President Muhammadu Buhari in handshake with the greatest critic of his government, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah receives, when he hosted Members of the National Peace Committee at the Presidential villa, Abuja on 29th September, 2022.
“Many have said I have died; others claim I have withdrawn from the presidential campaign. Well… Nope.
“This is the reality: I am strong, I am healthy and I am READY to serve Nigerians from Day One.”
The Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, spoke from London today, October 2, in a video posted on his official Twitter handle. He was seen working out on stationary exercise bike.
Speaking further on the rumours making the rounds that he is sick and receiving medical treatment in London, he wrote: “Many have said I have died; others claim I have withdrawn from the presidential campaign. Well… Nope.”
Former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri has described large crowds at political rallies in various locations for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, as show of force to disrupt the political space in the country.
Omokri, a staunch supporter of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, in reaction to the rallies held across the country by the supporters of Obi for the 2023 presidential election, acknowledged that the rallies are great achievements.
According to him, the Obidient movement should not be disregarded by anyone who is politically conscious, adding: ” the Obidient rallies at Festac and Amuwo were amazing. They are great achievements.
“Anyone who tries to belittle them is not politically astute. While Obi will not win in 2023, he has successfully disrupted politics in Nigeria. Well done Obi! Well done Obidients!”, he tweeted.
Omokri said that the rallies are just a show of force by southeastern traders who closed down their shops.
“These so called ‘one million man marches’ are mostly a gathering of traders in various Nigerian towns and cities, who close down their markets (that are heavily dominated by people of southeastern origin), to do what in the military is called “a show of force,” he tweeted.
Also reacting, the Spokesman for the All Progressives Congress APC) Presidential Campaign Council, and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN), said the rallying Obidients are not more than a thousand people who are not more than the electorate needed at two polling units.
“The aerial shots are the best. Now, look at this: at best the ‘crowd’ here is not more than a thousand people which is approximately just two polling units,” he quote-tweeted a video from one of the rallies.
Meanwhile, Obi’s supporters poured out into the streets across eight states of the country yesterday in what they called the beginning of five million man march.
The supporters poured out in their hundreds, occupying Lekki toll gate despite a court order barring the planners of the rally, led by the Labour Party and NCFront, from staging any rally at the Lekki tollgate.
The Lagos State Police Command followed this up with a statement barring anyone from marching at the Lekki tollgate.
The statement was signed by the spokesman of the Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin.
So also was the request for the planners of the rally to use the National Stadium in Surulere not granted as at the time the rally began in the early hours of Saturday.
Prominent among those there is the Director General of the NCFront, Veteran Olawale Okunniyi.
The supporters of Obi and his running mate, Dr. Yusuf Datti-Ahmed, also poured out on the streets in Surulere and Ojuelegba axis of Lagos State; Warri in Delta State and other locations.
Group Chief Executive of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, is hoping to turn the company into the largest in Africa, with the acquisition of Oando’s OVH Energy yesterday, October 1.
Speaking at the event to welcome OVH Energy to NNPCL, Mele Kyari said that the acquisition is a step toward growth and a way of ensuring energy security and making money for Nigerians.
“As of today at this moment, we’re the largest downstream company in the country. We also know that by this partnership; by this acquisition; by this merger, that’s what we want to call it. We’re also very likely to be the largest downstream company in Africa.
He said that the NNPC would not disrupt OVH workforce, instead, it would integrate and work with them.
Kyari decried the reliance of over 70 per cent of Nigerians on biomass for cooking, stressing that the people deserve clean cooking to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Chief Executive Officer, OVH Energy, Huub Stokman said the acquisition came at a critical time in the history of Nigeria’s energy sector, especially with the enactment of the PIA.
He added that the progress made by the company over years would have been impossible without the resilience of the workforce.
He noted the need to prioritize natural gas, especially in a bid to achieve energy transition goals.
The move to acquire the Oando OVH Energy is to aim at growing the portfolio of the national oil company.
OVH Energy Marketing (OVHEM) Limited, is the licensee of the Oando retail brand and ASPM Limited, custodians of the Lagos Midstream Jetty.
Coming under the NNPC’s Accelerated Network Expansion (ANEX), the new move adds OVH downstream assets, including a reception jetty (ASPM) with 240,000MT monthly capacity, eight LPG Plants, three Lubes blending plants, three Aviation Depots, and 12 warehouses to the existing NNPC downstream business.
The acquisition would also bring over 380 additional filling stations under the NNPC Retail brand in Nigeria and Togo, bringing the national oil company’s outlets to 1,500 stations.
