The Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu, Nigeria, AMEN, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, has claimed that former president, Goodluck Jonathan, was defeated in the 2015 election because he failed to yield to advice.

Mbaka said he advised the former president to remove the then Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Attahiru Jega, but his advice was not taken seriously.

The cleric, who spoke in a viral video while clarifying his earlier statement that the insecurity ravaging the country has political undertone.

DAILY POST reports that the cleric had claimed that the security crisis was orchestrated by some unscrupulous politicians to remove President Bola Tinubu, as they did to Jonathan.

His comment, however, generated a backlash on social media with netizens linking Mbaka to why Jonathan lost his re-election bid in 2015.

However, in the new video, Mbaka claimed that Jonathan’s failure was due to his miscalculation, stating that the former president disobeyed the “advice of a man of God”.

“Forget about what they are saying on social media, former President Goodluck Jonathan was my friend; the case is different.

“Jonathan didn’t fail because I failed him; he decided to fail. I told him what to do to win the election, but he refused.

“He failed because he disobeyed the advice of a man of God. I told him to remove Jega, that Jega had already betrayed him but he refused to remove Jega”, he said.

The member representing Somolu Constituency II in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Samuel Apata, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the controversy surrounding the outcome of the All Progressives Congress, APC, primary election, insisting that he was denied the party’s return ticket despite emerging victorious at the poll.

Speaking during an interview in Lagos on Wednesday, Apata maintained that he won the primary election by a significant margin but was not recognised as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election.

The lawmaker expressed confidence that President Tinubu would ensure justice prevailed, describing himself as a loyal APC member who remains committed to the party’s ideals and principles.

According to him, the outcome announced after the primary did not reflect the votes cast by party members during the exercise.

“I contested for the second-term ticket and won convincingly with 9,081 votes. It is unfortunate that someone who came a distant third, with only 677 votes, was eventually declared the candidate.

“I believe in party supremacy and due process. Personally, I am grateful to President Bola Tinubu for providing us with this APC platform but I want my second-term ticket.

“President Tinubu is a man of justice, and I am confident that he will look into this matter and ensure that the right thing is done,” he said.

Apata recalled his long-standing involvement in politics, noting that he had previously contested twice for the chairmanship position of Bariga Local Council Development Area and had also sought election into the Lagos State House of Assembly on two occasions before eventually securing victory in 2023.

Highlighting his achievements in office, the lawmaker said he had facilitated several developmental projects in Bariga, including the rehabilitation of Ariyo and Grace streets, as well as the construction and renovation of six schools within the constituency.

He stated that his experience in the legislature over the past three years had enhanced his capacity to serve the people more effectively and positioned him to deliver greater dividends of representation if given another mandate.

Apata reiterated his commitment to the APC and pledged continued support for the administration of President Tinubu, while expressing hope that the issues arising from the party’s primary election would be resolved in line with justice and fairness.

A community leader in Warri South-West local government, Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, has called for a peaceful resolution of the Supreme Court’s ordered delineation of the Warri Federal Constituency. 

His call follows the shutdown of 13 flow stations by protesting Ijaw women in Gbaramatu Kingdom, on the 8th of June.

Ekpemupolo made the call in a statement sent to journalists in Warri. 

He noted that, “The Ijaw nation has from time immemorial been known for its peaceful ways and cannot deviate from its history. 

“The current political situation arising from the failure of INEC to complete the delineation of wards in the Warri Federal Constituency and mass action must not be allowed to be hijacked or degenerate into violence of any sort.

“I am calling for calm, no matter the situation. I am also calling for a meeting of community leaders to meet immediately to enable us to devise a way forward.” 

According to him, “We must all join hands in seeking a peaceful resolution to this impasse.

“INEC must determine to do the right thing and restore the peace in Warri and environs. 

“We call on the people of Warri (whether Ijaw, Itsekiri or Urhobo) to be calm and wait patiently for INEC to do the right thing.”

Indigenous Ijaw women had on Monday, staged a protest and shut down the flow stations operated by an oil company in the Gbaramatu enclave.

They vowed that they will remain in the facility until the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, implements the Supreme Court judgement on the delineation of Wards and Polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency.