Headlines

PDP Crisis: Sheriff/Makarfi Know Fate This Week

Published

9 years ago

June 6, 2016

Our Reporter

By Peter OSSAI, Abuja

Solution Party, SP, Seeks INEC Registration

Barring any further adjournments, the two Federal High Courts in Lagos and Port Harcourt, which gave contradictory orders on the leadership crisis bedeviling the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will make definite pronouncements on the matters before them.
Our correspondent reports that, the courts have given Tuesday the 7th and Thursday the 9th of June as date to rule on the applications before them, one of which gave legitimacy to the National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the leader, while the other recognized a Caretaker committee, put in place at the instance of some governors in the party, headed by Ahmed Makarfi.
When eventually ruled upon, the tension generated in the party since its botched convention in Port Harcourt on May 21st may be put to rest, paving way for the reconciliatory moves promised by each of the warring parties as the way forward.
It may be recalled that the convention of the party was put off by the Chairman of the Convention who is also the National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, citing plethora of court restraints, including a full judgment, to the effect that, certain national offices in the party will not be vacant for elections into them until 2017 and 2018.
Some members of the National working committee had approached the courts arguing that their tenures will not expire until 2017, and obtained judgment to that effect, and in another development, the federal High Court in Lagos had also ruled shortly before the botched convention that the offices of the national Chairman, National Secretary and National Auditor will not also be vacant until 2018.
Relying upon these and after due consultations on the necessity or not to go ahead with the convention, which was slated to be elective, senator Sheriff addressed a Press conference in the morning of the planned convention, putting off the exercise until the matters in the courts are addressed.
Sheriff who also received a letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, intimating him that they will not supervise elections into the offices cited by the courts at the convention, even if it had gone ahead, argued that, it will be better to play safe and project the PDP as law abiding by putting off the convention.
Apparently not impressed with Sheriff’s obedience to the court orders, Governors of the party, who have been scheming to hijack its operations invited people to the Sharks stadium in Port Harcourt, where they purportedly dissolved the National Working Committee, and put in place a Caretaker Committee, headed by former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi: knowing that there is no provision for a caretaker committee in the constitution of the PDP.
In a seeming judicial drama, another federal high Court in Port Harcourt, ostensibly not aware of the earlier ruling by a court of coordinate jurisdiction in Lagos, went on to confer recognition to the Caretaker Committee led by Makarfi, and restraining Sheriff from carrying out his official functions.
The decision has since been challenged by Sheriff to the effect that the Port Harcourt court was duely notified of the possible consequences of his orders to the integrity of the high Court in the matter, as well as the fact that Caretaker committee is an aberration in the PDP, and there was no convention in Port Harcourt as such.
While this drama was unfolding in Port Harcourt, a quasi political gathering was also taking place in Abuja which came up with the same caretaker committee contraption, with Senator Ibrahim Mantu as its caretaker Chairman. This group which sole agenda was to stop Sheriff from becoming Chairman, if the Port Harcourt convention were to hold, was equally laying claim to the party leadership.
Following these developments, there was so much apprehension amongst party members that, the PDP may be heading for an implosion, given that the crisis this time around poses real threats to its cohesion.
The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase had in apparent fear of the breakdown of law and order, should all parties meet at the PDP secretariat cordoned off the office, but later went against his orders by allowing some party members to enter the building and held a meeting, even as non functional organs of the party.
But even before the court verdicts, legal luminaries gave it to sheriff for the mere facts that the courts had earlier ruled that his tenure subsists till 2019 and that there is no provision for a caretaker in the PDP constitution. This they also argue against the fact that the process that brought about the caretaker contraption was flawed as the convention at which they were purportedly appointed had earlier been put off. The court resort in Port Harcourt may as well be a face saving move, Ahmed Gulak, one of the lawyers argued.
In the meantime, against permutations that some new political parties may be in the offing as a fall back for some aggrieved party members, Solution Party, SP, has applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC seeking to be registere4d as a political party.
Our correspondent stumbled upon their letter of application and a draft constitution on Sunday evening, and reports that while there may be no visible hands behind SP, its interim leaders comprises of young technocrats, most of whom are still in government service.
A source in the new party told us that some of the governors in the embattled PDP have approached them for possible partnership in 2019, even as one of the south West Governors has pledged to pick the bills for the party’s registration and office accommodation.

Headlines

BREAKING: Senate to Engage US Lawmakers Over Alleged Christian Genocide in Nigeria

Published

2 days ago

October 6, 2025

Our Reporter

By: Fabian Apechihin

The Nigerian Senate is set to engage with US lawmakers following renewed debate on alleged targeted attacks against Christians in the country.

The controversy intensified after American TV host Bill Maher, on his HBO program, described the situation as a “silent genocide,” accusing Western media of downplaying mass killings by Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, and Fulani militias. He cited claims that over 100,000 Christians have been killed since 2009 and thousands of churches destroyed.

