Former Edo State governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has criticized incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki, labeling his tenure as a failure and asserting that there is nothing in Obaseki’s eight years in office to justify support for the candidate he endorsed in the just concluded gubernatorial election.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Sunday, Oshiomhole expressed skepticism regarding Obaseki’s influence on the electorate, stating that the governor had effectively “burned his bridges” with those who once supported him.
This breakdown in relationships, he claimed, has left Obaseki as a “lonely man” in politics, isolated from the very constituents he needs to rally behind his chosen successor.
The Senator said, “God knows that Obaseki misgoverned the state, he defrauded the people, he jailed innocent women, he did a lot of terrible things that any man who has the fear of God will not do to his own people, and he’s proud to say ‘I will crush, I will crush’. Every other minute, he will say ‘I am the Chief Security Officer.’ In the process, he forgot that these powers belong to the people, the sovereignty belongs to the people. They delegate you, they entrust you, believing that you will do good to them.
“Instead, you used the power to threaten, you made promises you never kept, so there was nothing. And even the royal father, he was fighting him. He fought everybody, whether you looked for his trouble, didn’t look for his trouble, for Obaseki, crushing people was [for] himself a way of life. So, we are very happy now that we have consigned him to the dustbin of political history.
“As a person, he is my friend, but as governor, he was a failure,” he added.
Oshiomhole went on to say, “That we defeated Obaseki and Asue Ighodalo should be quite predictable. There was nothing either in Obaseki performance nor Asue’s credentials that would have made them win the elections, and I said that before to this channel that Asue is not electable. Now what are the facts? Obaseki is like the proverbial blind man who in 2016, he rode on my back as an outgoing governor, we crossed the river, and he didn’t allow his leg to touch the water, and so, he didn’t understand what it took to become a governor.
“In 2020, again, there were internal crisis in the APC, Obaseki again had the backing of some elements within the APC, and of course, the very Wike that he’s demonising now, Governor Wike, as he then was, left Port-Harcourt to Benin, and the REC they were protesting against, that same REC was in Benin. Again, Obaseki rode on the back of Wike and elements and what became known as PDP Legacy Group, together with some of the elements in APC. They took him to cross the river for the second time without his leg touching water. And so, twice, he was being described as the iron man.
“And so this time around, he has burned all the cables, he has divided the PDP into two, the legacy PDP left him, Wike left him, I left him, his deputy left him, and so he was now a lonely man. And now, he had to cross the river using his own strength, he just found that in the process he got stuck inside the river, which he himself predicted that once he loses the election, he said the election was a do or die. Now Edo people have done it, and he is dead.”
The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has stated that he would always stand for what is right, but won’t give his liver or kidney to anybody in the name of loyalty.
Governor Fubara made the declaration on Sunday in what is believed to be a direct response to his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
It would be recalled that Wike had on Saturday, while speaking at a reception held by the Ijaw Peoples Congress in Rivers State, among other things, said he made Fubara the Governor of the State, but the Governor turned his back against him and others who worked for him after the election.
But speaking on Sunday, at the Inter-denominational Church Thanksgiving Service organized as part of activities marking the 64th Independence Day Celebration of Nigeria at St. Paul’s Cathedral of the Anglican Communion at Garrison Junction in Port Harcourt, Fubara maintained that he belongs to the school of thought that believes in doing the right thing even if they are in the minority.
“As a matter of fact, I belong to that school of thought that if I am the only person that needs to stand on that side of right, I will stand there. I don’t need anybody to stand with me. I cannot give my kidney or liver to anybody, I won’t. If that is the only reason for me to be loyal, I will not be. But, I will not do the wrong thing. I will stand for the side of right,” Fubara said.
Responding to the allegation by Wike that he is behind an attempt to bomb the venue of the grand civic reception by Rivers Ijaw People’s Council, RIVCO, at Rainbow Town, in Port Harcourt on Saturday in his honour, Fubara denied any such responsibility.
The governor maintained that he had never instructed any security agency to do something wrong.
He said, “I make bold to say it, there is no security agency in this State that I have called any day to go and do something wrong. I have never. I don’t have a need for it. But I know what they do, and they keep failing because God has left them.”
