Headline

Senate Accuses Sen Adamu of Plans to Remove Saraki + Adamu Denies Accusation

Published

8 years ago

March 9, 2018

Eric

The Senate on Thursday began an investigation into the alleged plot by some members to sack Senator Bukola Saraki as President.

A Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker, Senator Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi-Central), who raised the alarm through a point of order at the plenary on Wednesday, alleged that the senators were also mobilising civil society organisations and trade groups to protest against Saraki’s leadership.

Ogba said, “I rise this morning to bring to the notice of the Senate that there is a plan by some people in this Senate, maybe under the leadership of my distinguished colleague, particularly Senator Abdullahi Adamu. You will remember that in January, Senator (Isa) Misau made the comment here that there was a plan to remove the Senate President, and in fact the leadership.

“Now, I have reliable information that some people are already planning to destabilise this Senate, including the Senate’s leadership by organising demonstrations, of which money is already exchanging hands.

“I believe that all of us are leaders in this country and anybody who seeks anything that can destabilise this country, the Senate should avoid it.”

Ogba urged aggrieved senators to present their grievances on the floor of the Senate, rather than “go outside the chamber and start mobilising civil organisations and market women to hold demonstrations against the leadership of the Senate.”

He added, “I want this matter to be investigated properly. I have evidence to show what I am saying. There is a telephone discussion between Senator Abdullahi Adamu and some other people. This is a very serious issue. When Senator Misau raised it in January, we didn’t take it as anything. We must have to stand up to look into this. If we treat this with the wave of hand, when it eventually happens, I would say that I already said it.”

Ogba asked that he be allowed to lay his “documentary evidence” before the Senate.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, asked Ogba to do so, after which he referred the matter to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, with the mandate to report back in two weeks.

Reacting to the allegation in a telephone conversation with journalists, Adamu said he was not in Abuja but a colleague had drawn his attention to what happened on the floor of the Senate today.

He said, “It is amusing but very saddening at the same time. I am not in any way after Saraki. Saraki is like a son to me. I had every right to contest the Senate President seat three years ago when the 8th Senate was inaugurated but I never did because I wasn’t interested. It is therefore not logical for anyone to say I’m interested in the seat now, and will be planning to destabilise the Senate. To achieve what? For what purpose? It is not right for anyone to make such unfounded insinuations.

“We are almost three years in office, the election year is drawing nearer and I think anyone thinking of upstaging the leadership of the Senate for any reason will only be fighting a losing battle because it is not what should naturally occupy the mind of any serious-minded lawmaker now.

“I am not in any way afraid of anyone who thinks I’ve offended him. I have the neck to carry my cross, but no one should cook up lies just to discredit me or any senator for that matter.”

The former Governor of Nasarawa State stated that he was ready to appear before the Senate panel if summoned on the matter.

“If I’m asked to appear before the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, I will come out clean because whoever raises the allegations will have to come out and present incontrovertible facts to prove the allegations. Then, names of other so-called collaborators will be made known; they will be confronted, evidence of such a meeting will be produced; those accused will be asked to defend themselves, and recommendations will be made by the committee based on facts presented to it,” he said.

Adamu added, “As for me, let me repeat that I’m not in any way after Saraki. I can’t be after Saraki and I won’t do anything to upstage the leadership as being claimed because it’s a fruitless venture. But if I believe strongly in a cause, I stand by it. If I’ve offended anyone by my strong stance on some issues in the Senate in accordance with my conviction, I stand by it anytime. But the issue of trying to cause disaffection in the Senate is no issue at all.”

Adoption of the report by the Senate and House of Representatives Conference Committee on the amendment to the Electoral Act had caused a sharp division in the ranks of the APC caucus.

The Punch

Headline

Tinubu Seeks Transfer of Jailed Ekweremadu Back to Nigeria

Published

3 days ago

November 11, 2025

Eric

President Bola Tinubu has dispatched a strong delegation to London to address the situation of Ike Ekweremadu, a former Deputy Senate President, who has been imprisoned in the UK since March 2023.

The delegation includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi.

The team arrived in London on Monday and held discussions with officials from the UK’s Ministry of Justice.

Alkasim Abdulkadir, spokesperson for Tuggar, said on Tuesday that the presidential delegation was in London to engage with UK authorities to consider the possibility of Ekweremadu serving the remainder of his prison sentence in Nigeria.

