Ballon d’Or winner, Modric criticises Ronaldo and Messi

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjupT5616vHDh9mrahbTwCSjhZjiT1cS_qvHtBmn0iZpX1MJuQena_4uHlNNxlLy2PAUIIyb7N5FKu2oqphr8egIQYWduaetQv7YrYHCHS0zedrQtfyNn-CA2Lh29jh2CK0KMmHG8t2Z0/s400/modric.jpg" width="400" /></div> <br /> Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric has criticised Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for choosing not to attend this month’s ceremony where he was given the award.<br /> <br /> He said their decision was unfair to fellow players and voters.<br /> <br /> Croatian captain Modric broke Messi and Ronaldo’s decade-long stranglehold on the prestigious prize last month.<br /> <br /> He said in a newspaper interview on Saturday the pair’s absence from the gala in Paris on Dec. 3 did not make sense.<br /> <br /> “I cannot speak about why someone didn’t turn up at an award ceremony, it’s their choice. It doesn’t make sense, does it?<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> “It seems these votes and awards are only significant when they win,” the Real Madrid midfielder told Croatian newspaper Sportske Novosti.<br /> <br /> “It’s unfair to fellow players and voters who have nominated them in the past 10 years, as well as to football and the fans. However, people will act the way they think they should.”<br /> <br /> Juventus forward Ronaldo came second in the 2018 Ballon d’Or vote behind his old Real team-mate Modric, while Messi was fifth.<br /> <br /> It was a ranking which met with some consternation at both the Argentine’s club FC Barcelona and in the Catalan media.<br /> <br /> Modric lifted a third successive UEFA Champions League title with Real last season and led Croatia to a first-ever FIFA World Cup final.<br /> <br /> But he said Ronaldo and Messi were still the best two players around, even as he added that it did not mean they should always be named best player each season.<br /> <br /> “In my opinion, things are very simple: Ronaldo and Messi are phenomenons who have been dominant in the past 10 years or so. They’ve been in a league of their own,” Modric said.<br /> <br /> “But we are talking about a season’s accomplishments here and I guess it means something that votes by national team coaches, managers, football legends, journalists and fellow players have produced the same results.”<br /> <br /> The Croatian also offered the sarcastic suggestion: “If the debate is going to be about how good a particular player is, the only course of action is to award all trophies to Messi and Ronaldo until they retire and scrap the voting.”<br /> <br /> (Reuters/NAN)

Latest-News Ballon d’Or winner, Modric criticises Ronaldo and Messi

Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric has criticised Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for choosing not to attend this month’s ceremony where he was given the award. He said their decision was unfair to fellow players and voters. Croatian captain Modric b…

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Boko Haram’s end is here – Buhari

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="720" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9bKwSkP_1Ptt5CWxssWZajZQe6ccKvCoPeQ1rGXWITHBv9R0dRY6X0eBZ79DKuHBqUfbzvYf2h2qcWUE0ehPbZVIx4XOoS5gjhJz4yVVfyoJ7Exr6gox7WBCnjdk1oMXZZr-ItomJwUh/s640/BUHARI+BOKO+FLAG.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /> Towards flushing out Boko Haram and other insurgencies in Nigeria and the neighboring countries, an extra- ordinary meeting of Heads of State and Governments of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and Benin met in Abuja on Saturday.<br /> <br /> President Muhammadu Buhari at the meeting insisted that the war against Boko Haram and other insurgencies must be won now.<br /> <br /> Those at the meeting included the Chadian President, Idris Deby Itno, President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic, and Prime Minister of Cameroon, Philemon Yang, who represented President Paul Biya.<br /> <br /> The meeting, which is a follow up to a similar meeting held in N’djamena, the Chadian capital last month, was convened for the adoption of a report of the LCBC security and defence committee on the Boko Haram insurgency.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> Speaking during the opening ceremony, President Buhari, who is the chairman of the LCBC, said the adoption of the report of the committee would bring a dynamism into the fight against the insurgents.<br /> Stressing that the Boko Haram war must be won, he said, the time has come for evil of the Boko Haram to be brought to a definite end.<br /> <br /> He said “Today’s Meeting is in continuation of our joint efforts to address the prevailing security challenges in our sub-region after our meeting on 29th November, 2018, in N’Djamena.<br /> <br /> “Your participation in today’s summit, in spite of your tight schedules, is a clear demonstration of the resolute commitment that we all attach to the fight against our common enemy, Boko Haram, and the restoration of durable peace and security to our sub-region.<br /> <br /> “Your Excellencies would recall that during our Summit in N’Djamena, the need to overhaul our current strategy and concept of operations in the fight against the Boko Haram Terrorists took the Centre Stage of our discussions.<br /> <br /> “This was necessitated by the resurgence of attacks, particularly on the military, and the abduction of civilians for ransom across our borders by Boko Haram with the support of international terrorists who have infiltrated our sub-region.<br /> <br /> “Our meeting today will consider the report of the Committee we set up during our last Summit on the way forward. I thank the Committee for meeting the deadline assigned to it and I hope that their recommendations will bring a new dynamism in the fight against Boko Haram and their international affiliates.<br /> <br /> “The Lake Chad region has suffered decades of neglect and poor infrastructural development, the Boko Haram crisis in the last eight (8) years has worsened its already bad situation. We must take cognizance of the fact that sustainable growth and development of the sub-region is dependent on the quick attainment of peace and stability in the area.<br /> <br /> “We must put an end to the crisis in the sub-region to enable meaningful development for its people. We must remain resolute and committed in our collective efforts at attaining peace as well as eradicating terrorism and violent extremism from the sub-region.<br /> <br /> “The time has come for the evil of Boko Haram to be brought to a definitive end. I am sure that this summit will take the right decisions in this regard. This is a fight to the finish. We must, and we will, by the grace of God, wipe out terrorism from our sub-region.” he said.<br /> <br /> While executing the war against the Boko Haram terrorists, he urged the leaders not to be oblivious of the fact that military may not provide the desired results alone.<br /> <br /> According to him, there is the pressing need to pursue simultaneously both military and developmental approach to the challenges of the region.<br /> <br /> He added “We will work towards strengthening of Civil-Military Cooperation in the fragile areas of the region to accelerate the implementation of the Regional Stabilization Strategy.<br /> <br /> “Our military strategy must be complemented by the mobilization and deployment of adequate resources to ensure the reconstruction, rehabilitation and rebuilding of civil authority, as well as the provision of relief and succor for the affected.<br /> <br /> “The Inter Basin Water Transfer project to recharge the disappearing Lake Chad would also go a long way in the restoration of sustainable peace and security to these areas.”<br /> <br /> Buhari also paid tribute to the gallant troops who have remained focused and committed to the task of ensuring the safety and stability of the region.<br /> <br /> He also urged the troops to remain steadfast in executing the war with the highest sense of honor, professionalism and patriotism.<br /> <br /> Buhari went on “To our esteemed partners and the larger international community, we appreciate your valuable support and contributions in helping with the resultant humanitarian crisis. We thank you for intelligence sharing and operations in our determination to defeat Boko Haram and its affiliates.<br /> “We, however, solicit greater cooperation and additional assistance to the LCBC/MNJTF to completely end the menace of Boko Haram and eradicate it from the sub-region. Such an outcome would add to global peace and security.” he said.<br /> <br /> At the end of the meeting, a communiqué would be issued on the new strategy to be adopted in the fight against Boko Haram.

Latest-News Boko Haram’s end is here – Buhari

Towards flushing out Boko Haram and other insurgencies in Nigeria and the neighboring countries, an extra- ordinary meeting of Heads of State and Governments of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and Benin met in Abuja on Saturday. President Muha…

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Charlyboy weds wife in church after 40 years

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="891" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCIm741pgskj_WBhyY4T4bAccKBPbGtlXupPHi3m5oWyWTy4weC6FD9ovDMsqG40xx6SnBhvmtV3C1-V0OsepAfeDzbEDmmwOcWl6Q-jMh2rrj18lWKx2PwjcByR1vOo__MygX5rFsl5z/s640/charly+wife.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /> Nigerian showbiz maestro and rights activist, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charlyboy, has formally walked his American wife, Diane, down the aisle after 40 years of marriage.<br /> <br /> The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the marriage produced three children.<br /> <br /> Charlyboy and Diane exchanged marriage vows on Saturday evening at the Chapel of Sisters of Jesus the Redeemer Catholic Church in Gwarimpa, Abuja.<br /> <br /> The low-keyed wedding was officiated by the outspoken Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Dioceses, Bishop Mathew Kukah, and had in attendance close friends and relatives of the couple, including the aged mother of Charlyboy.<br /> <br /> The Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Diocese, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, was also in attendance among some other clergymen.<br /> <br /> The couple exchanged the “I do” vows amidst cheers from the congregation.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> They thereafter signed the marriage register.<br /> <br /> Onaiyekan, in his exhortation, hailed the couple for staying together for over four decades.<br /> <br /> He, however, urged them to be committed to their marriage vows by showing mutual love, understanding and respect for each other.<br /> <br /> ”I specially congratulate Charles and his wife for this Godly decision, and I pray God to keep them together.”<br /> <br /> Charlyboy told NAN on the sidelines that he and his wife decided to wed in church to honour his aged mother who had been ‘pleading that we do the right thing’.<br /> <br /> He told NAN that he got married as a teenager in 1974, and secured divorced after the union produced one child.<br /> <br /> He noted that the Catholic Church observed a strict marital doctrine.<br /> <br /> ”This is not that kind of marriage with fanfare; I am doing it to please my aged mother and meet certain demands of the society.<br /> <br /> ”She has been pleading that we do the right thing, saying this is the woman I have been living with for 40 years.<br /> <br /> ”We have been following through with the process of annulment of my last marriage, and my former wife who has since remarried cooperated very well, and then in 2017, the marriage was formally annulled.<br /> <br /> ”My mother actually got the wife for me at the age of 19 because I was a little rascally with women as a young man; she thinks it would curb my sexual excesses,” he said.<br /> <br /> Charlyboy, who is 67 years, has nine children from different women, and has 16 grandchildren.<br /> <br /> He has, however, always regarded Diane as the mother of all his children. (NAN)

Latest-News Charlyboy weds wife in church after 40 years

Nigerian showbiz maestro and rights activist, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charlyboy, has formally walked his American wife, Diane, down the aisle after 40 years of marriage. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the marriage produced t…

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EFCC arrests 'Yahoo-Yahoo fraudsters' in Enugu

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr28pgdKFk-Atqzc7gkU8A7j-4IfiRcRzZxOfMQT2BI4OJcGEwmrIPIAGQwYVfDkRtfI-_jGY6BMzhSScrMiGb4_mP1xIYJiOEQWfAg4pH81crJ6QGq9MRrQEFlDxd8XZk1iQP2vR_wTG8/s1600/1-EFCC-OnoBello-1105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="600" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr28pgdKFk-Atqzc7gkU8A7j-4IfiRcRzZxOfMQT2BI4OJcGEwmrIPIAGQwYVfDkRtfI-_jGY6BMzhSScrMiGb4_mP1xIYJiOEQWfAg4pH81crJ6QGq9MRrQEFlDxd8XZk1iQP2vR_wTG8/s320/1-EFCC-OnoBello-1105.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> The South-East Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested three suspected internet fraudsters in the state.<br /> <br /> The Head of Public Affairs of the commission in the zone, Mr Chris Oluka said this in a statement on Saturday in Enugu.<br /> <br /> Oluka said that the suspects, including the wife of them, were arrested in their homes at Independence Layout, Enugu, following intelligence reports.<br /> <br /> He said that the commission got information about some residents of the area who lived in opulence without any visible means of income.<br /> <br /> He said that further enquiries showed that suspects had defrauded unsuspecting victims of huge sums of money and used same to acquire choice property across the region.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> “The raid was consequent upon the resolve by Acting Chairman of the Commission, Ibrahim Magu to intensify the onslaught against internet and cyber fraudsters across the country.<br /> <br /> “The commission got information regarding some people living in opulence without any known means of livelihood.<br /> <br /> “Our intelligence revealed that the suspects have been defrauding unsuspecting victims of huge sums of money and use such to acquire choice properties across the zone,” he said.<br /> <br /> Oluka said that a search conducted in homes and premises traced to the suspects was quite revealing.<br /> <br /> He said that the commission recovered incriminating items which include a mercury fluorescent lamp used in detecting fake currencies, suspected counterfeited foreign currencies and telephones.<br /> <br /> Others are items suspected to be tools for their despicable trade, a Toyota Venza SUV, ATM Cards from various banks, and an Apple Macbook laptop, according to him.<br /> <br /> Oluka said that the suspects would be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations. (NAN)