The Governor also used the opportunity to highlight some of the projects being executed by his administration while responding to the allegations of not doing anything in Rivers State.
Fubara said he has done more in one year than what Wike did in his eight years as Rivers State Governor.
Mocking Wike, Fubara said the psychiatric wing is included in the General Hospital project because those attacking him would need it soon.
The Governor explained that he signed the contractual sum of N200billion loan papers from Zenith Bank to fund the construction of the 50.15-kilometer dual carriage Port Harcourt Ring Road as project started by his administration, adding that his administration is embarking on the construction of the Trans-Kalabari Road project worth N225.1billion, plus the General Hospitals together with the Psychiatric Hospital in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, among others, which nobody can lay claims to at all and that the projects were being funded without borrowing.
“They even say, they don’t know what we are doing. Let me remind them, it is Fubara that signed the paper to borrow from Zenith Bank the N200billion for the construction of the Port Harcourt Ring Road. So, it is my project. It is Fubara that awarded the Trans-Kalabari Road that they couldn’t do. They did only a bridge from Krakrama, but I am the one doing it: the complete span, and it is N225billion. I didn’t borrow.
“It is this same Fubara that is building a General Hospital, which I also included a Psychiatric Hospital because they will need it very soon. So, tell them that what I did in one year is what they did in 8 years. It is only empty container that makes noise. If God has given you opportunity, eat your plantain and keep quiet. God will continue to give us the strength to do the best for our people, without fear.”
“Very soon, you will see what we are doing. It is not about doing roads to your business interest. I don’t have any business interest. Whatever I am doing, I am doing it for the people of Rivers State. We will not take any decision that we cannot defend. We won’t be part of anything that will bring any form of disgrace to our dear State. This State is important to us. It is the only thing that we have.
“It is the beautiful pride. That is why they are struggling, coupled with the improvement in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) we have done. That is why they are struggling, we know. But, do it with modesty, you don’t need to destroy the house,” he said.
In another veiled dig at Wike, Governor Fubara also insisted that making noise is a sign that such a person has lost relevance.
“God has a reason for allowing the devil or the evil one to stay long. It is not that He can’t take him or take them away but He gives them time to repent. And when they continue, He will come heavily, and then, they would say, it would have been better that they had left when they had time. That will be our story in this State. But, you see, anybody that is making noise for recognition, it is a sign that he has lost it. By the special grace of God, I don’t need introduction. I have the name, and I am the one standing here.”
The Rivers State Governor also insisted that he remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite the ongoing crisis.
“As a matter of fact, I am a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but I know that there will be election that I am conducting. So, I have to invite you to come and receive prayers. And little did I know, the Bishop gave you the prayers.
“For those of you that are going to participate in the election, please, I want the election to be peaceful, very important. When you emerge, our major concern is the people. Care for the people. We have taken Rivers State into a different driveway,” he said.
The various changes in government policies have continued to tell on Nigerians especially the recent increase in fuel pump prices across the country.
This year alone, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has adjusted petrol pump prices upwards twice from N617 to N855, N950 in Lagos state (depending on the fuel station) and above N1,000 in other states within two weeks in September.
Despite these changes, which have tremendously affected market prices and the cost of transportation, Nigerians have devised various means of survival.
But the recent increase has not gone down well with some Nigerian workers’ Economy& Lifestyle discovered.
This has made them resort to resigning from their jobs or sleeping in their workplace to cut costs as they can no longer meet up with the increased cost of transportation which is digging deep into their salaries.
Mr. Dotun Owoyemi, who works on the Island and receives a five-figure Salary lamented: “I live on the mainland and work on the Island.
“Before now, I spent N800 to and fro my workplace.
“Now, I spend N2,500 to N3,000 daily.
“Those commercial bus drivers are not helping matters at all either.
“A destination of N200 fare, they increased it to N500. That of N100 to N300.
“I earn just a five-figure salary and spend almost half of my monthly salary on transportation alone.
“This is not funny at all. I had to resign from work because this N70,000 minimum wage is not functioning in all private organizations truth be told.
“This fuel price increase pays a few people not salary earners.
“If you visit the market today, you will marvel at the negative effect of this new policy on the prices of goods.
“Many businesses have tagged the cost of fuel to the recent increase in the price of goods and services.
