News

APC risks weakening internal cohesion by sidelining founding members – Obono-Obla

Published

1 month ago

July 12, 2026

Preport

Former presidential aide, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, has warned that the All Progressives Congress, APC, could weaken its internal cohesion if it continues to sideline some of its founding members in favour of newer entrants.

Obono-Obla, reacting to comments made by APC chieftain Cletus Obun during an interview on Arise Television, said many party loyalists who helped build the APC from its formative years have been left out of key political appointments and decision-making processes.

He recalled that the APC emerged in 2013 through the merger of opposition political parties, including the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), ahead of the 2015 general elections.

According to him, several individuals who played active roles in building the party at the grassroots have gradually become less visible in its affairs, particularly in Cross River State.

He cited himself, former National Vice Chairman (South-South) of the APC, Hilliard Eta, and former Minister of State for Education, John Odey, among those he described as early party loyalists whose contributions should not be overlooked.

Obono-Obla argued that while political parties naturally attract new members, sustained recognition of long-serving members is essential for unity, institutional memory and grassroots mobilisation.

He warned that neglecting founding members could encourage internal discontent and deepen divisions within the ruling party.

The former presidential aide urged the APC leadership to adopt an inclusive approach that accommodates both pioneer members and newer entrants in order to strengthen party unity ahead of future political contests.

Business

Police Arrest of Five Suspected Telecommunication Vandals, Recovery of Truckload of Suspected Stolen Iron Rods

Published

37 minutes ago

August 23, 2026

Preport

BY SUNDAY SAMUEL—The Lagos State Police Command has arrested five (5) suspected telecommunication vandals and recovered a truckload of suspected stolen iron rods in the Ibeju-Lekki axis of the State, as part of its intensified efforts to curb the vandalism and theft of critical infrastructure across Lagos.

The suspects, namely Mohammed Shaibu, ‘m’, 26 years; Musa Zakari, ‘m’, 29 years; Abdullahi Bala, ‘m’, 22 years; Salisu Musa, ‘m’, 18 years; and Yahuza Bala, ‘m’, 20 years, were allegedly caught stealing iron poles meant for the construction of telecommunication masts. They were subsequently arrested while conveying the allegedly stolen iron rods in a truck.

The suspects are currently in Police custody, while the case is being investigated at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba. Discreet investigation is ongoing to apprehend other fleeing suspects and unravel the full extent of their activities.

The Command appreciates the 81 Division, Nigerian Army, for its robust synergy and cooperation, which contributed significantly to the successful operation and arrest of the suspects.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, psc, mnips, has reiterated the Command’s resolve to protect critical infrastructure and bring perpetrators of vandalism to justice. He also urged residents to promptly provide credible information on suspicious activities within their communities.

Members of the public are encouraged to report emergencies and suspicious activities through the Lagos State Police Command emergency lines: 07061019374, 08065154338, 08063299264, 08039344870, 08080193432 (Marine), and 09168630929.

The post Police Arrest of Five Suspected Telecommunication Vandals, Recovery of Truckload of Suspected Stolen Iron Rods appeared first on Business Today NG.

News

Who’s behind the new ‘stealth model’ Ox Alpha?

Published

40 minutes ago

August 23, 2026

Preport

A mysterious new AI model called Ox Alpha has driven certain corners of the internet into a frenzy of speculation about who actually built it.

The free model was released on OpenRouter on Thursday, where it was described as “a reasoning model designed for coding, sustained agentic work, and production workload.” On X, Stripe CEO Patrick Collison (whose company is acquiring OpenRouter) described Ox Alpha as “very impressive.”

So who’s actually behind Ox Alpha? The OpenRouter listing described it as a “stealth model” and said it was “developed and operated by a third-party provider who has chosen to remain anonymous during this preview.”

Unsurprisingly, much of the speculation has revolved around China. AI analyst Andrew Curran posted on Friday that the initial speculation focused on the GLM models developed by Chinese company Z.ai, but “this morning people seem less sure of anything.”

Similarly, an article on Wccftech first suggested that the evidence pointed to GLM, but an update suggested that Ox Alpha could be an unreleased version of Microsoft’s MAI. And on Reddit, there’s at least one post declaring that Ox Alpha “can’t be the Chinese,” while another expressed “high confidence” that it is, in fact, Chinese.