Politics

Delta 2023: Bribery Allegation Rocks Screening Exercise Of Guber Aspirants

Published

4 years ago

February 13, 2022

Allegations of huge financial inducement have rocked DC-23, a lobby group in Delta Central Senatorial district canvassing for the governorship slot in Delta State to be zoned within the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

This allegation is coming a few days after the screening committee of the group released its final report in which it cleared three out of the five aspirants for the race.

The group had cleared former Minister of State for Education, Kenneth Gbagi; immediate past Chief of Staff to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, David Edevbie; and current Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Sheriff Oborevwori, and left out a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Emmanuel Aguariavwodo; and immediate past Commissioner for Works, James Augoye.

But the Delta Central Political Elders and Leaders of Thought (DCPELT) under the auspices of PDP faulted the screening saying that the lobby group left out credible alternatives and cleared questionable characters for the race.

In a leaked confidential letter, the party elders urged Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to reject and investigate the DC-23 report, insisting that the group bowed to huge cash inducement to arrive at its decision.

The letter was signed by Dr Adogbeji Ideh, Chief P.O. Akaighe and Chief Eddie Ono-Sorhue.

It reads: “We write to you under confidential cover as DELTA CENTRAL POLITICAL ELDERS AND LEADERS OF THOUGHT mutually desirous of a smooth transition that will usher in your successor of Urhobo extraction, in line with what is commonly referred to as the Zoning Formula of the Ruling PDP in Delta State.

“We firmly believe that it is quite expedient that such a person should possess remarkable integrity, reasonable competence, requisite experience and general acceptance of the electorate that can consolidate on your laudable achievements of the SMART Agenda and unite the State.

“We wish to therefore dissociate ourselves from the subject, which has expectedly generated needless controversy, capable of creating further disaffection within the Party due to the manipulative selection process eventually deployed by the Screening Committee of the lobby group DC-23, deliberately designed to exclude the ‘best of the lot’ and foist persons of questionable character on the Party in a political ambush to serve selfish interests.

“We have indeed received several reports of mouthwatering monetary inducements of the Screening Committee members by the beneficiaries of this charade and wish to crave your indulgence to carry out an independent investigation to substantiate the veracity of this weighty allegations, in order to properly guide your anticipated action on this issue.

“We are strongly canvassing for further assessment of intending governorship aspirants on the basis of competence, experience, loyalty and vision of purpose, using recognised organs of the Party, which we also believe that the Final List would not ordinarily exclude the likes of Sen. Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, Chief James Augoye and Omizu Ejaife Odebala, going by their known antecedents, expressed intentions and ongoing consultation efforts.

“We are therefore soliciting your kind cooperation to disregard the outcome of the exercise conducted by the DC-23 lobby group in the true spirit of fairness by deploying available instruments of your office as the State Party Leader, towards ensuring the emergence of a flag bearer that meets the yearnings and aspirations of most political stakeholders in the current dispensation, all in a bid to guarantee victory for the Party at the general elections next year.

“We remain committed to your patriotic quest of finishing strong and bequeathing a lasting legacy to all Deltans.”

SUN

Politics

Tinubu Sends Ex-INEC Chair, Former Oyo First Lady, 30 Additional Ambassadorial Nominees To Senate

Published

2 days ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has forwarded 32 additional ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, just days after submitting an initial batch of three names.

In two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President urged the upper chamber to consider and swiftly confirm 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees.

The list includes four women among the career nominees and six women among the non-career nominees.

Prominent names on the non-career list include Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia State; former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta); former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; and former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Others are former Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau State Commissioner, Yakubu N. Gambo; and former Deputy Executive Secretary of UBEC, Yakubu K. Musa.

Also nominated are former Plateau senator, Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut; former Lagos Deputy Governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State.

Additional nominees include former Oyo First Lady, Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent; former Abia governor, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim of Ondo State; and former envoy to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue).

The career ambassadorial nominees are Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa), Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi), and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).

Others include Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).

The new nominees are expected to be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains strong and strategic diplomatic relations, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as to Permanent Missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.

Their specific postings will be determined after Senate confirmation.

Recall that President Tinubu, last week, forwarded three ambassadorial nominees, Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun), who are being considered for postings to the UK, USA, or France.

President Tinubu said additional ambassadorial nominations will be announced in due course.

Politics

Soludo Visits Tinubu, Goes Into Closed Door Session With President

Published

3 days ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, on Thursday, paid a courtesy visit to the President, Bola Tinubu, GCFR at the State House.

Report by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Soludo, Mr Chris Aburime stated that President Tinubu received the Anambra State Governor with excitement, describing him as his long standing friend of over 22 years.

Aburime said, “The President used the occasion to further congratulate Governor Soludo on his landslide victory in the just concluded Anambra gubernatorial election.

“Recall that President Tinubu had earlier issued a congratulatory message to Governor Soludo immediately the governorship election was concluded.”

Governor Soludo was declared winner with 73% of the votes cast by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Other details of the meeting were, however, not disclosed as the press Secretary told DAILY POST that both men went into a closed door meeting after the reception.

Politics

2027: I Will Resign If Tinubu Loses In Edo – Governor Okpebholo

Published

3 days ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholor has vowed that President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election in Edo State.

Okpebholor in an interview captured in a viral video vowed to resign if the outcome of the 2027 election does not favour the president in Edo State.

According to him, the entire people in Edo State are ready to vote for the president, citing projects that his (Okpebholor) administration executed since the All Progressives Congress, APC took over the state.

He claimed that there is no opposition in the state, stressing that everyone is supporting the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said, “There is no opposition here in Edo everybody is for Asiwaju in this state.

“Tinubu is more popular than me in Edo state. If he doesn’t win the presidential election in Edo in 2027, I will resign.”