“I am still looking for a job on the mainland that is close to my house and will spend less transport fare compared to my previous workplace.”
Miss. Sandra Douglas said:”I’ve resigned already. I live around Elelonwo in Port Harcourt and was working at King Perekule, GRA. I spent N52,000 for transportation in a month for a job whose salary was not up to N100,000.
“I was working but couldn’t feed myself.”
For Mrs. Dorcas Chukwuma, a midwife who works in Marina, “I worked as a midwife in one of the private hospitals in Marina but resigned recently due to the high cost of transportation.
“I was not the only one in my workplace that resigned.
“There were four of us.
“Living on the mainland and working on the Island is not easy at all, especially now that the cost of transportation has tripled.
“The cost of food and services has also followed.
“I just had to source for another hospital on the mainland where I can work and spend less transport fare instead of spending all my salaries on transportation just to work on the Island.
“It is a pity that the government when introducing policies doesn’t consider the masses.
“This fuel price increase has introduced more poverty in the country.
“We were complaining that people are suffering, now husband’s will no longer go home to their family daily because they have to cut costs, young and old will have to come out of their houses to beg because those relatives giving them can hardly fend for themselves.
“We don’t even know our destination as a country anymore.
“Our government has failed us.”
Apart from resigning from jobs, Mr. Tunde Ayeni, who works in Lekki said he now sleeps in the office during the week and returns home on Fridays to cut transportation costs.
“I work in Lekki and live in Abule Ado. Within two weeks of the increased fuel price, my transportation fare grew from N2,000 a day to N4,000.
“ I don’t receive up to N100,000 salary in a month.
“So I started sleeping in the office on weekdays and going back home on weekends.
“It is so ridiculous because these private companies are also struggling to survive and cannot increase salaries.
“If private companies implement the so-called N70,000 minimum wage, many employees will lose their jobs.
“Except for companies that are resilient to all the effects of these economic policies which I doubt are in existence.”
Presidential candidate of Nigerian Rescue Movement in 2023, Felix Osakwe, has refuted reports that he called for President Bola Tinubu’s resignation as Petroleum minister.
He denied too that he never advocated removal of Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mele Kyari.
The clergyman- turned politician, in a statement in Abuja, said there was no truth in the reports, stressing he did not speak to any media platform or their agents.
The Ukwuani, Delta State-born politician, noted that the President had been on the path of re-engineering the economy, saying but for his reformist agenda, Nigeria would have gone into extinction.
Osakwe said he couldn’t have sought Kyari sack because, to him, the group managing director was a suitable manager of our resources.
Kyari, he said, was doing his best for Niger Delta, a far cry from when youths went on the rampage.
The politician noted security of Petroleum infrastructure in the region was an initiative of the Kyari-led management so, “why would a rational and well-meaning citizen like me call for sack of such a top-notch manager of our resources?
“He is fighting oil thieves through Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited. Tantita has never faltered in the discharge of its duties but has almost brought economic saboteurs to their knees.
“That unfortunate report was a figment of the platforms’ imagination – a miscalculated attempt at causing me embarrassment and public odium.
“I couldn’t have granted such reckless and ill-motivated interview calling on the President to resign his position. I was the first candidate to congratulate Mr. President on his victory on NTA.
“I have worked with President Tinubu’s administration with goodwill from me and my party. The report was unprofessional, mischievous, dubious, and ethically fraudulent.
“The story must be pulled down and retracted, else they will meet me in court.” he said.
The former candidate called on Nigerians to be patient with Tinubu’s administration, maintaining the President was setting the nation on the path of rebirth and recovery.
The Nasarawa State Police Command says it has arrested one Khadija Aliyu for allegedly stealing a seven-day-old baby girl during a naming ceremony in the Keffi area of the state.
This is just as the command also arrested an ex-convict, Hussaini Mohammed, for allegedly stealing motorcycles in the same area.
PUNCH Metro learnt in a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Rahman Nansel, on Sunday, that the suspect was arrested at about 6:30 pm on Saturday.
Nansel said the suspect had pretended to be pregnant and, while the christening was ongoing, she sneaked into the house and stole the baby who had been laid to sleep.
She was said to have carried the baby on her back, covered her with a veil, and escaped before being tracked down by police operatives.
