Today's Headlines: Wike’s meeting with Ganduje sparks defection rumour, Atiku slams Tinubu over billboards removal

Wike’s meeting with Ganduje sparks defection rumor

Former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, paid a solidarity visit to the new National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, at his private residence in Abuja.

Source: Punch papers

Wike, one of the 45 ministers-designate of President Bola Tinubu, was met warmly received by the APC chairman. Viral photographs of the duo posing with some of Wike’s loyalists and chieftains of the Rivers chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on social media have rumored rumors of a possible defection to the ruling APC. Hours after hosting the minister-designate and his delegation, Ganduje was spotted coming into the party secretariat at about 2.35 pm.

The development is coming barely one week after the president hosted Wike and former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai at the State House in Abuja. The two ministerial nominees were screened by the Senate two weeks ago. While Wike successfully scaled through, El-Rufai’s confirmation was delayed leading to his eventual withdrawal.

Atiku slams Tinubu over billboards’ removal

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar has flayed President Bola Tinubu over the destruction of billboards in strategic locations in the Federal Capital Territory drawing public attention to the judiciary as Nigerians await the verdict of the court in the Presidential Election Petition tribunal.

Source: Punch papers

Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications, Mr Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the destruction of the billboards which had the inscription, ‘All eyes on the judiciary,’ as clear evidence of “President Bola Tinubu’s authoritarianism and assault on the freedom of speech.”

In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja, Mr. Shaibu said the directive by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria to pull down all billboards carrying the advert across Nigeria was uncalled for. “ARCON also dissolved the Advertising Standard Panel which is the statutory panel under the council charged with the duty of ensuring that advertisements conform to the prevailing laws of the Federation as well as the code of advertising ethics of the advertising profession,” the statement read in part.

Tinubu Bars N’Delta Ex-agitators From Aso Rock

There are strong indications that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has barred all ex-Niger Delta militant leaders from visiting him in the presidential villa, Abuja.

Leadership

Already, LEADERSHIP learned that requests for courtesy visits by notable militant leaders and ethnic militias from the oil-rich region to Tinubu in the villa have lately been disapproved by the presidency. It was gathered that the decision was taken in the aftermath of the visit to Tinubu by the leader of the defunct Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujarhedeen Asari-Dokubo, on June 16 this year.

Asari-Dokubo, a die-hard and staunchest supporter of Tinubu, backed and supported the president in the run-up to the 2023 presidential election. It was gathered that Tinubu, in ordering the action, was disturbed by public utterances and actions of Asari-Dokubo in the aftermath of his visit to him days after he assumed the mantle of leadership of the country.

Rep Applauds Tinubu Over N500bn Palliatives

A member of the House of Representatives for Bindawa/Mani federal constituency of Katsina State, Hon Ahmed Yusuf Doro, has given President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a pass mark for providing N500 billion palliatives to mitigate the hardship faced by Nigerians after the fuel subsidy removal.

Source: Leadership

Doro, a former managing director of Techno Projects and Consultancy Limited, an Abuja-based agro firm, reiterated his belief in the government of President Tinubu and APC. He said they were doing the best for Nigerians. He said they were doing the best for Nigerians.

Doro said, “Mr. President is working round the clock, meeting with various interest groups such as the Governors Forum, Senators, House of Representatives, and the leadership of labor unions to strategize on how best the palliatives will reach the targeted population.” The lawmaker drummed support for the Tinubu-led government to bring succor to Nigerians.

Comflictreporter (
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