Headlines
PDP Accuses APC of Complicity over Kuje Prison Attack, Queries Redeployment of Soldiers Before Attack
The Peoples Democratic Party has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of complicity in the Tuesday night terrorist attack on Kuje Correctional Facility in Abuja.
In a statement released late Wednesday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP queried the alleged redeployment of soldiers “who had become familiar with the terrain” from the facility 24 hours before the attack.
The statement titled, ‘Terrorism: APC Complicit in Kuje Prison Attack – PDP Asserts…Queries Redeployment of Soldiers 24hrs Before Incidence’, partly read, “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemns in the strongest possible term, the spate of insecurity and the audacity with which terrorists ravage our country unchallenged under the rudderless All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
“The simultaneous terrorist attacks on the advance convoy of President Muhammadu Buhari in Katsina State as well as the Correctional Facility in Abuja, the nation’s capital, underscore the collapse of our security command and control structure under the failed, ineffective and uncoordinated Buhari-led APC administration. The terrorist attack on President Buhari’s convoy in his home State of Katsina as well as the ferocious invasion and the freeing of hundreds of terrorists and criminals from the Kuje Correctional Facility further confirm that Mr. President has lost control of the security of the nation and that Nigerians are no longer safe under the APC.
“The escalated spate of terrorism across the country has heightened apprehensions of complicity by the APC to open up our nation to more terrorist attacks with the view to stall the 2023 general election. The failure of the APC administration to act on the intelligence provided by the Directorate of State Services (DSS) which on Tuesday July 5, 2022 reportedly warned of an impending attack on the Kuje Correctional Facility gives credence to fears by Nigerians of complicity at very high level of the APC administration.
“This is in addition to further reports that soldiers deployed to the precinct of the Kuje Correctional Facility and who had become familiar with the terrain were redeployed 24 hours before the terrorists attacked.”
The PDP called on the APC to explain to Nigerians who ordered the reported redeployment of soldiers 24 hours before the attack. The opposition party also demanded to know who failed to act on the intelligence reportedly shared by the DSS on the attack.
“The PDP demands that the APC government should come clean on who ordered the reported redeployment of soldiers and who failed to act on the intelligence provided by the DSS.
“Nigerians can recall the public confession by the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai at the wake of the bloody Abuja-Kaduna terrorist attack that the APC-led administration knows the whereabouts and the plans of the terrorists ravaging our nation but deliberately refused to act. Nigerians will also recall how APC leaders publicly romanced and paid money to terrorists,” the statement added.
The statement further condemned the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)’s disposition to the attacks across the country, while questioning the president’s retention of the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, as head of a “very critical sector in the fight against terrorism in our country” in spite of his confession of affiliation to terrorists.
“It is rather distressing that President Buhari appears helpless without any decisive and concrete steps taken to stem the tide of terrorist attacks in our country.
“Even more curious is that President Buhari continues to retain Mr. Isa Pantami as Minister of Communication and Digital Economy to head and coordinate this very critical sector in the fight against terrorism in our country in spite of Isa Pantami’s confession of affiliation to terrorists.
“With the sequence of events in the last 48 hours, it is clear to Nigerians that the APC government headed by President Buhari has failed in the basic purpose of government which is to secure life and properties of the citizens,” the statement added.
The PDP, while asking Buhari to convene an emergency Council of State meeting for a review of the country’s security situation, called on the National Assembly to pass a vote of no-confidence in Pantami and insist on his immediate removal a minister.
“The National Assembly should also immediately summon the Security Chiefs for a thorough investigation on the circumstances resulting in the failure of our security system.
“The PDP urges Nigerians to remain at alert and keep hope alive as the nightmare of the APC administration will be over by May 2023,” the statement concluded.
The Punch
The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, says he has concluded plans to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) in no distant time.
He has reportedly mandated his commissioners and other appointees to either join him in the APC or resign if they are not comfortable with his decision.
A Government House source, who confirmed the development, said the governor broke the news during the State Executive Council meeting on Thursday.
The source, who pleaded anonymity, said Governor Eno warned his appointees that he had nothing to negotiate with them other than for them to follow him or leave.
The governor was quoted as saying, “Anybody who claims he is not aware of my intention to leave the PDP is still living in the 18th century.
“Apart from elected officials like House of Assembly members and Local Government Chairmen, I have nothing to negotiate with you.
“Let me tell you, anybody who believes that when I leave the PDP he will use the party structure to fight me is lying, because I will still control the PDP structure.”
Eno disclosed that he is in love with the leadership style of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and, as such, would like to align with him.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman in the state, Aniekan Akpan, could not confirm the development at the time of filing this report, as his lines were busy. However, the Director of the APC Media Network, Mr. Iniobong John, confirmed the news to journalists.
John said, “It is no longer a rumour. I think there are some confirmations that the governor is defecting to the APC. Though unofficial, I can confirm that the governor is joining our party sooner or later. No official date has been confirmed yet, but all plans have been perfected for his defection to our party.”
He described the proposed defection as great news for the APC in the state and for Akwa Ibom in general, adding that the state would now be better connected to the national power center.
Daily Post
The All Progressives Congress has endorsed President Bola Tinubu as its flag bearer in the 2027 presidential elections.
The Party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, announced this on Thursday, on behalf of its National Working Committee, at its National Summit held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.
The endorsement came hours after APC governors and lawmakers cast a vote of confidence on the president and endorsed him for a second term.
The Federal Government has filed a criminal suit against the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over comments she made on national television that were allegedly deemed defamatory.
The case, marked CR/297/25, was filed on May 16, 2025, before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, with Akpoti-Uduaghan listed as the sole defendant.
According to court documents, the government is charging the senator under Section 391 of the Penal Code (Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990) for allegedly “making imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person.”
The said comments were allegedly made during a live broadcast of Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on April 3, 2025, where Akpoti-Uduaghan was said to have criticised unnamed individuals in a manner the government claimed was defamatory.
Count two of the charges accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of “making an imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person, contrary to Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, and punishable under Section 392 of the same Law.
“That you, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on or about the 3rd day of April 2025, during the same Politics Today programme on Channels Television in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, made the following imputation concerning Yahaya Adoza Bello, former Governor of Kogi State.
“It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me. When he met with him, he then emphasised that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi.
“You knew or had reason to believe that such imputations would harm the reputation of Yahaya Adoza Bello, former Governor of Kogi State”, the charge added.
Among the witnesses lined up to testify include Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello, who are identified in court filings as the nominal complainants.
Other witnesses listed include Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, Sandra Duru, and police investigators Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba, who were involved in probing the matter.
The former Kogi governor had in April, petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), accusing Akpoti-Uduaghan, of making defamatory statements against him.
The former Kogi governor alleged that during a homecoming event on April 1, 2025, in Okehi Local Government Area, the female lawmaker ‘maliciously’ defamed him and accused him of being involved in an assassination plot.
The case comes amid ongoing political tensions surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended from the Senate earlier this year. Her suspension sparked widespread criticism and allegations of political persecution.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused Akpabio of targeting her after she rejected his alleged sexual advances, claiming that her suspension was orchestrated to silence her.
She made the allegations following the altercation over sitting arrangement in the Senate Chamber that led to Akpabio ordering the sergeant-at-arms to eject her from the chamber when she rejected the seat offered to her.
She is challenging her suspension at the Federal High Court, where the hearing has been scheduled for June 27.
Source: ICIR
