Atiku Made No Demands From Buhari - PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party on Saturday said it is untrue that its presidential candidate in the February 23 election, Atiku Abubakar, had made demands from President Muhammadu Buhari.

It said it was an absolute falsehood as well as a fabrication allegedly being peddled by the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress that Atiku had made some demands from Buhari.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan in a statement also stated categorically that Atiku had not, and will never make or accept any condition from Buhari regarding the February 23 presidential election, he alleged, was rigged.

According to him, Atiku rather clearly won the election.


He also raised the alarm that security men on Friday night besieged the residence of the Senate President, Dr.Bukola Saraki, who also is the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation.

According to him, there have been resumed harassments and fresh attacks on the PDP leaders by security men.

He said, “The Buhari Presidency and the APC know that their electoral robbery cannot stand before any noble justice and are now attempting to use all sorts of blackmail and shenanigans to derail the quest by Nigerians to reclaim the stolen mandate at the tribunal.

“However, let it be known to President Buhari and the APC that Atiku Abubakar and the PDP are standing shoulder to shoulder with Nigerians in this collective determination to take back the stolen mandate and we are not ready for any form of negotiation with anybody on this matter.

“Our party and candidate remain committed to the huge sacrifices made by Nigerians in ensuring our collective victory as delivered at the polling units across the country; we are mindful of the pains that Nigerians are passing through since the subversion of their will at the polls; we are sensitive to the expectations that millions of compatriots place on our shoulders in this struggle and we will never let Nigerians down.”

Ologbondiyan, who is also the Director, Media, and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Organization said they had all the authentic results from all the polling units as well as forensic evidence of manipulations by the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

He said they would present them all at the tribunal, adding that the court would give justice to Nigerians.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2019/03/atiku-made-no-demands-from-buhari-pdp.html

Rochas Okorocha Reacts To His Suspension By APC

Governor Rochas Okorocha, in reacting to his suspension by the All Progressives Congress, APC, has accused Chairman of the party Adams Oshiomhole of working to destroy the party.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha said: “Adams Oshiomhole was determined right from the outset to destroy APC in the South-East and unknown to party Chieftains from the zone who had genuinely supported his chairmanship.

“He is playing the politics of 2023 in 2019 and in playing it, he has thrown caution to the wind. In all the South-East states there are crises and all arising from the fraudulent manner he conducted the primaries.


“In 2015, Governor Okorocha had joined the merger that gave birth to APC at the risk of his second tenure and was called all sorts of unprintable names. Yet, he won the governorship election, delivered 24 out of the 27 members of the House of Assembly for APC, two House of Representatives members and one Senator.

“In 2019, Oshiomhole felt that such a man should be treated with disdain. He handed over the governorship ticket of the Party to Hope Uzodinma who has never resigned his membership of the PDP on the floor of the Senate like others did and giving all kinds of flimsy excuses.”

Okorocha said that if Oshiomhole had meant well for APC and Imo people in particular, he wouldn’t had given the ticket of the Party to a man facing five corruption charges and having travel ban slammed on him, to be the party’s candidate.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2019/03/rochas-okorocha-reacts-to-his.html

The Many R*pe Cases Of Minors In Kenya

A clinical officer in Makueni county has been charged with defiling a class 8 girl.

The medical officer is said to have committed the act after the minor sought medical attention at his clinic after she was allegedly defiled in a separate incident.

Last year, a pastor was arrested for defiling and impregnating a 16-year-old girl in the same region.

The girl’s mother, who hails from Ukia in Kaiti Constituency, said the minor told her she had gone to clean the church with her friends when the pastor reportedly took advantage of her.

The Standard Eight pupil claimed the pastor dragged her to his house, within the church compound, and defiled her.

“I want justice for my daughter. The pastor should not be allowed to get away with this crime,” the woman said.

The girl’s mother, a widow also revealed that Church leaders in the area had attempted to influence her to drop the case.

“We met at the police station where the church officials took me aside and asked me to withdraw the case,” she said.

Other regions in the country have also recorded a high number of defilement cases.

Last week, a 13-year-old girl was reportedly defiled by 10 men during week-long detention in one of their houses in Bomet.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2019/03/the-many-rpe-cases-of-minors-in-kenya.html

Inside Opobo: Land of Great King Jaja Where Making Noise At Night is Forbidden (Photos)

Boasting of a rich past and an interesting culture, Opobo, homeland of legendary merchant trader, King Jaja, is a place where taboos soar above several other things, writes Eric Dumo;

The sight of eye-catching multi-storey buildings greet you as you make your way into Opobo town. Whether you decide to come in through the community’s vast but dilapidated jetty or through its newest entry point at the other end, courtesy of an ongoing road project linking the ancient kingdom to the outside world through Nkoror, its nearest neighbours by land, the sight is the same – beautiful structures squeezed into every available space welcomes you into the town.

Until recently when vehicles and motorcycles could go into Opobo from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, or other parts of the country through Bori in Ogoniland and navigating through Nkoror before getting to the community, residents and visitors had to rely on speed boats operating at either Kono waterside in Bori or the jetty at Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, to get to the town. Apart from the financial burden of such trips on the pockets of the people, the risk they had to contend with while on the sea, made moving in and out of Opobo a difficult task. But the arrival of the road even though it has yet to be completed, has made life a lot easier for people going to the place. It has brought some sort of relief to them.

One of the earliest Nigerian communities to come in contact with Europeans, there are indeed many things that make Opobo a peculiar place. Besides being the homeland of legendary merchant trader – King Jaja – originally known as Jubo Jubogha; the area used to be a vibrant commercial centre in the coastal part of Rivers State and indeed the Niger Delta region, according to history. But beyond that, Opobo is also home to taboos of all kinds – some of them unique to the people of this island community.

Dogs are not allowed in Opobo 
A recent visit to the area by the correspondent revealed how its people have lived with several age-long taboos, preserving and transferring the same from generations to generations.

For instance, while in many communities across Nigeria, the presence of dogs is a common feature; in Opobo, such is forbidden. According to findings by our correspondent, the tradition, which has its roots in ancient times, is one of the most important taboos the people of this coastal town hold on to. While the people are free to bring in dog meat to eat in their homes whenever they feel like, they are not allowed to keep dogs as pets or bring such into the community. For those, who flout this grand rule, the penalty is usually grave.

