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Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has urged Nigerians to reject what he Tuesday described as “prison-yard democracy, typified by the ignoble meddlesomeness, rascality and high-handedness of some security agencies against democratic institutions” in Nigeria in recent times. Speaking against the background of Monday’s siege to the Benue State House of Assembly and other perceived violations of the country’s democratic culture including the attacks on the national legislature, the All Progressives Congress, APC governor described the developments as aberrations that go against the fundamental human rights of Nigerians. Tambuwal who became the first APC governor to openly chide recent happenings in the country said: “Nigerians must, in strong terms, say no to prison-yard democracy, where the rights of the citizenry are shackled to the caprices of a few, as if we now run a nation of helpless inmates. If the people of Nigeria are so unfortunate to endure...

A former Deputy Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Ahmed Ibeto, has dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State. The Sun reports that Ibeto is currently undergoing the process of obtaining his PDP membership card from his ward in Magma Local Government Area of the state. Ibeto was the Deputy Governor for eight years to former Governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu. He decamped from PDP during the 2014/2015 general election for the ruling APC after he lost the party’s primary. Details later…

The mother of the remaining abducted Dapchi School girl Mrs. Rebecca Sharibu has told the Founder and General Overseer of the Omega Power Ministries OPM Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere that he is a real man of God. In a media interaction with our correspondent, the mother of Miss Leah Sharibu said words cannot describe how she felt about the concern the Port Harcourt based cleric has shown towards the plight of her daughter and her family since their ordeal began. Miss Leah Sharibu refused to renounce her Christian faith for her release alongside her school mates leading to her continued abduction by the members of the Boko Haram sect. Mrs. Sharibu while pleading for her release, urged Nigerians to continue in their prayers for the release of her daughter stressing that life has never been the same since the abduction. ''We are facing an ugly nightmare which will come to past with the release of our daughter'' she said. Mrs. Sharibu said she has not communicate...

A front line  Federal lawmaker  representing Katsina South senatorial District Sen. Abu Ibrahim has described the Reform APC   breakaway group as 'lacking in focus, direction, principle, purpose or agenda and merely an exercise in futility meant to massage the egos of individuals and group of persons who have lost relevance in the nation's political reckoning and are desperate to regain their lost position by all means fair and foul'. Elaborating further, Sen. Ibrahim who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs and has been unanimously endorsed for another term in the Red Chambers by an overwhelming majority of party leaders, stakeholders , loyalists and teeming supporters in the zone faulted the sweeping allegations leveled by the 'Reform APC' against the APC led Federal Government. He slammed the allegations of the breakaway group as the ranting of disgruntled, self-seeking and self-perpetuating megalomania cal individuals bent on aggre...

RIWAMA Sole Administrator, Bro. Felix Obuah Impressed With Compliance Despite Downpour The Sole Administrator of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Bro. Felix Obuah has applauded residents and those doing business in the State for actively participating in the sanitation exercise held across the State on Saturday, July 28, 2018. Bro. Obuah, shortly after the monitoring exercise in some sections of Port Harcourt, the State capital, applauded the people for defying the heavy downpour which lasted over two hours, to clean their surroundings. The Sole Administrator said the fact that people participated actively in the exercise despite the downpour, showed that Rivers people appreciate healthy environment and urged them to sustain the tempo in future sanitation exercises. “The early comers also did a great job in that we saw a lot of cans and plastic bottles floating from the drains and this is a good time to do this cleaning so that our drain...

The gale of defections in the National Assembly last week was followed by an advice from no one else than Sen. Abu Ibrahim that the Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki as well as the Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara and others in the fold of the All Progressives Congress APC that are still masquerading in the party should resign their membership of the party. This call which also implies that they resign their positions as leaders of the various arms of the National Assembly is yet to be complied with by those concerned as at the time of writing this piece Whatever their reasons for still staying put in the party may be, the fact of the matter is that their continued stay in the party has become a sore which must be extricated from the body.  As I watched through the proceedings of the defections on national television, I wept for the country for producing such leaders that lack morality despite all the party has given them politically which they ordin...

With the gale of defections that enveloped the National Assembly this week, one Nigerian who has been proved right is Sen. Ali Ndume. The Borno born parliamentarian had raised alarm as to the betrayal attitude of the Senate President Sen. Bukola Saraki who is the major sponsor of the so called reformed APC   a whose emergence as a faction of the party was needed by the defectors perfect their plans. As I watched through the proceedings of the defections on national television, I wept for the country for producing such leaders that lack morality. Sen. Ndume a well-respected and accomplished lawmaker had suffered in the hands of the Bukola Saraki led Senate for standing for on the path of truth. Aside being stripped of the Senate leader status, he was also suspended for six months! Has he been proven right by the actions displayed by those that persecuted him? The answer is in the affirmative. Nigerians are gradually knowing and understanding that the present leadership...

  The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has reacted to the mass defections at the National Assembly, describing it as an indication that democracy was now taking shape in the country. According to Wike, the defections from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, showed the direction the country was headed in 2019. The Governor said this on Tuesday during the celebration of 40 years of legal practice of Chief Onueze Okocha, SAN, by Okpo Club of Nigeria (Association of Ikwerre Lawyers Worldwide) and the Inaugural Okpo Club Awards. He said, “Democracy is taking shape in Nigeria. I hope you are aware that the PDP has taken over the Senate. We are also going to take over at the House of Representatives.” Wike said Tuesday 24th of July 2018 was a happy day, adding that all Nigerians must continue to work towards a development oriented government next year.