Latest-News EFCC arrests 'Yahoo-Yahoo fraudsters' in Enugu

The South-East Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested three suspected internet fraudsters in the state. The Head of Public Affairs of the commission in the zone, Mr Chris Oluka said this in a statement on Sa…

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VP DEBATE 2018: Group slam Peter Obi, over “cooked up” figures

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UzTR0ssac-qEymdYuSIXte9PRPbt04tYb_3XNsrzyCWEpQYcqwWCfB2nRDTy51q3_WPdUCHwverrbRh9A98PiTcSdL_Gvn4cv0mvsBMefMaaMjBqZ6lZLlgfTMxINkg8vpzPb1QRG4Ob/s1600/Peter-Obi+debate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="750" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UzTR0ssac-qEymdYuSIXte9PRPbt04tYb_3XNsrzyCWEpQYcqwWCfB2nRDTy51q3_WPdUCHwverrbRh9A98PiTcSdL_Gvn4cv0mvsBMefMaaMjBqZ6lZLlgfTMxINkg8vpzPb1QRG4Ob/s320/Peter-Obi+debate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has described the Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Peter Obi as a politician with a penchant for cooking up figures and twisting facts<br /> <br /> The organization described as half truth figure reeled out by former Anambra state governor during the Vice Presidential candidates’ debate organised by the Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) in Abuja<br /> <br /> It said in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke the organisation said that Obi did not disappoint Nigerians who have been following his political trajectory since he left the Government House in Awka.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> “From the outset, it was clear that Obi was out to impress his gullible political base but he did not reckon with the fact that majority of Nigerians cannot be easily be fooled at a time information can easily be cross checked<br /> <br /> “Perhaps his biggest lie on the night that was easily debunked by knowledgeable Nigerians was his claim of 2 million vehicles on Nigerian roads. Even without the benefit of data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), an average car part dealer in Gudu, Abuja or Idumota,Lagos knew he was lying.<br /> <br /> “An NBS fact sheet that has for sometime been in the public domain shows that the country has a total vehicle population of about 11.5 million as at the third quarter of 2017 so where did Obi gets his own data”, it said.<br /> <br /> The group said it was gratifying to note that one of Nigeria’s influential online publications, The Cable did a quick fact check of what Obi and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said at the debate<br /> <br /> “Some of the lies couched as facts by the PDP chieftain according to the online newspaper include his claim that Nigeria has fallen on the global competitive index from 124 to 127. The true position from the 2018 World Economic Forum (WEF) report is that the country rose on the index by 10 places<br /> <br /> “Peter Obi also argued that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for 2015 was $21 billion while it fell to $12 billion in 2017.Again, he lied just as he did with his claim that African trade is less than 9 percent<br /> <br /> “Data from Afriexim Bank indicate that intra-Africa trade is around 15 percent while Brooking Institution puts it at 18 percent<br /> <br /> “These are just some of the lies that the man PDP elements dressed up as an economic expert attempted to force down the throats of Nigerians as facts and figures”<br /> <br /> The group however hailed Professor Osinbajo for sticking with facts on issues including how the President Muhammadu Buhari administration crashed the price of a bag of fertilisers to between N5,500 and N6,500 from a figure ranging from N10,000 to N13,000in the past

Latest-News VP DEBATE 2018: Group slam Peter Obi, over “cooked up” figures

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has described the Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Peter Obi as a politician with a penchant for cooking up figures and twisting facts The organization described as half truth figu…

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FG renews commitment to strengthen national security, unemployment

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYGV614nqRSNDmyRhRugZaBbqybzlxg5YEu4szzvubaMszViXl7AVDV4GS0TrOz1FJfJvJlr0iC4tmU-zjIU569D3umjmG1sivhXkrSJ40tnILcdvRXlL6mGzjJWi09EvbZFxNL1LwgSv/s1600/Abdulrahman+Dambazau.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYGV614nqRSNDmyRhRugZaBbqybzlxg5YEu4szzvubaMszViXl7AVDV4GS0TrOz1FJfJvJlr0iC4tmU-zjIU569D3umjmG1sivhXkrSJ40tnILcdvRXlL6mGzjJWi09EvbZFxNL1LwgSv/s320/Abdulrahman+Dambazau.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The Federal Government has renewed its commitment to strengthening national security architecture and addressing unemployment challenges bedevilling the country.<br /> <br /> The Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen Abdurrahman Dambazau, made this known at the passing-out parade of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) graduates Cadets of 43rd Superintendent Basic course in Kano on Saturday.<br /> <br /> Dambazau was represented by at the occasion by the ACG of Immigration, Ado Jafar retired.<br /> <br /> He said the passing out of the 652 graduates cadets from the Immigration Training School, Kano was a clear demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to not only strengthen our national security but also to provide gainful employment to the teeming youths of the country.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> Danbazau said the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) would remain committed to staff training and discipline so as to ensure effective service delivery.<br /> <br /> He said the ministry and indeed the civil defence, fire, Immigration and prisons services board would continue to maintain absolute zero tolerance for misconduct from any personnel under its supervision.<br /> <br /> He, therefore, urged those graduating to ensure that they are always guided by the trainings they received as well as by the agency’s rules of engagement in their conduct.<br /> <br /> “As the supervising ministry, we shall continue to ensure that we attend to the genuine needs of all the services under our purview including NIS, for enhanced service delivery, “he said.<br /> <br /> In his remark, the Comptroller-General of the NISS, Muhammad Babandede, tasked the graduating cadets on discipline and professional lifestyle.<br /> <br /> Babandede said the 43rd Superintendent Basic course was the first set of cadets with first degrees.<br /> <br /> “We are proud to state that this new NIS training curriculum is one of the best document for any training institution in Nigeria.<br /> <br /> “It is important to inform you that you are coming into an IT-driven service that puts high premium on systems automation and professionalism, “he said.<br /> <br /> He warned the officers to avoid what he described as presentation of high profile notes or calls for special postings or favours saying that anybody who engaged in such acts the document will be recorded in his/her secret registry file.<br /> <br /> “The consequence of such lobby for any favour may mar your career progression in the service in future.<br /> <br /> Also speaking, the commandant of the training school, Mr R.A. Adegoke called for the urgent rehabilitation of the school Indoor shooting range and the access road leading to the school.<br /> <br /> He also called for the construction of additional senior and junior staff quarters in addition to hostel accommodation for cadets.</div>

Latest-News FG renews commitment to strengthen national security, unemployment

The Federal Government has renewed its commitment to strengthening national security architecture and addressing unemployment challenges bedevilling the country. The Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen Abdurrahman Dambazau, made this known at the …

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‘Too many wrong figures’ — and other reactions to vice-presidential debate

Latest-News ‘Too many wrong figures’ — and other reactions to vice-presidential debate

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2019 budget: NASS staff strike threatens Buhari’s presentation

Latest-News 2019 budget: NASS staff strike threatens Buhari’s presentation

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Manchester City back on top of Premier League after home win over Everton

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXeCYLLTCOCW96J4aOc5L1UkO05qct1Yw0s_cHjzx0XP_feb-eVZ5-f22rVpwwEliyTctGn0DnjObh5lVrx4kZA03Ha0SJGc9GXE7Px05ZdoN55EUevTnTnl-1x7fNMSdmZnQEMR7rRZ0/s1600/mc+3-1+eve.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXeCYLLTCOCW96J4aOc5L1UkO05qct1Yw0s_cHjzx0XP_feb-eVZ5-f22rVpwwEliyTctGn0DnjObh5lVrx4kZA03Ha0SJGc9GXE7Px05ZdoN55EUevTnTnl-1x7fNMSdmZnQEMR7rRZ0/s400/mc+3-1+eve.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League as two goals from Gabriel Jesus and another by substitute Raheem Sterling secured a 3-1 home win over Everton.<br /> <br /> City almost had the first opening after just a couple of minutes when a risky Andre Gomes pass was close to being intercepted by Jesus.<br /> <br /> But Everton threatened soon afterwards, Gylfi Sigurdsson finding Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose angled shot was tipped wide by Ederson only for the flag to go up for offside.<br /> <br /> With 10 minutes gone, City were back on the attack as a neat turn by Jesus saw him find space before Kurt Zouma denied him with an excellent block.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> But Everton created, and missed, the best chance of the early stages with quarter of an hour gone, Lucas Digne crossing towards Richarlison, who lashed a volley over.<br /> <br /> Digne was booked for a foul on Riyad Mahrez as City sprang into the attack down their right, with the free kick cleared to the edge of the box where Fabian Delph hammered over.<br /> <br /> Jordan Pickford made a fine save when teammate Michael Keane stretched to divert the ball away from a cross only to send it towards the bottom corner -- but after 22 minutes the home side were in front.<br /> <br /> Yerry Mina gave the ball away inside his own half and Fernandinho played it to Leroy Sane, whose pass put Jesus clear inside the penalty area to finish low past Pickford.<br /> <br /> Delph crossed and Zouma cleared as Pep Guarduiola's side looked for a second goal with the half-hour approaching and Aymeric Laporte almost provided it, heading wide from an Ilkay Gundogan cross.<br /> <br /> Everton were offering little in the way of threat and Fernandinho won the ball to release Sane, whose angled strike was deflected over.<br /> <br /> Only Pickford prevented City from going into the break with a 2-0 lead when, after Fernandinho had again won the ball, he made a diving save to keep out Mahrez.<br /> <br /> Fernandinho tried his luck from distance as the second half began, Keane in the way, but it took only five minutes of the second period for City to double their lead.<br /> <br /> It came from another move that started with Fernandinho, who steered the ball to the left where Sane crossed for Jesus to power in a header for his second of the afternoon.<br /> <br /> City's Laporte was forced off after a collision with Sigurdsson but was able to return after treatment, and before the hour Everton boss Marco Silva made two attacking changes, bringing on Ademola Lookman for Bernard and Theo Walcott for Coleman.<br /> <br /> It was almost 3-0 when Jesus and Gundogan linked but the midfielder fired wide -- but with 65 minutes gone Everton were back in the game when Digne's cross was headed home by Calvert-Lewin via an inadvertent touch from Delph.<br /> <br /> City brought on Sterling for Sane and, after 69 minutes, the substitute restored his side's two-goal cushion when he headed in Fernandinho's cross.<br /> <br /> Richarlison failed to hit the target with his second chance of the match moments later, lashing over from the edge of the box, and then Walcott steered high from a driven low Lookman cross as another opening for the visitors came and went.<br /> <br /> Kevin De Bruyne returned to action for City following injury, replacing Mahrez as the game headed into its final quarter of an hour, before Everton made their final change with 10 minutes remaining, Tom Davies on for Sigurdsson.<br /> <br /> Although then visitors conjured further chances, Calvert-Lewin's flick saved by Ederson and another Richarlison shot deflected away, City comfortably returned to the summit ahead of Liverpool's home game against Manchester United on Sunday.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Source: ESPN</div>

Latest-News Manchester City back on top of Premier League after home win over Everton

Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League as two goals from Gabriel Jesus and another by substitute Raheem Sterling secured a 3-1 home win over Everton. City almost had the first opening after just a couple of minutes when a risky An…

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It’s better Tinubu imposed guber candidate on Oyo people than Igbo man, Secondus – Ajimobi

Latest-News It’s better Tinubu imposed guber candidate on Oyo people than Igbo man, Secondus – Ajimobi

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Osinbajo opens up on life as Buhari’s vice-president

Latest-News Osinbajo opens up on life as Buhari’s vice-president

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VP Debate: Hon. Jibrin questions Peter Obi’s facts, applauds Osinbajo

Latest-News VP Debate: Hon. Jibrin questions Peter Obi’s facts, applauds Osinbajo

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Morata injury could make Sarri enter January transfer window

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-zx1pSyEYH6YHfpJFMwa_rfbuNC5Vsu1wIwHbt4JHx8jyGinwYfpKzTiaWX7Ksob-fW4zk9DH72TbZsOow40YF7zYG66l2JJJba_Oary4fm8FY-ZM170f32Z7gPUQGUtLkS8SZMV6EP7/s1600/alvaro+morata2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-zx1pSyEYH6YHfpJFMwa_rfbuNC5Vsu1wIwHbt4JHx8jyGinwYfpKzTiaWX7Ksob-fW4zk9DH72TbZsOow40YF7zYG66l2JJJba_Oary4fm8FY-ZM170f32Z7gPUQGUtLkS8SZMV6EP7/s320/alvaro+morata2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri is likely to assess the attacking talent on offer in the January transfer window after Alvaro Morata suffered an injury this week.<br /> <br /> The Spanish striker was forced out of the Europa League draw at Hungarian club Vidi just before half-time after injuring his knee while shooting and will almost certainly miss Chelsea’s Premier League trip to Brighton on Sunday.<br /> <br /> His misfortune allowed Olivier Giroud to enter the action and the France international responded with a superb late free-kick that secured a 2-2 draw and ensured Chelsea remained unbeaten throughout the group stage as they progressed to the last 32.<br /> <br /> Sarri must now decide whether Giroud should start at the Amex Stadium or whether he again employs Eden Hazard in a central role as part of a less physical, more mobile forward line.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> Given his frequent tactical changes so far, the Italian does not appear fully convinced that either approach is ideal.<br /> <br /> Neither Morata nor Giroud have fully impressed this season. Morata has outscored his rival for the centre-forward role with five Premier League goals to Giroud’s one but has again proved inconsistent, mirroring last season’s form when he was bought as a replacement for Diego Costa.<br /> <br /> – Biding his time –<br /> Giroud told the Guardian this week he had no problem with biding his time at Chelsea because the prospect of winning a Premier League title kept him motivated.<br /> <br /> “Alvaro (had) a great pre-season, so it was normal not to take him off the team even to put in a world champion. Let’s be patient, work in training and come back stronger,” he told the paper.<br /> <br /> “I prefer to be at a big club rather than playing every week in a less prestigious team and I still have targets.<br /> <br /> “To win a Premier League is my last dream as a footballer, maybe more than winning a Champions League, because I know how tough it is to win this league.”<br /> <br /> “I have teammates here who have won it, so I’m a bit jealous.”<br /> <br /> Former Real Madrid striker Alvaro made a promising start to his Chelsea career, scoring freely and demonstrating his strength in the air.<br /> <br /> Recurring injuries and difficulty adapting to the physical demands of the Premier League have taken their toll, however, and Morata has rarely looked entirely comfortable since.<br /> <br /> The man bought for £60 million ($75.5 million, 66.8 million euros) has never achieved the popularity at Stamford Bridge enjoyed by the abrasive Costa, whose willingness to confront defenders made him a supporters’ favourite before his relationship with Sarri’s predecessor Antonio Conte turned sour.<br /> <br /> Reports this week that Barcelona could make Morata a target in January suggest he could leave sooner rather than later.<br /> <br /> However, Sarri could not allow Morata to go without lining up a replacement — furthermore, Morata’s injury this week has highlighted the risk of relying on just two principal strikers.<br /> <br /> Giroud has given good service since he arrived from Arsenal last January but his return of four goals from 26 league appearances, 15 of those as a substitute, is not prolific.<br /> <br /> His role for Chelsea mirrors that for France — he has an ability to bring team-mates into play in and around the opposition penalty area. To this effect, he has proved an encouraging presence for Hazard who has made it clear he prefers to operate coming in from wide areas.<br /> <br /> Hazard’s relationship with Conte suffered when the Italian used him in a more central role and having been again asked to switch, the goals have dried up for the Belgian.<br /> <br /> He scored eight goals in the opening ten games but has now failed to find the net in eight games.<br /> <br /> Chelsea’s hopes of winning the title rest on Sarri getting the Belgian scoring again and finding a more consistent central striker — and the solution to both problems is likely to be found in the January transfer market.</div>

Latest-News Morata injury could make Sarri enter January transfer window

Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri is likely to assess the attacking talent on offer in the January transfer window after Alvaro Morata suffered an injury this week. The Spanish striker was forced out of the Europa League draw at Hungarian club Vidi just …

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Why FG can’t win war against fake news alone – El-Rufai

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKDJht69UVW_S2JQmTAVuMxHy0TWsEcQtl0d8Z73XBJcYVSV3mQ4Knx8hcWbVFwlK0Km-Gw5eXnG2KC_Elqo08ujCxxs94yNtAuCdGfneZvqhZLHeyjQidEITo8ybtwTugYI1hxx6dvgR/s1600/Nasir+El-Rufai.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKDJht69UVW_S2JQmTAVuMxHy0TWsEcQtl0d8Z73XBJcYVSV3mQ4Knx8hcWbVFwlK0Km-Gw5eXnG2KC_Elqo08ujCxxs94yNtAuCdGfneZvqhZLHeyjQidEITo8ybtwTugYI1hxx6dvgR/s320/Nasir+El-Rufai.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State says federal government requires the support of state governments to effectively prosecute the proliferation of fake news and hate speech.<br /> <br /> He has called for a total overhaul of the extant laws to enable state governments thoroughly prosecute the offenders.<br /> <br /> The Governor made the remarks in Kaduna when he received the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on a courtesy visit, on the sidelines of the ongoing 47th National Council on Information, with the theme “Tackling Fake News and Hate Speech to Enhance Peace and National Unity.<br /> <br /> He said because of the challenges posed by fake news and hate speech, state governments and state high courts need to be given jurisdiction to try these cases because federal government cannot do it alone.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> ‘‘What we need is to give state governments and state high court’s jurisdiction to try these cases because the federal government cannot do it alone. What we are thinking in Kaduna state is to enact our own legislation against fake news and hate speech.<br /> <br /> ‘‘Right now, we have enough in the Penal Code to try people that do that but we need a stronger framework that will recognise technologies and processes that are used now for more than ever. It is a big problem, particularly in a state like Kaduna where everything, even if you invite 10 people to a launching it acquires ethnic or religious coloration.<br /> <br /> ‘‘I commend the Council for taking up this serious matter. I strongly recommend that not only the federal government and its agencies should be at the forefront of this war against fake news and hate speech but I think the state governments and state courts should be given broader jurisdiction to respond to this.<br /> <br /> ‘‘We know the dangers of these kinds of careless statements and what is most unfortunate is that the guiltiest people are people that are assumed to be more responsible, the pastors, Imams and important people in the society.<br /> <br /> ‘‘It is not only the President that was said to be cloned, I was also summoned from Mali, that someone went to Madiki in place Bamako Mali to change my birth place, the day El-Rufai died when he went on exile on 2009.<br /> <br /> ‘‘We have a serious problem. Those who are running away from the need to have legislative framework to deal with this subject are putting this country in danger because it is not weapons that kills, it is words that kill. 800,000 people in Rwanda were killed in two weeks because of radio and if we continue to play with this, one day this country will go up in flames.’’<br /> <br /> The Governor who attributed the recent crisis in the State to fake news said the launching of the campaign against fake news and hate speech by federal government was quite commendable and should be sustained.</div>

Latest-News Why FG can’t win war against fake news alone – El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State says federal government requires the support of state governments to effectively prosecute the proliferation of fake news and hate speech. He has called for a total overhaul of the extant laws to enable state …

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Some Chelsea fans are stupid – Sarri

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEOmbLE_gMtbjErRQzLaQ1I-DMdM9dZwvhTfmw3cNmpa2oUxjlj69QW5Nsuahl2SY0AdSrl_V0QVnK1whu2HvDFBDXmwdEJI9J_Ww7sqYDg53cOlehBJw6y1Mv_JR-xqT-xqea_S4Bq6K/s1600/Maurizio+Sarri.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEOmbLE_gMtbjErRQzLaQ1I-DMdM9dZwvhTfmw3cNmpa2oUxjlj69QW5Nsuahl2SY0AdSrl_V0QVnK1whu2HvDFBDXmwdEJI9J_Ww7sqYDg53cOlehBJw6y1Mv_JR-xqT-xqea_S4Bq6K/s320/Maurizio+Sarri.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Chelsea manager, Maurizio Sarri, has labelled some fans as “stupid”, amidst latest incidents of racism and discriminatory behaviour.<br /> <br /> The Blues’ 2-0 victory over Manchester City last week, was marred by the vicious abuse directed towards Raheem Sterling.<br /> <br /> Thursday evening’s trip to Budapest was also tarnished by alleged anti-semitic chanting, during the 2-2 Europa League draw against MOL Vidi.<br /> <br /> Chelsea have already condemned their own supporters and urged fans to “summon brainpower”, after supporters aired a rendition of a song that refers to Tottenham disparagingly as ‘Yids’.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> The club suspended four fans after Sterling was targeted at Stamford Bridge.<br /> <br /> Sarri has admitted he fears supporters will continue to undermine progress.<br /> <br /> “I can only say I condemn every form of racism and discrimination. There are the same problems in Italy. There is a form of discrimination with people from the south part of Italy. I was the coach in Naples for three years and I know very well the situation.<br /> <br /> “It is normal to fight all together against the problem. I am sometimes surprised that everybody asks to England the solution. There is not a solution. There are some stupid people in England, France, Italy… it is the same all over the world,” the Italian said according to SportsMail.</div>

Latest-News Some Chelsea fans are stupid – Sarri

Chelsea manager, Maurizio Sarri, has labelled some fans as “stupid”, amidst latest incidents of racism and discriminatory behaviour. The Blues’ 2-0 victory over Manchester City last week, was marred by the vicious abuse directed towards Raheem Sterl…

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Klopp speaks on Man Utd playing defensive style against Liverpool

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJw-dGP1f5BwlsC1K8OwjTP3IHe1u3XW4RaaimIyhmszjlsMmT8UTJo6L2kwJpOOfB4SfBJlK1O57ipQvTkxWRqgWVGYuMVMiNmxqyfUqglzmgjRgP0_vBizkucbUgdkkmn4kssoNQUop/s1600/juregen+klopp.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJw-dGP1f5BwlsC1K8OwjTP3IHe1u3XW4RaaimIyhmszjlsMmT8UTJo6L2kwJpOOfB4SfBJlK1O57ipQvTkxWRqgWVGYuMVMiNmxqyfUqglzmgjRgP0_vBizkucbUgdkkmn4kssoNQUop/s320/juregen+klopp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, has said he does not expect Manchester United to take the route one option against them at Anfield on Sunday.<br /> <br /> United travel to Liverpool to take on their bitter rivals, a massive 16 points behind Klopp’s side in the Premier League table.<br /> <br /> Mourinho is expected to try and slow Liverpool’s flow, with some fans suggesting the United boss would be happy to ‘park the bus’ against Klopp.<br /> <br /> But Klopp denied United only have one option against his side, insisting Mourinho’s team was not one-dimensional.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> “They have not only one style, long-ball football or deep sitting — maybe last year a little bit in the game at Anfield.<br /> <br /> “I’m not the Pope of football tactics and tell people what they have to do,” Klopp said during his Friday press conference.</div>

