The Nation Newspaper

Category: Featured

  • Panic, lobbying over FCTA’s threat to seize properties in Abuja

    Panic, lobbying over FCTA’s threat to seize properties in Abuja

    There is panic in Abuja over plans by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to revoke  4, 794 properties over non-payment of ground rent.

    The National secretariat of the People Democratic Party (PDP) located in the Central Business District, private and government owned properties are at risk of being sealed off by FCTA officials over alleged failure to pay ground rents of over 19 years.

    The revocation exercise will commence on Monday (tomorrow).

    Findings showed that property owners have started making phone calls and lobbying to prevent the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) from taking over their properties.

    A top source in the FCTA told our correspondent that the calls and lobbying started on Friday evening hours after the briefing was held by the FCTA to revoke the properties.

    The source said top Nigerians especially politicians are the major people calling for FCTA to shelve the revocation.

    Ground rent is a yearly fee landowners pay for the right to occupy and use their land.

    Read Also: Police confirm invasion of Abuja estate by gunmen

    In March 2025, Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike revoked 4,794 land titles in the country’s capital over alleged non-payment of ground rents.

    Recall last Friday, FCT Minister’s Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka said the government had given enough time to the property owners.

    Olayinka said: “ownership of the revoked 4,794 properties in the Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama and Guzape districts, had already reverted to the FCTA, and as from Monday, next week, the government will begin to exercise its rights of ownership on the affected landed properties.

    “As usual, this will be done without consideration as to ownership of the affected landed properties. It will be purely in line with extant laws and regulations guiding the process.”

    Olayinka briefed reporters alongside Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze and Director Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima.

    Many people are waiting for what will happen on Monday and how the revocation will be handled by the FCTA.

  • Tinubu appoints Nnamani, Anyim, Shema, Shaibu, 18 others into federal agencies, commissions

    Tinubu appoints Nnamani, Anyim, Shema, Shaibu, 18 others into federal agencies, commissions

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of 22 people into leadership positions across various federal agencies and commissions, marking another significant step in the administration’s commitment to revitalising public institutions and deepening governance reforms.

    His Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga announced this on Saturday evening on his verified X handle. 

    Prominent among the appointees are former Senate President Ken Nnamani; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim; former Katsina Governor, Ibrahim Shehu Shema; former Edo Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu and veteran labour leader Comrade Isa Aremu.

    Nnamani from Enugu State was named Chairman of the Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS); former Governor Shema named Chairman of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) while Anyim of Ebonyi State was appointed Chairman of the National Merit Awards.

    They are all expected to bring strategic oversight and political depth to their new roles.

    Shaibu was appointed Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Sport, reinforcing the administration’s focus on youth development and sports promotion. 

    Aremu, a renowned labour activist from Kwara State, was appointed Director-General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies.

    Read Also: Tinubu’s reforms drive customs revenue to record ₦1.3tr in Q1 2025 – Adeniyi

    At the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), Tinubu approved the appointment of Yazid Shehu Umar Danfulani from Zamfara State as Managing Director.

    He is to work with Abubakar Umar Jarengol from Adamawa State, who was named Executive Director (Operation/Technical), and Babaranti Ayandayo Rasheed from Osun State as Executive Director (Finance and Administration). 

    In the area of women and social development, Dr. Asabe Vilita Bashir from Borno State was appointed Director-General of the National Centre for Women Development while Omobolanle Akinyemi-Obe from Ondo State was named Director-General of the National Senior Citizens Centre, Abuja.

    The President also appointed Dr. Segun Aina from Osun State as Director-General of the Academic Staff College of Nigeria, a key institution for academic development and retraining in the tertiary education sector.

    At the National Population Commission, Senator Jalo Zarami from Yobe State and Hon. Dr. Joseph Haruna Kigbu from Nasarawa State were appointed as Federal Commissioners, as part of efforts to strengthen national data systems and population planning.

