EYIMBATV: President lacks intellectual capacity to govern Nigeria - Ben Nwabueze

<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> <img src="https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/1486_10208323520346179_8555607208789386999_n.jpg?oh=5deafb2f7cdd55310671b99865fc7f88&oe=578883AD" /><br />President lacks intellectual capacity to govern Nigeria - Ben Nwabueze</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Renowned lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze also warned Nigerians not to expect much f<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">rom the Buhari administration.</span></div> <div class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;"> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Renowned lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze has reportedly said that President Muhammadu Buhari lacks the intellectual capacity to govern Nigeria.<br />Nwabueze also warned Nigerians not to expect much from the Buhari administration.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) made the comments during an interview with the Daily Sun. Excerpts below:</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Are you satisfied with the direction President Buhari is going?</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> The President is not going in the direction of democratic rule. He is not going in that direction. He declared himself to be a born again democrat. He said that after his election and installation. But I don’t think the way he has been going has really proved him to be a born again democrat.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Some have accused the President of not following due process in the fight against corruption, is it possible to tackle corruption without such allegation flying in the air ?</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> We all support the war against corruption, but that war must be fought according to the constitution. It is a choice we have to make whether we want to fight corruption at all costs, irrespective of the constitution; is that what we want? The moment we throw away the constitution, you are inviting anarchy.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> The constitution is like a glue, maybe a weak glue, but it is still a glue that holds all the over 389 ethnic groups in this country together. The moment you throw it away, there would be problems. Corruption is a very small part of the problems of this country, relatively speaking.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> The country’s economy appears to be at a standstill and some people have advocated an economic summit that would come up with solutions to our economic problems. Do you subscribe to that, or do you recommend that Nigerians be patient with the President?</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> It may help, because the economic situation right now is really biting hard. Some solution has to be looked for. I do not know what the solution is, but we can’t continue like this. Our currency is almost valueless because of the exchange rate.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Some have argued that these developments shows that this administration was not actually prepared for governance, while others say that President Buhari does not have the capacity to govern the country. Which of the two claims is correct?</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> I do not think that it is a question of not being prepared. Don’t forget that the 2015 election was his fourth time of contesting, of making attempt at being President. He tried to be president for 12 years. So, he had more than enough time to prepare himself if he had the capacity. So, it is not that he was not prepared; the fact is that he lacks the capacity to govern as the problems are beyond him.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Even if you give him 20 years to prepare, it would still be beyond his capacity. Nigeria is a very complex country. I have told you before, that we have 389 ethnic nationalities. The complexities and the issues involved in ruling such a country are huge.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Leading such a complex country is an intellectual issue and Buhari does not have the intellectual capacity to comprehend what it means to govern this country.</div> </div>

EYIMBATV: President lacks intellectual capacity to govern Nigeria - Ben Nwabueze

President lacks intellectual capacity to govern Nigeria - Ben Nwabueze Renowned lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze also warned Nigerians not ...

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RIVER STATE SENATORIAL RE-RUN ELECTION

<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">BREAKING NEWS</span><br /> <img src="https://fbcdn-photos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xal1/v/t1.0-0/p480x480/179712_10153936939072978_5982050268938730733_n.jpg?oh=20bf9668c26fb5ec9bff10d3f9a65a54&oe=574F3F7F&__gda__=1465324044_f56854cc0234eb69ec19b131bd277fe5" /><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Nigerian Army Major, 3 Other Soldiers Shot Dead As Violence Intensifies In Rivers State</span>

RIVER STATE SENATORIAL RE-RUN ELECTION

BREAKING NEWS Nigerian Army Major, 3 Other Soldiers Shot Dead As Violence Intensifies In Rivers State

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RIVERS STATE SENATORIAL RE-RUN

<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;"> <br /> PLAN TO ARREST PDP LEADERS 48 HOURS TO RERUN ELECTIONS IS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED --Governor Wike</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"> Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that the attempt by the Police High Command to arrest the State PDP Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah 48 hours to the rerun elections is politically motivated and aimed at giving advantage to the APC.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"> <a href="https://fbcdn-photos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-0/p118x118/10376196_611346019013877_4745121346412451360_n.jpg?oh=169dbf231f3766b091c34dc823c14117&oe=57549E93&__gda__=1469558133_fca21e3ce006df2327833f10c86d8f93" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://fbcdn-photos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-0/p118x118/10376196_611346019013877_4745121346412451360_n.jpg?oh=169dbf231f3766b091c34dc823c14117&oe=57549E93&__gda__=1469558133_fca21e3ce006df2327833f10c86d8f93" style="line-height: 19.32px;" /></a>The governor also said that by declaring the Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area , Sabomabo Jackrich wanted, few days to the el<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">ections, the police may have been influenced by political considerations.</span></div> <div class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"> <div style="margin-bottom: 6px;"> Speaking in Port Harcourt on Thursday during a radio phone-in Programme, Governor Wike said the planned politically motivated arrest of the PDP Chairman will be resisted by the people.<br /> He said that the Police High Command brought in policemen from Abuja to disobey the Court Order restraining Security agencies from arresting PDP leaders before the elections.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"> He said that he has given the security agencies all the logistics support required for the elections as Chief Security Officer of the State, pointing out that the security agencies have a duty to work within the law.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"> "Today, we received information that policemen from Abuja are in the state to arrest the PDP State Chairman. If the police want to arrest PDP leaders 48 hours to the election, the action is simply politically motivated", he said.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"> He described as unfortunate reports credited to President Muhammadu Buhari on the violence in Rivers State, noting that the President never contacted him for explanation on the security situation in the state.<br /> The governor said PDP is prepared for the re-run elections, but the APC and the Federal Government are not prepared as they are merely interested in antics which will not work.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"> On the petition written by the Rivers State Government to the embassies of 50 countries, Governor Wike said it is a confirmation of the readiness of the PDP to participate in credible polls. He said already the United States, Britain and Canada amongst other countries have requested meetings with him on the issue.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"> He added that the government has uncovered plans by some politically motivated individuals to ensure that card readers fail in parts of the state, especially in Obio/Akpor LGA.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"> Governor Wike said that PDP will win the rerun elections because the party started preparing since December last year when the elections were nullified by the court of Appeal.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"> He said: "APC cannot win any elections in Rivers State. Do a Local Government by Local Government analysis and you will understand why the people prefer the PDP ".</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"> Simeon Nwakaudu,<br /> Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Electronic Media.<br /> 17th March, 2016.</div> </div>

RIVERS STATE SENATORIAL RE-RUN

PLAN TO ARREST PDP LEADERS 48 HOURS TO RERUN ELECTIONS IS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED --Governor Wike Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wik...

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OPEN SECRET: RIVER STATE RE-RUN

<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Declaration of war on Rivers resources<br /> :<img src="https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/12832365_611129745702171_1542459653319366212_n.jpg?oh=3dcc1816a67af9b5869b60d3f21cbd6b&oe=578A629D" style="line-height: 16.08px;" /><br /> 8000 soldiers, 3000 DSS operatives join 6000 mobile policemen for rerun</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> *17000 security operatives already on groun<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">d<br />*Civil Defence, Customs; Immigration, Air Force, Navy to deploy another 8000<br />*personnel predominantly from North East and North West</span></div> <div class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;"> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> There are indications that the Buhari administration on Tuesday night concluded the deployment of 8000 soldiers of the Nigerian Army from different military formations to Rivers State.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> 1000 out of the 8000 soldiers have been allocated to prominent Rivers APC leaders for sundry activities. Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi got 50 soldiers and an Armoured Personnel Carrier to move around with him to polling units and INEC election material distribution centres on Saturday.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Also, 3000 operatives of DSS arrived Rivers State on Tuesday night. The eleven thousand strong security operatives joined 6000 mobile policemen already deployed by Buhari to the state.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Scan-News gathered that the 17,000 security operatives already on ground are mostly indigenes of the North East and North West, with specific instructions.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Commanders of the Forces had arrived earlier in the day. They accompanied the Minister of Transportation to Etche and Gokana Local Government Areas where they held meetings with him on the issue of arrests and detention of key PDP leaders.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> It was gathered that the Navy and Air Force will conclude their deployments today. Warships and Alpha jets will be deployed to the state for the re-run elections.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Before the deployment of the military and policemen, Rivers State has full Military Brigades, Squadron of mobile police and Command of Regular Policemen.</div> </div>

OPEN SECRET: RIVER STATE RE-RUN

Declaration of war on Rivers resources : 8000 soldiers, 3000 DSS operatives join 6000 mobile policemen for rerun *17000 security operat...

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RIVER STATE SENATORIAL RERUN

<img src="https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfl1/v/t1.0-9/12805966_609170495898096_5070499440473499537_n.jpg?oh=e35dee6432d2964ed35a22212567a0d5&oe=5785CD1F" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;">OPERATION TIGER CLAW!!!!.'</span><br /> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Come out in your millions my people!!!!!!!<br /> Vote and hang around to monitor and safeguard your votes. Amaechi is an imbecilic halfcas<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">t. Use your cameras and phones to video the electoral processes. DON'T GIVE THEM A BREATHING SPACE. It is Wike or nothing.<br />Show them the EYIMBER in you.<br /><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/bumpertobumper?source=feed_text&story_id=611346139013865" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl" style="color: #627aad;">‪#‎</span><span class="_58cm">BumperToBumper‬</span></a>!!!!!</span></div>

RIVER STATE SENATORIAL RERUN

OPERATION TIGER CLAW!!!!.' Come out in your millions my people!!!!!!! Vote and hang around to monitor and safeguard your votes. Amaec...