The London Metropolitan Police detained the Ekweremadus in June 2022 after a man was deceitfully presented to a private renal unit at Royal Free Hospital in London as a relative of their daughter Sonia, in what turned out to be a failed attempt to convince medical professionals to perform an £80,000 transplant.

The 21-year-old man, who had allegedly been promised employment in the UK, reported the incident to the police in May of that year, saying that he had been brought to the country for an organ transplant.

In March 2023, the former presiding officer of Nigeria’s Senate was convicted of organ trafficking by a UK court. Beatrice, his wife, and Obinna Obeta, a doctor connected to the case, were also found guilty.

This verdict marked the first of its kind under the UK Modern Slavery Act.

On May 5, 2023, Ekweremadu received a nine-year and eight-month prison sentence, while his wife was sentenced to four years and six months, and Obeta was given a ten-year prison sentence.

In his ruling, Judge Jeremy Johnson determined that Beatrice should serve half of her sentence in custody and be supervised for the remainder. However, she was released from prison in January and has since returned to Nigeria.

Headline

Tinubu Congratulates Soludo on Reelection As Anambra Governor

Published

5 days ago

November 9, 2025

Eric

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Prof Chukwuma Soludo on his re-election as Governor of Anambra State.

Soludo was returned for a second term in office after recording a landslide victory, winning all 21 local government areas in the election, according to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday.

The massive victory makes the professor the third governor in Anambra’s political history to win a second term.

In a statement he personally signed, President Tinubu described Soludo’s re-election as a testament to his visionary leadership and the significant progress recorded under his administration.

“Governor Soludo, the Solution, has demonstrated that knowledge is indeed power and that academic principles can be applied in serving the people, undergirding accountability, transparency, and prudent management of people and resources.

“I visited Anambra State in May this year, where I inaugurated some projects executed by the Soludo administration. I highlighted the good thinking behind the landmark projects embarked upon by Mr Solution. That experience is indeed remarkable and will remain indelible in my mind.

“I commend Governor Soludo for bringing discipline, grace, brilliance, and a fresh perspective to governance in Anambra. Under him, Anambra is living up to its motto as the Light of the Nation.

“I urge Governor Soludo to be magnanimous in victory and to seek the cooperation of his opponents in the just-concluded election.

“I assure Governor Soludo of my unwavering support, and I look forward to continued collaboration between Anambra and the Federal government.

“The victory of the opposition All Progressives Grand Alliance in the election again demonstrates the vitality of our political system and the fact that victory for any progressive and hardworking leader can hardly be encumbered or denied,” the President said.

President Tinubu also commended the new INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, and his team for conducting what he described as a credible election, based on reports received so far.

He charged the commission to maintain high standards and continue to improve its performance “so we can strengthen and deepen our electoral system.”

The State Returning Officer and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Omoregie Edoba, who announced the result, declared Soludo the winner after the collation of results from the local government areas.

“I hereby declare that Soludo Chukwuma Charles of the APGA, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” he said at the State headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Awka, the state capital.

Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), secured 422,664 votes to defeat his closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 99,445 votes.

Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) came third with 37,753 votes, while John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) scored 8,208 votes. George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP) and Jude Ezenwafor of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) polled 10,576 and 1,401 votes, respectively.

Headline

Soludo in Landslide Victory, Relected As Anambra Governor

Published

5 days ago

November 9, 2025

Eric

Governor Chukwuma Soludo has secured a second term in office until 2030 after he was declared the winner of the November 8 Anambra State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

According to the results announced by INEC in the early hours of Sunday, Soludo won by a landslide in the 21 local government areas of the South-East state.

The State Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Omoregie Edoba, declared Soludo as the winner of the exercise after the collation of results from the local government areas of the state where the election was held.

“I hereby declare that Soludo Chukwuma Charles of the APGA, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Edoba, a professor, told a gathering at the state headquarters of INEC in Awka, the state capital, where the election results were collated.

Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), secured 422,664 votes to trounce his closest rival, the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Nicholas Ukachukwu, who polled 99,445 votes.

Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) came third with 37,753 votes, while John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) scored 8,208 votes.

George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP) and Jude Ezenwafor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 10,576 votes and 1,401 votes, respectively.

Shortly after the results were announced, there was jubilation at the residence of the governor in Isoufia community, Aguata LGA.