Headlines
APC Plans to Visit Tinubu, Begs Members in New Reconciliation Moves
The Mai Mala Buni-led All Progressives Congress Caretaker Committee and Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee will before the end of this week visit the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, The PUNCH has learnt.
It was gathered that this was part of the decisions taken during the inaugural meeting of the committee held at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, on Monday. The meeting, which started at 1.02pm ended at 3.16pm.
It was learnt that the visit, which had been tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, was meant to reassure the APC national leader that the dissolution of the party’s National Working Committee was not targeted at him.
The APC National Executive Committee had, at its meeting attended by the President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday sacked the party’s NWC loyal to the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, whose suspension was upheld by the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on June 16.
Following Oshiomhole’s suspension on June 16, the APC was divided into two factions with one led by its suspended Deputy National Secretary, Victor Giadom, and the other consisting of 18 NWC members, who were loyal to the national chairman.
Buhari declared support for Giadom and attended the Thursday meeting, which he convened.
Many analysts had interpreted Buhari’s support for Giadom and the sack of the NWC loyal to Oshiomhole, as the President’s deft move against Tinubu ahead of the 2023 presidential poll.
But the Presidency, in a statement on Saturday dismissed reports that Buhari and Tinubu had fallen apart following the dissolution of the NWC.
Also, Tinubu, in a statement on Saturday, supported the dissolution of the NWC at the instance of the President during the NEC meeting. Buhari, Tinubu said, acted like a true father to save the party from disintegration.
An APC chieftain, who confided in our correspondent, said at their meeting on Monday, the party caretaker committee members agreed to visit Tinubu to seek his support.
The source said, “It was agreed that the committee should go and meet our national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, to pacify and assure him that the dissolution of the Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee of our great party was not targeted at him. He is one of our most revered leaders. We recognise and appreciate his enormous contributions to this party. We plan to visit him tomorrow (Tuesday). If the visit does not take place tomorrow, it will take place before the end of the week.”
The chairman also appealed to all party members to heed the appeal by the President to aggrieved members, who had cases in courts. He urged them to withdraw the cases in the interest of the party.
Buni said, “I urge all party members to heed to the appeal by our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR on his call to all aggrieved members who have instituted various cases in the courts to please withdraw such cases in the interest of our great party.”
The Punch
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
President Bola Tinubu has said Nigeria is ready to work with other nations to build a resilient, equitable, and sustainable world for all.
Tinubu spoke in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on the second day of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
The president spoke on the topic, “From Climate Imperatives into Economic Prosperity: Bridging Africa with the Global Energy Future.”
He declared that no single nation could walk the road to sustainability alone, stressing that global interconnectedness demand collective action, knowledge sharing, and mutual support.
According to Tinubu, “The fight against climate change is not merely an environmental necessity but a global economic opportunity to reshape the trajectory of our continent and the global energy landscape.
“As leaders, stakeholders and citizens of our planet, we stand at a critical juncture in human history. To succeed, we must innovate, collaborate and act decisively as one global community.”
Reiterating his administration’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions, Tinubu assured the audience that the Nigerian government had developed actionable programmes in line with global expectations, bearing in mind Nigeria’s economic and political expectations.
He said, “We have embraced a vision of sustainability that aligns with global aspirations while addressing local realities. Our efforts are anchored on three pillars: Energy Transition, Climate Resilience, and Sustainable Development.
“My administration recognises the importance of reducing carbon emissions and a just transition to clean and renewable energy, promoting environmental sustainability and economic growth.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a 13-count criminal charge against the Chairman, Honeywell Group, Oba Otudeko and a former Managing Director of First Bank, Olabisi Onasanya for allegedly obtaining the sum of N12.3billion from First Bank.
They are to be arraigned on Monday, January 20, 2025, before Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
They will be arraigned alongside, a former member of the board of directors of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Soji Akintayo and a company linked to Otudeko, named Anchorage Leisure Ltd.
All four were listed as defendants in the suit filed by an EFCC prosecutor, Bilkisu Buhari-Bala on January 16, 2025.
According to the EFCC, the four committed the fraud in tranches of N5.2billion, N6.2billion, N6.150billion, N1.5billion and N500million, between 2013 and 2014 in Lagos.
In proof of the charge against the defendants, the EFCC intends to call representatives of First Bank including Cecelia Majekodunmi, Ola Michael Aderogba, Abiodun Olatunji, Raymond Eze, Abiodun Odunbola and Adeeyo David all of whom are expected to give evidence of the fraudulent misrepresentation of the Defendants and tender relevant documents.
The EFCC will also rely on the testimonies of representatives of Central Bank of Nigeria, representatives of Stallion Nigeria Limited and representatives of V-tech Dynamics Ltd.
Also included in the EFCC’s list of witnesses are one Farida Abubakar and Adaeze Nwakoby.
According to the Commission, the offences contravene Section 8(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and were punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
Count 1 of the charge says that Chief Oba Otudeko, Stephen Olabisi Onasanya, Soji Akintayo and Anchorage Leisure Limited between 2013 and 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves to obtain the sum of N12,300,000,000.00 (Twelve Billion, Three Hundred Million Naira Only),from First Bank Limited on the pretence that the said sum represented credit facilities applied * for by V- Tech Dynamic Links Limited and Stallion Nigeria Limited, which representation you know to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
In Count 2, it was alleged that the defendants, on or about 26th day of November, 2013 in Lagos, “obtained the sum of N5.2 Billion from First Bank Limited on the pretence that the said sum represented credit facilities applied for by V Tech Dynamic Links Limited which representation you know to be false.”
The 3rd count claims that the defendants, between 2013 and 2014 in Lagos, obtained N6.2 Billion from First Bank Limited on the pretence that the said sum represented credit facilities applied for and disbursed to Stallion Nigeria Limited, which representation you know to be false.”
County 4 reads, that you, Chief Oba Otudeko, Stephen Olabisi Onasanya, Soji Akintayo and Anchorage Leisure Limited on or about 26th day of November 2013 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves to use the total sum of N6,150,000,000,.00 (Six Billion, One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira Only.), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: Obtaining by False Pretence and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 18(a), 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
Count 5 accuses Chief Oba Otudeko, Stephen Olabisi Onasanya, Soji Akintayo and Anchorage Leisure Limited on or about 11th day of December, 2013 in Lagos, procured Honeywell Flour Mills Plc to retain the sum of N1.5 billion, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: Obtaining by False Pretence and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(c), 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
