The former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has called on security agencies to arrest the Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi over the religious incitation comments allegedly made in the viral leaked audio tape between him and Pastor David Oyedepo.
Fani-Kayode was quoted in a statement made available via his official Twitter handle as read in part:
“Now that the spokesman of Peter Obi, one Kenneth Okonkwo, has confirmed that the audio recording of the conversation between Bishop Oyedepo and his principal is authentic, it is time for us to call on the security agencies to declare Peter a master terrorist, a security risk, a man that is wholly unfit to lead a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural state and a hater of non-Christians.
“He is indeed one of the “troublers” of our nation.
“Can you imagine what would have happened to Muslims if he had won the election?
“Within a few months he would have plunged Nigeria into a religious war”.
The Lagos State government said it has not abolished all Eze Ndigbo titles in the state at present, describing the reports making the rounds as “April fool.”
The clarification came following viral reports on social media on Saturday that the state government has abolished Eze Ndigbo titles in Lagos.
This came on the arrest of Eze Ndigbo, Ajao Estate of the state after releasing a video calling for an invasion of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, into Lagos for the protection of Igbo properties, especially, in markets across the state.
This came on the arrest of Eze Ndigbo, Ajao Estate of the state after releasing a video calling for an invasion of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, into Lagos for the protection of Igbo properties, especially, in markets across the state.
The spokesman of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Kenneth Okonkwo, has confirmed the conversation between the party’s candidate, Peter Obi, and the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide [Winners’ Chapel], Bishop David Oyedepo, in a leaked audio tape.
In the audio conversation which was reportedly held on the eve of the presidential election, the former Anambra State governor can be heard imploring Oyedepo to help pass messages to Christians across the South-West as well as those in the North Central states of Kwara, Kogi, and Niger.
“Daddy, I need you to speak to your people in the South-West and Kwara, the Christians in the South-West and Kwara,” Obi said in the audio obtained by The Gazette.
You’d recall that the Labour Party standard-bearer had been caught in a video clip before the election in which he asked Christian leaders to take back their country.
He also repeated the same sentiment in the leaked conversation when he told the man of God that “This is a religious war,” to which Oyedepo replied, “I believe that, I believe that, I believe that.”
“Like I keep saying: if this works, you people will never regret the support,” Obi pressed on while sobering about the difficulty to penetrate Christians in places like Kogi, Kwara and Niger states.
But, Oyedepo promised to circulate more messages to Christians on Obi’s behalf and said “We look forward to God’s intervention.”
The audio tape has generated several reactions on social media, especially from supporters of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) who accused the Labour Party candidate of deploying dangerous religious rhetorics capable to further polarise the nation.
Reacting to the development, Okonkwo, who confirmed that the leaked audio was a conversation between his principal and Oyedepo, blamed opposition parties of trying to spin the content of the tape.
In a series of tweets on his Twitter page on Sunday, April 2, 2023, the Nollywood actor argued that Obi was simply urging the Bishop to help him push his messages to his people.
His tweets read: “In a telephone conversation leaked to Peoples Gazette, Peter Obi begged Bishop David Oyedepo to help canvass Christian votes on the eve of Nigeria’s presidential election. Religion became central to the campaign after Bola Tinubu tapped a fellow Muslim running mate in a nation making a religious statement.
“Firstly, the context of the conversation was aptly put by Bishop Oyedepo when he said “All Nigerians have equal stake in this nation, nobody has the right to claim that he is dashing something to someone”.
“HE @PeterObi e was simply urging the Bishop to help him push this message of equal stake of all Nigerians in the Nigerian project to his people and the christiandom because the politicians of the other party is carrying on this campaign as if it is a religious war.
“To drive home this point, he informed him that he visited the traditional ruler of Offa, the Olofa of Offa, who is a Muslim, but who advised Obi to get the support of Oyedepo and be assured of his own support. No Politician has ever visited the Olofa of Offa.
“It is clear to everybody that the APC political party that has a Presidential Candidate, Vice Presidential Candidate, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, National Chairman of the Party all from one religion at a time the CJN is a Muslim is the Party that has declared religious war on Nigerians and we must all rise up together to fight this unconstitutional act of religious intolerance of other religions by APC.