    From Kano State, Hamza Ibrahim Baba was appointed National Program Manager of the Government Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Program (GEEP), a federal initiative supporting small businesses and informal sector enterprises.

    Abubakar Adamu from Benue State was named Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, while Mohammed Lawal Ibrahim of Kogi State and Abdullahi Mohammed of Katsina State were appointed Executive Directors (Finance/Admin) and (Monitoring and Implementation), respectively, at the Nigeria–Sao Tome Joint Development Authority.

    In another strategic appointment, Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura from Zamfara State was named Director-General of the Centre for Citizenship and Leadership Training, an agency tasked with promoting leadership values and civic education.

    Senator Kabir Abdullahi Barkiya from Katsina was appointed Chairman of the Nigerian Agricultural Land Development Authority, while Dr. Shuaibu Shehu Aliyu from Kaduna State was appointed Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education.

    Also on the list is Professor Almustapha Alhaji Aliyu from Sokoto State, who was appointed Managing Director of NNPC Gas Marketing Limited (NGML), a critical subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).

  • Tinubu’s reforms drive customs revenue to record ₦1.3tr in Q1 2025 – Adeniyi

    Tinubu’s reforms drive customs revenue to record ₦1.3tr in Q1 2025 – Adeniyi

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded a historic revenue milestone of ₦1.3 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, more than doubling its first-quarter collection of ₦600 billion in 2023. 

    Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi attributed this unprecedented achievement to the far-reaching reforms instituted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

    Speaking in an upcoming State House documentary commemorating President Tinubu’s second year in office, Adeniyi revealed that the remarkable rise in revenue was not the result of increased imports — which have actually declined due to foreign exchange constraints — but rather the outcome of deep institutional reforms across Customs operations.

    According to a statement on Saturday by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, the CG said: “What has changed is efficiency, transparency, and enforcement. We collected ₦1.3 trillion in Q1 2025 alone, despite a dip in import volume. That is the result of focused leadership and accountability”.

    The Customs boss credited several key initiatives with catalyzing the boost, including upgraded technology, improved port operations, stricter enforcement against revenue leakages, and a cultural shift toward accountability in Customs commands nationwide.

    At the heart of these transformations is the $3.2 billion E-Customs Modernisation Project, which the Service is preparing to fully deploy. 

    The digital overhaul will automate cargo processing, surveillance, and payments at ports and borders.

    “We’re laying the foundation to move from a manual, paper-based system to a fully digital service. Once fully deployed, the E-Customs Project is projected to generate up to $250 billion in cumulative revenue over 20 years”, Adeniyi said. 

    In a bid to align Nigeria’s customs practices with global standards, the NCS has also launched the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme. 

    This initiative fast-tracks cargo processing for pre-vetted, compliant importers, reducing port congestion and encouraging voluntary compliance.

    “If you’re compliant, you get green-lane treatment. This is how modern customs systems work globally — it’s about trust and efficiency”, Adeniyi explained. 

    The Customs Service has also intensified anti-smuggling operations and closed long-standing revenue gaps. 

    According to Adeniyi, over ₦64 billion was recovered from previously under-assessed or undervalued imports in the past nine months.

    Major smuggling networks operating through the Seme, Idiroko, Katsina, and Sokoto borders have been dismantled, with results credited to newly established joint border patrol task forces operating in coordination with the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Police.

    “We’re no longer just chasing smugglers in the bush. We’re using data, surveillance drones, and port intelligence to act in real time. Systemic leakages are now being plugged”, he said. 

    To further facilitate trade and reduce business costs, the NCS is accelerating the deployment of the National Single Window — a digital platform that will unify all government agencies involved in cargo clearance. 

    Currently, importers must navigate up to 15 separate agencies manually.

    “With the Single Window, you’ll do it all online, in one place. This will slash clearance time and costs”, Adeniyi said. 

    He added that clearance times at Apapa and Tin Can Ports have already dropped from 21 days to as few as 7–10 days for compliant importers.

