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Igala Forum Endorse ADC’s Leke Abejide For Kogi Governorship
By Abubakar Yunusa
The Igala Leadership Forum (ILF), a distinguished assembly of Igala elites representing all nine local governments, including Bassa, has formally endorsed Hon. Leke Abejide, the gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as the preferred choice for the upcoming Kogi State gubernatorial election.
In a collective stance, the Igala group has expressed its concern over the state’s prolonged underdevelopment, poverty, and insecurity, attributing these challenges to the lack of competent and honest leadership by successive governors over the past two decades.
With a keen desire to bring about a transformative shift in the state’s trajectory, the ILF earnestly urges the people of Kogi State to exercise their voting rights judiciously and select the most suitable candidate for the task at hand.
The elite forum emphasizes that supporting Hon. Leke Abejide’s candidacy aligns with their commitment to stand in solidarity with the people of Kogi West, who have consistently supported the Igala community.
The group also takes a critical stance against Usman Jibrin of the Accord party and Muritala Yakubu Ajaka of the SDP, accusing them of leveraging the current Igala situation for personal gains and vendetta.
The ILF asserts that such actions have diverted attention from the genuine aspirations of the Igala community, necessitating a redirection and repositioning ahead of future elections.
Ibrahim Oma Koji Attah, in a statement on behalf of the ILF, affirms Hon. Leke’s friendship and sensitivity towards the Igala community, praising his track record of avoiding reckless statements or derogatory remarks about the largest tribe in the state.
Furthermore, Oma-Koji Attah extends a call to other Igala candidates, urging them to foster collaboration and ensure that the historical relationship between the East and the West remains mutually beneficial.
The group uses this platform to firmly caution Yahaya Bello against resorting to thuggery during the 2023 elections, asserting that vigilant eyes will be monitoring the process to ensure a fair and just outcome.
Additionally, the ILF condemns the continuous misappropriation of workers’ salaries by the government and places confidence in the Leke/Omede ticket to address this pressing issue.
Meanwhile,the ILF encourages the Igala and Bassa communities to regard the people of Okun as brothers, fostering unity among the regions.
The group places responsibility on Igala leaders who have engaged in unscrupulous dealings with Usman Jibrin and Muritala Ajaka, thereby undermining the integrity of the 2023 election process. The ILF firmly maintains that the return of the Ebira community to Lugard House in January 2024 must not be allowed.
A group of concerned citizens has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to sabotage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reforms on local refineries.
The group, Concerned Nigerians led by its National Coordinator Obinna Francis, claims to have uncovered a sinister plot to stop the supply of crude oil to domestic refineries.
According to Francis, the plot is being orchestrated by a cabal within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), in collaboration with importers of fake petrol.
The group alleges that this cabal is seeking to undermine the government’s economic reforms, which have led to a significant reduction in fuel prices and a subsequent decrease in the cost of food items.
The concerned citizens believe that the plot is driven by a desire to return Nigeria to the era of petrol importation and the reintroduction of subsidies.
They argue that cutting off crude oil supply to domestic refineries would create a shortage of refined products, forcing the country to import fuel.
The group claims that the cabal has been manipulating officials in the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to justify the planned refusal to supply crude oil to local refineries.
They also allege that the cabal has the support of individuals seeking regime change, who hope to capitalize on public anger and protests to bring down the government.
Francis added: “The members of the cabal, working through certain officials of NNPCL, have been manipulating their colleagues in the NUPRC, which has responsibility for overseeing the supply of crude oil to refineries in Nigeria.
“Their plot includes sabotaging exploration and distribution infrastructure to justify the planned refusal to cut off crude supplies. This unholy alliance has the support of individuals who have been angling for a regime change.
“Our suspicion is that while the NNPCL/NUPRC cabal pursue the monetary gains of truncating the steady supply of refined products, their political wing anticipates that a disruption in refining capacity would lead to petrol scarcity, drive fuel prices up and hike food prices with the attendant anger against the government of the day.
“They desire to weaponize such public anger into anti-government protests that would bring the administration down. We are concerned that if not stopped, this plot will undo all the gains that have been made in the implementation of economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government and doom us all.
“We are further concerned that such a plot at this critical time of our economic evolution would plunge the country into an abyss from which it may never resurface.”
The concerned citizens are calling on President Tinubu and the Department of State Services (DSS) to intervene and prevent the plot from being executed. They praised the president’s economic reforms, which have driven Nigeria towards energy sustainability and revived the oil industry.
The group warned that if the plot is not stopped, it would undo all the gains made by the government and plunge the country into economic chaos.
They urged the president to ensure that no one in NNPCL, NUPRC, or any other connected agency undermines the achievements recorded in the sector.
Actor-turned-politician Desmond Elliot has become a hot topic online after a video surfaced showing his emotional reaction on Monday, shortly after Mojisola Meranda resigned as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Earlier, SPEARNEWS reported that Ms Meranda announced her resignation during a plenary session.
Following her resignation, the impeached Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, was reinstated to his former position.
In a viral video, Mr Elliot, who represents Surulere Constituency 1 in the Assembly, was emotional over Ms Meranda’s resignation.
Dressed in a black native outfit, the 51-year-old attempted to deliver a farewell speech but was overcome with emotion and struggled to hold back tears.
At one point in the viral video, he found it difficult to continue speaking and requested that another lawmaker take the floor while he composed himself.
“Madam Speaker, can you allow others to speak first?” he asked.
Ms Meranda responded, “Have your seat,” prompting him to sit down, covering his face with one hand as he wiped away tears.
Seyi Lawal, an All Progressives Congress (APC) representative from Ikeja Constituency 1, was granted permission to speak in place of Mr Elliot, who has served in the House since April 2015.
Kano State government has made arrangements to feed 91,000 people in 91 designated centres during the 2025 Ramadan Feeding Programme.
Flagging off the feeding programme in m Fagge Local Government Area on Sunday evening, the Deputy Governor and Chairman of the programme, Alhaji Aminu Abdulsalam, said that that the initiative would run for 27 days.
He said that the programme was aimed at supporting vulnerable residents and would provide daily iftar meals to fasting Muslims, alleviating the challenges faced during Ramadan.
“Since the assumption of office, Gov. Abba Kabir-Yusuf, has institutionalised this initiative to support vulnerable residents by providing daily iftar meals during the holy month of Ramadan.
“The programme, which is part of the state’s annual humanitarian efforts, aims to alleviate the difficulties faced by fasting Muslims during Ramadan.
“Recognising the needs of the state’s large population of Ramadan observers, the Kano State Government remains committed to ensuring that relief reaches those in need,” he explained.
Abdulsalam expressed satisfaction with the seamless commencement of the initiative.
He further urged the catering companies involved to ensure prompt and efficient delivery of meals to all feeding centers, in order to achieve the programme’s objectives.
Abdulsalam was accompanied by key officials, including the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, as well as his counterpart in the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Sheikh Tijjani Auwal. (NAN)