Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has described his defection alongside his cabinet and other stakeholders from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as “a movement” rather than a mere political shift.

Governor Oborevwori disclosed this on Monday while addressing a large crowd at the welcome rally to formally receive him and others to APC.

“What you have seen here today is a movement, not a defection,” he said. “We have consulted stakeholders at all levels. Mr President has shown us love. We cannot face him in 2027 to work against him. When you consult widely, you can see that the love is organic.”

The governor’s defection to APC marked a major political realignment in Delta State.

Recall that on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, the governor and his predecessor, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, had announced to switch allegiance to the APC.

Also, speaking at the event attended by APC national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, some governors elected on the platform of the ruling party, Okowa emphasised that the move was made in the interest of the state and its people.

“It is a great day for us in Delta State. When the news broke out on Wednesday, the 23rd of April 2025, that we had decided to change our path, people wondered why,” Okowa said. “But one thing is very important: in the history of a people, there is always a time to change a path for the common good of the people, and whatever decision that we took was based on that common good and the need to change our path in the best interest of our state.”

Okowa, who served as Delta State governor from 2015 to 2023, explained that the decision was motivated by the need to establish stronger ties with the federal government at the centre.

“As I did tell people that day, it was not about me, it was not about the governor, but the fact that there is a need for us to connect to Abuja, that goodwill that is in Abuja, that resource that is in Abuja of which Delta is a large contributor, there is a need to connect to it. I was governor for eight years; I did my best, but we lost a lot, and I did not believe that the governor needed to stay working very hard without tapping into that,” Okowa stated.

“But as the governor is doing a lot for us, he also needs to connect to the greater source of power, resources, and goodwill in Abuja,” the former governor added.

He further described the move as bold, patriotic, and well-intentioned. “When we sat down after the stakeholders meeting, we thought that it was necessary to make this move. The move is bold, it is patriotic, and it is well-intentioned. It is in the best interest of our state.”

The Senior Pastor of the Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas, Bishop T.D. Jakes, has handed over the congregation leadership to his daughter and son-in-law.

Naija News reports that Jakes announced the decision on Sunday morning, April 27, 2025, weeks after suffering a massive heart attack while preaching at the church.

The Clergy admitted that getting hospitalised after suffering a massive heart attack on stage contributed to the decision.

T.D. Jakes, who founded The Potter’s House in 1996, confirmed that his daughter and son-in-law, pastors Sarah Jakes Roberts and Toure Roberts, will take over in July.

He said, “You have been faithful to God, and you have been faithful to me. “And I’m so grateful.

“I cannot afford, especially after November, to risk something happening to me and you be sheep without a shepherd.”

Sarah Jakes Roberts said, “I’m grateful, I’m honored, as your daughter.

“I’m so happy you’re going to get some rest.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with American broadcaster, Craig Melvin on the TODAY show, Jakes recounted the massive heart attack.

Jakes said he did not feel any symptoms of a cardiac arrest, but doctors later told him he was preaching with only half of his heart working.

He said, “I didn’t really realize what was happening to me onstage until I got to the hospital in an ambulance and fussing that it happened onstage, by the way, because I didn’t want it to happen, and the doctor leaned over my ear and said, ‘You had a massive heart attack.’

“The reason I didn’t realize it was because I had none of the symptoms that they say.

“No numbness, no sharp pain, no anything. I just kind of drifted off to sleep. I didn’t know what it was, but I almost died.

“(The doctor) said five minutes later, I’d have been dead on arrival.

“The right side of my heart had completely stopped getting blood at all.”

The suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Udaughan, on Sunday, tendered an unreserved apology to Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the controversial sexual harassment allegation she levelled against him.

However, her perceived apology was veiled in a satirical letter she wrote to the former Akwa Ibom governor, who is currently in Rome for the late Pope Francis’ funeral and made available to newsmen in Abuja.

PUNCH Online reported that Natasha was suspended on March 6 following a heated disagreement with the Senate leadership over a new seating arrangement, which she alleged was designed to undermine her.

Tensions rose further when Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio on national television of punishing her for rejecting his purported sexual advances.

During the Women in Parliament session at the Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting at the United Nations in New York, Akpoti-Uduaghan called for international intervention to hold the Nigerian Senate accountable.

She also criticised the severe measures imposed on her, including the withdrawal of security, salary cuts, and a six-month suspension from the National Assembly.

Following a series of legal fireworks between both parties, the court barred the duo from talking to the press and commenting on the issue until the legal outcome of the case.

However, on Sunday, two days after Akpabio led a Federal Government delegation to the Vatican, the Kogi Central senator wrote a derisive ‘Apology Letter’ directed at the Senate President.

