₦airaland Forum

Christians all over the world mark the Easter festivals, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has urged Nigerians and Deltans to show love for one another.

He equally told them to be willing to make sacrifices for greater unity, peace, political stability and progress of our beloved country.

Governor Okowa, in an Easter message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, in Asaba on Friday, called on Nigerians and Deltans to seize the opportunity of the Easter holiday to reflect deeply on what more they need to do as a people, to ensure that they live peacefully with one another in our vquest for a better future for all citizens and residents in the country.

“As Christians, we must reflect on the import of Easter celebrations in our dealings, not only with other Christians, but with people of other religions,” stressing “we must eschew bitterness and all forms of violence, because the progress, peace and security of the nation is anchored on good neighborliness and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.”

The governor, who solicited for continuous support of the people said, “if we live peacefully with one another we will not be confronted with issues of armed banditry, herdsmen attacks, kidnapping and other vices threatening the soul of our great nation. I urge you all to let the significance of the celebration reflect in our relationship with one another both Christians and the people of other religions. There is no doubt that these are tough times in our country,” he stated.

He reminded Christians that having gone through forty days of fasting and praying, Easter was a better time for them to purge themselves of those weights that “have impeded our progress as a people over the years by demonstrating love in its fullness not only to one another but also to our society.”

The Governor enjoined Christian faithful and Nigerians in general to extend the spiritual benefits of Easter, which are love, peace, justice, sacrifice and kindness to their daily living, and through this contribute to the unity and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.

“The major lesson of Easter is for us as Christians, to rethink the reality of our faith. As Christians, we should continue to uphold the principles of our faith as it relates to honesty, justice, integrity, accountability, compassion, selflessness and the pursuit of the common good,” he added.

https://www.today.ng/news/nigeria/easter-governor-okowa-tasks-christians-love-peaceful-existence-214154/amp?__twitter_impression=true

A popular Nigerian Medical doctor has taken to her twitter platform to school men who boast that the size of their eggplant can shift a woman’s womb.

Dr Olufunmilayo wrote:

During labour/delivery, When a woman’s cervix (the gate of the womb) is fully opened at 10cm, to allow a baby to come out, this is what it looks like. But men like to fool themselves and assume they can “shift your womb”. Yet 95% of peni.s width is under 5cm. Beautiful delusion.

But it takes 9months for the body to prepare for this” Exactly. Now think about it. If it takes 9months to prepare for a delivery of a whole baby, an act that doesn’t even “shift the womb”, is it your 3cm width penis that will make a difference? Lmao. Pls get the fvck.

Doctor this is not fair, stop attacking our ego as men” Ok let’s be serious. No sensible man should have ego built on sex or peni.s prowess. That’s ephemeral and daft. Build your ego, if you have to, on more serious and exemplary qualities. Not on numbers of “shifted wombs”…

And actually NO peni.s can ever actually shift a womb. To start with, very very few peni.s will even touch the cervix (the entrance of the womb) during sex. NOT to talk of hit it enough to have any impact on the womb. Let’s get serious. Womb shifting is a myth. Let’s drop it.

This is simple anatomy. And a touch of common sense. Nothing more. NO Peni.s can shift a womb. Quote me anywhere. And even if by any remote possibility there would be, maybe it’s the context of an adult man raping a toddler. Or something worse. But in normal situations? Nah.

Anatomically, during sex, the peni.s is mainly in the vagina doing an in-out movement repeatedly till orgasm. And that’s it. Very few people and very few times can it touch the cervix, if it ever does. And it will never be significant enough to cause a womb to shift. You get it?

Earlier today I paid a visit to the lady who lost one of her eyes as a result of thugs attack in the recent Kano rerun election. I wish you a quick recovery Mallama Na’ima

https://www.instagram.com/kwankwasiyya_reporters/p/Bv6DGhfDq4S/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1awebqlzuj98q

Umaru Mohammed, one of the contenders for the speaker of the house of representatives, has promised to withdraw from the race if the All Progressives Congress (APC) zones the position to the south-east.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Mohammed who is from Niger state, said the south-east and north-central were the “greatest casualties” of the ruling party’s zoning formula.

The APC is expected to produce the next speaker after emerging with majority lawmakers in the lower legislative chamber.

TheCable reported how President Muhammadu Buhari endorsed Femi Gbajabiamila from the south-west as the next speaker.

But Mohammed said since the north-central got the third highest votes for the APC in the presidential election, it deserves to produce the next speaker.

The three-time lawmaker, however, added that rather zone the position to the south-west, the APC should cede it to the south-east “for fairness sake.”

“If the party has come out to say we are zoning speakership to the south-east, honestly I will have just gone to contest for deputy speaker if I want to” he said.

