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PDP Governors Knock Wike, Insist Fubara Is Rivers Party Leader

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Governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) banner have denounced Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for threatening to destabilize their states over support for Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

In a statement issued by PDP Governors’ Forum Director General, Emmanuel Agbo, the governors labeled Wike’s threats as “empty”.

The governors had previously declared support for Fubara, urging him to assert control over the Rivers PDP, amidst the ongoing rift between Wike and his predecessor.

Wike, speaking in Port Harcourt, warned the governors to refrain from interfering in Rivers affairs, cautioning that he could orchestrate crises in their states.

The statement reads in part: “The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, under the chairmanship of H.E. Senator Bala Abdulkarim Mohamed (CON) and Governor of Bauchi State and all the member-governors has been drawn to a widely circulating news story in which the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, H.E. Barrister Nyesom Wike, former Governor of Rivers State, made scathing and threatening comments regarding member-governors of the forum and notes the significant concerns that has been raised in the public space regarding the unity and peaceful coexistence within our party.

“The statements and threats to peaceful coexistence made by Wike to ‘put fire’ in the PDP-controlled states are unbridled, irresponsible and without ambiguity totally unacceptable as it undermines efforts to build and maintain peace, cohesion, collaboration and mutual respect amongst leaders and members of the party. It is rather unfortunate that this is coming from someone who was once a member of this highly revered forum as a former governor.”

The PDP governors maintained their support for Fubara to take charge as the PDP leader in Rivers, noting that Wike enjoyed the same privilege when he was governor.

“We maintain that our position on the affairs of the PDP in Rivers State, as unanimously resolved at our 2024, 3rd and 4th Meetings held in Enugu and Taraba states, respectively are not subject to review by any individual no matter how highly-placed.

“We wish to emphasise that neither is the position of the forum personal nor does it, by any stretch of the imagination, undermine the relevance of any stakeholder in the party. Rather, as loyal party faithful, members of the forum remain committed to that pristine practice that was intended to guarantee order, eliminate conflicting centres of loyalty epitomised by the situation in Rivers State and guard against distracting the governor in the prosecution of his mandate. Wike benefitted wholly from that arrangement.”

The governors said they were “irrevocably committed” to working with the party’s National Working Committee “in ensuring that Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State is conferred with all the privileges he is entitled to as a governor elected on the platform of our party, both at the state and national levels.”

They stressed the need for the NWC to do the right thing and resolve the political crisis in Rivers State.

It added “It is crucial for all party members, including Wike, to work together towards common goals rather than pursuing personal vendettas.

“The forum insists that it is incumbent on the National Working Committee of the PDP to invoke both official provisions and unofficial good offices platforms to find an amicable solution to the crisis in its Rivers State chapter.

“Similarly, if indeed the larger interests of Rivers State is their individual motivation, the warring parties should allow themselves to be guided by a spirit of give and take and eschewing, at all times, the incendiary posturing that inflames passions among their followers.

“It is inevitable for us to encourage dialogue and reconciliation continuously. The PDP has established mechanisms for addressing grievances and resolving conflicts, such as the recently constituted disciplinary and reconciliation committees; thus it is important for Wike to engage with these processes constructively, as dialogue and reconciliation are the pathways to resolving differences and strengthening the party.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Kaduna State PDP, Hassan Hyat, has cautioned Wike against destroying the party he helped to build.

Hyat, a former Minister of Aviation, made the appeal in an interview with our correspondent in Kaduna on Tuesday, stating that Wike’s threat to PDP governors was “strange and unhelpful.”

“Wike should remember that when he was a governor, his colleagues always had his back and protected each other. Nothing has changed in that regard. Instead of telling governors to stay away, Wike should have seen it from this perspective and sought their support.

“I strongly believe it’s wrong to tell people to stay away when a system they are meant to benefit from is under threat. If the system fails, everyone loses. I don’t think it is right to say or do something that could lead to such an outcome,” Hyat said.

BIG STORY

US Court Sends British-Nigerian To Seven Years In Jail Over $5m Cyber Fraud

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Oludayo Adeagbo, a British-Nigerian, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar business email compromise (BEC) scheme.

