NEWS REEL: FRIDAY MORNING NEWS HEADLINES...

PDP GOVERNORS GET AUTOMATIC TICKETS AS JONATHAN PICKS FORM.


President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday picked the Peoples Democratic Party nomination form to contest the 2015 presidential election on the PDP platform even as the party offered automatic second term tickets to all its incumbent governors.

The President, who spoke while picking his nomination form at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, said he would still have bought the nomination form without the endorsement given to him by the national leadership of the PDP.

President Jonathan was endorsed as the sole presidential candidate of the party by the NEC and other organs of the party.

When two other presidential aspirants stormed the party with their supporters on Tuesday with their bank tellers and receipts from the party, the leadership of the ruling party refused to sell the nomination forms to them.



The two aspirants are, Dr. Abdul-Jhalil Tafawa-Balewa and Prof. Akasoba Duke-Abiola.

However, the President said that he remained grateful for the gesture, which he said, was the first in the history of the party.

President Jonathan said, “I could have still picked the form if they did not give me. But giving me the right of first refusal has attracted more people than ordinarily it would have had.

“Your Excellency, our chairman, thank you and extend our appreciation to other great members of our party, especially members of the NEC who unanimously endorsed that decision.”

He said he was also grateful to the governors, who he said provided N2m for the procurement of the expression of interest form and the N20m for the procurement of nomination form.

Others who donated to the campaign, according to him, included the Transformation Agenda of Nigeria, which he said, also provided N22m.

He promised to work with all Nigerians, just as he said it would be difficult for any president to perform without the support of the people.

He said, “What I can say is to reassure them that I will work with all Nigerians, and I will always maintain that no matter how strong a President is all over the world, the President is only one individual and he alone can’t do everything; he alone cannot change the society.

“For you to succeed, you work with people. So, if you are succeeding, that means we have a team that is working to transform this country. So, I will work with all Nigerians to make sure that we move our country to the next level.”

He said if Nigerians could work together, the country would be great, saying that the whole world was happy with the country with the way it fought the Ebola virus.

In his speech, the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, apparently referring to the adoption of the President by the party, wondered why people should be dabbling into the party’s affairs.

He told the gathering that the national leadership of the party had also decided that it would give automatic tickets to all its first-time governors.

He said, “We have decided that our governors and President running for a second term will be given the right of first refusal and all of us know that Mr. President has done so many things.”

Governors who are serving first term in office are those of Bayelsa, Gombe, Kaduna, Kogi and Kebbi states.

Earlier, the National Organising Secretary of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, had after handing over the forms to the President described Jonathan as the most amiable and humble leader in the history of the party and the country.

He thanked Mu’azu for allowing the event to hold at the NEC hall, instead of the NOS office, which he said was too small to accommodate the crowd that followed the President.

While presenting the forms to the President, he said, “I wish you the best and may the God Almighty be with you.”

People clapped as the President received the forms.

After going through it for a few seconds, the President handed them over to his orderly.

Jonathan was accompanied to the party secretariat by his deputy, Namadi Sambo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim, ministers and other aides.

Among the governors that followed him were those of Delta, Akwa-Ibom, Enugu, Ondo, Bayelsa, Katsina, Cross River and Ekiti states.

