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Nigerian music star turned politician, Banky W, has won the PDP House of Representative Primaries for Eti-Osa Federal Constituency.
In a chat with Daily Trust, an aide of the singer, Kennedy Salami, stated that Banky W had a landslide victory.
Salami said, “We have just concluded the elections and he has won. We secured the ticket for the House Representatives of Eti-Osa PDP. So, we are moving on to the next. It was a landslide; we won 28 to 3 votes.”
In April, the music star announced on social media that he was once again aiming to represent the people of Eti-Osa Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives.
He tweeted, “We must engage with Nigeria where it is, not where we prefer for it to be. In 2019, we planted the seed. In 2023, by the grace of God, and with your support, we will win the seat. The time for just talking is over. It’s time to #TalkAndDo. I hope I can count on you. We move.”
Mayor Lucky Igbokwe, a governorship aspirant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, has accused Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of imposing non-elected ad hoc delegates to oversee the primary election of the party in the state.
Igbokwe claimed Ikpeazu imposed members of the delegates to favour his anointed candidate.
He said the governor is plotting to have Professor Uche Ikonne, a former Vice-Chancellor of Abia State University, succeed him.
Commenting on the selection of party delegates, Igbokwe said, “the process lacks credibility, it is illegal and unacceptable.
“There was no election to select the three-man ad hoc delegates.”
He also cast a doubt on the credibility of the primary election as he claims the process leading up to the primary is faulty.
“I have been ready for this exercise all my life. I believe I was born to serve my people.
“The process leading up to this exercise is faulty, hence my rooted doubts over the fairness of the upcoming primary.
“I do not trust the process as every action of the governor points to an imposition of his anointed candidate. This is not how democracy works,” he said.
Also, some aggrieved members under the Oganihu Ndi Abia, a critical umbrella stakeholder in the affairs of the state, group faulted the process of selection of the ad hoc delegates claiming it was biassed and influenced.
The board of trustees chairman of the group, Chukwudi Ibegbu, warned against imposition of candidates and also urged parties’ leadership to ensure a level playing ground for all aspirants.
“Unless we get it right in leadership, especially political leadership, we shall continue to be in the doldrums.
“We have been monitoring the current political developments in the state and the jostle for political positions in our state and country. We note complaints coming from stakeholders and participants in all contending political parties in the state over lack of internal democracy and imposition of candidates.
“We, therefore, advise all political parties in our state to maintain internal democracy at all strata and give a level playing ground for all aspirants,” Ibegbu said.
Eight suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing of a policeman during the House of Representatives primary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Obudu, Cross River State.
The policeman was identified as Martins Mbang.
The State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Irene Ugbo, confirmed the incident on Monday evening.
“One of our officers was killed and another was injured. We have arrested eight suspects in connection with the incident,” Irene said.
She condemned the dastardly act and said that they had started with violence when the main elections were yet to even start.
The rescheduled primary was for an aspirant to pick a ticket to contest the Obudu/Obanliku/Bekwarra Federal Constituency election in 2023.
It was gathered that the policemen were shot at the Handmaid’s International Nursery and Primary School along the hospital road where the primary was to take place.
The member representing the Akpabuyo/Bakassi/Calabar South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Apostle Essien Ayi, has clinched the ticket for the sixth time as the Peoples Democratic Party standard-bearer in next year’s election.
He got the ticket in the just concluded primary in Cross River State where he won by 57 votes to defeat Mrs. Imana Duke, who scored 23 votes, while Mr. Dominic Aqua got 16 votes and Mr. Steven Ekpe got three votes.
The Returning officer, Mr. Asuquo Ekpo, said 99 delegates voted in the election.
“By this tabulation, we declare that Hon. Essien Ayi is the winner of the Akpabuyo/Bakassi/Calabar South federal constituency primaries. He scored 57 votes while Mrs. Imana scored 23 votes and Dominic Aqua, 16 votes, then Steven Ekpo scored three votes,” he declared.
Ayi commended the process and said it was free and fair, adding, “I witnessed a very transparent process. I have not seen anybody protesting, it was very transparent and there was no foul play at all. As expected, I knew I was going to win because I know that the people are with me. I won squarely and I am thankful to God.”
