Flowerbud News

Year: 2026

  • Appeal Court Ruling: Opportunity to rebuild PDP — Wike

    Appeal Court Ruling: Opportunity to rebuild PDP — Wike

     

     

    By Philip Yatai

    Abuja:  Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has welcomed the Court of Appeal judgment voiding the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convention held in Ibadan on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16, 2025.

    The appellate court ruled on Monday that the party acted wrongly by proceeding with the convention in spite of a subsisting court order directing compliance with conditions set by the Federal High Court.

    Reacting in Abuja, Wike described the ruling as a victory for the rule of law and urged party members to abandon egos, halt litigation and embrace reconciliation.

    He warned that pursuing the matter to the Supreme Court could harm the party, especially with political party primaries scheduled for April and May.

    “By the time you go to the Supreme Court, you are merely causing harm to your party which you say you love.

    “It is time now to say we have fought, let us drop our personal interest and make sure PDP becomes the number one opposition party,” he said.

    Wike urged aggrieved members to see the judgment as an opportunity to reconcile and chart a new path for the party.

    “For me, it is an opportunity for everybody to come back and see how we can salvage the party.

    “Leave your ego and personal interest. Come back and let us sit down and figure out how we can move forward together,” Wike said.

    He said the court’s dismissal of several appeals with heavy costs highlighted the need to comply with statutory provisions, the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution.

    According to him, breaches of those laws meant the issue could no longer be treated as an internal party affair, making judicial intervention inevitable.

    Wike added that the ruling nullified the Ibadan convention and confirmed that the tenure of the previous party officers had expired.

    He said the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Caretaker Committee remained the legally recognised body managing the party’s affairs to prevent a leadership vacuum.

    The minister also confirmed that preparations were underway for a fresh National Convention scheduled for March 29 and 30 in Abuja. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

  • NAFDAC Perfects its Digital Platforms, Set for Seamless Integration into Nat. Single Window for Trade, Port Operations

    NAFDAC Perfects its Digital Platforms, Set for Seamless Integration into Nat. Single Window for Trade, Port Operations

    (NAFDAC DIRECTOR GENERAL PROF MOJISOLA ADEYEYE on operational visit)

     

    – Undertook strategic activities to ensure smooth transition and effective participation in the new trade ecosystem – DG

     

    (NAFDAC Director General Prof Mojisola Adeyeye)

     

    By Biola Lawal
    Abuja (Flowerbudnews) The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has applauded the impending launch of the National Single Window (NSW) for Trade by the Federal Government, describing it as
    ”a transformative step in Nigeria’s trade modernization agenda.’:

    NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who lauded the NSW framework in public statement on Monday, acknowledged the system as a major reform to modernise the country’s trade and port operations through digital technology.

    Prof. Adeyeye disclosed that the Federal Government was set to deploy and launch the National Single Window (NSW) on 27 March 2026, assuring that NAFDAC, as a stakeholder in the project, was set for a seamless integration of its digital platforms into the Single Window.

    She explained that the ”National Single Window is a centralized digital platform that integrates all government agencies involved in import and export processes into a single electronic portal.

    ‘:This initiative is a strategic digital platform designed to streamline trade processes by enabling importers, exporters, and government agencies to submit, process, and obtain approvals for trade-related documentation through a unified electronic interface,” the NAFDAC Boss stressed.

    ‘:Through this platform, traders will submit trade-related information once, and the data will be shared automatically with all relevant regulatory agencies for processing and approvals,” She added.

    Prof. Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to strengthening trade facilitation, regulatory efficiency, and inter-agency collaboration as the Federal Government prepared to launch the Single Window.

    The NAFDAC DG declared that as one of the critical regulatory agencies responsible for safeguarding the health of Nigerians through the regulation and control of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals, and packaged water, NAFDAC had played a pivotal role in the development and operational readiness of the National Single Window system.