Latest-News Klopp speaks on Man Utd playing defensive style against Liverpool

Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, has said he does not expect Manchester United to take the route one option against them at Anfield on Sunday. United travel to Liverpool to take on their bitter rivals, a massive 16 points behind Klopp’s side in the …

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Apapa gridlock: Residents issue 21-day ultimatum to FG

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9vhhj6i0BxLMaOwpeM-1ku2eO-Lm9Oh3-3kclR4w97Z9Bej1c-5vRMIvv_-r_ez5sUZTcXhVeA3c-m4GtP2UdqhU3nhLqRrg74nhD8D3YBHtk06ynO1qF8q-GloMItnHQAmegFGkYjDq/s1600/Tanker+drivrs.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9vhhj6i0BxLMaOwpeM-1ku2eO-Lm9Oh3-3kclR4w97Z9Bej1c-5vRMIvv_-r_ez5sUZTcXhVeA3c-m4GtP2UdqhU3nhLqRrg74nhD8D3YBHtk06ynO1qF8q-GloMItnHQAmegFGkYjDq/s320/Tanker+drivrs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The Apapa Government Reserved Area Residents Association has given the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum to clear all bridges and roads in the area of trucks to ease movement.<br /> <br /> The residents on Friday told journalists that unless urgent steps were taken to resolve the traffic problems, they would mobilise and shut down the area completely.<br /> <br /> The President of the association, Brig. Gen. Sola Ayo-Vaughan (retd), said the traffic congestion which had turned Apapa and other parts of the Lagos metropolis into one huge parking lot was as a result of government’s lack of planning and will to enforce its laws and policies.<br /> <br /> He noted that the continuous queues of trucks and tankers blocking the entire network of intersecting roads, bringing traffic in all directions to a standstill were no longer acceptable.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> Ayo-Vaughan stated that the problem which was within Apapa had snowballed into a Lagos traffic, making movement in the area and its environs a nightmare.<br /> <br /> He said, “The bridges which were built to facilitate movement of vehicles have been converted into a permanent parking lot for trailers and tankers, restricting vehicular movement. Turning bridges into a parking lot is unacceptable anywhere in the world because of the inherent danger that may consequently cause calamity.<br /> <br /> “The government has been warned of the looming danger which is inevitable if this practice continues. It is a matter of time. It is worthy to note that government officials and the Chief Executive Officers of the companies, government parastatals operating in Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports do not reside in Apapa.”<br /> <br /> According to Ayo-Vaughan, the government agencies and shipping companies operating in the area are aware of the situation but do not care because of the financial benefits they derive from it.<br /> <br /> He alleged that shipping companies were feeding fat on unearned container deposit and demurrage while terminal operators were having a field day collecting crazy storage charges from importers by restricting trucks in ports under the guise of no network.<br /> <br /> He added that truckers were also benefitting from the chaos by hiking their rates from N70, 000 within Lagos to N600, 000.<br /> <br /> “Residents and workers in Apapa are in this mess alone and if we don’t stand up for ourselves, nothing will happen. Anything short of physical mobilisation at this point will be meaningless.  The Apapa gridlock is man-made and we are pressed beyond measures to do something about it,” he said.<br /> <br /> “It is our belief that the government and its agencies in connivance with shipping companies deliberately refused to implement the policies meant to keep the trucks off our roads to force us out and turn the whole Apapa into port area,” he added.</div>

Latest-News Apapa gridlock: Residents issue 21-day ultimatum to FG

The Apapa Government Reserved Area Residents Association has given the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum to clear all bridges and roads in the area of trucks to ease movement. The residents on Friday told journalists that unless urgent steps wer…

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2019 elections: PDP putting lives of our staff at risk – INEC

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmATTKSAevR2OVVgyaPGhMwDrf84VSoZIvbQBVk7IKIBp4k6HTLSMjqZ6vv9E9v21PB21tVCE4cNz-oAESVSaRyX8u5zpK0lhOYkijsvvQLMWgWDsDM6z3b6iZ1VtUonalrG4s5oU43zj/s1600/inec.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmATTKSAevR2OVVgyaPGhMwDrf84VSoZIvbQBVk7IKIBp4k6HTLSMjqZ6vv9E9v21PB21tVCE4cNz-oAESVSaRyX8u5zpK0lhOYkijsvvQLMWgWDsDM6z3b6iZ1VtUonalrG4s5oU43zj/s320/inec.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> As campaigns for next year’s general elections intensify, the major political parties and the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC have been trading accusations and counter-accusations on alleged plans to rig the elections. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said  yesterday that the move by the electoral commission to create polling centers in Internally Displaced Persons’, IDP’s, camps in the northern part of the country was a plot hatched by the All Progressives Congress, APC, in connivance with INEC to rig the general elections.<br /> <br /> INEC, immediately took objection to this accusation describing it as hate speech capable of putting its permanent and ad hoc staff at risk during the elections.<br /> <br /> The ruling party, in its reaction said Nigerians were bored and tired of PDP’s daily theatrics and challenged the party tell Nigerians why it should be voted back to power.<br /> <br /> Firing the first salvo yesterday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, at a press conference noted that all IDP camps in country fall within the catchment area of an already delineated polling unit.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> According to him, “for the purposes of emphasis, the PDP rejects all forms of fraudulent ‘special arrangements’ tailored to rig this election. Our party insists that elections must only hold in statutorily designated polling centers across our country. The PDP and indeed, Nigerians are not ready to accept any fabricated result from any illegal polling center created to assist President Buhari to rig the election”<br /> <br /> PDP alleged that the presidency had directed INEC to circumvent the checks by secretly opening illegal voting centers at the desert fringes and remote border lines with Chad and Niger, and use them to achieve its original plans to rig the presidential election.<br /> <br /> “Part of the plot is to use these illegal remote centers, which will not have functional Smart Card Readers, to allow unchecked voting by aliens, and under-age persons as well as provide the unlimited latitude for criminal allocation of fictitious votes for President Buhari and his party, the APC.<br /> <br /> “Furthermore, it is instructive to inform Nigerians that, as part of the presidency’s rigging plot, INEC has been instructed to deploy defective Smart Card Readers to IDP camps, particularly in some strategic northern states, to pave way for direct manipulations, including alteration of voter register and voting by unregistered persons, particularly, with the foreclosure of incident forms for manual accreditation.<br /> <br /> “This grand plot to rig is the essential reason President Muhammadu Buhari has deliberately refused to sign the amendments to the Electoral Act, which among other things checked manual manipulation by insisting on the use of card readers for biometric accreditation of voters and elimination of over-voting.<br /> <br /> “It is clear that the presidency is desperate to re-enact the same rigging scenario, which, in 2015, allowed 13.5 million unauthorized persons to participate in the Presidential election, paving the way for the illegal allocation of millions of fictitious votes to President Buhari and we urge Nigerians to unite in condemnation of this ignoble scheme.<br /> <br /> “Our party completely rejects the plan by INEC to substitute biometric accreditation with manual verification on self-recognition and thumbprint on the voters register.<br /> <br /> “Such primitive method of accreditation only opens the way for unlimited rigging, multiple, under-age and alien voting, as well as ballot stuffing which will afford President Buhari and the APC to manipulate themselves back to power against the wish of majority of Nigerians,” the publicity scribe stressed.<br /> <br /> INEC has however debunked the allegations by the PDP that it was working in cahoot with the presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress APC to create “special polling units” for Internally Displaced Persons IDPs with the sole intent to rig next year’s general elections.<br /> <br /> Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu told Saturday Vanguard that the allegation by the PDP amounts to some form of hate speech against the Commission.<br /> <br /> His words: “I find it distasteful that Mr Kola Ologbondiyan can deliberately embark on peddling complete falsehood about the Independent National Electoral Commission in this manner, with the sole intent of discrediting all the good efforts being put in place to ensure  credible 2019 General Elections.<br /> <br /> “The story about the possibility of so called Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) located in Chad and Niger republic voting in the 2019 general elections was as a result of a misrepresentation of facts by a newspaper in its story on the Validation Conference in respect of the Framework for Voting for Internally Displaced Persons, held on12th December in Abuja, for which the Commission had to promptly issue a rebuttal.<br /> <br /> “Everybody knows that displaced persons living in foreign countries cannot be regarded as IDPs but refugees and there is no provision in our laws for any Nigerian living outside Nigeria to vote during the 2019 general elections.<br /> <br /> “But Kola Ologbondiyan has continued to insist that the Commission is planning to establish 30,000 polling units and give the so-called IDPs in foreign countries the opportunity to vote in the general elections.<br /> <br /> “What this man is doing, by implication, is to put the lives of INEC permanent and adhoc staff, especially the young National Youth Service Corps members at risk during the 2019 general elections with his continuous portrayal of the Commission as untrustworthy and fraudulent.<br /> <br /> “This is not what Nigerians need at this time. This is certainly not the way to be an excellent spokesperson.<br /> <br /> “INEC is not a political party. The Commission is not planning to establish any new polling units anywhere. Our only interest is to conduct free, fair and credible general elections in 2019 and we require the cooperation of all stakeholders, including political parties, to achieve this objective.<br /> <br /> “My strong advice to Kola Ologbodiyan is that he should stop what I can safely describe as hate speech against INEC, for the good of the country and democracy”, he stated.<br /> <br /> On its part, the ruling All Progressives Congress APC also accused the PDP of daily trying to whip up sentiments rather than being apologetic for its 16 ruinous years in leadership.<br /> <br /> APC said even if the PDP in its trademark arrogance refused to be apologetic and remorseful, the party could do better by telling Nigerians why it should be voted back to power.<br /> <br /> According to the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu,<br /> <br /> “Are they now saying that all the IDP camps are populated by APC members? Well, if they do not have people to vote for them, why are they in distress? Everyday, they will just come up with one frivolous allegation and that is what they want but we want to discuss issues with them.<br /> <br /> We want to discuss policies; we want to discuss infrastructure with them. We want them to tell us why and how they destroyed this country for 16 years and we want to discuss with them what we have done in the past three and a half years. That is what Nigerians want. We want to tell Nigerians what more we want to do going into the next dispensation and not these daily fallacious statements they continue to churn out.<br /> <br /> “The country is bored and tired of PDP’s theatrics. There is no single day in the past one or two months that they have spoken on what matters to the people of this country.<br /> <br /> “Let us even take it for granted that they are not apologetic and not remorse about the 16 years of waste under them, but going into the future, what are they promising the people of this country? Is it these daily lies and concoctions that they want Nigerians to vote for?</div>

Latest-News 2019 elections: PDP putting lives of our staff at risk – INEC

As campaigns for next year’s general elections intensify, the major political parties and the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC have been trading accusations and counter-accusations on alleged plans to rig the ele…

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APC’s foreign policy will still remain economy, security, says Osinbajo

