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The Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo has kick-started the campaign for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
The governor disclosed this when he received another member of the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA), who had defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State.
The defector and member House Committee on Budget and Appropriation, Hon. Kaycee Osamwonyi represents Uhunmwonde State Constituency.
The lawmaker had earlier been received into the party by the Chairman of APC Edo State chapter, Jarrett Tenebe, who consequently presented him to the Governor at the Government House, Benin City.
Okpebholo commended Hon. Osamwonyi and his colleagues who decided to join the APC. He assured them that his administration would create a conducive atmosphere for all of them to operate and collaborate to develop the State.
Speaking via a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, the governor noted that his administration has embarked on developmental strides to develop all sectors of the Edo economy and will make life better for Edo people.
“We congratulate you for returning home. Your coming is a plus for the party as we have five of you who have joined, and you have made our party stronger.
“A lot of people from other political parties are ready to join our party, and soon there will be a carnival. I seek your help to drive development, and together, we will develop the State and make life better for our people.
“Uhunmwonde Local Government is very special to me, and together we can develop the area and open it for growth and development.
“The next election, especially 2027 presidential election, we are ready in Edo State. We have kick-started our own campaigns for the President in 2027. We have to mobilize the youths in our State, and you are part of the youth. I promise you that you will enjoy our party as you have chosen to join us,” he said.
Tenebe, who presented Hon. Osamwonyi to the Governor, noted that the party is now in full control of the State Assembly as it now has the majority of the members in the house.
“Hon. Osamwonyi joined the party following the developmental strides your administration has achieved in the few months you have led the State,” he said.
Hon. Osamwonyi, on his part, said his decision to join the party was a result of the disunity in his former party, the PDP, from the national to unit level, as well as the achievements of Governor Okpebholo in a very short time in office.
“The division in my party, the PDP, made me join the APC. For me, it is homecoming as I was once in APC. Your developmental strides attracted me back home as I want the best for my people.
“The several projects captured in the budget for Uhunmwonde people is impressive. I had no choice but to join the party for the development of my people,” he said
Labour Party (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said the party would ensure that the right people emerge as its candidates during the 2027 general elections.
Peter Obi spoke on Wednesday during LP’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.
According to the former Governor of Anambra State, the LP would correct past mistakes in 2027 and ensure fairness.
He said, “Let’s do the right thing, let’s go from ward to local government to state, to zone and nationally, everybody is free to contest.
“We will ensure fairness and we want to build a party that will be fair, just, and a party people can look at and say ‘this is how this party is.’
“We want to go into the next election knowing fully well that we are offering Nigeria’s the best of people for House of Assembly, House of Reps, Senate, governors, and every form of election.
“We want to correct the mistake we made in the past, we are going to be sure that whoever wants to contest must be a Labour Party member and not on transit.
“It’s going to be a party of ideology and not a party where you just elect people and they b come whatever goes on.
“We must have senators who agree with us, even if we fail, we fail but it’s better to fail doing right than be on the side of wrong. We are going to do that for Nigeria.”
Bashiru Lamidi Apapa on Wednesday announced that he has assumed the leadership of the Labour Party following the Supreme Court ruling that removed Julius Abure as the national chairman of the opposition party.
Apapa made this declaration during a press conference on Wednesday, citing the April 4, 2025, Supreme Court judgement that nullified Abure’s leadership as the reason for his decision.
“I, ALH BASHIRU LAMIDI APAPA, the most senior deputy national chairman, in accordance with our party constitution, Article 14 2(a)(b), hereby take over the running of the affairs of our great party with effect from today, Wednesday, the 9th day of April 2025, in an acting capacity, with Alh. Farouk Umar Ibrahim as National Secretary,” he stated.
He further clarified that, following the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss the cross-appeal filed by the ousted former National Chairman, Julius Abure, all actions and decisions made by Abure since April 4, 2023, are now null and void.
“My leadership calls on all members of the Labour Party to note that the National Working Committee (NWC) of our party, as of 2022, will meet next week, Monday, 14th April 2025. During this meeting, we will announce our plans, including zoning the position of National Chairman to the North and National Secretary to the South,” Apapa said.
He also announced plans to revive the moribund Board of Trustees, making it functional once more.
“The National Working Committee members listed below are hereby put on notice about the NWC meeting coming up on Monday next week, where we will immediately set in motion the conduct of Ward Congresses, Local Government Congresses, State Congresses, and National Convention, where every member of our party shall have the right to participate, provided you are a financial member,” he added.
