Message To Jambites

Hello everyone. This started as a rumour and it sent shocks into the hearts of a lot of university aspiring students. I would love if this message is spread across and everyone gets to know of it. According to news reaching us from inside reports, Jamb has suddenly come up with a new eligibility regulation whereby students that scored 200marks & above in 5 Nig top universities are being posted to other universities (mostly private universities). The affected universities include Unilag, OAU, Unilorin, Uniben and a yet to be confirmed institution.Though the Federal Government set the new Jamb score at 180, unfortunately, applicants to these affected universites who scored 200 and above may not write the post utme exam not to talk if being admitted.According to highly reliable sources, Jamb has shortlisted 9,937students (out of over 30,000 applicants) for Unilag PostUtme & 18,324 students Unilorin by using different cut off marks like 220,240,250& 255 for diferent courses & catchment area. This is a very illegal move which MUST be fought against.So for those who opt for these universities in their utme, hurriedly go to your school portal to see things for yourself. A friend of mine just checked hers and discovered she has been changed to an unknown institution. This is no longer a rumour. Thousands of students who passed their UTME examination & applied for these universities will be denied admission. This is a move against the poor who cannot afford expensive private universities. How can someone opt for his/her preferred choice then you deny him the chance to write the exam? We are the most at risk. This is illegal. SAY NO TO CORRUPTION! SAVE NIGERIAN STUDENTS!For unilag students, you can check your eligibility status by following these steps:1): Go to Unilag website www.unilag.edu.ng2) Go to Prospective Students3) Click on Full Time Undergraduate Admission4) Click on POST-UTME APPLICATION5) Insert your utme registration number, telephone number and email a

How Bukola Saraki saved my life – Oyegun

Chief John Odigie Oyegun, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said he is to grateful to God and Senator Bukola Saraki for saving his life, stating that he could have been hospitalized if not dead. Oyegun paid tribute to the former Kwara state governor during the grand reception to round off the 75th birthday anniversary in Benin, Edo state. While offering thanks to God at St. Paul Catholic Church in Benin, Oyegun narrated how Saraki’s request to fly with him in his chartered plane to Minna saved him from an accident. He stated that he and his convoy were on their way for the campaign rally of David Umaru, who was vying for the Niger East senatorial seat in a bye-election in Niger state when Saraki asked him to join him at Ilorin, but he had told the former governor that he had a large entourage. He further explained to the congregation that in the end, only he and three members of his entourage were able to join Saraki due to the small size of the jet, while others drove through road to Minna. According to him, during the return journey, his official car was involved in a fatal accident, leaving two of his orderlies seriously injured and hospitalised. “God has been so good to me. I thank God for saving me from an accident,” Oyegun said and promised that “as chairman of APC, I will continue to be a Catholic, first and foremost,” he said.

Oyegun: Political John The Baptist Of Our Day – Okorocha

Imo state governor and Chairman of Progressives Governors’ Forum, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has described Chief John Odigie Oyegun as the political ‘John the Baptist’ of our day. Okorocha made this known Friday evening in Benin at the grand reception to round off the 75th Birthday Anniversary of Oyegun the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Okorocha who lauded the achievements of Oyegun when he served as the first executive governor of Edo state, added that, the APC national chairman reminded him of the biblical John the Baptist who was forerunner of the saviour, Jesus Christ, adding that victory for the APC in 2015 general election has been signed and sealed by the grace of God. Earlier at the church service to mark his 75th birthday anniversary which was combined with a thanksgiving service, Oyegun expressed gratitude to God for saving him from untimely death through accident which has left his two orderlies hospitalised. Leading family members and friends to offer thanks to God at St. Paul Catholic Church in Benin, Oyegun narrated how Senator Bukola Saraki’s request to fly with him in his chartered plane to Minna saved him from the accident. He explained that he and his convoy were on their way for a campaign rally for the Niger East senatorial bye-election in Niger state when Saraki asked him to join him at Ilorin, but he had told the former governor that he had a large entourage. He further explained to the congregation that in the end, only he and three members of his entourage were able to join Sen. Saraki due to the small size of the jet, while others drove through road to Minna. According to him, during the return journey, his official car was involved in a fatal accident, leaving two of his orderlies seriously injured and hospitalised. “God has been so good to me. I thank God for saving me from an accident,” Chief Oyegun said and promised that “as chairman of APC, I will continue to be a Catholic, first and foremost,” he said. Speaking later at the reception, host governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state, prayed that APC under the able chairmanship of Oyegun will become the ruling party of Africa’s most populous country, while Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state, thanked Oyegun for standing by him during his election, urging him to repeat the feat at the national level to enable APC achieve victory in 2015. Dignitaries at the church service included Ekiti state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Senator Chris Ngige, Sen. Domingo Obende, Sen. Bukola Saraki, the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and Sen. Francis Okpozo.

