₦airaland Forum

Remember how it felt when Babangida detained you and be humane by releasing El-Zakzaky, Falana urges Buhari
ripplesnigeria.com

BUDGET INSERTIONS: Falana supports Osinbajo, wants NASS dragged to Supreme Court
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter, urging him to “be humane by ordering the release” of Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, also known as Shiites, and the cleric’s wife, Zainab, from custody.

The detainees have been in the custody of the Department of State Service (DSS) since December 2015 following a clash between El-Zakzaky’s followers and Nigerian soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Falana’s November 7 letter is his second such letter to the Presidency demanding the release of the detainees following an earlier one dated June 2, 2017 addressed to then Acting President Yemi Osinbajo during Buhari’s medical vacation in London.

Falana reminded Buhari that the continued detention of the couple was in violation of the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on December 2, 2016.

He pleaded with the president to consider the detainees’ deteriorating health and immediately order their release.

Falana noted that Buhari, having been illegally detained in the past by former Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), and also recently battled a serious illness, was in a position to appreciate the couple’s “agony” in custody.

He called on the Federal Government to be humane and refrain from subjecting citizens to inhuman treatment.

Meanwhile, Falana who is counsel to El-Zakzaky Wednesday withdrew the petition against the Nigerian Army at the Presidential Investigation Panel on Human Right Violations.

The rights lawyer said stated that although it was painful, he had to withdraw the petition in view of the fact that there was already a judicial commission of inquiry currently handling the case.

He however noted that the panel could on its own decide to listen to any witness in the case, while urging it to keep the petition in view.

Falana also urged the panel to order the federal government to comply with the ruling of the Federal High Court that ordered the release of Ibrahim El-Zakzaky from detention.

He criticized the federal government for not obeying the ruling of the Federal High Court, adding that since Nigeria’s independence, he had never seen a couple detained together, adding that the couple should be released based on the rule of law.

He lamented his inability to get the petition to a place of final resolution.

“We are already taking other steps to ensure that El-Zakzaky is released, because this is the first time in the history of this country that a couple will be detained,” he said.

Akinseye George, counsel to the Nigerian Army, said that the matter should be removed from the panel’s list, adding that the panel was magnanimous enough to accommodate the petition by shifting dates and time for the petitioner.

He said that the panel should disregard the petitioner’s plea that the petition be kept in view, stressing that the petition ended with the withdrawal.

Justice Biobele George, chairman of the panel, struck out the petition based on voluntary withdrawal by the petitioner.

The Presidential Investigation Panel to Review Compliance of the Armed Forces with Human Rights Obligations and Rules of Engagement sittings ended on November 8.

The panel had travelled round the six geo-political zones to receive petitions and listen to petitioners’ allegations of human rights violation by the military.

Fayemi to Seek Buhari’s Permission to Contest Ekiti Guber Election
thisdaylive.com

Minister of Mines and Steel Developments, Dr Kayode Fayemi plans to seek President Muhammadu Buhari’s permission to contest the Ekiti State governorship election billed for July 14, 2018.

An associate of the minister who confided in our correspondent said that the minister planned to take another shot at the Ekiti State Government House which he lost to Ayo Fayose in 2014.

Going by the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, campaign for the Ekiti governorship election will open on April 15, 2018.

To join the race, Fayemi will have to resign from his ministerial job.
The All Progressives Congress under which Fayemi will run already has a long list of aspirants hoping to emerge as the party’s flag-bearer for the election.

Among them are former governor of the state, Chief Segun Oni, Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Mr Babafemi Ojudu, a former commissioner for information in Lagos, Opeyemi Bamidele, a former member of the House of Representatives, Bamidele Faparusi, a retired permanent secretary, Chief Sesan Fatoba, and an Australian based medical doctor, Dr Wole Oluyede.

Others are: Mr kola Alabi, Bimbo Daramola, Mr Ranti Debo Ajayi, Funminiyi Afuye, Mr Muyiwa Coker, Senator Gbenga Aluko, Kayode Ojo, Dr Bayo Orire, Dr Folorunso Akinyele, Prince Kayode Olofinniyi, Mr Diran Adesua, Sunday Adebomi, Dr Makanjuola Owolabi, Mr Folorunso Akinyele and Dr Olu Oluleye.

