The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Coker-Aguda hosts legal community advocacy programme

    Coker-Aguda hosts legal community advocacy programme

    The Coker–Aguda Local Council Development Area (LCDA) has recorded a major milestone in grassroots governance with the successful hosting of a Community Advocacy and Free Legal Aid Programme, organised in collaboration with the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Lagos Branch.

    The initiative underscored Coker–Aguda LCDA’s commitment to deepening access to justice and promoting human rights at the community level.

    Head of the Legal Unit and Chief Host, Khadihat Tijani, explained that the programme was designed to bridge the justice gap by taking legal services directly to the grassroots, particularly for indigent and vulnerable residents.

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    She described the initiative as a bold and strategic step towards institutionalising structured legal intervention within local government.

    Chairman of Coker–Aguda LCDA, Azeez Ogidan, stated that the initiative reflected his administration’s resolve to make justice accessible to all. He noted that many citizens suffer injustice not due to the absence of laws, but because legal support is often beyond their reach. According to him, the programme brings justice closer to the people, especially those at the grassroots.

    The Chairman of the occasion and former Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC), Alhaji Kamal Bayewu, commended the chairman for the visionary initiative.

    He noted that the programme demonstrated that impactful free legal interventions can be effectively implemented at the local government level. He emphasised the importance of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as a critical mechanism for decongesting courts and ensuring timely justice, while urging councils to establish functional legal desks for prompt legal advisory services.

    In her presentation, Abimbola Jack-Oladugbe, sensitised participants on various forms of violence prevalent in society, including domestic violence, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, economic violence, and other harmful practices that undermine human dignity and family stability.

    Similarly, Olumide Omosebi, presented compelling statistics on domestic violence, with particular emphasis on Lagos State.

    He cautioned against remaining in abusive relationships and advised both women and men to seek help and exit violent environments promptly. He stressed that culture and tradition must never be used to justify violence, warning that unresolved abuse often has lasting consequences on children and society.

  • Yuletide: Agege residents hail Obasa over 50% rebate sales

    Yuletide: Agege residents hail Obasa over 50% rebate sales

    Residents of Agege Local Government have been singing the praises of their council chairman, Abdul-Ganiyu Vinod Obasa, for the introduction of Christmas 50 per cent Special Sales Initiative.

    The action, they said, demonstrated Obasa’s responsive and compassionate governance through the implementation of its a strategic intervention designed to make essential food items more affordable for households across the council.

    According to them, the initiative provided residents with access to key food commodities at 50 percent subsidised rates, ensuring that the joy and warmth of the Christmas season are not diminished by financial constraints. Items made available under the programme include chickens, vegetable oil, and rice.

    Obasa said true leadership is measured not by words spoken, but by lives touched and ability to ease burdens of the people.

    Read Also: Nigeria can earn $10bn yearly from cashew industry, says NCAN

    The gesture, he said, was deliberate to ease the prevailing economic burden on residents.

    “Beyond its immediate economic relief, this intervention stands as a remarkable milestone to make the yuletide memorable for our people,” he said.

    He urged the residents to continue supporting the council activities.

    He said: “Rather than allowing governance to remain at the level of promises, we have persistently translated our vision into action, placing food on tables, easing household pressures, and restoring dignity to families. Each phase of the subsidy market has strengthened public trust, reinforced community unity, and renewed hope among residents that their government is not distant, but present and responsive.

  • Epe donates patrol vehicles to police

    Epe donates patrol vehicles to police

    Determined to further empower the police with a view to strengthening the security apparatus within the council, Epe Local Government Council Chairman, Princess Surah Animashaun, has donated two patrol vehicles to the Police Tactical Team.

    Princess Animashaun, at the event that took place at the council secretariat, Ita-Marun, Epe, said the gesture was to enable the police to enhance its operations by combing notorious areas that could serve as hideouts for hoodlums.

     Handling the vehicles to the Commander of the Police Tactical Team, she commended the police for the great work it is doing to ensure the safety of lives and properties.

    She emphasised that security remains the heartbeat of her administration, stressing that Epe local government must remain a place where residents, businesses, and visitors feel safe and protected at all times.

