The latest critique of the Tinubu-led administration by the Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, has reportedly sparked displeasure from influential forces within the Presidency.

According to sources who spoke with Nigerian Tribune, these forces, upset by Ndume’s remarks about a new cabal in the Villa, have initiated steps to censure him.

Ndume, representing Borno South, expressed concerns last week that President Tinubu has been “caged” by a cabal within the Presidential Villa, preventing ministers and other key figures from having direct access to him.

He also mentioned that these forces do not truly understand the economic challenges Nigerians face due to current policies.

In response, a coordinated effort involving the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senate President Godswill Akpabio is reportedly underway. Their aim is to reprimand Ndume for his statements, which they consider embarrassing to the President and detrimental to the image of the ruling party.

Ndume had said: “The President should wake up, it seems he isn’t in the picture of what is happening because he has been caged off. He has been fenced off by plutocrats.

“He should open his doors and meet those who will tell him the truth. Unfortunately, the people who will tell him the truth won’t struggle to meet him. I am very worried not only for the President himself but myself.” READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

The APC National Working Committee at the weekend condemned Ndume, accusing him of making outlandish allegation against the present administration.

A statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, issued, on Saturday, dismissed Ndume’s allegation that Tinubu has been caged in the Villa and further described the lawmaker as an attention seeker.

A party source, however, told the Nigerian Tribune that a former lawmaker and now presidential aide, who was said to have instigated the party to issue the statement to condemn Senator Ndume, is also putting pressure on the president of the Senate to take certain reprisal action against Ndume in order to jolt him to withdraw what the Villa forces described as his needless antagonism of the President.

Multiple sources revealed that Akpabio has been told to announce a re-jig of existing Committees of the Senate to remove the Senate Chief Whip from the Committee on Appropriation, where he is the current deputy chairman. Ndume may also lose his exalted position as Senate Chief Whip.

According to the sources privy to the plot, “Akpabio is, however, in a dilemma. Ndume was the Director General of the Stability Group, the campaign team that ensured his emergence as Senate President. Moving against Ndume could polarise the rank of his loyal team.

“Few months after Senator Ningi suspension and recall, it could also send a wrong signal to the Northern Caucus that they have been marked for annihilation by the Tinubu presidency, using its foot soldiers in the National Assembly.”

The sources revealed that some senators from the South-West, whom their colleagues often referred to as Tinubu boys in the Red Chamber, have been railroaded into the orchestrated plot against Ndume.

A source said, “These same set of lawmakers, who ensured that the senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi was suspended despite pleas from their colleagues are putting Akpabio under pressure to submit to the demand to checkmate Ndume.”

The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II on Monday, July 15, 2024, received two looted artefacts from the University of Iowa Museum, United States of America.

The returned artefacts, a mother hen and a bronze plaque, were part of the ones looted at the Benin palace when it was invaded in 1897 by the British.

Receiving the items in his palace, the Oba said the immediate past president of the federation, President Muhammadu Buhari made the ownership of artefacts very clear through his recent gazette before he left office.

The monarch, who was elated over the return of the artefacts, referred to some of the earlier ones returned to the palace.

He noted that his forebears started the process but he was able to accomplish the feat when he ascended the throne.

The royal father said that artefacts were not mere items, noting that they have spiritual implications which mere mortals cannot understand.

He further appealed to the political leaders to help preserve the traditions and customs of the land READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

“I must commend the immediate past president of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari who made the ownership of artefacts very clear through his recent gazette before he left office,” the Oba said.

“My forebears started the process of ensuring the artefacts are but I can accomplish the feat when I ascended the throne.

“The artefacts are not mere items, they have spiritual implications which the mere mortals cannot understand.”

He appealed to the political leaders to help preserve the traditions and customs of the land.

Earlier, Cory Gundlach, a curator from the African Art in the US Museum, on behalf of other lecturers in the university apologized to the Oba of Benin for using the artefacts as teaching materials in the university.

He assured the monarch of his determination to ensure that others who were kept elsewhere were returned to their original abode.

Omoyele Sowore

Popular Nigerian activist, Omoyele Sowore has accused the Tinubu-led Federal government of acquiring an Airbus A330 Presidential Jet worth $100 million.

According to him, the jet, an A330-200 initially christened VP-CAC was registered as 5N-FGA.

He shared a photo of the said jet on his Instagram page and stated that the government cannot pay minimum wage to workers but can afford to buy a private jet. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

He wrote;

‘’While they are telling you to “exercise patience” @officialasiwajubat already bought a $100m Presidential Jet and configured or reconfigured it with some $50million and it is ready for delivery! The jet is an A330-200 initially christened VP-CAC is now registered as 5N-FGA.

This was not in the annual budget, they can’t pay minimum wage for workers but could afford $150m for a private jet, students have to obtain loans to go to college but they could afford to approve billions for hajj even as the money/ies ended up being stolen.

Fight we MUST! #RevolutionNow .”