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The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has congratulated the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, and all Muslims across Nigeria on the occasion of Eid-el-Maulud.

The President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, in a message to the Muslim faithful on behalf of CAN and the Christian community at large, called for promotion of mutual respect, understanding and peaceful coexistence among all religion.

“As we commemorate this significant festival, we acknowledge Nigeria’s diverse society, comprising individuals from various ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. It is within this rich diversity that our strength as a nation resides.

“Consequently, we must persist in promoting mutual respect, understanding, and peaceful coexistence among all religious communities.

“Once more, on behalf of the Christian Association of Nigeria, I wish the Muslim faithful in Nigeria a peaceful celebration,” the statement read.

The Eid-El-Maulud celebration is for the commemoration of the birth of Prophet Mohammed.

The aviation and banking industries have thrown their support as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have announced plans to embark on a nationwide strike starting October 3, 2023.

POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the unions are protesting the government’s failure to address the plight of Nigerian workers.

The unions are demanding wage increases, the implementation of relief measures, tax exemptions, and improved allowances for public sector workers, as well as a review of the minimum wage.

The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has confirmed that its members will join the strike, which is expected to ground flights across the country.

The president of NAAPE said, ”Of course, we’d be joining the strike, we’re an affiliate of the NLC. We just finished a meeting, everybody is part of it.”

Asked if activities at the airport would be grounded, he said, “Yes, everywhere.”

Similarly, the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) have also said that their members will participate in the strike.

Also, the President of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Ben Nnabue, confirmed it will also down its tools in accordance with the NLC declaration.

He said, “Yes, we are an affiliate of NLC, so we’d be joining the strike.”

The Head of Media of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Mr. John Ikemefule, has also affirmed that maritime workers would down tools from Tuesday.

He stated, “It has been confirmed that the union will be joining the NLC and TUC to shut down the country from October 3rd. There will be a total and indefinite shutdown of the country. We are going to withdraw our members from jetties and terminals.’’

Pedro Obaseki, chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has described former Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, as Satan’s second in command.

In a statement on Tuesday, Obaseki declared that it was time to sanction Wike for the many atrocities he committed against the PDP.

Obaseki, who is also the Director of Research and Documentation of the defunct Party’s presidential campaign council, said Wike crossed the line with his call for the expulsion of Atiku Abubakar from the Party.

According to him, Wike is an incorrigible traitor who formed the group of five governors that committed series of anti-party activities against the PDP during the February 25 election.

“Wike coming out to ask for the expulsion of the number one leader of the party and the presidential flagbearer of the party and the recipient of the mandate of the Nigerian people as declared in INEC’s submission that we won 21 states and asking Atiku to be expelled from the party, Wike has crossed the red line and now, he should be ready.

“He has all the money to fight us back because we are coming at him like a thousand bricks.

“He has unleashed the dogs of war and we will not sit back and watch him ride rough over the party and majority of Nigerians like he did for eight years over the humility of the Rivers people. That can no longer suffice,” he posited.

The chieftain also challenged Wike to publish his bank account when he assumed office as Governor and after his eight years tenure.

“Wike is a member of the APC, a sitting Minister of an APC government. Wike openly campaigned against the PDP. You see, by their fruits, we shall know them. By all intents and purposes, Wike is not a member of the PDP.

“If you remember clearly, just a few months to the election, Barrister Nyesom Wike, then the governor of Rivers State ran to the court to get an injunction to preclude and stop the PDP from expelling him from the party.

“If he was so untouchable and bigger than the entire party machinery, why did he do that? Whether we like it or not, Wike is Satan lieutenant.

“Maybe that is what reduced the propensity of the leaders of the party to do the needful. And because many of them are doves-men of peace (not everyone is a hawk like Wike), let us see whether he would come around. PDP is not a party of brigands.”

A La Liga club, Cádiz Club de Fútbol, S.A.D., known as Cádiz, has announced it will pay tribute to late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.

The Spanish professional football club based in Cádiz, Andalusia via its official Facebook page will be paying the tribute with a customised jersey in their home game against Rayo Vallecano tomorrow.

According to the club, Mohbad’s Cadista jersey will be on the bench to give them the strength needed to win the match

𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝙤𝙝𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚.”

Recall that on 12 September 2023, MohBad died in Lagos, at the age of 27, and was buried the next day in Ikorodu.

As of press time, the Lagos State Police Command has exhumed the late singer’s body for autopsy.

The new Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Yemi Cardoso, has assured Nigerians that the apex bank will not be hijacked under his watch.

Speaking during his screening by the upper chamber of the National Assembly on Tuesday, he said he and his deputies would not allow politicians distract them while performing their obligations for the country.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio had asked Cardoso whether he would be controlled, influenced and hijacked by politicians.

Cardoso and four others nominated by President Bola Tinubu to occupy principal offices of the apex bank appeared before the Red Chamber on Tuesday.

Responding to the question asked by Akpabio before his confirmation, Cardoso, said, “It is important that we, who are considered for this position today, understand that this is a position of trust.

“With that comes a huge responsibility to meet up with that trust. I know that a lot of time and effort has gone into choosing the people who are standing here for nomination today.

“As far as I am concerned, under my leadership, we will not be hijacked by anybody. The idea is to ensure that we do what is right, when it is right, and how it is right. We’ve seen what the effect of not doing right has been, and we do not intend for that to be repeated.”

