Abuja
Presidency Breaks Silence On Coalition Launch, Says They Are “Desperados Hungry For Power”
Presidency Breaks Silence On Coalition Launch, Says They Are “Desperados Hungry For Power”
Presidency breaks silence on coalition launch, says they are “desperados hungry for power”. The Presidency has reacted to Wednesday’s unveiling of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the new platform for Nigeria’s 2027 opposition coalition, describing the alliance as a gathering of “desperados hungry for power” who are motivated by self-interest rather than national progress.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, issued a statement after opposition leaders convened at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja for an event marking the official launch of the coalition.
The gathering was attended by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
Also present were former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, both of whom were announced as the interim National Chairman and National Secretary of the ADC, respectively.
In his statement, Onanuga dismissed the event as a “charade” and ridiculed its participants as failed politicians seeking relevance. According to him, “These politicians are desperados, hungry for power, not for the benefit of Nigerians but for themselves. They want power at all costs because they cannot endure another four years in the political wilderness or be banished to political winter and irrelevance.”
He argued that many of the individuals paraded at the ADC launch had long abandoned the APC or were no longer relevant within the ruling party. He said Amaechi had effectively exited the party in 2022 following his loss at the presidential primary to President Tinubu, while Abubakar Malami, former Attorney-General of the Federation, had distanced himself from the APC after failing in his governorship ambition in Kebbi State.
Onanuga also referenced Hadi Sirika, who he said is currently facing trial over contract fraud, and Aregbesola, whom he labelled a “renegade” expelled for anti-party activities in the Osun governorship election.
He further dismissed other attendees, such as Kashim Imam and former APC National Chairman Chief John Odigie Oyegun, as disillusioned figures with no remaining influence in the APC, noting that Imam disappeared from party activities after failing to clinch the vice-presidential ticket, while Oyegun had been part of the new coalition from its earliest days.
Onanuga warned Nigerians not to be deceived by what he described as a coalition without ideology or a clear agenda. “My advice to Nigerians: keep your eyes wide open.
Tinubu Government
A political party with no clear agenda or ideology—whose members are united only by their hatred for President Tinubu—cannot be good for our country. It will only set us back by decades.”
He said he was confident that the coalition would inevitably disintegrate due to what he called the “irreconcilable personal and political ambitions” of its members.
FCTA Confirms Antivenom Stock, Warns Negligent Hospitals, Gives Emergency Lines
FCTA confirms antivenom stock, warns negligent hospitals, gives emergency lines. The FCTA said all public hFCTA confirms antivenom stock, warns negligent hospitals, gives emergency linesospitals have sufficient antivenom after singer Ifunanya Nwangene’s death at FMC Jabi. Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe warned facilities to follow protocols or face sanctions, stressing that early treatment is critical.
FCTA
The territory has added 12 ambulances, improved ICUs, and centralized antivenom storage.
Residents are urged to use emergency lines 090157892931 or 090157892932.
FCT Police Warn NLC Against Planned Abuja Protest, Say Proscribed Groups Plot To Hijack
FCT Police warn NLC against planned Abuja protest, say proscribed groups plot to hijack. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command has warned the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) against its planned protest scheduled for Tuesday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The NLC leadership had fixed February 3 for a solidarity rally along with members of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria and the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) secretariat in Garki Area 11.
The NLC declared that the rally is to publicly affirm that “an injury to one is an injury to all”, adding that the Nigerian labour movement will not abandon its members.
On January 24, the labour body declared support for the indefinite strike by workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), describing the action as “necessary and heroic” in response to alleged violation of workers’ rights.
In a statement, Joe Ajaero, NLC president, said the labour union stood “in very strong solidarity” with FCTA workers under the aegis of JUAC.
Ajaero described the strike as “a necessary and heroic response to a vicious cocktail of neoliberal attacks, gross administrative impunity, and a systematic violation of the fundamental rights of workers by the FCTA management and its political leadership”.
However, in a statement on Monday, Josephine Adeh, FCT police spokesperson, said the command respects the constitutional right to peaceful assembly, but noted that intelligence reports indicate “plans by proscribed groups and other non-state actors to infiltrate and hijack the protest, posing a risk to public peace and safety”.
Adeh said in the interest of public safety, the organisers should consider rescheduling the protest to prevent any breakdown of law and order and to protect lives, property, and the rights of other residents.
Police
“The Command remains committed to safeguarding all lawful activities and urges residents to continue cooperating with security agencies to keep the FCT peaceful and secure,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, the national industrial court has reportedly issued an interim order restraining the NLC, TUC and JUAC from embarking on the planned protest.
The court had earlier ordered workers on the payroll of the FCT administration to suspend the strike.
Emmanuel Subilim, the presiding judge, held that although the matter before the court amounted to a trade dispute, the defendants’ right to embark on industrial action was not absolute.
Akwa Ibom Indigenes Protest RMAFC Meeting, Warn Against Tampering With State’s Oil Wells
Akwa Ibom indigenes protest RMAFC meeting, warn against tampering with State’s Oil Wells. Akwa Ibom indigenes resident in Abuja on Tuesday stormed the venue of a meeting of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), where the Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC) on Disputed/New Oil Wells was sitting, to protest what they described as attempts to reopen a matter already settled by the Supreme Court.
The protesters cautioned that no individual or agency should tamper with Akwa Ibom State’s 76 oil wells, stressing that the ownership of the wells was conclusively determined in favour of the state by the Supreme Court in 2012.
They insisted that any move to revisit the issue through administrative or technical processes would amount to a disregard for the authority of the apex court and could undermine peace in the Niger Delta region.
Akwa Ibom State was formally represented at the IATC meeting by a high-powered delegation comprising leading legal practitioners, government officials and technocrats. Members of the delegation included Paul Usoro, SAN; Assam Assam, SAN; the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, SAN; Uwemedimo Nwoko, SAN; Emmanuel Enoidem, SAN; and a former Attorney-General of Akwa Ibom State.
Akwa Ibom Indigenes Protest RMAFC Meeting
Also on the state’s delegation were the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Emem Bob, Former Attorney General and Commissioner Justice, Barr. Ekpenyong Ntekim; the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Aniekan Umanah; Honourable Member representing Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency, Dr Patrick Umoh, among others.
The delegation is expected to present Akwa Ibom State’s position before the committee, reiterating that the Supreme Court judgment remains final and binding, and urging all relevant federal agencies to respect and uphold the ruling.
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