Edo poll: APGA disowns members over defection .

   The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance on Thursday distanced itself from its Publicity Secretary, Chief Paul Okolie, and Organising Secretary, Chidi Eze, as defectors from the party, ahead of the September 28 governorship election.

Postponement of Edo poll, a plot to rig for APC – PDP blasts DSS, Police.

   The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has decried the call by the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Nigerian Police for the postponement of Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Edo state, calling it “shocking, bizarre and confusing”.

   A statement by its spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said the party was “taken

Avoid the Jonathan error, Sanusi warns Buhari.

  The Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi II has warned that the current Buhari-led administration may end like the Jonathan administration if it fails to retrace its footsteps.

Sanusi, who was the chairman, Special Session at the 15th Joint Planning Board and National Council on Development Planning, said if the Federal Government toed the way of the last administration, it would end up like it.

PDP holds convention, extends Makarfi committee’s tenure

   The People Democratic Party has extended the tenure of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee of the party by one year.

Delegates of the party, who gathered at the Rivers State PDP Secretariat on Wednesday, took the decision as a result of the seal-off of the Sharks

I did not seal off PDP convention venue – Rivers CP.

   ‎The Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr. Francis Odesanya, has said that he did not seal off the convention venue of the Peoples Democratic Party, but was only providing security.

It’s stupid linking peaceful Jonathan to Avengers – Ex-president’s kinsmen.

   Youths from former President Goodluck Jonathan’s local government area of Ogbia in Bayelsa State has warned against linking Jonathan to the militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, adding that it was unthinkable for the former President to contemplate violence against anybody.

Obaseki’ll win Edo gov election — monarchs.

   Traditional rulers in the six Local Government Areas in Edo North Senatorial District, Edo State, have endorsed the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Godwin Obaseki.

The monarchs also made donations to Obaseki’s campaign and assured him of a landslide victory in the senatorial district come September 10, a statement said on Monday.

   Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers, the Otaru of Auchi, Alhaji Aliru Momoh (Ikelebe III), said they decided to support Obaseki having adjudged the performance of Governor Adams Oshiomhole as outstanding.

He said, “This meeting is under the auspices of Edo North traditional rulers. The reason for it is that we have had one of our sons, who has transformed Edo State in various aspects of human life. From Edo Central, South and North, there has been a transformation of unsurpassed dimensions.

“So, we want to demonstrate in no small sense that the whole of Edo North traditional rulers are behind him (Oshiomhole) and the candidate that he is presenting for this governorship election in Edo State.”

The Okuokpelagbe of Okpella, Yesufu Dirisu, said Oshiomele was invaluable to him and other tradional rulers, adding that they would work towards the success of his preferred candidate.

   In response, Oshiomhole thanked the monarchs for their gesture and urged them to mobilise people to elect Obaseki.

   Expressing his gratitude to the royal fathers, Obaseki said, “If I say that I am not truly humbled by what I have seen here today, I am not telling the truth. I feel truly humbled, but more importantly, I feel immensely challenged because what is happening here today is that someone is asking your royal highnesses to trust me.”

   Meanwhile, the Edo State Government has offered N10m and other relief materials worth millions of naira to the people of Bekuma in Akoko Edo Local Government Area, who were affected in an attack on them by some youths from a neighbouring community on March 30.

   A statement by the Chief Press Secretary  to the state Governor, Peter Okhiria, on Monday, said the N10m cash and 150 bundles of roofing sheets was presented to the Oba of Bekuma, Oba Moses Alabi at the palace of the Otaru of Igarra, Oba Emmanuel Adeche Saiki II, on Sunday.

Imo PDP holds parallel congresses in Owerri.

  

 Two factions of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo held two separate state congresses on Monday in Owerri.

The faction led by Sen. Hope Uzodinma (Imo West Senatorial District) held their congress at PDP Secretariat, Okigwe Road, Owerri.

The other led by a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and former Gov. Achike Udenwa held their’s at Kanu Nwankwo indoor Events Centre Owerri.

PDP Crisis: I will help resolve PDP crisis – Jonathan

   Immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan, has assured the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, faithful of his intervention in resolving the leadership crisis rocking the party.

