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Why Next Senate President Should Come From South-South -Wike
Immediate-past Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has accused those opposed to the zoning of the Senate Presidency to the South-South geopolitical zone, of deliberately laying a stumbling block for President Ahmed Bola Tinubu in the National Assembly.
He stated that anybody who loves and believes in the unity of the country, as well as wants the Tinubu-led government to succeed, will not hesitate to ensure that the next Senate President should be from the South-South as already determined by the President and the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike spoke yesterday during a media parley at his private residence in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The former governor said: “There is something going in the country now about the Senate presidency and the House leadership, and everybody knows my position. My position is that the (Senate) presidency should come to the South-South. We are not talking about the presidency of the country now, we are done with that.
“If you agree that (Senate) Presidency should go to the South, tell me the truth; where should it go? It can’t be in the South-West. It can’t be in the South-East. South-South has only produced one Senate president, far back in 1979, Joseph Wayas. South-East has produced over seven.”
He stated that those who were adverse to Tinubu presidential ambition were still hellbent on laying stumbling block for him at the National Assembly, through their opposition to his preferred choice of former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio as the next Senate President.
Wike said: “The party (All Progressives Congress) and the President appear to have a soft spot for Akpabio. I would have thought that people will say; look, allow this administration to start on a very good foundation, so nobody gives us excuses that why this administration could not start on good footing is because of the rancour between the executive and the legislature.”
The former governor maintained that if there is no cordial relationship between the leadership of the National Assembly and the Presidency, the country will be distracted by the unnecessary power conflict between the executive and the legislative branches of government.
“If Mr. President doesn’t have a smooth administration, at the end of the day, who suffers? Is it not Nigerians? Let us believe that we are all one, let us give everyone a sense of belonging.”
Wike disclosed that President Tinubu and the APC national leadership preference for Akpabio, who is a Christian, is part of a deliberate strategy aimed at dispersing the misconception generated by the choice former Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, a Muslim, as the president’s running mate.
He said: “By backing Akpabio and appointing the former Benue State Governor, George Akume as Secretary to the Federation, President Tinubu has demonstrated his sincerity to balance the faith question raised by the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket in the last presidential election.
“Muslim-Muslim ticket was a problem, coupled with the abysmal performance of the last government, it was a double jeopardy. PDP campaigned against it that this country can’t have a President as Muslim and Vice President a Muslim. Somehow, by the president’s own luck, God being by his side, and his doggedness, he was able to make it.
“Mind you, a lot of booty trap were set for Mr. President not to emerge as President. A lot of booty traps were set even by people in his own party. It is correct. There is no government in this world which is a ruling party that can bring up policy that will make your party to be unpopular during election period.#
“Within that period of election, you brought the issue of Naira redesign and brought the issue of there was no fuel. Two things that affected the masses. You will know it was a booty trap set against Asiwaju not to emerge. Nobody can deceive me that that policy was targeted at him.”
The former governor dismissed insinuation that his recent visit to the Presidential Villa was in connection to speculation that he was being offered ministerial position.
He said: “President Tinubu has never during any of their meetings made such offer to him as is being speculated in the media.
“Every week, you see people reeling out different list. What is my business? Mr President has not called me one day to say look this is what I want you to do, for me to say yes or no. But, you see people churning out list. I’m sure this week another list will come out.”
Wike commended Tinubu for his courage to end fuel subsidy regime in the country. He argued that the decision clearly distinguishes the President as a man determined and prepared for leadership.
He said: “What President did was to tell Nigerians, I am prepared for this job, and that is why some of us we say give him a chance.”
The former governor also described the appointment of the Speaker of House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as the Chief of Staff to the President as most appropriate
He l however, faulted the North retention position of chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum.
News
Nigerian Army’s Operation LAFIYAN JAMAA Nets Bandits, Military Imposter, and Arms Cache in Taraba State
By Nahum Sule, Jalingo
Troops of the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army, under Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have achieved significant successes in their ongoing mission, Operation LAFIYAN JAMAA, aimed at eliminating criminal elements in Taraba State.
In a statement issued By OLUBODUNDE ONI, Captain, Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Brigade Nigerian Army said Over the past week, coordinated operations across multiple local government areas (LGAs) led to the arrest of a wanted bandit, the apprehension of a military imposter, and the recovery of a substantial cache of arms and ammunition.