“If there are people who love to eat dog meat, they have to go to Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom State to do so. They cannot bring it into this community,” Christian Apiafin, a 71-year-old retired warrant officer of the Nigerian Army, told The Punch. “It has been so since the time of our forefathers. We have not allowed dogs into Opobo. We have carried that tradition up to this time.

“In 2015, a former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, mistakenly visited Opobo with sniffer dogs. Everybody was annoyed.

“If it were a less important person, punishment would have been meted out to him on the spot. Instead, we held Dakuku Peterside (current Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency) and the king of the town responsible and they provided what the town demanded for cleansing.
mportant person, they would have had to provide everything that the town demanded for cleansing on that spot.

“If such a person was discovered by less reasonable individuals, they could be mobbed to death for bringing a dog into Opobo,” he added.

That is not all. In Opobo, one is not allowed to shoot a gun. Also, individuals are forbidden from wearing caps while passing through the gateway linking one compound to another.

The gateways are a small roofed passage, just like a tunnel, connecting one compound to another. On the floor of such gateways is a crossbar, which those passing are forbidden from stepping foot on. According to findings by our correspondent, adhering to this rule while passing through the place is a mark of respect for the chief of a particular compound, which is also referred to as war canoe house.

Flouting any of these rules attracts severe sanctions, The Punch learnt.

Making noise at night is forbidden
While it is not uncommon to hear giant loud speakers blaring music at hundreds of decibels at night time with a cacophony of voices providing background percussion in other communities; in Opobo, such is totally forbidden. Making any form of noise at night is one of the biggest offences anyone can commit in this island community. You could be labelled an enemy of the town.

It’s taboo to quarrel at nighttime 
Similarly, quarrelling and fighting in the night is taboo here as well. Regardless of how provoked you are, you must wait till the break of dawn to vent your anger on whoever has provoked you.

Breaking any of these rules attracts a fine of N7,000 each, according to findings by our correspondent. Failure to pay the fine could incur stiffer punishments, it was also learnt.

Shedding more light on some of these practices in this historic community, head of its traditional and security institution known as Owu Ogbo, Warisenibo Manila, told Saturday PUNCH that many of the taboos had helped ensure sanity across the kingdom over generations.

“We do not joke with our culture and tradition in Opobo,” he began. “For instance, those who bring dogs here are made to pay through their noses. When former Governor Amaechi came in with dogs, those who brought him in were made to pay up to N1.5m for us to appease the land.

“Without cleansing the land, people would experience what they had never seen before. In Opobo, we don’t fight in the night. Once you do that, you’ll be made to pay a fine.

“We don’t make a noise in the night. This is so because it was in the night that our enemies attacked us when we were at Bonny.

“So, to avoid a repeat of the same thing, we do not make a noise at night so that we can hear when our enemies are coming because they mostly attack at night.

“Also, you cannot pound any food or break firewood in the night. Starting from 7pm, you can’t even quarrel. The fine for fighting at night is N7,000 and each person involved will pay the amount.

“This practice has been promoting peace and unity in this community from generation to generation. It is as a result of this that Opobo is one of the most peaceful places in Nigeria today,” he said.

It was however learnt that residents could suspend whatever disagreements they have with one another and resume quarrelling in the morning.

Like most communities in the Niger Delta region where there are different practices governing the transition to womanhood and becoming a ‘certified’ wife; in Opobo, there is an important criteriom a potential bride must fulfil for her to be recognised by other women in the town. Locked in a fattening room for at least one week, depending on the financial strength of the groom and his family, such ladies are equipped with relevant skills on how to keep a happy home by older and more experienced women. Upon coming out from the place, an elaborate ceremony is held to celebrate and usher such bride into womanhood. It is only after fulfilling this condition that such a woman is allowed to tie a wrapper called ‘George’ around her waist. This, according to findings by our correspondent, is like a mark of certification by the entire community.

Without undergoing this process, a woman cannot tie a George wrapper in Opobo and she would be denied many things,” Richard Cookey, a school teacher, told Saturday PUNCH. “If a woman has not fulfilled this aspect of our tradition, there are some places she cannot enter and she cannot freely mix with other women. In fact, she can be disgraced by other women in the community at any time.”

Opobo’s many social and infrastructural needs 
But away from the fascinating aspects of its culture and tradition, Opobo has only little to show for its glorious past. Despite being one of the earliest to come in contact with the West, the town has yet to be connected to the national electricity grid. Residents have to rely on the community’s generator that only works between Fridays and Sundays from 6pm to 6am for electricity. Sometimes it is put on for a few hours on Wednesdays as well. Those, who have the capacity, rely on small generators to fulfil their need for electricity.

The town also does not have a bank despite its place in national history. Much of the island’s residents, including its eight satellite villages, estimated at 98,000, mostly have to take a 15-minute boat ride across an expanse of water to Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom State to carry out bank transactions.

The satellite villages are Minimah, Higher Minimah, Queens Town, Kalaibiama, Epellama, Iloma, Ekreborokiri and Kalasunju. Though there are a few Point of Sale centres offering such services in Opobo these days, according to findings by our correspondent, many residents still go across the sea to perform such tasks.

Predominantly fishermen, the town is more of a civil service enclave than a vibrant commercial centre that it once was. Apart from relying on menial jobs to survive, many of the community’s young people are forced to travel to distant places to eke out daily living. Its jetty, once the darling of tourists and other categories of visitors has experienced traffic reduction, leaving those, who operate commercial boats to wish for a return to the old times.

“Most of our young people do not have jobs,” Chris Pepple, a 74-year-old retired civil servant, told our correspondent during a chat. “This gives me concern every day.

“Despite the potential we have in Opobo and being among the first people to have contact with the white man, we are lagging behind in several aspects.

“We don’t have any industries here and this is affecting us a lot. Each time I think about this, I become afraid for the future of our young ones,” he stated.

A father of five, Pepple, and dozens of other retired men like him come out to Opobo’s seaside every afternoon to discuss almost everything happening within and beyond the town. It is under the huge trees dotting its coastline that they recall the community’s glorious past and talk about the bleak future that now confronts it.

“In the past, Opobo used to be a very important commercial centre for the riverine communities in this region,” he said as the other elderly men around the place nodded in affirmation. “It was the main place where trading activities took place but over the years, a lot has changed.

“Nowadays, our people have to struggle to put food on their tables because there are really no jobs here. Economically, we are not where we should be. The development visitors expect to see based on Opobo’s fame outside is not the reality here. A lot of them are disappointed when they come here. It hurts me a lot,” he said.

