- Tukur's removal high on
the agenda as battle could move to National Assembly
With the breakup of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Goodluck Jonathan and the party's
governors last night met with the New PDP.
The splinter group
comprises, among others, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and seven
governors as members.
The governors are Alhaji
Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Alhaji Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Dr. Mu’azu Babangida
Aliyu (Niger), Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano),
Alhaji Abudfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Mr. Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers).
Special Adviser to Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak, said on Monday in Abuja that the ruling People’s Democratic Party had uncovered the moles in its fold sent to destabilise the party.
Gulak stated this in an interview with State House correspondents shortly after a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He was reacting to the crisis in PDP which deepened on Saturday when seven governors walked out of the party’s special national convention to form a splinter group.
Gulak, who did not specifically name the moles, alleged that they were sent by the opposition with the aim of breaking the party.
The Nigerian Police in Lagos on Monday charged Abraham Oshoko, 33, before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly taking “offensive“ photographs.
Oshoko, who lives in Idimu, a suburb of Lagos, was accused to have unlawfully taken the photographs of policemen and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officials who were performing their ‘legal’ duties.
According to the prosecutor, ASP. Barth Nwaokenye, the accused is facing a two-count charge of taking unlawful picture and causing a breach of the peace.
Nwaokenye said that Oshoko had on 31 August, at Dopemu Round About, Agege, took an offensive photograph of the officers who were performing their lawful duties.
The House Assembly in the northern Nigerian state of Taraba on Monday passed a resolution adopting the decision of its executive session of 29 August mandating the acting governor to continue running the affairs of the state.
The House, at a special plenary comprising nine members, empowered Alhaji Garba Umar to take full charge of the administration of the state as the acting governor.
The Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr Tanko Maikarfi, who presided over the session, pointed out that the sitting was convened in order to adopt the resolution of the last executive session.
Mother of Daniel Ohikhena, Evelyn, on Monday said her son’s misadventure has caused her “serious psychological trauma.”
She said she was yet to know the whereabouts of her son.
Her son, Daniel flew to Lagos in the tyre compartment of an Arik flight thinking he was heading to the United States.
Daniel was caught in Lagos and is still in the custody of the Directorate of State Security Services.
Port Harcourt – Police in Rivers on Monday in Port Harcourt declared the ADC to Gov. Chibuike Amaechi, ASP Seimeikumo Debewari, a deserter from the force.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Administration, Mr Augustine Sanomi, said in a statement that Debewari had ceased to be the ADC to the governor with immediate effect.
Sanomi alleged that the officer ignored all lawful directives to see the state commissioner of police and the Inspector-General of Police since July 10 over his role in the fracas at the state House of Assembly.
The new splinter group that broke out of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party , PDP, on Saturday has asked a Lagos High Court to sack the Bamanga Tukur-led executive of the ruling party.
A statement by the National Secretary of the new faction, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said his camp brought the case before the court as a demonstration of its determination “to effect a change and stem the slide of the PDP”.
Mr. Oyinlola named the plaintiffs in the case to include himself, factional chairman, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, and factional Deputy National Chairman, Sam Sam Jaja.
(Reuters) - Egypt deported three Al Jazeera journalists on Sunday, days after the Qatari-owned channel carried appeals from leaders of ousted President Mohamed Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood to stage protests against the army-backed government.
The Gulf emirate was a strong financial backer of Brotherhood rule and vehemently opposes the army's overthrow of Mursi and the ensuing bloody crackdown on his movement.
Al Jazeera's offices in Cairo have been closed since July 3, when they were raided by security forces hours after Mursi was toppled, although the channel, broadcast from Qatar, can still be seen in Egypt.
Barely 24 hours after the emergence of a breakaway Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction called the ‘New PDP’, the actors behind the party, have warned the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, to as matter of urgency declare his stand on the alleged illegal convention of President Goodluck Jonathan/ Bamanga Tukur faction, as well as recognise them as the authentic PDP or they would seek legal redress.
Speaking to newsmen in Kano, one of the founding members of the New PDP, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar Babawo, stated that “Jega should quickly come out with his stand on the illegal convention conducted by the Jonathan/ Bamanga Tukur PDP and hasten the cancellation of such or we go to court”.
Chris, the younger brother to Senator Andy Uba, has warned the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to tamper with his elder brother’s ticket for the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State.
The senator won the party’s governorship ticket in a parallel August 24 congress organised by the Ejike Oguebego-led faction of the Anambra chapter.
But the national leadership of the PDP is insisting that Tony Nwoye who emerged winner in another congress convened by the Ken Emeakayi faction would fly the party’s flag.
In the heat of the disagreement, the national leadership had, last week, clamped a suspension order on the two Uba brothers, Oguebego and others in the Uba camp.
However, a court in Port Harcourt had ruled that Uba remained the flag bearer of the PDP, while another court in Abuja had quashed the suspension order.
Indications emerged yesterday that the Police Criminal Investigation Department, CID, has begun the probe of Mr. Tony Nwoye, who won the governorship primaries of the Emeakayi-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Anambra State over allegations of certificate forgery and impersonation.
The probe is sequel to several petitions by aspirants and other stakeholders in the state.
Nwoye was earlier disqualified from contesting the primary by the party’s screening committee over alleged falsification of tax clearance certificates.
He was also accused of impersonation by claiming to be a medical doctor.
But he challenged the disqualification. In an affidavit, Nwoye dismissed the allegation as a tissue of lies, saying he met the basic educational requirements to be a governor, which is secondary school.
… says 2006 census manipulated to favour North
ABUJA—The Christian Association of Nigeria, Sunday, warned President Goodluck Jonathan against being used by Northerners to sacrifice chairman of National Population Commission, Chief Festus Odimegwu, ahead of 2015 election, following the revelation of the true nature of 2006 census by the latter.
Odimegwu had described the 2006 census results as incredible, and his declaration earned him a query from the Office of the Government of the Federation.
CAN called on the Federal Government to withdraw the query and tender an apology to Odimegwu in the interest of fairness, insisting that 2006 census results were cooked to favour the north .
The Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) has called on the federal government to equip them with arms, saying, it will enable the group to make further contributions towards addressing the security challenges in the country, particularly at the grassroots.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Kaduna, weekend, the controller general of VGN, Alhaji Ali Sokoto said the group had performed creditably well in curbing crime at the grass roots level and had assisted the police in arresting criminals at that level.
As PDP moves to wield big stick against splinter group
From FRED ITUA, Abuja and DESMOND MGBOH, KanoTwenty-four hours after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held its mini national convention which produced a splinter group, the Federal Government is set to punish the arrowheads. These are the seven governors who led other chieftains of the party to hold a parallel convention last Saturday in Abuja. They were joined by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, believed to be promoting the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) which was registered last month.
The government may unleash the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on them. The anti-graft agency is set to scrutinise the financial books of the seven governors.
The move, Daily Sun gathered, is in connection with their persistent opposition to the leadership of the PDP, President Goodluck Jonathan and last Saturday’s coup in Abuja where a parallel convention was held by the seven governors. The parallel convention held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, appeared to be the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
Elder statesman Alhaji Tanko Yakasai has said that nothing will happen to Nigeria if President Goodluck Jonathan decides to run for the 2015 election.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP in Kaduna, Yakasai declared that the clamour for a president from the northern extraction is not a “do or die affair.”
He said: “I started the clamour for north to produce the president, but it is not a matter of life and death. Jonathan is a Nigerian; he contested the 2011 election and won. And now he is two years plus, nothing happen to Nigeria. He can finish his two terms and nothing will happen to the country. He is entitled to another four years. He is a Nigerian.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola at the weekend described as ridiculous, a newspaper report that he had drawn up a list of five candidates who could succeed him.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen, the governor reacted to the report after attending the first Lagos International Table Tennis Classics at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere in Lagos said emphatically that he had neither compiled a ‘short’ nor ‘long list’.
“The first thing to say is that I did not compile any list whether a short list or a long list.
“The reporter had an opportunity if indeed it was true they ever got such a story, to have clarified with us, but to have gone on in detail to say that I have compiled a list, I would like them to present that list to members of the public,” he said.