“On April 16, 2025, troops responded to a distress call from a local hunter and raided a suspected bandit camp at Dutsen Kachalla in Lainde, Lau LGA. The criminals fled into the mountains upon spotting the troops, leaving behind an AK-47 magazine, an AK-47 rifle butt, military headgear, and a National Identification Card belongingAdamu Umaru Jauro
On April 19, acting on intelligence, troops arrested Yusuf Hammadu, alias “Dogo,” in Lainde Jessy, Lau LGA. Hammadu, a known criminal on security watchlists, confessed to involvement in a kidnapping syndicate operating across Jalingo, Ardo-Kola, Lau, and Yorro LGAs”.
“In a separate operation on April 22, troops apprehended Richard Ongu, a fraudster posing as a Nigerian Army Major in Gashaka. Ongu, who claimed to be a discharged Nigerian Air Force Flight Sergeant, was involved in multiple scams, including defrauding a car dealer of a Toyota Corolla worth ₦5.2 million, extorting ₦1.6 million for a fake Beniseed supply deal, and soliciting money for fraudulent military recruitment schemes in Bali and Gassol LGAs. He will be handed over to authorities for prosecution following military investigations.
On April 24, a joint operation with the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) at Jatau-Nyimu village in Donga LGA resulted in the recovery of 86 rounds of 5.6mm ammunition, a Tarvor magazine, four cartridges, a Beofeng handheld radio, three single-barrel guns, and two military camouflage uniforms.”
Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, Commander of 6 Brigade, praised the troops’ professionalism and reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to restoring peace in Taraba State. He urged the public to provide timely information to support operations and warned against individuals soliciting payment for military recruitment, emphasizing that enlistment is free and merit-based.
Calls for Investigation of Refineries
A group of lawyers and civil society organizations (CSOs) early this morning stormed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters in Abuja with a petition against Mele Kyari, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).
The petition alleged that Kyari perpetrated monumental fraud, tax evasion, economic sabotage, and abuse of office during his tenure from July 2019 to February 2025.
According to the Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law led by Asika Raymond, Kyari collaborated with certain consultants and contractors to conceal the actual cost of refineries rehabilitation projects and evade taxes due to the Federal Government.
One notable example cited was the Port Harcourt Refinery, where the group alleged that the NNPCL under Kyari’s leadership expended $1.5 billion, despite initial estimates of $1 billion for the three refineries.
The petitioners questioned the transparency and accountability of the payments made to consultants and contractors handling the refineries’ rehabilitation projects.
The petition also alleged that crude oil allocations were diverted and financial transactions were carried out under the guise of “pipeline security” at a suspicious rate of 80,000 barrels per day, with no transparent process or accountability mechanism.
Additionally, the AKK Gas Pipeline Project, initially valued at $5 billion, was said to be riddled with irregularities in contract awards and execution.
Furthermore, the petitioners raised concerns about fuel subsidy fraud, citing repeated allegations of inflated imports and false claims.
They also questioned the value of NNPCL’s crude-backed loans, which totaled $21.565 billion since 2019, with questionable purposes and outcomes.
The petition added: “There is credible information that crude oil allocations were diverted, and financial transactions were carried out under the guise of ‘pipeline security’ at a suspicious rate of 80,000 barrels per day, with no transparent process or accountability mechanism.
“The AKK Pipeline Project, initially valued at $5 billion has been riddled with irregularities in the award and execution of contracts. Despite several budgetary provisions and foreign financing arrangements, there is little physical progress or transparency in fund utilization.
“There have been repeated allegations of fraud tied to the payment of fuel subsidy. It is instructive to note that while the rest of the world witnessed a decline in fuel consumption in 2020 due to COVID, NNPCL increased its imports of petroleum products during the same period.
“Under Mele Kyari, NNPCL took various crude-backed loans which hit $21.565 billion since 2019. Aside from mortgaging future production, the structure of these loans disadvantaged Nigeria as the upside from trading Nigeria’s crude in the international market was ceded to traders.
“The former GCEO also supervised massive spending on oil exploration activities in the aforementioned states. These explorations, allegedly running into several billions of Naira lack proper documentation, feasibility outcomes, or any demonstrable economic returns. ”
The group urged the EFCC to investigate Kyari, forensically audit all payments made to consultants and contractors from 2019 to 2025, recover misappropriated public funds, and collaborate with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to probe suspected tax evasion.
The EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, received the petition on behalf of the Chairman and promised that the Commission will look into it swiftly.
Northern based civil society groups have raised alarm over plot by a former Governor trying to twist a story credited to the Governor of Kaduna State Senator Uba Sani against politicians that have failed the North since the inception of democracy in 1999. The mischievous story was captioned “Buhari, El-Rufai, others must apologize to North, says Kaduna Governor”.
In a statement jointly signed by Comrade Musa Abdullahi of Northern Resistance Front and Comrade Danjuma Thomas Bahago of the Kaduna Discussion Circle, they declared that a scrawny politician is behind the false story twisted in order to damage the cordial relationship between former President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State.
Part of the statement reads: ” As stakeholders in the political atmosphere of both Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria and the country at large, we view with great concern and extreme disappointment the recent plot by a disgruntled failed politician to put a wedge between the former President and the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State. The twisted story is a clear act of campaign of calumny and distraction against the Governor aimed towards preventing him from delivering his laudable policies in Kaduna state.
“Ordinarily, the organisations will not have waded into the matter but the manner in which the cowardly character is going about his innuendos and underhand mischief. We are therefore constrained to issue the following statement.
For the past few weeks, a disgruntled former Governor has been fingered as the mask behind the sinister campaign, insidious plots and false stories against the goals oriented Uba Sani led administration of Kaduna state.
Most recently, series of false stories and unsubstantiated materials have been disseminated against both the indefatigable Governor Uba Sani and other clearly defined leaders at the federal government level. “We strongly condemn such sinister dissemination being orchestrated by kingpin of tears, sorrow and blood”.
“Equally, very few serious minded democrats can continue to ignore the tantrums being propagated by desperate political element in continuation of his dirty fight against Uba Sani’s principled stand and for his refusal to hand over the public treasury of the state for someone to plunder”.
From all available information, it has become clear that the purveyor of the baseless campaign against Sen Sani is working in cahoots with some forces nursing a dark agenda for both Kaduna state and Nigeria. They are planning to subvert the electoral process to their advantage as we are gradually building up to the 2027 general election.
“A critical survey of the motive, tactics and implementation strategies of the grand mischief has equally laid bare a perfidious plot by a merchant of demolishing and destruction to exploit ethno religious tools among our people in order to cause divisions along our fault lines. The principal character is not happy with relative peace, security, stability and unity being enjoyed by the people of Kaduna state at the moment.
” It is on record that Uba Sani is doing a good job in Kaduna state. He has revoked houses and lands given to cronies and concubines by the old order for overriding public interest and for the common good. He has restituted lands taken from the poor in obnoxious manner back to the victims of one a man misrule. He has reduced school fees and looking at cases of workers sacked arbitrarily and in a dictatorial fashion.
We found it most garmane to state that the scrawny politician trying to distract Uba Sani is of questionable identity. He should endeavour to clear name associated with identity crisis as a matter of priority rather embarking on shameless grandstanding, laughable accusations that are dubious, absurd and devoid of truth.
“We must use this opportunity to state that characters that have converted public tilt for sudden wealth, failed to revive our textiles, failed to pay ex textiles workers their entitlement and failed to account for funds meant for the payment of defunct New Nigerian Newspapers workers cannot rub charcoal on faces and calling a deodorant”.
“Again, we are not surprised that the self masturbating political dinasour and self glorified but pseudo intellectual failed to appreciate the commendable progress made by Governor Sani’s administration to standardise corporate governance, developmental instincts and process achieved in the state”.
“The divisive character engulfed in his delusional capacity is back on his old trade: embarking on hollow criticism of the new order an echo of his rant and rave for self ululation. An inconsistent and erratic personality of unparalleled reckoning”.
“At this juncture, we must state the reason why the Americans consider him to be a barometer through which the pulse of bandits and armed groups in Northern Nigeria can gauged? The statement once credited to him that the killing of Osama bin Laden outside the US soil violated international law and that the global terrorism kingpin’s human rights was violated by America is forever going to hurt him”.
“A self centred pessimist like him has never seen anything good in others. The same way he treated others with profane contempt and disdain, he is trying to replicate such misplaced mischief against bona fide Northern in the present dispensation. He has sown a whirlwind, he shall soon harvest every misdeeds committed against the poor. They have made a covenant to respond to him in his own coins without further delay”.
COMRADE MUSA ABDULLAHI
Chairman
Northern Resistance Front
COMRADE DANJUMA THOMAS BAHAGO
Secretary
Kaduna Discussion Circle