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A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, has said he petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate corruption allegations against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Agbonayinma said he filed the petition as a concerned Nigerian and in the interest of public accountability.

He also faulted Senator Dino Melaye’s criticism of the petition against Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In a statement made available to journalists in Benin City, Agbonayinma challenged Melaye to produce any official EFCC decision or court record that cleared Atiku of the allegations.

‘Rather than attacking my person, character and integrity, why not address the substance of the petition?’ he asked, challenging Melaye to allow the EFCC to perform its statutory responsibilities.

‘You cannot defend Atiku Abubakar from an EFCC petition by attacking me,’ he said, adding that if the former Vice President had nothing to fear, he should be allowed to respond to any questions the commission considered necessary.

‘If you have evidence against me, bring it forward. If you have facts concerning the petition, present them,’ he stated.

‘Defend the facts, not personalities,’ he said, reiterating that nobody should use political friendship or loyalty as a shield against lawful investigation.’

A House of Representatives candidate under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform for the Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency in Ebonyi State, Ambassador Ephraim Iyke Nwonu, has withdrawn from the race and left his party to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Addressing newsmen at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, Nwonu announced his decision to step down despite his name appearing on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.

He said his decision to sacrifice his legislative ambition stemmed from his commitment to national integration and his deep appreciation for President Tinubu’s performance in the Southeast, particularly in Ebonyi State.

‘I am the official ADC candidate for the Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency on the INEC portal, but I have decided to jettison and sacrifice that ambition because of my unalloyed support for Mr. President and my state governor,’ Nwonu declared. ‘I am stepping down to join other APC stakeholders in Ebonyi State and my constituency to deliver President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the governor.’

Tracing his political loyalty back to the Third Republic, Nwonu credited his alignment with the President to his late political mentor, Senator Polycarp Nwite.

‘I first had a link to the President through my political leader, the late Senator Polycarp Nwite, who was his best friend in the Senate in 1992. Senator Nwite appointed me as the secretary of the defunct DPN in Ebonyi State, so I have every reason to be where Tinubu is,’ he stated.

Reiterating his faith in the administration’s development strides, Nwonu highlighted various federal infrastructure projects and strategic appointments as clear evidence of the President’s commitment to the Southeast region.

He cited key ongoing capital projects, including the Ndibe Beach Bridge linking Afikpo North in Ebonyi State to Itigidi in Cross River State, the 125.5 km road network spanning Cross River, Ebonyi, Benue, Nasarawa, and Abuja, and the dualisation of the Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Expressway.

‘Look at the infrastructure footprints-the dualisation of the Onuebonyi-Vanco Junction to Abakaliki-Afikpo road, the new flyover at Peat Junction in Onueke, and the Obubra-Noyo-Oferekpe interstate road,’ Nwonu listed. ‘Beyond infrastructure, Ebonyi State alone has received about 23 high-profile federal appointments from Mr. President. This is the highest allocation the state has ever enjoyed, bringing our people squarely into the national political mainstream.’

Dismissing concerns regarding political competition in the zone, Nwonu maintained that opposition candidates pose no threat to the President’s popularity in the region.

‘There is no threat whatsoever. Anyone on the ballot is free to try their luck, but Peter Obi’s ambition poses no threat to Mr. President in the Southeast, especially considering what this administration has delivered to Ebonyi State. President Tinubu will win comfortably,’ Nwonu asserted.

He further shared insights from an independent survey recently conducted by his Non-Governmental Organisation in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Ministry of Information, noting that public opinion in the state strongly favours the current administration.

‘Our findings, presented during a two-day workshop in Ebonyi, show that the majority of our people now recognise the achievements of Mr President and are ready to reciprocate his goodwill with massive votes,’ he said.

Calling on the citizenry to support the current administration’s economic reforms, Nwonu expressed optimism about the nation’s trajectory.

‘I appeal to the conscience of all Nigerians to exercise patience. Patience is the highest virtue, and I am confident that in his second term, Nigerians will look back and thank God for giving us President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,’ he concluded.

The Federal Teaching Hospital, Owerri has debunked reports circulating on social media that 10 patients died at the hospital as a result of disruptions caused by the ongoing upgrade of its Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system.

The hospital management, in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Anyaegbu Ikechukwu, said the claim that 10 people died because of the system upgrade was ‘completely incorrect’ and categorically refuted it.

Management said attributing deaths in the hospital to the system upgrade was a ‘gross misrepresentation and ignorance of complex medical and life-threatening emergencies’ handled at the health facility.

The hospital explained that the upgrade was a scheduled exercise aimed at moving the EMR system to a newer version to improve efficiency, accessibility, data security and the overall quality of healthcare delivery.

According to the statement, the upgrade is also expected to strengthen the hospital’s digital health infrastructure, facilitate telemedicine services, improve patient data management and align its operations with evolving global healthcare practices.

It stressed that there was no shutdown of clinical services during the transition, noting that the wards had been onboarded onto the new system ahead of its deployment, while clinics remained operational and alternative processes were put in place to ensure continuity of care.

