Veteran Nollywood actor and politician Kenneth Okonkwo has urged everyone to avoid the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party (LP).

Okonkwo said people would be scammed of their hard-earned money if they followed the Abure-led NWC, which he described as a bunch of ill-fated liars.

In a post on his X handle on Monday, the veteran actor dismissed a statement by the NWC of the Labour Party that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) didn’t reject its last convention.

He said: “My attention has been drawn to the updated lies of the rejected purported Abure-led NWC of Labour Party, signed by one Obiorah Ifoh, to the tune that INEC didn’t reject their crooked convention. A look at the letter will reveal that the writer neglected, failed, and refused to include the dates they purported to notify INEC of the changes in the venue.

“This is because they knew that the notice was inadequate and consequently by Section 82(5) of the Electoral Act was void. INEC didn’t attend because they were not legally notified to attend, not that they opted not to attend.

“Also, the Labour Party members or their duly elected delegates were not allowed to vote for their preferred candidates in the purported convention in accordance with Section 82(3) of the EA, making the convention void for not being all-inclusive as required by law.

“Everyone knows that they didn’t organise ward, local, or state congresses before the purported convention. INEC was right in rejecting the illegal convention, and they remain perpetually rejected.

“I wish to advise everyone to stay clear of these bunch of ill-fated liars as they will be scammed of their hard-earned money if they follow them.”

DAILY POST recalls that Okonkwo had distanced himself from the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee of the Labour Party.

He said he couldn’t continue with a corrupt and incompetent NWC led by Abure.

The Nollywood veteran expressed strong condemnation of the national convention organised by Abure, saying it was rife with criminality and corruption.

According to him, “Nothing can wash out the criminality, corruption, and incompetence with which the purported National Convention was purportedly organised by Abure.

“I did not leave the comfort of a ruling party, APC, because I believe that they are incompetent and dishonest, only to come and join another incompetent and corrupt association, which is the current Abure-led National Working Committee of Labour Party.”

The Dangote Refinery said it is seeking crude oil import from Libya and Angola amid a supply challenge in Nigeria.

The Vice President of Dangote Industry Limited (DIL), Devakumar Edwin disclosed this in an interview with Reuters on Sunday.

Edwin said outside Libya and Angola, the 650,000 barrels per day refinery would also look to other African countries for crude to increase production in its facility.

“We are talking to Libya about importing crude.

“We will talk to Angola, as well and some other countries in Africa,” Edwin told Reuters.

The development comes after the firm had sought crude oil from the United States and Brazil.

Recall that in the past days, the Dangote refinery had been at the center of discussion in Nigeria’s media discourse following a statement by the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed that its products are inferior.

Ahmed’s has received a wide range of reactions from the public.

Meanwhile, Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of Dangote Group has dismissed Ahmed’s statement, calling for an independent test.

Amnesty International has condemned the arrest and remand of Kano-based TikToker Junaidu Abdullahi, popularly known as ‘Abusalma,’ for mobilizing mass protests over the country’s widespread hunger and suffering.

In a statement on Sunday, Amnesty International demanded Abdullahi’s immediate release, accusing the Nigerian government of punishing him for exercising his fundamental rights.

“The Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release social media activist Junaidu Abdullahi (Abusalma), who was imprisoned in Kano for posting a viral TikTok video calling for a peaceful protest against widespread hunger across the country. #FreeAbusalma,” the human rights organization stated.

Amnesty International criticized the government’s actions, describing the expedited court proceedings and the three-week adjournment of the case as a deliberate attempt to punish Abdullahi for exercising his freedom of expression.

In February, Amnesty International reported that Nigerian authorities unlawfully arrested Aisha Jibrin, Fatima Aliyu, Fatima Isyaku, and 22 others in Minna, Niger State, for participating in a protest against the severe cost of living crisis. The police also unlawfully detained Fatima Auwal, a local bread (Gurasa) baker, for protesting the hike in flour prices.

Abdullahi, a TikTok influencer based in Kano, was arrested by security agents after posting a viral video calling for mass protests against the severe hunger and economic hardship affecting many Nigerians.

