Yesterday, former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi said he and Lamido would not have tolerated the current state of affairs in Nigeria if they had still served as governors.
Amaechi, who chaired the Nigeria Governors Forum during Lamido’s second tenure as Jigawa governor, said their era was marked by bold opposition and a commitment to holding the federal government accountable.
Amaechi, who is also a former Minister of Transportation, spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the public presentation of Lamido’s autobiography, Being True to Myself.
He said: “I asked you (Lamido) this morning, what is going on currently in the country, in Nigerian politics — would it have happened when we were governors? You said no. And the answer is no.”
Amaechi added: “We would have confronted the government, confronted the president. That’s how radical you were. That’s how our Governors Forum operated. That’s how determined we were to change things.” He reflected on his political relationship with Lamido, noting that although they were allies in government, their paths diverged over strategy in opposing then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
“We were quite good friends in government. We had our bad times when we disagreed. I made the mistake of assuming he was as radical as I was. So, he was one of the governors I clung to when it came to radical decisions.
“The last one before we broke ranks was when we all agreed to go against President Jonathan. We formed a committee of governors and others. At the end of the day, he went to find a new party, the SDP. We said, ‘If we go to the SDP, we will lose the election. Let’s hang on to this one called the APC.’ He disagreed and left us. That’s where we parted ways.”
You probably know him as Odogwu Paranra. Uzor Arukwe is a popular Nigerian actor and entertainer.
PHOTO Credit: Instagram post.
Uche’s social media popularity spiked in 2025 after he starred as Obiora (a.k.a Odogwu Parara) in Omoni Oboli’s YouTube movie, ‘Love In Every Word’. The movie generated lots of conversations about love as Odogwu tried everything to impress his love interest, Chioma (a.k.a Achalugo), a role played by Bam Bam (Bamike Olawunmi).
How old is Uzor Arukwe?
Uzor Arukwe was born on August 6, 1983. He is currently 41 years old and will be 42 years old by August 6, 2025.
Birth (zodiac) sign
His birth (zodiac) sign is Leo. Individuals with this zodiac sign have a pleasant and good-tempered personality. They are always looking for ways to express themselves, and this often attracts them to careers in creativity and art.
Height
Uzor is 5’ 11”.
Tribe and state of origin
PHOTO Credit: Instagram post.
Where is Uzor Arukwe from?
Uzor is from Nkwerre, Imo State, in the southeastern region of Nigeria.
Who is Uzo Arukwe’s father?
Although some people believe Uzo is from Abia state, he revealed in an interview that he is actually from Imo state. His father, Mr Arukwe, according to Uzo in an interview, is polygamous; he has two wives. Uzor’s stepmother has one child, while his mother has two; hence, his father has three children?this includes Uzor’s brother, Ebuka Arukwe.
Family: Wife and children
Is Uzor Arukwe married?
Yes, Uzor Arukwa is married to Barbara Boyd-Arukwe. The couple has done well to keep there marriage and family life off social media. However, some photos available online suggests they might have been married for nearly a decade.
PHOTO Credit: Facebook post.
Education
He attended the Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Port Harcourt, for his secondary school education. Uzor would later proceed to the Abia State University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 2007.
PHOTO Credit: Instagram post.
He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. After completing his National Youth Service Corps programme, Uzor attended the University of Calabar, where he obtained a Master’s in Business Administration degree in 2009.
Career
Uzor Arukwe, a trained stage actor, made his debut in Nollywood in 2000 when he co-starred in a sitcom, My Flatmate. After disappearing from the industry, he would later resurface in 2014 when he acted in “Unspoken Truth” movie.
However, he started gaining public recognition in 2017 when he landed the Inspector Sam role on “Sergeant Tutu”.
PHOTO Credit: Instagram post.
Before venturing into acting full-time, Uzor Arukwe, worked in the telecommunications industry. In 2012, Uzor was heading a department at Etisalat (now 9mobile) and gunning for a promotion from specialist to manager after tears with the telco firm. Unfortunately, instead of a promotion, he got sacked in November 2012 due to something that happened in the department he was leading at the time. He claimed in an interview that he “had to take the fall as the leader”.
Uzor will remain unemployed for a year after this incident. It was during this period he tried to get back into acting but this does not work out well for him. According to him; “the only gig I got between 2012 and 2013 when I got my second job was some stage drama. Seyi Babatope got me the gig. That was the only gig I got between November 2012 when I was fired till December 2013. I was at home for one year and had no job. Nobody was calling me for films. It was terrible.”
“I was like I think I should go back. I dusted my certificate again. And somehow I got a job again. There then for another five years”. He resigned in 2018 to focus fully on his acting career.
“I was like I think I am done. I think I have tried. I left my company in April 2018 and got my first gig with Iroko on August 28, 2018. At this time, I was broke, busted down, and had no money. It was so bad that I was saying prayers at noon.”
