NEWS
PDP Attacks Ex-Gov Lamido, Others over Unguarded Utterances
By Johnson Eyiangho, Abuja
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said recent comments of some of the party leaders on the Rivers State political crisis were not only unguarded but capable of disparaging critical organs of the party, inflame passions, cause division among members and bring the PDP to public disrepute for their selfish reasons.
The PDP particularly mentioned former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, saying that his comments on the crisis were made apparently with the intent to inject bad blood and drag down the party for self-seeking motives.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, on Thursday, NWC expressed serious displeasure over those comments.
The statement reassured that the PDP remained united and firmly on ground in Rivers State and other parts of the country despite the challenges.
Lamido in a statement via his official Facebook page on Tuesday had tackled the PDP over what he described as the party’s lack of action in the crisis plaguing the Rivers State.
He said, “do we still have the National Working Committee of the PDP? Or better still, do we have a party called PDP?”
“If we have one of the two, how come their total absence in the saga playing out in the PDP Family in Rivers? Is the docility of the leadership of the PDP so comatose to the extent that President Tinubu of APC, our sworn rival and opponent, is now the grand patriarch of the PDP?
“It is inconceivable that a political party will simply sit back and allow its fortunes to be taken over by a rapacious scavenger, the APC. What President Tinubu did in the so-called peace meeting is not brokering peace in Rivers State, but using his office to enhance the fortunes of his political party.
“Many areas are yearning for peace in the country where President Tinubu’s political expertise, sagacity, and wisdom are needed. What skills has he applied to stop the killings of citizens in Nigeria, which is his primary responsibility which he has conveniently looked away?
“Unwittingly the so-called peace accord in Rivers only planted the mines which will explode in the not-too-distant future with collateral consequences on the entire country. Asari Mujaheed Tokubo and Chief Edwin Clark alluded to this last week”
But the PDP re-assured all members, critical stakeholders and supporters of the party that its interventions particularly with regard to the political development in Rivers State were yielding desired results.
It noted that unscrupulous individuals were being recruited by the One-Party-State seeking APC administration to undermine the cohesion that exists within the PDP which will enable it to effectively perform its opposition role for the sustenance of democracy and the wellbeing of Nigerians.
“It is rather unfortunate that such inexcusable conducts, comments, utterances and betrayals are coming from individuals who have benefited immensely from the PDP but who have the record and notoriety of brazenly betraying the party in various elections and at slightest opportunity for their selfish interests.
“It is instructive to state that some of the challenges that plagued our party in the recent past and those confronting it at the moment are traceable to the comments, utterances and actions of these unpatriotic individuals which are inconsistent with the opportunity that the party gave them in the past,” the statement said.
According to Ologunagba, the minimum that Nigerians and indeed members of the PDP expect from such leaders is to show appreciation and commitment to the Party and the nation by engaging in constructive suggestions that will be in the interest of our party and Nigerians with regard to good governance and not to engage in actions that undermine the genuine efforts being made by the leadership of the party which may not be in line with their selfish political venture and expectations.
He said those leaders must understand and recognize that their actions and utterances were not only inimical to the wellbeing of Nigerians but also in gross violation of the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP, especially Sections 57, 58 and 59 of the Constitution of the PDP.
“The NWC therefore in very strong terms cautions such leaders to be mindful of their actions, utterances and conducts which are contrary to the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP.
“The NWC, in its responsibility to protect the integrity of our party from such further unwarranted aggressions, will henceforth not hesitate to take appropriate disciplinary or punitive action against such individuals in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP,” he said.
Ologunagba urged members to remain united, alert and focused in resisting the antics of the APC and its agents to destabilize the PDP and impose a one-party system on the nation.
By Tambaya Julius, Abuja
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has dismissed a purported recruitment update circulating on social media, describing it as false and not originating from the Service.
The Service, in a statement, urged members of the public to disregard the misleading information and refrain from sharing unverified content capable of misleading prospective applicants and the general public.
The NCS advised Nigerians to rely solely on information published through its official communication channels for accurate updates on recruitment exercises and other activities of the Service.
It reiterated that its verified social media platforms remain the authentic sources of information and urged the public to always verify recruitment-related announcements before acting on them or sharing them with others.
By Tambaya Julius, Abuja
Nigeria’s broad money supply (M3) increased for the second consecutive month, rising to N133.25 trillion in June 2026 from N129.21 trillion recorded in May, according to the latest Money and Credit Statistics released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The latest data showed that money supply expanded by N4.
04 trillion month-on-month, despite the apex bank’s decision to maintain its benchmark Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 26.5 per cent.The increase reflects the continued growth in liquidity within the economy, even as the CBN maintains a cautious approach aimed at controlling inflation, managing liquidity and sustaining macroeconomic stability.
Broad money supply, also known as M3, includes currency in circulation outside banks, demand deposits, savings and time deposits, as well as foreign currency deposits.
CBN figures also revealed a significant year-on-year growth in money supply, with M3 rising from N117.25 trillion in June 2025 to N133.25 trillion in June 2026.
This represents an increase of approximately N16 trillion, or 13.59 per cent, over the one-year period.
A breakdown of the statistics showed that M2, which comprises narrow money (M1), quasi-money, demand deposits and currency outside banks, rose to N133.24 trillion in June from N129.20 trillion in May.
The expansion in liquidity was largely driven by growth in quasi-money and domestic assets during the period under review.
Quasi-money increased from N84.58 trillion in May to N88.54 trillion in June, while demand deposits recorded a marginal rise from N39.43 trillion to N39.78 trillion.
However, currency held outside the banking system declined from N5.19 trillion in May to N4.92 trillion in June, indicating that more funds remained within the formal banking system.
Further analysis of the CBN data showed that net domestic assets grew by 4.37 per cent, rising from N102.26 trillion in May to N106.73 trillion in June.
Net foreign assets recorded a slight decline of 1.56 per cent, falling from N26.95 trillion to N26.53 trillion during the same period.
Overall, broad money supply expanded by 3.11 per cent month-on-month, highlighting sustained liquidity growth despite the CBN’s restrictive monetary policy measures.
The money supply figures came days after the apex bank retained the Monetary Policy Rate at 26.5 per cent at the conclusion of its 305th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting.
The committee also kept all other monetary policy parameters unchanged, signalling its commitment to sustaining the disinflation process while protecting macroeconomic stability.
Analysts noted that the continued rise in money supply presents a challenge for the CBN as it seeks to strike a balance between supporting economic activities, managing liquidity and preventing renewed inflationary pressures.
By Tambaya Julius, Abuja
The Senate Committee on Sports Development has criticised the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for failure to honour invitations to appear before it, warning that continued disregard for legislative oversight could attract disciplinary action.
The committee, chaired by Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central), expressed its displeasure during a meeting on Wednesday, describing the absence of officials from both organisations as unacceptable and an impediment to the committee’s constitutional oversight functions.
Ningi revealed that separate invitation letters were sent to the Chairman of the NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and the Commission’s Director-General, Bukola Olopade, to remove any ambiguity over who should represent the agency before the committee.
He dismissed the explanations submitted by the Commission for its absence, insisting that they were unsatisfactory.
“The committee will not tolerate attempts to frustrate its constitutional oversight responsibilities,” Ningi said.
He warned that the repeated absence of senior officials was preventing the committee from effectively carrying out its legislative mandate, adding that such conduct could warrant disciplinary action by the Senate.
“It is becoming a practice that requires Senate disciplinary action against these agents of government,” he said, stressing that accountability must be upheld.
Committee members unanimously backed the chairman’s position, insisting that the leadership of both the NSC and the NFF must appear before the panel to explain issues relating to their finances and operations.
As part of its ongoing investigation, the committee directed the NSC to submit evidence of its approved budgets for 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, along with details of budget releases for the same period.
It also requested records of funds released to all sporting federations, including basketball, volleyball, boxing, judo and hockey, as well as evidence of statutory federal government subventions to the federations.
To verify the records, Sen. Ningi instructed the Clerk of the Committee to write to the Accountant-General of the Federation requesting comprehensive details of all funds released to the NSC from 2023 to date.
The committee further directed the NFF to provide detailed appropriations and releases for Nigeria’s participation in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), as well as comprehensive expenditure records for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Ningi said a new date would be communicated to the NSC and NFF for their appearance before the committee.
Addressing National Assembly correspondents after the meeting, the senator maintained that the attitude of both organisations was unacceptable.
He reiterated that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria empowers the National Assembly to exercise oversight over all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government, including the National Sports Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation.
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