NIGERIAN NOTCH

By Maxwell Okoli The All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA in Anambra state has uncovered an alleged plot by those they described as Political jobbers to Implicate Gov Charles Soludo of receiving the sum of $28 Million as bribe from Gov Hope Uzodimma of Imo state to run down the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi before the coming election. According to the party, someone who claims to be an investigative Journalist with a name TK Ekwudayo have been approached to write false and unfounded stories in order to implicate Gov Soludo and paint him in bad light, following his recent submissions about the ambition of Peter Obi. According to the National Coordinator APGA Renaissance Chief Uchenna Chukwuka who spoke to reporters in Awka, Anambra state; "It has come to the notice of this body that some faceless and sponsored elements masquerading as investigative Journalist claiming false insider  information from the All Progressives Congress, APC,  are out to implicat

From Izunna Okafor, Awka The Press Secretary to Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, Mr. Christian Aburime has cautioned the youths to have a rethink and not to allow themselves to be used as a tool of distraction or agents of distraction to the government.  He also advised them not to constitute a part of the problem to be solved in the society, rather than being a solution to the already existing problems. Mr. Aburime gave the advice in his reaction to the alleged plot by a group of youths, identified as Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), to dump wastes and debris at the gate of Anambra State Government House on Friday, November 25, as a way to ‘punish’ Governor Soludo over his recent comment on the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party and former governor of the state, Mr. Peter Obi. The Southeast-based group had, in a press release signed and issued over the week by its President General, Mr Goodluck Ibem, threatened Governor Soludo to retract t

Three years after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd discovered crude oil in commercial quantity in Northern Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari will tomorrow officially flag off the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kolmani OPLs 809 and 810 at the Kolmani field site in Bauchi and Gombe states. The NNPC Ltd had in October 2019 announced the discovery of crude oil, gas and condensate in the Kolmani River region at the border community between Bauchi and Gombe states. This oil field is to be developed by Sterling Global Oil, New Nigeria Development Company and NNPC Limited. This is as stakeholders in the oil and gas industry have submitted that Nigeria is now more forward looking in efforts to develop her natural resources. The ceremony will be attended by the president who also doubles as the minister of Petroleum Resources. Buhari will be joined in the flag-off by his cabinet members, including the minister of state for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

South-South influential group, Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, is sticking to the decision of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) to mobilize support for only parties fielding southern candidates in the 2023 presidential election. SMBLF comprises of PANDEF, Afenifere (South-West socio-political group), Ohanaeze Ndigbo of the South-East and the Middle Belt Forum and took the position to back southern candidates based on power rotation between the North and South of the country. The group took the decision sometime last year ahead of the emergence of the presidential candidates for the 2023 election.   Whereas some parties toed the line of SMBLF by picking southern presidential candidates to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari who is from the North, others acted in blatant disregard of the position. The National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Mr Ken Robinson, at the weekend, said “we will not support any political party that has a northern presidential candidate in 2023”. As

IREV, RATECHs will check rigging Immediate access to uploaded Polling Units results by voters is key; what voters must know and do to navigate IREV sphere  Patriotic INEC staff averted rigging plot in Anambra governorship poll Efforts of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in its drive to hand to Nigerians free, fair and credible elections in 2023 is possible if only the electorate can adhere to this procedure. In this piece Nigerians will provided with a step-by-step process of how to assist the commission and, indeed, the nation, to deliver elections worthy of their calling. Last week, the National Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, re-committed the commission to its avowed determination to deliver on the promise of free, fair and credible elections. He insisted that the Bimodal Verification Voting System, BVAS, and the uploading of results real time had come to stay.  The nagging question is whether Nigerians will have access to view polling units results a

The five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), otherwise known as G-5, led by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and some other party chieftains, yesterday announced the formation of Integrity Group within the opposition party. Other governors in the group are Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State. The governors and some aggrieved party members are currently having a strategic meeting in Lagos, which may not be unconnected to the agitation for the removal of the PDP national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu. Addressing journalists before going into a closed-door meeting, Governor Makinde said the Integrity Group remained the face behind the struggle within the PDP. Makinde said, “We are here this morning to hold a meeting of the Integrity Group within our party, the PDP. We have been of the G5 – that is, the five PDP governors. The G5 is all about the Integrity Group. “You can see us, fi