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    Princess Animashaun described the donation as a clear demonstration of support and partnership with security agencies working round the clock to keep the community safe and peaceful.

    “Epe is known to be one of the most peaceful councils in Lagos state and in a bid to sustain this feat, the present administration deemed it fit to donate the vehicles to the police to strengthen its security mechanism.

    “There is no way the council would have enjoyed this level of peace without the police, and I am convinced that the force deserves more support for them to continue to achieve the desired results. These patrol vans will further fortify the police in patrolling notorious routes as well as nooks and crannies where nefarious activities are rampant with a view to nipping such in the bud,” she said.

    Responding, the Commander of the Tactical Team, CSP Nosa Igbineweka, expressed appreciation for the timely and strategic intervention, describing it as a rare benevolence, especially at a time when there is shortage of fund everywhere.

  • Lagos to monitor training of council health workers

    Lagos to monitor training of council health workers

    The Lagos State Government has announced plans to strengthen the monitoring and continuous training of frontline health workers in local government health facilities under Lagos State Health District IV, as part of efforts to improve primary healthcare delivery.

    The plan was made known at the Annual Management Retreat of Health District IV held in Lagos.

    Read Also: Nigeria can earn $10bn yearly from cashew industry, says NCAN

    The retreat brought together senior officials, including permanent secretaries, heads of departments, medical officers of health from local governments and local council development areas, unit heads and other members of staff, to review strategies for improving service delivery at the grassroots.

    Speaking at the event, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, said effective healthcare delivery depends largely on the performance of frontline workers at local government level, stressing the need for regular monitoring and structured training.

  • U.S. $15,000 visa bond requirement for Nigerians, others begins Jan 21

    U.S. $15,000 visa bond requirement for Nigerians, others begins Jan 21

    The United States government has introduced a new visa bond policy that may require Nigerians and other foreign nationals applying for B1/B2 business and tourist visas to post financial guarantees of up to $15,000 (N21,354,300).

    The policy, announced by the U.S. Department of State, is part of tightened entry conditions for travellers from countries classified as high-risk. It will take effect from January 21.

    According to information published on the Department’s website, Travel.State.Gov, visa bonds are financial guarantees required from certain applicants who are otherwise eligible for B1/B2 visas. The bonds, set at $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, will be determined during visa interviews and do not guarantee automatic visa issuance. The Department also noted that fees paid without the direction of a consular officer are non-refundable.

    The new requirement follows the introduction of partial U.S. travel restrictions on Nigeria and several other countries a week earlier. Of the 38 countries listed under the visa bond directive, 24 are in Africa, including Nigeria. The affected countries have varying implementation dates, with Nigeria’s set for January 21, 2026.

    Read Also: Nigeria can earn $10bn yearly from cashew industry, says NCAN

    Other countries on the list include Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon, The Gambia, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, among others. The Department stated that nationals from these countries have been identified as requiring visa bonds due to immigration compliance concerns and security-related challenges.

    In Nigeria’s case, the US cited the presence and activities of radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in parts of the country, which it said pose “substantial screening and vetting difficulties.”

    The Department also referenced Nigeria’s visa overstay rates 5.56 per cent for B1/B2 visas and 11.90 per cent for F, M, and J visas as justification for its inclusion.

    Under the directive, applicants required to post a bond must submit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352 and agree to the bond terms through the U.S. Treasury’s Pay.gov platform. The requirement applies regardless of where the visa application is submitted.

    The policy further states that visa holders who post bonds must enter the United States through designated airports, including Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

    The Department of State added that visa bonds will only be refunded if the Department of Homeland Security records the traveller’s departure on or before the expiration of their authorised stay, if the applicant does not travel before the visa expires, or if the traveller applies for and is denied admission at a U.S. port of entry.

  • Trump’s oil push widens with seizure of Russian-flagged tanker linked to Venezuela

    Trump’s oil push widens with seizure of Russian-flagged tanker linked to Venezuela

    The U.S. seized an empty Russian-flagged, Venezuela-linked oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean yesterday as part of President Donald Trump’s aggressive push to dictate oil flows in the Americas and force Venezuela’s socialist government to become an ally.

    Trump said Tuesday that Venezuela will hand over tens of millions of barrels of oil to the United States, just days after a U.S. raid toppled the country’s anti-American president, leaving a more cooperative leader in charge.

