Friday, April 29, 2011

Protest trails Uduaghan’s re-election


Incumbent Govenor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan, on Thursday, emerged the winner of the gubernatorial election by polling a total of 525,793 votes to beat his rival, Chief Great Ogboru of Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) who had 433,834 votes. Obarisi Ovie Omo Agege of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) placed third with 15,526 votes while a former member of the state House of Assembly and candidate of All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Dr George Oyefia, came fourth with 7,893 votes.

Kwara ACN heads for tribunal, rejects gov results

FOLLOWING the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just- concluded gubernatorial election in Kwara State, the state chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has said it will not accept the results, as the party head for election tribunal.

Addressing newsmen at the state secretariat of the party, on Thursday, the state chairman of the party, Mr Kayode Ola-wepo and the gubernatorial candidate, Alhaji Muhammed Dele Belgore, said there were evidences to back up all their claims of electoral malpractices and brigandage by the PDP, which was desperate to perpetuate itself in power by all means, despite its dismal record of performance in the last eight years.

“The people of the state were totally tired of misrule and corruption and most of them voted for change, despite that PDP thugs, in active connivance with the police and, in some instances, soldiers, were everywhere intimidating the people.

“People were beaten up in some places, such as in Baruten, Malete (in Moro) and Marafa Safele (in Ilorin East), where police and State Security Service (SSS) operatives looked the other way while students and voters were being manhandled by PDP thugs,” they said.

The chairman alleged that in Irepodun, there was inflation of accredited voters, multiple thumb-printing and intimidation of voters and opposition, also by PDP thugs.

Arrival of lady’s corpse from S/Arabia creates scene

A drama played out at the interntional wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, on Thursday, when the family members of a 27- year- old lady who died under mysterious circumstances in Saudi Arabia rejected her corpse.

The body of the lady, which was flown to the Lagos airport from Saudi Arabia at 12.30 p.m. aboard Emirates SkyCargo, was left unclaimed for hours by the family at the Gate 1 of the airport where it was displayed for family’s identification until 4.40 p.m.

The family members were said to have engaged themselves in a duel on how to receive the remains of the lady until some heavily armed police officers and soldiers came to intervene in the matter that would have resulted in a big chaos at the airport.

The deceased’s sister, simply identified as Sade explained that they suspected foul play in the circumstances that led to the death of the deceased she named Itunu Comfort Ogunkola, which she said led to the refusal of the family to accept the corpse.

Sade, in her explanation, alleged that the late Ogunkola was kidnapped by one Mrs Ibitoye who secretly processed her travel documents and took her to Saudi Arabi to work for one Mrs Olukoko who had a hair dressing salon.

According to her, everything, from the time of processing the deceased’s travel documents up to the time of her death, was shrouded in secrecy.

In her words:‘’The woman, Ibitoye presented herself as her mother when they were processing Ogunkola’s documents for the trip.”

According to her, the late Ogunkola, who was staying with one of her relations at Shangisha in Lagos, was not seen for about a week, but she suddenly called her mother, Florence Adeosun, with a foreign number and explained that she was already in Saudi Arabia with Mrs Olukoko.


Ladoja lambasts OBJ ‘He caused PDP’s defeat in S/West’

THE governorship candidate of the Accord Party in Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, on Thursday, blamed former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, for the defeat suffered by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West zone.

The former governor told newsmen in Ibadan that such ‘evil’ befell the PDP because Obasanjo, who was the architect of the party’s downfall, was an ungrateful man before man and God.

Ladoja, who recalled how Obasanjo was invited to run for the presidency in 1999, even when he (Obasanjo) was penniless, said he soon became a monster, lording it, not only over the party, but also over those who made him to be what he is today.

“I have not seen him today but I know that wherever he is now, he is a sad man,” he said, listing the perceived wrongdoings of the ex-president, whom he described as not only ungodly but also sinful before man.

“You must be good at home but he did not only lose his polling booth in 1999 but equally lost his ward and could not win a single councillorship seat when God, through us, made him president. The man who was penniless then in 1999 is today the richest black man in the world.

‘FG spends N52.5bn on fuel subsidy monthly’

THE Federal Government has disclosed that gas flaring will end in 2012, as it spends a whopping $350 million monthly on petroleum subsidy.

Mr Chime Ibenechie, Managing Director of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), speaking at the opening ceremony of the fourth annual conference of the Nigerian Association for Energy Economics, which began, on Thursday, in Abuja, disclosed that the government spends, on a monthly basis, a whopping $350 million on fuel subsidy

Disclosing that this is quite unacceptable, Ibenechie said the huge money spent on fuel subsidy could be deployed in other areas of needs, such as the provision of infrastructure and gas projects.