The National Working Committee members named by Apapa include:
Deputy National Chairman NLC, Mr. Ladi Iliya
Deputy National Chairman TUC, Dr. Ayo Olorunfemi
National Secretary, Alh. Umar Farouq Ibrahim
National Legal Adviser, Bar. Oyelekan Akingbade
National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Abayomi Arabambi
National Treasurer, Mrs. Oluchi Opara
A former President, Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Udengs Eradiri, has advised the suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara to ask his predecessor, Nyesom Wike for forgiveness.
He opined that the incompetence caused the crisis in the state and asked the governor to stop etnicising the impasse.
Speaking via a statement, Eradiri claimed that those who are advising Fubara to fight against Wike go cap in hand to beg the FCT Minister in private.
He said: “As for Governor Siminalayi Fubara, he is incompetent and that is what has brought all this negative energy. He should not involve ijaw in his political issues and affairs. Let him tell us how he has supported the ijaws or ijaw activities?
“How many ijaws of Rivers State did he empower that he is demanding Ijaw support now? How many of the IYC comrades in Eastern zone were LGA chairmen, commissioners and appointees in his government?
“Or are all the ijaw youths of Eastern Zone only good at supporting political fights but not good enough for appointment and empowerment? When Chief Wike visited Abalama, how much did Fubara mobilise his people? Wike is a fighter and i like his style.
“I advise Fubara to go and kneel before Wike and beg for forgiveness. Those, who are deceiving him have no balls. They go cap in hand kneeling and begging same Wike when they get it they come in the open to claim ijaw lions.
“Now, Fubara is the one outside they are there ranting. Mr. President used the state of emergency to save Fubara and the ijaw nation the embarrassment of impeachment. He should go thank and appreciate President Bola Tinubu.”
Eradiri recalled that when Wike singlehandedly made Fubara Rivers governor, no ijaw gathered or even went to thank him.
“Fubara did not buy form or even spoke a word during campaigns. Why should he now be disobeying and reneging on agreement? Men are those who keep their words and abide by agreements.”
Operations have been reportedly put to a halt at the 28,000-barrels-per-day oil production refinery in Ogidigben, Warri, Delta State, as Itsekiri natives shut down the facility on Wednesday.
In a video clip released today by TVC, hundreds of Ogidigben natives were seen protesting at the entrance of the facility.
Naija News understands that a large number of locals gathered at the oil production facility that was formerly managed by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
The protest which happened at the facility, which has recently been taken over by Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings, involved women, youth, and men.
The Itsekiri natives protested against the recommendations made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the delineation in the Warri Federal Constituency.
The demonstrators stated that their protest would extend to other significant national assets and facilities within Itsekiri land if prompt action is not undertaken.
This protest occurred just a week after INEC suggested the delineation of wards and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency, following a ruling by the Supreme Court.
A significant revelation has emerged from the former Governor of Plateau State and member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Fidelis Tapgun.
He has alleged that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has been working to ensure the downfall of the PDP after losing the vice-presidential ticket on two separate occasions.
In an interview with The Sun at his Jos country home, Tapgun claimed that Wike was determined to destroy the party because he was denied the vice-presidential ticket in both the 2019 and 2023 elections.
He said, “Because of the failure to secure the vice presidential ticket, Wike is doing everything in his power to bring down the PDP.”
Tapgun further accused the FCT minister of using his influence and resources to manipulate key members of the PDP, including powerful figures within the party.
According to Tapgun, Wike’s actions are part of a broader strategy to destabilize and ultimately collapse the party.
The former governor also highlighted what he termed as unconstitutional actions within the party, notably the extended tenures of acting Chairman, Umar Damagum, and former National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.
Naija News reports that Tapgun contended that both individuals were well aware that their terms had expired but continued to hold on to their positions, playing a key role in the party’s internal chaos.
He pointed out that this internal strife is being exploited to weaken the PDP, as the actions of Damagum and Anyanwu were contributing to the destabilization of the party’s structure.
Tapgun, a former minister and Nigeria’s ambassador to Kenya, expressed grave concern over the PDP’s future, claiming that the party’s inability to unite and resolve internal conflicts would make it nearly impossible for the party to challenge the ruling administration in the 2027 elections.
He said, “I don’t see the PDP surviving or being able to participate in the 2027 election due to the insincerity within the party.”