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No individual is leader of Yoruba: Obasanjo

<div style="text-align: justify;"> Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that no individual can be regarded as the leader of the Yoruba.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Obasanjo stated this in his book, titled, “My Watch: Political and Public Affairs,” where he addressed what he called his “Nigerianness and Yorubanness.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In chapter 31, titled, “Campaigns and Elections,” Obasanjo said Nigeria did not need tribal barons as leaders.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He added that there was nothing like Yoruba leadership in Yoruba land.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The former President said, “Just as there was no single oba having sovereignty over the whole of Yorubaland, there was no individual as leader of the Yorubas in Yorubaland. As it was then, it remains till now.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He noted that even among the Yoruba obas “there is equality, but mutual respect.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Backing his claim with a saying, “no crown is subordinate to another,” the former President said cities and areas were normally of different sizes.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He recalled that in the past, obas never saw one another, but sent messages through emissaries.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to him, it was the colonialists that made the obas to see one another face-to-face. The colonialists, he said, went further to rank Yoruba traditional rulers.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Obasanjo noted that in the North, the majority of emirs accepted the Sultan of Sokoto as the direct descendant of Usman Dan Fodio.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said the Sultan was accepted as the leader among Hausa/Fulani traditional rulers.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The Yorubas did not have such a clear-cut and accepted hierarchy. Every oba maintains sovereignty over his domain,” he added.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Obasanjo explained that 'baales' (chiefs) were appointed by obas within their domains.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The former president said the supporters of the first Premier of the Western Region, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, “fixed” the title of Yoruba leader on the late sage during the Civil War.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He recalled that during the war, different ethnic groups met separately to consider positions and issues for the future of Nigeria.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to him, Awolowo presided over the meeting of the Yorubas in Ibadan.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “In the course (of the meeting), Chief Awolowo presided. His supporters then fixed the title of Yoruba leader upon him,” he stated.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Obasanjo said that some people, including Chief Adisa Akinloye, did not accept Awolowo as the leader of the Yoruba.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Obasanjo said that after he successfully ended the Civil War, some people began to extol his “Yorubanness.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “I did not encourage this. 'My Yorubaness' and 'my Nigerianness' must go pari passu, and one must not stand in the way of the other,” he stated.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Explaining the relationship between the two, Obasanjo stated that his parents were from Owu in Abeokuta.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He stated, “I bear Owu tribal marks. And better or worse still, I speak English with my Owu dialect. I have always maintained and felt proud of my 'Owunness', 'Yorubannes' and 'Nigerianness' in that order.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “They are all parts of my cherished identity. But I have always refused and I will always refuse to be constrained, diminished or reduced to the level of Yoruba leadership.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Without being immodest, I am a national leader, an African leader and a world leader in my own way.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The former President said that Nigeria needed nationalists, not tribal leaders.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He stated, “I strongly believe that Nigeria needs nationalists to propel it forward. Myopic tribal barons and tendencies will not take us too far.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Obasanjo said that Nigeria was inadvertently deprived of nationalists as leaders at independence.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Other countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon, to mention a few, were not so deprived,” he noted.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He expressed the hope that Nigeria could still regain what it lost at independence.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Obasanjo further said, “If a person is born in the Yoruba, Igbo, Nupe tribes, it is important that he tries and grows up as a Nigerian with total commitment to Nigeria.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This, he explained, was a sure way “to make Nigeria stable, secure, developed and great.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said that the misapplication of personal and tribal interests was the bane of political stability and rectitude in most African countries.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “I have always believed that the interest of any Nigerian tribe can best be met and served when the national interests are served and not outside it,” he added.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Nigerian leader said that where the need arose, in the interest of justice and fairness, he had spoken and acted on behalf of the Yoruba.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He stated, “I have done so, but not against the overall Nigerian interests or against the interest of any other groups for that matter.”</div>

No individual is leader of Yoruba: Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that no individual can be regarded as the leader of the Yoruba. Obasanjo stated this in his ...

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[PHOTOS] PDP Releases Evidence To Prove DSS Boss’ An APC Member

<img alt="Lawal Daura And Buhari" class="aligncenter wp-image-56080" height="225" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lawal-Daura-And-Buhari-300x211.png" width="320" /><br /> <br /> The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has rekindled its stand in a bid to prove their allegation that the Director-General of Department of State Security (DSS), Lawal Daura is infact a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).<br /> <br /> Recently, the APC came out to dismiss the allegations made by PDP that the DSS is their member stating further that the PDP should provide more proofs to buttress their stance.<br /> <br /> Consequently so, the opposition released these photo evidence to back their allegations, while asking the public to judge as there was no way Daura could preside over the nation’s security apparatus without being partial.<br /> <br /> The PDP had on Wednesday, raised alarm that the DSS Boss, is a member of the ruling the All Progressives Congress (APC) party. See more photo proofs below:<br /> <a href="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lawal-Daura-And-Buhari.2.png"><img alt="Lawal Daura And Buhari.2" class="aligncenter wp-image-56079" height="210" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lawal-Daura-And-Buhari.2-300x198.png" width="320" /></a><br /> <br /> <img alt="" class=" aligncenter" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHSFLbOWkYha5SurFtKnoHegdajz4KB_MVzQ512XJBAkcE0rybfWA8NsExhOv7GN1bJd-P7cY5BbR80l3T7Prh_LeWEjgBCN7-HF_X1-bDHr6hd4vwYseGStcP3Okioxz8aEh7fZFpr8W/s320/2.png" width="320" /><br /> <img alt="" class=" aligncenter" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrSfy_KrdmJ4vqLm3eJtDtLvlk9xLlQrdhQNhCCVfh4KDjn8r96TacSUCAX3LuqWrOJsKL8CPSfBIuSsqmawSAWdxctcm1fSgkzrZf4mscx-Qf3sxHIQoKIocB1RgoA8FEA2zLou0eyHa/s320/3.png" width="320" /><br />

[PHOTOS] PDP Releases Evidence To Prove DSS Boss’ An APC Member

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has rekindled its stand in a bid to prove their allegation that the Director-General of Department of...

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[REVEALED] How Jonathan’s Ministers, Aides, Shared 500 Federal Government Houses