I’m ready for fresh impeachment plot – Al-Makura

Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa state on Friday in Abuja said he was not worried over the reported fresh plot by lawmakers to commence impeachment process against him. Al-Makura said this during a visit to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said although the report remained a speculation, it was not a development he was worried about. “That is within the realm of speculation; I don’t want to respond to speculation. But once we get to the bridge, we will cross it,” the governor said. It would be recalled that the lawmakers initiated an impeachment process against the governor in August. However, the move failed when a judicial panel of inquiry quashed the charges of misconduct leveled against the governor. Al-Makura said that he was at the Villa to give the president an update on the security situation in Nasarawa. “You are aware that we have faced certain security challenges in my state, but by God’s grace we are on top of the situation. “I can assure you that things are calming down now; we are on top of the situation now,” he said. The governor said, “already, the government of Nasarawa State has initiated community based resolution mechanism which will bring all stakeholders together to discuss our mutual interest, especially as it affects security. We believe that where you have the participation of all, you find it easy to solve the problem and lessen the burden and responsibility of when to take care of the situation”. He assured the public that offenders who breach peace would be prosecuted after due investigations by relevant security agencies. “Government has already set up a judicial commission of inquiry and the White Paper is already out. “Government has started implementing some aspects of the White Paper, especially the administrative aspect that is within the responsibility of the government. I’m very much aware that the police are intensifying their investigations to bring the offenders to book. “It is the result of that investigation that will facilitate proper prosecution of criminals that will be brought to book. So, you will hear from us very soon as the investigations are concluded,” the governor said. He said the administrative aspect of the matter was being implemented.

INEC clears APC over Osun electoral officers’ sack

THE Independent National Electoral Commission in Osun State has denied the claim that two of its officers were suspended for colluding with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the state’s August 9 governorship election. Its Chief Public Affairs Officer, Mrs. Adenike Tadese, in a statement yesterday, said it was imperative to comment and correct the erroneous impression created by media reports, concerning the suspension of the two officers. The statement reads: “It is pertinent to clarify and also set the record straight that the two electoral officers, Mr. Funsho Tope Fabunmi (Osogbo Local Government) and Mr. Anthony Olusegun Esinoye (Obokun Local Government), were not suspended based on allegedly collusion with the APC to manipulate electoral process in favour of the party in Osogbo and Obokun Local Government Councils. “They were neither culpable of selling ballot papers to the APC nor manipulation of Form EC8C to favour the APC and voiding of PDP votes counted in favour of the APC. Mr. Fabunmi was suspended based on administrative lapses occasioned in the course of discharging his duties. “Mr. Esinoye, Electoral Officer, Obokun Local Government, on August 7th, 2014 was alleged by the people of Obokun Local Government Area of diverting sensitive election materials and was arrested by the police in the area. “A press release was immediately issued to correct the spurious allegation that non-sensitive materials, which were supposed to be deployed alongside with the sensitive materials were erroneously taken to the Registration Area Centre along with materials meant for the setting up of the centre by the Assistant Executive Officer of the Local Government while the Electoral Officer was at the State Office of the Commission in Osogbo for the collection of the sensitive election materials in the presence of security and political party agents. “It was at the point of retrieval of the non-sensitive materials that the residents of the area accosted him and raised alarm that drew the attention of the police. It is important at this point to emphasis that INEC Headquarters did not find the Electoral Officers culpable of working for the APC to rig the election as purported by the PDP. “We strongly believe that the stories in the dailies are part of grand design to cast aspersion on the integrity of INEC. It is our wish to state unequivocally that INEC will always be forthright, transparent and alive to her responsibilities and have zero tolerance for indiscipline and will bring erring officer to book.”

