Not up to 24 hours after the arraignment of Senate President Bukola Saraki, some of his loyalists and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators are secretly planning to fight back, The Nation has learnt.
They are said to be working on a plan which will lead to the election of a new Senate President from the PDP, should Saraki be convicted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) – the “worst case scenario.” Security agencies already know about the plot, it was learnt.
Besides, there are signs pro-Saraki senators may have “laid an ambush” for President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial list, which is being expected at the Senate “any moment from now”. They may reject the list and all appointments so far by the President in protest against Saraki’s trial.
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The Presidency is unruffled: A source, who spoke in confidence, said last night: “Some loyalists of Saraki and PDP senators have been meeting on the options available and how to tackle President Buhari. “At the meeting in Abuja, they resolved to stand by Saraki but if he is convicted, they will make sure that the next president of the Senate is from the PDP. “They are really aggrieved and have vowed to stop the candidate of the Unity Forum, Sen. Ahmed Lawan, from emerging as Saraki’s successor.
“From the way PDP and its senators are rallying around Saraki, no one needs a soothsayer to know that a bigger conspiracy is in the offing. The PDP has not come to terms with the fact that it lost the last general elections.” Part of the plot is to reject Buhari’s ministerial list and all appointments so far made by the President. The appointments include the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), etc. The source went on: “They know that Buhari will not present imposed candidates as ministerial nominees and they are out for a pound of flesh as from September 29 because the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) dragged the President of the Senate to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT)” It was gathered that security agencies have smashed the plot. A government source said: “The whole plot is aimed at frustrating the President and cause a political crisis in the country. “They have this feeling that they must pull down the house due to the arraignment of Saraki by CCT. In spite of denial, they are pointing accusing fingers at the Presidency for Saraki’s travails.” Attempts to make loyalists of House of Reps Speaker Yakubu Dogara to pitch their tent with Saraki appear to have suffered a setback. It was learnt that although Saraki backed Dogara to become the Speaker, the “template has changed”. “To take sides is to set the House on fire all over. This will not augur well for the new National Assembly,” said one of the close associates of Speaker Dogara.
Carliz De La Cruz, the ex-lover of Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican rapper, has sued him, claiming a voice recording she provided him before he became famous has been used without her permission.
Cruz argued that she is entitled to $40 million in compensation for “negligence and attack on her privacy and dignity.”
According to BBC, Carliz filed a lawsuit against the rapper, claiming he used the catchphrase “Bad Bunny baby” — which she recorded on her phone in 2015 — in two of his songs without her consent.
The line is said to have appeared on the rapper’s 2017 single ‘Pa Ti’ and his 2022 song ‘Dos Mil 16’.
‘Pa Ti’ has raked in more than 355 million views on YouTube and over 235 million plays on Spotify, while ‘Dos Mil 16’ has over 60 million YouTube views and more than 280 million Spotify plays.
According to the legal documents by Carliz’s lawyers, prior to the release of ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’, Bad Bunny’s recent album, the rapper had offered to buy the rights to the line from his ex-lover for $2,000.
She was said to have declined the offer but the album was, however, released with her line on it. ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ was then nominated for album of the year at the Grammy Awards.
Carlos also said that her recordings have been used in concerts, adding that it is a “gross negligence, bad faith and, worse still, an attack on her privacy, morals and dignity.”
In the legal documents, Carliz said harassment from supporters of the 29-year-old rapper has made her “overwhelmed and anxious” while she seeks “psychologists for help”.
The duo dated in 2011 and both worked in a supermarket while Bad Bunny also made music by the side.
They, however, parted ways in 2016.
The rapper’s former lover is also suing Rimas Entertainment, his record label, and Noah Assad, Bad Bunny’s manager.
Yomi Fabiyi, the actor, has once again dismissed claims of sexual harassment against Adebimpe Oyebade.
In 2021, the actress — better known as Mo Bimpe — accused Fabiyi of subjecting her to “constant harassment, bully and threats.”
Her claim had come as a response to the release of ‘Oko Iyabo’, a movie by Fabiyi on the sexual assault allegations against Baba Ijesha.
“I didn’t make myself available for his sexual needs despite how much he tried. Yomi Fabiyi needs to be stopped. Thank God for grace, I would have given up on this dream because of his constant harassment, bully and threats,” she had said.
But in a recent interview, Fabiyi denied claims that he demanded sex from Mo Bimpe before enlisting her in his movie.
“I starred her in my movie when nobody knew her and I never asked her for sex before I put her in the movie,” he said.
“I always tell her that whenever she is chanced, she should come to Lagos so that I can brush her up and keep her up to speed before shooting.
“We shot the movie and we were there together, I didn’t say before I give you this role I must have sex with you. People who do such things, that will be their first condition before they even give you that kind of role.
“I didn’t demand anything from you, I didn’t say come and have sex, I just wanted to help you. After we finished shooting and she noticed I didn’t ask her for anything, she came to tell me she’s following another man, Gabriel to Lagos.
“Why is she saying that I sexually assaulted her when many men have slept with her before she settled down with who she’s with today.”
Fabiyi had previously addressed the allegation against him.
Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.
She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others
