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Guber aspirant accuses Oyegun, NWC of manipulating ward congress

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A governorship aspirant in Ebonyi state under the All Progressive Congress, APC, Dr Adol Awam Chris on Wednesday said no ward Congress have so far been held in his Ebonyi Local Government Area.

Mr Awam also raised alarm of plans by some members of the state Working Committee of the party of trying to stage a kangaroo congress in his local government.

He accused some SWC members of working in conjunction with the John Oyegun led National Working Committee to write fake results and submit same to the National office so as fix delegates who will vote for them at the party’s state and national conventions in a desperate bid to retain their positions.

This is even as a member of the party Achi Simeon was attacked by some members of another faction of the party on his way to Mr Awam’s meeting.

Last Saturday’s local government ward congress in Ebonyi was marred with irregularities as two separate factions allegedly held parallel congress in the state.

The  Eze Nwachukwu led faction which enjoys the support of Oyegun and the NWC had opted for harmonisation among party stakeholders so as to remove rancour and controver.

However, Mr Nwachukwu on Saturday night confirmed that four local governments including Ebonyi could not harmonise adding that a new date will be fixed for the conduct of the congress for them.

Also, the Congress committee Chairman had said any local government that fails to harmonise, a new date will be announced for the conduct of their own ward congress.

“But, yesterday without announcing it or informing us, some members of the party came and said they were coming to conduct congress”, Mr Awam told reporters at the Ugwuachara Primary School.

He was there to brief his constituents on the latest situation in the party with regards to the ward congress.

“There was nothing like congress in Ebonyi local government area whether on Saturday, Sunday or even today.  If anybody presents any result at the party secretariat whether in the state or at the national headquarters then it is a doctored result”.

“On Saturday, the Committee sent to conduct congress said we should harmonise but we were not able to harmonise till now. But we got information from someone that our congress will hold today. But the Chairman did not inform me of this. I called INEC and they said they are not aware”.

“They said they got later from the party today notifying them of the inability of pour local government to conduct the election. They further told me that we have to give them at least 7 days in line with the electoral law to come and conduct the election”.

“So how will they conduct the congress for our local government without INEC or Police presence?”, Awa said.

While calling on the state chapter of the party to allow internal democracy in the party if the party must defeat the ruling People’s Democratic Party(PDP), Mr Awam accused the National Working Committee of the party of orchestrating the crisis, violence and irregularities that characterized the exercises in many states of the federation to remain in power.

According to him, declaring harmonization in the congresses of the party without going to the field to enable members of the party to freely elect their leaders was undemocratic and unconstitutional

“We came from the ACN that formed this our great party, APC but the manipulation in the congress shows that they want to completely remove the ACN family from the APC  in the scheme of things as far as Ebonyi state is concerned and we will not agree, I will take it up with to any level they want it”, he said.

Awam who was a former Chairman of the local government accused a faction of the party in the state of imposing harmonization in the congresses to sideline some leaders of the party and called for what he  described as ‘real congress’ in Ebonyi local government area.

“As far as Ebonyi local government is concerned, there was no ward congress. A faction of the party cooked result and said congress has been conducted. I have already written to appeal panel and I will follow my petition to ensure that justice is done.

“I also wrote to the state Chairman of the party and he acknowledged the petition. I drew his mind to the electoral act which states that since the congress did not hold on the announced date, they have to give at least seven days before another one can hold and up till now, he has not told me there would be congress in my local government”, he stated.

Mr Nwachukwu did not take numerous calls placed to his phone. He also did not reply messages sent to him at press time.

Also Mr Bolaji Abdulahi, National Publicity Secretary of the party could equally not be reached for comments.

Meanwhile, Mr Simeon Achi narrated how he was attacked at Udensi roundabout for no other reason than he was supporting Mr Awam.

Mr Achi who said he was attacked near Udensi roundabout by three men sustained injuries on his face and hand from the attack.

“I was in a bus coming to this place from town. As we got to Udensi roundabout, someone wanted to drop so I came down to enable the person to alight from the bus. Then these three young men who were in the bus came down and started beating. They told me that they are attacking me because I was supporting Adol Awam. I don’t know their names but I know them by face, they are members of another faction of our party”, the victim said.

