NEWS
Doguwa, Two Other Withdraw From Speakership Race For Abbas
Three aspirants for the position of Speaker in the upcoming 10th House of Representatives – Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Abdulraheem Olawuyi, and Abubakar Makki Yelleman – have withdrawn from the race.
They announced their decision during the Joint Task-10th Assembly meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday evening.
The meeting was graced by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and Senator Godswill Akpabio, the consensus candidate for the 10th Senate President.
Speaking on behalf of the other two candidates, Doguwa expressed their collective choice to step aside in favor of Tajuddeen Abbas, the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). This decision reflects their respect for the party and their alignment with the APC’s chosen nominee for the Speakership position.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I am here to put it on the records that, not just from today, that, right from day one, when the NWC, the National Working Committee of my party put it on the table that, they have come up with a zoning arrangement and after zoning, with all sense of morality, micro-zoned it to the North West and Micro-micro zoned it to my brother, Right Honourable Tajuddeen Abbas representing Zaria federal constituency from North Western Nigeria, as from that date and day, I therefore called my bid to contest for the Speakership of the 10th House of Representatives off.
“I had to to that because I am a man of establishment, I had to do that because I am also a beneficiary of same kind of arrangement then, and today, I have benefited from party arrangements, I have personally benefited from this kind of zoning arrangement, that was what gave me the position of the Chief Whip of the 8th House of Representatives even when there were issues, the zoning held away. Today, I am the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives courtesy of the National Working Committee of my party.
“My great brothers and sisters, courtesy demands that, it is only fair. I also stand by the position of the National Working Committee and the leaders of my great party. It’s not like the table is turning against me, no. The fact is that, time has come for me to also pay back and I think paying back in these circumstances means a great responsibility that I must have to honour and oblige.
“I rise before you today this good evening Mr Speaker, my boss, Right Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila and around me, is Right Honourable Abdulraheem Olawuyi and my other friend here, Honourable Makki Yelleman. We are here individually and collectively stepping into the shoes of this great campaign.
“We all wanted to be Speakers not because we knew that, you can have several Speakers. At every there only can be one Speaker. And in the light of this disposition, I want to say, on behalf of my great men here around me, that we have individually and collectively decided to come and surrender our bids to become Speaker this time around to the great party, the APC and we also defer, on record to our great gentleman that was picked by the party to ran for the Speakership officially on behalf of our great party, Right Honourable Tajuddeen Abbas.
“We are also of the opinion that, the selection process of Right Honourable Tajuddeen Abbas was not in anyway biased. We are also quite aware that, the person of Tajuddeen Abbas and of course his running mate, the Deputy Speakership candidate, they are qualified to hold their respective offices”.
Earlier, the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila said even in advanced democracies, one can disagree with his party, but at the end of the day, the party which is an organised entity survives.
He reminded that members of the party and other parties have treaded the same path in the past and had seen the effects, so the decision was to avoid the mistakes of the past.
The APC made a painful decision to choose a consensus candidate. Considerations were taken to make the best choice for the party and the country. Doguwa and six other aspirants rejected the chosen candidate.
This led to the formation of the G7, who aimed to select their own candidate for the Speaker position.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has warned motorists against driving against traffic, popularly known as one-way, cautioning that influential connections or calls from senior police officers and government officials will not shield offenders from prosecution.
The Command said the practice, particularly around road construction sites, diversion points and restricted routes, poses serious risks to lives and property.
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In a press statement issued on Monday, November 9, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said the Command was concerned about the increasing disregard for traffic regulations by motorists who deliberately drive against traffic, ignore road signs and bypass designated diversions to avoid congestion.
Adeh stressed that no individual, regardless of status, position or connections, would be exempted from the consequences of violating traffic regulations.
She disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Muhammad Sanusi, had directed the Command’s Motor Traffic Department (MOTOPOL) and all Divisional Traffic Officers (DTOs) to collaborate with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other relevant agencies to intensify enforcement operations.
According to the statement, the directive includes the arrest and immediate prosecution of motorists caught driving against traffic or disobeying lawful traffic instructions.
The Commissioner also warned police officers involved in the enforcement exercise against exploiting the operation to extort motorists, stressing that any officer found engaging in such misconduct would face disciplinary action in line with existing police rules and regulations.
The Command urged motorists to exercise patience, obey traffic signs and follow instructions from authorised traffic officers, noting that saving a few minutes through reckless driving was not worth the risk of losing lives or damaging property.
It also called on residents to remain security-conscious and report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station.
The Command provided the following emergency contact numbers for security-related reports: 08032003913 and 08061581938.
The Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, CP Ahmed Muhammad Sanusi, has inspected security deployments at churches across the territory, urging officers to maintain professionalism and vigilance during religious activities.
The inspection was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh.
Sanusi conducted the inspection on November 8, 2026, to assess the operational readiness of personnel deployed to worship centres and evaluate security arrangements for residents and worshippers.
SEE ALSO: October 1 Protests: FCT Police Call For Increased Vigilance Among Residents
The exercise followed a similar inspection of mosques across the FCT on Friday, November 6, as the Command sustained efforts to strengthen security around religious centres.
During the visits, the police commissioner charged officers to remain professional and responsive in the discharge of their duties.
He also commended residents for their peaceful and orderly conduct following mosque and church services, noting that public cooperation remained essential to maintaining security and public order across the territory.
The commissioner urged residents to continue cooperating with the police and other law enforcement agencies, remain security-conscious and promptly report suspicious persons, movements or activities to the nearest police station.
He further encouraged residents to utilise the Command’s emergency lines, 08032003913 and 08061581938, to report security concerns.
Adeh said the Command’s Public Relations Office remained open and accessible to members of the public for enquiries, complaints, information and other security-related matters.
The FCT Police Command reiterated its commitment to protecting residents and worshippers and maintaining security across the Federal Capital Territory.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development was disclosed on Friday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President.
Akwa Ibom occupies a strategic position in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with major federal investments expected to strengthen infrastructure and economic activities across the state.
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One of the major projects is the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, which has an approximately 82.8-kilometre stretch passing through Akwa Ibom.
The project, according to the statement, “promises improved connectivity, expanded trade, greater investment and new economic opportunities for communities across the region.”
Beyond infrastructure, the administration’s interventions in education, agriculture, healthcare, youth empowerment and social protection are also designed to improve livelihoods and broaden economic participation.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) is among the initiatives highlighted, complementing Governor Umo Eno’s investments in roads, aviation, tourism and human capital development.
The statement noted that the Uyo rally provides “another opportunity to strengthen the APC’s growing political presence in the South-South and make the case for continuity in 2027.”
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