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‎During the hearing today, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joseph Daudu, lead counsel to Yahaya Bello, told the court that the ongoing trial of his client is politically motivated rather than a genuine money laundering case.

‎Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja, on Wednesday, adjourned the money laundering trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to February 5 and 6, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
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‎EFCC Witness Confirms Ex-Governor’s Name Not Linked to Transactions
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‎During the hearing today, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joseph Daudu, lead counsel to Yahaya Bello, told the court that the ongoing trial of his client is politically motivated rather than a genuine money laundering case.
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‎Daudu made the assertion during proceedings in the N80.2 billion money laundering case filed against Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
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‎The statement came in response to remarks by EFCC lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro SAN, who described the mode of payments from Kogi State local government areas as “stealing by disguise.”
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‎During cross-examination of the seventh prosecution witness (PW7), Olomotane Egoro – a Compliance Officer with Access Bank Plc – Daudu SAN elicited key admissions that bolstered the defense position.

‎Egoro, subpoenaed from Access Bank, confirmed under oath that Yahaya Bello never served as chairman of any local government in Kogi State.

He further stated that the contracts in question were awarded by local government chairmen to various contractors, as reflected in the bank statements of companies tendered and admitted as exhibits.
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‎Crucially, the witness reiterated that Yahaya Bello’s name did not appear in any of the local government transactions under investigation – neither as sender nor recipient of funds.
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‎Addressing Exhibit 33(11) – the statement of account for Keyless Nature Limited – Egoro agreed that the entries were consistent with normal banking transactions.
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‎Daudu SAN then asked: “You drew my lord’s attention to a litany of payments from the 21 local government areas, for example, on 11th October 2022, into Keyless account.

Do you know the purpose of those entries or transactions?”
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The witness replied: “No, my lord.”
‎Egoro also admitted he had no knowledge of the records of any business or contractual relationship between the local governments and Keyless Nature Limited.
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‎He further confirmed that a customer has the right to spend money as they wish unless fraud is involved, and that Access Bank had no court order or fraud report concerning the transactions in Exhibit 33(11).
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‎On inflows into Fayzade Business Enterprise (or similar entities), the witness identified a May 6, 2022 transaction from Okene Local Government Area, noted as “supply of reading materials.”
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Other payments from local governments such as Ogorimagongo, Okehi, Omala, and Yagba included purposes like education materials (N4.4 million), medical items (N7.5 million), sporting equipment (N10.8 million), and medical consumables (N12.2 million), among others ranging from agrochemicals to farm inputs.
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‎Daudu SAN pressed: “Do you know if this defendant (Yahaya Bello) is a local government chairman and which local government in Kogi State?”
‎The witness responded: “No, the defendant wasn’t a local government chairman.”
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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed as “entirely false and baseless” allegations by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that civil servants are being pressured to register as members of the ruling party during its ongoing electronic membership registration exercise.

In a strongly worded press statement issued today, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, CON, described the ADC’s accusation as part of a deliberate disinformation campaign aimed at undermining the APC’s innovative digital registration process.

Morka accused the ADC of being “terrified” and “intimidated” by the massive, voluntary turnout of Nigerians joining the APC, inspired by the successes of the Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Tinubu.

He pointed out that the overwhelming response from millions of citizens had forced the party to extend the registration window from January 31 to February 8, 2026, following popular demand.

“The ADC’s nonsensical allegation seeks to cast a shadow over the cutting-edge and pathbreaking digitization of our Party’s membership register,” Morka stated. “This is part of their disinformation campaign, which earlier included the fabrication and circulation of a fake ‘APC membership slip’ purporting that a notorious terrorist had registered as a member of APC.”

The APC spokesperson emphasized that registrations are entirely voluntary and enthusiastic, reflecting widespread public support for the party’s policies and leadership.

“While the ADC continues to fumble and peddle falsehood, our great Party remains focused on its onward march as Africa’s standard-bearer of digital and democratic innovation,” Morka concluded.

The statement comes amid heightened political tensions as parties gear up for future electoral contests, with the APC touting its growing membership as evidence of strong grassroots momentum.

The New Nigeria Peoples Party has dismissed reports suggesting that the National Leader of the party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, overreached himself in purported negotiations for his defection to the All Progressives Congress.

Responding to the reports, the NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, dismissed the claim that the former Kano State governor entered into any negotiation with the APC.

Ladipo, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, stated that Kwankwaso never got to the stage where he contemplated defecting to the APC.

“It’s regrettable that such lies are not only being orchestrated by some individuals, purportedly sounding authoritative, but unfortunately, also published as lead stories in major newspapers!” Johnson stressed: “We wish to state categorically and for the record that at no time did Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso have any meeting with President Bola Tinubu or any of his proxies either in the APC or otherwise where issues of defection were discussed.”

“Just days ago, a newspaper carried a lead story about the “details” of why Senator Kwankwaso’s “defection” failed, predicated so shamelessly on account of his purported demands before joining the APC. It was all hogwash, as nothing like that ever took place. It could be assumed that the story was sponsored to discredit Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. But they have failed in this monstrous campaign of calumny.

“This is the truth and nothing but the truth and to this extent, we call on Nigerians to disregard such media orchestrations either as news stories or those peddling the misleading information in their articles and columns. It’s all a hatchet job to tarnish Kwankwaso’s reputation but these mischief makers have failed woefully”.

Following the defection of the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, to the APC, there were reports that the APC fell out with Kwankwaso due to what was described as his “high demands.” Indeed, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Global Investment and Trade Company, Baba Yusuf, in an interview with Arise TV on Friday, said Kwankwaso misjudged his political leverage in his reported negotiations with the APC. “I will agree with the second outcome you mentioned — that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso overreached,” Yusuf said.

“Again I stress that it is a blatant lie that Kwankwaso made demands or entered into negotiations with the APC or Tinubu for his defection to their party. That never happened. “The last time he sat with the President was in January 2024, and there was no discussion about defecting to the APC. Those spreading the defection rumours were probably those who wanted to move to the APC, and who have done so now!

“It is quite clear that there is a conspiracy by the political elite to discredit Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; one fueled by these lies and half-baked opinions and articles with warped conclusions. Some have even concluded that the Senator is a “local champion”, but time will tell. Obviously, some people are trying to preempt Senator Kwankwaso’s next political move and want to stop him from entering into any alliance that they feel would be detrimental to their continued hold on power.“Kwankwaso is a man of integrity and plays his politics well, having the interest of the general public at heart. It is rather heart warming that his political base and the talakawas are not swayed by what is contained in these elitist newspapers and television” Johnson said.