APC asks Aiyedatiwa to run inclusive govt

After a marathon meeting with aggrieved governorship aspirants who participated in last Saturday’s primary election in Ondo State, the ruling All Progressives Congress has urged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to run an inclusive government.

The outcome of the two-hour meeting, which started at about 4.30 pm, was disclosed by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Duro Meseko.

Addressing journalists at the party secretariat in Abuja, Meseko said the party’s National Working Committee took the position after dialoguing with the governor and the aggrieved aspirants to create a united front ahead of the November governorship election.

He said, “We are here this evening to brief you about the meeting that was held by the NWC with all the aspirants that participated in last week’s governorship primary in Ondo State. The candidate and the remaining 15 aspirants were invited, and two key resolutions were reached.

Air Peace plane makes emergency landing at Lagos airport

An Air Peace plane coming from Port Harcourt made an emergency landing at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, on Thursday after the pilots noticed a fire warning indicator in the cockpit.

The aircraft, which had 243 passengers and 12 crew members on board, landed safely at 4:45pm on Runway18L of the Lagos airport.

The pilots immediately shut down the engines of the aircraft after fire fighting personnel reportedly observed smoke on the engines.

The call sign of the aircraft is: APK7193.

Prices of fuel not changing – NNPCL explain reason for scarcity

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, on Thursday that the prices of petroleum products are not changing.

 

NNPCL disclosed this in a statement issued by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye.

 

Soneye also blamed logistic issues for the tightness in the supply of fuel in some parts of Nigeria.

 

He, however, assured that the issue has been resolved.

Lagos workers earning N70,000 minimum wage since January – Sanwo-Olu

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State said on Thursday that civil servants in the state have been receiving N70,000 minimum wage since January.

 

Sanwo-Olu said his administration has been paying workers an additional N35,000 wage allowance since January.

 

Speaking at a function on Thursday, the governor assured workers that his administration would soon dole out a new minimum wage scheme.

 

He said: “The civil servants and all public officers in Lagos know that since January, we have continued to pay the wage allowance of a minimum of N35,000 over and above what they were earning before.

 

Air Peace to begin Abuja-London flights

Nigerian airline operator Air Peace will commence its Abuja-London route very soon.

 

This was disclosed by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Thursday.

 

Featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, the minister said he has given the approval for Air Peace to add Abuja to its London route.

 

Air Peace recently commenced its Lagos-Gatwick flights, gathering commendation from many Nigerians.

 

Former deputy governor Agboola Ajayi wins Ondo PDP guber primary

Agboola Ajayi, a former deputy governor of Ondo, has been declared the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial primary election in the state.

 

Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the deputy governor of Bayelsa, who chaired the electoral committee that supervised the poll, announced the results on Thursday in Akure, the state capital.

 

Ewhrudjakpo said Ajayi scored 264 votes to defeat other aspirants.

 

“By virtue of the results, Ajayi Alfred Agboola having scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner of this primary and hereby declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the November 2024 election and is hereby returned as the candidate,” he said.

Tinubu recognises our potential to develop Nigeria, we’ll support his re-election— Northern youths

The Progressive Northern Youth Forum (PNYF) says President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies demonstrate his acknowledgement of the potential of Nigerian youths.

 

In a statement on Wednesday, Isah Jabbi, national president of the forum, said youth leaders from the 19 northern states passed a vote of confidence on Tinubu for his economic policies during a two-day conference in Abuja.

 

Jabbi said the president has taken the necessary steps to address insecurity in the north, adding that his economic strategies have boosted job creation and investment opportunities.

 

He praised the president for the student loan initiative and youth empowerment schemes, noting that the group will support Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

 

MTN, Glo, Airtel, 9mobile considering increasing prices for data, voice services

 

Telecommunications operators in Nigeria say their services are overdue for price increments as they have not raised rates in the last 11 years.

 

The operators spoke in a joint statement by the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), on Thursday.

 

The telecommunications sector, according to the statement, is the only industry that has not reviewed its prices despite the country’s rising inflation rate as well as other economic realities that warrant increment.