He added that the party should shift its focus beyond the 2027 elections and begin preparing for 2031, noting that the party lacked the necessary cohesion to effectively contest against President Bola Tinubu’s government, whose reforms were beginning to show positive effects on the Nigerian economy.
A Call For Reflection And Reform
Tapgun also took issue with the party’s internal elections and the ongoing power struggle over key positions. “The tussle over the chairmanship and the secretaryship of the party is part of the ploy to ensure that PDP dies a natural death,” he argued, criticizing the actions of Damagum and Anyanwu.
According to Tapgun, the party’s constitution clearly mandates that the position of the chairman belongs to the North-Central region after Iyorchia Ayu’s departure.
Similarly, Anyanwu, who had resigned to contest the Imo State governorship election, no longer had the legal or moral grounds to remain as secretary.
In his conclusion, Tapgun expressed doubt about the party’s ability to reinvent itself in time to mount a serious challenge to the ruling government in the upcoming elections.
“People organizing now should just forget it because I don’t see the party coming together to confront the present administration in the election,” he said, adding that the actions of some members had taken advantage of the party’s popularity to destroy it. However, he expressed hope that the PDP might look to 2031 for a more structured and unified attempt at governance.
Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab on Wednesday unveiled its seventh-generation artificial intelligence chip named Ironwood, which the company said is designed to speed the performance of AI applications.
The Ironwood processor is geared toward the type of data crunching needed when users query software such as OpenAI's ChatGPT. Known in the tech industry as "inference" computing, the chips perform rapid calculations to render answers in a chatbot or generate other types of responses.
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The search giant's multi-billion dollar, roughly decade-long effort represents one of the few viable alternative chips to Nvidia's (NVDA.O), opens new tab powerful AI processors.
Google's tensor processing units (TPUs) can only be used by the company's own engineers or through its cloud service and have given its internal AI effort an edge over some rivals.
For at least one generation Google split its TPU family of chips into a version that's tuned for building large AI models from scratch. Its engineers have made a second line of chips that strips out some of the model building features in favor of a chip that shaves costs of running AI applications.
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The Ironwood chip is a model designed for running AI applications, or inference, and is designed to work in groups of as many as 9,216 chips, said Amin Vahdat, a Google vice president.
The new chip, unveiled at a cloud conference, brings functions from earlier split designs together and increases the available memory, which makes it better suited for serving AI applications.
"It's just that the relative importance of inference is going up significantly," Vahdat said.
The Ironwood chips boast double the performance for the amount of energy needed compared with Google's Trillium chip it announced last year, Vahdat said. The company builds and deploys its Gemini AI models with its own chips.
The company did not disclose which chip manufacturer is producing the Google design.
(This story has been corrected to fix the name of the Google executive to Amin Vahdat, not Amind Vahdat, in paragraph 6)
[Reuters]
Silicon Valley startup Lightmatter revealed on Wednesday it had developed a new type of computer chip that could both speed up artificial intelligence work and use less electricity in the process.
Valued at $4.4 billion after raising $850 million in venture capital, Lightmatter is one of a number of companies seeking to use beams of light, rather than electronic signals, to move data around more quickly between computers. Those connection speeds are critical for artificial intelligence because the software is so complex that it must be spread over many computers.
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But Lightmatter also believes that it can use beams of light to carry out the computation itself, which was the focus of a paper it published in the scientific journal Nature on Wednesday. Conventional computers use transistors, which are akin to tiny on-off electrical switches, and gain more computing power by making transistors smaller and cramming more onto a chip.
In recent years, the chip industry has struggled with shrinking those transistors. Lightmatter's chip skips those problems by steering carefully calibrated beams of light into one another and measuring the results with an integrated package of chips made at its manufacturing partner GlobalFoundries.
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Previous photonic computers struggled to compute with precision, meaning that if the outcome of a computation was a very small number, the chip might report the answer as a zero. Lightmatter gets around that by breaking up very big and very small numbers into groups before sending them through the photonic circuits so that very small numbers do not get lost.
Nick Harris, Lightmatter's CEO, told Reuters on April 8 that the result is a chip that can work on some current AI problems with the same precision as conventional chips, though he said it will likely be a decade before the technology goes mainstream.
"What we're doing is looking at the future of where processors can go. We fundamentally care about computers, and this is one of the alternative paths. There's trillions of dollars of economic value that's behind the idea that computers will keep getting better," Harris said.
