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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari of desperation to stick to power no matter what.

As indicated by the APC rivals, Buhari and his APC desperately want to continue to exploit Nigerians, protect the ruling party’s corrupt leaders, spread their inadequacy and cover the humongous scum in the administration.

In an announcement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, who said this is the reason APC and "the cabal" at the Presidency resorted on brutality, terrorizing just as manipulation and change of results at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rig the presidential race.

The PDP likewise accused certain APC chieftains and presidential aides of desperacy in diverting the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal and crash the course of equity by making and advancing unjustifiable legal translations and externalizing procedures of the court.

The statement said:

“The President Buhari-led APC administration wants to remain in power to prevent investigation into the N14 trillion allegedly stolen under its watch; including the N9 trillion stolen from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, as detailed in the leaked Nigerian National Petrolum Corporation (NNPC) memo; the over N1.4 trillion alleged oil subsidy sleaze and the N1.1 trillion worth of crude diverted using 18 unregistered companies linked to APC interests.

“This is in addition to the N33billion National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) fund, and the over N18 billion stolen out of the N48 billion approved by the National Assembly in the 2017 budget for the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced persons in the Northeast, among others.

“Furthermore, the Buhari-led APC administration is desperate to avoid an investigation into its unwholesome borrowings that led to the escalation of our nation’s debt stock from N12.12 trillion in 2015 to an overburdening N24.39 trillion in 2018.

“Within a space of three years, this administration has borrowed a total of N12.27 trillion, yet it cannot point to any significant development project into which the money was invested. This includes the N2.66 trillion borrowed in 2018, ahead of the 2019 general elections.

“These and many more are funds meant for infrastructural development and welfare of Nigerians but which have been cornered by APC leaders”

The opposition party insisted that the Buhari Presidency lacked the competence and integrity to run a creative, transparent and credible administration that can guarantee economic growth, wealth creation and a dependable system.

“The negative effect is the further dipping of our economy, as investor’s confidence, which shored up at the expressed resolve by Nigerians to elect Atiku Abubakar as their next President, slumped with the rigging of the presidential election”, the PDP added.

The party urged Nigerians not to despair but to continue to be steadfast in the aspiration for the recovery of the “stolen” presidential mandate at the tribunal. According to the PDP, that is the only way to return the nation to the path of peace, national unity and a vibrant economy.

ReadMore:https://horilines.com/post/why-nigerians-should-be-steadfast-in-the-aspiration-to-recover-their-stolen-presidential-mandate--pdp

Liverpool centre-back, Virgil van Dijk has won the BBC Sport’s Premier League Player of the Year award.
The Dutch star, who secured a whopping 59% of the vote, beat off competition from Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling and Tottenham’s Heung min-Son.

The announcement was made through the official Twitter page of BBC Sport on Saturday afternoon.

A statement from BBC Sports read: “The votes have been counted and you have crowned Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk as the BBC Sport website’s player of the year.”

Van Dijk joined Liverpool in January of last year, for a huge sum of £75 million, a world-record fee for a defender.

The 27-year-old has been impressive since joining the Anfield club from Southampton.

Readmore: https://horilines.com/post/meet-the-bbc-footballer-of-the-year

Blac Chyna was seen in public for the first time since Harvard Business School denied offering her a place on one of their online courses.

TMZ had reported that Blac Chyna had been offered a place on the Business Analytics course, which requires 40 hours study over eight weeks. But a Harvard representative denied this and said that the school "has not admitted nor provided an acceptance letter to a person named Angela White (Blac Chyna's real name)."

Despite the controversy, the mother-of-two looked in high spirits as she stepped out in Burbank on Friday.

See more photos: https://horilines.com/post/blac-chyna-spotted-in-public-after-harvard-business-school-scander-photos

After the turbulent 2019 general elections, which put a spotlight on the volatile nature of Rivers State politics, Governor Nyesom Wike, has pledged to constitute an inclusive government in his second term to douse political tension.

Wike, who was declared the winner of the governorship election 25 days ago by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), having polled a total 886, 264 out of the 1,123,840 valid vote cast, is yet to be congratulated by some notable contenders, including the runner up, African Action Congress candidate, Biokpomabo Awara, who scored 17, 3859.

It is expected that Wike’s extension of an olive branch to the opposition through the offer of an inclusive government will foster dialogue among the state’s hostile political elites and pave way for an end to the prevailing hostilities.

Rivers State has been grappling with political conflict since 2013, due to power tussle between Wike and his predecessor, Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, who is the leader of the main opposition, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. Nothing depicts the volatility of their faceoff more than the 2019 elections, the sixth since 1999 that claimed over 40 lives and recorded the lowest turnout in 20 years.

The governor himself acknowledged in his broadcast after the elections that the current politics of acrimony have strayed from the noble path of the past. Consequently, he had appealed to APC and his former ally turned adversary, Amaechi, to join hands with his administration to move the state forward. He said leaders of the state couldn’t continue to remain divided and expect government to deliver on its responsibilities to the people.He promised that in his administration’s next dispensation, he would run an inclusive government, aimed at promoting the state’s development. Additionally, the governor said he would continue to do all humanly possible to ensure the unity and peaceful co-existence of all in the state, irrespective of political affiliation.

And to demonstrate this, the governor recently constituted multi-party committee to commence the transition into his second term. Some notable members of the opposition include Samuel Ihunwo, Suage Badey, former AAC Deputy governorship candidate, Akpo Bombar Yeeh, Marcus Nle Eji and Ayi Pepple, among others.

Gladded by his inclusion in the inauguration committee, Yeeh said he would bring his expertise as a former security officer to bear on collaboration with government and relevant stakeholders to ensure peace reigns supreme in the state.

A member of Senator Magnus Abe’s faction, Aye Pepple, who is a former state lawmaker for Bonny Constituency, said: “I want to thank God for the politics of inclusion spearheaded by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike. We are critical stakeholders in the state, and it is time for us to join hands with the Governor to contribute our quota to the state’s development. Rivers State is a very peaceful state. The people must continue to ensure that there is peace by supporting the government of the day.”

Similarly, the Independent Democratic Party (IDP) governorship candidate, Samuel Ihunwo said Wike’s gesture to include over 20 members of opposition political parties in his second term inauguration demonstrated his willingness to work and serve the interest of Rivers people.

The governorship candidate of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Emmanuel Nwabriji, also promised to bring to bear his expertise to ensure that the state becomes a rallying point among comity of states.Judging by the reaction of some of these opposition members, it is understandable that Rivers people want calm and orderly governance after the turmoil that has characterised the past six years.

It is believed that an inclusive government featuring representatives of all of the main political parties might usher in a new era of peace in the polity.However, it is not clear if Amaechi’s faction will grab the bone being dangled by the Governor. Indeed, some even consider Wike’s gesture a bitter pill to swallow.Being a quintessential politician, Wike may have begun poaching the already disoriented opposition by what some perceive as mere cosmetic appointments.

A political observer, Julian Okara, told The Guardian that any smart governor could deploy the tactic of inclusive government as opium to indulge his opponents and render them docile.She said: “This is not the first time there has been talk about inclusive government in this state. Former Governors Peter Odili and Chibuike Amaechi included opposition members in their cabinets. But don’t be deceived, any incumbent will always secure key positions in government for his cronies, who will control relevant ministries. In this state, Odili’s opponents, who were vociferous against his government were brought in and they kept quiet, they are still around today.”

Another analyst, Barnabas Ibem, pointed out that it is becoming a norm globally for governments that want to avert distraction from the opposition to bring them on board under the guise of wanting to ensure diverse political views are reflected in the decision-making. Ibem said it was quite intriguing that Wike should single out Amaechi and APC to join hands with him to drive the state forward.He noted that while political gladiators may not be unopposed to exploring constructive ways to enhance political participation, any perceived ulterior motives could undermine whatever good was intended.

“I know an inclusive government usually becomes the norm in order to resolve political conflicts. I have no doubt in my mind that inclusivity will foist a new era of peace in the state and promote stability, better governance and economic advancement, which have since eluded Rivers State. We pray for sincerity on the governor’s part,” he said.

APC spokesperson, Chris Finebone, however said: “Our number one suspicion is that the motive is to pave way for those of them you saw as APC members who are in his committee. These are people who were already in PDP, but many of them were managing the process of moving over. So, I think what the governor did was in clear response to their dilemma to move to PDP, by creating a window that will enable that happen. You already have APC members whose names are on that list, which means they have already moved. So, the party regards them as PDP members.”

Finebone explained that APC would like to see a government that prioritises economic and social programmes, which will lead to job creation and good governance, and that the party does not intend to partake in the administration.
“Like our leader (Amaechi) said, we are given to good governance. We are for anything that will encourage and entrench good governance. It is beyond serving in any government. We need not serve in any government to help build democracy and entrench good governance. We don’t need to play politics of it to be able to contribute,” he said.

On the issue of reconciliation canvassed by the governor, the APC mouthpiece said there was need to first define areas of differences before anyone can work towards reconciliation.“Just like when discussing forgiveness; you have to also take into account the element of justice. It is not enough to say let us reconcile. What are we reconciling over? We need to know where everyone has gone wrong and how we intend to amend these areas. It is only after this you can talk of forgiveness. All these things are a process. Forgiveness is not an event, it is a process,” he said.

In cognisance that Wike is good steward of political power and might just disarm people with strategic generosity, while masking his real intentions, Finebone said APC was still skeptical about the governor’s sincerity. He was, however, emphatically that the party would not nominate persons for any political appointment in Wike’s government.

A social commentator, Mrs. Maureen Obulor, said while Wike, who undoubtedly benefitted from the crisis plaguing APC, might be willing to accommodate APC and other political parties, it was unclear to what extent the ruling clique in PDP will align with him.She advised opposition members already incorporated into some committees not to be too ecstatic. Rather, they should bring a breath of fresh air in the form of good governance to bear on the administration.

Obulor observed that most Rivers rural communities are being decimated by such social vices as cultism. She insisted that the opposition must exert pressure on government to focus on job creation; tackle criminal gangs unleashing a reign of terror from Ogba/ Egbema/ Ndoni to Andoni; from Abual-Odual to Ogoni; Emohua through Ikwerre and Degema.
She noted that though Wike may have enhanced infrastructure, but there still remained a lot to be done in the area of creating conducive environment for investments that will boost economic development.

