Pa Ayo Adebanjo, leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has endorsed presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Speaking on Yoruba Gbode, an online radio programme, Adebanjo said only Peter Obi can rule independently among the current crop of presidential candidates.
The Afenifere leader also accused Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu of selling Buhari to Nigerians in 2015 for his selfish interest, adding that he “will only give continuity to Buhari’s incompetence”.
He said “It is only Peter Obi that can rule independently without the influence of these criminals in the government. Tinubu will only give continuity to Buhari’s incompetence.
“We know Peter Obi very well, that’s why we endorsed him. He will not disappoint Nigerians, let’s put tribal differences apart and vote the right leader in.
“Tinubu sold Buhari to over 200 million Nigerians for his own selfish interest of wanting to rule after Buhari. None of them loves Nigeria. “Easterners are also Nigerians , they deserve to rule.”
The Online Publishers Association of Nigeria (OPAN), the flagship organization for digital news publishers demands the immediate release of the publisher of 247ureports.com, Mr Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe who was picked up by the Nigerian police at the FCT-Abuja on the morning of July 5, 2021 over an article published on the website.
Since his arrest by men from the IGP monitoring team, he has remained in incarceration and has not been charged to court. This is unlawful and an infringement of his fundamental rights.
Although the Police never formally invited him, he was immediately arrested and taken to the national police headquarters in Asokoro where he was interrogated in the absence of his lawyer.
A former chief of staff to the former governor of Anambra, Willie Obiano, Chief Primus Odili, who recently failed in his senatorial bid on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), petitioned the IGP monitoring team to arrest and detain Mr. Ezenekwe claiming the article on him was libelous.
OPAN gathered authoritatively that Chief Odili has tasked the IGP monitoring team to unmask the source of the article, which Ezenekwe has declined to identify citing confidentiality and privilege between journalists and news sources.
We find it disturbing and unacceptable that the police could allow a citizen to use it to intimidate a journalist.
The police have continued to intimidate and coerce Ezenekwe demanding to know the source of his story. This is wrong. Is the police above the laws of the land?
OPAN hereby calls on the police to immediately release Mr. Ezenekwe and apologise to him for his unlawful incarceration.
Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has disassociated himself from a campaign application which he said was created by unknown support group claiming to mobilize for him.
The former Anambra Governor said the Application “Peter Obi Nation” does not have his endorsement and is unknown to the Labour Party but promised to investigate the source of the application.
The frontline presidential candidate made the clarification in Enugu while appearing in Urban Radio politics Program on Tuesday.
“I don’t know about the application. It is not from me or any campaign organization known by us. You know, people can do everything thing to pull me down.”
Obi decried efforts by opponents to demarket him and have gone a step further to sponsor ethnic chauvinism and campaign of bigotry to pull him down.
“I have said this before, let us bring all the Presidential candidates, about eighteen of us; let us look at our background and past records. But, people that are not talking about what they can offer are sponsoring all manner of campaigns against me.
All Progressives Congress presidential candidate for the 2023 polls, Bola Tinubu has confirmed Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate.
This is even as he declares that the substantive vice presidential candidate is “competent, capable, reliable, and able.”
Tinubu made the disclosure to news men in Daura Katsina after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
Tinubu who said he came to pay homage to Buhari as well as spent part of his holiday with the President, said he also came to discuss the issue of his running mate with him.
Asked the purpose of his visit, he said: “I really pay homage to him, and then share part of this holiday and lunch. And equally discourse, the question of my running mate substantial. The one that was holding the position withdrew today and already there is an announcement to replace him fully with a substantive candidate.
Asked who the candidate was he replied: “Kashim Shettima. I have not discussed with him. I have disclosed it to you, since I’ve disclosed this to the president.”
Asked why he settled for Shettima, he said: Because he’s competent, capable, reliable, and able.“
On how confident that his party will win the coming elections, Tinubu said: “We are going win. We are going to win Insha Allah. Because we are a progressive party, we have the focus on the Nigeria’s problems. We are facing the challenges squarely, we’re not running away from it. We have a better Programme for the people and about the people are ready to serve. Within a short period of time there will be a good foundation on infrastructure. We face challenges of terrorism, we know that. It’s only you know, a poor thinker and observer that I will not recognize the challenge. But once you recognize a challenge, you can prepare yourself very well to tackle it and defeat it. And that is what our party is all about.”
Daniel Bwala, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has resigned from the party over the choice of Muslim-Muslim Presidential ticket for next year’s election.
Shettima, a Muslim by faith will be running alongside Bola Ahmed Tinubu the Presidential Flagbearer who is also a Muslim.
Their ticket has immediately attracted attacks from a cross-section of Nigerians who contend that such ticket is insensitive to the religious composition of the country.
In a post shared on his Twitter account, Daniel Bwala announced his resignation from the party with immediate effect based his principles and conviction.
He wrote: “Tonight I officially resigned my membership of @OfficialAPCNg on principles and conviction that I hold so dear. At this time of our national existence, our efforts amd energy should gravitate towards uniting our people.”
Okupe who announced his withdrawal via his verified Twitter handle @doyinokupe noted that his party would announce the new running mate to the presidential candidate.
This afternoon I submitted my withdrawal letter from the position of the Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party to INEC. A replacement will be announced by d national chairman of d party shortly. I feel greatly blessed to have been part of the foundation of success 4 the LP,” Okupe tweeted.
The Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has officially unveiled his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed.
Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, the founder of Baze University, Abuja, was announced the LP vice-presidential candidate in Abuja on Friday.
The 46-year-old was a former lawmaker who represented Kaduna North Senatorial district.
Baba-Ahmed’s announcement was coming barely 24 hours after the Director-General, Peter Obi Campaign Organisation, Doyin Okupe, announced his withdrawal as the vice-presidential candidate of the party.
Okupe who announced his withdrawal via his verified Twitter handle @doyinokupe noted that his party would announce the new running mate to the presidential candidate.
“This afternoon I submitted my withdrawal letter from the position of the Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party to INEC. A replacement will be announced by the national chairman of the party shortly. I feel greatly blessed to have been part of the foundation of success 4 the LP,” Okupe tweeted.
The Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has condemned the assault on Prophet Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere (Odumeje) by a member of the task force during the demolition of his Church on Thursday.
We had reported that Odumeje was physically assaulted by the task force when he protested the demolition of his church, Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention Deliverance Ministries.
In a statement personally signed by Governor Soludo, he said the action of the task force member is “imperfect and unprofessional,” adding that he has instructed that the erring officer be handled in “accordance with the rules of public conduct which he roundly failed to uphold.”
Soludo while soliciting for the support of Ndi Anambra “in the fight to restore the dignity of Onitsha, and indeed the totality of our Homeland,” said that such unprofessional conduct “would never happen again.”
The statement reads:
Let me sincerely appreciate ndị Anambra for understanding with us as we take audacious steps towards making our Homeland Liveable and Prosperous. On this journey, imperfect steps will be taken, emotions will run wild and opinions will grow thick.
What is pertinent to note is that we shall remain undaunted, correct our imperfections, strive to put our emotions in check and aggregate opinions that are in the interest of our overall good.
Yesterday’s outing has evoked emotions, not against the decision of government, but the imperfect and unprofessional manner with which one of the task force members discharged his lawful duty. This is highly regretted, and would never happen again. I have instructed that the task force personnel involved in the manhandling of Prophet Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere (Odumeje) be treated in accordance with the rules of public conduct which he roundly failed to uphold.
We will continue to work to actualize the mandate you have given to us. Nothing short of the best outcomes is guaranteed. On behalf of the government and good people of Anambra State, I condemn the assault, and further ask for your continued support in the fight to restore the dignity of Onitsha, and indeed the totality of our Homeland.
About four hundred bloggers in Anambra State and Southeast will grace the forthcoming Bloggers Summit taking place in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
The Summit is organized by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Anambra State Council in partnership with Life International Hospital, Awka. It will take place at the Godwin Ezeemo International Press Center, Awka on Friday July 8, 2022.
The Summit themed: ‘Managing Information Crisis in the Era of Citizen Journalism’ is expected to drill bloggers on managing information especially in the period of information crisis.
The event will be chaired by the National Vice-President of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Demian Okeke-Ogene, while the keynote will be delivered by Chinelo Ude-Akpeh, PhD, a Senior Lecturer & HoD Research & General Studies at NTA Television College, Rayfield, Jos, Plateau State.
Speakers at the Summit will include: Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Echeng Eworo Echeng; Director DSS Anambra State, David Enoch Pawa; and former MD/CEO, Anambra Broadcasting Service and Chairman Umunna Media Ltd, Chief Uche Nworah, Ph.D.
However, a ‘Special Talk will be delivered by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Admin) Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka and founder Life International Hospital, Awka, Professor Joseph Ikechebelu on In Vitro Fertilization (IVF); an emerging type of assisted reproductive technology.
Distinguished guest of honour and Executive Governor of Anambra state, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo is expected at the event; while other special guests are Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Chief Paul Nwosu; and Mazi Ejimofor Opara, the Senior Special Adviser on New Media to the state Governor.
Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha and, Metropolitan of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace Most Rev. Dr Valerian Maduka Okeke is the Spiritual Father of the day, while HRH Igwe Chris Onyekwuluje, (Nya 1 of Umunya) is the Royal Father of the day.
The event will feature panel discussions led by Dr Henry Duru – Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication at UNIZIK.
Other invited discussants are: Cornel Osigwe – Publisher www.anaedoonline.ng; Chief Chuka Nnabuife – MD/CEO Anambra state Newspapers and Printing Cooperation, publishers of National Light Newspapers; and Dr Obiorah Edogor – Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication, UNIZIK.
The event is scheduled to commence at 9:30 am with registration expected to last from 8:00am – 9:00am.
A Westminster Magistrates Court in the United Kingdom, on Thursday, ruled that David Nwamini Ukpo, the alleged kidney donor for the daughter of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, is not 15 years old.
It was reported that the Ukpo has admitted to the court that he is 21 years old and had been in the UK since February but only presented himself to the police in May.
The counsel for the defendants has also denied the allegations of exploitation laid by the alleged victim.
The case was adjourned till August 4, 2022.
Senator Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, have been remanded in custody until the next hearing.
Present at the hearing were some members of the Senate and delegates from the Nigerian High Commission.
Also present were former Senate Minority Leader, Eyinnanya Abaribe, former Senate President, David Mark, former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Adamu Bulkachuwa.
