A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Joe Igbokwe, has decried the fallout between the President Bola Tinubu-led administration and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Igbokwe said Tinubu and El-Rufai used to be great, committed friends and associates.

Posting on his Facebook page, he wondered what went wrong between the two friends.

According to Igbokwe: “I am still asking what went wrong between these two committed, great friends and associates. It should not have been allowed to happen in the first place.

“What God has joined together let no man put asunder. Good morning to the good people of Nigeria only.”

Lately, El-Rufai has been in the news for criticizing the ruling APC over its internal affairs.

At an event in Abuja, El-Rufai said he no longer recognizes the APC because the party no longer practices internal democracy.

He also accused the party of abandoning its founding principles and fostering poor leadership.

Faulting the former governor, a staunch supporter of the president, Reno Omokri accused El-Rufai of orchestrating the killing of residents in Kaduna State while serving as governor.

Omokri described El-Rufai as a bloodthirsty tyrant, who takes pleasure in seeing “blood flowing on the streets of Kaduna.”

However, the APC spokesman, Felix Morka, dismissed the former governor’s claim, stressing that he failed in managing his affairs.

Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on supporters of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola to join its ranks following their decision to leave the All Progressives Congress, APC.

DAILY POST recalls that the leadership of Omoluabi Progressives, a political group loyal to Aregbesola, announced on Sunday its decision to sever ties with the APC, citing grievances over alleged marginalization within the party.

The Osun APC responding to the exit described it as good riddance and said it was not perturbed by the announcement of the political group since they had left since 2022.

Speaking on the matter on Tuesday in Osogbo, Osun PDP’s Director of Media and Publicity, Oladele Bamiji, described Aregbesola as a significant figure in the state’s political landscape.

He said the former Minister of Interior is a political force that cannot be ignored in Osun politics.

Extending an invitation to members of Omoluabi Progressives, Bamiji said the PDP is open to all progressives who seek a party that prioritizes inclusivity and good governance.

He said, “Let me say that former governor Rauf Aregbesola is a big player in the political field of Osun State.

“There is just nothing anybody can do about that. As a former governor for eight years, I am not sure it will be reasonable enough to wish him away in the political calculation of the state.

“That being said, as at the last we checked, he was a member of the opposition APC in Osun State and we are also aware that there is internal bickering in their party, which to us is not a new thing. It is normal in politics because of differences in ambitions, ideas and all that.

“Yes, we heard he exited APC as a party. We don’t have the full facts of that, there are many funny things in politics, perhaps, his group might be saying that to achieve another end that is not really open to the public.

“So, we all have to be very cautious. Politics is not straightforward mathematics. You can take a step to achieve another step.

“We don’t know about his exit from APC but PDP will be interested in having him and his supporters, if they are interested in joining us.

“Politics is a game of numbers and PDP has popularity already and we have a solid candidate that is loved by people.”

He maintained that PDP was now the political party to beat in the state and that many politicians were interested in becoming members due to the progress made by the Governor Ademola Adeleke administration.

Meanwhile, a prominent member of the Omoluabi Progressives group, who craved anonymity, has dismissed insinuations that the group had picked its next destination.

“It is still a bird kept inside a calabash. It can’t be known until it is revealed. People should not bother about it. We are coming out in a solid way,” he said

Former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has denied that he is preparing to leave the All Progressives Congress, APC.

El-Rufai stated this while speaking to reporters at the venue of the just-concluded National Conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

“I am not leaving the APC. I don’t have such plans,” El-Rufai insisted.

When asked why he was hard on the ruling party, he replied: “No, no, no, I want them to change.”

On Monday, El-Rufai took a swipe at the APC, accusing it of abandoning its founding principles and encouraging poor leadership.

He said: “I no longer recognise the APC. No party organ has met in two years—no caucus, no NEC, nothing.

“You don’t even know if it is a one-man show; it’s a zero-man show.”

Reacting to El-Rufai’s comments, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Public Communications and Media, Daniel Bwala, queried the former governor’s stance.

Bwala wondered if the former governor would have held the same position had he remained in government or the cabinet.

“My senior brother, if you were to be in the government and cabinet, would you have held and expressed the same position? History is replete with examples.

“It is a government you participated in its formation, that you now want to unseat. Haba, Mallam,” Bwala wrote

American rapper Dajua Blanding, popularly known as Dank DeMoss, is suing ride-hailing company Lyft for weight discrimination after a driver refused her service, citing her size.

