Rt. Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, the house of reps member representing Ethiope Federal Constituency in Delta State, has boldly declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is no longer relevant in her constituency.

The declaration was made during an empowerment event, where Ibori-Suenu distributed various items, including vehicles, motorcycles, sewing machines, and water pumps, to her constituents.

During the event, Ibori-Suenu revealed that her political allegiance had always been with the All Progressives Congress (APC), even when she was a member of the PDP.

She expressed her excitement about officially joining the APC, calling it the “supreme party.”

“The storm that will bring an end to PDP has arrived. We will bury the PDP in the Ologbo River, the bridge between Delta and Edo States,” she proclaimed.

Ibori-Suenu also accused the PDP of hindering her political growth and stated that her decision to join the APC was long overdue.

She thanked the APC leadership for their support and pledged to work diligently to achieve the party’s objectives in Ethiope Federal Constituency.

“We are capable, and we will deliver for Ethiope Federal Constituency. To the APC leadership, I sincerely appreciate your support. May God bless you all, including my leaders, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Hon. Halims Agoda,” she said.

The event also witnessed the defection of several PDP members to the APC.

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the APC governorship candidate and former Deputy Senate President, congratulated Ibori-Suenu for her defection, describing her as a “political bulldozer.”

He expressed confidence that her joining the APC, alongside other prominent defections, would strengthen the party’s prospects in the 2027 elections.

“With leaders like these joining our ranks, there’s no doubt we will take over Delta State in 2027,” Omo-Agege said.

He also acknowledged the influence of former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, and expressed hope that Ibori would eventually join the APC as well.

The Benue State House of Assembly has suspended Dr. Grace Adagba, the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), to allow for an investigation into allegations of irregularities in the ongoing recruitment of primary school teachers.

This action came after a motion was raised by the Majority Whip, Peter Ipusu (APC/Katsina-Ala West), during the plenary session in Makurdi.

Ipusu raised concerns that the board had ignored a prior resolution by the assembly to halt the recruitment process amid growing controversies surrounding it.

Ipusu pointed out that, despite the assembly’s directive, SUBEB continued the recruitment, announcing new cut-off marks for the Computer-Based Test (CBT) and adding more names for physical screening just the day after the assembly’s resolution.

He condemned this as a “reactionary effort to challenge the authority of the assembly.”

During the debate, the Speaker, Hyacinth Dajo, instructed the Clerk, John Hwande, to take a vote on the matter.

The motion to suspend Dr. Adagba was passed with 21 votes in favor and five votes in rejection.

President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are set to spend a combined total of N8.7 billion on trips and meals according to the proposed 2025 budget.

A breakdown of the allocations shows that N618,346,469 is earmarked for the President and Vice President’s meals and refreshments.

This amount is part of the budget presented by President Tinubu to the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The proposed budget also allocates substantial sums for both leaders’ travel expenses.

A total of N1,732,106,427 has been set aside for Shettima’s international trips, while N7,014,596,511 is allocated for the President’s travel, which covers both international and domestic journeys.

Under the State House Operations/President section of the budget, N375,187,661 and N56,432,522 are allocated for foodstuff, catering materials, and refreshments for President Tinubu.

In comparison, Vice President Shettima has been allocated N171,027,419 for foodstuff and N14,998,867 for refreshments.

Interestingly, Shettima’s allocation for meals and refreshments has been halved compared to the 2024 budget, while the President’s allocation sees an increase of N144,620,183, from N287.7 million in 2024 to N432.3 million in 2025.

For travel, the budget reveals N6,140,709,822 for President Tinubu’s international trips and N873,886,689 for domestic travel.

Shettima’s travel expenses are allocated as N1,314,618,239 for international trips and N47,488,198 for local travel, bringing the total for both leaders’ trips to N8,746,702,948.

This proposed total is lower than the N9,478,319,215 allocated for both leaders’ travel in the 2024 budget.

A review of the 2025 proposed budget has revealed that the office of the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu plans significant expenditures for various office needs, including N285 million for vehicle purchases.

The budget also includes N293 million allocated for honorarium payments over the year.

The office is headed by Femi Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Honorarium refers to a payment made for services rendered without a standard salary, typically as a token of appreciation for expertise or participation in specific events.

Further budget details show a proposal of N121.6 million for the creation of an archiving system.

Additionally, N4 million is earmarked for shredding machines, and N15 million for the purchase of two photocopiers.

IT-related expenses include N45 million for the annual renewal and upgrade of software licenses, while N23 million is allocated for the servicing of IT equipment.

N20 million has been set aside for the purchase of four scanners and four desktop computers for the Chief of Staff registry.

Other planned expenditures include N8.1 million for office stationery and computer consumables, N40.6 million for the maintenance of office and IT equipment, and N312 million for local training.

An even larger sum, N319 million, is allocated for international training.

