“Our President is certainly not a liar. Our President and our government have done Nigeria proud when it comes to the conduct of foreign affairs over the last few years and when it comes to building bridges with other nations. This is particularly so when it comes to our relationship with other African countries.” This was part of the reaction by the director of media and publicity for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, to the controversy over telephone conversation between President Goodluck Jonathan and the King of Morocco, which led to the Moroccan government withdrawing its Ambassador to Nigeria. However, Fani-Kayode also roped-in opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) where he said, in a statement today that for APC to even begin to assume that it is true that President Jonathan or any of the government officials lied in this episode with the King of Morocco and for them to so readily accept the suggestion that the government had done anything wrong or that it had somehow misled Nigerians about what actually transpired “speaks volumes.” Fani-Kayode said that President had never told lie, but that the only “liars are the APC and their perfidious and conflicted spokesman, Lai Mohammed.” “Any Nigerian or any Nigerian political party that joins hands with foreigners to denigrate our nation, to belittle our foreign policy, to undermine our credibility in the comity of nations or to work against our country’s vital core interests by assuming the worst about the conduct of our foreign affairs is simply a traitor and is not worthy of being called a Nigerian. “Once again, the APC has shown, by their plea for a clarification on this matter, that they are a party that simply cannot possibly comprehend or grasp the complexities of national leadership or the conduct of foreign affairs. “They have proved that they will always put their own personal and narrow party interests before the interests of our people and our nation. The basic lesson that they need to learn is this: in a time of war, you do not join hands with foreign governments or foreign kings to undermine the interest of your nation or to denigrate your President. [myad]
Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has said that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not afraid of the use of the card reader by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the March/April general elections but that the party’s concern is that no eligible voter should be disenfranchised. The Vice President spoke today against the backdrop of the perceived opposition of the PDP to the use of the card reader, when he met with members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kano State chapter. “One thing I will tell you is that PDP is not afraid of anything, not even the card reader. We are not afraid of the card reader. To be very honest, what we want is free and fair elections. “We don’t want anything to go wrong through the use of the card reader. In one of the States, Ebonyi State, the INEC commissioner there said he is going to repeat the testing and in so many other states there have been problems with the card readersn to the extent that INEC itself has introduced an incidence form. That is why we are saying, look let’s do this thing properly.” Vice President Namadi Sambo said that since 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan has championed free, fair and credible elections, saying that the administration has always emphasised on one man one vote, one woman one vote and one youth one vote. Namadi Sambo said that PDP, will win the general elections because it is a party of Nigeria, adding that the party exists in every local government, every ward and every polling unit. According to him, PDP has a chairman, secretary and at least 12 members of the executive, adding: “so we are everywhere, and there is no party that is like PDP. PDP has remained as PDP since 1998 to date. We have never changed our colour or our name. We are the party for Nigeria and we are Nigerians.” Namadi Sambo said that the party believe in the rule of law, which was why it’s government had signed the Freedom of Information Act. “Even to address the issue of corruption, you must start from a free, fair and credible elections. If you don’t do it, you have not started to address corruption.” The Vice President said the aim of the meeting was to inform the journalists on the inroads the administration had made in positively transforming the socio economic well-being of Nigerians, emphasising that the administration had delivered on all its campaign promises. [myad]
A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the Africa Independent Television (AIT) to stop further broadcast of alleged defamatory documentaries on the Vice Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Professor Yemi Osinbajo. Justice James Tsoho, who made the order of interim injunction, also ordered the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and any other broadcast station under the control of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), to stop airing similar videos forthwith. The judge made the order in positive answer to the ex-parte application brought before him by Osinbajo through his lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) to the effect. The professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) had complained to the court that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), having adjudged him a threat, sponsored documentaries to cause him disaffection in the eye of the public. AIT and NTA had, for weeks running, aired a documentary detailing the “atrocious” of the APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. The stations also had a similar documentary on a national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, chronicling his series of alleged financial misconduct. Osinbajo maintained that the said documentaries, which allegedly contained untrue information and injurious falsehoods, constitute a personal attack on his person. He argued that the videos were being aired in violation of his fundamental human right to dignity of human person, right to privacy and family virtue and right to life and/or livelihood as protected by Sections 33, 34 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution. He had therefore prayed Tsoho for an order of interim injunction restraining AIT, NTA and any other broadcast stations under the control of BON from further disseminating and broadcasting the damaging videos. “Unless the respondents are restrained in the manner requested in this application, damages will be grossly inadequate to compensate or redress the unquantifiable, unwarranted and malicious damage to the applicant’s right to dignity of human person, right to livelihood and privacy guaranteed and protected under Sections 33, 34 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” After listening to submission by Falana, Tsoho ordered that NTA and AIT and any other broadcast station under the control of BON should forthwith stop the broadcast of the damaging documentary which the applicant complained of until the determination of the substantive suit. [myad]
Morocco has recalled its ambassador to Nigeria, in a row over whether the president of Nigeria is trying to use the king of Morocco to win over Muslim voters before Nigeria’s elections this month.
