Connect with us

News

APC convention: We’ll keep to deadline – Caretaker secretary

Published

on

Buni

 

There are strong indications that the much-awaited national convention of the All Progressives Congress may hold in July.

The National Secretary of the party’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, who spoke on Saturday, however, refused to give details of when the convention would be held.

The former minister of state for the Federal Capital Territory merely said the caretaker committee would meet the deadline for the convention.

When asked about the date set as deadline for the convention, Akpanudoedehe jokingly said he had forgotten.

“I can tell you that we would meet the deadline for the convention. That is all I can tell you,” he said.

The former minister said he was in his village, adding that he would only speak further on it when he returns to Abuja during the week.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that the Presidency had waded into the convention matter and had, in consultation with other major stakeholders, agreed to work towards holding the convention in “June or July.”

The pressure on the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee to ensure the convention holds on schedule is said to be coming from different blocks of the party. A source privy to the development told our correspondent that it was in line with the resolve to restore confidence in the democratic credentials of the APC that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), held a series of meeting within the last three weeks at different times with some leaders of the party.

See also  Court voids arrest, detention of Emefiele, orders immediate release

Among those he met were the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; the pioneer Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande; and the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi.

The source, who is a member of the party’s National Caucus, said, “There has been a consensus among critical stakeholders of the party to get the national convention over with. The truth is, a further extension of the tenure of the caretaker committee is not on the cards as we speak.

“It is left for the committee to work out ways of ensuring that it gets its act together and ensure that congresses are held in time so that we can have the national convention to elect new leaders. The Presidency has made it clear that proper measures must be put in place for the APC to retain its democratic credentials.”

Intrigues over an acceptable zoning arrangement that will be less acrimonious are largely responsible for the delay in releasing a timetable for the ward, local government, and state congresses.

See also  APC convention: Aspirants refuse Buhari's appeal for consensus

Leading members of the party had, however yet to arrive at a consensus on whether or not the party’s presidential ticket should be zoned to the south.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; and a former ally of the President, Buba Galadima, had in separate interviews made reference to an “existing gentleman’s agreement” to zone the ticket to the South.

However, several chieftains of the party who are of northern extraction have denied the claims.

Some even argued that even if such an agreement exists, it would be of no effect because it runs contrary to the provisions of both the party’s constitution as well as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

A former Governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Sani, who has signalled his intention to contest the party’s ticket in 2023, said, “There is no such agreement to the best of my knowledge. Even if there was, it cannot hold because it runs contrary to the provisions of the constitution.”

See also  Confusion in APC over Buni’s fate

Also, the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, who has launched his bid for the party’s ticket, has argued that all eligible party members should be allowed to contest and that the decision as to who to succeed Buhari should be left for Nigerians.

Speaking on the issue, a former member of the House of Representatives, Adamu Jaji, expressed confidence that the Buni-led committee would do what was necessary to ensure peace reigns.

He said, “Already, there is a committee in place that will look at the issue of the convention; when and how to do it. So, we are waiting for them to come up with the modalities and what the convention would look like.

Speaking in a similar vein, the spokesperson for the Concerned APC Members, Abdullahi Dauda, said, “What we see is an attempt by the Buni committee to lay the foundation for the complete takeover of the party structure by our governors.”

News

Relief as suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa tested negative

Published

on

By

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that there are currently no laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola  in Adamawa.

The NCDC had on Saturday said that there were two suspected cases of Ebola in the north-east state, adding that the individuals had been isolated while contact identification was ongoing.

But in a statement on Sunday, the director-general of NCDC, Jide Idris,
said samples collected from the two individuals, who had symptoms suggestive of Ebola, tested negative after two rounds of testing.

“The report was received by the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the early hours of 30 October 2026, following the identification of two individuals presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, requiring further investigation,” the statement reads.

“Hence the alert that was released early this evening. The individuals have been isolated, and appropriate public health measures have been initiated.

“Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing.”

See also  2023: Buhari expresses optimism, says APC now set for victory

Idris commended the Adamawa health commissioner and his team for their “proactive approach”, adding that the NCDC was working closely with the state government to investigate the report of suspected Ebola cases.

“Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa state,” he said.

“The index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date.”

He urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information or speculating about the situation.

“The public is encouraged to obtain information from official government and public health communication channels,” he said.

Idris described Ebola as a serious infectious disease that requires prompt identification, appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

“Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following relevant exposure, should seek immediate medical attention and inform healthcare workers of any relevant travel or contact history,” he said.

See also  APC convention: Aspirants refuse Buhari's appeal for consensus

“Individuals should avoid self-medication and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.”

Nigeriaconfirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, after a 42-year-old Swiss woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja.

The patient, who had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, was subsequently isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers.

On Monday, the federal governmentevacuated the patient to Switzerland aboard a medical plane.

Her husband, who was identified as a close contact, was also evacuated to Switzerland.

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious and communicating, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.

Continue Reading

News

Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: 2027: S’West ADC leaders revolt against Atiku

Published

on

By

1. Many leaders of the African Democratic Congress in the South-West have expressed dissatisfaction with what they described as the marginalisation of the party’s structure in the region by the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The ADC leaders, including some state chairmen and governorship candidates, alleged that Atiku had been conducting his political activities in the region through his friends and allies, while leaving the party structure sidelined as presidential campaign activities prepared to gather momentum.

