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- Mr. 2Kay does not have sperm & cannot get any woman pregnant – Gifty tells Nigerians
- Popular Pastor Iginla announces end of his marriage due to infidelity on both sides
- Cleaner at Lagos State airport who returned money four times complains of no rewards, Nigerians react
- Nigerian rapper Eldee angrily calls out singer Olu Maintain for performing his song Big Boy, Ice prince responds By NellyBillz
- ‘Stay blessed son’ – JayJay Okocha writes as he celebrates Ajay Okocha, his son’s birthday
- Ex-Chelsea star Samuel Eto’o slammed with paternity lawsuit after having 6 children with 4 different women
- Kylie Jenner At 21, Becomes The Youngest Self-Made Billionaire In The World
- Fundanii,Google and SAP bring digital storytelling to life
- BANKSETA partnership addresses ICT skills shortages in South Africa
- Buhari promises adequate security in Delta polls
- Kano PDP loses steam as faction switches to APC
- Kwara APC targets bigger victory on Saturday: Lai Mohammed
- Just in: PDP holds caucus meeting
- PDP collapsing in Kwara
- Ifeanyi Ubah, TAN endorse Sanwo-Olu, promise Igbo votes
- I remain Kano PDP candidate: Kabir-Yusuf
- Why EFCC arrested Babalele Abdullahi, Atiku’s finance director
- Lessons of presidential, National Assembly polls
- ‘Sanwo-Olu will not disappoint Lagosians’
- Buhari, governors, others step up campaign
- Osinbajo to meet Aba traders today
- ‘Buhari will support Igbo presidency in 2023’
- 40 feared killed as bandits attack Zamfara communities
- N3.97billion fraud: Court convicts Badeh’s firm
- PDP to petition UN over role of military in elections
| Mr. 2Kay does not have sperm & cannot get any woman pregnant – Gifty tells Nigerians Posted: 05 Mar 2019 11:30 PM PST
Gifty and Mr 2kay have gone back and forth on social media but it appears that the ex-BBNaija star is ready to prove the singer wrong about being the possible father of her 1-year-old daughter, Alisha.  Gifty Powers has revealed that her ex, Mr. 2Kay does not have sperm and cannot get any woman pregnant. The controversial reality star made this known in a question and answer session with her fans and her responses might get you upset or leave in stitches.    In This Story: #Mr2Kay#NoSperm #WomanPregnant #Gifty #Nigerians Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||||
| Popular Pastor Iginla announces end of his marriage due to infidelity on both sides Posted: 05 Mar 2019 11:00 PM PST
According to the man of God, the duo are guilty of infidelity in the marriage, which was allegedly started by his wife, before he decided to pay her back.  But after he had another child outside of their marriage, his wife began to make life unbearable for him, he said to his congregation on Sunday  In This Story: #Popular #PastorIginla #EndOfMarriage #Infidelity #BothSides Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||||
| Posted: 05 Mar 2019 10:30 PM PST  Josephine Agwu, the airport cleaner who gained popularity after she returned huge sums of money forgotten at the airport multiple times, has lamented about not being rewarded adequately for her integrity. Back in 2014, Ms. Josephine Agwu found ?12 million inside the airport toilet and returned it. She was praised and received cash gifts for the commendable act. Subsequently, she also found ?10 million, ?8 million, and ?7 million forgotten by travellers in the airport, and each time, she returned the suitcase containing the money over to the authorities. In a recent interview with Legit TV, Ms Agwu complained about the level of poverty in Nigeria. She also pointed out that in other countries, she would have been better rewarded for what she did, but that isn't the case in Nigeria. She said: As you see me, I'm a person people know the whole world today. But see. Nobody in Nigeria do what I did. I return money four times in Nigeria. I'm a cleaner, the year 2014 in Murtala Muhammed, return 12 million, return 10 million, return 8 million, return 7 million. But if na other countries, I'll be an ambassador to telling youths that honest is paying. But now see. They close it. Nobody to remember it. But I'm happy. I know that one day… She continued: Only God can survive this Nigeria because people in Nigeria, evil people in Nigeria, they don't want to help people, help poor. People are suffering. Nigerians reacting to the video wrote:   In This Story: #Cleaner #LagosStateAirport #ReturnedMoney #Fourtimes #complains #Rewards #Nigerians #React Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||||
| Posted: 05 Mar 2019 10:00 PM PST
Eldee while reacting shared a recent video of Olu Maintain performing their 2008 collaboration 'Big Boy' featuring Banky W and Oladele.  Eldee in the caption which he has now deleted wrote, 'this shameless nigga goes out on stages performing my songs like he created it. I still remember how he tried to steal the record right after I put him on it, forcing me to put it out prematurely. Nigga ran off with the unmastered draft and went to print CDs with himself as the lead artist, even his verse was written by me. Lesson to all young artists, don't ever do pity features'. Post below:  Rapper, Ice Prince however stepped in, explaining that featured artists on a song should be allowed to perform and promote a song except a contract was signed otherwise.  However, Eldee has apologized for the outburst. He wrote: "Last post was out of character. If you know me, you know that I don't usually sweat shit like that. Sorry if I offended you but I have a lot of stories I never got to tell about the shady nonsense I kept quiet from in that industry. #NigerianAmericanPodcast #NewEpisodes #ComingSoon,"  Post below:  In This Story: #Nigerian #rapper #Eldee #CallsOut #singer #OluMaintain #Performing #Song #BigBoy #IcePrince #NellyBillz Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||||
| ‘Stay blessed son’ – JayJay Okocha writes as he celebrates Ajay Okocha, his son’s birthday Posted: 05 Mar 2019 09:30 PM PST
Being one of the greatest footballers in the history of football has endeared Jay-Jay into the hearts of millions of fans scattered around the world. It also helps that he is a successful family man who has been happily married to his beautiful woman, Nkechi for over two decades. Their marriage is blessed with two gorgeous children who have grown so fast over the years. Although Okocha likes to keep a lot about his family private, he never shies away from showing off his kids on social media.  This time however, he had some young girls drooling when he showed how much his son has grown. The striking resemblance also made even more admirable and many fans expressed their admiration through comments on the legend's page. As expected, the photo of Jay-Jay and Ajay immediately went viral and anyone who has followed the journey of Okocha from his hometown in Enugu will appreciate what life is about as depicted in this photo. Recently, Okocha, celebrated his young child as he clocked a new age.
Writing on his IG page, JayJay Okocha wrote: Happy birthday @ajokocha10_ stay blessed son❤️🎂🔥 In This Story: #JayJayOkocha #Celebrates #AjayOkocha #Son #Birthday Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||||
| Posted: 05 Mar 2019 09:00 PM PST
According to Mail Online Sport, a woman identified as Adileusa do Rosario Neves, 39, is fighting to have the ex-Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea striker recognized as the father of her 19-year-old daughter, Erika. Adileusa's lawyer Fernando Osuna confirmed on Tuesday that the hearing would take place at a Madrid court on April 24. The lawsuit presented by Cape Verde-born Adileusa says she fell pregnant after meeting Eto'o in a nightclub in the Spanish capital in 1997 when he was at Leganes on loan from Real Madrid. She claims Eto'o, 37, who has six recognised children with four different women including his wife Georgette, told her he would 'act responsibly' soon after she broke the news but then cut off all contact with her. Her daughter, Erika was born in November 1999 in a hospital in the Spanish capital. In a statement, Adileusa's lawyer Fernando Osuna said: 'Samuel Eto'o has been summoned to the hearing and it will be open to the press and public.  'It's not yet clear if he will attend as he is abroad. He has been asked to attend by a legal representative he had when he was living in Majorca. 'The judge has allowed official communications to be sent to that person because it would have been impossible otherwise for the court to notify him. 'He has not so far agreed to a voluntary DNA test and I doubt at this stage that he will. 'At the moment our case is based on things like photographs and affidavits from witnesses but a refusal by Eto'o to agree to a voluntary DNA test would go in our favour. 'This process is a long one and it's going to go on after April's hearing, but the decision on a maintenance allowance is a key part of this process and the judge's decision cannot be appealed. 'The paternity claim would continue after the hearing next month.' In This Story: #ExChelsea #Star #SamuelEto #Slammed #Paternity #Lawsuit #6 #Children #4 #Different #women Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||||
| Kylie Jenner At 21, Becomes The Youngest Self-Made Billionaire In The World Posted: 05 Mar 2019 04:51 PM PST
The beauty of Kylie Cosmetics, which Jenner started in 2015, is its minuscule overhead—and the outsize profits that go straight into Jenner's pocket. Her empire consists of just seven full-time and five part-time employees. Manufacturing and packaging is outsourced to Seed Beauty, a private-label producer in nearby Oxnard, California. Sales and fulfillment are handled by online merchant Shopify. Her shrewd mother, Kris, takes care of finance and PR in exchange for the 10% management fee she siphons from all of her kids. Marketing is done mostly through social media, where Jenner has a massive following. She announces product launches, previews new items and announces the Kylie Cosmetics shades she's wearing directly to the 175 million-plus who follow her across Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. "It's the power of social media," Jenner says. "I had such a strong reach before I was able to start anything."
