PDP's Darius Ishaku On Course to Win Taraba Gov Elections

PDP's Darius Ishaku On Course to Win Taraba Gov Elections


Unconfirmed reports says the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will probably clinch the Taraba state governorship elections.

The race is between Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Sen. Aisha Jummai Alhassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

PDP Defeats APGA as Okezie Ikpeazu Claims

PDP Defeats APGA as Okezie Ikpeazu Claims


According to Premium Times, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Okezie Ikpeazu, has defeated Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in the governorship election in Abia.

The INEC returning officer in the state, Prof. Ozumba, while announcing the result at about 4:54am Sunday, in Umuahia, said Mr. Ikpeazu polled a total of 264,713 votes to beat his closest challenger Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, who garnered 180, 882 votes.

Mr. Otti is a former Managing Director of Diamond Bank.

How Buhari Saved Obasanjo’s In-law From Being Assassinated by Abacha’s Govt

How Buhari Saved Obasanjo’s In-law From Being Assassinated by Abacha’s Govt


Kenny Martins, an in-law to ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, in an interview with Vanguard narrates how president-elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari saved him from being assassinated during Gen. Sani Abacha's regime in the 90s.

"Obasanjo had just been arrested and I was around him. Some friends approached me and revealed that I was to be assassinated. And I have this attitude about death because I’d had two close shaves with death and so I believe when my time is up my time is up. But they were forceful and they said what if the bullet doesn’t hit you and it hits us.

"So, I went straight to Justice Maman Nasir in Malumfaci, just after Kano. I told him I’d heard that the government was after me. The justice said I should be at peace but that I should drive straight to Daura and meet with General Buhari and talk to him.

"I told General Buhari that I was being targeted and he asked why. I told him they said I was an Obasanjo man, ‘the man has been arrested and I don’t know why they are after me’.

"He said he would ‘try and see the head of state this weekend and by Sunday I would call you’. We had land lines that time. At about 1am, Saturday through Sunday, General Buhari called me from the Villa and said ‘I’ve seen the head of state and he has instructed the NSA, Alhaji Ismaila Gwarzo, to call you and he would be in Lagos on Monday. I have given him your number and nothing would happen to you’.

"On Monday morning, Alhaji Gwarzo called me and I’d not met him before. He introduced himself and told me not to worry and that he would be in Lagos on Friday but I insisted on my paying him a visit, but he insisted that if I wanted to come, I should let the former head of state know that I chose to come to Abuja because he was instructed to come and see me.

"So on Wednesday I was in the Villa, I went to Gwarzo’s office and introduced myself a Obasanjo’s in-law and that I heard they wanted to kill me.

"He said ‘but our government is not a killer’. There and then he called the head of the SSS then, explaining to him my allegation and that one said he knew me. Gwrazo assured me that I should go and that nothing would happen to me and nothing happened to me.

"But just two weeks later, my closest political associate, Alhaja Suliat Adedeji, was killed by government goons.

"If I had known her name was also on their list, I would have mentioned her; that day still remains the saddest day of my life when I realized that I missed an opportunity to save her.

Niger Delta Youths Warn Buhari Against Tampering With NDDC

Niger Delta Youths Warn Buhari Against Tampering With NDDC


Niger Delta youths have warned the in-coming administration of Major General Muham-madu Buhari against reducing the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to a parastatal under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Vanguard reports.

In a statement issued after a meeting in Warri, Delta State, at the weekend, a coalition, comprising 26 youth and ex-militant groups under the aegis South- South Mandate, vowed to resist any move that could impede the rapid transformation of the region currently being undertaken by the NNDC.

“In as much as we grudgingly decided to allow peace to reign after we were dubiously and maliciously rigged out of the presidency, our reluctant acceptance of that faulty March 28, 2015 electoral abracadabra over a sitting President from Niger Delta, a charade never recorded in the history of electoral contest in Nigeria, should not be misconstrued as capitulation by the youth of Niger Delta, now galvanized under the South-south Mandate, SSM,”the youths said.

“While we are still evaluating the import of March 28, 2015 presidential poll robbery through a well-orchestrated regional gang-up, procedural compromise and massive intimidation of the electorate in some parts of the country, we shall vehemently resist further humiliation and annihilation of our people”. The youths noted in the communiqué which was made available to newsmen in Abuja, that as the closest government interventionist agency to the poor and neglected people of the Niger Delta region, they would not tolerate any attempt to further suffocate the NDDC since it remained the only government agency that has direct impact on the oil bearing communities.

“Niger Deltans shall no longer allow their interest to be subjugated and trampled upon by the Federal Government of Nigeria under whatever guise”, they added.

Nigerian Army Reveals Cause of Jos Barracks Bomb Blast

Nigerian Army Reveals Cause of Jos Barracks Bomb Blast


Two soldiers lost their lives while one was injured on Saturday as an unserviceable ammunition exploded in 3 Division Headquarters, Nigerian Army Jos, while being transported to the demolition site.