“I went around with Obi on campaign train and never saw him discriminate against any religion. Of course he can’t because his Vice is a Muslim unlike APC. I resigned from APC because of their religious intolerance. Nigerians should disregard any insinuation of religious bigots about this tape.”
Social Democratic Party, SDP has Suspended it Gubernatorial Candidate in Oyo State, Mr Michael lana and the Party Secretary Mr Idowu Owokoya for anti-party activities.
31st March, 2023
The National Chairman,
Social Democratic Party Headquarters,
No 17, Nairobi Street,
Wuse II, Abuja.
Dear Sir,
SUSPENSION OF MR FOLORUNSHO LANA AND MR IDOWU OWOKOYA AS A MEMBER OF SDP IN OYO STATE AND AS A STATE SECRETARY RESPECTIVELY.
I wish to bring to your attention of the meeting held OYO STATE CHAPTER
today 31st March, 2023 in our state office, Oyo State.
The meeting comprising members of state executives and the local government chairmen.
After reviewing the activities of Mr folorunsho Lana, the gubernatorial candidates in the just concluded general election and the secretary of the party during and after the elections, the whole house resolved as follows:
That Mr folorunsho Lana be suspended from the party for anti-party activities. No substantial contribution to the party.
2.The state secretary of the party Mr IdowuOwokoya be suspended for indiscipline, insubordination and dropping the name of the national secretary to destabilize the party.
In line with party constitution, we therefore wish to forward the resolution of the party for your office approval to suspend both Mr folorunsho Lana and Idowu Owokoya.
The party also resolved that Ajibola Adeniyi of Lagelu local government under the oyo central secretarial district to replace Idowu Owokoya inacting capacity.
Thanking you in anticipation for cooperation sir.
Note that the signatures of members in attendance is hereby attached.
Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has carpeted Osun state All Progressives Congress (APC) over its comments on the March salary, declaring that the state APC is financially illiterate, hence its gullible reaction on the state’s finance.
Governor Adeleke is a leader who has kept every promise he made to the people of Osun state. Widely named “a talk and do Governor,” Governor Adeleke’s popularity has moved from 70 percent to over 90 percent in the last three months. His job approval rating is beyond 80 percent. APC rating is below 10 percent, as evidenced by recent surveys and outcome of recent elections.
Osun state workers understand the imperative of the delay from last week as it was meant to serve their interest to ensure payment of their long-awaited promotion arrears, which the last APC government denied them. They know they will soon start receiving alerts from Monday.
Workers across the sector are appreciative of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s innovative and shrewd handling of state’s finance, which addresses the basic needs of the people and attends to the critical infrastructural needs of the state.
After failing for four years to pay the promotion arrears, contributory pensions and the half salary of workers in Osun state, the APC is shamed by the sterling records of Adeleke’s administration which include clearing all the messy legacy of the previous government. This explains its unfounded vituperations and false alarm on Osun finance.
I want to assure the shameless APC leadership that the Adeleke administration is managing Osun resources very judiciously with the best interest of the people at heart. PDP Government is not a sadist led government of Gboyega Oyetola, which thrived in human wickedness and man’s inhumanity to man.
The PDP government met a state already run aground by the APC but is now with ingenuity taking the state out of doldrums by focusing on human development, revival of abandoned infrastructure and delivery of urgent social services like water and health services.
Osun APC peopled by men and women of wicked characters boldly rejected by the people of Osun state should apologize to Osun people for the years of locust it foisted on the state and learn lessons of good governance from a Governor who had done more for the people under three months than the four years of Oyetola in power.
Following the expiration of a 72-hour ultimatum given to the famous singer, Habeeb Okikiola, commonly called Portable, to turn himself in, the Ogun State police command has arrested the singer for refusing to honour the invitation.
Early on Tuesday, two videos of the musician raining curses and rough-handling some men of the Nigeria police surfaced on the internet.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed that the singer has been arrested and is currently cooling his feet at the state headquarters of the police in Eleweran, Abeokuta, after refusing five invitations.