He said, “At about 6:30 hrs, police operatives attached to the Keffi Division arrested one Khadija Aliyu for stealing a seven-day-old baby girl during a naming ceremony in Keffi.
“The suspect, who had been claiming to be pregnant, attended a naming ceremony at Behind INEC office, Keffi.
“While the event was ongoing, she sneaked into the house, stole the baby that was laid to sleep, carried the child on her back, covered her with a veil, and escaped before she was later arrested.”
In another incident, Rahman disclosed that Mohammed was apprehended for allegedly stealing motorcycles in the same area.
According to the PPRO, Hussaini, who was recently discharged from a correctional facility, was apprehended during the investigation into a case of stolen motorcycles.
Nansel said, “During the investigation, three motorcycles suspected to be stolen items were recovered from the suspect as exhibits.”
He added that the Commissioner of Police, Umar Shehu Nadada, called on members of the public with cases of stolen motorcycles to visit the Angwan Lambu Division in Keffi with proofs of ownership and lay claims to the items.
PUNCH Metro reported in July 2023 that a 19-year-old woman from Ishehi Hamlet in Misau Local Government Area of Bauchi State was arrested by the police for allegedly stealing a newborn baby.
The suspect, Hajara Usman, had allegedly stolen the infant after conspiring with an 18-year-old man, Ibrahim Usman, of Dugurgama Hamlet.
The Bauchi State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, said the suspect was arrested after a resident of the Galawa Area of Akuyam District in Misau LGA reported the incident at the Akuyam Police Outstation that his daughter’s newborn baby was stolen at about 4:30 am.
The Adamawa State Police Command on Saturday night rescued and arrested a young man who climbed a 33kv high tension pole in the Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area headquarters insisting that President Bola Tinubu must resign before he would come down.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguruje, told PUNCH Metro exclusively on Sunday evening that the man, who police kept his name secret, was rescued on Saturday night, and is in custody in the state capital.
“The command is going to parade the man today (Monday) for attempting a suicide, You know attempting to commit a suicide is a criminal offence under our constitution, so we are going to charge him to court, “ he said.
Nguruje told our correspondent that it is the constitutional duty of the police to protect lives and property and that when any individual wants to take his life, he will face the full wrath of the law.
Our correspondent made several calls to the PPRO to disclose the name of the man, but he promised to do so without releasing the name at the time this report was filed.
On Friday morning, the market day of Mayo Belwa, the young man climbed the 33kv high tension along the Yola-Jalingo highway, insisting that he would not come down until the President vacated the presidential villa.
PUNCH Metro investigations revealed that the Adamawa State Police Command engaged the services of the locals in the area who finally convinced the man to come down on Saturday night.
When our correspondent visited the police headquarters on Sunday evening, it gathered that the young man was in protective custody in the Criminal Investigating Department of the Adamawa Police Command.
Senator representing Southern Borno, Ali Ndume has raised concerns about the electoral process in Nigeria, stating that it is deliberately complicated to facilitate manipulation.
Ndume, a former Senate Majority Leader, made the remarks on Sunday during an interactive session with journalists in Kano after attending the Senate retreat on constitutional review.
“I support local government autonomy and the idea of INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) conducting local government polls. One issue being discussed in the National Assembly is the creation of a National Local Government Electoral Commission, and I am not in support of it,” Ndume said.
He questioned the need to create a new body solely for conducting elections every four years, arguing that the existing INEC is underutilized and could handle these responsibilities. He also expressed frustration with the complexity of Nigeria’s electoral process, which he believes is designed to encourage manipulation.
“The elections in Nigeria are deliberately complicated to allow for manipulation. Why don’t we make laws that ensure the votes count? Why not enable citizens to elect someone from their phones? Why not allow INEC to monitor elections through technology and create a situation room? Google can tell you your location in real time, so why can’t we leverage technology for our elections?” he asked.
Ndume added that the underlying problem with Nigeria’s electoral system is a lack of sincerity, honesty, and fear of God among political leaders.
Beyond the issue of elections, Ndume also addressed the rampant corruption in Nigeria, lamenting that those who steal public funds often move freely and are celebrated. He shared his experience attempting to pass a law on unexplained wealth in the National Assembly, a proposal that has repeatedly failed to gain traction.
