| THISDAY | 02-Sep-24 | Wike threatens PDP Governors supporting Fubara, vows to instigate crises in their States | Apparently miffed by the decision of the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to approach the party’s national leadership to hand over the party’s structure in Rivers State to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has threatened to instigate crisis in any state whose governor interferes with the politics of the state. The PDP governors had in a communique issued after a recent meeting held in Jalingo, Taraba State capital, restated their support for Fubara in the political crisis in the state, promising to “engage the National Working Committee (NWC) of our great party to revisit the congress to correct the anomaly and allow His Excellency Governor Siminalayi Fubara to take his rightful leadership position of the party in the state.” Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, signed the communique. Reacting to the development yesterday, while addressing the delegates of his faction of the PDP, who gathered to elect new executives at the party’s secretariat in Port Harcourt, the state capital, Wike boasted that nobody would take away the structure he constituted, insisting that he is the leader of the party in the state. The FCT minister told the PDP governors who said they would “take their structure and give to somebody” to expect political crises in their own states. Addressing the delegates who are loyal to him, Wike insisted that he is the leader of the party in the state, adding that nobody can destroy his structure. He said: “And let me tell people – I heard some governors who said they will take away my structure and give it to somebody. I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states. When God has given you peace, you say you don’t want peace, then whatever you see, you take. | WIKE; PDP; FUBARA; CRISIS | THISDAY | | |
| THISDAY | 02-Sep-24 | #Edo2024: Five political parties withdraw from race, express support for APC’s Okpebholo | The race for the September 21 governorship in Edo State assumed a new dimension yesterday as the leadership and candidates of five political parties adopted the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the election, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and called on their supporters to vote for the APC on the day of the election. The political parties included the National Rescue Movement (NRM), the Alliance Peoples Movement (APM), the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Action Democratic Party (ADP). They were received at the state Secretariat of the APC by Okpebholo; his running mate, Hon Dennis Idahosa; the Acting State Chairman of the party, Emperor Jarret Tenebe; the Secretary of the party, Lawrence Okah; the Director General of the Edo APC Governorship Campaign Council, Senator Matthew Uroghide and others. Speaking on behalf of the other candidates who took turns to endorse the speech, Hon Sam Arase of the NRM said “Today is another beautiful day as Edo State marks 33 years of our existence, we have decided on serious decisions as we are approaching the 21st September being the date slated for our gubernatorial election in Edo State; we, the assemblies of registered political parties in Edo State, having seen and watched carefully the campaign activities of the All Progressives Congress (APC), having listened to their manifesto, we carefully watched what the candidate has in stock for the people of Edo State; we especially took one thing into cognisance and that is when he talked about how he will take care of the bastardised educational system in the state. | #EDO2024; #EDODECIDES2024; APC; GOVERNORSHIP | THISDAY | | |
| PREMIUM TIMES | 02-Sep-24 | Insecurity: Tinubu directs defence minister, military chiefs to move to Sokoto. Recall that fmr. President Buhari also ordered his military chiefs to relocate to Borno at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency. | President Bola Tinubu has ordered his minister of state for defence, Bello Matawalle, and the military chiefs to relocate to Sokoto State as part of efforts to rid the state and the entire north-west of rampant terrorism, an official has announced. The north-west is arguably Nigeria’s most terrorised region with four of the region’s seven states among the top five states with the highest number of kidnap incidents between July 2023 and June 2024. Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna recorded the highest numbers, with Sokoto coming fifth behind Abuja in fourth, according to the report by SBM Intelligence, a market intelligence, security analysis and strategic consulting firm. PREMIUM TIMES has reported several cases of attacks and mass abductions in the North-west states. The situation has deteriorated with many local communities now virtually controlled by armed terrorists who demand taxes from locals. | INSECURITY; SOKOTO; TINUBU; BUHARI; SOKOTO; BOKO HARAM | PREMIUMTIMES | | |
| DAILY TRUST | 02-Sep-24 | Trial of #EndBadGovernance protesters mocks the rule of law - Amnesty International | Amnesty International Nigeria has said the planned mass trial of hundreds of protesters arrested during the nationwide #EndBadGovrnance protest is a mockery of justice and rule of law. Mallam Isa Sanusi, Director, Amnesty International Nigeria, said this in a response to a Daily Trust request. “Amnesty International is deeply concerned that the #EndBadGovernaceInNigeria protesters to be arraigned nationwide tomorrow are only going to be subjected to another round of government’s unrelenting intent to punish protesters and demonize protests. “We condemn the sham trials even before they begain and call for an end to these endless bizarre attempts to deprive people of the right to peaceful protest. What is going to happen to these protesters -who took to the streets last month- seeking good governance is a disguised exercise solely aimed at punishing dissenters,” Sanusi said.
