COVER
APC Again Tackles PDP, Alleges Campaign of Calumny Against Tinubu
By Jude Opara, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) alleged yesterday that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had recruited social media actors to mount campaign of calumny against it and its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Director of Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Mr Bayo Onanuga, made the allegation in a statement issued in Abuja.
“We want to alert Nigerians to sinister moves and orchestrated plans of the PDP to unleash a wave of fake news, especially in Hausa language to malign, defame and delegitimise Tinubu and the APC.
“This scurrilous campaign by the PDP has already been perfected with a dedicated team working day and night from the PDP national headquarters at Wadata House, Abuja.
“PDP has also recruited many social media actors to carry out the campaign of calumny by proxy,” Onanuga stated.
He added that the APC PCC uncovered the evil plot targeted to manipulate Nigerians, especially those of northern extraction to see Tinubu in a bad light.
Onanuga stated that PDP did this thinking it was the only way it could have a chance at the Feb. 25 presidential election.
“We consider it necessary at this point to avert the minds of Nigerians to this evil plan capable of causing disharmony, ill-will and needless crisis with attendant security implications in the country.
“The PDP and their hired social media influencers have already started pushing their nefarious contents,” Onanuga stressed.
According to him, PDP is doing this by spoofing and using parody social media accounts of popular newspapers and blogs to disseminate fake news with the aim of hoodwinking gullible Nigerians.
He stated that parody social media accounts such as Vanguard Hausa and Daily Trust Hausa were being used to circulate fake news on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and other digital platforms.
“On Facebook, we found that Daily Trust Hausa was first created as K.R.K Media on Aug. 9, 2021. It changed its name to Daily Trust Media on Dec. 7, 2022 and has a fake website address: daily.com.
“A second Daily Trust Hausa Facebook account was created on Aug. 13, 2022 as Facos News Hausa, with the objective of publishing posts on musicians. It changed its name on Dec. 29, 2022, just 22 days after its other clone.
“Vanguard Hausa was created Dec. 21, 2021. Its website failed to open.
“All these parody Facebook accounts were used by the PDP on Saturday to publish malicious fake news that trucks carrying old naira notes, belonging to Tinubu were arrested in Lagos,” Onanuga stressed.
He said for clarification, Daily Trust publishes a Hausa newspaper called Aminiya, which was also on Facebook with the same name, adding that the Council was not aware that Vanguard had a similar publication.
He, therefore, implored the two newspapers, Daily Trust and Vanguard to inform Facebook and Meta that they had been cloned by fake news merchants for political offensives, masterminded by the PDP.
He added that part of the PDP’s evil machinations would be to make false claims and allegations against President Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Tinubu, his running mate, Sen. Kashim Shettima and other APC national, regional, zonal and state leaders.
He said the PDP planned to do this in manipulated videos, doctored voice-overs, photoshopped images and other means all in a bid to win the coming election by hook or crook.
“The PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar know they can’t win this coming election.
“They also know Nigerians will never vote for PDP to take over the leadership of Nigeria after inflicting 16 years of misery on them.
“The legacies the party left behind were insecurity, badly managed economy, looted treasury, and derelict national infrastructure in roads, power, ports, rail and pipelines among many others.
“The Buhari-led administration is still struggling to unmake the massive damage done to our country by the PDP,” Onanuga said.
He added that because Atiku’s presidential campaign was heading to a crash, PDP futilely hoped to avoid the impending electoral defeat by sponsoring co-ordinated fake news assaults on APC, its presidential candidate and even against the government.
He urged Nigerians and most especially compatriots in the northern part of the country not to allow themselves to be deceived.
Onanuga stressed that Atiku and PDP had nothing good to offer Nigerians other than to enrich himself, family members and cronies as revealed in audio and video leaks by his former Media Aide, Mike Achimugu.
He assured that the President Buhari-led APC administration was working very hard to solve many of Nigeria’s decades-long problems across sectors.
He added that it was only another APC administration of Tinubu and Shettima that could continue, sustain and improve on the trajectory of good governance that began since 2015.
Efforts to get PDP officials to respond were abortive.
Obi Promises Private Sector Partnership on Economy
The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi has said that if elected, the organized private sector will play a pivotal role because it is critical to the any government business that hopes to make impact.
Obi who was speaking in Port Harcourt, Rivers state Saturday night at the South-South Business Summit said for any government to succeed, it must partner with the organized private sector and must also create an enabling environment for domestic and foreign investors to operate.
The presidential hopeful told the leaders of the business community in the oil rich city that he and his Vice, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmad are coming from the private sector and understand clearly what is needed to drive activities of the private sector.
He noted that previous governments failed in the country because they ignored the components of business in governance and end up in sharing without production.
