Tag Archives: Senator

BREAKING: Customs impounds 13 vehicles from Kano Senator – The Cable

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The comptroller-general of customs (CGC) compliance task force has sealed off the residence of a senator from Kano state after seizing 13 vehicles allegedly hidden there.

Bala Dole, task force zonal commander, made this known on Monday, revealing that the vehicles were 12 new Toyota Hilux and one Land Cruiser Jeep.

Dole, who declined to name the senator, said the vehicles were trailed from Maigatari in Jigawa, following an intelligence report.

He said 210 other vehicles were seized, alongside other items, including foodstuff worth N269.5 million in Kano and Jigawa states, within eight months.

“Based on the intelligence report, the vehicles were 30 in number but we were able to trail 13 of them 12 of which were hidden in the senator’s compound,” he said.

“We sealed the house and retrieved the vehicles and they are now in our custody.”

He said the other items the task force confiscated during special operations include; 9,757 bags of rice, 2,916 of foreign supergetti, 2,770 cartons of foreign vegetable oil and 999 cartons of macaroni.

Dole said others were; 889 veils of second hand clothes, 50 used school bags, 110 cartons of new foreign shoes, 956 bags of mosquito coil and six fairly used cars.

“The total value of the seizure made by the task force since it was established in July 2016, excluding the 13 Senator’s vehicles, is N269.5 million,” he said.

“We are yet to determine the cost of the 13 vehicles belonging to the senator.”

 

Source: The Cable

Labour Party’s only senator, Omo-Agege decamps to APC

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Ovie Omo-Agege, senator representing Delta central, on Tuesday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He cited the crisis in the LP as the reason for his defection.

Speaking on the ?floor of the senate where he announced his defection, Omo-Agege cited ?section 68 (1) (g) as the basis of dumping the Labour Party for the APC.

“Being a person whose election to the house was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that house was elected; Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored?,” Section 68 (1) (g) ?reads.

With his defection, the number of the APC ?senators has risen to 66 while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 42.

Youth absence in governement responsible for recession – Ben Murray Bruce

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The senator representing Bayelsa East constituency in the National Assembly, Ben Murray-Bruce, has argued that the absence of youth participation in governance is responsible for Nigeria’s economic recession.

 

He noted that the country had only experienced recession twice, and that on both occasions, Nigeria was not being led by youth.

 

Taking to his twitter handle, Murray-Bruce had written, “Youths have tremendous potential. Nigeria has only gone into recession twice in her history and at both times, we were not led by youths.”

 

According to official figures, Nigeria has about 70 per cent youth population — which is approximately 80 million.

Court orders senator to pay damages for slapping newspaper vendor

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A High Court in Uyo has ordered a former senator from Akwa Ibom State, Anietie Okon, to pay N100,000 as damages to a newspaper vendor, Ndifreke Etim, whom he assaulted last year in Uyo.

Mr. Etim, who walks around the city of Uyo, hawking newspapers, had told the court that Mr. Okon slapped him multiple times inside Government House, Uyo, in September last year.

The assault occurred around the state banquet hall where the vendor had gone with the hope of making quick sales during the swearing-in of a new chairman of Akwa Ibom State Council of Traditional Rulers.

Mr. Etim claimed that three able-bodied men, who may have been Mr. Okon’s bodyguards, stood by to watch as the former senator kept slapping him.

“When he finished slapping me, he accused me of stealing his wallet. But God knows I am not a thief, I sell newspapers to take care of myself and my family,” Mr. Etim had told PREMIUM TIMES in November, shortly after the incident.

“He didn’t even search me to see if I had his wallet on me or not.”

The victim, backed by the Newspaper Distributors Association of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State chapter, filed a civil suit against the former senator.

“I didn’t really think of reporting the case to the police; I wanted it sorted out in court,” said the vendor.

The court, presided over by Justice Winifred Effiong, held that the action of the former senator was degrading, and that it was against Mr. Etim’s right to the dignity of his person as guaranteed by Section 34(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as well as the African Charter on human and people’s right.

The court, besides granting an order that Mr. Okon should pay N100,000 as damages to Mr. Etim, also granted an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the former senator or his agents from further breaching of the applicant’s fundamental human rights.

It also ordered the former senator to pay additional N50, 000 as cost of the litigation to Mr. Etim.

“I am glad that the court has been bold enough to tell the senator that what he did against me was wrong,” Mr. Etim told PREMIUM TIMES. “It’s not about the money.”

When contacted, the former senator, Mr. Okon, said he was yet to get a copy of the court judgment.

Mr. Etim was represented in the case by Ndianabasi Udofia, while Mr. Okon was represented by Esther Archibong.

Nigerian Senator ‘secures’ federal jobs for 300 graduates

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A Zamfara Senator, Kabiru Marafa, says he has secured employment for more than 300 unemployed graduates in the past five years.

 

The chairman of the Senator’s Relief and Assistance Committee, Ahmad Mai’aya, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Gusau.

 

Mr. Mai’aya said that from 2011 to date “we have over 300 graduates with degree, HND and Diploma/NCE who got employment with various Federal Government organizations through Senator Kabiru Marafa”.

 

“We are now making arrangements to come up with special skills acquisition and entrepreneurship scheme for secondary school leavers which we hope to commence in 2017.

 

“We have provided capital to women in Gusau, Maru, Bungudu and Tsafe local government councils aimed at supporting them to improve their businesses,” Mr. Mai’aya said.

 

According to him, “we are very serious on providing employment to our teeming youth in fulfilment of promises made to people during our campaigns”.

 

He said the provision of employment to youth was among the promises of the APC.

 

“I am therefore calling on political office holders to emulate the Senator and introduce relevant programmes to improve the lives of our people,” he said.

Senator gives varsity students, others N70m

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The Senator representing the Cross River Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, John Owan-Enoh, has awarded scholarships valued at N70m to 700 university students and other beneficiaries, as part of his educational support programme.

The beneficiaries were drawn from the six local government areas in the senatorial district, namely Abi, Yakurr, Obubra, Etung, Ikom and Boki.

A breakdown of the categories in the 66 electoral wards showed that 60 postgraduate students got N100,000 each, while 660 undergraduates received N50,000 each.

Also, 1, 320 senior secondary school pupils received N15,000 each and 111 pupils in the junior category got N5,000 each, while  more than 1,000 candidates seeking admission into higher institutions were given N6,000 each.

Presenting the cheques to the beneficiaries in Ikom on Sunday, Owan-Enoh said that the gesture was aimed at assisting the beneficiaries in the pursuit of their academic careers.

He said that the programme was part of his responsibility and sacrifice to the people of the constituency, despite the economic recession.

Owan-Enoh said, “I am not doing this because I have so much money; but because of the love, sacrifice and a sense of responsibility to the people of my constituency.

“I am indebted to the people of the Central Senatorial District, who toiled with me and kept faith during the time of my campaigns.”

The senator said that each of the 66 wards had equal number of beneficiaries and advised the beneficiaries to make proper use of the opportunity.

Speaking on behalf of the local government areas, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academics, University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi, described Owan-Enoh as an excellent performer.

While commending the lawmaker for the gesture, she called on the beneficiaries to take advantage of the support to fulfil their dreams.

US senator pushes to abolish electoral college after Trump win.

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A California senator introduced legislation Tuesday to rid the United States of its electoral college, the system that allowed Donald Trump to win the presidency despite Hillary Clinton’s lead of nearly one million votes.

The measure comes amid calls for reform following last Tuesday’s presidential upset, but is a long-shot.

“This is the only office in the land where you can get more votes and still lose the presidency,” said Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer, who introduced the measure.

The US Constitution specifies that the electoral college ultimately decides the presidential election, not the popular vote.

Each US state is given a number of electors, which corresponds to the size of the state’s population.

In 48 of 50 states, rules require all of a state’s electors to cast their votes for whichever candidate wins the popular vote there, in a winner-take-all system.

Under these rules, the winner of the electoral college vote does not always correspond to the candidate who won the country’s popular vote.

“The electoral college is an outdated, undemocratic system that does not reflect our modern society, and it needs to change immediately. Every American should be guaranteed that their vote counts,” Boxer said.

Although Clinton received nearly 800,000 more votes than Trump, according to the latest partial results, she lost in the electoral college.

The electoral vote is at 290 for Trump and 232 for Clinton, although one state has yet to be called. No matter its turnout, they do not have enough electors to bring Clinton a win.

More than 4.3 million people have signed a petition on the change.org website asking the college’s 538 electors to elect Clinton on December 19, when their votes will be officially counted.

But because 26 states legally mandate that electors vote according to the rules and it is almost unprecedented for the remaining states’ electors to disobey, there is little possibility of a Clinton presidency.

