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UPDATE: Labour Party Senators Kick As Senate Appoints Abba Moro As Minority Leader

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There was a mild drama in the Senate on Tuesday, November 21, following the appointment of Senator Abba Moro as Minority Leader and Senator Osita Ngwu as Minority Whip by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

However, the Labour Party (LP) senators kicked against the appointments, saying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now occupies three out of the four minority positions for Principal Officers, with the remaining position going to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Senator Moro and Ngwu are of the PDP. The Deputy Minority Leader, Oyewunmi Olarere is also of the PDP.

The seats of the Senate Minority Leader and Minority Whip became vacant after the Court of Appeal sacked the former occupants, Senator Simon Davou Mwadkwon (PDP-Plateau North) and Darlington Nwokocha (LP-Abia Central) respectively.

The appellate court nullified the election of Mwadkwon and ordered a rerun while Nwokocha was sacked and replaced by Senator Augustine Akobundu of the PDP by the Appeal Court.

The PDP senators had, last week, held a crucial meeting at the National Assembly Complex Abuja on the choice of replacements for the position of principal positions of Senate Minority Leader and Minority Whip.

Senator Garba Maidoki (PDP, Bauchi), who briefed journalists after the closed-door meeting, had said the opposition lawmakers settled for the North Central geo-political zone to produce the Minority Leader.

During Tuesday’s plenary, Akpabio announced the duo of Abba Moro (PDP – Benue South) as minority leader and Osita Ngwu (PDP – Enugu West) as minority whip.

The Senate President said the new minority leaders had the majority support of their colleagues in the opposition.

He said 41 minority senators signed the document endorsing Abba Moro as minority leader while 30 backed Ngwu for the minority whip seat.

The Labour Party now with six senators kicked against the development, saying the position that was earlier ceded to the caucus has now been taken over by the PDP.

Citing a point of order, Senator Okechukwu Ezea (LP – Enugu North), protested the absence of his party in the minority leadership, describing the arrangement as an injustice against other minority parties.

“How can the PDP take three minority leadership seats? This is unfair, unjust and unacceptable,” he said.

Following the point of order by Senator Okechukwu, the chamber became rowdy with LP lawmakers vehemently rejecting the exclusion of their party from the position of principal officer.

Amid the uproar, Senator Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra North) accused Akpabio of picking minority leaders for the opposition parties.

“How can you be choosing minority leaders for us? Are we your slaves?” Nwoye tackled the Senate President.

Lawmakers from the ruling party made frantic efforts to pacify their colleagues from LP, some of whom approached Akpabio for consultation.

After about 15 minutes of rowdy session, the Senate President addressed the opposition lawmakers and dismissed the claim of his interfering in the affairs of the opposition.

Akpabio said he only announced the names forwarded to him by the opposition caucus and that it would be unfair not to respect the voice of the majority.

He, therefore, urged the opposition caucus to always put their house in order before forwarding any name to him.

He said: “All we need to produce a leader is a simple majority. What’s the reason for not agreeing with the position of the majority?

“41 minority senators signed for Abba Moro and 30 signed for Osita Ngwu. They have the majority. It will be unfair for me not to announce them after getting the majority of support. My job is not to work with individual opinion but with the majority of position.”

Efforts by Senator Adamu Aliero (PDP – Kebbi Central) to convince Akpabio to stay in action on the seat of the minority whip failed as the Senate President ruled him out of order.

Aliero had explained that the opposition caucus resolved that Abba Moro should be the minority leader but was yet to decide on the position of the minority whip “because the leadership has to be shared equitably.”

But Akpabio referred him to Senate Standing Rule 52(6), which provides that it shall be out of order for any senator to speak on any issue that has already been decided.

Akpabio, therefore, ruled Aliero out of order.

BIG STORY

Inside Jigawa: One Dead, Groom Hospitalised As Bride Allegedly Poisons Wedding Guests

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A wedding in Jigawa State has turned tragic after a bride allegedly poisoned food served at the reception.

The incident reportedly left the groom critically ill and one of the wedding guests dead.

The incident occurred in the Jahun Local Government Area of the state.

Eyewitnesses suggested that the bride’s actions may have been driven by a personal vendetta.

Speaking on Friday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Shi’isu Adam, confirmed the incident and stated that an investigation was underway.

“We received a report that the bride had tainted the food served at the wedding reception, leaving the groom critically ill.

“Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the alleged food poisoning incident that occurred during a wedding ceremony in the state,” Adam said.

He revealed that the two suspects are the bride and another female, adding that they are in custody and being interrogated by the Criminal Investigation Department of the command.

