President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the youths across the country not to allow themselves to be used by desperate politicians to violate the sanctity of the ballot and endanger our country.
“Let us remember that elections will come and go, but we need a country in which to live. I am appealing to our youths: do not allow yourselves to be used by desperate politicians to violate the sanctity of the ballot and endanger our country. I assure you that the security agencies will protect you as you go out to vote without fear of violence or molestation.”
President Buhari, who spoke today, Friday at the public presentation of a book on the achievements of his government, titled: “Nigeria on Firmer Ground, Towards Lasting Peace and Progress,” advised all Nigerians to exercise their civic duty in an atmosphere of peace and security as the nation prepares for the elections next week.
He commended the Presidential Media Team, the Buhari Media Organization and other stakeholders for helping Nigerians to understand more of what his administration has done by producing the book, and presenting it to the public.
From the accounts of all the earlier speakers and what can be gleaned from the book, supported by verifiable facts and figures on projects and programmes implemented in almost every State of the Federation, it is clear that our administration has delivered substantially on our campaign promises.
Buhari said that he is convinced that his government has made real progress and is poised to do more by taking Nigeria to the next level of development, prosperity, peace and stability.
“We are also poised to make life – changing progress in infrastructure, agriculture, social investments, and much more.
“From returning the economy to sustainable growth, degrading Boko Haram terrorists, boldly confronting the monster called corruption, history will remember this Administration as one that did what it promised and charted the path for a future of which we can all be proud.
“Going round the country in the past weeks on our campaign stops, I believe that our message emphasizing the need to stick to the winning team and not risk returning our country to irresponsible leadership, at any level of government, has resonated with the people.
“Their stock-in-trade is the avaricious plunder of our national assets and resources, and ordinary Nigerians are quite aware of their conduct in government.
“Our simple message to the Nigerian electorate is to give us four more years to build and consolidate on the foundations we have painstakingly laid so that we shall all reap the benefits of what we have planted in all sectors of our society.
“We have proved better managers of our national assets and the limited resources available to us than past administrations, and we are committed to entrenching higher levels of accountability and transparency in the years ahead.”
A Kaduna State High Court has issued a warrant of arrest on the Chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Dr. Muhammed Isah for contempt.
The warrant of arrest was issued by Justice Mario Mohammed after the CCB chairman had ignored several summons by the court in a suit between Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i and Today’s publishing Company Limited, and one other.
A warrant form obtained directed that police personnel and authorities should arrest the CCB Chairman and produce him before the court on February 13, 2019.
Earlier, Today Publishing Company, the publisher of The Union Newspapers, had filed application requesting the court to subpoena CCB Chairman to produce assets declaration of El-Rufai in court after several efforts it made to obtain it from the CCB failed.
Justice Mohammed granted the approval based on the application filed by Counsel to The Union Newspapers, Mr. J.N. Egwuonwu (SAN), during the continuation of defence at previous sitting. Egwuonwu, represented by Hiifan Andrew Abuul, had written application to the court to Subpoena CCB to tender the asset declaration of the Governor before the court.
The governor had gone to the court over a report carried by the newspaper in which it allegedly stated that he had declared N90 billion in his CCB assets declaration form.
ASUU National President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi
The leadership of the Nigeria university lecturers, under the canopy of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its three month old nationwide industrial action.
National President of the union, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, who announced this today, Thursday at a news briefing at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) complex in Abuja said that the lecturers took the decision after a meeting with representatives of the Federal Government led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige.
The meeting came hours before Professor Ogunyemi announced the decision of ASUU to suspend the strike. It had in attendance leaders of the union and government representatives such as the permanent secretaries at the ministries of Education, as well as Labour and Employment, and some directors from the ministries.
According to the ASUU President, the government has demonstrated a commitment by meeting some of their demands.
He added that the government has signed a new agreement that would fast-track the revitalisation of universities, one of the critical demands of ASUU which led to the protracted industrial action.
ASUU suspended its industrial action three months since the lecturers went on strike in early November 2018.
The union went on strike following an emergency meeting of its leaders at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The lecturers had accused the government of failing to address its demands.
They also raised concerns over the poor funding of Nigerian Universities, the alleged plot to increase students’ fees, introduction of an education bank, as well as non-implementation of previous agreements, among other issues.
The government, on its part, said it was worried about the action of the union which has paralised academic activities in universities where ASUU has a presence across the country.
