News
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.”
Nollywood star Annie Idibia opens up about life after her separation from music legend 2Baba. The actress reveals her daughters, Isabella and Olivia, are her strongest source of strength and emotional support.
She expressed her feelings during a red carpet interview at the Headies Awards, the actress spoke openly about how her daughters, Isabella and Olivia, have become her greatest pillar of strength during this emotional transition.
Her candid conversation sparked widespread admiration from fans, especially for the way she continues to prioritise her family and remain grounded amid personal turmoil.
During the emotional exchange at the prestigious awards show, Annie made it clear that her daughters are not just her children but the centre of her universe. She described Isabella and Olivia as her “only family” and her “backbone”, highlighting the deep bond she shares with them.
Annie shared her message in Pidgin English: “My children dey Kampe. The first one dey Yankee, she dey go school. No play with that girl o. I don’t play with my kids. Na them be my backbone.”
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced plans to establish a centralised system for the authentication and verification of all travel documents in Nigeria.
He made this known during a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday with the United Kingdom’s Minister of State, David Hanson.
In the company of Hanson were delegates from the UK Home Office, National Crime Agency, and the British High Commission.
According to Tunji-Ojo, the initiative aims to tackle immigration and document fraud, particularly those associated with border control.
“We discovered that one of the key drivers of rising document fraud is the absence of a centralised, real-time verification system,” he said.
“Currently, if someone submits 20 documents, you may need to contact 20 different issuing agencies to verify them. That breeds inefficiency.”
He explained that the proposed system would allow real-time verification of all documents—such as bank statements, passports, and certificates—at a single centre.
The minister also said Nigeria was ready to take the lead in formulating a regional strategy for border control, noting that regional differences required customised approaches.
“To tackle a heterogeneous problem with a homogeneous approach will not work,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
“That’s why we’re planning a regional border conference to allow for the development of unified yet adaptable strategies to combat migration and border-related challenges.”
He further disclosed that Nigeria’s EU visa solution platform would go live on May 1.
According to him, this will allow for more efficient processing and international cooperation while safeguarding national security and promoting investment.
“We now have a policy that ensures a response—approval or rejection—within 24 to 48 hours of applying for an EU visa,” he said.
Speaking on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, Tunji-Ojo emphasised the administration’s commitment to preventing corruption rather than merely reacting to it.
“Our performance will be judged not by the number of convictions or recoveries but by how many crimes or frauds we prevent,” he said.
In his remarks, Hanson expressed the UK’s readiness to continue collaborating with Nigeria to improve criminal justice outcomes.
Hanson noted that the UK was reviewing its e-visa system and migration policies while exploring ways to expand trade, business, and skills development opportunities with Nigeria.
“My colleagues at the High Commission are eager to maintain strong engagement with the Nigerian government,” he said
According to him, the UK looks forward to enhancing cooperation in tackling crime and fraud.
“You can rest assured that the National Crime Agency, the High Commission, and the Home Office are ready to extend a hand of partnership,” he said.
….Says Atiku on his way out of PDP
…It was against my people’s will
Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has revealed that ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar is preparing to leave the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Recall that, Atiku was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, with Okowa as his running mate.
On March 20, 2023, the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, a former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and others jointly announced the creation of a coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
The move has sparked ongoing discussions about the potential for a united opposition, with political leaders expressing varied opinions.
Speaking on Arise News on Tuesday, Okowa—who officially joined the All Progressives Congress on Monday—expressed regret for not aligning with his people in supporting a southern candidate in 2023 instead of accepting the role as Atiku’s running mate. He said, “Even when we were campaigning, I realised our people were not interested in having another northerner come into power.
“But the decision had already been taken at the federal level by the party, and I had been nominated. Still, in retrospect, I now believe I should have gone with the will of my people.”
He added that the election of the current Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, proves that the people still have confidence in their leadership.
Okowa added, “That showed the people still believed in us, believed in me. They said you’ve done well, and we will support the governor you have chosen. And they did.”
When asked about his communication with Atiku before leaving the PDP, Okowa responded, “I actually did communicate with him that we were going to have stakeholders meetings this week (in the last week) and that it was going to be a leadership meeting and the outcome of that meeting was going to determine our next path because we were no longer comfortable with the PDP.
“And I also know that he is already heading out of the PDP from the communications he has passed on to me, and that Nigerians know already.”