...Says Unity Must Serve Greater Good Of Nigeria

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has given conditions that would make him accept any merger between his party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 elections.

Reacting to a statement by the presidential candidate of the PDP and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, on the likelihood of a merger between both parties, the former Anambra State governor said during an interview with NoireTV at the weekend, that he would enter into a merger agreement with any party or individual only if it serves the greater good of Nigeria.

He commended Atiku’s willingness to support him if it benefits the southeastern region of the country and emphasised the need for any merger or alliance to be focused on improving governance and helping the poor, not just winning elections or for state capture.

“I commend Atiku for his statement especially where he said he will support me if it goes to the South East. On the issue of a merger and the coming together of parties, I have always said that as long as any merger or any coming together is to better Nigeria and for governing properly, I am for it. If it is just a merger for election or state capture, I’m not for it. I am not desperate to be president, I am desperate to see Nigeria work, especially for the poor, because we have a lot of potential.

“So, if the merger is to be able to govern Nigeria properly on all those things that will make Nigeria a better place, I am for it. If the merger is to be able to govern Nigeria properly and work for all those things that would make Nigeria become a better place, I am for it. It might be at the party level, it might be at the individual level or at any level, we must come together to be able to build a better Nigeria.”

In an interview with BBC Hausa, Atiku has been engaging Obi to discuss the possibility of a merger and that he would support anyone chosen to represent the PDP in 2027 — even if the candidate is from the south-east.

Veteran Nollywood actor, Zack Orji, has revealed that he was suspended by his pastor after starring in the popular film, ‘Glamour Girls’ of the 1990s.

Naija News reports that the thespian shot a nude scene with co-star, Eucharia Anunobi.

He, however, stated that the scene had a negative impact on his marital life.

The multiple award-winning actor said a lot of people were feeding his wife’s mind with negative stories against him which led to his pastor suspending him.

Orji made these disclosures while featuring on a podcast tagged ‘Nollywood Hardcore: The Legend’s Untold Story.’

The 1994 Glamour Girls, a two-part film, was about independent single women embarking on their independence within Nigeria’s traditionally patriarchal society through escorting.

Directed by Chika Onukwufor, the story revealed young women engaging in prostitution, as they battled between accomplishing their dreams and maintaining societal norms.

Recounting the impact of the movie on his life, Orji told Emmanuel Ehumadu, host of the Podcast who is popularly known as Labista, that his pastor called him that he had received many disturbing reports about the matter.

When asked about the impact of the film, Orji said, “Back then, we were talking about the 90s before the 2000s. I was married, yes.”

On whether he had issues with his wife, the actor said, “I did. Even though she’s an actress, so they were putting a lot of things in her mind.

“I remember after the movie was released, my pastor invited me and said that he had been receiving too many calls. (He said) How can Zack go and do this kind of thing? He said he called me because he wanted to suspend me. But he wanted to inform me first of all before suspending me.

“And he said well, he was not going to tell anybody that it was just between us. While this happened, I was on another set, we were filming in Ikeja GRA. There was this guy called Alex who was very well-known in the industry back then.

“He worked with Punch Newspapers, he came to the set where I was filming and said,” I just want to confirm from you before going to the press: is it true that you have been suspended by your church? I said who told you that?”

Nollywood film actress Bukky Wright is one of the most celebrated actresses out of the country. Sadly, she made a departure from Nollywood for a long time, but is now back.

In a fresh interview with The Nigerian Tribune, Bukky Wright explained that she had to leave the movie industry for the sake of her children.

Stating that she lives for them, the thespian said they needed her more at the time, so she chose them over her career.

The popular actress also revealed that during her hiatus, she wasn’t just functioning as a mother, but she became a cyber security analyst. In Bukky Wright’s words:

“I just felt like doing something else for myself. I decided to go back to school and, you know, put my hands into something else. I’m happy I did. Now, I can boast that I’m a cyber security analyst. I’m certified in information security in the US. It felt good to at least try something out and go out of my comfort zone. I’ve always been somebody who would always go out of her comfort zone. I don’t believe in impossibilities.

“At the time that I left, I had to leave because my children needed me more. I’m a mother and I would always say that I live for my children. My children needed me and I had to be at their beck call. You know there is always a time in the life of a mother that your children need you the most. And when they need you the most, you have to show up for them. That was what I did, and I did not want to waste that time doing nothing, career-wise. So, I challenged myself. I challenged my children as well. Sometimes they’re like, ‘Mommy, do you want to be a professor or what?’”

Speaking on why she’s returned to the industry, Bukky Wright who recently had her Ramadan birthday prayer said:

“I feel there’s still something in me to give to the entertainment industry in Nigeria. It actually hits to the core of my fans anytime I post anything on Instagram, they’ll be like, ‘You need to come back’. My sons also kept encouraging me, they said, ‘It’s time you go back again and do something in the movie industry in Nigeria.’ Right now, I’m here for Nora Awolowo. She brought me in for ‘Red Circle’.