Senate President Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday blocked an attempt by Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan to stop All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators from dumping the party. Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) and a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Senator Barnabas Gemade, led the defectors. Others are Senators Abdullahi Ibrahim Danbaba (Sokoto South), Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara North), Ubali Shittu (Jigawa North-East), Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara South), Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North), Isa Misau (Bauchi Central), Monsurat Sunmonu (Oyo Central). Senators Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano Central), Suleiman Nazif (Bauchi North), Olanrewaju Tejuosho (Ogun Central) Usman Nafada (Gombe North) and Abdulaziz Nyako (Adamawa Central) were also among. Their defection was contained in a letter Saraki read at plenary. It read: “Dear Senate President, after due consultation with our constituents and stakeholders in our constituencies, in proper recognition of Section 68(1G) of th...

My beloved dad has always told me how funny politics and politicians can be. One moment they are singing reggae and all of a sudden the tone has changed to blues. ”they change in a twinkle of an eye” he always says. As I look into the whole saga that has beclouded the Sen. Bukola Saraki Senate Presidency, I am forced to in some respectable degree, agree with the position of my father. Senator Bukola Saraki had despite the antagonism against his ambition to become the President of the 8 th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria moved ahead with his ambition which was achieved with the opposition PDP working in tandem with some members of the APC to declare him the Senate President. The emergence of Sen. Saraki was not accepted by the APC hierarchy neither did President Muhammadu Buhari find it funny. Instead of settling the matter as a family matter, the Presidency encouraged by hawks within the power base, set in motion modalities to rubbish the Senate President. The ...

One of the observer groups that participated in the last Ekiti governorship elections Nigeria Vote Count campaigners have commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting one of the best elections in recent times. The group however kicked against the resort to vote buying by politicians. The Nigeria Vote Count Campaigners in a press statement signed by its Director of media and Publicity Comrade Nwokoma Messiah said it will be unfair to criticize the electoral body in any way as far as the July 14 th Governorship elections is concerned.  ”INEC”S performance in the last election in Ekiti state is commendable. The logistics was good, materials arrived on time just as accreditation and voting. The fact that there was no news of violence occasioned by the connivance of ad hoc staff and a particular political party goes a long way to show how prepared the electoral body was for the elections” The group also hailed the various security agen...

Senator Ali Ndume is one of the Senators in the present 8 th Assembly that has impressed many Nigerians with the way he has carried out his duties as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His passion for the truth, fearlessness and humaneness are characteristics that cannot be taken away from him. This former leader of the Senate that was dramatically removed from his position as Senate Leader by people who dislike the truth has since his ordeal, moved ahead not minding the fact that the issues he raised that also led to his been suspended for 90 legislative days remain salient in our national life. As a strong supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari who has been severally attacked by hatchet dogs of the Senate President, I and various supporters of Mr. President see Senator Ali Ndume as a motivating factor for our support and admiration of the present leadership of the country that has done so much to tackle the rot that pervaded the country in the almost two decade...

Coalition of observer groups and Civil Society Organaisations that observed and monitored the Saturday July 14 th Governorship elections in Ekiti state have condemned the announcement of the All Progressives Congress APC candidate John Kayode Fayemi as the winner of the elections. The group in a press statement said the election does not reflect what they saw on groundn and its findings which will be released on Wednesday 18 th July 2018 will detail the malpractices that greeted the election. The Coalition in a press statement signed by its contact persons Comrade Haruna Farouk   and Nze Adachi Okoro said it was regrettable that the Independent national Electoral Commission as well as the security agencies could be used to short change the people of the state the way they did on the day of the elections. The Coalition said it has gathered evidence that will show how the election was massively rigged describing the situation as a sad moment for democracy in the country. ...

The Ekiti State chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Jide Awe, has said what transpired between the governor and the Police during a campaign rally of the People’s Democratic Party could be described as the “comedy of the year.” Governor Ayo Fayose, on Wednesday, said he was brutalised by policemen who allegedly stormed the main entrance to the Ekiti State Government House to stop a rally by the Peoples Democratic Party. Residents said gunshots were fired at the main entrance to the Government House, while tear gas canisters were reportedly shot to disperse the crowd at the rally.   However, Awe said, “It is entirely a security matter. The governor is the Chief Security Officer and should know how to conduct himself properly in the public. “Probably it was part of the instruction given to the Police as the chief security officer that led to the situation.” A tweeter user who goes by the name, Red Harpoon, @redhapoon, who also thinks the actions of th...

A former Director of Mobilisation at the National Youth Service Corps, Anthony Ani, says the certificate of exemption purportedly issued by the NYSC to the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, is fake. Ani said this during an interview on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, on Wednesday. He said, “The NYSC cannot issue that kind of certificate. Yes, the one reported by Premium Times. We could not have issued that type.” The former NYSC director, who was in charge of deployment of corps members, said Brig. Gen. M. I Tsiga was the Director-General of the NYSC in September 2009 but curiously, it was Brig. Gen. Yusuf Bomoi,   who purportedly signed the one belonging to the minister. Ani added, “The certificate that I saw, that one that I saw if it is the one that they are talking about, the one I saw online, it was not issued by NYSC. I don’t know who issued it. It was not issued by NYSC because what I saw there, the signatory to that certificate was...