Last week, the Moroccan royal palace said the king had declined a request for a telephone conversation with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. Nigeria’s foreign ministry denied the snub on Monday and said the two leaders had spoken extensively.
“Morocco confirms, in the clearest and strongest terms, that there has never been a phone conversation between the King Mohammed VI and the president of this country,” a statement from the Moroccan foreign ministry said.
The Nigerian foreign ministry said it was “preposterous to suggest that Mr. President’s telephone call to the Moroccan monarch was intended to confer any electoral advantage.”
A spokesman for the ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the recall.
Morocco cited “the hostile, recurrent and unfriendly positions of the Nigerian government with regard to the Moroccan Sahara issue and the sacred Arab-Muslim causes” as a reason for declining Jonathan’s call.
Nigeria is one of the main supporters, along with Algeria and South Africa on the continent, of the independence movement Polisario Front in the disputed Western Sahara.
The territory is a tract of desert the size of Britain that has lucrative phosphate reserves and possibly oil, is the focus of Africa’s longest-running territorial dispute, between Morocco and the Polisario guerrillas.
Nigeria has now qualified for this year’s FIFA Under-20 World Cup which begins on May 30 in New Zealand. They trounced their Congolese opponents today in Senegal by 4-1 in their second game at the ongoing Africa U20 championship.
The Flying Eagles started in brisk fashion and almost opened the scoring after just three minutes at Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar.
Nigeria captain, Musa Muhammed stormed down the right and delivered a dangerous cross which was deflected towards a grateful Pavelh Ndzila in goal for the Congolese.
The Flying Eagles did not have to wait too long to celebrate their first goal though as Ifeanyi Matthew latched on a Bernard Bulbwa pass to slot home past Ndzila on five minutes.
The Nigerians could smell blood and pressed for a second goal which they almost got on seven minutes.
Matthew who was causing all sorts of problems for the opposition early on, got behind the Congolese defence but his goal bound effort was beaten away for a corner in exemplary fashion by Ndzila who was working very hard to earn his stripes.
A minute later, Ndzila had to be alert again to punch away a Mohammed free kick from the right.
Nigeria’s two-goal hero from the first game against Senegal, Taiwo Awoniyi burst into life in the 14th minute when his brilliant pass to Matthew completely carved the Congo defence open.
The striker however fluffed his lines and dragged his shot wide off the goal.
The intensity of the game dropped rather dramatically as Nigeria opted to boss possession and build deliberately while the Congolese defended in numbers and waited for their chance on the break.
On 26 minutes, the game changed dramatically with the sending off of Nigeria’s goalkeeper, Joshua Enaholo who simply had to go after fouling Constantin Bakaki who was honing in on goal.
The dramatic sending off occurred just moments after Nigeria almost made it 2-0 but were again denied by the impeccable Ndzila.
Congo sensed their chance and poured forward in numbers in search of the equalizer but made the fatal error of leaving spaces unmanned at the rear.
They paid the ultimate penalty as Nigeria launched a devastating counter attack after a failed Congo attack just after the half hour.
