Year: 2025

 

Protests rock councils over controversial list

Party defends consensus, denies allegations

Crisis is brewing within the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress ahead of the July 12 local government elections, as many chairmanship aspirants and party leaders have kicked against what they described as a plot to impose candidates.

 

The aggrieved members and leaders, drawn from various local government areas and local council development areas, accused key figures within the party of attempting to sideline grassroots democracy by handpicking candidates rather than allowing a level playing field.

 

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission had, in April, released the timetable and guidelines for the commencement of the electoral process for the 57 council chairmanship seats and 376 councillorship positions spread across the state’s 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs.

 

The announcement came as the tenure of the current local council officials is set to end in July.

The PUNCH reported that the party pushed for the adoption of consensus in selecting candidates for the party’s council primaries, scheduled for Saturday (today).

 

Following the party’s decision, Saturday PUNCH gathered that party leaders in various LGAs set up internal committees to screen aspirants and streamline those to be adopted as consensus candidates.

 

However, the move has sparked outrage among some aspirants and party members, who allege that the process was being used to impose preferred candidates rather than allowing for fair competition.

 

The situation is said to have led to protests in some local councils, with party members alleging subversion of the democratic process.

 

In Ojokoro LCDA, a group of party leaders, under the auspices of Ojokoro Apex Council, reportedly screened three chairmanship aspirants, out of which one Mobolaji Sanusi, emerged as the consensus candidate.

 

Sanusi’s emergence was announced in a letter signed by former members of the House of Representatives, Ipoola Omisore and Adisa Owolabi, and addressed to the state APC chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi.

 

Attached to the letter was the signature page of the consensus resolution, showing the names of the party leaders and their signatures.

 

The signatories included the incumbent chairman of the LCDA, Idowu Tijani.

 

However, trouble started a few days later when one Rosiji Yemisi emerged as a chairmanship candidate from another screening conducted by a different group of party leaders.

 

A member of the group, who spoke with one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity, accused the apex council of attempting to impose a “foreigner backed by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa”, on them as their chairmanship candidate.

He warned that imposing an outsider with no electoral history in Ojokoro would have negative consequences.

 

Protests also erupted in Yaba LCDA over an alleged plot to impose one Babatunde Ojo as the chairmanship candidate of the party.

 

A coalition of concerned landlords, electorates, and political stakeholders in the LCDA raised the alarm over a plot to replace the name of the aspirant who emerged top during the screening exercise with that of Ojo.

 

Saturday PUNCH gathered that another aspirant, William Babatunde, scored 85 per cent to emerge top while Ojo polled 65 per cent and came 11th out of the 14 aspirants screened.

 

The coalition, led by Amoo Ismail, petitioned the First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, urging her and the President to intervene and prevent what they described as a repeat of past political imposition that hindered development in the area.

 

“It is important to emphasise that we have credible leaders within our community who are capable of selecting the most qualified candidate from the broad pool of aspirants. It is simply unjust and disheartening to the political stakeholders in the local government that a single individual continues to unilaterally impose a chairmanship candidate upon us.

 

“In light of this, we humbly implore Your Excellency, and His Excellency the President, to kindly intervene and consider alternative options that will better serve the interests of our community.

 

“A more inclusive and consultative approach, one that values the voices of grassroots mobilisers and other key stakeholders, will likely yield a more favourable outcome for both the local government and our great party,” the coalition said.

 

An aide to one of the aspirants, who spoke on condition of anonymity, accused the party leaders in the LCDA of using the name of President Bola Tinubu to justify the imposition of candidates.

 

“They are going around telling us that the President has given the directive on who should emerge. This is false and disrespectful to the President, who is known to support internal democracy,” he said.

 

Lamenting the adoption of the consensus method, Opeyemi Ahmed, the media aide to the outgoing Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, Dele Osinowo, accused some party leaders of imposition by single-handedly picking their preferred candidates.

 

Ahmed, in a now-deleted post on Facebook, said the situation, if not checked, might cost Tinubu his re-election bid.

 

“The party is not sincere with its guidelines; from direct to indirect to consensus. We can do better. Let’s give a sense of belonging to everyone. Tinubu needs to win Lagos, but if a few are writing names at the top and using fake strategy to call for consensus at the bottom, then Tinubu should be ready to lose come 2027,” Ahmed said.

 

Speaking on the issue, a chieftain of the party, Fouad Oki, issued a stern warning to party leaders, urging them to embrace internal democracy or risk electoral backlash.

He issued the warning in an open letter titled, “Lagos APC’s crisis of Democracy: Internal strife and the risk to President Tinubu’s stronghold”.

