News
THREAT TO APC: Grant us leadership of NASS or we’ll withdraw support for party – Northerners
A group of Northerners who converged at the Arewa House in Kaduna on Friday, have threatened to withdraw support for the government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) unless the North is given the leadership of the National Assembly and other ministerial appointments.
The Northerners attended a one day round table on Nation Building and Democracy with the theme,’ The imperative of participation,equity and equitable development of Northern Nigeria ‘ , powered by the Democratic Research Institute (DRI).
“In the communique signed by Chairman of the Communique Committee, Professor Tukur Muhammad- Baba, and Secretary, Dr.Benjamin Izra Dikki, the Northerners emphasized that because the North is not in control of both the Executive and the Judiciary arms of government, their demand is non-negotiable..”
“In a calculation that was made in the communique that showed the percentage of votes across the 6 geo- political zones, the Northwest zone gave a total vote of 2,652235,the North Central 1,742,993 while the North East gave 1,185,458. The total contributions of the North was 63.5%.”
The communique indicated that the South-west gave 25.7%, the South-south 9.10 while the South-east delivered 1.45% of the votes for the ruling APC.
The communique also reads:
“Based on the contributions of the North in the just concluded General Elections, as evidenced in the table above, the round table, which drew participants from all the nineteen Northern states, concluded that the progress, transformation and development of the region are hinged on its stake in government, particularly access to political, economic incentives and opportunities and therefore resolves as follows:”
“Demand the leadership of the National Assembly in consonance with the provisions of section 14 and sub-sections (1), (2) and (3) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. This is necessary because the North is not in control of both the Executive and the Judiciary arms of government. This demand is non negotiable.”
“The North also demands fair share of ministerial and other appointments. Such appointments should take cognisance of competence, integrity and track record, otherwise, the region is left with no option than to de-invest its support for the government and the party in subsequent elections.”
Earlier in a welcome address delivered by Prof.Al-Mustapha Ussiju Medanar, he said the central objective of the Roundtable discussion was to highlight and deepen the conversations around the roles and the place of the Northern region in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy and fostering nation-building through key players and partners of the region, among others.
He said: “For me, it is a privilege to be a participant of this preparation for an all-inclusive recognition of the place of northern Nigeria in the Nigeria calculations and the veritable focus on the equitable development of northern Nigeria.”
“The theme of today’s discussion, “Nation Building and Democracy: The Imperative of Participation, Equity and Equitable Development of Northern Nigeria” is key to addressing the socio-political challenges that face the contiguous northern region of Nigeria.”
“The central objective of this Roundtable discussion is to highlight and deepen the conversations around the roles and the place of the Northern region in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy and fostering nation-building through key players and partners of the region, among others. “
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State on the affirmation of his election by the Supreme Court.
The Edo State governorship election took place in September 2024, and Governor Okpebholo was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Supreme Court, as the final arbiter, upheld the election of the governor today.
According to the press statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), President Tinubu encourages Governor Okpebholo to be magnanimous in victory and rally the citizens of Edo across divides towards a singular vision of advancing the state’s development.
The President advises that now that the governor has cleared the legal hurdles, it is time for him to accelerate the delivery of exceptional services and good governance to the people of Edo State, which he has already begun to do.
President Tinubu also congratulates the leadership and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State and calls for cohesion and dedication in effectively discharging the mandate given by the people.
The Senate has mandated a joint committee to investigate the alarming rise of Ponzi schemes across the country, following the collapse of the Crypto Bullion Exchange (CBEX), which has reportedly defrauded investors of over ₦1.3 trillion.
The decision followed a motion sponsored by Senator Adetokunbo Abiru (Lagos East).
In a motion, the lawmaker expressed deep concern over the unchecked spread of fraudulent investment schemes, including the infamous MMM Nigeria (2016), MBA Forex (2020), and most recently CBEX, which lured millions of Nigerians with promises of high returns on digital assets.
Lawmakers in a debate warned that CBEX’s collapse had devastating financial and psychological consequences, pushing victims into depression, family breakdowns, and in some tragic cases, suicide.
The Senate expressed shock that CBEX operated unchecked for months despite its large-scale activities and online visibility, with no timely intervention from regulatory agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) or the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The joint committee is expected to hold a public hearing in the coming weeks and submit its findings within one month.
Monday Okpebholo, the governor of Edo State has been confirmed by the Supreme Court as the rightful winner of the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
This is the decision of a 5-member panel of the Apex Court after dismissing the appeal by Asue Igholdalo of the People’s Democratic Party who claims to have won the election.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Lawal Garba, the Court held that the appellants failed to prove their case of over-voting, non-compliance with the Electoral Act, among other infractions which they cited as grounds to fault the electoral victory of Okpebholo.
In a unanimous judgment, the Apex Court said the appellants failed to prove that the election was in non-compliance with the Electoral Act and that Ighodalo was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast.
Specifically, the Apex Court held that the PDP candidate failed to prove non-compliance as he merely challenged the outcome of the election in 395 of the 4,519 polling units where elections were held.
The Apex Court panel also said the 19 witnesses called at the Tribunal stage did not help the case of the PDP in challenging the outcome of the election.
Senegal scraps Akon’s $6bn Wakanda-inspired city project
UBA Announces Strategic Expansion into Key Markets Across Africa
President Tinubu congratulates Governor Okpebholo on Supreme Court Victory
Tech Expert, Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions, Adesanya, Alexander
Organ Trafficking: Ekweremadu bags 10 years in UK prison
SAINT OBI: Between his marriage and his death
-
News2 days agoKogi State: Kabba Residents Recount Flood Devastation (Photos)
-
Crime2 days agoPregnancy Dispute Turns Deadly: UNIPORT Student Burns Lover
-
News3 days agoFG Approves 16 as Minimum Admission Age into University
-
Sports2 days agoFlying Eagles set for WAFU B U20 challenge in Accra
-
Entertainment2 days agoA Guy Entertainment Sets to Rebrand 2Baba Locally and Internationally
-
Business2 days agoPower Minister Adelabu hints of fresh electricity tariff hike to defray N5trn debt
-
News2 days agoU.S. Updates Visa Reciprocity Policy For Nigeria
-
Sports2 days ago
Roll Calls of 20 Flying Eagles in Ghana for WAFU B U20 Tournament