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Peter Obi Best Option for President, Says Ortom, Urges Nigerians to Vote Labour Party Candidate
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has urged Nigerians to vote for the Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in 2023.
Ortom said Obi is the best person that can help deliver Nigeria from its challenges,
He spoke while commending Obi for visiting camps of the Internally Displaced People, IDPs, in the State on Christmas day.
Speaking in Makurdi, the governor prayed that God would bless Obi’s presidential ambition.
According to Ortom: “Several presidential candidates have come here, and none of them have chosen to visit those IDPs camps and look at their plight to see how they are doing and give them hope that when they win, they will bring them succour, help, and hope.
“For you to have chosen to visit the IDPs on a Christmas day that you should be celebrating with your family, for me as a Christian, I say God will bless you and your aspirations. My prayer is that God will bless your aspiration to be the president of this country.
“Because I have seen capacity, faith, and hope, and I have seen someone who can bring the required equity, justice, and fairness that I have been pursuing since I became governor in 2015. If I were not in PDP, I would have been following you all over the place to canvass and vote for you.
“But, because I’m in PDP, I’m telling Nigerians that this man can help deliver this country from its challenges.”
Daily Post
The 2025 edition of the annual 42km 2024 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon has been once again dominated by East African runners from Kenya and Ethiopia.
Kenya’s Edwin Kibet on Saturday emerged winner in the men category, clocking a time of 2:14:06 to win the $50,000 price money.
Kibet came third last year behind his compatriot Bernard Sang who won it with a time of 02:16:49 and another Kenyan Cheprot who came second.
It is Kibet’s second win in the competition following his first victory in the 2023 edition.
In the women’s category, Ethiopia’s Guta Meseret Hirpa emerged victorious clocking a time of 2:37:04 for her first win in the competition.
First Nigerian to finish the race, Nyango Gyang Boyi, made history by finishing in the to 10 positions.
He finished the race in 8th place, clocking a time 2:25:41.58 which will earn him a prize award of $4,000. As the first Nigerian to finish the race, Boyi also won the N2million top prize in the Nigerian category.
The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was also one of the participants in this year’s Lagos City Marathon.
The 42km race commenced at Western Avenue, in front of the National Stadium Surulere, and finished in front of Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island.
This year’s edition of Access Bank Lagos City Marathon had thousands of runners competing for the top prize.
The annual event was to a gold label by the World Athletics in 2023 less than eight years after its first edition.
The Canadian High Commission in Nigeria has refused to make further comments on circumstances surrounding the denial of visas to some senior Nigerian military officials, including the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, citing privacy policies.
The Authorities however, acknowledged social media reports of the situation.
Musa and some military officials were denied visas to attend an event in Canada honouring war veterans, a situation the CDS revealed during an event in Abuja on Thursday.
Responding on Friday, via its social media handle, the Canadian High Commission stated, “The High Commission of Canada in Nigeria is aware of media reports related to planned travel by senior officials. However, for privacy reasons, we are unable to comment on the status of visa applications of specific individuals.”
The embattled National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has defied the directive of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) amid the ongoing contention for his position.
Anyanwu, on Thursday, resumed at the PDP National Secretariat and continued his duties from his office, despite the position of the party’s NWC.
In a video call with Lere Olayinka, the spokesman of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, Anyanwu said: “As you can see, I’m in my office. These are my people and we are working.”
Showing Olayinka around during the call, Anyanwu said: “You can see them jumping over the fence, that was how I stayed in my office to catch them through the CCTV.”
The video was posted by Olayinka on his Whatsapp status on Thursday.
The battle over the position of PDP National Secretary started when Anyanwu left to contest for the Imo State governorship election.
Following his departure, the South-East caucus of PDP endorsed the party’s National Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, as his replacement.
Anyanwu lost the election and attempted to force his way back as the PDP’s National Secretary, a move which was vehemently opposed by Ude-Okoye.
On December 20, 2024, an Appeal Court ruled in favour of Ude-Okoye as the PDP’s National Secretary.
On January 28, a fight broke out between Anyanwu’s supporters and Ude-Okoye at the PDP National Secretariat during the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, meeting.
The PDP Governors Forum had affirmed Ude-Okoye as the authentic National Secretary while the party’s NWC also took the same stand.
Similarly, the party’s National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade also backed Ude-Okoye for the position.
On Thursday, the NWC affirmed Ude-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.
The statement reads: “After due consideration of the Memo and the attachments, the NWC overwhelmingly recognizes, acknowledges and confirms Rt. Hon. S.K.E Udeh Okoye as the substantive National Secretary of the PDP in full compliance with and obedience to the Judgement of the Court of Appeal, recognizing that there is no subsisting or superseding Judgment or Order from any Court of superior authority or hierarchy.”
