Headlines
PDP Calls for Tinubu’s Disqualification, Says APC Candidate Stole $1m Belonging to Lagos
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claims that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Presidential candidate for the All Progressive Congress (APC) allegedly stole the sum of $1 million belonging to Lagos State through a reported SPV Company, Soft Alliance. They urged that he should be disqualified from the presidential race on account of corruption.
This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by the spokesperson to the Atiku PDP Presidential campaign, Kola Ologbondiyan.
He added that the PDP in the coming days will not hesitate to tell Nigerians of the corrupt practices as well as a list of SPVs by the APC candidate.
Real Mr. SPV: Ologbondiyan claimed Tinubu is the “Real Mr. SPV”, saying that he is a Nigerian ” Artful dodger”. He added:
“Bola Tinubu, sensing that his many corrupt activities, especially his fleecing of Lagos State with many Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) companies were about to come to light, rushed to hire a serial blackmailer, as he has always done, to foul the public space with fabricated allegations against Atiku Abubakar.”
$1 million: They added that Tinubu also moved funds belonging to Lagos State into a domiciliary account owned by the APC presidential aspirant.
”It is now in public space how Bola Tinubu allegedly used a reported SPV company, Soft Alliance, to steal a whopping $1 million belonging to Lagos State through an account 0015778102 in a third-generation bank and how the sum of $826,000 belonging to Lagos State was also reportedly moved to a domiciliary account 0036620785 allegedly owned by Tinubu in a first-generation bank with the number in a three-day lodgment scheme.”
Disqualification: The PDP also called for an apology from the APC to Atiku Abubakar, urging him to listen to the voice of reason and withdraw from the Presidential race.
“In the days ahead, our campaign will not hesitate to furnish Nigerians with a compendium of corrupt practices as well as the list of SPVs used by the APC candidate to loot public funds in key government agencies thereby depriving Nigerians the benefit of our national patrimony.”
“Now that Tinubu’s evil diversionary scheme against Atiku Abubakar has failed and Nigerians have seen that there is no iota of truth in his allegation against Atiku Abubakar, our campaign demand that Tinubu should tender an unreserved apology to Atiku Abubakar, he should listen to the voice of reason and withdraw from the Presidential race.”
”If anyone is to be arrested and disqualified from the presidential race on account of corruption, certainly, that person is not Atiku Abubakar but Bola Tinubu.”
Nairametrics
The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (NWC) has suspended the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade; National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; and National Organizing Secretary, Umaru Bature for one month.
The suspension comes on the heels of the judgement of the Federal High Court On Friday, which stopped the party’s planned national convention.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, told journalists in Abuja on Saturday, that the decision followed an emergency meeting of the national working committee, which was held in Abuja.
President Donald Trump of the United States on Friday designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), in response to allegations of widespread persecution and genocide against Christians.
Writing on his Truth Social account, Trump stated that Christianity faces a serious threat in Nigeria.
The US leader also added Nigeria to a State Department watch list.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote.
According to the US president, he was placing Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer and most populous nation, on a “Countries of Particular Concern” list of nations the US deems to have engaged in religious freedom violations.
According to the State Department’s website, the list includes China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Pakistan, among others.
Trump said he had asked US Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole, as well as the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, to look into the matter and report back to him.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Hon. Abubakar Gummi from the House of Representatives after he left the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress.
The lawmaker represented the Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency in Zamfara State.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the ruling, holding that Gummi’s defection breached the Constitution.
The court said the seat does not belong to any politician but to the political party that sponsored the election.
According to the judgment, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, is barred from recognising Gummi “as a member representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency.”
The judge also instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission to “conduct a fresh election” for the vacant seat within 30 days.
The case was instituted by the PDP and its Zamfara chairman, who insisted that Gummi’s move to the APC had no legal justification. They argued that there was no division in the PDP to support his defection, as required by Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution.
Gummi, through his counsel, claimed he left the PDP due to internal crises which he said made it “impossible” to serve his constituents effectively. The judge, however, dismissed his arguments and granted all the reliefs requested by the plaintiffs.
Justice Egwuatu, in a firm comment, warned politicians against what he described as reckless party hopping.
“Political prostitution must not be rewarded,” he declared, adding that lawmakers must not transfer votes won on one party’s platform to another party.
The court also ordered Gummi to refund all salaries and allowances received from October 30, 2024, until the date of judgment. He is also barred from earning any further benefits as a member of the House.
Additionally, the judge imposed a N500,000 cost against the defendants in favour of the PDP.
