathan.

His criticism of the Tinubu Government was at play during Lamido’s book launch when he lamented the docility of the current Governors for neither confronting the President, nor his Government in the face of hunger and insecurity and sufferings being experienced by Nigerians.

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