News
Why I won’t Leave APC – Kogi Gov
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State says he is still a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as there is no crisis in the state chapter of the party as being reported by the media.
Mr Bello spoke with State House correspondents on Monday at the sidelines of the Induction of New and returning governors at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the outgoing and the incoming governors needed to be inducted so that they would be informed on the challenges ahead.
”I think all I can say about my state is that the APC is not in crisis in Kogi.
”The real elders and the real stakeholders, the youth, the women and people of integrity know that Kogi chapter of the APC is intact and that was why we were able to deliver the state for the President.
”We were able to deliver two out of the three Senatorial seats to our party; we were able to deliver seven out of nine House of Representatives to our party and for the first time ever in the history of politics in Kogi State we were able to deliver 100 per cent; that is 25 House of Assembly members in Kogi State.
“If there is crisis there is no how we could have achieved this.
”So I want to assure you that the APC in Kogi is intact and I remain a bonafide member of APC and as a matter of fact, I rebuilt the party in Kogi State from the scratch to what it is today and we are able to achieve this feat.
”So those that are making certain passes of me leaving the party I think that is their wish and by the grace of God their wish will never be granted,” Mr Bello said.
On alleged misappropriation of funds by the state government, Mr Bello said his administration had been transparent and could not be termed corrupt.
He said the state’s finances, starting from bailout funds to Paris Club refunds and bank statements were published in dailies.
According to him, with the little resources the state is generating, his administration has been able to achieve a lot of infrastructural development, security among others.
”This is what was not done for the state in the past 20 years of Kogi State’s existence before I came on board but under three years we were able to achieve all these successes.
”Probably some might think we were using stones or sand to do all these but this is the prudent management of resources and the good hands that we were able to recruit in my cabinet and in governance in the state.
”So those that are making such comment; it is a strategy; it is either that they want me to perform more or they are simply living in oblivion.
”They don’t know anything that is happening in the state and they cannot participate in state’s politics as it stands today because we are doing politics of inclusiveness or exclusiveness, the way it was done in the past,” he said.
On recent remarks allegedly made by the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, that he would not support him for a second term office, the governor said he did not believe the royal father would say so.
He said the traditional ruler is like a father to him and could not have said such that about a son that restored the real value of the traditional institution.
Mr Bello said he had repositioned the state in terms of security, addressing lopsided employment among others.
”You know what security situation used to be in the state and Ebiraland and today we are having a different story.
“He should not be misquoted by the press or anybody.
”The Ohinoyi of Ebiraland is a revered person; we hold him in very high esteem; he will continue to be my father; my great supporter and by the grace of God, he is urging me to re-contest and also to do more than what I have done in this first term,” he said.
The governor said he is giving the traditional ruler assurance that he would not disappoint him in terms of performance.
(NAN)
By Eric Elezuo
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has announced the kickoff of the 2026 West African Second-term School Certificate Examination, saying it would be computer-based, and decrying the decline of male participation as against their female counterparts.
The Council made the disclosure on Monday, while addressing the media at its National Office in Yaba, Lagos, on steps so far taken to ensure a hitchfree 2026 Examination.
In his address, the Head of National Office, Mr. Jacob Josiah Dangut, remarked that the 2026 computer-based WASSEC, started on April 21, 2026 with practical test papers, stressing that the nitty gritty parts of the exercise will kick off on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, therefore the reason for the sensitization of the Nigerian public on the exams.
He noted that nearly two million candidates registered to sit for the examinations.
In his words, “A total of 1,959,636 candidates from 24,207 schools enrolled for the examination.
“Of this number, 958,564 candidates (48.92%) are male, while 1,001,072 candidates (51.08%) are female. This reflects an increase in female participation and a decline in male participation compared to last year.”
Dangut called on policy formulations to take the matter serious so as to reinvent the urge for education among the malefolks.
Meanwhile, Dangut informed the public that candidates are being tested in 37 subjects across 97 papers, supervised by about 29,000 senior secondary teachers nominated by state ministries of education.
Dangut said the rise in computer-based entries followed the successful debut of the format in 2025, with more schools and offshore institutions adopting it for its efficiency and alignment with global standards.
The 2026 exercise will run through to June 19th.
The simmering political battle in Rivers State appears to have taken a fresh turn, following the screening of aspirants for the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly primaries, with several loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara failing to make the party’s final list.
In a development already stirring political intrigue across the state, former Obio/Akpor council chairman Chijioke Ihunwo and serving lawmakers Sokari Goodboy and Victor Oko-Jumbo — all widely regarded as strong allies of Governor Fubara — were among those not cleared by the party’s screening committee for various reasons.
Political observers are interpreting their failure to scale through as more than just a routine internal party exercise. They say it is the latest signal of the deepening political fault lines in Rivers, where Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Minister Nyesom Wike, remain locked in a prolonged struggle for political supremacy.
On the other side of the divide, the list of cleared aspirants appears to favour established political figures and returning lawmakers, largely seen as loyal to the Wike camp.
Among those cleared are:
Maol Dumle
Major Jack
Enemi Alabo George
Tonye Smart Adoki
Tekenari Granville
Their emergence is being viewed as a reinforcement of the influence of the former governor within the APC structure in Rivers State.
The screening exercise, announced by Rivers APC publicity secretary Chibike Ikenga, comes at a politically sensitive time, with alignments already forming ahead of future elections and control of the Rivers State House of Assembly remaining a critical battleground.
For many political watchers, the outcome raises fresh questions: Is the APC in Rivers consolidating into a single power bloc? And does this effectively shut the door on Fubara’s loyalists seeking alternative political platforms?
Fubara, elected under the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, joined the APC last year, following a political dispute with Wike.
The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has been factionalized ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The rival factions emerged after its chairman, Governor Hope Uzodimma, was reportedly removed on Thursday.
While Uzodimma insists that he remains PGF chairman, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun and his Kwara State counterpart, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, are reportedly leading a separate faction.
Another bloc within the forum has reportedly queued behind the duo of Abiodun and AbdulRazaq.
The development, which comes amid growing political realignments within the ruling party, marks a significant crack in the ranks of APC governors ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to reports by Arise TV, details surrounding the disagreement remain unclear, but sources within the party said tensions have been building over internal leadership control and strategic positioning ahead of the next election season.
As of the time of filing this report, none of the factions had made an official clarification regarding the alleged division.
