Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Saturday, grilled the immediate past Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, over allegations of abuse of office, diversion of public funds and fraudulent allocation of government properties to cronies
Punch reports that Kwankwaso was invited for allegedly diverting the N10billion meant for the payment of pensions and construction of houses.
Kwankwaso, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, was first invited by the EFCC in September but failed to honour the invitation.
The report stated that some retirees are believed to have written a petition to the commission demanding the investigation and possible prosecution of the ex-governor.
The retired employees had told the EFCC that the former governor mismanaged pension remittances to the tune of N10 billion between 2011 and 2015, to fund a housing project for his cronies.
“Kwankwaso came in today. He is responding to questions on alleged fraud following a series of petitions the EFCC received against him. In one of such petitions, the former governor was accused of diverting N10bn meant for the payment of pensions and construction of houses,” an EFCC detective said.
The former governor, who is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, is among those rumoured to be nursing a presidential ambition for 2023.
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The nationwide state congresses of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, which was held on Saturday, experienced a huge setback as a result of divisions within the party.
SaharaReporters learnt that in Lagos State, the ruling party APC had three parallel congresses with one of the factions led by a former governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.
Bola Tinubu
SaharaReporters gathered that the national leadership of the party under Yobe State Governor, Mala Buni, recognised Ambode’s faction and his list of executives which is part of a coup and ongoing efforts to weaken the influence of the National Leader of the party, Bola Tinubu.
Top sources revealed that Ambode's faction was sponsored by Buni, who is the Chairman, Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee so as to weaken Tinubu in his perceived stronghold.
“Lagos APC had three separate congresses; the people elected in Ambode’s faction and congress are backed by Buni. It is a coup against Tinubu,” a top source revealed.
SaharaReporters obtained the list of the state executives elected by Ambode's faction; they are; Beatrice Omotayo Tugbobo, Chairman; Alhaji Dauda, Vice-chairman; Hon. Prince Adedeji Osho, Secretary; Hon. Akewushola Onoyemi, treasurer; Balogun Adekunle Hameed, Publicity Secretary; Youth Leader, Buhari Babajide Jimoh and Woman Leader, Ashafa Salawat.
SaharaReporters had last weekend reported how ailing Tinubu quietly returned to the country after months of extensive medical treatments in the United Kingdom and the United States.
It had also been reported that the APC in Lagos State had sent out a circular to its leaders across the state informing them that the Sunday welcome party being organised for Tinubu would not be held as earlier scheduled.
SaharaReporters had learnt that the APC sent the circular, signed by Alhaji Tunde Balogun (APC State Chairman), and Alhaji Maroun Are (GAC Secretary) to the party leaders believably at the ward and local government levels, without giving a specific reason for the change of plan.
SaharaReporters, however, gathered that the cancellation was due to the exclusive report published by this medium, which forced them to abort it abruptly.
In the circular obtained by SaharaReporters, the APC leaders were told that a new arrangement for welcoming Tinubu would be announced later.
“Dear leader/GAC member, you are hereby informed of change in plans/arrival of our National Leader billed for Sunday. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the plans/arrival have been put on hold. A new plan/arrival will be unfolded soon. Sorry for any inconvenience this hold may have caused. Thank you,” the notice had said.
SaharaReporters had reported that Tinubu confirmed that he went through a challenging health crisis, saying his “physiotherapy was gruesome.”
Tinubu said this while addressing members of the House of Representatives northern caucus who visited him in London last Friday.
The former governor, who had been in the United Kingdom for the last three months since undergoing knee surgery, told the gathering, “Because of God and people like you, I am well. It is just the physio (physiotherapy) that is gruesome.”
Since his departure, Tinubu’s London home has become a mecca of sorts as he has been visited by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Governors Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano),
SaharaReporters had reported that Tinubu underwent knee surgery at the John Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland, US.
The APC chieftain, it was learnt, left the US for the United Kingdom on crutches, a few days after the surgery.
Sources close to Tinubu told SaharaReporters that he wanted the surgery in Paris, France but changed his plan after rumours of his death spread in Nigeria.
“Tinubu had his second surgery at John Hopkins University in Maryland recently. He was accompanied by a popular Nigerian doctor in Chicago. He had wanted the surgery in Paris but when rumour was rife about his death, he hurriedly left for Nigeria and went to John Hopkins,” one of the sources had said.
"He left the US for the UK on crutches," another source revealed.
SaharaReporters had on July 31 reported that Tinubu, who has had several medical trips this year alone, had surgery about two weeks earlier and could be billed for another one.
The APC National Leader has been off official and party functions in the country for a while, amidst talks that he is being positioned for the 2023 presidency to succeed the incumbent repressive regime of Buhari.
The APC state congress which held nationwide on Saturday did not hit a crisis only in Lagos but in most states of the South-West.
Earlier today, two persons were said to have sustained injuries from gunshots fired by some unidentified persons who invaded the venue of the state Congress organised by a faction of the All Progressives Congress in Osogbo, Osun State.
The incident happened around 12.50 pm after the congress organised by the Osun Progressives, a faction of APC backed by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, had commenced the process of electing new executives.
A car with about five occupants that were armed with guns was seen driving along Osogbo/Gbongan Road towards the entrance to the venue of the Congress.
