Author: Chronicle Editor

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state has won the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by a respectable margin. He polled 2,458 votes to defeat eight other aspirants that participated in the primary. Olusola Oke (SAN) came in distant second with 262 votes followed by Isaac Kekemeke who garnered 19 votes. The governor won in all the 18 local governments in the state. Olayide Adelami and Nathaniel Adojutelegan polled four votes each while Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose scored two votes. Ambassador Olusola Iji polled nine votes. Jimi Odimayo Ifeoluwa Oyedele and Segun Abraham stood down for Akeredolu on…

Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio on Monday detailed how contract splitting is deployed as fraud in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). According to him, the management of the agency indulges in splitting contracts to outwit the minister and evade approval. Speaking before the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta in Abuja, the minister alleged that the agency spent “over N4.2 billion in a day in tranches of N49 million.” The committee is probing how N40 billion was spent by the Interim Management Committee (IMC). Akpabio was invited with the acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof.…

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score 50 goals in Serie A, La Liga and the Premier League as his double against Lazio put Juventus on the brink of the Serie A title. Juve are eight points clear of Inter Milan and need four points to clinch a ninth consecutive title. Ronaldo opened the scoring with a penalty and tapped in a second from Paulo Dybala’s pass. Ciro Immobile scored a penalty to pull one back for fourth-placed Lazio. Ronaldo and Immobile are joint top scorers in Serie A with 30 goals each. Portugal captain Ronaldo is bidding to…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 562 confirmed new coronavirus cases in the country on Monday. The 562 cases announced by the Centre for Disease Control takes the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 37225. The NCDC also announced the discharge of 228 patients from isolation centers across the country with 12 new deaths reported. Lagos state, the epicentre of the virus in Nigeria topped the number of confirmed cases with 100 new cases taking the total number of confirmed cases in Lagos alone to 13538. Nigeria announces 556 new coronavirus cases But it was the…

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state has taken an early lead as counting of votes began at the ongoing primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In two local government of Akoko North East and Akoko North West, Akeredolu polled over 300 votes while his closest rival in the sorted ballot, Chief Olusola Oke garnered 23 votes. Other aspirants that got votes were Ambassador Iji with two votes, Dr. Nath Adojutelegan one vote and Hon Isaacs Kekemeke one vote. Ondo Polls: Tension in APC as vote-buying rocks PDP Sorting is ongoing for Akoko South East.

By Chris I. The Niger Delta region once had to make do with about 2.5 per cent derivation under the President Shehu Shagari era when Pius Okigbo headed a committee tasked with the “formulae for revenue allocation having regard to such factors as the national interest, derivation, population, even development, equitable distribution and the equality of states.” This is purely to show our trajectory as per our gross revenue from the center so no misapplication of context is allowed. It was in 1999 that the region’s allocation was increased to 13 per cent. It was also in 1999 that the…

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has disclosed that the acting Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei who slumped during the ongoing investigative hearing will not appear before the committee again. The Speaker disclosed this at the resumption of the session following the adjournment due to the collapse of Mr. Pondei. He noted that the committee will adopt the written response of the MD. Gbajabiamila was responding to questions after the NDDC boss collapsed and rushed out for medical attention. Acting NDDC MD faints under cross examination “There would be no need for…

President Muhammadu Buhari has mourned the passing of Malam Isma’ila Isa Funtua, a man he described as a friend and political associate. In a statement by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity on Monday the President condoled with his family and friends. “President Muhammadu Buhari received with deep sadness on Monday evening information on passing of his longtime friend and associate, Malam Isma’ila Isa Funtua, who was Life Patron of International Press Institute and Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN). “The President condoles with family members, government and people of Katsina State, and all…

The founding managing director of Democrat Newspaper and former President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Mallam Ismaila Isa Funtua, is dead. He reportedly died of cardiac arrest Monday night. Mallam Funtua was an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari. He was life patron of Newspaper’s Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and Chairman of Bulet Construcion company. He will be buried according to Islamic rites Tuesday. More to follow…

Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Monday said that he and his colleagues in the ninth National Assembly will not allow any distraction from their focus. Lawan spoke when a delegation of leaders and traditional rulers from Oke-Ogun in Oyo State paid a courtesy call on him. The delegation, led by the Aseyin of Iseyin, Dr Abdul Ganiyu and facilitated by Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, was in Abuja to attend a public hearing on a bill for the establishment of a Federal University of Technology in Oke-Ogun. Spokesman for the delegation, Ahmed Raji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the courtesy call…