News
PDP Convention: David Mark, Saraki Reject Party National Chairmanship Position
Ahead of the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) scheduled for October 30, two former Senate Presidents, David Mark, and Bukola Saraki, have declined interest in contesting for the national chairmanship position of the party.
While Mark is hoping to succeed Senator Walid Jibrin as the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Saraki is said to have his eyes firmly set on becoming the presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 general elections.
The zoning committee of the party, headed by the governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, had last week zoned the position of the national chairman to the North.
Ugwuanyi had announced that the National Working Committee (NWC) positions currently being held by party members across the country would be swapped between the North and South.
Credible sources in the party said though it was not formally announced, stakeholders in the party have micro-zoned the position to the North-Central region.
Although Mark was being promoted by PDP governors who saw him as a stabiliser with the much-needed experience to manage the party’s affairs, our correspondent gathered from sources close to him that he has declined the offer.
“David Mark is not interested in the chairmanship of the party. What he wants is the position of BoT chairman. He has seen it that the North-Central has produced five national chairmen in the past – Solomon Lar, Barnabas Gemade, Ahmadu Alli, Kawu Baraje, and AuduOgbe.
“The North Easth as produced Bamanga Tukur and North-West has only produced Acting Chairman, Mohammed Haliru Bello. The South-East has also produced two National Chairmen in Chief Vincent Ogbula for and Okwesilieze Nwodo.
“Even, both Haliru Bello and Makarfi who came from North- West served in acting capacities.
“Also, Mark and the North prefer a Northern Muslim so that the South can produce a Christian as National Secretary. Once you take a Northern Christian as chairman, then you have restricted the national secretary who must be a Muslim to only one zone in the South,” a credible source close to the former Senate President informed our correspondent.
Also, it was gathered that Saraki, who served as chairman of the PDP National Reconciliation Committee, is also not interested in becoming the national chairman and has politely declined the offer.
While some governors in the party who wanted a former governor to become the national chairman are pushing for Saraki, it was gathered by our source that the former two-term governor of Kwara is focused on a bigger, national project in 2023.
According to a member of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), Saraki is interested in contesting for the presidency even though he is yet to formally declare his ambition.
“I understand Saraki, too, has declined the offer. He has not informed us but we understand he has his eyes set on contesting the 2023 presidential election on the platform of our great party,” he said.
News
Late COAS Lagbaja gets CFR honour, buried amid tributes
Late COAS Lagbaja gets CFR honour, buried amid tributes
The late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, was on Friday laid to rest in Abuja, amid tears and tributes.
President Bola Tinubu conferred a posthumous award of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the late Chief of Army Staff.
The burial took place at the National Cemetery in Abuja to end two days of funeral rites that began in Lagos earlier in the week.
His body was lowered into the grave at exactly 4:41pm after the ceremony that lasted over two hours.
Lagbaja’s casket, draped in Nigeria’s green and white colours, arrived at the cemetery around 3pm in a white funeral wagon after a funeral service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
Dignitaries were led to the event by President Bola Tinubu. Others are Vice President Kashim Shettima; the Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa; Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, and other top government officials and military brass.
President Tinubu announced the conferment of the CFR on the late COAS during the interment at the National Cemetery in Abuja.
The President extolled the virtues of the late warrior, especially his contributions to national security.
According to him, the appointment of Lagbaja as the COAS was one of his finest made so far.
“As an eternal symbol of our appreciation, I have granted the late Chief of Army Staff, the posthumous national honour of the Commander of the Federal Republic of the Niger (CFR),” Tinubu declared.
He thereafter invited the wife of the late COAS, Mariya, to collect the award on behalf of the Lagbaja family amid applause from the congregation.
News
Supreme Court dismisses 16 govs suit challenging EFCC legality
Supreme Court dismisses 16 govs suit challenging EFCC legality
The Supreme Court has dismissed the suit by 16 states challenging the constitutionality of the acts establishing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and two others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the other agencies are the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
In the lead judgment by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji delivered on Friday, the Supreme Court resolved the six issues raised for determination in the suit against the plaintiffs.
The court held that the laws establishing the anti-corruption agencies were validly enacted by the National Assembly within its legislative competence.
It faulted the claim by the plaintiffs that the EFCC Act, being a product of the United Nations convention on corruption, ought to be ratified by majority of the state houses of assembly.
Delivering judgement on Friday, Justice Abba-Aji ruled that “the EFCC Act, which was not established from a treaty but a convention, does not need the ratification of the houses of assembly.”
News
Executive Secretary FCDA Hadi Ahmad suspended indefinitely
Executive Secretary FCDA Hadi Ahmad suspended indefinitely
Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority FCDA, Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad, has been suspended indefinitely.
His suspicion was on the order of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister, Lere Olayinka, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday evening.
No reason was given for the suspension.
Ahmad was directed to hand over to the Director, Engineering Services in the FCDA.
The statement read: “The Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority FCDA, Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad, has been suspended indefinitely.
“According to a statement on Thursday, by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike, the suspension of Engr Hadi Ahmad is with immediate effect.
“The suspended Executive Secretary has consequently been directed to hand over to the Director of Engineering Services, Engr in the FCDA.”
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