When asked if he felt embittered against Peter Obi's popularity on social media, Sowore said, "This is the same narrative that I told you earlier. All these 'dem say, dem say,' can't you guys just come out and say this is how you feel? I don't have anything in common with Peter Obi. I do not crave his supporters.

A former African Action Congress presidential candidate, Mr Omoyele Sowore, has said he doesn't crave the support of ‘Obidient’ Movement, the supporters of Peter Obi, a former Labour Party presidential candidate.

The #RevolutionNow convener in a recent interview with Pulse Nigeria said he does not want supporters who will suppress and oppress people the way ‘Obidients’ do.

Mr. Sowore noted that if he had to have supporters who would lead him to victory to govern the country, he would not want them to be people who cannot question him or who will package him to the world as what he is not.


"If I had to have supporters in this world who would lead me to victory to govern this country, I don't want them to be people who cannot question me or who will package me to the world as what I am not. I don't want those kinds of supporters.

"I don't want supporters who will suppress and oppress people the same way these people are fighting our present people. I don't wish for supporters who would go to the extent of even arresting people because they say something they don't like on Facebook. I don't want those kinds of supporters. I don't want to be an ‘Obidient.’”

Speaking further, Sowore noted that “the word ‘Obidient’ in itself riles me that anybody would form an organisation that's obedient during the period of oppression”.

"It's like surrendering your sovereignty, in this case, your senses, to nonsense,” he added.

Stressing that he was not embittered against Obi, Sowore said, “Let me tell you, Femi Falana was defending the Labour Party during the same period we won our party back. We got a judgement that said the court cannot intervene in party matters, but it was not published.

"I was the one who gave Femi Falana a copy of our own, which was published, that they used in arguing against the people who wanted to ensure that Obi did not run in the 2023 election.

"That was what won them the case, and he became a candidate. Otherwise, he would never have become a candidate. I'm just telling you this, and I've said it publicly; they can't deny it.

"Femi Falana will tell you. You can call him, and he will tell you that's what happened. We gave them our party's judgement, made it available in the middle of the night, and they ran to court the next day and said there was a judgment from the Supreme Court.

"The judge ended that case right there based on that Supreme Court ruling, but at that point, it was unpublished.

"So, this is not the first time I will provide support to Obi. When Obasanjo tried to run him out of term in Anambra with Andy Uba, we were the same people who used Sahara Reporters to decode all their plans, which led to Obi being in office for eight years. I participated in that, and at the time, I thought Obi was genuine, but in subsequent years, I found that he was a fraud."

The Federal Government has threatened to sue hospitals that decline to treat patients rushed in for emergency treatment.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, issued the warning on Sunday at the “Unlock Grants Award” event in Abuja.

Recall that earlier this year, the Federal Ministry of Health was given a mandate by the House of Representatives to take firm action against hospitals and healthcare facilities that refuse to treat accident or gunshot victims without first obtaining a police report.

Kennedy-Ohanenye, however, said that Federal Government hospitals would henceforth be required to place signs outside their doors that reads: ‘No more rejection of emergency patients’.

She said: “Our hospitals will also put a sign of ‘No more rejection of emergency patients.’ These are some of the major issues we have in this country. I am in touch with Maitama Hospital. But now, I have a mobile court for any hospital that does that.

“I use this opportunity to call on all Nigerians to be vigilant.

“Let me also say that I am proud of Nigerians. I love the way they are using social media to tackle issues. But focus and continue to tackle the main issues as you are doing. Keep it up. But this is the time for action.

“Let all of us buckle up to prevent emergency patients from being rejected. I am still going to keep calling on Nigerians. This fight is not for one person alone. It is for all of us.”

A final-year Electrical Electronics student at Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, has been shot dead by suspected armed robbers.

The victim, identified as Saviour, was said to have been shot around 8:00 pm on Saturday near his former residence in Ikot Uboh, Ikot Ekpene LGA, while trying to protect his cellphone from the robbers.

A source close to the school said the armed robbers opened fire on their victim as he tried to raise the alarm.

The source noted, “Apart from his phone, the devils took nothing away. I pray that God comforts his mother and siblings and grants his soul eternal rest.

“I urge the Akwa Ibom State government and security agencies to fish out those bad elements, especially in our institutions, to ensure peace for our children.”

However, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Timfon John, who confirmed the incident, said the command is working round the clock to ensure that the culprits are brought to book.

