Ahead of the Saturday local government election in Ondo State, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed confidence that the party will win in all the 18 local government areas of the state.

The party boasted that, given the performance of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration, the state’s people would come out in force to cast their votes for the party’s candidates on Saturday.

Addressing journalists in Akure, the state capital, on Monday, the party’s state Publicity Secretary, Alex Kalejaye, hinted that the party had constituted a five-man committee led by the party’s state Organizing Secretary, Charles Fagbohunka, to coordinate the party’s campaigns ahead of the poll.

Kalejaye said, “Likewise, the party has constituted a Reconciliation Committee led by state Vice Chairman Atili Agabra to settle all misunderstandings and disagreements among party members ahead of the Saturday poll.”

On preparing the party ahead of the poll, Kalejaye further stated that the party had met all the conditions the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission(ODIEC) reeled out, and all their candidates across the 18 local government areas are sellable.

Kalejaye said, “You are all aware that it’s no longer fashionable to appoint a caretaker committee for local government. That’s why the state electoral commission must conduct the local government election in all the 18 local government areas of the state.

“We are fully prepared. We have started the campaign by meeting with all stakeholders across all the 18 local government areas of the state. We have constituted campaign committees at local government, ward, and unit levels to mobilise the people sensibly ahead of the Saturday poll.

“We have also constituted another committee led by the state Organizing Secretary of our party, Hon. Charles Fagbohunka, to coordinate all the campaign committees across the 18 local government areas.”

A political analyst, Jide Ojo, has suggested that snide remarks against Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and disrespect for party leaders contributed to the impeachment of Mudashiru Obasa as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

The political analyst who described the entire saga as an own goal inflicted by Obasa on himself, said most allusions suggest Obasa was disrespectful to Governor Sanwo-Olu during the presentation of the 2025 budget figures.

He also claimed the impeached Speaker kept the Governor and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) waiting for several hours during the budget presentation and failed to apologize.

Ojo added that despite the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, Obasa remained stubborn.

He spoke on Monday as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He said, “On the social media, most allusions were that he (Obasa) was disrespectful to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the way he carried out during the budget presentation exercise, particularly when he made that snide remark that I am not too young or inexperienced to be the governor of the state and I am more qualified than some of those people who are there.

“So, it’s presumed to be a snide remark at a sitting governor. Incidentally, as a speaker or deputy speaker of the House of Assembly you do not have immunity, you are just there at the grace of your members.

“I don’t know what might have prompted Obasa to behave the way he did because if what he is alleged to have done has been revealed which is politics behind the scene of keeping the governor waiting for several hours, keeping the party elders waiting and no apologies and then the President weighing in and you are showing some stubbornness and recalcitrant, well those the gods want to destroy they first make whatever.

“So, I believe this may have been a self-inflicted own goal if I want to call it own goal.”

Recalls Obasa was, on Monday, impeached as Speaker by his colleagues in the Lagos State House of Assembly over allegations of financial mismanagement and abuse of office.

He was subsequently replaced by his deputy, Mojisola Meranda

The Nigerian Communications Commission will this week publicly release the names of 18 banks that have failed to settle their outstanding debts for using Mobile Network Operators’ Unstructured Supplementary Service Data platforms.

These banks collectively owe a total of N200bn, and the telecom regulator is preparing to take action, including suspending USSD services for the defaulters.

Impeccable industry sources told The PUNCH on Monday that only four banks have met the payment requirements outlined in a joint directive issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the NCC in December 2023.

The directive stipulated that 60 per cent of pre-API (Application Programming Interfaces) invoices must be settled by January 2, 2025, with payment plans to be agreed upon by the banks and MNOs. However, the other banks have yet to fulfill their payment obligations.

Pre-API invoices are the outstanding payments for USSD services that were incurred before the implementation of Application Programming Interfaces in February 2022.

Before the adoption of APIs, USSD transactions were often managed using older or less standardised methods, which sometimes led to disputes over billing and reconciliation between banks and telcos.

The service suspension, which is expected to take effect in two weeks, could significantly impact Nigerians who rely on USSD services for banking transactions, particularly those without internet access.

In the public statement that the NCC will release, subscribers to these services will be given directives on how to switch to other banks, ensuring they can continue accessing banking services without disruption.

The NCC’s move to expose the defaulters is part of an ongoing effort to resolve the long-standing debt dispute between banks and telecom companies, which has been a point of contention for several years.