Fueled in part by the Ulta expansion, Kylie Cosmetics' revenue climbed 9% last year to an estimated $360 million. With that kind of growth, and even using a conservative multiple from the booming makeup industry, Forbes estimates Jenner's company is worth at least $900 million. She owns all of it. Add in the cash Jenner has already pulled from the profitable business, and the 21-year-old is now a billionaire, with an estimated fortune of $1 billion. She's the youngest-ever self-made billionaire, reaching a ten-figure fortune at a younger age than even Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook (who was 23 when he hit that mark). Source: Forbes In This Story: #KylieJenner #MarkZuckerberg #KylieCosmetics Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||||
| Fundanii,Google and SAP bring digital storytelling to life Posted: 05 Mar 2019 10:00 AM PST
Fundanii is a digital learning outreach program that was established by Sinovuyo Apleni and Luthando Gubevu in 2016. Based near East London in South Africa's second-most populous township, Mdantsane. The company aims to educate pupils in surrounding schools in computer literacy while creating employment opportunities for those that have an interest in software development, IT and literacy. "The world is changing at an amazing pace and many of our kids risk being left behind. We decided to create a platform that would give kids hope for the possibilities of what coding, literacy and learning can bring to their lives. And with the support of our community partners as well as SAP and Google as part of Africa Code Week, this year helped us take a big stride toward realising that vision, " says Fundanii co-founder Sinovuyo Apelani. "Luthando had previously worked with a local foundation which opened doors to community schools, their principals and teachers. We approached four schools in the area and offered to trial coding workshops with around 1200 pupils." The team's work with schools in the surrounding area ultimately brought it into contact with Megan Skelly, a computer teacher at Hudson Park Primary School. "Megan introduced us to the SAP-led Africa Code Week initiative and we immediately identified with its vision and purpose. We had witnessed how fast the world was changing and how much Mdantsane was stuck, unable to provide opportunities for its youth for meaningful participation in the digital economy. We joined forces with Megan and her team this year and helped to provide coding classes to 250 learners at the Gcobani Senior Primary and Mkululeko Senior Primary schools." Skelly also nominated Fundanii for a Google Micro Grant. Google has been joining forces with SAP to support Africa Code Week for the past three years as part of its own efforts to prepare 10 million people in Africa for tomorrow's workplace. Fundanii is one of 53 non-profit organisations supported by Google in 2018 through its micro grants. Sinuvuyo and Luthando used the funds received via the grant to build the Fundanii Stories website, a digital storytelling platform for kids and children's authors. "Storytelling is an integral part of Xhosa culture and part of the daily rhythm of Mdantsane. But we've seen a recent decrease in interest in literature; even one of our libraries have closed down, leaving the entire area of Mdantsane with a single library for its more than 150 000 residents." Fundanii Stories provides learners with a workbook that they complete, and which encourages them to develop even a basic storyline. "Luthando also hosts workshops with the pupils to introduce them to PCs – which many of them would never have used before – and shows them the basics of navigating the Windows operating system and Office suite. Kids are quizzed and their workbooks are marked: top-performing pupils, generally those with grades of 85% or higher, are then taken into more comprehensive coaching. We also animate the best stories and load them onto the new Fundanii Stories website where anyone can access them. It's our wish that Fundanii Stories becomes a global platform for authentic children's storytelling, to inspire a new generation of youth to have a passion for literacy – both for the written word and for coding." Asked about the difference between writing and coding, Sinovuyo insists they're one and the same. "Coding is writing: whether you're writing and app or a book, you need to get the spelling and grammar correct. One small mistake could ruin the whole book – or app. We are now working to release an app on the Google Play Store next year to ease the process of submitting stories and to open the initiative up to a global market. We're also hoping to partner with the Department of Education to roll out Fundanii Stories to schools across South Africa to spread the love for literacy, storytelling and coding across the country, and to assist with the printing of the workbooks, which we currently sell to local schools at a loss to ensure as many youth as possible get an opportunity to participate in this new digital economy." According to Sunil Geness, Project Lead for Africa Code Week at SAP Africa, the work that Sinovuyo and Luthando has done has created lasting impact in their community. "Africa Code Week is built on the principle of building sustainable local capacity for digital skills development among African youth. As the global economy and future jobs shift ever more into the digital realm, it is critical to get our youth excited and inspired to become active participants in the 21st century digital economy. We also commend our partners at Google for recognising the importance of Fundanii's work in Mdantsane, and we look forward to seeing how their important work continues to grow across our country and beyond." In This Story:#SunilGeness #MeganSkelly #Google #SouthAfricaDepartment #SAP Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| BANKSETA partnership addresses ICT skills shortages in South Africa Posted: 05 Mar 2019 09:50 AM PST
The BANKSETA 10 month ICT Work Readiness Programme provides ICT training to participants all over the country and is designed to address the identified ICT skills shortages in the banking and microfinance sector. The programme includes four months in-service training for System Support culminating in an NQF Level 5 certification and 60 credits. South Africa was ranked 49th out of 63 economies in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2018, marking a drop from the previous year's 47th position in the overall digital ranking. Digital competitiveness was ranked according to three indicators – knowledge, technology and future readiness. According to the report, South African's drop in rankings was influenced by the decline in knowledge and future readiness. Sihle Gwala, Head of Human Resources at Ithala SOC Limited said, "We support the National Agenda of 'making every workspace a training space' It is imperative that we build a pipeline of IT talent to keep pace with a technologically advancing world where these skills are in high demand." "The partnership with BANKSETA enables us as a financial services provider to contribute to the objectives of the Financial Sector Charter by developing the competencies of learners from previously disadvantaged backgrounds in KZN and improving their chances of employment." Gwala said it was concerning that South African companies were looking overseas for critical skills that can't be found on our home ground, adding that the gap to develop young IT professionals needed to be pursued vigorously. The graduates who joined Ithala SOC Limited were grateful for the opportunity to work in a professional environment which exposed them to a variety of skills and capabilities. Siphiwe Maphumulo, 28, from Kwamakhasa in Hluhluwe, northern KwaZulu-Natal said: "I gained valuable experience in the banking sector and thoroughly enjoyed my internship. I am confident the practical experience will work in my favour when applying for jobs that require traceable references." Maphumulo obtained a Bachelor of Commerce in Management Information Systems from the University of Zululand. Mzolisi Mzika, 26, from KwaMadi in Bizana, Eastern Cape, said: "If I could sum it all up, through this experience I gained more than just knowledge – I gained hands-on experience and learned that this is something I am not only good at but love." Mzika obtained a National Diploma in Information Technology from the Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology. Thobeka Mngoma, 25, from Ntuzuma, Durban said: "I enjoyed my training experience. I was treated as a professional and believe the internship has prepared me well for the future. I came here with nothing except theoretical knowledege but now I have a better understanding of what is happening in the IT field." Mngoma has a National Diploma in Information Technology from Damelin. A distribution network of 39 Ithala branches in KZN provides transacting facilities. Ithala offers a comprehensive portfolio of corporate and personal banking solutions In This Story:#KZN #MzolisiMzika #SihleGwala #SOC #BANKSETA Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Buhari promises adequate security in Delta polls Posted: 05 Mar 2019 07:36 AM PST
Buhari, who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at a town hall meeting in Warri on Monday, said that the issue of security was fundamental to the electoral process. The president said that special attention would be focused on security to enable the electorate exercise their franchise and check any form of intimidation. "What happened at the Presidential and National Assembly elections was a great victory, but the completion of the victory will come on Saturday when Great Ogboru will become the governor of Delta. "Delta cannot be the same again. Delta was our focus of attention, we wanted to see what will happen. "Delta has proved a very important point that it is ready for a change to the next level. " Security is a fundamental issue and we will pay special attention to it," he said. The president also urged leaders and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to unite, saying "when we work together, we will emerge victorious on Saturday.'' Also speaking, the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, commended the people for voting massively for the APC in the recent poll. He urged the voters to be courageous and vote overwhelmingly for Ogboru in Saturday's gubernatorial election. " You have substantially weakened the rigging machine of the PDP. "No one will provide unlawful security. Security operatives should ensure that votes are counted because President Buhari wants to have a cleaner election," he said. Dr Ibe Kachikwu, the Minister for State for Petroleum Resources, described the occasion as " a unifying day for us to come and work together.'' Ogboru, in his opening remarks, had urged the government to provide adequate security to avoid a repeat of the violence witnessed in the state during the Presidential and National Assembly elections. " Security issues should be looked into seriously, if there is adequate security, the electorate will turnout en masse to cast their votes, " he said. Participants, who spoke at the interactive session, all stressed the need for adequate security during Saturday's elections. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by traditional rulers from the three senatorial districts of the state, religious and opinion leaders as well as market women and youths. In This Story:#AdamsOshiomhole #GreatOgboru #MuhammaduBuhari #YemiOsinbajo #DeltaState Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Kano PDP loses steam as faction switches to APC Posted: 05 Mar 2019 07:23 AM PST
