News

Southeast Deserves Senate Presidency, Umahi Maintains, Meets Buhari

Published

2 years ago

May 3, 2023

Eric

The Ebonyi State Governor and senator-elect, Dave Umahi, on Tuesday, in Abuja, informed the President Muhammadu Buhari of his intent to be President of the 10th Senate.

Umahi, who disclosed this after meeting with the President at the Aso Rock Villa, argued that “justice, equity and fairness” must guide the All Progressives Congress when zoning the principal offices of the 10th National Assembly.

The meeting came barely 48 hours after two other Senate presidential aspirants, Abdul’Aziz Yari and Godswill Akpabio, visited Buhari to declare their intentions to become the next Senate President.

Yari had met Buhari on Sunday evening where he urged the APC to allow the North to produce the next Senate helmsman having contributed substantial votes towards the victory of the President-elect Bola Tinubu.

Akpabio, who also informed the President of his intention, said he was ready to work with the incoming administration, a promise Umahi also made on Tuesday.

While arguing that the South-East made considerable contributions to Tinubu’s victory, Umahi cautioned the ruling party against gauging its choices of the candidate by vote contributions alone.

He stated that the emerging candidate must be one who gives the APC a fighting chance in the June election.

Umahi said, “I think that every region that is clamouring for the Senate presidency to be zoned to them, it is the right of such people. But if you look at the true reflection of our society, you will agree with me that the right thing to be done by leaders without prejudice to their rights and their thinking is that the South-East deserves number three position.

“This is very important. And I’ve always said that you can deliver somebody by the reason of majority votes of a particular region, but you also need the minority cooperation of the minority people to have a holistic nation to govern.

“This is very important for inclusiveness, for the unity of the country and for everybody to be carried along. Nobody has been able to say this is the reason why the South-East should not be given this position. So, I believe strongly and I’m pleading, and I won’t even say more than what I’m saying, because I’m contesting; let it not be as if I am doing this because I want to benefit from it; but I know the effort we made, as a people, for the unity of the country.

“I know, the way we were regarded because we have been exposed, a number of us. And we understand that we are stronger when we are together. And we made vows to our people while we were campaigning for the APC, we assured them that we belong to an equitable and fair Nigeria. And it has come to a point where that position we took should be practicalised. And that is what we are begging and that’s what we are saying, because the chain is as strong as the weakest link. And it’s a time for healing, it is a time for inclusiveness and it is a time to move this country forward.”

The Punch

News

Court Sacks Pro-Wike Rivers PDP Chairman

Published

21 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Eric

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, on Monday, sacked Chukwuemeka Aaron, as Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State.

Chukwuemeka is a loyalist of the former Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Justice Stephen Jumbo, in his ruling, nullified the PDP ward, local government and State congresses held in July 2024.

The development is coming barely one month after another High Court nullified the ward, local government and State congresses of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

The ruling sacked another Wike’s loyalist, Chief Tony Okocha, as the Rivers State chairman of the APC.

The court’s decision to sack the PDP chairman followed a dispute over the legitimacy of the PDP congresses.

The congresses were conducted by a faction of the party loyal to Wike.

A State High Court presided over by Justice Charles Wali had on July 20, 2024, stopped the PDP from going ahead with the ward, local government and State congresses.

News

Lawmakers Impeach Lagos Assembly Speaker, Obasa

Published

2 days ago

January 13, 2025

Eric

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

The lawmakers are accusing Obasa of multiple statutory and financial infractions.

Peoples Gazette reports that the lawmakers replaced Obasa by his Deputy Lasbat Meranda.

Meranda, who represents Apapa Constituency 1, was also a former chief whip of the House.

Source: Daily Post

News

Chief of Army Staff Approves Redeployment of Senior Officers in Fresh Shakeup

Published

2 days ago

January 12, 2025

Eric

The Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has approved the posting and appointment of some senior officers of the Nigerian Army (NA) to various command, staff and instructional positions.

According to the army spokesman, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the redeployment is a strategic move to enhance operational effectiveness and administrative efficiency.

The redeployment cuts across Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) at the Army Headquarters (AHQ), General Officers Commanding (GOCs), Corps Commanders, Commandants of Army training institutions, Brigade Commanders and other key positions. The reshufflement underscores Nigerian Army’s commitment to ensuring robust and dynamic leadership structure capable of addressing emerging security challenges.

Some of the senior officers appointed as PSOs at the Army Headquarters include Maj Gen LA Fejokwu, from National Defence College to Department of Army Administration and appointed Chief of Administration (Army), Maj Gen GU Chibuisi, from Nigerian Army Resource Centre to Department of Civil Military Affairs and appointed Chief of Civil Military Affairs and Maj Gen AS Ndalolo, also from the Nigerian Army Resource Centre to Department of Army Training and appointed Chief of Training (Army). Others include Maj Gen OS Abai, from Department of Army Training to Department of Army Transformation and Innovation, appointed Chief of Transformation and Innovation and Maj Gen JH Abdussalam from Headquarters 6 Division to the Department of Special Services and Programmes and appointed Chief of Special Services and Programmes. Maj Gen EI Okoro has been redeployed from the Department of Army Logistics to the Department of Military Secretary and appointed Military Secretary (Army).

Senior officers appointed as General Officers Commanding (GOCs) include Maj Gen OT Olatoye from Nigerian Army School of Infantry to Headquarters 82 Division/Joint Task Force (JTF) South East Operation UDO KA (OPUK) as GOC 82 Division/Commander JTF OPUK and Maj Gen EF Oyinlola from Department of Military Secretary to Headquarters 3 Division as GOC 3 Division/ Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH). The acting appointments of Maj Gen AGL Haruna as GOC 7 Division/Commander Sector 1 JTF North East Operation HADIN KAI and Maj Gen IA Ajose as GOC 8 Division/Commander Sector 2 JTF North West Operation FANSAN YANMA among others have been confirmed substantive in the recent redeployment.

Other senior officers redeployed are Maj Gen GO Adeshina from Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals to Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre and appointed Director General while Maj Gen GM Mutkut is posted from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Multi National Joint Task Force Njamena as the Force Commander. The redeployment also featured Maj Gen MC Kangye from Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery to Defence Headquarters as the Director Media Operations.

Senior officers appointed as Corps Commanders include Maj Gen OC Ajunwa from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Nigerian Army Armour Corps and appointed Commander, Maj Gen HT Wesley from the Department of Special Services and Programmes to Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps, appointed Commander and Maj Gen TT Numbere from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Nigerian Army Engineers and appointed Commander. Others include Maj Gen NC Ugbo from Department of Civil Military Affairs to Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals and appointed Commander, Maj Gen ZL Abubakar from Department of Army Transformation and Innovation to Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery and appointed Commander and Maj Gen AP Oguntola from Nigerian Army College of Education Science and Technology to Headquarters Nigerian Army Education Corps and appointed Corps Commander.

Other senior officers also affected in the redeployment are Maj Gen JO Sokoya, appointed Commandant Nigerian Army Training Centre, Maj Gen UM Alkali appointed Commandant Army War College Nigeria, while Maj Gen FS Etim from Department of Army Transformation and Innovation is redeployed to Nigerian Army School of Infantry, appointed Commandant. Maj Gen AB Mohammed has been redeployed from the Department of Army Operations to Depot Nigerian Army and appointed commandant.