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Atiku meets Wike after PDP presidential primary

Published

2 years ago

May 30, 2022

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Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, on Monday met with Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike in Abuja, according to reports.

Atiku had defeated Wike at the party’s presidential primary in Abuja on Saturday night.

The Monday meeting, it was gathered, was to reconcile the two party chieftains and give the PDP a robust outing in the 2023 presidential election against the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The meeting was also attended by former Ekiti State Governor and PDP presidential aspirant, Ayodele Fayose, amongst other PDP chieftains.

Details of the meeting remain sketchy as of press time but it was learnt that Atiku is shopping for a Southern running mate after his victory at the primary.

During the PDP presidential primary held at the Moshood Abiola Stadium on Saturday, Atiku polled 371 votes to defeat Wike, who got 237 votes; a former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, 70 votes; the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom, 38 votes; the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, 20 votes; a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, 14 votes and an ex-President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Sam Ohuabunwa, one vote.

READ Tinubu wins Governor Wike’s LGA of Obio-Akpor with 80,239

The delegates were surprised when the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, who was one of the front runners for the presidential ticket, stepped down and directed his supporters to vote for Atiku as a result of what sources said was due to the intervention of the northern elders, who were pushing for a northern consensus aspirant.

Wike has not spoken since his defeat on Saturday.

Wike while speaking before the commencement of voting had said he would support any candidate that emerges.

But he was conspicuously absent from the stage when Atiku was giving his acceptance speech.

Ahead of the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure on May 29 next year, interest groups, including the Southern Governors’ Forum, the pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, and the Southern and Middle Belt Elders’ Forum have been calling for the zoning of the presidency to the South.

The groups faulted Atiku’s emergence and vowed to work against him in the next poll.

READ 2023: Why Nigeria will shake – Wike

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JUST IN: Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as chairman of education loan fund

Published

1 hour ago

April 26, 2024

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed Jim Ovia as the chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, announced the appointment of Ovia, chairman of Zenith Bank, in a statement on Friday.

More to follow…

READ PDP will continue to protest for a long time, says Atiku

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ICPC detains TETFund boss ‘over questionable N7.6bn project’

Published

6 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has detained Sonny Echono, executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Demola Bakare, ICPC spokesperson, confirmed the development on Friday.

Bakare said that Echono was invited by the anti-graft agency on Thursday.

“The executive secretary of TETFund is here with us. He has been invited for questioning. He is still in custody. He was invited yesterday.” Bakare said.

“He was invited on Thursday. He has not been released. He’s still with us. Investigation is still ongoing.”

It was earlier reported that TETfund awarded two contracts to Fides Et Ratio Academy and Pole Global Marketing (PGM) within two months at the cost of N3.8 billion respectively without the approval of the federal executive council (FEC), which is required for the contract size.

The contract was to provide capacity building course and learning management systems to about 2 million students across higher institutions in the country.

READ Tinubu, Obi unfold economic, restructuring plan to North

In a rejoinder, TETFund said it did not award N7.6 billion contracts to two companies without due process.

The agency said it was wrong to say they were contracts, whereas they were ICT projects implemented under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which doesn’t require competitive bidding in public procurement.

TETFund further said its disbursement guidelines were approved by the president on the recommendation of the “Fund’s Board of Trustees and concurrence of the Honourable Minister of Education in line with the TETFund Act 2011″.

In an interview with TheCable, Echono said there was no form of irregularity in the N7.6 billion project.

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American school writes EFCC, seeks to refund $760k of Yahaya Bello’s children fees

Published

7 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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The American International School of Abuja (AISA) has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to provide “authentic banking details” for the refund of fees paid for the children of Yahaya Bello, immediate-past governor of Kogi state.

It will be recalled that Bello had àllegedly paid $720,000 in advance as fees for five of his children from the coffers of the Kogi state government.

The children are in grade level 2 to 8 at the school.

On April 17, EFCC operatives laid siege on Bello’s residence in Abuja in attempt to arrest him over an alleged N80.2 billion fraud.

While the operatives were at the house, Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, arrived at the property and reportedly whisked Bello away.

In a letter addressed to the Lagos zonal commander of the EFCC, the school said the sum of $845,852 has been paid in tuition “since the 7th of September 2021 to date”.

READ Edison Ehie, Speaker of four-member Rivers assembly faction resigns as lawmaker

AISA said the sum to be refunded is $760,910, because it had deducted educational services already rendered.

“Please forward to us an official written request, with the authentic banking details of the EFCC, for the refund of the above-mentioned funds as previously indicated as part of your investigation into the alleged money laundering activities by the Bello family,” the letter reads.

“Since the 7th September 2021 to date, $845,852.84 (Eight Hundred and Forty Five Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty Two US Dollars and eighty four cents) in tuition and other fees has been deposited into our Bank account.

“We have calculated the net amount to be transferred and refunded to the State, after deducting the educational services rendered as $760,910.84. (Seven Hundred and Sixty Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ten US Dollars and Eighty Four cents).

“No further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition as the students’ fees have now been settled until they graduate from ASIA.”

READ PDP Cancels presidential rally in Rivers, Wike says Atiku’s camp lacks capacity

The school said it will draw the attention of the anti-graft agency if there are any further deposits by the Bello family.

In a statement signed by Greg Hughes, AISA also said “Ali Bello contacted the school on Friday 13 August 2021 requesting to pay the family school fees in advance until the students graduate from High School”.

The EFCC has since declared Bello wanted, with the NIS placing the ex-governor on a wanted list.