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2rNNkQlqUOR7aN5P-5oWVQZ2tv5XQURKSiM5wJxBpI-8F_GE2rpdMzmcBVcrx3cz2Xx0iF3_-5adxIsmj-1EcDTdEdNmu8xt9hmmDIrUKPTg2J_3QTs3NfQjvtgk9GY3H359H52_O_QO/s1600/yemi+osinbajo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2rNNkQlqUOR7aN5P-5oWVQZ2tv5XQURKSiM5wJxBpI-8F_GE2rpdMzmcBVcrx3cz2Xx0iF3_-5adxIsmj-1EcDTdEdNmu8xt9hmmDIrUKPTg2J_3QTs3NfQjvtgk9GY3H359H52_O_QO/s320/yemi+osinbajo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The Vice President, Prof.Yemi Osinbajo, on Friday said that the foreign policy of the All Progressives Party(APC) would remain the economy and security.<br /> <br /> Osinbajo, at the Vice Presidential candidates debates in Abuja, said that the government was working on improving the trade process of the naton.<br /> <br /> He said that a lot of agreements had been entered into between Nigeria and other nations to better the economy of the nation.<br /> <br /> “We just set up a trade office and this accounts for some of the work we have been doing.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> “Also, some economic partnerships are being entered into with the European Union and we are looking at policies that will benefit Nigeria.<br /> “This is because we are looking at the economic interest of Nigeria in the partnership.”<br /> <br /> Osinbajo said that one of the points was that the government would cooperate with Nigeria’s neighbours and that was currently going on to secure the ntion’s borders.<br /> <br /> He said that a multinational joint task force was in place with the nation’s neighbours to combat insurgency, to allow for free trade and other beneficial activities.<br /> <br /> Mr Peter Obi, Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said that Nigeria had a lot to offer Africa, thus the party would create a policy to achieve that.<br /> <br /> Obi said that the party would enter into an international relationship that would be beneficial to the nation and add value to its economy.<br /> <br /> He said that this would in turn boost the nation’s economy and create jobs .<br /> <br /> “So a policy that will be a win win situation for Nigeria where we will stop borrowing but go and learn about how other countries do it so we can replicate it.”<br /> <br /> Mrs Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya ,Vice Presidential candidate of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), promised to secure nigeria’s borders.<br /> <br /> Abdullahi-Iya said that this was imperative to know ” who comes and goes out of the nation for security purposes”.<br /> <br /> Mr Ganiyu Galadima,Vice presidential candidate, Allied Congress of Nigeria (ACPN), said that Nigeria would partner other nations to leaverage on thier expertise on security.<br /> <br /> Galadima said that the party would combat terrorism and create a secured nation where commerce would thrive.<br /> <br /> Mrs Umma Getso, vice presidential candidate of Young Progressives Party (YPP), said that the party would boost the economy and make it attractive to investors.<br /> <br /> Getso said that the investors would key into the party’s local content policy to boost local industries.<br /> <br /> She said that way, jobs would be created for the youth.</div>

Latest-News APC’s foreign policy will still remain economy, security, says Osinbajo

The Vice President, Prof.Yemi Osinbajo, on Friday said that the foreign policy of the All Progressives Party(APC) would remain the economy and security. Osinbajo, at the Vice Presidential candidates debates in Abuja, said that the government was wor…

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APC’s foreign policy will still remain economy, security, says Osinbajo

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2rNNkQlqUOR7aN5P-5oWVQZ2tv5XQURKSiM5wJxBpI-8F_GE2rpdMzmcBVcrx3cz2Xx0iF3_-5adxIsmj-1EcDTdEdNmu8xt9hmmDIrUKPTg2J_3QTs3NfQjvtgk9GY3H359H52_O_QO/s1600/yemi+osinbajo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2rNNkQlqUOR7aN5P-5oWVQZ2tv5XQURKSiM5wJxBpI-8F_GE2rpdMzmcBVcrx3cz2Xx0iF3_-5adxIsmj-1EcDTdEdNmu8xt9hmmDIrUKPTg2J_3QTs3NfQjvtgk9GY3H359H52_O_QO/s320/yemi+osinbajo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The Vice President, Prof.Yemi Osinbajo, on Friday said that the foreign policy of the All Progressives Party(APC) would remain the economy and security.<br /> <br /> Osinbajo, at the Vice Presidential candidates debates in Abuja, said that the government was working on improving the trade process of the naton.<br /> <br /> He said that a lot of agreements had been entered into between Nigeria and other nations to better the economy of the nation.<br /> <br /> “We just set up a trade office and this accounts for some of the work we have been doing.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> “Also, some economic partnerships are being entered into with the European Union and we are looking at policies that will benefit Nigeria.<br /> “This is because we are looking at the economic interest of Nigeria in the partnership.”<br /> <br /> Osinbajo said that one of the points was that the government would cooperate with Nigeria’s neighbours and that was currently going on to secure the ntion’s borders.<br /> <br /> He said that a multinational joint task force was in place with the nation’s neighbours to combat insurgency, to allow for free trade and other beneficial activities.<br /> <br /> Mr Peter Obi, Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said that Nigeria had a lot to offer Africa, thus the party would create a policy to achieve that.<br /> <br /> Obi said that the party would enter into an international relationship that would be beneficial to the nation and add value to its economy.<br /> <br /> He said that this would in turn boost the nation’s economy and create jobs .<br /> <br /> “So a policy that will be a win win situation for Nigeria where we will stop borrowing but go and learn about how other countries do it so we can replicate it.”<br /> <br /> Mrs Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya ,Vice Presidential candidate of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), promised to secure nigeria’s borders.<br /> <br /> Abdullahi-Iya said that this was imperative to know ” who comes and goes out of the nation for security purposes”.<br /> <br /> Mr Ganiyu Galadima,Vice presidential candidate, Allied Congress of Nigeria (ACPN), said that Nigeria would partner other nations to leaverage on thier expertise on security.<br /> <br /> Galadima said that the party would combat terrorism and create a secured nation where commerce would thrive.<br /> <br /> Mrs Umma Getso, vice presidential candidate of Young Progressives Party (YPP), said that the party would boost the economy and make it attractive to investors.<br /> <br /> Getso said that the investors would key into the party’s local content policy to boost local industries.<br /> <br /> She said that way, jobs would be created for the youth.</div>

Latest-News APC’s foreign policy will still remain economy, security, says Osinbajo

The Vice President, Prof.Yemi Osinbajo, on Friday said that the foreign policy of the All Progressives Party(APC) would remain the economy and security. Osinbajo, at the Vice Presidential candidates debates in Abuja, said that the government was wor…

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Junaid Mohammed reveals why Northern Elders rejected Buhari, warns Atiku

Latest-News Junaid Mohammed reveals why Northern Elders rejected Buhari, warns Atiku

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Who will be Nigeria's next president?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5Ag1msDFqGe1zZPLx5s-tPljrmCoNU5r3Kiw-RUZu6Q6HeUNdlGSy3v4hVLAQ99qlTZ-ZOhbbXyUWRdT5jhhagbjERhpXb0eZ50T9H3B9YXtBVi2AOGTQoXxnEFRdOGBWoKQkDg04Jq7/s1600/Atiku-Buhari.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5Ag1msDFqGe1zZPLx5s-tPljrmCoNU5r3Kiw-RUZu6Q6HeUNdlGSy3v4hVLAQ99qlTZ-ZOhbbXyUWRdT5jhhagbjERhpXb0eZ50T9H3B9YXtBVi2AOGTQoXxnEFRdOGBWoKQkDg04Jq7/s320/Atiku-Buhari.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> In February 2019, Nigerians will vote their next leader in the sixth presidential elections since the end of the military rule in 1999.<br /> <br /> The incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress is running for a second term. His main competitor is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the opposition People's Democratic Party.<br /> <br /> Which of them is best-placed to lead Africa's biggest economy?<br /> <br /> When asked why Buhari travelled overseas for medical treatment without informing the Nigerian people what that treatment was for, his campaign spokesman, Festus Keyamo, says there is "no political templates and booklets" that require Buhari to disclose his medical records.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> President Buhari has been to the United Kingdom several times for unspecified medical treatment, despite claiming during the campaign that he would end 'medical tourism' for government officials when treatment was available in Nigeria.<br /> <br /> "In matters of health, you have to rebuild infrastructure. Because health is number one," Keyamo adds. "And you don't expect people to die, not only him [Buhari], any other person at all in a state of health that may be terminal."<br /> <br /> Abubakar's spokesman Segun Sowunmi was pressed about the $40mn sent to the United States via offshore wire transfers. Sowunmi says the money was an attempt "to fund an American University in Yola."<br /> <br /> "It was investigated. It was clearly shown not to be of crime," he continued. "We must be careful that we do not take small queries to mean grand larceny or grand indictment."<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Source: Al Jazeera</div>

Latest-News Who will be Nigeria's next president?

In February 2019, Nigerians will vote their next leader in the sixth presidential elections since the end of the military rule in 1999. The incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress is running for a second term. His main…

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Donald Duke reacts as court sacks him, declares Gana SDP’s presidential candidate

Latest-News Donald Duke reacts as court sacks him, declares Gana SDP’s presidential candidate

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How President Buhari got N260,000 bank loan to build first house as Head of State

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBs9DCOxMm72SF9DKaUDvloiRbKj0phNMpKwn-hYR5v-ZqP-2k0sIWC3EukiVbxxWQ1AD9pS69eEE61HN9rzA9aPbP3S_J2QQJPrwQcZIAeX-bLsQrc3HEPF-zPflT5KRZI3SFG5PMtj0a/s1600/President+Muhammadu+Buhari.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBs9DCOxMm72SF9DKaUDvloiRbKj0phNMpKwn-hYR5v-ZqP-2k0sIWC3EukiVbxxWQ1AD9pS69eEE61HN9rzA9aPbP3S_J2QQJPrwQcZIAeX-bLsQrc3HEPF-zPflT5KRZI3SFG5PMtj0a/s320/President+Muhammadu+Buhari.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Details of how President Muhammadu Buhari applied and got bank loan of N260, 000 to build his first and only house in Kaduna, have emerged, with some Nigerians questioning whether his Spartan life of 1984 when he served as head of state is still the same as the current Nigeria’s president.<br /> <br /> The bank document, which Saturday Vanguard got exclusively, shows clearly that Buhari had resorted to taking a bank loan to be able to build his first house in Kaduna, having not been able to raise enough cash for such a project through all other means.<br /> <br /> After applying for the cash, which came with interest, Buhari, a Major General in the army at the time, accepted all the terms and conditions imposed by Union Bank, which provided the N260,000 loan to him and laid out the conditions attached to the offer.<br /> <br /> In the loan document dated June 1, 1984, and addressed to Major General Muhammadu Buhari, Head of State and Commander-in-Chief, Dodan Barracks, Lagos, the bank made it clear that the loan was approved for the building of his house.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> The letter signed by one M. D. Yusif, who was the manager of Union Bank at the time, the bank said: “Dear sir, we are pleased to advise that the bank has agreed to renew your facility as follows: Building Loan-N260,000, has been marked for review on the 2nd of March 1985 but in accordance with the normal banking practice; it is repayable on demand and subject to review or withdrawal at any time the bank’s option.<br /> <br /> “Interest will be charged for the time being, at the rate of 11 percent per annum with monthly rents. Commission on turnover will be charged at 20 percent.<br /> <br /> “The facility has been renewed subject to the following conditions: All the security items have been holding before now continue to support this lending and ordinary account should be kept strictly on creditor’s basis while loan outstands.<br /> <br /> “Kindly signify your acceptance of the terms and conditions of the renewal by signing and returning the duplicate copy of this letter,” M. D. Yufif, said.<br /> <br /> But as it appeared that Major Gen. Buhair was desperately in need of the loan, he quickly signed and returned the letter to Union Bank, which immediately released the cash to him for the building project in Kaduna.<br /> <br /> Although this gesture has given out Buhari as a man of Spartan nature, many Nigerians are unconvinced if he would have take the loan today, given that he has made a lot of money from being the president of Nigeria for almost four years and surrounding himself with people who are said to be money-conscious and ready to do anything to get rich quick.<br /> <br /> However, those who claim to know Buhari very well, praised him for his Spartan nature, saying he remains the same man that he was many years ago despite presiding over billions of Nigeria’s cash.<br /> <br /> A Kaduna-based politician, Aliyu Musa, who claims to have know Buhari from childhood, told Saturday Vanguard in Kaduna on Friday that Buhari remains incorruptible despite all the posts he has held and the passage of time given his austere background and fear of God not to dip his hands into public till.<br /> <br /> “We, who are Buhari’s friends, are proud of him and we will continue to vouch for him as an honest, contented and sincere leader who is not driven by ill-gotten wealth and that is why he went for commercial bank loan to build his first house instead of looting the public treasury as most leaders would have done.<br /> <br /> “We know that despite being Nigeria’s president at a time when everybody wants to steal and enrich themselves, Buhari will remain steadfast to his creed not to steal a kobo from the peoples treasury,” Musa stated.<br /> <br /> But second republic lawmaker, Junaid Mohammed, told Saturday Vanguard that Buhari might not be corrupt by taking money from the public till but has thrown himself into the ring by surrounding himself with questionable elements, who do not believe in his anti-corruption war.<br /> <br /> “We want Buhari to do away with nepotism and retainership of a cabal that does not work in the interest of Nigeria because corruption extends beyond stealing public funds to conferring undue advantage on a particular set of people and tribe at the expense of other groups,” Junaid said.</div>

