ABDUL’AZIZ Yari, former Zamfara State Governor and a Senator-elect, has vowed to go ahead with his Senate presidency bid. News Point Nigeria reports that other contenders for the position, like Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi and Senator Ali Ndume (Borno) have withdrawn from the race and backed the party’s choice of former Akwa-Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio. But Yari said Akpabio’s endorsement by President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu would, not stop him from the contest. He spoke while meeting with the executives of the Tinubu/Shettima Network (TSN), headed by its National Chairman, Kailani Muhammad, in Abuja, on Saturday. He said the…
Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani
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THE second batch of Sudanese evacuees arrived in Nigeria on Friday afternoon. They arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja around 3:30 pm with about 130 persons aboard the Taco Airline aircraft. They were 128 females and two males. Earlier, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) tweeted about their arrival. It said the flight “Left Port Sudan International Airport today, 5th May 2023, at 8:00 am local time, with 130 Nigerian nationals (Evacuees) 128 females and 2 males. 130 Nigerian nationals (Evacuees) 128 females and 2 males. “Estimated time of arrival Port Sudan (PZU) to Juba (JUB)= 2hrs…
SUSPENDED Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa Ari says he never regretted announcing Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the 2023 governorship election in the state. Ari, who stated this in an interview with BBC Hausa, asserted that he acted within the confines of relevant laws before declaring the APC candidate as the Governor-elect before his decision was declared null and void by the national arm of the electoral body in Abuja. Ari had courted controversy after the supplementary election in Adamawa State on April 15, 2023 when he announced…
THE suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa Ari, a lawyer, has explained that he announced results of 69 polling units in the April 15 supplementary election due to security pressure. Ari stated this in a letter to the Inspector General of Police explaining his part in the controversial April 16 announcement of the governorship election, which put the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Aishatu Ahmed (Binani) as winner against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and governor of the state, Ahmadu Fintiri. In the letter, which was copied the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission…
THE Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Saturday said the Mission in Egypt was making arrangements for the payment of visa fees for stranded Nigerians at the border of the country. The Federal Government had on Friday called on relevant authorities along contiguous borders of Sudan to create a humane condition for about 7,000 nationals, including Nigerians, to have unfettered access to their various destinations. Dabiri-Erewa, who made this call, said the nationals were not being allowed to cross the border into Egypt since their arrival on Thursday evening. However, giving updates on the stranded Nigerians at the…
THE National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has called for a meeting of the party’s administrative organ, the National Working Committee. The meeting scheduled for next Wednesday was revealed in a leaked circulation to all NWC members. The development is coming barely 24 hours after Adamu and the party’s National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, were dragged to court by a high-ranking member of the NWC, Mallam Salihu Lukman, over an alleged breach of the party’s constitution. The face-off between the Kaduna politician and the APC national chairman has been recurring in the last one year.…
PRESIDENT_ELECT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has concluded plans to pair the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, with Senator Jibrin Barau as Senate president and deputy respectively, Daily Trust has exclusively gathered. Akpabio and Barau are among the nine contenders for the Senate presidency of the 10th assembly, expected to be inaugurated on June 13. Credible sources told this paper that the president-elect, who returned to the country on Monday after 34 days abroad, communicated his decision to Akpabio and Barau during a meeting held in Abuja. The former Lagos State governor had on Tuesday met with Akpabio,…
JUSTICE Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja has dismissed the bail application filed by detained alleged terrorists negotiator, Tukur Mamu. News Point Nigeria reports that, in a ruling, Justice Ekwo held that the application was without merit and that the applicant failed to provide sufficient materials to move the court to exercise its description in his favour. Justice Ekwo noted that the defendant failed to rebut the prosecution’s claim that there was a likelihood of him committing more offences. The judge held that although the defendant claimed the State Security Service (SSS), where he was being kept, could…
GOMBE State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya ( Dan Majen Gombe) has approved the appointments of Zakari Isa Kwami as Acting Surveyor- General and Ibrahim Abubakar Dule as Acting Statistician- General of Gombe State. The State Head of Civil Service, Alhaji Bappayo Yahaya who conveyed the Governor’s approval, stated that the development followed the retirement of the occupants of the two offices, and is pursuant to the powers conferred on the Governor by section 208 subsection ( 2c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ( as amended). He further stated that the appointments were informed by the new…
THE Federal Government’s buses have arrived the meeting point of International University Of Africa, Khartoum for the evacuation of the stranded Nigerian students in Sudan through Cairo. News Point Nigeria reports that, a set of five 200-seater buses drove into the venue at exactly 7:30pm local time (5:30pm – Nigerian time) with two Hilux trucks of security personnel and a small bus of embassy officials. A student leader who spoke to News Point Nigeria confirmed the development,”the officials have started clearance and verification of students at the venue and some students are ready to board. “We are discussing giving out…