| DAILYTRUST; #ENDBADGOVERNANCE; AMNEST INT'L; RULE OF LAW | DAILYTRUST | | |
| DAILY TRUST | 03-Sep-24 | Speculations trail IGP's likely 3-year tenure extension | President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the extension of the tenure of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, sources at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation have disclosed. The officials, who requested anonymity, told Daily Trust that the IGP’s tenure was extended by three years. They said the SGF, George Akume, gave the IGP the letter of his tenure extension Monday. A senior security officer at the SGF Office also confirmed that the IGP received his letter of tenure extension from Akume on Monday morning. The Senate had, on July 23, passed a bill that amended the Police Act 2020 introducing a new clause under Section 8, which contradicts the provision that mandates public servants to retire after 35 years of service or at 60 years of age. Egbetokun, who was appointed IGP in June 2023, will clock 60 tomorrow (September 4, 2024). The Senate had modified Section 18 of the Police Act 2020 by replacing subsection (8) with the following revised clause: “(8) Notwithstanding any other provision, every police officer shall serve in the Nigeria Police Force for 40 years or until they reach the age of 65, whichever comes first.” | IGP; POLICE; TENURE OF OFFICE; EXTENSION; | DAILYTRUST | | |
| DAILY TRUST | 03-Sep-24 | Simon Lalong criticizes Tinubu's delay in appointing a minister from Plateau 7-long months after he resigned to join the Senate | Former governor of Plateau State, Senator Simon Lalong, has criticised the delay in appointing a new minister from the state, urging President Bola Tinubu to address the issue promptly. Speaking at an APC stakeholders meeting at the party’s secretariat in Kalwa House, Jos, Lalong, the senator representing Plateau South, highlighted the state’s seven-month absence of federal representation since he resigned his ministerial post to join the Senate. Lalong expressed discontent, saying, “It is unfair for Plateau to be without a minister for seven months. I have informed the president that constitutionally, we are entitled to a minister from our state. I am confident that the president, being a democrat, will address this when he returns. I urge party members to remain patient and supportive.” Regarding the delay in swearing in APC members of the state assembly, Lalong accused the speaker of showing disrespect towards the constitution. | PLATEAU; SIMON LALONG; SENATE; TINUBU | https://dailytrust.com/plateau-without-minister-for-7-months-unfair-lalong/ | | |
| THE CABLE | 04-Sep-24 | ALLEGED TREASON: Court issues arrest warrant against Briton for ‘funding terrorism’ in Nigeria | A federal high court in Abuja has issued a warrant of arrest against Andrew Wynne, a Briton, over allegations bordering on treason and terrorism. Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, granted the order on Tuesday while ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by the inspector-general of police (IGP). Moving the application, Audu Garba, police counsel, prayed the court to issue an arrest warrant against Wynne, also known as Andrew Povich, Lucky Ehis Obiyan, and Abdullahi Musa. The lawyer told the court that the defendants are wanted for conspiracy, treason, inciting to mutiny, disaffection from the government, and terrorism, among others, contrary to sections 97, 410, 413, 416, and 412 of the Penal Code, Northern States Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LFN 2004. | TREASON; PROTEST; TERRORISM | CABLE | | |
| 04-Sep-24 | #EndBadGovernance: Court remands whistleblower PIDOM in Kuje prison | A federal high court in Abuja has ordered Bristol Tamunobifiri, popularly known by his X name PIDOM, to be remanded in Kuje prison. PIDOM was arraigned on Tuesday, on a nine-count charge brought against him by the inspector-general of police, Kayode Egbetokun. He is accused of mobilising and soliciting support for the #EndBadGovernance protest. The police said the whistleblower “laundered N970,000 deemed to be proceeds of an unlawful act”. Other charges include false money laundering allegations against President Bola Tinubu, and unlawfully obtaining, retaining and disseminating classified secret documents in contravention of the official Secret Act 1962. The defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against him by the IGP. Although Deji Adeyanju, counsel to PIDOM, tried to move a bail application orally, the judge insisted that it must be formally brought before the court. | #ENDBADGOVERNANCE; PIDOM; KUJE; COURT; | THECABLE | | |
