Politics

Kogi Govt Reacts To Natasha’s Allegations Against Akpabio, Yahaya Bello, Gov Ododo

Published

5 months ago

April 1, 2025

The Kogi State Government has accused the senator representing the Kogi Central senatorial district, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, of lacking respect for the rule of law.

Natasha held a successful homecoming on Tuesday, despite the Kogi State government’s ban on political gatherings and the use of convoys.

The state also dismissed the senator’s claim that former Governor Yahaya Bello, the incumbent Ahmed Usman Ododo, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio are behind her ordeals.

In a statement on Tuesday, a few hours after Natasha’s homecoming, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, said, “The Kogi State Government has noted the reckless, malicious, and utterly false allegations made by the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on her verified Facebook
page, in which she claims that Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, former Governor Yahaya Bello, and Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio should be held responsible if anything happens to her.

“This is yet another desperate and calculated attempt by an inveterate liar and serial manipulator to mislead the public, incite unrest, and present herself as a victim after deliberately violating the ban on political gatherings imposed by the State Government to maintain law and order.

“Her statement exposed her plans to use her visit to stir trouble and violence in the Kogi Central Senatorial District. We will not allow any part of the state to descend into chaos, nor permit the killing of innocent people by the actions of the suspended Senator.

“Although she has since deleted the post after realising the consequences of her lie, we have a screenshot of it, which was saved before she deleted the post. Her actions since the early hours of today have confirmed the authenticity of the security report that certain elements were planning to foment trouble in Kogi Central.

“Let it be categorically stated that Governor Ododo has no interest in the political theatrics of the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Her baseless allegations are nothing but a feeble attempt to stir unnecessary controversy and cover up her blatant disregard for the law. She has once again proven that she has no respect for rules and laws.

“Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has consistently demonstrated a pattern of lawlessness, using lies and deceit as her tools of political engagement. The recent disturbances in Kogi State, orchestrated by her defiance of the state’s security directives, have further confirmed her status as a security threat to the people of the State.

“She deliberately violated the State Government’s ban on political gatherings, which was put in place to prevent security breaches and maintain peace. Instead of respecting the law, she chose to incite chaos, disregarding the safety and stability of the state. When confronted with the consequences of her actions, she resorted to her usual tactics of playing the victim and fabricating baseless accusations against respected leaders of the state and the nation.

“The people of Kogi State and Nigerians at large should see through her deceptive ploys and reject her attempt to manipulate public perception with outright lies. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is not a victim; she is an instigator of disorder who thrives on spreading falsehoods to gain public sympathy.”

Ododo’s administration said it will not be blackmailed or intimidated by what it describes as the antics of a desperate politician who, according to them, has built her political career on falsehoods.

The government said that Natasha should be blamed for any form of violence that may erupt in Kogi State, as a cloud of violence is currently hanging over Kogi Central due to the lawmaker’s refusal to comply with the State Government’s position and cooperate with security agencies.

The government warned that it would no longer tolerate deliberate provocation of crises by individuals who then cry foul when confronted with the consequences of their actions.

“We call on the security agencies to take note of her reckless utterances and inflammatory actions that pose a serious threat to peace and stability in the state. She should be held accountable for her blatant attempts to incite violence and cause unnecessary tension,” the statement added.

“We will not allow anyone, regardless of their status, to derail our commitment to peace, security, and progress.”

Politics

Wike Gives Update On Rivers Emergency Rule Expires Date

Published

5 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday said he was optimistic that the state of emergency declared in Rivers State would expire on September 18.

He disclosed this after casting his vote in the ongoing local government election in the state.

Wike noted that the expiration would pave the way for the state House of Assembly to resume its legislative duties.

“As far as we are concerned, this election is peaceful, people are trooping out and at the end of the day the election has been conducted successfully and peacefully.

“I do know that by September 18, the state of emergency will expire and the state assembly will come back to their job and we will have a government at the grassroots level,” Wike said.

The minister said the conditions were right for lifting the state of emergency since both state and local governments now had representation.

He added, “The coast is clear for the state of emergency to be lifted, being that the state government has its representative and the local government has its representatives, so we are good to go.”

President Bola Tinubu had earlier imposed emergency rule in Rivers to prevent a political crisis, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the State House of Assembly for six months.

Politics

APC Mocks Jonathan As ADC Woos Him For 2027 Race

Published

11 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

There were reports on Friday that a powerful group within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is wooing ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2027 presidential race.

A source close to both the former president and the ADC told Saturday Tribune on Friday that the former president is seriously considering running in the coming presidential polls.

The source confirmed that key figures in the ADC were comfortable with having Jonathan as their presidential candidate and had, in fact, reached out to him.

He, however, said the former president was torn between his loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) “which made him” and the ADC which, he said, had the potential of winning the election if it gets the right candidate.

“Former President Goodluck Jonathan is worried that certain persons with strong links to the Villa may still be in control of the PDP and may mess him up if he seeks the ticket of that party,” the source said.

He added that Jonathan’s only issue with the ADC is that “he does not want to contest against Peter Obi because he believes that the Igbo people supported him in 2015 even more than his own Ijaw people.”

While saying emphatically that Jonathan would run except he could not find a platform, the source added that “if he chooses our party (ADC), we will zone the presidency to the South. If he does not come to us, we will have no option than to go to the North because politics is about numbers and winning.”

Jonathan can’t defeat Tinubu —APC

Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that former President Goodluck Jonathan cannot defeat its candidate, Bola Tinubu, in the presidential election coming up in 2027.

