Author: straightnewsng.com

Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha, has boasted that the party controls 22 states and 53 Senators, vowing that no governor will defect from the party again. This came as Senator Aliyu Wamakko, former governor of Sokoto State, said that in a few days, it would be clear who was in control of the state, in apparent response to the defection of his successor, Aminu Tambuwal, to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Wednesday. Okorocha, who gave the assurance at the end of a closed-door meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and APC governors at the Presidential Villa,…

The suspension of Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly has ripped All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state apart due to some irreconciliable differences between the state chapter chairman and the ward chairman of the party. The APC Tudun-Wada North chapter, in a statement signed by its chairman, Ibrahim Salisu Togo, had suspended Senator Sani, insisting that their decision was based on the constitution of the party. However, in a telephone interview with journalists, Emmanuel Jakada, the state chairman of the APC said the purported suspension of Senator Sani did not follow constitutional provision. His statement…

DAAR Communications Plc, owners of AIT and RayPower, said it paid N1.5 million fine imposed on it by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). The company’s Group Managing Director, Tony Akiotu, stated this while addressing journalists Wednesday in Abuja. The NBC had on July 9, fined the media organisation N1 million for “exceeding the allowed band occupancy limit” originally granted to RayPower. In the letter, the NBC said after carrying out a random spectrum scan on the FM band, the station transmitting on 100.5MHz, occupied 100.3MHz – 100.6MHz indicating a 300KHz band occupancy which exceeded the 150KHz band occupancy limit allowed…

The Federal Government and its Chinese counterpart have entered into an agreement for prisoners’ swap, especially the repatriation of Nigerian prisoners in China to serve out their jail terms back home. The swap deal was ratified by the Federal Executive Council, FEC, Wednesday. Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who stated this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC, meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, explained that the Nigerian prisoners to be affected for now were specifically those jailed in Macau, an autonomous region…

The Presidency, Wednesday, distanced itself from the Nigerian Press Council Bill pending at the National Assembly for amendment and passage into law. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, advised Nigerian groups or individuals that have objections to the Nigerian Press Council Amendment Bill to follow due process rather than throw mud at the government, using the media. Speaking to State House correspondents on the controversy surrounding the proposed amendment of the law sponsored as a private member’s bill, Shehu said all the attacks against the government as a result of the bill were…

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Wednesday, issued a bench warrant for arrest of chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, over his alleged disobedience to a valid court order. Justice Stephen Pam ordered the Nigerian Police Force to arrest and produce the INEC boss in court on August 8 to face contempt charge. The order followed Mahmood’s persistent refusal to honour a summon for him to appear in court with respect to a suit involving the Anambra State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Prior to yesterday’s sitting, the INEC chairman had on July…

The political hurricane blowing across some parts of the country crooned by defection of members of All Progressives Party, APC, to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is gradually depleting the numerical strength of the ruling party. To the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, this is goodnews as more political heavyweights have joined them in a battle to wrestle political power from APC during the 2019 general elections. Consequently, PDP and Atiku Abubakar have welcomed Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the Sokoto State Governor, back to their fold. In the same vein, the party also welcomed Prof. Hafizu…

Since he was inaugurated on May 29, 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari has so far undertaken more than 230 days of working holiday to London probably on medical tourism. This is as he will on Friday, August 3, commence a 10-day working holiday to London. A statement signed by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina said he will spend his holiday in London, the United Kingdom. Already, Buhari has officially informed Bukola Saraki, the President of the Senate, and Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House of Representatives, about his trip. While he is away, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will act on his behalf,…

Central Bank of Nigeria, Wednesday, auctioned its maiden Chinese Yuan worth N3.6 billion at Naira 49-51 per Yuan. The auction is part of efforts to encourage the use of an alternative trading currency to the US dollar, as Nigeria is one of the largest importers of Chinese goods in Africa. Chief Economist with Vetiva Capital Management says the move will strengthen naira and eliminate multiple exchange rate. The development, which came few days after the official take-off of foreign exchange intervention with the foreign denomination, was executed alongside the usual interbank retail Secondary Market Intervention Sales worth $340.5 million. The…

The popular CNN anchor and correspondent, Isha Sesay says she is leaving the media organisation after putting in 13 years due to its obsession with Donald Trump to the exclusion of other issues. The British-born Sierra Leonean announced her departure from CNN via Twitter, giving her reasons for doing so in an interview with What We See magazine. ‘WESTERN MEDIA TOO TRUMP-FOCUSED’ Citing the western media’s “obsession with Trump,” the journalist said she would rather spend her time on things that are important. “It’s all so Trump-focused. He sucked all of the oxygen out of the room. The media is…