It read, “Dear Distinguished Senate President Godswill Akpabio, It is with the deepest sarcasm and utmost theatrical regret that I tender this apology for the grievous crime of possessing dignity and self-respect in your most exalted presence.

“I have reflected extensively on my unforgivable failure to recognise that legislative success in certain quarters is apparently not earned through merit, but through the ancient art of compliance — of the very personal kind.

“How remiss of me not to understand that my refusal to indulge your… “requests” was not merely a personal choice, but a constitutional violation of the unwritten laws of certain men’s entitlement. Truly, I must apologize for prioritizing competence over capitulation, vision over vanity, and the people’s mandate over private dinners behind closed doors.

“I now realize the catastrophic consequences of my actions: legislation delayed, tempers flared, and the tragic bruising of egos so large they require their own postcodes. For this disruption to the natural order of “quid pro quo,” I bow my head in fictional shame.

“Please find it in your magnanimous heart — somewhere buried deep beneath layers of entitlement — to forgive this stubborn woman who mistakenly believed that her seat in the Senate was earned through elections, not erections. I remain Yours in eternal resistance, Senator Natasha H Akpoti Uduaghan Unafraid, Unbought, and Unbroken.”

The President of the Nigeria Rescue Mission Organisation and former President of Buhari Youth Organisation, Dr Jibril Mustapha, on Sunday urged former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Mustapha, who made this call in a statement released on Sunday in Lagos, said Jonathan should heed the calls to run for the office of the president again.

“As the nation prepares for the 2027 elections, the Nigeria Rescue Mission Organisation believes that now is the time for all stakeholders to come together and support a candidate who can genuinely represent the interests of all Nigerians.

“We urge former President Goodluck Jonathan to consider this call and to step forward as a candidate who can unite our country and lead us towards a brighter future.

“This appeal comes in light of the numerous challenges currently facing Nigeria, including economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, and rampant banditry,” Mustapha said.

According to him, there is an urgent need for a leader who embodies integrity, inclusivity, and a commitment to national unity.

Mustapha added, “Nigeria is at a crossroads. We are grappling with significant issues that threaten our stability and progress. 

“We need a leader who can bring all Nigerians together, regardless of their background.”

He said that the former Nigerian leader, during his tenure, demonstrated a commitment to democratic values and governance that prioritised the welfare of all citizens.

According to him, the group believes Jonathan has the vision and experience necessary to lead Nigeria.

“His leadership style is one that fosters inclusivity and economic advancement, which is exactly what our nation needs at this critical juncture.

“Under Jonathan’s leadership, we can work towards restoring Nigeria’s lost glory on the international stage and within our borders.”

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that BYO is a youth-based supporters group of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Jonathan lost his second term ambition to Buhari in the 2015 presidential election.

NAN recalls amidst the debate on whether Jonathan was eligible to run again or not, having taken the oath of office twice as President, the Federal High Court in Bayelsa had in 2022 ruled that Jonathan could still contest the presidential election.

The presiding judge, Justice Dashen, who gave the judgment, held that Jonathan’s right could not be stopped by any retroactive law.

According to him, the 2007 general election produced the late Umaru Yar’Adua as president and not Jonathan, stressing that Section 137 could not have a retroactive effect to stop him from contesting for the presidency.

Dashen ruled that there was no presidential election conducted in the country in 2010 and Jonathan could not be deemed to have been sworn into the office of the president that year.

(NAN)

Five persons have been killed following an explosion that occurred at a facility where illegally refined petroleum products were stored at Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers State.

 
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday morning, said the incident occured on Saturday morning.

The statement, which was signed by YEAC-Nigeria President, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said the victims were four women and one man, who were burnt beyond recognition.

It read in part: “The inferno is said to have occurred in a house where people purchased and stored illegally refined petroleum products including condensate for resale in the area.

“Members of the Advocacy Centre youth volunteers network under the auspices of the One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta in ONELGA told YEAC-Nigeria that the incident occurred in the late hours of Saturday, April 26 by about 11:00AM, killing five persons, four females and one male burnt beyond recognition.

 
“While calling for investigation into the incident, the Advocacy Centre warns residents and youths against involvement in pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, artisanal refineries and trading in illegally refined petroleum products including home storage to avoid ugly incidents of this nature.

“The group also used the opportunity to renew its call on the federal government to legalise artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta through the establishment of its July 27, 2020 proposed Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI) and/or Modular Refineries for artisanal Refiners in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region to mitigate incidents of this nature.”

Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Ayo Olorunfemi, has cautioned Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential flagbearer, to disregard growing calls for him to abandon the LP ahead of the 2027 elections.

Naija News recalls that a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, in the wake of a series of defections in Delta State, had intensified his call for former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, to return to the party.