 

“The Lagos APC must choose democracy over cliques. If party managers still believe they know better than voters, permit me to remind you of the stakes: disenfranchised grassroots can sabotage not only council polls, but also general elections to come. Unity forged under injustice is brittle; lasting strength requires inclusivity,” he warned.

 

He added that the APC could either learn from previous political missteps and legal precedents in Lagos or repeat them and suffer the consequences.

 

“Let this op-ed be a rallying cry within the party: abandon the politics of imposition, honour the rights of members, and give Lagosians a real voice. Failing that, our party risks losing Lagos not to an opposition challenger, but to its own internal discord – a disaster that would echo all the way to 2027,” Oki concluded.

 

Reacting to the allegations, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Lagos, Seye Oladejo, dismissed claims of imposition, insisting that the party had not concluded its primary processes and that consensus remained a legitimate and constitutionally recognised mechanism.

 

He noted that consensus had always worked for the party and helped manage post-primary fallout.

 

Oladejo said, “We have not concluded the process of the primaries, which will be held on Saturday. For those who have been able to reach consensus, there will be affirmation, but for those who have not reached consensus, their delegates will decide who their preferred candidates will be in their respective local governments.

 

“If we have not concluded the process, nobody can allege imposition. Then, where there is consensus, their leaders will need to sign off to indicate that they all agreed on a particular candidate. And when an aspirant is not happy, he can insist on going to the primary and, if he wins, good luck.

 

“Nobody is imposing anything on anybody; we cherish internal democracy in our party, and we have always strived on all of this. So, you cannot allege an imposition, even when the process has not been completed.”

 

Speaking on the reason for the party adopting consensus, he said, “As a party, we see ourselves as members of the same family. Consensus has always been easier to manage, whatever fallout might arise from the process of electing candidates for elections. So, consensus, over time, has worked for us and is recognised by our constitution.

 

“We have an internal mechanism for resolving conflicts or disagreements, and that machinery will be ignited to resolve whatever grey areas arise as a fallout of the primaries. I can assure you that we will take care of it as we have always done.”

 

 

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has approached the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission to seek approval for access to the Natural Resources Development Fund to finance infrastructure projects across the territory.

 

According to a statement on Friday by the Head of Information and Public Relations at the RMAFC, Maryam Yusuf, the delegation from the FCT was led by the Acting Chairman of the FCT-Internal Revenue Service, Mr Michael Ango, who represented the Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike.

 

The presentation was made on Wednesday to the Commission’s Fiscal Efficiency and Budget Committee at its headquarters in Abuja.

 

Receiving the delegation on behalf of the Commission, the Chairman of the Committee and Federal Commissioner representing Rivers State, Desmond Akawor, commended the FCT Minister for what he described as “innovative approaches” to developing the capital’s natural resources.

 

“The Commission welcomes the innovative approaches of the Honourable Minister to develop some of the natural resources of the FCT through agriculture, solid minerals, and tourism to accelerate the socio-economic development of the FCT and Nigeria as a whole,” Akawor was quoted as saying.

 

He explained that the 1.68 per cent Development of Natural Resources Fund is one of the special funds established by the Revenue Allocation (Federation Account, etc). Act, CAP A15 LFN, 2004.

 

He said the fund receives direct monthly allocations from the Federation Account and is held in trust for the three tiers of government.

 

According to him, the fund is designed to support economic diversification through investments in agriculture, solid minerals, and tourism.

 

“To access the fund, the Commission established a procedure where the requesting entity is required to make a formal presentation to the Commission through the Fiscal Efficiency and Budget Committee,” he said.

He added that the Committee would carry out a physical assessment to verify the viability of the proposed projects before making recommendations to the President.

 

Akawor assured the FCT team that the Committee would ensure fairness and equity while making its recommendations.

 

“We will be guided by the objectives for which the Fund was established,” he said.

 

In his remarks, Ango, who made the presentation on behalf of the Minister, said the FCT was seeking the funds to implement projects including the rehabilitation and desilting of dams such as Lower Usuma, Pedan, Jabi Lake, and Kilankwa to support year-round crop production; installation of solar-powered irrigation systems; and establishment of six mechanisation service centres.

 

Other proposed projects include the procurement of tractors and equipment for smallholder farmers, provision of on-farm storage and harvesting technology, modernisation of grain and cattle markets, improved veterinary services, and the development of the FCT’s tourism and solid minerals sectors.

During the interactive session, members of the Committee asked questions regarding the objectives, implementation strategy, and expected impact of the projects.

 

Ango, in response, assured the Commission that “the funds would be judiciously utilised if the request to access them is granted.”

