Digital Leonard Blog

The party shifted the primaries from August 29th to 31st citing logistic issues and but further postponed it indefinitely following the order by the Sagbama High Court sitting in Yenagoa stopping the planned use of direct method in conducting the internal poll. An electoral committee headed by the Governor of Yobe State, Mai-Mala Buni, as its Returning Officer, was already in Yenagoa to conduct the internal poll but decided otherwise after waiting in vain for the vacation of the order on Friday. A party source, who spoke in confidence, said the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party thought that it could counter the order at the Court of Appeal to enable the conduct of the primaries, but failed to complete the legal process. He said: “But everything is in motion to vacate the order on Monday or Tuesday. Surely the order will be vacated. We would have gone ahead to hold the primaries because based on the Electoral Act that injunction is illegal. “Section 87(10) of the Electoral A...

A crisis appears on the horizon as the Cross River House of Assembly is about beginning work on a bill seeking the establishment of Land Use and Allocation Management Commission (LUAC) to do away with the Land Use Act 1978 which it considers defective. Also, the legislative chamber is to review the memorandum of understanding (MoU) entered into by the state government, Wilmar PZ and the host communities of Akamkpa and Biase local councils wherein the firm acquired hectares of land for its palm estate 10 years ago. Presenting the policy brief on the bill at a two-day interactive session organised by the Environmental Rights Action (ERA) and sponsored by Food First Information and Action Network (FIAN) in Calabar yesterday, the Executive Director of ERA, Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo said: “The Land Use Act of 1978 is highly defective hence we propose the policy brief.” He went on: “The use of overriding state interest in land allocation exercised by governors means that they own land in trust for ...

“I expect nothing less than victory in Kogi and Bayelsa States. Who is the other party?” On complaints that Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state has not done well for his people, he said.. “If you don’t have complaints in politics, then there is no democracy so we only pay attention to the noise in the market because we have so many apples, oranges and various fruits of different character but there is one thing that is consistent. “This is a market of many branches and this is the broom; they will come together as a bunch to sweep clean all the debris of the past, that is it, we are going to win.... ” Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the APC.

A statement by APC spokesman, Lanre Issa-Onilu, on Saturday morning said the APC took the decision to postpone the primary after a stakeholders meeting in Yenagoa on Friday night. “In deference to a court order, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has shifted the date for the Bayelsa governorship primary to Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4, September, 2019,” Issa-Onilu said. Some members of APC in Bayelsa under the auspices of Concerned APC Stakeholders had gone to court to oppose the use of direct primary to elect the standard bearer of the party in the Nov.16 guber election. They secured an interim order on Thursday restraining the use of direct primary. Messrs Japan Christopher, Evinson Olotu , Oddu Onyimiebi and Onyimiebi Isaih took the National Chairman of APC and 23 members of his executive and Bayelsa chapter executives to court over the decision to use direct primary, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

As part of efforts aimed at effectively curtailing crimes in the country, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni has ordered the deployment of Police aerial surveillance helicopters to major cities in the South-West and North-West of the country.  While the Police Air-Wing Operational Base in Abuja caters for Abuja – Kaduna highways as well as the adjoining States in the North-West and North-Central, the new base in Ondo State will cater for the adjoining states and highways straddling the South-West.   The Force therefore enjoins citizens not to panic but to go about their lawful businesses as the aerial surveillance is geared towards improving the security of lives and property in the affected areas. DCP FRANK MBA FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER FORCE HEADQUARTERS ABUJA

Shehu Sani, a former senator representing Kaduna central, has taunted Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, saying anyone he kneels before should protect his groins.The governor had said he reduced Sani to a blogger and exiled Sulieman Hunkuyi, a former senator representing Kaduna north, to China. The former lawmakers and Danjuma Laah, senator representing Kaduna south, blocked a World Bank loan to the state in the last assembly. In a statement on Friday , Sani said he was not responsible for removing the name of the governor from the list of those that accompanied President Muhammadu Buhari to Japan “after wasting his three days in Abuja”. “My attention has been brought to a statement credited to the Governor of Kaduna state Mallam El-Rufai whom he claimed to have ‘turned me to a blogger and exiled Hunkuyi to China’,” he said.“I’m pleased to have reduced the height of El-Rufai from a Dwarf to a leper who was rejected by the Governors forum. “Mr El-Rufai,face the President’s me...