PDP desperate to win in 2015, says Aregbesola

Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola raised the alarm yesterday over plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to use unwholesome means to win elections next year. He urged his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to refocus its strategy to wrest power from the PDP. Aregbesola spoke at the first APC Southwest Assembly in Ibadan the Oyo State capital. The event attracted the cream of the party’s leaders. The governor also gave an insight into how he won the August 9 governorship election. He said the masses, particularly women and school children, were those who defied the alleged intimidation of thousands of mostly masked security operatives who went round the state intimidating voters before and during the election. According to him, women, particularly low cadre women, who are naturally overlooked, and school children, defied gun-wielding security operatives to insist that they would exercise their civic rights and would only vote for the candidate of their choice. Aregbesola said with the masses and support from other APC-controlled states, the PDP, which he said, hid under the power of the Federal Government to militarise and intimidate voters against performing their civic duties or preventing them from voting for their choice candidates, would have won the election. He said: “The PDP is determined to take our states from us. They are ruthless opposition that will do anything to deny our people of their democratic choices. If we understand this early enough, we will see the need to stop them on their track. But if we underrate them, we will record losses. The actual winners, those who defeated the opposition in Osun, were the ordinary men and women, particularly women who refused to be intimidated. They came out even in their most dreadful form. For the first time, security operatives put on masks in broad day light in their thousands on trucks, shooting. But women came out to perform their duty. They sang against them and sent signals to them that they would not tolerate terror. “We must thank and celebrate them. We didn’t prepare them for it but they did it on their own. “Quickly following the women in the determination to exercise their rights were school children who always sang that people should vote for Aregbesola. It was unbelievable. “They deflated the ego of the people that wanted to dominate and terrorise us. Yes, our men worked but the determination of our women and the children including artisans, drivers, was high. Politicians must acknowledge them. “We must let people know that this is what they must do. They must refuse to be cowed, that they should vote and defend their votes. They deserve accolades for the victory of our party in the State of Osun. I will never forget them. Women that one would think wrongly are the least in a struggle like this.” Aregbesola said when President Goodluck Jonathan came to Osun a week before the election to campaign for his party’s candidate, he referred to APC governors as miscreants. The governor wondered if winning elections turns one to a miscreant. But he said even beggars refused to take money from them because they were not acceptable in the state. Aregbesola advised his party men to review their strategy if the party is serious about winning future elections, saying the PDP would stop at nothing to win elections. Our policies and programmes must be geared towards mobilising and educating the people. From the leadership to the lowest level of our party, we must inspire the people. The only ones they cannot defeat are the people. They arrested close to 1,000 of our leaders the night before the election. They even attempted to enter my house at Government House at about 1:30 am on election day. Warning of what is ahead in next year’s election, he said. “The real stake in Osun is ego but in Lagos State, it is going to be for both ego and materials.” The PDP took electoral contest as a war. But It was all well that ended well.” He said. National Vice Chairman of the party in the Southwest, Chief Pius Akinyelure, said the APC was making history by initiating the first zonal assembly. Akinyelure alleged that the PDP was promoting “a retinue of rogue regimes that negate the fundamentals of the egalitarian political heritage of the Southwest democratic space” in the zone. Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi urged the party to leverage on its intellectual base to sustain and improve on the achievements recorded in Southwest states. In its eight-point action, the communique issued at the end of the meeting, said the APC in the zone resolved to re energize the party through alliances, work in line with the fact that leadership is not about taking people to where they want to be but where they ought to be and that the party had demonstrated rare performance in governance that meets global standards in the states under their control. The party also urged its members not to revert to the culture of pedestrian politics where appeal to base and banal instincts is the rule because of slight setback. It also resolved to energise younger people and the masses by embarking on mass mobilisation and sensitisation of the people as done during membership drive. The APC in the zone also resolved to give the 2015 elections “all that is legally necessary, realising that Nigerians are dealing with tricky and devilish people in power” and that it must review its strategy and redouble its efforts since the PDP has turned ruthless and ready to snatch power through a civilian coup. To achieve the above, the party resolved to build a formidable, modern regional secretariat equipped with the latest information technology for swift , smart and decisive response to the challenges of the party. It saluted the exemplary courage of the women in Osun State in standing up to the terror tactics of the PDP. The party reiterated its commitment to regional integration being midwifed by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) commission and urged the leadership of all the states in the zone to be committed to the project. It also reiterated its commitment to true federalism.

