Last week on social media, Ganduje was commended by the President, Oshiomole was accused by the DSS and Banky W tossed his hat in the ring...
If you think videos allegedly showing Kano State Governor Umar Ganduje receiving kickbacks from a contractor would lead to him losing his job and perhaps, be prosecuted, then brace yourself. Ganduje has always maintained his innocence but at this rate, he won’t get a chance to prove it. The Kano House of Assembly has suspended investigation into the matter citing a court order, despite the contractor offering to testify.
In a reversal for the hitherto embattled governor, he was commended on a job well done by President Muhammadu Buhari in Paris. Following the vote of confidence by Nigeria’s number one citizen was an award for “Effective Leadership” by Africa Value Award.
The governor has found his voice as he basks in the spotlight and revels in the adulation, as his tweets suggest. Wow!
Meanwhile, taking his place in the hot seat of public scrutiny over corruption charges is his party chairman, Adams Oshiomole, who has been accused by the DSS of making the most of the APC’s primaries to line his pockets to the tune of millions of dollars.
Oshiomole need look no further than Ganduje to know he’ll probably get off the hook, with a presidential commendation to boot. There’s a snag though. Those intent on bringing him down are within his party.
Expectedly, entertainment usually offers less depressing news than politics on social media. Nowadays though, both sectors
overlap, for good and ill.
Last Sunday, social media was abuzz with the news that Olubankole Wellington – the musician and actor popularly known as Banky W – intends to contest for a House of Representatives seat representing Eti-Osa in Lagos State.
Despite contesting under a relatively unknown platform, the Modern Democratic Party, he fancies his chances, as he attempts to convert the numbers garnered over a decade in the spotlight into votes.
The influence of those in entertainment has not been lost on politicians, which explains why vice presidential candidate of the PDP, Peter Obi (and later on presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar), jumped on Kemi Adetiba’s twitter thread on her encounter with shady Customs officials at the international airport in Lagos.
It was an opportunity to tap into a fan base and enunciate what they would do differently if in charge of affairs.
Atiku, a former Customs boss, had problems at the Abuja airport earlier in the week. According to him, he was “excessively searched” by security operatives on his arrival from Dubai in a bid to intimidate him. But his opponents (and the authorities) believe he is just seeking attention. Nobody is above the law, they contend.
Security was the reason cited by Eko Atlantic City for not approving Davido’s plan to stage a concert there next month. The multiple-award winning artiste claims his political preferences, which includes vehemently supporting his uncle, Ademola Adeleke of the PDP, against the ruling APC in the recent Osun State gubernatorial election, did him in.
But maybe he’s just being haunted by his past deeds: he openly admitted to overselling tickets to his concert held at Eko Hotel last year, then kept the hotel management in the dark.
Meanwhile, the owner of Instablog9ja, one of Nigeria’s leading sources of news on Instagram has been brought to light, if Linda Ikeji’s blog is to be believed. It is not the first time the perceived owner of Instablog – especially known for savage captions – will be revealed.
However, Linda being the source of this particular ‘expose’ has led many to believe the accuracy of the report. Some of the personalities on the receiving end of Instablog9ja’s sometimes caustic comments have sent in their insults via (you guessed right) social media.