| THE CABLE | 04-Sep-24 | PDP governors alert security agencies to Wike’s ‘put fire in states’ remark | In a statement on Tuesday, Emmanuel Agbo, director-general of the PDP Govenors’ Forum, described Wike’s comment as “irresponsible and unacceptable”. “The statements and threats to peaceful coexistence made by Wike to ‘Put fire’ in the PDP controlled States are unbridled, irresponsible and without ambiguity totally unacceptable as it undermines efforts to build and maintain peace, cohesion, collaboration and mutual respect amongst leaders and members of the party,” the statement reads. “It is rather unfortunate that this is coming from someone who was once a member of this highly revered forum as a former governor. “The Forum has always maintained “A TOUCH ONE TOUCH ALL” philosophy and individually and collectively stand by and support each other no matter the circumstances. A tradition Wike tremendously enjoyed in his days of travail as governor. “The Forum calls on the heads of the national security apparatuses to take note of threats by Wike to stoke the fire of violence at the sub-nationals as no one is above the laws of the land. The forum declared its support for Fubara and pledged to confer him with “all the privileges” he is entitled to as a governor. We therefore, maintain that our position on the affairs of the PDP in Rivers State, as unanimously resolved at our 2024, 3rd and 4th Meetings held in Enugu and Taraba States respectively are not subject to review by any individual no matter how highly placed,” the statement adds. | WIKE; PDP; FUBARA; CRISIS; GOVERNORS | THECABLE | | |
| DAILY TRUST | 04-Sep-24 | Nigeria, China sign MoUs as Tinubu meets Xi JinPing | President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Tuesday in Beijing, China, announced the elevation of Nigeria-China ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The leaders also agreed to build a high-level Nigeria-China community with a shared future. This was part of the outcome of talks between the two leaders during President Tinubu’s official visit to China. The president’s official visit precedes his participation in the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, scheduled to hold from September 4-6. The president said his visit is an important visit for Nigeria and the rest of Africa, saying ‘Relations between China and Nigeria have indeed lasted for over half a century and should be further strengthened to advance our trade and economic development programmes. ‘’Nigeria holds great potential as the country with the largest population in Africa and is the biggest economy with a very young population that can drive economic growth and cross-sectoral programmes. We have upgraded the relationship to more than what is just strategic — but a comprehensive developmental partnership. This comprehensive strategic partnership should result in robust development, stability, and security in the West African sub-region. This is very crucial,” he said. | NIGERIA; CHINA; MoU; | DAILYTRUST | | |
| DAILY TRUST | 04-Sep-24 | Peter Obi appoints Yunusa Tanko as National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement. Recall that Tanko was the IPAC Chairman in 2015, the Presidential candiate for the National Conscience Party in 2019 and spokesperson to Peter Obi in 2023 | The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Tuesday appointed Yunusa Tanko as the Interim National Coordinator of his Obidient Movement worldwide. Before this appointment, Tanko served as the spokesperson for the former Anambra State governor and was the media director of the now-defunct Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation. The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Tuesday appointed Yunusa Tanko as the Interim National Coordinator of his Obidient Movement worldwide. Before this appointment, Tanko served as the spokesperson for the former Anambra State governor and was the media director of the now-defunct Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation. | PETER OBI; IPAC; LABOUR PARTY; OBIDIENT | DAILYTRUST | | |
| GUARDIAN | 05-Sep-24 | APGA threatens sanction on Soludo, accuses him of undermining party’s leadership | The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), accused the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, of undermining the party’s leadership, threatening to activate its disciplinary measures against him. Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Chekwas Okorie, during a press briefing in Abuja, stated that Soludo’s attitude was unbecoming and a clear indication that he is “determined to sacrifice APGA rather than submit to Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of the party. Okorie, in a statement, titled, “In the matter of APGA, Chukwuma Soludo has crossed the rubicon,’ regretted that the governor had repeatedly thwarted the latitude extended to him to halt his alleged continued sponsorship of the crisis in APGA.
