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Southeast Monarchs, Bishops Canvass for Release of Nnamdi Kanu

Published

4 years ago

October 31, 2021

Eric

The Southeast Council of traditional rulers and archbishops and Bishops of Igbo extraction, has called for the release the leader of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

The groups made the call in a joint press statement signed by their representatives.

The detailed statement:

JOINT STATEMENT BY THE SOUTH EAST COUNCIL OF TRADITIONAL RULERS AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF IGBO ARCHBISHOPS AND BISHOPS

Gentlemen of the Press,

1. We, the South East Council of Traditional Rulers and the Representatives of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops, note with deep concern the high level of insecurity and socio-economic disruption in the South East Zone of Nigeria. This has deepened the hardships being faced by the citizens and rendered prostrate the socio-political and economic lives of our people.

2. Flowing from similar initiatives taken to bring peace to other troubled parts of the country, we urge the Federal Government and other stakeholders to explore dialogue and negotiation in resolving critical issues that threaten national unity, cohesion and development.

3. Accordingly, we refer to our earlier request for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to the South East Council of Traditional Rulers and the Representatives of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops and restate this call even more strongly. We are of the firm belief that this act of courage and statesmanship is not only imperative but will speedily de-escalate the heightened state of insecurity and dislocation in the South East Zone.

4. We also urge President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) and the Federal Government to take immediate steps to de-proscribe the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and release all IPOB members being held in various detention facilities in Nigeria.

5. We call on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to demilitarize the South East Zone, moreso as it has become apparent that a continued military siege on the region can only lead to heightened tension, skirmishes and endless bloodletting between the security agencies and our youths. It has become urgent, imperative and compelling to de-emphasize the military option and move towards finding a political solution that will lead to sustainable peace.

6. We assert that heightened inequality and marginalization remain at the core of youth restiveness in our region. We urge our apex National Leadership to note that until it takes deliberate steps to run government on the basis of fairness, equity, justice and non-discrimination, this restiveness is likely to continue.
We shall respectfully seek audience with Mr President to discuss these issues in exploring political solution and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

7. On our part, we assure our youths that we have heard their cries of marginalization, injustice and longsuffering. As concerned parents, we feel your pain. However, we urge you to de-escalate the tension and remain law-abiding to enable us to engage especially the Federal Government in finding a lasting solution to the crises.

8. Consistent with the above, we urge IPOB not to do anything that would hinder or be seen to be hindering the smooth running of the forthcoming Governorship Election in Anambra State and to cancel all scheduled sit-at-home orders, as these have already caused untold hardship for our people.

9. Finally, we call on all the candidates in the forthcoming Anambra State Governorship Election to eschew violence and commit to free, fair and credible election.

Signed:

H.M. Igwe Charles Mkpuma
Chairman, Ebonyi State Trad. Rulers Council & Chairman, South East Council of Traditional Rulers.

H.M. Eze Joseph N. Nwabeke
Chairman, Abia State Trad. Rulers Council

H.M. Obi Nnaemeka Achebe, CFR
Chairman, Anambra State Trad. Rulers Council

H.M. Igwe Amb L. O. C. Agubuzu, OON
Chairman, Enugu State Trad. Rulers Council

H.M. Eze Dr. E. C. Okeke
Chairman, Imo State Trad. Rulers Council

Most Rev. Dr. Anthony J. V. Obinna
Catholic Archbishop of Owerri

Most Rev. Dr Emmanuel O. Chukwuma, OON
Anglican Archbishop of Enugu

Most Rev. Dr. Chibuzo R. Opoko, TFG, DOB, JP
Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia

Most Rev. Dr. Valerian M. Okeke
Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha

Most Rev. Dr Uma A. Onwunta
Past Principal Clerk Presbyterian Church Nigeria

Bishop Obi Onubogu

Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria

Rev. Dr. Abraham Nwali

Chairman, CAN, South East Zone

Featured

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

Published

15 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

20 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

22 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.