2. A United States federal court has rejected an attempt to obtain discovery from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and DCI Group in an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). 

3. The Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, CP Muhammad Bello, has confirmed the “rescue of three of the six Islamic clerics kidnapped on September 12 while travelling to Talata Mafara, Zamfara State.” Bello gave the confirmation in an interview with select reporters in Gusau. He said the rescue followed a multi-agency collaboration and seamless synergy between the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, the Department of State Services, DSS, and police operatives.

See also  APC Convention: Political appointees excluded from voting

4. The Grand Patron of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, have set a target of at least 1.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. According to a statement, the target was announced on Saturday in Osogbo during the inauguration of the movement’s state and local government structures.

5. Nigerians lose no less than N75bn annually to visa application expenses across foreign missions, with rejected Schengen visa applications alone accounting for an estimated €11.5m, equivalent to about N19bn in 2025.
This is according to a visa-cost analysis report obtained by Sunday PUNCH from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

6. With one accord, the governors of Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, and Anambra States yesterday urged the people of the Southeast to avoid political distractions, and vote massively for President Bola Tinubu in next year’s presidential election. Governors Peter Mbah, Hope Uzodimma, Francis Nwifuru and Charles Soludo, said it was necessary for the zone to support Tinubu’s re-election bid to enable him consolidate the gains of his administration’s economic reforms

See also  Tinubu will win 2027 presidential election, Akinterinwa boasts, cites sterling performance

7. Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has said Nigeria’s security challenges predate the administration of President Bola Tinubu, noting that terrorism, insurgency and banditry had been entrenched in the country before 2023 when Tinubu assumed office. He said the country’s security problems were rooted in years of porous borders, illegal arms proliferation, youth unemployment and the spread of extremist ideologies.

8. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike has directed supporters of President Bola Tinubu to deliver their polling unit in the forthcoming 2027 general elections. Addressing the supporters, Wike framed the upcoming general elections as a critical opportunity for residents of the nation’s capital to rectify past electoral missteps and unite under a strategic development banner.

9. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has removed the name of the Kano State governorship candidate of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, from its updated list of candidates for the 2027 general elections. A check on the commission’s website shows that the names of Gwarzo and his deputy were conspicuously missing from the updated list.

See also  Army links foreign mercenaries to training of Boko Haram, ISWAP fighters, arrests four Pakistanis

10. Four young men have been arrested by the Bauchi State Police Command for allegedly abducting and gang-raping a 12-year-old girl in Sakwa District, Zaki Local Government Area of the state. The suspects were arrested following a complaint by the victim’s 50-year-old father, who reported the incident at the Sakwa Divisional Police Headquarters on Thursday.

Continue Reading

News

Wale Tinubu, Rabiu, others Join President Tinubu in Makkah for Umrah

Published

on

By

The Group Chief Executive Oando Plc, Jubril Adewale Tinubu; Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, and several other Nigerian business mogul have joined President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for the performance of Umrah, the lesser Islamic pilgrimage.

The presence of the prominent Nigerian business leaders alongside the President in the holy city has drawn attention, bringing together three influential figures from Nigeria’s political and business communities in a moment of religious observance.

Tinubu and Rabiu, both prominent names in Nigeria’s corporate landscape, were seen alongside the President dressed in the traditional white Ihram garments worn by Muslim pilgrims performing Umrah.

Umrah, unlike the obligatory Hajj pilgrimage, can be undertaken at any time of the year. It involves a series of religious rites in Makkah and holds profound spiritual significance for Muslims across the world.

For the Nigerian business community, the appearance of the corporate leaders alongside the President also offers a glimpse into the intersection of faith, business and public life, particularly when influential figures come together outside the usual settings of boardrooms, corporate engagements and official functions.

See also  Why I resigned from Abiodun’s govt – Ogun Attorney General, Adeniran

The development comes as President Tinubu undertook the pilgrimage to seek divine guidance and offer prayers for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability and progress.

According to the Presidency, the President performed the Umrah rites early Friday, October 30, at the Grand Mosque, Masjid al-Haram, where he circumambulated the Holy Ka’abah.

Speaking after completing the spiritual exercise, Tinubu described the pilgrimage as significant, linking it to his commitment to Nigeria and its people. He also expressed gratitude to Allah for the opportunity to pray for the country.

The President’s prayers reportedly centre on national harmony, security, economic prosperity and the need for Nigerians to live together peacefully.

Rabiu also used the occasion to express his hopes for the country, describing it as an honour to accompany the President on the spiritual journey. He prayed for lasting peace, unity and prosperity in Nigeria.

For Tinubu, whose Oando Group occupies a prominent position in Nigeria’s energy industry, the journey offered a departure from the familiar world of corporate leadership and business engagements. Rabiu, similarly, is a major player in the country’s industrial sector, with interests spanning manufacturing, cement and food production.

See also  Gunmen abduct six primary school pupils in Nasarawa

Their appearance in Makkah alongside the President underscores the presence of leading figures from Nigeria’s private sector at an important spiritual moment for the country’s leader.

Umrah, often described as the lesser pilgrimage, is a significant act of worship in Islam. Unlike Hajj, which takes place during a specific period in the Islamic calendar, Umrah can be performed throughout the year.

President Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria next week after completing his spiritual engagements in Saudi Arabia.

Continue Reading

Trending News