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JUST IN: Apapa Faction Faults LP For Insinuating APC Sponsored NLC

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The Lamidi Apapa faction of Labour Party on Wednesday faulted the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee for accusing the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero and the NLC Political Commission of being sponsored by the ruling All Progressives Congress to cause disaffection in the party.

The Apapa camp also described the attempt by the NWC to accuse their faction of a similar anti-party activity as irresponsible and insensitive.

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This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the spokesman for the Apapa faction, Abayomi Arabambi.

Arabambi’s protest was a reaction to the rejoinder issued barely 24 hours ago by the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, claiming that the NLC and its political commission lack the power to sack Abure’s NWC.

READ ALSO: Biden Calls Trump Main Threat To US Democracy

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Ifoh added that the congress has been mandated by Ajaero to ensure that the crisis in the Labour Party festers ahead of 2027 by presenting itself as a rallying ground for dissident former members of their party, who recently lost the leadership battle in the courts.

According to him, the party is not unmindful of the alleged political pact the leadership of the NLC has gone into with the current APC-led government to destabilize the opposition.

Reacting on Wednesday, Arabambi noted that he found it disturbing how Ifoh would attempt to distort and rewrite the history of their party by alleging that the NLC Political Commission was ‘mandated by Ajaero to ensure crisis festers in Labour Party ahead of the 2027 election.’

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While stressing that he suspected the statement was made ‘out of ignorance, political rascality and gross indiscipline,’ the Apapa faction spokesman said they neither had a pact with the NLC nor the said APC government as alleged.

READ ALSO: NLC Sacks Abure’s NWC, To Audit LP Accounts

“We wouldn’t have bothered to dignify this reckless statement from him and his co-travellers bjt because they continue to pretend and mislead members of the public with their intellectual sophistry, which was a false narrative. LP will not hold any brief or engage in any response for both the NLC president and its affiliate over the spurious insinuation by Obiora Ifoh that we are now working for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led APC administration.

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“Assuredly, we vehemently refute these allegations and shall put the mischief maker to the strictest proof at the appropriate time. We are also reminding him that those calling for the resignation or otherwise removal of Julius Abure now as National Chairman were on the side of their faction fighting us all through the pendency of the FCT high court restraining order

“It is therefore incongruous and antithetical for you and anyone from your faction of the Labour party to insinuate we are now jointly working for APC administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu alongside Joe Ajaero who once referred to Alh Bashiru Lamidi Apapa led NWC as rodents, except you are suffering from acute dementia or chronic bipolar disorder.

READ ALSO: Edo Guber: ‘Abure Must Go’ Protest Rocks Edo Labour Party, As Security Agents Confiscate Journalists’ Cameras

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We are also not in crisis with the NLC Political Commission towards any of their actions against the LP faction led by Barr. Julius Abure and his cohorts.

“However, the NLC president and the NLC Political Commission will be on firm ground if they choose to work with the Alhaji Bashiru Lamidi Apapa and Alhaji Saleh Lawan as Acting National Chairman and Acting National Secretary-led NWC of the Labour Party,” he stated.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Abure’s camp were unsuccessful.

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As of the time of filing this story, the lines of Abure and Ifoh were unreachable.

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Sanwo-Olu makes U-turn, Unblocks Lawyer Who Sued Him Over Blocking On X

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Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has unblocked human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, on X after a meeting with him at Lagos House, Marina, on Friday.

The lawyer, who had accused the governor of rights violations, announced the development in a post on his X account on Saturday.

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According to him, Sanwo-Olu personally invited him for a brief meeting to address his complaints.

Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has unblocked me on X (Twitter). I met briefly with him yesterday at Lagos House Marina, on his invitation, to amicably resolve my complaint of human rights violations. We will continue to hold authorities accountable, regardless. Aluta continua!” Ogun wrote.

READ ALSO:Lawyer Sues Sanwo-Olu For Blocking Him On X

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Tribune Online reports that Ogun had earlier filed a suit against Sanwo-Olu at a Federal High Court in Lagos, accusing him of violating his fundamental rights by blocking him on his verified X account.

In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1739/25, which he shared on Facebook, the lawyer claimed the governor blocked him over his 2021 “constructive criticisms” and “demand for accountability” on the October 2020 #EndSARS killings.

In 2021, I noticed that the Governor blocked me on his official X handle @jidesanwoolu owing to my constructive criticisms of his policies and demand for accountability in respect of the October 2020 #EndSARS Massacre.”

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READ ALSO:‘Court Of Corruption’ — Obasanjo Knocks INEC Chairman, Judiciary In New Book

Ogun said the action has prevented him from accessing vital government updates and information.