Omisore will lose at tribunal– APC

The All Progressives Congress in Osun State has said the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, will face disgrace at the election petition tribunal. The party said the PDP was manufacturing false information in order to discredit the August 9 election which produced Governor Rauf Aregbesola as the winner. The party in a statement issued by its Director of Publicity, Strategy and Research, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, therefore, urged the people of the state not to believe the “lies” being peddled by the PDP, saying the PDP was incapable of telling the truth. The APC said this while reacting to the suspension of two electoral officers by the Independent National Electoral Commission over alleged electoral malpractice. The PDP had said the suspended officials helped in manipulating the outcome of the election in favour of Aregbesola. However, the APC said, “The PDP and its leadership will continue to suffer defeat and disgrace in the state for as long as it continues to propagate deceit and lies about goings-on in the state of the virtuous. “The PDP has again suffered the shame of being exposed as habitual liars in their mean attitude to political engagement in the State of Osun. The PDP’s obsession to weave a structure of lies to support its baseless case at the tribunal has led the opposition party to clutching at straws and fabricating stories to give a semblance of validity to the tissue of lies that are behind its bogus case against Senator Iyiola Omisore’s defeat at the August 9 governorship election. “Cases at election tribunals can only stand on the basis of fact and credible figures, not on fabrication and lies that have become the habit of the PDP. That the current lie of the PDP against the APC and INEC has been exposed is an ominous precursor to the imminent defeat of the party again at the tribunal.” The APC, however, called on INEC to carry out a thorough investigation and prosecute the errant officials. Meanwhile, the Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan, has said the suspension of the INEC officials was a confirmation that the election was rigged to favour the APC. The minister said this in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Wale Akinola. Adesiyan said the party was convinced that the election was rigged in favour of the APC and that was the reason Omisore filed a petition to challenge the election result.

Fashola berates Jonathan over Chibok girls’ parents invitation

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, on Thursday faulted President Goodluck Jonathan, for inviting parents of abducted Chibok schoolgirls to the Presidential Villa for the purpose of sympathising with them.He described the development as lack of empathy, saying Jonathan’s leadership style “has re-defined empathy by inviting the bereaved parents to the presidential villa for commiseration.”Fashola stated this in Abuja while delivering a lecture on ‘The challenge of Democratic Governance’ as part of activities to mark the 50th birthday celebration of a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva. He insisted that Jonathan’s attitude was “Truly strange and Truly unAfrican”He asked, “How does this sound? ‘Hello neighbour, I heard you lost your child to abductors. Please come and see me at home so I can sympathise with you’.“This is my paraphrasing of what has so far transpired. As if this was not bad enough, the event had been followed by another round of lies about whether or not they tried to give money to the bereaved parents. For me, it’s a low point for leadership, it suggests lack of empathy.”According to him, “The first lie when the news of the abduction broke was that all the abducted girls had been retrieved. When that was exposed, the next lie was to raise doubts whether they were truly missing. “When that was not enough, they are now telling us that they know where the children are. We are prayerfully waiting that they will bring the children home.” Fashola, who had earlier canvassed for the active involvement of the elite in politics in order to provide necessary professional skill to drive the nation’s development, said, “Until recently, we all used to think that our national development was inhibited by the fact that we never had a university graduate as leader of any national government in an executive capacity.“This perhaps alludes only faintly to the issue of the elite consensus, but it is not the same. Thankfully, the myth of graduate leadership as desirable as it is, has been exploded now.“We have two graduates (one zoologist and an architect) and I think the majority of Nigerians will tell you today that their lives are worse off than they were four years ago.“So there is more to leadership than a university degree and educational qualification. There is character, vision, courage, empathy, compassion and many more attributes that you simply will not find in a classroom or school. They are in homes, in communities and also in the value system of society.”Fashola therefore encouraged politicians to make politics interesting and worth being participated in by the professional elite.He said, “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is still regrettable that the majority of the members of our political parties and politicians do not yet include the critical elite of our society.“Whether we like it or not, history has shown that the elite of any society, especially its professional cadre, and the very best of them decide the direction of the nation when they come to a consensus about the pathway for their nation, even if they belong to different political parties.Where are all the people who have built things with their hands in our society? Where are the founders of the big banks, businesses, telecoms in our body politic? Are they just content to finance and yet remain unwilling to take the plunge?“Are they willing to identify with the ruling party in Abuja, and the party in Government in their states when they get to their bases for fear of reprisals?” he asked.