    She explained that over the years, NAFDAC has made significant investments in the digitization of its regulatory processes, including the deployment of electronic platforms for product registration, permits, inspections, and import/export clearances.

    ‘:These efforts have laid a strong foundation for seamless integration into the National Single Window framework. In preparation for the launch, NAFDAC has undertaken several strategic activities to ensure smooth transition and effective participation in the new trade ecosystem,” Prof. Adeyeye stated.

    She added; ‘:These include: Alignment of NAFDAC digital platforms with the National Single Window infrastructure to ensure seamless interoperability and data exchange.

    ”Ongoing review and update of operational guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to reflect process changes arising from the implementation of the Single Window system.

    ”Strengthening inter-agency collaboration with other participating government institutions involved in trade facilitation, border control, and regulatory oversight.

    ”Capacity building and sensitization of NAFDAC staff to ensure effective use of the platform.Updating regulatory documentation and guidelines on the NAFDAC website to reflect the integration with the National Single Window portal.’:

    She said that ”through these efforts, NAFDAC aims to enhance regulatory transparency, reduce duplication of processes, minimize delays in cargo clearance, and support Nigeria’s commitment to improving the ease of doing business.”

    The Director-General said that NAFDAC remained ”committed to leveraging digital technologies and collaborative governance to strengthen regulatory oversight while facilitating legitimate trade.”

    ‘:The management of NAFDAC believes that the National Single Window represents a transformative step in Nigeria’s trade modernization agenda.

    ”NAFDAC is therefore, proud to contribute to this national initiative by ensuring that regulatory processes are efficient, transparent, and aligned with global best practices,” She said.

    Prof. Adeyeye encouraged importers, exporters, manufacturers, and other stakeholders involved in the trade of regulated products to familiarize themselves with the National Single Window platform and comply with updated regulatory procedures that will accompany the system’s implementation.

    The NAFDAC Boss reiterated the Agency’s commitment to protecting public health, while supporting national economic growth through efficient and technology-driven regulatory systems. (Flowerbudnews)

     

  • Association, Foundation move to check negative herbal practices, yahoo ritualism, others in Enugu

    Association, Foundation move to check negative herbal practices, yahoo ritualism, others in Enugu

    Association, Foundation move to check negative herbal practices, yahoo ritualism, others in Enugu

    The Association of Herbalists in Enugu Ezike in Igboeze South Local Government Area of Enugu State has taken an oath to only engage in positive herbal practices meant to save lives and uplift society.

    The members of the association, individually, took an oath against aiding yahoo boys who engage in human ritualistic killing and sacrifices; preparing charms for armed robbers, kidnappers and spiritual poisoning of anybody without a just course.

    Administering the oath at the “Emume Ihu Ji Afo 2026” (meaning Festival of Roasting New Yam, 2026) in Enugu Ezike on Monday, Counsel to the association, Dr Ejikeme Odumegwu, said that the oath was imperative to check criminality and emerging evils.

    Odumegwu, who is the convener of the festival, noted that the emerging evils, most times involving the youths who want to make quick money, and had generally created an unsafe environment in communities and society.

    According to him, no one is condemning herbal practices as it was sanctioned by God even in the Holy Bible, where it said that ‘I have created herbs and roots for the cure of the nations’.

    “What we stand here to condemn and this oath will take care of is using same herbs and roots for negative and evil purpose or using them to assist evil doers in their wicked and deadly schemes due to economic reasons.

    “We have found out that due to the evil of get-rich-quick syndrome most times by youths; people are no longer safe; while some herbalists help these youths to prepare charms or get concoction for these evil acts.

    “Our place, Enugu Ezike is globally known to have finest herbalists, whose herbal work have age-long efficiency on those they treat and we dont want to loose such God given privilege due to activities of few who engage in evil.

    “So every member of the association and its leadership have wholeheartedly agreed to take the oath and check evil practice in its entirety,” Odumegwu said.