The Lagos State chapter of the party said on Friday that it had observed with keen interest the growing speculations surrounding the possible return of former President Jonathan to the 2027 presidential race, and therefore made the submission.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Jonathan, who lost his re-election bid in 2015 to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, is being persuaded by supporters to seek reelection in 2027 general elections.

NAN reported APC’s spokesman in Lagos State, Mr Seye Oladejo, in a statement on Friday as noting that the former president’s political relevance to unseat President Bola Tinubu, remained in doubt.

“While we acknowledge the former president’s role in the peaceful democratic transition of 2015, an act that rightly earned him praise at home and abroad, we must state, in clear terms, that Nigeria has since moved beyond the politics of sentiment, nostalgia, and symbolism.

“The challenges of today and the future require bold, capable, and forward-thinking leadership, not a return to the comfort of a past that was far from perfect.

“Let it be clear: good luck alone is not a governance strategy,” he said.

Oladejo alleged that the Jonathan administration, from 2010 to 2015, left behind a country grappling with severe structural weaknesses, from unchecked corruption to alarming insecurity and economic inertia.

“While some may look back on those years with rose-tinted glasses, we must remind ourselves that nostalgia is not a policy platform.

“Emotion cannot drive economic reform, and sentimentality will not fix power generation, insecurity, youth unemployment, or education sector decay,” the APC chieftain said.

Oladejo said that the party also noted the constitutional and political complications of a potential Jonathan candidacy.

According to him, having completed more than one term in office, any return bid will inevitably trigger legal contention and political instability — distractions Nigeria cannot afford in a time when decisive action is needed across all sectors of national life.

“Moreover, the former president’s political relevance has been complicated by his recent engagements across party lines.

“His flirtation with the APC and absence from PDP’s strategic rebuilding efforts raise questions about his loyalty, clarity of vision, and political intentions,” he said.

According to him, the APC remains focused on consolidating progress, implementing reforms, and engaging the Nigerian electorate with fresh ideas and credible candidates who reflect the aspirations of a dynamic, youthful population.

“We believe the future of Nigeria does not lie in recycled leadership but in visionary governance rooted in integrity, innovation, and resilience.

“Former President Jonathan remains a respected elder statesman. His legacy as a peaceful democrat is assured. But legacies are not manifestoes, and nostalgia is not governance.

“We urge Nigerians to reject emotional shortcuts and stay focused on the need for capable, accountable and transformative leadership.

“As 2027 approaches, let us not reach backwards in desperation, but move forward with courage and clarity,” Oladejo said.

Politics

Marafa’s Loyalists Quit APC, Cite Neglect Of Zamfara

Published

1 day ago

August 29, 2025

Editor

Supporters of former Zamfara Central Senator, Kabiru Marafa, have announced their resignation from the All Progressives Congress, citing what they described as injustice, marginalisation and deliberate neglect of the state by the ruling party and President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The group, operating under the aegis of the Senator Kabiru Marafa Consultative Forum, met in Kaduna on Wednesday and Thursday, August 27 and 28, 2025, to deliberate on the worsening political, security and developmental situation in the state.

At the end of the meeting, the forum issued a communique signed by its chairman, Bashir Mafara, secretary Mannir Tsafe, and seven others, formally announcing their exit from the APC.

The communique partly read, “After broad consultations and critical review of the prevailing circumstances, the political structure of Distinguished Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa OFR, CON across the 147 wards in Zamfara State unanimously resolved as follows:

“The entire structure with all its supporters hereby formally resigns from the All Progressives Congress in protest against the sustained injustice, mistrust, marginalisation, and deliberate neglect of Zamfara State and its people.

“That we shall, in due course, announce our next political direction, guided by the collective interest of the good people of Zamfara State.”

The group expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in the state, pointing to official data and community reports on rising kidnappings and killings.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, hasn’t been able to address the persistent and senseless kidnappings and killings of innocent citizens in Zamfara State, despite the explicit promises made during the 2023 presidential campaign.

“The situation continues to worsen, leaving communities devastated and hopeless,” they said.

The group claimed that reports indicate that out of the 4,722 people kidnapped over one year in Nigeria in 2024, 1,203 are from Zamfara State, followed by Kaduna State with 629.

It added that the Zamfara Circle Community Initiatives reported that 25 villages suffered attacks in one week after the just concluded by-election, with 145 people kidnapped and 21 killed.

The senator’s loyalists also accused the government of politicising insecurity for electoral gains.

On the alleged marginalisation of Zamfara in political appointments and projects, the communique added, “Despite the fact that Zamfara State was one of only two states in the entire North-West geopolitical zone that delivered victory to President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election spearheaded by Distinguished Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa OFR, CON as State Coordinator which the President himself categorically acknowledged during his speech shortly after his declaration as the winner of the 2023 election by INEC, the state has been sidelined in all facets of human developments including protection of lives and properties, infrastructural developments as well as fair representation in political appointments.

“The state was given only a Minister of State, while most states in the Northwest got two slots.

“But more unfair is the allocation given to the Southwest that corners the entire financial sector, with some states getting multiple ministerial slots and countless agencies.

“For example, Lagos state, where President Tinubu lost the election, has enjoyed overwhelming patronage in terms of appointments and developmental projects, underscoring the deliberate marginalisation of Zamfara state, where Mr. President won.”

The forum concluded by accusing the APC leadership of betraying its founding principles of fairness and justice.

“The above actions and omissions negate the fundamental principles of justice, fairness, equity and accountability upon which the APC was founded.

“Conscience demands that genuine progressives must stand for truth and resist injustice, no matter how uncomfortable,” it said.