Governors and governors-elect of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are set for a showdown with party members elected into the 8th National Assembly over their insistence on the zoning of the principal offices in the House of Representatives, Vanguard reports. The stance of the governors is reportedly stoking tension among the stakeholders of the party. They are reported to be trying to use their loyal associates in the outgoing House to also amend the House Rules to compel the voting for presiding officers to be in the open, as a way of forcing their position through. The members have,…
Author: Wale Adebayo
Niger State Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu, yesterday, slammed the Adamu Muazu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), for remaining in power after leading the party to defeat in the last general elections in the country. According to him, the most civilized thing was to throw in the towel. “How could you lead a party to disastrous outing in an election and you are still in that place, take the blame for the defeat by quitting and if the PDP still wants you they will beg you to stay?” Aliyu wondered. He spoke at the commissioning of…
Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) has alleged that there are plans by a Lagos politician to assassinate its National Coordinator, Otunba Gani Adams. The organisation, in a press statement, signed by its publicity secretary, Barrister Yinka Oguntimehin on Friday from Istanbul, Turkey, said the plan followed the recent suspension of some erring members of the congress. “This is to alert concerned Nigerians that after several failed attempts to remove the leader of the Odua Peoples Congress by expelled members of the Congress,security report at our disposal revealed that a top Lagos based politician has devised ways to create chaos and attack…
Although the country is yet to solve its insecurity problems, about 4,000 Nigerian soldiers will soon be dismissed for flouting the orders to fight Boko Haram insurgents in an operation in Mubi, Adamawa State, in 2014, online news platform TheCable quoted one of the soldiers affected to have said. According to a source in the army, who is one of the accused soldiers, a signal had been sent by the army headquarters in Abuja to its divisions for the soldiers to be dismissed without trial. “We are accused of disobeying orders to fight insurgents and also for allowing them to…
Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has warned president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure that they deliver on their electoral promises as no excuses will be tolerated by Nigerians. The governor said this at the inauguration of the Shiroro bridge in Niger State, reminding the APC that no conditions about whether the economy was favourable or not were given during electioneering. “They tried to break and distort Nigeria’s harmony, they tried to turn tribe against tribe, brother against brother, raising false hope. They must fulfil all their promises because there was no…
Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, has threatened to sue the 8th National Assembly to court, if it fails to slash the “bogus” salaries and allowances they earn. However, he admits it will be easier to do if the president-elect Muhammadu Buhari led by example and reduce the allocation of the presidential villa. “It will be very easy easy for the President-elect, Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to compel the National Assembly to slash their bogus emolument, if only he first sets the example. If he first cuts down the budget account of the Presidential Villa, the…
Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State on Friday warned heads of government-owned primary and secondary schools to desist from charging illegal fees. Kwankwaso gave the warning while inaugurating the Salamatu Garba Girls Secondary School, Aisami, Gwale Local Government Area. The governor, who reiterated the state’s free education policy, enjoined the school heads to avoid charging their students illegal fees but should work for the success of the students. He also urged the teachers to put in their best to produce students who would be the best in learning and character. The state Commissioner for Education, Malam Tujudeen Gambo, commended the education…
The Federal Government has unveiled plans to construct two blocks of hostels in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, valued at N300m to provide shelter for victims of the 2012 flood disaster in the state. The project, which has a six months completion period, is to be replicated in the 22 states affected by the disaster. Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation, Mr John Owoicho, who stated this Friday in Makurdi when he led members of the committee to a courtesy visit on Governor Gabriel Suswam, explained that the project was part of the preventive measures by…
The Jigawa Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps said it has arrested a suspected ring leader of cell phone snatchers in Dutse on Thursday. The corps Commandant in the state, Mr. Muhammad Gidado, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Dutse on Friday that the suspect was arrested in Takur quarters. Gidado said the suspect, Auwalu Musa, was arrested by NSCDC detectives after series of complaints of cell phones stealing from people in the area. “The syndicate specialised in stealing expensive cell phones which they hide in refuse dumps, and after gathering a reasonable number of them,…
The Edo State Government has received news of the arrest of some of its officials for alleged involvement in cult-related killings in Benin, the state capital, with shock. The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Louis Odion, made this known in a statement on Thursday. A special crack squad deployed by the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, in Benin to stem the tide of cultism, kidnapping and other violent crimes, led to the arrest of no fewer than 56 suspects. Eleven of the suspects were said to be highly placed government officials in the state. At least, 10 persons…