    In line with the federal government’s renewed push for non-oil exports, the Service has introduced fast-track lanes for agro-exports and is collaborating with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to streamline outbound cargo processing.

    Read Also: Ndume lauds Tinubu over appointment of northerners into key federal agencies

    “We’re promoting exports aggressively. In 2024 alone, Nigeria exported over ₦340 billion worth of solid minerals and agro commodities through formal channels — a 38% increase. We’re targeting even more in 2025”, the CG said. 

    Adeniyi also spoke on the internal transformation of the Service itself. 

    Over 1,800 officers have been trained in advanced data analytics, risk profiling, and artificial intelligence, as part of an effort to shift NCS from physical inspections to intelligence-led operations.

    “Customs is no longer just about checking containers. We’re becoming a data-driven, globally competitive agency”, he said. 

    He emphasized that the transformative success of the Service is rooted in the clear directive from President Tinubu: block leakages, facilitate trade, and raise revenue without increasing the burden on citizens.

    “That is what we are doing. And the results are beginning to speak for themselves”, Adeniyi said. 

  • BREAKING: NNPC announces Port Harcourt refinery shutdown for maintenance

    BREAKING: NNPC announces Port Harcourt refinery shutdown for maintenance

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has announced that the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) will undergo a scheduled maintenance shutdown from May 24, 2025.

    In a statement on Saturday by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Femi Soneye, NNPC Ltd explained that the shutdown is part of a broader maintenance and sustainability assessment initiative aimed at enhancing the facility’s efficiency and long-term performance.

    “The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) wishes to inform the general public that the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) will undergo a planned maintenance shutdown,” the statement reads.

    “This scheduled maintenance and sustainability assessment will commence on May 24, 2025.”

    NNPC Ltd further assured that it is collaborating with relevant stakeholders to ensure a smooth and transparent process.

    Read Also: Port Harcourt Refinery fire not an explosion, says NNPCL

    “We are working closely with all relevant stakeholders, including the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), to ensure the maintenance and assessment activities are carried out efficiently and transparently.”

    Reaffirming its dedication to the nation’s energy needs, the company added:
    “NNPC Ltd remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering sustainable energy security.”

    The corporation noted that additional updates will be communicated through its official channels, including its website, media platforms, and public statements.

  • First Lady expands food security drive to vulnerable groups nationwide

    First Lady expands food security drive to vulnerable groups nationwide

    In a major boost to the Federal Government’s food security and social investment agenda, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has announced the expansion of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Food Outreach Scheme to reach even more vulnerable communities across the country.

    Represented by the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, at an RHI outreach event on Friday at the International Conference Centre in Umuahia, the First Lady emphasised that the programme has continued to deliver life-changing food assistance to women, persons with disabilities, and marginalised populations since its launch in March 2024.

    According to a statement by Special Assistant to the President on Media and ICT, Office of the Vice President, Kwapchi Bata Hamman, the First Lady oversaw the handover of food supplies to Abia RHI Coordinator, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, the Wife of the State Governor.

    She said: “As I hand over these essential food commodities to Abia State and the RHI State Coordinator, I urge the beneficiaries to use these items for the well-being of their families. We at RHI are implementing several impactful interventions that are touching lives across the nation, and we are pleased that our efforts are yielding positive outcomes.”

    Since its launch, the Food Outreach Scheme has reached 11 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) including Benue, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Gombe, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, and Oyo. 

    The initiative is scheduled to reach Enugu and Kaduna next. Funded by The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) and an anonymous donor, the programme targets one state per month for food distribution.

    The First Lady used the occasion to announce the rollout of several other new initiatives under RHI’s five core pillars—Social Investment, Economic Empowerment, Education, Health, and Agriculture—for the year 2025.

    “Under Social Investment, RHI is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Environment to establish ‘The Environment Club’ for senior secondary school students and ‘The Environment Society’ for students in tertiary institutions nationwide. These initiatives aim to promote environmental cleanliness and tree planting.