This prompted the call by individuals and groups to the government to ensure the students return to school without any further delay.
Meanwhile, the government has held several discussions with the union leaders, in its bid to end the industrial action.
Signs of hope began to emerge on Friday last week following a meeting between the government and the union.
The minister and the ASUU President had told reporters at the end of the meeting that they were making progress to address the issues raised by the striking lecturers.
Although they did not give any specific detail, they had promised to address a press conference at the end of today’s meeting which resulted in the suspension of the strike.
Read the full statement issued by the ASUU President below;
ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES (ASUU), NATIONAL SECRETARIAT. TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES (ASUU), THURSDAY, 7TH FEBRUARY, 2019, AT NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS HEADQUARTERS, PASCAL BAFYAU HOUSE, ABUJA
Protocol
Friends and compatriots of the Press, On Sunday, 4th November, 2018, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) resumed its strike action which was conditionally suspended on 14th September, 2017.
The action of 2017 was suspended following the signing of a Memorandum of Action (MoA) in which the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) promised to address the contentious issues within a timeline that was to end in October 2017.
While announcing the suspension of the nationwide action, however, our Union made it categorically clear that “ASUU will not hesitate to review its position should government renege on the signed Memorandum of Action”.
Predictably, Government implemented the MoA in the breach, thereby forcing ASUU to resume the suspended strike action.
Comrades and compatriots, as we have always argued, the last thing ASUU members love doing is to cause disruption in smooth intellectual engagements with colleagues, friends and students right on our university campuses.
This has nothing to do with the dubious advertorial of “non-disruption of academic calendar” by proprietors and administrators of some cash-and-carry universities and other self-styled enemies of ASUU.
Rather, it is about deep-seated pains members of the Union undergo to prevent strike actions and the equally painful consequences strike situations bring to all who are genuinely averse to the mercantile disposition to university education.
Why Strike Action? The question has been asked time and time again: Why does ASUU like embarking on strike action that causes disruption and dislocation in the universities?
However, ASUU is strongly convinced that if academics fail to fight the cause of university education, the fate that befell public primary and secondary schools would soon become the lot of the public university system in Nigeria.
ASUU’s advocacy on the need to stem the continued slide into rot and decay in public universities since the 1980s has fallen on deaf ears. Our experience, as a trade union, shows that successive governments in Nigeria always entered into negotiated agreements only to placate those pleading the cause – be it education, health, transportation, employment or any other issue of meaningful living.
This proclivity of the Nigerian ruling class, irrespective of which wing of the insensitive stock they belong, must be continually be tracked, engaged and resisted by all people of goodwill.
ASUU ‘s action strike, which started on 4th November, 2018, was situated in the context of accumulated records of indifference and lackadaisical attitude of Government to negotiated agreements with the Union.
At our media interaction in University of Lagos on 23rd December, 2018, we highlighted the outstanding issues in the crisis to include the following:
– Funding for the revitalization of Public Universities based on the FGN-ASUU MoU of 2012, 2013 and the MoA of 2017
– Reconstitution of the current Government Team to allow for a leader and Chairman of the FG-ASUU Renegotiating team who has the interest of the nation and the people at heart.
– Release of the forensic audit report on Earned Academic allowances (EAA), offsetting the outstanding balance of the EAA and mainstreaming of same into the 2018 budget.
– Payment of all arrears of shortfall in all universities that have met the verification requirements of the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA)
– Provision of a platform by the federal government for ASUU to engage Governors on the proliferation of universities, underfunding of university education and undue interference in the affairs of the universities
– Release of PFA operational license to NUPEMCO
– Payment of EAA to loyal ASUU members at the University of Ilorin A new Memorandum of Action and Our Resolution To date, ASUU has had a total of ten (10) interactive meetings with representatives of FGN which have culminated into a Memorandum of Action of
2019.
Highlights of the MoA include the following:
In addition to the N20 billion for 2018, the sum of N25 billion only would be released in April/May 2019, after which government would resume full implementation of the MoU of 2013.
Part-payment of the outstanding arrears of the earned academic allowances; defraying the balance up to 2018 in 4 tranches within 36 months; andmainstreaming further payments of EAA into the annual budgets beginning from 2019 budget.
PICA verification and the release of the arrears of salary shortfall at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, not later than 15th February 2019.
