Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has repaid his longtime Personal Assistant and Political Associate, Uba Sani, with the ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the 2023 governorship election in the state.
The primary election which held on Thursday and dragged into the early hour of Friday saw Sani, who is a senator representing Kaduna Central, as the winner.
Sani polled 1,149 votes to defeat two others – Hon Sani Sha’aban, who got 10 votes and Hon Bashir Abubakar, who scored 37 votes respectively.
There were 39 invalid votes.
Sani was Governor el-Rufai’s Special Adviser on Politics, and his Personal Assistant when he served as Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja during the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo.
THE WHISTLER reports that both have remained close since then.
El-Rufai is seeking a loyal successor as his reign finishes in 2023.
Sani had earlier been chosen among several aides to the governor and was subsequently anointed by the former minister.
Another close political associate of the governor who was a former Chief of Staff, and a two-time Commissioner for Budget and Planning under his administration, Mohammed Abdullahi, popularly known as Dattijo, was urged by the governor to pick the form for Senate to represent Kaduna Central.
Dattijo, who was earlier touted as the anointed candidate of the governor, subsequently picked the senatorial form.
Sani is into his third year of first term in the Senate.
Ace broadcaster and owner of Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hamzat, has been released by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Hamzat was released on bail to his lawyers early this morning (Friday).
Recall that this newspaper had reported that Hamzat, who had consistently advocated for justice in a murder case involving Hilton Hotel, Ile-Ife owner, Chief Rahman Adedoyin, was arrested on Thursday morning.
The police claimed that the Ibadan-based broadcaster ignored their invitation severally, stating that the broadcaster is under investigation.
Agidigbo 88.7FM and Hamzat’s supporters had complained that the media entrepreneur was whisked to Abuja by officers of the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) over his call for justice on the murder of a student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Timothy Adegoke.
His arrest had elicited the #FreeOriyomiHamzat hashtag on social media.
The reason why presidential aspirant and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi dumped the Peoples Democratic Party has emerged.
It was gathered that some governors elected on the platform of the main opposition party showed him the door after a high-wire game of intrigues, and conspiracy.
There had been speculations that former vice president, Atiku Abubakar might pick Obi who was his running mate in the 2019 presidential election as his vice presidential candidate in 2023.
The decision was reached after Obi noticed that the party was not ready to zone it presidential ticket to the south-east.
However, some governors in the party had threatened not to support the presidential ambition of Atiku if he does not select one of them as his running mate.
This led to the high wire game of intrigues and conspiracy against the former Governor of Anambra State and forcing him out of the party to find another platform where he would express his presidential ambition.
A source that spoke with Vanguard on the issue said, “Obi was hoping to emerge as the running mate to Atiku again since the PDP, from all indications, is not ready to cede the presidency to the South-East.
“However, most of the PDP governors said they will back Atiku if he makes one of them his running mate. This led to a highwire conspiracy against Obi in the PDP. So he had to look elsewhere to pursue his aspirations.”
Recall that Obi claimed that he was quitting the PDP because the party had made it impossible for him to continue to contribute to nation-building on its platform.
Isah Ashiru has again picked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship ticket for Kaduna state.
A former state and federal lawmaker, Ashiru was the opposition party’s candidate in 2019.
He polled 414 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Sani Sidi, a former director-general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) who scored 260 votes.
The results were announced at about 6am on Thursday morning.
Ramalan Yero, a former governor of the state, secured 28 votes, Sani Abbas had 15 votes, Haruna Saeed, a former accountant general in the state, won 11 votes while Senator Shehu Sani got two votes.
Following the announcement of the results, Shehu Sani congratulated the winner, noting that he hopes to appreciate the two delegates who gave him “clean votes”.
The Kaduna PDP Governorship primary has been concluded. I lost and Honourable Isah Ashiru won. I wish to congratulate him,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Two delegates voted for me without giving them a dime; unfortunately, I don’t know who they are so that I can appreciate these clean votes. We look forward.”
The governorship primary commenced late on Wednesday, as the accreditation of delegates from the 23 LGAs did not start till 4:30pm.
The delegates were screened at Access Hotel and Nevilla Hotel, after which they were taken to the gymnasium hall of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium (ABS) — where the voting took place.
A total of 788 delegates took part in the exercise to elect the party’s flagbearer.
The lawmaker representing Anambra North senatorial district, Stella Oduah, has broken her silence on the reports claiming she did not complete her National Youth Service Corps.
A group identified as Concerned Anambra North Peoples Democratic Party Stakeholders had asked NYSC to validate the former Minister of Aviation’s claim of losing her certificate.
The Director-General of the service in response to the request disclosed that Oduah was mobilised for national service in the 1982/83 service year and was deployed to Lagos State.
He, however, stated that Oduah absconded after the orientation and never completed the service.
Oduah while reacting to the scandal shared a photo of her in NYSC uniform and a letter from NECA confirming that completed her service year.
