Dismissed Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Adamawa State, Barrister Hudu Ari, has reaffirmed his claim that Senator Aisha Binani, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 gubernatorial election, was the rightful winner of the poll.

He defended his stance by swearing with the name of God, insisting that his actions during the exercise were based on truth and evidence.

Addressing journalists at his private residence in Bauchi State on Saturday, Barrister Ari insisted that he possessed documentary evidence proving that Binani defeated the incumbent governor, Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ari, who was suspended in 2023 and eventually dismissed following National Assembly’s approval of his sack last week, expressed frustration that his evidence of election irregularities was disregarded by both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Adamawa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

Hudu Ari, holding a copy of the Claims evidence was ignored Qur’an during the press briefing, he swore that his actions were in good faith and in line with electoral guidelines.

According to Ari, there was immense pressure on him and other electoral officials to declare Governor Fintiri the winner or risk personal security threats.

He further alleged that INEC’s Head of ICT in Adamawa State, Bala Aji, compromised the election process by handing over about 20,000 election documents to the governor, who was also the PDP candidate in the election.

He recounted an incident where he, along with the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies, raided a private residence allegedly linked to the governor, where electoral malpractices were taking place.

“It took time to open the door, and when we finally gained access, we found the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and other officials working with election documents that covered the entire state,” he claimed.

Ari also accused Aji of distributing BVAS machines and bribing INEC staff with foreign currency on Election Day, “This was a clear abuse of responsibility, and I took immediate steps against these actions, expecting INEC headquarters to intervene. Instead, my reports were ignored,” he lamented.

Ari asserted that he was denied a fair hearing by INEC and the Tribunal, and his evidence supporting Binani’s victory was dismissed without due consideration. He maintained that his sack by the President was not his biggest concern but rather the “media trial” that, according to him, had tarnished his reputation.

Addressing allegations that he received a ₦2billion bribe from politicians, Ari flatly denied the claim. He revealed that he was consulting his family on whether to pursue legal action, stating, “Nigeria belongs to all of us, and it is up to us to either make it or mar it.”

Reflecting on his time in office in Adamawa State, he pointed out that he had successfully conducted the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections without controversy.

However, he claimed that issues arose during the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections in 69 polling units of the State, leading to the crisis that ultimately resulted in his dismissal.

The embattled National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has revealed that certain party leaders were hell-bent on forcing him out of office because of his insistence on due process, respect for the rule of law and his long-standing relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

Anyanwu told Sunday Vanguard that some of the party’s leaders from his zone (South East) consider him a stumbling block to their political ambitions, part of which include taking over the party structure.

He said, “I was validly nominated and elected as National Secretary of this great party at a national convention and our constitution clearly spells out how a person occupying positions in the National Working Committee can be replaced if the need arises.

“I took time off to contest for the governorship of my state and the Deputy National Secretary acted while I was away. Our constitution gives me the power to delegate functions to my deputy.

“It was strange that while I was campaigning, some people went as far as forging documents by illegally altering our party guidelines and inserted a clause which is not in the original document to say I must resign. The police are investigating, I won’t say much on that.”

“Everybody knows my relationship with (Chief Nyesom) Wike. We were local government chairmen and members of the PDP, I cannot deny him.”

Anyanwu accused some of the party’s governors of working in cohorts with a section of the Board of Trustees (BoT) in pursuit of an agenda to weaken the party for selfish gains.

He noted that the advice of both bodies that Sunday Udeh-Okoye be immediately sworn in as the substantive National Secretary, following a Court of Appeal judgement was simply “a proxy war.”

The PDP Governors Forum had during their monthly meeting in Asaba, Delta State, endorsed Udeh-Okoye as National Secretary.

They based their decision on an Enugu Court of Appeal judgment recognizing Udeh-Okoye as the bonafide occupant of the position.

The BoT soon followed with their support for the position taken by the governors.
Members of the BoT took their decision after adopting the report of a committee they had set up to examine the claims being made by both Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye.

