News
Angry Fubara dares court order, says Rivers LG poll must hold
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubar, on Monday, insisted that the forthcoming local government election scheduled for October 5, 2024, will be held as scheduled.
The governor’s declaration came after Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja barred the Independent National Electoral Commission from releasing the voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission for the conduct of the election.
The court also barred the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Service from providing security.
Justice Lifu, while delivering judgment in the suit brought before him by the All Progressives Congress in the state on Monday, faulted RSIEC for fixing October 5 as the date for the election when all relevant laws guiding it had not been complied with.
The presiding judge also held that “the Rivers State electoral body violated provisions of the Local Government Election Conduct Law by not publishing the mandatory 90 days notice before fixing the date.”
Justice Lifu also held that the update and revision of the voter register ought to have been concluded before an election date could be legally and validly fixed in law.
He, therefore, ordered INEC not to release the certified voter register to RSIEC until the law had been fully complied with.
He further barred RSIEC from accepting any voter register from INEC or using it for the October 5 poll.
The suit was argued on behalf of the APC by a team of senior lawyers comprising Joseph Daudu (SAN), Sebastine Hon (SAN) and Ogwu James Onoja (SAN).
On July 19, Justice Lifu had, in a ruling on an ex parte motion filed by the APC, issued an order restraining INEC from releasing the voter register to the RSIEC for the conduct of local government elections in Rivers State.
Fubara, however, said there was no encumbrance known to the law that would stop the conduct of the election.
He urged political parties and candidates contesting for various positions in the election and the electorate to be enthusiastic as they prepared to vote for their preferred candidates who would become the new political leaders at the council level.
Giving the assurance shortly after an inspection tour around some sections of the 12.5km N225.1bn Trans-Kalabari Road project on Monday, the governor insisted that the election would be held on October 5.
In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi, and sent to newsmen on Monday evening, Fubara also visited the RSIEC complex where he interacted with the chairman of the commission, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retd) and other principal staff.
“I’m aware that RSIEC told me they already had an order mandating them to conduct the election on the 5th of October, 2024, and the security agencies to support them.
“So, I think with that order, the election will be held. I might not be a lawyer but I know there is something they call first-in-hand, and since they have the first-in-hand, we will give them all the necessary support for that election to be conducted and it will be one of the best elections ever conducted free and fair in this state,” he said.
Fubara warned those he called some misguided fellows and bad elements in the RSIEC planning to disrupt the election to retrace their steps.
“What is important to me is the interest of Rivers State, that it has to be alive. It doesn’t belong to anybody. I don’t care who nominated you but do the right thing, that is important to me because if we make a mistake today, it will live with us forever.
“Nobody has a right to come here. This is the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission. It belongs to Rivers State and I am the governor. So, if there is anything, let me know, I will come here myself,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Action Peoples Party has rejected the judgment by Justice Lifu, which barred INEC from releasing the voter register for the October 5 election.
Its national chairman, Uchenne Nnadi, at a news briefing in Port Harcourt, on Monday, described the judgment of the Abuja court as conflicting and laughable.
Nnadi said the party received the judgment with great shock, saying it was a clear example of “judicial confusion” and “conflict of decision.”
He decried the controversies surrounding two judgments delivered by Justice Lifu within 10 days.
“As laughable as this judgment may sound, this joke has been taken too far, and it is high time it stopped,” he said.
He noted that the judgment delivered by Justice Lifu contradicted Section 60(2) of the RSIEC Law and Section 84(15) of the Electoral Act, which prevents courts from stopping elections.
Nnadi called on the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, to intervene and prevent the court from becoming a platform for politicians to obtain judgments and orders like commodities.
He also called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council to take immediate action to restore integrity to the Federal High Court.
“We, therefore, call on the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council to note that if urgent action is not taken to sanitise the Federal High Court, the society will soon lose all confidence in that court and treat their judgment and orders as mere personal political opinions which will lead to a state of anarchy.
“A judge cannot be allowed to indulge in judicial gymnastics, sidestep fundamental prayers of counsel and nullify and rely on laws he chooses to suit his ambition and get away with it,” he said.
The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has listed the Silverbird Entertainment Centre in Abuja for sale to recover a longstanding multi-billion naira debt linked to a former Nigerian Senator, Ben Murray-Bruce, and his companies.
The listing, published in a recent public notice by AMCON, shows that the Abuja Mall, a prime commercial complex located in the Central Area, Cadastral Zone, is now open for bids from interested buyers. The property is among several assets AMCON disposes of across different states, including Lagos, Rivers, Oyo and Plateau.
The Abuja mall, operated under Silverbird Entertainment, was previously seized following a 2016 Federal High Court order over a debt of more than N10 billion owed to AMCON by several companies owned by the Murray-Bruce family. Those affected include Silverbird Productions Limited, Silverbird Showtime Limited and Silverbird Galleria Limited.