Latest-News How President Buhari got N260,000 bank loan to build first house as Head of State

Details of how President Muhammadu Buhari applied and got bank loan of N260, 000 to build his first and only house in Kaduna, have emerged, with some Nigerians questioning whether his Spartan life of 1984 when he served as head of state is still the…

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VP DEBATE 2018: I’m delighted with Peter Obi – Fayose

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTJCZC117tfzb4qQKDczdy-SexlFSimYrWA67KR7S4DckMOFZYBKmE1YuoHnXlM3a0Yui3TVJXRDzpXi_8P0RMyck0HMDxkRnA4spJC6qGwWoLkvCOFGVBO1aMf_5TF8VBb889vnel0kf/s640/fAYOSE+WE.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /> Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has commended the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Vice Presidential candidate, Peter Obi for an outstanding performance during the Vice presidential debate held on Friday night in Abuja.<br /> <br /> He said that Obi demonstrated a high level of understanding of issues relating to the economy compared to other candidates.<br /> <br /> Fayose in his twitter handle said he was delighted with Obi’s performance and his level of intelligence.<br /> <br /> He wrote on his official Twitter Page, “Delighted that our VP candidate, Peter Obi demonstrated high level of understanding of issues relating to the economy of this country.<br /> <br /> “In PDP, we have brains in abundance, while in the other party, they have lies in abundance. We will surely get Nigeria working again.”<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> It will be recalled that on Friday night, five candidates contesting for the vice presidency, engaged in a debate.<br /> Those who participated were, Yemi Osinbajo (APC) Peter Obi (PDP) Umma Getso (YPP) Alhaji Abdulganiyu Galadima (ACPN) Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya (ANN)<br /> <br /> Their responses and opinions drew mixed reactions from Nigerians.

Latest-News VP DEBATE 2018: I’m delighted with Peter Obi – Fayose

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has commended the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Vice Presidential candidate, Peter Obi for an outstanding performance during the Vice presidential debate held on Friday night in Abuja. He said that Ob…

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2019 Elections : APC, PDP disagree over readiness

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWiMd2oVK9ZNxrq72nnBlvJdkJh_o04uH79MyeZVputCPM9UZOx3uRDsdi8qYGqlxLZH8gRObtOFqyepPU2p0oEzUwzEuIueyGb4TGVFiqAySkQLhvuV1lSoqGxElXyWUKtZTdDq2Ho1K/s400/pdp+apc+vs.jpg" width="400" /></div> <br /> <br /> The All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have disagreed over the readiness of both parties for the 2019 general elections.<br /> <br /> The PDP had claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari was not ready for the 2019 general elections.<br /> <br /> The party alleged that the President and his party were plotting with the Independent National Electoral Commission to rig the elections.<br /> <br /> The APC, however, denied the allegation and accused the PDP of contacting some Russian agents in the bid to hack INEC’s server during the 2019 general elections.<br /> <br /> The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, warned that there would be dire consequences if the election was rigged because, according to him, Nigerians were ready for change of government and good governance.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> He said, “President Buhari is not ready for election. We have about 60 days to the election, yet the APC has not constituted its election campaign committee and the party is not talking to Nigerians on the need to vote for it.<br /> <br /> “The whole world has now seen that the only reason President Buhari has refused to sign the Electoral Bill is because he knows that there is no way he can win in a peaceful, credible, free and fair election.<br /> <br /> “His only hope in contesting the election is getting INEC and security forces to assist him and the APC to rig. For PDP, our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is ready for the election.<br /> <br /> The APC, however, insisted that the PDP had contacted some Russian agents in the bid to hack INEC’s server during the 2019 general elections.<br /> <br /> The party said this accounted for why the opposition party desperately wanted President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the 2018 Electoral Amendment Bill.<br /> <br /> He said, “The Act we are using now was created by the PDP. They created a law and they are now afraid to use it.<br /> <br /> That does not sound right. The PDP is playing out what they designed in Dubai. They started with the labour strike on minimum wage in order to cause problems in the country but it did not work; they brought ASUU strike, it did not work and then they tried to instigate fuel scarcity which also did not work.

Latest-News 2019 Elections : APC, PDP disagree over readiness

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have disagreed over the readiness of both parties for the 2019 general elections. The PDP had claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari was not ready for the 2019 general elections…

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Why Nigeria needs Vice President like Peter Obi – Tambuwal

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="553" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXk2QNK0kuXHWUrrSJEAjsFSOTRaAVbp4GcRyuFPOCacJCnN19PDtiu_HP84ZHBbhKqUkipSSo5hU867mt7cCDdZSIGJHNZWXorhjapT194mW3IOKJfmCPYxki_0wF74T1TOqqqUl1Zjv/s640/Tambuwal-360x225.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /> The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, has reacted to the outcome of the Vice Presidential debate.<br /> <br /> Tambuwal said the debate indicated that Nigeria needed a Vice President like the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential running mate, Peter Obi.<br /> <br /> On Friday night, five candidates contesting for the vice presidency, engaged in a debate.<br /> <br /> Those who participated were Yemi Osinbajo (APC) Peter Obi (PDP) Umma Getso (YPP), Alhaji Abdulganiyu Galadima (ACPN), Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya (ANN)<br /> <br /> Reacting, the former PDP presidential aspirant said Obi was well articulate and understands how Nigeria’s economy works.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> In a series of tweets, “Nigeria needs a Vice President like Peter Obi. Well articulated, a sound economist who understands how Nigeria’s economy works.<br /> <br /> “Together with @atiku, Nigeria will be on the right track to greatness. #Letsgetnigeriaworkingagain<br /> <br /> “Watching the #VPDebate I can assure Nigerians that @officialPDPnig, we got the right man for the job as Vice President.<br /> <br /> “Peter Obi is backing all his points with facts and figures, proffering solutions too.What a man!”

Latest-News Why Nigeria needs Vice President like Peter Obi – Tambuwal

The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, has reacted to the outcome of the Vice Presidential debate. Tambuwal said the debate indicated that Nigeria needed a Vice President like the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential running mate, Pete…

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Drama as Akpabio’s wife causes stir at airport during Aisha Buhari's visit to Akwa Ibom

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxTWu7zPk9JB5nh-60N9PQveV6s88Z_Knc-F8cOozsOiBaeAPU0sDvUleA4TGN0UQh39ojxjxNnWE4SRsbW9o0bnnarNaWK0ew18PiZ-hROXgZyH11pb7LjsNaTcWtb17DZ14Au9EZ-yo/s640/nana.jpeg" width="640" /></div> <br /> The first official visit of the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, to Akwa Ibom State on Friday was marred by a security breach allegedly caused by the wife of Senator Godswill Akpabio, Unoma.<br /> <br /> The incident occurred at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, the state capital, when Mrs. Akpabio, was said to have made quick move to welcome the wife of the President.<br /> <br /> Reliable sources revealed that the sudden move made the protocol officers from the Presidency to quickly intervene.<br /> <br /> The sources revealed that while the door of the aircraft opened and the First Lady Aisha Buhari was preparing to come out, Mrs. Akpabio suddenly sprang from her seat to shove aside Mrs. Martha Emmanuel, the wife of incumbent governor Udom Emmanuel, who was billed to welcome the President’s wife.<br /> <br /> This led to the door of the aircraft being shut as the President’s wife retreated and waited inside for another 25 minutes before the senator’s wife was persuaded to stop further attempts to welcome the President’s wife.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> Once normalcy was restored, the aircraft doors were opened and the President’s wife disembarked from the aircraft and was received by Mrs. Emmanuel, who introduced the guest to other Akwa Ibom women at the airport waiting to receive her.<br /> <br /> One of the sources revealed that some women at the airport expressed displeasure at Akpabio’s wife’s conduct.<br /> <br /> The Press Secretary to Senator Akpabio, Anietie Ekong, however, said even though he was not at the event, there was no breach of protocol.<br /> <br /> He said, “There was nothing like breach of protocol, though I was not at the airport. I have watched the video and there was nothing like that. It was overzealousness on the part of the governor’s wife’s security. The senator addressed this in the course of his speech today.”<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, reports had emerged earlier in the day that there was an attempt by the APC to disrupt protocol during the visit of the President’s wife in a bid to score cheap political gains.<br /> <br /> Over 11,000 women and youths drawn from the 31 local governments of the state received various forms of empowerment from the President’s wife in furtherance of the Federal Government’s social intervention programme.<br /> <br /> The President’s wife commended the NDE for its forward-looking approach to the empowerment of Nigerians and charged participants to submit themselves to the training programmes in order to become grounded in their areas of training.<br /> <br /> In his remarks, Akpabio, who is a former governor of the state, lauded the President for his transformative policies, adding that many of them left the PDP because of the President’s transformation programme, including the reduction of over 500 accounts used by the Federal Government to one due to the implementation of the Treasury Single Account.<br /> <br /> Earlier, the governorship candidate of the APC in the state, Mr Nsima Ekere, commended the Federal Government for the priority given to poverty alleviation programmes in the country, adding that change would come to Akwa Ibom with the anticipated victory of the All Progressives Congress in the 2019 general elections.

Latest-News Drama as Akpabio’s wife causes stir at airport during Aisha Buhari's visit to Akwa Ibom

The first official visit of the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, to Akwa Ibom State on Friday was marred by a security breach allegedly caused by the wife of Senator Godswill Akpabio, Unoma. The incident occurred at the Victor Attah Internationa…

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Oyo APC replies Shittu - 'Your threat is very empty'

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfo8Xk54OXszc3xhrVVCRax1XS12syRr-TuxklmYqdep24nrquLHLgPcaT7SVTSEl5E9TQjsMGmin3pfNynoXLfRQ1cmtYjWQNTgz_7soGlwaT5OHLJ_IzZfRKJ-UM4Tqa8UXIEgQoD9_/s400/ajimobi+shittu.jpg" width="400" /></div> <br /> <br /> Oyo state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), has said that instead of joining words, it has decided to ignore the utterances attributed to the Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, over his decision not to support the party’s governorship candidate at the 2019 general elections.<br /> <br /> While addressing the press recently, Shittu said he was short-changed by the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, and denied the party’s governorship ticket despite paying a huge amount to purchase the expression of interest form.<br /> <br /> Consequently, he said he would not campaign for the party’s flag bearer or work for his success in the election.<br /> <br /> Reacting to Shittu’s threat, the state chapter of the APC, in a release issued by the Director of Media, Research and Strategies and Publicity Secretary, AbdulAzeez Olatunde, on Friday, described it as lacking substance and ‘an empty threat.’<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> The release entitled, “Rejoinder to Barr. Adebayo Shittu’s gaffe,” challenged the minister to list his results in both 2007 and 2011 in his polling unit, ward and local government against his opponents for the public to know whether he is an asset or liability to the party.<br /> <br /> The statement reads in part, “All Progressive Congress, Oyo State Chapter has been watching the mouth Crossfire being emitted by our honourable Minister of Communication, Barr Adebayo Shittu, in recent times with dismay because of the following reasons:<br /> <br /> “The Party believed that, Barr Shittu’s contribution to the electoral victory of APC and the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 is not traceable beyond 30 minutes cameo appearance in the the public rally in ancient Mapo Hall, yet he is the greatest beneficiary by becoming a Minister.<br /> <br /> “The party challenges Barr Adebayo Shittu to list his poll results in both 2007 and 2011 in his Polling unit, Ward and Local Government against his opponents for the public to know whether you are an asset or liability to the Party.<br /> <br /> “It is common knowledge that his two elections were colossal failures so this threat not to support Adelabu, lacks condiments of substance and its in fact an empty threat.<br /> <br /> “A translated Yoruba adage has it that: a tree which one rests upon but could not support one, if such a tree decides otherwise, it’s impact would obviously be minimally felt.<br /> <br /> “However, Barr Adebayo Shittu is expected to know that, Oyo state chapter of APC did not screen him as such we are aghast at his transferred aggression.<br /> <br /> “Honestly, as a self acclaimed Islamic cleric, we thought he would live an exemplary life and be a role model, going by Quran 3:26, where it was explicitly stated that “Allah giveth Power to whom thou pleaseth.”

