1.
The Council of Ulamas in Kano, on Sunday, denied endorsing the National leader of All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2023 presidential ambition. The State Council Chairman, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, told newsmen that such never happened despite widespread reports. Khalil noted that such a story could cause enmity among the Islamic clerics as they have diverse political allegiance and views.
2.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted cloudiness and sunshine from Monday to Wednesday across the country. It also predicted sunny and dry conditions over northern region throughout the forecast period on Monday.
3.
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado-Bayero has paid a sympathy visit to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu over the destruction of public and private assets in the carnage spiked by the hijack of the recent EndSARS protests. Alhaji Ado-Bayero, who met with the Governor behind closed doors at the Lagos House Marina was accompanied by all the traditional councillors in the ancient kingdom.
4.
Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has suspended his Chief of Staff, Anthony Agbazuere. Chris Ezem, Secretary to the State Government, who made the announcement in a statement on Sunday said the Permanent Secretary, Government House, Alozie Odoemelam, will assume the Chief of Staff’s position until further notice.
5.
The Bayelsa State Police Command on Sunday said it has recovered the bodies of six policemen that went missing after a boat mishap while on duty for the December 4, 2020 bye-election in the state. The Command through its Public Relations Officer, SP Asinim Butswat, said that the bodies of the missing police personnel were recovered by a combined team of officers from the Marine Department of the command and local divers.
6.
The Presidency has said that the victory of the party in Saturday’s by-elections in different states shows that the party remains very popular across Nigeria. Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.
7.
Kidnappers have killed an activist, Sani Khalil Rigasa after collecting N1.5 million ransom from his family. Khalil Rigasa, who was a popular #SecuretheNorth campaigner and a member of North Media Writers, was kidnapped during the attack along Rigasa Train Station in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State on November 21, during which activist, Rabiu Awwal was killed.
8.
The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Sunday declared the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Stephen Odey, winner of the Saturday’s Cross River North Senatorial by-elections. The Collation Officer for the senatorial bye-election, Prof. Ameh Akoh of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ikwo, Ebonyi State, who announced the result said, the PDP candidate scored 129,207 votes to defeat other eight contestants.
9.
Former governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Seriake Dickson, has been declared winner of the December 5, 2020 Bayelsa West Senatorial Bye-election. The Returning Officer, Prof. Ekechukwe Okeke, on Sunday declared that Dickson polled 115,257, to beat his closet rival, Peremobowei Ebebi of the All Progressives Congress,( APC) who scored 17500 votes.
10.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to use his “good offices and leadership position to urgently instruct the Director-General and Board of the National Pension Commission [NPC] to use their statutory powers to stop the 36 state governors from borrowing and/or withdrawing N17 trillion from the pension funds purportedly for ‘infrastructural development.”
In a letter dated 5 December 2020, and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization noted that allowing the governors to borrow from pension funds would be detrimental to the interest of the beneficiaries of the funds, especially given the vulnerability of pension funds to corruption in Nigeria, and the transparency and accountability deficits in several states.