“But as a zone, the north-central is saying in whatever ramification, we deserve to be considered because we brought the third highest vote to make APC a government.

“And look at the logic, if you have taken senate presidency from north-central and speakership from north-east in the 8th Assembly, under normal circumstances you should be considering north-central.

“We have a president from the north-west and you have a vice-president from the south-west; the senate presidency to the north-east and deputy senate president to the south-south; that means they are settled.

“But if the party in its conscience and the leaders are going to wake up to the reality and they want to zone it to the south east, honestly we will support them.”

https://www.thecable.ng/niger-rep-ill-pull-out-of-speakership-race-if-apc-zones-the-position-to-south-east/amp

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has scored the highest votes in the Sokoto State governorship election after polling a total of 512,002 from both the March 9 first ballot and yesterday’s supplementary election.

Ahmad Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came close behind with 511,661, losing to his erstwhile principal with just 341votes.

Mr Aliyu was Mr Tambuwal’s deputy governor.
Both men were of the APC until Mr Tambuwal defected to the PDP.

The results of all the local governments where supplementary elections were held in Sokoto have now been announced at the state collation centre.

A final declaration by INEC that Mr Tambuwal has won the election is expected any minute from now.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/322022-breaking-tambuwal-survives-narrowly-defeats-apc-in-sokoto.html?amp_markup=1&__twitter_impression=true

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The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Bauchi State, Ibrahim Abdullahi, has blamed the delay in the commencing of collation for the supplementary governorship election on the absence of the State Returning Officer, Muhammed Kyari.

The REC, who made this disclosure at about 1 a.m., said Mr Kyari, a professor, left Yola, the Adamawa State capital, for Bauchi late Saturday night even though he was in full knowledge of the fact that supplementary elections for the governorship election, which he declared inconclusive, was to hold on Saturday.

“Rather than me waiting upstairs in my office for the arrival of the Returning Officer who is on his way from Yola, I felt it is important to come and explain to you on why the Collation has not commenced,” Mr Abdullahi told the handful of people in the collation hall..

“Officially, I am here to inform you that we are waiting for the Returning Officer.

“We have since received all the results from the 15 Local government areas but we were made to understand that the Returning Officer took off a bit late this evening.”

The delay in commencing the collation had ignited a rumour across the state and on social media that the INEC, in connivance with the state government, may be plotting to alter the results.

The REC, who was reportedly forced to come to the collation hall to explain the situation by some concerned party agents, denied any plan to alter results.

“We have been seeing reports going on in the social media that INEC is plotting to change results,” he said.

“The INEC is not an interested party in the outcome of the election. What is paramount for INEC is the processes and the procedure and not the outcome.

“These days, the way INEC has improved its operation, there is no way anybody can change any result; because right from the polling units the results are pasted, so it is going to be practically impossible for this kind of change people are circulating to happen.

“We want to assure that INEC is just and fair to all. So we have to be patient and continue to wait until the arrival of the Returning Officer.”

The REC, who immediately left the hall after his brief address, declined to respond to journalists who wanted to know why the Returning Officer was in far away Yola on election day.

Meanwhile, the supporters of the PDP candidate, Bala Muhammed, who had been keeping a vigil outside the INEC office continued to beat drums as they chanted anti-state government songs.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nnorth-east/321978-why-we-are-yet-to-begin-collation-in-bauchi-rec.html?amp_markup=1&__twitter_impression=true

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Anthony Ogbizi Michael, a Deputy Inspector-general of Police has debunked social media reports of killings in Gama ward in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano during the supplementary election on Saturday.

DIG Michael blamed the social media for spreading the fake news. According to him, the story was the fabrication of the social media.

“There was no such incident or arrest of some people in the any part of the state because the security arrangement was in order”, he said at a press briefing.

“We have not witnessed any incident because voting went on in almost all the polling units smoothly.

“There has not been report of any incident of thugs taking over polling unit. If thugs occupy any polling unit definitely INEC officials will not be there to conduct election,”he said.

Michael said the Police Command arrested 10 suspected thugs for allegedly carrying weapons In the metropolis.

“Some human beings were arrested in the early hours of today (Saturday) by our men and they were found in group with some weapons like sticks and other things,”he said.

He said investigation into the matter was ongoing as as soon investigation was concluded they would be charged to court.(NAN)

http://www.nta.ng/news/20190323-dig-debunks-reports-of-killings-in-gama-ward-in-kano/

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Against the backdrop of Friday’s court judgement in Abuja by the election petition tribunal, which declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke as the winner of September 22 governorship poll in Osun, the legal team of Adeleke has begun moves to get the certificate of return issued to its client.

