A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Emmanuel Fayose, has signified his intention to join the governorship race in Ekiti State.

Fayose, who is the immediate younger brother of the state’s former governor, Ayodele Fayose, disclosed this in a statement made available  on Friday.

According to him, his resolve to join the race was borne out of his desire to revamp Ekiti and return the state to the path of growth and development.

He said, “I am in the race to dislodge the Oyebanji-led government, and eventually, if I win, I will run an inclusive government that would steer Ekiti in the right direction.”

Fayose claimed that he was further motivated following the recent meeting between his brother, Ayodele Fayose and President Bola Tinubu in Lagos.

At the meeting, the former governor was said to have informed the President that he would support the incumbent to return to office, an act his party members in Ekiti have since labelled as anti-party.

However, Fayose noted that his morale was not dampened by the ‘bad’ news.

Instead, he vowed to shock him by picking the PDP form with a strong conviction that Ekiti people would back him all the way to win.

He said, “I read about the meeting in the newspapers like any other person and I wish to state that the meeting has nothing to do with my aspiration.

“The meeting will not in any way impact my aspiration because the former governor, being my elder brother, is only exercising his Democratic rights of freedom of choice.

“His choice and preferences will not and cannot in any way impact negatively on my bid as we are separate entities pursuing different goals.”

Fayose also called on his supporters in the state to remain steadfast and resolute in their quest for positive change, adding that come 2026, the PDP will return to power to rebuild the state.

“So my brother is on his own and it’s left for the leadership of our great party to ascertain his political allegiance either to our PDP or APC.

“I am, however, using the opportunity provided by this platform to urge our teeming supporters to remain firm and resolute and not to be distracted in any way to cause the needed change in our state,” he concluded.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested four Chinese nationals and 101 Nigerians in a business apartment in the Gudu axis of Abuja for internet fraud.

They were arrested on Thursday, January 9, 2025.

The suspects, comprising 67 males (including four Chinese) and 38 females were allegedly involved in a hotel review job scam targeting victims and hotels in Europe and other parts of the world.

Former Chief of Staff to former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Sa’idu, will have to remain in prison until January 16, 2025 when the court will rule on his bail application over money laundering charges.

Sa’idu was arrested by security agencies on December 30, 2024 along the Kaduna-Zaria highway. He was then arraigned before the Chief Magistrates’ Court in Rigasa and was remanded at the Kaduna Correctional Centre.

A security source said Sa’idu implicated El-Rufai in his confessional statement to the police.

“The former Chief of Staff alleged that he sold 45 million US dollars belonging to the Kaduna State Government, equivalent to N18.4 billion at the significantly undervalued rate of N410 per dollar. This was instead of the parallel market rate of N498 per dollar, with criminal intent, resulting in a N3.9 billion loss to the government in 2022,” the source said.

The prosecution further alleged that the N3.9 billion discrepancy was laundered by Sa’idu, in violation of Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

But the counsel for Sai’du, Oladipo Tolani (SAN) while responding to the allegations in an interview described the allegations as baseless.

“Bashir Saidu has been in detention since 2nd January, 2025 when he was captured along the Kaduna-Zaria highway at Rigachiku, Igabi Local Government Area of the state.

“After his detention, we filed an application for bail which was argued today (yesterday). Meanwhile, yesterday (Wednesday), the state government filed a charge against Saidu. The matter was adjourned for ruling on 16th January, 2025,” he said.

Reacting to claims that Saidu indicted his former principal at the court, he said, “Whoever told you that evidence was given by a chief security officer is a lie. No evidence was taken. No testimony was given”.