Maher’s remarks were echoed by Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who argued that the crisis had not received the international media attention it deserves.

Government Rejects Genocide Narrative
In response, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, dismissed the claims as misleading and divisive. He emphasized that terrorist groups do not target Christians alone, insisting that Nigerians of all faiths—including Muslims and non-religious citizens—have suffered at the hands of violent extremists.

“Portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a religious war is a gross misrepresentation of reality,” Idris said.

Headlines

Nigeria @ 65: The Worst Is Over, We’ve Turned a New Corner — Tinubu

Published

1 week ago

October 1, 2025

Our Reporter

By: Fabian Apechihin

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his Independence Day broadcast marking Nigeria’s 65th anniversary, assured citizens that the country has overcome its toughest challenges and is on the path to recovery.

Honouring the Founding Fathers

Tinubu paid tribute to the sacrifices of Nigeria’s independence leaders, including Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Margaret Ekpo, Anthony Enahoro, Michael Okpara, Aminu Kano, and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.
“They believed it was Nigeria’s manifest destiny to lead the black race as the largest black nation on earth,” he said.

Journey So Far

Reflecting on six decades of nationhood, the President noted that Nigeria had endured a civil war, military dictatorships, and political crises but survived with “courage and grit.”
“At Independence, Nigeria had only 120 secondary schools and two tertiary institutions. Today, we have over 23,000 secondary schools, 274 universities, 183 polytechnics, and 236 colleges of education,” he said, adding that the country had made “remarkable progress” in healthcare, telecommunications, aviation, and infrastructure.

Tough Reforms, Signs of Recovery

Tinubu said he inherited a fragile economy distorted by decades of poor policies but chose reform over inaction.
“Our administration ended the corrupt fuel subsidy regime and abolished multiple foreign exchange rates that enriched a few while impoverishing the majority,” he stated.
According to him, the measures are yielding results:

GDP grew by 4.23% in Q2 2025, the fastest in four years.
Inflation fell to 20.12% in August, the lowest in three years.
₦20 trillion was realised from non-oil revenue by August.
Debt service-to-revenue ratio dropped from 97% to below 50%.
Foreign reserves climbed to $42.03 billion, the highest since 2019.
Oil output rebounded to 1.68 million barrels per day, while Nigeria refined petrol domestically for the first time in four decades.
The stock market surged from 55,000 points in May 2023 to 142,000 points by September 2025.

“The worst is over. Yesterday’s pains are giving way to today’s relief,” the President declared.

Tackling Insecurity

Tinubu said security agencies were making gains against insurgency, separatism, and banditry.
“Hundreds of communities have been liberated, with thousands of displaced persons returning home. We salute the gallantry of our armed forces,” he said.

Investing in Youth

Describing young people as Nigeria’s “greatest asset,” Tinubu highlighted ongoing programmes:

NELFUND Student Loans: ₦99.5bn disbursed to 510,000 students.
Credicorp Loans: ₦30bn given to 153,000 Nigerians for solar, housing, transport, and digital devices.
YouthCred: Credit support extended to NYSC members.
iDICE Programme: Partnership with AfDB, AFD, and IsDB to boost innovation in digital and creative sectors.

Call for Collective Effort

Acknowledging that reforms have caused temporary hardship, Tinubu urged Nigerians to remain steadfast.
“Our progress must not be measured by statistics alone, but by food on our tables, quality of education, electricity in our homes, and safety in our communities,” he said.

He called on citizens to embrace productivity, pay taxes, support local industries, and contribute to nation-building.
“The dawn of a new Nigeria is here — self-reliant, prosperous, and united. With God on our side, we will overcome. Let all hands be on deck,” he concluded.

Would you like me to compress this further into a shorter news report (around 6–7 tight paragraphs) for quick-read media, or keep it as a detailed feature-style recap like this one?

Headlines

Bandit Kingpin Releases 28 Captives in Katsina Following Peace Deal

Published

3 weeks ago

September 17, 2025

Our Reporter

A total of 28 persons abducted by suspected bandits in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State have been released without ransom following a peace arrangement with bandit kingpin.

The bandits, led by their commander identified as Isya Akwashi Garwa, handed over the captives to officials of the council on Wednesday.

Zagazola reports that those released were largely residents of Mairua, Kanen-haki and Yar Dabaru communities.

Local authorities confirmed that the release was the outcome of a reconciliation effort initiated in the area to restore peace and reduce violent attacks.

Community leaders in Faskari described the development as a positive signal and urged both sides to sustain the peace process. They also urged the bandit to force other bandits still attacking in the area to stop.

A council official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “The captives were released this afternoon without any ransom being paid. The bandit leader fulfilled his promise under the peace talks,”he said.

Meanwhile, residents expressed relief at the safe return of the abductees, with some calling for stronger security guarantees to consolidate the gesture.