The committee which was chaired by. Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), recommended that Udeh-Okoye be sworn in immediately based on the court judgment.

Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and a top advisor to US President Donald Trump, said he has no interest in acquiring social media platform TikTok’s operations in the United States, in comments released Saturday.

“I’ve not put in a bid for TikTok and I don’t have any plans for what I would do if I had TikTok,” said Musk in comments made via videolink at a German forum in late January that were released on the weekend.

TikTok is facing down a US law that ordered the company broken off from its Chinese owner ByteDance or otherwise be banned in the United States over national security concerns regarding the data it gathers on users.

In one of his first acts in office, Trump ordered a pause on enforcing the law that should have seen TikTok effectively made illegal in the country a day before he took office for a second term.

Soon after, Trump said he would be open to Musk — the owner of social media platform X, Tesla and a slew of other companies — buying the platform.

Musk, however, said he did not wish to acquire the company.

“I don’t use TikTok personally, so, you know, I’m not that familiar with it,” he said. “I’m not chomping at the bit to acquire TikTok.”

Musk bought social media giant Twitter, which he renamed X, for $44 billion in 2022, insisting he was doing so in order to safeguard “free speech.”

Since his takeover, rights campaigners warn there has been a spike in hate speech and disinformation on the platform.

Elon Musk was one of Trump’s main financial backers in his presidential campaign, and is heading the US president’s budget-slashing initiatives.

His so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) has targeted a range of federal government agencies and regulators, with the apparent intent of shutting them down and firing staff, especially those not in line with Trump’s political agenda.

On Saturday, a US judge issued an emergency order blocking Musk’s government reform team from accessing personal and financial data for millions of Americans stored at the Treasury Department, court documents showed.

In the comments at the forum in Germany, Musk also took aim at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which are meant to support historically oppressed and disenfranchised communities.

“DEI is simply racism rebranded,” he said. “I’m against racism and sexism no matter who it’s directed against.”

US officials have been racing to enact Trump’s war on DEI across the federal bureaucracy — dismantling training initiatives, scrapping grants and sidelining hundreds of workers.

In Germany, Musk has voiced firm support for the far-right anti-immigration AfD party — a political taboo in a country whose Nazi past remains a sensitive subject.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has declared the party’s readiness to unseat the incumbent Governor Soludo of Anambra by securing victory in the upcoming November 8, 2025, governorship election.

He emphasized that the party would achieve that feat through its political strength and commitment to providing the necessary logistics for a successful campaign.

Ganduje made these remarks while commissioning the new APC State Secretariat Complex in Awka weekend, an event facilitated by Sir Paul Chukwuma, a leading gubernatorial aspirant for the upcoming election.

The gathering attracted key political figures, aspirants, and policy-makers who reviewed the party’s primary processes and strategized for the looming election.

Addressing party leadership and stakeholders, Ganduje emphasized the importance of integrating Anambra into Nigeria’s broader political landscape.

He expressed concern that, despite its wealth of human and natural resources, Anambra has remained entrapped in “rural politics,” hindering its development compared to other states.

“We are here for three key activities: to commission our new party secretariat, conduct a stakeholders meeting, and show solidarity with key individuals,” Ganduje stated.

“Our party is politically solid, a compound, not a mixture. I am pleased to report no friction; unity abounds among our members. We have communicated to our members and aspirants that this is not business as usual, and I am glad to see our party functioning effectively in Anambra.”

He outlined the APC’s recent political progress in the South East region, noting that it has transitioned from controlling no states to governing two. “We must elevate Anambra to the national political grid; currently, it operates on a rural grid, restraining its developmental pace,” he stressed.

Reflecting on historical Igbo political figures, Ganduje called for a change in perspective. “We must reconnect to the center of Nigerian politics, just as leaders like Nnamdi Azikiwe and Odumegwu Ojukwu once did. It is time to move beyond rural politics.”

He assured Nigerians of President Bola Tinubu’s steadfast commitment to addressing national challenges, citing ongoing improvements in security, the economy, and industry.

