Joe Igbokwe, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has criticized the recent endorsement of Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu, as a candidate for Lagos State governor in 2027.

The endorsement, made by the Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders (CONYL) on Tuesday, included youth groups from all six geopolitical zones of the country.

However, in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Igbokwe rejected the support, stating that Seyi Tinubu lacks the necessary experience and capability to govern Lagos.

Igbokwe dismissed the endorsement as a distraction and an attempt to undermine President Tinubu’s leadership.

He pointed out that governing a state as significant as Lagos requires a level of maturity and expertise that Seyi Tinubu, in his view, does not possess.

“Who are these faceless people pushing Seyi Tinubu for Lagos Governor? This is a needless distraction. The goal is to pull PBAT down,” Igbokwe wrote.

“Ruling Lagos is not a job for boys. Let PBAT focus on his very demanding job as president.”

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has ordered a thorough review of all recruitment activities conducted by the previous administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki between May and November 2024.

The governor also announced an immediate suspension of all new recruitments into the state’s civil service, citing concerns over covert recruitment practices by heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

In a statement released on Friday and signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Musa Umar Ikhilor, Governor Okpebholo revealed that his administration had received reports of unauthorized recruitment by various state bodies, including commissions, boards, and parastatals.

Preliminary investigations indicated that some agencies were issuing backdated employment letters, bypassing the standard recruitment processes.

Governor Okpebholo emphasized his administration’s commitment to ensuring fairness, equity, and merit-based recruitment procedures that are accessible to all Edo indigenes.

He directed that all recruitment processes be suspended and that the appointments made since May 2024 be reviewed. Heads of MDAs were instructed to strictly adhere to the new directive.

In a related development, the governor announced the formation of a 12-member committee tasked with recovering missing government vehicles under the previous administration.

The committee, which will be chaired by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given two weeks to complete its assignment.

Okungbowa confirmed that the committee would work diligently to ensure that all government vehicles currently in private hands are recovered and returned to the state.

The committee vice-chairman, former Edo State House of Assembly Speaker Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, assured that they would carry out the task in full compliance with the law.

He also appealed to the public to report any information regarding government vehicles that are still in private possession, so that they can be promptly recovered.

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has once again delayed its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, initially scheduled for November 28, 2024.

The party cited the need for members to attend the funeral of the late First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Patience Umo Eno, as the reason for the delay.

In a statement issued by the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the PDP explained that the NEC meeting had been rescheduled from October 24 to November 28 after consultations with key party stakeholders.

However, due to the coinciding funeral events for the late First Lady, which are set to take place on the same dates, the National Working Committee (NWC) decided to postpone the meeting once more.

The NWC’s announcement noted that the postponement was made to allow party leaders to attend the funeral and express condolences to Governor Umo Bassey Eno.

It assured members that the new date for the NEC meeting would be communicated shortly, apologizing for the inconvenience caused by the change.

This development comes amid mounting tensions within the party, particularly regarding the leadership in the North Central region.

During a meeting with youth leaders from the region in Abuja, former PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, criticized the repeated postponements of the NEC meeting, describing them as a blatant disregard for the party’s constitution.

Ologbondiyan emphasized that only a commitment to the party’s constitutional framework would enable the PDP to overcome its internal challenges and contribute to solving Nigeria’s problems.

He stressed that attempts to undermine the PDP’s founding principles or treat it as the domain of any single individual would ultimately be futile.

He also pointed out that the North Central region’s concerns, which were supposed to be addressed at the 99th NEC meeting, have been repeatedly postponed, undermining the party’s unity and focus.

He further criticized the continued hold of Damagum on the North Central position, asserting that without addressing this issue, the PDP’s efforts to rejuvenate itself would remain mere rhetoric.

The Nigerian government has withheld Rivers State’s October allocation from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), heightening tensions between Governor Simi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Bawa Mokwa, spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), confirmed the suspension on Friday, November 22, explaining that the government is complying with a ruling by the Federal High Court.

The October 30 decision by Justice Abdulmalik had prohibited both the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the federal government from disbursing funds to the state.

Mokwa clarified, “The October 2024 FAAC has not been released yet. The Federal Government is adhering to the court order regarding Rivers State’s allocation. Unless a different directive is issued, the situation will remain unchanged.”

The freeze comes after a lawsuit filed by the Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State Assembly, which claims that Governor Fubara’s administration had disregarded a court order to resubmit the 2024 appropriation bill to the legislature.

The Amaewhule faction, believed to be aligned with Wike, accuses the state executive of undermining legislative authority.

Tensions between Fubara and Wike have escalated since the former took office, further straining the political landscape in the state.

The Amaewhule faction, backed by Wike, is engaged in a contentious battle for control of the Rivers State Assembly, exacerbating the political crisis. Mokwa assured the public that the federal government is proceeding cautiously in this matter.

“The process of disbursing the October 2024 allocation is ongoing, but due diligence will be exercised in the case of Rivers State,” he stated.