-Punchng.com



Terrorists overrun CDS, Badeh’s home town

w hours after the commercial nerve centre and the second biggest town in Adamawa State fell into the hands of Islamic sect, Boko Haram, the insurgents, yesterday, overran Vimtim, the home town of the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh.
The terrorists have thus rubbished the purported ceasefire agreement announced by the Chief of Defence Staff and his earlier vow on January 20 this year that the Boko Haram menace would end last April.
Mubi town was invaded, yesterday, by the terrorists who stormed the 234 Nigerian Army Battalion, burnt down the police station and the Mubi prison, setting the inmates free. The insurgents also hoisted their flag at the Palace of the Emir of Mubi. When the insurgents invaded the town, the troops and the residents fled while they had a field day looting and burning property.As at yesterday, Mubi was like a ghost town as the entire residents have deserted it even as some edifices like the Mubi International Cattle Market, the local government secretariat as well as some private buildings were still burning.
Having taken over Mubi, the insurgents marched on to other surrounding villages and towns before storming Vimtim, the home town of the Chief of Defence Staff.
How we escaped from Mubi –Redeemed pastor
A Zonal pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG,who escaped from the insurgents in Mubi, told Vanguard that the Boko Haram sect had conquered Mubi and were fully in-charge.
Asked how he escaped, he said he was just getting to Yola, the Adamawa State Capital at press time last night, after a scary run through Mubi bushes and farm roads.
“For over two hours, we ran and crawled through bush tracks and farm roads to get to where I got a bus to Yola. I am just getting to Yola. I thank God.”
Asked what he was doing in Mubi, the pastor said he was transferred to somewhere in Borno where he stayed for several days. According to him, “there was no telecommunication network in the area, I could neither call nor receive calls. The insurgents were terrorizing the area and one of my zonal pastors at the headquarters advised that I should not stay there hence, I had to leave”.
Before he fled Mubi for Yola, he said the security problem had worsened. “However, the men and the youths said they were not going anywhere, that enough is enough. They have been killing the militants. Yesterday, they killed two. But they withdrew the soldiers and mobile policemen and yesterday the insurgents attacked. They have conquered Mubi. That is why most people are afraid.”
Adamawa Govt moves to send trapped residents to IDP camp
Meanwhile, Adamawa State Government has dispatched over hundred buses to comb Mubi and its environs for people who were trapped and stranded in buses and villages for onward transit to the Internally Displaced Persons Camp in the State capital.
Governor Bala James Ngilari gave the order yesterday afternoon, when concerned citizens of Mubi visited him to brief him on current development in the area.
Briefing the Governor, leader of the group, Mr. Joshua Atiku told him to consult with the Federal Government to persuade the Cameroonian authorities to allow fleeing people access into that country.
Atiku disclosed that hundreds of thousands of people escaping into Cameroon were stranded at the borders owing to the fact that the Cameroonian gendarmes have denied them entry.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com

FOLLOWING UPRISING IN BURKINA FASO, ARMY SEIZES POWER.