    Trump said 30–50 million barrels of “high‑quality, sanctioned” Venezuelan crude will be shipped to US ports, with the revenue — perhaps more than $2 billion at current market prices — placed under his personal control.

    It was not immediately clear whether Venezuela’s new ruler — interim president Delcy Rodriguez — had agreed to hand over the oil, how the plan would work, or what its legal basis would be.

    If confirmed, it would be the first major sign that Venezuela’s new leader and her military-backed government were willing to meet an extraordinary set of US demands.

    Venezuelan authorities did not immediately respond to request for comment.

    After capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in an attack on Caracas on Saturday, the U.S. is continuing to blockade vessels under sanctions off the South American country, a member of the OPEC oil group.

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    The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. military Special Forces apprehended the Marinera tanker, which had refused to be boarded last month and had switched to Russia’s flag, officials said.

    The U.S. operation was supported by Britain’s Royal Air Force and one of its military vessels, which British Defence Secretary John Healey said was part of “global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting.”

    With a Russian submarine and vessels nearby after a two-week pursuit in the Atlantic, the move risked more confrontation with Russia, which has condemned U.S. actions over Venezuela and is already at odds with the West due to the war in Ukraine.

    Russian state broadcaster RT showed an image of a helicopter hovering near the Marinera, originally known as the Bella-1, as U.S. forces began boarding the U.S.-sanctioned tanker. It was empty, but Washington says it has been used to transport sanctioned Venezuelan oil.

    The U.S. Coast Guard also intercepted a tanker carrying Venezuelan oil, the Panama-flagged M Sophia, near the northeast coast of South America, the U.S. officials said, in the fourth seizure in recent weeks. The tanker was fully loaded, according to records of state oil company PDVSA.

    “The only maritime energy transport allowed will be that consistent with American law and national security,” Stephen Miller, deputy White House chief of staff, said in a statement on social media. “There is unlimited economic potential for the Venezuelan energy sector through legitimate and authorised commercial avenues established by the United States.”

    Trump’s administration was also pressing a deal with Venezuela to divert supplies intended for China, Venezuela’s top buyer, and import up to $2 billion worth of crude oil.

    “The United States’ brazen use of force against Venezuela and its demand for ‘America First’ when Venezuela disposes of its own oil resources are typical acts of bullying,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference.

    Trump has openly spoken of controlling Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, in conjunction with U.S. oil companies, after arresting and jailing Maduro, whom he has cast as a drug-trafficking dictator in league with Washington’s foes. Maduro pleaded not guilty this week to drug crimes in a federal court in New York.

    Maduro’s Socialist Party allies remain in power in Venezuela, where Acting President Delcy Rodriguez is treading a fine line between denouncing his “kidnapping” and kick-starting cooperation with the U.S. under explicit threats from Trump.

    The Republican president said the U.S. would refine and sell up to 50 million barrels of crude stuck in Venezuela under a U.S. blockade as a first step in his plan to revive a sector long in decline despite sitting on the largest reserves in the world.

    “This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Trump posted on Tuesday.

    Sources at PDVSA told Reuters negotiations for an export deal had progressed, though Venezuela’s government made no official announcement.

    Crude oil prices fell on world markets due to anticipated increased supplies released by Trump’s plan.

    China, Russia and leftist allies of Venezuela have all denounced the U.S. raid to capture Maduro, which was Washington’s biggest such intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama to topple Manuel Noriega.

    Washington’s allies are also deeply uneasy at the extraordinary and precedent of seizing a foreign head of state, with Trump making a slew of threats of more action – from Mexico to Greenland – to further U.S. interests.

    Venezuela has not confirmed its total losses from the attack on Caracas. The army posted a list of 23 of its dead and ally Cuba said 32 members of its military and intelligence services died.

    Maduro, 63, who had ruled Venezuela since the 2013 death of his predecessor and mentor Hugo Chavez, pleaded not guilty on Monday to narcotics charges in a Manhattan court where he was shackled at the ankles and wore orange-and-beige prison garb.