Clinton’s popular vote performance brings to mind the 2000 election, when Democrat Al Gore lost the White House despite taking 48.4 percent of the popular vote to George W. Bush’s 47.9 percent.

Hundreds of Constitutional amendments have been proposed over the decades concerning the electoral college, but none has succeeded.

Amending the Constitution requires the agreement of two-thirds of Congress and ratification by three-quarters of the states.

Trump himself had strongly criticized the electoral college in 2012 calling it a “disaster.” On Tuesday, however, he changed his tune.

“The Electoral College is actually genius in that it brings all states, including the smaller ones, into play. Campaigning is much different!” Trump tweeted.

Nigerian Senate probes Rotimi Amaechi

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The Nigerian Senate has resolved to probe the country’s Ministry of Transport headed by Rotimi Amaechi over the procedure leading to concession of Port Harcourt-Maiduguri and Lagos-Kano rail lines to General Electric, GE, a U.S. conglomerate.

Mr. Amaechi had in an interview with CNBC in June announced Nigeria’s engagement with GE regarding the concession of Western and Eastern rail lines – Lagos to Kano and Port Harcourt to Maiduguri respectively – worth around $2 billion.

“GE is already in; we are trying to get the government agencies to allow us negotiate with GE,” Mr. Amaechi said. “The company is going to bring in over $2 billion in the Nigerian railway sector in which they are going to revive the Lagos-Kano narrow gauge and revive the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri narrow gauge by private investment.”

Due to lack of funds, concessioning appears the method of choice of the Muhammadu Buhari administration for major projects. Apart from the rail lines, the government has also announced its decision to concession Nigeria’s four major international airports.

But in a motion at the Senate on Tuesday, Akpan Bassey (PDP-Cross River) said Mr. Amaechi violated the Public Enterprises (Privatization and Commercialization) Act, 1999 by “unilaterally engaging General Electric for the concessioning of the Western and Eastern Rail Lines.”

Mr. Bassey, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Gas, said upon approval of the of the project by the National Privatization Council in April 2015, twilight of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure, the Bureau of Public Enterprises and the Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility had developed a roadmap.

He said the BPE had engaged the Global Infrastructure Facility and the World Bank in discussions on how to access funds to manage the project before Mr. Amaechi’s “unilateral” deal with GE.

Following the motion, the Senate resolved to refer the matter to its committees on privatization, finance, land transport, anti-corruption and financial crimes, trade and investment for further actions.

The GE engagement, however, has the backing of President Buhari who announced it in his Independence Day speech.

“General Electric is investing two point two billion USD in a concession to revamp, provide rolling stock, and manage the existing lines, including the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Line. The Lagos-Calabar railway will also be on stream soon,” the president said.

AMAECHI’S CHALLENGES

During the 2016 budget process, Mr. Amaechi had a fractious relationship with the National Assembly over the Lagos-Calabar coastal rail project which the legislature did not include initially, after passing the budget.

The project was not in the original appropriation bill presented to the lawmakers by Mr. Buhari, but was forwarded through the committee on land transport as a supplementary proposal of the transport ministry.

Mr. Amaechi was also recently under the spotlight, after he was accused by two Supreme Court judges of trying to manipulate judgements in favour of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress. He has denied the allegations while the judges, as well as seven others have been suspended pending conclusion of corruption charges against them.

Enugu Herdsmen’s Attack: Senator, Others Call For State Of Emergency

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Angry voices have continued to rise over last Thursday’s attack, by suspected Fulani herdsmen, on Ndiagu Attakwu community in Nkanu-West Local Government Area of Enugu State that left a seminarian and a woman dead, and three others critically wounded.
With the reported death of the second victim of the attack, the Councillors’ Forum, an association of former and current Councillor’s in the state has called for an immediate ban on grazing in the state.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after their visit of the community, leader of the Councillors Forum Hon. Chidiebere Oko, noted that the situation has become so serious that it should no longer be treated with kid gloves.
“Just as we condemn the act, we cannot continue to fold our arms not knowing what tomorrow has in stock. This is getting out of hand and it is time to act. We have, thus, decided as a body, to call for an immediate ban on any form of grazing across the length and breadth of Enugu State.” Oko said.
He called on the state House of Assembly to urgently make a legislation outlawing grazing in Enugu State “be it by Fulani people or any other person for that matter.”
Reacting to the attack, the Senate Committee Chairman on Communications, Gilbert Nnaji, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on activities of herders in the country, while others, including the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), and Igbo Ohanaeze Media Forum have called for various measures ranging from introduction of bills criminalising indiscriminate grazing to outright ban of buying and selling of cow meat by the Igbos.
The Senator, while condoling with families of the victims, warned that until governments at all levels recognise the menace as a national concern, all the public outcries would amount to nothing.
He added that apart from ensuring that the perpetrators of this dastardly act are brought to book as a deterrent to further attacks, the Federal Government should come up with stringent measures to tackle the issue once and for all, in the interest of the country.
The senator had made a similar call while contributing to the motion, at the senate in April this year, on the massacre of the people of Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani LGA of Enugu.
Describing the killings as callous and provocative, the Civil Liberties Organisation, (CLO), South-East Zone, urged the governors of the states that make up the zone to sponsor bills in the state Houses of Assembly that would make it a criminal offence for herdsmen to engage in indiscriminate grazing within the zone.
A statement signed by the South-East zonal Chairman of the body, Comrade Aloysius Attah, described the incessant killings by herdsmen as an act of barbarism and terrorism against Igbo people.
In its own reaction, Ohanaeze Media Forum (OMF), the umbrella body said to be made of Igbo journalists called on Ndigbo in every part of the country to shun cow meat as a way of registering their displeasure over the incessant killing of their kits and kins by Fulani herdsmen.
In a communiqué issued at the end of their emergency meeting in Lagos and signed by Chidiadi Elendu and Ngozi Emedoluibe chairman and secretary respectively, the body called on traditional rulers in the South East to ban the use of cow meat in any festival activity in Igbo land.
“When everybody begins to shun cow meat the herdsmen would realize that they no longer have business in Igbo land and would leave,” it noted.

Read More:

http://sunnewsonline.com/enugu-herdsmens-attack-senator-others-call-for-state-of-emergency/

Appeal Court Nullifies Senator’s Election

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The Court of Appeal in Enugu has nullified the election of Uche Ekwunife, as the Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District.

The court has consequently ordered a fresh election within 90 days.

Anambra Central Senatorial district is regarded as one of the most keenly contested in the country having a former Governor Chris Ngige, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh and of course Mrs Ekwunife.

The appeal was filed by Mr Umeh of APGA. Delivering the judgment, Justice Datijo Yahaya said that the election of Mrs Ekwunife on March 28, 2015, did not meet the prescription of the Electoral Act.

Reacting to the judgment, Mrs Ekwunife said  she had accepted the court’s decision and was ready for the fresh election.

Mrs Ekwunife before the nullification of her election was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Oil and Gas Downstream.

Credit: ChannelsTV

Newspaper Vendor Demands N50m, Apology From Senator For Assault, Defamation

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A newspaper vendor in Akwa Ibom State Mr. Ndifereke Asuquo Etim has demanded the sum of N50 million and an unreserved apology from a one-time Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Anietie Okon as compensation for assault and defamation of character.

A letter by the lawyer to the vendor Ndianabasi  Udofia to the Senator warned that failure to accede to the demands within 14 days shall attract appropriate legal steps in a court of competent jurisdiction to remedy the wrong done his client.

The lawyer recalled that on 23rd, September 2015 at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the Senator wantonly abused the fundamental right to human dignity by publicly maltreating his client (the vendor).

He said the vendor was beaten black blue, humiliated and ordered orderlies to strip him naked on the spurious, malicious, and unfounded allegation that his client stole the Senator money.

“After beating our client to a coma, he was stripped naked to recover your alleged missing cash. Only N600.00 was found on our client, money he realized from selling his papers.

“You have not deemed it fit to apologise to our client till now despite the humongous cash our client has spent from good Samaritans to receive medical attention as a result of your assault on him which left him partially blind and deaf hence affected his petty vendor business.

Credit: thisdaylive

Tribunal Nullifies Senator’s Election

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Supporters of former governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, yesterday took to the streets of Enugu, the state capital after the National Assembly tribunal nullified the election of Senator Gilbert Nnaji, representing Enugu East Senatorial District.

Nnamani’s supporters, who thronged the major streets of Enugu chanted songs of jubilation in praise of the erstwhile governor also displayed various posters of Nnamani even as they disrupted vehicular movement in the state capital

The result of the March 28 result which was in favour of Senator Nnaji had sparked off series of protests across the state based on speculations that the former governor was the actual winner of the election.

Nnamani, who contested on the platform of  People for Democratic Change (PDC). subsequently called his supporters to order and approached the election tribunal for redress.

