President Goodluck Jonathan has clinched the Peoples Democratic (PDP) presidential ticket at the primaries held at the Eagles Square in Abuja.

Jonathan was coasting home to victory as at the press time early this morning, having defeated his main challenger, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in all the states which votes have been counted.

The only female contestant, Mrs. Sarah Jibril took the rear.
Shocker came from Adamawa, Atiku’s home state which he lost to Jonathan 31 to 76 votes. Three votes were voided in the state.

It has been widely expected that Atiku would win majority votes of the delegates from his home state, but the contrary happened. The vote counting began with Abia State, which President Jonathan also won with a wide margin of 80 votes to one scored by the former vice president.
The same scenario played out in Akwa Ibom State where Jonathan secured 141votes while Atiku had no vote.

Also in Anambra, Jonathan beat Atiku by 47 to eight votes. The void votes were recorded.
In Bayelsa State, it was total victory for President Jonathan as he won all the 67 votes cast leaving no single vote for other two contenders in the race. But in Bauchi, the President won by a narrow margin of 46 votes to Atiku’s 44. Five votes were voided.

Follow the PDP presidential Primaries live at http://skoola.com/lecturepage.php?id=1717&cid=70

Follow live update at http://skoola.com/lecturepage.php?id=1717&cid=70

Less than 24 hours to the primaries of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), an Enugu High Court has granted an interim order restraining the party’s national chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo, from “parading himself as chairman of the party.”

The order was granted by the presiding Judge, Reuben Onuorah, ruling that Mr. Nwodo should stop functioning as chairman and enjoying any benefits from the position, pending the determination of motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

The suit, No E/449/2010, was filed in December by Collins Amalu, a registered member of the party from Ngwo-Uno ward in Enugu State. In the suit, Mr. Amalu claimed that Mr. Nwodo was not a bonafide member of PDP.

“At the time he left the PDP and sought to return to the party, he did not re-register as a member of the party and was not issued a membership card in line with PDP Constitution. This fact was publicly confirmed by Mr. Nwodo himself and enquiries made also confirmed that. Based on that, he is not entitled to hold the position, perform any function, or enjoy the benefits from the party,” the judgement said.

The suit was further adjourned to January 31 for hearing.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the defence counsels, Ilochi Okafor(a Senior Advocate of Nigeria), and Mike Ajogwu, SAN, were absent at the court.

Mr. Nwodo, a former national secretary of the PDP, was appointed as the party’s chairperson by the National Executive Committee of the party in June 2010, following the resignation of the then national president, Vincent Eze Ogbulafor.

Mr. Nwodo left the party in 2003, but returned earlier in 2010 when the party welcomed back all its aggrieved members who had deserted the party for one thing or the other.

Mario Balotelli scored a hat-trick as Manchester City went top of the Premier League with a 4-0 win against Aston Villa at Eastlands.

Balotelli's two penalties and a tap-in did not represent the most spectacular treble ever scored, but they accurately reflected the gulf between the two sides as City eased past a desperately poor Villa outfit.

Joleon Lescott headed City's other goal, as they went to the Premier League's summit ahead of neighbours Manchester United's game at Birmingham City on Tuesday night.

Roberto Mancini made five changes, using his enviable squad depth. In came Balotelli, Adam Johnson, Patrick Vieira, Micah Richards and Pablo Zabaleta, replacing Carlos Tevez, James Milner, Gareth Barry, Jerome Boateng and Aleksandar Kolarov.

Their powerful performance is further vindication of Mancini, a coach who is never more than four bad results from the sack despite turning his team into genuine title contenders.

No such optimism at Villa, who have lost six of their last seven and are lurching towards the bottom three.

On this evidence, Gerard Houllier's men are certainly not too good to go down, and serious concerns are starting to creep in whether they are too bad to stay up.

They had no energy, no drive and found themselves outclassed in every department - physical, mental and technical.

Martin O'Neill left Villa at the start of the season following a row over the sale to City of Milner, and it seems his fears over the club's lack of strength were well-founded.

Houllier has been brought in to nurture some promising academy products, but the youngsters are getting blown out of the water.

The first goal came in the eighth minute when Eric Lichaj, inexplicably preferred to Richard Dunne, brought Balotelli down with a deeply crass challenge.

Lichaj let the striker get goal-side of him then dragged him to the floor by putting his arms around him. The prolonged foul started on the edge of the box and continued several yards inside, giving referee Michael Oliver little option but to point to the spot.

