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Atiku Makes Case for Release of Nnamdi Kanu

Published

2 years ago

May 2, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, and a former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has made case for the release of Biafran nation agitator, and leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, saying that his release will bring the much desired political solution to unrest in the South East.

He maintained that a political solution to the continued detention of IPOB leader would douse the tension in the southeast region.

The Waziri Adamawa also condemned the killing of five soldiers by unknown gunmen alleged to be members of POB.

Recall that on Thursday, five military personnel were ambushed and killed at the Obikabia Junction Checkpoint in Obingwa Local Government Area, of Abia State, during a clash with the IPOB terrorists.

The unknown gunmen, it was reported, were enforcing the sit-at-home declared to honour Biafra, and its fallen heroes. The 30th of May every year has been set aside by the Biafran agitators to honour Biafra, those that lost their lives in the Nigeri/Biafra war of 1967 – 1970. May 30 was the day Biafran independence was declared by late warlord, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, following killings of South Easterners in the north, and subsequent irreconcilable differences.

In a statement, however, on his X handle on Friday, Atiku lamented the impact of the sit-at-home for pupils who were writing their WAEC examination.

The statement read: “The violence that led to the killing of soldiers and civilians in Abia State on Thursday stands condemned. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those who may have lost a loved one.

‘May their souls rest in peace. But even more profound is the impact of yesterday’s sit-at-home in the Southeast region of our country on students writing WAEC examinations.

“The veil of the so-called Unknown Gun Men hiding under cover to unleash death and mayhem must be lifted to ensure that criminal elements are separated from legitimate agitators.

“To this end, without prejudice to the ongoing legal processes, I think the time has come to explore a political resolution to the Nnamdi Kanu and other associated issues.

“I believe that this will defuse the compressor cooker situation in the region. It will be a win-win for all parties. -AA”

Nnamdi Kanu, who is facing treason charges before the judge, Binta Nyako, was some days behind, denied bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Ruling on Mr Kanu’s fresh bail request, Mrs Nyako said she could not exercise her discretion in granting the IPOB leader bail because he had jumped bail.

On 25 April 2017, the judge admitted Mr Kanu to bail on account of ill health after he was incarcerated for 18 months in State Security Service (SSS) custody.

But midway into the trial, the IPOB leader ran away for dear life after Nigerian soldiers invaded his ancestral home in Abia State in 2017.

Referencing the incident, the judge said persons who stood as sureties for Mr Kanu withdrew from the suit.

Mrs Nyako recalled Mr Kanu’s several unsuccessful bail applications, saying, “You have an option of appeal; please exercise your right of appeal.”

The judge warned that any attempt by the IPOB leader’s legal team to file another bail request before the court would be “a gross abuse of court process.”

Similarly, the court turned down Mr Kanu’s application seeking to either be put on house arrest or transferred to a custodial centre pending the hearing and determination of his trial.

The judge however, ordered the SSS to grant Mr Kanu access to his legal team of five persons each visiting day, and a doctor of his choice.

Nnamdi was rearrested later in Kenya, and renditioned to Nigeria in 2021, and has since remained in DSS custody. His continuous incarceration has increased the tension in the Southeast, prompting the declaration of sit-at-home every Monday in the region.

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

Published

1 day 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

2 days 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

2 days 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.