In living up to the rather unpredictable nature of the game, the Nigerians won a penalty on 33 minutes after Grace Miguel Itoua felled Awoniyi in the Congo penalty area.
Nigeria’s skipper, Muhammed, an individual with nerves of steel, was never going to miss from 12 yards and duly put the Flying 2-0 up with an unerring penalty converted with frightening force.
Nigeria’s numerical disadvantage was however surreptitiously creating spaces at the back and Congo looked to exploit.
In the 37th minute, Hardy Binguila’s curling shot appeared to be heading for the top left hand corner but was beaten away for a corner by Nigeria’s substitute goalkeeper, Olorunleke Ojo.
Congo knew they had to begin the second half in positive fashion and did just that, mustering the first goal attempt but Hardy Binguila’s effort just 40 seconds after the restart was wild and off target.
They continued to attack ceaselessly and on 49 minutes, Dorvel Dibekou Silvere delivered a precise cross which Ganvoula Mboussy headed towards the unmarked Deldy Muriel Goyi in the Nigeria box.
Goyi’s unconventional acrobatic effort was however saved by Ojo.
This Nigerian side is however built on attacking principles and on 51 minutes, they really should have made the score 3-0 but Awoniyi’s free header after he was teed up by the indefatigable Muhammed was miserable at best.
Three minutes later, Congo were again made to pay for attacking without minding their rear as Cosme Andrely Atoni fouled Awoniyi in the box to gift Nigeria a second penalty of the night.
Muhammed stepped up and the result was never in doubt as Ndzila was again beaten in comprehensive fashion from 12 yards.
Congo were however not going down without a fight and on 57 minutes, Silvere Ganvoula Mboussy fired a fearsome drive which was deflected away for a corner.
Nigeria however failed for the second successive game, failed to keep a clean sheet as criminal defending allowed Congo pull a goal back on 63 minutes.
Faria Jobel Ondongo was allowed time and space to cross from the right and the unmarked Mboussy smacked home a volley from eight yards.
Nigeria looked for the instant response and on 65 minutes, Abdullahi Mustapha crossed from the left for Awoniyi to head goal wards but this time, was outstanding with a brilliant save.
The Flying Eagles should have scored a fourth and completely killed off the Congolese fight back on 77 minutes but the onrushing Abdullahi shot well wide after been played through by Matthew’s deft pass.
Awoniyi had been full of running, pace and penetration all evening and he saved the best for last with the game’s best goal on 87 minutes.
He received a long range pass from Matthew, turned his marker, Antoni inside out before firing an unstoppable rocket past Ndzila to send the Nigerian supporters in the stadium into fits of hysteria.
Awoniyi almost completed his brace in added time but watched in frustration as his volley flew just wide off Ndzila’s left hand post.
Nigeria will now face the Ivory Coast in their final preliminary game on Saturday knowing that if they avoid defeat at the Stade Caroline Faye, M’Bour, they will finish as winners of Group A.
Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has admitted that his government took over N80 Billion due to what he called “dwindling economic fortunes” accusing his political opponents for spreading story that the State owes is owing as much as N600 Billion. The Governor said that even out of over N80 Billion which the State had borrowed, N30 Billion has been paid up. Speaking in an interview in Uyo, Governor Akpabio said: “when we realized that the economy was going down in 2013, we decided to go for the first loan, and all we have borrowed as a state amounts to N80billion. So far we have paid back over 30billion.” He said that every penny received by his administration as loan got the approval of the State House of Assembly, adding: “I have not collected any loan without the approval of the State House of Assembly, because you must convince the lawmakers on why you need to collect the loan and of course show them the capability to pay back, and the banks cannot give you the facility when they are not sure that you can pay back.” He said that the debt of the State is minimal considering the quantum of development projects that dot the landscape of Akwa Ibom. According to him, some of the projects are money spinners that are capable of generating revenue for the state. He listed some of them to include the State International Airport, the world class hotels, the specialist hospital, as well as the independent power plant which despite some challenges is now generating 110mw to the national grid. Governor Akpabio said all these were achieved even when the State’s allocation which was over N15billion before he assumed office in 2007, had since dropped to N12billion, a difficult trend considering the State’s salary wage bill of N5billion, pensions and outstanding bank debts and a low internally generated revenue profile.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has said that the governors of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have disappointed Nigerians when they gathered in Lagos only to discussed the personality of the Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari instead of the issues that affect common people in the country.