Three young men were on Friday arrested at Ibagwa Town Hall area of Abakpa Nike, Enugu East Local Government Area and Imeama Iwollo in Ezeagu Local Government Area, both in Enugu State, for assaulting staff of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) who were carrying out their official duties. At Ibagwa Town Hall area of Abakpa Nike, the duo of Ifeanyi Ezeugwu and Daniel Uzochukwu Okafor descended on the EEDC staff, beat them up and inflicted bodily harm on them when they discovered that their house had been disconnected. Disclosing this to newsmen in Enugu over the weekend, the Head, Corporate Communications, EEDC, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, expressed concern over the rate at which some customers boldly engage in energy theft without paying for energy consumed and still have the temerity to not only resist disconnection but go as far as attacking innocent people carrying out their legitimate duties.   According to Ezeh, the building in question has been on supply over the years wit

~ ONE OF HIS VISIBLE ASSETS IN ANAMBRA & INDEED THE BIGGEST IN THE SOUTH EAST. Senator Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, the senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District at the 9th Senate ,today the 19th of November 2022 after his meet with the people radio programme, to brief his constituents on the journey so far, took journalists who paid him a courtesy visit round the authority audio vision center. The journalists from National Link Chapel of the NUJ Council Anambra, led by Hon. Tempest Chinyelude Udeze, where indeed marveled at the level of work that has advanced at the center.  Senator Ubah used the tour as an eye opener on the progress of work at the facility which he said will be completed by the grace of God first quarter of 2023.  Senator Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah remains the only politician in the race to the Senate, with the highest number of individuals under the employment of companies founded by him, with over N15B (Fifteen Billion Naira) in legacy investments. It

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for approving all the monies accruable to the Niger Delta states since 1999. Wike made the commendation while speaking at the commissioning of the Doctor Nabo Graham Douglas Law School built by the Rivers state government on Friday. According to Wike, part of the money was used for the numerous projects built by his administration. Wike commended the president for not playing politics with the money despite being in a different political party. He stated, “Monies that were not paid since 1999, the 13% deductions, Mr. President approved and paid all of us from Niger Delta states. “For me, it will be unfair not to say to the public. It is not from FAAC money it is the money paid to me as Rivers State, Delta State, Akwa Ibom State, Edo State and Bayelsa State. “So I want to sincerely, from my heart and on behalf of the government and people of the state, thank Mr. President for this because as an opposition gove

Supporters of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Omoyele Sowore, and other presidential candidates will compete with 187 million ballot papers come February 25, 2023, to ensure victory for their preferred candidate. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed this on Friday, Naija News reports. Speaking yesterday ahead of the much-anticipated exercise, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said the commission will print a total of 187million ballot papers for the 2023 presidential election. Okoye, during his address at a Roundtable with Bureau Chiefs/ Editors in Abuja today, said 93.5 million ballot papers would be used on February 25 for the presidential election. He revealed that the remaining 93.5million ballot papers would be spared for run-off of the presidential election in case there is no clear winner.

President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to hand over to his successor a country free of the current security challenging bedeviling it. The president expressed confidence that with the gallantry and sacrifices exhibited by men and women of the Nigerian Armed Forces in the campaign against insurgency and other internal security operations, the nation will be returned to normalcy as “we continue to battle, decisively, all the security challenges.” The president spoke yesterday in Abuja where he disclosed that N134.7 billion had been approved for the payment of Security Debarment Allowance (SDA) to all veterans. The president also used the occasion to commend the efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces in frontally confronting banditry, kidnappings, molestations and killing of innocent citizens, saying these ‘‘vices alien to our culture’’ are on the decline. According to him, normalcy is gradually returning to some affected parts of the country due to the methodical approach and increasing mili