Politics
Edo 2024: I am in race to add value – PRP aspirant declares bid
Madam Patience Key, a female aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), on Saturday formally declared her intention to run for the 2024 Edo governorship election in the state.
Key, who announced her intention at the PRP secretariat in Benin, said she joined the race to add value to the state through collective engagement with the people.
She disclosed that human capital development will be one critical area her administration would focus on to better the lives of every Edo citizen if elected.
She said “human capital development is one critical area I will focus on. The human capital development will be by treating human beings right.
“Still on human capital development, we will look at Education and build vocational skills which I call professional academy because in America, skills drive wealth.
“My human capital development policy will start from when a child is born because that is when you shape them.
“We need to build talents and create an enabling environment for Small businesses to thrive because business of government is to create enabling environment.
“I will be running a model of government that would work with the private sector, SMEs to grow the Edo economy.
The Aspirant said she wants a situation where there will be a little divide between the rural and urban economy in the state.
Key, a former chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora, United States of America, noted that there was no reason to seek greener pastures abroad, adding that there are greener pastures here in Edo.
“Edo gave me everything I needed to grow in life before I left for the United States. So there are greener pastures and enjoyment here too,” she added.
Also Speaking, the State PRP Chairman, Dr. Greg Igbinomwahia, stated that Edo needed a change of Party, having been governed by APC and PDP without the desired development.
According to him, Edo people have to take a position and vote PRP, the right party that will give the people hope.(NAN)
Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and policy, has claimed that Peter Obi, Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, will soon leave the party.
Speaking in an interview on TVC on Wednesday, Bwala said the former governor of Anambra state will join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Do you know we are emptying the Labour Party? Not because we are asking them to come. Valentine Ozigbo has joined us, Balami has joined us, even Peter Obi will join us,” Bwala said.
“Peter Obi will not run in the Labour Party. For Valentine Ozigbo to come to our party — Valentine Ozigbo is actually the custodian of Peter Obi — then I know for a fact that Peter Obi will join us.”
Bwala described the defection of Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna state, from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as “insignificant”.
He accused the SDP of orchestrating weekly announcements to dominate news headlines.
“You see, after one or two weeks of this mini-dramatic activity — because the way they scheme these things is that every week, you will hear a breaking news story that ‘a gladiator has joined SDP’ — so they will dominate the media space,” he said.
“By the time the two weeks is over and they are able to enjoy this momentary coverage, when they sit down they’ll start fighting over who will be president or vice-president.
“The reason El-Rufai did not go to the PDP is because he can’t dictate things there, but he told the world that the chairman of SDP is his friend. So they went there because they want to dictate.”
El-Rufai announced his departure from the APC on Monday, citing “conflicting values” with the ruling party.
Lawmakers blocked me from presenting Budget– Fubara
… Insists on representing fiscal year bill
…You can’t show up uninvited – Lawmakers
By Abubakar Yunusa
Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers state, should face impeachment if he violates the constitution.
Speaking at the media chat in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike said politics should not be taken lightly and that removing the governor would not be a criminal offence.
“Politics is not play. If you have committed an offence to be impeached, what’s wrong? Is it a criminal offence? It’s provided in the constitution. Am I a member of the assembly?” Wike asked.
“If you have committed an infraction of the constitution, and the assembly deems it fit to say you should be impeached.
“I have heard people say, ‘Oh, if they impeach him, there will be a breakdown of law and order.’ Rubbish! Nothing will happen.”
While defending his commitment to legal procedures and fairness, Wike questioned how a handful of legislators could pass laws and expect them to be recognised as valid.
“I cannot believe that in this country, we are now at the point where Nigerians are talking about where three members of the house will sit and make a law, and they are talking about going to the supreme court,” he said.
“Speakers and assembly members are not our children; they were elected; they are not your boys or your girls.
“You sit with them and play with them. I travelled with my speakers, and I created relationships. It’s not a master-servant thing.”
On Monday, Tony Okocha, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, asked Fubara to resign or face impeachment proceedings.
Okocha said that the recent supreme court ruling on the state’s political crisis is final, describing Fubara’s invitation to the Martin Amaewhule-led assembly faction for a meeting as a “Greek gift”.
BACKGROUND
Rivers has been enmeshed in political crisis following the conflict between Fubara and Wike.
On February 28, the supreme court affirmed the judgment of a federal high court that barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the accountant-general of the federation from releasing statutory monthly allocations to Rivers state.
The supreme court also nullified the local government election held in Rivers state on October 5, 2024.
Fubara had promised to comply with the judgment of the apex court.
On Sunday, the Rivers governor invited the Amaewhule-led house of assembly members to a meeting scheduled for Monday.
Fubara’s invitation was viewed as a step towards resolving the Rivers assembly crisis that began in 2023.
The FCT minister, however, criticised Fubara for writing to the state house of assembly, stating that he should have called Amaewhule and his team to arrange a meeting. He also described the letter from Fubara as “useless”.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), on Wednesday, said that the number of prisoners on death row had risen from 3,590 in September 2024 to 3,688 in March 2025.
This represents a 2.73 per cent increase or addition of 98 prisoners within six months.
The Acting Controller-General of NCoS, Mr Sylvester Nwakuche, gave the figure when he appeared for screening before the Senate Committee on Interior, chaired by Sen. Adams Oshiomhole.
The NCoS also sought strategic collaboration with the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS); Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to speed up the wheel of justice in the country.
Nwakuche said that the major challenge facing the correctional service in the country was that of inmates currently awaiting trials.
“That is our major headache we are trying to address on a daily basis,” he said.
The acting comptroller-general pledged to collaborate with other security agencies more strategically to ensure that the issues of awaiting trials inmates were permanently resolved to decongest the country’s prisons .
“This is very important for any establishment to forge ahead. An establishment like correctional centres cannot do anything without collaboration.
“We are the recipient of the products of all the prosecuting agencies,” the acting comptroller-general said.
In his remarks, Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior, Sen. Adams Oshiomhole, said the committee would submit its report based on the performance of the Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS). (NAN)