“Our major challenge in this country is corruption. We have no proactive law to address it. In Nigeria, if someone who was poor last week suddenly buys ten cars and a jet, they are celebrated, and people say, ‘God has blessed our son.’ In developed countries, they ask how, when, and where the money came from,” Ndume stated.
He explained that he had tried multiple times to push for a law addressing unexplained wealth but was unsuccessful. “I even approached a former Head of State, hoping he could sign an executive bill on the issue. But to this day, there is no Unexplained Wealth Act or executive order addressing it in Nigeria,” Ndume concluded
Controversial social media personality, VeryDarkMan, has issued a legal counterattack against Bobrisky, threatening a N1 billion countersuit following an earlier defamation claim.
Bobrisky’s legal team had previously demanded an apology from VeryDarkMan for allegedly posting an AI-generated audio to damage the crossdresser’s reputation.
In response, VeryDarkMan took to Instagram, claiming that he stands by the recording in question while threatening to countersue the crossdresser for N1,000,000,020.
His words, “Bobrisky, did you not say you wanted to ‘Kpai’ yourself? Are you not doing it again? Anyway, in this case, they will exchange their credibility for my publicity again as usual. I will suffer them. The integrity of a lot of people will go down. You will hate why you take this case like this. I promise you that. From now, Bobrisky now has the strength to sue me and gave me 24 hours. That means they are working together. I am thinking what I have exposed is bigger than what it is,” he said.
“Did Bobrisky later pay someone N3 million when he did not get it from Falz? I can stand for myself anywhere. Bobrisky has sued me N1 billion but I will caricature it more with N1,000,000,020 billion and N20 gain. I will make all of you stupid in this country.
Background:
In April, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested Bobrisky on six counts of money laundering and Naira mutilation.
During his trial at the Federal High Court in Lagos, Justice Abimbola Awogboro dismissed the money laundering charges (counts five and six) but sentenced the social media personality to six months in prison for Naira abuse.
However, a little over a month after his release, VeryDarkMan, posted a leaked audio recording on Instagram, in which Bobrisky narrated the events that transpired during his prison term.
In the audio, Bobrisky can be heard discussing with a friend how EFCC officials allegedly extorted N15 million from him to drop the money laundering charges.
VeryDarkMan explained that he released the audio after Bobrisky refused to repay N4 million borrowed from one of the people he approached to raise the N15 million.
The ongoing dispute between the two influencers has captivated social media, while investigations by relevant authorities continue.
Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, a former governorship candidate in Zamfara State, has alleged that influential politicians are behind the surge of banditry in Nigeria’s North-West region. Shinkafi made this claim in a statement on Saturday, amidst the growing insecurity in the region, which has seen numerous attacks and kidnappings.
Shinkafi, also the Executive Director of the Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development (PAPSD), expressed his support for the ongoing investigation by the Defence Headquarters into the sponsorship of banditry in the North-West. He condemned politicians who he claimed were using banditry for selfish political gains and called for an investigation into those politicizing insecurity.
He applauded recent military operations that have led to the elimination of notorious bandit leaders, including Kachalla Halilu Sububu, Jamilu Nazakiru, Sani Black, Danbaleri Mashekari, and Wala Baburki, describing these actions as essential for peace, security, and development in the region.
Shinkafi stated, “The spate of killings, kidnappings for ransom, destruction of property, imposition of levies and taxes, and displacement of people from their communities by these criminal elements is alarming. It calls for a concerted military effort to crush them and restore national security.”
He further urged that anyone found guilty in the ongoing investigations should face the full weight of the law, regardless of their status. Shinkafi also defended the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, against blackmail allegations, praising his performance in President Tinubu’s cabinet.
A tragic incident at an Ibadan-based white-garment church has resulted in the deaths of five worshippers with several others receiving treatment at the Infectious Disease Centre (IDC) in Olodo, Oyo State.
The church feast, known locally as “Ipese,” took place during a service last Sunday and has raised concerns regarding its safety.
As of Saturday night, approximately 50 worshippers have been discharged from the IDC after receiving medical care.