[Reuters]
- Gold price jumps over 2.5% on Wednesday with US tariffs being switched on.
- China meanwhile retaliated while secretary Bessent issues a warning for China on devaluing its currency.
- Gold bounces from the sub-$3,000 region to just below $3,070 at the time of writing.
Gold price (XAU/USD) bounces higher and recovers to $3,045 at the time of writing on Wednesday after United States (US) President Donald Trump’s tariffs came into effect. At one point this week, markets were hoping for a last-minute solution as several news outlets informed on Monday that President Trump was considering a 90-day pause in tariffs for all countries except China. However, the White House stated that any suggestion that President Trump was considering a 90-day pause in tariffs was “fake news.”
“Gold’s rebound reflects growing investor anxiety over tariff threats and the potential reshaping of global trade norms,” says Christopher Wong, a foreign currency strategist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Bullion remains a good hedge against a more disorderly global economy, Wong said, Bloomberg reports. The market also speculates that heightened volatility may prompt the Federal Reserve (Fed) to speed up interest rate cuts to prevent a recession. Lower rates typically benefit Gold, which doesn’t pay interest.
Halfway through the European trading session, headlines emerge that China is retaliating against the US imposed tariffs. Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo'an said an additional 84% of tariffs will be imposed on all US goods. The tariffs will take place as of April 10th.
United States Secretary of the Treasury Scot Bessent meanwhile said China should rather come to the table instead of retaliating. Bessent also said the country will be the biggest loser with these counter-tariffs. Bessent also called out and warned China should not devalue its currency as an additional measure to circumvent the US tariffs, Bloomberg reports.
Daily digest market movers: FOMC Minutes will not move the needle
- Shares of Muthoot Finance, an Indian financial corporation and the largest Gold loan non-bank financial company in the country, declined as much as 6.3% after the Indian central bank said it would undertake a comprehensive review of gold loan regulations, which could potentially increase competition in the sector.
- The CME FedWatch tool shows the chance of an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve (Fed) in May’s meeting surging to 53.5%, compared with only 10.6% a week ago. For June, the chances of lower borrowing costs are 100%, with 55.2% anticipating a 50 basis point (bp) rate cut.
- Chinese investors funneled a record amount of cash into Gold-backed Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) last week, drawn by the asset's safety as combative trade war rhetoric from the world’s biggest economies shakes global markets. Inflows to four major onshore Gold ETFs, including Huaan Yifu Gold ETF, hit a record of 7.6 billion yuan ($1 billion) last week, according to Bloomberg’s calculations, with strong inflows continuing this week, Bloomberg reports.
- Later this Wednesday, around 18:00 GMT, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will release its latest Minutes from the rate decision meeting in March.
Gold Price Technical Analysis: Will it really get resolved?
With the US tariffs taking effect this Wednesday, the markets' reaction is one still with some surprise. It seems that markets were positioned for some last-minute solution or delay, which would soften the actual blow and impact of the tariffs. Nonetheless, duties are taking effect immediately, and that is enough for last-minute investors to head back into Gold.
Looking up, resistances are a bit spread out, with the first cap of the R1 resistance at $3,041 being tested when writing, followed by $3,057, a pivotal level since March 20. Further up, the R2 resistance at $3,089 precedes the current all-time high of $3,167.
On the downside, the pivotal level of the March 14 high at $3,004 roughly coincides with the $3,000 round number. If this area does not hold as support, bears can target the S1 support at $2,964 and the $2,955 level, where clearly many buyers were interested in scooping up Gold on Monday. Further down, the S2 support at $2,945 is the last line of defense before the 55-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) at $2,935.
[fxstreet]
Nigerian singer and songwriter, Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burnaboy, has said that Nigerian artists earn significantly less for streams from their local audience compared to those from U.S. and U.K. listeners, with payouts up to 90% lower.
The 33-year-old musician shared his thoughts via Instagram, revealing that Nigerian artists typically earn just $400 for 1 million local streams, compared to the $3,000 to $4,000 that artists from the UK and US receive for the same number of streams.
Burna Boy, known for hits like Ye and Anybody, explained the pay disparity between different regions, saying, “1 million Nigerian streams: $300-$400. 1 million UK streams: $3,000-$4,000. 1 million US streams: $3,000-$4,000. 1 million euro streams: $3,000-$4,000.”
His comments highlight a significant income gap between African musicians and their international counterparts, driven by various factors including the market size, revenue-sharing models, and currency exchange rates.