In June 2016, the court appointed a receiver, M.A. Banire, to take over the companies’ assets on AMCON’s behalf. Justice C.M.A. Olatoregun, who presided over the matter, also barred Mr Murray-Bruce, his brothers Guy and Roy Murray-Bruce, and other family members from interfering with the receiver’s work. The court’s order covered several mortgaged properties in Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt.
Despite negotiations that followed the initial seizure, the debt remained unresolved. AMCON said the latest sale is part of a broader asset recovery strategy targeting high-profile debtors who have failed to meet their obligations.
Silverbird’s Abuja mall is one of the group’s flagship properties, housing retail shops, a cinema, restaurants and office spaces. According to AMCON’s notice, the property comes with a gross lettable area of 15,050.91 square metres and is being sold as is.
Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, who served in the National Assembly representing Bayelsa East from 2015 to 2019, is also a prominent media entrepreneur and founder of the Silverbird Group, which operates television and radio stations in Nigeria and Ghana, as well as the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) beauty pageant.
As of 2017, AMCON said over 400 high-profile obligors were responsible for about N4.5 trillion nearly 80 per cent of the total outstanding debt on its books. The Corporation has since adopted more aggressive recovery efforts, including asset sales and legal enforcement.
Bids for the Abuja mall and other listed properties are due by 11 July.
Prospective buyers are advised to visit AMCON’s official website or contact the designated coordinating agents for details.
Murray-Bruce did not respond to a request for comment on the planned sale as of the time of filing this report.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to participate in the 17th Summit of Heads of State and Government for the Global South and Emerging Economic Bloc, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS).
The President’s flight touched down at the Galeao Air Force Base tarmac at 8:45 pm on Friday, where the Galeao Air Force Base Commander coordinated the Guard of Honour.
Brazil’s Deputy Minister for Africa and the Middle East, Ambassador Carlos Sergio Sobral Duarte, and the Deputy Minister for Trade Promotion, Science, Technology, Innovation, and Culture, received President Tinubu.
President Tinubu is in Brazil at the invitation of President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva. The Nigerian leader will attend a bilateral meeting hosted by President Lula today, July 5, ahead of the summit on June 6 and 7.
At the BRICS Summit, the President will participate in a plenary session and deliver an address on Nigeria’s ongoing reforms to reposition the economy for global competitiveness.
According to the Presidency, he will also attract investors to capitalise on the country’s opportunities in agriculture, solid minerals, healthcare, and alternative energy.
The summit’s theme is “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.” Deliberations will centre on health, Artificial Intelligence, governance, and Climate Change issues.
Ahead of the Leaders’ Summit, the political negotiators of BRICS brainstormed over aligning more commitments to combat socially determined diseases, artificial intelligence governance, and climate finance.
State Governors participating in the summit with the President are Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Prince Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta) and Mohammed Umar Bago (Niger).
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has appointed Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori as the acting National Chairman of the party following the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Dalori, who currently serves as the Deputy National Chairman (North), was directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assume the leadership role in an acting capacity pending the meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which is being convened immediately to fill the vacancy.
The announcement was contained in an official statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, on Friday in Abuja.
According to the statement, Ganduje tendered his resignation with immediate effect in order to attend to “urgent and important personal matters.”
Dalori’s appointment comes nearly two years after Ganduje was appointed National Chairman in August 2023, succeeding Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
During his tenure, Ganduje was praised for promoting party cohesion, driving electoral strength, and overseeing key defections into the party.
With Dalori now at the helm, the APC said it remains “steadfast and unwavering” in delivering President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and sustaining internal unity.
The party expressed gratitude to Ganduje for his “invaluable contributions and distinguished record of service” and extended well wishes for his future endeavours.
President Bola Tinubu has signed the four tax reform bills into law. Tinubu assented to the bills at the Presidential Villa on Thursday.
The four proposed laws are the Nigeria tax bill, the Nigeria tax administration bill, the Nigeria revenue service (establishment) bill, and the joint revenue board (establishment) bill.
The signing ceremony was attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, and Julius Ihonvbere, house majority leader.
Also present were Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman, governor of Kwara, Hope Uzodinma, his Imo counterpart, and Wale Edun, minister of finance, among others.
Tinubu transmitted the proposed legislation to the national assembly on October 3, 2024, urging lawmakers to pass the tax reform bills.
The bills initially faced opposition from the northern governors, who argued that the proposed laws could harm the region’s interests, asking the national assembly to reject the bills and demanding fair and equitable implementation across all regions.
However, in January, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) endorsed the bills after agreeing on an “equitable” VAT-sharing formula.
The house of representatives passed the bills in March, while the senate approved them in May.
On June 18, the legislature transmitted the bills to the president for assent.
