Abia North Senator Orji Uzor Kalu declared that he is ready to die to ensure victory for the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Kalu said he and other APC loyalists will work hard to deliver the state to President Bola Tinubu and the party.
The former governor disclosed this while addressing journalists at his country home in Igbere, Abia State, yesterday.
He also said Tinubu’s achievements in the past two years were enough to gain the support of Nigerians.
Orji Uzor Kalu said: “APC is strong in Abia. Like I said in my interview, I am ready to lay down my life for the party. I am a member of the party and a strong one at that. I am APC to the core. That’s why APC is strong in Abia North.
“Our party will work hard to deliver the President in the state. We have done it in the past, and we will do it again in 2027.”
The former Senate Chief Whip further expressed confidence that Nigeria’s economy would bounce back because Tinubu is working hard to make the naira regain its value.
He said, “The economy needs time to bounce back. The President is working to ensure that the economy bounces back.”
After the Sallah holidays, the Naira has continued to rise on both the official and parallel foreign exchange rate markets for the past week.
Exchange rate extends one-week appreciation rally across official, parallel markets
According to Naijaeyes, the naira rose from N1610/$1 on Wednesday to N1605/$1 on Thursday on the parallel market, ahead of Sallah.In honor of Eid-ul-Adha, the Federal Government of Nigeria formally announced Friday, June 6, and Monday, June 9, 2025, as public holidays throughout the country.
According to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) website, the currency closed at N1,540/$1 on Tuesday, the first day of trade, up from N1,551/$1 on Thursday.
Additionally, the data indicates that the naira finished at N1,564/$1 on Wednesday, completing a week-long appreciating surge after closing at N1,579/$1 on Tuesday and N1,580/$1 on Monday.
A similar pattern can be seen in the data from Naijaeyes sources from BDC operators in Lagos.The currency stabilized between N1600-N1610/$1 during that time, according to Naijaeyes data data. The currency appreciated from N1605/$1 on Thursday and N1610/$1 on Wednesday to trade at N1600/$1 on Tuesday, according to Naijaeyes sources.
Exchange rate extends one-week appreciation rally across official, parallel markets
According to Naijaeyes data, the value of the naira increased from N2,160.00/£1 on Thursday to N2,145.00/£1 on Tuesday.
Before strengthening to N2,165.00/£1 on Tuesday, the naira began the week at N2,175.00/£1 against the British pound sterling. On Wednesday, however, the value of the naira dropped to N2,210.00/£1.
The naira also showed a similar pattern against the Euro during the week; Currently, Naijaeyes data shows the naira has appreciated to N1,790.00/€1 in the parallel market on Tuesday. This is an appreciation from Thursday’s N1,805.00/€1.
Recall that the naira started the week at N1,810.00/€1 on Monday. It stayed the same on Tuesday at N1,810.00/€1 before depreciating to N1,815.00/€1 on Wednesday.
Comparing post-holiday exchange rate performance
The naira’s performance after the Sallah holidays stands in contrast to the trend observed after the Easter holidays in April 2025.
Data from CBN shows that the naira depreciated further in the official foreign exchange market, depreciating to N1,606.00/$1, a marginal decline compared to N1,600.50/$1 recorded on Thursday, 17 April 2025, the last trading day before the Easter holidays.
This represents a depreciation of 0.34% over the four-day holiday period, signaling continued pressure on the local currency amid liquidity concerns and sustained demand for dollars in the market.
In the parallel market, also known as the black market, the naira also weakened slightly, trading at N1,615/$1, compared to N1,610/$1 before the Easter break. This represents a depreciation of N5, based on market data.
Exchange rate extends one-week appreciation rally across official, parallel markets
Analysts say the currency’s recent gains reflect growing investor confidence and an improved foreign exchange (FX) supply environment.
The continued convergence of rates in both the official and parallel markets suggests a narrowing gap between the two, pointing to improved market alignment.
The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged Mr. Samson Davies and his firm, Signature Advisory Limited, with one count of stealing N190,791,494 from Ronchess Global Resources Plc, a construction company.
The suspect appeared before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos.
N190 million theft from Ronchess Global Resources-EFCC arraigns man over alleged
The EFCC confirmed the development in a statement released on Tuesday.\
The EFCC Case
The Commission claims that the defendants committed theft in violation of applicable legislation when they allegedly converted the aforementioned money that belonged to Ronchess Global Resources Plc.
The charge is as follows:
The total amount of N190,791,494 (one hundred and ninety million, seven hundred and ninety-one thousand, four hundred and ninety-four Naira) that belonged to Ronchess Global Resources Plc was dishonestly converted to your own use by Samson Davies and Signature Advisory Limited sometime between October 2022 and October 2023 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court.
The registrar read the charge to the defendant during the court session, and he entered a plea of “not guilty” to the single count.
N190 million theft from Ronchess Global Resources-EFCC arraigns man over alleged
Following his plea, prosecution counsel C.C. Okezie asked the court to fix a trial date to enable the prosecution to prove its case against the defendants.
The prosecution also prayed that the court remand the defendant at a Correctional Centre.
However, defence counsel Ifeoma Esom drew the court’s attention to the defendant’s bail application, which had already been filed.
The lawyer urged the court to grant the defendant bail on the most liberal terms.
Ruling on the bail application, Justice Dada granted the defendant bail in the sum of N50 million, with two sureties in like sum.
“One of the sureties must own landed property in Lagos, and the defendant is to submit his international passport to the court. The sureties must also provide evidence of tax clearance,” the judge held, according to the EFCC statement.
The judge further ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Facility pending the perfection of his bail conditions.
The case was subsequently adjourned to July 7, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
N190 million theft from Ronchess Global Resources-EFCC arraigns man over alleged
What to Know
While this case highlights the EFCC’s role in the anti-corruption war, the allegations remain unproven in court until the judge makes a final pronouncement after reviewing evidence from both parties.
The legal teams on both sides are expected to present evidence and relevant legal arguments to convince the court.
PDP 2027 ticket: Zone to South or face doom, Wike’s ally warns
PDP 2027 ticket: Zone to South or face doom, Wike’s ally warns
Tajudeen Yusuf, a former member of the House of Representatives, has cautioned the PDP to focus its 2027 ticket on the southern region or face disintegration.
Yusuf, who belongs to the PDP’s Nyesom Wike faction, made this bold warning during an interview.
He stated, “No single politician can win an election without collective goodwill. Zone to the south and see what will happen, but if we continue this trajectory and continue to progress in error, we are postponing the doomsday”.
Yusuf encouraged the PDP to focus their 2027 ticket on the South in order to bring the party back together and win back important members like Peter Obi from the Labour Party.
“If today, the PDP ticket is zoned to the South, I have a conviction Peter Obi will be more comfortable coming to PDP, but if it’s not zoned and the dynamics and dialectics of primaries are allowed to play, he might not, just like he moved when it was not zoned and guaranteed a vice presidency. PDP should do the right thing first,” he said.
The former legislator also discussed Atiku Abubakar’s current political status, pointing out that the former vice president is currently involved in coalition negotiations rather than the PDP.
“Atiku is out of PDP; he is in the coalition with a lot of people,” he said, suggesting that the party must move beyond relying on individual figures to reclaim its electoral strength.
He blamed PDP’s internal fractures, particularly the fallout from Atiku candidacy, as a key reason for the party’s defeat.
PDP 2027 ticket: Zone to South or face doom, Wike’s ally warns
“I blame Atiku for the 2023 election loss,” he said, criticising the decision to zone the presidential ticket to the North.
“If Atiku had not bungled the Obi relationship, if Obi had remained in PDP, and he had picked Obi as vice president, he would have won the election. Obi represented the southern agitations. Nigerians were looking for something different.”