Sen. Mas'ud El-Jibril Doguwa, the factional leader of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State, said his group has dumped the party because it has lost its popular appeal among the people. Doguwa, along with other members of the party's Executive Council defected to All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, five days to the governorship and state Assembly elections. He said at a news briefing on Monday in Kano, that the PDP as an opposition platform had lost its steam, because all its major stakeholders have been sidelined. "The influence of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kano has been strongly weakened in the face of the persistent war of attrition against those that are supposed to be carried along. "Those who are supposed to be highly recognised for internal cohesion to prevail are not being carried along, " he said. According to him, lack of unity and sincerity of purpose were also responsible for the current mess rocking the top echelon of the party in the state. He explained that the party's goal of achieving greater success would never be feasible and realistic with dictatorship. Doguwa said as a prominent political figure who had been in PDP since its inception, he had on other option than to defect as a way of venting spleen. "Since the time the governorship flag bearer came on board, we were never contacted by him on how to go about the business. "All we know is that, every decision taken must reflect our interest as part of the requirement for internal democracy which was not respected by the so-called party hierarchy. "It's a bad omen for democracy, the PDP has completely lost focus and direction, as being portrayed by the cavalier attitude of those who are supposed to be honest, sincere and upright in their conduct. "We have lost our populist appeal in all the 44 Local Government Areas of Kano State: we are leaving the PDP because the party is now in a fix," he added. Doguwa predicted landslide victory for Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje and all other APC candidates on Saturday, as the APC is reaping from the rot permeating the PDP in the state. "With the key figures defecting at the eleventh hour, the party (PDP) is on the road to extinction in the state. " he predicted. In This Story:#Mas'udEl-JibrilDoguwa #AbdullahiGanduje #PDP #APC Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Kwara APC targets bigger victory on Saturday: Lai Mohammed Posted: 05 Mar 2019 07:02 AM PST
The minister, who is the leader of APC in the state, said this on Monday after a meeting with the party leaders from the 16 local government areas. He said the meeting reviewed the past elections and strategised on how to garner more votes in the Saturday's governorship and state assembly polls. Mohammed urged voters in the state to ignore the threat by the opposition to disrupt Saturday's poll, assuring them that the government would provide adequate security to protect them. He said he got the information that the opposition was planning to unleash political thugs to attack and intimidate voters during Saturday's polls. "We have been hearing a lot of things that they have imported a lot of thugs to Kwara to disrupt Saturday's elections. "If anyone does so, he or she will be risking his or her life. "We are appealing to our people that the Federal Government is going to provide adequate security for all," he said. The APC won the Presidential, all the three senatorial and six House of Representatives seats in Kwara in the Feb. 23 elections. The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, lost his bid for re-election into the Senate from Kwara Central on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. Saraki lost to Dr Ibrahim Oloriegbe of the All Progressives Congress, in the senatorial election. Oloriegbe polled 123,808 votes to defeat the Saraki, who scored 68,994 votes in the four local governments of Kwara Central Senatorial District. In This Story:#LaiMohammed #NationalAssembly #IbrahimOloriegbe #BukolaSaraki Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Just in: PDP holds caucus meeting Posted: 05 Mar 2019 06:36 AM PST
According to a statement by its spokesman, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, the party would meet at noon in Abuja. The meeting would hold at the Party's National Secretariat in Wadata Plaza. Statement: "Special Announcement PDP HOLDS EXPANDED CAUCUS MEETING: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) holds its expanded caucus meeting on Monday, March 4, 2019 Venue: National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja. Time: 12 noon. Signed: Kola Ologbondiyan National Publicity Secretary In This Story:#KolaOlogbondiyan #PDP #CaucusMeeting Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Posted: 05 Mar 2019 06:08 AM PST
This time, 15 serving councillors of PDP said they have joined the APC. The defectors, who came from five out 16 local government areas of the state, said they defected to APC in the interest of the masses. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that they were elected on the platform of PDP in November 2017. Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Suleiman Taoheed representing Ajanaku Ward in Moro Local Government Area, explained that the current PDP administration in Kwara had failed. "We are tired of lies and poor performance of the incumbent administration in the state and as a result, we cannot be left behind in building better and brighter Kwara. "Everybody is complaining about the political hegemony in Kwara because the system has not brought positive changes to the people of the state," Taoheed said. He promised on behalf of the defectors to mobilise electorate in their respective wards and vote en masse for all APC candidates on Saturday. They also pledged their support for AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq, the APC governorship candidate, stating that he had good plans for the state considering his antecedents. They revealed that more serving councillors would join APC before Saturday. Receiving the defectors, Dr. Alimi Abdulrazaq, an APC stalwart and brother to the governorship flag bearer said that they would not regret their decision. Abdulrazaq noted that his brother, when elected would ensure that local governments have full autonomy, and draw government closer to the people at the grassroots. He urged them to mobilise electorate to vote Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and all APC state assembly candidates in the elections. The defected councillors are: Adam Tsado, (Edu), Ogundele Segun, (Isin), James Kayode, (Ilorin East), Aremu Jamiu, (Moro), Olorunrinu Suleiman, (Ilorin South) Others are: Omolara Sanni, (Isin), Adebayo Olatayo, (Isin) Saheed Abdulwasiu, (Isin) Saheed Musbau, (Isin) Adeyemi Oladele, (Isin) Suleiman Taoheed, (Isin), Ishola Seunayo, (Isin) among others. On Sunday, over 2, 500 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ilorin West and Asa local government of Kwara. While over 2, 000 PDP members defected in Ilorin, 500 defected to the APC in Asa local government. The defection in Ilorin took place at Taiwo area and was led by leader of the group, Mr Bamidele Aluko, a former member of the State House of Assembly and a staunch foot soldier of Sen Bukola Saraki. They were received by chieftains of APC, Alhaji Kunle Suleiman and Mr Olawoyin Magaji. Aluko was also the chairman of the Kwara United Football Club and the PDP leader in Badari Ward of Ilorin West, the most populated local government area of Kwara State. Other top defectors include Alhaji Alao Abdulyekeen, another PDP top gun from Baboko area of Ilorin, and Akeem Dare youth leader from Balogun Fulani ward 1. The mass defection was led by Mr Bamidele Aluko, a former House of Assembly member and a staunch foot soldier of Sen. Bukola Saraki. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that similar defection took place last Tuesday where over 500 PDP members from Osin Wara, Osin Egbejila ward and others declared allegiance to the APC in Surulere. Aluko said the outcome of the National Assembly elections was the clearest manifestation that Kwarans had decided to reject and retire Sen.Bukola Saraki for reasons of bad governance, oppression and non-inclusive leadership. "Our people are tired. Salaries don't get paid in the true sense of the word and the infrastructure on the ground is not commensurate with the resources the state has received over the years. "Worst still, people are tired of leaders who see everything from their own comfort zone. "People are tired of the status quo. They are angry and fed up with dictatorial leadership and the result is what you just said," Aluko said. NAN also reports that the governorship candidate of the ANRP in Kwara, Dr AbdulMumeen Ajia, has also declared support for the governorship candidate of the APC, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq. Ajia, a leading candidate with an appreciable following among the youths, announced his resignation from the ANRP in a statement on Sunday in Ilorin. He said AbdulRazaq's victory would turn a new page for the political history of Kwara for better. Ajia said the programme and manifesto of APC governorship candidate tallied with his dream for the state. "The situation in Kwara is really not about party, but our struggle against retrogressive leadership as a people." He, therefore, called on his supporters to deliver their block votes for the APC candidates, come March 9 elections. "I have also gone through his manifesto and I am assured that the progressive, people-centred Kwara that I envisioned can be kick-started under his leadership," Ajia said. In This Story:#AlaoAbdulyekeen #BamideleAluko #AbdulMumeenAjia #AbdulRahmanAbdulRazaq #BukolaSaraki Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Ifeanyi Ubah, TAN endorse Sanwo-Olu, promise Igbo votes Posted: 05 Mar 2019 06:00 AM PST  The Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) has endorsed the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the Lagos State Gubernatorial elections. In a briefing by TAN Secretary-General, Mr Chidi Omeje and National Coordinator Ifeanyi Ubah on Monday, the group said that they were mobilising Igbos and other Lagosians for the APC candidate. TAN said that the endorsement was a welI-thought decision that had become exigent after extensive deliberations and consultations with key stakeholders in Lagos state while giving due consideration to the manifesto of every contestant. He said that the group had no doubt that Sanwo-Olu represents the "next level" Lagos state was in dire need of. "Sanwo-Olu antecedents speak volume of his rare qualities, transparency, financial discipline, accountability and fairness. "He represents the vision and passion for a greater Lagos State and we are proud to have endorsed his candidature and eventual succession as the Governor of Lagos State. "We are of the ardent belief that the strategic focus of Mr Sanwo-Olu's administration will certainly build a better tomorrow filled with opportunities, unity and hope for Lagosians. "A vote for Sanwo-Olu is a vote for economic prosperity, infrastructural development and most importantly, qualitative governance and institutional reforms. "In light of the foregoing and by this press release, we hereby activate with immediate effect, all our political structures and mechanisms, door-to-door campaigners, market groups as well as other key groups and structures which have been used to achieve ground breaking and historic feats in Lagos State so as to ensure that Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC is returned elected as the next Governor of Lagos State, the group said. The Secretary General while reading the text of the briefing, called on well-meaning Nigerians to join the group in working assiduously in a bid to install good governance at all levels. "Let us all join hands to ensure that Lagos State attains the Next Level through the election of credible, competent. qualified and honorable men and women into political offices, under a free, fair and democratic process. Responding to questions after the briefing, the Young Progressives Party (YPP) Senator-elect for Anambra South and Chairman of Capital Oil, Ifeanyi Ubah, said that they had widely consulted with Igbos in Lagos and were representing their decision. Ubah who was worried that the endorsement may be misinterpreted as anti-party activity being a YPP candidate, stressed that TAN's decision had nothing to do with party affiliation. He described the endorsement as a discussion of people's interest and TAN's interest. "TAN is a national platform but also we have our ethnic structure. "For the Igbo in Lagos we are speaking for them, we have consulted them widely. We have told them why it is important to support APC structure and to vote in Sanwo-Olu come Saturday. "Visible work starts tomorrow but we have done some underground work prior to this press briefing. "The most important thing is that we will not want to have friction with the Yoruba or any other ethnic group in Lagos. I think we are coming in at this point in time to swiftly get involved by putting in a round peg in a round hole. "You should know very well that if it were to be issue of party I will not be here speaking because I am mindful of anti-party as a candidate of YPP. "I am here in the interest of our Board of Trustees and TAN structure, which have mandated me to speak on their behalf," he said. In This Story:#IfeanyiUbah #BabajideSanwo-Olu #ChidiOmeje #APC Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| I remain Kano PDP candidate: Kabir-Yusuf Posted: 05 Mar 2019 05:56 AM PST
Kabir-Yusuf, who is the son-in-law of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, made the claim in a statement signed by his spokesman, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, issued to newsmen in Kano on Monday. "The court ruling today (Monday) does not in any way affect the candidature of Engr. Abba Kabir-Yusuf as the case is against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which we believe that the party has taken the most appropriate action of appeal. "As far as we are concerned, our campaign activities will continue till Thursday night, March 8 when the deadline of campaigns will elapse as contained in the Electoral Act 2010 as amended." According to him, the case has nothing to do with him as the party flag bearer, but an internal issue the party had taken step to resolve. The governorship candidate urged his teeming supporters to remain calm and continue with the electioneering campaigns to ensure victory for the party on Saturday. In This Story:#AbbaKabir-Yusuf #SanusiBature #RabiuKwankwaso #PDP #GovernorshipCandidate Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Why EFCC arrested Babalele Abdullahi, Atiku’s finance director Posted: 05 Mar 2019 05:50 AM PST
The source who craved anonymity said that the case was ongoing and that Abdullahi "may be released soon". The sources said the money, about N61.4 billion came in before the election Abdullahi, also Atiku's son-in-law, was arrested on Saturday by EFCC operatives at his Maitama residence. NAN reports that Abubakar, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate at the just concluded Presidential election raised an alarm over the arrest. Atiku's media Aide, Mr Paul Ibe alleged that the arrest was part of a "desperate move" to make Atiku concede and congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari, the officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at about 8.30 a.m. on Saturday invaded the Maitama residence of Abdullahi. "The EFCC agents numbering about two dozens came in two regular vehicles, an 18-seater Toyota bus (registration Abuja CS 522 RSH) and a Hilux van. "They came with a search warrant to search the house and office of Abdullah and found nothing incriminating. "They then proceeded to his office at Oakland Centre in Maitama and found nothing incriminating there. "However, they took away some documents of landed properties. Not done, the EFCC officials stormed his Wuse residence where they again found nothing incriminating after the search. "Afterwards, Abdullahi was taken away to the EFCC office in Wuse to make a statement alongside Mr. Lawan Ayuba." When NAN reached out to the Acting Spokesman of the EFCC, Mr Tony Orilade, he said that "yes, he is with us. "We are investigating a case of money laundering against Abdullahi. "We shall speak at the appropriate time, " Orilade said. In This Story:#EFCC #LawanAyuba #PaulIbe #AtikuAbubakar #BabaleleAbdullahi #TonyOrilade Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Lessons of presidential, National Assembly polls Posted: 05 Mar 2019 04:18 AM PST
The 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections have come and gone. But their ripples are very much around, especially the underwhelming performance of the federal ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the South West, the traditional bastion of progressive politics in Nigeria. Yes, the APC still won four of the six states (Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Ekiti; losing Oyo and Ondo only marginally); and also cleared most of the National Assembly seats (winning 14 out of 18 senatorial seats). Still, the "dropped points", to borrow that sports lingo, would appear galling to many. Indeed, many a fanatical partisan, with a "winner-takes-all" mentality, would insist it's a good win that tastes like a bad loss! Take Ondo State, with an APC governor in his second year. The party lost two key senatorial seats, just because Rotimi Akeredolu, the sitting governor, would appear warring with almost everyone in sight, in his party. The party, therefore, had itself for electoral dinner, in a fit of political cannibalism. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were clear beneficiaries. The Oyo case was almost a replica, though APC still grossed two out of three senatorial seats — thanks to a dogged and determined electorate and party mobilizers; ranged against the election-time leprosy of Abiola Ajimobi, the Oyo State governor. Ajimobi, contrasted to his predecessors from 1999, has been a near-excellent governor, raising the bar in polite and modern governance, security, urban renewal and sanitation, infrastructure and general quality delivery. But all that he smashed with a stupendous personality flaw, which peaked at the wrong time, and cost him his senatorial bid. Ogun could have been another victim of such terrible governor's character flaw, despite a near-stellar tenure, but for the maturity of elders like former Governor Olusegun Osoba who, election-eve, launched a campaign for party unity. Though sitting Governor Ibikunle Amosun was chief beneficiary of that rapprochement (he won his Ogun Central senate bid), his bad grace goaded him to brazen post-victory anti-party activities. That essential bad grace, of Amosun's post-victory campaign for his APM preferences, in the final run to the gubernatorial and state legislature polls, has earned him a suspension, which could well peak in outright expulsion — just as well! Alleged anti-party activities have also earned Akeredolu a query from the APC National Working Committee (NWC). But the story behind the story, of intra-party friction from the Amosun-Akeredolu bloc, would appear an anti-Tinubu rebellion by younger Turks within the party, determined to push and position themselves as "new" South West leaders, that President Muhammadu Buhari must reckon with, en route to the 2019 elections. Though that plan collapsed with the balance of power and influence in South West streets, with the president yet again settling for joint chair of the APC national campaign with Tinubu, the South West plot never really fizzled out. That would explain the Amosun show of shame, at the APC presidential campaign at Abeokuta, when his APM storm-troopers even pelted the president with stones. But the plot was also to manifest where it would have hurt most: use the expected underwhelming results from Osun and the desperate challenge in Lagos, to undermine both Asiwaju Tinubu and former Osun Governor, Rauf Aregbesola. Though both failed (APC still cleared the three senatorial seats in Lagos, while in Osun it won two, including Osun West, which APC had earlier lost to Ademola Adeleke, an APC defector to PDP, after the sudden death of elder sibling, Isiaka aka Serubawon), the Aregbesola target dates back to the Ondo gubernatorial nomination process that Akeredolu won. Not a few accused Aregbesola of backing Olusola Oke, the Alliance for Democracy (AD) candidate. Though Oke was an APC aspirant after defecting from PDP, he stormed out to AD to protest Akeredolu's emergence. But Aregbesola got repaid in alleged same coins, when the Akeredolu and Amosun lobby allegedly pitched tents with defectors from APC, in the 2018 Osun governorship election, which result turned out a bitter cliffhanger, with APC nicking it, with the slimmest of margins. — the closest governorship win in Nigerian electoral history. Amosun's grouse would appear to date back to the 2015 ministerial nomination, when he had a reported tiff with Tinubu over the Ogun nominee. Amosun, from his actions from then, seemed determined to press his "independence from Bourdillon", leveraging his closeness to, and personal affinity with, the president. With his present bind, he seemed to have gone too far. If all the plotting had succeeded, Osun election result would have been the excellent scapegoat to hit at Tinubu's "declining influence"; and Aregbesola's creeping irrelevance. It would have been a near-perfect scape-goating, just as it was during the pan-Nigeria salary default crisis, which the media and Osun local opposition painted as Aregbesola's sole failure, despite what could pass as Osun's Renaissance, in almost every facet of life, under his charge. Even with a 2:1 senatorial scorecard, APC's loss of Osun West (the Ife-Ijesa senatorial district, and therefore Aregbesola's home turf), could still be an object of political blackmail. But the analysis of the results shows that much of the faults came from the Ife segment of the district, though the commanding Ijesa support, that gifted Ife man, APC's Jide Omoworare two senatorial terms, appears to have vanished. Nevertheless, APC still carried the Ijesa end of the tally, though with a much diminished margin. But such putative blackmail lost its bite with the disastrous returns from Ondo, where ironically, Ajayi Boroffice, Akeredolu's famous intra-Ondo APC "arch-enemy" it was, that saved the ruling party (state and national) from a total senatorial rout. Nor is it helped because of the Ogun triumph, which comprises Amosun's personal senatorial triumph, despite the governor's pre- and post-poll gracelessness. If that plot had worked, it would have undermined the greatest heroes of the change in Nigeria's electoral and governing landscape, since the APC triumph of 2015. PMB's re-election would have been seriously affected. Tinubu, whose re-alignment with the PMB bloc started it all, would have been greatly undermined, thus leaving the alliance with no effective South West political general. On his part, Aregbesola would have been mocked and baited. Yet, without his clear thinking and more-than-doughty resolve, the schools feeding programme, which Osun patented and tested despite a very perilous economic environment, would perhaps never have been mainstreamed on the national front. But that is a classic South West welfarist agenda, planted on the Nigerian national front. Still, this phase of election is lost and won. Despite all these wrangling, APC still triumphed in the South West, as it did nationally, given PMB's renewed mandate. It's time, therefore, to push for general reconciliation;.without compromise to sanctions for who did what, especially if the guilty are unrepentant. Matiluko, a public affairs analyst, writes from Lagos.. Source:(TheNations) In This Story:#PresidentialPoll #AjayiBoroffice #RotimiAkeredolu #RaufAregbesola #MuhammaduBuhari #LanreMatiluko Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| ‘Sanwo-Olu will not disappoint Lagosians’ Posted: 05 Mar 2019 04:06 AM PST
Before Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the status quo had remained the same in Lagos for 19 years. Win a first term, do some pretty transformative work and win an easy second term. But, for the first time we heard a new name and beheld posters of a new candidate cropping up around Lagos. Is this a case of the Party of Change changing someone that wasn't delivering on his promises? Is this the new anointed one? Who is he? Why should we look at him? Will he be forced on us? I had my opinions. I mean, if you were in Lagos and you had not been living under a rock over the last few months, you'd probably have your own opinions too. The entire drama had played out in front of us all. The crux of it was when his opponent in the party primary the incumbent governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, had called a press conference to cast aspersions on his mental state and accuse him of past criminal misdeeds. That had piqued my interest. This was worth looking into. If the man that wanted to be my next governor had a case of spending fake currency then, I needed to know about it. I didn't take those alleged accusations lightly. I think a lot of people did not take them lightly. They came from the lips of the governor but at the same time I have never believed an incumbent deserved a second term just because he is an incumbent. If you are doing a good job and the people you are serving can feel the impact, then yes, maybe a second term is in the offing but if the general populace is not happy, then you surely can not expect a second term. This is not "Buy One Get One Free" scheme we are doing here. You have to work really hard to deserve that second term. So, with all these in mind, the press conference was watched with a pinch of salt but was my curiosity piqued? It definitely was. I wanted to meet the man and ask him these questions face to face. "Ngbo sir, they say you were spending fake dollars in America? How come?" "And while we're on that, what mental illness is it that they say you suffer from?". These were the firsts of many questions that I wanted to ask Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu. I did a couple of posts to my thousands of followers on social media. I followed the primaries for the two leading parties in the state and when both candidates were announced, I put out a post about my interest in moderating a governorship debate between both candidates. Jimi Agbaje, the candidate of the PDP, to me, is like a leap year, he disappears and pops up every 4 years. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to me, though a three-time Commissioner and Special Adviser in Lagos for more than 10years, still did evoke much statewide recognition, so I set out to find out more about him. First, I googled his public profile. 53 years old Babajide Sanwo-Olu, spent 16 years in the public sector and 11 in the private sector. Educated at University of Lagos, Lagos Business School, Kennedy School of Government, London Business School, his educational qualifications, public and private sector achievements made him an interesting candidate. He was a three-time commissioner in the state ( Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions), had done a lot of work on improving the state's Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), had led the publication of the Lagos State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (LASEEDS) and set up of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund. An opportunity for a meeting finally came up. I was prepared for him to come late because you know how these politicians do. Keep people waiting because they have to attend to every issue under the sun. Waiting for a politician can be quite a tedious affair, my experience in the past had left a sour taste in my mouth. So, I was pleasantly surprised when he was on time. He came into the room wearing a simple blue native attire. If you hadn't seen his picture before and hadn't met him prior, you might be forgiven for thinking he was one of the many people slated to attend the meeting. There were no airs around him. He came in, introduced himself and took a seat. I kept looking at him. I didn't know what I was expecting to see but it wasn't this man that looked simple and unassuming. He looked liked he could be your uncle. He wasn't brash. He waited for a person to finish speaking before he responded. He didn't interrupt. He wasn't condescending with his answers to the questions being asked. All through these, I kept looking at his eyes and I could have sworn I saw the gears in his brain turning while he was answering questions. He looked like one of those people we used to call 'efiko' in my high school. During a period when everyone seemed relatively relaxed, someone had cracked a joke earlier and while the laughter was still wafting around the room, I asked him why the incumbent governor, his opponent during the election and a member of the same political party he belonged to, had made those accusations against him. For the first time, I saw something other than warmth, intelligence, wit and smarts behind his eyes. I saw hurt. I wasn't sure. Was the hurt because of the question, or because of the person that had levelled the accusations against him? I didn't know but I wanted to find out. After Fashola, I didn't know how much I had missed having a well-spoken orator as a governor. I know people will say "Ehen? He can speak English well and so? How does that translate to governance?" I don't know but I daresay a governor that can express himself confidently and explain issues in a concise and deliberate manner is a delight to listen to any day and yes, Lagos has missed that. Ok, fine, I have missed that if we're being pedantic. Babajide Sanwo-Olu explained these allegations clearly. He doesn't have a criminal record, home or abroad. He doesn't have issues with any authority in the United States. He put it on record that he has travelled out to this same America where he supposedly has criminal charges against his person four times this year alone. On his records as a patient at Gbagada General Hospital, he has never been admitted as a patient at Gbagada General Hospital. He has never sought treatment for any ailment at Gbagada General Hospital, nor anywhere in the world. The one and only time he had been to Gbagada General Hospital was on a charity outreach visit where he had gone to donate equipment to the hospital. In This Story:#BabajideSanwo-Olu #BabatundeRajiFashola #AkinwunmiAmbode #LagosState #GovernorshipElection2019 Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Buhari, governors, others step up campaign Posted: 05 Mar 2019 03:51 AM PST  APC will complete the take-over of Delta on Saturday, says Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari has said next Saturday's elections will complete the cycle of the All Progressives Congress' (APC) take-over of the affairs of Delta State. Buhari spoke at the PTI Conference Centre, Effurun, Uvwie council area of the state yesterday when he addressed the party's stakeholders and other stakeholders of the state, including traditional rulers. Buhari, who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also assured the stakeholders that the Federal Government would ensure adequate security during the elections. "What happened last Saturday is a great victory for us, but it is only the beginning because the completion of that victory is going to come by the grace of God on Saturday March 9, 2019 when we vote in our own governor, Great Ogboru, who will by the grace of God be a governor from that very day. "It is very clear to everybody and to the world that Delta State can never be the same again. It's impossible for Delta State to go back after what happened on Saturday. As the APC chairman said, we all watched to see what will happen in Delta State. Delta State was a focus of all of our attention. "Just as the chairman has said, we have seen a Delta state where the PDP was unable to recall a vote of 1.2 million and we knew they wrote the result. We wanted to see what way they can be curtailed, but you all proved that 'you can tell a lie for a thousand years, but one day the truth will catch up' and the truth caught up with them last Saturday. That truth will manifest itself fully this Saturday when we hold the next election. Delta State has proved a very important point that this state is ready for change to the next level. "The other reason why it is so important for us to ensure that Delta State become an APC state has been pointed out. The social investment programme that we put in place, it is only APC governor that can implement such programmes faithfully. We believe that once we are able to have an APC governor such programmes will be implemented," the Vice President said. Osinbajo went on: "I heard talks about Delta Steel Company (DSC); after so many years, the Itakpe-Aladja railway has been completed 35 years after being on the card. It's this same President that completed it. PDP has been in power all these many years, why didn't they complete it? They (PDP) are the ones who created this mess. "Even the Warri seaport which we are now dredging has been there for years. They didn't do it. All of these times that PDP has been in power. Sometimes, it surprises me that with the resources that Delta State has had for so many years, where are the fruit of the resources. Look at the Warri Seaport, it could have been seamlessly be done by the state. Here we are, we (APC) are completing the dredging of the channel. Even the East-West raod, this is the first government that has put resources for its completion. We are putting large amount of money into the East-West road. We all will benefit from it. "Delta State should not be an opposition state. Why should Delta be an opposition state? Why? There is no reason for it at all. For all the periods that Delta State has had high resources, what we need was a change from a progressive party. The time has come. This is the moment, let us seize that moment. You have shown courage, it is only the courageous that wins", he said. Meanwhile, speaking earlier, various speakers had urged President Buhari to ensure strict security cover for the state to prevent the rigging of next Saturday's election by the PDP, saying that the party (PDP) would repeat its alleged rigging pattern during the governorship and state House of Assembly election if there is no proper security to deter such. The event gathered leaders and stakeholders of the party in the state, including the governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru, Minister of State of Petroleum Resources Dr Ibe Kachikwu, former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Olorogun O'tega Emerhor, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and others. ADC, ZLP adopt Makinde More oppositionparties in Oyo State yesterday adopted the governorship candidate of the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Seyi Makinde, as a consensus candidate for the March 9 poll. This is coming three days after the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Mr Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) publicly declared his party's adoption of the PDP's candidate. The latest candidates to join the adoption train include Senator Olufemi Lanlehin of the African Democratic Congress and Mr Sharafadeen Alli of Zenith Labour Party. The proposed plan to conclude on the coalition suffered an initial set back when former governor Christopher Alao-Akala of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) withdrew and declared support for the APC candidate, Mr Adebayo Adelabu. Former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, who mediated the coalition as a chieftain of ZLP, according to sources, will address a news conference today. The final agreement on the adoption of Makinde was reached at a meeting held at the Bodija, Ibadan residence of Ladoja. The final agreement was signed by directors-general of the campaign committees of the four political parties. The signatories are Director General (DG), PDP Campaign Committee, Chief Bayo Lawal; DG, ZLP Campaign Committee, Mr Waheed Akanbi; DG, ADC Campaign Committee, Bashiru Lawal; and DG, SDP Campaign Committee, Chief Matthew Oke. The document entitled: "Coalition Meeting of 4th March 2019", released at the end of the meeting held on Monday, read in part: "Agreement has been reached by members of the coalition parties to adopt Engr. Seyi Makinde, as its gubernatorial candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state. Full details will be made available later on." Makinde has congratulated the people of Oyo State on his adoption by a coalition of political parties in the state. A statement from his campaign office by Prince Dotun Oyelade said: "Leaders of the parties, led by the Osi Olubadan, High Chief Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja; Senator Femi Lanlehin, Barrister Sarafadeen Ali and Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, displayed unsurpassed broadmindedness and political maturity in agreeing to adopt him to face the APC, which is the nemesis of our people." Edo APC begins voter education to avoid void votes Ahead of Saturday's House of Assembly elections in Edo State, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has embarked on voter education to enable its supporters vote appropriately. Candidate of the APC for Oredo East Constituency, Mr Osaro Obazee, who spoke to reporters in Benin City, said the purpose of the voter education was to avert high number of voided votes as recorded in the February 23rd presidential and National Assembly elections in the state. Obazee added that the high volume of voided votes was responsible for the defeat of the APC in the presidential and some seats in the National Assembly. He said: "Our party did not lose; we did not lose that election. The agents of our party, some of them were not too experienced, some of them were not too confident. If you look at the void votes, if you add them to the votes they scored, you will see the difference so what we have embarked on is voters education." Bayelsa women to Buhari: suspend election in our community Women in Nembe Bassambiri, Nembe Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the Indepedent National Electoral Commission to suspend the forthcoming election in the troubled community. Spokesperson of the Women, Mrs. Sotonye Samuel-Johnson, said the call to postpone the election in the community was to safeguard the lives and properties of women and children in the area. Samuel-Johnson said that women and children, who fled the community to nearby Ogbolomabiri and Yenagoa had not been able to return to their homes. She urged the President to order investigations to the activities of the thugs and their Army collaborators which according to her had assumed a frightening dimension. Southwest youth groups, traders endorse Adelabu, Sanwo-Olu and Abiodun Candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Adebayo Adelabu; Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, have been endorsed by group of youths, traders and artisans under the umbrella of Grand Council of Yoruba Youths (Agbarijo Egbe Odo Yoruba). Representatives in the umbrella body include National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Market Women Association, Non Indigenes Association, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Okada Riders Association, Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association (NATA), Egbe Omo Odua (USA and UK), as well as Civil Society Organization led by Comrade Mrs Kehinde Olaoni. The endorsement programme which held at Western Hall, Oyo State House of Assembly Complex, Secretariat, Ibadan, yesterday was chaired by Senator Ayo Fasanmi, who was represented by Otunba Jumoke Ogunkeyede. Noting that President Muhammadu Buhari's performance and intention earned him the second term ticket, Otunba Ogunkeyede explained that the administration of President Buhari which was initially termed 'go slow' after it was inaugurated in 2015 was slowed down by the leadership of the National Assembly, which he said consists of people with questionable characters. The convener and Chairman, Planning Committee, Comrade Awa Bamiji, enjoined people in Oyo, Lagos, and Ogun states to come out on Saturday, March 9 to vote for the candidates of the APC to ensure sustainability, even and rapid development of South West region. Mrs Iswat Ameringun, who represented the Iyaloja General of Nigeria, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, Mrs. Kehinde Olaoni and other representatives said they were all in support of the candidature of Adelabu, Sanwo-Olu and Abiodun. Adelabu: I will sustain school feeding The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Adebayo Adelabu, has promised to sustain the school feeding project if elected by the people of the state on Saturday. He gave the assurance during his campaign across the state. Adelabu, who also hailed the return of many breakaway members of the party across the state, assured teachers of higher wages if he succeeds in the election. He described education as the bedrock of human and nation's development, stressing that teachers are a major pillar of quality education delivery, hence need to be motivated. The APC candidate said without teachers, he would not be who he is today, adding that all great men and women owe the development of their minds to their teachers. He said he holds teachers in high esteem so much that he believes that they are a class of workers whose welfare should be a priority in the society. Ajanaku returns to APC for Adelabu's success As part of plans to ensure the victory of the All Progressive Congress governorship candidate in Oyo State, the candidate of the Zenith Labour Party for Ibadan North West/South West Federal Constituency in the just concluded National assembly