Delivering its judgment, the tribunal had nullified the election that produced the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr Gboyega Oyetola as the governor of Osun State and subsequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to Adeleke.

Findings by Tribune Online indicated that necessary arrangements were being made by Adeleke’s legal team to ensure that INEC complies with the court order with the service of the court order on the electoral umpire.

Speaking to our correspondent during a telephone chat, one of the lead counsels to Adeleke, Barrister Edmond Biriomoni said “right about now, INEC should have been served because the bailiff of the court or the tribunal had actually went to effect service of the tribunal’s judgment on INEC. We have already gotten the copy of the order and the bailiff had gone to serve them (INEC) officially.”

When asked about the plan by the APC and Oyetola to file an appeal against the judgment, he contended that “they are yet to file an appeal. They are yet to lodge a formal appeal. The appeal they are referring to is on the pages of newspapers or on their press release.
They have not filed a formal appeal at the tribunal. This is because I am just leaving the tribunal right now.”

Biriomoni continued “the order of the tribunal still subsist even when they go to the Court of Appeal except they set it aside. Until the Court of Appeal overrules the tribunal, the judgment subsist. Whether they file a notice or not, that does not take away the validity of the judgment until it is overruled by the appellant court, either the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court.”

It would be recalled that the Osun election petition tribunal, sitting in Abuja had on Friday nullified the election of Oyetola as the governor of Osun State, cancelling results from 17 polling units over the alteration of results by INEC while it also deducted 2,029 votes of the APC and 1,246 votes of the PDP.

https://www.tribuneonlineng.com/197875/?amp_markup=1&__twitter_impression=true

Chad President Idriss Deby has fired his armed forces chief of staff following the latest bout of unrest which culminated in a Boko Haram attack that left 23 dead.

Deby fired Brahim Seid Mahamat and his two deputies by presidential decree after six years in the post-Friday night just hours after the attack in the southwest of the country.

The soldiers were killed after coming under attack from jihadists in the early hours of Friday morning in the deadliest attack on the Chadian military by Boko Haram, which launched an insurgency in Nigeria a decade ago.

The unrest has spread to neighbouring Niger and Chad with the Boko Haram revolt to date claiming more than 27,000 lives and uprooting more than 1.7 million people.

Friday’s attack took place at Dangdala, on the northeastern bank of Lake Chad.

Thursday had seen another attack by the group kill eight civilians at Karidi in southeastern Niger in the Diffa region bordering Lake Chad, The area is one of the worst-hit areas for jihadist attacks in Niger.

Troops from Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria have been grouped into a multi-national force to fight Boko Haram.

Deby’s reorganisation of security — which included the suspension of the air force chief and his deputy — saw army chief of staff Taher Erda take the top job with a general from the northeastern region of Tibesti made chief advisor on national defence issues.

Erda is a Deby loyalist and former police chief who fought alongside the president before he took power in 1990.

The air force suspensions followed the discovery of debris from an helicopter which went missing more than a week ago in the north.

The sparsely populated, mainly desert region near the border with Sudan, Libya and Niger is volatile prone to attack from Chadian rebel groups based across the Libyan border.

In late January, France pounded Chadian rebels who had crossed back into their country from Libya to halt their incursion.

https://www.channelstv.com/2019/03/23/boko-haram-chad-fires-military-chief-over-death-of-23-soldiers/amp/?utm_source=TW&utm_medium=ChannelsTV-%20AutoPoster&utm_campaign=SNAP%20from%20Channels%20Television&__twitter_impression=true

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The Bauchi State former Commissioner for Finance, Garba Akuyan, who few hours ago resigned his appointment from the cabinet of Governor Muhammed Abdullahi Abubakar has dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) few hours to the supplementary governorship election scheduled for Saturday, March 23.

Garba Sarki Akuya, who, before his sudden resignation on Friday, was the Deputy Director General of the APC Governorship Campaign Council in charge of the Bauchi Central zone has joined the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In an official Facebook page of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, a while ago, the new development was confirmed with some photographs that Garba Akuyan is now with the opposition party.

https://www.tribuneonlineng.com/197554/?amp_markup=1&__twitter_impression=true

kingemzy5:
See this head of terrorists.... Go and create your own state na.......because na only you dey nigeria na thunder fire the caliphate

Thunder fire u

Lalasticlala seun Mynd44... Pls move to FP

More

Borgu people in Niger, Kebbi and Kwara states, yesterday met President Muhammadu Buhari demanding for the creation of Borgu state.

The delegation was led by the Emir of Borgu, Alhaji Muhammed Haliru Dantoro, to the Presidential Villa Abuja. They were in the Villa to congratulate the president on his re-election.

