Headlines
APC May Screen Presidential Aspirants Tuesday
By Derrick Bangura
Strong indications emerged Sunday night that the All Progressives Congress (APC) may screen all its presidential aspirants on Tuesday.
The party had on Sunday postponed the exercise previously scheduled to take place today.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Felix Morka, who announced the postponement, said a new date for the screening exercise would be announced by the party.
But a reliable source in the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC, told us THISDAY that the screening might hold Tuesday.
The National Organising Secretary of the party, Mr. Suleiman Argungun, had last week said the screening for the 2023 presidential aspirants would hold Monday.
But Morka in Sunday’s statement explained: “The Screening Exercise for Presidential Aspirants of the All APC earlier scheduled to be held on Monday, May 23rd, 2022, is hereby postponed.
“A new date for the exercise will be announced shortly. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted.”
As of Sunday, the Screening Committee of the ruling party had not been constituted even before the exercise was postponed.
The aspirants contesting on the platform of the party are Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu; former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former Minister of Niger Delta Development, Senator Godswill Akpabio; former Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.
Others are former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha; former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; Pastor Tunde Bakare; Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade; Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; former Minister of State, Education, Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba; former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; Jigawa State Governor Abubakar Badaru; former Zamfara State governor, Sen. Ahmed Yerima.
The aspirants also include Senator Ajayi Borroffice; the only female aspirant, Mrs. Uju Kennedy; Pastor Nicholas Nwagbo; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole; Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawal; former Minister of Information, Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu and Mr. Tein Jack Rich.
Meanwhile, Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawal, has said his mission in Kano was to interact with the party delegates on his presidential bid ahead of the primaries and therefore pleaded with them to swing their votes in his favor.
Lawan spoke on Saturday night while visiting the state to interact with delegates ahead of the 2023 primaries for his Presidential ambition.
According to him, “I’m here to see and interact with all the 500 delegates from Kano State and I cannot agree more with my leader when he said this is the largest subnational democracy in Nigeria. I imagine that it could also be the largest subnational democracy in Africa.
“When His Excellency, our governor was rounding up his speech, he said Kano is a swing state and it can determine not only the primaries, with 500 delegates but also the general election.
“Your Excellency, it will swing to my side by the Grace of God. I want all the 500 delegates. I need all the 500 delegates, Your Excellency. If I can’t have the 500, please let me have at least 400.”
Ganduje, on his part, assured the Senate President of “full cooperation,” over his presidential ambition.
In a related development, the Ahmad Lawan Presidential Campaign Organisation, on Sunday said the Senate President had not dumped his presidential ambition contrary to reports in some sections of the media.
A statement by the spokesperson of his campaign team, Mr. Iyke Ekeoma, in Abuja, dismissed the possibility of Lawan running for another term in the Yobe East Senatorial District.
The statement specifically refuted reports of the Senate President, withdrawing from the presidential race to pursue another term in the senate.
Ekeoma said Lawan had encouraged his supporters not to entertain fear as he was working tirelessly to emerge as the presidential candidate of the APC.
He described as mischief, the reports that he had withdrawn from the race. Ekeoma also noted that those who planted the report were jittery about Lawan’s political popularity, regional acceptance, and dominance in political space.
He said the fake report was created to confuse.
Part of the statement read: “Nigerians should ignore the sponsored lies by some aspirants to distract the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan from his quest to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in the next presidential election.
“Contrary to their unnecessary fabrications against the nationally accepted Presidential ambition of Senator Lawan, we restate for the pleasure of progressive Nigerians that the falsehood trending currently on the Social Media that Senator Lawan had dropped his ambition to run for another term in Yobe East Senatorial zone is false.
“It is understandable that Lawan’s entrance into the presidential race to compete against 25 other aspirants has become the major discussion as his entrance has changed the political dynamics of the nation.
“The withdrawal reports are mere handiwork of politicians who are intimidated by the experience of the Senate President and his massive gains in the last few days.
