News & Announcements

In Kano State, more than 100,000 people have expressed a desire to volunteer their services as free agents in support of Bola Tinubu, the APC’s presidential candidate.

By extension, the gesture will also be extended to Nasiru Gawuna, a candidate for state governor, and Murtala Sule-Garo, who would serve as Gawuna’s running mate.

This was revealed in a statement provided on Wednesday by Baffa Dan’Agundi, the director of the North West Tinubu/Shettima campaign support organization.

Dan’Agundi reportedly told Governor Ganduje about it on Tuesday at the Kano State government building in front of thousands of APC supporters who wanted to volunteer as agents for free.

According to Dan’Agundi, “I told them they don’t need to show their declaration in my office, rather they should endeavour to come down to Government House and declare their interest in front of you, Your Excellency.

“They all came here willingly without financial support from the governor or any stakeholder in the party,” he said.

The director noted that the majority of the attendees traveled from their home towns, including Kurnar Asabe, Hotoro, and many more, to see the event.

Dan’Agundi further reminded the Governor that when he brought President Buhari to Kano, he received no funding at all, and he promised that Tinubu would receive the similar treatment.

He also conveyed to the governor the women’s message that they will vote for the First Lady, Prof. Hafsat Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, in recognition of her unwavering dedication to advancing women in Kano State.

Police officers assigned to governors, ministers, and other government officials are not permitted to accompany their principals to polling places in the 2023 elections, according to the Osun State Police Command.

This information is found in a statement released on Wednesday in Osogbo and signed by SP Yemisi Opalola, the command’s spokesperson.

The statement read, ”Any officer found to have flouted  this directive will be subjected to disciplinary actions.

“Also, the use of siren, revolving lights and tinted car windows by unauthorised citizens during the elections period will not be allowed.

“The command also warns other  security outfits/organisations that are not constitutionally empowered to participate in the  election duty to steer  off the electoral process,” she added.

”Any organisation/groups found flouting this would  definitely  be sanctioned in accordance with the extant laws.

Meanwhile, the police released hotlines during the election.

“The numbers are 08039537995, 08075872433 and  08123823981,” the statement added.

Gunmen destroyed Emeka Okoronkwo’s rural home in the early hours of Tuesday. He was the Imo State Commissioner for Youths and Sports.

Nnamdi Obiaraeri, a former dean of the law school at Imo State University in Owerri who served as commissioner for information, youth and sports, as well as land and urban planning, respectively, under the administrations of former governors Ikedi Ohakim and Rochas Okorocha, had his country home demolished as well.

Emeka Ngwu, a retired director of the Department of Security Service, also had his country home burned down.

It was also learnt that an old woman who was in Ngwu’s house died in the fire.

Two houses belonging to two other prominent sons of the area were also burnt.

Nnaemeka Obiaraeri, a Labour Party candidate for the Okigwe Local Government Area, and Okey Unam, the director general of the campaign organization for the LP’s House of Representatives candidate, both had their country homes burned down recently, turning Ihube into a hive of criminal activity.

The incident took place in the Amagu Ihube hamlet in the state’s Okigwe Local Government Area.

When called Okoronkwo confirmed that his home had burned down.

Henry Okoye, a spokesman for the state police command, confirmed the incident and informed that an investigation had been launched in an effort to apprehend the offenders who were eluding capture.

Michael Enoyong, the Akwa Ibom State Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate who just emerged as the governorship candidate as a result of a court order obtained by a Federal High Court, has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja.

Once Enoyong was removed from office, the court ruled that Pastor Umo Eno, who had previously won the party’s primary, should have his mandate reinstated.

In addition, the court mandated that Enyong pay the appellant N1 million in costs.

On January 20, 2023, a Federal High Court issued an order ratifying Enyong, who reportedly won the party’s nomination in a factional primary held by some statutory party delegates at Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo.

The PDP quickly filed an appeal after rejecting the order in Akwa Ibom and at the federal level. The Court of Appeal in Abuja issued its ruling on Tuesday.

The Federal High Court’s decision was overturned by the court in the judgment written by Judge Hamma Barka because it was founded on mistakes.

Justice Barka concurred with Mr. Paul Usoro SAN and Uwemedimo Nwoko, attorneys for the PDP, that the Federal High Court judgment was rendered incorrectly and that the plaintiff in the case misled the court to reach an unjust conclusion, particularly with regard to the use of statutory delegates that the party had disqualified from the process.

The judge held, “The issue of statutory delegates who voted at the primary election is an internal affair of the party and that the lower court ought not to have inquired into the issue.”

In light of this, the court dismissed Enyong during his brief tenure as the PDP’s candidate for governor of Akwa Ibom State.

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been projected to win the coming Presidential election in Nigeria.

This is according to the report of a four weeks opinion poll, conducted by a group of DATA Analysts and Public Relations experts, coordinated by, FREDDAN Continental. has made the result of an opinion poll it conducted on the 2023 Presidential Election public.