On his expectations in the general election in 2023, he said, “like I said, I have the capacity to win the election on my own as a candidate. I cut across all other parties because I always reach out to people irrespective of whether you are in my party as far as you are in my constituency. I even reach out to people outside my constituency. I take delight in helping people because I treasure God’s blessings.”
The lawmaker assured the people of his constituency of a good and robust representation if he wins in 2023.
Imana Duke who trailed Ayi with 23 votes took her loss in good faith and said the process was a transparent exercise.
She said even though the exercise was transparent, the Nigerian voting system still had a long way to go in educating the voting public, adding that “the corruption no one talks about is “money paid to delegates.”
“It is indeed a transparent exercise, there is no challenge, the thing is that the Nigeria voting system has a long way to go. In as much as the exercise was transparent, you could see the delegates taking pictures in order to go and show their preferred aspirants who may likely not be the highest-paid because the corruption no one is talking about is the money that is paid to delegates. Money politics is the order of the day in Nigeria.
“Well for me, it is not a loss, it was my first time running for a political office and of course, I came second. I am not giving up, it is my entry into politics, I am here to stay,” she said.
Also in Odukpani, a member representing Odukpani/Calabar Municipal Federal House of Representatives, Mr. Eta Mbora, also clinched the PDP ticket to contest again.
He polled a total of 56 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Mr. Esuabanga Asuquo, who got 14 votes.
A three-man panel headed by Ikpi Enyong conducted the election at Nkonib Town Hall Ikot Ansa, Calabar Municipality.
In Akampka/Biase Federal Constituency, Mr. Austine Aidam garnered 43 votes to defeat Messers Bassey and Inyang Unoh who had 15 and five votes respectively.
The primary election in Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency was keenly contested between Eko Ati who polled 33 votes defeating Mick Eja who polled 30 votes.
The Chairman of the party, Mr. Venatius Ikem, had assured the aspirants of a free and fair election across the state despite the late arrival of materials at about 2.30 pm and distribution to the returning officers of each constituency at 5 pm by the leader of the team of the National Working Committee for Cross River, Captain Dan Egba.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has issued a revised timetable of activities for its governorship, State House of Assembly, Senate, and House of Representatives primary elections.
This was contained in a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.
According to Morka, the governorship primary election would hold on Thursday, 26th of May, 2022.
He said State House of Assembly for local government delegates would hold on the same date.
Senate would hold on Friday, 27th of May, while the House of Representatives will be on Saturday, 28th of May, 2022.
See full statement below:
REVISED APC TIMETABLE FOR 2023 PRIMARY ELECTIONS
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, 23rd of May, 2022, approved a revised Timetable/Schedule of Activities for the Governorship, State House of Assembly, Senate and House of Representatives Primary Elections as follows:
Thursday, 26th of May, 2022
Governorship – (State Delegates)
State House of Assembly – (LGA Delegates)
Friday, 27th of May, 2022
Senate – (LGA Delegates)
Saturday, 28th of May, 2022
House of Representatives – (LGA Delegates)
Please Note that the Special Convention for the Presidential Primary will be held as scheduled on Sunday, 29th – Monday, 30th of May, 2022.
A 20-year veteran of Russia’s diplomatic service announced his resignation Monday in protest of his country’s war on Ukraine, multiple media outlets reported.
In a rare public protest by a Russian official, Boris Bondarev, a diplomat posted to Russia’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva, posted a statement on a LinkedIn account condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticizing the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for complicity in what he described as an an “aggressive war” — language that is proscribed in Russia under wartime censorship laws.
“For twenty years of my diplomatic career I have seen different turns of our foreign policy, but never have I been so ashamed of my country as on February 24 of this year,” Bondarev wrote, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. “The aggressive war unleashed by Putin against Ukraine, and in fact against the entire Western world, is not only a crime against the Ukrainian people, but also, perhaps, the most serious crime against the people of Russia, with a bold letter Z crossing out all hopes and prospects for a prosperous free society in our country.”
The respected Russian business newspaper Kommersant reached out to Bondarev, who confirmed the authenticity of the post. The New York Times confirmed the receipt of a resignation sent by email to diplomats in Geneva.
The Russian mission to the UN in Geneva declined to comment on the matter to CNN, and Bondarev did not respond to messages sent to the LinkedIn account.
The post on LinkedIn lambasted Russia’s leadership for corruption, saying, “Those who conceived this war want only one thing – to remain in power forever, live in pompous tasteless palaces, sail on yachts comparable in tonnage and cost to the entire Russian Navy, enjoying unlimited power and complete impunity. To achieve that they are willing to sacrifice as many lives as it takes. Thousands of Russians and Ukrainians have already died just for this.”
It also singled out the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for harsh criticism.
“I regret to admit that over all these twenty years the level of lies and unprofessionalism in the work of the Foreign Ministry has been increasing all the time. However, in most recent years, this has become simply catastrophic. Instead of unbiased information, impartial analysis and sober forecasting, there are propaganda clichés in the spirit of Soviet newspapers of the 1930s,” the post read.
“Today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not about diplomacy. It is all about warmongering, lies and hatred. It serves interests of few, the very few people thus contributing to further isolation and degradation of my country. Russia no longer has allies, and there is no one to blame but its reckless and ill-conceived policy,” the post continued.
The LinkedIn profile describes Bondarev as a veteran of Russian diplomatic service, with expertise in arms control and nonproliferation. The picture on the profile now has the hashtag #opentowork.
The US State Department said Monday that Bondarev’s resignation shows that “despite the Kremlin’s propaganda, there are Russians who profoundly disagree with what President Putin is doing in Ukraine and share our concern about the danger he is creating for the entire global community.”
A State Department spokesperson said it was encouraging that “many are willing to stand up to” Putin and noted that “it takes immense bravery to stand up to an oppressor, and it requires courage to speak truth to power, especially given the Russian government’s long and terrible track record of attempting to silence legitimate and peaceful protests and dissent.”
“Plummeting morale is clearly not limited to Russia’s military forces fighting in Ukraine,” they said.
“Boris Bondarev’s statement underscores that people around the world, including in Russia and even within the Russian government, are recognizing the brutality of the Kremlin’s assault on the Ukrainian people,” the spokesperson said. “They are doing so despite the Kremlin’s best efforts to manufacture and perpetuate disinformation.”
Ahead of the primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC to pick its Presidential candidate for the 2023 Presidential election, the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan as part of his campaign tour across the states, yesterday stormed Niger State, saying that he has what it takes to be the Successor of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking yesterday in Minna, the Niger State when him and his campaign team met the State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, the delegates to the upcoming APC Presidential primaries and later paid homage to the Emir of Minna, Dr Umar Farouq Bahago, the President of the Senate said that he has gathered the experience, knowledge to succeed President Buhari whose tenure comes to an end in May 2023.
In a statement yesterday by his Media Adviser, Ola Awoniyi, Lawan said, “I am equipped. I have experience enough, I have what it takes to be Nigerian President after President Muhammadu Buhari leaves office,” Lawan said at Minna in Niger state while addressing the All Progressives Congress(APC) delegates from the state.
The President of the Senate who solicited the votes of the delegates against the background of what he has to offer, his vast experience in governance, and the stability that he brought to the parliament, said, “For the last three years, I have been the Senate President. I have been able to work very well with all my colleagues regardless of their political parties.
“We have been able to make the Senate very stable, peaceful, and very productive and today, we have been able to make so many laws because we are at peace.
“It is that type of stability, that type of peace, that kind of unity that I want to bring into the Villa by the Grace of God next year.
“I am running for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because of what I believe in. For me, the mandate is service.
“Having served in the Legislature and having been working with Mr President as the Senate President, I, therefore, get close to governance, a very good participant in governance at the national level.
“I am equipped. I have experience enough, I have what it takes to be Nigerian President after President Muhammadu Buhari leaves office.
“At my age, and I’m a very young man. I’m only 63 years, in between the old and the new. I believe that I can carry the young. And the young is the centre piece of my policy.