 

In his vote of thanks, the Federal Commissioner representing the FCT, Ayuba Jacob Ngbako, commended the FCT-IRS for its vision in boosting internally generated revenue and described the agency’s development strategy as “a key driver of sustainable national growth.”

 

He also reiterated RMAFC’s commitment to fiscal responsibility, accountability, and due diligence in evaluating requests for funding under the Natural Resources Development Fund.

 

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results.

 

In this year’s UTME, over 1.5 million out of the 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination scored below 200 in the just-concluded exam.

 

This was revealed in the statistical analysis of the 2025 UTME results released by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday.

 

The statistics indicated that only 420,415 candidates scored above 200 in the 2025 edition of the UTME.

 

The data showed that 75 per cent of the candidates scored below 200 in the exam, with less than 1% scoring above 300.

 

In the statement accompanying the data, JAMB said, “40,247 underage candidates were permitted to demonstrate their exceptional abilities. However, only 467 of these candidates (1.16%) achieved scores that meet the threshold for exceptional ability as defined for the UTME, with their performance in the subsequent three stages still pending.

 

The examination began on Thursday, April 24.

 

In this report, PUNCH Online highlights the step-by-step guide on checking this year’s JAMB result via the website and the SMS options. See the processes below:

Check UTME results 2025 via the website

 

Visit the JAMB eFacility Portal: Open a web browser and visit the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s eFacility portal at https://efacility.jamb.gov.ng/login.

Enter your login details: Here, you’ll need to provide your email address and password you used during registration.

Access your results: Once you’ve entered the required details, click on the “Check UTME Results” button. Your UTME score for each subject taken will be displayed on the screen.

 

Checking UTME results 2025 via SMS

 

Open your messaging app: On your mobile phone, launch your text message application.

 

Compose a new message: In a new message, type “RESULT” (all caps) followed by your JAMB Registration Number.

 

Send the SMS: Send the message to either 55019 or 66019, the official JAMB result via SMS numbers.

Receive Your Results: JAMB will then send you a reply SMS containing your UTME scores for each subject taken.

 

Service Charge: This method incurs an N50 charge, which will be deducted from your mobile phone airtime.

 

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate has raised concern over the inadequate provision for pension arrears in the 2025 national budget recently signed by President Bola Tinubu.

 

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Head of Corporate Communications, PTAD, Mr Olugbenga Ajayi, on Friday.

 

The Executive Secretary of PTAD, Ms Tolulope Odunaiya, said this during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Mr Tanimu Yakubu, in Abuja.

 

Odunaiya expressed worry that the 2025 appropriation, which totals N54.99tn, does not adequately cover accumulated pension liabilities, despite its overall increase compared to the previous year.

 

She said the omission threatens the welfare of retired civil servants who rely solely on pensions for survival.

 

The statement read, “During the meeting, Odunaiya emphasised the importance of strengthening collaboration between PTAD and the Budget Office to ensure the timely and efficient resolution of pension-related issues. She expressed concern that the 2025 National Budget does not adequately provide for pension arrears, highlighting the urgent need for intervention and support.

 

“Odunaiya noted that shortfalls in budgetary releases directly affect the well-being of pensioners, many of whom depend solely on their pensions for survival. As part of her recommendations, she proposed the establishment of a joint committee to address the challenges.”

 

She stressed the importance of enhanced collaboration between PTAD and the Budget Office to resolve pension challenges and recommended the immediate creation of a joint committee to address them.

 

Responding, Yakubu accepted the proposal and formally set up the committee.

According to the statement, the committee comprises officials from both PTAD and the Budget Office and is tasked with developing actionable solutions to ensure pension obligations are met without delay.

 

President Bola Tinubu signed the 2025 Appropriation Act into law, approving a record budget of N54.99tn, the highest in Nigeria’s history.

 

The budget was raised from the initial proposal of N49.7tn submitted to the National Assembly.

 

The fiscal plan makes provisions for N13.64tn in recurrent expenditure, N23.96tn for capital projects, N14.32tn for debt servicing, and N3.65tn for statutory transfers, while projecting a deficit of N13.08tn, to be financed through domestic and external borrowing.

 

The budget assumptions include a crude oil benchmark of \$75 per barrel, oil production at 2.06 million barrels per day, an average exchange rate of N1,400/\$, and an inflation target of 15 per cent.

The Federal Executive Council had earlier approved the issuance of a N758bn bond to settle outstanding pension liabilities, including accrued rights and pension increases.

 

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, explained that the approval authorises the Debt Management Office to raise the funds needed to clear the backlog of pension arrears.