    “Under Economic Empowerment, RHI plans to disburse grants of Two Hundred Thousand Naira (₦200,000) each to 250 persons with disabilities in all 36 states and the FCT to support and recapitalise their small businesses.

    “In the area of Education, the ‘Flow with Confidence’ programme will distribute 10,000 packs of sanitary pads—enough to last a year—to young girls, particularly those in rural communities. This initiative aims to help girls stay in school throughout their menstrual cycle,” Senator Tinubu said. 

    Read Also: First Lady commences distribution of food Items to vulnerable groups in Abia

    According to the First Lady, the programmes are designed to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and to improve the lives of Nigerians across the country.

    Senator Tinubu also commended wife of Abia Governor for her outstanding efforts and support in ensuring the success of the RHI Food Outreach and other related programmes in the state.

    Governor Alex Otti, speaking on behalf of the Abia State Government, declared his administration’s readiness to partner with organisations like RHI that aim to uplift the vulnerable. He applauded Senator Tinubu’s commitment and the tangible impacts of the RHI outreach.

    Receiving the items, Mrs. Priscilla Otti highlighted the significant impact of the Food Outreach on families in the state. “This intervention has transformed many lives,” she stated, assuring the First Lady of continuous support and affirming that items would be distributed to individuals from diverse backgrounds to meet the programme’s objectives.

    Also, Managing Director of ASR Africa and representative of BUA, Dr. Ubon Udoh, lauded the sustainable impact of RHI’s work and pledged continued support from the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative.

  • 36 govs lose bid to reclaim N1.8trn, N450b recovered funds

    36 govs lose bid to reclaim N1.8trn, N450b recovered funds

    • Supreme Court declines jurisdiction

    The 36 state governments and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) yesterday lost their judicial battle with the federal government over the central authorities’   application of recovered looted funds.

    The Supreme Court held that the suit in which the plaintiffs faulted the non-remittance of the recovered loot into the Federation Account, was wrongly filed before it (apex court).

    A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court said in its unanimous judgement that the plaintiffs wrongly ignited its jurisdiction.

    The lead judgment was prepared by Justice Chidiebere Uwa, but read by Justice Mohammed Idris.

    READ ALSO: 11 things Nigerians should note when applying for a five-year Schengen visa

    The plaintiffs had claimed that “between 2015 and 2021 when the suit was filed, the FG has secured both international and municipal forfeiture, recovery and repatriation of “stolen assets” in the sum of NI,836,906,543,658.73, about 167 properties, 450 cars, 300 trucks and cargoes, and 20,000,000 barrels of crude oil worth over N450million,”which it allegedly failed to remit as required by the Constitution.

    They alleged that instead of paying the cash into the Federation Account, the FG illegally diverted it into the Consolidated Revenue Accounts (CRA) and other accounts not recognised by the Nigerian Constitution.

    The CRAs, according to them, are accounts into which FG’s share from the Federation Account, other federal earnings and funds belonging to specific state governments are paid.

    They named such other federal earnings payable into the CRAs as receipts from federal government licenses and land revenue, administrative fees, earnings and sales, rent of government property, interests from federal government investments, repayments from state governments, Personal Income Tax of Armed Forces and others.

    The  plaintiffs also claimed  that the Asset Recovery Account and Interim Forfeiture Recovery Account set up to receive revenue from recovered assets was illegal and  the Asset Recovery Regulation a violation of the provisions of the Constitution.

    They noted that since 2015, “numerous recoveries of illegally acquired assets have been secured through anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies,” including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigerian Police Force and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

    The plaintiffs, citing sections 162(1), 162 (10) and 80 of the Constitution and Section 2 of the Finance (Control and Management) Act, 1958, argued that recovered funds qualify as revenue payable to the Federation Account instead of the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government.

    They stated that it is “unconstitutional to remit or divert revenue payable into the Federation Account to the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government or any other account whatsoever, or to apply the said revenue to any other purpose.”

