Politics
N240m fraud: More troubles for Ganduje as Kano files fresh charge against him
By Francesca Hangeior.
The Kano government has filed a fresh charge against Abdullahi Ganduje, former governor of the state.
Ganduje was charged on four counts alongside Musa Lawan, former attorney-general of the state.
The offences border on criminal conspiracy, abuse of office and misappropriation, contrary to Section 308 and punishable under Section 309 of the Penal Code (as amended) CAP 105, Vol. 2, the Laws of Kano State of Nigeria.
The duo were alleged to have misappropriated, diverted and converted the sum of N240 million belonging to the state.
In the charge sheet, the state government said it intends to present four witnesses.
No date has been fixed for the arraignment.
In April, the Kano government filed an eight-count charge bordering on bribery, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds against Ganduje; Hafsat, his wife; Umar Abdullahi Umar, his son; and five others.
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Other defendants in the case are Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
On July 11, the defendants were arraigned in absentia and the court entered a plea of not guilty on their behalf.
In 2018, the Daily Nigerian, an online newspaper, published a video of Ganduje allegedly receiving bundles of dollars from contractors, which he stuffed into his ‘babanriga’, a traditional outfit.
The APC national chairman was the governor of Kano from 2015 to 2023.
The newspaper said Ganduje requested $5 million as kickback from the contractors who recorded the video.
In 2023, the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) invited Ganduje for questioning over the video.
The former governor did not honour the invitation and instead instituted a suit against the agency.
In March, a federal high court in Kano stopped the agency from inviting or questioning Ganduje over the bribery allegation.
The court ruled that the agency lacks the power to invite or investigate Ganduje.
Abdullahi Liman, the presiding judge, said the alleged infraction is a federal offence that cannot be prosecuted by the state anti-graft agency.
Politics
Edo 2024: My unforgivable sin that made Oshiomole my permanent enemy-Obaseki
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on Friday, disclosed the unforgivable sin that made Senator Adams Oshiomole his permanent enemy.
He revealed that his declaration of state burial for the late Chief Tony Anenih, a top chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a highly revered elder statesman, during his first term as an All Progressives Congress (APC) governor, was the unforgivable sin he committed against the Senator and for which he refused to forgive him.
Obaseki made this assertion at the ongoing PDP campaign rally held at Opujie Primary School, Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area where Chief Anenih came from.
He said “When Chief Anenih died, I was not in PDP, but I declared a state burial for him because of his contributions to our dear state and Nigeria. This was one of the things that created issues between me and Oshiomhole who never wanted it. He considered it an unforgivable sin which he could not overlook. But I have to do what is good. We are all one. Edo State is one.
“And that is why I am here today. For Edo to be one and united, I have to support Esan man for governor. And not just Esan man but a capable, competent, intellectually sound with good track record in the person of Asue Ighodalo.
“The candidate the APC brought was a Benin man and that the APC never believed in an Esan governorship agenda or an Esan man becoming governor until it dawned on them so they hurriedly packaged one through the back door.”
He declared that the need to move Edo forward requires a candidate like Asue Ighodalo.
“The PDP candidate is more experienced and competent to take Edo to the next level and so I urge you all to come out en-masse and vote on September 21 and elect him as the next governor by voting for the PDP,” he said.
In his address, Ighodalo thanked the people, saying “Uromi is a great place with great people. It is the pride of Esanland.”
He promised to complete all ongoing projects in Esanland I will complete all on and create more. “We will complete all ongoing projects in Esan North East and across all Esanland. Be it water, roads, hospitals, schools or anything, we will complete them and create new ones.
“Edo will be self sufficient under my administration and become a state other states will come to. With us Edo will not suffer poverty.
Politics
NNPP dissolves five state excos, sets up caretaker panels
The National Working Committee of the New Nigeria People’s Party, on Thursday, announced the dissolution of the executive committees of five state chapters of the party.
The affected states are Taraba, Gombe, Benue, Oyo and Bauchi.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja by the NNPP’s National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ladipo Johnson.