She said she was humiliated by the incident, which she filmed with her cellphone and posted on TikTok.

“I was hurt and embarrassed. I have been in that same type of car many times and never had an issue. This was someone who was discriminating against me just because of my weight,” DeMoss told CBS News.

The 489-pound Detroit rapper’s lawyers say the driver violated Michigan’s anti-discrimination laws, which include weight as a protected characteristic.

In a written statement, Lyft maintained that it does not condone any form of discrimination.

The company emphasized that its “community guidelines and terms of service explicitly prohibit harassment or discrimination.”

Popular media personality, Daddy Freeze has alleged that singer 2face’s rumored new lover is an honorable woman.

DAILY POST reports that 2face on Sunday in a viral deleted post, announced his separation and divorce from Annie, his wife.

The singer’s announcement triggered massive backlash from netizens and fans, including celebrities.

Weighing into the ongoing discussions about the marriage crash, Daddy Freeze explained that he wouldn’t take sides due to his closeness with both parties.

While shading the couple, the media personality alleged that 2Face is known to be a cheat which Annie knew about and chose to marry him.

Revealing 2Face’s alleged new lover in a trending video on social media, Daddy Freeze referred to the mystery woman as an “honorable member.”

Daddy Freeze wrote; “2Baba Seen With New Honorable Woman Amidst Divorce Announcement.”

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has declared that he has no plans of dumping the All Progressives Congress (APC).

El-Rufai made the clarification on Tuesday when he was asked directly about his plans by journalists at the venue of a just concluded National Conference in Abuja.

He added that he has been vocal about misgivings in the party because he wants to see a change.

“I am not leaving the APC. I don’t have such plans,” he said.

In response to further questions on why he has been hard on the party, El-Rufai said: “No, no, no, I want them to change.”

It would be recalled that El-Rufai, had while speaking on Monday, said the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) has deviated from its founding mission.

Naija News reports that El-Rufai said he no longer recognizes his party. He stated that APC was created to solve a problem, but that would not be possible again.

Speaking at a national conference in Abuja on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, he said, “I no longer recognize the APC. No party organ has met in two years—no caucus, no NEC, nothing. You don’t even know if it is a one-man show; it’s a zero-man show.”

The former Minister of the Federal Captial Territory (FCT) urged Nigerians to resist incapable leaders and illiterates ascending to leadership positions.

“You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people as your leaders. This is why we end up with the poor leadership we have today.

“The problems that led to the creation of the APC remain unresolved, but I no longer believe the APC is interested in addressing them. The distance between me and the party is widening,” he clarified.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary), Sen. Lawal Adamu Usman, disclosed that presently, Nigeria has about 7.6 million out-of-school children.

Sen. Usman, who represents Kaduna Central Senatorial District, charged religious and traditional leaders in the country to champion the adequate education and empowerment of the girl child in their respective communities.

He also appealed to the World Bank to expand its Adolescents Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project to cover 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the interest of the girl-child all over Nigeria.

Sen. Usman stated this on Tuesday in Abuja in his goodwill message to the National Conference on Girl-Child Education and Empowerment with Traditional and Religious Leaders in Nigeria, which had the theme “Effective Partnerships on Girls Education, Out of School Children Education for National Development.”

The senator emphasised that without the support of the religious and traditional leaders in the country, the level of education the girl-child could attain in life “will remain a mirage.”

The Senate Committee Chairman on Education (Basic and Secondary) maintained that religious and traditional leaders throughout the country have crucial roles in raising and empowering girls’ education standards.

He further disclosed that his committee has been working assiduously on the amendment of the Basic Education (Amendment) Bill, which is now at the third reading stage before the Senate, as well as the Bill for an Act to amend the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, Cap N4 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2024 and for other Related Matters 2024, which is being sponsored by himself and has passed the second reading stage.

Sen. Usman stressed that when the bill is finally enacted, it will revolutionise and revitalise basic education, including girl-child education in Nigeria.

“3.9 million of them are girls at the primary level, and 3.7 million others are at the junior secondary level. More than 50% of girls in our country are not attending school at the basic education level. Regrettably, about one million girls drop out between primary school’s first and last year, and 0.6 million between primary six and JSS1.”

“Girls account for 38% of Nigeria’s out-of-school children. Their education is being hindered by major barriers such as child marriage, poverty and gender discrimination. All these prevent the girl-child from learning and completing her education,” the senator said.

