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2023: Ebonyi Speaker, PDP Bicker Over Destruction Of Billboards, Posters

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There seems to be a brewing disaffection between the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Francis Nwifuru and the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ebonyi State, Mr Chika Nwoba, over the destruction of billboards and posters belonging to PDP candidates in Izzi Local Government Area of the State.
In a statement issued by the spokesman of the PDP in the state, the party accused the Speaker of masterminding the destruction.
The Tide source gathered that the campaign posters destroyed included those of the governorship candidate of the party, Ifeanyi Ìdei, and that of the senatorial candidate for Ebonyi North, Senator Sam Egwu.
Others were the campaign posters of the House of Representatives candidate for Izzi/Abakaliki Federal Constituency, Barnabas Ofoke and that of the Izzi East state constituency candidate, Jerome Elom.
But in a quick reaction, the Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly described the accusation as a fallacy and cheap blackmail.
Nwifuru, who had indicated interest to run for the Governorship position of the State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, explained that he never ordered anybody to pull down the campaign billboards and posters of opposition political parties in the State.
He called on the PDP scribe to look for job to do as he (Nwoba) had often portrayed himself as being jobless and mischievous while playing his role as the scribe of the PDP.
Nwoba in the statement had alleged that the thugs that caused the mayhem were led by one of the protocol officers of the Speaker as they were in the Speaker’s convoy when they spotted Mr Elom and his supporters at Nwezenyi Primary school.
He said they pulled out of the convoy, accosted Mr Elom, dispersed the meeting and destroyed the billboards.
“I got information that the convoy of Francis Nwifuru had a brief stopover at the Nwezenyi Primary School, where a PDP House of Assembly candidate for Izzi, Jerome Elom was interfacing with his supporters and ordered his protocol officer to go and disperse them.
“The Protocol Officer did exactly that and even collected Barr Jerome’s phone and headed towards the position of a billboard showcasing PDP candidates, used dagger and tore it round and packed the pieces into the bush. He left with the candidate’s phone till this moment”, Nwoba alleged.
In an interview with our source, Jerome Elom corroborated Mr Nwoba’s statement.
According to him, “I went to Nwezenyi to mount billboards. And after I successfully mounted billboards, I decided to entertain some of my supporters around that area. So, while we were there, three Sienna cars came. I recognized one of them which was branded with APC logo. It is owned by one of Speaker’s protocol officers.
“They asked why should I mount billboards of Anyuchuks’ (Odii) billboards in Izzi local government, that his billboards and posters should not be seen anywhere in the Local Government. I said no, that this is politics, and they should allow everybody to do their campaign. They said no that I should remove it and I refused. They climbed and removed the billboards themselves”.
However, the Speaker accused the Party of cooking up baseless allegations against his person.
“The PDP scribe has no job. He is busy concocting stories. Why is he making fallacious statements against me? Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have responded; he is trying to make himself popular.  I can’t talk about him. I don’t know him. He doesn’t know me. I have never done any business with him.
“Why will I be ordering the destruction of people’s billboards in Izzi LGA when I will not be happy if such is done to my own billboards in another LGA? Ebonyi should develop beyond this level of politics. The election is about the contest. It’s not a fight”, he said.

 

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Why I Won’t Help Tinubu’s Govt Overcome Economic Challenges – Sanusi

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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.

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Reps Loses Deputy Chief Whip

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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.

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Aiyedatiwa Dissolves Cabinet, Retains Finance Commissioner, Attorney-General

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Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has dissolved the State Executive Council.
The State Executive Council members include commissioners, Special Advisers and the Secretary to the State Government, SSG.

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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