She said: “2023 is around the corner. The political parties, especially APC, must put their houses in order, to prepare themselves as alternative government. Those that will benefit from the inclusive government must not see themselves as proxies.”
ReadMore:https://horilines.com/post/this-is-the-time-for-rivers-to-breath-fresh-air---wike

Controversial Senator, Dino Melaye stole the show at the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria, Kaduna State where he was honoured after being mobbed by a crowd of admirers.

Despite the presence of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote and others, Melaye was the cynosure of all eyes as huge crowd followed him wherever he went, chanting and singing his praises.

See more photos below: https://horilines.com/post/senator-dino-melaye-honored-by-abu-photos

See more photos below:https://www.horilines.com/post/check-out-photo-cee-c-attire-to-bam-bam-30th-birthday-bash

Second Republic Presidential Adviser to a former President, late Shehu Shagari, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, has stated that the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, remains a Nigerian citizen, and is qualified to contest for any elective position in the country, including the Office of the President.

Yakasai was reacting to a recent application by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressive Congress, APC, at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, alleging that Atiku is a Cameroonian, and as such, unfit to contest for the Office of the President of Nigeria, in the 2019 Presidential election.

The former member of the Board of Trustees of the defunct All Peoples Party, APP, in a statement which he personally signed on Tuesday, berated the APC, for holding such opinion that Atiku is not a Nigerian.

The statement reads: “To my astonishment, it is therefore strange for Leaders of the ruling party in Nigeria, the APC, to claim that former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, is not qualified to seek to be the President of Nigeria.

“This is a display of ignorance of the highest order, of Atiku’s status as enshrined in our Constitution. In fact, APC is the least among political parties in Nigeria, to make such unpatriotic statement.

“There are people sponsored by the party who contested and won elections to elective offices, and are today, occupying such positions. Atiku is equally or even better qualified to hold any public Office in Nigeria, than some of such people.”

The Elder Statesman, also recalled that: “Before 1st of October, 1960, both Southern and Northern Cameroons were trusteeship territories under Nigeria, in accordance with Article 76 (b) of the United Nations Trusteeship Agreement of 1946.

“This situation dated back to the period of the first world war. Prior to that war, some part of the old Adamawa Emirate were occupied by the Germans. Southern and Northern Cameroons were part of the territories colonised by the Germans, along with Togoland, Tanganyika, South-West Africa, we now call Namibia.

“That was after the partition of Africa in 1884/85. After the conquest of Germany in 1919, territories under German occupation, were taken over by the newly formed League of Nations, and were assigned to different colonial powers as Mandated territories. Tanganyika, South-West Africa, and Southern and Northern Cameroons were mandated to Britain.

“Citizens of the Mandated territories were accorded the same rights and privileges as citizens of the colonies. Britain decided to administer its mandated Cameroons as part of Nigeria. Their citizens of the colonial Mandated had the same rights and privilleges as citizens of colonial Nigeria.”

He pointed out that: “In 1946, with the demise of the League of Nations and the emergence of the United Nations, the mandated territories were taken over by the new world body, and reassigned to the same colonial powers as Trusteeship Territories. Still Britain continued with administrative structures of the territories as same.

“Before Nigerian independence many citizens of the trusteeship territories held important public offices, both at Federal and Regional levels in Nigeria. Other than the fact they were elected members of Parliament and Regional Houses of Assembly, making laws for Nigeria, holding Nigerian International Passports, they also served among other things as Nigeria’s Federal and Regional Ministers, and other civil service and public offices in the country.

“After independence, they both decided their future in plebiscites. Those in the Eastern Region chose to merge with the Republic of Cameroon, while those in the north decided to remain with Nigeria. The area of northern Cameroon after the plebiscite were declared as the 13th province of northern Nigeria.

“The province chose a name for itself. The name adopted was Sardauna Province. Jada together with other areas formally known as Northern Cameroon Province now became known as Sardauna Province.”

According to him: “Atiku is an indigene of Adamawa whose father was an indigene of Sokoto and his mother a bonafide indigene of Adamawa and many indigenes born before and after him have been accorded full recognition as Nigerians.

“The 1960 Constitution conferred recognition to the entire people born in the trusteeship territories as Africans born in Nigeria before independence if any of their parents is a citizen of British colonial territory in Africa or is a citizen of West African descent.

“Indigenes of both Southern and Northern trusteeship territories in Nigeria contributed their quota immensely to the development of Nigeria in various capacities before and after independence. Some of such people were Endeley, Foncha and Muna in the Southern Territory, and Mallam Abba Habib, Malam Abdullahi Damburam Jada, Ambassador Buba Malabu, Ambassador Mahmud Bello, Alh. Hayatu Kojoli, Mr. Phillip Maken, etc. Indigenes of the former Trusteeship Territories which chose to be part of Nigeria are equal in all respect to every Nigerian in terms of patriotism, citizen rights and privileges.”

Read More:https://www.horilines.com/post/breaking-buhari-the-entire-apc-hide-in-shame-as-atiku-is-finally-declared-a-nigerian-citizen-by-tribunal

Information reaching our news desks, reveals that No fewer than 11 lawmakers-elect have shown indignation for the positions of Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives during the inauguration of the 9th Assembly,

Reports shows that even while six senators-elect are battling for the position of the Deputy Senate President, five other reps-elect have entered the race for Deputy Speaker of the House.

The Deputy Senate President is the second in command in the Red Chamber as Deputy Speaker is next to the Speaker.

Therefore due to the absence of both the Senate President and the Speaker, their deputies climbs the ladder to take over the two positions.

our agency gathering showed that those in pursuit for Deputy Senate President include Deputy Senate Chief Whip Francis Alimekhena (APC, Edo), Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta), Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos), Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano), Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia) and Ike Ekweremadu (PDP, Enugu).

And for Deputy Speaker, those that have indicated interest in the position are Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila (APC, Kano), Aminu Suleiman (APC, Kano), Garba Muhammad Datti (APC, Kaduna), Magaji Da’u Aliyu (APC, Jigawa) and Abubakar Lado Suleja (APC, Niger).

Information also stated that one of those contesting for the Deputy Senate President and four of those gunning for the Deputy Speaker’s seats are all from the North-West, the Geo-political zone of the President Muhammadu Buhari. They are Sen Gaya, Kawu Sumaila, Suleiman, Datti and Da’u.

Futhermore, two aspirants for Deputy Senate President, Alimekhena and Omo-Agege, are from the South-South, while another two, Kalu and Ekweremadu, are from the Southeast.

One aspirant each for the Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker, Oluremi Tinubu and Lado, are from the South-West and North-Central, respectively.

All the contenders, with the exception of Ekweremadu, are of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). We also gathered that the aspirants have intensified secret campaigns among their colleagues to realize their quest.

The people gunning for speaker are House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos), Ahmed Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), Abdulrazak Namdas (APC, Adamawa), Mohammed Umar Bago (APC, Niger), Babangida Ibrahim (APC, Katsina), Muktar Aliyu Betara (APC, Borno) and Nkeiruka Onyeajocha (APC, Abia).

Contenders for Deputy Senate President

Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta)

Omo-Agege first came to the Senate in 2015 under the platform of the Labour Party to represent Delta Central Senatorial District. However, he joined the APC in 2017. He got re-elected to the Senate under the APC’s platform in the February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections.

It was learnt that Omo-Agege has the backing of some APC chieftains to occupy the position of the Deputy Senate President, although the party is yet to zone the seat as it did for the Senate President.

Being from the South-South geopolitical zone, it is believed that Omo-Agege, 55, has high chances of clinching the seat as the zone has two returning APC senators.

Our report says Omo-Agege has serious interest in the seat and has been lobbying his colleagues to get their support.

Francis Alimekhena

Alimekhena represents Edo North Senatorial District. Also a second term senator, the 71-year-old lawmaker is the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate and the Deputy chairman Senate Committee on Housing.

Soft-spoken and calm, Alimekhena is believed to have commenced secret campaign to become the Deputy Senate President.

Already, the councillor-elect for Wuse Ward in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Mathias Aliu, commenced an open campaign for the Deputy Chief Whip to be Deputy Senate President, saying the South would be cheated if the APC did not endorse Alimikhena for the position.

He said Alimekhena was in a position to promote the party’s agenda in the southern part of the country because of his influence and being a performing senator.

“The South, particularly Edo State will be cheated if the party does not endorse Sen Francis Alimikhena for the position of Deputy Senate President. His track records speak for him, he is one senator who has proven integrity and good leadership skills.

“The ninth National Assembly needs what Alimikehna has to offer and that is why I call on our party chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and other party leaders, to consider my humble appeal.”

Oluremi Tinubu

Remi is the wife of the APC National Leader Bola Ahmed Tinubu. She has been a senator since 2011, representing Lagos Central Senatorial District.

Mrs Tinubu is the first to be rumoured to have nurtured the ambition of becoming the Deputy Senate President. Several media reports linked her with the ambition. But the woman has not publicly said she would be contesting for the seat.

Though her husband is among the top decision-makers in the APC, it is not immediately clear if he is behind her candidature for the seat.

However, what is clear is that Tinubu has thrown his weight behind Gbajabiamila to emerge as speaker. In that case, it is believed that it would be difficult for the same Tinubu to push for another person from Lagos to become Deputy Senate President.

Kabiru Gaya

Gaya, a ranking senator who is returning to the Senate for the fourth time, has since made his ambition to become Deputy Senate President public.

Gaya, senator for Kano North, said he believed his legislative experience, loyalty and contributions to the development of the APC should be considered in making him the Deputy Senate President.

Although he hails from the same geopolitical zone as Buhari, Gaya feels that would not stop him from emerging as Deputy Senate President based on the contribution of the region to APC’s victory at the polls.

Declaring his intention recently, Gaya said: “If the six zones are accommodated in the sharing formula for the National Assembly leadership positions, four of them contributed tremendously to the election of Mr. President.

“The South-West, which has now got the position of the Speaker, North-East which has not got the position of the Senate President, North-Central has the position of Deputy Speaker.