Speaking earlier on Thursday, Tinubu said the tax bills will unify the country’s fragmented tax system.
“They (tax reform bills) deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet,” Tinubu said.
“For too long, our tax system has been a patchwork—complex, inequitable, and burdensome. It has weighed down the vulnerable and shielded inefficiency. That era ends today.”
Tinubu added that the bills will eliminate wasteful duplications, reduce red tape, restore investor trust, and promote transparency and coordination at all levels.
A businessman, Peter Otomewu and his company, Pebeto Enerji Limited, were on Monday arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, before the Ikeja Special Offences Court for allegedly defrauding a petroleum services company of $75,000.
The defendants were docked on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing, preferred against them by the EFCC.
The anti-graft agency’s prosecution counsel, M.S. Owede, told the court that Otomewu and his firm committed the alleged offences sometime in 2018.
Owode told the court that the defendants fraudulently obtained the sum of $75,000 from Virgin Forest Energy Limited under the false pretext that they had a vessel, MT AYSU, capable of transshipping petroleum products from a mother vessel.
The prosecutor alleged that the representation was false and that the money was never used for the stated purpose.
Otomewu and his firm were accused of dishonestly converting the entire $75,000 property of Virgin Forest Energy Limited to their use.
According to the EFCC, the offences committed contravened Sections 278, 278(1), and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and Section 1(1)(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
However, both defendants who were docked before Justice Mojisola Dada pleaded not guilty to the charges against them when it was read.
Following the not-guilty plea, Owede asked for a trial date and also urged the court to remand the first defendant, Otomewu, in a correctional centre.
But the defence counsel, Mr Peter Ajabor, however, prayed the court to grant bail to the defendants on liberal terms.
Consequently, Justice Dada granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N50m, with two sureties in like sum.
The judge ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and reside within the court’s jurisdiction.
She also ordered that the sureties must have N50m in their bank accounts.
Justice Dada further ordered the remand of Otomewu in the correctional centre, pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
The matter was adjourned to September 29, 2025, for commencement of trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has interrogated an Abuja-based businesswoman, Halimat Tejuosho, over her alleged involvement in an appointment and contract scam.
Tejuosho, said to be the founder of Haleems Integrated Services Limited, was reportedly quizzed after victims accused her of using false pretenses to obtain funds in exchange for promises of federal appointments and lucrative government contracts.
Counsel to one of the victims, Chief Tolu Babaleye, alleged that Tejuosho ran an elaborate scheme involving forged documents and fake appointment letters to deceive unsuspecting individuals.
He claimed she posed as an aide to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to lend credibility to her claims.
“The court had earlier recommended her for prosecution on charges bordering on Advance Fee Fraud, Criminal Diversion of Funds, Criminal Breach of Trust, and Cheating,” Babaleye said.
He also alleged that Tejuosho used her involvement in humanitarian and NGO activities as a smokescreen to attract victims and gain their trust.
EFCC Spokesperson, Mr Dele Oyewale, confirmed that she was invited for questioning and has since been granted administrative bail under stringent conditions.
Investigations are ongoing, and the commission says she may be formally charged to court in the coming weeks.
The anti-graft agency also urged other potential victims to come forward, reiterating its resolve to clamp down on all forms of financial crime.
Wike: ‘When he’s eating, food will be falling down from his mouth’
Reaction as Cristiano Ronaldo absent from Diogo Jota’s funeral
‘Why I can’t join Tinubu, APC’ – Adeleke denies defection
Coalition: What Aregbesola told ADC supporters to do, details emerge
Tiwa Savage marks 12 years of debut album ‘Once Upon a Time’
Five serving governors expected to join coalition platform, ADC
Rivers women slam FCT over allegations against Amaechi’s wife
Nigerian pastor jailed by US court over $4.2m COVID-19 fraud
Zenith Bank emerges Nigeria’s Number one bank for sixteenth consecutive year
Kwankwaso: ‘He does not have pedigree to match Tinubu’
Sports2 weeks agoOfili: ‘Nigeria doesn’t deserve you’ – Fans react as athlete switches allegiance to Turkey
News2 weeks agoUS Back Out: Angry Trump withdraws support for Israel, issues fresh warning, “Do not drop those bombs”
Sports2 weeks ago‘Don’t sign him, he doesn’t follow instructions’ — Club warned against signing Super Eagles star
Spotlights2 weeks agoNo More War: US plots Donald Trump impeachment over unauthorized Iran bombing
Spotlights2 weeks agoAtiku sidelined again as ADA picks Presidential Flagbearer
Politics1 week agoFresh crisis hits coalition as El-Rufai, Obi may pull out over Atiku’s silence game
Politics2 weeks ago2027: Shettima fights back over plot to drop him as Vice President; crisis hits APC