News
Olumide Akpata’s Statement on the unnecessary controversy over the clarification made by the Oba of Benin
Candidate of the Labour Party, in Edo 2024 Election, OLUMIDE OSAIGBOVO AKPATA, has released a written statement on the unnecessary controversy over the clarification made by the Oba of Benin .
His statement reads:
On Saturday, June 15, 2024, the Labour Party held its flag-off ceremony for
the Edo State gubernatorial elections, an event that sent shockwaves
through the established political order in our great State. While this
occasion was a resounding success, the crowning moment for me was
the profound honour of being warmly received by His Royal Majesty, Omo
N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin,
alongside our leader, Mr. Peter Obi, and other members of our entourage.
The Oba graciously offered us royal blessings and well-wishes, a moment
that filled me with immense pride and gratitude beyond measure.
During my address to His Royal Majesty, I inadvertently referred to myself
as a “son of the palace,” which could be misconstrued as claiming to be
born a Benin Prince, which I am not and have never claimed to be.
However, in his usual candour, my royal father, the Oba of Benin, swiftly
and graciously intervened, correcting me with the more appropriate term
“an indigenous illustrious son of the soil.” His Royal Majesty then proceeded
to recount my antecedents and achievements and the numerous
occasions when he had personally made interventions on my behalf as a
“true son of Benin.”
As a humble and loyal subject of the Oba, who has nothing but utmost
reverence for the revered throne of His Royal Majesty, I promptly
accepted the Oba’s correction and rephrased my statement
accordingly. I am not too proud or arrogant to acknowledge my mistakes
or to accept guidance when offered, especially from the revered throne
of the Oba of Benin, a throne that commands the utmost respect and
deference from all true sons and daughters of the Benin Kingdom.
It is a well-known fact that I am not among those who delude themselves
into believing that they are above the authority of the Oba of Benin, a
mindset that has plagued some misguided individuals — we know who
these individuals are — who seem to have forgotten the sacred traditions
that bind us together as a people.
It is therefore with profound dismay that I must address the recent
attempts by certain irreverent individuals to distort the words of His Royal
Majesty and create unnecessary controversy through their warped and
self-serving interpretations. Furthermore, I am compelled to issue this
statement due to the utterly unacceptable reactions of some individuals
who claim to be acting in my defence. I categorically condemn any
conduct or language that could be deemed insulting or disrespectful
towards the Oba of Benin, the embodiment of our rich cultural heritage.
As I have repeatedly and emphatically stated, anyone who fights the
Oba of Benin is also fighting me, and I will never be party to any scheme
or ploy that brings disrepute to the sacred throne of the Benin Kingdom.
It is imperative that this deliberate misrepresentation of the harmless and
educational exchange between the Oba and myself ceases
immediately. All parties should refrain from twisting the Oba’s words to fit
their own narrow and self-serving narratives, as this only serves to
undermine the reverence and respect due to the throne, a disrespect
that strikes at the very heart of our cultural identity.
As we embark on this consequential journey of the 2024 Edo State
Elections, I reaffirm my unwavering commitment to upholding the values
and traditions of the Benin Kingdom and the traditional institutions across
the state at large, a commitment that extends beyond mere words to a
deep-seated reverence ingrained in my very being.
The Labour Party and I stand resolute in our determination to bring about
positive change while preserving the rich cultural heritage that defines our
great state, a heritage that must never be tarnished by the actions of
those who have lost their way.
To the good people of Edo State, I call upon you to join me in collectively
rejecting any attempts to sow discord or disrespect towards our revered
monarch. Let us unite in our reverence for the throne and work together
to build a prosperous future for Edo State, guided by the wisdom and
blessings of His Royal Majesty, the Oba of Benin. Let us be the
embodiment of the values that have sustained our great kingdom for
centuries, values that must be upheld and passed on to future
generations, untainted by the misguided actions of those who are
inexorably fixated on their dastardly agenda to wit: the insidious
denigration of our revered monarch and the throne of his ancestors, upon
which he seats.

News
Insecurity: Nigeria’s Internally Displaced Persons Hit 3.726m
According to the report, Zamfara is hosting 276,887 IDPs in 9 camps as of March 2026, while , Benue State hosts over 500,000 internally displaced persons, making it one of the worst-hit states.
Data compiled by the International Organisation for Migration Displacement Tracking Matrix, showed that there are 3,725,593 internally displaced persons, IDPs, now scattered across about 3,900 camps and settlements nationwide.
According to the report, Zamfara is hosting 276,887 IDPs in 9 camps as of March 2026, while , Benue State hosts over 500,000 internally displaced persons, making it one of the worst-hit states.