The former Anambra state governor who is well known for his frugality told his audience that the consumption to production mantra of his campaign is real, insisting that it is the only way to drive the economy and attract foreign exchange for the country through exports.
“It’s also through production that the people can be pulled out of poverty as youths in their productive age will be dutifully engaged and this will also impact on the social sector because crimes and criminalities will reduce,” he said.
He assured the captains of industry at the summit that if elected he will create a conducive environment for investors to come and help in tapping the country’s rich natural potentials.
Obi also assured that he and his deputy see education as investment and will invest heavily in education and health because these two sectors differentiate the rich and poor countries.
The Labour Party flag bearer also reminded his audience that the coming election is existential one that requires that people vote for characters they can trust, characters that have antecedents and the verifiable background to rely on. He equally reiterated his position that the election is about competence and capacity not on sentiments of tribe or religion.
The highlight of the night was the emotion that engulfed the summit venue when an SS2 Secondary school girl Chizzy Ebube Balogun after listening to the LP Presidential candidate talk about creating a new and better Nigeria was so convinced that she immediately donated the sum of N100, 000 as her own contribution to aspiration of Mr. Obi.
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
As part of efforts to reposition the newspaper for optimum corporate performance, the management of Asset Newspapers Limited, Publishers of DAILY ASSET, has announced the appointment of David Torough as the Editor of the Abuja-based national daily.
A statement by the management said the appointments were part of the company’s new strategy to further penetrate the various states in the country and raise its readership and patronage.
“DAILY ASSET is widely acceptable across the country and to maintain our leadership position, we need to increase management presence, hence the need to create new Bureau offices in some locations outside Abuja and Lagos,” the statement quoted the Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief, Dr Cletus Akwaya to have said.
In a statement yesterday, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the fast-growing daily, Dr. Cletus Akwaya said the appointment was part of the new strategy to properly situate the paper for better productivity.
“DAILY ASSET has a commitment with the Nigerian people. We are determined to weather the storm and give Nigerian readers a Newspaper that satisfies their yearnings and reading pleasure and we can only do that with the right set of professionals,” the statement said.
Akwaya, a former Commissioner of Information from Benue State said the difficult times being faced by Nigerians posed a great challenge to the media as the people deserved credible information with which to make choices.
“We have a bond with the people, to offer credible information at all times in the best tradition of the Nigerian Press and on this scale of objectivity, truth and fairness, we pledge to remain steadfast no matter the challenges,” Akwaya was quoted to have said.
He said the newspaper will maiantin its daily print run and circulation to all states of the federation and urged advertisers to take advantage of the deep penetration of the Daily Asset brand to send their messages.
Torough, the new Editor has had a steady rise in the Newspaper in the last five years.
A graduate of Mass communication of the Benue State University, Makurdi, Torough joined the company in 2022 as Benue State Correspondent. He was spotted for his brilliance and redeployed to Abuja the following year and promoted to Deputy News Editor. He was subswuently named Deputy Editor of the paper, a position he held until the recent appointment.
Torough has attended several journalistic workshops and trainings to properly equip himself for the task ahead.
The statement also said the Management named Eze Okechukwu as Deputy Editor.
Before his elevation as Deputy Editor, Eze has been Deputy Politics Editor and DAILY ASSET Newspaper correspondent covering the Senate, having joined the organization in 2021.
Born on March 10, 1975, Eze holds a Masters Degree in Mass Communication from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
Eze began his journalism career with Daily Star, Enugu and later worked with Daily Trust Newspaper, Abuja as sports reporter.
Aside from his journalistic excellence, he has a great deal of passion for sports.
From Ngutor Dekera, Kaduna and Aliyu Askira, Kano
Northern governors and traditional rulers yesterday called for the suspension of mining activities across the region for six months, blaming illegal mining for worsening insecurity in many states.
