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Alleged N650m fraud: PDP chieftain, Otiti, loses bid for foreign medical trip

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The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday dismissed the plea by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mrs. Olanrewaju Otiti, to travel abroad to get treatment for a liver-related ailment.

Otiti, who is standing trial for an alleged fraud of N650m, had pleaded with the court to order the release of her passport so that she could travel to America to receive treatment for a liver-related ailment.

Her lawyer, Akinola Oladeji, had told the judge that his client has “two cysts on the left and one on the right,” adding that the condition could not be treated in Nigeria.

But Justice Muslim Hassan, in a ruling on Wednesday, said the politician failed to prove that her ailment could not be treated in a Nigerian hospital.

The judge observed that the medical report which Otiti attached to her application was “a mere computer-generated document without any foundation of authenticity.”

He said he was afraid that if allowed to travel, Otiti might not return to face her trial and “it would be difficult to secure her arrest in the United States of America.”

Justice Hassan said he found Otiti’s application lacking in merit, saying, “and same is hereby dismissed.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had, while opposing the application, described Otiti as “a flight risk.” But the defence counsel, Oladeji, protested that the anti-graft agency was being unfair to his client.

Oladeji said Otiti had been suffering from the liver-related ailment for long, stressing that she was abroad receiving treatment when the EFCC first telephoned her to come and make a written statement.

Oladeji said out of respect for the law, his client abandoned her treatment in the US and returned, adding that after making the statement, she returned to the US to resume the treatment, only for the EFCC to, again, invite her, an invitation which she again obliged.

“For the EFCC to call her a flight risk is a most unfair statement. We have stated that the ailment she’s suffering from is a liver disorder,” Oladeji said.

He had informed the court about a medical report from the University Teaching Hospital in Ibadan, which, according to him, stated that the PDP chieftain had “two cysts on the left and one on the right,” adding that the condition could not be treated in Nigeria.

“This is just a confirmation that the operation can only be done in the United States of America.

“We have stated that her complete medical history is with the hospital and, indeed, she was referred there from Nigeria,” Oladeji added.

Justice Hassan, after rejecting Otiti’s application on Wednesday, adjourned till May 16, 2018 for continuation of trial.

Otiti is facing 24 charges of money laundering alongside a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Jumoke Akinjide, and Senator Ayo Adeseun.

The trio were arraigned on January 16, 2018.

The EFCC, in the charges, accused them of collecting N650m from a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, in the build-up to the 2015 general elections.

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Politics Should Be About Issues, Not Violence – Let’s Protect Our Democracy, Says Tinubu

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I have followed recent reports of violence accompanying political events in different parts of the country.

Every form of violence stands condemned. Violence should never have a place in our political campaigns as we move toward the 2027 general elections.

Our campaigns should be about issues, a contestation of ideas that promote the welfare of our people and the progress of our country.

As the leader of this country, I commit myself to a peaceful, free, and fair election, and I urge political leaders and supporters across party lines to conduct themselves responsibly.

I have said that being in different political parties or pursuing different ambitions does not make us enemies.

As Nigerians, we are members of the same household living in different rooms. Therefore, our politics must elevate human conditions and focus on national progress and development.

I want to reiterate my previous directive to the security agencies: be strict and firm against anyone who seeks to test our resolve and will to preserve public order.

Our administration is committed to an orderly and peaceful election, and all political parties and candidates should be protected and free to campaign anywhere in the country without molestation or fear for their safety.

We shall not tolerate any irresponsible conduct by politicians and their supporters.

Security agencies are therefore authorised to confront thuggery and other anti-social and anti-democratic activities with full force.

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Update : THE COURAGE TO REFORM” BOOK TO BE UNVEILED DECEMBER 1 ,

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“The Central Planning Committee for the official unveiling of the book, The Courage to Reform: Architecture of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Beyond 2027 — Statecraft, Vision for National Renewal, has announced Tuesday, December 1, 2026, as the new date for the highly anticipated ceremony.

The unveiling, which was initially scheduled for Thursday, November 5, 2026, at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, was earlier postponed following adjustments to the official schedule of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, who is the Special Guest of Honour at the occasion.

HON. IMAAN SULAIMAN-IBRAHIM
Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development
Chairperson, Central Planning Committee

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2027: Tinubu Dares Obi, Atiku to Showcase Their Achievements in Office, Accuses Them of Abandoning Their Responsibilities

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President Bola Tinubu has criticised former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over their political affiliations, questioning their leadership credentials ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Tinubu made the remarks on Friday during his visit to Akwa Ibom State, where he inaugurated projects executed by Governor Umo Eno’s administration and addressed supporters at a political gathering.

Although he did not mention either politician by name, he appeared to refer to Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, and Atiku, who joined the African Democratic Congress after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party.

Referring to Obi’s tenure as Anambra governor, Tinubu accused him of failing to tackle erosion in the state, contrasting it with his own claim of confronting the Atlantic Ocean during his administration as Lagos governor.

“One, who said he is in one party they call NDC, who is running for president. He ran away from erosion. In Anambra State, he could not confront erosion.

“I, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I confronted the Atlantic Ocean. I claim it for you. Umo Eno confronted the erosion in Akwa Ibom and is working for, he is stable,” the President said.

Tinubu also questioned the political loyalty of a former PDP member who moved to another party, in an apparent reference to Atiku’s defection to the ADC.

“If a man that was, once upon a time, was a baby of PDP, became a father of PDP. And because of a little inconvenience, he ran away from that party. And formed a dangerous ADC in another party. Is that a leadership trait? Is that a leadership character? And he wants you to vote for him?” he said.

Obi governed Anambra State between 2006 and 2014, while Atiku served as Nigeria’s Vice-President from 1999 to 2007 under the PDP.

Atiku contested the 2023 presidential election on the PDP platform, finishing second behind Tinubu, while Obi, who contested under the Labour Party, came third.

Obi left the Labour Party for the NDC in May 2026, while Atiku joined the ADC as part of opposition efforts ahead of the 2027 election.

Tinubu’s reference to Anambra’s erosion problem recalls his 2023 presidential campaign promise to tackle the menace in the state.

During a campaign rally in Awka in February 2023, the then APC presidential candidate promised to address gully erosion in Anambra, saying he would handle it in the same way he claimed to have tackled the Atlantic Ocean surge in Lagos.

“I have come here to promise you development. We will industrialise Nigeria and Anambra State. You know me, I am the city boy of Lagos; I caged the Atlantic Ocean in Lagos; the way I handled the Atlantic Ocean in Lagos, I will handle the erosion menace in Anambra State,” he said at the time.

 

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