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Ebonyi 2023: Indigenes reject zoning, campaign for competence, credibility

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Ahead of 2023 governorship election in Ebonyi state, indigenes of the state under the aiges of Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in Diaspora (AESID) have rejected zoning agreement, saying competence, capability and credibility should be the standard for anyone to succeed governor Dave Umahi.

The group said: “Ebonyi people truly deserve nothing but the best, most credible and competent hand it can get from any part of the state who understands the prevailing challenges of anthropogenic poverty, lack of human empowerment, health and educational deficiencies arising from poor policy planning and executions among other negative trends and its attendant consequences on our people.”

In a statement released to newsmen by its President Amb. Paschal Oluchukwu, Thursday in Abuja, said the campaign in the media by some interests to respect ‘charter of equity’ does not exist.

“As various political parties in Nigeria gear-up for congresses at the Wards, Local Government, State and National levels, it has become indubitable that political activities have raved up as expected with many analysts and pundits fully up in their game.

“Whereas, the situation is not any different in Ebonyi, the calls in some quarters for the mediocre acts of zoning of political offices have once again been brought to bear in the debate over who succeeds Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi in 2023. Those who engineer this premise their position on what they term equity and fairness in their delusional fantasy to keep an ‘equity bond’ that neither exists nor has ever been manifest in Ebonyi politics.

“As a governance and accountability platform, AESID feels very strongly that it is also part of our core mandate to bring unbiased analysis on political debates in our dear State, not only putting the records very straight but also picturing the future that Ebonyi truly deserves.

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“Having remained the most outstanding accountability platform in the State with our memberships drawn across the entire State, we would not watch a section of self-interests seekers, paid political permutators, jobbers and hatchets men mislead, misdirect or misinform Ebonyi people as they battle to choose a credible and competent leader who would take-over the baton as Governor David Nweze Umahi’s successor.

“It bothers placing properly on record that the so-called, non-existent ‘charter of equity’ which some rented script writers are bandying in the media does not exist and people from the three Senatorial zones of the State have equally vied for the coveted position of the Governor of the Salt of the nation.

“In our deep reflections, we recall that in 1999 when Dr. Sam Egwu from the Ohaukwu axis of Ebonyi North Senatorial zone ran for Governorship under the PDP, current Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu of Ebonyi South also vehemently contested for the same position under the defunct All People’s Party, APP.

“Similarly, Ambassador Frank Ogbuewu of Ikwo origin in the Central axis contested against Sam Egwu in his quest for a second term in office in 2003 under the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance. This time under ANPP, Dr. Onu also later came back to the ballot in 2007 to vie for the same position eight years after in the election to pick a successor to Egwu which was eventually won by Chief Martin Elechi of the PDP who hails from Ikwo in the Central Senatorial zone of the state.

“In 2011 when Elechi sought for another term in office, Senator Julius Ucha of the same Central zone under the ANPP also contested against him. The records of political events in the 2015 Governorship election are still very fresh in our mind as Labour Party’s Edward Nkwegu who hails from Izzi in the North ran strongly against PDP’s incumbent Governor David Umahi from the South who emerged as the winner of the election.

Owing more to the fact that by what could be justified as divine providence, the three Senatorial zones despite these contests have all tasted power via the occupation of the Governorship seats in the state, it is therefore wisdom for Ebonyians to anchor their search for Umahi’s successor on the tripod stand of competence, capacity and credibility which would ultimately translate into such a leader’s ability to reverse the numerous growing negative statistics and economic woes that the current government of Umahi has brought upon our dear state.

“Besides, power as such analysts should have been aware by now only comes from above and it is never given but taken. Much more than the zone of an aspirant, AESID would, we reiterate implore Ebonyi people to continue to study the records in and out of office of any contender and place same side-by-side with the prevailing challenges facing the young state and seek out for only those who can reverse the negative indices.”

While urging the youths in Ebonyi to get more involved in the political process by joining political parties, the group also called on all Ebonyians of voting age who are yet to register to take advantage of the ongoing INEC’s Continuous Voter Registration and proceed to register and get their PVCs ready “as that is their only power to change the narrative in 2023 and elect a credible candidate.”

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U.S. Discontinues Routine Visa Services in Abuja, 24 Other African Cities

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July 30, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The U.S. government says routine visa services in Abuja and 24 other African cities will end on August 1.

“Effective August 1, 2026, the Department of State will realign routine visa services in Antananarivo, Abuja, Asmara, Bamako, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Juba, Libreville, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou, and Windhoek to a regional visa hub,” the agency stated.

It noted that citizens and residents of the affected countries who wish to apply for a visa on or after August 1, 2026, must schedule an appointment and pay the required visa fee at the appropriate designated non-immigrant visa locations or designated immigrant visa locations.

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From August 1, Nigerians who want to process a U.S. visa would have to travel to the U.S. consulate in Lagos.

