The All Progressives Congress, APC, has accused former presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi of the Labour Party and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai of grass incompetence.

APC said Atiku, Obi, and El-Rufai have shown grass incompetence and failure to manage their own affairs.

In a statement by its spokesman, Felix Morka, APC said Nigerians can’t be distracted by desperate politicians looking for relevance ahead of 2027.

Morka faulted Atiku’s remark of judicial involvement in Nigeria’s electoral matters, stressing that he is the country’s most prolific electoral litigator.

According to Morka: “It is a thing of irony that Atiku, who is Nigeria’s most prolific electoral litigator, would make such a ludicrous claim that judicial involvement in electoral matters is a threat to democracy.

“His criticism of the courts and the electoral process rings hollow given his long history of using the courts to further his political agenda. It’s time for him to take a step back and let the democratic process unfold without his interference.

“Nigeria’s democracy is far stronger than Atiku’s political ambitions. We deserve better than petty politicking and alarmist rhetoric from an elder statesman.

“As a veteran politician, one would expect Atiku to understand that while democracy may be about winning election, it is, more importantly, about respecting the will of the electorate and working towards the greater good of all.

“Atiku should focus on rebuilding his party and offering constructive solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.

“The bizarre suggestion by opposition figures like Atiku, Peter Obi, and recently, aggrieved leaders like Mallam Nasir El-Rufai that our great Party may be complicit in the internal corrosion of opposition parties is pitiful, and only an incompetent alibi for their crass failure to manage their own affairs. They cannot govern their parties but tout their ability to govern Africa’s most populous country.

“As discerning citizens, Nigerians know better than to be distracted by the false alarm and hollow allegations of desperate politicians whose only goal is shore up their political relevance in the build up to 2027 general elections.”

Activist-cum-politician, Omoyele Sowore, has pleaded not guilty to the cybercrime charges against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had filed the charges against Sowore for calling him an “illegal IGP.”

Sowore had made the remark on his verified X handle.

However, the activist is standing trial before Justice Liman of the FCT High Court and was docked at about 10:00 am when the charges were read to him.

When the charges were read, Sowore pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Meanwhile, several of his followers had protested in front of the court over Sowore’s arraignment

The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, on Wednesday officially recognized the exit of three of its former members: Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic.

The trio’s exit became effective on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, upon the expiration of a one-year notice period.

However, in the spirit of regional solidarity, ECOWAS asked its member countries to still recognize the national passports of the three countries bearing the ECOWAS logo until further notice.

A statement by the ECOWAS Authority said its doors remain open for more engagements with the three countries, requesting its member states to recognize national passports and identity cards bearing the ECOWAS logo held by the citizens of the exiting countries until further notice.

The West African bloc also urged its members to continue to treat goods and services coming from the three countries in accordance with the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and investment policy.

It also asked member states to allow citizens of the three affected countries to continue to enjoy the right of visa-free movement, residence, and establishment in accordance with the ECOWAS protocols until further notice, and to provide full support and cooperation to ECOWAS officials from the three countries in the course of their assignments for the Community.

“These arrangements will be in place until the full determination of the modalities of our future engagement with the three countries by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

“The Commission has set up a structure to facilitate discussions on these modalities with each of the three countries. This message is necessary to avoid confusion and disruption in the lives and businesses of our people during this transition period,” the statement concluded.

DAILY POST recalls that scores of people on Tuesday rallied in Niger and Burkina Faso in support of the withdrawal of their countries from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which is due to take effect Wednesday.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Joe Igbokwe, has decried the fallout between the President Bola Tinubu-led administration and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Igbokwe said Tinubu and El-Rufai used to be great, committed friends and associates.

Posting on his Facebook page, he wondered what went wrong between the two friends.

According to Igbokwe: “I am still asking what went wrong between these two committed, great friends and associates. It should not have been allowed to happen in the first place.

“What God has joined together let no man put asunder. Good morning to the good people of Nigeria only.”

Lately, El-Rufai has been in the news for criticizing the ruling APC over its internal affairs.

At an event in Abuja, El-Rufai said he no longer recognizes the APC because the party no longer practices internal democracy.

He also accused the party of abandoning its founding principles and fostering poor leadership.

Faulting the former governor, a staunch supporter of the president, Reno Omokri accused El-Rufai of orchestrating the killing of residents in Kaduna State while serving as governor.

Omokri described El-Rufai as a bloodthirsty tyrant, who takes pleasure in seeing “blood flowing on the streets of Kaduna.”

However, the APC spokesman, Felix Morka, dismissed the former governor’s claim, stressing that he failed in managing his affairs.

Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on supporters of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola to join its ranks following their decision to leave the All Progressives Congress, APC.

DAILY POST recalls that the leadership of Omoluabi Progressives, a political group loyal to Aregbesola, announced on Sunday its decision to sever ties with the APC, citing grievances over alleged marginalization within the party.

The Osun APC responding to the exit described it as good riddance and said it was not perturbed by the announcement of the political group since they had left since 2022.

Speaking on the matter on Tuesday in Osogbo, Osun PDP’s Director of Media and Publicity, Oladele Bamiji, described Aregbesola as a significant figure in the state’s political landscape.

He said the former Minister of Interior is a political force that cannot be ignored in Osun politics.

Extending an invitation to members of Omoluabi Progressives, Bamiji said the PDP is open to all progressives who seek a party that prioritizes inclusivity and good governance.

He said, “Let me say that former governor Rauf Aregbesola is a big player in the political field of Osun State.

“There is just nothing anybody can do about that. As a former governor for eight years, I am not sure it will be reasonable enough to wish him away in the political calculation of the state.

“That being said, as at the last we checked, he was a member of the opposition APC in Osun State and we are also aware that there is internal bickering in their party, which to us is not a new thing. It is normal in politics because of differences in ambitions, ideas and all that.

“Yes, we heard he exited APC as a party. We don’t have the full facts of that, there are many funny things in politics, perhaps, his group might be saying that to achieve another end that is not really open to the public.

“So, we all have to be very cautious. Politics is not straightforward mathematics. You can take a step to achieve another step.

“We don’t know about his exit from APC but PDP will be interested in having him and his supporters, if they are interested in joining us.

“Politics is a game of numbers and PDP has popularity already and we have a solid candidate that is loved by people.”

He maintained that PDP was now the political party to beat in the state and that many politicians were interested in becoming members due to the progress made by the Governor Ademola Adeleke administration.

Meanwhile, a prominent member of the Omoluabi Progressives group, who craved anonymity, has dismissed insinuations that the group had picked its next destination.

“It is still a bird kept inside a calabash. It can’t be known until it is revealed. People should not bother about it. We are coming out in a solid way,” he said

Former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has denied that he is preparing to leave the All Progressives Congress, APC.

El-Rufai stated this while speaking to reporters at the venue of the just-concluded National Conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

“I am not leaving the APC. I don’t have such plans,” El-Rufai insisted.

When asked why he was hard on the ruling party, he replied: “No, no, no, I want them to change.”

On Monday, El-Rufai took a swipe at the APC, accusing it of abandoning its founding principles and encouraging poor leadership.

He said: “I no longer recognise the APC. No party organ has met in two years—no caucus, no NEC, nothing.

“You don’t even know if it is a one-man show; it’s a zero-man show.”

Reacting to El-Rufai’s comments, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Public Communications and Media, Daniel Bwala, queried the former governor’s stance.

Bwala wondered if the former governor would have held the same position had he remained in government or the cabinet.

“My senior brother, if you were to be in the government and cabinet, would you have held and expressed the same position? History is replete with examples.

“It is a government you participated in its formation, that you now want to unseat. Haba, Mallam,” Bwala wrote

American rapper Dajua Blanding, popularly known as Dank DeMoss, is suing ride-hailing company Lyft for weight discrimination after a driver refused her service, citing her size.

She said she was humiliated by the incident, which she filmed with her cellphone and posted on TikTok.

“I was hurt and embarrassed. I have been in that same type of car many times and never had an issue. This was someone who was discriminating against me just because of my weight,” DeMoss told CBS News.

The 489-pound Detroit rapper’s lawyers say the driver violated Michigan’s anti-discrimination laws, which include weight as a protected characteristic.

In a written statement, Lyft maintained that it does not condone any form of discrimination.