In the judgment, the panel held that the conduct of the election did not comply with the 2010 Electoral Act.
Meanwhile, Senator Nnaji has said he would appeal the tribunal’s ruling.

Credit: sunnewsonline

No Senator or Rep Will Earn Up To N1 Million Again- RMAFC Boss

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Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s order directing the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to address public outcry over huge salaries and allowances of members of the National Assembly, the chairman of the commission, Elias Mbam, said on Tuesday that Senators and members of the House of Representatives will earn less than N1 million by the end of next month.

Speaking at the State House after Mr. Mbam made presentation on the activities and challenges of the commission, President Buhari chided the RMAFC for approving excessive remunerations for some political office holders, and urged the commission to seek a proper interpretation of its powers and address the public outcry against the unreasonably high payments.

President Buhari also warned that severe sanctions will be visited on any individual or organisation that violates the directive on the payment of all national revenue into the Federation Account.

Read More: premiumtimesng

APC Cannot Remove Saraki, Ekweremadu- Senator

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A senator from Edo State, Clifford Ordia, has said that no amount of gang up by leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, would lead to the sack of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.

Mr. Ordia, who spoke against the backdrop of continuing bickering by leaders of the ruling party over the emergence of the Senate leaders, said Messrs Saraki and Ekweremadu were divinely appointed to lead the Senate.

Mr. Ordia represents Edo Central Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He played a major role in the emergence of the Senate president and his deputy.

But following a statement by a former Kano State Governor and a serving Senator, Rabiu Kwakwanso, discrediting the election of the two senate leaders, the Edo lawmaker advised the APC to sheath their sword.

He reminded political leaders in the country that the era of imposition was over and warned those rooting for Mr. Saraki and Mr. Ekweremadu ouster to either accept their emergence or maintain their cool.

Speaking specifically in defence of Mr. Ekweremadu who has been severely attacked by APC leaders, Mr. Ordia said PDP senators will not fold their hands and allow him (Ekweremadu) to be removed.

“We will defend the mandate of Ekweremadu with every drop of energy we have,” Mr. Ordia said.

Read More: premiumtimesng

Senator Decamps To APC, Says PDP Has Lost Focus

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Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the All Progressives Congress, APC  claiming that her former party has lost focus. The   former senator who represented Abia central senatorial zone for two terms  2007 to  2015 said she had to leave because the party has derailed .

In  a  defection  ceremony, which held yesterday at the campaign office of the governorship candidate of the APC in the 2015 election Chief Nyerere Anyim, in Umuahia that brought together some of the party’s chieftains and supporters, Senator Nwaogu said  that she waited this long to see if the party could show any remorse.

“I had to leave because the party has derailed, because they have been in power since 1999 so they think it will continue like that, they failed to recognise that democracy has evolved and developed over the years and when a democratic party fails to be fair and just then it has derailed”.

Credit: leadership

Obasanjo Blackmailing Buhari- Senator

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A former member of National Assembly, Senator Rowland Owie, has described ex-Pres­ident Olusegun Obasanjo’s Think-tank report as a document of blackmail for the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari,

In a statement issued in Abuja, Owie, who is also a former Chief Whip of the Senate, asked: ”How can Obasanjo be preparing a blueprint for Buhari? A Bini parable says, “how can an impotent man get medicine for his brother, who suffers weak erection”?

The Niger Delta ex-senator was disappointed that the in-coming Buhari administration is in romance with Obasanjo, saying, “Obasanjo will tell the world that the solutions he prescribed for fixing Nigeria were ignored.”

He said: “I just read Obasanjo think-tank has submitted a blueprint to Buhari. Blue what?

“I am shocked that great Nigerians of the likes of Prof. Akin Mabogunje, Dr. Idika Kalu and Dr. Christopher Kolade were involved. That Obasanjo is linked to the blue-print, it will be a document of blackmail to Buhari very soon.

“Wonders will never end! How can Obasanjo who allegedly wasted eight years in government pursuing perceived enemies, and tried to ruin the legislative and judiciary arms of government in Nigeria; wasted $16 billion on power and not a single kilowatt of energy was produced, destroyed Aladja Steel, Itakpe Steel, Ajaokuta Steel, NITEL, just to mention a few FGN parastatals, now begin to advise Buhari?

“How can Obasanjo, whose government received, in one year, a revenue equivalent of the total revenue that IBB regime received in eight years, yet, nothing to show for it, be handing over blue-print to the in-coming administration?