The former president made the promise yesterday in Abuja when the zonal representatives of the PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, led by its Chairman, Sen.Walid Jubril, paid him a courtesy visit in his residence.

He said ‎the party must rise to the occasion of providing Nigerians with a vibrant opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

   In his words, “Unfortunately we have challenges, but I think you should not be discouraged. Challenges are part of life, it comes up in homes, religious places what is important is our ability to resolve them.

“This should not be beyond us, but I believe that collectively, we can resolve it.

   “Any sincere PDP member should know that PDP is superior to any individual, and that members have sacrificed their interests for the party. Even the nation expects a more vibrant opposition. “I have been talking to individuals but not in a way that is exposed to media but I believe I should do more.’’

      He added that it was “unfortunate that the Nigerian environment is such that have conflicting court judgements.’’ 

Sheriff vs Makarfi: BoT seeks Jonathan’s help to end crises.

    The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, BoT, has met with the former President, Goodluck Jonathan in a move to end the lingering leadership crises currently rocking the party.

   This is said to be the first meeting Jonathan has had with the leadership of the party led by the BoT, Chairman, Sen. Walid Jibrin since he lost the 2015 presidential election, Punch reports.

    The meeting which was held at the residence of the former President in Maitama District, Abuja was tailored towards seeking the intervention of Jonathan in bringing the crisis between Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff and Sen. Ahmed Makarfi factions to an end.

You are a bastard Igbo, leave Ekweremadu alone – Archbishop Chukwuma blasts Okorocha.

   The Archbishop of the Enugu Province, Anglican Communion, the Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, on Thursday, blasted Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha over his persistent attacks on the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

Okorocha, who is the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Governors’ Forum, has vowed to remove Ekweremadu and replace him with the Senator elect from Imo State.

Speaking when members of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, visited him at the Archbishop’s place in Enugu, the cleric maintained that Okorocha was pursuing anti-Igbo agenda.

The students, who were in their hundreds, took over Enugu streets protesting the plan by the APC to remove Ekweremadu. From the Archbishop’s place, the moved to the Enugu Government House, where they were received by the commissioner for youth and sports, Charles

While addressing them, Chukwuma declared: “We are saying that the Governor of Imo State should apologize to Ekweremadu because he has no right to be harassing him‎.

“The person who is going to the Senate under the APC is coming just for the first term; whether you like it or not, he must come and pay homage to Ekweremadu.

“How can you as a Governor who is just sponsoring one person, for the first time be threatening that you will remove Ekweremadu? It is not possible.

“What I am saying is that Okorocha should apologize and he should know that he is either an Igbo man or a bastard Igbo.

“He is a bastard Igbo if he does not apologize and we are ready to disown him because he is not in the same page with us as an Igbo man. If he was sent by agents from outside, they have failed.”

The Archbishop, who equally accused the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami of derailing the country’s democracy, urged him to throw-in the towel.

According to him, “Ekweremadu’s election as the Deputy Senate President was absolutely constitutional; he was elected by the entire Senate made up of members of different political parties.

“So, if the Senate does not complain, I don’t know why the Attorney General should be behind this course. I am calling for his resignation; he must resign because he is the cause of all these problems. His continuous stay in office is a threat to democracy”.

He further stated that “any attempt to ridicule or rubbish Ekweremadu will not be acceptable. It will be totally resisted. The principle of separation of powers should be allowed to drive the process of governance.”

The Church leader faulted President Muhammadu Buhari over his insistence that the unity of the country was not negotiable, stressing “when you are marginalizing a certain people, it is not fair and in such situation, the unity of the country is negotiable.”

At the Enugu Government House, the Commissioner for youths and sports, Mr. Charles Ndukwe, who received the students, stated that Senator Ekweremadu had maintained his innocence of the allegations.

“Ekweremadu has said it on several occasions that he is innocent of the allegations. We shall continue to support him because he is not just a Senator but a philanthropist”, he said.

Okonjo-Iweala begged me not to say Nigeria was broke –Amaechi.

   The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said a former Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, pleaded with him not to tell Nigerians that the country was broke.

Amaechi, who said the country went into recession under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, added that the previous administration covered up with the excuse that the country was cash-strapped.