INEC begins distribution of PVCs tomorrow •Oyo declares public holiday •REC assures voters of credibility

AS the preparations for the 2015 general elections increases, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the second phase of the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to take place from tomorrow and end on Sunday. According to a statement from the Commission, which was made available to newsmen in Abuja, the three-day exercise would take place in 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The states include Yobe and Bauchi (North East); Jigawa and Sokoto (North West); FCT and Kwara (North Central); Anambra and Ebonyi (South East); Ondo and Oyo (South West); and Delta and Cross River (South South). It stated that the continuous voter registration exercise would follow immediately in the above states from August 20-25. It advised voters to cross-check their names in the displayed voters’ register, while those who registered before but did not see their names in the displayed register are to re-register during the continuous voter registration exercise. It added that the exercise was not for those who wished to transfer to other areas and advised those wishing to transfer to write the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in their new states of domicile, before the election, as no transfer would be approved less than 30 days to the election. It explained that those who had lost their cards or whose cards were damaged “may apply for them to be replaced by writing to the REC through the INEC Electoral Officer of the Local Government Area where they registered for their replacement before the election, saying “no replacement will be approved and no new card will be issued less than 30 days to the election.” Meanwhile, Oyo State Government has declared Friday, August 15 public holiday in the state. This was contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Festus Adedayo in Ibadan, on Wednesday. According to the statement, the public holiday is to allow for massive turn-out of people for the collection of permanent voters’ cards which begins in the state on Friday. Meanwhile, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has urged the people of the state to turn out en masse to obtain the permanent voters’ cards (PVCs) on Friday, and stressed that the cards would give them the opportunity to exercise their civic rights and choose people of their choice to represent them during the 2015 general elections. The governor also enjoined the people not to engage in selling their voters’ cards for whatever reason, as this might deny them the opportunity of choosing the right people to lead them. Also, REC, INEC, Oyo State, Nasir Ayilara has assured members of the public that the commission is ready to maintain its determination of confronting electoral challenges in the country. Ayilara made this known while addressing audience on the state of preparedness of INEC in Oyo State for distribution of permanent voter cards and conduct of continuous voter registration at the conference hall, Federal secretariat, Ibadan, on Wednesday.

Enugu Impeachement: Deputy Governor collapses in court

The embattled Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Sunday Onyebuchi, today slumped in court. It was gathered that Mr. Onyebuchi collapsed while giving evidence before the 7-man panel probing him of allegations of gross misconduct leveled against him by the State House of Assembly. He was immediately rushed out of the court room by his wife, Nneka Ada Onyebuchi, his children and some of his aides present to an undisclosed hospital. Mr. Onyebuchi collapsed three hours five minutes after he began his evidence hearing.

Produce the Chibok girls by October or forget about 2015 – Northern Elders tell President Jonathan

The Northern Elders Forum have said that President Goodluck Jonathan must produce the Chibok girls and end insurgency in the country by a deadline of October 2014 or forget about vying for reelection come 2015. “In the light of our firm conviction that the insurgency and related security challenges pose threats to the 2015 elections and the survival of our nation, we strongly advise President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to bring an end to the insurgency in all its manifestations and produce the Chibok girls before the end of October 2014,” Mr. Solomon Dalung, ex-Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, said at a press briefing in Kaduna on Monday. Dalung said, “The security situation in our nation today represents the most serious threat to our individual and collective lives in our entire history. The reality is that the threats posed by what appears to be an insurgency that has many manifestations and defies a clear and consistent identity is growing due to the absence of a clear national consensus over its nature, and it solutions. “The Northern Elders Forum does not believe that the Nigerian military cannot defeat these terrorists. We also reject the notion that multiple internal security challenges such as attacks on villages, ethno-religions conflicts and banditry springing up by the day in many parts of the North are all a coincidence. “Indeed, we are convinced that most of these conflicts are being engineered to weaken the North politically and economically by interests which intend to exploit such weaknesses for electoral benefits. “It is no secret that the vast majority of Northerners lament their marginalisation, insecurity and poverty, and blame it in large part on the inability of unwillingness of its past and present leaders to utilise all access to power which they enjoy, to bring us redress and relief. “General Yakubu Gowon, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, General Muhammadu Buhari, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, General Abdussalami Abubakar, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Architect Namadi Sambo, General T.Y Danjuma and all retired Chief Justices of Nigeria from the North represent grossly under-utilised assets of the North. The NEF joins millions of Northerners in appealing to these leaders to raise their levels of involvement in the fortunes of our region.”