Strengthening the Consultative Committee on State-owned Universities (CCSOU), inaugurated on Monday, 28th January,2019 to look into the issues of proliferation, underfunding and governance to consistently deliver on its mandate.
Payment of the outstanding EAA arrears of all eligible staff in the University of Ilorin, especially the loyal ASUU members whose appointments were illegally terminated by today, 7th February,
Acknowledgementand appreciation of Government for facilitating the release of the final letter of approval for the granting of operational license to NUPEMCO.
Visitation to all Federal Universities would commence tentatively by 11th March,
Provision of documented guidelines on procedures and roles of parties in the process of renegotiating FGN-ASUU Agreement of 2009 which would commence not later than 18th February 2019 and end by Friday 29th March 2019.
Based on the initial proposals from Government, the Union made extensive consultations through its various organs. The final level of consultation was the meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) which took place 6th-7th February 2019.
NEC resolved that: Following a careful review of the report of engagements with the Federal Government on proposals for addressing all outstanding in the 2013 MoU and 2017 MoA, NEC resolved that the current strike action by the Union should be suspended conditionally with effect from 12.01 a.m on Friday 8th February 2019.
However, should Government fail to fulfill its part of the agreement as reflected in the 2019 Memorandum of Action, ASUU shall resume its suspended strike action as the Union deems necessary.
Conclusion
ASUU notes, with serious concern, the covert and overt roles of some vice-chancellors in the management and application of funds attracted by our Union to Nigeria’s public universities.
Consequently, we condemn, in the strongest terms, Vice-Chancellors who have made efforts to undermine and, in some cases, attempted to break our patriotic struggles for the revitalisation of public universities in Nigeria.
ASUU will not shy away from taking headlong those Vice-Chancellors who are reputed for acts of impunity, nepotism and other forms of conduct which are antithetic to university culture and the progressive development of our universities.
Our union will compile all their shenanigans and forward them to relevant authorities for further action.
Finally, ASUU acknowledges the understanding and support demonstrated by patriotic Nigerian students and their parents all through the strike period.
We equally appreciate the comradely assistance from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), represented by the newly re-elected President, Comrade Ayuba Waba, who has stood by us throughout the struggle.
We also acknowledge the solidarity of the civil society organisations, especially the Joint Action Front (JAF) and the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), and members of the progressive wing of the media who have consistently partnered with us in our mission to rescue Nigerian public universities from imminent collapse.
While we put a closure to this phase of the struggle, it is our hope and desire that the Nigerian governments (Federal and State) will play the roles expected of them in order to make the new Memorandum work.
We shall never abandon our obligation to ensure the survival of a sound university system.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has complained that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has favoured the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the present political re-alignment, but lament that PDP is the one crying Wolf.
“We call on Nigerians to judge between the APC and the PDP, who can be said to have been favoured by INEC when one considers how the electoral body had initially barred the APC from fielding candidates in Zamfara and Rivers States in the forthcoming elections.
“Less than two weeks to elections, our party is still in courts to seek justice from INEC to enable us field candidates.
“Notwithstanding our protests, calling INEC’s attention to the fact that the PDP didn’t conduct any primaries in Kano State, the electoral body has opted to look the other way even in te face of glaring evidence.”
The APC national secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu who reacted to what he called intimidation and blackmail tactics being employed by the PDP against INEC and other state institutions, said: “it is clear that the PDP is only interested in getting to power on a stolen mandate.”
Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a statement, said that it is not surprising that the PDP celebrated INEC’s initial decisions on Zamafara and Rivers because the PDP knows they stand no chance against the APC candidates in a free and fair election.
The APC also expressed shock on PDP’s allegation that the distribution of Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) is being hampered by INEC to disenfranchise supposed PDP supporters.
“How could anyone have known the political party affiliations of those who are yet to collect their PVCs such that the process of disenfrachising them was activated by INEC to favour the APC?” Issa-Onilu queried in the statement.
“The PDP and its leaders cannot hold the APC responsible for their electoral misfortunes. PDP administration’s antecedents of treasury looting, mismanagement of the economy and widespread insecurity have put a big wedge between them and the Nigerian people.
“There is no doubt that the PDP will be roundly rejected at the forthcoming general election. On our part, we are confident that Nigerians will renew our mandate on the basis of our verifiable and multi-sector record of performance under the leadership of President Buhari.”
No fewer than 1,000 clerics of the Christian faith stormed Abuja today, Thursday for the grand finale of a rally to endorse President Muhammadu Buhari for February 16 Presidential election in the country.
