Chuks Egbede

The Secretary, Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, has said the 2022 admission processes for universities may be delayed due to the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities. Ochefu stated this in an interview with The PUNCH on Thursday. According to the scribe, the committee is also working alongside…

A retired Army Colonel and member of the Peoples Redemption Party, Gboluga Mosugu, has submitted his Expression of Interest and Nomination forms making him eligible to run for the office of the President under the platform of the party. Mosugu who spoke to pressmen while submitting his forms at the PRP’s National Secretariat through the…

Regardless of what points it might want to prove, the Academic Staff Union of Universities can do better than these endless industrial actions. Unarguably meant to revamp university education in Nigeria, the strike strategy has become worn out, counterproductive and an existential danger to the very system it was meant to save. I am going…

Nigerian skit maker, Maryam Apaokaji, popularly known as Taaooma, has revealed that her mother inspired some of her skits. The comedian, known for acting out multiple characters in her skits, made this known in an interview with show host and actress, Nancy Isime. In the interview published on Wednesday, Taaooma noted that she got ideas…

A former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, promised to build 500,000 housing units annually if elected President of Nigeria in 2023. Saraki who is contesting the presidency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party also pledged to be the bridge between the North and South and Christians and Muslims. Saraki stated these…

The Bayelsa State chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dennis Otiotio, has said that the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, is officially not yet a member of the APC in the state. He said this in a telephone chat with The PUNCH on Thursday morning. According to him, Jonathan could only join the APC if he…

Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, have, on Thursday, taken to the Ife-Ibadan express road as they protest school closure resulting from the ongoing strike action of the Academic Staff Union of Universities. The students who converged at their campus gate this morning marched down to the major highway which connects commuters traveling…

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, officially declared for the presidency, saying next year’s election presents Nigerians an important opportunity to choose hope over hopelessness. He said while the country’s recent trajectories were nothing to write home about, Nigerians must not be despair but rise up collectively in choosing the right leader for the…

President Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has ordered all heads of agencies, departments, parastatals, and ambassadors with political ambitions to resign.

This comes after the President on Wednesday directed ministers with political ambitions to also resign. 

The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, who is a presidential aspirant on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had resigned before the directive. But since the directive, at least three ministers - Rotimi Amaechi of the Ministry of Transportation, Godswill Akpabio of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and Ogbonnaya Onu of the Ministry of Science and Technology, have also tendered their resignations. 

A circular obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday morning shows that the office of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, among other agencies was copied.

The circular was signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

The circular with reference number SGF/OP/ I/S.3/XII/ 173 was titled, ‘Ministers, heads of government agencies, ambassadors and other appointees with political ambitions to resign’.

It reads, "Mr President has observed and noted the expression of interest and intention by some members of the Federal Executive Council, Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments, Agencies, Parastatals of Government, Ambassadors and other political office holders to contest the Presidential, Gubernatorial, National and State Assemblies' elections. 

"Consequently, Mr President has directed that the affected office holders aspiring to run for various offices in the 2023 general elections should tender their resignation on our before the 16th of May, 2022."

It stressed that for the avoidance of doubt, the directive affects "all ministers, Heads and Members of Extra-Ministerial Departments, Agencies, Parastatals of Government, Ambassadors as well as political appointees who desire to contest for elective offices". 

Following reports that Emefiele is also eyeing the Presidency in 2023, which SaharaReporters had broken months ago, many Nigerians have called for his resignation or sacking, saying it is unethical for the Central Bank Governor to be pursuing a political ambition while remaining in office as the head of the apex bank. 

SaharaReporters on Wednesday reported that President Buhari asked all members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) contesting elective positions in 2023 to resign.

They were asked to submit their letters of resignation on or before Monday the 16th of May, 2022.

According to the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, the order excludes the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo because he is an elected member of the cabinet.

Mohammed added that if the need arose, the directive might involve political appointees.

Among those affected are Ministers of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba; Labour and Productivity, Chris Nigige; Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu and State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva who have all joined the presidential race on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Others are Attorney General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami, who has declared interest in the governorship position in his home state of Kebbi. 

Running for the governorship position in Abia State is the Minister of State Mines and Steel, Uche Ogar while the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen has also declared her ambition to contest for the senatorial seat in Plateau State.

SaharaReporters also reported that though not a cabinet member, Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) might also be affected by the presidential order. 

Barely two weeks to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries, the police have arrested its Ebonyi State chairman, Silas Onu, as the crisis in the party deepens.

Onu, who became the chairman of the party in Ebonyi after a court sitting in Abuja sacked Mr Tochukwu Okorie on April 13, 2022, was reportedly arrested on Wednesday by police officers from the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the FCT High Court had while delivering his judgement, held that Okorie was not validly nominated to contest the election for the position of Chairman of the PDP in Ebonyi State and that evidence before it established that Okorie submitted his form, three days outside the deadline that was set by the party.

The court held, “It is the finding of this court that the 2nd defendant (Okorie) who submitted his nomination form on October 4, 2021, instead of October 1, 2021, contrary to the guidelines of the conduct of congresses, is not validly nominated.

“It is the opinion of this court that the 2nd defendant, who was indolent in submitting his nomination form as provided in the guidelines issued by the PDP, who in spite of this failure, was still declared and returned elected, cannot be allowed to benefit from his wrongdoing."

PDP, however, complied with the ruling of the court on May 5, 2021, by recognising Onu as its chairman in the state. 

But fresh trouble soon started when he (Onu) recognised the executive of the party in his Ohaozara local government area, elected in the parallel congress he conducted during the state congress of the PDP in October 2021.

Following that, the ousted chairman, Okorie who is challenging his removal in the Appeal Court, sued the new chairman over alleged forgery of Ohaozara LGA PDP congress results, a source close to the matter told SaharaReporters.

The FCT Grade 1 Area court, Nyanya, on April 27, 2022, issued a warrant of arrest for Mr Onu, which the police have now executed.