News
Nwanyanwu dares Wike: Deny you’re not plotting to run against Tinubu in 2027
Dan Nwanyanwu, National Chairman, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has dared Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to publicly deny that he is not gearing up to run against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, threatening to release the dossier he has on the move, should the former Governor of Rivers State accept the challenge.
The challenge came on Monday, on a day Nwanyanwu, who had a fortnight ago confronted the Minister for allegedly sponsoring the political crisis, alerted the world about an alleged threat by those he identified as Wike’s “hit-men” to kill him for daring to expose the plot of their patron, whom he said, was already building his structure for the purpose, including choosing a candidate for the position of Vice President in the said ambition.
“What did I say that angered him? Because I revealed what he has in his heart – that he will run against President Tinubu – which is true. If I lied, you come out and tell Nigerians, don’t mind Dan, he’s a liar. I will not run against Tinubu. Why has he not denied it? You decided to use gestapo tactics as a response. Come and say I lied, I’ll give more information, I have more on that.
“He’ll run against Tinubu. (Let) him com and deny it. Even as I’m talking to you now, vice presidential candidates are being pencilled. I don’t talk anyhow. I know what I’m saying. They’re from the North. Is that your pain? Come and say it’s not true. Then I’ll make references and produce facts. That shouldn’t anger you to the point of taking lives.”
Narrating the incidents leading to the alleged plot of assassination against him, Nwanyanwu, who said some strange men had been trailing him since his first outing over the Rivers issue, told reporters in Abuja that things came to a head on Friday last week at the Transcorp Hotel, in the FCT, where he was eventually physically confronted by the alleged assassin.
Hear him: “I am constrained to bring to the notice of the Nigerian Public the unprovoked open threat to my life by a notorious Agent of the Former Governor of Rivers State and now Minister of Federal Capital Territory FCT Chief Nyesom Wike, one Mr. Moses Emmanuel.
“This bloodthirsty killer brazenly confronted me at the Pastry shop, Transcorp Hilton where I was having snacks and coffee with my friend Alhaji Aliyu.
He said he wanted to speak with me. Not having known him before now, I demanded to know what he wanted to speak to me about, he said he would like to speak with me and I offered him a seat to sit down.
He introduced himself as a brother to Chief Nyeson Wike, and began to threaten my life making reference to a television interview I granted where I expressed my personal views on the avoidable crises in Rivers State which was being orchestrated and fueled by the followers of the former Governor against the incumbent Governor Chief Simi Fubara. Most well-meaning Nigerians and leaders have at various times since the Rivers’ crises began, expressed their views, concerns about the threatening explosion in that critical State of Nigeria.
“I have in all my political life intervened to the best of my ability on any issue that is likely to destabilise our fledgling democracy. I have never sat on the fence where issues of national interest are concerned. In that manner I raised my voice as I have always done in other issues that bother on national unity and stability.
I expressed my concern on Chief Wike’s interference and meddlesomeness in the governance of Rivers State, a state he governed for eight uninterrupted years.
“I was concerned that if law and order break down in Rivers State, its impact on the already poor economic situation in the country will further deteriorate and may snowball into a larger, bigger conflagration in a country that is already restive with many unmanageable flashpoints. No patriotic political leader will see such impending danger and not stand boldly and forthrightly to be counted among the peace makers to douse the tension in Rivers State.
“It is this interview that I granted to express my personal views and suggestions on this burning issue of Rivers State crises that apparently provoked Chief Nyeson Wike to dispatch his hitman to threaten me with elimination if I ventured to speak again on the matter of Rivers State.
“This wild dog became so vociferous in his threat that others heard him and this attracted the Security Agencies in Transcorp Hilton. They took him to the Hotel basement of the hotel where he was interrogated and the colleague with him who did not disclose his identity, told him to call the Minister and he made frantic calls and spoke to somebody.
“Shortly after that call, he made another call that someone requested to speak to me and I refused to take the call. Everyone around pleaded to me to speak with the caller and I took the call and it turned out to be Chief Chukwu Emeka Woke who was Chief Nyeson Wike’s, Chief of staff when he was Governor and his close aide that holds appointment in Abuja now.
When he identified himself, I asked him if he and his boss sent their hitmen to come and kill me. His response was in coherent as it was not a clear denial or a clear acceptance.
“The security man who intervened asked me what I would want to do at that point. I told them I would like to press charges for threatening my life in the open.
I believe the hotel of the standard of Transcorp Hilton Hotel must have the footages through their CCTV what I have stated here for the purpose of verification and I also believed that the DSS open a thorough investigation which will verify and corroborate the telephone conversation between me and Chief Chukwuemeka Woke.
“I wish to cease this opportunity to draw the attention of the President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the involvement of his Minster of the Federal Capital Territory in the threat to my life. I similarly draw the attention of the Inspector General of the Police, Director General of the DSS and the National Security Adviser and the General Public to this ugly situation which if not nipped in the board will degenerate to a point where no Nigerian will be safe anymore to express his opinion on National issues even as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom of Expression as an inalienable right of every Nigerian citizen.
“Should anything happen to me and any member of my family, the security Agencies need not look far as to who did it. Trusting that the President will take this matter seriously, I demand that I am provided with adequate security to protect myself and family, I further demand that Chief Nyeson Wike sign an undertaken that he will be held responsible if anything unwholesome happens to me and my family, henceforth.”