“The perpetrators will be apprehended and made to face the full weight of the law. It is the determination of CP Waheed Ayilara to rid Akwa Ibom State of criminal elements. And this is not negotiable,” she assured.

The Organised Labour has said it will not accept any N62,000 or N100,000 “starvation wage” as the minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

It insisted on N250,000, being its latest demand at the last meeting of the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage on Friday, as the living wage for an average Nigerian worker.

This was made known on Monday by Chris Onyeka, Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, while fielding questions on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief show.

Onyeka said the one-week grace period given to the Federal Government last Tuesday, June 4, 2024, would expire by the midnight of Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

According to him, should the Federal Government and National Assembly fail to act on the demands of workers by tomorrow (Tuesday), the organs of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, would meet to decide on the resumption of the nationwide industrial action relaxed last week.

“Our position is very clear. We have never considered accepting N62,000 or any other wage that we know is below what we know is able to take Nigerian workers home. We will not negotiate a starvation wage.

“We have never contemplated N100,000 let alone N62,000. We are still at N250,000, that is where we are, and that is what we considered enough concession to the government and the other social partners in this particular situation. We are not just driven by frivolities but the realities of the market place; realities of things we buy every day, bag of rice, yam, garri, and all of that.

“The Federal Government and the National Assembly have the call now. It is not our call. Our demand is there for them (the government) to look at and send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly, and for the National Assembly to look at what we have demanded, the various fact of the law, and then come up with a National Minimum Act that meets our demands.”

He continued: “If that does not meet our demand, we have given the Federal Government a one-week notice to look at the issues and that one week expires tomorrow (Tuesday). If after tomorrow, we have not seen any tangible response from the government, the organs of the Organised Labour will meet to decide on what next.

“It was clear what we said. We said we are relaxing a nationwide indefinite strike. It’s like putting a pause on it.

“So, if you put a pause on something and the organs that govern us as trade unions decide that we should remove that pause, it means that we go back to what was in existence before.”

An erstwhile National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Salihu Lukman, has said that there is no difference between the ruling party and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Lukman, who made this statement while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics monitored by DAILY POST, said the APC was now becoming worse than the PDP it came to replace.

According to him, the PDP was becoming a one-man show where internal democracy had been dumped and candidates imposed on the electorate, stressing that it was the reason they came up with the APC.

The APC chieftain said they came up with the idea of the opposition parties merging to defeat the PDP and correct some of the anomalies noticed at that time.

“We were clear on the kind of party APC should be. We saw the weaknesses of the PDP, apart from the imposition of candidates, part of the problem was that elected candidates were not accountable to the party or anybody and we thought building the APC would depart from that and that was where the slogan ‘change’ came from.

“When the debate about the manifesto of the party was going on, the conception was that the party was going to be social democratic with a priority on the issues of health, education and social services but the party has deviated,” Lukman said.

Lukman said part of the party’s problems started from Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, adding that the President was like an emperor because he was the singular electoral asset of the party.

“We were hoping with Asiwaju (President Bola Ahmed Tinubu), things will start changing,” he said, lamenting that things rather got worse.

“We are having a party where some of its organs have not been convened since its formation. We are having a party in which for one year no meeting has taken place and that party is controlling the government,” the APC chieftain lamented.

Maureen Esisi, the estranged wife of Nollywood star, Blossom Chukwujekwu, has said she regrets marrying the actor.

Appearing on the ‘The House Chronicles’ podcast, the fashion designer described the five years of their marriage as “wasted years”.

Esisi lamented that she would have been a mother of two by now if she had married someone else. 

“I regret marrying him [Blossom Chukwujekwu]. It was wasted years. Five years of my life, that’s a lot. I would have married somebody else and probably had two kids by now,” she said.

“I wished I had kids. Because trying to have kids now is just scary and annoying. I’m currently working on having kids. I don’t know how it’s going to happen but I must get pregnant this year.”

DAILY POST recalls that Chukwujekwu got married to Pastor Ehinome, at Christ Embassy in June 2022, three years after his marriage to Maureen Esisi packed up.

Esisi insisted that the actor was the one who “walked away,” stressing that for her “divorce wasn’t an option”.

She maintained that they were not officially divorced, as she didn’t sign any legal documents.