Despite its proximity to water, potable drinking water is still far from the reach of many of the island’s residents. Many homes have to rely on sachet water sold in different shops to satisfy their thirst. Though there is a functional health centre at the place, a handful of dwellers our correspondent interacted with said that most times they have to take the long journey to Akwa Ibom to get medicines to attend to their health needs.

“Recently, my wife fell ill and I was told to buy a particular drug for her, I couldn’t get it in Opobo, I had to go to Akwa Ibom to purchase it at a pharmacy in Ikot Abasi. That is how much we are suffering in this place,” Daminabo Ogolo, a furniture maker, told The Punch.

Though still standing at strategic locations across the community, monuments that remind the world of Opobo’s significant past appear to be fast fading away, our correspondent observed during the visit.

A walk to the site of the building where the great King Jaja, founder of the town, once lived showed just how much the community had failed to preserve its rich past. While it may have been impossible to have the entire structure still standing as a result of age, with little restructuring or support in place, most of it could still have been ‘alive’ today. At the moment, only a few iron pillars holding on tightly to fragments of blocks remain of the original building. Opposite it however, is a gleaming one-storey building that now serves as the palace of the incumbent monarch, King Dandison Douglas Jaja (Jeki V).

According to Manila, despite its rich tourism potential, Opobo is making little or nothing from this natural goldmine. He told The Punch that the town had nothing to show for its global prominence.

“This town should be making a lot from tourism but unfortunately this is not so,” he said as he stared towards Minimah where Opobo’s last remaining war canoe is said to be kept.

Opobo has a rich culture and history. The town has 14 sections and 67 war canoe houses. Each of these war canoes is fitted with ammunition and can travel to distant places to conquer enemies. Each compound owned one of these boats and they used it to defend the community in times of war.

“But after the civil war, the white people took 66 of the war canoe houses away and paid compensation to each of the houses. There is only one left, it is in Minimah.

“Despite having important monuments that can attract tourists, we are not reaping any benefit from tourism.

“We used to have a boat regatta but it stopped in 2008 due to lack of fund. It attracted lots of participants from other parts of the world.

“If things were done the proper way, Opobo could be making a lot of money from tourism,” he added.

While its potential and the reality on the ground tell two different stories, the arrival of a link road connecting Opobo to other parts of Rivers State appears to have brought a new kind of relief to the people of this island. Already, hotels and other small businesses are springing up, with traders and travellers describing the impact as positive.

“The road has opened up the place for business,” a shop owner at the town’s market, who identified herself only as Mrs Ogechi said.

“The cost of transporting goods has reduced significantly. It has impacted our businesses positively. We hope that as a result of this, industries would come into this community so that the economy can improve.”

Indeed, like Ogechi, a significant boost in economic activities is the prayer and wish on the lips of most residents of this island settlement. They would hope that like its many taboos and fascinating cultural attributes, the fortunes of the town can match the name it has earned in the annals of history. But how soon the area fulfills its potential remains to be seen.

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Meet Top Nigerian Actor Who Has Never Kissed Any Woman In His Movies

Taiwo Hassan, the veteran actor and producer who is popularly known as Ogogo, is known for his daring roles in movies. Often perceived as a disciplined and strict character, the 59-year-old actor noted that anytime he plays a romantic role in movies, he cautions himself when it comes to having physical contact with a member of the opposite s*x.

“I don’t really like romantic roles, but when I have to do them, I have my limitations. How would my wife and children feel if they always see me kissing other women in a movie? For example, I have never kissed a woman in a movie; the most I can do is to give them a peck.

“One particular actress tried to kiss me on a movie set...

I won’t mention her name, but after the act, she confessed that she had been looking for an opportunity to kiss me. After that incident, such never happened again. I see everybody that comes to me as my fan, even women. If I tell you that I don’t have a girlfriend, will you believe it? Every well-built man will always be admired by ladies,” he told Saturday Beats.

Asked about his youthful look despite being close to 60, Ogogo noted that, “I am close to 60 and I am used to getting compliments that I look young; the secret to having this physique is boxing. I used to be a boxer, and I still box in my house to keep my body in shape. I am still a young man at heart, I love listening to songs by Olamide and Small Doctor. I can still act action movies like Owo Blow even though I am close to 60. I can still play the role of an armed robber in movies, to tell you how fit I am.”

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Ex-President Ellen Sirleaf’s Son Arrested Over Liberia’s Missing Millions

Charles Sirleaf, the son of Liberia's former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has been arrested in relation to the illegal printing of more than $104m (£78m) worth of local banknotes.

He was a deputy governor of the Central Bank at the time of the incident in March last year. Mr Sirleaf's former boss - ex-Central Bank head Milton Weeks - has also been detained.

The arrests come after a report into the missing millions was released.

The much-anticipated report, carried out by investigative auditing firm Kroll associates, was released by the US embassy on Thursday.


It was looking into the alleged disappearance of more than $100m (£75m) worth of newly printed Liberian banknotes last year.

It had been widely reported that shipping containers full of banknotes had vanished from Monrovia's port and airport. However the report did not find any proof that this happened.

Instead, it found that Liberia's Central Bank had acted unilaterally and unlawfully by printing and importing into the country three times the amount of banknotes it had been authorised to do.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2019/03/ex-president-ellen-sirleafs-son.html

Huawei Chief's Extradition Process Begins

Canada has said it will allow the US extradition case against Huawei's chief executive to move forward, but the court must make a final decision.

The US wants Meng Wanzhou, Huawei chief financial officer, to stand trial on charges including fraud linked to the alleged violation of sanctions on Iran.

Ms Meng was arrested in Canada in December at the request of the US.

China said the case against Ms Meng was an "abuse of the bilateral extradition treaty" between Canada and the US.


Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lu Kang said allowing the extradition hearing to go ahead was a "political incident".

China expressed its "strong dissatisfaction" and "resolute opposition" to the extradition proceedings, he said.

The high-profile detention has soured relations between China, the US and Canada.

US authorities filed almost two dozen charges against Huawei, the world's second largest smartphone maker, and Ms Meng in January, along with a formal request for her extradition.

The charges include bank fraud, obstruction of justice and theft of technology. Huawei and Ms Meng have both denied all the allegations.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2019/03/huawei-chiefs-extradition-process-begins.html

No Tribe Under Threat In Lagos, says Police Commissioner

Lagos Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu said yesterday that no ethnic group was under threat in the state. He urged people to disregard fake and provocative posts on social media alleging that Igbo traders were being prevented from going about their businesses.

