Nigerian Newspapers
2015: No automatic tickets for Jonathan, governors
President Goodluck Jonathan and governors will not have the right of first refusal to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the 2015 election, the party said yesterday.
There have been speculations that the party plans to amend its constitution for the President and governors to be offered the ticket first before throwing the race open – if they refuse to run.
“The truth is that NEC (the National executive Committee) cannot seek such amendment. It is above the powers of NEC,” party spokesman Olisa Metuh said in Abuja.
For such an issue, it must come to the National Convention. There is no proposal on the table.
“Nobody in the Executive, nobody in the party has ever told me about the amendment on the Right of First Refusal. I have also not heard it from anybody. So, I have never heard, it has never been discussed.
“As far as PDP constitution is concerned, there will be primaries for all those who want to contest for elective offices in 2015.”
Metuh spoke also on the NEC meeting, saying party chairman Bamanga Tukur and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) have agreed to have a NEC meeting.
The NEC meeting may hold this month. Likely to be on the agenda are issues affecting the party, including the crisis in Adamawa State, governors’ grouses, management of PDP, cases in court, removal of the National Secretary and two other NWC members and problems facing PDP in the Southwest.
Metuh said neither Tukur nor any of its members would quit, despite the call on them to step aside by some aggrieved governors and party leaders.
The party chief spoke at an interactive session with reporters in Abuja on the crisis rocking the party.
Metuh said: “As the longest serving member of the NWC, I am a bit embarrassed as to be explaining this issue of non-convening of NEC meeting. I agree, it is a constitutional issue that we should hold NEC meeting. But the embarrassment is to start explaining the breach of this constitution. We could not hold the NEC meeting because of what I may call force majure.
“There was no way we could convene NEC meeting before now because we have had issues with the reconstitution of the BoT. Normally, before we can hold a NEC meeting, we must have BoT and National Caucus meetings.
“But once the Easter break is over, I can authoritatively tell you that there will be NEC meeting. Definitely, not holding NEC meeting is not something we can be proud of.”
Regarding plans to remove Tukur and NWC members, Metuh said “such a plot is imaginary.”
He added: “We are not embattled with the President; we are not embattled with the governors we are not embattled with the legislature; we are not embattled with the BoT.
“This NWC has come to stay; it will conduct elections (primaries) for the 2015 polls; we will be in charge till our tenure ends in 2016. We understand all these issues because one or two decisions had been taken in the party.
“Definitely, we are united in being together to project the ideals and vision of our founding fathers.
“The NWC is under attack by non-party members, by people who are not at the helm of affairs of the party.
“We have full confidence in the executive arm, we installed, the legislature, we enjoy the confidence of the governors of the PDP. We are in direct touch with them. We are, therefore, at a loss that there is an imaginary war against PDP.
“These reports are orchestrated and calculated attempts to distract us. We want to appeal to the media and all Nigerians for more understanding and more objectivity in reporting and handling our affairs.
“If no wrong decision has been taken by the party and we read it in newspapers, it will affect the psyche of our members.”
Responding to a question, Metuh said the court would determine the fate of the sacked National Secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, deposed National Vice-Chairman (Southwest) Segun Oni and a former National Auditor, Chief Bode Mustapha.
He said: “I would have particularly wanted to speak on this but this is subjudice. As a lawyer, I am wary of making statements that might be contemptuous.
“As NWC, we have no interest in who occupies a position. We were elected by PDP members; nobody can remove any member of the NWC. There are constitutionally laid down procedures for removing NWC members.
“What has happened is causing serious concern to the NWC, BoT and the PDP Governors Forum. We all want to solve this crisis with whatever decision the court might talk out.”
On the duplication of reconciliation plans by the NWC and the BoT, Metuh simply said: “The more, the merrier. We are happy with the reconciliation tours being done by the BoT headed by Chief Tony Anenih. It is different from the one taken by the NWC.
“The idea of reconciliation is to ensure that every single section is visited and every person is reconciled. The BoT members are trying on their own and the PDP Governors Forum will soon embark on something similar too.”
In spite of the issues raised by Tukur and some NWC members, the PDP BoT chair continued his reconciliation tours with a visit to Sokoto State yesterday.
He met with Governor Aliyu Wamakko and power brokers in the party.
Anenih and his team have been targeting the Northwest because it is the stronghold of a former presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
A source said: “The target in the North is the Northwest where the opposition seems to have it stronghold. That is why Anenih and his team are putting in their best to reconcile the aggrieved governors and members in the zone.
“I won’t tell you what was discussed behind closed doors but the governors in the zone are certainly cooperating.”
There are fresh facts on why President Jonathan is in favour of reconciliation shuttles by Anenih and other BoT.
It was gathered that Jonathan is highly-disposed to Anenih’s team because Tukur is rated as “an interested party” in the PDP crisis.
A top source in the presidency, who spoke in confidence, said: “Whichever way you look at it, Tukur is an interested party in the PDP crisis . For instance, Tukur’s involvement in the crisis rocking the Adamawa State chapter of the party is not different from what a former National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, did in Enugu State.
“There is no way a leader, who is part of a crisis, can co-ordinate reconciliation in the party. How can those aggrieved in Adamawa State listen to him? Tukur needs reconciliation than any stalwart of the party.
“The whole objective of Anenih and other BoT members’ tours is to resolve nagging issues in the party and strengthen the party for 2015 poll. I think it is in the interest of Tukur and the NWC to manage a healthy party.”
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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