Oyo State Governor-elect, Seyi Makinde, has raised the alarm that the outgoing state government has been moving Millions of Naira from the state coffers in the last 72 hours, after he defeated the APC candidate in last Saturday's governorship election.
The allegation was contained in a statement on Tuesday by Makinde’s spokesman, Dotun Oyelade.
He claimed that credible sources within government said contracts were being used to take millions from government coffers with the connivance of a few civil servants.
Makinde said while he did not want a time-wasting probe as he had promised during his campaign, he would set a dateline upon all contracts awarded and payments made under suspicious circumstances by the current administration.
The statement read, “The governor-elect may be forced to open the books if the aim is to rush money out through foul means before May 29 and leave the state in further financial crisis.
“According to Makinde, cases of unscheduled recruitments and appointments, including back-dated ones, have also been brought before him.
“Government will not hesitate to reverse any such move with consequences on those found to have committed infractions of the civil service guidelines.”
Kano Governor and All Progressives Congress candidate Umar Ganduje has said his PDP challenger and his supporters would receive the shocker of their lives in the scheduled election in few areas.
The Commissioner for Information, Youth & Culture, Malam Muhammad Garba, said the incumbent remained unruffled by the development.
”Ganduje is unperturbed by the wishful thinking and slapdash deportment of the PDP candidate considering what happened in the inconclusive election widely characterized by alleged vote buying and voter intimidation by the party,” Garba, who doubles as the Chairman, Publicity of the 2019 Election Committee for the APC, said in a statement.
He said the ruling party and its candidate remain upbeat and sure of victory as Kano remained an APC state.
Garba said: “Ganduje remain committed to the conduct of free and fair election, all loopholes that gave them chance of rigging, vote buying and intimidation of voters have been blocked.
“APC as a party has also re-strategised and very confident of victory because the local government areas where the rerun will take place remain the APC stronghold and the electorate in these areas have made up their mind to vote massively for the Governor they trust.”
The statement said the APC has nothing to do with a campaign of calumny but on issues that pertain to the development of the state which it noted, endeared Ganduje to the minds of the people.
“The modest achievements recorded so far by the Ganduje administration have touched the lives of the people in all sectors of development and also remain determined to continue if returned,” the statement said.
Opposition political parties under the aegis of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) on Tuesday released a list of five Justices of the Court of Appeal who it said had been approved to hear the petition of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, against the results of the February 23 presidential election.
It claimed the list was approved by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, “with the endorsement of the Buhari APC.”
The coalition’s national spokesman, Imo Ugochinyere, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja.
Ugochinyere listed members of the panel to include Bulkachuwa (presiding judge), Justice Abdu Aboki, Justice Peter Ige, Justice J. S. Ikyegh, and Justice S. C. Oseji.
He alleged that the list was drawn from a list of eight justices submitted to the Presidency for approval.
CUPPs said Bulkachuwa, Aboki and Ige should immediately recuse themselves from the panel because they were likely to be bias in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari whose victory Atiku was challenging.
He said while Bulkachuwa is a wife of a Senator-elect on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Aboki and Ige had already started by rejecting Atiku’s application for forensic analysis of the materials used for the presidential election.
He said, “It is based on the foregoing and the evidence in the custody of CUPPs that we immediately, categorically and unambiguously demand that Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, Justice Abdu Aboki and Justice Peter Ige recuse themselves from the probe.
“The intelligence at our disposal which formed the basis for all the views canvassed in this statement is that these three Justices have already given their commitment to the Presidency that they will rule in favour of the President at the tribunal, hence they cannot dispense justice.
“Justices Aboki and Peter Ige, in furtherance of this commitment, had already and very strangely so denied Alhaji Atiku Abubakar his application for forensic analysis of the materials used for the presidential election.”
He added, “We also demand that Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa recuses herself from the administrative duty of reconstituting the panel, but that should be done by an impartial senior justice of the court.