Telecom operators have expressed concerns about the impact of the unpaid debt on the sustainability of USSD services and also threatened to withdraw the service.

Sources said that while banks have been reluctant to prioritise payments, MNOs have refrained from carrying out their threats of suspending the service due to the service’s critical role in the economy.

Electronic payment statistics data from the CBN have shown that, between January and June 2024, 252.06 million transactions, which amounted to N2.19tn, were carried out via USSD.

This is a significant increase compared to the full-year data for 2023, which showed that N4.84tn was transacted via USSD codes across 630.6 million transactions.

Initially developed by telcos for providing airtime and subscription services, the USSD service has been widely adopted in the banking sector because it does not require an Internet connection.

In November, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, told The PUNCH that operators were seeing some progress in the repayment of the debt, with smaller banks beginning to settle their obligations.

However, tier-one lenders, which are responsible for the bulk of the debt, have yet to make significant payments.

“We are seeing payments from smaller players, but the big banks, which owe the most, have not been forthcoming,” Adebayo said in a call.

“We are now waiting for intervention from regulators, including the CBN and NCC, to resolve the issue,” he added.

In October, the Director at Adaba Consult, Ejike Onyeaso, told The PUNCH that telecom companies are upset with banks over inadequate payments for leased lines used for services like USSD.

He stressed that since banks generate revenue through these services, they should compensate telecom firms. Onyeaso also warned that if telecom providers act on their threats to suspend services, it could disrupt banking operations.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has announced January 30 as the new deadline for the registration of intending pilgrims for the 2025Hajj exercise.

This decision follows adjustments to the 2025 Hajj calendar by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), directing state Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards to remit collections by February 1.

According to a statement by the Board’s spokesperson, Mohammed Lawal Aliyu, over 40% of the FCT’s allocated slots have already been filled since registration began in September last year.

Aliyu urged intending pilgrims to take advantage of the remaining registration period to secure their slots and benefit from the Board’s services during the Hajj operations.

Prospective pilgrims must deposit a minimum of ₦8,400,000 via bank draft from any commercial bank, payable to the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.

The deposits can be made across the six area councils or at the Board’s head office in the central business district of Abuja. NAHCON will determine the actual fare for the pilgrimage.

Registration will operate on a first-come, first-served basis to ensure fairness.

The Board also reminded individuals who made deposits for previous Hajj exercises but could not participate to top up their payments to meet the minimum deposit requirement before the deadline to secure their seats.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Christopher Musa, has disclosed that over 60,000 children are among the more than 120,000 Boko Haram members who have surrendered.

In an interview with Arise News on Monday, Musa detailed ongoing efforts to combat insurgency in Nigeria. He noted that not all individuals associated with Boko Haram willingly joined the group, as many were coerced, conscripted, or enslaved.

“Not everyone involved is a terrorist. Some were forced, some enslaved,” Musa explained. “Of the 120,000 who surrendered, over 60,000 were children.”

Musa highlighted that after losing their territorial control, Boko Haram shifted to a grim recruitment strategy. The group focused on impregnating women to produce a new generation of fighters, further exacerbating the crisis.

“In the past, they captured communities and forced men to join, often under threat of execution,” he said. “Now, without territories, they resorted to impregnating women repeatedly to create new fighters. These children, raised in an environment normalising violence, would have been extremely dangerous.”

The CDS expressed relief that many of these children are now in custody, reducing the potential threat they posed. He stated that those found culpable of crimes are being investigated and prepared for trial, while women, children, and the elderly are undergoing rehabilitation and care.

Musa reassured Nigerians of the government’s commitment to ensuring peace through deradicalisation, rehabilitation, and prosecution. “Nigeria is safe and will continue to be safe,” he affirmed.

The national electricity grid will remain prone to collapse due to the government’s inability to repair a crucial transmission line in northern Nigeria owing to persistent insecurity.

This is according to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who spoke during the 2025 budget defense session with the Senate Joint Committee on Power.

Adelabu highlighted the impact of the damaged Shiroro-Kaduna-Mando line, which has been out of service since a vandalism incident in October 2024. This failure has placed immense pressure on the grid, leading to frequent collapses.

“The Kaduna-Shiroro-Mando line was one of the two major lines transmitting power to the north. The second, the Ugwuaji-Makurdi line, was also vandalized but has been repaired. The Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna line, however, remains down due to insecurity,” he said on Monday.

“This is why our grid is so fragile, as it relies on a single line, causing unnecessary strain.”

