With the new administration in Akwa Ibom State settling down, the attention of the people is gradually turning to Ikono and Ini LGAs as the next centre of political activities in the state. The two LGAs are not only neighbours in the northern tip of the state, they both constitute one of the 10 federal constituencies in the state. Ikono/Ini federal constituency is one of the four federal constituencies in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District. The two LGAs are also the major food producing centers in the state.

But first, I should ask the people of Ikono and Ini to come together, unite and work together for the progress of their communities. The communal crises that plagued those communities, especially the one between Nkari people in Ini and the neighbouring communities in Abia State should be settled permanently. I am pleased that the governments of the two states are determined to bring a permanent solution to this perennial problem.

To adequately prepare for future opportunities, I suggest that the professionals and educated politicians from the two LGAs should come together and form an advocacy group that will promote their interests. The main objective of this group should be to promote the political interests of Ikono and Ini and groom key members to assume leadership responsibilities.

This short piece is therefore a call to action by the good people of Ikono and Ini. The future beckons on you now to get prepared to take your rightful place in the polity of Akwa Ibom State in the next 8 years. Bring out your best and brightest, your stars, from the professions, business and government and begin to groom them. They should begin now to prepare for the future by building bridges and friendship across the state. They should invest heavily in their communities and people. the journey should begin today. This is your time.

Former Vice President of Nigeria and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar has congratulated the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) for a successful election of its executive officers.

The former Vice President in a press statement signed by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe on Sunday, specifically felicitates with the newly elected President of the NGE, Eze Anaba and other officials of the Guild.

Atiku noted that the theme of this year’s NGE conference titled: Post 2023 Election: Promoting Professionalism For Enhancement Of Democracy And Good Governance, is a reflection of the mandate of the NGE as gatekeepers of the media, to ensure that democracy thrives in the country.

“The theme of the National Biennial Convention was germane. 

“The huge attendance, arguably the highest in the history of the conference, is an indication of the priority that the editors attach to the task of pulling Nigeria out from the brink.

 “To this end, I am happy that the media in Nigeria is still a partner in progress as far as the fight for deepening democracy is concerned.

“I will urge the newly elected president and other executive members of the NGE to continue keeping focus on safeguarding democracy as a tool for rallying citizens to development,” Atiku said.

Signed:

Paul Ibe

Media Adviser to Atiku Abubakar

Vice President of Nigeria, 1999-2007 and Presidential candidate of the PDP.

Former Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has disclosed why he supported Senator Godswill Akapbio to emerge as the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.

Wike said Akpabio donated N200 million to his campaign in 2014 and 2015, stressing that one good turn deserves another.

Speaking during his special thanksgiving service organized by his family at the St. Peters Deanery, Rumuepirikom, Obio-Akpor area of the state, on Sunday.

He said Akpabio defied criticisms to back his governorship ambition in 2015.

According to Wike: “When I was running in 2014 and 2015 he came out and supported me. He gave me N200m for that election. That is why I said one good turn deserves another. I supported him this time and I thank God he won”.

Responding, Akpabio claimed that the N200 million he gave to Wike in 2015 was not from the purse of Akwa Ibom, where he was the governor then.

The Senate President claimed that the money was from his savings from the telecom sector, where he was a managing director before becoming governor.

An attempt by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop the Allied People’s Movement (APM) in its petition challenging his qualification for the February 25, 2023, presidential election was on Monday rejected by the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).

Tinubu, through his lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, had sought to use a Supreme Court judgment delivered on May 26, 2023, to terminate the APM’S petition, but the request was turned down.

The grouse of Tinubu was that the Apex Court had resolved the sole issue raised in the petition of the APM in the judgment in a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He sought to move the Court to invoke the spirit and letters of the Supreme Court judgment to halt the hearing into the APM’s petition.

The Presiding Justice of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, however, disagreed with Tinubu and held that the party cannot be shut out in the face of fair hearing.

Justice Tsammani asked Tinubu to keep his objections against the hearing of the petition to the final address stage of the court’s proceedings.

Similar objections raised by APC through its counsel, Charles Edosomwen SAN, against the petition on the same ground were turned down by PEPC for the same reason.

Earlier, the APM, through its lawyer, Mr Gideon Ijiagbonya, had informed the Court of receipt of the Supreme Court judgment being sought to be used to terminate its petition.

The lawyer said that upon perusal of the judgment by the Supreme Court, he and his legal team concluded that there is life in the petition and applied for its hearing.

