Senate President, Bukola Saraki has arrived the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for his corruption trial. Saraki is said to have arrived the tribunal with at least 30 Senators and 66 lawyers. Some of the senators who accompanied him are Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Abdullahi Sabi, Stella Oduah, Hope Uzodinma, Shehu Sani, Dino Melaye, and Sam Anyanwu, The Cable reports. Saraki had also appeared with an entourage of senators on each of his three previous trial dates. The Senate President has been charged with 13 counts of false declaration of assets by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). Saraki…
Author: David Folami
President Muhammadu Buhari has flushed 184 top officials out of various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) due to the scandal surrounding the padding of the 2016 budget, reports say. 22 of the affected officials are said to be from the Ministry of Budget and National Planning. All the officials involved were said to have been removed from budget duties and assigned to other areas. The move comes three weeks after President Buhari sacked the Director General of the budget office, Yahaya Gusau and ordered a “cleansing” of the office. Buhari has repeatedly vowed to punish persons involved in the scandal…
Senate President, Bukola Saraki has once again said that his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) is political. Saraki said further that he wasn’t given a chance to explain himself before the trial began. The Senate President made the comments via a statement released by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Gbenga Makanjuola. It reads: “We must all be guided by the fact that a basic scrutiny of section 3, paragraph D of the act that establishes the CCT and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) states in explicit terms that before any complaint (if any) is forwarded…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Federal Government to sack Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase over his failure to protect residents of Rivers State. The call was made by APC Deputy National Secretary, Ngofa Oji on Thursday, March 10, 2016, according to PM News. “These matters were reported and it shouldn’t have gotten to the point where institutions charged with the responsibility to take care of these things are doing nothing,” Oji said. “We would not have gotten to the point, where people are beginning to wonder if actually we have an APC government and APC members…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has said that Governor Nyesom Wike is desperate for political power. The Rivers APC made the comment in a statement released by its Publicity Secretary, Senibo Chris Finebone. It reads: “The APC wishes to advise Rivers people irrespective of political affiliations to act within the law before, during and after the March 19 re-run elections in Rivers State.” “This appeal has become necessary at this time with the backdrop of the highly troubling, inciting and unlawful directive by Gov. Nyesom Wike to PDP members to resist unlawful arrest by security agents.” “Indeed,…
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has denied making inciting statements after the All Progressives Congress (APC) accused him of advocating for violence. According to the APC, Wike urged Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in the state to resist arrest during the conduct of the March 19, 2016 state and National Assembly rerun elections in Rivers. Wike is also said to have warned anyone planning to rig elections in the state to write their will first. “Some people say that I am making inciting statements. I have never made any inciting statement. But I have always said the truth,” the governor…
The All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Victor Okon, candidate in the March 12 Akwa Ibom rerun election has withdrawn his candidacy. Okon, representing Oron/Udung Uko constituency, made his decision known at a news conference held in Uyo on Friday, less than 24 hours to the rerun election. He said that his withdrawal from the Saturday Akwa Ibom House of Assembly rerun election was personal. He added that “after due consultation with my family and immediate constituency, I have decided to withdraw from the rerun election fixed for March 12, 2016 for very personal reasons. “I have also already resigned from…
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has deployed 10,000 personnel to Akwa Ibom in readiness for the State’s House of Assembly rerun. According to Punch Newspaper, the commission made the move to ensure smooth flow of electioneering process as the rerun election holds today, Saturday, March 12, 2016. It was further reported that some of the 10,000 personnel includes 3,500 ad-hoc staff and security personnel. The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr. Gabriel Ada, revealed that the state assembly rerun election would be conducted in 11 local government areas. In his words, “We are deploying over 3,500 ad hoc…
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has alleged that the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike is a thief, who squanders money. In a recent radio interview in Rivers State monitored by Daily Post, the ex-governor said, “Nyesom Wike is here to steal money, he was my chief of staff. We will chase Wike’s boys out of the water, now we have Dakuku Peterside as DG NIMASA.” Speaking further, ‘If you see the money stolen by Nyesom Wike in the ministry of education you will be shocked. Everyday you wake up to find out that Wike has killed somebody. ‘Wike…
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, has deployed 6,000 personnel and 14 units of Police Mobile Force personnel to compliment the personnel of Rivers Command for the March 19 re-run election in the state. This is contained in statement issued by the Force spokesperson, Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Olabisi Kolawole and issued to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja. It stated that three commissioners of police had also been deployed to supervise security arrangements in Rivers-East, West and South-East senatorial districts. The statement said that Arase had also directed the Assistant Inspector-General in charge of Zone 6 Calabar,…
The Emir of Mubi, HRH Alhaji Isah Abubakar, has advised members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop deceiving the electorates. In a report by Daily Post, the Emir received an APC entourage led by the acting Party chairman in Adamawa, Ibrahim Bilal. The Emir noted that if the party and its stalwarts wants to excel and keep winning, deceit should be removed from all their doings. “I’m a Father to all of you here. If cannot tell you the truth, I’m not a good father. Do what your electorates wants you to do, that is what democracy is…
Gov. Aminu Tambawal of Sokoto State on Saturday expressed satisfaction with the high turnout of voters in the ongoing local government elections across the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tambuwal made the comment, while speaking with journalists at Kofar Ajiya polling unit, shortly after casting his vote. He said that the state government had provided a level playing ground for the voters to elect their leaders in a peaceful atmosphere. The governor commended the efforts of the state independent electoral commission to organise hitch-free elections across the state, citing the availability electoral materials at all polling…
Sen. Aliyu Wamakko (APC-Sokoto State) said the introduction of the card reader in the electoral process was an indication of the maturity of Nigeria’s democracy. He told newsmen in Wamakko, Sokoto state, shortly after voting in Saturday’s council elections in the state that Nigeria had come of age with the use of card reader machine. Wamakko, who is the immediate past governor of the state, said that the use of the device had shown that Nigeria was not averse to “global changes and emerging positive trends.’’ According to him, the use of card reader has also restored tremendous confidence of…
Alhaji Salihu Fagge, Commissioner of Police, in Sokoto state, on Saturday, commended the people of the state for their peaceful conduct during the local government election. Fagge, who made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto, said that ‘’so far, so good, no any report of electoral violence from across the state’’. He said that the residents had demonstrated political maturity that led to the smooth conduct of the election. The police boss added that the state police command would continue to ensure peaceful atmosphere that would enable residents to move in peace…
The All Progressives Congress (APC), has won all the Chairmanship and Councillorship seat in the Local Government elections conducted on Saturday in Sokoto State. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the results were declared in Sokoto on Sunday by Alhaji Usman Abubakar the Chairman, State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC). Abubakar, who announced that APC won all the 22 Chairmanship seat and 234 Councillorship seat, described the poll as `free, fair and credible.’ The chairman had on Saturday announced the suspension of the election in Gudu local government council. He said that the election was suspended as a result…
Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige has reportedly said that the Nigerians who are complaining about the suffering in the country are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Ngige also assured that the government would roll out its programmes as soon as the 2016 budget was passed by the National Assembly. He made the comments during an interview with the Daily Sun. Excerpts below: Nigerians angry with APC government over hardship in the country I don’t know what you mean by hardship and those you call Nigerians. Are they the federal civil servants getting their monthly salaries as…
Repositioning the Ministry of Labour and Employment to meet the challenges of unemployment and maintaining industrial harmony in the labour sector is a major agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Samuel Olowookere, Deputy Director, Press and made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja. The statement said that Sen. Chris Ngige, the Minster of Labour and Employment, made the statement when heads of departments in the ministry briefed him on their activities. It said that the briefing which also had in attendance, the Minister for State, Mr James Ocholi was conveyed…
Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has condemned the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige for saying that Nigerians who are complaining about the suffering in the country are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Ngige is said to have made the comment during an interview with the Daily Sun. “Those complaining especially the elite are members or loyalists of the PDP. We are not bothered because we are going to continue with our common people’s programme and I want to assure that the tide will soon change,” the minister was quoted as saying. In response, Ben Bruce said via Twitter:…
The Presidency has denied reports that Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo’s trip to India was cancelled to prevent Senate President, Bukola Saraki from becoming acting President. Earlier media reports had it that Osinbajo’s trip was cancelled because President Muhammadu Buhari would also be abroad at the same time leaving Saraki to act as the nation’s most senior official. The denial was made by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande. “Nigeria has been invited to the Indian/African Summit and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment will be leading a delegation to the event.…
Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi has said that he has evidence to prove his claims that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike is corrupt. Amaechi, a former governor of the state, also said that Wike lacks the capacity to govern. The minister made the comments on Sunday, March 13, 2016, at an All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in the state. “Wike lacks capacity to govern. Somebody who just knows how to steal money is a bushman. Wike said, am corrupt. He should bring evidence to show. I will bring evidence to show that Wike is corrupt,” Amaechi said. “Wike did the…