The minister emphasized that while grid collapses are expected to continue, the government is focused on reducing their frequency and ensuring quick restoration times.

He underscored that the collaboration especially with the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu is critical to addressing vandalism, which remains one of the most significant challenges facing the power sector.

The minister equally announced a N2 trillion budget for the ministry and its agencies, out of which N229 billion belongs to the ministry.

He revealed a N700 billion fund allocated to the Power Metering Initiative (PMI), aimed at significantly reducing the metering gap by next month, to particularly enhance billing transparency and reduce fraud in the system.

“We recognize the issues with full or partial grid collapses, but our focus is on reducing the time it takes to restore power. We are actively collaborating with security agencies to achieve this,” Adelabu said.

The minister also disclosed plans to invest N36 billion in the distribution of transformers across the six geopolitical zones.

As part of efforts to address insecurity, Adelabu has proposed the installation of solar lights and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras on highways across the country, aimed at monitoring the movements of vandals and other criminal elements, enhancing security and protecting critical infrastructure.

The proposal is included under a N200 billion sub-head in the 2025 budget.

Mudasiru Obasa’s reign as speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly was brought to an abrupt end on Monday after he was unanimously impeached by members of the Assembly.WALE AKINSELURE, writes on the hubris, battles and intrigues that sealed Obasa’s fate

On Monday, Mudashiru Obasa was impeached as the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly over multiple allegations of fraud, with keen followers of Lagos politics insinuating his removal was a fallout of underground intrigues and battles.

His removal came days after he was alleged to have overseen the withdrawal of N43.5bn for backup vehicles for lawmakers, among other multiple statutory and financial infractions. He was reportedly in Atlanta, United States of America when the lawmakers convened and embarked on processes leading to his impeachment. Shortly after his removal, some of his loyalists who stormed the Assembly were seen in a Black Maria parked in front of the House of Assembly complex with the inscription, ‘Lagos State Task Force.’

In the significant political shakeup that followed his removal, the Deputy Speaker, Mrs Mojisola Meranda, was immediately elected as the new speaker, while the Deputy Chief Whip, Fatai Mojeed, was elected as the new deputy speaker. Until his removal, Obasa had served as the House speaker from June 2015.

The member representing Epe Constituency 1, Abiodun Tobun, described the decision to change the House leadership as unanimous. While announcing the new leaders of the House, Tobun added that all standing committees and principal positions had been dissolved. He said, “It is only death that is constant, so change is inevitable. Members of the Parliament today have decided to change the leadership of the House. The Constitution makes it clear that the House has the power to regulate its proceedings.

“The members of the House felt we had had enough of the leadership of Mudashiru Obasa. We unanimously agreed that Mojisola Meranda would become the new speaker and Fatai Adebola would be the deputy speaker. It was a resolution concurred by all members of the parliament. As we speak, all principal positions and standing committees of the House have been dissolved.

“The House has resolved to work together to move the parliament to the next level. We cannot sit back and watch the parliament fall into ruin. We owe our constituencies and Lagos State the duty of restoring the sanity and integrity of this House. That is why we have taken this action—to save our image and our state.”

One politician, several battles

During his nine-year reign as speaker, Obasa fought many battles, including allegations of misappropriation of funds and the battle to hold on to the position, term after term. However, he seemed irremovable until Monday.

In 2020, Obasa was invited to be questioned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over allegations of diversion of Lagos funds to his personal firms and bank account. However, he denied all the allegations.

The most recent allegation he shoved aside as “spurious and laughable” was that the Assembly spent N17bn in constructing a gate. In his defence, Obasa said the allegations were politically motivated, pointing out specifically that “such baseless claims will arise as the 2027 elections approach.”

He said, “It is funny. How much is the allocation of the Assembly in a whole year for anyone to claim we spent N17bn on a gate? They even alleged that we spent N200m on the recently organised 22nd Thanksgiving Service, which is untrue.

“We are aware that as elections in 2027 approach, such baseless claims will arise. It seems some people are scared, and I don’t know why. This House has not embarked on any such project. We are not reckless. Our Thanksgiving Service was held last Friday, attended by dignitaries from across the state.”