A renowned global accounting firm, KPMG, has conducted a forensic audit revealing a notable inconsistency in the fuel subsidy claims filed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

According to a report from iWitnessLive, the audit uncovered that NNPCL had inflated its fuel subsidy claims by a staggering ₦3.3 trillion.

At first, NNPCL reported spending ₦6 trillion on fuel subsidy, with the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government covering a significant portion of the expenses.

NNPCL’s Group CEO, Mele Kyari, claimed that the federal government still owed the company ₦2.8 trillion for petrol subsidy payments, a statement made shortly after President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of the subsidy’s removal

As per the May 2024 report, the government has not yet reimbursed NNPCL for this amount.

“Since the provision of the ₦6tn in 2022, and ₦3.7tn in 2023, we have not received any payment whatsoever from the Federation.

“That means they (the Federal Government) are unable to pay and we’ve continued to support this subsidy from the cash flow of the NNPC. We are waiting for them to settle up to ₦2.8tn of NNPC’s cash flow from the subsidy regime and we can’t continue to build this,” he said.

In light of KPMG’s reconciliation, which reduced the claims to ₦2.7 trillion, the Nigerian Government intends to undertake a fresh audit of NNPC Limited’s ₦2.8 trillion fuel subsidy claim.

The audit, spanning from 2015 to 2021, seeks to authenticate NNPC’s claims.

The Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF) will spearhead the audit, with the possibility of enlisting an external firm for supplementary assistance.

The resolution was reached at a Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) session in March 2024, where participants deliberated on the necessity of an impartial audit to mitigate conflicts of interest.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, reiterated President Tinubu’s commitment to the forensic audit.

KPMG’s initial audit prompted the need for further investigation.

[Naija News]

Justin Dean, the ex-husband of an American-based Nigerian dancer, Korra Obidi, has threatened to jail his ex-wife.

Dean made this known in a post via his Instagram story.

He noted that filing a restraining order and jail term would be possible if Korra continued to spread more lies about him.

Dean added that the reign of terror was over as he called for peace between the duo.

He wrote, “Lies are over! Restraining order and jail time are possible if my ex speaks more lies. The reign of terror is over. Let peace reign.”

Controversial therapist, Blessing CEO, has opened up on the reasons behind her early marriage and shared her thoughts on the current state of marriages.

During an appearance on the ‘ThisIsPop’ podcast, she discussed her personal experiences and the factors contributing to the rise in marriage failures today.

Blessing CEO explained that her decision to marry at the young age of 18 stemmed from a lack of parental love and support.

She revealed that began dating at 15, seeking affection and validation that she felt was missing from her home environment.

This early pursuit of romantic relationships eventually led to her marriage, which, despite her hopes, did not last.

Reflecting on the differences between past and present marital practices, Blessing CEO noted that marriages were once characterized by a thorough vetting process.

Families would conduct detailed inquiries and investigations into the backgrounds of potential partners, ensuring a greater degree of stability and compatibility.

According to Blessing CEO, the absence of this approach in contemporary marriages contributes to their frequent breakdowns.

In her podcast appearance, Blessing CEO emphasized that many modern marriages are entered into spontaneously, without the necessary groundwork and understanding.

This lack of preparation and the absence of family involvement, she argues, are key reasons why many marriages today fail.

Veteran comedian Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, popularly known as Ali Baba, highlights the significant impact of Nigerian musicians on national awareness.

According to him, these talented individuals have done more to promote Nigeria’s image than any official ambassador.

In a recent interview with Channels Television, Ali Baba expressed his disappointment that despite the entertainment industry’s substantial contributions to the nation’s growth, it remains overlooked in government economic plans.

He lamented that a recent 200-page report by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, forecasting the country’s economic future, failed to acknowledge the entertainment and creative industry’s value.

Ali Baba emphasized that the creative industry’s influence extends far beyond Nigeria’s borders, citing Burna Boy as an example.

He stated that the Grammy-winning artist has put Nigeria on the global map, showcasing the country’s rich cultural heritage to a worldwide audience.

In his words:

“Two years ago, a forecast of the Nigerian economy in the next five years was looked into by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group and the entertainment and creative industry was not considered.

“A booklet of about 200 pages was done and the creative industry was not considered. The value of the creative industry in Nigeria is beyond the country.”

“Burna Boy has done a lot more for the Nigerian national awareness than any ambassador that have been posted to America, the UK or any other place. So Nigerian artists are creating national awareness and making other countries to know about us than any ambassador would have done.”