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Reward Performance Not Religion, North Deserves Senate Presidency — Yari To Buhari

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A former governor of Zamfara state, Abdul’Aziz Yari, says the incoming senate president deserves to come from the northern part of Nigeria.

Speaking on Sunday in a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, Yari said the north provided the majority votes to ensure the All Progressives Congress (APC) clinched victory in the February 25 presidential election.

The senator-elect asked the APC to reward performance and not buy into the sentiments of religion or ethnicity when zoning key offices in the 10th national assembly.

“I’m advising the party, that they should reward performance, not religion. Because religion is not in the constitution of Nigeria, and it is not in our manifesto and our constitution,” Yari said.

“Everyone knows the role that we played, despite the fact that other people are thinking we have our own. But we voted on the party line which gave the APC leeway to grab the presidency again.

“Therefore, we’re saying the party should do the right thing. And those that are going around saying ‘Muslim-Christian,’ should be very careful. Our education in politics is more than that now.”

Yari further said that selecting leaders based on their religion would “annoy people in northern Nigeria that did the real voting” and cause them to lose confidence in the APC.

The former governor asked the ruling party to proceed cautiously with its next move, saying the party no longer has the support it once did.

“The 10th assembly is entirely distinct from the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth assemblies. Any party with a majority often holds that position with two thirds of the vote. But our situation is very different,” Yari said.

“Why? Because in the house of representatives, I told him (the president) that the minority are having the higher number there. They have 182, while our party has 178. In the senate where we used to have like 65, 70, we now have 59 and the opposition has 50.

“In taking decision of the party, they have to put these into consideration and look at how it’s going to be done. Because in the end of the whole exercise, whatever happens, we believe strongly that election must hold in both chambers.”

BIG STORY

NAFDAC Seal Shops, Destroy Items Worth N5bn In Aba Market Over Fake, Expired Products

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down 150 shops at Eziukwu Market, Aba, Abia State.

The Agency disclosed this in a statement it posted on its X handle on Wednesday.

It said its team uncovered large-scale production and distribution of fake and expired goods, including beverages, carbonated drinks, wines, spirits, vegetable oils, and revalidated food items such as “noodles,” “powdered milk,” and “yoghurt.”

NAFDAC noted that the team destroyed items that were valued at ₦5 billion.

Describing the market as a hub for counterfeit and substandard products, the Agency’s Director in the Southeast Zone, Martins Iluyomade, expressed dismay at the continued illegal activities, despite a previous undertaking signed by market leaders in December 2023 to expose counterfeiters.

The statement added that NAFDAC DG, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, reaffirmed the Agency’s zero tolerance for such practices and emphasised its unwavering commitment to safeguarding public health while working toward a permanent solution to the problem of counterfeit products in the market.

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BIG STORY

Lil Smart Files Petition Against Naira Marley, Zinoleesky Over ‘Threat To Life’

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Lil Smart, the Nigerian dancer, has filed a petition against Naira Marley and Zinoleesky over an alleged threat to his life.

On December 9, Smart shared disturbing photos and videos on social media, claiming that his life was at risk.

He warned that Naira Marley and Zinoleesky should be held responsible if anything were to happen to him.

Zinoleesky, however, denied the allegations, accusing Smart of “chasing clout.” He also threatened legal action against the dancer.

In a recent (now deleted) Instagram post, Smart claimed that he had previously endured bullying from the singers but lacked the evidence necessary to take legal action.

He mentioned that he has now officially submitted his petition, with the required evidence, to the authorities and is hopeful that the legal system will provide him justice.

“This has not been the first or third time I have been experiencing this bullying. But I did not have enough evidence to face the law. Now, I thank God that I have very good evidence, and I will put everything I have in line to make sure this bullying and threat to life is stopped,” he said.

“With my evidence, I really hope that they are not too big to be apprehended and face the law. I have submitted my petition, and I have provided my evidence to the authorities. By God’s grace, the law that binds us as citizens of Nigeria will make sure I get the justice I deserve.”

Naira Marley has yet to comment on the allegations.

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BREAKING: Court Grants Yahaya Bello N500m Bail Amid “N110.4bn Fraud” Case

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The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on Thursday granted the immediate past Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, bail in the sum of N500 million and three sureties.

The trial judge, Justice MaryAnne Anenih, made the pronouncement after hearing the fresh bail application brought before the court following the court’s refusal to grant Bello bail at the previous sitting.

Bello, alongside two others, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are facing trial on 16 counts brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, concerning criminal breach of trust and money laundering amounting to N110.4 billion.

However, the court granted bail to the second and third defendants in the sum of N300 million with two sureties, along with other conditions.

Outlining the conditions for Bello’s bail, the judge stated that the sureties must be responsible citizens who are landowners in any of the listed areas in Abuja – Maitama, Guzape, Apo, Wuse 2, or Asokoro.

She ordered that the sureties must deposit the documents of the property with the court’s registrar, along with two recent passport photographs.

Justice Anenih also ordered that Bello must deposit two copies of his recent passport photograph, alongside a photocopy of a means of identification, which could either be an International Passport or National Identity card, after presenting the original to the court’s registrar.

She ruled, “The first defendant must not travel without the permission of this court, and he shall remain in the Kuje Correctional Facility until the bail conditions are met.”

Recall that on December 10, the court had rejected Bello’s bail request, citing procedural irregularities in the filing of the application.

Justice Anenih, while delivering the ruling, explained that the application was premature and filed before Bello was present in court or custody.

The court noted that the bail application, dated November 22, 2024, was submitted before Bello’s arraignment, which took place on November 27, 2024, days after he was taken into custody on November 26, 2024.

She said, “Having not been filed when the first defendant was either in custody or before the court, this instant application is incompetent.”

“Consequently, the application, having been filed prematurely, is hereby refused.”

 

More to come…

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