Drama As Kebbi High Court Reinstates Uche Secondus As PDP National Chairman
The embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus has been reinstated to his position by Justice Nusirat of the Kebbi State High Court.
Justice Umar who is on vacation at the Kebbi High Court gave the order in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday while ruling in suit no: KB/AC/M. 170/2021.
The presiding judge noted that she is satisfied after going through the affidavit of the respondents that an interim order be granted on the purported suspension of Secondus pending judgment.
She granted leave to Secondus “to continue exercising all the constitutional powers of the office of Chairman of PDP (second defendant) as enshrined in both 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended and the Peoples Democratic Party’s constitution”
Secondus will remain as National Chairman of the main opposition party pending the hearing and final determination of applicants’ motion on notice.
Applicants in the matter are Yahaya Usman, Abubakar Mohammed and Bashar Suleman.
This is coming after the National Executive Council of the party unanimously affirmed Yemi Akinwonmi as Acting National Chairman.
The main opposition party had also fixed Saturday for its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting.
“Garba Shehu And His Cohorts Are under the Influence of Drugs” – Ortom replies Presidency
The Governor of Benue, Samuel Ortom has replied the Presidency over its statement criticising his Perfomance in office.
The Governor, in a statement on Thursday signed by his media aide, Terver Akase took a swipe at Presidential media, Garba Shehu, stating that he is ‘under the influence of negative substances’.
The statement read in part; “We read the statement released by the Presidency in response to Governor Samuel Ortom’s recent interview on Channels Television in which he raised a number of concerns bordering on the worsening security situation across the country.”
“The tone of the said statement shows the quality of Presidency Nigeria currently has. They abandoned the message and went for the messenger.”
“To describe as ‘undistinguished’, the career of a man who has held many key positions at the state and national levels proves that those who penned the piece were under the influence of some negative substances.”
“For the information of Garba Shehu and his cohorts, Governor Ortom rose to become a Local Government Chairman, State Publicity Secretary of National Centre Party of Nigeria; State Treasurer of All People’s Party, State Secretary as well as State Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Auditor of PDP, Minister of the Federal Republic and now a two-term Governor.”
“The Governor spoke the minds of most Nigerians on specific areas of failure of the Presidency and its complicity in the heinous crimes committed against citizens by armed Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists. Instead of taking the Governor on those points, Shehu went chasing vain and mundane matters in a desperate attempt to malign the Governor.”
“We demand an apology from the Presidency for accusing Governor Ortom of stirring ethnic tensions and calling for genocide. The Presidency has never hidden its hatred for the Governor and its latest outing only confirms that fact.”
The National Working Committee and the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday held separate emergency meetings at the PDP National Secretariat, Abuja.
The NWC meeting which is presided over by the Deputy National Chairman (south), Yemi Akinwonmi, had in attendance most of its 19 members.
The NWC which has most of the 19 members in attendance, is being presided over by the Deputy National Chairman (South), Yemi Akinwonmi.
It was gathered that the meeting started around 12.00 pm.
Others at the meeting include the Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Suleiman Nazif, National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, and the National Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye among others.
Meanwhile, the BoT meeting which is being held at the party’s National Executive Committee Hall, has in attendance former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, former Senate Presidents David Mark, Bukola Saraki and Pius Ayim, former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (retd), former Niger State Governor, who is also the Chairman of the Ex-PDP Governors Forum, Babangida Aliyu among others.
Naija News reports that the meetings are following the suspension of the PDP national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus by a court.
The Rivers State court had ordered Secondus to stop parading himself as the national chairman or a member of the party.
Justice O. Gbasam of the State High Court sitting in Degema LGA said that the suspension remains pending the hearing and determination of motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
Shocking! Family Of Seven Found Dead After Eating Suya with Juice In Abia
No fewer than seven persons have been confirmed dead after eating the popular barbecue known as suya with juice in Umueze Umuakanu Umuahia North LGA, Abia State, ABN TV reports.
Father of the house Mr. Jessey was said to have bought the suya from where all the family members, including extended family who came for holidays ate.
ABN TV gathered that only the Wife Mrs Ogba Jessey, and his son survived.
She is currently receiving treatment at Federal Medical Centre Umuahia.
Our correspondent gathered that she is not aware that other members of the family have passed on.
They were said to have started throwing up after eating the suya suspected to have been poisoned.
The deceased have been deposited in the morgue while the surviving victims are currently receiving treatment.
Exclusive! Boko Haram Terrorists Finally Mention Names Of Governors, Senators, Aso Rock Officials Sponsoring them
A former Navy Commodore, Kunle Olawunmi, has said that Boko Haram terrorists mentioned names of current governors, senators and Aso Rock officials as sponsors during interrogation but the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has demonstrated an unwillingness to go after the high-profile politicians for reasons best known to him.
Olawunmi spoke on Wednesday when he featured on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ breakfast programme monitored by The PUNCH.
He described as an “aberration”, Tuesday attack by bloodthirsty bandits on the Kaduna campus of Nigeria’s foremost military university, the Nigerian Defence Academy, where two military officers were killed and another kidnapped.
“It is an aberration; you don’t attack the Nigerian Defence Academy and get away with it,” he lamented, adding that the NDA, like other military environments in the country, carelessly opens its doors to everyone on Friday for Jumat prayer.
‘Terrorists profile security environments during Muslim prayer on Friday’
Olawunmi said terrorists and criminals profile military environments during the weekly Muslim prayer on Fridays.
He said, “In 2017, I carried out an investigation by the minister of defence that wanted me to check what was going on with the training and the security there (NDA). I remember I spent about a week in the NDA with the commandant and the staff but something struck me: every Friday, the gate of NDA is thrown open and everybody has access to pray in the mosque.
“On Fridays, you are going to see the same thing happening across all military formations in the country…If you go to Defence Headquarters, I served at the Defence Headquarters as the Deputy Director, Defence Administration between 2015 and 2017, throughout my two years at the Defence Headquarters, I received visitors twice because of the strict security architecture there but every Friday, the gate of the Defence Headquarters is thrown wide open for everybody to come in and observe Jumat.
“That is the time the terrorists have the time to profile our security environment. It has always been the case. I have served the military intelligence for the past 35 years. Our problem is religion and socio-cultural.”
Furthermore, Olawunmi, a Professor of Global Security Studies, said he was a member of the Intelligence Brief at the Defence Headquarters during the leadership of the then Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin (retd.).
The intelligence expert said he told the then CDS that the centre of gravity of the Boko Haram insurgency ravaging the North-East and spreading to other parts of Nigeria was the sponsors.
“I told General Olonisakin then that the centre of this problem cannot be solved the same way we solved the problem of the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta problem was solved during (Ex-President Umaru) Yar’adua basically by me and I told them that we can’t use that same template for Boko Haram.
“I told General Olonisakin to look at the centre of gravity of the problem. I was made a member of the committee in 2016-2017 including (the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim) Attahiru that died.
“I told them that the centre of gravity of Boko Haram in Nigeria is the sponsors of the programme. It was beyond us because the job we needed to do was kinetic but we cannot resolve issues of sponsors of Boko Haram that were in Buhari’s government that we know them. That was why we couldn’t pursue that aspect that could have resolved the issue (insurgency) because we need to arrest people.”
BREAKING: Robbers Kill Two In Fresh bullion Attack in Ondo State
At least two persons, including a mobile policeman were on Wednesday shot dead by gunmen suspected to be armed robbers during an attack on a bullion van in Ore, in Odigbo local government area of Ondo State.
The incident was the second within two weeks in the state, as a bullion vans was earlier attacked by suspected armed robbers.
The incident, according to an eye witness occured at Costain area, few kilometers from Ore in Odigbo Local Government of the State.
According to the source, the dare-devil armed robbers opened fire on the bullion van and the escort van while on motion.
One of the sources said the bullion van was conveying undisclosed amount of money to Ore, when they ran into the hail of bullets of the suspected armed robbers who had laid ambush for the them.
As at press time, it is yet unclear, whether the robbers were able to cart away cash from the bullion van.
With the attack being the third within the space of six weeks, a total of three policemen have so far been killed in the attacks
Lalong Re-Imposes 24-Hour Curfew In Jos Communities
Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong has re-imposed a 24-hour curfew on Jos North Local Government Area following the massacre of 35 people in Yelwa Zangam village.
Recall that the governor had earlier imposed a curfew on the local government and two others in the wake of the massacre of some innocent travellers along Rukuba road in the state a few weeks ago.
In the early hours of Wednesday, bandits attacked the village, burned some family members alive and shot at others during the attack.
Lalong, in a statement by his spokesman, Makut Simon Macham, said the curfew begins from 4 pm on Wednesday and will remain in place subject to further review by the State Security Council.
The governor said he took the step to forestall threats to lives and properties within the local government
The statement reads: “The proactive decision became necessary following imminent threat to lives and properties within the Local Government Area and the need to forestall the breakdown of law and order.
“It will also enable security agencies to deploy appropriately to maintain security as they search for the attackers of the villagers continues.
“The Governor has appealed to the citizens of Jos North to cooperate with the Government by abiding to the 24-hour curfew commencing 4pm, 25th August 2021, as security agencies have been mandated to ensure that those who violate the curfew are arrested.
“Also, the 6pm to 6am curfew in Jos South and Bassa LGAs still remains in place until further notice. Only people on essential duties such as health personnel, journalists, fire service and paramilitary and others, are to be exempted from the curfew but should carry means of identification with them at all times.
“The Governor is calling for calm as he is seriously grieved by the attacks.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has said the attack launched on the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) on Tuesday, will not dampen the morale of the Armed Forces.
On the contrary, he said, it will buoy their determination to make a decisive end of criminality in the country,
In his reaction. to the killing of three military officers, Buhari said the attack coincided with a time that the military had put insurgents, bandits, kidnappers, and other types of criminals on the retreat.
The latest heinous action, he said, would accelerate the total uprooting of evil in the polity.
He said members of the Armed Forces are solidly resolved to accomplish the goal in the shortest possible time.
Commiserating with the families who lost their loved ones, and praying God to comfort them, President Buhari vowed that the deceased would not die in vain.
He said the degenerate act would have consequences that will eventually clean the country of vermin, and emancipate the polity from deliberate, targeted and contrived atrocious acts.
The President thanked all Nigerians who value and appreciate the efforts of our military.
He urgesd those playing hateful politics with the dastardly act to desist.
Rather than recriminations, this is the time for all patriots and people of goodwill to support and encourage those who are in the vanguard of the battle against wickedness in the land.
