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APC Chair: Al-Makura, Adamu, Yari, Others Know Fate As Aspirants’ Screening Holds Today

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The All Progressives Congress National Convention Screening Sub-Committee, on Monday, in Abuja, invited all aspirants vying for party offices at the national and zonal levels to its screening slated for today (Tuesday).

According to an invitation signed by the Secretary of the Screening Committee, Emmanuel Otagburuagu, the aspirants will be screened in two batches at the Katsina State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.

Although the forms were pegged at high costs, an aspirant can be disqualified and without a refund, if he is found wanting by the screening committee.

The seven chairmanship aspirants, who have purchased forms and will are expected to be screened are Niger-East lawmaker, Senator Sani Musa; a former governor of Nasarawa State, Tanko Al-Makura; a former governor of Benue State, George Akume; an ex-governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari; another former governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Adamu; Saliu Mustapha and Mohammed Etsu.

It was, however, learned that several APC governors were still making efforts to ensure that the chairmanship aspirants meet and form a consensus.

“All the aspirants are meeting with their respective governors and caucuses. Most of the APC governors are in Abuja already. The governors are trying to encourage the aspirants to pick a consensus candidate,” a top source in the party said.

It was also gathered that some of the governors were not keen on having Adamu as the next chairman of the APC despite reports that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was supporting him.

“A considerable number of the governors are not for Senator Adamu, who claims that the President is supporting him. Although he has been endorsed by some senators, some of these governors had endorsed other aspirants before Adamu joined the race. Even in Nasarawa State, where he comes from, Senator Adamu has not been endorsed by Governor Abdullahi Sule and other stakeholders,” the APC chieftain said.

The positions for those who will be screened include the deputy national chairmen, zonal chairmen, national secretary, deputy national secretary, national vice-chairmen for the six zones, national organizing secretary, national legal adviser, national financial secretary, national welfare secretary, national treasurer, national publicity secretary, national auditor, national women leader, national youth leader and leader of persons living with disabilities.

Others are deputy national financial secretary, deputy national legal adviser, deputy national treasurer, deputy welfare secretary, deputy national publicity secretary, deputy national auditor, deputy national women leader, deputy national youth leader, zonal secretaries for the six zones, zonal youth leaders in the six zones, zonal organizing secretaries across all the zones, and six ex-officio members.

Meanwhile, after postponing the screening by two days, the exercise is now set to hold.

The invitation is titled, ‘APC National Convention: Screening of aspirants commence Tuesday – Governor Masari’, and reads, “His Excellency, Aminu Masari, the Chairman, and Dimeji Bankole, the Co-Chairman of the APC 2022 National Convention Screening Committee, hereby invite all the aspirants to the screening exercise.”

In a related development, Governor Sule claims the APC governors and other leaders had resolved their differences and abandoned the tussles witnessed in the last two weeks.

The subcommittee was referring to a widely reported but failed attempt to usurp the National Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, by some strong interests within the party.

But in a statement released on Monday in Abuja by the Secretary of the Media Committee and the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the APC said the Buni-led CECPC was making efforts to take everyone along to ensure a successful national convention.

The statement read, “The Chairman of the Media Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC Convention, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, says the party’s governors have resolved their differences and have put behind them all the bickering witnessed in the recent weeks.

“The leadership of the party under Governor Mai Mala and the members of the caretaker committee are making every effort to take everyone along and I believe it is the only path for a successful convention and victory at elections. We believe in unity in diversity, and this is the mantra of our convention.”

According to Shehu, the committee is now split into subcommittees that have proceeded with their various assignments geared towards holding the convention on March 26.

BIG STORY

I Must Draw Blood From You, Says Ekiti Universty Bully As She Brutalises Fellow Student [VIDEO]

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A video making rounds on social media shows a female undergraduate of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education Science and Technology, Ikere in Ekiti State, brutally beating a fellow student with a stick.

Despite pleas from the victim, the bully was heard saying, “Let me draw blood from you easily or hardly.”

The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday, the same day the video surfaced on social media, and the witness who filmed the video claimed it happened on BOUESTI’s campus.