In Taraba State, about 90,000 displaced persons are currently sheltered in eight camps located in Peva and Kufai Ahmadu in Chanchanji Ward of Takum LGA.
The report said that the crisis has largely been driven by insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, farmer–herder conflicts in the North-Central, and communal clashes in parts of the South.
It further said that Nigeria’s 3.726 million displaced population is larger than the population of at least 63 countries whose populations are under 3.7 million, according to United Nations population estimates.
Among countries with fewer than 3.7 million people are Uruguay (3.4m), Jamaica (2.8m), Qatar (2.7m), Namibia (2.6m) and Botswana (2.6m).
News
Atiku’s Media Aide, Ifeanyi Izeze is Dead
The media office said that further details about Izeze’s burial would be made public by his family.
Atiku Media Office has announced the death of Ifeanyi Izeze, a member of the media team of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
In the statement , Izeze a prominent and pioneer member of the ex-VP’s media team died on Sunday.
“Ifeanyi Izeze joined the media team of the then Vice President Atiku Abubakar in 2006, from Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), Ikot-Abasi as the Office Manager.
He brought to bear on the work of the media team at that critical stage of Atiku’s political career, his wealth of experience in the media, Niger Delta and Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Izeze trained as a geologist at the University of Port Harcourt up to postgraduate level, but carved a niche in journalism where he reported and wrote extensively on oil and gas industry in Nigeria for many years in the defunct Sunray, Anchor, and NewAge newspapers among others, before he joined ALSCON.
In the Atiku Media Office, Ifeanyi was a senior member of the team and its pioneer Office Manager who helped shape the campaign policies of the Atiku Presidential Campaigns in the Niger Delta, particularly in the oil and gas sectors,” the statement further reads.
Atiku Media Office described the deceased as a man with a prodigious sense of humour and a born-again Christian of the Christ Embassy.
The media office said that further details about Izeze’s burial would be made public by his family.
He left behind children, grandchildren and an elder and only surviving brother, Pastor Emeka Izeze of the Guardian Newspapers fame
News
Tinubu Pledges Support for Nigerian Media in Battle Against Big Tech.
...Vows Tariff Relief on Newsprint and Equipment. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has thrown the full weight of his administration behind Nigeria’s media industry in its escalating fight against Big Tech’s dominance, unfair content usage, and crippling economic pressures, while promising to slash or eliminate import tariffs on essential production materials.
Speaking at a high-level interfaith dinner held at the State House on Friday, March 13, 2026, the President described the Nigerian press as an “indispensable partner” in the country’s drive for economic recovery, democratic consolidation, and national unity.
“We will help dismantle the fiscal hurdles and digital cannibalisation currently threatening the survival of the press,” Tinubu declared, assuring the delegation that his government is actively reviewing the national tariff exemption list.
Among the items under consideration for zero or reduced duty (currently 5–10%) are newsprint, printing plates, chemicals, and broadcast equipment for radio and television—materials the media sector has long argued should receive the same preferential treatment as educational and research imports.
“You have the government’s full support, because we know how important your work is to the sustenance of democracy,” the President told representatives of the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) and other leading industry bodies.
The closed-door meeting brought together a powerful cross-section of Nigeria’s media leadership, including:
– Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, NPO President and Publisher of The Guardian
– Frank Aigbogun, NPAN Deputy President and Publisher of BusinessDay (who delivered the industry’s joint address)
– Aremo Olusegun Osoba (Vanguard)
– Sam Amuka (THISDAY/ARISE News)
– Prince Nduka Obaigbena (Channels Television)
– Dr John Momoh, Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)
– Leaders of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), among others.
In his presentation, Aigbogun accused unnamed global tech platforms widely understood to include Google and Meta of systematically “scraping” Nigerian journalistic content, frequently breaching paywalls, to train artificial intelligence models without compensation.
He claimed these practices are depriving local media houses of up to 70% of their legitimate advertising and syndication revenue losses running into hundreds of millions of dollars annually while triggering widespread job losses across newsrooms.
Aigbogun called on the President to instruct the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to launch a formal investigation, in partnership with media stakeholders, into Big Tech’s alleged anti-competitive behaviour.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, told the gathering that preliminary engagements with major tech companies, including Meta and Google, are already in progress.
“The government will not allow anybody to come here, reap from our economy, and go away without giving back,” Idris said firmly.Vice President Kashim Shettima, together with several senior presidential aides, also attended the event.
The State House meeting follows an earlier January 2026 letter and public statement from the NPO highlighting the existential threat posed by unregulated digital platforms to Nigeria’s independent media ecosystem.
Industry observers view the President’s commitments as a potential turning point, offering both short-term cost relief through tariff adjustments and longer-term policy backing in the global push for fair revenue sharing between traditional media and dominant tech intermediaries.
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