Top Borgu traditional rulers and politicians including the spokesperson of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger) were on the delegation.

The emir, said the Borgu people in Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi are united in their collective resolve for the movement of the creation of Borgu State.

“It is our belief that if states will be created by this administration or subsequent administration, Borgu state should be considered because of the abundance of economic potentials needed to move Nigeria forward,” he said.

He also requested for the funding and strengthening of HYPPADEC to tackle the unique challenges facing communities, hosting hydroelectric installations across the country, of which Borgu community is an integral part.

The emir also called for the establishment of a Naval formation along the banks of Kainji Lake, to effectively secure the nation’s international waterways with neighbouring countries.

“Establishment of export-oriented processing factories in major Borgu border towns particularly Yashikira and Babanna, to take advantage of the security and relative peace available across Borgu Kingdom.

“The establishment of an international border market at Babanna as planned will open up the agrarian communities of Yashikira, Gwanara, llesha, Okuta and Kishi through good linkage roads for the movement of farm produce to the international market.

Responding, the president assured the Borgu people that he would work hard to address the challenges facing the country.

On the request, the president said: “I understand your shopping list. I hope the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) has taken note. Since I’m not looking forward to another election, I will try to do what I can but I assure you the request of infrastructure in your domain would be looked into.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/borgu-leaders-meet-buhari-demand-state-creation.html

A state high Court sitting in Yola has issued an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State.

Justice Abdulaziz Waziri of State High Court 4 gave the order following a motion ex parte filed by Movement of Restoration for Defence of Democracy (MRPD), claiming that it's party logo was excluded from the ballot paper for the March 9 governorship election conducted in the state.

However, a seasoned constitutional lawyer, Sunday Wugiri, told SaharaReporters that "though the order is valid for now, the court lacks jurisdiction to grant it”.

“Only a Federal High Court can entertain any matter that concerns federal institutions like INEC,” he added.

At a press briefing in Yola on Wednesday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had accused Governor Jibrilla Bindow of planning to use the MRPD to scuttle the supplementary election through unnecessary legal bottlenecks.

"It has come to our attention the desperate moves by the leadership of Adamawa state government to upturn the mandate of the people,” it said.

“One of the alleged moves is to lobby the presidency to cause the State High Court to slam INEC with an order of injunction restraining the electoral body from conducting the supplementary election and cancel the entire elections.

"They intend to use a governorship Candidate who allegedly claimed that the logo of his party was omitted on the ballot in the last governorship election to file a case before the state High Court.”

However, Kashim Gaidam, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC reacted thus: “For your information court orders cannot stop elections.

“Having said that, only INEC at the national office, can respond to any matter involving court orders.”

Professor Andrew Haruna declared the Adamawa State governorship election inconclusive, citing the slim margin of 32,476 votes between while cancelled ballots amounted to 40,988.

Ahmed Umar Fintiri, candidate of the PDP had polled 367,471 votes, while the incumbent governor, Jibrilla Bindow of the All Progressives Congress (APC), scored 334,995 votes.

INEC has scheduled the supplementary election for March 23.

http://saharareporters.com/2019/03/14/breaking-court-restrains-inec-conducting-supplementary-governorship-election-adamawa

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A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the director general of the National Broadcasting Commission, Ishaq Kawu, to appear before it in April, regardless of his health status.

The court, in a ruling on Friday, asked Mr Kawu’s lawyers to produce the defendant “even if he has to come to court on a stretcher”.

Mr Kawu and others are facing trial for allegedly diverting funds meant for the digital switch over system introduced by the Nigerian government.

He is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related offences Commission (ICPC).

A statement from the commission on Tuesday, signed by its spokesperson Rashida Okoduwa, said the latest order on Mr Kawu was made by Justice Giwa.

Mr Kawu, who was to be arraigned alongside Lucky Omoluwa and Dipo Onifade, Chairman of Pinnacle Communications Limited and the Chief Operating Officer respectively, over their alleged complicity in the mismanagement of the N2.5 billion seed grant, failed to appear before Justice F. O. Giwa, saying he was on admission at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State.

The statement quoted Mr Kawu’s lawyer as saying that the defendant was on admission following recent medical challenges from a surgery he underwent a decade ago.

Mr Kawu’s lawyer requested an adjournment of the case.

The lawyer representing the ICPC, Henry Emore, did not oppose the application for adjournment but requested the court to note the repeated adjournments at the instance of the accused.

In a ruling, the commission quoted the judge, F. O. Giwa, as saying that the defendant must appear in court for the trial to proceed.