“Considering the zoning arrangement, it is clear that the North-West has been left behind and I am a ranking senator from the North-West. That means the deputy senate president position should go to North-West.”

However, many still believe that the North-West should not enjoy any such position because it already has the President.

Orji Uzor Kalu

Kalu, a former 2-term governor of Abia State, has since made his intention to contest for the Deputy Senate President’s seat public. At first, Kalu wanted to go for the Senate President, but he later backed down to the position of deputy.

A former member of the House of Reps in the Third Republic, Kalu won the seat for Abia North Senatorial District under the APC, defeating the incumbent senator, Mao Ohuabunwa, of PDP.

He became governor of Abia State in 1999 and spent eight years piloting the affairs of the state. Since 2007 when he left Abia Government House, he never occupied any elective office, though he had made unsuccessful attempts to come to the Red Chamber.

Kalu recently made subtle threats to the APC, saying he would be compelled to go for the seat of Senate President should the party fail to zone the position of Deputy Senate President to the South-East.

It was gathered that Kalu was already in talks with a lot of senators-elect, including former governors who are now in the Senate, to clinch the position.

Ike Ekweremadu

Ekweremadu has been the Deputy Senate President for a record 12 years, from 2007. He has been the senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District since 2003.

Though a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ekweremadu was able to wiggle his way to become the Deputy Senate President in 2015, in an APC-dominated chamber.

Like four years ago, Ekweremadu is believed to be keeping his ambition under wraps, waiting for the APC to fumble once again so that he could clinch the seat without any hassle. Should that happen, Ekweremadu would succeed in occupying the seat for 16 years, nonstop.

To realise his ambition, it was learnt that he was making frantic moves to unite the 43 PDP senators-elect in the Senate.

Part of the plan, it was learnt, is to form an alliance with any ‘recalcitrant’ APC senator who is ready and willing to go against his party, like in 2015, for the PDP senators to bring their block votes and make such a senator Senate President against APC’s adopted candidate, Ahmad Lawan.

In turn, the APC senator would persuade some of his colleagues to vote for Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President once again. However, sources said this could be an uphill task this time around.

Contenders for Deputy Speaker

Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila

Kawu had represented Sumaila/Takai Federal Constituency of Kano State for 12 straight years, from 2003 to 2015, before going to contest for the Kano State governorship under APC in vain.

During his stay in the House, he served as Deputy Minority Leader for eight years, a position that many believed has shaped and prepared him for the task ahead. He won the election for the same seat in February.

Besides, Kawu, who was until January this year the senior special assistant to Buhari on National Assembly matters (House of Reps), is said to be very close to and enjoys tremendous goodwill of the President.

Since after the elections, there have been moves by some party chieftains for Kawu to be deputy speaker to Gbajabiamila, who is favoured to be endorsed for speaker by the party.

Those pushing for this are of the opinion that having worked together as Minority Leader and Deputy Minority Leader for eight years and understood each other very well, the duo could make a good combination.

However, Kawu is from the North-West, where the president hails from. Thus, it is believed that the position of deputy speaker should go to another region.

Again, it is believed that Kawu does not enjoy the support of his governor, despite working assiduously for his reelection.

Aminu Suleiman

Aminu Suleiman (Goro) represents Fagge Federal Constituency of Kano State. He has been in the House since 2011 and has established himself among his colleagues as a formidable lawmaker.

He had served as the chairman of the House Committee on Education during the 7th Assembly and now serves as the chairman of the committee on tertiary education and TETFUND.

Though he initially wanted to contest for speaker, he later joined the race for deputy speaker as the position of speaker may be difficult for the North-West, having produced the president.

Because of the large number of APC members from the North-West zone, which stands at about 86, many believe that the zone could comfortably produce the Deputy Speaker and that Suleiman should be given the chance.

However, we discovered that Suleiman may be persuaded to go for any other position, possibly House Leader, to be zoned to the North-West as there are plans by the party to pair Gbajabiamila with Ahmed Idris Wase as speaker and deputy, respectively.

Garba Datti Muhammad

Rep Datti, who has been representing Sabon Gari Federal Constituency of Kaduna State since 2007, is one major contender for the office of the deputy speaker. Before coming to the House, he had served as a member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

He served as Deputy Minority Whip in the House between 2011 and 2015. Babawo, as he is fondly called, has been a loyal APC member as he was previously in Buhari’s defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC).

Datti is among the earliest to have declared their intention to contest for the Deputy Speaker’s seat. He is also believed to be one of those close to President Buhari.

But like the other two contenders mentioned above, Datti is from the North-West, and that may affect his chances of emerging as deputy speaker too.

Magaji Da’u Aliyu

Aliyu represents Birnin Kudu/Buji Federal Constituency of Jigawa State. He is going for his second term in office.

He recently told journalists in Abuja that he would be gunning for deputy speaker because he believed he has a lot to offer for the position. But his number one albatross is his being from the North-West.

Abubakar Lado Suleja

Lado is the only member from the North-Central to have indicated interest for the deputy speaker’s seat. He first came to the House in 2015 to represent Suleja Federal Constituency of Niger State.

He said as a young person who was once a member of the APC National Working Committee (NWC), he believed he has a lot to offer.

But Lado’s biggest challenge is the fact that he still has a court case hanging on his neck. He is being challenged for the APC ticket for his constituency.

It was gathered that as a result of the court case, INEC did not present certificate of return to him. However, Lado, it was learnt, is keeping hope alive, believing that he would win at the court to carry on with his ambition.

Lado speaking to news persons on Sunday said that “I’m in the race. I’m the top and only contender from the North-Central and the most ranking member in the 9th Assembly, having held the position of the first APC National Youth Leader and member of the NWC and later elected as the first Deputy National Treasurer and NEC member.”

Who do you think would come out on top?
Read More:https://horilines.com/post/11-aspirants-rumbles-for-deputy-senate-and-speaker-see-full-list

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has revealed that he has no personal house outside Nigeria.

The billionaire stated this at the 2019 Mo Ibrahim Forum.

Dangote hinted that he avoids luxury things “because they distract and take time”.

Dangote said: “I don’t have any holiday home anywhere. I don’t have a house anywhere but I know people who are working for me…they have houses in London.”

“But you see, a lot of people, even the younger ones, we need to be very careful because one of biggest issues with us as Africans is that we spend our projected incomes.

“Once you start doing business [and] it starts doing well, but rather than for you to invest more in the business, you start spending thinking that profit will continue to come.

“There are ups and downs in business so you need to be very focused.”

Asked of his opinion on areas young entrepreneurs should invest in, Dangote replied: “The sectors to focus on now are ICT and agriculture. These are the 2 promising sectors.”

Watch interveiw below: https://horilines.com/post/dangote-reveals-why-he-has-no-personal-house-outside-nigeria-video

Billionaire and business mogul, Femi Otedola's daughter, Temi Otedola had a belated 23rd birthday party last Friday.

The beautiful lady, who is in a relationship with afrobeats superstar, Mr. Eazi, had swell time as she celebrated with friends in London.

Checkout here her more lovely photos below:https://horilines.com/post/cfvedx

Netflix has released the official trailer of Beyonce’s Documentary titled Homecoming.

Homecoming — billed as “A Film By Beyoncé” — is Queen Bey’s latest concert documentary, unveiling a close-up perspective at the often-guarded pop superstar in the midst of preparing for her headlining performance at the 2018 Coachella festival.

The documentary is set for release on Netflix April 17.

Watch the teaser video below.https://horilines.com/post/wefgn-fg

Chelsea star, Eden Hazard, is optimistic that they can win the Europa League this season and also finish in the Premier League’s top four.

Hazard stated this while speaking to the media, following their 2-0 win over West Ham on Monday night.

The three points took Chelsea into third place, above London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.

When asked what his side’s chances are on the continent and domestically, Hazard replied: “We are Chelsea, we can do everything.”

Maurizio Sarri’s men travel to Slavia Prague in the Europa League on Thursday, before facing Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday in the league.

Source:https://horilines.com/post/epl-what-hazard-said-after-scoring-twice-in-2-0-win-over-west-ham

Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki (second left), receiving a souvenir from the Acting Director for Global Brand Management of Aljazeera, Mohammed Ihtisham Hibatullah, during a tour of the Television Network by members of the National Assembly delegation to the 140th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), in Doha, Qatar…yesterday.


• Senate’s deadline to committees expires without reports
• Shittu faults lawmakers on ‘104 abandoned projects’

The 2019 budget may spend longer time at the National Assembly.Although the Senate had twice given its sub-committees deadlines to conclude work on processing the budget bill, findings showed there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

The Senator Danjuma Goje-led Committee on Appropriation told the upper legislative chamber last week that less than 10 committees had submitted their reports for further scrutiny and processing.This disclosure attracted warning from Senate President Bukola Saraki who made it clear that all committees must submit reports to the committee by last Friday 5, 2019, to enable it to process and submit its own report to the Senate on April 9.He hinted that the Senate was committed to passing the budget bill before proceeding on Easter break April 16.

It was however discovered yesterday that many sub-committees were unable to meet the Friday deadline. The committees blamed the delay on the failure of many Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to defend their budgets. Saraki had said: “Let us agree that they (sub-committees) will submit by Friday (April 5). We will suspend plenary just for a week till April 9. We should be able to reconvene here by Tuesday and lay the report. And we should pass this budget by the 16th, because we have the Easter break coming as well. We don’t have that luxury of time.”

It would be recalled that President Buhari submitted the N8.83 trillion 2019 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 19, 2018.The campaigns for the February and March general elections had made it impossible for the National Assembly to begin the consideration of the budget bill because all lawmakers were involved.

The budget proposal as presented by Buhari was based on an oil price benchmark of USD60, crude oil production of 2.3 mbp/ as well as exchange Rate N305/USD. Other assumptions of the budget proposal include real GDP growth of 3.01 per cent, and inflation rate of 9.98 per cent. The budget proposal is made up of N4.04 trillion recurrent expenditure while N2.03 trillion is for capital development.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, yesterday disagreed with the Senate Committee on Communication that his ministry abandoned 104 projects. He said only 82, not 104 projects, could be questioned for not taking off.

The minister who spoke to reporters in Ibadan, said the projects were never abandoned as claimed, but stopped from being awarded when petitions emanated from different quarters over the contractors billed to handle them. Shittu said it would be inconceivable for any minister under the leadership of Buhari to abandon projects. He said the president could not have made any mistake in appointing any of the current ministers in a selection process that lasted six months.

The committee presided over by Senator Isah Misau, who stood in for the chairman, Senator Gilbert Nnaji, faulted the ministry’s poor budget performance for 2018, saying it would be difficult to have N18.1b approved for the ministry in the 2019 budget.

According to the committee, out of the 121 projects budgeted for in 2018, only 17 have reached varying degrees of completion, leaving a larger percentage either not funded or executed at all, two months to the end of the budget year.
Shittu said: “To start with, the projects which are the subject matter of discussion have not yet been awarded. So, the proper thing would be that there is delay in awarding them. If they are accusing me of delay, something must have caused the delay. To award a contract, fund must be available and also must be allocated for the specific project. And you will recall that the current system is what we called the envelope system because each project is in its own envelope.”

Source:

https://horilines.com/post/why-2019-budget-may-suffer-further-delay-details

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that no territory in Nigeria is controlled by the Boko Haram terrorist group.

The President stated this on Friday at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa.

He explained that there has been a significant improvement in the fight against insurgency since his administration came into power.

READ ALSO: Buhari Prepares With His Team In Jordan Ahead Of World Economic Forum Participation

“We made significant gains in fighting Boko Haram. We have recaptured all territories held by Boko Haram in 2014.

“We have liberated thousands of Nigerians held against their will.

“Today, I am pleased to say no territory in the Federal Republic of Nigeria is held or controlled by Boko Haram”, the President added.

According to him, the Buhari-led administration in the last four years has been focusing on security and the implementation of other inclusive policies.

“In the last four years, we focused on security while implementing inclusive policies”.

Read Full Speech Below:

REMARKS

BY

HIS EXCELLENCY

MUHAMMADU BUHARI

PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

AT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ON THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

{DEAD SEA, JORDAN}

6TH APRIL, 2019

Protocols:

Permit me to start by thanking His Majesty, King Abdallah Bin Hussein of Jordan, for the special invitation to speak to you briefly at this event.

2. I also want to congratulate the World Economic Forum for organizing this forum with the theme of “Building New Platforms of Cooperation”.

3. In this digital age where physical borders no longer exist to protect even the most secured nations, the only way to overcome predatory and divisionary forces is for all well-meaning nations to work together for the greater good of mankind.

4. Simply put, cooperation amongst sovereign nations is no longer a choice. It is an absolute necessity.

5. In the last ten years, the world as we knew it has completely changed.

6. We have seen and experienced significant shifts on many fronts. In Technology; Population and Migration; Trade and Geopolitics; Climate change; and many more.

7. For some nations, these trends have had positive impacts. But of course, we have also seen the negative and destructive outcomes of these trends in other countries.

8. It is my view, that no region of the world has felt the full impact of these dramatic shifts and shocks like the Middle East and Africa – North and Sub-Sahara.

9. On one hand, our region is blessed with a very young, vibrant, enterprising and dynamic population. We also have valuable natural resources that are the envy of many nations.

10. These assets and endowments contributed to our region experiencing some of the highest economic growth rates in the world.

11. On the other hand however, we have also been hosts to some of the deadliest conflicts in recent history. The deaths, damage and destruction caused by terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda, ISIS and Boko Haram over the last ten years will take decades to repair.

12. By the special grace of God, today, most of these terrorist organizations have been significantly degraded. The world came together to achieve this. Now, we are faced with the task of rebuilding.

13. It is at this point that we must ask ourselves how we, as a region, got to this point. The answer, at least in the case of Nigeria, is the lack of social and economic inclusion.

14. As Nigeria celebrated being the largest economy in Africa and one of the fastest growing economies in the world, Nigerians were migrating in droves through harsh desert conditions and across treacherous seas to seek what they believe would be a better life in Europe.

15. Ladies and gentlemen, I strongly believe that the lack of social and economic inclusion was the root cause of many challenges we are experiencing.

16. Today, our population is one hundred and ninety million people. By 2050, it is estimated that we hit three hundred and ninety million making us the third most populous country in the world. This means we must start working now to ensure this population is productively engaged.

17. In the last four years, we focused on security while implementing inclusive policies.

18. On the security front, we made significant gains in fighting Boko Haram. We have recaptured all territories held by Boko Haram in 2014. We have liberated thousands of Nigerians held against their will.

19. Today, I am pleased to say no territory in the Federal Republic of Nigeria is held or controlled by Boko Haram.

20. We are extremely grateful to the many countries that have stood with Nigeria to confront this global scourge and in particular, the Kingdom of Jordan under the leadership of His Majesty, the King.

21. Furthermore, our economic diversification and social inclusion policies are also yielding positive results. Our country has now returned to the path of growth. We are making gains in the ease of doing business indices.

22. A key driver for growth is the agricultural sector where we aggressively pushed agricultural policies that empowered millions of our rural citizens.

23. In the spirit of “Building New Platforms of Cooperation”, we partnered with the Kingdom of Morocco to domesticate fertilizer production in Nigeria and revive over two million tons of abandoned fertilizer blending plant capacity.

24. The outcome is we created tens of thousands of jobs in agriculture, logistics, manufacturing and retail sectors. We are able to achieve moderate growth. But it was inclusive.

25. Nigeria is now at a new dawn and embarking on a new development trajectory. We are determined to industrialise Nigeria leveraging our comparative advantage.

26. We recognize the private sector as the engine of growth and a veritable partner in our economic agenda. The Middle East is a natural partner.

27. Africa and the Middle East must therefore focus on policies that will deliver shared economic prosperity for all our citizens. On trade and investments for example, we can do more. Africa represents only five percent of Jordan’s trade with the world. But we have the resources, the people and the markets to do more.

28. Opportunities exist in key job creating sectors such as Agriculture, Health, Tourism, ICT, Infrastructure as well as Textile and garmenting to mention a few.

29. Our new, inclusive and diversified Nigeria is definitely open for business. Our population, resources, policies and programs make it the most attractive investment destination in Africa.

30. As friends and allies, we must therefore cooperate and leverage on our relative strengths. We must remain open to “Building New Platforms of Cooperation”.

31. As we deliberate over the next two days, I would ask all leaders present to reflect on our collective experiences. We must identify how we can work together.

32. Today, we are living in a new world.

33. In this new world without borders, my personal view is stability and sustainability can only be achieved through inclusive economic growth, and enhanced cooperation amongst nations.

34. I thank you all for listening and I wish you a very successful and productive summit.

Source:https://www.horilines.com/post/no-territory-in-nigeria-is-controlled-by-boko-haram--buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari stated on Friday at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa that no territory in Nigeria is controlled by the Boko Haram terrorist group.

He explained that there has been a significant improvement in the fight against insurgency since his administration came into power.

“We made significant gains in fighting Boko Haram. We have recaptured all territories held by Boko Haram in 2014.

“We have liberated thousands of Nigerians held against their will.

“Today, I am pleased to say no territory in the Federal Republic of Nigeria is held or controlled by Boko Haram”, the President added.

According to him, the Buhari-led administration in the last four years has been focusing on security and the implementation of other inclusive policies.

“In the last four years, we focused on security while implementing inclusive policies”.
Read more:https://www.horilines.com/post/president-buhari-speaks-out-on-boko-haram-insurgency

US safety authorities will investigate nearly three million Hyundai and Kia vehicles over fires, in a move which could prompt mass recalls.

The inquiry by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) follows thousands of complaints about the “non-crash fires”.

Incidents involving fires are linked to one death and more than 100 injuries.

It raises fresh safety concerns with the South Korean automakers, which have already been subject to US scrutiny.

The NHTSA said fire issues and engine problems have affected around six million Hyundai and Kia vehicles since 2015. So far, only about 2.4 million have been recalled for repair.

The latest investigation relates to Hyundai Sonatas and Hyundai Santa Fes, as well as Kia Optimas, Kia Sorentos and Kia Souls.

The US safety regulator said that while previous recalls of Kia and Hyundai vehicles primarily related to engine fires, the fresh investigation “is not limited to engine components and may cover additional vehicle systems or components.”

Both automakers said they were co-operating with the investigation.

It was launched by the NHTSA after a petition from consumer advocacy group the Centre for Auto Safety.

Jason Levine, executive director of the group, said in a statement it was “long past time” for answers on “why so many thousands of Kia and Hyundai vehicles have been involved in non-crash fires.”

“Hopefully, this step will quickly lead to a recall being issued as soon as possible.

“The reality is that extended investigations do not protect Kia and Hyundai owners – that requires recalls which result in effective repairs.”

South Korean prosecutors are conducting separate investigations into the carmakers over the recalls.

READ MORE:https://www.horilines.com/post/hyundai--kia-to-be-investigated-over-fire-incidents

Ebonyi government has said it will take stiffer measures to deal with the protracted inter-communal and boundary clashes in Ohaukwu Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

Deputy Gov. Kelechi Igwe said this on Thursday night when he visited Umuogodoakpu and Ukwuagba communities involved in protracted boundary disputes with the AgiIa people of Benue, NAN reports.

He said that part of the measures would include the removal of political appointees from the area, should the clashes persist.

Igwe said that the clashes between the communities in the council had made it difficult for the government to ascertain whether the attacks were coming from Agila or trouble makers in the affected communities.

He said, “It is the rat which dwells inside a house that informs the one in the bush of the presence of a fish in the house.

“Also, when the corpse of someone else is being conveyed, it will seem like a log of wood.

“People are playing politics and making economic gains from these clashes, shouting: Benue; Cross River people are approaching!

“They should realise that human lives are involved.”

The deputy governor directed the Chairman of the council, Chief Clement Odaa, to convene a meeting of all the political office holders from the area on Friday.

“The meeting should also involve presidents of all town unions in the council and I am expecting a report or resolutions from it on Saturday.

“The report should also contain the list of all appointees at the meeting and anyone who fails to attend will be seen as the problem of the people.