Latest-News Oyo APC replies Shittu - 'Your threat is very empty'

Oyo state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), has said that instead of joining words, it has decided to ignore the utterances attributed to the Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, over his decision not to support the party’s govern…

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Yemi Osinbajo, Peter Obi engage in war of words at Vice Presidential debate

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H3y6xvLaTHh0aWsF3G5H4Ad1MuGWNGGso4pkl1XVveyXjMPq9xaCdAoSWF4rVLfHuUJRmFe_Dg7eXiLSuVgjwrmPFVL7BRDHKR7K2DIcpneiRpegrzS6spIj4fhAeLR7gupm8Jolmjtq/s1600/osinbajo+obi+debate+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="891" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H3y6xvLaTHh0aWsF3G5H4Ad1MuGWNGGso4pkl1XVveyXjMPq9xaCdAoSWF4rVLfHuUJRmFe_Dg7eXiLSuVgjwrmPFVL7BRDHKR7K2DIcpneiRpegrzS6spIj4fhAeLR7gupm8Jolmjtq/s640/osinbajo+obi+debate+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <b>A fierce war of words between Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Dr Peter Obi, the Vice-Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party occurred yesterday as Nigeria’s first TV debate among political party candidates ahead of the February 16 presidential election took place.</b><br /> <br /> All Progressives Congress’ Yemi Osinbajo and Peoples Democratic Party’s Peter Obi tactically turned the vice presidential debate held in Abuja yesterday into a sparring match as they expressed their knowledge of the economy and other national issues.<br /> <br /> During the debate organised by the Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Osinbajo utilised his hands-on knowledge and involvement in running the nation’s economy to project a capacity for effective leadership while Obi made generous use of facts and figures.<br /> <br /> The three other Vice presidential candidates at the debate – Young Progressives Party’s Hajia Umma Getso, Alliance for New Nigeria’s Hajia Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya and Ganiyu Galadima of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria – all strove to communicate their readiness for the responsibilities of a vice president.<br /> <br /> However, during the live television debate, skewed audience cheered and jeered, eliciting threats by the organisers to sanction errant members of the audience.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> The five vice presidential candidates all managed to project the preparedness of their political parties and presidential candidates.<br /> <br /> During the largely economy-focused debate, the five participants proffered solutions for the various social and economic problems bedeviling the nation with one of the high points being the exchange of barbs between Osinbajo and Obi on the issue of petroleum subsidy.<br /> <br /> While Young Progressives Party’s Hajia Umma Getso pointedly noted widespread perception that petroleum subsidy is “a scam”, Osinbajo noted that even advanced economies sustain some forms of subsidy for logical reasons.<br /> <br /> According to Osinbajo, without subsidy, the price of petroleum could go as high as N220, adding that the prevalent fraud in Nigeria’s fuel subsidy system has been effectively curbed as the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation now procures fuel abroad.<br /> <br /> “Today, the NNPC is the sole importer of petroleum, so it is from the balance sheet of the NNPC that the subsidy is being taken.<br /> <br /> “Now, let me say that if today you are to remove subsidy, petrol price could go as high as N220 per litre or higher.<br /> <br /> “There is no country in the world, not even the wealthiest ones, that don’t run some type of subsidy or the other,” Osinbajo stated.<br /> <br /> In his own response, PDP Vice presidential candidate, Peter Obi alleged that the APC administration’s pattern of fighting corruption has cost the nation jobs and economic progress.<br /> <br /> “It is not that you cannot fight corruption, but you can fight it more aggressively while addressing economic issues. For example, in 2015, unemployment was 24 per cent, today, it is 40 per cent.<br /> <br /> “In 2015, we attracted $21bn in Foreign Direct Investment but we attracted only $12bn last year; our GDP was $500bn in 2015 while per capita was $2,500 today it is under $1,900.<br /> <br /> “If you look at our stock market, we have lost over N2tn in one year, so that is not a policy. You’re just fighting corruption, you are not creating jobs.<br /> <br /> “You cannot shut down your shop and be chasing criminals,” he said, eliciting Osinbajo’s response that “if the assault by thieves continues, there may be no shop to look after.”<br /> <br /> Earlier, Obi had criticised the Buhari/Osinbajo administration over petroleum subsidy, waving it off as a subsidization of inefficiency that should be done away with.<br /> <br /> “Why are you actually subsiding? Nigeria has one of the lowest car ownerships in the world; it is 10 per 1,000. So, we have only two million vehicles and you’re paying almost a trillion when you have 87 million people that are poor,” he said.<br /> <br /> As the debate progressed, Nigerians keenly followed online, with some identifying lies and mix-ups in the candidates’ presentations.<br /> <br /> For instance, on Twitter, an activist, Sega L’éveilleur, using the handle @segalink, faulted Osinbajo’s statement that “major cause of poverty is corruption”, noting that while corruption also exists in developed countries, Nigeria is far behind in productivity.<br /> <br /> Another twitter user using the handle @Ayourb criticised PDP’s Peter Obi for lying.<br /> <br /> “Why is Peter Obi a compulsive liar? He just said there are two million vehicles in Nigeria. But according to the NBS (National Bureau of Statistics) data, there are 11 million vehicles in Nigeria,” he stated.

Latest-News Yemi Osinbajo, Peter Obi engage in war of words at Vice Presidential debate

A fierce war of words between Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Dr Peter Obi, the Vice-Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party occurred yesterday as Nigeria’s first TV debate among political party candidates ahead of the Feb…

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2019: Lagosians are tired of one man's hold over the state - Jimi Agbaje

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="700" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOp_D_RKQ5UnuuVYVFTL9mRZ60wyOTi46ETUu3mfitsZGGNcOjWA9GwMMr2aRaRyFA4lPZ_64zYIHmVgGCQS7OaHJX2LLIZ0UWCykDPdXBxIBTI9CORxQfqfWgqiShTEdv84jWquf-1CTG/s400/Jimi-Agbaje.jpg" width="400" /></div> <br /> <br /> The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has said that the electorate are eager to cast their votes in the 2019 poll in order to turn the state into a “peoples’ Lagos.<br /> <br /> Agbaje noted that Lagosians were yearning to emancipate themselves from the old “order of doing things”.<br /> <br /> He disclosed this when he received the British Deputy High Commissioner, Laure Beaufils, according to a statement by the Director, Media and Publicity of the Jimi Agbaje Campaign Organisation, Modupe Ogunbayo, on Friday.<br /> <br /> The PDP candidate stated that he was confident of unseating the ruling party in Lagos in 2019 as his campaign message focused more on the Lagos masses.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> Agbaje said, “If a survey is conducted today, you will discover that the outcome will reflect that the campaign message resonates soundly with the ordinary people who are the majority voters. They yearn for freedom from the old order of doing things in Lagos.<br /> <br /> He told Beaufils that he was pushing out the message to the electorate in Lagos to protect their votes, a move he said became necessary following the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the 2018 Electoral Act Amendment Bill.<br /> <br /> In her remarks, Beaufils commended Agbaje’s commitment to a peaceful campaign and his decision to focus on issues affecting the people of the state.

Latest-News 2019: Lagosians are tired of one man's hold over the state - Jimi Agbaje

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has said that the electorate are eager to cast their votes in the 2019 poll in order to turn the state into a “peoples’ Lagos. Agbaje noted that Lagosians we…

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2019 Elections: US predicts violence in Nigeria

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_xKCLCJm8uNTdvhUYbPdGO5MQb8fWcMiUcE1LlDMrxJf4C7djiHVg9UBf6w5hzcn3ftIHg8hEwq0T-2KK_AwKbdN_7gyx2tn7kHHz2Qp469QtMaukS_IoKWFk9TBcRRn39a6y_m4qTUJ/s1600/Post-Election-Violence-600x337+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_xKCLCJm8uNTdvhUYbPdGO5MQb8fWcMiUcE1LlDMrxJf4C7djiHVg9UBf6w5hzcn3ftIHg8hEwq0T-2KK_AwKbdN_7gyx2tn7kHHz2Qp469QtMaukS_IoKWFk9TBcRRn39a6y_m4qTUJ/s320/Post-Election-Violence-600x337+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> The United States Government has expressed fear that the Nigeria’s general elections scheduled for 2019 are likely to be characterised by violence.<br /> <br /> It said the conduct of the elections could have significant consequences for the democratic trajectory of Nigeria, West Africa, and the entire continent.<br /> <br /> The US however said the public disturbance that the elections would cause might not be “large-scale nationwide conflict” but “localised violence.”<br /> <br /> The US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, Tibor Nagy, disclosed this in his presentation during the US Congress hearing on Nigeria’s forthcoming elections in Washington DC on Thursday.<br /> <br /> The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Ben Murray-Bruce; and the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Nnena Ukeje, were present at the hearing titled, “Nigeria at a Crossroads: The Upcoming Elections.”<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> Our source obtained a copy of Nagy’s speech on Friday.<br /> <br /> Nagy, who is a member of President Donald Trump’s administration and his lead foreign policy adviser for Africa, said the Department of State agreed with the view that Nigeria’s 2019 general elections would serve as critical test.<br /> <br /> He said, “I can tell you from my impressions during my travels and my previous service in Nigeria that I fear there will be some violence around these elections, as has been the case with previous elections.<br /> <br /> “I do not anticipate large-scale nation-wide conflict, but rather localised violence.<br /> <br /> “We are already seeing increased tensions and polarisation as the election approaches. We assess that politicians are turning to narratives of identity politics in an attempt to improve their popularity, with potentially serious consequences for national unity.<br /> <br /> “However, Nigeria’s political system and society have weathered such tensions before.”<br /> <br /> Nagy said the US government took the risk of any loss of human life during the elections seriously.<br /> <br /> To this end, he said when he was in Nigeria, he asked officials from both major political parties to sign pledges that their candidates would conduct peaceful campaigns.<br /> <br /> He noted that the major candidates had now signed a peace pact.<br /> <b><u><br /></u></b><b><u>Rivers, Borno, Benue, Kano listed as hotspots</u></b><br /> <br /> He listed states that might experience violence during the elections to include Rivers, Borno, Benue, Plateau and Kano.<br /> <br /> He added, “In assessing potential ‘hotspots’ for violence, we look at places that are historically volatile around elections such as Rivers and Borno states.<br /> <br /> “We look at states that are currently tense, especially if state-level politics are contentious like those in Benue, Plateau, as well as those in high-stakes locations with large populations such as Kano.<br /> <br /> “We regularly engage with civil society organisations working in these ‘hotspots’ and support their peacebuilding efforts. USAID programmes and our public diplomacy campaigns also support peace campaigns across the country, such as #VoteNotFight.<br /> <br /> “Through our YALI Network Nigeria campaign, Nigerians have made over 10,000 pledges to boost voter participation, reject violence, and vote with integrity.”<br /> <br /> On expectations and concerns, Nagy said the US government was monitoring and messaging – both publicly and privately – to mitigate a few key areas of risk that could jeopardise a free and fair process.<br /> <br /> He listed the areas of concerns to include potential attacks on the legitimacy of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the electoral process for political gain; intimidation and partisanship by security forces; and heightened insecurity, terrorist attacks on electoral institutions, or violence towards voters, observers, or electoral officials.<br /> <br /> Others are inability of large numbers of Internally Displaced Persons or persons with disabilities to vote; voter suppression, the use of armed gangs for voter intimidation as well as wide-spread vote buying that challenges the integrity of the electoral process.<br /> <br /> According to him, the US government will be watching closely for instigators of violence or those attempting to undermine the democratic process.<br /> <br /> He added that the US was helping Nigeria to strengthen its democratic institutions and processes through diplomacy and robust public engagement.<br /> <br /> While saying that the US does not support any candidate, he said the government “supports a democratic process that is free, fair, transparent, peaceful, and reflects the will of the Nigerian people.”<br /> <br /> Nagy said only Nigerians could determine lasting solutions and a path forward toward peace and stability.<br /> <br /> “2019 will be a significant year for Nigerian democracy – it has been 20 years since the country returned to democratic rule and this election’s youngest voters have never known a Nigeria without democracy,” he added.