An online medium, The Cable, reported that Amaechi said this on the Osasu Show on Tuesday.

   According to the report, Amaechi alleged that Okonjo-Iweala, begged him to stop saying Nigeria was broke in order not to drive away investors from the country.

Amaechi, who was the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum at the time, explained that the economy went into a recession due to excessive borrowing.

He said, “People just pick up words without knowing what they mean. Even under Goodluck (Jonathan) we went into recession.

“I am one of those who participated in the budget. We looked at what happened in the past and we discovered that actually if recession means three times (three quarters of negative economic growth), we have done more than the three times before we came in.

“The difference is that while our government is transparent and open, we are able to admit that, the Federal Government was saying even to me as chairman of governor’s forum, ‘Amaechi, don’t say that again’.

“If you remember as governor, I said we were broke. The minister of finance came to my office in Abuja and pleaded with me that I shouldn’t say it again. That if I said it, it would affect Nigeria in terms of investment; that investors will run away. That I shouldn’t say we are broke. I should say we are cash-strapped. That was what Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told me.

“So, I knew as chairman of Nigeria Governors’ forum, that we had gone into recession under Goodluck. I knew as chairman of governor’s forum. And when I open my mouth to say it, that we are broke, she spoke to me not to say it.”

Budget padding: APC moves to save Dogara, meets Speaker, Jubrin.

   The All Progressives Congress has intervened in the crisis rocking the House of Representatives over alleged padding of the 2016 budget.

The APC was said to have made the move to prevent the party from being “brought to dishonour.”

The APC National Working Committee, at the party’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, separately met with the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara; and a former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jubrin.

   It was gathered that the meetings were aimed at addressing the crisis and preventing the removal of Dogara.

A leader of the party, who confided in some news men, said, “We are making

Mastermind of deceptive planned overthrow of Buhari arrested.

   The Department of State Services has arrested one Jones Abari, aka Gen. Akotebe Darikoro, for the alleged mastermind of a hoaxed plan to overthrow President Muhammad Buhari by the military.

A statement issued by an official of the service, Mr Tony Opuiyo, in Abuja on Saturday said Abari was arrested in Yenagoa on July 21.

   Opuiyo described the suspect as the leader of the Joint Revolutionary Council of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force.

He said that Abari had confessed to other criminal activities which included a threat to launch missile attacks on selected targets in Abuja and Aso Rock.

   Others include writing threat messages to the management of the Nigeria Agip Oil Company and the Shell Petroleum Development Company demanding for N500m and N250m respectively.

He said that the suspect also masterminded the vandalism of NAOC trunk line in Ogboinbiri, Southern Ijaw and bombing of SPDC oil pipeline.

   In another development, the DSS said it had arrested a suspected terrorist, Bulama Ramat, at the Jabi Motor Park, FCT, on July 21.

He said that prior to his arrest, Ramat was planning to attack the Federal Capital Territory and its environs in collaboration with other elements of an extremist cell of the Boko Haram group.

  Opuiyo said that the service also made other arrests within the month of July in Enugu, Ondo, Jos, Kaduna, Yenagoa, Port Harcourt and Kano states.

The service urged all citizens and residents to remain vigilant and report all suspicious persons, parcels or vehicles to the nearest security formation.

“Members of the public are further called upon to see our societal and individual safety as our collective responsibility,” he said.

He advised the public to support security and law enforcement agencies with critical information that would assist in providing a safe environment for all to carry out their legitimate businesses.

Kogi re-run commences peacefully.

   Polling in Saturday’s legislative re-run election in Kogi began at about 8.05am in parts of the areas of the state involved in the exercise.

The exercise is being conducted in Kogi East Senatorial District, where the senatorial seat at the National Assembly and two House of Assembly seats are at stake.

The state constituency seats in contest are for Ofu and Idah, both in Kogi East.

   The electoral officers and materials for the election arrived at the polling units in time, prompting simultaneous accreditation and voting to commence as early as 8.05am.

Voters turn out was impressive, especially with adequate security provided by the agencies.

   Policemen were present in the polling units visited in the local government areas involved, including Ankpa, where the exercise is holding in 11 Wards, Idah and Ofu.

The Local Government Returning Officer in Ankpa, Mr Jafar Bawa, said there were enough materials for all the polling units.