<img alt="PRESIDENT-Goodluck-Jonathan.jpg.pagespeed.ic.jBjczD5xhJ" class=" size-full wp-image-50027 aligncenter" height="240" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/PRESIDENT-Goodluck-Jonathan.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.jBjczD5xhJ.jpg" width="320" /><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A report according to <a href="http://sunnewsonline.com/new/jonathans-ministers-aides-share-500-fg-houses/">Sun News</a> reveals that Influential ministers and aides of for­mer President Goodluck Jonathan were among those who allegedly shared over 500 Federal Government houses located in high brow areas of Abuja and Lagos as parting gifts from the immediate past administration.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Beside the influential ministers and top pres­idential aides, heads of some powerful feder­al agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2">armed</span> forces as well as top military officers are also <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7">beneficiaries</span> of the last minute largesse of the Jonathan’s administration, as documents sight­ed in the office of the Secretary to the Govern­ment of the Federation (SGF) have revealed.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Curiously, most of the beneficiaries have one common feature; the allocation of the houses to them was not done in their individual names but in the names of front-companies and/or faceless companies.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Another interesting development is that with the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Jonathan administration with a view to recovering billions of <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD10">public</span> funds and assets illegally taken by top officials of the immediate past government, many of the ben­eficiaries of the last minute sharing of public assets have abandoned <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4">the properties</span>, most of which are now under lock and key and over­grown with weeds while others have refused to pay for the properties to avoid losing their money in the event that the Buhari government choses to revoke the sales.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A source in the SGF office told Saturday Sun that properties whose owners are now scared to take possession of them are scattered all over Asokoro and Maitama areas of Abuja as well as Ikeja GRA, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Apapa areas of Lagos.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Investigations by Saturday Sun revealed that the abandoned properties are more in Lagos. They litter Emotan road, Apapa GRA; Liver­pool road, Apapa, Marine road, Apapa; Park lane and Child<span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD5">avenue</span>, both also in Apapa. In Ikoyi, they are located at Oyinkan Abayomi (Former Queen’s Drive) and Bourdillion road where the EFCC boss, Ibrahim Lamorde has his allocation; a mansion and two bungalows on a large expanse of land.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> It was also gathered that while some of the former ministers and presidential aides have their allocations in Abuja, top military officers and some heads of <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1">government agencies</span> have theirs in Lagos. Further investigations show that the former ministers, presidential aides and Heads of Departments and Agencies were allo­cated Guest Houses and other buildings owned by their MDAs at ridiculous prices.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The source, who is a top official of the SGF office, however, told Saturday Sun that most of the houses were abandoned because “the owners are obviously looking for private sec­tor individuals that can buy them as many of them didn’t really get the allocations to live in the houses, they only want to sell them off and make profit.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> When asked why the allocations were done in the names of companies rather than the names of the actual beneficiaries, the top offi­cial said: “Most of the owners got the houses while still in government and they wouldn’t like to disclose such huge assets in their assets declaration forms with <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD9">the Code</span> of Conduct Bureau because of the questions on the source of the funds used to pay for such. We’re only the ones who knows who owns what but if you follow the table of allocations, you will only find names of companies as beneficiaries.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The source, however, exonerated the com­mittee in charge of the houses which is directly in charge of some of the sales of any complici­ty, adding: “Decisions and approvals more of­ten than not, come from the Presidency.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The committee also has no control over which name will be used for the purpose of allocation and what such beneficiaries do with the properties afterwards”, the official added.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Beside the sales done by the committee, it was also learnt that some public institutions like the NNPC, PHCN, NPA and CBN handled the sales of some of their properties based on approval from the Presidency. It was said that some of the controversial sales could have been done by the ministries and agencies that have presidential approval to dispose of their own assets.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Another source in the Ministry of Lands and Housing however said that the number of houses allocated was far lower than 500. The source, who is an official of the ministry, dis­closed: “It is true that some requests for allo­cation came towards the end of the last admin­istration but the real allocation was tactically delayed by some officials to avoid running into trouble with the then in-coming Buhari admin­istration.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Reacting on behalf of the <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6">Chairman</span> of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the commission’s spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren said he was not at liberty to comment.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Although he did not deny the claims, he in­sisted on sighting <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3">the document</span> wherein Lam­orde was named as one of the beneficiaries. He maintained that his reaction would be based on what the document alleged, rather than reacting in a vacuum.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He further insisted that the claims could have emanated from anybody who might be out to smear<span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD8">the image</span> of the EFCC chairman.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “I cannot just react to your claims. At least, it is only fair that I see the document you are relying on. I need to study the contents of the document and then react accordingly. You know too well that anybody can make such a weighty allegation just to smear the image of the chairman of EFCC,” Uwujaren added.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But the presidency in its reaction vowed to investigate the development. Special Adviser to the president on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina said the Buhari administration “will investigate such deals.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> President Buhari has said he will not extend his corruption probe beyond the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The President had said during his recent vis­it to the US that he would arrest and prosecute past ministers and other officials who stole Ni­geria’s oil and diverted government’s money into personal accounts.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But the President’s Special Adviser on Me­dia and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said the Pres­ident will limit his anti-corruption war to the immediate past administration.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said even before he was inaugurated on May 29, the President had categorically stated that he would not extend his corruption probe beyond the Jonathan government.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “If you recall, that was already settled before he got inaugurated as President. He has said he will not waste time digging into the far past,” Adesina said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The far past will include Obasanjo and oth­ers. But the President has said he will not waste time to go that far.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Before leaving office, Jonathan had said any probe by the new government would be seen as a “witch-hunt” if it fails to go beyond his ad­ministration.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div>

[REVEALED] How Jonathan’s Ministers, Aides, Shared 500 Federal Government Houses

A report according to Sun News reveals that Influential ministers and aides of for­mer President Goodluck Jonathan were among those wh...

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Department of Petroleum Resources collected N30billion illegally - Gov. Oshiomole

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pIqVWceJbDE/Vbofkhy9UVI/AAAAAAACV88/E95lMEUejj4/s1600/%2560.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pIqVWceJbDE/Vbofkhy9UVI/AAAAAAACV88/E95lMEUejj4/s1600/%2560.png" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomole who has been in the news in recent times over his allegations on the misappropriation of funds in the last administration, says he will not be silent when people are abusing power and stealing government funds.<br /> <br /> Oshiomole, who was a guest at a seminar organized by the Post-Mortem sub-committee of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) yesterday July 29th , alleged that the Department of Petroleum Resources collected N30 billion illegally during the last administration ..<br /> <br /> <br /> "Chairman, you must compel the DPR to refund the money. Edo state will pursue its own share of that money because we have not authorized the DPR to take it. And we have the right to go to court if it is not done because for me I want to die for something and not for nothing because I know I will die. DPR’s budget as I understand is about N4 billion annually and in one month illegally they have deducted 4 per cent from certain accruals from royalties among others amounting to over N2 billion. If your annual budget is about N4 billion and you collect over N2 billion in one month which means in a year you are going to collect close to between N24 and N30 billion where your total expenditure is not more than N4 billion. This is not only illegal, it is unjust and not acceptable in a decent society. We cannot all keep quiet even in the face of everyone abusing power.<br /> <br /> We drive round the country we see a lot of our able young men. In today’s post mortem we want to know how much NIMASA has earned over the years under president Goodluck Jonathan that was never transferred to the federation account and where is the money and how much is it? We also want to know how much NPA transferred to the federation account and if they did not how much do they earn and where is the money?" he said

Department of Petroleum Resources collected N30billion illegally - Gov. Oshiomole

Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomole who has been in the news in recent times over his allegations on the misappropriation of funds in t...

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Is It Time For Ndi Igbo To Panic? - Sahara Reporters

<b>Is It Time for Ndi Igbo to Panic? By Chinedu George Nnawetanma<br /> </b><br /> <b>According to Sahara Reporters</b><br /><br /> I will keep this write-up as short as possible and straight to the point. Ever since the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government assumed office on the 29th of May, 2015, the Igbos have been massively and thoroughly shortchanged.<br /><br />Out of the more-than-a-dozen appointments that have been made by President Buhari over the past two months, there is no single Igbo man, woman, or child among them. The only Igbo that managed to rise to the leadership of a government parastatal under the present dispensation, NIMASA to be precise, was quickly booted out in controversial circumstances just days after he took over on the so-called principle of seniority.<br /><br />A few weeks ago, the service chiefs that were appointed by ex-president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan were sacked and replaced by four new service chiefs along with two security advisers. Surprisingly, out of the six, none was Igbo.<br /><br />In the legislature, the situation is not different. On Tuesday the 28th of July 2015, the House of Representatives' All Progressives Congress' caucus appointed its 4 principal officers. The Majority Leader came from the Southwest (which had already produced the Deputy Speaker), the Deputy Majority Leader came from the North-central, the Chief Whip came from the Northwest, while the Deputy Chief Whip came from the South-south. None of the 4 principal officers of the lower chamber, in addition to the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, is from the Southeast.<br /><br />The Senate has since appointed its APC principal officers. As expected, no one from the Southeast was deemed worthy of holding any position over there. The Senate Leader is from the Northeast, the Deputy Senate Leader is from the Northwest, the Deputy Chief Whip is from the South-south, while the vacant post of the Chief Whip is reserved for the Southwest.<br /><br />The events in the Senate did not come as a surprise, because no APC member from the Southeast made it to the 8th Senate. However, what happened in the lower chamber on the 28th of July paints the true picture of the situation the Igbos have now found themselves in Nigeria.<br /><br />The implication of these arrangements in the country's lawmaking organs is that there's no APC principal officer from the Southeast. This goes to show that the Igbos have, by and large, been reduced to nonentities and mere passengers in the present Nigerian political setup.<br /><br />Is this the agenda the All Progressives Congress has for the Igbos? Is it a sign of what is to be expected in the next 4 years? <b>Yes, it's true that the Igbos did not support the APC in the past election, but what are they doing to support and justify the actions of the few who, against all odds, risked their lives, reputations, and those of their families by throwing their weight behind the Party?</b><br /><br /><b>The beauty of democracy is that everybody is FREE and AT LIBERTY to choose whomever he wants to be governed by. He is not to be victimized, punished, or marginalized for doing so. If the reverse were the case, then the American region popularly referred to as the "Bible Belt" would have been marginalized and severely dealt with by President Barack Obama for rejecting him, not once, but twice, in a presidential election. His predecessor, the Republican Party's George W. Bush, would have also done the same to the US Northeast, which repeatedly votes in favor of the Democratic Party.</b><br /><br />These are true democrats who have had democratic principles ingrained in them from infancy. Nigerian politicians must also learn to be democrats, not vindictive and self-serving tyrants.<br /><br />The sine qua non reason why the Igbos voted so overwhelmingly against the APC in the past general election was that the Party had, prior to the election, made no effort whatsoever to identify with them. The Igbos were treated as irrelevant while the People's Democratic Party warmed up to them. With the way things are going, the APC is all but making those suspicions well founded.<br /><br />Democracy is all about making people feel included. Thomas Jefferson, one of the men who penned what became known as the American Constitution, once said that "government exists for the interests of the governed, not for the governors." So does leadership.<br /><br />Be that as it may, the Igbos have clearly lost out in this current set-up. Now is the time to start re-strategizing for 2019. 2019 is not as far away as some of us may think. I still remember 2011 like it was yesterday; that was four years ago. 2019 is four years from now and it will come faster than expected. It is only wise that the Igbos meet it prepared.<br /><br />All Igbos must come together to build a formidable political bloc devoid of the usual infighting and divided loyalties; a new sociopolitical platform that will not be driven by lust for power or wealth, but by a burning desire to represent the interest and meet the needs and aspirations of the Igbo nation. It should be led by a coalition of seasoned politicians and statesmen, leaders of thought, and intellectuals, as well as brilliant, vibrant, and focused youths.<br /><br />If anything, the events of the past few months have proven that the time has finally come for Ndi Igbo to put their heads together, evaluate their current state in the Nigerian entity, and work towards a future with or without it.<br /><br />I also wish to seize this opportunity to appeal to dear President Buhari to carry everyone along in his administration. Need I remind him that he's the president of the entirety of Nigeria, and not just a section of it?<br /><br />I usually don't conclude my write-ups with quotes because I believe it's a bad way of writing. But I'll have to break protocol for this one by leaving you with a quote from Chinua Achebe in his magnum opus, Things Fall Apart: "The bird says that since hunters have learned to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching."