    He noted that enhance forth after the oath taking, anybody wishing to practice herbal medicine in Enugu Ezike must be duly registered with the association, while the association identifies the person’s specialisation of practice, location and background.

    Odumegwu said, “I have a case being handled by my foundation – Owelle Ejikeme Odumegwu Foundation – where we are tracking people that involved themselves in ritual killing of a pregnant nurse from Enugu Ezike community in Ogbunike community in Anambra.

    “The police has almost arrested everyone involved in the wicked “Okeite” money ritualism killing of our sister, Mrs Ngozi Idoko, and Enugu Ezike people have vowed that anybody involved will be prosecuted and punished by the law; and our land and ancestors.”

    Earlier, the General Secretary of Association of Enugu Ezike Herbalists, Mr Barnabas Okechi, said that the leadership of the association, duly registered with the government and Corporate Affairs Commission, was “backing the traditional oath taking by its members”.

    “The association stands for truthful and responsible herbal practice that save lives and protect the community and larger society from harm; and we will not subject ourselves to compromise that bring evil on everyone,” Okechi said.

    Speaking, Rev. John Ezeh of Assemblies of God Church in Umuopu, Enugu Ezike, appreciated the association and Odumegwu for championing the course for responsible and positive herbal practices meant to check criminality and emerging evils.

    Collaborating, Rev. Fr. Stan Ugwu, Parish Priest of St. Paul Parish, Umuopu, Enugu Ezike, who alluded to the Holy Bible; noted: “For any evil done there is nemesis following it. You must get a pay back”.

    Ugwu said, “I appreciate what the association and Odumegwu’s Foundation have set out to do in order to check the evil happenings in other parts of the country not to enter Enugu Ezike or entire Enugu State.

    “Many things are going wrong in our society especially among our youths and needed decisive action of elders especially this association practical step today not to support misguided youths and be in the vanguard of talking against these evils.”

    The festival featured a lecture titled: “Man and His Environment: Herbalism in Abstract – Human Ritual Killing”.

  • Colombian President Urges Trump to Distance Himself from Netanyahu

    Colombian President Urges Trump to Distance Himself from Netanyahu

    Blaming Israeli prime minister for ongoing Mideast conflict, Gustavo Petro calls for US separation from Benjamin Netanyahu

    Sinan Dogan

     

    BOGOTA, Colombia:   Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called on US President Donald Trump to distance himself from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

    Speaking at the Friday funeral in Chicago of US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, Petro addressed the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

    Petro hailed Jackson as a “living symbol of the struggle for freedom” for people of African descent across the Americas.

    Calling on Trump to distance himself from Netanyahu, Petro said: “Today is the time for the US president to completely separate himself from the person who is pushing humanity toward the abyss.”

    Petro said humanity must unite against the current conflict in the Middle East.

    “It is time for all of us to come together because there is no weapon capable of stopping missiles,” he stressed. “The only thing that can stand against them is the power of words backed by the masses, by all humanity.”

    Blaming Netanyahu for the conflict, Petro stressed that peace in the Middle East must be achieved rapidly.

    Petro’s remarks got strong applause from participants, with some standing in support.

    During the ceremony, the Colombian leader was also seen briefly speaking with former US President Barack Obama.

    *Writing by Merve Berker

  • Poll Shows Majority of Europeans Oppose US. Israel Strikes on Iran

     

    Surveys in Spain, Italy, Germany, UK reveal significant public opposition to military intervention

    By Selen Valente Rasquinho

    BRUSSELS:   Recent public opinion surveys across Europe showed on Friday that large segments of the public in several countries oppose the US and Israel’s strikes on Iran.

    According to polls conducted in Spain, Italy, Germany and the UK, majorities in these countries reject military intervention and support cautious or neutral positions by their governments.

    In Spain, a rapid poll conducted by Madrid-based research firm 40dB for the newspaper El Pais and Cadena SER radio found that around 68% of respondents reject the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran.