“The President is a visionary leader who speaks with conviction, grounded in facts. We are determined to assist Anambra and seek your cooperation in making the APC a dominant force here.”

Sir Paul Chukwuma described Ganduje’s visit as a historical moment for APC Anambra, highlighting that the party has created functional ward offices across all 326 wards and revitalized structures in 21 local government areas. “This new state office signifies our shared commitment to progress, unity, and prosperity. Grassroots engagement, particularly the inclusion of women and youth in leadership roles, is central to our strategy for a sustainable future in Anambra,” Chukwuma concluded.

In this remarks, the state chairman of APC, Chief Basil Ejidike, outlined the contributions of the five governorship aspirants in the state, including Sir Paul Chukwuma, Engr. John Bosco Onunkwo, Hon. Chukwuma Umeoji, Chief Nicholas Ukachukwu and Chief Obiora Okonkwo urged them to mature during the primaries.

In their separate speeches, the state Deputy Chairman of APC, Sir Ifeanyichukwu Osegbo; a state party stalwart, Hon. Barrister Chugbo Enwezor; Coordinator of Booth2Booth for Tinubu, Paschal Candle; and the Anambra Central Chairman, High Chief Augustine Muomaife, expressed optimism that APC would wrestle power from APGA and connect Anambra to the national grid instead of the present local grid.

Osegbo, Enwezor, Candle and Muomaife maintained that Soludo’s administration could not provide security for the lives and properties of Ndi Anambra, so he did not deserve to remain in office as Governor a day after his first tenure.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has sued President Bola Tinubu over the failure to probe and prosecute contractors who allegedly collected over N167 billion from 31 Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, but failed to execute any projects.

The Respondent joined the suit as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.

SERAP had asked Tinubu to direct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun, to probe the allegations.

In the suit filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Ms Oluwakemi Agunbiade, the organization asked the court “to compel President Tinubu to direct Mr Fagbemi to bring to justice, as appropriate, any companies and contractors who collected over N167 billion of public funds from 31 MDAs but failed to execute any projects.

“To compel President Tinubu to direct Mr Olawale Edun to publish the specific names of the companies and contractors who collected over N167 billion from 31 MDAs but failed to execute any projects, as documented in the 2021 Audited Report by the Auditor General of the Federation.”

SERAP also asked the court “to compel President Tinubu to direct Mr Olawale Edun to publish the details of the projects, such as the locations of the projects for which the contractors and companies collected N167bn, the amount collected by each contractor and company and the names of the shareholders.”

In the suit, SERAP maintained that “ the allegations of corruption involving many companies and contractors who collected over N167 billion from 31 MDAs have continued to impair, obstruct and undermine the access of poor Nigerians to public goods and services.

“Holding the companies and contractors who collected over N167bn from 31 MDAs but disappeared with the money would prevent and combat waste, fraud, and abuse in the spending of public funds.”

According to SERAP, “There is a legitimate public interest in not shielding or allowing ingrained wrongdoing by companies and contractors to go unpunished.

“Citizens feel the consequences of corruption on a daily basis. Corruption exposes them to additional costs to pay for health, education and administrative services.

“The allegations suggest a grave violation of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), the country’s anticorruption legislation and international anticorruption obligations.

The suit read in part: “Granting the reliefs sought would ensure transparency and accountability in how any public funds are spent by MDAs, and reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.

“The UN Convention against Corruption, to which Nigeria is a state party, contains requirements of integrity and honesty in economic, financial or commercial activities-both in the public and private sectors.

“It also imposes obligations on the government to ensure that sanctions imposed for corruption on natural and legal persons are effective, proportionate and dissuasive.

“Ensuring the accountability of companies and contractors and the recovery of diverted public funds would improve public accountability in MDAs.

“Government accountability to the general public is a hallmark of democratic governance, which Nigeria seeks to practice.

“According to the 2021 annual audited report by the Auditor-General of the Federation published on Wednesday, 13 November 2024, thirty-one (31) ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) paid over N167 billion [N167,592,177,559.40] to companies and contractors for contracts and projects not executed.

