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FG drops charges against journalists
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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The federal government on Friday withdrew all six-count charges against an Abuja-based online newspaper, Order Paper, and nine officers of the media organization.
Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS), Mr. Tosin Adeola Ajayi advised the federal government to withdraw the charges.
It emerged Thursday that the Federal Government had sued the media house for allegedly publishing a false report that DSS operatives, on October 16, stormed the National Assembly on the basis of a rumoured plot to unseat Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Considering what the DSS said was the serious national security threats and local and international embarrassment the story caused, they sued Order Paper and its officials.
However, a credible source in the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), who filed the suit, disclosed that the charges were withdrawn after the DSS boss reached out to their office.
“The new DG, DSS, Mr. Ajayi, reached out to us. He told my boss that the Nigerian chapter of the International Press Institute (IPI), which facilitated the early release of Order Paper’s admin officer, Ms. Edna Ulaeto, also played a key role. The people at Order Paper came to the DSS office, admitted their mistake, apologized, and promised to be more professional,” said the DPP officer.
From the visit of the Order Paper officials, the DSS boss further told my bosses, it was clear that the reporters were misled by less than credible sources in the National Assembly.
“Above all, added the DSS DG, the Order Paper management, on realizing their mistake, had quickly retracted the story. Being an adherent for civility, Mr. Tosin Ajayi therefore felt that the interventions by relevant professional bodies, including the IPI and Nigeria Union of Journalists, and the remorse by Order Paper, were sufficient to warrant the withdrawal of the charges,” the official of the Ministry of Justice declared.
News
Wike Dismisses PDP-APM Alliance Claim as ‘419 Politics,’ Hails Abuja Satellite Town Projects(Photos)
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, on Thursday dismissed reports of an alleged alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), describing the claim as “Political 419.”
Speaking with journalists on Thursday, during an inspection of ongoing road projects in Gomani-Yangoje , Kwali Area Council, Abuja, Wike accused Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, of misleading Nigerians with claims of a PDP-APM alliance ahead of the 2027 elections.
“When I say people are fraudulent, they thought I was joking. And that’s the 419 we are talking about,” Wike declared.
He said both the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were not aware of the existence of such alliance.
“There’s no alliance between PDP and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) or any other political party, as the case may be. INEC also knows that there’s nothing called PDP-APM alliance,” he stated.
According to him, ongoing political activities within the PDP, including the screening of aspirants, clearly showed that the party remained independent and had not entered into any coalition arrangement.
“PDP has presented a presidential candidate and watch out who will be submitted to INEC and see whether there’s anything called PDP-APM,” he added.
Wike further alleged that Makinde was pursuing his personal presidential ambition through the APM platform.
“What you have is Seyi Makinde joining APM to be able to actualize his presidential ambition, which is already dead on arrival,” the minister said.
He insisted that Governor Bala Mohammed had never spoken of any PDP-APM alliance, adding that the narrative was merely a political imagination.
“It’s unfortunate. We know that has been his game plan and we would say he cannot fly the flag of PDP,” Wike said.
The minister also reacted to comments credited to the Governor of Rivers State concerning his continued membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the governor has not told anyone to pity him.
“Sorry for what? Why are you saying problem when nobody has told you he has a problem?” Wike asked.
“The man has told you he still remains APC. So what is the problem now?”
He maintained that issues concerning the governor’s standing within the APC remained the party’s internal affair.
“Ask me about PDP, I will answer you. Because how will you ask me whatever happens? Assuming he has a problem, it’s their internal affairs,” he stated.
Authentic Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has slammed Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, noting that propaganda has an expiry date.
This is as the faction publicly disowned a political gathering in Ibadan, Oyo State, accusing Makinde of using a purported alliance with the Allied Peoples Movement to advance his political ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections.
The factional National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, during a press briefing on Thursday, said the party had no involvement in the Ibadan gathering being promoted as a PDP/APM alliance meeting.
“We have called this briefing to address the misleading narratives and deliberate falsehoods being circulated concerning the social gathering scheduled to be held today in Ibadan under the guise of an alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party and the Allied Peoples Movement.
“Let us state clearly and unequivocally that the PDP is not part of any alliance, coalition, agreement, or political arrangement with the Allied Peoples Movement or any other political party regarding this gathering or any related political activity.
“Any person or group claiming to be acting on behalf of the PDP in connection with this event is doing so without the knowledge, approval, consent, or authority of the party,” Jungudo said.
According to him, the Ibadan gathering had exposed what he described as Makinde’s real political direction.
Presidential aspirant of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has accused the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, of acting out a script allegedly written by President Bola Tinubu.
The former governor of Anambra State made the allegation in a yet-to-be-released interview with News Central TV.
Excerpts of the interview released by News Central TV, showed Obi disclosing that he recently wrote to the INEC boss, Amupitan, telling him that he will not be there forever.
Obi said, “If anybody had told me that we could use Professors to run our elections and it would be worse, I would have said a capital no.
“I wrote to the present INEC Chairman and said, ” Remember, you will not be here forever”.
Asked if INEC is an agent of the president, Obi said, “Yes, completely. Whatever the INEC Chairman is doing today, he is acting the script written by the man who employed him”.
Wike Dismisses PDP-APM Alliance Claim as ‘419 Politics,’ Hails Abuja Satellite Town Projects(Photos)
2027: Blatant lies have expiry date — authentic PDP slams Makinde
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