Headlines
MASSOP Tackles Northern Group over Call to Arrest Igbo Leaders
The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra has frowned on the call by a northern group, the Coalition of Northern Groups, to arrest Igbo leaders led by the first republic minister and a republican parliamentarian, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, for appealing to the president Muhammadu Buhari to release Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
MASSOB, in statement on Wednesday, signed by its National Director of Information, Comrade Edeaon Samuel, said the group should be punished for its unpatriotic and unguarded utterances.
It also strongly condemned the recent invasion of an Enugu community by the military that led to the death of three women.
The statement said, “The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of condemned the Coalition of Northern Group and their sponsors on their unguarded and stupid statements against Chief Mbazuruike Amaechi-led Igbo patriotic leaders that visited Major General Mohammadu Buhari in Aso Villa for an interface meeting concerning the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and agitation clamours for an independent state of Biafra.
“MASSOB views this attack on honorable Igbo leaders as an attack against the Igbo nation. Though the statements of CNG are unpatriotic, parasitic and insensitive, they will never go unpunished.
“MASSOB will always see CNG as a bunch of cowards, charlatans and street boys that is always at the service of Fulani northern oligarchy and their mission of enthroning Islamic fundamentalism in Nigeria.
“They are working for northern-based Islamic terrorist organisations including Fulani herdsmen, Fulani bandits, Boko Haram, ISWAP and President Muhammed Buhari-led Federal Government.”
It added, “The Suleiman Abdul led CNG has failed to call for the arrest of Sheik Gummi who has been negotiating, dining and speaking for terrorist criminals and bandits that are killing, kidnapping and causing genocide in northern Nigeria.
“MASSOB also condemned the illegal military invasion of Umuchite village in Obeagu Odume autonomous community of Aninri LGA last week.”
It added that a combined team of Nigeria security personnel stormed the community with four armoured cars, seven army hilux vans, five mobile police hilux vans and three DSS black jeeps in executing the order of inflicting psychological and traumatic pains on the citizens.
The Punch
Adebayo Adelabu, one of the aspirants for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket in Oyo State, has alleged irregularities in the party’s governorship primary election held on Thursday.
Adelabu, who expressed dissatisfaction over the conduct of the exercise, stated that the primary was characterized by misconduct ranging from disenfranchisement of his supporters in some wards and the commencement of election process earlier than scheduled.
Speaking after the conclusion of the primary election at IMG School, Ward 9, Ibadan South-East Local Government Area, the immediate past Minister of Power alleged that the process was neither free, fair nor credible.
He said: “Before our people started getting to their various wards, they have already conducted the election and they wrote the figures they want as results.
“In some wards, our people were prevented from voting. They were intimidated. They were chased away violently. And in some wards, voting did not take place at all.
“All this kind of misconduct is not good at this stage of our democracy in Nigeria, and something has to be done about it.”
Adelabu, therefore, vowed to come up with serious petitions against all the irregularities not just in Ibadan, but across all the five geopolitical zones in Oyo State.
“Also, conduct of many party executives is uncalled for, a lot of people bought forms and they were cleared. And they decided to conduct affirmation of a particular candidate in some wards.
“There was nothing like consensus arrangement. It was just a figment of their weird imagination. The instruction we got from Abuja was that we should all carry out free, fair, and transparent direct primary election where every aspirant will be given a level playing ground and the election will be conducted peacefully.
“Where did they get the idea of consensus candidates? And this is what happened in a lot of the wards. And it didn’t go down well with us. “We don’t want that. We are going to assess the gravity of this gross misconduct and the potential impact on the overall result of this election.
“I will put a petition forward to the appropriate authorities so that it can be deeply investigated and there must be consequences to this. The people who perpetrated this misconduct must be identified and punished. And the aspirants involved also need to be suspended because this is not good for us.
“Democracy is the government of the people by the people and for the people where nobody should be disenfranchised. Once you are a party member, you should have that freedom, that authority to pick an aspirant of your choice as the flag bearer of the party.
“This is Ibadan, this is Oyo State and this the centre of politics in the southwest. And we should be able to lay good examples and the process should produce a candidate that won transparently, freely and fairly,” he said.
Meanwhile, at Ward 9, Ibadan South-East Local Government, Adelabu, polled 430 to defeat his closest rival, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, who had 3 votes.
Al Nassr captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, has finally won the Saudi Pro League title.
They were confirmed champions on Thursday, thanks to a 4-2 drubbing of relegation battlers, Damac.
The title race had gone down to the final day after Al-Nassr dramatically dropped points against Al-Hilal the previous week.
Jorge Jesus’ side knew there could be no mistakes against a Damac side fighting for survival at the other end of the table.
Ronaldo was on the scoresheet, as his brace helped Al Nassr secure the title ahead of rivals Al Hilal.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has announced his withdrawal from the All Progressives Congress governorship primary election in the state.
Fubara made this known in a statement personally signed on Wednesday, saying he would support whoever emerges as the party’s candidate, The Nations reported.
The governor said his decision followed extensive consultations with his family, friends, and political associates.
“After deep reflection and extensive consultations with my family, friends, and associates, I have taken the difficult but necessary decision to withdraw from the APC governorship primaries. I do so with a full heart and with a firm commitment to support whoever emerges as the candidate of our great party,” Fubara said.
Fubara said although the decision was difficult, he remained committed to supporting whoever would emerge as the APC governorship candidate.
According to him, leadership demands sacrifice and personal ambition must sometimes give way to the collective interest of the people.
Meanwhile, the embattled governor expressed appreciation to his supporters for their loyalty, prayers and sacrifices throughout the political process, acknowledging that many would feel disappointed by his withdrawal.
He said his silence in recent weeks was “deliberate and strategic,” adding that it was guided by the higher interest of the state.
Tone Cole, APC chieftain and 2027 governorship aspirant in Rivers State, also announced his withdrawal from the race, saying his decision was, among other reasons, in the interest of the party’s unity.
