The Leader of the Senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), has been defeated by his rival, John Owan-Enoh in the primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Cross River central senatorial district which was held in Ikom yesterday. Ndoma-Egba described the process and the outcome as a sham.
Ndoma-Egba, who addressed journalists in his residence in Calabar hours after Owan-Enoh had been declared winner of the primary election, rejected the result even as he saw it as setting the nation’s democracy backward.
He also gave indication that he would challenge the process and outcome of the primary, which he described as fraudulent, through the internal mechanisms established by the PDP.
Pointing out flaws that characterised the conduct of the primary which held at the Ikom Local Government Secretariat, Ndoma-Egba said: “Well, It was a complete sham. I can say confidently that if what I saw is what is going on, then our democracy is clearly in recession.
“Usually, when we do primaries, we start by publishing the delegates lists, so that people get to know who the delegates are, and those who will be participating in the exercise. In today’s instance, there were two lists in circulation, so we don’t even know which one was used.
The incumbent Senators, Barnabas Gemade and Mike Onoja withdrew for governor Gabriel Suswam and Senator David Mark respectively in the Benue state primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday.
Consequently, the Senate President and the governor have secured tickets to contest the senatorial election with other political parties in the 2015 general elections.
Mike Mku also secured the party’s ticket for his senatorial zone.
The primary for Benue South Senatorial District was held at the Otukpo local government secretariat.
Announcing the results on Sunday in Otukpo, the Returning Officer for the election, John Akume, said Senator Mark scored 384 votes to pick the party’s ticket while his only rival, Mike Onoja, withdrew from the race hours to its commencement.
Mark has represented the zone, comprising Otukpo, Okpokwu, Ado, Ogbadibo, Agatu, Oju, Obi, Ohimini and Apa local government councils at the senate for since 1999.
At the Akume Atongo stadium, where the primaries for the Benue North East Senatorial seat held, Gabriel Suswam polled 312 votes to emerge the winner.
In a post-election speech, Suswam thanked the people of the zone for their support during his tenure as governor and for nominating him as their flag bearer for the 2015 general elections.
At the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi, the returning officer for the Benue North West Senatorial District, Bob Nenge, said Mike Mku polled 168 votes to beat three others.
The others were former Speaker, Benue House of Assembly, Terseer Tsumba, Laha Dzever and Sam Bula.
According to the results, Tsumba scored 56 votes, Mr. Bula got 3 votes while Mr. Dzever scored 101 votes.
Speaking to newsmen after the contest, Mku commended the electoral panel for conducting a free and fair election and promised to work hard to ensure victory for the party in 2015.
He appealed to the losers to join him for the overall victory of the party at the general elections.
Mku is set to meet Sen George Akume, who is a consensus aspirant on the platform of the APC at the 2015 general elections. [myad]
The sour relationship between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan appears to have deteriorated at the weekend as an Abuja court has stopped a book written by Obasanjo and scheduled to be launched this week. The book has three volumes with the third volume dedicated to happenings in government after Obasanjo left government in 2007.
The third part is believed to have highly uncomplimentary details of the incompetence of President Jonathan in handling several national issues. The book also had details of an attempt made by Obasanjo to help Jonathan resolve some national issues that have now ballooned into a major catastrophe for the country.
One Mr. Kashamu Buruji, who is believed to be fronting for the President, got a court injunction from an Abuja federal high court judge, stopping Obasanjo from publishing or circulating the book.
According to court documents, Alex Izinyon (SAN) filed a lawsuit (FCT/HC/M/2392/2014) on behalf of Kasahmu last week seeking an injunction restraining Obasanjo from publishing or circulating his autobiography.
The court judge, Valentine Ashi, granted an order on Friday to Kashamu barring Obasanjo from publishing or circulating the book until the substantive case is resolved before the court. The case is adjourned to December 10. [myad]
An umbrella body of medical doctors in Nigeria, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has recommended that all politicians seeking various offices in the next general elections should be made to undergo psychiatric tests to determine their mental state.
In a communiqué at the end of the National Executive Council meeting in Jos, NMA said that all psychiatric doctors have been advised to register with the Independent National Electoral Commission who will supervise such tests.
