Politics

Breaking: Edo 2020: Council Boss, Family Escape Assassination

Published

5 years ago

August 25, 2020

The violence bedeviling the electioneering in preparation for the Edo governorship election went messier Tuesday evening as Mr. Osigwe, Chairman, Owan East Local Government Area of the state escaped assassination attempt.

This happened when unknown gunmen attacked his resident at Ihievbe community.

The Chairman who spoke with newsmen on telephone, said though he was not in the house when the incident occured, his wife and three sons who were in the house were lucky to have escaped unhurt.

He explained that his family were in the compound celebrating his last son’s birthday with some family when the incident occured.

He said the unknown gunmen came to the house and rain bullets at his house and were seen driving to a neighbouring village thereafter.

He noted that aside shattering window glasses in the house, his utility vehicle parked inside the compound was also riddled with bullets.

Asked who could have been responsible, he said it was members of the opposition party in the state, All Progressives Congress (APC) who are bent on winning the forthcoming governorship election at all cost.

According to him, “I was told of plans to assassinate me before the election but when and how it will happen, i don’t know.

“I had written a petition to the IGP and the state Commissioner of Police when i learnt of this but nothing was done about it until this very moment this happened.

“I am not scared of anybody and I know nothing will happen to me and my family. The question however is, is this how to play politics?

“You can imagine what would have happened; my son’s birthday is today and my family and few friends were in the compound celebrating when the people came to shoot at everything on site.

The Divisional Police Officer in Afuze, Oladipupo Olawale confirmed the incident and said everything was under control.

“I am here to ensure nobody takes law into his or her hands but the unfortunate thing was that we are here to ascertain situation of things, the gunmen came back again but were repelled by my team,” he stated.

However, reacting to the allegation that APC members must have been responsible for the attack, Mr Pally Iriase denied the allegation and poined out that Osigwe himself had led various violent attacks against the APC members in the past few months.

The immediate Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, said APC could not have been responsible since they were all involved in the ward to ward campaign of their governorship candiate that belted in the council area on Tuesday.

“Of what motive would APC attack him, he has been the purveyor of violence, especially since the campaigns began, he has personally led boys to attack and maim APC memebrs in the locality.

“Was it not the same person who led boys to destroy canopies and chairs set up for the ward to ward campaign today around the coucil area.

“He may have done this to himself to hype himself because he knows he is losing,” Iriase stated.

Politics

Coalition: Abure-led LP Gives Obi 48 Hours To Leave Party

Published

3 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

The Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has given the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, a 48 hours ultimatum to leave the party haven formally joined the coalition party.

This was contained in a statement signed by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in Abuja, on Thursday.

He explained that the Labour Party under Abure’s leadership remains vehemently opposed to joining the coalition while dismissing members of the coalition as “power mongers whose only interest was self and not the people.”

The party warned Nigerians that the often mouthed ‘new Nigeria is Possible’ is a ruse and cannot be achieved with the assemblage of old, recycled, desperate and frustrated politicians in the coalition.

Ifoh said the party is aware that all those who mismanaged Nigeria over the years are the ones that gathered themselves in the coalition while noting that desperate politicians can’t birth new Nigeria.

He said, “We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party. We’re also aware that a number of them has refused to defect with him.

“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition and therefore, any of our members who is part of the coalition is given within 48 hours to formally resign his membership of the party.

“Labour Party is not available for people with dual agenda, people with deceptive persona. The party will not avail itself to individuals who have one leg in one Party and another leg elsewhere.

“People who in the morning they will claim to be in the Labour Party and in the evening they are in coalition.

“Nearly 70 per cent of the Nigerian population are youths who are tired of the old order, tired of gerontocrats deciding their fate. The new Nigeria that the youths are dreaming of, is not what can be realized from what we are seeing in the coalition.

“These people are opportunistic politicians who are only interested in relaunching themselves into circle of power, people who are desperate to continue holding on to power.

“The new Nigeria of our dream can only be realised through the Labour Party, and the party is willing to lead Nigerians along that trajectory.

“I therefore urge all members of the party to remain loyal and keep the party structure intact ahead of future elections.”

Politics

Only A Formidable Coalition Can Salvage Nigeria, Says Peter Obi

Published

3 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has given his full support for the coalition of opposition parties aimed at ending President Bola Tinubu’s rule in 2027.

He explained that it was a fact that no single group can change Nigeria alone, hence the need for people to come together to pursue the goal.

The former Amambra State Governor said this in a post on his verified X handle, on Thursday.

He said this just as the Julia Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has given him 48 hours within which to formally resign from the party or risk expulsion.

Obi in his post wrote, “Yesterday, the coalition members formally adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 Nigeria General Elections with Distinguished Senator David Mark serving as the National Chairman and H.E. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola serving as the National Secretary.

“Our commitment is to sacrifice and work together towards the 2027 General Elections, ensuring that Nigeria gets a competent, capable, and compassionate leadership that will prioritise the nation’s future by putting the welfare of Nigerians first.

REAS ALSO: Peter Obi Speaks As Port Harcourt Refinery Begins Production

“This decision was not made lightly. It comes from deep reflection on where we are as a country and what must be done to move forward.

“No one group can change Nigeria alone. To dismantle the structures that keep our people in poverty and insecurity, we must build bridges, not walls even when those bridges are uneasy. A New Nigeria is Possible. -PO.”

Politics

I Don’t Owe Anybody Explanation On Truce With Fubara – Wike

Published

7 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, declared that peace has returned to his home state, Rivers, saying he does not owe anyone an explanation on the terms of the truce.

Wike disclosed this during a Media chat monitored in Abuja.

According to him, several people had turned the crisis in Rivers State into an “oil well”, from which they were drawing illicit funds for their selfish interests, saying such fifth columnists are no longer happy that he has reconciled with the suspended Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara.

Details later…