Sponsored by Rep. Babajimi Benson, the bill aims to preserve the lives of innocent unborn babies of such convicted women.

During the debate, Benson explained that the proposed legislation seeks to alter Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution by inserting a new subsection. This new subsection stipulates that if a pregnant woman is convicted of a capital offence, the court shall sentence her to life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.

The bill was passed and referred to the Committee on Constitution Amendment for further legislative actions.

Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a prominent Fulani socio-cultural association, has announced that its members will not participate in the planned nationwide protests against hunger and hardship scheduled for August 1, 2024.

During a press conference in Karu, Nasarawa State, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello-Bodejo, the national president, and Engr. Saleh Alhassan, the national secretary, made this clear. Bello-Bodejo stated, “Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore unequivocally and strongly asserts that we do not support the planned protests and our members will not be participating.” He emphasized the association’s preference for peaceful dialogue and constructive engagement with the authorities over mass protests. 

The group also praised the recent establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

In a related development, Alhaji Abdulkarim Dayyabu, a social critic and leader of the Movement for the Restoration of Justice, expressed scepticism about the authenticity of the faceless groups advocating for mass nationwide protests. Speaking to newsmen in Kano, Dayyabu urged the public to remain patient and supportive of the current leadership, suggesting that the government has been advised on the prevailing issues and is addressing them.

Don’t Destabilize Nigeria, CSOs Warn Protesters

In response to the planned nationwide protests organized by the #EndBadGovernance group, 259 civil society organizations (CSOs) under the Coalition for Transparency and Economic Reforms (COTER) have voiced their opposition.

COTER cautioned the protest organizers at a press conference led by National Coordinator Adeshina Animashaun. Animashaun noted that the protests could lead to chaos and violence reminiscent of the October 2020 #EndSARS demonstrations. He urged the organizers to reconsider, emphasizing that the protests could destabilize the nation and harm innocent citizens.

Nigerian skit maker cum content creator, Abisi Emmanuel better known as Nasty Blaq, has announced that he and his partner, Esther are expecting their first child.

The comedian announced the good news on his social media pages, uploading photographs of himself and Esther who showed off her huge baby bump as they both adorned white outfits.

Nasty Blaq expressed how amazing his journey with his partner has become over time, and now that they are embarking on a new chapter in their life.

The soon to be father celebrated the adventures of parenting and the tremendous joy that awaits them.

In Nasty Blaq’s words:

“From the first laugh we shared to the love that blossomed, our journey together has been nothing short of magical.

Now, we’re about to write a new chapter—welcoming our baby into the world. With you by my side, every moment feels like a dream come true. Cheers ? to the adventures of parenthood and the joy that awaits us.”

In the comments section, his admirers, friends, and colleagues joined him in celebration.

In a recent twist, Mr Obasi, Judy Austin’s 1st husband has called out the actress, accusing her of denying him access to his children.

In a video making the rounds online, he expressed displeasure about having children, 16, and 14 years old respectively and being restrained from seeing them.

He noted that he hadn’t seen his children in 10 years which has caused him great distress and worry.

According to him, the children aren’t living with Judy Austin nor are they with him which raises questions about where they are and the type of upbringing they’re currently receiving.

Mr Obasi opened up about being very sober and confused any day he wakes up thinking about his children.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has stated that it is not their job to protect a company, adding that they are regulators.

The regulatory body stated this while replying to the claims by billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote that they were demarketing a company that they should be protecting.

Recall that NMDPRA Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed claimed that Dangote’s diesel was inferior, as it has more sulphur content than the imported one.

He also said the refinery, which has been selling diesel and aviation fuel in Nigeria for months, had yet to be licensed.

Reacting, Dangote lamented that it was disheartening that the regulators were not safeguarding the petroleum market in Nigeria.

However, speaking during an interview with Punch on Sunday, NMDPRA spokesman, George Ene-Ita fumed over the allegation that the regulator was demarketing a company it should protect, wondering if Dangote wants the agency to bend the rules in his favour.

