Funke Akindelhe popular Nollywood actress and producer of ‘Jenifa’s Diary’,has emerged as the running mate to the Lagos State opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Olajide Adediran.

Akindele was among the candidates listed as possible running mate to Adediran a few days ago but has now emerged as the preferred candidate.

Funke Akindele
This comes amid the actress’s divorce saga after her husband, a music producer, Abdulrasheed Bello, popularly known as JJC Skillz, recently announced on his Instagram page that their marriage had hit the rocks.

Sources close to the party’s governorship candidate and the leadership of the party confirmed the development to Daily Trust, saying that she would be unveiled soon, adding that “it has not been announced officially.”

The newspaper had reported that Akindele was shortlisted among the former governorship aspirant, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour; former Senatorial candidate for Lagos East, Yeye Shobajo, another governorship aspirant, David Kolawole Vaughan and Engr. Teslim Balogun.

However, photos of the governorship candidate and Akindele has since gone viral, which had given people the impression that the actress had been chosen for the position.

It was however gathered that some stakeholders of the party seriously resisted Akindele’s emergence which led to the delay in finalising the selection of the running mate

Kuje’s Invasion

• 15 train attack masterminds escape

• 49 B’Haram leaders, 237 others freed

• Over 100 soldiers, DSS, NSCDC operatives guarding bombed facility

• Buhari laments intelligence failure as sources allege official complicity

Scores of gunmen believed to be terrorists on Tuesday night bombed the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abuja, which was being guarded by dozens of soldiers, Department of State operatives, police officers and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel.

During the attack which began around 10:22 pm, the terrorists released 600 inmates, including 15 deadly Boko Haram commanders who masterminded the March 28 attack on the Kaduna-Abuja train at Katari, Kaduna, in which eight persons were killed and over 68 passengers kidnapped.

The Islamic State West Africa Province claimed responsibility for the attack in a 30-second video which showed the gunmen setting ablaze vehicles parked in the facility.

The spokesman, Nigeria Correctional Service, Umar Abubakar, confirmed that an NSCDC officer, Insp. Illyasu Abraham, three terrorists and four inmates died in the incident.

The Kuje attack came barely hours after a convoy of cars carrying the Advance Team of security guards, protocol and media officers ahead of the President’s trip to Daura for Sallah, came under a terrorist attack.

Findings by The PUNCH on Wednesday indicated that the assailants bombed the fence before gaining entry into the facility and also razed seven vehicles, and destroyed other facilities.

The gunmen were said to have operated for about two hours without any response from the security agencies.

The incident sparked panic in Kuje, a satellite town where the correctional facility is located, and apprehension in the nation’s capital.

About 900 inmates are being held at the facility, including a former Commander, Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari, who is facing trial for drug dealing.

Also at the facility are the former governors of Plateau and Taraba States, Joshua Dariye, Jolly Nyame and others pardoned by the Council of State in April.

They have not been released due to the delay in their approval letter from the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

The PUNCH reports that over 12 attacks and jailbreaks have occurred in the last five years in which no fewer than 3,500 inmates and hardened criminals have escaped.

Top security sources said the attackers, on gaining entrance into the custodial centre, made for a section of the expansive premises where the Boko Haram commanders were held.