News

“You Have Treated Wike Badly” – Ortom Tells PDP Leaders

Benue Governor Samuel Ortom has called out chieftains of the PDP party for what he deems to be an unfair treatment of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike. Ortom added that Wike deserved a direct apology from the PDP presidential flagbearer Atiku Abubakar.

Ortom made this known during his appearance on Arise TV’s flagship program The Morning Show on the morning of Wednesday, July 29. Ortom said that Wike deserved explanation for not emerging as the running-mate t0 Atiku as he was the choice selected by the 17-man team set up by Atiku to decide on who was the best fit for his running mate at the forthcoming polls.

Ortom revealed that Wike received his support as well as that of 13 others in the committee, and thus deserved an apology for being blindsided as Atiku later selected Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his preferred choice for VP.

Ortom’s words to Arise TV were;

“14 out of 17 members say that Wike should be the VP but in his (Atiku’s) wisdom, he chose Governor Okowa. Governor Okowa is a nice man and my friend and I have no problem with him. But if we are in a democratic era, and 14 people out of 17 said that it should be Wike, and he in his wisdom gave it to Okowa, I expect more explanation, I expect him to talk to Wike first, I expect him to even reach out to some of us so that together we can work as a party.”

Earlier in the interview, Ortom expressed his confidence in Wike’s leadership abilities saying;

“Some of us believe he (Wike) has the capacity and Charisma to lift this country from bottom to top compared to what has been happening. We have been taken from the top in 2015 to the bottom since this present administration came into power. Some of us believe that Wike has the capacity but Nigerians or let me say the PDP people did not give him the opportunity. Some of us rooted for him. I was amongst the 17 members committee that was set up by the candidate himself and the party and some of us said that for the vice presidency of the party, we needed Wike to be the vice president so that he can bridge the gap.”

Ortom seemed rather unbiased in his support for Wike as he acknowledged Wike’s flaws yet maintained that he would have been the better fit for VP. “All of us have our weak spots. Wike can be something something, but when it comes to mobilisation, impact, value addition and reaching out, and making sure that the party works, Wike is an instrument,” Ortom said.

After losing the PDP presidential ticket to Atiku at the PDP Primaries in late May and later not emerging as the VP, many suspected that Wike could become vindictive by dumping the PDP or throw his weight of support around a presidential candidate from another party. These suspicions seemed to be true as Wike has since had closed-door meetings with chieftains from other parties, they include Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP, both of whom are presidential flagbearers of their individual parties.

Wike is currently away in Istanbul, Turkey on a vacation which Ortom told Arise TV he deserves due to the ill-treatment he received from the PDP.

Entertainment

Kanayo O. Kanayo demands lifetime streaming royalties for Nollywood stars

Veteran Nollywood actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has stirred up a conversation the industry has been quietly avoiding for years. The award-winning actor and lawyer recently proposed that the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) implement a policy mandating lifetime royalty payments for all Nigerian actors and actresses featured in films uploaded to streaming platforms.

He also called for a dedicated agency to oversee and enforce compliance nationwide, arguing it would ensure performers earn from their craft long after the cameras stop rolling. The timing of the proposal is telling. Stories of financial ruin among once-beloved Nigerian actors have become alarmingly common.

Last month, veteran actor Abiodun Ayoyinka, widely known as Papa Ajasco, spoke openly about his financial struggles despite decades in the industry.

Two years prior, Hanks Anuku made headlines with public pleas for financial assistance after falling on hard times post-Nollywood.

Patience Ozokwor recently put it bluntly: “The reason why Nollywood actors and actresses are poor is that we don’t get royalties for what we do, we only get paid for our appearance at the shoot.” Her words, along with the others, show a consistent pattern of demand.

The proposal has drawn mixed reactions from industry figures. Writer-director Jadesola Osiberu responded with sarcasm, suggesting that if actors want royalties, perhaps they should also contribute to covering a producer’s losses proportional to their screen time, a dig at the one-sided nature of the demand.