Is It Time For Ndi Igbo To Panic? - Sahara Reporters

Is It Time for Ndi Igbo to Panic? By Chinedu George Nnawetanma   According to Sahara Reporters I will keep this write-up as short as poss...

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Tinubu’s Political Career Is Over, Says Bode George

<div style="text-align: justify;"> <img alt="" class="media-element file-embedded" height="214" src="https://secure.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/1280px-Asiwaju_Bola_Ahmed_Tinubu_%285980497975%29.jpg?itok=AEnsDpXK" width="320" /> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A former National Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Bode George, has said that the political career of the National Leader, All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is over.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> George said this during a telephone interview with our correspondent while reacting to the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as the Senate President ahead of Senator Ahmed Lawan, who was the preferred candidate of Tinubu.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Specifically, George said Tinubu should start preparing to quit politics as his political influence has grossly diminished.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The PDP leader said Nigerians had become fed up with Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande’s style of politics which he alleged involved imposition of candidates.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said having nominated the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; and the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Tinubu should have “taken things easy” but “Tinubu continued to push his luck too far.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said, “You know I predicted weeks ago that the APC is just a congregation of strange bedfellows. The most beautiful thing about what has happened is that Bola Tinubu’s political influence in Nigeria is coming to a sunset and it is about five minutes to midnight for him.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “If he cannot see this now, then it will be foolish of him. He brought in the APC national chairman and the vice-president and he thinks Nigeria belongs to him. So, he thought what he did in Lagos was what he could replicate at the national level and they have shown him that he cannot continue to be the lord of the manor.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “So, if he is wise, he will slow down. President Muhammadu Buhari, as an army general, has fought more battles than him and has an understanding of things.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> George said the re-election of Senator Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President was a victory for the PDP.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said this was in line with his prediction that the PDP would bounce back. He praised the PDP senators for carrying out a successful ‘political manoeuvre’.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> George said, “The PDP was never dead. We were only given a bloodied nose, not a technical knockout. So, this is an opportunity to start regrouping and getting ready for 2019. I want to salute the dexterity and perfect political manoeuvres for which the PDP is well known.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “People like Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande in Osun have always been local champions. Now, they have come to the national level of politics and they are now learning the tricks that all that glitters is not gold.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “I congratulate Saraki and Ekweremadu. They understand what Nigeria is all about.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> George slammed the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for rejecting the outcome of the elections.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said the APC had no powers to sanction Saraki.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The APC would discipline Saraki? Is Saraki a child? They probably think they are playing local politics like the one they play in Lagos State. I welcome them to the real world,” he said.</div> <div class="clearfix after-story-ad-wrapper" style="text-align: justify;"> <div class="views-row col-small-6 col-large-4"> </div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Source: <a href="http://saharareporters.com/2015/06/10/tinubu%E2%80%99s-political-career-over-says-bode-george">Saharareporters</a> </div>

Tinubu’s Political Career Is Over, Says Bode George

  A former National Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Bode George, has said that the political career of the Nati...

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You Wouldn’t Believe Tinubu’s Reaction To Saraki’s Victory As Senate President

<img alt="tinubu" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-46895" height="206" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/tinubu.jpg" width="320" /><br /> <br /> <span style="color: black;">According to sources, the events at the National Assembly has left Tinubu and other  All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders shocked and  speechless.</span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">As they left the International Conference Centre in Abuja where they were supposed to have a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, they could not comment on what may have happened at the National Assembly.</span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">It seems that the PDP not only robbed the APC of the top positions at the Senate but also the power of speech.</span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was not even able to make comments over Bukola Saraki’s winning of the post of the President of the Senate.</span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">“I have no comment, I have no reaction,” said the national Leader of the APC while leaving the International Conference Centre in Abuja where the APC leaders were waiting in vain for Muhammadu Buhari.</span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">John Odigie-Oyegun, the APC National Chairman, added: “We just watched it (on TV) but we will address you when the whole situation has been re-examined.”</span><br />

You Wouldn’t Believe Tinubu’s Reaction To Saraki’s Victory As Senate President

According to sources, the events at the National Assembly has left Tinubu and other  All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders shocked and...

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Photos] Buhari And Fashola Goes For A Walk On The Streets Of Germany

<img alt="fasholabuhari" class="aligncenter wp-image-51353" height="235" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/fasholabuhari-300x220.jpeg" width="320" /><br /> President Muhammadu Buhari alongside Former Lagos state governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola goes for a walk during their Visit in Munich, Germany for G7 Summit.<br /> Fashola, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, former Chief of Army Staff, Abdulrahman Dambazau among other officials were among the entourage who accompanied the president to present Nigeria’s ‘wish list’ to the world leaders at the one day event.<br /> Fashola and Dambazau have been tipped to be nominated as ministers with the latter tipped to be appointed as either the Defense Minister or National Security Adviser.<br /> <a href="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Fashola.jpg"><img alt="Fashola" class="aligncenter wp-image-51352" height="320" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Fashola-300x300.jpg" width="319" /></a><br /> <a href="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/fasholabuhari.png"><img alt="fasholabuhari" class="aligncenter wp-image-51356" height="320" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/fasholabuhari.png" width="320" /></a><br />

Photos] Buhari And Fashola Goes For A Walk On The Streets Of Germany

President Muhammadu Buhari alongside Former Lagos state governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola goes for a walk during their Visit in Munich, Germa...

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How Saraki, Dogara outfoxed APC leaders