“It feels really good and I’m so happy about the warm welcome from everybody. I’m happy to be back. Did I miss the industry? Yes, I did.”

Popular social media personality Saida Boj has delved into her past, revealing insights and regrets concerning her relationship with a married man.

Saida Boj shared insights into her personal experiences, opening up on the emotional and financial toll of being in a relationship with a married partner.

In a recent interview, Saida Boj addressed her personal missteps, openly admitting to dating a married man in 2023.

She expressed deep regret for this decision, citing the significant financial strain it imposed on her life.

Saida Boj went on to reveal that her regrets stemmed not only from the moral implications of being involved with a married individual but also from the practical consequences of the relationship.

She expressed disappointment at not receiving financial support from her partner, which left her in a precarious financial situation.

Furthermore, she revealed that her major reason for regretting the relationship with the married man was her sympathy for his wife.

In her words;

In her words, “I was with this guy last year and he used me; he had money but didn’t give and he was a married man. I regret it so bad because I always feel pity for married women.”

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Alexer Peres, the estranged wife of Nigerian singer, Harrysong, has responded to the allegation of infidelity during their marriage.

Naija News reported that Harrysong, in an Instagram live session on Saturday, claimed that Alexer was pregnant for another man while they were still together.

The singer claimed that he married into a promiscuous family.

Responding via her Instagram story, Alexer said she is open to peaceful co-parenting instead of making an issue with Harrysong to soar their relationship.

According to her, the singer put her through emotional and mental abuse, but she will not be addressing it because of her love for her children.

She wrote: “I love my kids so much and I wouldn’t want the issue I have with their father to cause a bridge in their relationship with him. Reasons why I said to my self that I just want to co-parent in peace despite the emotional and mental abuse this man put me through but I am addressing this issue because it is a crucial one, involving my mum, myself, my kids, destiny etiko and most especially “infidelity” accusations.”

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar lll, has underscored the importance of education in having an enlightened and informed population and also building a prosperous society

This is even as he decried the widespread begging on the street among Almajiri students.

He warned that northern leaders cannot educate children by leaving them begging on the streets of cities and towns.

The Sultan voiced his discontent when he spoke at the inauguration of the Zamfara State Almajiri Integrated Qur’anic Education Center,Gummi held in Gummi on Sunday.

“I am not a politician but I’m here because of the importance I attach to the programme to me and community at large.

“Qur’anic Schools are centers where religious education and values were inculcated to children, but the only source of concern was begging among almajiri students”, the Sultan said

He stated that construction of Integrated Schools is very critical to needs of society as it goes a long way in addressing out of school children and end begging in the name of learning.

He said every government must put education at the forefront, believing that all good things come from education and all bad were from ignorance.

Speaking at the event, Gov. Dauda Lawal of Zamfara said the government would protect the future of younger ones by creating a conducive and enabling environment for them grow and thrive.

He added that in addition to 6 class rooms of 45 students capacity and130 double bed space, 12 toilet facilities and kitchen, a vocational center to train children on wood work, sowing, Messing work among others were established.

He assured the people of government commitment in providing adequate feeding and other wellbeing of the students.

The governor named the center after Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar III.

The governor also inaugurated the upgraded and renovated General Hospital in Nasarwa Burkullu in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of the state, and Maru Genera Hospital which was also renovated

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, says Nigeria must embark on aggressive and swift implementation of policies and development plans that will hasten the total eradication of illiteracy in couple of decades.

He warned the refusal to prioritise education for all citizens portends danger for the country.

Obasanjo opined that Nigeria will produce more drug abusers, terrorists, bandits, and other social misfits if the disturbing number of out-of-school children is not addressed.

Obasanjo, lamenting that the country has over 20 million out-of-school children, asserted that the children if not educated, empowered, or given necessary skills, would become nuisance in the society.

The former president assertions are contained in a statement by his special assistant on media, Kehinde Akinyemi on Sunday. 

He explained that to prevent such, a 25-year socio-economic development agenda is needed to prioritize education, and technology among others.

According to him, the development agenda will make it compulsory for be educated up to secondary school level.

” A 25-year socio-economic development agenda that will be generally agreed to, by the nation of all political parties and passed into law by the National Assembly with State Assembly aspects also passed into law by the State Houses of Assembly. We take up the implementation on a five-year basis. In reality, that plan will have the effect of almost a constitution. The first priority in the implementation will be education for all.

“ There should be no Nigerian without being in school compulsorily for eleven years – secondary education level.

“ Five years must be set out to ensure that every Nigerian child that is not in school is in school and no one is left out of popular education. Adult education should be embarked upon to give every Nigerian basic education equivalent to six years of formal education.

“ We should give ourselves ten years to rid Nigeria of illiteracy. No matter what we do, if we do not find a way of educating, giving skills, and empowerment, over 20 million Nigerian children that are out of school today will end up being rich recruitment centers for drug addicts, Boko Haram, bandits, and other social misfits”

He also urged the Federal Government to provide a conducive environment where businesses can thrive.

