News
To all Nigerians, bothered, burdened, ADC is your home – Mark
David Mark, former Senate President and Acting National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has invited all Nigerians bothered and burdened by the parlous situation in the country to pitch their tents with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), for succour, saying the party, remained the only platform that would be fair to all without any form of discrimination.
Mark, who stated this on Wednesday in Makurdi at the unveiling of the coalition, emphasised because it was not owned by any particular person, not only would all members of the party have equal opportunities, but share in its collective ownership.
Represented at the event by Gabriel Suswam, former Governor of Benue State, he said: “There will be no discrimination or shortchanging of anyone. Everyone will be treated equally, regardless of who you are. The party is for the people, not for one person. We want the people to take ownership of the party, which is why we encourage you to consult and nominate potential leaders.
“None of us will get involved directly in this process, and all sections of society will be represented. There will be a state leader for people with disabilities, women and all other groups. So, let no one feel agitated about the potential leadership here. I have sent a message to let you know that I stand with all of you in Benue who are interested.”
Inaugurating a seven-man pro tem leadership of the party, to be headed by Terngu Tsegba, former member of the House of Representatives, he said the body would oversee the registration of new members and would vacate office after 30 days, commencing from July 9.
Other members, included: Samson Okwu, Security, Stephen Ayua, Publicity Secretary, Elizabeth Alagh, Cletus Tyokyaa, Abeji Egwa, and Atoo Agber as members.
Tsegba, while also assuring that the committee would be honest in all their dealings with members, added that the members would strive to observe the party’s rules and regulations and nurture the party to election victory.
He said: “The ADC will rule this state with the fear of God; we will adhere to the constitution. We will provide good governance and ensure your security. We will work to ensure that all our internally displaced people return to their ancestral homes. We will grant local government autonomy, not just on paper.
“Our ADC government will ensure that all local governments receive their subventions directly into their accounts. On day one of the ADC government, the Bureau of Local Government will be scrapped. I want to assure you that this is a new era.
“For all our youth, especially those of you without jobs, ADC is your solution. Our government will not be sectional. We will ensure equitable distribution of offices throughout the state. ADC will treat everyone as a stakeholder in this state—whether you are rich or poor, young or old, from any tribe, we will treat everyone equally.”
David Olofu, speaking on behalf of the people of the Benue South Senatorial District, announced that the entire zone has fully embraced the new party and is battle-ready for the 2027 election.
Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor of Oyo State, on Thursday, finally threw his hats into the ring by declaring his intention to run for president in 2027, with a message – history beckons.
The governor, whose ambition has been a matter of speculations for months now and who had teamed up with forces angling to force President Bola Tinubu, out of power, told a teeming crowd in Ibadan on Thursday that time had come to reset Nigeria.
At a mega-rally to announce the alliance between the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and the Allied Peoples’ Movement, (APM), Makinde, expressed worry over the dwindling fortunes of Nigerians, vowing to engage Nigerians to end the drift.
Hear him: “Without a multi-party system, there is no democracy. Where is our multi-party? Where do we go from here? We have been pushed to the wall.
“They calculated and self-opposition cannot unite but I am here to say that the opposition is the everyday Nigerian. This is the time for all us to ensure Nigeria works for us. This is the time to confront it fears. It is time to engage as citizens and not spectators.
“For the opposition political parties, this is the time to unite and work in unity and give our nation the much reset it needs. The time to reset Nigeria is now. Ibadan is the city of warriors. The first grand alliance is formed. The PDP and APM is formed. This handshake will allow us to field candidates from presidency to state Assembly. And so, I declare my candidacy for office of the president of Nigeria.”
Eyo Ekpe, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), on Wednesday, gave a detailed account on how operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) manhandled him on Monday.
He told reporters that he was at sea on why he should fall victim to the assault against his person and eventually arrested given that was not right person directly involved in the information the agency sought.
Some operatives of the EFCC who invaded the hospital, had whisked Ekpe away after firing teargas to scare away the workers, patients and visitors to the hospital, following what appeared like a fracas the ensued over what it claimed was a routine duty in the facility.
Ekpe, Deputy Chairman of the hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee (MAC), described how an operative had first entered his office to make inquiries on why the hospital was yet to give a response to an EFCC inquiry over a medical report linked to a suspect facing trial.
He detailed how he briefed the operative that the said response was being prepared and even went ahead to show him the draft of a letter in that regard, which needed to go through the gamut of official endorsement before being released.
Hear him: “The head of that internal medicine department looked at the report and also discovered that the name of the doctor that signed the report is not a member of staff of that department.
“I had prepared prepared a response to the EFCC on Monday, May 11, 2026, based on the findings. When the EFCC operative visited my office the next morning to collect the document, I told him that the response was ready in draft. I even showed him the draft, but told him that the document still needed approval from the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital before it could be officially signed and released.
“He pretended to have accepted that. He left, but later later returned with another armed operative and informed me that I was under arrest. I asked him why. I was not the one that issued the medical report. My name is not on the medical report. The report was not issued from my unit.
“But he said I would get the answer when I get to their office. I then asked him to at least wait for my staff member who I sent on an errand before joining them. But they refused.
“They started pushing me. They dragged me out of the office. Then I began to cry while they were dragging me. They had warned me not to speak. They had taken my phone. My cry as they were dragging me, attracted the workers to the scene, who enquired what was going on, but because they ordered me not to speak, I couldn’t say anything. They had their guns.
The members of staff of the hospital initially blocked them from taking me away. They then made a call. After that I saw many masked and armed men came violently, broke the protector, threatening the people that were around and people ran away.
“They picked some staff that were still by me. they dragged me and other staff, five of us into their van downstairs. By that time they discovered that the gate of the hospital were locked. So, they drove towards the gate and packed and the commotion continued. We were inside the van.
“I was so emotionally and psychologically traumatised that I couldn’t even look out of the vehicle to see what was happening outside. But I know that teargas and live bullets were shot. That’s all I can say for now.”
Joyce Abdulmalik, of the Federal High Court, Abuja, heard on Wednesday, how Zenith Bank raised alarm over the huge transaction in one of its branches by Abubakar Malami, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF-MoJ).
The bank said it immediately filed a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) in respect to the transactions, during its appearance in the ongoing trial of Malami, his wife, and son over allegation of massive looting of funds belonging to the Federal Government during his tenure.
Mashelia Bata, a compliance officer with the bank, who appeared as witness in the case, where Malami, et al, are facing a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of N8.7 billion, to which they pleaded not guilty, gave the testimony while being questioned on the bank’s roles in the matter.
Details of the testimony conveyed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stated how the compliance officer who was cross-examined by Adebayo Adedeji, lawyer to the defendants admitted that the deposits in the account statements complied with the guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Arguments had stretched when Adedeji, opposed Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), lawyer to the EFCC, who had asked the witness to explain the meaning of a suspicious transaction report, stressing that there was no ambiguity in the term.
However, Okutepa, in response, maintained that section 215(3) of the Evidence Act did not preclude him from re-examining the witness while urging the court to allow the question for proper explanation.
After Abdulmalik, agreed and overruled Adedeji, the witness told the court that banks were required to alert the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) about fund deposits coming in a repetitive pattern, adding: “Any deposition of funds seen in a pattern or repetitive, you must escalate it to the NFIU.”
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