According to the video’s commentator, the victim is Ajayi Precious Gloria, while the perpetrator is a “very popular” Mass Communication student.

The commentator further claimed that the two were friends.

The video showed other individuals present during the assault, but none intervened to stop the attack. The reason for the attack is not yet known.

There was outrage on social media over a viral video of a female student at Lead British International School, Abuja, being bullied by her classmates.

Same month, another video depicting a separate case of bullying involving some male students in the school’s uniform emerged.

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BIG STORY

Edo Crisis Deepens As Speaker Suspends Shaibu’s Loyalists, Two Others

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Speaker Blessing Agbebaku of the Edo State House of Assembly created a stir on Monday when he suspended three members indefinitely over a purported plot to remove him and other key officers.

There were also rumours of charms discovered within the house. Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are among the parliamentarians on suspension.

The only suspended member to refuse to sign the letter of impeachment for former Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu was Donald Okogbe (PDP), who represented Akoko-Edo II.

The other suspended members are Addeh Emankhu Isibor (APC), representing Esan North-East I constituency, and Iyamu Bright (PDP), representing Orhionnwon II state constituency.

Agbebaku alleged that the suspended lawmakers plotted to change the house’s leadership, influenced by external forces seeking to cause chaos and effect changes in leadership. He also claimed that unidentified individuals brought native doctors into the house at midnight on May 1 to perform rituals and placed charms in the assembly complex to effect these changes.

The suspension led to tension and a rowdy session in the house, with the affected lawmakers protesting the speaker’s unilateral action and demanding a vote by members on the matter. But sensing the potential for chaos, the Speaker adjourned plenary hastily.

The suspended members, in response, described their suspension as vendetta and politically motivated, stating that the speaker’s actions were an attempt to suppress democratic ideals and principles.

Donald Okogbe emphasized that the speaker does not have the unilateral power to suspend a member, arguing that such action should have the support of the majority of the members according to the house rules and the constitution of Nigeria.

“The allegations levelled against us are untrue and founded; the action of the speaker is just impunity and tyranny of the red chair. So, our position is that the speaker does not have the sole power to suspend. That is the point we made in the house. The power to suspend a member rests on the members of the house, not the speaker alone,” he said.

On the allegation of fetish items deposited at the premises of the house, Donald said that, as a Catholic, he does not involve himself in rituals.

Iyamu Bright also criticized the suspension, stating that it did not follow the relevant house rules and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, reactions have continued to trail the development in the state House of Assembly. The governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) for the September 21 governorship election in the state, Udoh Oberaifo, condemned the suspension of three members and called for their immediate recall.

“Our courts have consistently held that the disciplinary powers of legislative houses like the Edo State House of Assembly do not extend to reckless suspension,” he noted.

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BIG STORY

Six Top NSCDC Officials Under EFCC Probe Over N6bn Fraud

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Six senior Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel have been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on suspicion of N6 billion in fraud. EFCC interrogators are currently grilling the senior staff at the commission’s headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.

It was gathered that the NSCDC personnel were turned over to the EFCC on Monday at the command of NSCDC Commandant General Ahmed Audi, despite the fact that specifics of the investigation are still hazy.

The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, had already demanded in a letter to the NSCDC CG that the officers be released for questioning, according to impeccable sources who wished to remain anonymous.

It was gathered that, “Six senior NSCDC officers are currently in our custody. They’re being grilled by our investigators over alleged fraudulent activities running into over N6bn.”

Confirming the development, another source said, “The EFCC did not arrest the NSCDC CG, neither is he being probed. We only have six senior NSCDC officers in our custody, and they’re being probed over alleged N6bn fraud.

“The EFCC Chairman had earlier written to the NSCSC CG to provide the officers, and the CG did. Now they’re in our custody and are being grilled by EFCC interrogators.”

The spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, could not be reached for comments on Monday as phone calls and text messages to his phone lines were not responded to nor returned.

Meanwhile, when contacted for comments, the spokesperson for the NSCDC, Babawale Afolabi, said he was not aware of the development.

“I’m not aware of this,” Afolabi said in a terse WhatsApp message sent to our correspondent on Monday.

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