₦airaland Forum

Ahead of the August 27 primaries of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ondo state, 24 of the 25 aspirants yesterday kicked against a surreptitious plan by the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to impose Dr. Segun Abraham on the party.

Speaking on behalf of the aspirants, Dr Tunji Abayomi blamed the planned imposition on Tinubu, who they said was head bent to install Abraham. The 25 aspirants who had paid N7.5 million as nomination fees have begun screening race for the party’s primary fixed for August 27 at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.

Although the party had denied the alleged imposition, Abayomi insisted that the planned imposition had been uncovered, saying such imposition by Tinubu was wrong as it would disrupt the normal democratic process of electing candidate for the party for the November 26 governorship election.

Abayomi, who painted graphic picture on how Tinubu allegedly summoned party leaders in the state to Lagos and directed them to work for Abraham and his emergence, said they would resist the National Leader’s plan as it was not acceptable to the majority of the aspirants.

Besides, he said they were ready to ensure that Tinubu’s planned imposition fail notwithstanding his alleged promise to spend huge sum of money for the leaders to ensure Abraham triumph at the party’s primary especially because the action was against the party’s constitution of the party.

Abayomi said: “I am speaking on behalf of the majority of the aspirants, we want to know whether this is true, and considering that we have a constitution that determines the procedure of electing a candidate.

“We are from Ondo State and we expect that our affairs should be largely controlled either by law or the people of Ondo State. So, we reject the government of leaders by the leaders to the privileged set of leaders. If Tinubu had now directed that this is the person he wants to use, that means that he is the one constituting government over the people to his own benefit.

Survivors and victims of herdsmen attacks in Logo and Ukum council areas in Benue State have been recounting how 81 persons were killed in the last two weeks.

The traditional ruler of Logo, Chief Jimmy Meeme, who spoke to Channels Television on the invasion of rural communities said 70 persons were killed in six out of the 10 council wards in his domain.

He blamed the sustained attacks on his people by the herdsmen on territorial occupation campaign.

Eyewitnesses also claim that Turan, Mbagber, Yonov and Tombo communities in Logo were attacked on the same day while Varser in Ukum Local Government came under siege, leaving 53 persons dead.

A community leader, Terkura Suswam, also made a case for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

In Anyiin community, the matron at a local clinic, Kpadoo Asema, and the IDPs camp manager, John Imenger, spoke on the treatment and how the displaced persons were fairing in the face of lack and despair.

One of the IDPs in Anyiin camp, Aseer Yuam, grieved over the gruesome murder of her son by herdsmen in Tombo council ward while attempting to fetch food for his family from the farm.

The State Coordinator of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Garus Gololo, promised to track down those responsible for the attacks in Logo and Ukum.

The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, lamented the inability of the security agencies to arrest the perpetrators of the coordinated attacks.

In his reaction, the spokesman of the Benue State Police Command, ASP Moses Yamu, dismissed allegations of neglect of duty by security personnel.

He insisted that only 22 deaths were recorded in Logo and Ukum local government areas.

A former federal commissioner and presidential aspirant, Umaru Shinkafi, is dead.

Mr. Shinkafi died in a hospital in London at about 4:07pm Nigerian time, family sources told PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday.

Mr. Shinkafi, who held the traditional title of Marafan Sokoto, was a native of Zamfara State.

He was a Federal Commissioner of Internal Affairs and a presidential aspirant in the third Republic. He also had an extensive career in military intelligence.

“The body will be flown back to Nigeria on Friday for burial at Abubakar III burial ground in Sokoto,” our source said.

Mr. Shinkafi is survived by three wives, and five children. One of his daughters is Zainab, wife of Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, and another is Hadiza, the wife of Zamfara governor, AbdulAzeez Yari

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State Thursday announced that he has settled the political differences between him and his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu.

The governor made the announcement at a reconciliation and thank you party organized for ward leaders of the All Progressives Congress.
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Dr. Odubu and some of his supporters were, however, absent at the party.

P.M.NEWS recalled that the once cordial relationship between Oshiomhole and his deputy became frosty after the governor supported the Chairman of his economic team, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, to succeed him.

Oshiomhole who told the APC members to go back to the wards and reconcile with all aggrieved party members, disclosed that he would personally visit some APC members to heal the wounds.