The National Conference hosted by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who delivered the Keynote Address on the occasion, was also attended by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; Emir of Argungu, Samaila Muhammad Mera; Oba Tajudeen Jimoh from Ekiti State, religious leaders and other stakeholders from across the country.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed troops who have arrested claims that wanted terrorist kingpin Bello Turji in the North West.

Social media has been awash with unverified reports that the wanted terror leader has been arrested.

Bello Turji has been responsible for unrest in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina and other North Western states.

He was declared wanted by the military in early 2024, and in December 2024, he was declared a “dead man walking.”

Reacting to the reports, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, said, “Please treat all news regarding the arrest of Bello Turji by troops as fake news.”

According to the ruling party, Atiku, at the national conference on Strengthening Democracy in Nigeria held in Abuja on Monday, warned that judicial involvement in electoral matters somewhat imperils the nation‘s democracy.

APC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, flayed the former president for alleging that President Bola Tinubu was paying confident opposition leaders a whooping N50 million each to discombobulate opposition parties in the country.

“In the Atiku era as Vice President, particularly in 2003 and 2007, the PDP conducted the worst elections in our political history. We cannot possibly forget how Atiku’s PDP heavy-handedly captured most South-West states and vowed to remain in power for 60 years.

“It was in those same years that Atiku’s former boss and then President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, infamously described the election as a „do or die affair“ in a desperate attempt to annex Lagos.

“If democracy was neither derailed nor endangered in those perilous days, is it now that elections are freer, fairer and more credible that Nigeria risks losing democracy?

“The judicial branch of government is a constitutional creation like the executive and legislative branches with its constitutionally defined powers to adjudicate disputes among citizens and between citizens and the state.

„Atiku cannot wish away or seek to abolish enshrined power of the courts to intervene in civil disputes, including electoral disputes, in cases where a litigant validly invokes the authority of the court.

“It is ironic that Atiku, Nigeria’s most prolific electoral litigator, would make such a ludicrous claim that judicial involvement in electoral matters threatens democracy.  His criticism of the courts and the electoral process rings hollow, given his long history of using the courts to further his political agenda. It is time for him to step back and let the democratic process unfold without his interference.

“Atiku‘s allegation that the APC-led administration was paying out 50 Million Naira to some opposition figures is simply bogus and laughable.  Atiku knows his political desperation is responsible for the PDP’s catastrophic disintegration. Peddling rumours and unsubstantiated allegations should be beneath anyone in the standing of an elder statesman, a former Vice President and a serial contestant for the exalted office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The bizarre suggestion by opposition figures like Atiku, Peter Obi, and recently, aggrieved leaders like Mallam Nasir El-Rufai that our great Party may be complicit in the internal corrosion of opposition parties is pitiful and only an incompetent alibi for their crass failure to manage their affairs.

They cannot govern their parties but tout their ability to rule Africa’s most populous country.

“As discerning citizens, Nigerians know better than to be distracted by the false alarm and hollow allegations of desperate politicians whose only goal is to shore up their political relevance in the 2027 general elections,“ he added.

Barely two weeks after the Tanker Explosion Killed 100 people at Dikko Junction, Niger state, another Tanker accident occurred in the Agaie local government area of the state.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the lone tanker was entirely gutted by fire, but two injuries were recorded, and no life was lost due to the accident.

It was learnt that the accident occurred between Lapai and Agaie Road immediately after the bridge separating the two towns.

An eyewitness account revealed that the driver and the conductor sustained minor injuries as the Road users and Residents of the villages along the scene of the accident stayed off the area for their safety.

Confirming this, the State command‘s Police Public Relations Officer PPRO Wasiu Abiodun said, “There was a lone fuel tanker accident with fire explosion along Agaie/Lapai road. The fuel tanker, with Reg.

No. DKA 03 A was driven by one Shamsudeen Dayabu of Matazun LGA of Katsina State on transit from Lagos to Kaduna and loaded with about forty thousand litres of PMS.“

“On reaching the Kusogbogi area of Agaie, the tanker lost control due to a busted front tyre and fell by the road into the drainage. As a result, the tanker caught fire, which affected the driver on the leg, and the motor boy was also affected.“

He said they were taken to a nearby hospital, saying, „No life was lost during the incident as the road was temporarily closed, but normalcy was later restored for road users.“