THE planned evacuation of Nigerian students from Sudan through Cairo by the Federal Government seem to be another of the govt’s ruse for public salute. News Point Nigeria reliably gathered that, the evacuated students have been left stranded for over eight hours with no buses and no official in sight at the meeting point of the evacuation – International University Of Africa, Khartoum. Some students who spoke to News Point Nigeria on condition of anonymity said, they were asked to converge at the campus of the International University Of Africa, Khartoum before 6am on Tuesday and over a thousand of…
BARELY five hours after News Point Nigeria had exclusively reported that, the Federal Government had written to the Embassy of Nigeria in Sudan requesting for its 200-seater buses to evacuate 3500 trapped Nigerian students to Cairo tomorrow (Tuesday). In a letter exclusively obtained by News Point Nigeria, signed by the Charge D’ Affairs, Haruna Yusuf Garko, dated 23rd April, 2023, with reference number: NEKM/POL/03/III, the government had stated that the buses will convey the students out of the North African country by 6am Tuesday. An Embassy official, who spoke to News Point Nigeria on condition on anonymity Monday morning on…
THE Federal Government has written to the Embassy of Nigeria in Sudan requesting for its 200-seater buses to evacuate 3500 trapped Nigerian students to Cairo tomorrow (Tuesday). In a letter exclusively obtained by News Point Nigeria, signed by the Charge D’ Affairs, Haruna Yusuf Garko, dated 23rd April, 2023, with reference number: NEKM/POL/03/III, the government stated that the buses will convey the students out of the North African country by 6am Tuesday. An Embassy official, who spoke to News Point Nigeria on condition on anonymity Monday morning on this development said, there are about 7 of such buses available, therefore…
ZAMFARA State Governor, Bello Matawalle has reinstated the Emir of Birnin Yandoto, Aliyu Marafa nine months after conferring a traditional title to one of the most dreaded bandits kingpins, Ado Aliero in the North-Western State. News Point Nigeria had reported how the Emir of Yandoto emirate was asked to step aside last July following a public outcry that greeted the appointment of the bandit. In a statement on Sunday, the Secretary to the State Government, Kabiru Balarabe, said the suspended Emir was reinstated because he was not found guilty of the offence he was accused to have committed when he…
THE Federal Government will begin the evacuation of trapped Nigerians in Sudan next week as the crisis in the country continues to deepen. A senior official at the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) told News Point Nigeria exclusively that, the agency has had several meetings with the Embassy Of Sudan and all the relevant authorities within and outside the country over the unfortunate plight of Nigerians in Sudan. News Point Nigeria had reported that, the Chairperson of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa had disclosed that plans are already underway to see to the evacuation of Nigerians in Sudan.…
The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has declared Friday 21st of April 2023 as the first day of Shawwal 1444AH in Nigeria. The Sultan made the declaration in his palace in Sokoto on Thursday after the Sultanate Council Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs in conjunction with the National Moon Sighting Committee received several reports from various Moon Sighting committees across the country. He said, therefore, Thursday is the 29th day of the month of Ramadan 1444 AH. and Friday is Eid Al Fitr. The Sultan said he has…
EXACTLY one month after the March 18 governorship elections, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has emerged as the winner of what some might describe a drama-filled supplementary election in Adamawa State. In last Saturday’s rerun, Fintiri, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polled 9,337 votes besting Senator Aishatu ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 6,513 votes. News Point Nigeria reports that, at the end of the entire exercise, Fintiri polled 430,861 votes, defeating Binani’s 398,788 votes. The announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at 5:49 pm on Tuesday was preceded by a series of…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday, resolved to write the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to probe and prosecute its Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa Ari. News Point Nigeria reports that, the electoral umpire reached the decision when its National Commissioners met at the commission’s national headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday over Adamawa supplementary governorship election. In a string of tweets on its official handle, INEC said, “At its meeting today, 18th April 2023, the Commission discussed matters arising from the Adamawa Governorship election and decided to: “Write to the Inspector-General of Police for…
A 30-YEAR-OLD suspected kidnapper and killer of a three-year-old child has been arrested by police officers in Katsina State. The suspect identified as Abubakar Abdul-Aziz of Sabuwar Santa Quarters in Musawa Local Government Area of the State was arrested on Wednesday, April 12th, 2023 at about 15:00hrs. According to the Katsina Police Spokesman Gambo Isah in a statement on Monday, the suspect had on March 23rd, 2023, at about 01: 00hrs, criminally trespassed into the residence of one Adamu Alhassan, m, of Bacirawa village in Musawa Local Government Area of the State, while he was deep asleep, and kidnapped his…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has shifted its emergency management meeting earlier fixed for Monday to tomorrow News Point Nigeria gathered. National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, told this newspaper on Monday that the meeting would now hold on Tuesday. According to him, this is to enable some of the national commissioners and other officials who are either on field assignments or have distances to cover to arrive today for the Tuesday’s meeting. The commission fixed the meeting over the controversial declaration of winner of the Adamawa State supplementary by the now suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner…