NEWS
May 29: It’s Time For Nigerians To Embrace Thier Injured Destiny – Peter Obi
Labor party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has urged his fellow Nigerians to reassess their collective plight and confront the underlying reasons for their injured destiny.
In a statement shared via his Twitter account, Peter Obi, who is also a former governor of Anambra state, emphasized the urgent need for the nation to acknowledge the challenges that have hindered its progress and to chart a new course towards a brighter future.
He stated that Nigeria stands at a critical juncture, where its people must unite in facing the stark reality of their current situation and actively seek solutions that will uplift the nation and its citizens.
In his words: “For all Nigerians, this is a time for deep reflection. It is also a time to re-examine our assumptions, even as we reaffirm our hopes. Let us calmly review our aspirations, in order to recalibrate our expectations and pin down the causes of our missed opportunities and disappointments.
“We stand at that critical moment in time when, as a people, we must collectively come to grips with the reality of our injured destiny as well as the reasons for that injury. It is for us to reassess our plight as a young democracy and identify clear pathways to a better and greater future for us all.
“As we await the verdict of the election tribunal, I urge all Nigerians to use this opportunity to renew their commitment to the Nigerian ideal. That ideal remains noble and worth every sacrifice we can make.
“Nigeria remains our only patrimony and it is a patrimony we must protect, rather than violate. We have no other nation but this, so let us remain committed to rescuing and rebuilding it.
“The judiciary is part of the democratic enterprise and a critical governance tool for determining the propriety of the decisions and actions of every citizen and every institution of state. To that extent, and for that reason, I urge everyone to treat it with the respect and dignity it deserves.
“We expect that the Nigerian judiciary will use the election cases now before it to reaffirm its independence and integrity. It has to do so, for all our sakes and for itself. Nigerians must, therefore, remain peaceful and law abiding.
“No matter the depth of anyone’s reservations about what is going on in the polity today, no matter the real and imagined provocations, and no matter the disagreement out there, we should remember that this will not last forever.
“I remain committed, and untiring, in my determination to work with like-minded fellow Nigerians to end the curse of missed opportunities and squandered hope that has become our lot here.
“I will never shrink from that original commitment, because I firmly believe that we must change from the present politics of criminality, and corruption, in order to make a new Nigeria possible.
“I call on fellow Nigerians, especially the youths to remain steadfast, calm, patient, and peaceful. Our journey may be long and difficult but it is worth it in every way. Victory is assured.
“We have to work together to move our beautiful country from corruption and criminality to a center of productivity rather than aimless consumption.
“I am aware of some evil designs being hatched against me and my supporters in the coming months. Efforts will be made to taint my image. Campaigns of calumny are being perfected to defame my character and diminish my hard-earned integrity.
“These schemes will aim at degrading our support base and confusing the public. But, no evil campaign will alter the substance of my character; nor diminish my patriotic commitment to a better Nigeria.
“It is about the future of our youths. it is about ending the Years of Locust.
“In all of this, I thank Nigerians, our great party (LP) and the media. The latter, as the Fourth Estate of the realm, has remained a trusted ally.
“This Estate must continue to guide our people on the immense promise of a future in a new Nigeria.
God bless Nigeria and protect the troops keeping us safe in this season of vaulting insecurity.Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria. -PO”
A night fire that broke out at the Mayegun Cement Store Market in Araromi, Agodi-Gate, Ibadan, on Thursday, April 10, 2025, destroyed no fewer than 12 shops and goods worth millions of naira.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire started around 10:55 pm at Block A, No. 64 of the market and raged for more than three hours before firefighters managed to put it out.
Traders and residents in the area described the incident as devastating, noting that the intensity of the fire made rescue efforts difficult at the early stage.
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Investigations point to an electrical surge near combustible materials as the likely cause of the fire.
The General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Service, Mr. Yemi Akinyinka, confirmed the incident in a statement on Friday.
He revealed that the agency received the emergency call shortly after the fire began.
“The agency’s control room received the distressed call at exactly 23:02 hrs on Thursday, April 10, 2025, through telephoning and Mr Young to report a shop fire at the above address,” Akinyinka said.