    They prayed the court to, among others, declare, “that by the provisions of Section 162(1) and Section 162(10) of the Constitution of all income, returns, proceeds or receipts howsoever described derived from confiscated, forfeited and/or recovered assets constitute revenue of the federal republic of Nigeria, must be remitted to the Federation Account for the collective benefit of the federal, state and local governments.

    They urged the court to issue an order compelling the remittance of N1.8 trillion (cash) and N450billion (non-cash) in recovered loot since 2015 into the federation account.

    The plaintiffs also prayed the court to compel the defendants to give a detailed account of the recovered assets that is not remitted into the Federation Account by the President as well as all the relevant officials and agencies of government.

    Besides, they  wanted  the apex court to compel the Federal Government, through the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC), to design the modalities for distributing recovered assets among the federating units.

  • 2025 UTME: DSS, police arrest 20 for hacking JAMB website

    No fewer than 20 suspects are currently in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force, in Abuja, for hacking the 2025 Computer-based test examinations conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), The Nation gathered yesterday.

    The suspects are part of a syndicate believed to have over 100 persons, who specialise in hacking the computer servers of examination bodies like JAMB and the National Examinations Council (NECO).

    Security sources disclosed that the suspects have confessed to sabotaging the Computer-Based-Test system in order to discredit JAMB and discourage students from using CBT for future WAEC/NECO examinations.

    The source said one of the suspects confessed that the syndicate would

    install an attacking software on the examination body hardware.

    The software in turn would remotely hack JAMB servers at any targeted CBT centre.

    READ ALSO: 11 things Nigerians should note when applying for a five-year Schengen visa

    The source  said the suspects are from Lagos, Edo, Anambra, Kano, Delta, among other states.

    The source, however, pleaded that their names be left out since they would soon be charged to court.

    “While the controversy raged, little did the public know that the DSS had been covertly monitoring and investigating this dangerous web of attacks. The investigations led to the arrest of over 20 persons across the country, with arrests still ongoing.

    “The strategy of these hackers involved mounting routers within the vicinity of the targeted CBT centres. The routers would in turn override JAMB platforms at the centres, making it easy for the special candidates who paid to get answers to the questions.

    “The intrusion of the ghost software by the syndicate distorted the system, making answers provided by candidates during the exam to be at variance with the questions. This eventually led to the recorded mass failure,” said the security source.

    The entire hacking process was to influence high scores for special candidates who paid between ₦700, 000 and two million naira, it was gathered.

    The source also disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that several members of the syndicate own private schools and colleges, and make huge sums of money from their special centres.

    They fear that fully integrating WAEC/NECO for CBT type of examinations will ruin their illegal business, it was learnt.

    The source, however, added that as at yesterday evening, “no case of complicity had been established against the seven JAMB staff who supervised the service providers at the two locations.”

  • Akwa Ibom gov’s defection notice excites APC, jolts PDP

    Akwa Ibom gov’s defection notice excites APC, jolts PDP

    • Why I’m joining ruling party, by Eno

    • ‘We’re set for A’Ibom political tsunami’

    • Saraki, Dickson, Dankwambo beg Enugu gov to stay

    • Defection to APC won’t stop trial of corrupt governors – AGF

    • EFCC slams Atiku’s aide over claim chairman met S’South gov

    It was all excitement yesterday in the All Progressives Congress (APC) following confirmation by Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno that he was firmly on his way to switching camps to the ruling party.

    Officials of the APC said they were ready to roll out the red carpet for the governor and his supporters.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which seems to have resigned to fate about losing Eno, dispatched a delegation of its Strategy and Way Forward Committee, led by former Senate President  Bukola Saraki to Enugu yesterday to stave off  mass defection by  Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and the entire South East hierarchy of the party to the APC.

     The South East Zone of the PDP had threatened to dump the party should it continue to refuse to recognize  the zone’s nominee for the position of national secretary, Sunday Ude-Okoye as replacement for the incumbent, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

     The federal government, reacting to  suggestions that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was being used to blackmail governors to dump the PDP for the APC, denied the allegations.

