The claim by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration that it has transformed the country’s railway sector is fraudulent and bogus, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organization has said. The campaign organization, Thursday, said President Jonathan had often repeated, while campaigning for re-election that he resuscitated the country’s railways, which he says had been moribund for over 20 years, a claim that it said was a hoax. “The Director General of his campaign, Senator Ahmadu Ali, even stretches this moribund hyperbole to 35 years”, the campaign’s media and publicity director, Malam Garba Shehu said, adding that “on the campaign trail, the…
Author: Wale Adebayo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said on Thursday that more facts have emerged on the alleged connivance of some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to deny non-indigenes in APC-controlled states of their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the February 14 general elections. In a statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, the ruling party described the development as a crime against the electoral process, adding that it has received overwhelming evidence from citizens in APC states following its earlier alarm that non-indigenes, who form the bulk…
The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has described as manipulative, the ‘fake’ audio clip released by SaharaReporters purportedly exposing how the plan to rig the June 21 governorship election in the state was hatched. Gov. Fayose, who won the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in all the 16 local government areas of Ekiti State, said he never held any meeting with anyone to rig the election, suggesting that his voice and those of others could have been faked using technology. New York-based SaharaReporters had on Thursday published a report, in which it claimed to…
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has said in spite of the decision of the National Council of State on Thursday that the 2015 general elections must go on as scheduled, proponents of election postponement have not relented on their agenda to stop the polls. The opposition party in a statement in Abuja on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said, however, that those it called “the desperadoes”, would always fail in their “evil machinations”. It noted that “no power is strong enough to defeat a determined people”. The party cited the “provocative” call by the Chief Edwin…
Christians and Muslims, particularly non-indigenes residing in Katsina State, have been assured of adequate security before, during and after the general elections. Governor Ibrahim Shema gave the assurance yesterday in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Press Affairs, Abdulhamid Danjuma and issued to journalists in Katsina on Thursday. The assurance is coming on the heels of rising political tension between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. Katsina was one of the states that witnessed post-election violence in 2011 when many people were reportedly killed and property worth millions of Naira destroyed in Daura, Malumfashi, Funtua,…
PHOTO: NPF WEBESITE With about eight days to the commencement of the 2015 general elections, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Suleiman Abba, has ordered all Zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police to ensure adequate and tight security in their jurisdictions, to ensure violence-free polls. The IG specifically ordered that all Government buildings and critical infrastructure across the country be adequately protected. The police boss in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu in Abuja on Thursday, re-affirmed that the Force would deal decisively with all persons planning any form of election violence at…
Over 700 Internally Displaced Persons in New Kuchingoro, Abuja, camp have kicked against their alleged neglect by the Federal Government, lamenting that they now rely on charity from churches and individuals to survive. Most of the camp residents were displaced from Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State in January 2014, when the town was overrun by members of the Boko Haram sect. Spokesperson for the IDPs, Mr Philemon Emmanuel, an indigene of Gwoza, made the allegation during a donation of seven cows, over 200 bags of rice, grains and unspecified bags of clothes to them on Thursday by the…
Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have confiscated 19.8 kilogrammes of dried weeds, confirmed to be cannabis sativa (Indian hemp), from two friends, Sandra Ebere (30) and Maureen Obidike (33). It was learnt that the duo were arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos State, during the screening of outbound passengers on an Etihad flight en route to Dubai, United Arab Emirate. The weeds were found neatly packaged into about 80 parcels and concealed inside foodstuffs and bottles. According to PUNCH METRO, one of the suspects, Ebere, who studied Economics, told investigators that her travel agent…
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has fixed separate meetings with chairmen and secretaries of all registered political parties, and Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, for Saturday to decide whether to go ahead with the general elections slated for February 14 and 28. A statement issued by Kayode Idowu, the spokesman for the INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, on Friday, said after the meetings, “the Commission will address a press conference to brief the nation on its decision with regard to whether or not the general elections will hold as currently scheduled”. The INEC chairman had on Thursday briefed the National Council…
Canadian rapper, Drake has a hot new girlfriend in his house and its not even his label mate, Nicki Minaj whom they have both shared some sort of chemistry together. The rapper is hooked up with beautiful model, Iesha Marie. The couple’s little secret spilled after the girl’s bathroom selfie landed on Instagram this week. Funny enough she was in the same bathroom as the one in Drake’s house. How do we know? Drake had also taken a selfie in that same bathroom. MediaTakeOut reveals that Iesha Marie has links with Chris Brown, Future, Trey Songz and The Dream……