One of the primary reasons for this disparity is the revenue-sharing model used by music streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and TIDAL. These platforms operate on a system where artists earn a percentage of the revenue generated from ads, subscriptions, and other services.
In larger markets like the U.S. and the U.K., where subscription fees are higher, there is more ad revenue and a larger paying user base, which results in higher payouts for artists in these regions.
Some context
The subscription models in these regions further amplify the earnings gap. In the US, Apple Music charges $10.99 per month for an individual subscription, $5.99 for students, and $16.99 for family plans. Similarly, YouTube Music Premium in the US costs $11.99 per month or $119.99 annually.
- In contrast, Nigerian users pay significantly lower fees. Spotify Premium costs just N1,300 (about $0.82) per month in Nigeria, and YouTube Music Premium is part of a YouTube Premium subscription, priced at N1,300($0.82) for individuals and N2,000($1.27) for family plans.
- The Nigerian market is relatively smaller, with fewer paying subscribers and less ad revenue, which directly impacts the amount local artists receive per stream in the country. Additionally, the value of local currencies plays a role in the disparity. The Nigerian Naira is significantly weaker than the US Dollar or British Pound.
- Also, the exchange rate opened 2023 at N461.5/$1, closed the year at N907.11/$1, and ended 2024 at N1,535/$1. While the payment per stream for Nigerian artists remains comparatively low, the growth of Nigerian music on global platforms has been substantial.
According to Spotify’s 2024 Loud & Clear report, Nigerian artists earned more than N58 billion in royalties from the platform alone in 2024, a figure that more than doubled from the previous year and was five times greater than the amount earned in 2022. This marks a major milestone for Nigerian music, reflecting the growing influence of Afrobeats and other local genres on the international stage.
What to know
However, despite these significant earnings, the financial gap between Nigerian artists and their international peers remains substantial. As Burna Boy pointed out, having the number one song on a Nigerian streaming platform is not necessarily something to celebrate, as the financial rewards from local streams pale in comparison to those earned in the UK, US, and European markets.
Instead, he encourages Nigerian artists to look beyond their local scene and explore opportunities in international markets, where higher payouts can provide better financial sustainability.
Despite these challenges, Nigerian artists continue to gain global recognition, and platforms like Spotify have helped amplify their music worldwide.
[Nairametrics]
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Kemi Olunloyo, the daughter of the late former Oyo State governor, Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo, has publicly stated that she will not be accepting condolences following her father's passing on Sunday, April 6.
In a Facebook post, the social media personality revealed personal events that she claims affected her family before her father's death. "I am uploading video statements on my father's death on TikTok," she wrote. "I am NOT part of the Olunloyo family anymore, and I told you that in 2024, that I will never return to Nigeria even if my parents died."
In a subsequent video, Kemi discussed the family dynamics, blaming her late father for allegedly causing turmoil within the family. "I am not accepting anybody's condolences because I am not condoling with anybody," she said. "If you want to condole with my father on his death or his family, you need to go to (link unavailable)."
Kemi stated that she had forgiven her father, saying, "I have forgiven my Dad for everything he did." However, she continued to express her grievances, claiming that her father presented a different persona to the world and to their family.
"My father, Victor Omololu Olunloyo, is two different people," she said. "He was one person to the world; he was another person to the family. My father destroyed our family unit; my father tortured us as kids. He tortured us emotionally and physically. My father ruined the family unit."
Kemi also shared her feelings of betrayal, noting that although her father presented her as his "favourite daughter" to the public, she felt far from it. "My father used me for a lot of things," she claimed. "My father did a lot for all of us. When I said used me, he took advantage of my own positive energies."
Additionally, Kemi discussed her father's involvement in occult practices, claiming that he was "into 'juju' heavily" and "occult practices." She also alleged that her father's issues began after he married Ronke Sonaike, who later became Aderonke Olunloyo.
"My mother married an intellectual, a man who got his Ph.D. at 26 years old," Kemi said. "And he turned into a polygamist. Not that polygamists are not good, but the way it happened to my family."
Kemi shared disturbing memories of the tension caused by Ronke's entry into the family, including claims that her stepmother had attempted to poison her mother. "Ronke said it's my mom that put it there," she recalled, referring to a time when her mother allegedly placed a miniature coffin under Ronke's son, Olumide's bed.