    It said defection to the ruling party  by  serving state governors and other office holders would not stop the FG  from acting on corruption cases against such suspects.

     Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister  Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) vowed that the Tinubu administration would continue to uphold the rule of law and would not falter in the fight against corruption, no matter whose ox is gored.

    The EFCC specifically debunked a statement by Mr. Paul Ibe, a  media aide of former Vice President  Atiku Abubakar that the commission’s  chairman, Ola Olukoyede held a secret meeting with an unnamed politician prior to his recent defection to the APC.

     Governor Eno, speaking at a meeting with stakeholders  in Uyo, the state capital on Thursday evening, said his love for President Bola Tinubu and the leadership crisis rocking the PDP were the  reasons for his planned defection.

    “For me, it is no longer news that I am leaving the party (PDP). If you don’t know that by now I don’t know what else you know. I am a PDP person, I love the PDP and I want to stay in the PDP but clearly I don’t have a roadmap to be able to guarantee that I will be able to have a smooth sail during the election not because I won’t win the election,” Eno told the stakeholders made up of members of his cabinet, delivery officers and  top officials of  the PDP.

    Continuing, he said: ” In this state today, with what we have done even if we contest on a zero party we will win the election. There is no doubt about it. We have worked very hard but you know that at the national level our party is not coming together.

    “Every day you hear secretary this and that and so you take your form and send it to INEC, run all the election, perhaps win the election and just on technical ground, because the wrong person signed your form, you lose everything.

    “I am not going to be stupid staying to do that. I love my party. In any case, in this state we are running as if there is no party. The only agenda we run in this state is the ARISE Agenda.

    “No party in this country has clear ideological differences and I challenge anybody to take that to debate to show me the ideological differences of each party we have in this country. People just move. This is not in America that we have the Democrats and people say we know their ideology.

    “Again, I support this President. I know clearly well that this President did not create the problem we are in. And I don’t know how to mince words. I cannot be in the PDP today and support the President of another party. It would clearly be in violation of party guidelines.

    “I don’t know how to flip flop so if I’m  supporting the President let me go to where I can say so and stay with things he has done. I don’t want to practice anti party activities. I don’t have the kind of strength that Barrister Nyesom Wike has.”

    He asked his commissioners and other political appointees to defect with him to APC or resign their positions.

    But he said  political appointees who wanted to remain in the PDP were free to do so except that they would no longer be members of his cabinet.

     His words: “I am told that some of you are saying that you will not come, you are free, absolutely free not to join me, but you won’t be in my state executive council.

     “So, you better just be prepared to resign the day I announce that I’m moving because you are an appointee and your loyalty is fully to me.

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     “You can’t be in my cabinet and play anti-party (affairs), It is not possible, it’s not a threat, it is what it is. I won’t beg you to come, you should normally not even expect it.”

     An APC official told The Nation last night that  it was another good news from the South South coming so soon after the April 23rd defection of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori,his deputy, cabinet, the entire PDP structure in the state and the immediate past governor,Dr.Ifeanyi Okowa who was also the presidential running mate in the 2023 election.

     The source who is familiar with the defection plans but craved anonymity recalled President Tinubu’s speech at the APC Summit in Abuja on Thursday in which he described the PDP as a sinking ship.

    “You don’t blame people bailing out of a sinking ship when there’s no life jacket,” Tinubu had said on the dumping of the PDP by  many of its prominent members. He said he expected more defections. 

    PDP moves to contain Southeast revolt as Saraki, others meet Mbah

     In an attempt to stem the gale of defections from  PDP’s  rank and file, a delegation of the party’ s Strategy and Way Forward Committee, led by a former Senate President,  Bukola Saraki yesterday visited Enugu State to plead with Governor Mbah and the Southeast zone to reconsider their decision to dump the party.