“Why should we protect any company? We are regulators, operations are going don’t protect anybody; we regulate operators. If he says protect, it means we are shielding. It means that we should bend the rules. We don’t do that, we regulate every company.

“And we don’t demarket, what does he mean? You only demarket your competitors to gain an advantage. We are not competing with an operator. The word, ‘demarketing’, is only used when two competing brands are fighting. We are not an operator; we are a regulator. How can we demarket? Please, I take exception to that, on behalf of my organisation. We are not demarketing anybody. We are regulating every local refinery, including NNPC,” he clarified.

Speaking further, Ene-Ita said the body is expecting fresh reports to confirm the real sulphur content of the diesel produced by the Dangote refinery as the company debunked claims of inferior fuel production.

He said the agency had done its job and would not engage in a media fight with anybody over the claims made by the NMDPRA Chief Executive.

According to Ene-Ita, the authority has about 15 engineers and scientists embedded in the Dangote refinery, whose fresh report about the refinery’s sulphur content will be out on Monday (today).

The NMDPRA spokesman posited that a lot might have changed within a space of five days.

“We are not fighting anybody. Dangote refinery is the same as an indigenous local refinery. We are regulators, we don’t fight in the media. We have done our job, and that is it.

“You know we are dealing with engineering and time, and when we deal with engineering and time, it means that whatever claims put forward can be put to test and verified or debunked. If you recall, the ACE made that pronouncement on the sideline of an interaction on Wednesday or so. Between that time and now, it’s been like five days, a lot can change. So, 650ppm or 500 can come down to whatever.

“What I am saying is that I can’t give you any verifiable result for now, being a Sunday evening, until perhaps tomorrow when we will be in a position to review our technical report that must have been submitted by our engineers who are embedded in that plant. What normally comes to us are weekly reports. These particular tasks are done across the week from Monday to Sunday; even now, operations are going on and our engineers are there. So, I can’t speak to the claims made by that refinery now,” Ene-Ita explained.

Former president Bill Clinton and ex-secretary of state Hillary Clinton praised Joe Biden’s decision to abandon his White House reelection bid Sunday, and threw their support behind Vice President Kamala Harris to take up the baton.

Lauding Biden‘s “extraordinary career of service,” the Clintons said in a joint statement that they were “honored” to join him in endorsing Harris as the Democratic nominee “and will do whatever we can to support her.”

“Nothing has made us more worried for our country than the threat posed by a second Trump term. He has promised to be a dictator on day one,” they continued.

An officer of the Nigeria Police Force, Sergeant Sunday Wadzani, has reportedly killed his father in Maiduguri, Borno State capital.

Naija News learnt that the tragic incident unfolded in Maiduguri on Sunday.

According to Daily Trust, the incident took place in the vicinity of the State Police Command headquarters in Modugannari.

It was reported that the officer responsible for this heinous is attached to the Borno State House of Assembly complex.

A security source told reporters that Wadzani has been apprehended and is presently under the custody of the GRA Police Station.

“A police sergeant by the name Sgt. Sunday Wadzani serving in Borno state command today 21st July 2024 this evening at about 1620hrs shot his father Rtd. Asp Wadzani Ntasiri seven times after a minor feud at Maiduguri,” a document filed on the incident read.

The main reason for the officer’s act, however, is yet to be made public.

Also, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Kenneth Daso, has not issued any official public statement regarding the incident as of the time of filing this report, Naija News understands.

Meanwhile, an Inspector of the Nigerian Police Force, identified as Shehu Oyibo, has been reportedly killed by gunmen in Abia State.

The murdered officer was serving with the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), as confirmed in a statement made available to newsmen by the Abia State Command Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Maureen Chinaka.

According to her, three civilians were brutally killed during the attack on a police patrol team stationed along Mosque Street, Ngwa Road, in Aba.

Naija News understands that the attack marks three weeks following the previous loss of two police officers at Opobo Junction, Ogbor Hill, Aba.

On the latest attack, the police mouthpiece stated that the assailants, operating from a Toyota Sienna bus on Mosque Street, Ngwa Road, initiated fire upon the police team upon their approach.

In a valiant effort to repel the attack, the police team successfully defended themselves.