VANGUARD:
Threat To NdiIgbo: Ignore Oba Akiolu; Clark, Tinubu Tell Non-indigenes
ELDER statesman and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday, urged non-indigenes in Lagos State, especially the Igbo, to ignore the Oba of Lagos, HRM Rilwan Akiolu’s death threat within seven days if they did not vote for the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode.
While Tinubu assured the Igbo in Lagos that they need not be afraid and that they would never be discriminated against, he said those who visited the Oba should have come to the political leaders of the state and not the monarch.
VANGUARD:
I Won’t Decamp To APC Because PDP Lost Presidency – Ekweremadu
CONTRARY to speculations, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday, declared that he was not going to jump ship by defecting to All Progressives Congress, APC because his party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lost the presidential election.
Rather, he maintained that in view of the unfolding political scenario in the country, PDP leaders were bracing up to take the bull by the horn to reposition and strengthen the party for a brighter future.
VANGUARD:
Major Power Outage Sweeps Washington, White House
A power outage swept the Washington area Tuesday, hitting the White House, the Capitol and the State Department and knocking out electricity for thousands around the US capital.
Outages stretched from downtown Washington into neighboring Maryland, knocking power out for more than 2,500 people, according to area power companies.
VANGUARD:
Nigerian Election Process, A Boost To African Economy – Axa
Axa SA, the largest foreign insurer active in Nigeria, sees the peaceful manner in which the country is handling its first transition in political power in decades as supporting economic growth in the country and beyond.
VANGUARD:
NLC Allays Fears Over Planned Sack Of Ogun Workers
The Ogun State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has urged civil servants in the state to disregard insinuations in some quarters that the state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun plans to down size the workforce in the state if re-elected.
The NLC also confirmed the release of the sum of N1.5 billion by the state government to offset deductions from salary of state and local government workers.
VANGUARD:
Ogun SDP Petitions INEC, Others Over Fake PVCs
The Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Ogun State, yesterday, petitioned Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Department of State Services, DSS, and Commissioner of Police in the state over the alleged existence of fake Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, in the state.
VANGUARD:
PDP In Dilemma Over Jonathan’s Abandoned Campaign Materials
Tongues are now wagging within the Campaign Organisation of President Goodluck Jonathan over what to do with the expensive campaign materials produced but not used for the President’s campaign after all.
Finding by Vanguard showed that the materials, which consist of bill boards, fez caps, specially branded T-shirts, giant posters of the president and his vice, Sambo, and highly priced mementos, have been dumped at the Presidential Campaign Office, otherwise known as Legacy House in Maitama, Abuja.
The undistributed campaign stuffs are being dumped in two large stores at the Legacy House and the party is now considering what to do with them given that the presidential election has since been won and lost.
THE SUN:
Igbo Lost $7bn To Boko Haram Insurgency – Ohakim
Former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim has disclosed that Igbo resident in the North lost about $7 billion to Boko Haram insurgency. He also said that since the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, assured Nigerians before his election that Boko Haram will be a thing of the past as soon as he is elected, he should keep to the promise.
Ohakim who spoke to Abuja Metro on behalf of the Igbo Conversational Group (ICG), while congratulating Buhari said the group believes he has what it takes to live up to expectations in that regard so that Nd’Igbo can go back to their businesses in the affected areas even after the huge loses.
THE SUN:
No Going Back On Fayose’s Impeachment – Ekiti Lawmakers
The All Progressives Congress (APC) legislators in Ekiti State House of Assembly have vowed to impeach Governor Ayodele Fayose, following allegations of constitutional breaches.
Addressing a Press conference in Osogbo yesterday, the 19 lawmakers led by Speaker Adewale Omirin, said Fayose had allegedly committed impeachable offences.
The Speaker said 19 legislators had fixed their sitting for yesterday to continue legislative business on the investigation into the allegations levelled against Fayose, but the governor allegedly sent some soldiers and thugs to prevent them from sitting.
THE SUN:
APGA Accuses PDP, INEC Staff Of Electoral Fraud
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) staff of electoral breaches during the March 28 National Assembly elections in Abia State.
In a petition to the INEC signed by its Vice Chairman, South East, Uchenna Okogbuo, the party alleged that massive fraudulent practices were perpetrated by INEC staff, the PDP, policemen and soldiers during the exercise.