“You must ensure that your client is in court even if he has to be on a stretcher; I am agreeing to this adjournment taking into cognizance his health issues, but the trial needs to go on, you must ensure he is in court next time,” she said.

“The judge further ordered ICPC to investigate the medical certificate and report back to the court,” the statement said.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/319836-alleged-n2-5bn-fraud-court-orders-nbc-boss-to-appear-even-on-stretcher.html

The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has reacted to the declaration of governorship election in the State inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state.

Emir Sanusi addressing a press conference on Tuesday at his palace urged residents of Kano to be patient and allow INEC to conclude its assignment, regarding the inconclusive gubernatorial elections in some states across the country.

He noted that the electoral body had the authority to conduct and announce the results of election and should be allowed to do its job in Kano.

He said, “INEC had already announced that the election held in Kano on Saturday was inconclusive because there were a number of polling units where elections would be held again and it was after the completion of election at the affected areas that a final winner would be announced by the commission.

“We remind the public that INEC has already disclosed all the votes that were got by candidates of each political parties. Those votes are intact and nobody has been denied his votes.

“In subsequent re-run, each candidate will have the votes that are given to him, added to what he has acquired. We should, therefore, give cooperation to all security agencies for peace to continue reigning in Kano.”

http://dailypost.ng/2019/03/12/kano-governorship-election-emir-sanusi-speaks-inec-declaration-inconclusive-results/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared as inconclusive Saturday’s governorship election held in Benue State.

The Returning Officer announced that the number of canceled votes outweighed the number of victory margin.

The incumbent governor who contested under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led with 410,576 votes against the All Progressives Congress candidate, Emmanuel Jime who came second with 329022 votes but this was not enough for sa winner to be declared since voided votes were more than 120,000 votes, far more than the difference between the two scores.

He said a new date would be announced for a rerun within 21 days.

http://dailypost.ng/2019/03/11/breaking-inec-declares-benue-election-inconclusive/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

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By Wole Mosadomi

Minna—After three months on a medical trip outside the country, former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd), weekend, returned to the country.

He was received on arrival by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), his son, Muhammad, and other family members along with his friends and staff at Minna International Airport at about 4pm on Saturday.

Vanguard gathered that he was away to a Switzerland hospital for three months medical check-up.

A statement by his media team in Minna, said the former president was hale and hearty just as he thanked Nigerians for their prayers and urged them to always be advocate of peace in the country.

Babangida, who was away ahead of presidential, National Assembly, governorship and state House of Assembly elections also commended Nigerians for the peaceful manner during the elections and called on them to continue to embrace peace.

“I commend all Nigerians for their orderliness and peaceful conducts during elections. I urge all Nigerians to always be the vanguard of peace for the development of the country through democratic processes,”he remarked.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/ibb-returns-after-3-month-medical-trip-to-switzerland/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

BREAKING: @inecnigeria declares Bauchi Governorship election inconclusive, supplementary elections to take place in affected areas in 21 days from now. #NigeriaVotes #TVCNews

Details later...

https://twitter.com/tvcnewsng/status/1104885595476774914?s=19

Cc lalasticlala

The APC governorship candidate polled 526,412 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Umar Nasko of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled a total of 298,065 votes.

The Returning Officer, Professor Angela Miri, announced the result at the INEC collation centre in Minna, the state capital, saying Governor Bello was declared the winner and returned elected having polled the highest votes in the election.

Earlier, there was a mild drama at the collation centre as some PDP women supporters numbering about 20 stormed the centre to demand that the results be canceled.

They described the results as a scam, alleging that the figures had been manipulated to favour the ruling APC. They accused the APC of stealing their mandate and insisted that justice must be done.

They also asked the PDP State Chairman, Tanko Beji, to reject the results by refusing to append his signature to the final result sheet.

In what looked like a response to the protesters’ demand, Mr. Beji who had been on the ground to monitor the process left the centre without signing the final result sheet.

Meanwhile, results presented by the various local government electoral officers showed that the APC won all the 25 local government areas in the governorship election.

The party also won 21 state House of Assembly seats declared, with the winners of the remaining 6 seats yet to be announced, at the time of filing this report.

https://www.channelstv.com/2019/03/10/abubakar-bello-re-elected-governor-of-niger-state/amp/?utm_source=TW&utm_medium=ChannelsTV-%20AutoPoster&utm_campaign=SNAP%20from%20Channels%20Television&__twitter_impression=true

See reactions

It seems talented Nigerian singer, Adekunle Gold, is a Manchester United fans going by his latest tweet. The 32-year-old singer took to his Twitter handle to celebrate Manchester United’s victory over Paris Saint Germine in the Champions League by saying he loves the Red Devils and his wife, Simi, replied him with ”calm down bro”.