    The survey also showed that 57% support Spain’s decision not to provide military support to the US and Israel, while 53% believe the US should not be allowed to use military bases in Spain for operations related to the conflict.

    Around 42% of respondents said they approve of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s handling of the crisis, while nearly 80% said they are closely following developments and that their most common feeling about the conflict is concern.

    Italy

    A similar trend appeared in Italy, according to a poll conducted by Rome-based research company YouTrend for Sky TG24 television.

    The survey showed that 56% of respondents oppose the US and Israel’s military intervention against Iran.

    Support for the attacks is higher among center-right voters, with 57% backing the intervention, while 79% of broader center-left voters oppose it.

    Some 48% of respondents believe the Italian government should remain neutral and act as a mediator between the parties, while 29% say the government should condemn the attacks and immediately call for a ceasefire.

    Germany

    In Germany, a new public opinion survey published by public broadcaster ARD also indicates low public trust toward the US and Israel.

    According to the survey, 58% of respondents believe the war waged by the US and Israel against Iran is not justified.

    About 75% said they are concerned that the conflict could spread to other countries, while trust in the US fell to 15%, the lowest level in the past 20 years.

    The survey also showed that only 17% of respondents consider Israel a reliable partner, while 85% believe global politics is increasingly dominated by a system where “might makes right.”

    UK

    In the UK, polls conducted by London-based research and data analysis company YouGov indicate limited public support for US strikes on Iran.

    A survey conducted on March 2, after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, found that 49% of Britons oppose the strikes, while 28% support them.

    A significant portion of respondents also oppose the use of Royal Air Force bases in the UK for US strikes against Iran.

    A study conducted at the end of February showed that 58% were against such use, and even when the condition that operations be “limited only to missile targets” was added in the March 2 survey, opposition still measured 50%.

    The research also revealed that 45% of Britons believe the government should neither praise nor condemn US strikes on Iran.

    Meanwhile, 47% of respondents said Prime Minister Keir Starmer has handled the US-Iran tension poorly, while 34% said he managed the situation well.

    Escalating regional tensions followed the Feb. 28 launch of joint US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, killing more than 1,000 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, over 150 schoolgirls, and senior military officials.

    The conflict has triggered widespread regional instability and retaliatory attacks from Tehran against US-linked sites across the region.

    *Writing by Merve Berker

  • Forum reject Sen. Wadada’s claim on N210 trillion NNPC funds

    Forum reject Sen. Wadada’s claim on N210 trillion NNPC funds

    Forum reject Sen. Wadada’s claim on N210 trillion NNPC funds

    The Ajiya Solidarity Forum (ASF) has rejected the claim made by Sen. Ahmad Wadada on alleged N210 trillion discrepancy in the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

    This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Hamza Usman, the National Coordinator ASF and made available to the newsmen on Monday in Sokoto.

    According to the statement, ASF is a coalition of professionals and stakeholders committed to transparency and the defense of public institutional integrity.

    ASF described the allegation as a mirage and cautioned against political theatre in NNPCL’s oversight activities.

    ” The forum issued a formal rejoinder to the claims made by the Chairman of the Senate Public Accounts Committee, Sen. Ahmed Wadada, regarding an alleged ₦210 trillion discrepancy in the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

    ” We respect the Senate’s constitutional mandate for oversight, the forum is deeply concerned by the mathematical impossibility of the figures being brandished and the subsequent threat to issue arrest warrants for former officials, including the immediate past Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Umar Ajiya, ” ASF said.

    According to the statement, Sen. Wadada’s claim of ₦210 trillion “unaccounted for” funds is not based on forensic reality but on a fundamental misreading of corporate balance sheets.

    The group explained that the national budget context of Nigeria emblem with the entire 2024 national budget stands at approximately N28.7 trillion.

    They argued that to suggest that a single entity “lost” N210 trillion, an amount nearly eight times the size of the national budged was an engage in economic fiction.