Oyeyemi added that Portable will remain in police custody till Monday when he will be charged in court. He said he would be arraigned on six count charge. .
The Eze Igbo of Ajao Estate in Lagos State, Fredrick Nwajagu, has been arrested hours after thr£atening to invite members of the proscribed group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to the state to secure properties of a certain tribe.
Nwajagu was arrested by a combined team of police and DSS in the early hours of Saturday, April 1.
Speaking in a video that went viral on Friday, March 31, Nwajagu thr£atened to invite members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to Lagos State, adding that the move became necessary in the wake of attacks on some a certain tribe in the state.
He said: “IPOB, we will invite them. They have no job. All of the IPOB will protect all of our shops. And we have to pay them. We have to mobilize for that. We have to do that. We must have our own security so that they will stop attacking us at midnight, in the morning, and in the afternoon.
When they discover that we have our own security, before they come, they will know that we have our own men there. I am not saying a single word to be hidden. I am not hiding my words; let my words go viral. We must get their rights and get standing in Lagos State.”
Subsequently, the police and DSS went after Nwajagu in a midnight raid but he had already fled his palace. He was later traced to a hotel in Ejigbo where he was arrested.
Members of the Muslim community in Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Friday, staged a protest following the alleged invasion of a mosque in the Ilare area by some Oro adherents.
The protesters said on Thursday, the traditionalists entered the mosque, where some Muslims had gathered to observe the 4pm prayers, and attacked those they found in the building.
Beside the chief imam of the mosque, Abdul-Lateef Adediran, who was reportedly injured in the face, five other worshippers were allegedly stabbed during the attack.
An eyewitness, who identified himself only as Kareem for security reasons, said, “We were in the mosque to pray. Some people were performing ablution when the Oro worshippers entered the mosque.
We were aware that they would be going around with Oro and we didn’t meddle in their affairs. They had passed through the area. They later returned and entered the mosque.
“The imam was trying to ask what their mission was, but they didn’t even allow him to talk before they started beating every one of us. Six people were stabbed. Our imam sustained injuries on his face. All those injured were taken to hospitals in Ile-Ife.”
During the Friday protest, the protesters, who moved through major streets in the town, visited the palace of the Ooni of Ife, but the royal father was not available.
In the absence of royal father to speak to them, some youths were seen tying to gain entrance forcefully while some were throwing stones to the Palace.
There was a mild drama yesterday evening when a male adult was bundled and arrested at the Airport for chanting anti-Tinubu words.
Yet to be identified adult male passenger was carried off an Abuja to Lagos flight on Ibom Air on Friday evening after declaring that the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, must not be sworn in as President.
According to an eyewitness, the man stood in the middle of the plane and raised his voice, stating that Tinubu must never be sworn in, adding that there would be “war” if that happened.
The airport security authorities were called before he could be evacuated after holding up the aircraft for more than an hour, as the 6pm flight was yet to move as of 7pm.
In the video obtained, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria security men could be seen carrying the middle-aged man off the plane, as he kept shouting, “Obidients, you’re here. They are doing this to me. Obidients you’re here, I am naked. Obidients you’re here, I am going naked.”
Some security experts who made their opinions known to the public on the matter opined that the arrested man has committed treasonable felony and could be prosecuted in due time while some also argued that he may be charged for public nuisance.
Fifty-four-year-old Innocent Udoh on Friday appeared before an Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan, for allegedly stealing 70 phones worth N1.75 million.
Mr Udoh, whose address was not provided, is charged with conspiracy and theft.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecutor, ASP Sikiru Ibrahim, told the court that Udoh and others at large committed the theft on March 30 from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. at the Mokola area of Ibadan.
Mr Ibrahim alleged that Udoh stole 50 pieces of Itel phones worth N750,000 and 20 pieces of secondhand android phones worth N1 million, from Nwaoma Ezeco.
He said that the offences contravened Sections 516 and 390(9) of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
The magistrate, T.B. Oyekanmi, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