The clerics, who gathered at the Unity Fountain, Abuja, under the auspices of the National Inter-Faith and Religious Organizations for Peace (NIFROP), said: “Buhari is anointed to lead the country for eight years, and as such, should be given the necessary support for him to fulfill the prophecy.
“We are aware that the opposition has been making false claims to present themselves as the ones destined to take Nigeria to a greater height and that they can liberate Nigerians but we know this for what it is; lies of the devil!”
The clerics called on Nigerians not to disrupt the flow of God’s blessing to the land, but support Buhari’s reelection bid, so he could “continue running the errand God has sent him”.
Speaking at the rally, Bishop Sunday Garuba, National President of NIFROP, said: “Before NIFROP announced today’s rally sometime last week, we had been led by the spirit to hold forty days of fasting and prayer. In the course of this exercise, undertaken on behalf of the nation, it was revealed to us that President Buhari is God’s anointed to lead Nigeria to greater heights.
“As you can see, we are more than 1,000 clerics across faiths and denominations. We are apolitical and only delivered this message concerning President Buhari for it what our maker has collectively instructed us to do and we cannot do otherwise, lest we attract wrath unto ourselves.
“The unison of 1,000 clerics of diverse faiths is something that should prick the interest of Nigerians. But it is not a phenomenon for which we should waste time seeking answers. The leadership style of President Buhari as defender of all faiths, ordained to save our religions, is the source of the newfound cohesion that has toned down the tendency for religion to be the source of strife among communities. The naysayers may argue it but Nigeria is on the way to recording fewer and fewer instances of sectarian strife until the larger population of Nigeria will enjoy the kind of cordial relations we have at NIFROP.
“Fortunately, this godly touch is manifesting in other facets of our national life. The corruption that used to be the trademark of Nigeria is now being recognized as an abomination to our creator, something that has been made possible by President Buhari. We are aware that there are those now seeking to return Nigeria to Egypt, back to the days when corruption and theft of public funds was the order of the day.
“We stand on the revelation given to us by God to declare that as He decreed, so shall it be. We on this note appeal to the electorate to ward off evil from Nigeria by aligning with God’s will by voting President Buhari to continue with the work that has been entrusted to him.
“We are aware that the opposition has been making false claims to present themselves as the ones destined to take Nigeria to a greater height and that they can liberate Nigerians but we know this for what it is. Lies of the devil! They are known to the Bible as it is stated in 2 Peter 2:19 that ‘They promise (Nigerians) them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved’. Nigerians must therefore take heed lest they fall the lying tongue that is intent on misleading them to reject God’s choice for them.”
Former Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, retired Lt-General Alani Akinrinade, has described former President Olusegun Obasanjo as “this irritable man” even as he advised that he should be kept where he belongs – dust bin of history.
In an advertorial that was published on page 35 of The PUNCH today, Thursday, General Akinrinade said: “the Nigerian media appear to have forgotten they are indeed the fourth estate of the realm. They are gatekeepers. They owe Nigeria the responsibility of keeping this irritable man where he belongs- the waste bin of history.
“Like his daughter, Iyabo, reminded him in her letter, Nigeria does not belong to him. He should allow Nigerians choose who they want and stop goading the citizenry for his own selfish interests.”
The retired army general asked Nigerians to ignore Obasanjo’s call for the election of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, saying that Obasanjo’s modus operandi is to support a new candidate at almost every election cycle and once the person is elected, he would begin to criticize the new President.
He accused Obasanjo of always acting in defence of his own selfish interest, adding: “Olusegun Obasanjo asking Nigerians to vote for Atiku Abubakar is an insult to our collective intelligence. With the benefit of hindsight, can anyone truly say Obasanjo’s sense of judgment in choosing leaders can be trusted?
“Take a good look at history. Through the clandestine manoeuvres in 1979, he foisted on Nigeria a reluctant Shehu Shagari at the expense of the cerebral Obafemi Awolowo or Nnamdi Azikiwe. “After his second coming, he so manipulated the electoral system that he fraudulently installed an unhealthy Umaru Yar’Adua as President alongside another reluctant character in the person of Goodluck Jonathan as the deputy.
“He denied every interested member of his party while employing all sorts of machination including threat and blackmail. Then came 2015; he told Nigerians Muhammadu Buhari is the best man for the job. As he has done to every Presidential candidate he installed or supported, a few years down the line, he says Buhari is unfit for the job again.”