THE SUN:
Boko Haram Kills At Least 24 After Disguising Selves As Preachers
Islamist Boko Haram militants disguised as preachers killed at least 24 people and wounded several others in an attack near a mosque in northeast Nigeria’s Borno state, a military source and witness said on Monday.
The attackers arrived in cars late Sunday and gathered people at a mosque in the remote village of Kwajafa, pretending to preach Islam. They then opened fire on them, witness Simeon Buba said.
The group’s six-year insurgency, and President Goodluck Jonathan’s failure to end it or protect civilians, were factors in the victory of opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari in last week’s election.
THE SUN:
One Killed As Protests Rock Ekiti Towns Over Fayose’s Impeachment
One person, identified as Modupe Olaiya , was killed on Tuesday in Efon Alaaye, Efon Local Government Area of Ekiti State as members of the Peoples Democratic Party held violent protests against attempts by 19 All Progressives Congress lawmakers to impeach Governor Ayodele Fayose.
Eyewitnesses confirmed to newsmen in Ado Ekiti that the APC lawmakers were coming from Osun State and had rammed into the barricade mounted by the protesters at Ita Ore , a border town betweenm Ekiti and Osun States.
The victim was said to have sustained gunshot injury as the police fired several shots to scare the protesters, who had already taken over the Ado-Ita Ore-Ilesa road.
THE SUN:
Customs Arrests 56 Suspects Over N501m Contraband
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone C, Owerri, has arrested 56 suspects in connection with siezed contraband valued at N501 million in the first quarter of 2015.
Giving an insight into the seizures made during the period, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Dimka Victor David, told newsmen in Owerri that the unit impounded about 140 prohibited items with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N501.03 million. He stated further that the 56 persons arrested have been charged to court for further actions.
While giving details of the seizures, he disclosed that 37 items were impounded in January with a DPV of N176.5 million.
THE SUN:
Buhari Will Not Disappoint Igbo
An Igbo socio-political organisation, Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), has congratulated the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) on his victory in the presidential election.
In a statement issued by its President, Ugochukwu Obinka, after a meeting on Monday, NUF said it had absolute confidence in the ability of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) standard-bearer to turn around Nigeria’s economy.
The statement read in part: “NUF is confident that the president-elect will give Nigerians the desired change that will steer the economic and security situation towards the right direction.”
Canvassing support for the new president, the association assured that Buhari as president would not undermine the collective interest of Nigerians.
The group also appealed to all former militants in the Niger Delta, who threatened to go back to the creeks, to shield their swords.
THE SUN:
APC Bent On Imposing One-party State On Nigerians – PDP
The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over what it called a plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to impose authoritarian rule on the nation.
Addressing newsmen yesterday in Abuja, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, identified the impeachment notice served on Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose by the state lawmakers and the position taken by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu on the Saturday governorship election as part of the orchestrated plot to stifle democracy in the country.
THE SUN:
I Will Give Lagos Priority Attention – Buhari
Nigerian President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday said he would accord Lagos State the priority attention it needed during his tenure.
Buhari, who addressed supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at a political rally held in Orile Iganmu area of the state, stated that he decided to come to Lagos for his first rally after winning the presidential election to thank them and let them know that the state was too critical to lose to the opposition in the forthcoming polls.
THE SUN:
Guber Polls: Jonathan Condemns Intimidation Of Electorate
Ahead of Saturday’s governorship and state Assembly elections, President Goodluck Jonathan has called on Nigerians to remain peaceful, united and law-abiding.
He condemned attempts by some politicians, groups and individuals to intimidate others, heat up the polity and cause public disorder and disaffection in the aftermath of the presidential and National Assembly elections.
In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, President Jonathan said he was especially concerned about the negative conduct of certain individuals since March 31, which tended to detract from his personal commitment to post-election peace, unity and national stability.
THE SUN:
I Hope Oba Of Lagos Was Misquoted – Obi
Disbelief and condemnation have continued to trail the statement credited to Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, in which he threatened the Igbo resident in Lagos State if they fail to vote for the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s polls.
In his reaction, former governor of Anambra state, Mr. Peter Obi said he was still in a state of disbelief and wished that it would turn out that the revered Oba was either misquoted or quoted out of context. Obi was speaking at a social function in Umuoji, Anambra State yesterday.
Lamenting how similar unguarded statements made the Igbo to leave the North in droves, Obi said the recent statement by a revered traditional ruler, if true, was worrisome, inflammatory and capable of truncating the unity of the country.