Well, Adekunle Gold replied his wife with ”ta ni bro e” meaning ”who is your bro” – a quick reminder that he is not her bro but husband.

https://twitter.com/adekunleGOLD/status/1103421106264846336?s=19

Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central, says he agrees that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should be held accountable for squandering the nation’s resources.

He, however, said this should involve all past and present members of the political party during its sixteen-year rule.

A good number of those in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including governors and ministers, joined the party from the PDP.

The senator was speaking in reaction to President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that the party still owes Nigerians explanation on how it spent the huge resources that accrued to the country from oil sales.

The president had said on Thursday: “PDP has not successfully explained to the country what they did with the money. They said they spent $16 billion on power, but where is the power? The irresponsible expenditure of that period has not been explained, and Nigerians deserve an answer on that terrible mismanagement of the country.”

Writing via his Twitter handle, Sani said everyone that was once in the PDP should be made go prepare and present a report on such expenses before the president.

He wrote: “I support the President’s demand that the PDP should explain how they squandered $592 Billion.

“I advise the opposition party to recall all its past and present members (1999 to 2015),to prepare and present to Mr President and the nation a full report of such a monumental waste.”

https://www.thecable.ng/shehu-sani-pdp-should-recall-all-past-members-for-buhari-to-probe/amp?__twitter_impression=true

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President Muhammadu Buhari has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) owes Nigerians explanations on how it expended the resources that accrued to the country from oil sales between 1999 and 2014.

Buhari also described the 16 years of rule of the PDP as an era of “unprecedented, irresponsible expenditure”.

He said this during an audience with the leadership of organised labour comprising Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) led by the NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, who were on a congratulatory visit.

Buhari recently won a second term in office.

According to the president, the PDP has not been able to successfully explain to Nigerians what they did with the funds during the period they led the nation “as no tangible infrastructure was built”.

Buhari, recalling the negotiations that led to the approval of the N30,000 minimum wage, said he had to ask the minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, to remind the workers what his administration met on ground and what it has been able to achieve with minimal resources.

“During your negotiation with the minister of labour and when he briefed us in council on N30,000 minimum wage, I gave an analogy of a mad woman, who went to fetch firewood but then she realised it was too heavy for her to carry, instead of reducing it, she added more,” he said.

According to the president, “we are struggling to survive as a nation. You (workers) knew what this country was earning between 2009 and 2015, you knew the state of infrastructure when we came in. God gave them (PDP) 16 years of unprecedented earnings. Multiply 2.1 million (barrels) by $100 by 16 years. I don’t think the PDP has been able to successfully explain to Nigerians what they did with that money.”

Buhari said the opposition party spent $16 billion on power and Nigerians are asking: “where is the power?”

”I appealed to you through our mutual friend, the minister of labour, to tell you where we found the country, where we are, and what we have been able to do with the resources available to us,” he said .

“Oil production from 2.1 million barrels per day went down to half a million. The militants were unleashed on this administration, and yet as confirmed by your leader, we had to ensure pensioners who were dying collected their entitlements. So really, there was terrible management of this country in last 16 years and we are just trying to make up.”

Buhari said he was looking forward to labour’s continued support.

“As we go to the polls this weekend, my prayer is that we also conduct elections in a non-violent manner,” he said.

Buhari said the government will remain focused on its promises which remains security, economy and fighting corruption.

”I want to assure you that the next four years will be peaceful, prosperous and corruption free. I therefore look forward to receiving your proposals so that together we can achieve these goals,” he said.

Wabba, in his remarks earlier assured Buhari that the workers are partners in progress.

”Government and labour are primarily partners in progress. The success of government is linked to its workers. And the success of workers is linked to government,” he said.

The NLC president said one of the finest hours of labour with any president of the country was when Buhari’s pressed states to pay salaries and pension.

“We all remember the special bailout, Paris club refund and budget support package you introduced to support state governments during the recession. Your directive during this intervention was state governments must offset accumulated arrears of salaries and pension liabilities. I remember your publicly and openly asked state governors, “how do you manage to sleep at night when the salaries of workers in your state are not paid?

“For us, that was one of the finest moments we have had with any President in this country…I can stand here today and say your intervention was the difference between life and death for many workers.”

Wabba also commended the president for paying off the pension and accumulated entitlements of disengaged staff of Nigeria Airways and many other pensioners whose pension had been left to accumulating by successive governments.

The NLC president urged Buhari to focus on job creation for unemployed youth, provision of affordable power across the country, reactivation and upgrading of the nation’s refineries and pipelines infrastructure, and continued diversification of the economy.

”President should also focus on increased funding for agriculture research, upgrading of hospitals and academic institutions, revitalisation of the public service and revisit the tenure policy which has made the civil service top heavy resulting in indiscipline and stagnation,” he said.

The labour leader also appealed to the National Assembly to pass the National Minimum Wage Act, while also asking the President to thereafter sign it into law within the shortest possible time.

Wabba urged Buhari to inaugurate the Boards of National pension commission (PENCOM), National Insurance Fund Trust, the Micheal Imoudu, National Institute for Labour Studies and National Labour Advisory Council.

”These institutes are key pillars in Labour-government relations. The activation of the boards will surely ensure our successes to date are taken to the Next Level. Please be rest assured we are ready to do our bit,” he said.

The N30,000 minimum wage bill has passed the first and second readings at the Senate after President Buhari transmitted the draft legislation to the lawmakers.

https://www.today.ng/news/nigeria/president-buhari-pdp-questions-answer-squandered-weatlh-200732/amp?__twitter_impression=true

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Abuja – The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), says it will abide by the contents of the 2019 Memorandum of Action (MoA) agreed upon by the union and the Federal Government.

Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
He was reacting to a statement circulating on the social media regarding ASUU’s plan to embark on another strike.

NAN reports that ASUU and Government reached an agreement on Feb. 7 and the union suspended its three months strike on Feb. 8, after resolving eight areas of disagreement.

Ogunyemi, however, said that if government failed to fulfill its part of the agreement as reflected in the 2019 MoA, ASUU would resume its suspended strike as the union deemed fit.

According to him, as far as our members are concerned, we are activating our Memorandum of Action by engaging the Federal Government to keep to their promises.

“Some of the agreements are already coming up, but some are still pending with respect to our Memorandum of Action and we will continue to do that and there is no continuation of any strike action for now.

“We are concerned about the plight of our students and we have gone back to intensify efforts to cover lost grounds.

“ Our members have sacrificed their annual leave and those who are supposed to go on sabbatical, many of them have put on hold their sabbatical leave.

“This is to show our students and their parents and indeed all Nigerians that we are not out to destroy the system.

“ Once we make demand from government and government responds positively, we will not go any extra mile to put down the system, our interest is to build the system and we have always done that,” he said.

He called on Nigerians to ignore the rumour of ASUU embarking on another industrial action.

“Someone or some people have created a twitter handle that they use to misinform Nigerians and we have responded to say we have nothing to do with that twitter handle, that anything on that twitter handle should be disregarded.

“We do not have an official twitter handle, we have just protested to twitter now, that the handle should be blocked because the twitter handle does not belong to us and they have been using it to make statements in the name of ASUU.

“We do not have anything to do with that handle and we have every reason to suspect that the person or those who created that twitter handle are fraudsters.

“Nigerians should be wary of them and they should not take seriously any information coming from that twitter handle because we do have not one and we have not directed any anybody to release information on our behalf, ‘’he said.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/ASUU-restates-commitment-to-2019-memorandum-of-action-with-fg-2/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

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Manchester United reached the Champions League quarter-finals with a stunning 3-1 last 16, second leg success against Paris Saint Germain on Wednesday, going through on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.

Here are three things we learned from a dramatic and controversial clash in the French capital:

United make history
None of the previous 34 teams to a lose a Champions League knockout round first leg at home by two goals or more had advanced to the next stage.

In fact, no team in the history of the European Cup had ever recovered from that position to progress.

United had only prevailed in a single knockout tie in the Champions League since 2011, while their last away win in the knockout stages came eight years ago against Schalke.

But that all meant nothing to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who showed why he has become Manchester United’s man with the Midas touch and, in the process, surely guaranteed he will be appointed as United’s permanent manager sooner rather than later.

Not only did Solskjaer inspire his players by insisting “it’s never mission impossible, making history is the motivation” on the eve of the game, he managed to conjure the astonishing victory despite the absence of the suspended Paul Pogba and nine injured players.

It is 20 years since Solskjaer scored United’s stoppage-time winner in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

And once again, Solskjaer enjoyed a moment of late magic as Marcus Rashford buried the controversial VAR-awarded 94th-minute penalty winner to book United’s last eight berth.

The debate about whether Presnel Kimpembe meant to handle Diogo Dalot’s shot will rage on.

But while there was no trophy at stake in the last 16, this will go down as one of the greatest nights in United’s illustrious European history.

Lukaku shines again
Written off as an overweight flop destined to leave United sooner rather than later, Romelu Lukaku has suddenly emerged as his side’s talisman after tormenting PSG with two clinical finishes.

Lukaku had endured such a wretched time this season that he was cast aside in favour of Rashford when Solskjaer took over from the sacked Jose Mourinho.