Movies
PHOTO Credit: Instagram post.
Some of the popular movies Uzor Arukwe has starred in include:
Unspoken Truth (2014) – Martins
Fine Girl (2015) – Gregory
Sergeant Tutu (2017) – Inspector Sam
Smash (2018)
Sugar Rush (2018) – Knight
Hire a Woman (2019) – Jide
Tanwa Savage (2020) – Jola
Prophetess (2021) – Eze-Ego
Chief Daddy 2: Going for Broke (2021) – Prince Sonny
A Tribe Called Judah (2023) – Chigozie Onuaha
Malaika (2023)
House Arrest (2024) – Chudi
Love in Every Word (2025) – Obiora
Awards and recognition
He was nominated twice as the Best Actor in a Comedy or Movie in 2020 at the African Magic Viewers’ Choice Award for his roles in “Smash” and “Size 12”.
In 2021, he was nominated for the Best Actor category at the Best Nollywood Awards for his role in “Yours Regardless”.
Uzor is one of the nominees for the African Magic Viewers Award (AMVCA) 2025 Best Supporting Actor category for his role in the movie “Suspicion”.
Hobbies
Uzor likes watching television a lot; it is his favourite way to relax. Sometimes, he spices up his leisure by drinking and listening to good music.
Although he has not played basketball for a while, it is his favourite sport.
Preferred dressing style
While many might think the Odogwu Paranra will love dressing in full Igbo regalia all day, he prefers to wear a T-shirt and jeans.
Uzor Arukwe and Pastor Jerry Eze. PHOTO Credit: Instagram photo.
Net worth
There is no publicly available verifiable data to estimate Uzor’s net worth. However, as at 2012 when he was being punched by unemployment, he was earning as little as N2,000 from his acting roles.
His net worth has appreciated significantly since then, despite working corporate jobs for about 10 years of his life; Uzor today is making more money than he ever did when he was working in the corporate world.
Disclaimer
The information in this article was curated from online sources. NewsWireNGR or its editorial team cannot independently verify all details.
Always visit NewsWireNGR for the latest Naija news and updated Naija breaking news.
On May 8, 2025, the 16th president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, nominated Miss Usoro Akpabio, as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the South South Development Commission (SSDC).
PHOTO Credit: Facebook post.
While the Akpabio name is well-known in the Nigerian political considering the Senate President’s name is Godswill Akpabio, Usoro Akpabio is not a popular name until the announcement of her appointment by Tinubu.
Who is Usoro Akpabio?
Her full name is Usoro Offiong Akpabio. Some reports stated that she was born on June 10, 1983, which means Usoro is currently 42 years old and will be 43 years old by June 10, 2025.
However, a check on her foundation page, Usoro Akpabio Educational Foundation, on Facebook, indicated that she is 44 years old as of June 5, 2024, which means she will be 45 years old by June 5, 2025.
A further check of previous posts on the page confirmed that Usoro Offion Akpabio was born on June 5, 1980.
PHOTO Credit: Facebook post
PHOTO Credit: Facebook post
Where is she from? Tribe and state of origin
Usoro Akpabio is from Mbiaya Uruan, Uruan Local Government Area (LGA) of Akwa Ibo state. She is of the Ibibio ethnic group. The Ibibio people are a coastal people in the southern Nigeria primarily located in Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
They speak dialects of the Ibibio-Efik language, which belongs to the Niger-Congo family.
Is Usoro Akpabio related to Godswill Akpabio?
PHOTO Credit: Facebook post
Although Senate President Godswill Akpabio is from Akwa Ibom state, there is no strong evidence that confirms Usoro and Godswill are relatives. She is however rumoured to be a close ally of Senator Akpabio.
Who is Usoro Akpabio’s mother?
Her mother’s name is Magdalene Akpabio, a former South South PDP National Women Leader who has played a major role in regional politics.
Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who are against Usoro’s appointment accused her and her mother of working against the emergence of President Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.
Education
Akpabio had her primary and secondary education at Uyo, the capital city of Akwa Ibom state. She would later proceed to study political science during her tertiary education.
Career
As a graduate of political science, Usoro, according to some reports, she started her career as a policy analyst in a government ministry.
Awards and nomination
2019 African Achievers Award for impact in energy and education.
What is SSDC?
The South-South Development Commission, SSDC, is a newly established agency by the Nigerian federal government.
The bill for the establishment of the Commission was sponsored by Cross-River South Senator, Asuquo Ekpenyong. It was signed into law by President Tinubu in March 2025.
Disclaimer
The information in this article was curated from online sources. NewsWireNGR or its editorial team cannot independently verify all details.
Always visit NewsWireNGR for the latest Naija news and updated Naija breaking news.