He said the campaign message of the APC would change since, according to him, ”a more credible candidate has emerged in the PDP.”

He said: “Let us imbibe the spirit of oneness. I was excited of having the privilege to brief President Buhari of the outcome of our primaries and the Preisdent said he is proud of all you who participated in that process. This will be the first time a sitting president will hold the hand of our party candidate and present him to the people of our great state.”

“As you return to your wards, align with leaders of each of those wards to call a meeting and had time together. Remind them that they voted for the party. Convene meetings at the ward level to bring all the ward leaders together. We need to visit them and we will visit them. They worked much harder. They deserve our commendation.

“This is the time to settle small quarrels within the party. No more rumours. Help us to unite, to reconcile, to restore old friendship and old alliances. I have renewed mine with my deputy governor. It is one party, one family and one destination.

“PDP has elected a more credible candidate. The problem with that is that the candidate is not carrying the kind of baggage the fake pastor is carrying. Our campaign message must be different.”

In his speech, the State Chairman of the APC, Anselm Ojezua, disclosed that many of the governorship aspirants of the party have promised to work for the successes of the APC during the elections.

Also speaking, the party’s flag-bearer in the September 10 governorship election, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, promised to continue the process of reconciliation and work towards making the party solid.

His words, “Every member of APC will benefit. We are one party. We watch the language we use because we know one day will come when we will come together to work. Forgive and forget whatever mistake of the past. Come September, we will sing victory song.

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Tuesday wrote the United Nations, European Union, United States’ Congress, European Union Parliament, Governments of United States, United Kingdom and other foreign missions, over his trial for alleged forgery of Senate standing rules.

Ekweremadu raised the alarm over what he described as attempt to truncate Nigeria’s democracy and “silence him as the leader and highest ranking member of the opposition in the country, all in the name of prosecuting an alleged forgery case.”

The letter is a two-page document, entitled: “Re: Trumped up charges against the presiding officers of the 8th Senate: Nigerian Democracy is in Grave Danger,” a copy of which was sighted by our reporter in Abuja.

Ekweremadu attached copies of the court summons and other relevant documents relating to the matter to his letter.

The deputy Senate president noted that he wanted the international community, to “after perusing the facts before them, decide whether or not the trial was justified, or one purely borne out of political vendetta.”

He insisted that neither his name nor that of the president of the Senate, featured in the petition filed by the aggrieved members of the Senate Unity Forum (SUF) or during the investigation of the petition by the police.

wengerjay:
By Gabriel Ewepu
ABUJA- THE Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, at the weekend said the nation expects great miracles to happen for national development and peace.
osinbajo
Osinbajo stated this in his brief remarks at the one-day crusade, with theme, ‘Night of Extraordinary Wonders’ organised by the Deeper Life Bible at the National Stadium, Abuja.hi

He asked God to intervene in the life of Nigerians by granting them personal miracles at the crusade, because God has the solution to all kinds of problem they may have.

He said: “I want to say how privilege we are to be here today on this night of incredible wonders and I pray that the Almighty God will give you your own miracle in the name of the Lord Jesus.

“I know that everyone here( crusade) is expecting a miracle from the Lord even our nation also looks forward to great miracles from the Lord and I know that tonight will be that night when the Lord will visit us in a special way.”

Over 80,000 people from all walks of life attended the crusade, including the Founder of Dunamis International Gospel Church, Pastor Paul Eneche and his wife, Dr. Becky Eneche, General Overseer, Gospel Light Redemption Ministry, Pastor Isaac Oriakhi, Comptroller General, Federal Fire Service, Engr. Garba Anebi, Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina, and other government dignitaries.

In a sermon titled ‘The Glory of the Lord’, the Guest Preacher and General Superintendent, Deeper Life Bible Church, Dr. William Kumuyi, assured the participants of God’s glory returning to individuals, families and the nation.

Kumuyi also maintained that the power of God would transform the life of participants into abundance of glory and lift the nation out of the present challenges if they could humble themselves and pray, and God will forgive them. But he warned them of the danger of the absence of God’s glory in their life, which would keep the glory of God away from them.

After the ministration he (Kumuyi) prayed for participants with different health challenges and they were supernaturally healed and they also shared their experiences after the prayer.
He has since left for Lokoja, Kogi State for another crusadehttp://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/nation-expects-great-miracles-osinbajo/

bensonlee770:
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