Adamawa PDP Under Pressure Regarding Ribadu

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in Adamawa State is under intense pressure to zone the governorship ticket to the Central District of the state.

The zone is the area where four governorship aspirants hail from.
The aspirants are the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; a former Minister of a State for Health, Dr. Aliyu Idi-Hong; a former member of the National Assembly, Sen. Abubakar Girei and Awwal Tukur, son of the former chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
It was gathered that the zone remained the only zone out of three, that has yet to produce a governor in the state.
Already, stakeholders and leaders in the party from the 21 local governments were said to have held a meeting on in Yola, the state capital on Friday.
A highly placed source who was part of the meetings told journalists in Abuja on Sunday that the stakeholders were unanimous in taking the decision which he said was to "placate the politically disadvantaged Central zone which is politically excluded despite its numerical strength".
He said the zoning consensus was being planned in line with what he described as the spirit of the PDP constitution which he said encourages zoning as a way of revolving offices to accommodate all geopolitical groupings.

Segun Mimiko Dumps Labour Party for PDP

After months of speculations, the Ondo state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko on Friday formally declared his intention to join the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

In effect, Governor Mimiko has dumped his party, Labour Party(LP) he has sustained as its only governor and national leader since 2006.

The governor has already informed members of his cabinet and close political associates in a chain of meetings which took place on Friday at the Government House Akure.

Some of his aides were already on their way to their various local government areas as at the time of this report to inform their constituents of the governor's decision.

Confab endorses creation of Ijebu, Aba, 16 other states, proposes Presidency rotation

Members of the ongoing waste of time and money National Conference holding in Abuja yesterday July 3rd while deliberating on the report of the committee on political restructuring and forms of Government in Nigeria, endorsed the creation of 18 new states to add to the existing 36 states. They also endorsed the rotation of the Presidency between the North and South and other Geo-political zones in the country.

The members suggested the creation of a state for the South-East geopolitical zone which has only 5 states in order to bring the number to 6 which is the number of states of other zones, apart from the North -West, which has seven. Continue...

CountDown To Ekiti State Election 2014

Who becomes the next governor in Ekiti State? This is the question on the lips of majority Nigeria especially, the people of Ekiti State. The election slated to hold tomorrow 21st of June, 2014 is faced with lots of controversial statements from different political groups.

Yesterday the governor of Rivers State Rt Rotimi Amaechi was arrested and the Aircraft to fly the governor Of Edo State Comr. Adams Oshiomole was also grounded thereby, denying them the participation at the last political campaign of John Kayode Fayemi Governor of Ekiti State (APC) an action that was accredited to the ruling party PDP. The spokesman for PDP Olisah Metuh reacted swiftly and said what happened yesterday was not in anyway related to the activity of the ruling party.Several political games all geared

Britain's Prime Minister and CNN's Christina Amanpour Join #BringBackOurGirls Campaign

British Prime Minister, David Cameron and CNN anchor woman Christianah Amanpour are seen here campaigning for the return of the abducted school girls in Nigeria.

Jonathan Sacks Gulak, Political Adviser

President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday  terminated the appointment of his Special Adviser (Political), Alhaji Ahmed  Gulak, with immediate effect.
A terse statement issued by Jonathan's Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Dr. Reuben Abati, announced Gulak's removal from office.The president thanked  Gulak for his services to his administration and wished him success in his future endeavours.
According to the statement, a replacement for Gulak will be announced later.Although no reason was given for the sudden sack of Gulak, THISDAY learnt that his removal may be due to the face-off between him and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio.The former political adviser, according to findings, had recently single handedly inaugurated a group championing the re-election of Jonathan in Akwa Ibom State without the input of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as well as the governor.The action of Gulak was seen by Akpabio and the state chapter of the party  as an attempt to cause division within the party's fold ahead of the 2015 elections.

Alison-Madueke gets court injunction stopping reps from probing N10b jet scandal

Minister of Petroleum, Dieziani Alison-Madueke, who has been in the middle of a 10bn jet scandal has secured a court injunction stopping the House of Representatives from further investigating her, Premium Times reports. Alison-Madueke had approached a federal high court in Abuja where she asked the court to restrain the House members to discontinue any probe involving her.

Justice . R. Mohammed who presided over the case, barred the house members or their committees  from summoning her for any further investigations or even ordering her arrest if she failed to appear before the house. According to reports, the court injuction was secured on April 14th but was only made public today as the House intended to commence further investigation on the matter today.

Speaking on the court injunction, the Chairman of the House Public Accounts Committee, Solomon Olamilekan said they were surprised by the court injunction.

Photos of Jonathan's Visits to Kano and Ibadan

Jonathan Accuses Gov. Kwankwaso of Embezzlement

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday took on Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso of Kano State, accusing him of embezzling the money his (President's) campaign office provided to mobilise the state delegates for the 2011 presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party and the main election.
He said the governor deliberately engaged in the act to make the state delegates angry and refuse to vote for him in the primary and during the presidential election.

Jonathan said contrary to his claim, Kwakwanso did not vote for him in the 2011 presidential election.
The President made the allegations at a PDP unity rally held in Kano to welcome a former governor of the state, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, into the party.
He was reacting to a media report that quoted the governor as saying that he regretted voting for him (the President) in the 2011 election because he had not brought any development to the state.

Tinubu Endorses Fashola's Replacement, Find Out Who...

There are strong indications that the All Progressives Congress will present a Christian candidate for the 2015 governorship election in Lagos State.

It was learnt that a national leader of the APC and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, may be backing a governorship aspirant in the state.

Tinubu was said to have introduced a former Permanent Secretary/Accountant-General of the Lagos State Government, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode to the state local government chairmen as his choice aspirant at a meeting in Lagos penultimate week.