| APGA; SOLUDO; GOVERNORSHIP | GUARDIAN | | |
| DAILY TRUST | 05-Sep-24 | Abure insists meeting conveyed by Abia Governor is illegal | The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Julius Abure, has rejected the meeting of the party convened by Abia governor, Dr Alex Otti, in Umuahia, saying it is unconstitutional. He made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by Mr Obiora Ifoh. According to Abure, Otti and others who converged in Umuahia have no power within the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to convene any meeting. “Moreover, expanded stakeholders meeting is not an organ known to the constitution of the party. Article 11 of our Party Constitution 2024, 2019 and 2009 provides as follows for four levels of party organisations. They are ward, local government area, state and national. | LP; ELECTION; ABURE; OTTI; ELECTION; | DAILYTRUST | | |
| DAILY TRUST | 05-Sep-24 | #Edo2024: APC calls for drug test on all frontline candidates ahead of Edo Governorship election | The Campaign Council of the APC for the Edo Governorship Election has called on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to subject party candidates in the poll to compulsory drug tests. The council made the call in a statement by its Director of Media, Kassim Afegbua, on Wednesday in Benin. According to him, the candidates need to present themselves for a serious drug test to ascertain their level of sanity. Afegbua urged the NDLEA to zero in on all candidates of the frontline political parties with a view to ascertaining their sanity. “We have been reliably informed that some of them are alleged to be heavy consumers of banned substances, including alcohol. “A test for all of them will unveil their level of sanity,” he said. He noted that Edo voters must be well-guided in making informed choices during the elections and avoid voting for a candidate who would spend the state’s resources on funding drug and alcoholic lifestyles. Afegbua said the test would save the Edo people of any future embarrassment that may arise, adding that the voters could not be deceived again. | #EDO2024; #EDODECIDES2024; APC; GOVERNORSHIP; PDP;LP | DAILYTRUST | | |
| DAILY TRUST | 05-Sep-24 | #Edo2024: 'I can’t hand over Edo to an unintelligent man – Obaseki | Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has said he can’t hand over to an unintelligent person. Obaseki said this during the Peoples Democratic Party’s campaign in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the State to canvass votes for the party’s candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, in the September 21 election. According to him, the PDP has the best candidate in the election, urging the people to vote for credibility and competence. Obaseki said his government has pursued reforms in education, agriculture, sports, technology, and health, among others, “These gains and successes would be derailed if left in the hands of an unintelligent, inexperience or an incompetent person whose only aim in power is to share the common patrimony of the people among the political class”. “We have reformed the education sector through the EdoBEST programme and ensured your daughter headed the State’s Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). We can’t hand over EdoBEST to unintelligent people.”