Ex-gov, Obi, under pressure to defect to PDP

THE former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, is now under pressure to defect from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The pressure is said to have been mounting on him to defect from APGA by the state and the national executive of PDP following the alleged strained relationship between him and his political godson Chief Willie Obiano. In a press release issued and made available to newsmen in Awka, on Monday, one of the APGA foundation members in the state, Jecorb Izunna, called on APGA state executive not to close the door against Obi, considering what he had done to keep the party united. The strained relation between Obiano and Obi, had made many members, who were in sympathy with Obi, to leave the party to PDP and recently four members of APGA in the National Assembly, had defected to PDP. When contacted, Obi’s Media Assistant, Mr Valantine Obienyem, said that Obi would not defect from APGA for any reason, adding that there is no family that do not have problem, that even if there is, it would soon be resolved. He said that pressure on Obi to defect from APGA did not start today, that even late President Umaru Yar’dua, had also tried unsuccessfully to lured him out of APGA to PDP.

’2015 elections won’t divide Nigeria’ – Jonathan promises to continue providing Nigerians with free and fair polls

President Goodluck Jonathan has insisted that despite what naysayers and dooms day prophets have said about the state of the Nation in 2015, the country would not disintegrate. Speaking during the opening of a conference hosted by the Interfaith Initiative For Peace in Abuja, President Jonathan said the opinion of the few on social media could not be more than the majority of Nigerians. The President said Nigeria would not disintegrate as his administration would continue to provide Nigerians with transparent, free and fair elections. He said, “Despite the fact that we have survived the civil war and continue to evolve as one nation with one destiny, we have among ourselves those who continue to define us and put it that we as Nigerians cannot live together. “As the 2015 elections draw near, the doom’s day sayers are out and predicting how Nigeria is going to catch fire next year. In the opinion of some so-called experts, our ethnic and religious differences is bound to boil over. They portray us doomed to fail. “But I can say categorically that Nigeria will not disintegrate, we will not fail. We will surely get over our challenges and become even a stronger nation. “If you spend a lot of time on the Internet, the social media, you will be attempted to think along the same line. In a country of over 170 million people, the opinion of very few is now being elevated above that of over 100 million Nigerians.”

2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS: YOUTHS NEED JOBS, NOT GUNS- GOVERNOR AHMED

Ahead of the 2015 general elections, Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has urged politicians not to use youths as instruments of violence in the pursuit of their political ambitions. Governor Ahmed made the call at the maiden security summit organised by Ilorin Emirate Descendants Union (IEDPU) at the weekend, adding that youths needed jobs and not guns. According to him, “Our youths need jobs and a secured future. What they do not need and therefore do not deserve are guns and machetes whose only outcome is to blight their lives and abridge their future”. On how to ensure security of life and property, Governor Ahmed suggested that all security agencies must form a greater synergy by avoiding needless rivalry: “Only through working together we can surmount the hidden and obvious security threats confronting our country. To us the people, it does not matter who offers the best protection and security. What counts is that our lives are safe and our properties secured, he said. Ahmed charged Nigerians to also remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies through the appropriate channels that offer anonymity and safety. According to him, the most reliable and actionable intelligence comes from neighbourhood where crime is hatched and committed. The Governor stressed that policies and programmes of his administration are borne out of the realisation of the social, economic and security imperative of ensuring that youths are productively engaged to prevent youth restiveness. The National President of IEDPU, Alhaji AbdulHamid Adi, in his address, said the summit was designed to create a roadmap for checking crime and criminalities in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital due to the continuing growth of the city’s population.

