By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The family of the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has said it had an agreement with President Bola Tinubu for the release of the Biafra agitator.

Kanu’s brother, Kanunta disclosed that he had the pact with Tinubu’s son, Seyi during the build-up to the 2023 presidential election.

Disclosing that the meeting had the blessing of the president, Kanunta, however, lamented that Tinubu has refused to honour the pact by releasing the IPOB leader.

In a statement he issued, Kanunta said it was agreed that the IPOB would not boycott the 2023 elections on the grounds that Tinubu would release Kanu if elected President.

The statement reads: ”Before the last election, I received a message from an ex-governor that Seyi, the son of President Tinubu, wanted to see me.

“I agreed to meet with him on the condition that the overriding priority and hence the fulcrum of our discussion will be the release of my brother.

“The meeting was held in Abuja in the presence of another individual whom I asked along to witness the deliberations and provide independent verification should the need arise.

“Seyi confirmed to me that his father sanctioned the meeting and that I should consider any agreement we reach as binding on the then candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“In good faith we agreed that I shall relay the outcome to my brother to reinforce the long held tradition of IPOB not interfering with the conduct of elections, either through boycott or any other form of civil disobedience.

“This understanding was duly communicated to my brother and he reaffirmed his commitment not to stop the elections or order any boycott.

“When President Tinubu as a candidate visited Owerri during his campaign, he too reiterated his commitment to facilitate the release of my brother if elected.

“We took his public statement as a tacit reaffirmation of the understanding I reached with his son Seyi.

“It, therefore, defies logic that nearly two years after President Tinubu assumed the mantle of leadership in Nigeria, my brother is still in detention despite not having any charge against him.

“It’s been over three months now that Justice Binta Nyako recused herself from the case yet no new judge has been assigned the case.”

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has tackled the Labour Party (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his comment on the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Recall that Peter Obi, during a media chat on Thursday, asserted that the country’s political, economic and security situation is worsening daily, contrary to the positions of Tinubu’s government.

According to him, Nigeria has fallen from being the largest economy in Africa, with a GDP of $574 billion and a per capita income of over $3,500 in 2014, to now ranking fourth on the continent.

In response, the ruling party, in a statement on Thursday through its Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said Peter Obi’s claim is misleading, especially when all indicators show that the country is rebounding in significant measures which casts the former Governor of Anambra State squarely, as Nigeria’s leading doomsayer.

Morka also criticized Peter Obi for projecting himself as omniscient and a philosopher’s stone when addressing national challenges, stating that he left no significant achievements or transformations in his eight years at the Government House in Awka, Anambra State.

According to him, while Nigerians celebrated the new year with hope for a glorious 2025, Obi was seemingly stuck in a replay of his jangling, gloom-ridden wishlist for the country.

Morka added that, like his co-travellers in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi’s obsessive pessimism and endless but futile efforts to incite public outrage against Tinubu’s administration are borne out of their realization that the President is unwittingly cementing their ultimate political irrelevance through his visionary, full-throttle reform and transformation of the nation’s fundamental pillars.

The statement read, “Obi’s New Year message, in which he claimed that the political, economic and security situation of our dear country is worsening daily, is misleading and appears intended to score cheap political points. This claim, at a time when all indicators show that our country is rebounding in significant measure across all sectors, casts Obi, squarely, as Nigeria’s leading doomsayer.

“Despite these and other initial beneficial outcomes of ongoing unprecedented reforms, the administration is doubling its effort to ensuring that the reforms deliver their fullest benefits for the sustainable growth and transformation of our country.

“In his New Year message, President Bola Tinubu acknowledged that the “cost of food and essential drugs remained a significant concern for many Nigerian households.” To reverse this trend, Mr. President assured that his administration was committed to lowering food prices by boosting food production and promoting local production of drugs.

“It is a thing of irony that Peter Obi, who now arrogates to himself to be omniscient and philosopher’s stone, when it comes to our nation’s challenges, left no record of significant achievement, let alone transformation of any kind, in his eight-year tenure as Governor of Anambra State.

“Like his co-travellers in the People’s Democratic Party PDP, Obi’s obsessive pessimism and endless but futile effort to incite public outrage against the administration is borne out of their realization that President Tinubu is unwittingly cementing their ultimate political irrelevance by his visionary and full-throttle reform and transformation of the fundamental pillars of our national life.”

A wedding in Jigawa State has turned tragic after a bride allegedly poisoned food served at the reception.

The incident is said to have left the groom critically ill and one of the wedding guests dead.

The incident occurred in the Jahun Local Government Area of the state.

Eyewitnesses suggested that the bride’s actions may have been driven by a personal vendetta.

Speaking on Friday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Shi’isu Adam, confirmed the incident and said an investigation was underway.

“We received a report that the bride had tainted the food served at the wedding reception, leaving the groom critically ill.

“Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the alleged food poisoning incident that occurred during a wedding ceremony in the state,” Adam said.

He revealed that the two suspects are the bride and another female, adding that they are in custody and being interrogated by the Criminal Investigation Department of the command.

The police spokesperson added, “We will do everything in our power to ensure that justice is served.”

According to the police spokesman, all the wedding attendants who consumed the poisoned food have been discharged from the hospital, except for the one person who was confirmed dead.

“The command is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, and we will provide more details as soon as possible.

“For now, we can confirm that the incident occurred, and we are working tirelessly to unravel the facts. We urge the public to remain calm and assured that justice will be served,” he concluded.

The identities of the deceased, the groom, and other victims have not been disclosed by theauthorities.

PUNCH