He told reporters that security arrangements had been reviewed following cases of violence recorded during and after the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Muazu assured Lagosians that the state was peaceful.

The police boss warned those circulating provocative posts on social media to desist, stressing that the command would identify, isolate and bring them to justice.

“One serious issue the command is contending with is the fake news being circulated on social media, alleging that there is a plan by hoodlums to attack Igbo traders in Lagos, especially at Oshodi and other prominent markets.

“We are not only debunking such rumours, we are also taking steps to reassure the Igbo community and other residents of their safety. We have deployed our special force in streets, markets and volatile areas.

“We have convened town hall meetings in the last few days. Yesterday (Wednesday), we met Igbo trading community led by Eze Ndi Igbo of Oshodi, Hausa community, Yoruba community and others.

“Let me restate that Lagos is peaceful. Lagosians are peace loving people. There is no ethnic group or community under threat. Our patrol and surveillance have been intensified. We have reviewed and redoubled our strategies to ensure a peaceful conduct of the governorship and house of assembly elections on March 9.

“I urge Lagosians to go about their lawful activities peacefully. They should support the police to serve them better by being vigilant and reporting any suspicious movement or person to the police through our emergency numbers.

“Let me use this medium to sound a big warning to initiators and distributors of fake news. We will identify you, isolate you and bring you to justice,” he said.

Muazu said the principal suspect in the Okota election disruption, Demola, who was pelted with stones by a mob, would be prosecuted.

He confirmed that the suspect had been discharged from hospital and was being treated as the principal suspect, saying the police would get the names of other suspects from him. “He was the principal suspect in that incident. He sustained injury and has been treated.”

The police commissioner said the command had learnt lessons from the way the hoodlums, who disrupted elections at Okota, operated, adding: “We will not allow such incident again.” 

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Teacher Nabbed For Defiling, Impregnating Teenage Girl

A 34-year-old teacher at a school in Lagos, Quaseem Olayiwola, has been remanded in prison custody, following his arrest and arraignment for alleged defilement of his pupil. He reportedly had unlawful s*x with the 14-year-old pupil which made the girl pregnant.

City Round learnt that the father of the victim reported the incident to the police at the Ayobo Police Division and the teacher was arrested.

Preliminary investigation conducted by the police revealed that Olayiwola committed the indecent act between October 2018 and January 2019 in a hotel.

He was said to have been transferred to the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command in Ikeja for further investigation. He was subsequently arraigned in an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ogba on one count of defilement.

A police prosecutor, Inspector Donny Raphael, who brought Olayiwola before the court on Thursday, said the offence was punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The charge read, “That you, Quaseem Olayiwola ‘M’, between October 2018 and January 2019 at Olubar Hotel C&S area, Ayobo, Lagos in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully defile a 14-year-old girl by having inter-course with her and impregnating her. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

The defendant’s plea was not taken by the presiding Chief Magistrate, Mrs Bola Osunsami. She ordered that Olayiwola be remanded in prison custody pending the outcome of legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions on the matter. 

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Atiku Shows The Videos of How Buhari Election Was Rigged to Abdulsalimi

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, have shown video clips of alleged rigging of the February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections in the country to members of the National Peace Committee headed by a former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.).

They presented the videos in Abuja on Thursday night.

Among those who watched the clips with the former head of state were Cardinal John Onaiyekan and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.

PDP members who were at the meeting, which held at the Asokoro, Abuja residence of the former vice-president, included the PDP vice-presidential candidate, Peter Obi; President of the Senate, who is also the Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Bukola Saraki; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

It was gathered that Abdulsalami had been trying to meet with Atiku and his team since the announcement of the election results by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in Abuja in the early hours of Wednesday.

The former vice-president and his party had rejected the results and said they would seek redress in court.

At the meeting with the Abdulsalami-led committee on Thursday night, investigations by The Punch showed that Secondus narrated to the NPC members how the members of the PDP were allegedly molested and denied the opportunity to cast their votes in many states.

It was also gathered that Abdulsalami and members of his committee were shown video clips of how soldiers allegedly brutalised PDP members in some states and the sacking of some polling units by thugs suspected to be loyal to the ruling party without the security agents who were present taking any action.

The video clips were said to have been watched by other NPC members in attendance.

A source, who was at the meeting said, “At a point during the meeting, we decided to show video clips of how soldiers helped the APC to rig the elections in some states. We also showed them how security agents looked the other way when thugs invaded polling and coalition centres in some states.

“We asked the retired General whether that was how he used the military to conduct the 1999 elections. But instead of replying, he laughed and laughed. I think he was trying to tell us that he is a different person or something like that.

“We told him how the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, did not pretend during his transition period that he wanted to be the sole candidate of all the five registered political parties then. We now said that President Buhari ought to have told Nigerians that he wanted to be the sole candidate so that we would have known how to address the matter from the outset, instead of using the military to achieve what he could not have achieved by claiming to be the sole candidate.”

It was also learnt that Obi, who is a former governor of Anambra State, said he had to leave his home in his state on the eve of the election because of the activities of security men who allegedly terrorised his area.

It was gathered that Atiku told the NPC members that he was surprised that they did not do anything despite all the issues raised by his party after he joined President Buhari to sign the peace agreement.

He was said to have claimed that the country was already divided and that he regretted signing the peace agreement because of the events that unfolded after.

“At a time, the Waziri (Atiku) became emotional. He said he regretted signing the Peace Agreement because members of the committee did not attend to complaints by the PDP after its signing and before the conduct of the elections,” another source added.

Meanwhile, Atiku said that his decision to resort to legal means to claim his alleged stolen mandate was not discussed at his meeting with the Abdulsalami committee.

A statement issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe, said the former vice president had also called on Nigerians to vote for the PDP on Saturday.

He said, “The issue of Atiku Abubakar and his party’s recourse to legitimate actions to reclaim his stolen mandate was not discussed at the meeting. Atiku  restates that as a democrat, he will follow laid-down constitutional and democratic procedures to challenge the electoral malfeasance committed by the APC in cahoots with the INEC.

“Atiku further urges Nigerians to come out en masse and vote in the March 9 gubernatorial and state Houses of Assembly elections for the PDP candidates and stay to defend their votes up to collation point.”

We have assembled more than 18 lawyers –PDP Chair 
The National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, on Friday said the party had assembled more than 18 lawyers to go to court to contest the declaration of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, President Muhammadu Buhari, as the winner of the February 23 presidential election.