<strong>A</strong><strong>BUJA — </strong>The dramatic election of four key officers of the National Assembly yesterday unsettled the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and breathed life into the Peoples Democratic Party which lost its prime position to the APC.<br /> At the end of intrigues and drama that followed the battle for the four presiding officers’ positions in the National Assembly, all the candidates of the APC lost to the candidates backed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.<br /> <div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_529319" style="width: 368px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/?attachment_id=529319" rel="attachment wp-att-529319"><img alt="Saraki" class="wp-image-529319 size-full" height="350" src="http://cdn2.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Saraki-SP.jpg.pagespeed.ce.qxGhtpWdwI.jpg" width="358" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text"> Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki raising the gavel at the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly in Abuja, yesterday</div> </div> In his immediate reaction to the emergence of the National Assembly presiding officers, President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged that a constitutional process has occurred in the election even though he wished the process had followed the initiative by the APC.<br /> Senator Bukola Saraki of the APC was returned unopposed as Senate President as the game of intrigues which played through Monday night to the early hours caught the APC leadership on the wrong side. His emergence was facilitated by the solid backing of the 49-member strong PDP caucus with unalloyed support from APC Senators from Zamfara, Sokoto, Adamawa, Kogi and Kwara States. As part of the <em>quid pro quo</em> from the PDP, the Saraki elements backed the return of Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the PDP as Deputy President of the Senate, the first time a bipartisan leadership was enthroned in the Senate.<br /> The emergence of Saraki and Ekweremadu bounced off negatively for the official APC candidate in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who lost to the unofficial APC candidate, Yakubu Dogara. Gbajabiamila was also widely reported to be strongly backed by the party leader and former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.<br /> The rout of the APC leaders’ choices was completed late last night when the party’s candidate for Deputy Speaker, Tahir Monguno also lost to the unofficial candidate backed by the PDP, Lashan Yusuf. The contest for the deputy was after Gbajabiamila had, after his defeat, spurned entreaties from the Dogara camp to take the position of Deputy Speaker. Rep. Leo Ogor, coordinator of the PDP in the chambers and Deputy Leader of the House in the Seventh House of Representatives also spurned the offer.<br /> Saraki’s emergence as Senate President was preceded by hard negotiations and intrigues that played for most of Monday night into the early hours of Tuesday.<br /> <strong>Game of intrigues</strong><br /> Having rejected last Saturday’s internal party caucus which it claimed was skewed to favour Senator Ahmad Lawan who emerged official candidate of the party, Senator Saraki had through Monday made moves to concretise an alliance with the PDP which came into the Eighth Senate with 49 members compared with the 59 seats occupied by his own party, APC.<br /> PDP leaders, including virtually all governors belonging to the party in meetings gave their commitment to Senator Saraki after it emerged that 41 out of the 49 senators-elect in the party were already committed to him. That was based on the strong lobby put forward by Ekweremadu, Senator Andy Uba and former Akwa Ibom governor, Godswill Akpabio.<br /> The PDP senators, it was learnt, saw Saraki who served two terms as governor and a Senate term on the platform of the party as a prodigal son of better consideration than an enemy which they saw in Lawan.<br /> However, consideration was given to the strong support being given Senator Lawan by immediate past Senate President, Senator David Mark, who had for the past eight years had Lawan as part of his inner caucus. Besides was the lack of cordiality between Saraki and Mark. Upon the strong support for Saraki, governors and members of the PDP National Working Committee, NWC including the immediate past chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih persuaded Mark to drop his objection to Saraki in the interest of party unity.<br /> Mark, according to sources, heeded the appeal and immediately brought relief to all present at the high-level meeting. However, the <em>quid pro quo</em> was that Senator Ekweremadu would run for the office of Deputy President of the Senate.<br /> Upon the agreement which was sealed sometime around 2.a.m yesterday morning, Saraki and his entourage moved over to Senator Mark’s Apo Mansion residence where he thanked the immediate past Senate President for his hand of conciliation and support. Mark, according to sources, was visibly moved by the entreaty from Saraki and further reaffirmed his support.<br /> The PDP quickly issued a statement following the agreement with a directive to senators-elect and members-elect on the platform of the party to vote for Saraki and Dogara in the leadership contest in the two chambers. The APC meanwhile had the previous night been making furtive attempts at reconciliation. A move by Lawan to reach Saraki according to sources was frustrated by Saraki who put himself out of reach to the party leadership.<br /> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_529307" style="width: 422px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/?attachment_id=529307" rel="attachment wp-att-529307"><img alt="Dogara" class="size-full wp-image-529307" height="248" src="http://cdn2.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Dogara-Speaker.jpg.pagespeed.ce.U4Dt8SVUe9.jpg" width="412" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text"> Dogara</div> </div> <strong>APC summons meeting</strong><br /> Early yesterday morning the APC, apparently aiming to undercut the agreement reached between the Saraki/Dogara groups and the PDP, summoned a meeting with all senators-elect and members-elect using the name of the president, Muhammadu Buhari who had just returned from his outing at the G7 summit in Germany.<br /> To give vent to the meeting, security was tightened around the National Assembly complex and senators-elect and members-elect were initially refused entry. However, supporters of Saraki and Dogara were quick to dismiss the meeting as they alleged that the president did not summon the meeting as they accused the party leadership of using the name of the president.<br /> Meanwhile as if bound by some agreements, the rebel APC senators-elect shortly before 10.00 a.m. drove into the National Assembly complex within a ten-minute period to team up with the 49 senators-elect from the PDP.<br /> At exactly, 10:03, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, began the day’s business with the roll call, after which it was discovered that out of the 108 senators-elect, only 57 were in attendance, leaving 52 others, mostly of the APC fold still outside.<br /> At that time, the 33 senators-elect committed to Senator Lawan, the party’s official candidate were still waiting for President Buhari who was nowhere to be found at the International Conference Centre, about two kilometres away.<br /> Seated, waiting were members of the National Working Committee of the APC led by the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Abia state governor, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, former Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande and Yobe state governor, Ibrahim Geidam.<br /> Meanwhile in the Senate chambers, with a quorum in place, senators-elect were asked to confirm their attendance in a roll call.<br /> <strong>Saraki emerges Senate president</strong><br /> Remarkably, Senator Saraki’s entry into the hall was hailed by wide applause from the seated senators-elect.<br /> Following the roll call, the Clerk of the National Assembly read the proclamation address to him from the president. He thereafter, requested the senators-elect to nominate someone among themselves for the position of the Senate President and Senator Ahmad Sani, Yeriman Bakura (APC, Zamfara Central), immediately nominated Senator Saraki and he was seconded by Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West.<br /> After the first nomination, Salisu, again, requested for other nominations, but there was a deafening silence as no other nomination for the post of Senate President was made and he immediately closed nomination upon which Saraki was adopted as the sole candidate and returned unopposed as the Senate President.<br /> <strong>APC meeting breaks up</strong><br /> Meanwhile, word of the development in the National Assembly reached the ICC, forcing a break-up of the meeting as APC senators-elect waiting for the president started dashing back to the National Assembly.<br /> After his election, he was immediately sworn in by the Clerk of the National Assembly following which he asked senators-elect to make nomination for Deputy President of the Senate.<br /> Senator George Sekibo from Rivers State nominated Senator Ekweremadu for the position of the Deputy Senate President and he was seconded by his kinsman, Senator-elect, Olaka Nwogu.<br /> Senator Ndume was nominated for the same position, setting the stage for an epic battle that however, melted into an easy sail for Ekweremadu who won with 54 votes to 20. He becomes the first senator to be elected to the office three times and the first principal officer of the National Assembly in either House to be elected presiding officer three straight times.<br /> <strong>Saraki’s victory paves way for Dogara</strong><br /> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_529473" style="width: 347px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/?attachment_id=529473" rel="attachment wp-att-529473"><img alt="Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara after inauguration, yesterday. Photos: Olugbemiga Olamikan/" class="size-full wp-image-529473" height="250" src="http://cdn2.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Yakubu-Dogara.jpg.pagespeed.ce.epPu-2oHN9.jpg" width="337" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text"> Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara after inauguration, yesterday. Photos: Olugbemiga Olamikan/</div> </div> The defeat of the official APC candidates immediately translated into a bounce for Dogara who had formed a partnership with Saraki in the rebellion against the official candidates of the party. The election of Saraki as the Senate President prompted wild jubilation on the floor of the House of Representatives, especially among the supporters of Dogara.<br /> Hon. Emeka Azubugu (Anambra PDP) brought the news at exactly 10.19 a.m. and Pat Asadu, (Enugu PDP) walked and signalled the victory of Saraki to the members.<br /> Amid the jubilations, members began to sing solidarity songs like “All we are saying, give us Dogara”, “solidarity forever, we shall always fight for our rights”. The songs later gave way to shouts of “Dogara, Dogara”, in unison.<br /> But the chants changed when Femi Gbajabiamila rushed in into the chamber from the ICC at 11.00 a.m. apparently to undercut a unanimous vote for Dogara.<br /> His entry also led to a chorus of his name by his supporters. While his fans shouted “Sai Gbajabiamila”, Dogara’s supporters in a surprise response loudly re-echoed “Sai Dogara”, meaning “It is Dogara”.<br /> The mother of all chants, however, came when Dogara walked into the chamber at 11:12 a.m. But feeling provoked, Gbajabiamila’s supporters joined the fray in the chants, showing a clear division of the camps. This continued until 11:58 a.m. when the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Maikasuwa came into the chamber and introduced himself as the clerk<br /> It took about 30 minutes for the house to get ready for the election. At exactly 12:33, the House was called to order with the clerk reading the proclamation letter from President Buhari. Following the letter, the roll call of members-elect was taken and it lasted for 25 minutes between 12:35 pm and 1:pm in alphabetical order of the states. In the end, 358 members were announced by the clerk to be present.<br /> <strong>Motion for nomination of candidates</strong><br /> In line with Section 60 of the 1999 constitution and Order 2, Rule 4 of the standing rule of the House, Hon. Abdulmumin Jubrin from Kano State nominated Dogara as a candidate for the speakership. The motion was seconded by Hon. Dike Okafor, a member from Imo State.<br /> Thereafter, Dogara stood up and acknowledged the nomination. He said: “I rise to accept my nomination as the speaker of the 8th House of Representatives”.<br /> His acceptance was greeted with standing ovation by his supporters, prompting shouts of “unopposed”. When this died down, Hon. Mohammadu Saleh from Bauchi State also moved another motion, nominating Gbajabiamila. The motion was also seconded by Hon. Shuaibu Philip from Edo State.<br /> “It is with great humbly and profound gratitude that I accept my nomination for the speakership position of the 8th House Of Representatives”, he said. With the rituals concluded at exactly 1:21pm, the clerk later said “We are proceeding with the election and according to the rule. The election will be by secret balloting.”<br /> Voting formally commenced at 1:27 pm and ended at exactly 3:31 pm with sorting and collation of results commencing almost immediately. In the end, Dogara was announced the winner with 182 votes to 174 votes.<br /> <strong>Gbajabiamila embraces Dogara</strong><br /> Sensing that he had lost the election even before the results were announced, Gbajabiamila stood up from his seat, walked up to where Dogara sat and embraced him, a development that was admired by many members of the House.<br /> Following his election, Dogara pledged to join the administration in waging war against the cancer of corruption, health problems, insecurity, bad governance among others. Hon. Lasun from Oyo State was also returned as Deputy Speaker having defeated Monguno from Borno State. The developments in the Senate and the House of Representatives drew different reactions from the PDP and the APC last night.<br /> <strong>APC rejects outcomes, says it’s treachery</strong><br /> The APC was quick to reject the outcome describing it as the height of treachery as it promised to sanction those who betrayed the decision of the party.<br /> “Senator Bukola and Hon. Dogara are not the candidates of the APC and a majority of its National Assembly members-elect for the positions of Senate President and House Speaker. The party duly met and conducted a straw poll and clear candidates emerged for the posts of Senate President, Deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, supported by a majority of all Senators-elect and members-elect of the House of Representatives. All National Assembly members-elect who emerged on the platform of the party are bound by that decision.<br /> ‘’The party is supreme and its interest is superior to that of its individual members,’’ the party said in a statement issued in Abuja Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.<br /> “Consequently, the APC leadership is meeting in a bid to reestablish discipline in the party and to mete out the necessary sanctions to all those involved in what is nothing but a monumental act of indiscipline and betrayal to subject the party to ridicule and create obstacles for the new administration ‘’ it said. ‘’There can be no higher level of treachery, disloyalty and insincerity within any party,’’ the party said, vowing to resolve the matter using all constitutional and legal means available to it.<br /> Meanwhile, the APC has asked all its loyal Senators-elect to report to the Senate to be sworn-in in order to discharge their constitutional duties.<br /> <strong>PDP welcomes election</strong><br /> The PDP in its own reaction, however, welcomed the election saying that no section of the country should be neglected on national issues.<br /> PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement on Tuesday described the development in both chambers of the National Assembly as “victory for democracy and triumph of the time-honored value of the PDP that every zone and segment of the country must at all times be given a sense of belonging in governance”.<br /> The PDP assured that it would continue to partner with like minds in other political parties and groups to ensure that the nation’s democracy, which it nurtured in the last 16 years is sustained in the overall interest of the Nigerian people.<br /> “What is paramount to the PDP is the sustenance of our democracy and the wellbeing of our people, irrespective of creed, class or ethnicity. The PDP is therefore willing and ready to partner with like-minded individuals in other political parties and groups to sustain our democracy, ensure good governance and promote the unity and stability of our dear nation. Nigeria as a nation belongs to all of us. Its interest, therefore, must be put over and above personal, partisan or group interests at all times.<br /> “In this regard, the PDP notes with gratitude, the immense contributions of the immediate past Senate President ‘the Baba of the National Assembly’, Senator David Mark for the decency and mature manner with which he ensured the smooth take off of the 8th National Assembly”, the party said.<br /> The statement also commended the PDP Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus for successfully galvanizing PDP members in both chambers of the National Assembly, which contributed to the peaceful conduct of the elections.<br /> The PDP charged its members in the National Assembly to continue to uphold the tenets of democracy and enforce the constitutionally vested parliamentary role of check and balances to ensure the much desired accountability and probity in the polity.<br /> Finally, it urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop whining and accept the will of the people, respect the independence of the legislature, as the PDP is not responsible for their naivety and crass inexperience.<br /> <strong>Buhari lauds outcome of NASS polls</strong><br /> President Buhari on his part noted the outcome of the just-concluded election of leaders of the National Assembly.<br /> A statement issued by the Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Femi Adesina, said the President would rather that the process of electing the leaders as initiated and concluded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) had been followed. Nonetheless, the President took the view that a constitutional process has somewhat occurred.<br /> “President Buhari had said in an earlier statement that he did not have any preferred candidate for the Senate and the House of Representatives, and that he was willing to work with whoever the lawmakers elected,” Adesina said. “That sentiment still stands, though he would have preferred the new leaders to have emerged through the process established by the party”.

How Saraki, Dogara outfoxed APC leaders

A BUJA — The dramatic election of four key officers of the National Assembly yesterday unsettled the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC...

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House Speaker: Confusion as APC consensus candidate emerges

The primary election for the two major aspirants to the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hons. Yakubu Dogara, from Bauchi State, and Femi Gbajabiamila, from Lagos State, organised by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, ended in confusion.<br /> Gbajabiamila emerged the party’s consensus candidates in a process that saw Dogara and his group staging a walk out.<br /> <br /> Both lawmakers have been strong contenders for the office in an election for speakership scheduled for the inaugural meeting of the House of Representatives on Tuesday and have built their camps of supporters since after the general elections that won them re-election.<br /> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_522217" style="width: 422px;"> <img alt="Dogara and Gbajabiamila" class="size-full wp-image-522217" height="250" src="http://cdn2.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/412x250xgbajabiamila-Dogara.jpg.pagespeed.ic.-J9oVj0Svo.jpg" width="412" /><div class="wp-caption-text"> Dogara and Gbajabiamila</div> </div> Gbajabiamila is believed to have the strong backing of the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, while Dogara banks on the goodwill of APC lawmakers and those of the opposition PDP.<br /> Consequent upon the close ties between the crisis created by the contest for the House speakership, the APC national leadership summoned a meeting of all members-elect on Thursday at the International Conference Centre, ICC, Abuja to reach a consensus.<br /> But the meeting could not hold as a result of the valedictory session of the last Senate.<br /> It was later learnt that the meeting was shifted to yesterday.<br /> <br /> But to the chagrin of the lawmakers, the APC leadership, yesterday, opted for a closed-door session.<br /> The shouts, which later emanated from the venue, was evident that all was not well.<br /> Later, Dogara was seen walking out from the hall defying down pour.<br /> He was followed by Hon. Abdulmumuni Jubril, from Kano State, and about 19 others who felt they were “ambushed”.<br /> <br /> Jubril, who spoke with journalists on behalf of Dogara’s camp, said the leadership claimed it was going to organize a primary election for the contenders for the House of Representatives speakership.<br /> He said: “Our party, the APC, called a meeting of all members-elect this morning. From the point of our arrival, we noticed strange happenings. We noticed a lot of campaign going on. We thought that the party invited us to give us the last word of advice before going into the elections.<br /> <br /> “The National Chairman made his opening remarks and, thereafter, announced that there was going to be a straw election, which he interpreted as a primary election. He, of course, drew our attention to the presidential primary that was held where President Muhammadu Buhari emerged as the presidential candidate then.<br /> “When we noticed that things weren’t going the way they should, we drew the attention of the National Chairman and we told him four clear things<br /> “Number one: we reminded the National Chairman that the leader of the party and the president of the country, Muhammadu Buhari, has stated very clearly that the members of the National Assembly should be given the liberty to choose their leaders.<br /> “So we asked the National Chairman, it is either he was not in agreement with the statement of the President or he is not accepting the fact that the President is the leader of the party.<br /> “Secondly, we drew the attention of the National Chairman that the two aspirants in the race are all of the APC, why shouldn’t he allow us to go to the floor of the House and determine who leads the 8th Assembly of the House of Representatives. You have no reason to be worried because both aspirants are from the party.<br /> “So, we are surprised they are trying to force us into a process which we stated clearly that there is no provision for<br /> primary for the speakership of the House of Representatives in the Constitution of the APC, there is no provision for primary for speakership in the Constitution of Nigeria.<br /> “We stated this very clearly and told him that the primary he had called, he called it without notice and, to us, we interpreted it as an ambush, an ambush against the candidature of Hon Yakubu Dogara. We were not informed.<br /> “The meeting was not advertised, a lot of members were actually out of Abuja and we requested for just one simple thing. We said if the party will be fair, postpone whatever you want to do, even if you want to try out something, but he was adamant. We said give us notice till tomorrow, the party Chairman said the election must go ahead.<br /> <br /> “Finally, our position, we told the National Chairman will not participate in an election that is impromptu. It is obvious that this is pre-determined. The other aspirant mobilised his people very well and we were not informed. We were just given the impression that it was going to be a meeting of blessing for all aspirants and today we are seeing something different.<br /> <br /> “We have stated it clearly, we’ll not participate in this election. It undermines the Constitution of the APC. It undermines the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Our position is one and only, the next Speaker of the House of Representatives should be decided on the floor of the House on Tuesday, the 9th of June 2015. That is what the Constitution provides and that is our own position.”<br /> Speaking with journalists before the primary election started, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, promised it would be free and fair.<br /> <br /> The election, which started around noon, ended at about 4:30 pm.<br /> The process produced Gbajabiamila, who polled 154 votes to beat Dogara, who got three votes in absentia, to emerge the APC candidate for speakership. The result was announced by the Returning Officer and National Secretary of APC, Mallam Maila Buni.<br /> <br /> Monguno, who ran unopposed, secured 153 votes to win the election for deputy speakership.<br /> Remarkably, APC has 213 members in the House of Representatives out of which 183 signed the attendance register at the poll while 26 walked out in protest.<br /> Meanwhile, a similar meeting between the APC leadership and the party’s senators-elect was expected to resume at the venue by 8pm, yesterday, on the Senate presidency. The two contenders for<br /> the Senate presidency are Senators Bukola Saraki and Ahmed Lawan.<br /> <br /> SOurce: Vangaurd 

House Speaker: Confusion as APC consensus candidate emerges

The primary election for the two major aspirants to the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hons. Yakubu Dogara, from B...

