Politics
Senator Opeyemi denies threatening Natasha in phone call
Senator Bamidele Opeyemi has urged the Department of State Services, DSS, to review the recorded phone conversation between him and suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Opeyemi, the Nigerian Senate majority leader, was accused by Senator Natasha during her interview on Arise Television last week, of calling and threatening her over the allegation.
Ekwutosblog reported that Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan had granted an interview with the keynote being the allegation of sexual harassment levelled against Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Natasha was suspended on Thursday by the Senate a day after she officially submitted her petition against the Senate President.
The suspension followed a report by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, submitted to the Committee of the Whole, citing several infractions on the Rules and Orders of the Senate.
The same Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions had before declared that the ‘sexual harassment’ petition by Senator Natasha against Akpabio was dead on arrival.
Addressing the floor of the Senate on Thursday, Opeyemi said: “I listened to the distinguished Senator Natasha on Arise and I have no regret about what she said about me. She said I called her at exactly 12:13 am.
“I have no regrets. Every move that I made was a characteristic of my person and leadership role in trying to reconcile everybody. I went to the Senate President and when I got there that night I said ‘Sir, tomorrow in the chamber, you’ll have to tender a public apology to distinguished Senator Natasha. I beg you in the name of God. Because her understanding of what you said is different from how you’re interpreting it, by saying she should not speak as if she was in a night club. And you Mr President [addressing Akpabio] explained again that what you meant was that it was only in a night club that everybody tries to speak trying to raise their voice above the loud music and I said sir, ‘I understand you but tomorrow you’ll have to explain that again to her and the other women and apologise to her. And you said to me, ‘Why is it that you always come to me. Everybody is dragging me on social media, have you called Natasha?’
“And I picked up my phone and called Senator Natasha, placing her on speaker. I called her. I didn’t think 12 am is anytime we shouldn’t be awake as Senators. When I called her the first thing I said was ‘Distinguished, I’m sorry. Hope I didn’t wake you up? And she said, ‘no sir.’ I said ‘I only called to ask you a question. My dear sister, what would you gain if the Senate President goes down?’”
On the allegation that he called Natasha at midnight to threaten her, Opeyemi said, “I never said so.”
Politics
PDP to screen Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday as its sole Presidential aspirant For 2027 race
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has scheduled to screen former president Goodluck Jonathan tomorrow, Tuesday, aMay 19, as the lone presidential candidate of party.
According to a statement from the PDP faction backed by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, former governor of Plateau State, Jona Jang and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi have been listed among a committee of 14 members to screen Jonathan described as a lone candidate by the party.
Other members of the committee were Chief Olabode George, Babangida Aliyu, Maryam ciroma, Zainab Maina, Josephine Anenin, Dr. Abdul Bulama, Dr. Esther Uduehi, Edo State PDP chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, Dr. Sunday Solarium and Chief Anicho Okoro, who would serve as administrative secretary of the committee.
Last week, the national Publicity Secretary of the faction, Ini Ememobong, disclosed that former president Jonathan has successfully registered as a member of the party in the fresh digital registration exercise directed by INEC.
The PDP faction also announced that it was set to screen 748 house of representatives aspirants, 198 senatorial aspirants, and 112 governorship aspirants.
The screening committee would screen 2122 states houses of assembly aspirants. The exercise will commence tomorrow, Tuesday in different states.
According to the statement, the screening exercise would take place nationwide on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
The statement said the Interim National Working Committee (iNWC) has also released the names of members to serve on the Screening Committees and Screening Appeal Panels.
It added that the publication of the screening details “is in accordance with the party’s guidelines and timetable for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.”
Politics
Oshiomhole wins Edo APC senatorial primaries unopposed
A former governor and incumbent Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, along with his counterpart Senator Joe Ikpea, sailed through the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary in Edo unopposed, and securing their tickets without a single vote cast against them.
Also Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama emerged the winner in the APC primary for the Edo South senatorial district.
Ogbeide-Ihama won in the seven local government areas of Edo South in the results announced by the Chairman of APC National Assembly Primary Election, Muhammed Ajana at the Urokpota Hall, Benin.
He polled 27,154 votes while his opponents, Senator Neda Imasuen, got 13,580, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu got 6785.
The elections were hitch-free in Edo North and Edo Central, where there was no contest against the incumbents, Senators Oshiomhole of Edo North and Ikpea of Edo Central, respectively.