“While there are great legacies left behind by IBB, but Nigerians can’t find any useful legacies by a government that received the highest revenue, since the amalgamation of Nigeria.

“The legacies left behind by Obasanjo are allegedly hate, divisiveness, Zaki- Ibiam and Odi destruction, impunity in government business and the business of the PDP that was put together by well-meaning people, including my humble self, when he, Obasanjo, was in prison,” Sen. Owie said.

Owie also revealed that “the present state of PDP was created by Obasanjo when the late SB Awoniyi was rigged out in 2000 at Eagle Square and another attempt to rebuild the party through Chief Audu Ogbeh was frustrated when Ogbeh was forced to resign as PDP chairman.

“We thank God that now that Obasanjo has left the PDP, we can rebuild the party. Has Obasanjo not seen now the major achievements of Yar’Adua-Jonathan government within a short time,”? he asked.

Credit: sunnewsonline

Senator Representing Jonathan’s Constituency & Rep Defect To APC

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The senator representing President Goodluck Jonathan’s home constituency in the Senate, Senator Clever Ikisikpo, and Rep. Nadu Karibo, serving member of the House of Representatives from Bayelsa East have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Others who dumped the PDP for the APC on Wednesday include Hon Azibola Omekwe, reprensenting Ogbia Constituency 1; Hon Fini Angaye , Kolokuma/Opukuma constituency 2 of Bayelsa State House of Assembly, former Ogbia local government chairman, Hon Innocent Kaku and a chieftain of the party, Nadari Banigo.

Announcing their defections, Ikisikpo, who led the defectors, cited neglect and hijacking of the PDP by some selfish individuals. He noted that Bayelsa State would be better represented under the APC platform.

Welcoming the defectors, Timipre Sylva, former governor of the state, said Bayelsans had realised that they needed change and that time had come for them to embrace it.

Read More: Leadership

Senator Begs Jonathan To Forgive Suspended Permanent Secretary

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The senator representing Bauchi central, Abdul Ningi, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to forgive the Foreign Affairs ministry’s permanent secretary, who was sanctioned last week for recalling Nigeria’s envoys to South Africa without authorisation.

Mr. Sheni was suspended for recalling the diplomats in protest of the xenophobia in South Africa, a move criticized by the South African government.

Mr. Ningi criticised Mr. Sheni for his action, but urged the Senate on Tuesday to intervene and plead with the president to tamper justice with mercy.

“I am aware that the president and Commander-in-Chief is responsible for such a call and also aware that the permanent secretary has no power whatsoever to recall an ambassador without a clear directive by the government,” he said.

“Knowing the anger and the mood of this country and believing that the Senate and indeed the National Assembly did the right thing in suggesting and urging for the executive to recall the ambassador.

“I therefore want this Senate not to look the other way and the president, Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces to tamper justice with mercy.

Read More: premiumtimesng

Governor, Senator Flex Muscles Over Missing PDP Campaign Funds

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Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State and former minister in the Second Republic, Senator Bello Maitama Yusuf, are currently flexing muscles over N15 million campaign funds allegedly diverted by the latter.

Consequently, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which reportedly released the money to the Senator, is seeking to arrest him, with a view to recovering the money disbursed for purposes of electioneering. It was alleged that he defected to All Progressives Congress, APC, after taking the money.

While Governor Lamido asked Senator Yusuf to refund the money or face arrest, the Senator dared the governor to arrest him. Vanguard authoritatively gathered that Governor Lamido approved the release of N15 million to Yusuf for onward disbursement to the electorate in his Gwaram constituency during the governorship, state assembly and House of Representatives elections.

Senator Yusuf, in a swift reaction, denied ever taking campaign funds from PDP for disbursement to electorate in his constituency, adding that his defection to All Progressives Congress, APC, was the reason the story was concocted to malign him. Yusuf said: “I am just a victim of circumstance; because I defected to APC.

“It is unbelievable. I do not have business with campaign funds. I spend my own money for the development of my people and the party.”

Read More: vanguardngr

Senator Dumps Jonathan For Buhari

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The senator representing Kogi Cental in the Senate, Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman has dumped President Goodluck Jonathan for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari.

He said he has now realized that Buhari would be a better president that Jonathan. He noted that Buhari represents the change that Nigerians are asking for.

Abatemi-Usman recently dumped the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) on whose platform he is contesting Saturday’s election.

Read More:  DailyTrust