He stated that the party was not under pressure by the National Peace Committee headed by a former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), or any other group not to go to court.

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Banky W: "I’m Very Grateful, Even In Defeat"

Banky W, musician and filmmaker, who contested in the recently held National Assembly election to represent Eti-Osa constituency, Lagos at the House of Representatives, tells The Punch's Ademola Olonilua about his experience;

What influenced your decision to go into politics? 

The reason I ventured into politics was because of my desire to impact and improve my community; the desire to do more than just talk, tweet and complain about government and the issues facing young people, and the desire to be a part of the progress we all seek. Most of us say we want a better country, but that’s where we stop.

Some people think that you should have started small, probably by contesting a post in the Lagos State House of Assembly. Do you agree with them? 
I think each person must decide on what their vision is, and how they want to approach its execution. For me, it wasn’t just about winning any available election. I actually went for the specific role in government that I felt I wanted to work in at this time if given the opportunity. The House of Representatives would give me an opportunity to serve the whole country as a federal lawmaker, and also to serve my local community because of the constituency development that each member of the National Assembly is responsible for. That dual role of impact at the federal and local levels is what informed my decision to attempt this race.

You weren’t elected at the end of the day. How do you feel about losing out? 

I feel very grateful, even in defeat, because of the things we were able to accomplish. Just by running the kind of campaign we ran, and winning some of the major polling units in our area, especially in places like Lekki, Agungi, Idado, Northern Foreshore, Badore, etc. Even in the places where we didn’t win, we were consistently placed in the top three right alongside the two major powers that be. And we did all this with a new, unknown party with no godfather or major sponsor and in the space of three months. It shows that we can compete. You have to remember that a lot of the voters were accustomed to just picking sides between the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party. We actually earned every single vote we got, and that’s something to be proud of. We also hopefully inspired our generation enough to know that it can be done and to participate in the future. We made it to the top three in just three months; imagine what we can do with four years of consistent effort? We may not have won the election in Eti-Osa, but we won something far greater. We won their hearts.

What lessons did you learn from the exercise? 
I learnt more in three months of doing politics than I have in some years put together. It was an enlightening, eye-opening experience. I learnt about people from all walks of life, and what drives them. I learnt about people in my community, from the grass roots to the top of the food chain; I learnt about their needs, issues, expectations, and dreams. I learnt about the problems in society and how I can continue to play my role in trying to fix them. I learnt more about being a leader, and what it takes to be a good one. I learnt so much in such a short period of time, that I don’t have space or time here to get into the details. I think I actually need to write some blogs about the lessons I learnt, in the hope that some will find them beneficial.


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Fall Of Powerful Men In The Senate: How It Happened

In this piece, The Punch's correspondents examine how notable governors and ex-governors including Senate President Bukola Saraki and Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio lost their senatorial ambition

Governors and ex-governors are powerful forces in Nigerian elections. To a large extent, they determine the candidates who lose and win elections in their respective states, be it in presidential, governorship, National Assembly or state assembly polls.

This explains why most governors and former governors who

contest senatorial elections after their sojourn in government houses often coast to victory. However, the February 23, 2019 National Assembly election was a major exception! The election recorded perhaps the highest number of ex-governors and governors who lost their bid to either go or return to the Senate.

At least, eight incumbent governors and ex-governors lost in the last Saturday senatorial election. This comprises six ex-governors and two serving governors.

The two incumbent governors who lost in the senatorial election are Abiola Ajumobi of Oyo State and Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State.

Most governors rounding off their second term usually aim to be elected to the Senate and this has become a trend among most governors who view the Red Chamber as a “retirement home.”

The six ex-governors who also lost their Senate bids are Senate President Bukola Saraki ( former governor of Kwara State); ex-Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio (former governor of Akwa Ibom State); and Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State.

Others are George Akume of Benue State; Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State and Andy Uba of Anambra State.

Political analysts described the losses as colossal and unprecedented, likening them to the fall of “mighty men” in the political circle. But observers have adduced some reasons for the fall of the notable politicians.

Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom, 2007-2015) 
Akpabio was defeated in his quest for re-election into the Senate.

Akpabio, who was the governor of the oil-rich Akwa-Ibom State from 2007 to 2015, was humbled by Chris Ekpenyong of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The former Senate minority leader has been in war of control of the state with his political godson and successor, Udom Emmanuel.

Prior to the election, Akpabio had boasted he would deliver the state to President Muhammadu Buhari within three hours.

“When I hear that Akwa Ibom is going to be a battleground, I laugh because there is no battleground in a state that has already shown direction. I can confidently confirm to you that the first state President Buhari will win within three hours of voting is Akwa Ibom.”

Those were the words of Akpabio in a media interview on January 20, 2019, about a month before the conduct of the February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections.

The former governor, until his defeat in the last Saturday race for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, was seen as the ‘father’ of Akwa Ibom State politics. He had often referred to himself as the ‘uncommon defector’ following his defection to the APC from the PDP.

The ‘uncommon’ defector was defeated by Ekpenyong, who has been described as an ‘uncommon’ contender.

Ekpenyong is an uncommon contender because apart from being a former deputy to ex-governor Victor Attah, his name does not resonate in the Akwa Ibom State politics like that of Akpabio, who was a political colossus in the state.

According to the result declared by the INEC Returning Officer, Prof Peter Ogbang, the PDP candidate scored a total of 118,215 votes to defeat Akpabio, who secured 83,158 of the total votes cast in the election.

Unfortunately, unlike his claims that the elections would be concluded in the state in three hours, Akpabio, had after casting his vote on February 23 at the Polling Unit 9 in Ukana West, Ward 2 located in the premises of the Independent High School, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area, remained within the school premises for over eight hours until the result of the unit was counted, recorded and announced in his favour.

Again, for several days, the result could not be announced by INEC due to serious security threat in the senatorial district, ostensibly by Akpabio’s supporters.

Specifically, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, had on Monday said in Uyo, “The results are ready, but INEC can’t declare it in Uyo. The law says the election results must be declared at the senatorial district. The report we are getting about the security situation in Ikot Ekpene is that it is not okay for INEC to go there and announce results.”

However, when it became obvious that the security threat might not abate and time was running against the commission, the INEC Returning Officer for the senatorial district, Ogbang, had to declare the result in Uyo.

But Akpabio had immediately petitioned the REC over the results of the election in the Akwa Ibom North-West District.