"Baba-Ahmed slams Tinubu administration over failure to improve living standards
Former political advisor to President Bola Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has lambasted the current Tinubu administration for failing to raise both the standard of governance and the standard of living for the typical Nigerian.
Former Northern Elders Forum (NEF) spokesperson Baba-Ahmed claimed that the Tinubu administration’s elimination of the petrol subsidy had a major negative influence on the standard of living for typical Nigerians.
“Clearly, the Tinubu administration has failed expectations that it was going to radically improve the quality of governance,” he said on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm programme aired on Tuesday.
He stated that even if it was not feasible for the Tinubu administration to undo the elimination of the gas subsidy, he ought to address the “wastage of resources” that state and local governments incur from the funds saved by doing away with the subsidy.
According to Baba-Ahmed, the president ought to take action to improve governance and accountability across the three levels of government.
He asked the president to combat insecurity and corruption, reduce poverty, invest a significant amount of time in social development and infrastructure, and use his presidential authority to make sure that funds allocated to governors—particularly those affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC)—are used wisely.
“Baba-Ahmed slams Tinubu administration over failure to improve living standards
According to the former NEF spokesperson, Nigeria’s presidents since 1999 have been worse than their predecessors and the Tinubu administration is no exception.
“Nigeria is a tragedy. Even though we have a democratic system, the key element has been missing: that element is the idea that people elect leaders to serve, protect their resources, and use their resources to build a country that is in the interest of the citizens,” he said.
“Since 1999, every leadership that has taken over has been worse than the previous one. If you start from the first seven years of President (Olusegun) Obasanjo, I think, honestly, he did pretty well but as some versions of his critics say, he faulted his seven years by trying to see if he could get an additional term.
“President (Umaru) Yar’adua came into power and we had some kind of fresh air. Youngish president, visionary and strong but unfortunately, he didn’t last longer than two years.
“(President Goodluck) Jonathan took over and ran the country aground. We fought against Jonathan because we felt Nigeria deserved better leadership than Jonathan. We didn’t realise that we were going to put in place someone who was not even to govern at all.
“Baba-Ahmed slams Tinubu administration over failure to improve living standards
“Jonathan governed badly; President Buhari didn’t govern at all.
“Now, you have a president who started on a faulty foot and says: ‘I am going to become president because it is my turn’.
Baba-Ahmed further expressed regret that the greed of persons in positions of leadership is the issue facing Nigerian democracy.
Party leaders yesterday voiced differing opinions regarding the stance taken by several worried PDP members and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Mr. Nyesom Wike, who suggested that the party’s 2027 presidential ticket should be located in the southern region.
Yesterday, PDP National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, former Deputy National Chairman Chief Bode George, and a member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Mr Jones Onyereri, disagreed with the stance of the Wike-led stakeholders.
Wike and a concerned stakeholders’ group had on Monday, met in Abuja and called for the PDP 2027 presidential ticket to be zoned to the south.
Wike
Additionally, they supported Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s reaffirmation as the National Secretary of the party.
This came after Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the former governor of Ekiti State, issued a warning that if immediate action is not taken to turn the PDP around, it could turn into a political “carcass.”
In an interview with Vanguard, Mr. Onyereri, a former member of the House of Representatives, responded to the meeting that Wike and the G-5 governors convened by claiming that it was poorly planned.
Senator Samuel Anyanwu
He said: “The issue is that it (NEC) wasn’t properly convened. According to Section 47, subsections 1, 2, 1, 3, and 5, or thereabouts, it’s clearly stated that only the National Secretary has the authority to send out correspondence on behalf of the party.
“The National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, didn’t issue any notice to members about the meeting. He even wrote to confirm that the meeting had been cancelled. So, I believe that’s the crux of the matter, it wasn’t properly convened.
Some PDP G5 members , former governors of Enugu, Benue an Abia states
“Eminent stakeholders from across the country have reaffirmed that Senator Anyanwu is the duly elected and substantive National Secretary. A communiqué has been issued to that effect. Additionally, we’ve always emphasised that the PDP must adhere to its constitution, which supports the principle of zoning.”
