Today’s Headlines: Obi Disowns Photo-Shopped Pictures With Ekpa, Lukman Resigns As APC NWC Member

Obi disowns photo-shopped pictures with Simon Ekpa

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The Obi-Datti Media Office has disowned a picture of the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, purportedly taken with the Finland-based Biafran separatist, Simon Ekpa standing by his side.

Head of the Media Office, Diran Onifade, in a statement he signed in Abuja, on Thursday, dismissed the photograph which has been making the rounds on social media, as photoshopped.

He explained that desperate trolls who were hell bent on casting his principal in bad light were behind the picture and several others in their bid to tarnish his hard earned reputation.

Onifade said, “We all grew up being educated that photos tell a thousand stories and do not tell lies as photos are usually self-evident.

“Yet that was long years ago and long before digital technology took the World like a storm.

“That standard narrative has changed remarkably with dubious minds always ready to deploy it creatively albeit negatively, to create what is non-existent.

“Obi-Datti Media office notes that the scenario is exactly what played out in the photoshopped picture of the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi supposedly standing with the Finland-based irritant Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa all in a desperate move to drag Obi’s name into disrepute by linking him with the ugly story that Ekpa has become in Nigeria.”

He further said, “For clarity, the picture was taken by Obi standing with an admirer on a Virgin Flight on Friday, July 21, 2023. In trying to authenticate their filthy and disgustingly dirty act, they inserted the picture of Aisha Yusuf behind them.

Frustrated By Recent Devts, Lukman Resigns as APC NWC Member

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National Vice Chairman, North-west, of the All Progressives Congress (APC),Dr. Salihu Lukman, has resigned his position as member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, apparently frustrated by some of the recent developments in the party.

Lukman made this known in a letter dated July 26, 2023, and addressed to the Acting National Chairman of the party, Senator Abubakar Kyari.

Lukman had expressed strong reservation following the speculation that the APC governors and President Bola Tinubu were pushing for the immediate past governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdulahi Ganduje, to emerge as the next party chairman following the resignation of former National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

He noted that his resignation became necessary given his conviction that the atmosphere in the party was completely at variance with the founding vision of forming a progressive party.

FG urges Nigerians to consider bicycles for transportation

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AS part of efforts to promote a cleaner environment and healthy lifestyle, the Federal Ministry of Transportation has encouraged Nigerians to consider bicycles as alternative means of commuting.

The Director, Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration, Musa Ibrahim, who stated this at the one-day stakeholders sensitisation meeting held in Abuja, said the idea is to enhance and heighten the importance of cycling in Nigeria as it will obviously lead to a drop in road crash incidences.

Ibrahim noted that the stakeholders sensitisation meeting is in consonance with the World Bicycle Day that is marked annually on June 3 through a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution.

According to the Director, the World Bicycle Day recognises “The uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the bicycle as a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transport, fostering environmental stewardship and health” hence the United Nations 2023 World Bicycle Day theme: ‘Riding Together for a Sustainable Future’.

Speaking further, the Director noted that proponents have equally encouraged the use of bicycles as a means of eradicating poverty, furthering sustainable development, strengthening education, including physical education, for children and young people; promoting health, preventing disease, and facilitating social inclusion.

Furthermore, on the importance of cycling in Nigeria, a proponent for Non-Motorised Transportation, NMT, the Chief Executive Officer, Ochenuell Mobility, Emmanuel John, in his presentation titled ‘Power of Cycling’, argued that cycling initiative extends beyond efforts to address climate change through cut down of carbon footprints.

In addition, John brought to fore that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, countries in a study, among others, outlined that most Africans countries throw away 3% of their Gross Domestic Product, GDP, to traffic congestion annually.

He proposed that developing an NMT travel culture in the country through the adoption of Green Corridors is a panacea to some of the identified drawbacks.

Guber Polls: Bayelsans Urged to Reject Candidates with Questionable Character

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In the bid to ensure good governance and to attract more foreign investments, the people of Bayelsa State have been called upon to reject candidates with questionable character and background in the forthcoming governorship election in the state

Bayelsans were specifically challenged to protect the image of the state by not voting for people whose antecedents would scare investors and development partners away from investing in the state.

The fresh appeal was made yesterday, in a statement issued in Abuja by a group, Network of Bayelsa Professionals (NBP).

The statement signed by their spokesman, Mr. Deinmobofa Tantua, stated that Bayelsa as a state yearning for genuine development should not be allowed to be governed by people with integrity deficit.

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