₦airaland Forum

Niger-East Senatorial Election: Nda-Isaiah Wins His Ward, LG

An APC presidential aspirant, Sam Nda-Isaiah wins his ward and local government area with very wide gap against ruling party PDP in today's Niger East senatorial by-election.

APC polled 12,998 against PDP 6,876 in Chanchaga Local Government Area, which is hometown of Nda-Isaiah.

Also APC leads in Bosso LGA, with 14,240 votes and PDP 6,666.

Result from Rafi Local Government shows APC 7789, PDP 7670.

Nice one... good to be on FP! we learnt a lot.

Despite fears that an unknown number of people might have been infected by the deadly Ebola virus in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, the Transformation Association of Nigeria, TAN, a group campaigning for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, said it would go ahead with its planned rally in Port Harcourt, the state capital on Saturday.

Both the presidency and the health ministry have failed to stop the group despite warning that such large gatherings could aid the spread of the virus that has so far killed six people in Nigeria.

The group’s Director of Media, Udenta Udenta, who disclosed this on Friday, said the arrangement for a successful rally where the people of South-South zone would urge the president to run in the February 2015 presidential election, had been concluded.

“The rally will hold,” Mr. Udenta confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview Friday night. “The Ebola issue is being over-hyped. We have sanitised every location and there is no cause for alarm.”

The rally, which is billed to hold at the Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt, is coming on the heels of the death of a medical doctor, Ikechukwu Enemuo who was infected by the virus as well as the isolation of over 100 others in the oil-rich state.

The Federal Government had said it would take measures to contain the disease in Rivers just as it did in others where the disease had been discovered.

“The Incidental Management Committee, IMC, has already deployed a very strong team to Port Harcourt to work with the health authorities of Rivers State,” the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu had said.

“Just like the situation has been effectively been managed in Lagos and Enugu, the situation in Port Harcourt will also similarly be effectively managed and we have begun to do so.”

The minister appealed to all contacts under surveillance to abide by the advice given to them by the IMC.

TAN held similar rallies in Awka, Anambra State, in the South East zone (August 16) and Ibadan in Oyo State in the South West zone last Saturday.

At the Awka rally, TAN said it mustered 1.6 million signatures asking Mr. Jonathan to run in the February 14 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The group said it also collected 1.8 million signatures in the South West.

After the Port Harcourt rally, TAN plans to shift the rallies to the northern part of the country with Minna in North Central zone hosting the next one on September 13, Gombe, North East September 20 and Kano, North West September 27.

The grand finale of the rally holds at the Eagles Square, Abuja on September 30.
The insistence by the group to go ahead with the rally runs contrary to the directive by Mr. Jonathan on August 8 discouraging large gatherings to check the spread of the deadly virus imported into the country about a month ago by a Liberian-America, Patrick Sawyerr.

In a move aimed at controlling and containing the Ebola virus, the president had said, “Religious and political groups, spiritual healing centres, families, associations and other bodies should, in the meantime, discourage gatherings and activities that may unwittingly promote close contact with infected persons or place others at risk.”

Also, while briefing journalists at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting, the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku directed that the Osun Osogbo billed for August 20 as well as other major events in the country should be suspended to curtail the spread of the virus.

In deference to the directives, the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, was allowed to go ahead with its conference in Owerri, Imo State only after it convinced the government that it had put in place measures to curtail the spread of the Ebola virus.

However, TAN has repeatedly ignored the directives and the President has failed to stop the group.

Some civil and political activists had criticised the conduct of the rallies.
The APC had on Thursday asked Mr. Jonathan to halt the campaign.

“Mr. President, you said your ambition is not worth the life of any Nigeria. But the TAN rallies for your re-election are endangering the lives of thousands of Nigerians in these days of Ebola. Some things must simply transcend politics. This is one of them, Please stop the rallies now,” the party said in a statement by its spokesperson, Lai Mohammed.

Also, a group, Buhari Vanguard, on Friday asked the president to instruct TAN to suspend the Port Harcourt rally.

Buhari Vanguard, which is a group of loyalists of a national leader of APC, Muhammadu Buhari, said in a statement by its chairman, Jasper Azuatalam, that as the chief custodian of the laws of the country, it is ridiculous for the President to continue to be lawless, violating regulations he helped put in place.