The incumbent governor, Fayose is also working hard to make sure that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party retains the state.

To the consternation of other aspirants in his party, however, Fayose is positioning his deputy, Kolapo Olusola, to succeed him.

Many observers see the Ekiti State governorship election as an acid test for both the APC and the PDP and expect both parties to do their best to win the state.

sarrki:
The 16 years of their misrule is a testimony

We have recovered $43m from Diezani – Magu
ynaija.com


Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu on Wednesday said the agency has recovered $2.9 billion between May 2015 and October 2017.

While speaking at the ongoing 7th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption holding in Vienna, Austria, Magu said the commission had recovered $43 million from former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

He said the sum does not include smaller amounts in Durham, CRA and British Pound.
Magu added that the forfeiture order fraud act has helped recovered a lot of loots.
He added that progress has been made in cases related to Abacha loot, Malabu Oil, Diezani and associates, and the arms procurement scandal.
“Within this year alone, the commission recovered stolen assets running into several millions of US Dollars and billions in naira,” he said.

“These include the sum of $43 million recovered from Deziani Allison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum and N2 billion spread in seven accounts within three Nigerian banks laundered from the Federal Capital Territory Police Command Salary Accounts.”

sarrki:
That's true

The real nature of PDP chieftains

They are vampires

Power mongers

2019 election: “Even if PDP picks my son as party chairman, I will still contest”
nigerianwatch.com

2019 election: “Even if PDP picks my son as party chairman, I will still contest” – Fayose
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has stated that even if the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) picks his son as national chairman, he will still run for presidency in 2019 election.

The Governor said that Nothing can stop him from contesting the 2019 election.

He said: “It is the Presidency that orders things.

“When I become President in 2019, I will reorder those things. Nothing can stop me from contesting,” he told Vanguard.

Adding that “Even if they pick the party’s chairman from my family; even if they pick my son as party chairman, I will contest.”

[PHOTOS] Buhari presides over FEC meeting
punchng.com

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday presided over the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House in Abuja.

See the photos:

Atiku has taken over Adamawa PDP, member writes Makarfi
punchng.com


A former Special Assistant to Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Umar Ardo, has called for the cancellation of the results of last Saturday ward congresses in Adamawa State. He accused Atiku of hijacking the party in the state.

Atiku, a former member of the PDP, defected to the All Progressives Congress before the 2015 general elections.

Ardo spoke with journalists on Tuesday after submitting a petition to the Adamawa State PDP Congress Appeal Panel at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.

He said, “No election took place in Toungo, Ganye Mayo Belwa, Demsa, Numan, Shelleng, Yola North, Yola South, Mubi South, Michika and Madagali local government areas. “The Caretaker Committee members representing these LGAs simply sat in their rooms and drew up their list and submitted their names as elected executive members and they were admitted.

“It’s an open secret that the members of the committee connived and simply sat down and distributed the party offices among themselves.”

On the specific roles played by Atiku in the congresses, Ardo said the former Vice-President “was involved directly. He called me to say that I should make sure certain persons get these positions. I disagreed. He has hijacked the PDP in the state.”

He observed that Atiku’s return to the PDP had its disadvantages, saying, “There are also three disadvantages. We learnt that Atiku is coming back to the party with an ambition; an ambition to contest for the Presidency.

“Now that will be a source of conflict because there are others in the party who are also interested and they are nursing this ambition. There will be conflict among party members.

“Secondly, the deep pocket that Atiku has will not only serve that ambition; it will also deepen the conflict. The third disadvantage is that those foot soldiers will also serve the ambition and in the process deepen the conflict.”

But in his reaction, Atiku insisted that he had no hands in the problems of the PDP in his state, adding that he had left the PDP.

The former vice-president spoke through his media aide, Mr. Paul Ibe.

“It is ludicrous to accuse a man who is not a member of a party of having hijacked the party structure. Whoever is making this allegation has to look elsewhere for their failings,” Ibe said.

Photos: Buhari opens e-Nigeria confab
vanguardngr.com



President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday declared open, a three-day e-Nigeria technology Conference, at the International Conference Centre Abuja.