The management, however, acknowledged that the migration had resulted in unexpected technical difficulties, workflow challenges, delays and inconvenience in some services, adding that it regretted the difficulties experienced by patients and staff.

It said the hospital’s management, ICT unit, clinical teams and technical consultants had been working round the clock to resolve the challenges, with significant progress recorded and full services restored in many units.

Management said it expected the outstanding technical issues to be substantially resolved within the next 48 hours, while appealing to members of the public to verify information through official hospital channels rather than relying on unverified social media reports.

‘The hospital remains firmly committed to its mandate of providing safe, compassionate, accessible and high-quality healthcare services to the people of Imo State and beyond,’ the statement said.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has constituted a 165-member committee to take its ongoing ‘reconciliation efforts’ to the grassroots ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Chairman of the APC Reconciliation Committee in the state, Prince Biyi Poroye, disclosed this at a meeting with the party’s local government and council chairmen and stakeholders.

He said the committee would engage party members in all 18 local government areas to address grievances and strengthen unity within the party.

Poroye explained that the initiative was part of efforts to deepen reconciliation in the party and ensure members at the ward and local government levels were included in the process.

According to him, the committee would work with stakeholders across the state to identify areas of disagreement, listen to aggrieved members, and seek solutions that would promote cohesion within the party ahead of the 2027 poll.

He added that the reconciliation committee’s focus would go beyond electoral victory, stressing that it also aimed to rebuild unity, discipline, and inclusiveness within the party.

‘The reconciliation is not just about winning an election. It is about establishing discipline within the party. It is about encouraging contributive leadership.

‘People have responded by embracing the principles and ideals of the reconciliation committee. They have decided on the number of members that will replicate this committee at the local government level.

‘So, there will be nine members. They are going to send the names to us and, by next week, we will constitute an enlarged reconciliation committee from the 18 local governments that will continue to work at the local government level,’ he said.

Poroye explained that the committee had encountered several grievances from party members, including complaints about a lack of inclusiveness in the distribution of appointments.

He said the reconciliation process was also intended to change members’ mindsets and discourage attacks, divisions, and entrenched factional positions within the party.

‘That is why the reconciliation is about addressing the mindsets of party members so that people can change from their former positions to new positions, bearing in mind that there is nothing to share in losing.

‘This is how we will reach the grassroots. Our people must not just read the news; they must hear directly from our leaders so that all of us can go into the election united and, after the election, still have an established party that everyone will be proud to belong to.’

The Chief of Staff to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Olusegun Omojuwa, described the decision to extend the reconciliation process to the grassroots as a step that could strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Omojuwa, who commended Aiyedatiwa’s leadership, urged party members and leaders to cooperate with the reconciliation committee and support its efforts to resolve internal disagreements.

He said extending the committee’s structure to the local government level would give grassroots members the opportunity to participate directly in the reconciliation process.

Chairman of Idanre Local Government, Hon. Smart Omotadowa, said taking the reconciliation process to the grassroots was necessary to achieve lasting unity within the party.

Omotadowa urged APC members across the 18 local government areas to support the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections, stressing that unity remained critical to the party’s campaign.

‘The best way to make the reconciliation process work is to take it to the grassroots level. There is no way we can do better than to work in unity,’ he said.

A member of the reconciliation committee, Erelu Modupe Martins, also called for genuine reconciliation, warning that unresolved internal grievances could affect the party’s electoral fortunes.

She urged all party members to support the reconciliation initiative and ensure it reached loyalists at the grassroots.

‘There is no second in any election. We can’t afford to lose any position to the opposition,’ Martins said.

Detectives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Lagos, have arrested two women for allegedly spreading a false claim that Access Bank Plc would shut down operations, in one of several major breakthroughs recorded by the unit between June and September.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the Annex, AIG Simeon Akpanudom, disclosed this on Friday while briefing reporters on the department’s activities between June 25 and September 18.

He said the suspects, Idorenyin Umoh and her associate, Fineness Monday Esu, were traced to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and arrested after a petition from Access Bank’s lawyers linked them to a Facebook post claiming the bank would close on 23 September and urging customers to withdraw their funds.

According to the AIG, the two women admitted belonging to a WhatsApp group where the message originated before it was copied to a Facebook account with over 12,000 followers, triggering wider circulation on other platforms. They have since been arraigned before the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Akpanudom also disclosed that INTERPOL rescued 36 victims of human trafficking during the period, with one victim repatriated and efforts ongoing to arrest the suspected traffickers.

In another case, operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit arrested four men over the vandalism of telecommunications facilities across Lagos and southeastern Nigeria between March and May, following a petition from ATC Telecommunications’ lawyers. The AIG said the hoodlums stole equipment worth about N150 million, including solar batteries, solar panels, generators and other modules.

Those arrested were named as Abuchi Odikemere, 29; Anyanwu Emmanuel, 28; Kayode Segun, 28; and Emmanuel Chineku, 17. They were traced to a shop in Kosofe area of Lagos.

Akpanudom said exhibits recovered from the suspects included two surveillance cameras, 52 solar batteries, three small solar panels, two solar meters, a hammer and a chisel.

