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Chief Ayo Adebanjo,  Afenifere Leader  Dies at 96

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A foremost nationalist, elder statesman and leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has died at the age of 96.

The elder statesman died Friday at his residence in Lekki, Lagos, at age 96.

He died peacefully at his residence in Lekki, Lagos State on the morning of Friday, February 14, 2025.

The family confirmed his passing in a statement made available to Channels Television on Friday.

“With a heart full of gratitude for a selfless life spent in the service of God, the nation and humanity, we announce the passing on of our beloved patriarch, Chief Samuel Ayodele Adebanjo.

He died peacefully this morning, Friday, February 14, 2025, at his Lekki, Lagos Nigeria home at the age of 96,” the family statement read.

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Adebanjo is survived by his 94-year-old wife, Chief Christy Ayo-Adebanjo, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“We will forever cherish his commitment to fighting for truth, equity and justice. His belief and struggle for a truly independent and progressive Nigeria was total and this he fought for until he breathed his last breath,” the statement added.

The family said they are consulting with Adebanjo’s friends, associates, numerous interest groups across the length and breadth of Nigeria and beyond, to fine tune plans for a befitting funeral details which will be communicated in due course.

A condolence register has been opened at his residence in Lagos (8, Ayo Adebanjo Close, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos) and  his country home in Isanya Ogbo, near Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

Adebanjo,  a lawyer, a radical politician and a nationalist of Yoruba extraction was born in Isanya Ogbo, a village near Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, South-West Nigeria on April 10, 1928.

He was originally a journalist before going to the United Kingdom to study law. After completing his studies, he was called to the English Bar in 1961.

Chief Adebanjo started politics at an early age, joining the struggle in 1943, as a Zikist, a follower of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

However, in 1951 he became a member of the youth wing of the Action Group, and a mentee and political disciple of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

He remained active and vocal in Nigerian politics until his death, throwing his weight, alongside his Afenifere group behind the candidacy of Peter Obi of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election.

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Labour Party Mulls Expulsion of Its 2023 Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi

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The Labour Party has announced plans to expel its 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi over alleged “anti-party activities.”

The announcement came during a Channels TV interview on Tuesday with National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, who confirmed that a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting will be convened to recommend Obi’s expulsion, which would then be ratified at the party’s next convention.

“Secondly, let me make it very clear. We are convening a NEC meeting where he (Peter Obi) will be expelled,” Arabambi said.

“You know he was on suspension before, before he now went ahead to do the anti-party activities. You don’t go and join a political party and at the same time, you put your leg in another political party. He knows it is so constitutional for him to belong to two political parties at a time. They have been able to deceive him to their side and there he shall remain.

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“So, NEC meeting is going to be called shortly where Obi will be recommended for expulsion and that will now be confirmed finally at our convention in line with our constitution and in line with most political party constitution because when you want to expel an individual who is a member of your party but you know that is not doing things in tandem with your constitution, you go to NEC and you will recommend to expel him and now recommend the final expulsion to the convention.”

Arabambi further accused Obi of engaging in dual-party allegiances and aligning with what he described as “yahoo yahoo coalition.”

“So, Obi will be expelled from our party. He’s no longer a member of our party. It is not within his right to tell us that I’m still a member of the Labour Party and at the same time he will not be hobnobbing, you know, with what we call the yahoo yahoo coalition. We are not going to accept that.”

Peter Obi, who secured over 6.1 million votes, finishing third in the February 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party, together with Governor Alex Otti, are aligned with a faction of the Labour Party led by Senator Usman Nenadi.

In contrast, the faction to which Arabambi belongs is led by Julius Abure, who controls the official secretariat. This faction had earlier suspended Governor Otti, Senators Kingibe and Nwokocha, and others, citing anti-party conduct.

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2027 : “I Will No Longer Support Tinubu, Yoruba Traitors—Asari-Dokubo

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Alhaji Mujaheed Dokubo Asari

 

Former Niger Delta militant and leader of the defunct Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, has declared that he will no longer support Yoruba politicians because they have betrayed him and the Ijaw people.

In a video shared on social media platforms on Monday, Dokubo insisted that he is now politically aligned with politicians from Northern Nigeria because they are not traitors like their Yoruba counterparts.

The ex-militant accused Yoruba politicians and elite of turning against their long-standing allies from the Niger Delta after benefiting politically from them.

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“The Yorubas have betrayed us. After all we did, they turned their backs on us,” Dokubo said in the video.

Comtuinug, he stated that given recent political realignments and what he perceives as a lack of loyalty from the South-West, he feels more positioned to build strategic alliances with Northern leaders, who he claims have shown more consistency and respect.

“The past sacrifices made by the Ijaw for the southern solidarity were not reciprocated,” he noted.

He referenced political cooperation during previous elections and governance battles as moments where the Ijaw stood firm for the South, only to be left out in the cold.

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Hon. Abubakar Bichi donates 13 buses, 11 tractors to varsities, constituents

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Hon. Abubakar Kabir Bichi, the Member representing Bichi Federal Constituency and the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation facilitated the distribution of 13 Brand new 16-seater buses to universities and colleges of education in Kano and 11 tractors and combine harvesters to constituents.

Representatives from various higher institutions across Kano State attended the event of the distribution, which held on Monday, July 7 in Bichi town.

Hon. Abubakar Kabir Abubakar Bichi was represented at the event by the Chairman Education Committee, Dr. Habibu Usman Abdu, Senior Legislative Aides Sabo Ilyasu Saye, Zahraddeen Kabir as well as his other staff.

Beneficiary higher institutions of learning include Bayero University (BUK), which received 2 buses, Northwest university, Kano (2) two buses, Aliko Dangote Science university (2) two buses, FCE (T) Bichi (2) two buses, Yusuf Maitama Sule Federal University, (1) one bus, Ibrahim Ayagi College of Health Science Dawakin Tofa, Aminu Kano College of Islamic Legal Studies, (1) one bus, Kano Polytechnic Central Admin (1) one bus, Sa’adatu Rimi college of Education (1) one bus.

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However, eleven tractors and 4 combine harvesters to eleven wards and across Bichi Local Government Area.

Hon. Abubakar Kabir Abubakar Bichi said that the gesture aimed at easing transportation challenges on campuses and ensuring effective learning.

He added that the eleven tractors and combined harvesters improve and strengthen the farming system in the eleven wards in Bichi Local Government Area

The event highlighted Hon. Abubakar’s dedication to supporting the education sector through practical interventions aimed enhancing mobility and logistics within academic environments.

Such interventions especially on education and many others are the reason the Federal University, Kashere, Gombe state and the Federal University Dutsin-ma, Katsina conferred honorary doctorate degrees on Abubakar Kabir Bichi.

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