He explained that fire service personnel, led by CFS Jimoh, were swiftly deployed to the scene.
“On arrival, we met some lockup shops well alight, and we swiftly swung into action and restricted the fire from spreading to other nearby shops,” he said.
While 12 shops were completely affected, the fire service reported that they were able to save property valued in billions of naira. The firefighting operation ended at about 3:18 am on Friday.
The fire service has urged traders to observe safety precautions, especially when dealing with electrical installations and flammable materials.
A suit challenging President Bola Tinubu’s controversial appointment of a Sole Administrator for Rivers State suffered a setback on Thursday as the President and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, failed to appear or send legal representation before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The matter, brought before Justice James Omotosho, was instituted by Abuja-based legal practitioner, Mr. Johnmary Jideobi, who is urging the court to declare the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd) as unconstitutional and to nullify the suspension of the state’s elected Governor and Deputy Governor.
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Although the Attorneys-General of Lagos, Bayelsa, Taraba, and Edo states were present and announced their appearances, the absence of legal representation for both the President (1st Defendant) and the AGF (2nd Defendant) drew attention during the proceedings.
Plaintiff’s counsel, Mr. Chimezie Enuka, confirmed to the court that all parties—except the Attorneys-General of Zamfara and Bauchi states—had been properly served with the originating processes and hearing notice.
Following a consensus among the present legal teams, Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter to June 11, 2025, and ordered that fresh hearing notices be issued to all defendants.
The suit, filed under number FHC/ABJ/CS/572/2025, has Tinubu, the AGF, and the 36 state Attorneys-General listed as defendants. Jideobi is asking the court to set aside all decisions and actions taken by Ibas in the name of a Sole Administrator, arguing they lack any constitutional basis.
In his affidavit in support of the suit, the plaintiff asserted that President Tinubu does not possess the constitutional powers to suspend elected state officials or to appoint unelected figures to govern in their place.
“As a Nigerian lawyer and all through my years of practice, I have never seen the word ‘Sole Administrator’ in the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Jideobi stated.
“I know that neither the 1st Defendant nor the 2nd Defendant appointed the Governor and Deputy-Governor of Rivers State of Nigeria and that no Governor or Deputy Governor in Nigeria is an appointee of the 1st and 2nd Defendants,” he added.
The plaintiff contends that the only constitutionally recognized grounds for removing or interrupting the tenure of elected Governors and their deputies are outlined in Sections 180, 188, 189, 305, and 306 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
He is therefore seeking a declaration from the court that the President has “NO constitutional authority to either remove, suspend or otherwise tamper with the tenure of a duly elected Governor and Deputy Governor of a State and appoint a sole Administrator [or any other substitute howsoever called or described].”
Jideobi warned that unless the court intervenes, “removal of duly elected Governors and Deputy-Governors may become the pastime of the President, thereby opening the floodgate of anarchy capable of consuming this nation.”
He added: “I have instituted this suit in the public interest, in the defence of the Rule of Law and accentuation of the supremacy of the Constitution… It will be in the interest of justice for this Honourable Court to grant the prayers contained on the face of this Originating Summons.”
Among the specific reliefs sought are an order setting aside the suspension of the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State, a nullification of Ibas’ appointment, and a directive ordering him to vacate the Government House immediately.
In a dramatic show of solidarity, members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) staged a picket outside the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development’s headquarters in Abuja.
The protest was sparked by the ministry’s refusal to comply with a court order for the reinstatement of Comrade Victor Ekpaha, who was dismissed from his position more than 20 years ago.
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The workers’ action resulted in the shutdown of the ministry’s operations, as they called for Ekpaha’s immediate reinstatement and the payment of his full salary, allowances, and other benefits for the over two decades that the case has been unresolved.
The NLC has expressed its determination to continue pressuring the ministry until the court ruling is respected and Ekpaha is fully compensated for the years of unpaid entitlements.
The union has also emphasized the broader issue of labor rights and justice, urging the government to address such longstanding grievances.
More to follow………………
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