   A Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr Folisho Adebanjo, leading the security team for the election was seen in the area, making sure that the exercise was orderly and peaceful.

He expressed satisfaction with INEC’s preparation and prompt commencement of polling, and the orderly conduct of voters.

Ribadu finally joins APC.

Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has finally pitched his tent with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ribadu declared that he took the decision as “as a loyal party man.”

According to him, “Today I heeded the calls on me to return to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a party of which I was a founding member,” he said in a statement.

“I re-registered as a member of the APC last night through the party’s online portal. After that, the leadership of the party in my Bako ward of Yola South Local Government Area visited me in my Yola residence to welcome me back to their fold.

“This afternoon, I visited the Yola South secretariat of the party to present myself and submit to the leadership as a loyal party man. My decision to return to the APC was triggered by my belief that all politics are local.

“Almost everyone around me, and with whom we started my political journey believed the time had come for us to make sacrifices and make concessions. That is in addition to the unbelievable love that my friends in the APC have showered on me in the past months.

“They demonstrated in words and action that they wanted me back home. The intractable crises in the PDP also made it impossible for one to contribute to the necessary task of building a viable opposition platform for our country.

“I also did a deep and long reassessment of the circumstances that warranted my exit from the APC in the first place. I left the APC in 2014 owing to fundamental disagreements with the ways the chapter of the party in my state was run after it fell into some hands.

“Some colleagues and I tried hard to reposition the fold and save the then APC administration from an orchestrated impeachment plot. We didn’t succeed.

“Events in the last 15 months have addressed many of the issues and healed some of the wounds. More so, with the genuine and sincere invitations I received since last year to retrace my steps into the party, I decided to return after consulting family and political associates at all levels.

“I would like to appreciate all those members of the party who privately and publicly prodded me to return to the party. My appreciation also goes to the leadership of our party, from my ward in Bako to the national leadership, for the enthusiasm they showed in having me back”, he added.

Family asks Buhari to investigate Marshall Harry’s death.

   

   Following reports that the Federal Government has ordered the re-opening of investigations into the murder of Bola Ige and Aminasoari Dikibo, the family of late Chief Marshall Harry wants it extended to his death.

Mr Sonny Marshall-Harry, the oldest son of the slain politician, made the appeal on Saturday in Port Harcourt.

Marshal Sokari Harrying was murdered in his bedroom on March 6, 2003, in Abuja.

He expressed doubt that President Muhammadu Buhari had given order to probe the killing of Chiefs Bola Ige and Aminasoari Dikibo without including his late father.

He said that he was confident that his father’s case would be included anytime Buhari decided to probe political killings in the country.

   The media had reported that Buhari had ordered the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Idris Ibrahim, to re-open investigations into the killing of Ige and Dikibo.

“In my view and that of my younger brother, Inye Harry, that headline may have been manufactured by the media.

“The Buhari we know will include our late father’s case if truly he was the one that gave that order.

“We say this because we have everyday relationship, physical or through phone calls, with the president,’’ he said.

   According to Marshall-Harry, his late father was one of the first few Nigerians to talk Buhari into his presidential race in 2003 and he worked tirelessly for him.

“He was eventually murdered in his bedroom while dreaming of Buhari presidency.

“In fact, when the assassins killed him, their last words were, “Buhari to be president na for mouth”, meaning that for Buhari to be president could only be said.

“Do not forget, the murder took place before one of my younger sisters, who narrated to us what happened in the room that night,’’ he said.

“It is a well calculated campaign by a small insignificant portion of the media to provoke the family and ultimately put us on a collision course with the president.

“This is a drama, and as a family, we collectively forbid it as we wish Buhari the best of luck in his genuine quest to rebuild Nigeria,’’ he said.

The family of the former Vice-Chairman, South-South of the defunct All Nigerian People Party (ANPP), said they were hopeful that the president would revisit the case.

No peace in PDP unless Makarfi resigns, Sheriff vows.

   Factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, has said that he will not relinquish his claim to the leadership of the party. He spoke in Abuja on Monday when he hosted a delegation of the party from Abia State.

Rather, he said his rival, who is the Chairman of the party’s National Caretaker Committee, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, must resign before peace would return to the troubled party.