On his part, former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George called for caution noting that family matters are not discussed in the marketplaces.
Following this, the National Organising Secretary of the PDP, Umar Bature, said the position of the Wike-led ‘Concerned Stakeholders’ group, aligns with the party’s official stance.
However, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Debo Ologunagba, when contacted, said the party will respond to Wike’s position in due time.
Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe, a federal lawmaker representing Dawakin Tofa/Tofa/Rimin Gado, has accused Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the Kano government Director General, Media and Publicity, of forming a secret alliance with the family of former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
A viral video showed that the lawmaker took a swipe at Bature, accusing him of anti-party activities.
He accused the government spokesman of a back door alliance with staunch opposition, the Abdullahi Ganduje family.
In the video, Hon. Jobe accused Sanusi Bature of taking kick backs from Abba Ganduje, son of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and former House of representatives candidate.
“I am calling on the Kano State Governor, Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf: if you continue to work with Sanusi Bature as your spokesperson, and he returns to Dawakin Tofa to form alliances with Abba Ganduje, Ganduje’s son, and Gwaggo (Ganduje’s wife), then this issue must be addressed,” Jobe said.
The lawmaker accused the government spokesman of working against the party in Dawakin Tofa and called on him to come back to the real values of the NNPP.
Ganduje
“If Sanusi Bature is a true member of the NNPP, he should stop chasing away our party members and stop praising Abba Ganduje.”
The crises between the duo escalated after Sanusi Bature took to his Facebook page to openly challenge the lawmaker.
“Tell Hon. Jobe that if he wants to fight, I am ready.”
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has sent a message to Igbos ahead of the June 12 Democracy Day celebration.
Recall that June 12 is the date the Nigerian Government designated as Democracy Day.
According to IPOB, Igbos should boycott June 12 activities until the Nigerian Government learns to honour May 30th, the Biafra remembrance day.
Emma Powerful, the spokesman of IPOB made the declaration while insisting that Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-political body of the Igbos, is not factionalized.
In a statement he signed, Powerful distanced the Igbo nation and Biafra freedom movement from statements made by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, stressing that he does not represent Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Powerful said Isiguzoro is unknown to the Igbo race as representing any recognised wing or faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
According to Powerful: “Ohanaeze is not factionalised. The notion of a “factional” Ohanaeze exists only in the minds of hungry political errand boys doing the bidding of their Abuja slave masters. These inconsequential elements neither represent the Igbo people nor speak for Ndigbo.
“It is appalling that these buffoons masquerading as leaders of a non-existent faction continue their coordinated efforts to give the impression that the Igbo race is disoriented or lacks cohesion. This is a calculated insult to our heritage and identity.
“They are also woefully ignorant of Igbo history. The recent claim that Igboland exists in only seven states of Nigeria is an outrageous falsehood. Igbo-speaking people are indigenous to 13 states of this British-created contraption called Nigeria. Any attempt to shrink our ancestral footprint is an unforgivable betrayal.
“Let it be known that Ohanaeze Ndigbo is currently led by Senator Emmanuel Mbatta, and that remains the only recognised and respected leadership of the apex Igbo socio-cultural body. Any individual parading himself as a “factional” leader is not only insulting the Igbo nation, but also daring IPOB with such impunity.
“IPOB is a proud promoter of free speech, but let everyone make their comments in their personal capacity or through their own platforms. Dragging the name of Ohanaeze into every sponsored narrative is cowardly, fraudulent, and unacceptable.
“We also wish to clarify, once again, that Ohanaeze Ndigbo—whether we agree with them or not—remains the apex body of Ndigbo. IPOB reserves the right to criticise Ohanaeze when they err, but we do not presume to represent them, nor should any other impostor.