“Blocking me on X has prevented me from accessing public updates and receiving information about policies and governance in Lagos, which constitutes a violation of my right to receive information without interference,” he said.

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In his originating summons, he asked the court to declare the move unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory.

 

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Tragedy Deepens As Prime Suspect in Taraba Student’s Death Found Dead

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The investigation into the death of Comfort Jimtop, a 100-level Mass Communication student at Taraba State University, has taken a dramatic turn following the discovery of the lifeless body of Emmanuel Kefas, the prime suspect in the case.

Kefas’s body was discovered on Friday in the Tudiri community, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, under unclear circumstances, intensifying public concern and adding a tragic dimension to a case that has already gripped the university community and residents across Taraba State.

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Confirming the development on Saturday, the spokesperson for the Taraba State Police Command, James Lashen, said the police received a report from the village head of Tudiri about the discovery.

READ ALSO:Army Kills Notorious Bandit, Babangida, In Kogi

A lifeless body was found in Tudiri, and a Tecno Android phone was recovered beside it,” Lashen stated.

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Upon charging the phone, investigators found a photograph showing the deceased with the late Comfort Jimtop, suggesting they were in a romantic relationship.”

Lashen added that the body has been taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Jalingo for autopsy. At the same time, efforts are ongoing to officially identify the remains through the suspect’s family.

READ ALSO:Four Feared Killed As Gunmen Attack Burial Ceremony In Anambra

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Police have yet to determine whether Kefas’s death was the result of suicide, homicide, or an accident. Investigations into both deaths are continuing.

Comfort Jimtop’s mysterious death had earlier sparked outrage on campus and across the state, with students and rights groups demanding justice. Kefas was named a prime suspect in the case, which remains open.

This latest development has left many unanswered questions and deepened the grief surrounding the case.

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Students, residents, and civil society groups are closely monitoring the situation, calling on authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and bring clarity to the tragic chain of events.

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Ossiomo, Chinese Impasse: This Is Our Story — Management

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The management of Ossiomo Power Plant has cleared the air on the dispute between its Chinese partners and the circumstances surrounding the shutting down of the power plant early this month.

Representative of Ossiomo management, Engineer Festus Evbuomwan, during an interactive session with customers on the impasse between the two partners, said contrary to the rumour making the rounds, the management of Ossiomo Power Plant had paid over ₦2bn to its Chinese partner — Jiangsu Communication Clean Energy Technology (CCETC) — since the power plant started operation.

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Recall that representative of CCETC who identified himself as Mr. ‘W’ had, during a telephone phone interview two weeks ago, claimed that “instruction to shutdown was because we lost lots of money and did not get any return on investment,” adding that “all the $20m investment was done by us including the distribution lines.”

But Evbuomwan during the interactive session, said the management was not aware of the $20m investment the Chinese partner claimed, just as he disclosed that “when they generate power, we sell and pay them.”

READ ALSO:Edo Govt Denies Shares As Ownership Tussle Rocks Ossiomo Power

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He disclosed that after shutting down the power plant, the Chinese partners came up with a request of ₦185m to be paid to two Chinese not known to the management, stressing that this was declined.

According to him, the Chinese partner, having seen how lucrative the business is, “went to some quarters and raised some issues probably thinking they can manoeuvre us with the help of some big persons, so that they can use their machines to generate power and sideline us but this is not possible.”

The Chinese partners also claimed that they borrowed $20m from their native land to invest, we are not aware of such investment, and we do not know where the money was invested up till now.

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“They have been also saying they have not been receiving anything, but I want to tell you unequivocally that first, the partners run a joint account where their investment is going into. More so, The Chinese partners have received over ₦2bn so far for the power they generate with their machines. When they generate the power, we sell and pay them.”

READ ALSO: Five Years After, Edo Govt Reconnects To BEDC As Ossiomo Shut Down

Engr. Evbuomwan, while apologising to customers for the power outage caused by the dispute between the two partners, said Ossiomo had started power generation though not in full capacity, assuring that power generation would be fully restored soon.

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“We have purchased turbines, and one have started working. They are working on the second one, so, by the time our five turbines start working we will be in full capacity. Even with that, those connected to the government may not be reached immediately. This is because the government bought the poles and contracted the wiring, and we cannot force the government to do our bid. Also, we are making efforts to site 33kva transformer along Airport Road and Lagos Road as soon as possible, so that our customers there will get power.”

He said the Edo State government does not have a stake in the company, just as he appealed to the “government to let us supply power to customers in through their Lines. I want to emphasise that Ossiomo is not completely shut down.”

He further urged the “government to encourage the Nigerian citizens to invest and not to work against local investors.”

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