The unfortunate speech

But political observers are of the view that Obasa’s cup got filled with his remarks when Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on November 21, 2024, presented the state’s 2025 budget of N3,005,935,198,401. During the presentation, Obasa pivoted from the issue of the day into a long comment about his purported ambition to succeed Sanwo-Olu. He remarked, imperiously, that despite ongoing speculation, he had not seriously considered running for governor. He emphasised that his primary concern was strengthening the party in the state. Observers say Obasa’s remarks, which some Lagos powerbrokers reportedly deemed haughty, were the final straw. The former speaker declared that while he had not given the matter a serious thought, he did not lack the experience to contest the governorship election. He also added that none of the past occupiers of the office, once held by his godfather, was better than him.

“Becoming a governor is secondary; it is something that I have not given serious consideration. Nevertheless, that does not mean I am too young or lack experience to run; whereas, those who have been before me are not better off.

“In addition, it is also important to correct the impression from some naysayers who have been insinuating that I made payment to seek blood relations in Ojo to validate my candidacy to run as governor.

“Of course, I have never denied the fact that I am Obasa. Rather, I have never claimed to be related to Onikoyi, Oniru, or any of the other popular Lagos families as the case may be. I can indeed never run (away) from the fact that I am related to my Obasa family in Ojo. But I do not need local validity to contest or run any election. If eventually, I am contesting, I will do so from Agege,” Obasa said.

In a show of political strength, Obasa’s allies in the Assembly rallied around him and the lawmakers passed a vote of confidence in the embattled speaker. However, that show of confidence only lasted six weeks. Politics and how the tide could change in minutes!

The day things fell apart

The PUNCH learnt that Obasa’s fate might have been sealed during President Tinubu’s visit to Lagos for the festive season. Sources in the know said that the first sign of trouble for the speaker appeared when observers noticed a change in the President’s disposition towards him. The ‘powerful’ Governor’s Advisory Council had visited the President at his Lagos home to report Obasa to Tinubu, who in addition to being the national of the ruling party also doubles as the godfather of Lagos politics. The Chairman of GAC, Tajudeen Olusi, was said to have opened the discussion reminding the President of how highly the governor’s office was held in the state when he was governor between 1999 and 2007. Olusi was then said to have told the President that the disrespect that Governor Sanwo-Olu had suffered at the hands of the Speaker was no longer acceptable. According to sources, Olusi went on to reel off instances when the speaker disrespected the governor, including one instance where some elders had to physically intervene and reprimand the Speaker.

The President, a source at the meeting said, was quite displeased with the feedback given by the GAC leadership and went on to tongue-lash him. Tinubu reportedly excoriated Obasa for not just disrespecting the governor and his office, but also for poorly co-managing the politics of the state.

Tinubu allegedly cited the case of a bill being put forward by the Assembly to enable them to sack the Chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission. A source at the meeting said the President scoffed at the idea, describing it as a huge joke, presided over by the speaker. The President, the source said, amused by the very idea, wondered aloud, “Which governor will sign such a bill into law, anyway?”

After the meeting was dismissed and everybody made to leave, the speaker was said to have run after the President into an inner room, in a bid to tell his side of the story and probably pacify a visibly angry Tinubu. Suspecting Obasa’s move, a couple of other GAC members allegedly joined in that second meeting, where the issues were further discussed and the Speaker was still condemned, by the majority.

‘He saw himself as an Emperor’

A chieftain of the APC, Fouad Oki, justified the impeachment of Obasa, saying the ex-speaker was beginning to see himself as an emperor. Reacting to Obasa’s removal on a Channels Television programme on Monday, Oki said the removal of the sixth-term APC lawmaker representing Agege Constituency I, was not unexpected for any discerning watcher of Lagos politics.

Oki said, “He saw himself as an emperor. It became very obvious that there was a need for a change in the leadership of the parliament in Lagos. If you cast your mind back, you must have seen this coming in the last 18 months.

“Recall the events on the day when the governor presented the 2025 appropriation bill and the leadership of the party was invited to the convention.

“Not only was the governor kept waiting for over four hours, but the leadership of the party and all invited dignitaries were also kept waiting with no apology given. And when he came into the chambers, courtesies, too, were not extended to anyone.

“Rather, it was a situation or an event of letting people know that “I am the emperor here.” One of the ways to check such an irresponsible attitude is by stopping his excesses,” he stated.

The grassroots politician stressed that the impeachment was done in Tinubu’s best interest to see that Lagos continued to remain pivotal in terms of his political leadership. He added, “Before the President came home, this issue had been lingering. In the wisdom of members of the Governor’s Advisory Council, the President’s attention was called. The President, as father and leader, called a meeting wherein he tried to make a sense out of the observations raised by elders of the party. Unfortunately, the President saw the (former) speaker as recalcitrant. I think that is what broke the camel’s back.”