The company emphasized that its “community guidelines and terms of service explicitly prohibit harassment or discrimination.”

Popular media personality, Daddy Freeze has alleged that singer 2face’s rumored new lover is an honorable woman.

DAILY POST reports that 2face on Sunday in a viral deleted post, announced his separation and divorce from Annie, his wife.

The singer’s announcement triggered massive backlash from netizens and fans, including celebrities.

Weighing into the ongoing discussions about the marriage crash, Daddy Freeze explained that he wouldn’t take sides due to his closeness with both parties.

While shading the couple, the media personality alleged that 2Face is known to be a cheat which Annie knew about and chose to marry him.

Revealing 2Face’s alleged new lover in a trending video on social media, Daddy Freeze referred to the mystery woman as an “honorable member.”

Daddy Freeze wrote; “2Baba Seen With New Honorable Woman Amidst Divorce Announcement.”

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has declared that he has no plans of dumping the All Progressives Congress (APC).

El-Rufai made the clarification on Tuesday when he was asked directly about his plans by journalists at the venue of a just concluded National Conference in Abuja.

He added that he has been vocal about misgivings in the party because he wants to see a change.

“I am not leaving the APC. I don’t have such plans,” he said.

In response to further questions on why he has been hard on the party, El-Rufai said: “No, no, no, I want them to change.”

It would be recalled that El-Rufai, had while speaking on Monday, said the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) has deviated from its founding mission.

Naija News reports that El-Rufai said he no longer recognizes his party. He stated that APC was created to solve a problem, but that would not be possible again.

Speaking at a national conference in Abuja on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, he said, “I no longer recognize the APC. No party organ has met in two years—no caucus, no NEC, nothing. You don’t even know if it is a one-man show; it’s a zero-man show.”

The former Minister of the Federal Captial Territory (FCT) urged Nigerians to resist incapable leaders and illiterates ascending to leadership positions.

“You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people as your leaders. This is why we end up with the poor leadership we have today.

“The problems that led to the creation of the APC remain unresolved, but I no longer believe the APC is interested in addressing them. The distance between me and the party is widening,” he clarified.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary), Sen. Lawal Adamu Usman, disclosed that presently, Nigeria has about 7.6 million out-of-school children.

Sen. Usman, who represents Kaduna Central Senatorial District, charged religious and traditional leaders in the country to champion the adequate education and empowerment of the girl child in their respective communities.

He also appealed to the World Bank to expand its Adolescents Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project to cover 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the interest of the girl-child all over Nigeria.

Sen. Usman stated this on Tuesday in Abuja in his goodwill message to the National Conference on Girl-Child Education and Empowerment with Traditional and Religious Leaders in Nigeria, which had the theme “Effective Partnerships on Girls Education, Out of School Children Education for National Development.”

The senator emphasised that without the support of the religious and traditional leaders in the country, the level of education the girl-child could attain in life “will remain a mirage.”

The Senate Committee Chairman on Education (Basic and Secondary) maintained that religious and traditional leaders throughout the country have crucial roles in raising and empowering girls’ education standards.

He further disclosed that his committee has been working assiduously on the amendment of the Basic Education (Amendment) Bill, which is now at the third reading stage before the Senate, as well as the Bill for an Act to amend the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, Cap N4 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2024 and for other Related Matters 2024, which is being sponsored by himself and has passed the second reading stage.

Sen. Usman stressed that when the bill is finally enacted, it will revolutionise and revitalise basic education, including girl-child education in Nigeria.

“3.9 million of them are girls at the primary level, and 3.7 million others are at the junior secondary level. More than 50% of girls in our country are not attending school at the basic education level. Regrettably, about one million girls drop out between primary school’s first and last year, and 0.6 million between primary six and JSS1.”

“Girls account for 38% of Nigeria’s out-of-school children. Their education is being hindered by major barriers such as child marriage, poverty and gender discrimination. All these prevent the girl-child from learning and completing her education,” the senator said.

The National Conference hosted by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who delivered the Keynote Address on the occasion, was also attended by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; Emir of Argungu, Samaila Muhammad Mera; Oba Tajudeen Jimoh from Ekiti State, religious leaders and other stakeholders from across the country.