Former presidential aide Laolu Akande has criticised African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over what he described as an attempt to return presidential power to the North.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Akande described the former vice president’s alleged position as an insult to Nigerians, rejecting the suggestion that the North is angry and wants power returned to the region.

Naija News reports that Akande, a former Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, made the remarks during an interview on Symfoni TV on Friday.

Speaking about the preparedness and suitability of presidential candidates ahead of the forthcoming election, Akande argued that Nigeria should uphold the principle of rotational presidency to ensure that different regions feel a sense of belonging.

He said the idea that the North is angry and wants power back should not be used to justify the demand for a return of the presidency to the region.

“Atiku is just basically saying that, okay, the North is angry; we want power back. And that idea, with due respect to our brothers in the North, is an insult. It’s an insult. This country, we must maintain rotational presidency for purposes of building a sense of belonging,” he said.

Akande also questioned the ADC’s choice of presidential candidate, suggesting that the party could have considered former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi or made efforts to prevent Peter Obi from leaving the party.

Speaking on the party’s decision, he said, “If they were serious, they should have picked Amaechi, or they should have prevented Obi from leaving, and then Atiku would have been a star.”

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has challenged the Minister of Information, Dele Alake, to provide evidence to substantiate his allegations against the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

News reports that Alake had accused Atiku and the ADC of engaging in what he described as “fake news operations”, allegedly involving artificial intelligence-generated content, deepfake videos and forged documents aimed at discrediting President Bola Tinubu, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Reacting in a statement on Saturday, the ADC Presidential Campaign Council’s Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, argued that political propaganda would not shield Tinubu’s administration from public dissatisfaction over the rising cost of living.

The council maintained that Nigerians were more concerned about the increasing prices of food, petrol and transportation than allegations involving artificial intelligence and deepfake content.

It therefore challenged Alake to present evidence linking Atiku or the ADC to the alleged fabricated letter and video.

Shaibu described the minister’s intervention as an attempt to divert public attention from the administration’s performance, insisting that the economic difficulties facing Nigerians were real and could not be dismissed as misinformation.

“Until then, his ‘fake news alert’ is an empty political stunt,” Shaibu said, urging the minister to provide names, dates and forensic findings to support his claims.

Citing petrol prices of about ₦1,400 per litre, diesel prices exceeding ₦2,000 and food inflation hovering around 20 per cent, Shaibu argued that the financial pressures confronting households could not be written off as fabricated information.

Turning to Tinubu’s campaign rally in Kaduna, the ADC campaign spokesman questioned reports that a vehicle seen near an APC billboard was on routine patrol, asking why a campaign billboard required such protection.

He also expressed concern over reports that supporters had travelled from distant states to attend the rally but were left sleeping on the streets of Kaduna.

The statement further referenced reports of accidents involving APC supporters travelling from Sokoto and Abuja to the event, although the details had not been confirmed.

Shaibu called on the APC to take responsibility for the safety of supporters travelling to its campaign activities. He condemned what he described as the use of supporters to create favourable political impressions at the expense of their welfare.

“Making citizens endure long, hazardous journeys and sleep outdoors simply to create rally optics is political exploitation, not leadership,” he said.

The ADC campaign council maintained that the APC’s economic record, rather than its criticism of opposition figures, would influence its electoral prospects.

Shaibu argued that Nigerians struggling with high prices and declining purchasing power would ultimately assess the administration based on their experiences at the polls.

“Alake’s attack on Atiku will not reduce the cost of a meal by one naira,” he added.

The Federal Government has secured the conviction of 653 individuals facing terrorism-related charges in the ongoing mass trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, disclosed this on Friday while addressing journalists after attending some of the court proceedings, Naija News reports.

Fagbemi revealed that approximately 880 cases had been determined since the latest phase of the mass trial commenced. Of those tried, seven defendants were acquitted, while 27 others were discharged.

However, he explained that the exercise was still in progress and that the final figures would be announced after the proceedings had been concluded.

“We are not through with the trial, but as at 12:15pm today, we had about 880 tried. Of the 880, 653 have been convicted, seven acquitted and 27 discharged,” the minister said.

The AGF added that the comprehensive figures would be released after the exercise ended the following day.

Fagbemi described the ongoing proceedings as one of the largest mass trials conducted since the process began. He attributed the progress recorded to the cooperation and guidance provided by the judges presiding over the cases.

“And if you also observe, this appears to be the largest since we started; and this is due to the cooperation and guidance we received from my lord and the judges who sat,” he stated.

The minister commended the judiciary, prosecution lawyers and defence counsel for their roles in ensuring the proceedings proceeded smoothly.

He also recognised the contributions of relevant government agencies and other stakeholders involved in the trial.

Meanwhile, Fagbemi dismissed claims that journalists had been prevented from covering the court proceedings.