Three members of the House of Representatives from Katsina State have resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
The lawmakers are Rep. Balarabe Dabayi (Bakori/Danja Constituency), Rep. Aliyu Iliyasu (Batsari/Safana/Danmusa Constituency), and Rep. Salisu Majigiri (Mashi/Dutsi Federal Constituency).
Their defection was announced during a plenary session, where Speaker of the House, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, formally declared them as the newest members of the APC.
In their separate letters of resignation, read by the speaker, the lawmakers cited the ongoing internal crisis within the PDP as the reason for their departure.
The highlight of the event was the presence of Katsina State Governor, Umar Dikko Radda, who attended in a show of solidarity.
President Bola Tinubu has asked the Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, to provide him with a plot of land in the state for his retirement home.
The President stated this during a town hall meeting with Anambra people during his one-day visit to Anambra State to inaugurate some projects by the governor.
It was in the meeting that Governor Soludo disclosed that his party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has taken a stand to support any government in power at the federal level.
Soludo said the decision has not changed, as his government would support the Tinubu-led administration till it concludes its tenure in 2031.
Addressing the crowd, Tinubu said, “I am now a bona-fide son of Anambra. A son of the soil. One of your sons.
“And as indeed your own son, maybe my friend your governor, should find me a plot of land for my retirement home.
“You don’t have to move me from the Villa for only one week, give me a permanent abode. It’s well with Anambra. It’s well with Nigeria.
“May our fighting men and women see victory. We’ll conquer insurgency. We’ll defeat them. I assure you. This country is blessed and Anambra is part of it. Anambra is rising and we will rise together.”
Nigerian Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has declared he never nursed the intention of stepping down from his position as leader of the national assembly.
Akpabio stated this on the floor of the senate plenary on Thursday, in response to Senate majority leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, who passed a vote of confidence in him.
Bamidele, who has represented Ekiti Central senatorial district since 2019, rose up to tell Akpabio that those who would have thought that the Senate would ask him to step down over allegations of sexual harassment must be disappointed by now.
The majority lesder thanked his colleagues for standing in solidarity with the Senate President, insisting that the lawmakers will also ask for evidence whenever they are accused of any crime.
He said, “By now I’m sure you know, sir, that those who felt that by now, this Senate would have asked you to step down would have seen now that we are focused on what we are doing, and whatever the level of allegation against anyone of us, we will always ask for evidence, and we will do what is in overriding public interest. I just want to thank you, and I thank all our colleagues.”
In response, Akpabio said, “To answer you, you said, ‘those who would have asked you to step down’, who told you I was going to step down due to false allegations?
“If you watch the record in America, there are black people because of their skin, who went to prison…some 25 years for false allegations. So, I’m not one of those people.
“They will step down for false allegation and when it’s proven that the allegations are false, they say, ‘Oh, we were unfair to Akpabio.’ So, if you have that in mind, please cancel it.”
Just recently, the female lawmaker, who is currently on suspension for allegedly flouting the Senate standing rules, published a sarcastic apology to Akpabio on her official Facebook page.
Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed in the post that she was sorry for the “crime of maintaining dignity and self-respect”.
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, presided over by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, has granted music producer and former manager of gospel artist Mercy Chinwo, Ezekiel Onyedikachi (also known as EeZeeTee), a N20 million bail in connection with a fresh $255,000 alleged forex transaction fraud brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Aneke, in a brief ruling on Friday, set the bail condition, requiring one surety who must reside in Lagos and own property worth the bail sum.
The judge, who had previously released EeZeeTee to his lawyer, Ojukwu Chikaosolu, gave him 72 hours to meet the bail condition.
The EFCC had initially filed a 14-count charge against EeZeeTee for alleged fraudulent conversion but later amended the charge to seven counts, accusing him of engaging in foreign exchange transactions without a license.
Prosecuting counsel Bilikisu Buhari-Bala told the court that in June 2023, EeZeeTee, without authorization from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), negotiated a foreign exchange transaction worth $52,895 with one Mr. Oladotun Olaobaju Mureke.
This, she argued, violated Sections 5 and 29(1)(c) of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Cap F34, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and is punishable under Section 29(2) of the same Act.
EeZeeTee pleaded not guilty to the charges. The case has been adjourned to June 20, 2025, for trial.
Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, has said President Bola Tinubu is resuscitating the dead economy he inherited when he got sworn in.
He shared a snippet from a Channels Television interview in which the Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, made the same claim about the economy.
Soludo said, “From a macroeconomic point of view, this government inherited a dead economy, I must say, a dead horse that was still standing, but people didn’t know it was dead, because you cannot pour drops of water on a rug and expect that the rug will not be wet.”
In a post on X, Onanuga revealed that Tinubu is putting the economy on the path of sustainable growth, just as he listed some of the achievements recorded by his administration.
