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Oyegun-must-go Project Heats Up in APC

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 Oyegun_BuhariProminent forces within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may have secured President Muhammadu Buhari’s backing to dispense with national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Ripples reports.

Investigations revealed that the Board of Trustees (BoT), National Executive Council (NEC) and most members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party as well as leading National Assembly members have decided to do away with Oyegun.

Oyegun, it was gathered, has become a dispensable commodity according to the forces against him because of his mishandlings of several issues in the party.

The national chairman is being accused of committing serious infractions that have created needless troubles for the party.

It was learnt that all these infractions have been collated and explained to the Presidency, which has since decided to go with the Oyegun-must-go project.

Sources said President Buhari was initially opposed to the campaign to send Oyegun packing because their relationship dated back to 2007 when the President contested under the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) with Oyegun playing prominent, visible roles.

Buhari was said to have balked at the idea, according to findings, because of the suspicion that the move was just a campaign of calumny against the former Edo State governor.

He was however swayed over after the infractions committed by Oyegun and how they have affected the fortunes of the party were tabled before him.

The President was said to have told the party chieftains that with all the evidence against the national chairman, he was no longer fit to continue in office.

Buhari however reportedly insisted Oyegun should be given a soft-landing to avert a major backlash that will trail a forced resignation or sack.

Prominent among the infractions the anti-Oyegun elements presented was his handling of the Kogi governorship supplementary debacle that produced Yahaya Bello.

It was learnt many NWC and NEC members actually endorsed James Faleke to fly the party’s ticket but they were allegedly shut down by Oyegun.

Oyegun, many of them alleged, was bought over by Bello, a wealthy business merchant, with a whopping N300million “as fuel money” after a visit to the chairman in Abuja.

This ‘fuel money’, APC chieftains alleged was why Oyegun stuck out his neck for Bello even when some prominent members begged for Faleke to continue the inconclusive election.

It was learnt that the party’s leaders succeeded in proving this allegation to Buhari at a meeting last week in Abuja.

The national chairman is also accused of hobnobbing with Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is facing trial at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) over charges of false declaration of assets.

Oyegun was said to have angered party chieftains when he recognised Saraki few days after his emergence in defiance of the APC’s directives.

His enemies were believed to have told Buhari it was despicable for the chairman to have recognised Saraki even when it was obvious the President was livid about his emergence and avoided him for months.

“If our chairman could recognise a rebellious Senate President when the President was still angry with the process that produced him, it shows he was throwing his weight around.

“Look at how the mess has created troubles for the anti-corruption war. The National Assembly is clearly obstructing the President’s policies and programmes.

“By recognising him without clearance from the Presidency, Oyegun compromised the party. He boasted Saraki’s defiance and slighted Buhari,” a source privy to the Oyegun-must-go project confided.

The source added that the March 22 NWC meeting in Abuja will be the beginning of the end for Oyegun while his fate might be sealed on March 23 when the BoT meeting holds.

The March 24 NEC meeting, according to the plan, will serve as the platform to push Oyegun out.

Already there are pressures on him to turn in his resignation so as not to give the impression that he was edged out.

Oyegun, who returned from a 10-day leave on Monday, it was learnt, has been lobbying to save his job.

But sources said the party has suffered greatly under him.

“We are drifting. There is no discipline and we are not in charge. We need a chairman who can rein in things for the President so that Buhari can concentrate on the business of governance,” a NWC member told Ripples on Monday night.

 

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Cameroon Opposition Leader Declares Himself Winner Ahead of Official Results

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Cameroon’s opposition candidate, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has proclaimed victory in Sunday’s presidential election — a daring move made days before the nation’s electoral body is set to announce official results.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Tchiroma stated that “our victory is clear and must be respected,” urging the government to “accept the truth of the ballot box” or risk “plunging the country into turmoil.” He further promised to release detailed regional results soon, insisting that “the people have spoken.”

Under Cameroonian law, only the Constitutional Council has the authority to announce final results. The government has repeatedly warned that any premature declaration of victory crosses a “red line.”

Tchiroma’s move draws parallels with the 2018 election, when opposition figure Maurice Kamto also declared himself winner against long-serving President Paul Biya before official tallies were released. Kamto was later detained, and his supporters’ protests were forcefully dispersed.

President Paul Biya, in power for 43 years and the world’s oldest sitting head of state, is seeking yet another term. Despite Biya’s dominance, Tchiroma — a former employment minister — has gained unexpected momentum among younger voters, making this one of Cameroon’s most competitive elections in decades.

As both sides share tally sheets and handwritten results on social media, each continues to claim victory — raising fears of possible post-election unrest in the Central African nation.

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Ex-Minister Nnaji Resigns to “Protect Integrity,” Denies Forgery Claims

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Former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, has stepped down from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, citing the need to safeguard his integrity and prevent distractions to the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Presidency confirmed Nnaji’s resignation on Tuesday, following heightened public scrutiny over allegations of certificate forgery and inconsistencies in his academic records.

In a statement released the same day, Nnaji said his decision came after “careful reflection and consultations with family, associates, and well-meaning Nigerians.” He described the claims as part of a “sustained campaign of falsehood” that he believes is politically motivated, aimed at undermining both his character and office.

“These baseless allegations and media distortions have caused personal distress and begun to distract from the important work of the ministry and the Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.

Nnaji emphasized that his resignation should not be interpreted as an admission of guilt, but rather as a personal choice to uphold due process and allow judicial proceedings to take their course.

“I cannot, in good conscience, allow these distractions to overshadow the noble objectives of the Tinubu administration,” he added, reaffirming his decades-long record of dedication and service.

Appointed in August 2023, Nnaji’s tenure ended amid investigations into alleged procurement irregularities and a public dispute with the Enugu State Government over the certificate forgery allegations.

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Gov AbdulRazaq Blames Saraki, PDP for Kwara’s Security Woes — Cites 2018 Offa Robbery

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Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has blamed the deteriorating security situation in the state on the legacy of the 2018 Offa bank robbery, linking the incident to the leadership of former Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking with journalists during a visit to Oke-Ode, the governor accused Saraki of “playing politics with security” and urged him to take responsibility for the tragic robbery incident that claimed 33 lives before criticising the current administration.

> “It was under PDP. Bukola Saraki bears a court statement that he is the leader of PDP in Kwara. Under his leadership, 33 people were killed in one day,” AbdulRazaq said in a viral video.

The governor further alleged that the armed gang behind the deadly robbery were Saraki’s loyalists, claiming they used “Aso Ebi of Saraki’s wedding” and vehicles branded with his name during the operation. He maintained that the PDP lacked the moral authority to challenge his government’s efforts in tackling insecurity.

In September 2024, a Kwara State High Court delivered judgement on the case, sentencing five suspects to death by hanging after finding them guilty of armed robbery and culpable homicide.
The convicts — Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye, and Adeola Abraham — were part of the gang responsible for the massacre.

Meanwhile, several communities in Kwara South and Central, including Oke-Ode, Patigi, and Marri, continue to suffer repeated attacks by armed gangs, leading to rising fear among residents and mass displacement from rural areas.

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