The former Chief of Army Staff said that it is shameful of Obasanjo to have endorsed Atiku after calling him all sorts of names in the past, adding that it is funny that the same Obasanjo who publicly tore his Peoples Democratic Party membership card could return to his vomit.
“The Bible says something about such people- a double-minded man is unstable in his ways, James 1:8. Obasanjo is not a man whose judgement can be trusted.”
President Buhari at APC Campaign Rally in Taraba on 7th Feb 2019
Traditional rulers in Taraba State have asked Nigerians to consider President Muhammadu Buhari as God’s gift to the country.
They applauded President Buhari’s leadership role which they said is characterized by selflessness and commitment to rid the nation of graft.
Speaking when the President paid him a royal visit as he arrived the state capital for the APC Presidential rally, the Emir of Muri, Abbas Tafida who represented the Chairman of the traditional Council in Taraba state, Shekaro Angyu Masaibi, said that the nation is in dire need of people who are out to make sacrifices for the citizens.
But the traditional rulers made one strong request on President Buhari, saying: “as a father, I want to make one plea with you and I ask you to be patient. Our former Governor, Reverend Jolly Nyame is convicted of criminal acts and is now in prison. I acknowledge and accept the action of our judiciary.
“I acknowledge and accept the need to correct this country by taking punitive measures on anybody who violates the law for his selfish purpose. But as a father, Mr President sir, I want to say I have seen him and I have known that he has regretted his actions. I have seen him and have accepted that he has seen a lot of corrections, and as a father I cannot hide my innate sympathy.
“I will therefore, not now, but at the right time and I say it for all to hear, come with a delegation to plead for your mercy at the right time in the right manner and in consideration of the overall national interest.
“We are not going to ask you to do anything out of the way. And we are not going to change your policy of correcting Nigeria. Nigeria must be corrected and must be corrected now and you are the right person to do it.
“But, please Mr President…we here live by law and to love one of us is not out of place.”
He said that as monarchs, the traditional rulers in Taraba state will not coerce citizens to vote for any particular candidate in the forthcoming elections unlike what obtained in the past.
“We are not going to force, direct or coerce anybody into voting anybody. We are going to stand neutral, we are going to guide our people into the importance of voting and standing to support their votes.
“And we call on the political participants to understand that voting is God’s gift to all of us and nobody should do anything to abuse the programme of democracy.”
Responding however, President Buhari, said that his administration is still determined boos the nation’s economy and fight insecurity, even as he said that his government is poised to tackle the prevailing menace of corruption besetting the country.
“I have taken note of the representation of your representative about the former Governor here who was convicted with another governor.
“I have taken note of that, but look at the time it took from looking at the books to successfully prosecute him and his other colleague from Plateau state. There are a lot others. This system is very slow and since it is the system we have to follow it. I came in a different system I treated it differently. But I too, I was treated differently. So, I have this experience.”
President Buhari thereafter proceeded to the stadium, venue of the rally where thousands of the All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters had thronged to receive him along with the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustafa.
Others who accompanied the President were former Governors of Bauchi and Borno states, Isa Yuguda, Ali Modu Sheriff as well as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari and his counterpart on the platform of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar have both expressed profound sadness over the loss of lives at the APC Presidential Campaign rally in Jalingo, Taraba State today, Thursday.
Reacting to reports of the tragic death of some APC supporters due to the overwhelming crowd at the Jolly Nyame Stadium, the President said: “I always feel very sad and distressed when ordinary Nigerians who love me and our party because of what we stand for and have done, make personal sacrifices by taking the pains to show their support, end their lives tragically.”
The President appreciated the massive support he is receiving all over the country, even as he called for restraint on the part of his supporters to avoid such tragic incidences, and improved crowd management at rally grounds.
“I want them to stay alive and witness the dividends of purposeful governance that the APC administration will unfold when they renew our mandate.”
The President commiserated with the families of the victims and the APC family and prayed to God to grant peace to the souls of the departed and speedy recovery to the injured.
A statement by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, quoted the PDP Presidential candidate to have expressed sadness over the loss of lives.
“All Nigerian lives matter whether they are of the APC, PDP or any other party”, Atiku Abubakar was quoted to have said from Katsina where he was holding a rally himself.
Atiku also expressed his deepest condolences to the APC and its presidential candidate and the Government and people of Taraba State over the tragedy.