“Finally, we call on all Biafrans to ignore any call for participation in June 12-related events. Until Nigeria learns to respect and honour May 30th—our sacred Biafran Remembrance Day—we shall not partake in their selective history or skewed national rituals.
“This is not just about IPOB. This is about our dignity, our truth, and our right to define who we are.”
Tony Okocha, the factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, has alleged that suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara has yet to take deliberate steps to make peace in the face of the political crisis in the state.
Okocha, who spoke when he addressed journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, stated that Fubara has yet to initiate any steps to reconcile with the members of the State Assembly.
Okocha advised the governor that only genuine reconciliation efforts can prevent his impeachment.
He stated, “I can confirm that there is no reconciliation effort currently underway in Rivers.
“The suspended Governor, Fubara, has not made any move to reconcile with the lawmakers.
“Only genuine reconciliation can save him from impeachment, as the Supreme Court judgment stands”, he added.
President Bola Tinubu had on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing threatens to critical national assets.
The President also suspended the governor, his deputy and all elected members of the State Assembly.
He subsequently appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the Sole Administrator of the state for a period of six months.
The President’s decision has since been criticized by political bigwigs, civil society organizations and legal practitioners as executive rascality.
The rift between Fubara and Wike became public knowledge on October 30, 2023, after the state Assembly complex was attacked by alleged arsonists.
The chamber of the assembly complex was greatly affected.
Both parties have yet to really explain the reason for the rift.
The factional National Chairman of the Labour Party, LP, Julius Abure has warned the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, against blackmailing the party.
Abure issued the warning in a statement by the faction’s National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, on Tuesday.
The warning came in the wake of an interview Obi granted Arise TV on Monday, wherein he reportedly alleged that the APC-led Federal Government has infiltrated the leadership of the LP and is fomenting crisis in the party.
However, the Abure faction, in the statement released on Tuesday, said the problem in the Labour Party was not created by the APC, but was created and sustained by Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, who is presently serving suspension for anti-party activities.
“The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party was called to an interview on Monday granted by the party’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi wherein he alleged that the APC led Federal Government has infiltrated the leadership of the Labour Party and by so doing, fomenting crisis in the party. But when asked to produce the evidence, Obi could not produce any tangible evidence. He however said that the national chairman, Barrister Julius Abure referred to the Abia State governor, Dr. Alex Otti as a dwarf.
“As a member of our party, we sincerely do not wish to join issues with Mr. Obi but for his penchant to constantly misinform Nigerians on the real reasons for the crisis in the party, knowing that virtually most other parties are in one form of crisis or the other. We sincerely hope that he should introspect and move away from this ill-conceived narratives.
“We dare Obi to produce any tangible or intangible evidence which suggests remotely or otherwise that the Abure leadership of the Labour Party is on the bed with the APC led government,” the statement read.
The Abure camp added that Obi had failed, urging him to own up to his mistakes instead of accusing the government of infiltrating LP and by so doing demarketing the party.
The statement maintained that Labour Party would not go into any alliance with any other party, adding that it had every opportunity in 2023 to do so, but chose to stand by Peter Obi and even Alex Otti before and even after the general election.
“Nobody is infallible and it behoves on anyone who makes mistakes to be bold enough to own it. When good leaders fail, they should own up to their responsibilities. Obi failed in providing leadership for the party. He should own up to his mistakes,” the statement added.
The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has told the suspended governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, that even if he decides to join the party, his sins cannot be forgiven.
Caretaker Committee chairman of the party in the state, Tony Okocha, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja while responding to questions regarding Fubara’s recent Sallah visit to President Bola Tinubu and its attendant political implications.
Okocha said Fubara’s suspension and the declaration of a state of emergency was about his misdemeanors and had no political undertones.
“If Fubara decides to join the APC, it has nothing to do with the state of emergency in Rivers state. His sins cannot be forgiven because he came to our party.
“You will jump into APC today and your sins are forgiven? That cannot be true. It won’t work that way. Then, it would have made APC as a dumping ground for people who commit misdemeanor and believe that by and large we will come for reconciliation.