“ The second should be food and nutrition security through agribusiness. The third should be energy for all. The fourth should be industrialization and manufacturing. And the fifth should be science, technology, innovation, and Artificial Intelligence, AI.

“ In all these, the government should provide a conducive environment for the private sector to operate and thrive. And where the government will be involved at all, other than as policymaker and enabler, it should be based on private-public partnership with government as a junior partner,” the statement added.

The Nigerian Army has cleared the air on the presence of soldiers in Kano State amid the ongoing scramble for the throne of Emir in the state.

Within Nigeria recalls that Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, Emir of Kano, and Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, dethroned Emir of Kano, have been embroiled in a royal tussle following the State government move to remove the latter and reinstate the former.

The Kano House of Assembly had abrogated the law which former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje used to depose and exile Sanusi in 2020, paving the way for reinstatement of the monarch.

However, event started taking an unsettling turn when Ado Bayero, who was outside the state when he was dethroned, returned to the ancient city and made his way to a mini palace in Nassarawa.

Reacting to the development, Governor Yusuf directed the emir’s arrest, but the police ignored him, insisting that Bayero remains emir and vows to enforce court order stopping Sanusi’s reinstatement.

Shortly after the arrest order, men of the Nigerian Army moved to the mini palace to secure the place, while the main palace was guarded by vigilantes and hunters.

This had given the impression that the Army was on the side of the dethroned monarch.

Civil society groups, activists, lawyers and many others had condemned the military action, saying such has no place in a democracy.

But in a statement on Sunday night, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, said the army’s mission in Kano was to forestall break down of law and orser as a result of emirship tussle.

He disclosed that the military is not involved in the emirate tussle.

“Contrary to insinuations by the Kano state chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association as published on 26 May 2024, troops of the Nigerian Army have not been involved in the Kano state emirate tussle and are not involved in enforcing any court order. They have only taken proactive steps to checkmate any possible breakdown or breach of the security that may be occasioned by the Kano Emirship tussle.”

“The issue of paramount concern to the Nigerian Army and other security agencies is the prevention of breakdown of law and order in the state, which could be taken advantage of by adversarial non-state actors. The military would imminently intervene when it becomes apparent that the intensity of the security situation becomes overwhelming for the police.

“All the Army is doing at this stage is to monitor the situation as it unfolds and be on standby in the event of any escalation that could threaten the security of the state and the region in general.”

Ijoba Danku, the ex-manager of Nigerian singer Oritse Femi, has stepped forward to debunk claims made by his boss regarding his colleagues Burna Boy and D’Banj.

These claims, initially brought to light by Oritse Femi in an interview, have been refuted by Danku, who has publicly denounced them as false.

Oritse Femi had previously asserted in an interview that Burna Boy sought refuge at his apartment due to feeling stifled by his mother’s influence.

Additionally, the singer claimed to have consoled Burna Boy during a moment of vulnerability, assuring him of his destined greatness.

Furthermore, Oritse Femi purported to have facilitated the sale of a Prado Jeep to fellow musician D’Banj.

However, in an exclusive interview with Doyin’s Corner, Ijoba Danku unequivocally refuted these claims, denouncing them as entirely fabricated.

Danku emphasized his commitment to honesty and integrity within the industry, stating that he does not condone dishonesty in any form.

During the interview, Danku also addressed his past working relationship with singer Portable, revealing regrets regarding their collaboration.

He alleged that Portable had approached him with falsehoods, leading to a sense of disappointment in their professional dealings.

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Justin Dean, the ex-husband of Nigerian dancer and singer Korra Obidi, has taken to social media to celebrate two years of being the most trolled individual on Facebook.

Justin Dean’s controversial post comes amidst ongoing public interest in his tumultuous relationship with Korra Obidi, which has been a frequent topic of social media discussions.

Justin Dean took to Facebook to reflect on the past two years of online harassment, following a series of explosive allegations and a highly publicized divorce.

Just weeks prior, Dean accused Korra of infidelity, claiming that she had cheated on him while pregnant with their daughter.

According to Justin Dean, Korra had traveled to Nigeria for a friend’s wedding and had an affair with her fiancé during the trip.

He expressed profound anger and betrayal upon discovering her actions.

The couple’s marriage officially ended in March 2022, shortly after the birth of their second child.

Their separation was fraught with public disputes and mutual accusations, making headlines and drawing widespread attention on social media.

Despite the acrimony, their divorce was finalized on November 19, 2022, with both Dean and Korra agreeing to share joint custody of their two daughters.

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In similar news,  Just moments after US-based Nigerian dancer and singer Korra Obidi denied ever cheating on her ex-hubby, Justin Dean during pregnancy, the American chiropractor didn’t waste a beat before hitting back with his own response on social media.

Justin Dean had, in an Instagram video, dropped a bombshell, claimed that Obidi cheated on him while she was five months pregnant with second daughter, Athena.