“This idea of the Villa approving list of Justices that will sit over any matter, particularly the one where the President is a party, is novel and tyranny taken too far. The President has annexed the judiciary and the hope of the common man is blighted. Nigerians must rise in defence of the judiciary and insist that justice must be done in this circumstance.
“Let the world and Nigerians tell Justice Bulkachuwa not to take Nigerians for fools and bring the judiciary to further ridicule with her plan to constitute a panel that has been briefed with one agenda, which is to stamp the electoral robbery perpetrated by her husband’s party, the APC.”
Jennifer Lopez has shared photos of the moment fiance Alex Rodriguez got down on one knee on the beach in the Bahamas on Saturday to propose to her.
The 43-year-old former baseball player is seen placing the large emerald-cut diamond, estimated to be worth around $5 million on Jennifer's left hand after she said yes.
The Amor, Amor, Amor singer covers her mouth in shock as she looks down at her husband-to-be as well as the impressive rock.
The waiting for Tonight hitmaker captioned the images simply: '3.9.19'.
Days after an unidentified supporter made a payment of $161,000 in back child support on behalf of R. Kelly, new allegations surrounding the embattled singer continue to emerge.
During an interview with Vlad TV, the R&B singer's former girlfriend, Lisa Van Allen, spoke about how Kelly allegedly confided in her about his past s-xual experiences, as well as discussed his highly publicized connection to Aaliyah.
However, according to Van Allen, Kelly also allegedly engaged in s-xual intercourse with Aaliyah's mother while the aspiring singer was asleep in the other room. Her comments signify yet another disturbing allegation to surface following the continued investigation into the singer's criminal behavior.
"He actually stayed at their home in Detroit," Van Allen told DJ Vlad, referencing Aaliyah's parents' home. "And [Aaliyah's] mother was sexually attracted to him as well and [R. Kelly] said when Aaliyah would go to sleep, that he would go in the living room and him and her would do s-xual acts on the couch while Aaliyah was sleeping in the bedroom."
Elsewhere throughout the sit-down, Van Allen discusses the decades-old rumor that the late singer and Kelly had gotten married due to Aaliyah becoming pregnant when she was only 15 years old, resulting in the decision to forge a marriage license that changed her age to 18. Their secret and illegal marriage was reportedly ended in 1995.
Per Van Allen, the rumor Kelly got Aaliyah pregnant is indeed fact, adding a speculative explanation as to why Aaliyah's family has vocally supported the since-disgraced singer over the years.
"The reason [Kelly and Aaliyah] got married was because they felt like if he was married to her and if he said he thought she was 18, that he wouldn't be charged if someone found out she was pregnant until they were able to get the abortion and get [the marriage] annulled," Van Allen shared with DJ Vlad.
Van Allen and Kelly were romantically linked while the former was only 17 years old. She claims their own past s-xual abuse as children helped bring them close together.
Missy Elliott continues to impart wisdom, inspire the masses and uphold her own legacy with grace.
After making history as the first female hip hop artist to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame; the veteran producer, songwriter, rapper and singer has been awarded yet another exciting accolade to celebrate.
As announced by the Berklee College of Music, the Virginia native will be recognized for her multifaceted talents this spring and will be awarded an honorary doctorate from the esteemed institution alongside Justin Timberlake and Alex Lacamoire.
According to a statement on Berklee's website, Elliott and her fellow honorees "are being recognized for their achievements and influences in music, and for their enduring global impact."
The ceremony will take place at Boston University's Agganis Arena on May 11. To add to the festivities, each honored artist will have their music performed by students during the ceremony. Unfortunately, the event will not be made available to the public.
A beggar, Binta Umar, yesterday, dragged a fellow beggar, Hajara Kano, to a Sharia Court ll sitting at Magajin Gari, Kaduna over alleged assault and stealing. Umar said she was in court because Kano stole her charity money given to her by a passer-by.
She alleged that when she confronted Kano about the matter, she hit her and threw her into the gutter. The complainant prayed the court to grant her justice and punish Kano for what she did.
