General
PDP Not Big Enough for me to Achieve my Dreams—Uduaghan
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
On Tuesday, August 28, 2018, the immediate past governor of Delta State, Mr Emmanuel Uduaghan, formally announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mr Uduaghan, a founding member of the PDP and Delta South Senate aspirant in 2019, confirmed his defection at a meeting of the APC national caucus held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by leaders of the party including national officers, state governors, former state governors, ministers and National Assembly members.
Speaking on reasons for his defection, Mr Uduaghan, in a statement entitled ‘Moving On To The Bigger Playing Field’ and sent to this newspaper by his spokesperson, said with his desire to attract development and bring a permanent solution to the Niger Delta crisis, propelled him to leave the PDP.
According to him, the APC is the only platform he can achieve his aims for the region judging from its progressiveness and the leadership style of the president, Muhammadu Buhari.
Read Mr Uduaghan’s full statement below:
The toughest challenge for any leader in the Niger Delta since 1997 has been the issue of Peace and Security. For over 12 years, I was deeply involved in the management of the issues of the region, first as Secretary to State Government, SSG, and then as Governor of Delta State for 8 years.
Strategically, we had ENGAGEMENT as our major tool. This involved government officials, with me in the forefront (sometimes personally going into the creeks without security at nocturnal hours), community leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, our youths, retired military officers, activists, etc. Of course, ensuring that Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, was active was also part of the engagement process.
Encouraging Interests, Activities
Since the inception of the current All Progressives Congress, APC, administration at the federal level, there has been an encouraging interest and activities by President Muhammadu Buhari to bring a permanent solution to the Niger Delta crisis. This has pointed in a direction that is at once progressive and developmental.
Topmost in these activities are the ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES. Rather than using the military to harass our people, the Buhari administration has embarked on various engagement processes that have led to agreements and brought hope to the people of the Niger Delta.
In the last years, Mr President has personally engaged several regional leaders and youths. Senior officials of his administration also engaged many Niger Delta leaders and youths. Very significant is that Mr. President mandated the Vice President Prof Yemi Osibajo SAN, to visit virtually all the oil producing states, engaging various stakeholders. This is unprecedented in the history of the region. Such engagement processes have brought some measure of peace in the Niger Delta. Things can only get better.
Beyond the engagement processes, however, the Buhari administration has embarked on some infrastructural and human capital development activities in the region. In Delta State, the opening of a Maritime University; the setting up of a steering committee for the EPZ (GAS CITY), the plan for a deep sea port, the dredging of the Escravos-Warri River; the opening of the railway line to Delta Steel Company, the soon to be flagged off, by Mr. President, the Omadino-Escravos Road that will pass through many riverine communities; the various road construction works by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the various TCN projects across the State are some of the positive activities in the region.
There are also various human capital development programmes especially the school feeding and the “social security net” that is making 5,000 Naira available to the poor, the continuation of the YouWin programme, the various SME programmes, and several other projects across the region have brought hope to the people.
Indeed, once Mr President was able to set his priorities pursuant to creating an environment for peace in the region, it became incumbent on every well-meaning Niger Deltan and Nigerian to assist the process of building an economically prosperous nation.
In this era of partisan politics, it is necessary for the people of the Niger Delta, and Delta State in particular, to identify more with the Federal Government led by the APC. By so doing, we can push some of the agreements between our leaders and the Federal Government through, and also engage the government to do more. Politics is about interests.
The Niger Delta is a major area of interest for me, because I staked my life going into the creeks severally without security and sometimes coming back at night negotiating peace. I will, therefore, give the strongest support to any President that shows commitment in the affairs of the Niger Delta.
I call on, and enjoin, other well-meaning leaders in the region, who have very useful contributions to make, to come on board and join hands in helping this Federal Government to pursue a robust development agenda that would uplift our people. Whatever milestone that appears not to have been achieved yet is not for lack of efforts. Joining hands with and supporting the process will lead to a faster delivery on expectations.
It is in the pursuit of this noble objective that I’m offering myself to help drive a process that would give the lives of our people in the Niger Delta more meaning. President Muhammadu Buhari needs people who will join hands with him to uplift our people. From my political experience, you have to be well represented and actively so at the “board room” when decisions are being taken. Delta State must be well represented. Niger Delta must be well represented.
It is noteworthy to state that some organisations have been deeply involved in efforts to develop the Niger Delta and can always be relied on to collaborate with our President. It is also noteworthy to add that some previous administrations made significant efforts to develop the region. The current administration made such a significant impact in spite of the fact that apart from Edo State, President Buhari did not score the required 25% in the entire Niger Delta in the election that brought him into government in 2015. This speak volumes of his genuineness to uplift the Niger Delta. Such an administration should be encouraged by the people of the Niger Delta. We can never be sure of the genuiness of another person who becomes the President.
I have, therefore, after series of consultations and prayers, taken the decision to leave the PDP and join the APC. In doing this, I want to thank the numerous leaders, supporters and interest groups that have been urging me to remain in PDP. I am happy that after explaining some of the deeper issues to you, some of you that are politicians have agreed to join the APC in the near future. So I am going into APC as “John the Baptist” to the numerous Deltans that are coming in, soon – very soon.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four others over failure to meet the constitutional requirements for political parties in the country.
In a judgment, Justice Lifu ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the affected parties, having failed to secure 25 per cent of the votes in the last general elections in compliance with the provisions of the law.
