Obasa in fresh plot to return as speaker of Lagos Assembly – Newstrends
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Obasa in fresh plot to return as speaker of Lagos Assembly

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Mojisola Meranda and Mudashiru Obasa

Obasa in fresh plot to return as speaker of Lagos Assembly

An indication that peace has not returned to the Lagos State House of Assembly emerged at the close of work last week when workers in the legislative house were told by the authority to stay away from the office this week and work from home until further notice.

There are reports about fresh moves to return Mr Mudashiru Obasa to his former position, Speaker of the Assembly.

The House has been enmeshed in a leadership crisis following the removal of Obasa by 32 lawmakers on January 13, 2025, and Mrs Mojisola Meranda was elected as the substantive speaker.

A report by the Vanguard on Monday quoted Presidency sources as saying overtures had been made to the lawmakers to soft-pedal and support the embattled former Speaker.

It reported that members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) were also asked to rein in the anti-Obasa lawmakers.

This followed the disbandment of the Bisi Akande committee over its findings on the matter.

The committee was disbanded owing to the report it submitted after its visit that the odds were against Obasa.

The President had set up a high-powered committee of the party led by Bisi Akande and members including Aremo Olusegun Osoba, and former APC National Vice Chairman, South-west, Pius Akinyelure and others to resolve the crisis.

It further gathered that after the disbandment of the Akande committee, members of GAC were asked to rein in their loyalists in the Assembly and executive to back Obasa.

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The source said: “The Bisi Akande committee has been disbanded. The president has reached out to members of GAC who have loyalists or children in the Assembly to insist they work for Obasa’s return as Speaker.

“For those who do not have children in the Assembly but have other political loyalists in the State Executive Council, they have been mandated to ensure Obasa is returned.

“Obasa, on the other hand, has also been reaching out to lawmaker opposed to him in an attempt to gain their support.”

It was also learnt that the Presidency and party leaders were looking at the option of allowing the court to resolve the crisis.

Sources in the presidency said: “The President is insisting Obasa must return but the Assembly members are also throwing their weight behind Meranda. The two camps do not want to shift grounds. As it is, the court will decide who the Speaker is and you know how judicial process works, it will move from the High Court to Appeal Court and from there, to the Supreme Court; the court will decide.”

The embattled former Speaker had dragged Meranda, the Assembly and 36 lawmakers to court challenging his ‘unlawful’ removal.

Justice Yetunde Rukayat Pinheiro of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, last Friday, adjourned the hearing of all pending applications in the lawsuit filed by Obasa, to March 7.

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In a memo, titled ‘Amendment to Remote Work Schedule Arrangement’, addressed to staff and legislative aides, the Acting Clerk of the Assembly, Mr Babatunde Abubakar, said the move was to “guarantee safety and forestall any unwarranted consequences.”

Abubakar said: “I write to convey the approval of the leadership of the House to effect the following changes in the work-from-home arrangement pending the resolution of the current leadership crisis to guarantee safety and forestall any unwarranted consequences.

“To this end, all categories of staff at the Assembly, LAHASCOM and Legislative Aides are requested to work remotely from home until further notice.

“Please note that this arrangement is in tandem with the Head of Service, HOS circular 005 issued on January 15, 2025, affirming the leadership change in the House and the appointment of Mr A.T.B. Ottun as Acting Clerk.
“Note that this measure has become necessary for safety purposes and officers are enjoined to leave open communication lines as they can be called upon for any assignment whenever the need arises.

“Be assured that Princess Mojisola Meranda is committed to your safety and peaceful resolution of the crisis.”
The staff of the Lagos State Assembly had engaged men of the Department of State Services, DSS, when the latter stormed the Assembly complex, sealing offices and preventing lawmakers from holding the plenary session.

 

Obasa in fresh plot to return as speaker of Lagos Assembly

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TikTok removes 2.4 million videos by Nigerian users in Q4 2024

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March 31, 2025

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TikTok removes 2.4 million videos by Nigerian users in Q4 2024

Bytedance’s short video platform, TikTok, said it removed 2.4 million videos posted by Nigerian users in the fourth quarter of 2024 for violating its content policy.

According to the platform, Nigeria was among the top 50 countries where videos violating its policies emanated from in Q4.

However, the highest number of violations were recorded in the United States, which has the largest number of videos removed at 8.5 million.

ikTok disclosed this in its latest Community Guidelines Enforcement report, which indicated that a total of 153 million videos were removed globally in the period under review.