In the petition signed by his brother, Ibanga Akpabio, who was the APC senatorial agent, the senator accused the REC of giving the go ahead to the collation officer to announce the result from Obot-Akara LGA which had been allegedly cancelled.

Akpabio had also alleged that it was unfair to his party (APC) for the REC to single out the votes from Essien Udim LGA for a recount. The senator is from Essien Udim LGA, while Ekpenyong is from Obot-Akara LGA.

But analysts said the result of the election had signaled the end of Akpabio’s race to the Red Chamber. The result came as a bombshell to his supporters and political associates.

For many who knew Akpabio, the shock generated by that defeat will remain indelible for a long time to come given the reputation he has built for himself over the years.

Observers believe that his troubles began when he took the decision on August 8, 2018, to ditch the PDP, the party that brought him into the limelight. They said it was a “political miscalculation.”

Bukola Saraki (Kwara, 2003-2011) 
The Senate President Bukola Saraki who was also the director-general of the Atiku Campaign Organisation, suffered defeat in his bid for a third term in the Senate last Saturday.

The godfather of Kwara State politics served as governor of the state from 2003-2011 before moving to the Senate in 2011.

According to INEC, Saraki of the PDP polled 68,994 votes and was defeated by Ibrahim Oloriegbe of the APC who polled 123, 808 votes from the four local governments of the Kwara Central Senatorial District.

Political analysts said the defeat had ended the Sarakis’ political dynasty in Kwara State.

Media reports indicated that the people of the state were tired of Saraki’s leadership which has not brought any meaningful development to the state.

Hence, bad governance was said to be a major cause of his fall.

The Senate President has also been accused of being dictatorial. In 2011, Saraki allegedly made Alhaji Abdulfattah Ahmed the governor of the state, but the governor has not performed well in the administration of the state.

He is allegedly owing months of salary arrears to teachers and local government council staff.

Another strong factor responsible for Saraki’s defeat was the crisis in the APC, the platform through which he won election into the Senate.

He had emerged as the Senate President against the APC leadership’s directive.

He was later charged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal for an alleged non declaration of assets. He also faced some internal crisis within the APC.

These did not allow him to visit his constituency regularly. Analysts believe these factors prepared the ground for his defeat.

Again, the campaign against the Senate President did not begin during the electioneering of the 2019 general elections.

According to analysts, it started about three and half years ago when his political allies who fell out with him started to mount campaigns against his administration especially through private radio programmes.

The electorate were educated about the dismal performance of the state government and it was from the radio talks that the slogan “O to ge” meaning “enough is enough” became the talk of the town.

The APC in Kwara State later chose this slogan as its campaign theme.

Analysing the situation, an Islamic scholar and lecturer at the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ilorin, Dr Abubakar Aliagan, said, “The message, ‘O to ge’, won the election for the APC in Kwara State. People were already fed up with the style of administration of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki. As the political godfather of the state, people were tired of him and they just wanted a change. The defeat of Dr Saraki is from God.

Also, a Kwara State-based public affairs analyst and human rights activist, Taiwo Otitolaye, in his remarks, said, “Saraki’s dynasty has been in control of the political affairs of Kwara State for over three decades. If you assess the state’s achievements in education, health, infrastructure and so on, they are bad. This is why the wind of change blowing across the length and breadth of the state was able to achieve the feat last Saturday.”

Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo, 2011 to 2019) 
Abiola Ajimobi, the outgoing governor of Oyo State, lost the Oyo South Senatorial District election to the candidate of the PDP, Kola Balogun, last weekend.

Balogun garnered 105, 716 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Ajimobi, who got 92, 218.

In 2003, Ajimobi who had just retired from the oil sector won the support of critical stakeholders including late Lam Adesina and won his bid for the Oyo South Senatorial District.

In 2011, top politicians, businessmen and traditional rulers became disenchanted with Adebayo Alao-Akala’s administration and supported Ajimobi under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria to become the governor.

He won the election, beating the incumbent governor, the first time in the history of the Pacesetter state.

Again, in 2015, Ajimobi became the ‘Koseleri’ (unprecedented) as he won the elusive second term ticket hitherto deprived all his predecessors from the days of Chief Bola Ige in the Second Republic.

At every forum, till last weekend when he lost the senatorial ticket, Ajimobi flaunted his koseleri title.

The governor appeared looming too large to the extent that he elevated and enthroned 21 kings in a day in 2017, against the tradition of Ibadan and without recourse to the Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, who had since then fallen out with the power-that-be in the state.

The governor’s indifference to state workers’ plight especially those in the institutions of higher learning being owed between three and 18 months salary arrears were among the factors that led to his downfall, according to political observers.

Another major factor was the intra party crisis that rocked the APC in the state, which made a group within the party to leave en masse for another party.

A social critic and chieftain of the APC in the Ibadan North Local Government Area, Alhaji Ismaila Ashipa, described the governor’s human management skill as zero.

He said, “He fought many wars at the same time; his know it all mien-he doesn’t listen to advice. He ran a government without human face.”

Ashipa who said he had since Sunday night left the APC after delivering his ward to the party, added, “Low morale of party executive and members, the governor’s pomposity and holier than thou attitude, poor funding of election, and reliance on ‘pari ise’ for polls made him to lose.”

In his comments, a journalist and political observer, Mr. Ademola Adejuyigbe, said, “Ajimobi had vowed not to seek election again in 2016. His decision to bid for the Senate came late, having failed to take certain factors into consideration. For instance if he had anticipated Ibadan protest votes over Obaship, he ought to have reached out to the Ibarapa people long before now in appointments and projects.

“I am aware of three protest letters from Ibarapa over his lopsided appointments and dearth of meaningful projects in the area except for the Ibarapa Poly.

A political analyst, Babajide Ilori, claimed that the governor lost because of pride, adding that, “people got tired of him. There is a trend coming up about people voting out leaders who underperformed.”

A broadcaster (name withheld), said, “The anti-Buhari sentiment in Oyo State and Atiku’s surge in addition to the public disdain for his perceived arrogance, serial caustic outbursts and penchant for playing God, especially partial demolition of Fresh FM station, Ibadan, in flagrant disobedience to court’s order, contributed to his failure”.

Another contributor, Adedokun Aderibigbe, also said arrogance and Atiku Abubakar factor as well as over confidence on the part of the governor led to his downfall.

But the APC spokesman in the state, Dr. Abdulazeez Olatunde, disagreed with the respondents’ claims, insisting that the governor lost because of massive rigging by the PDP.

He said, “The governor did not lose because of the too many battles people highlighted, but for the massive rigging that took place in Ibadan Northeast, Ibadan Northwest, Ibarapa North and Ibarapa East.”

Emmanuel Uduaghan (2007-2015) 
If endorsements by groups were the only requirement to win an elective position, former Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, would have won last Saturday’s senatorial contest for the Delta South Senatorial District slot.

Before the election, no fewer than 50 groups including the Ijaw Liberation Movement, Isoko Political Revolutionary Force and Itsekiri Youths Vanguard, had endorsed his candidature.

The various groups described Uduaghan, the candidate of the APC, as the man better positioned to provide effective representation for the people of the district where the incumbent, Senator James Manager, has held sway for 16 years. Uduaghan, the former governor of Delta State, had tried to win Manager in the past.

The ex-governor, who recently defected to the APC again contested against Manager for the Delta South Senatorial District slot but lost. He polled 125,776 votes against Manager who polled 258,812.

Uduaghan is of the Itsekiri ethnic stock in the Delta South while his main rival, Manager, is of the Ijaw stock. The district comprises eight local government areas of which the Itsekiris are in the minority.

Political observers linked his failure to clinch the senatorial seat on his alleged poor performance as governor, defection from the PDP and tribal sentiments.

Uduaghan’s kinsman, Chief Omolubi Newuwumi, said the major factor that led to the defeat of the ex-governor at the poll was his alleged failure to provide infrastructural and human developments to the district during his tenure as governor.

Newuwumi, who served as a commissioner for Youths Development under Uduaghan, claimed that his former boss’ performance was so woeful that they (his kinsmen) did not see anything on the ground to campaign for him.

He dismissed the speculation in some quarters that the ex-governor failed because the Itsekiri people were in the minority in the senatorial district.

The ex-aide also said Uduaghan’s defection from the PDP was another reason he fell like a pack of cards.

He said the ex-governor knew that he could not get the senatorial ticket in the PDP, even as the Itsekiri were not ready to vote for him in the PDP.

He claimed that the development made him to jump the ship from the PDP to the APC.

Speaking in a similar vein, a public affairs commentator, Mr Sheriff Mulade, said the reason Uduaghan could not make it to the Senate was as a result of leadership failure while he was in government.

“It was the failure of his presence in terms of infrastructure, empowerment and social duty,” he said.

Olusegun Mimiko (2009-2017) 
Mimiko’s aspiration to represent the Ondo Central Senatorial District suffered a defeat last Saturday.

Mimiko served as governor of the Sunshine state from 2009-2017 but came a distant third in the three-horse race.

Both Mimiko and the incumbent senator, Tayo Alasoadura of the APC could not stand the tsunami of former Senator Ayo Akinyelure of the PDP.

Akinyelure scored 66,978 votes to beat the APC candidate to the second place with 57,828 votes.

The former governor, who contested under the platform of Zenith Labour Party, polled 56,628 votes.

Out of the six local governments in the senatorial district-the Akure South, Akure North, Ifedore, Idanre, Ondo East and Ondo West-the former governor won convincingly in Ondo West and slightly in Ondo East but lost heavily in the other four local governments.

It was gathered that the major reason Mimiko lost the election was the new party (ZLP) under which he contested. It was believed that if the former governor had contested under the PDP, he would have won the election landslide because all his ‘foot soldiers’ and his former aides who could work for him were still in the PDP.

Secondly, he was said to have offended some Akure indigenes in the Akure South LGA (which has the highest number of voters in the state) when he was the governor and those people campaigned and worked against him.

George Akume (Benue, 1999-2007) 
George Akume, a former governor of Benue State, has been in the Senate since 2007 but his fourth term re-election bid ended in defeat.

Akume who is the leader of the ruling APC in the state following the defection of the state governor, Samuel Ortom and Senator Barnabas Gemade from the APC was defeated by a member of the House of Representatives, Oker Jev.

Jev got 157,726 votes while Akume garnered 115, 422 votes, according to INEC.

Akume’ defeat in the last Saturday NASS lection did not come to the people of Benue State particularly the Tiv people as a surprise.

It was a concluded project initiated by his estranged political godson, Ortom; perfected by the ‘Tiv traditional rulers and executed by the Tiv electorate especially the people of the Benue North West Senatorial District.

Akume caught his teeth in politics when he served as a personal assistant to Dr Iyorchia Ayu in 1992 when he (Ayu) was the senate president. Akume steadily rose to become the governor of the state in 1999 through the help of Gemade who was then regarded as the political lion of Benue State.

Since Akume left office in 2007, he had enjoyed the support of the Tiv nation due to his generosity.

But today, Akume does not have the same support and the reason is not farfetched.

Herdsmen had in 2018 attacked some local government areas of the state and killed no fewer than 500 people.

Akume’s position on the killings pitched him against the Tiv people. Akume later led some elders to the President on a courtesy visit where he exonerated herdsmen from the attack on Mbalom Catholic Church where two priests and 17 parishioners were killed.

Akume was quoted to have said that it was the people of Benue that killed themselves at Mbalom. This statement filtered into the state like a wild fire and the Tiv people saw the former governor as an enemy of the state.

Ortom, who saw the statement as an opportunity to weaken the support base of his political godfather, used it as his campaign slogan, “Akume an enemy of the Tiv nation that must be crushed.”

But a former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State and socio crusader, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, described the defeat of Akume as “a total conspiracy against a straightforward person.”

A political observer in the state, Ternever Kajo, said that to end Akume perceived terror reign, some traditional rulers were said to have met two days before the election where it was allegedly resolved that the people in his senatorial district must not vote for him.

Andy Uba ( Anambra, 14 days in 2007) 
Although Andy Uba served for 14 days in 2007 as the governor of Anambra State, he is still regarded as a former governor.

He has been in the Senate since 2011. However, his re-election bid on Saturday under the platform of the APC failed.

He was defeated by the Chairman of Capital Oil and Gas, Ifeanyi Ubah.

More humiliating for the ranking senator is that he came a distant fourth.

Ubah who is the candidate of the Young Progressives Party polled a total of 87, 081 votes to emerge winner of the Anambra South Senatorial District election, while the younger brother of the incumbent Senator, Chris Uba polled 62,462 votes. Nicholas Ukachukwu, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, scored 51,269 votes while Sen. Andy Uba, the incumbent and the APC candidate, got 13,245 votes.

Andy failed because his political platform (APC) is not quite acceptable in the area, according to political analysts. It is understood that most people in the South-East see it as Buhari’s party which to them has not reasonably patronised the Igbo.

Also, the quarrel between Andy and his younger brother, Chris Uba, who contested the same senatorial seat, diminished his chances in the contest. Besides, the Uba family had held to the senatorial seat of the district since 1999. The eldest Uba, Ugochukwu, had first occupied the seat, followed by the incumbent who has held the sway for eight years. To the electorate, the family had held the position for too long.

Again, most people were of the opinion that for the eight years he was at the senate, he did not attract development to the district.

Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe State) 
This election cycle is a bad one for Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo who suffered defeat at the PDP presidential primary election where he came fifth.

Last Saturday, Dankwambo only polled 88,016 against Saidu Ahmed Alkali who polled 152,551 votes.

Dankwambo who is Atiku Abubakar’s campaign coordinator for the North-East could not deliver the state for Atiku as the PDP candidate also suffered defeat in the region.

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EFCC Arraigns Three For Internet Fraud In Ibadan

The Ibadan Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today, March 1, 2019 arraigned Bamidele Adegboyega (a.k.a Romona Clifford); Paul Damilola Olowoparija (a.k.a  Kathleen Sandra Samuel and Olaleye Isreal (a.k.a Sandra Samuel Precious).

They were arraigned before Hon. Justice P. I. Ajoko of the Federal High Court of Oyo State, sitting in Ibadan on separate charges bordering on obtaining money by false pretense, possession of fraudulent documents, sending of pornographic and indecent pictures and money laundering.

A statement from the antigraft agency says the defendants took their pleas separately. Bamidele pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge, preferred against him. Similarly, Paul and Olaleye pleaded not guilty to a four-count charge, and seven-count charge, levelled against them respectively.


Prosecuting counsel, Mabas Mabur applied for a trial date and for the remand of the defendants in prison custody.

In his pronouncements, Justice Ajoko adjourned the case of first defendant to March 11, 2019 for hearing of bail application and April 5, 2019 for trial. In the same vein, he adjourned the case of the second defendant to March 13, 2019 for the hearing of the bail application and April 3, 2019 for trial.

The case of the third defendant was adjourned to March 15, 2019 for bail application and trial.
The judge also ordered the three defendants to be remanded in the Oyo State Prison, Agodi pending the hearing of their bail applications.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2019/03/efcc-arraigns-three-for-internet-fraud.html

Nigerian Brothers Involved In Jussie Smollett Case Have Publicly Apologized

The two Nigerian brothers who told police that "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett paid them $3,500 to help stage an attack on himself in Chicago say they regret their involvement in the incident.

Gloria Schmidt is the attorney for Abimbola "Abel" Osundairo and Olabinjo "Ola" Osundairo . She issued a statement Thursday evening saying the men have "tremendous regret."

Chicago police say Smollett hired the brothers, telling them to physically attack him, shout racist and homophobic slurs, douse him with a chemical and drape a noose around his neck.


Smollett is charged with felony disorderly conduct for allegedly making a false police report. His attorneys say he's innocent.

Schmidt says the men "understand how it has impacted people across the nation, particularly minority communities and especially those who have been victims of hate crimes themselves."

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2019/03/nigerian-brothers-involved-in-jussie.html

Drama As Women Storm Abuja, Beg Atiku To Concede Defeat

A group of women on Friday had a two million woman rally in Abuja to appeal to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last election to congratulate his opponent, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress to concede defeat.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Buhari of the APC winner of the keenly contested having scored the highest votes.

However, Atiku has vowed to go to court, alleging that he was rigged.

The women, under the aegis of Two Million Woman Rally for Democracy in Nigeria, Peace and Stability, kick-started their match at the Unity Fountain down to Hilton Area before proceeding to the Force headquarters, Eagle Square and back to Unity Fountain.

They called on Atiku to emulate former President Goodluck Jonathan and congratulate Buhari.

Speaking during the rally, the convener, Mary Onuche, called on Atiku to save Nigeria from anarchy and embrace his brother.

Onuche also called on Buhari not to disappoint Nigerians who have overwhelmingly voted him for another term.

"Once again, we want to appeal to our father and friend, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to do the needful now. Pick up the phone and call President Buhari, let’s sustain the peace and stability of our nation."

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Dangerous Criminal Who Killed A Man For Ritual Busted

The Benue State Police Command on Tuesday, paraded suspects arrested for various crimes in the state. Briefing newsmen at the Command Headquarters in Makurdi, the Comissioner of Police, CP Omololu Bishi, said two of the suspects confessed to killing a young man for ritual purpose.

According to the CP, the father of the victim, Mr. Iorumbur Amanger of Tombo-Mbaya Buruku Local Government Area wrote a petition to the Command stating that Hyginus Lubem Mbachi of the same address defrauded him of the sum of Two Hundred and Nine Thousand; One Hundred and Fifty Naira (#209, 150) only being fee for the admission of his son Afa Amanger into a University in Cameroon. The said suspect left his house with his son to Cameroon and since then he could not communicate with his son.

"During investigation Hyginus Lubem Mbachii and one Gambo Bulus alias Murphy of Akwanga, Nasarawa State were arrested at Lafia, Nasarawa State on 22/02/2019 in connection with the case. The suspects confessed to have killed Afa Amanger since 05/01/2019 for ritual purpose and has been collecting money from the complainant for his own personal use"

Corpse of the deceased has been recovered from the Hospital where the suspects earlier abandoned the victim and ran away. The suspect will soon be arraign in Court.

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We've Presented Atiku's Grievances To Buhari - Abdulsalami

Abdulsalami Abubakar, chairman of the National Peace Committee, says his group has presented the grievances of Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to his opponent, President Muhammadu Buhari.

Abdulsalami, who met with Atiku and some opposition leaders on Thursday, disclosed this to state house correspondents after he and members of the committee met with Buhari.

Atiku, who had disagreed with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that Buhari won the election and subsequently vowed to seek redress in court, reportedly listed his grievances with the APC government before the committee.

He was said to have demanded: unfreezing of bank accounts belonging to opposition politicians; demilitarisation of subsequent elections; accreditation of voters before voting in subsequent elections; access to the backend server of INEC by all parties who partook in the election.

The meeting started at the president’s office around 3pm and ended at 4pm. Matthew Kukah, bishop of Sokoto diocese and John Onaiyekan, bishop of the Catholic archdiocese of Abuja, were in attendance.

Also at the meeting were Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the APC, and some stakeholders of the ruling party.

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