| #EDO2024; #EDODECIDES2024; APC; GOVERNORSHIP; LP; PDP | DAILYTRUST | | |
| VANGUARD | 06-Sep-24 | #Edo2024: PDP campaign taunts Oshiomhole, Okpebholo over Federal roads | ALL Progressives Congress, APC Governorship Candidate, Senator Monday Okpehelo and former governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole have been flayed over their alleged indifference to the state of federal roads in the state. The Director-General of the Asue Ighodalo Campaign, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, called out the two APC senators at a campaign rally in Ekpoma as PDP chiefs lamented what they claimed as Oshiomhole’s bid to foist an unintelligible governor on the state to achieve his personal desires. Speaking in pidgin English on the state of the road, Iduoriyekemwen, a former member of the Edo State House of Assembly, lamented the state of federal roads saying that the two APC senators, Oshiomhole and Okpebhelo were indifferent to the conditions and as such failed to put them as part of their constituency projects. “Look at our federal roads in Edo. All the time I used to travel to Abuja it used to take me five to six hours to travel to Abuja from Benin, but now from Auchi to Benin can take you up to nine hours. “Oshiomhole is a senator, Okpebholo is a senator instead of them to use their constituency projects to work on the roads they refused. Now they say that they want to buy our future.” The rally was also attended by Governor Godwin Obaseki who urged the voters to vote for Ighodalo so he could build on the legacy that his administration had laid. | #EDO2024; #EDODECIDES2024; APC; GOVERNORSHIP; PDP | VANGUARD | | |
| VANGUARD | 06-Sep-24 | Edwin Clark to IGP: 'Arrest and prosecute Wike,' says his comments were a form of treason capable of inciting violence in the country | FORMER Federal Commissioner for Information and South South, Chief Edwin has written to the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun to as a matter of urgency, arrest and prosecute the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Nyesom Wike. In a letter to the IGP which was read on Thursday during a press briefing at his Asokoro residence, the Ijaw leader has asked Egbetokun, to arrest Wike, over his comments, threatening to set fire to the states of Governors of the People’s Democratic Party. Recall that Wike, while speaking at the PDP secretariat in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Saturday during the party’s state congress, warned the PDP governors to stay clear of the party’s affairs in Rivers. | IGP; EDWIN CLARK; WIKE; PDP; GOVERNORS; TREASON | VANGUARD | | |
| DAILY TRUST | 06-Sep-24 | Kano Local Govt Polls: Court restrains KANSIEC from selling Chairmanship and Councillorship forms at N10m & N5m respectively | A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained Kano State Independence Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) from collecting the sum of N10million and N5million from contestants into the offices of Chairmanship and Councillorship positions respectively in the forthcoming local government elections in the state. The presiding Judge, Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order on Wednesday. Plaintiffs in the suit are Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Democratic Party (ADP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP). The defendant in the suit is the Kano State Independence Electoral Commission (KANSIEC). The court ordered an interim injunction restraining the defendant from “imposing and or collecting the sum of N10million and N5million from contestants into the office of the Chairman/Vice Chairman and Councillorship in the forthcoming local government election to be conducted on the 30th November 2024 or any earlier date by the dependant pending the hearing and determination of the originating summons filed by the plaintiffs.” | KANO; KANSIEC; LOCAL GOVERNMENT POLLS; ELECTIONS | DAILYTRUST | | |
| DAILY TRUST | 06-Sep-24 | Jigawa lawmakers slash Assembly budget, raise N17 billion for critical sectors | The Jigawa State House of Assembly has slashed N1 billion from its allocations in the state’s 2024 budget as the lawmakers redirected funds in the current budget to agriculture, education and emergency relief services. The 2024 budget review appropriation bill passed on Thursday reallocated about N17 billion to addressing critical needs across various sectors. The review was done at Thursday’s plenary presided over by the speaker, Haruna Aliyu. The lawmakers said the budget review appropriation bill also reduced the provisions for recurrent expenditure of government’s agencies. Allocations to service delivery operations, maintenance and other miscellaneous costs were reduced to about N2.5 billion and capital development programmes to about N14.5 billion. The speaker, Mr Aliyu, said the budget review gave attention to improving living condition in the state, especially given the current hardship in the country. He said the lawmakers noted the state’s pressing requirements in agriculture, works, projects, water supply, education and health. In addition to the Ministry of Power and Alternative Energy, he said those are essential for socio-economic development, in line with the 12-point agenda of Governor Umar Namadi. | JIGAWA; HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY; BUDGET | DAILYTRUST | | |
| THE CABLE | 09-Sep-24 | Abure suggests LP Presidential ticket no longer reserved for Obi, says all 2027 election tickets are open to all qualified Nigerians | The Labour Party (LP) faction led by Julius Abure says all its tickets ahead of the 2027 general election are open to all qualified Nigerians to contest for. The faction took the decision after it held a national executive committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Monday. “NEC in session also reviewed the decision of the National Convention to reserve its Presidential and Governorship tickets for Peter Gregory Obi and Alex Otti respectively,” a communique from the meeting reads. “Consequently, all tickets of the party from Presidency to the House of assemblies are open to all qualified Nigerians.”
| ABURE; LP; 2027 ELECTION; OBI | THECABLE | | |
| THE CABLE | 09-Sep-24 | NLC demands immediate release of Ajaero, says arrest denies Nigerian workers the opportunity to be heard at the Britain Trade Union Congress whose invitation Ajaero was honouring. | The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described the arrest of Joe Ajaero, its president, as a “brazen act of lawlessness and intimidation”. The labour union added that it has alerted all its affiliates, state councils, and Nigerian workers to remain vigilant and on high alert. Ajaero was arrested on Monday morning at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja. In a statement, Benson Upah, spokesperson of the NLC, said Ajaero was “whisked away by DSS agents on his way to the United Kingdom on the invitation of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Britain”. Upah said Ajaero’s detention thwarted his plans to “represent Nigerian workers’ interests at a pivotal international labour conference”. He also described the arrest as “an unmistakable demonstration of the height of lawlessness being perpetuated by the Nigerian government and its agencies in their bid to silence every voice of dissent and opposition in the country”.
| NLC; AJAERO; DETENTION; TUC | CABLE | | |
| DAILY TRUST | 09-Sep-24 | Constriction of the Civic Space? DSS operatives lay siege to SERAP office In Abuja | Operatives of the Department of the State Services (DSS) have laid siege to the office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in Abuja. This comes hours after DSS personnel arrested Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Details of the operation at SERAP’s office are still sketchy, but according to a post via X, the legal and advocacy organisation said the operatives demanded to see its directors. “Officers from Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) are presently unlawfully occupying SERAP’s office in Abuja, asking to see our directors. “President Tinubu must immediately direct the SSS to end the harassment, intimidation and attack on the rights of Nigerians,” the post read. On Sunday, SERAP gave President Tinubu 48 days to reverse the recent hike in the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS). | SERAP; DSS; TINUBU; FUEL | DAILYTRUST | | |
| DAILY TRUST | 09-Sep-24 | Several reports emerge, giving 'real reasons' Ajuri Ngelale may have stepped down as Tinubu’s Spokesman | Details have emerged regarding why Ajuri Ngelale, the spokesman of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stepped down from his position on Saturday. While Ngelale said he was stepping aside to deal with medical matters affecting his family, Premium Times has reported that he left the position after he became suspicious that he could be humiliated out of office. The presidency has been shopping for an experienced and competent media professional to replace Ngelale in the past weeks. Administration insiders say the journalist has so far failed to demonstrate sufficient capacity to effectively deliver on the job. Ngelale held two key positions simultaneously – special adviser to the president on media and publicity and special presidential envoy on climate action/chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen. However, sources said the presidency recently directed Mr Ngelale to focus on his climate action role while another individual is appointed to serve as media adviser and spokesman to the president. But when Ngelale expressed a preference to retain the media adviser position while stepping down from the climate change role, the presidency declined. Those familiar with the matter said he was told he could remain on the president’s media team but that he would still have to be bossed by a new appointee to the position. | TINUBU; AJURI NGELALE; SPECIAL ADVISER | DAILYTRUST | | |
| THE CABLE | 11-Sep-24 | #EDO2024: Obaseki decries plan to illegally arrest PDP members | Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, says there is a plan to illegally arrest members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the state’s gubernatorial election. The election has been fixed for September 21 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) and Asue Ighodalo of the PDP are the main contenders for the state’s governorship position. In a series of posts on X on Tuesday, Obaseki said the alleged plan to arrest PDP members is a threat to the country’s democracy. “It is unbecoming of officers of the Nigeria Police Force to connive with the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to illegally arrest and detain members of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and to stir up crisis in Edo State in the lead-up to the guber poll,” the governor said. “I have it on good authority that the plan is to arrest as many PDP stalwarts as possible. This is a very dangerous trend and poses a real threat to our democracy. | #EDO2024; #EDODECIDES2024; APC; GOVERNORSHIP; LP; PDP | THECABLE | | |