    Trump appears to be calculating that it is better for stability in Venezuela to work with Maduro’s senior allies for now. He is stressing revival of the oil sector with the help of U.S. firms as the priority, not the freeing of political prisoners or a new vote for a democratic transition.

    Venezuela’s main anti-Maduro figure Maria Corina Machado, who left in disguise to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize in October, wants to return home where she says the opposition would easily win a free vote.

    But she is also taking care not to antagonise Trump, saying she would like to personally give him the Nobel Prize, which he had coveted and which she dedicated to him at the time. She backs Trump’s desire to make Venezuela a major ally and the energy hub of the Americas.

    While working with Rodriguez and other top Venezuelan officials, the U.S. has warned they must cooperate or risk sharing Maduro’s fate.

  • Rubio to discuss Greenland ownership with Denmark next week

    Rubio to discuss Greenland ownership with Denmark next week

    United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced he will hold talks with Denmark next week amid concerns over America’s desire to acquire the Danish territory of Greenland.

    Rubio’s statement to reporters following a closed-door briefing with U.S. senators comes a day after the White House said U.S. President Donald Trump had been discussing options including military force to acquire Greenland.

    Concerns over the future of the territory resurfaced after Trump’s unilateral use of military force against Venezuela on Saturday to seize its President Nicolás Maduro.

    The Trump administration says Greenland is vital to U.S. security. Denmark says an attack would end the NATO military alliance.

    “If the president identifies a threat to the national security of the United States, every president retains the option to address it through military means,” Rubio said yesterday.

    “As a diplomat, which is what I am now, and what we work on, we always prefer to settle it in different ways – that included in Venezuela.”

    Earlier in the day, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Rubio had “ruled out the possibility of an invasion” of Greenland in a phone call with him.

    Barrot is to discuss the Arctic island, which is located in an area of strategic significance, with his German and Polish counterparts later yesterday.

    Read Also: Nigeria can earn $10bn yearly from cashew industry, says NCAN

    On Tuesday, European leaders issued a joint statement rallying behind Denmark, which has been pushing back against Trump’s ambitions to own .

    “Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations,” the leaders of France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark said in a joint statement.

    Stressing they were as keen as the US on Arctic security, the European signatories said this must be achieved by Nato allies, including the US, “collectively”.

    They also called for “upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders”.

    A day after the US military action in Venezuela, Katie Miller, the wife of one of Trump’s senior aides, posted a map on social media of Greenland in the colours of the US flag, alongside the word “SOON”.

    On Monday, her husband, Stephen Miller, said it was “the formal position of the US government that Greenland should be part of the U.S”.

    Morgan Angaju, 27, an Inuit living in Ilulissat in the west region of Greenland, said it had been “terrifying to listen to the leader of the free world laughing at Denmark and Greenland and just talking about us like we’re something to claim”.

  • Oil prices fall on Venezuela crisis

    Oil prices fall on Venezuela crisis

    • Experts disagree on how it ‘ll affect budget

    Nigeria’s 2026 budget may be threatened following the US strike on Venezuela at the weekend. This is as a result of the ripple effect the action is having on the price of crude in the international market.

    Yesterday, oil prices continued their decline with Brent dropping by 0.38 per cent to $60.56 a barrel. The  United States(US) West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell by 1.17 per cent to $56.46 a barrel as the market reacted to   President Donald Trump’s announcement that the US had secured a deal to import up to $2 billion in Venezuelan crude.

     Also,  Trump said Venezuela will turn over between 30 million and 50 million barrels of oil to the US in two months.

    With Nigeria’s 2026 federal budget of N58.18 trillion predicated on a “conservative” crude oil benchmark of $64.85 per barrel, experts reckon that should the decline continue,   the revenue earnings of the country may be affected. 

    Just yesterday, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright  further accentuated Trump’s plans for Venezuela’s oil, affirming that the   plans to take long-term control of Venezuela’s oil industry, including overseeing crude sales and revenues, “indefinitely.”

     Under the plan, Washington would sell Venezuelan oil directly on global markets, thus adding to the current glut being experienced in the global supply and delivery position.

       Mayowa Sodipo, an oil and gas consultant, said continued involvement of America in Venezuelan oil will negatively affect Nigeria’s revenue projection for this year because the US has always been the world’s largest buyer of the country’s oil.