Latest-News 2019 Elections: US predicts violence in Nigeria

The United States Government has expressed fear that the Nigeria’s general elections scheduled for 2019 are likely to be characterised by violence. It said the conduct of the elections could have significant consequences for the democratic trajector…

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I really can’t wait for presidential debate - Atiku

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLr46O2Wj588GTwyBRpR7K6Nz8_Y9n3U8aHD2_SCLZMCR3tBroO2OnMcIymchQQJbi10UA0Av4OuPTDCFzT5DeD8Dyi_Z3B7VCAF3yqAqWqCzY1Z7tJqvSLs99XYbhigGi50hlEbnASXQ/s400/Atiku+shuts+up.jpg" width="400" /></div> <br /> Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says he cannot wait for the 2019 presidential debate.<br /> <br /> Atiku said this shortly after his running mate took on Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the debate organised by the Nigerian Elections Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON).<br /> <br /> The PDP candidate commended Obi for “laying out our vision to get Nigeria working again”.<br /> <br /> “I watched with pride as @PeterObi laid out our vision to get Nigeria working again. Can’t wait for the presidential debate,” he tweeted.<br /> <br /> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <div dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en">I watched with pride as <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterObi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeterObi</a> laid out our vision to get Nigeria working again. Can’t wait for the presidential debate. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/2019Debate?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#2019Debate</a></div> — Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) <a href="https://twitter.com/atiku/status/1073698719579734016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"> </script><br /> <br /> Five parties participated in the vice-presidential debate. They are Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Young Progressives Party (YPP).<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> The presidential debate is scheduled for January 19.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, hundreds of supporters of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore under the aegis of Take it Back Movement, on Friday evening stormed the Congress Hall of Trancorp Hilton in Abuja and staged a protest against his exclusion from the debate.

Latest-News I really can’t wait for presidential debate - Atiku

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says he cannot wait for the 2019 presidential debate. Atiku said this shortly after his running mate took on Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the debate organised by the Ni…

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VP DEBATE 2018: ‘You can’t shut down your shop and be chasing criminals’ — Peter Obi tells Osinbajo

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="750" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYN2bqtBXNRLZHthKznZ9nvDDQWLPyBHR2d0ooVlr8qh0oYjasrTK7I3oejKOnYXf2Ob4W8fFEqxEpPySaKKpZxkHNzBnFdZn7QNwcnDS2O9BlC9NUEsIw_ifDwDwk-kutgH3Gn6UPvJpT/s400/Peter-Obi+debate.jpg" width="400" /></div> <br /> <br /> Peter Obi, vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says corruption can be fought aggressively while at the same time attention is paid to the economy.<br /> <br /> Taking on Yemi Osinbajo, vice-presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at a debate organised by the Nigerian Elections Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), Obi faulted the government’s economic policy.<br /> <br /> “In 2015, unemployment and underemployment was 24%, today it’s 40. In 2015, we were attracting N21 billion in foreign direct investments, we attracted only 12 last year. That means it’s going low. Our GDP was 520 in 2015, and per capital was 2, 500, today it’s under 1, 900. If you look at our stock market, it has lost over N2 trillion in one year,” he said.<br /> <br /> “You are not creating jobs, you are not doing the right thing, and you are just fighting corruption. You can’t shut down your shop and be chasing criminals.”<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> On Wednesday, the former Anambra governor had also described the government’s fight against corruption as a disaster and not an economic policy.<br /> <br /> Responding, Osinbajo said government would not be able to do all it wants if corruption is not eradicated.<br /> <br /> “If you allow criminals to steal all the inventories in the shop, there will be no shop,” he said.<br /> <br /> “And what has happened in Nigeria in the past 16 years is what the World Bank told us that the major cause of our poverty is corruption. So, let me say that there is no way we can minimise what has happened. You can’t minimise corruption. If you minimise it, we run the risk of completely… in fact the argument is lost. We cannot do what we want to do unless we are able to minimise corruption or eradicate it completely. This is what we are trying do.”<br /> <br /> Obi, Osinbajo debated alongside Ganiyu Galadima of ACPN, Khadijah Abdullahi of ANN and Umma Abdullahi-Getso of YPP.<br /> <br /> The event held at the congress hall of the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

Latest-News VP DEBATE 2018: ‘You can’t shut down your shop and be chasing criminals’ — Peter Obi tells Osinbajo

Peter Obi, vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says corruption can be fought aggressively while at the same time attention is paid to the economy. Taking on Yemi Osinbajo, vice-presidential candidate of the ruling All …

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WATCH VIDEO: 'Yahoo Boys" arrested for scamming a white Lady over €20,000

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBV6-h_iiZpDfDI3_hKl6YsBVFk9OcKMrSsqrCAG2lL9a2N3JHHdnJttLRpG3rwS_RXKfhSOYAgou16dIZMEXM1OUW-V7VI9wdo8pmvlcSP0FeHFbEkNDTavI9Pb-L7rt5VsKAJFeiu2p/s1600/TYTY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="295" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBV6-h_iiZpDfDI3_hKl6YsBVFk9OcKMrSsqrCAG2lL9a2N3JHHdnJttLRpG3rwS_RXKfhSOYAgou16dIZMEXM1OUW-V7VI9wdo8pmvlcSP0FeHFbEkNDTavI9Pb-L7rt5VsKAJFeiu2p/s400/TYTY.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <b><br /></b><b><br /></b><b>An unidentified White woman has travelled to Ghana to effect the arrest of an internet fraudster, Solomon Attah, who defrauded her of 20,000 Euros.</b><br /> <br /> WATCH VIDEO BELOW...<br /> <iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="313" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNigerianey%2Fvideos%2F492966307891567%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe><br /> <br /> According to <i>Ghanaweb</i>, Attah had defrauded the white woman, some years back after which, he cut ties with her.<br /> <br /> The lady then tracked Attah to Ghana and with the help of the local police, he was arrested.<br /> <br /> In the video, operatives of Ghana’s Criminal Investigations Department were seen trying to gain access into the house, where Attah and some other suspected internet fraudsters were living and carrying out their activities.<br /> <br /> Solomon and his colleagues were arrested and taken to the police station.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> The white man that accompanied the duped lady demanded that Attah paid part or the full amount of money he extorted.<br /> <br /> In the video, Solomon said he was ready to do that.<br /> <br /> There was a car parked in the compound which he could be heard saying that he’ll sell for 10,000 Euros, which covers half of the amount he duped the woman.

Latest-News WATCH VIDEO: 'Yahoo Boys" arrested for scamming a white Lady over €20,000

An unidentified White woman has travelled to Ghana to effect the arrest of an internet fraudster, Solomon Attah, who defrauded her of 20,000 Euros. WATCH VIDEO BELOW... According to Ghanaweb, Attah had defrauded the white woman, some years back afte…

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VP DEBATE 2018: FG spending N5 daily on healthcare per citizen – Peter Obi

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="750" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGDMt6yWggZ-L8BIvFVn1BKq_ZnAEkOMnpRvxxWokfshfOusXuLsPaqm_BjpexH7sPSbRpvEd4PODsA_ljA9te264a0In7d9oceWiT4g2NT_8nXHATE0K0mkIwOYX2bY58qCoUOMXKX-o/s640/Peter-Obi+debate.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /> The vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Peter Obi, has criticised the current government’s dependence on oil subsidy.<br /> <br /> Obi, who spoke in the ongoing vice presidential debate at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, said prices would come down if subsidy was done away with.<br /> <br /> He said, “What we are subsiding today is inefficiency. If you get it right, the prices still come down. There is no way a country can have a budget of N340bn for health, which translates to N5 a day for (each of) its citizens, and then pay a trillion for subsidy.<br /> <br /> “There is no way you can have an education budget, which is the most critical component of the development at over N400bn and you’re paying subsidy of a trillion. It is a waste. You need to reverse it because you’re not dealing with the engine that will drive your economy tomorrow.”<br /> According to Obi, everybody knows that a petroleum-driven economy is a baggage economy.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> The PDP candidate added that at a time people were developing a new economy, the current administration was not paying attention.<br /> <br /> He said, “Why are you actually subsiding? Nigeria has one of the lowest car ownerships in the world. It is 10 (cars) per 1,000 (citizens).<br /> <br /> “So, we have only two million vehicles and you’re paying almost a trillion when you have 87 million people that are poor. You can’t do that. You need to reverse it and, I can tell you, if you do the right things, the price will come down.<br /> <br /> “You are just paying for the delay in importation, the number of time cargos stay in the ports and so on. We can’t continue to pay for inefficiency in this country. I can tell that if you can remove it and do the right things, the price of petroleum will come down.”

Latest-News VP DEBATE 2018: FG spending N5 daily on healthcare per citizen – Peter Obi

The vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Peter Obi, has criticised the current government’s dependence on oil subsidy. Obi, who spoke in the ongoing vice presidential debate at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, said prices wo…

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VP DEBATE 2018: Retain subsidy or pay N220 for petrol – Osinbajo

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTq4gTgzVDveTJY1Swsxe6li1lKGu9Yg9NU_lLHVQNr27VQkeTCMWbxwdtlhd5RiIxUqbuiUQWOqhR7RyC6Z9gnn2tLW1jRNZiuD8tbm-656gZHWiw-tYy_Ls5bEI7fv5w7ZIyns3j0_5k/s1600/vp+debate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="859" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTq4gTgzVDveTJY1Swsxe6li1lKGu9Yg9NU_lLHVQNr27VQkeTCMWbxwdtlhd5RiIxUqbuiUQWOqhR7RyC6Z9gnn2tLW1jRNZiuD8tbm-656gZHWiw-tYy_Ls5bEI7fv5w7ZIyns3j0_5k/s640/vp+debate.png" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says the Federal Government cannot remove petroleum subsidy now because of the effect it will have on Nigerians.<br /> <br /> He added that petrol price could go as high as N220 if it is removed.<br /> <br /> Osinbajo said this at the Vice-Presidential debate organised by the Broadcast Organisation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Elections Debate Group.<br /> <br /> He said today, the NNPC is the sole importer of petroleum. So, it is from the balance sheet of the NNPC that the subsidy is being taken. Now, let me say that if today, you are to remove subsidy, petrol price could go as high as N220 per litre or higher. There is no country in the world, not even the wealthiest ones that don’t run some type of subsidy or the other.”<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a>

Latest-News VP DEBATE 2018: Retain subsidy or pay N220 for petrol – Osinbajo

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says the Federal Government cannot remove petroleum subsidy now because of the effect it will have on Nigerians. He added that petrol price could go as high as N220 if it is removed. Osinbajo said this at the Vice-Presid…

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