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5 Years After, Nigeria’s Political Party Suspends Dep Senate President Over Alleged Mace Theft
Five years after maize was allegedly stolen at Nigeria’s red chamber, a faction of the All Progressives Congress in the Delta Central Senatorial District, has suspended the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, over his alleged role in the incident.
The faction urged the national secretariat of the APC to ratify its decision.
The Vice-Chairman of the Delta Central Senatorial District, Sir Michael Oruafe, confirmed the development in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.
He said the executive of the party in the Senatorial District was already in possession of the receipt of Omo-Agege’s expulsion from his ward.
Oruafe said Omo-Agege, who is the candidate of the APC in the just concluded Governorship Election in Delta State, did not appeal seven days after he was expelled.
He said the Local Government had to approve the expulsion, and forwarded it to the state.
However, Omo-Agege, through his media aide, Ima Niboro, has described the suspension as fake.
He told our Correspondent that the people who announced the suspension were unknown to the party in the state.
He said, “The suspension is fake. You know this is not the executive committee of the State Chapter.
“No one knows who these people are. There are no factions in Delta APC.”
But Oruafe said, “We are calling on the national leadership of the party to approve Omo-Agege’s expulsion immediately without delay.
“This development shouldn’t in anyway affect members of the party, they should go about their normal business, as the call is for the benefit of the state party.
Oruafe listed Omo-Agege’s offenses to include among others, the alleged Senate Maize theft in the Eight National Assembly
He also accused the APC candidate of hijacking the party from the ward to the state and personally appointed the Publicity Secretary without consultation with anybody in the state.
He further alleged that “All the funds sent to the state during the presidential, Senate and governorship elections, was not used for the purpose it was meant for. “
He said, “Omo-Agege entered an unholy alliance with the Labour Party during the presidential election with the understanding that they will vote for him during the governorship.
“This action, which we found distasteful, affected the party’s chances in the state.
“His alleged link with Igbe confraternity we noticed angered the Church.
“This is because the Igbe confraternity was campaigning for him, the Church stopped campaigning for him. This development affected APC chances in Delta State.
“His attitude was another factor that angered the Delta APC.
“All projects coming from the Federal Government were sited in his Senatorial District, Delta Central and other districts never benefitted.
“Another issue that affected APC chances was the Maze issue, which the people in the state were not comfortable with. This is also one of the reasons the state didn’t vote the him.
“He led the party in Delta North and the entire state into disrepute, opprobrium, and hate, resulting in the abysmal performance of the APC in the Governorship of February 18, 2023.
“He boasted that Delta North will never get anything from the state if he becomes the governor.
“He created animosity among the ethnic groups, a development that caused disaffection and disunity among members of the APC family in the state.”
The Anambra Government has imposed a one-month sanction on Blossom Fount School, Awka, for allegedly selling the position of head prefect during a student election.
This was disclosed in a statement on Saturday by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh.
According to the commissioner, the school reportedly demanded N5,000 from each pupil aspiring to become head prefect in the primary section.
Chuma-Udeh condemned the act, describing it as an attempt to “sell the psyche of the children to the highest bidder from the cradle.”
According to her, such practices are unacceptable under the administration of Gov. Chukwuma Soludo.
She said that an investigation was ongoing to examine the school’s broader management practices, with the possibility of further actions based on the findings.
Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the arrest and continued detention of former House of Representatives member, Muhammad Kazaure, describing it as a violation of due process.
In a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, Atiku said Kazaure’s detention reflects a brazen disregard for the rule of law, accusing the anti-graft agency of operating beyond the limits of the Nigerian Constitution.
Atiku alleged that the EFCC is increasingly becoming a tool for political repression, citing what he called a troubling pattern of lawlessness under the current administration.
He said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has once again plunged headlong into its well-worn pattern of lawlessness, arresting and detaining citizens with brazen disregard for due process and without offering any justification for its actions.”
Atiku also referenced the recent arrest of social commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, whose release followed intense public pressure. He suggested that Kazaure’s case fits into a broader trend of state institutions being used to silence dissenting voices.
“We witnessed this same abuse in the unlawful arrest and detention of Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, whose release was only secured after massive public outrage and pressure.
“Now, the EFCC has targeted Hon. Muhammad Kazaure, a former member of the House of Representatives and an unapologetic critic of the gross misgovernance and failings of the Tinubu administration.
“Abducted in Kano and whisked away to Abuja, Kazaure is presently being held incommunicado, with no formal charge or explanation offered to his family, legal team, or the Nigerian people.
“Let it be stated without equivocation: even if there were legitimate grounds for arresting any citizen, such action must adhere strictly to the rule of law. The EFCC is duty-bound to publicly disclose the reasons for any arrest and must not detain individuals indefinitely under the guise of investigation.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is unequivocal on this matter—every detainee must be promptly charged to court or released. By once again trampling on the fundamental rights of a Nigerian citizen, the EFCC is entrenching itself deeper into the mire of impunity and constitutional delinquency.
“It’s deafening silence regarding the arrest of Hon. Kazaure, a man who represented the good people of Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, and Yankwashi federal constituency, lays bare the agency’s contempt for transparency and justice.
Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has ignited social media buzz after posting a 15-second TikTok video set to the trending song Omo Ologo — a track closely linked with President Bola Tinubu.
The video, shared on her TikTok page on May 8, shows the embattled lawmaker smiling and playfully interacting with the camera. Captioned, “Just for fun, song choked,” the post has drawn mixed reactions online, with some interpreting it as a light-hearted moment, while others suspect a deeper political undertone.
The video comes just days after the song Omo Ologo was performed live by Kano-based singer Dauda Kahutu Rarara during a dinner in Katsina State held in honour of President Tinubu, who was on a two-day working visit to assess security in the region.
The song, which blends Hausa and Yoruba, praises Tinubu as a victorious leader who has outlasted his critics.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s TikTok post follows a series of dramatic exchanges between her and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The senator was suspended from the upper legislative chamber in March after accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment — an allegation that triggered heated debate in the National Assembly.
In what appeared to be a bold response to her suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan recently posted a sarcastic apology video to Akpabio on Facebook, in which she claimed she was sorry “for the crime of maintaining dignity and self-respect.”
The post was accompanied by a short video, further fueling controversy.
Akpabio’s legal team has since approached a federal high court in Abuja, seeking an order compelling the senator to delete the post from her social media pages.
In a counter-affidavit filed by her lawyer, Jubril Okutepa (SAN), Akpoti-Uduaghan’s camp described the motion as an attempt to silence and intimidate her.
The court is expected to rule on the matter on May 12.