 

The National Pension Commission earlier said that the approval of an N758bn bond to settle longstanding pension liabilities under the Contributory Pension Scheme would benefit university professors, low-income earners, and others.

 

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, said the provision of water to Abuja satellite towns is dear to the heart of President Bola Tinubu.

 

Wike stated this after he inspected some projects in Abuja on Friday, while responding to a question about his recent visit to China.

 

The minister had, on May 1, travelled to China to finalise discussions with officials of the China Geo-Engineering Corporation Overseas Construction Group over the water project.

 

He said that the FCTA had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CGCOC for the provision of water in satellite towns, adding that the visit to China was a follow-up on the project.

 

He recalled that the Tinubu-led administration had promised to deliver the Abuja City Water Supply, part of which would be delivered along Airport Road in the second year in office.

 

He added that beyond the city water supply, Tinubu directed that Abuja satellite towns must be provided with clean water.

 

Wike stated, “This is a critical project for Mr President.

 

“As I speak to you, Mr President has included part of the funding of the satellite towns in the National Budget, which has been passed.

 

“We have also included it in our Statutory Budget, which has been laid before the National Assembly.”

 

Wike said that the water project would begin with Bwari, Karu, and part of Kubwa, adding that the procurement process was already at the Bureau of Public Procurement.

 

He said that CGC, the company executing the Greater Abuja Water Supply, would execute the project.

He commended Tinubu for supporting the FCT Administration to deliver impactful projects to FCT residents, cutting across roads, health, education and other sectors.

 

He explained that 85 per cent of the FCT Statutory Budget, if passed, would be dedicated to the completion of ongoing projects, while 15 would be spent on new projects.

 

The minister said that beyond road infrastructure, there were ongoing projects in the health sector.

“So, when we say projects, it doesn’t mean only road infrastructure. Education and healthcare are part of the ongoing projects, particularly in education.

 

“If you see the number of schools being renovated, you’ll understand that education has a significant allocation in the budget,” he added.

 

He disclosed that about N140 billion was allocated for capital projects in the education sector alone in the statutory budget.

 

Wike stated, “Our intention is not to award new projects but to complete the existing ones so that they will not be abandoned.

 

“All those abandoned projects will be brought back to life and completed for the use of the people.”

 

NAN

 

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has condoled with the family of the late Chief Imam of Maru Central Juma’at Mosque, Alkali Sulaiman, where he donated N5 million, 10 bags of rice and other foodstuffs.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the late cleric was abducted by bandits who later killed him alongside two of his children.

 

This was contained in a statement issued in Gusau, Zamfara State, on Friday by the State APC Publicity Secretary, Malam Yusuf Idris.

 

According to Idris, the minister was represented at the condolence visit in Maru town by a delegation led by the State Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Ibrahim Dangaladima.

 

Matawalle prayed to Allah to forgive the deceased and give his immediate families, as well as the people of Maru town and Maru Emirate, the fortitude to bear the loss.

 

He announced the cash donation, 10 bags of rice, 10 cartons each of spaghetti and macaroni to the bereaved family.

 

Matawalle lamented how banditry was recently taking a new dimension in the state, where religious leaders were being targeted.

 

He assured that his ministry would continue to deploy more personnel to the state in order to completely eliminate the criminals.

The minister said that the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu, was taking all the necessary steps to end banditry in the North-West region.

 

He further explained that the resident had provided all the necessary equipment to the military, vowing, “Soon, we will ensure the return of peace in the region.”

 

Matawalle called on the citizens to assist the security agencies with accurate intelligence in order to win the war against banditry and other criminalities

 

He said that security required every well-meaning citizen’s support, irrespective of political or religious inclinations.

 

Matawalle emphasised the need for synergy with state governments in the North-West region with the Federal Government to bring a total shutdown against the bandits and their terrible, inhumane activities.

 

Receiving the delegation, the Emir of Maru, Alhaji Abubakar Gado-Maigari, described the minister’s visit and gesture as a great relief to the deceased’s family and the people of the emirate.

Gado-Maigari thanked the minister for his magnanimity to the people of the state and urged him not to relent in doing so.

 

NAN

 

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Friday announced the release of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results, with results of 39,834 candidates being withheld.

 

The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this on Friday during the official release of the 2025 UTME results at JAMB headquarters, Bwari.

 

Oloyede revealed that the seizure of results was due to suspected examination malpractices, and about 80 individuals are being probed for exam-related offences with Anambra State having the highest number of suspects.

Details later…

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned the Managing Director of Sunsteel, Olalekan Adewoye, on Thursday over alleged $680,622.65 fraud in Lagos.

