The Lagos State Government has successfully acquired Talgo 330kmph speed train for the Red Line Metro project in Lagos.
This was disclosed yesterday by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as he inspected the newly acquired train in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States.
The visit of the Governor to United States is to complete the deal for the acquisition of two high speed trains for Lagos Metro project (Red Line) projected to be completed by the end of Year 2022.
The Governor said the 37 kilometres Red Line on completion will traverse eight stations and move passengers from Agbado to Oyingbo.
“We have completed the deal for the acquisition of the two high speed trains while we are ramping up the completion of the ancillary infrastructure like the train stations.
“We are irrevocably committed to completing the Red Line Metro rail project by the end of this year and bring a new lease of life to public transportation in Lagos,” the Governor said.
The Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, on Thursday, endorsed the presidential ambition of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
In a statement the governor made during Tinubu’s visit to the state, Bello stated that the national leader of the APC ‘is a candidate to reckon with.’
The governor said, “We saw the foundation you laid in Lagos and we look forward to seeing you replicate it for Nigeria.”
During his visit, Tinubu donated N50m to the victims of bandit attacks in Niger State.
Tinubu further stated that he believed the current security challenges facing the country would be addressed if efforts were intensified.
He said the APC led government has done much to curtail the security challenges but called on citizens to pray for the government to win the war against insurgency and banditry.
“We share in your grief, I am here for the people of Niger State. I have heard and read of the disasters, banditry and cattle rustling every day, just like what happened on Wednesday again,” Tinubu said.
During his visit, Tinubu was accompanied by Senator Abu Fari from Katsina; Hon Ibrahim Abdullahi, House of Representatives, Niger State and Hon James Falake representing Ikeja Federal constituency of Lagos State.
Moreso, Governor Bello seized the opportunity to for the adoption of new technologies in the ongoing war against banditry and terrorism rather than the use of conventional warfare.
“We don’t fight conventional warfare, let’s use technology even though it is expensive, the situation can be addressed that way. The era of sending soldiers to the forest is over when we can deploy drones to monitor the movement of bandits and hit target effortlessly,” he said.
The National Coalition of Women for Osinbajo (NCWO) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to adopt Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo as their consensus presidential candidate.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja, Rabi Dauda, NCWO chairperson, said Osinbajo has the intellectual capacity to make the country progress.
Dauda said the caretaker committee should ensure that the election of APC national leaders at the forthcoming convention is free and fair.
“We strongly affirm Nigerian women’s utmost confidence in the candidature of professor Yemi Osinbajo as a people-focused leader with the right intellectual capacity and innate leadership qualities to move Nigeria forward, with an emphatic attention to women’s progress and development,” she said.
“We demand the emergence of truly people-focused leadership at APC’s forthcoming convention and presidential primaries, either through consensus or voting processes as we look forward to the unfettered emergence of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo as APC presidential flag bearer in 2023 elections.
“We strongly appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari, members of the federal executive council (FEC), state governors, party leaders at federal, state, local government levels and all genuine progressives among delegates to the APC presidential convention to ensure the actualization of an Osinbajo presidency in 2023.
“Without any iota of doubt, we believe that the emergence of Prof Yemi Osinbajo as the 2023 presidential flag-bearer of the APC will give Nigeria the opportunity to realize these lofty collective progressive aspirations.”
Dauda said the APC should ensure that women and youths are put in leadership positions in the party.
The talented Yoruba actor, script writer and enterprenuer, Muyideen Oladapo professionally known as Lala took to his Instagram page to celebrate his latest achievement as he bags Master’s Degree in Theater Arts.
“I am sincerely grateful to the Almighty for this rare privilege. I have always had a burning passion for attaining a greater height in education from my tender age and I thank God I achieved the dream despite fame and other engagements”
“This is a stepping stone for me to greater achievements because I am not relenting because I want to attain the highest level of education. I am grateful to God for the success of my second-degree education. It took me concerted effort in achieving this because there were lots of distractions, but I bless Allah that it eventually became a success.
