Another PDP member tears his membership card

Olusegun Obasanjo. (File: AFP)

 

Abuja - Following in the footsteps of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, the senior special assistant on security to Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe state has also shredded his PDP membership card in public, Naij has reported.

Abdullahi Babangida Muhammad has been seen shredding his PDP membership card on camera and pledging his allegiance to opposition party the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Alhaji Muhammad is reported to have been active member of the ruling party in Gombe state before jumping ship to the opposition.

See the full report and pictures at Naij

Boko Haram fighters blamed for Cameroon military base attack

2015-02-17 11:18
Yaounde — The Cameroonian military says one of its bases on the border with Nigeria has been attacked by suspected Boko Haram extremists, leaving at least five soldiers dead.

Col. Joseph Nouma said on Tuesday that eight other wounded soldiers had been brought to the capital for medical treatment following the attack Monday on the base in Waza.

The renewed violence comes as heads of states from Central African countries were ending a meeting in the Cameroonian capital about a joint military response to the growing regional threat posed by the Nigeria-based Islamic jihadist group.

Nouma said that two machine guns and an armored vehicle had been seized from the insurgents but hundreds of the militants escaped to Nigeria after burning homes and looting.

- AP

Obasanjo’s exit unsettles Jonathan, PDP

Olusegun Obasanjo. (File: AFP)

 

Abuja - There is disquiet in the camp of Presisdent Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the exit of former president Olusegun Obasanjo from the party, reports NewsDay.
Obasanjo’s decision jolted the party that it quickly convened a meeting of the leadership of the party few minutes after the former President announced to the world that he was dumping the party for good.
The meeting was attended by President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo; National Chairman of the party, Adamu Muazu; BoT chairman,  Tony Anenih.

Others that attended the meeting were Senate President David Mark, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, PDP deputy national chairman, Uche Secondus, National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and Political Adviser to the President, Ahmed Rufai Alkali.

Read more at NewsDay.
Read more on: 2015 elections

Man arrested for raping four-year-old girl

2015-02-16 10:18
Abuja - A 25-year-old man has been arrested in Lagos State after it was alleged that he had raped a four-year-old girl, PUNCH has reported.

The suspect, Kingsley Churchill, is allegedly to have raped the girl on January 24 after inserting two fingers into the minor's vagina.

The case was reported to officials after the girl's parents discovered that she had been assaulted.

The defendant has appeared before the Ebute Meta Magistrate's Court on one count of sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Churchill has been granted bail of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The case has been adjourned to March 4.
Read more at PUNCH

Chinese man rams car into US Consulate in Shanghai, hurts 1

2015-02-13 13:02
Beijing — Chinese authorities say a man has rammed a car into a barrier at the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai and injured a military police officer.

Shanghai police said the man was placed in custody and told officials that he felt he was being chased by assassins and needed to get some attention.

Police said the man, identified as Liu Daojie, hit the barrier late Thursday. All foreign embassies and consulates, as well as major Chinese government buildings, are guarded by military police.

Police said on their official microblog that the case is under investigation.
The consulate did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

- AP

PDP splits over Jega

Abuja - Less than a day after the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation accused the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, of partisanship, the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Adamu Mu’azu, has passed a vote of confidence on the him to conduct the March 28 and April 11 general elections, reports Punch.

Mu'azu, who was speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, said the party has confidence in Jega, especially as President Goodluck Jonathan, who appointed him, has said he does not intend to remove him and members of his team in INEC.

He stated that although the election was postponed because of INEC’s unreadiness, the party was confident that Jega would deliver free, fair and credible elections.

He noted that the postponement of the elections would enable Jega and his team to distribute the remaining voter cards.

Mu'azu"s position contradicts sharply that of the PDP, which called for the ouster of Jega from INEC.
Read more at Punch.

Read more on: 2015 elections

APC cries out over hacking of Tinubu, Amaechi’s phones

Lagos - The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Presidency of hacking the phones of some of its leaders, reports Vanguard.

The party listed the leaders whose phones have been bugged to include the National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun; the  National Leader, Bola Tinubu, Senator Bukola Saraki, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, former Gov. Timipre Sylva and the party’s National Publicity Secretary. Lai Mohammed.
The leaders have also be placed under surveillance by security agencies

The party in a statement issued by Mohammed in Lagos on Thursday said that its leadership and members would not be intimidated by the latest alleged clampdown by the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration in the run-up to the March general elections.

He noted that Nigerians should hold the Jonathan administration responsible if anything happens to the party’s leaders.

Read more at Vanguard.

Read more on: 2015 elections