Producer and actress Bolaji Ogunmola was more direct: if actors want backend earnings, they should negotiate equity stakes and invest in projects upfront rather than seek guaranteed payouts after the fact.

It’s a fair challenge. The music industry comparison many have reached for doesn’t quite hold up here.

In more structured film industries, residuals are tied to carefully negotiated distribution contracts and enforced by unions, organisations built over decades with legal infrastructure and industry-wide buy-in.

News

Katsina plans mass wedding for 1,000 couples

The state government’s maiden welfare initiative will unite 2,000 individuals on April 25, even as armed bandits terrorise nearby communities. The Katsina State Government has announced a mass wedding ceremony for at least 1,000 couples drawn from all 34 local government areas, describing the initiative as a bid to ease the financial burden of marriage on the state’s most vulnerable residents.

The event, scheduled for April 25, 2026, will bring together 2,000 individuals, including widows, orphans, and economically disadvantaged people who, officials say, have long been willing to marry but unable to afford it.

The Director General of the Katsina State Hisbah Board, Malam Abu-Ammar, announced a livelihood support and counselling training session on Thursday.

He said the programme was conceived as part of the government’s efforts to reduce conditions that breed social vices.

“Many widows, orphans, and vulnerable individuals are unable to get married despite their willingness due to socioeconomic challenges,” he said.

The Katsina State Commissioner for Women Affairs, A’isha Malumfashi, added that all 1,000 couples had already undergone medical screening and compatibility verification ahead of the ceremony.

The government has promised support packages for both brides and grooms, though the total budget for the event has not been disclosed.

The announcement, however, comes at a fraught moment for the state. Just hours before it was made public, armed bandits reportedly issued a written ultimatum to communities in Kankia Local Government Area, demanding 700 cows and 1,000 sheep within four days or face violent raids.

News

Trump threatens 50% tariffs on countries arming Iran

Donald Trump has cautioned that the United States will impose heavy tariffs on any country that is found to supply military weapons to Iran, raising the bar of pressure in the midst of continuing tensions with Tehran.

On Wednesday, in a statement released on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that any country supplying arms to Iran would be subjected to a 50 percent tariff on all its goods exported to the United States without any delay.

“A country supplying military weapons to Iran will be immediately tariffed on all goods sold to the United States of America, 50 per cent, effective immediately. There will be no exclusions or exemptions,” he wrote.

The warning comes shortly after the U.S. president announced a temporary ceasefire arrangement with Iran following heightened tensions in the region. This happened just hours before the deadline, Donald Trump urged Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The US President announced a ceasefire facilitated by Pakistan. In a post X, the White House shared that Trump has issued a temporary hold on all military activities in Iran.

President Trump announced that after conversations with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, he will be suspending the bombing and attack on Iran for a period of two weeks after the Iranians agreed to an “immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz”.

He went ahead and added that the US has already met and exceeded all military objectives and is making progress on a long-term peace agreement with Iran. Trump also said his administration is considering possible economic relief measures for Tehran, noting that Washington is currently engaged in discussions around tariff and sanctions relief.

The developments follow Iran’s reported agreement to temporarily reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route at the centre of recent geopolitical concerns.

While details of the ceasefire and negotiations remain limited, the latest remarks highlight a mix of economic pressure and diplomatic engagement from Washington as it navigates relations with Tehran.

The series of warnings started in March, when Trump issued one of his most explosive warnings yet to Iran, saying the United States could “completely obliterate” the country’s electric plants, oil wells, and Kharg Island if a deal with a so-called “new and more reasonable regime” fails and the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.

In a post on social media, Trump claimed the U.S. is in serious discussions with a new Iranian leadership aimed at ending American military operations in the country. However, he warned that failure to reach a deal quickly could prompt devastating military action against Iran’s infrastructure.