The defendant however was not in court to answer to the charges. The Judge, Musa Sa’ad- Goma, said the defendant had disobeyed the court by not appearing which contravened Section 300 of Penal Code. The judge ordered the immediate arrest of the defendant and adjourned the case until March 19 for further hearing.
The Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday fixed March 23 for supplementary polls in six states where governorship elections were declared inconclusive after the March 9 elections.
This was contained in a statement issued by the National Officer and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, after a meeting of the senior management team of the electoral body to review the conduct of the 29 governorship and 991 state Houses of Assembly elections on March 9.
Okoye stated, “The Returning Officers in Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Plateau and Sokoto states declared the governorship elections inconclusive. Consequently, the commission will conduct supplementary elections on Saturday, March 23, 2019 to conclude the process.”
A 23-year-old polytechnic graduate, Lucky Abel, has been arrested by the personnel of the Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for alleged drug peddling.
The suspect, who hails from Benue State, was arrested at Okada in the Ovia North-East Local Government Area of the state.
Drugs allegedly found in his possession included crack cocaine, skunk cannabis and rohypnol.
Skunk is a hybrid sativa strain of marijuana that creates a skunk-like smell.
The Commander of the NDLEA in Edo State, Buba Wakawa, confirmed the suspect’s arrest.
He stated, “The arrest was based on information received on the illegal activities of the suspect in the state.
“Drug exhibits recovered from the suspect include eight wraps of crack cocaine weighing 24 grams, 53 wraps of skunk cannabis weighing 250 grams and 45 tablets of rohypnol.”
Wakawa urged the youth and members of the public to shun drug trafficking and fulfil their dreams and aspirations in life.
“Drug trafficking and abuse will cut short your enviable future. This suspect ought to be preparing to further his studies or engage in a meaningful work but that can only take place after he has been cleared of this criminal charge,” he added.
The suspect said in his statement that he had been smuggling drugs for the past one year.
Abel stated, “I have been selling drugs for the past one year. I attended Okada Grammar School, Okada, and graduated in 2010. Thereafter, I studied Business Administration at the Edo State Polytechnic, Usen, in 2013.
“After my diploma course, l wanted a job to sustain myself but there was none. That was how a friend introduced me to drug trafficking. In order to get more profit, l sell different types of drugs like cocaine, cannabis and rohypnol. I get my supply from New Road in the Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State.”
The NDLEA commander, who said the suspect would be charged to court after investigation, warned drug dealers to quit the illegal business or be prepared for arrest and prosecution.
Ogun State Governor-elect, Lagos Governor-elect and other APC winners yesterday visited Aisiwaju Bola Tinubu at home. This is coming after their Saturday victory.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed March 23 for supplementary election in the six states where March 9 elections were declared inconclusive. The states are Benue, Sokoto, Plateau, Adamawa, Kano and Bauchi.
Festus Okoye of the information and voter education committee, announced this on Tuesday.
Operatives of the Edo State Command of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested a 23-year-old Polytechnic graduate, Lucky Abel, for drug peddling.
The young man, who hailed from Benue State, was arrested at Okada in Ovia North-East area of the State. He was arrested with crack cocaine, skunk cannabis and rohypnol.
Skunk is a hybrid-sativa strain of marijuana that creates a skunk-like smell.
The Commander of NDLEA in Edo State, Buba Wakawa, confirmed the arrest of the suspect. He said “the arrest was based on information received on the illegal activities of the suspect in the state.
“Drug exhibits recovered from the suspect include eight wraps of crack cocaine, weighing 24 grammes, 53 wraps of skunk cannabis, weighing 250 grammes, and 45 tablets of rohypnol.”
Buba urged the youths to shun drug trafficking and fulfill their dreams and aspirations in life.
“Drug trafficking and abuse will cut short your enviable future. This suspect ought to be preparing to further his studies or engage in any meaningful work but that can only take place after he had been cleared of this criminal charge,” he said.
The suspect in his statement, said that he has been smuggling drugs for the past one year.
