Vanguard is reporting that barring any last minute change, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State, Dr. Olajide Adeniran, popularly known as Jandor, may pick Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele, as his running mate.

Vanguard was told by a reliable source that Jandor settled for Funke Akindele after unveiling her to party chieftains at a meeting held in Lagos.

A top PDP leader, who spoke to Vanguard in confidence, said Jandor refused the choice of Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour to be his running mate.

The source said: “He (Jandor) introduced her before elders of the party and local government chairman this week.

“You know, this thing has limitation because of the new Electoral Act (amended) which says the candidate has the right to choose his running mate, but he must consult with leaders and elders of the party.

“Since he refused the choice of Rhodes-Vivour, there is nothing we can do about it. He has since settled for Funke Akindele. “I have never heard of her, but she was presented before the elders of the party. I understand she is a lawyer and an actress. The candidate will announce the choice of Funke Akindele soon.”

Recall that the PDP chairmen of the 20 local governments in the state had endorsed Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour as the deputy governorship candidate.

“The Chairmen noted that Rhodes-Vivour would bring his wealth of knowledge and expertise to bear in effectively governing Lagos, especially given several years of misgovernance by the All Progressives Congress, APC.”

The PDP council Chairmen said in a signed letter that “as the Chairmen and Managers of our great Party, the PDP in Lagos State, we consider it to be well within our rights and obligations to play a major – nay, a leading – role in guiding our Party in the choice of its flagbearers for elective positions at various levels in the state as we begin the countdown to the 2023 general elections.”

The Chairmen further noted that several electoral benefits and criteria were considered before their endorsement.

Some of the criteria listed were “that the deputy governorship candidate should be a young person who can also be relied upon in terms of galvanizing electoral value across the length and breadth of the state.”

The Chairmen stated that “we hereby endorse Architect Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (fondly known as GRV among his teeming admirers), as the absolute best option among those that have indicated their interest in becoming the deputy-governorship candidate of our great Party in the 2023 polls.”

Culled from Vanguard Newspapers

The lead negotiator for the release of the kidnapped Abuja-Kaduna Train passengers, Malam Tukur Mamu, has revealed that the same group which launched the March 28 attack on the Kaduna-bound train, was responsible for the attack on Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in Abuja on Tuesday night.

Mamu, who is the publisher of Desert Herald newspapers based in Kaduna and Dan Iya of Fika Emirate of Yobe State, said the terrorist group had hinted him on the attack on the custodial facility and others, which he subsequently passed the information to the Nigeria’s security agencies but they didn’t act.

Reacting to the attack on the Kuje Prison on Wednesday, Mamu, who is also the media consultant to the popular Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Gumi, said he was quitting the voluntary assignment of negotiation with the terrorists over government’s insincere attitude.

He also said his own life was in danger, adding that if anything untoward happens to him, the terrorists should not be blamed but the corrupt system.

In a statement personally signed by Mamu and sent to LEADERSHIP, he said his decision was informed by his frustration and failure of relevant government officials to do the needful in avoiding the Kuje Prison attack and the continued sufferings of the abducted train passengers.

“This is probably the last I will ever dabble on the above subject matter, because of the frustrations and failure of relevant official stakeholders to take prompt and painful decisions, in the interest of the citizens of a nation that have been consumed by insecurity and avoidable attacks.

“With all the billions in budgetary allocations on security, with instances of few becoming billionaires at the expense of innocent lives, we must accept the fact that the current system has collapsed.

“This is also to confirm to Nigerians that after unnecessary delays and despite the milestone we reached in efforts to secure the release of the remaining victims of Abuja-Kaduna train attack, there was indeed a fresh threat by the abductors that they will  to start slaughter their victims yesterday, Tuesday, 5th July, 2022. I was crying on audio after listening to their recorded message and pleading with them. Their renewed threat was as a result of our (FG’s) failure to convey to them a definite response regarding their two demands I consider worth giving speedy approval especially if one will take into cognizance the value of the innocent lives that are with them and in a country where one person will steal far more than what they are requesting for.

“As a result of my engagement, they gave us opportunity to respond to their demands but we failed to do so on four different occasions which resulted to the recent threat. For me, there’s no difference between corrupt officials or contractors that are committing treason against the nation by way of stealing the resources that will benefit everybody, monies that will stop preventable deaths in our hospitals due to decaying structures, improve standards of education and even stop insecurity and crimes, with the terrorists that emerged because of this sad reality and now unleashing terror on the entire society.

“It was after the failure of the fourth opportunity that they angrily issued the fresh threat to start slaughtering their victims yesterday, Tuesday. After much pleading with them, tolerated abuses and begged them to allow individual family members to contact them directly, they gave today, Wednesday, 6th July, that if there is nothing definite from family members they will start executing their threat. I immediately passed this disturbing intelligence to all the relevant security agencies, the National Assembly leadership and other stakeholders. But sadly as at today, Wednesday, which is the dead line they gave, there is no word from anybody. I have nevertheless sent words to them to reconsider their threat and allow family members to reach out to them.

“And even on the tendency and threat to attack targets and other facilities of interest like the Kuje Correctional Centre attack, I have shared that intelligence with the security agencies and the committee that was constituted by CDS Gen. Lucky Irabor. I can confirm without doubt that the Kuje Correctional Centre attack was executed and coordinated by the same group that attacked the Abuja-Kaduna bound train, because they gave indications of imminent attacks to that effect which I shared.

“For the records, they requested for the release of 51 of their members. But through power of dialogue and engagement I was able to singlehandedly scaled that number to only 10 and communicated with audio backing the development to the relevant authorities. There was unnecessary delay on giving them even a precise feedback by the government and now they have not only succeeded in carrying out another successful attack that indicts the nature of our intelligence and capacity to respond promptly but have also succeeded in releasing dozens of their members which would have been averted if action has been taken to give them only 10 and secure the release of the train victims.

“In all, this risky, painful and frustrating engagement which government is yet to acknowledge and appreciate, I have more than 100 documented audios that I shared with the relevant authorities. For the purpose of this important press release and  to authenticate my claims, I will also share 4 of the latest audios.

“And for the records, since after our successful mission that led to the release of the 11 victims, I have made up my mind then to disengage completely from this voluntary service to a nation that doesn’t appreciate sacrifices because of the above reasons and many more but I was instructed on humanitarian grounds by my principal, Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi to exercise patience and continue. But with the current sad development at the highest official level of government, I am formally announcing my withdrawal completely from this service and to announce to the world that my life is also being threatened. It should also be on record that if anything happens to me, certainly it is not the terrorists but within the corrupt society we are in,” Mamu stated.

Culled from Leadership Newspapers.

According to TMZ , Authorities say Robert Crimo received help from his father in obtaining a gun permit in 2020, who allegedly sponsored his then 19-year-old son for a FOID (firearm owners identification) card, which he needed to buy the semi-automatic weapon, despite alarming incidents just months earlier.

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has insisted that his recent visit to the Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, was not for a gang-up.

Obi met with Wike in Abuja, after the governor lost the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to Atiku Abubakar.

There were reports that the former Anambra Governor, who dumped the PDP prior to the main opposition party’s presidential primaries, was in Port Harcourt to form an alliance with Wike or to convince him to join the Labour Party.

Peter Obi cleared the air on the issue on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Wednesday. He stated that,

“I met Governor Wike because he is the Governor of a state that is creative enough to have a future,” Obi said.