Headlines
2023 Presidency: Ngige Urges Igbo to Join APC
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has enjoined the Igbo to show mass presence in the All Progressives Congress.
He said the APC was the easiest political platform the South-East geopolitical zone could use to ascend to the presidency of the country.
This was coming a day after a close ally of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), Mallam Ismaila Funtua, said any Igbo who wanted to be President should join the ruling APC.
Funtua, who featured on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Saturday, had said, “They (Igbo) should belong. They should join the party. They want to do things on their own and because they are Igbos, we should dash them the president? That was the reason I asked: is it ‘Turn By Turn Nigeria Limited’?”
“If the Igbo want to be President, then they must belong. If you don’t belong, then you can’t be the President. That is the issue and we have seen it with MKO Abiola of blessed memory. He went out of his way, he cultivated people.”
Voicing the same opinion, Ngige, while speaking with APC members on Sunday in Alor, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, said Buhari had shown enough goodwill to the South-East that the area should support him by showing heavy presence in the APC.
The minister had on the occasion shared 3,700 bags of rice, grinding machines, generators, sewing machines to party members at various levels in the state.
Cash and food were also shared on the occasion.
Ngige vowed that the APC would take over Anambra State in the 2021 governorship poll as a pilot demonstration of overwhelming acceptance of the party in the zone.
He said, “The roads which my administration constructed in 2004 are what people are still using today. The All Progressives Grand Alliance has failed us. 2021 is my last fight.
“This is our last major fight. I will fight the way I did when I contested the senatorial election of Anambra Central in 2010.
“The Federal Government of President Buhari has done for well for the Igbo.
“The Social Investment Programme for women of President Buhari is second to none.
“The Enugu airport is receiving attention with N10bn mapped out for its renovation and refurbishment.
“Before long, International airlines will be struggling to operate there.
“The 2nd Niger Bridge is 45 percent completion and it will be toll free unlike what the Obasanjo and Jonathan administrations proposed.
“What I’m begging you is for our party to be united. Any person who doesn’t have the spirit of unity in our party should tell us now and leave us.”
The Punch
The Super Eagles of Nigeria defeated Egypt 4-2 on penalties to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 third-place playoff on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali proved the hero of the night with two crucial saves during the shootout, including one from Egyptian star Mohamed Salah.
Ademola Lookman then calmly converted the decisive penalty to secure the bronze medal —Nigeria’s ninth third-place finish in AFCON history.
With neither side able to break the deadlock in a cagey second half, the game ended 0-0, sending the contest directly to penalties.
Despite Fisayo Dele-Bashiru missing Nigeria’s first kick, Nwabali’s immediate saved from Egypt’s first two attempts shifted the momentum.
The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal of the son of a former Jigawa State governor, challenging the decision of the trial court, which convicted him for failing to declare $40,000 at Kano airport.
In a unanimous decision, the apex court panel dismissed the appeal of Aminu Sule Lamido, the son of former governor Sule Lamido, for lack of merit.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested Aminu on December 11, 2012, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while preparing to travel to Cairo, Egypt.
The prosecution said Aminu declared $10,000 to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), but was found with an additional $40,000, which was not disclosed on his currency declaration form.
The EFCC charged him before the Federal High Court in Kano on a one-count offence of false declaration of foreign currency, contrary to provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
On July 12, 2015, the court convicted Aminu and ordered him to forfeit 25 per cent of the undeclared sum to the Federal government.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Aminu approached the Court of Appeal in Kaduna to overturn the conviction and set aside the forfeiture order.
In a judgment delivered on December 7, 2015, however, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has ordered that the trial of former governor Lamido, his two sons, and others, over alleged N1.35billion fraud, should continue before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
A five-member panel of the apex court issued the directive in two unanimous judgments, in the two appeals filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the trial court, which dismissed the no-case submission filed by the Lamidos and held that the defendants had a case to answer.
Both appeals were against the July 25, 2023, judgments of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld the no-case submission made by Lamido and others and struck out the 37-count charge on which they were being prosecuted, on the grounds that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
In the lead judgments of the Supreme Court, Justice Abubakar Umar set aside the July 25, 2023 judgments of the Court of Appeal and affirmed the earlier decision by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which overruled the no-case submissions by Lamido and others and ordered them to enter their defence.
The EFCC, in the 37-count charge, among others, accused Lamido of abusing his position as a governor between 2007 and 2015, allegedly laundering sums of money received as kickbacks from companies that were awarded contracts by the Jigawa State Government under his leadership.
The other defendants charged alongside Lamido are his two sons – Aminu and Mustapha; Aminu Wada Abubakar and their companies – Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd.