“I have been selling drugs for the past one year. I attended Okada Grammar School, Okada and graduated in 2010. Thereafter, I studied Business Administration at Edo State Polytechnic Usen, in 2013.
“After my diploma course, l wanted a job to sustain myself but there was none. That was how a friend introduced me to drug trafficking. In order to get more profit, l sell different types of drugs like cocaine, cannabis and rohypnol. I get my supply from new road in Ovia South West of Edo State.”
NDLEA has warned drug dealers to quit the illegal business or be prepared for arrest and prosecution.
Indications have emerged to the effect that incumbent Speaker of the House of Reps, Honourable Yakubu Dogara may not by seeking re-election to the position he currently occupies.
This may not be unconnected with emerging realities surrounding the political fortune of his party, the PDP, in the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections.
This was as the House, which returned to legislative business, had to adjourn sitting to Wednesday in honour of deceased colleagues, Hon. Temitope Olatoye Sugar, from Oyo and Hon. Bethel Amadi from Imo states respectively.
Speaking to INDEPENDENT, a source close to the Speaker who pleaded anonymity, said the Bauchi-born lawyer-turned legislator has said that he won’t be seeking election into the office of the Speaker in the 9th Assembly.
Dogara defected from the ruling APC in September 2018 to contest the seat of his Constituency in Bauchi state, having fallen out with his State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar over irreconcilable political differences.
Political observers believe that Dogara’s decision to seek re-election into the House was borne out of his desire to retain the Speakership and the conviction that the opposition PDP may upstage the APC by winning the presidency and majority seats in the National Assembly.
“The Speaker is not running but is likely to support someone he can rely on. He won’t attempt it because he knows he’s in the opposition which has minority in the House, as well as the PDP’s inability to win the presidency.
“He’s encouraging members from the North-East region to show interest in the hope that the APC may zone it to them,” the returning lawmaker said.
Asked if Dogara would go for any principal position meant for the opposition, the source said “I don’t think he has any such interest. I think he will prefer to divorce himself of any leadership tension and controversy in the House.”
Following his loss at the polls, the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Uche Nwosu, has said he will challenge the election result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in court.
He rejected the outcome of the election which was announced by INEC, declaring the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Emeka Ihedioha winner of the governorship election.
He said, "It is a robbery of Action Alliance mandate and I believe the judiciary will take its course”.
Ihedioha emerged governor-elect of the state after polling 273,404 votes to defeat Uche Nwosu of AA and Senator Hope Uzodinma of the APC, who came fourth behind APGA.
Nwosu, who was backed by Governor Rochas Okorocha, finished second with 190,364 votes.
A heartbroken lady has worn her wedding dress to mourn at the grave of her fiance, who was allegedly shot dead by a Facebook Marketplace killer shortly before they were due to marry.
It was supposed to be the happiest day of Sara Baluch’s life
- the day she married Mohammad Sharifi - but instead, the 22-year-old found herself kneeling beside his grave in Nashville, Tennessee.
The sorrowful moment was captured by a photographer from Chattanooga's Times Free Press.
Fighting against tears, Baluch said: “We were supposed to be together. I'm so sorry, Mohammad. I'm so sorry. So sorry. I want to be with him. Why do I have to wait?"
The Sun UK reports that her 24-year-old fiance was shot dead in the car park of an apartment complex on February 19 in Hixson where he'd agreed to sell his Xbox One to D'Marcus White. The deal had been made on Facebook Marketplace. The 20-year-old has been charged with criminal homicide.
Baluch was the first to arrive at the hospital after the shooting, only to be told Sharifi was not in the system. She told the Times Free Press last month: “I had the worst feeling.”
Minutes later the news came – her fiancé was dead.
The shock was so great, the young woman fainted. She said: "When I woke up, I was like, 'No. This is a dream. We were getting married in two weeks. I just saw him last night. I just saw him'."
As they prepared to leave the grave, Baluch's mother Sona replaced her daughter's white wedding veil with a black one.