    ‘’The gains being recorded by the local currency, the Naira, may also be in jeopardy given that oil remains the largest source of foreign exchange for the country.

    Read Also: Venezuela, Russia, China, UK urge U.S. to release Maduro

    “Our forex may suffer if the price decline continues; it means reduced Forex inflow for the country, including affecting our external reserves, and this will put more pressure on the naira,” Sodipo said.

    He warned that the effect will reverberate in the overall economy as major projects may be impacted negatively. “The government has embarked on huge projects; they may suffer funding should the price continue to decline,” Sodipo added.

    This view was reechoed by former chairman of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Prof. Segun Ajibola, who warned that as one of Nigeria’s top oil buyers, any reduction in U.S. demand could have knock-on effects for export volumes and prices.

    Ajibola said: “At the current price of about $60.8 per barrel compared with Tinubu’s proposed $64.85, the situation is already becoming stressed. If a price war ensues, as could be triggered by increased supply from Venezuela, it will affect Nigeria’s projections for 2026.”

    On the contrary, an economist and Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf,   opined that the situation in Venezuela was unlikely to have any significant impact on the global oil market, particularly in the near term.

    He based his argument on the present glut being experienced in the oil market and the insignificant contribution of Venezuela to the market.

    Yusuf said: “Venezuela’s current oil output is extremely low, accounting for less than one per cent of global oil production. Years of underinvestment, operational inefficiencies, sanctions, and institutional collapse have severely weakened the country’s oil sector.

    ‘’As a result, Venezuela no longer plays a material role in influencing global oil supply dynamics. Importantly, the recent attack and the circumstances surrounding  Maduro’s capture did not damage Venezuela’s oil production infrastructure. Consequently, oil output is expected to remain broadly unchanged in the short term.”   

    Beyond Venezuela’s limited production capacity, he further argued, the global oil market is presently experiencing a supply glut. This supply cushion means that even if Venezuela were to experience some level of production disruption, it would not translate into any meaningful impact on global oil prices. Current market fundamentals, he said, are therefore resilient enough to absorb any marginal shocks from Venezuela.

    Yusuf, however, noted that the country remains strategically significant in the longer term as it holds one of the largest proven oil reserves in the world- about 18 per cent of global reserves, a resource base he argued, gives Venezuela substantial latent potential.

    “If the current political developments do not escalate into prolonged instability, and if Donald Trump follows through on indications that American oil companies could re-enter the Venezuelan oil sector, the country’s oil output could gradually recover,” the economist said.

    He added that such a turnaround would occur only in the medium to long term. Yusuf also noted that rebuilding production capacity would require significant capital investment, technical expertise, regulatory clarity, and time. Therefore, any supply boost from Venezuela would not be immediate and should not be factored into short-term oil market expectations.

    “In summary, while Venezuela’s political developments are geopolitically notable, they do not pose a short-term risk to global oil supply or prices. Any meaningful impact would depend on long-term political stability and sustained reinvestment in the country’s oil industry,” Yusuf said.

    However, in the medium to long term, the economist argued that there may be a significant increase in output, which may lead to a significant increase in supply and which may affect the global oil price.

    “But that is in the medium to long term because for now, Venezuela will be experiencing some instability. Even the investors that Trump was talking about will also be very cautious in returning to Venezuela to produce.

    “So, it will take some time for them to have that level of confidence to go to Venezuela and invest. I mean, it will also take some time, a minimum of a year. These are investors who have left the place for some time. These are investors who also want to watch the political environment and the security environment in the place. So, investors will also take their time before they go there to begin to invest in oil production; these are private investors. These are not government investors.

     However, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) appears to be girding its loins. At its January 4 meeting, OPEC+ agreed to keep output steady, despite internal tensions, reinforcing expectations that 2026 will be marked by oversupply. With inventories comfortable and alternative barrels available, traders see little reason to panic. On that narrow view, oil’s muted reaction looks rational.

    Yet markets are rarely adept at pricing geopolitical risk in real time. President Trump’s threats, not only against Venezuela but also Colombia, Mexico and even Greenland, inject a level of headline risk that is hard to model but difficult to underestimate. History suggests that investors’ instinct to “keep calm and carry on” often holds until it suddenly does not.