“But first let me tell you what I want to do for us. Security. We all know that Niger state has been at the receiving end of insecurity and I know how hard our friend, our Governor has been working to secure the lives of the people of this state.
“The Federal government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has been doing a lot. We have conquered Boko Haram in the northeast. But we still have challenges in the northwest, in this part of north-central.
“It is my intention to continue to work with our President to fight insecurity in every part of Nigeria until he finishes his tenure by the Grace of God on the 29th May, 2023.
“It is my intention to start to serve as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to build on the successes that our President would achieve when he will leave office.
“I believe that we need to consider the architecture of our security system. I believe in citizens’ participation in security. You and I, report what you see to the relevant authorities. They say if you see something, say something. If you see bandits, inform the appropriate authorities.
“I want to see a situation where citizens who volunteer information are protected. I want to see a situation where our traditional rulers, the traditional Institutions play a role in securing our communities. They use to do it before. We can bring them back to do it. There is nothing more important to us today in Nigeria than security. That will be my priority.
“I also want to build on the successes of President Muhammadu Buhari on the economy of Nigeria. I believe that it is still not yet what we want but we are better than many countries.
“Finally, Niger state is an Agricultural state. I want a situation where at least every geo-political zone will have one crop that will be nurtured for production, processing, and for marketing.
“That is to say that it is not enough for us in Niger state to produce yam only. We should produce the yam, process the yam, and sell it with a higher value. I believe that this is one way to deal with youth unemployment,” Lawan said.
In his response, Governor Sani Bello who thanked the Senate President and his team for the visit, said, “I think he has laid out his plans for Niger state for you delegates to consider. So that you give him your mandate to represent our party at the next presidential election.
“I don’t need to say much. You all heard when he started. He has been in the National Assembly since 1999. I don’t think anyone has broken that record yet in Nigeria,” Governor Bello said.
The Senate President was accompanied on the trip from Abuja by former Governor of Abia State and Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, Ambassador Sam Nkire, Navy Commodore Mohammed Barau, mni and Engineer Isa Ahmed.
Former Super Eagles defender and coach, Austin Eguavoen has congratulated Premier League club, Manchester City for winning the 2021/22 Premier League title.
City rallied back from two goals down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 in a thrilling final day clash at the Etihad Stadium.
City were just one point ahead of Liverpool going into the final game of the season.
Matty Cash gave Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa the lead in the 37th minute and former Liverpool player, Phillipe Coutinho doubled the lead in the 69th minute to put City’s title hopes in serious doubt.
However Manchester City went on a five minute rampage to make the scores 3-2 in the 81st minute.
Rodrigo Hernandez’s 78th minute goal was sandwiched between two IIkay Gundogan goals to give City the Premiership title after Liverpool defeated Wolves 3-1.
Eguavoen took to his Twitter handle to congratulate Pep Guardiola and Manchester City for the win.
“Congratulations Manchester City. Pep Guardiola , head and shoulders above everyone else. Champions of England,” he Tweeted.
Manchester City won the title after amassing a total of 93 points from 38 games.
The club had a total of 29 wins ,six draws and three losses.
This is Manchester City’s fourth Premier League win in five years and their eighth win overall since 1937.
The implementation of the chief of European diplomacy Josep Borrell’s idea of creating a European army will not improve security on the continent, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
“We know that Mr. Borrel is not a proponent of diplomatic methods of settling disputes. Contrary to the office he takes he constantly and publicly demonstrates his commitment to acting from the position of strength,” Peskov told the media on Monday. He recalled Borrell’s statement to the effect the problem of Ukraine should be settled on the battlefield.
About Borrell’s statement in favor of creating a European army Peskov said that “this idea implies the militarization of the EU and of beefing up Ukraine’s military potential.”
“This is precisely what will not promote security and stability on the European continent,” Peskov said.
In his Sunday blog Borrell said that the European Union needed an army of its own to take care of its security. In his opinion the current security environment was clear evidence the EU must assume greater responsibility for its security. For this, he said, the alliance needs an up-to-date and compatible European army, which will seek to build up its capabilities.
The Federal Government has declared Thursday, December 25 and Friday, December 26, 2025, as public holidays to mark Christmas and Boxing Day.
The government also...