Balotelli converted the spot-kick in typically eventful style, stopping his run-up as he reached the ball, then rolling the ball impudently into the right corner as Brad Friedel dived the other way.

The second goal on 13 minutes was more contentious. Lescott glanced an Adam Johnson corner goalwards and Barry Bannan, standing on the far post, headed it away.

However, referee Michael Oliver and his assistants deemed the ball to have crossed the line - replays suggested Bannan was a touch unlucky.

David Silva excelled throughout, drifting inside frequently from his usual station on the left flank, and it was no surprise when he created the third.

The Spaniard weaved past a challenge inside the box on 27 minutes and fired a low shot that Friedel could only parry into the path of Balotelli, who converted a simple tap-in.

Another dismal tackle led to the fourth goal 10 minutes into the second half.

This time Johnson was too sharp for the weary Marc Albrighton, who tripped the winger as he nipped the ball past him on the right side of the box.

Balotelli took his scoring record to eight goals in 10 games with a second penalty that was almost a carbon copy of the first - he stopped as he reached the ball and finished in the right side of the goal as Friedel went the other way - flopping to the ground in thoroughly resigned fashion.

"Welcome, Leonardo is the coach of Inter," a statement said on Inter's website just hours after president Massimo Moratti had said there would be no announcement until December 27 at the earliest.

"A few minutes ago an agreement was signed which will tie him to the club until June 30, 2012."

Leonardo failed to shine in his only season in management with Milan last term, leading the Rossoneri to third place in Serie A and the Champions League last 16.

The 41-year-old also played for Milan before becoming technical director there and has no prior links to Inter, making the decision to appoint him all the more strange to the hordes of baffled Tweeters and newspaper columnists.

"Unbelievable", "traitor" and "downright weird" were just some of the terms used on Twitter to describe the move.

BIG GAMBLE

Players and coaches switching allegiances between big rivals is nothing new in Italy, even if the idea of Arsenal's Arsene Wenger succeeding Manchester United's Alex Ferguson would bring howls of derision in England.

Spain is more similar to Italy with former Barcelona assistant coach Jose Mourinho now the Real Madrid boss while Portugal's Luis Figo signed for Real from Barca in 2000.

Giovanni Trapattoni famously managed Milan, Inter and the third Italian giant Juventus while Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played for all three.

Indeed Milan have been the side most guilty of signing ex-Inter names with Ibrahimovic, Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo and former forward Ronaldo all having previously turned out for the Nerazzurri among others.

Moratti, whose side won an unprecedented treble last term under Jose Mourinho, is still taking a big gamble by naming Leonardo with fans likely to give him a little lukewarm reception at first.

Given Leonardo left Milan after a bust-up with owner Silvio Berlusconi, hands-on Moratti risks similar issues if Inter do not quickly start rising up from seventh in Serie A and lose to Bayern Munich in their Champions League first knockout round.

The appointment of Marcello Lippi in 1999 just after he had left rivals Juve was also disastrous for Inter and will prey on some fans' minds while Leonardo himself had indicated he wanted some time away from game to be with his family in Brazil.

On the other hand, pundits such as Gabriele Marcotti have argued that choosing Leonardo is a masterstroke from Moratti given he has had a season to hone his management skills, knows current league leaders Milan inside out and will have good relations with Inter's large contingent of South Americans.

Benitez's outburst means he will not get the chance but Leonardo may have some new signings on board for when Inter host second-placed Napoli on Jan. 6 as Serie A resumes after a mid-season break.

Inter are interested in Genoa centre back Andrea Ranocchia with Walter Samuel out for the season but few other rumours have leaked out about Moratti's targets.

GOING by the results of the November/December 2010 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) released yesterday by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), only 20.04 per cent of candidates who sat that examination are eligible for admission into any higher institution in the country.
The 20.04% represents candidates who obtained credit in English Language, Mathematics and at least three other subjects.
In the past three years, candidates have been posting similar below-average performances in the examination. Only 23.54 per cent of candidates who sat the same examination in 2008 obtained five credits and above including English Language and Mathematics, while in 2009, it was 21.96 per cent.

The results of about 51,876 (representing 16.73 per cent) are currently being withheld for various reasons, including alleged involvement in examination malpractices.
Announcing the release of the results yesterday at the Yaba, Lagos head office of the council, the Head of the Nigeria National Office (HNO), Dr. Iyi Uwadiae, said that of the 324,998 candidates who registered for the examination, 310,077 actually participated in the examination, which was released two weeks before schedule.
Of this figure, 309,431 (representing 95.21 per cent) had their results fully processed, while 15,567 candidates (representing 4.79 per cent) had a few of their subjects still being processed, for various errors and omissions traceable to them.