Sanusi Accused of Sponsoring Boko Haram by FG/SSS

The suspended Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mallam Sanisu Lamido has been accused by the Federal Government and the State Security Service of sponsoring the Islamic sector, Boko Haram.

The FG and SSS made the allegation in counter-affidavits they deposed to before the Federal High Court which is hearing a suit filed by the ex CBN governor.

Reacting to the allegation, Sanisu's lawyer, Mr. Kola Awodein said; "the allegation against the applicant as to funding of terrorism, is an afterthought by the respondents, which is not backed by any facts, as there is no reasonable suspicion that the applicant committed any crime.

Meanwhile, the State Security Service has seized Sanisu's passport after he was suspended in March.

APC chieftain, Gen. Buba Marwa, defects to PDP

Former Military Governor of Lagos State and a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, has formally defected to People's Democratic Party (PDP) with his teeming supporters.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the decision by Marwa to defect to PDP followed a meeting held on Sunday with his supporters in Yola after their complaint of being marginalised in the APC.

In his speech,Marwa accused APC's national leadership of handing over the party in the state to Gov Murtala Nyako.

Marwa, who contested the last state governorship election with Nyako under defunct CPC, said his supporters were marginalised during the recent APC membership registration in the state.

Education minister, Wike, resigns

 

Minister for Education, Barrister Nyesome Wike, may have tendered his resignation letter to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to purse his political career as the governor of Rivers state.

Investigations have revealed that Wike had submitted his resignation letter to the President to contest as governor in Rivers state but President Jonathan is yet to approve his resignation.

Wike intention to contest for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers state has already gotten support from the President.

The presidency has identified the Education minister as the only candidate who can affectively deliver Rivers state for People Democratic Party, (PDP).

Though, political pundits have posited the fact that by the rotational plan in the state the next governorship position is expected to be zoned to either the Kalabaris or Ogoni’s since Governor Chibuike Amaechi is an Ikwerre.

Kano Emirate Council Condemns Sanusi's Suspension

Kano Emirate Council has condemned the suspension of Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi from the position of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor.

The Emirate council in a statement  Friday signed by Walin Kano, Alhaji Mahe Bashir said "We viewed Mr. President action as a deliberate witch-hunt of the governor for doing his job by letting Nigerians to know the alleged fraud going at the petroleum industry and to divert people attention from this monumental fraud".

The statement noted that " As the President suspended the governor without a recall to the rule of law, We believed it was deliberate attempt to witch-hunt him, desperation and impunity at highest order by the Federal Government".

PDP reclaims majority in House of Reps, as 5 APC lawmakers defect to PDP

Five All Progressives Congress, (APC) legislators Tuesday, defected to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The five lawmakers are from Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto States.

The lawmakers that defected are Reps Lawal Shehu Bichi ,Kano, Abdulsalam Adamu ,Kano, Sani Umar ,Zamfara, Ibrahim Shehu Gusau ,Zamfara, and Umar Bature ,Sokoto.

But reports that Bature was one of the 37 PDP lawmakers who defected to the APC on December 18 last year, but he decided to rejoin the PDP along with the other four lawmakers.

However, a PDP lawmaker from Kaduna State Rep Isa Mohammed Ashiru moved to the APC.

APC Extends Membership Registration Till February 12

All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday in Lagos said it had extended the period for its ongoing nationwide membership registration till Feb. 12.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the membership registration which began on Wednesday was scheduled to end on Monday.

In a statement signed by the Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the extension was to accommodate many Nigerians who had turned out to register but could not do so.

Three more PDP govs heading to APC

Three more governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are getting ready to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a fresh wave of defections from the PDP.

Two of the governors are from the Northwest and the third from the North central.

More Senators and Representatives are also bidding their time to cross over to the APC, highly placed sources said yesterday in Yola where former Vice President Atiku Abubakar teamed up with the APC mid week.

Jonathan Being Pressurized to Drop Sambo in 2015

Permutations over the possible replacement of Vice President Namadi Sambo as President Goodluck Jonathan's running mate in the 2015 presidential election heightened over the weekend with fresh pressure from the president's men that his deputy be dropped from the race.
Lately, Sambo has been under intense heat from certain interest groups within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), particularly from the north-west geopolitical zone, over his suitability to continue with President Jonathan beyond 2015.

This time round, foot-soldiers of the president in the 2011 presidential election under the aegis of the Northern PDP Stakeholders have threatened to dump PDP and work for the presidential candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) if Jonathan failed to drop Sambo for another candidate they consider a "core northerner".

Remaining PDP Senators And House Of Reps Members Demand Automatic Tickets For 2015 Race

 

   The Speaker of the House and some members last night

Following the threat of defection by 11 senators to the All Progressive Congress, 11 PDP governors attend a meeting Tuesday night with the leadership and 130 members of the caucus in the House of Representatives at the National Assembly in Abuja.

House of Representative Leader, Mulikat Akande Adeola told the National Chairman that members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not defect to the opposition party Alliance for Progressives Change (APC) if they were given automatic tickets for the 2015 election race.
Automatic tickets are distributed to party favorites who represent the party well and are popular with their constituents.  If Senators are successful in their blackmail threat they would not have to compete during election primaries, and avoid having to confront questions on their record from their constituents.

Nigeria Takes New UN Security Council Seat

 

Nigeria on New Year’s Day returned to the United Nations Security Council, just two years after she last served as a member.

She is one of Africa’s two new members, the other being Chad. They will complete their current term on December 31, 2015. The third African member is Rwanda, which will complete her term at the end of this year.  It is not clear why Nigeria chose to seek a Security Council seat so soon after her last term, and the government has yet to clarify the priorities it will pursue during the period.