These are the stories that drove conversation this week.
This week began with the governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode holding a World Press Conference where he spewed some negative things against his opponent in the governorship race, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
This might have prompted the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola ‘Jagaban’ Tinubu to immediately release a statement formally endorsing Sanwo-Olu.
In reaction to Ambode, Sanwo-Olu said the tension and anxiety of the moment got the better of him. Probably why singer, Olamide openly declared support for him (Ambode). Sanwo-Olu added that he forgives him.
As the primaries went on, Ambode’s deputy shifted sides. Idiat Adebule did not explicitly declare support for her principal, she said she will go on with whatever the party decides.
Sanwo-Olu eventually emerged winner of the primaries with a very wide margin. Ambode congratulated him and pledged to support him.
President Muhammadu Buhari accepted the resignation of his minister, Aisha Alhassan, who resigned dishing out allegations of impunity against the APC. She also said she doesn’t quite understand how or why she was disqualified from the governorship race.
Alhassan has since moved — with a lot of APC faithful — to UDP and won the party’s governorship ticket for 2019.
As is the tradition on the occasion of Nigeria’s Independence Anniversary, President Buhari delivered a speech, asking Nigerians not to continue in the footsteps of “disruptive forces” and that security has indeed improved in highly terrorised areas.
Read five things we learnt from the speech here.
We still await formal declaration, if there will be any, but Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare said former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili will be contesting in 2019.
Still on contestants in 2019, 75-year-old Senator (Plateau South), Jeremiah Useni emerged the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Then, in an unexpected manner, though with clear explanation, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce (Bayelsa East) withdrew from his re-elction bid.
Also, a familiar candidate in Lagos governorship elections, Jimi Agbaje, emerged as the flagbearer of the PDP, beating his opponent, Deji Doherty, with 1,100 to 742 votes.
The governor-elect of Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola, was handed the certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
But some leaders of the opposition PDP led by Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the National Chairman, Uche Secondus, marched to INEC office, asking the electoral body to declare PDP candidate, Ademola Adeleke winner of the Osun governorship election.
After weeks of Boko Haram threat to kill Leah Sharibu — last remaining abducted schoolgirl from Dapchi — President Buhari called her mother, Rebecca Sharibu assuring her that the “Federal Government would do its utmost best for the safety and security of their daughter.”
News channel, CNN published a feature story on sex slavery in Paris, detailing how Nigerian girls are being promised paradise but are forced into all kinds of sexual abuse and sometimes left to die on the streets.
The report focused on a particular popular park in Paris. Read the full story here.
President Buhari met with nine governors of the APC amidst chaotic primaries all over the country.
The governor of Imo, Rochas Okorocha came out of the meeting saying, “we came to review the various crises…we are going to find solution, out party believes in justice, equity and fairness.”
In the same vein, the governors expressed dissatisfaction with the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole over the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) to subtly offer automatic tickets to some returning lawmakers in the National Assembly.
The APC released a list of governorship candidates ahead of the deadline.
The Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena disclosed this in a statement on the party’s website.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has warned citizens to desist from “bastardising” the national currency – Naira – or risk going to jail for about six months or be made to pay a fine of N50,000.
It added that people selling Naira notes are liable too.
Read » Ambode’s press conference and the Lagos APC primaries; President Buhari’s Independence Day speech and 5 things we learnt and other stories that made headlines this week on YNaija
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