election, Dr Rotimi Ajanaku , has returned to the ruling APC. Ajanaku, accompanied by his supports at his Oke Ado base, noted that although he did not win the election, his absence and that of his supporters was felt in the APC camp. He said his return to the APC was made possible by the "timely and uncommon intervention of the Executive Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency, Senator Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi who unequivocally fast-tracked the whole process, through his assurances of immediate re-integration of my followers into the party hierarchy and other worthy considerations." Stop victimising civil servants, Abdulrazaq urges Ahmed Kwara State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq yesterday accused Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed administration of victimising civil servants. He urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led state government to stop victimising civil servants on flimsy and petty excuses. Abdulrazaq, in a statement by is media aide, Rafiu Ajakaye said: "We are aware that civil servants who did not agree to do the bidding of the ruling PDP are being sacked or victimised in one way or the other. This is wrong, inhuman and unlawful. "Civil servants are humans and are covered by the social contract. Any government, such as the one currently in Kwara State, with no regard for the social contract cannot expect the civil servants to remain silent in the face of tyranny. "Once elected, we will look into the cases of all the civil servants who were victimised or sacked on account of refusing to compromise their professionalism or integrity. We will restore their rights and dignity as Kwarans," the statement quoted AbdulRazaq as saying. "It is outrageously hypocritical for a government that is notorious for coercing and blackmailing civil servants to do its political bidding to turn around and accuse civil servants of getting involved in politics," the statement added. Polls not war, says cleric A Catholic cleric in Anambra State, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma, has called on Nigerian youths to resist the temptation of being used for violence ahead of Saturday's Governorship and Houses of Assembly elections. He urged them to embrace orderliness and peace, describing elections as brotherly contests. Speaking yesterday at Blessed Iwene Tansi Catholic Church, Umudioka, Obimma, popularly known as Fr. Ebubemonso, enjoined the electorates to come out enmass to vote candidates of their choices. He said: ''2019 general elections particularly this Governorship and House of Assembly elections is a brotherly contest and not a war." Oyo: We did not endorse another party, says AAC The African Action Congress, Oyo State chapter has said it is not part of any endorsement of any other governorship candidate for the March 9, governorship election in the state. Rather, the party said it remains focused, committed and determined to bring about a government that is welfarist concern for the people who have been deliberately pauperised by the ruling class since the beginning of the current political dispensation. It added that its governorship candidate, Mr Akinwale Laosun, remains the candidate and best option for the people of the state in the coming election. He urged the people of the state to open their eyes to the reality of selfish and self-centered politicians who would rather work for their personal interest and that of their allies, but camouflaging same in the name of the masses. Vote for APC candidates, Boroffice begs Ondo Indigenes The senator representing Ondo North senatorial district, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice, has urged the people of Ondo State to vote for candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The senator made the appeal during a thank-you rally organised by his supporters in Oka-Akoko on Saturday. Boroffice said an APC-dominated House of Assembly would guarantee good governance and political stability in Ondo State. The chairman, Senate Committee on Science & Technology urged his supporters to troop out massively to vote for all APC candidates into the Ondo State House of Assembly. Boroffice(Ondo North) is the only APC Senatorial Candidate that returned to the Upper Chamber after the recent Presidential/National Assembly polls held on February 3. Assembly Election: Oyetola solicits votes for APC candidates Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has enjoined residents to vote for All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in Saturday's House of Assembly election. The Osun State governor said for his administration to be properly established for good governance and smooth running, there was the need for an APC majority in the House of Assembly. Oyetola added President Muhammadu Buhari's re-election had vindicated the resolve of the APC-led Federal Government to raise the bar of good governance, sustain steady development in the country and put Nigeria to the path of progress and prosperity. The governor spoke on Monday during a 'Thank You Tour' to Ilobu, Ifon, Erin-Osun and Ede in Irepodun, Orolu, Ede-North and Ede-South Local Government Areas. The tour was to appreciate the people for supporting President Muhammadu Buhari and other candidates of the APC in the Presidential and National Assembly elections He lauded the courage displayed by the electorate to ensure victory for the APC in the February 23rd elections. Oyetola who described the Assembly election as important for entrenching democratic government called on the electorate to vote all APC candidates in Saturday's elections. He said the decision to elect APC candidates to the House will give his administration the opportunity to actualise all its planned policies and programmes. According to the Governor, the House of Assembly election is as important as other elections as it defines how the structure of government will be formulated. "We embark on this 'thank you tour' to appreciate our people who came out in large numbers to re-elect our President and other candidates of our party- the All Progressives Congress (APC). "We have taken a noble decision to sustain continuity and steady development in Nigeria with the re-election of President Buhari as this will help to engender more development and transformation for Nigeria," Oyetola added 49 parties, 32 candidates back El-Rufai Thirty-two governorship candidates in Kaduna State, under the auspices of Kaduna State Progressive Governorship Candidates Forum, have stepped down for Governor Nasir El-Rufai of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). They made their decision public yesterday when the 32 candidates and 49 political parties endorsed El-Rufai's candidature. The chairman of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Comrade Auwal Abdullahi Aliyu, said they came out to support the governor towards ensuring that he continues with his good works, stressing that he has done well to deserve the endorsement. In This Story:#MuhammaduBuhari #AuwalAbdullahiAliyu #NasirEl-Rufai #AbdulrahmanAbdulRazaq #AdegboyegaOyetola Sharing Is Caring. 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| Osinbajo to meet Aba traders today Posted: 05 Mar 2019 03:28 AM PST
It was learnt that Osinbajo was earlier scheduled to visit on February 14 to interact with members of the Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA), but the meeting was rescheduled because of his engagement in Kwara State same day. Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Benedict Godson, who confirmed the visit through a telephone interview, said Osinbajo's visit underscores the importance of the Aba business community to President Muhammadu Buhari's administration. According to him, the president is determined to ensure that traders in Aba, Southeast and Nigeria enjoy ease of doing business. Godson said the visit would ensure that Osinbajo has firsthand information on some of the challenges facing traders in Aba. He said: "You know that the Federal Government has initiated various policies, plans and programmes to ensure that some of the bottlenecks facing ease of doing business in the country is addressed. "You know of the trader moni, and the government recently signed an agreement with Abia State to establish the Economic Trade Free Zone to take off in Ukwa. It is expected that the Free Trade Zone will promote trade and investment at the Enyimba Economic city… In This Story:#YemiOsinbajo #ACCIMA #BenedictGodson #MuhammaduBuhari #APC Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| ‘Buhari will support Igbo presidency in 2023’ Posted: 05 Mar 2019 03:22 AM PST
Okwara, who addressed reporters in Owerri, said President Buhari's support for the Igbo Presidency was predicated on justice and fairness, and not on conditionality. He said: "President Buhari is a man who loves justice and will not renege on his support for the Igbo to produce the President in 2023, being the only major tribe that has not done so". The party chieftain, however, called on Igbo politicians to form a common front that will transcend party and religious divides ahead of 2023, even as he frowned on the "ignoble" role Ohanaeze played in the build-up to the elections. He called for the scrapping of Ohanaeze Ndigbo for abandoning its mandate of protecting Igbo interest for partisan politics. "Ndigbo must form a strong front that will cut across party lines before 2023. We must put away our political and religious differences, and choose an Igbo man that will be accepted across the country. I also support that Ohanaeze Ndigbo should be scrapped since it is no longer serving its purpose and has drifted into partisan politics that will not be in the interest of Ndigbo," he added. In This Story:#OhanezeNdigbo #LivinusOkwara #MuhammaduBuhari #IgboPresidency2023 Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| 40 feared killed as bandits attack Zamfara communities Posted: 05 Mar 2019 03:09 AM PST  RENEWED attacks by bandits on two communities have allegedly claimed 40 lives in Zamfara State. The attacks came less than 24 hours after Governor Abdulaziz Yari swore to deal with bandits troubling the Northcentral state. Governor Yari also directed security agencies to unmask those behind such attacks and bring them to justice. The fresh attacks occurred on Sunday afternoon in Danjibga and other communities, in Shinkafi and Anka local government areas. The bandits reportedly operated on motorcycles. The Police Public Relation Officer in Zamfara State, Muhammad Shehu, a Seperintendent of Police (SP), could not ascertain the casualty figures and the extent of damage in the affected communities. He told reporters that a news conference will be held later on the