Vanguard gathered that the local church community is grappling with the aftermath of this unsettling event, which has drawn the attention of various governmental agencies, including the police and the Directorate of State Services (DSS), as well as the World Health Organization (WHO).
A church source hinted to Vanguard that the cause of the deaths remains unconfirmed, saying, “I ate the prepared beans like every other member, including the victims, and nothing happened to me.”
He emphasised that the situation should not be solely attributed to the “Ipese” feast, adding that, “The incident is being investigated thoroughly, and it is not just about the “ipese” as some are suggesting.”
Officials from multiple organisations have visited the church for fact-finding missions, although their findings have yet to be publicised.
“There’s no truth to the rumour that the church premises have been shut down. The Shepherd-in-Charge has been attending to visitors and is currently undergoing tests,” the source further clarified.
A senior medical staff member at IDC Olodo, who spoke anonymously, confirmed the ongoing treatment of affected individuals.
“As of today, 50 patients have been treated and discharged, while others remain under care. “We expect the state commissioner for health to address the press about the incident next week.”
While contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adewale Osifeso confirmed the incident and mentioned that investigations are currently underway.
More...
Former governorship candidate in Zamfara State, Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has alleged that certain politicians are attempting to remove the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, through a fabricated Federal High Court suit.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Shinkafi described the suit as a desperate attempt to tarnish Matawalle’s image and discredit him.
According to him, court records indicate that the suit lacks a judge’s assignment, casting doubts on its legitimacy.
He noted that the suit, filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, accuses Matawalle of involvement in banditry.
However, Shinkafi, who also serves as the Executive Director of Patriots for Peace and Social Development, claimed the court has not assigned, heard, or determined the suit.
He explained that the suit is a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and damage Matawalle’s reputation, citing Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution, which presumes innocence until proven guilty.
He further added that the Defence Headquarters and security agencies are investigating banditry sponsorship in the North West.
Shinkafi called for an investigation into the source of the misleading reports and urged media regulatory bodies to impose sanctions.
He sought accountability from the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Guild of Editors, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), and National Media Complaints Commission.
He stated, “A case filed is not a case heard, and a case heard is not a case determined until the pronouncement of the court. Every person charged with a criminal offense shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
“They want to oust the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, through a fabricated Federal High Court suit. We have no doubt that the Honourable Minister will be exonerated.
“It is evident that the allegations and suit were fabricated by his political opponents, hoping he would be dropped in the proposed cabinet reshuffle. Matawalle’s towering influence in Zamfara State politics is astonishing, hence the plot to pull him down by all means.
“Specifically, his rising profile as an outstanding minister of the Federal Republic and a loyalist of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intimidates these failed politicians.
“It is time to stop media trials and propaganda against highly esteemed public office holders like Matawalle. We urge the Honourable Minister to remain focused in the quest for a strong, unified, progressive, equitable, and just democratic nation.”
Former Oyo State governor, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, has shed light on his impeachment saga, naming former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the powerful figure responsible for his removal from office.
In an interview on a Fresh FM radio program hosted by Isaac Brown, Ladoja addressed longstanding misconceptions surrounding his impeachment.
He clarified that it was widely believed that the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu and his former deputy, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, orchestrated his ousting.
However, Ladoja contended that the true architect of his impeachment was, in fact, Obasanjo.
He said, “You see, some people said, it was Akala, it was Adedibu. No, it was not any of them. It was Obasanjo.”
Narrating the story of the event that shook the country, Ladoja recalled his experience with Chief Obasanjo and how he went along other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors like Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Chief Gbenga Daniel and Dr Segun Agagu to beg the former president in Abeokuta no to go ahead with the plan to impeach him.
He added “It was during the time of Ileya [Muslim festival Eid-el-Kabir]. We went to see Baba Obasanjo. I think it was on a Friday or Saturday that we went to see him in Abeokuta. I was there with Oyinlola, Daniel and Agagu.
“We did not call Fayose, because we knew that Fayose was Baba’s son. So they knelt down and I knelt down with them. They were begging him, ‘Baba, please, let Ladoja be’.
“Baba then said ‘Rashidi, go and resign!’ I said ‘No, I won’t resign!’ He said, ‘if you don’t resign, you would be removed’. I said ‘No, they cannot do it.’ He said ‘why’”. I said ‘because you cannot get two-thirds.’