Sowunmi’s appeal comes ahead of the 2027 general elections, where he believes Obi’s rejoining the PDP could help the party wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos, Olorunfemi who also contested the 2024 Ondo governorship election under the LP advised Obi to concentrate on healing and strengthening the party instead of considering defection.

Although he acknowledged that Obi has the constitutional freedom to associate with any political party of his choice, Olorunfemi warned that accepting overtures from other parties could prove detrimental.

He said, “Now that he has contested and he has seen the LP force, if he decides to go to another political party, it will then speak volumes of his intention.”

Continuing, he added, “It will tell whether he truly believed in the ideology of the Labour Party before coming to run, or he just wanted to use the opportunity of the platform.”

According to Olorunfemi, any move by Obi to switch platforms would raise serious questions among Nigerians regarding his political motives.

“So, it will now be left for Nigerians to decide whether Obi, who got millions of votes under the Labour Party, can still be voted for under the PDP or another party,” he stated.

Offering firm advice, Olorunfemi suggested that Obi should take responsibility for rebuilding LP rather than seeking greener pastures elsewhere.

“He (Obi) must use his tongue to count his teeth. If I were he, what I would be doing now is working to restore peace in the Labour Party and rebuild it,” he urged.

The party chieftain stressed the importance of reconciliation efforts within LP: “He should find a way to resolve the issues in the party and remain on the platform. He should remain in the party and restore peace. He should stay and resolve the crises he and others created in LP.”

Olorunfemi also warned that defecting would paint Obi in a negative light, suggesting, “Moving around will portray him as an opportunistic politician, not different from these politicians jumping here and there.”

Reflecting on the sacrifices made by LP members to support Obi’s presidential bid, Olorunfemi reminded him that many aspirants had stepped aside in 2022 to give him a chance. Yet, he made it clear that the party’s survival does not hinge solely on Obi: if he leaves, the LP will continue to thrive as a strong opposition force.

Addressing the leadership crisis within the party, Olorunfemi defended the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC), insisting that it had not wronged Obi or his supporters.

He recalled the fierce loyalty shown to Obi during the 2023 elections. “What is the offence of Abure? He stood in the sun, stood in the rain. All of us in the NWC stood by him (Obi). In spite of all the attacks, we stood by him.”

He further recounted personal sacrifices, noting, “My own people, in the course of fighting for him (Obi), called me names for fighting for someone not from my tribe. LP is blind to ethnicity, and I supported him because I believe in politics devoid of ethnic sentiment.”

Olorunfemi admitted that crises were inevitable in politics but stressed that the party’s response has remained lawful and measured. “There is bound to be a crisis. People will come with different things in mind, but we have to moderate everything like we are doing now in LP.”

He underscored the NWC’s commitment to constitutional governance, stating, “Everything we are doing in the Labour Party is in line with our constitution. That is our strength.”

Finally, he challenged critics to present evidence of constitutional violations if they believe the leadership has erred: “Anybody who wants to challenge the authority of the NWC should challenge it to the constitution.

“They should show us the aspect of the constitution that has been violated. If they confront us with the facts, then we will agree with them.”

Mai Mala Buni, governor of Yobe, says he has no plans to join the opposition coalition being promoted by  some opposition leaders, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

Buni’s stance is contained in a statement issued by Mamman Mohammed, the director-general of press and media affairs in the office of the Yobe state governor.

According to NAN, a viral message had claimed that Buni and four other All Progressives Congress (APC) governors were finalising plans to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the 2027 elections. 

This follows growing coalition talks among opposition politicians seeking to wrest power from the ruling APC ahead of the next general election.

The former vice-president has been at the forefront of strategic meetings and talks around the proposed coalition against the APC.

However, Buni’s spokesperson dismissed the claim of Buni joining the coalition, describing it as “baseless fabrications, unwarranted imagination, and assumptions that did not cross paths with reality in any way, shape, and form”.

He said the author of the message had never been close enough to Buni to predict the governor’s political movement.

“Buni is no ordinary member of APC; he is not just an APC governor. He is APC in all ramifications, with APC flowing in his veins,” the statement reads.

“His contributions to building APC as a two-term National Secretary and National Chairman who chaired the party’s convention committee make him unique, and whose imagination of leaving the party cannot be speculated.”

Mohammed said the author and his paymasters must have been interested in Buni’s political sagacity and only wished they would have the likes of the governor.

“It must be wishful thinking,” he added.

Joseph Oloyede, the Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun state, and Edward Oluwasanmi, a pastor, have pleaded guilty to swindling the United States government of $4.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds.

Citing court records, a Punch report said Oluwasanmi reportedly used his companies – Dayspring Transportation Limited, Dayspring Holding Incorporated, and Dayspring Property Incorporated – to obtain millions of dollars, which he later diverted for personal expenses in violation of US federal laws.