The company said the top 50 markets in terms of policy violations accounted for approximately 90% of all content removals for the quarter.  

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The removed content was said to have violated one or more of TikTok’s policies, which center around Integrity and Authenticity, Privacy and Security, Mental and Behavioural Health, Safety, and Civility, among others.

Accounts removal 

In the period under review, TikTok said it removed a total of 211.5 million accounts discovered to be either fake or owned by people suspected to be under 13 years of age.

  • Fake accounts constituted the largest number of deleted accounts for the period. According to the report, a total of 185.3 million fake accounts were removed.
  • In addition, 20.5 million accounts suspected to be owned by users under the age of 13 were removed, while 5.6 million accounts were removed for other reasons not stated.

“We remain vigilant in our efforts to detect external threats and safeguard the platform from fake accounts and engagement.  

“These threats persistently probe and attack our systems, leading to occasional fluctuations in the reported metrics within these areas.  

“In Q4 2024, we also updated the way we classify fake likes and followers removed over time, which contributed to some of the overall increases observed in these categories. 

“This update better reflects the scale of our existing work to promptly identify and remove any accounts, content, or activities that seek to artificially boost popularity on our platform,” the company stated in the report.

TikTok removes 2.4 million videos by Nigerian users in Q4 2024

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Two children killed, 20 injured in Gombe stampede – Police

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March 31, 2025

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Gombe State Police Command Spokesman, ASP Buhari Abdullahi

Two children killed, 20 injured in Gombe stampede – Police

The Police Force Gombe State Command has confirmed the death of two children following a stampede at the Gombe main Eid Ground.

The Command’s spokesperson, Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Gombe.

According to Abdullahi, the incident occurred at about 10:45 a.m. at the exit gate of the Eid Ground, immediately after the conclusion of Eid prayers.

“The stampede was caused by inadequate exit access, as a large crowd, primarily women and children, rushed to leave the venue.

“The situation, worsened by intense heat, led to the unfortunate incident,” he said.

He said that 22 individuals were affected and were immediately taken to hospitals for medical attention.

“Regrettably, two of the victims, a four-year-old boy, and six months old baby girl, were pronounced dead by doctors while receiving treatment,” Abdullahi added.

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He extended the command’s condolences to the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

“The police urge Eid Ground managers to ensure that all entrance and exit gates remain open to facilitate smooth movement, especially after prayers,” he advised.

In a related development, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has condoled with the families of the deceased and those affected by the tragedy.

In a statement issued by his media aide on Sunday, the governor directed a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the stampede, with the aim of preventing future occurrences.

“The safety and well-being of our citizens remain a top priority. The state government is committed to learning from this incident and implementing corrective measures,” Yahaya said.

He also directed that all medical expenses for the injured victims be fully covered by the state government to ensure their recovery and well-being.

Two children killed, 20 injured in Gombe stampede – Police

(NAN)

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Wike’s achievements will translate into electoral success for APC in 2027, says Tinubu

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March 31, 2025

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Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike.jpg

Wike’s achievements will translate into electoral success for APC in 2027, says Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has praised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for his outstanding performance, expressing confidence that his achievements could translate into electoral success for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 FCT elections—despite Wike still being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Tinubu made the remarks at the State House, Abuja, on Sunday during a traditional Sallah homage by a delegation of prominent FCT residents to mark Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.

The President commended Wike’s leadership, noting that several infrastructure projects initiated under his administration, have significantly improved the lives of Abuja residents.

“I must thank the Honorable Minister of FCT. It’s worth it. It is nothing other than a privilege to be the landlord of every one of us in Abuja,” Tinubu said.

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He recalled a conversation where Wike requested exemption from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to enable greater financial flexibility for FCT projects.

Tinubu humorously recounted his response:”I asked him, ‘Would that give me an opportunity for my party (APC) to win the election in FCT?’ If this thing goes too much in your favour, you will lose your job!’”

“Today, we are living in peace, and security is improving. The hunger is coming down. Food prices are lowering. Our people are looking for results, and Wike has delivered,” Tinubu added.

Tinubu noted that despite being from the South-South, Wike is successfully driving progress in the Northern-dominated FCT.

“Surprisingly, Nyesom Wike is not from the North. He’s not a Hausa man. Yet his ability to work in the centre of the North is yielding fruits. That is a great reflection of our diversity that we must use for prosperity.”

The President urged Nigerians to embrace unity, stating that, regardless of ethnic and religious differences, progress is only possible through collaboration and shared purpose.

Wike’s achievements will translate into electoral success for APC in 2027, says Tinubu

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