The vehicle was eventually prevented from advancing to the entrance to the venue of the Congress held at Ladsol Bus Stop, Ogo Oluwa, Osogbo, by another group leading to an exchange of gunshots between the two groups.
Also, in Ogun state, the Ake palace in Abeokuta was cordoned off by police officers believed to be from the Ogun State Police Command and officers of the Department of the State Security Services.
The officers had allegedly been sent by the faction of the APC loyal to Governor Dapo Abiodun to lock up the venue of the parallel congress of those members loyal to former Governor Ibikunle Amosun, preventing party faithful from gaining access.
Many people believed to have been mobilised for the parallel congress were seen loitering around the palace, and unable to enter the venue.
Meanwhile, the national leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress suspended the congress in Oyo over “irregularities”.
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Operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) have sealed off the Sani Abacha Youth Centre in Kano State, the proposed venue for a parallel congress of the All Progressives Congress in the state.
A report by Daily Trust stated that the security agents turned back journalists at the gate of the centre with claims that they were instructed to take over the place and stop any gathering.
According to them, they've been informed that the only recognised venue for the APC state congress was the Sani Abacha Indoor Sports Hall.
Meanwhile, Kano Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, at the Sports Hall, declared any other congress gathering as illegal.
The security agents fired multiple teargas canisters to disperse the crowds that gathered at the Youth Centre, along Madobi road.
One of the teargas canisters was fired into one of the shops opposite the centre where some of the supporters had sought refuge.
Some of the groups were heard chanting songs of praise in support of Senator Barau Jibrin, one of the lawmakers who had teamed up with former governor of the state, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, to challenge the leadership of the party in the state.
They had asked the party’s national secretariat to cancel all the congresses held by the party’s state leadership.
It was gathered that the lawmakers and their supporters were gathering elsewhere to organise the parallel congress.
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Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Khartoum, Sudan's capital on Saturday demanding the dissolution of the transitional government, saying it had failed them economically and politically.
The development comes amid divisions in the country's Sudan’s political scene steering the country through a rocky transition following the April 2019 ouster of President Omar al-Bashir after mass protests against his rule.
Saturday's demonstrations were organised by a splinter faction of the Forces for Freedom and Change, a civilian alliance that spearheaded protests against Bashir.
A 50-year-old protester, Abboud Ahmed, said, “We need a military government, the current government has failed to bring us justice and equality.”
AFP reports that the protesters carried banners calling for the “dissolution of the government”, while others chanted “one army, one people” and “the army will bring us bread.”
“We are marching in a peaceful protest and we want a military government,” a lady, Enaam Mohamed in central Khartoum said.
On Friday, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok warned that the transition is facing “the worst and most dangerous” crisis.
Support for the transitional government has waned in recent months mainly following a tough raft of IMF-backed economic reforms.
It slashed subsidies on petrol and diesel and brought in a managed currency float, measures deemed by ordinary Sudanese as excessively harsh.
The government has also been beset by protests in east Sudan where demonstrators have blocked trade through a crucial Red Sea port since mid-September.
On September 21, the government said it thwarted a coup attempt which it blamed on military officials and civilians linked to Bashir’s regime.
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The Indigenous People of Biafra has said next week Thursday is the only day its members should exercise sit-at-home to honour its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as he is expected in court.
The group refuted claims that it asked members to sit at home for the one-year remembrance of the #EndSARS protesters killed by the military men and other security agencies last year.
IPOB further revealed it suspended the weekly Monday sit-at-home in the South-region, adding that those who did so did out of their volition.
It, then, warned its members and supporters of its leader to shun orders that did not come from its leadership.
These were contained in a statement by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, which was made available to SaharaReporters on Saturday.
The statement read, “The attention of IPOB has been drawn to the fabricated statement being circulated by mischief makers and paid agents of darkness that IPOB had directed Biafrans to sit-at-home Monday, October 18; Tuesday, October 19; and Thursday, October 21 for our leader, and one-year anniversary of#EndSARS protest.
“We want to make it categorically clear that the above purported statement did not emanate from IPOB, and we completely dissociate with such falsehood. IPOB did not issue any sit-at-home except on October 21 when our leader is expected to appear in court.
“We, therefore, urge members of the public to ignore the purported statement and utter falsehood being peddled by paid agents of the government to create confusion and demarket IPOB. Their intention is to portray IPOB as a violent and insensitive movement but we know their antics, and shall beat them to it.
“For the sake of clarity, IPOB has not called for any sit-at-home except on Thursday, October 21 when Nnamdi Kanu will appear in court in Abuja. Biafrans will show solidarity with him by staying indoors on that day because we are all in the struggle together. He did nothing to deserve any persecution by the federal government.
“We seriously warn all those behind this rumour to retrace their steps and stop tarnishing the good image of IPOB. As a responsible and responsive movement, we stopped Monday Sit-at-homes in the interest of our people. When we discovered that hooligans and paid agents of death wanted to hijack the opportunity to unleash mayhem on our people are cleverly blame it on IPOB, we stopped it. So, anybody sitting at home on Mondays does so out of their volition and not on the orders of IPOB.
“We also urge the general public to ignore the fake news that our leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU has been taken away by a foreign government.”
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