“He said ‘two-thirds my foot’ and then he left the place in fury. [Gbenga] Daniel ran after him.
“While we were reflecting on what we were going to do, myself, Agagu and Oyinlola, a man came in; it was the former World Court Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola.
“He said ‘what is wrong with you?’ He said ‘I know your problem. Your problem is that you don’t want Ladoja to be impeached. They [Oyinlola, Agagau and Daniel said yes.
“Justice Ajibola said ‘well, I’ve talked about it to Segun, he’s just adamant. He said ‘but you’re leaders in your own rights. There comes a time when you must have to stand up and fight.’
“Then he told us the story of ‘Jafitafita’. The story of ‘Jafitafita’ is simple. It is about tortoise and his wife, yannibo.”
Oba Ladoja revealed further that Prince Ajibola helped him a lot in his legal battle to reclaim his mandate.
Ladoja said, “I must put it on record that Prince Ajibola did wonderfully for us because he told us exactly what to do: we “jafitafita”.
“When eventually we got the judgement of the Appeal Court. Baba said no. People said this is a declarative judgement; he said they going to stay its execution. And eventually, it stayed until the Supreme Court confirmed the judgement of the Court of Appeal.”
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, on Saturday, confirmed that his appointment was facilitated by the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Lokpobiri spoke on Saturday at an event organised in honour of Wike by the Ijaw Peoples Congress (IPC) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.
He said, “It is important to tell you my brothers and sisters that me that is standing before you today as the minister of state for petroleum resources was also made possible by Nyesom Wike.
“You also heard the account of the MD of the NDDC who said that the minister of the FCT played a direct role in his appointment.
“My own case could have been a more direct role. Some of you may not know. It all started in Wike’s house in Port Harcourt and it all got concluded in his house in Abuja.
“My second journey of becoming a minister started at the house of the minister in Port Harcourt and it was concluded in his house in Abuja. It is important for me to complete this history.
“Because when I was looking at the welcome address, our names were not included among those who have benefitted from his benevolence. I thought that my name, Heineken Lokpobiri, would have been included amongst those that he has helped.
“But since my name is not included, I have to complete it. I want you Ijaw people to know that we have a brother, we have a friend.
“It is always better to have a good friend than to have a bad brother. Of what use is a bad brother? It is of no use. But if you have a good friend in the case of the FCT minister, you are already blessed.
“Your excellency, the FCT minister, let me on behalf of the Ijaw people all over the world, express our gratitude to you for your show of love to Ijaw people.
“We Ijaw people are very grateful people. If you do us good, we will not pay you back with evil. So, we will always be grateful to you for what you have done for our Ijaw people. We are looking forward to you to do more for our Ijaw people.”
Lokpobiri, who hails from Bayelsa, served as minister of state for agriculture and rural development between 2015 to 2019 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He was appointed minister of state for petroleum resources by President Bola Tinubu in August 2023 — the same time Wike was named FCT minister.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, has dismissed ASCII Maikano Sarkin-Tasha, over his alleged aiding and abetting of bandits terrorizing Zamfara State.
ASCII Maikano Sarkin-Tasha was accused of supplying hard drugs and ammunition to bandits and terrorists. Sarkin-Tasha was among the 17 suspected bandits paraded by the police command in Zamfara on Friday.
The Zamfara State NSCDC Commandant, Sani Mustapha, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Gusau on Saturday.
Mustapha said Sarkin-Tasha was arrested at a checkpoint, between the Damba and Sabon Gida axis, while on his way to his hometown, Mada village of Gusau Local Government Area of the state.
He confirmed that three armour G3 rifles and one armour anti-rocket launcher were allegedly found on him. He also confirmed that some elements suspected to be cannabis and other hard drugs were found on him.
Mustapha said, “He was allegedly found with some elements suspected to be cannabis and other hard drugs in possession.
“Other items found on him were three armour of G3 rifles and one armour of anti-rocket launcher.
“I wish to state that the Commandant-General of the Corps, Dr Ahmed Audi, who also received the news with shock and disappointment has condemned the alleged barbaric behaviour of the officer.
“He has directed me to take necessary administrative actions, including immediate dismissal of the personnel from the Corps’ nominal roll.”