The 2027 angle

In the aftermath of the impeachment, Obasa’s travails have been linked to the 2027 race. There is speculation that Obasa was poised to battle for the All Progressives Congress ticket with Seyi Tinubu, immediate past Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode; Senator Tokunbo Abiru; and other heavyweights. Moreover, Seyi has been receiving a series of endorsements from many groups though Obasa, who was the longest-serving speaker of Lagos insisted he was not too young or inexperienced to run. Ahead of the 2027 poll, the Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders, an umbrella body of youth groups across the six geopolitical zones, endorsed Seyi for the Lagos governorship position in 2027. Those angling for Ambode’s return say they want him to complete 16 years for Christians before power could return to the Muslims in the state.

In an interview with TVC on Monday, a former speaker of the Lagos Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, said there was more to the impeachment beyond the trending speculations.

When asked whether it had to do with Obasa’s intention to run for governor, Ikuforiji said, “I don’t think I will agree with that because the present governor is in his second term. He can’t run for that office again. So, there is no reason why he will be annoyed that the Speaker wants to run for the office of the governor. That cannot be part of this thing.”

When asked about the influence of the GAC and other political interests, he said, “Yes there are bigger interests but I don’t think anybody in the Governor’s Advisory Council will be annoyed with a Speaker wanting to run for the office of the governor.

“I got into the House together with Obasa in 2003 and I left almost 10 years ago and he is still there. So, what next? It’s an acceptable ambition. Though you may ask yourself, the time is still so far, why getting the whole polity heated up over the issue of 2027? I don’t think it’s right.”

Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu has distanced himself from the impeachment of Speaker Obasa. Sanwo-Olu’s Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, in an interview with The PUNCH,described Obasa’s impeachment as a strict legislative affair devoid of politics or the state government’s influence or interference.

“It is purely a legislative matter and the Assembly handled it the best way they could. It has nothing to do with the governor,” Akosile simply said, citing the separation of powers in the constitution, involving the Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary.

Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has expressed profound joy on social media as her latest movie, Everybody Loves Jenifa, breaks cinema records in West Africa.

The film has grossed over ₦1.6 billion at the box office, making it the highest-grossing movie in West Africa to date.

The announcement was made by the movie distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, via their official Instagram handle.

Sharing the exciting news, they celebrated the overwhelming support from audiences across the region.

“A billy gang, we’re up! Everybody Loves Jenifa has grossed over ₦1.6 billion at the box office! We can’t thank you enough for showing this movie all your love” the post read.

Reacting to the achievement, Funke Akindele took to her Instagram page to thank her fans and express her heartfelt appreciation.

In an emotional post, she credited her success to divine intervention and the unwavering love of her supporters.

“Na God do am o!!!!

I am so grateful to you all!!!!

I no know Wetin I go write again!!!” the actress wrote.

See below;

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Nigerian singer May D has claimed that he used to be on the same level as his colleagues Wizkid and Davido.
According to May D, he, Wizkid, and Davido were the three biggest artistes in Nigeria years ago.

He claimed that he was even bigger than the duo at one point.

The singer featured in a recent episode of The Honest Bunch podcast.

He said: “Then it was Wizkid, David, and I. I was even like bigger. Wetin be ‘Holla at Your Boy’ compared to ‘Soundtrack?'”

Recall that May D has previously claimed that his Grammy-winning colleague, Wizkid, wouldn’t have been on his level if he hadn’t fallen out with his former record label, Square Records.

May D rose to fame after signing with Square Records in 2011. In August 2012, it was officially announced that May D was no longer on the label. The singer believes that his fallout with P-Square significantly affected his career.

The naira continued its decline against the dollar at the official foreign exchange market on Monday.

FMDQ data showed that the naira weakened to N1,548.89 against the dollar on Monday from N1,543.03 exchanged last week Friday.

This indicated that the naira fell by N5.86 compared to N1,543.03 traded at the close of last Friday.

Similarly, on the black market, the naira closed at N1,667 per dollar on Monday from N1,665.

However, the naira had been fairly stable between N1,545 and N1,660 per dollar at the official and parallel foreign exchange markets, respectively.

Last week, the Central Bank of Nigeria unveiled the Non-Resident Nigerian Ordinary Account, NRNOA, and the Non-Resident Nigerian Investment Account, NRNIA, to boost diaspora remittances.