According to a statement on July 23 by the agency, the move is “realigning visa operations in Africa to regional hubs, part of a long-standing Department practice that strengthens national security by promoting more uniform screening, vetting, and adjudication standards, as well as improves efficiency”.

Last June, reports had it that Abuja was missing from President Donald Trump administration’s shortlist of 20 African cities where foreigners seeking to travel to the U.S. can process visa applications.

The U.S. currently has around 50 embassies and consulates across Africa that process visa applications, but the new move by the State Department will slash that number to 20 amid Mr Trump’s crackdown on immigration.

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Breaking:Sardaunan Sokoto Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji Is Dead

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2 hours ago

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July 30, 2026

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Late Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji

Abbas Yushau Yusuf

The Sardaunan Sokoto and Nigeria’s former British high commissioner Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji is dead.

A family source informed Nigerian Tracker about the passing of Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji this morning

Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji died this morning in Abuja Hospital after a prolong illness.

NIGERIAN TRACKER reports that Abubakar Alhaji is a Nigerian administrator who is a former Minister of Planning and Finance. He currently holds the title of Sardauna of Sokoto. Alhaji was a long serving Permanent Secretary who worked with various Nigerian administrations

Alhaji was born to the family of Muhammed Sani also known as Alhaji Alhaji because he was born on the day of Sallah and went on a made pilgrimage to Mecca, he was also called Dogon Daji, Sarkin Shanu.

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Alhaji attended a secondary school in Kano before transferring to Katsina Government College. He later attended Bournemouth College of Commerce and University of Reading, Berkshire earning a degree in political economy.

Alhaji took courses at the Hague Institute of Social Services and the IMF Institute, Washington.

He joined the Nigerian civil service in 1964 and was an Assistant Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance in the late 1960s. After attending a course in Hague, he was briefly posted to the Ministry of Industries where he became a Principal Assistant Secretary. In 1971, he was posted back to the Ministry of Finance. In 1975, he became a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Trade and was in the ministry till 1978. In 1979, he was posted to the Finance Ministry as the Permanent Secretary. In his role at the Finance Ministry, he was involved in managing Nigeria’s relationship with its external creditors and was on the Nigerian negotiating team for Lome II agreement.

Alhaji was later posted to the Ministry of Planning before Babangida upgraded his position as Minister of State, Budget and Planning in 1988. Between 1990 and 1991, he was the Minister of Finance. In the mid-1990s, he was the country’s High Commissioner to United Kingdom.

Alhaji was turbaned Sardauna in 1990, the previous title holder, Ahmadu Bello died in 1966. He is a senior brother to the late Aliyu Dasuki who was raised by Ibrahim Dasuki. He has a grandson, Ibraheem Dasuki Aminu-Alhaji.

 

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ADC Youths Call on Atiku to Intervene Over Allegations of Injustice in Primary Elections, Demand Resignation of David Mark

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2 hours ago

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July 30, 2026

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The National Youth Wing of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded the immediate resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Senator David Mark, and National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, over allegations of injustice and bias in party affairs.

The youths made the demand during a press conference addressed by the ADC National Youth Leader, Balarabe Rufa’i.

They accused the leadership of Mark and Aregbesola of failing to uphold fairness and internal democracy. According to them, the party leadership has resorted to favoritism by dropping candidates who won primaries and substituting them with individuals who did not participate in the process.

They said the problem is most visible in Kano State a key political state in Nigeria.

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As examples, the youths cited Ambassador Abdurrahman Mai Nasara Salga, the ADC House of Representatives candidate for Dala Federal Constituency. They said Salga worked hard, invested resources, and mobilized support for the party in Kano, won the primary election, but was later removed from the party’s candidate list by the national leadership.

They also cited the case of the National Youth Leader himself, Balarabe Rufa’i, who is the ADC senatorial candidate for Kano Central. Rufa’i won the party’s primary, but his name is yet to be forwarded to INEC as the party’s official candidate.

The youths further alleged that in several Local Government Areas in Kano where primaries were conducted for House of Representatives candidates, a prominent ADC figure, Naja’atu Bala, unilaterally removed the names of the winners. She claimed that no elections were held and left those constituencies vacant on the list submitted to INEC.

They accused Naja’atu of deliberately sabotaging the growth of the ADC in Kano State.

Because of this, the youths called on the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and other critical stakeholders who genuinely want the party to succeed to intervene urgently.

They said Kano is a political hub and central to the ADC’s acceptability nationwide. If the injustice in the state is not addressed, it will damage the gains the party has made and affect its chances in the 2027 elections.

The youths described the development as a gross failure of leadership on the part of David Mark and Aregbesola. They warned that continuing to replace legitimate candidates with handpicked ones will lead to the party’s defeat in the coming elections.

“To save the ADC and restore justice, we are calling on Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola to step down immediately,” the youths declared.

“We will not sit and watch the sacrifices of those who built this party be wiped out. If you cannot provide fair leadership, then step aside for those who can,” the statement concluded.

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