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‘Ice Cream Seller’: Shettima Apologises To Osinbajo, Says Remarks Were ‘Overblown’

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Former governor of Borno, Kashim Shettima, has backtracked and apologized for his ‘ice cream seller’ comments about Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

In an interview on Friday, Shettima had described Osinbajo as a nice person but noted that such an attitude will not make him a good president.

He said “nice men should be selling popcorn, and ice cream” while adding that Bola Tinubu, former Lagos governor, will make a better president.

The utterance has stirred negative reactions from political figures within and outside the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In response, Shettima, in a tweet on his verified Twitter handle on Sunday, said his remarks were not meant as “ridicule but, rather, to stir up interest in the contrasting virtues of the cast of aspirants putting up a fight against my preferred aspirant”.

He added that his words were interpreted “literally and overblown”.

“When I appeared on Channels TV last Thursday amidst the tension rippling through our political arena, it was to underline the promise of Bola Tinubu’s presidential bid held for those yet to establish the certainty of the hurdle ahead of the APC presidential primary,” he wrote.

“I never set out to denigrate the personality of any aspirant and not that of my dear friends and allies. None of them is an opponent, so their aspiration isn’t a threat to us.

“They appear so in the sprint to become the party’s presidential flag-bearer in the 2023 elections, but they are our allies in the marathon.

“My assessments of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, and Ahmad Lawan, were well-intentioned.

“I never set out to subject them to ridicule but, rather, to stir up interest in the contrasting virtues of the cast of aspirants putting up a fight against my preferred aspirant, one most favored and advantaged to guarantee APC’s victory in the forthcoming presidential election.

The interpretations of my remarks on Osinbajo and Lawan are, thus, being done literally and overblown.

“My words weren’t woven to portray them as unworthy aspirants, but merely to qualify them as non-threatening contenders.

“I, however, take full responsibility for my utterances and wish to appeal to our teeming supporters to neither take my words out of their metaphoric contexts nor interpret them as a measure and declaration of hostility towards my dear friends and allies.

“I hereby tender my unreserved apologies to the Vice President and the President of the Senate for the unintended pains my jibes might have caused them and their families and supporters.

“As we approach the finishing line of this tense political race, I’m not unaware of who the actual opponents are.

A divided house, even if in the assumptions and imaginations of supporters with a distant grasp of our relationships with other aspirants, is the last impression we wish to create among Nigerians.

“I want this to be taken as an appeal to our supporters across all political camps to build bridges and mend fences as the actual journey is just about to begin. Victory, for the discerning, has always been the first lap of the race.”

BIG STORY

President Tinubu Appoints Abiola’s Son Jamiu SSA On Linguistics, Foreign Matters

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President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Jamiu Abiola as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Linguistics and Foreign Matters.

Abiola is one of the children of the winner of the 1993 presidential election annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida, the late Chief Moshood Abiola.

He was previously appointed as the Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties in the Office of the Vice-President.

In a statement on Wednesday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen, Abiola’s appointment takes effect from November 14, 2024.

Imohiosen stated that the appointment aligns with the provisions of the Certain Political and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) Act 2008, as amended.

He said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Jamiu Abiola as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Linguistics and Foreign Matters.

“The appointment takes effect from 14th November, 2024. This is in line with the provisions of the Certain Political and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) Act 2008, as amended.

“Until his appointment, Jamiu served as the Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties in the Office of the Vice President.

“President Tinubu tasks the appointee to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and bring his wealth of experience to bear in his new assignment.”

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Senate Passes Bill For Ijebu State Creation For First Reading

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The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday passed a bill for the creation of Ijebu State, marking the first reading of the proposal during its plenary session.

The bill, which seeks to establish Ijebu as an independent state, was sponsored by Senator Gbenga Daniel, representing Ogun State.

Titled the “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth 1 Alteration) Bill, 2024 (Creation of Ijebu State),” the proposed legislation aims to carve out Ijebu from the current Ogun State.

The bill was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Michael Bamidele of the All Progressives Congress as the “fourth order of the day” during the plenary.

After reading the title of the bill, Senate President Godswill Akpabio moved the proposal forward, passing it for its first reading and setting the stage for further legislative processes.

The bill will now undergo a series of discussions and evaluations before it can proceed to the next stages of approval.

The push for the creation of Ijebu State is part of a broader national discourse on the need for more state creation across Nigeria, particularly in regions where there are growing demands for administrative autonomy.

If the bill successfully progresses through the required legislative procedures, Ijebu, currently a part of Ogun State, could become a separate state with its own governance structures.

This development comes amid increasing calls for state creation in various parts of the country, with proponents arguing that new states could better address local needs, foster economic growth, and enhance political representation.

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Alleged N110bn Fraud: Court Adjourns Yahaya Bello, Other’s Bail Ruling To December 10

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned to December 10 for a ruling on the bail application by the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, and two others.

Bello had pleaded not guilty to the 16-count charges brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The former governor, along with Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as the 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh N110bn 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.

Bello, the 1st defendant, vehemently denied the allegations before Justice Maryanne Anenih as they were read out to them.

After taking their plea, the Defendant’s Counsel, Joseph Daudu, moved an application for bail.

However, the EFCC Counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, opposed the application, arguing that it had expired in October.

Clarifying the issue, the Defendant’s Counsel stated that the only relevant application before the Court was the motion for bail in respect of the first defendant, which was filed on November 22.

Relying on all the paragraphs of the affidavit, he added that the bail application was also supported with a written address.

Justice Anenih ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.

The EFCC had filed an N110bn alleged fraud suit against the former governor.

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