Today's Headlines: APC will rule Nigeria for 60 years-Zailani, Shettima Chairs NEC Meeting In Abuja

JUST IN: APC’ll rule Nigeria for 60 years, says ex-Kaduna Speaker

Photo credit: Punch papers

The immediate-past Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani, on Thursday, boasted that the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has what it takes to make the ruling party remain in government for more than 60 years.

Zailani made the statement when he led a delegation of former House of Representatives members on a solidarity visit to Ganduje at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja on Thursday.

The development isn coming barely 15 years after a former National Chairman of the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Vincent Ogbulafor, made a similar controversial statement.

The now late Chief Ogbulafor had boasted that the PDP was poised to rule the country for at least 60 years because of the good policies and programmes of the party.

But the PDP government under then President Goodluck Jonathan was defeated in the 2015 presidential election, seven years after Ogbulafor’s prediction.

Zailani, however, believed the ruling APC under the new leadership of Ganduje could stand the test of time.

Shettima Chairs NEC Meeting In Abuja

Photo credit: channels television

Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Thursday, chaired the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja. 

The meeting being held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, has in attendance, governors from across the Federation and other stakeholders.

The meeting is expected to address some of the pertinent economic challenges in the country occasioned by the removal of petrol subsidy.

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‘5,166 killed, 1,830 abducted in seven months

No fewer than 5,166 Nigerians were killed while there were 1,830 cases of abduction across the country between January and July this year.

Source: Punch papers

This is according to a 2023 Nigeria Security Report by Beacon Consulting, an Abuja-based security risk management and intelligence consulting company. According to the report obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday, 749 Nigerians were killed in January; 624 in February; 961 in March; 707 in April; 679 in May; 854 in June; and 592 in July.

It also revealed that 208 Nigerians were abducted in January; 173 in February; 411 in March; 302 in April; 168 in May; 239 in June; and 329 Nigerians in July. Speaking on the rising trend of insecurity in the country that has continued to claim lives and property, a retired Colonel, Hassan Stan-Labo, who recently spoke to The PUNCH, blamed the government for failing in its responsibility to protect the lives of its citizens.

Niger Has More Than 5,000 IDPs – Deputy Governor

Photo credit: Dailytrust

Niger currently has more than 5,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the deputy governor, Mr Yakubu Garba, said in Abuja on Thursday.

He told the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Mustapha Ahmed, whom he visited that banditry and flooding contributed to the rising figure.

We have about 5,000 IDPs to 6,000 IDPs and we are still counting, but God willing we are doing everything humanly possible to ensure the situation is curtailed.

“The essence of this visit to NEMA is to acquaint the agency with some emergency situations ravaging Niger in the past six years to seven years.

“We have been ravaged by insecurity and floods have worsened the situation. I am here to brief NEMA so that we can collaborate to ameliorate the situation,’’ he said.

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