Today's Headlines: Call Governor Bello to order, SDP tells Tinubu; Sit-at-Home: Southeast govts vows to deal with Sith Simon Ekpa, Others

Kogi Guber: Call Governor Bello to order, SDP tells Tinubu

Source: Vanguard paper

AHEAD of November 11 Kogi State gubernatorial election, the National Working Committee, NWC of the Social Democratic Party, SDP has urged President Bola Tinubu to as a matter of urgency call on the state Governor, Yahaya Bello to order.

According to SDP, it has become very imperative to call the Kogi State Governor order to allow democracy to flourish in the state and to ensure free, fair, credible and violent free elections in the state.

Addressing Journalists yesterday at the Na Secretariat of the party in Abuja, the SDP National Secretary, Dr Olu Agunloye, the party has reiterated its call on President Tinubu to set up a Special Panel of Enquiry to investigate the ongoing political terrorism, extra-judicial killings and threats to democracy in Kogi State.

Agunloye said, “Considering the unabated State-sponsored attacks and series of physical harassments on the Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka in Kogi State, the National Working Committee of our Party (SDP) once again, hereby respectfully call on the President, Commander-in-Chief, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to address the brewing social tension and evolving state of anarchy in Kogi State. This ugly situation has arisen from the prevailing reign of political terror against opposition parties, particularly the SDP in the State.

Sit-at-home: S-East govts vow to deal with Simon Ekpa, others

Source: Vanguard paper

Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo State governments yesterday, vowed not to yield to the antics of non-state actors disrupting governance in the southeast geo-political zone.

Their reactions followed the threat by the factional leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Simon Ekpa, to impose a two-week sit-at-home in the Southeast, commencing from July 31st to August 14th.

Simon Ekpa’s had on Tuesday declared the sit-at-home will take place in the following order: Monday, July 31, 2023 to Friday, August 4, 2023, there will be total lockdown in Biafraland;

“Saturday, August 5, 2023 and Sunday, August 6, 2023, all Biafran markets will open respectively.

“Monday, August 7, 2023 to Friday, August 11, 2023, there will be total lockdown in Biafraland; Saturday, August 12, 2023 and Sunday, August 13, 2023 (Break), all Biafran markets will open; Monday, August 14, 2023, there will be lockdown in Biafraland.

“We hereby call on all market leaders to strictly adhere to this order and treat it with utmost seriousness.”

But responding yesterday, Anambra government said it will never yield to non-state actors.

The state government, through the press secretary to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Christian Aburime, said Ekpa was a fugitive who should be completely ignored.

Aburime said: “Anambra State under the leadership of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo will never yield to non-state actors on this illegal sit-at-home order.

“Simon Ekpa is a fugitive and rabble-rouser who should be completely ignored by the citizens of Anambra and by extension, the entire South East.

“The imposition of sit-at-home orders by unauthorized individuals or groups is a clear violation of the law and Anambra State will never observe any sit-at-home order by a Simon Ekpa.

“Our markets, schools, businesses, and other social activities will remain open. Anambra State will never be a breeding ground for anarchy, fear, or lawlessness.”

Also reacting, an official of Enugu State government who described Simon Ekpa as a villain, a criminal, said nobody will obey him in the state, insisting that the illegal sit-at-home has ended in Enugu.

The official, who did not want his name in print as he was not one of the spokesmen, however, warned any of Ekpa’s criminal foot soldiers who might want to test the government to have a rethink as they may not live to tell the story.

Jihadists from Niger, Mali, Libya taxing Nigerian farmers — Rep

Source: Vanguard paper

By Kingsley Omonobi, Peter Duru, Levinus Nwabughiogu & Luminous Jannamike, ABUJA

A member of the House of Representatives representing Tangaza/Gudu Federal Constituency of Sokoto State, Sani Yakubu, has raised alarm, saying jihadists from Niger, Mali and Libya and the local bandits operating in Tangaza Local Government of the state have imposed a tax on farmers in the area.

Yakubu, who disclosed this while presenting a motion at plenary yesterday, said Tangaza/Gudu Federal Constituency was surrounded by two forests; Tsauna Forest that stretches over to Gwadabawa, Illela and Niger Republic and Kuyan Bana Forest which also stretches to Gudu and Niger Republic.

Revealing that the terrorists within the areas had joined forces, Yakubu said they had apparently vowed to make life difficult for the people who are predominantly farmers.

He said: “The two forests house two terrorist groups, the Lakurawa who claimed to be jihadists from Niger, Mali and Libya and the local bandits terrorising the area.

“The two used to be sworn enemies, but have now joined forces, making it more difficult for the deployed security operatives to address the insecurity in the general area.

“After the deadly act, the terrorist launched another attack to prevent people from giving their loved ones a befitting burial.

“The people of the area are predominantly farmers and cattle rearers and terrorists have vowed to stop this year’s farming activities, if the communities refuse to pay tax.

How Adamu starved Tinubu, APC candidates of funds during polls — Lukman, Nat’l V-Chair

Source: Vanguard paper

The leadership crisis in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, assumed a new twist, yesterday, following revelations by its National Vice Chairman (North-West), Salihu Moh. Lukman, that the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, willfully refused to extend financial support to President Bola Tinubu and all candidates of the party in the lead-up to the 2023 general election.

At a briefing in Abuja, Lukman, who has been vociferous in asking Adamu to render a financial account of the party, noted that the party made over N30 billion from the sale of forms, yet it never supported any of its candidates.

Lukman was reacting to two separate television interviews granted by Adamu and the National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, in which the two chieftains accused him of being a nonentity and black sheep in the party.

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