“I do not want to hear any gunshot from this council again and if it occurs, I will recommend to the governor to suspend all political appointees from this council.

“They will be replaced immediately with those who are capable of protecting the people,” Igwe said.

He opined that the number of political office holders from the area was capable of ensuring adequate protection for the people.

He said that the present administration had visited the area several times since it assumed office in 2015 to commiserate with the people over the repeated clashes.

He said: “Ebonyi government is in touch with its Benue counterpart over the issue and it has shown concern and desire to permanently end the crisis.

“After one of the recent disturbances, the Benue deputy governor led a delegation to Ebonyi to commiserate with our people and even donated N2 million to assist the victims.”

In a brief remark, the council chairman thanked the deputy governor for the visit, saying that it had assured the people that the state government was concerned over their plight.

“The attack on the Ukwuagba community is unprecedented because the attackers crossed the disputed land and buffer zone to attack and destroy houses.

“We are restraining our people from carrying out reprisal attacks as directed by the government because we believe in its capacity to protect us,” Odaa said.

READ MORE:https://www.horilines.com/post/ebonyi-govt-threatens-to-suspend-appointees

A top contender for the position of speakership of House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Umar Mohammed Bago, has said he would not hesitate to withdraw from the race if the position is eventually zoned to the South East.

Bago, a third-time representative from Chanchanga federal constituency of Niger State, alluded that the South East and the North Central were the greatest casualties of the zoning formula of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The party had taken a decision to zone the speakership of the 9th Assembly to South West.

The decision did not go down well with stakeholders from North Central, who feel greatly marginalized in the new arrangement.

Aside lawmakers showing great interests from the North Central, Rt. Hon. Nkiruka Onyejiocha (Abia) has also indicated interest from the South East, thereby, neutralizing the APC arrangement.

Addressing newsmen Thursday in Abuja, Bago said the North Central geopolitical zone brought the third largest votes to make APC government in 2019, more than the zone that has produced the Vice President, saying, the zone deserves to produce the next speaker.

“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.

Speaking on the zoning of offices in the incoming National Assembly by the APC, Bago said the APC was not guided by individual thought but by constitution.

“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.

“We have even produced more than the zone that has produced a vice president and look at the logic if you have taken senate presidency from North Central and speakership from North East who had it in the 8th Assembly, under normal circumstances you should be considering North Central.

“My position is still the same and let me reiterate that in the spirit of unity we introduced federal character into the constitution of this country and the constitution is very clear that all offices and all other national issues must be shared across six political zones and even without federal character I think it just make sense for people to think that integral part of this union are responsible for this country called Nigeria, therefore every other person must have a sense of belonging.

“We have a president from the North West, so looking at the six geopolitical offices, the northwest has been settled, and you have a vice president from the south-west that means they are also settled. And you have the party zoning senate presidency to the northeast and deputy Senate President to the south-south that means they are settled”, he added.

The ranking lawmaker said the North Central had put so much on the table and cannot afford be overran.

He opined that, “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”.

Bago said he would continue to rally his colleagues at the lower chamber and those newly elected, to ensure justice and equity prevail.

He added that, the provision of constitution of Nigeria as related to principle of federal character must be strictly adhered to, so all geopolitical zones of the country is adequately represented in the scheme of things.

READ MORE:

https://www.horilines.com/post/i-will-step-down-if-apc-zones-speakership-to-south-east--hon-bago

Human epochs are replete with great men and women in the various fields who defined and continue to define their peculiar histories with the magnitude of their accomplishments. Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, mni, CON, national chair of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) is one member of that tribe. It is on this score that it becomes apposite to celebrate the former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and former governor of Edo state who turns 67 today (April 4, 2019).

APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole
Comrade, as he is popularly referred to by associates and devotees, happened on the national stage in 1999 when he emerged as the 4th president of the NLC. As someone who restlessly craves the institution of legacies for posterity, he immediately set out and committed himself to building an independent, militant and socially responsive fighting organisation. To be sure, the independent, militant and socially-responsive dispositions were not for gratuitous appropriation of the spoils of office.

He deployed the powers of his NLC presidency in becoming the number one defender of the rights and welfare of the working people. He provided leadership by staying in the frontline in resisting arbitrary increases in the prices of petroleum products. The NLC on his watch was a nemesis of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration on its harsh fuel pricing policy as well as other socio-economic policies that were injurious to the wellbeing of Nigerians.



Combating arbitrary increases in fuel pump prices was one turf of policy antagonism; the other turf was the battle for salary increases for workers. He secured significant salary increases for workers, the last being the 15 percent increase across board. Under his presidency, the NLC became the most popular and influential non-State actor in the country, which provided effective opposition to then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

For his courage, tenacity and single-minded devotion to labour issues, he earned himself such
monikers as “Hurricane Adams” and “Adamant Adams”. But the workers and masses loved to refer to him as the ”People’s President” (which was eventually as the title of a book written on his eight-year robust leadership of the NLC that was publicly presented in Abuja on 10 February, 2011).

In April 2007, he was overwhelmingly elected governor of Edo state on the platform of the Action Congress (AC) but his mandate was stolen, thus precipitating an intense legal struggle to reclaim his mandate. The Edo State Election Petition Tribunal restored the mandate, which was re-affirmed on November 11, 2008 by the Court of Appeal. On November 12, 2008, he was formally sworn in as governor of Edo state.

As governor, Oshiomhole adopted what is now popularly referred to as participatory, people-driven and bottom-up approach to governance. This is based on his well-advertised campaign slogan, that is: “Let the People Lead.” He shunned the bogus title of “Executive Governor” and did not tolerate the pretentious appellation of “His Excellency.” To Edo people, Oshiomhole was simply and truly the comrade-governor, people’s governor or just simply, comrade.

A foremost apostle of “one man, one vote” and the most methodical visionary and transformer that the Edo people have seen in this generation, Oshiomhole was rewarded with a resounding victory for a second term in office in the governorship election that was held on 14 July, 2012. For the first time in Edo state, Oshiomhole won election in the entire 18 Local Government Areas.

He was a national phenomenal figure whose wisdom was required by the Federal Government in conflict resolutions. For instance, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua requested him to negotiate and resolve the stalemate that led to a three-month strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Comrade did not fail to deliver.

Oshiomhole shattered the assumption, prior to his emergence as governor that labour leaders don’t do well in public offices, by delivering the goods in Edo state. Having inherited a state with decayed infrastructure, a state that was held hostage by powerful cabal in the PDP, he did not despair but rather rose to the occasion by confronting the problems head-on.

He did not complain but rather he started the battle by ensuring that his party, the then ACN got the majority in the state House of Assembly and eventually took over the leadership of the House.

Oshiomhole strategically embarked on massive construction of roads across the state, commenced what was referred to as the red roof revolution in both primary and secondary schools through the construction of red roof schools equipped with modern teaching facilities in all the local governments and 192 wards in the state.

In addition, he embarked on a N30-billion Benin water storm project which had effectively checked the menace of flooding in Benin City and its environs. His administration also built a state-of-the-art Benin Central Hospital, which was geared towards bolstering the health needs of the people of the state and the South-south zone.

Even out of office, Oshiomhole is widely known as the father of modern Edo State. And one unique thing that endeared him to the people while he was governor was his penchant for inspecting projects even at nights. He constructed solid roads with walk ways and street lights across the state. He provided water especially in Edo central senatorial district, an area where it was earlier believed that it was difficult to extract water.

Oshiomhole was adored in Edo state due to his uncommon humility, service to humanity, protection of the poor and his demystification of governance. Today, elders, youths and women cast their votes for Oshiomhole’s party in every election. That was why he has become a thorn in the flesh of the PDP leaders.

Associates and devotees celebrate the transformation of Oshiomhole into an aficionado of politics, whose moves have become a veritable bugaboo to his opponents. Many, who earlier questioned his political sagacity, have done so to their own peril. A Majority of such people have been victims of Oshiomhole’s dexterous politics.

Some politicians who started well did not end well when it has to do with enthroning a successor. But Oshiomhole is not in that category. He used his political foot soldiers – the good, the bad and the ugly – to deliver the incumbent governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who was the Chairman of the state’s Economic and Strategic Team, as his successor

Despite several efforts by his adversaries to muddy his good name, Oshiomhole has continued to soar higher politically. On the 23 of June, 2018, he was unanimously elected as the national chair of the APC and promised to embark on reforms that would shape the future of the party and he has not looked back since then.

Observing that some powerful individuals within the APC had hijacked the party, Oshiomhole promised to return the party to the members who overwhelmingly voted for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. He commenced the direct primary mode of selecting candidates for the party so that all members of the party would be part of the process of electing their leaders unlike when it was done through few delegates.

For the first time in the history of the politics of the nation, a presidential candidate of a party, in the person of President Muhammadu Buhari, emerged through direct primary election. That paid off as the president garnered overwhelming victory across the nation in the just-concluded presidential election. When he accepted the job of national chairman, Oshiomhole made it clear that the national working committee (NWC) would embark on reforms that might not be easy but that such reforms would make the party much stronger and people-oriented. He had pointedly indicated his readiness to wield the big stick where necessary.

According to him, “It will no longer be business as usual in party affairs. From membership, discipline, funding, party management and respect for party constitution to conduct of party members in the arms of government; working with the president, we shall reinvent the ability to reward positive conduct and sanction recalcitrant, anti-party conduct. My task is to work with Mr. President, governors, leaders of the party at all levels and other stakeholders to pull our members together to build a strong and united party.,,,”

Oshiomhole has not deviated from his promises ten months after he stepped in the saddle. For instance, through his reforms, ministers who were not at home with the party or their people were disqualified from participating in the primary election.. Governors who played gods in their various states against the party’s interest, including alleged involvement in anti-party activities, were either suspended from the party or queried. For Oshiomhole’s NWC, supremacy of the party is paramount. Whether you like him or not, under his leadership, President Buhari was re-elected. The APC is on the path of nicking the leadership of the 9th National Assembly where it enjoys overwhelming majority just as it maintains a majority control in the states. Happy birthday to a dogged fighter and reformer!
· Ebegbulem is Chief Press Secretary to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Source:https://www.horilines.com/post/adams-oshiomhole-consistent-labour-activist-and-political-aficionado--67

Abuja Federal High Court in Abuja has on Thursday, ordered the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki; Senators Dino Melaye and Ben Murray-Bruce to appear for questioning over their roles in the October 5, 2018 street procession staged in Abuja by the Peoples Democratic Party.

The three senators were part of the PDP leaders who led the protest which held some days after last year’s governorship election in Osun State was declared to have been won by the All Progressives Congress.

Alleging that the security agencies, including the Police, connived with the APC to rig the earlier governorship election in Ekiti State and the one later held in Osun, the senators had led a protest to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s office in Abuja, demanding a free and fair election in 2019; and were on their way to the Force Headquarters when policemen dispersed them with teargas.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Okon Abang dismissed the fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by Saraki, Melaye and Murray-Bruce who had been invited by the Police to answer questions in relation to the protest.

The senators had sought the court’s order nullifying the October 6 and 8, 2018 letters of invitation by the Police.

They had also, in their suit filed on October 8, 2018, claimed that the Police invitation amounted to harassment, intimidation and an attempt by the Police to detain them unlawfully.

They prayed for, among others in the suit, the court’s declaration that the act of the Police dispersing their procession using tear gas was a violation of their various rights, and sought an order awarding them N500m as “exemplary and pecuniary damages.”

Justice Abang, in his judgment on Thursday, upheld the case made out by the Police by dismissing the applicants’ suit for lacking in merit and awarding the cost of N50,000 against the three applicants.

He held that a mere invitation by the Police, which are empowered by Section 4 of the Police Act to detect and investigate crimes, could never amount to harassment or intimidation.

Abang further held that the Police, having alleged in their response to the suit that the PDP procession was dispersed following the protesters’ riotous and criminal conduct, the law enforcement agency had the power to invite suspects for questioning.

He ruled that the Police invitation extended to them remained valid and subsisting, adding that it was the outcome of their honouring the invitation that would determine if their rights had been violated.

Abang ruled, “The court cannot restrain the Police from carrying out their statutory function; and in this case, they have acted within the provision of Section 4 of the Police Act.

“They issued the letters dated October 6 and 8 inviting the applicants for questioning over their roles in the procession of the Peoples Democratic Party that held on October 5, 2018. The Police acted in public and national interests.

“The letters of invitation dated October 6 and 8, 2018 remain valid and subsisting. The applicants shall respond and report to the Police without fail.

“It is the outcome of the applicants’ honouring the invitation that would determine if their rights have been violated; certainly not before honouring the invitation.”

Details: https://www.horilines.com/post/breaking-saraki-melaye-bruce-to-appear-for-police-questioning

Mr Emmanuel Adesola and Enoch Adigun, both teachers who were witnesses in the ongoing trial of Sen. Ademola Adeleke on a seven-count amended charge bordering on examination malpractice on Wednesday told the Federal High Court Abuja that they did not see the senator in the examination hall.

While being led in evidence by the prosecutor Mr Simon Lough ,the teachers told the court that they invigilated examinations at Ojo -Aro Community Grammar School in Osun State in 2017.

Adesola told the court that when he got to school, he asked for the school album but was told it was not ready.

According to him, “I could not identify any student without the school album since it was my first time there so the principal and the register helped me to identify them as I used the list I had to call the students into the hall.

“I didn’t see any of the defendants in the examination hall; Sen. Adeleke was not in the examination hall, he is a public figure so I would have recognized him,” the witness told the court.

The witness who further told the court that he had been supervising National Examination Council (NECO) examination for the past five years also told the court that there were four elderly students in the hall.

While being cross-examined by Mr Alex Iziyon, (SAN), the witness said that he did not make a formal report on the absence of a school album to his superiors even though he ought to have done so.

He also told the court that on the day he invigilated, he did not witness any form of examination malpractice in the hall.

On his part, Adigun told the court that he saw the second defendant, Sikiru Adeleke in the examination hall while he was invigilating.

According to Adigun, I was surprised to see him because he was the most matured student in the hall but when I checked and saw that he had an identity card duly stamped by the school, I had to allow him write the examination.

Adigun said that he didn’t see Adeleke in the examination hall or any of the other defendants besides Sikiru.

The trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned the matter until June 10 and 11 for the continuation of hearing.

Adeleke was first arraigned by the Federal Government in Sept. 2018 on a four-count charge bordering on examination malpractice, along with his brother, Sikiru Adeleke and three others.

The senator pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail on self-recognizance by the court.

The others were Alhaji Aregbesola Mufutau (Principal, Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Ojo-Aro Osun), Gbadamosi Ojo (School Registrar) and Dare Olutope (a teacher).

The police accused them of fraudulently registering Adeleke and his brother Sikiru as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School in Ojo-Aro, Osun State, for the National Examination Council’s June/July 2017 Senior School Certificate Examination in Feb. 2017.

They were re-arraigned in Dec. 2018 on a seven-count amended charge bordering on examination malpractice.
See Details: https://www.horilines.com/post/drama-in-court-as-senator-adeleke-school-teachers-testify-against-him

Mr Emmanuel Adesola and Enoch Adigun, both teachers who were witnesses in the ongoing trial of Sen. Ademola Adeleke on a seven-count amended charge bordering on examination malpractice on Wednesday told the Federal High Court Abuja that they did not see the senator in the examination hall.

While being led in evidence by the prosecutor Mr Simon Lough ,the teachers told the court that they invigilated examinations at Ojo -Aro Community Grammar School in Osun State in 2017.

Adesola told the court that when he got to school, he asked for the school album but was told it was not ready.

According to him, “I could not identify any student without the school album since it was my first time there so the principal and the register helped me to identify them as I used the list I had to call the students into the hall.

“I didn’t see any of the defendants in the examination hall; Sen. Adeleke was not in the examination hall, he is a public figure so I would have recognized him,” the witness told the court.

The witness who further told the court that he had been supervising National Examination Council (NECO) examination for the past five years also told the court that there were four elderly students in the hall.

While being cross-examined by Mr Alex Iziyon, (SAN), the witness said that he did not make a formal report on the absence of a school album to his superiors even though he ought to have done so.

He also told the court that on the day he invigilated, he did not witness any form of examination malpractice in the hall.

On his part, Adigun told the court that he saw the second defendant, Sikiru Adeleke in the examination hall while he was invigilating.

According to Adigun, I was surprised to see him because he was the most matured student in the hall but when I checked and saw that he had an identity card duly stamped by the school, I had to allow him write the examination.

Adigun said that he didn’t see Adeleke in the examination hall or any of the other defendants besides Sikiru.

The trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned the matter until June 10 and 11 for the continuation of hearing.

Adeleke was first arraigned by the Federal Government in Sept. 2018 on a four-count charge bordering on examination malpractice, along with his brother, Sikiru Adeleke and three others.

The senator pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail on self-recognizance by the court.

The others were Alhaji Aregbesola Mufutau (Principal, Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Ojo-Aro Osun), Gbadamosi Ojo (School Registrar) and Dare Olutope (a teacher).

The police accused them of fraudulently registering Adeleke and his brother Sikiru as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School in Ojo-Aro, Osun State, for the National Examination Council’s June/July 2017 Senior School Certificate Examination in Feb. 2017.

They were re-arraigned in Dec. 2018 on a seven-count amended charge bordering on examination malpractice.
See Details: https://www.horilines.com/post/drama-in-court-as-senator-adeleke-school-teachers-testify-against-him

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused Walter Onnoghen, the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), of refusing to declare his assets upon his appointment as a judicial officer in 1989.

According to the anti-graft commission, there was no evidence that the suspended CJN “ever declared his assets until 2016”.

This was contained in a petition filed by EFCC against Onnoghen before the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The petition read: “Upon his appointment as a judicial Officer in 1989 as justice of the High Court of Cross Rivers State, the Respondent is bound to declare his asset. There is no evidence before this Honourable Panel that the Respondent ever declared his asset until 2016 when he filled annexure E and F of exhibits R 6 and R7.

“My lords, in exhibit R7, the Respondent admitted that he failed to comply with the Constitutional provisions requiring him to declare asset on the ground that he forgot due to pressure of work. My lords, even in the conventional court where rules of evidence is applicable every admitted facts need no further prove. See Agbakoba v. SSS (1994) 8 NWLR (Pt.351) p. 475 and the case of Gov. of Akwa-Ibom State v. John Amah (2002) 7 NWLR (Pt.767) 730 at 778.”

The agency also accused Onnoghen of depositing the sum of $1,716,000 in a United State Dollars account operated with the Standard Chartered Bank in 2009, marked as exhibit P4 C, between 2009 and 2016.

According to EFCC, Onnoghen’s earnings as a judicial officer could not satisfactorily account for the amount found in the account.

The petition continued: “From the evidence on record, it is clear that the Respondent failed to declare all the accounts and funds in exhibit P4-P4D when he declared his 2014 asset in November 2016. Your lordship will observe that the Respondent only declared his Salary account with the Union Bank exhibit P3 and failed to declare P4-P4D, which are the accounts that warehoused funds that are far above the Respondent’s known and provable lawful income.

“My lords, by the provisions of Rule 1.2 of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers it is clear that because members of the public expect a high standard of conduct from a judge, the Respondent is under the obligation to avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all his activities both in his professional and private life. It is our submission my lords, that any conduct of the Respondent that give rise to the appearance of impropriety is a judicial misconduct and same is punishable under the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.

“It is our humble submission that the petitioner proved before this Honourable Panel that the Respondent was in possession of funds which are fairly not attributable to his known, proveable and legitimate source of income. The evidence shows that my lord earned a monthly salary in the sum of N750,819.87 which is about N9,000,000.00 per annum. My lords, as shown in exhibit P10A page 14 paragraph XXVI the Respondent only earned the sum of N91,962,362.49 as salary between September 2005 and October 2016. It is also on record that the exhibit P3 is the salary account of my lord wherein his salaries are paid.

