EFCC releases Betta Edu after seizing passport, grilling – Newstrends
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EFCC releases Betta Edu after seizing passport, grilling

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EFCC releases Betta Edu after seizing passport, grilling

Suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, has been released from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission NewsTrends learnt she was released on bail Wednesday morning but ordered to report to the EFCC daily.
This came after Edu was grilled for hours on Tuesday and her travel passport seized.
Edu is facing investigations over financial scandals in the ministry.
She arrived at the EFCC headquarters, Abuja at 10am on Tuesday and was quizzed by the commission’s investigators until night time.
She was interrogated over the N44bn fraud uncovered in the ministry.
Managing directors of three commercial banks were also questioned on Tuesday over the fraud.
The scandal involving Edu became open after a leaked memo revealed that the suspended minister directed the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585m to a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget, who the ministry claimed currently serves as the Project Accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
The minister had claimed that the N585m payment was meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, describing the allegations against her as baseless.
The Media Assistant to the minister, Rasheed Olarewaju, said in a statement that it was legal within the civil service for such payments to be made into private accounts of staff members, especially project accountants.
The President on Monday suspended Edu and directed her to hand over to the permanent secretary in the ministry.
On Tuesday, Edu honoured the EFCC invitation and she was subjected to marathon interrogation by investigators.

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SDP chairman shares details of meeting with El-Rufai, Atiku’s allies

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SDP chairman shares details of meeting with El-Rufai, Atiku’s allies

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, has boldly stated that President Bola Tinubu is destined to remain in power until 2031.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Igbokwe declared that the president, who took office in 2023 after securing victory over Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), will serve for two consecutive terms.

While Tinubu’s first term is set to conclude in 2027, Igbokwe stated that the president’s second term, should he run for re-election, will extend until 2031.

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He further advised any other presidential candidates planning to run in 2027 to reconsider their ambitions.

“If any presidential candidate is dreaming of winning presidential elections in 2027, I will advise that candidate to perish the thought till 2031.

“PBAT (President Bola Ahmed Tinubu) is destined to remain in the seat of power till 2031. He needs eight years to set the record straight,” Igbokwe said.

 

SDP chairman shares details of meeting with El-Rufai, Atiku’s allies

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APC spokesman denies threatening Peter Obi

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Felix Morka and Peter Obi

APC spokesman denies threatening Peter Obi

Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has accused Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last election, of misleading the public.

Obi had raised the alarm that Morka threatened him over his New Year message to President Bola Tinubu.

“My New Year Message has now led to threats to my life, my family, and those around me. While I have received all sorts of messages, one Mr. Felix Morka has gone further to accuse me of “crossing the line” and has warned that I will face consequences,” Obi had tweeted.

The allegation of Obi had attracted comments from different quarters, with Atiku Abubakar, Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, accusing the ruling party of stifling opposition voices.

The Labour Party also told Tinubu to call Morka to order, demanding a probe of the alarm raised by Obi.

But in a statement on Tuesday, Morka said Obi’s allegation stemmed from his answer to a question during an interview on AriseTV’s THIS WEEK program on Saturday, January 4, 2025.

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“To be clear and for the record, Morka did not threaten Mr Obi or his family or those around him or anyone. Morka has absolutely no reason to, and has never, threatened Obi or anyone. Nothing that Morka said in that interview or any other forum remotely contains or suggests threat against Mr. Obi or anyone else, as the verbatim transcription of the relevant clip indisputably attests:

“Morka’s answer was in the exclusive context of the question. The last sentence of that answer that, “I am not somebody to go on the offensive in that manner, but Mr. Obi has crossed the line so many times and I think that at this point he has coming to him, whatever he gets, he needs to manage it”, was in specific and exclusive response to the question’s reference to “prophet of doom” and “voodoo economics”. Again, nothing in that sentence constitutes or suggests a threat to Obi or anyone.

“While everyone has a right to free speech, no one has a right to peddle misinformation or outright falsehood. The right to free speech granted by our country’s Constitution is not Mr. Obi’s exclusive right but a right that is available to all Nigerians, including Morka. Mr. Obi cannot disseminate misinformation and demand or expect that no one should disagree or challenge his false narrative.

“Ours is a democracy where every citizen, irrespective of political affiliation, is entitled to agree or disagree with other political views or opinions. More than any other Nigerian in this political dispensation, Mr. Obi has exercised his fundamental liberty to speak and disseminate his political views in person, in the formal and on social media.”

The APC spokesman claimed Obi leads a restless band of online mob who continue to attack, intimidate, bully and issue death threats to other citizens who dare disagree or criticize Obi or his opinions or position on any subject or matter of national conversation.

“Many eminent and highly respected elder statesmen have been serially attacked, humiliated and bullied by Obi’s online followers. Obi has never condemned their conduct or called them to order.”

“Obi must think himself to be Nigeria’s sacred cow, the super citizen, quintessential, without blemish, beyond reproach, always right, never wrong, and endowed with the supreme and inalienable right to deride, castigate, intimidate blackmail and incite Nigerians against other political leaders who disagree with him, even those who defeated him decisively in the last general election. Mr. Obi is not entitled to any monolithic or exclusive constitutional or extraterrestrial liberty over and above any other citizen.

“There’s no doubt that Mr. Obi has crossed the line of truth in his many assessments. As a candidate for the office of President in the last general election, Mr. Obi made very bold electoral promises to implement specific economic policies to tackle the country’s economic crisis.”

APC spokesman denies threatening Peter Obi

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El-Rufai speaks on report of defection to PDP

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Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai

El-Rufai speaks on report of defection to PDP

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has dismissed claims that he has defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A close associate of the ex-governor informed Channels Television that the allegations are baseless and the work of detractors. The aide emphasized that El-Rufai, as a prominent political figure, would not join the PDP without making such a decision public.

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El-Rufai also addressed the speculation on his verified X account, formerly known as Twitter, urging the public to ignore the rumors and asserting that legal action has been initiated against those spreading falsehoods.

“Please disregard the patent lies and rumours about my political affiliation. I have referred the lead peddlers of the fake news for further action by my lawyers,” El-Rufai posted on Sunday.

 

El-Rufai speaks on report of defection to PDP

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