“The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (NBET) alone reportedly paid N100 billion to companies and contractors for projects not executed.

“Companies and contractors reportedly collected N100 billion from the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (NBET) for contracts and projects not executed.”

“The thirty other MDAs including Nigerian Correctional Service; National Pension Commission, Abuja; Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Owerri; and Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) Office.

“Others include: Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF); Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development; Federal Medical Centre, Bida, Niger state; National Centre for Women Development; Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution; National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB); Federal University of Gasua; and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

“Accountability requires transparency. Nigerians’ right to a democratic governance allows them to appreciably influence the direction of government and have an opportunity to assess progress and assign blame.”

Meantime, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

Former Deputy National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George, has decried Nigeria’s persistent political and governance crises, attributing them to tribalism, religious bigotry, and a deeply flawed democratic system.

In an interview, the elder statesman warned that unless Nigeria undergoes real restructuring, its democratic experiment will continue to falter.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s abundant resources, George lamented how greed and self-interest have undermined the country’s potential. “God gave us a massive land, rich in both natural and human resources. There is no part of this country that isn’t blessed. Yet, greed and self-interest continue to plague us,” he said.

He accused political elites of failing to prioritize governance, allowing corruption and inefficiency to fester. “Other nations envy what we have, but we waste it. Look at Ghana; during their elections, the sitting president conceded before the final results. No manipulations, no drama. Here, we introduce a new system, and suddenly, there’s a glitch. It’s disgraceful.”

George pointed to tribalism and religious bigotry as two major obstacles to national unity and good governance. “People make a big deal out of religious differences, ‘Oh, this one is a Muslim,’ or ‘That one is a Christian.’ But what does that have to do with the price of milk?” he asked.

He shared personal experiences of religious tolerance, including how his older sister married a Muslim and became an Alhaja. “She remained my sister till the end. So, I ask, what do religious labels have to do with how we treat one another?”

According to George, these divisions are deliberately fueled by politicians for personal gain. “The British left us two devils: tribalism and religious bigotry. But tell me, what does religion have to do with governance?”

George did not mince words in his criticism of Nigeria’s political structure, declaring that the current system is fundamentally flawed. “It has failed, absolutely. The current constitution is the root of our problems. Every month, states go to Abuja to collect their share of national revenue instead of generating their own. That’s not democracy; it’s a unitary system disguised as federalism,” he asserted.

He advocated for a return to the six-zone structure proposed by former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, arguing that it provided a more equitable distribution of power. “When one region hoards all the power, resentment builds. That’s exactly what happened to my party. The presidential candidate, national chairman, and other key positions all came from the same region. That was a fundamental mistake,” he explained.

For Nigeria to move forward, George insists that meaningful restructuring is the only solution. “Not just any restructuring, but a real, practical one. If we continue on this path, we are only postponing disaster.”

He warned that failure to implement genuine reforms would deepen the country’s woes. “People are suffering. The price of fuel is crippling businesses, yet those who control the banking sector are making billions. If the president truly cares about the people, he should work with the financial sector to stabilize fuel prices,” he urged.

With the country facing economic hardship, insecurity, and rising youth unemployment, George called for urgent reforms. “We had trade centers where people learned carpentry, tailoring, and hairdressing. Now, nothing. That’s why we have a Yahoo Yahoo epidemic, because the system has failed young people,” he said.

He issued a stern warning to political leaders: “Nothing lasts forever. Power is temporary. If you are in leadership, use the opportunity to serve, not to loot. A land of plenty should not have starving citizens. If we don’t change course, history will not be kind to us.”

As Nigeria grapples with these challenges, George’s words serve as both a diagnosis and a call to action. Whether the country’s leaders will heed his warnings remains to be seen.

