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  • G5 Leaders Confer With Tinubu at Aso Rock

    G5 Leaders Confer With Tinubu at Aso Rock

    President Bola Tinubu on Thursday met with a group of aggrieved politicians within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) known as the G5 or the Integrity Group.

    In attendance at the meeting at the Aso Rock are one serving governor and four former governors within the party. They are Governor Seyi Makinde (Oyo) as well as former Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

    The current governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah was also present.

    Addressing reporters, Makinde said the G5 visited the President to apprise him of the latest happenings and the group’s stance for fairness, equity and justice in the country.

    He acknowledged that nation building, which he described as a difficult task, required constant evaluation. The G5, according to him, will keep meeting with the President on the way forward for the country.

  • Buhari presides over Council Of State meeting in Aso Rock

    Buhari presides over Council Of State meeting in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari is currently presiding over the Council of State meeting to find a lasting solution to the cash crunch occasioned by the cash swap policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    The meeting will mainly discuss some issues affecting the country, including petrol and naira scarcity, insecurity and others, ahead of the general elections.

    The hybrid meeting, which started at 10:12 am with the rendition of the national anthem, is taking place at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Former heads of state and presidents in attendance are Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar and Goodluck Jonathan.

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo joined online. Others who joined online are Sokoto governor and chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Aminu Tambuwal; Kebbi State Governor and Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum, Abubakar Bagudu; Plateau governor and chairman of Northern Governors Forum, Simon Lalong; Ebonyi, David Umahi; Kogi, Yahaya Bello;
    Osun, Ademola Adeleke; Jigawa, Abubakar Badaru; and Ogun, Dapo Abiodun.

    Others are Benue State Deputy Governor Benson Abounu, Deputy Governor of Nasarawa, Emmanuel Akabe; and Enugu Deputy Governor.

    Two former Chief Justice of the Federation, Alfa Belgore and Mahmud Muhammad, were also in attendance.

    Those physically attending the meeting are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; and Head of Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan.

    Governors physically attending are Taraba, Darius Ishaku; Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai; Borno, Babagana Zulum; Gombe, Inuawa Yahaya; Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Kwara, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak; and Deputy Governor Bauchi, Baba Talla.

    Also present and awaiting their turn to brief the council are, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu; Inspector General of Police, IGP, Alkali Baba; Commandant-General, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Hammed Audi; and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele on the preparation for the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections as well as March 11 governorship and state houses of assembly polls and new Naira notes respectively.

    The National Council of State is an organ of the Nigerian government whose functions include advising the executive on policy making.

    Membership of the Council comprises the President, Vice President, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, former presidents, former heads of state, former chief justices of Nigeria, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Governors of the 36 states of the federation and the Attorney General of the Federation.

  • 2023: Elements in Aso Rock Working Against Tinubu’s Victory – El-Rufai

    2023: Elements in Aso Rock Working Against Tinubu’s Victory – El-Rufai

    Governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has alleged that some elements in Aso Rock Presidential Villa are working against the victory of All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in this month’s election.

    El-Rufai stated this Wednesday while featuring on Sunrise Programme on Channels TV.

    The governor stressed that ‘those elements’ had their candidate in the presidential primary , but their candidate didn’t win the primary.

    He said against this background, they were working against the ruling party and Tinubu in the forthcoming election.

    The governor explained that those elements in the presidency were trying to hide behind the president’s desire to do what is right to scuttle the party’s chances.

    el-Rufai noted that the Governor of Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele was not to blame for the Naira redesign.

    He recalled that the President did the same as a military Head of State with the aim of catching those that were stashing illicit funds.

    The governor said while the president had his right to redesign the currency, doing it at this time within the allotted time did not make any political or economic sense.

    el-Rufai stated: “I believe there are elements in the Villa that want us to lose the election because they didn’t get their way; they had their candidate. Their candidate did not win the primaries.

    “They are trying to get us to lose the election, and they are hiding behind the president’s desire to do what he thinks is right.

    “I will give two examples: this petroleum subsidy, which is costing the country trillions of Naira, was something that we all agreed would be removed.

    “In fact, I had a discussion with the president and showed him why it had to go. Because how can you have a capital budget of N200bn for federal roads and then spend N2 trillion on petroleum subsidy? This was a conversation I had with the president in 2021 when the subsidy thing started rising. He was convinced. We left. It changed. Everyone in the government agreed, and it changed.

    “The second example I will give is this currency redesign. You have to understand the president. People are blaming the Governor of the Central Bank for the currency redesign, but No. You have to go back and look at the first outing of Buhari as president. He did this; the Buhari, Idiagbon regime changed our currency and did it in secrecy with a view to catching those that are stashing away illicit funds. It is a very good intention. The president has his right. But doing it at this time within the allotted time does not make any political or economic sense.”

    Recall that recently, the presidential candidate of the party during the presidential rally of the party in Abeokuta alleged that the decision of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to redesign the Naira and also the lingering fuel crisis were designed to scuttle the forthcoming election and his victory.

    Though the presidency refused to react to Tinubu’s attack against the Buhari government, the APC Campaign in a statement issued 24 hours after Tinubu’s outburst insisted that the APC presidential candidate did not mention, blame or accuse Buhari for the current challenges in the country.

  • I was dehydrated and had dizzy spell – EFCC boss, reacts after ‘collapsing’ in Aso Rock

    I was dehydrated and had dizzy spell – EFCC boss, reacts after ‘collapsing’ in Aso Rock

    The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has said he had a dizzy spell while delivering his speech on Thursday.

    Bawa was speaking at an event organised by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja, when he collapsed.

