TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY SUNDAY 

TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY SUNDAY 

Adeyemi, Audu, Oseni, Others Reject Kogi APC Gubernatorial Primary Election Results

Some of the aspirants who participated in the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Kogi State have rejected the outcome of the process.

The aspirants that rejected the results included, Senator Smart Adeyemi, Prince Shuaibu Audu, Prof. Stephen Oseni and a member of the APC National Working Committee, Yakubu Ajaka.

The secretary of the Kogi State APC Primary Election Committee, Patrick Obahiagbon, on behalf of the chairman of the panel, Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State, had announced a former Auditor General for Local Governments in Kogi, Ahmed Usman Ododo, as the APC standard bearer for the election fixed for November.

Speaking to journalists on Saturday, four of the aspirants dismissed the process that produced Ododo as a “sham”, calling on the APC NWC to disregard the outcome of the polls.

Timipre Sylva Defeats Lyon, Emerges Bayelsa APC Gubernatorial Candidate

The former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate for Bayelsa State.

Sylva, a former Bayelsa State Governor, polled 52,061 votes to defeat five other contenders to win the governorship ticket at the party’s primary election conducted on Friday and Saturday.

The APC adopted the direct mode electoral system to hold the exercise in the 105 wards and eight local government areas of the state.

A former militant leader, Joshua Macaiver, scored 2,078 votes to come second, while a former governor-elect on the platform of the APC in Bayelsa, David Lyon came third with 1,584 votes.

Also, Prof. Ongoebi Etebu scored 1,277 votes; Isikima Johnson 584 votes; and Festus Daumiebi polled 557 votes.

Elukpo Wins Kogi ADP Governorship Ticket Unopposed

A legal luminary, Barrister Julius Elukpo, has emerged winner of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) Primary election held in Lokoja on Friday unopposed.

Addressing the delegates from across the three senatorial Districts of the state, the National Chairman of the ADP, Engineer Yusuf Yabagi, said, in absence of competition from aspirants, the party has no qualms in upholding the lone aspirant as the standard bearer of the party in Kogi state.

Yabagi, who was represented by a party chieftain, Ben Atonko, said the election is a process and by today’s consensus election of a foremost man of integrity and impeccable character, the state would be on its path to greatness.

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He noted that the process for the election of standard bearer followed due process of allowing every aspirant to test their popularity, however, aspirants decided to step down for a man described as an embodiment of character, capacity, and uprightness.

INEC, EFCC Appoint 18 Lawyers To Prosecute Electoral Offenders

No fewer than 18 lawyers including two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) have been appointed to prosecute electoral offenders.

The Independent National Electoral Commission and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) made the appointment for the prosecution of electoral offenders after the 2023 general election.

The development as learnt by this online news platform was contained in the appointment letter sighted by The Nation on Saturday.

It was learnt that the mandate before the 18 appointed lawyers of both the INEC and the EFCC is to prosecute electoral offences relating to financial crimes arising from the 2023 general elections.

It was gathered from the letter that while the first SAN on the list, Abdulaziz Sani is from INEC, the other SAN, Rotimi Oyedepo, is from the anti-graft agency.

UK Govt Replies Premium Times’ On Enquiry About Peter Obi’s Arrest, Detention

The United Kingdom (UK) Government has responded to the letter of Premium Times requesting the details of the arrest and detention of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi.

The UK immigration officials at Heathrow Airport in London detained Obi.

Obi-Datti media office said Obi was detained after being accosted by an immigration officer who handed him a detention note and told him to step aside.

The UK Government, however, declined to provide sufficient details about Obi’s arrest as requested by the news platform.

In a short reply on Thursday, the UK authorities said they do not comment on individual cases.

“We do not comment on individual cases,” Chloe Newman, senior communications officer – of Newsdesk Communications Directorate, stated in the reply on Thursday.

Consider Lalong As Next SGF – Arewa Youths Send Message To Tinubu

The Arewa Youth Forum (AYF) has asked the president-elect, Bola Tinibu, to consider Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State for the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The forum made this appeal in a press conference on Saturday jointly addressed by its Chairman, Haruna Bature, and Secretary, Sunday Adajeh in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.

The forum said Lalong, who is the Director General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC PCC), has the experience, and capacity to hold the SGF office.

The statement reads: “AYF on April 12th, 2023 at about 12 noon rose from her 1st quarterly meeting after far-reaching deliberation on several national issues including the just concluded general election, resolved to call on Sen Bola Ahmed Tinubu, winner and now the President-elect to humbly consider the coordinator and DG APC PCC, Governor Simon Bako Lalong as the SGF in his cabinet”.

Shettima Holds Brief For Tinubu, May Back Akpabio Over Northern Lawmaker For Senate President

The Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, who is currently holding brief for President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is reportedly meeting with stakeholders over the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

Tinubu jetted out of the country immediately after the March 18 gubernatorial election to rest in France after the grueling electioneering campaigns.

But since his absence, there has been a silent battle between geopolitical zones in the country over the sharing of leadership positions in the soon-to-be-inaugurated 10th National Assembly.

According to reports, pressure is being mounted on Shettima to back a candidate from the North-West for Senate President to shore up his support base in the region.

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Sources told Saturday Telegraph that the former Borno State governor has been holding a series of meetings on behalf of Tinubu.

Abdulaziz Yari and Jibrin Barau, both from the North-West, have declared their intention to contest for the Senate Presidency.

Confusion Engulfs APC Over Zoning Of NASS Leadership, Adamu Abdullahi’s Absence

The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is reportedly in a state of confusion over the zoning of the principal officers of the 10th National Assembly as the inauguration of federal lawmakers draws nearer.

It was gathered that confusion has heightened in the ruling APC and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party due to the absence of the party’s National Chairman, Adamu Abdullahi.

This, according to a source close to the APC NWC, has stalled the zoning of the principal officers for the 10th National Assembly.

Ahead of the June inauguration of NASS, Senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect from all the geopolitical zones have all indicated interest in contesting for either Senate President or Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The source told Saturday Sun that the inability of the party’s leadership to meet and resolve the zoning formula had resulted in the multiple interests from several elected legislators on the platform of the party across the country.

APC Reveals Why Party Has Acting National Chairman, Clarifies Report On Adamu Abdullahi’s Medical Treatment Abroad

The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) has dismissed reports claiming that the party’s National Chairman, Adamu Abdullahi, is receiving medical treatment abroad.

Some  online blogs have claimed that Adamu had yet to return to the country after he was flown abroad over an undisclosed illness.

The platform also claimed that the APC National Deputy Chairman for the North, Senator Abubakar Kyari, was temporarily appointed to replace Adamu.

But the illness report has been swiftly debunked by the APC National Vice Chairman for the South East, Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu, and the party’s Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim.

Speaking to The PUNCH, Arodiogbu described the report as a figment of the imagination of those peddling the rumour.

Yahaya Bello’s Ally Emerges Kogi APC Gubernatorial Candidate

A former Auditor General for Local Governments in Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has won the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primary election.

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The APC gubernatorial direct primary was held in the State on Friday.

Ododo scored a total of 78,704 votes to defeat six other contestants in the governorship race.

Ododo, who won with a very wide margin, defeated the distant runner-up, Mohammed Ozigi Salami, who scored 1,506 votes while the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Smart Adeyemi, scored the least number of votes – 311.

The secretary of the Kogi State APC Primary Election Committee, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, on behalf of the chairman of the panel, Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State, announced the results and declared Ahmed Usman Ododo as the winner of the gubernatorial primary election.