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“PDP Has Been Retrenched From the Southeast”, Stakeholders Tell Enugu Governor

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After 24 years of dominating Southeastern politics since the restoration of democratic rule in the country in 1999, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been retrenched from the zone because of its poor record and poor treatment of leaders from the area, according to the Enugu State Stakeholders Forum (ESSF).


The party no longer controls Anambra, Abia, Imo and Ebonyi states.


The Enugu stakeholders in a statement today in Enugu signed by its leader, Professor Joseph Aneke, and countersigned by their secretary, Dr Ifeanyi Agbo , noted that “Enugu as the capital of the Southeast cannot afford to be in an odd position in the zone”.

The stakeholders accused the PDP of pretending to be in charge of the executive arm of the state, saying the pretension would end the moment the Governorship and House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal delivers judgment on the authentic result of the gubernatorial vote.

“The performance of PDP’s various administrations in Enugu State, for instance, except that of Sullivan Chime, has been anything but inspiring”, the stakeholders said.

The forum claimed that the Southeastern people never forgot how the party treated Nigeria’s first Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, whose learning and personal integrity as well as unimpeachable leadership attributes gave the PDP its original reputation of a national movement that enabled it to win the historic 1998/9 general election by a wide margin.

“On two occasions”, it recalled, “Dr. Ekwueme sought the party’s presidential ticket and on two occasions it was denied him simply because he came from the wrong part of the nation.

“Still, the people continued to give the PDP the benefit of the doubt until the 2023 general elections when the party was routed because the people had become fed up”.

It explained: “The people voted overwhelmingly for change in the election by siding unabashedly with the Labour Party (LP) and its candidates”.

“The Labour Party won 88.7% of the presidential vote, two of the three senatorial seats, seven of the eight House of Representatives seats, and 14 of the 24 House of Assembly seats”.

The Enugu stakeholders described the result of the governorship election declared by INEC as “a pure electoral heist which cannot be defended or rationalised”.

Noting that the claim that PDP’s Peter Mbah won over 16,000 votes in his home Nkanu East Local Government Area composed of mostly villages and small towns “is ludicrous”, the forum said that the “figure is amusing to even the INEC national headquarters which announced at a press conference on March 22 in Enugu that it had slashed the number of votes allocated to Mbah to a little over 15,000, though enough to give the PDP a spurious victory”.

Concluded the stakeholders: “The truth is that the PDP has been retrenched from Enugu State and the rest of the Southeast, and it cannot come back”.

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President Tinubu returns to Lagos ahead of APC primaries tomorrow (Video)

Tinubu’s aircraft touched down at about 7:12 p.m. at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.

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• President Tinubu chats with African business leaders during the African CEO Forum in Nairobi, Kenya.

President Bola Tinubu on Friday arrived in Lagos after a three-nation visit to France, Kenya and Rwanda.

Tinubu’s aircraft touched down at about 7:12 p.m. at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.

A statement issued by his special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said that the president was received by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Deputy Governor, Femi Hamzat; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; and other government officials.

President Tinubu, while in France, met with global investors, emphasising transparency and fiscal discipline and explaining the rationale for the swift implementation of the bold economic reforms his administration has instituted.

Watch Video below:

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Anxiety as chemical pollution affects 6 Ogun schools, 90 students

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Triggers Widespread Panic One Month After Similar Incident

More than 90 students across several secondary schools in Ijebu-Ode were hospitalised on Friday after a suspected chemical odour permeated the town, sparking panic among parents and residents.

Ohibaba.com learned that the pollution was caused by gas leak along the Agoro/Okunowa Road axis of Ijebu-Ode; the situation is now under control by the state environmental monitoring agency, and poses no further danger.

The incident occurred barely one month after a similar chemical odour episode at Our Lady of Apostles Girls School left several students hospitalised.

Eyewitnesses reported that a strange smell spread rapidly across parts of the ancient town, prompting parents and guardians to rush to schools to evacuate their children. Emergency responders moved over a thousand students from affected schools to the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, for medical attention.

Medical personnel at the hospital said many of the affected students complained of abdominal pain and related symptoms. Residents in surrounding communities and adjoining streets were also reportedly impacted by the unusual odour.

Affected schools include Our Lady of Apostles School, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Sambadola Private School, Adeola Odutola Secondary School, and St. Anthony School, Esure, in Ijebu Mushin.

As of the time of reporting, no senior government officials had arrived at the State Hospital, where anxious parents and residents gathered in large numbers.

Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, urged parents to remain calm, assuring them that medical personnel were attending to the students. He added that environmental officials from both federal and state agencies had been mobilised to investigate the situation.

The General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), Hon. Kehinde Bello, disclosed that an air quality monitoring device installed at Ijebu-Ode Grammar School recorded elevated methane gas concentrations, with peak readings of about 13,500 ppm in surrounding areas.

Bello explained that the device was deployed under the state government’s environmental surveillance programme for early detection of abnormal air quality. He noted that while the methane level remains below the lower explosive limit, it is environmentally significant and requires urgent investigation.

The Ogun State Government has since activated a multi-agency team comprising environmental regulators, emergency responders, and technical air quality experts to assess the situation.

Bello advised residents to stay calm, continue normal activities, and avoid open flames or ignition sources in areas where unusual gas odours are noticed. He urged anyone experiencing symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, nausea, or respiratory discomfort to seek immediate medical attention at nearby health facilities.

The government assured the public of its commitment to protecting lives and public health, promising further updates as investigations progress.

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JUST IN: Dangote files new lawsuit against FGN over fuel import licences

The new filing asks the Federal High Court in Lagos to set aside import permits issued or renewed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), arguing they breach an earlier order to maintain the status quo.

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery has filed a new lawsuit against Nigeria’s attorney general in a bid to overturn fuel import licences issued to ‌marketers and the NNPC state oil firm.

Reuters reported that the new filing asks the Federal High Court in Lagos to set aside import permits issued or renewed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), arguing they breach an earlier order to maintain the status quo.

The case signals renewed tensions almost a year after Dangote withdrew an earlier lawsuit challenging similar licences.

That case sought to nullify import permits issued to the Nigerian ⁠National Petroleum Company and several traders.

NMDPRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Regulators and marketers have previously argued imports are needed to ‌ensure ⁠adequate supply and prevent shortages.

Dangote said in the filing that the licences issued this month undermine its operations and contravene the law, which it argues allows imports only when domestic supply falls short.

Dangote ⁠ended the earlier lawsuit in July 2025 without explanation, leaving unresolved questions over competition and supply in one of Africa’s largest fuel markets.

Nigeria ⁠has long relied on petrol imports due to underperforming state refineries. Dangote’s $20 billion facility, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels ⁠per day, was billed to end that dependence, but imports have continued to cover supply gaps as the refinery ramps up output.

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