 

They attributed the lag to the regulatory limitations preventing them from setting prices appropriately.

 

‘Call me Yoruba man’s wife’ — Sanusi’s daughter replies tweet on husband

Khadija Sanusi, daughter of Muhammadu Sanusi II, the former Emir of Kano, has responded to a social media user’s tweet about her husband.

 

On April 18, Khadija and Abdulmutalib Shittu tied the knot in a glamorous ceremony in Kano.

 

Shittu, who is from Kwara state, is said to be of Fulani and Yoruba descent.

 

He is the former executive chairman of Kwara Geographical Information Services (KW-GIS).

 

‘Forgive me if I wronged you’ — D’banj apologises to ex-Mo’ Hits members

D’banj, the ace Nigerian singer, has tendered an apology to the former members of Mo’ Hits Records.

Mo’ Hits Records was a Nigerian-based music record label owned by D’banj and Don Jazzy. It was founded in 2006. The label also signed artistes like Wande Coal, Dr SID, D’Prince, and K-Switch.

 

But in March 2012, Don Jazzy announced that D’banj had left the group.

 

In a statement on Wednesday, the Koko Master revealed that he will be putting out a track that “is dear to my heart” on Friday.

FG, states owing March, April workers’ wage award – TUC

The Trade Union Congress, TUC, has decried the delay by federal and state governments in paying the workers’ wage award for March and April 2024.

TUC President Festus Osifo called out federal and state governments while briefing the media on the fallout of its National Executive Council meeting held in Abuja on Thursday.

According to Osifo: “The last wage award paid to workers was in February 2024. That of March and April 2024 has not been paid as we speak, we call on government to release it so that when salary is coming in, the wage award should be paid too.

“While a number of states have been up and doing in terms of remitting the wage award, states like Benue have been lagging on workers’ welfare. Anambra is also culpable for this payment. We thought that since it is one state being led by an economist, he should be able to put on his thinking cap. Imo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi and Katsina are equally lagging seriously.”

Senator Ayogu Eze is dead

Senator Ayogu Eze from Enugu State is reportedly dead.

Born in 1958, he was aged 66.

The Senator represented Enugu North Senatorial District in the National Assembly.

A source told newsmen that Eze, a former Senate spokesman, died in an Abuja hospital after a protracted illness.

Despite irregularities, 2023 poll reflected will of Nigerians - US report

The 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices says the last general election in Nigeria reflected the will of the populace despite widespread irregularities. 

The report published by the bureau of democracy, human rights, and labour, US Department of State, highlights human rights practices and violations in different countries, including Nigeria.

The report stated that supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) suppressed votes in Igbo-dominated areas during the March 2023 governorship election in Lagos.

“National elections were widely reported to have reflected the will of voters, despite technical and logistical difficulties, and some irregularities,” the report reads.

How flight engineer averted another potential air disaster -Joe Abah

Joe Abah, a former director-general of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), has narrated how a ground engineer prevented another potential air disaster in Nigeria.

 

In a series of posts via X, Abah said he boarded the Ibom Air flight from Lagos to Abuja on Thursday morning.

 

He said as the aircraft prepared for take-off, there was a bang on the door from outside, which made the flight attendant to open the door.

 

“As she did, a ground engineer came in and those of us in front clearly heard him say “You can’t go. Your landing gear is bad,” Abah wrote.

 

Ologbondiyan to Yahaya Bello: Stop hiding, submit yourself to the law

Kola Ologbondiyan, former national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic (PDP), has urged Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi state, to “come out of hiding and submit himself to the law”.

 

Bello who has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged money laundering, said through his counsel that his failure to appear before a federal high court in Abuja is due to fear of arrest by the anti-graft agency.

 

Speaking with TheCable on Wednesday, Ologbondiyan said Bello should listen to Nigerians who have asked him to submit himself to the law.

 

“He is left with only one choice and that is, he should go and face the law,” Ologbondiyan said.