It said, “You will recall that the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education has closed down all schools till September 13 because of the Ebola virus. The Federal Government through The Ministry of Health has also warned all religious and political bodies against large public gathering, even in states where the Ebola virus has not been recorded. Churches and other public institutions have also suspended public gatherings.

“However, it has come to our notice that a pro-Jonathan political organization and mobilization group for the 2015 presidential election has scheduled a mass rally in Portharcourt the Rivers state capital for Saturday, the 30th of August, 2014. The rally being organized by Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria TAN is to hold at the Liberation Stadium by 10am. The rally will bring together people from all the states in the South South comprising Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Cross River and Rivers state to Portharcourt.

“We urge President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately instruct the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria TAN to suspend the scheduled rally until the Ebola Virus is successfully curtailed in Rivers state and other parts of Nigeria. Mr President is the chief custodian of the law in Nigeria and it will be ridiculous for the Chief custodian of the law to break the laws he has made without recourse.”

Sources: https://m.premiumtimesng.com/featured-news/167525-despite-ebola-warning-jonathan-re-election-rally-to-continue-in-port-harcourt.html?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=despite-ebola-warning-jonathan-re-election-rally-to-continue-in-port-harcourt

Hah! I have the answers of all this questions, but for the sake of respect I should keep quit, and let Oga Suen answer them himself, but if he fell to answer even one question correctly I will revolt and protest at the same time

The All Progressives Congress [APC] has expressed disappointment over the defection of one of its chieftains, Nuhu Ribadu, to the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP], describing the development as “very terrible.”

The party however wished him luck in his new party.

Mr. Ribadu, a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, decamped to the ruling party on Saturday.

A member of the executive committee of the PDP in Bako, Mr. Ribadu’s ward in Yola South Local Government Area of Adamawa, had told this newspaper that the former EFCC boss had registered as a member of the party and given party membership card.

Mr. Ribadu, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, was the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the 2011 elections.

The ACN merged with the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, the Congress for Progressives Change, CPC, and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview on Sunday, the National Chairman of the APC, John Odigie-Oyegun, said he was not disappointed by Mr. Ribadu’s action, but that it merely confirmed the level to which the Nigerian society had degenerated.

“It makes me sad because it is very terrible thing. It is a confirmation of the level to which our society has degenerated,” he said.

“For a man of that calibre to fall into that trap because of governorship position is disappointing. There is no problem; we wish him luck.”

Asked why it was disappointing, the APC national chairman said, “Don’t you see what this represents – that a man of his calibre will fall for the temptation?

“I hope you understand the point I am making. I am not sad because of the APC, but because it reflects on the condition of the Nigerian elite and the kind of things they fall for.

“For the APC, there is no problem. People go, people come, but for this nation, it is a very sad commentary. It makes you unhappy.”

On whether the APC leadership made any effort to dissuade Mr. Ribadu from leaving the party, Mr. Oyegun merely said, “People spoke with him,” adding “I don’t want to say more than that.”

He however said, “The time has come when we should have politicians of principle. We cannot continue like this.

“The society is sick. We shouldn’t encourage things like this. It indicates democracy is lacking in that party.

“For a man of his calibre to say the things he has said on record and still did this, is disappointing. If he had done this six months ago that would have been understandable. But just because of nomination, you fell for it, even if it is the main election. (Buba) Marwa is there; the Speaker is there.

“This is rock bottom. Haba wetin! The disconnection is too direct.”

The APC national chairman was not definite if the party would initiate any effort to get the former EFCC chairman back into the party.

“That is not the issue,” he said. “If you want to get him back, you offer him what the people are offering him.

“I’m not disappointed because I’m APC or because of where he is going. But for a man of that calibre who has said things on record and yet went in this direction is disappointing.”

https://m.premiumtimesng.com/featured-news/166893-bye-bye-ribadu-we-wish-you-luck-apc.html

A former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, has joined the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Adamawa State.

Mr. Ribadu was the presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in 2011 and joins the PDP from the All Progressives Congress.

A member of the executive committee of the PDP in in Bako, Mr. Ribadu’s ward in Yola South Local Government Area, informed PREMIUM TIMES that the anti-corruption chief has been registered as a member of the party.
‎
PREMIUM TIMES had reported how the PDP leadership led by the party’s national chairman, Adamu Muazu, mounted pressure on Mr. Ribadu to join the party and be its candidate for the October 11 governorship election in Adamawa.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had released time table for the election to replace former governor Murtala Nyako who was impeached by the State Assembly last month.