Seyi Makinde stopped payment of N3, 000 in schools and have given 10% of Oyo State total budget to education... ....he also made this for the students without his picture or PDP logo.M akinde seems not to be vain like others...real and focused on set goals. I always trust my guts about people, I was certain about this man since I listened to his inaugural speech. I know politicians will not like him because they might not be able to enrich themselves that much but I support him 100%. This is the model we crave daily, sensible governance.

President Muhammadu Buhari Friday held investment talks with top officials of Japan

Imo state government on Thursday ordered a citizen’s arrest against Sen. Rochas Okorocha, over alleged assault on a government official, Mr Jasper Ndubuaku. The Secretary to State Government (SSG), Mr Uche Onyeaguocha, gave the order after the Chairman of the Recovery of Government Properties, Mr Jasper Ndubuaku, was allegedly assaulted at Okorocha’s residence. Onyeaguocha said that the state had also placed Okorocha on security watch and urged Imo citizens to arrest him and alert the government whenever they found him in the state. The trending online on Thursday, captured some thugs beating Ndubuaku at Okorocha’s residence on Spibatt Avenue, Owerri. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Rabiu Ladodo, and SSG confirmed the incident to newsmen at a joint news briefing in Owerri. They announced that a citizen’s arrest had been declared on Okorocha over the incident. They claimed that Okorocha hired thugs to attack Ndubuaku, who doubles as Special Adviser to Gov. Emeka Ihedioha on Sec...

Kogi Governor won APC Primary Guber Ticket

Two top officials of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), the company which supervised execution of the $16 billion Obasanjo power projects, have been arrested by the EFCC. They were among the four persons detained by the anti-graft agency on Wednesday. The arrests signaled the beginning of the probe of the humongous expenditure during the Obasanjo presidency, with little results to show. The NDPHC officials arrested are the Head of Finance Marvel Emefiele and Head of Compensation Eze M. C. Odigbo, The Nation Reported. They are expected to account for the N850 million earmarked as compensation to communities where components of the power project were sited Others in EFCC’s net are Managing Director of Pivot Engineering Mr. Richard Ayibiowu and the Managing Director of Chris Ejik Nigeria Limited Mr. Christain Ejik Imoka. Detectives are on the trail 18 more suspects including two former governors, a former chairman of a bank and a former chairman of an airline. About 15 more co...

IGP Orders CP Taraba to fish-out Killers CPs to pay special attention the security of the clergy​ The Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu,NPM,mni has given marching orders to the Commissioner of Police, Taraba State Command to fish-out the killers of Rev. Father David Tanko who was gruesomely murdered in the most inhuman and barbaric manner by unknown persons in the early hours of today, 29th August, 2019, at Kpankufu Village along Wukari Road on his way to Kofai Amadu Village in Taraba State.  The IGP condoles the Catholic Family in Nigeria over the unfortunate incident. He also expresses deep concerns over the recent incidents of attacks on clergymen in some parts of the country and has directed Commissioners of Police in all the States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to henceforth pay special attention to the clergy and increase security around worship centres nationwide. The IGP has further directed the DIG in charge of the Force Criminal Invest...

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT BUHARI WELCOMES INVESTMENTS FROM JAPAN BANK AND TOYOTA President Muhammadu Buhari Friday held investment talks with top officials of Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and Toyota Group, at the margins of the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7), holding in Yokohama, Japan. Led by its Deputy Governor, Mr Nobumitsu Hayashi, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation indicated its interest in supporting projects in which Japanese companies are involved in Nigeria. The bank said it had lots of resources dedicated for that purpose, and would be interested in oil and gas, and investments in infrastructure. President Buhari welcomed the bank, informing the team that Nigeria had introduced the Ease of Doing Business, and bureaucratic bottlenecks were being cleared off the way. At a bilateral meeting with Toyota Tsusho, a part of the Toyota conglomerate, President/CEO of the group, Ichiro Kashitani, indicated intere...