Oshiomhole, who spoke today in Benin said that it was not in his character to join those who want to move away from the issues focusing on personality and irrelevant issues, but that the issue is about policy choices.
“It is about leadership, it is about security and wellbeing. I would have thought PDP who have addressed how they can justify a regime in which in the name of privatization, they allowed private individuals to collect money, what they call fixed charges when there is no power supply.
“That is how the real rural poor are being defrauded. Why we should trillions of naira be spent on kerosene and yet poor people instead of paying N50, PDP made them to pay N15. So even the poor are being defrauded of N100.
“Those are the issues I expect PDP Governors to address. I expect the PDP Governors to address why they inherited a currency that was exchanging at N75 to a dollar in 1999 when PDP took over Governance and that as they were in Lagos talking about Buhari’s security of tenure, that naira is now N230 to one US dollar and everything is going up.
“IMF is already saying that even this number is not sustainable that you will have to suffer more devaluation. Those are the issues we ordinary Nigerians want the ruling party to address and if indeed they have no answers to these questions, they should not worry about how long Buhari will govern, what matters is how well he will govern.”
Governors Oshiomhole regretted that the PDP showed more worry over the tenure General Buhari would make when he is elected in March 28 election, adding “PDP Governors said many other things that do not make sense. I read one of their statements that General Buhari has signed an agreement that he is going to do only one term, and that the North would be short-charged, that is what they claim. That is fine. That means they accept that Buhari will win the election, but they are only worried about how long he will be there for and if that should be the burden of the PDP, it tells you that they have exhausted everything.
“For me, they have accepted defeat by just saying that it is now their burden whether somebody rules for one term or not but remember that there are many great men, assuming without conceding that that is an issue.
“Mandela is celebrated round the world, American Presidents, European leaders, they all competed for space to attend his funeral. He was in office for only five years. So statesmen are not judged by how many years they occupy an office for but the impact they make in the life of a nation.”
All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Organisation has described Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu as an incurable liar afflicted with the diarrhoea of the mouth.
In a statement, the Director of Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu said that claims by Governor Aliyu that presidential candidate of APC, General Muhammadu Buhari signed a single tenure pact is a figment of his imagination, jaundiced, ill-motivated and irresponsible.
Garba Shehu said that Aliyu has made a bad career of misguided claims of this nature in which he presents himself as a clairvoyant fly perching on the walls of political meetings across the country.
The APC Presidential Campaign Organisation Spokesman dismissed Governor Aliyu’s recent vituperation and insinuation as the outbursts of a perpetual rabble-rouser, amateurish ethno-religious propagandist and unrepentant mischief-maker bent on stocking division and disaffection in the APC.
Garba Shehu said that the APC Campaign is, however not surprised at Governor Aliyu’s blatant lies considering that he has also been at the centre of controversy of being in possession of a letter in which his party’s presidential candidate signed onto a one-term pact with governors of the ruling party.
“When has this Governor of a grossly underdeveloped state suddenly become a clairvoyant who knows what obtains in places where he was never present or represented? Is he an APC member? If not, how and where did he get his information from? And what Northern Nigeria is he representing? Nigerians are wiser now and they know what to do come March 28 and April 11. For the time being, our suggestion to Governor Babangida is that he should use the balance of his time in office to right a few wrongs in his state, currently adjudged as the most lacking in the North when it comes to development.”
There was a mild drama today in the Nigerian Senate, when Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators used their majority to clear and confirmed Musiliu Obanikoro as a federal minister, even as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senators who insisted that Obanikoro should be made to answer questions on his role in Ekitigate walked out.
The PDP Senators, led by the Senate President, David Mark asked Obanikoro to take a bow with regard to the fact that he was a former senator too.
