The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has concluded arrangements to arraign the Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Professor Sani Lawan Malumfashi, over his alleged involvement in a ₦1.02 billion money laundering scheme.

Also named in the charge are the Commission’s Secretary, Mr. Anas Muhammed Mustapha, and the Deputy Director of the Accounts Department, Mr. Ado Garba.

The trio will appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, July 21, 2025.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, who revealed that the commission’s investigation uncovered a conspiracy by the accused to carry out large-scale illegal cash transactions between November and December 2024.

According to the charge sheet, KANSIEC under Malumfashi’s leadership transferred ₦1.02 billion from its Unity Bank account to a private firm, SLM Agro Global Farm, which reportedly had no contractual relationship with the Commission.

The accused officials claimed the funds were meant to raise cash for paying ad hoc staff used during local government elections.

They further claimed that the full amount was returned to KANSIEC in cash by the company.

However, the ICPC stated that the investigation contradicted this explanation.

“ICPC further revealed that while the defendants in the statements they volunteered argued that the transfers made to SLM AgroGlobal were made with the intention to raise cash needed to pay the adhoc-staff that participated in the local government election in the state, and that the firm returned all such transfers to KANSIEC in cash,” the statement noted.

Bakare said that evidence obtained during the investigation showed otherwise.

One such document was a letter from KANSIEC addressed to the Manager of Unity Bank, Zoo Road, Kano, requesting a payment of ₦59.4 million via cheque, along with a list of 468 Electoral Officers and 42 Assistant Electoral Officers, complete with their bank details for payment.

“Investigation however revealed otherwise as a letter from the defendant addressed to the Manager, Unity Bank, Zoo Road, Kano detailed where in they requested transfer payment of the sum of N59, 400, 000.00 attached with a cheque of same amount and a list of 468 Electoral Officers and 42 Assistance Electoral Officers’ bank details for payment through the banking system.

“This request, according to ICPC, was honoured by the bank, and the beneficiaries, one and all, got their payments.”

He added that the suspects’ justification that bank transfers would be too slow to facilitate timely payments was unconvincing and merely a cover-up.

“Their claim that the banking system or transfers would have been too slow to accommodate their requests in the case of ad hoc staff was found to be a mere conjecture, a screen to hide corruption and a lame excuse to justify the offence of money laundering,” the statement read.

ICPC also questioned a ₦20 million expenditure allegedly allocated for candidate verification during the 2024 local government elections.

According to the agency, the Commission’s official budget (erroneously titled “Operation Budget 2025 Elections”) indicated that ₦20 million was set aside for screening candidates across Kano’s 484 wards and 44 local government areas.

However, investigations showed that all candidate screenings were conducted at the Commission’s headquarters in Kano, and candidates bore the cost of travel.

“The Commission added that its investigation further revealed that though the budget for the 2024 Election presented to the investigating officers (wrongly headed ‘Operation Budget 2025 Elections’) has the amount of N20, 000, 000.00 budgeted for the Team to conduct screening/verification of the candidates across 484 Wards and 44 Local Governments of Kano State, However, all the candidates were screened/verified in the Commission’s office in Kano.

“The Team did not travel out of Kano and the candidates made it to KANSIEC office in Kano at their own expense, yet the 3rd Defendant in his statement to the ICPC investigating officers stated that the entire budget of N20 million was given in cash to the KANSIEC Members who constitute the screening/verification team,” the statement added.

The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has distanced itself from the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Friday, describing the gathering as “illegal, unconstitutional, and of no consequence.”

In a statement titled “Illegal NEC: Otti advised not to use Abia State resources on trivialities,” issued in Abuja, the factional National Secretary, Umar Farouk, insisted that only the National Chairman and National Secretary are constitutionally empowered to convene such a meeting.

“The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to yet another illegal gathering of some suspended members of the party parading themselves as members of the party’s National Executive Committee.

Ordinarily, we didn’t think we should make any comment as regards this perennial jamboree since the meeting and its outcome are inconsequential, null and void,” the statement read in part.

Farouk was reacting to recent comments by Abia State Governor Alex Otti, who called for a formal apology from Abure, Lamidi Apapa, and other factional leaders as a condition for their reintegration into the party.

The demand was made during the inauguration of Senators Nenadi Usman and Darlington Nwokocha as interim National Chairman and National Secretary of the party, respectively.

However, citing the Labour Party’s constitution, specifically Articles 14(4)(b) and 13(B)(xii), Farouk stressed that the NEC meeting held in Umuahia was not legitimate.

“By the above provisions, every meeting convened by the suspended Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, and the Caretaker Committee, being the product of the illegal Umuahia meeting, is unconstitutional and of no effect.

