Political tensions escalated within the All Progressives Congress on Sunday as several serving lawmakers who lost return tickets in the party’s primaries began pushing back against the outcomes, raising fears of fresh internal crises ahead of the 2027 elections.
In Lagos, outrage followed the reported rape and killing of a sexagenarian by suspected hoodlums, while Governor Seyi Makinde confirmed that seven teachers abducted during an attack on a school in Oyo State were still in captivity after one victim was killed.
Meanwhile, Alex Otti and the Labour Party distanced themselves from the sale of nomination forms announced by the faction loyal to Julius Abure ahead of the 2027 elections.
In sports, Team Nigeria wrapped up the African Athletics Championship with 12 medals, while health authorities intensified border surveillance following an Ebola outbreak in Congo that has reportedly claimed dozens of lives.
See the top stories below:
Primaries: APC Reps fight back after ticket losses
The House of Representatives primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections have triggered a major internal crisis, with at least 26 serving lawmakers losing return tickets across the country.
Several aspirants were also disqualified, while others withdrew from the contests amid allegations of manipulation, candidate imposition and engineered consensus arrangements.
From Rivers, Edo, Imo, Lagos, Kwara, Benue, Ekiti, Plateau to Cross River states, the primaries exposed deepening divisions within the ruling party as governors, political blocs, and influential power brokers battled for control of candidacies.
The outcome reportedly sidelined a number of incumbent lawmakers, intensifying discontent within the party.
Read more here: https://punchng.com/primaries-apc-reps-fight-back-after-ticket-losses/
Hoodlums rape Lagos sexagenarian to death
Residents of Oke Egan in the Ilogbo-Eremi area of Badagry, Lagos State, were left in shock after the body of a sexagenarian woman, identified as Victoria Adegoke, was discovered in a nearby bush on Friday.
PUNCH Metro gathered from community sources that the deceased was allegedly found naked and was suspected to have been raped and strangled before her body was dumped in the bush.
A photograph obtained by PUNCH Metro reportedly showed marks suggesting that the victim’s hands were tied by her attackers.
A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Adegoke, believed to be in her 60s and a grandmother, was found around 6:10am on Friday.
Read more here: http://punchng.com/hoodlums-rape-lagos-sexagenarian-to-death/
APC primaries: Serving Reps who lost return tickets
Some incumbent members of the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Progressives Congress have lost their bids to secure return tickets in the party’s primaries held on Saturday.
PUNCH Online gathered that results for several constituencies across different states were announced on Sunday.
While a number of serving lawmakers and other aspirants emerged victorious in the exercise, results released so far showed that some incumbent federal lawmakers were defeated by rival aspirants.
Read more here: https://punchng.com/apc-primaries-serving-reps-who-lost-return-tickets/
Oyo school attack: Seven teachers abducted, one killed — Makinde
Governor Seyi Makinde has confirmed that seven teachers were abducted during the recent attack on schools in the Oriire area of Oyo State, while the exact number of missing pupils is yet to be determined.
Makinde disclosed this on Sunday while addressing journalists on the security situation following the invasion of the schools by suspected gunmen.
The governor said he had earlier met with service commanders and heads of security agencies in the state to receive updates on the incident.
According to him, an Islamic Studies teacher was killed during the attack, while security agencies have arrested six suspects within the community and three other persons of interest linked to the incident.
Makinde assured residents that efforts were ongoing to rescue the abducted victims and strengthen security around schools and vulnerable communities in the state.
Read more here: https://punchng.com/oyo-school-attack-seven-teachers-abducted-one-killed-makinde/
Otti, LP reject Abure’s 2027 nomination forms sale
A fresh power struggle has broken out in the Labour Party as Abia State Governor, Alex Otti and the party’s national leadership clashed with embattled former National Chairman, Julius Abure, over the sale of nomination forms ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abure was accused of acting contrary to court rulings and the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The controversy followed viral photographs on social media showing Abure presenting what he described as Labour Party nomination forms to former National Vice Chairman of the party, Ceekay Igara, and other party members in Abia State.
Reacting on Sunday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, warned aspirants and supporters against purchasing forms from Abure, describing the documents as “worthless paper.”
Read more here: https://punchng.com/otti-lp-reject-abures-2027-nomination-forms-sale/
Nigeria end African Athletics Championship with 12 medals
Team Nigeria ended the 24th African Athletics Championships with a total of 12 medals after the women’s 4x400m relay team delivered a dominant gold-medal performance on the final day of competition.
The quartet of Esther Okon, Toheebat Jimoh, Jecinter Lawrence, and Patience Okon-George successfully defended Nigeria’s title in the event, recording a time of 3:29.25 to finish ahead of Ethiopia and Kenya on Sunday.
Nigeria controlled the race from start to finish, crossing the line comfortably ahead of their closest challengers to secure the country’s fourth gold medal of the championships.
The result ensured Team Nigeria finished the competition with four gold, five silver, and three bronze medals, placing fourth overall behind Kenya, South Africa, and Ethiopia in the final medal standings.
Read more here: https://punchng.com/nigeria-end-african-athletics-championship-with-12-medals/
Nigeria tightens surveillance as Ebola kills 80 in Congo
Nigeria has heightened surveillance measures following a fresh Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where no fewer than 80 people have reportedly died across at least three health zones.
According to data released by the World Health Organisation on Sunday, the outbreak has affected Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu health zones in Congo.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, in a statement issued by its Director-General, Jide Idris, said Nigeria had intensified monitoring and surveillance efforts to prevent any possible spread of the virus into the country.
The WHO warned that the current outbreak could be far more extensive than presently reported due to the high positivity rate of initial samples and the increasing number of suspected infections being recorded.
The organisation also described the situation as “extraordinary,” noting that there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics specifically designed for the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the outbreak, unlike the Ebola-Zaire variant.
Read more here: https://punchng.com/nigeria-tightens-surveillance-as-ebola-kills-80-in-congo/
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