“My lords, the evidence before this Honourable Committee shows clearly that the Respondent opened United State Dollars account with the Standard Chartered Bank in 2009, exhibit P4 C. This USD account was opened by Mr. Joe Agi SAN and the first cash depositor of United State of America Dollars into the said account. We humbly refer my lords to the entry of the 29th day of June,2009. Though the Respondent claimed that he was the one who gave the learned SAN, Joe Agi the $30,000.00 to deposit to exhibit P4C, the Respondent could not give any reasonable explanation as to source of this money. My lords, the Respondent admitted under cross-examination that the USD was not his salary and that he only received dollars as estacodes which is meant to for his official trips.

“My lords, upon the opening of the USD account exhibit P4C, a lot of cash deposits in Dollars were made to this account. The evidence before my lords is that between 2009 and 2016 a lot of cash deposits were made into exhibit P4C.

“My lords, from the evidence before this Honourable Panel it is clear that these huge sums of money were not earned by the Respondent as his salaries and allowances. It is our humble submission that the burden of proving the legitimate source or origin of the sum of $1,716,000.00 lies heavily on the Respondent.”

The amounts in the said account were deposited as follows: $74,200 (2009); $291,800 (2010); $340,000 (2011); $625,000 (2012); $298,000 (2013); $40,000 (2015) and $47,000 (2016). The total was $1,716,000.

The petition also noted that Onnoghen had attempted to ecxplain the source of the funds, wherein the suspended CJN was quoted to have stated that: “The sources of these are from my savings from my days as foreign student and a successful private legal practitioner, as well as Estacodes for annual for annual vacations, medical expenses, international conferences, my earnings as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Gambia (See Annexure “B” referenced as ZD 129/186/01/P.II/(148), among others; conversion of Naira to Dollars which sometimes ago was very favorable.

“I also have returns from my off-shore investments in the foreign currencies which are clearly documented by the bank. I had an overdraft of $500,000 approved for me in the USD Dollars account in November, 2018. Up till now, the proceeds from the investments are paid into the account as and at when due. My investments with Standard Chartered Bank also include Federal Government Bonds as can be seen from the records for which I received dividends.”

However, the EFCC said Onnoghen’s explanation was “laughable”.

“My lords, the Respondent wanted this Honourable Panel to believe that when he was a foreign student in Ghana he accumulated such amount of money. My lords, how the Respondent accumulated money as foreign student was not stated to this Panel. My lords, the Respondent who purportedly cannot afford to pay N7, 000,000.00 to Joe Agi SAN in 2009 wanted this Honourable Panel to believe that he accumulated dollars to the tune of $1,716,000.00 in his house.

“My lords, the Respondent who never declared having $1,716,000.00 in his asset declaration form as cash in hand wanted this honourable Panel to believe that he accumulated the said sum in his house and only deposited them in the bank between 2009 and 2016 in cash.

“My lords, the Respondent also attempted to suggest to the Honourable Panel that the $1,716,000.00 cash deposit in exhibit P4C was earned by him upon his part-time appointment as Justice of the Supreme Court of Gambia. My lords, this explanation with due respect is laughable in that the Respondent was appointed on the 22nd day of November 2012. On the face of the appointment letter, it is clear that the Respondent is entitled to the Five Thousand pounds Sterling (5,000 GBP) and Twenty Thousand Dalasis which is payable per session to be determined by the Chief Justice of Gambia in line with the Rules of the Supreme Court of Gambia.

"The Respondent failed to show this panel that consequent upon his appointment in November 2012 and the assumption of that office in 2013 the number of sessions he sat as a member of the Supreme Court of Gambia. The Respondent also failed to state how much he earned from Gambia, how he was paid whether cash or through his account. What is clear is that if the Respondent is to earn any fee from Gambia it will be GBP and not USD. What is in issue is the USD paid in exhibit P4C.

“The summary of our submission is that the Respondent has failed to show with credible evidence how he legitimately earned the sum of $1,716,000.00 which is far above his lawful and provable income.”

See details: https://www.horilines.com/post/onnoghen-did-not--declare-his-assets-for-27-years-as-a-judicial-officer---efcc

Results of the governorship election in Kano State have started coming in from different local government areas where the supplementary elections were conducted.

The battle for who leads the state in the next four years has been between the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

The supplementary election held across 28 affected local government areas, LGAs and 207 polling units.

From the result collated on March 9th PDP leads with a total of 1,014,353 votes from 43 local governments while APC is trailing with 987,819 votes.

Here DAILY POST brings you results of the governorship election from Kano State LGAs.

Collation Officer=Dr. Ibrahim Suraj

LGA: Gezawa

Registered voters= 348

Accredited voters= 198

APC= 167

PDP= 27

Valid= 194

Rejected= 4

Total votes cast= 198

Collation Officer- Suleiman Yar’Adua

LGA: Dawakin Kudu

Registered voters= 471

Accredited voters= 323

APC= 248

PDP= 62

Valid= 312

Rejected= 11

Total votes cast= 323

Collation Officer- Prof. Tijjani Garba

LGA: Madobi

Registered voters= 2,184

Accredited voters= 1, 109

APC= 908

PDP= 164

Valid= 173

Rejected= 14

Total votes cast= 1,087

GWARZO LG

APC 2784

PDP 34

Sumaila LG

APC 967

PDP 154

Kura LG

APC 807

Albasu LG

APC 1804

PDP 66

Makoda LG

APC 360

PDP 0

GARUN MALAM LG

APC 235

PDP 01

PDP 528

Source: Read more: https://hexopay.net/post/kano-election-live-results-from-state-collation-centre-full-details

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) recorded loses in the region of N551.46b from January 2015 to December 2018.
Details of financial records published on the company’s website revealed that the national oil company repeatedly failed to meet projected profits as its subsidiaries, particularly refineries, running cost at the headquarters and other arms left whopping deficits.

The corporation recorded N267.14b loss in 2015. The figure stood at N197b in 2016. In 2017, data from its financial statements showed N82b in operational losses, while a deficit of N5.46b was posted for January and August in 2018.

While the company has excluded key details such as taxes and figures from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Ltd, it has continually failed to perform when compared to other national oil companies in Africa and other parts of the world.

Though the firm recorded a trade surplus of N80.57b last year, operating deficit recorded by the nation’s refineries alone rose sharply by 39 per cent to N132.5b in 2018.

When compared to the previous year, the data showed that the refineries posted a loss of N95.09b.

While the corporation earned N2.046t in revenue in 2015, it spent N2.313t leaving a loss of N267.138b. Its corporate headquarters recorded the highest loss of N162.736b, while its product supply and distribution arm, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) came second with N162.06b loss, followed by a combined loss of N82.09b from its three refineries.

In 2016, the financial and operational report showed that the corporation earned N1.726t, but recorded an expenditure of N1.923t. Losses from its refineries alone totaled N78.95b.

The larger part of the losses made by the company in the past four years came from its corporate headquarters, refineries, and mounting under-recovery from import of petroleum products.

However, while the country is struggling to declare profits, Saudi Arabia’s Arambo posted a net income of $33.8b in the first six months of 2017 alone. Angola’s Sonangol posted a profit of $68m in 2016. Despite the payment of $853m in damages in the third quarter, Brazil’s Petrobras made $7b in 2018.

Most stakeholders, who expressed worry over the situation, said the losses galore would continue without holistic reforms in the nation’s oil sector.

While lack of reform is allegedly robbing the nation of about N3t in foreign investments, the stakeholders insisted that government’s interference in the corporation’s affairs, subsidy on consumption of petroleum products, and the shrouded system being operated by the firm would continue to limit NNPC potentials.

They added that the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) remained the major reason behind the poor performance of the state-oil firm.

The former President and Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Prof. Segun Ajibola, decried the development, insisting that government was backing revenue that falls below cost.

Ajibola said: “If they continue like that, the deficits will continue to grow. But if the reverse happens, then surplus will be generated.”

Also, the Chairman of Tricontinental Group and immediate past President of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, Chief Olabintan Famutimi, said the opaque system of operation and governance of the corporation remains unacceptable.

“We are using all our money to subsidise consumption by the elites. Government has no business in the refineries, and there is no reason why the government is involved in the importation of petrol. These are scams. They (NNPC) will continue to record loses as long as the government is doing business that it has no business in,” Famutimi said.

He added that government’s continuous interest in the sector is adversely affecting profitability and deterring private sector players.

The former President, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), Abiodun Adesanya, who said the development has remained a critical one even from previous administrations called for a system that would enshrine transparency and accountability.

“I know that it is not lack of what needs to be done that is creating the problem, but the commitment to doing something transparent and honourable. The President must ensure that these negative performances are reversed. I don’t see why we cannot run profitably.

“The entities that are just money spending ventures should be scrapped, merged or reduced. You need to know, which entities are important and which ones are not,” Adesanya stated.

An oil and gas services provider, who manages, Mudiame International Limited, Sunny Eromosele urged the current administration to conduct a proper research, and plan an all-inclusive strategy that would address the continuous loses from the group.

Eromosele, who stated that government’s interference and lack of transparency were hindering profitability of the firm, added that the performance of the oil firm was shameful when compared with other national oil companies across the world.

He noted that the corporation owes Nigerians an explanation on the reasons behind the serial loses, adding that government needs to take its hands off the business.

“We should make the NNPC a private business and government should remove its hands. There is so much interference in the NNPC by the government and other people are making money from the business. Why is our case different? Government failed with NITEL until it was unbundled. But the private sector came in and made their money,” Eromosele said.

Executive Director, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Idayat Hassan insisted that an overhaul of the current system being run by the corporation is necessary.

She noted that Nigeria must critically rethink the challenges facing the national oil company, adding that the group was perennially bogged down by transparency, accountability and profitability challenges.

“There is a need to restructure the NNPC. Nigerians need to have a conversation on if they want to maintain NNPC. Subsidy is a good example. This is a government that told us it is not paying subsidy. Then all of a sudden, it introduced subsidy through the back door. The opaque system has remained as it was in previous years, and the promises of unbundling the NNPC have not come to pass,” said Hassan.

Source:Read more: https://hexopay.net/post/loses-at-nnpc-hit-n55146b-in-four-years

Governor of Benue State Samuel Ortom

The country, yet again presented another ugly spectacle to the world as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, conducted supplementary elections for governorship and House of Assembly polls in some states.

Consistent with the 2019 general elections, violence, low voter turnout, underage voting, destruction of ballot papers, maiming of voters, as well as accusations and counter-accusation between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) featured unabated, especially in Kano, and Benue states.