Ajana at the Urokpota Hall said the collation arose from votes cast in the seven local government areas made up of 77 wards where elections were conducted by members of the committee.
He said, “There are seven local governments that make up the Edo South Senatorial District. We have heard from the Returning officers from the seven local government areas. From the collation, the cumulative result we have for Edo South Senatorial District is this; Ogbeide-Ihama with 27,154 votes, Imasuen with 13,580 votes and Ize-Iyamu with 6, 785.
“This is the total reflection of what has transpired from the ward level to the local government and the Edo South senatorial district collation centre. With this we await further directives from the National Secretariat, we have done our best by collating the results which is our mandate, to collate the results and send them to the National Secretariat.”
However, it was gathered that Ize-Iyamu emerged as the APC candidate for Edo South Senatorial race. He claimed to have clinched the party’s ticket after defeating Ogbeide-Ihama and Imasuen.
It was claimed that the Chief Returning Officer, Abubakar Muhammad Kabiru, officially declared Ize-Iyamu the winner after securing the highest number of votes cast.
On his part, the senator representing the district condemned the exercise describing it as a sham allegedly designed to favour a preferred aspirant.
Imasuen spoke while reacting to events at his polling unit in Umagbae North Ward 5, Urhokuosa where he said he was denied the opportunity to vote following what he described as a chaotic and manipulated process.
The lawmaker accused leaders of the party of openly adopting a preferred candidate ahead of the exercise and intimidating members into supporting that aspirant.
He said, “There is nothing satisfactory about this sham of election they did today and it is very unfortunate because as a loyal party member, I expected something better than this.”
He said the warning signs emerged days before the primary when some ward chairmen allegedly informed him that they had been directed not to receive him during consultations.
Imasuen claimed that some ward leaders openly told him the party had already adopted a preferred aspirant, identified as Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, making further consultations unnecessary.
Politics
Ajuloopin Suffers Setback as Home Ward Rejects Third Term Return Bid in Kwara APC Primary
The re-election bid of the member representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency, Hon. Raheem Tunji Olawuyi, popularly known as Ajuloopin, suffered a major setback on Friday after party members in his home ward, Omu-Aran Ward 1, boycotted the All Progressives Congress APC House of Representatives primary.
According to party stakeholders and observers present at the exercise, no valid election took place in the ward after members refused to participate in protest against what they described as the lawmaker’s poor performance after three consecutive terms in the House of Representatives.
Sources in the ward said efforts by some political figures and loyalists to persuade members to back Ajuloopin’s ambition failed, with party faithful insisting they would not endorse what they termed an attempt to impose his candidacy again.
The boycott led to a breakdown of the electoral process in Omu-Aran Ward 1, with many members staying away from the polls entirely. Stakeholders have called on the APC Electoral Committee to disregard any result purportedly presented from the ward, arguing that no credible primary was conducted there.
Political observers in the constituency described the development as a significant blow to Ajuloopin, noting that the rejection came from his own ward and among constituents most familiar with his record.
Preliminary reports from other parts of Irepodun, Isin and Oke-Ero local government areas, where voting proceeded, also indicated weak support for the incumbent. Many party members were said to have voted for alternative aspirants.
APC stakeholders have urged the party leadership to review reports from affected wards and accept only authentic and verifiable results to preserve the credibility of the primaries. They stressed that internal democracy was critical to the party’s prospects in the constituency and warned against imposing unpopular candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
With tension rising across the federal constituency, party faithful said the leadership must listen to grassroots members and allow delegates and supporters to determine the outcome of the primaries.
-
Business2 years ago
US court acquits Air Peace boss, slams Mayfield $4000 fine
-
Trending2 years agoNYA demands release of ‘abducted’ Imo chairman, preaches good governance
-
Politics2 years agoMexico’s new president causes concern just weeks before the US elections
-
Politics2 years agoPutin invites 20 world leaders
-
Politics2 years agoRussia bans imports of agro-products from Kazakhstan after refusal to join BRICS
-
Entertainment2 years ago
Bobrisky falls ill in police custody, rushed to hospital
-
Entertainment2 years ago
Bobrisky transferred from Immigration to FCID, spends night behind bars
-
Education2 years ago
GOVERNOR FUBARA APPOINTS COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR KEN SARO-WIWA POLYTECHNIC BORI