    ” The total crude oil revenue of the Federation over the seven-year period under review (2017–2023) does not aggregate to ₦210 trillion. Demanding a “refund” of money that was never earned by the state is an exercise in futility.

    ” The Forum wishes to clarify the two figures that the committee has erroneously “netted” together to create this sensation:
    ₦103 Trillion (Accrued Expenses): These represent the cumulative, multi-year obligations for Joint Venture (JV) Cash Calls.

    ” These are not “cash outflows” that have vanished; they are accounting entries of liabilities for production costs, royalties, and technical fees shared with international partners.

    ” N107 Trillion (Sundry Receivables): By definition, a receivable is money owed to the NNPCL, including massive subsidy debts from the Federal Government. Labeling a debt owed to a company as “missing funds” is a professional travesty, ” ASF explained.

    The statement further explained that Ajiya served as CFO during a period of unprecedented transparency, during which the NNPCL published its first audited financial statements in over four decades.

    ASF added that Ajiya’s leadership was instrumental in the transition of the NNPC from a statutory corporation to a commercial entity under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

    ” To characterize the N5.9 billion transition cost, a complex, international legal and corporate restructuring as a “mere name change” is to undermine the very reforms the National Assembly passed into law.

    ” The Ajiya Solidarity Forum warns that using “phantom numbers” to inflame public passion does not constitute effective oversight. It instead damages Nigeria’s reputation in the eyes of international investors and devalues the professional contributions of public servants like Mr. Ajiya.

    ” It is rather unfortunate to reduce a Senate probe into an avenue of public blackmail by engaging in mudslinging and media paparazzi just to attract crowd bullying and deliberately mislead Nigerians for personal or political interest, ASF said.

    The group urged members of the Senate not to drive by personal and political interest to tarnish the image of the senate and derail genuine and sincere fight against corruption through a back door arm twisting of persons they are supposed to give fair hearing in giving account of their stewardship.

    ” We call on the Senate Public Accounts Committee to engage in a sober, technical reconciliation of accounts rather than media led ultimatums.

    ” Withdraw the threats of arrest against officials who have already provided 19 detailed responses to the committee’s queries and focus on the reality of the PIA framework, which distinguishes between “accrued liabilities” and “revenue discrepancies.” The forum pleaded.

  • Iranian Ballistic Missiles Slam Into Israel’s Largest Oil Refinery In Escalating Global War

    Iranian Ballistic Missiles Slam Into Israel’s Largest Oil Refinery In Escalating Global War

     

     

    HAIFA, Israel – The Middle East has spiraled into an all-out energy war as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced a successful ballistic missile strike on the Bazan Group oil refinery in Haifa.

    The massive facility, a crown jewel of Israel’s energy infrastructure, was reportedly engulfed in flames on Saturday night, March 7, 2026, marking a terrifying expansion of the direct conflict between Tehran and Jerusalem.

    The “Eye for an Eye” Strike
    The IRGC declared the attack a “crushing response” to joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes (Operation Roaring Lion) that decimated oil depots and refining plants in Tehran earlier that evening. Iranian state media claimed that high-precision Kheibar Shekan solid-fuel missiles bypassed air defense layers to strike the Haifa port city, turning the refinery into a towering inferno.

    “The era of ‘hit and run’ is over,” a spokesperson for the IRGC stated. “If our refineries burn in Tehran, theirs will burn in Haifa.”

    Panic in the Port City
    Eyewitnesses in Haifa described a night of terror as air raid sirens wailed across the city. While the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) initially claimed to have intercepted several incoming projectiles, unverified footage circulating on social media showed massive plumes of black smoke billowing from the industrial zone near the Mediterranean coast.

    The Bazan Group, which operates the refinery, had reportedly moved some units into “emergency shutdown” mode just hours prior, but the sheer scale of the reported strike has raised fears of a catastrophic fuel shortage in the region.