These proposed expenses have sparked concerns about the government’s spending habits, especially amid Nigeria’s heavy debt burden.

The country plans to allocate N15.81 trillion for debt servicing in 2025, with a total budget of N49.7 trillion, despite expected revenues of only N34 trillion.

The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the termination of over 1,000 employees at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has expressed strong disapproval of Governor Yemi Cardoso’s failure to attend its hearing.

The committee, led by Chairman Bello Kumo, questioned why the CBN’s leadership did not show up to explain the reasons behind the layoffs.

Kumo, who also serves as the Chief Whip, voiced frustration over the absence of the Labour and Employment Minister, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, at the session, which was rescheduled from Wednesday due to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presentation of the 2025 budget.

However, Kumo praised the representative from the Federal Character Commission for attending the session.

He issued a stern warning, stating that the committee would not hesitate to take legal action against any government official who fails to attend future hearings.

He emphasized that the committee would strictly enforce the law if anyone disregards their invitation in the future.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Tajudeen Abbas, acknowledged the broader impact of the CBN’s decision, noting the consequences for the affected workers, their families, and the nation.

He urged the committee to thoroughly examine the calculation of the N50 billion severance pay for the workers, ensuring that due process was followed.

Abbas also called for a review to ensure that the decision to lay off the workers adhered to global best practices and legal standards.

Senator Neda Imasuen, representing Edo South in the Senate, has attributed recent defections from the Labour Party (LP) to a leadership crisis within the party.

He specifically pointed to the leadership style of the national chairman, Julius Abure, which, according to Imasuen, is also negatively impacting the party’s activities in Edo State.

In an interview with journalists, Imasuen expressed his full support for the Senate’s decision to investigate the issues raised by rights activist, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, concerning the revocation of ownership of a property belonging to her late husband, Col. Paul Ogbebor (rtd), in Abuja.

He stated, “All politics are local. I am a member of the Labour Party, but the party is embroiled in one crisis after another. If elections were held today, I personally would have no platform to run because of the ongoing situation in the party, even in Edo State. As I speak, we have two chairmen: I recognize Ogbaloi (Kelly) as the chairman, while Abure’s faction, which is recognized nationally, I do not acknowledge. I am the highest Labour Party elected official in the entire South-South region, and no one has informed me about any of the party’s decisions, nor why they are being made.”

Imasuen further explained the breakdown in his relationship with Abure, stating, “Abure doesn’t talk to me, and I don’t talk to him. We don’t communicate. This problem started during the nomination period when we were selecting a candidate for the party. Abure insisted on his candidate because of their background, while I felt that the best candidate should win regardless of where they were from. Our differences on that matter have persisted since.”

Regarding the land issue, Imasuen expressed his dissatisfaction with the handling of the matter by the late Col. Ogbebor’s family.

He revealed that he was never contacted about the revocation, whether by letter, phone, or SMS, and was shocked to learn about it through the media, even though his office had not received any formal petition regarding the alleged revocation of the property.

Imasuen stressed that the correct way to address such issues would have been through a formal petition to his office, but he only became aware of it via the media, which he described as inappropriate.

He also noted that the National Assembly had intervened to ensure that no action is taken on the property until a full investigation is completed by lawmakers.

He concluded, “The Senate has resolved that no action should be taken by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) on the property until the matter is fully investigated. I am very satisfied with this progress. For those claiming that I’ve been silent on this issue, they are simply unaware of how the Senate works.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oguduokwor Ward, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has officially expelled Ali Odefa, the suspended National Vice Chairman for the Southeast, from the party.

Odefa was suspended by the ward executives on September 11, 2024, over allegations of anti-party activities.

The suspension was later upheld by the Federal High Court in Abakaliki on November 29, 2024.

At a press conference on Wednesday, the Acting Chairman of the PDP in Oguduokwor, Onyeka Ovuta, alongside other ward executives, confirmed that Odefa’s expulsion followed the recommendation of the party’s disciplinary committee, which found the allegations of anti-party activities to be valid.

Ovuta explained that the expulsion was in line with the party’s constitution and the findings of the Ward Disciplinary Committee.

He emphasized that, with the expulsion, Odefa is no longer a member of the PDP.

The party’s statement read, “The PDP Oguduokwor Ward, Onicha LGA, hereby announces the expulsion of Chief Ali Odefa, the suspended National Vice Chairman of the PDP Southeast, effective immediately. This decision follows the findings and recommendations of the Ward Disciplinary Committee, in line with the PDP constitution.”

The statement continued, “Odefa was suspended from the party on September 11, 2024, and the Federal High Court, Abakaliki, affirmed this suspension on November 29, 2024. After reviewing the matter, the disciplinary committee unanimously recommended Odefa’s expulsion, which was subsequently approved by the PDP Oguduokwor Ward Executive Committee on December 11, 2024.”