Politics
Senate Committee Chair Emerges Ebonyi PDP Gov Candidate
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Obinna Ogba, has won the rescheduled governorship primary election of the Ebonyi State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), held on Sunday at the party’s secretariat in Abakaliki, the state capital.
Our source reports that the accreditation and voting process, which began around 8:00 pm on Sunday, spilled over into the early hours of Monday.
513 delegates from the 171 wards of the 13 Local Government Areas of the state voted in the primary election which commenced simultaneously with the accreditation of delegates around 9:00 pm, while collation, counting, and announcement of the results were done at about 1:00 am on Monday.
Chairman of the Electoral Panel, Mr. Chris Okoko, who announced the results before journalists, said that Ogba, who polled total valid votes of 253, won the election and had been returned and nominated as the PDP governorship candidate for the 2023 general election.
According to him, Chief Edwin Nwonu, a member representing Ishielu/Ezza North Federal Constituency, came a distant second with 110 votes while another Reps member, Dr. Sylvester Ogbaga, came third by polling 63 votes.
Okolo further stated that Mr. Fidelis Nwankwo garnered 44 votes; Chief Chukwuma Nwazunku, representing Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency, polled six votes, and Chief Austin Edeze got three votes.
According to the results, Sen. Paulinus Igwenwagu got two votes while Mr. Augustine Nwazunku polled one vote respectively.
The chairman who said that 14 invalid ballots were recorded added that Chief Ifeanyochukwu Odii who boycotted the polls got one vote while Mr. Chris Usulor and Dr. Sunday Opoke abstained from the governorship primary election.
“Therefore, I, Mr. Chris Okolo having been conferred with the power to chair this panel, hereby declare Sen. Obinna Ogba winner having polled the total highest number of valid votes and having met all the requirements for the election and he is hereby returned elected.
“The exercise was counted openly and witnessed by agents of the aspirants, leaders of the party present as well as security agents,” Okolo said.
Meanwhile, Ogba in his acceptance speech, extended hands of fellowship to the other contestants declaring his victory as a victory for the PDP.
He thanked the delegates, party members, and leaders of the PDP for entrusting him with their mandate to fly the party’s flag in the state governorship election in 2023.
He said, “I feel very happy, I thank the Almighty God who made the event very successful; I thank all our party members for finding me worthy to fly the flag of our great party, the PDP.
“I, especially, thank Distinguished Sen. Pius Anyim, Sen Sam Egwu, Chief Ali Odefa, the Zonal National Vice chairman of our party, the state party chairman, Chief Tochukwu Okorie.
“To my fellow contestants, I extend my hands of fellowship to them; this is a sport and one person must win, and so, I call on them to come and join me so that we can take our party to the highest level.”
Politics
Why I Won’t Help Tinubu’s Govt Overcome Economic Challenges – Sanusi
The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, says he would not help President Bola Tinubu’s administration to correct the administration’s policies affecting the citizens.
Emir Sanusi spoke on Wednesday in Lagos as the chairman of the 21st Anniversary of Fawehinmiism (Gani Fawehinmi Annual Lecture 2025).
The emir stated that while there were “a few points” he could offer to explain the trajectory the administration had taken and how such decisions were predictable, he chose not to do so because “they don’t behave like friends.”
He said explaining the government’s policies would help the government, but he did not intend to assist them due to the way they had treated him.
“I can give a few points that are contrary, that explain perhaps what we’re going through and how it was totally predictable, most of it, and maybe avoidable. But I am not going to do that.
“I have chosen not to speak about the economy or the reforms or to even explain anything because if I explain, it would help this government, but I don’t want to help this government,” the emir said while addressing some of the points made by speakers about the economy.
He added: “You know they’re my friends, but if they don’t behave like friends, I don’t behave like a friend. So I watch them being stooges. And they don’t even have people with credibility who can come and explain what they are doing. I am not going to help. I started out helping, but I am not going to help. I am not going to discuss it. Let them come and explain to Nigerians why the policies that are being pursued are being pursued.
“Meanwhile, I’m watching a very nice movie with popcorn in my hands. But I will say one thing: What we are going through today is, at least in part, not totally, but at least in part, a necessary consequence of decades of irresponsible economic management.
“People were told decades ago that if you continue along this path, this is where you’re going to end up, and they refused to open their eyes. Now, is everything being done today correct? No.”
Emir Sanusi, who was deposed as the 14th Emir of Kano in 2020 by then-Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the current national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was reinstated as the 16th Emir of Kano in 2024 by the New Nigeria People’s Party-led Kano State Government.
His emirship has faced ongoing challenges from forces believed to be backed by the federal government, including federal officials’ continued recognition of his predecessor, Emir Aminu Ado Bayero.
Last month, the police barricaded his palace, with the state government accusing the federal government of orchestrating the action to stir unrest in the peaceful state.
Politics
Reps Loses Deputy Chief Whip
The Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Oriyomi Onanuga, is dead.
Also known as Ijaya, Rt Hon. Onanuga, who was the member representing Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency, is said to have died following a brief illness.
This was confirmed in a tweet on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the House of Representatives, on Wednesday night.
Rt Hon Onanuga, who was born in Hammersmith, London, to Nigerian parents on December 2, 1965, was a politician and entrepreneur. She held the position of Deputy Chief Whip in the Nigerian House of Representatives since 2023.
She contested and won a seat in the House of Representatives under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019. She also served as the Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development.
Politics
Aiyedatiwa Dissolves Cabinet, Retains Finance Commissioner, Attorney-General
Gov. Aiyedatiwa, however, exempted two members of the cabinet from the dissolution due to the critical nature of their duties.
The two commissioners exempted include the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, SAN, and the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac.
This was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Mr Adeniyan said in the statement that “All the affected cabinet members are to hand over all government properties in their care to the accounting officers of their respective ministries.
Gov. Aiyedatiwa thanked the executive council members “for their service and contributions to the development of Ondo State under his administration and wished them well in their future endeavours”.
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