 

Adewoye was arraigned by the EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State High Court, sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.

 

This was disclosed in a statement released by the agency on X on Friday, stating that the MD was arraigned alongside his companies, Sunlek Investments Limited and Sunsteel Industries Limited, on a two-count charge, bordering on alleged stealing and obtaining property by false pretence to the tune of $680,622.65.

 

In the statement, one of the charges reads, “That you, Olalekan Adewoye, Sunlek Investments Limited and Sunsteel Industries Limited, sometime between 2013 and 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with a dishonest intent, stole and converted, for your own use, the aggregate sum of $680,622.65 (Six Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Six Hundred and Twenty- two Dollars Sixty-five Cents), property of Hexagon Im-und Export GmbH & Co KG, a German Company, being the value of construction materials supplied to you, and you thereby committed an offence, to wit, obtaining property by false pretence, contrary to and punishable under Section 1(1), (2) and (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecution counsel, Abdulhamid L. Tukur, requested a trial date and asked for the defendant to be remanded in custody.

 

The defence counsel, Olusegun O. Jolaawo SAN, informed the court of a pending bail application, stating that the defendant had never jumped the administrative bail granted by the EFCC.

 

The judge, Dada ordered that the defendant should continue to enjoy the adminstrative bail earlier granted by the EFCC, but the defendant must deposit his passport and documents for two landed properties with the court registry.

 

The case was adjourned to June 3 and 19, 2025, for the commencement of the trial.

 

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has joined millions of admirers across Nigeria and the diaspora in celebrating Ambassador Professor Mary N. Lar on the occasion of her 90th birthday, describing her as “a distinguished mother, a moral compass, and a symbol of purposeful leadership.”

 

Professor Mary Lar is the wife of the first National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party and the first civilian governor of Plateau state, Solomon Lar

 

In a congratulatory message, on Friday Mutfwang described Prof. Mary Lar as a symbol of wisdom and a beacon of hope, whose immeasurable contributions to humanity cannot be quantified.

 

Paying glowing tribute to the elder stateswoman, Mutfwang said: “Your legacy of love, compassion, and inclusivity transcends the boundaries of faith, ethnicity, and generations.”

 

Reflecting on her remarkable journey from a classroom teacher to First Lady of Plateau State and later Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, the Governor stated: “Your life continues to inspire excellence, dedication, and patriotism. It speaks volumes of the strength, dignity, and capacity of Nigerian women in nation-building.”

The governor further described Prof. Lar as “a beacon of hope and a firm pillar in our shared quest for a united and progressive Plateau,” commending her for preserving the noble ideals championed by her late husband, Chief (Dr.) Solomon Daushep Lar, during Nigeria’s formative democratic years.

 

Mutfwang praised her outstanding contributions to education, especially her role in establishing institutions that have “nurtured respected sons and daughters of our land.”

 

He added: “You remain a towering figure, a burden-bearer, a compassionate mentor, and a shining light for our resilient youths on the Plateau and beyond.”

 

“The governor offered his heartfelt congratulations on behalf of his family, the government, and the people of Plateau State, praying for continued good health, long life, and wisdom for the iconic stateswoman”, a statement by the governor’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, added.

 

The National Association of the Blinds, Akwa Ibom State Council has appealed to Governor Umo Eno to assent to the disability bill earlier passed by the state’s House of Assembly.

 

The Chairman of the association, Stephen Solomon, who made the appeal in Uyo on Thursday during the first anniversary of the union’s Exco, said that the bill, if passed, would reduce discrimination, segregation, and concealment.

 

He explained that the bill, when signed into law, would empower them to advocate for their rights in the state

 

“We appeal to the governor to assent to the Akwa Ibom State disability bill as passed by the House of Assembly because that is the only thing that will give us a backup to start advocating for our rights.

 

“If the bill is assented to, it will help in reducing discrimination, segregation, and concealment,” he said.

 

Solomon also called for the inclusion and integration of persons with disability into the scheme of things in the state, especially in employment and other empowerment programmes, saying that such would give them the opportunity to take care of themselves and their families as well.

He, however, lamented that many people with disability are out of school, particularly the blind, and urged the government to look in that direction to ensure that such an issue is addressed.

 

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, Uyo, Augustine Udo pledged his support and solidarity with the blind association and commended them for their resilience, unity, and unwavering commitment to advocating for inclusion and empowerment.

 

He expressed hope that the structure of the bill awaiting assent is equitable enough to accommodate all the interests of people with disability.

 

He added, “In just one year, your association has become a voice of hope, courage, and transformation.

 

“You have inspired the wider community with determination to break barriers and promote equal opportunities.”