| PREMIUM TIMES | 11-Sep-24 | #EndBadGovernance: Court grants bail to 10 protesters accused of treason in the sum of N10 million each | The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to the 10 Nigerians charged with treason over last month’s #EndBadGovernance protests. In a ruling on Wednesday, the judge, Emeka Nwite, granted each of the defendants bail in the sum of N10 million with one surety who must have property worth the bail sum in Abuja. As part of the bail conditions, the judge ordered that the sureties must submit their passports to the court. He did not attach any other conditions to the bail. | #ENDBADGOVERNANCE; PROTEST; BAIL | PREMIUMTIMES | | |
| GUARDIAN | 11-Sep-24 | LOCAL GOVT ELECTIONS: NNPP kicks in Kano as NDLEA says 20 council aspirants failed drug test | The New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) has rejected the outcome of the narcotic examination, which confirmed 20 of its aspirants positive for drug abuse. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Tuesday revealed that at least 20 aspirants seeking elective offices in the forthcoming local government elections in the state tested positive for multiple narcotic tests conducted. The Kano State Independence Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) has declared that aspirants to contest both Chairmanship and councillorship must test negative for any illegal substance. According to KANSIEC, aspirants would not be allowed to purchase nomination forms until such a person undergoes a drug test and is subsequently certified negative for narcotic substance abuse by NDLEA. NDLEA disclosed that 20 of the aspirants presented for screening tested positive for drugs opioid (codeine), THC (Tetrahydro cannabis, an active ingredient for cannabis sativa), benzodiazepines, and nicotine. | LOCAL GOVT ELECTIONS; NNPP; NDLEA; KANO | GUARDIAN | | |
| THISDAY | 19-Sep-24 | #Edo2024: INEC officially ends PVC collection. Out of 2,629,025 registered voters, 2,249,780 (85.57%) have been collected while 379,245 (14.43%) PVCs remain uncollected. | representing 14.43 per cent Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) are uncollected ahead of the September 21 Edo governorship election. The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, in a statement Tuesday said the commission has made available data on PVC collection on polling unit basis in Edo State ahead of the governorship election holding this weekend. He recalled that the commission recently announced that the total number of registered voters in Edo State is 2,629,025. Olumekun noted that the commission went further to give the breakdown by gender, age, occupation and disability. He said: “Out of this figure, 2,249,780 (85.57%) have collected their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs), while 379,245 (14.43%) of the PVCs are uncollected as at the end of the extended period for PVC collection on Sunday, 16th September 2024. “There are 4,519 polling units in the state. Voting will take place in each unit. The detailed breakdown of the number of PVCs collected, as well as the number of uncollected in each unit, has been uploaded to our website for guidance of political parties, candidates and public information.” | #EDO2024; #EDODECIDES2024; APC; GOVERNORSHIP; LP; PDP | THISDAY | | |
| PUNCH | 19-Sep-24 | #Edo2024: Sensitive materials arrived Edo yesterdayt as INEC says 5,000 BVAS and 18,000 ad hoc workers are to be deployed | The Independent National Electoral Commission is set to begin the employment of more than 5,000 Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems and other sensitive materials on Thursday (today) for the Edo State governorship election scheduled for Saturday. Sensitive materials, including ballot papers and result sheets, arrived in Edo State on Wednesday via Benin Airport and were transported to secure storage facilities under tight security. Multiple senior INEC officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed to The PUNCH that more than 5,000 BVAS devices would be deployed for the election. “More than 5,000 BVAS devices will be deployed for the Edo State governorship election. BVAS is a sensitive election material. It will be deployed tomorrow (today) with other sensitive materials,” one of the officials disclosed. INEC is preparing to ensure a smooth and efficient electoral process across the state’s 4,519 polling units and 211 collation centres, which include 192 ward centres, 18 local government collation centres, and the state collation centre in Benin City. | #EDO2024; #EDODECIDES2024; APC; GOVERNORSHIP; LP; PDP | PUNCH | | |
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