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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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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)

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A United States-based policy advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has claimed that an individual it described as being linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu offered $3 million to persuade the firm to halt its activities concerning allegations about the Nigerian president’s past.

The firm made the claim in a statement published on its verified X account on Wednesday, alleging that the purported offer was accompanied by an invitation to a confidential meeting in London.

Von Batten-Montague-York said its leader, Dr Von Batten, rejected the proposal and retained copies of the communications relating to the alleged offer.

The firm did not identify the individual it claimed made the offer, nor did it provide publicly verifiable evidence establishing that the person was acting on behalf of President Tinubu.

Firm alleges $3m inducement

According to the statement, the alleged approach came from what the firm described as a “highly placed individual” who it said it had been told was connected to the President.

The firm alleged that the purpose of the proposed payment was to persuade Dr Von Batten to discontinue the organisation’s campaign concerning allegations it has previously raised about President Tinubu.

“A few days ago, Dr Von Batten received unsolicited offers of $3 million, along with an invitation to a confidential meeting in London, from a highly placed individual whom we have been informed is connected to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu,” the firm said.

It added that it viewed the alleged offer as an attempt to influence its activities.

“We believe these offers were an attempt to persuade Dr Von Batten to end our campaign concerning President Tinubu’s alleged heroin-trafficking records,” the statement said.

The firm said it rejected the alleged proposal, adding that it had preserved the communications surrounding the purported approach.

Firm says it investigated alleged link

Von Batten-Montague-York said it subsequently sought to establish the identity and political connections of the individual allegedly behind the approach.

It claimed that it contacted members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as part of its efforts to determine whether the individual had any relationship with President Tinubu.

The firm also alleged that negative publicity targeting Dr Von Batten emerged after the purported offer was rejected.

It did not, however, provide independent evidence in the statement to substantiate the alleged link between the individual and the President or to establish that the subsequent criticism was connected to the alleged offer.

Documents to be submitted to US authorities

The lobbying firm said it plans to submit what it described as the relevant communications and details of the alleged $3 million proposal to United States authorities.

It specifically mentioned the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The firm said the move would enable the appropriate authorities to independently examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged approach.

The organisation also directed its message at President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying it had rejected the purported offer.

Allegation remains unverified

The claim comes against the backdrop of longstanding political and legal disputes surrounding allegations concerning President Tinubu’s past, including claims that have previously been raised in political campaigns and legal proceedings.

However, the latest allegation by Von Batten-Montague-York has not been independently verified.

The firm has not publicly identified the alleged intermediary or produced evidence confirming that the person was authorised to act for or on behalf of President Tinubu.

There was also no response from the Presidency, President Tinubu, the APC or any identified representative contained in the statement issued by the firm.