    The 2026 Energy War
    This exchange represents the first time both nations have moved beyond proxy battles to directly dismantle each other’s critical economic lifelines.

    Tehran in Darkness: Earlier strikes on Iran’s Alborz province and the capital’s oil reserves have already sparked fears of “acid rain” and environmental collapse in Tehran.

    The Leadership Vacuum: The strikes come at a moment of extreme vulnerability for the Islamic Republic, as the Assembly of Experts continues to meet in secret to select a successor following the reported death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

    Global Economic Aftershock
    The blowing up of the Haifa refinery has sent the global oil market into a vertical climb. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively a war zone and Mediterranean refining capacity now under fire, Brent crude prices are expected to shatter records when markets open on Monday.

    As the smoke rises over Haifa, the world watches with bated breath: Is this the final spark for a third World War, or can the international community pull both nations back from the brink of total annihilation?

     

  • Ede Muslim Council Congratulates Amb. Adejare Bello on Appointment as OAU Council Chairman, Pro-chancellor

    Ede Muslim Council Congratulates Amb. Adejare Bello on Appointment as OAU Council Chairman, Pro-chancellor

     

     

    By Iyiola Olalere
    Ede (FLOWERBUDNEWS): The Ede Muslim Council has felicitated Amb Abdur-Rafii Adejare Bello on his recent appointment as the *Chairman and Pro-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

    The Muslim Council described Rt.-Hon. Bello’s appointment ”as a partial soothing balm to the loss of your predecessor (Prof. AbdulGafar Oyeweso, an Ede indigene) who died thirteen weeks ago….”

    It noted that Amb. Bello, who is the Oluomo of Edeland from Àrànhín Compound is ”an individual who is renowned for human development,”.

    In the statement signed by Mujeeb Adekilekun Tijani, the Council’s General Secretary, it urged Amb. Bello be very beneficial to the society while in the new prestigious position.

    ”On behalf of Muslim ummah in Edeland, the Executive Cabinet of Ede Muslim Council under the leadership of Dr Musibaudeen Olatunde Idris felicitates with Alhaji Ambassador Abdur-Rafii Adejare Bello and the Oluomo of Edeland of Àrànhín Compound over

    ”We pray that Almighty Allah grant you more wisdom, vigour and temerity to manage the dynamics of the seat so as to make indelible impacts on the university and Nigeria at large,’” the Ede Muslim Council urged the new OAU Pro-chancellor

  • Iran’s IRGC pledges allegiance to new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

    Iran’s IRGC pledges allegiance to new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

     

     

    CAIRO,  (Xinhua) /Flowerbudnews:  — Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ali Khamenei, was selected as Iran’s new supreme leader, Iran’s Assembly of Experts announced on Sunday.

    In a statement, the assembly confirmed Mojtaba Khamenei’s election as the country’s third supreme leader, citing “the decisive vote of the respected representatives” of the assembly.

    “In today’s extraordinary session, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei … is appointed and introduced as the third leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the statement said.

    Following the announcement, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) immediately pledged allegiance to the new supreme leader, voicing its readiness to follow his instructions.

    Mojtaba Khamenei, born in 1969, is the son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes.

    Mojtaba has been widely speculated as the new supreme leader even before the announcement. Israel and the United States have both issued threats to Iran in this regard.

    On Wednesday, Israel threatened that whoever Iran chooses as its new supreme leader would be “a target for elimination.”

    On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump told U.S. news website Axios that it is “unacceptable” for Mojtaba Khamenei to become Iran’s new leader, noting that Trump himself must be personally involved in selecting Iran’s next leader.

    Trump also warned that if Iran selects a new leader who “continues Khamenei’s policies,” the United States will be forced to return to war “within five years.”

    The United States and Israel launched surprise airstrikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities on Feb. 28, killing Ali Khamenei, along with some of the leader’s family members, Iran’s senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded through several waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. assets across the Middle East.