NMA National President, Dr. Kayode Obembe, who read the communiqué today, said that such tests have become necessary because of the manner some political office holders have conducted themselves.
The communiqué asked medical doctors to register to participate in the political process at all levels. It also asked them to register as polling officers to assist INEC to conduct free and fair elections.
The communiqué clarified issues on the strike embarked upon by some doctors, saying that NMA is not on strike, but would continue to keep services running and would not succumb to blackmail.
The communiqué expressed reservations at the level of services in the health care delivery, which has been compounded by the unhealthy power tussle among the medical practitioners. [myad]
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has asked Nigerians not to take the Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, serious over his current verbal attacks on him even as he released a letter Fayose wrote to him about two years ago, begging him over previous insults, adding that he will soon come seeking for forgiveness again.
Governor Fayose had last week in Ile Ife, Osun State, lambasted Obasanjo over what he what called Obasanjo’s unnecessary outbursts on President Goodluck Jonathan.
Also, Fayose had on Friday condemned Thursday’s visit of five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors to former President Obasanjo, saying the visit would further encourage disrespect for the office of the president of Nigeria.
Fayose said: “visiting Obasanjo to plead with him to rescind his decision not to participate in the party’s activities was capable of encouraging other members of the party to openly disrespect the office of President and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria as being done by Obasanjo.”
Governor Fayose also called for “immediate suspension of the former president from the PDP for anti-party activities,” and contended that “a man who has refused to respect the office of the President of Nigeria that he once occupied does not also deserve respect from anyone.”
However, a letter to Obasanjo by governor Fayose, dated 26th June, 2012, was made available to newsmen recently. The letter read: “Dear Baba, “There is no denying the fact that my relationship with you has gone sour as a result of my action and inaction which have definitely caused you embarrassment in public and this has marred our very good father-son relationship in the past.
“I take responsibility for my overreaction and disrespect to your person which is most regretted, I am indeed sorry.
“I pray that God will give you the grace to let go of the past knowing fully well that I am human and therefore not infallible especially considering the circumstances surrounding my removal from office.
“To further buttress my willingness to seek peace with you, I could recall that I had made several efforts to this effect by consulting your close allies in the persons of Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), Chief Omilani and Pastor Oyedepo amongst others.
“Lastly, kindly disregard all insinuations or political blackmailing suggestive of my doing or saying anything contradicting my present disposition as contained in this letter.
“My reconciliation with your goodself may not go down well with some of my political opponents, but you remain the father of all.
Police and civilians today, in California, the United States of America, clashed over a spate of recent killings, by the police, of young African American suspects. The civilians, in the confusion that ensued, were believed to have looted shops and hurled objects at police and injured several officers.
Some of the civilian protesters were said to have launched canisters of smoke and tear gas back at police, while others could be seen smashing store windows with skateboards.
Police spokeswoman, Jennifer Coats said: “several splinter groups broke off and began hurling bricks, pipe, smoke grenades, and other missiles at officers. Numerous officers were struck, and one officer was struck with a large sandbag and treated at a local hospital for a dislocated shoulder.”
Several buildings were damaged, including a bank and grocery store, while numerous civilian and police cars were also vandalized.
Coats said that police in Berkeley used tear gas against the crowd as some demonstrators smashed store windows and looted shops, but said that the number of arrests and injuries was not known.
One of the demontrators who would not give her name asked: “why are you people looting? There’s no need, we’re peacefully protesting you shouldn’t be taking stuff from stores that aren’t bothering us.”
Thousands of demonstrators gathered across the United States yesterday for a fourth consecutive night to condemn a grand jury decision not to charge the white officer in the July 17 chokehold death of black father of six Eric Garner in New York.
Protests were largely peaceful from New York, where “die-ins” were staged as people lay down in Grand Central Station to Washington, where several roads and a central bridge were closed.
Civil rights activist Al Sharpton’s National Action Network held an event in Harlem attended by actor Spike Lee, and in Chicago, NBA star Derrick Rose warmed up for a game in a T-shirt bearing the words “I Can’t Breathe.”
Those were the final words gasped by 43-year-old Garner, whom police wrestled to the ground in New York’s Staten Island for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes.
The decision not to indict the officer comes after another grand jury in the St Louis suburb Ferguson also decided not to indict a white officer who shot dead Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager.
That decision also sparked angry protests in the largely black suburb of Ferguson, which has a mostly white police force.
And last month, a 12-year-old African American boy brandishing a toy gun was shot dead by police only seconds after they arrived at the scene.
The deaths have sparked outrage across the country, as well as a national debate on race relations and police tactics. [myad]
The first set of primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State has raised hope for the party’s governorship aspirant, Sir Tony Obuh who is apparently coasting home to victory, as some frontline aspirants have started aligning with him. Available information over the weekend had it that the aspirants believe that with the emergence of Obuh’s supporters from virtually all the local governments of the state as delegates to the governorship primaries, the pendulum of victory appears to be swinging towards his side. The governorship primaries of the PDP is scehduled to all over the country tomorrow. The results of the initial primaries indicated that Obuh’s camp clinched 21 local governments as against two for Senator Okowa, one for Chief Godswill Obielum and one for Ndudi Elumelu. Those for Obuh who picked their constituency tickets included Lady Angela Nwaka from Aniocha South; Uzoma Idabor from Aniocha North; Hon. Isaac Ulebor from Ika South; Hon. Tim Owhefere from Isoko North; Barrister Orezi Esievo from Isoko South Constituency I; Hon. Johnson Erijo from Isoko South Constituency 11; Hon. Peter Onwusanya from Oshimili South; Hon. Pat Ajudua from Oshimili North; Erhiatake Ibori from Ethiope West; Comrade Izeze Rume Reuben from Ughelli South; Samuel Mariere from Ughelli North I; Prince Eric Oharisi from Ughelli North II; Olorogun Arthur Akpowowo from Ethiope East; and Chief Sheriff Oborevwori from Okpe. Others are Efe Ofobruku from Uvwie; Hon. Godwin Toristseju Abigor from Warri South Constituency I; Hon. Denis Omovie from Warri South Constituency 11; Hon. Daniel Mayuku from Warri South West; Hon. Dan Yingi from Burutu Constituency 1; Hon. Kennedy Daubry from Burutu Constituency II; Hon. Monday Igbuya from Sapele; Hon. Azuka Azaka from Ndokwa West; Hon. Alphonsus Ojo from Ukwuani; and Pius Labo from Bomadi. Senator Ifeanyi Okowa clinched Ika North East and Warri North while Tony Elekeokwuri and Chief Michael Diden claimed the tickets respectively, as Ndudi Elumelu’s campaign manager, Chief Moses Odibo won in Udu and Godswill Obielum taking Ndokwa East with Friday Osanebi picking the ticket. All the other governorship aspirants were defeated in their various local governments, including Hon. Victor Ochie, Prof. Sylvester Monye and Chief Ndudi Elumelu, whose candidates lost to Uzoma Idabor in Aniocha North Local Government Area. Reports say some of the aspirants are already negotiating with the Obuh camp with the possibility of stepping down for him ahead of the forthcoming governorship primaries.
An American Airbus A330 with 129 passengers was forced to make an emergency landing in Rome when sixteen people aboard it started vomiting and suffering from red eyes. The entire crew members were also taken ill.
According to information, the stench of vomit by the passengers and the crew could be smelt from the cabin, alerting those on board to the problem.
Ill passengers and crew members were taken by ambulance to a medical facility at Fiumicino Airport, near Rome, where the plane touched down at 1.38am local time.
Passengers noticed the pong at some point between the take-off at 11.30pm from Tel Aviv and the Rome landing three hours later.
A top official of the airline said: “the aircraft, an Airbus A330 with 129 passengers, landed safely in Rome early Saturday morning and all passengers have been re-accommodated on other flights.
“Two passengers and the crew were evaluated by medical personnel and have since been released.”
The flight had taken off from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv at 11:30pm Friday, bound for Philadelphia International Airport. [myad]
Youths suspected to be political thugs, today, invaded the Bayelsa State Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and held the party’s Election Committee members, led by Idi Adamu hostage for hours, even as policemen released sporadic gunfire to scare the invading youths away.