The five political parties include ADC, Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Justice Lifu, who earlier dismissed all the multiple preliminary objections filed by the defendants, ordered INEC not to allow the parties to participate in the subsequent elections, including the 2027 general polls, having failed to meet the constitutional threshold.
A group, the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, had filed the suit against the five political parties.
The plaintiff, who also joined the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) in the suit, named INEC as the first defendant.
The forum argued that the affected political parties failed to meet constitutional requirements relating to electoral spread and performance.
It contended that political parties were required to secure at least 25 per cent of votes in prescribed elections to remain relevant under the law.
It therefore urged the court to order the deregistration of the parties, insisting that none of the defendants had effectively countered the arguments.
This development comes as the ADC announced former Rivers State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to its presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, for the 2027 general election.
It said that the decision followed extensive consultations with party leaders, coalition partners, youth and women stakeholders, and representatives of all geopolitical zones.
“The National Leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), after extensive consultations with party leaders, coalition partners, youth and women stakeholders, and representatives of all geopolitical zones, is proud to announce that Mr Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has been selected as the vice-presidential candidate of our great party for the 2027 presidential election,” the party disclosed in a statement on Monday.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has reaffirmed that the anticipated Nigerian Oil and Gas Park Scheme (NOGaPS) will become operational by the fourth quarter of 2026.
According to a statement by the General Manager of Corporate Communications Division at NCDMB, Mr Obinna Ezeobi, ahead of the target date for the park located at Emeyal-1, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, the NCDMB is set to install a 2.5-megawatt Com- pressed Natural Gas (CNG) power plant at the park.
He added that the power plant is one of the key steps to getting the facility operational, as it will provide a reliable and sustainable electricity supply to support industrial operations within the park.
Mr Ezeobi gave the assurance after an assessment visit to the facility by key personnel of the Board.
According to the statement, the tour revealed significant progress across key infrastructure and support systems designed to position the facility as a major industrial hub for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It added that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Park Scheme was conceived to deepen Nigerian Content by providing a conducive environment for the manufacturing of components, equipment and other inputs required by the oil and gas industry, while creating employment opportunities for over 2000 persons when fully operational, and stimulating economic growth.
The oil and gas park scheme is a purpose-built industrial park with manufacturing shop floors and factories, warehouses, training centres, mini estates, truck parking and holding spaces, fire stations, administrative blocks, and security services, among other things, and is a critical initiative of the board geared towards in-country capacity development through local manufacture of equipment components and spare parts required in the oil and gas industry.
Six parks have been conceptualised and are located in different parts of the country, and they form a key part of NCDMB’s strategy for sustainable local content development and industrialisation. Two of the parks at Odukpani, Cross River State, and at Emeyal 1, Bayelsa State, have been completed, and interested companies have begun to take up shop floors, preparatory to the commencement of operations.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A partnership for the integration of Onafriq’s leading pan-African payment network into Yuno’s orchestration platform has been entered into between the two organisations.
This collaboration gives merchants a single connection to Africa’s most expansive payments infrastructure, bringing the continent’s most expansive payments infrastructure to merchants worldwide.
Through this integration, Yuno’s clients gain instant access to Onafriq’s network spanning 43 African markets, nearly one billion mobile wallets, 500 million bank accounts, and 2,000 cross-border payment corridors, all through Yuno’s single, developer-friendly API.
The partnership is part of Yuno’s broader strategy to build a truly global platform that connects merchants to every meaningful payment method and network, regardless of geography. Following successful expansion in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, Africa is a key pillar of Yuno’s next phase of growth.
For Onafriq, the integration with Yuno extends its reach to an entirely new segment of global merchants who now benefit from a streamlined entry point into African markets. The partnership reinforces Onafriq’s mission of making borders matter less, bringing together mobile money operators, banks, fintechs, and enterprises into one connected payment ecosystem.
“Africa represents one of the most exciting growth opportunities in global commerce, and yet too many merchants are still locked out by payment infrastructure that wasn’t built for scale.
“Our partnership with Onafriq changes that. By bringing their unmatched African network into our infrastructure layer, we’re giving our clients a single path to a continent-wide ecosystem with the reliability, compliance, and local depth they need to grow with confidence,” the chief executive of Yuno, Mr Juan Pablo Ortega, stated.
Also commenting, the chief executive of Onafriq, Mr Dare Okoudjou, said, “Africa’s payment landscape has never lacked ambition or momentum; what it needed is the right infrastructure that matches its pace.
“Our partnership with Yuno changes the equation for global merchants who want to be part of this growth story. Through a single connection, global merchants can reach consumers and businesses across Africa more seamlessly than ever before, while more people across the continent gain access to the digital economy on their own terms. For us, this is what making borders matter less looks like in practice.”
Onafriq’s infrastructure supports the full payment lifecycle, from real-time disbursements and omnichannel collections to card issuance, treasury management, and stablecoin settlement, all underpinned by local regulatory licences and ISO 27001 and CMML3-certified security.
For Yuno’s merchant base, this means the ability to pay out to mobile wallets, bank accounts, or cash pickup points, and accept payments across channels, without managing multiple integrations or compliance frameworks independently.
The integration is now live and available across Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Uganda. Yuno’s clients can access Onafriq’s capabilities, including mobile money disbursements and collections, card issuance, and FX treasury services, directly from the Yuno dashboard with no additional contract or integration required.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism10 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn