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Ministerial Screening: APC Support Groups Alleged Plot to Sabotage Party
…urged President to reign in Akpabio, DSS
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Support Groups, led by Engr. Jator Abido, Prince Danielson Momoh, and Comrade Chinedu Livinus, has alleged of plot to sabotage the party’s interest in the ongoing ministerial screening.
Recall that the President had recently transmitted to the Senate a list of 48 ministerial nominees to be screened by the Senate. However, on the 7th of August, 2023 and after a rigorous screening, the Senate announced that it has screened and cleared only 45 of the nominees, leaving out three nominees including Stella Oketete from Delta State and Nasir El-Rufai from Kaduna State under the guise of a security report.
The group in a statement jointly signed and made available to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the avoidable scandal involving Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio and some security agencies in the just concluded ministerial screening.
The group described the action of the Senate as unjust and wondered why the Senate President would choose to work against his party’s interest.
According to the statement, “it’s unfortunate for Akpabio to be implicated in actions that seem detrimental to the All Progressives Congress (APC). During the election of President Bola Tinubu, prominent figures like Governor El-Rufai and Stella Oketete played pivotal roles, ensuring that Tinubu secured victories not only in in their wards but states and the nation at large and must not be treated with utmost disrespect like the Senate just did”.
The group equally wondered why there was no security report against Nasir El-Rufai and Stella Oketete all through the electioneering campaigns, only for some overzealous security agencies working for enemies of the state to spring up imaginary security reports that are nothing but fictitious imaginations concocted to the tarnish the image of the nominees and deprive them from enjoying their hard work.
“The contributions of Stella Oketete who worked as the Secretary of Election Monitoring Committee and that of El-Rufai who served as the Governor of Kaduna State during the elections demonstrated their commitment to the party’s success and they deserve to be rewarded. Akpabio’s stance in the screening of ministers shows that he is not a true partyman and a clear indication that he has a hidden agenda behind his recent actions. It’s obvious he has an evil agenda which is potentially harming the unity and progress of the APC”, the statement added.
The group listed some of Governor El-Rufai’s contributions which they described “as invaluable, as he stood steadfast in various challenges including a showdown with the former president over the introduction of new naira notes, and even confronting notable party figures like former Chairman Abdullahi Adamu and ex-Senate President Ahmed Lawan in the interest of the nation”.
The group finally appealed to the President and all relevant stakeholders to call the Senator Akpabio to order, emphasising the importance of maintaining party cohesion and addressing any internal conflicts that may hinder the APC’s overall progress.
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike to retract his publicly disparaging remarks made recently against the socio-political body.
PANDEF described as regrerrable and embarrassing comments by Wike in the aftermath of the group’s visit to Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, even to the extent of insulting the late former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin.
Recall that the FCT minister had, on Thursday, during a media chat, described PANDEF as “the worst organisation anybody can rely on”, while also calling the board of trustee members of the body “political merchants”.
In a statement signed by PANDEF Chairman on Saturday in Abuja, Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, urged President Tinubu as the father of the nation, to prevail upon the Honourable Minister to retract his inflammatory statements and extend due respect to these eminent.
Igali clarified that the meeting with the president provided a valuable platform to discuss pressing issues of national and regional importance. Adding that “PANDEF remains unwavering in its commitment to peace, stability, and equitable development in the Niger Delta. We will continue to engage with great vigour, all relevant stakeholders in pursuit of lasting harmony in Rivers State and the broader South-South region.”
His words: ^To set the record straight, PANDEF the foremost socio-political body representing the South-South regions, composed of some of Nigeria’s most distinguished personalities. The delegation to Mr. President included chairpersons of at least four of the six SouthSouth states’ traditional councils, senior traditional rulers of major ethnic groups, former governors, past presiding officers of the Senate, prominent entrepreneurs, academics, and high-ranking retired military officers.