The two men were charged to court on 13 counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, and engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived property.

On April 10, Oluwasanmi, represented by Henry Hilow, a counsel, pleaded guilty to counts one, 11, and 12 of the indictment.

The counts accused him of using fraud proceeds to purchase commercial property at 422 South Green Road, South Euclid, Ohio, through wire transfer, and transferring money into a Dayspring transportation brokerage account.

According to the report, Oloyede submitted his guilty plea on Monday.

With a sentencing set for July 2, both men face potential prison terms.

Oloyede was crowned as the monarch of Ipetumodu in 2019 but frequently travelled between Nigeria and the US for “royal and personal engagements”.

Indigenes began raising concerns after his throne was vacant for nearly a year.

Oloyede and Oluwasanmi were arrested on April 5, 2024, according to a statement issued by the US department of transportation earlier this month, revealing the monarch’s whereabouts.

A dramatic scene played out in one of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) centers as a female candidate refused to attempt any questions, opting instead to wait for miraculous intervention.

According to JAMB Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, the candidate was complying with the instruction of her grandfather to do nothing during the examination.

Benjamin, in a statement on Saturday, said candidates must prepare and hard work to achieve success rather than relying on miracles.

Meanwhile, JAMB has offered a financial reward to anyone who can provide authentic proof of a candidate being posted to an examination center outside their chosen town.

JAMB clarified that candidates have the right to select their preferred examination town during registration, and the board assigns them to a center within that chosen town.

The board described claims that candidates are placed in towns different from their selections as “erroneous, malicious, and aimed solely at tarnishing the Board’s reputation.”

The Board also challenged the public to provide proof of such cases within 96 hours, which should be sent to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) WhatsApp number, 08056003030.

JAMB also explained that candidates are required to arrive at the examination centers 90 minutes before the commencement of the examination for preliminary verification, which includes processes that take time.

“Similarly, anyone who finds no fault in airlines requesting air-travellers to arrive at the airport 2 hours before the departure time should find no fault in encouraging candidates to arrive at the CBT centres, 90 minutes before commencement of examination for preliminary verification.

“Many parents who expect candidates to spend not more than 2 hours for the 2 hours examination are apparently oblivious of the required preliminary processes,” the statement said.

The board assured the public that it is committed to public good and exists to serve the public interest in the best possible manner.

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, and the minister of Finance and Coordinating minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, have declared that Nigeria has exited its most turbulent economic period and is now firmly on the path to growth and stability.

Speaking on Friday night at a joint press conference at the end of the 2025 International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Spring meetings, the CBN governor asserted that the country’s monetary and financial framework has matured significantly, with the foreign exchange market now operating effectively based on market fundamentals.

Cardoso emphasised that the Central Bank’s primary duty remains safeguarding stability, not imposing rates arbitrarily. “We are custodians of stability. Our role is to ensure that people can plan without suffering the shocks of internal or external disruptions,” he said.

He cautioned against lingering cynicism, describing the current economic climate as one ripe with opportunities that Nigerians must seize. “This is not the time to be cynical. If we do not recognise and take advantage of our opportunities, others will. Capital moves to where the environment is enabled. So it’s not the time to be cynical. It’s the time for us to look to the future. With every confidence that we will get out of any problem that we are faced with.” Cardoso stated.

Noting that the progress recorded in the economy had been due to the difficult but necessary reforms undertaken by the monetary and fiscal authorities, he said, Nigeria’s resilience during recent external pressures has made it a reference point in the international community.

“It has taken a lot of coordination between the fiscal and the monetary, learn from mistakes, being bold enough to look at other at other means of doing certain things to get better results, and now we are here at a time where the international community are asking others to learn from what Nigeria has been able to accomplish.

On his part, the Finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy, Mr. Wale Edun, confirmed that key economic indicators are trending positively, a clear departure from the nation’s situation a few years ago.

Responding to question report that the country had slipped to the fourth largest economy in Africa, he said: “I have not seen the report but Nigeria is economically, financially, in a very much better place than it was just a couple of years ago. Inflation is coming down, the exchange rate is stabilizing, food prices are easing, and the fundamentals are much stronger.”

According to Edun, the resilience of Nigeria’s external sector during recent challenges, where investors eventually restored confidence, is proof of the underlying strength of the economy.

Looking ahead, he outlined an ambitious target for economic growth. “We must now push to grow the Nigerian economy deliberately at no less than 7% per annum. Anything less will not move our people out of poverty fast enough,” he said.

“We have turned the corner. It is now time for every Nigerian to contribute towards building a stronger, more prosperous economy,” Edun stated.