But injuries have allowed Lukaku an unexpected reprieve and the Belgian forward has seized his chance in spectacular fashion.

There were less than two minutes on the clock when Lukaku alertly seized on Thilo Kehrer’s suicidal pass towards his own penalty area, held off Thiago Silva and rounded Gianluigi Buffon to score from a tight angle.

Desperately needing a quick response after PSG’s equaliser, Lukaku — who hadn’t scored a European goal all season until Wednesday — was United’s hero again in the 30th minute.

When Rashford tried his luck with a long-range effort, Buffon made a hash of his attempted save as the ball bounced in front of him and Lukaku, wisely moving in on the keeper in case of a mistake, was perfectly placed to slot home from close-range.

Lukaku now has six goals in his last three games and his predatory performance in Paris will leave his name forever etched in the United history books.

Night to forget for Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe endured an agonising evening that started with a flash of his breath-taking talent, but ended in abject misery after his crucial miss played a key role in their exit.

At 20 years and 76 days, Mbappe was the fourth youngest player to play 25 Champions League games.

But that youth would betray him as he delivered an erratic display when PSG needed him most.

Mbappe was instrumental in their 12th-minute equaliser, accelerating away from Fred and Chris Smalling to whip over a low cross that Juan Bernat finished at the far post.

But the France forward cost his team a quarter-final place when he lost his footing after Dani Alves’s pass sent him clean through on goal in the closing minutes.

Rashford scored the winner soon after and the distraught Mbappe finished the night flat on his back with hands covering his face.

https://www.channelstv.com/2019/03/06/three-things-we-learned-from-psg-vs-man-utd/?utm_source=TW&utm_medium=ChannelsTV-+AutoPoster&utm_campaign=SNAP%2Bfrom%2BChannels+Television

The Mauritanian government has sidelined dozens of political parties from upcoming presidential elections, saying the groups are too small to take part.

An interior ministry decree seen by AFP on Wednesday orders the “dissolution” of all parties which did not take part in municipal elections in 2013 and 2018, or which took part and failed to muster more than one per cent of the vote in the first round of voting.

A 2012 law provides financial support for electoral campaigns that is proportionate to a party’s public support.

It entitles the authorities to wind up groups that are deemed unrepresentative — parties that fail to meet the one-per cent threshold or take part in two consecutive municipal elections.

Parties that are dissolved can reform.

The new order applies to 76 parties, leaving 28 in the field, including the country’s main political groups.

The presidential elections in the conservative Saharan state are scheduled to take place by June 30, at a date that has yet to be set.

The ruling party, the Union for the Republic chose Defence Minister Mohamed Ould Cheikh Mohamed Ahmed as its candidate to succeed President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, whose second and final term in office is coming to an end.

Among opposition figures, legislator and anti-slavery activist Biram Ould Dah Abeid has already said he will run.

However, negotiations among other opposition groups to agree on a joint candidate are currently at an impasse, given “ideological divergences,” an opposition leader, Moussa Fall, said.

https://www.today.ng/news/politics/mauritania-dissolves-76-political-parties-small-200525/amp?__twitter_impression=true

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By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA—-The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have filed a motion to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to surrender all the materials that were used for the February 23 presidential election, for inspection.

The motion ex-parte was lodged before the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal on Tuesday.

The Tribunal will conduct its proceedings at the Court of Appeal Headquarters in Abuja.

In the motion ex-parte dated March 4, Atiku and the PDP, applied for leave of the tribunal to allow them to inspect the Voters Register, the Smart Card Reader Machines, Ballot Papers and other vital documents that were used in the conduct of the presidential election.

They equally prayed the tribunal to compel the electoral body to allow their agents to scan and make photocopies of vital documents used in the conduct of the election, for the purpose of establishing alleged irregularities.

The Applicants, through their lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, told the tribunal that the reliefs sought against INEC was for the purpose of filing and maintaining an election petition they intend to lodge against the outcome of the 2019 Presidential Election.

The motion ex-parte motion was supported with a 12 paragraphed affidavit that was deposed to by one Col. Austin Akobundu, rtd, the director of Contact and Mobilization of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council.

Meantime, no date has yet been fixed for hearing of the motion which has INEC, President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC, as 1st to 3rd Respondents.

Atiku who came second behind President Buhari of the APC, had earlier vowed to challenge the outcome of the presidential election in court, alleging that it was fraught with manifest irregularities.

He maintained that results collated by agents at various polling units across the federation, was at variance with what was eventually declared by INEC, in favour of President Buhari.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/breaking-atiku-pdp-file-motion-compelling-inec-to-surrender-election-materials-for-inspection/amp/