‎Already, Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri and son of former chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur, Awwal Tukur, have picked the notice of ‎ intent form to fly the PDP’s flag for the election.

Efforts to speak with Mr. Ribadu or his spokesperson, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, were unsuccessful.

‎Both men’s mobile phones were switched off when PREMIUM TIMES tried to reach them.
Mr. Ribadu is yet to publicly declare for the PDP although he has not refuted any of the reports linking him to the party.

Source: www.premiumtimesng.com

Hah any time when I was in abroad esp. In the west what I miss the most is my Friday prayer i.e Sallah Juma'a, I didn't miss it totally but I miss the crowd of Abuja or Kano Central Mosque. Beside that I never missing or even regretting been out of Nigeria.

Ina Son Ki/Ka = I Love You in Hausa Language, the largest language in Sub-Sahara and second to Shwahili and probably #23 in the whole world.

Borat1: Hello. Download the 1mobile apk from here: http://www.1mobile.com/apk-installer-150794.html

Once you download and install 1mobile you are good to go. You can then download just about any application you want by just searching for it, including instagram.

Enjoy

Very good

A former governor of Borno State, Alimodu Sheriff has today formally defected from the All Progressive Congress (APC) and announced his entry to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He made this declaration to his supporters at the Borno Airport, and pledged his support for President Goodluck Jonathan.

More Details Later 

Source: http://citypeoplegroup.org/i/ex-borno-gov-alimodu-sheriff-dumps-apc-for-pdp/

Alhamdulillah.

Barka da Sallah

LETTER TO PRESIDENT JONATHAN, BY AL-MUSTAPHA

Your Excellency, I bring you good tidings. I want to thank you for this generous gesture of yours which has made it possible for me to breathe the air of freedom again, and to reunite with my family, especially my wife Hafsat, who had dwelt in her own prison throughout my incarceration.

I decided to write you this letter the very first day I learnt that you had made up your mind to set me free. That was weeks before my eventual release. I know some of my words will sound unpalatable; but I am a soldier in whose squadron flattery is hardly a virtue.

Obviously, this freedom makes me happy indeed but your motive, at least the perceived it, tore my heart to shreds. I heard it is all about 2015, and not that I was unfairly incarcerated or that a court of competent jurisdiction had acquitted me.

However, I maintain even now that I am innocent of the crimes I was accused of and condemned to death for. I am not the only one to rise from the dead. Your wife, Patience, also died and returned, remember?

I am scandalized by the political undertone in the broth of my freedom. I was once the most powerful military officer in this country but now, from what I gather, you have reduced me to a pawn on the chessboard of politics? In the past, generals paid me compliments; but time changes everything.

Mr President Sir, please permit me to call you by your pet-name Jona. I understand that everything you do these days has 2015 imprimatur, but bringing me into the realms of politics is not a wise idea.

Let me refresh your memory a little, if you would let me. I was incarcerated in connection with the murder of Mrs Kudirat Abiola. Of course just as your popular picture as politician who is respected among his neighbours in Otuoke sticks on you like glue, my reputation as a daredevil and fearless intelligence officer precedes me. My creation, the Strike Force, is the deadliest Abuja, has ever known. Oh, I am so proud of its accomplishments. Strike Force made a snake in a garden shudder in fear during our time.

Some even said that we had a crocodile pond into which we threw uncooperative people, usually NADECO members or stubborn journalists. But I can assure you no one has pointed out the pond since we left power.

You see, I do not know how many books you have read Jona; but I have even memorised the Holy Qur’an. As a Muslim, it fortified my belief that in spite of the desire of those who wanted me dead, I would be free; may be not as quickly as I was discharged and acquitted but obviously anytime soon.

Why did you release me Jona? Almost all of those who learnt of my release that fateful Friday morning hung my freedom on 2015. They say you are obsessed with it and that you would unchain the devil himself to realize your goal. But I am what the Americans call a goon, you know? I know nothing but soldiering. Forget my grandstanding at the Oputa Panel. It was military strategy. I knew in my military wisdom that a million SANs would not free me if I did not take my destiny in my own hands, with facts and warts.

Lawless people don’t change overnight. Without any prejudice to the lawyers in this country, Jona, I can say without fear of contradiction that my tactics hit a chord, with and I believe that is why I am here. But mark you Jona, I Al Mustapha, have no political value in my region, the north, which you are trying to reach out to but which you have also offended in no small measure.

Northerners will hardy forget how you ignored the Boko Haram insurgency until it got out of hand. Unofficial sources claim that close to 800,000 people, most of them northerners, lost their lives and property worth billions destroyed by the insurgents. The insurgency has resulted in northerners losing their positions in the armed forces; mediocrity now reigns. To me as a former Chief Security Officer, your initial inaction depicted a total loss of control. You were a lame duck, even in your first term. So what’s all this elaborate orchestration for 2015?

But don’t mind my position, Jona. Time on death row has taken the winds off my brains. Never mind Yerima Ngama, your minister of state for finance, who told people that my sharp reasoning still amazes him. Ngama is not a psychiatrist. He probably never paid any attention to my behaviour while I marked time in Kirikiri. I had been confused. Sometimes, I greeted people with a clenched fist; while some other times, I smiled, like General Gowon does. At other times, I saluted in military fashion.

You would have noticed too, Jona, that my choices since coming out are dangerously flawed. I greeted everyone in sight: TB Joshua, Fashehun, Otokoto, Ganiyu Adams and Tokyo, to mention a few of them. I make no distinction between the living and the dead, just like I have not adjusted to life outside prison. I even sought Abiola out only to learn that he is deceased. In that miasma, I paid first homage to the Kano Sate Government instead of my people in Yobe. It would have served me just as well if I had driven straight to Gashua and shook hands with Shekau!

Mr President, I am saying all these because personally I know that where the north is concerned, I am a political paper tiger. Like Larry Hagman of the famous soap Dallas, I am the man that people love to hate. I lack the political value you ascribe to me, and if you released me to score a political point in my region, you have only taken a fool’s gambit. But I’m sorry; I can’t help your 2015 dream.

Yours faithfully, Al-Mustapha.

culled from: Daily Trust

Yinka Odumakin does not speak for Buhari, CPC says

The Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, has said Yinka Odumakin does not speak for its leader and former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari.

The party was reacting to a statement published by a national daily, Nigerian Pilot, credited to Mr. Odumakin alleging that governors elected under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, are corrupt.

CPC faulted the attribution of Mr. Odumakin’s statement to the retired General by the paper saying, “As a matter of fact, Mr. Yinka Odumakin has not functioned as the spokesman for General Muhammadu Buhari since 2011, shortly after the disposal of the CPC’s Presidential petition at the Supreme Court”.

The party in a statement by its spokesperson, Rotimi Fashakin, Wednesday in Abuja, said the leadership of the CPC is “not unaware of the mischief embedded in the reporting that was meant to achieve very politically capricious purposes”.

The statement added that the party does “not know whose interests the reporters and the Newspaper are serving. But let it be stated that, much as the said story was embarrassing to our amiable National leader, General Muhammadu Buhari, we wish to disabuse the minds of our friends, teeming supporters and merger partners that this hogwash was a cynical display of unprofessional journalism.

“For the umpteenth time, we hereby state that the views expressed in the story were Mr. Yinka Odumakin’s and not representing that of General Muhammadu Buhari,” it said.

It also said Mr. Buhari, “respected for nobility and enviable character traits, is far removed from the grotesque characterization of frivolity by the newspaper.

“We advise the Management of the Nigerian Pilot Newspaper to be guided by enviable journalistic practice in future endeavours,” it said.

Twitter @BashirAhmaad

Source: premiumtimes

President Jonathan snubs Gov Kwankwaso

The political troubles of the embattled governor of Kano State, Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso may have turned a new unpleasant corner as the political merry go round of the presidential race against 2015 draws near. Information available to 247ureports.com indicates that the relationship between the President of the federal republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebelemi Jonathan and the Governor of Kano State may have soiled beyond repair.

As gathered, the Governor of Kano State, Malam Kwankwaso had traveled from Kano to Abuja to visit with the President at the Presidential villa. Upon arrival to the Presidential villa, the Governor was said to have made his presence known to the protocol officers of the President – who previously would inform the President of the governor’s presence – and then – within minutes, the governor would be allowed in to see the President. But the governor’s visit – this time around – saw a different mood and/or reaction from the President. As the protocol officers of Mr. President informed the President of Kwankwaso’s presence, the President was said to redirect Kwankwaso to his vice. Kwankwaso was told to see the vice president, Arc Namadi Sambo instead. Kwankwaso made efforts to reach the President – impressing on the protocol team of the sensitive nature of his visit – but Mr. President held firm on his stand – that he should go to Vice President with his sensitive issue.