A pan Nigerian group has expressed optimism that the era of illegal replacement of successful candidates for recruitment into the agencies in the ministry of Interior will be a thing of the past. The group, known as Friends of Aregbeshola, stated this in a statement commending President Muhammadu Buhari for the appointment of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbeshola, former governor of State of Osun, as minister of Interior. According to the statement signed by former national publicity secretary, Comrade Umar Farouk, and former assistant national organising secretary of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD), Comrade Bassey Ewa, they described the development as the best thing ever to happen to the Ministry of Interior. The statement said, “The era of illegal replacement of successfully qualified candidates for recruitment into the agencies, which hitherto became the order of the day, is over in the ministry. “With Ogbeni in the saddle, those recruits that were removed from the original list unlawful...

Nigerian born US singer, Jidenna has revealed the reason Nigerians are known for fraudulent activities all over the world. Iro, 31, and Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe, 38, were named as lead suspects. The suspects were named by Mr Nick Hanna, the U.S. Attorney for Central District of California, at a news conference on Aug. 22. Hanna said the fraud cases involved suspects conniving with federal and state agents to dupe unsuspecting victims of their money. Reacting to the arrest of 77 Nigerians by the FBI, Jidenna said Nigerians were smarter than a lot of people, hence the reason they excel in sports and other sphere of life, including scamming. Speaking during an interview on the Breakfast Club, Jidenna said: ”The reason Nigerians are known for scamming is not because we are bad people. “It’s because we are smarter than a lot of people”.

Liverpool defender, Virgil van Dijk, has said that he was proud to be at the UEFA Player of the Year award with Barcelona captain, Lionel Messi and Juventus superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo. He also admitted that Messi and Ronaldo have done pretty well in football for the past fifteen years. Van Dijk, Messi and Ronaldo were up for UEFA’s Men’s Player of the Year award at the Champions League draw and awards ceremony in Monaco on Thursday. Asked by the host, Reshmin Chowdhury how he feels to be alongside Messi and Ronaldo at the UEFA Player of the Year award, Van Dijk said: “I feel alright. I am very proud to be here, obviously with these two guys (Messi and Ronaldo) they have done pretty well for the last fifteen years and I am very proud to be here with them.” Meanwhile, speaking after winning the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award, Van Dijk said: “I’m very proud to get this trophy. It’s credit to everyone who has helped me. “I need to thank my team-mates, without them, I would not have ...

Olga Diyachenko, girlfriend of former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi has threatened to dump the Chelsea legend over his transfer move to Trabzonspor this summer. According to AOIFootball, Olga has threatened Mikel that she will no longer come to Turkey to visit him with her children. The report added that Olga is not happy with the 32-year-old after he left England for Turkey, adding that the pair relationship has gone sour. Mikel and Olga have two twin daughters, Ava and Mia. “I can confirm to you that all is not seemingly fine with them. Olga doesn’t like the city and has taken the children back to their base,” the newspaper quoted a source as saying. “In fact, she warned him against the move to Turkey but he convinced her about it. Now she came visiting and doesn’t like it; the kids do not also like it there in Turkey which could now be a problem for Mikel. “Now Olga has told Mikel that she won’t return to visit him again which means he won’t also see the kids, leaving Mikel w...

Big Brother Naija, BBNaija, housemate, Khafi has revealed what she expects from evicted housemate, Gedoni at the end of the show. She expressed hope that evicted housemate, Gedoni would propose marriage to her at the end of the reality show. Khafi made the disclosure during a conversation with fellow housemate, Omashola on why she was happy being in the house. Addressing Omashola, Khafi was hopeful of remaining in the house till the last day of the show. She said: “On day 99, Gedoni will be outside the house with a ring in his hands asking me to marry him, this is what makes me happy and I’m still in the house.”

A pan Nigerian group has expressed optimism that the era of illegal replacement of successful candidates for recruitment into the agencies in the ministry of Interior will be a thing of the past. The group, known as Friends of Aregbeshola, stated this in a statement commending President Muhammadu Buhari for the appointment of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbeshola, former governor of State of Osun, as minister of Interior. According to the statement signed by former national publicity secretary, Comrade Umar Farouk, and former assistant national organising secretary of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD), Comrade Bassey Ewa, they described the development as the best thing ever to happen to the Ministry of Interior. The statement said, “The era of illegal replacement of successfully qualified candidates for recruitment into the agencies, which hitherto became the order of the day, is over in the ministry. “With Ogbeni in the saddle, those recruits that were removed from the original list unlawful...

