News
Tambuwal Announces Defection To PDP, Sunday …As Ortom’s Defection Shocks APC
After weeks of discussions with leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, would defect to the opposition party, early next week.
Specifically, and barring last-minute hitches, sources close to the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, who was elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said he will defect on Sunday.
Penultimate week, Tambuwal, alongside the Kwara State Governor, AbdulFatah Ahmed, met with national leaders of the PDP.
Considered to be angling for the Presidency in 2019, the governor is said not to be in the good books of some powers in the Presidency, said to have been behind recent subtle media attacks on the governor over his policies in Sokoto State, among others.
The hitherto peaceful caliphate woke up to attacks by unknown persons who invaded the state from a border town.
After the mayhem, no fewer than 35 people were killed, thousands of people were displaced and several houses and other property were destroyed.
In a statement, Tambuwal attributed the widespread killings across the country and the seeming inability of the security agencies to secure lives and property of citizens to “failure of leadership” and ineptitude in spite of the huge amount of money being spent on security by the Buhari administration.
He also called for the re-jigging of the national security architecture, in order to make it more effective and efficient.
His attribution of the killings to “leadership failure,” sources said angered some forces in the presidency.
Besides, Tambuwal’s Agriculture policy, under the “Cattle Breeding, Milk and Beef Production Project,” which the Sokoto State Government said is designed to make the state a model of modern agriculture hub especially in animal husbandry that is driven by technology as against the current problematic mode of cattle herding in Nigeria, is also generating angst against him.
The source said, “Tambuwal’s cattle-breeding policy in Sokoto is said to be offensive to a Federal Government that is determined to set up cattle colonies. Following the senseless killing, this project that is to train the people ‘in the new and modern methods of Cattle Breeding for sustainable upgrading of our Local Cattle Breeds in the state and beyond for maximum productivity in terms of good quality Milk and Beef production’ is now in danger of abandonment, as many of the expatriate and other personnel working on the project, have become so frightened by the recent carnage that they are now expressing unwillingness to remain in the area. The horrendous killings were curiously carried out in the same Rabah area of the state where this project is sited.
“The ill fate that befell Sokoto was just a mindless ploy by some interests, to bully Governor Tambuwal, and blackmail him into abandoning his 2019 presidential ambition. But the governor has made up his mind. He will the APC and decamp to the PDP on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday said it was stunned by the defection of Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
APC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullah said: “The governor had left the (reconciliatory) meeting saying he was satisfied with the assurances given by party leaders. We are still working on giving effect to the resolutions from the meeting. Therefore, we are somewhat surprised by Governor Ortom’s decision.
“The party reiterates its earlier position that it respects the rights of every citizen to chose their political affiliation but expresses hope that those who have left the party will rescind their decisions.
“Even with this development, we don’t think it is too late for reconciliation. We have to continue to talk.
As long as people keep their minds open and have the courage to put the real issues on the table, reconciliation is still possible.
“We once again call on members across the country to remain calm as the party leadership continues to work hard to position the party strongly for the next general elections.”
A wave of defection in the National Assembly on Tuesday robbed the party of 14 senators and 37 members of the federal House of Representatives.
In what seemed a desperate move to stop the revolt, President Muhammadu Buhari reportedly held a meeting last night with all APC senators.
Ortom last week had declared that the APC handed him a “red card”, prompting the party’s national chairman Adams Oshiomhole to engage the governor in peace overtures.
But as he left Government House for Abuja yesterday to honour another leg of the peace parley, his convoy was blocked by hundreds of placard-carrying youths protesting his continued romance with the ruling party.
The youths, led by one Dave Ogbole, swore the governor must abort the mission or run over them.
They threatened that if he attended the meeting, he would be voted out in next year’s general election.
Ortom’s plea for passage and promise to consider their interests were rebuffed. He conceded, turned around and returned to base. Shortly after, he announced his defection.
At a meeting with the state’s 13 local government chairmen and 276 councilors in Makurdi, he said: “I have formally resigned from APC to PDP and have presented my letter of resignation to the party chairman of my ward.
The chairman and other officers of my ward also indicated their interest to join me in my new party. I am too young to retire from politics.
“I was in PDP and I discovered that my interest was not protected. That was why I left the party.
Now, I am in APC and I discovered to my dismay that my interest and that of my people are not being protected in the APC. The party has been hijacked and is being robbed by one man who is behaving like a dictator.