It is important to note that there has never been any vacancy in the leadership of the Labour Party and there will not be any until 2028,” he said.

Farouk also referenced the April 4, 2025, Supreme Court ruling, which advised political parties to resolve internal conflicts in line with their constitutions.

He criticized Otti’s role in the leadership crisis, suggesting the governor is disconnected from recent developments within the party and has lost the support of key allies.

“Dr. Otti and his co-travellers must know by now that the train of the party has moved on and the party is focused ahead of the 2027 general election with or without them.

Governor Otti is probably not aware that his flanks have been exposed as the majority of his combatants and leaders have deserted him and moved on.

He is probably living in ignorance and in the past,” Farouk added.

The faction urged Labour Party members to disregard the resolutions from the Umuahia NEC meeting and advised Governor Otti to redirect his efforts toward governance in Abia State.

“We also urge the governor to channel the Abia State resources to providing basic infrastructure for the good people of the state rather than wasting resources chasing shadows,” the statement concluded.

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has issued a stern warning to former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, advising him not to enter the state without prior security clearance.

The governor’s remarks came on Friday during a rally organized by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to welcome Hon. Marcus Onobun, a former member of the House of Representatives under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the APC fold.

Okpebholo’s warning followed Obi’s recent visit to Edo State, during which he donated ₦15 million to the St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing in Benin City for an ongoing building project.

In a viral video from the rally, Okpebholo linked Obi’s visit to renewed violence in the state.

“He came the other day and donated N15 million. Somebody that said he doesn’t give shishi, where did he get N15 million to donate to people.. By the time he left, there was crisis. Three people died in Benin,” the governor said.

He continued with a direct message to Obi:
“For that reason, tell Obi he should not come to Edo without telling me. I am sending a direct message to him that there’s a new sheriff in town.
His security will never be guaranteed. He must not come to Edo without security clearance.”

Governor Okpebholo also launched a broader attack on unnamed opposition figures, accusing them of corruption and complicity in derailing critical national projects.

“Some of them stole railway funds. Some were Senate Presidents for years and could not build roads to their villages. Some sold off Nigeria’s assets. These same people now want to form new parties. Today, SDP, tomorrow ADC, next ADA. We do not need insecurity merchants,” he said.

Meanwhile, Marcus Onobun explained his defection as both a strategic and ideological decision.

“I have seen what Governor Okpebholo is doing; Edo people have seen it. I am back home to support him so that our people can get more,” Onobun declared.

DAILY GAZETTE recalls that Onobun’s switch to the APC comes just a month after state government authorities marked his house in Iruekpen for demolition, citing alleged involvement in cult-related activities.

IBB’s Son

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Muhammad Babangida, son of former military president Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), as the new Chairman of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA).

The announcement was made on Friday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, as part of a broader list of newly appointed chairpersons and heads of federal government agencies.

“Some of them will serve as chairmen or directors-general of Federal agencies,” Onanuga said in the official statement.

Muhammad Babangida, 53, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Public Relations and Business Communication from the European University in Montreux, Switzerland.

He also completed the Executive Program on Corporate Governance at Harvard Business School in 2002.

Other appointments confirmed by the presidency include:

Lydia Kalat Musa (Kaduna State) – Chairman, Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA)

Jamilu Wada Aliyu (Kano State) – Chairman, National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC)

Hon. Yahuza Ado Inuwa (Kano State) – Chairman, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON)

Sanusi Musa (SAN) (Kano State) – Chairman, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR)

Prof. Al-Mustapha Alhaji Aliyu (Sokoto State) – Director-General, Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA)

Sanusi Garba Rikiji (Zamfara State) – Director-General, Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN)

Mrs. Tomi Somefun (Oyo State) – Managing Director, National Hydro-Electric Power Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC)

Dr. Abdulmumini Mohammed Aminu-Zaria (Kaduna State) – Executive Director, Nigerian Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC).

The Acting National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Iliya Damagum, has reacted to the resignation of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, describing it as a familiar move among politicians.

Speaking to journalists on Friday at the Government House in Bauchi, Damagum addressed Atiku’s recent departure and the exit of others from the party.

He said the PDP is not surprised by Atiku’s move and remains optimistic about his possible return.

“Well, it is expected because this is not the first time and I don’t think it will be the last time. We are still expecting him any moment from now,” Damagum stated.

Atiku, who was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, resigned from the party on Wednesday.

In a letter addressed to the Chairman of Jada 1 Ward in Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State, he cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for his departure.

In the letter, the former Vice President expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the PDP, saying the party had deviated from the ideals upon which it was originally built.

He noted that the party’s direction no longer aligned with its founding vision and principles.