Following the criticisms that have trailed the appointments made so far by President Muhammadu Buhari, which many Nigerians said favours the North, the President has reacted.

Vanguard; I’ve no Northern agenda-Buhari, The Nation; Police probe Ekweremadu for Senate rules ‘forgery’, The Punch; Police to quiz Ekweremadu over ‘forged’ Senate rule, Daily Sun; Bomb in the cathedral, as well as The Guardian; Gunmen kill 31 in Zamfara, six die in Yobe suicide attack, makes the front pages of the national dailies for Monday, July 6, 2015.

VANGUARD reports that President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, July 5, dismissed insinuations that he was implementing a northern agenda in his appointments. This was contained in a statement issued by Femi Adesina, the special adviser to the president on media and publicity. He rejected the claims that Buhari was acting a northern script against the rest of the geo-political zones, noting that Buhari got a national mandate and was going to pursue it as such. He said the President has a national agenda which he is going to execute.

The President since taking over power on May 29 has, so far, made 11 appointments, out of which only one came from the South West. However, some party faithful claimed the appointments so far made are “unserious positions”, but many Nigerians have continued to condemn its alleged one-sidedness, saying they were signs of what to expect from the Buhari-led administration.

The appointments so far made include; Acting Chairman, the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mrs. Amina Bala Zakari, Jigawa State; Director, the Department of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Mordecai Danteni Baba Ladan; the Accountant-General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, Kano State. Others include; the State House Chief of Protocol, Mallam Lawal Abdullahi Kazaure; Aide De Camp, Lt.-Col. Muhammed Lawal Abubakar, Kano State; Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, North West; Mr Ahmed Joda, Head Transition Committee; Mr Adamu Adamu, Secretary Transition Committee; Mr Lawal Daura, Director-General, DSS; Mallam Abdulrahman Mani, Chief Security Officer, and Femi Adesina, SA Media and Publicity, South West.

THE NATION reports that the police have invited Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, for questioning over the “unilateral” alteration of the Senate rules on his election. It was said that Solomon Arase, the inspector general of police asked Ekweremadu to report at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, today, to answer questions on a petition filed against him by a group of senators detailing how he personally tampered with certain provisions of the Senate Standing Rules.

According to the petitioners, Ekweremadu had taken undue advantage of the rules to become the Deputy Senate President in the June 9 election of principal officers of the National Assembly. They said the election was supposed to be by voice vote, but ballot was used instead as Ekweremadu insisted that the rule has been adjusted. They said there were never a sitting to ammend the rules throughout the four years of the 7th Senate.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party through its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, on Sunday in Abuja, reacted to the move to probe Ekweremadu. The party said amendment to the rule was effected by the bureaucracy of the National Assembly headed by the Clerk, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa. Metuh said Ekweremadu’s invitation by the IGP was part of plan to arresting and incarcerating him, therefore creating the opportunity for the imposition of a preferred APC senator to take his position. PDP accused certain unnamed All Progressives Congress leaders of instigating the police action against Ekweremadu. He said the party had also uncovered threats to the life of Ekweremadu and other chieftains of the party.

THE PUNCH reports that the Peoples Democratic Party has faulted the invitation of Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu by the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, over alleged forgery of the Senate Rules on election of its principal officers. PDP in a statement issued in Abuja, on Sunday, July 5, by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said the letter inviting Ekweremadu was dated July 1, 2015, and was signed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of criminal investigation at the FHQ.

The PDP alleged that aside using security apparatus against the Deputy Senate President, the party had information that there were instructions to certain officials at the Independent National Electoral Commission to alter some electoral documents and records in order to create the impression that Ekweremadu failed to file proper documents for the general elections in order to remove him.

But, Abayomi Shogunle, the deputy force public relations officer has explained that the probe is not about an individual, adding that the police are investigating a petition by a senator alleging a forgery of the Senate rules and standing orders. He said the matter is being handled by the Force Criminal Investigation Department. He said the police didn’t send a letter to the deputy senate president, but to the clerk to facilitate a meeting with some of the senators to verify the allegations that were made. He assured that the police have respect for democratic values, but regretted that the clerk is yet to respond to the letter.

However, the ruling APC, in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, denied having anything to do with the IGP’s decision to invite Ekweremadu for questioning.

Moving away from alleged erring lawmakers and constitutional issues, DAILY SUN reports that a suicide bomber, on Sunday, July 5, detonated a bomb in a church in Potiskum, Yobe state commercial town, killing over five persons. The suicide bomber reportedly rode to the church on a motorcycle at about 10. am. He was said to have arrived midway into the Sunday service and sat down among worshippers before setting off the bomb. Jeremiah Ladan, a Potiskum resident, who spoke with newsmen said: “He came on a motor¬cycle, parked the bike out¬side, entered the church and sat down. Minutes later, the bomb went off. Five people died and about 20 people were injured.”

The 30-member congregation Redeemed Christian Church, is located at the outskirts of the town along Jos Road. It was gathered that the pastor and his wife were among the victims of the blast. The state’s police spokesman, Toyin Gbadegesin, confirmed the incident to pressmen in Damaturu.

THE GUARDIAN also reported that over 30 people were on Sunday, July 5, killed by gunmen in Birnin-Magaji local government area of Zamfara State. Alhaji Muhammad Gusami, the council chairman, who made this known to journalists, said the attacks took place in Kokeya and Chigama villages in the area.

He said the assailants stormed Kokeya village with motorcycles and killed two persons, set some houses ablaze and carted away animals mostly cows. The chairman said while Kokeya’s people were still busy mourning their deceased kinsmen, the gunmen returned the next day and attacked the neighbouring village of Chigama. Gusami said the gunmen killed more than 30 people, adding that bodies are still being recovered from the bush.

Reacting to the incident, former president Goodluck Jonathan took to his Facebook page to express his sadness. He said the war against terrorism is a task for all Nigerians and not just the armed forces. He said: “The death of any Nigerian at the hands of terrorists is a sad reminder that the war on terror is a task for all Nigerians not just the armed forces. I urge all Nigerians to continue to pray for peace in Nigeria and to support the administration of Buahri as the government does its best to bring an end to these acts of terror and secure all Nigerians. May God bless Nigeria.” - See more at: http://www.exlinklodge.com/2015/07/gen-buhari-reacts-to-having-northern.html#sthash.JbGqrs2U.dpuf



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We are winning war against Bokoharam:- Buhari 2015.