The police spokesperson added, “We will do everything in our power to ensure that justice is served.”

According to the police spokesman, all the wedding attendants who consumed the poisoned food have been discharged from the hospital, except for the one person who was confirmed dead.

“The command is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, and we will provide more details as soon as possible.

“For now, we can confirm that the incident occurred, and we are working tirelessly to unravel the facts. We urge the public to remain calm and assured that justice will be served,” he concluded.

The identities of the deceased, the groom, and other victims have not been disclosed by the authorities.

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BIG STORY

Peter Obi Hellbent On Inciting Nigerians Against President Tinubu, He’s A Doomsayer — APC

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described Peter Obi’s New Year message as “misleading and an attempt to score cheap political points.”

Obi, who was the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, used his New Year message to criticize President Bola Tinubu, expressing grave concerns over institutional corruption, mismanagement, poverty, hardship, and an escalating debt profile.

The former governor of Anambra stated that corruption has been deeply entrenched in government and nepotism has become the norm under Tinubu’s leadership.

He also demanded “vigorous, positive actions” from the administration to bring succour to Nigerians.

However, in a counter-statement on Thursday, Felix Morka, APC spokesperson, stated that Obi’s assessment contradicted all indicators showing that the nation’s economy is rebounding across various sectors.

Morka accused Obi and members of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of relentlessly trying to incite public outrage against the Tinubu administration.

The APC further accused Obi of portraying himself as “a leading doomsayer, omniscient and philosopher’s stone” while failing to deliver “meaningful achievements during his eight-year tenure as governor in Anambra state.”

“In reality, 18 months later, the economy, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has shown a steady record of progress,” the statement reads.

“Despite these and other initial beneficial outcomes of ongoing reforms, the administration is doubling its effort to ensure their fullest benefits for the transformation of our country.

“It is a thing of irony that Obi, who now arrogates to himself to be omniscient and philosopher’s stone, when it comes to our nation’s challenges, left no record of significant achievement, let alone transformation of any kind, in his eight-year tenure as Governor of Anambra State.”

“Like his co-travellers in the PDP, Obi’s obsessive pessimism and endless but futile effort to incite public outrage against the administration is borne out of the realization that Tinubu is unwittingly cementing their political irrelevance by his visionary and full-throttle reform.”

“Under the banner of the Renewed Hope Agenda, President Tinubu is dutifully turning our nation’s fortunes around. We urge Nigerians to remain confident of better days ahead.”

The ruling party added that Tinubu’s goal is to reduce inflation from 34 percent to 15 percent in 2025.

“With the vigour in the administration’s war on corruption, evidenced by ongoing investigations and trial of well-heeled Nigerians, Obi’s pontification on the urgent need to tame corruption is a clear case of carrying coal to Newcastle,” the party added.

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BIG STORY

Five Arrested As Police Bust Female-Led ‘Phone-snatching Syndicate’ In Kano

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The Kano state police command has announced the arrest of members of a female-led phone-snatching syndicate operating within the Kano metropolis.

In a statement released on Thursday by Haruna Kiyawa, the police spokesperson in Kano, five members of the group, including its leader, 19-year-old Shamsiyya Adamu, were apprehended.

Kiyawa stated that Adamu was arrested on December 21, 2024, following reports of stolen mobile phones in Unguwa Uku Quarters, Kano.

He named the other suspects as “23-year-old Idris Yusuf, a tricycle rider who aided in transporting the principal suspect to commit crimes; Al’asan Dahiru, 24, who specialised in disposing of stolen items for the principal suspect; Abdulmajid Haruna, 27, who was buying stolen properties; and Salim Auwalu, 21, who was in charge of swindling money from victims’ bank accounts.”

“In the year 2024, the Kano State Police Command received numerous reports from residents of Kano Metropolis about a young lady who steals mobile phones from residential houses,” the statement reads.

“The reports indicated that the suspect was using a tricyclist and a cybercriminal to aid in her operations. The State Commissioner of Police, CP Salman Dogo Garba, raised a special intervention squad, and the principal suspect was arrested on December 21, 2024.

“The syndicate, led by Shamsiyya, specialised in stealing mobile phones from residential houses, using a tricyclist and a cybercriminal to aid in their operations. The suspects would deceive housewives, steal their mobile phones, and swindle money from their victims’ bank accounts.”

“Six mobile phones have been recovered so far, and efforts are ongoing to recover more stolen phones. Thirty complainants, including 29 females and 1 male, have lodged complaints against Shamsiyya, who confessed to stealing their mobile phones on various occasions in 2024.

“Anyone with a complaint against the suspects can contact the investigation team at 08032617800.”

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