  • Obi’s ex-running mate slams ADC members as ‘disgruntled’

    Obi’s ex-running mate slams ADC members as ‘disgruntled’

    The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate during the 2023 poll, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, yesterday parted ways.

    Baba-Ahmed, who reiterated his commitment to the party and declared his intention to run for president in 2027 polls, described the chieftains of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as disgrunted elements.

    At a rally held at the LP National Secretariat in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), he clarified that his ambition does not imply an intention to step into Obi’s shoes.

    The rally was presided over by the factional chairman, Julius Abure, who said that the LP is intact under his leadership.

    Prior to his declaration of ambition, there was no  rift between Baba-Ahmed and Obi, who left the LP for the ADC last week.

    Barely a week after his defection, Obi’s followers in the Obedient Movement said the former Anambra State governor would contest for the ADC presidential ticket.

    Its National Coordinator, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, said under no condition would Obi also accept to be running mate to anybody.

    Why I want to govern,  by Baba-Ahmed

    Baba-Ahmed told party members that his aspiration was neither reactionary nor dependent on Obi’s political decisions, stressing that it predates the 2023 poll.

    He said: “I have made myself to contest for the office in 2027. I’m not following anybody’s trajectory or stepping into anybody’s shoes.

    “Can I please, remind you that before His Excellency Governor Peter Obi filed for the presidency, I aspired for the presidency before him? The records are there for you to see.”

    Baba-Ahmed, who represented Kaduna North in the Senate, reaffirmed his loyalty and commitment to the party, saying that it once gave him the platform to seek power.

    Read Also:ADC coalition built on contradictions, personal ambitions — Alawuje

    The 56-year-old politician said he does not have confidence in the ADC, insisting that those behind the coalition are “disgruntled politicians.”

    He recalled his earlier attempt to secure the LP  ticket, noting that he had contested during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary before aligning with Obi in the LP.

    Baba-Ahmed said: “In October 2018, I participated in the primary of the then PDP in Port Harcourt and walked to Obi for his vote, and he smiled at me. What a gentleman he was.

    “If you heard me well in what I just submitted, I saw a rare opportunity for national unity to have elected Peter Obi in 2023. And that is why I decided to flow with it.”

    Baba-Ahmed reflected on the moderating influence of religion and ethnicity, saying that Nigeria’s constitution guarantees the right to seek elective office to every Nigerian.

    He said: “Yes, I am a practising Muslim. But I’m a Nigerian, and the constitution allows me to contest. You asked about my ethnicity. Yes, I am a Hausa man, and the Nigerian constitution also allows me to contest. I’m doing this because Nigeria needs help.”

    Baba-Ahmed said having made his intention known, he would adhere strictly to party rules and electoral guidelines.

    He added: “However, as a law-abiding citizen and a loyal party member, until the timetable is released by INEC and the leadership of the Labour Party calls for interested aspirants, I will not say anything about it. But remember I told you that Nigerians know the truth.”

    Abure: I am LP chairman

    Abure, who  thanked Baba-Ahmed for taking a bold position, said that he is the LP  leader

    He noted that  Baba-Ahmed decided to stay on in the party despite speculations that he might defect, following Obi’s exit.

    Abure said LP is intact because key figures, including Abia State Governor Alex Otti, have refused to defect.

    He said: “Only recently, the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, told the world that he joined the party before Peter Obi did. This is true. Otti also said he was not going to defect with Peter Obi.

    “On the night Peter Obi defected, I received a telephone call from our vice presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Dr Datti Baba-Ahmed. He said he is not leaving the party because it was the platform upon which he, along with the former candidate, received 6 million votes. We all know what happened.”

    Abure disclosed that Baba-Ahmed personally suggested a meeting of party leaders and members to reaffirm unity within the party.

    He said: “In fact, he asked me to organise an event where members can come together. He first suggested that we meet at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel with a few senior members that he would foot the bill.

    “But I suggested that we hold the event here at the party secretariat and invite our members, artisans and ordinary people who truly own the party, and he agreed. That is why we are having this gathering here today.

    “The Labour Party is intact; we will not let Nigerians down. We will remain together and provide a genuine alternative for Nigerians.”

