Ukraine round-up: Evacuation under fire and new oil tensions
Residents have been told to leave Ukraine’s eastern city of Slovyansk, a day after two people were killed in a Russian attack on a market.
With Russian forces now controlling the nearby Luhansk region, UK defence intellligence says Slovyansk is likely to be the next focus of the fight for Donbas, the industrial area comprising Luhansk and Donetsk.
Russian forces also continued shelling Mykolaiv, a strategic city in the south where Ukraine is blocking an advance on the port city of Odesa.
Peter Obi’s candidacy still contentious, says LP factional chairman
A former Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party, Calistus Okafor, says he has spent N48 million in his case challenging the legality of the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee of the party in Court.
He also declared that Peter Obi’s claim of being the presidential candidate, is still contentious, while reiterating the readiness of his faction’s NWC to open discussions with Obi.
Obi emerged as the candidate of the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party.
Okafor who stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja said having sold his house in Gwarinpa, he is ready to sell another house in Wuse 2 to continue fighting.
2023: My Plan For Biafra Agitation If Elected President – Peter Obi
A FORMER ANAMBRA STATE GOVERNOR, AND THE LABOUR PARTY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, PETER OBI SAYS IF ELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTRY IN 2023, HE WOULD ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE WITH THOSE AGITATING FOR SECESSION.
SPEAKING TO NEWSMEN THIS WEDNESDAY, OBI SAID THE AGITATION WAS BIRTHED BY POOR LEADERSHIP IN THE COUNTRY WHICH, ACCORDING TO HIM, HAD BEEN THE ISSUE WITH NIGERIA OVER THE YEARS.
HE SAID HE HAS OBSERVED HOW ISSUES OF AGITATIONS WERE HANDLED IN OTHER COUNTRIES AND HE WOULD HANDLE IT APPROPRIATELY.
DESCRIBING FUEL SUBSIDY AS A SCAM, THE FORMER GOVERNOR ALSO SAID HE WOULD REMOVE SUBSIDY AND LOOK FOR SOMETHING TO REPLACE IT, BECAUSE THE SUBSIDY IS NOT BENEFICIAL TO THE COUNTRY’S ECONOMY.
2023 Presidency: Obi, Kwankwaso’s planned alliance dead
The Director-General of the Obi Presidential Campaign Organisation, Doyin Okupe, has said that the planned alliance between the Labour Party, LP, and the New Nigerian People’s Party, NNPP, for the 2023 general election is “dead.”
Okupe, who is the placeholder as running mate to the LP presidential candidate and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, stated this in an interview on Tuesday night, saying the plan has been dead for about four weeks now.
Okupe says the negotiation became deadlocked when the LP side queried the emergence of another Muslim northerner succeeding the President Muhammadu Buhari, who’s a Muslim from the North.
Ebonyi PDP suspends factional Chairman
The members of the State Working Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi State chapter have suspended its factional Chairman, Tochukwu Okorie for alleged diversion of over fifty million naira from the Party’s Treasury.
The Deputy state Chairman of the party, Emmanuel Nworie, stated this after an emergency meeting at the party secretariat along Abakaliki/Enugu Expressway in Abakaliki the Ebonyi State capital.
Nworie, who led other members of the committee, also alleged that Okorie failed to organize a meeting with the executive for four months since he was reinstated as Chairman by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
He also alleged that the party Chairman abandoned the activities of the party after his reinstatement, and joined an aspirant to file a suit against PDP in the state.
However, our Correspondent in Ebonyi State, Emmanuel Nnaji, reports that Tochukwu Okorie has reacted to the development, saying that his suspension is illegal as it is only the national leadership that can suspend him.
Osun poll: INEC chairman arrives as commission holds mock accreditation
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Osun State has said it will conduct mock accreditation as part of efforts to ascertain its level of preparedness for the July 16 governorship poll.
INEC Public Affairs Officer, Oluwaseun Osimosu stated this in Osogbo on Sunday, saying that the mock accreditation will commence this Monday and end on Tuesday, 5th July 2022
He also said the exercise will hold in selected polling units in the three senatorial districts in the state.