“It is, therefore, highly regrettable and totally unacceptable that a serving minister in the Federal Government would exhibit such brazen disrespect towards individuals of this standing. This attitude perhaps explains his continued refusal of the Minister to engage with the Peace and Reconciliation Committee, which PANDEF constituted as far back as October 2024, despite repeated attempts to reach.
“The Honourable Minister (Wike) characterized PANDEF as the worst organization ever” and accused its members of visiting the Presidential Villa merely to solicit financial favors. These statements are not only false but also unbecoming of a public official of his stature.
“PANDEF hereby calls upon Mr. President, as the father of the nation, to prevail upon the Honourable Minister to retract his inflammatory statements and extend due respect to these eminent Nigerians and traditional rulers who were, after all, esteemed guests of the Commander-in-Chief. It is apt to remind that the Minister does not own the Niger-Delta and his errant conduct should not be condoned.
“Notwithstanding this regrettable development, PANDEF remains unwavering in its commitment to peace, stability, and equitable development in the Niger Delta. We will continue to engage with great vigour, all relevant stakeholders in pursuit of lasting harmony in Rivers State and the broader South-South region,” Igali stated.
On efforts to restore peace in River State, Igali restated PANDEF’s commitment for peace in the oil-rich State.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Peace and Reconciliation Committee, which remains committed to resolving the Rivers State crisis,” Igali stated.
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IPOB’s lawyer accuses Anambra govt of violating citizens’ rights, wants all arrested charged to court
The counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has called on the Anambra State Government to either charge to court or release individuals allegedly detained for the past five weeks without trial.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Ejiofor criticized what he described as “violations of citizens’ rights,” emphasizing that the detainees have not been presented before any court or formally charged with a crime.
“Today, March 15, 2025, marks five full weeks since several citizens of Anambra State were arbitrarily arrested and detained in a private facility controlled by the state government. Shockingly, they have not been charged with any offense or brought before any court of law. This is a flagrant violation of their fundamental rights,” Ejiofor stated.
He expressed concern that the detainees were not held by the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), or the military, but instead in an undisclosed facility, without any official explanation from the government.
Ejiofor, who has previously supported the government’s security efforts, urged Governor Chukwuma Soludo to ensure the rule of law is upheld.
“I have always championed active citizen participation in combating insecurity and have publicly urged the government to act against criminal elements. However, this must be done legally and transparently,” he said.
While commending the efforts of the state’s Agụnechemba security outfit, Ejiofor insisted that professionalism and adherence to due process are crucial.
He reaffirmed his support for lawful measures to combat crime but warned that arbitrary detentions could erode public trust in the government’s security strategy.
The Osun State Amotekun Corps has denied allegations of nepotism in its ongoing recruitment of 1,000 cadets, following claims by some dismissed recruits that they were removed in favor of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members.
Some affected candidates, seen outside the NYSC camp venue in Osogbo, alleged they were removed due to their affiliation with the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking on behalf of the group, a dismissed cadet, Usman, claimed that they had been in camp since Sunday before being replaced by PDP members, some of whom, he alleged, were unfit for training.
However, Amotekun’s Board Chairman, retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Wale Abass, dismissed the allegations as baseless. He explained that those removed from the training camp either failed to meet the required standards or did not follow the proper recruitment process.
“The 1,000 cadets invited for training went through a rigorous selection process. They submitted applications online, underwent document verification, and passed physical fitness tests before being invited to camp,” Abass stated.
He further revealed that some unqualified individuals managed to gain access to the camp, while some selected candidates failed to meet the reporting deadline. Those with health issues were also disqualified.
Abass reaffirmed that the Amotekun Corps remains committed to fairness and impartiality in its recruitment process. He described the allegations as an attempt to create confusion and undermine the security outfit’s credibility.
PANDEF Clarifies Visit To Tinubu, Knocks Wike Over Inflammatory Comments
IPOB’s lawyer accuses Anambra govt of violating citizens’ rights, wants all arrested charged to court
Osun Amotekun recruits accuse Adeleke’s govt of nepotism
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