    ‘Nenadi-Usman not defecting’

    The Chairman of the factional National Caretaker Committee, Senator Esther Nenadi- Usman, would not defect to ADC, a source said.

    According to the source, she remains the National Chairman of the Labour Party to the glory of God. She has a fantastic job she’s doing in the Labour Party, and that job is not yet concluded because Nigeria is still yet to be rescued from the clutches of bad governance plaguing it.”

    Asked when Nenadi-Usman is staying back in LP because she knows that Obi cannot get the ADC ticket, the source added: “It has nothing to do with who gets what ticket. It’s about the fight to rescue Nigeria, starting with the rescue of the Labour Party from the hands of impostors.”

    2027: PDP to meet Obi, Atiku, says Ogidi

    The PDP  National Vice Chairman (Southsouth), Emmanuel Ogidi, disclosed that the party had reached out to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Obi.

     He said the consultations are aimed at rebuilding and strengthening the main opposition party.

    Ogidi, who spoke on television, said: “We are doing the rounds. We have already seen a former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, and a former President, Ibrahim Babangida (IBB). It is all about seeing those who are important in Nigeria to tell them that we are alive and moving.”

    He added: “I know you are going to ask me about Obi. Yes, we also have plans to see Peter Obi. Even Atiku Abubakar, as the former vice president of the country. We are going to meet him. You see, PDP is the real face of democracy in Nigeria.”

  • EFCC vows not to bow to blackmail, pledges fairness

    EFCC vows not to bow to blackmail, pledges fairness

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said it will not bow to blackmail to drop charges against some Political Exposed Persons(PEPs).

    It said it will remain non-political and non-partisan in line with the EFCC Establishment Act.

    It said anti-graft suspects undergoing investigation and prosecution were both in the ruling party and in the opposition.

    The commission  raised the alarm over plot to launch campaigns of calumny against it  and its Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede by politicians and groups having vested interests in suspects.

    The EFCC made its position known in a statement in Abuja by its Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Dele Oyewale.

    It said: “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) wishes to alert the public of planned campaigns of calumny by politicians and groups having vested interests in suspects being investigated or facing prosecution by the commission.

    ‘A motley crowd of paid jobbers comprising  politicians , academics,  so-called civil society activists and some Nigerian fugitives in the diaspora have been recruited by these disgruntled elements to orchestrate campaigns of calumny through sponsored media attacks targeting the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede and the institution itself with phantom allegations of political bias in the execution of the commission’s mandate.

    “Their objective is to befuddle the works of the commission and, through scaremongering, intimidate the commission into a timid mode, where it will be afraid to investigate opposition politicians for fear of being labelled as partisan.

    “This campaign is likely to intensify as the political space becomes charged, in the months leading to the 2027 general election.

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    “The commission wishes to put those recruited into this ignoble enterprise on notice that their activities are under close watch, and EFCC will not tolerate any attempt to distract it from the patriotic task of improving public accountability in Nigeria.

    The anti-graft commission restated its resolve to be non-political.

    It vowed to investigate and  prosecute  any political actor belonging to the ruling party or opposition party.

    It added: “The EFCC reiterates its non-political stance in all its activities. Facts on the ground clearly show that any political actor belonging to the ruling party or opposition party, with corruption baggage, has no hiding place from the operational radar and dynamics of the commission. “As a matter of fact, several strong members of the ruling and opposition parties are either facing trial before the courts or being investigated by the commission.

    It said its declaration of all suspects and defendants on trial as innocent was based on the law and the  EFCC Establishment Act.

     The commission said it was not out to shield any individual or group from prosecution.

    The EFCC said: “It is needful that Nigerians appreciate the fact that the commission is keeping faith with its Establishment Act in all its operations. Commentaries about presumption of innocence of a defendant in court are in line with the provisions of the Constitution and not intended as defence of any individual or group. “Additionally, the commission has no alliance or working relationship with any political party. All these facts are unassailable. 

    “ The EFCC will not be pressured or blackmailed into making public disclosures of politically exposed persons being investigated for one alleged corruption case or the other.  “Therefore,  the Commission reiterates its commitment to justice, without fear or favour,  in the fulfilment of its mandate.”