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No Decision On Zoning Till After Screening APC Presidential Aspirants – Adamu

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The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdulahi Adamu, yesterday, said that the ruling party would take a decision on zoning after all the presidential aspirants had been screened.

In an interview with select Hausa Service media organizations, Adamu also said the presidential aspirants would be scrutinized in accordance with the party’s guidelines for the 2023 elections

The guidelines of the party provide three ways of choosing the party’s candidate for an election, which include direct, indirect, and consensus.

Baring his mind on the zoning arrangement, Adamu said no decision would be taken until the aspirants were screened.

His words: “We have not produced our candidate for the presidency yet. We have to screen the aspirants to know the way forward. We have aspirants from across the country in the race. We will make the decision when we get there.”

On a likely consensus arrangement, Adamu noted that party members could not be denied the right to contest for president.

“You can’t stop our party stalwart from contesting elections or aspiring for the presidency. It is their right and we are happy for them. There is nothing wrong with anybody aspiring for the exalted seat of the presidency. It is God that decides who gets what. Once God makes up His mind and says this is who He wants, that is what we are praying for.

“We have 28 aspirants for the presidential ticket and everybody knows that all of them cannot get the ticket. If it’s God’s wish, they all can even be president of the country one after the other. Our goal is to ensure justice in the choice of who emerges as the candidate of the party. That does not mean we are perfect. But we pray we do the right thing,” he stated.

Asked if the party was considering adopting the type of consensus arrangement that produced him as the chairman of the party, Adamu said the chairmanship position was not the same as the position of the president.

According to him, “There is no truth in what you said. The reason is that the chairmanship seat is not the same as that of the tussle for the presidency of the country. You can’t even compare the two of them. That question does not arise.

“However, the party has laid down its rules and regulations for the aspirants. We would scrutinize all of them based on our guidelines to be sure we pick the right candidate for the party.”

When asked if having such a high number of aspirants was not a subtle ploy to extend President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, Adamu said such insinuation was also not true, because the president sought no extension of tenure.

He said, “I can only say God will deal with those behind such insinuations. President Buhari had since 2019 declared that he would not seek a tenure extension. He told everybody and swore with the Qur’an that he would not breach constitutional provisions on his two terms tenure.

“The issue does not even arise. The president while performing the lesser hajj reiterated this position. If there is truth in such talks, none of the aspirants would have procured expression of interest form.”

On the allegations that aspirants were sharing money to delegates, Adamu said he had no evidence to that effect.

“For now, no law is against aspirants talking campaign to delegates. I don’t have evidence that aspirants are sharing money to delegates. For me, it’s the delegates that are selling their conscience, which is not proper. Our delegates should know that anybody sharing money to them can’t be the right candidate for the party. He doesn’t mean well for the country. I don’t have a solution for the problem.”

With 145 governorship aspirants and 25 presidential aspirants, Adamu noted that the reason was that APC was the government in power, and those that matter in the country were in the party.

“You don’t know the reason, it’s because that is where those that matter in the country are. It didn’t start today. We are the government in power today. In spite of all the insults, the APC has advantages far ahead of the other parties. A sign of a powerful man is one that is full-blooded and fat.

“Today, the APC is the biggest party in Nigeria. It’s natural that the APC will attract more Nigerians than any other party. This is where it is happening. Any right-thinking politician would naturally gravitate towards the APC. Of course, we have our problems, but today we are the cynosure of all Nigerians and I am hopeful, God-willing, we will retain power at the general election.”

BIG STORY

National Grid Instability Will Persist Until Repairs Are Completed — TCN

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The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says instability in the national grid will likely persist as the system undergoes repairs after another round of shutdown.

The national grid collapsed again on Thursday, the second time in 72 hours, leaving the country in darkness.

Providing updates on the incident in a statement, Ndidi Mbah, general manager of public affairs at TCN, said the grid experienced a disturbance at approximately 11:29 am, caused by a sudden rise in frequency from 50.33Hz to 51.44Hz.

She said the frequency surge was triggered by issues at one of its substations, which was then shut down to prevent further complications.

“Recovery efforts began immediately, and the Abuja Axis was restored within 28 minutes. Recovery is still ongoing,” the statement reads.

Mbah said the TCN is actively engaged in significant repair work on several critical transmission lines and substations.

The facilities, according to Mbah, include the 330kV transmission lines along the Shiroro-Mando axis, major upgrades at the Jebba transmission substation, and the restoration of the second Ugwuaji-Apir 330kV transmission line.

The public affairs manager said following the submission of the investigative report on the causes of previous grid collapses, TCN has started working to address the identified weaknesses in the transmission system.

Mbah said efforts are afoot to address the gaps outlined in the report and to strengthen the grid’s overall stability and resilience.

“These efforts include both technical upgrades and strategic interventions based on the committee’s recommendations,” she added.

“However, it is important to note that while these repairs and improvements are underway, some degree of instability in the system is likely to persist until all major works are completed.”

Mbah, acknowledging the impact of the disruptions, appealed to the public for their patience and understanding during the challenging period.

She reaffirmed the company’s commitment to improving the reliability of electricity supply, acknowledging the crucial role that stable power has in supporting Nigeria’s socio-economic growth.

The TCN official also assured the public that all necessary measures are being taken to secure the grid’s long-term stability, following the investigative committee’s recommendations.

She added that the transmission company is addressing infrastructure issues, including damage from vandalised transmission lines.

On October 5, the grid experienced a collapse – the ninth time in 2024.

TCN had blamed a series of lines and generator trippings for the instability of the grid and a partial disturbance.

On October 17, Adebayo Adelabu, minister of power, said the frequent system failure at the national grid is inevitable due to the outdated infrastructure.

Adelabu also said the country will continue to experience grid disturbances until there is a complete overhaul of the system.

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BIG STORY

Defence HQ Declares ‘9 Lakurawas Lerrorists’ Wanted

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The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has declared nine suspected members of the “Lakurawas” terrorist group wanted.

They are Abu Khadijah, Abdurrahman, Dadi Gumba a.k.a “Abu Muhammed,” Usman Shehu, Abu Yusuf, Musa Wa’a, Ibrahim Suyeka, Ba Sulhu, and Idris Taklakse.

Edward Buba, director of defence media operations, disclosed this while speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday.

Buba noted that the new terror group emerged from the “Niger Republic” following the coup, which disrupted military cooperation between Nigeria and the country.

He said the terrorists began infiltrating northern parts of Sokoto and Kebbi states from “Niger Republic” and “Mali.”

Buba added that prior to the coup, joint border operations with Nigerien security forces had kept the terrorists away.

He said the group continues to use the vast under-governed areas to evade troops and harass local populations.

“The terrorists took advantage of the gaps in cooperation between both countries and exploited the difficult terrains to make incursions in remote areas in some North Western states to spread their ideology,” he said.

Buba added that the group was initially welcomed by locals who believed they had good intentions.

He noted that the locals failed to inform military and security agencies of the terrorists’ movements.

He assured Nigerians that troops have sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) efforts to weaken the terrorists.

He said the troops are “actively locating the terrorists to neutralise their threats.”

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BIG STORY

Equitorial Guinea Sacks Senior Government Official, Baltasar Engonga Over “Sexcapade”

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The Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency in Equatorial Guinea, Baltasar Engonga, has been dismissed following the discovery of over 400 explicit videos involving him with high-profile women across the country.

The dismissal, ordered by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, was confirmed by Real Equatorial Guinea, which referenced Decree No. 118/2024, issued on November 4.

According to the decree, Engonga’s removal was due to alleged professional misconduct and personal behavior deemed incompatible with his public position.

The scandal surfaced during a fraud investigation involving the 54-year-old economist, leading to a surprise search of his house and office by ANIF officials.

During the search, they uncovered several CDs containing explicit videos that revealed his sexual encounters with different married women.

One of the women involved has since committed suicide. It has not been confirmed whether Engonga will face prosecution for his actions.

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