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Update : FG, States, LGs Share N1.894trn February Revenue from Federation Account

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The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared a total of N1.894 trillion among the three tiers of government as federation allocation for February 2026.

According to a statement issued on Friday by the Federal Ministry of Finance, the distribution was made from a gross revenue of N2.230 trillion generated during the month.

From the amount shared, the Federal Government received N675.086 billion, the 36 states received N651.525 billion, while the 774 local government councils got N456.467 billion. Oil-producing states also received an additional N110.949 billion as derivation revenue, representing 13 per cent of mineral proceeds.

The statement further disclosed that N77.302 billion was paid to revenue-generating agencies as the cost of collection, while N259.078 billion was allocated for transfers, interventions and refunds.

The ministry explained that gross revenue from Value Added Tax (VAT) for February stood at N668.450 billion, compared to N1.083 trillion distributed in the preceding month, indicating a decline of N414.710 billion.

From the VAT revenue, N26.738 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while N22.593 billion was set aside for transfers, interventions and refunds.

The remaining N619.119 billion was shared among the three tiers of government, with the Federal Government receiving N61.912 billion, the states N340.515 billion and local government councils N216.692 billion.

Similarly, the gross statutory revenue of N1.561 trillion recorded in February was lower than the N1.957 trillion received in the previous month, representing a decrease of N395.138 billion.

From the statutory revenue, N50.564 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while N236.485 billion was allocated for transfers, interventions and refunds.

The balance of N1.274 trillion was distributed as follows: the Federal Government received N613.174 billion, states got N311.010 billion, and local governments received N239.776 billion, while N110.949 billion was allocated as derivation revenue to oil-producing states.

New tax regime designed to boost growth, ease burden on Nigerians — Experts
The ministry noted that revenue from oil and gas royalty as well as excise duty recorded significant increases during the period.

However, it added that collections from Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Hydrocarbon Tax (HT), Companies Income Tax (CIT), Capital Gains Tax (CGT), Stamp Duties (SDT) and Value Added Tax (VAT) declined substantially during the month under review.

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Contempt of Court: How Onwukwem and Associates Ended Up in Jail in Lagos

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In what looked like a syndicate, a Lagos Lanlord, Mr. Lawrence Onwukwem and his gang, who specialise in swindling innocent Nigerians through properties in their care, have run into trouble and earned jail terms for fraud and illegal eviction of a couple, Mr. Olusola Alabi and his wife, Mrs. Olufunmilola Alabi, who rented an apartment from them and were summarily frustrated.

Like a thief whose time of reckoning has come, Onwukwem, alongside his accomplice; Mr. Davies Ijele, Mr. Sodiq Kazeem, and Ms. Peace Igbo, who operates under Green Birch Tech Ltd, was recently jailed for six months each by a Lagos Chief Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Eti-Osa for contempt of court.

The imprisonment of the defendants is due to the contemptuous order of the court. The court held them in contempt, which they displayed all through the court proceedings.

In the charges, marked MISC/MCE/07/2023, the court invoked Section 44(1)(a) of the Tenancy Law of Lagos State 2011 as amended against the Defendants by convicting the Directors of the 1st Defendant (including the 2nd Defendant, Mr. Lawrence Onwukwem (Managing Director) and Mr. Isaiah Davies ljele) and one Sodiq Kazeem, the Estate Manager and one Ms. Chidinmma Igbo, all of the 1st Defendant, for forceful ejection of the Claimant/Applicant for the three (3) Bedroom flat and one (1) Room Boys Quarters with appurtenances situate, lying and being at Block A, Flat 3, No. 96B, Ladipo Omotosho Cole Street, Lekki I, Eti-Osa, Lagos State held by the Claimant/Applicant as a yearly tenant of the 1st Defendant/Respondent by unlawfully trespassing into the said Apartment, forcing the door open, and removing the Claimant’s furniture and electronics, beddings, refrigerator, air conditioners and gas cooker with gas cylinder, etc. and changing the keys to the entrance door, without any Lawful authority of any Order of any Court of competent jurisdiction, whilst the Claimant’s Suit No: MISC/MCE/07/2023: and the 1st Defendant/Respondent’s Suit No: MCE165/CIV/2024 were pending before the Court.

