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By Gloria Ikibah

A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rufus Omeire, has dismissed claims of an existing zoning arrangement in the Ideato Federal Constituency of Imo State, describing the emergence of the incumbent lawmaker, Ikenga Ugochinyere, as a product of the people’s choice.

Omeire, who is the senatorial candidate of the Action Peoples Party (APP), made the assertion in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said the latest agitation over representation in the constituency was aimed at Ugochinyere, who chairs the House Committee on Downstream Petroleum, warning that any attempt to create a crisis based on what he described as an unfounded zoning arrangement will backfire.

According to him, Ugochinyere was not elected on the basis of zoning but through the collective decision of the people of Ideato Federal Constituency.

He described the lawmaker as “the people’s messenger, a product of our people’s decision to elect a messenger they have confidence in, even while he was in exile.”

Omeire said, “We don’t have zoning, and he can’t be a product of what does not exist. His closest challenger, who was the incumbent, was from Ideato South, went even up to the court, and Ikenga defeated him”.

He explained that he had also sought a second term as an indigene of Ideato South, but was not returned, stressing that there was no established zoning arrangement guiding the constituency’s elections.

“Hon. Austin Chukwukere took over from Hon Mbadigwe, both from Ideato North. The people love Ikenga because he is a light and a messenger who will one day host the Ideato flag at the center of national and international politics, and we can’t exchange an exceptional, young, courageous leader with those who have failed at everything they’ve done in their lives.

“We can’t exchange a robust, over-active, capacity young man with any new beginner. Let me also say it here that we are short changing ourselves in this quest to always change our Reps after one tenure. We can never achieve any meaningful development from the federal like this. We have finally gotten it right with Ikenga so he should continue the wonderful work he is doing,” the statement read.

Omeire also highlighted the Ideato Bridge project as one of Ugochinyere’s major interventions, claiming that the lawmaker “single-handedly convinced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to approve N26 billion for work to start before the state government wrote to the Ministry of Works to allow them to take over.”

He challenged the Imo State Government to identify a single project it had initiated on its own in the federal constituency.

He said, “until they start the Amanator Isiekenesi Dikenafai Road and finish it, nobody can say they have done anything for us.”

The former lawmaker also criticised those opposing Ugochinyere, describing them as “roadside clowns” who were launching a “kindergarten attack against a passionate messenger that his people love.”

He urged them to abandon what he called their “childish and ridiculous attempt to get attention”.

According to him, “This desperate show of shame was only an act to beg for the extension of their tenure, which has already expired.”

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Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, has argued that being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) does not automatically disqualify a person from participating in political campaigns or canvassing votes.

Wike made the assertion on Wednesday, during a media parley in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, while defending the inclusion of individuals facing allegations or investigations in political campaign structures.

His comments followed controversy over the inclusion of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, in the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign structure for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

Edu was listed as Director of Women Mobilisation in the APC Presidential Campaign Council. She was suspended by President Tinubu in January 2024 following allegations of financial impropriety and was subsequently investigated by the EFCC.

Wike questioned the basis for excluding a person from campaigning simply because the individual was being investigated, particularly where no conviction had been established.

“You were asking the moral justification of putting someone who has an EFCC case to be in a campaign council. And I was just watching the lady. The lady doesn’t even know what to say,” Wike said.

He added: “Now, somebody cannot be in a campaign to canvass for votes for a particular person, but somebody who has an EFCC case can contest an election and win an election?”

The minister said there had been instances in which individuals facing criminal allegations or court cases contested elections and emerged victorious.

“This person had an EFCC case in court, charged to court. He contested an election and became a governor,” he said, without identifying the individual.

Wike also took his argument further, saying even a person serving a prison sentence could express political support for a candidate and canvass votes through others.

“Listen. Even a prisoner… maybe they have somebody in prison. I go and visit the person. The person can tell me, ‘My brother, I want you to support so-and-so candidate.’ A prisoner has canvassed for vote,” he said.

The minister also referred to an unnamed individual allegedly linked to a coup plot, questioning the criticism generated when such a person was said to have supported a political candidate.

“I was watching, when Channels, when Sunrise, who came up to say, ‘Ah, how can somebody who’s being looked for as a coup plotter is now canvassing for votes for so-and-so government?’ Somebody EFCC is looking for is now canvassing for votes for so-and-so person,” Wike said.

He maintained that an ongoing investigation should not, by itself, prevent a political party or candidate from accepting an individual’s support during an election campaign.

“But a party, or a candidate cannot, simply because EFCC is investigating the person, cannot be a member of the campaign council to campaign for votes,” he said.

Edu has not been publicly declared guilty of any offence arising from the EFCC investigation.

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Ride-hailing company, Uber, has shut down its operations in Nigeria.

In a statement, the company, which came into Nigeria in 2014, said its exit is effective from September 2, 2026.

After a thorough review, we have taken the difficult decision to wind down operations in Nigeria, effective September 2, 2026,”

“We are writing to share some difficult news. After a thorough review of our business, we have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Nigeria, effective 2 September 2026.”

“Since we first launched in Lagos in 2014, it has been an absolute privilege to be a part of your daily life connecting you with independent transportation providers.

Whether it was a morning commute, a ride to see loved ones, or exploring the city, thank you for trusting the platform to connect you to a driver to get you there safely. We know this may cause disruption to your routine, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.”

Uber said said its plan is to support drivers, riders and local team members through the transition

(Daily Trust)