OsunDecides: Why I have not made any comment over the result – Omisore

Iyiola Omisore, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the just concluded governorship election in Osun, says he is still consulting with all relevant parties before reacting to the outcome of the election. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared the All Progressives Congress, APC, flag bearer, incumbent Governor Rauf Aregbesola the winner after polling 394,684 votes to defeat Mr. Omisore who polled 292,747 votes to emerge second. Mr. Omisore, on Sunday said that he had to engage in widespread consultation as a committed party man. The PDP flag bearer, who spoke on phone through his spokesperson, Diran Odeyemi, said: “Omisore is not a tin god. He is a committed party man and 24 hours is too short to engage in widespread consultation”. He added: “Consultation is on with our men on the field, meetings are already on and as soon as all these are concluded, we would issue a formal statement on the development.’’ He, however, expressed gratitude to God for the sustained peace before, during and after the election. He also commended the people of the state for coming out to exercise their franchise. Meanwhile, Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said his victory in the election was a call to more improved service delivery to the people. Mr. Aregbesola said this in his first official reaction to the outcome of the governorship election. “On behalf of my party, the All Progressives Congress, we are delighted to claim this hard won victory against all odds. “I salute the courage of the people; I salute your courage, loyalty, your integrity and your desire to nurture our nascent democracy. “The trust reposed in me and the confidence you have in me shall not be taken for granted. “The outcome of this election shows that our people are interested in the growth of democracy. “From now on, every vote must not only be counted, every vote must count,” Mr. Aregbesola said

Adamawa: Ribadu,Other APC Defectors will never get PDP Ticket

Crisi is brewing in the Adamawa state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP as members as currently fighting themselves over whether or not, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, should be allowed into the party as flag bearer for the forthcoming coming gubernatorial election in the state; The Sun reported. Some Chieftains of the PDP have vowed that nobody who recently moved from All Progressives Congress (APC) would be allowed to pick the PDP ticket. One of the PDP chieftains who spoke anonymously said, "As it stands today, Tukur and other chieftains of the party in the state have agreed that we will not allow somebody from APC to come and pick the ticket of our party". "We are aware that Ribadu has been promised the ticket of the party, but we will not allow that to happen. We will do everything to scuttle this plan. Not only that Ribadu will be a hard sell because the electorate will not accept the possibility of being ruled by another retired military or para military officer, PDP in the state cannot, after labouring so hard to keep the party together, accept imposition of an outsider as our candidate". Meanwhile, other PDP Chieftains believe Ribadu should be brought in and handed the ticket if the party must reclaim Adamawa.

OsunDecides: Aregbesola Bruised the Head of Tyranny to Claim Victory- Tinubu

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Governor of Lagos state on Sunday said that Rauf Argebesola bruised the head of tyranny to claim victory in Saturday's governorship election in Osun State; The Nation reported. While congratulating Aregbesola, Tinubu said, "Your victory is the victory of good leadership over a leadership with tyrannical tendencies. You and the people of the state of Osun have sent a clear and unambiguous message to all usurpers and individuals who exploit power to abuse and deny the people their rights" "The lessons from Osun abides. We should never take for granted what we have else the gangsters in power will forcibly take it from us . What happened in Osun was abominable. The massing of the military and over sixty thousand security men to intimidate and harrass a peaceful people is the sign of an unsecure government and party. "It is a pre – condition to manipulate and perpetrate electoral fraud. Under any democracy, there can be no moral or political justification for the security armada against our party leaders and followers in Osun. The implications for our democracy fortels of dire consequences. But the APC and its vast membership nationwide will not sit idly by and allow a band of gangsters determine our future simply because they happen to be in privileged positions. "Osun has demonstrated that it is possible to confront them. On our part, we accept this challenge. Aregbesola runs a government that places primacy on a social welfare philosophy that pursues vigorously the vision of socio – economic empower ment and developmental ethos rooted in the progressive orientation of the Yoruba nation. The people of Osun are lucky to have him as their governor and for a time such as this. "Our Osun victory reignites and marks the next phase of taking Nigeria back. Osun re-energises us to the common good, a commitment to the people and an unbending commitment to ensure Nigeria is governed better,” Tinubu said.