An Abuja High Court has been asked to restrain the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from forcing the National Chairman of the party, Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, and members of his National Working Committee from resigning their positions until after the expiration of their tenure. Two members of the party, Tasiu Iliyasu Hussaini and Waziri Amadu, in a suit dated May 14, 2015 asked the court to determine whether the NWC of the party can be dissolved or members forced to resign their positions without following laid down procedures as contained in the party’s constitution. Apart from PDP and Mu’azu, other defendants…
The All Progressive Congress caucus of the Kaduna State House of Assembly on Friday threatened to impeach the outgoing state Governor, Ramalan Yero. The APC caucus, comprising 14 lawmakers, disclosed this at an emergency press briefing at the state assembly complex. The lawmakers, led by the deputy minority leader in the house, Aminu Shagari, accused Mr. Yero of last minute looting and squandering of public funds. “The out-going government is in a rush to appropriate and disburse the SURE-P funds of the 23 local governments that was unused”, Mr. Shagari said. “A request submitted this week by the executive arm…
Governor of Niger State, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, on Thursday renewed his call for the resignation of the Adamu Mu’azu-led National Working Committee NWC of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The governor, who slammed the Mu’azu-led NWC for holding on to power despite leading the party to what he termed a “disastrous defeat” in the last general elections in the country, said that the best and most civilized thing was to throw in the towel. He made this view known during the commissioning of the multi-billion Naira Shiroro Bridge linking Niger and Kaduna States. According to Mr. Aliyu, although the PDP…
The Peoples Democratic Party caucus at the House of Representatives on Thursday insisted that it had not endorsed any candidate for the position of Speaker of the 8th Assembly. The caucus made the clarification just as it rose from a closed-door meeting at the National Assembly. The clarification came on the heels of speculation that the caucus had endorsed the Chairman, Committee on House Services, Yakubu Dogara, as its choice for the position of Speaker. Other top contenders for the job are Femi Gbajabiamila and Abdulmumin Jibrin. Although the PDP would be relegated to minority in the green chamber when…
The President of Republic of Benin, Boni Yayi, Thursday assured President-elect Muhammadu Buhari of his country’s support in tackling the problem of insecurity in the country. The Beninoise president also revealed that 55 percent of his country’s population are Nigerians. Mr. Yayi stated this when he visited Mr. Buhari at Defence House, Abuja. On cooperation, Yayi said there was need for the two countries to strengthen their ties as they share common culture. He said: “Benin is the 37th state of Nigeria and Nigeria is the 7th department of Benin. Fifty-five per cent of the population of Benin comes from…
The National Association of Ngas Students on Thursday demanded for a national pardon for late J. D. Gomwalk, a former Military Governor of the defunct Benue-Plateau State. Ann Suwa, NANGS President, who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Pankshin, Plateau, urged the Federal Government to consider state pardon for the late military governor. Mr. Gomwalk was governor of Benue-Plateau between 1967 and 1976 and was allegedly involved in the Dimka coup of July 1976 which led to the death of then Head of State, Murtala Mohammed. “When you look at his legacies,…
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, has said Thursday’s fire incident at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, did not affect sensitive documents nor offices in the building. She noted that the fire only affected the electrical cable channels. “The offices and documents are intact”, Mrs. Onwuliri said. “The fire service chief has assured that everybody is safe”. It would be recalled that the fire started at about 1.40pm and affected the 3rd to 6th floor of phase three of the secretariat, which houses the Federal Ministry of Education. At the time of the incident, the Minister of Education,…
A suspected drug trafficker, who was arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has narrated how he ended up attempting to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria from Brazil. The suspect, Celestine Okonkwo, who was returning from Sao Paulo, was apprehended at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after he tested positive to cocaine ingestion. He later excreted 70 wraps of the cocaine weighing 1.326 kilogramme, Hamisu Lawan, the NDLEA commander at the airport, told journalists. Mr. Okonkwo told investigators that he sold used clothes at Idumota market, in Lagos, before he was lured abroad with a promise of better…
The Catholic Archbishop of Jos, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, on Friday donated items worth over N11 million to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) affected by the recent unrest in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau. The donation was made through the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) of the archdiocese and supported by Christian Aid and START FUND Network. Kaigama said the gesture was part of his humanitarian service, and that of all Catholics in the Archdiocese of Jos. He said the gesture was a show of love, concern and to also identify with the IDPs. “The condition of these IDPs…
Online reports say that veteran Nollywood screen goddess, Genevieve Nnaji is currently blowing off steam in a luxurious Mexican hotel where she pays a total of N149, 100 per night. Known as Banyan Tree Mayakoba, the 5-star rated hospitality outfit is situated in Carretera Federal Chetumal-Puerto Juárez by Riviera Maya in Mexico. It is unsure how long the Nigerian actress would be spending in Mexico but it is been rumored that she would be spending few days in the resort with her close buddies. The Banyan Tree Mayakoba is a premium hotel resort in the Riviera Maya resort district, which…