PRESS RELEASE IGP ORDERS DEPLOYMENT OF POLICE HELICOPTERS TO TACKLE CRIMES ACROSS THE COUNTRY  ·      Enjoins citizens not to panic   As part of efforts aimed at effectively curtailing crimes in the country, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni has ordered the deployment of Police aerial surveillance helicopters to major cities in the South-West and North-West of the country.  While the Police Air-Wing Operational Base in Abuja caters for Abuja – Kaduna highways as well as the adjoining States in the North-West and North-Central, the new base in Ondo State will cater for the adjoining states and highways straddling the South-West.   The Force therefore enjoins citizens not to panic but to go about their lawful businesses as the aerial surveillance is geared towards improving the security of lives and property in the affected areas. DCP FRANK MBA FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER FORCE HEADQUARTERS ABUJA

We Are Seeking For Justice, Not Judgement - Ekere The Akwa Ibom State candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the March 9,2019 governorship election, Obong Nsima Ekere said that the essence of him and his party being at the state governorship election petition tribunal is to seek justice for the entire Akwa Ibom people and to set good electoral and judicial precedents in the country. Speaking to newsmen through his lead counsel, Barr. J.S. Okutepa SAN after the court session on Tuesday, August 26, Ekere opined that the electoral process start with accreditation and end with declaration and return, and that if one of the processes misses, the process cannot be said to be valid. "What took place in Akwa Ibom State on March 9,2019 did not follow INEC guidelines and known electoral act and principles." "We came to the tribunal because Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), a supposed electoral umpire, decided to be partisan. Accreditation of voters is th...

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bayesla State, Chief Richard Kpodoh has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to carry out a comprehensive probe of all activities and transactions of the NDDC under the former acting Managing Director, Prof Nelson Brambaifa. Kpodoh told journalists on Thursday that even though Brambaifa has been removed, he must not be allowed to go free because of the rate of decay in the commission.

Protocols: It is my pleasure to welcome the Honourable Minister of Police Affairs, INTERPOL General Secretariat officials in Lyon, France, Heads and representatives of Security Agencies, and our other guests and partners to the International Conference Centre, Abuja, on this occasion of the INTERPOL Week 2019. This event is unique in several ways. 2.     Firstly, it is the first time that the Nigeria Police which warehouses the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Nigeria will be dedicating an entire week towards drawing attention to the activities and strategic roles of INTERPOL in national, regional and global security. Secondly, the Week will enhance the professional knowledge of law enforcement officers as strings of lectures that are designed to give them insight into the capabilities and the opportunities that INTERPOL could offer in aid of the attainment of our security management mandates will be delivered. 3.     Thirdly, coming at this time when th...

Newly appointed Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Festus Keyamo, has been linked with Jerry Elo Ikogho, one of the 77 Nigerians charged for massive fraud, money laundering in the United States of America. Keyamo, who is said to have fraternal relationship with the alleged fraudster, admitted that he handles legal works for Ikogho, who was charged on Thursday with 76 other Nigerian nationals for participating in a massive conspiracy to steal millions of dollars through a variety of fraud schemes and launder the funds through a Los Angeles-based money-laundering network. The relationship between the Minister and Ikogho, was said to have started in the early 70s in Ughelli, where they were born but Jerry’s parents are from Orie-Irri, Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State. They were classmates at Government College Ughelli. Ikogho was born with a silver spoon, being the son of one of the earlier car dealers and millionaires. His father was the Chairman of Ikogho Motors,...