Jumia has rolled out their official Apple store online, becoming the first online retailer to be authorized by Apple to sell their products. Now that Jumia.com.ng sells official Apple products, they are anticipating even more enthusiasm and excitement from their collective 4 million followers on social media than ever before. Macbooks, iPhones, iPads, and more are now just clicks away with the convenience and ease that only online shopping can offer. The collaboration between Jumia and Apple also signifies the quality and authenticity of products available on the site. The retail giant expects that the official authorization will alleviate shoppers’ fears of purchasing…
Founder of the ex-Niger Delta Militants Revolutionary Front, General John Bosco Caterpillar, has declared that Nigeria will be forced to disintegrate if the current wave of violence meted to the nation’s minorities are not checked. Caterpillar, who spoke with newsmen, condemned the attack on minorities resident in the northern part of the country, whose businesses and livelihood have been cut short due to the incessant violence and bomb blasts. He described the recent wave of attacks by the northern extremists as a plan to destabilise the government of President Goodluck Jonathan. However, the former militant said that the Niger Delta…
A total of 300 applications have been received by the country from foreign journalists who wish to secure visa and come to cover the forthcoming general election, a development that shows how interested the world is, in Nigeria’s forthcoming elections. To this end, the Federal Government, Thursday, described as false, media reports claiming that it was denying accreditation to foreign journalists to come into the country for the coverage of the election. In line with the mandate of the Federal Ministry of Information to create media access to report on the activities of the Federal Government, the government confirmed it…
Counsel representing a Coalition of Northern Civil Society Organisations at the International Criminal Court of Justice (ICC), Professor Goran Sluiter, on Thursday, filed supplementary evidence against the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari, over his alleged role in 2011 post-election violence. Sluiter, who spoke on live telephone from Hague, headquarters of the court, during a news conference in Abuja, said the full version of the case of over 66 pages with the supplementary evidence, including video clips, were submitted to the prosecutor at about 3.00p.m on Thursday. Secretary General, Documentation and Research, Northern Coalition for Democracy…
Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, on Thursday, disclosed that he had 60 reasons not to vote for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan. However, he did not list the reasons, but he said he would not encourage anyone to vote for the continuation of Jonathan’s administration, which he concluded had failed the tenets of leadership. Soyinka spoke in Lagos, at the 2015 edition of the annual Vision of the Child (VOTC) programme which commenced in 2012, with this year’s edition themed: “The Road to Sambisa.”. “I will not vote and I will not encourage anyone to vote for the continuation…
Former Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and now an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Abubakar Baraje, says more PDP governors will defect to the APC before the presidential polls. Baraje said this in Ilorin, during his 64th birthday anniversary. He stressed that the outcome of the presidential election in Nigeria must be masses-friendly to boost the nation’s growing democracy. The Nigerian masses truly deserve a change, he said, blaming PDP for misruling the country. Nevertheless, the APC will accept in good faith, the outcome of the polls “if it is free, fair and credible.” “Even if we…
A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has, therefore, fixed February 10, to commence contempt of court proceedings against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, after he was charged with refusal to execute a court judgment. The court had, on October 31, 2014, delivered a judgment, ordering INEC to restore forthwith, Ughelli South 1 and Isoko North 1 constituencies, which were, in 1998, kept from public knowledge by the electoral umpire. INEC, however, filed for a stay of execution against the judgment in the same court. While dismissing the application on February…
The National Council of State on Thursday reaffirmed the sole power of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to maintain or amend the election timetable. The council therefore refused to pressurise the INEC to shift the election dates despite calls from several quarters for the postponement of the polls. The meeting, which was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, lasted about seven hours. The council, at the end of the meeting, resolved that INEC should consider its advice and take necessary steps on the conduct of the election. Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, who…
A political interest organization, Credible Alternative Alliance (CAA) led by former Kaduna state Governor, Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is tilting the distribution of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) to favour areas believed to be strongholds of All Progressives Congress’ candidate, General Muhammed Buhari. The group backed its claim with a statistical analysis of the distribution of PVCs, which showed the number of registered voters yet to collect their PVCs in various zones. In the South-East has 3,287,530 people have collected PVCs, while in the South West, 7,411,205 people have been given theirs.…
Chadian troops are in Nigeria and are already helping the country reclaim territories lost to Boko Haram. But another neighbour, Niger Republic will send troops to the country, as part of the multi-national battle against the terrorists, after scores of people were killed in a fresh onslaught by the Islamist fighters in a key border town. Intervention from Niger would open a new northern front in the increasingly regional fight against the Islamist insurgents who killed over a hundred people, including 19 soldiers, on Wednesday in a rampage in the Cameroonian town of Fotokol on Nigeria’s border. “They (Boko Haram)…