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Labour Party Crisis Worsens As Apapa Threatens Peter Obi, Asks Police To Arrest Abure

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The Labour Party (LP) faction led by Lamidi Apapa on Friday issued a warning letter to the party’s presidential candidate for 2023, Peter Obi.

The warning letter was dated August 24, 2023, and signed by Apapa as Acting National Chairman and Saleh Lawan as Acting National Secretary, with the reference number LP/NWC-NEC/WARNING LETTER/PO/ABUJA/VOL.1/2023/02.

According to the letter’s contents, Obi was warned for identifying Abure as the LP’s national chairman during the launch of Athan Achonu’s campaign for governor of Imo State on November 11.

The letter was titled ‘Warning letter over your serial violations as contempt of court order and judgements; and disclaimer of the Imo State gubernatorial campaign flag-off by Mr. Peter Obi, Barr Julius Abure and Sen. Athan Achonu, on Tuesday, 22nd August, 2023 in Owerri’.

Addressing Obi, the letter said, “The Labour Party (LP) NEC and NWC declared to you that Alhaji Lamidi Bashiru Apapa is the Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party in Nigeria till today and contrary to your declaration at the venue of your illegal, unlawful and unauthorised gubernatorial campaign flag-off for Senator Athan Achonu on Tuesday, 22nd August, 2023.”

The Apapa camp also, in a letter addressed to the Inspector General of Police, demanded the arrest of Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

Apapa and Abure have been engaged in a protracted legal battle over the leadership of the party.

In the letter to the IGP, dated August 23, 2023, with reference number LP/NWC-NEC/WARNING LETTER/PO/ABUJA/VOL.1/2023/01, the Apapa faction said Obi should heed the warning with immediate effect to prevent himself from being “suspended from the Labour Party”.

The letter, equally signed by Apapa and Saleh, further demanded the arrest and prosecution of Abure and members of his Labour Party national executive committee.

The Apapa camp said Abure and his faction are guilty of serial contempt of various court orders which affirmed Ikechukwu Ukaegbu as the candidate of the Labour Party for the November 11 governorship election in Imo State.

According to the letter, seen by the Whistler, Ukaegbu emerged as candidate in a primary election conducted by the Apapa faction on April 16 while Achonu emerged as the party’s flag bearer in another primary election held by Abure’s camp on April 15.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) however recognised Achonu, and other candidates produced by Abure’s camp, as LP flag bearer for the November 11 gubernatorial polls in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa.

But Apapa claims that Abure and members of his executive committee colluded with INEC officials to upload illegal names on the Commission’s portal.

BIG STORY

BON Awards Hosts Memorable Book Reading Of Do As You’re Told Baji

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On November 24th, 2024, the Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards organized a captivating book reading of Do As You’re Told, Baji, authored by the renowned writer Lola Shoneyin. The event, held at 11 a.m. in Kwara State, celebrated the power of storytelling and the importance of fostering a culture of reading among families.

Among the distinguished attendees were the First Lady of Kwara State, Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRazaq, alongside notable figures such as Wole Ojo, Cynthia Clarke, Chioma Okafor, Segun Arinze, and Kemi Adekomi, who added prestige and insight to the event.

In her remarks, Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRazaq highlighted the vital role of parents in fostering a love for reading among children. “Parents should cultivate the habit of reading with their children,” she said. “It’s not just about education—it’s about creating lasting memories and strengthening family bonds.”

The reading of Do As You’re Told, Baji showcased Lola Shoneyin’s vibrant and relatable storytelling, leaving participants inspired to embrace literature as a means of cultural and personal enrichment. The event also featured engaging discussions about the book’s themes, celebrating the depth and diversity of Nigerian literature.

This initiative reinforces the BON Awards’ dedication to promoting the arts, literacy, and the celebration of Nigerian creative talents.

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BIG STORY

An Aspirant Gave Each Delegate $30,000 During PDP Primary In 2022 — Dele Momodu

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Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation Magazine, says he regrets spending about N50 million to buy the presidential nomination form of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2022.

Momodu spoke in a recent interview on Eden Oasis, published on Sunday.

The journalist and politician said the primary was heavily monetised, with a particular aspirant doling out $30,000 to each of the 774 delegates who voted during the election.

The politician stated that he would not vie for any party’s presidential ticket unless he is adopted as a consensus candidate.

“Experience is the best teacher. I have come to realise that there are powers that you can describe as principalities that control Nigeria,” he said.

“Unless a major political party decides to adopt me — where you have a consensus of people who say Dele Momodu is best suited to change and to lead Nigeria. Then I will consider it.

“But if I have to pick my money to buy a presidential nomination form of about N100 million… I spent about N50 million to buy the form for the last one.

“N50 million would have bought me a property. It was a waste. I didn’t get even one vote because everything was monetised.

“One of the candidates paid as much as $30,000 per delegate, and we had 774 delegates.

“So, how do you want to compete with them? They have stolen the country blind and are doing all kinds of deals to make money, especially those in the oil-rich areas.

“It is not easy. You can’t compete with them. That’s why they insult Nigerians anyhow because of the amount of money available to them in raw cash. There’s no country where people buy raw cash like Nigeria.

“The bulk of their money is not in any bank. So, they are not traceable to any bank. So, they have the money. If today you say to some politicians that you need $500 million to become a president, they will find it.

“So, people like us, where will I start from?”

Momodu was one of the presidential hopefuls of the PDP at the time. He did not secure any votes during the exercise.

Atiku Abubakar clinched the presidential ticket with 371 votes to beat his closest challenger, Nyesom Wike, now minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), who polled 237 votes.

Abubakar was defeated by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election.

Bukola Saraki, former senate president, scored 70 votes; Bala Mohammed, Bauchi governor, got 20 votes; Udom Emmanuel, former governor of Akwa Ibom, secured 38 votes; while Pius Anyim, former secretary to the government of the federation, polled 14 votes.

Sam Ohuabunwa, a businessman, alongside Momodu and Ayodele Fayose, the former governor of Ekiti, received zero votes.

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BIG STORY

Nigeria Has Saved $20bn From Subsidy Removal, Naira Float Policies — Finance Minister Edun

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Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says Nigeria has saved $20 billion from “petrol” subsidy removal and market-based pricing of the foreign exchange rate.

Edun spoke at a ceremony recently held to mark the first 100 days in office of Esther Walso-Jack, head of civil service of the federation, in Abuja.

“An amount of five per cent of GDP is what those two subsidies were costing when there was a subsidy on “PMS”; when there was petroleum product generally for a long time and when there was a subsidy of foreign exchange. Between them, they were costing five percent of GDP,” he said.

“If you say GDP was on average, let’s say $400 billion. We all know what five percent of that is – $20 billion of funds that could be going into infrastructure, health, social services, education.”

Edun said these flows now return into the government’s coffers for further deployment to the aforementioned sectors.

“The real change that has happened with the measures of Mr. President is that nobody can wake up and their target for the day or for the week or the month or the year is to get access to cheap funding, cheap funding exchange from central bank, which they can now flip,” Edun said.

“And overnight, they become wealthy from no value added for doing virtually nothing, except you know the right people. Similarly, they can no longer try and be part of a new peak market and very inefficient “petrol” subsidy regime as a way of making money overnight.”

On May 29, President Bola Tinubu said the “petrol” subsidy regime was over.

Three months later, TheCable reported that Tinubu was considering a “temporary subsidy” on “petrol” as crude oil prices and foreign exchange rates soared.

After several denials of the return of “petrol” subsidy by the authorities, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, on August 19, said the federal government owes it N7.8 trillion for under-recovery.

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