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PDP May Determine National Assembly Leadership as APC Consensus Plan Falters

<img alt="John-Odigie-Oyegun-0704.jpg - John-Odigie-Oyegun-0704.jpg" id="page_content_Content9_oModuleContent_2_img_Banner" src="http://cdn.akamai.thisdaylive.com/0bef99d6-acf5-4e2c-9779-8fa02ba3fcd4/assets/John-Odigie-Oyegun-0704.jpg?maxwidth=400&maxheight=540" /><br /> <br /> APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun <br /> <ul> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <em><strong>Gbajabiamila emerges compromise speaker amid protest        </strong></em></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <em><strong>APC officially backs Lawan for senate presidency</strong></em></li> </ul> <div style="text-align: justify;"> By Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, and Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja<br /> <br /> The climate of suspicion and disparity that has pervaded the attempt by All Progressives Congress to present consensus candidates for Tuesday’s elections into the leadership of the National Assembly came to a head on Saturday as the party tried to bring the major players together in a last ditch effort to  strike agreement.   </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The leadership of APC decided to hold mock elections for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker of the House of Representatives as well as senate president and deputy senate president. But the exercise was marred by boycotts. During the voting for the House, some of the major contenders staged a walkout, while the voting for the senate was boycotted by a key contender, Senator Bukola Saraki from Kwara State, after it became clear that the APC leadership was backing the other main contestant, Senator Ahmed Lawan from Yobe State. But in what looked like a mere affirmation, Lawan won the endorsement of the party as its sole candidate for Tuesday’s election on the floor of the senate to choose the President of Senate.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> As it is, Peoples Democratic Party National Assembly members-elect, who have seemed to remain distanced, yet united, in the wrangling over the leadership of the bicameral legislature, may hold the key to determining the leaders of the two chambers.    </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> After many weeks of horse-trading, the APC House members-elect yesterday picked Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as the party’s candidate for the office of speaker of the House of Representatives. He was chosen at a primary conducted by the leadership of APC.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But the APC mock election was marred by a walkout by two key contenders for the office of speaker, the former chairman of house services committee, Hon. Yakubu Dogara from Bauchi State, and Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin from Kano State, and their supporters.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In a joint statement issued under the auspices of the “8th Assembly Consolidation Group,” Dogara and Jibrin frowned on the decision of the APC leadership to ignore the group’s request for a 24-hour delay of the mock election to enable them prepare and mobilise their supports since they were not given prior information. They described the exercise as an ambush.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> For the post of senate president, the APC primary held after several shifts and hard bargaining, which did not, however, succeed in convincing Saraki and his supporters to participate.<br /> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Gbajabiamila scored 154 votes to defeat Dogara, who had only three votes. However, before the election, Dogara had rejected the arrangement and walked out with his supporters, saying the election into the speaker's office should rather be held on the floor of the House on Tuesday.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The decision to hold a primary election was arrived at after hours of closed-door meeting between the leadership of APC, led by its national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and House members-elect at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. The meeting had earlier been slated for last Thursday, but it was suspended to enable lawmakers attend the valedictory sessions that held in both chambers of the National Assembly the same day.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Odigie-Oyegun said the process of choosing the leadership of the National Assembly would start with the election of the APC candidate for the office of speaker and deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, which would be followed by the selection of the senate president and deputy senate president later in the day.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He explained that the primary election demonstrated the party’s resolve not to impose anyone on the lawmakers but to provide an enabling environment for them to choose their leaders.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “We are here to provide the platform for you, honourable members, to decide who you want to be your leaders. We are not here to decide for you who leads you. We are only here to provide an enabling environment for you to choose your leaders,” the APC chairman told the lawmakers-elect.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He announced that out of 209 APC members-elect in the House, 182 were present at the primary.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> After his speech, Odigie-Oyegun opened the floor for the commencement of the exercise, as he named the returning officer for the election, which was the national secretary of APC, Mai Mala Buni, after which members began to nominate candidates.<br /> Those nominated as contestants for the speaker's office were Gbajabiamila, Hon. Pally Iriase, and Dogara, while Hon. Mohammed Monguno and Hon. Mohammed Goni were nominated as contenders for the office of deputy speaker.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> However, shortly after his nomination, Iriase announced his withdrawal from the race. He said he took the decision for the sake of peace in the House and the party. Goni, who had been nominated to stand for election into the office of deputy speaker, also stepped down for Monguno.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The election was done with the presiding officer calling the name of every House member to come to the platform to cast his or her vote.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> At the end of the voting, Gbajabiamila emerged the winner with 154 votes while Monguno, who was unopposed, became the candidate for deputy speaker. Both of them would stand as the APC candidates for election into the offices of speaker and deputy speaker of the House on Tuesday, when the eighth National Assembly would be inaugurated.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> While congratulating Gbajabiamila, Odigie-Oyegun said he was glad that internal democracy, which APC stood for, had again prevailed. He charged Gbajabiamila to immediately reach out to all members, including the aggrieved.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In his acceptance speech, Gbajabiamila said he was humbled by the confidence reposed in him by his colleagues. He said, “This is the change Nigerians want and this is the change we promised them. I’m humbled that my colleagues have given me another four years to lead them; this time, not as the leader of opposition but as speaker of House of Representatives. About 20 members did not make it here today. Those members are part of my group and Monguno's. With that number, it is enough to win election into the speaker's office.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But Dogara and Jibrin protested the primary, stating, “We have interpreted it to be an ambush, an ambush against the candidature of Yakubu Dogara. We were not informed, it was not advertised and a lot of members are actually out of Abuja at the moment.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Dogara said that he and other members had gone to the meeting with the expectation that the party wanted to give their final advice ahead of Tuesday’s inauguration of the House.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said, “However, we began to notice some moves in the hall where members supporting Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila started campaigning and soon we saw ballot papers being moved in the hall.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "Oyegun informed us that they were going to conduct a mock, straw or primary election. After raising these objections, the national chairman, Chief Oyegun, did not respond to any of the points raised.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Initially, the chairman agreed to halt the process but one hour later the national vice chairman, North, Senator Lawal Shuaibu, came up and said the process must go on whether we like it or not. At this stage we had no option than to walkout of the hall and address the press.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Dogara and Jibrin said that the choice of speaker was not the exclusive responsibility of APC members, insisting that the speaker would be determined on the floor of the House on Tuesday.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> THISDAY gathered that the inability of the APC senators-elect to agree on the system of voting had initially forced the national chairman to call off the meeting and summon another round of meeting at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel. The camps of Saraki and Lawan were expected to send five senators-elect each to the meeting with the APC national leadership.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> After several hours of intense political horse-trading and lobbying, the leadership of APC finally came out to endorse Lawan as its candidate for the position of senate president. It followed a voting process where Buni declared Lawan winner with the votes of 32 APC senators who participated, while one vote was voided. He also announced Senator George Akume as the party’s choice for the post of deputy senate president, saying he secured 32 votes.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But the Saraki group continues to lay claim to 34 out of the about 57 APC senators-elect, while Lawan also says he has even more senators-elect supporting him.</div> <br /> With the current situation, it seems it is now down to the PDP legislators-elect to determine the speaker of the House and the senate president, as the APC candidates look set to meet head-to-head at the floor of both chambers of the National Assembly on Tuesday.<br />

PDP May Determine National Assembly Leadership as APC Consensus Plan Falters

APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun Gbajabiamila emerges compromise speaker amid protest        APC officially back...

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Boko Haram dares New governement: Suicide bomber lures scores with Buhari campaign songs, kills them...

<span style="font-size: small;">Since the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, barely one week ago, specifically May 29, 2015, Borno State, particularly Maiduguri, the state capital, has witnessed sustained attacks by insurgents. Buhari had said at the inauguration that the nation’s military command was being moved to Borno, the hotbed of Boko Haram, to end the insurgency.</span><br /> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_528171" style="width: 300px;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/babo.jpg"><img alt="President Buhari" class="size-medium wp-image-528171" height="300" src="http://cdn2.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/290x300xbabo-290x300.jpg.pagespeed.ic.rWzduvgcji.jpg" width="290" /></a></span><br /> <div class="wp-caption-text"> <span style="font-size: small;">President Buhari</span></div> </div> <span style="font-size: small;">But barely 24 hours after the swearing-in of the new administration, Boko Haram launched the first invasion. The May 30 attack came at about 12:30am when residents were asleep. The insurgents reportedly drove in a convoy of vehicles and motorcycles laden with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), rocket grenades and anti-aircraft guns.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">They entered Malari village, killed 15 residents and wounded 19 others in Bulunkutu Tsaleke, Gomari and Ajilari wards.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">The killings, according to Ibrahim Yakubu of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), were caused by the insurgents’ sporadic gunshots, explosions and shelling on the wards that commenced from 12.35-2.45am that Saturday. “We were shocked about how these areas were targeted by Boko Haram last night. Among those killed were five children and two women sleeping in the open because of heat in their houses,” said Yakubu.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">He said the insurgents, after entering Malari through the northeast flank of Sambisa forest on dirt road, crossed River Ngadabul to launch their attacks on the communities. “The militants could not enter Maiduguri metropolis because of the trenches we dug that made their vehicles to get stuck. But they wreaked havoc on lives and property in the affected communities”, said the vigilante youth.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">“The extent of damage to lives and property could have been much higher if the Boko Haram gunmen had crossed the trenches”. Confirming the incident in Maiduguri, a source close to Borno Police Command said some residents of Gomari, Bulunkutu Tsaleke and Ajilari wards of Malari were killed in the attacks. “We are still collating the fatalities in the attacks, but 19 people have been hospitalized for injuries they sustained from gunshots and artillery fire that lasted over two hours in western part of Maiduguri metropolis,” said the source.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mosque killings</b></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">Later that Saturday, a suicide bomber sneaked into a mosque along Ali Kotoko Road, near Maiduguri Monday Market leaving 26 dead and 28 critically injured. A security source who assisted in the evacuation of victims said the incident took place at about 3:45pm when Muslim faithful gathered to perform their La,asar prayers.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: small;">“A bomb blast exploded at the Adam Kolo Central Mosque along Ali Kotoko Road of Maiduguri Monday Market (MMM) during an afternoon prayer, and killed 26 people with about 28 critically injured on Saturday”, said Mallam Abba Shukura who was among those evacuating the victims. “I can confirm to you that many people in the mosque were killed or injured.”</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: small;">The mosque explosion, according to Modu Fugu of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), occurred when the prayer session was about to commence at about 3.25pm with dozens of people in the mosque. “We were terrified by the loud explosion that rocked the mosque near the bicycle sellers market and other shops. Worshippers fled to safety. But many were killed or injured,” Fugu stated.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: small;">Hamidu Isa, a shop owner near the mosque, told our correspondent that an IED had been hidden in a corner of the mosque in the morning before the suicide bomber came to detonate it at about 3.30pm”. Borno Police Command confirmed the mosque blast.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><b>Grains looted</b></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">Boko Haram gunmen, same day, attacked Fika and Ngalda in Yobe State; and torched several public buildings, telecom masts, houses and shops, before fleeing into Sambisa Forest. The insurgents, according to a resident, Mainasara Ali, looted several shops and barns of grains. Fika and Ngalda are farming and herding communities, and 155 kilometres and 176 kilometres respectively southwest of Damaturu, the state capital.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">“We were taken by surprise by the attacks on our houses and shops by the insurgents desperately looking for food to survive in the forest, but they did not kill any of our people. All our shops and barns were looted by the gunmen who also destroyed council offices and health centre, south of the central market,” said Ali. He said the insurgents chanted ‘God is great’ in Arabic before torching the public buildings in the towns.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">According to him, most of the houses of local officials in Fika and Ngalda were also burnt that night. “We will continue to fight whosoever identifies with government which we consider anti-Islam. We will not relent or surrender until we impose Sharia Law in Nigeria”, Ali quoted one of the insurgents as saying.</span><br /> <div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_528177" style="width: 310px;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/boka.jpg"><img alt="Boko Haram" class="size-medium wp-image-528177" height="188" src="http://cdn2.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/300x188xboka-300x188.jpg.pagespeed.ic.vN_rdMDurJ.jpg" width="300" /></a></span><br /> <div class="wp-caption-text"> <span style="font-size: small;">Boko Haram</span></div> </div> <span style="font-size: small;">Another resident, Ali Fika, said:  “Boko Haram insurgents on Saturday evening attacked Ngalda in Fika Local Government Area and razed the council secretariat, High Court complex, before looting shops and barns of grains which they carted away in their tracks.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">He said the insurgents, before embarking on the massive destruction, engaged soldiers at a military post. Our correspondent also learnt that several vehicles and motorcycles were set ablaze during the two-hour attack.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sporadic shooting</b></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">The Chairman of Fika Local Government Council, Alhaji Baba Abare, who confirmed the incident, said: “The militants came to the two towns shooting sporadically to scare people away so as to have ample opportunity for their looting”. He said they targeted shops and looted food items as well as beverages but no life was lost during the assault.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">Yobe State police commissioner, Mr. Markus Danladi, who declined comment on the violence, said the Military Joint Task Force was the only body authorised to speak on the matter. Fika and Ngalda have repeatedly suffered Boko Haram assault since the commencement of the insurgency as the communities share common border with Gujba and Gulani Council Areas captured by the militant group and liberated few months ago.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">The suspected Boko Haram insurgents in the post-Buhari inauguration era continued on Sunday, May 31 when an IED, planted at the Gambouru Market, Maiduguri, exploded, injuring four people. Eyewitnesses said one insurgent detonated the explosive, around 1.30 p.m at the peak of market hours. One of them said: “The bomb was buried in a heap of sacks at a spot where charcoal merchants have their stalls.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">“The explosion did not kill any one but injured four persons. One of the victims had his arm completely ripped off by the blast. “An insurgent could have planted this explosive device last night, when curfew was relaxed to 10pm from 7pm to celebrate Democracy Day in Maiduguri. Also, we suspect that the suicide bomber that blew himself at the market mosque of Adam Kolo might have collaborated with the suspected bomber of Gambouru Market that injured four traders and other passersby”.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">The eyewitness said as he was attending to customers in the afternoon, a loud explosion went off across the market,forcing people to run in various directions for safety. “The rescue team of Nigerian Red Cross and other volunteers evacuated the injured ones to the hospital for treatment,” he said. The military and police condoned off the market to prevent further attacks and looting.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">In another development, Boko Haram militants on Tuesday, June 2 attacked Moronti, a village close to Maiduguri, and killed five people, before soldiers repelled them. The gunmen, according to Hamisu Abba, a resident, then crossed into the village through Ngadabul River. He noted that the militants could have overrun Maiduguri, if there were no trenches dug around the Nigerian Army 333 Artillery premises near the village.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">Our correspondent learnt that as the repulsion of the militants continued into the night; some villagers fled to neighbouring Gomari and Ajillari for safety. “It was the trenches around the army barracks of Giwa and Maimalari and the 333 Artillery near the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) base that prevented the terrorists from wreaking havoc on Maiduguri metropolis,” said Kaumi Fugu, the village head of Moronti.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">On how the village was attacked, he said: “Most of us were asleep around midnight when we started hearing gunshots and from Ajillari, near the river bank of Ngadabul. One of our neighbours lost two family members in his compound, while three others were killed about two kilometers from Ajillari.”</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><b>Burial</b></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">The village imam/ cleric, Mallam Yunus Mirgwi, told our reporter that the five slain villagers were buried Tuesday morning, according to Islamic rites. “By 1.45am, troops in patrol trucks moved in towards Moronti along the Maiduguri-Damturu Road, and commenced the repulsion of the insurgents by firing artillery shelling that lasted over an hour,” Mirgwi said..</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">He continued: “After the insurgents attacked the village, we saw troops in trucks moving towards Moronti and then a NAF fighter jet pursued the insurgents, and killed some of them”.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">The deadliest attack yet since the inauguration came on June 2. That day, a suspected Boko Haram insurgent believed to be a suicide bomber and disguised as a herbalist/traditional medicine seller stormed the Maiduguri abattoir section of the cattle market (Kasuwan Shanu), killing over 30 people and injuring 28 others.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">It was gathered that the suicide bomber came into the market with a mobile tape recorder playing President Buhari campaign songs which attracted many people. When he realized that the music had attracted dozens, he detonated the explosives he was carrying. The incident took place at about 12noon when the market was at its peak. The attack left shattered bodies of victims mixed with slaughtered animal’s meat/ flesh at the scene.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">Although, officials of  National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) claimed 10 people died at the spot, they admitted some died later among the dozens who suffered various degrees of injury. Umar Sadiq, Communication Field Officer of the International Community of Red Cross (ICRC), in an interview, said, “So far, 13 identified dead bodies were evacuated from the scene while many others sustained serious injuries and burns in the blast”.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">A source at Borno State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri said over 30 bodies were brought there, even as he expressed the fear that most of those injured may not survive due to the seriousness of their injuries. “We have received six corpses at the emergency ward since those injured were brought in and I just learnt that another victim of the blast has given up and they are bringing the corpse as we speak.”</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">A police inspector who did not want his name in print told our correspondent to be careful because many suicide bombers were said to have arrived Maiduguri following the battle with troops  on Monday night.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">“ All security agencies in Maiduguri are on the red alert because these useless people according to signals we received have smuggled themselves into town with the intention of suicide bombing. On Monday (yesterday), about five suicide bombers were arrested at Tashan Baga and this one is another bad day for everybody. For your safety, be cautious while moving around because anything can happen. These bad eggs want to see where people gather so they can wreak more havoc,” he said.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;">Speaking with traders forced to abandon their sheds at the abattoir, our correspondent gathered that more than 70 people were hit by the explosion but they could not confirm the number of the dead. Aminu Sarki, a meat seller at the abattoir, said, “We just heard the loud sound of the explosion and everybody started running. We knew it was a bomb blast, but we could not wait to count the number of the dead, but it is unfortunate that many people were killed or injured in the blast.”</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: small;">Borno State police commissioner, Mr. Aderemi Opadokun, ordered the condoning off of the abattoir. “The situation is under control, as the scene has been condoned off. Suspected suicide bomber at Kasuwan Shanu in Maiduguri at about 11:30hrs of 2/6/15 invaded the market shouting Sai Buhari in Hausa Language and dancing in the market where he detonated  explosives (IEDs) strapped on his body when people had gathered around him.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: small;">“Four persons died including the suicide bomber in the explosion, while eight others sustained injury. Men were mobilized to the scene, corpses/injured persons were evacauted to the hospital, investigation in progress”.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: small;">Source: <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/boko-haram-dares-new-govt-suicide-bomber-lures-scores-with-buhari-campaign-songs-kills-them/">Vanguard  </a></span>

Boko Haram dares New governement: Suicide bomber lures scores with Buhari campaign songs, kills them...

Since the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, barely one week ago, specifically May 29, 2015, Borno State, particularly Maiduguri, ...

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