Fuel marketers across Abuja on Wednesday continued to sell Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, at old prices more than 24 hours after Dangote Petroleum Refinery announced a reduction in its ex-depot price, Vanguard is reporting.
The paper reported that its investigation, showed that major retail outlets were yet to adjust their pump prices despite the N75 per litre reduction announced by the refinery on Monday.
At the retail stations visited in Abuja, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Retail and TotalEnergies dispensed petrol at N1,335 per litre, while AA Rano sold at N1,350 per litre. AYM Shafa and Conoil outlets sold the product at N1,330 per litre.
The development comes amid growing public expectations that the reduction in Dangote Refinery’s gantry price would quickly translate into lower pump prices nationwide.
Explaining the delay, the President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, said retail prices are influenced by several factors beyond refinery gate prices.
Speaking to Channels TV, Gillis-Harry said: “Prices reflecting at the pump are dependent on availability of the product, the other is the cost. The cost of purchasing the product and cost in terms of logistics, and preparing the particular petroleum to be delivered to the people”.
According to him, downward price adjustments often take longer to reach consumers because marketers need to recover the cost of existing stock purchased at higher prices before restocking at lower rates.
When asked why increases in fuel prices are usually reflected immediately while reductions are delayed, Gillis-Harry said the dynamics of supply management play a significant role.
He explained: “It is mainly affected by whether the producer has additional resources or not at the time. Increases in prices are mainly caused by the need to restock. There must be that advantage pushing the price upward to be able to pay for new supplies.”
He further acknowledged that marketers generally seek to exhaust existing inventory before implementing lower prices.
“That’s the basic idea. But in petroleum, a mixture is involved, and loss is taken, though not in a way that affects the capital needed to restock,” he added.
Also speaking on the issue, energy analyst Olabode Sowunmi said fuel pricing in Nigeria is influenced by a combination of domestic supply arrangements and logistics costs, rather than crude oil prices alone.
He noted that although international crude oil prices remain an important factor globally, their impact on local petrol pricing is not always direct.
“Global price of crude oil is a factor internationally and not necessarily in Nigeria,” Sowunmi said.
Explaining that Dangote Refinery operates under arrangements that allow a portion of crude supply to be priced in naira, reducing the direct impact of international market fluctuations on local fuel prices, he said: “So basically the issue will have to be from the point of refinery to where it touches the final person. Logistics costs within the domestic supply chain remain a major determinant of the final pump price paid by consumers.”
Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has given assignment to Nigerians to put all those aspiring to take up political positions in the country through the grill to ascertain their level of integrity, saying it was required as a sine qua non for the job they seek.
Obi, who has been a subject of discussion in the polity since the allegation of corruption was levied against him by Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesman of his campaign in 2023, over the conduct of the party’s primaries to choose candidates for the 2027 general elections, said the grilling must start with his own person.
A guest in an interview on a podcast with Rufai Oseni, a popular television anchor, the former Governor of Anambra State, stated that it was actually for this reason that he had now sworn to see the litigation he instituted against Okonkwo through.
His take is that the Nollywood actor should use the courtrooms to give all the details of bad behaviour, following his threat to expose him fully, after alleging that he was collecting money from aspirants in the said election for electoral favours.
Hear him: “The issue of taking Kenneth Okonkwo to court wouldn’t have arisen if he had stopped at those allegations. But he claimed he still has more he would expose about me in the future. So, I am very happy to take him to court so that he can expose me publicly, alongside other Nigerians. If any of them has any criminal allegations against me, they should bring them to court.
“Not just Kenneth, everybody should now say those things they know that is bad about me or I did that is wrong because it’s good for the system, it’s good for the society,” Obi said.
“So, if you know that when we were in primary school, this man was cheating or didn’t go to the primary school, didn’t go to secondary school, didn’t do, if you know this man has done something criminal somewhere, this is time to bring it up.”
For the umpteenth time, Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned about the dangerous implication of using state institutions, particularly the judiciary to destroy Nigeria’s democracy, saying it is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good.
Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), speaking on the heels of Tuesday’s verdict of the Court of Appeal, halting the de-registration order by the Federal High Court, insisted that judicial officers must not lend themselves to any act capable of undermining the nation’s democratic process.
The appellate court had ordered a stay of execution on the order made on Monday by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court Abuja, for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC alongside four other political parties).
A totally scandalised Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, had taken umbrage, sparing no hard words in upbraiding the lower court judge, stating that his likes were unfit to sit on the bench.
In a unanimous ruling by a three-man panel, the court held that Lifu’s action was “the highest form of judicial impertinence”, stressing that the Supreme Court previously held that a judge who acted in such a manner.
Describing his conduct as the height of judicial rascality, the upper court, stated: “Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This Court has supervisory authority over the trial court.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution.
This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for a stay of execution is here yet granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed.”
Atiku, who hailed the position of the higher court, which restored his hope to be on the ballot as presidential candidate in the 2027 election, also noted the role of INEC as “significant.”
He said: “I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to stay the execution of the Federal High Court judgement seeking the deregistration of our great party, the ADC, and four other political parties. It is particularly significant that INEC itself initiated the application for the stay.
“The development reflects growing public concern over judicial contradictions and politically charged rulings within the judiciary. “Any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s hard-won democracy through judicial manipulation is a grave danger to the Republic. If our democracy suffers further injury, history will demand accountability from those entrusted with dispensing justice.
Outside ADC, Lifu’s order, also included: Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), similarly slammed for allegedly failing to meet the constitutional requirements for continued registration and participation in elections.
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