The PDP Presidential candidate prayed for strength and comfort for the affected families and for God to grant the deceased eternal rest.
Ahead of the February 16 Presidential election in Nigeria, one of the top opposition party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has adopted President Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as its consensus candidate ahead of the February 16 presidential elections.
The decision by the National Executive Council of the party to adopt President Buhari as its consensus candidate came today, Thursday, on the heels of recent legal battle between two candidates, Jerry Gana and Donald Duke who jostled for the party’s presidential ticket.
It will be recalled that an FCT High Court in Maitama, on Friday, December 14, declared a former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, the winner of the presidential primary election of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) conducted on Oct. 6.
The party had declared a former Governor of Cross River, Mr. Donald Duke, the winner of the election and its flag bearer for the 2019 General Elections.
The party had said that Duke polled 812 votes while Gana had 611.
However, Gana went to court seeking that it would declare him the winner in line with the zoning and rotation formula of the party’s constitution.
In his judgment, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf held that the regulations contained in the party’s constitution were binding on every member and must be obeyed.
He held that the zoning and rotation formula as contained in the party’s constitution stipulated that both the chairman of the party and the flag bearer should not come from the same zone.
“In this instance, the party’s Chairman, Chief Olu Falae, is from the South and Duke is from the South too; the law is clear; there is nothing to write in-between.
“The law has crystallised that political parties should abide by the regulations which they have made by themselves.
“The claimant laid sufficient evidence to have the judgment in his favour; it is a clear violation of the party’s constitution; the court cannot wave right over illegality,” he held.
The judge, therefore, declared Gana the winner of SDP presidential primary election conducted on Oct. 6.
He also declared Duke’s 812 votes null and void, and ordered SDP to forward Gana’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s flag bearer for the 2019 presidential election.
In addition, he ordered that Duke should stop parading himself as the party’s flag bearer for the elections.
Gana had joined SDP, its National Chairman, Chief Olu Falae; National Secretary, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam; Chairman, SDP Presidential Screening Panel/ Deputy National Chairman, South, Prof. Tunde Adeniran; Duke and INEC as defendants in the suit. Gana sought a declaration that Duke was not eligible to stand as a candidate in the party’s presidential primaries held on Oct. 6, in Abuja.
He also sought a declaration of the court that he ought to have been declared the winner of the SDP presidential primary election, having polled the highest valid votes in the said election.
The former minister wanted an order of the court declaring him the validly elected flag bearer of the party for the 2019 General Elections.
Gana also sought a perpetual injunction restraining Duke from parading himself as the SDP presidential candidate for the elections, among other reliefs.
He had argued that under Article 15(3) of the SDP Constitution, the office of the national chairman of the party and the presidential candidacy shall rotate between the northern and southern parts of the country.
Only recently, January 24th to be precise, a Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja declared Donald Duke, as the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The court also set aside the earlier judgment by the Federal High Court that declared Jerry Gana, as the SDP presidential candidate.
Ruling, the three-man panel led by Justice Abdul Aboki, noted that Gana’s position based on Section 18 of the party’s amended constitution, contravenes the electoral act’s stipulation for a candidate’s validity in any election.
President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in Kogi State, Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Ibrahim on the occasion of his 90th birthday celebration.
In a statement by senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam, Garba Shehu, the President thanked God for preserving the life of the eminent traditional ruler with good health, courage and passion to lead his subjects and community since he ascended the throne of his ancestors in 1997.
“On this auspicious occasion, the President extols the nonagenarian’s numerous contributions to national peace and stability, wise counsels to political office holders and constant show of concern and love to the less privileged in the society.”
The President prayed to God to preserve the life of the Ohinoyi who he called “my good friend and royal father” to continue serving his community, the nation and humanity.
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A Kaduna State High Court has issued a warrant of arrest on the Chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Dr. Muhammed Isah for contempt.
No fewer than 1,000 clerics of the Christian faith stormed Abuja today, Thursday for the grand finale of a rally to endorse President Muhammadu Buhari for February 16 Presidential election in the country.
Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari and his counterpart on the platform of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar have both expressed profound sadness over the loss of lives at the APC Presidential Campaign rally in Jalingo, Taraba State today, Thursday.
Ahead of the February 16 Presidential election in Nigeria, one of the top opposition party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has adopted President Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as its consensus candidate ahead of the February 16 presidential elections.