“But now that the PDP is rebranded and a lot of reforms are going on to ensure that the true tenets of democracy are observed, I feel that if I return to the party I will be able to add value to my people.
I intend to consult widely with other aspirants, most of whom are my brothers.
I do not have issues with them resisting my coming back to the party. The more the merrier. And I think we are stronger together.”
Ortom regretted that aggression against him persisted despite efforts by the national body of the APC to broker peace between him and some party members in the state.
He expressed dismay at alleged smear campaigns against him by the same people that endorsed him for a second term during the state’s party congress.
“I was the one that advised them to allow other people to contest for governorship with me, in line with the tenets of democracy.
They said they endorsed me because I performed creditably.
I wonder why the same crop of people are now criticising my administration.”
In separate remarks, the leader of the Councilors’ Forum, Tom Hanmaikyur and chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Anthony Shawon, pledged on behalf of their colleagues to follow the governor to any party he picks.
They also promised to support the actualisation of his political dreams.
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu meanwhile has opened up on one of the events that preceded Tuesday’s mass defection.
He had been invited to the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for questioning over alleged charges.
“I agreed to follow them but they were not eager to let me answer the invitation,” he told reporters.
According to him, the action was a ploy to keep him away from presiding over the widely anticipated defection.
Senate President Bukola Saraki was also stopped from honouring a police invitation but managed to evade the blockade.
He described the incident as a “decline in our democracy” and a “dangerous development”.
Also, the PDP and Social Democratic Party (SDP) have jointly criticised the current APC administration, saying Buhari is a common enemy who must be unseated in 2019.
SDP’s spokesperson Princess Goldba Tolofari told her PDP counterpart Kola Ologbondiyan when she paid a courtesy visit: “They (APC) are not democrats.
That is why things are deteriorating and we cannot watch and see things going the way they are.”
Ologbodinyan said the mission to rescue Nigeria was already on. He welcomed Ortom to the PDP and urged others to follow suit.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled attempts by drug trafficking syndicates to smuggle illicit substances concealed in carton walls, winter jackets, and body cream containers through Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a Lagos-based courier firm.
The agency said two consignments bound for Italy were intercepted at the Lagos airport, leading to the arrest of suspects linked to the shipments.
In a statement released yesterday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said one of the suspects, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was intercepted on Friday, March 20, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome, Italy.
The statement partly read, “Two of the consignments heading to Italy were to be moved through the Lagos airport where two suspects linked to the shipments were promptly arrested.
“One of them, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was going to Rome, Italy on Friday, March 20, 2026, when he was intercepted while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight with 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in containers of skin-lightening body cream, all packed in the suspect’s luggage.
“In his statement, Ehianuka, who is a resident of Milan, confirmed that he was to be paid a negotiated fee in Euros if he had succeeded in trafficking the consignment to Italy.”
In another operation on Wednesday, March 18, Babafemi said NDLEA officers at the departure hall intercepted another passenger, Christian Agbonhese, attempting to board a Lufthansa flight to Milan.
A search of his luggage uncovered 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg, 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg, and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg concealed in two large winter jackets.
“No fewer than 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg; 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg; and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg, all concealed in two large winter jackets, bringing the total number of opioids recovered from him to 28,470 pills. The 38-year-old Agbonhese is also a resident of Milan,” the statement added.
In a separate operation at a courier firm in Lagos, Babafemi said NDLEA officers on Monday, March 16, intercepted two parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 1kg, hidden in a carton shipped from the United States.
“Also thwarted was an attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the walls of a carton to New Zealand,” he said.
In Kano State, operatives arrested Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, with 102.5kg of skunk at Dan-Tsalle, while another suspect, Uche Johnson Festus, 47, was nabbed at Naibawa Gabas with 95.5kg of the same substance.
Babafemi said the agency also recovered 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup during a raid at Otto, Ijora area of Lagos on Wednesday, March 18, adding that two suspects, Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, were arrested the same day on the Third Mainland Bridge while conveying 8,380 bottles of the syrup.
In Edo State, operatives recovered 97.5kg of skunk from the residence of Akeem Idde, 37, in Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area on March 16.
In the FCT, officers intercepted a commercial bus along the Gwagwalada Expressway on March 18, recovering 91,840 pills of tramadol hidden in body compartments of the vehicle. The driver, Aminu Ali, 27, was arrested.