The Senate confirmed Cardoso as the CBN governor on the floor of the country’s upper legislative arm.

Mrs. Emem Nnana Usoro, Mr. Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Mr. Philip Ikeazor, and Dr. Bala M. Bello were also confirmed as the deputies of the CBN governor.

There are allegations that politicians had undue influence on Godwin Emefiele, Cardoso’s predecessor.

The speaker of the House of representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has declared the seats of lawmakers appointed as ministers by President Bola Tinubu, vacant.

Tunji Olubunmi-Ojo and Tanko Sununu were the two members of the green chamber appointed as ministers by Tinubu.

Olubunmi-Ojo represented Akoko north-east/ Akoko north-west of Ondo state, while Sununu represented Yauri/Shanga/Ngaski federal constituency of Katsina.

Tinubu had appointed Olubunmi-Ojo as minister of interior, and Tanko Sununu as minister of state for education.

Abbas declared the seats of the former lawmakers vacant after reading their letters of resignation as members of the house of representatives during the plenary on Tuesday.

The declaration of the seats vacant by the speaker is in line with section 68 of the 1999 constitution.

Section 68 of the 1999 constitution states that: “(1) A member of the Senate or the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if -he becomes President, Vice-President, Governor, Deputy Governor or a Minister of the Government of the Federation or a Commissioner of the Government of a State or a Special Adviser.”

The senate has commenced the screening Olayemi Cardoso for the position of substantive governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) alongsides four deputy governor nominees.

The deputy governor nominees are Emem Nnana Usoro, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Philip Ikeazor and Bala Bello.

The upper legislative chamber commenced the process after Opeyemi Bamidele, majority leader of the senate, moved a motion to the effect.

All the nominees have since assumed office in acting capacity following the resignations of Godwin Emefiele as governor of the apex bank and the deputy governors who served with him.

The apex bank said members of the new team assumed their positions after taking the “relevant oaths of office” during a brief ceremony at the bank’s headquarters in Abuja.

Cardoso was nominated as the CBN governor by President Bola Tinubu on September 15, 2023.

The nominees will be screened in the “committee of the whole” because the standing committees of the upper legislative chamber have not been inaugurated.

The senate committee on banking has the mandate of oversight of the apex bank and the country’s financial matters.

The senate resumed plenary today after an eight-week recess.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved payment for procuring 12 attack helicopters for the Nigerian Army.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja made this known at the maiden Nigerian Army Aviation Seminar in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said that the 12 MD 530F Cayuse attack helicopters would operationalise the Nigerian Army aviation unit, which was set up to improve ground troops’ agility, responsiveness and efficacy during operations.

The COAS added that it would also contribute to the overall operational success of joint and coalition troops.

Lagbaja explained that army aviation was generally separate from a nation’s dedicated air force but usually equipped with helicopters and light support fixed-wing aircraft.

He appreciated the president for buying into the aspiration of the Nigerian Army to have an equipped aviation unit which would support ground troops as they focus on tactical and operational engagements.

According to him, the experiences of nations like the United States, Pakistan, Colombia, Egypt, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda are instructive in this area.

“The army aviation arms of these countries have shown effectiveness in countering contemporary security threats and providing vital support to ground forces.

“In view of the need to realise this, and in its bid to appropriately respond to contemporary and emerging security threats, the Nigerian Army resuscitated its aviation aspiration in 2014.

“I am happy to inform this gathering that the Nigerian Army is willing to learn from the army aviation journeys of the countries mentioned earlier.

“Our willingness to learn from them is to adapt their best practices to suit our unique operational environment and avoid their mistakes.

“I can proudly report that since 2014, the Nigerian Army has made commendable progress in training pilots, aircraft engineers, technicians and other ground support crew,” he said.

The COAS also said the Army had submitted the aviation outfit to the Nigerian Air Force for proper mentoring.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced dates for the conduct of governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.

In a statement on Monday signed by Sam Olumekun, national commissioner and chairman, information and voter education committee, INEC said the Edo guber poll will be held on September 21, 2024, while that of Ondo will take place on November 16, 2024.

Noting that this is as provided in Section 178 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), INEC said that election into the said offices would hold not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the tenure of` the last holder of the office.The latest date for Election to the office of Governor, Edo State, is 12th October 2024 while that of Ondo State is 24th January 2025.

“Similiarly, Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 requires the Commission to publish Notice for the Election not later than 360 days before the date of the election.”

“In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution and the Electoral Act, the Commission issues the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Edo and Ondo State Governorship elections.

According to the statement, “The Governorship election will hold on Saturday 21st September 2024.”

“Party primaries will hold from 1st – 24th February 2024 while the submission of the list of nominated candidates via the online portal will start at 9.00am on 4th March 2024 and close at 6.00pm on 24th March 2024.”

“The final list of candidates will be published on 23rd April 2024 while campaign in public by political parties commences on 24th April 2024 and ends 24 hours prior to election day on 19th September 2024.”

The statement stressed that in Edo Governorship election would hold on Saturday 16th November 2024.

“Party primaries will hold from 6th – 27th April 2024 while the submission of the list of nominated candidates via the online portal will start at 9.00am on 29th April 2024 and close at 6.00pm on 20th May 2024.”

Stating that the final list of qualified candidates would be published on 18th June 2024, the statement emphasised that campaign in public by political parties would commence on 19th June 2024 and end 24 hours prior to election day on 14th November 2024.