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Southern, Middle Belt Leaders Query Presidency over Osinbajo

Published

6 years ago

September 29, 2019

Eric

Southern and Middle Belt Leaders have demanded explanation from the presidency on the seeming clampdown on the person and office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in recent times.

Prominent leaders, including Chief E K Clark (South South), Chief Ayo Adebanjo (South West), Chief John Nwodo (South East) and Dr Pogu Bitrus (Middle Belt), in a joint statement Sunday titled: ‘Rumble in Presidency: Need To Know’, demanded explanations on what they called the continued humiliation of VP Osinbajo by some forces in the presidency.

Speaking under the auspices of Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum(SMBLF), the group which said it had followed with keen interest, developments in the presidency as regards the office of the Vice President in the past few days, expressed worries over what was termed “virtual stripping of the office of the VP of most functions and responsibilities”.

According to the concerned leaders, that Osinbajo has been stripped of his functions, including some that are constitutional, by fiat, does not tally with the declaration of APC governors that all is well at the seat of power.

According to SMBLF, “The office of the Vice-President today is definitely not what it was two weeks ago. Something is definitely wrong even when we cannot place our fingers on it yet.

“And this because of the opaque handling of affairs of a supposed constitutional democracy and open society in a manner reminiscent of a kingdom where things are done according to the whims and caprices of the monarch.”

Contending that in a democracy people need to know the ways their lives are being run by those they have hired to do the job, the body drew attention to the multi-ethnic nature of Nigeria and that the geo-political balancing of its presidency will make the kind of actions that have been taken against the office of the Vice-President attract the usual suspicion of the experiences of Ebitu Ukiwe and Oladipo Diya if there are no explanations to the public.

“In this dispensation in particular, references would be made to the treatment of Justice Walter Onoghen, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita and now Prof Osinbajo on one hand, and Mr Abdulrsheed Maina of Pension Reform Task Force Prof Usman Yusuf of NHIS and Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano on the other hand.

“In order to preserve the unity of the country therefore, we demand explanation on what is happening to Osinbajo from the Presidency and if no such is forthcoming , his functions should be restored.

“We have equally noticed the unusual quiet from the Presidency on damaging allegations against the Vice-President.

In any normal clime, it should not have taken more than a day for the presidency to dispel the allegations to maintain the moral standing of the VP and the integrity of the administration.

“We therefore demand a statement from the government on the weighty allegations or an investigation to be caused. We hold our breath until the public is properly briefed,” SMBLF stated

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Tinubu Nominates Oyedele As Minister of State for Finance, Moves Anite-Uzoka to Budget Ministry

Published

12 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, has announced that “President Bola Tinubu has nominated Taiwo Oyedele as the minister of state for finance, replacing Doris Anite-Uzoka.

“Mrs Anite-Uzoka will now move to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as the Minister of State, her third portfolio in the administration.

“President Tinubu has today conveyed the nomination of Mr Oyedele to the Senate for confirmation in a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“Until President Tinubu nominated him as a minister, Mr Oyedele from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State, was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.

“Mr Oyedele, 50, is an economist, accountant and public policy expert.

“He attended Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in accountancy and finance. He attended Oxford Brookes University and earned a BSc in applied accounting.

“He also completed executive education programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Mr Oyedele spent 22 years of his working career at PwC, joining in 2001 and rising to become the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.

“Mr Oyedele is also a professor at Babcock University in Ogun State and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.”

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Defection: Atiku’s Son, Adamu, Resigns As Adamawa Commissioner

Published

17 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Adamu Abubakar, the first son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned as Adamawa State’s commissioner for works and energy development, days after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar’s resignation letter, dated 2 March 2026, was addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. He gave no reason for his departure.

The timing is pointed. Fintiri announced his defection to the APC in a statewide broadcast last Friday, saying his cabinet and the PDP’s state structure had moved with him. Within 24 hours, 22 commissioners and special advisers publicly announced they were following suit. Abubakar, whose father remains one of the PDP’s most prominent national figures, was not among them.

In a statement issued Monday night, Abubakar’s media aide Abdulaziz Jauro said the former commissioner thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s developmental agenda. He also expressed gratitude to his father “for granting him the moral support and blessing to serve the people of Adamawa State” — a line that, read in context, suggests Atiku was consulted on the decision.

Abubakar said his resignation was not a withdrawal from public life. “This does not mark the end of his commitment to public service,” the statement read, “but rather the beginning of new avenues for developmental collaboration.”

The resignation leaves unresolved the question of whether it reflects a political break with the governor over his defection or a personal decision unconnected to the broader party realignment now reshaping Adamawa’s political landscape.

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DSS Nabs Man over Assassination Attempt on Peter Obi

Published

19 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has detained a man in connection with the recent attack and alleged assassination threats targeting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to AIT, the shooting incident took place on February 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, during a political gathering attended by Obi and several figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The meeting was hosted by former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the venue, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse for safety.

According to security sources, shortly after the attack, an individual identified as Udeme Monday Stephen allegedly took to social media claiming responsibility and issuing additional threats against Obi, warning of further violence.

Intelligence officials reportedly initiated swift investigations, employing digital tracing and forensic tools that led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in Rivers State. He is said to be a teacher at a private secondary school in the Eliozu area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The suspect remains in DSS custody and is expected to face prosecution. The agency reiterated its commitment to responding to credible threats and safeguarding lives and national interests without bias.