In Oyo State, a suspect, Bankole Bari, was on Tuesday, March 17, arrested at Oke-Oyan, Ibarapa LGA, with 71.2kg of skunk, which he smuggled into Nigeria from Benin Republic through the Oyan River.
In a similar development, “Not less than 586,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 were recovered by NDLEA operatives from Lawal Anas, 28, along Kaduna-Zaria Highway, Kaduna, on Tuesday, March 17, while 7,290 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from Musa Shuaibu, 22, at the same location on Friday, March 20,” Babafemi said.
In Taraba State, officers intercepted Aliyu Adamu, 26, along the Takum-Jalingo Highway with 77,660 capsules of tramadol, while in Adamawa State, six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol in a truck in Yola.
The suspects include Ramatu Aliyu, Jungudo Abdullahi, Najid Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, Usman Abdulrahim, and Musa Mohammed.
The agency said its commands across the country also intensified War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, and communities during the week.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, and Adamawa commands for the arrests and seizures, urging them to sustain the balanced approach to drug control efforts.
News
RSG Applauds FRSC, NDLEA For Enhancing Security In Rivers …As NDLEA Pushes For Drug Tests In Schools, NYSC Camps
The Rivers State Government has commended the dedication and collaboration of federal government agencies in sustaining security in the State.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the State Commander of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), CN Bature Dawa, in Port Harcourt, last week, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Dagogo Wokoma, said Governor Siminalayi Fubara appreciates the strong synergy between the agencies in promoting his administration’s vision of peace, prosperity and progress in the State.
Wokoma urged residents to remain law-abiding, noting that respect for the law is essential for good governance and sustainable development in all parts of the state.
He stated that the governor has remained committed to initiatives that promote peace and social order, stressing that the administration will continue to support programmes of federal agencies aimed at strengthening security and public safety.
“Our governor is committed to peace, progress and prosperity in Rivers State. I therefore encourage all residents, especially young people who are often targeted by those involved in drug abuse, to stay away from drugs, crime and reckless driving,” he said.
In his remarks, the State NDLEA boss, Dawa, disclosed that the agency has arrested 39 suspects in the state from December 2025 to date, including 16 new cases currently under investigation.
He explained that the NDLEA, through its Drug Demand Reduction and Drug Supply Control Units, has intensified efforts to curb the spread of illicit drugs and ensure offenders are brought to justice.
Dawa also called on parents and guardians to closely monitor their children, while urging hotel owners and managers to remain vigilant and prevent their facilities from being used for drug-related activities.
He further advocated the introduction of drug integrity tests in schools and within the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as part of measures to discourage drug abuse among young people.
In a related development, Dr Wokoma received the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), CC Inyang Umoh, during a courtesy visit, and urged residents to abide by road safety laws and drive in consideration of other road users.
In his remarks, the FRSC boss expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the continuous support to the Corps.
Muslims in Rivers State have commended Governor Siminialayi Fubara for his dedication and commitment to the development of the state.
They also lauded the governor for promoting peaceful co-existence among various religious groups in the state.
Vice President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs ,Alhaji Nasil Awhelegbe Uhor, gave the commendation last Friday during the Eid-el Fitri prayer to mark the end of Ramadan fasting period, at the Port Harcourt Central Mosque, Niger Street, Port Harcourt.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the prayer, Alhaji Uhor said Governor Fubara has shown exemplary leadership in the affairs of the state.
Uhor who is the leader of the South South Muslim Ummah of Nigeria, called on Muslims to remain committed to the ideal of peace and fear of the Almighty Allah.
According to the Rivers State Islamic leader, the message is for Muslims to imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink into their lives and shape their ways of doing things.
He urged Muslims to imbibe the culture of love and respect for one another.
“My message is that all Muslims should imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink with them,” he advised.
Uhor stressed the need for Muslims and all Nigerians to remain patriotic, while avoiding all forms of anti-social behaviours.
He also called on the political leaders to put the country first, stressing that there is no need for Nigerians to continue to wallow in abject poverty when the country is so rich with natural resources.
Also speaking, the Chief Imam of Rivers State, Alhaji Ibrahim S Yalo, urged Muslims to fear God, and speak the truth always.
According to him, time has come for Nigerians to cultivate the habit of peaceful coexistence, speak the truth and be each others keeper.
“Nigerians own a duty to ensure peace, live together in fear of God and speak the truth always,” he said.
By: John Bibor
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