Obanikoro, who resigned from the federal cabinet to contest the primaries of PDP for the governorship of Lagos state but failed, was brought back by President Goodluck Jonathan. Obanikoro was subsequently named in a leaked tape as a principal actor in the Ekiti state’s governorship election rigging in 2014. The Nigerian government has refused to investigate the claims.
The Senate approved Obanikoro’s nomination as a minister today after repeated deferments and despite protests from senators from Lagos State and other opposition APC senators who had vowed to stop the clearance until he clears himself from the Ekiti electoral scandal.
A court in Ivory Coast HAS sentenced former first lady, Simone Gbagbo to a 20-year prison term on charges of “undermining state security” during post-election violence in 2010-2011 that left nearly 3,000 dead.
“The court, after deliberation, unanimously condemns the 65-year-old wife of former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo to 20-years in prison, court president Tahirou Dembele stated. Prosecutors had asked for a 10-year sentence.
The trial is viewed as the biggest judicial challenge faced by the post-crisis government of the West African nation.
Violence broke out in Ivory Coast in 2010 when Laurent Gbagbo refused to cede power to his rival Alassane Ouattara, who was declared the winner of a presidential poll.
Laurent Gbagbo himself has been held for three years in The Hague facing charges of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC). But Ivory Coast has repeatedly refused to hand his wife over to the ICC on the same charge.
The presidential couple was arrested April 11, 2011 after five months of fierce fighting following a final push by French forces against their residence.
Fervently Christian but ruthless by reputation, Simone Gbagbo has never sought to deny exercising political influence after her husband rose to power in 2000 elections in which former prime minister Ouattara was barred from standing on the grounds he was a foreigner.
“All the ministers respect me, and they often consider me above them. I’ve got what it takes to be a minister,” she told the French newsweekly l’Express in 2001, justifying her stance after a life she said had been dedicated to activism.
“I engaged in political struggle against the former regime alongside men. I spent six months in prison, I was beaten, molested, left for dead. After all those trials, it’s logical that people don’t mess with me.”
Test for justice
A key issue in her trial was whether she played a part in directing the death squads that ran amok in the weeks after the disputed vote.
Judicial authorities argued that the proceedings were a test of the west African country’s capacity to conduct a fair trial, while contributing to national reconciliation.
As observers noted at the December 26 opening of her case — when Gbagbo appeared in a bright yellow dress, carefully plaited hair and a defiant air — she is not inclined to wilt in the face of adversity.
Born in the predominantly Christian south in 1949 as one of 18 children of a policeman, she studied linguistics and history before becoming a trade union activist.
“God is on our side, God is with us,”
she told a joyful crowd after her husband
rejected electoral defeat. “God has already given us victory.”
Her militancy led to a jail term in the 1970s for openly criticising then President Felix Houphouet-Boigny — Ivory Coast’s first leader after independence from France in 1960 — when he rejected opposition calls for multi-party elections.
She and Laurent Gbagbo married in 1989 after founding the opposition socialist Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), and she was later elected to parliament in the world’s leading cocoa producer.
Her husband sought to change relations with former colonial master Paris, arguing that previous regimes had been servile, and the first lady proved a fierce critic of “neo-colonialism”, once famously describing France’s former president Nicolas Sarkozy — a main mover in her husband’s downfall — as “the devil”.
Supporters of Simone Gbagbo’s commitment to political causes hailed her as “the Hillary Clinton of the tropics”.
But for detractors, the “Iron Lady” became the “Blood Lady”, amid allegations by human rights activists that the regime used teams of killers to deal with opponents.
Those concerns were reinforced when she was implicated by a French judicial inquiry into the sinister disappearance of French-Canadian journalist Guy-Andre Kieffer in Ivory Coast in 2004.
Gbagbo frequently mingled politics with the evangelical faith she practised after “miraculously” surviving a car crash and starting prayer meetings at the presidential palace.
“God is on our side, God is with us,” she told a joyful crowd after her husband rejected electoral defeat. “God has already given us victory.”
Families of victims have said previously they cannot win even if Gbagbo is convicted by a domestic court, while rights monitors had been keen to see how far the trial may venture in tackling crimes against humanity on home ground. [myad]
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