Kemi concluded by stating that she had no contact with her stepmother and revealed that, according to her older sister, "Towards the end of Daddy's life, nobody had access to him after the 2021 stroke. They couldn't talk to Daddy on the phone because Ronke did not give anybody access
Supporters of the Senator Esther Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the Labour Party (LP) on Wednesday in Abuja broke into jubilation following the release of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the last week’s Supreme Court judgment on the party’s leadership dispute.
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, who read excerpts from the document, announced that the court affirmed the leadership of Senator Usman.
He was speaking at the National Executives Committee (NEC) meeting and expanded stakeholders summit held at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
The meeting also attended by the LP national leader and it’s presidential candidate in 2023 elections, Peter Obi, came two days after a fractional national chairman of the party, Barrister Julius Abure, threatened to sanction Otti and Obi for anti-party activities and the planned parallel NEC which held today.
“The Supreme Court has affirmed that the plaintiff (Usman and others) were right in their appeal and went further to admonish politicians to respect the tenures of office as stipulated in their respective political party constitutions,” Otti said.
He also faulted Abure for insisting on staying as the LP national chairman, even when his tenure had expired and the party members also don’t want him again.
He said, “I had a meeting with him (Abure) and asked him, what he wanted, he said he didn’t want anything, we offered him the Chairmanship of the party’s board of trustees (BoT). He went ahead to want to stay when his tenure and those of the NWC (National Working Committee) had expired.
“The correct procedure of you still want to be national chairman is to start from the ward congress, state congress, zonal congress, where the delegates would emerge for the national convention and everyone member is free to contest,” Otti said.
[DailyTrust]
The 2023 Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged party members not to fear anyone, stressing that Nigeria is in a state of collapse and urgently needs rescue.
He made this statement while addressing party members during the ongoing National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja.
“Do not fear anybody. Those who were afraid yesterday didn’t do any better,” Obi said. “We must speak out when things are going wrong. Nigeria is collapsing. The numbers are clear; the indices are clear—people are getting poorer every day.”
The former Anambra State governor stressed the need for unity and inclusion within the party.
“The Labour Party has chosen to be a family, and we must do everything as a family. It’s not about Peter Obi’s choice; it’s everyone’s choice. This family excludes no one. We want to build a party that is fair and just.
“We want to go into the next election fully prepared, offering Nigerians the best and most competent candidates for the House of Representatives, the Senate, Governorships, and the Presidency.”
He also emphasised the relevance of party loyalty and competence among aspirants, adding that they want to correct the mistakes they made in the past.
“Anyone seeking to contest under our party must be a committed member, not just someone passing through. They must be competent,” he added.
[DailyPost]
A former president of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Engr. Udengs Eradiri, has told the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, to stop dragging the entire Ijaw nation into his fight for political survival in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Eradiri, a former governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Bayelsa, said Diri should go and grind his political axe with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, and stop making it look like the Ijaw was at war with Wike.
He said it was unfortunate that the likes of Diri were attempting to drag the entire ethnic group into political fight.
Eradiri, a former Commissioner for Youths and later Environment in Bayelsa clarified that he was neither a Wike’s man nor looking for the Minister’s endorsement, recalling that he tried to get Wike’s nod as a candidate of the LP during the last governorship election in Bayelsa, but that some persons around the Minister blocked him.
He said: “I guess it was the game at the time because a Wike’s endorsement would have perhaps made the outcome of the governorship election different as evident his support led to the victory of Douye diri because if not for the cancellation of Chief Timipre Sylva’s stronghold made possible by Wike’s support things would have been different.
“This is why I am talking about the hypocrisy in display today. When Douye Diri, ‘Governor-General of the Ijaw Nation’, went down to kneel down for Wike to collect power he used in ijawland to win Sylva and myself where was the Ijaw pride they so profess today?”
Eradiri queried the whereabouts of today’s so-called Ijaw lovers, when Wike splashed N5bn on the dilapidated Law School in Yenagoa, which was abandoned by those claiming to love Ijaw more than others.
He asked those fighting Wike to take a trip to Port Harcourt in Rivers and behold the magnificent Law School Wike built in Ikwerre land.
Eradiri asked persons, who claimed Wike insulted the Ijaw nation to replay the Minister’s statements and judge for themselves without biases if what the Minister said they was not bitter truth.
Eradiri said: “As usual, our people don’t read or listen. They simply went to the ijaw square to sentence Wike. Without even knowing what the issues were, they jumped into bandwagon of crucification.