According to Baluch, Sharifi still visits her in her dreams, and he even had a parting gift. He had already bought her birthday present – a watch he had promised her during a vacation to Hawaii.
She said: “He's not here and he's still surprising me. He's not here and he's still giving me the world!”
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Zubairu Muazu mni, has appointed DSP Bala Elkana as the new Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Lagos State.
The new PPRO, who took over from CSP Chike Oti on Monday, enlisted into the Nigeria Police in 2003. He holds a Bachelors degree in Law (LLB), Master’s Degree in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA).
He had served in different commands and held various positions. We wish him well on his new beat.
Adebayo Adelabu, the defeated candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State governorship election, has been accused of “carrying himself like a governor-in-waiting” from the moment he won the governorship primary of the party last year.
On Monday, SR had reported how Adelabu had been abusing leaders of the party, blaming them for his loss in the election, and how he was involved in fisticuffs with Dayo Iyaniwura, one of his main allies who is also a Personal Assistant to outgoing Governor Abiola Ajimobi at the Governor’s Oluyole residence on Sunday.
Responding to the story, a group, the Ibadan Progressive Mandate (IPM), advised Adelabu to "situate his loss to aloofness and arrogant conduct of his ill-fated campaign rather than blaming anyone”.
In a statement released on Tuesday by its General Secretary, Ladele Jinadu, IPM advised Adelabu to place his failed ambition in the right perspective, saying "the real reason for his thrashing is his aloofness to the party, it's leaders, former contestants, and his arrogance".
“Why should Chief Adebayo Adelabu blame anyone for his defeat, not even Chief Joseph Tegbe who willingly withdrew from the race for him? That is unfair,” read the statement.
“Only the blind would deny that despite not being consulted, Tegbe mobilised his resources and team to work for the party and all APC candidates from the governorship to members of the House of Assembly always describing his support to the interest of the party his love for the APC.
“Adelabu had the opportunity to win if he had built a very inclusive campaign. However, immediately after succeeding at the primary, he started carrying himself like the governor in-waiting against repeated counsel to build consensus to reach out to the electorate.”
The group counselled Adelabu to call his men to order, knowing that he would he held responsible should anything sinister happen to Tegbe or anyone among his team leaders.
“Elections are not do or die affair and the people of Oyo State have spoken,” it said. “If Chief Adelabu believes he still stands a chance to offer service to the state in the future, all hopes are not lost. All he needs to do is shed himself off arrogance and connect genuinely with the people, not this blame game.”
However, Adelabu has denied fighting with the party. A statement by his spokesperson, Dr. Bayo Busari, said “the allusion that he engaged a personal assistant to the governor of Oyo State, Dayo Iyaniwura in fisticuffs is far from the truth”.
"How can I fight with the Governor's PA who was dedicated to my aspiration from beginning to the end and I knew everyone worked for me and the party during the campaigns?" Adelabu queried. "Dayo is my brother and I don't have issue with him nor with the leadership of the party.”
The gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the Saturday, March 9, 2019 election in Oyo State has expressed his deep appreciation to all leaders and members of the party who worked tirelessly for his electioneering campaign.
Adelabu expressed this while responding to an online news medium, SaharaReporters which alleged that he blamed the party's leadership for his failure.
According to a statement by his spokesperson, Dr. Bayo Busari, the allusion that he engaged a personal assistant to the governor of Oyo State, Dayo Iyaniwura in a fistcuff was far from the truth. "How can I fight with the governor's PA who was dedicated to my aspiration from beginning to the end and I knew everyone worked for me and the party during the campaigns?" Adelabu queried. "Dayo is my brother and I don't have issue with him nor with the leadership of the party," he reiterated.
He expressed his appreciation to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the chairman of APC in Oyo State, Chief Akin Oke and the entire party leadership, saying without them he couldn't have recorded the feat he achieved in the election.
He also commended all the aspirants who stepped down for him during the party's primary and for standing by the party to ensure that the party remained united during the elections.