He added that the suspects would be charged to court, while efforts continue to track down other members of the syndicate still at large.

Detectives also arrested four suspects, including a woman accused of receiving stolen goods, over a shop-breaking incident at Ogudu, Ojota, in which armed hoodlums made away with mobile phones, smart watches, power banks and other items valued at about N20 million. The AIG said the suspects confessed to selling most of the items to a cross-border buyer and have been charged to court.

Giving an overview of the department’s caseload, Akpanudom said FCID Annex, Lagos received 1,816 petitions during the period, of which 1,803 were referred for investigation, nine sent to state police commands, and four dismissed as civil matters. He added that 24 cases were concluded and processed in court, while others remain at various stages of investigation and legal review.

The AIG said the outcomes reflected ongoing efforts to boost the department’s investigative capacity, including specialised training for 17 personnel, infrastructure upgrades at the Annex, and closer collaboration with agencies such as the Lagos State Security Trust Fund and NAFDAC.

He thanked Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu and supervising DIG Margaret Ochalla for their support, and urged members of the public to continue providing credible information to aid crime prevention.

No candidate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State is permitted to travel out of the country before next year’s general election, party chairman Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi said yesterday.

He said the party would not also underrate other opposition parties in the state, urging the party faithful to gird their loins.

Ojelabi spoke during the inauguration of the Tinubu-Hamzat Campaign Council at the party secretariat on Acme Road, Ogba, Ikeja, where he charged the committee members to show dedication and commitment.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is the chairman of the Advisory Committee of the elaborate committee. Former Defence Minister of State Senator Musiliu Obanikoro is the Director-General.

The deputy governor and governorship candidate, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, who justified President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid, said he has lived to expectation in the last three years.

Former Deputy Governor Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, who spoke on behalf of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) leader, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, said Lagos APC has a competent governorship candidate in Hamzat, urging Lagosians to vote for him.

‘We have the sign of victory ahead of the poll. The next governor is very competent. He served in various capacities. He is a man of great character. He will not disappoint Lagosians. We have to work properly and cooperatively to achieve victory,’ Ogunleye stressed.

At the ceremony were Senators Wasiu Eshiloku (Lagos Central), Dr. Idiat Adebule (West) and Tokunbo Abiru (East), House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, his deputy, Monisola Meranda; Dr. Yomi Finnih, former Finance Minister Wale Edun, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, Hon. Bamigbose, Mrs. Yinka Olusanya, Olawale Oshun, Cardinal James Odunmbaku, Babatunde Ishiak, Dr. Tola Kasali, Bode Oyedele, Funso Ologunde, Lanre Ogunyemi, Fokasade Abimbola Salu, Sesan Daini and Seye Oladejo, the party’s publicity secretary.

Ojelabi said party members have resolved to work together after the hostility of primaries, adding that the opposition is disappointed by the unity and brotherhood of the ruling party.

He said the campaign committees have been carefully constituted to deliver victory for the candidates at the polls.

The chairman said the flag bearers are men of capacity and candour who will cooperate with the committees in the local mobilisation of voters.

Ojelabi, who said Lagos APC would be targeting five million votes, warned against complacency, saying that opposition parties cannot be taken for granted.

He said: ‘No candidate is allowed to travel outside the country until after the general election.’

Ojelsbi added:’Let our campaign be devoid of hatred, thuggery and violence.’

Obanikoro said 2027 elections demand discipline, commitment and organisation, adding that no party member should treat it as a simple assignment.

He advised party members to put personal grievances and disappointments behind them, adding that they should work as a team, speak with responsibility and prosecute the campaign legally.

Obanikoro added: ‘Unity must be our strength.’

Hamzat said ‘we don’t want jesters as president, a man who does not know the difference between a loan and borrowing. It is not about emotion; it is about data, about record.’

The deputy governor said party members should campaign confidently because the government midwifed by APC has performed.

Hamzat said Lagos under the APC is the first sub-national unit to have successfully built a rail infrastructure; a feat that eluded Carlifornia in the United States.

Describing Lagos as a unique state, he said:’33 percent of GDP of Nigeria is from Lagos. Our state is too important to be subjected to trial and error in the hands of those who are struggling to understand the geography and people of Lagos.’

Hamzat said out of the 7.3 million that registered to vote in Lagos, APC should attract between three and four million votes.

Justifying President Tinubu’s second term bid, he said:’The President has stabilised the economy of Nigeria for the first time. We have £7.9 billion trade surplus with America. It will keep going like that. It is due to agric and uria. Lekki Trade Zone is playing a role.

Hamzat frowned at the opposition’s criticisms of the infrastructure battle, particularly the coastal roads, saying that they are not serious.

Hamzat praised the president for the renovation of the airports, saying that it is creating millions of jobs.

‘For the first time, we are fighting terrorism and prosecuting kidnappers. The image of Nigeria is better in the international community. He has done fundamental things: tax reforms. The last was the withholding tax of 1938.

‘We must go out to vote, call our friends and neighbours to vote for APC. On June 16, we should vote for the president, our senatorial and 24 House of Representatives candidates. We should also ensure that our 40 House of Assembly candidates win.’