The All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant in the Anambra State 2025 governorship elections, Paul Chukwuma, has dismissed the allegations of $378,000 money laundering levelled against him.

An online report alleged that the Abuja Federal High Court had ordered the forfeiture of $378,000 and a Mercedes Benz Maybach belonging to Chukwuma, citing alleged involvement in money laundering.

The money and the vehicle allegedly said to be proceeds of unlawful activities, were linked to Chukwuma, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fides Et Ratio Academy Limited.

This decision was made by Justice Emeka Nwite after the counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, presented a motion ex-parte.

But Chukwuma, while reacting to the online report during an interactive session with journalists at his Umueri country home in the Anambra East Local Government Area on Thursday, said the alleged money laundering claims were false.

He blamed the development on detractors, insisting that he cannot be intimidated by the tactics of his political opponents who seek to undermine and ruin his governorship ambition.

He explained that the money in question was legitimately earned by him through his company in a contract with the Federal Government.

He said, “People should be ready to contest for election, you don’t need to use any instrument of government to intimidate anybody. I cannot be intimidated by anybody. I am going to win my party’s ticket and go ahead to win the governorship election and offer dividend of democracy to Ndi Anambra.

“The facts should speak for itself. I don’t want to believe that the report is coming from ICPC. The money is in the company’s account, which was legitimately earned. All the documents related to the contract are in the custody of the ICPC.

“This is just an attempt by political opponents to intimidate me and derail my ambition to serve as the governor of Anambra. They know I am the candidate to beat, so they are resorting to all kinds of allegations as the election approaches.”

According to him, the money in question is in the company’s account, which was legitimately earned, and all the documents related to the contract are in the custody of the ICPC.

He explained that his firm was awarded a project for training, which involved Intellectual Property Rights, and that his company held meetings with TETFund to deliver the project to Nigerian students.

“This is just the work of political detractors trying to bring me down, but I will not be intimidated by them. I will win my party’s ticket and ultimately win the election. No one can stop or intimidate me because my records are clear. I pay my taxes and have nothing to hide.

“My image cannot be tarnished. We know the people behind this, and I cannot allow unpatriotic elements to stop me from contesting the forthcoming Anambra governorship election. I can never be intimidated by anybody.

“The reality on ground is that through the good work we have done, APC has become very formidable in the South-East, and I have personally taken it upon myself to ensure that APC is the party to beat,” he added.

Kingmakers in Oyo have rejected the appointment of Prince Abimbola Owoade as the new Alaafin by Governor Seyi Makinde.

The kingmakers described the appointment as illegal and invalid.

Earlier on Friday, the state government announced that Makinde approved the appointment of Owoade as the new Alaafin of Oyo, two years after the position became vacant.

Reacting to the news in a letter to the governor, signed by their lawyer, Adekunle Sobaloju on Friday, five Kingmakers from Oyo declared the appointment invalid, noting that they did not recommend Prince Abimbola Owoade to the state government.

They insist that their chosen candidate for the Alaafin was Prince Luqman Adelodun Gbadegesin.

The Kingmakers, who made this declaration include High Chief Yusuf Akínade, Bashorun of Oyo; High Chief Wakeel Akindele, Lagunna of Oyo; High Chief Hamzat Yusuf, Akinniku of Oyo; Chíef Wahab Oyetunji, a warrant chief stand-in for Asipa of Oyo, and Chief Gbadebo Mufutau, warrant chief stand-in for Alapinní of Oyo.

The letter reads, “You will recall that on 30th September 2022 at the meeting of the Kingmakers in accordance with the Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy Declaration, 1961, the Kingmakers appointed Prince Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin as the Alaafin of Oyo by majority of the lawful votes of the Kingmakers.

“Prince Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin having obtained the majority of votes of the Kingmakers present and voting was deemed appointed and his name was forwarded to your Excellency as the candidate appointed by the Kingmakers as Alaafin of Oyo for your approval which you refused to approve for no disclosed reason at all. The Kingmakers thereafter filed an action to stop your excellency from truncating the process, culminating in the present appeal at the court of appeal,” the letter read.

“Any meeting of few kingmakers and emergency warrant chiefs held at the Governor’s office on the 9th of January,2025 or elsewhere at the instance of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, to select the preferred candidate of the Governor as the new Alaafin is not only contrary to the native law and custom and Chieftaincy Declaration of Alafin of Oyo Chieftaincy but unlawful, illegal, invalid, null and void.

“It is not the duty of the Governor to convene the meeting of few kingmakers and emergency warrant chiefs to select or appoint a new Alaafin on the 9th of January, 2025 and hurriedly approve the appointment on the 10th of January, 2025.”

The United States of America, US, has returned the sum of $52. 88 million traced to Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources to Nigeria.

The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard M. Mills, Jr, led a delegation that executed the Assets Return Agreement at the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters in Abuja, on Friday.

Signing the agreement on behalf of the Federal Government, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, disclosed that the $52.88m arose from the forfeiture of Galactica assets, linked to the ex-Minister and her associates.

The AGF maintained that the development was not only a testament to the unwavering commitment of both nations to fight corruption but also signified the commitment of the USA to facilitate restitution and support integrity and accountability in governance.

“Measures have also been put in place to ensure that the repatriated funds are not only disbursed but also utilized transparently and accountably by the World Bank and IIJ, with periodic reports to be forwarded to Nigeria and the US on the implementation of the projects.

“This robust framework will guarantee that the funds are effectively used for the full benefit of the Nigerian people in line with UNCAC and the Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) principles,” the AGF added.

More details soon