     The zonal leadership of the PDP had issued the threat last week to back up their nomination of Sunday Ude-Okoye as National Secretary in place of embattled Samuel Anyanwu.

     With Saraki on yesterday’s trip were the immediate past governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson and former governor of Gombe State, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo.

     The meeting took place behind closed doors.

     The former Senate President said on his X handle @bukolasaraki moments after the meeting that “We didn’t sidestep the issues.”

    He added: “We confronted the fractures in our foundation, asked the hard questions, and began shaping a real, workable plan to move our party forward.

     “ I believe in the PDP. I believe in what it has stood for and what it can still become, if we’re willing to do the hard, unglamorous work of rebuilding from the inside out.

      “The road ahead won’t be easy. It will test us and demand more from each of us. But I leave Enugu more convinced than ever: we have the people, the resolve, and the clarity to rise to the occasion—and to lead again.”

     He had told reporters as he stepped out of the meeting that the committee was working “toward ensuring that our upcoming National Executive Council meeting and also likely convention is rancor free and smooth.

     “In line with that, we are here in Enugu State to consult with all the leaders of our party, and Gov. Peter Mbah is the leader of the PDP Southeast.

     “This is the first state we are coming to, because we appreciate the importance of the Southeast in PDP family,” he said.

     The former Kwara governor said that Southeast had played a key role in the formation of  PDP.

     “In recognition of that, we are here to consult with Mbah and first commend him on the leadership role he has been playing in the party.

     “We commend what he is doing in Enugu State, which is a reflection of what happens when you have a PDP government,” he said.

     Saraki said that they discussed how to ensure that assignment given to them was done properly; to enable PDP hold its NEC and convention without rancour.

     “This is to ensure the NEC meeting and national convention are rancor free, smooth, peaceful and lay the foundation for the PDP that we all are wishing for.

     “So we have had a very good and useful discussion, and we are going away with some of the suggestions that we have and hopefully work on that.

     “From what we have seen today, there’s nothing that is insurmountable in the challenge ahead, given the spirit and the commitment of all of us, especially our leaders,” he said.

    Defection to APC won’t stop trial of corrupt governors – AGF

     Prince Fagbemi in a statement through his media aide, Mr. Kamarudeen Ogundele, said there was no truth in the allegation by Atiku’s aide that the EFCC and the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, met a former and incumbent governor of a South-South state, 48 hours to their defection to the APC.

     The AGF branded  the allegation as contemptuous, and said that although Ibe did not  mention the names of the defectors, “discerning members of the public know those he could have been referring to.”

    He said: “However, we wish to state categorically that the allegation is from the pit of hell, and at best, a figment of imagination of Mr Ibe.

     “We know as a fact that the EFCC chairman and the Solicitor General of the Federation never met any serving or former governor as alleged by him.

     “We appeal to the members of the public to disregard the insinuation as it was a feeble attempt to discredit President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration’s fight against corruption.

     “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will continue to uphold the rule of law and will not falter in the fight against corruption no matter whose ox is gored.”

    Atiku’s media aide lied ,says EFCC

    The EFCC, in its own denial, described Ibe’s allegations as unfounded claims.

    The anti-graft agency stated that Ibe bared his mind on sundry theories, conjectures and assumptions relating to opposition politics and defections.

     It  said: “His allegations of the Executive Chairman EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede and Solicitor General of the Federation’s alleged meeting with an unnamed governor forty -eight hours before his defection to the ruling All People’s Congress, APC, are patently fabricated and in bad taste.

    “Olukoyede has stressed it at several fora that he is apolitical and the EFCC totally wired against partisan tendencies.”

    The anti-graft agency urged the public to disregard the alleged meeting with the unnamed governor as it only exists in the imagination of Ibe.

  • BREAKING: Adeleke, Oyetola, Obasanjo, Atiku, Ooni, others arrive Ilesa for Owa Obokun’s coronation 

    BREAKING: Adeleke, Oyetola, Obasanjo, Atiku, Ooni, others arrive Ilesa for Owa Obokun’s coronation 

    Dignitaries from across Nigeria arrived at the venue of the coronation of the 41st Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, Ajimoko III.