The University Of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has released its 2010/2011 supplementary List.
The supplementary list of students admitted to the University Of Port Harcourt can be viewed below.
To view the University of Port Harcourt supplementary list click here.

Chelsea fan Yorrick Pinto received the prize of a lifetime on Sunday when he was visited by the Barclays Premier League trophy at his home in the Andheri (East) area of Mumbai.

He is just one of 20 winners worldwide who took part in the 'Barclays Home Win' competition, which gave fans of the world's most popular domestic football tournament the chance to have the iconic Barclays Premier League trophy visit them for the day.

special day

Faced with the choice of what to do with his special day, Yorrick chose to keep the trophy, which is adorned by blue and white ribbons to mark Chelsea winning the Barclays Premier League last season, at his home to be enjoyed by friends and family in his local neighbourhood.

Yorrick said: "I couldn't believe when I was told that I'd won. I watch Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League whenever I can and to be the first Indian home to host the Barclays Premier League trophy makes us all very proud."

Barclays launched the 'Home Win' competition to celebrate the renewal of its title sponsorship of the Barclays Premier League from 2010 until 2013, and one fan from each Barclays Premier League club has won the privilege of owning the trophy for a day, no matter where they are in the world.

The trophy has already toured the UK and been to winners in the United States and following its trip to Mumbai, the trophy will be heading to Bangalore this weekend, and then to locations as varied as Indonesia, Singapore, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and New Zealand to be enjoyed by the other winners

FORMER Biafran leader and chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, may be flown abroad for medical treatment any time from now, following his failing health.

Anxiety has heightened in Enugu and its environs over the deteriorating health of the Nnewi high chief.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the ex-warlord was currently receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu and had been placed on life-support, apparently to stabilise his failing health for the past one week.

A source said Chief Ojukwu, who was rushed to the hospital last week, would be flown to either South Africa or Egypt for medical attention.

A serious security presence was observed in the ICU area, on Tuesday, while his son, Emeka and a former chairman of Nnewi North Local Government Area of the state, Mr Azuka Okwuosa, were among some relatives and well-wishers seen at the ICU reception unit.

Speaking with newsmen, the Chief Medical Director of UNTH, Dr Anthony Mbah, said a team of consultants, led by a consultant cardiologist, Professor Vincent Ike, was attending to the former Biafran leader, adding that he was gradually regaining consciousness.

“He was brought to the accident and emergency department of this hospital in an unconscious state last Sunday. The blood pressure was quite low and he was not making enough urine. Upon his arrival, all consultants started work on him immediately; diagnostic procedures were immediately administered to him.

“Right now, I can say the blood pressure has stabilised and he is making enough urine, though his level of consciousness has not improved greatly, but efforts are in top gear to fly him abroad.

“The opinion of the medical team working on him is that he has stroke attack and, as I’m speaking, he is on a ventilator.” Mbah stated.

Erstwhile Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili, began her campaign for the Anambra Central senatorial seat on Monday and said that she had been inundated with telephone calls by her supporters on when she would officially kick off her campaign in the state so that they could officially defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking at a reception organised for her at Njikoka Local Government Area by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Professor Akunyili said she had told the members of the PDP, who she said were eager to dump the crisis-ridden party, to wait as she would soon tell them when they would also officially join her in APGA.

The former minister explained that she resigned from her position in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) so that she could serve the people of the state better through the Senate.

Akunyili, who began her campaign with a tour of the local government areas in the senatorial zone, told the people of the district that she decided to join the APGA having seen the work of Governor Peter Obi in the state and was desirous to join him in making the state better for the citizenry.

Akunyili, while reacting to a reference to her as “a virgin politician” at Abagana, the headquarters of Njikoka Local Government Area of the state, explained that she had been playing politics at ward, local government, state and federal levels since 1992 and therefore could not be referred to as “a virgin politician.”

“I am not a virgin politician. I have played politics at the ward, local government, state and federal levels since 1992. I admit that I am virgin in APGA. However, any politician who has not joined APGA is still a virgin. They should join the party of the future,” Akunyili stated.

Federal University Of Technology Owerri(FUTO) 2010/2011 Admission List
The Federal University Of Technology owerri (FUTO) 2010/2011 Admission List has been released by the university.
Candidates who applied to the Federal University Of Technology Owerri (FUTO) can now check their admission status and print the admission notification if they are admitted to the instituition.
To Check Your Result Click here
You have to check your admission status by using your JAMB registration number.