• Says the world will marvel at its conduct
President Goodluck Jonathan Thursday night assured that 2015 elections will be free, fair, credible and transparent.
He equally said the global community will marvel at its conduct.
Jonathan's assurance came when he broke Ramadan fast with diplomatic corps and senators at the Presidential Villa.
The president said "I know that one thing that is dear to your hearts is what the elections in this country will look like next year.
THE Presidency has warned those attacking President Goodluck Jonathan to put a stop to that against the backdrop that any insult melted on the president amounts to embarrassing the entire country.
The Presidency has also called on those who address the public to be mindful of their utterances while addressing them.
Speaking yesterday when he received a group under the aegis, Voice of Change Foundation, a Goodluck Support group made up of Nollywood celebrities ,Sport stars and Musicians, in his office, Abuja, Special Adviser to the President, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali who noted that ethno-cultural differences of the nation should be seen as its strength, not weakness, however stressed that nobody should make comments capable of trivialising any of them.
THE 2009 Christmas Day suicide attempt by Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who wore underpants bomb aboard a flight carrying nearly 300 people, failed “because he wore same pair of underwear for two weeks.”
United States-based MailOnline quoted the Head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), John Pistole, as saying the bomb failed to detonate because of how long Abdulmutallab had been wearing the underwear.
The All Progressives Congress has vowed to reject the outcome of the National Conference likely to be submitted to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The APC did not send any representative to the National Conference, which it described as a jamboree.
APC members in the National Assembly, who spoke with Saturday PUNCH in Abuja, vehemently spoke against the Confab while insisting that the expected report meant nothing to them.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Science and Technology, Senator Robert Boroffice, (APC, Ondo North), in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, said whether any northern group called for the rejection of the conference report or not, his party had taken a decision to oppose its outcome.
Following a request by the Nasarawa State House of Assembly for the constitution of a panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office levelled against Governor Al-Makura, the state Chief Judge, Justice Suleiman U. Dikko yesterday inaugurated a 7-man panel to carry out the assignment within 90 days.
Members of the panel included, Mohammed Sabo Keana, Rev. Dr. Joel Galadima (Rtd), Alhaji Abdu Usman, Samuel Chaku and Mohammad Sani Usman and Pastor David Chaga while Yusuf Shehu Usman is to serve as chairman of the panel.
The Nasarawa state House of Assembly had on 14th July, resolved to serve notice of impeachment on the state Governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura over allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office.
ARGUABLY, Nigeria has never had it so bad. Seven months to a presidential election, the aspirants are not known.
The political atmosphere is not charged or astir. Consultations, if any, are done in low and hushed tones. The electorates do not know what to expect from those who will want to govern them because nothing has been said or promised.
There is no flurry of activities in the political parties especially the opposition parties that should keep the ruling party on its toes. Does it mean the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan are doing well? If not, who is going to stop them? What will the person or party do differently for Nigeria and Nigerians?
There is loud silence in the polity less than three months to the beginning of presidential primaries. Does it mean that the political class and would-be candidates are taking the electorates for granted?
Following the bomb attack on former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, a massive security cordon has been reportedly thrown around former leaders irrespective of political leanings.
Buhari escaped being killed in a bomb blast in Kaduna on Wednesday, hours after a hot verbal exchange between him and President Goodluck Jonathan over the impeachment of All Progressives Congress (APC) governors.
Jolted by the possibility of finger-pointing in an event of any eventuality, the Jonathan administration is said to have improved on the existing security around the former leaders, to avoid a repeat of the near-fatal attack on any of the living former leaders.
A couple of the former leaders, especially those of Northern extraction had issues with the president, with Buhari, his defeated challenger in 2011 presidential election, being his most strident critic. Buhari is also the president’s projected challenger in 2015 election.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also has political differences with Jonathan.
In the aftermath of Governor Murtala Nyako’s impeachment, the All Progressive Congress, APC, might be on its way to collapsing in Adamawa State, as all the 21 Local government Council chairmen, councillors and development area administrators in the state have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The chairmen, who joined Mr. Nyako in declaring for the APC, on Friday, announced their defection to the ruling party in the state in solidarity with the acting governor, Ahmadu Fintiri.
Mr. Finitiri had spent Thursday trying to convince the 21 local government chairmen and 50 Development area administrators to join the PDP.
The spokesperson of the chairmen, the chairman of Michika local government area, Vandi Favanza, told the Acting Governor of their readiness to support his government to deliver the dividends of democracy to the electorates in the state.
President Goodluck Jonathan is in Lagos on a private visit.
He arrived at the presidential wing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport around 5pm on Friday.
On hand to receive the President were the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, among other important personalities.
The President later left for the State House, Marina aboard a helicopter.
No official present would give reasons for his visit.
Sultan of Sokoto and president-general, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar (III) has declared that life is sacred, thus anybody who bombs himself thinking he will go to heaven is delusional.
The Sultan, who said this yesterday when he hosted security chiefs during the breaking of the Ramadan fast in his palace in Sokoto, further explained: “For us, one single life lost means a lot to us because life is sacred. You cannot love God if you do not love your neighbour and if we all agree that you cannot love God if you do not love your neighbour, then why are we having all these problems?” the Sultan asked.
While adding that the dreaded Boko Haram has now become a franchise used by many to commit series of crimes, the Sultan warned that any attempt to politicise the insecurity that is confronting Nigeria will not bring solutions.
Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah, has cautioned officers and men of the Nigerian Army in the use of the social media.
He admonished those using the new technological innovation to spread falsehood about the service, particularly the prosecution of the ongoing war against insurgents in parts of the country, as well as exposing the strength and perceived weaknesses of the service.
Gen. Minimah gave the charge yesterday while addressing soldiers of the 149 Battalion, Ojo Cantonment, Lagos State, in continuation of army formations in the 81 Division of the service.
Nigerian professor of political economy and management, Patrick Utomi, has faulted Nigerians for praising governors, who tile roads.
He lamented that despite the accolades given to the Nigerian government during the construction of Lagos-Ibadan Expressways, the highway has become ‘embarrassing’.
The business and political guru wondered why Nigerians based their basis for measuring the performance of governors and presidents on tiling of roads.
He said the public officers could only be given appraisal based on the quality of the roads constructed.
Pat Utomi spoke during a forum organised by Poise Nigeria for Directors and top management staff in Lagos on Thursday.
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