A competent source who spoke to 247ureports.com explained the snubbing of the Kano State governor as uncharacteristic of the President. The source attributed the action to recent activities of the Kano State governor – which are believed to undermine the administration of the President.

Among the list of actions to undermine the president include the recent attacks by the Kano governor on the President – claiming that the President’s intimate relationship with the federal minister of aviation, Stella Odua had blinded and/or sedated the President into not being able to call the Minister to order. Gov. Kwankwaso alleged that Odua had taken the decision of redirecting an airline company [Emirate Airways] from setting up  its headquarters in Kano – to her geopolitical zone in the south east – Enugu State.

However cursory investigation conducted by 247ureports.com revealed that the relocation of the said citing of the head office Emirates Airways had to do with Gov. Kwankwaso decision to convert the area earmarked for the head office in Kano – to a secondary school.

The head office for the Emirate Airways was to be originally cited in the Kofa Nasarawa area of Kano to operate domestic flight operations. Prior to the set up of the office, the managers of Emirate Airways had given the Kano State government – [Shekarau's administration] the condition that a 5star hotel must be erected near the cite to house their flight attendants, pilots and other transient staff.   The Shekarau administration then began preliminary designs to enable costing and other feasibility studies – and the cost of 5star hotel was pegged at a little over $3billion. A wealthy Kuwaiti businessman was approached - who agreed to erect the 5 star hotel.  But the agreement did not hold – owing to the arrival of the Kwankwaso administration – who reclined the decision – and decision to cite a secondary school at the would-be cite.

Meanwhile, Kwankwaso is said to have abstained virtually all meeting where President Jonathan is presiding. It is not certain why Kwankwaso refuses to attend any meeting that would have the President presiding. A source in Kano point to a lack of respect for the person occupying the seat of president as the principal cause for Kwankwaso’s attitude towards the president.

Federal Government has concluded arrangements to scrap the National Examination Council.

Plans have also been concluded to cancel the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination being conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board for applicants into the nation’s tertiary institutions.

JAMB will however not be scrapped.

The government’s decisions, which would be made public soon via a White Paper, are based on the recommendations of the Stephen Oronsaye-led Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.

A government source told our correspondent that the decisions were part of the recommendations made by a White Paper Committee set up by the government on the Oronsaye report.

The source added that upon receipt of the latest report, President Goodluck Jonathan has been meeting with Vice-President Namadi Sambo and a few top government officials to take final decisions on it.

It was in one of such meetings held on Tuesday that the final decision was taken.

Under the new arrangement, the source said in place of UTME, authorities of all tertiary institutions would now be at liberty to conduct their entrance examinations as they had been doing for post-UTME.

JAMB will however serve as a clearing house.

“JAMB will now be a clearing house like Universities and Colleges Admissions Service in the UK. If somebody gains admission into three universities and holds down space, immediately such person picks his first choice, JAMB’s system will automatically free the remaining two slots for other applicants.”

“JAMB will no longer conduct examinations but it will be setting the standard alongside the schools authorities,” the source said.

UCAS, which was established in 1993, is the British admission service for students applying to university and college, including post-16 education as of 2012.

UCAS is primarily funded by students who pay a fee when they apply and a capitation fee from universities for each student they accept.

On NECO, the source said in arriving at the decision to scrap the examination body, the committee took into cognizance its huge facilities across the country.

But it was resolved that the West African Examination Council would absorb NECO’s members of staff and its facilities.

WAEC will also be empowered to conduct two Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations per year, one in January and the other probably in December.

Hitherto, only one November/ December SSCE Examination is being conducted.

Source: The Punch

Saudi Arabia’s telecommunicati ons regulator has threatened to block messaging applications, such as Skype, WhatsApp and Viber if telecommunicati on companies fail to monitor the applications.

The Saudi Telecommunicati ons and Information Technology Commission urged telecom companies to examine possible ways for security oversight with the companies who own those "apps."

The commission gave the telecom companies until the end of this week to respond. In case they say it is impossible to monitor the applications, the commission said it will consider procedures to block them altogether in the Kingdom.

The Saudi telecommunicati on watchdog had addressed a similar case with BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) in 2010 when it ordered local telecommunicati on companies to suspend BlackBerry messenger services.

The Kingdom demanded access to Blackberry’s encrypted network. — Al Arabiya

Source: SAUDI GAZETTE