He, however, sought adjournment till June 26 to enable him to obtain a vital document from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to establish his case.

Justice Tsammani, in a brief ruling, rejected a week-long adjournment and fixed Wednesday, June 21, for the hearing of the petition.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday said Nigeria has not been fair to farmers in the country.

According to him, the researchers, financial institutions and government have all conspired to victimise those who are in the business of farming.

He spoke in Lagos while delivering his keynote address at the Agribusiness Investors’ Network organised by the Innovative Youth in Agriculture (I-Youth) in partnership with International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Mastercard Foundation.

Obasanjo specifically decried the inability of farmers to access sustainable funding from financial institutions, saying the current double-digit interest rate given by banks is too prohibitive and cannot sustain any agric business.

The former President said driving agriculture to attain self-sufficiency as a nation should go beyond “tokenism”, saying the critical mass of the population must be involved.

He said there must be a deliberate effort to bring all stakeholders together to produce a new generation of farmers that would take over from the old generation, noting that most of the farmers today are too old.

He stated that the youngest farmer in his village who happens to be his cousin is 75-year old, asking, “How do we replace them?”

“We need to see agriculture as being less of talk and more of action, timely action, right actions. Whatever you are doing in agriculture requires action and attention.

“Agriculture is a serious business that requires commitment, funding, reasonable cost, right and appropriate inputs, beginning from seeds. It requires stability and predictability,” Obasanjo added.

Schools, major transport companies, traders and banks did not open for operations in Enugu and its environs on Monday despite last week’s cancellation of the order by the state government.

Sit-at-home has been observed in South-East states since 2021 following the rendition of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, from Kenya to Nigeria. He is being detained at the custody of the Department of State Services in Abuja, and charged with running a proscribed group, jumping bail and treason. Despite court orders and UN Opinion group’s advice for Kanu’s release, former president Muhammed Buhari failed to release him.

Sit-at-home was declared by IPOB to press the release of Kanu. Despite its cancellation by the mainstream of IPOB, a splinter group of IPOB led by Finland-based immigration lawyer, Simon Ekpa, insisted that it be observed on Mondays. Mondays have also witnessed crimes in the region, forcing residents to remain indoors on Mondays.

Enugu governor Peter Mba last week hosted traditional rulers, religious leaders, traders, civil servants, security agencies, among others, where he urged them to begin business on Mondays. According to him, observing sit-at-home on Mondays was antithetical to his administration’s drive to grow the state’s gross domestic products.

A school proprietor at Trans-Ekulu, Enugu, said, “We closed today because safety is priority. Once there is progress towards providing adequate security, we shall delightfully resume academic activities on Mondays.”

At the state secretariat, it was the same story as not many workers showed up for business. Ikechukwu Eze, who was seen around the premises, said, “It will take time for workers to work on Mondays. The cost of transportation is another factor. There is no money.”

A trader at Ogbete Main Market, Enugu, told our correspondent that, “No business today as far as I’m concerned. I use today to play football. Let our governors seek the release of Kanu. Any other thing is treating the symptoms.”

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 governorship election in Rivers state, Tonye Cole, said the people responsible for oil theft in the Niger Delta are not hidden.

Cole stated this while speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

According to him, oil thieves must be brought in to be part of the discussion on how to end oil bunkering.

He said, “You have to bring them in. They must be part of the discussion. They are not hidden. Some of them may have grown through the creeks, some of them you see their lifestyles change,” he said.

“You see someone whose lifestyle has changed, you see the houses have changed, you see the cars have changed, you see the money that is spent, so you know.

“This is a society where when we were growing up if you start showing money and no one knows where it’s coming from, everyone will ostracise you from the society.

“Today it has changed; nobody cares where your money comes from again. So it is not hidden, people know almost immediately within the community that this is what is going on,” Cole said.

Cole’s comment comes amid an allegation by a former Niger Delta agitator, Asari Dokubo that the military is responsible for most oil theft in the country.

He said that Dokubo’s allegation of oil theft against the military is a big issue that must be addressed.

Cole noted that the military might have been angered by Dokubo’s claim but said the military would not deny that there are some bad eggs that aid and abet illegal bunkering.

The APC chieftain noted that if the country does not address the issue of illegal bunkering, a state of emergency in the oil and gas sector might be the only solution.

Nigerians Will Experience Best of Times Under Tinubu — Akpabio

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has expressed confidence that under the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government, Nigerians will experience the best of times.