OsunDecides: House of Reps Speaker 'Tambuwal' Congratulates Aregbesola

The Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, on Sunday congratulated Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state on his re-election as governor in Saturday’s poll. Tambuwal, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, also congratulated the electorate in Osun for exercising their democratic rights in a peaceful manner. He said that with the polls over, the onus was now on the political class in the state to rally round the governor to enable him administer the state for the benefit of the citizens. "At the risk of sounding repetitive, let me reiterate what I have always said: That there is time for everything. "There is time for politicking and time for governance. Now that politicking is over in Osun, I urge all stakeholders to tailor their energy towards delivering quality governance to the populace,’’ he said "The enthusiasm shown by the people of Osun in taking their destinies in their hands and determining who should lead them should be applauded. "Nigerians should look forward to future elections with the expectation that their voice, through their votes, would be heard and respected by all," Tambuwal added. He urged Aregbesola to carry all interest groups in the state along “for the peace, unity and stability of the state”.

OsunDecides: Osun Election was Successful- INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Sunday that facts available showed that the Osun Governorship election was better than the Ekiti poll, held on June 21. The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Kayode Idowu, made the statement in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. "From all indications, the election has been successful even from the comments from virtually all the stakeholders - politicians, observers and others. Our own figures also prove that it has been successful. On our arrival time by 8 a.m. yesterday (Saturday), 96.25 per cent of the polling units were opened. That is better than that of Ekiti State, which was 95.6 per cent. "Don’t forget that Osun has 30 local government areas, while Ekiti State has 20 local governments, yet we still surpassed the performance in Ekiti,`` Idowu said. He said other indices showed that there were no challenges with voter accreditation and voting. "Even the announcement of the election result is another indication, which shows the functionality of our process. As at 7. 30 a.m. today (Sunday), the result from all the 30 local government areas were announced, while that of Ekiti was announced at about 9 a.m. the day after the election. So, from all indications, the election was a success,`` he said. Idowu said because no human endeavour was perfect, the commission would continue to fine- tune its operations to improve on the organisation of elections. "INEC is not saying that the Osun election is the highest we can attain; we are still going higher and we believe God that we will do better by 2015. We had our deployment plan and contingency plan, but every election has its complication. What INEC normally does is to deploy based on its plan and we also had contingency plan because you cannot predict the turnout of the people. "You will notice that immediately we observed that there were challenges in some areas, the contingency plan was deployed to make up for those places. "That is part of our operational plan and at the end of the day I don’t think there was any place people were unable to vote due to inadequate ad- hoc staff", he said. Asked if Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had rejected the election result, Idowu said the commission was not aware of such development and added: "We are more concerned about the election procedures". He commended all the stakeholders in the election, especially the members of the National Youth Service Corps, security agencies, observers and political parties. "They have all done extremely well and we hope to build on that",Idowu said.

ADAMAWA: Gulak, Marwa, Girei join race for PDP ticket

The race for the Governor’s seat in Adamawa is gradually heating up as ten aspirants have so far declared interest to run on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform in the forthcoming Adamawa State governorship election. Aspirants who have indicated interest so far include a former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Maj. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.); a former Senator representing Adamawa Central, Abubakar Girei; a former Political Adviser to the President, Ahmed Gulak, and a former minister, Idi Hong. Also, Dr. Umar Ardo, Dr. Ahmed Modibo, Mr. Markus Gundiri and the son of a former PDP National Chairman, Mr. Awual Tukur have also joined in the race. According to reports from Punch, the incumbent Acting Governor, Bala Ngilari is also said to be under pressure from 13 of his colleagues from the state House of Assembly to throw his hat in the ring. A top party source confided in our correspondent that the party would take a lot of factors into consideration in picking a candidate for the election. The source, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press, said, “As you are aware, the PDP has always been the party of choice in Adamawa State. “Whosoever is going to fly our flag must be a loyal party member, who enjoys the confidence of not only the party leadership but also the people. We cannot repeat the mistake we made with Nyako. Party leaders are resolute that this time around, only loyal and tested members will be selected to fly the party flag at all levels.” However, aspirants such as Girei, Gundiri, Hong and Modibo, who hail from the Central Senatorial zone, are asking the party to consider ceding the ticket to the zone because it remains the only zone which has not produced a governor since the creation of the state. Available records indicate that the northern zone has ruled the state thrice while the south has done the same four times. It was also learnt that a PDP leader, who enjoys President Goodluck Jonathan’s confidence, held a meeting with Adamawa PDP stakeholders in his Asokoro residence last Thursday. A source privy to the meeting said, “He told them clearly that the party would not support the candidature of Tukur’s son, neither would it support a candidate whose loyalty has been called to question at any time.”