“No. It is not true. He has not spoken to me. He will enter the party through the door not the window. Not only him, there are procedures for defection to another party and if he claims to be a politician, he would know that all politics is local, he would try and defect in his ward. From there it will come to us and my ward chairmen. I have asked, nobody brought any information about him entering APC,” he said.
When asked whether he was worried about Fubara’s meeting with the President, Okocha said the APC had nothing to be worried about.
“How can I be worried that somebody visited my President? Don’t forget it was also the season of Sallah. Yesterday, I read somewhere that the former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Osoba paid Sallah homage and I don’t know whether you also saw the President in the company of Chief Nyesom Wike.
“So we cannot be worried, we cannot gag the President to say you will see Mr A, you will not see Mr B. Perhaps, if I had made an application to see Mr President, I would have been there with my team,” he added.
Okocha also dismissed reports of reconciliatory moves being embarked on by Fubara, saying there was nothing like that.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta has partnered with the Nigerian government to launch the Llama Impact Accelerator, a new initiative designed to drive AI-powered solutions for Nigeria’s critical challenges.
Meta will be driving the initiative with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy (FMCIDE), the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
FG, Meta launch AI Accelerator program to boost innovation in Nigeria
The 8-month program will support early-stage startups using open-source Llama models to develop innovative solutions in key sectors such as Agriculture, Security & Safety, and Healthcare, along with a wild card category for bold AI applications in other high-impact fields.
Program details
With a strong focus on open innovation, the program includes a six-week incubation phase, where selected teams will receive technical training and mentorship from AI experts and industry leaders, followed by six months of extended support, including access to additional technical resources and opportunities.
FG, Meta launch AI Accelerator program to boost innovation in Nigeria
Commenting on the initiative, Head of Public Policy, Anglophone West Africa at Meta, Sade Dada, said Meta aims to enable the development of solutions that can drive national development and are impactful for communities by making open-source AI more accessible and relevant to local challenges
“We’re excited to partner with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy to launch this AI Accelerator in Nigeria, a country with a robust innovation ecosystem,” she added.
Dada noted that Nigeria’s rapidly growing tech ecosystem and deep pool of AI talent make it an ideal launchpad for scalable, homegrown AI solutions.
According to her, the Accelerator aims to enable local innovators with cutting-edge tools, infrastructure, and support to build responsibly with open-source LLMs like Meta’s Llama.
Building Nigeria’s AI ecosystem
Also commenting on the initiative, Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, said the partnership marks a major step forward in the government’s mission to develop a thriving AI ecosystem in Nigeria.
“We see AI as a key driver for national development, and this program by Meta will equip innovators with the right tools and guidance to tackle some of our most pressing issues,” the Minister added.
FG, Meta launch AI Accelerator program to boost innovation in Nigeria
Meta said the initiative is part of its broader commitment to democratizing access to responsible AI and supporting local innovation in Nigeria.
By working closely with government partners, academia, and civil society, the Accelerator will help foster an inclusive and forward-looking AI community in Nigeria.
Applications for the Llama Impact Accelerator are open until June 27, 2025. Interested startups can find more details at www.llamaimpactssa.splashthat.com.
Wike renames Abuja International Conference Centre after AHMED BOLA TINUBU
Wike renames Abuja International Conference Centre after AHMED BOLA TINUBU
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike has renamed the Abuja International Conference Centre AICC after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Wike renames Abuja International Conference Centre after AHMED BOLA TINUBU
Speaking at the commissioning of the structure by the president on Tuesday in Abuja, Wike said the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre is a world-class structure requiring constant maintenance and that anybody using the premises must be made to pay irrespective of his or her status in the society.
The minister had shut down the Conference Centre in April 2024 for an initial period of eight months, cancelling all previously booked events and activities, while citing poor maintenance by the previous managers, Messrs Integrated Facility Management Services Limited.Wike then reawarded the comprehensive renovation of the facility to Julius Berger, announcing that the ICC will be handed back to the Abuja Investment Company Limited following its renovation.
Wike renames Abuja International Conference Centre after AHMED BOLA TINUBU
Speaking on Monday, the Minister stated that the FCT administration will enter an agreement with Julius Berger for the maintenance of the facility, describing maintenance of government facilities as “a significant challenge in this country.”He noted that the new technological installations were not too complicated to be operated by the local staff who worked in the facility, adding that the administration will ensure that things are properly done.
“The centre will be maintained by Julius Berger, the company that built it. We’re not going to hand it over to any politician to manage.
Maintenance is a significant challenge in this country, and we’re committed to doing things differently.
Wike renames Abuja International Conference Centre after AHMED BOLA TINUBU
“The agreement with Julius Beggar will ensure that maintenance is done properly. We’re working on the details, and once the agreement is signed, we’ll make sure that anyone who uses the centre pays for maintenance.
“Don’t worry about the new technology; the company that provided it will handle maintenance. The staff working there are Nigerians who have been supervised by us. The technology isn’t complicated, and we’ll start operations soon after commissioning,” he said.
Kenneth Okonkwo, a lawyer and public affairs analyst, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of functioning as a division of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), claiming that the electoral body has turned into a significant obstacle to the establishment and coordination of a strong opposition coalition in Nigeria.
Okonkwo rebutted claims that the new opposition alliance is already in disarray in an interview with ARISE News on Monday, stating that talks are still in their early stages and are centred on common goals.
“How can something be in disarray when it has not started?” Okonkwo asked rhetorically. “What we have now is common priorities. We don’t have individual differences, because the time for individual ambitions has not commenced. So we’re just talking about options that we have.”
However, he bemoaned the fact that INEC’s independence and credibility—which he termed as “a department of the APC”—are a major obstacle for the opposition.
“With INEC as a department of APC, you know that they put unnecessary roadblocks to the opposition and engage in a lot of rough tackles,” Okonkwo said, citing alleged institutional bias and political interference that stifle the ability of opposition forces to freely organise and register new political platforms.
He went on to say that creating a new political party would be the sensible course of action for creating a united front if Nigeria were ruled by the rule of law. However, opposition leaders are being compelled to look into other options as a result of INEC’s purportedly intentional delays in processing party registrations and approvals.
Former presidential contender Peter Obi has argued that solving Nigeria’s insecurity is more vital than development of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road.
Peter Obi, a 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate and former governor of Anambra State, has criticised the Tinubu administration’s emphasis on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, contending that such massive infrastructure projects shouldn’t come before tackling Nigeria’s economic vulnerability and insecurity.
In an exclusive interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Peter Obi questioned whether it was logical to commit vast resources to the several infrastructural projects that will “lead nowhere when we have crisis.”
“Are you saying that the coastal road is more important than securing Nigeria?” he asked.
Peter Obi stressed that security and production are the foundations of any functional economy. Without securing the country, he said, even the most ambitious infrastructure would amount to a misplaced priority.
Peter Obi x Tinubu
He said, “The roads we have all over the country are no more durable. You fix those roads first and use your resources to secure your country. Security is far more fundamental than roads. Would you prefer a road to your village when you cannot drive to your village? If you prefer, let us do what we are doing. So if you say our problem is insecurity, they can’t go to farm, our problem is power, let’s deal with those things.”
“We are a government. We must secure our people, and it requires decisive action,” he added.
Drawing on his experience as governor of Anambra State, Obi made the case that Nigeria must address its internal dangers with the gravity of a war and that the military, police, and other security forces must be given the authority to take decisive action.
Peter Obi speaks on the state of the nation, lambasts Tinubu led administration
“If we were in a war, we would declare a state of war… whatever it takes to secure the country, I would do it.”
Peter Obi further shared his opinion on other areas and matters plaguing the nation including IPOB and the issue of fuel subsidy.