The governorship elections of March 9 were declared inconclusive in Benue, Adamawa, Sokoto, Bauchi, Kano, and Plateau states, while INEC suspended electoral processes in Rivers State.

Yesterday’s supplementary governorship and House of Assembly elections held in 618 polling units spread across 96 local council in the affected four states, and a total of 250,000 registered voters were expected to cast their ballots in the polls, which recorded its fair share of violence and malpractice. The supplementary for Adamawa has been put on hold due to court intervention.

A picture of bedlam was painted in Kano State, where violence was recorded in different locations. Trouble started when thugs allegedly procured by the APC chased journalists and voters who reported early to voting units in some wards in Gama. Gama Ward alone has 83 voting units with 40, 821 registered voters out of the 128, 324 that were expected to vote.

In the fracas, a reporter with The Authority Newspapers in Kano, Jerry Maduabuchi, narrowly escaped death after thugs wearing APC agent’s tags descended on him while taking photographs of voters on queue at Gama, while his counterpart from The Punch, Ted Odogwu, sustained bruises while attempting to escape the mob armed with clubs, cudgels and other dangerous weapons who, descended on voters at Suntulma Primary school, in the same Gama Ward.

The thugs freely chased many residents, who turned out to vote away from the polling units, while fully armed security operatives turned blind eye.

As the violence continued, the PDP called for cancellation of the supplementary election, citing massive cases of irregularities and rigging.
Chairman of the party, Rabiu Suleiman Bichi at a press conference accused the ruling APC of mobilising political thugs to unleash terror on PDP agents across the polling units.

Rabiu specifically accused security operatives of providing cover to the thugs to unleash mayhem, saying the party has lost faith in the whole exercise.

“Today, this charade called rerun election was slated to hold in Kano and other states. Unfortunately, what we have in Kano is nothing but shame. Political thugs have been mobilised by the APC and Kano State government to take over all the 207 polling units.

“These thugs are imported from Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau, and other Neighbouring states. I am certain most of you media have been out there in the field and have witnessed what happened. The thugs freely voted with the PVCs that do not belong to them and some posing as INEC staff within, while others were clad in our party (PDP) agents’ tags. Our original agents were beaten and driven away from the polling units.

As this was going on, in another part of the town, the Chairman of the APC, Prince Abdullahi Abbas was expressing shock over the PDP’s call for cancellation of the rerun, even when the exercise was still in progress.

The party also dismissed allegation of thugs’ importation during the poll.

The APC chairman said the PDP’s lamentation was a clear sign of defeat, having lost the opportunity to manipulate the results.

Also addressing journalists, the state Commissioner for Information, Mohammad Garba alleged that his car was invaded by the thugs at Yalwa polling unit in Dala Local Council, where he went to inspect the conduct of the election.

Garba also alleged that his counterpart in the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Aminu Muktar narrowly escaped an attack by suspected PDP thugs, who blocked his private car and smashed the windscreen at Dogon Nama polling unit also in Dala Local Council.

Despite the widespread violence, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Michael who spoke to journalists at the Bompai Police Headquarters denied knowledge of widespread violence, saying only 10 persons were arrested during the exercise.

“We have not witnessed any ugly incidence except some isolated cases of violence and it is being addressed adequately. Voting went on smoothly and the process of collation is about to start,” he told newsmen.

IN Benue, where Governor Samuel Ortom of the PDP, who scored 410,576 votes in the earlier election, and led with 81,554 votes was squaring up against Emmanuel Jime of the APC, who scored 329,022 votes before the process was declared inconclusive by INEC, violence also reared its ugly head.

The election was to be held in 204 polling units in 22 local councils with about 121,299 votes at stake.

Elections were, however, suspended in Azendeshi ward of the state, where over 13, 000 voters were to vote, but could not because of the attack and destruction of election materials by suspected thugs.

The attack, which took place along Zaki Biam in Ukum Local Council, after the thugs intercepted the election materials and set them ablaze, left some security operatives, INEC officials and party agents injured.

Elsewhere in the state, The Guardian, which monitored the exercise in Makurdi, Gwer-West, Otukpo and Okpokwu council areas observed that electoral materials arrived polling units as early as 7.30, while accreditation of voters and actual voting started at 8am.

At Polling Unit 008 in Okungaga, Ugbokolo Council ward of Okpokwu Local Council, voters were seen undergoing accreditation and voting started at 8:40am without hitches, while other voters cast their votes peacefully.

Senator-elect for Benue South Senatorial District and PDP supervising agent for Okpokwu Local Council Comrade Abbah Moro, told journalists, that the election was going on peacefully and people were making their choices.

Senator Moro who stated that the people of Benue state took the governorship rerun very seriously, added that, “it is even better to witness a level of apathy and get the right result without anybody losing his life than to have a mammoth crowd, which could record rancour, violence and deaths.

SUPPLEMENTARY elections also held in Lagos State, yesterday at Ibeju-Lekki State Constituency I. Accreditation and voting commenced at 8 am at Polling Units 001, 003, 004, 005, and 006 of Ward 01, Ibeju Registration Area, as INEC officials and materials arrived the polling units before 8 am.

Officers and men of the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were on hand to provide security in all the polling units, even though voter turn out was initially poor.

Erinle Kazeem, the Baale of Okegun Odofin in Ibeju-Lekki, , who spoke to newsmen expressed optimism that the peaceful atmosphere of the poll would continue till the last ballot was cast.

The monarch who cast his vote at about 10 am at polling until 001 of Ward 01, however, decried the short notice for the supplementary election, adding that many youths and residents of the area had left for the Lagos metropolis for different engagements.

Fatimon Ashafa, an APC agent at PU 001 said: “We were not aware of this supplementary election until Thursday and we went out to inform our people, though the notice was too late.”

PLATEAU State supplementary elections were held in 40 polling units across nine local councils of the state.

The elections were peaceful, orderly and devoid of rancour. By 2.00pm yesterday, elections in most polling units had been concluded.

However, jourmalists were subjected to the usual waiting game at the INEC headquarters in Jos.

A Nigerian Air Force helicopter hovered over the Jos/Bukuru metropolis providing aerial surveillance, while security operatives were also on hand to take care of any eventuality.

IMO State witnessed snatching of ballot and electoral materials during yesterday’s supplementary poll held in about 175 polling units for election into the state House of Assembly seats. The elections were held in Oguta, Isu, Ikeduru, Ngor Opkala and Orlu local councils.

Late arrival of electoral materials and snatching of ballot boxes and election materials by hoodlums were recorded in Avuvu, Eziama in Ikeduru Local Council and in Alulu in Ngor Opkala Local Council.

To ensure close monitoring, INEC deployed Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of Anambra, Enugu to work with the Imo REC, Prof. Francis Chukwuemeka Ezeonu.

THE Centre for Democracy and Development’s (CDD) Election Analysis Centre (EAC), which deployed observers to Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Plateau and Sokoto states in its preliminary report said on average, accreditation and voting processes commenced in earnest between the hours of 8am and 8:30am in majority of polling units across the five states.

It said the exercise was greeted with commendable turnout of voters in the five states, while incidents of violence and disruption of voting process were reported in Kano, Sokoto, Benue and Bauchi states.

“In Kano State, violence and disruption of polling were widespread as an army of thugs reportedly took over polling activities in several local government areas, including Nasarawa, Dala, Karaye and Gaya, etc. In PU 011, Kwanyawaward and PU 002, Chede ward, both in Karaye LGA; and PU 001 and PU 034-036, Gama Ward of Nasarawa LGA. It is distressing that political thugs took over the elections, forcing voters to vote along a party line, stoning voters and violently disrupting the elections.

The group also said that issues of vote buying were recorded in Sokoto State and the allegation was against both the PDP and the APC, failure of smartcard reader failure hindered the early take off of polling, particularly in Bauchi State, while a high level of under age voting added to the ugly scenario.

The Nigeria Democracy Platform (NDP), a pan Nigerian interventionist forum of eminent scholars, ideologues, activists working towards advancing the cause of popular constitutional democracy expressed sadness over unfortunate reports of dehumanising and murderous action.

In a statement entitled, “INEC Must Halt The Ongoing Bloody Supplementary Elections Now,” it said, “from visuals of mayhem laden with the blood of citizens emanating from Kano, Sokoto, Rivers etc to the reported kidnapping of INEC staff in Benue, we as democrats expect the rest of the civilised world to wonder if it is war or elections that is presently being prosecuted in Nigeria.”

It added: “NDP is therefore scandalised that with all the open threats by partisans in the run up to these elections, inadequate security measures still pervade our electoral landscape.”

The statement signed Promise Adewusi, Director of Administration, and Hajia Khadija Abdullahi Yusuf, Director of Special Duties continued: “To save Nigerians from this mockery of democracy, NDP calls on INEC to immediately have recourse to the provisions of the Electoral Act as it relates to violent disruptions of elections by calling off and cancelling the charade floating on the blood of citizens in Kano State until such a time adequate security can be guaranteed in the country as no election is worth the blood of any citizen.

“Finally, we call on law enforcement agencies to immediately apprehend and prosecute all suspected offenders and culprits of this needless mayhem for the sake of justice and stability within the Nigerian polity.”

Source:Read more hexopay.net: https://hexopay.net/post/rerun-suspense-as-four-governors-know-their-fate

Incumbent Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau, the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau, has been declared winner of the rerun gubernatorial election in the State. Lalong gathered 595,582 votes to win, with his closest rival, Jeremiah Useni, a retired Army General who was the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), polling 546,813 votes. Prof Richard Kimbir, the Returning Officer, presented the result on Sunday in Jos on behalf of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Plateau. “The valid votes totalled 1,159,954, with the rejected votes standing at 16,188, while the total votes cast was 1,176,142,” he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the margin of victory between Lalong of APC and Useni of the PDP is 48,769 votes. The gubernatorial election held on March 9 in Plateau had been declared inconclusive. This had led to a rerun election in 40 polling units in nine Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state Source: Hexopay.net Read more:https://hexopay.net/post/breaking-simon-lalong-of-apc-declared-winner-of-plateau-rerun-governorship-election