He assured of a very serious accord between the Executive and the Legislature, as he indicated the readiness of the National Assembly to work with the presidency.

The former Akwa Ibom State governor and ex-Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs Ministry encouraged the international business community of the readiness of the 10th National Assembly to partner the executive in order to provide an enabling business environment and to make life worth living for the people.

The Senate President said this in his goodwill message at the Reception Dinner in honor of the newly appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, at the Transcorp Hotel, Abuja on Saturday.

“I believe strongly that Nigerians are in for the best of times under this administration. Members of the National Assembly will enjoy a lot of cooperation and support from the Executive because for the first time, we are going to have a very serious accord between the Executive and the Legislature. I see good things coming for Nigerians.”

“In less than 20 days in office, the Stock Market has gone up all over the world. The world is already applauding Nigeria. I believe strongly that Senator Akume has a hand in most of the policies that are coming out and you are just starting.

You can imagine the celebrations that would come again, in the first 100 days of this administration in office. You are indeed a square peg in a square hole,” he explained.

On the celebrant, Akpabio added, “We are celebrating two things tonight; Excellence and Humility. You are a man of excellence. You leave your mark in everything you do and I have no doubt you are going to leave your mark in the present administration of President Tinubu. Your humility disarms all,” he declared.

Akpabio said the 10th Senate would work seamlessly with Senator Akume as the SGF to develop policies that will change the economic situation in the nation.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, in his message said, “Senator Akume has a proven track record in coordinating government activities and stringing government, while the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, described Akume as “a welfarist who puts the needs of others first. His appointment, he noted, “is evidence of efficient representation of the North Central in President Tinubu’s administration.”

On his part, the SGF assured that “he will do his best and he will not disappoint President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC.”

Also, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio has urged former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and his four other friends in the G5 to come up with another aggrieved group within opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to make winning the 2027 presidential election a smooth ride for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akpabio, a former Akwa Ibom State governor, spoke on Sunday at a thanksgiving reception held at Wike’s private residence on Ada-George Road, in his hometown, Rumueprikom in the Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of the oil-rich South-South state.

“I want to thank you for all your efforts to bring justice to Nigeria,” Akpabio told Wike who backed the return of power to Southern Nigeria and supported APC’s candidate, Bola Tinubu against his party’s choice, Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election.

“And I want to thank the G5 Governors,” the Senate President said whilst addressing the G5 or the Integrity Group made up of five major aggrieved politicians within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who kicked against the emergence of Abubakar in the last February 25 poll.

“We are very delighted, we are proud to have G5. Please, ensure that in 2027, another G5 emerges so that APC will continue to do well in this country. And if you like, you can add two more, make it G7 and not only G5,” Akpabio added.

Addressing Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, who is also one of the G5 members, Akpabio said, “Your Excellency (Governor) Makinde, you know I predicted that you are going to be a governor when I met you with the late Alaafin, may his soul rest in peace. I just saw the way you were walking and I said, ‘This man walks like a governor.’ I wasn’t surprised when you became a governor.”

All members of the G5 including Wike, Makinde and former Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) were seated at the event.

Another member of the Integrity Group and former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose; as well as Acting PDP Chairman, Umar Damagum; former Governors Peter Odili (Rivers), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) and James Ibori (Delta) were in attendance.

President Bola Tinubu was represented by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Serving Governors Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), joined the long list of Very Important Personalities at the event which was a Mecca of sorts with high-ranking APC stalwarts and members of the 10th National Assembly including Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, ex-Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole; ex-Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi; member representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume; amongst others.

Many believed the G5 whittled the chances of Abubakar in the last presidential election as the G5 had insisted on Rotational Presidency after the eight-year administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, a former military head of state from Katsina State in North-West Nigeria whose two-term tenure as democratically elected President ended on May 29, 2023.

At the PDP primary last year before the 2023 general elections, the G5 couldn’t stop Abubakar, another northerner from Adamawa State from getting the party’s golden ticket. The group thereafter demanded that Iyorchia Ayu (another northerner from Benue State) stepped down for a southern replacement as PDP national chairman but both Atiku and Ayu called the bluff of the G5.

For the presidential election, Abubakar lost in all the G5 states and while Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi won in Enugu and Abia, Tinubu raked in Oyo, Benue and Rivers.

Tinubu, 70, came out tops in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states, and secured significant numbers in several other states to claim the highest number of votes — 8,794,726, almost two million votes more than his closest rival, Abubakar.