The poll which lasted four (4) weeks from January 7 to February 11, 2023, pointed to the candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as a potential winner.

Tinubu, according to the poll, rated higher than other candidates from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NNPP).

The group, in conducting the poll, deployed a group of seasoned Data Anaylsts, who utilized online and phone surveys to collect data about voters’ preferences.

The Online survey was conducted via a secure web platform that prevented multiple voting.

In contrast, the phone survey was conducted by trained staff who are proficient in the three major Nigerian languages – Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa – and could therefore engage fully with respondents in their preferred languages.

The FREDDAN Election Net Favourability administered over 370,000 Questionnaires over the four (4) weeks duration and received a total of 287,033 responses across the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT.

A National summary of the poll showed that the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is favourite to win the 2023 Presidential election, having been preferred by 106,764 respondents to the opinion poll, representing 37.2% of a total population of respondents.

The Regional voting preference survey also showed that the candidate of the APC enjoys majority support in 19 States out of 36.

The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, came second in the poll with 92,127 respondents preferring him over the other candidates.

This forms 32.1% of the total responses received.

The regional voting preference showed that he enjoys majority support in 8 out of 36 States of the Federation.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, came a surprising third as just 88,109 respondents preferred him, forming 30.7% of total respondents.

The regional voting preference showed that he enjoys majority support in 10 of the 36 States of the Federation.

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) came a distant fourth, polling 693, translating to just 0.23% of total respondents.

According to the outcome of the poll, Tinubu of the APC is expected to win majority votes in the North-West, North-Central, and South-West regions.

The Candidate of the PDP, Abubakar, is expected to win majority votes in the FCT and the South-South region.

Obi of the Labour Party is expected to win majority votes in the South-East region, while the North-East region is expected to be divided between the candidates of the APC and the PDP.

This poll predicts victory for the candidate of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the February 25 Presidential election.

The Regional voting preference suggests that a clear winner may emerge on the first ballot as against some other predictions that there may be a rerun.

Naja’atu Muhammad has been replaced by former Assistant Inspector-General of Police Bawa Lawal by the Police Service Commission to oversee the monitoring of police officers’ behaviour in the North-West during the presidential election.

This came after the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council cried out on Monday, accusing Naja’atu of collusion.

The PSC said on Sunday that Naja’atu, a former director of the APC PCC’s Civil Society Directorate, had been appointed as one of the coordinators to oversee how police officers behave during the upcoming elections.

It had been reported on how the lawmaker, who was born in Kano, had criticized the ruling APC and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, when she left the party to endorse Atiku Abubakar.

Festus Keyamo, the principal spokesperson for the Tinubu/Shettima PCC, came out against her appointment after it had been made.

The PSC declared in a statement that it had dropped Naja’atu in response to the objection.

The statement read in part, “The attention of the PSC was drawn to a press statement by the APC PCC on the appointment of Naja’atu representing women interest and the North-West in the commission as one of the coordinators for the monitoring of police conduct in the February 25 presidential election which the council accused of partisanship.

“The statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs and chief spokesperson, Tinubu/Shettima PCC, Festus Keyamo, SAN, rejected the appointment of commissioner Naja’atu as coordinator for the exercise.

“The commission wishes to state with all sense of responsibility that its commissioners representing different geopolitical zones have always supervised assignments of the commission in the geopolitical zones they represent. It was the same with the present national assignment.

“The commission has, however, decided to mandate AIG Bawa Lawal (retd.), who is from the same geopolitical zone with commissioner Naja’atu, to take over the coordination of the monitoring of police conduct in the zone.”

The former aviation minister Femi Fani-forgery Kayode’s trial before the Lagos State Special Offenses Court in Ikeja was suspended on Monday since he wasn’t present.

Before an Ikeja Special Offenses Court, he is being tried for the alleged use of fictitious documents, the fabrication of evidence, and procuring the execution of documents.

Fani-Kayode is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on 12 counts in which he is accused of submitting a false medical report to Judge Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Lagos, where he is being tried for an alleged N4.9 billion fraud.

Fani-Kayode was not present when the case was being heard again on Monday, according to the defense attorney, Wale Balogun.

“We regret to announce to your lordship that the defendant is not in court due to health reasons, and secondly due to a running battle he has with both the DSS and the police.”

Balogun said to the court that “since the last time we were here, the defendant has been reporting every day at the DSS, and while he was doing this, the Nigeria Police invited him” for questioning with regards to some comments Fani-Kayode made online.

“Since we left here at the last date, he has not been able to have peace of mind, and that has affected his health.

“On the 16th, he was at the hospital and on Saturday he was also readmitted at the National Hospital.

“Even now as we speak, he is also there, and based on this it has become imperative to seek your lordship’s indulgence not only to vacate today, but the other days, 21 and 22.

“We humbly apply that those days be vacated to enable him resolve those issues.”

The attorney said that in that regard, he had given the prosecution access to some documents.