…says Obi to unseat Tinubu in 2027

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party (LP) on Friday endorsed the 2023 Presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

We had no N5m bribe for SARS, so i spent 10 Years in jail0:00 / 0:00

The party, which has equally endorsed Governor Alex Otti of Abia State’s re-election bid and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour as the party’s flag bearer in Lagos State, expressed confidence that Obi will unseat President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abayomi Arabambi, who disclosed this in a statement he made available to Vanguard in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, said many Nigerians; especially youths are currently yearning for Obi due to Tinubu’s policies that are not favourable to the masses.

According to Arabambi, the main focus of the Labour Party in 2027 is to unseat President Tinubu in 2027 through democratic means, with Peter Obi as the front-runner for the presidency in 2027.

He said, “Our major focus is getting the APC out of office only through the ballot box if Nigerians so desire, and not through illegitimate means”.

He said, “Peter Obi would once again represent the LP in the 2027 presidential race, and reiterated the party’s determination to support Governor Otti’s re-election bid in Abia and Rhodes-Vivour’s gubernatorial candidate in Lagos”.

“We are united in our resolve to bring about a better Nigeria under the leadership of Peter Obi.”

President Trump has said he is “not interested” in deporting Prince Harry.

Harry currently lives in Montecito, California, with his wife, Meghan Markle.

“I don’t want to do that,” Trump told the New York Post.

“I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.”

In February 2024, Trump accused former President, Joe Biden, of “protecting Harry”.

At the time, the billionaire business claimed he wouldn’t do the same if he wins the election and gets into White House.

“He betrayed the queen. That’s unforgivable,” Trump told the Daily Express in an interview.

However, Trump, in his interview with the New York Post, claimed “poor Harry” is “whipped” by Markle.

Trump has previously criticized Prince Harry and Markle over their reported differences with the royal family.

In 2023, he told radio host Hugh Hewitt, “I didn’t like the idea that they [Harry and Markle] were getting US security when they came over here.”

The oarent company of Facebook, Thread, WhatsApp and Instagram, Meta, is set to implement another round of layoffs across its operations in Africa, Europe, and Asia starting Monday next week.

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The company informed its staff of the plans in an internal memo seen by Reuters on Friday.

Notices will go out to employees losing their jobs starting at 5am local time Monday in most countries, including in the United States, according to one of the posts, authored by Meta’s Head of People, Janelle Gale.

However, employees in Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands will be exempted from the cuts “due to local regulations,” while those in more than a dozen other countries across Europe, Asia and Africa will receive their notifications between February 11 and February 18, it said.

LEADERSHIP recalls that Meta confirmed last month that it was planning to trim about 5% of its “lowest performers” and backfill at least some of the positions.

The Friday memo, in which Gale referred to the cuts as “performance terminations,” was first reported by The Information, unlike previous company-wide layoffs, Meta was planning to keep its offices open on Monday and would not issue any updates providing further details on the decisions, Gale said in her post. 

A separate memo, posted by VP of Engineering for Monetization Peng Fan on Friday, asked staffers to assist with an expedited hiring process for machine learning engineers and other “business critical” engineering roles.

That process would take place between February 11 and March 13, Fan said in that post.

“Thank you for your continued support in helping us achieve our accelerated hiring goals, and better align with our company’s priorities for 2025,” he stated

The dropbox visa processing option has been discontinued for United States visa applicants in Nigeria, marking a significant change in the US visa renewal procedure.

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Though the US Embassy in Nigeria was yet to issue an official statement on the change, sources have confirmed that the service, which previously allowed eligible applicants to renew their visas without an in-person interview, has been quietly removed from the appointment booking system.

Applicants attempting to schedule visa renewals have reported that the Dropbox feature was no longer an option on the appointment booking platform, suggesting that it may be due to a slew of executive orders from President Donald Trump.

The development came amid a backlog of visa applications, with many applicants waiting for months to secure dropbox appointments before the removal.

Applicants have expressed frustration over the lengthy wait for physical appointments, which has reportedly taken nearly a year.

With the Dropbox option removed and unavailable slots in Lagos since January, applicants may now be required to travel to Abuja for in-person interviews, reverting to the pre-2020 process