Author: Gbenga Olaleye

Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has criticised Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for maintaining silence on the conviction of Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian-born Finnish separatist leader. New Daily Prime earlier reported that 40-year-old Ekpa was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland for terrorism-related offences, aggravated tax fraud, incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, and violations of the Lawyers Act. The court also ordered that he remain in custody. According to the judgment, Ekpa sought to promote the independence of the Biafra region in Nigeria’s South-East through unlawful means between August 2021…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has issued a stern warning to Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, cautioning against any attempt to bring former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, back into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Monday, Wike described such a move as “suicidal” for the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections. Governor Mohammed, who also serves as Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, had earlier suggested in an interview on Channels Television that the party was considering Obi and former President Goodluck Jonathan as potential presidential…

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has said that although President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms have ushered in tough times for citizens and businesses, they remain necessary to reposition the country’s economy. Chairman of MAN in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, Dr Adoga Inalegwu, made this known at the weekend during a familiarisation visit to member companies in Calabar. According to him, Tinubu has taken bold steps that many past administrations had shied away from, especially in tax and foreign exchange reforms. “I think President Bola Tinubu’s policies are necessary and tough decisions that Nigeria needs presently. This is…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Monday dismissed former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai’s prediction that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would lose the 2027 presidential election. Speaking during his monthly media chat, Wike described El-Rufai’s calculation as “flawed and wrong”, insisting that Tinubu would secure re-election. “El-Rufai is my friend, but he failed in this mathematics. He goofed; since he knows Tinubu will come third, he should also provide who will be first and second,” Wike said. “I will place a bet if El-Rufai agrees, if Tinubu doesn’t win the 2027 election securely.” El-Rufai, while…

The Federal Government has commended Finland following the conviction of Simon Ekpa, the self-styled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Government in Exile, who was on Monday sentenced to six years’ imprisonment by the Päijät-Häme District Court for terrorism offences. In a statement issued by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the government described the ruling as a “watershed moment” for victims of violence in Nigeria’s South-East and a significant step in strengthening bilateral relations between both countries. Idris said Ekpa’s activities had incited violence and fuelled terror across several communities, leading to loss of…

A civil society group championing good governance in Oyo State, the Concerned Youths Movement (CYM), has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), demanding an investigation into members of the Oyo State House of Assembly over the approval of a ₦300 billion loan for Governor Seyi Makinde. News of the Assembly’s approval surfaced last week and has since sparked widespread controversy. In a statement, Hon. Ibraheem Shittu, who represents Saki West State Constituency, confirmed that the lawmakers had indeed given the nod for the loan. However, CYM, in a communique signed by its Chairman, Pastor Tayo Adigun, and Secretary,…

A District Court in Finland has sentenced Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Government in Exile, to six years in prison for terrorism-related offences. Ekpa, who has been a controversial figure in Nigeria’s South-East, was arrested on 21 November 2024 by Finnish authorities following a lengthy investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). The probe centred on allegations that he used social media platforms to incite terrorism and promote violence, activities believed to have fuelled unrest across parts of south-eastern Nigeria. The Päijät-Häme District Court found him guilty of “public incitement to commit…

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has strongly refuted claims made by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, alleging that the Office of the NSA coordinated ransom payments and incentives to bandits. In a statement released on Monday and signed by Zakari Mijinyawa, Adviser in the Office of the NSA, Ribadu described El-Rufai’s comments as “baseless” and “contrary to verifiable facts.” El-Rufai, during a recent interview on Channels Television, had accused the NSA of adopting a policy that involved financially engaging with criminal groups, a statement that has since sparked widespread criticism. “The attention of the Office of the…

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed the one-term presidency pledge of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, calling it unrealistic and unconvincing to Nigerians. Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, El-Rufai argued that no serious reforms or meaningful changes could be made within a single four-year term. He also urged politicians to stop making promises they cannot realistically fulfil. “On the question of people saying they will come out and do one term, I don’t think that anyone believes them and I don’t think that it’s right,” he said. Citing his experience as a…

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure the full enforcement of his executive order aimed at reducing the prices of essential medical consumables across Nigeria. Oyintiloye, a member of the now-defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council and former lawmaker, made the appeal during an interview with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. The APC stalwart expressed concern that despite the President’s executive order issued in June 2024 — which sought to ease the financial burden on patients by reducing tariffs, excise duties, and…