The prosecutor for the EFCC responded, saying, “The defense counsel submitted with us two documents this morning; one is a medical report and the other is from the Nigeria Police.

“In the circumstance, we leave the decision to the discretion of the court.”

The defendant who was arraigned in December 17, 2021, pleaded not guilty to the charge against him.

Court Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe adjourned the case till May 24 and 25 so that the trial could continue after hearing from the attorneys.

Five gunmen were killed by police in Anambra State while campaigning for no election in the South East during this year’s general elections. One police officer was also killed.

The gunmen, who were said to be working for Simon Ekpa in Finland, tried to bomb the 3-3 Police Station in Nkwelle Ezunaka, Oyi local government area of the state.

They were also said to be responsible for the bombing of the Police Area Command, Ogidi in Idemili North local government area where three policemen were killed on Saturday.

Similar attacks had also taken place at Ukpor in Nnewi South and Ihiala where the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was burnt.

A resident of 3-3, where the police station is located, said there was heavy shooting around 5 am on Sunday with the hoodlums shouting no election in Biafraland.

He said that when he came out around 7 am he saw five dead bodies believed to be the unknown gunmen killed by the police during the gun duel, adding that their bodies were laced with all kinds of charms.

According to him, a bank opposite the police station was shattered with bullets, and some shops around there were also torched.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga who confirmed the incident, said: “The combined security team, made up of the police and the military, today( Sunday) 19/2/2023 by 5:58 am, neutralized a gang of five armed men, recovered two Ak47 rifles, one Toyota Sienna vehicle with Reg No Abuja ABC 848 EQ, charms and other incriminating items, in a response to a distress call on an attack at 3 3 Police Divisional Headquarters, Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Oyi LGA.”

“The notorious gang who were armed with guns, IEDs, and petrol bombs, started shooting indiscriminately to gain entrance to the station but were engaged and resisted by gallant officers attached to the station.

“During the gun duel, unfortunately, one police operative attached to the station was fatally wounded and an office in the facility was partially affected by the petrol bomb the armed men threw inside the station.

“Also, one patrol vehicle parked in front of the station was set ablaze by the gunmen.

“The situation is under control and the incident is still being assessed. Meanwhile, Joint operations are still ongoing and further development shall be communicated.”

An Israeli missile strike early Sunday killed 15 people and destroyed a building in a Damascus neighbourhood home to much of Syria’s security apparatus, a war monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strike, which hit close to an Iranian cultural centre, had killed 15 people including civilians.

Since the beginning of the war in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes against its neighbour, primarily targeting positions of the Syrian army, Iranian forces and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, allies of the Syrian regime.

But it rarely hits residential areas of the capital.

Sunday’s strike hit in Kafr Sousa, home to senior officials, security agencies and intelligence headquarters.

“At 00:22 am (2222 GMT), the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial aggression from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights targeting several areas in Damascus and its vicinity, including residential neighbourhoods,” Syria’s defence ministry said in a statement.

In a preliminary toll, it said the strike killed five people, among them a soldier, and injured 15 civilians, some in critical condition.

Footage posted by state media showed that a 10-story building was badly damaged in the attack, crushing the structure of its lower floors.

The strike on Sunday is the deadliest Israeli attack in the Syrian capital,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Observatory, which has a wide network of sources inside Syria.

The attack comes more than a month after an Israeli missile strike hit Damascus International Airport, killing four people — including two soldiers.

The January 2 strike hit “positions for Hezbollah and pro-Iranian groups inside the airport and its surroundings, including a weapons warehouse”, the Observatory said at the time.

Israel’s military rarely comments on its strikes against Syria, but regularly asserts that it will not let Iran extend its influence to Israel’s borders.

At the end of last year, the head of the Israel Defence Forces Operations Directorate, Major General Oded Basiuk, presented the military’s “operational outlook” for 2023, saying that the force “will not accept Hezbollah 2.0 in Syria”.

The latest strike comes as the Damascus government seeks to recover from the February 6 earthquake, which did not affect the capital but which has killed more than 43,000 people in the country’s north as well as southern Turkey.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, on Friday said the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, deceived Nigerians with the implementation of the new naira design.

Keyamo said that Emefiele told Nigerians that the CBN would be carrying out a currency swap but ended up confiscating people’s money.

The minister, who spoke in an interview on Channels Television, stated, “There was a grand deception. You said it was a currency swap, what you are doing is currency confiscation, it’s not a swap. The swap is that I bring N1,000, and you give N1,000. I bring 5,000, you give me N5,000 of the new notes.

“But you said all of us should deposit all our money. At that time we deposited all our money, and the new notes were not available. I think that is where we also got it wrong as citizens. We should have insisted on the availability of the new notes before we deposited the old notes.

“What happens to financial freedom; you have confiscated my money, you have denied me the right over my money. That was the grand deception they sold to everybody.”

Keyamo said though President Muhammadu Buhari had good intentions for the naira redesign, the policy was wrongly advised.