Meanwhile, INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, has arrived the state, to kick-start series of engagement and evaluate the level of preparation of the Commission for the governorship poll.
ATIKU BATTLES TO AVERT PDP’S COLLAPSE, WIKE’S LOYALISTS THREATEN DEFECTION
THE RIVERS STATE GOVERNOR NYESOM WIKE LOYALISTS IN THE PEOPLE’S DEMOCRACTIC PARTY ARE THREATENING TO LEAVE THE PARTY IF THEIR PRINCIPAL DEFECTS WORSENING THE CRISIS ROCKING THE PARTY AHEAD OF THE 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS.
POLITICAL LEADERS LOYAL TO WIKE, WARNED THE PDP OF THEIR READINESS TO MOBILISE OTHER SUPPORTERS OF THE GOVERNOR TO DUMP THE NATION’S MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY.
BUT, PDP’S STANDARD-BEARER, ATIKU ABUBAKAR, ALLAYED FEARS OVER THE CRISIS IN THE PARTY, SAYING HE WOULD ENSURE RECONCILIATION.
ATIKU SAID THIS BARELY 24 HOURS AFTER BENUE STATE GOVERNOR SAMUEL ORTOM ACCUSED HIM OF FAILING TO HONOUR THE DEMOCRATIC CHOICE IN THE SELECTION OF HIS RUNNING MATE.
A’IBOM ACCORD PARTY DENIES BEING SPONSORED BY GOVERNMENT
THE AKWA IBOM STATE CHAPTER OF ACCORD PARTY HAS IDENTIFIED ITSELF AS ALTERNATIVE PARTY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS OF THE STATE IF VOTED INTO POWER IN 2023.
THE STATE CHAIRMAN OF THE ACCORD PARTY, MARTINS ANSA, TOLD JOURNALISTS THIS IN UYO WHILE DENYING INSINUATIONS THAT THE PARTY IS BEING SPONSORED BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT DISMISSING AS FALSE AND MALICIOUS THE RUMOUR THAT ITS GOVERNORSHIP ASPIRANT, EMEM COFFIE, HOLDS A SUBSTITUTIVE CANDIDATE POSITION.
ANSA SAYS ACCORD PARTY IN AKWA IBOM STATE IS A PRODUCT OF SELF-SACRIFICE BY COMMITTED MEMBERS WHO HAVE SHOWN UNFLINCHING LOYALTY IN THEIR BELIEF TO PRODUCE THE NEXT GOVERNOR OF AKWA IBOM STATE IN 2023 SAYING ACCORD (PARTY) IN AKWA IBOM STATE HAS NEVER RECEIVED A DIME FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT NOR AN INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS.
APC Begins Students’ Registration, Revalidation
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has set up a task force to commence immediate registration of students and revalidation of its members across the country.
The National Youth Leader of APC, Dayo Israel, stated this on Wednesday, during the inauguration of the task force, which took place at the party headquarters in Abuja.
Israel disclosed that the task force has been mandated to coordinate the registration and revalidation exercise of students and youths-led support groups into a recognisable structure.
2023: You’ve treated Wike badly, go to him, appeal – Ortom tells PDP
BENUE STATE GOVERNOR, SAMUEL ORTOM HAS URGED THE LEADERSHIP OF THE PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) TO GO TO RIVERS STATE GOVERNOR, NYESOM WIKE, AND APPEAL TO HIM.
ACCORDING TO HIM THE PDP HAS TREATED WIKE, WHO IS A FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANT OF THE PARTY, BADLY.
HE SAID WIKE HAS RECONCILED MANY AGGRIEVED PEOPLE BACK TO THE PARTY, SAYING IT WAS WIKE WHO BROUGHT HIM BACK TO THE PDP IN 2015 WHEN HE WAS TREATED UNJUSTLY.
IT WOULD BE RECALLED THAT ATIKU HAD SECURED THE PRESIDENTIAL TICKET OF THE PDP ON MAY 28, DEFEATING THE GOVERNOR OF RIVERS STATE, NYESOM WIKE, WHO HAS SINCE ACCUSED STAKEHOLDERS OF HIS PARTY IN THE SOUTH OF BETRAYAL.