“Lets even ask ourselves, this our ijawness, why is it not in the development and progress of our nation and people? Why always solidarity at war but not for development?
“Look at Yenagoa, the capital of ijaw nation, like a place where mad people reside replete with abandoned projects courtesy of some ijaw leaders, yet no solidarity is shown for the development , light up and progress of ijaw nation.
“Our airport is moribund and our schools are a disgrace to education. Young talents are deliberately not encouraged to stardom; jobless youths roam the streets due to visionless leadership; no hope of survival but you are very active for solidarity to fight political battles of those impoverishing them.
“There are herdsmen in our bushes killing and destroying our crops yet no solidarity to deal with such a menace but same youths can gather against a speech of fact from deputy governor but they cannot gather for their progress but easy to gather against a perceived political enemy?”
Eradiri said Wike suddenly became an enemy of Ijaw simply because he took the PDP from Douye Diri and his colleague governors.
“When did ijaw people choose PDP as ijaw party? Diri should go and deal with his issues in PDP and stop dragging ijaw people into what does not concern us”, he said.
Eradiri insisted that lack of leadership tact on the part of the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, caused the crisis in his state and asked the governor to stop etnicising the impasse.
He said: “As for Governor Siminalayi Fubara, he is incompetent and that is what has brought all this negative energy. He should not involve ijaw in his political issues and affairs. Let him tell us how he has supported the ijaws or ijaw activities?
“How many ijaws of Rivers State did he empower that he is demanding Ijaw support now? How many of the IYC comrades in Eastern zone were LGA chairmen, commissioners and appointees in his government?
“Or are all the ijaw youths of Eastern Zone only good at supporting political fights but not good enough for appointment and empowerment? When Chief Wike visited Abalama, how much did Fubara mobilise his people? Wike is a fighter and i like his style.
“I advise Fubara to go and kneel before Wike and beg for forgiveness. Those, who are deceiving him have no balls. They go cap in hand kneeling and begging same Wike when they get it they come in the open to claim ijaw lions.
“Now, Fubara is the one outside they are there ranting. Mr. President used the state of emergency to save Fubara and the ijaw nation the embarrassment of impeachment. He should go thank and appreciate President Bola Tinubu.”
Eradiri recalled that when Wike singlehandedly made Fubara Rivers governor, no ijaw gathered or even went to thank him.
“Fubara did not buy form or even spoke a word during campaigns. Why should he now be disobeying and reneging on agreement? Men are those who keep their words and abide by agreements”, he said.
Eradiri criticised the way and manner the Ijaw National Congress (INC) handled the Rivers crisis and warned the body against ethnicizing political issues, insisting that the INC brought the Rivers embarrassment on the Ijaw nation.
He said: “The INC failed to realize that those supporting Wike are ijaws too, Abalama chiefs and youths lined up to welcome Wike, are you saying they are no longer ijaws? George kelly and the numerous ijaw sons empowered by Wike are they not ijaws?
“INC should not be romancing governors’ egos. The institution is bigger than them and once you belittle the INC before these incompetent governors then the institutions will be ripe for ridicule and insults. Nobody is more ijaw than any other, so INC should protect all interest and stay away from politics.
“Non of these governors have empowered ijaw nation more than Wike , the peanuts they give to our platforms cannot be mentioned anywhere as support. Cant you see how Wike developed his people and empowered them? If they want challenge they should brag with their work on ground. Wike’s work is visible for the blind to see even in our ijawland.
Eradiri said the NDDC Forensic Report revealed that those so-called lovers of ijaw nation looted the commission and stole money meant to develop same ijawland, adding that they got paid for contracts but refused to execute them.
He said they deliberately underdeveloped the only ijaw state, noting that they collapsed the educational system and resorted to sending their children abroad.
Eradiri said: “Just look at the Atala Marginal Field, the one owned by ijaw state but taken away from ijaw youths and sold to outsiders by ijaw leaders to the detriment of ijaws. We lost jobs and opportunity for economic growth of the same ijaw nation.
“See the darkness in ijaw land no power to drive growth, if not for the NDDC led by Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, who is not in their league but they continue to fight to bring him down, all our communities will have still been in darkness at night
“Please, lets stop ethnicising political issues, Diri and Fubara should go fight their political party battles and leave ijaw nation out of politics. When it favors you you laugh and dance in thanksgiving , when it doesn’t favor you it becomes ijaw affair. Wike is not the ijaw enemy, you people are the real enemies”.
[TheNation]