Delivering the judgement, the Chief Magistrate, Kikelomo Olaiya Doja-Ojo, on June 5, 2025, said that Lawrence Onwukwem, Hon. Davies Ijele, Mr Sodiq Kazeem and Ms Peace Chidinma Igbo, were to be sentenced to six months in correctional centre for continuously flaunting the order of the court while also mandated to pay the sum of N250,000 each to the court.

“The claimant is to be restored back to possession. All her belongings removed are to be returned to her immediately,” the CTC read.

Meanwhile, since the court judgement, the couple claimed that only Kazeem is already serving the jail term at Ikoyi Correctional Centre, while the other three have since gone into hiding.

Reacting to the judgement, the couple said that disputes arose following an alleged breach of the tenancy agreement by the landlord, prompting Mrs. Alabi to seek legal redress in court.

The couple said that while the tenancy matter was still pending in court, Mr. Onwukwem and his partners unlawfully broke into the apartment, removed their properties valued at N25million, and subsequently rented out the flat to another tenant.

When this reporter reached out to Mr Lawrence and Ijele for comments, their telephone lines were unreachable.

However, Igbo denied allegations that she was arrested and charged to court for failing to produce Mr Kazeem.

She refuted claims that she stood as surety for Kaeem , insisting that she never signed any legal documents in that capacity.

“They have spoilt my name and career. I don’t know how to reach them. They have issue with a particular person and why involving me instead of meeting those concerned directly. I know nothing about it,” she said.

“For the record, I didn’t sign in as a surety…I was working as a secretary and HR for the firm. I was not a lawyer in that instance. I was in law school in 2021”

She, however, acknowledged that steps have been taken to address the matter, including efforts to obtain a remand order.

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Breaking : UK Tightens Security With Road Closures, No-Fly Zones for Tinubu’s Visit

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Britain will impose airspace restrictions and deploy armed police officers in Windsor next week as President Bola Tinubu arrives for a state visit hosted by King Charles III.

Tinubu is expected to begin the visit in the company of his wife Oluremi Tinubu on Wednesday, March 18, with a reception at Windsor Castle.

Thames Valley Police in a statement on its website on Wednesday, said it is working with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, the Royal Household and other security partners.

The force said airspace restrictions over Windsor Castle, which are in place permanently throughout the year, would be extended on Wednesday, March 18, to cover the period from 7am to 11.59pm.

Chief Superintendent Adrian Hall of Thames Valley Police’s Joint Operations Unit said the air restrictions formed part of a broader security operation for the visit.

“The air restrictions are just one part of our robust security operation for the state visit of Nigerian President Tinubu next week, with many measures you will see and others you will not..

“As a force, we have a vast amount of experience in policing Royal events in Windsor and significant planning, and preparation has gone into this event,” Hall said.

He said the force would take a strong stance in enforcing the restrictions, warning that any breach would constitute a criminal offence under the Air Navigation Order and could lead to arrest.

“We will be taking a strong stance in enforcing the restrictions; anyone who breaches them will be committing a criminal offence under the Air Navigation Order and could be arrested.”

The police chief said officers with specialist capabilities, including search teams, the Mounted Section, road policing, and armed units, would be deployed across Windsor, alongside neighbourhood policing and Project Servator resources.

“We will also be deploying numerous police officers to Windsor with specialist capabilities, including our search teams, Mounted Section, Roads Policing and armed units, while our neighbourhood and Project Servator resources will also be on the ground engaging with the public,” he said.

The authorities will also deploy an extensive closed-circuit television network, hostile vehicle mitigation barriers, and other undisclosed security measures for the event.

Hall said, “We will also be using the extensive CCTV network in Windsor, Hostile Vehicle Mitigation barriers, and many other security measures that you may not be able to see to make sure the event runs safely.”

He urged members of the public to support the security operation by remaining vigilant.

“The public plays a critical role to support us so we encourage them to report any suspicious activity or anything that does not seem quite right by calling 101 or speaking to one of our officers. If there is an immediate threat or emergency, then call 999,” Hall added.

Road closures and parking restrictions will take effect from Tuesday, March 17, with possible temporary disruption to roads in and around Windsor during the visit.

Thames Valley Police said it was being supported by the Civil Aviation Authority and National Air Traffic Services to enforce the flight restrictions. Persons with legitimate reasons for drone flying were directed to email [email protected].

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