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Abia not yet what I envisioned – Otti
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The Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, says though the state has made significant progress from where his administration met it, it is still nowhere near what he envisioned, as there is still much to be done.
He said this on Monday when he received the team of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, an intergovernmental organisation with a mandate to support sustainable democracy worldwide, led by its Head of Programme in Nigeria, Mr Danladi Plang.
The organisation has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, with 35 countries as members, and is the organiser of the European Union-funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption programme.
Abia State, The PUNCH learnt, was chosen as the focal state for phase II of the programme, following conversations at the EU and the report of reforms ongoing in the state.
Phase I of the programme, which started in 2017, ended last year and had five focal states participating.
Speaking while receiving the visitors, Otti said, “There are lots of things that we’re still struggling with. Abia State is not yet what I envisioned, though the state has made significant progress from where the administration met it.
“That’s why we are happy to have you. On our own, we had taken a principled stand on a few issues that have to do with gender-based violence, people with disabilities and women and children, vulnerable groups.
“So, while we were taking the decisions and appointing people to supervise those roles, we were not thinking about you or anybody. We just felt that was the right thing to do.
“Virtually everything that has been spoken about here revolves around good governance. So, if you’re talking about the protection of the vulnerable, talking of anti-corruption, transparency, due process and others, it’s all about good governance and that’s what this government stands for. We actually do have zero tolerance for corruption.”
Otti thanked Plang and his team for their visit and for choosing Abia as one of the focal states for the programme in Nigeria while pledging the government’s support to help them succeed.
Plang, who commended Otti on his leadership qualities, said the programme was extended for another five years, with Abia and Plateau states chosen to join Lagos, Anambra, Edo, Kano and Adamawa states for Phase II.
“For us, it confirms what has been said about Abia, since Governor Alex Otti assumed leadership. It is a testament to the good work that you’re doing and also a testament to the fact that the people of Abia State did not make a mistake in electing you, seeing the support that is coming from the other development partners,” Plang said in his address.
“As we all know, nobody wants to be associated with failure, so it’s also in our interest that we’re associated with the success that Abia State is recording through your leadership.
“The purpose of our coming is to introduce our organisation, International Idea, and also to introduce the programme that the European Union has extended to Abia State and to seek your support and cooperation as we begin this project,” Plang said.
The Head of Programme in Nigeria said politicians always prioritised concrete achievements like roads, and hospitals, among others and lost sight of things that were not just concrete but tangible.
He said, “I believe that there will be sufficient interest shown by your leadership for issues of justice.”
Earlier, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ikechukwu Uwanna, said the state government would leverage the vast experience that International Idea had to ensure that it was better equipped to serve justice for the citizens.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Ngozi Felix, described the inclusion of Abia State in the EU-sponsored programme as “a dream come true,” because of the benefits it would bring to the people, especially women, children, persons with disabilities and all vulnerable groups.
“I’m very happy that this programme is going to bring that needed capacity building for judges, it’s also going to help strengthen the criminal justice system and ensure that prosecution for sex offenders is not just done but in a very timely manner,” she said.
The Secretary to the State Government, Prof Kenneth Kalu, said Abia stood to benefit immensely from the values being offered through the RoLAC programme, though such values could not easily be discerned in the manner of other tangible developmental projects like roads and other physical structures.
By Francesca Hangeior
Nigerian medical doctor and content creator Aproko Doctor has sparked conversations online after revealing that his wife, Chef Amaka, did not fit the image of his ideal partner when they first met.
Speaking during an interview, Aproko Doctor explained that although his wife didn’t match the physical “spec” he had imagined, he fell in love with her because of her personality, values, and compassion.
“My wife didn’t look anything like the spec I created in my head. It was what she was saying, her thoughts, and most importantly, her heart for people. She was peace for me.”
His remarks have generated mixed reactions on social media.
While some applauded him for highlighting the importance of character over physical appearance, others argued that publicly stating one’s spouse was not their “spec” could be hurtful, regardless of the intended message.
The comments come shortly after Chef Amaka shared her emotional journey living with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and the hurtful remarks she endured about her appearance and fertility after their marriage.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday affirmed Sen. David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Justice Musa Liman, in a judgment, also dimissed the suit filed by Rep Leke Abejide challenging Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as national chairman and national secretary of the party for lacking in merit.