The National Leader & Presidential Aspirant of the All Progressive Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has apologised for a misleading claim he made concerning the Permanent Voter Cards.
Tinubu made the statement while addressing some of his supporters in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said, “In case they do not announce to you on time, the PVC you have has expired. Take one family member, two family members, knock on all doors and make sure that the new registration… Because they may not announce to you on time. The PVCs you have has expired. Yes!
“You need to spread it to various local government and wards at each levels. No matter how difficult it is. To me, I look at it closely and you look at other elections being held, you will see that it’s diminishing because those cards expired. It’s mandatory that you go and register to vote and achieve your aspirations. May God bless you and bless Nigeria.”
After the Statement by Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed, the Independent National Electoral Commission said the information was wrong. According to INEC, PVCs don’t come with expiry date.
In response to the public comments that followed the misleading information, Tinubu’s media team issued a press statement saying the APC chieftain mistakenly used the word ‘expire’ instead of stating that PVCs may have to be updated.
The statement read, “On Tuesday night in Abuja, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu granted audience to a delegation of women from Lagos and across the country attending the All Progressives Congress Women Conference. While charging the women to check the status of their voting cards and mobilise supporters to vote, he mistakenly used the word ‘expire’ instead of stating that the cards may have to be updated.
“Immediately upon being apprised of this, Asiwaju apologised for the incorrect statement and felt sorry for any confusion it may have caused. Asiwaju Tinubu also stressed that he appreciates the patriotic and necessary work of INEC and its personnel in assuring a free and fair electoral process for all Nigerians in all political parties.
“At the meeting convened at the behest of the women, Asiwaju emphasised the need for people to fully participate in elections so we strengthen our democracy. He urged them to continue to mobilise voters to update their PVCs and help thwart the prevailing voter-apathy. Women must mobilise heavily to reverse the trend, he said.
“The gap between those who registered for elections and those who usually turned up to pick their PVCs was wide, adding that such constitutes a serious challenge, which may impede the growth of our democracy.
“Asiwaju Tinubu would like to reiterate this call to women to mobilise at the grassroots levels so that elections reflect the sovereign will of all the people for a true democracy to be established. He enjoins them to review their voting details with INEC so that these details will be updated before the coming elections.”
Osi Olubadan and former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, has described the death of his former deputy and successor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala as a huge loss to him.
In a condolence statement, Ladoja said he was shocked to hear the news of Alao-Akala’s death, recalling that they were together at two separate functions in Ibadan recently, the last being the funeral of the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji.
Ladoja said his personal relationship with the deceased was cordial till his death, though they had occasions of political disagreements which did not injure their personal relationship.
He recalled that the former police officer joined politics through him, reiterating his earlier position that Alao-Akala was not responsible for his impeachment in 2006 and never saw him as a betrayer..
The Decoy Team of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad (RRS), yesterday night in Agege arrested three robbery suspects for dispossessing a pedestrian of N100,000, three mobile phones and a wristwatch.
The suspects – Ridwan Imran (20), Lukman Abiodun (18) and Abdulahi Isa (18) were reported to have approached their victim and demanded a raise before eventually chasing him and robbing him of his belongings.
The suspects, led by Lukman Abiodun in company of four others, some of them still at large, had approached the complainant at about 9:00 p.m. in Isheri – Berger Garage demanding he assist them with money. The victim had explained that he had no money.
The suspects harassed and chased him to Agege Stadium, smashed a bottled on his head, pushed him inside the drainage and dispossessed him of a hundred thousand naira, three mobile phones and a wristwatch all estimated at over N600,000:00.
The Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, who intercepted a distress call from the area about traffic robbery, directed the Decoy Team to the scene where three of the principal suspects were chased and arrested while others escaped.
Preliminary investigations by the team resulted in the recovery of one of the victim’s three mobile phones from where it was hidden.