“The ambition to become the president of Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari is alive and Nigerians should be rest assured that he is in the race to win and not just to answer aspirant,” he added.
Headlines
Commission, journalists partner to revamp water sector in Kaduna
The Kaduna State Water Services Regulatory Commission (KADWREC) says it is partnering media practitioners towards revamping water services in the state.
Mr Dogara Bashir, the Executive Chairman of KADWREC, disclosed this on Monday at a one-day workshop organised for media practitioners on regulation of ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene’ (WASH) activities held in Kaduna.
Bashir said the commission was aware of the importance of the role media practitioners played in the society.
He stated that the workshop was to provide an avenue to liaise with them as important stakeholders on water supply and sanitation services in the state.
Bashir said: “As media practitioners, we believe you are a gateway to the citizens so, the workshop would acquaint you with some of the regulations already in place so that you can in turn transmit it to the public
“The state of water services in Kaduna State is in dire need of attention and the State Water Corporation and KADWREC were established towards addressing the seeming challenges.
“The commission is mandated to ensure better service delivery and regulation of water and sanitation services in the State.
“The idea is that once the regulations are developed, we send them to the State Ministry of Justice to gazette and then we get the state government to endorse and give the go ahead to commence the implementation of the regulations
“We intend to implement them fully come January, 2025 God willing, as we have embarked on advocacy activities having gone to zones 1 and 2 where we talked to traditional rulers, security agencies and the Judiciary.”
He disclosed that a special Court has already been attached to the commission by the Chief Judge of the State for service providers who may likely violate regulations.
The chairman further said that amongst the commission’s objectives include ensuring security, reliability and quality of service in the production and delivery of water to the consumers as well making regulations to control the sinking of boreholes.
Others included; maximising access to water services by promoting and facilitating consumer connections to distribution systems in urban and rural areas.
According to Bashir, they also include ensuring that regulatory decision-making has regards to all the relevant health, safety, environmental and social legislation applying to the water sector.
Bashir further said that the commission collaborate with the relevant state and federal agencies on water policies.
Crime
2 ladies docked for allegedly obtaining money by fraud
The police in Lagos have dragged two women, Mmesuma Ofunna, and Blessing Adimekwe, before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, over alleged obtaining money by false pretence.
Ofunna, 22, and Adimekwe, 25, were arraigned before the Magistrate, Mr L K J Layeni, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, stealing and conduct likely to breach peace.
They each, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecutor, ASP Simon Uche, told the court that the defendants conspired with others now at large, to commit the offence on Oct. 26 at the Okokomaiko area of Ojo.
He alleged that they had obtained the sum of N70, 000 from one Faith Ahamefule, with a promise not to post her nude photo on social media.
The prosecutor alleged that the defendants later posted the nude photo of the nominal complainant on social media, knowing that their promise was false.
He alleged that they stole the N70, 0000, thereby conducting themselves in a manner likely to breach public peace.
The offence contravenes the provisions of sections 168(d), 287, 314, and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
The court granted the defendants bails in the sum of N500, 000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.
He adjourned the case until Jan. 8, 2025 for mention.
Headlines
Driver jailed 6 months for attempting to steal a car
A Jos Magistrates’ Court on Monday, sentenced a 37-year-old driver, Ahmad Umar to six months in imprisonment for attempting to steal a car.
The Magistrate, Shawomi Bokkos, summarily tried and sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to the charge.
Bokkos in his judgment, ordered the convict to pay an option of N30, 000 fine or spend six months in prison.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Ibrahim Gokwat, told the court that the case was reported on Oct. 10, at the Area Command Police station through a distress call by one Sydney Peacemorie the complainant.
Gokwat said the complainant parked his Toyota RAV4 in front of Access Bank and went inside to carry out some transactions, only to return to find the convict inside his car.
“The convict unlawfully opened the car and was in the driver’s seat when the complainant raised alarm and he was apprehended, but his accomplice escaped.
“The convict was severely beaten by a mob but was rescued by the police,” said Gokwat.
“The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the Plateau Penal Code Law.
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