Justice Liman upheld the preliminary objections filed by ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Mark and Aregbesola which challenged Abejide’s suit.
The judge held that the court lacked the jurisdiction to dabble into the internal affairs of ADC, as the suit was non-justiciable.
He also held that Abejide lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit, having failed to show to the court that his rights had been violated in any way as a result of the emergence of Mark-led leadership.
He equally held that Abejide, who is a member of House of Representatives, failed to explore the party’s internal mechanism for dispute resolution.
Justice Liman also resolved the three issues in the substantive suit in favour of the defendants.
On whether Mark, the former Senate president and Aregbesola, who was former Governor of Osun, emerged as leaders of the party in compliance with the enabling laws, the judge resolved this against Abejide, the plaintiff in the suit.
He held that the handing over of the leadership of the party by Nwosu to Mark did not violate the provisions of the party’s constitution.
The judge agreed that the disputed July 2, 2025 meeting of the party was a stakeholder meeting which preceded the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on July 29, 2025, that produced Mark and Aregbesola as party’s leaders which was monitored by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Liman, therefore, declared that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as leaders of ADC was valid and in accordance with the constitution, the Electoral Act, 2026 and party’s law.
The judge consequently awarded a fine of N2 million each in favour of all the defendants which shall be paid by Abejide.
He also awarded a N10 million fine against Abejide’s lawyer in compliance with the Electioral Act, 2026.
Abejide had instituted the suit to stop Mark-led leadership of ADC.
In the originating summons, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025 filed on Feb. 15 by Idris, the lawmaker sued ADC, Ralph Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola and INEC as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.
Nwosu was the former national chairman of ADC who stepped down for Mark, the ex-Senate president.
Abejide, among the eight reliefs, sought an order nullifying Nwosu’s handover or transfer of ADC’s leadership to Mark and Aregbesola as interim national chairman and intenm national secretary respectively on July 2, 2025, at Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Abuja for being illegal, unlawful, null and void.
He sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as leaders of the party “as thelr purported appointment, selection or election was unlawful, illegal, null and void.”
He also sought perpetual injunction, restraining INEC from recognising Mark and Aregbesola as ADC’s interim national chairman and interim national secretary “.
He alleged that their appointment. selection or election did not meet the requirements of Section 82 of the Electoral Act, 2022,” among other prayers.
By Francesca Hangeior
The pilot who died after crashing a small plane into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, injuring 13 people, had mental health issues and had written about suicide in his diary, authorities said Thursday.
The 66-year-old man flew a light aircraft into the 528-metre (1,732-foot) CITIC Tower in Beijing’s Central Business District on Friday at 5:55 pm (0955 GMT).
The plane crash raised questions about aviation safety in tightly secured Beijing, with the CITIC skyscraper around seven kilometres (4.3 miles) away from Zhongnanhai, the government compound which houses top Chinese leaders.
AFP journalists at the scene had seen a hole in the windows of one of the building’s upper floors, with witnesses reporting plane debris and a small fire at the foot of the tower.
The pilot — surnamed Liu — was divorced, lived alone in Beijing and “had long suffered from insomnia and anxiety, and his diary contained multiple references to ‘ending his life’”, the capital’s Chaoyang district government said in a statement.
“This was an incident endangering public safety caused by personal reasons,” it added.
Liu worked as a freelancer and had obtained a sport pilot license in 2021 and a private pilot license in 2024, according to the statement.
On the afternoon of the incident, Liu took off from a general aviation airport in suburban Pinggu district and conducted both supervised and solo flights, the statement said.
During his last solo flight, Liu “deviated from the designated area and lost contact with the airport” before the crash, it added.
He was flying a two-seat propeller-driven light aircraft.
Chinese social media was rapidly scrubbed of photos and videos of the plane crash shortly after it took place, while police at the scene stopped journalists and onlookers from taking pictures of the building.
Love Over ‘Spec’: Aproko doctor shares the reason he married his wife
Just in: Court confirms Mark-led leadership of ADC, dismisses Abejide’s suit
Pilot in Beijing Tower crash had written about self-harm, says Govt
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