According to the victim, Yusuph Ahmed, “I was summoned by one of my customers, who had given me a N100,000:00 to refurbish a Sienna car. I got to Isheri – Berger Garage where they (pointing to Ridwan Imran and Lukman Abiodun) ordered me to give them money for food.
I pleaded with them that I had no money on me. Within a twinkle of an eye, they mobilized their colleagues, apparently lurking around.
They were about six in number. I had to flee. They chased me from Isheri – Berger Garage to Agege stadium. They beat me ceaselessly and broke a bottle on my head.
I was lucky, their leaders were arrested right there by RRS men. It was as if God answered my prayers. I had given up hope of surviving it”. he stated.
CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi assured the victim that all the suspects involved in the robbery would be brought to book, emphasizing that those who are not prepared to earn a living legitimately would have a tough time habitating in Lagos.
Former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, has said that the All Progressives Congress, APC, will give its presidential ticket for the 2023 general elections to the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
Speaking on Tuesday at the recently held 2022 annual lecture of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Kano State, the former governor while referring to the National Leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu, said the party will only be interested in his (Tinubu) money.
According to Aliyu, any “riff-raff or moneybags” will not get to the highest office in the country, even if they bring out money.
“No matter how much money he has, let him bring the money and we will collect it, Mr. Vice President, wherever you go, we will follow,”
He described Osinbajo, who is yet to declare interest in the presidential race as the best candidate for the ruling party saying, “Mr Vice President, do you know you are the best candidate in your party?”
He stressed that Osinbajo has the acceptance of most Nigerians regardless of tribe, religion and political party.
It was reported that since the Asiwaju of Lagos made his intention known after visiting President Muhammadu Buhari, there has been reactions as Nigerians question his source of wealth and the controversy surrounding his real age.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed his plans for young Nigerians ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
The former Lagos state governor has promised to pay the WAEC fees of all senior secondary school students if he is elected president by Nigerians in 2023.
In a viral video obtained by Oduduwa News today, Tinubu made the disclosure while speaking to some of the members of his support groups.
The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, says he will not support the Presidential ambition of All Progressives Congress leader, Bola Tinubu.
Ojudu further stated that contrary to reports, Tinubu did not make him successful as he was already an accomplished publisher before meeting the former Lagos State governor.
The former lawmaker said this in a statement titled, ‘Principled Political Choices are not Betrayal’
Ojudu, who is leading the campaign for Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to be the next President, said he would continue to follow his conscience.
He said, “The idea that everyone who has related with Tinubu and disagrees with him on this Presidential bid is a traitor and a betrayer is puerile. Many of us, his associates, were not made by him as you also want the world to believe.
We were already made before meeting him and in the course of relating, we gave one another a helping hand. As far back as 1992 when I came to know him I was already one of the editors of a popular news magazine with a good standing too in the civil society.”
Ojudu, who represented Ekiti Central senatorial district between 2011 and 2015, said he could not in good conscience support Tinubu for the Presidency.
He stated that he would not be intimidated by those describing him as a traitor.
“On this matter of 2023 I wish him well but I cannot in good conscience give him my support or cast my vote for him in the coming primary. It is my right. I am above 60 years of age for God sake. I almost died seeking these inalienable democratic rights, held up in detention and severally tortured. Your god is not my god. “Let no one think he can browbeat or blackmail me to do what does not go with my conscience or my ideals. Enough of your phone threats and embarrassment of my family members!” said Ojudu.
The Presidential aide recalled how he resigned after disobeying an order by his then-employer, Chief MKO Abiola, to apologise to then Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, for writing a story critical of his regime.
Ojudu revealed how human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), also forced him to refund the money he invested in his newspaper after Ojudu decided to join Tinubu’s clique.
He said he also defied his father’s wishes by joining Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Unity Party of Nigeria when his father was a member of the National Party of Nigeria in the Second Republic.
The veteran journalist said the story of his life has been about conviction and he would continue to follow his conscience as regards political decisions.
