APC won Presidency, controls N'Assembly, will win not less than 28 states - Lawan – Newstrends
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APC won Presidency, controls N’Assembly, will win not less than 28 states – Lawan

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President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan said after casting his vote on Saturday that his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) will win not less than 28 states.

“We are in control of the National Assembly. We have won the Presidency. We are going to win nothing less than 28 states at the end of this election,” Lawan said.

The Senate President made the statement in response to questions from journalists at the Katuzu ward polling unit in Bade Local Government Area of Yobe State where he cast his vote during the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

The APC currently controls 21 of the 36 states and had an outright win in 12 states during the last Presidential vote.

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Lawan said the APC and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, as well as the ninth National Assembly, deserved some credit for the improvement witnessed in the country’s electoral process.

He said: “The APC and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari deserve credit, that we have allowed the process to be entirely determined by the guidelines and regulations of INEC. That we don’t use our incumbency factor to stop other political parties or opposition from winning in areas that are strong APC enclaves.

“The ninth National Assembly also deserves credit for passing a law that has made the process of our elections better.

“I think there is still room for improvement but kudos to the ninth National Assembly for producing an Electoral Act that is giving more roles to technology to decide and influence the outcome of our elections rather than some kind of fraud.”

Commenting on the electoral process of Saturday, the Senate President said he was “happy that the BVAS is working here. I’m yet to hear any report about the failure of the process anywhere in my Local Government so far.”

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Tinubu tried to silence me with EFCC – Ex-NHIS boss Yusuf

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Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf

Tinubu tried to silence me with EFCC – Ex-NHIS boss Yusuf

Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of weaponising the EFCC to silence him, alleging he was treated like a criminal for criticising the government.

Speaking in an interview with Arise Television on Sunday, Yusuf alleged that his recent detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was part of a deliberate attempt to silence him. “This government deliberately denied me bail to shake me up… all to try and silence me. But I am not someone who can be silenced,” he said.

In February, the EFCC arraigned Yusuf before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on a five-count charge of alleged fraud. He pleaded not guilty.

Recounting the events that led to his detention, Yusuf said EFCC operatives stormed his home on 29 January without presenting an arrest warrant. “They walked into the house and said they wanted to see me, claiming I was expecting them. They only later showed their badges,” he said.

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He described how the operatives prevented him from changing clothes and blocked his wife from providing him with alternative clothing. Yusuf also recounted how, during transport, officers treated him “as if they had captured a notorious criminal like Kachalla Bello Turji,” a notorious bandit leader.

Yusuf spent six days in EFCC custody before his arraignment and was subsequently denied bail, a move he said was unconstitutional. “Bail is a constitutionally guaranteed right for any accused person, except in cases of capital offences or terrorism, and my case was neither,” he said.

The denial of bail forced Yusuf to spend an additional 24 days at Kuje Prison. He characterised his imprisonment as a period of “retreat for rest, prayers, and reflection,” insisting it only strengthened his spirit.

“The whole purpose was for the government of President Bola Tinubu to try to silence any form of dissent,” Yusuf said. “This is coming from a president who himself was once a NADECO activist — someone who fought against the military dictatorship.”

He warned that the current administration is attempting to stifle democratic criticism and create a “one-party dictatorial state.”

Yusuf was appointed executive secretary of the NHIS in 2016 by former President Muhammadu Buhari. He was suspended in 2017 and again in 2018 by the health minister and the NHIS board over allegations of corruption, and was eventually removed from office in 2019.

Tinubu tried to silence me with EFCC – Ex-NHIS boss Yusuf

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NDLEA discovers N1.04bn drugs in Lagos hotel

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NDLEA discovers N1.04bn drugs in Lagos hotel

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have raided an 80-room hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, which was allegedly being used as a front for the distribution of illegal drugs.

After an extensive search, agents reportedly recovered 589 bags of Canadian Loud, a potent cannabis strain, totaling 417.3 kilograms. The haul is valued at approximately One Billion Forty-Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira (₦1,042,500,000) on the street.

In a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed the arrests of three individuals during the operation, which took place between Friday, April 25th, and Saturday, April 26th, 2025.

The suspects—Eze Ayitu, Ofuokwu Samuel, and Emmanuel Ameh—were detained in the raid at the five-storey building, located in Victoria Island. Two other individuals, Noble Philip and his accomplice Kenneth, were said to be currently being sought by authorities.

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The NDLEA also disclosed that items believed to be linked to the alleged drug trafficking were seized from the premises of the hotel, known as The Hook Hotel or Caesar Hotel and Caesar Lounge.

According to the statement, among the recovered items were several vehicles, including a Toyota Prado Landcruiser Jeep, a Toyota Sienna Vehicle, a Volkswagen Delivery Van, a Kia Ceranto Car , and a Grand Caravan Dodge. Additionally, 74 new television sets, 10 used televisions, and 13 refrigerators were found.

In a separate operation on Sunday, April 20th, at the Seme border near Badagry, Lagos, NDLEA operatives apprehended three Ghanaian women allegedly attempting to smuggle 4.8 kilograms of Ghana Loud into Nigeria.

The individuals arrested were Haziza Zubairu, 42; Samirat Mustapha, 43; and Jamila Salifu, 26.

NDLEA discovers N1.04bn drugs in Lagos hotel

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Tompolo speaks on Fubara planned return as Rivers gov

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Government Ekpemupolo, widely known as Tompolo

Tompolo speaks on Fubara planned return as Rivers gov

Government Ekpemupolo, widely known as Tompolo, says President Bola Tinubu and Nyesom Wike, the federal capital territory (FCT) minister, are doing everything in their power to restore Siminalayi Fubara as governor of Rivers State.

Tompolo, who serves as the chairperson of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, an oil pipeline surveillance firm focused on combating crude oil theft in Rivers and the Niger Delta, shared his views during an interview with Arise TV on Saturday.

On March 18, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers, citing a prolonged political crisis. The president suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers Assembly for an initial six-month period. Tinubu appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice-admiral, as the sole administrator for the state.

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This emergency rule has sparked public protests, with many citizens demanding a prompt return to the previous political structure.

Tompolo expressed his belief that Fubara will soon resume his duties as governor.

He emphasized that the ongoing political tension in the state is being addressed by all relevant parties. “The duly elected governor of Rivers is coming back,” Tompolo affirmed. “The problem between Wike and Fubara is between ‘boy and oga’. Our president is one person who has been protecting democracy, and there is no way he is truncating it. We are doing everything, including the president and Wike. Fubara is coming back as governor.”

Reports indicate that Fubara met with President Tinubu in London in early April.

The meeting was reportedly initiated by the suspended governor, who is eager to return to office. During their talks, Fubara is said to have made certain promises to help resolve the ongoing political crisis in Rivers.

Tompolo speaks on Fubara planned return as Rivers gov

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