Reports reaching us indicated that despite the large presence of security operatives, the thugs still went wild and attempted to hijack materials for the conduct of the Federal House of Representatives primaries in the state.
Some journalists who had positioned in the area to witness the distribution of materials for the exercise were forced to run for cover. The incident, according to eyewitnesses, occurred at about 12:00noon
The thugs reportedly arrived the PDP Secretariat in a White Sienna Spacewagon, armed with dangerous weapons including guns.
The invaders were said to have searched those coming out of the secretariat ostensibly for materials meant for the election.
While members of the PDP State Working Committee were thrown into confusion, passersby and commuters along the D.S.P Alamieyeseigha Way took to their heels.
The youths were said to have dispersed and the hostages freed when security reinforcement were deployed to the complex.
It was learnt that the election committee chairman, who had earlier addressed the journalists to witness the distribution of election materials, suspended the conduct of the primaries into the five federal constituencies of the state due to the perceived security threats. This however could not be confirmed.
Party faithful from the Yenagoa and Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituencies of the state nonetheless held the primaries in Yenagoa and Sagbama respectively. [myad]
Premier League leaders Chelsea got the shock of its life today when, for the first time, it faced the defeat of the season in the hands of Newcastle with 2-1. It was a dramatic encounter at St James’ Park.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was looking for a first ever League win at Newcastle but Papiss Cisse came off the bench to put the hosts 2-0 up.
The Magpies then had Steven Taylor sent off and Didier Drogba pulled a goal back for Chelsea but the hosts held on to secure a famous win.
Chelsea were comfortably the better side for the first half-hour and Willian twice put shots from the edge of the area just wide of Rob Elliot’s post, while Gary Cahill headed over from a Cesc Fabregas corner.
However, the hosts eventually roused themselves and almost took the lead when Ayoze Perez played in Jack Colback with a delightful little reverse pass, only for Thibaut Courtois to charge off his line and pull off a fine save.
But the visitors finished the half in the ascendancy and Oscar was not far wide with an acrobatic overhead kick just before half-time.
Newcastle goalkeeper Elliot picked up an injury when making a clearance just before the interval and had to be replaced by Jak Alnwick.
And the promising youngster was soon called into action, punching a Fabregas free-kick clear as Chelsea made a lively start to the second period.
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew decided a further change was necessary and his decision to bring Cisse on for Remy Cabella paid a swift dividend.
Moussa Sissoko made inroads down the left before setting up Sammy Ameobi for a low cross which Cahill failed to cut out at the near post, allowing Cisse (57) to turn the ball into the net from close range.
Sissoko then headed over the bar after the ball had bounced around following a corner, and Mourinho decided his side needed a revamp.
Andre Schurrle came on, and swiftly tested Alnwick with a low effort from 30 yards out, and he was soon followed off the bench by Drogba and Filipe Luis.
Chelsea began to dominate possession but Newcastle defended valiantly, led by captain Fabricio Coloccini, who brilliantly blocked a Diego Costa shot.
And Eden Hazard was then unlucky to see a shot come back off the post after he had been picked out in the box by Branislav Ivanovic.
But Newcastle then stunned the leaders by doubling their lead with a breakaway goal.
The hosts worked it neatly in the middle of the park, allowing Colback to play Sissoko in on goal and, although the midfielder got his legs in a mess and seemed to have squandered the chance, he poked the ball across to Cisse (78), who calmly fired into the empty net.
Chelsea were on the ropes but they got a lifeline when Taylor picked up his second yellow card of the match for a lunge on Schurrle 30 yards out.
And there was even greater encouragement for the visitors when Fabregas chipped the subsequent free-kick into the goal mouth and Drogba (83) got there before Alnwick to nod Chelsea right back into contention.
With seven minutes left, plus ample injury-time, Chelsea laid siege to the Newcastle goal and Alnwick produced a great save to tip a Costa shot over the bar.
The Newcastle goalkeeper then kept out a raking Luis drive from distance but there were more scares to come in six minutes of injury-time.
However, Ivanovic shot wide and Drogba glanced a header the wrong side of the post from Chelsea’s point of view, as Newcastle hung on to triumph after a tumultuous second-half which opened up the Premier League title race. [myad]
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