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Tinubu meets with Fubara in Aso Rock

Published

2 years ago

January 11, 2024

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President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, met with Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Fubara, who arrived at the Presidential Villa at about 5:40pm, went straight to the office of the President where they are currently meeting behind closed doors.

The reason for the visit is yet to be ascertained at the time of filing the report.

This is Fubara’s first visit to the Presidential Villa since the signing of the 8-point agreement after President Tinubu waded into the controversy between him and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who is also his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

Rivers State has been embroiled in a crisis falling a fallout between Fubara and Wike.

The rift between Wike and Fubara split lawmakers in the House with 27 of them decamping from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a party in whose central government Wike currently serves as minister.

The feud also saw the emergence of parallel sittings, an impeachment plot against the governor, the demolition of the Assembly complex, and a gale of resignations of pro-Wike commissioners in Fubara’s cabinet.

In October, the President and some elder statesmen intervened in the crisis earlier but it degenerated into a full-blown fight. Worried by the situation, Tinubu again met with political gladiators in the oil-rich South-South state on December 18, 2023 and a truce was reached.

At the meeting which had in attendance Fubara, Wike, ex-Rivers governor, Peter Odili; and some traditional rulers from the state as well as Vice President Kashim Shettima; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, some resolutions were made.

Among these is that the warring parties agreed that all matters instituted in the courts by Fubara, and his team, be withdrawn immediately.

Fubara Absent At Wike’s Luncheon

Despite efforts at resolving the lingering feud between the duo, the crisis seemed to be far from being over with the noticeable absence of Governor Fubara at the luncheon hosted by Wike in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Sunday.

While Wike was present at the luncheon with many of his allies, Fubara and his men both in the House of Assembly and the two other organs of government were conspicuously absent.

It was not clear whether the Wike camp invited Fubara and his men but the governor and his people were not present and it was not mentioned that they sent in delegates.

Some of Wike’s men present include Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, as well as 24 other lawmakers who had cross-carpeted with him from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Wike, who donned a black shirt and a butter-coloured jacket, was flanked by ex-governors in the PDP G5 — Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

Also, Zacchaeus Adangor, George-Kelly Alabo and some other commissioners in Wike’s camp who resigned from Fubara’s cabinet last month in the heat of the crisis were at the Sunday luncheon.

Others include the Chairman of Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Allwell Ihunda; Senator Barinada Mpigi from Rivers South East; Kelechi Nwogu from Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency; and ex-Speaker Rivers Assembly, Awaji Igbani.

Related Topics:FUBARA President Bola Tinubu

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Tinubu, governors present as Bello Matawalle’s 10 children wed in Abuja

Published

8 hours ago

February 7, 2026

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President Bola Tinubu, President Carlos Manuel Vila Nova of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe and several governors were among the dignitaries who attended the wedding of the children of Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence.

Matawalle celebrated the weddings of his ten children, five daughters and five sons, at the National Mosque, Abuja, on Friday.

The minister gave away his daughters—Maryam, Safiyya, Farida, Nana Firdausi, and Aisha—while his sons—Ibrahim, Abdul Jalal, Surajo, Bello, and Fahad—also tied the knot.

The Islamic ceremony was officiated by Imam Luqman Zakariyah, who prayed for Allah’s blessings on the marriages and for success in the couples’ future lives.

Tinubu received the brides on behalf of the Matawalle family, welcoming them into their new homes.

The high-profile wedding attracted the crème de la crème of Nigerian politics.

Notable dignitaries in attendance included Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and Ibrahim Masari, Senior Special Assistant on Political Affairs.

Several governors were also present, including Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto, Umar Namadi of Jigawa, and Nasir Idris of Kebbi.

In a post via X, Matawalle expressed his deep gratitude to Tinubu and Vila Nova for attending the ceremony, describing their presence as a rare and honourable privilege.

He further appreciated all dignitaries, family, friends, and well-wishers who joined physically or in prayers, wishing them safe journeys back to their destinations.

“Today, I am deeply honoured and profoundly grateful to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for graciously serving as Wali at the wedding Fātiḥa of my children, held at the National Mosque, Abuja. I remain sincerely honoured by this rare privilege,” he wrote.”

“In addition, the presence of the President of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, His Excellency President Carlos Vila Nova, added immense meaning to this joyous occasion, and I deeply appreciated it.