The army’s seizure of power in Burkina Faso on Thursday amounted to a “coup”, an opposition leader told AFP, adding that they consider the president’s departure “non-negotiable”.
President Blaise Compaore, who has ruled the country for 27 years, “is again in the process of duping the people,” said opposition leader Benewende Sankara. “We have been saying for a long time that he must hand in his resignation. His departure is non-negotiable.”
Burkina army seizes power after uprising against veteran ruler
Burkina Faso’s President Blaise Compaore was toppled on Thursday as the army took power after protesters set parliament ablaze in a popular uprising against the veteran leader’s 27-year-rule.
The demonstrators earlier forced the government to scrap a vote on controversial plans to allow Compaore to extend his reign, with tens of thousands of people joining a mass rally in the capital Ouagadougou calling for the strongman to go.
Hundreds of people stormed parliament and other public buildings including the national television headquarters, ransacking offices and setting fire to cars, despite a heavy police and army presence across the capital.
The army, in a hastily arranged press conference, announced it was seizing power and pledged to restore constitutional order within 12 months. It imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew and announced the dissolution of Compaore’s government and the national assembly, and the creation of a transitional body to run the country.
The communique, read out by an officer, was signed by the army chief of staff Nabere Honore Traore.
There was no mention of Compaore’s whereabouts.
Earlier a statement purportedly from the presidency said a state of emergency had been declared.
“The army chief of staff is charged with carrying out this decree, which enters into force from this day,” it said.
The document was not dated and carried a signature that did not resemble the president’s usual one.
The United States, Burkina Faso’s former colonial ruler France and the African Union all voiced alarm over the unrest gripping the poor west African nation.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon dispatched a special envoy to help restore calm and the European Union called for an end to the violence.
“The army is united with the people,” said Benewende Sankara, a leading light in the opposition.
Army chief Traore had earlier met with retired general Kouame Lougue, a former defence minister being touted by the opposition as a replacement for Compaore, to discuss the crisis.
Tens of thousands of protesters massed on the streets of the capital shouting “Lougue in power!”
– Worst crisis since 2011 –
At least one man was killed in the chaos that erupted just before lawmakers were due to vote on legislation that would allow 63-year-old Compaore — who took power in a 1987 coup — to contest next year’s election, AFP correspondents said.
The government, in the country’s worst crisis since a wave of mutinies shook the country in 2011, later announced it was calling off the vote.
Police and soldiers, out in force after mass rallies earlier this week, failed to stop the onslaught despite using tear gas against the protesters.
Black smoke billowed out of smashed windows at the parliament building, where several offices were ravaged by flames, although the main chamber so far appeared to be unscathed.
Several hundred protesters also broke into the headquarters of the national television station RTB, pillaging equipment and smashing cars, correspondents said.
Crowds of people later massed near the presidential palace but were being held back by troops from the presidential guard who fired warning shots into the air.
The ruling party headquarters in the second city of Bobo Dioulasso and the city hall was also torched by protesters, witnesses said.
The United States said it was “deeply concerned” about the crisis and criticised the attempts to alter the constitution, while France appealed for calm and said it “deplored” the violence.
Senegal meanwhile advised its citizens in Burkina Faso to stay indoors.
– Anger at ‘constitutional coup’ –
The legislature had been due to examine a proposed amendment that would allow Compaore to run for re-election in November 2015.
His bid to cling to power has angered many, including young people in a country where 60 percent of the population of almost 17 million is under 25.
Many have spent their entire lives under the leadership of one man and — with Burkina Faso stagnating at 183rd out of 186 countries on the UN human development index — many have had enough.
The situation is being closely watched across Africa where at least four heads of state are preparing or considering similar changes to stay in power, from Burundi to Benin.
Compaore was only 36 when he seized power in the coup in which his former friend and one of Africa’s most loved leaders, Thomas Sankara, was ousted and assassinated.
He has remained in power since, re-elected president four times since 1991 — to two seven-year and two five-year terms.
Known in colonial times as Upper Volta, the landlocked country became independent from France in 1960 and its name was changed to Burkina Faso (“the land of upright men”) in 1984.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com

EKITI GOVERNMENT DENIES ANY PLAN TO SACK CIVIL SERVANTS.

Ekiti State Government has said it has no plan to sack any civil servant in the state public service as being peddled on social media by the opposition.
A statement in Ado-Ekiti by the Special Assistant, Public Communication and New Media, Mr Lere Olayinka, equally denied the rumour making the rounds that the current pruning of ministries in the state had nothing to do with reducing the workforce.
He said: “Workers in the state have nothing to fear, the ongoing exercise of trimming the number of ministries is not an indication that workers are gong to be sacked.
“The exercise is intended to make the workers more efficient. Workers will be deployed in a way to get the best from them.”
“The only set of workers that have issues to clarify are those that were employed without due process after the APC lost the June 21 governorship election.
“The proposal before the State Governor, Dr Ayodele Fayose, is the reduction of the number of ministries and parastatals to reduce cost of running the government,   so as to be able provide more basic amenities for the people.
“The planned reduction of ministries and parastatals is still at the level of proposal that is yet to be considered by the governor.
“It is also important to point out that there is no plan to turn the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to an agency under the Governor’s Office as being peddled.
“SUBEB is a creation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,   and its funds come directly from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), a Federal Government agency.
No governor can scrap it,” the statement further added
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com

OSUN BEEFS UP SECURITY, AS TRIBUNAL BEGINS PRE-HEARING OF PETITION FILED BY PDP

Osun State Election Petition Tribunal yesterday began pre-hearing of the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the August 9 governorship election in the state.
The candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore is challenging the victory of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of All Progressives Congress, APC.
There was heavy security at the Osun State High Court, Osogbo, venue of the tribunal as security operatives mounted road blocks along the roads leading to the court, checking motorists and people.
Senator   Omisore and his party, PDP, had petitioned against Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the APC and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
While PDP is represented by four Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, and 24 other lawyers, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who is the first respondent in the petition, was represented by four SANs and 14 others.
The Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime- led reconstituted election tribunal arrived the court around 9 a.m., and appealed to the parties to cooperate with the panel to ensure fair hearing on the petition.
The tribunal chairman also cautioned against spreading falsehood over the activities of the tribunal, condemning the rumour that was spread last week that the tribunal had given order for the recounting of the votes.
While calling for cooperation of the parties involved in the matter, Justice Ikpejime also appealed to political parties to allow the tribunal do its job without distraction.
At the commencement of the proceedings, Aregbesola’s lead Counsel, Akin Olujimi, SAN, PDP lead Counsel, Alex Izinyon SAN, and INEC lead Counsel, Ayotunde Ogunleye, welcomed the new members of the tribunal, promising to cooperate with them.
The Petitioner’s lead lawyer, Dr Izinyon  urged the tribunal to take the entire petition together so as to fast-track the pre-hearing of the matter and move to the witness, noting that two months have been spent out of the six months stipulated by law to finish the process.
But, Counsels to governor Aregbesola, APC and INEC, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively, Olujimi, Rotimi Akeredolu and Ogunleye, insisted that any challenge on jurisdiction to the competence of the panel must first be heard before moving forward.
Citing various laws of Electoral Act and Appeal Court decisions, the three defendants urged the tribunal to decide on pending application before moving forward to others.
Counsel to the petitioners, Izinyon, submitted that the application can be heard together, citing the case of Enukeme v Onumazi and others, reported in the Election Petition Law Report, 2014, Court of Appeal.
Meanwhile, the Tribunal has fixed Monday for ruling on the request by the PDP and its governorship candidate, Senator Omisore that the tribunal should not determine the competence of their petition at the pre-hearing stage.
Also, APC (the second respondent) counsel, Chief  Akeredolu (SAN) argued that the procedure is to hear the preliminary objections before going into the merit of the matter.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, the third respondent counsel, Mr Ogunleye aligned with the submission of the first and second respondents, arguing that jurisdiction is a foundational issue that must be determined before going into the merit of the case.
Subsequently, the tribunal  adjourned the matter till Monday, November 3 for ruling.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com



JONATHAN FORMALLY RETURNS KESHI AS SUPER EAGLE'S COACH.


Stephen Keshi is set to return as the coach of Nigeria barely two weeks after he was relieved of his position by the Nigeria Football Federation. The PUNCH learnt on authority that Keshi is returning on the orders of President Goodluck Jonathan.

A person with detailed information of happenings at the NFF Secretariat told our correspondent on Thursday that it was only a matter of time before the official announcement would be made by the Federation.

He said, “It is not a question of if he is truly coming back to the Eagles but a matter of when he is resuming and how much he is going to earn.

“This is not an FA decision; this was passed down directly to them from far above and the message was not passed through a third party in the name of special adviser but a direct mouth to ear briefing.”

It was learnt that the NFF was told what to do when the President met with the Federation president Amaju Pinnick and Chris Giwa who was in court against the election of Pinnick. Giwa had to discontinue with the case at the Jos court on Thursday as part of the agreement/decisions reached at the Presidential Villa.

The court case and the protracted wrangling had set Nigeria before the world football ruling body with FIFA threatening to suspend the country. Friday (today) was set as deadline before the President who also received the Super Falcons on Wednesday intervened.

Keshi was dodgy with reporters when asked about his possible return. “Well I am just hearing it from you.

But if the President of my country asked me to return, who am I to refuse,” he told Africanfootball.com.

Even though he refused to confirm or deny, he was at the sports ministry on Thursday where he held a lengthy meeting with the sports minister, Dr. Tammy Danagogo. Details of the meeting were not immediately obtained but it was learnt that it was the first move towards returning Keshi to the position.

The NFF also sent a confusing press release on Thursday explaining that caretaker coach Shaibu Amodu was pleading with the NFF to take back Keshi.



JONATHAN, PDP PLANS A SHOCKER FOR TAMBUWAL.

More troubles await the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, over his recent defection to the All Progressives Congress, investigation has revealed.

The PUNCH learnt on Thursday that apart from his security details that were withdrawn by the Nigeria Police Force on Thursday, Tambuwal might be barred from entering either his office or the National Assembly when the House resumes on December 3.

This was one of the decisions reached during a meeting held by top officials of the Peoples Democratic Party which had in attendance President Goodluck Jonathan.

Tambuwal had on Tuesday adjourned the House till December 3 after he stunned his colleagues by announcing his defection from the PDP to the opposition All Peoples Congress.

But on Thursday, the Police authorities withdrew his security aides, citing section Section 68 (1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution as amended as reason.

The section reads, “A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if -

(g) 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.”

A top Presidency source told one of our correspondents on the condition of anonymity that the legal advice before the Federal Government and the leadership of the PDP was that Tambuwal was no longer the speaker of the House in the eye of the law.

He noted that the speaker contravened section (68)(1)(g) by defecting when there is a subsisting court injunction to the effect that there is no division in the PDP.

According to him, the decision to strip Tambuwal of all the rights and privileges of the speaker was taken based on that legal submission.

The source added that the government and the PDP leadership   resolved that instead of taking Tambuwal to court for defecting without vacating his seat, he would be the one to go to court when his rights are withdrawn.

He said, “The withdrawal of Tambuwal’s security details is in order. Section 68 (1)(g) made it clear that a lawmaker who defects when there is no division in his party shall vacate his seat.

“The legal advice is that the operational word there is ‘shall.’ That section of the constitution is self-

“There is a subsisting court injunction that there is no division in the PDP and that there is no merger.

“It therefore means that based on that constitutional provision, Tambuwal is no longer a member of the House. Since he is no longer a member, then he cannot be the speaker.

“The withdrawal of his security details is in order. He will even be stopped from entering his office. He is no longer a member of the House.

“Instead of us taking him to court, he will be the one to go to court.”

President Goodluck Jonathan had on Wednesday engaged some leaders of the PDP in a meeting aimed at taking a common position on the matter.

Those who attended the meeting included the National Chairman of the PDP,   Adamu Mu’azu; the Deputy Leader of the House,   Leo Ogor; as well as   governors Gabriel Suswam (Benue); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa); Ibrahim Dankwabo (Gombe); and Sullivan Chime (Enugu).

Top governmental officials who also attended the parley were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; the National Security Adviser,   Sambo Dasuki; and the Attorney-General of the Federation,   Muhammed Adoke (SAN).

Reps may defy Tambuwal

There were also indications   that the House   might reconvene within the next one week to take further actions over Tambuwal’s defection.




SANUSI AND JONATHAN SETTLES THEIR QUARREL..


 The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, on Thursday visited President Goodluck Jonathan in Aso Rock and allegedly apologised to his host for all his actions and inactions that strained their relationship.

The relationship between the two became strained when the President suspended Sanusi as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Jonathan had suspended Sanusi as the apex bank’s boss over what was described as financial recklessness.

Since his appointment as Emir, Thursday was the first time Sanusi would be visiting the President alone, although he was one of the Northern Traditional Rulers who joined Jonathan in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, for the breaking of Ramadan fast on July 23.

A Presidency source, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that Sanusi used the opportunity of the Thursday meeting to apologise to the President.

The source added that the traditional ruler promised to support the present administration.

He said, “Sanusi during his visit to the President today(Thursday) apologised to the President.

“He actually told the President that all his previous actions against him (the President) were based on misinformation.

“He then promised that going forward, he would be supporting the President and the present administration.”

Sanusi did not speak with State House correspondents at the end of the closed-door meeting.

He was driven in an old model Rolls Royce.

-Punchng.com