He said it was true that a meeting was held in Abuja last week Tuesday on how to bring all warring factions in the party together.

   Unfortunately, he said the meeting could not agree with the most important aspect of his conditions.

Apart from the resignation of Makarfi, Sheriff said that he (sheriff) must be allowed to ‎nominate the chairman and 10 others into the new convention committee.

He said he was ready to accept another 10 members for the committee from the Makarfi group.

The former governor said these were the demands he made at a meeting held with leaders of the party, including Markafi last Tuesday at the Taraba State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja.

   Senator Buruji Kashamu, who represents Ogun East in the Senate, confirmed that the meeting was held in a statement.

Buruji listed those at the meeting to include the Deputy President of the Senate, Sen.  Ike Ekweremadu; Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and  the Minority Leader of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio.

   Others, he said, were the  Deputy Minority Whip of the Senate, Sen. Biodun Olujinmi; Sen. Suleiman Adokwe from Nassarawa State; Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Sen. Walid Jubrin; House Minority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor; former Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ibrahim Mantu and himself.

Sheriff also said  that he told those at the meeting that the proposed national convention should not hold in Port Harcourt, but in Abuja.

   He said these were the conditions he said should be met before he would speak to members of his National Working Committee.

These members, he added, would be persuaded to resign and present themselves again for election and if they so wish, give-up their offices in the interest of the party.

According to sheriff, “People are very interested in our party and how the impasse will be settled, before  the Port Harcourt convention was aborted by a court order.

Why Jonathan gave me over N100m through Dasuki – Doyin Okupe.

   A former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has confirmed that he received N100m from ex-National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

The former presidential aide in a Facebook post on Sunday spoke on his arrest and interrogation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

   Okupe said, “The initial N50m was approved by the President to be paid to me from his security vote. N10m was to furnish my rented living apartment and another N10m for my office. The balance N30m was approved as take-off grant.

“The N10m I received from the ONSA monthly was to run my office, pay salaries of staff, including overheads, pay expenses for our numerous press conferences, pay for publications in newspapers, magazines, local and foreign, television programmes, bulletins, and media consultants who assist and facilitate our work. I had about 23 staff, 11 were graduates out of which five were master’s degree holders.

“The second N50m was approved again by Mr. President when I reported to him that the monthly allowance had been cut from N10m to N5m and that I was no longer in position to keep running a one-hour NTA network programme called INSIGHT which was aired 9-10am every Friday.

“We paid NTA about N1.2m monthly for airtime. Two presenters were paid N600,000 monthly. We paid for tapes and editing per programme. Besides we also pay honorarium for guests either directly or in form of hotel bills for those outside Abuja, or transportation.

“This cost averagely N500,000 weekly or about N2m monthly. All in all we spend about N4m monthly on the programme. Mr. President promised to help with the expenses. About a few months later when we had incurred some debts the NSA sent me this N50m which was to cover the cost of the programme for 12 months.”

Okupe also reacted to a N76.5m contract he got from a local council in Niger State.

He explained that his company, Romix soilfix, was one of the over 20 construction companies who were duly awarded contracts for rural roads some five years ago by the State.

“The job is still ongoing. The relationship of this to my service as senior special assistant to President is still not clear,” Okupe said.

Okupe further confirmed that he suffered a heart problem.

“I was born with sinus bradycadia, a non-disease based slowness of the heart. It precluded me from vigorous exercise from childhood but I have by God’s grace been able to live a normal and active life.

“With age, the slowness grew worse and life threatening. I sought medical help and went through a procedure at the Arrhythmia Cardiac Research Centre in Atlanta, where this defect was corrected. It was just a year ago and I am still under satellite monitor from the USA. This is what I revealed to the EFCC and they made it a public issue.”

Beat my wife and see what I’ll do – Tinubu dares Dino Melaye.

   A former Governor of Lagos State and a National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has vowed to deal with Senator Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi West) if he dared beat his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (APC-Lagos Central).

Melaye had on Tuesday reportedly vowed to beat Senator Tinubu during a closed-door session of the Senate over the forgery case against Principal Officers of the Senate.

   Tinubu had expressed disapproval of the tactics suggested by Dino Melaye, who