Abubakar, 76, who has now run for president six times, got 6,984,520 votes, while Obi, who, in less than a year, galvanised young voters in a manner some have described as unprecedented finished the race with 6,101,533.

On June 8, the G5 visited President Tinubu at Aso Villa in Abuja.

Political bigwigs and ranking senators have now shifted their attention to the election of principal officers with the election of the Senate President and deputy over.

The office of the majority leader is attracting more interest among the lawmakers.

Lawmakers reportedly eyeing the Majority Leader position include former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North), Osita Isunazo (Imo West), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi South), Ali Ndume (Borno South) and Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central).

The Senate President and Deputy Senate President are the only positions senior to the Majority Leader in ranking in the Upper Legislative chambers.

Many political stakeholders believe the position should go South East after the zone was overlooked by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the zoning arrangement for the senate president and the deputy.

Though the party has not officially made its stance known on the election of a majority leader, Daily Sun reports that the South East caucus has held several meetings on strategies to ensure one of them is elected majority leader and are lobbying other relevant stakeholders within the party hierarchy.

A source who is part of the negotiations said that this past week, the South East caucus had held a few meetings and are united in their quest to ensure that the zone gets the majority leader position.

The source said: “We are reaching out to stakeholders to push for this. It is only fair that the position is micro-zoned to the South East to give them a sense of belonging. We are backing Kalu for the office. Umahi is not a ranking member, so it would be difficult to make a case for him. At the end of the day, it may be down to Kalu and Isunaso.

“Those making a case for Kalu are reminded that besides the fact that he is a ranking member, he was the Chief Whip in the ninth assembly and performed very well. In 2019, he dropped his ambition to contest for the deputy Senate President of the ninth Senate after the APC announced its support for Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta Central). He not only stepped down, citing party loyalty, he endorsed Omo-Agege, saying that he would always abide by the decision of the party. He was later to emerge the Chief Whip. This shows that he is a loyal party man.”

Details of how former Zamfara State Governor, Abdul’Azeez Yari allegedly spent billions of naira to contest for the seat of the Senate President for the 10th National Assembly have emerged.

Naija News reports that Yari contested for the seat of the Senate President against the consensus candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Godswill Akpabio, who eventually emerged as the Senate President.

The former Zamfara State governor had secured 46 votes, while Akpabio got 63 votes to emerge the winner for the seat.

However, Yari after all is said and done has alleged that he was betrayed by some of the lawmakers because he allegedly had 76 senators on his side.

He said “I can say there was a betrayal because as we were taking stock at 3:00 am on Tuesday before the election, we took stock of over 76 people.

“We took into cognizance that there could be a fall-out of about 15 and we had agreed that if that happens, we would comfortably still have about 61 people. What we got was the reverse and yes, I felt betrayed over that outcome.”

However, confirming this development, a former lawmaker told SaharaReporters at the weekend that Yari had lobbied the leadership of opposition political parties with a lot of money running into billions of naira.

The lawmaker whose name was withheld said was betrayed by the “leadership of some opposition parties.”

The former lawmaker revealed that “In saner climes, everything should not end with Yari’s loss in the red hallowed chamber on June 13, 2023. a postmortem of how Yari accumulated the humongous amount of money he used to cause division along regional and religious lines earning him the title of ‘rebel leader’ to borrow from Senator Shehu Sani’s succinct description of his posture is urgent and necessary. Even Akpabio should be investigated so it won’t be a one-way issue.

“Yari started the contest for Senate President immediately after the declaration of his victory as Senator representing Zamfara West Senatorial District in February 2023. He particularly instrumentalised the Lesser Hajj of the last Ramadan (mid-April 2023) to meet and induce Muslim Senators-elect with mouth-watering bunches of dollars in Saudi Arabia.”

Another source disclosed that “In Abuja, Yari booked floors of rooms at the Transcorp Hilton and Continental hotels for the Senators-elect through May and June 2023 escalating the cost of booking in the two hotels to a record high. It was widely speculated that Yari bribed new Senators with houses in the Karsana area of Abuja and was prepared to buy the votes of 60 Senators at 1 million dollars each.

“To conclude, now that the game is over, Yari’s action against consensus should be treated with a strategic outlook to avoid the threat it poses to national stability in the future. Investigating the source of Yari’s stupendous wealth that he deploys to disrupt decency in political engagement is apt and timely.

“A good starting point is retrieving his many open files since 2007 with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and thoroughly screening his asset declaration form vis-a-vis his legitimate ventures.”