    The coronation ceremony, taking place in Ilesa, Osun State, has drawn large crowds as residents trooped out in celebration, while many business owners shut their shops to honour the historic event.

    Among the high-profile guests already in attendance are Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, who is representing President Bola Tinubu; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; and Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East.

    Royal fathers also graced the occasion, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Laoye Ghandi; Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi; Owaloko of Iloko-Ijesa, Oba Akeem Ogungbangbe; and the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams.

    Also present are the Executive Director of Marine and Operations, Engr. Olalekan Badmus; a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly; and several cabinet members of the Osun State Government.

    Details shortly…

  • JUST IN: Supreme Court strikes 36 states’ suit against FG over recovered loot

    JUST IN: Supreme Court strikes 36 states’ suit against FG over recovered loot

    The Supreme Court has struck out a suit by the 36 states’ governments and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) challenging the federal government’s application of recovered looted funds.

    In a judgment on Friday, a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court was unanimous in holding that the suit was wrongly instituted before the apex court.

    In the lead judgment, prepared by Justice Chidiebere Uwa, but read by Justice Mohammed Idris, the apex court held that the plaintiffs wrongly invoked its jurisdiction.

    It held that the subject matter of the suit, marked: SC/CV/395/2021, was within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.

    The plaintiffs had claimed that “between 2015 and 2021 when the suit was filed, the FG has secured both international and municipal forfeiture, recovery and repatriation of “stolen assets” in the sum of NI,836,906,543,658.73, about 167 properties, 450 cars, 300 trucks and cargoes, and 20,000,000 barrels of crude oil worth over N450million,” which it allegedly failed to remit as required by the Constitution.

    They alleged that instead of paying the cash into the Federation Account, the FG illegally diverted it into the Consolidated Revenue Accounts (CRA) and other accounts not recognised by the Nigerian Constitution.

    The states argued that the CRA is the account into which FG’s share from the Federation Account, other federal earnings and funds belonging to specific state governments are paid.

    They added that other federal earnings payable to the CRAs include receipts from federal government licenses and land revenue, administrative fees, earnings and sales, rent of government property, interests from federal government investments, repayments from state governments, Personal Income Tax of Armed Forces and others.

    The plaintiffs stated that by establishing the Asset Recovery Account and Interim Forfeiture Recovery Account, into which revenue from recovered assets was to be paid, the Asset Recovery Regulation contradicts the provisions of the Constitution.

    They noted that since 2015, “numerous recoveries of illegally acquired assets have been secured through anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies,” including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigerian Police Force and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

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    The plaintiffs, citing sections 162(1), 162 (10) and 80 of the Constitution and section 2 of the Finance (Control and Management) Act, 1958, argued that recovered funds qualify as revenue payable to the Federation Account instead of the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government.

    They stated that it is “unconstitutional to remit or divert revenue payable into the Federation Account to the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government or any other account whatsoever, or to apply the said revenue to any other purpose,” the plaintiffs argued.

    The plaintiffs prayed the court to, among others, declare, “that by the provisions of Section 162(1) and Section 162(10) of the Constitution of all income, returns, proceeds or receipts howsoever described derived from confiscated, forfeited and/or recovered assets constitute revenue of the federal republic of Nigeria, must be remitted to the Federation Account for the collective benefit of the federal, state and local governments.

    They urged the court to issue a d order compelling the remittance of N1.8 trillion (cash) and N450 billion (non-cash) in recovered loot since 2015 into the federation account.

    The plaintiffs also prayed the court to compel the defendants to give a detailed account of the recovered assets that are not remitted into the Federation Account by the President, as well as all the relevant officials and agencies of government.

    They also want the apex court to compel the FG, through the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC), to design the modalities for distributing recovered assets among the federating units.