The lawmaker in a statement released through her media aide, Ezennia Nonso Chukwudebe, said she “served meritoriously at NECA in 1982 as can be confirmed from this 11th January 2017 clarification from the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association personally signed by the Director-General, O.A Oshinowo.”
The statement reads, “*RE: THE VIRAL STORY OF THE ALLEGED SENATOR STELLA ODUAH NYSC ABSCONDMENT.*
“Our attention has just been drawn to a publication that makes a most spurious claim to the effect that the Distinguished Senator representing Anambra North, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah OON, absconded from the National Youth Service Corps program.
“Ordinarily we would never dignify such antics with a response but we deemed it necessary to put out this statement for the benefit of gullible minds that are being targeted by political jobbers whose stock in trade is churning out such concocted rubbish every election cycle, especially when it is becoming glaring that they are receiving the short end of the political stick.
“The Distinguished Senator indeed served meritoriously at NECA in 1982 as can be confirmed from this 11th January 2017 clarification from the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association personally signed by the Director-General, O.A Oshinowo.
“How her opponents have suddenly resorted to circulating this story which is completely at variance with the position of the agency where she did her primary assignment, is an issue every keen mind should focus on and we are by this publication, giving the NYSC sometime to put out a disclaimer as we firmly believe this letter to be fake.
“Unfortunately we live in climes where such unsubstantiated stories travel fast and it is more worrisome that some mainstream media outlets appear to be sucked into this viral vortex of deceit.
“Senator Stella Oduah did not only serve meritoriously but would go on to work in the NNPC, a Federal Government establishment, for the next nine years!
“Nigerians need to understand that the persons behind the fake letter currently doing the rounds are desperate, despondent and out of their wits end for they instinctively appreciate the fact that the Distinguished Senator is one leader that continues to be appreciated and loved for her many people-oriented programs and no amount of sponsored media mudslinging can obliterate this fact.
“This is election season and it is expected to see such antics by weak traducers whose understanding of politicking is engaging in mindless subterfuge against aspirants rightly perceived as strong.
“Unfortunately for them, they are deploying the same failed strategy that has never managed to stop the Distinguished Senator at the polls and one would expect that they’d restrategize.
“Senator Stella Oduah remains strong, in very high spirits and is looking forward to the election proper.”
Oyo-state-based broadcaster and social activist, Oriyomi Hamzat, has been arrested by the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) and is being transferred to Abuja, POLITICS NIGERIA reports.
The FIB is the apex of intelligence gathering in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). It is the only arm of the Force that provides Intelligence on Crime and National Security.
It is not yet clear why Hamzat, the owner of Agidigbo 88.7 FM, Ibadan, was arrested.
The State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in Ibadan invited Hamzat, before handing him over to the FIB.
This newspaper understands that Hamzat has been championing the call for justice for Timothy Adegoke, the late Masters student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Since Adegoke mysteriously died in Room 305 at Hilton Hotel and Resorts Ile-Ife in November 2021, Hamzat has been on the hunt to track down his alleged killer(s).
When this reporter called the police to get comments from them about why Hamzat was arrested, the personnel asked him to “come down to the FIB office”.
Embattled DCP Abba Kyari has escaped being murdered inside Kuje prison.
According to reports, prison officials are now considering moving the suspended police officer to the custody of the State Security Service (SSS) after he nearly got murdered by aggrieved inmates, who accused him of insincerity in bribe-for-release deals when he was in active service.
According to internal documents and officials accessed by PREMIUM TIMES, the attack happened on May 4, months after Kyari, who is on trial for drug-related offences, was remanded. His attackers were about 190, an official said, and they are mostly in prison for drug offences.
The Kuje attackers claimed Kyari prosecuted them despite taking bribes from them, our sources said. One of the sources, a state investigator and intelligence officer, described Kyari as a “dodgy criminal.”
Kyari has not been convicted of any crime and has said he is innocent of the allegations for which he has been charged.
Quoting the inmates, our sources said Kyari was “eliminating smaller (drug) dealers to clear the field for Afam Ukatu,” a suspected billionaire drug baron allegedly behind N3 billion Tramadol deal linked to Mr Kyari.
“Inmates claimed that upon arrest, Abba Kyari demanded bribes to kill the case, then still prosecuted them,” a Kuje prison source who accessed the testimonies of the aggrieved inmates, said.
The spokesperson for the Nigerian Correction Service, Francis Enobore, denied the attack on Kyari. But PREMIUM TIMES confirmed the attack from officials with direct knowledge of it and the service’s internal documents.
According to sources, Kyari was rescued by officials and has since been kept in an isolated cell “under heavy protection where no one sees him for fear of attack or poisoning.”
To ‘buy’ his safety, Kyari had to pay each of the aggrieved inmates N200,000 ‘in initial settlement fees’ and then ‘procured DSTV subscription for cells to buy loyalty and peace,’ one source said.
However, Mr Enobore, who speaks for the correctional service, said, “I am not aware Abba Kyari paid anybody to secure his safety in prison.”
Kyari is alleged to have amassed wealth far in excess of his fair earnings by inverting his role as a law enforcement officer and involving in illicit activities. In April, NDLEA said they marked properties in Borno, Kano, Lagos, and Abuja ‘linked’ to the disgraced officer.
Despite the ‘settlements’ the aggrieved inmates have continued to threaten Kyari’s life, the sources said.
“Regardless of the level of protection, they vowed to get him,” a source said. “The inmates have given him an ultimatum to return all he extorted from them or be killed.”
“Relevant officials have assessed that he will be killed or badly injured if he continues to be remanded in Kuje.”
An official recommendation has therefore been made that Mr Kyari should be transferred out of Kuje to an SSS facility.
The SSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, did not answer calls, nor did he reply to a text requesting he comment on this report.
Meanwhile, prison sources described Kyari’s life in Kuje.
“So far, he has every relevant officer on his payroll. They do his bidding, he sees his wife, and he has access to mobile devices and marabouts,” one source said.
Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State on Wednesday evening declared a curfew in seven Local Government Areas of the State.
The seven Local Government includes Aguata, Ihiala, Ekwusigo, Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Orumba North and Orumba South.
The governor made the declaration in a statewide broadcast on Wednesday.
The curfew which takes effect from Friday will be in force until normalcy returns to the affected areas.
“With effect from tomorrow, Friday, 26th May, 2022, a 6pm to 6am curfew is hereby placed on motorcycles (okada), tricycles (keke), and shuttle buses in Aguata, Ihiala, Ekwusigo, Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Ogbaru, Orumba North and Orumba South Local Governments until further notice.
“Also, motorcycles, keke and shuttle buses are banned from operating in these local governments on Mondays until the Sit-at-Home completely stops,” he said.
Naija News reports that Soludo declared the curfew following an increase in killings and attacks on government properties by unknown gunmen who many believe to be members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Senator Stella Oduah’s bid to return to the Nigerian Senate through the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket may have suffered a set back.
This is coming as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) says the lawmaker representing Anambra-North senatorial district did not complete the mandatory one-year NYSC programme.
The NYSC in a letter marked NYSC/DHQ/PPRU/783/Vol III by the Director-General of the NYSC which was signed on his behalf by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, said Oduah commenced her NYSC programme in 1982 but absconded.
According to The PUNCH, the letter was in response to an inquiry by a group known as the Concerned Anambra North PDP Stakeholders.
The group had in a previous letter written to the NYSC accused some of its officials of colluding with Oduah to hide the truth.
In its response, titled, ‘Re: Doubtful NYSC Participation Collusion of Some Unscrupulous Staff of NYSC Concerning Stella Adaeze Oduah (Senator), Save the Image and Reputation of the Scheme’, the NYSC denied colluding with Oduah to hide the truth.
The letter read in part, “In response to your request, we wish to state that the facts of the matter remain as follows: Stella Adaeze Oduah was mobilised for national service in 1982/1983 service year and deployed to Lagos State.
“After the orientation course, she absconded and never completed the national service. The consequence of this is that she is not qualified for the issuance of the certificate of national service.”
Section 2 (1) of the NYSC Act makes it obligatory for every Nigerian who graduates to “make himself available for service for a continuous period of one year from the date specified in the call-up instrument served upon him.”
According to the NYSC Act, the four categories of individuals exempted from the national service are those who graduated above the age of 30, those who have served in the Armed Forces or the Nigeria Police for a period of more than nine months; those who served in intelligence organisations and individuals who bagged national honours before graduation.
It remains unclear how Oduah’s failure to complete her NYSC escaped the scrutiny of agencies like the Department of State Services which usually vet ministerial nominees.
In her form CF001 forms submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission in 2019, Oduah claimed that she completed her NYSC but her certificate was missing along with other credentials.
An affidavit she deposed to read in part, “Sometime in 2010 while in transit from Akili Ozizor in Ogbaru local government area to Abuja, I discovered that some of my personal belongings were missing.
“The missing documents are the originals of my West African School Certificate of 1978 from Zixon Secondary School Ozubulu, First School Leaving Certificate from St. John Odoakpu Onitsha; Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Certificate 1982 from St. Paul’s College Lawrence Virginia USA; National Youth Service Corps certificate 1983, national identity card, United States of America Social Security card with numbers in it.”
Oduah had served as Minister of Aviation before she was relieved of her duties by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The PUNCH reports that the group, Concerned Anambra North PDP Stakeholders had petitioned the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
The group asked the PDP to disqualify Oduah who has been screened to contest in the primary.
The group in a letter dated April 26, 2022, attached all necessary evidence to the party. However, there had been no response.
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