development. When contacted on phone Army spokesman of the Operation Sharar Daji, Major Clement Abiade, confirmed the incidents, saying the casualty figures will be released later. According to him, the commander in charge of the operation had arrived in the area to provide security and to assess the situation. In This Story:#AbdulazizYari #ClementAbiade #ZamafaraState #Bandits Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| N3.97billion fraud: Court convicts Badeh’s firm Posted: 05 Mar 2019 03:03 AM PST  The Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday convicted a firm linked with the late Chief of General Staff (CGS), Air Marshall Alex Badeh – Iyalikam Nigeria Limited – and ordered it be immediately wound-up. Justice Okon Abang, in a judgment on Monday, after the firm changed its earlier plea of not guilty to guilty, convicted it on the amended 10-count charge of money laundering. Justice Abang ordered the forfeiture of $1million and properties located in Abuja and linked with Iyalikam. The guilty plea by the firm was part of the plea bargain agreement reached between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the defence. Properties traced to Badeh and Iyalikam which Justice Abang ordered their final forfeiture to the Federal Government were listed in the plea bargain agreement which the EFCC reached with the defence and filed before the court on Monday. The assets are: A mansion at No. 6, Ogun River Street, Off Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja; A shopping mall at Plot 1386, Oda Crescent, Cadastral Zone A07, Wuse II, Abuja; A duplex at No. 19, Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja; A duplex situate at No. 14, Adzope Crescent, Off Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja; A semi-detached duplex situate at No. 8A, Embu Street, by Sigma Apartment Wuse II, Abuja and The sum of $1,000,000.00 only recovered from No. 6, Ogun River Street, Off Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja. Based on the plea bargain agreement, the court also ordered that upon conviction, defendant should be wound up "and any other property or account in the name of the defendant shall be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria". EFCC was, until Badeh's death, prosecuting him alongside Iyalikam Nigeria Limited on 14 counts of money laundering bordering on alleged fraudulent removal of about N3.97billion from the Nigerian Air Force's account. Badeh and the company had jointly pleaded not guilty to the charges in 2016, prompting the prosecution to open its case which it later closed last year after calling 22 prosecution witnesses. Badeh was scheduled to open his defence on January 16 this year, but before the hearing date, gunmen killed him on Abuja-Keffi Expressway on December 18, last year. At the January 16 hearing, the first which came up after Badeh's death, the deceased's lawyer, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), and Iyalikam's, Mr. Samuel Zibiri (SAN), pleaded with the judge to adjourn till after the deceased's burial. They added that the adjournment would afford them time to reach an agreement with the prosecution on how to proceed with the case. Badeh had since been buried. At the resumed hearing of case on February 26, the defence requested an adjournment of the matter to enable the company to open its case. Justice Abang had adjourned the matter till Monday. On Monday, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Oluwaleke Atolagbe, told the court that the prosecution and the defence had reached an agreement leading to the amendement of the charges to 10 counts and which saw the removal of Badeh's name as a defendant in the case. Atolagbe said: "We filed a further amended charge dated March 1 and filed March 4 and we also filed a plea bargain agreement with regards to provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act." Olujinmi, who represented Badeh and Mr. S.T Ologunorisa (SAN), who represented Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, on Monday, had contrary to Atolagbe's position, argued that the charges needed not to be read because the company had no representative in court. But Atolagbe insisted that the absence of the company's representative was not a genuine excuse for the company not to plead guilty in the open court. He added that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, recgonised plea in a written form, an example of which, he said, was the plea bargain agreement already filed before the court. With the judge adopting Atolagbe's view, the amended charges were read to the company and a plea of guilty was recorded for the company in respect of each of the 10 counts. Delivering judgment, which adopted the plea bargain agreement reached between the defence and the posecution, Justice Abang convicted the company. He added, "I have before me a plea bargain agreement duly executed by Iyalikam Nigeria Limited and the EFCC. "I hereby find the defendant guilty and accordingly convict the defendant of the 10 counts further amended charge. "Having regards to the plea bargain agreement duly executed by the parties, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited is hereby wound up and the judgment shall be served on the Corporate Affairs Commission for necessary action." Justice Abang also ordered that the various assets linked to the company in the charges be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government. The judge also ordered the termination of all proceedings against Badeh. In This Story:#OluwalekeAtolagbe #OkonAbang #LateAlexBadeh #EFCC #Iyalikam #Ologunorisa Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| PDP to petition UN over role of military in elections Posted: 05 Mar 2019 02:48 AM PST  The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resolved to petition the United Nations (UN) over the role played by the Nigerian military in the February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections. The party added that other global democratic institutions will also be petitioned on the alleged unprofessional role played by the military. Rising from an expanded caucus meeting at the party's Abuja secretariat yesterday, the party lamented what it described as partisan role of the military in the polls. Briefing reporters shortly after the meeting that lasted about four hours, the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan said the petition will detail what it termed unconstitutional militarisation of the elections. This, according to the main opposition party, led to the intimidation, harassment and killing of many innocent Nigerians by soldiers in different parts of the country during the polls. Ologbondiyan said: "Caucus further noted the role of the military in the February 23 election and resolved that we will report the action of the military through a petition to the United Nations, as well as other global democratic institutions on the role of our military in the February 23 election. "Caucus further raised issues about the harassment, intimidation and cajoling of our members on the plot by the Buhari Presidency as well as APC to intimidate the people's President, former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the resolve of the PDP to go to court by insisting, blackmailing and saying that he should not go to court. "Caucus commended Nigerians for refusing the harassment, intimidation and militarisation of the electoral process and participating in the election but noted that the mandate that was freely given to our candidate was stolen and as such the party and the candidate jointly resolved to go to the tribunal and reaching the end of what is permissible within our legal system to get back our mandate on behalf of Nigerians. "Caucus also reviewed the situation in Kano State particularly as it concerned the court decision and noted that an appeal had been filed against the judgment and we will continue to study and follow the situation as they arise. "On the forthcoming governorship election, we decry the militarisation of the South South and the rigging which the APC is plotting ahead of the election. We urge Nigerians to come out enmass and participate in the election and ensure they vote for the candidates of the PDP". The PDP said that its petition against the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari would be filed at the Election Petitions Tribunal any time soon. Speaking earlier, the PDP national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus said the party's resort to legal action was largely informed by what he described as overwhelming rigging of the polls by the All Progressives Congress (APC). The party chair alleged that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were intimidated into falsifying results in favour of the APC, while soldiers were intimidating voters at the same time Secondus said: "Nothing will make us waver in the pursuit of justice. The decision to go to court has been finalised and the process has begun. "We will file our petition today (Monday) or tomorrow (Tuesday), no matter what anyone will do or what the APC will say. We will seek justice up to the highest court of the land. "What happened during this election has never happened in the history of this country. They are celebrating criminality, they are celebrating evil. "Our leaders are not talking and if you don't speak against evil, it will consume everybody. The National Peace Committee is not saying anything. "INEC and its ad-hoc staff were intimidated and everyone is quiet. If nothing is done, we will nosedive and go deeper and deeper in this situation we have found ourselves. "Our lawyers have been assembled and no one can stop us. No matter the propaganda of the APC, we will seek justice with the last drop of our blood. We believe justice will be done and God Almighty will give us justice". Secondus lamented the alleged irregularities that trailed the presidential election, bemoaning the manner in which the military and other security agencies were allegedly deployed to undermine the integrity of the polls. Some of the party chieftains that attended the meeting, which was chaired by Secondus, included the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubabar; Deputy President of the Senate Ike Ekweremadu; Senator Dino Melaye and Senator Philip Aduda. Others included a former Deputy President of the Senate Ibrahim Mantu; chairman PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Wali Jibril; a former governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada; among others. In This Story:#INEC #APC #DinoMelaye #MuhammduBuhari #UcheSecondus #KolaOlogbondiyan #PDP Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  |
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