These are the stories you should be monitoring today:

All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant, Jide Sanwo-Olu has formally announced his bid for the office of Governor in Lagos, amidst a mammoth crowd on Sunday as he promised to pursue the party’s welfarist programmes, which he said were implemented by former Governor Bola Tinubu and his successor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN).

With a campaign christened “change for progress” in the Centre of Excellence, the former Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pensions told the cheering crowd at the event that the time to take the state to a greater level had come, as he urged party faithful to vote for him at the September 25 direct primary, saying that he will not disappoint the platform as a loyal, committed, tested and trusted member.

The Nation reports that prominent APC leaders and elders, including Senator Gbenga Ashafa, a representative of the chairmen of 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), and other party faithfuls who were at the rally, described it as timely and strategic.

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The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday said the party will readily welcome embattled Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, should he decide to join the umbrella party.

Publicity Secretary of the party in Lagos, Taofik Gani, who disclosed this in Lagos said that the political structure of the PDP is bigger than what the APC has. as it has been at the national level for 16 years; adding that with the structure it has, “if we have somebody like Ambode, it will be a 100 per cent victory.”

“Hon. Jimi Agbaje came into the party when he was seriously opposed, he was lucky to get the governorship ticket. This is not to say that I’m concluding that we are going to give anybody who comes in now the ticket. We are going to provide a level playing field for everybody to participate,” he added.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has written to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to place outgoing Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on its watch list and arrest him, citing reasonable suspicions that he may likely leave the country either through the land borders, airports, seaports in order to evade investigation.

According to the letter with a reference number, CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/EG/TA/VOL.59 and dated September 12, which was personally signed by the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, Fayose is being investigated for offences bothering on “conspiracy, abuse of office, official corruption, theft and money laundering.”

As reported by Punch, the letter was reportedly copied to the authorities of the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Security (DSS), adding that the NCS had consquently granted the request in a letter dated September 14, written to its zonal coordinators, Customs area controllers.

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Ekiti Governor, Ayodele Fayose has reacted to moves by the EFCC to put him on a watch list and arrest him through its sister security agencies, should he make attempts to evade investigation, describing it as political and petty. 

As contained in a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, Fayose berated the EFCC for putting his name on the watch list despite his previous letter to the anti-graft agency informing them of his willingness to answer questions they may have for him when he leaves office on October 16, stressing that he was not among those who were afraid to face “tomorrow.”

He further reminded them that “Nobody is God insisting that they should expect him on October 16, 2018 as he will remain in the PDP not minding their intimidation.”

“EFCC, when a woman is being brought to you as a wife, you don’t have to peep through the window to see her. As I said in my letter, Insha Allah, I will be in your office on October 16, a day after the expiration of my tenure,” part of the statement read.

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The Senator representing Benue North East, Barnabas Gemade has defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), citing betrayal of trust by Governor Samuel Ortom with regards to picking the Senatorial ticket.

Gemade, a former national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was one of the  Senators on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who defected to the PDP weeks ago.