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APC Supporters, Others Fight Dirty Over Umahi’s N50,000 Gift

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4 years ago

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It was a free-for-all-fight at the National Secretariat of the All  Progressives Congress (APC), Abuja on Wednesday as drivers, security officials and supporters of the ruling party exchanged blows over a cash gift from Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi.
Umahi, who is also a presidential aspirant of the party, had come to see the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, two days after he was screened by the John Odigie-Oyegun-led presidential screening committee in Abuja.
After the closed door meeting, which lasted over an hour, Umahi brushed aside questions from journalists and headed for his car.
As he made to enter, the governor turned and threw a bale of N50,000 crispy notes at the waiting crowd of party supporters and secretariat workers who were bidding him goodbye.
His action created a stir as many APC supporters, security details and drivers exchanged blows as they rushed to share the largesse.
Umahi was one of the 23 aspirants recently screened by the Odigie-Oyegun’s screening panel at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.
The other 22 aspirants included National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Senior Pastor of the Citadel Global Church, Tunde Bakare; former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba; Jigawa State Governor, Mohammed Badaru; Senator Ajayi Borroffice; former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani and US-based Pastor, Nicholas Felix.
Others were the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello and Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade.
The remaining were oil magnate, Tein Jack-Rich; Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti; former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu; former Minister of Information under the late General Sani Abacha regime, Ikeobasi Mokelu and embattled former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha.
The Tide reports that the outcome of the APC screening exercise which ended on Tuesday is still being awaited as at the time of filing this report.
The Tide also reports that the party’s presidential primary which was initially scheduled to hold on May 29/30 at the Eagle Square, Abuja, will now hold between June 6-8 at the same venue.
The main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), successfully concluded its presidential primary last Sunday with the former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku, emerging as the party’s flagbearer.

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Firefighters battle New Year Day inferno in Abuja, several states

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7 days ago

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January 2, 2026

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Federal Fire Service FFS entered the New Year on full operational alert, tackling multiple fire outbreaks across the country from midnight into the early hours of January 1, 2026, in what officials described as one of the busiest festive-season deployments in recent years.
The intensified nationwide response followed a December 2025 directive issued by the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, who had ordered that no firefighter should proceed on leave throughout the holidays.
According to a statement by the National Public Relations Officer and Head of Corporate Services of the FFS, DCF Paul Abraham, the no-leave policy proved critical as the Service moved swiftly to contain fires in several states.
The Federal Capital Territory FCT recorded its first fire incident of the year barely twenty-three minutes after midnight when flames erupted at Cake Hot Restaurant located within River Plate Park, Wuse, Abuja.
Abraham said fire crews from the Federal Fire Service and the FCT Fire Service arrived promptly and were able to stop the blaze before it could spread through the popular recreational centre.
While a section of the garden area was destroyed, no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded.
Officials said property worth an estimated ?1.5 billion was saved, although losses were placed at about ?500 million.
“Preliminary findings suggested that the fire was triggered by objects thrown during New Year celebrations, reinforcing long-standing warnings over the dangers posed by fireworks during the harmattan season”, the Service said.
The Controller General had repeatedly urged Nigerians to avoid fireworks, candles and open flames indoors, warning that the dry winds characteristic of the season allow fires to spread rapidly.
He also warned the public about electrical faults and power surges and advised that electrical appliances be switched off and unplugged when not in use or when occupants leave their homes, stressing that overloading sockets and extension boxes remains a significant cause of domestic fires.
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Enugu North LG chairman presents ?10.8bn 2026 Budget, prioritises roads …Security, Healthcare, Human Capital Development

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7 days ago

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January 2, 2026

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Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area in Enugu State, Dr. Ibenaku Harford Onoh, has presented a Ten Billion Eight Hundred Million Naira (?10.8bn) 2026 budget to the legislative council of the local government.
The budget, tagged “Budget of Continued Growth and Consolidation,” was presented on Wednesday during a plenary session attended by councillors, department heads, and other stakeholders.
Dr. Onoh explained that the 2026 budget is designed to consolidate achievements recorded in 2025 while scaling up development across the council’s 13 wards. Priority areas include road infrastructure, grassroots security, healthcare delivery, youth empowerment, and digital governance.
He also reviewed the 2025 budget performance, highlighting significant revenue growth and successful completion of key projects. Notably, the council’s internally generated revenue more than doubled, attributed to the introduction of digital revenue collection platforms and other innovative measures.
Among the 2025 achievements, Dr. Onoh mentioned the reconstruction of major roads at European Quarters, Hilltop, Coal Camp, and Ukwa Street, Ihewuishi, as well as the upgrade of the local security architecture through the reorganisation of the neighbourhood watch into “The City Watch.”
On the 2026 budget, the chairman stated that projected revenue would come from statutory allocations, VAT, internally generated revenue, and counterpart funding through public-private partnerships.
He noted that capital expenditure would take the larger share of the budget, with over half allocated to the economic sector. Planned projects include:
Completion of transport terminals at Aria Market
Construction and reconstruction of urban roads
Establishment of two sports centres
Healthcare interventions
Youth skills development programmes.
Dr. Onoh emphasised that the projects, policies, and programmes outlined in the budget are aimed at complementing the initiatives of Governor Peter Ndubisi Mbah, who is setting standards for local government councils to follow.
Responding, the Leader of the Legislative Council, Rt. Hon. Chizoba Nnamani, said the budget would be carefully scrutinised in the interest of residents before its passage.
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Christians Convert To Islam or die As ISWAP burns down Christian village

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7 days ago

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January 2, 2026

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Christians in Adamawa have been asked to Convert to Islam or die as commanded by the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).
.The ISWAP forcedly burnt down Christian village in Adamawa Nigeria as reported on January 1, 2026.
The Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, has continued to wreak havoc on Christian communities in the Northeast, Nigeria.
This comes as ISWAP burned down a Christian village in Adamawa State.
A security expert, Brant Philip, disclosed this on Thursday in a viral video released by the terrorists.
“ISWAP released an image of one of the Christian villages in Adamawa State burning, alongside a statement saying that all Christians in Nigeria are legitimate targets, and they have an opportunity to “spare their blood” by converting to Islam or paying the jizyah tax to ISWAP,” Brant Philip wrote on X.
The move is perceived as retaliation for recent joint airstrikes by the Nigerian and United States military against a terrorist enclave in Sokoto, Nigeria.
Recall that five days ago, United States President Donald Trump announced that the US military launched airstrikes against terrorists in Sokoto State.
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