He said, “To all those who have been attacking President Bola Tinubu, please listen to the lucid explanation by Governor Chukwuma Soludo. He offers an insight into the economic problems inherited by the Tinubu administration.
He calls it a dead economy. Since Tinubu took over, he has been resuscitating the dead economy and putting it on the path of sustainable growth.
Under Tinubu’s watch, we have reduced our debt, paid off IMF loans, increased IGR phenomenally, enabled the governors to carry out many capital projects and pay salaries, built investor confidence, recorded trade surplus, increased forex reserve, etc.”
The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested a graduating student of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Helen Kayode, for allegedly staging her own kidnap to spend time with her boyfriend.
The police announced Helen’s arrest on Thursday, saying her action reportedly caused panic across Iworoko-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti, following a message she sent to her sister on May 1, claiming she had boarded the wrong bus and was kidnapped.
According to the command’s spokesperson, SP Sunday Abutu, the viral message led to public fear and disrupted the otherwise calm security situation in the state.
Abutu stated that Helen said she was kept and held hostage in an uncompleted building surrounded by bushes.
Abutu lamented that the information went viral on social media, causing some reactions that undermined the security and peaceful atmosphere currently being enjoyed in Ekiti State.
Investigations by the police revealed that the lady was not kidnapped but instead spent the night with her boyfriend before travelling to Lagos.
“The suspect confessed during investigation that she sent out the false information to enable her to stay back in Ado-Ekiti to celebrate her birthday with her boyfriend, who promised her a ‘surprise package’,” Abutu said.
“The student said that her parents told her to return to Lagos against her wish due to the birthday party.”
The Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Eribo, condemned the incident, warning that those who spread false information would face the full force of the law.
Eribo said the suspect would be charged to court after investigations and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and maintaining peace in Ekiti.
A Jos Magistrates’ Court on Friday sentenced Shederack Danlami, a 22-year-old trader, to four months imprisonment for stealing two chickens.
Magistrate Shawomi Bokkos summarily tried and sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to the charge.
Bokkos in her judgment gave the convict an option of fine of N20, 000. She also ordered him to pay N20, 000 as compensation to the complainant.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Daniel Longwal told the court that the case was reported at the Anglo-Jos Police Station on March 25, by a team of vigilante.
Longwal said that the convict stole and slaughtered the two chickens worth N20, 000.
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 286 of the Plateau Penal Code Law.
The Presidency has faulted the President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, over his comment that Nigerians were better off in 1960 than they are today.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, stated that Adesina “spoke like a politician” in the mold of the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, without doing due diligence.
“Adesina spoke like a politician, in the mold of Peter Obi, and did not do due diligence before making his unverifiable statement,” Onanuga said. It was reported that Adesina while delivering a keynote address at the 20th-anniversary dinner of Chapel Hill Denham, stated that Nigerians today were worse off than they were in 1960.
He backed his claims with data that Nigeria’s GDP per capita in 1960 was $1,847 and that it is $824 today.
Onanuga, however, countered the claim stating that the quoted figures were incorrect, adding that Nigeria’s GDP as of 1960 was $4.2 billion, and per capita income for a population of 44.9 million was $93, not $100. He said, “A few days ago, outgoing AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina claimed that Nigerians today are worse off than in 1960, basing his conclusion on figures that do not align with available data. “According to Nairametrics, he claimed that Nigeria’s GDP per capita in 1960 was $1,847 and that it is $824 today. The quoted figures are not correct.
“According to available data, our country’s GDP was $4.2 billion in 1960, and per capita income for a population of 44.9 million was $93—ninety-three, not even $100.”
“Our country’s GDP did not rise remarkably until the 1970s when crude earnings ballooned. In 1970, our GDP rose to $12.55 billion.
“In 1975, it was $27.7 billion, $64.2 billion in 1980, and $164 billion in 1981. Up until 1980, per capita income did not exceed $880.
“It rose to $2187 in 1981 and dropped to $1844 in 1982. In 2014, after rebasing, it reached an all-time high of $3,200,” he added.
Scores of youths have taken to the streets of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, in protest of the arrest of a popular rights activist and social media influencer, Martins Vincent Otse, also known as Verydarkman (VDM), by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The protesters, who were sighted in the Wuse area, just right after the Berger bridge, described VDM’s arrest and detention as illegal.
They also vowed to take their grievance to the Nigerian Human Rights Commission, in the Maitama district of the nation’s capital.
More details later, in the meantime, the arrest of Verydarkman continues to elicit reactions online.
Protests have started already demanding the immediate release of VDM. Let's join forces with them. For those who can't make the street, hit the retweet button and send the msg across. VDM must be Free today!!#FREEDVMpic.twitter.com/wSTXikHmjU
