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Solve Labour Party Crises Before Vying For Presidency, Akpabio Taunts Obi

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The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday threw a jab at ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, urging him to focus on resolving the internal crises within his party before aspiring to lead Nigeria.

Akpabio issued the taunt during the Valedictory Session in honour of the late Niger Delta elder statesman and former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark.

He suggested that Obi’s fixation on national issues would be better grounded if he first demonstrated leadership within his own party, which is enmessed in protracted leadership crises.

“If you cannot even resolve the crisis in that Labour Party, is it the crisis of Boko Haram that you will come and resolve in Nigeria?” Akpabio asked pointedly. “Those who are aspiring as presidential candidates should stop using social media to sow division. Tell them to fix the small party they have before dreaming of governing the entire country.”

The Senate President contrasted Obi’s track record with his own achievements in governance, citing infrastructure development, investments in health and education, and religious unity efforts during his time as governor.

“I can tell you about the dualised roads in my city, the international hospitals, free and compulsory education, and the unity I brought by sponsoring thousands to Jerusalem and Mecca,” he said. “Let those who want to rule Nigeria start by fixing what’s in their hands.”

Akpabio’s remarks were a reaction to Obi’s comments made a day earlier, during his tribute to Clark, where the former Anambra governor claimed that the sacrifices of Nigeria’s past heroes had been in vain. Obi pointed to the worsening economic and social conditions in the country as evidence.

“We say the labour of our heroes past should not be in vain, but it is. People protested fuel price hikes under Jonathan, now that fuel is N900, they are silent,” Obi lamented.

In a related development, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo also lashed out at Obi for questioning the credibility of the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo.

Describing Obi’s remarks as “unfounded and disrespectful,” Okpebholo, through his Chief Press Secretary Fred Itua, insisted the election was conducted under high standards of transparency and fairness.

“Mr. Obi’s comments are baseless and appear to be politically motivated,” the statement read. “We urge him to respect the mandate given by Edo people and contribute positively to democratic discourse, not undermine it.”

Okpebholo warned that the peace and stability of Edo State must not be compromised by “reckless and divisive rhetoric.”

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NDLEA Seizes Lipsticks Stuffed With Drugs At Lagos Airport [VIDEO]

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Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have uncovered another batch of female lipsticks containing illegal drugs at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Femi Babafemi, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, revealed this in a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) page on Sunday.

He also urged Nigerians, particularly women, to be extremely vigilant when purchasing or accepting beauty products, especially from unfamiliar sellers or dubious online platforms.

The statement read, Ladies beware! It does appear like female lipstick is becoming attractive as an instrument for concealment and trafficking now with yet another consignment of factory fitted female lipsticks stuffed with illicit substances intercepted at MMIA barely a week after @ndlea_nigeria officers uncovered a similar cargo at a courier company in Lagos.

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JUST IN: Former President Buhari Dies In London Clinic

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Former Nigerian leader, Muhammadu Buhari, passed away on Sunday.

His longtime media aide, Garba Shehu, confirmed the news in a brief statement issued on Sunday afternoon, stating that the former president died at a clinic in London.

Shehu’s message, distributed to the media, read:
“INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAIHIRRAJIUUN. The family of the former president has announced the passing on of the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon in a clinic in London. May Allah accept him in Aljannatul Firdaus, Amin.”

The statement concluded with the date: July 13, 2025.

Although the cause of death was not disclosed, Buhari, who held office from 2015 to 2023, had frequently sought medical care in the United Kingdom during and after his time as president.

Buhari, a retired Major General in the Nigerian Army, first led Nigeria as a military head of state from 1983 to 1985. Decades later, he was elected president through a democratic process. He made history as the first opposition candidate to unseat a sitting president in Nigeria.

Funeral plans have not yet been made public.

 

More to come…

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No Effective Governance Without Full Local Government Autonomy — Femi Gbajabiamila

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The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has stated that governance at the local government level cannot be effective without complete autonomy.

He made the remark while addressing journalists after voting in the Lagos State local government elections in Surulere on Saturday.

When asked about the progress of implementing the LG autonomy ruling by the Supreme Court one year after it was delivered, Gbajabiamila described the process as ongoing and said it would be completed with time.

Gbajabiamila said, “The ruling was welcome by everybody. It’s the execution of that ruling and the implementation of that ruling that we are still trying to dot the Is and cross the Ts.

“I believe in a matter of time, we will realise full autonomy. There cannot be effective governance without full autonomy. That’s what we are working toward.”

In July 2024, the Supreme Court granted autonomy to all 774 local government areas across the country following a case filed by the federal government through the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation. However, the ruling is yet to be fully implemented.

Following the judgement, the Senate urged state and local governments to immediately adhere to the court’s directive, especially regarding local government accounts and direct fund disbursements.

The Senate also moved to amend relevant sections of the Constitution to ensure full local government autonomy nationwide.

The announcement was made by Deputy Senate President Senator Jibrin Barau, after lawmakers emerged from a closed-door session where they discussed alleged efforts by some state governments to bypass the Supreme Court’s ruling on July 11.

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