    He was immediately rushed to the hospital, where doctors told him he was dehydrated.

    The EFCC boss revealed this while speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme.

    “While giving my goodwill message during the programme organised by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), there was a sort of dizziness on me and I had to excuse myself from the stage.

    “And of course I went straight to the hospital where the doctors confirmed to me that everything about me is okay except for the fact that I’m a bit dehydrated and need to take a lot of water.

    “Straight away from the hospital, I went back to the office and now I’m back at home,” Bawa said.

  • Buhari, Chadian president meet in Aso Rock ahead of poll

    Buhari, Chadian president meet in Aso Rock ahead of poll

    President Muhammadu Buhari is currently holding bilateral talks with the President of the Republic of Chad, Idriss Deby at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    President Deby arrived at the State House forecourt about 12:15 pm and he was welcomed by his host President Buhari, who introduced some members of his cabinet to him.


    Those with president Buhari at the reception of the guest were Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, the Director-
    General National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ahmed Rufa’i, the National Security Adviser, NSA, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd), the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Mohammed Bello and the Nigeria Ambassador to Chad.

  • BREAKING: Buhari, Okonjo-Iweala meet in Aso Rock

    BREAKING: Buhari, Okonjo-Iweala meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with the new Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at the State House in Abuja.

    The WTO Chief Executive Officer, who assumed office on March 1, 2021, is visiting Nigeria for the first time since she took office in Geneva, Switzerland.

    She arrived at the Presidential Villa at about 2:45 pm and was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo as well as the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Ambassador Maryam Katagum.


    Also on the delegation are some officials of the World Trade Organisation.

    The WTO DG, Dr Okonjo-Iweala, who had served as the Minister of Finance and Supervising Minister of the Economy was received by the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.

  • Aisha Buhari reportedly relocates to Dubai, cites insecurity in Aso Rock

    Aisha Buhari reportedly relocates to Dubai, cites insecurity in Aso Rock

    The Nigerian First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has reportedly relocated to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

    According to Sahara Reporters, Mrs Buhari reportedly hinged her decision to relocation on the insecurity in Aso Rock.

    Read the report by Sahara Reporters below..

    First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has been in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, since September after the wedding of her daughter, Hanan, and has therefore not been involved in any government activity, SaharaReporters has gathered.

    SaharaReporters gathered that the First Lady is not in a hurry to return, despite spending over three months, as she reportedly stated that the Aso Rock Villa was not secure for her family.

    This concern was triggered by a shooting incident which occurred in June and caused some panic among occupants of the Aso Villa.

    SaharaReporters had reported that there was a crisis in Aso Villa after security details of the President’s wife removed Buhari’s Personal Assistant, Sabiu ‘Tunde’ Yusuf, from the place after he refused to embark on a 14-day isolation period upon returning from a trip to Lagos.

    Shortly afterwards, the First Lady’s ADC, Usman Shugaba, in an attempt to apprehend Yusuf, reportedly fired gunshots but the President’s aide escaped to the residence of Mamman Daura where he spent the night.

    Yusuf soon ordered the arrest of Aisha’s ADC and other security details in connivance with Buhari’s chief security officer. Buhari had ordered a probe into the alleged security breach inside the Presidential Villa.

    It will be recalled that on September 4, Aisha Buhari held a flamboyant wedding for President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter, Hanan, and Mohammed Turad.

    Apart from the opulence on display, event planners for the wedding were flown in from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to add colour and spice to the ceremony.

    Earlier in August, the First Lady had also flown to Dubai in a private jet owned by billionaire Mohammed Indimi under the guise of a medical emergency to shop for luxury items ahead of the wedding.

    Most of the items, including souvenirs used for the wedding occasion, were brought in from the Arabian country.

    A top source told SaharaReporters on Tuesday that the First Lady has now relocated quietly to the UAE for over three months. No one knows when she would return to the country.

    The Presidency source said, “Aisha Buhari has relocated quietly to Dubai. She has been going to the UAE even before the daughter’s wedding.

    “Before the wedding, she also stayed there for months during lockdown, shopping and relaxing. But since the end of the wedding, she has been away owing to security concerns in the villa.”

    Some Nigerians have noticed her disappearance from the public space for the past three months. Checks on her Twitter page shows she last tweeted in October.

    SaharaReporters gathered that occasionally, she issued statements announcing the distribution of palliatives but has never been seen at any official functions.

    The September wedding, which had security personnel prohibiting guests from taking photographs, saw the event planners and other vendors flown in from Dubai pocketing huge amounts in United States dollars for their services.

  • Patience Jonathan visit Aso Rock, meets Aisha Buhari

    Patience Jonathan visit Aso Rock, meets Aisha Buhari

    The First Lady Aisha Buhari, has met with her predecessor, Mrs Patience Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja and shared experiences on issues relating to women’s development in the country. Mrs Buhari disclosed this on Tuesday on her tweeter handle. The first lady said, their discussion centred on issues affecting the growth and development of women in the country, especially girl-child education, women’s participation in politics at local level. “Yesterday, I received my predecessor, Her Excellency Dame Patience Jonathan at the State House. “We discussed my efforts with regards to greater involvement of women in politics and participation of women at lower level of governance. ”We also discussed girl-child education and her pet project “Women for Change,” she tweeted. She expressed the need for spouses of Nigeria’s former leaders to always keep-in-touch and share experiences for the betterment of women and children in the society. ”I got to hear her experience during her tenure and listened to her perspectives on issues affecting women and children in the society,” she said.

    Mrs Buhari expressed her deepest gratitude to the former first lady for the visit. ”It was really nice having her around and I look forward to having more of such moments,” she tweeted.