Headlines
Oshiomhole Has No Powers to Stop Douye Diri’s Swearing-in, Says Wike
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday launched a verbal attack on the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, and called on the Federal Government to warn him (Oshiomhole) to stop making inflammatory remarks capable of destabilising the country.
Wike also berated Oshiomhole for saying that there would be no swearing-in of the PDP candidate in Bayelsa State, maintaining that the APC national chairman has no such powers to stop the inauguration of the candidate of the People Democratic Party, Douye Diri.
Speaking in Port Harcourt, the governor said, “The Federal Government should warn Oshiomhole to stop making remarks that will destabilise Nigeria. What he is doing in Edo State is not proper and he should not bring it to the rest of the Niger Delta.”
He stated that Oshiomhole lacked the power to make pronouncements after the Supreme Court had ruled on the Bayelsa matter.
“Who is Oshiomhole to determine who has spread in a state? Supreme Court has made a ruling. It is unfortunate for Oshiomhole to come forward to say that nobody will be sworn in,” Wike added.
The Rivers governor observed that Oshiomhole was making unguarded statements because he had lost the support of APC governors, hence he wanted to curry favour through careless talks.
Wike further said, “It is most unfortunate what Oshiomhole is doing because he wants to retain his position as national chairman. APC governors have rejected him; that is why he is struggling to prove that he is fighting for the party.
“He (Oshiomhole) is making statements as if he owns the country. This is the same way he is carrying on in Edo State, fighting the governor. He believes that he has the forces to cause crisis. He is arrogating powers to himself, which is not good,”
The governor described Oshiomhole as a man, who preached one thing, but went ahead to practise a different thing, adding that the situation in Edo State has exposed Oshiomhole as a godfather, who once preached against godfathers.
He maintained that Oshiomhole would not be allowed to destroy the Niger Delta region, insisting that the rule of law must continue to prevail.
The Punch
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
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.”
