Lagos APC Stakeholders Protest, Reject Obasa’s Candidate for LG Poll

Published

11 months ago

April 15, 2025

Eric

The All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ meeting in Ojokoro LCDA, Lagos State, ended in chaos on Monday over alleged imposition of a chairmanship candidate.

The meeting began peacefully at 7, Ijaoye Street, at 4:00 pm before aggrieved members stormed the venue in protest.

Protesters chanted “(unprintable word”; “We can’t take it”, and accused Speaker of State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, of imposing a candidate from Agege on Ojokoro residents.

Other chants included “Who knows Sanusi?”, “Obasa can’t control us from Agege”, and “We won’t allow a stranger rule us here”.

Speaking after the disruption, one of the protesters, Mr. Olusegun Akinoso-Olawaye said the meeting was a ploy to ratify an imposed candidate with no ties to the council.

He stressed that a chairmanship aspirant must reside in Ojokoro, and have worked for the party and actively participated in council politics.

He warned that imposing an outsider with no electoral history in Ojokoro would have negative consequences.

“We are here to reject imposition. All aspirants deserve a fair contest to prove their political relevance,” Akinoso-Olawaye stated.

He noted there are at least 18 aspirants for the chairmanship, all of whom had supporters present at the protest.

Another protest leader, Mrs. Bola Ojetayo, lamented that party leaders often prioritise personal interests over the will of the people.

She said the protest aimed to prevent installation of an unfamiliar figure as the next council chairman.

“We must not sell our seat to outsiders. A stranger cannot come and lead us in our own home.

“Leaders can’t sit elsewhere and decide for us. Someone in Agege shouldn’t determine Ojokoro’s leadership,” Ojetayo said.

In response, Mr. James Owolabi, a former House of Representatives member, and APC stalwart in Ojokoro, urged protesters to remain peaceful and avoid violence.

Owolabi, who represented Ifako-Ijaiye Federal Constituency, acknowledged the concerns and affirmed their right to protest within the party.

“You have a voice in the party. Express yourselves peacefully without violence,” Owolabi advised.

Other APC leaders present included Mr Jelili Oseni, council chairman, and Ipoola Omisore, a former Lagos Assembly member.

Also in attendance were Alh. Amosu Aminu, Chief Oriyomi Olaogun, and Mr Akindele Aremu, among others.

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) had scheduled the local government elections for July 12, 2025.

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

Published

7 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

12 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

14 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.