The immediate-past Minister of Communication, said that he was shocked when his name was not included in President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial list. Mr Shittu, who made the disclosure in an interview with the naijapoliticscafe said although he did not expect that he would not be reappointed, as a Muslim, he took it as his fate. The ex-minister said: “I took it the way it came.” that Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, had, on July 23, read out the names of 43 ministerial nominees sent by President Buhari to the lawmakers for confirmation at the upper house. While the list contained 14 former ministers, 29 new names and seven females, 18 ex-ministers did not make the list, including Mr Shittu. “Of course, I expected that I will be reappointed (as a minister) but when it didn’t happen, as a Muslim, it didn’t take me five minutes before I accepted that what has come, it’s the will of God. “And I have also found comfort in a Quranic verse when God promised that what is to come later is bette...

The Deputy President of the Senate and Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Distinguished Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has rolled out empowerment schemes for people in his constituency. Beneficiaries include youths and women in his constituency. At the empowerment programme which took place in Orhomuru, Orogun, the hometown of the Deputy Senate President, the DSP, ably represented by Mr. Jimmy Omo-Agege said that sustainable empowerment of the people is the key to a safer and better society. According to him: “It is my resolve to represent my people with the very best of my capabilities and in doing so, empowerment programmes like this one is one of the ways in which we can reach out to the rural people and help them to be self-sufficient." Items distributed at the empowerment programme include cars for all the Delta Central APC LGA chairmen, members of the 'Agege Again' team, ward youth and women leaders. Other empowerment tools include, grinding machines, Tr...

Politicians have joined to destroy the church - Rev Isangedighi Obong Nsima Ekere, the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State, and Rev Effiong Isangedighi, a former National Treasurer of the Assemblies of God, on Friday decried the meddling of Christian leaders in the politics of the state. They spoke at the funeral ceremony of Apostle Patrick Jerome, the Prelate of the Christ Believers (Evangelical) Mission, at Unity Park, Uyo. In his tribute to the late man of God, Obong Ekere urged Christian leaders to concentrate on the propagation of the gospel and refrain from partisan politics. "My appeal to all of us, especially the church, is that we should emulate this man of God and go back to the old ways of God. Most importantly, the church should please leave politics out of church. In the memory of our Apostle Jerome, our Christian fathers should concentrate on the teaching of the gospel of salvation and Christ-like life. I believe that if C...

All Progressives Congress (APC) says it will never allocate resources to a kidnapper or murderer. The ruling party said this in reaction to a claim made by Hamisu Bala, suspected kidnap kingpin better known as Wadume. Wadume had alleged that the APC gave him N13 million for the February 23 presidential election. He had also said Darius Ishaku, governor of Taraba state, gave him N6 million for the elections. But in a statement on Saturday, Lanre Issa-Onilu, APC spokesman, said his party did not have a budget for thugs in the last general election. Issa-Onilu said the era where money was given to hoodlums ended with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “It is expected that the alleged kidnapper, having come face to face with justice, would throw whatever he could lay his hands on into the fray,” he said. “In any case, our party did not have budget for thugs. Unlike the period when the ruling party dipped hands into the public treasury to fund political campaigns and elections, APC had to...

John Oyegun, former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the ruling party will have issues in 2023 general election. In an interview with Naijapoliticscafe said the issues will arise because President Muhammadu Buhari, on whom the party had tailored its change agenda, will not be qualified to contest. Oyegun said the party has time to resolve its internal challenges in order to retain victory in the next general election. “When the APC was formed, all the predictions were that it will implode in another year or two, but the APC did not implode,” he said. “The APC will have issues in 2023 and it has to start now, it has time to put its acts together for 2023. In 2023, there will be no President Buhari.” The former APC chairman discredited allegations that the ruling party failed to accomplish any of its promises during its first term. He said the change mantra is still being carried along in the current next level agenda. “We never told you that we have that ma...

Buhari reshuffles federal permanent secretaries, accounting officers President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday reshuffled some Permanent Secretaries and accounting officers in the Federal service following the restructuring /creation of new ministries by the Federal Government. Recall that President Buhari on Wednesday during the swearing-in of new ministers announced the creation of five new ministries. The new ministries are Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development; Police Affairs, Special Duties and International Affairs; Aviation; and Power. According to a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by Olawunmi Ogunmosunle, Director, Communication, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the circular authorising the reshuffle was signed by Winifred Oyo-Ita. The statement reads in part, “Further to the creation of new ministries and restructuring of some ministries by President Muhammadu Buhari, the following officers will perform the following function...