The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Texas Chukwu, wo confirmed it, said in statement that the accident occurred while troops authorised to destroy the unserviceable were transporting them.

Chukwu said that the explosion did not affect the Maxwell Khobe Cantonment or the neighbouring communities.

He explained that the attention of the Cantonment was drawn to the news making the rounds in the media that a bomb exploded in the division headquarters as result of a terror attack .

``I want to use this medium, therefore, to state that this Cantonment was not under attack or attacked by the insurgents.

``There is an ongoing demolition exercise, which started on Wed. April 20, 2015 to terminate on May 4, 2015 and the members of the public were informed through the media.``

According to the deputy director, normalcy has since returned to the area.

How Dame Patience Caused Jonathan's Defeat

How Dame Patience Caused Jonathan's Defeat


According to Osom Makbere, the Peoples Democratic Party, Public Secretary in Bayelsa State President Goodluck Jonathan lost the March 28 presidential election due to the divisions in the PDP fold and the overbearing attitude of the President’s wife, Dame Patience, also contributed to the president’s loss.

In a Punch report, he said "Jonathan was a victim and target of international cum domestic esoteric codes and conspiracies. On the international level, the passage of the anti-gay legislation led to criticisms and face-off with the US, and the West.

“The strides made in the economic sphere, especially domestic rice promotion, calculated by the Jonathan administration to flip economic growth, and boost import substitution, also negatively alerted the West. The shift to China for our railway transformation, and recently, the migration to Russia for arms and ammunition to quelling the insurgency also signalled to the West that Jonathan had started constituting a self-reliant and dependent nation-state, a feat seen too tall by the US and their allies in the West.

“The aforesaid international factors found room to flourish given the obstinacy and impudence on the part of Mrs. Jonathan. The end result of her personal ambition to plant ‘self-made’ governors triggered face-offs with some governors.”

I’m ready to step into Gowon’s, Shonekan’s shoes, says Jonathan

I’m ready to step into Gowon’s, Shonekan’s shoes, says Jonathan


President Goodluck Jonathan is keen on playing the role of a statesman once his tenure is over on May 29.

He said yesterday in Abuja that he is already warming up to join the likes of former military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Head of the defunct Interim National Government (ING),Chief  Ernest Shonekan, in serving the country and the international community in whatever capacity  he is assigned.

Jonathan who spoke during the fifth Presidential Prayer Breakfast at the State House, Abuja, also harped on the need for sacrifice at the different levels of governance with a view to turning around the nation’s fortune.

He said: “I will continue to do my best as I’m gradually joining Gowon and Shonekan to serve our country in different capacities.

“For the eight years I have been here as vice president and president, whenever we called upon them wherever they were in this world, they would try to come. I have seen that they are extremely patriotic and they believe in this country.”

Nigeria, according to him, would achieve its potential easily if all leaders could show that level of commitment and patriotism.

He added: “Everything about human life as an individual, a child, if you don’t make the required sacrifice you can’t get to where you want to go.

“If you don’t sacrifice your pleasure, of course you will know where you’ll end. As parents we know the kind of sacrifice we make for our children to go to school, to feed.

“To build a family you need sacrifice. So for those who have the privilege of leading at local, state and national, at all times we should be ready to make sacrifice for our nation to grow.

“Ministers must make the required sacrifice, our lawmakers because they look at all our laws, they can create crisis in the country if they are not ready to do things the right way.

“So all of us in leadership position must be ready to make sacrifice and with our prayers and with our commitment Nigeria will surely get to where it wants to go.”

He said Nigerians must not stop praying for the country to overcome its challenges.

“At times, you are forced to think that the nation is ending. Definitely this country will overcome these challenges. That is the reason for this prayer. Just like prayer helped Nehemiah to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, our constant prayers will help us rebuild this nation,” he said.

He thanked God for giving him the privilege to serve Nigeria as deputy governor, governor, vice president and president for over 16 years.

“That is a reasonable length of time and so I have to thank God, first because if God did not will it, it won’t have happened,” he said.

In a short exhortation entitled ‘Destiny and Decision’, Pastor Paul Enenche maintained that the choices we make in life determine our destiny.

Quoting Joshua 24:15, he said that Adam, Esau, Samson and Ruth in the Holy Bible had to make choices that affected their lives.

Also speaking, the Aso Villa Chaplain, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba, described the session as the last presidential prayer breakfast under President Jonathan and that the country owes God immense gratitude for averting bloodshed during the last elections.

He said:”We are aware of the fears in the land before, during and after the general elections, but the President’s decision has ensured peace.

“There were predictions that either the president or his wife would die in office. But we thank God they will walk out of office alive.”

At the service were Gen. Gowon who read a passage from Philippians 2: 1-11, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Chief of Staff to the President, Gen. Jones Arogbofa (rtd) and members of the diplomatic corps.
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