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The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, on Thursday clarified that the Department of State Services, DSS, did not summon the Statistician-General of the Federation, Adeniran Adeyemi.
NBS issued the clarification following the hacking of its website and the subsequent leak of controversial reports on ransom payments in Nigeria.
On December 17, NBS published its Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey. According to the report, Nigerians paid a total of N2.23 trillion in ransom within one year, from May 2023 to April 2024.
Soon after the report was released, the agency’s website was hacked.
Following the incident, rumours circulated that DSS had invited Adeyemi for questioning regarding the methodology and data used in the report.
However, NBS Head of Communications, Ichedi Sunday, denied the claims, stating that Adeyemi was never invited by DSS.
A statement from Sunday read: “I can authoritatively say the reports are not true. I was with the Statistician-General late last night when the news broke, and there was no call from the DSS.
“Several platforms reached out to me, and I told them the information was false. I also spoke to him [Adeyemi] today. So, this is not true. I don’t know why such incorrect information is still being circulated.”
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has debunked reports that it invited former President Goodluck Jonathan to join the 2027 presidential race on the party’s platform.
Ibrahim Abdullahi, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, debunked the reports in an interview with BBC Hausa, explaining that the party did not issue its presidential ticket to Jonathan.
According to him, reports that PDP has ceded its presidential ticket to the former President, or invited him to contest the 2027 presidential election, were not true.
“What happened is this: I had an interview with a journalist where we discussed some issues.
“But in the course of the interview, he mentioned President Jonathan, asking about our opinion of him, because there are reports that he is being urged to run for the presidency,” Abdullahi explained.
He further explained that he responded by saying that he (Jonathan) is eligible to contest the election because he is a Nigerian and has the right to do so by the provisions of the law, and he still has one more term left.
Abdullahi stated that there is nothing wrong with Jonathan contesting the presidential election because he is eligible in the face of the law.
He added that PDP had done enough for Jonathan and as a member of the party, there was no way the party would woo him.
The PDP deputy spokesman further explained that the party leadership is yet to discuss the issue with Jonathan, noting that there are 12 governors and many other prominent politicians who are eligible and competent to contest the presidential election on the party’s platform.
He observed that it wasn’t long ago that Dame Patience, Jonathan’s wife, said nothing would make her husband run for the presidency, stressing that he didn’t leave behind or forget anything in the Presidential Villa for people to think that he would come back to contest the position again.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, transition committee on Sunday said it did not invite the outgoing Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki to the inauguration of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the new governor of the state because the former had planned to frustrate the inauguration ceremony.
DAILY POST reports that Senator Monday Okpebholo, the APC candidate emerged as the governor-elect, to take over from the outgoing governor Obaseki whose eight years of two tenures as governor would come to an end on November 12, 2024.
Okpebholo defeated his closest rival Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and 15 other political party candidates at the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
Prince Kassim Afegbua, a member of the APC transition committee in a statement made available to newsmen in Benin City, titled, “Obaseki and his lamentations”, noted that rather than sit down to plan the inauguration event as it is done in other climes, the outgoing governor was busy planting landmines on the path to smooth transfer of power.
Afegbua also denied the allegation by Governor Obaseki, that the governor-elect has borrowed between N2 billion and N5 billion from the almost N27 billion his government set aside for the payment of projects and obligations for the inauguration.
DAILY POST recalls that Governor Obaseki had last Friday while inaugurating the 10-man caretaker committee of the State’s chapter of PDP stated that he as the governor of the state was not invited to the inauguration.
According to him, during this holiday period, they will want to spend as much money as possible to confuse the people. They are going to struggle to change their perception.
“We have almost N27 billion to pay for projects and obligations, but they have started blowing it, and they have gone to borrow money for the inauguration which is going to cost them N2 to N5 billion. That is the money they will first take from the treasury.
“They are doing an inauguration and the governor is not even invited. It is like they are starting a brand new government and a brand new State”, he said.
In its response, the APC transition committee described Governor Obaseki’s remarks as generously laughable and self-indicting.
“Suddenly, Godwin Obaseki realizes the ephemerality of power and now resorts to lamentations about an ongoing inauguration without extending an invitation to him. We found this to be generously laughable and self-indicting.
“In other climes, an outgoing governor or president organizes the inauguration of the incoming, but for the painful loss of the PDP at the election, Governor Obaseki and his co-travelers are doing everything possible to frustrate the inauguration of the incoming Governor.
“Rather than sit down to plan the inauguration event as it is done in other climes, Governor Obaseki is busy planting landmines on the path to smooth transfer of power.
“From the transition committee to the inauguration committee, despite all the cooperation we have extended to them, what we have received in return is frustration and a deliberate plot to overburden the new administration with all manner of misplaced government decisions.
“We frown at these dubious plots which are clear negations of the standard procedures of power transfer the world over.
“Our inauguration team met with the Secretary to the State Government, who later handed our team over to another Permanent Secretary.
“The said Permanent Secretary had nothing on her table. She asked that our team should present an inauguration budget, and we declined because we wouldn’t want them to accuse us of spending bogus funds for the inauguration”, he added.
Afegbua noted that when the committee reported to the governor-elect that the state government had demanded for inauguration budget and that they declined, he (the governor-elect) took over the responsibility of funding the inauguration from his resources.
“He has also cut down on the activities to make the entire ceremony a bit moderate. He doesn’t believe in an ostentatious display of resources when a lot of Edo people have been impoverished by Governor Obaseki. He’s of the view that the inauguration shouldn’t be an elaborate event.
“We have not borrowed a kobo from anywhere. We are not Governor Obaseki and his profligate self. We are conscious of our responsibilities to make life better for the average Edo person”, he stated.
Afegbua, however, raised the alarm that most government vehicles have been allegedly carted away by government officials.
He also alleged that there was only one functional vehicle in the Edo State Government House.
“Why should we borrow money because of the inauguration? Do you know as we speak that most government vehicles have been carted away by government officials?
“There is only one functional vehicle in Edo state Government House. Every vehicle has been carted away. Is that a government that is interested in inauguration? he queried.
Outgoing Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has lamented that he has not been invited to the inauguration of his successor, Monday Okpebholo.
Obaseki said his government has not being consulted in the preparations for Okpebholo’s inauguration, scheduled for Tuesday.
Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, won the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
The outgoing governor condemned the APC’s actions as lawless, stressing that the state government should oversee the inauguration program.
The governor spoke in Benin City during the inauguration of the caretaker committee for the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“Somebody has to be sworn in. Sworn into a government that exists. You just don’t come from nowhere and start a government. There is already a government.
“There is a way things are done.
“The government of Edo State is inaugurating a new governor on Tuesday. But what you are seeing now, all the posters, the government of Edo State is not involved.
“So, it is crazy when people just behave the way they are behaving as if there are no laws in the country. I just sit down sometimes and wonder.
“So, they are doing inauguration, I as a governor don’t know. Not even being invited.
“So it is like they are starting a brand new state and government,” Obaseki said.
DAILY POST reported that the APC had raised the alarm over alleged conversion of political appointees to full time civil servants by Obaseki, six days to the end of his tenure.
Prince Kassim Afegbua, a member of the APC, transition committee, made the allegation in a statement made available to newsmen last Wednesday in Benin City.
The APC alleged that the political appointees that are being converted to full time civil servants are Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants.
The party said 186 of such appointees were appointed by the governor in September 2024, thereby bloating the number of aides around him.
It also alleged that the outgoing governor has just commenced the process of absorbing another 152 aides.
The Nigeria Police Force has invited Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh to its headquarters in connection with an investigation into criminal defamation, cyberbullying, and forgery, among other charges.
The invitation was issued by the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit, which is handling the case.
In the invitation letter signed by the Head of the IGP Monitoring Unit, A.A. Elleman, and obtained by our correspondent, it was stated that the actress’s name prominently appeared in the investigation being conducted by the unit.
The letter, dated August 5, read: “This office is investigating a case of criminal defamation, forgery, falsehood, cyberbullying, and criminal conversion reported to the Inspector-General of Police, in which your name and others feature prominently.
“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to attend an interview with the undersigned through SP Aminu Abdullahi Sokoto on 7th August 2024 at 10:00hrs to shed more light on the allegations.
“Your usual cooperation in this regard would be highly appreciated.”
When contacted on Friday, the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed that Dikeh was invited following a petition against her.
He added that she had been released while the investigation continues.
Adejobi said, “She was only invited to respond to a petition filed against her, and she has since left the unit, while the investigation continues.”
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Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ‘anti-masses’ policies might jeopardise his chances of reelection in 2027.
According to the governor, the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress, APC, administration was implementing policies that were inflicting pains on the masses.
According to report the governor had earlier expressed his disappointment over President Tinubu’s recent nationwide broadcast in the wake of the #EndBadGovernance protest.
The governor had stated that no consultation was made with state governors prior to the address.
He said the president’s speech doesn’t reflect the reality on ground, adding that there is a huge gap between the government and the governed in the country.
Speaking at the flagg-off of the state PDP local government election campaign on Wednesday at the Alhaji Rilwanu Adamu Suleiman square, Government House, the governor urged President Tinubu to change his policies because they were not working
Mohammed, who doubles as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors’ Forum, said, “I am urging President Tinubu to change this policy because it is not working and will affect everyone, regardless of political party.
“If he continues in this manner, in 2027, I will invite him to be our campaign director, as the PDP will dominate and we will win due to his self-inflicted injury.“
He added that “As the opposition, we recognise that it is time for governance. We have been patient to avoid overheating the political climate.
“However, the Federal Government is taking actions that provoke unrest. We humbly insist that this must stop.
“The PDP, along with its governors, has listened to the concerns of the youth and protesters, as have other governors.
“But the Federal Government continues to offer excuses. They need to stop this behaviour. We do not take the public’s trust for granted. We are stepping up, having already worked hard to provide good governance.”
The North Central APC Forum has invited Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State to defect from his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressive Congress, APC.
The Chairman of the North Central APC Forum, Saleh Mandung Zazzaga, in a statement said the call became necessary to advance the progressive outreach of the APC
The letter titled, “Invitation of Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State to join APC”, noted that in recent times they have made several consultations and also met with many chieftains of their party from Plateau State and the North Central region in general, to work out modalities on extending their invitation to governor Mutfwang, upon which they have reached out to him already through the media.
“Consequent upon this, it is also pertinent to formally notify you of our invitation to him (Mutfwang) to join the APC, and a formal letter to this effect will also be delivered to him hereafter, and to the Plateau State APC, as well as his ward in Mangu local government area,” the letter explained.
It stated that the call for Mutfwang to join the APC would enable the party to recollect Plateau State which they lost to the PDP in the 2023 election after being in charge since 2015.
According to the letter, Governor Mutfwang’s developmental efforts, his acceptability in the state, his approach towards boosting peace and security of the state and his progressive personality have been impressive.
The letter said, “Besides, Governor Mutfwang is the only governor from the North Central who is not of the APC, and it is necessary to bring him on board so that he can be on the same page with his other counterparts in the North Central, and together they will have a common ground and work for the interest and development of the region in general and their specific states in particular.”
“By and large, our quest to push for the success of our party in the North Central region and in the nation at large cannot be overemphasized, and we are often poised to double our untiring efforts at all times,” the letter observed.