According to the US Department of Justice, Adeagbo, who also goes by John Edwards and John Dayo, conspired with others to steal over $3 million from various entities in Texas, including local government bodies, construction companies, and a Houston-area college.

Adeagbo and his co-conspirators also defrauded a North Carolina university of more than $1.9 million.

The case began in August 2022 when Adeagbo and two other Nigerian citizens, Donald Echeazu, 42, and Olabanji Egbinola, 44, were extradited from the United Kingdom (UK), where they had been residing, to face charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering.

The US Department of Justice stated that the offences were committed in North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

On April 8, Adeagbo pleaded guilty in two cases against him in North Carolina and Texas for participating in a business email compromise scheme, which is also referred to as a “cyber-enabled financial fraud” scheme.

A business email compromise scheme can be initiated by scammers creating fake accounts that mimic companies a business regularly deals with.

Court records revealed that Adeagbo and his co-conspirators gathered information about significant construction projects across the United States, including a multi-million-dollar project at a university in North Carolina.

“To execute the scheme, Adeagbo, Echeazu, and others registered a domain name similar to that of the legitimate construction company in charge of the university’s project and created an email address that closely resembled that of an employee of the construction company,” the Department of Justice said.

“Using the fake email address, the fraudsters deceived and directed the university to wire a payment of more than $1.9 million to a bank account controlled by an individual working under the direction of Adeagbo and his co-conspirators.”

Adeagbo and his co-conspirators employed the same tactics in Texas, targeting local government entities and universities by impersonating construction companies. They stole over $3 million from the scheme, bringing their total haul to $5 million.

Adeagbo has been ordered to pay $942,655.03 in restitution and will serve seven years in prison.

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Nigerian-American Oye Owolewa Re-Elected To US Congress

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Oye Owolewa, a Nigerian-American Democrat, has been re-elected as the shadow representative for the District of Columbia (DC).

Owolewa, a PhD graduate from Northeastern University in Boston, made history in November 2020 when he became the first Nigerian-American elected to Congress.

He secured 164,026 votes, or 82.84 percent of the total votes cast in DC.

His role, while not officially recognized by the US government as a full member of Congress, is to advocate for the district’s interests, particularly its bid for statehood.

On Thursday, Owolewa expressed his gratitude to DC voters via a post on X, thanking them for their continued support.

“Thank you DC again for giving me chance to serve. I also want to thank the organizations that have supported, partnered with and endorsed me,” he wrote.

While shadow representatives like Owolewa do not have voting power in the US House of Representatives, they play a key role in pushing for recognition and state-level advocacy for DC residents, who are otherwise disenfranchised at the federal level.

Owolewa has consistently championed the cause of DC statehood, which has become a central focus of his work.

The re-election took place on November 5, the same day as the US presidential election.

In that election, former President Donald Trump defeated Vice-President Kamala Harris, securing over 270 electoral votes to win a second term.

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Joe Biden Urges Americans To Accept Trump’s Victory, Promises Peaceful Transition

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United States President Joe Biden has urged Americans to accept the victory of Republican Party candidate Donald Trump in the presidential election.

On November 6, Trump won the presidential election after surpassing the magic number of 270 electoral college votes.

Trump defeated Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party, who received 219 electoral college votes.

Harris has congratulated Trump on his electoral victory.

During a speech on Thursday at the White House Rose Garden, Biden said, “We accept the choice the country made.”

“I know for some people, it’s time for victory to state the obvious. For others, it’s a time of loss,” the US president said.

“Campaigns are contests of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other.

“I’ve said many times, you can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbour only when you agree.

“I will do my duty as president. I’ll fulfil my oath and honour the Constitution. On January 20, we will have a peaceful transfer of power here in America.

“Remember, defeat does not mean we are defeated. We lost this battle. The America of your dream is calling for you to get back up.

“The America experiment endures. We are going to be okay, but we need to stay engaged. We need to keep going. Above all, we need to keep the faith.”

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