The resolution was contained in a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna. The meeting, chaired by the Gombe State Governor and NSGF Chairman, Muhammadu Yahaya, had in attendance the 19 northern governors and chairmen of the 19 states’ traditional councils.The Forum expressed concern over the escalating violence in parts of the North, including the killings and abductions recently recorded in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano states, as well as renewed Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe.“The Forum extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to the governments and good people of the affected states,” the communiqué said, noting that the attacks on schoolchildren and other citizens had become “unacceptable tragedies” that required urgent collective action.It commended President Bola Tinubu for what it described as the Federal Government’s “firm response” to recent abductions and insurgency threats, especially the rescue of some abducted pupils.The governors also saluted security agencies for their sacrifices on the frontlines.“We resolved to renew our support for every step taken by the President and Commander-in-Chief to take the fight to insurgents’ enclaves in order to end the criminality,” the Forum stated.A major highlight of the meeting was the North’s renewed push for the establishment of state police, with governors and traditional rulers insisting that decentralised policing had become inevitable.“The Forum reaffirms its wholehearted support and commitment to the establishment of state police,” the communiqué added, urging federal and state lawmakers from the region to “expedite action for its actualisation.”On illegal mining, the governors said criminal mining networks were fuelling violence and providing resources for armed groups.As a corrective measure, they asked Tinubu to direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to impose a six-month suspension of mining activities in order to allow for a full audit and revalidation of licences.“The Forum observed that illegal mining has become a major contributory factor to the security crises in Northern Nigeria. “We strongly recommend a suspension of mining exploration for six months to allow proper audit and to arrest the menace of artisanal illegal mining,” it said.To strengthen the fight against insecurity, the governors also announced the creation of a regional Security Trust Fund.Under the proposed arrangement, each state and its local governments will contribute ₦1bn monthly, to be deducted at source under an agreed framework.They said the fund would help provide sustainable financing for joint operations, intelligence-driven interventions and coordinated security responses across the region.At the end of the meeting, the Forum reaffirmed its commitment to unity and collective responsibility.“Only through unity, peer review and cooperation can we overcome the pressing challenges before us,” it declared.The Forum agreed to reconvene on a date to be announced.Meanwhile, Nigeria’s worsening security crisis took a grim turn on Monday as bandits launched fresh attacks in Kano State, abducting 25 villagers, even as the Federal Government raced to secure the release of more than 300 Catholic school children kidnapped in Niger State.In the early hours of Monday, armed bandits invaded Unguwar Tsamiya—popularly called Dabawa—in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State, whisking away nine men and two women after shooting into the air and assaulting residents. The attackers also rustled two cows.A resident lamented the community’s helplessness: “We cannot do otherwise; most of us cannot leave because we have nowhere to go. This is our place, our land and everything is here.”The assault came less than 24 hours after a similar attack on Yan Kamaye in Tsanyawa LGA, a community along the volatile Katsina border.In Niger State, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has assured distraught families of St. Mary’s Co-Education School, Kontagora that the more than 300 students and staff abducted on November 21 will return home “soon.” Ribadu, who led a high-level federal delegation to the school on Monday, said the abductees are safe, though he offered no specifics on their location or the status of rescue operations.According to Daniel Atori, spokesman for the Catholic bishop overseeing the school, the NSA reassured officials: “The children are where they are and will come back safely.”The St. Mary’s attack is part of a worrying resurgence of mass kidnappings reminiscent of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction. Security analysts warn that banditry has evolved into a “structured, profit-seeking industry,” with hundreds of Nigerians abducted in November alone.The Kontagora school abduction occurred the same week 25 girls were kidnapped in Kebbi State—victims who authorities say have since been rescued through “non-kinetic” means. About 50 of the St. Mary’s hostages have also managed to escape.Ribadu’s delegation, which included the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), reaffirmed the government’s commitment to securing the freedom of all abducted citizens.As communities from Kano to Niger continue to bear the brunt of these violent incursions, the escalating spate of kidnappings underscores the urgent national demand for a more decisive and coordinated security response.
By David Torough, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said former Attorney‑General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, will face a team of interrogators at its office daily throughout December.
A credible source in the EFCC said on Monday that the daily appearance was part of an ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of an alleged 490 million dollars Abacha loot secured through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) request. The source said that Malami, who was summoned for interrogation by the EFCC on Saturday, was barred from leaving Nigeria for the next one month.According to the source, one of the conditions for his release on Saturday was that he should report daily to the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja for further interrogation.The source said Malami would have to appear daily at the anti-graft office due to the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him.”We seized his passport, it is the normal routine during investigation, but he has to report at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja every day for the next month.”He will be reporting for further investigation throughout December.”He will be reporting every day, starting from Dec. 1st to Dec. 31st.He will appear before the team of investigators for the entire month of December.”He will be reporting to EFCC for investigation for the period because of the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him,” the source added.According to the source, a fact sheet on the former minister revealed that Malami had several issues to clarify with the EFCC within the coming weeks.“We have asked him to explain the whereabouts of the $490 million Abacha loot secured through MLAT.“We didn’t say he stole money, but he should account for the loot. This is one of the issues he will clarify to our investigators.”The commission cited the large volume of documents he must review and the need for extensive interviews as reasons for seizing his passport.The source said EFCC would not engage in a war of words but would release its findings after a thorough investigation.Malami, in a statement by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, on Monday in Abuja, however, described the EFCC investigation as a political witch‑hunt.He confirmed he honored an EFCC invitation on Nov. 28, describing the engagement as fruitful and expressing confidence that the probe would vindicate him.Malami described the EFCC’s allegations as baseless, illogical and devoid of substance, insisting they collapse under factual scrutiny.
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