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US rates Nigeria’s elections high •Says country made history with April polls •INEC has done Nigeria proud – Soyinka

NIGERIA has made history by organising a credible, transparent, free and fair general election for the first time. The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Terence McCulley, gave Nigeria kudos at the Naval Headquarters, Abuja, during the presentation of the United States President Award to a

Naval officer, Commodore Adeniyi Osinowo, who distinguished himself while serving as Africa Partnership Station (ARS) West Deputy Commander from November 2009 to May 2010.

According to him, this is “really a historic opportunity for Nigeria to consolidate its democracy and further expand its voice on the world stage.”

While congratulating the Nigerian government and the people in achieving this rare feat, the US Ambassador noted that the men and women of the State Security Service, the Army, Navy, Air Force and the police really performed creditably well.

He said that the Navy contributed to the peaceful atmosphere that ensured that Nigerians could go out and vote and that their votes would count.
McCulley added that the world was watching and Nigeria did not disappoint it by making history with the election.

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The ambassador noted that the cooperation the US enjoyed with the Nigerian government and the Navy was exemplary and saluted the commitment of the naval officers and sailors to its partnership with the US in maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea.

He said that the partnership his country enjoyed with the Navy was exemplary and was a model, not only for the cooperation in the region, but worldwide, adding that this had led to the decision of the US government to transfer a coast guard craft to the Nigerian Navy to further contribute to maritime safety in the Gulf of Guinea and work together in achieving and consolidating regional awareness capability.

PDP sweeps Assembly polls in Bayelsa


The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won 23 of the 24 House of Assembly seats in the election held on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 losing just the one seat to KOWA. In the results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday, 11 members of the House were returned including the incumbent Speaker, Nestor Binabo who is going for his third term in the 24-member legislature. The list of successful candidates, their constituencies and parties was signed by the public affairs officer, Priscilla Imoudu Sule and showed that only one female, Agatha Goma won in the elections.
The PDP also won in the rescheduled National Assembly election in Bayelsa Central Senatorial District with incumbent Emmanuel Paulker I polled 106,279 votes to defeat seven other contestants. Kpokpowei Gospel Appolo of the Labour Party came second with 25,953 votes, rufus Abadi Osiri of the Action Congress of Nigeria came third with 5,116 votes while Christopher Pere Ajuwa of the All Nigeria Peoples Party was fourth with 3,516 votes. Meanwhile, INEC said in a statement signed by Imoudu Sule that the rescheduled election in Bayelsa West Senatorial District has been put on hold, but that of Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency would go ahead. Both elections were to be held Thursday, but incumbent Heineken Lokpobiri sought a court order restraining INEC from conducting the election pending the hearing of the substantive motion.

I’ve no plan to vie for Fashola’s seat –Ikuforiji

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji has denied speculations that he has declared his intention to vie for the state governorship position in next year’s general elections.

Speaking with Assembly Correspondents in Lagos on Monday, Ikuforiji explained that it is not right for him to declare his intention to run for the number one seat in the state unless his party, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) allows him.

He added that he has chosen to remain active politician to make life bearable for his people.

He however stressed: “I am eligible to vie for any elective post right from the councillorship”.

He said that Nigeria has every reason to celebrate 50 years of independence, but condemned the huge amount earmarked by the Federal Government for the event.

Jonathan begins seven-day retreat

President Goodluck Jonathan will today begin a seven-day working retreat at the Obudu Mountain Resort in Cross River State.
The retreat, besides enabling him to take a rest after about two months of travelling round the country canvassing for votes in the just concluded presidential election, is aimed at strategising for the beginning of his new administration come May 29.
A statement issued by his media aide, Mr Ima Niboro said the President would be accompanied by some senior government officials and aides.

Imo faces prospect of emergency rule


Save for an intervention today, Imo State may be the first state to face an emergency rule on account of a failure to meet the election deadline. Under the amended constitution and the Electoral Act, all elections must be completed one month before the inauguration date, May 29.
As at today, April 29, Imo State remains the only state yet to conclude its gubernatorial election. Election was held on Tuesday in the state, but the results were declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).
INEC said a rerun will be conducted in three local government areas of the state before a winner can be determined between incumbent, Ikedi Ohakim of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and front runner, Rochas Okorocha of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
For a commission pressured with several deadlines after repeated rescheduling of elections, conducting fresh polls in the affected areas of the state today, just two days after the shift was announced, is "unlikely", INEC officials said yesterday.

Opposition accuses PDP of intimidation in Bauchi, Kaduna


The gubernatorial elections in Kaduna were peaceful while Bauchi State saw a low turnout of voters, the scanty presence of security forces, and at least 20 agents of the Peoples Democratic Party at each polling station.
In Kaduna State, there was a large number of armed soldiers, police officers, civil defence personnel, and officers of the State Security Service at most polling stations while a Nigerian Air Force helicopter provided air surveillance.
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