“I also wish to extend my heartfelt appreciation to everyone who joined us physically and in prayers to share in our joy. Your presence, prayers, and goodwill are truly cherished and deeply appreciated.

“To my esteemed colleagues in the Federal Executive Council, Governors, members of the National Assembly, friends, family members, and well-wishers from across the nation, I am eternally grateful for the overwhelming love and kindness shown to me and my family.

“I also pray that Allah rewards abundantly all those who travelled from far and near to celebrate with us, and I ask Allah to grant you a safe and peaceful journey back to your respective destinations.”

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APC is my natural home, says Iyabo Obasanjo

Published

12 hours ago

February 7, 2026

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Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, has confirmed her membership in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun state.

Iyabo spoke on Saturday during an interactive programme on Eagle7 Sports Radio 103.7 FM, anchored by Segun Odegbami.

Explaining her return to politics, Iyabo said the decision was driven by sustained pressure from supporters.

“Like I told you, a group of people who I did not bring together, I did not form them into a group, have been working, I think, for two years now,” she said.

“And then they started talking to me about a year ago, saying, ‘Look, we think you are the best candidate. We want you back.’”

She said she could not return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where she previously contested elections, citing internal crises.

“I could not go back to the PDP because of all kinds of turmoil,” she said.

Iyabo disclosed that she also considered the African Democratic Congress (ADC), but said the party was not yet fully organised.

“The ADC was another option, but they don’t have their ducks in a row yet; they’re still working on it,” she said.

According to her, those who encouraged her return to politics are now members of the APC, a factor that influenced her decision after wide consultations.

“So, I think APC is my natural home. I don’t have any animosity towards any individual or any group within the APC,” she said.

“I feel more comfortable with all the actors I know within the APC… I feel more comfortable, actually, than with some of the actors I know in the PDP, and some of them are now in the ADC.

“So I think it’s my natural home. I feel quite confident and happy to have made that decision.

“I have an absolute 100% feeling it’s my natural home.”

Iyabo represented the Ogun central senatorial district between 2007 and 2011. She lost her re-election bid in 2011 to Gbenga Obadara of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

She later relocated to the United States, where she pursued an academic career and rose to the rank of professor. She is also a former commissioner for health in Ogun.

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Nigerian jailed eight years for $6m scam in US

Published

13 hours ago

February 7, 2026

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A United States court has sentenced one Tochukwu Albert Nnebocha, a Nigerian national, to 97 months’ imprisonment for participating in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable Americans.

According to a statement published on the US Department of Justice website on Friday, “a Nigerian National was sentenced today to more than eight years in prison for participating in a years-long conspiracy to defraud elderly and vulnerable Americans through an inheritance fraud scheme.”

The DOJ stated that Nnebocha, who is 44 years old, and his co-conspirators “operated a lucrative transnational inheritance fraud scheme that exploited vulnerable people in the United States” over a period exceeding seven years.

The statement read, “According to court documents, Tochukwu Albert Nnebocha, 44, of Nigeria, and his co-conspirators operated a lucrative transnational inheritance fraud scheme that exploited vulnerable people in the United States.

“Over the course of more than seven years, Nnebocha and his co-conspirators sent hundreds of thousands of personalized letters to elderly individuals in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left by a deceased family member.”

According to the US DOJ, victims were subsequently instructed to pay various fees before accessing the fictitious inheritance.

“The conspirators then told the victims that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for purported delivery fees, taxes, and payments regarding the inheritance. In total, the defendant and his co-conspirators defrauded over 400 U.S. victims of more than $6 million,” the statement read,

The DOJ added that “in total, the defendant and his co-conspirators defrauded over 400 U.S. victims of more than $6 million.”

The statement disclosed that Nnebocha was arrested in Poland in April 2025 and extradited to the United States in September 2025.

He later pleaded guilty in November 2025 to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.

At sentencing, the court ordered 97 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release and restitution exceeding $6.8m to victims.

The department noted that “this is the second indicted case related to this international fraud scheme,” adding that eight co-conspirators from the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal and Nigeria had previously been convicted and sentenced.

The case was investigated by the US Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Legal Attache in Poland, INTERPOL, Polish authorities, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the DOJ’s Office of International Affairs.

Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Joshua D. Rothman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, according to the statement.