Johnson explained that the move was part of the resolutions reached at the end of an emergency meeting of the NNPP in Abuja on Thursday.
According to him, the party made the decision with the ultimate aim of repositioning and revitalising its membership strength in the affected states.
The spokesman also noted that the dissolved state executives would be replaced with caretaker committees in line with the party constitution.
He said, “By the virtue of Articles 14.2.1 (iv, v) and 15.2.1 (xvi) of the party’s constitution as amended on the 6th April 2024, the National Working Committee of the party is cloaked with the powers and has on this day, 5th September 2024, dissolved the entire executive structures from the state down toward the level of the party in Taraba, Gombe, Benue, Oyo and Bauchi States.
“The dissolved executive committees shall in accordance with the party’s constitution be replaced by caretaker committees, which will be announced in a few days, for the stipulated period.”
The NNPP also expressed appreciation to the outgoing state executives for their service to the party and urged them to be ready to serve in other capacities in the future.
Politics
2027: Obi appoints Dr. Tanko as Interim National Coordinator of Obidient Movement
The Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has appointed Dr. Yunusa Tanko as the Interim National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide.
This move which is part of efforts to consolidate the gains made during the 2023 presidential election, where Obi’s candidacy brought the previously obscure LP to national prominence.
The Obidient Movement played a key role in making the LP a household name, with Obi’s candidacy proving to be a formidable force, winning in key areas like Lagos and Abuja.
With ongoing crises within the LP showing no signs of resolution, Obi might be exploring other options, with the movement serving as a strategic platform for better bargaining power. This development follows a series of engagements and consultations aimed at establishing a more structured organization.
During an X Space meeting, Obi expressed gratitude to the over 165 individuals who submitted ideas and suggestions for the movement’s structure.
He commended the engagement and consultation team for their swift progress in managing the consultation process.
According to Obi, Dr. Tanko’s appointment is a strategic move designed to drive the movement forward, leveraging his expertise and dedication.
He encouraged supporters to continue engaging with the movement, emphasizing the importance of collective effort in building a stronger organization.
Since its inception, the Obidient Movement has gained significant momentum, with supporters rallying behind Obi’s vision for a better future both within Nigeria and globally.
This appointment marks a significant milestone in the movement’s evolution, transitioning from a grassroots phenomenon to a more structured organization.
In Obi’s words:
“Last week, I held an X Space to announce the start of a series of engagements that will help establish this structure. To drive this process, I set up a team to manage these conversations. This team was tasked with holding a series of consultations and engagements. I want to sincerely thank everyone who showed up at the engagement meeting they recently held. I also want to thank the team for how fast they moved the conversation and the consultation process.
“The team has provided me with a preliminary report. Last week, they put out a link for the submission of ideas and documents on how we should structure the movement. I want to extend my gratitude to the over 165 people who submitted their ideas and suggestions through the link provided by the Engagement and Consultation Team and those who attended a recent consultation meeting held on Saturday.
“We received a wide range of insights, including ideas on building an inclusive structure with a strong grassroots presence, leveraging technology to optimize our operations and secure our votes, and innovative suggestions for grassroots mobilization. Indeed, we have brilliant minds in our movement, and this was evident in the quality of the ideas we received.
“This is just the beginning. We are committed to ensuring that every member of this movement is heard and included as we build our structure. There will be more consultations at the regional level, and I encourage everyone to participate when called upon.
“Announcing Interim Leadership: Moving forward, it is crucial to have leadership in place to support this building process. After extensive consultations within the movement and reviewing feedback from Obidients through the ideas submitted, there is a consensus that the position of National Coordinator should go to the North. From the nominations submitted by key stakeholders in the movement and shared with the engagement team, Dr. Yunusa Tanko emerged as the most nominated candidate for this role. Given his track record, leadership qualities, and commitment to the movement, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Tanko Yunusa will serve as the Interim National Coordinator as we continue laying the foundation for our movement. I want to clarify that all positions filled at this stage are on an interim basis until our structure is fully developed.”
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